Vista to boost PC-TV tuner market, says In-Stat

PC-TV tuners will experience fast growth and the introduction of Windows Vista will likely give the market a boost, according to the research firm In-Stat. Initiatives made by Microsoft along with several other factors are stimulating the growth of PC-TV tuners. "Microsoft has done a yeoman's job by encouraging PC-TV tuner vendors to centralize their drivers through the Windows Update program", the research firm added. The firm also anticipates that PC-TV tuning will be an important service enabled by Vista."The most common PC-TV tuner will enable digital terrestrial television reception and be integrated in with the PC as part of a Microsoft Vista bundle," says Chris Kissel, In-Stat analyst. "However, hybrid USB TV tuners, PC-TV tuners for free-to-air satellite TV services, and pay-TV capable tuners will have significant market shares."Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

SlingPlayer Makes its Macintosh Debut

For TV junkies, the Slingbox placeshifting system is several flavors of awesome -- unless you were a Mac owner, in which case you sulked petulantly in the corner. No more. On Monday, Sling Media announced that Slingbox owners who tote Macs can now watch their TV from the comfort of hotel rooms abroad, just like their PC brethren. The new OS X-compatible SlingPlayer works with the Apple remote control, and in addition to streaming video from your TV/DVD/DVR/cable box/satellite box, also supports video iPods and Apple TV. If you've already got a Slingbox, the software is a free download.

Editors' rating: 7.0 Very good

The good: Sleek black design; HDMI output; raised, backlit keys make it the most comfortable UMPC for typing; number pad; screen-side scroll bars. The bad: Weak performance and battery life; BlackBerry-style keyboard not great for productivity. The bottom line: The OQO model 02 is a well-designed, attractive UMPC. If not for its slow CPU and short battery life, it would be a clear category leader. CNET editor's review. Reviewed by ; Dan Ackerman.

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