In our recent roundup of Vista Media Center Extenders we were very disappointed that HP MediaSmart connect wasn't available in time to go head to head with the rest. Now that the MediaSmart Connect is in hand, we were anxious to try it out and see how it compares and we have to say that with a MSRP of $350 and a street price at just under $300, we had pretty high expectations. Although there is no doubt that it has the nicest exterior and remote of any extender available, we're not sure if those two merits alone help it to live up to its premium price.

For as much grief as television providers get for their lackluster set-top-boxes / HD DVRs, we wonder why everyone doesn't own a TiVo? Actually, that'd be Tyler who's wondering:

"I'm using an HD DVR provided by my cable company, and most times, it works well enough. I've heard that TiVo boxes are superior, though I'm having a tough time justifying the additional monthly cost. I'd love to hear some pros and cons from current / former owners, as well as whether or not they think it's worth it."

Time to take a stand for your box, TiVo owners. What makes it so worthwhile? Is now a good time to buy one?

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Let's say you're adequately satisfied with your living room HDTV. Can you say the same about the set in your bedroom / office / guest room / etc.? Gregory can't, just check this out:

"The HDTV in my den is great, but I just can't decide on a 20- to 26-inch HDTV for my bedroom. 720p is probably good enough in a set of this size, but I'm having a hard time finding which set looks the best and offers the best value. Can I get some advice from those who have made this decision already?"

Let us speak for the readers when we say "Yes, yes you can get some advice." (Don't make us out to be liars... please?)

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

At just over the two year mark since the first Blu-ray players hit the streets, Sony releases its third-generation player, one that some would argue isn't even a fully featured unit. But aside from how important you think BD-Live is, Sony's latest BDP-S350 has a lot more to offer than its predecessor (the BDP-S300); in fact, it addresses most of our complaints, but unfortunately our favorite feature also got the axe (source direct). The biggest difference you'll notice right off the bat is the size, as it's about half as deep as the 300. While this really doesn't make much difference when enjoying Blu-ray movies, it does show how much more mature the HD chipsets have become in two years. The speed improvement of the player on the other hand will make a difference. While the 300 took 45 seconds just to eject when powered off, the 350 can do it in 6. This puts it in a two way tie with the fastest player we've tested.

There's no doubt about it, no matter what the air quality -- or the political climate -- is like, these will be the best Olympics ever to watch from home (maybe 2012, eh Oscar?) With every moment captured in high definition and available right away, viewers will have their choice of sports to watch at all times, on a number of different platforms. Whether you're new to HD -- and are absolutely sure your HDTV is set up properly -- in the last four years or still have nightmares punctuated by "We've got chips...and salsa" (we've formed a support group for the survivors of 2004) we'll do our part to make sure you're equipped to get the most possible out of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Let's face it -- not everyone has the space nor disposable income to piece together their own multichannel surround sound system, and that's where this week's Ask Engadget HD question comes in. Take it away, Todd:

"I'm currently stuck in a small apartment with a need for surround sound, but I can't go buy a bunch of separates and create a system. I'm obviously in the market for a small but great sounding HTIB. I already own a Blu-ray player, so I'm not too concerned with any built-in DVD / BD players. Which 5.1 (or greater) set out there today offers the best bang for my buck?"

There's no shame in buying your surround sound in a box, so puff out your chest and give this man an answer. Are you pleased with the sound quality / volume / overall performance of your boxed rig? Does your friend's unit sound better? Turn it to 11 and speak up!

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

The Microsoft eHome team's favorite beta tester is at it again, and this time they went as far as to share the RTM build of the Vista Media Center TV Pack (aka Fiji) with us -- lucky for us the update isn't language specific. We're not sure why Microsoft is officially holding back the details of this update until CEDIA, but either way all the previous details we shared with you are true. Although there is no H.264 support or DirecTV tuner information to be found, the new stuff we did find we really liked. We really had no idea how great native QAM support could be and this heterogeneous tuner support is much cooler than it sounds.

It has been a few months since a little Massachusetts-based startup caught our eyes with the ZvBox, and while ZeeVee's localcaster has been spotted a time or two in the run-up to its official release, we finally managed to secure a retail version of our own. We'll be testing this thing out here shortly, but we wanted to give you a closer look at what to expect should you decide to plunk down $499 for one of your own. We have to say, the packaging here is quite nice, and the box itself seems sexy enough considering how little you're likely to see it. Enough chatter, give the gallery below a look to see what we mean.

Following up on last week's promise, we present to you a similar (but very different) question about pulling in OTA signals:

"I'm relatively close to my local TV stations, and I'm not looking to overtake my roof with chicken wire in order to get a signal. I want an OTA antenna that can be setup indoors, preferably something that's either easily hidden or not atrocious. The short-to-mid-range antenna market is so over-saturated -- someone, please help me pick the best one!"

Your turn, city dwellers. What indoor antenna do you use to fetch relatively nearby TV signals? Know of a good deal on it? Dole out your masterful advice below.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Unless we're badly mistaken, there's a general feeling of love 'round these parts for OTA programming. After all, it's free, it's remarkably good looking and it's gratis. Thus, we figured Rodney's question on the matter was worthy of being aired out for all to see.

"I'm just on the outskirts of a pretty big city and I'm hoping to get enough stations with just an antenna to avoid paying for cable or satellite TV. I'm looking for an attic or roof-mounted OTA antenna that will pick up stations a good ways out, but obviously the smaller the better (but not at the expense of signal reach). Any suggestions? I don't want to order a huge antenna only to realize the reception is subpar."

So, OTA lovers: what long-range antenna do you rely on to pull in your HD locals (and maybe those of the next closest town)? Where did you get it from? Was installation a real chore? Speak up! (Oh, and look for a short-range version of this question to pop up next week.)

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

It's that time of week again, and considering that AVRs have remained strangely absent from our Ask Engadget HD series, Vinesy's question couldn't have arrived at a more opportune time:

"I'm considering the Sony STR-DA5300ES, Denon AVR-3808CI, and the Onkyo TX-NR905, and while I'd bet the Onkyo wins in sound quality, I do favor Sony's user interface. I'm open to suggestions outside of those three, but I'm particularly interested in the quality of the upconverting chip. Is the Reon-HQV or the Faroudja DCDi better? Will they both take the 1080i HDMI signal from my FiOS set-top-box and give me 1080p? Help me legion of nerds. Fanboys: attack me with knowledge and then make fun of me like you do best."

Well, you heard the man! For you receiver freaks out there, here's your shot at bestowing knowledge upon the newbies in the field. But be gentle, will ya?

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

We got a chance to peek JVC's latest line of Everio camcorders in a controlled environment a few weeks back, but we finally managed to snag a retail HD40 (that's the flagship model in this series) and take it off to our own special corner. Of course, we tackled the first things first: unboxing and hands-on. Early impressions are that the unit is surprisingly light, though it's on the bulky side. Granted, there is 120GB of storage in there, so it may be a fair trade off for some. We're letting the battery charge up and plan to shoot some video with it over the weekend; we'll be writing up a full review here shortly. 'Til then, enjoy the gallery below (complete with comparison shots with the impressive Samsung SC-HMX20C).

With scads of cable providers slowly but surely converting markets and delivering channels via switched digital video, we reckoned now was an excellent time to dust off the terminology dictionary and dig in deeper. Fittingly, Jarad agreed:

"I've seen that lots of markets are being switched over to SDV lately, and I've noticed CableCARD users are generally upset whenever this happens. Why is that? I thought SDV was supposed to free up space so that more high-definition channels could be distributed on the current network?"

If you've suddenly found yourself wondering the same, head on past the break for the low-down.

Earlier this year, we allowed you all to exchange blows about whether an HD projector or HDTV was more suitable for high-definition aficionados. Now, however, we've received a question that caters to those leaning towards the former:

"I'm looking for a projector for my wife's photography business. I would also like it to double as an HD home theater projector when not entertaining clients. I'm going to be projecting on an 88-inch screen with ample room to vary the throw distance. What are some specs I should be looking for to get great hi-res pictures to show nicely as well as watch some action flicks from my Blu-ray player? Should I go with DLP or LCD?"

As you'll see, cost as a factor wasn't mentioned, but we'll go on and assume that SIM2's C3X is just slightly out of the picture. So, help this guy out, will ya? Are you madly in love with your current beamer? Would you recommend your neighbor's unit instead? Talk it up in comments below.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.