Do you recognize YOUR living room? The landscape in your family’s favorite room has changed dramatically the past few years as the Internet (as a main source of media content) begins to take over from your old favorite, the traditional cable model.

With these changes come dynamic new equipment options and possibilities. In this post IOGEAR is your fearless guide to help navigate this new media landscape and take advantage of the exciting changes in home entertainment.

HDTV

The TV remains the centerpiece of most entertainment centers in the home. Today, most homes enjoy the power of an HDTV, with newer models now equipped with Internet connectivity, effectively creating a web TV. Most recently, 3D enabled HDTV’s have joined the mix, promising a more vibrant (and dimensional!) future ahead.

The following resources will help you navigate the various options and discover the right choice for your particular needs:

• Understand, choose and optimize an HDTV at Cnet
• Compare prices, features, and reviews at PC World

Audio Systems

For fussy audiophiles, the sound quality built into most HDTVs is not enough to satisfy discerning ears. Those looking for a better quality sound experience may find the need to augment their system with full home theater capabilities.

Before you begin your search, it’s important to spend some time determining what’s important to you, based on how you will be using your system. For example, is full surround sound a priority? Do you want to be able to easily play music from your radio or iPod? Will you need headphones if thumping bass is an issue for the neighbors downstairs?

The following resources will help guide you to system suited to your lifestyle:

• About.com’s Home Theater guide
• Home theater system guide by ConsumerReports.org
• How to buy the right headphones from PCMag.com

PC Media Centers

For those who want to combine their computing experience with a little quality couch time, there are many options available to turn your PC into a full featured media center. While many newer HDTV’s have integrated Internet on TV abilities, they are usually limited to certain content sources. A quick solution is to include your PC as a media player – not only will this give you the full PC to TV computing experience on your HDTV, the IOGEAR Wireless Audio / Video Kit will allow you to cut the cord and work wirelessly!

These resources are a great start when looking for the best fit PC media center option for you:

• How to build an HD media center for under $1000 by EngadgetHD
• Using Apple TV with Boxee to create a easy-to-use media center by LifeHacker.com

Single/Multi Purpose Media Devices

From video game consoles to DVD and/or Blu-Ray players, there are a bewildering variety of add-on options for your home entertainment center. It’s important to consider your entertainment needs before making your selections, since some devices, such as the Xbox or Playstation 3 perform several functions (e.g. gaming, Netflix streaming and DVD or Blu-ray playback).

Here are some resources to help you decide how to extend your home entertainment center:

• Choosing between an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Nintendo Wii
• Stand alone home media player comparison: Vudu, Roku and Boxee
• Recommended Blu-ray & DVD players from ConsumerReports.org

Bringing It All Together

Feel like you’re stuck in a cable nightmare? Today’s devices often come with cheap, low-quality cables, or cables designed to frustrate you by being short or easily broken. The good news is, you don’t need to spend a fortune to get the quality you need. The better news is, there’s no longer any need to even leave the comfort of your couch to switch between one device and the next. Cutting-edge technology provides solutions for that problem and keeps you couch-side in comfort!

These links will help you navigate today’s A/V connectivity options:

• Cnet’s quick guide to HDMI and HDMI cables
• Audio/Video Cables and Connectors explained by eCoustics.com
• Wireless resources by IOGEAR

Your Solutions and Experiences

Have you begun a high-tech upgrade of your living room, or are you hanging on to old technologies? What’s missing for you to be able to truly integrate the Internet experience into the living room? Please take some time and share your thoughts here on the blog, on Twitter or FaceBook.

Don’t forget to participate in this month’s Twitter contest where a USB Laptop KVM Switch is up for grabs. Entering to win is as simple as following us on Twitter!

For those who dream of enjoying their favorite YouTube clips, Hulu episodes or other streaming Internet content on their favorite widescreen televisions, Walt Mossberg’s recent Wall Street Journal article How To Watch Video, Wirelessly, on Your TV Set may sound familiar.

The good news: wireless PC-to-TV solutions are officially here to stay! With a growing number of solutions that allow consumers to play Internet media in full TV screen glory on the market, sharing and enjoying Internet content has never been easier.

The days of huddling over a small PC screen to share a favorite clip or video will soon be a distant memory, as Internet content makes the leap to center stage in the evolving living room landscape. Whether for work or play consumers can browse the Internet, watch online video, or edit spreadsheets on a widescreen TV from the comfort of their couch.

The GREAT news: Thanks to IOGEAR, finding a wireless solution has never been easier or more affordable. Our Wireless Audio / Video Kit is a user friendly and all-in-one solution which can help you bring your wireless digital lifestyle up to date – all at an affordable price point of under $300. With three easy adapters and a few simple steps, eliminating the clutter of wires and bring your living room into the digital future is within reach!

What’s the first thing YOU’D want to stream from your PC to your TV screen? Movies…video clips….or something else? Let us know!

Don’t forget to enter this month’s competition over at Twitter, where we’re giving away a USB Laptop KVM Switch. Entering is as simple as following us on Twitter and retweeting all messages that mention the March competition. Good luck!

Cheers
The IOGEAR team

It won’t have escaped the attention of any outdoor sport enthusiasts that the Winter Olympics have kicked off in Vancouver. While agile skiers, snowboarders and other cold-weather athletes compete fiercely for gold, there’s another army at work bringing you the action straight to your living room – the technology geeks.

What couch surfers might not appreciate is the full weight of technology behind the games. According to reports by CNET, powering the Winter Games requires more than 5,000 kilometers of cabling and 6,000 computers – and that’s before it even reaches your living room.

Although there may be no easy way to simplify the technology behind one of the largest events in the sports calendar, viewers at home can escape the crawl of wires and experience seamless enjoyment of the games, courtesy of IOGEAR. Solutions include the Wireless Audio/Video Kit, allowing consumers to combine audio and video streaming through one connection, cutting down on the hardware needed for the perfect entertainment setup. No additional snaking wires here to trip you up – just uninterrupted, high-quality snow action from Vancouver!

In addition, snow bunnies and chairmen of the (snow)boards can benefit from IOGEAR’s recently announced Wireless HD Kit in the AVIOR Series, helping to eliminate home theater clutter even further. This new kit can wirelessly transmit up to 100 feet through walls your Blu-ray / DVD players, DVR / Set-top box, VHS players, computers and media servers / Home Theater PC’s to HDTV’s or projectors. Whether you’re replaying the highlights or jumping online for ‘web TV’ to get a close-up on the best shred, it’s all seamless and customized with you in mind.

As part of IOGEAR’S AVIOR product series, the Wireless HD Kit is part of a broad product suite, which enables entertainment enthusiasts to bridge the gap between the computer and home entertainment center, providing internet on TV as part of a customized solution. From crime dramas to curling, and from PC to TV, IOGEAR has you covered this winter season!

For more information on IOGEAR items online, visit www.iogear.com.

Cheers,
The IOGEAR Team

It’s been an exciting holiday season here at IOGEAR, from our 12 Days of Christmas giveaway all the way through to a New Year celebrated at CES 2010. We are excited to move forward into 2010 and provide continued high value to our customers, including useful information to help make the very best of your digital life.

Going wireless has been a favorite topic on our blog this past year. For those who made New Year’s resolutions to finally get organized, this post offers some suggestions on how to simplify your digital life with IOGEAR wireless products that help reduce clutter.

Wireless Audio / Video Kit


The HDTV is the cornerstone of most living room entertainment systems today – but add a Blue-ray player, DVD/VCR player, video game consoles (Xbox, Wii, Playstation), home theater system or PC (taking advantage of web TV), and it all adds up to a lot of cables, wires and clutter.

The Wireless Audio / Video kit cuts the rats nest of wires by allowing you to simplify. Now you can untether your PC from that nest of wires, or add a PC to your entertainment mix without requiring the PC to be physically next to the HDTV. This setup allows you to enjoy the full breadth of content on the Internet from PC to TV wirelessly!

Solar-Powered Hands-Free Car Kit

If you’ve ever been frustrated by your wired headset ending up in a tangled ball, this hands-free kit is the answer. Not only does it avoid the tangle of wires, but this device also helps you stay on the right side of the law by making sure you comply with state laws regarding cell phone usage while driving.

This unit supports two phones, which eliminates any concerns about switching headsets on the road. You will also appreciate that this device is powered by solar energy, since GPS units and iPods typically take over our cigarette lighter adapters and switching adaptors while driving is dangerous.

Best of all, this is yet another IOGEAR device that supports our commitment to going green!

2.4GHz Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel

If your computer is already weighed down with one too many cables, why add to the problem? With the 2.4GHz keyboard you can set your keyboard free and work in comfort – completely wirelessly.

For even more freedom, you can use the built-in laser trackball, and ditch your external mouse – particularly useful for those wanting to experience the Internet on TV from the comfort of their couch with our Wireless Audio / Video Kit.

How has going wireless has enabled YOU to reduce clutter? Are there any devices that you wish had no cords? We want to hear your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, on FaceBook or Twitter.

With broadband connections rising in the United States and YouTube kicking off the share your video genre of Web sites that now has dozens of copycats, consumers have become more accustomed to watching TV, movies and videos on their computers. Additionally, with the dropping price of digital cameras and video cameras, and the video and photo features in cell phones, we now witness a whole new generation of consumers that are creating, editing, sharing and consuming media content online.

Pay-per-view options via Amazon and iTunes deliver video instantly to your computer as opposed to the now dated act of getting in the car and heading to the local video rental store, or waiting for your Netflix movie to physically show up in the mail. Netflix offers a wide collection of streaming video content but rarely provides newly released items for instant streaming.

Realizing consumers’ needs, Hollywood is now listening. They’ve Studio executive have slowly warmed to the idea of putting full shows online within 24 hours of the original air-date on traditional TV. This recent UK article shows the dramatic spike in online views of video based content, further reinforcing how much consumers want this option. With more than 80 sites available to legally stream movies, TV shows and short video clips now, clearly the shift to online content viewing is happening now and fast.

All of this is great news for consumers as it makes entertainment easier and cheaper, however, being stuck to your desk, office or kitchen table with a laptop is not the most enjoyable way to watch his newly available content. Having a dedicated computer to soley serve as a multimedia station for most, is a burden they’d rather not deal with. The set up, the proximity to the TV and figuring out how to use it and where to put it, can cause a huge headache. Anyone who’s taken the time to hang their flat panel TV on the wall and fish the cables down through it to have a clean look knows parking a computer tower under it is not the most aesthetically pleasing option.

There is now a better option available.

IOGEAR has introduced the Wireless Audio / Video Kit, which is changing how everyone views multimedia content from the Internet. A simple, clean and no-hassle hookup with no cables will have the video transmitting from your computer to your HD TV up to 30 feet away.

Now you can easily enjoy your HD TV from the comfort of your couch with the near limitless content available online. Unlike digital video recorders which cost several hundred dollars and require a monthly service fee, once you purchase the Wireless Audio / Video Kit it’s yours. The only other requirements are a TV and a broadband Internet connection.

Use the Wireless Audio / Video Kit for more than just streaming video. Easily show videos you’ve made on your camera after you’ve transferred them to a computer, or setup a slideshow of still photographs on your computer to be displayed when you aren’t watching videos. This technology easily converts your TV into a digital photo frame!

Showing you just how easy it is to connect your PC to TV can be opens a whole new world of exciting possibilities, entertainment and cost savings for you and your family. The added benefit of embracing one of the newest and fastest growing digital trends also means quicker delivery of media and instant gratification.

Internet on TV is a trend that still at the beginning stages of explosive growth and IOGEAR is at the forefront, bringing you cutting edge technology to allow full enjoyment of everything the Internet has to offer and will offer for years to come.

You can pick up or order a Wireless Audio / Video Kit today at Best Buy, Micro Center, Fry’s, Amazon or at our own IOGEAR store.

It’s no secret that the Internet is now a vast source of entertainment. It’s where we find, share and store pictures, home videos, movies and TV shows. However, we can’t always crowd a group of people around a small laptop screen to share our pictures, videos, favorite TV show or movie with friends and family.

Many companies are starting to see the value of offering online entertainment, but it’s how consumers view that content that is becoming increasingly important.

Some of the big cable giants are starting to offer more online content to paid customers but that comes with hefty monthly fees that can add up. And while Internet-enabled TVs aren’t new, they’re getting increasingly popular but are still limited to what content you can have access to. Recently, it was rumored that Apple might take a gamble and manufacture its own Internet-enabled TV that could eventually work in tandem with all Apple products.

We previously reported on a Yahoo! study showing the increase in online video viewing – so the questions are, how much online content are you watching, and would you like to have it viewed on your big screen TV rather than your small computer screen?

Cheers,

The IOGEAR team

Take a step back and look at how you and your family use common spaces, specifically the living room.  The living room was traditionally a place for people to gather and discuss current matters, how the day went and future plans.

With technology came multimedia.  First was the radio, then television, video, gaming systems and multimedia computers. Now, broadband Internet and wireless technology has pushed computers that were once confined to the office into our living space.

During this evolution nothing has really been able to control, manage or streamline how we interact with all the different devices in our living rooms – with the exception of the universal remote. But even with the universal remote, it was never easy switching from device to device.

Now, imagine sitting on your couch, watching TV in one moment, then easily switching to your computer to check a few emails and perhaps browse the Web, then switching over to your favorite video game system all on the same TV display and without leaving your couch.

IOGEAR’s latest revolutionary offering allows users to do that and more, in a simple way.  Utilizing an HDMI Multimedia KVMP Switch to seamlessly change between devices takes your home entertainment into a new level of enjoyment.

What’s amazing about this KVMP is the HDMI integration, it allows a single cable to be run for both high video resolution (1080p HD) and sound transfer, which makes setup a breeze.

The HDMI KVMP Switch supports digital inputs from:

• Blu-Ray / DVD players
• Gaming consoles
• Set-top boxes
• Home / office computers

Because the KVMP is designed to connect all of your existing systems to one central display, it becomes the brains behind your home entertainment system. Display Emulation Technology built into the KVMP remembers monitors parameters such as display resolution and eliminates the nagging delay when switching between or booting devices.

One of the new features included with this unit are the two USB 2.0 ports for asynchronously sharing USB devices between computers.  This patented asynchronous switching allows you to switch applications between two connected computers; run one application on one computer while running a second app on another.  You can further expand the ports with a USB hub.

Now you can take the guesswork out of connecting your gaming and multimedia systems to your living room HDTV while utilizing your multimedia computer to its fullest potential with this simple plug-and-play solution.  The HDMI Multimedia KVMP Switch is a complete home entertainment solution to enhance and enrich your living room and turn it into a complete home entertainment center that the whole family can enjoy.

We want to know how your home entertainment setup has evolved over the years. Tell us all about your setup in the comment section below or at our Twitter page. If you have any pictures to share with us, please do so at our FaceBook page. We look forward to your ideas.

Home entertainment has taken a side step recently, more towards the digital realm meant for easy sharing of content. Dinner parties and family gatherings still happen, but with social-networking sites like Flickr, Kodak.com, YouTube, Mevio and Facebook, the ability to directly connect with everyone regardless of how far away they are is only a few keystrokes away.

Because nearly everyone has a digital camera these days and 99% of all cell phones have a camera built in them, photos are being shared like never before. Now consumers can snap a photo, email or text it to someone, share it on Twitter or post the image directly to a Facebook wall.

Capturing special moments on video is easier today too. Most of the current digital cameras come with video functionality, making expensive A/V equipment a thing of the past. Utilizing video hosting services like YouTube and Mevio allow easy and fast sharing with anyone, anywhere. No need to author DVDs and mail them out anymore.

The ability to share memories has never been more simple or fulfilling. Personalized photos and videos delivered to a grandparent’s email can mean the world, especially when they live in far-away places. With modern technologies, families and friends can continue to share in each other’s lives even if they’re unable to be there in person.

Consumers now have various channels to share photos and video with friends and family, through email and social-networking sites. However, this content shouldn’t be limited to a computer monitor that only person can view comfortably. While home media computers have started to become more popular, they aren’t a sure-fire fix, and can often be complex to setup and use.

The next step in bridging the gap is the IOGEAR Wireless Audio / Video Kit, designed to easily connect your computer and your HDTV, enabling an entire room to enjoy photos from Flickr or movies on YouTube. Ultra-wideband technology allows the Kit to transmit 720p HD video up to thirty feet away wirelessly, easily turning nearly any computer in the room into a media center. No unsightly cables or wires hanging down, no complex setup, simply plug the device into one part of your computer and the other into the TV, and enjoy your cherished memories from the comfort of your couch and on your HDTV.

If this sounds appealing to you, check out our contest that ends on August 31, 2009 where we are giving away one of these IOGEAR Wireless Audio / Video Kits. All you need for a chance to win is to join us as a fan on FaceBook.

The living room truly is where families live today, not like before when it was only used to entertain guests or watch the occasional television show. Nowadays, the living room serves as a sanctuary of sorts; part media room, home office and gaming center. Due to the number of devices connected to each other, it can be somewhat difficult to enjoy all of them in a clean and simple fashion. IOGEAR’s revolutionary HDMI Control Center aims to alleviate some of the confusions.

Introducing the HDMI Control Center to the home market allows consumers to utilize the living room television as a centralized connection point; leveraging both HDMI and USB-powered devices to gain instant access, enjoyment and the freedom of complete user control.

Setting the device up is fairly straightforward. On the back of the HDMI Control Center is a gray area for console where you connect the HDMI cable from your television or monitor to the unit along with the USB-powered wireless keyboard with built-in trackball,. Simply connect the rest of your devices via HDMI and USB for quick and simple setup.



How does it work?

Use the HDMI Control Center to connect and control the following, and enjoy all of them at full 1080p HD resolution.

• Home Computers
• Media server
• Blu-Ray / DVD players
• Gaming consoles (Xbox, Playstation 3)
• HD Set-top Boxes
• Digital Video Recorders

A quick tap on the hot-keys on the wireless keyboard will allow you to quickly switch to your desired devices and IOGEAR’s Display Emulation Technology means it will remember the screen resolution and parameters for each specific device, so you don’t need to adjust your TV each time.


Utilize the USB ports to connect a USB hub or other USB peripheral devices such as external drives or digital cameras. Because you are only sharing a screen session, you can run different applications on your computer and your media server while recording to your DVR all at the same time. The HDMI Control Center comes as a complete kit, ready to install out-of-the-box with everything you’ll need. Clean lines and brushed aluminum on the front fascia will match any home décor and an included headphone jack should be all you need for a little more privacy.

You can view part one here.

The way we watch TV shows and movies has changed dramatically over the last few years. Gone are the days when TV Guide dictated what time you must be home to catch your favorite show, or make a trip to the store to buy or rent a movie. Broadband Internet access has been made available nearly everywhere in the USA and media sites are putting it to full use, allowing you to stream content right to your computer and TV, enabling you to watch your favorite shows such as: Lost, CSI, American Idol and House whenever you want.

YouTube was one of the first aggregate sites that allowed streaming video (via the Flash plug-in) that didn’t take forever to load. While their primary focus has been to showcase user-generated content, and they now actively remove illegally-shared TV shows and movies, major studio executives often use it to show trailers of upcoming movie. Many try to create viral videos in the marketing world, and some are done so well that they gain cult-like status. Dozens of similar sites started to show up that offered the same concept, just in a different package. Vimeo, Viddler and MetaCafe are three of the competitors that compete directly with YouTube. While all have pretty strict anti-copyright rules, they also have the ability of being able to enjoy an entire show, since most limit content to 10 minutes.

The concept of legally watching video from over the Internet is now starting to see backing by the major studios. Ironically, watching shows on most computers isn’t ideal, not when a 42” or larger HD TV is hung on the wall. Just as the movie and TV industry has realized viewers want to watch programs when they want, the tech industry has realized these same viewers want to watch programs where they want. Connecting a computer to a television is a task that not everyone is comfortable with. Factor in unsightly cables and the need to locate a computer fairly close to a television, and it’s not hard to see that this is not the best setup. IOGEAR’s award-winning Wireless Audio / Video Kit eliminates the cables dangling from your television and takes the guesswork out of connecting your computer to the TV with the Only a few minutes to hook up and configure, this kit will allow you to wirelessly stream 720p HD video from up to 30’ away.

To take full advantage of streaming content to your television, there is a near endless list of sites to legally watch video from. Joost was one of the first Internet TV aggregate sites on the Internet, but required specific hardware to operate properly, limited selection of shows and an endless amount of bugs. While they tried to figure out how to best deliver their content, Hulu quietly snuck onto the scene. With a proper blessing by some major studios to broadcast media, it quickly became the go-to site to get caught up on TV shows and select movies. Most television episodes will show up on Hulu within 36 hours of their original airdate along with out-takes and cast member interviews that normally wouldn’t be seen on cable television. First on Mars, Fancast and Fora are similar aggregate sites that focus on content from a multitude of different sources.

Traditional broadcast television quickly caught on that this was no longer a trend and wanted to attract more viewers by putting some content right on their own sites. The big four, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, all stream some of their primetime shows shortly after being aired. Most premium cable channels also stream their more popular shows, like USA, A&E, History Channel and Food TV, allowing viewers to watch their favorite shows on their own time, no longer being restricted to the air time or waiting for a rerun. Best of all, it’s legal! Not only do the television networks gain more viewers, it’s almost an excuse to not illegally acquire content anymore. Furthermore, it’s somewhat of an incentive to stop paying for cable since you can stream the vast majority of shows, and now enjoying them from computer to TV is a reality too.

Streaming content has become so popular that dedicated sites now offer full shows, avoiding the high cost of being on television or worse, not at all, it exposes viewers to a whole new genre of video. Standouts include Revision3 and CNET-TV, both offer content that is enjoyable to watch but would more than likely be passed over by the more traditional networks. There are actually more than 80 Web sites to legally stream movies and television shows from, along with sites that generate content solely for broadcasting via the Internet.

Now is the time to enjoy the shows you already watch, when you want to, and on the TV of your choice, free and legally. Make sure to check out part 1 of this series which highlights the advances within the hardware side of the Internet TV revolution.