The Broadcom Crystal HD Hardware decoder comes as a PCI Express Mini Card that enables support for H.264 and VC-1 video compression like the playback of Blu-ray discs and streaming 1080p high definition multimedia content. It is designed to reduce CPU utilization and allows for full HD real-time decoding support for mobile platform solutions and it is also the perfect solution for small form factor HTPC's running compatible software like the mighty XBMC.  There are solutions for Windows, Linux or OSX platforms.

The Windows driver binary and Linux source code for the driver and library can be found at the Broadcom web site. For OSX, the binaries and source codecan be found at google code. Users in the USA can purchase the Crystal HD mini PCIE card from Logic Supply for $69 though Ebay appears like the only solution for those outside the USA.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkhIZqOePps

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HP BCM970012 BroadCom BCM70010 BCM70012 HD Decoder new

AU $13.87

10h 44m

Broadcom BCM70012 BCM970012 BCM70010 Crystal HD Decoder

AU $13.87

13h 38m

Broadcom BCM970012 BCM70010 Crystal HD Decoder hp mini

AU $27.75

4d 16h 22m

Broadcom HD Decoder BCM970012 Card Dell Acer Toshiba

AU $27.75

4d 16h 22m

new hp Broadcom BCM70012 BCM970012 Crystal HD Decoder

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4d 16h 22m

Broadcom HD Movie Decoder BCM970015 BCM70015 Apple TV

AU $61.07

6d 19h 40m

The PC game Omikron: The Nomad Soul is one of my all time favoritism games, not only did it feature David Bowie and a whole soundtrack of unique Bowie songs, it still ranks as one of the best multi genre games available.  Blending Adventure, fighting, RPG, FPS elements, the game had a unique body swapping ability it just reeked awesomeness.

When I heard years ago Quantic Dream were making another game I immediately took notice.  Unfortunately they have dropped the PC version (my fav platform) and made it a PS3 exclusive making it one of the most anticipated PS3 games waiting for release.

The tag line for the game goes: How Far Will You Go To Save Someone You Love? and promises to play like the ultimate movie - where you are part of the action.

Heavy Rain Australian Release 25th February 2010

Experience a gripping psychological thriller filled with innumerable twists and turns, where choices and actions can result in dramatic consequences. Spanning four days of mystery and suspense, the hunt is on for a murderer known only as the Origami Killer - named after his macabre calling card of leaving behind folded paper shapes at crime scenes. Four characters, each following their own leads and with their own motives, must take part in a desperate attempt to prevent the killer from claiming a new victim.

Key Features

• An evolving thriller in which you shape the story
• Mature content, reflecting a realistic world setting that explores powerful themes
• Stunning graphics, animation and technology support an emotionally driven experience
• Accessible gameplay via intuitive, contextual controls and interface

Cheapest preorder links for Heavy Rain:

Fishpond $89.99 with Free Delivery

The extreme custom built PC specialists known as Origin PC are now available in Australia.  Backed by the praise of one of the worlds most successful and professional gamers in FATAL1TY, Origin PC offers you the chance to build the ultimate personalised gaming and media Rig - Right online and without the need of a screw driver.

Unlike other vendors who offer built and online self configured PCs, Origin allow any buyer, regardless of knowledge, to delve into the traditional hardcore realm of the Overclocker and enthusiast PC builder allowing options such as Airbrushing, Liquid cooling and some funky case designs - Eat your heart out Apple.

Pricing on these custom beasts may be more than say your typical Dells and HP PC's, but the power and flexibility you will be playing with is significantly higher.  Being a PC enthusiast myself, the ability to overclock and customise my PC systems has gone a long way to enhance my digital lifestyle.  It's not just about impressing friends as things like overclocking and upgrading can also extend your PC's life beyond that of the typical retail computer.

Origin PC Australia

Any company can build a PC, but few can build a custom gaming PC worthy of playing the latest games. Many claim to offer gaming PCs, but they don't deliver a complete gaming experience.  A real gaming PC must be focused on Customization, Service, Gaming, and Technology. This is ORIGIN's specialty.

For a PC to be deemed ORIGIN certified it must have:

• True Personalization  {The complete package has to 'look' as good as it performs}
• Hand-Built by Certified ORIGIN Specialists {Just because anyone can build a PC, doesn't mean they should}
• Lifetime phone and online service guarantee {Once you join ORIGIN, we will have you covered for life}
• Lifetime labor for all your service and upgrade needs included with every ORIGIN system
• Gaming Performance & Quality Testing {1 cycle of a benchmark does not mean it is ready, this is a gaming PC.  Every ORIGIN PC runs through at least 72 hours of testing}
• Component Quality Assurance {Only the best quality/performing components}
• Wired for Thermal Optimization {No, a bird's nest is not allowed in a gaming PC}
• Inspected and Approved {Over 100 point quality checklist signed by your dedicated team of professionals}
• Dedicated Support Team {Never deal with anonymous agents that don't know your name}

This October, Cyberlink have a great Halloween offer with 10% Off their best selling products: PowerDVD 9, PowerDirector 8 and Power Producer 5.

This offer applies to both full and upgrade versions of these 3 products so now is a great time to be upgrading your HTPC with software that can do true Dolby and DTS TrueHD bitstreaming!

Purchasers in the US ONLY will receive an additional incentive of 3 Weeks Free DVD rentals at BLOCKBUSTER.com. These store wide specials will end on November 4th.

I have always been on the lookout for a decent yet cheap Australian based online store for Music and Movies and at long last I have found my new favourite.  CDWOW.com.au offers CDs, DVDs, Games and even cosmetics at significantly discounted prices. You can find a great range of products sourced from the major media companies worldwide along with the best possible prices.  Chart CD's start from $14.95 and Blu-Rays are the cheapest I have come across - even beating JB HIFI.

Right now there is a big sale on that gives you 15% off all CDs, 10% off all DVDs, Games & Cosmetics.

My first purchase was the new Muse - The resistance release which cost only $22.95 for the CD/DVD combo.  You also get some decent discounts and coupon codes in your inbox just for being a member.

Highly Recommended.

Recently purchased this little beauty, The Denon AVR 790 as an upgrade for my aging Pioneer.

It is interesting to note as per this AVS forum post from user Batpig that:

Q. What is the difference between the three-digit models (e.g. AVR 790) and the four-digit models (e.g. AVR 1910)?

A: Essentially, NOTHING. Denon puts out two parallel receiver lineups, with four-digit and three-digit model numbers. The four-digit models are generally sold by high end stereo shops and custom installers, and the three-digit models are the "consumer" version sold in retail outlets like Circuit City and Fry's.

However, there is ZERO difference in terms of power, specs, sound quality, build quality, etc. between the two lines. Denon has been doing this for years, it is exactly analagous to the Yamaha HTR and RX-V parallel receiver lines.

Batpig also has a very handy DENON-TO-ENGLISH DICTIONARY Setup Guide and FAQ.  Definitely worth checking out as he has put a significant amount of effort into helping with the Denon setup process.

The Quick Specs

The AVR-790 features the latest high resolution audio decoders, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, and is one of the first to include Dolby Pro Logic IIz, which provides front height channel effects for an incredibly expansive front soundstage.

The video section features the latest Video Reference Series processor from Anchor Bay Technologies, providing analog-to-digital video deinterlacing and upconversion to HD, with both component and HDMI outputs, and features 1080p 24Hz/60Hz HDMI pass-through, allowing a single HDMI cable run to your HDTV.

Audyssey’s advanced MultEQ room acoustic measurement and correction system analyzes the speakers and the listening room and automatically corrects the response for the smoothest, most natural tonal balance.

Audyssey Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ are provided to ensure rich, natural tonal quality at any volume level, and with no annoying volume jumps during commercial interruptions.

On to the unpacking:

Unpacking with the help of my eldest!

Awesome Remote Dad

Some of the AVR-790 contents

Bye Bye Pioneer - you have done well.

My old Pioneer Receiver, never failed and has been fantastic.

Connecting everything up

Plugging in my HTPC, TV and Wii.  Everything is pretty straight forward at this stage.  Just one HDMI cable to the TV.

Almost done!

The Denon Audyssey Setup Microphone

The automatic calibration using the Audyssey Setup Microphone is simply amazing - especially if you have not witnessed anything like it before. The official Audyssey FAQ can be found here.

Here is a screen of the setup taking place:

Audyssey calibration in progress

All done, testing some HD audio.

I thought my old Pioneer was good but never realised how under utilised my Subsonic speakers were until testing some HD music and the Batman Blu-ray.  I raised the volume for the Bike scene in The Dark Knight and was completely blown away by the sound quality.  No distortions with the volume up and the surround separation from the Main listening position 1 was spot on.  I pushed it to the point the woofer was blowing the curtains and vibrating the roof but then dropped the volume - kids bedtime

The sound is as precise as I was after and it is also excellent for stereo and even standard mp3's. The Denon upscales all analogue sources to 1080p which was a straightforward process and works well for the wii console I have connected.  Denon dropped last years Faroudja scaling method in favor of Anchor Bay and proprietary video processing chips - and it shows.  The pulldown Jitter I was experiencing seems to also been eliminated.

Great stuff.

The Denon AVR 790 gets a big 9.5 out of 10 from me.

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DENON AV SURROUND AMPLIFIER RECEIVER AVR 1000 GOOD CONDITION

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Vintage Component Stereo System Denon Amp Kef Speakers

9 Bids

AU $202.40

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Denon AVR 3806 Surround Sound Receiver Amplifier Dolby 71 2 Zone

3 Bids

AU $105.49

2d 18h 50m

Denon AVR3311 Black Ex Demonstration Clearance Model 3D AV Receiver

AU $1,098.00

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HOME THEATRE RECEIVER DENON 2309 71 HDMI SUROUND SOUND AMPLIFIER

AU $600.00

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NEW DENON AVR1611 51 AV RECEIVER BLACK

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DENON DCM 500 AE CD PLAYER

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13h 36m

The incredibly popular US Internet online retail outlet overstock.com is now shipping to Australia.

Overstock.com now accepts orders from 34 countries. Available products, shipping rates and fees may vary though you can find some great gear not available anywhere else at great bargain prices.

The most noteworthy aspect about this big online retail giant would have to be their Worldstock concept:

Patrick Byrne, CEO created Worldstock, providing artisans in the world's poorest regions with opportunities to sell their unique creations to a wider variety of customers. Worldstock 's goal is to create jobs for tens of thousands of people throughout the world, thereby enabling them to help themselves.

Here is a current example of dealings with a Harvey Norman based franchise by a mate of mine:

"I purchased a LCD TV at the Chirnside Park Harvey Norman store via GE interest free - the sales people were helpful enough. I was able to take it home that day.

First turning on the TV - everything was already setup which is in contradiction to the user manual. I Didn't think anything of it at this stage. It wasn't until I set up my Home theatre equipment a couple of weeks later that I noticed none of the side inputs would work properly - svideo had intermittent issues with a camcorder and the TV's much touted usb ability did not work at all.

After originally calling the store with these issues, I was told to bring in some devices to test on a similar TV set. I went back to the store and approached a salesman with my issues with the TV. After testing the devices on another TV, all of which worked, I was told there was nothing Harvey Norman can do and he gave me a number of a repair company.

I then asked if it was possible to replace the TV with another one as the TV we bought was clearly faulty and was told there was no stock of that particular TV in the store and that he cannot take my word for it that there was an issue with the TV in the first place.

I then said I can bring the TV down to the store and he can see for himself, but was told “I am not a technician, I cannot make that decision, you need to get it seen by a qualified technician”

I then requested a refund after exhausting all avenues of politeness, talking to unhelpful and rude sales people can get you worked up. Again I was told “A qualified TV technician needs to see the TV, I cannot help you”. Frustrated with the lack of help and complete disinterest of the sales people I walked out of the store.

I organised a pickup with the repair company who and was given a two week timeframe.... A Call to Consumer Affairs Victoria outlined my rights in this matter and requested this situation be put in writing.  I then emailed Harvey Norman Feedback and physically mailed the Chirnside store the situation.  A call the next day resulted in one of the Sales people saying " We will sort it out for you, give me an hour and I'll ring you back"  Two days later - No Phone call - Unbelievable...  I rang back, got the same sales person and was subsequently told " ON MY watch you will NOT be getting a REFUND, REPLACEMENT - Nothing"  As you can imagine - I am not that happy.

How is it possible that big retailers like Harvey Norman can get away with this sort of treatment of their customers.

A quick scan of google brought up this review site: http://www.productreview.com.au/showshop.php?shop_id=1024 It appears a great number of people have had a similar issues with Harvey Norman and also have faced major problems regarding the sales of faulty products.

It is clear in this situation that Harvey Norman have attempted to mislead the customer of his or hers rights, to outline the obligations Harvey Norman has, here is an excerpt from the ACCC website:

I sell goods...

What are my obligations?

When you sell goods you must make certain that they fulfill certain conditions and warranties that are implied under the TPA.

You must be sure that goods:

• are of merchantable quality—that is, goods need to reach a basic level of quality given the price of the goods and any description that is provided with the goods
• are fit for the purpose or job that the consumer described to you or that are self-evident
• match any description or sample given to the consumer whether in promotional material, over the phone, in person, on a website or on labelling or packaging
• are free from defects and faults.

You must also be sure that any goods you sell have no debt or financing owed on them so the consumer can have free title to the goods.

If the goods you have sold do not fulfill any of these conditions then the consumer may be entitled to a refund from you on return of the goods. If the goods have been partially consumed the consumer may be entitled to a refund depending on the circumstances and the extent to which the goods have been consumed.

Consumers can choose an alternative remedy to a refund. In these circumstances you may want to offer an exchange, a credit note or to repair the goods.

If the goods being returned have had a fair amount of use then you may be entitled to provide a partial refund only or to repair the product instead. This will depend on the circumstances of the sale and return and if the use of the goods has affected the fault.

You have the right to ask for proof of purchase from the consumer, for example, a receipt or credit record.

You are not obliged to provide a refund, credit or exchange if a consumer has:

• changed their mind, decided they no longer want the goods or just don’t like them, or found that goods are the wrong size or colour
• found they can buy the same or similar goods elsewhere for a cheaper price
• examined goods before buying them and should have seen any fault at that time
• had a defect drawn to their attention before they purchased goods, for example, when goods are clearly labelled as seconds or faulty.

The interest free options that Harvey Norman spam commercially could be the only thing keeping the store viable in todays retail market, if this sort of payment option is a necessity or your only option, there are alternatives through retailers like JB Hifi and Retravision. From personal experience, Retravision has fantastic customer support, I also bought an awesome LCD from JB myself.

Update:  After a call to Consumer Affairs Australia, Harvey Norman quickly changed their tune and offered a full replacement.

Links:

Product Review.com.au

Your refund rights and obligations

ACCC Warranty & refund obligations