PCAlchemy.com is celebrating the holidays with a couple of special offers.

* 5% Off a single purchase (over $100) with coupon code: pcalchemy-holiday-5
* Free Shipping on every item, no coupon necessary

Through December 31st 2006, pcalchemy.com is offering store wide Free
Shipping and a 5% discount on a single purchase over $100. To redeem
the 5% discount coupon you must have a pcalchemy.com account and enter
the following redemption code on the Check Out Payment page:

Redeem Code has expired sorry!

NOTE --> This discount has EXPIRED See the new coupon code (through the 31st)>

EDIT--> The Thanksgiving Discount Deal has expired

rampy: Just the thing to save a few more duckats on one of those Alchemy line of tricked out Media Center PC's I mentioned yesterday. You can save on almost all the other HTPC parts you need for your project as well!

Google PC DVR Search Engine

"I (Rakesh) spent some time creating a search engine for everything related to “PC DVR” using Google’s Custom Search Engine tool. I included websites for every TV tuner card manufacturer, every software product, and every community site that I could think of.

The final product was the PC DVR Search Engine, my first custom search engine"

Via snapstream blog

What a cool idea, can't believe i didn't come up with it first ;)

Gatorback is leading the call to gather data points on what the community thinks would be the best/most recommended components to make a "dream htpc"

I think it's a cool idea, and using google spreadsheet to collaborate on it is a great idea! I've got my own idea for a comprable project that people have been asking for, forever... but in the meantime lets help gatorback with this project/idea

"I am publishing a spreadsheet on the web that will enable you to jot down your dream PVR configuration. If you are interested in contributing, please send an e-mail note to coronabeach at gmail dot com and I will send you an invite. After I have collected enough data points (about 50 or 100 days, whichever is first) then I will publish the results.

The purpose of this exercise is to determine if there is a general concensus as to the preferred SW \ HW configuration.

If this exercise turns out to be a positive experience I will follow-up with a similar exercise. Thank you for your cooperation and participation."

Prolific byopvr forum poster g808's BeyondTV based home theater configuration was recently featured on the SnapStream blog under his other very apt pseudonym "btvfreak"

I see btvfreak’s posts on our forums all the time, but I guess I never took the time to actually click on the links in his sig. Tonight I did and I was extremely impressed with his Beyond TV setup… and how thoroughly he’s documented all the details on his blog.

We start by checking out btvfreak’s Beyond TV server, with what looks like 3 HDTV TV tuners and 3 analog TV tuners. Not bad. Then, we move on to his living room and bedroom setups. Both are outfitted with quiet, attractive looking HTPC cases running Beyond TV Link.

Finally, checkout btvfreak’s home theater setup, complete with 46″ TV, an HTPC running Beyond TV Link and Beyond Media and a good ‘ol xbox.

One of the other more helpful DIY PVR / HTPC resources on the web (well besides *this one*!) has put up a very modest plea for donations.

SHSpvr has been an excellent resource for information, details, support, and of course beta drivers for hauppauge cards for a long time. If you have the means, please consider chipping in a few ducats to help SHSpvr with his site.

---
If can help me reach a goal $350 to have work done here on www.shspvr.com which I can not do.

As of today 8/03/2006 there was $53.18 (left over) from past Donations
Please go HERE and click on PayPal Donate image

If you don't wish to signup on PayPal for what ever reason you may have and you would still like to help please email shspvr AT shspvr.com and he can provide you with his mailing address.

Thank you from Anthony Toste aka SHSPVR.
---

Congrats to dpicts for being drawn in the latest giveaway!

Thanks to the SnapStream Store for sponsoring this giveaway of SnapStream's Beyond TV + Hauppauge PVR150+ Firefly Mini bundle

this giveaway is no longer active: stay tuned for new contests/giveways!

The SnapStream Store is sponsoring a giveaway of SnapStream's Beyond TV + Hauppauge PVR150+ Firefly Mini bundle

If you wanted to get your project going on the fast track with a Hauppauge PVR 150 tuner card, some premium PC PVR/DVR software, and a cool IR remote this would be the giveway to enter! If you already have a tuner card, it couldn't hurt to get an additional tuner and upgrade the software and remote while you're at it (if you're the lucky winner!)!

Head to the official forum announcement for official details and to enter!

this giveaway is no longer active: stay tuned for new contests/giveways!

this giveaway is no longer active: stay tuned for new contests/giveways!

The SnapStream Store is sponsoring a giveaway of SnapStream's Beyond TV + Hauppauge PVR150+ Firefly Mini bundle

If you wanted to dive in and jump start your project with a hardware encoding tuner card paired with some premium PVR software and a nifty remote this is the giveway to enter! Even if you already have a tuner card, what could be better than adding an additional tuner and and upgrading the software and remote to boot!

How To Enter:

1. Visit the SnapStream Store BeyondTV + PVR150 page then go to the BeyondTV Feature page. Study them both. There's a quiz in step 2!

2. Find the answer to the following question: "The feature of Beyond TV 4 that automatically detects TV commercials and makes it easy to skip them is called ________."

3. Send a forum private message to user giveaway with the answer to the question posed in step 2.

This contest ends at Midnight Eastern Time on May 28th 2006. You must be a Registered member of the byopvr forum to participate in this giveaway. This giveaway is limited to participants in the United States and Canada.

this giveaway is no longer active: stay tuned for new contests/giveways!

This particular giveaway is closed, no new entries will be accepted: Congratulations to mark cronk!

The SnapStream Store is sponsoring a giveaway of SnapStream's Beyond TV + Beyond Media + Firefly Mini bundle as well as a copy of Beyond TV Link

This would be a great prize for anyone that already has a TV tuner card and wants to upgrade their software and remote control.

How To Enter:

1. Visit the SnapStream Store main page. Study it. There's a quiz in step 2!

2. Find the answer to the following question: "If you place your order from the SnapStream Store before this time, your order will get shipped out the same day. What's the SnapStream Store's daily shipping cut-off?"

3. Send a forum private message to user giveaway with the answer to the question posed in step 2.

The contest ends at Midnight Eastern Time on May 14th 2006. You must be a Registered member of the byopvr forum to participate in this giveaway. This giveaway is limited to participants in the United States and Canada.

Also see the official giveaway forum thread.

This particular giveaway is closed, no new entries will be accepted: A winner has been drawn!

This particular giveaway is closed, no new entries will be accepted: A winner will be drawn and announced shortly

The SnapStream Store is sponsoring a giveaway of SnapStream's Beyond TV + Beyond Media + Firefly Mini bundle* & a copy of Beyond TV Link

This would be a great prize for anyone that already has a TV tuner card and wants to upgrade their software and remote control.

How To Enter:

1. Visit the SnapStream Store main page. Study it. There's a quiz in step 2!

2. Find the answer to the following question: "If you place your order from the SnapStream Store before this time, your order will get shipped out the same day. What's the SnapStream Store's daily shipping cut-off?"

3. Send a forum private message to user giveaway with the answer to the question posed in step 2.

This contest ends at Midnight Eastern Time on May 14th 2006. You must be a Registered member of the byopvr forum to participate in this giveaway. This giveaway is limited to participants in the United States and Canada.

Also see the official giveaway forum thread.


* Note: the link goes to a bundle with the regular RF Firefly, the prize bundle actually includes the new IR based Firefly Mini instead.

This particular giveaway is closed, no new entries will be accepted: A winner will be drawn and announced shortly

Born out of the Denver BYOPVR Meet and Greet forum thread there seemed to be some desire to know where there are pockets of byopvr'ers that are geographically close together.

So... I set up a quick and dirty frappr account for BYOPVR frappr group



If you're so inclined add yourself to the map... just zipcode and forum handle is fine (no one needs to know *exactly* where you live -- that'd be a little creepy). Who knows there maybe another DIY PVR user right up the street and you can organize your own meetup :beer: :beer:.

SmokeyAlien and Aint Skeird are organizing and informal get together of byopvr users in the Denver, CO area. See the byopvr Denver meet and greet forum post for more detail

We are having a Meet nad Drink in Downtown Denver
When: Saturday (4/15/06) at 1pm
Where: Uptown Tavern at 17th and Pearl in Denver, Colorado

Don't forget to take pictures and post 'em guys!

Welcome to all the folks pouring in from the wired news: Build Your Own PVR, Then Trash it article or via Digg link/frontpage

Feel free to poke around and read some of the articles, reviews, or post a question/comment in the forum (no registration required in the forum if you prefer), or check out the DIY DVR HTPC wiki / FAQ section. Have fun and thanks for visiting... hope you stick around/stay to join our homebrew PVR/DVR HTPC community!

Saw 2 cool projects that I wanted to highlight:

Menace built a HTPC case from scratch out of recycled aluminum stock!

Also of note/interest: rickolous has added some cool photos of his setup to the byopvr flickr photo pool (*cough cough* shouldn't your project be posted up there too!) In any case check out his LEGO built HTPC/PVR case Is there anything you can't do with LEGOS!?!? see this pic as well

You guys never cease to amaze me!