Only in Korea: Dual-core Samsung Galaxy Player with DMB TV Tuner, Radio

We’re wrapping up a visit to Seoul, Korea, where we got a chance to tour Samsung’s Digital City, home to the company’s Digital Imaging department (stay tuned for more on that note). While getting a closer look at the company’s camera strategy was great, we’re mobile-tech geeks at heart–and that’s why we were thrilled to discover a rare Samsung specimen: the Galaxy Player 70.

While it may look like a larger Galaxy smartphone, the Player 70 is exactly what its name suggests: a portable media player. It runs Android Gingerbread, has an 5-inch, 800 x 480-pixel display, and all the ports you’d expect on a Samsung device (microUSB, microSD card slot, headphone jack). There’s also a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera along with a VGA cam up front. But unlike the Samsung media devices we have stateside, this one packs a dual-core processor and–most incredibly–a DMB TV tuner and an extendable radio antenna for enjoying Korean radio and TV channels.

Though this gadget won’t ever hit the global market, it’s too unique not to share with you. Check out the Player 70 in action below.

From Laptopmagazine. Visit Amazon Computer and Notebook Center Here

Use an OTA Tuner to Turn Your PC into a TV and DVR

Recently I've heard from a number of users who are looking for a way to cut that pricey cable-TV cord, but don't want to give up on watching and recording their favorite network shows.

Turns out there's an easy and very affordable solution, one that eliminates cable (cable-TV, anyway) service entirely and frees you from monthly fees.

It's called Windows 7. This may come as a surprise, but Windows packs a very powerful TiVo-like DVR system called Windows Media Center. When paired with an inexpensive TV tuner and a decent antenna, it lets you watch and record broadcast television--in high-def!

The PC part is up to you. It can be a laptop or desktop, as long as it runs Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate. (Windows 7 Starter doesn't come with Windows Media Center, nor does Windows 7 Enterprise.)

You'll also need a reasonably large hard drive with a decent chunk of free space. A one-hour recorded TV show can easily consume 7-8 gigabytes, so if you're envisioning recording multiple episodes of multiple shows, make sure you have ample storage to spare.

Before we talk tuners, make sure you live in an area that gets decent over-the-air (OTA) reception of local channels. A site called AntennaWeb.org can answer that question for you and tell you what kind of antenna you might need to get. (If you're already watching OTA shows on your TV, just without a PC in the mix, you're all set.)

Your antenna will screw into the tuner, which in turn will plug into one of your PC's USB ports. Then you'll run Windows Media Center and walk through the TV setup process.

So, what kind of tuner should you get? I recommend sticking with a well-known brand like Hauppauge, just to ensure proper compatibility with Windows Media Center. I've had good luck with the WinTV-HVR-950Q, which has a list price of $99 but routinely sells online for around $75.

The tuner enables the PC to display and record broadcast TV shows. How can you watch those shows on your HDTV instead of your laptop or desktop monitor? That's a discussion for another day (namely, Wednesday, so tune in then!).

In the meantime, if you've had any experience using your PC as a DVR--good or bad--tell me about it in the comments!

From PC World. Visit Amazon Computer and Notebook Center here