We have updated our product line up with a brand new Home Theater PC (HTPC). Introducing the BodhiBox HD2! Seeing how the computer atmosphere changes almost daily and the constant demand for more and more integration with computers and the living room we have decided to update our product to include the latest in hardware. We want to use the most state of the art technology available that will make the HTPC be able to play high definitions movies and play games and integrate with your living room or media room as seamless as possible.  The Intel Core series i processor is a great product that has received many high praises. It not only beats the older processors but provides a usability improvement over previous generation processors used in the older BodhiBox unit. The BodhiBox HD2 unit is faster in every way then our previous model the BodhiBox HD and smaller too! We moved from using a micro ATX architecture to the even smaller ITX architecture. This makes for a much more compact design which makes it easier to place anywhere in your home or business. We also moved from using the older wireless-G standard to the new wireless – N standard. This means you can now transfer large files or stream high definition movies through your wireless network much faster. All other components were reviewed and upgraded to make the BodhiBox HD2 HTPC one of the fastest available while still using low power parts.

Here are the product specs:

Processor: Intel Core i series processor.

Memory:  2GB DDR3 RAM (more can be added).

Hard Drive: 500 GB low power hard drive (bigger hard drives are available).

Video: Intel Core i series HD graphics (optional ATI Radeon card available).

Sound: HD 7.1 audio sound card with optical (Toslink) out.

Optical Disk: Blu-ray player with DVD and CD burner.

Wireless keyboard, mouse and remote control all come standard as well. This is the most complete HTPC package out there. No need to build your own unit. Just set it up anywhere in your home or business and start using it! The BodhiBox HD2 is a complete PC. Use it to present your office Power Point presentation. Its is small enough to carry anywhere and has all the necessary connections to connect it to almost any projector. From watching high definition movies, to playing games on your home theater television, to just listening to streaming music online or watching your favorite shows on Hulu or YouTube, the BodhiBox HD2 is the perfect choice.

We have decided to update our website with a newer and better BodhiBox and so the site is temporarily going through minor renovations for now. We are currently working on building a new home theater PC (HTPC). Suggestions were made to make our HD model better and we listened. This new unit will be better and yet smaller then the BodhiBox HD. We have looked at every single aspect of the BodhiBox HD and made it better to meet the high demands of current media. Please stay tuned and continue to check out blog for more details.

The BodhiBox HD is now $699 for a limited time only. Don’t miss the opportunity to get one of these great HTPCs for your home theater!

Check out a user made review of the BodhiBox:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/products/bodhiboxes-hd-htpc-unit/reviews

So, you got a BodhiBox HTPC and now you want to stream movies to it from your home server or work station and don’t know how? Here we will show you the proper steps to take to successfully stream not just movies, but pictures and music as well.

1. Turn on your remote computer (home server or workstation) and share your media files. (media files are ones with pictures, movies, music, etc..). Sharing can vary depending on the operating system in use. For Microsoft Windows Operating System it is quite easy. Just right click the folder with the files you want to share. Click on “Sharing and Security” and set the users you want to have access to the media files (typically set to everyone so anyone on the network can view them including your HTPC). Finally click “OK” and your file is shared. Do this for all folders you wish to share.
2. View your network settings on the host computer (the one with the media files) and make sure to have file sharing enabled. Under Microsoft Windows this is typically found in the Control Panel under Network Preferences.
3. Turn on your HTPC and click on “Network Neighborhood” and find the home server or workstation that the media files are hosted on. Type in a username and password if prompted and click “OK”. The media files will be displayed (typically shown as folders).
4. Double click one of the folders and view your media files.

This is a very basic way of viewing your files but it you would like to use a program like Microsoft Windows Media Center then do the following:

1. Make sure your files are already shared on your home server or workstation.
2. On the HTPC click on the Microsoft Windows Media Center icon (looks like a green button with 4 colored window panels).
3. If you haven’t started this program before it will typically ask you to set it up click “ok”. Otherwise goto “Tasks” and click on “Settings” and then “Setup”. Look for the media setup section.
4. The program will first check your network for computers and then it will scan for any shared folders within those computers. This can take a few minutes.
5. Once the scan is complete you should see your shared folders displayed. Make sure to put a checkmark on the folders you wish to have Media Center display and click “Next”. The folders will be added.
6. Click “Finished”
7. To view your media files in Microsoft Windows Media Center just navigate over to “Pictures and Videos” and click on library.
8. To view other media files just navigate over to their respective areas (“Music, Pictures, Movies” etc.).

Using the Media Center option is a great one to showcase your system or even just to use it leisurely. It has a great interface making reading titles easy and navigating through it a simple click. Use it as often as you like. Media Center has lots of great other features that you might find appealing so try it out!

BodhiBoxes is  following a much different approach then the regular “run-of-the-mill” HTPC companies. We  have a philosophy in keeping things small, simple, and with “green” energy.

What makes an item use “green” energy? Anything that consumes a “below average” amount of energy for the same product or that is rated as low wattage or low energy consumption.

Why make high definition home theater PCs use “green” energy”? Its simple, we want to not only keep your energy bill low but we also want to help the environment. Using low wattage parts means less energy is being consumed which in turn keeps the unit running cooler also. Without the need to “cool” the unit as much, the fans can be kept running at slower speeds which means whisper quiet operation so you can fully enjoy your movies without the need to worry about additional sound coming from your HTPC.

Is this a great idea? Of course! Why not help save your wallet and the environment in the process?

Recording television shows to watch later is a great idea, but there are still interesting things to watch that aren’t aired on TV. There are many great podcasts on varying subjects, TED talks and other presentations that are recorded, NetFlix streaming movies, and personal video sites like youtube. And now with sites like Hulu you can still catch some of your favorite shows on demand. These are all things which a home theater personal computer or HTPC  like the BodhiBox HD is built to provide.

We have finally finished building the website and all the materials related to BodhiBoxes. We are ready to take orders and are excited at this opportunity to serve not only the Home Theater enthusiasts but anyone who sees the living room as the center for home media. Our Home Theater Personal Computers (HTPC) have been built and tested on the focus of keeping it quiet, non obtrusive, and energy efficient while having it serve all of the media center needs. Our unit was also built with high-definition (HD) in mind and it looks and sounds perfect. We kept into consideration cost and have kept the price low to ensure it won’t break your wallet.

Home Theater PC’s are the future of home entertainment. They bridge the gap between media at your desk and the comfort of your living room, allowing you to access streaming video, photos, music, movies, games, internet, and much more!

A perfect HTPC should be virtually silent and small enough to be able to blend into your living space. Energy efficiency and a green approach towards hardware selections, along with the other factors mentioned are all things that the BodhiBox HD excels in. The BodhiBox HD comes with a built-in wireless network card, HDMI/DVI and Optical out, a spacious hard drive, wireless keyboard and mouse, and even a media remote control. The BodhiBox HD wouldn’t be “HD” if it couldnt handle high definition and we are happy to report that it can handle full 1080p playback, it even comes with a Blu-Ray disc drive.

All these great features come standard on the base unit. The BodhiBox HD has an estimated price of just $799 for the base unit.

Check out our website at www.bodhiboxes.com for more details.

Base System Specs:

AMD Athalon II X2 240 processor

2GB of memory

ATI 4200HD Video card

250GB hard drive

Blu-ray drive

HD audio sound processor

Wireless network card/802.11g

Wireless keyboard and mouse

Wireless Media Center remote

Windows 7 Home Premium

We have put up a coming soon page and we are working on getting everything together for the full site where you can purchase the boxes. For now you can see the basic features we are going for.

• Home theater personal computers
• Equipped with Windows Vista® operating system
• Blu Ray availability
• 5.1 Dolby® / DTS® support via optical audio connection (TosLink)
• Bodhi Green Energy efficient, cool running, low wattage components

The main site is in development and we will be getting pictures of the products for the site as well. Subscribe to the feed and you will find out when the site is ready.

Many living room devices have had remotes to control their operation for years. It would be impossible for us to overlook this basic feature and we have begun to test our options. Operating systems like Windows have much more options and settings than a DVD player would and it is important to get the remotes to work correctly with most programs. Euro has started to experiment with software that will help with compatibility.

I am testing a program that lets you add events to button presses so I can almost make the remote do anything. For example, you can set it to control media playback functionality or even have it suspend the computer.

We want our customers to have the best experience possible and we know we wouldn’t settle for a Home Theater PC that didn’t have an awesome remote.

The price for power in personal computers has come down to the point where it is affordable to have High Definition support. Having a computer in the living room is great for watching video and browsing the internet. It is also great for streaming on-demand content like youtube, hulu, or netfix.

We have begun researching many components to build the best computers for the price. We are also looking into extra features to make our products stand out. Subscribe to our feed for news about our research and our products.