If you've somehow managed to hold off from buying one of HP's MediaSmart servers (or, you know, just forgot about your plans to buy one), MissingRemote has a nice writeup explaining the benefits of picking one up versus building your own. The storage junkies over there pitted an EX475 against a "home brewed Frankenstein" and a server built with WHS-specific parts in order to see which of the three would emerge triumphant. In the end, HP's own unit managed to garner the most of their love, which was quite surprising to be honest. Sure, building your own can be a ton of fun, but the EX475 just delivered in every important area for right around the same price as the other two homegrown competitors. Don't believe us? Tap the read link and check it out.

We've seen home automation touchpanels used for some -- shall we say, unorthodox -- activities, but this is taking things to another level galaxy. Franklin, NC-based Dan Quigley has whipped up a way for his WiFi-enabled Crestron TMPC8X to actually control a giant telescope. Rather than manually getting the 'scope into the right position, he simply touches a button and watches it automatically check to see "if and when that object is viewable." While he's at it, he can dim the lights around him and check the local weather, and once a celestial body is in view, he can snap a photograph or have the system channel the image to any computer / TV. Suddenly, astronomy has become entirely more attractive.

[Thanks, Chuck]

Although we seldom find anything relative to HD on Hack A Day, we love to read about all the cool projects. But today is different as someone has devised a way to take a rear projection HDTV and buy a bigger screen for it. Although we question if this is any better/cheaper than just buying a projector, this might me a good way to go if you want to reuse your old HDTV. But aside from the questionable practicality, and possible loss in brightness from this hack, it's pretty cool -- and well documented.

[Via Hack A Day]

Home automation/remote control applications for the iPhone/iTouch are a dime a dozen and most of them are pretty boring. We had the same feeling about the first version of the Intelliphone application when we saw it, but the latest version is a bit more interesting. What makes it more interesting is that not only can you use the ugly interface as a remote to control your Windows Media Center, but now you can also use it as a mouse and keyboard. More importantly this means you can take that mouse hidden in the cushions of the couch or the keyboard under the coffee table and put them back in the office where they belong. Because now, for $24, when that annoying dialog box pops up on your Vista Media Center, you can just pull out your iPod Touch and click OK.

[Via The Digital Livestyle]

We've heard this question so many times that we've taken for granted the answer, but given the recent increase in competition in the cable market, we figured we'd pass along Josiah's question on the matter:

"I'm not going to pay hundreds of dollars for those cables sold in Best Buy and Circuit City, but I want the best possible audio and video quality. I've got a pretty basic setup, and I just need a few HDMI cables, a set of component cables and a few optical audio cables. Where would I go to get the best for my money? Is there a particular brand I should look for? What has worked out for your readers?"

Unload your experiences with cables -- however expensive (or cheap) -- below, and be sure to elaborate on which brand / store / etc. you found to be the best for the price. Oh, and make no mention of Furutech, we're trying to keep the cost-per-cable under a grand.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

We aren't self-proclaimed 1337 Linux hackers or anything, so we didn't exactly check on the hackability of Samsung's LN52A650 when we had it in for review. One fearwall has apparently figured out that there's more than meets the eye with this set, though, as he points out that the latest firmware is Linux-based and can "easily" be hacked for all sorts of fun. Interested in custom bitmaps, sounds and text strings? Hit up the read link and try to make sense of it, then.

[Thanks, Caesar]

Make no mistake about it, the iPhone (and the App Store in particular) has made the lives of many home owners much, much easier. As it stands, there are already a few apps out there that interface with Crestron gear, but to date, there's no official Crestron app to fiddle with. But give it 60 days or so and there will be -- at least, that's the good word over at the company's booth today at CEDIA. Said application will be 100% free to download, and as you can see in the gallery below, it elegantly enables wired home owners to control lighting, temperature and all sorts of other things via WiFi or 3G, at home or anywhere else in the world. Users can even program in settings for multiple houses, enabling them to turn the AC on in Orlando while blasting the heat in Jackson Hole. So let's see, all you need now is an iPhone, a couple properties, a few dozen grand to blow on Crestron HA gear and a tiny bit of patience.

With Stewart Filmscreen and OmniMount doling out all new motorized mounts for CEDIA, we reckoned it was only a matter of time before Sanus hollered "me too!" Right on cue, the VisionMount LT25 has been revealed, boasting aluminum alloy rails and high-grade ABS decorative end caps, a weight of just 3.5-pounds and post-installation height and leveling adjustments. The device can handle HDTVs from 30- to 60-inches in size (up to 175-pounds), and best of all, the $219.99 price tag won't sting too awfully bad when picking one up in black or silver.

The HD enthusiast game is vicious -- as soon as you see your favorite content on larger display without lite-brite-like artifacts, the "I wannas" kick in real hard. The majority of us will settle in on a large flat panel display, but the idea of a light-controlled room cave with a front-projector lingers on. According to the linked bit at Widescreen Review Sound and Vision, you might not have to rule it out based on the equipment cost alone, though -- constant-height projectors that used to come in around $30,000 can now be had for $2,000, and that "savings" can be put towards additional lensing to achieve a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. That's still pricey, so the article has some tips on getting the same effect on the cheap with some DIY -- the choice between manual fidgeting, prowling eBay for film projector lenses and raiding your trophy case for suitable prism-like awards all depends on your skills and ambition.

[Image courtesy Prismasonic]

CORRECTION: Our friends at Sound & Vision, not Widescreen Review did up the feature. Apologies, S&V!

Ah, ha! There you are, Mr. B-110. When your partner in crime, the simultaneously announced A-110 HD media streamer, was spotted over at CNET UK, we knew you wouldn't be too far behind. Sure enough, the DIY motherboard -- which was designed for individuals looking to concoct their own HTPC -- has been unboxed and handled over at the aforementioned site. There is one part in particular that caught our eye in reading through the preview; the 7.1-channel analog outputs that are on the mobo will not be activated on this model, with CNETers suggesting that another, more robust version could be on the horizon. Yeah, HDMI 1.3a is still there for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD pass-through, but we are somewhat dismayed by the analog news. Anywho, check the read link for a few more snapshots and a read of what it's packing.

[Thanks, John]

It's one thing to craft a home theater that keeps guests coming back weekend after weekend, but it's another to create one that keeps them rolling (literally) in by the dozens. Kevin Van fulfilled what we can only imagine was a mid-20s fantasy by building his very own backyard theater, complete with an Epson 77c projector, homemade 6-foot retractable screen and 8 vintage drive-in speakers rigged up to deliver 5.1 surround sound on his deck and 2-channel stereo around the pool. There's also a concession stand, a homegrown outdoor subwoofer being pushed by 1,100 watts and a whole slew of other audio / video components. Those cruising through Fraser, Michigan should seriously look this guy up -- sounds like a great way to spend a few hours.

[Via UberReview]

Antec's new line of Multimedia Stations won't convert your Pentium 2-based beige box into a cutting edge HTPC, but it will give your tired PC a bit more functionality in dealing with media. Aimed at the timid DIYers in attendance, these bundles include an IR receiver, a remote, and iMEDIAN HD media management software (at the very least), with the Basic, Elite and Premiere kits offering up optical drive bay gear to really make your rig feel like something it isn't. Truthfully, we get the feeling this is just a fancy remote interface with some unnecessary software thrown in for style, but if you respectfully disagree, you can part with your $29.95 - $119.95 right now.

Target -- the big box retailer best known 'round these parts for its preferential Blu-ray treatment (back in the day, of course) and its infatuation with releasing new Xbox 360s early -- is finally diving head first into the home installation realm. Not content to just let competitors rake in all that extra cash for simply following a customer home and plugging in a few wires, the outfit has teamed up with Zip Express Installation to offer home install packages anytime a consumer makes a "large CE purchase." Furthermore, Target.com shoppers will soon be graced with a notification that their shiny new HDTV can be delivered and installed by professionals should they so choose, with services starting at $129 and ranging from TV setup, wall mounting, home theater arrangement, computer networking and furniture assembly. We have all ideas most of you will just brush this off, but don't be alarmed to hear that your grandmother just threw down some extra cash for a nice young man in a bulls eye-emblazoned uniform to setup her new gear.

[Image courtesy of JSOnline]

For home theater owners that love audio as much as (if not more than) video, unwanted noise is a real downer. Thankfully, the sound engineers at SoundSense completely agree, and now the company known for its acoustic dampening solutions is delivering a Noise Cancellation System that reportedly eliminates all that excess noise when you fire up your speakers and amplifiers. Put simply, the process simply utilizes a small microphone and speaker; the "noise-canceling speaker emits sound with opposite qualities of the noise source, thus eliminating distracting sounds." We've no idea how costly said solution will be, nor if it will be easy for novices to use, but don't hesitate to give SoundSense a call and see what it'll take to zap the interference lingering in your HT.

Unless we're badly mistaken, there's a general feeling of love 'round these parts for OTA programming. After all, it's free, it's remarkably good looking and it's gratis. Thus, we figured Rodney's question on the matter was worthy of being aired out for all to see.

"I'm just on the outskirts of a pretty big city and I'm hoping to get enough stations with just an antenna to avoid paying for cable or satellite TV. I'm looking for an attic or roof-mounted OTA antenna that will pick up stations a good ways out, but obviously the smaller the better (but not at the expense of signal reach). Any suggestions? I don't want to order a huge antenna only to realize the reception is subpar."

So, OTA lovers: what long-range antenna do you rely on to pull in your HD locals (and maybe those of the next closest town)? Where did you get it from? Was installation a real chore? Speak up! (Oh, and look for a short-range version of this question to pop up next week.)

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.