Maximum PC HDCP RSS Feed

Accell’s UltraAV HDMI 4:2 Switch

Michael Brown — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:11:55 -0500

When we first reviewed Accell’s UltraAV HDMI 4:2 Audio/Video Switch, we described it as a Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde home-theater product. If you intended to use it with a PC, we recommended calling the company to find out which personality would manifest itself to you. But if your plan was to use it only with a consumer-electronics products (e.g., a standalone Blu-ray player), you didn't need to worry--it was a solid product.

Fortunately, that's all changed now--just be sure the box you pick up sports a sticker that reads "Works with PCs." This version has newer firmware that can read a PC's EDID profile properly; the original version of the product didn't and you can't update its firmware.

Accell's switch would be a great solution for folks with multiple HDMI sources and multiple HDMI displays--too bad Accell can't guarantee it'll work with your PC.

When we integrated the original version of the powered switch—which has four HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs—into our entertainment system, we discovered a bug in its firmware that prevents it from establishing a proper handshake between some PC videocards on one side and display devices on the other. The switch worked fine when the PC was first booted up, but if we switched to another input and switched back to the PC, our two displays (a ViewSonic n4280 HDTV and an Epson PowerLite Cinema 500 projector) went black. The switch wouldn’t work at all when connected to the HDMI output of an HP Pavilion HDX notebook PC.

Accell tells us the bug did’t affect every videocard, and that it doesn’t affect consumer-electronics devices at all. Indeed, when we tested the device with a stand-alone DVD player, it worked like a charm. The problem apparently resides with the firmware’s inability to correctly serve an EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) profile to the PC’s videocard. The EDID informs the videocard of the display’s basic capabilities, including the timings that the display will sync to. If the switch fails to pass the EDID to the videocard, as in our experience, you won’t get a picture.

The new version of Accell's 4:2 HDMI switch includes updated firmware that renders it compatibile with PCs; unfortunately, the old version cannot be udpated.

It’s an unfortunate problem for Accell, because the switch is an otherwise excellent value. The $175 device can not only switch between four HDMI inputs, it sends audio and video to both its HDMI outputs (at resolutions up to 1080p) at the same time. An onboard signal booster enables you to send an HDMI signal much further than the 32 feet the HDMI spec supports (Accell claims a maximum cable length of 82 feet). In our scenario, we connected our playback device to the switch using a three-foot cable, and then ran a six foot cable from the switch to a wall-mounted HDMI jack. This jack is connected to a 32-foot in-wall cable. We then used another three-foot cable to connect the projector.

An infrared remote control is included, and the switch has an IR extender jack and a five-foot cable, so you can hide the box away in an equipment closet. But for all the features and excellent performance the switch delivered with consumer-electronics devices, there’s no way we could recommend the original device; the version with the new firmware works flawlessly.

Editor's note: This review, including its verdict, has been updated to reflect our experience with a newer version of the product with revised firmware. Consumers can tell the two products apart by looking for a sticker on teh box that reads "Works With PCs." Our opinion of the original product (which doesn't have this sticker) has not changed and our "4" verdict stands.

Disappearing Drives, Connectors, and Copy Protection Problems.

The Maximum PC Staff — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:26:15 -0500

Screwed-up USB Storage

I have a Maxtor 500GB OneTouch 4 external hard drive that isn’t loading properly to my desktop, which is running Windows XP Home Edition SP2, an AMD Athlon XP 1600+ with a VIA chipset, and more than 1GB of RAM.

My older Maxtor 3000LS 40GB drive works perfectly. I know the Maxtor OneTouch 4 is OK because it works with my Toshiba Satellite laptop with Windows XP.

When I plug the OneTouch 4 into my desktop, I get a yellow question mark in the Device Manager for Other Devices, which suggests that Windows recognizes the drive on some level. However, I still get a Code 28 message that says drivers for this device are not installed. What can I do (without reinstalling Windows, updates, or other programs) to load the proper drivers? Is there anything in the registry that might be added or deleted to make this work?

—Len Kane

The OneTouch 4 should just pop up and work as normal in Windows XP since the drivers for the external storage device are written on the device itself. You don’t have any discs or downloads to turn to.

The Doc suspects the drive itself is working just fine. After all, if it didn’t, you wouldn’t be able to pull it up on any machine, period. To find an answer to your dilemma, the Doctor hit up Seagate for assistance.

The company suggests that you reset Windows’s Infcache.1 file. To do this, launch Windows Explorer and type C:\windows\inf in the Explorer bar. Press Enter, which will pull up the inf folder. Search for the Infcache.1 file and delete it. Unplug your OneTouch 4 and restart your computer. When Windows boots again, the operating system will have rebuilt the Infcache.1 file. Seagate says this should fix the problem that’s causing Windows to issue a Code 28 message when you plug in the drive.

If it doesn’t, you have one alternative: Run a repair/restore installation of Windows XP since something is probably mucking up your USB drivers.

Sharing Data

Do CPU-intensive programs perform better on a drive that’s physically separate from the OS drive, especially if the drives do not share the same data cable? In other words, the OS is on a SATA drive and the hard-hitting program is on an IDE drive, for example. Where does the page file come into this? Should it be placed on a third drive?

—Timothy Joyce

If the application is truly 100-percent CPU-bound, you are unlikely to see an impact by moving the output to a second or third drive. For example, encoding a two-pass H.264 video is almost entirely processor driven and produces very small disk writes and reads. But if you are editing a large Adobe Photoshop file that is caching to the hard drive, having Photoshop write to a secondary or tertiary drive will actually help performance. In that scenario, your performance is gated by the CPU and somewhat by the drive you are writing to.

You can always try putting the Windows page file on a separate drive, but you’re probably better off adding more RAM—unless, of course, the original drive is a complete loser; then you might see a small performance boost, but nothing extraordinary.

CrossFire and nForce?

My latest rig has a Gigabyte GA-M59SLI-S5 motherboard, and I’m using an ATI Radeon 1950XTX. I had an Nvidia 7950 GX2 originally and was going to use it in an SLI configuration down the road. That card ended up being a real pain, so I exchanged it for the ATI. Can I add a second ATI card and run CrossFire since the cards would be sitting in an Nvidia-chipset mobo made for SLI? I’ve found conflicting info on the subject and don’t want to spend the money on a second card if it won’t work.

—Greg Bauman

HP’s Blackbird 002 machine is one rig that can run CrossFire AMD cards on an nForce-based motherboard, thanks to custom drivers.

There’s no good reason you can’t run two AMD videocards in CrossFire on an SLI motherboard, but there is a political reason—and as usual, politics trumps fairness. HP’s Blackbird PC allows two AMD cards to run in CrossFire mode on an SLI motherboard, but AMD has no plans to release the drivers that support this to the public. Still, AMD is making special drivers for Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and Alienware that will allow the companies to run CrossFireX cards on nForce SLI boards. AMD says it will only do so because those OEMs can ensure that the drivers work properly on nForce motherboards.

HDCP Woes

I built a PC about a year ago, and now I’d like to add a Blu-ray drive so I can watch movies on it. I think I am screwed by HDCP. Is there a workaround available that will let me watch HD movies without having to buy a new graphics card and monitor? I am using DVI connections, but I understand that this is not the same as HDCP, despite both products being advertised as HD-compatible. My videocard is a Gigabyte GeForce 7600 GS (256MB) and my monitor is an Acer AL2423W.

—Wade Tanev

Your Gigabyte card is indeed “HD compatible,” but that doesn’t mean it will play copy-protected Blu-ray movies because, as you’ve guessed, it’s not HDCP compatible. The same goes for your monitor. HDCP is a digital-rights-management scheme that requires a digital handshake at every stage of playback, from the disc to the videocard, and from the videocard to the display. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix. It’s not free, but it’s much cheaper than replacing your videocard and your display. Buy SlySoft’s AnyDVD (49 euros) and AnyDVD HD Option (30 euros). Install this software on your PC and you’ll be able to play back any copy-protected DVD or Blu-ray disc without an HDCP-compatible videocard or display.

You can have all the right connectors yet still no high-def signal going between your computer and your monitor. Thanks, copy protection.

You should be aware, however, that decoding Blu-ray video is extremely processor intensive. Your 7600 GS will rely on the host CPU for much of this decoding effort (CPU utilization could range as high as 100 percent). Newer GPUs from both AMD (beginning with the RV670 series) and Nvidia (beginning with the G92 series) are capable of offloading the entire decode process from the host CPU.

Freeing up the DVR

I’ve got a Comcast DVR (Motorola DCT 6412) that’s chock-full of content I want to watch, but the hard drive is filling up faster than I can watch the programming. The cable box has a number of connectors, including FireWire, Ethernet, and USB. I’ve heard rumors that there’s a way to download content off of the hard drive in the box but have not been able to get it to work on my Windows XP laptop (a Dell E1705). Any ideas?

Are there any legal issues involved? Lastly, there’s a lot of HD content on the DVR, but my laptop doesn’t have an HD writer. Can something be done to make the HD content work when played on a laptop, or is it just too much bandwidth for the technology I’ve got?

—Michael Collins

The Doctor knows you can plug a USB hard drive into a Dish Network DVR, but he doesn’t think Comcast has ever activated the USB ports (or the FireWire or Ethernet ports either, for that matter) on its set-top boxes. The Ethernet port on the Dish boxes is active, but only for downloading on-demand movies over the customer’s network via broadband (you can’t transfer files to a PC over the network).

So, in short, your content is locked to your Comcast box. If you want to expand your ability to transfer TV programming, you should look to another service, such as TiVo.

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION Are flames shooting out of the back of your rig? First, grab a fire extinguisher and douse the flames. Once the pyrotechnic display has fizzled, email the doctor at doctor@maximumpc.com for advice on how to solve your technological woes.

White Paper: HD Video Encryption

Zack Stern — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:01:57 -0500

A replicator encrypts content on a Blu-ray or HD DVD disc using a Media Key and Media Key Block provided by the AACS Licensing Authority (AACS LA). The AACS LA provides the media player (either a stand-alone device or a PC application) with a corresponding Device Key. The media player combines its Device Key with the Media Key Block to calculate the Media Key. If the calculated Media Key matches the Media Key on the disc, the content can be decrypted.

We’re philosophically opposed to any technology that impairs our fair-use rights, but the Hollywood studios insist on infesting their products with annoyances such as HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) and AACS (Advanced Access Content System) which do just that. Since we also believe knowledge is power, here’s a primer on how those systems work.

But before we dive into the details, allow us to point out the absurdity of digital rights management—in all its many forms. DRM treats those of us who purchase movies and music, and then make backup copies or transfer that content to our PCs and digital media players, as criminals. We are not pirates; we are Hollywood’s best customers. And we understand that purchasing content is a prerequisite to claiming fair-use rights.

HDCP and AACS add to the complexity and the cost of every PC, every HD DVD and Blu-ray drive and disc, every monitor, every commercial operating system, most every A/V receiver, and every HD television on the market—and all it takes to defeat this supposedly invincible technology is an easily obtained program: SlySoft’s AnyDVD HD (www.slysoft.com).

The Cryptonomicon

AACS is a cryptographic system designed to limit the output and recording of protected content to methods the content owner approves of. Unlike the simpler CCS (Content Scramble System) used to encrypt commercial DVDs, AACS uses a set of keys that can be tied to a specific player—much like a serial number.

The AACS process results in a “play” or “don’t play” validation. A Blu-ray or HD DVD disc includes a Media Key Block that is combined with a playback device’s unique set of keys to generate a Media Key, which is then combined with another piece from the disc—the Volume ID key. (Only a commercial burner can reach the hidden section of that disc to write the Volume ID key, a technique designed to thwart disc-to-disc copies on consumer-grade equipment.) The combination of aforementioned keys culminates in the Volume Unique Key. This key is used to decrypt the disc’s title keys and then—finally—the movie itself. At this point, the content moves into the HDCP chain, where it is re-encrypted until it reaches the display (we’ll explain HDCP in more detail shortly).

If an AACS device is compromised, newly pressed content can be published with an updated Media Key Block that is incompatible with the compromised device’s keys. This, in essence, revokes the known cracked keys and disables the associated players. The new Media Key Block, however, will continue to function with any older keys that remain secure.

Secret Handshakes

HDCP is an interconnect system that works hand-in-glove with AACS. Designed to protect the transmission of high-bandwidth audiovisual streams—at rates up to 5GB/s—HDCP has been deployed in all three of the major digital display interfaces: DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. It is also supported in the less-common UDI (Unified Display Interface) and GVIF (Gigabit Video Interface). Since it must be everywhere in the display chain, you’ll also find HDCP in videocards, Blu-ray and HDVD DVD drives, HDTVs, A/V receivers, and CableCARD digital CATV tuners. The technology can also be incorporated into repeaters (which can be essential for long cable runs) and switches (crucial for connecting more than one player to a display with a single digital-video input).

The HDCP authentication process is the same for every content player: Software on the PC or set-top box generates a playback signal, which initiates a handshake process. Using a temporary random number, unique keys built into each HDCP transmit device (e.g., a videocard) and receive device (e.g., an HDTV) are used to generate a checksum. If the checksums are identical at each stage, the content is green-lit for playback.

This process is repeated every few seconds, and the signal is reauthenticated at each node in order to prevent the signal from being intercepted midstream (to prevent anyone from tapping into and recording the digital bit stream). If the handshake fails at any point along the way, that authentication failure is reported to the playback software.

Furthermore, the audio-video stream is re-encrypted before it enters the HDCP pipeline, and it’s decrypted when it arrives at the final playback device.

Don't Hate the Player

Representatives from the companies responsible for creating these technologies are quick to point out that they’ve developed “content protection,” not “copy protection,” systems. The technologies are inert, they say; it’s up to the movie studios to deploy them as copy-protection schemes. HDCP, for instance, simply notifies the player if there’s a non-HDCP device in the playback chain. Software in the player then executes the rules, (established by the media owner) that are encoded within the content.
One of those rules is known as managed copy, which allows the consumer to make a limited number of legal backup copies of an HD DVD or Blu-ray disc or transfer the copy-protected content to another device, such as a media server. Theoretically, this backup copy would be subject to verification through an online verification system, which would require the playback device to be connected to the Internet. Unfortunately, managed copy still hasn’t been implemented in the real world.

The Image Constraint Token is a more onerous rule that gives content owners the power to make the software stop playing content or downsample video to 960x540 resolution—a fraction of the image quality you thought you were buying—if HDCP is missing at any stage in the playback chain. This can occur when the video is played through an analog component connection, but there are also many early HDTVs, videocards, and computer monitors in people’s homes that were manufactured prior to the development of AACS and HDCP. Owners of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 HD DVD drive should be aware that since that device uses a USB connection—considered to be an unsecure display path—it is also susceptible to the Image Constraint Token. Sony’s PlayStation 3, on the other hand, is fully HDCP and AACS compliant (unless you’re using one of its analog display connections).
The Image Constraint Token is invoked on a per-disc basis, and as far as we know, no studio has activated the technology in their current releases. In fact, rumor has it that they’ve informally agreed not to implement it until at least 2012; but that is of little consolation to anyone who’s still using non-HDCP gear.

Westinghouse L2410NM

Katherine Stevenson — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:31:14 -0600

It’s easy to be seduced by the sheer size of a 24-inch LCD screen—any display that big just looks like it means business. And there was a time when large LCD panels were almost exclusively high-performance parts. That’s no longer the case. As the 24-inch LCDs reviewed here demonstrate, large screens are just as varied and prone to flaws as their smaller counterparts.

At 24 inches, an LCD can easily serve as an entertainment display, and the L2410NM encourages that thinking: It has a showy but tasteful bezel made of shiny black and clear acrylic, and it sits upon a clear acrylic base. Inputs for HDMI, VGA, Component, S-Video, and Composite let you connect the L2410NM to devices other than a PC, such as a DVD player or game console. The inclusion of HDCP lets you play any of today’s copy-protected high-def content on the 1920x1200-resolution screen.

But the L2410NM isn’t accommodating in all ways. The screen can’t be raised or lowered and it doesn’t swivel or pivot. And while you can tilt it to and fro, the hinge is so stiff that you must firmly hold down the base to do so. You can adjust the screen’s image only by choosing from Text, Picture, or Economy modes for a slight change in backlight and contrast. Not even brightness can be altered independently.

The L2410NM fared well in DisplayMate, its only notable flaws being a less-than-rich black and some loss of detail at the far light and dark ends of grayscales. And in our estimation, it’s perfectly serviceable for gaming. But the screen lacks vividness, making the picture as mediocre as the rest of the product.

HIS Radeon HD 2600XT iSilenceIII

Michael Brown — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:06:51 -0600

We’re so accustomed to noise in the Lab that we’re often taken aback by its absence. We knew HIS’s new Radeon HD 2600XT would be quiet, thanks to the factory-installed Zalman iSilenceIII, but it still surprised us.

The card’s modest performance with 3D games (at very high resolutions) was no surprise at all. It came from the factory with a core clock speed of 800MHz and its 256MB of GDDR3 memory set to 700MHz (the GPU has a 128-bit memory interface). The 2600XT mustered just 20 frames per second with FEAR at 1920x1200 and only 27.7 frames per second with Quake 4.

The HIS Radeon HD 2600XT’s performance looked much better when we dropped our resolution demands to 1280x720, which might be all you need if you’re plugging your home-theater rig into a big-screen TV or a video projector. Reducing the card’s workload resulted in a doubling of performance on many of our tests.

Zalman’s cooling apparatus consists of a heatsink, two heat pipes, and a large array of aluminum fins on the back of the card. The extra hardware doubles the thickness of the card, compared to AMD’s reference design, but you shouldn’t have a problem fitting at least one inside a typical HTPC case. Incidentally, Zalman’s device cools only the GPU; heat dissipates via individual heatsinks attached to each of the four memory modules.

The presence of AMD’s ATI Avivo HD—a unified video decoder for Blu-ray and HD DVD playback—is another feature that renders this card more appropriate for home-theater use than straight-ahead gaming. This dedicated circuitry in the GPU offloads much of the video-decoding chores from the CPU (a feature that’s curiously missing from AMD’s top-shelf part, the Radeon HD 2900XT).

Watch Dog: Holiday 2007

The Maximum PC Staff — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:58:34 -0600

Daisy, watchdog of the month

It depends on what your definition of “HD” is

My problems began when I decided to replace my 20-inch Sceptre X20 monitor with a ViewSonic VX2245wm 22-inch HD Widescreen LCD. I used to run the Sceptre with my PC plugged into the analog port and my HDTV set-top cable box plugged into the DVI port. The Sceptre worked fine even though it maxed out at 1680x1050.

When I tried to hook the ViewSonic up to my set-top box via DVI, the cable box posted a message explaining there was no HDCP support, so the video was disabled.

I emailed ViewSonic to find out if the VX2245wm supported HDCP or not. ViewSonic responded that none of its monitors supported HDCP. A quick search on its website proved this incorrect.

So, I decided to call customer service. The gentleman who answered the phone confirmed that the VX2245wm did not support HDCP and was not capable of displaying HD content. I responded that “22-inch HD Widescreen” is printed on the box. His said that that does not mean HDTV. I went on to explain that the VX2245wm includes a feature called ClearMotiv, which ViewSonic claims allows for fast 5ms video response and enables digital HD-broadcast-quality video. He said that meant “the VX2245wm could display HD television resolution if it was capable of displaying the HDTV signal.” I told him that did not make sense and he apologized. His supervisor later told me that I could use it for HDTV using the analog input.

I have heard rumors that VX2245wm LCD monitors manufactured after a certain date do support HDCP even though ViewSonic tells me otherwise.

I expected more from ViewSonic. The VX2245wm is advertised as a 22-inch HD widescreen LCD with a fast response time that “enables digital, HD-broadcast-quality video.” It is also listed as being “Certified for Windows Vista,” which I believe means it must support HDCP. Any way you slice it, the description of this product is misleading at best.

—Richard T. Warren, Jr.

Richard isn’t the first person to be confused by this subject. To find out just what the HD on a monitor box means, the Dog queried ViewSonic. A representative explained that “HD refers to the capability of displaying 720p, 1080i, or 1080p HD resolutions. The VX2245wm was released prior to Microsoft’s release of Windows Vista but has subsequently been certified for the Basic Vista logo, which does not include a requirement for HDCP.”

The spokesperson went on to say that the customer service department misspoke and has since been updated on which ViewSonic monitors support HDCP. A number do, but not Richard’s VX2245wm. The spokesperson explained, “The VX2245wm was designed as a desktop PC display. It can display HD content, provided that HD content resides on and is played on the PC specific to normal monitor use. The VX2245 was not designed as a TV display and as such we did not include HDCP support. It was never tested to work directly with HD set-top boxes or other HD digital video devices. The VX2245wm does meet the requirements for Microsoft Vista Basic Certification.” She also said rumors of HDCP being added to newer revisions of the monitor are false.

“Moving forward,” she explained, “our plan is to continue supporting HDCP and the Windows Vista Premium Certification on all of our new widescreen models with DVI or HDMI. All other widescreen (including the VX1945wm and VX2245wm) and 4:3 models will be Vista Basic Certified and will not support HDCP.”

For those who don’t know, HDCP (high-bandwidth digital content protection) is a system that “protects” digital content, and its rollout has been mangled. As Richard is discovering, despite touting HD features, many PC monitors and even TVs cannot display protected content from a TV source or Blu-ray or HD DVD device.

The VX2245wm isn’t the only ViewSonic monitor that has used the term HD without including HDCP. The ViewSonic VG2230WM, which Maximum PC reviewed in June, claimed HD support but did not, in fact, support HDCP; ViewSonic has said it plans to add HDCP support in the future. Maximum PC also noted that Hanns.G’s HW223DPB (reviewed in August) lacked HDCP support, despite being labeled HD ready. Hanns.G said HD capability was available through the VGA analog port.

The Dog feels Microsoft hasn’t helped the situation either. As ViewSonic points out, monitors that are Windows Vista Premium Certified must have HDCP support, but Windows Vista Basic Certified models do not need to include it. Since most consumers (and even many tech-heads) have no idea what the hell the difference between the two is, it’s likely to create confusion rather than dispel it.

Tom Mainelli, an analyst who covers displays for market research firm IDC, agrees that the situation is a mess. “I think it’s the responsibility of the [monitor] industry to address this,” Mainelli said. “They’re going to be the one the consumer blames when it doesn’t work.”

Mainelli said the informal line on what gets HDCP and what doesn’t seems to hinge on size and aspect ratio. New monitor designs in the 24-inch range and up usually include HDCP, but with smaller monitors it’s a toss-up. Most business-class monitors with standard aspect ratios don’t include it while widescreens may. So why not just create an HDCP logo? Mainelli said one problem may be consumer education. While Maximum PC readers are likely sensitive to it, the vast majority of consumers have no freaking idea what HDCP means, so one more logo on a box isn’t going to help the situation.

What’s the Dog’s opinion? ViewSonic and other display manufacturers are clearly walking a thin line. The Dog thinks that a person shopping for a new monitor is looking not to display his or her Microsoft Word document at HD resolutions but to watch movies. To expect anything else is disingenuous at best.

Until the monitor industry can get its act together and begin labeling monitors appropriately, the only way to avoid getting burned is to look for the Vista Premium Logo and do your due diligence before you make a purchase.

Clean DriveCleaner

Recently, I found a program called DriveCleaner that was supposed to speed up my system. I downloaded it and purchased a license for $50. I promptly received a login name and password along with confirmation of payment. It worked for about two days and everything was great. It seemed like it really had sped up my system. Then everything started acting funny.

I called DriveCleaner’s tech-support center and was told how to uninstall the program and reinstall it. After I uninstalled, I found that I could not get to DriveCleaner’s website anymore. And because of this I can’t reinstall the software. I uninstalled the program through Add/Remove Programs and then went and deleted everything pertaining to DriveCleaner. I visited some websites that gave instructions on how to fully uninstall the software. During this time I noticed that it seemed this software was a scam. Nobody talked very nicely about it.

Could you please help me find out what the deal is with this company?

—Lavon Smith

Bad news, Lavon; your suspicions, albeit late, are correct. Most people who report problems with DriveCleaner say it’s due to “drive-by” installs via browser exploits. The program itself doesn’t enhance your rig’s performance; rather, it helps cover your tracks after you’ve been surfing porn sites. But, according to several antivirus/anti-malware sites, the application (at least the “demo” that gets installed on drive-bys) just creates pop-ups and false positives. The program’s recommended fix? That you buy the full version of course.

Although the connection isn’t clear, the folks behind DriveCleaner also seem to be responsible for the infamous WinFixer and WinAntivirus programs, which the Dog wrote about in July. Both WinFixer and WinAntivirus were also accused of using similar tactics: drive-by installs and false positives that induced people to pay for the apps. A California woman is trying to take WinFixer to court to recoup the money she paid to repair her PC after installing the program.

The Dog couldn’t reach DriveCleaner.com for comment, but you should probably count yourself lucky that you were able to uninstall it, as it’s not clear that it actually does anything. You can probably kiss your $50 goodbye, but you can count the experience as a life lesson: Do some research on an application before you buy it. Woof.

Recall Alert

I-O Data is recalling several hundred network attached storage (NAS) devices that may overheat and pose a burn hazard. I-O Data says it has received three reports of the AC adapters included with the units overheating, deforming, and melting. No injuries have been reported. The adapters were manufactured in Japan and sold with the UHDL-160U and UHDL-300U Network Hard Disk Drives between December 2004 and February 2007 in the United States. If you have either of the models listed above, examine the AC adapter and look for part number IO-ACADP1510UL. If your adapter has that part number, it may be one of the defective units. I-O Data is asking consumers to immediately stop using it and contact the company for a free replacement. More information is available at 877-878-2926 or by visiting: http://www.iodata.com/usa/.

Got a bone to pick with a vendor? Been spiked by a fly-by-night operation? Sic the Dog on them by writing watchdog@maximumpc.com. The Dog promises to answer as many letters as possible, but only has four paws to work with.

DoubleSight DS-240WB

Katherine Stevenson — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:58:25 -0500

DoubleSight is best known for its two-in-one monitor solutions, such as the dual 19-inch display we reviewed in March 2007, but we’ll take a single seamless 24-inch screen over that option any day. The DS-240WB looks all business with a simple but sturdy black frame. Its telescoping neck lets you adjust the screen’s height, plus you can tilt, pivot, and rotate the screen’s orientation. Input options consist of one VGA, one DVI, and one audio input. To access the whole gamut of onscreen display (OSD) options, you’ll need to use VGA. For instance, you can adjust the screen’s individual color channels and even its overall color tone only with the analog interface; DVI limits you to contrast and brightness changes.

This LCD also favors VGA when it comes to displaying HDCP-encumbered content. But that’s only because content producers haven’t clamped down on the analog stream—yet. Simply put, this LCD lacks HDCP support, so if movies are important, beware.

Otherwise, the DS-240WB performs well. It aced our Display Mate scripts, it captured the nuances of our high-res digital photos, and it held up to the rigors of action gaming. Still, in our minds it’s lacking.

XtremeMac HDMI Switcher

Michael Brown — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 19:12:27 -0500

Planned obsolescence is one of the great evils of the Industrial Age, and it’s especially pernicious when it comes to consumer electronics. HDMI is only the latest example.

I love the new interface because it reduces the number of cables needed to connect my HD CATV set-top box to the 37-inch Viewsonic N3760w monitor I’ve been long-term testing. And as long as that was the only device I needed to plug into it, the TV’s single HDMI input served me well.

But then Netgear sent me their awesome Digital Entertainer HD EVA8000 to review. Having to unplug the set-top box to watch YouTube videos on the Viewsonic was a royal pain the butt. And then I upgraded my DVD player to a model that also supports HDMI. Now I had three devices competing for the single HDMI port on my TV.

I used Accell’s UltraAV HDMI switch for a while, but that product has only two inputs. I was also considering upgrading my A/V receiver to a new model that supports HDMI—Yamaha’s luscious RX-V2700 has three HDMI inputs and one HDMI output—but after building a new home, I just can’t afford it. So when Xtreme Mac pitched me their XtremeHD 4-port HDMI switcher, I asked them to send me one, stat.

The switch is enclosed in an attractive case—it’s considerably more appealing than Accell’s two-port switch—with four LEDs indicating which source you’ve selected with the wireless remote control. The remote control is chiclet-style, but large enough that it won’t get lost in your couch cushions (but I’d recommend teaching its functions to your programmable remote anyway).

The switcher—and the five 6.6-foot HDMI-to-HDMI cables XtremeMac sent along for the test—delivered excellent video and audio quality (both support the HDMI 1.3 standard). The products are reasonably priced, too: The switcher goes for $100 and the cables sell for $20 each (they also offer 13.2-foot cables for $30).

I’ll upgrade my A/V receiver eventually—there are advantages to be had beyond the multiple HDMI ports—but XtremeMac’s HDMI switch is an affordable stopgap measure .