HP keeps the fun rolling with its MediaSmart Windows Home Servers. It’s called the HP MediaSmart Expander for TiVo, but don’t let the name fool you, it doesn’t directly increase your TiVo’s storage. The app, however, still has some nice features and might be a worthy replacement for the TiVo Desktop program.

The new companion program allows MediaSmart owners to transfer recorded programs between the network-attached TiVo and a MediaSmart server. Recordings can also be managed to some degree as well. Sounds like the free TiVo Desktop program, right?

But the new app also always any computer on the network to watch the programs stored on the MediaSmart server. Chances are those computers will also have to have the WHS app installed as well to circumvent  TiVo’s DRM. Truth be told, this can be done as well with the TiVo Desktop program, but each computer will need to have it installed as well, while the WHS app takes the solution to the server rather than each individual client. Makes sense.

Best of all, the app is free and currently available for all EX MediaSmart servers.

pics via MSWHS

Consumers Can Now Manage TiVo DVR Recordings
from HP MediaSmart Servers

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 10, 2010 – HP today made available HP MediaSmart Expander for TiVo®, a new software application that lets TiVo DVR(1) owners manage video content from an HP MediaSmart Server.(2)

With a high-definition (HD) DVR from TiVo,(3) consumers can record, pause and rewind live TV, and access the world’s largest on-demand video library(4) to watch hit movies, TV shows, music videos and popular web videos.

With the new software application, which is offered at no charge to MediaSmart server owners, TiVo owners can:

— transfer shows from a TiVo DVR to a HP MediaSmart Server and back to a TiVo DVR

— manage TiVo recordings stored on a HP MediaSmart Server

— watch TiVo DVR recordings that are stored on a HP MediaSmart Server on any PC in the home

Based on the Microsoft Windows® Home Server platform, the HP MediaSmart Server is a central repository for automatically backing up and accessing digital music, videos, photos and documents from multiple computers on a home network.(5)

The HP MediaSmart Server automatically organizes files across all Windows and Mac computers, streams media across a home network and the Internet,(4) and publishes photos to popular social networking and photo sharing sites.

“The HP MediaSmart Server is the ideal companion for TiVo users. With the HP MediaSmart Expander for TiVo, consumers can record more high-definition programs and not worry about filling their DVR since they can transfer their movies and shows on the HP MediaSmart Server and watch them on their PC,” said Jason Zajac, vice president of Attach, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Plus, consumers will benefit from all of the additional features the HP MediaSmart Server provides, such as backing up all Windows and Mac computers.”

Pricing and availability

The free HP MediaSmart Expander for TiVo application can be accessed through the Windows Home Server Console of the HP MediaSmart Server EX490/EX495 and HP Data Vault.

Manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the HP MediaSmart Server EX490 with 1 terabyte of hard disk storage is $549, while the HP MediaSmart Server EX495 with 1.5 terabytes is $699.(6)

Big props goes out to Joe W. for almost correctly guessing the total storage capacity of the CrunchGear staff. His guess of 38.5TB nets him a brand new HP MediaSmart EX495 server. Congrats. Click through to see the total capacity broken down by writer.

In no particular order,

• >Devin: 4.2
• Doug: 3
• Dave: 8.4
• Matt: 8
• Nicholas: 5
• John: 2
• Greg: 8

For a grand total of 38.6TB, which isn’t that much actually. It will probably be double next year at this time

Short Version: HP sure knows how to make a Windows Home Server. The company has been at it for years now and the latest model does just about everything better than the previous models. That’s how it’s suppose to be.

Cons

• Overpriced for storage size
• HP software bordering on bloatware status

Features

• Intel Pentium Dual Core 2.5 GHz 64-bit CPU
• 1.5 TB of included hard drive space
• OS X Time Machine support
• HP Media Collector
• MSRP of $699

Review:

If you’ve been following along with previous versions of the HP MediaSmart Server, you know what the device does. It runs Microsoft’s Windows Home Server, but HP equipped it with a slightly different user interface to make it accessible to the non-tech crowd. Nearly anyone looking for a backup and central storage solution should be able to use this guy.

Instead of the stark WHS setup screen, new users can use HP’s software pack that guides them through setting up remote backups, assigning permissions to users, and finding media spread out over a network. It still has the same media collecting, iPhone-streaming and transcoding software in previous models, but the Media Collector works a lot better on Macs now.

What is new is the dramatically more powerful machine and better OS X support.The latest builds also ditches low voltage, and low power, CPUs in favor of a 2.5 GHz Dual Core Pentium. Boy does it help, too. I’ve been using WHS for a while now and it’s just not a backup device for me.

My torrent client lives on the box and unRARing huge files takes time on an Atom or Celeron processor, but the Pentium speeds things up a lot. The 2GB of memory also helps dramatically when running, let’s say, a torrent client, a couple of DLNA servers, and iTunes for the Home Sharing function. The hardware updates made this server a respectable little box.

HP started with the OS X support last January, but it wasn’t the greatest. The backup didn’t allow for a full restore and users still had to search out third-party solutions to access the device remotely via OS X.

But no more. Now OS X can be fully backed up and restored just like a PC by using a separate restore disc. It works just like it’s supposed to and is a valid alternative to Apple’s own backup device, the Time Capsule.

Plus, the server now ships with a OS X WHS management tool. It’s essentially a repacked remote desktop client, but it gets the job done. Because of these updates, an HP MediaSmart server can live comfortably on an all-Mac network.

All this extra software HP has thrown in is bordering on intrusive though. Window Home Server is an amazing system all by itself and anyone that’s been around computers for a while should be able to use it without any extra help. The HP stuff is cool, but to be honest, I never used it past simple testing.

I would love to see an installation or setting to turn off the HP software, but that won’t happen. HP needs to justify why its servers cost a bunch more than other option, which is really my only beef with the EX495. It’s too expensive for the amount of storage you get.

Outside of the extra HP software that a lot of people might not use and the more powerful hardware, you can get countless other WHS for far less. It seems obvious to me that the most important buying point of a file server is the storage capacity. You can expand the storage capacity to nearly anything you want with the HP MediaSmart line, but for $699 I expect to start with more than 1.5TB. The Acer easyStore costs $389 at Newegg and comes with a 1TB drive installed. For $750 you can build a 5TB system around the Acer using 2TB hard drives, which is a lot better deal if can live without the extra HP software (you probably can).

The HP MediaSmart EX495 is a quality rig. I don’t have anything against the system besides the aforementioned pricing. If you don’t mind paying a premium for software, buy it without hesitation.

Product Page: HP MediaSmart EX495

Giveaway: Want this server? Well, not this used one, but rather a brand new one? Yeah, I have one to give away. Click over to this post for all the details.

This is nice. HP is letting me give away a brand new EX495 MediaSmart Sever to go along with my review. To win the 1.5TB Windows Home Server server, you’re going to have to play a little game. Don’t worry, it’s easy. No scavenger hunt this time.

All you need to do is guess the total storage capacity of the CrunchGear staff. There’s seven of us, and we’re counting hard drives and flash drives. This includes game console and DVR hard drives, but not blank media like CD-Rs and DVD-Rs.

Don’t read to much into this. We’re estimating too, but I can tell you the answer is north of 10TB. Simply place your best guess in the comments below. Any questions can be directed to contest AT crunchgear DOT com.

Rules:

• One entry per person
• First closest answer win (if two or more people guess the correct number, the first person who guessed correctly wins)
• Entry deadline is November 12, 2009 at 11:59 P.M. PST
• No begging, just guess

Update: 75.164.73.17, you’re out. You guys think we don’t check?

(Credit: HP)

Here we go again with another installment of the weekly Crave giveaway. This week’s gadget: the HP MediaSmart Server LX195, a great network storage and backup device for home users.

In case you’re wondering what CNET really thinks about it, CNET editor Dong Ngo recently gave …