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AnchorDesk

Sylvia Carr
What's inside the newest Media Center PCs

Sylvia Carr
Senior Editor, AnchorDesk
Friday, April 4, 2003
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One of the big trends in home tech today is the PC's migration from your den to your living room.

Not everyone agrees this will really happen. My colleague David Coursey, for instance, does think your PC (albeit in a slightly different form) will become the hub of your home-entertainment system. But AnchorDesk's Pat Houston is convinced that your PC will stay in the den for computing tasks, connected to but separate from your component-based home-theater system in the living room.

Regardless of which scenario you agree with, it appears you'll have plenty of hardware options to choose from, particularly in the PC-will-take-over-your-living-room scenario. Just this week, our reviewers test-drove one of the newest multimedia machines, the Cyberpower Media Center PC.

This system joins a rapidly growing desktop category: In the past few months, we've reviewed a handful of PCs that would feel at home in your living room.

Our reviewers bring up one caveat for these systems that has to do with Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition, which all but one of the desktops we've reviewed run. The problem mentioned is that recorded TV programs burned to DVD can't be viewed on consumer DVD players. However, according to Microsoft, this should not be a problem if you're using the latest version of the system's DVD-burning software.

Take a look at the following in-depth reviews and prices.

Cyberpower Media Center PC
Editors' Rating: 7.2
This speedy, well-stocked system looks more like a stereo component than an ordinary PC. It's also one of the fastest Media Center PCs to date, and comes with a top-notch LCD monitor and DVD burner. Its downsides? The case and monitor don't match well, and it doesn't include a wireless keyboard and mouse--key accessories if a PC's going to end up in your living room.
Read Review | Check Latest Prices

HP Media Center PC
Editors' Rating: 7.0
HP's offering gives you top-notch application performance along with the ability to watch, record, and archive TV--thanks to a particularly easy-to-use personal video recorder (PVR). It's got a roomy 120GB hard drive and can read almost any removable media type. However, the lack of a wireless keyboard and mouse, and a plethora of cables that will no doubt end up in a tangled mess, detract from its appeal.
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Gateway Media Center PC
Editors' Rating: 6.8
The most notable component of this system is its enormous, 42-inch plasma display, which comes at a bargain price. While DVD movies look sharp on the big screen, TV shows don't, and text is too blurry for computing tasks. In the end, Gateway's Media Center PC doesn't quite succeed at balancing your entertainment and computing needs.
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Sony VAIO PCV-RZ16G
Editors' Rating: 7.9
This Sony got the highest overall rating of all the multimedia systems we reviewed; it's the only one that doesn't include Windows XP Media Center. The VAIO PCV-RZ16G offers fast performance, lots of memory, and all the video-connection options and software you could ever want. One complaint: You can't upgrade the weak sound card without disabling the PVR capabilities. But it's still a capable machine for both computing and home entertainment.
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Alienware Navigator Pro
Editors' Rating: 7.4
This system is the looker of the bunch: Its CPU sits in a little black box that resembles Apple's G4 Cube. Despite its diminutive appearance, the box houses some high-end innards, including a 2.66GHz Pentium and a 120GB hard drive. It also comes with an impressive speaker set and convenient front-mounted USB and FireWire ports. Our concerns: The system runs hot, has limited expandability, and TV images look soft.
Read Review | Check Latest Prices

Editor's Note: This story has been changed from its original version. It has been updated to reflect new information about Windows XP Media Center Edition's copy-protection policies.

What do you think of these systems? Would you buy a Media Center PC? Why or why not? TalkBack to me!

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