Quick Look at the HP Digital Entertainment Center

[James Fee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.tomshardware.com/hardnews/20041013_103530.html' target='_blank'>http://www.tomshardware.com/hardnews/20041013_103530.html</a><br /><br /></div>"<i>HP, in an effort to take over your living room, rolled out the Digital Entertainment Center (DEC) at the Microsoft Digital Entertainment Anywhere event. The DEC is a set-top box running the new Windows Media Center Edition 2005. It will handle photos, music, video and TV. THG was on-site for a closer look. You've probably grown up with a crowded living room. A radio here, a VCR there and maybe a few dozen records, tapes and DVDs. Wouldn't it be nice to have all that functionality in one box? Since large hard drives are relatively inexpensive, it makes sense to view and store multimedia to a computer based device. This is already being done to a limited degree with MP3 players and TV Tuner cards, but HP wants to combine everything into one easy to use platform.</i>"<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/hpz545.jpg" /> <br /><br />Now we are talking! Those MCE towers just don't fit in with most audio racks. Kudos for HP taking care of the biggest hurdle to me buying one. The z540, with a single TV Tuner and 160GB hard drive, will have an MSRP of $1499. The z545-b, with two tuners, 200GB hard drive, 160GB Personal Media Drive will be $1999. Each Extender unit will be $299.

[Raven]

I thought $2,000 was pretty high for a simple PVR computer. Till I looked here (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2004/declaunch/ds_z545.pdf).
Man, this is no pansy computer. It can easily run rings around most desktops iin the market today. 8O

ATI X300, 360 GB SATA, Intel P4 530, 16X DVD±R/RW Drive!!!!

[sunazure]

I've posted more photos here:
http://mmmblog.com/blog/posts/1188.aspx

[Raven]

Dude, Congrats!

The photostory is really fun to watch. :lol:
puts a new spin on product reviews.

Can't wait to hear more about the DEC.

[Suhit Gupta]

Wow, that does look really nice. And it seems quite affordable too given the specs. I am sure one could put a similar device together in the form of a small form factor PC, but the finish on this device would make it go very well with a Home Theatre setup.

Suhit

[[email protected]]

When you get a 10' version MCE, can you use an extender to get the 3' experience on another display? Does the extender extend mouse and keyboard?

[South]

I’m new the whole digital media thing, so please bear with me.

I just bought the HP Z540. I didn’t get the HP Z545B because I didn’t think I would need two tuners. Why would I need two tuners in the DEC? I still have 15 day to return the DEC. Should I upgrade it the Z545B?

One more question, what the best way to convert my old home videos (VHS) to DVD using a VCR and the DEC?

Thanks!

Jason