media center

Creative Zen Portable Media Center review

Reviews Throw a Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) PC into the mix and the Zen PMC turns into a portable playback-only device, allowing you to watch your recorded MCE broadcasts on the road. A major offshoot of this fledgling category is the Portable...

Editor's rating   7.7

Tags: creative, battery life, media center, windows media player

14 May 2005, 18:25

Linksys Media Center Extender DMA2200 review

Reviews Media Center PCs are a great idea. Once up and running, the DMA2200 displays a launcher menu on your TV that gives you the choice of playing a DVD or entering the Media Center interface. Since not everyone wants a noisy, unattractive PC in the...

Editor's rating   8

Tags: linksys, dvd player, streaming, high definition

7 March 2008, 10:39

Movies on the go: portable video players

Reviews Creative's Zen Portable Media Center is based on Microsoft's standard MC interface, which looks great and is easy to use. If you've got a Media Center computer packed full of recordings then it's easy, but for 99 per cent of people it proves a...

10 May 2005, 13:57

Windows Media Center (Viiv) PCs

Reviews The Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) operating system is a great OS. Many of the latest Media Center PCs now ship with hybrid tuners that let you watch either analogue or digital (Freeview) television programmes.

28 July 2006, 16:10

Hi-Grade DMS Extreme Xtc2_02 review

Reviews The DMS (Digital Media Station) range sits at the top end of Hi-Grade's selection of Media Center PCs. Read this article on what you need to do to build the perfect Media Center PC). That's a handy addition to a Media Center PC, but we can't fathom...

Editor's rating   7.6

Tags: hi-grade, dvd player, cpu, tuner

6 February 2007, 16:44

Shuttle XPC M1000 review

Reviews The IT world is full of PCs that use the Windows XP Media Center (MCE) operating system, but most designers are lazy with their implementations, rehashing old designs, and often failing to get the most out of the features on offer.

Editor's rating   8.1

Tags: shuttle, dedicated, ports, air

20 February 2006, 16:52

Dell Dimension 5150c review

Reviews The Dimension 5150c is a Media Center PC with a difference. FeaturesIn adhering to the Intel Viiv standard, the Dimension 5150c uses a dual-core CPU and Windows XP Media Center Edition, and has a 5.1-channel audio card.

Editor's rating   8

Tags: dell, optical, sample, ports

27 January 2006, 16:02

HP TouchSmart IQ770 review

Reviews The TouchSmart IQ770 is designed to be a family Media Center PC. Features The TouchSmart IQ770 ships with Windows Vista Home Premium edition, which includes Media Center. Is a kitchen-bound Media Center PC a ridiculous concept?

Editor's rating   7.1

Tags: hp, section, base, loading

23 May 2007, 18:54

Acer Aspire E300 review

Reviews The Aspire E300 comes in two flavours -- an E300 dual-core Media Center PC, and this E300 64-bit Gamer system. The difference between the two is significant -- the former uses an Athlon 64 X2 3800+ CPU and the Windows XP Media Center Edition...

Editor's rating   7

Tags: acer, cpu, ports, pixels

18 January 2006, 15:38

Expert Technologies Fusion Multi Media PC review

Reviews The Fusion Multi Media PC is designed to be used as Media Center PC with extensive personal video recorder (PVR) functions. FeaturesThe Fusion Multi Media PC's most notable feature is its use of Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE).

Editor's rating   5

Tags: expert technologies, cpu, ports, television

7 December 2005, 16:34

Sony Vaio VGX-XL302 review

Reviews Sony's latest Media Center PC has pretty much everything you could ask for in an entertainment machine, including dual digital TV tuners, a decent graphics card and a Blu-ray drive that lets you watch the latest blockbuster movies in high definition.

Editor's rating   8

Tags: sony, high definition, ray, layer

27 July 2007, 17:45

Microsoft Remote Keyboard review

Reviews Match this keyboard with your Media Center PC, and you may never leave your couch again. The £59 Microsoft Remote Keyboard for Windows XP Media Center Edition is a multimedia trinity, combining the best features of a keyboard, a mouse and a remote...

Editor's rating   7

Tags: microsoft, keys, commands, remote control

1 September 2005, 21:18

Sony Vaio VGC-RA304 review

Reviews For some time now, we've been crying out for new PC case designs to shoehorn a Media Center PC into your home cinema. FeaturesYou won't need a more powerful Media Center PC, however, than the Sony VAIO RA820G.

Editor's rating   7.5

Tags: sony, unreal, ultra, windows xp

19 November 2004, 19:11

Elonex Lumina review

Reviews If you've been following our experiences with Windows Media Center PCs, such as the Moore Medio and the Evesham ebox, you'll know that we've had endless problems getting a video signal from these PCs into our television.

Editor's rating   7.3

Tags: elonex, signal, eyes, loading

20 June 2005, 16:55

Asus Nova Lite Mini 2L review

Reviews We like Media Center PCs. No Media Center PC is complete without lots of storage, but that's not really the Nova Lite's strong point either. The latest Media Center to grab our attention is the super-stylish, super-cheap Asus Nova Lite Mini 2L...

Editor's rating   7.6

Tags: asus, ports, silver, high definition

30 June 2008, 17:17