As media PCs slowly catch on, consumer electronics behemoth Sony makes its entrance with the Windows XP Media Center powered VAIO VGX-XL1 - chock full of advanced features.
Having thus far restrained itself to PC-TV hybrid products outside the Japanese market, Sony today announced the introduction of its first fully fledged media PC, the VAIO VGX-XL1. Comprised of a Windows XP Media Center powered PC and a 200-disc media changer/recorder, the system offers a veritable smorgasboard of options and advanced features.
As one of the most elegant media PC designs to date, the VGX-XL1 is designed to fit into a home entertainment rack - or replace most of it, to be accurate. Powered by an Intel Pentium D 820 chip clocking in at 2.8 GHz, the VGX-XL1 runs Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 atop 512 MB of 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM which can be expanded to 2 GB. The hard drive of the unit is of the SATA variety, offering 200 GB of capacity and spinning at 7,200 RPM.
Although the VGX-XL1 comes complete with its own media changer, the main unit also contains an optical alibi in the shape of a CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, backed up by a memory reader supporting Memory Stick PRO/Duo; CompactFlash Type II; SD/MMC; SmartMedia; and xD Picture Card formats.
For graphics, the VGX-XL1 is equipped with an Nvidia GeForce 6200 card with 64 MB of VRAM, also incorporating a single NTSC TV tuner with Composite, S-Video and coaxial inputs. Other audio and video input/output options abound, with additional front-mounted, gold-plated Composite and S-Video inputs and a HDMI output; DVI is also present, but courtesy of an included HDMI-to-DVI adapter.
Audio outputs, meanwhile, include optical and coaxial SPDIF as well as gold-plated RCA, whilst inputs include optical SPDIF and gold-plated line in ports mounted on either side of the unit. Non-audiovisual connectivity options include Gigabit Ethernet, quadruple USB 2.0 ports, dual FireWire connectors and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g.
The media changer part of the VGX-XL1 equation is one of the particular highlights of the system, enabling the storing and direct access to up to 200 optical discs, be they CD or DVD. Capable of reading formats up to Dual Layer DVD, the media changer also burns discs in a variety of formats up to Dual Layer DVD.
Courtesy of a collaboration with Microsoft, the functionality of the media changer also also been integrated into the Media Center interface with inserted discs automatically being detected by the PC which proceeds to download available metadata. Also, users will be able to record a series of television show episodes to DVDs with the system providing information concerning the number of discs required, and Sony also said it had adapted web browsing for a living room experience with the ability to expand web pages for 'comfortable reading' by means of the system's wireless remote control.
The Sony VAIO VGX-XL1 Digital Living System will be sold as a package and will be available in the US from November 2005 for $2,300 USD.
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