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New Alienware Media Center
Cyno01 writes "Alienware recently introduced a new product that seems to fill the gap between PVRs and PCs. The Navigator Media Center. It runs a new version of XP (Media Center Edition) and displays pictures, movies and plays DVDs. If I had the cash for it i would definitly ditch my 160Gb HD and Radeon AIW card."
This is obviously intended to sit in a hometheater kind of situation. We all know how clear the picture is when its outputted by a TV. To get any kind of crispness, the display has to be at 512x386. Other than games (although its a little low for that too), the resolution isnt much good.
:)
Then again, people who can drop enough cash to meet alienware prices can probably afford a HDTV setup as well... Then it might be diffferent
Its not a lowly specced machine by anymeans. Maybe it make a good lan box, or anything else where a small form factor is called for. Beowolf cluster anyone?
Seriously, what can it do that any other PC cant?
I bet a lot of spoiled brats are gonna get one for brag-value...
Xbox can do most of those features with little modifications and opensource applications:
Control Live Television - can do with xbox
Enjoy DVDs - can do with xbox
Listen digital music - can do with xbox
Burn music, photos and videos - not yet possible, but might be possible in future
View your favorite photos - can do with xbox
Edit digital videos - can do with xbox
Incredible gaming performance - xbox games aren't that bad..
Cost :
Xbox+modifications = $400
Navigator Mediacenter = $1699
Which one would you choose?
The main flaw i see is if i have a bunch of home theater componets this will look out of place and waste space/shelves. Why can't they make a pc case that about the size of the average dvd player? I mean where the hell will i put this cube? If i put it on a shelf it has to be alone since its about the hieght of a dvd/cd/tape player. Which means its wasting to much space! a nice wide and flat case is what i want to see... It only needs to be a max of 2U in height... it can even use the same mb as the cube and use the left over space for hd mounts and such.
Already own one of these, but I did it my way.
Used a 4u rackmount case and slid it right into my home entertainment center/stereo rack. Used an 8500 AIW card, soundblaster LIVE, integrated LAN, duron processor, and enough memory to make it work.
Fleshed it out with a wireless keyboard/mouse, some front port adapters, and a front-mounted LCD that displays song title/etc.
Plays audio streams, CDs, DVDs, MP3s, TV-out... runs them right into the receiver unit for the home stereo. Best of all, it looks like it belongs right in the stereo rack with all the other components.
I honestly don't know where I'd put one of those Shuttle cubes, but it certainly wouldn't fit in a rack. The alienware/shuttle cube looks pretty hip, but where's the joy of tinkering? the satisfaction of building it yourself?
Even if a man chops off your hand with a sword, you still have two nice, sharp bones to stick in his eyes.
I have an old 500Mhz Celeron box, running Slackware, and Mythtv. I can watch DivX movies, look at my pictures, rip CDs, record TV, listen to mp3s and lots more.. and it didn't cost me a cent (a local business was throwing out their old boxen). Sure, the 500Mhz box is a little low for dvd, but most of my videos are video CD anyway (they are incredibly cheap here in asia).
Am I a psycho?