Desktop Reviews

• Powerful multimedia desktop with TV tuner NTSC/ATSC, personal video recording functionality, and programming guide
• 2.13 GHz Intel Core two Duo E6400 dual core processor, dual 250 GB hard drives, two GB installed RAM 4 GB max, HD DVD player, multi format/dual layer LightScribe DVD drive
• Connectivity: six USB, two FireWire, one VGA, one S Video, one composite A/V audio output, surround sound speaker output, 15 in 1 memory card reader
• 54g Wi Fi LAN 802.11b/g, 10/100 Ethernet, Nvidia GeForce 7600 video card with 256 MB dedicated video memory
• Pre installed with Windows Vista Home Premium with Media Center capabilities

The HP M7780N is a desktop PC that’s laser focused on you with amazing entertainment. The fitted over the air ATSC tuner delivers free hi definition TV in hi definition, which may be recorded onto the fitted 500GB hard drive, like a giant Tivo. There is a special drive bay that accepts an optional 500GB HP Personal Media Drive for extra recording space. One Terabyte of storage may sound like overkill, but HDTV programs take up many of room, and with 1TB you may be able to enjoy yourself without stressing about if or not you will have room for your favorite shows. There is an HD DVD drive for hi def movie playback. The M7780N also does your common computer tasks, like playing games, ripping MP3s, burning DVDs, and more. Check out this list of features: four RAM Slots 2 available 500GB 7200RPM SATA HDD HD DVD Player SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology write speeds up to 8x DVD+R DL, 4x DVD R DL, 5x DVD RAM, 16x DVD /+R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD RW, 40x CD R, &amp, 32x CD RW / read speeds up to 16x DVD ROM &amp, 40x CD ROM NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT Graphics Card with 256MB of memory Wireless 802.11b/g LAN Adapter NTSC TV Tuner and over the air ATSC Hi Definition Tuner Front Panel 15 in 1 Digital Media Card Reader 56k Fax Modem Bays two External 5.25 occupied, &amp, one interior 3.5 occupied, HP Pocket Media Drive Pocket Media Drives may be used with HP HD1600S, 3000S and 5000S model Slots one PCI Express x16 occupied &amp, three PCI occupied Ports 10/100 Ethernet, six USB 2.0 2 front, two Firewire 1 front, S Video, Composite Video, Audio Inputs, Microphone/Headphone front, two PS/2, audio In/Out, Rear Speaker Out, Side Speaker Out, Center subwoofer, Microphone/Line In/Line Out back, TV Out &amp, Dual DVI I Out video card Unit Dimensions 15.16 h x 7.6 w x 16.54 d Unit Weight 27 lbs. Monitor isn’t included

The easy to use HP m7780n Media Center PC is the complete home PC system that delivers more entertainment choices, and brings them together in one place with easy access from anyplace in the room. You may be able to watch, record, and pause live TV programming also as schedule the PC to record forthcoming episodes or complete series. The fitted TV tuner providing both standard NTSC and high def ATSC transmission and personal video recorder PVR let you watch, pause, rewind, and record live television up to 305 hours on the dual 250 GB hard drives 500 GB total storage. An online Electronic Program Guide EPG allows you to review the TV schedule and choose individual episodes or complete series, so you may be able to watch your beloved shows on your time, at your convenience. This desktop incorporates an HD DVD drive that is matched with the new high definition DVD disc format. Enjoy surprisingly crisp and vibrantly colorful imagery from this new format. And you may be able to easily burn TV shows and home video to DVD for friends and family with the dual layer, multi format LightScribe DVD/CD burner, which enables you to store up to 8.5 GB of data on a DL disc. LightScribe technology burns custom, silkscreen quality labels and artwork directly onto LightScribe enabled discs, right inside the drive.

The dual execution core E6400 Core two Duo processor gives an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved gaming and multitasking performance, and it features a 2.13 GHz speed, an amazing 1066 MHz system bus, and big two MB L2 cache. A fitted drive bay fits an optional HP Personal Media Drive PMD, for up to 500 GB of extra storage that you may carry away with you when you go PMD not included. It includes two GB of installed RAM 4 GB maximum, Nvidia GeForce 7600 video card with 256 MB dedicated video memory, 15 in 1 memory card reader, up to eight channels of surround sound output, and a remote control with up to 16 feet of range.

This desktop also comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, which will include all of the Windows Media Center potential for turning your PC into an all in one home entertainment center. Also to easily playing your DVD movies and managing your audio library, you will be able to record and watch your beloved TV shows even HDTV. Vista also integrates new search tools during the operating system, will include new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of imminent hardware failures.

The Basics

• Processor: The Intel Core two Duo E6400 processor has a 2.13 GHz processor speed, amazing 1066 MHz front side bus FSB, and a big two MB L2 cache. An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data, and a bigger L2 cache may help speed up your system’s performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front side bus will deliver better in general performance.

  The Intel Core two Duo processor has two computational execution cores in a single processor, greater system answer when running multi threaded applications at the same time with no important increase in power intake. It is optimized for multitasking and is prepared to support the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. It can at the same time run many calling for applications such as graphics intensive games or serious number crunching business productivity applications while downloading music or running virus scanning security programs in the background. Many of the advanced Intel innovations of the Core two Duo processor include:

  • Smart Memory Access: Improves system performance by hiding memory latency, optimizing the use of available computer data bandwidth to offer data to the processor when and where it is obliged.
  • Advanced Digital Media Boost: Effectively doubles the execution speed for information used widely in multimedia and graphics applications.
  • Dynamic Power Coordination: Coordinates improved Intel SpeedStep Technology and idle power management state C states transitions independently per core to help save power.
  • Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing: Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory throughout periods of inactivity to lower CPU voltage.
• Hard Drive: The dual 250 GB Serial ATA SATA hard drives 7200 RPM supply an F 500 GB storage capacity enough for storing up to 305 hours of TV programming, a vast multimedia collection, or for editing digital video. These SATA hard drives also quicken the rate with a higher speed move of data akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.
• Memory: The two GB of fitted memory 2 x 1024 MB, PC4200, DDR2 SDRAM is a good start right out of the box, and it offers a fast 533 MHz speed. This desktop has a four GB maximum RAM capacity 4 x one GB, excellent for your multimedia needs today and tomorrow.
• DVD/CD Drive: This HP desktop offers the next generation of DVD entertainment with the HD DVD ROM optical drive, which gives the superior image and sound quality of high definition pictures and multichannel surround sound also as rearward compatibility with standard DVD movie discs also as content burned onto DVD R/RW, DVD RAM.

  It also will include a second drive a multiformat DVD/CD burner that is matched with writing both DVD+ and DVD disc formats also as dual layer DL DVD+/ R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. It features 4x DVD R DL Write Once, 8x DVD+R DL Write Once, 16x DVD+R, 8x DVD+RW, 16x DVD R, 6x DVD RW, 5x DVD RAM, 40x CD R, 32x CD RW write speeds and 40x CD ROM, and 16x DVD ROM read speeds. This LightScribe DVD+/ RW drive allows you to laser etch silkscreen quality text and pictures on to CDs and DVDs . Your software, PC and discs work together for a no hassle way to burn just the labels you want. After you burn content, just flip the disc over, reinsert and burn your label anything from a simple title to a full disc work of art.

• Keyboard &amp, Mouse: This desktop comes with an HP multimedia keyboard and optical mouse both PS/2 and remote control.

Video &amp, Audio
Video is powered by the Nvidia GeForce 7600 graphics card, which was chosen by PC World magazine as one of the 100 Best merchandise of 2006. It has 256 MB of video RAM, and will include dual DVI outputs. It features NVidia’s PureVideo technology which gives great picture clearness, smooth video, correct color, and exact image scaling for video content. It also offers full support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 and true high dynamic range HDR lighting. And it is prepared for the next step in graphics processing SLI technology Scalable Link Interface which delivers twice the performance of a single GPU configuration by letting two graphics cards to run in parallel. It also has an integrated audio card that can create high meaning surround sound configurable to eight speakers.

Networking, Connectivity &amp, Expansion
This desktop has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that is completely matched with 802.11b/g wireless networks. For expansion, this desktop features a drive bay that fits an optional HP Personal Media Drive which enables you to add 500 GB of storage for your video and music libraries. It has three PCI expansion slots one available, one PCI x16 Express slot available, and the following external ports:

• 6 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a large range of peripherals from digital cameras to MP3 players 2 in front, four in rear
• 2 FireWire also called IEEE 1394 or i.Link port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals 1 in front, one in rear
• Composite video, S Video, and analog audio inputs
• 2 DVI D for connecting to external monitor or HDTV on graphics card
• TV output on graphics card
• Headphone and microphone jacks
• Audio output: audio out, surround sound speakers rear, side, center subwoofer
• 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
• 15 in 1 media card reader on the front, matched with CompactFlash Type I and II, MicroDrive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick/Pro/Duo/Pro Duo, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital, XD Picture Card, RSMMC, MMC Mobile, MMC+
• 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice

It will include an integrated 56K modem V.90 and an RJ 45 LAN network port for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems.

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it will include all of the Windows Media Center potential for turning your PC into an all in one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your audio library. You may also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your beloved TV shows even HDTV and to access new types of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an secondary Windows SideShow display will also let you to access key data when your computer is off. It’s also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect to your beloved WiFi hotspot.

Every edition of Windows Vista gives the essential tools and technologies to help protect you if you’re browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of imminent hardware failures long before you have lost any vital personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that let you to manage and monitor your family’s use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other actions.

Preloaded Software
Will include Roxio Creator, Muvee autoProducer, Sonic MyDVD, DVD Play, Norton Internet Security 2007 with 60 days of Live Update, Microsoft Works 8, and HP Total Care consultant.

Dimensions &amp, Weight
This desktop measures 7.6 x 15.2 x 16.5 inches WxHxD and weighs roughly 27 pounds.

What’s in the Box
This package holds the HP Media Center m7780n desktop PC, keyboard, mouse, remote control, and power cord. It’s supported by a restricted warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of buy also as technical telephone help for one year. Software is protected for 90 days from date of buy.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 at 10:06 am and is filed under Desktops. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.