A PC with Blu-ray playback

Aug 9, 2007 14:15 GMT  ·  By

Home media center computer systems are becoming more and more popular these days as they support more functions than the standard, traditional solution used in the past did. Coming packed in a small form factor, with big storage capacities for all the users' multimedia files and powered by low power and high performance processors that are housed in fancy and stylish cases, the media PCs are having a prime day.

Shuttle announced the launch of yet another small form factor computer that is intended to be used as a media center system. The new Shuttle XPC G5 3201M is the first such computer system that integrates a Blu-ray drive to hit the market. "High-definition entertainment in SFF PC format has, with this Shuttle XPC, become a reality," explains Tom Seiffert, Head of Marketing & PR at Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH, who was cited in the company's press release concerning the XPC G5 3201M. "And the use of latest componentry makes possible the playback of full HD material while maintaining a low system load."

The system comes with some pretty powerful hardware including a Core 2 processor, up to 4GB of memory, a high end graphics card from the latest generation - NVIDIA GeForce 8600GTS - and lots of storage capability. The basic software configuration is based on Microsoft's Windows Vista Home Premium that comes with an integrated media center software suite, while a remote control allows users to navigate seamlessly from a distance. Because the Shuttle XPC G5 3201M supports HDCP copy protection media, including DVI and HDMI, it can interact with all modern flat screen displays.

As networking becomes more and more important in every day computing, the Shuttle media center computer integrates a WLAN card as well as a Gigabit LAN networking card, while the audio interface is provided by a 7.1 surround audio system. The new Shuttle PC comes with an extended 24 months warranty and full telephonic customer support.