Silicon Mountain Allio – a 42-inch HDTV, PC and Blu-ray Player

All-in-one computing systems have been around for quite some time (just think of all the iMacs out there), and more and more manufacturers are getting involved in this particular market segment. However, it would seem that a company called Silicon Mountain has taken this concept to a whole new level with its Allio model, which combines 32 or 42-inch HDTVs with a built-in PC, as well as a Blu-ray player on the side, thus delivering a complete range of entertainment-related features.

The Allio could pretty much represent a complete solution to one's home entertainment center (apart from the surround sound system, that is). That's because the device combines a Full HD LCD (available in 32-inch and 42-inch diagonal sizes) with a combo Blu-Ray/DVD player, integrated digital recorder for PVR and a powerful PC. Furthermore, in addition to the analog and digital audio-video inputs one can usually expect to find in such a product, Allio includes wireless and wired networking capabilities and several USB ports.

This extended level of connectivity allows users to stream high definition content from providers like Joost, Hulu and TidalTV right to their home entertainment center, without the need to install all sorts of intermediary devices. Practically, it's pretty much a glimpse at what future home computers/entertainment systems will look like.

As mentioned right from the beginning, the starting price for the Allio all-in-one device is 1,600 US dollars. However, the manufacturers are offering no less than six different configurations, as follows: 32-inch and 42-inch Allio with an Intel 2.5 GHz PDC E5200, 250GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, DVD/CD support and Vista Home Premium retails for $1,599 and $1,999. The middle system in the series adds PVR and Blu-Ray support as well as an upgraded 2.54 GHz Core2Duo E7200 processor for $2,199 and $2,399. The top-range Allio system features 4GB of RAM and 1TB of storage memory, respectively, for $2,399 and $2,799.