14 DAY TRIAL // Now that Intel's Core i3 and Core i5 central processing units are making a name for themselves thanks to their capable integrated graphics, vendors of all kinds of systems are building products based on them, as they remove the need for a discrete graphics card while also enabling a lower power consumption.
Out of all kinds of configurations, Home Theater Personal Computers are a favorite among multimedia enthusiasts because they take up little space while enabling the playback of even the most detailed video files. Knowing this, Okoro has decided to use Core i3 and i5 processors as upgrades for its OMS Digital Entertainment System lineup, as well as its GX100 and GX300 Ultimate series.
Armed with the new processors, Okoro's HTPCs will not only be able to perform better, but will easily handle uncompressed HD audio when connected, via HDMI, to compatible A/V receivers. This higher quality is enabled by the support for bitstreaming of TrueHD and DTS-HD Master audio during Blu-ray playback.
All OMS systems now support this capability, except for the Q100, and come with a variety of other upgrades, such as USB 3.0, 1 to 8TB internal storage, optional Blu-ray playback, CableCARD technology (for recording to HD premium content), optional Quad CableCARD tuner support and remote configuration support.
Besides these benefits, the Ultimate Series GX100 and GX300 boast a couple of extra perks, namely DDR3 memory at 1,600MHz and 2TB SATA hard drives compatible with the new 6Gbps interface. They also feature multi-zone audio software with iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone app control via Wi-Fi.
“Keeping with the mission of bringing the latest in cutting edge technology to our customers, these machines will bring a new level of performance for streaming movies to multiple rooms, full 1080p playback, and the recording of multiple HD TV shows,” the press release reveals.
In addition to having already made the new models available (starting price of $1,295), Okoro is also offering existing customers the chance to upgrade or trade in their HTPCs for fresh models.