Typical price: £1,799
What is it: High-end media PC with Blu-ray disc drive
What we think: An excellent media PC that is ideal for users with large amounts of data. It's also surprisingly good value, considering it's Sony's flagship Blu-ray desktop
What you need to know
Reviewed on: 15 June 2006
Tags: Blu-ray discs, power button, desktops, living room, televisions
We like:
Blu-ray drive provides oodles of storage; TV-recording capabilities
We don't like:
No HDCP-enabled output, so you won't be able to watch Blu-ray movies when they come out; writable Blu-ray discs currently hard to find and expensive
You might also need:
High-resolution (21+ inches) monitor
CNET UK judgement:
A good example of how Blu-ray discs and drives can benefit a PC. It's well-designed, powerful and good value for money. It's only let down slightly by its lack of HDCP compatibility, so it can't play forthcoming content-protected Blu-ray movies in full high definition
Full review:
The Sony Vaio VGC-RC204 is the first PC to come equipped with a Blu-ray disc drive. The long-awaited optical format allows dozens of gigabytes of data to be stored on a single disc the same size as an ordinary DVD. This makes the RC204 a hugely attractive prospect for anyone with the need to create large backups, but it'll need an upgrade to Windows Vista to play full high-definition Blu-ray movies. At around £1,700 (if you shop around online), it's surprisingly good value for Sony. Continue Reading...
Sony Vaio VGC-RC204 History
28 Jul 2006 in Reviews
Windows Media Center (Viiv) PCs
If you're after an all-round PC with an ability to record television and harvest your extensive multimedia collection in one handy location, your best bet is a Windows Media Center or Intel Viiv-certified PC. Here we show you the best of the best
16 Jun 2006 in Digital Living
Gear Envy: Sony Vaio VGC-RC204
Sony's purple monolith stands apart by virtue of its Blu-ray drive, which lets you store up to 25GB of data on a single disc. There's no guarantee it'll play Blu-ray movies, however -- so does it get a blue ribbon or a purple heart?
18 May 2006 in Crave
Sony Vaio RC204: Blu-ray arrives in the UK
We've got the world's first Vaio Blu-ray computer here, in our hands. It's blinking heavy, but who cares when it can burn four hours of HD video to one disc?
16 May 2006 in Crave
Sony Vaio AR and Vaio RC: Blu-ray laptop and desktop combo
Behold, Sony's forthcoming Blu-ray-ready laptop and desktop combination, the Vaio AR and RC series. They're heavy-duty dual-core data burning behemoths. Suggested payment method? Through the nose, Crave reader: through the nose...
Latest user reviews
February 5, 2007
Posted by: Dave Briody
"Top desktop from Sony"
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