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
Compare the Sony Vaio VGC-RC204
Sony Vaio VGC-RC204 compared to other Media Center PCs
 Sony Vaio VGC-RC204 |
 Acer Aspire iDea 500 |
 Eee Top |
 Asus A33 |
|
| Review date | 28 Jul 06 | 13 Jul 06 | 7 Nov 08 | 28 Jan 08 |
| Editor's rating |
8.7
|
9.1
|
8.9
|
8.8
|
| Price range | £1,799 | |||
| Review summary | 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 Read full review |
The Acer Aspire iDea 500 is the best Media Center PC we've seen. Aesthetically it's inspired by traditional AV equipment, so it'll sit alongside or replace your existing DVD player without looking out of place. It's not very upgradeable, but it's packed with just the right multimedia components to make the most of the Intel Viiv platform Read full review |
It's gorgeous to look at, easy and fun to use, and is also affordable. If you're looking for a second PC for multimedia, Web surfing or general tinkering, we'd definitely recommend it. Keep in mind that it slows down when multitasking, but that's rarely a problem Read full review |
The A33 is one of the most desirable Media Center PCs we've come across. It looks great, it's quiet, it has plenty of input-output options, and the integrated amplifier really helps it stand out from the crowd. Read full review |
| User rating | ||||
| Full specification | Full specification | Full specification | Full specification |
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