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Rick Rizner, Chris Manners
HP's Pavilion d4100e is a great choice for the multimedia enthusiast with deep pockets. Whether you're a novice or an intermediate user of multimedia, if you want a fully equipped Media Center PC with lots of storage, plenty of processing power, and an easy setup, this system covers all the bases, for a hefty $3648.
The system's Hauppauge dual TV tuner accepts standard cable, and has FM-antenna, S-Video, and composite connections. Having two TV tuners allows you to record one program while you watch another. The d4100e outputs video as S-Video, composite, DVI, and VGA. Aside from the usual microphone, headset, and 5.1-channel surround-audio jacks, the d4100e has an S/PDIF coaxial digital audio input (which looks like a standard RCA jack) but surprisingly lacks the Toslink optical audio port found on most of today's high-end PCs.
Anyone who has tried connecting a Media Center PC to a home entertainment system, big-screen display, or sound system--as well as anyone who is unfamiliar with the myriad...