March 27 (Bloomberg) -- The idea behind home theater PCs is simple: Combine components so you get a digital video recorder, DVD player, CD player, and a full-fledged computer in one box.
Sony Corp.'s new home theater PC, unfortunately, misses the crucial point of an all-in-one system and instead gives you multiple components. Worse, the $3,000 package costs too much to make it worthwhile.
Sony, based in Tokyo, released the Vaio VGX-TP25 Home Theater PC this month, designed to replace boxes including a digital video recorder, a Blu-ray DVD player, and your cable TV set-top box.
It was easy to hook up to my high-definition plasma TV, but the TP25 doesn't work with standard televisions right out of the box because it lacks the necessary connection. You can work around that with a special adapter cable, or plug it into a computer monitor.
The TP25 doubles as a Blu-ray player, allowing you to watch both standard and high-definition DVD movies. I watched the Blu- ray version of ``Planet Earth'' and was pleased with the image quality on my flat screen. You can also play music CDs.
The digital video recorder feature lets you record a TV show while watching another channel simultaneously. Much like a VCR, you can pause, rewind, and -- my favorite part -- fast forward through commercials.
On the outside, the TP25 doesn't look like a standard PC. It has an unusual, round design with a glossy black finish on the top cover and a matte black coating wrapped around the side. It's about 10.6 inches diameter by 3.6 inches high and weighs about 8 pounds.
External Tuners
It's a handsome device, but it's a shame Sony separates two key pieces of equipment, the two TV tuners that provide the DVR functionality on this system. The tuners, made by Sunnyvale, California-based Advanced Micro Devices Inc., come as external components that plug in to the TP25's USB port.
The tuners were easy enough to set up, but it would have been more convenient to have them integrated in the TP25, even if it meant having a bigger box. In fact, it would be great if the box were the size and shape of a standard audio/video receiver so it stacked neatly with my home theater setup.
Last year Sony came out with the Vaio VGX-XL3 that looked like an A/V component and, more importantly, integrated a TV tuner inside the same box. It's been discontinued, though you may be able to find one on Amazon.com or other online stores.
Each of the TP25's external TV tuners comes in an unattractive, vertical-standing black box with a grated cover for ventilation. The fan inside tended to be noisy, too. The Sony PC was very quiet, though.
Cable Connection
With the TV tuners connected, you won't need to use a separate digital recorder from your cable provider. But to watch and record digital cable channels, U.S. customers need to get a CableCARD from their cable company. The card is about the size of a credit card and goes inside a slot on the TV tuner. A cable technician may need to do the installation for you. If you don't subscribe to cable TV, there's no need for a CableCARD. I set up and watched network and local channels without a problem from analog and digital signals broadcast over the air.
In addition to its TV and video capabilities, the Sony TP25 is also a fully functional and relatively speedy computer. It's built with fairly powerful components such as Intel Corp.'s 2.1- gigahertz Core 2 Duo Penryn processor, 4 gigabytes of RAM, and Wi-Fi networking.
The 500-gigabyte hard drive capacity is okay but not great as it will fill up quickly if you record several TV shows per week. It comes with a remote, mainly for audio/video and TV controls, and a wireless keyboard.
Windows Vista
It runs Microsoft Corp.'s unpopular Windows Vista operating system and comes with multimedia applications including a photo editor, a movie creator and a television program guide.
The ability to check Web mail, browse the Internet, watch videos on YouTube and listen to downloaded music tracks all on the home theater PC was a pleasant change from my regular desktop computer. Plus, you can play graphics-intensive games using your large TV screen.
Other features include the ability to burn CDs and DVDs on the Blu-ray drive, slots for SD and Memory Stick memory cards, and an array of Ethernet, USB and FireWire ports.
Its downfall: non-integrated TV tuners, lack of expansion and steep price. You can get a lower-cost, custom-configured home theater PC with room to grow, such as Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Pavilion Slimline s3400t, about $12 00, and Velocity Micro Inc.'s CineMagix Grand Theater Entertainment System, about $2600.
In the end, the Sony Vaio TP25 is a cobbled together, multi-unit approach to what should be an all-in-one system. Hold off until a better upgrade or a substantial price cut comes along.
Sony Vaio VGX-TP25 Home Theater PC $3,000 http://www.sonystyle.com Rating: 6/10
