HP Pavilion Media Center m380-b Photosmart PC (3.00-GHz Pentium 4 (Hyper-Threading), 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD+RW/CD-RW Drive)

The Basics

• Hard Drive: Though it's not the largest on the market (or even within HP's Media Center lineup), the large 160 GB Ultra IDE hard drive (7200 RPM) offers a wealth of storage for all your media storage--from digital audio to TV programs. This hard drive will store approximately 90 hours of archived video.
• Processor: The 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor with Hyper-Threading technology (which allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system--see more in Tech Talk section below) is one of the fastest processors currently available on the market.
• Memory: The m380b comes with a 512 MB built-in memory (2 x 256 MB DDR SDRAM)--a decent amount for starters, but you'll want to add more to take full advantage of the capabilities of Windows Media Center. The motherboard has four memory sockets for a maximum memory expansion of 4 GB.
• CD/DVD Drive: It is equipped with a DVD-ROM with 16x speed for movie playback and a 4x DVD+R/W writer (the DVD+RW format is one of two formats for rewriteable DVDs).
• Keyboard & Mouse: The m380b comes with HP's premium wireless optical scrolling mouse and wireless keyboard, as well as a remote control.

Sound is delivered via a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 audio card, which delivers high-quality 6.1 channels of digital surround sound (or 5.1 channels of analog-out surround sound). It also supports DVD-Audio, a super-high-fidelity audio format compatible with DVDs.

The m380b comes with a Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speaker system (200 watt, THX) with one subwoofer and two satellite speakers.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The m380b has three PCI expansion slots (two available), one AGP (accelerated graphics port) slot and the following external ports:

• 6 USB 2.0 ports (2 in front, 4 in rear) for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 2 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link; 1 in front and 1 in back) ports for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 parallel port for connecting older printers and scanners
• 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
• 7-in-1 memory card reader (divided into two slots) that is compatible with CompactFlash, MicroDrive, Memory Stick (and Memory Stick Pro), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Secure Digital (SD) and SmartMedia cards.

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.92) and an on-board RealTek 8101L 10/100 Ethernet port (for connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Preloaded System and Software
The pre-installed Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 is essentially Windows XP Professional Edition with a variety of tools to help you to create, organize, and enjoy digital media ranging from music to home movies to photo slide shows. Additionally, it enables you to control your television with the included remote and record and pause programs (much like a DVR--or digital video recorder--such as Tivo or ReplayTV). You can even pause or rewind (up to 7 seconds) FM radio broadcasts.

Other software includes Microsoft Works 7.0 (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Microsoft Money 2003, Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia Deluxe (with one-year trial subscription), Intuit Quicken Financial Center, Norton Antivirus 2003 (with 60 days of complimentary live updates), Adobe Acrobat Reader, RecordNow (for creating your own music or data CDs), MusicMatch Jukebox, Arcsoft ShowBiz DVD (for editing digital video), RealOne Player, and InterVideo WinDVD SE (for playing DVD movies). It also includes three months of AOL dial-up service.

What's in the Box
This package includes the HP Media Center PC m380b, remote control, wireless keyboard and mouse, and speakers.

Tech Talk
Hyper-Threading: A Hyper-Threading processor helps a PC to run multiple demanding applications at the same time. This technology enables the processor to execute two threads (a part of a program) in parallel, boosting performance during key high-drain procedures. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking.

More About Microsoft Windows XP Media Center

What sets this PC apart is that it is powered by Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004, which offers the features, reliability, and power of Windows XP Professional, plus advanced digital entertainment capabilities. The Media Center interface offers you more types of entertainment to enjoy: TV, Personal Video Recording (PVR), Movies, Music, Photos, Videos, Radio, and DVD. Use the remote control to enjoy from anywhere in your room.

TV & Movies
Watch TV when and how you want, and never miss a moment of your favorite programs. Pause and rewind live TV. Record a TV episode, series, or category. Automatically record a personalized selection of TV programs using Keyword Record. Media Center downloads the latest program listings for you and even wakes up from power-saving standby mode to record programs, so you can watch shows on your schedule.
	Photos & Video
	Easily edit your digital pictures and digital videos, and then launch a dynamic slideshow complete with animated transitions and your favorite soundtrack. While viewing a picture, zoom in to see more detail. You can rotate, correct red-eye, and print your pictures using the remote. Play slide-shows straight from digital storage devices.
Music & Radio
All your music is stored in one digital jukebox and using the remote, shuffle your entire music collection according to artist or genre or listen to your tunes through playlists that learn what you like. Tune in FM stations and pause live radio. Full-screen visualizations pulse to the beat of the music. Cool on-screen effects show music information, such as track title, track time, and artist.