HP Media Center m1180n Photosmart PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 550 (Hyper-Threading), 1 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Dbl Layer DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive)

Rating:
Summary: Watch TV on your computer, Not really?
Review: Everything is AOK with this HP Media Center m1180n -- EXCEPT you CANNOT watch TV unless you hook up your Cablebox (with a cable splitter)/or DSL to the computer -- This was VERY Misleading. My computer is located no where near the television set. I had assumed the TV Tuner was built in. The FM radio is fine, because it included an antenna.

TV (watching, pausing & recording) is a part of Media, and I am missing that part.

Rating:
Summary: Good feature set, but questionable build quality
Review: The HP Media Center m1180n would have been a good choice as a one-stop multimedia and gaming PC if not for a couple nagging issues:

1. The quality of this PC is not very good. We are not talking the plain-vanilla, bordering-on-ugly styling here. The DVD drive is noisy, the case feels flimsy, and the entire machine just doesn't feel right in terms of lacking a solid feel to it.

2. The DVD burner, while dual-layer capable with the plus format, does not work with the more common DVD-R/RW (minus) format. This is because HP is one of the original developers of the plus format and absolutely refuses to support the minus format which was developed by Japanese electronics companies.

3. Disappointing technical support. One of my first HP machines was a lemon, and I discovered the hard way that getting support from HP was a very tiresome and frustrating experience. (Only my previous experience with Apple tech calls was worse.) I think any potential HP buyer should be aware of this, esp. given what I observed in point#1 above.

As you can see I have mixed feelings about this machine. I suggest you take a look at Sony's VAIO VGC media center series, which is cheaper feature-for-feature, plus the Vaio comes with more software and in a very cool, high-tech case that will surely impress your friends.