Sony VAIO VGX-TP1 Home Theater PC

The Bottom Line

Sony certainly made a different design with its white circular case of the VAIO VGX-TP1 home theater PC. The price is more reasonable than many other specialized HTPCs, but its limited performance and features make it a choice for those mainly concerned with style more than substance.

Pros

• Very Distinctive Design
• Relatively Inexpensive

Cons

• Integrated Graphics
• Slower DVD Burner
• No BluRay Option

Description

• Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 Dual Core Mobile Processor
• 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
• 300GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
• 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
• Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics with HDMI Connector
• Digital ASTC HDTV and Analog TV Tuner
• Intel HDA Audio
• 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11b/g Wireless Networking
• Four USB 2.0, One FireWire, SD/MS Slots
• Windows Vista Home Premium, MS Works 8.5, Click to DVD and Norton Internet Security

Guide Review - Sony VAIO VGX-TP1 Home Theater PC

The distinctive design of the Sony VAIO VGX-TP1 will be the first thing that most people notice. The all white round system is definitely a modern design that will appeal to some, but others might just end up calling it a large white hockey puck. This design is even pushed out to its notebook sized keyboard design that lacks the numeric keypad.

In terms of internal components, much of the VGX-TP1 system is based upon notebook parts. This is not uncommon for the home theater market as the mobile parts are designed to draw less power and produce less heat. This reduces the need for active cooling fans that can be disruptive to the home theater experience. But use of such parts does have its drawbacks.

Powering the system is the Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 dual core mobile processor. This mobile part is sufficient for the purposes of the system, but it does lag behind many other HTPC units that use either the desktop Core 2 processors or higher performance mobile parts. Thankfully Sony included 2GB of DDR2 memory to let it run smoothly.

Storage is alright, but a bit anemic for a home theater system. The 300GB of drive space is plenty for a desktop computer but it quickly gets eaten up by recorded video material, especially if it is from high definition sources. The DVD burner is also only a 8x mobile part that is slower than a traditional desktop drive. It would have been nice to see Sony support their own BluRay high definition DVD format in the system, but I guess it would have driven the price too high.

On the whole, the Sony VAIO VGX-TP1 certainly addresses some of the issues of the XL digital living systems, but it still falls short of becoming a standout home theater PC beyond its distinctive white design.