Visionman Allio 32-inch and 42-inch HDTVs with built-in PCs debut
One of the most popular posts since this blog started concerned whether people would use all-in-one PCs as their primary HDTVs. While all-in-ones from Sony may work for apartments or if you want an HDTV in your office, the fact is that a 24-inch or 26-inch screen isn't going to cut it in most living rooms. The folks at Visionman (best known for its servers and performance PCs) have obviously been paying attention, as the company has just announced its Allio line of Media Center LCD HDTV/PCs, which will come in more home-theater-friendly 32-inch and 42-inch sizes.
The 32-inch model starts at $1,599, which means it doesn't cost much more than 30-inch computer monitors, but packed within the 720p HDTV is an Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, a DVD burner, a Hauppauge HVR-950Q TV tuner, and built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. The $2,199 version moves to an Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 CPU, 500GB hard drive, and—perhaps most importantly—a Blu-ray player/DVD burner combo drive. For $200 more than that, you can get the 32-inch Allio with a Core 2 Duo E8400 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive.
Not surprisingly, the 42-inch models costs more, but in addition to more screen, you also get a 1080p screen. The PC specs for each config are the same as for the 32-inch Allios, however. The base 42-incher costs $1,999, while the mid-tier model is priced at $2,599 and the top config is $2,799.99.
The Allio also comes with decent connectivity, including 6 USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA port, two component-video ports, and a pair of HDMI inputs. Despite the added computer components, the set is still wall mountable. It comes with a wireless Logitech keyboard and mouse and equipped with Windows Vista Home Premium, which means Media Center's DVR capabilities are built-in to record shows on the Allio's hard drive. It is saddled with integrated graphics (understandable given the form factor), so you'll want to keep the action limited to console gaming.
While the Allio is a noteworthy step forward that a TV manufacturer is eventually going to emulate, its biggest problem is that it's from a niche PC company, so the number of people willing to try it out will be limited. Will you be one of them? If not, would you be more willing if it came from a big-name company like Apple, HP, Samsung, or Sony? Let us know in Talkback.
[Via CrunchGear]