HP Pavilion Media Center M8000N Desktop PC (AMD Athlon 64 X2 Processor 5200 Plus, 2 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive, SuperMulti DVD Drive, Vista Premium) | List Price: $1,214.00
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Brand: Hewlett-Packard
Binding: Personal Computers
Features: - Powerful multimedia desktop with TV tuner (NTSC/ATSC), personal video recording functionality, and programming guide
- 2.6 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ dual-core processor, 500 GB SATA hard drive, 2 GB RAM (8 GB max), 16x LightScribe DVD drive
- Connectivity: 6 USB, 2 FireWire, 1 VGA, 1 S-Video, 1 composite A/V digital audio output, surround sound speaker output, 15-in-1 memory card reader
- NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 video card with up to 288 MB shared memory, 10/100 Ethernet
- Pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium (with Media Center capabilities)
High expectations, unfortunate result [Posted on 2007-08-26]
For a new computer, HP came highly recommended by a techie co-worker. But we've been sorely disappointed. We crashed during the first start-up. The CPU fan is very loud at times, whirring at an irritatingly high volume. Customer Service said that was normal, but no computer I've had before was that loud (and between home and work I've had many). The biggest issue, however, is when we had trouble using the windows media center, Customer service told us we need an updated graphics card! Why would they put together and sell a software/hardware package that isn't compatible!? But I asked twice, and the rep kept telling us we needed to upgrade for the installed software to work. Very disappointed.
HPAsset has stopped working error [Posted on 2007-08-28]
Overall, this computer is fine; however, the machine ships with Vista, so you think it would be designed with Vista compatibility in mind. Instead, there is an HP program that runs in the background from time to time, called HPAsset - it's supposed to check your PC's health. It cannot be disabled. It crashes every time, with error message "HPAsset has stopped working" due to its incompatibility with Vista. HP customer support acknowledges the problem, but says there is no solution (they allege they are working on one, but this PC has been out for months, and none is forthcoming, so I wouldn't hold your breath for one). 'Helpful' reminders to buy HP extended service plan also pop up from time to time - customer service's suggested disable methods (which, instead of a simple, 'don't ask me again' button involve digging into the run on startup menu - OK for me, but not for the typical purchaser of this computer, I would suspect) don't work. Very poor. Cannot recommend any HP product based on this; will try DELL next time.
poor tech support, video input on front panel for show only [Posted on 2007-09-17]
Just want to watch TV, DVDs and your old collection of VHS tapes using a nice big monitor connected to your PC? Fuggetdaboutit.
Don't buy this. It's a royal pain to setup the TV signals, you need a separate application to watch DVDs and you just can NOT watch your VHS tapes.
I tried connecting the RF output of the VCR to the analog RF input and it doesn't work. I then tried to connect to the audio & video inputs on the front of the unit. There is no application for using them!
When I tried tech support, they suggested I buy an upgraded Roxio application (see chat below). Isn't that for printing text on a DVD?
After spending $1000 for this computer, and several agravating hours searching for a way to view my tapes, I'm left very very disappointed, to say the least.
-----chat session below-------------------
Rugin P: Welcome to HP Total Care for Desktop PCs.My name is Rugin P. How may I assist you today?
Rugin P: Hi Marc.
Rugin P: How are you doing today?
marc desmarais: i connected my VCR to the front audio and video inputs. How do I just view the vcr tape on my monitor?
Rugin P: Not to worry I will let you know.
Rugin P: May I know the operating system you are using?
marc desmarais: vista
Rugin P: In this case you have to upgrade the roxio software which is installed in your PC.
marc desmarais: what are the audio and video inputs on the front of my computer for then? Was I sold something I can not use!?!
Rugin P: In Vista you default you can capture Digital Video, if you want to capture analog video you have to upgrade the Roxio software installed in your PC
marc desmarais: that's not my question. What are the audio and video input in the front panel for?
Rugin P: Yes it is to capture video itself.
marc desmarais: how do I capture video using the video input that came with the computer I paid $1000 for ?
Rugin P: As I told earlier that in vista you can default capture Digital video, in order to capture analog video you have to upgrade the Roxio software.
Very Good Package - Vista ?????? [Posted on 2007-12-26]
Overall I am very pleased with this package. Setup and use were a breeze. However I then encountered that dreaded Vista bug with Live OnceCare. It affects copying of files and uploading of Photos. Bottom line, wait for a Vista SP.
See post below.
http://forums.microsoft.com/WindowsOneCare/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2266871&SiteID=2&pageid=0
All flash, no joy [Posted on 2008-03-25]
I bought this computer in a desperate act because my old one conked in the middle of a project (I work from home) and I had to have one by Monday. It is chock full of useless programs, runs slow, and uses Vista, the worst operating system ever. It seems as if Microsoft was unhappy with the way people had actually learned to use their computers and weren't making enough use of the help staff in some country where English must be the third language or fifth, or who knows? Soooo they invented Vista and called it an improvement. I was warned not to buy anything but Win XP or a MacIntosh, but didn't listen, to my regret.
The only way to get most programs to work on this machine is to use the "COMPATIBILITY WIZARD" and set them to work under XP or WIN2000, because Vista is basically NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ANYTHING. It is particularly not compatible with the Norton Symantec Security that comes installed on it, and if you buy the Norton Security program it will crash the computer and you need to spend a good four hours on the phone with someone halfway around the world who must take over your computer from there to actually make the whole thing run again.
SPECIAL NOTE: You cannot run TurboTax on VISTA! Intuit will not tell you that but the program is simply not EVER going to work.
All the loaded in programs seem to boot with startup, I mean everything, so it moves with the speed of a glacier. I can't find the old way of turning them off so startup takes a good 10 minutes. Push the button and then go make your coffee and read the paper; when you get done the computer will be started. So will the "help Center" which is slow to load and useless.
Good luck finding the "add or remove program" process, and you can't remove all the slugs anyway because they aren't listed there as possible to remove. You can't remove the hundred games, either.
If you need a workhorse, get something else.
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