HP Digital Entertainment Center z556 Media Center PC reviewed
By Evan Blass 
posted February 26th 2006 6:00PM
posted February 26th 2006 6:00PM
When PC Mag says that a product should top our
shopping list, we take the recommendation seriously, so their recent review of the HP Digital Entertainment Center
z556 Media Center PC should be helpful to anyone looking for a Windows MCE solution. You'll recall that the z556 is
a home theater component-styled PC with a 3.0GHz Pentium 4, 512MB of RAM, 250GB hard drive (and not 500GB, as we
reported earlier), nVidia GeForce 6600 video card, ATI HD ATSC OTA and dual analog tuners, and a dual-layer DVD /-RW
burner with Lightscribe. At $1500, the z556 is $500 cheaper than its predecessor, the z555, even though it adds Media
Center Edition Update Rollout 2 and offers quieter performance. PC Mag found that this model did a fine job for gaming
and multimedia, features a good wireless keyboard and plenty of inputs/outputs, and will make a fine choice for those
folks who can't wait for dual-core Media PCs to hit the shelves.
Who can't wait for dual core media-pc's. media pc's are just regular computers w/ some extras. guys, build your own computers it's cheaper, and you don't have to wait for companies like hp to come out w/ something.
That computer has an AMAZING high quality feel to it though, I played around with it a bit at compusa. I wish HP sold that remote separately so that I could use it with my HTPC.
For anyone looking to build their own check out mediaportal (http://mediaportal.sf.net) for the software side if you already have a windows license and silverstone (www.silverstonetek.com) for awesome high quality HTPC cases.
I have the exact same box I built from Dell, for about $1400.
550GB of storage total though (250+300) :(
aise from that, MC ROX0R!
I'm the unhappy owner of a z540, which is basically identical to this, with somewhat smaller specs. I'm a super-techy, but it literally took me 3 weeks to get it set-up to look right and be usable on a widescreen TV (including 3 full days of a long holiday weekend). I had to abandon component video and spend $50 for a decent SVGA cable. The sound output from standard red-white still doesn't work, had to spend money for coax. Now, at 13 months old, it will completely die, going to black, with no notice, making it utterly unreliable - and no tech shop has been able to isolate the problem. With 512 MB memory, it runs like crap (menus/remote unresponsive), prepare to upgrade that. The first keyboard's roller ball (before replacement) got completely mucked up, now this keyboard is dropping letters frequently, even with fresh batteries and re-sync. Un-fun. Other than that, it's fantastic.
Christopher Galtenberg
Louisville, KY
Uh, yeah, about that, that thing is hideous. And underpowered. ive seen media center pc's from HP at bestbuy with 3ghz, those video options, 200+gb, and an actual monitor with them for under $1300. And uh, also, theres intel dual core media center pc's out here in Toronto with 300gb and 21" widescreen hdtv capable monitor for $2000 USD also. Check best buy canada if you dont believe. Remember those are CAD prices.
I'm STILL waiting for the computer and broadcast industries to pull everything together in a way that makes sense. The way things stand right now, there are just way too many reasons to not spend the money it takes to get one of these media center PCs. Here's some of mine...
1. I have a DVR that is specifically designed to control my cable and can record my HD cable shows. It does a pretty good job it of it too. Ease of use... important.
2. HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are just being introduced and will need to be included in my computer eventually and I'd rather not have to upgrade to make it happen. (Not to mention that even those formats are destined to be quickly out of date before they're even introduced)
3. Vista (CableCard?) is on its way, and I want a powerful system that's built for it.
4. They're really just starting build these things in boxes that would work in my living room, and they're not quite where I think they should be yet.
5. I don't think I've seen one of these things with ALL of the latest features I want at a reasonable price... a couple key points of interest are HDMI and digital optical. My DVR gives me these things at 10 bucks a month.
6. A major factor is that the content providers do not want to make it easy for any progress because they are so stuck in their ways, and I'm waiting (but not holding my breath) for them to realize that things are changing rapidly in the "digital age", and that innovative thinking is the only way to future-proof. Someone really needs to get a better understanding of the market and make things more AFFORDABLE and EASIER for us. Cable bills are way too high because the business model for the cable companies (along with the movie business) is so out of whack with the technology and the demand that exists today. It is definitely frustrating to wade through the 80 channels of crap I never spend a second on to get to the 10 or 12 channels of programming I actually watch, and usually record on my DVR to watch at another time anyway. And when I watch those shows, I skip right over the commercials that are paying the bills. I also would like to be able to easily have those shows in portable form, and we're just so behind in that category. Things really need to change.
Unfortunately, I know things are going to take a while to be sorted out and move in the right direction. On top of that, I know that I'm impatient and I'm a sucker for technology, so you know what that means... I have two choices: pay a lot of money for soon-to-be-obsolete gadgetry, or be behind the times and frustrated that I don't have the newest stuff I want.