HP's Pavilion Slimline s3330f PC does Blu-ray and HD DVD

A slim PC destined to handle both of the major high-definition movie formats? Say it ain't so! Turns out, HP is indeed doling out such a machine, and it's so eloquently dubbed the Pavilion Slimline s3330f PC. Here's a look at what this mighty mini-tower will be packin':

• 2.8GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor
• 2GB of DDR2 RAM
• 500GB 7,200 RPM SATA drive
• HP Pocket Media Drive Bay
• Single LightScribe-enabled optical drive that reads Blu-ray / HD DVD and writes to dual-layer DVDs
  
• NVIDIA's 256MB GeForce 8500 GT
• 802.11b/g WiFi
• Built-in NTSC / ATSC TV tuners
• Front-mounted 15-in-1 multicard reader

Furthermore, you'll find 6 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire, audio in / out, DVI / HDMI ports and a wireless keyboard / mouse bundled in along with a whole suite of software. Intrigued? Be on the lookout for this one to land later this month starting at $949.

[671GD @ Jan 3rd 2008 12:29AM]

OMG!!!

[671GD @ Jan 3rd 2008 12:31AM]

Wait a minute......AMD?!

Oh well, ya can't have everthing!

[facebookfake @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:25AM]

I'm an AMD fan (wish they'd catch up instead of going belly up) but there is a version of the slimline you can get with the core 2 duo. I think with the same configuration it's maybe $100 more.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/series/category/desktops/s3200t_series/3/computer_store

[Brent Hollingsworth @ Jan 3rd 2008 12:36AM]

Is it just me or does this seem like a great deal for a media center pc. Not bad looking either.

[John @ Jan 3rd 2008 12:58AM]

That looks sick and only for 949, you can get a device that plas both hddvd and blu-ray plus the added benefits of being a computer!

[Naveed @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:12AM]

this is amazing, totally worth it for 949.

[Jeff @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:52AM]

wait... Lightscribe, Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD for under $1000? wow. I'm really impressed.

[iofthestorm @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:14AM]

I guess HD formats are about to become a lot cheaper now. Estimating from the other specs, that drive probably costs around $150 or so, which isn't too bad considering that it plays both formats. Of course, this is just a guesstimate so I have no idea what the real price of one of those is.

[everunman @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:56AM]

I wonder what the picture will look like compared to a standalone hd or
blu-ray player hooked up to your Tv? I guess we have to wait for the
reviews

[sb61g2 @ Jan 3rd 2008 3:02AM]

gahhhh i just picked up the previous generation pavillion slimline from circuit city for $615 and threw in a $300 LG Blu-Ray/HD DVD drive and a $100 8500GT. I could've paid even less and gotten this with an extra gig of RAM, faster proc., and a bigger hard drive.

[GreenEnvy @ Jan 3rd 2008 6:08AM]

$949? Does it come with duct tape to cover that awful blue light at the top of the computer?

[Me @ Jan 3rd 2008 7:15AM]

I am a spammer: [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

[Sean Brody @ Jan 3rd 2008 10:06AM]

This computer's specs are very average if not a bit weak. It's only benefit (which is a big one) is that it offers the dual drive.

[Ian @ Jan 3rd 2008 10:53AM]

I'm a big fan of bright blue lights. This looks like a nice bundle; the only problem is that it's from HP.

[Iridium @ Jan 3rd 2008 12:09PM]

The HD-DVD/BluRay drive costs $300. The cheapest you can get this computer with the HD drive and integrated TV tuners is $1274 not $949. I didn't see an option for the AMD processor either.

At that price you can build a better computer for less. You would be much better off if you dropped the graphics card and picked up a 8600GT for $125 or a 8800GT for $250. That way you could at least play games on the thing. You also need a cable card system if you ever hope to watch digital cable on it since almost all of the cable companies encrypt the channels.

[Iridium @ Jan 3rd 2008 12:14PM]

I couldn't find the option for the AMD Processor and the HD combo drive is a $300 option. Adding it brings the price up to $1249. If you drop the crappy 8500GT it only saves you $60, but that money is best going towards a better GPU so you could actually play games on the thing. But it won't let you keep the HD drive unless you select the 8500GT so you are stuck with it.

[Tommy W. Lee @ Jan 3rd 2008 7:55PM]

This is a new product that hasn't hit the online store yet. The most similar current offering is the version that they sell in retail stores, the s3220n. I got mine for $615 at Circuit City and bought a video card and the LG HD DVD/Blu-Ray drive seperate on Newegg for $300.

The drive comes bundled with a full verson of PowerDVD Ultra which plays back both HD DVDs and Blu-Ray Disks. I really love the system; the only thing that sucks is that it only takes half-height video cards, so I was forced to settle for an MSI 8500GT off of Newegg. The card is nice, with an integrated HDMI output, but it's passively cooled with a giant heatsink: I had to remove the included ATSC/Analog TV tuner from the one and only PCI slot for it to fit.

[Leroy Vargas @ Jan 4th 2008 6:17PM]

Wait, it doesn't burn Blu-ray nor HD-DVD. It's worthless to me, then. I'll still keep my LiteOn LH-2B1S Blu-ray burner till it wears down into total lens-discalibration. (Yes, all optical drives eventually lose calibration after two or three years of use and become useless at least for burning discs and reading ±R/±RW discs; this same thing is now happening to my HP DVD740 DVD burner which I bought new in late 2005, it now no longer accepts most DVD±R/±RW disc brands, including those discs I previously burned with the same drive, even though it can still burn CD-R/RW and play movie DVDs including those worn-down DVDs from Netflix.)

When HP releases a version with a Blu-ray/HD-DVD burner on it, call me.