The Bottom Line
Pros
- Loads of Hard Drive Space
- Two Full Gigabytes of Memory
- Digital and Analog Tuners
Cons
- Expensive
- Limited Software Suite
- Older Pentium D Processor
Description
- Intel Pentium D 945 Dual Core Processor
- 2GB DDR2 Memory
- 500GB and 300GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drives
- 16x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner with Lightscribe
- NVIDIA GeForce 7600GS Graphics with 256MB and HDMI Connector
- Intel HDA 7.1 Audio
- ATSC HDTV Tuner and Dual Analog Tuners
- Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11a/b/g Wireless
- Six USB 2.0, Two FireWire and 9-in-1 Media Reader
- Windows XP Media Center, Sonic Digital Media
Guide Review - HP z565 Digital Entertainment Center
12/4/06 – HP's z565 Digital Entertainment Center is powered by the Intel Pentium D 945 dual core processor. While this is a fairly capable processor, it is somewhat dated since the release of the Intel Core 2 Duo. It would be nice to see HP update the system with these newer processors. Still, the processor is quite capable of handling all the digital media thrown at it and even multitasking. A lot of this ability comes from the two full gigabytes of RAM included in the system.
Digital media, particularly video, take up a large amount of space. This is a problem for many home theater PCs, but HP has included a whopping 800GB of storage space with the z565. This is actually done through two drives, one primary 500GB drive and a secondary 300GB drive. This allows for hours of video programming to be stored on the system and still provide plenty of space for audio, photos and programs. A desktop 16x DVD+/-RW dual layer DVD burner is included for playing back DVDs or creating your own video programs. The drive also supports Lightscribe media for burning labels directly to the discs.
Graphics wise the HP z565 is quite good. It comes with an NVIDIA GeForce 7600GS graphics card that provides enough performance to even drive high resolution 3D graphics to a high definition TV. Another important feature is the inclusion of an HDMI connector letting the system be connected directly to a HD television. The system also includes an over the air ATSC digital turner and dual analog tuners.
Overall, the HP z565 Digital Entertainment Center is certainly a high quality home theater system, but it also is one that is priced beyond what many consumers may be willing to pay.
