Voodoo PC Aria Media Centre HTPC

Voodoo PC's Aria Media Centre is clearly the high performance luxury sedan when it comes to home theater PC system. There are a number of unique features that make it stand out as a luxury design such as the 7-inch touchscreen LCD built into the case, but for the amount of cash required to purchase it one would expect it to have a few basics found in most HTPCs such as a ATSC TV tuner and wireless networking. This is clearly a system designed for those looking to have bragging rights and its appearance rather than its functionality.

12/7/06 – One of the first things of note about the Voodoo PC Aria Media Centre is the case. This thing is huge compared to most home theater PC cases and it has to be to fit the front panel LCD touchscreen. This screen is both a benefit and a problem. It is the primary monitor used for the computer and can cause issues with the secondary monitor or TV. Sure, its great to adjust items on the touchscreen but when it impacts the functionality of the primary screen it can be an annoyance.

Unlike most home theater PCs that use notebook components or somewhat dated desktop processors, the Aria Media Centre is based on the new Intel Core 2 desktop processor that gives it outstanding performance and multitasking. This combined with the two gigabytes of DDR2 memory allow this system to cruise through pretty much all tasks.

For media connections, the Aria Media Center has some really good items and one big omission. Most notable is the Auzentech X-Plosion 7.1 audio card that supports Dolby Digital Live for DTS surround support for home theater receivers. This is something most systems leave out in the hopes that users connect direct into a speaker system. The GeForce 7600GT also provides excellent 3D performance and an HDMI TV connector. The problem is how Voodoo could not put an ATSC digital TV tuner in the package for high definition over the air TV.

Even with this feature lacking and the lack of wireless, the Aria Media Center is a very capable home theater system. The problem is that the cost is just so much more than other capable systems that it will really only appeal to those looking for bragging rights to what is in their entertainment center.

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