The WinBook PowerSpec MCE 410 uses Aver Media's single-tuner UltraTV 1500 MCE tuner card. If you want to view HD shows, you'll need to connect a cable or satellite box directly to the TV. The sample HD clips we downloaded to test the PowerSpec LCD looked stellar, and the display also has all the inputs and outputs the first-time home-theater buyer is likely to need. Even standard-def TV looked bright and colorful, though perhaps a touch on the soft side. Our only real complaint with the PowerSpec LCD was its 600:1 contrast ratio and corresponding black-level performance, which we'd classify as mediocre. But at no time while watching our sample movies and TV shows did we ever stop and think, "This doesn't look good." For an entry-level HDTV, the PowerSpec LCD looks great.
Similarly, the MCE 410's average test scores belie its real-world capabilities. The Windows MCE 2005 interface operated quickly and smoothly, and the system didn't so much as hiccup when we recorded a TV show while watching a DVD. The MCE 410 may not be a particularly strong gaming system, but it's plenty robust as a media center.
WinBook provides an average support package for the PowerSpec MCE 410, including a one-year warranty with onsite service and toll-free phone support that's available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET. Unfortunately, at press time we found no MCE 410-specific info on the company's support site. A quick-start setup poster will help you get the system set up to your various A/V components, and Microsoft's Media Center guide will help you learn the in and outs of the OS.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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SysMark 2004 Internet-content-creation rating |
To measure application performance, CNET Labs uses BAPCo's SysMark 2004, an industry-standard benchmark. Using off-the-shelf applications, SysMark measures a desktop's performance using office-productivity applications (such as Microsoft Office and McAfee VirusScan) and Internet-content-creation applications (such as Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Dreamweaver). Depending on the class of the system, we may report only the office-productivity or Internet-content-creation portions of SysMark.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Unreal Tournament 2003 Flyby-Antalus 1,024x768 | |
Unreal Tournament 2003 Flyby-Antalus 1,600x1,200 4XAA 8XAF |
To measure 3D gaming performance, CNET Labs uses Epic Games' Unreal Tournament 2003, widely used as an industry-standard benchmark. We use Unreal to measure a desktop's performance with the DirectX 8.0 (DX8) interface at a 32-bit color depth and at a resolution of 1,024x768 and 1,600x1,200. Antialiasing and anisotropic filtering are disabled during our 1,024x768 tests and are set to 4X and 8X, respectively, during our 1,600x1,200 tests. At this color depth and these resolutions, Unreal provides an excellent means of comparing the performance of low-end to high-end graphics subsystems. We report the results of Unreal's Flyby-Antalus test in frames per second (fps).
Find out more about how we test desktop systems.
System configurations:Alienware DHS-2 Media Center
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005; 3.0GHz Intel P4 530; Intel 915P chipset; 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 128MB ATI Radeon X300 (PCIe); Seagate ST3160023AS 160GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
Cyberpower Media Center Ultra Edition
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005; 2.6GHz AMD Athlon 64 FX-55; Via K8T800 Pro chipset; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra (AGP); Maxtor 7Y250M0 250GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
Polywell MiniBox 939AX
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005; 2.0GHz AMD Athlon 64 3200+; ATI Radeon Xpress 200 chipset; 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 64MB (shared) integrated ATI Radeon X200; Seagate ST3200822AS 200GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
Sony VAIO VGC-RB38G
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005; 3.4GHz Intel P4 550; Intel 915G chipset; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 128MB ATI Radeon X300 (PCIe); Maxtor 7Y250M0 250GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
WinBook PowerSpec MCE 410
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005; 3.0GHz Intel P4 530; Intel 915G chipset; 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 64MB ATI Radeon X300 (PCIe); Samsung SP1614C 160GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
