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HP Media Center M8040N Desktop PC (Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 640 GB Hard Drive, SuperMulti DVD Drive, Vista Ultimate)
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Average customer review:
Product Description
HP M8040N Media Center Desktop PC. The HP Pavilion Media Center TV desktop PC is designed and built for your digital life. Take control of your digital entertainment with a PC that helps you consolidate, organize, and play your favorite TV shows, movies, music, photos and videos. A built in drive bay fits an optional HP Personal Media Drive, for up to 500GB of additional storage that you can carry with you when you go /sold separately. The HP Media Center Remote Control provides access to yourdigital music, photos, and videos from across the room. The front panel 15 in 1 memory card reader makes it easy to transfer photos, music, and other files to and from your digital camera and other peripheral devices. The SuperMulti DVD burner with LightScribe technology lets you create custom, silkscreen quality labels and artwork directly onto LightScribe enabled CD and DVD discs. The built in TV tuner and personal video recorder /PVR/ let you watch,pause, rewind, and record live television on your Media Center PC with no monthly fee.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #3004 in Personal Computers
- Brand: Hewlett-Packard
- Model: M8040N
- Dimensions: 10.75" h x 15.16" w x 7.60" l,
- CPU: Intel Core Duo 2.13 GHz
- Memory: 2000MB DDR2 SDRAM
- Hard Disk: 640GB
- Processors: 3
Features
- Powerful multimedia desktop with TV tuner (NTSC/ATSC), personal video recording functionality, and programming guide
- 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 dual-core processor, dual 320 GB hard drives (640 GB total), 2 GB RAM (8 GB max), HD DVD drive, 16x LightScribe DVD drive
- Connectivity: 6 USB, 2 FireWire, 1 VGA, 1 S-Video, 1 composite A/V digital audio output, surround sound speaker output, 15-in-1 memory card reader
- 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 10/100 Ethernet, NVIDIA GeForce 7600GT video card (with 256 MB of video memory)
- Pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Ultimate (with Premium and Business capabilities)
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Product Description
The easy-to-use HP m8040n Media Center PC is the complete home PC system that delivers more entertainment choices, and brings them together in one place with easy access from anywhere in the room. This desktop incorporates an HD DVD drive that's compatible with the new high-definition DVD disc format. Enjoy amazingly crisp and vibrantly colorful imagery from this new format. You can also watch, record, and pause live TV programming as well as schedule the PC to record upcoming episodes or entire series. The built-in TV tuner (providing both standard NTSC and high-def ATSC transmission) and personal video recorder (PVR) let you watch, pause, rewind, and record live television--up to 390 hours on the dual 320 GB hard drives (for a 640 GB total). An online Electronic Program Guide (EPG) lets you review the TV schedule and select individual episodes or entire series, so you can watch your favorite shows on your own time, at your own convenience. And you can easily burn TV shows and home video to DVD for friends and family with the dual-layer, multi-format LightScribe DVD/CD burner.
This desktop is powered by the 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 dual-core processor, which provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved gaming and multitasking performance. A built-in drive bay fits an optional HP Personal Media Drive (PMD), for up to 500 GB of additional storage that you can carry away with you when you go (PMD not included). It also features 2 GB of installed RAM (8 GB maximum), Nvidia GeForce 7600 GT video card (with 256 MB of video memory), 15-in-1 memory card reader, up to 8 channels of surround sound output, and a remote control with up to 16 feet of range.
This PC also comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, which combines all the features of Windows Vista Premium and Vista Business as well as adds extras such as multi-language packs and Secure Online Key Backup. It offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Home Premium, including Windows Media Center, Windows Movie Maker with high-definition support, and Windows DVD Maker. It also provides all of the features found in Windows Vista Business, including business networking, centralized management tools, and advanced system backup features. Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.
The Basics
- Processor: The Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 processor has a 2.13 GHz processor speed, amazing 1066 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and an extra-large 4 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)
The Intel Core 2 Duo processor has two computational execution cores in a single processor, providing greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It's optimized for multitasking and is ready to support the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. It can simultaneously run multiple demanding applications--such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications--while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background. Some of the advanced Intel innovations of the Core 2 Duo processor include:
- Smart Memory Access: Improves system performance by hiding memory latency, thus optimizing the use of available computer data bandwidth to provide data to the processor when and where it is needed.
- Advanced Digital Media Boost: Effectively doubles the execution speed for instructions used widely in multimedia and graphics applications.
- Dynamic Power Coordination: Coordinates Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology and idle power-management state (C-states) transitions independently per core to help save power.
- Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing: Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory during periods of inactivity to lower CPU voltage.
This processor also includes Intel's Viiv technology, which enables you to quickly turn the PC on and off (after initial boot) with a touch of the included remote thanks to Intel's Quick Resume function. It also offers specially-designed software that makes network configuration easy, for connecting to portable media players, DVD players, TV sets and stereos.
- Hard Drive: The dual 320 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drives (7200 RPM) provide an astounding 640 GB storage capacity--enough for storing up to 390 hours of television programming, a vast multimedia collection, or for editing digital video. These SATA hard drives also quicken the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.
- Memory: The 2 GB of built-in memory (2 x 1024 MB, PC4200, DDR2 SDRAM) is a good start right out of the box, and it offers a very fast 533 MHz speed. This desktop has a 8 GB maximum RAM capacity (8 x 1 GB), perfect for high-def video and 3-D gaming.
- DVD/CD Drive: This HP desktop offers the next generation of DVD entertainment with the HD DVD ROM optical drive, which provides the superior image and sound quality of high-definition images and multichannel surround sound as well as backward compatibility with standard DVD movie discs as well as content burned onto DVD-R/RW, DVD-RAM.
It also includes a second drive--a multiformat DVD/CD burner that's compatible with writing both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. It features 4x DVD-R DL Write Once, 8x DVD+R DL Write Once, 16x DVD+R, 8x DVD+RW, 16x DVD-R, 6x DVD-RW, 5x DVD-RAM, 40x CD-R, 32x CD-RW write speeds and 40x CD-ROM, and 16x DVD-ROM read speeds. This LightScribe DVD+/-RW drive lets you laser-etch silkscreen quality text and images on to CDs and DVDs . Your software, PC and discs work together for a no-hassle way to burn just the labels you want. After you burn content, just flip the disc over, reinsert and burn your label--anything from a simple title to a full-disc work of art.
- Keyboard & Mouse: This desktop comes with a wireless HP multimedia keyboard and wireless optical mouse (with up to a 16-foot range) as well as a remote control.
Video is powered by the Nvidia GeForce 7600 graphics card, which was chosen by PC World magazine as one of the 100 Best Products of 2006 (July, 2006). It has 256 MB of video RAM. It features NVidia's PureVideo technology--which provides great picture clarity, smooth video, accurate color, and precise image scaling for video content. It also offers full support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 and true high dynamic-range (HDR) lighting. And it's ready for the next step in graphics processing--SLI technology (Scalable Link Interface)--which delivers twice the performance of a single GPU configuration by allowing two graphics cards to run in parallel. It also offers an integrated audio card that can produce high definition surround sound configurable to 8 speakers.
Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
This desktop has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. The Bluetooth wireless connectivity enables you to synchronize and transfer files between the PC and peripherals such as cell phones and PDAs as well as use Bluetooth-enabled headsets for online audio chats. For expansion, this desktop features a drive bay that fits an optional HP Personal Media Drive--which enables you to add 500 GB of storage for your video and music libraries. It has three PCI expansion slots (occupied), one PCI x16 Express slot (available), two 5.25-inch bays (occupied), one 3.5-inch bay (occupied), and the following external ports:
- 6 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players (2 in front, 4 in rear)
- 2 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals (1 in front, 1 in rear)
- Composite video, S-Video, and analog audio inputs
- Headphone and microphone jacks
- Audio output: digital audio out, surround sound speakers--rear, side, center
- 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
- 15-in-1 media card reader on the front, compatible with CompactFlash (Type I and II), MicroDrive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick/Pro/Duo/Pro Duo, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital, XD Picture Card, RSMMC, MMC Mobile, MMC+
Operating System
The Windows Vista Ultimate operating system has it all--an advanced, business-focused infrastructure, mobile productivity, and premium home digital entertainment features. It offers all of the features found in Windows Vista Home Premium, including Windows Media Center, Windows Movie Maker with high-definition support, and Windows DVD Maker. It also provides all of the features found in Windows Vista Business, including business networking, centralized management tools, and advanced system backup features. In addition, Windows Vista Ultimate includes Extras such as:
- Windows Hold'em, a poker game for players of all skill levels
- Language packs for Windows multi-language interface, where users can install and use multiple languages on a single PC. Great for multi-lingual households or if you are learning a new language.
- Secure Online Key Backup, where Ultimate users can store their BitLocker recovery password and Encrypting File System certificate on Windows Marketplace's Digital Locker website for access to the key anytime, anyplace, and from any computer that has an Internet connection
- BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool, an automated tool which removes the complexity of setting up your PC to use this exclusive data security feature.
Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.
Preloaded Software
Includes Microsoft Works 8, Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 Trial, Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 (with 60 days of Live Update), Roxio Creator/MyDVD (with LightScribe technology), Muvee autoProducer (for creating professional-looking home videos and burning to DVD), HP Photosmart Essential, and HP Total Care Advisor.
What's in the Box
This package contains the HP Media Center m8040n desktop PC, keyboard, mouse, remote control, and power cord. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase as well as technical telephone assistance for one year. Software is also covered for 90 days from date of purchase.
Customer Reviews
Easy Setup 
I purchased this directly from Amazon. Out of the box setup was a cinch. I used the quick start guide which is basically plug it in, turn it on, and follow the directions on the screen which could not have been simpler. I removed or uninstalled the "crapware" that came preloaded before I installed the additional hardware or software.
I have been using Win XP for 5 years and the switch to Vista was easier than the switch from Win 2000 or Win 98 to Win XP.
No problems with the wireless keyboard or mouse. The TV tuner works like a champ. Vista easily, and surprisingly, recognized my old Epson 900 printer and, likewise, my Viewsonic 900X LCD monitor, which has built-in speakers (not an audiophile's dream).
The reasons I did not give it 5 stars were that one of the preloaded programs was Acrobat Reader 7.0 and version 8.0 has been available since last fall! Tacky for a machine built in March 2007! Are there other things inside the box that are nonstandard or obsolete? It came with Vista Ultimate 32 bit and should have come with Vista Ultimate 64 bit (as my HP laptop did) which limits ram upgrade, particularly since the OS itself takes up almost 1GB of RAM.
The biggest complaint is the recovery partition even if recovery disks are made. Once I plugged in the machine and connected to the Internet, there were a total of 43 critical updates in three days. That makes the recovery information obsolete. If it is necessary to contact tech support, they most likely will tell you to use the recovery drive/disks and the more time that passes the more obsolete. Oh, Pleez! At least provide an OS DVD.
Vista issues, No BluRay support, otherwise excellent value
Performance Features:
1. WEI = 5.1 (CPU lowest, all other categories higher)
2. System Memory = 2GB DDR2-PC2-5300, expandable via four memory slots to 8GB (only 3.25GB useable with 32bit Vista Ultimate)
3. HDD = Dual 320GB SATAs, for a total of ~596GB (useable) storage space
4. Plug-in Graphics Card = nVidia 7600GT with 256MB DDR2 RAM
Special Features:
1. Vista Ultimate (32bit edition)
2. Dual HDDs supports RAID (0 or 1) technology
3. Media Center PC TV with remote and dual TV tuners (NTSC-analog and ATSC-digital)
4. HD DVD drive in addition to standard DVD/CD-ROM drive
5. 8 channel sound card built-in with surround sound audio outputs plus coaxial digital I/O
6. Remote (wireless) keyboard and mouse
7. 6 USB 2.0 ports (2 front + 4 rear)
8. PMD storage bay for portable HDD up to 500GB (sold separately by HP)
Weaknesses:
1. Inadequate PSU of only 300 Watts, not enough for any serious H/W upgrade - like a better graphics card - and questionable for "as shipped" configuration once you start loading up USB devices and PMD optional HDD.
2. 64bit Vista Ultimate not provided, although if you buy Ultimate in the store, it comes with BOTH 32 and 64 bit versions
3. Motherboard = No spare adapter slots, ie. can't upgrade graphics card to more powerful or dual cards via nVidia's "SLI" technology
4. No built-in speaker(s), not even a simple built-in audio "beeper" or keyboard/mouse clicker.
5. Dual tuners do not share a single over-the-air antenna input, thus you must connect TWO OTA (over the air) signal inputs, one for analog and another for digital.
6. Only "8" series (not 7600GT) nVidia graphics card will support DrectX version 10 in a Vista "Ultimate" machine.
7. No BluRay DVD support.
Since owning this PC several months now, I have experience MAJOR problems with the HD DVD and HP DVD HD DVD Player (V2.3) software, and RAID0 formatting on the HDDs. A year ago, the HD DVD vs. BluRay format wars were just getting started, but in 2008 it is becoming clear(er) that a BluRay player would have been a wiser choice to have in a PC.
o be blunt my HD DVD did not work (initially). I found a loose internal power supply harness wire connection that when I wiggled it, the HD DVD player would intermitently lose power. Also, the drive apparently lacked a necessary firmware upgrade important to insure compatibility with all currently available HD DVD movie titles. There was no mention of this in any of the user documentation provided, and only by pure coincidence did I discover the need for an available upgrade download, but not from HP's Support website. Go figure! Lastly, the HD (and regular) DVD Player you can use standalone or within the Media Center seems quite buggy. I believe the "as shipped" version of HP DVD HD DVD Player (V2.3) is not 100% compatibility with the video card's DVI interface even with a Vista "certified" HDCP compliant LCD monitor. However, it works reliably using the ANALOG VGA port connector, but not what I paid for and expected to work.
Since I will probably ever need more than a few 100GB of storage space, I reconfigured (very cautiously) the dual 320GB HDDs to RAID-0 format. I noticed an immediate speed up in overall machine performance, but BEWARE. If something happens to your filesystem, you'll have to do a complete system restore from CD, which are not provided by HP!
I also upgraded to 4GB total system memory (4 x 1GB sticks) and was pleasantly surprised to find the memory speed ran at 667Mhz, not 533Mhz as advertised by HP. No problems with this upgrade, but accessibility to spare memory card slots on the Motherboard for this machine, is not for the uninitiated or large extremities. Keep in mind that with a 32 bit operating system, (although Vista Ultimate - if purchased separatedly - does support 64 bit), the maximum addressable memory is limited to 3.25GBs. If not for the small, perhaps negigible, increase to only a 1/4GB more memory space, installing a pair of DDR2 DRAM 512MB memory cards (for a total of 3GBs) might be the more economical way to go.
All in all this is a good destop PC, if used with a hi-res monitor and 5.1 or better sound system (purchased separately). However, HP should have worked out all the bugs in supporting a built-in HD DVD player (or put in a dual purpose, univerisal, HD / BluRay DVD player to avoid obvious customer satisfaction issues with only one possible format at the exclusion of many other assorted BluRay movie titles.
Noisy Fan Anyone?
I am keeping this short for now as I analyse the quality of this unit. But quite frankly the noise level is my main concern. This thing has 4 fans. CPU, Powersupply, Case, and Graphics Card. HP is clueless at helping, but forums both at HP and Dell indicate that the fan on the 7600 GT Nvidia Card is the culprit. I agree. It spins at incredible rates all the time and destroys peace and quiet in the house. This is especially bothersome for a Media Center PC. Dell forums and employees acknowledge problem and say they are working with Nvidia for a driver fix. HP techs don't even know the Nvidia card HAS a fan. I may return this unit for noise alone. Customer Reviews at Circuit City said same.....NOISEY.
Other stuff....Lot of bang and features for the buck. The box is very full...no free space inside, but then it is loaded with features. It will be very dificult to add or replace components.
Vista is dificult for me so far. I know XP inside and out, but Vista convolutes things with different terminology, names, and organization. Not sure why they bothered. Getting it to talk to my other PC's on the network was a lot of learning. This came with "Ultimate", but I doubt it is a useful thing.
The wireless keyboard and mouse are cheap...esp the mouse which has voids in it's response...I'll be putting my Logitech's back in service soon.
Lots of intrusive stuff on board too. ISP sales, Norton (especially intrusive), HP Service Total Care, Yahoo search. It comes out of the box running 2 firewalls, 2 spyware programs, etc...all competing for your attention and cpu.
Because of the overhead of Vista, don't expect this to run that much faster than a 4 year old Pentium 4 (2.4-2.8ghz). It does browse internet pretty quickly.
I copied a home made DVD video using both drives and Roxio. Very fast.
No speakers come with this.
I did not pay for premium shipping, but the free shipping ended up arriving in 2 days. Thanks Amazon.
