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Optima Technology Solutions has introduced its first component form factor Media Center PC in a flurry of announcements from the local manufacturer.
The company was quick to jump on the home media market with a tower Windows Media Center PC, but the component form factor alluded the company for over a year.
Now it has delivered a PC under $2,000. The new compact Entertainment Media Centre preinstalled with the latest Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 featuring Update Rollup 2.
Apart from the new form factor the new operating system supports a range of new capabilities not available in original Australian Media Centre PCs, including high-definition TV and video, and the Media Center Extender functionality of Xbox 360.
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Optima is also now bundling a free 30-day trial of the IceGuide electronic program guide (EPG).
“We are focused on the realisation of the digital home, developing products that converge our traditional consumer electronic and computer lines and better support the growth of this exciting market,” said Cornel Ung, Managing Director and Executive Chairman, Optima.
“While there’s always been resistance to the idea of a PC in the living room, most of it has hinged on the differences in user experience between PCs and audio-visual equipment like TVs and VCRs,” said Ung “Our new Entertainment Media Centre blurs the lines between traditional computers and home entertainment devices in both look and functionality, to the point where the two are becoming indistinguishable.
Optima has also added its first-ever digital home theatre projector, the Optima DDPD16SV00 DLP Digital Projector uses Digital Light Processing to successfully reproduce up to 16.7 million colours, delivering images with superior clarity, contrast (2000:1) and brightness (1800 ANSI lumens). TrueVision technology supports smooth and seamless video performance, while a fully customised colour management system allows individual colours to be adjusted for colour intensive activities. It also includes a choice of lamp output modes so users can alter image brightness to accommodate varying light conditions.
Optima has also grown its core computer portfolio with the Centoris KN Performance Series – its first gaming notebook. The new model seamlessly supports the latest 3D games and applications, creating detailed, realistic characters and environments for the ultimate gaming experience. With a NVIDIA GeForce Go 6600 graphics processing unit, the KN Performance delivers a smooth, high-definition video and graphics performance. It uses a Mobile Intel 915PM Express chipset for superior quality surround audio and an Intel PRO/Wireless Network Connection for tri-mode (802.11a/b/g) access to the Internet, network resources and multimedia applications.
“Convergence is not just about the digital home,” said Ung. “Gaming is a good example of how the digital home experience can transcend the physical limits of the home environment, with users wanting to take their experience on the road, to work and on long commutes. Our gaming notebooks are another example of the way we’re adding options for our customers, without losing focus on our core strengths as a company.”
