Questions about getting a new computer

Li'l Jay · 28 May 2006

I'm getting another computer for the basement and I have some questions and also invite comment.

Some parameters -- I'm getting an HP. Here's the configuration I'm looking at from the website:

Quote:

Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edit
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-930 quad-core [2.8GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache] edit
Memory FREE UPGRADE! 9GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [5 DIMMs] from 8GB edit
Hard drive FREE UPGRADE! 1TB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive from 640GB edit
Graphics card 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 [DVI, HDMI, VGA] edit
Primary optical drive Blu-ray player & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner edit
Networking Integrated 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) Ethernet, No wireless LAN edit
Front Productivity Ports 15-in-1 memory card reader, 1 USB, 1394, audio edit
TV & entertainment experience No TV Tuner edit
Sound Card Integrated 7.1 channel sound with front audio ports edit
Monitor HP 2009m 20-inch 16:9 HD Ready Widescreen Monitor edit

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopp ... saveconfig

Now questions for the panel -- will I be able to configure it in dual monitor output, with HDMI to my big screen TV and also connect to the 20" monitor?

I'd like to be able to pop in a blu-ray movie or DVD, play it on the big screen via HDMI, and also surf on the 20".

What else? Any other thoughts or advice? (The reason I want HP is that I consider it okay, my choice over Dell, and I already have another one).

Rafael · 03 Dec 2006

I can't guarantee 100% that the answer is yes, I would only do that if I could check it myself. But based on what I know, I'll say I'm 90% sure it is.

Wish I could check, my PC has the same specs, but it's not in the same room as the TVs. I don't foresee any problem, though.

Li'l Jay · 28 May 2006

Rafael wrote:

I can't guarantee 100% that the answer is yes, I would only do that if I could check it myself. But based on what I know, I'll say I'm 90% sure it is.

Wish I could check, my PC has the same specs, but it's not in the same room as the TVs. I don't foresee any problem, though.

What's it got for video output ports and how many?

Are people using HDMI for regular 'ol monitor output now?

Prowl · **Joined:** 08 Oct 2006 **Posts:** 18746

Ask Gerry.

He's the resident computer expert.

Rafael · 03 Dec 2006

Li'l Jay wrote:

What's it got for video output ports and how many?

DVI, HDMI, VGA.

Quote:

Are people using HDMI for regular 'ol monitor output now?

It's possible. I tried using it but the colors were a bit off, and instead of going back and forth until I calibrated correctly or found the right setting, I just went back to DVI.

Jeff · 05 Oct 2006

This should be no problem. It should work just like any dual monitor setup, where you can drag stuff to whatever screen you want, and that app runs on the screen you put it on from then on until you change it (by again dragging it).

Li'l Jay · 28 May 2006

Will it still look good on a 42" -- like will the video window maximize for that screen or something?

Rafael · 03 Dec 2006

Yes the drivers should detect the tv resolution and output accordingly.

Jeff · 05 Oct 2006

Li'l Jay wrote:

Will it still look good on a 42" -- like will the video window maximize for that screen or something?

Yep; you may have to go into display settings and adjust it, but after it should be just fine.

Li'l Jay · 28 May 2006

I went ahead and ordered it. Memorial Day sale took $450 off the website price, which is already down around Best Buy price. Pretty good deal, and that particular configuration/model is getting raves for running very quiet and being a hammer.

My requirements aren't great, but I would like to do some video editing of home movies.

Rafael · 03 Dec 2006

That should be more than enough to edit 1080p video at a good pace. There are only a handful of MacPro and highest end i7 processors that are faster.

Li'l Jay · 28 May 2006

Yeah, it was only $1,099 to start with the Memorial Day sale, so I figured why not get more than I need. I could probably easily get by with one that costs $599 on that sale, but a little more bang for the buck and all that.

They had free upgrade to that 9GB RAM and Hard Drive of 1 TB SATA hardrive.

My only significant adds were Blu-ray and I my decision to grab another HD monitor (it was $80 off for the holiday).

Rafael · 03 Dec 2006

Blu Rays are nice to have.

I rarely use them, but they are nice.

Jeff · 05 Oct 2006

I'm using my Blu Ray drive right now to watch the Sand Pebbles.

It's so handy to have on the PC in my bedroom. I almost never go down to the home theater room and watch movies anymore; just lay in bed and watch. This frees up the PS3 for the kids, too.

Li'l Jay · 28 May 2006

Honestly, I only got it to watch movies and shows on disk while I'm farting around in my little man cave.

At full steady state, I will be sitting in an awesome chair, surrounded by comic books, magazines, trades, books, a big screen TV, a smaller HD monitor, this computer, and in-wall speakers. With framed comic book movie posters on the wall (currently Dark Knight and Watchmen, with that REH Dark Horse promotional poster that Kubert drew).

Take JL and JLU for example. I'm a little too bored to sit there and watch my complete sets. But I find them soothing to play in the background.

Rafael · 03 Dec 2006

I haven't watched a single Blu-Ray in the computer.

I don't buy discs compulsorily. If I buy a BD it's because I think it's a movie worth owning. And if it's worth owning it's worth watching in the 62" TV with 7.2 sound.

Li'l Jay · 28 May 2006

Rafael wrote:

I haven't watched a single Blu-Ray in the computer.

I don't buy discs compulsorily. If I buy a BD it's because I think it's a movie worth owning. And if it's worth owning it's worth watching in the 62" TV with 7.2 sound.

It doesn't have to be a Blu-ray. I wanted a player for DVD also (such as season sets and the aforementioned JLU), and figured go blu-ray to be inclusive.

And yes, first watching would be on Big Boy, but not necessarily 2d, 3d, 4th viewing. I like to pop 'em in and work with something on sometimes.

I don't buy BD's much, though. That's for sure. I get them on Netflix, though.

This would be a good machine to store my digital copies on -- the ones that come with the disks you buy now. They put some kind of DRM on those, and I can't get them to network throughout the house. They only want to play on the computer I load them on (through Windows Media Player or iTunes).

There should be a way to do it with PlayOn.

Li'l Jay · 28 May 2006

Plus, with all the TV's in my house networked, I can foresee a day where having one BD player in a computer will come in handy as a "server" of content to all the other TV's in one way or another. I don't have that capability now, but it feels close.

I do have the set up for MP4's on my hard drive to be served to all the TV's. Just not something playing from a drive.

Rafael · 03 Dec 2006

Li'l Jay wrote:

They put some kind of DRM on those, and I can't get them to network throughout the house.

You can. But I don't think you'll like how

Beachy · 18 Sep 2005

Looks quite nice.

Allen Berrebbi · 07 Sep 2004

This is my business and yes, it would work fine for what you need, though I prefer Dell myself. I like to tinker and find the insides of HPs too jumbled and intentionally difficult to do anything where Dells are a lot easier to swap parts etc.

Steve · 21 Oct 2004

I went with Dell for many years but my last PC was a build my own with parts from Fry's. Nearly everything was top of the line and I only spent $600.

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