Viewsonic moves from displays to media centers

By Bernard Cole
iApplianceWeb
(02/25/03, 01:35:17 AM EDT)

Completing its transition from primarily a manufacturer of CRT monitors, LCD displays, projectors, and plasma displays, ViewSonic Corp. has launched its NextVision M series of PC-based Digital Media Centers.

The first offerings in the M series line, the M2000 and M1000, both use the Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system, which transforms these PCs into multimedia home entertainment systems.

The NextVision M2000 includes a 160GB hard drive and a high-powered 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 processor, multiple in and outputs, along with USB and Firewire ports for additional connectivity.

Coming into a high end consumer market that major consumer electronics companies such as Phillips, Sony, and Fujitsu consider their own, the new system is designed to consolidate the Digital Video Recorder, CD/DVD player/writer, MP3 Music library and digital or video photography albums into one centralized home entertainment system with the power of a fully functional high-end PC. In addition, the M2000 comes equipped with SPDIF output that allows for surround sound capabilities to further enhance the home theater experience.

Aiming at the mid to lower end of this particular segment, the NextVision M1000 includes the same core integrated audio and video capabilities as the M2000 at a lower price point. It has 80GB of hard drive storage, an Intel 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 Processor and includes a DVD player/CD-RW drive.

First debuted at the 2003 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, the M2000 will be available in February for an estimated street price of $1895. The M1000 will have an ESP of $1395 after a $100 rebate and will be available in March.

Go to www.ViewSonic.com for more information on this product line.

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