The Mecer Xhibitor (TOR9326) is an example of a new-generation of PCs designed for the living room environment, forming part of an industry initiative announced by Microsoft when Windows XP Media Centre Edition (MCE) 2005 was released to the local market in October.
The Xhibitor provides a tailored Intel Pentium 4 hardware system with the power, storage and connectivity designed to get the most out of the MCE operating system.
In short, the Xhibitor is an aesthetically attractive, pre-loaded package that delivers on the concept of accessing digital photos, music, recorded and live television and movies in the home, on a single device, using a single remote.
The Xhibitor even enables users to access their store of digital entertainment, including games, from anywhere in the home via a home network using Media Centre Extenders available as optional extras. Users can also connect to the Internet for browsing, online banking, and communication via e-mail and instant messaging.
What you get
The Mecer Xhibitor comes with a wireless keyboard, wireless remote, and most of the cabling required to connect to just about everything the operating system supports.
In addition to standard DVD/CD player control, the front panel provides connections for video and audio connections, headphones and microphones, USB devices, as well as an IEEE 1394 "firewire" port and an 8-in-1 media reader for common memory cards.
The USB ports and media reader make it easy to transfer digital media content to and from the Xhibitor using portable media players and other media devices.
All other PC, video and audio connectors are found on the back panel including an RJ-45 port for Ethernet connectivity and IR blaster ports for infrared connections. All this is in addition to the integrated wireless LAN (WLAN) connectivity.
The box itself is designed to fit in to the living room environment and looks very much like most DVD players on the market, although not quite as slimline.
Placement could also be a bit of a challenge because good ventilation is absolutely necessary. While designers have achieved a remarkably quiet unit, it still generates quite a bit of heat.
The customised remote combines functionality that enables users to switch between computer and media centre functionality and navigate fairly easily through the menu driven system to watch live TV, recorded TV or DVD, switch channels, adjust volume, and listen to recorded music or radio. Windows XP MCE also enables users to view photos stored on the system and listen to music at the same time.
The remote also operates the personal video recorder built into Microsoft`s MCE, enabling users to watch, record, and even pause live TV. The radio, however, cannot be accessed from the remote, there is also no eject button and there is no way of shutting down with a single button press, which was a bit frustrating at times. On the plus side, the "back" button on the remote and keyboard helps make it very easy to navigate around the system.
The wireless keyboard fits comfortably on the user`s lap and although mainly intended for accessing the PC functionality of the Mecer Xhibitor, it also features buttons for accessing the multimedia entertainment stored on system.
Lifting the hood
On the inside, Windows XP Media Centre Edition operating system is preinstalled on an Intel hardware platform with a Pentium 4 processor, 1MB L2 cache, 3.4GHz clock speed, 80 to 250GB SATA hard drive, DVD writer, nVidia GeForce FX 6600 graphics card, integrated network interface card and 56K modem, dual channel TV tuner, and FM radio tuner.
Tuning in and accessing radio and TV stations is extremely easy using the integrated tuners, and the dual TV tuner enables users to watch live TV on one channel, while recording on another.
The system is powered to meet the needs of most home users, with special attention being paid to gamers, by providing relatively high levels of graphic and audio quality as well as LAN connectivity for online gaming.
The Mecer Xhibitor is a fun piece of hardware that is reasonably successful in combining the content collection and sharing capabilities of a PC with the high quality output and ease of use of consumer electronics products.
The system was tested using a Mecer 17 inch TFT LCD monitor with built in speakers, which delivered good visual quality, although serious buyers are likely to opt for a bigger screen and connect instead to a surround sound audio system to get the most out of their investment.
The Xhibitor provides a good platform for the Windows XP MCE, making it easy to connect to other consumer electronics devices and experience the relatively new concept of living room computing, which is very appealing and bound to grow rapidly in popularity.
Computer-based entertainment centres like the Xhibitor system are likely to be popular year-end purchases for those who can afford them. They are a great way of managing and consolidating digital media collections as well as saving space.
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