S1Digital ProLine HTPCs

Extending its reach, S1Digital today introduced its ProLine series of media centers. Hinted at by its name, the range is intended for (but not limited to) professional installers who hope to make a home theater PC the center of a much larger custom setup. Each model can fit into an AV equipment rack and has RS-232 ports to join with a home automation system. All of them also share enough performance to play 1080p movies without trouble: a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, GeForce 7600GT video card, and an HD DVD or optional Blu-Ray drive will play movies at their native resolution through an HDMI output. Dual HD and standard-definition tuners, 7.1-channel audio support, and a diNovo Edge Bluetooth keyboard are also standard.

Models are separated by their roles in the system. The pictured FX Edition ($5,500) is for those enthusiasts who expect to keep the media hub in the same room as their TV, with large aluminum heatsinks and an internal heatpipe to silence virtually the entire system. The chassis also makes room for 1TB of storage. In turn, the Media Server Edition ($7,500, pictured below) caters to the truly dedicated. The 3U rackmount includes space for up to 6 drives, culminating in as much as 3TB of storage. A hardware RAID controller not only speeds up disk access but can even create a drive mirror as a backup.

Systems will be available both online and through dealers, with the FX Edition arriving first in late February and the Media Server Edition following closely in March.

By Electronista Staff