News

EPC launches a new high-end Media PC that does what it is supposed to do... brilliantly! (14/2/2006)

Temptation is a terrible thing. Many PC manufacturers are very good at creating computers that are averagely good at a multitude of tasks but when it comes to home entertainment they seem to lose the plot. Most singularly fail to understand the key requirements for a Media PC in the eyes of a consumer.

That's never been a problem at EPC (it stands for Entertainment PC). The company has always believed that a Media PC should be optimised, first and foremost, for digital home entertainment. Period.

In practice that means consumers should be able to expect the same level of usability that they are used to with their conventional AV electronics... but with the comprehensive advantages of seamless integration and performance that only a quality Media PC can offer.

That's where the new EPC Fidelity Media PC, available exclusively through selected branches of Sevenoaks Sound And Vision, comes in.

Offering a convenient, quiet-running one-box home entertainment solution this is a custom-built Media PC in the grandest sense of the term: This is how it can entertain you...

Digital TV (playback, recording and 1080p Upscaling)
Progressive Scan DVD (playback, recording and 1080p Upscaling)
HDTV (playback and recording at 720p, 1080i and 1080p)
CD (playback, recording)
Internet access
Digital photo viewing
Games
Email

There are two variants: Fidelity-t and Fidelity-s: Fidelity-t has a built-in Freeview digital TV tuner while the Fidelity-s, which is intended for owners who already have a Sky or cable set top box, has a RGB capture card to record TV programmes.

Both systems are powered by the latest Intel 3Ghz processor, allied to a choice of capacious hard drives: 300Gb, 600Gb, 1 Terabyte (1000Gb) or 2 Terabytes (2000Gb).

To give you an idea of the possible storage capacity available even the 300GB model can store 140hrs of TV recordings, 40 DVDs or 4,000 albums...

Yes, you've just read that correctly. As well as straightforward playback, the EPC Fidelity allows you to copy your DVDs onto your hard disk for instant access. No more scrabbling around looking for DVDs... just select from the disks you've stored and press play. With an DVD Dual-Layer Re-Writer you can burn your own disks at will too.

High Definition TV is set to be the next big thing and the EPC Fidelity is fully-equipped for playback, straight out of the box. Picture quality is of the highest order, thanks a powerful Nvidia 6600 graphics card that's also capable of upsampling regular DVD/Freeview TV to 720p/1080p resolution (naturally it supports all the HD formats - 720p/1080i and 1080p).

Suffice it to say, the Fidelity is designed to be partnered with the very highest quality displays in existence today. And be reassured... when next-generation HD DVD becomes a reality EPC will ensure there's an upgrade path for Fidelity purchasers so your investment will remain safe.

Sound quality is usually treated as an afterthought in Media Centre PCs - actually by most PC manufacturers - but it's given the priority it deserves with the EPC Fidelity-t and Fidelity-s.

The audiophile-quality sound card employed is a flagship item (often used by recording studios for mastering purposes) that's 192kHz/24-bit capable and which offers SPDIF/co-axial digital and analogue stereo outputs.

Plumb the EPC Fidelity-t and -s into a high-quality audio or home cinema system and you'll hear the difference...

As you may have gathered this is not your regular Media Center PC. You'll realise that the moment you switch it on. EPC has created a completely unique dedicated graphical user interface for the Fidelity that allows owners - and their family - to enjoy their content with the absolute minimum of fuss.

As we said at the beginning of this release the EPC Fidelity is designed to provide a complete home entertainment experience. Our expectation is that it will be accommodated in the living room so an enclosure that looks like a regular PC - or that sports a noisy fan cooling system - is simply unacceptable.

For that reason the EPC Fidelity-t and Fidelity-s sport a custom-made enclosure that's finished to a luxurious standard (with a black or silver fascia, backlit in cool blue) plus a whisper-quiet cooling system that's barely detectable in operation.

Build quality? Impeccable. This is no off-the-peg solution, assembled on the cheap. The EPC Fidelity-t and Fidelity-s are hand-built, on EPC's behalf, by Hosiden-Besson, a leading UK electronic acoustic engineering company (with a £40m t/o) based in Hove, East Sussex. Its parent company, Hosiden Corporation, recorded a global turnover of £1.2 billion pounds in 2004/2005. Reassuring to know...

The EPC Fidelity comes with a comprehensive one-year support package and EPC will be working closely with Sevenoaks Sound And Vision to ensure owners receive the very highest standards of service.

Retail Prices

EPC Fidelity-t or Fidelity-s with 300GB hard drive £3,000
With 600GB Hard Drive option... £3,200
With 1 Terabyte Hard Drive option... £3,600
With 2 Terabyte Hard Drive option... £4,200

Availability

Exclusively from branches of Sevenoaks Sound And Vision

www.entertainmentpc.co.uk