Product Reviews

If the idea of ditching your VCR for a digital recorder sounds tempting, take a peek at the gorgeous DMS XTC 2000. We've seen Hi-Grade's DMS case before, so it's what lies beneath the unassuming exterior that's really interesting.

Hi-Grade has sensibly installed two Blackgold Digital TV tuners. This allows you to watch one channel while the other tuner records another programme on a different channel. Better still, because both tuners are digital, they can receive the 30 or so Freeview channels, including ITV2, E4, BBC Three and BBC Four.

Whereas previous Hi-Grade DMS systems we've reviewed were powered by Intel Pentium 4 processors, the DMS XTC 2000 uses one of Intel's Pentium M processors that are usually found in laptops. So why use a mobile processor in a desktop PC? Well, although the Pentium M in the Hi-Grade only runs at a modest

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clock speed of 2.0GHz, it pumps out plenty of processing power when required, but does so without creating too much heat or consuming huge amounts of electricity. And because Pentium M processors don't get as warm as Pentium 4s, or chips made by rival AMD, they don't require masses of cooling, so Hi-Grade is able to keep the DMS Xtreme incredibly quiet. Put your ear to the back of the case and all you'll hear is the gently muffled purr of a couple of fans. Despite its whisper-quiet operation, however, the Hi-Grade still racked up a respectable score in the Shopper application benchmarks.

Hi-Grade certainly hasn't skimped on the rest of the PC's specification, either. Keeping the Pentium M 2.0GHz company is a generous 1GB of PC3200 DDR RAM. Media Center PCs also need plenty of hard disk space to store all those recorded programmes. The DMS XTC comes well equipped with two 200GB hard disks. To top it all off, Hi-Grade has fitted a powerful 256MB nVidia GeForce 6800GT graphics card, so the DMS XTC is ready for any game you care to play. All this performance comes at a price, though.

For a PC that doesn't come with a monitor or speakers, it is an expensive piece of kit. But then, this is a Media Center PC, so it's designed to be hooked up to your TV. If you want a PC that will replace your VCR, DVD player and your games console too, then the Hi-Grade will set your heart aquiver. But be prepared to pay substantially for it.