Vidabox Announces Blu-ray And HD DVD Compatible Media Center PCs.
By Shane C. Buettner October 27, 2006 — Vidabox LLC recently announced an interesting entry into the next-gen HD disc format war in the form of two lines of "dual HD" Media Center PCs that will playback both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. In addition to playing standard DVDs, Vidabox's LUX and MAX dual HD systems analog and dual HDTV tuners allowing users to record as many as four TV programs at once, obviating the need for a DVR.

"We're delighted to be the first manufacturer to offer both Blu-ray and HD DVD on one system," Vidabox's Steven Cheung said. ""There's still no clear winner in the high-definition format war, but by having a LUX or MAX, you're guaranteed to be a winner by being able to play either format, regardless of which one becomes the standard in the future."

There's been a lot of ink spilled lately about the heavy lifting a PC needs to be capable of doing in order to handle HD video all the way up to 1080p, which both the LUX and MAX Media PCs are indeed capable of. Both lines can be configured to feature massive storage capabilities, AMD 4600+ dual core processors and a GeForce 7950GT video card.

Of course these systems are full-fledged media PCs that can store and manage your entire digital life of photos, music, and more.

The LUX line starts at $3,499 and the MAX line starts at $4,399. The units are rack mountable and the MAX line features a 7" LCD touchscreen that allows the unit to be controlled from the front panel. Both units are available in silver or black.