It's a PC, it's a PVR, and it's a Blu-Ray player - could the new TP2 be the answer to all your HD dreams?
If you're looking for an alternative to the PS3 for Blu-Ray, today's unveiling of the TP2 by Sony might be of interest.
The TP2 is a Blu-Ray player - nothing new there - but it combines a 500GB hard drive and PC crammed into a cut-down circular plastic form factor. There's a 500GB drive for watching downloads, and HDMI for HD connectivity. Consider that this essentially does away with the need for separate media extenders, the TP2 is definitely worth a look.
It's also a possible alternative to Apple TV, though the big missing component is an integrated online service like iTunes for movies and music.
Considering the chic design, HDMI connectivity, and Blu-Ray, the $2,399 price is surprisingly decent. Sony also claims the unit is almost silent, though we haven't been able to verify this yet in a controlled testing environment.
Official TP2 specs from Sony: Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T8100 (2.10GHz), 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, 500GB HDD, Windows Vista Home Premium, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT GPU with 256MB dedicated video memory; Blu-ray Disc Combo Drive