The Evesham Ebox is one of the first PCs to come with Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, the operating system formerly known as Symphony. Like its predecessor, this is designed to show off the system's multimedia capabilities and provide easy access to music, photos, TV and DVD movies through a cohesive and easy-to-use interface.
Given that it's intended for use in the living room, the Ebox comes in a horizontal case resembling a large DVD player. You'll need to connect it to your existing television or buy a separate monitor though, since it's sold primarily as a standalone base unit.
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Our review sample included leads to connect the PC to a TV via composite video, S-video or Scart leads. If you require extra-long leads for use with a projector or plasma screen, these can be requested at the time of purchase. The system also comes with a smart wireless keyboard and mouse.
The Ebox is designed around a 3GHz Pentium 4 processor and 512MB of DDR400 Ram. This is a solid combination, but we were concerned that the heat generated by these components would require significant cooling and therefore increase the PC's noise levels.
Evesham has supplied a relatively large CPU fan that spins at low speed. This keeps the overall noise level to a tolerable minimum, while ensuring that the processor is adequately cooled. That said, you can't put anything on top of the Ebox as this will cover the air vent.
While the Ebox has adequate core performance, its graphics capabilities aren't the best. The Radeon X300 SE graphics card will have no trouble playing video or displaying still images, but don't expect it to run Half-Life 2 at high resolutions without jerky frame-rates.
We were disappointed with Evesham's choice of hard drive. Our review model shipped with a 160GB disk but this is only enough to store around 50 hours of high-quality video, less if you also intend to store music or digital images.
The Ebox does have a rather stylish slot-loading tri-format DVD drive (plus/minus/Ram) though, so you can record video straight to disc as well as play DVD movies.
A major new addition to Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is its support for dual TV tuners. The Ebox takes full advantage of this with a pair of Black Gold digital TV (Freeview) receivers that let you watch one channel while simultaneously recording another. Evesham includes RF cables and splitters to help make the most of this set-up. You can also listen to digital radio, although this isn't DAB.
Media Center lets you access a free digital programme guide that lists up to 14 days in advance. It's easy to schedule recordings using the bundled remote control. In fact, it's much more straightforward than a standard VHS recorder. You can pause or 'time-shift' live TV and continue watching from where you left off.
Evesham has tried to reduce poor digital TV reception by including a two-way aerial amplifier. This helps make the digital signal more reliable, but it is a poor substitute for a roof aerial. Before you buy the Ebox (like any digital TV receiver), consult the Digital TV Group website to check if coverage is good in your area.
Despite a few minor flaws, the Ebox is a very well constructed PC and makes an excellent addition to any digital entertainment set-up.
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