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Sony VAIO XL3.

The good: Sleek, quiet home theater PC; wide variety of input and output options; smooth Blu-ray playback; well-thought-out remote control

The bad: Questionable bang for the buck from the core hardware; single CableCard tuner means reduced PVR capability; wireless keyboard needs some refining.

Sony's VAIO XL3 Digital Living System is a welcome improvement to previous versions of Sony's high-end home theater PC. The multidisc DVD changer is thankfully absent, and the PC itself comes with almost all the features we expect from a modern, living room-style computer. Similar to its older Digital Living System PCs, Sony isn't afraid to charge a lot for the XL3, which will run you $3,300. For that price, we wish there was a bit more computer here. That issue and the fact that the XL3 only has a single CableCard tuner (which means only limited PVR functionality) hurt our enthusiasm for this system. Overall though, it's expertly designed and about as well-equipped as any convergence hound might like.

Read the full review here.

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