Cyberlink Powercinema 3

Marketed as a cheaper alternative to Windows Media Center, Cyberlink's Powercinema 3 is aimed at those who want to play movies and listen to music with the minimum of fuss.

With large buttons and a simple design, navigation isn't a problem, even if you output it to a standard TV. If you buy the optional remote control you don't have to go anywhere near your keyboard or mouse.

Powercinema is split into four main sections: movies, pictures, videos and music. The movies section plays DVDs and VCDs, while the other sections allow you browse your hard drive for relevant media.

Although the simple interface makes it easy to navigate, it is a little lacking in features. For example, the settings section of the manual states you can 'fine tune its performance to your machine'. However, when you go to Settings you get just one choice to alter the screen mode - not exactly what we would call fine tuning. The music feature is also a little simplistic. You can play individual songs or select an entire folder, but you can't create your own playlists.

There are some decent features lurking within. The CLPV option will convert 4:3 videos in to 16:9 widescreen format by stretching the outer edge of the picture, while the CLMEI function will convert a stereo input into a multi-channel output.

If you like the idea of being able to browse your media files without having to sit at your PC, Powercinema could be for you. However, its functionality is limited and you may find yourself reverting to Windows Media Player when watching DivX movies or playing mp3s.

Contact: Cyberlink 020 7221 4600
www.gocyberlink.com

System requirements:

• Windows XP
• Pentium III 450MHz or higher
• 32MB of Ram
• 200MB of hard disk space

See also:

Media PC cases on test

We check out a selection of media machines with both performance and style  23 Jul 2004

WinDVD 5 Platinum

Good features and quality DVD playback.  04 Mar 2004

Like this story? Spread the news by clicking below:

 del.icio.us     Digg this     reddit!