4. Front A/V Ports

For the home video enthusiast there is a complete set of front audio and video inputs in the left lower compartment in the z556 that allow you to import video from Firewire, S-Video and RCA connections (Figure 5). There are also a large ¼'' headphone connector and a microphone jack for convenient headset use.

Figure 5: Front A/V inputs.

Remote And Keyboard

The HP Media Center remote (Figure 6) comes with the z556. The HP remote is comfortable to grip due to a contoured battery compartment on the underside. The buttons on the remote are mostly standard raised and rubberized buttons. However, the directional pad and the start button are smooth and contoured. The texture difference on these buttons allows you to find the most important buttons easily by touch.

Since the HP remote is not backlit, the different textured buttons are useful since the lights are generally low in the room where an HTPC is being used. The touch and balance of the remote also help ensure that you hold the remote correctly in the dark. By far the most used keys on the remote, the directional buttons, are smooth and easy to use without having to look at the remote. The OK Button is large and slightly rounded, which enhances its comfort. All of the most frequently used buttons are within easy reach of the thumb, ranging from the home base to the OK button.

Figure 6: HP Digital Entertainment Center Infrared remote control

I am accustomed to using Microsoft's Media Center Remote and while the HP model was comfortable and pleasant to use, I missed having programmable buttons that can be set to control the TV's power and volume settings. I also found it to be slightly cramped around the skip buttons and the back and info buttons, and I would often mistakenly hit one or the other. The power button sends the z556 to stand-by by default and can also be used to wake the system back up.

The HP RF wireless entertainment keyboard (Figure 7) is a perfect size for a media center. It can be stowed away when not in use and the flat sides allow it to be propped on its edge out of the way. (I have a Logitech wireless keyboard that has rounded sides and it's always tipping over when I try to prop it up out of the way.) The keys have a nice shallow touch, and are responsive.

Figure 7: HP Wireless Entertainment keyboard w/ integrated track ball

The keyboard is designed for use on your lap and has rubberized handgrips on the underside, with indentations designed to fit your fingers. It also has wide areas on both sides that make it easy to pick up without inadvertently pressing any keys. It's definitely sturdy and feels as if it could withstand some mild abuse without breaking.

The mini trackball is perfect for light use. If you can stand a slight learning curve the trackball is much easier to use in a home theater environment than a standard mouse because it does not require a flat surface to operate. The top of the keyboard has a full set of multimedia keys along with a few common shortcuts and programmable keys. It uses four AA batteries also has a button to send the HTPC to standby and to wake it up.