i865 is dual channel DDR, so sounds OK.
The chipsets AGP capability (extending the integrated gfx) is present as a socket on this specific PC- right?

Not that I can advise you of a better alternative at an equivalent price:

A good friend had an LCD monitor off this company. The German support desk were dreadful to him. He had used the monitor for less than a days worth of hours over a year and it failed on him. Post warranty - There was no option for him but to scrap it. No offer of a fix with a cost, not a replacement with a cost, not even an idea of what might have gone faulty to help him have it repaired by a 3rd party.

It cost him less than $300, when such monitors were $500-$600. I'm converting the UK£ price.

Like I said, I'm not sure which box shifter I'd go to instead. I think some video editing system dealers are hard to beat from a reputation standpoint. SafeHarbor.com, VideoHardware.com.

I guess a blanket extended warranty "for all your electrical gear less than 3yrs old" can make up for unreliable devices.

You don't often hear the good stories, it is fair to say. German computer kit is usually very good, IMHO. Pays yer money, takes yer choice.

I got a reply from medion here in the US. They answered most of my questions and for those who want to know here they are:

Audio question is mostly unanswered but they said "AC'97 driver" and that is it.
As for the rest -

Hard drives bays - 2 (So room to put one more)
Anything 'onboard' can be disabled. Slots available for addition of better audio and video cards.

The more detailed specs they emailed to me are:

* PU Intel Pentium 4 2.6GHz Socket 478 - 800MHz FSB
* Mainboard Intel 865G chipset (Info at Intel)
* RAM 512MB (2 x 256MB) PC2700 333MHz DDR (Supports up to 2GB PC2700/2100/1600
DDR Non-ECC/Non-Parity)
* HDD Seagate 160GB Ultra ATA 100, 7200RPM Barracuda 7200.7 - ST3160021A
* DVD/CD Burner Pioneer Multi-Function DVD±RW Recorder - Writes to DVD-R(4X),
DVD-RW(2X), DVD+R(4X), DVD+RW(2.4X), CD-R(16X), CD-RW(10X)
* DVR-A06U DVD ROM 16X DVD-ROM Sony
* FDD 3.5” Sony
* VGA Intel Extreme Graphics2 onboard (Info at Intel)
* Sound 6 Channel/5.1 Surround Sound capability
* Modem 56K V90 PCI Data Fax Modem
* LAN Integrated 10/100 Mbit onboard
* Wireless LAN Integrated 11Mbps 802.11b wireless
* Tuner Stereo TV, FM Tuner
* USB 7 USB 2.0 ports - 3 in front panel, 4 in back panel
* Firewire 2 Firewire ports - 1 in front panel, 1 in back panel
* Mouse/Keyboard Wireless Medion keyboard and Mouse
* Remote RF Remote control. Control DVD, TV, VCR(PVR?), CD, Radio, and Photo features
(supported by Power Cinema)

* Front Panel Ports include: gameport, Audio in, mic in, Headphone, 3 USB 2.0 ports, 1
Firewire port. The card reader panel allows you to read SD/MMC, memory stick, CF,
microdrive and smart media cards

* Rear Connectors Monitor out(VGA),S-Video out, Composite out, Serial port, Parallel port,
PS/2 Mouse, PS/2 Keyboard, Audio out, Digital audio out, Digital audio in, Ethernet port,
Modem port, 4xUSB, 1x Firewire.

* Available Expansion Slots

~ PCI 3 / 2 open
~ AGP 1 / 0 open
~ DIMM DDR 2 / 0 open (but as stated Ram can be expanded up to 2 gig)


Pre-Installed Software

Windows XP Home edition Operating System
Medion Home CinemaXL Operating System
Microsoft Works Suite 2004 Word, Works 7.0, Picture It!®, Encarta® Encyclopedia 2004,
Money 2004, Streets & Trips 2004
Cyberlink PowerDVD 5 DVD viewer
Power Cinema 2 DVD viewer
Cyberlink Power Producer 2 DVD editor/recorder
Nero burning ROM CD Writing Software
Music Match Jukebox 7.10 Audio
Pinnacle Instant Copy CD copy program

Price just announced - $799.00

Ok, so I am extremly tempted by this. On Monday i might be the owner of a new PC.

Just some things to consider:

> PU Intel Pentium 4 2.6GHz Socket 478 - 800MHz FSB
> RAM 512MB (2 x 256MB) PC2700 333MHz DDR

Why would you put DDR333 RAM on an 800MHz FSB? You want DDR400 for the best performance from your motherboard. (i.e., PC3200)

> ~ PCI 3 / 2 open

This suggests it’s a Micro-ATX form factor. If you do decide to add a sound card and video capture card, your 3 slots are full. No more expandability. I would recommend a full-ATX motherboard with 5 PCI slots for maximum expandability.

> ~ AGP 1 / 0 open

This doesn’t make any sense. The Video is on the motherboard; therefore the AGP slot should be open unless there is no AGP slot? Just AGP built into the motherboard. I’d question if you can add an AGP graphics card and why that slot isn’t open already.

> ~ DIMM DDR 2 / 0 open (but as stated Ram can be expanded up to 2 gig)

Which means it’s upgradeable only if you are willing to throw out your existing memory and buy all new! Most motherboards have 4 memory slots. What is going on here?

My Conclusion:
This looks like a “dead-end” system on closer inspection. There really isn’t much room for expandability. I just went to mwave.com and priced out these parts at around $670! And that’s for a motherboard with 4 memory slots using DDR400 memory. For an additional $79 mwave.com will build and test your system for you. I have never used them but that’s just an example of what you could buy for around $749. (albeit without software)

Abscomputers.com also has a similar system (Explorer 1200) for $789 and they build from stock parts. At least you know you’re getting an ASUS P4P800-VM motherboard with 4 memory slots. Once again I have never bought from them but I’ve been shopping around so I thought I’d pass on what I’ve been finding. (I’m planning on building my own system)

I just don’t think this is a great deal (not that you asked my opinion). I would shop around and get a system with more PCI slots, more memory slots, and a case that can take more hard drives. But that’s just me. Your mileage may vary. ;-)

~jr

Just a few notes to Johnny Roy.

I like to tinker but I am so busy lately I don't have too much time to build systems. The Median has built in firewire, front and back inputs, as well as compsoite and S-VHS inputs. I would have no reason to put in a capture board on this for what I am goinfg to use it for. The system I have now had 5 open slots when I got it - now it has one. I have a NIC card, a Firewire card, a SCSi card, A modem (that I pulled out and now an ata controller sit in it) the fifth spot is not really available because I put a fan in and it hovers over that spot. My point is this - I would not need to put in a nic card, a firewire card, or a scsi card in this. The on board audio may be fine for my needs. The AGP slot sounds wierd however it could be that, like my system, there is a shared AGP/PCI slot and that is one of the 3 PCI slots that is full...I don't know. Also note that there is supposedly composite and S-VHS outs on the rear so it could indicate some sort of card is there for that reason. Again - don't know and won't until Monday when it is released.

As for the Ram. The system I have now only has 3 slots. My old 486DX has 4 slots. The maximum for the 486 was 256 mgs. The maximum for what I have now is 386 megs. So I don't really care how many slots there are. I am used to tossing out the RAM I already have when I upgrade anyway. The cost of RAM is fairly cheap now as well, as are hard drives. The slots are not as important as the RAM expandiablity is.

The system can be expanded somewhat and because I would not have to install a NIC, not have to install a video card, not have to install extra USB cards, not have to install an analog card...well it seems like an ok system for what I would use it for. Certianly many many posts in this forum concern VV and hardware support as well as software and rendering. So - given that train of thought and what my current needs are what this system offers would surely speed up renders. The built in NIC allows me to hook up to my existing network and tap into other hard drives. The surround sound would allow me to test surround mixes better than I can now. I can expand ram, I can ad in another card if I need hardware support, I can add another internal hard drive as well. On the good side I don't have to build this myself. On the bad side I love to tinker and tinker-ability on this is low. But what do I need to do? Tinker or edit? Hmmm..edit. from all sources seems like I can Edit very well with this system.

I do want opinions - but I want it more on how the systme for editing. not on how much I can tinker and upgrade beyond the ram or adding in an audio card/video card if need be :) Now if you have opinons on P4's running at over 2 ghz with HT - let me know how that will be bad for editing. If being bale to have more than a gig of ram is bad let me know. That type of thing is what I am looking for. overall it doesn;t seem to many people have experiance with this brand anyway. Lots of little reviews in german all over the place on other median systems but that doesn't help me.

Fair enough. I agree that with all the on board stuff you get today, PCI slots are not as important as they once were. I was just pointing out that you could get a more expandable system for the same price. But I understand that if it has everything you need then it’s worth the price to you. I can’t argue with that.

I was at a family function today (my mom turned 88 years old) and my cousin’s husband was telling me he’s bought from abscomputers.com and has even visited their factory and says they build quality stuff. I went to their site after one of their systems got an Editor’s Choice award in PC Gamer magazine. So they build some pretty hot systems for a very reasonable price and all from stock industry parts. You might just want to see what $799 will buy you over there just for comparison sake.

Let us know how you like the Medion once you get it. Good Luck.

~jr

Thanks for the abscomputers.com link. I checked them out and the price range they have offers less of the same...so to speak. For $999.00 they offer a system with the exact same motherboard and the same P4 chip, 512 meg of ram but only a 60 gig hard drive and only a cd/cdrw/dvd drive. Can't find any mention of card readers or firewire or other video inputs. (So maybe this is what is in the AGP slot on the medion) The specs do confirm the existance of an AGP slot. It also is a bi tmore specific about th eon board audio - Realtek ALC650 6 ch. But, again, for the price there is a bit less offered than the median.

Another model is $859, does not come with 1394 and states "Front panel firewire function is available only when upgraded to Sound Blaster Audigy series" Also no DVD burner, an 80 gig drive and no tv tuner. (The TV tuner doesn't matter really - but only mentioned as a comparison)

So what 799 will buy me at abcomputers is this:

Under the "Awesome Value" section "Intel" - blank. No systems.
Under "AMD" we have, for $749.00 -

Case-
Form Factor: Standard ATX Mainboard
Drive Bays: External 3 x 5.25:, 2 x 3.5" Internal 4 x 3.5"
Expansion Slots: 7
USB/IO: 4x USB, Audio
Case Fans: 1 x 80mm (rear see pics)

System -
Power Supply: Allied 400W Power Supply with 2 Fans
Other Fans: Cooler Master TLF-R82 (TLF-R82-E1) ( Blue ) Neon LED Fan. Size: 80x80x25mm
CPU Fan: Dynatron High-End Microfin Cooler w/ 5300 RPM Fan (Support Up to 3200+)
CPU: AMD ATHLON XP 2600 Barton 333MHz FSB PROCESSOR CPU- OEM
Hard dive: Western Digital 80GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache
Video Card: Sapphire ATI Radeon 9200SE 8X AGP 128MB DDR with TV-Out

Motherboard -
FSB: 400/333/266/200MHz
RAM:3 x 184-pin DIMM PC2100/2700 or 2 x PC 3200 (Max 3GB)
IDE: 2 x UltraDMA 133/100 up to 4 devices
RAID: 2 x Serial ATA with RAID 0, 1 function
Slots:1 x AGP 8X, 6 x PCI, 1 x ASUS Proprietary WIFI Wireless Lan Connector
Ports:2xPS2,1xLPT,1xCOM,4xUSB,1xLAN, and Audio Ports
Onboard Audio:ADI AD1980 SoundMAX 6-channel
Onboard LAN:3Com 3C940 1000 Mbps Ethernet

1 CD-RW drive
1 - DVD drive (not a recordable)

Modem

Also comes with a 3 piece speaker set up abd a wireless keyboard and mouse.

No firewire from what it looks like. No front media card reader. No DVD burner. No TV Tuner.
You can add the Sound Blaster Audigy Sound Card | w/1394 Firewire Port for an extra $59.
you can add a DVD burner for $86 or a bit better one for $119.01. You can add a TV Tuner for $46. Can't see any option for media card reader.

So the plus of this is more room to play. The downside is if I wanted the firewire I would need to pay more (And I would need the firewire). If I wanted a DVD burner i would need to pay more (And that is a huge plus for me on the medion)

Feedback on anything? This would be 749 plus S&H plus having to get the needed extras. The medion comes with everything and is 799 plus tax,

Medion puts together an OK machine. They do not carry inventory or handle support. They make 1000 pc-s and sell 1000 pcs - they sell them out everytime - keeps thier costs lower. They even sell them at ALDI food stores! It is no better or worse than any other off the shelf proprietary junker out there. If your using it for video I suggest you build your own machine and use quality name brand stuff you trust. You get what you pay in the pc business contrary to popular opinion a great pc still costs a lot...$599 and $999 isnt going to get you a video editing suite.

I have a medion and they can be purchased at Toys R US, (UK) which they are not.
They are very quite, odd to only have one drive for Video though it is partioned. the company is based in Germany, help line is slow to hopeless, TARGA was better ( my laptop)
I did not have dropped frames during capture, BUT did get them when printing. I have now added an extra internal drive and that sort that. Also had dropped frames captureing to a firewire dirve, though prints fine errr...
I use IBM drives in. there are slots for upgrading, onboard sound is 5.1 and okish, MIDI is poor. card reader and front sockets are helpfull
Purchased in May this year pay next year, have used tit o make over a dozen wedding videos at about >90mins with no crashes I repaet as this is very important NO CRASHES and made DVD's (Pioneer 105) using Verbatim disk and non have come back with problems.

Hope that is helpfull