Sony desktop doubles as flat-screen TV

Sony on Tuesday launched the Vaio VGC-LS1 desktop, which serves as both personal computer and TV.

The system comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse, as well as with a remote control that can switch the monitor from a Windows-based PC to a TV thanks to a built-in tuner. With technology similar to a digital video recorder, TV shows can be saved on the computer's 250GB hard drive and burned onto DVDs.

Credit: Sony

Sony has also designed its new computer for space efficiency: Like Apple's iMac, the VGC-LS1's hardware is packed into the back of its LCD screen.

The 19-inch screen isn't well-suited for TV watching from more than a few metres away. But media enthusiasts and space-confined flat-dwellers may jump at the chance to have a single machine for checking email and watching Dragons' Den.

Like many other PCs with built-in TV tuners, the Sony VCG-LS1 comes with Windows Media Center, Microsoft's answer to the rising demand for all-in-one multimedia access. Media Center sales were slow at first, but this spring Microsoft reported that third-party research found a whopping 59 per cent of Windows-equipped computers sold in the US were Media Center PCs.

Sony's new machine, which will be compatible with Microsoft's long-awaited Vista operating system, will start shipping in mid-September in the US. Eager media fans, however, can pre-order it now.

The VGC-LS1 features Intel's 1.83GHz Core Duo processor and 2GB of RAM.

The computer retails for $2,099 (£1,100). That's more than a comparable 'normal' desktop, but less than other compact PCs with TV tuners. Dell's XPS M2010, for example, costs upwards of £2,000 depending on feature customisation.

UK prices and release dates were unavailable at time of publication.