Many more people today are using laptop computers for home theater. Learn which brands and models have the best features for home theater and find out which one is right for you.
The Best Laptop Computers for Home Theater
More people than ever are using laptop computers for home theater such as watching TV and movies and listening to CDs. In order to use a laptop computer for home theater, you’ll need a:
- Large widescreen display,
- Fast multi-core processor,
- Fast hard drive with plenty of storage space,
- Ample memory,
- High-end graphics processor,
- Stereo speakers,
- Optical drive that can play DVD or Blu-ray disks.
Fortunately, there are many affordable laptop computers currently on the market that have all these specifications and much more. You only have to look to today’s top laptop computer manufacturer’s to find what you need at a reasonable price.
HP Pavilion dv7-3080us Laptop
The HP Pavilion dv7-3080us home theater laptop computer comes with Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit, a 1.6 GHz Intel Core processor, a 17.3 inch high-definition LED widescreen display, a 7200 rpm hard drive up to 500 GB, a maximum of 8 GB of memory, and a full size keyboard.
You can watch your Blu-ray and DVD disks on this laptop’s double layer Blu-ray ROM with DVD R/RW. This HP laptop also has an 8 cell Lithium-Ion battery, providing extra long battery life. The Altec Lansing stereo speakers will produce high quality audio, whether you’re listening to music or watching television or DVDs. The dv7-3080us laptop also has an NVIDIA GeForce graphics card for superior graphics performance. This home theater laptop computer is also Energy Star qualified with an EPEAT silver rating and its LED display is mercury-free.
Acer Aspire 8930G Gemstone Blue Laptop
The Acer Aspire 8930G Gemstone Blue is another laptop computer that’s ideal for home theater. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with Centrino 2 processor technology, 4 GB maximum memory, up to 2 320 GB hard drives, a Blu-ray/DVD combo drive, an 18.4 inch full HD display, an NVIDIA GeForce graphics card and five built-in Dolby Home Theater surround-sound speakers.
There are also pressure-sensitive media control buttons you can use to play, pause, fast forward and rewind your movies and music. Although this home theater laptop is a bit pricier than the HP Pavilion dv7-3080us, the surround-sound speakers and extra-large display will undoubtedly be worth the cost when you’re watching your Blu-ray disks in full HD.
Sony VAIO AW Series Laptops
Sony’s VAIO AW series laptop computers offer many features that are ideal for home theater and entertainment. This laptop has Windows 7 Home Premium, an 18.4 inch widescreen display, a Blu-ray/DVD combo drive, an NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, Intel High Definition Audio with Dolby Digital Live, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with Centrino 2 processor technology and a 7200 rpm 320 GB hard drive.
The AW series home theater laptop computers also have built-in media control buttons to easily play, stop, pause, fast forward and rewind your music, TV and movies. AW series laptops are compliant with Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) standards, energy-efficient, manufactured using renewable energy and shipped in recycled packaging. The starting price is comparable to similar laptop computers, and the Sony VAIO AW series are customizable to order.
Dell Alienware M17x Laptop
Dell’s Alienware M17x laptop computers for home theater include Windows 7 Home Premium, a 17 inch widescreen display, a dual-layer DVD player, an NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz processor, a 7200 rpm hard drive up to 500 GB, a 9 cell Lithium-Ion battery, up to 8 GB of memory and an illuminated keyboard.
The Alienware M17x home theater laptop computer is also highly customizable. You can order your Alienware laptop with a solid state hard drive or a performance RAID hard drive. You can also upgrade to a Quad or Extreme Quad processor, a TV tuner and a Blu-ray drive. The starting price of the Alienware M17x laptop is considerably more expensive than comparable laptops. However, the Alienware M17x’s customization options give you the ability to build a killer home theater laptop.
Toshiba Qosmio X500 Series Laptops
The Toshiba Qosmio X500 laptop home theater computer has Windows Home Premium 64 bit, an 18.4 inch widescreen display, an Intel Core i7 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M graphics card, a 7200 rpm hard drive up to 320 GB, a maximum 6 GB of memory, a Blu-Ray/DVD combo drive, an LED backlit keyboard and capability for full 1080p HD video and audio.
There is also an option to upgrade this home theater laptop to a solid state drive up to 384 GB, in addition to the Qosmio X500’s already existing 7200 rpm hard drive. The Qosmio X500 laptop computer is also very reasonably priced in comparison to laptop computers with similar features.
For more home theater options, read Cheap DIY Home Theater Systems and New Advances in Blu-ray, DVD and DVR for Home Theater .
