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In Pictures: HP's Supersized Multimedia Notebook

With a 20-inch screen, an HD DVD player, an integrated NTSC/ATSC TV tuner, up to 7.1-channel analog audio output, and HDMI output, HP's massive notebook sets its sights on your living room.

Melissa J. Perenson, PC World

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Screen Support 2 of 17

Here is the notebook as seen from the rear; the silver support in the center serves as a kickstand for the adjustable, 20.1-inch, WSXGA+ (1680 by 1050 resolution) High-Definition HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display screen.

Screen Support

Adjustable Screen

The 20.1-inch display is mounted on a hinged support, so you can adjust the display's angle from straight to a more comfortably viewed incline.

Candid Camera

At the top of the screen, HP integrates a swiveling 640-by-480-resolution Webcam. Flanking it is a dual-array microphone.

The HDX Entertainment Notebook's Front View

Beneath the stylishly textured and seamlessly integrated touchpad, the notebook sports a handy microphone jack and dual-headphone inputs.

Classy Keypad Design

Above the keyboard, the HDX has an array of backlit capacitive touch soft-keys, for launching shortcuts, controlling media playback, activating the integrated wireless antenna (for 802.11a/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0), and adjusting volume, treble, and bass.

Biometrics: Open, Sesame

Like many notebooks today, HP's HDX provides an integrated fingerprint reader for easy access to the PC and to online accounts.

Pop-Out Media Remote

Inset to the left of the keyboard is HP's pop-out remote control. The remote handles all media-playback functions, and works either independently or while docked in the notebook.

Media Remote Functions

The media remote includes navigation and playback controls, as well as a Windows Vista Media Center button.

View Movies in High-Def

The right side of the notebook has two convenient USB 2.0 ports, plus a combination optical drive for playing HD DVD-ROMs and burning CDs and DVDs.

An Array of Ports, Part I

The HP HDX's rear ports include (from left to right) a line-in port, an IR emitter input, an S-Video input, and a coaxial video input.

An Array of Ports, Part II

Also on the rear of the HP HDX is a set of 1/8-inch analog speaker outputs, consisting of (from left to right) side, rear, center/subwoofer, and front connections.

Ports Aplenty

The left side of the notebook features (from left to right) two USB ports, a gigabit ethernet port, an expansion port, and a VGA port.

Ports Aplenty, Redux

The left side of the notebook is packed with ports. In addition to the connections shown in the previous slide, it has (from left to right) an HDMI input, an External SATA input, a four-pin FireWire 400 input, a media card slot (for reading SD Card, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD-Picture Card), and an ExpressCard/54 slot.

Appealing Audio

The HDX uses integrated audio to achieve 7.1-channel analog sound output. If you don't want to connect external speakers, you'll find that the four built-in Altec Lansing speakers and the integrated HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer (shown here on the underside of the unit) do nicely.