Destination Takes DVD Route

New Gateway 2000 models offer upscale multimedia capability.

Gateway 2000%squots Destination is going the DVD route. The year-old PC/TV with a 31-inch screen is now available with a DVD-ROM drive and AC-3 audio output, the company announced today at PC Expo in New York.

Prices for a Destination Big Screen PC/TV with DVD start at $3199. You get a Pentium MMX-166, 32MB of RAM, and 3.2GB hard drive. That%squots $300 more than a comparably configured model without DVD--but bear in mind that you have to supply the AC-3 receiver to reap the full benefit of the improved sound capability.

Gateway says the Destination has several advantages over a regular TV and DVD player. The Destination%squots 720-by-480 resolution mirrors the digital resolution of DVD video. TVs don%squott support such high resolution and DVD players must convert the digitized content to the analog NTSC signal, factors that tend to degrade image quality.

The Destination also incorporates the new Mpact media processor to control image color, contrast, brightness, and tint by manipulating the video stream so users don%squott have to reset monitor controls for every title.

The upgrade, which should enhance the Destination%squots appeal as a home entertainment center, comes at a time when the Destination faces its first major competition. The PC Theater from Compaq and RCA boasts a 36-inch screen but also costs about $5000.

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