Visionman Allio PCTV review - Part one: Introduction

December 24, 1:25 PMDenver Gadgets ExaminerKit Parenteau

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The Visionman Allio PCTV

With great perseverance, dedication, and a touch of travel, success has been had: a first-hand review of the Visionman Allio PCTV.  First off, a bit of a disclosure.  This Allio review comes from direct interaction with the device in a demonstration setting rather than a live shipment at the test lab here.  Every precaution was taken to ensure that the information I am giving is accurate to the end product as well, however there are some aspects that are not possible to accurately measure outside a controlled environment.  I will be noting these where they apply.

In this case, the review will cover primarily the 42” mid/high-range version with a touch of information on the 32” mid/high-range version.  Let me clarify, the primary difference between the mid-range and the high range is the CPU and default memory and drive configuration.  This review is not intended to cover the details of the computer guts.  You can extrapolate information based on the processor speed, and of course more memory and more drive space are just that.

Firstly, if you are not familiar with the Allio, you may want to see this article for more information.  The Allio (Or “All In One”) is a PCTV; a computer and LCD Television married into a single device.

Physically it resembles a standard LCD Flat Panel TV.  The main unit measures in at 41.25 inches wide by 29 inches tall with a depth of 4.75 inches.  It currently ships with a separate base with a footprint just shy of 22 inches wide and about 13.5 inches deep.  

That word, “currently”, is also relatively important.  The product on web sites is displayed with a separate wireless mouse and keyboard, however the configuration being shipped no longer reflects this.  Thus, “currently” reflects two things to consider:  What you see may not precisely match what you get; and the system is a first generation item and not fully solid in accessory item standards.  They are making improvements and changes to it as it goes.  

I will point out immediately though that it is not necessary to wait on the purchase of this because the changes are entirely in modular accessories.  The core system remains the same and if it meets your needs and wants, you are set.  

On both models, there is an integrated vertical-load DVD drawer on the left side.  DVD-only on the lower-end of the series, BluRay + DVD on the mid and high end.  Both Allio models also have the normal controls you’d expect to see on any LCD television on the right side.  The 42” has all of its inputs and connectivity on a bottom ledge of the back, also as you’d expect to see from a TV of this size range.

Both models have a separate power button for the PC portion of the system, located just above the disc player on the left of the 42” and above the TV controls on the right of the 32”.  That brings up the next important point thing to mention:  Even though they are integrated into the same physical device, the PC computer and the TV work wholly independently of each other.  This carries the benefit that even if one component fails, the other will continue to work, and it is not necessary to operate both at once.  It should be noted though that the DVD and DVR/PVR capability of the system is reliant on the computer operation.  They both do operate off the same power supply unit however.

Accessory-wise, the Allio comes with a Windows Media Center IR Blaster/Receiver; Wireless keyboard and mouse (currently shipping with an iOne Scorpius R30 keyboard with integrated touch pad); Hauppauge USB TV Tuner with a remote and a small Digital TV Over the Air (DTV OTA) antenna; TV remote; and a short HDMI patch cable.  There are potentially a few other cables, however I was not able to confirm these.

The most impressive accessory though, in my opinion, is the wall mount bracket.  The Allio comes with a VESA Standard wall mount appropriate to hold it.  This is something that normally folks who are curious about wall-mounting will end up spending a lot of headache and hassle trying to get the right one and then pay upwards of several hundred dollars for.

Continue to the next article for general specifications and considerations