By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
06/10/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050488,43839079p,00.htm

With the recent introduction of midsized entertainment models sporting larger 16.4-inch displays and 16:9 aspect ratio like the Sony Vaio VGN-FW series and Acer Aspire 6920G, this HP Pavilion may, at first, seem a little out of date with its 15.4-inch LCD. But if you really need the new screen size and dimensions, HP has a model to compete with Sony and Acer in the form of the HDX 16. For those looking at an affordable yet feature-packed entertainment machine, the Pavilion is hard to beat despite strong contenders like the Dell Studio 1535 and Asus M50V.

Design

Bucking the trend of offering more color options, the Palo Alto company personalizes its Pavilion series with the proprietary HP Imprint technology instead. Under the black glossy coat is an embossed matrix pattern called "Mesh", while the shiny silver interior has been coined "liquid metal". The screen can also be decked out with an optional "infinity screen" that removes the usual beveled edges of the LCD by bringing the glass all the way to the sides. Though the aesthetic value of this design philosophy is undeniable, we have some gripes when it comes to actual usability.

The shiny silver keyboard, palm rest and touchpad look great brand new. However, unless you plan never to type a single word or finger the touchpad, the shiny silver surface quickly picks up fingerprint oils which leave behind a slick layer. This not only looks gross, but feels uncomfortable after some time. Though a quick wipe with a cleaning cloth solves the issue, we would have preferred that the interior had a normal matt coating. Otherwise, the keyboard and touchpad are generously sized and can be used for extended periods without finger cramps. A nice touch is a button that disables the touchpad when using a mouse.

The infinity screen looks great, assuming the unit is kept in the dark while in use. The reflective coating is effectively a mirror under normal lighting conditions and reflections can be seen even while playing a movie. The problem doesn't improve even when the brightness is set at maximum. When HP showed us two versions, one with the standard transflective display and the other with the infinity screen, the former's reflections were a little less prominent though still disturbing. It may be an issue of insufficient backlight brightness, but all we can say is that the Pavilion dv5 is best used in dark places.

Though a little thick for a midsized laptop, having a footprint of 334 x 237 x 39mm, it is rather light for its class and tips the scales at 2.5kg. The Dell Studio 1535 is a little heavier at 2.77kg, while the 3kg Asus M50Vm is considerably larger as it sports a dual harddisk setup. You won't sprain a shoulder carrying the Pavilion dv5, but it's not something you just slip into your bag and forget that it's there, either.

Features

The Pavilion dv5 is an entertainment laptop with the features to prove it. Besides the attractive touch-sensitive multimedia control panel which glows with a white LED light, the Pavilion dv5 also contains a hybrid analog/digital TV tuner, mini remote control and a Blu-ray combo drive. Thanks to its powerful graphics card, it is also a competent gaming laptop. For a machine that starts at S$2,499, the Pavilion dv5 offers excellent value. The Dell Studio 1535 may be cheaper, but lacks a TV tuner card and has a much less powerful video processor.

Our review unit sported a high-resolution 1,680 x 1,050-pixel display (the starting configuration comes with 1,280 x 800 pixels) powered by a discrete Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics card. Though most users will probably find this satisfactory, for a lower price the Acer Aspire 6920G offers a full-HD 16.4-inch panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Compared with the 16:10, 15.4-inch display on the Pavilion, the Acer is able to play widescreen movies at the native aspect ratio without having to resort to black borders or stretching the images. Considering that the Pavilion dv5 also includes a Blu-ray combo drive (which can read and write to DVD/CD but read only Blu-ray discs), a 16:9 aspect ratio screen would have been a better choice.

Another area in which the Acer Aspire is superior to the Pavilion dv5 is in audio. While the stereo Altec Lansing speakers on the HP produce good tones, what's lacking is a subwoofer for superior bass. Fortunately, an S/PDIF jack is available for digital streaming to external speakers. Alternatively, you can have a private viewing session with a friend as this model comes with two headphone jacks along with a microphone port, though the latter would rarely be used as the integrated 1.3-megapixel Webcam is equipped with digital mics as well.

It should also be noted that the Pavilion runs very hot, with most of the heat coming out from the left half of the keyboard. Though we expected this to occur during bouts of intensive gaming, we were surprised that the thermal effects persist even while watching DVD movies, though the laptop was on a hard, flat surface in an air-conditioned room. We do not advise closing the lid while the Pavilion is streaming a movie through its HDMI port to a larger display lest it overheats.

Minor gripes aside, this Pavilion actually offers great value at its price point. Like any good entertainment machine, the Pavilion dv5 not only comes with multimedia controls, but includes a mini remote control which can be stored in the ExpressCard/54 slot when not in use. These work in conjunction with the HP QuickPlay interface. Though Windows Media Center is still available for multimedia playback, QuickPlay expands on this by integrating applications such as CyberLink YouCam (for some Webcam fun) and HP online TV channels for times when you are tired of local broadcasts on the hybrid TV tuner. To make Windows login and password recall less painful, the Pavilion dv5 provides a fingerprint sensor to replace manual keyboard entries. However, since the codes are stored on the harddisk instead of a TPM security chip, some business users might not feel that this HP is secure enough for sensitive information.

The Pavilion dv5 comes with all the connectivity options expected in a midsized portable. There is, however, one port which is rarely seen outside the Pavilion series (the only other machine we've seen this on is the Toshiba Qosmio X300). By this we mean the USB/eSATA port, which is a compromise between the ubiquitous USB and upcoming eSATA standards. This allows users to choose between using four USB 2.0 devices or three USB and one eSATA peripherals.

Other connectivity options include a mini-FireWire, ExpressCard/54, HDMI and VGA outputs. A proprietary port allows HP docking solutions to be used, while a 5-in-1 card reader handles SD/MMC, SDHC, Memory Stick and xD-Picture Card media. 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth radios hook up with wireless signals, while wired networks are dealt with by the Gigabit Ethernet and modem ports.

Performance And Battery Life

The HP Pavilion starts at S$2,499 and comes with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 chip, 2GB RAM, 250GB storage and Blu-ray drive. Our review unit was a bumped-up set with a 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo T9600 processor, 4GB RAM and 320GB harddisk. The operating system was also upgraded to Windows Vista Ultimate from the Home Premium Edition. Based on Windows Experience Index, the Pavilion dv5 obtained a overall score of 4.8, which is sufficient for all but the most demanding programs.

The powerful 512MB Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT makes the Pavilion dv5 a rather competent gaming machine, receiving a score of 4,099 on 3DMark06 benchmarks. The latest 3D Vantage tests also gave it a respectable result of P1220 (the P symbolizes that the machine was configured at performance settings) with 969 for graphics and 5,536 for the processor. However, a drawback to all these is that the Pavilion has poor battery life for a midsized portable. Despite Intel's aim of playing a full Blu-ray movie on its Centrino 2 platform on a single laptop charge, the Pavilion dv5 equipped with the latest chipset managed to run the Blu-ray version of Casino Royale for only 1 hour 32 minutes. DVD playback of iRobot didn't improve uptime much, going for 1 hour 47 minutes before giving up the ghost. Keep this Pavilion close to an outlet, or buy multiple batteries. It is also a pity that there is no high-capacity option for this model.

Service And Support

The HP laptop comes with a one-year local warranty. At HP's support Web site, laptop owners can download the latest drivers and manuals. In the event of a simple malfunction, the company offers an online knowledge database and support forum for troubleshooting. Further diagnosis or repair can be made at the service center, though the owner has to bring the notebook there. Telephone support is available during normal working hours and for current or potential customers who are not sure which HP notebook is right for you, a dedicated number is available for assistance in purchase selection. If more comprehensive coverage is required, you can purchase an extended three-year plan for a fee.