Much like having a TiVo for a notebook PC, the HP Dual-Tuner Media Center does lead to me one inescapable question. Why would I buy this? If I am not a business traveler and already have a media solution at my home, why should I bother?

The bulk of the article speaks out about the benefits of dual tuners. We get it! This is not new news folks! While having this for a notebook is cool, I am failing to grasp the practical aspect to owning an HP notebook with these features.

There’s more Media Center news today than just Digital Joy. HP announced the new zd8000 notebook, which packs in dual tuner cards. The TV tuner is contained in a unit separate from the main notebook. The dual-tuner approach means that consumers could record one live TV show while watching another. Colleague Michael Gartenberg explains one benefit of dual TV tuners here.

The zd8000 also comes with other goodies typically found on brawny, desktop Media Center PCs, such as a FM tuner and up to 256MB graphics memory.

HP’s overall Media Center strategy shows the value of tenure. The company was Microsoft’s lead hardware developer for the original Media Center PC. The culmination is a cohesive set of entertainment products, many built around Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.