VGN-AR690U Curious if anyone's looked at it?

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665243858

Curious to see if anyone has this model or has been interested in it? I'm just looking for overall input on whether or not you guys like your sony laptops or not. I saw this model and liked it a lot, I think I would rather wait as far as the graphics card goes. Other than that I like the style, and some specs. I'd rather 7200RPM HDD's. Also one more question for sony laptop owners with HDMI Ports. Is it an HDMI 1.3 Port or just 1.2? Also does the port support 1080p? Thanks to all who take the time to read this!

 

the hdmi is 1.3, and yes it supports 1080p

its a high price but def has the featres

 

Awesome, thanks for the quick response! Do you like your sony? Have you had any problems that are out of the ordinary? Don't mean to be a pain I'm just doing a lot of research before a purchase.

 

well never had a sony - just ordered the SZ6 after ordering 2 other laptops that never could ship because the "stock alert" was wrong.

won't get it until tomorrow or monday

but i went to best buy yesterday to get a refresh on how it would be, lik it but dnt prefer the keyboard - but i wil get used to it (and i only mean on the SZ6, not the AR because the rest of the keyboards were fine)

 

It looks to me very simmilar with the AR590E . Nothing changed dramatically. Even the price remined super expensive ( and I cannot find out why because there is nothing special in this model ) .
One thing I can tell you since I am a Vaio AR520E owner . The quality of its display , and mine has a resolution of only 1440X900 ( pretty enough if you're asking me ) is fantastic - the best in the market .
If you want to watch 1080p stuff on your TV a much proper machine is TViX which cost only $300 and not $3300.

 

Well, I want more thank just watching 1080p video on my TV. Thanks for the reply and suggestion though lol. Glad to hear you like the screen! Adds more support toward my decision.

 

And because of it you're going to spend $3300 on a laptop ?!?!?! Wrong , wrong , wrong... A much better alternative in my opinion is the product I've mentioned earlier . It supports 1080p as well and costs about $3000 less .

 

I have the 590e, it seems as though the only difference is the processor runs at 2.0 GHz instead of 2.2. To be honest I love the computer. The screen is amazing in everyway and really takes advantage of bluray... itll be a fast computer and people get envious when they see it

 

I want more than just 1080p going to a television. I'm going to be using it for video editing, games, and so on. I need more than just 1080p for a TV lol. I just wanted to make sure I had the option of the HDMI port supporting 1080p. I'll be traveling every once in a while, I want a powerful notebook with great features. I saw the notebook and thought it was great. I have the option of watching video in 1080p and burning video in 1080p onto a disc. I will be able to play games with an alright graphics card. I think I will wait for the 8800m before I bother buying. Not to mention I'm still saving money. Thank you though! I appreciate you trying to save me money.

 

I have the very similar AR590E. People balk at the price but I think a lot of people don't realize the unique feature that only these upper Sony AR series laptops have: a cablecard digital cable tuner. You can watch and archive premium cable channels like HBOHD and CinemaxHD to your hearts content (at full 1080 resolution and with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound), through media center, just like a TIVO. You cannot add one of these to any other laptops out there, only over-the-air/ clear QAM (non-scrambled) cable tuners. They don't do HBO, etc. This special ATI cablecard tuner can't be added to any old computer. DIY "build your own" people have been left out in the cold.

Sure I could've saved money by getting a conventional tower PC that can similarly take the ATI cablecard tuner instead, but the "DRM/Hollywood police" have a stipulation that any premium cablecard recorded material must be played back on the same computer that recorded it. So I figured if I'm locked to just one computer, it had better be a portable one; Since I can't move the files to any other computer, I'll just bring the whole computer! Since the whole point of this purchase was to record HD movies off of HBO etc., I also figured its LCD ought to be the full resolution HDTV is capable of: 1080x1920. I like that when the screen's native resolution is the same as the signal there is no need for a scaler (which may have visual artifacts).

Recording (and archiving) onto Bluray disks is nice and I like the supplied media center remote control. Those could have been added externally to a lesser machine but the ATI tuner and 1080p built-in screen can't.

Note: To the best of my knowledge, only data Bluray disks can be burned of premium (HBO movie/boxing etc) content. This too was a concession to the Hollywood folks. I can't burn a normal bluray disk that would play, say, on an external machine (for example the PS3). That would allow moving content away from the source machine, which they've intentionally crippled.

 

I love you for telling me this. It's made up my decision. I want a Sony Vaio. So basically you can only store data on the Bluray disk rather than make it playable? Wouldn't the software determine that? If not a PS3 would a regular Bluray player work? If not you can still use the HDMI port. I hate to ask too many questions. So your happy with your decision and does the model I chose have the cable tuner you were talking about? Thank you for taking your time to type what you have and to read everything I've thrown at you.

 

Sony (which of course also makes money as a Bluray movie distributer) obviously doesn't want you to become your own Bluray pressing machine "pirate". If I record an HBO-HD movie through media center to the hard drive I can then back it up or move it to a blank Bluray disc as a file, but that does not mean it is a standard Bluray disk that will play back in typical outboard machines like the Sony BDPS1, BDPS300, the PS3, Samsung or Pioneer Bluray players etc. [Future software could change that but I'm not holding my breath.] I also don't think they'll playback on any other AR590E other than my own (but I'm not 100% sure about that). This is all very new stuff and I find Sony's tech help people are little more than script monkeys. [I asked, for example, if the new update that I downloaded for the SD card slot would allow it to read the newer SD-HC version and they didn't have a clue, nor offer to find out for me.]

Yes, I watch Bluray movies via HDMI to my HDTV (it must have HDCP, by the way, older ones and some computer monitors on the market don't). Annoyingly, as they warn you, the main LCD won't simultaneously work when the HDMI jack is active. Odd, but livable. If you don't need to archive data to Bluray and don't need the "Full HD 1080" screen you can still get the ATI DCT (digital cable tuner) included with the AR520(?), AR550, AR570, AR660 etc. In the specs page look under "TV Tuner" for the words, "Yes - ATI TV Wonder™ Digital Cable Tuner" . The only one that doesn't seem to have it is the intro AR model 630 and from the previous series the AR 350/370?

Check out www.Sonystyle.com Home > Computers > VAIO® Notebooks > VAIO® AR Series

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...0551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=27835

If you buy one, be sure to update the tuner's firmware to the newly released 1.16H:

http://ati.amd.com/support/drivers/vista32/ocur-vista32.html

Just to be sure you realize, the ATI DCT is not built-in but rather a USB tethered box. Considering it too must be tethered to your cable jack on the wall anyway, this doesn't really bother me.

 

I'm extremely excited. Thank you so much for your responses and information! I still have a good 1000 more to save until I can buy the Vaio I want. I can't wait! My mind has been made up. I think I might wait until Christmas time. Hopefully the 8800 gt will be out around or after Christmas and by then I'll have plenty of money. Who knows though there might be better things by then. Thanks again for taking your time to throw me a detailed informational response!

 

No problem. This very good FAQ from a different company seems to confirm that material recorded on one computer (using the cablecard) will not play in others:

http://www.s1digital.com/About_CableCARD_s/75.htm

Q: Can I store recorded TV on a network hard drive/Network Attached Storage (NAS)/Windows Home Server?

A: Yes, you can copy recorded TV to another hard drive and thenplay it on the Media Center that originally recorded the show and Xbox 360s, but not on any other PC.

 

Ahh I see. Regardless it is a laptop made to travel lol. You could always bring it with you and use the HDMI output. This isn't really a big downfall at all if one. Thanks for the info, you've been so much of a help for me really. I appreciate it so much!!

 

the 8800M GT won't be anywhere near yet
so don't wait for it.
about the AR
as i'm a student who carry around the laptop in backpack
(the Swissgear Pegasus)for a year (yep my AR is 270P
which is already one year old)
i don't know what happen but i can see the backpack let some
scratches on the laptop (not on the flat side but around the edges)
so be careful if you gonna carry it around

 

Ok, thanks for the info. I don't travel too often but if I do I'll be sure to buy a nice case. The 8800M was supposed to release this summer but didn't. They must be close to release (Whether it be Christmas or after) especially if it was set to release in the summer.

 

I got the VGP-AMC2 neoprene case with mine and will warn you it is a very tight fit. You even have to stretch it a bit to make it fit. I hardly travel with mine either; like I said a tower design would've worked for me but because of this anti movie file transfer lock down thingy you just have to bring the whole thing with you. I'm glad you got that point.

I don't miss the finger print reader thing. I'm paranoid a bad guy will chop off my finger and take it with him when I get mugged for my laptop! (just kidding) but I wish the right edge of the mouse pad acted like a scroll wheel. I've seen that on some other brands and wished my AR had it. Oh well.

I think they make fingerprint scanners as add on USB dongles if anyone cares (yes, I know, built in is better; less to lose or snap off)

 

Thanks for the info on the case. Yeah I'm kind of bummed about not being able to burn Bluray Player friendly disks. Do you know if any other manufacturers offer a Blu Ray burner that's playable with a Blu Ray Player? I don't know about the USB fingerprint reader. I'd rather be without one. They're cool but I'm fine with just a password lol. I have a scroll thing on the side of this pad. It's really annoying at times to be honest. Probably just on my laptop. Others I like a really lot for example the HP ones. Thanks again for the information.

 

well go check new update at esupport.sony.com
and look for the new touchpad driver^O^

 

Titan PSP, you tease. Maybe someday though. I use a mouse 99% of the time anyway, so I shouldn't complain.....

Wait a minute. Doh! (slaps forehead) It does have it! What a moron I am! There's no indication on the edge that it had it so I assumed it didn't. I've installed the updates as they've come out. Was that burried in one of them?

Most of the descriptions of the update are like this:

"Possibly Improves performance on some models that need and/or would benefit from an improvement in performance based on actual performance improvement"

I just tested it and see the lower edge scrolls left to right too, cool.

Thanks.

Zachareasy, software down the road may change what the Bluray can record. Maybe even non-Sony software. Bluray disks are too expensive to just play around with since I don't want to make "coasters", I have enough. I'm not sure but I think only cablecard premium material can't be recorded. Network TV shows like ABC CBS FOX should work through the normal ATSC/Clear QAM tuner (non encrypted digital cable) and also material you pipe in from a camcorder via firewire. Not sure though.

 

titan_psp,

http://www.techpowerup.com/?41713

According to this it's coming soon (October 29th).

mzil, I don't really mind what I can and can't record from a TV signal as much as what I can watch. It doesn't bother me if I can't watch certain channels either really. I just like the concept of watching TV on your laptop. Whether it's HD or not it's still cool. As for the recording software. Nearly positive some 3rd party program in the future will allow you to burn a playable Blu-Ray Disk. All I'm waiting for right now is the 8800m and a little more money. This notebook is probably going to remain my first pick as far as my options go. Number 2 will be an Asus G2-Extreme. (Hate the looks externally but love the specs.) If I end up doing without the Blu-Ray Drive then I will choose a Sager/Clevo(3rd Pick). I won't know what I'll pick once the 8800m comes out because I'm sure there will be new notebooks everywhere.

 

yep the 8800 GT will come out pretty soon
but as i said before the 8800M GT won't be anywhere soon^^
if you don't believe me hold your breathe for it^^
hope it will come out^^

 

I'm hoping for it! Lol, I can't wait to buy damnit.

 

How smooth is the picture movement in a DVD- or BluRay-film played on VGN-AR690U? LCD HDTVs, including Sony's, are known for having unstable picture, except in the more expensive models with "Motionflow 120 Hz" and other extras. Perhaps that is too much to expect from a laptop screen?

 

I have been considering this model for some time. I need a laptop both for work, bookkeeping, webdesign, and with a nice screen for films.

I tested an earlier version (AR41S) today in a store. Essentially the same computor.

While the BluRay disc played in it looked absolutely fabulous, there were some other issues;

1. I turned the volume upp to max. But it was still quite low. Not loud at all.

2. The DVD disc played looked fuzzy and pale in colors. It looks better on my old DVD-player and tube TV.

Has anyone else noticed the same problems?

 

I have the very similar AR590. HDTV live, recorded, and Bluray look excellent.
(the screen is 1200 x 1920 so it plays Full HD 1080 resolution and doesn't have to send the image through a pixel remapping scaler which often compromises the image ). Like 99.99% of LCD displays there is some black crush, loss of shadow detail, and the colors are fair to good but not excellent. Motion blur is quite low but I'm not saying as good as a CRT. It's hard to analyze motion blur because sometimes it's in the actual source, not the display. (I see it now even when watching movies directly in the theaters so I've given up on trying to analyze who's the culprit) Also built-in to the sources is EE, or artificial edge enhancement. I just saw some watching a scene from Jackie Brown but you'll have to research on your own if that DVD is known to have it or if its the laptop.

The sound is poor but exactly what I expected. 1" diameter speakers never have bass; end of story. If you want good sound use bluetooth headphones, there's a transmitter built-in (no bothersome USB dongle needed) that supports these two profiles: A2DP (the sound will work) and AVRCP (the headphone's track up/down/play/pause will control media center and other select media players like VLC). If you want the best I recommend the etymotic ETY8. Pricey, a little bass shy for some, but very accurate and cool.

Also the main fan and hard drive noises are quite low. I was actually impressed.

Screen angle is very critical but if you only have a one person audience this shouldn't be a problem.

 

Thank you for the info. I plugged in my headphones in the ear phone jack and the sound was still very low on max. And I compared the sound to a HP 17" laptop sitting next to the Vaio AR, and the HP was ok, the difference between the two was enormous. It seemed like something was wrong with the AR41S because such a low volume is not acceptable. Perhaps it was broken, or else it has a program somewhere that has been set to downscale the volume control.

The BluRay was really beautiful and awesome, but since all of my films are DVDs and no BluRays yet, and the DVDs played really didn't look very good, I don't know if it will be worth it. I may get the cheaper VGN-AR610E without BluRay instead with only 1440 x 900 resolution, which still should have a nice color screen and enough size for webdesign. (And wait with BluRay till I can buy a separate player that will also play DVDs better, and then have it for TV only instead of laptop.) I only worry if the XBRITE-ECO sucks, as some have said.

 

A person in Romania is trying to sell me a VGN-AR690U at a very reasonable price. He seems very eager and I don't know if I can trust him.

He says it also has an European plug for 220 Volt. Is that true?

 

Does this offer sound trustworthy to you guys?

"the Sony AR690U Laptop is brand new in box,,Full accessories with 1 year Full warranty also available in Sweden.
I bought it 1 week ago from www.altex.ro ( export divisionary department ) from my country(Romania) that exported plasma & notebooks to Europe+Canada that went bankrupt and i`ve got a great deal in buying it and a couple of other products.

I think 1300$ including shipping taxes and insurance is a resonable price for it because it has US software( Plug) on it and i can't use it in Romania and also it stays without a reason in my deposit and i want to sell it quick .

total price of the unit will be: 1300$ including shipping taxes and insurance to Sweden,Paypal is not available in Romania that's why i agreed to proceed this way:


We shall proceed this way:

1: To complete this transaction, please email me your full name,your phone number and address where you want me to ship the package.
2 : First of all : I wanna tell you that everything is completed and ready to be shipped.Secondly : The shipping will be made using an licensed and trusted company (i used their services before with fully success).The package will be insured and You will receive the product in 2-3 Business Days.INSURANCE : The package will be insured at the delivery service for the amount of 1300$.
I will arrange the shipment and i will give you the tracking number to track the package successfully on shipping company site( DHL or an international shipper)
3: PAYMENT : After you successfully verified the status of the shipment i will choose a quick and easy service for the payment process:Money Order .
4: RETURN POLICY : As soon as the package arrives, you will test the product and if it does NOT matches 100% to your expectations, you will return it in max. 5 days since the arrival date. In this case I will send you the full amount back and you will send me the product in the original box and you will pay the return shipping and insurance.

As soon as I have the requested details above I will complete the transaction.

Along with the Tracking Info I will give you my full details : Name/Address/Phone Number/etc. Looking forward to hear from you as soon as possible.

Regards


PS: you can arrange the payment with your credit card over the phone anytime, if you want to buy it mail me asap your full name ,address and your cell phone number at i can reach you anytime so i can ship it EXpress today for you before 10 o'clock PM."

 

sketchy, fishy, suspicious, con-artist, scam, criminal, untrustworthy, immune from prosecution due to international aspect.

These are all the words that pop into my head. At least using ebay/paypal you have a modicum of protection from these villains. Never bypass ebay's safety procedures and make transactions under the table. That's my advice.

http://reviews.ebay.com/ROMANIAN-SC...0003804450?ssPageName=BUYGD:CAT:-1:LISTINGS:1

 

Thanks for the advice. I felt very uncomfortable about the whole deal too. Actually it was an auction. I was considering to offer him payment with Money Order after I received the laptop, but apparently the auction closed ahead of set time.

 

Post removed.

 

I looked at this in the store, and was surprised how "plastic" if felt for such an expensive pc. The "metal" around the sides is not metal, but painted plastic.

But BluRay looked wonderful in it.

When I played a DVD in it, it didn't look great at all. The picture was fuzzy and bleak. Has anyone else experience of this? Could it be that the VGN-AR690U has difficulty upscaling DVD to 1920x1200 resolution? Would DVD look better with 1440X900 resolution, like in the VGN-AR670?