If you can fork out the cash and don’t mind the design, then the Sony Vaio VGN-FW17GU is a well-performing unit that features a Blu-ray burner.

If you can't fork out the extra $500 for the fully featured ASUS F8Va and still want decent performance in an attractive design then the BenQ Joybook S42-PE01 is worth looking at. It might not have all the bells and whistles, but for this price point it certainly has a lot.

A great laptop well worth the price point. A longer warranty would be nice.

A notebook that any multimedia buff would love.

This notebook has its problems and wont suit everyone, but its performances its still worthy.

Lack of warranty and the other cons make this one not worth the price point.

Although the Toshiba Satellite Pro P300 (PSPCDA-00L00D) is a fast system with Toshiba's noteworthy Sleep and Charge USB ports and plenty of hard drive space, the unattractive design and lack of features when compared to similarly priced units mean that you're better off looking elsewhere.

A quality notebook for audiovisual enthusiasts with money to burn.

With its high performance, great battery life and extensive multimedia capabilities, the 8005LMi will undoubtedly please those looking for portable performance.

This is a value-priced power notebook that's well geared towards multimedia use.

The ASUS M51VA-AS045G is mid-range laptop with a fantastic array of connections and strong processing performance. Unfortunately the screen’s default dimness may prove annoying for novice users and the lack of Gigabit Ethernet at this price point is disappointing.