Home Theater | Audio Video | Wireless Speakers | FULL LED LCD HDTV | BluRay | Remote Controls

Get the most out of your flat-screen TV with the Klipsch HD Theater 300. It delivers the sheer power, detail and emotion of every film, music or video game soundtrack.

Perfect for smaller rooms Center channel provides precise dialogue
Powerful subwoofer delivers deep-driving bass
Clean, modern design looks great in any room
Wall brackets, ¼-20 inserts for stand mounting
Center channel comes with cradle base

Klipsch HD Theater 300 is a compact, high-definition 5.1 home theater system that’s simple to set up and use. It consists of five speakers—left, center and right front channels with two rear surrounds—and one powered subwoofer. Please note this system does not include an A/V receiver, speaker wire or a subwoofer cable.

ach main and surround speaker is a sealed enclosure finished in high-gloss black with a 2.5-inch IMG woofer and a MicroTractrix Horn-loaded 0.75-inch textile tweeter inside. The center channel shares the same driver attributes except it is magnetically shielded, so it won’t interfere with your TV picture.

But what makes these speakers and center channel truly unique is their horn-loaded technology, an exclusive design that has made Klipsch an industry leader for over 60 years. It allows the HD Theater 300 to deliver genuine lifelike sound and produce more output, using less energy. In other words, it doesn’t require a lot of amplifier power to drive it. Over half of all new theaters in North America and several other countries choose Klipsch professional products because of the amazing benefits of horn technology.

The speakers—which can be positioned vertically or horizontally—come with adjustable wall brackets that have a 40° range of motion and ¼-20 inserts for stand mounting. The center channel includes a cradle base that has a 45° range of motion. These qualities give you complete installation flexibility when placing this premium home theater in your room.

The subwoofer delivers room-shaking bass thanks to a powerful amplifier and a 6.5-inch driver. Featuring a sleek black pica vinyl finish, this hard-hitter also includes traditional volume, crossover and phase controls, so you can customize the level of bass for your room.

Sound accounts for half of your home theater experience, whether you’re watching a movie or sporting event—or even playing a video game. Your TV is only one piece of the puzzle. It’s the audio that drives the action, creates the mood and brings your video content to life.

Each of the system’s molded plastic satellites is about the same size as a can of soda, but with a little more girth. A removable grille covers a 2.5-inch woofer and a 3/4-inch tweeter, while a pair of spring-clip terminals around the back will accept up to 16-guage bare wire. With each speaker weighing just a few pounds, wall mounting is a definite option. To that end, Klipsch includes a plastic mount that allows the satellites to be swiveled toward the listening position for optimal imaging. The center speaker is really just a slightly longer version of the other satellites. Along with the wall bracket, it includes a plastic cradle that allows its rounded shape to sit flat on a shelf without rocking.

Since itty-bitty satellites can’t reach very deep into the bass, any subwoofer you match with them will have to cover a lot of sonic ground. The HD Theater 300’s Sub 6 uses an 80-watt amplifier to drive a 6.5-inch woofer in a ported enclosure, and it has the demanding task of providing all of the system’s sound from about 150 Hz down. In addition to a level control and line- and speaker-level inputs, it has a phase-reversal switch and a non-bypassable low-pass filter crossover. A signal-sensing power mode turns the sub on and off as needed so you can just set it and forget it.

Klipsch HD Theater 300 Specifications

Source: klipsch.com

People who looked at this audio video item also looked at…

• klipsch-hdt-300-home-theater-system-3-Home Theater | Audio Video | Wireless Speakers | FULL LED LCD HDTV | BluRay | Remote Controls
• Build A Home Theater System and Bring Hollywood To Your Room
• 100 inch laser 3D HDTV from HDI of Los Gatos
• True Blue Home Theater
• Home Theater Set Up

Home Theater Related items

• Build A Home Theater System and Bring Hollywood To Your Room
• Home Theater and Music Room
• A High-End Home Theater Room
• JVC NX-D2,UX-F3 get dual iPod docks
• New Samsung HT-C6500, HT-C7530W, HT-C6730W

LEDs have risen from their original occupation as humble indicator lamps to serving as the light source for some of today’s most advanced TVs. Electronics engineers prize the LED for its brightness and cool-running efficiency. Environmentalists and utility companies tout its low power consumption. Videophiles are warming to it for the performance enhancements it facilitates. And average consumers love the way it has slimmed their new TVs. In this article, we’ll explain how the LED works; how it’s used in current-model TVs (LED HDTV technology)and in the latest video projectors; and how it’s likely to be used in future displays. Of course, we can’t say exactly what the LED’s future in video will be, but we can say with a great deal of confidence that within the next 10 years, you’ll own at least one LEDbased TV — if you don’t have one already.

LED BASICS

LED is the acronym for light-emitting diode. A diode is the simplest type of semiconductor. Rather than control the flow of electrons, as a transistor does, a diode just conducts electricity in one direction and blocks it in the other. It’s made from a semiconducting material such as gallium arsenide or indium gallium nitride, combined with another substance that changes its electrical properties to suit the task at hand.

About a century ago, scientists discovered that diodes emit infrared light as an electrical current passes through them. In the 1960s, several companies developed diodes that produced visible light, and the LED was born. Early LEDs were dim and mostly limited in color to red, green, and amber. Despite these restraints, LEDs quickly replaced incandescent light bulbs for use as indicator lights, primarily because they last so much longer. Almost all LEDs have lifetimes specified in tens of thousands of hours, and some are even rated to last 100,000 hours or longer. In the 1980s and 1990s, brighter LEDs emerged, along with LEDs in white, blue, and other colors. These breakthroughs caught the attention of video engineers. As display technologies evolved away from light-emitting cathode-ray tubes toward “light valve” technologies such as LCD and DLP, engineers needed a cool-running, efficient, reliable light source. LED delivers on all three.

Interestingly, most white LEDs are actually blue LEDs coated with a yellow phosphor. Some of the photons emerging from the blue LED excite the yellow phosphor, thus producing yellow photons, which combine with the blue photons to produce white light. By fine-tuning the underlying blue LEDs’ color and the phosphor formulation, LED makers are able to deliver white light pure enough to drive high-quality video displays. In fact, white LED light is even broader in spectrum than the light from the coldcathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) used as backlights in most LCD TVs. LEDs can therefore produce a wider range of colors.

In LCD TVs that use a fullarray LED backlight, individual LEDs are arranged in rows, spaced 1 to 3 inches apart. A diffuser panel spreads the light, ensuring an even distribution to the display’s LCD panel.

LED MEETS TV

In video displays, LEDs are now used in several different ways. For the most part, they serve merely as a light source rather than as a way to reproduce individual pixels of video. But they can also produce images directly, rather than just working in tandem with other display technologies such as LCD.

For now, the video industry uses LEDs primarily as a CCFL backlight alternative for LCD panels. LED-driven LCD sets first appeared about 2 years ago, and they have since taken over much of the high-end LCD TV market. However, the cost is still high and overall market penetration is low; they currently account for only about 3 percent of total LCD TV sales.

LEDs have three general advantages over CCFLs: They’re more energy-efficient, they allow for a slimmer chassis, and they deliver a wider color gamut (or range of available colors). They can have other advantages, too, depending on how the TV is designed.

Some confusion has occurred in the labeling of these LED-driven TVs, which could fairly be called LED/LCD TVs. Samsung has heightened the confusion by labeling these displays LED TV, which most video experts consider a misleading moniker. Generally, a true LED TV is defined as one in which the pixels are formed from individual LEDs. Each pixel is self-illuminating and requires no backlight.

True LED TVs do exist — most of the large-format displays you see in ballparks and used as digital signage are made from arrays of thousands of LEDs, which are often similar to the 5-mm LEDs your local RadioShack stocks in the “dork drawers” at the back of the store. The new Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) TVs are also true LED TVs.

The “Triluminos” full-array LED backlight found in certain Sony LCD models uses separate red, green, and blue LEDs — an arrangement that can deliver an increased color gamut over a white LED array.

FULL-ARRAY LED: THE STATE OF THE ART?

LED/LCD TVs come in two basic varieties: fullarray (which some manufacturers simply refer to as backlit) and edge-lit.

In a full-array TV, LEDs are positioned directly behind the LCD panel in rows, with the LEDs typically spaced 1 to 3 inches apart. A diffuser panel between the LED array and the LCD panel spreads out the light so that the screen gets a smooth, consistent field of illumination.

This arrangement offers the potential for gigantic performance advantages. The LEDs can be dimmed individually or in small groups. This process, called “local dimming,” allows for LEDs behind the dark parts of a picture to be run at a lower intensity, so the blacks and dark grays look darker while the brighter parts of the picture stay the same. The effect is a huge increase in contrast, which has historically been a weak point for LCD TVs. (Local dimming is impossible with CCFLs because they run the entire length of the screen.) Consequently, the newest full-array LED/ LCD models match or even surpass the contrast of plasma TVs.

However, local dimming has some limitations. A large LED/LCD TV might have an array of roughly 1,000 LEDs. That means each LED backlights about 2,000 pixels in the LCD display panel on a 1080p-rez TV. Furthermore, many sets control the LEDs not individually but in blocks of perhaps five or 10 LEDs. Obviously, with so many pixels being illuminated by so few LEDs, it’s impossible to achieve precise transitions between high-brightness and low-brightness areas. This imprecision can result in an artifact called “blooming”: white halos that appear around the edges of bright onscreen objects silhouetted against a dark background — a white rocket floating through black space, for example. Manufacturers can combat blooming by increasing the number of LEDs in their sets’ backlight array, decreasing the number of LEDs in each control block, refining the drive electronics for the LEDs, and increasing the native contrast of their LCD panels. Newer full-array TVs show less of this artifact, but it still exists.

The above pictures illustrate the local dimming process at work in an LCD TV with a full-array LED backlight. Various “zones” in the LED backlight can be either dimmed or shut off completely to track brightness variations in the image. The process, which unfolds on a continuous, dynamic basis, goes far to enhance picture contrast.

Another advantage of full-array LED/LCD TVs is improved picture uniformity. Because the screen is lit by hundreds or thousands of LEDs instead of 20 or so CCFLs, you don’t see the gaps that are sometimes visible between CCFLs. (This artifact, which is often referred to as screen “clouding,” crops up regularly in our reviews of standard, non- LED-based LCD TVs.)

Most manufacturers use white LEDs in their arrays. However, for some of its LCD TVs Sony instead uses groups of four closely spaced color LEDs: two green, one red, one blue. (The green, red, and blue light combine to make white.) Sony has trademarked this technology Triluminos. The advantage is that the exact colors of red, green, and blue can be chosen independently to give a potentially wider color gamut than a TV using white LEDs. However, Triluminos is more expensive to implement than a white LED array, and other manufacturers have been able to meet or exceed the HDTV color gamut specifications using just white LEDs.

Source: soundandvisionmag.com

People who looked at this audio video item also looked at…

• JVC Reveals Super-Slim GD-32X1 32-Inch LED TV
• 100 inch laser 3D HDTV from HDI of Los Gatos
• Cheap Samsung LE32B350 32 inch LCD TV
• Vizio VF551XVT LED-Backlit LCD TV
• Samsung unveils 40″ 3mm-thick Needle Slim HDTV

Home Theater Related items

• JVC Reveals Super-Slim GD-32X1 32-Inch LED TV
• VT1900LED,VT2300LED,VT3200LED,VT4200LED HDTV from ViewSonic
• OLED Prices to be Lower than LCD in 2016
• Toshiba Cell Regza 55X1 and Regza Next concepts hands-on (video)
• Panasonic 3D HDTV – VT25 plasma TV series

Sony BDP-S560 Wireless Blu-ray Player would be the Bad News Bears: a competitor with strong basic abilities but not too much in the way of surface flash. Sony doesn’t attempt to grab your attention with media streaming, although its player can display photos from a DLNA PC. The BDP-S560’s key strengths can mostly be found under the hood.

True to BNB form, the Sony player’s exterior has a straightforward design. A glossy front panel flips down when you hit the Disc Tray Open/Close button; outside of this, the only other visible features are the Stop and Play buttons and a USB port. Around back you’ll find a standard set of A/V connections, including HDMI and component-video jacks. There’s also a second USB port for plugging in a flash drive — something you’ll need to do if you want to enable BD-Live features on discs. (Unlike the other two players here, the Sony doesn’t have built-in memory.)

Sony’s remote control doesn’t have a backlit keypad, but its buttons are clearly sectioned into groups: disc transport controls at the bottom, menu navigation in the middle, and other controls on top. One button that’s conspicuously absent is Disc Eject — you literally have to get up and push that on the player’s front panel, which defeats the whole purpose of having a remote control in the first place! The wealth of information that pops up when you press the remote’s Display button almost makes up for the omission, though: Along with video encoding format (AVC, VC-1), soundtrack format/sampling rate, and video data rate, it shows a graphic timeline displaying total disc time/currently elapsed time. Yet another smooth Sony touch is an onscreen fade-to-black effect that gets triggered when you press the Stop button.

Sony’s Internet Settings menu for connecting the player to a Wi-Fi network was fairly easy to follow, although entering passwords manually via its onscreen virtual keypad was a slow, tiresome process. Unfortunately, the first BDP-S560 I checked out abruptly died and its departure proved to be permanent. (A second unit that Sony sent worked fine, however.)

Sony BDP-S560 Wireless Blu-ray Player PERFORMANCE

With the Sony’s Quick Start mode selected, operation proved to be adequately zippy. Only 5 seconds elapsed between the moment I pressed the Power button and the moment the disc tray could eject. Most movies loaded up and displayed an image after 23 seconds. The player’s 2X fast-scan mode delivered choppy picture quality when searching discs; performance here lagged behind both the Samsung and LG.

Like the other two players here, the BDP-S560 sailed through all our high-def disc tests for both film and video-sourced material. The real surprise with this player, however, turned out to be its DVD upconversion. After plugging in the Sony and checking out a few DVDs, I couldn’t help but admire how clean, sharp, and solid its picture looked. And when I ran my standard round of HQV DVD tests, it passed every one, including the tough Assorted Cadences tests, which trip up virtually every player except for those that actually feature built-in HQV processing. In addition to its awesome standard-def upconversion, the BDP-S560’s noise reduction didn’t result in any picture softening.

BOTTOM LINE

Sony’s BDP-S560 lacks the media-streaming features found in the two other players, and you’ll need to plug in your own flash memory to enable BD-Live features on discs. Even so, when the moment of truth arrives and it steps up to the plate to play Blu-ray Discs and DVDs, this Sony’s video performance is nothing short of stunning. I don’t know about you, but that’s the main thing I expect from my Blu-ray Disc player.

Source: soundandvisionmag.com

People who looked at this audio video item also looked at…

• LG’s LLB915 Blu-ray Sound Bar
• Sony BDV-E570 – Bluray 3D Capable
• Bose SoundLink wireless bookshelf speaker
• Best Buy’s new Rocketfish Wireless HD adapter
• Klipsch HD Theater 300 Home Theater System

Home Theater Related items

• BDP-CX7000ES Blu-ray Disc MegaChanger from Sony
• JVC XV-BP11 Blu-ray Player Priced Under $200 for US Markets
• Samsung BD-C5500, BD-C6500 3D Blu-ray Players
• LG’s LLB915 Blu-ray Sound Bar
• Panasonic DMP-B100 Portable Blu-ray players

Replete with premium components, proprietary technology and several industry firsts, Sennheiser’s HD800 headphones easily earn their place amongst the very best ever made. Retailing at just under $1400.00 though, the cover charge for this listening party is a little steep. However, if you want a jaw-droppingly amazing personal audio experience, these cans deliver and then some.

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: The HD800 headphones are BIG. From the case to the cord, it’s clear that Sennheiser’s prime directive was audio perfection and, apparently, the manufacturer believes that size really does matter. The case for the company’s flagship cans is about the same size as a large shoe box (13.5”x105”x5.5). Opening the hinged case reveals a satin-lined, custom-cut foam bed in which the HD800’s rest snugly. Perched near our listening station, the silver and black HD800’s exuded a trophy-like quality that is sure to make any owner very proud, indeed.

The cord for the HD800 set is 3 meters long and terminates on one end with custom, detachable stereo connections – one for each headphone. We know plenty of folks who have ripped headphones right off of their head by tripping on the cable. Thanks to Sennheiser’s breakaway connectors though, you’re not likely to do any serious damage.

On the other end of the cable is a ¼” male jack. As the larger of the two common connectors, this jack will NOT fit into your laptop, iPod or other portable device. To do that, you’ll need a ¼” to 1/8” adapter that is generally available wherever electronics are sold. The included ¼” connector will fit into most receivers, mixing boards and headphone amplifiers, however. As these headphones are designed with listening enthusiasts in mind, we are not surprised to see them natively terminated with the larger ¼” jack. However, an included adapter might be a nice idea for future consideration, given the popularity of today portable media players.

A quick weight comparison between the HD800s and a reference pair of AKG K141 monitor headphones revealed that the substantially larger Sennheiser set isn’t notably heavier than other headphones of this type and grade. Consider it a reflection of the cutting=edge materials that the HD800’s are constructed from.

Features and Design

The materials used for ear and head cushioning are soft microfiber fabric over foam. During our listening tests, we never experienced any fatigue from extended listening sessions. Unlike more typical leather applications, we found that these headphones stayed cool, dry and effortlessly comfortable even after hours of constant wear. For even more comfort, the HD800 headphones are very limber. The headband offers independent adjustment on the left- and right-hand sides, and two sets of hinge points allow on-the-fly adjustment as your head moves. Overall, the HD800s are very comfortable.Just beyond the extremely comfortable exterior lay the guts and glory of the HD800s. Here, Sennheiser has mounted the largest transducers ever used in a headphone. The size of the transducer, stainless steel mounting material, open-backed design and premium wiring configuration are designed with as much care as the highest-end audio equipment available today. This allows them to deliver an amazingly open, uncompressed sound with deep bass extension.

Performance

Sennheiser wants you to know that the HD800 audiophile headphones were “Crafted for Perfection.” While such claims in the audio industry can usually be chalked up to little more than marketing hype, there is good reason to believe that Sennheiser made every effort to achieve perfection while developing the HD800’s over a period of 8 years. Reading the back-story on Sennheiser’s website, it is clear that the company takes a great deal of pride in this product.

To test the sound of the HD800s, we used an array of components including an iPhone 3G, Onkyo TX-SR705 Surround Receiver, Dell Latitude D810 laptop computer and a HeadRoom Total BitHead headphone amplifier.

Donning the HD800’s for the first time, you may get the feeling that you’re about to direct ground traffic at the airport. (Which is to say that the sensation of having the entire ear encompassed, for some, will initially take a little bit of getting used to.) Nonetheless, after a few minutes of wear, the relatively lightweight headphones seem to disappear on your head. We have to credit the HD800’s creators for managing to make such a large transducer sit comfortably on the head. The slim profile of the headphones seems to make up for their large surface area and keeps the ‘phones from becoming clumsy.

Conclusion

Uncompromising design standards have produced a truly outstanding product in Sennheiser’s HD800 headphones. The cans’ flair for accuracy, detail, openness and depth represent a giant leap forward in the world of audiophile gear. As such, we recommend anyone considering a high-end headphone purchase to put these on their short list.

Highs:

• Exceptional Sound
• High Quality Construction
• Extremely comfortable for long term use

Lows:

• Not easily portable
• Ambient noise is easily audible
• No 1/8” adapter for use with portable audio devices

Source: digitaltrends.com

People who looked at this audio video item also looked at…

• Bowers & Wilkins P5 Headphones
• N.Y. Yankees Pitchers Dig Home Theater
• Universal Remote Control MX-6000
• SONY BDP-S560 Wireless Blu-ray Player
• Futureristic Home Theater

Home Theater Related items

• Phiaton PS 320 Primal Series headphones
• Bowers & Wilkins P5 Headphones
• Monster Cable Announces High-End “Miles Davis Tribute” In-Ear Headphones
• iPhone Ultimate AV Remote Control
• Samsung C9000 TV, Wi-Fi Video Touchscreen Remote

Sound bars have always been a bit of the redheaded stepchild of the home theater world for me, a replica of sorts for those unable to accommodate or afford a proper home theater. Of course I jumped to this conclusion before I had actually heard or even experienced a sound bar system and now that I have, I’m prepared to modify my views. I totally get it now. While I’m not about to ditch my reference home theater, I’ll be the first to admit I’ve enjoyed my time with Vizio’s new sound bar and wireless subwoofer – so much so, I actually found myself carting Blu-rays up to my bedroom system over my reference rig.

The Vizio VSB210WS sound bar retails for a very attractive $349.99 and is sold direct through Vizio’s own site as well as through a bevy of retailers like Costco. Your $349.99 buys you a single speaker that looks a bit like a Bang & Olufsen product (if I’m honest), that houses four three inch mid/bass drivers and two three-quarter inch aluminum dome tweeters. Visually, the main speaker is quite stunning and is wall mountable or table ready via its attached stand. However, upon closer examination – especially to the touch, the materials are a bit “budget” – but then again, how often do we physically interact with our speakers? The grill is technically removable, but I get the feeling Vizio would prefer you didn’t. A peek behind the curtain reveals the drivers are situated in stereo configuration with the tweeters resting along the outside edges of the sound bar. While the driver placement is better left a mystery, the inputs offered are not; located dead center on the back of the sound bar. The VSB210WS’s sound bar features two stereo RCA inputs and a single optical Toslink input allowing for a total of three sources to be connected to and switched between via the main sound bar’s remote. Source as well as input and volume control can also be handled via the VSB210WS’s top mounted manual controls, though I doubt many users will rely to heavily on these.

Along with the Vizio VSB210WS’s main speaker it also comes complete with a wireless powered subwoofer, which features a Class D amplifier driving a six and a half inch long throw driver, giving it a reported frequency response of 35Hz up to 80Hz. Not exactly a barnburner but then again the VSB210WS is built for convenience, stealth and affordability, not earth-rattling bass. The VSB210WS’s sub can be placed virtually anywhere within 60 feet of the main sound bar so long as the two share a line of sight and there is a nearby power outlet. The sub itself features no crossover and/or volume controls, those are handled by the VSB210WS’s remote, which I’ll get to later.

Unlike sound bars from the likes of Yamaha or Polk, the Vizio VSB210WS doesn’t decode and/or playback Dolby or DTS formats in a sort of faux surround sound presentation. The VSB210WS uses SRS TruSurround HD to reproduce a virtual surround sound experience from any mono, stereo or matrix encoded content. Along with the SRS TruSurround HD processing, the VSB210WS also has SRS TruBass and SRS Dialog Clarity for enhanced bass and vocal response and SRS Definition for sound enhancement and SRS TruVolume to eliminate the volume spike between program material and louder than thou television commercials. Take that Sham Wow guy.

Aside from the sound bar and subwoofer, the VSB210WS can also support up to three SRS wireless headphones and control them via the remote. Speaking of remote, the VSB210WS’s isn’t all bad. It’s compact and very thin yet feels good in the hand. There is no backlighting or even glow-in-the-dark keys here, but with only nine buttons of control, you quickly memorize the remote’s layout. From the remote you can control power, input and volume, as well as activate the various SRS features, as well as turn the sub up or down.

The VSB210WS doesn’t have a display screen nor a video out to accommodate an on-screen display, so all of the remote’s commands are displayed via a series of small white and red lights that can be a bit difficult to decipher at first but after about a day’s use begin to make total sense.

The Vizio VSB210WS arrived right on the heels of the Anthem D2v A/V processor and boy talk about polar opposites. The hardest part about installing the VSB210WS is taking it out of the box. I placed the VSB210WS below my Samsung LCD HDTV which resides in my bedroom and set the wireless subwoofer next to my bedroom rack a few feet to the side of the sound bar and voila. Oh, and I connected a single optical cable (not included) from my Samsung’s optical audio out to the VSB210WS’s single optical audio in, which automatically muted the Samsung’s internal speakers. Okay, that was it.

Once powered up I didn’t bother with the manual and pretty much had the VSB210WS figured out in about two minutes. It’s that easy. Getting the subwoofer to communicate with the sound bar was a snap. However getting it to blend seamlessly with the sound bar took some time and a wide range of source material for me to find the proper balance. I say balance because the subwoofer level control isn’t a picture of precision, as I found a click of the remote plus or minus would result in just a bit more adjustment than I was hoping for. Nevertheless, I found a reasonable setting and once set I never gave it another thought. Vizio would have you believe that you can place the sub virtually anywhere, it is wireless after all, but don’t be fooled for the rules of proper subwoofer placement still apply and will pay dividends in the overall sound quality if adhered to.

Since the VSB210WS was hooked up via a single optical cable from my Samsung LCD my sources were limited to what was hooked up to my television, mainly an AppleTV, Sherwood Blu-ray player and AT&T U-Verse HD DVR.

Also, I should point out that I carried out the review with the VSB210WS’s SRS Surround feature turned on, for when it’s off the VSB210WS’s sonic performance becomes decidedly one-dimensional and boxy if I’m honest. The SRS processing transforms the VSB210WS’s sound so dramatically, I’m curious as to why Vizio made it an option you can turn off and on. Leave it on and break the button that can toggle it off – I did.

Conclusion
Despite the current economic situation our need for entertainment continues to grow, though our ability to pay for costly entertainment-driven expenses and/or luxury goods, like a dedicated home theater, is dwindling. What’s a person to do?

HDTV’s are getting cheaper everyday, a charge no doubt led by Vizio, one of the nation’s largest HDTV manufacturers, and now with the introduction of their VSB210WS sound bar the promise of an affordable complete home theater solution may be upon us. While not quite as robust or completely immersive as a traditional 5.1 or 7.1 home theater system, the Vizio VSB210WS sound bar gets you more of the way there with less than any other sound bar before and all at a price seemingly everyone can afford. If you’re looking to build a no-frills home theater for a small to medium sized living room or simply want to add a bit of cinematic punch to your bedroom or office system the Vizio VSB210WS is a great way to go.

Source: vizio.com & hometheaterreview.com

People who looked at this audio video item also looked at…

• LG’s LLB915 Blu-ray Sound Bar
• Panasonic’s launch first sound bar – SC-HTB1
• Bose SoundLink wireless bookshelf speaker
• Vizio’s brings new XVT Pro series LEDTV with 3D, apps capable
• Vizio VF551XVT LED-Backlit LCD TV

Home Theater Related items

• LG’s LLB915 Blu-ray Sound Bar
• Panasonic’s launch first sound bar – SC-HTB1
• 72 inch HD3D TV from Vizio – XVTPRO720SV
• SONY BDP-S560 Wireless Blu-ray Player
• Vizio VF551XVT LED-Backlit LCD TV

The UN46B8000 uses LED side lighting, which means that the LEDs that create the light you see are on the sides of the TV and aim inwards. They shoot across a dimpled plastic surface that directs the light towards your eyeballs. Most laptops work on the same principle. While you concede a tiny bit in the width of the display (hardly noticeable), you gain a lot more in an almost total lack of depth. OLED, eat your heart out. (It is not, however, an “LED TV”)

Unlike other LED “backlit” displays, side lighting doesn’t let you have local dimming. You can dim the entire backlight, much like you could on older LCDs. On the flip side, you get much lower power consumption, as there are far fewer LEDs to light.

Though not Samsung’s first 240 Hz display, the UN46B8000 does represent, to me at least, a big step forward in flat-panel design. The 8000 combines stunning thin looks, lower power consumption and the latest, increased refresh technology that is sure to represent what we’ll see in many TVs in the coming years. So, sure it’s a sign of things to come, but how does it do now?

Samsung TVs have made a little chime when you turn them on. It always sounded cheap, belying the quality of the display. This finally has changed. The five-note chime now has a decent timbre and sounds quite elegant, matching the look and feel of the set.

The same thoughtfulness extends to the remote, which I will go on record as saying is the best remote to come with any consumer electronics product I can remember. For one thing, it’s RF (radio frequency), so you don’t have to aim it at the TV. You don’t even have to be in the same room. Its design complements the TV, and not only does it have a backlight, but a built-in light sensor that automatically turns on the backlight when you need it. If that weren’t enough, the 8000 comes with a second remote, a tiny egg that only does volume, channel and power. You know, for kids (and by “kids” I mean “adults”).

Like other Samsung TVs, the 8000 auto-senses when there is a device plugged into the TV, so the input menu gives you these first, making switching between sources easier. Once you see this in action, it makes you to wonder why every TV doesn’t have this feature.

Setup menus are typical Samsung, as in there are a lot of them, and they’re thorough and easy to navigate. There are plenty of options for the tweaky to tweak (read: me). If you press the Info button on the remote, it tells you the input and resolution of the incoming source and a little power meter that tells you how efficient the TV is with your current settings. Brilliant. I love the little things.

Feel free to dial back the backlight. At full bore, the 8000 puts out a toasty 90 foot-lamberts. At a backlight setting of 0, it’s a perfectly watchable 18 ft-L. Regardless of backlight setting, the contrast ratio was very punchy—among the best I’ve seen in a non-local dimming LCD. Black level, at the lowest backlight setting, was an excellent 0.002; though, if you wait a moment, it goes completely dark as the LEDs shut off. This makes the full-on/full-off contrast ratio measurement rather meaningless, as the 0 ft-L the TV is capable of putting out is never really achieved with actual video material.

Part of the issue is the Dynamic Contrast feature, which monitors the incoming video signal and decreases the backlight to match. When there’s a dark image on screen, the backlight drops, making the scene seem darker. I’m not a huge fan of this technology, but it helps a little. Occasionally you can see it working and pulsing; while it seems like you can turn it off in the menu, it’s always working a little bit. At its “off” setting, it’s not intrusive.

Color accuracy, as is typical with Samsung LCDs, was very good. Each color was a touch oversaturated, but not enough that most people would notice.

The real do-dad worth spending some time playing with is the Auto Motion Plus 240Hz. This is where you can adjust the amount of motion interpolation being done by the set to get the 24 or 60 frames-per-second video to display on this 240 Hz TV. This can range from Off, which has the TV repeat frames (including a 10:10 pulldown with 24p sources), to Smooth, which creates frames very different from those in the source.

There’s also a clever Custom option that lets you dial in the amount of Blur Reduction (always a good thing), though the additional nine steps didn’t seem to do much more than step one and the amount of Judder Reduction (personally not a fan, your mileage may vary).

I left the AMP240Hz in the Off setting, though there should be enough settings for you to find a compromise you like between motion blur and overly smooth motion interpolation. If you like the added smoothness of significant motion interpolation, the AMP240Hz set to Smooth is exactly as the name implies.

On the processing side, the UN46B8000 picks up the 3:2 sequence with 480i and 1080i sources with both HDMI and component. It also does an excellent job minimizing jagged edges on diagonal lines with DVD material, and pulling a lot of detail from SD sources. All in all, it does an excellent job on the processing side of things.

Source: hemagazine.com

People who looked at this audio video item also looked at…

• Samsung LEDTV 9000 Series
• Vizio VF551XVT LED-Backlit LCD TV
• Toshiba Regza 55SV670 55” LED LCD TV
• LG OLED TV 15EL9500
• iPhone Ultimate AV Remote Control

Home Theater Related items

• Samsung LEDTV 9000 Series
• Vizio VF551XVT LED-Backlit LCD TV
• Toshiba Regza 55SV670 55” LED LCD TV
• Samsung BD-C5500, BD-C6500 3D Blu-ray Players
• Panasonic 3D HDTV – VT25 plasma TV series

New Panasonic PT-AE4000U just lowered the bar, on price, but not quality. This LCD projector retails for $2499, though some say it can be found for less, even from authorized dealers for hundreds less. Consciously designed for smaller home theaters, the PT-AE1000U can project a 120-inch image from as little as 11 to as much as 24 feet away. You sure can’t get that in a flat panel display for a mere $2.5k.

Panasonic incorporated the new Red-Rich Lamp, which increases the luminance efficiency of the projector, to achieve 150% brighter Cinema Picture modes compared to the previous PT-AE3000. Prior to the development of the Red-Rich Lamp, much brightness was lost to attain the desired color purity/balance for the rich color reproduction of Cinema Picture modes due to the lack of red luminance. The newly engineered lamp successfully adds red luminance, and enables the projector to produce brighter images with excellent colors. Rated at 1,600 lumens, the PT-AE4000 is plenty bright for the average home theater.

For maximum clarity and sharpness of full-HD images, the PT-AE4000U was outfitted with an advanced optical system employing a full-HD-optimized lens unit comprised of 16 lens elements in 12 groups, including two large-diameter aspherical lenses and two high-performance ED (extralow dispersion) lenses. Each lens is carefully aligned to assure a uniform focusing balance from the center to the edges of the screen.

The double-speed display (120 Hz or 100 Hz) greatly improves the clarity of motion images. Panasonic’s Frame Creation interpolates one new frame for each existing frame by analyzing the characteristics of the adjacent frames to reproduce sharp and clear images for fast moving scenes in sports and action movies. For 24p signal input, three frames are calculated and interpolated for each existing frame, to enable 4x speed (96-Hz) display. There are four modes (mode 1, mode 2, mode 3, and off) to choose from.

The Point Color Correction mode allows you to pick a point in the image and adjust that color without affecting the neighboring colors, so it is easy to get just the right color equalization in hue, luminance and saturation. The Six Color Correction mode enables independent adjustment of red, green, blue, cyan, magenta and yellow. Making adjustments on the fly has never been easier either. You can freeze any scene you wish, and then make adjustments while easily comparing the original image and the adjusted image side-by-side.

The PT-AE4000U features the Pure Contrast Plate, which uses a newly engineered crystalline material that is carefully matched to the characteristics of the LCD panels to effectively correct the passage of light exiting the panels. This enables the projector to block unwanted light leakage and successfully increases the dynamic range. It works together with the dynamic iris to achieve a remarkable contrast ratio of 100,000:1. The advantage being the PT-AE4000U works well in environments with high ambient light such as a living room.

To achieve a wide dynamic range, a fifth generation intelligent iris system was placed in the PT-AE4000U. It analyzes the brightness level of each image using a histogram, then adjusts the lamp power, iris and gamma curve accordingly to create the ideal image. The adjustments are made virtually frame by frame.

In the past, projector installation was considered a serious downside. However, as projectors become more affordable it’s less likely consumers will pay to have them installed. So, manufacturers are looking at ways they can make projectors virtually plug and play. Well, not quite but certainly far more flexible with simplified set up procedures. For instance, the PT-AE4000U provides wide lens shift for easy mounting almost anyway – the back wall , the ceiling – and it can even be a little off center.

Perhaps, the most advanced feature in the PT-AE4000U, which is something you won’t even find in many projectors for thousands more, is the Intelligent Lens Memory. Up to six settings can be stored in the Lens Memory, including zoom and focus positions for projecting in the normal 16:9 or 4:3 image ratio, and wide cinema projection settings. These memories can be recalled manually or can be set for automatic switching. The projector is able to detect 2.35:1 and 16:9 source and retrieve the stored setting automatically. This Lens Memory function lets you easily enjoy images with different image ratios on the new wide 2.35:1 screens for an immersive movie theater-like experience.

Own other Panasonic gear? When you have other Panasonic VIERA Link-ready equipment, projection can be started by using only the remote control unit of the PT-AE4000, regardless of whether the source is a Blu-ray Disc or a TV program stored on an HD recorder. This eliminates the need for hassling with several remote controls. Course, you can easily program the PT-AE4000U to a universal remote to eliminate all that remote control clutter.

Source: hometheaterdesignmag.com

People who looked at this audio video item also looked at…

• LG CF3D Full HD 3D New Projector
• H5360 – Acer’s 3D projector
• Panasonic’s 3D Blu-ray Disc Players
• Home Theatre Bathroom
• Panasonic 3D HDTV – VT25 plasma TV series

Home Theater Related items

• Panasonic’s launch first sound bar – SC-HTB1
• Sanyo Unveils PLC-XF1000 Projector with 12,000 Lumens
• Panasonic 3D HDTV – VT25 plasma TV series
• Panasonic DMP-B100 Portable Blu-ray players
• Panasonic’s 3D Blu-ray Disc Players

Digeo, makers of the Moxi HD-DVR set-top box (only available to digital cable subscribers) has released the Moxi Mate, as a companion piece. The Moxi Mate enables multi-room access to video content from a connected Moxi HD-DVR as well as PCs and other devices connected on a wired or wireless in-home network. The unit will carry an MSRP of $399, though for a limited time you can purchase it for $199.

The Moxi Mate will access all recorded content stored on the central Moxi HD DVR plus it will also play media files available from the home network and the Internet on any TV throughout the house. Supporting files include digital music, digital photos, and home movie formats (SD and HD). This eliminates the need for consumers to purchase multiple DVRs and pay additional fees for each device.

If you do not already own a Moxi HD-DVR, the company has bundled the DVR and multi-room device together for $999, a $200 savings compared to purchasing them separately. For existing Moxi HD DVR customers, Diego is offering a special $199 price on a separate Moxi Mate for a limited time.

The Moxi HD DVR is compatible with an add-on LaCie 4 Quadar 6TB hard drive for extra storage. The storage device will record 12 times the HD programming previously available, for up to 1,000 hours of HD recording. The Moxi system now supports connections of external e-SATA hard drives that are PVR capable.

Features :

Spefications :

People who looked at this audio video item also looked at…

• Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link
• Pioneer SC-09TX “Susano” AV Receiver
• Best Buy’s new Rocketfish Wireless HD adapter
• RX-V2065 AV 7.1 receiver from Yamaha
• ZeeVee ZvPro 250 HD Video

Home Theater Related items

• Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link
• A High-End Home Theater Room
• JVC NX-D2,UX-F3 get dual iPod docks
• Sony BDV-E570 – Bluray 3D Capable
• 100 inch laser 3D HDTV from HDI of Los Gatos

Remote controlshave become a staple device for many of us these days, and more often than not there will be a tussle among family members for essential remotes in the living room at prime time for obvious reasons. Logitech themselves have delved into the world of remote controls in the past, and they show no signs of slowing down in that department. Recently, the Swiss company has rolled out the Logitech Harmony 900 remote that boasts redesigned RF technology, a full colors touchscreen display alongside intuitive button layout to help even newbies get used to it as soon as possible. The Logitech Harmony 900 universal remote relies on rechargeable batteries to keep it going, allowing you to enjoy a whole range of entertainment from movies to games and music even when the respective components are located safely behind cabinet doors.

The Logitech Harmony 900 remote’s redesigned RF system turns you into a mini living room deity, capable of controlling an entire cabinet’s worth of devices and appliances as long as they remains within a 100 foot radius. This remote also allows you to wield such powers without getting bogged down by hassles and problems that are normally associated with RF setups. All you need to do is place the IR blaster that comes with each purchase alongside one or two of the mini blasters on the cabinet shelves near the devices that you want to gain control and you’re good to go. The color touchscreen devices allows you to choose your device of choice with but a gentle touch of the finger, and when the setup process is complete, you’re able to control everything programmed inside even with the cabinet doors closed.

Expect the Logitech Harmony 900 remote to arrive in the US and Europe later next month for $399.99 a pop, where it will be accompanied by a recharging cradle, rechargeable battery, power supply, IR blaster and two mini blasters. Logitech has plans to roll out more blasters and mini blasters online in selected regions.

Source: logitech.com

People who looked at this audio video item also looked at…

• iPhone Ultimate AV Remote Control
• Samsung C9000 TV, Wi-Fi Video Touchscreen Remote
• Build A Home Theater System and Bring Hollywood To Your Room
• Universal Remote Control MX-6000
• RX-V2065 AV 7.1 receiver from Yamaha

Home Theater Related items

• Universal Remote Control MX-6000
• Anatomy of 6 Remote Controls
• iPhone Ultimate AV Remote Control
• Samsung C9000 TV, Wi-Fi Video Touchscreen Remote
• Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 7500UB