Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On December - 29 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Nothing says modern status symbol like a quality home theater system. Having the gear to provide a movie theater quality viewing or gaming experience instantly tells visitors to your that you’re a person who has arrived.
There’s a lot of home theater systems out there though, and choosing the one that will provide the best quality and impress your visitors can be confusing. To help you get an handle on which home theater system best suits your needs, here’s a few basics:
Choosing the display type is the first step in selecting your home theater system. Flat panels, such as LCD and plasma displays, and rear-projection televisions can produce large, wide-screen, high-definition pictures. Front projector televisions can produce razor-sharp images in even larger screen sizes.
A good trick for choosing a television for your home theater system is to measure the distance between your couch and where you’ll be putting your television. Then, when you get to the store, stand that distance away from the television you’re looking at. This will keep you from buying a television that’s too large or small for your home theater needs.
Also remember that for home theater screens 30-inches or larger, you’ll get the best picture quality from high-definition broadcasts and DVDs if you buy the HDTV model. The display resolutions of HDTV sets vary; typical examples include 720p, 1080i or 1080p, 1366 by 768, and 1024 by 768. The display resolution of your new television may not matter much unless its screen is relatively large and you sit unusually close to it. The difference between 720p and 1080p resolution, for example, isn’t very noticeable on a 50-inch screen unless you sit within about 10 feet of it.
Good sound is key to a good home theater experience. However, getting your home theater’s audio just right can be tricky. Basically, you’re going to want a home theater stereo that has 5.1 sound. This means five speakers, center, front left and right, back left and right, and one subwoofer. Proper positioning of your home theater’s audio gear is key to ensuring quality sound. Your front speakers should be at least two feet behind the television, the center speaker should be either on or near the television, the subwoofer should face forward toward the center of the room with the mesh side open and the back speakers should be positioned in an area that maximizes their ability to add to the ambient sound quality of the home theater system.
Once you get all of this snazzy gear, making sure you install it properly is vital to ensuring all that money didn’t go to waste. Improper installation of a home theater system can result in crackling sound an unclear picture and looking like a tool when your friends come over to watch. Avoid embarrassment by picking up a few good do-it-yourself manuals before trying to make sense of all those red and yellow cables or by hiring a pro to set up your new home theater system.
A home theater system can literally project your status and taste to guests. Don’t make a mess of your chance to impress. Choose the right gear, put it in the right place and get the right people to set it up.
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On December - 24 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
OLED materials emit light when electrical current is applied, and do not require a backlight or a filter system like the one used in LCDs. Up until today OLEDs were used only for small displays such as the ones used in MP3 players or mobile phones.
So first of all, the XEL-1 is a small television inded. 11-inch in fact. It is just 3mm thin (now that is really thin!), and has 960×540 resolution. The contrast ratio is an amazing 1,000,000:1. The OLED TV also includes a terrestrial digital tuner, speakers, HDMI, USB and Ethernet jacks. It weights 2kg.
The picture quality on the XEL-1 is awesome. The reviews are raving – the colors are crisp, the refresh rate is fast, and the contrast is amazing. Indeed the blacks are really blacks – unlike the ‘gray’ we are used to see on LCDs. The picture on an OLED TV simply looks good!
The XEL-1 is very pricey. When it was first introduced in Japan it went for around 2,000$. The US version is priced at 2,500$. In the beginning of 2009 Sony started to distribute the TV in Europe as well, for around 5,000$. Sony do not expect their OLED TV to be sold in large numbers (in fact they are only making arond a thousand in a month). This is more of an available prototype and technology demonstration. In fact it is said that Sony started to sell this TV just to show that they are still innovative (after being late to the LCD/PDP game).
Sony are already working on newer versions of the TV. They plan to launch a larger version at 27″ (XEL-2?), and are also making it thinner, too. Their latest screens prototypes are less than a millimeter thick. OLEDs can also be made flexible, and Sony say they will work on such screens – foldable book readers might be a hit in a few years.
Other companies are also working on similar devices – Samsung has shown several OLED TV prototypes, including a HD 42″ set and LG can already make 15″ OLED screens. Panasonic, Toshiba and CMEL have active OLED TV research program. Sony sure made a big bet when they announced the XEL-1, and so far they are seen as OLED leaders.
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On December - 22 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Yet another new TV technology!……It’s a real headache having to choose whether to go for an LCD or Plasma flatscreen, then along comes another…….OLED.
So what’s so good about OLED, why is it worth our attention and
eventually our money?
Back to Basics…. What’s OLED?
Lets start with the basics, OLED stands for: Organic Light Emitting Diodes. LEDs surround us in every day life these days, you’ll find LEDs used in a number of ways, in many of your devices in your home, for example they exist in digital clocks, forming the digits to indicate the time and also provide a way of visually indicating whether your electrical devices are powered on or in standby. The difference here is the O in OLED, which refers to the use of organic materials, these materials make up a thin film and when an electric charge is applied they then create light….Hence OLED.
How OLED Technology Is Used Within The Television.
Now for the techy part…… We’ve established that OLED is based on
paper thin sheets of organic materials. These sheets, typically polymer plastic, are placed within the display. Images are then produced from these organic materials which illuminate as a result of the small electric charge being applied.
OK great, but what does this mean to the average consumer?….Well, here’s the interesting part…
Each pixel (Pixel = digital picture element) has its own light source, without a need for a backlight. If you consider that traditionally the rear of a TV would contain the backlight, with OLED there is no need. This now means that we can have truly ultra thin TVs, with OLED we are talking millimeter thinness!
What about picture quality?
The picture quality is where these TVs truly separate themselves from the technologies we’ve become accustomed to. When choosing a TV and assessing a good display you should focus on the contrast level, since the target for manufacturers is to achieve the blackest contrast level possible and at the other end of the scale the whitest (lightest), this then creates a wider contrast of colors in between. Above all else black levels are very important. An LCD TV possess good black levels but utilizes a white backlight behind the display which manufacturers work pretty hard to hide.
Your old widescreen TV, which probably weighed more than your body weight,would have had black levels deeper than current LCD screens, however space saving flatscreens and the option of high definition make the LCD an attractive advance in technology.
OLED provides black levels far more advanced than your old, weighty
widescreen. It does this by completely turning off individual pixels when producing black, since each pixel has its own light source. The pixels completely turn off in different areas of the picture, improving image quality and as a result consuming less power. For those of you who enjoy figures, OLED technology gives an astounding display with a contrast ratio of 1,000,000 :1, consider this against the best LCD screens whose contrast levels are of 50,000 :1 you can begin to see that we are dealing with a whole different ball game! With superior picture quality, crisper and brighter displays you get a very wide viewing angle of 180 degrees through which the picture does not degrade or distort, this means you can be very flexible where we place the TV in the home and how you tilt the display.
What are the other advantages of OLED over LCD and plasma?
- OLED TVs are more light weight and cost less to manufacture due to the technology being less complicated than LCD or plasma.
- As touched on before OLED TV will save on your energy bills due to the way they operate.
The Concern
All these great points make OLED seem the perfect TV technology, however there is currently a downside. A concern with the life span of OLED TVs is present. Reports suggest that the picture can fade severely after a few thousand hours of watching. Currently Kodak claim that they have solved this issue with an OLED TV that has a lifespan of around 65,000 viewing hours. This technology is still being perfected by manufacturers so expect this challenge to be overcome in the near future.
Sony XEL-1 – The First OLED TV On Sale
Sony is the first manufacturer to release this type of TV, which is now on sale for around $2500 Dollars currently. The Sony XEL-1 is a world first with a screen measuring 11 inches, it is impressively thin at 3mm and weighs just 1.9kg. Although the screen size isn’t exactly large enough to be the centre piece of our homes, we can expect that as the technology develops larger screens will inevitably appear. Samsung are reported to be manufacturing a 40 inch shortly.
The Future
So The future of OLED TV is bright (excuse the pun), however OLED
technology is not just limited to TV, it is essentially a light source and its uses can be expansive and exciting. Imagine the end to the light bulb as we know it. Talk of OLED technology replacing the light bulb filament is real. It is possible that the traditional light bulb could be replaced by a thin sheet of polymer, offering full dimming capabilities and great efficiency. Imagine screens which bend, curve and fold for handheld devices and large displays, add to this see through screens for heads up displays in cars, its all possible with OLED.
Want One?…. What You Should Do Now
Are you excited now? You probably are, its a fantastic technology, however the key here is to allow the manufacturers to battle amongst themselves to produce the products to a standard we demand. We can only sit back and wait for this technology to truly develop. One day your LCD or Plasma WILL be replaced by an OLED TV.
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On December - 20 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Philips is introducing two new models in its famous 9000 Series line, the 40PFL9704 – 46PFL9704 LED Pro HDTVs with a dynamic contrast of 5,000,000:1 for ultimate brilliant images. You want the LCD flat display with the highest contrast and most vibrant images. The LED backlight offers this by a unique local dimming of the LEDs. It generates light where it is needed in the image and keeps dark areas supremely black. The excellent dimming enabled by LEDs allows an unsurpassed dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1. For the first time images are rendered with extreme deep blacks alongside vibrantly coloured amazing bright sections.
Net TV with Wi-Fi for popular online services on your TV
Experience a rich selection of online services with Net TV. Enjoy movies, pictures, infotainment and other online content directly on your TV whenever you like. Simply connect your TV directly to your home network through either the integrated Wi-Fi wireless or Ethernet connection, and navigate to and select what you want to watch with the TV remote control. The Philips menu gives you access to popular Net TV services fitted for your TV screen. Additionally, with the DLNA certified PC network you can watch videos or access pictures stored on your computer using your TV remote control.
Enjoy a rich selection of web videos from YouTube and others
Net TV brings you a rich selection of videos from YouTube and other video websites. The videos are tailored to fit your TV screen, allowing you to sit back and enjoy online videos at an optimum quality.
Features:
200 Hz Clear LCD displays 200 scenes per second by combining advanced 100 Hz technology with scanning backlight @ 50% duty cycle.
8 days EPG, service not available in all countries
DVB-T, supported in selected countries only
DVB-C in selected countries and for selected operators only. Most up to date information is available on the type plate of the TV.
Net TV, service offering is dependent on country and subject to terms of use.
Optional Philips DVB-S module required (part no. PFS0001, only available in Germany, Austria and Switzerland)
MPEG4 HDTV reception via DVB-T and DVB-C tuner with CI+
HDTV allows you to watch TV in the best possible picture and sound quality, without an additional set-top box. Thanks to the built-in tuner that supports DVB-Terrestrial and DVB-Cable signals for both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 formats, you receive high definition TV programmes in exceptional quality. Moreover, with Common Interface Plus (CI+) you benefit from premium high definition content directly on your TV.
Source: trendynetnews.com
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On December - 19 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Yamaha’s RX-V2065 is an altogether different type of AV receiver from the iconic brand. Yamaha has seen its fortunes ebb and flow in the AV market, and this new model effectively tries to draw a line in the sand and start over.
The most obvious point of difference over previous models is its new GUI, designed to make setting up a complex receiver like this simpler than ever. But despite spending more than a fair amount of time using it, I’m left somewhat puzzled.
For example, access to the set-up functions is buried at the bottom of three or four pages of (admittedly pretty) source selection icons. The only feature you would not go into the menus for is source selection – it’s achievable through direct keys on the remote and the fascia…so why have pages and pages of source select icons heading up the menu? When you are into the features and functions area, it’s laid out in a disjointed format with lots of unlinked individual pages rather than traditional left to right flowing menus. I had to refer to the manual on several occasions just to find various functions and that is not a good sign for the average user.
I’m not getting the new cosmetics either. It looks feels less solid that Yamaha’s previous receivers at this price. I also feel rather guilty about the years, decades even, I have spent denigrating Yamaha’s ‘orange’ front panel display – because the new look involves a me-too blue display showing precious little useful info and a few red legends.
Behind this irksomeness however there are some very slick features. The provision of 5-in, 2-out HDMIs is brilliant particularly as one input is front mounted. The RX-V2605 is very much geared up to be a Network receiver with both Ethernet and USB inputs, a port for Yamaha’s optional Bluetooth receiver or iPod dock, and plenty of dedicated Network audio features. There is very simple connection to a PC-based home network, a compressed music enhancer and tricks like pulling photos from your PC to display onto you TV. And despite what I said about the GUI the network side of the RX-V2065’s business plan is pretty damn straightforward to set up and use.
Interestingly, unlike its direct Onkyo TX-NR807 competitor, it is bereft of Dolby ProLogic IIz. Yamaha instead using its long established Presence (height) channels at the front with bespoke processing for these channels. Equally like the Onkyo you will lose rear-back channel amplification to drive the fronts – but in the RX-V2065’s case that really isn’t worth it.
Heart of gold
However, despite my grumbles, this is an amp with a heart of gold. It’s smooth yet detailed, fast yet subtle, and never once gets you wincing at an over acerbic HF effect. It feels mature and sophisticated with a fabulous balance between spacious soundstage and accurate positioning of individual sounds.
Overall, the Yamaha RX-V2065 7.1 AV Receiver offers a well balanced all-round sound performance, and is as happy with all action block busters as it is with a Pixar masterpiece.
Source: trendynetnews.com
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On December - 18 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
In a few years, you could be watching 3D laser TV. This week, a Los Gatos startup unveiled the world’s first 100-inch 3D home theater powered by lasers.
There is a tree that looks so real you could touch it. It’s being displayed on the first 3D home theater powered by lasers — from HDI of Los Gatos.
The new 3D is all the rage in entertainment around the world. Most videogames come in 3D versions. A new 3D movie will be released every month in the coming year. It’s all being driven by new technology that has replaced the old red-blue glasses with stylish models designed for digital.
Now comes the next step, in this 100-inch screen. The colors are richer than anything else, because they come from lasers. The lasers are cheap. They’re low power, consuming just 1W each. Try that with your plasma. And it’s true HD. Not just 1080p, but 1080 Hertz.
“This device is unique in the fact that it’s extremely fast,” says Chief Technical Officer Edmund Sandberg. “It will do over a thousand frames a second. That allows you to integrate all the color and everything into one device.”
It also means the picture no longer needs to flash from one eye to other. You know that we can’t show you how good the 3D is, because you watch a 2D television set. But, take it from me. We’ve seen RealD, Dolby, film, all kinds of 3D. And this is the smoothest yet. And smoothness means no headaches.”
Ed Sandberg has been designing 3D displays for 20 years. He and his partners at HDI developed their new system practically from scratch. They have their own lasers, their own glasses, ginormous screen, and high-speed liquid crystal on silicon.
“1920 by 1080 lines all the time to your eye, and in parallel,” Sandberg assures us.
The company faces many challenges. Others are experimenting with lasers, and 3D capable televisions already exist. But no one has quite managed to combine everything in a package with 3D flash without all the flashing.
Source: abclocal.go.com
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On December - 3 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
It’s the perfect situation – a dedicated home theater and a completely separate room for critical music listening. Yes, it is a home theater and music room. One homeowner in Massachusetts was able to realize his dream of the ‘perfect’ audio system, and still provide the rest of the family with their own home theater.
The advantage of new construction is you can design your home any way you like, including dedicated spaces for each of your passions. Each room required its own designers, one an acoustical engineer with a background in no-compromise projects, and the other a highly skilled, yet, budget-conscious systems integrator.
Alan Goodwin of Goodwin’s High End created a room within a room to isolate the listening room from the rest of the home. For instance, there is space between the ceiling and the floor above and the rear wall has 12″ of space behind it with a built-in baffle and edge bands to tune base resonance. The room has perfect acoustical dimensions– 24′ 8 3/8″ long, 17′ 10 5/6″ wide, and 9′ 6″ high – due to the special foundation that was excavated from solid granite to achieve the appropriate height.
For the acoustical treatments, Goodwin recommended Performance Acoustic Lab’s (PAL) Danish-built diffuser modules and bass traps, augmented by Acoustic Sciences’ acoustic wall panels. The 300 lb. PAL modules took 4 movers to get into the basement music room, and Tom Fredericks of PAL flew in from Denver with a special carpenter to spend an entire week installing the modules.
Every aspect of the room was considered with great care and effort, including the electrical supply where only hospital grade outlets with isolated grounds were installed to ensure low electric noise and eliminate any motor interference. Since the room is sound proof, a fire strobe was installed to alert the homeowner if a fire should break out elsewhere in the home.
The homeowner already had the gear – Spectral Electronics and custom colored Wilson WATT Puppy speakers – he just needed the perfect room, which cost almost as much as the equipment. The lesson learned is that the acoustic qualities of the room are at least as important – if not more – than the quality of the audio system.
Separated from the music room by acoustic doors and 8″ walls filled with acoustic insulation, the basic acoustic properties and dimensions of the home theater were identical to the music room. The architect recommended Larry Shulman of Huntington TV, who helped balance cost with quality. He suggested a system that included a JVC 1080p projector, Triad in-wall speakers, a Velodyne 15″ subwoofer, B&K separates, a Sony Blu-ray Player, and Crestron control. The front speakers were set into cavities constructed by the builder and covered by acoustic wall panels. The center channel was placed behind a 100″ Stewart microperf screen.
The homeowner was very much involved in every phase of the dual rooms, from researching each and every component, designing the equipment closet and all lighting details, including the special LED stair lights in the theater.
While the house construction took 16 months, the construction of the two special rooms took less than two months, even with the almost catastrophic flooding due to torrential rain that seeped into an open electrical conduit..
The home theater is a social magnet, providing an opportunity to bring together friends and neighbors, for events such as watching the presidential debates or just having quality time with the family to watch a movie, football game, or some TV.
The best part of all for the homeowner is when life gets hectic and he needs time to relax and slow down, he escapes inside the enchanting sounds of Monteverdi, Bartok, or Mahler, in the music room of his dreams.
Source: hometheaterdesignmag.com
Sytem integrator: goodwinshighend.com
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On December - 2 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Marantz has had a reputation for high-quality audio reproduction for over 50 years. Lately, their receivers have been a little short on features, but maintained the legendary sound. Times are changing and Marantz has adapted nicely to the new technologies available to the receiver maker. The release of the Marantz SR6004 receiver reviewed here is proving that. This new receiver has you covered on all the new codecs, Audyssey features, video scaling and even Bluetooth connectivity. It is designed to be the hub of a modern home theater and even an entire home, all for a retail price of $1,249.
The SR6004 comes with all the features you’d expect, like four-to-two HDMI 1.3 switching, three-to-one component and composite video input switching. A front panel input allows composite video and has the only S-Video jack on the receiver. Digital inputs abound, with four optical and two coaxial, as well as a USB input, and one optical digital output that can feed a digital recorder or another home theater elsewhere in the home. There are a 7.1 channel analog input, eight pairs of stereo analog inputs and a stereo analog output for one zone, as well as 7.1 channel preamp outputs. A two-prong IEC power socket with both a switched and un-switched power outlet for your other components round out the connectivity. Seven 110-watts-per-channel into eight ohms amplifiers can be set to run speakers in a host of different ways from a conventional 7.1 system, with or without front height channel connected for when you use Dolby Pro Logic IIz. If you only run five speakers, you can use the extra channel to bi-amplify your front speakers.
Control is handled by remote connections for syncing to other Marantz components, as well as a 12-volt trigger, an RS-232 port and IR inputs. Connectors for both Sirius and XM satellite radio are here, as well as AM and FM tuners with up to 60 presets and direct access via the remote. The coolest thing on this unit is Marantz’s new M-X Port terminal that plugs in the included RX101 Bluetooth and IR receiver. This allows remote IR detection should you hide your gear and will also sync to your iPhone or other Bluetooth-enabled devices and allow playback wirelessly on your home system. The RX101 has the capability of remembering up to eight Bluetooth devices, so the entire family can easily sync their iPhones and laptops on a single receiver.
The entire complement of Audyssey functions are here, including MultiEQ, Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume, as well as Dolby Pro Logic IIz, which offers an added pair of front height channels to increase the surround experience. All analog video sources can be scaled up to 1080p or any other format and are converted to HDMI and each other, allowing only the highest-level connector to connect the receiver to your display. Nowadays, that will hopefully be HDMI. Two HDMI outputs are present and you can directly switch between the two of them with a button on the remote. I am very happy to see this addition, as switching between the two outputs on older Marantz receivers was deeply buried in the set-up menus. Now those with dual display systems can easily switch between them.
The front panel USB port is full 2.0 spec and allows direct connection to an iPod, iPhone, flash drive or hard disc drive with up to 700 folders and over 65,000 files. Clearly, this will handle even large libraries and massive storage devices. When connected via USB, iPods and iPhones transfer data digitally as LPCM and can reproduce true CD quality sound from uncompressed files. Should you not want to be tethered to your receiver, the Bluetooth adaptor will allow you to move about your house while listening. Full iPod control is available from the remote and, for larger storage devices, your display will allow you to easily navigate your music files.
Top all this off with Marantz’s new look for receivers and separates with the swooped-back side plates of the front fascia and the shallow depth cabinet, and this receiver not only looks great but can fit into places others can’t. The shallow depth also makes connections easier, thanks to the extra space. The only thing not present on this receiver is WiFi support for computer audio, but the included Bluetooth support is more useful, easier to set up and accomplishes the same goals.
Performance
The first thing I wanted to test was the Bluetooth connection, as I find this to be incredibly useful in today’s world. I started off with my Mac Book Air streaming 192 Kbps MP3 and AAC files and was very happy with the results. Whether I streaming The Cure’s cover of “Purple Haze” from Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (Reprice/WEA) to Cypress Hill’s self-titled album (Sony) and the track “How I Could Just Kill a Man,” the sound was good, with reasonable separation and solid bass. Connecting my iPhone was a snap and gave me in-hand control of everything on it, even from across the house. When I did step out of range, simply moving back a few feet resumed playback. The ability to stream from my or any of my friends’ iPhones or laptops made the experience far outweigh any limitations the compression took away from the music.
To compare the RX101 Bluetooth receiver to the USB, I used my iPhone. The USB input allows a true digital feed from the attached USB device to the receiver. I made two play lists of the same songs, one as AIFF files and one as MP3 and AAC files for easy comparison. I had to use my iPhone, as my iPod is an older model and only fourth-generation or newer models support the direct digital output. With my iPhone directly connected, “A Whiter Shade of Pale” from Annie Lennox’s Medusa (Arista) in AIFF offered the best sonics, and for critical listening was more open with better separation than the 192 kbps MP3 track. When I switched to the Bluetooth receiver, the differences between the two file formats was less, with both sounding closer to the MP3 track, though the AIFF still had a bit more open sound.
Turning to TV, I found the time for the SR6004 to switch between different HD resolutions acceptably. It took a second or two, but everything does these days, and the Marantz was certainly no slower than others I’ve used, and on par with anything else I have. Dolby Digital from my HD DVR was clear and open. When I watched Entourage (HBO), vocals were easily discernable and surround effects matched the screen image. Sons of Anarchy (FX) demonstrated solid bass from explosions, while keeping subtleties clear. Scaling from the component input was good and, with higher-resolution sources, seemingly identical to HDMI on my slightly dated Panasonic plasma. I tried the Audyssey Dynamic EQ and volume and went through the various levels. While they did improve the ability to perceive voices at lower volumes, they pushed the mid bass too much for my liking, so I defeated them.
spun up Robin Trower’s Bridge of Sighs (Chrysalis/Capitol) on vinyl and was pleased with the rich and open way it portrayed the title track, giving a spacious soundstage with well-positioned bells. The deep and driving guitar riffs of “Too Rolling Stoned” came across with power and energy that made the song a joy to hear. I loved this album as a young man and this set-up showed me why, in more detail than I remembered. The AM/FM tuner of the Marantz SR6004 worked well, tuning in even difficult stations and had more presets available than any terrestrial radio market will offer.
I loaded up X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment) on Blu-ray and got all the life and energy I have come to expect from the new codecs. Every minute detail was crisply portrayed from the DTS HD MA track, while powerful explosions shook the room. The sound of sliding metal on metal when Wolverine’s new claws come out for the first time was perfect and sounded as though I was using my own kitchen knives. The smacking of flesh in the fight with Blob had great detail and Blob’s fall to the floor was palpable.
Low Points
The remote is well laid-out and functions perfectly, and even has great backlighting, but it feels kind of cheap. I know, I’m nitpicking, but it doesn’t seem quite up to the quality of the receiver. Four HDMI inputs is a good number, but those with multiple gaming platforms, players and possibly TV sources may need more. I love the addition of the remote button to switch HDMI outputs, but can also see the downside to this, as a child accidentally hitting this button could cause technical operating problems, but I don’t see how to overcome this, as those with dual display systems need immediate access to this feature. It is just something to be careful of if you don’t use it.
Conclusion
Marantz has hit one out of the park with the new SR6004 AV receiver. Not only does it have/support all the new uncompressed codecs, multi-zone control and Audyssey EQ features, it even has Dolby Pro Logic IIz, which adds front height channels to enhance the surround experience. It has compatibility for both satellite radio providers, a USB audio input that can access music stored on any type of USB capable storage and allows a true digital feed from fourth-generation or later iPods or iPhones for critical listening. What I like the best is the inclusion of the RX101 Bluetooth receiver that allows me, or any of my friends, to stream music from our iPhones or other Bluetooth devices to the system wirelessly while maintaining in-hand control. The included RX101 Bluetooth receiver allows total convenience with only a slight loss of sonic quality when compared to the USB input and can remember up to eight devices, so an entire family or group could easily connect to it.
Marantz has a long history of delivering great sound, often with a lack of features, but this new receiver breaks that mold. Sure, it sounds great. In fact, it sounds better than most of the competitors’ higher-priced models, but now Marantz is really baring its teeth and adding the coolest, most useful features. The SR6004 doesn’t offer WiFi for computer audio – it goes one better and adds a Bluetooth receiver, which allows more ease of use and flexibility than WiFi. To top it off, the RX101 Bluetooth receiver also doubles as a remote IR receiver, allowing the SR6004 to be hidden from view, yet still be easily accessed via the included remote.
This is a great receiver. It’s so easy to use and so practical, while sounding incredible. It offers relevant usable features not found elsewhere with great sound, all at a mid-fi price. This is the receiver I am recommending to anyone who asks me. The Marantz SR6004 is the most useable, feature-packed receiver, offering incredible sonics at a real-world price point. This is the one to check out if you are in the market for a new receiver, but get your own: I’m keeping this one.
Source: us.marantz.com & hometheaterreview.com
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Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On December - 1 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
Best Buy’s new Rocketfish Wireless HD adapter lets users put up to 33 feet of wire-free space between an HDMI-capable HD video source and their HDTV.
The world of wireless high-definition video solutions has been marked by far more failures than successes, but Sony and Philips have recently begun marketing solutions and now consumer electronics retailer Best Buy is getting into the game with its new Rocketfish Wireless HD Adapter, enabling users to send full 1080p/60fps HD content up to 10 meters (about 33 feet) without cabling. The technology works with most existing HDMI-capable gear: just plug an HDMI video source into one unit, plug an HDTV into another, and the adapter does the rest.
“We asked our customers about their ideal home entertainment experience, and used these insights to create the new Rocketfish WirelessHD adapter, which responds to their desire to transmit high definition video wirelessly in the same room,” said Rocketfish CTO Nigel Waites, in a statement.
The Rocketfish WirelessHD Adapter runs on a 60GHz radio frequency—so it’s not going to get interference from things like cordless phones and microwaves— and (in addition to supporting full HD 1080p content at up to 60fps) handles all the data that can accompany a high-def feed, including 7.1 surround sound, DTS-HD audio, Dolby TrueHD, and Deep Color. The unit supports a single HDMI input and output, and is wall-mountable for discrete installation…although each end of the connection requires its own AC adapter. The idea is to enable home theater fans to set up their TVs or projectors anywhere in a room they might want, regardless of where their gear rack may be located—all without the hassle of running cable.
Key features of the Rocketfish WirelessHD Adapter include:
Operates in the open and interference-free 60GHz radio band
Sends full 1080p/60fps HD content up to 10 meters
Supports Deep Color, 7.1 surround sound, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Audio
Compatible with HDMI CEC control functionality
The Rocketfish products utilize WirelessHD technology, the standard for 60GHz wireless connections for consumer electronic, personal computing and portable devices.
Source: digitaltrends.com
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Nothing says modern status symbol like a quality home theater system. Having the gear to provide a movie theater quality viewing or gaming experience instantly tells visitors to your that you’re a person who has arrived.
Once you get all of this snazzy gear, making sure you install it properly is vital to ensuring all that money didn’t go to waste. Improper installation of a home theater system can result in crackling sound an unclear picture and looking like a tool when your friends come over to watch. Avoid embarrassment by picking up a few good do-it-yourself manuals before trying to make sense of all those red and yellow cables or by hiring a pro to set up your new home theater system.
