Saturday, September 4, 2010

Denon unveils AV receiver-Blu-ray player combo

Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 31 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

Denon-S-5BDLAS VEGAS–We don’t see many home theater AV receivers at CES, with home audio manufacturers generally waiting for their own line shows to release new product lines. However, most AV receivers don’t have Blu-ray players built-in.

Denon has announced the S-5BD AV receiver/Blu-ray Disc player combo unit at CES 2010, melding the two components into a sleek, glossy package. Here’s the initial info from the news release.



Key features of the Denon S-5BD:

  • Blu-ray player and AV receiver combo unit
  • 5.1 AV receiver
  • 2-zone, 2 source capability
  • 3 HDMI 1.4 inputs
  • Dolby Pro Logic IIz decoding, along with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
  • SD card slot
  • $1,800 list price, available in March 2010

The S-5BD certainly has a slick design and it’s the first combo unit we’ve seen, but we can’t help but feel it will ultimately have limited appeal. The integrated Blu-ray player has a relatively bare-bones feature set since it lacks Wi-Fi and the streaming media services (like Netflix) available on competing models.

Finally, the integrated design really limits your upgrade options. With separate components, it’s easy to swap in a new Blu-ray player while you still try to squeeze some extra years out of your receiver. You could add a new Blu-ray player with the S-5BD (with its three HDMI inputs), but that’s defeating the point of the unit in the first place. The S-5BD might make sense in certain applications where there’s limited space or ease-of-use is a priority, but it’s probably not the best choice for buyers who value flexibility in their home theater setup.


Popularity: 25% [?]

Sony BDV-E570 – Bluray 3D Capable

Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 30 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

Sony_BDV-E770W_Blu-ray_HT_lg_610x200Sony surprised us by announcing a 3D-capable Blu-ray home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) system at CES 2010, but the company also introduced several standard Blu-ray HTIBs, too.



Key features of the Sony BDV-E570:

  • 5.1 home theater system
  • Built-in Blu-ray player
  • 1000 watts of total power
  • Wi-Fi capable using the included USB dongle
  • Access to the Bravia Internet Video platform, which includes Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Pandora, Slacker, and NPR streaming capability
  • Onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
  • Can control using iPhone/iPod Touch
  • iPod playback using USB
  • S-Air-ready (requires purchase of S-Air transmitter)
  • DLNA compatible
  • $550 list price; available in April

Key step-up features of the Sony BDV-E770W:

  • Wireless rear speakers (using S-Air)
  • $650 list price; available in April

Source: cnet.com


Popularity: 54% [?]

Panasonic’s launch first sound bar – SC-HTB1

Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 29 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

panasonic_sc-htb1_1Panasonic is a major manufacturer of home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems, but the company is making its first entry into the sound bar market with the SC-HTB1. The press release highlights its “Clear-Mode Dialogue” feature and advanced bamboo cone speakers, but the most interesting announcement to us is its compatibility with ARC (audio return channel), allowing you to “connect it to the TV with just one HDMI cable.”

An audio return channel is one of the new features of the HDMI 1.4 standard, and theoretically you could connect all your components directly to your HDMI 1.4-compatible HDTV with just a single HDMI cable sending the audio back to the sound bar.

Great in theory, but we won’t know how well it works until we actually get our hands on a review unit. We imagine there could be challenges with analog audio sources that would need to be converted to digital audio by the TV.

There was no pricing or availability announced, so we’ll have to wait for more information about the SC-HTB1.

Source: cnet.com


Popularity: 35% [?]

RealD signs big partners for 3D TV

Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 28 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

reald-glasses-420-90RealD, a company whose 3D display technology already is widely used in movie theaters, has enlisted a raft of prominent partners for the TV industry: Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba, JVC, Samsung, and DirecTV.

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, RealD announced deals that will bring its technology to Samsung products, Toshiba’s ZX900 TV, Panasonic’s Full HD 3D Viera TVs, Sony’s Bravia HDTVs, and LCD monitors from JVC.

Beverly Hills, Calif.-based RealD also announced it’s cooperating with those same companies for 3D eyewear.

Being able to display the 3D imagery is one part of the transition. Getting the imagery to the TV is another matter. There, RealD announced a partnership with DirecTV.

“We look forward to working with RealD and our programming providers to deliver 3D content later this year to owners of 3D-capable TVs,” DirecTV Chief Technology Officer Romulo Pontual said in a statement. “No new set-top boxes will be required.”

Closer toward the eyeball part of the 3D pipeline, Gunnar Optics announced RealD-capable 3D glasses at CES available this quarter. Prescription versions will arrive in the third quarter, the company said.

RealD, which uses polarized light to separate imagery for the left and right eyes, isn’t the only contender for 3D technology. XpanD, which uses liquid crystal to briefly make one side or the other of its eyewear briefly opaque, announced a 3D partnership with Vizio.XpanD also announced a range of X102 and X103 glasses in various colors. XpanD uses Bluetooth to synchronize the glasses’ behavior with the imagery on the TV screen.Vuzix-Wrap-920AR

And if you want to sidestep the whole issue of 3D displays, you can try Vuzix’s Wrap 920AR stereo display glasses, which build two separate 1504×480-pixel displays into the glasses themselves to create stereoscopic vision. The glasses monitor position and orientation so a person’s view can be adjusted according to head position, and they have external cameras that can feed in what a person would ordinarily see without the glasses. Sounds handy for the budding concept of augmented reality.

Source: cnet.com


Popularity: 19% [?]

72 inch HD3D TV from Vizio – XVTPRO720SV

Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 27 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

VIZIO_XVTPRO720SV_72inch_3D_Wireless_LCD_TVVIZIO, America’s #1 LCD HDTV Company, has unveiled their new high-performance XVT Pro Series of 480Hz SPS™ 16×9 TruLED™ Full HD3D™HDTVs available in 72″, 55″ and 47″ sizes, as well as a 58″ Cinema Wide HDTV that displays content in 21 x 9 aspect ratio. The 480Hz SPS™ 16×9 TruLED™ Full HD3D™HDTVs incorporate the very latest in advanced HDTV technology with 480Hz SPS™, TruLED™ brilliant LEDs that pervade the entire screen, Smart Dimming™ circuitry controls hundreds of zones of LEDs per screen to the precise light level per picture frame. In addition, the set’s Full HD3D™delivers stunning 3D images in FULL HD 1080p resolution, with other advanced features like VIZIO INTERNET APPS™ (VIA) built-in high definition wireless (802.11n dual-band) and wired networking, a Bluetooth universal remote control with sliding QWERTY keyboard, and Wireless HDMI which allows the TV to receive HD video and audio from sources without an HDMI cable.

“VIZIO’s entry into custom and specialty electronics is great for the industry. VIZIO has built strong brand recognition, so offering specialty retailers and custom installers exclusive access to a line with features they can market is a nice sales tool. Customers already know the VIZIO brand and it’s an easy transition to educating them about the benefits of their advanced 3D, LED technology and unique solutions such as (21:9) 2.35:1 native aspect ratio HDTVs,” said Tom LeBlanc, Senior Writer/Technology Editor, CE Pro magazine.

“Our 2010 XVT Pro series offers a refreshing combination of the latest technology like 480Hz SPS™ TruLED™ coupled with must-have features like immersive FULL HD3D™ experience and VIZIO INTERNET APPS (with built in wireless networking) and wireless HDMI and Bluetooth capabilities. We at VIZIO are setting new standards for picture quality and user experience,” said Laynie Newsome, VIZIO Co-Founder and VP Sales and Marketing Communications. “50% of consumers want a 3D home theater, according to Quixel Research, and our new XVT Pro Series brings the latest technology to consumers who want the absolute BEST in class.”

Defining state of the art performance, these VIZIO 72″, 55″ and 47″ Full HD3D™ TVs advance refresh rates to 480Hz SPS™ with VIZIO’s Smooth Motion™ technology. Their TruLED™ brilliant LEDs pervade the entire display (Under 3″ profile) and have Smart Dimming™ circuitry that controls hundreds of zones of LEDs per screen to the precise light level per picture frame in 480, 120 and 160 zones, respectively. The XVT Pro series offers an incredible 10 million to 1 Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio™ for extraordinary picture quality that delivers incredible color, and even brighter whites and deeper blacks than ever before while displaying 1.7 Billion Colors using a 10-Bit data input panel.

For environments with bright ambient lighting, the 55″ and 47″ models feature a unique anti-reflective panel that produces better contrast with rich and deep blacks even in brightly lit rooms.

Vizio-XVTPRO720SVFULL HD3D ™

Utilizing SENSIO® 3D technology to deliver 3D content over conventional 2D infrastructure, the new VIZIO XVT Pro Full HD3D TVs display stunning 3D content that the user can view with XpanD active-shutter glasses (sold separately). Unlike other 3D TVs that use passive stereoscopic imaging, VIZIO’s Full HD3D TVs can display full 1080p video to each eye by rapidly alternating between the left-eye and right-eye images within the same visual space. The special active-shutter glasses, which communicate with the television over Bluetooth, then transform each lens from opaque to transparent in perfect synchronization with the images displayed on the TV, which allows for delivery of the full frame rate capable by the television for the ultimate 3D HDTV viewing experience.

These sets can produce 3D images from SENSIO encoded material on conventional DVD and Blu-ray players, as well as from future distribution channels such as pay per view, video on demand, DTV and HDTV broadcasts.

“We are pleased to be working closely with VIZIO and be a part of the creation of a substantial install-base of consumers ready to watch 3D movies, live concerts, and sporting events from the comfort of their home,” states Nicholas Routhier, President and Chief Executive Officer of SENSIO Technologies.

“We are excited to partner with VIZIO as catalysts in the 3D revolution for the home,” said Maria Costeira, CEO of XpanD. “The combination of XpanD Cinema active-shutter glasses and Vizio displays will provide an immersive, dynamic and cost-effective solution for VIZIO XVT Pro owners.”

Wireless HDMI

Eliminating the need for an HDMI cable from source components to the display, the 72″, 55″ and 47″ XVT Pro Series have an integrated Wireless HDMI receiver built-in, using SiBEAM’s robust 60 GHz technology to receive HD content from high definition sources such as Blu-ray players or set-top boxes with full HD 1080p resolution when paired with a separately available VIZIO XVT Pro Wireless HDMI Adapter. The XVT Pro Adapter supports up to 4 HDMI sources and operates at 60GHz to avoid interference with other wireless devices in the home like cordless telephones and wireless networks that operate at 2.4 and 5 GHz.

SRS StudioSound HD

VIZIO XVT Pro TVs will feature SRS StudioSound HD – the ultimate all-in-one audio suite designed specifically for Flat Panel TVs. Years of excellence in audio, practical experience and patented technologies allow StudioSound HD to deliver the most immersive and natural surround sound ever using built-in TV speakers. The suite also delivers remarkably crisp and clear dialog, rich bass, an elevated sound stage and consistent, spike-free volume levels. StudioSound HD features optimized audio presets for movies, news, sports and music while also providing a built-in EQ toolset for peak audio performance.

cinema58_AngleVIZIO INTERNET APPS™ (VIA)

All of the XVT Pro sets feature the VIZIO INTERNET APPS™ (VIA) Connected HDTV platform, delivering unprecedented choice and control of web-based content directly to the television without the need of a PC or set-top box. Able to connect to the Internet using the built-in high definition wireless (802.11n dual-band) or a wired connection, accessing on demand movies, TV episodes, music and other online content is easy, using the included Bluetooth universal remote control with sliding QWERTY keyboard that makes thumb-typing easy.

58″ Cinema Wide Display

Taking a major step forward in enabling viewers to experience a fully immersive widescreen film experience without a separate projector and screen, VIZIO’s first Cinema Wide Display, the XVTPRO580CD offers the ultimate experience for the movie enthusiast. This 58″ Razor LED display has a 21×9 aspect ratio, with an incredible resolution of 2560 x 1080p, allowing consumers to view 2.35:1 “Scope” aspect ratio films using the entire display area, with no loss of resolution and no black bars. With 1 million to 1 Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio™, Smart Dimming™, and 120 Hz with Smooth Motion technology, the XVTPRO580CD delivers brilliant details and rich colors to bring the cinematic experience into the home.

Its striking wide appearance is further enhanced by its brushed aluminum chassis. The Cinema Wide Display also includes VIA, built-in wireless (802.11n dual-band) or wired networking, and a Bluetooth universal remote control with sliding QWERTY keyboard.


Popularity: 42% [?]

Haier’s Wireless TV

Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 26 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

haier_completely_wireless_tvWireless power has gone from lab prototype to working product in a little over 18 months, and Haier stuck MIT’s WiTricity into a TV along with WHDI wireless video for complete wirelessness. Complete. Wireless. Ness.

Sure, there’s a big power unit on the wall, radiating (totally harmless) RF into the back of the TV, which has a coil inside to receive the juice. It only delivers full strength if it’s parallel, so you have to plan ahead and somehow setup the TV in front of the wall that has the power module. Because of all the hocus pocus, the TV itself is a chunkster, and that power transmitter is no slim jim either.

Still, the idea is a good one, and the promise – as both MIT and Intel work their asses off getting wireless power up to snuff – is real.

WHDI is a lot further along in development. Wireless HDMI isn’t exactly household, but the tech is now supported by basically all of the biggest CE companies except Panasonic. I’m not going to buy this Haier TV – it might not even be for sale this year – but it’s not a concrete sign of what’s to come.

wireless_video_explained

wireless_electricity_explained


Popularity: 9% [?]

BDP-CX7000ES Blu-ray Disc MegaChanger from Sony

Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 25 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

Sony’s foray into the U.S. electronics market began more than 50 years ago when co-founder Akio Morita came to New York to sell a $30 miniature transistor radio. At the time, he attracted the interest of Bulova, a watchmaker with a vast retail network. Bulova offered to buy 100,000 units under one condition—Sony would have to original equipment manufacture (O.E.M.) the radios, and they would be branded and marketed under Bulova’s name. Amazingly, Morita went against his board of directors’ advice and turned down the deal. His 50-year goal was to make the Sony name as popular as Bulova’s. Through the strength of his vision, Sony is now one of the most recognized brands in the world.

Sony BDP-CX7000ES-bluray

Within Sony’s brand is the Elevated Standard (ES) line, the premium end of the company’s portfolio of products. Over the years, the ES line of equipment has included outstanding DVD players, AVRs, and early in 2009, two Blu-ray Disc players. Late in the third q

uarter, Sony filled a hole in the Blu-ray market by releasing its second multidisc changer, the $1,900 BDP-CX7000ES MegaChanger. (The first, Sony’s $3,500 HES-V1000 Home Entertainment server is no longer available.)

Sony is currently the only manufacturer of Blu-ray Disc changers on the market, so if you’re in need of one, your options are limited to the ES model or the lower-priced BDP-CX960 ($800). Compared with many current video server products, many of which start at $5,000 and go up dramatically from there, this MegaChanger is a bargain. And those other products can’t store Blu-ray Disc content on their hard drives—you have to put discs into the tray one at a time just like a standard player. Granted, these other systems bring different capabilities to the table, but none offer the convenience of storing and managing your Blu-ray collection.

Living with the BDP-CX7000ES the past month has given me a new perspective on the convenience of a disc changer. Although I can personally live without it, I enjoyed having a good portion of my library accessible from one player, and I can see people getting hooked on the experience.

Sony BDP-CX7000ES-bluray-rearIf you don’t care about the storage and are willing to leave the comfort of your couch to change discs, better video processing is available in other players. But if you’re looking at this MegaChanger, that’s probably not you. The BDP-CX7000ES offers Blu-ray performance at 1080p/24 that’s on par with the best we’ve seen and very solid DVD upconversion, which makes it attractive if you’re looking for large-capacity storage and management and don’t want to spend media server money.

Source: hometheatermag.com


Popularity: 8% [?]

Vardia New Blu-ray recorders and players from Toshiba

Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 24 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

toshiba_d-b305k-620x377Last summer, Toshiba decided to abandon their self-developed HD-DVD format and to go Blu-ray instead. Soon after, the company started rolling out a few Blu-ray devices here and there, but today Toshiba Japan announced [JP] a flood of new Blu-ray-powered devices. The company is ready to roll out a total of three Blu-ray recorders and one Blu-ray player in the next few weeks.

The three new Blu-ray recorders are branded VARDIA. The basic model (D-B305K/pictured above) features a 320GB HDD (price: $1,100), while the D-B1005K ($1,400) comes with a 1TB hard disc. VHS fans can pay $1,500 to get the D-BW1005K, which is a VHS/Blu-ray recorder combo that helps you to backup your cassettes on Blu-ray discs (pictured below).

The recorders allow you to copy material from DVD to Blu-ray and vice versa. All models come with an HDMI interface, a USB port, LAN connectivity and an SD memory card slot (the player lacks the USB port).

toshiba_D-B1005K-620x375

The SD-BD1K is Toshiba’s new Blu-ray player and will cost $300 (pictured above).

Toshiba says they want to tap the growing demand for Blu-ray recorders in Japan with their new line-up. In the US, Toshiba is selling only one Blu-ray player so far, but this might change very soon. The new VARDIA recorders and the player will hit Japanese stores in about four weeks.

toshiba_D-BW1005K-620x360

Source: crunchgear.com


Popularity: 7% [?]

Home Theatre Bathroom

Posted by Home Theater Audio Video On January - 23 - 2010 ADD COMMENTS

computerized-whirlpool-bathtub-lcd-tv

I have to be honest with you. I don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a home theater system because I just don’t have the time to sit around and watch TV for the evening.

However, I can easily see myself in this bathtub, watching this tiny LCD TV. Especially since the tub has 5 adjustable body massage jets, 14 whirlpool bubble path jets, 6 small water jets, underwater mood lamp, plus 15mm teak boad and handheld shower. All for about $2999. Not bad.






Popularity: 44% [?]

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