Home Entertainment
The Sountina sound fountain – 1.85 metre tall glass and leather column delivering 360 degree sound
Image Gallery (21 images)
August 29, 2008 It’s taken us a few decades to fully wrap our brain cells around the fact that a loudspeaker doesn’t need to be box-shaped with an array of woofers and tweeters and equally, that remarkable sound quality can be produced from a single speaker. Taking it one step further is the new Sony Sountina: this single, elegant column, combining glass, leather and room-enhancing illumination, delivers music over 360 degrees, providing a sonic and visual focal-point for any room. The name comes from a fusion of the words ‘sound’ and ‘fountain’; just as people gather around a fountain, so the 1.85m tall Sountina will deliver amazing music to those all around it. Sony calls it a Circle Sound Stage, and it’s all made possible by brand-new Vertical Drive Technology. Check out the image library - beeeeautiful!
Pioneer promises most powerful Blu-ray player ever built
Image Gallery (2 images)
August 28, 2008 Pioneer is unleashing a Blu-ray player that will out-do the PS3 – and probably outweigh it too. The US$2,200 Elite BDP-09FD is hyped as the most powerful Blu-ray player ever built, and will feature Ethernet, BD-Live playback, and 4GB of internal memory for downloads.
ELAC shows of world’s smallest subwoofer – ‘probably’
Image Gallery (5 images)
August 28, 2008 German speaker manufacturer ELAC was showing off what they dubbed ‘probably the world's smallest hi-fi subwoofer’ IFA 2008 this week. Their 2.1 desktop speaker system is made up of two satellite speakers and The 2010 BT MicroSUB, which contains four amplifiers, (two for the two bass drivers and two for the two connected satellites), in a unit that measures just 21.8 cm tall, 15.0 cm wide and 17.8 cm deep, and weighs just 4.8kg.
Hidden sounds from Revox speakers
Image Gallery (11 images)
Revox of Switzerland manufactures a wide range of audio equipment that implements functional technology into everyday items. Two of its more notable products are speakers designed to replace traditional ceiling lights and bass speakers that double as stylish leather seats.
Parasound introduces the Halo P7 dual-mode analogue pre-amp
Image Gallery (11 images)
August 26, 2008 High-end Californian AV specialists Parasound have introduced their latest preamp, the Halo P7, which is designed to cater to multichannel music and surround sound from Blu-ray, HD DVD, DVD-Audio, and SACD players as well as to traditional stereo sources. To achieve this, it incorporates both a 2-channel and a 7.1-channel analog preamp, offering a range of balanced XLR and RCA stereo inputs and outputs.
The US$2,900 NACSound Kayak Single Stereo Loudspeaker
Image Gallery (3 images)
Sonance will introduce a striking new loudspeaker at the 2008 CEDIA Expo in Denver, next month. The NACSound for Sonance Kayak is a single-source stereo speaker able to reproduce natural stereo sound from a single visually striking component. The Kayak can be suspended vertically or horizontally, and utilizes elements of both omnidirectional and multidimensional sound reproduction to produce an unprecedented stereo effect in either orientation.
VUDU streaming movies for 99 cents
Image Gallery (3 images)
VUDU enables users with high-speed broadband to get instant access via their TV to video entertainment including 1080p HD movies and television shows. Now the company is offering a summer special, which will see customers rent one of 99 films for just US$0.99.
Radio 5.1: DAB Surround broadcast first at IFA
Image Gallery (3 images)
The Fraunhofer stand at the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin will achieve a world first by broadcasting a radio station in DAB Surround and MP3 Surround Internet radio. ROCK ANTENNE will be transmitted in the MPEG Surround standard, which compresses the six channels of a surround music track to the extent that they require no more memory than a compressed stereo signal.
Sony's X4500 and W4500 HD TVs
Image Gallery (3 images)
Sony has announced the BRAVIA X4500 and W4500 series wide screen LCD TVs with full HD 1080p resolution and DLNA connectivity. The X4500 is available in 40-inch, 46-inch, and and an 8-speaker 55-inch model, all of which feature the BRAVIA ENGINE 2 PRO for filtering, cleaning and optimizing image data before it’s displayed.
CMI's SYVIO-200 HD Player
Image Gallery (3 images)
After Popcorn Hour made their networked media tank (the A-100), a Chinese company named CMI produced what looks like their own copy of the product – the SYVIO-200 HD Player. In fact, the model number A-100 was accidentally left in the SYVIO-200 specifications on CMI's web site (which were clearly copy/pasted from Popcorn Hours website).
Popcorn Hour's A-110 Networked Media Tank
Image Gallery (3 images)
AV enthusiasts need never leave the couch again with the aid of the Popcorn Hour A-110 networked media tank. The A-110 is a combination of a digital media player, network attached storage and a media server. Supporting a mammoth list of all the latest video and audio formats, the A-110 includes HDMI v1.3a for playing full 1080p video, and S/PDIF Optical Digital Audio. Retailing at USD$215, the A-110 is within reach of most home entertainment budgets, and is leaving the Apple TV for dead.
Criterion Collection's new reference Blu-ray player: a PlayStation 3
Image Gallery (3 images)
The PS3’s credibility as a Blu-ray player has received another boost with the news that the folks at the Criterion Collection – the distributors of “important and classic and contemporary films” – use the PS3 as their reference Blu-ray player in their new HD home theater. The news might come as a surprise to those that would assume a stand-alone player would trump a game console/Blu-ray player in the picture quality department, but the PS3 has consistently received favorable reviews of its Blu-ray playback capabilities after overcoming some early teething problems...
Iomega introduces ScreenPlay TV Link
Image Gallery (3 images)
Iomega's new ScreenPlay TV Link is an compact, low-cost multimedia solution catering for playback of movies, music and photos on your TV from USB external storage devices without the need for a computer.
Leon Speakers introduces Profile 404-X-A on-wall speakers and A3-SUB subwoofer
Image Gallery (3 images)
August 12, 2008 Leon Speakers, established in 1995, is a world leader of high performance, on-wall loudspeakers. The company's new Profile 404-X-A speakers allow you to set them up on, or against a wall. The shallow profile (3.25-inches deep) helps them blend with their surroundings, and a choice of veneers and finishes (including paints) are available to finish the look.
BRAVIA TV Stand with built-in 3.1ch surround, HDMI inputs
Image Gallery (2 images)
Bringing a new spin to the term "functional furniture", Sony's BRAVIA™ Theatre TV stand (RHT-G500) integrates a 3.1-channel virtual surround sound system, three HDMI inputs, audio inputs for TV, DVD and Blu-ray Disc™, plus support for Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi... and it can all be controlled from a single remote. The sound system consists of center, left and right speakers plus a subwoofer and uses "S-Force PRO Front Surround", a technology that promises realistic surround sound without the need for rear speakers and therefore no wires to upset the system's clean lines.
High-resolution, high-end projector system from Meridian
Image Gallery (2 images)
Comprising the 810 Reference Video Projector and the 810 Reference Video Scaler, the new US$185,000 flagship front projection system from Meridian is capable of a resolution of 4096 x 2400 or 9.8 megapixels, boasts a a native contrast ratio of 10,000:1 and is designed to optimize both High and Standard Definition inputs.
LG announce BD30 Network Blu-ray player with Netflix streaming capability
Image Gallery (2 images)
August 4, 2008 In January, prior to the 2008 International CES, LG Electronics and Netflix announced their intention to team up and provide a set-top box for streaming movies and TV episodes from the Internet to the TV beginning in the second half of the year. Now, true to their word they’ve announced the LG BD30 - the first Blu-ray disc player that can stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix’s library of more than 12,000 choices directly to your TV. It also plays Blu-ray discs and up-converts standard DVDs to 1080p.
How to choose the right speakers for your amplifier or AV receiver
Image Gallery (2 images)
August 4, 2008 Of all the equipment we use in our hi-fi and home theater systems, the thing that’s changed the least over the past 20 years is the speaker. After all, there’s only so many ways you can move air to produce sound. With that in mind, matching speakers to an amplifier should be easy, right? Well...it’s not rocket science, but there are a few key specifications that affect their overall performance. Our AV expert Tim LeFevre explains.
Matsushita/Panasonic joins the OLED TV race
Image Gallery (2 images)
Japanese company Matsushita Electric Industrial Co (Panasonic) has announced its plans to have 40 inch OLED TVs on the market by 2011.
Dell shipping their 24-inch, HDMI-equipped S2409W LCD monitor
Image Gallery (2 images)
July 30, 2008 Dell's new 24-inch LCD monitor has an HDMI input and a native resolution of 1920 x 1080, making it a perfect fit for Blu-ray and video game consoles.
GEAR4 DUO 2.1 iPod speaker system
Image Gallery (2 images)
The GEAR4 DUO is a 2.1 home stereo speaker system made for, yes you guessed it, the iPod. The versatile design of the DUO speaker system, which comprises the Bass Unit and the Satellite Speaker, means both can be used together as a home stereo speaker system, or the Satellite Speaker can be un-docked resulting in a portable unit for music around the house, garden or on your travels. While docked, the Bass Unit charges up the Satellite Speaker’s rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, making it permanently ready for portable use.
Apple Core release aTV Flash hack for the Apple TV
Image Gallery (4 images)
July 29, 2008 Apple Core have released an updated version of their Apple TV hack, dubbed aTV Flash. The unofficial update addresses many of the Apple TV's shortcomings including underwhelming format support, turning it into the device it should have been from the start.
Industry leaders back AMIMON's Wireless Home Digital Interface technology
Image Gallery (4 images)
July 25, 2008 AMIMON, Hitachi, Motorola, Samsung, Sharp and Sony have formed an interest group to develop a standard for multi-room connectivity using AMIMON's Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) technology.
Samsung unveils flagship Series 9 LED-backlit LCD HDTV
Image Gallery (4 images)
July 24, 2008 Samsung's new flagship Series 9 LCD is the second generation of HDTV to use their LED SmartLighting technology, achieving a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and "actual" black levels thanks to its ability to completely shut off the light source of each pixel.
Sony’s HT-IS100 BRAVIA Theatre Micro System features golf ball size speakers
Image Gallery (3 images)
July 22, 2008 No, that’s not a giant strawberry in the accompanying picture – it’s a mini speaker. The Sony HT-IS100 BRAVIA Theatre Micro System is a 5.1 channel system delivering 450 watts (RMS) of power through a subwoofer with integrated 32-bit S-Master digital amplifier and five incredibly small speakers roughly the size of a golf ball. Designing the system at people who don’t want their home theater system to overpower their décor Sony says the “HT-IS100 packs all the power of a conventional home theater system in five discrete speakers that practically disappear in your living room.”
Open Air Cinema’s CineBox Backyard Home Theater Kit
Image Gallery (3 images)
July 22, 2008 Movie nights are always a great way to have a good time with family and friends and you could really "wow" them this summer by leading them through the house and outside to your personal open-air theater in the backyard. Open Air Cinema's CineBox backyard home theater package includes an inflatable movie screen, projector, powerful speakers and DVD player to make your movie night under the stars a real cinema experience.
ZN9 Dual Alarm Clock Radio
Image Gallery (2 images)
July 21, 2008 With all the third party devices released for the all conquering iPod it can be easy to forget that there are actually other digital media players on the market. Like Logitech’s iPod Pure-Fi Dream and Altec Lansing’s iM600, the new ZN9 Dual-Alarm Stereo Clock Radio from iHome turns a digital music player, this time Microsoft's Zune, into a clock radio so you can wake to the sounds of your music library.
Kodak’s Theatre HD Player with gyroscopic remote
Image Gallery (3 images)
Kodak’s new Theatre HD Player is a Wi-Fi-enabled set top box that connects to your HDTV. Kodak describes the unit as, "An interactive device displaying personal content - pictures, video, podcasts, music - and Web-based content on a HDTV, while wirelessly connecting to a household's private Wi-Fi network.” The Wi-Fi connection allows the unit to connect to websites such as Kodak Gallery and Flickr for photos, YouTube for video content, and RadioTime for streaming audio. Jumping on the Wii bandwagon the Theatre HD Player also includes a gyroscopic remote, which allows users to navigate the on screen menus with a wave of the hand.
Batman Begins now available on Blu-ray
Image Gallery (3 images)
Directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento) with Christian Bale as Batman, Batman Begins saw a much needed return to the darker feel of the comics and Tim Burton's 1989 film. This week sees the release of the film on Blu-ray, in standard and limited editions.
The Godfather Collection gets release date for Blu-ray
Image Gallery (3 images)
The original Godfather film is widely regarded as one of the best films ever, with a #1 position on the top lists of both IMDB and Metacritic - and now it's coming to Blu-ray bundled with its two younger brothers.
What's new in high-definition content? (July 1, 2008)
Image Gallery (3 images)
Hard up for high-definition content? July 1 sees the release of 10 movies (and a TV series) on Blu-ray, and those of you with HD DVD players could try this list of 20 HD DVDs available for under $12 each including Aeon Flux and Tomb Raider.
What's new in high-definition content?
Image Gallery (3 images)
Hard up for high-definition content? Amazon has opened pre-orders for Transformers on Blu-ray, and knocked at least 30% off the price of the eight Blu-ray movies released this week - including Persepolis, The Spiderwick Chronicles and 10,000 B.C.
Panasonic launches new Blu-ray/DVD range
Image Gallery (2 images)
The DMR-BW500i can record up to 72 hours of Full High Definition 1080p recording onto the built in 500GB Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or 6 hours 40 min on a 50GB double layer Blu-ray Disc. In addition to video, it can record 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound broadcasts and Blu-ray movies are played in studio-master quality at a frame rate of 24 frames per second.
The rise and rise of iTunes
Image Gallery (2 images)
June 22, 2008 The remarkable success of Apple’s iTunes® Store (www.itunes.com) continues to grow. This week Apple announced that five billion songs have now been downloaded, which means that in less than a year it has sold two billion tracks. The remarkable growth means that in the last year, Apple has moved past Amazon, Target, BestBuy and Wal-Mart, to become the largest music retailer in the US. It is now also the world’s most popular online movie store - not bad for a business that opened its doors in April 2003.
JVC adds flip-down iPod dock to LCD range
Image Gallery (4 images)
The impact of MP3 and MP3 players on the way we consume music has been massive – more people now listen to music than ever before and there has been a fundamental mindset shift about the portability and accessibility of music. Video too seems destined for the same mindset shift and the latest pointer to this is that JVC’s latest LCD Tvs all feature JVC's new TeleDock®, a flip-down iPod dock at the base of the set, providing a direct connection for playback through the TV.
