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Ces2009 posts

Panasonic offers up SC-BT200 and SC-BT300 7.1 Blu-ray HTIB systems

by Darren Murph posted Jan 28th 2009 at 6:38AM


Somehow, in the midst of the mayhem that was CES, we managed to gloss over a pair of swank HTIB systems from Panasonic. Sure, the DVD-based SC-PT770 and SC-PT670 units are all fine and dandy, but it's the Blu-ray-packin' SC-BT200 and SC-BT300 that really have our attention. Each bundle includes a 7.1-channel audio system with "wireless ready" rear speakers, an integrated iPod dock and a BD deck with the ability to connect to the internet and suck down BD-Live content. The only notable difference between the two sets seems to be the overall power ratings, with the BT300 cranking out 1,250 watts and the BT200 doling out "just" 1,000 watts. Both packages should be available this Spring for undisclosed prices.

Emo Labs concocts its own invisible speaker technology

by Darren Murph posted Jan 27th 2009 at 1:43AM


Emo Labs didn't stir up too much commotion while CES was going on, but apparently it did have a tiny presence in Vegas. The crew at Technologizer was able to listen to a sneak preview of the startup's Edge Motion technology, and if the demo is indicative of the end result, we could be onto something special. Much like NXT's SoundVu tech that seemed to fizzle out about as quickly as it hit the scene in 2005, this system creates a so-called invisible speaker by "using arrays of motors to wiggle the edges of a clear membrane." Gurus at the company are hoping to have it integrated into panels of TVs by the end of this year, though it'll be a bit longer before the same can happen on space-constrained laptops.

Retailers give thumbs-up to newest line of Blu-ray decks

by Darren Murph posted Jan 22nd 2009 at 8:08AM


We've got to say -- we agree with the "retailers" here. According to a new report on VideoBusiness, the Blu-ray players unveiled at CES 2009 are being smiled upon by those that'll have to move 'em. Panasonic's Profile 2.0 DMP-B15 portable Blu-ray player was seen as one of the more attractive units, with airport-based InMotion Entertainment deciding that it would carry this very unit as its first BD deck in order to appeal to travelers. As expected, reactions were somewhat mixed on Panny's DMP-BD70V VHS / Blu-ray player, though it is anticipated that a small niche of consumers will eat it up. All in all, the entire '09 lineup was seen as a nice step forward from decks we've seen in the past -- our only question is do you agree? Which BD unit from the show had you most interested?

GE lets loose premium details about premium HDTV line

by Darren Murph posted Jan 21st 2009 at 11:59PM


When we heard last September that General Electric was aiming to enter the "premium" HDTV market, we all had a brief laugh and continued on about our day. Apparently, our doubts are completely unfounded. According to an interview with numerous GE executives tied in with the initiative, the GE-branded sets will be serious contenders. In fact, bigwigs are hoping to make their sets "a top-tier brand that rivals the likes of Sony, Samsung, and Sharp." The secret sauce is the differentiation, as GE is looking to stuff internet connectivity, wireless audio and many other "advanced features" onto its sets in order to show up rivals. Among the early prototypes shown at CES earlier this month was a 46-inch HDTV with a GLT edgelight that utilized white Luminus LEDs and GLT's lightguide blades. It's also looking to expand into wireless video boxes with 1080i support, which means the sky really could be the limit here. Obviously, we're keeping our skeptic hats on until a commercial device hits the market, but you can definitely color us intrigued.

[Image courtesy of DecoRadios]

The HDTVs of CES 2009

by Darren Murph posted Jan 20th 2009 at 2:00PM Featured Story


It's easy to see that a whole slew of new HDTVs were introduced to the world at CES, but actually keeping up with 'em is another thing entirely. In an effort to make sure you aren't duped into thinking that set you're about to buy is actually a CES '09-announced set, we've laid out the entire line of newcomers (ones that'll actually see store shelves -- we avoided the concepts to save you some grief) just past the break, complete with scheduled release dates and prices where applicable. Nah, you won't find any big screen OLEDs in there (maybe next year, kids), but there's plenty of Hz, pixels and inches to go around.

Continue reading The HDTVs of CES 2009

Coby outs trio of LCD HDTVs, perfect for your guest room

by Darren Murph posted Jan 19th 2009 at 5:35PM

Most of Coby's gear at CES was a little lacking in the quality department, but if you're looking for something that'll only need to be turned on every now and then, the outfit's latest trifecta may just fit the bill. From smallest to largest, we've got the 15.4-inch TFTV1524, which offers a 1,280 x 800 native resolution, dual ATSC / NTSC tuners, an HDMI port, VGA socket and a set of stereo speakers. Next up is the TFTV1923, a 19-incher with a 1,440 x 900 resolution and pretty much everything else remaining similar. Finally, the 22-inch TFTV2224 ups the resolution to 1,680 x 1,050 but doesn't add anything else. There's no mention of pricing / availability, but we'd guess they'll be available soon for not-so-much.

Meridian's HD621 HDMI Audio Processor breaks out the audio, but keeps it in-house

by Steven Kim posted Jan 18th 2009 at 1:32PM

Meridian HD621 HDMI Audio ProcessorA 6:1 HDMI switch with audio breakouts is something we'd normally look to Gefen for, but we're not surprised to see that Meridian has introduced its own wrinkle to the formula in its HD621 HDMI Audio Processor. In addition to routing one of the six HDMI sources to the output, the $3000 box will separate out the audio signal (up to 8 channels) on a single RJ45 connection in the Meridian Multichannel High Resolution or four RCA jacks, each carrying two channels of Meridian High Resolution data. It's all nice and proprietary, but c'mon -- did you expect anything else from a company that has never shied away from creating its own standards? Needless to say, only those interested in an all-Meridian system need apply.

McIntosh intros Blu-ray ready MX150 AV Controller

by Steven Kim posted Jan 17th 2009 at 3:50PM

McIntosh MX150 AV Controller
Don't let the analog meters and Olde English lettering fool you, McIntosh gear is keeping up with the times while staying upscale. While not always the first out of the gate with the latest features, the ultra-high end brand of D&M Holdings has shown a commitment to keeping its customers' equipment racks glowing that familiar blue and green. Unveiled at CES this year was the MX 150 A/V Control Center, with five HDMI 1.3 inputs, support for the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA codecs (naturally), RoomPerfect auto-equalization, support for multiple subwoofers and video upscaling (unspecified, but the D&M line has some good choices to borrow from). Set for release in March for a price around $12000, we won't blame you if you decide to wait for a McIntosh Blu-ray deck before jumping in.

[Read - press release]
[Read - pricing info]

Tensilica proves Blu-ray audio decoding can be done on a single core

by Darren Murph posted Jan 15th 2009 at 5:26PM

Traditionally, Blu-ray decks have relied on multi-core chips to process and decode that succulent audio that tickles your eardrums, but Tensilica has a better idea. In an effort to shrink the amount of components within a BD deck and to offer up "significant cost savings and a simplified programming model," it has recently demonstrated DTS-HD Master Audio Lossless decoding on a single-core SoC. The outfit's HiFi 2 Audio DSP can handle codecs from both DTS and Dolby, and apparently it's already filtering into select players. Too bad you'll probably never know if your deck has one without rolling up your sleeves and breaking out the screwdriver.

DS2 shows off embedded powerline module

by Darren Murph posted Jan 15th 2009 at 9:52AM


While powerline as a whole still has quite a ways to go before it's considered mainstream, DS2 is apparently hoping to bring it a touch closed by embedding it in places we'd least expect. At CES last week, the company was spotted showing off an embedded PLC module which gave powerline capabilities to whatever item it was integrated into. Now, let's see DS2 convince router companies and the like to follow suit.

Seagate's Showcase HDD turns DISH Network receivers into DVRs

by Darren Murph posted Jan 15th 2009 at 6:20AM


There ain't much new here outside of marketing hoopla, but for those who missed Seagate's announcement early last year, we've got a revised one ready for publishing this year. The Showcase external HDD line has now been certified for compatibility with the Solo ViP 612 receiver, ViP 622 / 722 DuoDVR and the ViP 211 / 211k receivers. In essence, this here hard drive converts the receivers in the bunch into full-fledged DVRs, giving you one less reason to spend haphazardly on a new set-top-box. No need to thank us, we're just doing our jobs.

Philips revamps Blu-ray lineup with three new players

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Jan 14th 2009 at 11:33AM

BDP-7310 Blu-ray player

In all the announcements at CES we somehow managed to miss these new Blu-ray products from Funai Philips. The three new players consist of two that can do BD Live and the entry level BDP-3010 which is still profile 1.1. Both the BDP-5010 and the BDP-7310 have an SD slot for BD Live, but the higher model includes a 1GB SD card. The 7310 will also include support for more audio codecs as well as AVCHD and DivX. Both the 3010 and 5010 will be available in April for $229 and $249, while the 7310 is expected in May for $299.

Future Arcam Blu-ray player spotted at CES

by Darren Murph posted Jan 14th 2009 at 11:12AM


Arcam may not be at the top of your list of must-have brands, but it's about to join the flourishing Blu-ray player market in the near future, regardless. Sadly, the only details about the deck you see above -- which was seen sporting a high-end-signifying FMJ-xxx logo at CES -- are that it's likely to be staggeringly expensive and it should ship next month. 'Til then, it looks like you'll be testing your patience.

Video: Yahoo's new widgets in action

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Jan 13th 2009 at 8:48PM

The theme of CES 2009 for the HD industry was the mass adoption of Yahoo Widgets. Never before have we seen so many manufacturers adopt the same technology, and now that we've had a chance to play, we understand why. For the first time ever we've experienced interactive internet TV in a way that is actually useful. Sure you could get the weather or a stock quote on your TiVo for years, but it's always been like six clicks away. And now since everyone decided to use Yahoo's widgets, no matter what kind of TV you have, you'll have the same access to the same great widgets. And best of all they'll be available at the touch of a button. So if you aren't sold on the idea yet, spend a few minutes watching and then tell us it isn't cool.

Eyes-on with Hitachi Super Resolution TV

by Richard Lawler posted Jan 12th 2009 at 7:17PM


While unpacking we found this clip (after the break) and these images of Hitachi's latest entry into the Super Resolution arena and figured you might want a look at this attempt to make all things SD into high definition. At least so far, Toshiba has not impressed many with its approach, we'll see if Hitachi has different luck.

Gallery: Hitachi Super Resolution Upconversion TV

Continue reading Eyes-on with Hitachi Super Resolution TV





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