Yamaha cranked out its pricey YSP-600 sound bar just a few months back, but the company's already looking to put the past behind and move forward with the YSP-3050. The latest in the outfit's long-standing line of Digital Sound Projectors offers up 21 beam drivers, two woofers, 23 corresponding digital amplifiers, three Cinema DSP programs (movie, music and sports), analog-to-HDMI video upconversion, HD upscaling to 1080i / 720p and a 1080p (24Hz and 60Hz) compatible HDMI interface with two inputs and one output. Aside from engulfing you in audio with just a single bar, the unit is also XM Radio / iPod-ready (via the $99.95 YDS-11), and the integrated FM tuner and bundled remote make it even easier to see in your den. You'll also find the firm's propriety automated system calibration (IntelliBeam) along with TV Equal Volume to keep those sudden bursts at bay when it comes time for commercials. 'Tis a shame this piece costs $1,399.95, but if you're tight on space, it just might be worth it. Full release after the break.

If a few more companies get into these speaker-lamp combo designs, it just might define a whole new product category. Yamaha's YST001 speakers, however, offer up a couple of features that make them better suited for HT use. First and foremost, the cabinet design and front-facing drivers on these are a natural fit for the HT arena. Second, the lighting is rearward-facing, so using a pair of these speakers for front channels will bring an adjustable backlight to your display -- good news for those who want to produce better perceived contrast. From our mangled Japanese translation, the YST001 seems to be a combination of Yamaha's NS-M125 bookshelf speakers and a speaker stand with integrated lighting from Koizumi. Nice idea -- and the design seems to have avoided the gimmick of dynamic, colored backlights -- but ideally we'd like to see the speakers positioned closer to ear level. Read on for a couple of gallery shots.

[Via CyberTheater]

Just in case you can't find a HTIB (home theater in a box) system from Yamaha's CES salvo of four systems, the company has rolled out the TSS-20 at the "really small" end of the scale. The receiver of Yamaha's other HTIB systems has been replaced by a small module that pumps out 6-Watts to the five Bose-esque satellites, and the bass unit (we wouldn't call it a subwoofer) packs 18-Watts of oomph. This setup looks an awful lot like an acoustimass rig, but we're hoping it sounds better. No pricing announced, but it should ship in late May (at least in Japan).

Yamaha's no stranger to the quickly-expanding sound bar arena, and its latest looks to be quite the winner. The YSP-600 offers up 62-watts of total power split between two woofers and 16 "beam drivers," Dolby Digital / Pro Logic II support, a pair of HDMI inputs (along with one output) and a "Night Listener Enhancement" mode to keep you involved in the action without getting any nastygrams from your neighbors. Heck, it's even set to receive commands from any remote belonging to a Toshiba REGZA or Panasonic VIERA HDTV. The pain? A stiff £499 ($988) when it arrives next month.

Not even two months after Samsung went wild at CES and cranked out a slew of new HTIBs, along comes Yamaha with a foursome of its own. Up first is the YHT-790 5.1-channel system, which boasts a SCENE mode to "instantly access any entertainment source and surround sound experience," YPAO system calibration, two HDMI inputs (and one output), Sirius / XM Radio comparability and the ability to stream music channeled in from A2DP-equipped devices if the (optional) YBA-10 is plugged in. As for the YHT-690, you'll notice a 720p / 1080i upscaling DVD player tossed in, while the slightly less powerful YHT-590 / YHT-390 provide just the basics for a few bills less. Hit up the links below for details on each.

Read - YHT-790 ($849.95)
Read - YHT-690 ($649.95)
Read - YHT-590 ($549.95)
Read - YHT-390 ($399.95)

On one hand, the designs of Yamaha's latest devices could have easily been ripped straight from last century, but in another sense, there's a certain level of attractiveness that comes with brushed aluminum AV components sporting retro-inspired buttons / knobs. Nevertheless, the CD-S2000 SACD / CD player (which arrives in silver or black motifs) plays nice with MP3 / WMA files and sports analog, optical / coaxial digital and XLR audio outputs. As for the A-S2000, it's available in the same two hues and can crank out up to 190-watts x 2 at 4-ohms or 120-watts x 2 at 8-ohms. Apparently marketed towards the high-end crowd, neither of these December-bound units come cheap, as the CD-S2000 will demand ¥208,950 ($1,824) while the A-S2000 rings up at an equally staggering ¥176,400 ($1,540).

[Via AudioJunkies]

As much as audiophiles may hate all-in-one "sound projection" boxes that simulate multiple speakers, as long as consumers have limited space in their apartments -- or remain unwilling to chuck cables all over the place -- there will be a market for such devices. The Yamaha YSP-500 has dimensions of 610 x 120 x 220mm, and pumps out a rather dismal 62W over sixteen (!) 28mm, and two 8mm loudspeakers. It supports a variety of different surround sound formats, but if you really care about them you probably shouldn't be looking at this set, which is launching late this month in Japan. No word yet on pricing, or a US launch.

Branching away from all that video hardware a bit, we swung by Yamaha's jam-packed booth to check out the new receivers, surround sound options, and in-wall speakers. As expected, there were more receivers than anyone cared to count, and while the selection of in-wall speakers didn't look all that enthralling, the firm's Digital Sound Projector did a mighty fine job of simulating surround sound in the likely tuned demonstration room. Check it all out in detail below.

Yamaha's single unit surround sound bars have come a long way since the YSP-1 made its debut, and the company's latest entry, the YSP-4000, continues to up the ante, with 1080p HDMI compatibility, analog video upscaling to 1080i / 720p, XM Neural Surround compatibility, optional iPod dock, and a host of calibration modes, including one designed to make compressed audio sources sound better. Yamaha is being pretty coy with the frequency response numbers, suggesting that the YSP-4000 isn't an ass-shaking bass machine, but the 120W of power through six channels should provide plenty of clean sound for average TV and movie viewing. Available in October for $1,799.

[Via Apartment Therapy]

Normally home theater receivers aren't considered anything special, content to switch inputs and power speakers, letting the plasma flat-panel take all the glory. But Yamaha has thrown all the goodies and features into the RX-Z11 receiver, with THX Ultra2 Plus certification for quality assurance, five HDMI 1.3a inputs and two outputs, four component inputs and two outs, and support for five audio and two video zones. It also supports the newest audio codecs, including Dolby TrueHD, and DTS Master Audio. To finish off the features, the receiver also supports terrestrial HD and XM satellite radio, network capabilities and internet radio, and includes an iPod dock for external media. The RX-Z11 comes out in November, for an undisclosed (but surely expensive) price.

Shortly after Sony unveiled its newly revamped ES lineup of AV receivers, along comes Yamaha with a powerful new duo of its own. The RX-V3800 (140-watt x 7) and RX-V1800 (130-watt x 7) each support lossless Dolby Digital TrueHD / DTS-HD and feature Yamaha's Cinema DSP processing engine, video upscaling to 1080p, HDMI 1.3a, and an Ethernet connection that enables consumers to "access internet radio stations, music files stored on a PC, and the company's MusicCAST audio system server." Furthermore, the units are also compatible with your iPod and XM radio via optional adapters, include Burr-Brown 192kHz/24bit DACs, and will be on display at next month's CEDIA expo. As expected, neither of these devices can be classified as cheap, as the less powerful RX-V1800 will demand $1,299.95, while the higher-end RX-V3800 rings up at $1,699.95.

As the HDTV movement continues to reshape the average hotel room experience, Hilton has made sure it doesn't get left behind. Recently, the chain launched 25 "home theater-like" Sight+Sound rooms at the Hilton Chicago O'Hare International Airport, while 30 guest rooms at the Hilton San Francisco received the makeover. Among the amenities are a 42-inch LG plasma, Yahama's YSP-800 Digital Sound Projector, Monster cabling, DirecTV programming including 14 HD channels and a number of XM radio stations, and a high definition menu system from LodgeNet. Additionally, guests can hook up their DAPs or external audio sources to a unique "connectivity panel," and just in case you forget to pack an extra bag of cables, the specially equipped rooms should provide all the copper you need. Notably, this here setup sounds like one of the most fully-featured HD offerings found in a "standard" hotel, and now that it's been available for a few months, have any of you had an opportunity to indulge?

Yamaha has announced an upscaling 1080p receiver for just shy of $1000, with many of the features normally reserved for more expensive models, like microphone-based speaker optimization, HDMI output, and XM and iPod compatibility. The RX-V861 will upconvert HDMI, S-Video, or component, and output via HDMI to your display, while accepting audio formats such as DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD digitally for output over its 7.1 channels. Four preset buttons on the front of the unit allow for quick switching between audio modes, including the seventeen flavors of DSP processing. The optional iPod dock allows for playback of audio and video through the receiver's remote, which also controls XM satellite radio subscriptions. The RX-V861 will be available in May for a suggested retail of $999.95.

Yamaha just released a slew of new high-def products on the A/V world: two new receivers and three new up-scaling DVD players. The receivers both have the HDMI 1080p inputs and output along with an new and improved video processor. The big brother of the two, the RX-V2700 up-scales analog and digital video to 720p or 1080i on all three of its HDMI ports while neither one of the V1700 does. They both are sporting XM and iPod interfaces plus, the V2700 has an Ethernet port for Yamaha's MusicCAST music service. The three DVD players start at $999 for the S2700, then $449 for the S1700 and then Yamaha dropped the price on their older DVD-S659 from $749 to $179. The two new ones are powered by Faroudja DCDi and can scale video sources up to 720p, 1080i, and all the way up to 1080p. The new DVD player's sound great but that DVD-S659 price drop sounds a little more tempting.

[Via HDBlog]

Home theaters are all the rage these days and despite everything that Mark Cuban can do, they are keeping people out of normal movie theaters. Front projectors can easily surpass the picture quality that is found in many theaters and this new one by Yamaha is a great example. This is a single chip DLP setup that sells for $12,499 and is only 720p. (we will get to that) Home Theater sat this guy down on their bench and walked away very impressed. How impressed you say? "Well, to be sure, the DPX-1300 is the pinnacle of single-chip 720p DLP performance." That's a quote right from the horse mouth. Sure, this projector is only 720p but my goodness, Home Theater loved it.

If you are in the market for a high-end projector, this is a must read for you.

[Via HDBlog]