Home Theater Gear

Nintendo announced today that they would lower the price of the Wii video game console to under $200 beginning Sunday, Sept. 27th.

The new $199.99 Wii price point delivers the full iconic Wii gaming experience, including the motion-sensing Wii Remote^™ controller, Nunchuk^™ controller and Wii Sports^™ software, and "furthers Nintendo’s mission to expand the gaming universe by making video games accessible to more and more consumers." Really!  Considering a year ago they still couldn't even keep them in stock, the Wii bundle at only $199 seems like a great addition to your media room.

Posted by 1touch at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is a great one for those of you who have been searching for a cheap LCD TV. Sure, its only 720, not 1080, but it is a real, honest to goodness 32in LCD TV from a quality manufacturer that you can have for about the same price as a Blu Ray player. It's not right for your home theater, but it could be perfect for many other applications.

 

Posted by 1touch at 08:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Crestron, like several other companies in the custom installation space (Home Logic, Lutron, etc.), has experienced runaway success witht their iPhone / iPOD Touch control app. Crestron dubbs theirs Crestron Mobile. Released earlier in the summer, Crestron Mobile lets users use their iPHONE or iPOD touch just like a Crestron wireless touchpanel, to control various systems.

Users can control their A/V systems, or interact with any pother system controlled by their Crestron home control system, such as security, HVAC and lighting. Far from just allowing control within the residence, Crestron Mobile leverages the power of the 3G and edge networks to give users total control from anywhere in the world with a broadband Internet, 3G or edge network.

For all its power, Crestron Mobile has its limitations. It is those limitations which Crestron Mobile Pro aims to address, notably the inabilty of Crestron Mobile to go much beyond 15 pages. While that may be fnie for limited control, such as security and audio, some projects demand far greater control capability. Crestron Mobile Pro Delivers this in spades, with virtually unlimited control power (is that like horsepower?).

Another advantage of Crestron Mobile Pro is the ability to use dynamic graphics on the touch panel. This is a feature the standard version lacks. Another advantage to the Pro version of the app is that it can be used in SystemBuilder, Crestron's wizard based programming software. The standard version is not included in system builder, and must be programmed using SimplWindows, Crestron's more advanced programming environment.

Unlike the standard version, which is free, Mobile Pro will cost you $99 at the ITunes store (Which is a heck of a lot cheaper than a Crestron touch panel). This is reportedly good for up to 5 licenses at this time. See Crestron Mobile Pro at the iTunes store here.

Posted by 1touch at 07:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Zune HD - A place at custom's table at last?

From an A/V and UI standpoint, Microsoft's new Zune HD could be a real heavy hitter in the portable medial player arena. I mean, how many PMPs use a honest to goodness Woflson DAC, for God's sake? The UI is pretty amazing too, perhaps even better than the iPOD/ iPHONE's. And HD Radio? You could dock this thing to your A/V system to take advantage of the high end DAC or you could stream your music via bluetooth to your audio system.

You've gotta love the new interface and the OLED touch screen:

For those in the CEDIA crowd, the question is naturally one of industry support. Will there ever be anything near the level of 3rd party support that the iPOD enjoys? Probably not, but the ability to display metadata from thw Zune HD on a remote or touch screen control while the player sits in a docking station, charging happily, would be a welcome development.

It looks like Microsoft is going to allow 3rd party apps for the Zune HD, so can a real CI interface and docking station be far behind? It will probably depend on a great extent on how many of the little devils they can sell over the next 6 months or so. Microsoft already has an HDMI docking station with 720p video output that eclipes the piddly component video docking stations we've been making due with for the iPOD.

If they make the development environment easy and open enough, maybe we'll see the control apps pop up for the Zune HD, much as Crestron, Speakercraft, Lutron, and others have done with the iPhone / iPOD touch.

Quality wise, it seems that the Wolfson DAC, HD video capability, and HDMI docking station would make the Zune HD the player of choice for the CI crowd, if only the marketplace and equipment manufacturers would get behind it. The ability to use the Zune marketplace to easily down load AV content would be the icing on the cake for anyone who didn't want to go through all the hassle of synching their house music system player or server to iTUNES. After all, there are some people who don't use Apple's iTunes, and of those that do, many do it on a PC and would like something different.

In addition, theZune marketplace, coupled with the Zune HD's awesome interface, give you the ability to easily explore new music. Not only is it easier to explore new music than with the iPOD/iPHONE, but since you're only paying a monthly flat fee, you don't have to worry about racking up huge iTUNES bills in the process. If you download over 15 songs a month with iTUNES, switching to the Zune marketplace will save you plenty of dough. The downside, of course, is that should you ever decide to cancel your Zune marketplace subscrition, your music collection will be history.

The quality and interactivity of HD radio would be just the ticket for the custom crowd as well. Better quality, real metadata and interactivity would be a great fit, especially for those who live in areas with poor traditional radio reception and a wealth of HD radio choices.

If they really want to play though, at some point Microsoft will have to step up and add some capacity to the Zune HD. 32G is just not enough, especially for a device that holds HD video content. Hey MS, could you turn it into a phone too? Maybe their Pink project will answer those prayers.

Posted by 1touch at 06:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is not the kind of email I ever want to receive. Upon opening my email this morning, I was greeted by the news that Jim Thiel, one of the founders of the legendary speaker company that bears his name, passed away late last week. Jim and partner Kathy Gornick started Thiel Audio back in 1976 during the "Golden Years" of audio.

 

Jim's talent as a loudspeaker designer was only eclipsed by his passion for his work. That combination produced some of the audio industry's great loudspeakers.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Jim and spending a few hours discussing speaker design, among other things, at the Thiel factory in Lexington, Kentucky. During that meeting and others to follow, I was always impressed with not only his depth of knowledge, but his willingness to take the time to discuss things both in and out of the audio industry.

His CS2.4 is still one of my favorite loudspeakers.

Jim was like the cordial mad scientist,  brilliant and approachable. The world is a worse place for his passing. RIP, Jim and condolences to Kathy, Dawn, all the others that knew and loved him.

Posted by 1touch at 04:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

PSB Speakers, one of Canada's leading speaker manufacturers, showed off their newly designed Image series speakers at the CEDIA Expo. The Image series speakers have been in PSB's line for several years, and while they have received rave reviews for their great sound quality at a very reasonable price point from owners and critics alike, they were never the best looking speakers one might find. PSB has redesigned the Image series, and those critics sould now be silenced.

The speakers are a far cry from the drab, monolithic boxes many people tolerated in the past. Like your obnoxious uncle that was a generous financial whiz, you kept the old Image series around for certain attributes, all the while cringing about others. Now, however PSB looks to have answered their critics and have ensconced the new Image series speakers in slimmer, more attractive cabinets with gracefully curved front baffles. Said baffles are hewn from 1-1/8" MDF to give the drivers a solid platform from which to work and reduce cabinet resonance. Such baffles are rare in speakers at this price point. The cabinet's are internally divided to optimize enclosure size for the individual drivers, eliminate interdriver interference, and reduce standing waves that can affect many slim cabinet designs.

Their total makeover doesn't stop with the cabinets, either. No, PSB has seen fit to completely redesign the Image series from top to bottom. They have completely new drivers. Instead of the aluminum coated poly mid bass units of old, they now sport slick yellow clay/ceramic filled polypropylene midranges and woofers. The tweeters have not escaped the redesign either. They are the same 1" titanium units, PSB fits to their higher end Imagine series. For that matter, the mid-bass drivers and woofers are the same as found in the Imagine speakers too.

PSB has seen fit to change the line in terms of models too. They have added a smaller bookshelf speaker with a 4" driver. This is a great addition to the line, giving consumers an additional option when budget, aesthetics, or room size dictate a smaller sized and lower priced little bookshelf speaker. Add a sub, and you have a high performance little 2.1 package at an amazingly low price. The Image B-4 crams a ton of performance into a cabinet only slightly bigger than 5" wide by 9" tall. Even better, you get this excellent sound quality for only $299 a pair. One caveat with the Image B4, they are rear ported, so you can't place them on bookshelves with their back to the wall if you want to get the best they have to offer. CEDIA goers had nothing but rave reviews for this little dynamo. Some listeners even compared it to bookshelves costing three times the price.

If you want to use the Image B4 as the front speakers in a home theater set up, you're in luck; PSB has also introduced a matching center channel speaker, dubbed appropriately enough, the C4. It uses the same driver complement, but has the traditional W-T-W center channel layout, with two woofers flanking the tweeter. The Center channel will be priced at $275/ea when the new Image series starts hitting dealers shelves before the end of this month.

The new Image line also includes two tower speakers, one with  dual 6 in woofers, a 5-1/4" midrange and a titanium tweeter, and another with 2 5-1/4" mid bass units and a tweeter. These are the T66 and T5 respectively. Bookshelf speaker aficionados are rewarded with a trio of choices as well, the B6 and B5, in addition to the B4 already mentioned. There is a a larger C5 center and a S5 surround rounding out the new Image line.

All in all, the improved driver complement and redesigned cabintets promise to produce an instant classic. The old PSB image series speakers were already one of my favorite speakers in the bang for the buck category, and the new series improves on them in every area. PSB founder Paul Barton even said "....the Image Series represents my best achievement." That's a pretty strong statement from a man with a 30+ year history of creating notable speaker designs.

Posted by 1touch at 08:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The 2009 CEDIA Expo is in the can for 2009. Although attendance was down about 12% for this year over last, exhibitors and attendees alike reported a very successful show. The CEDIA Expo will be back in Atlanta on September 22-26 of 2010. Hope to see you there.

Posted by 1touch at 06:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

JVC jumped on the 3D bandwagon with another intro by JVC Pro for the custom install channel. They whowed off their 46-inch, 3D LCD monitor at the CEDIA Expo. The monitor is already popular with major Hollywood studios. JVC Pro will now make it available to the custom installation market for cutting-edge home installations. The GD-463D10 is 1-1/2 inches (39mm) thin and uses JVC’s unique high-quality 3D visual engine to deliver a natural, flicker-free visual experience. 

The C provides flicker-free 3D images by adopting the Xpol ® polarizing filter method and battery-free passive circular polarizing filter glasses. Video input is compatible with industry standard line-by-line and side-by-side 3D formats. JVC’s unique 3D decoder translates images into the optimal Xpol display format wit subtle gradations and shades of color.

Primary Features of JVC’s GD-463D10:

1. Attractive high gloss cabinet houses all electronics including the 3D decoder/formatter. Its 46 inch display offers a wide viewing angle permitting stunning off-axis 3D viewing. JVC’s unique high-quality 3D visual engine reproduces high-quality images befitting this new era of wide, high-resolution displays. The compact 1-1/2 inches (39mm) depth allows for greater flexibility in the layout of 3D visual environments.

2. The GD-463D10 is compatible with the industry standard line-by-line and side-by-side 3D video formats.

3. The Xpol polarizing filter method offers a more comfortable and stable 3D viewing experience. Left-eye and right-eye information is constantly displayed, so there is no need to use strobing glasses that switch between left/right images. The GD-463D10 includes two pairs of battery-free, light polarizing glasses.

4. The GD-463D10’s three HDMI input terminals are compatible with standard HD video signals, including 1080/24p, 50p, 60p, 50i and 60i. Input signals in line-by-line or side-by-side format can be displayed as 3D images (50i and 60i for side-by-side format only).

Development Background
Although JVC has developed the GD-463D10 to meet content producer requirements in the producton and editing, it also offers cutting edge homeowners an early opportunity to get in the 3D market. The monitor is capable of providing a rich 3D visual environment, the future of home entertainment, while also functioning as a normal 1080p HD monitor.

Only for the well heeled video and gaming enthusiasts, the MSRP of theGY-463D10 $9,153 and is now available.
Specifications of JVC’s GD-463D10
 
Power Requirements    AC120V/60Hz（US）、AC220-240V/50･60Hz（EU）       
Resolution    6,22 million dots (1920H x 1080V x RGB)       
Contrast ratio    2,000 : 1 (Native), 10,000 : 1 (Dynamic)       
Y/C separation    (3D Y/C)       
Noise reduction function    (Digital NR/MPEG NR)       
Color temperature    Warm / Mid / Cool       
Dimensions (W x H x D) and Net Weight
With Tabletop Stand     42.16 x 28.54 x 10.82 inches; 59.3 lbs,
[1071 x 725 x 275mm; 26.9kg]        
Monitor Only    42.16 x 26.77 x 2.95 inches; 50.48 lbs,
[1071 x 680 x 75mm; 22.9kg]       
Viewable angle    178 degrees from top, bottom, left and right    
 
Audio Power Output    10W + 10W       
3D compatible HDMI input    3 terminals that support 1080/24p, 50p, 60p, 50i, 60i       
Accessories    2 pairs of polarizing glasses    

Posted by 1touch at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you've been waiting for aBlu Ray / hard disc combo recorder for your theater, your wait is almost over. JVC Pro will begin shipping two new models, the SR-HD1500 and SR-HD1250, next month.I hope you've been saving your pennies.....

Go below for more info on these new combo players -

JVC Professional Products, division of JVC U.S.A., introduced its new SR-HD1500 and SR-HD1250 Blu-ray disc and HDD recorders at the CEDIA EXPO in Atlanta (Booth 1043). The new players are the latest in JVC’s series of high performance professional combo decks. They feature a built-in Blu-ray recorder and an internal hard disk drive for easy duplication and disc authoring without a PC.

With the SR-HD1500 and SR-HD1250, users can record and author professional BDMV (with menu) or BDAV discs. Advanced MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 (H.264) encoding provides support for HD and SD sources, and a built-in format converter can downconvert HD content for recording to a standard DVD. The units support BD-R or BD-RE (erasable) Blu-ray discs.

The decks offer a variety of digital inputs, including USB and i.Link (IEEE-1394) ports and an SDHC card slot, for wide compatibility with today’s digital SD and HD camcorders. Composite and S-Video inputs provide interfaces for legacy analog devices as well.

Users can transfer videos from a camcorder or other device to the internal hard drive. Then, using a simple, menu-driven interface, edited clips can be assembled into a completed project and recorded to Blu-ray discs. Discs can also be authored for auto-start or repeat playback, which provide ideal options for presentations, kiosks, and point-of-sale displays.

Unprotected DVD and Blu-ray discs are easily duplicated as well. Simply insert the original disc into the drive, then specify how many copies to make. Disc content is temporarily stored to the hard drive, then burned to blank discs.

Both models include component and HDMI outputs for flexible monitoring options. The SR-HD1500 features a 500 GB hard drive, plus an RS-232C terminal and support for .MOV files (for Apple Final Cut Pro), which makes it compatible with footage recorded with JVC GY-HM100 and GY-HM700 ProHD camcorders in the SP (19/25 Mbps) mode. The SR-HD1250 has a 250 GB hard drive, but does not include RS-232C connectivity of .MOV support.

The SR-HD1500 has an MSRP of $2,550 and the SR-HD1250 has an MSRP of $1,995. The new combo decks will be available in next month.

Posted by 1touch at 09:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pioneer is unveiling a new concept piece they are calling the future of home entertainment. Is Pioneer's new toy the future of home entertainment, or is it marketing hyperbole?

What is Pioneer's Project ET? They have brought us a network entertainment concept player, which they've code named "Project ET,"

What does Preject ET do?
According to Pioneer, Project ET "encompasses high quality audio and video playback, Internet access and home theater control capabilities all within a single set-top device. Pioneer® differentiates its technology concept from existing players in the market by letting consumers combine their personal music, movies and photo collections with access to a choice of online content services, social networking applications and online purchasing sites. Pioneer’s concept incorporates the convenience of a unified remote control which users can also use to easily add and remove services based on their entertainment needs and preferences.

“For years Pioneer has developed products with its exclusive Home Media Gallery function that networks DLNA-compliant products within the home theater. Now that broadband speeds have increased to a level that lets users access high definition quality content from the Internet, we are able to consider a network platform like Project ET, which is based on a unique home theater approach to delivering networked content and services into the living room,” said Russ Johnston, executive vice president for home entertainment business solutions group at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

Emerging Internet Content at Your Fingertips

Pioneer’s concept lets consumers download and stream music, video and photos directly from a networked PC to a home theater for viewing on a large screen television. With the opportunity to directly access new, unique content from multiple free and paid online content providers, including YouTube, Netflix and Picasa among many others, Project ET provides a new means for users to seek and enjoy new entertainment.

While retailers may be able to configure a Project ET device for out-of-the box access to specific applications and services, consumers could further customize the device with preferred applications for music and movie streaming, photo storage and playback, as well as additional control capabilities. Pioneer has developed a dedicated web portal for Project ET owners to easily add and remove content services with a simple click of a button. Project ET incorporates its proprietary video processing technologies that ensure superior playback of high definition as well as lower resolution content.

Pioneer is demonstrating the network concept with one terabyte of hard disk drive storage space for uncompressed and compressed audio file storage and playback. The device is Ethernet-equipped and has built-in WiFi to maximize connectivity. At CEDIA, the Project ET device will include a built-in internal Blu-ray Disc®/DVD/CD player.

Living Room Control Capabilities Enhance User Experiences

Primarily envisioned as an entertainment network device, Project ET also provides a host of custom installation tools with built-in Control4 IQ technology. A Zigbee 2-Way remote control and high definition graphic user interface allows end users to intuitively navigate their stored digital content or online media while simultaneously controlling home theater room lighting, temperature and other connected home automated products.

Project ET New Media Highlights

At Pioneer’s CEDIA Booth #3009 attendees can view the Project ET network concept demonstration features:

    * Twitter Updates: With real-time updates to one’s Twitter messaging service, Project ET can “tweet” whatever entertainment content you are enjoying to followers with a hot-link to the movie title or music album
    * Buy It Now Button: Allows Twitter followers as well as Project ET users to directly purchase physical or digital copies of content based on the current media being played
    * Mobile Device Streaming: Provides users with remote access to local content from the home theater system and streams it to WiFi-connected portable devices or a PC, anywhere and anytime. The technology also place-shifts content, and it centralizes control of home theater components and home systems within a home theater room
    * iPhone Compatibility: Utilizing Wi-Fi, Project ET users can navigate, control and playback digital media as well as all home theater operations with an iPhone/iPod

Pioneer has not committed to a product release date or let any pricing news slip. They are considering various options for products based on this platform.

More cool stuff from CEDIA!

Posted by 1touch at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Harmon Kardon released the new AVR-7550HD AV receiver today. The new receiver boasts a plethora of cutting edge features, inlcuding  HDMI™ (V.1.3a with Deep Color), Faroudja DCDi Cinema™ digital-video processing, the Torino video processing chipset, providing extraordinary upscaling to 1080p over HDMI for all video sources. The AVR 7550HD is also compatible with HDMI (V.1.3a with Deep Color) devices.

The AVR 7550HD is one of the first new receivers to incorporate Dolby Volume and is the first to use the latest-generation Texas Instruments™ Aureus™ DA710 audio digital-signal processor. Not content to use one, Harman uses 2, in a dual-DSP implementation.

First shown at CES in Las Vegas, where it won the 2009 International CES Best of Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award for the Audio Components category, the $2,800 receiver was supposed to have been available some time ago. If you've been around the A/V industry for any length of time, you're probably unfazed by slipped release dates though.

Swing by Harman's booth,  # 1924 in Hall C, to check it out.

Posted by 1touch at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Digital Projection International, one of the pioneers of DLP projection technology, announced a new, compact, 3-chip DLP projector at the CEDIA Expo today. The HIGHlite Cine 280 is 2,000 ANSI lumens and 12,000:1 contrast, and is affordable (for a 3-chip 1080p projector). Once you've seen 3-chip DLP, it's hard to watch anything else. The problem is that most people don't get the opportunity, due the high cost of such projectors.

It not only has that amazing 3-chip image quality, but installers will appreciate the 30% horizontal and 120% (really) vertical image shift capability. That will make things a bit easier, and open up some installation options. There are a range of lens options, with a .73 short throw fixed lens, and several zoom lenses to accommodate throw ratios from 1.25 on the short end, up to 5 on the long.

The projector is an entirely new design for DPI, and is not based on any of their current projectors. It also features 2 HDMI inputs, a VDA input, a component input a composite input,  and RS-232 control. Prices weren't announced, but it is said to be comparable to upper end, single chip 1080p projectors, so expect something in the $15,000 - $20,000 range.

DPI also showed their new, LED illuminated projector, the M-Vision CineLED, which is a single chip design. More on the new LED projector shortly.

If you're in Atlanta, head over to booth #519 to see it.

Posted by 1touch at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sony always has a large presence at the CEDIA Expo and this year is no different. Sony's booth is the first one you run into when you go through the main entrance. In it they are introducing a pair of new LCD TVs, their Bravia XBR10 series, in both 46" and 52" sizes. Sony has something interesting to show us every year. Last year it was Motion Flow 240Hz, and this year it is the edge lit LED XBR10 sets. They are sporting 240Hz, naturally and have Ethernet connectivity as well. The Bravia Internet lets the new sets play streaming content. You'll be able to see the sets in stores next month, but no word on prices yet, but they are possibly $4,500 and $5,00 for the 46" and 52" respectively.

Take note that the new Sonys are edge lit LED, not back lit with dynamic backlighting. That allows for a very slim form factor, but does not allow for the backlight in  individual areas of the screen to be dimmed to improve black levels.

 

Similar functionality is included on Sony's new Blu Ray disc player, the BDP-N460, set to start shipping next month. As has become the norm lately, the BDP-N460 supports streaming content including Netflix, Amazon On Demand, YouTube, and Slacker Radio. Other services are said to be supported as well. Pandora, anyone? The player will also allow you to play content off a thumb drive.

Several of the new Sony products support wireless 1080p content streaming using WiHD technology. This will let components share content wirelessly. Now can have that TV over the stone fireplace, as long as you remembered to put a power outlet up there.

What about the new Sony projector? Actually Sony has 2 new SXRD projectors at the show, the aforementioned Bravia VPL-VW85, and the VPL-VW15. The VPL-VW85 claims a whopping 120,000:1 contrast ratio! In addition the 85 brings with it Sony's Advanced Iris 3 technology and Motionflow 120Hz processing. It does have built-in anamorphic lens support.

Similarly to what JVC added to some of their projectors a few years ago, the new Sony has a panel alignment function on the VPL-VW85.Contrary to popular belief, not all is necessarily perfectly aligned in 3 chip projectors. In fact, it is common of one of the colors to be a pixel too far one way or the other. Just because the CRT is dead doesn't mean convergence errors are too, but Sony lets you correct this now.

The VPL-VW85 will ship later this month at an MSRP of $7,000. That si a great projector value, but still too rich for some folks. For those that want a Sony projector but can't quite bite off the 85, Sony will have the VPL-VW15.

Shipping next month the VPL-VW15 SXRD projector will still get you 1080p native resolution, but at a reduced (but still pretty darn good) 60,000:1 contrast ratio. You'll have to wait another month for the VPL-VW15, but when it shows up in October, it will be at a recession friendly $2,800.

Posted by 1touch at 06:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

    Mitsubishi loaded up some brand new projectors for the trip to Atlanta this year. The latest Diamond Series projectors use different technologies; DLP for the entry level HC-3800 and 3LCD for the step up HC-6800.

The HC-3800 DLP projector is targeted at home theater customers who would like a fantastic picture, but aren't in a psoition to go out and spend half the price of a new car on their projector. Maybe something in the used motorcycle range is more palatable for these folks. Mitsubishi didn't want to elave them with a tiny flat panel for theior theater display, so they introduced the HC3800. Actually, Mitsubishi has had well regarded entry level home theater projectors for years, and the HC3800 is just the latest iteration.

Some of the HC-3800's high points include:
 1,300 ANSI lumens brightness, 1080p native resolution, 6 segment color wheel, 4,000:1 native contrast ratio, and 12v screen trigger.

The HC-3800 also boasts an estimated lamp life of up to 5000 hours in low mode, plus
    * 25dBA quietness in low mode operation
    * Blu-ray 24P direct output for smooth movement and up to twice the speed of cinema film
    * Anamorphic lens compatibility widens range of cinema-scope images (support for mode 1 and mode 2)
    * Consumes less than 1W of power consumption when in standby mode for energy savings
    * RS232 support for compatibility for 3rd party remote control devices
    * Convenient top Access lamp design for simplified lamp replacements
    * Includes a 2 years Parts and Labor and 1yr/500hrs lamp warranty


Step up to the HC-6800 LCD projector and you'll be rewarded with the Silicon Optix Reon-VX image processor, a 17 element lens system, improvoed auto iris (over the previous HC-6500), and 1,500 ANSI lumens (drops to 910 when calibrated to D65).

More features of the HC-6800 include:

    * Diamond Black Iris instantaneously tracks and adjusts projected light quality and brightness, toning down blacks as needed.
    * Original Contrast Control technology maintain optimal whites
    * Blu-ray 24-P direct output for smooth movement and up to twice the speed of cinema film
    * A bright 910 ANSI lumens is maintained even when using Cinema mode (D65)
    * Wide-range cinema color filter adjusts color balance spanning the green and cyan spectrum, so the HD projector reproduces colors with exceptional depth and brightness
    * RS232 support for compatibility for 3rd party remote control devices

The projector supports an anamorphic lens system with the proper internal scaling modes right out of the box.

Posted by 1touch at 02:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sanus Systems, heretofore best known for their line of A/V furniture and TV mounts, has a several series of products they will be introducing at the Atlanta CEDIA Expo tomorrow. These new offerings include some interesting HDMI cables. Their new Sanus Elements™ 1.3b HDMI Cables are designed to meet the highest performance standards for HD image and sound. The cables are available in various lengths—some with an in-wall rating and a built-in amplifier for long distance runs.

Their HDMI cables feature a pivoting head that swivels 180° for placement in hard-to-reach ports or behind wall-mounted TVs with less than an inch of clearance. If youve ever tried to get your flat panel right up against the wall, you'll appreciate that. It's not just the pivoting head that makes these cables installer friendly. A flexible cable material makes them easy to route where ever you need to for a neat installation.

Posted by 1touch at 09:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Integra has announced they will be unveiling a bevy of new recievers and surround sound pre pros at the 2009 CEDIA Expo in Atlanta beginning Thursday. The new home theater components will include new technologies and extend some extisting ones lower in Integra's line up.

There will be four new A/V receivers (the DTR-40.1, DTR-50.1, DTR-70.1 and DTR-80.1) and a pair of surround pre pros (DHC-40.1 and DHC-80.1) making their debut at the Atlanta show. What's new? Well, to name a couple of things, you'll see Audyssey DSX and Dolby ProLogic IIz with its front height speaker capability. The Dolby ProLogic IIz adds the two additional speakers to expand the sound stage in the vertical dimension. The DTR-70.1 and DTR-80.1 and DHC-80.1 will get you the power of Audyssey MultEQ XT room correction.

All Integra receivers now feature some sort of Audyssey room correction, in addition to Audyssey Dynamic Volume, and Audyssey Dynamic EQ. TYhey have also jumped on the network media badnwagon in a big way. This functionality is supported by all the new Integra pieces. They not only allow you to stream music from your PC, but you can now add Pandora, Rhapsody, and Sirius Internet Radio to your list of sources. Rhapsody and Sirius will of course demand a smal fee before they'll come out and play. In addition, the new Integra units are fully, gasp, Windows 7 certified. If you need DLNA compatibility, they are also DLNA Version 1.5-certified.

On the video side of the equation, Integra hasn't forgotten things either. On the contrary, they have included Imaging Science Foundation's Certified Calibration Controls on the DTR-50.1, DTR-70.1 and DTR-80.1 receivers in addition to the two pre pros. The DTR-70.1 and DTR-80.1 and the DHC-80.1 also feature HQV Reon-VX video processing. If you think you'll ever run out of inouts, you may be right, but it's not because you have the typical TiVO HD, Vudu, cable box, BluRay Player, Satellite receiver, HTPC, and Kaleidescape. The new Integras boast at least 6 HDMI inputs, with the DTR-50.1 and DTR-70.1 increasing that number to 7, and the DTR-80.1 adding one more, to make it an even 8 HDMI inputs! The pre/pros give you dual HDMI outputs too.

You can run your entire system from these babies too, because the DHC-80.1 has 3 additional zones of powered stereo audio, in addition  to the 145 watt x 9 (remember, it's PLIIZ) channel surround system, for a total of four powered zones. Add a Crestron or AMX control system and you can have house audio system and home theater complete with full feedback to your control interfaces scattered throughout your humble abode.

How much will the new Integra receivers and pre/pros cost? Well, you'll have to shell out some green, although not as much as this sort of feature set would have garnered in years gone by. The prices (MSRP) for the new units are:
DTR-40.1 $1,000
DTR-50.1 $1,400
DTR-70.1 $2,000  
DTR-80.1 $2,800
DHC-40.1 $1,200
DHC-80.1 $2,300

Posted by 1touch at 09:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Days ahead of the 2009 CEDIA Expo in Atlanta, Gefen announced a new, wireless HDMI solution that delivers clear, crisp uncompressed 1080p/60 video and 5.1 digital surround sound up to 30 feet with no wires. Gefen is one of the first manufacturers to release new 60GHz consumer wireless products.

The GefenTV Wireless for HDMI is based on SiBeam radio technology. If you've wanted to put your new LCD TV over a stone fireplace but were a bit daunted by fishing an HDMI cable there, you're in luck! Hopefully you already have power to the TV location.

The 60GHz technology has little competition form other consumer devices such as microwave ovens, wireless networks, cell phones, and cordless telephones, so there is virtually no chance of interference that can degrade the video signal. It has a bandwidth of 4GB/second, so there is ample bandwidth to get your favorite movie from your BluRay player to your TV. Presumably, cable manufacturers are not happy, or are working on their own wireless HDMI solution.

Posted by 1touch at 09:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Monster cable, a company that has been broadening their product line for years recently added remote controls to their offerings. At the 2009 CEDIA Expo, they will add yet another remote control, the AV50, to their line of programmable remote controls. Monster announced this one a couple of months ago. It is touted as being equally at home as a hand held or table top remote.

The Monster AV50 features an ergonomic control layout reminiscent of a game console remote control. The unique, horizontal layout is designed to ensure the average person can use the remote with a single hand, although it can easily be help with two also. The AV50 has no display, although the buttons are back lit for easy viewing in the dim light common to many viewing environments. You can see the $50 remote control in Monster's CEDIA Booth, #609.

Posted by 1touch at 07:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wireless outdoor speakers are great for making your time around the yard much more enjoyable. Installing outdoor speakers is growing in popularity as people want to spend more time outdoors and enjoy it more. This is tailor made for those who entertain. One of the biggest obstacles encountered by folks wanting to bring their favorite music outside with them is the need to run speaker wire.

Up to now you had two choices; either tack unsightly wire or conduit up the side of your house, or spend a lot of money or time retrofitting the wires to the speaker locations. Wireless speakers? They just didn't sound good enough for all but the most basic installations, and if you any sort of audiophile aspirations you were out of luck altogether.

What about an iPOD or other MP3 player? Well, that would be great if you were the antisocial type and wanted to hang around with a pair of headphones on. If you're entertaining that is a pretty poor solution though. Hence the need for honest to goodness speakers that play music throughout your yard.

How about just bringing out a boom box? You could do that, but you'll get no access to your music collection, and in most cases the sound quality from these leaves a bit to be desired.

Technology waits for no one, and this has never been more true than with the wireless speakers now available for outdoor applications. The advent of powerful digital signal processing and digital transmission technologies, in some cases coupled with digital amplifiers that actually sound good, has enabled speaker engineers to develop some products that only 5 years ago would have been tremendously expensive, if you could get them at all.

Now, companies such as Soundcast systems have released products like the Outcast. The Outcast is one of the new class of high quality wireless outdoor speakers you can buy now. One of the secrets to their success is the use of the same Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) originally developed for secure, military, communications. It is now widely used by cordless telephone manufacturers to give their upper end cordless phones range and clear sound.

By all accounts the Outcast gives remarkable sound quality for a wireless speaker, but you'll pay a premium for that added build and sound quality. If you want a taste of that premium sound quality on a smaller budget, you can now get the Outcast Jr, a smaller version of the Outcast.

Even lower end outdoor speakers such as the more conventional 900MHz wireless rock speakers from companies such as TIC, Advent, and Audio unlimited are much better than others of their ilk from just half a decade ago. These just have a 900MHz radio transmitter with an RCA input for whatever source you want to use. This feeds a receiver in the speaker. Most of these type units are mono, but still fit the bill for getting your music where you want it with reasonable sound quality. They are about a third the cost of the Outcast systems.

Sony recently announced their new Altus wireless multi room audio system. This uses their S-AIR 5GHz technology first introduced a year ago to stream music around the house. While they as yet do not have a dedicated outdoor speaker option, their indoor speakers are so easy to move around that it would be a snap to remove them in times of bad weather, or when the sprinklers came on.

For another angle at getting your music outdoors, Logitech has their Squeezebox wireless media players. While not speakers, you can easily connect them to a set of outdoor speakers to get music stored on your computer playing outside with no wires. These babies have a really slick remote available that allows you to get feedback from your computer so you can change playlists, or find songs to fit your current mood. You'll also be able to get Internet radio, Rhapsody (you'll have to pay for this), and Pandora on the Squeezebox to really expand your listening options.

This should give you a taste of what is available to get your music from indoors to out without running new wires or opening up the windows and cranking up the volume inside.

Apologies for not writing this at the beginning of summer..

Posted by 1touch at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Debuting just in time for next week's CEDIA Expo, the new NAD C245BEE 4 channel power amplifier is the perfect complement to any NAD (or any other manufacturer's 3-zone receiver. As is typical with NAD power amplifiers, the unit is conservatively rated. This one boasts only 35 watts per channel, but NAD is known for making a relatively small number of watts sound like much more.

The C245BEE has a number of custom installer friendly features, including a detachable IEC style power cord, and 12V trigger inputs. It's green too, with less than 1 watt power usage in standby mode. It has all discrete, high current output devices, as you'd expect.

Here is the information you want to know about NAD's new 4 channel amp:


 • 4 x 35W Minimum Continuous Power into 4 / 8 ohms, all channels driven simultaneously, 20Hz – 20kHz at 0.03% THD (NAD Full Disclosure Power)
• 55W, 85W, 95W IHF Dynamic Power into 8, 4 and 2 ohms, respectively
• 2 x 70W Minimum Continuous Power into 8 ohms in Bridge Mode
• Channel A + B Switching
• ATOLogic 12 volt trigger/ signal sensing input
• Line Level ‘Loop Through’ Outputs
• Short signal path from input to output
• All sockets Gold-plated
• Multi-way Binding Post Speaker Outputs

The MSRP on the C245BEE is $599.00

Posted by 1touch at 05:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wathc out! NAD has lost their minds!! They are giving dealers the green light for a blue light special of biblical proportions! Until the special stock of their T587 Blu Ray Disc players is expired, they have lowered the MSRP from $1,499 to only $799!

The T587 includes:

• Plays BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE
• Plays DVD, DVD+R/ RW, DVD-R/RW
• Plays Audio CD, CD-R/RW
• Decodes MP3, WMA, DiVX, JPEG, PNG
• Network BD Live (Profile 2.0) via Ethernet
• BD Java (Profile 1.0)
• Picture-in-picture (Profile 1.1)
• Resolution up to 1080p 24/60 over HDMI
• Upscales DVD to 1080p over HDMI
• HDMI Output with support for Deep Colour and xvYCC Extended Colour Space
• Component Video Output up to 1080i
• Composite Video Output 480i/576i
• Linear PCM (uncompressed) via HDMI
• Dolby TrueHD (decoded to LPCM or encoded bitstream)
• DTS HD/MA (5.1 decoded to LPCM or encoded bitstream)
• Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus via HDMI, Optical or Coax
• DTS via HDMI, Optical or Coax

This is NAD's high end player, so it should uphold their reputation and give excellent audio quality when playing not only Blu Ray, which you'd expect, but also regular CDs (remember those??)

 

Posted by 1touch at 03:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Procella Audio, another high end speaker manufacturer throws their hat into the U.S. ring, and gives you yet another choice for your high end home theater audio system.

Those in the audio industry may know Chuck Back, who spent 3 decades at M&K. He will be leading Procella's entry into the U.S. market.

One of their specialties is high output, very dynamic speakers for home theater, recording studios, and post production applications.

 

Procella Audio's official Press release is below.

Los Angeles, Calif. - August 31, 2009 -  Procella Audio, a global high-end loudspeaker manufacturer with offices in Los Angeles, Stockholm, Sweden and Sydney, Australia, is launching operations in the United States with the opening of its Los Angeles office. The company will make its U.S. debut in booth 6235 in the B Hall at the CEDIA Expo in Atlanta Georgia, September 10 to 13, 2009. Joining the company and directing U.S. operations is industry veteran Chuck Back, formerly EVP of Miller & Kreisel Sound. His global partners, former directors of DTS' European offices, are Anders Uggelberg, who is based in Sweden, and Gerben Van Duyl, who is located in Sydney, Australia.
                                                                                                                              
The Procella product line consists of three L/C/R/Surround loudspeakers and three powered subwoofers, combining audiophile sensibilities and sound quality with performance to professional audio standards. Based on a scalable concept that offers multiple system configurations, Procella systems assure listeners the ability to achieve reference-level playback with uncompressed dynamics in any size room up to small cinemas. Procella's Identical Voice™ concept ensures a pure timbre match among all Procella models, allowing system designers to use any combination of products with no change in audio quality.
 
The L/C/R/Surround models are the P6, P8 and P815. Procella speakers make exclusive use of 1" polyamide high-frequency compression drivers mounted on Procella-designed elliptical waveguides. In comparison to dome tweeters, these drivers provide far superior power handling, maximum output, lack of dynamic compression, and uniform dispersion at all frequencies. With either long-throw 6.5" or 8" mid/woofers, all models use Procella-designed crossovers that exhibit flat phase response and ultra-low group delay, with distortion-free air core inductors and polypropylene capacitors for maximum sonic purity.
 
The P6 is a compact, two-way speaker with a long-throw 6.5" woofer and a 1" high-frequency unit. The speaker is designed for use in small to medium size home theaters, living rooms and studios. Its recommended subwoofer crossover frequency is 80 Hz, and MSRP is $1,499 each. The P8 is Procella's reference main speaker, using an 8" long-throw woofer and a 1" Procella high-frequency module. The recommended subwoofer crossover frequency is 80 Hz, and MSRP is $2,499 each. Both the P6 and P8 cabinets have shallow depth for on-wall and screen wall placement. The full-range bi-amplified P815 provides maximum output, suitable for very large rooms and small cinemas. It mates a 15" woofer, in its own enclosure, to a P8 secured by a mounting bracket and connected with a custom umbilical cable. Power is 700 watts for the 15" woofer module and 700 watts for the P8 module. The recommended subwoofer crossover frequency is 40 Hz, and MSRP is $8,999.
 
Procella's powered subwoofer models include the P10, P15 and P18.  Only sealed boxes are used, for their superior transient response and maximum deep bass extension. Each subwoofer's cabinet depth has been kept shallow to provide a low profile for placement in screen walls, in narrow spaces near projection screens or against walls with flat-screen televisions. All models have a dual-driver design and dual amplifiers utilizing 28/56 bit DSP processing, which provides four user-selectable settings for room boundary conditions: free standing; against a wall; in a corner; and mounted in a baffle wall.
 
The P10 is a dual 10" subwoofer, powered by a 2x350 watt continuous power amplifier. Its low frequency response extends to 19 Hz ±3dB, and its maximum output is 119 dB (50 Hz). MSRP is $3,999. The P15 is a dual 15" subwoofer with a 2x350 watt continuous power amplifier and response to 22 Hz, with 125 dB maximum output at 50 Hz and an MSRP of $5,999. The P18 is a dual 18" sub with 2x700 watts of amplification and response to 18 Hz, with an incredible output of 133 dB at 50 Hz. MSRP is $8,999.
 
Launched in 2006 in the U.K., Procella Audio was formed by Anders Uggelberg, who was at the time Director of Cinema Technology for DTS Europe and Gerben Van Duyl, who was also at DTS as Director of Business Development for Consumer Technology.
 
Uggelberg, a THX trained and certified cinema designer with over 300 cinema and professional studio designs to his credit, was asked to design and build a state-of-the art in-house 30 seat preview theater at the DTS Europe headquarters in Twyford, U.K. Working with Van Duyl, their goal for the theater was to produce reference quality sound for playback of current and future cinema and home entertainment media. The duo surveyed an array of available speaker systems, and determined that no existing system could meet their requirements. As a result, Uggelberg designed a new speaker system, which he and Van Duyl quickly realized had great commercial potential, leading them to depart DTS and form the new company.
 
Today, Van Duyl is based in Sydney, Australia, where, in addition to Procella Audio, he is also managing director of MAREOR, an Australian distribution company for several high-end cinema and home cinema products. He is a full voting member of the BAFTA (British Academy for Film and Television Arts) and member of the BAFTA Sound Chapter, since 2003.

Uggelberg is located in Stockholm, Sweden, where he is the primary speaker designer for Procella. Also a consultant to cinema exhibitors in Scandinavia, he is currently a board member of the ICTA (International Cinema Technology Association) since 1997, a published member of AES (Audio Engineers Society) and a member of the SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) since 1980.

Los Angeles-based Chuck Back is responsible for all U.S. activities of the company. A 30 year veteran of the audio/video industry, Back was Executive Vice President of Miller & Kreisel Sound from 1989 to 2007, where he was responsible for all aspects of day-to-day operations for the highly-regarded loudspeaker manufacturer.
 
For more information, go to www.procella-audio.com.

Posted by 1touch at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

An upgrade of their SC-600 subwoofer amplifier, the SC-602 will allow two SC-600IW or IF subwoofers to be driven from a single amplifier. Velodyne's existing amp for these products, the SC-600 will only drive a single sub.The amp uses two efficient, Class 'D' outputs, each rated at 200 watts RMS.

Posted by 1touch at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)