Home Theater Gear

Vudu, the streaming movie download company that debuted their innovative download service a few years ago using proprietary hardware, expanded recently to include a partnership with LG. This allowed owners of certain LG TVs to download VuDu movie or TV episode content straight to their TV. At CES in Las Vegas, VuDu announced they will be expanding this offering to include TVs and Blu Ray disc players from some of the largest consumer electronics manufacturers, including Mitsubishi, Samsung, Toshiba, Sanyo, and Sharp. This will let owners of certain models from those companies take advantage of the 17,000 strong Vudu catalog directly from their TV, with no stand alone Vudu player. Netflix must be thrilled.

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From 2010 CES in Las Vegas -

Discovery Communications, Sony Corporation and IMAX Corporation formally announced Jan. 5 that
they are forming a joint venture to create a 24-hour 3D television network in the U.S. to supply
programming for the many new 3D HD sets that have been announced recently.

Stay tuned for more info soon.

 

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What kind of cool, new TVs will we see at the 2010 CES in Las Vegas? Here's one, Vizio, the LCD TV manufacturer that has made a name for itself as a purveyor of mid to low end LCD TVs with prices to match has just introduced something that may change everyone's minds about the brand; a 2.35 aspect ratio LCD HDTV, the XVTPRO580CD. If you will be doing most of your viewing of Cinema Scope movies, this new set may be just what you're looking for.

But wait, there's more: 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. It is expected to ship later this year.

Not through yet! Can you say 2.35, 1080p? You can if your panel resolution is a full 2560 x 1080! Not only does the new TV have an unusual aspect ratio, it also has local LED dimming to improve perceived contrast ratio. In case you're wondering it is not one of the new ultra fast refresh rate TVs, being content to give you new pixels every 1/120th of a second.

Other new TVs in Vizio's pro series are not held back by a 120HZ speed limit however, stretching their refresh legs all the way to 480HZ! Vizio has 3 new sets that hit that 480Hz figure, in 72”, 55” and 47” sizes. All have 480Hz refresh rates and LED backlighting. The 72in set has a robust 480 zones of individually addressable backlighting more than twice that of the other two units.

These XVT Pro Series sets 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.

Of course they are also 3D ready, but 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. Most other 3D sets incorporate passive stereoscopic imaging. Vizio uses 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.

Of course everyone who's ever seen a TV knows that specs aren't everything. The proof is in the viewing, so I'll reserve final judgment until actually seeing how these babies perform in person. Stay tuned for more soon.

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Harman America has announced they are revamping their distribution strategy. Their new strategy will, ironically enough, not include distributors. For the past decade or so many smaller, independent dealers and custom installers have purchased their Harman (Harman Kardon, JBL, Infinity) products primarily through a network of distributors.

This has now changed and as such, many of these dealers will not have access to Harman products unless they are approved to become direct dealers. As explained by a Harman exec:

“This new strategy will assist Harman to build its world-class brand portfolio and reputation for quality audio products,” said James Foster, general manager of Harman Consumer Division Americas Region. “It will dramatically shape our retail footprint so that consumers are delivered a world-class shopping experience and our retail partners realize improved business results.”

Last year, Harman restructured it's manufacture's reps, pulling representation from some long time reps and giving Harman product representation to different rep firms. 

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RCA has introduced a slew of new mid sized LCD HDTVs. If you need a home theater on a budget, or want a new set for the bedroom, office, or kid's playroom, you are who RCA has in mind for their new TVs. Available in sizes from 19” to 46”, they all meet the new Energy Star 4 energy consumption standards.

There are 2 new series of TVs available from RCA, the F120 and F11 series.

From RCA's release

“LCD flat-screen technology continues to be the most popular way for consumers to upgrade

their viewing experience, and we’ve developed new products that respond to consumer demand for

affordable second and third-room screens. Some are perfectly sized for movies – and kids -- with built-in

DVD players, and others have the ‘bells and whistles’ needed to deliver a Full HD experience when

connected to a Blu-ray player or gaming console that can output 1080p signals,” said Richard Dinsmore,

Vice President of TTE’s North American Business Center.

All of the 2010 RCA HDTV sets also feature Enhanced Natural Vision (EN-V) – an RCAexclusive

picture processing technology that delivers enhanced resolution and contrast, the two most

important characteristics detected by the human eye to determine picture quality.

High Standards of Energy Efficiency

TTE is also readying RCA Televisions that qualify for the latest federal ENERGY STAR®

efficiency label, including two entire series of products that are fully qualified with tighter efficiency

regulations that take effect this spring. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized

ENERGY STAR 4.0 specifications that establish new standard for “on mode” power consumption.

Those tighter regulations take effect on May 1, and all of the new RCA HDTV sets will qualify for the

ENERGY STAR mark. 26-inch and larger models in the new F11 series utilize the RCA Intuilight™

Light Sensor that detects ambient room light to automatically adjust contrast on the screen. The result is

better energy efficiency that is perfectly balanced for your room’s environment– night or day.

F10 Series: Value for Every Room

High-definition screens in the RCA F10 series are available in 19-inch, 26-inch, 32-inch, and 40-

inch LCD screen sizes. The smaller screens in the series (L19HDF10, L26HDF10, and L32HDF10) all

feature 1366x768 high-definition resolution, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) and HD

component video connections, and a USB 2.0 interface for display of .JPG images and playback of mp3

audio files.

The largest F10 model, the 40-inch L40FHDF10, is equipped to display Full HD 1080p signals at

1920x1080 resolution through one of three HDMI inputs. This model also includes eight watts of audio

per channel.

F11 Series: “Invisible” Speakers Highlight Slim Design

With a remarkably slim profile and stunning front panel design, on-board speakers in the RCA

F11 series are designed to hide underneath the front edge of the panel bezel. This design cue makes the

speaker grille invisible when viewing the set from the front, and insures that the beautiful product will

easily slip into custom cabinetry.

The F11 series’ 24-inch, 26-inch, and 32-inch models feature 1366x768 HD LCD picture

resolution. Models L24HDF11, L26HDF11, and L32HDF11 also include multiple HDMI and one HD

component connections, and USB connections for playback of .JPG photos and mp3 audio.

Larger screen sizes in the F11series can display 1080p video signals from Blu-ray and gaming

consoles through one of three HDMI inputs. “Full HD” Models L32FHDF11, L40FHDF11, L42FHDF11

and L46FHDF11 also feature 1920x1080 LCD resolution and an additional HD component video

connection. These models also come equipped with “invisible” speakers that offer eight watts per

channel of audio power as well as digital optical connections for surround sound audio systems.

The most advanced screens in the F11 Series are 1080p-capable models that feature 120Hz

scanning for enhanced resolution. The 40” L40FHD2XF11 and the 46” L46FHD2XF11 also come

equipped with four HDMI and one HD Component connections, USB media playback, eight watts per

channel of audio power through “invisible” speakers, and swivel stands.

Also in the 2010 line is the stunning and full-featured 46-inch L46FHDE9A, a 1080p-capable

model with 1920x1080 resolution, 4,000:1 contrast ratio, eight watts per channel audio power, three

HDMI and one HD component video connections, and a digital audio output for surround sound systems.

Combination TV/DVD for Convenience

Three combo products in 2010 bring together the convenience of merging a standard DVD player

with a high-definition LCD screen. Featuring 1366x768 LCD resolution, the new RCA models are

available in 22-inch, 26-inch, and 32-inch sizes. Each combo model has a slot-loading DVD player with

“disc eject” function on the handheld remote control and each also qualifies for ENERGY STAR

recognition:

• The L22HD34D includes 800:1 contrast ratio, five watts per channel of audio power, and a single

HDMI and also an HD component video connection.

• The L26HD35D includes 800:1 contrast ratio, five watts per channel of audio power, and two

HDMI and also an HD component video connection.

• L32HD35D includes 1200:1 contrast ratio, five watts per channel of audio power, and two HDMI

and also an HD component video connection.”

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