Home Theater Gear

Retail giant Walmart, as part of their push into different revenue streams within the consumer elelectronics space, announced today they had signed a deal to buy streaming media provider Vudu. On a personal level, I wonder how that affects my Vudu account, which I have enjoyed for almost 3 years now, since before the spiffy, little Vudu download terminals found themselves on store shelves.

Here is the release from WM, dated today:

"Walmart announced today a definitive agreement to acquire VUDU, Inc., a leading provider of digital technologies and services that enable the delivery of entertainment content directly to broadband high-definition TVs and Blu-ray players. The deal is expected to close within the next few weeks.
VUDU is a revolutionary service, built into a growing number of broadband-ready TVs and Blu-ray players, that delivers instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows directly through the television. Customers with broadband Internet access and an Internet-ready TV or Blu-ray player can rent or purchase movies, typically in high-definition, without needing a connected computer or cable/satellite service. New movies and features will be added continually, enabling customers to enjoy a product that continues to become more robust long after they have left the store.
"The real winner here is the customer," said Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman for Walmart. "Combining VUDU's unique digital technology and service with Walmart's retail expertise and scale will provide customers with unprecedented access to home entertainment options as they migrate to a digital environment."
VUDU has licensing agreements with almost every major movie studio and dozens of independent and international distributors to offer approximately 16,000 movies, including the largest 1080p library of video on-demand movies available anywhere. Via their broadband Internet connection, users have the ability to rent or buy titles and begin viewing them instantly."

We can only watch to see what Walmart will do next in the CE space, and to see how the acquisition affects Vudu going forward.

Posted by 1touch at 09:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Control systems manufacturer Crestron has announced that the new Apple iPAD can be used as a fully interactive, 2-way Crestron touchpanel. Crestron owners can enjoy complete control and feedback for various home systems such as lighting control, audio video, and HVAC, just as with traditional Crestron panels.

Since Apple's new touch panel retails for under $900 in its most expensive version, and considerably less than that for lower models, it gives users an unprecedented amount of control for very little investment.

The Crestron App to make all this happen is available now from the iTunes app store in two versions, regular and PRO.

Posted by 1touch at 04:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Harman America's Performance AV group, home to Revel, Mark Levinson, JBL Synthesis, and Lexicon, is now a brand short, having sold long time custom distributed audio/video manufacturer AudioAccess to California CE manufacturer Amplifier Technologies Inc. It's not the first acquisition for ATI, who has picked up Theta Digital and BGW in the last few years.

ATI, who designs and manufacturers surround processors under it's own name, and OEMs them for other companies, including leading control systems manufacturer Crestron. Audioaccess has been one of the oldest pure custom oriented brands, having been founded by industry pioneer Chris Stevens way back in 1987 (hey, that's a heck of a long time ago in the custom installation industry).

AudioAccess was sold by Stevens to Harman in 1993. After being acquired by Harman, Stevens was made president of Harman America. In 2003 Harman transferred design, engineering, and product management of AudioAccess to JBL.

AudioAccess was an early leader in easy to use, keypad controlled multi-room, multi-zone distributed audio systems for the custom installation industry, with (for the time) cutting edge products, such as the PX-4, PX-6, MRX, and PX-600. The hallmark of their system was a very easy to use, 8 button keypads, that any homeowner could master with ease. They became known by custom installers as a system that would make customers happy and perhaps more important, not break.

After leading the industry for years, AudioAccess didn't change to accommodate new sources such as hard drive based music servers. This, and increasing competition in the multi-zone audio space from companies such as Crestron, Russound, Xantech, and Elan caused their fall from the top of the heap. In recent years, AudioAccess has tried to climb back to the top, releasing more advanced control interfaces, such as touch screens, more advanced controllers, and even an iPOD dock (a must have in the industry today, as consumers can't seem to get enough of trading sound quality for convenience)

ATI will keep AudioAccess as an entirely separate division, as it has with Theta. They did not release any information on their future plans for the AudioAccess line. The new addition is highly complementary to ATI's existing products, however.

Posted by 1touch at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by 1touch at 09:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Soon, there will be none left. MyerEmco, a mainstay of the east coast HiFi and then audio video market, will be permentantly shutting it's doors after 55 years in business. According to company president Jon Meyer, they just could not stand up to the recession any longer and would have to close their 7 remaining stores.

The other problem was the eroding profit margins in consumer electronics. It is no secret that profit margins, especially on video products, have been squeezed to the point where many businesses no longer make enough profit selling them to justify doing so.

What will end up happening is that, in seeking ever lower prices, American consumers will be forced to shop for complex products in the places that are the least equipped to ensure said products are properly selected and set up. It is a shame, but there is a price to be paid for always seeking the absolute lowest price. In reality it isn't always the lowest. There is a cost to be paid. The experience you end up getting may well be commensurate with the price.

Posted by 1touch at 07:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Never one to let a great sales event opportunity pass them by, most of the major big box and department store chains are blasting out cheap LCD TVs as Superbowl specials. Thousands of new TVs are sold every year in anticipation of the nation's largest sporting event. After all, why watch the Superbowl on your old, postage stamp sized TV when you could plop down a new 42", 46, or 55in set to impress your friends at your annual Superbowl fest?

Here are some examples of what retailers will be offering for TV specials this year:

Walmart -

37-inch 1080p Sanyo LCD TV - $448, 55-inch 1080P Vizio $1,298

Target -

55-inch 1080P Vizio $ 1,299, 47-inch Philips 1080p 120Hz LCD $848,

42-inch 1080p Magnavox LCD $499

Best Buy - 

Samsung 46-inch, 120Hz LED LCD UN46B6000VF (with free BDP-1600 BluRay player) $1,600

If you're lamenting the Black Friday sales you missed, and are looking for a chance to snag a new flat panel before the NFL's biggest game, you still have a few days left.

Posted by 1touch at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)