LATEST ADDITIONS

CES 2009
Phase Technology Does a More Affordable Bar
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 10, 2009
If you like your speaker bars under a thousand, try the Phase Technology Teatro V3.0 for $800. Besides the half-dozen woofers and tweeters on the front, it also has side-mounted drivers, something it has in common with the one above.
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CES 2009
Phase Technology dARTS Looks Better Than Ever
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 10, 2009
Phase Technology's dARTS has been around for awhile. That stands for Digital Audio Reference Theater System, and it involves custom programming, software tuning and amplification precisely matched to the room. But with the 650 Series speakers, it now has cosmetic sophistication to match its digital smarts. The whole package goes for $20,000, but if you have high-end tastes and a wallet to match, try it before you decide that's too much.
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CES 2009
MK Loves Analog Bass
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 10, 2009
"We like the sound," said the MK Sound folks in response to my question -- "why an analog bass management controller?" The DMC-1 accepts five XLR input for line-level loop-through. Available in February for $1200. MK is the newly returned heir to the M&K legacy, so expect to see lots of classic models return with upgraded parts to make them even better.
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CES 2009
Mirage Video Prowess, Continued
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 10, 2009
While I liked the HDMI-equipped jack panel at the Mirage -- and envied Tom's at the Hyatt even more -- the aspect ratio on my Philips LCD set left something to be desired. The hotel appeared to be feeding 4:3 analog signals and using the stretch mode. Suze Orman and Anderson Cooper couldn't have gained that much weight, could they?
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Audio Video News
CES 2009: A screen worth screaming about
SV Staff  |  Jan 10, 2009
It's tough for a projection screen company to put on a captivating press event, but Da-Lite pulled it off yesterday at CES when it demonstrated a final production sample of the new JKP Affinity series screen. The screen was designed in...
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CES 2010
HP MediaSmart Server
uavKim Wilson  |  Jan 10, 2009

HP was demonstrating the MediaSmart Server that will come out at the end of the month. Designed to store and stream your media, the unit comes with a 750GB drive for $599 and for $749 you get a 1.4TB drive. It provides automatic backups and allows for automatic collection of data and files from other computers on the network. It won Best in Show at the recent MacWorld (that overlaps CES). I figure if the Mac and PC world are finally learning to co-exist, there is still hope for peace in the Middle East.

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CES 2010
Powerline Networking
uavKim Wilson  |  Jan 10, 2009

While wireless networking seems to be getting all the headlines and buzz, another networking method is to use your existing powerline. There are a couple of associations promoting this, with two to three dozen manufacturers and a few chip designers supporting the technology. The concept being– why create something new when you can use what already exists in your home. I'll admit I don't know all the intricate details behind this technology but the first thing I can see as a negative is all the extra external devices (i.e. wall warts) you are adding to your electrical outlets. It just doesn't seem very green to tax the power grid even more. What I would like to know is how does this effect your electrical bill?

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CES 2010
MvixPVR
uavKim Wilson  |  Jan 10, 2009

This personal digital video recorder is also a media center with a 500GB hard drive that is upgradable to 1TB. The device allows you to record a video or TV program in real-time and supports time-shift functionality. There are editing tools that allow you to cut, splice and merge the home videos you store on the drive. There is a built in iPod dock for playback of your video media through a TV. It's compatible with about every file you can imagine and retails for $349.

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CES 2010
Wireless HDMI
uavKim Wilson  |  Jan 10, 2009

After years in development, Gefen has finally released their wireless HDMI solution and it's not cheap at $999. The range is 30 feet, effectively doubling the maximum distance you can run an HDMI cable without a booster. The cost doesn't seem to be a problem, since the product is already backordered.

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Audio Video News
CES 2009: Vivitek announces ship date for LED projector
SV Staff  |  Jan 10, 2009
For several months, we've heard promises that LED-driven front projectors for home use would be available in 2009. At CES, at least one company announced a ship date. Vivitek says its H6080FD projector will ship in early June at a suggested...
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