LATEST ADDITIONS

CES 2010
Analog Devices HDAnywhere
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 09, 2009

You may not have heard of Analog Devices, Inc. because the company makes integrated circuits and other components, not consumer products. But ADI is big into video. I saw a demo of a video-transmission system based on JPEG2000, the same compression technology used in digital cinema. Dubbed HDAnywhere, the system can be used to send video over any wired or wireless medium very efficiently. The demo included two TVs displaying the same content—one was receiving conventional HDMI over fiber-optic cable while the other got its signal wirelessly using UWB (ultra wideband) over a distance of 50 feet. There was a slight delay in the wireless image, but they were nearly identical otherwise. Hitachi is shipping a TV with an outboard input/processor box that uses HDAnywhere via UWB, which I'll take a close look at when I get over the Hitachi booth.

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CES 2010
SIM2 Domino D60
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 09, 2009

Italian SIM2 is another company known for ultra-high-end projectors, including the new and improved flagship HT5000E introduced at CES with three DarkChip 4 DMDs. If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it, but I'll tell you anyway—$66,000 for the projector with your choice of 16:9 lens. If you want the ISCO 3 anamorphic lens and sled, that'll be another $15,500. The projector looked spectacular on a 116" Da-Lite Affinity screen. The single-chip Domino D60 (pictured) is more down to earth at $5000, and adding a Panamorph anamorphic lens and sled with mounting bracket brings the total cost to $9000.

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CES 2010
Amimon WHDI
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 09, 2009

Unlike WirelessHD, which I wrote about yesterday, Amimon's WHDI (Wireless HD Interface) is now included in several TVs, but they are only available in Japan. Sony's Bravia Wireless Link module and Belkin's FlyWire also use WHDI and are available in the US. WHDI uses the 5GHz band to transmit up to 1080p/60 with second-generation chips over a distance of up to 30 meters through walls with a latency of less than 1ms. Amimon's hotel suite has 10 streams going at once across three rooms in addition to WiFi in the same 5GHz band with impressive results. Pictured are two WHDI receiver modules—a major reduction is size from the suitcase-sized box I saw a couple of years ago. Members of the WHDI Consortium include LG, Sharp, Sony, Hitachi, and Samsung.

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CES 2010
DreamVision Dream'E
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 09, 2009

French projector maker DreamVision is known for very high-end—and high-cost—front projectors, but its new Dream'E bucks this trend with a retail price of only $5300. Sporting a curvaceous shell, the projector uses Sony SXRD imaging chips with a custom light engine. It can also accommodate a fixed Panamorph anamorphic lens for a package price of only $9600 or a Schneider lens with sled for a price yet to be determined. There are three user memories per input and no dynamic iris, examples of a philosophy I share.

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Audio Video News
CES 2009: Panasonic's VHS/BD Combo Player
SV Staff  |  Jan 09, 2009
As they say - strange bedfellows. I mean, how many times do you hear "VHS" and "Blu-ray" used in the same sentence? And how many times do you see them in the same player? Panasonic has mated these old and new technologies in...
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CES 2009
Samsung's Stylish Red Blu-ray
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jan 09, 2009
The Samsung BD-P4600 full-featured player has been designed with more than a “touch” of the red color to go along with their TVs. The whole unit is a deep red. Designed to hang on the wall, or sit angled to show off its good looks on a shelf, Samsung simply added good looks to its best Blu-ray Disc player. Featuring Netflix and Pandora for streaming media, this player can use Samsung’s $39 wireless dongle so the user doesn’t have to find other solutions (like powerline adaptors or running long lengths of Ethernet cables) to connect online. Sleek enough to keep your interior designer happy.
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CES 2009
Boxee Adds Online Partners to Apple TV
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jan 09, 2009
With networked TVs and media sharing devices we can get online content from partners like YouTube, Netflix, CBS.com, etc. Now Boxee offers a software solution that creates an easy meny to find online content that works on computers including Macs and Linux-based operating systems. What’s really cool is that you can put the software on a flash drive and add it to an AppleTV. This adds the capability of watching many online streaming video partners including video streaming like Netflix, Hulu, CBS.com and MTV to the previously limited partners on AppleTV.
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CES 2009
Sound That Won't Break the Bank
Debbie Stampfli  |  Jan 09, 2009
Sherwood has just released its first soundbars to the consumer electronics audience, and with prices set at $160 and $130, they won’t leave you without any change in your pocket. The SB-4221i ($160) features dual 2.75-inch drivers that are driven by a 15 watt per channel amplifier. Sherwood’s $160 model also has dual built-in subwoofers that are driven by a 30 watt RMS amplifier.
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CES 2010
New AV Components From Cambridge Audio
uavGary Altunian  |  Jan 09, 2009

British audio manufacturer Cambridge Audio has unveiled its new Azur 640R Version 2 7.1-channel AV receiver and the Azur 640BD Blu-ray player at CES 2009.

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CES 2010
Beyond Home Theater
uavKim Wilson  |  Jan 09, 2009

For years it was all about Home Theater, however, its clear the home entertainment experience is going way beyond that. D-Box uses transducers and motion sensing algorithms to bring a new dimension to watching movies and playing video games. The chairs are not only comfortable for playing your favorite driving games, they pull you into the action as you feel every curve and bump in the road. The chairs range from $3K to $15K. They also make home theater chairs with motion sensing. Also, get ready for the D-Box experience in your local theater, with the upcoming release of the Fast and Furious.

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