LATEST ADDITIONS

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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CES 2010
NXT Demonstrates Unique Flat Panel Speaker Solutions
uavGary Altunian  |  Jan 09, 2009

You may not know the NXT name, but it's possible you've heard their flat panel speakers, which are found in products ranging from automobiles, LCD televisions and portable PC speakers. NXT is a manufacturer that licenses their unique flat panel speaker designs to various companies and at this year's CES they showed the Q-AV System, an adjustable LCR speaker that adjusts from 37 to 52-inches in width to accommodate plasma or LCD televisions of various sizes. The LCR system shown in the photo has three full range drivers and was accompanied by a subwoofer and flat panel rear speakers. No price was available.

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CES 2010
View From the Top
uavGary Altunian  |  Jan 09, 2009

The weather in Las Vegas is ideal with slightly chilly mornings, light to moderate winds and clear skies that allow visibility for dozens of miles. This view taken from the 30th floor of the Hilton Hotel is looking northeast past Nellis Air Force Base in the distance and towards the barren Nevada desert. The image at the top of the photo is a reflection of a chandelier in the glass, not a UFO. Area 51 is many miles from here.

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CES 2009
How Many Samsungs?
Tom Norton  |  Jan 09, 2009
How many TVs does it take to make a video wall? Count 'em and see.
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CES 2010
McIntosh Shows MX-150 AV Controller
uavGary Altunian  |  Jan 09, 2009

In conjunction with showing their 60th anniversary legacy products, McIntosh is introducing the new MX-150 AV controller featuring Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, HDMI 1.3 capability Room Perfect auto-EQ functionality. The Room Perfect system was developed by Steinway-Lyngdorf, a Danish company that also manufactures high-end audio components. I've used the Room Perfect room equalization system in my listening room with excellent sonic results. The MX-150 also includes software for additional set-up and equalization functions to fine tune it for each installation.

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CES 2009
Samsung Ultra High Definition
Tom Norton  |  Jan 09, 2009
Will we ever see HD resolution higher than 1920x1080 for the home? Do we need it? While Samsung didn't answer that question, it did show two UHD prototype sets, this plasma and a larger LCD, both doing 4K by 2K. Vaporware? For now, probably, but nice to know that some are thinking about it.
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CES 2010
A Simpler Approach
uavKim Wilson  |  Jan 09, 2009

While the ZeeVee offers a more sophisticated solution, with their own UI, Altona is sure to sell a ton of their simple USB to HDMI converter, the HDPix. Priced at $179, the convertor allows you to hook up your computer via USB to any TV (or projector) with HDMI. Its also Mac and PC compatible. On the input side there is both a USB port and a mini jack that you plug into the audio output of your computer. The converter automatically embeds the audio into the HDMI out. I don't see this as a high end solution but it surely is an inexpensive solution for getting your computer output to a TV.

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CES 2009
Samsung Gets Razor Thin
CES 2009  |  Jan 09, 2009
Another big trend at the 2009 CES is ultra thin LCDs and plasmas. But that was a trend last year, too, and few of the sets have yet reached the market. Interestingly, the 9mmn plasma that Pioneer showed last year was a no-show this year. Are consumers willing to pay a premium for extra skinny displays? Are they unhappy with their current 4" thick flat panel. The jury is still out
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CES 2009
Samsung Powers Down
Tom Norton  |  Jan 09, 2009
Samsung, like other CE manufacturers, is serious about producing sets that are less power hungry. Shown below the screen here is the amount of power this high efficiency LCD flat panel is using.
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CES 2010
The ZeeVee Solution
uavKim Wilson  |  Jan 09, 2009

ZeeVee started delivering product in the fall of 08, so they are hardly a household name yet. What they offer is a solution for integrating your computer, not just your files, to a remote TV or even your home theater. The ZeeVee interface offers a simple scroll and click interface with icons for key internet sites where you can watch TV programs such as Hulu.com, CBS, Fox, CNN etc. Like many other networking systems, you can access the media files on your computer. However, ZeeVee goes a step further and does something I have not seen yet. Your entire desktop is now on a TV in another part of your house, so not only can you browse the internet you can open you applications and launch into Word, Photoshop, or whatever. The basic unit is not exactly cheap at $499 though it includes an RF remote & transmitter that sits at your computer. A RF keyboard is on the way to complete the integration (Price-TBA). Currently, it is only PC compatible but the Mac firmware upgrade should be available in late Q1.

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