LATEST ADDITIONS

CES 2009
Touch of Green
Debbie Stampfli  |  Jan 07, 2009
The newest LCDs in Samsung’s Touch of Color series are looking greener than ever. But that’s not such a bad thing. The Series 6 and 7 models adhere to strict energy efficiency guidelines, known as Energy Star v3.0. This means that you can expect less power consumption from your flat-panel display overall, which is a bonus when it comes to pricey consumer electronics equipment. Although this might seem to downgrade your flat-panel, Samsung says that the quality soars higher than ever with its latest models.
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CES 2009
A New Mounting Solution
Debbie Stampfli  |  Jan 07, 2009
Flexibility has never been the name of the game when it comes to flat panel installation. But Salamander Designs is out to change all that with its latest mounting solution, the floorstanding Synchro Furniture Mate ($599). Instead of having to permanently mount your flat panel to a wall or set it on top of a cabinet, the Synchro Furniture Mate lets you have the stability of mounting on a freestanding and customizable component.
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CES 2009
Instant Gratification
Debbie Stampfli  |  Jan 07, 2009
Thiel’s zet distributed system offers something that few others can claim: A truly user-friendly setup and installation process. The company just introduced its latest flavor of the system, which is an HDMI-compatible version that plays host to eight HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs. But the buzz around this one is focused on its setup. Thiel boldly claims that even the most inexperienced user can set up this system in less than an hour.
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CES 2009
Where’s the Sub?
Debbie Stampfli  |  Jan 07, 2009
Paradigm has taken on the challenge of making an “invisible” subwoofer with the newest addition to its signature architectural series. The PCS-80R (pricing not yet announced) aims to combine powerful sub performance with the convenience and unobtrusive appeal of an in-wall.
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CES 2009
Dynamite Audio
Debbie Stampfli  |  Jan 07, 2009
If you want to take your home theater audio to the next generation, Dynaudio has the right speakers for you at CES. Dynaudio just unleashed its latest loudspeaker in the triumphant Focus series, the Focus 360. A result of the company’s own research, the Focus 360 pledges to bring a superior sound environment to all of your favorite movies. It includes two 8-inch die-cast frame woofers that incorporate 3-inch voice coils. The innovative voice coils are created from lightweight aluminum and house a center magnet system which contributes to its efficient sound reproduction overall.
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CES 2009
Taking it up a Notch
Debbie Stampfli  |  Jan 07, 2009
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number of techy terms that go into the latest speaker systems and A/V receivers. But Onkyo takes the guesswork out of choosing a quality HD-capable system with its HT-S9100THX HTIB ($1,099). The model features a tonally matched 7.1 speaker system and an A/V receiver with 130 watts per channel. Onkyo’s quality A/V receiver boasts THX’s Integrated System Plus certification and claims to be compatible with just about any component you can connect it to. It features four HDMI v1.3a inputs and a number of legacy connectivity options. The HT-S9100THX also has Faroudja DCDi video upscaling along with Audyssey 2EQ and Dynamic EQ, and it provides decoding for the latest audio codecs.
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CES 2009
Monster High Def Music- A Ludacris Idea
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jan 07, 2009
Monster Cable’s Head Monster, Noel Lee, announced today that Monster Music will be releasing “Theater of the Mind,” the new album by hip hop superstar Ludacris. The “HDS” format of Monster Music allows their discs to be played in any DVD player producing high performance surround sound. The new Ludacris offering will be released on Blu-ray Disc in high definition lossless 7.1 surround sound that can be played on a Blu-ray player without the need for special audio decoders.
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Audio Video News
CES 2009: Wireless, 240 Hz, LED-backlit, and media-streaming TVs from LG
SV Staff  |  Jan 07, 2009
Rolling out 12 new TV lines is no small feat, even for a big manufacturer like LG. But that’s what happened this morning at CES. Here are a few of the highlights:•LHX Slim Wireless LED Backlight HDTVThis 55-inch model hits all the points on our...
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CES 2009
Sharp is High on Blu
Tom Norton  |  Jan 07, 2009
As with all manufacturers, Sharp announced a pile of new sets. But the BD series, available in five sizes (32-, 37-, 42-, 46-, and 52 inches) is the first we've heard of to feather built-in Blu-ray players. The three larges sizes offer 120Hz operation, 10-bit panels, and a Pure mode that selects the optimum settings for a program—including the correct aspect ratio for BDs and DVDs (if this works well, it will be a first, and a welcome one, but no claim was made that it will do this on broadcast sources). The set's cosmetics also feature a touch of blue (red was taken). The two largest models, will be available in February at $2599 (52") and $2299 (46").
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CES 2009
More A/V Receivers, of Course
Debbie Stampfli  |  Jan 07, 2009
NAD’s latest offering to CES is another pair of A/V receivers, the T 747 and T 737, which the company says offer stellar performance and unbeatable value. The T 747 in particular decodes both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, a must for any high-quality receiver. It also provides Faroudja DCDi processing, auto calibration, and it can reach sound levels of up to 60 watts per channel.
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