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CEDIA 2012
Monstrous Sound on the Go
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 05, 2012
Surprisingly big sound from a tiny box is what you can expect from the Bluetooth-enabled ClarityHD Micro Speaker Monster introduced at CEDIA Expo. The concept: Instead of suffering through the tinny sound you get from your smartphone, tablet or PC, stream the audio to a portable speaker that easily fits in a briefcase or backpack.

CSR’s aptX audio coding is employed to deliver CD-quality sound and functions such as playing music, answering calls and Bluetooth pairing are handled by simple voice commands. Operating range is 30 feet and the speaker’s lithium-ion battery is said to last 5 hours on a single charge. Available in black and white, the ClarityHD sells for $220 and has a minijack input for use with non-Bluetooth devices.

CEDIA 2012
CEDIA Expo 2012: Sony Teams Up With Control4 To Add Automation To ES Receivers
Michael Berk  |  Sep 05, 2012

In a sign of the times, Sony and Control4 announced today that a pair of Sony's top-of-the-line ES receivers (the $2,099 9.2 channel STR-DA5800ES and the $999 7.1 channel STR-DA2800ES in particular), would include Control4 automation right out of the box (single-room, entertainment-center-specific flavor only), with upgradability to a full Control4 Activation License available for $300 through your friendly neighborhood system integrator.

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CEDIA 2012
Sony Bows 84" 4K TV
Tom Norton  |  Sep 05, 2012
Sony’s launched its new XBR-84X900 84-inch diagonal LED edge-lit LCD set at its CEDIA EXPO 2012 press conference. With a native 4K resolution (3840 x 2160), it can display native 4K material at 24Hz or 30Hz, or upscale 2K sources to 4K. With its passive 3D glasses, it can also produce a full 2K 3D resolution to each eye (passive glasses in a 2K 3D set reduce the resolution of a 1920 x 1080 source to 1920 x 540). The set looked spectacular and will be available at selected Sony stores in November for $25,000.

Sony also announced two new flagship XBR-HX950 LCD flat panels: 55-inches ($4500) and 65-inches ($5500). The sets offer full LED backlighting with local dimming and are available now.

CEDIA 2012
Sony Unveils High-End 3D Projector
Tom Norton  |  Sep 05, 2012
Though outwardly similar to last year’s VPL-HW30ES, Sony’s new VPL-HW50ES (available in October) is an updated design. It incorporates the same Reality Creation processing as the company’s flagship VPL-VW1000 4K projector, scaled down here for 2K operation. There’s a new Iris 3 algorithm for the projector’s advanced dynamic iris, for a claimed dynamic contrast ratio of 100,000:1. The light output is also said to be increased by 30% to 1700 lumens. The 3D transmitter is internal, and the 240Hz panel is claimed to reduce 3D crosstalk. There’s also a 2D-to-3D conversion mode and a 244-zone panel alignment feature to insure convergence.

While at $4000 the VPL-HW50ES is more expensive than the HW30ES (which remains available at a reduced price of $3000), the new projector’s price includes 2 pair of active 3D glasses and a spare projection lamp.

CEDIA 2012
Sony Adds Home Automation to ES A/V Receivers
Tom Norton  |  Sep 05, 2012
Sony introduced three new AV receivers. The claim to fame of both the STR-5800ES (130 Watts per channel) and STR-2800ES (100 WPC) is that they may be directly integrated with the popular Control4 home automation system. They may also be used with a variety of other automation systems. The third model, the STR-DA1800, does not have Control4 built-in. All three offer 4K upconversion, full WiFi, Bluetooth, Airplay, and Internet access features.

CEDIA 2012
CEDIA Expo 2012: New Epson Projectors
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Sep 05, 2012

Epson today announced three new projectors, including an update to the Sound+Vision Certified and Recommended Epson PowerLite ProCinema 5010.

The 6020, 5020, and 3020 are all 3-chip LCD models with 3D, lots of light output, and more.

All the details after the jump.

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CEDIA 2012
CEDIA Expo 2012: Under-TV Speaker Systems
Brent Butterworth  |  Sep 05, 2012

Under-TV speakers should have taken off years ago. They give you all the benefit of a soundbar but they’re a lot easier to install. Just place one  under a flat-panel TV, connect a cable or two, and you have a reasonable facsimile of home theater sound in a matter of minutes.

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3D Blu-ray Player ReviewsBlu-ray Player Reviews
Sony BDP-S790 Blu-ray 3D Player
David Vaughn  |  Sep 05, 2012

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $250 At A Glance: Elegant design • Plethora of streaming options • Fast startup and loading of Blu-ray Discs

Sony single-handedly won the format war with its timely release of the PlayStation 3. Up until the PS3 hit the market in November 2006, HD DVD was beginning to gain the upper hand with disc and player sales. But the vaunted game station changed the marketplace virtually overnight and signaled the beginning of the end for the red-laser format. Fast-forward almost six years, and the PS3 is still the most-owned Blu-ray player on the market, although the standalone units have closed the performance gap and in some cases, surpassed the powerful game system.

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CEDIA 2012
Media Preview: Hanging Speakers, TV Soundbars and More
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 05, 2012
At the CEDIA Media Preview, for 90 feverish minutes, several dozen exhibitors showed their wares to media personnel walking through a single large room. Here are some audio highlights relating to speakers:

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CEDIA 2012
Media Preview: Cutting-Edge Receivers, Tube Headphone Amp and More
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 05, 2012
The CEDIA Media Preview also featured some surround electronics and other items. Here they come:

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