Audio Video News

Getting a jump on CEDIA Expo, which opens in Dallas tomorrow, home automation stalwart Savant today introduced its first DIY product, the Savant Remote, a Bluetooth/Wi-Fi-based universal remote control/home automation controller and hub said to control some 380,000 entertainment devices, including Sonos systems, Apple TV, cable boxes, Roku media players, and lights.

The company that created the iPhone interface has just made another impressive user-friendly device, this time for your home called the “Virtual Control User Interface.” The new unit is designed for total home automation, so it plays nice with your...

How many times have you messed up a photo by shooting just before or after your kid flashes her pearly whites? Want to make sure you never miss a priceless moment? Sony's new HDR-CX12 flash-based camcorder has been upgraded to help you take the...

It would appear inevitable that digital video recorders are going mainstream when one of the largest manufacturers of conventional taped-based VCRs leaps into the market with a competitive product. This is exactly what was announced last week, when <A HREF="http://www.sony.com">Sony Corp.</A> revealed that it has released the SVR-2000 Digital Network Recorder, based on the <A HREF="http://www.tivo.com">TiVo</A> Personal TV Service.

Last week, telecommunications provider <A HREF="http://www.sbc.com">SBC Communications</A> and <A HREF="http://www.directv.com">DirecTV</A> announced a marketing and distribution agreement that will allow SBC to make digital satellite television service available to its 18 million Southwestern Bell, Nevada Bell, and Pacific Bell residential customers. Specific details of the SBC/DirecTV service will be announced later.

Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) services are up in arms over a proposed 5% sales tax that could be imposed on their subscribers in Arizona.

Widescreen pictures and 5.1-channel audio will soon be accompanied by stenches, scents, fragrances, and aromas. Parfum Recherche SA, a Paris-based olfactory research firm, has announced a partnership with Snout & Proboscis Development Corp. of Santa Clara, California, to license its scent-encoding and -decoding technology to film studios and home-theater hardware makers worldwide. S&P's new chip division will be known as Scentronics.