CES 2010

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

uavGary Altunian  |  Jan 09, 2009  | 

Focal of France showed their new 814V 2 1⁄2-way bass reflex tower speaker with one 6 1⁄2" woofer, a 6 1⁄2" mid-bass driver and a 1" inverted dome tweeter. The gloss black finish on the 814V is designed to complement a flat panel television with a gloss black bezel. The 814V is available now with a suggested retail price of $1795/pair.

uavGary Altunian  |  Jan 07, 2009  |  First Published: Jan 08, 2009  | 

Amidst all of the digital mobile devices and computer peripherals at the Digital Experience, this sweet specimen from the 1950s was on display in the center of the Mirage Grand Ballroom. It's a rare 1955 Pontiac Starchief convertible with an upgraded 445 cubic inch V8 engine, a three-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows and front disc brakes. Needless to say, the price was not disclosed.

uavGary Altunian  |  Jan 07, 2009  |  First Published: Jan 08, 2009  | 

The Digital Experience is an annual press event held at the Mirage that showcases the latest in mobile digital devices, computer peripherals and anything that is, well...digital. AV components are typically not part of the event, but this year Samsung showed two unique home theater products, the HT-BD8200, a 2.1 channel sound bar with a built-in network BD player (shown in the background) and a wall-mountable network BD player. The HT-BD8200 includes a wireless subwoofer and an iPod dock and can stream digital content from Netflix. Prices were not announced and the sound bar is expected to be available mid-year. Note: The wall-mountable BD player in the foreground is black, not red.

Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2009  | 

Samsung's press conference echoed the themes heard throughout the day—green tech, Internet TV, LED-backlit LCD, 240Hz. To address those last two points, the company announced a new line of LED LCDs, dubbed Luxia. Three models were shown, the LED 6000, 7000, and 8000 (pictured). The 55-inch LED 8000 offers oodles of connectivity and content-access options as well as true 240Hz operation—none of this 120Hz with backlight flashing. It's also just over 1 inch thick. Can't wait to get my hands on one!

Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2009  | 

The big message at Panasonic's press conference was 3D with "full HD" resolution (i.e., 1080p)—many current 3D systems cut the effective resolution in half to accommodate two eyes separately. The company is spearheading a drive to develop a standard for 3D HD content production, mastering, and display this year, with products appearing in 2010. Director James Cameron is on board, and Panasonic Hollywood Labs, Panasonic's R&D arm, is working with studios and manufacturers to achieve these goals. I've never found 3D all that compelling, and it sometimes gives me a slight headache after a while, so I welcome any substantive progress toward a standardized improvement.

Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2009  | 

Sony repeated many of the day's themes at it's press conference—green is good, 240Hz, Internet TV—but conspicuously missing were any new LED-backlit LCDs. The current XBR8 line will remain available, and a rep hinted that the company has more up its sleeve than it revealed today. What was revealed today was the XBR9 series, including the largest KDL-52XBR9 (pictured). This conventionally backlit panel is chock full of connections for accessing Internet and networked content, and it offers true 240Hz operation.

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