Tom Norton

Tom Norton  |  Sep 07, 2009
Projectiondesign's new Avielo Quantum, at 6.5 lbs., is the smallest and lightest of the company's 1080p, single-chip DLP home theater projectors. It's available with four different lenses, incorporates Projectiondesign's RealColor color management system, and is hand-built at the Projectiondesign factory in Fredrikstad, Norway.
Tom Norton  |  Sep 07, 2009
For the 3-chip DLP experience, Projectiondesign is introducing the Avielo Helios, the flagship of the Avielo range. Included are Projectiondesign features such as RealColor advanced color management and Advanced Color Optical Processing technology (ACOP), which together are said to allow for accurate calibration to the REC709 HD color standard.
Tom Norton  |  Sep 04, 2009
With Anchor Bay's Video Reference Series technology on board, Lexicon's new BD-30 Blu-ray player ($3499) is the first entry in that product category for the company best known for its high end pre-pros, A/V receivers, and power amps. The BD-30 plays back not only Blu-ray, DVD, and CD, but also SACD and DVD-Audio. With Profile 2.0 and BonusView, together with full support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD-Master Audio (internal conversion to PCM or bitstream out), plus multichannel analog outputs, it's well-armed to join the Blu-ray player wars.
Tom Norton  |  Sep 04, 2009
Revel has announced two new subwoofers, the Ultima Rhythm2 (shown) and the Performa B150. The latter is the first major redesign of the current B15a since the latter's introduction at the start of the millennium. The B150's 15" driver offers a linear bass excursion of 1.5-inches, driven by an amp that features 1200 Watts of continuous power and 2400W peak. The Rhythm2 (shown) goes this one better, with an 18" driver and 2400 Watts continuous, 5600W peak from its on-board amp. No delivery dates or prices were announced.
Tom Norton  |  Sep 04, 2009
Mark Levinson has announced a new No.500H series of audiophile power amplifiers with a new balanced CFA (current-feedback amplifier) design. There are four different models in the lineup: the monoblock No.531H ($6500 each), the No.532H (2 channels, $8000), the No.533H (3 channels, $10,000), and the No.535H (5 channels, $12,000). All are rated at 300 Watts per channel into 8 ohms except the No.535H (200Wpc), and all are expected to ship in October.
Tom Norton  |  Sep 04, 2009
JBL's new LS series loudspeakers are ready for their close-ups. They combine proprietary PolyPlas polymer-coated-cellulose-fiber cone woofers (say that fast, three times) and the company's Bi-Radial constant-directivity high frequency horns with real wood veneer cabinetry. The line includes the LS Center ($799) LS40 stand-mount ($699 each, shown here), and two floor-standers: the LS60 ($1099 each) and LS80 ($1499 each). The latter two employ 3.5-way crossover networks.
Tom Norton  |  Sep 04, 2009
In a sign that Blu-ray has finally arrived, Toshiba (yes, Toshiba) is launching its first Blu-ray player. The BDX2000. It offers full BD Live capabilities, Bonus View (such as picture-in-picture video commentaries), and an SD card slot for viewing personal photos and videos. It can also decode the new audio formats (Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio) internally and send them to your A/V receiver as multichannel PCM or, alternatively, as bitstreams—in both cases over its HDMI output. Available in November at $250.
Tom Norton  |  Sep 02, 2009
Projectiondesign will be introducing its Avielo Chroma DLP projector with LED illumination. No price was available at press time. The projector is said to produce a wider and more consistent color gamut with its red, green, and Blue LEDs. While the desirability of a wider gamut is debatable given the standard HD color gamut that most program sources use (a playback gamut that's wider than the source simply distorts the colors), more consistent color is always welcome. And unlike conventional lamp-based projectors, the Avielo Chroma's LEDs are said to produce the same color balance throughout their claimed lifetime of 50,000 hours.
Tom Norton  |  Sep 02, 2009
As an update to its Titan and Lightning 1080p projectors, Digital Projection has added lens memory that automates changes in zoom, shift, and focus at up to 10 specific preset positions. The repositioning is said to be accurate to within two pixels over repeated cycles. This allows the use of a 2.35:1 screen for 3.25:1 content without the need for an anamorphic lens. While there are important advantages to the full anamorphic approach, there are disadvantages as well. Simply zooming out the 2.35:1 image to fit the 2.35:1 screen does eliminate considerable expense and complication.
Tom Norton  |  Sep 02, 2009
Gefen is showing its GefenTV-WirelessHD sender-receiver combo ($899). Operating at 60GHz, it is said to offer high quality wireless transmission of HDMI 1.3 audio/video at up to 1080p/60 to any remote display up to 30 feet away, with no obstructions between transmitter and receiver.

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