About Electronics

Gizmodo: Panasonic isn’t taking no for an answer on this 3DTV business. To make the prospect of switching over a little more appealing, they’re rolling out the SC-ZT2: a fully wireless home theater audio system designed specifically for Full HD 3D.

The SC-ZT2 promises 7.1-channel sound from just two speakers, each of which houses four tweeters and a long-stroke woofer. More important, though: 3DTV owners have a wireless sound system of their very own now. That is, if you’re willing to cough up an extra $1000 after you already sprang for that fancy television and glasses.

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Born Rich: No doubt that the celebrations during the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be confined to the stadiums, but here’s the Acoustic Immersion Pod to make you feel as if you’re at the venue. Equipped with an acoustically optimized chamber, providing an enveloping audio experience with its robust six-speaker surround sound system, the Acoustic Immersion Pod creates a personal sound environment. Providing a frequency response of 20 Hz-20 kHz, the Pod has the interior lined with closed-cell acoustic foam that deflects, disperses and absorbs sound waves. So, join the celebrations with this creative, flexible and tailor-made hospitality. Priced at $3000, this pod comes in red shell with red foam or in black with gray foam.
 

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Übergizmo: Bose systems are rarely cheap, let alone affordable to the average Joe, but that doesn’t mean the company cannot turn a profit as it has been in business all these years as the rich and famous lap up their devices and audio systems without thinking twice about the financial damage. Well, the company is back with three more 5.1 systems, namely the V35, V25 and T20, where all of them will boast a new “Unify” technology which supposedly makes “connecting speakers and sources, programming remotes, and accessing content easier and faster than ever before.” No idea on how easy that will be – as if color codes and using simple logic of seeing which connector fits into which port isn’t enough. Guess money can’t really buy brains either, where you will need to fork out $3,299, $2,499 and $1,999 for the V35, V25 and T20, respectively.

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Techradar: Blu-ray sales in Europe are looking better than ever, with new figures suggesting that the format has almost doubled in popularity in a year.

In Q1 of 2010, Blu-ray sales managed to increase by 94 per cent year on year, with 8.4 million discs sold, according to new figures released by the Digital Entertainment Group Europe.

This meant that consumers spent a cool 151.4 million Euros on the format. This is similar to what happened in 2009, where sales of Blu-ray increased by 109 per cent.

Riding the wave of success

Blu-ray has still got a long way to go to match DVD sales, however. In the same timeframe 135 million DVDs were sold, which is a slight drop of 1.7 per cent.

Money wise this equates to a massive 1.3 billion Euros.

Overall this meant that combined disc units sold was up 3.8 per cent.

Speaking about the increase, Yves Caillaud, senior vice president of Warner Home Video said: “Blu-ray has continued to ride the wave of success at the start of 2010 and it is promising to see consumers respond well to the format.

“The industry is providing consumers with the most innovative and enjoyable home entertainment experiences, and we expect sales to increase as the penetration of HDTVs continues to accelerate.”

This is all good news, but surely those betting big on Blu-ray will be a little concerned that the humble DVD is still outselling the format by 10 to one?

The entertainment industry will be hoping that another Avatar-like success will be just around the corner.

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Dvice: Now that simple home theater gear like soundbars is popular, is there really any reason to own a home theater receiver anymore? One thing holding back receivers is that manufacturers have been slow to include features that are in sync with how people get their music and movies today — namely, digitally. That’s why we were so glad to hear about Pioneer’s new receivers and their ability to play music via Bluetooth streaming. (more…)

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What HiFi: Pioneer may have pulled out of the TV market, but it has a comprehensive line-up of new products for 2010. There are two new Blu-ray players (with a pair of 3D models to follow later in the year), eight new multichannel receivers, three Blu-ray home cinema in a box systems, a trio of DVD home cinema systems, five new iPod docks and a vast array of headphones.

Blu-ray players

The two Blu-ray players, due this month, are the BDP-LX53 (£399) and BDP-330 (£299). Both new models offer a choice or wired or wireless internet connectivity, BD-Live capability. YouTube and RSS feed browsing and control via a free iPhone/iPod Touch app, but they don’t do 3D (nor will they be upgradeable to make them 3D compatible).

They have onboard decoding for audio formats up to the HD versions of Dolby Digital and DTS, and can output as either raw data or Linear PCM.

In addition they use Pioneer’s Precision Quartz Lock System to ensure jitterless digital audio transmission over HDMI to suitable Pioneer AV receivers. The system works by synchronising the digital clocks of player and receiver.

The upmarket BDP-LX53 is set apart from the mainstream model by its rigid construction, using a layered chassis and drive stabiliser Pioneer calls its ‘Armoured Chassis Concept’. This reduces vibration, and thus plays a part in the player’s superior audio performance. It’s also fitted with more advanced audio components.

Home cinema receivers

There are eight new multichannel receivers from £250 to £1200.

All of the new models (aside from the entry-level VSX-420) can be enhanced with wireless Bluetooth audio streaming and are capable of supporting 3D via the latest HDMI version 1.4 connection. 

All but the cheapest two models are Works with iPhone certified too and thanks to the Pioneer iControlAV app you can use your iPhone or iPod Touch to fully control your receiver.

Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding is on board all but the entry-level model, as well as Dolby ProLogic IIz height channel processing.

The VSX-920, VSX-1020 and VSX-1025 feature the new Pioneer-developed Sound Retriever AIR specifically developed for use with Bluetooth sources, as well as internet radio.

And the forthcoming Pioneer VSX-LX53 is a replacement for the outgoing VSX-LX52 model.

There’ll be two additional high-end multichannel receivers available later this year: the SC-LX83 and SC-LX73, replacing the existing ‘LX82 and ‘LX72. Pioneer has not yet release any details on these two, but we do have a picture (below).

Blu-ray home cinema systems

Pioneer is releasing three new Blu-ray in a box home cinema systems for 2010. Key technical features common across all three models include:

• BD-Live Profile 2.0

• 1080p/24fps resolution

• 12-bit Deep Colour support

• Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential

• Wireless music playback via Bluetooth

• DLNA home network connectivity

• Made for iPod/Works with iPhone certification (iPod dock included)

• Support for DivX, DivX HD and MKV vieo files

• Support for WMA. MP3 and AAC audio files

• FM radio with RDS

iPod docks

There’s a five-strong range of iPod docks, building on the success of last year’s XW-NAS5. The XW-NAC3 and NXW-NAC1 are equipped with docking stations for two iPods or iPhones so, using the ‘shuffle’ function, music can be played back from both of the docked devices at random. Both models are Bluetooth-enabled too.

The XW-NAC3 also includes internet radio via the Vtuner portal, DLNA connectivity and a multiline display.

For those who want video capability with their dock, the XW-NAV1 has a built-in CD/DVD drive with 1080p upscaling via HDMI, an FM radio, USB connectivity and iPod video/photo playback (via composite connection).

Later this year, two further models will arrive: the wall-mountable XW-NAW1 (£199) and the more upmarket XW-NAM1 at £350.

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iPodNN: Sony today showed three upcoming sound systems for the home that have 3D sound capability. This includes the HT-CT150 and HT-CT350 3.1-channel sound bars and the 5.1-channel HT-SF470 surround sound system. All have a 3D pass-through with an HDMI repeater that includes three inputs and one output along with another HDMI pass-through connection.

The HT-CT350 is made to work with Sony’s 40-inch and larger BRAVIA HDTVs, thanks to a bracket that attaches the soundbar directly to them. It has 400W of power, evenly split between the three speakers and subwoofer. The HT-CT150 gets 340W of power, with 85W going to each speaker and the sub. Its design mimics that of 32-inch BRAVIA HDTVs.

The soundbars otherwise support lossless linear pulse code modulation (LPCM) Blu-ray Disc audio and BRAVIA Sync for controlling compatible Sony TVs from the same remote. They also get a coaxial and optical digital audio inputs. An iPod cradle for the two soundbars can be bought separately.

The 5.1-channel HT-SF470 home theater system is 3D capable in conjunction with a Blu-ray 3D player. It’s rated at 1,000W, with the five speakers getting 157W each, and the subwoofer 167W. It gets 3D pass-through from each of its three HDMI inputs, an HDMI repeater and audio return channel. The speakers can be connected wirelessly to the receiver with optional parts. In addition to the same BRAVIA Sync, two digital audio inputs and the optional iPod cradle as the soundbars, the system also gets digital cinema auto calibration for setting up.

The HT-CT350 and HT-CT150 will ship in May, priced at nearly $400 and $300, respectively. The HT-SF470 surround sound system is due in June for $550.

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Newlaunches: I’ll admit that when it comes to home theatre set ups I’m quite partial to the sound bar. It’s perfect for those who don’t have too much room for more than 2 speakers and the better the company that manufactures it, the happier you’ll be. Having said that, the SB 15 from Harman Kardon, would be at the very top of my list, if I could perceive to think that I could afford any part of it. This baby is slim, sleek and definitely a sexy piece of audio equipment. It can easily be hooked up to your television, DVD player or game console and what really does it for me is the wireless subwoofer. This makes it a seriously convenient option especially for those with more money but less living space, as contradictory as that may sound. It even offers 3D surround-sound processing. Of course the only thing Philips SoundBar has on the SB 15 is the built in Blu-ray player, but I do believe I’d go with quality over quantity on this one, sorry Phil…

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Pioneer.eu: This summer, Pioneer introduces a new line of AV receivers that deliver a dynamic music experience to the living room. Aside from the entry-level VSX-420-K/S, all new models, including the 5.1 channel VSX-520-K/S and VSX-820-K/S can be enhanced with wireless Bluetooth audio streaming for Bluetooth-enabled devices and are capable to provide a 3D experience with the latest HDMI version 1.4.

If you looking for the ultimate AV control centre with seamless iPhone and iPod touch integration, you’ll find it in Pioneer’s new “Works with iPhone” certified receivers: the VSX-820-K/S, VSX-920-K and VSX-1020-K/VSX-1025-K. Additionally, the company releases its iControlAV app, which turns compatible iPhone and iPod touch devices into a fully functioning remote control for our new 7.1 channel receivers.

Expanded iPhone functionality and iControlAV application

From the VSX-820-K/S onwards the new receivers deliver expanded iPhone functionality, with the VSX-920-K and VSX-1020-K/VSX-1025-K featuring Pioneer’s first home entertainment app. All new models – except for the VSX-420-K/S – offer optional Bluetooth audio streaming for wireless devices. Read more…

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Cnet: I suppose the “place the sub wherever” myth is based on the fact that low frequencies (80 Hertz or lower) are nondirectional, so it’s hard to tell where in the room the deep bass is coming from. That’s true, but that’s not the same thing as disregarding subwoofer placement concerns altogether.

Some experts recommend always sticking the sub in the room’s corner. I rarely do that, but corner placement will produce more bass at a given subwoofer volume setting. The corner’s two walls and floor reflections “reinforce” bass output, so sure, the sub would have to work harder to generate the same amount of bass when it’s not in a corner. But in my experience the bass is smoother (flatter) and better integrated with the speakers when the sub’s placed next to a wall. (more…)

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Akihabara News: The new Devon DCD-1500SE (SA-CD player) featuring a new Audio Processor “Advanced AL 32 Processor” matching the sound quality of high-end models like the DSD-SX, also comes with a USB port making our little player iPod Compatible as well as being able to read Music files stored on a USB key.

Sold as a stand-alone version priced at 95,000 Yen (about 750 euros), our SA-CD player also featured an optional matching Amplifier, the PMA-1500SE offering an output of 70W×2ch(8Ω), and 140W×2ch(4Ω). The PMA-1500SE is also sold at 95,000 Yen. Read more…

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Hot Hardware: Yamaha has been beefing up its home audio line here in the fourth quarter of 2009, and with CES in just a few weeks, it seems as if the company is looking to get a jump on everyone else.

Today, it has revealed its newest two-piece home theater package, which should fit perfectly in cramped studio apartments and in living rooms where space is at a premium.

The YHT-S400 combines a super-slim sound bar with a subwoofer-integrated receiver, the latter of which looks nothing like anything we’ve ever seen.

The kit provides HD Audio compatibility three 1080p-compatible HDMI inputs (and one output), the company’s exclusive AIR SURROUND XTREME, UniVolume and Extended Stereo technologies for immersive audio for movies, sports and music experiences.

The sound bar stands just 2″ high and can easily fit in front of most modern HDTVs, and it even supports the YDS-11 universal iPod dock and YBA-10 Bluetooth wireless audio receiver to stream A2DP audio from Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, PCs and Macs. It’s available now for $599.95 (€417).

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