-
Plex Music Library Support Heads to Sonos Wireless Speakers[teaser]Plex users can now stream their music through Sonos systems. [/teaser] Plex has announced the launch of Plex for Sonos. The new feature allows customers to play their entire Plex music library on any Sonos device directly from the Sonos app. With Plex for Sonos, users can browse and play all of their Plex music through Sonos speakers, not matter where they are. Likewise, the app supports virtually any file format, including hi-fi audio files that aren't normally supported by Sonos. To accomplish this, Plex will automatically transcode the files in realtime. The Plex for Sonos app also includes library organization, allowing users to sort their music with artwork and info. Sharing is also included, letting customers play their Plex libraries on a friend's Sonos system. In addition, Premium users get access to Audio Fingerprinting for song identification, and Plex Mix for playing similar tracks to create a mix like your own personal radio station. Sonos currently offers a variety of wireless music systems and speakers, including the Play:1 ($199), Play:3 ($299), and Play:5 ($499). The Play:5 features six synchronized, custom-designed drivers with three mid-woofers and three tweeters. The Play:5 can also work with other Sonos speaker models and can even be used as rear speakers for a surround sound system with the Sonos Sub ($699) and Playbar ($699). Outside of Sonos, Plex recently added support to the NVIDIA Shield set-top box. Likewise, Plex support is available for the new Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro and the My Cloud Pro. Plex for Sonos is currently available in beta through the Sonos Labs section of the app. Click here for more details on how to set it up. Source: SonosPosted Thu Jul 21, 2016 at 09:30 AM PDT by: -
DTS & Paramount Bring DTS:X & DTS Headphone:X Soundtracks to Select Home Entertainment Titles[teaser]The studio will support the immersive audio format on select titles. [/teaser] Paramount and DTS have announced a partnership to include DTS:X and DTS Headphone:X audio tracks on select home entertainment releases. Paramount Blu-ray discs with DTS:X audio currently include 'Daddy's Home,' 'The Big Short,' 'Zoolander No. 2 The Magnum Edition' and 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.' "Paramount continues to progress the entertainment experience for audiences at home," said Edward Hoxsie, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Product Production & Fulfillment, Paramount Pictures. "Working with DTS, a leading contributor in sound innovation, allows us to deliver a great consumer experience with audio technology that enables the immersive audio our feature content deserves." DTS:X is an object based immersive audio format that allows users to add overhead speakers to their surround sound systems. Companies like Denon, Marantz, Sony, Trinnov and Yamaha have all recently added DTS:X to many of their AVR models through firmware updates. Likewise, more brands like Acurus, Anthem, ARCAM, Integra, Krell, McIntosh, Onkyo, Outlaw Audio, Pioneer, Steinway Lyngdorf and Theta Digital/ATI will also bring DTS:X support to their AVRs later this year. Outside of receivers, the Yamaha YSP-5600 sound bar is also set to receive DTS:X support this summer. "DTS is constantly innovating in order to offer consumers the best entertainment experience possible," said Bill Neighbors, general manager, digital media and streaming solutions at DTS, Inc. "DTS:X is our most recent, most advanced product offering, raising the bar for in-home entertainment. Consumers and content creators have higher expectations than ever and DTS:X will exceed the most demanding expectations." In addition to DTS:X audio, Paramount is also including DTS Headphone:X tracks on select home entertainment releases. DTS Headphone:X technology simulates the 3D environment of a film's soundscape, providing an immersive surround sound experience through any pair of headphones or earbuds. Order the Blu-ray Order the Blu-ray Order the Blu-ray Order the Blu-ray Source: DTSPosted Wed Jul 20, 2016 at 05:00 PM PDT by: -
Amazon Dates Live-Action Kids Series 'The Kicks' for August 26 Premiere[teaser]The upcoming kids series will start streaming next month. [/teaser] Amazon has announced a premiere date for its latest original series. 'The Kicks' is based on the book series by US Olympic Gold Medalist and current US Women's National Team soccer player Alex Morgan. The show is geared toward children ages 6 to 11 and is set to debut on August 26. 'The Kicks' follows Devin Burke (played by newcomer Sixx Orange), who was the star player on her soccer team until her family moved to California midway through the school year. Now, Devin has to rise to the challenge after discovering her new school team, The Kicks, has been on a losing streak over the last few months and they are badly in need of a leader to rally the team. The first season finds The Kicks going head-to-head with the boys' team, helping Devin regain her confidence after losing her lucky headband, Devin being forced to make a decision between her friend and what's best for the team, and Devin overcoming adversity after an injury. "Both Alex Morgan and now Devin are undeniably strong female role models who will inspire our audience to work hard and passionately to achieve their goals," said Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids Programming at Amazon Studios. "The Kicks showcases the value of overcoming the odds and our audience will relate with the broader themes of passion, determination and camaraderie developed throughout the season." The show's pilot episode is now available to stream through Amazon. Nine additional episodes will arrive on August 26 exclusively for Prime members through the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices including Amazon Fire TV, mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/originals. A current Amazon Prime subscription costs $99 per year or $11 per month. Likewise, Prime Video is available as a standalone service for $8 per month. Source: AmazonPosted Wed Jul 20, 2016 at 02:30 PM PDT by: -
Sony Unveils Z Series 4K Ultra HD TVs with HDR, Prices Start at $7,000[teaser]The company's latest premium Ultra HD TVs have been detailed. [/teaser] Sony has announced the launch of its newest 4K Ultra HD TV series. The flagship Z Series includes the XBR65Z9D, XBR75Z9D, and XBR100Z9D. "The Z series is a generational advance in TV technology, which brings the 4K HDR viewing experience to a whole new level. Our best and brightest HDR Ultra HD television is proof of Sony's continuing commitment to deliver the ultimate home entertainment experiences to our customers." said Mike Fasulo, President and COO of Sony Electronics. "With expertise in both the creative and the technical aspects of 4K HDR shooting, editing, recording, transmission and display, Sony understands 4K HDR like no other company. The Z series is a direct result of that unique partnership between our engineering and creative teams." Sony's Z series features the company's new 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme and Backlight Master Drive precision backlight boosting technology to expand brightness and contrast for superior wide color and HDR performance. The Backlight Master Drive uses "a dense LED structure with a super accurate lighting algorithm, discrete lighting control, and a unique optical design with a calibrated beam LED." Unlike traditional local dimming tech which uses zones of LEDs, this means that the Z series can dim and boost each LED individually. In addition, the 4K Processor X1 Extreme offers "object-based HDR remaster, dual database processing, and Super Bit Mapping 4K HDR." Finally, the displays incorporate the Android TV platform with Sony's exclusive interface. Here's a rundown of full pricing and availability for the Z Series: - XBR65Z9D, 65” class (64.5” diagonal), $6,999 MSRP, available summer 2016- XBR75Z9D, 75” class (74.5” diagonal), $9,999 MSRP, available summer 2016- XBR100Z9D, 100” class (99.5” diagonal), pricing and availability details to be announced later this year The Z series now joins Sony's previously released 2016 X850D series, X930D series, and X940D series 4K Ultra HD TVs. Source: SonyPosted Wed Jul 20, 2016 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
Netflix Readies New Episodes of 'Making a Murderer' Documentary Series[teaser]The popular documentary series will return to Netflix. [/teaser] Netflix has announced plans to stream new episodes of 'Making a Murderer.' Executive Producers / Directors, Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, are now in production for the upcoming installments. The show's first season offered a detailed look into the conviction of Steven Avery and his co-defendant, Brendan Dassey, for the murder of Teresa Halbach. "We are extremely grateful for the tremendous response to, and support of, the series. The viewers' interest and attention has ensured that the story is not over, and we are fully committed to continuing to document events as they unfold" said creators, Ricciardi and Demos. The new material will focus on Avery and Dassey as their respective investigative and legal teams challenge their convictions and the State fights to have the convictions and life sentences upheld. Episodes will provide an in-depth look at the high-stakes post-conviction process, as well as, the emotional toll the process takes on all involved. The series will offer exclusive access to Avery's new lawyer Kathleen Zellner and Dassey's legal team, led by Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin, as well as intimate access to the families and characters close to the case. "Because of Ricciardi's and Demos' incredible vision, commitment and keen eye, audiences around the globe became completely captivated by the personal stories of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey and the unique lens their experiences provide into the criminal justice system" said Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP of Original Documentary Programming. "We're thrilled to be continuing our longstanding relationship with the filmmakers, and look forward to giving our global viewers eagerly anticipated updates on this story." An exact release date or episode count have not been announced yet. The show's first season is now available to stream on Netflix. The series has been nominated for six Emmy Awards. A current Netflix subscription starts at $10 for HD streaming and $12 for Ultra HD streaming. Source: NetflixPosted Tue Jul 19, 2016 at 12:30 PM PDT by: -
Amazon Renews 'Catastrophe' Starring Rob Delaney & Sharon Horgan for Two More Seasons[teaser]Two new seasons have been announced for the streaming comedy series. [/teaser] Amazon has greenlit two additional seasons for its comedy show, 'Catastrophe.' Season three is now set to premiere exclusively through Amazon Prime Video in the US in 2017, with season four expected to follow sometime in 2018. "Few series have proven themselves as personal and compelling while deftly balancing comedy and drama," said Joe Lewis, Head of Half Hour TV for Amazon Studios. "Like an ever-growing family, two more seasons of Catastrophe will give our customers more love, laughter, and occasional insults yelled very loudly." Written by and starring Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan, 'Catastrophe,' produced by Avalon Television, with co-producers Birdbath Productions and Merman, is a comedy following an Irish woman and an American man who, after making a bloody mess as they struggled to fall in love in London, have embarked on a series of best-attempts to clear it up and generally do the right thing. "It used to be when you heard the word 'catastrophe' you thought of something terrible or destructive. Most people still do, but now some people might also think of our show. So that has to be a positive. We're very excited to have the opportunity to wreak more terrible destruction on the lives of Sharon and Rob," said Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan. The series is executive produced by Richard Allen-Turner ('Workaholics'), Kara Baker ('Jen'), Delaney, Horgan, and Jon Thoday ('Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,' 'Workaholics'). Seasons one and two of 'Catastrophe' are currently available for streaming through Amazon Prime Video. A current Amazon Prime subscription costs $99 per year or $11 per month. Likewise, Prime Video is available as a standalone service for $8 per month. Source: AmazonPosted Tue Jul 19, 2016 at 09:15 AM PDT by: -
Sharp Launches 75-Inch AQUOS N8000 Series 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR for $3,200[teaser]The company's latest 4K display with high dynamic range support is now shipping. [/teaser] Sharp has announced the release of its newest Ultra HD TV model. The 75 inch AQUOS N8000 Series 4K Ultra HD TV is now rolling out to retailers with a suggested retail price of $3,200. The display features a 4K Ultra HD LCD panel with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, multi-zone edge-lit local dimming, wide color gamut support, and HDR (high dynamic range) capabilities. Likewise, the set uses Sharp's AquoMotion proprietary backlight scanning methodology, Revelation Upscaler, and dbx-tv sound. A new smart TV platform with integrated apps and a web browser is featured as well. Here's a full rundown of features and specs per the press release: - High Dynamic Range Playback of HDR content from USB and HDMI sources - Multi-zone Local Dimming - Wide Color Gamut: 1.07 Billion Colors - Built-In Apps - AquoMotion™ - AquoDimming™ - Revelation™ Upscaler - dbx-tv® Award Winning Sound - App Store & Web Browser - 4K Media Player & Receiver - 2x2 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 802.11ac - 4 Total HDMI Inputs (2xHDMI 2.0a/HDCP 2.2), HDMI ARC, HDMI CEC, HDMI DVI) - MSRP 75” Class LC-75N8000U: $3,199.99 Beyond the 75 inch N8000 series, Sharp is also offering the new N6000 series, N7000 series, and N9000 series, including the 65 inch N9000U curved screen 3D Ultra HD TV ($3,000). The N9000U will feature full array local dimming with 192 zones and SPECTROS quantum dot technology to achieve 91 percent of the Rec.2020 color space. In addition, the TV includes support for the Open HDR standard, an octa-core processor, and VP9 and HEVC encoding. Source: SharpPosted Mon Jul 18, 2016 at 04:15 PM PDT by: -
ASUS Integrates DTS Headphone:X Technology into New Smartphones & Tablets[teaser]Several new ASUS mobile products will use DTS Headphone:X tech. [/teaser] DTS and ASUS have announced the launch of the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra -- the first smartphone to offer DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround sound. Likewise, several upcoming ZenPad tablets with DTS Headphone:X will begin rolling out globally in the coming weeks, and the ZenPad Z8 with DTS Headphone:X is already available in North America through Verizon. "We are thrilled to continue to grow our presence in the mobile space with a great partner in ASUS," said Brian Towne, executive vice president and president DTS Asia Pacific. "Our commitment to delivering our premium audio solutions to mobile devices around the world is stronger than ever, and consumers will reap the benefits in their content consumption wherever they are." DTS Headphone:X technology simulates the 3D environment of an audio track's original mixing stage, providing an immersive 3D sound experience through any pair of headphones or earbuds. The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra features a 6.8-inch FHD (1920x1080) IPS display with a 178 degree wide viewing angle. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Quad-Core Snapdragon 652 Processor @1.8Ghz and an Adreno 510 GPU. A 23 MP rear camera with 4K Ultra HD video recording and an 8 MP front camera are integrated as well. Meanwhile, the ZenPad Z8 tablet features a 7.9-inch LED Backlight Touchscreen LCD IPS Panel with a QXGA (1536 x 2048) resolution. Under the hood, the device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 Hexa Core 1.8 GHz CPU. An 8 MP rear camera and a 2 MP front camera are included as well. The ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra is now available in Taiwan with availability set to expand to more markets soon. In addition to ASUS, DTS audio technology is also incorporated into mobile devices from companies like Huawei, Gionee, Haier, LeMobile, Nubia and ZTE from China, Acer from Taiwan, and United Arab Emirates-based Obi Worldphone. Source: DTSPosted Mon Jul 18, 2016 at 02:30 PM PDT by: -
Netflix Snags Global Streaming Rights for New CBS 'Star Trek' Series[teaser]The upcoming show will be available through Netflix outside of the US. [/teaser] Netflix and CBS have announced an international licensing agreement for the new 'Star Trek' television series. As part of the deal, Netflix will be the exclusive platform for the upcoming show in 188 countries (excluding the US and Canada). "The launch of the new 'Star Trek' will truly be a global television event," said Armando Nuñez, President and CEO, CBS Studios International. "'Star Trek' is already a worldwide phenomenon and this international partnership will provide fans around the world, who have been craving a new series for more than a decade, the opportunity to see every episode virtually at the same time as viewers in the U.S. Thanks to our world-class partners at Netflix, the new ‘Star Trek’ will definitely be 'hailing on all frequencies' throughout the planet." 'Star Trek,' one of the most iconic and influential global television franchises, returns to television 50 years after it first premiered. The new series will feature new crews, new villains, new heroes and new worlds, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers. Alex Kurtzman, Bryan Fuller, Heather Kadin, Gretchen Berg & Aaron Harberts, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth will serve as executive producers. The series will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman's Secret Hideout, Fuller' Living Dead Guy Productions and Roddenberry Entertainment. The show is set to launch in January 2017. Each episode will be available to stream through Netflix in all licensed global territories within 24 hours of its US premiere. In the United States, the show will first air a special premiere episode on CBS. Following that initial broadcast, all first run episodes will be available exclusively through the CBS All Access streaming platform in the US. CBS All Access currently costs $6 per month. The service is available through Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote, Roku devices, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox 360, and Windows 10, iOS and Android products. In addition to the new 'Star Trek' show, all 727 existing episodes of the 'Star Trek' television library will also be available on Netflix around the world by the end of 2016. A current Netflix subscription starts at $10 for HD streaming and $12 for Ultra HD streaming. Source: NetflixPosted Mon Jul 18, 2016 at 01:00 PM PDT by: -
BenQ Releases HT6050 Home Theater Projector for $3,799[teaser]A new professional grade home theater projector has been detailed. [/teaser] BenQ has announced the release of its latest projector model. The flagship HT6050 projector is now available through BenQ Integrators' Choice distribution partners for $3,799. "The new HT6050 projector uses the latest DLP DarkChip3 technology and a unique color wheel design to deliver HD cinematic color right out of the box," said J.Y. Hu, vice president at BenQ America Corp. "Customers no longer have to settle for a less-than-cinema-grade experience and can enjoy excellent video quality and accurate colors just as the director intended — right in the comfort of their own home and at an affordable price point compared to models that cost two to three times more." The projector offers 1080p resolution with 2,000 ANSI lumens of brightness and a 5000:1 contrast ratio. Likewise, the model uses the company's CinemaMaster advanced audio and video processing suite along with a 6X speed RGBRGB color wheel to enhance video content and accurately achieve the Rec. 709 color standard for HD video right out of the box. Five optional big zoom lenses from 0.77:1 to 5:1 with -20~60% vertical and ± 5% horizontal lens-shifting are integrated as well. The projector also features dual HDMI connectivity (HDMIx1, HDMI/MHLx1), SmartEco energy-saving technology, and ISFccc Certification with optimized modes for ISF Day and ISF Night calibration. Finally, an optional full HD wireless kit for streaming uncompressed 1080p content (including 3D) is available. In addition to the new HT6050 projector, BenQ also recently announced the release of the PV3200PT 4K Ultra HD Monitor ($1,499) for video editing professionals. The LED LCD monitor features a 32-inch 4K Ultra HD 3840x2160 IPS panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Designed for use with professional video and photo editing applications, the display offers support for 10-bit, 100-percent sRGB color, following the Rec. 709 standard. Source: BenQPosted Mon Jul 18, 2016 at 11:00 AM PDT by:
