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Vevo Launches New Apps for Apple TV & Android Mobile Devices[teaser]The music video streaming platform has updated its apps. [/teaser] Vevo has announced upgrades for its Apple TV and Android apps. The new versions offer a smoother experience along with updated features. "Artists and audiences deserve great music video experiences, whether on mobile devices or connected TVs," said Erik Huggers, CEO, Vevo. "The launch of our new Apple TV app represents an important milestone for Vevo. We continue to invest in what we believe is the premium platform for music videos and related original content." Vevo's new Android app now begins by asking users to select their favorite artists to create a "Spotlight" feed with curated playlists and videos. This info is also used to generate an initial playlist called "My First Playlist" which includes personalized tracks. Other features include a "Favorites" section for videos and artists, and a "New For You" playlist that loads every Monday with new personalized video recommendations. Meanwhile, the new Vevo tvOS app for Apple TV offers many of the same options as the Android app -- but customized for a living room experience. Features include an autoplaying "Spotlight" feed of streaming music videos; options to navigate by genre, individual artists, and videos; the ability to select new favorite artists; and support for syncing across different devices. The new Vevo Android app is now available in the Google Play Store. Likewise, the new Vevo Apple TV app is now available in the Apple TV App Store. Sources: Vevo Android, Vevo Apple TVPosted Thu Feb 11, 2016 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Hands On First Look: Samsung UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player[teaser]We've done it! Our very own UBD-K8500 is in hand. [/teaser]At first it wasn't shipping until March. Then rumors implied mid-February. Then Video and Audio Center blew the lid off things last week, followed by Frys and BestBuy.com. These players are flying off the shelves into the hands of excited early adopters, and we managed to snag one.It's official. The era of Ultra HD Blu-ray is upon us...Well, sort of. We don't have any discs just yet, but we're going to. Very soon. Over twenty titles from major studios like Sony, Warner Bros, Lionsgate, and 20th Century Fox. All of them officially dropping March 1, 2016 and we're, for lack of a better term, super excited. Pardon the gush. Of course not all of these UHD Blu-rays are going to be a home run, and having held 'The Martian' and 'The Kingsman' UHD BD packages in hand, I can confirm not all of these new titles are getting Dolby Atmos and DTS:X upgrades versus their Blu-ray counterpart (a damned shame, in my opinion). And there's still some questions about resolution (some films were supposedly shot and/or mastered in 2K for their theatrical runs).And like many others, I wish there was room for 3D in the Ultra HD Blu-ray specification. Not because Hollywood even produces 4K 3D content(I'm pretty sure they don't), but because of the wider color gamut. I caught a special screening of 'The Martian 3D' last night in Dolby Vision HDR 3D (it was 2K) and it was extraordinary. Hopefully this can be addressed in the future.So, yeah, Ultra HD Blu-ray isn't some magical resolution revolution.But the key features for me are BANDWIDTH -- a whopping 100Mbps compared to streaming, which is in the 10-20Mbps range depending on your ISP -- and HDR (High Dynamic Range). Dolby Vision HDR is a revelation in cinemas, and here in Ultra HD Blu-ray, Dolby Vision and "HDR-10" promise to not just give us MORE pixels, but BETTER pixels. Deeper black levels. Brighter brights. Insane contrast ratios. And cinema-level (and beyond) color gamut capabilities.Movies and TV Shows have never looked this good. Ever. Not even at your local theatre. Then there's reliability. Assuming you don't lose power, UHD Blu-rays will play all day long with nary a moment of buffering. 100Mbps instantaneously. After coincidentally spending half of my day on the phone with Apple and Time Warner Cable trying to put an end to random dropouts of what's normal blazingly fast broadband, I have to say physical media is looking extra sweet as I write this. The UBD-K8500 Unboxed Say what? HDD's starting up a YouTube channel and here's our first video, a quick hands-on unboxing of the UBD-K8500? Yes, please. Features The K8500 is a mid-sized disc player -- not quite as chunky as those first gen Blu-ray players, but not nearly as svelte as modern players. I'd compare it to second or third gen Blu-ray players. It features a curved design, mirroring the look of Samsung's 2015 and 2016 flagship displays. Some take a little umbrage to this aesthetic, but it's pretty subtle in person and almost-invisible when its tucked in amongst your other gear.Upfront, you've got the disc-loading tray, a USB input, and a few buttons -- power, eject, etc. Round the backside, owners are treated to a detachable power cord input, an optical digital audio output, a LAN port for hard-wiring the player to your home network (WiFi is also built-in), and dual HDMI outputs. The main HDMI port is for use with 4K-capable gear (HDCP 2.2) -- connect either to an AV Receiver or a pre-pro or to a display. The other HDMI port is marked AUDIO and is for sending uncompressed and lossless audio codecs to older non-4K-compliant audio gear. So, good news, if you get this UHD BD Player and don't really care about Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, you don't have to run out to get a new AVR at the same time. Score. Samsung calls the K8500 a "universal disc player". In other words, in addition to playing Ultra HD Blu-rays, it is 100% backwards compatible with your Blu-rays, your 3D Blu-rays, your DVDs (including DVD-R and DVD-RW), and even your CDs. Oh, at while your AVR and 4K Ultra HD display will also offer these features, the K8500 can upscale all content to 4K.Physical media, meet your new King! In terms of file type compatibility, the K8500 hearts all MPEG-2, MPEG-4, JPEG, HD-JPEG, AVCDH 41, MVK, WMV, MPO, MP3, LPCM, AAC, WMA, and FLAC files. It's also got you covered for Dolby Atmos, TrueHD and Dolby Digital, as well as DTS:X, DTS-HD Master Audio, and good ole DTS.(Pro Tip: I just noticed the player defaults to PCM digital audio out via HDMI, so if you have Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, make sure to set it to bitstream.) HDR and Samsung's Smart Hub are the two other major features for this model. As mentioned above, High Dynamic Range is the future of color grading, offering more contrast and color capabilities than ever before. And the studios are really jumping on the HDR bandwagon because, outside of resolution, it's the biggest and most obvious difference between UHD and HD content. In the K8500's case, it can reproduce HDR-10, meeting the UHD BD specification, but sadly does not offer Dolby Vision, which is currently available in professional Dolby Cinema locations as well as via streaming apps like VUDU.Speaking of streaming, the K8500 is also -- like many Blu-ray Players -- a media hub. Akin to the Roku 4, it offers resolutions up to 4K on services like Netflix, HULU, Amazon, YouTube, YUPP TV, M-GO, and VUDU. These apps live in the Samsung Smart Hub menu system, which seeks to seamlessly integrate traditional video streaming apps with Facebook, Pandora, and many other apps. There's also screen mirroring and, presumably, access to content stored remotely on networked computers and hard drives.All of these features, and probably more, for $399.99. Yes, that's a few more clams than most are paying for current generation Blu-ray players or media streamers, but I'm pretty stunned this is a first gen price-point. Remember the thousand-plus dollar price tags for DVD and Blu-ray players...and they hardly worked at all. Those days are gone. First Impressions Caveat one. I've now spent more time WRITING about the K8500 than TESTING it; most of this is due to the fact that 1) we don't have any UHD Discs just yet, and 2) I'm hoping to score a different, flagship display for review purposes. Either way, we're going to be ready to review this player along with these discs the moment the studios send them our way (or at least as soon as they hit stores).Caveat two. I did get to see fifteen or so minutes of 'The Martian' UHD Blu-ray in a store last Friday, and the results were impressive to need-more-research. In comparing the UHD Blu-ray to the standard Blu-ray (on difference tiered displays, sadly) UHD Blu-ray offered a noticeable uptick in visible on-screen detail, even at ten feet away from the 65" displays, and the Blu-ray seemed much more grainy and dark. I mention this to say I'm excited about the format; I believe there will be obvious improvements over Blu-ray. However, I can't be more specific because the calibration on this in-store display was wonky -- over-saturated colors (a suspicion that was confirmed last night when I saw 'The Martian' in Dolby Vision, so I have a benchmark) and an image made waxy by unnecessary motion processing.Image quality aside (more testing on the way, for both streaming and all sorts of physical media), I'm already pretty impressed with this player. Startup time is less than 10 seconds. Setup process took less than five minutes (including a firmware upgrade, not including typing your password into streaming services). I have thus far successfully streamed content and played back Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, and DVD -- I was particularly impressed by how quickly it loaded a Disney Blu-ray 3D that nearly sends my older Panny into fits. The streaming apps are pretty speedy too; maybe not quite Roku or Apple fast, but close. I'm not sure I love Smart Hub, but I honestly need to give it more time to see what it can do. And, should you need, for any reason, the K8500 can be hooked up to 1080p and 720p displays thanks to an AUTO resolution setting in menu. Basically, if you have HDMI, the K8500 will connect to it (how it reacts to playing HDCP 2.2 content on such a display has yet to be tested). Conclusion All in all? This could have been an epic disaster -- slow loading times, a horrible interface, clunky remote, EXPENSIVE -- but it's not. It's pretty much a machine any home theatre enthusiast can use and, assuming these performance levels hold, shouldn't be a hair-pulling experience.We have a LOT more work to do with it, of course, but so far I have high hopes for this little machine. Stay tuned for more.Posted Wed Feb 10, 2016 at 06:00 PM PST by: -
Severtson Screens Details 4K Thin/Zero Bezel Fixed Frame Projection Screens[teaser]The company has revealed its latest series of projection screens. [/teaser] Severtson Screens has detailed the newest addition to its projection screen lineup, the 4K Thin Bezel Series. The products are premium fixed frame Severtson projection screens perfect for home theaters, venues, conference rooms and more. "Each beautifully-designed screen is a masterpiece that is perfect for nearly any install," said Aaron White, Home Theater & Pro AV sales lead at Severtson Corp. "The durable, aluminum frame offers the thinnest visible frame that Severtson Screens can provide for a clean appearance that maximizes the viewable area. Customers can choose one of the many perfectly tensioned screen materials with optional optical coatings or acoustic options that will take your viewing experience to the next level of performance. The 4K Thin Bezel is the pinnacle of the quality Severtson is known for." The screens feature a sturdy extruded aluminum frame with a 3/8-inch visible bezel. In addition, the bezel can be removed for a zero edge border option with a maximized viewing area. The collection includes the SAT-4K screen which is acoustically-transparent, letting users place the entire sound stage directly behind the screen. An LED backlit add-on option is also scheduled to be available by the summer. Customers can contact Severtson Screens for a quote on a custom size, format, or material option. The SAT-4K screen is available in Impression, Deluxe, and Deluxe Curved configurations. Source: Severtson ScreensPosted Wed Feb 10, 2016 at 03:00 PM PST by: -
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Apple Music Support Heads to Sonos Smart Speakers Worldwide[teaser]Apple's music service is now available through Sonos devices. [/teaser] Following a beta preview, Apple and Sonos have announced the arrival of full Apple Music support on Sonos systems. The music streaming platform will be available through Sonos products worldwide starting today. "This partnership has been an excellent example of two companies that truly care about music coming together to deliver a great listening experience," said John MacFarlane, Sonos chief executive officer. "Working with Apple gives us the opportunity to share Apple Music throughout people’s homes in a way that’s easy, intuitive, and sounds great." With Apple Music for Sonos, users can stream the entire Apple Music library to their connected Sonos speakers and access features like For You, New, Radio, and My Music. The Apple Music library includes access to a growing catalog of over 30 million songs along with curated playlists that are designed to fit your personal music tastes. To stream Apple Music on Sonos systems, subscribers simply need to select "Add Music Services" from the Sonos controller app and then select the Apple Music icon and enter their login information. In addition, Sonos is also launching its own curated station on Apple Music. An Apple Music subscription costs $10 per month and new users can receive a free three month trial. The Sonos Play:1 ($199), Play:3 ($299), and Play:5 ($499) are on sale now. Source: SonosPosted Wed Feb 10, 2016 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
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HTC Offers 40% Discount on Nexus 9 Tablet Today Only![teaser]The Android tablet is now on sale. [/teaser] HTC is offering a special one day sale on its highly rated Nexus 9 tablet. The 40% off deal covers all versions of the tablet, including the 16GB (now $239), 32GB (now $287), and 32GB LTE (now $359) models. In addition to the price discount, HTC is also throwing in a free Logitech keyboard for buyers of the 32GB LTE model. Click here to access the deal! The Nexus 9 tablet features an 8.9-inch IPS LCD QXGA 2048x1536 display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the device uses a 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual Denver CPU at 2.3GHz, a 192-core Kepler GPU, 2GB of RAM, and a 6700 mAh battery. An 8MP rear camera and a 1.6MP front camera are included as well. In addition, the tablet offers integrated front-facing HTC BoomSound speakers, and a separate magnetic keyboard option. HTC's special one-day sale will be valid until 11:59 p.m. PT/2:59 a.m. ET tonight while supplies last. Sources: HTC via EngadgetPosted Tue Feb 9, 2016 at 03:00 PM PST by: -
BenQ Releases VZ2470H 1080p Minimalist Monitor for $209[teaser]The new monitor is now available. [/teaser] BenQ has announced the release of their VZ2470H 1080p Minimalist Monitor. The display first made its debut at CES back in January. "Our VZ2470H is part of a pedigree of minimalist monitors that seek to blend seamlessly with today's contemporary environments," said J.Y. Hu, vice president, business line management at BenQ America Corp. "It's our most advanced V-Series monitor to date and proves once again that feature-rich engineering doesn't need to compromise ergonomics, aesthetics or design." The VZ2470H uses a 23.8-inch VA panel with a resolution of 1920x1080p and a 16:9 aspect ratio. In addition, the display features a minimalist asymmetrical design with an all-white exterior, rounded appearance, and ultra-slim bezel. The monitor also offers a 3000:1 contrast ratio, 4ms GTG response time, HDMI connectivity, and wide 178°/178° viewing angles. Finally, BenQ's Eye-Care and ZeroFlicker technology are integrated as well to help reduce eye strain. BenQ's VZ2470H monitor is now available for a suggested retail price of $209. Source: BenQPosted Tue Feb 9, 2016 at 12:15 PM PST by: -
PSB Announces Imagine XA Dolby Atmos Speaker Module, Suggested Price Set at $499 Per Pair[teaser]A new Atmos-enabled speaker module has been detailed. [/teaser] PSB has revealed the latest addition to their speaker lineup. The Imagine XA is the company's first Dolby Atmos-enabled speaker module. "Dolby Atmos takes home cinema sound to a completely new level by adding the 3rd dimension of height to the two-dimensional front/back left/right 5.1 sound mix." stated Paul Barton, Founder and Chief Designer of PSB Speakers. "Our team worked closely with Dolby engineers to meet and exceed their specs, which when properly implemented can move 'sound objects' like the sound of a bird in a tree above or the swoosh of an arrow past your face, delivering moving audio around the room with pinpoint accuracy. We believe the effect of the Imagine XA is totally convincing and really elevates the Home Cinema experience to new heights." The Imagine XA Atmos module is designed to sit atop PSB's Imagine X floor-standing and bookshelf speakers, and can also work with other existing speaker models as well. To meet the Dolby Atmos spec and simulate overhead audio, the module features custom upward firing drivers that bounce sound off of the ceiling. The drivers include titanium dome tweeters with ferrofluid cooling and a neodymium magnet structure, clay/ceramic reinforced injection molded polypropylene cone woofers, and an advanced crossover design. PSB's Imagine XA Dolby Atmos speaker modules will be available in March for a suggested retail price of $499 per pair. Sources: TWICE, Home Theater Review, PSB SpeakersPosted Tue Feb 9, 2016 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
HDD Gear Deal Spotlight: Up to 40% off Speakers & Receivers![teaser]Amazon is offering big discounts on home audio products! [/teaser] As part of the online retailer's ongoing deals, Amazon is running a special sale on speakers, soundbars, and receivers from VIZIO, Orb Audio, MartinLogan, Pioneer, Denon, and Yamaha. VIZIO S5451w-C2 5.1 Sound Bar (2014 Model) - Currently $300 (40% off). Pioneer SP-SB23W Andrew Jones Soundbar System - Currently $300 (33% off). Orb Audio mini Express Complete 2.1 Home Audio System - Currently $458 (30% off). MartinLogan Crescendo Wireless Speaker System - Currently $699 (22% off). Yamaha RX-A550 5.1-Channel MusicCast AV Receiver - Currently $400 (27% off). Denon AVR-X2200W 7.2 Channel A/V Receiver with Dolby Atmos & DTS:X Ready - Currently $649 (19% off). These deals will only be active for a limited time while supplies last. Make sure to stay tuned to High-Def Digest for more sales and special promotions!Posted Mon Feb 8, 2016 at 03:45 PM PST by: -
LG Launches Pre-Orders for 65-Inch SIGNATURE OLED Ultra HD TV, Price Set at $8,000[teaser]The company's latest OLED display is now available for pre-order. [/teaser] Following the debut of their Super Bowl commercial, LG has announced the launch of their flagship SIGNATURE OLED TV model. The OLED65G6P is now available for pre-order at select retailers for $8,000. "As we kick off 2016, our ad during the big game couldn’t have been a better time and platform to introduce the flagship model in our 2016 OLED TV lineup," said David VanderWaal, vice president of marketing, LG Electronics USA. "LG continues to pioneer OLED TV technology and bringing this OLED TV to market so quickly after its debut at CES 2016 underscores LG’s commitment to growing the OLED TV category and making it accessible to more households across the U.S. We can't wait for consumers to experience LG OLED TV for themselves." The OLED65G6P Signature OLED Ultra HD TV offer perfect blacks, wide viewing angles, an integrated soundbar speaker system, and a thin Picture-on-Glass design. In addition, the TV has been certified as "Ultra HD Premium" and includes full HDR compatibility with support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Likewise, the display uses LG's webOS 3.0 smart TV platform. LG's OLED65G6P is now available for pre-order through select retailers including Abt, Best Buy, Bjorns, Brandsmart, Fry's, Nebraska Furniture Mart, P.C. Richard & Son, Value Electronics and Video & Audio Center. Shipments are expected to begin late next month. In addition to the 65-inch flagship model, the company's new OLED65E6P Flat 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV ($7,000) is also available for pre-order. Pricing and availability for the rest of LG's 2016 OLED lineup, including the 55-inch OLEDE6P, 55- and 65-inch OLEDB6P and 55- and 65-inch OLEDC6P will be announced this spring. Source: LGPosted Mon Feb 8, 2016 at 08:15 AM PST by: -
Samsung Begins Selling First Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Today at Video & Audio Center Stores for $399![teaser]The industry's first Ultra HD Blu-ray player goes on sale today! [/teaser] Samsung has announced plans to release its UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player through Video & Audio Center stores in California. Though the retailer originally indicated that limited quantities of the player would be available for $399 later today, it appears that the store's initial stock has already been pre-sold. Video & Audio Center will hold a press conference at its Santa Monica location at 5pm to announce the sale and debut the player. A demo unit will be on display at that same location as well. In addition, the first Ultra HD Blu-ray discs from 20th Century Fox are also expected to be on hand, including 'The Martian.' The UBD-K8500 is HDR compatible and features four times the resolution of a traditional Blu-ray player. Likewise, the device offers a sleek, curved design and includes upscaling capabilities, streaming apps, and Blu-ray 3D playback. More units are expected to be available for purchase in 7-10 days. Video & Audio Center California locations include Santa Monica, Lawndale, Agoura Hills, and Woodland Hills. The UBD-K8500 is also currently available for pre-order through Amazon. 20th Century Fox's first Ultra HD Blu-ray titles are expected to be available nationally on March 1. Ultra HD Blu-ray players from Panasonic and Philips are also set to arrive later this year, and Sony just announced plans to offer its first Ultra HD Blu-ray player model by March 2017. Sources: Video & Audio Center Facebook, USA Today, TWICEPosted Fri Feb 5, 2016 at 02:00 PM PST by:
