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Pioneer Refreshes A/V Receiver Line-up with New VSX Models[teaser]All four new models sport Ultra HD pass-through and Eco Mode. [/teaser] Pioneer has announced the feature set for its new VSX line-up of A/V receivers. All four models support Ultra HD pass-through for 4K support with the VSX-1123-K capable of Ultra HD upscaling. Eco-Mode is also part of each, and allows HDMI switching and network standby to function even when the receiver is off, which is just the beginning of how Eco Mode adjusts to conserve power when possible. After the value-centric 5.1 channel VSX-523-K, the VSX-823-K adds On Screen Display, a front HDMI port, and networking capability, including MHL 2.0, Apple AirPlay, HTC Connect, Pandora, and vTuner. The VSX-1023-K adds 7.1 support and Powered Zone 2 Audio. The Zone 2 capability allows a separate HDMI source from the main to be output to another room. Pioneer's iControlAV app allows control for both the VSX-823-K and VXS-1023-K, while the new iControlAV2013 is crucial for bringing the VSX-1123 HDZONE to bear. HDZONE, allows a third audio-only source to be routed to another room. The VSX-523-K is listed at $279.99. The VSX-823-K is $429.99. The VSX-1023-K is $529.99, and the VSX-1123-K is $629.99. Source:PioneerPosted Thu Mar 7, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Building a Home Theater: The HeartbreakIn his quest to build a new home theater, High-Def Digest's Josh Zyber has discovered that nothing about home ownership can ever be easy. Read about the enormous setback he's suffered in the latest update to his tale. You can also catch up on previous entries at the following links: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5Posted Thu Mar 7, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Sharp Infused with $110 Million from Samsung[teaser]Samsung takes a 3% stake in the troubled Japanese LCD pioneer. [/teaser] Sharp, one Japan's biggest TV and display producers, has struck an important partnership with Samsung as signaled by Samsung's investment of $110 million. Sharp is currently responding to the turmoil that lead to $4.4 million October bailout. Samsung's investment, which nets a 3% ownership in Sharp also follows Qualcomm's December investment of $120 million. For Samsung, one rational for the investment according to Deutsche Securities analyst Yasuo Nakane, is "a possibility that Samsung in return for its investment, may demand more preferential pricing in parts supplies." Considering the rarity of partnerships crossing over between South Korea and Japan, Samsung is likely also looking to gain access to Sharp's solar panel business. Sharp currently supplies displays for both the iPad and iPhone, at least in Japan. Unfortunately for Sharp, it does not supply screens for the iPad mini, whose popularity has taken business away from the full-size iPad. News of Samsung's investment helped shares in Sharp to jump as high as 19 percent, and time will tell whether the move will help Sharp overcome its troubled times. Source:ReutersPosted Wed Mar 6, 2013 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Roku offers Third Generation Model and Software Interface[teaser]The Roku 3 is HDMI only and features a remote with a headphone jack; other Roku models promised a software update. [/teaser] Roku has announced the Roku 3, the latest Roku model and replacement for the former flagship model, the Roku 2 XS. The Roku 3 adds dual-band wireless, a faster processer, and a headphone jack located on the remote control. When the headphone jack is in use, audio output on the Roku will automatically be muted, granting users an instant, simple privacy mode. The Roku 3 also gets Roku's new on-screen experience with one-stop search, which is designed to allow the user to search multiple content providers with one input. Roku has also promised that several other Roku models, including the Roku LT, Roku HD (model #2500), and the Roku 2 line-up will receive the new search capability between now and May. One feature that the new Roku has dispensed with is any kind of analog connectivity, and an HDMI port is the only way to go. Roku is still offering several older models for analog and SD users. The Roku 3 is currently available from Roku's website for $99.99, and should appear on Amazon within a week. Source:RokuPosted Wed Mar 6, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Sensio Signs a Deal with Disney for 3D Video On Demand Content[teaser] Vizio 3D TV owners can look forward to 3D VOD Disney content.[/teaser] Sensio Technologies, a major player in the 3D film arena, has signed an agreement with Disney for the express purpose of making Disney's 3D movies available for on-demand rental. Sensio's 3DGO! 3D VOD Service is available exclusively on Vizio 3D TVs. The deal includes titles such as 'Frankenweenie' and 'Brave,' but no word yet as to whether or not 3D 'Star Wars' films are included. Nicholas Routhier, CEO of Sensio, “The Disney 3D library is without contest one of the best out there, and we are thrilled to add an incredible selection of titles from a true legendary studio and 3D pioneer. We are more determined than ever to realize our promise to address the lack of 3D content to the home.” As Sensio continues towards its goal of having over 200 3D titles on offer by year's end, those consumers who are seeking 3D VOD content from Disney but do not own or wish to own a Vizio 3D TV are left wanting. Source:The Hollywood ReporterPosted Tue Mar 5, 2013 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
Roku 2 XS Available Today for $64.99[teaser]This top-of-the-line HD streaming powerhouse is normally $100, but it is also refurbished.[/teaser] Deal a day site, 1saleaday.com, is selling a refurbished Roku 2 XS for the shipped price of $64.99. This top-of-the-line Roku includes every feature currently offered by Roku, including the superfluous motion control- 'Angry Birds' combination, Wi-Fi, HDMI port, A/V composite port and cable, 1080p, Ethernet jack, Micro SD slot, and USB port. 1saleaday.com is not charging tax or shipping, making the shipped price for the refurbished Roku 2 XS for $64.99. The refurbished model includes a 90 day warranty- the same length as a new Roku. Amazon is also currently offering through a third party merchant a refurbished Roku 2 XS for $79.99 with Prime. What a Roku offers is the simplest, quickest, smallest, and least power hungry ability to stream from a variety of providers. Providers include Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, Amazon Instant Video to name just a few. Subscription required wherever necessary. Source:CNETPosted Tue Mar 5, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
Ultra HD Merely a Question of Display Price[teaser]Engadget compares HD and 3D success before declaring display price as the key to Ultra HD victory.[/teaser] After first declaring that Ultra HD (4K) as a successful technology faces a fork in the road with a successful HD format in one direction and technically more intriguing but relatively unsuccessful (as is not mainstream) 3D format in the other, the article on Engadget ferrets out the successful factors for HD and the deal-breakers for 3D before reaching a conclusion that sees Ultra HD as successful if prices for displays becomes as accessible as HD display prices. "(C)onsumers were happy to embrace both flat-panels and HD as soon as both became available together in an affordable product, and America's TV landscape was forever changed. The industry moved on to smart TV and 3D as the one-two punch to get consumers to upgrade... From the technical side, 3D was the stronger draw, but the reliance on glasses... has stifled 3D content consumption." In essence, the article concludes that "the triumph of 'full HD' that helped to catapult LCD televisions beyond plasma sets showed that, as long as the price delta is not too great, consumers can be sold on specs and future-proofing... a growing percentage of films that make sense for 4K should extend far beyond the corresponding number for 3D. Years down the road, virtually all high-end TVs will likely support 4K and the consumer electronics and content industries will figure out some way of delivering such content." The conclusion on price as a limiter for Ultra HD success knowingly disregards any literally benefit of Ultra HD in the home in favor or purchasers deciding to buy Ultra HD sets at reasonable prices, not ever needing something like 3D glasses to take advantage of Ultra HD, and content providers responding to the number of Ultra HD sets in homes by finding a way to deliver content. The article even goes to far as to draw a corollary between increasing smartphone display sizes and eventual ever-larger Ultra HD displays in the home. Source:EngadgetPosted Mon Mar 4, 2013 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Best Buy in Peril: A Loss for Consumers?[teaser]"People who thought we were dead have to go through the painful process of revisiting that point of view." [/teaser] Best Buy just reported its best news in some time, an increase in sales for the quarter when compared with last year. That increase, which still resulted in a narrow loss for the quarter, only exists when factoring out the 49 large-format stores that were closed in the fiscal year for 2013. Nevertheless, new CEO Hubert Joly was encouraged enough after his first full quarter as CEO to state that, "People who thought we were dead have to go through the painful process of revisiting that point of view." As Best Buy continues to make several stores redundant (5 to 10 more will close in the 2014 fiscal year), the question left for consumers as poised by CNET, is whether or not the world is better with Best Buy alive or dead. According to the CNET article, if Best Buy, with its imperfect sales experience, follows in the footsteps of CompUSA and Circuit City, consumers will lose the best place to encounter and compare electronics and gadgets, "I've wondered many times if my regular weekly visit to the local Best Buy would be my last. And still do. But I like knowing the store is there. Best Buy is really the only electronics specialty store besides Fry's Electronics (mostly a West Coast phenomenon) that packs lots of PCs, Macs, tablets, and phones into relatively small abutting areas, allowing you to easily comparison shop." As Best Buy was clobbering competitor Circuit City ten years ago, HD televisions were integral to the experience. If Best Buy fades away, great swathes of the US will be without a place to compare displays, at least with the naked eye. Source:CNETPosted Mon Mar 4, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
The Future of THX[teaser]The company to take a starring (and possible streaming) role in the home.[/teaser] Rumblings from THX indicate that that THX certification for home theater equipment will be dialed back in favor of products directly developed by the longtime cinema standard. In an article at Digital Trends, the history of THX from 'Return of the Jedi' until now has been outlined in a effort to illustrate that "no longer will THX be a sidekick to better-known brands as a shiny badge on a piece of some other company’s electronics." Several quotes from Chris Golson, Senior Director of Business Development at THX, allude to a new business direction, "Instead of thinking of us as THX certification, think of it as THX certification that falls under a new umbrella. We’re thinking of it as THX lifestyle." Contemplating the "THX lifestyle" while reading Golson's repeated referencing "of people accepting a lot of different qualities of content for a lot of different reasons" strongly suggest that THX is ready to market to customers who routinely think in terms of situational bit rate standards. THX's possible role in a streaming is further illuminated by their recent partnership with eyeIO, who has been key in getting Netflix quality up while saving bandwidth. Even while expecting THX to invade living rooms and smartphones, the company has not forgotten its initial purpose. The 2011 purchase of cineSpace Color Management Suite ensures the company will still be working behind the scenes to ensure and promote standards for film post-production and playback for the foreseeable future. Even so, consumers should not be surprised to see THX begin appearing directly to the end user in more ways than one. Source:Digital TrendsPosted Fri Mar 1, 2013 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Breakthrough Products Featuring Flexible Displays Three Years Away[teaser]Uses for products like Willow glass are temporarily elusive. [/teaser] Flexible glass displays, the key to rollaway displays of all sizes, is now practical in many aspects, according to an interview between Corning Glass Technologies President James Clappin and Bloomberg. What's missing in part are the flexible components required to make a completely flexible device, but what Clappin is stressing is that the end product goal is lacking. "People are not accustomed to glass you roll up. The ability of people to take it and use it to make a product is limited." While tablets and cell phones are the most obvious target products, the fact remains that a flexible display could be useful for all sorts of portable and space maximizing conditions. Unrolling a display like a newspaper or a bed sheet could be game changer for many, but the other use that is being tested is for wearable displays, such as watches and shirts. Wearable displays are prime targets for solar power, just as all flexible displays are targets for touch capability. Whether it is projector-less bed sheet size displays or a new line of display clothing, three years begins to seem too short a time. Source:Bloomberg via GizmodoPosted Fri Mar 1, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by:
