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800 Square Foot Apartment Sports Three Big-Screen TVs and a 106" Projector Screen[teaser]Sure it's overkill, but you've got to admit, this is pretty cool. [/teaser] 800 square feet isn't a lot of space to work with, especially when setting up a home theater. One doctor in New York made it work though. He created a man cave for himself in an apartment that's directly next to his office. In fact, he even has a keypad that lets him go in through a hidden entrance hidden in his bookshelf – how cool is that? The main room is a theater with a pair of 55" Samsung TVs hidden behind Vutec Art Screens, but the highlight is a 106" projection screen with a picture provided by a Wolf Cinema SDC-15 projector. Of course, that's not all. The apartment also features a hot tub and steam room, both of which are equipped with zoned audio controllable by a weatherproof remote. Oh, and both the shower and toilet respond to the remote. Overkill? Sure. Awesome? Definitely. Source: Electronic HousePosted Fri Jun 15, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Onkyo Launching New Mid-Range Networking Home Theater Systems This Month[teaser]Both include networking features, 4K upscaling and Zone 2 capabilities. [/teaser] Seeing formerly high-end features come down to the mid-range is nice to see, especially for those of us that can't shell out thousands of dollars for a system. Onkyo's latest home theater systems pack not only 4K upscaling, but Zone 2 functionality. The $899 HT-S7500 gives you 7.1 channels and a dedicated center channel, floor standing left and right speakers, four compact surround speakers and a 120 watt sub. It packs powered Zone outputs, unlike the pre-outs of the $799 HT-S6500. Both receivers offer Audyssey 2EQ to correct the audio based on your room, connectivity for a wide range of streaming sources including Pandora and Slacker, and support for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire apps. You'll be able to pick up the HT-S6500 and HT-S7500 later this month. Source:OnkyoPosted Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Amazon Prime Adds MGM Shows and Movies[teaser]You'll get plenty of 'Stargate' and titles like 'Silence of the Lambs' to boot. [/teaser] When Amazon Prime first launched it almost seemed like an afterthought, but Amazon has been ramping things up in a huge way over the last year, including the addition of a queue and some significant content acquisitions. The latest improvement is the addition of MGM shows and movies, which include 'Dead Like Me,' 'Stargate Universe,' 'The Terminator' and plenty more. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Wed Jun 13, 2012 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
TiVo Teams with PayPal to Let You Buy Products Directly From Your TV[teaser]PayPal is also talking to Comcast about integration of the service. [/teaser] The folks at PayPal and TiVo are teaming for a very interesting concept. TiVo's interactive ads – already a part of the service – will now allow you to buy the product they're advertising without ever having to leave the comfort of your couch. It's a cool idea, but there's something so inherently dangerous about setting this up. Have you ever had one of those nights where you're sitting at home flicking through channels late at night and you decide that it would be really cool to buy swords but you thought "hey, I don't want to walk all the way to the computer"? Well, buying those impulse items just got easier. Source:EngadgetPosted Wed Jun 13, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
D-Link Launches a New Streaming Player[teaser]The MovieNite Plus gives you the things you've come to expect from a streaming player, but nothing remarkable. [/teaser] D-Link's new streaming device does, well, everything a streaming device does. It's not entirely remarkable, but it's not lacking either – it just does what you'd expect. It streams at up to 1080p, it's equipped with NetFlix, YouTube and Vudu streaming, with Hulu Plus coming soon. The MovieNite Plus is available for preorder on Amazon at a price of $79. Considering that the more capable Boxee Box can be had for just $129, this might be a hard sell to power users, while casual customers will likely turn toward the Apple TV or Roku players. Source: EngadgetPosted Tue Jun 12, 2012 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
'Game of Thrones' is the Most Pirated TV Show By 1.2 Million Downloads[teaser]The next closest was 'How I Met Your Mother,' followed by 'The Big Bang Theory.'[/teaser] With 4 million downloads per episode, 'Game of Thrones' is by far the most pirated show of 2012. The next closest show, 'How I Met Your Mother' is coming in at just 2.8 million downloads per episode. Part of the reason for the massive number of downloads is a week delay in viewing for Australia. Rather than wait the week, Australian fans simply download the show illegally. This delay is what has caused Australian downloads to surpass downloads in the US. Piracy is a difficult issue to discuss without some controversy. Most view it as a problem, but it seems to be more a symptom that the current system isn't giving customers what they want. TorrentFreak writes that the exclusivity of HBO is a big issue for potential customers. "They might make decent money in the long run by selling subscriptions. However, this limited availability also breeds pirates." Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Tue Jun 12, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Apple Announces the MacBook Pro with 2880x1800 Resolution[teaser]The retina display is certainly impressive, but the lack of a Blu-ray drive is a bit of a bummer. [/teaser] Apple announced the launch of a new MacBook Pro yesterday and, as some predicted, it packs the much lauded Retina Display as found on the new iPad and newer iPhones, giving it a whopping 2880x1800 resolution. The i7 quad core processor, GeForce 650M graphics and 16GB of 1600MHz RAM give you plenty of power for all your video, audio and editing needs. Apple says you can play four 1080p videos at once thanks in part to ultra fast flash storage, of which you'll have 768GB. It also picks things up on the gaming front too. The folks at Blizzard are actually making a special upgrade of 'Diablo III' specifically to take advantage of the new Macbook resolution. You can pick up the new MacBook Pro from Apple now at baseline of $2,199, with prices increasing based on your desired configuration. Source: eCousticsPosted Tue Jun 12, 2012 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
The Pocket TV is a Miniscule Android Computer That Makes Your TV a Smart TV[teaser]It does what other streaming devices do, but has the form factor of a USB drive. [/teaser] Streaming devices are quickly becoming an essential for those without smart TVs, but adding yet another component to your home theater system isn't exactly appealing. Infinitec's solution is the Pocket TV, an Android based streaming device that gives you full functionality in a package not much bigger than a USB drive. Plug the Pocket TV right into your HDMI port and you're ready to go. It runs off of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and gives you the kind of experience you'd expect from the operating system. You'll have full access to the Google Play store for all the apps and games you want – you can even attach a camera to your TV and use the Pocket TV for Skype. The Pocket TV is currently up on the crowd funding site Kickstarter, where it has already doubled the initial $100,000 funding goal. You can guarantee yourself a Pocket TV at launch for $99, while $119 gets you the Pocket TV and an Air Remote, which creates a more touchscreen like experience. Source: Electronic HousePosted Mon Jun 11, 2012 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Dolby Atmos Launch Locations Revealed[teaser]If you're looking to get a sample of what may the future of sound, you're going to want to check this out. [/teaser] Dolby Atmos is a tech that's been in development for a while and has incredibly cool applications. Using Atmos, Dolby is able to send sound absolutely anywhere they want. For example, if something is supposed to be passing over your left shoulder, you'll hear it pass over your left shoulder. It's very new and very cool. If you want to experience this new tech, it'll be rolling out with 'Brave' at the theaters listed below. • AMC Barrywoods 24 (Kansas City, MO) • AMC Burbank 16 (Burbank, CA) • AMC Century City 15 (Century City, CA) • AMC Downtown Disney 24 (Lake Buena Vista, FL) • AMC Garden State 16 (Paramus, NJ) • AMC Van Ness 14 (San Francisco, CA) • Arclight Sherman Oaks (Sherman Oaks, CA) • Brenden Theatres at the Palms (Las Vegas, NV) • Century at Pacific Commons and XD (Fremont, CA) • Cinemark West Plano and XD (West Plano, TX) • SilverCity-Yonge Eglinton Cinemas (Cineplex) (Toronto, ON) • Cinetopia Vancouver Mall 23 (Vancouver, WA) • Kerasotes Showplace ICON at Roosevelt Collection (Chicago, IL) • The Dolby Theatre (Hollywood, CA)Posted Fri Jun 8, 2012 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Dish Loses 14 Channels Based on Ad-Skipping DVR[teaser]Of course, they're not taking it lying down. Dish is on the attack, and they're suing the networks. [/teaser] "Hoak doesn’t respect customer control; they are telling customers they must watch commercials," says Dish SVP Dave Shull. "Channel skipping has been around since the advent of the remote control, and we think Hoak has taken an incredibly hostile stance toward their viewers." The folks at Hoak demanded that Dish take down 14 stations recently, all ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates. Though Hoak did offer Dish an extension, Dish removed the channels. Hoak demanded either the removal of Dish's ad-skipping DVR or a 200% increase in retransmission fees. Dish has since responded by filing suits against the networks, saying that they withheld ads for the new DVR. Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Fri Jun 8, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by:
