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Electronic House Features 25 Great DIY Home Theaters[teaser]Because any schmo with money can buy a great theater, but it takes something a bit special to do it yourself. [/teaser] If you've got a good chunk of change lying around, you're just a few steps away from owning an impressive home theater. Hire a design team, let them work, pay them, and done. It takes a little bit more effort when you're doing it all yourself. Electronic House has followed up their Home of the Year Awards with a gallery honoring those enthusiasts who chose to do it themselves. But you might not know it from the pictures, some of these theaters look like they were installed by the pros. Some of the more interesting builds include a home theater built for a quick, zero impact removal, an Irish pub themed theater, a transformed garage and a 'Pirates of the Caribbean' themed theater. Source: Electronic HousePosted Thu May 20, 2010 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Yamaha Offers Up Three New Receivers[teaser]Yamaha's 3D capable receivers bring a lot to the table at a reasonable price. [/teaser] A trio of new A/V receivers has been launched by Yamaha. They're set at a nice low price and come stocked with a few very cool features. They're all 3D capable, for example, and they can all handle Deep Color and x.v.Color. The lineup consists of the RX-V367, which pumps out 100 watts per channel to five channels and sells for $249, the RX-V467 which raises the price to $379 and brings things up to 105 watts per channel, and the RX-V567 which sends out 90 watts to each of seven channels. The two higher end models offer support for Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and other high definition audio formats. They also include the Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer, which analyzes your room's acoustic properties and sets the receiver up to match. Source: YamahaPosted Thu May 20, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Yamaha's New Home Theater Systems Are Actually Pretty Impressive[teaser]For HTiBs, the 7.1 channel YHT-893 and 5.1 channel YHT-693 bring a lot to the table. [/teaser] As any enthusiast will tell you, if you've got the time and the know-how, separates are the way to go. Home-theater-in-a-box solutions just aren't as capable as receivers, speakers and subwoofers that you can buy on your own. But Yamaha's new HTiBs were designed to try and buck the trend. They've got features you don't normally find in home theater systems. Burr-Brown 192 kHz/24-bit DACs, for example, are included in the entire lineup, from the $399 YHT-393 on up to the $849 YHT-893. They support Deep Color, x.v. Color and 24Hz refresh rates. The two higher end systems sport 10 inch, 100w subwoofers, while models at the lower end of the spectrum settle for 8 inches. Three of the systems – the YHT-893, YHT-693 and YTH-593 – have iPod/iPhone docks built right in, while the others will need a separate accessory. Source: eCousticsPosted Wed May 19, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
DuPont Prints 50 Inch OLEDs in Less Than Two Minutes[teaser]Faster production could result in lower prices. [/teaser] Last week, DuPont announced that they'd developed a new process for printing OLED screens that speeds the process up greatly. Thanks to a custom made printer by a company called Dainippon, they're able to pump out as many as 30 screens in an hour. The technology behind this is incredibly complex and uses words like "active molecules," but DuPont's William Feehery explains it for us simply. "The Dainippon printer works like a garden hose," he says. Rather than creating droplets of ink, like other OLED printers, it generates a stream of ink, and moves at speeds of up to five meters per second. There's a concern though, and Feehery knows it well. "The key question is, when you scale up, does the cost per square inch drop or go up?" DuPont is betting on lower costs thanks to this higher rate of production. It's another step on the way to finally getting OLEDs into homes. Source: Technology ReviewPosted Wed May 19, 2010 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Panasonic Bundling 3D DVDs with 3D TVs[teaser]'Coraline' and 'Ice Age' will come free with VT25 purchases. [/teaser] If you pick up one of Panasonic's VT25 3D televisions between today and July 10th, you'll be getting some 3D content to go with that 3D display of yours. Two films will be free with the purchase of a VT25. Sorry Best Buy shoppers, VT20s get nothing. While the offer is definitely cool, it's not without its drawbacks. For starters, the two free discs aren't available yet. After making your television purchase, you'll have to send in a form. After Panasonic gets that form, you can expect to wait between 8 and 14 weeks for delivery. That means if you pick the TV up today, you may have to wait until August to get your Blu-rays. But it's a nice gesture nonetheless. 'Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs' and 'Coraline' were enjoyable movies and looked great. If the 3D versions follow suit, you should be in for a great experience. Source: PanasonicPosted Wed May 19, 2010 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Best Buy Launches CinemaNow Service[teaser]An improved and updated version coming later this year. [/teaser] Remember how Roxio's CinemaNow service changed its name to RoxioNow just a few weeks back? That was, apparently, to clear the way for Best Buy, who now own the CinemaNow name. Aside from that, there doesn't seem to be a significant change. It's all still powered by the RoxioNow technology, and the rental scheme doesn't seem to have switched around too much. You can rent or buy movies, many on the same day that they're available on disc. Only a few titles are available in high definition, and they're all documentaries. Once CinemaNow gets up to snuff with the HD content, it could definitely be worth checking out. But $19.99 to buy a standard definition film just seems steep, especially when Blu-rays can be had for the same price. Source: TWICEPosted Wed May 19, 2010 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Check HDD Out on Facebook and Let Your Friends Know That You "LIKE Us" like us![teaser]Have you visited the High-Def Digest Facebook page lately? If not, why not swing by and let your friends know that you like us? In return, we'll make sure you never miss a great review or exciting HD news story. [/teaser] Please check out the High-Def Digest Page on Facebook, click "like," and spread the word, so you and your friends can always find the best Blu-ray and High-Def news and reviews online. Our Facebook page is still going strong and we'd love you to join in the fun. In addition to our reviews, highlights from The Bonus View, and priceless witticisms, we use the page as one more way of spreading the word about the best high-def releases on the market. If you haven't joined the fun yet, you can check it out here. Hope to see you there soon!Posted Tue May 18, 2010 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
DirecTV Launches Whole-Home DVR[teaser]Customers will be able to watch and record shows on any set in the house. [/teaser] It doesn't get much cooler than DirecTV's Whole-Home DVR service. It's something we've been anticipating for a while and it just might be enough to convince consumers to switch. Whole-Home DVR takes its cues from home media servers. Rather than having a separate DVR for each room of the house, DirecTV's new service connects every TV to a single DVR with enough space to handle it. For a $3 monthly service charge, you'll be able to watch shows from that centralized DVR at any TV in the house. And it's not just playback, you can adjust your DVR recordings from any room too. No more getting up and running to the living room at two in the morning to make sure you've got 'LOST' set to record. From the sound of things, there's no downside to watching in the satellite rooms. You can still play them back in HD, and you've still got the ability to pause, fast forward, and rewind. Not a bad setup by any means. Source: DirecTVPosted Tue May 18, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
HD DVD Has Risen From The Grave!![teaser]...briefly. But the important thing is that it's shaken off the dirt and hopped into Josh Zyber's mailbox! Read what he has to say about 'Deadlands 2: Trapped' now that his copy has finally arrived.[/teaser] It's been a long and painful journey for what will now likely be the final HD DVD. High-Def Digest readers are no doubt familiar with some of the drama surrounding the film's HD release. Why not hop on over to The Bonus View and see what Josh has to say? Have thoughts? Comments? Received your own copy? Please join the conversation in the blog comments and let us all know what you think about your latest and last (?) HD DVD purchase. HD DVD Rises from the Grave... Briefly.Posted Tue May 18, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Roku Gets Live UFC PPVs[teaser]It all starts on May 29th, with Rampage vs Evans. [/teaser] Roku and the UFC have signed a multi-year agreement that will bring UFC Pay-Per-View events to Roku players across the country. It's a big coup for Roku, and for non-cable entertainment solutions. "The Roku player is capable of delivering amazing live events, in HD, on the TV," said Roku CEO Anthony Wood. That's a big deal for UFC fans, especially if they're hoping to cut their cable any time soon. UFC President Dana White says the UFC is always looking for a new approach. "Roku is another way for fans to get more UFC and watch all of the UFC events live and in HD," he said. The UFC channel adds to an impressive Roku lineup, and it's definitely a big move for the company. Source: EONPosted Tue May 18, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by:
