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Kaleidescape: Digital Download Convenience Meets 4K Disc Quality[teaser]Mixing the convenience of digital downloading with the full quality of a disc format, Kaleidescape aims to deliver the best of both worlds.[/teaser] Last week, High-Def Digest got a chance to speak with Cheena Srinivasan, CEO of Kaleidescape, and Luke O'Brien, Director of Content Operations, to discuss the company's growing product line, business philosophy, near brush with death, and upcoming developments. With an assortment of premium media players and a growing library of HD and 4K Ultra HD digital titles being added to its own online store, Kaleidescape hopes to entice AV enthusiasts through the custom installation chain, positioning itself as an integral component of any complete home theater installation. But just what exactly is Kaleidescape and what separates its service and products from the competition? Well, let's break it down... THE BASICS Kaleidescape offers a series of premium digital media players, servers, and storage devices designed for use with its own Kaleidescape Movie Store. The company was initially founded back in 2001 and first started producing products with the launch of its DVD Media Server in the fall of 2003. Speaking on the company's origins and goals, CEO Cheena Srinivasan says, "The vision for the company throughout our journey hasn't changed very much. It has been to present the finest cinematic experience in the comfort of your home." To accomplish this, the Kaleidescape system eschews the typical streaming delivery methods of traditional digital platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or VUDU. Instead, Kaleidescape actually downloads complete digital files to the local storage on a customer's Kaleidescape player or movie server. This allows the company to offer HD and 4K Ultra HD HDR titles at full disc quality with lossless audio (up to 24.5Mbit/s, including Dolby Atmos on select titles) and high bitrate video (up to 100Mbit/s). Or, as Srinivasan puts it, "We deliver the entire enchilada." Likewise, since the title is stored locally in full, content will always be played back at peak quality every time, offering a "predictable cinematic experience" without any of the buffering or variable bitrate tricks that other platforms use. On traditional streaming methods, Srinivasan says, "You think you're watching a 4k title but... you may be watching pieces of the movie in 4K and portions of the movie in just 1080p or even less than that." He added, "The problem that Kaleidescape has set out to solve... is the intersection of the quality of a physical disc with the convenience of internet delivery." And though the company does not offer its products direct to consumer, the Kaleidescape lineup is available through the custom installation and system integration chain. With that in mind, the players and titles include several features geared toward users with full blown home theater setups and integrated home automation systems. "We tend to provide enormous amounts of metadata information that are useful bits of data for control systems. So when the movie begins we tell [the system] to dim down the lights automatically, adjust the screen masking precisely, or if you have screen risers we can do that," said Srinivasan. Basically, "All you need to do is press play." COMPANY TROUBLES AND RESURGENCE While Kaleidescape is now back and in good shape, the company recently went through a challenging setback that almost caused it to shut down for good. Speaking on the whole ordeal, Srinivasan called it an "interesting life lesson." Essentially, Kaleidescape made the mistake of pre-announcing its flagship Strato Movie Player before it was ready to ship. The Franco-Italian company making the player's SoC (system on a chip) then decided to abandon its set-top box division entirely. This created a big problem for the product's launch, especially when it came to software support, leading to a situation where the demand was there, but Kaleidescape simply could not start fulfilling shipments. Thankfully, in large part to support from some angel and individual investors -- many of whom were customers who didn't want to see the service go under -- the privately held company has been able to bounce back, restructuring and resizing its operations. Now, Kaleidescape has fulfilled its previous promises while delivering over operating plans for the first nine months of the year, enabling the platform to focus on its growing product line and content library. KEY PRODUCTS Kaleidescape's current flagship lineup is comprised of its Encore collection, offering the highest quality playback and storage solutions, including models with support for 4K Ultra HD files in HDR10 with immersive audio formats like DTS:X and lossless Dolby Atmos. Sadly, current models are not hardware-ready for Dolby Vision HDR, but when discussing plans for their next-gen platform, Cheena Srinivasan said it would be "silly" not to support Dolby Vision -- though they had nothing specific to announce at this time. Strato Movie Player ($4,495) - The company's most advanced media player, the Strato offers support for 4K Ultra HD at up to 60 frames per second, and lossless audio formats like Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS:X, and PCM. Likewise, the device includes HDR10 playback. Models are available with 6TB of storage ($4,495) or 10TB of storage ($5,595) for up to 180 4K Ultra HD movies, 330 Blu-ray quality movies, or 1500 DVD quality movies. 100Base-TX/1000Base-T Ethernet (RJ45 connector), Integrated 802.11ac Wi-Fi, an HDMI 2.0a output, an HDMI 1.4 output for audio, digital toslink output, and coaxial RCA output are included as well. The unit can play movies from its own storage, or from a separate Terra movie server or another Strato movie player. Strato C Movie Player ($3,495) - Serving as a more compact version of the flagship Strato player, the Strato C includes the same basic 4K Ultra HD playback features of its larger sibling but does not include any internal storage. Instead, the device can play movies from a separate Terra movie server, or from another Strato or Alto movie player. Alto Movie Player - Though it lacks Ultra HD support, the Alto Movie Player offers support for full HD digital files with lossless Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio. Likewise, the device includes an integrated Blu-ray drive for disc playback. An optional 6TB hard drive is also available for storing up to 200 Blu-ray quality movies, or 900 DVD quality movies. The player can be used on its own or to play files from a Terra movie server, another Alto or a Strato movie player, or from a Kaleidescape Disc Server. Terra Movie Server ($12,995) - Available in 24TB or 40TB storage options, the Terra Movie Server can store up to 720 4K Ultra HD digital titles. The device can then send content to any Strato, Strato C, and Alto players in a customer's home network over its 100Base-TX/1000Base-T Ethernet RJ45 connector, with support for up to 10 simultaneous playbacks of 4K Ultra HD movies. MOVIE STORE With a license agreement between 22 of the top 25 main movie distributors in the US, the Kaleidescape Movie Store offers a growing collection of full disc quality HD and Ultra HD HDR titles for download to Kaleidescape products. The store currently holds one of the largest collections of digital 4K movies with a total of around 270 Ultra HD titles set to be available by the end of the summer. Likewise, the service includes about 115 4K films with HDR10 support, and select titles also include lossless Dolby Atmos soundtracks. As noted in the product section, Dolby Vision is not currently supported, but that will likely change when future players are released. Finally, some movies also feature supplements. 4K HDR titles currently available for purchase include films like Kong: Skull Island, The Fate of the Furious, Unforgiven, Batman v Superman, Fantastic Beasts, Argo, Mad Max: Fury Road, Jason Bourne, and many more. Prices range from around $16 for some HD titles to as much as $37 for new 4K HDR titles -- and while that is more expensive than other digital services, the company believes that the increase in quality here earns that premium cost. And as a fantastic added bonus, the store also features UltraViolet support for select movies, allowing customers to leverage their registered digital copies onto the Kaleidescape store, including access to digital 4K HDR titles from codes included with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc purchases at no additional cost. Typical HD movie sizes with lossless audio come in at around 30GB, and typical Ultra HD HDR movie sizes with lossless audio come in at around 60GB. And beyond mainstream new releases from the likes of Disney, Sony, Fox, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, and Universal, the store also offers several HD indie and classic film options from studios like Kino, Orchard Films, Magnolia, and Cinedigm. Likewise, though not yet available in 4K or HDR, the service includes full seasons of several popular shows in HD like House of Cards, Mr. Robot, Better Call Saul, The Flash, and Breaking Bad. Finally, Kaleidescape recently started adding HD music concert titles from labels like Eagle Rock and has plans to add a few other studios as well. FINAL THOUGHTS As the future market viability of physical media remains unclear and the limitations of traditional streaming services continue to be readily apparent, Kaleidescape has really placed itself in a rather unique position, allowing the company to offer the best of disc and internet platforms without their key weaknesses. That is, if you can afford the price of admission. As Cheena Srinivasan puts it, "Think of us as the fine dining equivalent of content delivery over the internet. It's not for everybody but we're here for those that care about it." And though the cost might be a bit too steep for most casual viewers, the company's commitment to quality is admirable. In Kaleidescape's view, the weakest link in most users' entertainment experience is no longer their display, speakers, or receiver. Instead, it's often the source device stuck streaming lossy digital content. And the company is attempting to change that with one simple mantra... "Fix you weakest link and increase your cinematic experience." Source: KaleidescapePosted Thu Jul 6, 2017 at 03:35 PM PDT by: -
Countdown to Amazon Prime Day Deals: Amazon Tap & Sony Sound Bars[teaser]Sony audio gear and a refurbished Amazon Tap are now on sale![/teaser] Though Amazon Prime Day doesn't officially start until 6pm PT/9pm ET on Monday, July 10, the online retailer is currently offering a few deals in advance of the main event. Here's a rundown of the current discounts: Certified Refurbished Amazon Tap - Alexa-Enabled Portable Bluetooth Speaker - $70 Deal of the Day (36% off) Sony CT290 Ultra-slim 300W Sound Bar with Bluetooth (2017 model) - $198 (29% off) Sony CT800 Powerful sound bar with 4K HDR and Google Home Support (2017 model) - $348 (30% off) Sony XB20 Portable Wireless Speaker with Bluetooth, Red (2017 model) - $68 (31% off) Sony XB40 Portable Wireless Speaker with Bluetooth and Speaker Lights, Blue (2017 model) - $198 (20% off) Sony XB30 Portable Wireless Speaker with Bluetooth, Grey (2017 model) - $118 (20% 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 Countdown to Prime Day sales and special promotions!Posted Thu Jul 6, 2017 at 09:05 AM PDT by: -
Countdown to Amazon Prime Day Deals: Echo Dot, Smartphones, and Alexa Exclusives[teaser]New deals are now live in anticipation for the upcoming sale.[/teaser] Though Amazon Prime Day doesn't officially start until 6pm PT/9pm ET on Monday, July 10, the online retailer is currently offering a few deals in advance of the main event, including a refurbished Echo Dot. Likewise, Amazon has also announced exclusive discounts and early access for deals through Alexa devices. Starting today through July 17, Amazon Prime voice shoppers using an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, Amazon Tap, Fire TV or compatible Fire tablets have access to special Alexa exclusive deals. The discounts will frequently refresh and users can simple say "Alexa, what are your deals?" to hear the newest offers. And as an extra bonus, first time voice shopping customers who buy items with Alexa between now and Prime Day will receive a $10 promo code. In addition, voice shoppers can now sign up for Amazon Prime at a discounted price of $79 by saying "Alexa, sign me up for Prime" using their Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, or Amazon Tap. Finally, Alexa users will also get early access to select Prime Day deals beginning July 10 from 4pm to 6pm PT. And outside of Alexa exclusive discounts, Amazon is currently offering a few early Prime deals: Certified Refurbished Echo Dot (2nd Generation) - $30 Deal of the Day (33% off). Alcatel Idol 5S 32 GB Unlocked (AT&T/T-Mobile) with Lockscreen Offers & Ads - $200 Nokia 6 32 GB Unlocked (AT&T/T-Mobile) with Lockscreen Offers & Ads - $180 Moto E 16 GB Unlocked (AT&T/Sprint/T-Mobile/Verizon) with Lockscreen Offers & Ads - $100 Alcatel A50 16 GB Unlocked (AT&T/T-Mobile) with Lockscreen Offers & Ads - $100 Alcatel A30 PLUS 16 GB Unlocked (AT&T/T-Mobile) with Lockscreen Offers & Ads - $80 Source: AmazonPosted Wed Jul 5, 2017 at 08:45 AM PDT by: -
BenQ Reveals HT9050 4K Ultra HD DLP LED Projector[teaser]The company's new flagship 4K projector has been detailed.[/teaser] BenQ has announced the latest addition to its home theater lineup. The HT9050 is a 4K UHD projector with 8.3 million distinct pixels and wide color gamut support. "A unique combination of industry-leading color technologies and standards, including BenQ's CinematicColor, Philips' ColorSpark, DCI-P3 and DLP, the HT9050 brings a true cinematic experience to the home," said Lars Yoder, president, at BenQ America Corp. "This new flagship cinema projector produces simply captivating color and an amazingly realistic picture. It's hard to put it into words how impressive the image is. You have to see it to believe it!" The projector uses an advanced DLP 4K UHD DMD chip with XPR technology to create 3840 x 2160 distinct pixels and true 8.3-million pixels by pixel shifting a 2716 x 1528 matrix. In addition, the HT9050 incorporates Philips ColorSpark HLD LED technology and CinematicColor technology to offer 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut with up to three times more brightness. Likewise, the device is rated for 2200 ANSI Lumens of brightness, a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and around 20,000 hours of lamp life. Horizontal and vertical lens shift and 1.5x big zoom option are offered as well. Finally, the unit also features CinemaMaster image processing technology to enhance 4K pixels, colors, and flesh tones; ISFccc certification for professional in-home custom calibration; and native support for the 2.35:1 anamorphic aspect ratio. Unfortunately, the press release and product page make no mention of HDR (high dynamic range) support. Though no price or release date are currently listed on BenQ's site, ProjectorReviews.com makes mention of an MSRP of $8,999. Sources: BenQ, ProjectorReviewsPosted Mon Jul 3, 2017 at 05:00 PM PDT by: -
Onkyo Details New HT-S9800THX Home Theater System with Dolby Atmos & DTS:X[teaser]A new home-theater-in-a-box system with immersive audio support has been revealed.[/teaser] Onkyo has announced the latest addition to its home audio lineup. The new HT-S9800THX 7.1 Channel A/V Receiver & Speaker Package is now available for an MSRP of $1,399, and serves as the successor to the previously released HT-S9700THX. The HTiB system includes a 210W/ch (6 Ohms) network A/V receiver with a 384 kHz/32-bit (AK4458) DAC, patented VLSC filtering, a high-output EI transformer, audio-grade capacitors, and discrete output transistors. Likewise, the receiver offers support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio formats, along with 4K HDR pass-through, including HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), BT.2020, and 4K/60p/4:4:4/24-bit video through six rear HDCP 2.2 compliant HDMI connections. Bluetooth and 5 GHz/2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with Chromecast built-in, AirPlay, DTS Play-Fi, and FireConnect powered by Blackfire are integrated as well. In addition, the package comes complete with a 7.1 channel speaker array with A-OMF drivers and a separate front-firing subwoofer, allowing customers to configure either a 5.1.2 setup using a pair of the four supplied surrounds in Front Top configuration, or a traditional 7.1 setup with rear surrounds. Finally, the system also includes speaker cables and a setup microphone for the AccuEQ system. Meanwhile, Onkyo has unveiled a new standard 5.1 home theater system as well. The HT-S3900 includes solid, gloss-finished satellite speakers with full-range drivers, a port-loaded down-firing subwoofer, and a 5.1 channel A/V receiver. And though the receiver is not Dolby Atmos or DTS:X compatible, the unit does offer 4K pass-through with High Dynamic Range video (HDR10 and BT.2020 support), HDCP 2.2, and 4K/60 Hz video support. The Onkyo HT-S3900 is now available for an MSRP of $499. Source: OnkyoPosted Mon Jul 3, 2017 at 03:30 PM PDT by: -
Streaming News Roundup: 'She's Gotta Have It,' 'Sense8,' 'Death Note,' and More[teaser]A Sense8 finale and a new Death Note trailer are among the latest streaming announcements.[/teaser] Netflix and Amazon have released new trailers, date announcements, and other info for several of their upcoming shows and movies, including Sense8, Death Note, OZARK, Daughters of Destiny, She's Gotta Have It, and Comrade Detective. Check out a full rundown of the latest streaming news and trailers below: Sense8 (Netflix, Coming Soon) - Following the series' cancellation in June after just two seasons, Netflix has announced plans to produce a special 2-hour finale for Sense8, offering fans some sense of closure for the show. From renowned creative geniuses Lana Wachowski, Grant Hill, and J. Michael Straczynski, Sense8 centers around eight characters, from different parts of the world, who experience a violent vision, and soon find themselves mentally connected by the experience. They become connected, able to see and talk to each other as though they were in the same place, with access to each other's deepest secrets. Not only must the eight adapt to this new ability and to each other, they must figure out why their lives are now in jeopardy. OZARK (Netflix, July 21) - The Byrdes, husband and wife Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney), their teenage kids Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) and Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) -- are for all intents and purposes an ordinary family. Ordinary save for Marty’s job: The top money launderer for the second largest drug cartel in Mexico. Daughters of Destiny (Netflix, July 28) - Since 1997, the Shanti Bhavan school has provided free education for some of India's most impoverished and underrepresented children – the "poorest of the poor." In Daughters of Destiny: The Journey of Shanti Bhavan, director Vanessa Roth tells viewers the unforgettable story of a school that has changed countless lives for the better. With any luck, it might even inspire others to do the same. Death Note (Netflix, August 25) - What if you had the power to decide who lives and who dies? We suggest you obey the rules. Based on the famous Japanese manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, Death Note follows a high school student who comes across a supernatural notebook, realizing it holds within it a great power; if the owner inscribes someone's name into it while picturing their face, he or she will die. Intoxicated with his new godlike abilities, the young man begins to kill those he deems unworthy of life. The Netflix original film is directed by Adam Wingard (Blair Witch) and stars Nat Wolff (Paper Towns), Margaret Qualley (The Leftovers), Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out), Paul Nakauchi (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End), Shea Whigham (American Hustle) and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man). She's Gotta Have It (Netflix, Thanksgiving) - Nola Darling is back. See her struggle to define herself and divide her time among friends, job, and three lovers in this new take on Spike Lee's classic film. Comrade Detective (Amazon Prime Video, August 4) - A one-of-a-kind cop show and comedy set in 1980's Romania. True to its nostalgic inspiration, the series is presented in Romanian and dubbed in English—as a Romanian show of that time would have been. Channing Tatum (Logan Lucky) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper) provide voice over dubbing performances for the series' two leading roles, Detectives Gregor Anghel and Iosef Baciu—both characters played on screen by leading Romanian actors, Florin Piersic Jr. (Killing Time) and Corneliu Ulici (The Devil Inside). Additional dubbing comes courtesy of Jeny Slate, Chloë Sevigny, Jake Johnson, Jason Mantzoukas, Nick Offerman, Fred Armisen, Kim Basinger, Mahershala Ali, Tracey Letts, Bobby Cannavale, Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger, Mark Duplass, Katie Aselton Duplass, Jerrod Carmichael, Bo Burnham, and John Early. "In a world of global television it was inevitable that the best comedy of the year would come from Romania. Well that day has come," said Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy, Drama and VR at Amazon Studios. "Comrade Detective is unbelievably compelling, visually brilliant, and Gregor and Iosef are the heroes we need. Thanks to A24, Channing Tatum, Rhys Thomas, Brian Gatewood, Alex Tanaka, as well as the incredibly creative team behind this wild new series." Finally, TEN: The Enthusiast Network’s Motor Trend OnDemand automotive SVOD service has added two top UK hosts, Tiff Needell and Jonny Smith, to its talent roster. Likewise, the platform recently shot the opening of the first episode of its newest exclusive show, Forbidden Drives, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 30. Forbidden Drives was created for those who want what they can't have. While Motor Trend drives and tests countless cars each year, there are always a precious few that, for various reasons, never get sold everywhere around the world, modern-day legends, automotive cars that remain tantalizingly out of reach for many buyers and enthusiasts. On the newest exclusive addition to Motor Trend On Demand's innovative programming line-up, hosts Tiff Needell and Jonny Smith travel the world to track down and drive these four-wheel rarities to decide which cars are truly worthy of their unattainable status. Motor Trend On Demand provides access to more than 2,000 hours of content with live streaming, archive material, original shows, and a schedule of racing events. Available real-time motorsport racing and enthusiast events include Pirelli World Challenge, Blancpain GT Series, DTM, and Lamborghini Super Trofeo, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and Goodwood Festival of Speed. Likewise, Motor Trend OnDemand provides exclusive first-look access, bonus episodes, and behind-the-scenes footage from its popular lineup of original programming like 'Roadkill,' 'Head 2 Head,' 'Dirt Every Day,' 'Ignition,' 'Hot Rod Garage,' and more. - A current Netflix subscription starts at $10 for HD streaming and $12 for Ultra HD streaming. - A current Amazon Prime subscription costs $99 per year or $11 per month. Likewise, Prime Instant Video is available as a standalone service for $9 per month. Sources: Netflix (YouTube), Amazon, Motor Trend OnDemandPosted Mon Jul 3, 2017 at 09:20 AM PDT by: -
HD Gear News Roundup: Xiaomi Laser Projector, Sharp OLED Production, and More[teaser]We've compiled the latest gear news, including an HD laser projector, reports on Sharp's OLED plans, the return of the Galaxy Note 7, and app updates. [/teaser] From product announcements and streaming app updates to general industry news and recent gear trends, keeping up with the latest tech news can be a daunting task. With that in mind, we're here to offer you a roundup of some of the latest gear and consumer electronics news that you may have missed. For this edition, we're covering Xiaomi's new 1080p laser projector, news on Sharp's plans for OLED production, the return of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7, an updated PS4 entertainment interface, and new channels for the DirectTV Now streaming service. So, without further ado, here's a rundown of some of the latest gear and tech news: Xiaomi Details Ultra Short Throw 1080p Mi Laser Projector Xiaomi has revealed its latest projector for the Chinese market. The new Mi Laser Projector aims to bring cinema quality picture to the home theater through laser light tech. The device uses custom DLP tech developed by Texas Instruments along with ALPD 3.0 laser light source technology rated for more than 25,000 hours of use. The ultra short throw projector can produce screen sizes as large as 150" from just 2"-20" from the wall. In addition, the unit provides 5,000 lumens of brightness, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, and more than 85% coverage of the NTSC color gamut. And though listed as only projecting up to 1080p resolution, the site does mention some kind of support for HDR (high dynamic range) images. Under the hood, the projector is powered by Android and uses the same interface as the company's Mi TV streaming box. Three HDMI connections and integrated speakers are featured as well. The Mi Laser Projector is set to launch in China for 9,999 yuan (about $1,470). There's no word on potential US availability. Sources: Xiaomi, Engadget, GSM Arena Sharp Reportedly Plans OLED Production According to a report from The Japan Times, Sharp is gearing up to develop large screen OLED panels. The proposed plans will cost about ¥57.4 billion and will involve building production lines for OLEDs at the Japanese company's plants in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, and Taki, Mie Prefecture. Production will include mass producing small and mid-size OLED screens for use in mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Likewise, Sharp plans to produce large screen OLED panels for TVs at the Sakai plant. The OLED production lines are expected to start operations by June of 2018. Currently, LG is the main manufacturer of large-screen OLED panels, producing screens for its own displays and other brands, including Sony. Sharp is now owned by Foxconn, but the US rights to the brand remain with Hisense following an acquisition deal in 2015. With that said, Foxconn is now trying to reclaim use of the Sharp name in the US. Beyond future OLED production, the company is also developing 8K LCD TVs. Sources: Japan Times via Engadget Samsung Set to Release Refurbished Galaxy Note 7 Smartphones Following a product recall back in October of 2016 due to batteries prone to overheating and fire risks, Samsung is gearing up to relaunch sales of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone with a special refurbished Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition. The smartphones will use new batteries that have passed new safety tests with a lower capacity than the original models, and will otherwise be constructed from recalled Note 7 units and unused Note 7 parts. The Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition phones are set to go on sale in South Korea on July 7 for about 30% less than the original MSRP. Samsung may also expand availability to other markets but has no plans to offer the refurbished models in the US. Beyond the Note 7, Reuters reports that the company plans to unveil the new Galaxy Note 8 in August. Source: Reuters Sony Launches Updated PS4 TV & Video Experience Sony has announced an upgrade for the PlayStation 4 console's TV & Video Entertainment experience. The new interface brings together content from all of the PS4's different video apps into one location. With the new TV & Video section, PS4 users can now browse through titles from all their free and paid streaming services together in one location, instead of having to open each individual app. The new interface includes a section for "Featured" content with trending TV shows across different entertainment apps, and access to a customer's "My Videos" library from the PlayStation Store. The redesigned TV & Entertainment interface is now available in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom. Sources: Sony, Engadget DirecTV Now Expands Live Local Channel Lineup AT&T has announced an expansion of its DirecTV Now live local TV lineup for several markets. The rollout will include additional ABC, NBC and FOX affiliates, more than doubling its number of supported local stations since the platform's launch back in November of 2016. "We are pleased to add additional content to the DIRECTV NOW offering by more than doubling our live local channels lineup today," said Daniel York, Chief Content Officer for AT&T. "We will keep the momentum going, and have plans to keep the number of local channels growing on DIRECTV NOW." Some live local channel updates include: - Expansion of ABC to more than 30 new markets, including Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Boston. - Expansion of NBC to 4 new markets, including Kansas City, MO., Salt Lake City, Milwaukee and West Palm Beach, FL. - Expansion of FOX to Juneau, AK. DirecTV Now is a stand-alone streaming platform that provides access to a variety of live channels and on-demand content through several programming packages starting at $35 per month. Here's a rundown of current plans and pricing: - Live a Little – $35 / month (60+ channels)- Just Right – $50 / month (80+ channels)- Go Big – $60 / month (100+ channels)- Gotta Have it – $70 / month (120+ channels) For a full list of local channel availability check out www.directvnow.com. Source: AT&TPosted Sun Jul 2, 2017 at 07:00 PM PDT by: -
Countdown to Amazon Prime Day[teaser]Amazon's annual deals event will return on July 10 - July 11.[/teaser] Amazon has announced a launch date for its third annual Prime Day event. The special sale will feature 30 hours of deals starting at 6pm PT/9pm ET on Monday, July 10 with hundreds of thousands of discounts exclusively for Prime members around the world. New deals will go live as often as every five minutes, and the event has expanded to cover 13 countries, including the US, UK, Spain, Mexico, Japan, Italy, India, Germany, France, China, Canada, Belgium, and Austria. "Our members love Prime Day and we have been thrilled by the response over the last two years. It is inspiring us to make it even better this year for Prime members," said Greg Greeley, Vice President, Amazon Prime. "Every part of our business is working to deliver more deals for a record number of shoppers. This year's Prime Day is too big for 24 hours – so we're giving Prime members 30 hours to shop!" This year's Prime Day offers new options for personalization and deal watching. Here's a full rundown of the event's highlights: 30 Hours to Shop - Prime Day will start at 6pm PT/9pm ET on Monday, July 10, giving Prime members 30 hours to shop. Explore Deals You're Into - Find deals organized by more than 20 of the most-shopped-for themes. From pet lovers to gardeners and techies to artists – find your deals even faster. Voice Shopping - There will be even more Alexa-exclusive deals for members with an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, Amazon Tap, compatible Fire TV or Fire tablet. Watch A Deal - The Amazon App allows early deal watching in every country. Preview, track, and shop deals while at home or on-the-go with deal alerts on the Amazon App. Learn more at amazon.com/watched. Amazon Global Store - Prime members in China and Mexico will be able to shop both local deals as well as select deals from other countries from the Amazon Global Store. Amazon’s Big TV Deal - Prime Day will include amazing TV deals, with a variety of great brands including the all new Element 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV - Amazon Fire TV Edition. Amazon is planning one of its largest total volume TV deals in history with a record level of inventory but once again, the TV deals will likely sell out. And though the main event won't kick off until the evening of July 10, Amazon will also be offering exclusive promotions and deals for Prime members everyday leading up to the event, including today! Here's a rundown of today's special offers: Amazon Music Unlimited - Prime members who haven’t yet tried Amazon Music Unlimited can get the best deal in Amazon Music history – four months of the full catalog on-demand service with access to tens of millions of songs, for just $0.99. Prime Video - Get $10 to shop on Amazon.com anytime on or before Prime Day when you stream a video included in Prime for the first time on your TV. Restrictions apply. Stream award-winning and critically acclaimed Amazon Original Series and Movies as well as thousands of other popular titles included with your Prime membership. Kindle Unlimited - Prime members can save up to 40% on a Kindle Unlimited membership. Enjoy unlimited reading from over one million titles on any device. Audible - Enjoy the world’s largest library of audiobooks plus original audio programming from Audible for 40% off your first 6 months (just $8.95/month for 6 months). Everyday Essentials - Prime members can save up to 35% off with onsite coupons on select food and household items in Prime Pantry. Make sure to stay tuned to High-Def Digest for more daily Countdown to Amazon Prime Day deals and for full sales coverage during the Prime Day event starting at 6pm PT/9pm ET on Monday, July 10! A current Amazon Prime membership starts at $99 per year or $11 per month. The service includes: -Free Two-Day shipping -Unlimited movies and TV shows, including HD, Ultra HD & HDR (when available) -Unlimited music streaming -Unlimited reading on any device -Free unlimited photo storage -Free Same-Day Delivery in eligible areas Source: AmazonPosted Thu Jun 29, 2017 at 12:35 PM PDT by: -
Hands On First Look: Riva WAND Series Wireless Speakers[teaser]With an emphasis on audio quality, the new wireless speakers aim to blend convenience with premium performance.[/teaser] Last week, High-Def Digest was invited to attend a hands-on first look demo of Riva Audio's new lineup of wireless multi-room speakers. Dubbed the WAND Series, the collection includes the compact Arena and larger table-top Festival speakers. Held at the Gansevoort Hotel in NYC, the demonstration covered a variety of audio clips, streaming sources, and features, offering an enticing peek at what both models can do. Likewise, the company's founder, Rikki Farr, and President/Chief Engineer, Donald North, were both on hand to guide the demo and answer any questions. THE BASICS Founded by Rikki Farr -- known for his storied work as a live concert producer for a dizzying array of legendary artists, including The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, and The Who -- Riva Audio was born from a desire to create a premium yet still affordable alternative to lesser "tin-can" wireless speakers. In essence, the company aims to use its extensive industry experience and passion for the medium to recreate the "truth of the music" and the rich feel of a live performance while maintaining the convenience and space-saving aspects of all the best wireless Lifestyle technologies. According to Farr, if Sonos is the "Prius" of the wireless audio industry, then Riva is positioning itself as the "Tesla" brand. To help set the course for this goal, Riva first hit the scene with the Turbo X in 2014 and the Riva S in 2015, establishing its place in the market with two high quality Bluetooth speakers. And now the company is officially launching the next phase of its product lineup: The Riva WAND Series. Expanding playback support beyond Bluetooth to include Wi-Fi, Chromecast Built-in, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, DLNA, and integration with the Google Home app, the new Arena and Festival models let users stream music from an extensive collection of sources and apps, along with multi-room audio capabilities. Here's a rundown of key features and specs per Riva: ■ Proprietary transducers capable of producing big sound from a small form factor. ■ RIVA’s patented Trillium™ audio technology up mixes a traditional two channel stereo signal into a true left, center, right experience to create an immersive stereophonic image much larger than the actual speaker size. ■ Hi-resolution audio with support up to 24-bit /192kHz. ■ Designed with an open architecture to connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, AirPlay™, DDMS; DLNA and more. ■ Connect up to 32 speakers across multiple zones. ■ Works with multiple content sources including local, AUX, optical (Festival), media server and USB content, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, and your third party apps for unlimited content sources. ■ WAND is Chromecast built-in ready to use with the Google Home app for quick and easy set up. ■ Easily control your speakers with apps you already know and love from your smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. ■ Optional battery pack gives you up to 20+ hours of listening time, no power required. (Arena Model) ■ Water resistance allows you to take it to the lake, pool, beach and more. (Arena Model) ■ Away mode allows you to create your own network of one or more WAND speaker[s] when there is no Wi-Fi network available so you can take the party anywhere. ARENA Serving as the lineup's compact model, the Arena is suitable for both in-home use and portable, outdoor playback thanks to an optional 20+ hour battery pack. The speaker features fullrange custom ADX drivers with 3 passive radiators to create up to 101dB. And while that all might sound pretty good on paper, just how good does it actually sound? Well, for demo purposes, Riva first streamed an instrumental jazz track through Spotify. With rich, deep resonance behind each bass line, the track filled the room with impressive presence and clarity, allowing each instrument to shine without the low-end drowning out or the high-end shrieking. To demonstrate more of the speaker's precision, a track with distinct dropping, rolling, and clicking effects was played. Once again, the Arena handled the audio with appropriate detail. Additional music styles were played as well, and even with compressed material from Spotify, the speaker's sonic profile presented a pleasing sense of balance and range, belying its small size. Likewise, walking around the medium-sized hotel room and listening to the music in different spots revealed a surprisingly consistent sound. Sure, certain areas did sound a tad better than others, but in general the compact speaker provided a robust listening experience throughout the entire space. And if a single Arena just isn't enough for your needs, multiple units can also be linked together. To demo this feature, an additional Arena was placed on the opposite end of the room and both devices played back the same streaming track. The dual speakers complemented each other very well with no discernable sync issues. And though the demo kept both speakers in individual stereo modes, two units can also be paired together for separate left and right playback to create an even wider soundstage. The Riva Arena is now available for an MSRP of $249 in black with a titanium grill or white with a silver grill. In addition, the optional battery pack is available in black or white for $99. FESTIVAL Stepping things up a notch, Riva also brought out its beautiful Festival table-top speaker. Designed for in home-use, the unit features an interior MDF cabinet to reduce vibrations and colorations, and 6 custom ADX woofers and tweeters coupled with 4 passive radiators to offer up to 106dB of output without dynamic range compression and bass as low as 38Hz. With the speaker handsomely placed atop a stand and the volume upped to the max, the demo started with a track from Thomas Newman's score for American Beauty. As an orchestra of instruments filled the room, each element of the audio came through with strong bass, clean highs, and surprisingly wide stereo separation, highlighting small nuances, gentler notes, and more aggressive cues with appropriate emphasis. Moving on, we next played a jazz piece titled "Chicken Feathers" and it's here where I first started to really hear Riva's efforts to recreate the feel of a live performance pay off. The plucking bass line had a natural resonance and there were times when the Festival's sonics really did start to evoke the acoustic quality of an actual club stage. This continued with a rendition of Crazy by jazz pianist/vocalist Diana Krall. The delicate, lush vocals carried a warm sense of dimension while also hinting at the type of reverb one would hear during a live performance with no sign of brittleness, making it almost feel like I was right there in the room with the artist. There was maybe a tiny inkling of harshness as the low-end met the vocals, but by and large the range and balance here blew away other typical wireless speakers of this size, calling to mind much larger and much more expensive tower speaker systems. Giving a more modern track a try, we also sampled a song by The Shins, and the band's melodic indie rock style came through with spacious separation, once again demonstrating very solid stereo imaging -- especially considering the single cabinet nature and small width of the speaker. In addition, I also got to sample a high resolution audio track featuring a cello and piano piece. Instrumentals were distinct with a pleasingly full range capable of both quiet and loud moments without any of the flatness one finds in lower quality speakers, though I did detect what sounded like some very minor and fleeting distortion in the highs. Next, we switched gears a bit to demo the WAND Series' robust app and casting support, allowing me to get a bit more hands on by using my own Android smartphone as the streaming source for the speaker. After a quick and painless connection process to the Festival through the Google Home app, I first attempted to play some MP3 tracks from the local storage on my phone through the Google Play Music app. And though the app was able to recognize the speaker, we unfortunately ran into a strange hiccup which resulted in an error screen every time I tried to cast a song. It's unclear exactly what the cause was, but it appears there might be a specific limitation tied to the Play Music app that requires casted music to be in the cloud and not on local storage. Thankfully, after that momentary setback, I booted up the AllConnect app on my phone instead, and this time there were no issues to speak of. I was able to easily connect to the Festival over Wi-Fi and then play an MP3 of Radiohead's "Life in a Glasshouse" from my smartphone storage. Like the previous demo material, the track sounded great. And while users should be able to cast streaming and locally stored audio directly through many popular apps like AllConnect, Riva is set to release its own dedicated mobile app for playback as well. The Riva Festival is now available in black with a titanium grill or white with a silver grill for $499. FINAL THOUGHTS As with any demo I experience, more time with the product is needed to form any kind of full opinion -- but my taste of Riva's new WAND Series has definitely left me wanting more. There were instances during the demonstration when the speakers really did start to mimic the tonal quality of a live concert, creating a level of performance that is quite special for a wireless multi-room speaker in this price-range. And beyond the WAND Series, Riva also has some exciting additional products in the pipeline, including its first foray into the home theater space. Wireless 5.1 capabilities and a genuine TheaterBar are in the works, bringing Riva's emphasis on audio quality, affordability, and convenience to the world of surround sound. For now, though, the Riva WAND Series is set to bring an impressive combination of quality and value to the growing multi-room audio market -- and if the demo I heard is any indication, the Festival and Arena should have no problem standing out from the pack.Posted Thu Jun 29, 2017 at 09:45 AM PDT by: -
LG Releases 77-Inch SIGNATURE OLED TV W for $20,000[teaser]The "wallpaper" OLED display is now available for purchase.[/teaser] LG has announced the release of its 77-Inch SIGNATURE OLED TV W (OLED77W7P) in the US. The premium Ultra HD TV carries an equally premium MSRP of $20,000. "The 77-inch LG SIGNATURE OLED TV W is truly a modern home masterpiece," said Rick Calacci, senior vice president, home entertainment sales, LG Electronics USA. "With LG's industry-leading OLED technology, Dolby Atmos sound and a razor-thin profile, the 77W7 beautifully combines cutting-edge technology with an unmatched design that is sure to be the focal point of any living room. And only LG offers picture-on-wall and picture-on-glass powered by OLED." The flagship OLED77W7P offers perfect blacks, infinite contrast, an expanded color gamut, Dolby Atmos sound, and wide viewing angles. Likewise, the set includes Active HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, YouTube VP9, and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) support. In addition, the display features LG's Picture-on-Wall design with an amazingly thin (around one-fifth of an inch), semi-flexible screen that can attach to a customer's wall with magnets. Here's a full rundown of LG's 2017 OLED lineup: LG SIGNATURE OLED TV Picture-on-Wall W7 Series77-inch class (76.7-inches diagonal) model 77W7, $19,99965-inch class (64.5-inches diagonal) model 65W7, $7,999 LG SIGNATURE OLED TV Picture-on-Glass G7 Series77-inch class (76.8-inches diagonal) model 77G7, $14,99965-inch class (64.5-inches diagonal) model 65G7, $6,999 LG OLED TV Picture-on-Glass E7 Series65-inch class (64.5-inches diagonal) model 65E7, $5,499 55-inch class (54.6-inches diagonal) model 55E7, $3,999 LG OLED TV C7 Series65-inch class (64.5-inches diagonal) model 65C7, $4,499 55-inch class (54.6-inches diagonal) model 55C7, $2,999 LG OLED TV B7 Series65-inch class (64.5-inches diagonal) model 65B7, $4,499 55-inch class (54.6-inches diagonal) model 55B7, $2,949 Outside of LG, Sony also recently announced its own $20,000 77-Inch 4K Ultra HD OLED TV. Source: LG via PR NewswirePosted Wed Jun 28, 2017 at 09:00 AM PDT by:
