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Kaleidescape's digital store adds $2 Blu-ray-to-digital copy upgrades
Kaleidescape arrived at this year's CEDIA event with a couple of fresh news items to accompany its mainstream-adjacent $3,995 Cinema One player. Its online Kaleidescape Store is getting a boost by adding the ability for customers to add digital copies for their existing Blu-ray discs. At launch it only supported DVDs, but now customers can get high quality, discless access to movies they already own HD editions of, just by putting a disc in the player. The price for Ultraviolet access across devices and an excuse to stop getting up from the couch to put the disc in (although, if you'd like to buy an expensive disc changer instead we're sure Kaleidescape won't argue) is $1.99, so choose wisely. Finally, the company is expanding access to the store, which has opened its virtual doors in Canada for the first time, in addition to the US and the UK, where it launched back in May.
Bang & Olufsen promises 'second-to-none' experience from new wireless speaker technology
Wireless speakers still aren't usually the first choice of those primarily concerned with sound quality, but high-end manufacturer Bang & Olufsen is setting out to change that perception with its latest offering. Announced at the CEDIA conference this week, the company's new wireless speaker platform promises to deliver 24-bit, uncompressed audio to either a pair of speakers or a full 7.1 surround setup. To do that, the platform employs the WiSA open standard, which operates in the 5.2-5.8 GHz range, along with some more proprietary tech from B&O and Summit Semiconductor. The end result of that, the company says, is not only speakers that provide a "second-to-none multi-channel wireless experience," but ones that are compatible with any WiSA-compliant device. The company isn't quite ready to show off any new speakers based on the new platform just yet, though; it's saving that announcement for late October, when a new set of "Immaculate Wireless Sound" speakers is set to debut.
$35,000 Prima Cinema Player brings movies home as soon as they hit theaters (eyes-on)
Ready to escape the usual crowd at the movie theater and host your own premieres at home? Prima Cinema has an answer, with the minor requirement of $35,000 (and a few other details) to get your home theater ready for first-run movies. Just as we'd heard when it first popped up a couple of years ago, that large setup fee buys the Cinema Player, a rack-mountable box loaded with a 2TB hard drive and enough DRM to keep the studios happy, plus a wired fingerprint reader used to ensure the owner's identity. Movies download automatically to its hard drive in the background so they're already there when the owner chooses to unlock them for viewing. That privilege costs $500 ($600 for 3D), good for one showing within 24 hours. Check after the break for more of our impressions after a quick preview at Prima's CEDIA 2013 booth, then prep your black card for the pricey purchase.
Dish Hopper DVRs open up to home automation control, we wonder what's next
Back in July Dish Network announced plans to open its Hopper DVR platform to mobile app developers, and today at CEDIA we saw the results of that initiative. Thanks to SDK access that can mirror the functionality of Dish's own Explorer iPad app, home automation systems like Control4 can now directly access the DVRs. That means users with those systems (or others, we saw demos of integration with a few other systems although they haven't been officially announced yet) can control their DVR with the same controls used to adjust their lighting, security and other services. So far, access is limited to simple remote control commands over IP while everything gets certified and secured, but eventually it will include full two-way communication, including guide data and more. While that's enough to make anyone who orders or builds custom systems drool, what could it mean for the rest of us? We'll have to wait and see, but if Control4 can build in access, we can certainly imagine what the Xbox One, Google TV, Samsung's Smart TV or any other rumored devices (*cough*) might be able to offer. We'll probably have to wait until CES to hear more on that front, but we did get a quick preview of a feature in testing that's coming to all Hopper DVRs: HDMI-CEC control. The ability to send and receive commands is something we've wanted on cable / satellite set-top boxes for some time, and Dish Network may well be the first to make it happen.
LG's cheapest Ultra HDTV starts at $3,500, OLED TV drops to $10,000
LG had its own Ultra HD news to reveal here at CEDIA 2013, and first up are two new edge LED lit LCD TVs joining the family. The cheaper models the company announced in Korea last month are coming to the US this month, with the 65-inch LA9650 (shown above) rocking a $5,000 price tag, and the 55-inch coming home for just $3,500 -- even less than we'd expected. Coming along with the new TVs is an LG "Sound Plate" it first showed off at IFA (pictured after the break). There's no price or release date yet, but expect it to hit in Q4. Beyond the new TVs, LG is also slashing prices on its existing lineup, with the higher end LA9700 models in the same sizes dropping to $6,500 and $4,500. Concerned about needing HDMI 2.0 in the future? We don't have firm answers yet, but LG says it's working on a solution for existing models. Even its 55-inch curved OLED TV is getting a price break, dropping down to $10,000 at retail from its previous launch price of $14,000.
Sony's new 4K, HD projectors unveiled with prices all the way up to $28,000
Here at CEDIA 2013, Sony has just announced three new SXRD projectors, including two 4K models and one for the 1080p crowd. If you must have the highest res video output, only the new VPL-VW1100ES and VPL-VW600ES will do, with both tossing a DCI-approved 4,096 x 2,160 pixel count at the nearest display surface. The VPL-VW1100ES (pictured above) updates the VPL-VW1000ES introduced two years ago and remains at the top of Sony's projector line, bringing a bundled 4K player for a tidy $28,000. The VPL-VW600ES arrives with similar specs to the model introduced in Europe last month, offering that high pixel count with lower brightness and contrast levels in a smaller frame. As a result its $15,000 pricetag is lower too, although an option to bundle the FMP-X1 4K player and tablet controller will add an extra grand on top of that. The old VPL-VW1000ES is getting some love to, with a "premium service activation" program that brings HDMI 2.0, the new media player, a Sony tablet and a replacement lamp. If your display space or budget aren't 4K ready yet the VPL-HW55ES continues Sony's 1080p line with "enhanced optical efficiency" and an improved cooling system that should make the lamp last longer, all for a price of $4,000. All three projectors are going on sale through custom installers, with the VPL-HW55ES due in October and the VPL-VW600ES in November. If you're looking to upgrade the VPL-VW1000ES however, you're encouraged to check back in October to set up that service appointment. Check after the break for the complete specs, and check out the gallery for an in-person look.
Nest unveils web app developer program, teams up with Control4
Despite its internet connection, Nest's Learning Thermostat has been a closed device so far -- you've had to rely on Nest for new features and software. The company is opening up its platform with the announcement of a developer program. Programmers will soon get to build web apps that link the thermostat to other devices and services, such as home automation equipment. Nest won't start the program until early 2014, but it's already partnering with Control4; eventually, all of Control4's apps and remotes will commandeer Nest hardware. If you're interested in growing the ecosystem, you'll find more details at the source link.
