DolbyHomeTheater
Latest
Acer unveils two new Aspire Ethos laptops for multimedia enthusiasts, street fighters
It's been more than a year since Acer first launched its Aspire Ethos line of laptops -- a family that got a bit bigger today, with the announcement of the 8951G and 5951G. These rambunctious little extroverts are powered by the latest generation of Intel's Core i processors, offering Turbo Boost speeds of up to 3.4GHz. Big bro 8951G boasts a 18.4-inch display that transmits images in Full HD, 1920 x 1080 resolution and 220-nit brightness, while spunky little 5951G struts around with a 15.6-inch HD 1366 x 768 screen of its own. They also support NVIDIA GeForce GT500 and DirectX 11 graphics and sport Dolby-approved surround sound, aluminum-magnesium alloy shells, glossy matte finishes and back-lit chiclet keyboards. Acer plans to unleash the pair sometime in mid-June, though they won't come for cheap, with prices starting at £1,000 (about $1,643). Aspiring owners can find more information in the full PR, after the break.
Acer releases third-gen Aspire Timeline X laptops with Sandy Bridge, but only in Taiwan for now
If you've been waiting for Sandy Bridge to land on Acer's Timeline X laptops, then today's your day. Well, it depends, as these new machines are only available in Taiwan for the time being. Just a few hours ago, the lucky folks over at Engadget Chinese managed to get up close and personal with these bad boys: we have a couple of 13.3-inch 3830TGs (pictured after the break), a 14-inch 4830TG, and a 15.6-inch 5830TG (pictured above). With the exception of Core i3-2310M on one of the 3830TGs, these laptops all come with Core i5-2410M, NVIDIA GT540M (with 2GB DDR3 RAM), 640GB hard drive, 2GB DDR3 RAM, and USB 3.0 ports. As for multimedia, sitting below the 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit LCDs are Dolby Home Theater speakers by Kenwood, and additionally, the two larger models also pack a DVD Super Multi DL drive. Compared to the previous-gen Timeline X range, the most notable difference here is the new chiclet keyboard brought over from the Ethos range, which should trap a lot less dirt thanks to the tighter gaps. You'll see that the new Timeline X ID has gone for a more tranquil look -- the touchpad no longer has a silver trim around it, and likewise, the edges around the body are no longer tapered. Also gone is the removable battery underneath, but given the impressive portability (4.12 pounds, 4.67 pounds, and 5.49 pounds, respectively), we won't miss this feature too much. On the contrary, there's now an extra mouse button, presumably for offering better left and right-clicking. So far so good, and if you're digging these laptops as well, then they can be yours for between NT$32,900 (US$1,133) and NT39,900 (US$1,374). Head over to Engadget Chinese for the whole stash of hands-on photos.
Dolby updates PC Entertainment Experience program
Just a month after Dolby and SRS Labs teamed up to deliver surround sound to mobiles, along comes word that Dolby has finally updated its PC Entertainment Experience program. The initiative was originally launched four years ago, and now, both the second-generation Dolby Home Theater and Sound Room are getting a little TLC. As for the former -- which aims to provide certified HTPCs with "tools to deliver a cinema-style experience in vivid surround sound" -- it's getting Sound Space Expander, a Natural Bass enhancer and Dolby Pro Logic IIx support among other things. The new iteration of Sound Room (which aims to help out in non-surround environments) offers up many of the same technologies mentioned above, save for the 7.1 support and all. Hit up the read link for more, and be on the lookout for those two badges to get stuck to Dolby-approved gear in the near future.[Via ExtremeTech]
Lenovo's new Tianyi F50 laptop does it up Dolby style
Deets are slim on this new media-centric laptop from Lenovo, but they're busting it all the same, so we thought we'd let you know. The Tianyi F50's main claim to fame is Dolby Home Theater support -- a first for Lenovo -- bringing virtual surround sound to your headphones or stereo speakers, and supporting the full-on 5.1 spec through a home theater set. That's about all we know, though from the picture we're guessing this is a 17-ish-inch lappy, with all the finest Core 2 Duo trimmings and maybe even a webcam up top. No word on price, or whether we've got a shot at seeing this thing hit the States, but we'll keep an eye out. There are a couple more pics after the break.[Via laptoping]
