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Posts with tag Elite

Microsoft officially slashes Xbox 360 prices in Europe

by Thomas Ricker, posted Sep 16th 2008 at 3:35AM


We're getting reports that the rumored Xbox 360 price cuts for the UK have gone official. After our exclusive peak (pictured above) at the Woolworth's catalog, Microsoft has stepped up and slashed prices across the board for the Queen's own population of punters, boffins, and geezers. Starting Friday, the pricing drops to £130 for the Arcade, £170 for the 60GB Premium console, and £230 for the 120GB Elite.

Update: The rest of Europe too: Arcade (€180), Premium (€240), and Elite (€300).

[Via Gadgetoid]

Hands-on / a look within Pioneer's Elite BDP-09FD Blu-ray player

by Darren Murph, posted Sep 4th 2008 at 7:07PM Featured Story


Pioneer didn't bring a whole lot of firepower to this year's CEDIA (though it did toss in 16 new speaker models), but the star of its show was definitely the über-expensive Elite BDP-09FD Blu-ray player. Thankfully, the company had a couple of units setup for photographing, one of which was dissected within a glass case. Needless to say, we snapped images from each, giving you a rare look at what makes this thing worth $2,199. As with most of its Elite components (HDTVs notwithstanding), this unit was also on the chunky side, but it's still a beauty in our eyes. The gallery awaits your attention.

Pioneer Signature Series 50- and 60-inch plasmas now shipping

by Richard Lawler, posted Sep 4th 2008 at 10:46AM


Pioneer's top of the line Elite Signature Series Kuro plasmas are finally officially priced and shipping, but make a decision quick, word on the street is these "limited run" screens have been finding their way into more than a few installers pipelines over the last few weeks. At 2.5-inches thick, these panels -- hand selected for the deepest blacks and accurate colors --- will fit anywhere you'd like to have them installed, and each unique serial number gives access to a Pioneer website for that specific monitor's certified factory white balance setting. A slew of tweaks and calibrations for your guy to run through when he's putting this in are also part of the package, ultimately contributing to a $5,500 (PRO-101FD, 50-inch) or $7,000 (PRO-141FD, 60-inch) price tag. Pros only, please.

Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player leaks out

by Nilay Patel, posted Aug 22nd 2008 at 7:01PM


Pioneer's last batch of Blu-ray players wasn't exactly earth-shattering, but if you're in the market for the highest of the high-end, it sounds like the upcoming Elite BDP-09FD might be worth waiting for. The first Pioneer unit to support Profile 2.0 and BD-Live, you'll also be getting 4GB of internal storage, eight independent D/A converters for each 7.1 channel (which means there are tons of receiver-caliber adjustments possible from the player), and 16-bit color output over two HDMI jacks. Should be out soon, for a whopping $2200.

Radio Shack ad confirms Xbox 360 price cuts?

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Aug 21st 2008 at 12:16AM


According to our good, dear, beautiful friends at Joystiq (and Radio Shack, incidentally) the Xbox 360 family is going to be seeing those rumored price cuts in the very near future. Falling right in line with that chatter we heard at the beginning of the month, a leaked Radio Shack circular seems to indicate that there will be reductions across the board for the console, with the 60GB version clocking in at $299, the Elite running you a cool $399, and the Arcade setup dropping to a totally affordable $199 (we're looking at you, potential Xbox LIVE opponents). Sure this could all be some Photoshop wiz's idea of a hilarious joke, but we're keeping the fingers and toes crossed over here. Target date for truth? September 7th -- so stay tuned.

Mole sez Xbox 360 price cuts coming in September: Arcade for $199

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 1st 2008 at 5:09PM

Microsoft's 20GB Xbox 360 Pro already stooped to $299, but one particular mole -- the same one who correctly called the 60GB edition of the console -- is suggesting that further slashing is in store. To be specific, we're talking about a $199 Arcade (no HDD), $299 Pro (60GB HDD) and a $399 Elite (120GB HDD), all of which should be available at those prices sometime next month. Furthermore, it's likely that Microsoft will toss out a few bundles in order to reel in the holiday shoppers, though details are sparse about which ones we'll be seeing. Our take? Hold off just a bit -- we get the feeling this here is more than hot air.

Dell offers inexplicable Xbox 360 Elite bundle with certain XPS M1730 purchases

by Paul Miller, posted Jul 21st 2008 at 10:24AM


There's just one problem with this, the way we see it: most folks with $3000 earmarked for a gaming laptop probably already own an Xbox 360. Just a thought. Other than that we see little to dislike about this little promotion. Dell is offering up its top-of-the-line XPS M1730 system with an Xbox 360 Elite bundle tossed in for good measure. The bundle includes, a pair of faceplates, two game and of course the Xbox itself, and while it's not exactly "free" -- you're looking at a couple hundred dollar premium over a similarly specced M1730 -- it's still a savings of over $300, and should be eBayable, if nothing else. Offer expires July 24th.

[Thanks, Cezar]

Pioneer intros 60-inch KRP-600M KURO plasma in Japan

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 11th 2008 at 4:45PM


Here in North America, we already saw Pioneer get official with its second-generation of KURO plasmas, but today is all about Japan. Said outfit has just revealed the dazzling KRP-600M, which checks in at 60-inches diagonally and 64-millimeters in depth. Pioneer is being its typical self when it comes to specs by simply tossing the 1,920 x 1,080 resolution out there and insisting that it pretty much looks better than any other TV on the entire planet. Not that we really dig that Bose approach™, but at least we're told that there are component, VGA, DVI, HDMI, Ethernet, RS-232C, IR repeater and audio in / out jacks. The set should hit Japanese shelves later this month for around ¥850,000 ($7,970), while the optional table stand, wall mount and speaker system will run you quite a bit less.

[Via Tech-On]

Second-generation Pioneer KURO unveiled: 5x deeper black levels

by Darren Murph, posted May 7th 2008 at 9:00AM

Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD
Quite a lot has gone on in Pioneer's world since it wowed us all with the Project KURO at CES, but one thing hasn't changed: it's dedication to world-class black levels. Announced alongside several other fine pieces of kit today in NYC, the 2008 KURO family will posses black levels "five times deeper than the previous KURO." According to company bigwig Paul Meyhoefer, the ultimate goal is "pure, absolute black," and it's well on its way with the latest line. You'll also find a feature dubbed Optimum Mode, which "simultaneously monitors video and room light conditions" and then makes the most appropriate adjustments based on what it senses. Sadly, most of the nitty-gritty details have been omitted for now, but you can count on the June-bound models checking in at just 3.7-inches thick, sporting 1080p panels alone (no 720p), coming in 50- ($4,000) / 60-inch ($5,500) sizes (no 42-inch) and arriving with a new remote / redesigned HD interface. Jump on past the break for the full release, but we're warning you, there's an awful lot of gloating down there.

Continue reading Second-generation Pioneer KURO unveiled: 5x deeper black levels

Pioneer reveals 2008 Elite AV receiver family

by Darren Murph, posted May 7th 2008 at 9:00AM


You do know it's quite rude to stare, don't you? No worries -- we're pretty sure Pioneer fully expected its 2008 line of Elite AV receivers to catch a few eyes, much like its succulent Elite SC-09TX did last fall. The luxurious new crew consists of the Elite SC-07, SC-05, VSX-03TXH and VSX-01TXH, all of which were designed specifically to complement the second-gen KUROs and fresh new BD players. As expected, the whole lot handles internal decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus, not to mention support for 12-bit Deep Color and a Faroudja video scaler. If you're curious about dollars and ship dates, you can look for the SC-05 / SC-07 to land in August for $1,800 / $2,200, while the VSX-01TXH and VSX-03TXH will hit next month for $750 / $1,000. Then again, those obsessed with instant gratification could snag the VSX-94TXH right now for $1,600. Check the full release waiting after the break.

Continue reading Pioneer reveals 2008 Elite AV receiver family

Pioneer gets really official with $9,000 Elite KURO projector

by Darren Murph, posted May 7th 2008 at 9:00AM


Sure, those flashy new KURO plasmas or that new array of receivers may have taken you by surprise, but don't pretend you didn't know this one was coming. Known simply as the PRO-FPJ1, this 1080p beamer incorporates LCoS technology, dual HDMI 1.3 ports, wide lens shift capacity, a trio of viewing modes (standard, dynamic and movie) and a real semblance to JVC's DLA-HD100. According to the firm, it's designed for "high-end cinematic installations and supports advanced calibration," and of course, you can't escape a KURO release without a little bragging about black levels. We're still waiting on a finalized specifications list, but 'til then, you can chew on that $9,000 price tag and wait for these to hit dealers next month.

Pioneer intros 2008 Signature Series Elite KURO monitors

by Darren Murph, posted May 7th 2008 at 9:00AM


Not content with just busting out a new pair of Elite KURO plasmas, Pioneer has separately introduced four 1080p Pro models for those with (even more) exquisite tastes and deep wallets to back it up. The whole lot enjoys the firm's highly touted Optimum Mode, which "simultaneously monitors video and room light conditions" and then makes the most appropriate adjustments based on what it senses, and "industry leading" calibration features. As for the 50-inch PRO-111FD ($5,000) and PRO-151FD ($6,500), you can expect a bolstered two year warranty and a ship date to be determined, while the Signature Series PRO-101FD (50-inch) / PRO-141FD (60-inch) units will arrive in October and August (respectively) with prices not yet disclosed.

HP's Elite 3 megapixel webcam says "hello" in stereo

by Thomas Ricker, posted Mar 31st 2008 at 5:10AM


While it may look like an overhead projector without any hints to the scale, you're actually looking at HP's (relatively) tiny Elite Auto Focus Webcam. Compatible with all the major PC-based, video chat solutions out there (Yahoo, Skype, MS Messenger, AIM), the USB 2.0 cam clips onto your monitor and features a 3 megapixel CMOS camera capable of shooting video ranging from 640 x 480 pixels at 30fps quality on down to 1,600 x 1,200 at a stuttering 5fps. It also brings a built-in stereo microphone, face tracking and Magic-i video effects software, 3 programmable buttons, and a sliding "privacy cover" which lets your date know that the camera really is, off.

Microsoft says 360 Elite is just so hot right now, no SKU changes planned

by Nilay Patel, posted Feb 1st 2008 at 10:00PM


Naturally curious as to why Xbox 360 Elites are so difficult to find, we went straight to the source -- and Microsoft tells us that demand is simply outstripping supply on the 360 Elite right now, and that no model lineup changes are planned at this time -- especially since the Elite is their hot seller. Well, so much for that conspiracy -- guess we're back to reading the PS3 tea leaves.

Will Xbox 360 Core become Xbox 360 Arcade on August 24th?

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Aug 20th 2007 at 5:59PM


It appears the Xbox 360 rumor mill is hard-partying once again, this time over the fairly sketchy information that in addition to the European price cut we mentioned earlier, the game system may be receiving a "changing of the guard" on the SKU front, with the dismissal of the Core system, and the inclusion of a new "Arcade" package. Word on Box Street is that Microsoft is about to upend the low-impact Core units, add an HDMI port, throw five free XBLA games in the mix, slap on a wireless controller, and put a new line of text somewhere on the box. Otherwise the system will remain the same -- AKA no hard drive, white finish, and a target of constant ridicule by your friends, and will be made available for €279 (or about $376). The whole thing makes you wonder if this could have something to do with that discontinued SKU rumor we keep hearing about in the US. Can't wait to find out? Join the club.

[Via Joystiq]
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