Cedia2007
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Toshiba's CEDIA booth tour
Toshiba most definitely brought its A-game to Colorado this year, as its plot of showroom floor was easily one of the most attractive -- not to mention all the sparkling new wares that were on display, too. Up front was the outfit's line of third-generation HD DVD players, and surrounding a huge pillar of HD DVD flicks were a number of REGZA 1080p displays. Notably, Tosh also found room to haul an entire wall of its new Super Narrow Bezel (SNB) models along to CEDIA, and we must say that they're just as seductive in person as they are in photographs. Go on, take a walk through Toshiba-land yourself.%Gallery-7029%
Hands-on with Sharp's AQUOS BD-HP20U Blu-ray player
Believe it or not, we actually saw, touched, and took pictures of a fully functional Blu-ray player from Sharp -- right here in the US of A. Yep, the AQUOS BD-HP20U Blu-ray player is for reals, and we've got the images to prove it. Of note, the glossy black finish was much, er, glossier in person, but as you can probably see, it doesn't take too kindly to fingerprints.%Gallery-7024%
Sharp's CEDIA booth tour
Sharp's booth didn't provide a lot of newfangled gizmos outside of the BD-HP20U, but who can argue with a setup that includes a 108-inch LCD TV? Yeah, we had to stand (way) back, but the beastly set is just one of the many photos you'll find over at EngadgetHD.
Hands-on with LG's BH200 HD DVD / Blu-ray combo player
Ah, LG's newest peace-maker. This beauty, which was unveiled just days ago, was set up nice and proper over at the firm's CEDIA booth in Denver, and we couldn't resist snapping a few pictures to give you all a look at what $999 will buy. In the player itself was the HD DVD of Superman, and it looked as good as expected. You know the drill, dive on in below.%Gallery-7009%
EngadgetHD gets hands-on with LG's BH200
There was no doubt that LG would use CEDIA to showcase its latest and greatest HD DVD / Blu-ray hybrid player, and sure enough, a trio of the players were set up for folks like us to drool over. Interested? Check out the closeups over at EngadgetHD.
LG's CEDIA booth tour
Moving on from Sony's spot, we moseyed on over to take a look at what LG was packin'. Its setup was fairly large, but there wasn't a lot of variety going on, truth be told. Every other corner boasted yet another flat-panel display, and LG was showing off its OPUS lineup pretty heavy. Still, there was a small section dedicated to its hot new BH200 combo player, which we got up close and personal with, too. Take a look at LG's complete CEDIA presence in the gallery below.%Gallery-7016%
Hands-on with Sony's BDP-S2000ES Blu-ray player
Yeah, the lighting was atrocious at Sony's booth, but we still figured we share a few photos of Sony's BDP-S2000ES Blu-ray player. The unit was setup right next to the BDP-S500, which we saw over at IFA, but wasn't hooked up to any fancy Bravia. Nothing jaw-dropping here, but feel free to check out the rest of the snapshots below.%Gallery-7005%
Sony's CEDIA booth tour
Bursting through the big doors into the extravaganza that is CEDIA 2007, we weren't at all surprised to see Sony front and center. As expected, its booth was a sight to behold, and is easily one of the largest at the show. The firm seemed to be pushing HDNA (HDTV is in Sony's DNA, we suppose), and had a plethora of Bravia flat-panels, their new lineup of ES receivers, the mammoth VPL-VW60 / VPL-VW200 projectors, a couple of its newest Blu-ray players, and a Cyber-shot dock that output images from the DSC-W200 in HD. Additionally, we located that cake-shaped TP1 media center PC and a single PlayStation 3 setup, but the wall of Blu-ray discs was fairly impressive in its own way, too. Check it all out in the gallery below.%Gallery-7008%
Toshiba third-gen HD DVD players at CEDIA, 2nd gen 1080p24 firmware update
The constant stream of Toshiba news continues to flow in, and this go 'round its focused on the firm's newest generation of HD DVD players. After Amazon revealed most of the deets on these units, Toshiba seemed pressured to release the official details sooner than they wanted to. As expected, Toshiba is showing all three new models at CEDIA, like the low-end A3 that only supports 1080i, and the latter two that handle 1080p24 and CE-Link, but all three will reportedly be "approximately 1/4-inch slimmer than second generation models," which Tosh isn't forgetting about, as the long-awaited 1080p24 firmware update for the HD-XA2 and HD-A20 models is also going live, and it should be rolled out in "mid-September."
Toshiba's new 1080p REGZA LCD lineup gets official in US
You know those oh-so-sexy RF350U LCDs that Toshiba has slated for Japan? Yeah, they're heading stateside, too. According to Tosh, the latest duo of REGZA LCDs boast 1080p resolutions, the "world's thinnest LCD TV bezel" at less than one-inch wide, and PixelPure's 14-bit internal processing. The duo will be available in 40- and 46-inch flavors, and will tout a "high-gloss black with chrome trim," xvYCC signal support, DynaLight backlighting, an uber-slim SoundStrip2 speaker system, and a trio of HDMI inputs with CE-Link control. Both of the REGZA Super Narrow Bezel (SNB) models will be landing this month, and while the 40RF350U will cost $1,899.99, the 46RF350U tacks on another $600.
Panasonic unveils TH-42PZ77 / TH-50PZ77 plasma displays
Panasonic has already kicked out a couple of HD projectors, but if you're more into wall-mounted displays, well, you're covered too. The firm has announced a new duo of 1080p plasma displays, the 42-inch TH-42PZ77 and 50-inch TH-50PZ77, which both tout 10:000:1 contrast ratios, a pair of HDMI sockets, three S-Video and composite jacks, and two component inputs. The PZ77 series "also incorporates an automatic pixel wobbling function" as well as EZ-Sync technology, which "links Panasonic consumer home entertainment and video products to allow seamless control" with a single remote. Most interesting, however, are the price tags that these suckas are wearing, as the 42-incher will only run you $1,799.95, while the big boy is expected to ring up at a still respectable $2,799.95 when they ship this month.
Buy Star Trek: TOS HD DVD and a Toshiba HD DVD player, get an uber-rare Phaser remote
If you somehow managed to hold off on picking up a Toshiba HD DVD player along with eight free titles, and you eat, sleep, and breathe Star Trek, we've got a feeling your resistance is futile. In an admittedly interesting promotional move, Toshiba has teamed with CBS to offer those who purchase Star Trek: The Original Series HD DVD box set and any Toshiba HD DVD player a "limited edition Star Trek Phaser remote" that will operate Tosh's HD DVD players. Regrettably, there's no mention as to how many of these things will actually be handed out, but if you're even remotely (ahem) interested, we'd be on the ball as soon as the set lands.
Panasonic intros PT-AE2000U LCD 1080p projector
Just in case Panasonic's PT-AX200U isn't really your style, the firm is apparently hoping to grab some of your hard earned cash anyway with the PT-AE2000U. This HT-centric LCD projector rocks a stunning 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution, puts out 1,500 lumens of brightness, and features a 16,000:1 contrast ratio for good measure. Sporting a subtle, black design, the projector also includes Panny's Detail Clarity Processor to sharpen up those edges, Pure Color Filter Pro, and Smooth Screen technology to "reduce the black lines between pixels." Furthermore, pro users will likely love the Split Adjust mode -- which "allows users to split the screen into two halves, one to make picture adjustments and one to see those adjustments as a baseline reference" -- and the trio of HDMI ports should keep you satisfied for the time being. No word on pricing just yet, but watch for this one to hit dealers in October.
Panasonic's PT-AX200U HD projector adds gaming mode
Those looking for a single projector that fits the bill for movie watching and game playing need to look Panasonic's way, as the firm's PT-AX200U HD projector claims to cut the response time down a full third from its prior models. This sucka touts a 1,280 x 720 native resolution, a 220-W UHM lamp and optical unit that generate 2,000 lumens of brightness, 6,000:1 contrast ratio, twin HDMI ports, the firm's own Light Harmonizer 2 image technology, and the ability to customize and save "eight settings for games or movies, making it easy to view the content as you wish." Reportedly, the PJ should be landing sometime in October in a pearl white motif, but pricing details have yet to be divulged.
Sharp announces AQUOS BD-HP20U Blu-ray player for US
Looks like those whispers we heard about Sharp's forthcoming announcement of (yet another) Blu-ray player were true, as the firm has chosen CEDIA as the locale to introduce the US market to its slim-profile AQUOS BD player." The BD-HP20U will be the first product "outside of the Sharp LCD suite to carry the AQUOS name," and will feature HDMI 1.3, 1080p24 support, AQUOS LINK, component outputs, compatibility with the lossless audio formats, and 1080p upscaling of vanilla DVDs. According to Sharp, the unit itself will boast a "piano black finish with one of the slimmest designs in the industry," and if all goes as planned, we should actually see this one hit shelves later this month for $549.99.
Sanyo intros PLC-WXU10 / PLC-WXU30 portable HD projectors
Hot on the heels of the drool-worthy Z2000 comes a pair of tamer PJs from Sanyo, both of which take size into consideration. The PLC-WXU10 and PLC-WXU30 each offer full 16:9 widescreen support, a 1,280 x 800 native resolution, flexible zoom lens for projecting with as little as a three-foot throw, keystone correction, and a slew of ports including DVI, VGA, composite, S-Video, RS-232, and stereo audio inputs. The WXU10 touts a 400:1 contrast ratio and weighs in at 7.3-pounds, while the WXU30 jumps to a 500:1 contrast ratio and adds 0.7-pounds. The latter, however, also includes Sanyo's "exclusive PJ Network Interface for wired and wireless networking," which enables the "monitoring of projector functions and operation from a long distance via a web browser." Both units are scheduled to be widely available around October, and while the WXU10 will ring up at $1,495, the WXU30 comes in at nearly double that.
Integra unveils first HD DVD player: the $1099 DHS-8.8
Just before the wheels of CEDIA really get rolling here in Denver, it looks as though we'll have one more contestant in the standalone HD DVD player market: Integra. The firm has announced its first HD DVD player, dubbed the DHS-8.8, and judging by the specs, it's no slacker. This unit touts HDMI 1.3a compatibility, obligatory support for all the lossless audio formats, 1080p24 playback, onboard Reon VX HQV video processing, DVD upscaling to 720p / 1080i / 1080p, and component outputs to boot. Furthermore, you'll find "Wolfson and Burr-Brown 192 kHz/24-bit audio DACs for conversion of audio sources for analog output," and the built-in Ethernet port allows buyers to take advantage of any web-based extras that they may encounter. Notably, this bad boy rings up a full Benjamin higher than the couple of hybrid players we heard about yesterday, and is slated to hit the market in Q4 for $1,099.[Thanks, Ryan]
FUZE Media Systems' CEDIA booth tour
Looks like that elusive FUZE whole-home media system is veiled no more, as our early-bird trip to CEDIA 2007 landed us smack dab in front of FUZE's booth. Of course, the whole shebang wasn't powered on just yet, and there were no representatives there to talk us through it, but that's why pictures are worth a thousand words, right? We kept it short and sweet, but on display was the FuzeTunes Controller, FuzeBox HTPC (built by Velocity Micro), a couple of FuzeMini thin clients, and a pair of FuzeTouch touchscreens to boot. Check out the gallery below for more.%Gallery-6968%
CEDIA 2007: the pre-game show
Yep, even on a chilly, rainy night here in the Mile High city, we buttoned up our poncho (we kid, we kid) and headed over to the Colorado Convention Center to see whatever we could from the outside. Turns out, that forbidding glass wasn't as menacing as it initially appeared, and in we went to the pre-game show at CEDIA 2007. Granted, most setups were behind locked doors, but we were able to snag some sneak peeks at a few devices, booths, and tantalizing banners. And only time will tell what's underneath that off-site HD DVD tarp. Go on, check out the gallery to whet your appetite, and look for lots more where this came from when the show floor opens in the morning.%Gallery-6965%
Accell launches UltraAV 1-2 HDMI Splitter
Yeah, there's already a number of devices on the market to split that HDMI signal, say, ten different ways, but for those just needing a traditional 1-to-2 split, Accell's got you covered. The UltraAV 1-2 HDMI Splitter, set to be exhibited at CEDIA, allows a "single HDMI audio / video source to send an audio / video signal to two devices." The wee box handles resolutions up to 1080p, can be daisy-chained to play with more than two displays, supports HDCP, but isn't marked as being HDMI 1.3-compliant. 'Course, the respectable $119.99 pricetag may be low enough to win you over, anyway.
