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Pioneer adds two new Elite receivers to its 2012 lineup
Pioneer's 2012 AV receiver lineup is growing by two with the new VSX-42, priced at $450, and the $650 VSX-60. Both feature six HDMI inputs on the back, Ethernet, video scaling, optional Bluetooth ($99) with A2DP, AirPlay, DLNA, Pandora and iOS or Android apps. The VSX-60 sets itself apart with 10 more watts per channel, 7.2 instead of 7.1, optional WiFi and a superior video processor. As if that wasn't enough, the VSX-60 also has an HDMI input up front, is SiriusXM ready and adds a number of video and audio enhancement like Stream Smoother, Advanced Video Adjust and a few others worth reading about in the press release after the jump. With a trend placing the AV receiver at the center of your home theater universe, these Pioneer units have just enough useful features to make us ponder upgrading (still-functional) existing gear.
Pioneer adds Anchor Bay VRS scaling to VSX-23TXH, VSX-21TXH and VSX-1019AH-K receivers
Video scaling has been a longtime knock held against Pioneer's AV receivers, but Pioneer is addressing those concerns with the inclusion of Anchor Bay VRS processing in its Elite VSX-23TXH ($899) and VSX-21TXH ($699) models, and also the VSX-1019AH-K ($499). Of course, Pioneer's home market in Japan isn't getting the short shrift -- the VSA-LX52 and VSA-1019AH are getting the same treatment. These models will be getting an ABT1015 to ratchet input signals all the way up to the magical 1080p figure; hopefully an indication that Pioneer will take a page from Denon's playbook and include ABT scaling in all of its AVRs from here on out. Full details after the break. UPDATE: We have sent questions to Pioneer about whether this is a mid-production spec bump, or ABT VRS has been in these models all along. We'll report back with any answers we get. UPDATE: We got official word back from Pioneer -- the VSX-1019, 21, 23, 25, and 27 models have all had Anchor Bay VRS scaling from the initial production, so there's no need to go throwing your AVR out. We can't imagine why both Pioneer and Anchor Bay haven't touted this feature from day one, but if your eyes told you the new Pioneer receivers had great scaling, give yourself a point.
Marantz preps BD5004, BD7004 Blu-ray players, NR1501 amplifier for launch
We questioned the strategy of Marantz delivering a nearly $800 Bonus View Blu-ray player last fall, but it appears ready to settle things with customers who believe in its superior construction and components and want a few newer features (though access to streaming movie services is still missing) with two BD-Live compatible players on the way in August. Both support AVCHD, DivX, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD bitstreaming and more, with the BD7004 adding 7.1 analog outs, internal TrueHD and DTS-HD MA decoding, an Anchor Bay Reference Series video processor and additional reinforcement against vibrations. Look for the BD5004 (pictured above) for $549 and the BD7004 at $799. In the interests of matching equipment, announced along with the BD7004 in Japan is the 7.1 channel NR1501 amplifier due this month, supporting the latest HD audio formats in a 105mm x 367mm deep resin and fiber reinforced design for ¥60,000 ($635), check for additional pictures after the break.
Denon outs 2009 line of Blu-ray players, AV receivers and headphones
Ready for loads of succulent new audio / video equipment that you can likely only afford in your wildest dreams? Fantastic. Today in NYC, Denon has decided to introduce a whole fleet of new kit, so we'll get right down to the nitty gritty. Oh, and we're on hand at the premiere, so expect some hands-on shots shortly. DBP-2010CI ($699; shipping in July) - Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player, onboard Ethernet, BD-Live / BonusView support, DivX HD playback, support for AVCHD, Anchor Bay Technologies VRS processing, upconversion and IP scaling to 1080p/24, RS-232c support, HDMI / component / composite video outputs DBP-1610CI ($499; shipping in July) - Same as above sans Anchor Bay chip and RS-232c Nine new AV receivers, priced from $379 at the low-end to $1,999 at the high; shipping between May and July 2009 ASD-51W ($299.99) and ASD-51N ($249.99) network-enabled iPod docks, both shipping in August. Both items also allow for Rhapsody streaming, Internet Radio streaming and Napster support. AH-NC600 ($199), AH-C710 ($149) and AH-C360 ($49) in-ear headphones, all of which will ship by July Full press releases and details for each are posted just past the break, and yes, it's overwhelming.
Warner and Paramount sign up for movies on SD cards
If you've ever wished out loud for movie distribution on solid state memory, a glimmer of a speck of hope has just popped on to the radar thanks to a partnership between digital media delivery system company MOD Systems and movie studios. Anchor Bay, First Look, Image Entertainment, and -- wait for it -- Warner and Paramount are among the studios signed up to set 4,000 titles loose at a kiosk near you. The bad news is that only standard definition titles are going to be set loose to devices or SD cards. That standard def limitation is a whine, we know -- we like where this is headed.
Anchor Bay's DVDO EDGE takes anything to 1080p for $799
If you'll recall, Anchor Bay's heralded DVDO iScan did a fairly decent job at upscaling content to high-def levels. Unfortunately, it put a crater in your wallet about $3,149 deep. Now, however, the outfit is hitting back with an all new alternative that checks in well below four digits; the DVDO EDGE upconverts all video formats as high as 1080p and relies on the same Video Reference Seres technologies to do so. Additionally, it doubles as a robust A / V hub, sporting six HDMI 1.3 inputs, two HDMI 1.3 outputs and a whole slew of analog ports. Hit the read link [PDF] for all the nitty-gritty details, and get ready to spice up your old Hi8 tapes next month for just $799.
Anchor Bay's DVDO iScan VP50 goes 1080p-24
The always expensive (but equally coveted) DVDO HD video processor lineup just got even more attractive, as the Anchor Bay iScan VP50 can now take any SD or HD signal all the way to 1080p-24 without a hint of lag or artifacting. The free software update enables v1.04 of its "Film Technology" feature, which allows users to take any input (interlaced or progressive) and have it converted to 1,920 x 1,080 at 24 frames-per-second. So, how many of you are actually lucky enough to need this?[Via Audioholics]
