cedia 2007
Latest
CEDIA 2007 roundup
CEDIA 2007 was bigger, louder and more pixelated than ever, and as always, we were live from the Mile High city to bring you (just about) everything the show had to offer. In case you blinked along the way, here's a rundown of our coverage, and don't forget to check out the rest after the break: CEDIA 2007: the pre-game show Hands-ons Hands-on with LG's BH200 HD DVD / Blu-ray combo player Hands-on with Sharp's AQUOS BD-HP20U Blu-ray player Hands-on with Toshiba's third-generation HD DVD player lineup Hands-on with Toshiba's REGZA Super Narrow Bezel (SNB) LCD lineup Hands-on with Philips' TSU line of remote controls Hands-on with Integra's DHS-8.8 HD DVD player Hands-on with Epson's MovieMate 50 / MovieMate 72 projectors Hands-off with Panasonic's PT-AE2000U 1080p projector Hands-on with EI's four-CableCARD 754 LifeMedia Server Hands-on with Alienware's Hangar18:HD media server Hands-on with Pioneer's BDP-95FD Blu-ray player Hands-on with VUDU's movies-on-demand STB Hands-on with Denon's pricey DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray player Hands-on with Sharp's ultrathin AQUOS D64U LCD series Hands-on with Moneual's tubular I*magine HTPC Hands-on with Savant's $35000 ROSIE Coffee Table Hands-on with Niveus' Media Center Extender
Hands-on with Moneual's tubular I*magine HTPC
Moneual's distinctly atypical I*magine possesses more than just good looks, as this surefire conversation piece not only enables users to shout commands at it, but you can flip it upright on a pole if you so desire. Thankfully, this thing is actually coming to America for a pretty fair price, so head on over to EngadgetHD for all the dirt (and photographs) you need.
Hands-on with Sharp's ultrathin AQUOS D64U LCD series
Sure, we've already seen Toshiba and Mitsubishi boast about their uber-thin bezels, but Sharp was touting its slimness in another area. Dubbed the "slimmest, lightest AQUOS LCD TVs ever," the D64U lineup had an entire wall reserved to show off, and we figured we'd take a (real) close look at exactly how thin these things really are. As the unscientific finger-gap test shows below, a 1.5-inch frame is pretty flippin' narrow, and it seemed especially so on the 65-inch behemoth. 'Course, if given the option, we'd still chose the 108-inch LCD that was just on the other side of this display, depth be darned.%Gallery-7144%
Hands-on with Savant's $35000 ROSIE Coffee Table
Savant's ROSIE Coffee Table seemed like it would be a mighty fine addition to any geek's den, and after seeing one in person, our hunch has been substantiated. The table was on display and constantly surrounded by onlookers today at CEDIA, but we managed to squeeze through the crowd and snag a few pics of the device in action. We'll be the first to say that the resolution on the screen could certainly be improved, and the touch response seemed quirky as well, but the table in Denver will reportedly be tweaked a bit more before being loosed on the public. Speaking of which, we were able to step aside with a Savant employee in order to learn a bit more about this forthcoming unit, so here's the skinny...Apparently, nailing down a spill-proof top is the final (major) hurdle standing in the way of a release, and the company hopes to have this bad boy ready for shipment by October / November. Moreover, the system within will indeed be based around OS X, play nice with other ROSIE equipment, and will purportedly tout an Intel processor, 500GB of internal storage, 2GB - 4GB of RAM, and no user-accessible optical drive. Lastly, we were informed that the ROSIE Coffee Table will ring up at a staggering $35,000 MSRP, so it's fairly safe to say that only the affluent will be seriously considering this one for their own domicile.%Gallery-7136%
Hands-on with Denon's pricey DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray player
We've certainly seen no shortage of Blu-ray players at CEDIA, but it just wouldn't feel right to neglect the uber-expensive, ultra-desirable DVD-3800BDCI. This player was found in numerous locales within Denon's fanciful booth, and while the setup may not have been ideal, the image quality of Speed was noticeably lacking. Nevertheless, we stooped down to snag a few images for those still wondering what a $2,000 Blu-ray player really looks like, so go ahead and quell that curiosity, won't ya?%Gallery-7143%
Crestron's CEDIA booth tour
Crestron's booth was rivaled in size only by the likes of Sony and AMX, and while the bulk of the exhibit dealt with highly technical home automation, it was the programmable remotes, HD media distribution systems, digital video processors, and media server integration that tickled our fancy. Granted, a good deal of Crestron's booth wasn't exactly aimed at the consumer market, but if you categorize yourself as high-end, chances are you'd find a good bit of this stuff useful. You know the deal, click on into the gallery.%Gallery-7145%
Harman Consumer Group's CEDIA booth tour
Harman Consumer Group, which holds H/K, Infinity, JBL, and Audioaccess under its umbrella, erected an expansive booth at this year's CEDIA. Unsurprisingly, home theater and in-wall speakers dominated the space, but quite a few amplifiers, receivers, and home control units were seen posing, too. Most notable among the noise was Infinity's PS212W (its first wireless subwoofer), Audioaccess' revamped W.H.E.N. (Whole-House Entertainment Network), an absolutely gigantic JBL loudspeaker, and a demo station that highlighted the H/K DMC 1000 media PC's ability to control content in four separate zones. Enough chatter, why not take a peek for yourself?%Gallery-7141%
Planar / Runco's CEDIA booth tour
Considering that Runco and Planar are like family these days, it wasn't exactly shocking to find the two booths located side-by-side. Interestingly, Runco and Planar chose to erect a golf-themed exhibit, complete with a putting green, Player's Club, and an HT clubhouse. Aside from the decorations, we found a variety of LCDs (like the 1080p PD470) on display, as well as a number of new home cinema projectors including the 1080p DLP trio more commonly referred to as the PD8150, PD8130, and PD8120. Go on, check out the gallery below -- greens fees are on us!%Gallery-7140%
Hands-on with VUDU's movies-on-demand STB
Just days ago we learned that VUDU would be cranking out a $399 set-top-box that enabled customers to rent or buy downloadable movies via the internet, and while we're still not entirely convinced that folks are going to buy into this, we couldn't help but stop by at CEDIA and check it out. The box itself looks quite good, but the oddball size could cause stacking problems within an AV cabinet. As for ports, you'll find component / S-video / composite outputs, HDMI, stereo and coaxial / optical digital audio ports, Ethernet, IR out, and a slot in the front that accepts a thin card to uniquely identify each box. Upon speaking with a VUDU representative, we learned that the unit will begin shipping on October 1st, will have access to 5,000 SD movies from the start, and thanks to the 250GB hard drive built-in, it'll hold "around 100 hours of SD movie purchases." Additionally, VUDU hopes to begin offering up an undisclosed amount of HD films "before Christmas," and if you're worried about how quickly you'll go through a quarter-terabyte of space, you needn't fret. Turns out, VUDU should be releasing a software update alongside its HD download launch that will enable users to connect their own USB hard drive to the box (sound familiar?) for even more storage, but alas, any content stored externally must still be played back through the VUDU STB. Hit the gallery below for a few glamor shots along with photos of the VUDU in action.%Gallery-7137%
Hands-on with Pioneer's BDP-95FD Blu-ray player
As if Pioneer's booth wasn't sensational enough already, the inclusion of the brand new BDP-95FD Blu-ray player made it even sweeter. Make no mistake, Pioneer is awfully proud of this creation, as an on-site rep was claiming that it was "the best Blu-ray player on the market" while bragging to onlookers. 'Course, this Elite device does tout some of the nicest specs we've seen, and yes, it pained us to leave the booth without being able to bring one home. Bottom line: this "reference quality" BD player looked incredibly good in person, and judging by how well Pioneer's other Elite merchandise has been received, we've got high hopes for this one.%Gallery-7134%
Pioneer's CEDIA booth tour
If you appreciate booths done right, you'll be a fan of Pioneer. This installation was easily the most attractive (in our eyes, at least) at CEDIA, and if you dig Elite KUROs, snazzy flat-panel speaker systems, AV receivers with 1,400-watts of power and lots of black, why not give the gallery a once over?
HD DVD's CEDIA booth tour
For all things HD DVD, there were two places to go: Toshiba's booth, and the HD DVD big rig parked right across the street. This interesting exhibit didn't present anything new per se, but there were a number of banners for current and upcoming releases, an HD DVD wall of films, and a few demo stations including one using the Xbox 360's HD DVD player. Again, nothing too enthralling here, but feel free to take a walkthrough below. Oh, and before you start wondering, Blu-ray didn't seem to have a booth of its own at the show, but there was plenty of BD support scattered throughout.%Gallery-7132%
Hands-on with Alienware's Hangar18:HD media server
The only notable machine from Alienware that made the trip to Denver was the Hangar18:HD, and yes, this thing looks just as swank in person as it does in the press shots. Of course, you may have to reinforce your AV cabinet before plopping this hefty machine down, but hey, at least you know its built to last. EngadgetHD has the closeups.
Alienware's CEDIA booth tour
Alienware's "booth" was more like three tables, a few machines and a whole heap of wires, but considering that there were a few Hangar 18's set up with twin ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuners and a couple of those sexy new Hangar18:HDs, it was definitely worth checking out. 'Course, that silver rig you see in there was all the rage, so why not give Alienware's exhibit a look while waiting for a closer look at the new kid on the block?%Gallery-7122%
Klipsch's CEDIA booth tour
Honestly, we were somewhat surprised by the magnitude of Klipsch's booth at CEDIA, but it made sure every square inch was well utilized. A variety of speaker families were all out for us to see, including the KlipschCast wireless lineup, the Icon series, and of course, the firm's ultra-elegant Palladium Floorstander. You know the drill, check 'em out below.%Gallery-7112%
Denon's CEDIA booth tour
Nah, Denon's futuristic Blu-ray player / receiver concept didn't show up at CEDIA, but a whole host of other players, speakers, and receivers sure did. Among the highlights were the S-52 wireless multi-zone music system, the ASD-3N iPod / Network Client Dock, and racks of home theater gear we could only dream of affording. Check out Denon's small but sufficient booth below.%Gallery-7104%
Monster's CEDIA booth tour
To no one's surprise, Monster was out in force at this year's CEDIA, and it was probably packin' enough cabling to wire up the whole show by itself. 'Course, it also brought along its home control devices, wall mounts, power conditioners and the obligatory shag wagon, but notably, the Einstein Home Control System was no where to be found. The reason, along with an assortment of walkthrough pics, is over on EngadgetHD.
Gefen's CEDIA booth tour
Thankfully, it looks like Gefen has stepped up its efforts since exhibiting at last year's CEDIA, and this year's display was larger, much more organized, and actually up on the top (read: main) floor. Granted, most of the gizmos there have been around the block a time or two, but it was definitely pushing wireless HDMI by utilizing the technology on its wall-hung displays.%Gallery-7093%
Yamaha's CEDIA booth tour
Branching away from all that video hardware a bit, we swung by Yamaha's jam-packed booth to check out the new receivers, surround sound options, and in-wall speakers. As expected, there were more receivers than anyone cared to count, and while the selection of in-wall speakers didn't look all that enthralling, the firm's Digital Sound Projector did a mighty fine job of simulating surround sound in the likely tuned demonstration room. Check it all out in detail below.%Gallery-7078%
Samsung's CEDIA booth tour
While it was nice to drop by and see what Logitech had to offer, those bright lights just feet away at Samsung's booth were mighty hard to resist. Sammy chose a variety of devices to showcase, including Blu-ray players, DVD recorders (one with a VCR, no less), DLP / LCD televisions, and home theater projectors. Furthermore, there was even a DirecTV setup and a 3D gaming demonstration, but we found the Harry Potter trailer to be most engrossing. Talk a walk through for yourself, just hit the gallery below.%Gallery-7076%
