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Best Buy’s weekend sale takes up to $200 off the pricey iPad Pro (updated)
Best Buy is running another massive 3-day weekend sale. If that sounds familiar, it's because the retailer slashed prices just a few weeks ago. This time around, Best Buy is cutting prices on the latest entry-level MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. It's offering steep discounts on iPads, Surface notebooks and some of our favorite headphones. The sale runs through Sunday.
Plex’s new desktop app packs a fresh look, streamlined downloads
Plex has a brand new app for Windows and Mac that offers a streamlined way to download the things you want to watch and listen to offline. The feature was previously called Sync, but it's now called Downloads -- a much clearer term. Your downloads should start faster and with a single click, while Plex'll offer clearer feedback on your download progress. However, the server owner still needs a Plex Pass to enable offline media access. This simpler, more reliable mechanism (as Plex describes it) should make its way to the service's mobile apps in the future.
Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar review: A full bag of tricks
Sennheiser has spread the gospel of its Ambeo tech for years. The broad pitch is incredibly immersive audio for AR, VR and your living room. As far as consumers are concerned, though, Ambeo is just a headset that records 3D audio and headphones for Magic Leap. At CES 2018, Sennheiser revealed it was cramming the technology inside a soundbar, so we could all use it for a more common activity: watching TV. It took the company another year and a half to release the $2,500 Ambeo Soundbar, and the wait was mostly worth it.
Red Carpet Films offers first run movie rentals for $3,000
While the average person might debate buying a discounted movie ticket subscription, Red Carpet Films hopes the uber wealthy will consider spending $3,000 to rent first run films. The concept isn't entirely new: charge people hefty premiums to watch the newest movies in their homes. But the price tag is higher, the idea is being pushed by longtime Hollywood businessmen and major studios have signed on.
Sony's new soundbars can virtualize Dolby Atmos sound
Sony always makes home audio products a part of its CES presentations, and 2018 is no difference. Perhaps most notable are the HT-Z9F and HT-X9000F, two soundbars that include Dolby Atmos surround sound. Of course, true Atmos requires overhead speakers, and these are just 2.1(HT-X9000F) and 3.1 (HT-Z9F) soundbars. As such, this requires some virtualization, which happens courtesy Sony's "virtual surround engine," which the company claims can replicate the wide soundstage Atmos provides. And regardless of whether you're watching content mixed for Atmos or not, the more expensive HT-Z9F include a "Vertical S" button that Sony says will provide virtual 3D sound. The HT-Z9F will retail for $900/£600 and the HT-X9000F will cost $600/£450 when they arrive this spring.
Engadget giveaway: win a Sony soundbar courtesy of Amazon!
Unless you've suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous Black Friday events, you may still need to do some gift hunting for friends and family. Electronic gadgets are likely to appear on everyone's wishlist and Amazon has over 500 of them in its Electronics Holiday Gift Guide. Everything is neatly listed, but if you don't know where to start you can shop based on personality, narrowing down gifts for gamers, wearable enthusiasts, music fans and more with just a few clicks. Amazon has even gotten into the holiday spirit this week and provided two Sony HT-ST5 soundbars for a pair of lucky Engadget readers. This 7.1 surround system and wireless subwoofer can save space and clutter, while immersing you in 380 watts of digital sound. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning one of these new home theater setups. Winners: congratulations to Michael E. of Oklahoma City, OK and John B of Clinton, UT.
Sound off! Have you replaced your remotes with a mobile device?
Between Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, TiVo, Xbox One and Playstation 4, our entertainment centers are getting pretty crowded. Who even has room for all those remotes? Thankfully, though, there are a number of apps and devices that can turn your smartphones and tablets into the ultimate universal remote. How have you tamed your massive controller collection? Tell us in the Engadget forums.
Sony's latest home audio systems balance looks, price and sound quality
Here's the thing with soundbars, sound plates and every other gadget that attempts to fill the niche between a full 5.1 home theater system and the tinny speakers built into your TV -- they rarely sound great and they usually look even worse. Of course, there are always trade offs to be made, but the question that vexes us is, are they worth it? Sony is hoping that it's found a proper balance with it's latest trio of home audio setups and hit certain sweet spots on the bell curve of sound quality and design (and price).
Daily Roundup: Titanfall's secret weapon, Edward Snowden talks encryption, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Daily Roundup: Home theater holiday gift guide, Ubisoft's Snowdrop engine, NSA Xbox Live spying and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Pioneer introduces first sound bar in 15 years: six speakers and a subwoofer for $399 (hands-on)
The last time Pioneer introduced a speaker bar was 1998, but 15 years later the company's giving it another go. The just-announced speaker bar system, the SP-SB23W, will retail for $399 this fall -- reps said the device was designed to pump out high-quality audio without sacrificing a small, attractive design. It's clearly not the most compact rig on the market, but it does offer decent output. It features six independently amplified speakers and an eight-channel active digital crossover network. There's also a wireless subwoofer with a 6.5-inch driver and Dolby Digital decoding on board. On the noisy show floor here at CE Week, it was a little difficult to judge sound quality definitively, but the dialogue recording we heard did sound extremely crisp. For those who already count a Pioneer speaker or two among their home theater setup, the speaker bar should fit in perfectly; it sports a wood -- rather than plastic -- construction, and the company says its cabinet enclosure offer better control of the speakers "because of its resistance to unwanted resonance." Check out our hands-on photo gallery below, and head past the break for the full press info.%Gallery-192388% Zach Honig contributed to this report.
LG adds free Spotify trial to its latest range of home theater gear
If you needed any more enticement to splash out on one of LG's new home entertainment products, then perhaps some streaming music might turn your head. The other Korean behemoth has added Spotify to its 2013 range of home theaters, with a month's free trial offered up to anyone who has yet to sample the online radio service's delights. The gear will start arriving on shelves in the US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand next month, and if you'd like to know more, there's PR after the break.
Kyle Kinkade speaks at MacTech on the power of AirPlay
Kyle Kinkade, you may remember, is one of the original early developers of Tap Tap Revenge (one of the biggest hits of the App Store's first generation of games). He was last seen working on Bartleby's Book of Buttons, a beautiful and interactive book for the iPad. This week at the MacTech IT and developers' conference here in Los Angeles, Kinkade took the stage to talk about AirPlay, a technology that he says has some major ramifications and consequences for both Apple and the entire interactive entertainment industry going forward. "By 2014," Kinkade said of AirPlay integration, and multiscreen interaction, "this will be a very common thing." Kinkade began by showing off some examples of AirPlay integration, and how developers had learned to use the service so far. The core function of AirPlay is simply to send a video signal from your Apple device up to a larger screen, either out to a television or to your computer. Apps like Netflix and the TED talks app, for example, are simply kicking out video to the larger screen. But Kinkade also pointed out that AirPlay is being used more and more in other ways as well: Some games are using AirPlay to send a larger signal to then be controlled by the handheld device, and other apps (including Kinkade's own Bartleby book) are actually creating two different experiences, whether you're playing on just the smaller screen, or with the large screen also showing other context and information. In fact, said Kinkade, lots of AirPlay functionality is actually not just being shown on a bigger TV or a computer screen, but on a full 5.1 home theater system. Developers, he said, shouldn't just think of AirPlay as a fun gimmick to see iPhone graphics on the big screen, but they should start thinking about it as a larger experience, as an entire second app or maybe even as the primary function of all kinds of apps, from games to productivity apps to anything else. Devs should not only think about sound as they design, and "do more than mirror" information on both screens, but they should "consider multiple dual screen paradigms" as they code, realizing that users are going to be appreciating and even expecting functionality like this going forward. For his own app, Kinkade says he's not yet seeing anywhere near a majority of users investing in AirPlay, but the numbers are growing, from about 5% of users a year ago, to more than 11% at the current time. Kinkade also said that as other "second screen" technologies get more and more popular (like Microsoft's Project Glass functionality, and Nintendo's Wii U game console), AirPlay will have a chance to really lead the industry. "When it's no longer nerdy to have a screen in your hands as you play a game," said Kinkade, then AirPlay will become hugely important. And finally, Kinkade suggested that Apple was thinking along these lines already. "Apple's taking AirPlay pretty seriously," said Kinkade. "You just don't know it yet." The company has been adding more and more functionality to AirPlay already (including the mirroring function), and Kinkade says that when Apple does reveal its final plans for AirPlay, developers already familiar with how it works and how it can be used will have a distinct advantage. His talk was definitely convincing: AirPlay is already a very fascinating technology, and it's easy to see how Apple, developers, and eventually users will have lots of fun and useful ways to take advantage of it in the future.
MediaPortal posts new beta with new look and CableCARD, teases bigger sequel (video)
MediaPortal is a rare veteran spinoff of XBMC -- a testament to its fan base, but also a sign that it needs a fresh coat of paint. A new 1.3 beta might offer just what home theater PC users have been looking for to keep the front end relevant, at least in the short term. It carries a much more contemporary (and less Windows Media Center-like) skin with minor tweaks to the layout and overall interface. CableCARD support also makes its overdue appearance, although the lack of official CableLabs approval keeps the software from recognizing any copy-protected shows. Don't fret if those additions aren't enough, however -- we've been given a hint as to what the long-in-development MediaPortal 2 will offer through a pair of videos. The clips are largely top-level overviews, but they allude to mobile tie-ins, events, extensions, more skin support, video backgrounds and news. With an Autumn Build of MP2 available "right around the corner" for viewers, it might not be long before we learn what those new additions are like through first-hand experience.
Slingbox 350 and 500 show up unannounced in Best Buy, flaunt 1080p and built-in WiFi
You might say Dave Zatz just had a happy accident. While he was hunting for the as yet unofficial Logitech Harmony Touch in Best Buy, he discovered the Slingbox 350 and 500 -- two more living room gadgets that have yet to receive an official introduction. The placeshifting hubs both look to be major improvements over the aging Slingbox Pro HD and Solo, making 1080p streaming available as long as the connection is up to snuff. Those who spring for the 500 should also get long overdue support for WiFi without having to use a wireless bridge, although they may miss the Pro HD's ATSC tuner. Outside of the networking, Sling Media is making expansion its upsell angle: the 500 supports USB media sharing and HDMI, while the 350 has to make do with whatever can pipe through its component and composite jacks. Zatz was unfortunately foiled in an attempt to buy one of the new Slingboxes and couldn't get final pricing, but Best Buy's suggestion to try again around mid-October hints that we won't have long to wait for a much-needed upgrade to our remote TV viewing.
Panasonic PT-AE8000U projector touts brighter, smoother 3D for king-of-the-hill home theaters
Panasonic wasn't one of the quickest out of the gate with a 3D projector, having only unveiled the PT-AE7000 in the middle of last year, but it's making up for lost time with a follow-up. The PT-AE8000 puts most of the focus on that extra dimension through both a 20 percent brighter 3D picture and motion interpolation for the stereoscopic image. Fine-tuning is equally new through picture balance and monitor tools that help perfect the color and parallax effects before any 3D movie gets started. Traditionalists in love with 2D get their fill, too: a new 220W lamp produces deeper reds, a more visible 2,400 lumens of brightness and (with the help of plates and filters) an even higher 500,000:1 contrast ratio. We've confirmed with Panasonic that the AE8000U should cost the same $3,499 as the AE7000 when it reaches stores between late September and early October, which makes the new projector a tempting prospect if you've been holding off until now.
VidaBox unveils vPlayer and vStreamer Media Extenders with slicker looks, green credentials
Most VidaBox Media Extenders have borne a closer similarity to mini PCs than to the kind of equipment you'd stack on top of a home theater receiver. That's already been changing, but the company's new vPlayer and vStreamer are virtually invisible in the living room by comparison. Either has a newly streamlined, stackable design that feels entirely at home in the den and keeps the noisy buzzes and whines to a minimum through a new cooling system. Although VidaBox is wonderfully vague about specs -- both hubs tout a "dual core processor," for example -- its units have been modernized enough to use a thrifty 35W of typical power. The boxes lack dedicated media storage space and curiously have to be factory upgraded to get HDMI 1.4 instead of 1.3, but they'll output 7.1-channel audio and 1080p video while integrating with most common home automation systems over RS-232. We haven't been quoted prices to simplify any buying decisions; we expect the gap to be small between the two offerings, since the vPlayer and vStreamer are identical on the inside except for the vPlayer's Blu-ray drive. Dealers will have a better answer for you when VidaBox starts shipping the extender duo on September 4th.
Plex launches new Web Client and PlexPass subscription, updates Media Server
Plex fans among us just got treated to a smorgasbord -- albeit one that isn't completely free. The media front-end developer hopes to boost its bottom line through PlexPass, a subscription service that amounts to a paid beta program. Shell out $4 per month and you'll get early access to in-development features, including a slate of premium-only extras during their incubation phase. One of the more ordinary (if important) features is going live today: a revamped Web Client not only rivals the native OS X app for speed but offers full media playback on top of the usual queue management. Whether you subscribe or not, you'll want to get an updated Media Server app that supports both PlexPass and the new client along with improving the server's behavior in several areas, such as lowering its memory use and supporting RTMP transcoding. We hope Plex keeps enough components on the free side of the fence as time goes on. For now, at least, we'll see the paid model as a way for loyalists to reward a company that has been powering their home theater PCs for years.
LG's 55-inch OLED TV enters the third dimension, we slide on our glasses (hands-on video)
We first saw LG's 55-inch OLED TV at last year's CES, where it drew a fair share of oohs and ahhs at the company's press event. In May, the tentative pricing info for the European market was released, but this set's future in the US remained TBD. Fast forward to IFA 2012, and we're in front of this giant again -- but this time, it's sporting 3D. True, at 55 inches, it's no goliath compared to the 84-inch TVs we've seen this week from Sony, Toshiba and even LG, but the company claims this 55-inch model is the largest OLED HDTV available, and its carbon fiber backing and ultra-thin 4mm profile are certainly the markings of a high-end setup. During LG's booth tour today, we had a chance to sneak a peek at the now 3D-capable set, which otherwise looks quite similar to the version we saw at CES, albeit with a bit more polish. In order to achieve a 4-millimeter profile, the set packs all of its connectivity in the base module. There's also an Invisible Connection module on order, which hooks up to the TV through a proprietary optical connector and transparent cable, should you wish to mount the display on your wall. Naturally, 3D content wasn't as sharp as its 2D counterpart, but the OLED looked great regardless. With its ultra-thin design, it's surely meant for consumers who care about aesthetics perhaps even more than image quality, but if you can stomach the €9,000 price tag, this is one fine get. Take a closer look in our gallery just below. Follow all of our IFA 2012 coverage by heading to our event hub! %Gallery-163863%
Sony launches STR-DA5800ES home cinema AV receiver: true 4K output, 9.2 surround sound
Sony's just launched a high-end home cinema receiver that's finally good enough to pair up with its IFA-fresh Bravia KD-84X9005 TV or existing VPL-VW1000ES 4K projector. On top of native 4K for supported displays, the receiver will upscale standard HD movies, promising greater color, contrast and detail. For audiophiles, the system has 9.2 channels of surround sound for so-called Front High and Surround Back speakers, on top of the standard 5.1 speaker setup. A feature called "Movie Height" enables the sound to be virtually adjusted up or down to better match the screen position, and acoustics can be selected to match famous concert halls like those in Vienna or Berlin. Finally, you can take advantage of all that Hi-Fi and display tech by streaming from your laptop, smartphone or tablet through a LAN hub on the receiver. There's no availability or pricing yet, but if you're not too concerned about that money stuff, check the PR for the rest of the story.
