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Klipsch refreshes Quintet home theater system
We don't have too many bad words to say about Klipsch, so when we heard it was refreshing its Quintet home theater system, we listened up. The eponymous-ish five speaker system has been a mainstay of the Klipsch line since 1998, and this is the fifth (too many 5s?) iteration. The new goodies? This time 'round each speaker has a 90 degree by 90 degree "Tractrix" horn for expanded listening area and a new Linear Travel Suspension aimed at reducing distortion and improving dynamics -- new woofers have also been added. If the refresh sounds good, but you're wondering if it'll match your front room, you've only got a choice of a satin, brushed black finish. Already boxed your old system up? Then get ready to lay down $550 when it reaches your local store next month. Update: As pointed out by some people, despite mentioning in the PR, this is not strictly a 5.1 system
Toshiba tries its hand at home theater audio with the SBX4250 Sound Bar
Toshiba has long been acquainted with the visual facets of home theater setups, and now the firm is entering the audio side of the equation with the SBX4250 -- the first in a line-up of sound bar speaker systems. Featuring SRS TruSurround HD and accompanied by a wireless subwoofer, the strip packs two tweeters and four speakers in a 3.6-inch tall, 2.2-inch deep and roughly three-foot long form factor. In addition to the included HDMI and optical audio inputs, the box boasts Bluetooth connectivity for streaming audio from PCs, tablets, smartphones and other compatible devices. For those willing to part with $329.99, the 300-watt rig can already be snapped up online and at select brick-and-mortar establishments. Check out the glamour shots and the full press release below.%Gallery-162424%
Yamaha YHT-697 home theater in a box brings AirPlay, iPad connectivity to the masses
Yamaha has outed a new high-end home theater in a box to ensure that whatever audio / visual device you use, it'll sound amazing. The YHT-679BL includes an Ethernet port for internet radio, networked music and pulling down AirPlay tunes. It's got an iOS, Android and Kindle Fire-compatible app and there's even a USB port up front that'll charge your device as you use it. Offering 4K HDMI and pass-through 3D video, the unit's clad in piano-gloss black, while a 6.5-inch, 100W subwoofer will add some floor-shaking to the two tower and three satellite speakers that are included. It'll set you back $750, plus whatever it costs to get some soundproofing done once your annoyed neighbors are done with you.
Aperion Audio Intimus 4T Summit touts uncompressed surround sound without the cords
See that little box next to those huge speakers? That's Aperion Audio's ticket to what's reportedly a no-compromise approach to wireless home theater. The Intimus 4T Summit Wireless is billed as the only system of its kind to transmit uncompressed 24-bit, 96KHz audio to its 5.1- or 7.1-channel speaker array without having to string wires across the living room. There's no interference and no more than 5ms of lag, even when that wunderkind box is processing Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio. Aperion is still touting an easy setup that can create a sweet spot in awkward spaces. If you like the idea, the only real catches are the $2,999 and $3,499 prices for the respective 5.1- and 7.1-channel systems -- although the outlay may be worthwhile to cut the clutter without sacrificing the finer details of Blu-ray movie soundtracks.
LG Q2 2012 earnings show a loss on cellphones, but higher profits overall thanks to home theater
LG has released its earnings statement for the Q2 2012 period, the claim of "turning a corner" in Q1 has just managed to hold up as it registered net profits of $138 million, up 46 percent from the same period last year. Revenues, while higher than Q1, were actually down from last year and blamed on declines in featurephone sales and slow sales of IT products. The mobile division also struggled after a strong Q1 and took an operating loss, however the positive takeaways are a rising percentage of smartphone shipments and plans to launch new LTE-connected models in North America (we've spotted the likely Spectrum 2 for Verizon already), Europe and Asia later this year. The good news for the home theater segment continued however, with an operating profit of more than double last year at $187.5 million despite slightly lower sales due to an increase in sales of premium products like its Cinema 3D HDTVs, which it expects to become the "top global seller" in the 3D segment. There's more details in the press release after the break or PDF linked below if you need more numbers.
Peel AllPlay TV unites media sources for Android fans, puts them in harmony with Google TV
It's been a awhile since we caught up with Peel, but the company has certainly been putting its time to good use with a big update to its Android app at Google I/O. A new AllPlay TV component acts primarily as a companion for Google TV, pooling together listings of the disparate sources of conventional and streaming TV without having to break out the awkward remote until absolutely necessary. Live TV, DVR recordings and Netflix all sit side by side; if the season premiere of a show is coming up and last season's finale remains tragically unwatched, Peel will be the cue to record the new airing and hit Netflix for the catch-up. Peel warns that AllPlay TV won't be part and parcel of the app until July -- as compensation, it's promising that the release will bring Android 2.3 users into the fold, and a parallel version is coming to iPhone and iPod touch owners in the next few months.
Onkyo to deliver 11.4 DTS Neo:X surround sound on latest receivers
While still a far cry from 64 speakers, Onkyo and DTS teamed up to bring the first 11.4 channel surround sound to your home theater. At the top of the trio of new receivers is the TX-NR5010. It is the only one that's THX certified, but like the TX-NR3010, it can drive 9 speakers and has pre-outs for four subs as well as two more channels. $2999 is the price you'll pay for the best, with a $700 price break when you move one model down the line to the TX-NR3010. Last up, but still shipping in July with 11.4 support, is the TX-NR1010 with its seven channel amp at $1799. DTS Neo:X is the name of the up-mix technology that uses a single algorithm to take anything from a 2.0 signal to 11.1 and converts it to 11.4. The other first here is Cisco Linksys SimpleTap -- also coming to the entire 2012 Onkyo lineup of network receivers via a firmware update -- which promises to deliver a simpler network setup. For more of the juicy details, have a quick look over the press release below.
Google TV will get subscription billing, support for movie and TV purchases in Google Play
While it didn't merit a spot in either keynote, the Google TV platform is also getting an updated version of the Google Play store. Along with a new UI that looks a lot like the one on other Android devices it will have support for purchasing movies, music and TV shows as mentioned yesterday, and also subscription billing. The "Bring Your App to the Big Screen" presentation is still going on, we'll let you know if any other new elements are revealed. There's a new post on the Google TV blog mentioning apps like the one announced by Sirius XM, and the new hardware from partners LG, Sony and Vizio. Finally, the team is also focusing on its updated APIs for developers building not only apps for the TV (like the Google I/O app itself, which has been working smoothly this week streaming video), but also second screen applications just as we pointed out earlier. The last update and potentially most curious? Mentioned during the presentation, later this year Google TV will no longer require hardware manufacturers to provide a physical keyboard on their input device.
Belkin announces @TV, Slingbox-esque media streamer and companion app
Belkin has unveiled @TVPlus, a media streamer that jacks into your home theater and pumps episodes of Community (or, other things, we guess) to your smartphone, tablet or laptop through the internet. Packing a built-in WiFi radio, you'll connect to it on your travels with the @TV app, which is capable of recording live TV straight to your mobile device for offline viewing. The app is free for tablets ($12.99 for smartphones) while the box itself will set you back $150 when it arrives in mid-July.
Dolby Atmos crosses the Atlantic in time for Barcelona's CineEurope 2012
If you're a European jealous of those of us stateside when you first read that we had fourteen theaters featuring Dolby's new end-to-end revolution in surround sound, Atmos, then maybe this news will give you solace. Starting today the new technology will be demoed at CineEurope at both Dolby's booth as well as at the Cinesa Diagonal Mar Screen 9 theater in Barcelona. No word on when you'll actually be able to take in Disney's Brave in said format, but the Mar Screen 9 will be joined at the Atmos party by a number of other theaters in Europe in the coming months, like the Empire Leicester Square in London. Want to know more? Well, check out the full press release after the break.
Sony STR-DN1030 7.2-channel home theater receiver with Airplay and Bluetooth hands-on
Truth be told, we spend a lot of time listening to music, movies and hands-on video clips through our headphones and laptop speakers, but when it comes time to sink into the plush leather seats in a proper home theater, you better believe high-quality audio is a top priority. Sony's STR-DN1030 serves as an update to last year's STR-DN1020, and promises to deliver on that quality promise, with a bounty of connectivity options to boot. WiFi and built-in Ethernet enable the 7.2-channel digital receiver to stream from AirPlay, along with Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) music services including Music Unlimited, Pandora, Slacker and vTuner. The device is also DLNA compatible, IP controllable and it can power on (from standby mode) whenever you begin to stream a song over AirPlay or Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR connections. We dropped by Sony's NYC headquarters for a quick peek at the DN1030, which we're told very quietly made the rounds at CES but has yet make its official debut. The receiver, which boasts 145 watts per channel (not including those dual powered-sub connections), was paired with seven high-end Bowers & Wilkins speakers and a powered Sony subwoofer. It's nearly impossible to pass complete judgement on any high-end audio product after a brief demo in a room that isn't optimized for sound, so audiophiles should certainly hear this thing for themselves before coming to any conclusions of their own. Still, we were quite pleased with performance from what we saw today -- Bluetooth and AirPlay connections appeared to be seamless, Slacker loaded quickly and audio quality was quite solid from all of the wireless sources, along with Avatar and a recorded Cream concert on Blu-ray. Best yet is the receiver's price -- the STR-DN1030 will set you back just $499 when it hits stores in mid-July. %Gallery-158292% Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Distro Issue 42 lands with the Engadget Summer Gear Guide, a handsome new look and more!
Get ready, folks. We've got quite the treat for you this week. Not only do we have a brand spanking new issue of our weekly for your peepers to consume this weekend, but we've redesigned said e-publication as well. Of course, the real star this week is the Summer Gear Guide. That's right, our editors have painstakingly selected their top choices in all of the major categories to keep you blazin' the balmy trail with the best gadget arsenal possible. To go along with the refined digs, we introduce some new pages this week, too. Time Machines will test your geek cred by removing the easily identifiable logos from a classic device for your trivia pleasure. We'll also go eyes-on each week with some quite dapper offerings to satisfy the design nerd inside us all. Speaking of recent additions, we break down our recent hands-on impressions while Reaction Time offers some thoughts on next-gen gaming and upcoming releases. Switched On chats about what's next for Facebook, the Stat tallies the rise of mobile apps in the last year, Fusion-io CEO and Chairman David Flynn admits his love of Flowbee in the Q&A and Sean Pryor returns for The Strip. So, what are you waiting for? Hit the download link below that you fancy the most and you'll have a copy of this week's e-magazine before you know it. Distro Issue 42 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (For sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
LG's 55-inch OLED TV gets official design, possible €9,000 price tag (update 3: LG fills in more)
LG has been coy quiet about details of its 55-inch OLED TV since we saw its hyper-rich organic colors at CES, but it just nailed down a number of details at a Monte Carlo Monaco event. The 55EM9600 has seen its display base get visibly bigger now that the screen isn't being specially perched at a trade show, but the redesign and using a carbon fiber back has let it shed an extra millimeter of thickness, down to 4mm (0.16 inches). The steadier footing puts all the AV connectors at the back, while a trio of USB ports sit on the side for those who often share media from their cameras and flash drives. LG wouldn't give our Spanish team definite release info about the OLED set, but there's been repeated murmurs of a European price of about €9,000 ($11,313) and a possible release as soon as July, just inside LG's official target of the second half of the year. Certainly not the most frugal TV you can buy at this size if that's true, then, but it'll certainly get everyone's attention -- now where's our US details? Update: There's now a swishy promo video below, plus some English language details at the source link. Update 2: For those who'd like a bit more reading material, we've added the full PR after the break. Update 3: LG has also helped settle some of the details that it can share at this early stage: July isn't looking likely, but the price could be on the sunnier side, tentatively edging closer to €8,000 ($10,063).
Dolby ups TrueHD lossless audio on Blu-ray to 96k, says every upsampled bit is amazing (video)
Just because your home theater can handle lossless audio doesn't mean the sound is as good as it could be. Dolby is now giving Blu-ray producers using Dolby Media Producer Encoder v2 the choice of premastering TrueHD surround sound at an upsampled 96k. Along with just squeezing the most possible clarity and depth out of 48kHz audio, the encoding purportedly eliminates some of the harshness of digital sound through an apodizing (signal altering) filter. At least three projects have already been given the 96k treatment, and authoring firms like Technicolor have upgrades in place to give that noticeable boost to your next Blu-ray movie.
This is what native 4K home cinema looks like on Sony's VPL-VW1000ES projector
Why are folks so keyed up about 4K? At first glance, that's the type of question that answers itself: by definition, a 4096-pixel wide image delivers around four times the resolution of 1920 x 1080, and that's a healthy multiple. It's actually of a broadly similar magnitude to the difference between 1080p and old-fashioned analog NTSC video, and nobody these days questions the value of that upgrade. On the other hand, there must come a point where pixels cease to be visible in a home theater environment, such that buying more of them at inflated prices stops being worth it. Sure, 4K can be a big help with 3D footage, because it boosts the resolution to each eye -- something we experienced with the REDray projector. But what about regular 2D material, which is still very much the default viewing option? That question's been nagging at us, so when Sony invited us back for a second look at its 4K projector, the VPL-VW1000ES, this time with full-throttle native 4K source material rather than just upscaled 1080p, we turned up with a tape measure. Read on for what came next.
Electronic House hands out its Home of the Year awards, offers yet more excess and inspiration
Just as it does each May, Electronic House magazine has selected a handful of integrated homes and home theaters that it's deemed to be the best of the best and awarded them Home of the Year awards in categories that range from $50k or less to $150k or more. The winner of the latter is pictured above -- a garage that's gone from storing farm equipment to a top-end 3D Runco SC-50 projector and equally high-end sound system (to say nothing of the change in decor). Other winners include a completely hands-free home that's also energy efficient (at a cost of $48k), another home that's largely iPad-controlled, and a blood red nightclub-inspired home theater that's not too far removed from a David Lynch movie. Hit the source link below to take a tour of each.
Dolby's Atmos technology gives new meaning to surround sound, death from above
Psst, did you hear that? Apparently, the folks at Dolby Laboratories are no longer content with scaring the bejesus out of moviegoers by simply funneling those horrific audio cues from today's standard theater setup. Instead, the mad audio scientists claim they can recreate a more lifelike and sensory audio experience by pushing sound from even more directions -- a feat made possible by the company's new Dolby Atmos technology. By leveraging up to 64 speaker feeds and 128 simultaneous audio inputs, for example, Dolby says it would be possible to more accurately recreate the sound of creepy footsteps coming from the floorboards of a higher floor. Yes, you could use the system to better simulate stuff like rain, too, but that doesn't sound nearly as fun as making hapless moviegoers pee their pants. Combined with Dolby's foray into 3D, it looks like the company's really focusing on kicking up viewer immersion. Dolby plans to debut the Atmos tech in 10 to 15 theaters showing Disney/Pixar's Brave this year, followed by a larger rollout by 2013. For more on the potentially bladder-busting technology, scope out the PR after the break.
Eyes-on Whiteman Technology's Delta DVR, plus more hardware details
Did the recent revelation of the Delta DVR, with its six tuners, AMD silicon running Windows Media Center embedded and 3TB HDD have you viewing your current DVR with disdain? Well, stop reading now, because we got to speak with the man who created the Delta DVR, Ryan Whiteman, and found there's even more to like about his potential TiVo killer. Read on after the break for the full scoop.
Eyes-on Brytewerks Model One high-def projector and HTPC combo
Back in January, we got our first glimpse of BryteWerks' Model One projector, albeit in render form only. Well, today at DEMO, we finally saw the thing in person and uncovered a bit more info about its innards. It still pumps out 11,000 lumens and throws images on the wall in 1920 x 1200 resolution, but it turns out to have a range of Intel silicon at its disposal: everything from a humble 1.6GHz Atom up to a 3.6GHZ Core i7. There are also multiple storage options, as the Model One comes with an Intel 320 SSD (60 or 120GB) -- where the OS resides to ensure super fast boot times -- and up to a 2TB HDD, so you have plenty of room for all your media. Speaking of the OS, it turns out the projector/HTPC has two: a customized version of XBMC and Windows 7, plus a custom GUI (currently in development) to make calibrating the projector dead simple. Because the projector's 1200-watt metal halide bulb generates so much heat, the internal chassis is built of aluminum and houses the components into four individually cooled chambers. That way, all the PC parts can stay cool on the bottom even while the projector's running full bore. We got to see a hand-built prototype in person, and the Model One strikes an imposing, if elegant figure. It's roughly a foot and a half square cube, with a black brushed metal exterior devoid of any branding or other ornamentation, save for the silver ring around the lens. The power, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 and four RCA connections are situated in the black plastic feet to keep cord clutter to a minimum, and the lens up front is magnetically attached to make swapping it out a simple affair. We got to speak with its creator, Justin Evans, about the genesis of the device, and he informed us that he's but a humble filmmaker who's trying to help out independent theaters, film festivals, filmmakers, and consumers. His goal was to create a projector that's both easy to use and cheap as chips (comparatively speaking) to enable film editing on the big screen and make high quality movie projection available to the masses. Given that the Model One is set to start shipping in six to eight weeks at an asking price of $2999, we'd say he's hit the mark -- assuming the image quality is as good as he says it is, and the build quality of the production model's up to snuff, of course. Here's hoping we get to see the thing in action sometime soon.
Samsung's vacuum tube driven speaker lineup gets priced for US, available this spring (update)
It's no secret that Samsung's been teasing a major interest in premium audio since CES, blending digitally powered speakers with vacuum tube pre-amplifiers. We didn't get a chance to check the systems out in Vegas, but today the company's spilling the details regarding US pricing on a trio of systems, all of which will be available in the spring. The star of the show is the $800 DA-E750 Audio Dock, featuring the rear-mounted dual dock for Galaxy (charging only) and iOS devices we first saw last month. Clad in a polished wood case (available in black or cherry), the 2.1 stereo system pumps out up to 100 watts of power through its glass fiber speakers and tweeters. As an added touch, its JJ Electronics 12AU7 tubes (the same you could use for guitar amps) are sunken in from its top under glass, allowing for clear view of their glow. Best of all, aside from the requisite USB and 3.5mm inputs, the DA-870 works wirelessly with Samsung's AllShare Play, AirPlay and Bluetooth 3.0 w/ aptX.Moving past the HiFi category, Samsung's also priced a duo of surround sound systems aimed at the home theater market. To start, there's the $1,000 HT-E6730W Blu-ray 3D 7.1 home theater system and its $800 5.1 sibling, the HT-E6500W Blu-ray 3D -- both of which feature the same tube pre-amp and similar wireless capabilities as the DA-E750. Notably, the E6730W features a tiltable top speaker on each of its stereo towers, allowing for a more personalized output depending on your room. Furthermore, if you happen to have a DA-E750, too, you'll be able to stream the audio via Bluetooth if you find yourself far away from your television. There's no exact date on when you'll be able snag any of them, but Samsung notes that the 5.1 system is currently shipping.Update: You'll find a press release with all the drool-inducing details after the break.
