Hands-On Review: D-Link's DSM-330 DivX Connected HD Media Player
In an era where "connected" defines the best of the best home theater technology, D-Link's DSM-330 DivX Connected HD media player fits squarely into niche of connected devices that every home entertainment enthusiast must take a seriously look at. Not only is the DSM-330 capable of streaming HD video from your PC to your TV wirelessly or by way of a home ethernet connection, it's the first DivX Connected home entertainment device to hit the North American market. Intrigued? You should be, and if so, should consider taking a look at our hands-on review after the jump.
Most Americans are aware of the upcoming digital TV transition now, even though some numbers estimate that half of those that need to prepare for it have no plans to. If you have an older TV and receive over-the-air analog channels, you will need to prepare sooner or later unless you like the idea of watching a screen full of fuzz. The simplest way to do that is by purchasing a digital converter box and with the $40 Converter Box Coupon Program paying for a good chunk of that purchase you could be looking at only forking out $10 to $20 to keep on watching all of your favorite shows.
That said, it's hard to decide what converter box to buy. Sound & Vision mag has pitted the Digital Stream DTX9900, the RCA DTA800, and the Zenith DTT900 against one another and come up with some interesting results. These three boxes are probably the most popular on the market right now and with the $40 coupon, you'll probably only pay a maximum of $20 for either of these models. While the three converters feature similar specs which you'd think would result in similar performance, they all performed very differently. From usability to interface to picture quality, differences were apparent. So if you want the biggest bang for you converter box buck, maybe give that article a little look-see.
Google Makes A Move For Your TV With Google Media Server
Google has turned its famed search engine biz into a full-fledged media company and their latest move into that area is the debut of Google Media Server, a Windows app that locates multimedia files on your computer and enables them to playback on your TV via any DLNA device. The new media server is a simple Google Gadget plugin that you download onto your computer, which then uses Google's Desktop Search technology to locate video, music, and picture files. All's you need is a UPnP-enabled device such as a Playstation 3 hooked into your home theater, and voila, Google TV!
Panasonic Denies 37-Inch OLED TV Rumors: We Don't Believe Them For A Second
Despite news reports over in Japan earlier this week that said Panasonic was ready to crank out 37-inch OLED displays en masse within the next three years, Panasonic has blatantly denied the rumors. According to Tech-On, Panasonic told them, "We are currently advancing research and development in view of OLED production at IPS Alpha's Himeji Plant for the future, but nothing specific has yet been decided on the commercialization of our OLED TV at the moment." A typical response to a rumor from a publicly traded company whose product announcements are timed in such a way to benefit their investors, but not necessarily meaning much. The company's President Fumio Otsubo said back in January that OLED TV's wouldn't really begin penetrated the TV market until 2015, but no matter what Panasonic says, we don't believe for a second that this rumor isn't true especially when competitors such as Sony and Samsung have big plans for their OLED TV businesses in the next couple of years. Oh, and remember that interview with Panny's Toshihiro Sakamoto back in January? Didn't he put the release year at somewhere around 2012?
Vizio's 32-Inch VP322, 42-Inch VP422 Plasma's For The Budget Conscious
In addition to Vizio's new XVT line of LCD and plasma sets, they've also announced a couple of new plasma sets that bring the HDTV price barrier down to a new level. The 42-inch VP422 and the 32-inch VP322 plasma TV's will be sold at all 3400 US Wal-mart's, part of Vizio's strategy to penetrate the US HDTV market with low-price models. The two 720p displays offer 30000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, picture optimization controls, and a 60000 hour half-life. Despite being entry-level plasma's, the VP422 and VP322 also have an impressive variety of inputs allowing virtually any high-def home theater device to be attached. On the back you'll find a component video port, RGB PC connectivity and a couple of HDMI slots. Look on the side and you'll find an additional HDMI input, part of the HD Game port, and easy access connection panel for gamers. The two Vizio sets are already available in US Wal-mart stores and online for $799 (VP422) and $599 (VP322).
Mitsubishi has roadmapped the release schedule for the 65- and 73-inch LaserVue laser TV's, something we've been anticipating since they unveiled the new models at CES 2008 back in January. The 65-inch LaserVue will be the first to ship sometime in the 3rd quarter, followed soon after by the 73-inch set. What's so great about Mitsubishi's LaserVue TV's? Well, the big advantage of laser technology is that it can deliver roughly twice the color of major brand LCD and plasma sets at only half the energy cost, running at 200 Watts. They're fairly bright too, with a brightness measurement of 500 nits and also feature 120Hz refresh and x.v. Color technology. The big downside with the new LaserVue sets is that they're 10-inches thick, fat as all hell in an industry where thin is in, but not entirely surprising given Mitsubishi's DLP-based TV background. As for price, there hasn't been official word yet, but expect them to be similar to those of comparably sized LCD and plasma sets.
Samsung's LN46A750 Gets Reviewed: A Little Expensive, But A Big Performer
The folks over at CNET have put the Samsung LN46A750 46-inch LCD TV through the ringer and it looks to be a top-of-the-line performer. A member of the Red Touch of Color series, features include a 1080p, 120 Hz display, 50000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, a 6ms response time, picture-in-picture, and a pair of built-in 10 Watt speakers that pump out SRS TruSurround sound. Put all of these features together and you get a set that has a superb black level and highly detailed picture. Plus a host of handy extras like network streaming, built-in interactive content access, and even real-time stock price and weather feeds and you have a flat panel definitely worth purchasing. Oh wait, purchasing if it was a little cheaper. CNET's reviewers don't think the $1882 price tag for the 46-inch Samsung LN46A750 is quite worth the features the set offers.
Vizio HD LCD And Plasma Sets Coming In July: 42-Inch SV420XVT, 47-Inch SV470XVT, And 50-Inch VP505XVT
Vizio will continue its mission to offer feature-packed HDTV's at aggressive prices to the US next month with the release of a trio of LCD and plasma displays--the 42-inch SV420XVT, 47-inch SV470XVT, and the 50-inch VP505XVT. The first three models of the XVT line all boast 1080p resolution, 120 Hz processing and a sleek, industrial design minimizing the bezel.
In addition to 1080p resolution and 120 Hz Smooth Motion technology, the SV420XVT and SV470XVT both feature a 6500:1 contrast ratio, picture presets for different content types, SRS Labs' TruSurround XT audio processing, compatibility with the Vizio SV5.1 upgrade kit for adding 5.1-channel surround sound, side access HD Game ports including a couple of HDMI v1.3 inputs in addition to another couple on the back. Both sets include the VUR8 Universal Learning Remote with picture-in-picture keys and will be sold from the likes of Circuit City, Sears, Sam's Club and Costco. The 42- and 47-inch displays are expected to retail for $1499.99 and $1899.99 respectively.
The 50-inch VP505XVT plasma TV features Silicon Optix's REON HQV processing, an integrated, DTV-compliant HD/QAM tuner, a dynamic contrast ratio of 30000:1, and a panel half-life of 100, 000 hours. Like the LCD XVT models, the VP505XVT uses SRS Labs' TruSurround XT audio processing, is upgradeable to 5.1 channels, includes a VUR8 remote, and has all of the usual inputs and outputs include a side access HD Game panel. When Panasonic's 50-inch XVT plasma hits shelves next month, expect to pay about $1699.99.
Panasonic's Sold 3000 103-Inch Plasmas...But Not To Home Theater Fanatics
A couple of years back when Panasonic first announced their 103-inch plasma we had dreams of a world of super-immersive home theaters. While that hasn't quite happened yet, the displays did well enough in their first year of sales to justify an upgraded "10 Series", and now we know why. According to a Panasonic press release, the 103-inch monster plasma display has been installed over 3000 times, pretty well all in commercial settings. Popular spots include casinos and nightclubs; Sam's Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Vegas has installed 15 of them, and Jay-Z's 40/40 club also in Vegas has installed a couple as well. Other popular uses include sports playback, educational, and board room use. It's lack of popularity in the home theater sector is understandable though. After all, the giant plasma does cost upwards of $70, 000.
3D is going to be big. It's already catching on in a big way in Hollywood with 40 3D titles coming up in theaters, thanks to 3D film ticket sales at times doubling those of the standard film version. To make 3D really big though it has to find its way to the home theater, especially because 3D films cost studios more to make and home video accounts for three-quarters of Hollywood's $35.5 billion in annual revenues.
Thanks to the 3D@Home Consortium, consisting of Disney, Universal, Philips, Samsung, Sony, Thomson and IMAX, this could soon be a reality. The consortium banded in order to rapidly advance the technologies required to make 3D home theaters a reality and several signs are pointing to that reality. 3D HDTV's will be found in more than 1 million US homes by the end of this year, manufactured by the likes of Mitsubishi and Samsung. Earlier this week Mitsubishi also announced a content deal with Nvidia and Aspen Media Products that'll bring a bunch of 3D computer and video game titles to consumers. And Philips just unveiled a 52-inch 3D display that doesn't require those pesky 3D glasses for viewing.
Now that many more 3D titles are planned for theaters, you can bet they'll be released in 3D when they come to Blu-ray and DVD. In fact, the first 3D Blu-ray disc is coming August 19. Unfortunately it's Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3-D Concert, but c'mon now, it comes with the 3D glasses and all.
Finally a tech company known as TDVision is working on a way to make regular Blu-ray discs appear in 3D when played back. Now just sit back for a moment and imagine a home theater world that's almost more real than the one you live in everyday. Bizarre, eh? It's coming soon.
Back in February, LG Display had plans to ramp up a test line for OLED TV panel production in a new plant built exclusively for OLED manufacturing. By late April, LG was confident it would be producing 32-inch OLED panels by 2011. Now the Korea Times is reporting that LG Display will be dumping a good chunk of their 3 trillion Won in expected operating profits this year into their OLED business.
Just days ago Samsung Electronics publicly admitted interested in combining OLED production with Samsung SDI in order to boost its OLED business. Whether or not LG's decision has anything to do with this we're not entirely sure, but LG says it's not related. June 12, LG set up a dedicated department to AM OLED displays in its Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province plant, separated its Mobile Business Division into four dedicated OLED divisions and may be moving its 3.5-generation AMOLED line to Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
Panasonic Cranking Out 37-Inch OLED TV's Within Three Years, And They're Affordable
Japanese rag Sankei Shimbun reported this morning that Panasonic will have 37-inch OLED TV's ready for sale sometime in the next 3 years. Amazingly, the 37-inch sets are expected to retail for around 150, 000 Yen when they hit Japan which equates to only $1390, nearly half of what Sony's 11-inch XEL-1 currently costs. Panasonic's OLED TV's will be produced at the IPS Alpha Technology factory in the Chiba Prefecture and could be the first mass produced OLED TV's over 30 inches although Sony recently invested $210 million to begin churning out 30-inch and larger panels by next year. This isn't just a bid by Panasonic to challenge Sony for domination in the young OLED TV market. The company says it's part of a strategy to challenge Samsung for domination in the overall flat panel market.
Planar's Clarity Margay II DLP Cube: 8 50-Inch DLP 1080p Displays Put Together
Rear-projection TV's may not be too hot for living room use these days, but when it comes to DLP cubes, they're all the rage. Check out the Planar Clarity Margay II DLP Cube, display at InfoComm 2008. It features 8 50-inch DLP rear projection displays, 2 across and 4 down, each 1920 x 1080 pixels, displaying a total pixel count of 3840 x 4320. All of the screens work in tandem with one another and the displays are close enough together so the edges don't irritate the eyes. Look for these DLP cubes to feature prominently in commercial displays.
If you're still looking for a DTV converter box in preparation for DTV2009, the digital TV transition, coming February 17, 2009, you may have absolutely no idea where to start. First off, we recommend checking out our homegrown info guide if you're really in the dark. Second off, we recommend heading over to Consumer Reports if you know you need a converter box, but aren't sure which one. The reviewers over there have tested and rated 14 converter boxes according to their picture quality, and have a breakdown of each boxes pros and cons. If you're looking for the absolute best picture, your best bets are the TIVAX STB-T9,LASONIC LTA-260, SANSONIC FT300A, and the MICROGEM MG2000. Unfortunately if you're still in an area where you have access to some analog channels after the switch, none of these boxes have analog passthrough. Time's running out!
Sharp's LB-1085 108-Inch LCD TV Hitting US This September; For $150, 000?
Remember Sharp's monster 108-inch LB-1085 LCD TV? Of course you do, how could you forget? If you have some cash to burn and plenty of room, the 209 pound display will be hitting the US this September. It's already available in Japan and a few European retailers have started to sell the LB-1085 priced at about 120, 000 Euros or about $185, 000 in the US. Apparently we can expect the set to cost about $150, 000 when it arrives in December but it'll only be available through special order; you won't find this one sitting on store shelves. If for some unexplained reason you're planning on spending six figures for the LB-1085 you should remember you're paying for nothing more than its size. Its features are nothing special: 1080p resolution, 1200:1 contrast ratio, 400 cd/m2 brightness, and a 6 ms response time. If you're still taking the dive, please send us some pics. We'd love to see this giant actually sitting in someone's living room
Last HD DVD Flicks Hit US Shelves Today: Who Cares?
Although HD DVD died as a format earlier this year, today it'll officially see the end as the last HD DVD's will hit shelves in the US. Disco Pigs, an Irish flick, and Freedom: 6, an anime collection will hit shelves today; the last HD DVD's you'll ever see released in the US. If you're looking for a couple extra high-def DVD's to stick with your Beta collection, head over to Amazon where you'll find Disco Pigs for $21. The real question now is whether or not Blu-ray will ever hit the mainstream?
The Hello Kitty phenomenon continues, this time in the home theater industry, with a couple of new 19-inch Uniden Hello Kitty LCD TV's. Available in red or pink, the Uniden TL19TX1 features 1440 x 880 resolution, 1000:1 contrast ratio, and a brightness measurement of 300 cd/m2. Surprisingly the Hello Kitty display have a fast response time of 5ms, but only features a digital tuner. No analog tuner at all with the TL19X1. It also features a duo of built-in dual-channel 3 Watt speakers and HDMI, component, and composite inputs, and an analog audio output. Come July 4, Uniden's TL19TX1 Hello Kitty LCD TV's will be available in Japan for 69, 800 Yen, about US$648.
Via AV Watch
Dolby 3D Digital Cinema The Future For Movie-Goers
The only hope the movie theater has of existing in any fashion in the future is to go 3D in our opinion, and Dolby Laboratories is making that a whole lot easier with their Dolby 3D Digital Cinema technology. The technology enables cinema operators to use standard white screens to playback both 2D and 3D films when using DLP projectors, nixing the need for separate and expensive silver screens. Now they've announced a new Dolby 3D playback compatibility program that'll simplify and standardize the technical requirements for digital cinema manufacturers. Dolby 3D technology uses dual channel, real-time color correction technology, and to be Dolby compatible servers/projectors will be tested for their accuracy in this area. XDC's CineStore Solo G3 server line has been the first to receive approval from Dolby.
ESPN's Ultimate Remote Gets Reviewed-Ultimately Not So Ultimate
Despite the claim by ESPN that its Ultimate Remote is just that, the reviewers over at PC Mag think otherwise. First of all though, what makes the Ultimate Remote so different from the rest? It features 802.11g WiFi compatibility so you can surf the web and check your email from your home theater. Great, definitely a handy feature and it's pretty cool looking too and that really makes a difference. However, take a closer look and you'll see clustered buttons that aren't "finger-friendly", and once you actually press the buttons when it comes time to configure the remote to your home theater setup, you'll find the usual list of codes that make remote setup's a pain in the ass.
Once it is all setup it does have some useful features such as a learning mode that remembers button sequences for certain tasks you may perform and you can also program the remote to perform multiple button tasks with one button push. The problem is, devices such as the Logitech Harmony One are much easier to setup, better designed and, perhaps most importantly, cheaper. In fact, PC Mag says the Harmony One still reigns as the ultimate remote. Time for a name change ESPN.
Sony has always been a prolific company, but 11 new projectors debuted at one time brings a whole new meaning to the word prolific. The first thing you need to know is that nearly all the projectors feature Sony's BrightEra imaging technology "designed to produce a higher aperture ratio, deliver brighter images than previous High Temperature Poly-Silicon (HTPS) LCD-based systems and allow the projectors to achieve high resolution and quiet fan noise." Secondly, these projectors are all intended for commercial use and are pretty expensive, ranging in price from $1050 to $40, 000. And thirdly, if you're still interested, check out the press release after the jump.
Sanyo's CE52SR1 52-Inch LCD Display--Marine-Grade And Super Bright
Sanyo's CE52SR1 52-inch LCD monitor is built for commercial applications rather than the living room home theaters, but it has some cool features we just have to tell you about. Some of the usual features include 1080p resolution, a 6.5 ms response time, 16:9 aspect, and inputs including a DVI-D, VGA, S-video, five component slots, a stereo mini jack, and RCA inputs and outputs. That's pretty boring in inself, but the CE52SR1 is actually built with a marine-grade construction making it fully waterproof and dustproof and features a super bright 1500 cd/m2 screen, easily viewable in direct sunlight. Plus if 52-inches doesn't quite cut it for whatever you're trying to display, the 52-inch toughie can be put together with up to 24 others in a 5 by 5 array creating a movie theater-like screen that receives the picture signal through a single input. Amazing eh? And being a commercial-grade LCD monitor and all, so is the price--$13995 when it hits the public in October 2008.
JVC Unleashes P-Series LCD TV's With iPod Docking, Procision 899 Series LCD TV's, And A Couple Super-Slim 1.5 Inch Models
JVC unleashed a few new lines of LCD HDTV's on the US yesterday, including a new super-slim line. The first new line, the P-Series, brings four new sets to the market--the 32-inch LT-32P679, 42-inch LT-42P789, 47-inch LT-47P789, and the 52-inch LT-52P789. All of the P-Series' displays, with the exception of the 720p 32-inch set, feature full 1080p resolution, come with a universal remote with direct input, ATSC/QAM tuning, a USB photo viewer, and a new on-screen menu system. The usual inputs are their including three HDMI, two component, one S-video input, an SPDIF input, and an analog audio output for blasting sound through a home theater system.
The feature unique to the P-Series is the built-in iPod dock controlled using the included remote. When an iPod is placed in the dock, an on-screen menu pops up letting users navigate through their tunes right on the TV screen. The song title and artist's name are displayed on-screen when a song is played, and images can even be set up to display during playback. Plus, whether or not the TV is on or off, the iPod will charge when docked. The 32-inch LT-32P679, 42-inch LT-42P789, and 47-inch LT-47P789 are all available now for $999.99, $1599.99, and $2199.99 respectively, while the 52-inch LT-52P789 will be available in August for $3199.99.
The second line is the Procision 899 Series featuring the 42-inch LT-42X899, the 47-inch LT-47X899 and the 52-inch LT-52X899. All three models use JVC's high-def Clear Motion Drive III engine with a sixth-generation Genessa 32-bit processor. The Clear Motion Drive III engine is impressive, moving the screen beyond 10 bits, actually converting 8 bit images into 12 bits. Other features include a 120fps frame rate, full HD 24/30p, nine video aspect modes, ATSC/QAM tuning, a USB photo viewer, and three HDMI v1.3 (two CEC) inputs. The 42-inch LT-42X899, 47-inch LT-47X899 and the 52-inch LT-52X899 are all available now, priced at $1999.99, $2599.99, and $3699.99 respectively.
Finally, next month JVC will release a line of 1.5-inch thin LCD TV's with built-in TV tuners. The line, part of the Procision Series, will only feature a couple of models-the 42-inch LT-42SL89 and 46-inch LT-46SL89. Both sets features 1080p resolution, a CCFL backlight 40% smaller than the conventional LCD backlight, and only consume 145 Watts of power. Both will hit shelves next month for $1899.99 and $2399.99 respectively.
Sony's BRAVIA KDL-32J1 32-Inch LCD Set The Most Efficient Around
Sony claims their latest BRAVIA 32-inch LCD flat panel is the greenest of all green 32-inch LCD TV's. The new BRAVIA KDL-32J1 uses only about two-thirds of the power a similar screen would use, culminating in a 70% savings in energy use over the course of a year. It's done using more efficient fluorescent backlights and screen filters that allow more existing light to pass so less tubes are needed to create the same level of brightness as a similar LCD set. Interestingly, the KDL-32J1 is also made of predominantly recycled materials including leftover plastic, styrofoam, and optical film, making the new Sony set almost completely recyclable once its life is over.
As for specs, the Sony KDL-32J1 features 720p resolution, a 2500:1 contrast ratio, 24p True Cinema, analog and digital terrestrial tuners, a couple of both HDMI and component video ports among others, and both pink and silver color options. This LCD set will hit Japan first of course, on July 25, priced at 150, 000 Yen. This would be a ridiculously expensive set if were ever to hit the US at this price--it's equivalent to about $1390 is US currency.
HP MediaSmart Connect Receiver Available For Preorder
Yet another product TV fanatics have patiently waited for since CES 2008 back in January, HP's MediaSmart Connect receiver is finally up for pre-order. Connect the MediaSmart Connect to your HDTV and desktop or laptop PC through ethernet (HDMI or component vid) or a wireless 802.11a, b, g, or dual-band draft 802.11n connection, and you're set to easily playback HD digital media files from you computer on your HDTV screen. The MediaSmart Connect uses Extender for Windows Media Center to enable computer users with Windows Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate to access a whole range of online video services including Vongo, MovieLink and FOX Sports, and Microsoft Media Center Internet TV beta featuring over 100 hours of programming from A&E, Bio, CNBC, DIY, Fine Living, Food Network, FOX Sports, HGTV, History Channel, iFilm, MSNBC, National Geographic, NBC News and StupidVideos. And if your PC has a TV tuner you can stream broadcast TV straight to your HDTV as well.
The HP MediaSmart Connect receiver also plays back a wide range of other multimedia codecs including MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DiVX, XVID, DVR-MS, WMV and WMV-HD; MP3, WMA, WMA Pro and AAC (unprotected); JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF and PNG. Regularly priced at $350, the MediaSmart Connect is available for $326 from Amazon and will be released July 31.
NEC Display's NP905 And NP901W Ultraconnected Projectors
NEC Display announced a couple of new commercial projectors today--the 3000 lumen NP905 and 2000 lumen NP901W. Developed for conference rooms and classrooms, NEC's installation projectors feature Windows Network Projector functionality from within Windows Vista so users can share info using their laptops or PC's via either a wireless or wired area network. As if that's not a great feature in itself, the NP905 and NP901W both feature a remote desktop connection so they can actually control a remote computer as long as it's wired to the projector via its USB connection along with its keyboard. Other features include:
Silicon Optix HQV (Hollywood Quality Video) enabling high-end processing for both standard def and HD content
a geometric correction tool for shape projection minus the distortion
advanced color management which adjusts depending on whether movies, images, or graphics are being projected
HDMI inputs and an audio input for every video input
closed captioning
direct off for quick shutdown
NEC's NP905 and NP901W projectors will be hitting the streets next month for $1999.99 and $1299.99 respectively.
LG Electronics And Control4 Team Up To Bring Hotel Rooms' Full Automation Via HDTV
LG Electronics, the biggest provider of HDTV's to hotels in the world, is collaborating with Control4 Corporation to co-develop an integrated automation system that'll allow hotel guests to control pretty much everything in their hotel room right from the TV screen. Everything includes lighting, draperies, heating and air conditioning, and other home theater components. The two companies feel this solution is better than going the ol' set top box route, not only eliminating the box, but enabling the system to have more handy features. The system will be nothing more than a card that will be placed in an integrated interface port of LG's HDTV's. There hasn't been any mention of a "release" date, but we're guessing you'll be able to see the system in action on hotel room TV's everywhere in the next year or so.
Energy conservation is a big topic these days, with global warming being on the world's mind, but blaming big TV's for a country's energy usage woes? Wow. We all know that flat panel TV's can suck up energy like the world's strongest vacuum, especially if we go the plasma route, but when Irish national broadcaster NTEreported the Irish national energy use rose 62% between 1990 and 2006, we never thought that large-sized TV's would take such a big share of the blame. But a report by Sustainable Energy Ireland, to be released sometime today, pins a lot of the responsibility on big TV's. RTE says the report states that the Irish have "bigger TVs and more of them, and that Irish people are watching TV more often, leading to a massive rise in energy consumption". The end result? More pollution and a little bit of a contribution to the global warming trend. So watching too much TV on our big flatscreens really is killing us!
Sony's Bravia S4000 Series: 26-, 32-, 37-Inch Models HD-Ready, Flagship 40-Inch Full HD Model Delivers It All
Sony Europe's announced the Sony Bravia S4000 series, available in 26-, 32-, 37-, and 40-inch screen sizes. All of the new Bravia LCD's feature Sony's 'draw the LINE" design concept, using a simple piano black design that's meant to emphasize what's on the screen rather than what's around it, and all sets come with a swivel base so you can easily view the S4000 from anywhere in the room. The S4000 sets up to, and including, the 37-inch model are HD-Ready, have an DVB-C/DVB-T tuner for pulling in standard-def TV broadcasts, feature Bravia Theater Sync for one remote button whole home theater control, Bravia Engine processing and 3 HDMI slots for plugging in all your HD gear. The flagship 40-inch model is a full HD 1080p set, with 33000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, Bravia Engine 2 processing, an integrated standard-def tuner, Bravia Theater Sync, Bravia Sync for on-screen control of devices such as Sony's Handycam connected to the set via HDMI, 24p True Cinema, and 3 HDMI ports.
Dell's Del 1609WX DLP Projector-Dell's Latest WXGA Japanese Offering
Dell's Del 1609WX DLP WXGA projector, suitable for both home and commercial uses has been announced in Japan. The Del 1609WX projector features 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, 2500 lumens of brightness, 1900:1 contrast ratio, and a load of connectivity options including DVI, S-video, composite, and PC inputs. The 1609WX also features Dell's proprietary BrilliantColor technology and an 8 Watt speaker. It'll cost 105, 000 Yen in Japan, about the equivalent of US$969.
Green House GH-DV100S DVD Player Nothing But The Simplest
About as simple as they come, the Green House GH-DV100S DVD player does nothing more than enable DVD ± R / RW and CD-R/RW recording and CD-DA playback. The 1.8 kg DVD player comes with component video, S-video, coaxial digital, and analog audio ports. Set to be released at the end of June in Japan, the GH-DV100S will retail for 3980 Yen, or US$37. Dirt cheap!
Hands-On Review: D-Link's DSM-330 DivX Connected HD Media Player
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