Posts Tagged home theater
Western Digital My Passport AV portable media drive
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets on March 11th, 2010
Western Digital is back with a new My Passport AV portable media drive, where this model was built specially for video storage and playback, capable of delivering a plug-and-play experience for digital media enthusiasts. It will come in just one size so that you won’t need to worry about choosing between various capacities? After all, it isn’t exactly terribly expensive with 320GB of storage space compared to a few years ago, as the Western Digital My Passport AV portable media drive will retail for a mere $104.99 which makes it highly affordable. More details on this highly versatile portable media drive right after the jump.
After all, there is a fast growing number of game consoles, camcorders, TVs, DVRs, Blu-ray players and media players (which includes the WD TV Media Player family, of course) that enables consumers to hook up a USB drive and play the multimedia content straight from the drive on an HD TV without the need to go through the traditional computer middleman. Meant to meet the requirements of this demanding video streaming environment, the My Passport AV portable media drive is capable of delivering the formatting and low-power consumption which assures out-of-the-box compatibility with many leading CE (consumer electronics) devices.
Western Digital has brainstormed with other companies, making their My Passport AV portable media drive to operate seamlessly with the Direct Copy feature offered in Sony’s new Handycam video recorders. The Direct Copy function allows Handycam users to offload and archive HD video straight onto a My Passport AV portable media drive without the need for a computer, where it will free up more space to shoot more HD videos when their Handycam hard drive becomes filled to the brim. All your stored videos can be viewed simply by connecting the My Passport AV portable media drive, and its small footprint makes it a snap to be integrated into any home entertainment ecosystem easily.
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Samsung throws in Skype in new LED TVs
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets on March 1st, 2010
Samsung first previewed their new line of LED TVs for the year 2010 at CES earlier last month, and among the many new-fangled features which Samsung touted was the ability for the TV To support Skype video calls, although a demonstration on the showfloor wasn’t really impressive due to the choppy video and stuttering audio. Still, it is a start, and we can expect full HD video calls in the next couple of years or so, eh? Back to reality for the moment though – Samsung and Skype have merged powers to deliver new Samsung LED 7000 and 8000 series models of 2010 high-definition televisions, where each unit will sport embedded Skype software that enables Skype users to make video and voice calls through the TVs. These new TVs are already available in South Korea, and expect them to hit the rest of the world sometime in the first half of the year.
Guess the regular HDTV is slowly but surely becoming a one-stop entertainment center for everyone in the living room. Both the Samsung LED 7000 and 8000 series televisions will sport Samsung’s free Internet@TV service that enables one to access select online content. As long as you are hooked up to a decent Internet connection on your TV, you can also easily attach a FREETALK TV Camera for Samsung that is provided by In Store Solutions (ISS). The inclusion of this camera will make it possible to place and receive voice calls and High Quality Video calls. All voice calls will rely on Skype’s SILK audio codec that is capable of enabling super-wideband audio quality.
The use of TVs’ remote controls is required for consumers to create free Skype accounts, although we think a much more convenient method would be to come up with your account creation over the computer due to the presence of a computer keyboard and mouse that makes filling up online forms a whole lot faster and easier. After all, it is safe to say that most, if not all of us already have a Skype account, eh? Following that, log into your account and navigate via a simple Skype interface accessible on the televisions’ screens. All Skype video calls will be free as usual, while voice calls are between Skype users.
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Samsung throws in Skype in new LED TVs
Squeezebox Radio Accessory Pack
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets on March 1st, 2010
Do you happen to own a Logitech Squeezebox Radio? Well, you might want to consider an accessory for it which comes in the form of the Squeezebox Radio Accessory Pack. This is one way for you to truly experience a wireless way to enjoy music from your Squeezebox Radio, where this unique piece of hardware allows you to place your Squeezebox Radio just about anywhere you want as long as you remain within the umbrella of a Wi-Fi network, regardless of whether you are at home or outside (again, that depends on the range of your Wi-Fi network as well as the overall size of your home). All this without being tethered by a boring old power cord – now how about that! The Squeezebox Radio Accessory Pack is capable of lasting up to half a dozen hours on the go, and will juice up your precious Squeezebox Radio when plugged in. Whenever you unplug it, you will switch to battery power instantly and automatically without missing a literal beat, so there is no worries about your tunes skipping or losing connectivity because of the lack of juice.
The Squeezebox Radio Accessory Pack will comprise of a rechargeable battery and a compact remote control, where the latter is useful for those who love planting their rear end on a La-Z-Boy without having to get up after that. Interested in picking one up? The accessory pack is available now for $49.99 a pop, and if you happen to live across the pond, you are a little bit more unfortunate since it will cost you the equivalent amount, save for the fact that it is in the Euro denomination. Basically, if you are making a trip over Stateside, you might want to pick it up there to save on the exchange rate, but otherwise you will just have to be happy forking out a wee bit more. As for folks living outside of Europe and the US, too bad – supplies are limited to Squeezebox Radio owners in both regions only.
Before you get this though, make sure your Squeezebox Radio has been upgraded to software release 7.4.2. If you’re a MySqueezebox.com user, your Squeezebox Radio will notify you to perform a software upgrade so no worries there. As for Squeezebox Server users, you will need to download software release 7.4.2 beforehand.
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Wireless Page To TV Magnifier
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets on January 24th, 2010
As we age, our health often starts to deteriorate in a progressively worse manner. Well, apart from our body system start going bonkers, most of us will also have issues with our eyesight especially if you love reading Coolest Gadgets on a mobile device wherever you are. Enter the Wireless Page To TV Magnifier which is pretty self-explanatory, although there is a more apt description on what it does from the product page here below.
As easy to use as a computer mouse, this device scans written materials and sends them wirelessly to your television set in real time, magnifying them up to 25X for easy viewing of fine print. The wireless magnifier’s bright 655 x 488 pixel handheld scanner picks up every detail of a picture or every letter of a word and transfers data to its base station (that plugs into your TV) which then sends it to your television screen with a bright, easy-to-read 2 1/4″ x 1 1/2″ field of view. Magnification ranges from 10X on a 14″ TV to 28X on a 32″ TV.
Guess a TV larger than 32″ might just end up with more jaggies, so don’t throw away that old 32″ just yet even if you decide to upgrade to one with more real screen estate, eh? The $149.95 Wireless Page To TV Magnifier would find good use for that older piece of tech.
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Vizio announces new wireless HD audio devices
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets on January 18th, 2010
Vizio managed to achieve a careful balance between performance and affordability with their line of products, where among them include a new range of wireless High Definition audio devices that comprise of home theater surround sound systems alongside wireless subwoofers and wireless home theater headphones. We’re talking about the VHT200 2.0 HD Home Theater Sound bar here, where it ought to complement your 32″ LED TV with a similar 32″ long design that is slim. As for the VHT212 2.1 HD Home Theater Sound Bar, you also get a wireless subwoofer with it as well as an iPod dock that works in tandem with Vizio’s very own pair of wireless headphones for a truly connected experience (sans the risk of tripping over nasty wires in your home, of course). We’ll take a closer look at other devices from Vizio in the extended post.
As for the VSB200 and VSB201 HD Home Theater Sound bars with Wireless Subwoofer sound bars, they have received an upgrade that enables the support of Dolby Digital audio alongside a brand new remote control to get you up and running in no time at all. The VHP100 Wireless Home Theater Headphones with iPod Dock is capable of delivering premium audio performance with active noise cancellation without causing your ears any discomfort or pain after hours of listening thanks to a special over-the-ear design. It is nice to know that every 2.1 and 5.1 home theater sound bars and wireless headphones will feature support for High Definition Wireless Audio (HDWA) that enables one to enjoy your home theater audio regardless of where you are in the home. Of course, this is subjected to how far you are away from the receiver, so if you happen to own a particularly large mansion, you might find some connectivity issues arising.
Last but not least, the VHB100 Bluetooth Headphones works great with audio listening at home as well as communicating on your mobile device, hooking up via Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity while boasting optimized audio quality courtesy of SRS WOW HD and SRS CircleSurround.
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Lumisource introduces three new Boomchairs at CES 2010
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets on January 13th, 2010
Lumisource has been making some very sweet video game chairs with speakers for quite a while now, and they had three of their newest models on display at CES 2010. I will introduce them from left to right after the jump.
Sky Lounger: “Game in Comfort” is the slogan of this oversized model. As you can see, the gamer or movie watcher is truly on his or her rocker with the Sky Lounger, and these rockers are made of chrome. The Sky Lounger features two 2-way spakers and powerful four inch subwoofer, and the volume and bass levels are controlled with a remote. (Measurements: 35 ” L x 26.5″ W x 40 ” H.)
Admiral: Those that love the PC gaming world of MMOs or anything else should love the Admiral. It has an ergonomic design with an adjustable headrest for all your personal computing needs. It can also work for the television as well. It has two 2-way speakers aimed at the user for adjustable volume, base, headrest, tilt, and tension. (Measurements: 30 ” L x 32 ” W x 43 ” H.)
Stealth: Check out the ground base on this bad boy! The Stealth has reinforced padded armrests and an adjustable headrest for a comfortable entertainment experience, be it video games or movies. It has two 3 inch 2-way speakers and a 4 inch subwoofer that promote some terrific sound, and you can adjust the swivel and tilt to whatever comfortable position you desire. By the way, the Stealth can be powered on 8 D cell batteries. (Measurements: 28 ” L X 28 ” W x 41 ” H.)
At this present time, I don’t have a price point for either of these chairs, nor a release date. Look for them some time before the most anticipated games of the year will be released, though.
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Lumisource introduces three new Boomchairs at CES 2010
Mitaki-Japan Wind-Up FM Weather Radio With Flashlight
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets on January 13th, 2010
If you were to ever create an emergency kit for your car or within your home, this would be one affordable item you might want to throw in. It’ll allow for you to keep track of storms while you’re riding them out in a safe area. Since it is a wind-up device it makes it much easier on you. You won’t have to worry about keeping fresh batteries around for this gadget.
It also comes with a built-in flashlight for when the power has gone out. I imagine it’s not the brightest light ever created, but it’ll likely do the trick fairly well in the event of an emergency. It also has a recharge jack so that you can power up your mobile devices. Out of the basic items there is an earphone jack as well as a wrist strap. To work the device one minute of winding will give you about 30 minutes of light, 10 minutes of radio time and 3 minutes of weather warning alerts. You can purchase it for $19.95 through Amazon.
Source: Envirogadget
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A-25 XL2 brings a legend back to life
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets on December 13th, 2009
Way back in 1969, the original A-25 was unleashed to the unsuspecting world by Dynaco, and the next decade that followed the A-25’s release made it one of the most popular high-end speakers to date, moving over one million units. It will be hard pressed to follow up on the legendary success of the product (partly due to the lack of choice back then which also played a role, we believe), but the folks at Annandale do intend to rekindle the speaker’s past success with the A-25 XL2 which now comes in natural maple, 40 years later.
Before we move on any further, let us have a show of hands here. How many of you out there actually purchase sepakers that come with a trial period? If you happen to pick up a pair of the new A-25 XL2 loudspeaker system, then that would certainly qualify it, boasting a 30 day in-home trial, featuring a design, componentry and value that simply cannot be found in any of its competitors at a similar price range – at least that’s what Annandale claims. With the month long in-home trial offer, you are able to try the A-25’s in the comfort of your own homes with your own equipment. Just like its predecessor, the A-25 XL2 is a two-way system which is based upon a powerful 10” European-made woofer that has been custom designed to handle both the bass and mid-range frequencies. You get 250% more radiating area than the typical 6 1/2” unit with the A-25 XL2’s woofer.
Of course, something as beautiful as this won’t come cheap – and the A-25 XL2 will retail for $2,499 a pair, coming in beautifully finished real American Maple veneer with matching speaker stands that are sold separately at $350 per pair. Among the other specifications include :-
- Form Factor: Stand Mounted 2 way, passive loudspeaker
- Frequency Response: (+-3db): 58 Hz – 20 kHz
- Bass Extension Anechoic: (-10db) 38HZ
- Dimensions: 21” H x 12.5” W x 10.5” D (without stand)
- System Product Weight: 30 lbs. each
- Enclosure Type: Aperiodic, critically damped, 15-ply Baltic Birch finished in natural maple
- Woofer: SEAS 10” Cast Frame, Classic paper cone with matching natural rubber surround
- Tweeter: SEAS 1” Soft Dome, with integral resonance chamber
- Crossover Frequency: 2.0 kHz, 4th order acoustic
- Audio Input: Gold plated 5-way binding posts
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Mobile Cinema DVD Projector
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets on December 10th, 2009
Not many of us out there are fortunate enough to have enough money in order to have a cinema right smack in our sprawling mansion, although a decent home theater setup is quite common these days. How about moments when you need to keep yourself and your family entertained during an impromptu moment, but a portable DVD player just won’t quite cut the mustard due to the extremely small screen size? That’s where the Mobile Cinema DVD Projector comes in handy.
This idiot-proof LED projector features an integrated DVD player and built-in stereo speakers. Simply plug it in, bung in a disc and gawp in wonder as it beams a quality image (up to 50”) on the wall. Ideal for kids’ bedrooms, family get-togethers and movie night parties, the robust MCDVDP uses clever LED technology, so power consumption is low and lamp life is long. And because it’s portable you can move it between rooms with ease. You can even plug in a microphone for big screen karaoke sessions.
Don’t expect to view super high resolutions with this £159.99 purchase from Firebox though, as it isn’t meant to take the primary place of your home entertainment slot but instead is an alternative.
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Harman Kardon GLA-55 speakers
Posted by admin in Audio Gadgets on December 7th, 2009
Anyone in the know (or even the average clueless Joe on the street) will definitely rate Harman Kardon as above average compared to the other speaker solutions out there in the market, and they have good reason to believe so. Harman Kardon’s latest foray into the world of speakers would comprise of the GLA-55 – a stylized multimedia focal point that boasts breathtaking beauty, impeccable sound technology and functionality. Anyone who brings a pair of this home won’t be disappointed, seeing that it comes with numerous proprietary technologies which will deliver the highest audio quality, featuring astonishing bass and clear accurate sound regardless of the direction. Touted to be the top of the class where 2.0 speaker systems are concerned, the GLA-55 will fit in nicely with home and office décor regardless of your home design.
The Harman Kardon GLA-55 speakers are more or less compatible with virtually all audio device which comes with an analog output, where these will include (but are not limited to) MP3 and CD players, desktop and laptop computers, satellite radio, portable media players and other home audio systems. The GLA-55 is able to handle just about any tune with aplomb while looking good doing it, featuring a bass reflex enclosure and custom copper tubing, Atlas woofers and the CMMD tweeters for that ear shattering experience. In order to keep up with the times, the GLA-55 also comes with DSP (digital signal processing) equalization, touch-sensitive volume controls and a fully visible audio engine and port that ought to set pulses racing.
Among the features available on the Harman Kardon GLA-55 include the following :-
- Atlas AL and CMMD Transducers
- Slipstream Port Design
- COE (Computer Optimized Equalization)
- OCT (Optimized Compression Topology)
There is only one ‘color’ so to speak to choose from, where it will be available in clear with chrome accents. Expect to fork out a cool $999.99 to have this thing of beauty in your living room this Christmas.
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