Low cost home theaters approachable for the average family.
If you’re not quite satisfied with the 42-inch plasma TV you bought several years back. You want something a little bit more impressive, a system to give you that gasp-inducing, jaw-dropping, toe-curling movie theater experience. Perhaps it’s time for your own home theater. What kind of equipment to buy depends on your budget, how much [...]
Motorola flexible multimedia set top platform
Motorola is currently working on accelerating the delivery of personalized media experiences by rolling out a flexible multimedia set top platform that allows users to transfer content from and to a cell phone, enjoy multimedia content be it at home or on the road without the need for the traditional middleman – the PC. This new set top platform also makes way for users to create and store personalized music and video libraries. Japan being at the forefront of consumer electronics for most parts will be the first country to receive Motorola’s new multimedia platform, with KDDI leading the way with their “au BOX” service. The au Box service will enable mobile customers to transfer content between their home entertainment systems and their mobile devices without a hitch, and the au BOX service will be launched throughout Japan from November onwards. It will be delivered to au subscribers as an option first on a leased basis, and this set top will also come with a CD player as well as CD ripping capability, allowing users to transfer songs from CDs to a more portable digital format on-the-fly. Data transfer is achieved via USB, and the set top box also doubles up as an entertainment unit by itself, thanks to its built-in stereo speakers. Nice to see that Motorola’s multimedia set top also features video encoding capabilities that lets you upload video from a video recording device, followed by an encoding process that makes it possible to view these recorded clips on your cell phone later on. When hooked up to an external monitor, you can also view DVDs with this set top. Alternatively, the set top also functions as a portal for Internet browsing, so make sure you have a decent monitor or TV to go along with this lest your eyes start to deteriorate. Nice to see digital content distribution being enabled here as well, where you can purchase music and video online. Press Release Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames , check out our analysiss. [ Motorola flexible multimedia set top platform copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
ViewSonic N2201w LCD TV the latest to hit the market
ViewSonic isn’t exactly a brand name that is associated with high end AV equipment, but then again they have been in business for quite some time already for a very good reason – offering enough bang for your buck. The latest LCD TV from ViewSonic would be the N2201w, and this 22″ looker offers more than just high definition images in your living room – it also packs in two other functions for added value for money. Retailing for under the $500 price point, the N2201w also features an integrated DVD player (if only they threw in a Blu-ray drive instead) that is located on the side of the TV as well as PC capabilities. With living spaces these days getting smaller and smaller due to overpopulation in large cities, one has to learn to make do with the living space available in tiny apartments. The ViewSonic N2201w caters to this need, offering 1080i high definition digital video as well as outstanding image quality for a high end entertainment experience. After all, the digital revolution is well underway and analog TVs are going to go the way of the dodo in due time, so why not hop on the bandwagon now and experience tomorrow’s entertainment quality today? The N2201 is feature rich and won’t burn a whole in your pocket during procurement, ensuring you won’t have to get into an argument with the missus if you want to bring this puppy home. Granted, 22″ isn’t much to look at, and the lack of full HD might not appeal to some, but the screen size itself wouldn’t make any difference if the image was shown in 1080p since the eye can’t discern the detail difference at that level. Other features of the N2201w include a resolution of 1,680 x 1,050, 5ms response time, a contrast ratio of 1,000:1, wide viewing angles, ATSC/NTSC/QAM digital TV tuner and HDMI connectivity, and a PC input that helps you connect computer sources. The ViewSonic N2201w has been listed at $429 and will come with a one year warranty. Press Release Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames , check out our analysiss. [ ViewSonic N2201w LCD TV the latest to hit the market copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
LG introduce new Plasmas with bluetooth, PVR to the UK
A "new, even smaller" model announcement is an odd thing for a TV manufacturer – usually we hear about larger, louder, brighter sets. There is method to the madness though – historically, plasma TVs have only been available in larger sizes – 40" and above. With the 32PG6000 LG have squeezed Plasma technology into a 32" screen. Coming soon after the launch of the new LCD TV range this Plasma launch breathes life into a technology many other manufacturers are abandoning, with some innovative new features. As with the recent LCD launch there are a myriad of model numbers and screen sizes covering a wide range of features and budgets. The 32" set sits at the bottom of the range, while the monster 60" 60PG7000 stands at the top. Even the 32" model gets a huge array of inputs with 4 HDMI sockets, component, SCART and VGA ports. Moving up the range gets you bluetooth connectivity and an integrated freeview PVR. This is a really nice idea, you get two tuners so you can watch one program while recording another, and a 160GB hard drive for over 80 hours of recording capacity. You can get more details of all these sets on the LG Blog , or on the LG website If you’ve got to the bottom of this post and are wondering what the difference between LCD and Plasma is anyway and why you’d care, we asked LG to give us their take on it. You can get their explanation here . Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool [ LG introduce new Plasmas with bluetooth, PVR to the UK copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Sony releases two new BRAVIA projectors
Sony Electronics has introduced two more full high-definition 1080p BRAVIA projectors known as the VPL-VW70 and VPL-HW10, bringing yet more choices for the discerning consumer who want nothing but the very best when it comes to enjoying a home theater viewing experience. These 1,920 x 1,080 progressive Silicon X-tal Reflective Display (SXRD) projectors boast 24p True Cinema technology that makes everything look surreal, as if you were in the cinema itself thanks to delivery of a film-like performance. Any home theater enthusiast ought to be happy with the VPL-VW70 as that models comes with a 60,000:1 dynamic contrast and a brightness of 800 ANSI lumens. It will be able to use an external anamorphic lens (sold separately) that can be paired with Sony’s Anamorphic Zoom Mode. When that is done, it enables users to take full advantage of panel resolution and screen size whenever watching a movie with native aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Should you decide to select Anamorphic Zoom via the remote, the VPL-VW70 will automatically output a trigger signal that can be used to activate the optional lens and screen transition to maximize the theater experience with a 2.35:1 movie. Folks who do not want to miss out on a full HD home theater and yet don’t have that much dough to spare can always look forward to Sony’s VPL-HW10 model that comes with half the dynamic contrast ratio of the VPL-VW70 at 30,000:1 and 1,000 ANSI lumens that will function well even in bright rooms. These projectors were specially designed with the custom installation market in mind, and are accompanied by a panel alignment adjustment function that aligns each red, green and blue pixel for precise images. Both models will also come with the BRAVIA Engine 2 all-digital video signal processing engine, complete with unique algorithms for noise reduction and color enhancement to deliver sharp, vibrant images. You will be able to pick up the VPL-VW70 and VPL-HW10 projectors for $8,000 and $3,500, respectively. Press Release Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames , check out our analysiss. [ Sony releases two new BRAVIA projectors copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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