Home Entertainment
Alienware High-Definition 4 terabyte media server
September 10, 2007 Media servers are set to become an essential item in 21st century households and like all things associated with digital storage, the bigger the better. Last week Gizmag featured the 500GB Sony Home Entertainment Server, and now news of a new HD Media Server from Alienware that comes with up to four terabytes of hot-swappable hard drive storage. Read More
JBL’s iPod dock now fully portable
September 6, 2007 JBL have released an update to their popular On Stage iPod docking station. The new On Stage 3 offers a full featured remote control and it’s finally equipped with battery power, making it fully portable. It's even compatible with the iPhone. Read More
Sony announce 200-disc, 500GB Home Entertainment Server
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September 6, 2007 Sony has unveiled a new Home Entertainment Server featuring a full HD 1080p 200-disc changer and a 500GB hard disc drive that stores up to 137 hours of video, 40,000 songs or 20,000 digital photos. The stand-alone HES-V1000 is Sony’s first Blu-ray Disc-capable component (other than a VAIO notebook or optical PC drive) that can burn content to Blu-ray Discs as well as DVDs. Read More
AKG wireless headphones unveiled at IFA
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September 4, 2007 AKG's K930 wireless stereo headphones are among the plethora of noteworthy new products Gizmag has encountered at the IFA show in Berlin this week. With a range of approximately 100 meters, the K930 headphones do not require a line of sight from the transmitter enabling the signal to penetrate through walls and ceilings and greatly expanding the user’s mobility.
LG "Black Label" LCD TVs
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September 3, 2007 LG has released a new "Black Label" LB9 LCD television range that incorporates full HD (1920 x 1080p) resolution, in-built HD tuner, 10,000:1 contrast ratio and 5ms response time in a glossy black finish, wave-inspired bezel design. Read More
46 inch all-weather outdoor LCD TV
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August 30, 2007 Lovers of big screen viewing need not worry about missing the game whilst soaking up the outside ambience with options like this SunBriteTV 46”high definition LCD television built for the great outdoors. The super-sized 4600HD model comes complete with water-resistant speakers and universal remote control. Read More
The first speakers with crystal membranes
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August 29, 2007 One of the first innovations to be shown at IFA 2007 in Berlin will be a new speaker technology that employs crystal membranes in its quest for perfect sound reproduction. The drive units in the new ELAC 240 series are characterised by stunningly three dimensional soundwave propagation and the new transducer system for bass and midrange uses a highly rigid aluminium membrane with an angled crystalline surface structure. Read More
iMirror home stereo iPod dock with full-feature LCD remote
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August 24, 2007 With their mix of convenience, portability and ease of use, mini music players like the iPod are rapidly taking over from CD collections as many users’ primary music repositories – and as more consumers start connecting their iPods into their home stereo systems, remote-controlled audio docking stations like Bexy’s iMirror start to make a lot of sense. Just dock the iPod, pick up the iMirror remote control and you’ve got the full ability to manage your iPod remotely as it plays through your home stereo. Read More
Logitech iPod bedroom music system features motion and light sensing technology
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August 18, 2007 Logitech have unveiled two new iPod speakers - one designed specifically for the bedroom and the second aimed at iPod portability. The iPod Pure-Fi Dream speakers for the bedroom are designed as a replacement of the conventional alarm clock and incorporate innovative functions such as motion and light sensing technology that allow you to access the "Snooze" feature with a simple wave of the hand. Read More
The Compact Disc turns 25
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August 17, 2007 In an event that marked the shift from analogue to the new digital era in the music industry, the world’s first compact disc rolled off the production line at a Philips factory in Langenhagen, Germany, twenty-five years ago today. Philips and Sony co-developed the CD (which was invented by American James T. Russell in the late 1960s) and an estimated 200 billion have been sold around the world in last quarter of a century - that’s enough to circle the earth six times. Read More
Micronas announce latest full HD frame rate converter
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August 15, 2007 Market research firms forecast a fast transition towards full high definition displays accompanied with the latest high frame rate 100/120Hz LCD technology, with predictions that the market could exceed 10 million LCD TVs in 2008. Micronas has announced its 4th generation HD frame rate converter - a processing technology that generates 120 individual frames per second (fps) from 50/60Hz broadcast content and from 24 fps film source, delivering improved overall picture quality on high definition (1080p) displays. Read More
Yamaha unveil 11.2 Channel flagship home theater receiver
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August 13, 2007 Yamaha have unveiled their latest a new home theatre - the RX-Z11. Aimed at setting a new benchmark in the category, the receiver carries an industry-first THX Ultra2 Plus certification and full HDMI version 1.3a including 1080p resolution with over a billion colors, supporting the latest HD formats for Blu-Ray and HD DVD technology. The 11.2 channel RXZ11 adds front and rear presence speakers to traditional configurations and includes custom install features that suit complex multi-room/zone configurations.
Be blown away by Micro Spheres
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August 11, 2007 Taking advantage of the research made in developing the La Sphere, winner of the Best Sound Award at the Consumer Electronics Show, the new 5.1 Eole system by Cabasse consists of five new spherical satellites and a very compact subwoofer. At a fraction of the cost of La Sphere, the new Eole system is sure to be a winner with home theatre and music enthusiasts alike. Read More
The i-Sing MP3 player encourages singing along wherever you are
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July 18, 2007 Ancient Zimbabwean wisdom suggests "if you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing" though we're sure it is also true that if you can hold a note, carry a tune and belt out something relatively pleasant to the ear, everyone has more fun. There is currently a renaissance of music sweeping the world. More people are listening to more music thanks to the low cost high convenience MP3 player, and advances in user-friendly software and devices mean more people are beginning to explore not just listening to music but making it. One such device is the i-Sing, an MP3 player with the ability to digitally cancel out the original artist's vocals on any track, display song lyrics and record the user's own vocals over the instrumental tracks at the touch of a button. Bound to be popular with fans of the (insert country here) Idol TV phenomenon, the i-Sing harnesses some very cool technology and combines it with childproof ease of use. Read More
Apple TV to include direct YouTube access.
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May 31, 2007 Apple TV was launched in February in a whirlwind of potential. The classy-looking set top box promised a 21st century television experience where the web, the PC and the movies could converge in your lounge room - but it has so far failed to live up to expectations. Still, Apple is pressing ahead, today announcing a deal that allows users to browse and watch YouTube's endless supply of content through their Apple TV unit. Read More
Lifemedia, the high-end digital home media server
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May 23, 2007 Digital home entertainment servers seem to be heading high-end as Exceptional Innovation announces the release of its new Lifemedia server. Ready to integrate with home networks and EI's Lifeware home automation software, the Lifemedia units feature multi-core Intel processors, up to 4.5 Terabytes of storage, and high-end optical audio with Dolby Master Studio decoding. Most importantly, they look extremely sexy in an AV rack system. Read More
MasonIP Network-Attached Video Player
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April 11, 2007 In advance of the NAB show in Las Vegas next week, Wired has released details of its US$3000 MasonIP network video decoder and proofing system. Designed for anyone who wants to play video content from a server rather than from disc, MasonIP brings a whole new level of convenience and quality to playback of networked media files. The MasonIP is a professional-quality network video and DVD decoder that delivers unmatched flexibility and image quality for the most demanding playback and proofing applications. The MasonIP can decode nearly every flavor of SD and HD video and output it to virtually any professional monitor or consumer TV. Read More
BeoLab 9 loudspeaker combines superior sound with freedom of placement
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April 2, 2007 A strong manifestation of Bang & Olufsen’s sound competences, the BeoLab 9 is the fourth loudspeaker from B&O that applies Acoustic Lens Technology licensed from Sausalito Audio Works in the treble area. Partly integrated into the conically-shaped cabinet that holds the mid-range and bass units, the lens sits atop the speaker - almost like a lighthouse – dispersing the treble in an arc of 180 degrees. Normally, a loudspeaker’s performance is strongly influenced by its physical position in the room. Yet, Beolab 9 adapts to its placement through a manual position switch that makes it possible to place the speaker in a corner or close to the wall without compromising the sound. Read More
Cheater Checker – spying on your loved ones
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March 10, 2007 The effects of new and improved communication technologies on society are clearly profound, though we’re aware of very little research being done into what those changes are. What began as a reader request to cover a software program earlier this week unearthed the clear signs that infidelity is on the rise due to the information revolution. With the advent of technology, cheating has become easier to facilitate. Dating sites, online social networks and instant messaging make it extremely easy to start communicating with people you would never otherwise meet. Anyway, by the end of the story, your humble scribe felt very naïve. For starters, Cheaterchecker is in Version 4.2 and we didn’t even know it existed. It’s a software package that, once you’ve installed it on your computer, enables you to spy on anyone else using that computer and keeps track of everything from emails to web pages visited and even instant messaging. As the name implies, Cheater Checker is designed to catch a cheating spouse or partner. It’s only legal to install it on your computer – doing it to someone else’s computer is illegal but we suspect that’s how it’s being used. What caught our eye was what appeared to be some poetic license with the facts in the promotional video – 1 in 2 people in a relationship cheat on their partner, 57% of women cheat on their partner, 3 out of 4 married men cheat on their wives, 2 out of 3 people being cheated on never find out ... so we asked for their sources and they provided them.
Invisible sound from Bang & Olufsen
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February 26, 2007 Adding further validity to the “sound systems should be heard and not seen” school of thought is the news that long-term discerner of public taste Bang & Olufsen is to release a passive loudspeaker that can be placed in places where active loudspeakers fall short. Bang & Olufsen has played a leading role in the evolution of entertainment systems and its BeoVox 1 points to the future of home entertainment. Being a built-in loudspeaker, BeoVox 1 fits nicely and discreetly in hallways or rooms where you do not have much space. It can be completely concealed in the walls or in the ceiling. It's extremely well suited for places where the primary activity is not listening to music, but where you'd still like to have music either as secondary entertainment or background sound. Another product from the imagination of designer David Lewis, the two-way passive system includes 1” treble unit and a 6” mid-range/bass unit, delivering a frequency range of 50-20,000 Hz. Read More
The Ferrari Art.Engine
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March 4, 2007 At the opposite end of the visibility spectrum to the Masquerade loudspeakers is the Ferrari Art.Engine. It’s one of the most exclusive audio systems on the planet, it looks like something from the 22nd century, and it’s accordingly a whole lot more connected too. Art.Engine is a complete music system that combines twin speaker arrays, wireless signal input and digital electronics in a single tower designed specifically for the home or office. One press of the red “Engine Start” control button beams music wirelessly from your computer, or you can plug in an iPod, MP3 player, satellite radio or CD player and instantly enjoy an extraordinary music experience. More a fine instrument than a piece of electronic equipment, the Art.Engine is a luxurious and timeless sculpture of aluminum and carbon fiber that combines performance, beauty and simplicity, not to mention a presence that cannot be ignored, make it the focal point of any space it inhabits. Limited to only 1000 pieces, the elegant Art.Engine is one of the most exclusive products ever licensed by Ferrari and is an objet d’art that introduces a new standard in room-filling music reproduction and visual presentation. Read More
Masquerade Loudspeakers – customisable to look like a painting
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February 23, 2007 While we don’t necessarily agree that children should be seen and not heard, we definitely agree that technology in the form of speaker systems is best heard and not necessarily seen. There are some, whose tastes and wallet will extend to the extraordinarily beautiful speaker systems from Bose, Bang & Olufsen et al, who may wish to display their finery, but in the main, most of us want to create a room enhanced by technology, not enslaved by it. Accordingly, we love this trend towards visually discrete speaker systems personified by Masquerade’s line-up of customisable speakers that look like a painting. By being able to have the loudspeaker’s sound-permeable fabric printed with any image, the loudspeaker can look like a family portrait or a work of art. This allows for a seamless integration of 5.1 surround sound in a living room and ends spousal discussions about equipment in a home environment.
The Underbed Lift for large screens
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February 22, 2007 The concept of a television screen the size of a dining room table is a very recent one – now they’re becoming affordable, the problem is where to put it. A 40-50 inch screen is so large that it changes the nature of its surroundings – it imposes itself on a room and can destroy the ambience of the space it is meant to enhance. In the past we’ve written about several hide-the-telly technologies, such as Shadow Trak which hides the screen behind a motorised painting, and the Reversica which rotates the screen from view. Now there’s a new contender designed specifically for the bedroom, and the UnderBedLift is semi-robotic in that it spirits the telly away under your bed, provided there’s at least 8 inches of free space under there (6.5 inches can be accommodated for more money). Beginning at US$12, 500 for a 40-43 inch display, and running to US$14,000 for a 45-50 inch display, the options are endless including powder coating to any colour and mountings for the speaker system of your choice and a completely pre-wired option sets you up with plug-n-play audio, video, high voltage and automation.. The Underbed Lift takes around 45 seconds to deploy the screen, it’ll take a qualified tech around 10 hours to get it all set-up. Read More
XM Radio Online available via Windows Vista
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January 30, 2007 With Windows Vista becoming broadly available this week, we suspect that one of the access it provides to XM Radio Online as part of its digital music hub will see a huge boost in the popularity of the medium, and indeed, could be the making of a significant new player on the global media landscape. XM Radio Online delivers more than 80 radio channels of commercial-free music. Web users can sign up for a free, three-day trial of XM Radio Online and unlimited listening is available for US$7.99 a month. Those who subscribe to XM Satellite Radio for the car, home, or portable listening can enjoy XM Radio Online for no additional charge.
IFPI publishes Digital Music Report 2007
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January 22, 2007 Record labels have become digitally literate companies, selling an estimated US$2 billion worth of music online or through mobile phones in 2006 (trade revenues), almost doubling the market in the last year. Digital sales now account for around 10% of the music market as record companies experiment and innovate with an array of business models and digital music products, involving hundreds of licensing partners. Among new developments in 2006, the number of songs available online doubled to four million, thousands of albums were released across many digital formats and platforms, classical music saw a "digital dividend" and advertising-funded services became a revenue stream for record companies. If you're interested in the development of the digital music industry, IFPI's Digital Music Report 2007 is available online and well worth a read. Read More
New Soundolier Duo Wireless Speaker Lamp
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January 9, 2007 Speakers should be heard and not seen according to a growing percentage of home technology buffs. Indeed, this new omnidirectional, wireless speaker hidden within a torchiere floor lamp fits the bill perfectly, and comes ready for duty as a surround speaker with a home theatre or high-quality audio system. The Soundolier Duo solves the two most common surround speaker installation challenges – wiring (as it is wireless) and aesthetics – no longer do speakers need to compete with the decor. Read More
Sharp showcases World’s largest LCD TV - 108 inches
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January 9, 2007 With global demand for LCD televisions expected to grow by more than 50% this year, it was opportune timing for Sharp to roll out the world’s largest LCD TV, the 108-inch AQUOS. to promote its expertise at CES 2007. Not surprisingly, the 108-incher was the drawcard, extending its LCD offerings to four distinct ranges and 50 models ranging from 13- to 108-inches in screen size. The prototype 108-inch Full HD 1080p LCD TV is the world’s largest, measures 93.9-inches (w) by 52.9-inches (h) in size, and is expected to become available by mid-year. Perhaps the most important announcement was that some of the screens due in showrooms prior to the end of the year will feature refresh rates of 120 Hz, double the current 60 Hz standard. Read More
LG Dual-Format Disc Player - Blu-ray and HD DVD playback - due Q1, 2007
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January 8, 2007 Blending the latest technologies and offering unprecedented flexibility to consumers seeking the convenience of playing both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD high-definition content, LG showed a groundbreaking "Super Multi Blue" Player at the 2007 International CES overnight. Launching in the United States during the first quarter of 2007, this advanced dual-format high-definition disc player, LG model BH100, will be the first player on the market with the capability to play both next-generation disc formats, addressing the challenge of the current format war. LG's BH100 is expected to sell for US$1200. Read More
DVD players finally surpass VCRs
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December 21, 2006 The three decade era of the VCR has finally ended with the home video recording baton being passed briefly to the DVD player before the market decides what comes next from a plethora of technologies such as Tivo, VOD, DirecTV and direct recording to computer. Surprisingly, it has taken DVD almost a decade to overtake the VCR, being launched in 1997 and becoming more popular in the sales channel in 2003. The point where more U.S. households own DVD players than VCRs was passed in the third quarter of this year according to Media research giant Nielsen’s Home Technology Report which shows that 81.2% of all households now own a DVD compared with 79.2% of households owning VCRs. Interestingly, though it has been around several decades longer, the Personal Computer is still only present in 73.4% of U.S. homes and the fast-moving MP3 player is still only in 26.7% of U.S. homes. Read More
Download-To-Own movies with secure burn technology
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December 19, 2006 Universal Pictures and ReelTime Media have launched the first major movie download-to-own (DTO) service to include secure burn technology. Movies will be released on the same day as retail DVD, enabling consumers with a high speed internet connection to download a wide selection of Universal movies and content for permanent ownership via a unique 3-copy secure burn DTO model. By logging onto the service, consumers can access two Windows Media files, downloadable to PC/laptop and a portable device (compatible with Windows Play4Sure technology) and a third digital file that allows the movie to be securely and legitimately burned to DVD, containing full DVD functionality. Pricing for the downloads will begin at AUD$14.98, with new release titles costing AUD$33.99 (US$26.50). Read More
Internet Video Revenues to exceed US$7 Billion in 2010: Advertising revenues spur initial market; content services to show significant growth beginnin
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December 8, 2006 The Internet Juggernaut is now in full stride. What began just a dozen years ago as a fledgling commercial medium is now well into its second billion users – first it was text, then text and pictures then it fueled the digital music revolution and now it is getting set to do the same for video. Annual U.S. revenues from Internet video services – spanning user-generated content to television shows and movies – will exceed US$7 billion by 2010, according to Parks Associates’ Internet Video: Direct-to-Consumer Services. The report also notes this growth will accompany an ongoing shift toward greater parity between the revenue sources. In 2007, approximately 85% of revenue will be from advertisements attached to user-generated content and television and news streams. By 2010, services for renting and downloading TV shows and movies will account for nearly 40% of total revenues. Read More
Draught Beer Dispenser for the home
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December 7, 2006 With beer being the most popular alcoholic drink on earth, it’s quite surprising that it has taken 10,000 years for someone to invent an appliance that will dispense draught beer and keep it fresh indefinitely. The first to do that was Philips with its PerfectDraft, but the company’s development was done in conjunction with Brewing giant Interbrew, so only Interbrew beers were available in the kegs it used. Now a new beer dispenser that is free of exclusive beer company affiliations is ready for market and uses 4, 5 or 6 liter kegs for around 300 beer brands and can also serve chilled wines and soft drinks. Ladies and gentlemen, the Wunderbar! Read More
Mirage introduces high-end Omniguide-based loudspeaker
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December 5, 2006 Elite speaker designer and manufacturer Mirage now has a new flagship product - the OM Design Series is the first high-end Omniguide based loudspeaker and the US$3750 a pop (that’s for each speaker) OMD-28 is the top of the range. First introduced in 2001 and granted worldwide patents in 2006, Omniguide technology was designed by Mirage’s Chief Engineer, Andrew Welker, and allows loudspeakers to radiate sound in a completely uniform 360-degree radiation pattern. This unique technology offers a dispersion pattern that perfectly mimics the way sound is produced in nature, producing a vivid and realistic sound stage. Now after four years of continuous research and development, the OM Design Series has set another milestone in the company’s speaker development. The result is a range of high-end Home Theatre speakers capable of creating the ultimate illusion of a live performance. Read More
Motion-Sensing capabilities moving to Consumer Electronics
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November 9, 2006 The pictured object is a TV remote control, designed to be much easier to use than that array of buttons you currently use that make a piano accordion look simple. The Loop is Hillcrest's first Freespace-enabled product, a bracelet-shaped TV remote control with just two buttons and a scroll wheel. Users hold The Loop in one hand, and it translates their motions into on-screen cursor movements. Using the scroll wheel and the two buttons, users can browse through TV channels or change the volume. Motion-sensing has been in use in computer games for some time, offering a more immersive, intuitive experience - consumer electronics will be next - for sure! Read More
Sanyo’s 42 inch Weatherproof LCD Monitor
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November 5, 2006 It costs more than three times its non-weatherproof 42 inch equivalent in the Sanyo range, but the CE42LM4WPR flat panel 42 inch LCD Monitor has truly unique qualities which have the potential to open up the outdoor display and advertising market. Suddenly advertising, information services, and promotional activities can be empowered by the use of a 42 inch display at open-air events in all weather and in harsh environments, such as dusty or humid conditions. The ruggedised (our words not theirs, so don’t go dropkicking it around the place) screen now has IP56 weather-resistant accreditation making it viable for a range of industrial and architectural applications including in-factory information services, outdoor home usage in courtyards and pools areas as well as, commercial applications such as clubs and digital signage. Read More
