Toshiba joins the 3D Blu-ray Disc fray

Toshiba took some time accepting that Blu-ray Discs won the high-def format war, and it's waited even longer to go into 3D Blu-ray Disc playback. The company finally announced its first 3D-capable Blu-ray Disc player, the BDX3100KB. The BDX-3100KB has an HDMI 1.4a port for outputting 3D video to a 3D-capable HDTV or projector, a first for a Toshiba Blu-ray Disc player.

The company also announced a new, non-3D Blu-ray Disc player, the BDX-1100KB. It lacks the BDX-3100KB's 3D capabilities and USB port, but it has the same Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio decoding capabilities. Both Blu-ray Disc players hit the UK in October, but pricing and American availability has yet to be announced.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: Engadget}

Want 'Avatar' on 3D Blu-ray Disc? You'll have to get a Panasonic 3D HDTV to get it

Panasonic has signed a deal with 20th Century Fox to exclusively offer the 3D Blu-ray Disc version of Avatar to customers who purchase Panasonic 3D plasma HDTVs. In other words, if you've been waiting for the 3D Blu-ray Disc release of Avatar and you're not planning to get a new HDTV any time soon, you're going to be waiting a while longer. The specifics of the deal or Panasonic's plans haven't been announced, but they will likely involve bundling Avatar with Panasonic 3D HDTVs and possibly Blu-ray Disc players and other equipment. Nothing has been confirmed besides the deal itself.

Distribution deals are really a matter of perspective. If you're ridiculously optimistic, Panasonic HDTV buyers are getting the great boon of being able to get the 3D Blu-ray Disc release of Avatar early. If you're pessimistic (or realistic), everyone who doesn't buy a Panasonic HDTV will have to wait an undisclosed amount of time before they can get the 3D version of the film. Factually, both perspectives are true, but in the end it simply seems like the majority of Avatar fans are getting shafted.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: TWICE via CrunchGear]

Playstation 3 Getting 3D Blu-ray Disc Support Next Month

If you use your Playstation 3 as a Blu-ray Disc player, you might have been missing out on the full experience offered by 3D-enabled Blu-ray Discs. Starting in October, you'll finally be able to watch your 3D Blu-ray Discs in 3D with your PS3, thanks to an upcoming firmware update announced by Sony.

3D Blu-ray Discs have been few and far between, but considering the increasing popularity of 3D movies and James Cameron's prediction a few months ago that Avatar will finally see a 3D Blu-ray Disc release by November, the timing for the firmware update is fortuitous.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: Engadget via VG247]

New $99 Apple TV makes content cheaper, HD, and rental-only

  

There have been all sorts of rumors flying around about the next generation of the Apple TV. But, Steve Jobs pulled back the tiny curtain today and revealed a device that's much different than its predecessor.

While the hardware has gotten a serious redesign (we'll get to that in a bit), it's the content experience that has received the most attention. The first major difference is that Apple TV is a rental-only device. You won't have the option to buy movies or TV shows and store them on your box. New movies —which will be available the day they hit DVD — will set you back $5, while TV show episodes have been knocked down to the magic number, $.99. According to Steve, however, all of the content will be in HD if possibly available (which we expect to be on par with the 720p HD that iTunes currently offers). Plus, during his demonstration, Steve ordered up an episode of Glee and the loading screen said the audio was Dolby Digital 5.1. 

Once you have purchased — sorry, rented — a movie or a TV show, you have 48 hours to watch it, like you do with normal iTunes rentals. If you're still not interested in spending the dough on temporary content, you can also stream stuff from Netflix and other web services. From the small look we got during the presentation, the Netflix streaming application actually looks very slick.

Onkyo announces new high-end A/V components

Onkyo has unveiled a trio of home theater components ready to take their places at the top of Onkyo's product line-up. The company describes the PR-SC5508, PA-MC5500, and BD-SP808 as its new "flagship" A/V component separates.

The PR-SC5508 is a 9.2-channel, THX-Ultra 2 Plus-certified A/V controller loaded with audio and video processing features. It has an HQV Reon-VX video processor, ISF video calibration, 3D-capable HDMI 1.4a connections, and both DLNA 1.5 and Windows 7 network capabilities, with a slew of Internet music services to booth. The PR-SC5508 will retail for $2,199 when it ships in September.

The PA-MC5500 is a 9-channel power amplifier rated at 150 watts per channel at 8 ohms, and up to 400 watts dynamic power at 3 ohms. It also weighs 51 pounds. It'll retail for $1,699 when it ships later this month.

Finally, the BD-SP808 is a THX- and DLNA 1.5-certified Blu-ray Disc player. It features a Marvell Qdeo video upscaler and can decode both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio streams. It will retail for $599 when it, too, ships in September.

— Will Greenwald

LG unveiling new high-tech HDTVs at IFA

The IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin is giving electronics companies ample opportunity to show off their newest toys, and LG is taking that opportunity and run with it. The company will show off a slew of new displays, chock-full of bleeding-edge tech.

First, the company will be displaying a 31-inch OLED HDTV prototype. While 31 inches is downright puny for HDTVs, it's much larger than the Sony XEL-1, and could restore confidence in the developing technology.

Second, LG will unveil a 180-inch plasma HDTV. Not only could this be the world's largest plasma HDTV yet, but it certainly is the world's largest 3D-capable plasma HDTV. Like the OLED HDTV, this giant display is just a prototype.

Finally, LG will display the ultra-thin LEX8 3D HDTV. The LEX8 is a "NANO LED" screen that measures just 0.88 cm thick. Once again, LG's new screen straddles the superlative with its slenderness. While the pricing and availability hasn't yet been announced, the LEX8 seems to be a production model HDTV and not a prototype.

— Will Greenwald

Blockbuster preparing for September bankruptcy

The next few months might prove to be the swansong of Blockbuster Video. According to the Los Angeles Times, the company has been discussing with movie studios its intentions to file for bankruptcy in September. Over the last week, Blockbuster executives have met with the heads of six Hollywood studios, informing them of a "pre-planned bankruptcy," in which the company's creditors would agree to the declaration ahead of time.

Blockbuster has been dealing with a debt of nearly $1 billion, and has closed several hundred stores in the last few years. It's seen surprisingly stiff competition from mail-order services like Netflix and kiosk services like Redbox, and has been trailing behind in its attempts to offer similar services to customers.

— Will Greenwald

Axiom announces "Customize Yours" options

Axiom Audio has just revealed a service that it claims makes it the "world's most customized loudspeaker shop." The company now offers the "Customize Yours" service, which lets customers dictate exactly how their speakers look. Instead of just a few finishes for each speaker, Axiom will give customers several options of both speaker style and wood finish. Customers can even send in samples of the type of wood they want their speakers to look like, and the company will attempt to reproduce the finish.

The Axiom site now features a Customize Yours section, where users can browse their various options. They can also arrange to speak directly with an Axiom Audio engineer to arrange their preferences for a speaker system. This service could be one of the broadest customization services in home theater equipment.

— Will Greenwald

Rockstar Games releases Red Dead Redemption soundtrack, vinyl coming soon

Vinyl records are becoming a curious marketing tool for video game companies. Last year, Sega released the Mega Drive Ultimate Collection, a 6-track vinyl LP sold only in Australia and New Zealand and limited at 3,500 copies. It was produced to promote Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, a compilation of classic Sega games re-released to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Earlier this year, 2K Games released the Bioshock 2 Limited Edition, a special edition of Bioshock 2 that included, among other things, a vinyl LP of the first Bioshock's soundtrack. Now, Rockstar Games is planning to announce a vinyl LP of Red Dead Revolver's soundtrack next month.

The company only revealed the record today, when it announced a CD release of the game's soundtrack. In fact, few details are known about the vinyl album besides the facts that it will be limited edition, it will be pressed on red vinyl, and it will come out in September. Red Dead Redemption stands out as one of the best games to come out this year, and its soundtrack was roundly excellent. Audiophiles should keep an ear out for it.

— Will Greenwald

Toshiba working on glasses-free 3D TVs

Glasses-free 3D TVs have been a long time coming, but they still haven't come out yet. That might change if Toshiba has anything to say about it. According to CrunchGear, Toshiba might release 3D TV models that don't require glasses by the end of the year.

Based on reports from Japan, the TVs won't be HD, and won't be larger than 21 inches. Still, they're a start, and present a significant advance from the much smaller glasses-free screens currently on the market. Glasses-free 3D displays are available on Fujifilm's 3D digital cameras, and will be used in Nintendo's upcoming 3DS handheld. However, besides Toshiba's current endeavors, most 3D TV manufacturers are focusing on the standard glasses-based screens.

Even if the screens come out in Japan by the end of the year, they might not ever see release in the United States. Since conventional 3D TVs have yet to gain much traction, there is little interest in adopting even newer technology to show 3D video.

— Will Greenwald

Denon's 100th birthday bash includes announcement of A100 Anniversary products

Denon Electronics is a hundred years old this year. Yes, the audio equipment manufacturer first set up shop a century ago in Japan. To commemorate its 100-year anniversary, the company has announced an entire series of new audio gear. The A100 Anniversary Product Collection runs the gamut from headphones to A/V receivers to turntable cartridges, and they all commemorate 100 years of Denon right on the chassis.

In home theater components, Denon offers the 9.2-channel AVR-A100 A/V receiver, the PMA-A100 amplifier, the DBP-A100 Blu-ray Disc player, and the DCD-A1000 CD/SACD player, each of which is available for $2,499. For vinyl lovers, Denon announced the DP-A100 direct-drive turntable for $2,499 and the DL-A100 cartridge for $499. Finally, the AH-A100 are $499 over-ear headphones with a mahogany finish. All A100 products will start shipping in November.

— Will Greenwald

'The Office' S6 Blu-ray will stream S7 episodes

This is a very interesting use of BD-Live. Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that users of The Office Season 6 Blu-ray Disc will be able to stream the 5 most recent episodes of season 7 whenever they want. The episodes will be available in high-def, just like the NBC broadcasts, making this one of the most useful BD-Live extras found in a Blu-ray Disc yet. It's like your very own on-demand feature, watching the most recent episodes of the show whenever you want.

Of course, you'll have to wait until both the Blu-ray Disc comes out and the 7th season premieres. The Office Season 6 Blu-ray hits September 7, while Season 7 of The Office doesn't premiere until September 23.

— Will Greenwald

NFL on FOX now showing in 16:9

For years, FOX has shown NFL games in 4:3, even when in high-def. This was fine for SD TV users with old-fashioned 4:3 screens, but for widescreen HDTV users this meant two huge bars on either side of the screen, wasting space that could better be used showing sports. Engadget notes that the tables are finally turning, and the bars that plagued widescreen HDTVs will soon become letterbox stripes on 4:3 screens.

The Patriots vs. Falcons game tonight was the first to be recorded in 16:9 as FOX's "ultimate experience." Good news for HDTV owners, but bad news for SDTV owners, who will have to get used to watching their NFL games letterboxed until they finally upgrade.

— Will Greenwald

Amex Digital claims "world's smallest" 1080p player

At just a little smaller than 7" by 5", the Amex Digital MP-501 is the world's smallest 1080p media player. At least, that's what the company claims. The little device can play MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, and even Windows Media 9 files at 1080p resolution, making it at least one of the smallest full HD-capable players available. It reads off of SD cards or USB drives, meaning the amount of space available is limited to how much you want to spend on flash media.

The MP-501's availability in the United States is unknown, and it's only been announced in Hong Kong so far. However, the announcement said the device is U.S. patent pending, which indicates Amex Digital intends to distribute it to the states. It's priced at US$49, meaning it's a pretty inexpensive HD movie player.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: Akihabara News via Engadget]

Panasonic puts Twitter on its HDTVs

Twitter, it seems, is inescapable. It's on computers, cell phones, iPads/Phones/Pods, and now it's coming to Panasonic VieraCast HDTVs. The company just announced that several of its VieraCast plasma HDTVs will be getting Twitter Internet apps, and that down the road some Panasonic Blu-ray Players will also get Twitter features.

Currently, Twitter is hitting Panasonic's VT20, VT25, G20, and G25 HDTVs. Users with these HDTVs will be able to tweet all they want using the remote or a keyboard plugged into the HDTV's USB connections. The press release hinted that Twitter could also come to the company's VieraCast Blu-ray Disc players in the future.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: CrunchGear]

'Star Wars' trilogy finally coming to Blu-ray

It's been a long time coming, but the Star Wars trilogy is finally coming to Blu-ray Disc. That's the good news. The bad news, at least for some, is that it will be the Special Editions of the films and not the original cuts. The "meh" news is that the prequel movies will also be hitting Blu-ray.

George Lucas just announced at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Florida that after 35 years Star Wars will be coming to Blu-ray Disc, along with all its sequels and prequels. According to the announcement, each release will include a ton of special features, including a deleted scene from Return of the Jedi. Unfortunately, Lucas said that the Special Editions would be used for the original trilogy, because transferring the original cuts of the film would be too expensive. The Blu-ray Disc releases of the Star Wars movies will come out in Fall of next year.

— Will Greenwald

Polk’s new LSi M, Blackstone, and Vanishing Series speakers

As I perused the latest Polk speakers at the company’s Baltimore HQ last week, I felt I’d been transported to a more civilized age—to an era before the low end of the speaker market was taken over by HTiBs and soundbars, before the middle of the market withered, and before the high end drifted back to pre-WWII technologies.

The centerpiece of the introduction was the LSi M line, due to ship in January 2011. The LSi M series features no swooping lines, no flashy automotive paint schemes, and no innovations in form factor; it’s just a straightforward attempt to build some really good speakers. But for the journalists in attendance—a group that included several hardcore audio enthusiasts—that simple idea seemed sexy enough.

Time Warner Cable working on its own iOS app

Time Warner Cable is playing catch-up with Comcast. Three months ago, Comcast announced an iPad app that would let customers schedule their DVR and browse channel listings directly from their Apple device. Now, Time Warner Cable is announcing its own iOS app that would do basically the same thing, only for TWC set-top boxes.

It's certainly a good start for Apple users, and between Comcast and TWC most of the American cable world will be covered when the apps finally come out. Now if only they could do something about the laggy interface on their Scientific Atlanta boxes.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: Engadget]

Sony's 1973 ad is really, really funny in hindsight

CDs are arguably on the way out. Cassette tapes are extinct. Vinyl albums are generally used only by audiophiles and other extreme music enthusiasts. Over the last decade, we've seen digital distribution become one of the most popular ways to sell, transfer, and play music in the world. iPods, Zuns, cell phones, computers, everything can play MP3s now, and many can play lossless music formats.

That's what makes this 1973 ad from Sony so hilarious. It proudly claims, "This could be the tape deck you'll leave your great grandson." The cassette tape was just picking up steam in that time, and Sony would introduce the groundbreaking Walkman in just 6 years. 3 years later, CDs would enter the market. Then, in 2001, Apple would release the iPod and change the face of music once again.

These days, if you gave your grandson a third-generation iPod he'd probably roll his eyes. If you tried to give him a Sony TC-377, he genuinely would have no idea what it was or how to use it.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: Vintage Ads via Gizmodo]

Engadget: AppleTV to become iTV

While it's still not official, Engadget is reporting some big news about Apple's much-anticipated update to the AppleTV. According to the site, the new A4-powered (the same processor found in the iPhone 4) device will be renamed the iTV. What's more, it will actually receive a resolution downgrade, and only support 720p video instead of 1080p or 1080i video. On the plus side, Engadget reports, the iTV will be getting its own selection of apps, like the iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch.

Reportedly, the device will retail for $99 and include 16 GB of internal storage. We should find out more when Apple supposedly announced the iTV this fall.

— Will Greenwald

Elite Home Theater Seating Unveils the iPad Chair

It has been obvious from the start that Apple's iPad has all kinds of potential uses in a home theater scenario (for proof, see our September issue), but Elite Home Theater seating has taken iPad integration to another level by actually adding a mount to their new seat.

The Luxa2 H4 iPad holder is mounted by sliding it into the cupholder. As you can see in the video demonstration (posted after the link), the stand grips the ipad with six rubberized nubs. The rotating mounting head offers an impressive range of swiveling action, which makes the potential for tweaking pretty much endless. 

The chair itself is every bit as swanky as you'd expect, utilizing an ultra-quiet motorized reclining function with automatic footrest and adjustable headrest. The seat itself has a dual-cushion set-up and specially- designed lumbar support to ensure comfort even during marathon watching sessions. 

Pricing on the standard package (choice of two colors, no adjustable headrest) starts at $2,495.00, while the premium package (adjustable headrest, 2 Crowson Tactile Motion Transducers, 1 Crowson Amplifier and choice of 15 top grain Valentino Leather colors) will set you back at least $5,9995.00 per chair. It would be nice if there was a docking option that could actually charge the iPad, but maybe that will make its way into the next version.

Check out the official site to customize a layout and pick your color. I'm partial to Fire Engine Red. 

-Stan Horaczek

Razer announces new Orca headphones

Gaming peripheral company Razer is pushing into the music space with its just-announced Orca headphones. While Razer has made several audio products in the past, they have all been targeted specifically at a gaming audience, while the Orca is being pitched as appropriate for music-lovers as well as gamers.

The headphones feature a frequency response of 15 to 21,000 Hz, giving it impressive bass response according to Razer. It comes with a 2-meter extension cable, so users can "plug and switch" between music and gaming uses; the headphones can work without the extension cable while playing music from an iPad, and can then plug right into the extension cable at your desk for computer gaming. The headphones will retail for $60 when they hit stores worldwide later this year.

— Will Greenwald

Rocketfish + Ikea = stylish, wireless speakers

Once again it's time to look at a clever, elegant DIY home entertainment project. Charles "The B-Roll" Visnic has put together a guide to making your own attractive, wireless outdoor speakers. All you need is a pair of $99 Rocketfish wireless speakers, some IKEA salad bowls, and the willingness to tinker.

On the surface, this is just a chassis replacement for a set of speakers. Still, it turns an otherwise drab pair of black rectangles into stylish wooden orbs that you can say cost you $800 each. The similarities to the Death Star are just a geeky bonus, and one that can be enhanced with a coat of grey paint.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: Lifehacker]

DIY home theater features a hidden wall cabinet

Enterprising home theater buffs sometimes come up with clever ways to conceal their equipment. Apartment Therapy recently showed off this creative A/V cabinet, built behind a hidden wall panel upon which an HDTV is mounted. The panel is mounted with a pair of gas springs, so it can just pneumatically lift out of the way when you need to access the components.

Details are scarce, but the system presumably uses an IR blaster to get remote commands to the devices behind the panel. It's a really neat concept, even if it's not quite as polished as an expensive custom installation.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: Gizmodo]

Nvidia reveals professional RF 3D glasses

Active-shutter 3D glasses generally use infrared signals to sync the shutters with the images on the screen. An emitter placed near the screen beams invisible light that the glasses pick up and translate into timing information. They're functional, but if anything gets between the emitter and the glasses, the shutters cease to work and the display becomes a blurry mess.

Nvidia, one of the biggest names in IR active shutter glasses, is now working on RF glasses in hopes of overcoming the disadvantages of line-of-sight transmissions. With a wireless radio connection, shutter glasses can stay synced with the screen regardless of what gets in the way. These glasses are called Nvidia 3D Vision Pro, and they're currently being targeted at professionals who need to model and edit video in 3D. They'll be available in October at the hefty price of $349 per pair of glasses and $399 for the RF transmitter. Hopefully RF 3D will go down in price after professionals start to adopt the equipment.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: Engadget]

Meridian Audio's new $3,000 bookshelf system

High-end audio company Meridian Audio has announced a new one-piece, bookshelf sound system with impressive stats and an even more impressive price tag. The M80 is a 2.1-channel, 80-watt sound system that can play audio from CDs, DVDs, AM/FM radio, or any audio device hooked up to its various inputs. The system's chassis is made from "custom mineral composite," but it doesn't get much more specific than that.

The M80 is currently shipping with a retail price of $2,995. It comes with Meridian's i80 iPod dock accessory, and is available in ivory, chestnut, and obsidian finishes.

— Will Greenwald

Justin Bieber getting 3D biopic. Seriously.

3D movies have simultaneously reached their apex and nadir. Canadian teen pop sensation Justin Bieber is getting his own feature-length, widespread-release documentary film, and it's going to be in 3D. It gets weirder, too. Paramount is in talks with Davis Guggenheim to direct the biopic. Guggenheim was the director of An Inconvenient Truth, the global warming documentary that won the Oscar for best documentary in 2007. So basically, in a year or two we could be looking at Justin Bieber's life as the first 3D film to get the Academy Award for Best Documentary. I checked; it isn't April 1.

Bieber is also writing an autobiography, entitled Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever: My Story. Try wrapping your head around that.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: Deadline via Cinematical]

"Resistance" to 3D: Futile?

Maybe you saw Inception. Maybe you loved those three-dimensional-looking images. Maybe you realized — and appreciated — that those images weren't actually in 3D.

Director Christopher Nolan (at right in photo, with Leonardo DiCaprio) digs good ol' 2D, as do the likes of colleagues J.J. Abrams, Joss Whedon, and Jon Favreau. Those are just some of the names cited in "Resistance Forms Against Hollywood's 3D Push" in today's edition of The New York Times.

We here at Sound+Vision have been covering 3D pretty heavily. After all, it's a new format — and covering new formats is what we do.

But if you're among the 2D faithful and you want to know what your compatriots in the resistance are saying, click here.

— Ken Richardson

(Photo by Melissa Moseley/Warner Bros.)

Harman Kardon? Check. Harman Newsweek?!

"He started a business selling FM radios in the 1950s" . . . and now he's running Newsweek magazine! Yes, Sidney Harman, whose 92nd birthday is tomorrow, has bought the ailing publication because, as he quipped to The New York Times, "I think I should stop misspending my youth."

The photo above shows Harman addressing staffers yesterday at the Newsweek offices.

Harman's name is eminently respected in the audio industry, of course. The company he founded with Bernard Kardon developed the first mono and stereo receivers, among other accomplishments.

Sure was nice to see the phrase "Audio Pioneer" in the Times today — for any reason. You can read the full story here.

Good luck, Sidney!

— Ken Richardson

Super-strong Gorilla Glass heading to HDTVs

One of the greatest fears of any home theater buff is that their awesome HDTV will be tapped, knocked, or flung-Wiimoted, shattering the screen into many sharp, pointy, useless pieces. The large glass panes in HDTVs are fairly fragile, and like anything else made of glass they can break from impacts.

This could change in the future, thanks to Corning's Gorilla Glass. The company has announced that it is dedicating a great deal of money on researching and producing Gorilla Glass for LCD screens. Corning is cranking up production of Gorilla Glass at its Shizouka, Japan factory for several applications, including cell phones and HDTVs. Gorilla Glass is a hardened glass developed to be extremely resistant to impacts and scratches, and best known for its use in the iPhone 4. If used in HDTVs, it could make them much sturdier and give home theater owners some much-needed peace of mind.

— Will Greenwald