Sony brings Netflix to connected Bravia HDTVs, neglects PS3

The list of devices ready to bring Netflix's decidedly awesome online streaming service into your home theater is getting longer all the time. The latest addition is Sony's Internet-connected Bravia HDTVs. Whether you have a newer set with connectivity built-in, or you're using Sony's $300 external Bravia Link module, Netflix subscribers can start streaming sometime in the fall of this year. It's good to see it popping up in more places, but it does seem a little odd that Sony would hook up their TVs and leave PS3 users wanting. But hey, I get it. Convergence is a slow process.

LEDs light Sharp's newest line of HDTVs

Yesterday, Sharp announced its newest HDTV line, the Aquos LED series. As its name implies, the Aquos LED HDTVs use LED backlighting instead of conventional CCFL. Because LEDs lack the toxic chemicals of CCFL backlights, use far less energy, and last longer, they present a temptingly green alternative to "conventional" backlighting. LED backlighting has gained popularity over the last year, with Sony, Samsung, and Vizio announcing numerous LED-lit models. This will be Sharp's first broad release of LED HDTVs.

According to Sharp, each new Aquos LED model far exceeds Energy Star 3.0 standards, and consumes much less power than similarly-priced Sharp LCD screens from last year. The company also estimates that the new models will last much longer, expecting 100,000 hours for every screen.

Yamaha announces newest A/V receiver

Yamaha announced today a new A/V receiver with an impressive feature set and a price tag just shy of a grand. The RX-V1065 is a slightly more powerful version of the RX-V665 receiver. It retains all the features of its little brother, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio support, 1080p video upscaling, and 4 HDMI inputs. with a few small upgrades. It can play HD radio, a first for the X65 line of receivers, and can put out 105W over 7 channels, compared to the V665's 95W.

While it lacks the RS232 integration and 3-zone support of Yamaha's X900 receivers, it still offers plenty of flexibility for home theaters. It can handle 2 zones, and supports iPods, iPhones, and Bluetooth audio devices with Yamaha's optional YDS-11 dock and YBA-10 Bluetooth receiver. The Yamaha RX-V1065 retails for $999.95.

— Will Greenwald

California declares July 1, 2009 "DTS 7.1 Day"

Happy DTS 7.1 Day! If you're a resident of the Golden State (and more specifically, the SoCal community of Agoura Hills), then today is a day to celebrate DTS 7.1 surround. Agoura Hills mayor Denis Weber and California 41st District assemblywoman Julia Brownley have proclaimed that July 1st, 2009, is "DTS 7.1 Day."

What does this mean? Well, it means DTS put up a nice web site highlighting the day and that Fred Willard will be in some more comedy sketches, but besides that, it doesn't mean a whole lot.

While DTS has been saying that the California Assembly has recognized today as "DTS 7.1 Day," it's basically just the work of the aforementioned mayor and assemblywoman. Don't expect Governor Schwarzenegger to make a statewide declaration of the day, or for everyone from Napa to San Diego to celebrate 7.1 surround. It doesn't really represent anything at all.

Besides DTS 7.1 Day, July 1 distinguishes itself as Canada Day, Tartan Day in New Zealand and Australia, and the halfway mark for leap years. Of course, none of these celebrations really involve surround sound.

— Will Greenwald

Marantz's KI Pearl gear gets coffeetable book, SACD

Last month, Marantz announced its upcoming KI Pearl line of high-end audio equipment. The SA-KI Pearl SACD Player and PM-KI Pearl Integrated Amplifier were created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the company's European brand director, audio designer Ken Ishiwata. Both the SACD player and the amp have all the hallmarks of special, limited-edition product releases: limited quantities, a unique "silk pearl" finish, and a formidable price tag ($2,999 for the SA-KI and $3,599 for the PM-KI). Now, Marantz has announced a series of collectibles to go with these limited-edition components.

The company will release a hardcover coffee table book ($30) and a dual-layer SACD ($50) that, like the KI Pearl components themselves, focus on the work of Ishiwata. The SACD is the most notable item, with a dozen jazz tracks chosen by Ishiwata and featuring the work of singer Katelijne van Otterloo. It was recorded with entirely acoustic instruments with a small sound stage, to emphasize Ishiwata's aural aesthetics.

Both the book and SACD will be available from Marantz retailers later this summer. The SA-KI Pearl SACD player is already available at Marantz retailers, and the PM-KI Pearl will ship in September.

— Will Greenwald

SRS TruVolume: Why another volume leveler?

Given that TV makers can already choose from at least two volume-leveling technologies— Audyssey Dynamic Volume and Dolby Volume—the announcement that SRS has launched a competing technology might be greeted with the same excitement as a new brand of HDMI cable. According to SRS chief technology officer Alan Kraemer, though, SRS’s TruVolume technology has a big advantage over its competitors … and his pitch is not the usual “we’re better” spiel.

Technologies such as TruVolume seek to solve the decades-old problem of loud commercials blaring out at double the volume of the TV show you’re watching. In the past, manufacturers have tried to quash such outbursts using primitive automatic level circuits, but in Kraemer’s words, “Those either did nothing or really messed up the sound.”

Michael Jackson: 1958–2009

When I heard the news, I was in the S&V sound room listening to (wait for it) "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." True! Specifically, when my mother called (a true rocker, she), I had just heard "Shine . . . Part VII," which ends with these lines:

Come on you boy child,
You winner and loser,
Come on you miner for truth and delusion, and shine!

After getting the news . . . what else could I do but press Play again? In came "Part VIII," where the funk meets the Floyd. It was almost as if the Ghost of Pop had entered the listening room and melded with the music.

Then, of course, came the concluding "Part IX" — which, according to David Gilmour, is "a slow 4/4 funeral march . . . the parting musical eulogy to Syd."

You can't make this stuff up.

(Why was I listening to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" anyway? Well, an acquaintance had given me a DVD-Audio burn of the old quadraphonic mix of Wish You Were Here, now in 4.1. But that's a story for another time.)

Back to Michael Jackson . . .

U.S. I.T.C. blunts Sharp imports

The U.S. International Trade Commission is banning imports of certain models of Sharp LCD, due to an ongoing 2007 patent dispute with Samsung. Out of four patent infringement claims from Samsung, an ITC judge ruled that one was indeed violated by , leading the commission to block Sharp imports.

The ban affects Sharp's ability to sell LCD HDTVs, along with computer monitors and other devices that use LCDs. The ITC hasn't issued a final ruling yet, but the ban will be upheld for the time being.

— Will Greenwald

The sound of gaming

Video games and home theater enthusiasm seem like the perfect match. A far cry from the days of pixelated sprites and harshly synthesized sound effects, modern video games have all the hallmarks of a top-notch Blu-ray release: high-resolution graphics, Dolby Digital surround sound, and tons of interactive features. Unfortunately, the twin houses of gamers and home theater buffs almost never mingle, despite how well their equipment can work with each other.

I recently upgraded my modest home theater to a 5.1 surround system with an Onkyo SR607 receiver, some THX-certified Boston Acoustics speakers, and a Sony SA-W2500 100-watt subwoofer. It won't rock the house's foundations (which is good, since I live in an apartment), but it puts out some solid, clear sound, and it has seriously enhanced my gaming experience.

Before I put together my new system, I used my HDTV's mediocre built-in speakers. They were stereo, they got decently loud, they reproduced dialogue and sound effects well enough, but they simply weren't all that good. Since I'm a member of a generation that grew up on synthesized BGM tracks and beeps and bloops for sound effects all through the 8- and 16-bit gaming eras, the television's speakers were "good enough." I knew my Xbox 360 was capable of much more, but, like many other gamers, I was reasonably satisfied. The Xbox 360, like the Playstation 3, supports Dolby and DTS surround, and can play DVDs and stream Netflix video. Like its rival, the Blu-ray Disc-playing Playstation 3, the Xbox 360 has enough A/V bells and whistles to justify itself not only as a gaming platform, but as a media player. In fact, my Xbox 360 serves as my main DVD player, for convenience. Of course, it was built primarily to play games, so all of those audio and video features that work so well with movies and music can work just as well with games.

Until I got everything set up, plugged in (via a fiber optic TOSLink cable running from my Xbox 360 to my receiver), and turned on. Between the drastically improved fidelity of the dedicated speakers and the rich presence of the surround sound, my game was transformed from a diversion to an experience.

Belkin boasts 1,000-Mbps Powerline adapter

There is HD video flying all over the place, overworking wireless routers to the point of exhaustion. Belkin's new Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit does what any good Powerline system should do, sending heaps of data through a house's existing wiring. They're claiming their $149 kit is capable of 1,000 Mbps (in perfect fantasy, which is quite a bit, especially for a system at that price point). The unit itself is actually very slick-looking, which is in line with Belkin's reputation. Heck, they made an attractive router, which is an achievement in itself. The system is available now (in North America, early August for Euros) and we're hoping to get our hands on one soon to see just how much HD video it can handle.

Product page

Tomorrow Is Vinyl Saturday...

 

...and you know what that means: It's an official reason/excuse for yer vinyl-centric EIC to buy more wax! Yes, it's true — the folks who bring us that wonderful annual spring event, Record Store Day, are presenting Saturday, June 20, as the inaugural Vinyl Saturday. Among the day's sweet exclusives are limited-edition offerings from the likes of Wilco, Green Day, Pete Yorn/Scarlett Johansson, and Modest Mouse. So get on out to your favorite rekkid store and do yer vinyl duty. And feel free to look for me at my preferred haunt in NJ, Vintage Vinyl. Happy hunting, y'all... —Mike Mettler, S&V EIC

Yamaha unveils MusicCAST2, wireless music system

Wireless music systems really can run the gamut from low end to something extremely snazzy and high-end like Sooloos. Yamaha’s new outfit finds itself somewhere in the middle, offering multi-room playback of all your audio files (iTunes AAC files, MP3s, WMA, FLAC, and WAV). Control is handeld by the Network Music Commander, which can also control devices from other manufacturers. It’s expandable to up to 32 different rooms if you’re willing to buy that many amplified receivers. It even displays full cover art, but it seems to be lacking any kind of smart playlist function, which sets other high-end solutions apart. A two-zone pack will set you back about $1,200 for a Commander and two amplified players.

Check out this video introducing the MusicCAST2 from Yamaha, and check out the specs below for this system.

Commander Main Features

• 3.5" full-color display
• Interactive touch pad
• Simple menus with easy-to-use GUI
• Full color album art display
• Full 2 way metadata communication
• 1 Commander controls up to 32 zones
• Support of Yamaha Network AV receivers (RX-Z7, RX-V3900)
• Compact size and light weight

Amplified Music Player Main Features

• Play any available network music content
• Support music stored on USB flash drives
• Alarm clock feature
• Control buttons on top for easy access
• Subwoofer output for added bass
• iPod/Bluetooth compatibility via optional accessories
• Built-in amplifier

Popcorn Hour C-200 ready for a Blu-ray drive

The Popcorn Hour has always been a pretty capable little media streamer, but the newest iteration is substantially more robust than most of its predecessors. On the front, you'll find a swappable bay that can accept a hard drive or even a Blu-ray drive should you choose to stick one in there. Of course, it can still handle just about every video format, but it looks like DivX is conspicuously missing from the list for some reason. It has a gigabit ethernet connection for sharing content from your home network (no luck if you're a WiFi only home) and a display on the front for getting around your conent without taking up your main screen.

The package comes with its own remote and an HDMI cable for $299, making it seem like a pretty solid little solution for secondary rooms that aren't already equipped with decent gear. Of course, it would be nice if it could play back video from video_ts folders, but that's just wishful thinking. It's apparently going to be released next month, so any houseguests before then will have to stick to plain old cable in the guest bedroom.

--Stan Horaczek

Maingear's HTPC is a serious gaming machine

Home Theater PCs and high-end gaming rigs generally sit on two opposite ends of the expensive computer spectrum. Maingear, however, has created a pretty impressive machine that can ably handle both. At its top-end, the AXESS HD Gamer model is ridiculously fast, sporting an Intel Core i7-975 Extreme Edition 3.3GHz processor and up to 12GB of DDR3 1333MHz RAM. Handling the graphics are two NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 1GB chips arranged in an SLI. Translation: It will eat Left 4 Dead like a hungry zombie eats an unsuspecting victim.

But, despite its gaming capabilities, it's also a full-fledged media machine, with an onboard Realtek ALC885 that pumps out 8-channel audio. The Pioneer Black Blu-ray drive is a great component and it can handle up to 4TB of 7200 RPM storage. The base model starts at $1,800, but turning it into a dream machine will run you well north of $4,000. For that kind of firepower in a really sexy box, though, that doesn't sound like a bad deal. You even get a Phantom Lapboard keyboard as part of the standard package, which is a lot cooler than the standard Media Center remote.

--Stan Horaczek

Sirius XM iPhone app is live, lacks Howard

If you have been pining for satellite radio on your iPhone or iPod touch, then today is your lucky day. The Sirius XM app lets you stream 120 channels to your portable player. It's free for Premium subscribers, but will cost $3 a month (after a free 7-day trial) if you're not.

Impressions of the app have been excellent so far, but it's getting a ton of bad reviews on its App Store page due to the fact that Howard Stern's stations aren't part of the package. We're not exactly sure what that is--it might have something to do with AT&T not wanting its servers crushed to death with data--but there's still plenty of other good stuff available to make it worth the extra scratch. And, if you don't think it's worth it, there are still always Pandora and Slacker to help you drown out the sickening silence.

Paradigm's new speakers: both on- AND in-wall

Paradigm's new architectural speakers can't make up their minds. On one hand, they're built into the walls, requiring holes to be cut for installation like in-wall speakers. On the other hand, they protrude from the wall, like on-wall speakers.

Not wanting to take sides, the company calls its new Reference Hybrid Millenia speakers "hybrid" on-wall/in-wall speakers, and claims the design offers fomr of the best of both varieties. Since it sticks out (slightly, at just an inch and a half) from the wall, it should offer superior acoustics than in-wall speakers that sit flush against the surface of the wall. Since it's built partly into the wall, it should offer greater stability than on-wall models that require a mount.

The new hybrid speakers will come in two varieties: the Reference Hybrid Millenia 10 and Reference Hybrid Millenia 20. The smaller Millenia 10 can handle up to 90 watts of power and features 3 drivers, while the beefier Millenia 20 can take up to 110 watts and offers 5 drivers. They will retail for $379 and $529 respectively.

— Will Greenwald

New Gear: Intimus 4BP Bipole Speaker

It’s not easy to find affordable equipment as an entry-level, home-theater buyer. That is until Aperion Audio announced its new surround sound speaker: The new Intimus 4BP Bipole Surround Sound Speaker. For $199 you get a pair of 1” audiophile grade silk-dome tweeters positioned at opposing angles for maximum sound dispersion and the same high quality 4” woven-fiberglass woofer used in the Aperion Intimus 4T Tower Speaker. Along with that Aperion is throwing in free shipping, a 10 year warranty and other features (see list below) that make the $199 seem like a bigger steal.

Key Features:

• Dual 1” audiophile grade silk-dome tweeters
• 4” Woven-fiberglass woofer
• Seamless magnetic grill
• Wall mounting brackets
• Anti-resonant cabinet
• Furniture-grade finish in cherry wood or high gloss piano black
• 10 year warranty
• Free shipping both ways
• Free lifetime customer support
• Retails for $199 and shipping now

- Patrick Parker

Audyssey Labs launches new Sub Equalizer

During the press junket that introduced Audyssey Labs’ DSX 10-channel surround-sound technology, the company also gave us an advance listen to a new product it was working on: the Sub Equalizer. Now that the Sub Equalizer has been officially announced, we’re free to talk about it.

The $799 Sub Equalizer is a slim black box that optimizes the performance of one or two subwoofers for the acoustics of the room they’re installed in. It’s like a bass-only version of the MultEQ auto room compensation technology found in many A/V receivers. Audyssey chief technology officer Chris Kyriakakis said that the Sub Equalizer’s resolution is higher than that of the subwoofer equalizing function built into MultEQ.

What the DTV transition really looked like

Chances are, you were well-prepared for the DTV switch, but those who weren't got to see something pretty interesting. This video is a collection of the local Houston, Texas, TV stations the moment of the switch. Some simply went to static, some lost picture and some displayed a message from the National Association of Broadcasters telling you what to do next. Luckily, with all the messages from local TV stations, network news, and the government the majority of Americans were ready for this switchover. 

Now we know, as S&V users, you were well prepared for the switch, but let us know in the comments field below if you saw anything unusual happen to your TV in the early-morning on Friday.

-- Patrick Parker

Meanwhile, over at "The Howard Stern Show" . . .

 
Yesterday, I went over to The Howard Stern Show at Sirius XM central HQ here in midtown Manhattan to hand-deliver copies of the June/July/August issue to Gadget Gary himself, Gary Dell'Abate. The issue features a piece that reports on the session we conducted in Gary's new home theater where both he and I auditioned some amazing video and audio samplings for a roomful of gear-lovin' guys. (We'll post the full story here soon, but you can get a preview over at Gary's own site, bababooey.com, over the weekend.)

And, yeah, we talk about the infamous "bar stools." (Which are most decidedly NOT frakkin' bar stools, of course...)

Gary and I did a joint interview for Howard 100 News about the piece, so keep your ears peeled for that. Segments from our chat with Lisa G started airing all throughout the Stern Show world today. (News segments appear all throughout the day on both Howard 100 and Howard 101, in fact, so they're run through the weekend and into next week.) Gary told Lisa that his favorite sentence in the story describes what would happen to CBS exec Vinnie Favale if he didn't pipe down during the session.

After that, I sat in on The Wrap Up Show (which Gary co-hosts with Jon Hein, a fellow Pittsburgh Penguins fan), where Jillian Barberie-Reynolds regaled us with tales of, er, tail (among other things). Talk about timing — I'd interviewed Jillian about her days of selling hi-fi gear in Canada a few months back, and you can see that piece in the Press & Publicity section at askjillian.com. I promised Jillian's right-hand gal Liz I'd give her an exclusive on the extended version of the interview, so they'll get that one soon.

Enjoy the weekend, everyone. Tonight, I'm watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on the new 50-inch plasma. And Baba Booey to you all...  —Mike Mettler, S&V EIC

New gear: Monster Turbine Pro headphones

We already showed you Monster's enormous table-top remote, but they're not out of new products yet. The Turbine Pros come at a $80 premium compared to their non-Pro counterparts and are plated in a very shiny gold material that will either elate or disgust your sense of style [The picture above is of the original Turbines]. They use a single dynamic driver, like the regular Turbines, but the internal layout is different and made from different, more expensive, materials. They will be officially on-sale next month, at which point you can check them out and see if they're worth the swap. As an added bonus, they should fit tips intended for Shure headphones, so all that research you've done trying to get the perfect fit for your canal won't go to waste.

Check out the Monster site for more info

Good riddance to analog TV

With apologies to World War II vets, June 12, 2009, should be declared D-Day. Conveniently, it’s the day analog TV broadcasting shuts down, leaving digital signals as the only way for viewers to receive over-the-air channels. Yet digital television (DTV) is but a bit player in the larger scheme of society’s quickening swing to an all-digital world.

No generation is more aware of this change than anadiggies (a.k.a. baby boomers), for whom D-Day represents a sort of crossing over from the analog world of mid-20th Century industrial America, when they were born, into the digital world where they’ll expire – no coupon necessary. For them, D-Day is clearly a dividing line.

Savant unleashes new Virtual Control User Interface

The company that created the iPhone interface has just made another impressive user-friendly device, this time for your home called the “Virtual Control User Interface.” The new unit is designed for total home automation, so it plays nice with your lighting, heat, cooling units, shades, fans and just about anything else electronic you can point it at. It uses the same “swipe” controls as the iPod Touch so you can use gestures to move from room to room. The display actually shows 360-degree pictures of your rooms that you can navigate by touching. They will even take and upload the pictures for you in case you’re not so photographically inclined.

Also, check out a list of Savant’s other new products  from their annual conference including a line of new iPod docking stations.

- Patrick Parker

Monster's tabletop $50 remote control

Though it looks like it was ripped straight from the dashboard of a 1974 Chevy Nova, Monster's new AV50 remote control is an all-new piece of gear. The AV50 is a tabletop remote, designed to be plunked down on a flat surface near the couch and kept there, rather than constantly jumping between users' hands and the undersides of the couch cushions. .

Underneath the myriad backlit buttons, quaint compared to more expensive touchscreen remotes, lie some fairly sophisticated electronics. A web-based setup wizard and USB port lets users configure the remote through their computer, and customizable activities can be set to automate complicated home theater functions.

The price point is the most appealing aspect of the AV50. While most web-programmable remotes that support activity macros can cost over $100, Monster's new model can be purchased for a scant $50. It's not nearly as powerful or flexible as a Crestron remote that costs 10 times as much, but it might be a good solution for users who want a nice, big, stay-in-one-place remote but don't want to spend a lot of money. The AV50 ships in July.

— Will Greenwald

Harman Kardon brings the Blu

Harman Kardon is finally entering the U.S. Blu-ray Disc player market with the BDP-1, a full-featured and pricey deck that ships later this month.

The BDP 1 plays both Profile 1.1 (Bonus View) and Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) Blu-ray features, and can handle a wide variety of audio formats. It supports Dolby Digital TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats, and can play back users' MP3 and WMA audio files straight from either a CD/DVD/BD disc or USB drive. While it doesn't include RS-232C support, it offers IR remote input and output for system integration with an IR blaster. It also can output digital audio through either optical or coaxial cables.

The new player should hit stores later this month, and will retail for $499.

— Will Greenwald

[Source: BusinessWire via Engadget HD]

The Perfect Shield

The Shield remains one of the most seamless shows that has ever aired, period. It never faltered, never stumbled, never even had a "fill-in" or "coasting" episode. For seven seasons, Michael Chiklis's Vic Mackey runned and gunned all over the seediest neighborhoods in L.A. as if his life depended on it (it did), and we were treated to some of the grittiest, most brutally honest law-and-disorder storytelling and envelope-pushing seen on basic cable. (Thank you, FX.)

The final season, Season 7, has just made it onto DVD, and it brings everything to a head with one of the most satisfying — if ultimately unrepentingly tragic — endings to a show ever. The full-frame Super 16 handheld style that was established in the pilot held consistent throughout all seven seasons, giving The Shield a signature look that built upon the documentarian, you-are-there feel of Homicide: Life on the Street. You'll have to adjust your eyes and expectations if you watch these DVDs on a plasma set as I did — and via my Blu-ray Disc player to boot — but once you do (I was duly attenuated by Episode 3), the realism of it all becomes, well, all that more real.

Once again, Sony has ensured a memorable box set, with each of the 12 episodes carrying commentaries from multiple sources; almost every episode of the entire series, in fact, has a commentary like that. And unlike many an empty BS commentary session, each one here is worth your time, due to a) the general camaraderie and respect both the actors and creators have for each other and the work as a whole, and b) the cognizant shepherding of series creator Shawn Ryan. I recently spoke with Ryan about the minutiae of this box set specifically and the greatness of The Shield in general, and we'll be posting that interview here soon. Stay tuned — you'll not see the likes of this one again anytime soon. —Mike Mettler, S&V EIC

Sirius XM reportedly getting a $2 price hike next month

The news comes from some "leaked" internal documents, but it looks like subscribers will be hit for an extra $2 in every Sirius XM bill in the form of a music royalties surcharge. This is happening because of a royalty increase that was enacted in 2007 and will continue to increase, all the way up to 8% between now and 2012. That's an extra expense that plain old radio doesn't have to contend with at all. According to the report at Orbitcast, single subscribers will pay an extra $1.98, multiple radio plans will go up $.97 and "Mostly Music" packages will go up by $1.53. And according to the FAQs posted in the document, going a-la-carte and opting out of music stations won't lessen the cost.

We put in an e-mail to Sirius PR, but haven't heard back on whether or not this thing is actually confirmed, but we'll keep you updated. Until then, it might be a good idea to tell Quicken to set an extra $2 aside for your entertainment budget from now on.

-Stan Horaczek

Wear your music: ThinkGeek's soundtrack shirt

If there was an audio-themed superhero, this would be his costume. ThinkGeek's Personal Soundtrack Shirt slaps a speaker squarely on your chest, so you can simultaneously exude fashion sense and decibels.

At $40, the shirt might seem pricey for a nerdy garment, but it comes packed with some very clever home-grown tech. The lads at ThinkGeek managed to tuck a speaker, an SD card-based MP3 player, and a wired remote control into the shirt. The speaker hooks onto a discreet grommet on the chest via velcro, and the player and remote stay hidden in a small inside pocket on the side. Plenty more details below the break!

Cuban Upgrades The Mavs' Arena To 1080p

The saying “Everything’s Bigger In Texas” might have to be adjusted to include “Clearer” and “Louder” with the improvements the professional sports owners in the state are doing. First it was Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones building his $1.15 billion stadium with 1080p scoreboards, and now its Mavs owner Mark Cuban announcing that his American Airlines arena will be the first HD building the NBA and NHL will see next season. Earlier last week Cuban lost a battle with Time Warner Cable over his HDNet channels spot on the package, but now with this proposed new HD arena, the boisterous owner has bigger things on his mind.

The total refurbishment of the arena will include the following additions:

• Four 18- by 30-foot video scoreboards coming to the center display

• Two 24- by 72-foot video walls at the north and south ends.

• Digital six speaker linear system.

The HD scoreboard that was added to the new Yankee Stadium this year has already received rave reviews, and with the promises of the ultimate experience by Cuban, every arena, stadium and ballpark should see some sort of 1080 makeover over the next few years.

- Patrick Parker

Vizio unleashes 31 new HDTVs for 2009

We reported before that value-oriented Vizio is currently shipping more LCD TVs than anyone else in the country and it sure doesn't look like they plan on stopping. They have announced 31 new SKUs across three different product lines that will be rolling out this year.

The newest additions to their higher-end XVT series will sport bezels designed to look like wooden picture frmaes. Certain models will also get add-ons like their Smooth Motion technology (for dipslaying at 120Hz) and USB ports that support MPEG-2, H.264 and WMC9 video as well as JPEG photos and MP3 music.

Above all, they're keeping costs down, with the most expensive panel on the entire list (The 42-inch XVT 120 Hz LCD) ringing up at $2199. Check after the jump for the breakdown of the products.