Samsung BD-P1400 firmware upgrade

For vigilant BD-P1400 blu-ray player users, Samsung has just released a new firmware upgrade to address the 1080p24 onscreen judder and Live Free or Die Hard disc compatibility issues. These were two major problems reported by early Asian adopters in local forums including intermittent audio dropout. This firmware upgrade is currently only available online using its inbuilt network port.

In a separate note, Singapore electronics retailer Harvey Norman has been offering this Samsung HD player at S$699 (US$513.97) promotional launch price bundled with three Blu-ray Fox titles. This makes the BD-P1400 the most affordable standalone kits in the Singapore market, not to mention its enticing raw (bitstream) Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD surround sound output capability via HDMI.

LG's Xcanvas upgraded with 120Hz panels

These LG LCD TVs (available only in Korea) have just received a speed boost. They have been upgraded with a 120Hz refresh rate to counter motion blur and gives smoother onscreen actions. This should provide an edge for the full-HD Xcanvas over its regular counterparts, while bridging screen response performance gap against plasma TVs.

Three sizes are available: From 42 to 47 and 52 inches and all models come in a unique wooden bezel. Other standard bits include JPEG and MP3 playback via inbuilt USB, 1080p-enabled PC input and digital optical audio output.

Via Akihabara News | Photo credit: LG

Your new shower A/V buddy

You can always rekindle your American Idol dreams during a shower, but if singing is not your cup of tea, check out this nifty waterproof gadget from Japanese company Evergreen. The EG-FTV71S is a portable self-contained TV packed with a 7-inch screen and stereo speakers, complete with an inbuilt digital tuner and rechargeable battery. It has a respectable 3-hour battery life and is packaged with an array of accessories including a drip-proof remote controller and external TV antenna.

This petite 600g flat panel is strictly for the Japanese market and retails at a whopping S$480 (US$352.94). That's about twice the street price of a comparable made-in-China portable DVD player.

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Via Akihabara News | Photo credit: Evergreen

Dell 3008WFP sets the bar for supersized LCD monitor

We reckon anyone will fall in love with this sleek and huge 30-inch LCD monitor. Not only does it exudes high-fashion styling with its black brushed-metal finish, this full-HD-ready mammoth is also one-of-a-kind with a slew of connectivity options. It is possibly one of the first consumer-grade displays to feature the upcoming DisplayPort, a compact replacement for the current standard DVI socket.

Did you just murmur that there are no DisplayPort-compatible computers and A/V boxes yet? Dell has you covered with just about all the necessary video inputs known in the market. These range from a HDMI and dual DVI terminals to the legacy analog component-video, S-video and composite jacks. Furthermore, the 3008WFP is shipped with an inbuilt video processor that scales lower-resolution video signals to fit its luscious 2,560 x 1,600-pixel screen.

Just add a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Elite and a couple of high-power computer graphics cards for the ultimate personal entertainment kit. Pricing and launch details for Asia were not available at press time, though it's already on sale in Japan for a whopping S$2,950 (US$2,169.12).

One-stop Pioneer audio-visual galleries

For most consumer electronics brands, a product catalog is the closest you can get to a hassle-free one-glance preview of a company's lineup. That said, nothing beats an upclose and personal experience in sampling a product under a conducive environment. To give its customers easier access to its offerings, Pioneer and its retail partners have recently setup two specialized home entertainment concept stores in Singapore.

Dubbed Pioneer Gallery and located at both The Adelphi (#01-02) and Sim Lim Square (#01-51/52), the new showrooms showcase the Japanese vendor's latest range of Kuro plasma TVs and LX-series A/V components. Besides onsite auditions and demonstrations to feast your senses at its "Experience Zone", there will also be inhouse consultants on hand to provide professional advice and recommendations to meet all your entertainment needs.

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