Posts in Home AV
The Hitachi ultra-thins are coming!
Philip Wong | May 30, 2008
If you like it really thin, the sleek Hitachi 1.5 is exactly what you've been waiting for. These new-gen HDTVs will knock you off your feet with their petite 1.5 inch-thick bezels. Available from 32- to 37- and 42-inch screen sizes, they feature brightness-enhanced IPS-Pro LCD and an external HD multimedia station. The latter can be mounted upright and houses DVB-T tuner and MPEG-4 decoder for HD broadcasts, plus twin HDMI inputs and USB port for onboard JPEG playback
That's not all. The larger 37- and 42-inchers are also full-HD-ready and pack 100Hz Clear Motion Picture technology to double the standard picture frame rate for smoother onscreen action. To further satisfy color fanatics, both are compatible with 36-bit Deep Color video signals for richer hues, too. The black/white Hitachi UT-series will be launched in Singapore from June 2. A 32-inch model without the media station will set you back S$1,999 (US$1,469.85). Do check back here for more updates.
Photo credit: Hitachi
Glass-to-sound Sony Sountina
Philip Wong | May 30, 2008
We blogged about some vineyard wine jug speakers a while back. Now it seems there's a new contender. It took Sony roughly a year to deliver the Sountina from concept to retail shelves. The result: A streamlined 12kg omni-directional speaker standing tall at an epic 1.825m with an attractive "organic" (sounds yummy and healthy!) glass tube.
It's no showcase, too, rated with a promising 50Hz to 20kHz frequency response, thanks to its ambitious three-way design. Apparently, Sony has squeezed into a cabinet, a 130mm woofer, 70mm midrange driver and even a funky glass tweeter. You'll also have a choice of analog and dual digital audio inputs for this 360-degree sound-radiating US$9,600
You aren't seriously expecting its Asia availablity anytime soon, yeah? Oh, come on! There're better ways to burn your hard-earned cash than this.
Via Born rich | Photo credit: Sony
Upsize your cable TV for less
Philip Wong | May 30, 2008
Feeling the pinch from the suffocating inflation? Here's an important heads-up for all existing and would-be StarHub Digital Cable subscribers. According to the latest development, you can save up to 40 percent monthly by upsizing your regular Basic Groups. Under its new initiative, the Singapore telco is rolling out a value-centric Basic Upsize tier to complement the former. Furthermore, a new Lifestyle Basic Group will also debut, featuring six channels such as Asian Food Channel and E! Entertainment.
Feeling a little deja vu? That's because the above programs are derived from its defunct Family Plus and Chinese Plus II bundles. Same goes for the Upsize tier, though you will get another four new channels, including AXN Beyond, into the mix, with all onboard by July. So in a nutshell, you can look forward to enjoying up to 14 channels for just S$5.35 (US$3.93). This works out to S$0.38 (US$0.28) each, instead of S$0.61 (US$0.45) based on its former Family Plus offer.
The catch? You have to subscribe to a specific Basic Group to sign up for the matching Basic Upsize equivalent. Zone Reality previously carried by StarHub, has also been withdrawn by its content provider, while BBC Entertainment is currently offline pending contract extension. According to Patrick Lim, head of Cable TV Service, the unbundling plus new packaging deliver more value and choices for its customers.
On a separate note, the cable TV operator is throwing in complimentary Eurosportnews for its Sports Group viewers. This will take effect from July 1, only for HubStation, digital and HD settop box owners. For information on pricing and program lineup, check out its official Webby for more details.
Photo credit: StarHub
Sony commits to Tru2way TV
Erica Ogg | May 29, 2008
The Japanese electronics giant will make an LCD set based on the Tru2way cable platform introduced in January at CES by Comcast. Tru2way allows interactive cable services to be integrated directly into devices.
Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, Cablevision, and Bright House Networks have all agreed to develop the technology behind Tru2way.
Sony's not the first consumer electronics company to announce a device based on the platform, however. At CES, Panasonic announced two high-definition televisions and a portable digital video recorder that use Tru2Way.
And last month Samsung, the world's largest producer of HDTVs, announced its own Tru2way TV and high-definition DVR.
Via CNET News Blog
BenQ: Two bulbs are better than one
Philip Wong | May 28, 2008
Unless you're really out of luck, chances are that nothing can stand in your way to clinch that million-dollar deal with BenQ's latest SP920. That's because this XGA DLP beamer is powered by dual onboard bulbs for two very strong reasons. First, it gives you backup redundancy in case of nasty blown bulbs. Secondly, their combined lumens serve out a staggering 6,000 ANSI brightness--more than sufficient for large venue conferences or to offset moderate ambient lighting.
To deliver the best bang for your buck, there are three selectable lamp modes. From high-power 6,000 lumens for 2,000-hour lamp life efficiency to 4,800 lumens/3,000-hour combination and a single-bulb 3,000 lumens for a doubled 4,000-hour serviceable usage. Rounding it up, you have HDMI 1.3 and component-video inputs, as well as DVI and PC equivalents for all your connectivity needs. Beyond that, no pricing or availability were given.
Via Akihabara news | Photo credit: BenQ
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