Gizmag: Home Entertainment

LaCie LaCinema Classic HD has DLNA server, Wi-Fi and up to 2TB storage

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:26:17 -0600

LaCie has revamped its LaCinema Classic multimedia hard drive to be a media player with up 2TB internal storage, optional 802.11n Wi-Fi and a built-in DLNA server that lets users browse, play and share HD 1080p media collections from anywhere in the home, directly on an HDTV. ..

Tags: Entertainment, hard drive, HD, HDMI, HDTV, LaCie, Media, Multimedia, server, Storage, USB, Wi-fi, Wireless

Related Articles:

Media Chair offers iPod dock, speakers, projector – and comfort

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:04:39 -0600

Usually, when you envisage a media chair your mind conjures up thoughts of weird (read uncomfortable) pieces of furniture that would be more at home in a museum of modern art than your lounge room. But Martin Emila’s Media Chair is something else. Sure, it’s a bit “left field” but it’s a concept chair that would look pretty good at my place I reckon. It features embedded speakers, an iPod dock, a projector and, above all, looks pretty darn comfortable...

Tags: Chair, Concept, furniture, iPod, Multimedia

Related Articles:

Zeppelin Mini: Bowers and Wilkins' high-end iPod dock gets downsized

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:04:36 -0600

No longer resembling a Zeppelin like its aptly-named big brother, the Zeppelin Mini iPod speaker system from Bowers and Wilkins still rates as an edgy, stylish design. B&W says the new sound dock delivers everything listeners love about the Zeppelin - advanced acoustic technology, intelligent design and elegant connectivity - but instead of being an almost prohibitive 26 inches wide, the Zeppelin Mini is a mere 12.6 inches, making it much easier to locate on bookshelves or other tight spaces...

Tags: Dock, iPhone, iPod, iTunes, MINI, Speaker, Zeppelin

Related Articles:

Portable power - the Bose SoundDock 10 digital music system

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:55:16 -0500

As the number of music-lovers who find their collections bundled snugly into the confines of an iPod continues to grow, so too does the number of increasingly more powerful docking stations that appear on the market to play those tunes aloud. One of the latest additions to the party, the SoundDock 10, comes with a promise from Bose that it delivers quality sound from a minimalist package. The SoundDock 10 features a newly-designed subwoofer, audio input and video output as well as optional Bluetooth capability. ..

Tags: Audio, Bluetooth, Bose, docking station, iPhone, iPod, iPod touch, Music, Subwoofer, USB, Video

Related Articles:

Netflix streaming coming to Sony PS3

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:32:32 -0500

A new feather in the Sony PS3's cap is its ability to stream instantly thousands of movies and TV episodes from Netflix. From next month, Netflix members in the U.S. will have access to the Netflix library via their PS3s at no extra cost. Netflix says the PS3 is currently sitting in around 9 million U.S. homes while Netflix has notched up an impressive 11.1 million U.S. subscribers...

Tags: Members, Netflix, PlayStation 3, Playstation Network, PS3, Sony, Streaming

Related Articles:

Philips' Wireless HDTV Link transmits up to 1080p

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:33:55 -0500

Philips' Wireless HDTV Link (SWW1800/27) replaces the cables that connect the HD cable set-top box, HD satellite receiver, Blu-ray player or gaming console to a HDTV and delivers up to 1080p picture quality at a range of 75 feet. This solution should appeal to viewers who have suffered from a lack of flexibility with their set-ups because of unsightly or too short cables...

Tags: Blu-ray, Gaming, HD, HDMI, HDTV, Link, Philips, Wireless

Related Articles:

Feature: What is an LED TV?

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:06:43 -0500

Buying a TV has become as complicated as selecting the right mobile phone plan. Before large flat panel displays invaded our lives, the only real question when purchasing a CRT (cathode ray tube) TV was how big did you want it and how much space did you have in your room to house it? Sure, there were some quality issues but mostly it was dictated by how many diagonal inches you could get for your buck. While some of that justification still rings true with today’s TVs, now there’s the issue of plasma versus LCD to contend with, and just when you had that sorted out, LED TVs have entered the arena as an option. However, there still seems to be a fair bit of confusion surrounding what exactly an LED TV is. Well, basically, it’s another form of LCD TV that uses LEDs to provide its light source...

Tags: LCD, LED, LED backlit, LG, Metz, Mitsubishi, OLED, Regza, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, television, Toshiba, TV

Related Articles:

The ultra-thin JVC SP-FT home theater – only 31mm thick

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:23:21 -0500

Just when you thought your room wasn’t big enough for a home theater, JVC has come to the rescue with its ultra-slim amplifier and speakers, designed to sit perfectly alongside or underneath your ultra-slim 50-inch TV or projector screen. The SP-FT model from JVC is a pair of 31mm thin satellite speakers and matching amplifier which pump out an adequate 80W total output over four independent channels and support Dolby Digital, DTS and AAC formats...

Tags: Amplifier, JVC, Satellite, Speakers, Theater, Thin, Ultra

Related Articles:

Stream and access media files on the big screen with the definitive WD TV Live

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:52:51 -0500

Despite being relatively late to bat in the media streamer/jukebox market, Western Digital came up with a gem of a product last year with the WD TV, which featured in our recent take on Media Streamers. This slimline, stylish device was designed to attach to a TV and play back music, photo and video files from connected storage, but lacked the streaming capabilities and HD support of more versatile (and expensive) rivals. Buoyed by the success of the WD TV, Western Digital is back with the WD TV Live, which addresses the above issues by offering full-HD, 1080p playback via an HDMI 1.3 port, and the ability to stream files across a wired or wireless network. ..

Tags: Digital Media, HD, HDMI, Streaming, TV, WD, Western Digital, Wireless

Related Articles:

The GlideTV Navigator is a mouse, keyboard and AV remote that fits in the palm of your hand

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:54:24 -0500

TVs are no longer dumb receivers sitting in the corner of the lounge, displaying whatever trash the networks have decided to cram down our throats. Nowadays, a TV is just as likely to be hooked up to a home theater PC (HTPC) for playing games, accessing media content stored on a hard disk, or surfing the Internet. For more complex tasks like that, the humble remote starts to look a little underdone. That's where remote controls on steroids, such as the GlideTV Navigator, come in. It combines the functionality of a keyboard, mouse and AV remote control in one distinctive-looking unit that fits in the palm of your hand...

Tags: Computers, Glidetv, Home Entertainment, Mouse, Navigator, Personal Computers, Remote Control, Touch-enabled, USB

Related Articles:

Toshiba's Cell Regza 55X1 is the pinnacle of LED TVs

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:05:56 -0500

Toshiba has upped the ante in TV technology by unveiling its flagship model, the Cell Regza 55X1. This new 55-inch LED unit has the TV junkie in mind with many features not seen before, including the ability to record up to eight channels at once, a 3TB hard drive (record and store up to 26 hours of HD programs), a powerful processing chip identical to the one found in the PS3, a dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1, 240Hz scanning, a display divided into 512 distinct areas (each with individually-controlled lighting and luminance that deliver an industry high 1250cd/m2 – 2.5 times higher than typical TVs, and a seven-speaker sound bar. All for a lazy ¥1 million (US$11,500 approx)...

Tags: Cell Rezga, HD, HDTV, LED, Regza, Toshiba, TV

Related Articles:

Fraunhofer slims down its ultra flat loudspeakers to less than one inch

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:20:02 -0500

It seems the world has become obsessed with ‘skinny’ – watch your diet, exercise more and aspire to be ‘model thin’. But skinny isn't always better when it comes to speakers – good sound reproduction needs room to vibrate. However, at IFA, Fraunhofer scientists (in cooperation with Sennheiser electronic) presented a completely new concept for ultra-flat loudspeakers that still deliver full sound reproduction. What’s more, these speakers can be integrated inconspicuously on walls or in furniture because they're only 24mm thick (0.94-inch). ..

Tags: Flat, Fraunhofer, IFA 2009, Loudspeakers, Sennheiser, Speakers, Thin

Related Articles:

Wall-mounted bar for cool cocktail parties

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:24:31 -0500

If you’re the type of entertainer who likes to make their guests green with envy, then this wall-mounted bar is sure to get your attention. This cooler-than-cool concept is smolderingly good-looking with its dark, smooth drinks cabinetry. The stunning silver ice dispenser and suspended drinks tray just add to the appeal. Don't you wish you could get your hands on one immediately?..

Tags: Bar, Drinking, Entertainment, Wall-mounted

Related Articles:

Pure Sensia DAB/WiFi touchscreen radio

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:08:59 -0500

Not long ago, radio manufacturers had only to worry about the basic look of their devices. Rarely were new stations added, reception methods hadn’t changed in a long time and, generally, smaller was better. Sure, they had to combine an alarm clock in some models, but that wasn’t too difficult. Now a radio has to be a veritable Swiss army knife of appliances, and this is where the new Sensia from Pure excels. Its list of features includes a large color touch screen display, DAB, FM stereo and digital radio with full Band III, wireless media streaming, input from iPods/iPhones and MP3 players, and Pure Apps that let you connect with Facebook, Twitter, Picasa and thousands of podcasts...

Tags: DAB, Digital, Facebook, iPod, Music, Pure, Radio, Remote Control, Sensia, Touch Screen, Wifi, Wireless

Related Articles:

BBC to sell 'Project Canvas' web-based TV concept around the world

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:12:05 -0500

Those outside of the UK may not be overly familiar with the BBC iPlayer, a streaming web-based TV service for the British institution’s range of channels that has seen burgeoning success and spawned a number of terrestrial and satellite-based rivals. It’s also worth summarising the aim of Project Canvas, a venture by the broadcasting giant that looks to bring a similar streaming service to the home and will notably look to incorporate other channels, on-demand services and web-based content from sites such as YouTube, Flickr and Facebook, as well as built-in PVR functionality though a set-top box connected to a TV. ..

Tags: BBC, British, DVB-T, Global, Internet, iPlayer, On-demand, Project Canvas, Streaming, TV

Related Articles:

Video: DivX demonstrates DivX Plus HD

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:21:26 -0500

After seeing CE devices that were certified for DivX Plus HD playback at IFA 2009, wondering what exactly what DivX Plus HD was, and finding next to no information about it on the web, we decided to go straight to the source. In short, it's a bunch of nifty stuff for both high-definition content consumers and creators, but if you want to know much, much more, click through for the video of Tim Hanlon talking to DivX at IFA...

Tags: DivX, DivX Plus HD, HD, IFA 2009, Video

Related Articles:

Cast a spell on electronic wizardry with the Kymera Magic Wand universal remote

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:05:27 -0500

If you’re looking for a universal remote to complement any Harry Potter marathons screening on the tube, you might want to consider the Magic Wand universal remote control from Kymera. Sure to raise the eyebrows of any nearby muggles, the remote allows budding magicians to control their magical picture box or other piece of remote controllable electronic wizardry with a flick of the wrist - 'Abracadabra' optional...

Tags: Kymera, Magic, motion, Remote Control, Universal, Wand

Related Articles:

Ellion's LazBox-110 plays all the formats for under $100

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:57:35 -0500

We've seen HD media players like the Western Digital WDTV and the Popcorn Hour A-110 before, but Ellion's LazBox 110 packs best-in-class functionality into a small form factor at a mass market price...

Tags: DivX, Ellion, FLAC, HD, HDMI, Home Entertainment, IFA 2009, Samba

Related Articles:

LG’s flagship SL9000 ‘BORDERLESS’ LED TV

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:53:38 -0500

LG unveiled its flagship SL9000 ‘BORDERLESS’ LED TV to a string of 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' at IFA 2009 this week, where it stood out from the pack with a uniform, seamless surface from edge to edge, with no visible frame. By using a special sheet of laminate film LG was able to eliminate the gap between the screen and the bezel and also reduce screen glare. The SL9000 is also extremely thin at just 2.9cm, with the end result being a TV that appears to be a continuous sheet of smoked glass...

Tags: Bluetooth, DivX, HDTV, IFA 2009, LCD, LED, LG, Trumotion, TV, USB

Related Articles:

Sharp DK-AP8 docking system adds the right touch

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:37:29 -0500

Sharp has designed its new iPod docking system to match the look and feel of an iPod or iPhone. Finished in glossy piano black, the DK-AP8 has a removable touch panel that controls the system button-free via infrared. Something a little different, the Sharp unit has various ports including AUX input and video (FBAS) output on the back which enables it to be connected to a TV for viewing photos or videos stored on the iPhone or iPod...

Tags: dk-ap8, Dock, iPhone, iPod, Sharp, Sound, System

Related Articles:

Grundig’s latest TVs turn any USB drive into a PVR

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:46:24 -0500

Grundig has just come up with a replacement for your Tivo or similar recording device, and the odds are you already have it – well, part of it anyway. By adding USB-recording technology to various models of its new TVs, which it had on show at IFA 2009, Grundig has turned any standard USB flash drive or external hard disk drive (HDD) into a personal video recorder (PVR). The only catch is you will only be able to watch the recorded content on a compatible Grundig set...

Tags: Flash drive, hard disk, HDTV, IFA 2009, TV, USB, video recorder

Related Articles:

Looqs casts its line into the digital media stream with its MeeSeries media streamer

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:34:29 -0500

Media streaming is a technology threatening to break into the mainstream in a big way over the next few years. One company who certainly hopes it does is Looqs, a new entity that was showcasing its media streaming wares at IFA 2009. Its MeeSeries Media Streaming system lets users stream multimedia throughout their house - nothing too exciting about that I hear you say. But what sets the Looqs products apart is its ability to stream not only video content to a TV, but also photos and online content to multiple digital photo frames. ..

Tags: Digital Media, Digital Photo Frame, IFA 2009, NAS, Wi-fi

Related Articles:

Toshiba unveils JournE touch home multimedia tablet

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:25:52 -0500

Toshiba’s JournE touch is a portable, wireless home multimedia tablet with a 7-inch (17.8cm) color touch screen display, which serves as a communication and infotainment center for every member of the household. Users can browse the Internet and download digital content anywhere in the house in a flash, because the device boots instantaneously. However, with its small size (only 14mm/0.5in thick) and great user-interface, we say families better get ready for a fight over who gets to use it. ..

Tags: HDMI, social networking, Tablet, Toshiba, Touch Screen, Wireless, YouTube

Related Articles:

Toshiba's Regza SV series LED-backlit HDTVs

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 08:27:51 -0500

Toshiba has chosen IFA 2009 to confirm that this month Europeans will be able to get their hands on two new full 1080p HD televisions in its Regza range, a 46in and a 55in. As well as being LED backlit for the first time, these new SV models also sport a sensor that monitors ambient light and constantly readjusts image settings so that the viewer automatically gets the best possible picture...

Tags: Automatic, Energy-saving, HDMI, HDTV, High Definition, IFA 2009, LED backlit, light sensor, Toshiba

Related Articles:

Panasonic’s 2.25:1 PT-AE4000 home cinema projector premieres at IFA 2009

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:59:55 -0500

The Panasonic 2.35:1 PT-AE4000 is to projectors what the Philips Cinema 21:9 is to HDTVs. Aside from being something that most of us can only drool over and never hope to own, the PT-AE4000 is aimed at serious home theater enthusiasts and audio video professionals who are looking to eliminate the Cinemascope issue - a problem that sees the picture frame either shrunk down to ensure the entire width is visible, the edges cropped, or the image squished together making everyone on screen look thinner than Kate Moss. ..

Tags: HD, HDMI, High Definition, IFA 2009, LCD, Panasonic, Projector, Projectors

Related Articles: