This 47-inch, 1080p LCD television is part of LG’s Infinia LE8500 Series, which sits near the top of LG’s extensive 2010 lineup. The LE8500 Series is loaded with most of the company’s higher-end technologies and features–the only omissions are the Magic Wand remote and the 3D capability offered in the LX9500 Series. Perhaps the most intriguing of the 47LE8500’s technologies is LG’s new Full LED Slim design:... 

Panasonic just announced the debut of its first full HD 3D Blu-ray home theater systems, essentially Blu-ray capable Home Theater In a Box units. The two new home theater system models are the SC-BTT750 and the SC-BTT350. Networking and connectivity capabilities are available with the new models through Viera Cast compatibility, which provides access to new online content from Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Picasa, Bloomberg TV, weather... 

Schneider-Kreuznach has expanded its range of anamorphic lenses for home cinema. With the new CDA 1.33x MF Première lens, the increasingly popular Cinemascope image format (2.35:1) can now be displayed with reportedly no distortion using any high-end 16:9 home cinema projector. The Première anamorphic lens enables full HD resolution, even in Cinemascope format, and eliminates letterboxing. The MF Première lens has a multilayer antireflection... 

Bloomberg.com reports that Amazon.com has approached several media companies in hopes to launch an online video subscription service in order to compete with online rental service, Netflix. The service would consist of older films and television shows and would be made available for a monthly fee. Reportedly, Amazon has approached Time Warner, Viacom Inc. owner of MTV, and General Electric, which is the parent company of NBC Universal. The goal... 

With the recent launch of its AVENTAGE Series, Yamaha claims that its entire line-up of current AV receivers, including the RX-V67 Series, support the newest HDMI 1.4a specification, making them compatible with all mandated 3D formats. The Yamaha lines conform to the HDMI spec’s newest requirement released last March. It mandates that AV receivers must support the frame packing 3D format at either 720p50 and 1080p24 or 720p60 and 1080p24,... 

In November 2009, Sony said that it was developing a network service platform called Sony Online Services (SOLS), which is now called Qriocity. Qriocity is a network service platform that connects many of Sony’s network-enabled devices and allows consumers to enjoy entertainment across multiple devices. Via Qriocity, Sony will deliver a variety of digital entertainment content and services, including video, music, game applications, and... 

Apple announced a new version of the Apple TV during their press conference today. The new Apple TV is a black box that is 1/4 the size of the old model. The new model comes with a built in power supply, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and 802.11n Wi-Fi as well. Also packaged with the product is an aluminum remote. All content available is now in High Definition. There is no longer any purchases available – everything is a rental. This... 

Onkyo is now expanding its product line to include separate components. With its recent announcement of three new THX Certified components, Onkyo is now offering the levels of performance, quality, and capabilities typical of separates. These new products include Onkyo’s first A/V preamplifier/processor that is both 3D-Ready and THX-Certified, a 150-watt nine-channel amplifier, and a Blu-ray Disc Player. Onkyo’s flagship PR-SC5508... 

Of the four series in Sony’s 3D television lineup, the HX800 is the least expensive (behind the LX900, HX909 and new NX810 Series), but it still sports an excellent array of features. The HX800 Series includes screen sizes of 55, 46 and 40 inches. We have not performed a hands-on review of the KDL-55HX800, but here is an overview of the TV’s features. This 55-inch, 1080p LCD is technically 3D…  Read More →

In addition to being Panasonic’s first line of 3D plasma TVs, the VT25 Series is loaded with company’s top-shelf features and performance technologies (the nearly identical VT20 Series is sold exclusively through Best Buy). The Series includes screen sizes of 65, 58, 54 and 50 inches. We have not performed a hands-on review of the TC-P54VT25, but here is an overview of the TV’s features. This 54-inch, 1080p plasma requires... 

Samsung recently added four new 3D-capable models to its Blu-ray player line, including the portable BD-8000 and the new “top-shelf” BD-C7900. At $399.99, the BD-C7900 replaces the original BD-C6900 as the most expensive of the non-portable Blu-ray models (the BD-C6900 is now $349.99). We have not performed a hands-on review of the BD-C7900, but here is an overview of its features. This Profile 2.0 player supports BD-Live Web functionality... 

The new Cinema 11v is a versatile high definition video scaler/switcher/processor designed to deliver image quality with powerful digital video processing. The Cinema 11v is based on the Genesis FLI30436 video processing chip. The FLI30436 chip offers advanced, dual-channel applications of Picture-in-Picture (PIP) and Picture-by-Picture (PBP). Two video decoders with 3D comb filters and two channels of DCDi processing provide the picture for... 

Announced at last year’s CEDIA, Optoma’s HD8600 is currently the top-shelf model in the company’s custom-installation line. It’s loaded with Optoma’s most advanced imaging technologies and recently earned the CEA’s Mark of Excellence Gold Award for Video Product of the Year. We have not performed a hands-on review of the HD8600, but here is an overview of its features. This 1080p, single-chip DLP projector... 

Having your DVDs and Blu-ray discs shipped directly to your door, a.k.a. mailbox, was little more than a pipe dream a few years ago; however today it has become the go-to solution for many home theater enthusiasts. Netflix, arguably the largest provider of direct mail DVD and Blu-ray rentals has garnered much of the space’s attention as well as its revenue. However times are changing and where there’s money to be made, expect competition.... 

Gone are the days of massive amplifiers and speakers in a dedicated listening room. Today’s designers need to conserve floor space and until now, putting true high-end, high-power amplifiers into a rack-mounted system simply didn’t work. Heat and size were two of the biggest issues and 600-Watt mono-blocks produce tons of heat – or do they? Most high-end home theaters in the U.S. have the …  Read More →