Recently Published AV News

Sony today announced the RDR-HX900, a Dual RW compatible recorder with a high-capacity 160 GB hard disk drive and an advanced on-screen TV program guide, designed for the sophisticated DVD enthusiast and time shifter.

A PC next to a bright window? No problem now that Sony has incorporated its high-brightness XBRITE™ technology into two new flat panel computer displays. The SDM-HS74P and SDM-HS94P, with 17-inch and 19-inch viewable image sizes respectively, feature a special LCD panel, originally introduced on Sony's VAIO® PCs, that allows the displays to deliver superior brightness and enhanced contrast even when placed in a sunlit room.

Sony is taking the lead in the rapidly emerging digital cinema market with the introduction of two new "4K" projectors that offer unprecedented features such as a 4096 x 2160 pixel resolution and a high contrast ratio.

Setting a new benchmark in audio quality for the PC, the new Sound Blaster® Audigy® 2 ZS sound card from Creative Technology Ltd. is the first consumer product available for the PC to incorporate DTS-ES technology. DTS' (Digital Theater Systems, Inc.) (Nasdaq: DTSI) extended surround sound technology, DTS-ES enables up to 6.1 channels of discrete surround sound, and also encompasses DTS-ES matrix and DTS Neo:6 capabilities for a variety of content choices.

Audio companies create products that are based on a variety of technologies, provoking lawsuits every once in a while when patents are involved. One such lawsuit erupted earlier this year as Robert W. Carver, designer for and founder of Sunfire Corporation , filed a US patent lawsuit against Audio Products International (API).

Syntax Groups Corporation(tm), an emerging growth manufacturer of consumer electronics products, today announced it's formal entry into the LCD TV market with its initial line of Olevia(tm) branded models. Immediately available through premier channel partners, the new Olevia 27-inch and 30-inch LCD TVs provide consumers with high quality entertainment images and optimum affordability.

Soon listeners can trade their bootleg recording devices for a high-fidelity live-mix feed of some of the concerts they go to. eMusiclive features unique live recordings captured at clubs and other live events, that can be legally downloaded from their website. The BIG news is what eMusicLive brands as the next evolutionary step in entertainment - being able to walk away from a live concert event with a legally-obtained high-fidelity copy of the show.

Theta Digital, long acclaimed as America's most advanced manufacturer of high-end digital audio and video products, introduces the Casablanca III Music and Cinema Controller.

THX® Ltd., the leading provider of product and venue certification for the cinema and home entertainment industries, today introduced THX Games Mode, a new audio post-processing technology and listening feature for THX Certified Home Theatre components. THX Games Mode will enable video game enthusiasts to experience truly immersive sound presentations on home theatre systems. This newest THX feature will be incorporated into the company's Ultra2 Certification specification and technology for home theatre receivers, which is offered by some of the world¹s leading consumer electronics manufacturers.

THX Ltd., the creator of superior cinema presentation standards and the leading provider of product certification and venue design for entertainment and consumer electronics, has announced the appointment of Joseph L. Lias as THX president. Lias will capitalize on entertainment presentation technology developed by THX, and will leverage his successful entrepreneurial track record, built over two decades, to expand the capabilities of THX in digital entertainment technology.

TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) today said new products powered by TiVo in 2004 will include DVD recorders, high-definition DVRs, and home network enabled products. These new products point to growing opportunities for TiVo in the marketplace, as the simplicity and control that TiVo is known for becomes a sought after differentiator by consumer electronics companies to drive adoption for many new digital entertainment products.

Julian Hirsch, an engineer and magazine writer who was instrumental in transforming hi-fi from an esoteric hobby into a multibillion-dollar global industry, died Monday, November 24, at the age of 81 after a long illness. Through more than 40 years of testing and reporting on the performance of audio equipment for consumer magazines, and especially for Stereo Review , the leader in the field, Hirsch helped demystify high-fidelity sound reproduction.

Ultra Data Corporation ( http://www.ultradatacorp.com/ ) today announced the availability of the industry's first fully programmable video processing IP core to enable the new generation of high-definition consumer products. Ultra Data's first product, the UD3000, is a complete video subsystem available for license to companies developing integrated circuits for the home entertainment market. Key applications include high-definition DVD players and recorders, next generation digital TV receivers, set-top boxes and Internet-connected TVs.

Velodyne Acoustics Inc., the world's leading manufacturer of powered subwoofers for home-theater and consumer audio, introduces the Velodyne Rear Port (VRP) Series subwoofers. The VRP Series enhances low bass performance and output while maintaining musical accuracy by using a low noise, rear port design, all at an affordable price range.