Consumer Electronics Daily News

Sanus VisionMount LT25 Revolutionizes the Flat-Panel TV World

Sanus Systems has engineered a new wall mount that revolutionizes the flat-panel TV industry. The VisionMount LT25 Tilting Wall Mount offers the most advanced post-installation adjustment technology available; a new lightweight aluminum and ABS wall-plate design with a strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance greater than steel; and easier installation.

"Sanus revolutionized the flat-panel TV industry with the VMPL, the very first universal wall mount, and now we've done it again with the LT25," says Keith Pribyl, Vice President for Consumer Sales. "We are very excited to have introduced the LT25 with a number of innovative features and design qualities that are really focused on making installation easy and reducing the amount of time it takes to install the mount," Pribyl added. "With the LT25, installers can create the perfect TV display in any home theater setting."

The LT25 introduces an innovative wall-plate design constructed from lightweight, 6000-series extruded aluminum alloy rails and high-grade ABS decorative end caps. Extruded aluminum offers a strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance much greater than roll-formed steel, and the ABS end caps, with their sleek surface finish, provide an aesthetically pleasing look from the sides of the mount. The LT25 wall plate weighs only 3.5 lbs., 68 percent less than the VMPL wall plate, so it's easier for one person to balance and install the mount. And because the mount is lighter, it reduces material waste and packaging material, and costs less to transport.

For more information, visit www.sanus.com. 

CES 2009 Preview: Microsoft, Sony & Ford CEOs to Keynote

The chief executives of Microsoft, Sony and Ford will deliver keynote addresses at the 2009 International CES, CEA announced today. Produced by CEA, the 2009 International CES, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, is scheduled for January 8-11, 2009, in Las Vegas, Nev.

"These exciting keynote speakers demonstrate that the 2009 International CES is the hub of activity in the consumer electronics, entertainment content, and automotive industries," says CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro. "Steve Ballmer and Sir Howard Stringer are driving forces behind the continued growth of the consumer technology industry. Alan Mulally is a true visionary spurring technology innovation in the automotive market. These leaders are changing the way technology is being incorporated into new markets, and CES attendees will all benefit from these keynotes unveiling the next generation of technology."

Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Corp., will deliver a pre-CES keynote address on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30. Stringer, Chairman and CEO, Sony Corporation, will kick off the 2009 International CES at 8:30 a.m., Thursday, January 8, with an opening keynote address, following a State of the CE Industry Address delivered by Gary Shapiro, CEA President and CEO. Alan Mulally, President and CEO, Ford Motor Company, will round out the first day of the 2009 CES with an afternoon keynote at 4:30 p.m.

Details on other industry executives speaking at the 2009 International CES will be released this fall. For more information, visit www.cesweb.org.

Delta Brings LED Lighting to HD Projectors

Delta Electronics, Inc., has completed the development of a groundbreaking full HD LED projector for the consumer market. With Delta's high throughput LED optics, 1080P resolution plus wide color gamut, this projector provides a high image quality unmatched by any other lamp projector. It gives the viewer a completely new home theater experience with the bonus that the user is free from lamp replacement, as the life of the LED module is estimated at over 20,000 hours of normal operation.

With its experience and close partnership with Texas Instruments, Luminus Devices and other key suppliers, Delta has a unique early advantage in recognizing the feasibility of PhlatLight LED and the value of LED projectors, and has commercialized this product for customers. Delta is supporting customer demonstrations of the projector this week at IFA as well as next week at CEDIA Expo.

"The viewing experience is amazing. The image quality of the projector's full HD resolution plus saturated color and dynamic contrast is extremely impressive. With this product, we believe the era of the LED projector has arrived. Home theater projectors are just the beginning," says Jeff Fu, Director for Projection Display at Delta's Display Solutions Business Unit.

Delta has developed LED projection technologies for years. LEDs provide end users with benefits that are not available from a lamp system. Superior color, long operational life, free of mercury and UV/IR are among the outstanding benefits an LED projector delivers to consumers. With the advantages of operational reliability and convenience, LED projectors will soon evolve from commercial products to consumer and home use.

For more information, visit www.deltaww.com.

Rotel Introduces 15 Series Home Audio Components

The CEDIA Expo excitement is in full swing, and Rotel is getting into the act this week with word that it will launch an all new product range at the show. The launch of the 15 Series will unveil a broad range of home theater and custom-installation electronics sure to enhance Rotel’s already highly regarded reputation.

RSX 1550 – 7.1 channel Home Theater Receiver

“This is Rotel’s most important intro in many years,” says Rotel’s VP of Sales & Marketing, Doug Henderson, “and while these new models incorporate a lot of the latest advanced technologies and include some important refinements of Rotel’s unique amplifier design, the one thing they do not alter is our company’s commitment to musical performance above all else.” Henderson concludes, “These new models were conceived for the listener who truly and passionately cares about sound quality, first and foremost.”

Rotel’s new flagship 15 Series will introduce multichannel home theater receivers, a preamp-processor, and power amplifiers, as well as power amplifiers designed exclusively for custom-installation. Additional two-channel series and associated models will arrive early in 2009.

Two new A/V receivers and a new preamp-processor, all feature HDMI v1.3 connectivity and full compatibility with the high-resolution audio formats Dolby® TrueHD and DTS HD™ Master, and the forthcoming video enhancements Deep Color (enhanced color depth) and xvYCC (extended color gamut). All three components incorporate onboard video processing, courtesy of technology leader Faroudja, that delivers 1080p scaling with 24 Hz capability for reference-grade performance with both movie and video programming. The receivers and pre-pro also boast unsurpassed multizone potential, with audio and video pathways and control functions for second, third, and even fourth zones or remote rooms.

For more information, visit www.rotel.com.

Sencore, Lumagen Partner For New A/V Systems

Sencore and Lumagen have formed a strategic partnership to provide the highest quality video in the home theater and commercial A/V markets. Pairing the Lumagen Radiance series of video processors and Sencore calibration tools, integrators will now be able to completely and flawlessly implement video systems and correct many built in problems in video displays that have not been possible to address in the past.

The RadianceXD is an extremely high quality video processor and switcher that supports 18 Video Inputs: Six 1080p60 capable HDMI with HDCP, four SD/HD component, four S-Video and four composite. The RadianceXD features two HDMI outputs at resolutions up to 1920x1080, at 60- Hertz (1080p60).

The Radiance family of products offers 10-bit processing, per-pixel SD and HD video de-interlacing with adaptive diagonal filtering, edge enhancing scaling technology that, unlike competing products, does not add ringing. Additional important image quality features include temporal noise reduction for both SD and HD sources, and  extensive calibration options.

“These are perfectly matched technologies that play off of each other’s strengths, creating an integrated solution that A/V integrators previously have not been able to address without highly specialized personnel and materials. We are looking forward to working together with such a high quality partner company, especially with the caliber of people like Jim Peterson, who has set the bar for quality in the video processor industry.” says Al Bowden, Sencore’s CEO.

For more information, visit www.sencore.com or www.lumagen.com.

Logitech Introduces Squeezebox Boom Network Music Player

Today, Logitech unveiled the Logitech Squeezebox Boom all-in-one network music player, featuring an integrated amplifier, high-performance speakers and a simplified setup.

"The network music player will be the CD player of the 21st century, and Squeezebox Boom is the first player in its class to deliver high-quality audio in a compact, all-in-one design," says Robin Selden, Vice President and General Manager of Logitech's Streaming Media business unit. "From the streamlined setup to the breakthrough acoustics, the Squeezebox Boom is an entirely new type of network music player. Just plug it in and you're ready to rock the house."

With the Logitech Squeezebox Boom all-in-one network music player, you can listen to your digital music in the kitchen, the bedroom or any other room in your home -- without needing to attach external speakers. Just plug the new Logitech network music player into a power outlet. Then, using your existing home network, you can listen to the music you love from the personal collection on your computer, your favorite Internet radio stations, and subscription services such as Rhapsody, Last.FM, Slacker, Pandora and Sirius -- even when the computer is off.

The Logitech Squeezebox Boom network music player is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in September for a suggested retail price of $299.99.  For more information, visit www.logitech.com.

Toshiba Goes Green at IFA

Toshiba Corporation  is showcasing the company's latest advances in environmentally conscious products and technologies at IFA 2008 in Berlin. Under its long-standing determination to promote environmentally conscious management, Toshiba published its Environmental Vision 2050 in November 2007, and is promoting various programs to contribute to a better environment. The company says it aims to improve the value and eco-efficiency of its products and business processes and to reduce carbon dioxide emitted from Toshiba group products by the equivalent of 117.7 million tons per year in FY2025 compared with FY2000.

Major Exhibits of Environmentally Conscious Technologies include:

• LCD TV -- Advances in cutting energy consumption in TVs will be showcased by two LCD TVs. The 42XV515D features advanced brightness control of the display that reduces the number of backlights, and weighs a full 19 percent less than the equivalent 2006 model, reducing CO2 emissions by 173g a day. A future model also integrates a new panel that Toshiba has used to curb power consumption by 20 percent, equivalent to reducing CO2 emissions by 216g a day.
• LED downlight  -- The E-CORE 100 and E-CORE 60 LED downlight series (Japanese market only) show how to slash CO2 emissions with no loss of performance or brightness. These series have a long life of 40,000 hours, and consumes only sixth of power of an equivalent incandescent lamp. In April 2008, Toshiba Group announced that it would end production of incandescent lamps by 2010, a move taken to cut CO2 emissions, and put in place a new cross-organizational structure that is bringing a renewed impetus to develop eco-friendly fluorescent and LED products, promote new lightning systems for homes and offices, and enhance its global business.
• Notebook PCs -- Toshiba also fixes the "Excellent ECP" mark to the Portege R500 series of notebook PCs, the world's lightest model. These PCs are the fruits of technology enhancements that boost efficiency and cuts CO2 emissions by 69g a day. Other environmentally conscious and advanced energy saving technologies, such as a power consumption meter that offers power saving tips, will be introduced at the Toshiba booth.
• SCiB -- A once-in-a-generation breakthrough, the SCiB, the Super Charge ion Battery, is rechargeable battery that recharges to 90 percent vof capacity in less than five minutes. Primarily aimed at bringing new levels of versatility to the industrial systems market, the SCiB offers excellent safety characteristics and a long life of over 6,000 charge-discharge cycles, even when subject to constant rapid charging.

For more information on these and other Toshiba initiatives, visit www.toshiba.com.

Sony Adds Zappin Tech to Car Stereo Line

Sony today announced four new Xplod® in-dash head units that are able to connect directly to compatible iPod® music players, allowing users to charge and control their iPod devices on the road.

The top-of-the-line unit (model CDX-GT630UI) is Sony’s first car stereo that can connect directly to iPod players, other digital music players and USB thumb drives via a USB connection. It also includes Sony’s unique ZAPPIN™ function, which offers a way of searching and listening to music. 

Providing several options for connectivity in the car, the CDX-GT630UI head unit connects to compatible iPod or other digital music players via USB, allowing users to control and charge their devices and enjoy exceptional sound quality. CDX-GT630UI also supports iPhone. Sony’s unique ZAPPIN technology operates similarly to most car stereos’ scan buttons. It continues to play a series of short music clips from your own music library until you can find your favorite song to match your mood.

The receiver supports MP3 and non-DRM WMA and non-DRM AAC codecs and is satellite radio ready and HD Radio ready (tuner module required). Plus, it features front, rear and subwoofer preamp outputs; has a flip-down detachable faceplate; and a 13-segment, LCD with black LED display; and blue and green switchable key illumination. Satellite radio requires a tuner and service subscription (both sold separately).

The new CDX-GT630UI, CDX-GT430IP, CDX-GT330 and CDX-GT130 stereos will cost about $160, $130, $100 and $80 respectively. The GT series head units will be available this September at retailers across the country and military base exchanges. For more information, visit www.sony.com.

Learning Labs Make First Appearance at CEDIA EXPO 2008

For the first time ever the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) is offering hands-on Learning Labs at CEDIA EXPO 2008 in Denver. With the support of ADI, a leading security and low-voltage products distributor, the labs will be located in three fully-equipped rooms with the latest technology. Learning labs enable users to engage in real-life installation experiences in addition to instructor-led classroom training.

The Learning Labs include a Video Technologies and Calibration Lab, Home Theater Audio Calibration Lab and Cable, Connector and Testing Lab. Technicians will learn to install, calibrate and troubleshoot audio and video systems from CEDIA Certified Instructors.

“CEDIA is taking another step forward in offering the best in education at EXPO. The hands-on learning experience gained from the Learning Labs not only adds a critical hands-on component to the courses, but they also provide additional CEU’s to help CEDIA Certified Professionals maintain their certification,” says Michael Creeden, CEDIA Content Action Team Chair.

During EXPO, seven Electronic Systems Technician college classes will be linked to one of the three Learning Labs with multiple sessions taking place throughout the week. The labs will be open to all EXPO attendees to experience when facilities are not being used for training. For more information, visit www.cedia.org/expo.

Tributaries Adds HDMI Distribution Amp

Tributaries® Cable, the Florida company whose position as the value-performance leader in quality cable and installation products for multi-room, home theater, and music systems is well established, has made an important new addition to its family of whole-house AV hardware solutions. The new Tributaries Model HDA140 is a one-in/four-out HDMI distribution amplifier that allows a single source to supply video and digital audio, simultaneously,  to as many as four rooms, zones, systems or screens, each as much as 30 meters/100 feet distant.

The HDA140 is fully HDMI 1.3 and HDCP compliant, and supports the full range of associated features over all of its connections, including 1440p resolution, Deep Color 10/12/16-bit signal-formatting, xvYCC Color Space, and Dolby TrueHD® and DTS-HD Master® audio systems, as well as refresh-rates up to 120 HZ, accommodating the latest, highest-performance television and projector designs. Just as important, the Tributaries design’s custom-tailored data-signal amplification and equalization, and buffered output circuitry eliminate signal losses, ensuring that pristine hi-def video and unimpaired audio performance are delivered over every connection.

Tributaries’ HDA140 HDMI distribution amplifier features three front-panel LEDs displaying status of HDMI/DVI, HDCP, and SYNC, and is pre-packaged with a dedicated 5VDC power supply. The HDA140 is available immediately, at a manufacturer’s suggested price of $450.

For more information, visit www.tributariescable.com.