Loading, please wait...Category: Gear | Home Theater
Tivo Premiere XL
By Fresno
While we have a special place in our heart for Tivo, their hardware is seriously about as old as Betty White's first set of dentures. But that has all changed as the inventors of the DVR have dropped Series 4 on us in the form of the Premiere and Premiere XL. The XL has a built-in 1-terabyte HDD for storing up to 150 hours of HD video or 1350 hours of the SD stuff. It's even THX-certified, which means you're assured high-quality sound and video out of it. The whole interface has been revamped for HDTVs, which means you'll have a lot more info on screen. Plus, the new web search function lets you track down media and info without running to your laptop. They start shipping in early April, but you can pre-order the XL right now for $499.
Logitech Harmony 650 Remote
By Fresno
Logitech's line of Harmony line has been setting the standard for a while when it comes to solid universal remotes that you won't have to sell your extensive Pez dispenser collection to afford. The new 650 has a full-color screen and can replace up to five other clickers. You can set up custom actions and label them with simple names like, "Watch TV," or "Play DVD," which will really come in handy when your mother in law is house-sitting and doesn't want to miss her programs. Perhaps the best part is that it checks in at just $99. Or, you can just duct tape all of your other remotes together. That works, too.
Philips SoundSphere Stereos
By Fresno
We love things that are carved out of big blocks of metal and that's exactly how the speakers on this swanky 2.0 channel speaker system are made. Each one has a free-floating tweeter that sits outside of the speaker case for optimal sound response at the high end. Inside is a CD player and a 160 GB HDD that you can load up with music. Navigation is handled by a small touch screen display because anything without a touch screen here in 2010 should be immediately considered a piece of garbage. Not really, but touch screens are pretty popular. Since this is a Philips product, it'll make its way to Europe first, then it will hit here, but it probably won't be cheap.
From: Engadget
From: Engadget
Sony STR-DN1010 3D-Ready Receiver
By Fresno
If you're going to get into this whole 3D HDTV phenomenon, you're going to need some new gear. But, 3D Blu-ray players need HDMI 1.4, something no other home theater receiver can handle at the moment. Sony's new $500 behemoth can hand with the third dimension, though. It also supports 7.1-channels of audio with 110 watts power per channel. Like Sony's other receivers, it has an icon-driven operating system to help you get to the component that you're looking for. It will be out later this year, at which point there will probably be a lot more 3D TVs, BD players and even maybe some content to go with it.
Panasonic Viera TH-P54VT 3DTV
By Fresno
The storm of 3D TVs is right around the corner. Sure, you no longer have to worry about picking between 720p and 1080p (720p is a sucker bet at this point), which means there needs to be another variable in the mix to make your head explode when shopping for a set. But, Panasonic's first 3DTV to roll off the production line is a 54-inch $3,500 monster that comes with its own 3D glasses. It won't be hitting the US for at least a couple of months, which means you have plenty of time to decide if you want to be a 3D early adopter or not. Of course, it's just 3D compatible, so you can still watch normal content on it as well. Just don't wear the glasses when you're doing that or you'll just get a headache and look like a dork.
From: Crunchgear
From: Crunchgear
Oppo BDP-80 Blu-ray Player
By Fresno
If you're looking for a stand-alone Blu-ray player that can handle a whole slew of formats, Oppo's new lower-priced box seems like a great call. Their $500 model, the BDP-83 is one of the better stand-alone players you can buy and its $289 little brother supports most of the same features. It supports BDs, DVDs, CDs, MP3s and vsrious digital formats like MKV. The video and audio output capabilities are top-notch and the player itself is actually pretty slock-looking. Of course, the PS3 is still tempting since it checks in at the same pricepoint and also offers video games, but it would be nice not to have to deal with all of those pesky firmware updates just to watch Con-Air in HD.
Avantgarde G2 Speakers
By Fresno
We get a kick out of super-high-end audio around here. Not only is it usually outrageously expensive, but speakers that cost as much as a new SUV are generally pretty funny looking. The G2 speakers fulfill all of those requirements, checking in at more than $40,000. The body itself is actually pretty slick, but the giant, colored horn sticking out of the top gives it that's as cartoony as it is classy. But, we're sure they probably sound great, offering a huge frequency range and enough power to rattle your collection of Lord of the Rings collectible plates right off of their display shelf. If you want some, you'll have to custom order them from Japan, which shouldn't matter much since you're probably the kind of rich guy that has a swimming pool with a yacht in it.
Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime
By Fresno
Most of the time, you're better off trying to sing your music rather than listening to it through a pair of crappy portable speakers. But, Logitech's Pure-Fi Anytime system cranks out surprisingly clear and loud sound in a form factor not much different from your current clock radio. It's meant to go with you and will work with any iPod or any other PMP with an line out (you may call that the "headphone hole.") The high-contrast screen has several brightness settings you can change by waving your hand in front of it, so you won't have to sleep with a bright orange glow in your room. It's a fully functional alarm clock, too so you'll have no excuse for missing that big meeting when the wake-up call person goes on a bender and blows off your call. $99.
Edifier Luna5encore iPod Dock
By Fresno
Like a piece of modern art, this iPod dock's bulb-shaped form factor is a clean, stylish conversation piece that will compliment just about any modern decor. Unlike modern art, it's not completely useless. Inside the dome, you'll find a surprisingly capable, five driver audio system. The internal structure is incredibly complex and is designed to dial in resonance and vibration. While it's a relatively big dock, there's still no room for a subwoofer, so Edifier has equipped it with low-frequency porting and cavities designed to keep the mids as clean as possible. The dock works with most iPods, but there's also a line-in so it'll work with pretty much anything with a headphone jack. No pricing is available yet, but past experience suggests that the wackier an iPod dock looks, the more dough it's ultimately going to cost.
There are plenty of universal remotes out there to choose from that can play nice with your home theater, but the Evolution does a lot more. The 4.3-inch touch screen can sync up with any Windows 7 computer and give you access to all of your Windows Media Center stuff. It can also take control of your lighting and HVAC systems, as well as your PCs. The interface is super slick and the control itself is truly worthy of a total gadget nerd. Of course, you'll have to have it professionally installed into your home so it'll cost big dollars when it debuts in February. But hey, if machines decide to become evil and self-aware, you can take comfort in knowing that it's your own home that will kill you mercilessly and not some random vending machine.
Popcorn Hour A-200
By Fresno
Before you get all excited, you should note that this little black box does not, in any way, produce popcorn. What it does do is let you stream all of the wonderful (and legally obtained, of course) media on your computer to your HDTV. The A-200 sits in the middle of the Popcorn Hour line-up, so it can't handle Blu-ray like it's big bro, the C-200. But, it has faster components than the slower A-110, better WiFi and a slicker user interface which will come in handy when you're trying to find a specific episode of a TV show amongst a pile of poorly named and organized files. It's available for pre-order later in the month and will cost $179 plain or $199 with the WiFi attachment. And if you actually plan on buying one, the $20 upgrade should be an absolute no-brainer. From: Engadget
Vizio 72-inch XVT LED HDTV
By Fresno
Vizio must be getting the raw materials for their HDTVs by pulling off Fast and Furious-style heists because that's the only way they could possibly be offering TVs for their currrent prices. Their new flagship panel measures at a ridiculous 72-inches and comes with WiFi, Wireless HD and freakin' 3D. The other specs are just as impressive, boasting a 480 Hz refresh rate (that's 8 times what most HDTVs can currently do) and LED backlighting for incredible contrast. All of that comes to a grand total of just $3,500. Sure, it's still a lot of money, but less than five years ago, LG was bragging about their 70-inch plasma that cost a little over $80,000. There are cheaper, smaller options in Vizio's XVT line (55-inch for $2,499 and 47-inch for $1,999) but our motto has always been "big ass TVs are totally awesome."
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