Sony’s European press centre has a release that may interest those of you shopping for that new Blu-ray Disc Home Theater in a Box. This is Sony’s first crack at marketing a Blu-ray HTiB, even though they are the main innovators of this tech. As a result, many loyal fanboys have been waiting impatiently for an announcement along these lines. While under development, Sony appropriately code-named the project ‘Pockey’, which is a chocolate dipped cookie stick. This perfectly describes the stick-like speakers that complement the aesthetically pleasing style of this sleek system. Providing the power to blast is a 700w 32-bit amp, with integrated BD player. That should be enough power to blow your socks, hats, shirts, and pants off.
Spec sheet after the break...
BDV-IT1000 at a glance
* Super-slim speakers made possible by finger-sized full-range drive units
* All-in-one home cinema system with integrated Blu-ray Disc drive
* Full HD 1080/24p picture quality with Deep Color and x.v.Colour
* Wireless rear speakers for great surround effects without cables
* BD-Live Ready: upgradable to Profile 2.0 for extra content and downloadsvia Ethernet port
* DVD upscaling to 1080p
* Two HDMI input terminals for connection of games consoles, HD TV decoder boxes or other sources, and one HDMI output
* Optical digital and analogue stereo inputs. Also composite/component video in
* Upconversion to HDMI for analogue sources
* Fast, perfect ‘one-touch’ set-up with Digital Cinema Auto Calibration
* BRAVIA Sync for integrated operation with other Sony components
* XrossMediaBar onscreen display for simple, logical operation of all functions
* Connectivity with Network WALKMAN® and iPod® players, Bluetooth devices and home Wi-Fi networks via DIGITAL MEDIA PORT, plus Portable Audio Enhancer
* 700W total power: 5x100W plus 2x100W for subwoofer, using efficient, high-quality 32-bit S-Master digital amplification
Press Release
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Friday, August 29, 2008
Sony Blu-ray Home Theater System BDV-IT1000
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Review of Sony HTIS100 BRAVIA Home Theater Micro System
Finished in piano black, the main unit has a 5x7cm display, five function buttons, a power switch, and is similar to a PC tower in size and appearance. The satellite speakers are cone shaped, metal, and finished in matte black with driver magnets finished in chrome. The center channel speaker has an IR sensor mounted underneath it for the remote, and all speakers have non-slip pads on their base.
The receiver rests at the bottom, while atop the BRAVIA tower there's a slightly awkward...
top mounted status display (this displays volume, mode, etc.). Recessed, the display is mounted at around a 45° angle, so you don’t have to be standing directly above the unit to read it. It should be easily readable while sitting at a comfortable TV viewing distance. This tower unit would fit well in an entertainment cabinet, but it’s also stylish enough to show off.
50 watts drives each of the satellite speakers, and given their size, they’re surprisingly powerful and have superb clarity; perfect at reproducing trebles and some higher range midtones. The 5" Mid-Driver and 6" Subwoofer mounted in the main tower fill out the system's sound.
I can’t really speak to another reviewer’s claims that the system’s reliance on the tower for so much sound reproduction makes the overall system sound unbalanced. The speakers were all close together when I tested the system, but I could hear vocals clearly through the center channel speaker, and overall the system thumps. Even at the loudest setting the system never distorted and the sound remained punchy and incredibly clear. I was quite impressed. Then again, when you’re dealing with this much power - it pretty much has to sound good.
The BRAVIA HTIS100 acts as an HDMI hub, allowing up to three HD components to be run through a single output. Video and audio from HD sources passes through the receiver in tact, as it supports the latest sound decoders as well as 24fps at 1080p.
System tested using the supplied iPod cradle (TDM-iP1) and an Apple iPod touch 8 GB playing Biggie’s "Kick In The Door"
Optional wireless rear-channel (WAHTSA1) and multi-room CD quality audio (AIR-SA10) supported with the addition of Sony’s S-AIR wireless technology.
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Friday, January 11, 2008
Panasonic's new Blu-ray player and Home Theater
Panasonic is on the winning side of the format war. They're the leaders and main innovators in plasma TV and Blu-ray players, and never in short supply of a loyal fan base.
Their 150 inch plasma display show piece did its job well at CES, attracting the appropriate attention from journalists and attendees, alike. Other items garnishing attention for Panasonic are the first profile 2.0 Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD50, and the newest home theater-in-a-box offering, the SC-BT100.
Panny's newest systems boasts more advanced sound reproduction not only through Digital Sound Processing, but in terms of speaker construction, as well. Bamboo diaphragm speakers replace the traditional paper diaphragms units. This improves sound velocity and reproduces superior high definition fidelity in 7.1 surround sound. Underscoring these improvements is the improved strength and durability gained with the use of bamboo.
Other cool things about Pannny's HTB are: wireless speakers, advanced processing engines for color processing and image upscaling, SD card slot to coincide with "full HD" cameras and camcorders, GUI, and an integrated flip down iPod dock complete with on screen controls and iPod video playback.
Also, there's the little announcement about how they will break with tradition, seems to be become a theme with them as of late, by not using the founder’s name Matsushita as the company name. Instead, opting to use the name everyone knows and loves, Panasonic. So that's the rundown from the Panasonic camp for CES 2008.
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