 | KEF also demonstrated the smallest entry in its Reference series, the 201.2, in 2-channels. It sounded superb. $5000/pair now, going up to $6000/pair soon. Get 'em while they're hot. |
 | The highlight of a Runco/Planar/Vidikron lunch for the assembled press in the Renaissance Hotel near the Convention Center was this warm, super-rich chocolate cake with fudge sauce, topped with Dolce de Leche ice cream. The many who left after the main course don't know what they missed. |
 | 120Hz operation, to remove motion lag in LCD displays, is exploding all over. Olevia's demo was highly effective, showing that its system smoothed motion at various speeds and with a wide variety of program material, including these white bars which scrolled across the screen.
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 | A THX regular, famous for several THX trailers including the famous Moo-cow, was on hand to help draw attention to THX's latest efforts in audio and video certification.
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 | Clearly the Simpsons are big on the Blu-ray format. |
 | Hitachi joined the parade of manufacturers showing ultra slim flat panel models with this 1.5-inch thick concept design. |
 | There is no way a picture can show how a set like this looks, so I don't have one. But a prototype Hitachi flat panel was claiming a peak (I assume) contrast ratio that's beyond hype. In fact, it's hard to accurately measure (peak) contrast levels even one tenth this high. No further information was provided, such as the technology used (LCD or plasma) or whether or not this display will ever be a real product. But it did look impressive. The demo was on the open show floor, but was nevertheless as well set up as such conditions will allow. The set was in a small, black-draped area with no light shining on or near the screen. The image did appear to fade to an impressively rich black level in scene changes, though because of the setup conditions it's impossible to say whether or not this set might challenge what I saw in the totally enclosed and blacked-out demo room that Pioneer used.
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 | VIZIO introduced more new flat panel displays at CES than any poor scribe should have to deal with. So I'll mention only the largest sets in both the plasma and LCD premier lines. The 1920x1080p VP504F is a 50" plasma ($1699) with Silicon Optix REON video processing. As of now the VP504F is the only set in the new VIZIO line, either LCD or plasma, that uses the REON, though more are possible before the new lines start showing up in stores in May and June. A contrast ratio of 30,000:1 is claimed. On the LCD side, the top of the premier 1920x1080p "Black Tie" series is claimed by the 47" SV47LF ($1899). It features full 120Hz video processing with motion compensation, plus a claimed 5ms response time and 6500:1 contrast ratio. |
 | What's more impressive than a stack of McIntosh gear? More than just looking good, McIntosh is releasing their most powerful amps ever. The MC1.2KW Mono Power Amplifier delivers a whooping 1200 watts. Imagine what that will do when you crank up your Metallica CDs. The MA700 Integrated Amp offers up 250 watts x seven channels for a truly off-the-hook home theater. |
 | Denon showed off their new line of AVRs, many of which feature advanced whole house networking solutions that can access music from iTunes, Windows Media 11 and music servers. Increased whole house networking capabilities will continue to be a major emphasis in Denon products. |
 | Marantz's BD8002 Blu-ray Disc Player is way on the other end of the spectrum at $2,099.99 featuring a 10-bit Silicon Optix Realta chipset with upconversion and scaling to 1080p. The player offers high resolution with decoding of Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio and is capable of outputting both 7.1-channel analog signals and PCM audio via HDMI. Marantz also showed the new VS3002 HDMI Switcher for $349, allowing user to expand the switching capabilities of their AVRs and Pre/Pro by providing six HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs. |
 | Marantz showed off two new separates, the AV8003 Preamp/Processor and MM8003 Power Amp. However, price and availability were not available. The AV8003 is network capable providing a built-in digital media player using Ethernet connectivity for streaming audio and video content throughout a networked home. The MM8003 is 150 watts x 8 channels. |
 | Snell Acoustics new Illusion reference monitors are the ultimate LCR, selling for $10,000 a piece. The Illusion series speakers incorporates a new concept in enclosure design that significantly reduces resonance and spurious vibration. |
 | The brand new Vision Media Management from Escient plays and imports movies, videos, music, and photos for a complete home entertainment networking system. There are two versions of an all-in-one server/player. The Model VS-100 provides dual 500GB drives, while the VS-200 is outfitted with dual 1TB drives. The VC-1 is a high-performance networked audio/video zone player that streams both audio and video from either Vision servers, allowing playback of music, movies, and photos to any room of the home. All feature HDMI 1.3 support and upscaling to 1080p to ensure the best possible image quality from any source.
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 | For those flat panel owners who want improved sound over the built-in speakers, Boston's Tvee Soundbar provides exceptional 2-channel audio in a slim footprint speaker that mounts on the wall under a TV or rests on top of an entertainment center. A wireless subwoofer comes with the package and all are sold for $399.99. The Soundbar is available in Boston's new P.O.P. colors.
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 | In the wake of a declining market for traditional box speakers, Boston Acoustics has reinvented themselves with a new style [and logo]. Know as the Personal Options Plan or P.O.P. for short, all their new speakers are made of molded plastic exteriors. However, when you rap on the sides or pick up the speaker you become aware that this is just for aesthetics. Inside is the same Boston engineering with a rigid wooden baffle. The shell is available in three different colors and the grilles are available in a number of eye-popping colors. There are several different sizes, from towers to mini-bookshelves, making it possible to mix and match for any size speaker system that your room and budget can afford. Taking it even a step further the SoundWare Series comes in the same colors and designed for use outdoors. Prices for the entire P.O.P. series are modest and easily accessible for most consumers. |