Home Cinema

The 50in digital photo frame

2009-06-15T10:14:00Z

This one's definitely at the 'and Vision' end of things, but have been playing for the past few months with a little box I spotted at last year's Hong Kong Electronics Fair, and meaning to write some hands-on impressions for ages.

It's a simple add-on for your home cinema system, and at just over £40 delivered it won't break the bank, but it is a whole load of fun, especially if you take a lot of pictures on digital cameras, cameraphones or whatever.

And with the holiday season upon us, the HD-0310 1080p Digital Photo Viewer from Hong Kong company Hi-Den Vision could be just the thing when you get back and want to relive your travels in the comfort of your own home.

Simply, this box will play just about any camera memory card through your TV, upscaling the pictures to 1080p resolution, and allow a range of transition effects to give slideshows, or even looping sequences.

It'll also play audio or video from such storage, or USB pen-drives or even hard discs, and has both analogue and optical digital audio outputs alongside the HDMI and component/composite video sockets.

You can even loop one of your HDMI sources through it – handy should you be running out of inputs on your TV or AV receiver.

Yes, I know that some TVs now offer similar facilities, and the concept of the flatscreen as art display is being pushed hard by some manufacturers, who visualise you having a Balinese sunset on display any time you're not watching the TV. And there are Blu-ray Disc and DVD players able to accept memory cards, not to mention the fact you could hook up your computer to the TV and 'stream' slideshows.

But there are few solutions this inexpensive, or as flexible or simple to use, and as an add-on for slightly older systems this is a simple way of getting more use out of your TV, by turning it into the modern equivalent of those slide shows our parents used to subject us to decades ago.

I remember all the kerfuffle of setting up a screen on its tripod, checking all the slides were the right way up and the right way round, and the pictures popping in and out of focus with the heat of the lamp in the little projector, which was called a Pixie or an Elf or a Gnome or something.

Oh, and the cursing from the old man when he fumbled loading the push-pull slide carrier and a yellow Kodachrome slide box went tumbling, scattering pictures in the darkness.

But above all I remember the impact of seeing the holiday pictures blown up huge, with every detail readily apparent – something you just don't get when you look at your snaps on a laptop or an 8in digital photo-frame.

Having spent some of the weekend just gone sorting through some pictures – old and new – and viewing them on the 50in screen at home, the memories came flooding back, not least because my sister's been converting the old family slides into digital files over the past few months.

And that alone was worth the price of the little Hi-Den Vision box...

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Hands on with Panasonic's DMR BS850 Blu-ray recorder

2009-05-13T11:28:00Z

On 20th June, Panasonic will release the first ever Blu-ray recorder in this country, offering the ability to record to HDD or archive on 50GB Blu-ray discs.

We're the first to get our hands on a full production sample, and we'll be publishing our verdict as the lead First Test in the July issue of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision, on sale from June 3rd.

In the meantime, we thought we'd bring you our initial thoughts on the product.

The Panasonic DMR BS850 is a massive achievement. In a box no bigger than a standard Blu-ray player, it hides a Blu-ray recorder, a 250GB or 500GB hard drive and a Freesat HD receiver.

Panasonic is pitching it as the single box you need under your TV – and, as a concept, it's hard to argue with the logic. The 500GB and 250GB (DMR BS 750) models will cost £999 and £899 respectively, with a 250GB DVD version (DMR XS350) available for £699.

Twin Freesat tuners as standard
The DVD version will not record HD footage direct to DVD (just the HDD), though all models come with twin Freesat tuners and feature Viera Cast, allowing access to internet sites such as YouTube and photo-sharing site Picasa.

The hard disk drive on all models can store music and photo content too, and, as internet connection is offered as standard, it's certainly the most convincing stab at genuine home cinema convergence we've seen.

Both the DMR BS850 and BS750 are Profile 2.0 players and all models come with a Gracenote database of 350,000 albums and song titles, which can be updated online via the ethernet connection.

The EPG automatically tells you when a programme is in HD as well as standard-def. All HD shows will record to the hard disk, though some content may only be able to be copied once (and, rarely, never) to Blu-ray.

Recording of HDTV and 5.1 audio
Direct bitstream recording of HD programmes means everything is uncompressed. You'll also get 5.1 audio on the high quality 'DR' recording setting if the original broadcast supports it. The DMR BS850 has upgraded audio connections, which include an enhanced DAC and gold plated terminals.

There are five recording modes, with the DR mode offering 77 hours of content on a 500GB HDD and the lowest HL setting offers 240 hours on a 500GB HDD.

Of course, 25GB and 50GB Blu-ray discs are available too – a three pack of 25GB rewritable BD discs will cost £30. Amazingly, Panasonic also promises 100GB BD discs next year.

As well as ethernet, there's a USB socket for MP3 players and an SD card slot for photo, music and home movie content. Regular movie content such as DivX files can be played via the USB socket.

An optical socket is also featured and the two Blu-ray models can both decode Dolby True HD, DD Plus and DTS HD Master Audio. We have an exclusive UK review next issue, on sale 3rd June.

Forum Feedback

Your thoughts on recordable Blu-ray:

"This product is exactly what I'm looking for. I have an HDD/DVD recorder but upgrading to HD will mean I don't have to fiddle around with plug-in hard drives"
Forum username: Charlesnancarrow

"I'd be happy if they released one with a HDD recorder and just a BD player instead of a recorder, as I think that's what pushes the price up"
Forum username: Fido87456

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Yamaha's 2009 hi-fi and home cinema range in full

2009-04-24T07:23:00Z

As you may already have read in our news story, we've just had an exclusive briefing on all Yamaha's new 2009 models, including its entire multichannel receiver range, new hi-fi systems, speakers and iPod docks.

Just to recap, here are the key highlights of the five new multichannel receivers (with pictures), priced from £250 to around £800.

Yamaha RX-V365: £250, available May

5.1, 100W/channel, 1080p-compatible HDMI (two in/one out), YPAO sound optimisation, compressed music enhancer, Cinema DSP with eight programmes, Silent Cinema mode, sold with NS-P280 speaker package.

Yamaha RX-V465: £350, available May

5.1, 105W/channel, HD audio decoding, 1080p-compatible HDMI (four in/one out), YPAO sound optimisation, new Scene functionality, 17 Cinema DSP modes.

Yamaha RX-V565: £450, available May

7.1, 90W/channel, HD audio decoding, HDMI (four in/one out), 1080p video upscaling, YPAO sound optimisation, Scene functionality, on-screen display, 17 DSP modes with adaptive DSP level, Silent Cinema and Virtual Cinema modes.

Yamaha RX-V765: £tbc, available July

7.1, 95W/channel, HD audio decoding with high-quality discrete amplification circuitry, HDMI (four in/one out), 1080p video upscaling, Pure Direct mode, YPAO sound optimisation, multizone operation, Cinema DSP 3D.

Yamaha RX-V1065: £tbc, available July

7.1, 105W/channel, HD audio decoding, HDMI (four in/one out), 1080p video upscaling, new GUI, YPAO sound optimisation, iPod compatibility, Bluetooth A2DP, lip-sync adjustment, Cinema DSP 3D.

Further up the multichannel receiver range, the RX-V1900 (£1000) and RX-V3900 (£1500) continue as before, as do the flagship DSP-Z7 (£1960) and DSP-Z11 (£4900) multichannel amps.

Those models won't be replaced until 2010. And there'll be no new Blu-ray player to replace the BD-S2900 (£685) until later this year.

Other highlights of Yamaha's 2009 range include a new home cinema soundbar, the £399 YAS-71 due in May, and two new TV stands with built-in surround sound, the YRS-1000 (£899) and YRS-2000 (£999) due out in May and June respectively.

Yamaha YAS-71: £399, available May

Home cinema soundbar with subwoofer, four surround modes, Air Surround Xtreme technology, 70W x 2 + 70W subwoofer, Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro-Logic II, iPod and Bluetooth compatibility, FM tuner, compressed music enhancer, available in gloss black.

Yamaha YRS-1000: £899, available May

TV stand with built-in digital amplifier, 16 beam speakers, 62W + 50W subwoofer, 1080p-compatible HDMI (two in/one out), 1080p/24Hz processing, IntelliBeam auto set-up, compatible with Panasonic Viera Link. Measures (WHD) 116 x 50 x41.5cm.

Yamaha YRS-2000: £999, available June

As YRS-1000, but large enough for 60in TVs, IntelliBeam auto calibration, direct start function from remote control. Measures (WHD) 160 x 50 x 42cm.

That covers the home cinema range, now for the new hi-fi products which include mini and micro systems, iPod docks and speakers.

Yamaha M-330 micro system: £299, available May

20W x 2 RMS, iPod dock, USB port, CD player with CD text, 30-station FM/DAB radio (band III), two-way bass reflex speakers included.

Yamaha MCS-1330 mini system: £999, available June

Mini component system comprising CD player, stereo receiver and speakers. iPod dock, FM tuner, 60W x 2, USB port, aluminium front panel, Burr Brown DSD791 DAC, pure direct mode, gold-plated speaker terminals.

Yamaha PDX-30 iPod dock: £129, available May

Portable iPod dock available in black, blue, grey and pink, 15W x 2, twin 8cm speakers.

Yamaha PDX-50 iPod dock: £199, available May

Includes Yamaha's AirWired technology to send uncompressed, linear PCM audio directly from your iPod or iPhone to the dock. Allows auto power on and selection of tracks/volume via the iPod. Comes with a separate charging cradle.

Yamaha TSX-120 desktop system: £299, available May

Desktop iPod docking system with FM/DAB radio, 30 presets, dual alarm, sleep and snooze modes, real-wood top panel, four DSP modes, 15W x 2, available in black and white.

Yamaha TSX-130 desktop system: £349, available May

Same as TSX-120 but with addition of USB port and CD player.

Yamaha NS-700 speakers: £300-£1000, available June

NS-B700 two-way surround speaker £400 (above)

NS-F700 three-way floorstanding speaker £1000

NS-C700 two-way centre speaker £300

NS-SW700 300W subwoofer £500

Yamaha Soavo-1 piano black speaker: £3000, available June

Latest, upgraded version of Yamaha's flagship floorstanding speaker with advanced PMD diaphragm woofers and midrange drivers, edge-wound ribbon wire voice coil, neodymium midrange and tweeter magnets, diecast aluminium tweeter plate.

SPECIAL REPORT: Full details of Panasonic's forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders

2009-04-16T10:00:00Z

We've spent the day at Panasonic's UK HQ in Bracknell, getting a full technical briefing on its range of forthcoming Blu-ray/Freesat recorders, due out on June 20th.

We first caught a glimpse of the new recorders at Panasonic's European press launch last month, but details were thin on the ground. Now we can give you the full story.

There are two Blu-ray/Freesat recorders coming to the UK, and a DVD/Freesat recorder model as well. Top of the range is the DMR-BS850 Blu-ray/Freesat recorder with 500GB hard disk drive that will sell for £999.

Next comes the DMR-BS750, a 250GB Blu-ray/Freesat model costing £899, and finally there's the DMR-XS350, a DVD/Freesat recorder with 200GB hard drive selling for £699.

All three models have twin Freesat HD satellite tuners and are compatible with Viera Cast, Panasonic's proprietary internet portal that's standard across its entire 2009 Blu-ray range and many of its latest TVs.

The two Blu-ray models have onboard decoders for Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD Master Audio, and the DMR-BS850 gets upgraded audio components such as a better quality DAC and gold-plated terminals (see picture below).

The DMR-BS850 and BS750 are Profile 2.0 out of the box, so BD-Live compatible, and come equipped with an SD memory card slot capable of playing back high-definition (AVCHD) footage from an HD camcorder, as well as full HD JPEGs.

There's also a built-in music jukebox with 350,000 album and song titles pre-installed from the Gracenote database. This can be updated via the web using the recorder's Ethernet connection.

The twin tuners mean you can watch one programme off-air while recording another, or record two programmes simultaneously while watching a third recorded to Blu-ray disc or the hard disk drive.

Direct bitstream recording of high-definition programmes to the HDD means there's no decoding involved, and recordings can include multichannel 5.1 sound when applicable, plus sub-titles, in the highest-quality DR mode.

The Freesat electronic programme guide (EPG) allows for single programme or series recording, as well as the ability to pause live TV, select 'split recording' for, say, films with a break for the news in the middle, and 'schedule TV' which automatically adjusts your recordings to take account of any changes in the scheduled broadcast time.

What's more, the EPG will automatically tell you when a programme is available in high definition as well as standard definition, so you can choose which version you want to record.

Oh, and did we mention that Freesat is promising to offer IPTV services later this year, including the BBC iPlayer? Now that we do like.

Another handy feature is the 'Direct Navigator' function for the hard disk drive. This lets you manage all your digital media – still pictures, music and video – using simple on-screen graphics and pictures.

Any TV programmes you've recorded but haven't yet watched will be denoted by a green flag, and the paperclip symbol means every episode of a particular series can be stored in its own folder on the EPG.

When recording to the HDD or a Blu-ray disc, there are five quality modes: DR (14mbps), HG (12mbps), HX (8mbps), HE (5mbps) and the lowest quality HL (4mbps).

Obviously the storage capacity of the disc or hard drive will depend on the recording quality you choose. But to give you an idea, at the highest quality DR mode you can store 77 hours of high-def content on the 500GB HDD, 37.5 hours on the 250GB HDD and 7.5 hours on a blank 50GB dual-sided Blu-ray disc.

Switch to the lowest quality HL mode and you'll get 240 hours on the 500GB HDD, 120 hours on the 250GB HDD and 24 hours on a 50GB Blu-ray disc.

To speed up recording times from the hard disk drive to Blu-ray, Panasonic has developed a 6x BD-R disc that will enable you to transfer a one hour, DR-mode recording from the HDD to a disc in just four minutes. If the recording is in the lowest HL mode, it will transfer in 1.5 minutes. A 100GB disc is in development and will be available in 2010.

As for the thorny issue of copy protection, the broadcaster can tag every TV episode or film as copy-free (so you can record it to other media as often as you want), copy once (self-explanatory) or copy never.

The DMR-XS350 DVD model can, like the other two, record high-definition programmes in DR mode to the hard disk drive, but only in standard definition to DVD.

We hope to bring you more pictures of the Blu-ray recorders in the June issue of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision, on sale next month. In the meantime, you can check out Panasonic's own HD Everything website for more details.

The height of sophistication? It's at least 3ft above your front speakers

2009-04-15T19:37:00Z

Been a lot of cut and thrust here in the WHFSV office in the past couple of days about the merits or otherwise of the new 'height' channel you can enjoy thanks to Dolby Pro-Logic IIz. Why? because the review moles are busy down in their burrow, rootling about among the capabilities of Onkyo's TX-SR607.

It's the first commercially-available AV receiver to have PLIIz, costs £500 and will be tested in our new-look June issue, due on the shelves of a shop near you in about three weeks.

And the discussions have all been about whether the extra front speakers are a) a good thing, b) confusing or c) just not practical in a conventional domestic environment. After all, how are you going to deploy two more speakers in front of you, given that you already have to accommodate two fronts, a centre, probably a subwoofer and a TV or a screen?

More to the point, how are you going to do it when Dolby suggests these 'height' speakers should be used at least 3ft above your main speakers, either directly or further out toward the side walls?

Wall-mount speakers such as these PMCs could be an answer

Wall-mounting seems the only option, Dolby helpfully saying that while the signal sent to these speakers can be full-band, you really can get away with relatively small speakers. In-walls, slimline on-walls, or even in-ceiling speakers would seem to offer the solution, but we all know that many of these custom-install speakers are relatively hard to fit in British homes without gutting the room, channelling walls for cables or tearing up the floorboards above your living room. Hmmm...

The suggestion is that you could use these speakers in place of the rear surrounds, as they generate the same kind of ambience, but Dolby's still talking in terms of the system offering the opportunity for 7.1-channel systems or even 9.1. So you could have your full set-up with surrounds, rear surrounds and a pair of front height channels. Best of luck getting that past the non-enthusiast partner!

From the rival DTS camp there's talk of even more channels: the as yet unnamed system it showed at the 2009 CES in the States, referred to in passing as 'Neo;X', allows for an 11.1 speaker array. That means the usual 7.1, plus four height speakers, and I'm told it makes for a very immersive experience. As, perhaps, one might hope it would.

Yamaha does presence with extra front speakers...

...and how it extracts those extra front channels from a standard mix

Of course, we've been here before. Yamaha has been offering extra 'presence' channels on its processors and receivers for over a decade, and I remember running just such a set-up for a short while back in the VHS tape and Dolby Pro-Logic days.

And I heard a superb demonstration from Meridian, which has also been doing this height thing for a while, at an AES conference in Cambridge a couple of years back. This set-up used speakers directly above and below the listener to give both height and depth. The effect was fascinating, but somewhat tricky to achieve even in a dedicated home cinema, let alone a normal living room.

I guess the question is whether all but the most dedicated of enthusiasts will greet with open arms the idea of more channels, even if the promise from Dolby is that you won't need new discs to make the most of them.

The company reckons that while some games developers or music producers might choose to make recordings with discrete height channels – indeed, there have already been some music discs designed to give you that 'front row of the stalls, just below the orchestra' feeling – for the most part the Pro-Logic IIz software will be creating the extra channels from what's already on existing soundtracks.

In other words, just as PLIIx does when creating surround back channels from 5.1 mixes.

Do we need that 'front row of the stalls' experience, even with – for example – live classical music recordings? Well, as I noted in a column on this subject for Gramophone recently, the last time I was at the Royal Festival Hall I found myself in the front row (I hadn't chosen the tickets).

My field of vision was filled with the well-upholstered posterior of a female viola player, and my hearing dominated by the strings in the immediate vicinity, doing a fine job of psychoacoustic masking of the rest of the band.

And that's neither a visual nor an audio experience I am in any hurry to repeat.

Worthing, Oscar Wilde and B&W's Panorama soundbar

2009-03-26T20:36:00Z

B&W's Panorama soundbar

Worthing is an unsentimental sort of a town – the building where Oscar Wilde wrote The Importance of Being Earnest is, these days, a used-car showroom. It could well be the country's only second-hand dealership featuring a blue plaque commemorating a giant of letters.

But anyway, latterly Worthing is arguably more famous for being home to B&W loudspeakers. So it was with a due sense of historical perspective that I struck out for B&W's expansive seaside headquarters.

The reason was to see and hear B&W's latest product, the Panorama. In spite of the word 'panorama' applying strictly to visuals, the Panorama is an audio product – a soundbar, in fact. B&W intends the Panorama to do for soundbars what its wildly successful Zeppelin has done for iPod docks – that is, make them credible.

Voiced by the team that voiced B&W's high-end 800 series (I enjoyed a comprehensive explanation of the company's aspirations for the Panorama from concept to execution from the charming Krestian Pedersen) and benchmarked against competing products from the likes of Denon and Yamaha, the Panorama is a big boy.

A full metre across, it's designed to fit beneath screens of 40in diameter or more. A wall-bracket is included.

A better understanding of digital sound processing
B&W's work with Jaguar helped the company's understanding of digital sound processing, and that understanding made the desire for Panorama to be a strictly one-box solution with no need for a subwoofer achievable.

And given B&W's proud stereo tradition, the company is adamant it's as authentic a performer with music as with movies.

On paper, a price of £1500 doesn't automatically square with a product with no HDMI switching and no HD audio ability. Connectivity is restricted to a pair of analogue RCA inputs, two digital optical and one digital coaxial input. There's a pre-out for a subwoofer (should you desire) and that's the lot.

In practice, of course, it all depends on how the Panorama performs, and if B&W makes good on its promise of a review sample next week, we should be in a position to answer that question in our June issue.

US: Sony's new DVD systems are wireless, iPod-ready and multidisc

2009-03-04T09:06:00Z

Just announced in the States at Sony's Open House trade event is a trio of new DVD home cinema in a box systems, with two models having wireless audio capability.

The new systems claim 1,000W total power output, and each has an integrated five-disc CD/DVD changer. And in addition to the company's DM Port system, allowing integration with portable and wireless devices, the systems also come complete with an iPod cradle, and an easy set-up disc.

Two of the systems, the DAV-HDX589W (above) and DAV-HDX587WC (below), offer Sony's S-AIR wireless audio transmission, the former having WAHT-SA10 wireless rear speakers and the latter AIR-SA10 wireless multiroom operation.

They both also have upscaling, Digital Cinema Auto Calibration and a range of technologies to enhance audio from both portable audio and DVDs, including Sony's Dialogue Enhancer.

The two systems go on sale in the States this month at around $430 (£300) apiece.

The budget DAV-HDX285 system (below) comes with smaller speakers than the more upmarket models, and is 'S-AIR-ready', needing the addition of a transmitter to do the wireless thing. It will sell for around $300.

Finally Sony has a new soundbar system designed to complement its latest flatscreen TVs. There's no player built-in, but the slimline HT-CT500 3.1-channel soundbar speaker system (below), which goes on sale in June, has surround processing and amplification built-in, handles the latest HD audio codecs, and comes complete with a subwoofer. It will sell for around $500.

USA: Sony goes wi-fi and wireless with new Blu-Ray Disc players and systems

2009-03-03T16:31:00Z

Not content with rolling out a complete receiver line-up at its Open House trade show now being held in Las Vegas, Sony has launched two new Blu-ray Disc players. One is complete with built-in wi-fi connectivity, and there's also a pair of BD home cinema systems with wireless multiroom capability.

All four products are BD-Live-capable, but the new $350 (£250) BDP-S560 player (above) goes further than current machines by having 802.11N/G/B/A wireless networking built-in, avoiding the need for a hard-wired Ethernet connection or an add-on wi-fi device.

It's also DLNA-ready, allowing it to access other compliant devices to share digital pictures and show them on a connected TV.

Both this model and the $300 (£215) Sony BDP-S360 (above) have onboard decoding for all HD audio formats, bitstream output of all formats, and 1080p upscaling.

They also have a USB port to which extra local storage for BD-Live content can be added, and the BDP-S560 additionally has a front-panel USB via which photos on memory devices can be delivered, or to which digital cameras can be connected.

Complementing these two players will be an add-on sound system, capable of handling HD Audio codecs via HDMI. The Sony HT-SS360 (above) combines a slimline receiver with a speaker package, and will sell in the States for around $350. Like the two players it'll hit the shops this summer.

Two new Blu-ray all-in-one systems are also on the way – the $600 BDV-E300 (above) and $800 BDV-E500W, both due in June.

The two systems offer BD-Live capability, decoding for all HD audio formats, Sony's automatic calibration and set-up, and the company's Digital Media Port.

They also come with and easy set-up DVD, designed to help purchasers get the system up and running.

The most obvious difference between the two, apart from the larger main speakers of the pricier system, is in the wireless connectivity. The BDV-E500W (below) has integrated Sony S-AIR wireless audio, so you only have to add S-AIR AirStation speaker devices to enjoy multiroom music in up to ten zones around the house, up to 50m from the main unit.

On the less expensive BDV-E300, the S-AIR facility requires the addition of an extra transmitter module.

Still to come: Sony's DVD all-in ones, soundbar surround system and internet TVs.

USA: Sony's 2009 AV receivers revealed

2009-03-03T15:40:00Z

It's that time of year again when the major manufacturers start having their big US trade shows, to introduce the products due in the shops over the next few months.

One of the biggest is Sony's Open House, held in Las Vegas, and this year's is proving no disappointment: there's a new range of mass-market AV receivers, aimed at the same kind of buyers as the highly successful STR-DG820, two new Blu-ray Disc players and a pair of all-in-one BD systems, and a stack of DVD-based 'home theater in a box' packages including a 'soundbar' surround solution.

And as if all that wasn't enough, there are even more internet-ready TVs.

Of course, all these are US models, with no guarantees they'll appear over here, and features such as Sirius/XM radio capability will fall by the wayside if they do.

But judging from the experience of past years, at least some of them should be in a shop near you sometime this summer.

The receiver range tops out with the the sleek, piano-black-fronted STR-DN1000 (above). Set to sell for $500 (around £360 at current exchange rates), it sits above the STR-DH800, at $400 (£285) clearly designed as the replacement for the current STR-DG820.

The STR-DN1000 has four HDMI inputs, video upscaling and upconversion from all analogue video inputs, decoding for all the HD audio formats and a 7x110W output.

Wireless multiroom – up to ten zones
There's also wireless multiroom capability built-in, with the addition of an optional EZW-T100 transmitter ($50) and AIR-SA10 wireless active speakers ($120). The transmission system is Sony's own S-AIR, and it can drive up to ten remote zones around the home up to a maximum range of 50m.

In addition there's an icon-driven menu system, and connectivity for portable devices and home networks using the company's DM Port system.

The STR-DN1000 goes on sale in the States in July, preceded by the other three receivers in the range.

The STR-DH800 (above) has a similar specification to the 'DN1000, with a few of the frills – such as video scaling – trimmed off, and hits the shops in June, with two entry-level models, the $300 STR-DH700 and $200 STR-DH500 on sale this month.

All but the STR-DH500 (above) support HD audio, and all have the DM Port and Sony's Digital Cinema Auto Calibration system.

Interestingly, Sony even has a new stereo receiver for the US market: the $150 STR-DH100 offers 100W per channel and a DM Port connection.

Stay tuned for more on Sony's new Blu-ray Disc players and home cinema systems.

The Gospel according to Blu?

2009-02-24T09:47:00Z

It's a Blu-ray future: sales of discs are growing fast, with the UK leading Europe into the Blu-ray revolution.

That's the result of research from Futuresource Consulting, a company not exactly known for keeping quiet about the success of Blu-ray Disc. After all, in its previous incarnation as Understanding & Solutions, its MD, Jim Bottoms, was one of the most outspoken market research voices in the Blu corner during the format battle with HD DVD.

The company suggests that over 100 million Blu discs will be sold this year, across the USA, Western Europe and Japan. And it says that BD will account for 50% of US disc sales, and 35% in Europe, by 2012.

“In the USA, BD has moved from early adopter phase through to early majority, with the format gaining real traction in the marketplace,” according to Mai Hoang, Futuresource Senior Market Analyst.

“Last year in the US alone, BD video retail sales increased by a whopping 320% to 24 million units; and we’re going to see momentum continuing in 2009, with over 80 million disc sales forecast.”

Europe accounted for nine million sales last year, but Futuresource is expecting 'further healthy growth' this year. "The UK is the largest market for BD in Western Europe,” says Hoang, adding that “With sales of more than 3.5 million units in 2008, it represented over 40% of the West European total."

And the Futuresource report does a good job of covering the disparity between the number of discs manufactured last year and the number sold.

“Although 36 million Blu-ray video discs were sold worldwide last year, more than 200 million were manufactured,” says Michael Boreham, Senior Consultant at Futuresource. “A portion of the remaining discs can be accounted for by multi-disc titles and promo campaigns - covermounts are already starting to emerge and we’re projecting much more activity over the next few years.

"However, the majority is ‘pipeline fill’, where product is placed into the supply chain in readiness for the growth in hardware sales, and to enable the retailers to build their in-store displays."

But it's at the end of the report that Futuresource rather gives the game away, with the stats giving way to sheer marketing puff:

'Blu-ray is here to stay, with a lucrative roadmap stretching out for at least the next five to ten years.

'Factor in the rise of 3D and its associated technologies, which are ideally suited to the BD delivery platform, and there is clearly a long-term opportunity for the industry to further sustain consumer interest in packaged entertainment media, and Futuresource will continue to closely monitor developments within this market.'

I'm sure it will - and no doubt keep us fully informed...

Buying performance, or by the specification?

2009-02-11T12:39:00Z

There’s a lot of discussion on the Forums at the moment about objective and subjective considerations of products, but one thing remains for sure – when it comes to the AV market, specifications sell.

I’ve lost count of the number of threads we’ve had over there about how one product is better than the other because it has this Sharc or that Wolfson or the other Crystal. And of course power figures are also a big selling point, to the extent that most manufacturers employ a spot of creativity to ensure their numbers are bigger than their rivals’.

Then there’s the sheer number of sockets on offer, most of which many users will never ever use, but which are often quoted in the name of 'futureproofing'.

It’s all roughly akin to a bit of badge-snobbery – you may only have the GLX, but I’ve got the CDX – which so often formed the basis of the pecking order among sales forces in the days before company car fleets started to feel the squeeze.

And it seems at least one manufacturer has finally put on paper what we’ve all suspected all along: people buy AV receivers based on the number of badges on the front.

This is Yamaha’s latest US advertising campaign.

How HDMI should have been from the start?

2009-02-04T15:05:00Z

Regulars on our Forums may have noticed that I'm not HDMI's biggest fan. Actually, let me be a bit more specific: I've no problem with the connection system itself, carrying everything from hi-def pictures to hi-rez sound – well, unless you have Sky+HD – and control signals.

No, what gets my Capra aegagrus hircus is the useless connector fitted to each end of HDMI cables.

It falls out. It works loose. It only makes intermittent contact after you've pulled it out and plugged it in a few times.

In fact, it seems to have been designed purely to save space on the rear-panel of products, not to provide the very best connection possible.

OK, so you're probably thinking this is only a problem affecting those of us who spend our lives plugging and unplugging cables during the course of reviewing, but it really isn't. HDMI cables – especially the heavy and often stiff 'upmarket' ones – have an alarming habit of suddenly declaring unilateral independence from the back of your TV, receiver or whatever.

Usually in the middle of a favourite TV show. And usually in the most inaccessible place possible.

So I was interested to receive an email the other week from a company in the States making a product designed to lock HDMI cables in place. The hd EZ lock. made by Lakewood, Washington company Blue Echo Solutions, attaches to the rear of whatever has HDMI sockets and, as the name suggests, locks the HDMI plug into the socket.

You can attach the little injection-moulded nylon device using adhesive tape supplied in the box, or using a screw – also supplied - in place of the one holding the HDMI socket to the rear panel of your equipment. The plug is inserted, and a clamp locked down to the cable using an Allen key, also in the box.

We've just received some samples and I've been having a play, and while the thing isn't exactly pretty, as you'll see from the pictures, who's going to see it once in place?

And best of all, it does just what it says: once a cable is in place, it's going to stay there.

You can order it online - shipped from the States in about a week, it'll cost you around £16.50 for a pair of hd EZ locks, enough to lock one cable at both ends.

This is one of those ideas that works so well, and is so simple, that you wonder why no-one thought of it before.

Like the committees responsible for designing the HDMI connector in the first place, for example...

JVC in Prague: The Inside Story

2009-01-27T12:42:00Z

Hopefully you will have read the news story on our website that reported live from JVC's European Press Trip – a quick overnight jaunt to Prague where we were given the complete lowdown on the company's products for 2009. If you missed it, take a look here.

Whether you think these trips are one big jolly for alcohol-loving journalists or a sleep-deprived 24 hours of non-stop hard graft (someone out there must think that), I'll aim to give you a bit of an idea... As ever, the answer is somewhere in between the two.

5am

It's an early start to the day in order to catch a taxi to Heathrow Terminal 5 for a morning flight. The usual suspects from the AV industry – apparently there are other magazines and websites out there, for what reason we don't know – are gathered along with the welcoming committee from the company in question.

So for this trip we have half a dozen journalists and our PR contact for JVC – it turns out the rest of the assorted product managers and technical bods are already out in Prague. A quick coffee and a moan about the early start and we're on our way...

11am

We touch down in Prague and are bussed from the airport to our base, the Hilton in the city centre. A sizeable chunk of the hotel has been taken over by JVC for a week-long showcase of all its new products to staff, dealers and journalists.

There's time to check-in, dump our bags, quickly set-up the wireless connection in the room and check a few emails, before it's back downstairs for our afternoon at the mercy of 'Victor'.

1pm

While we stuff our faces with assorted sandwiches and cakes - it certainly feels like a long time since we had any proper food - we listen to a number of speakers from both the Japanese and European offices of JVC, as they set out the company's achievements in the past year and plans for the future.

Susumu Sakakibara, general manager of AV & Multimedia for JVC, is the main draw, giving us a run-down on the coming year that focuses largely on TVs (super-slim, separate tuner boxes, wireless, Full HD),home cinema (Blu-ray players and systems, plus BD-Live support) and camcorders (we turned off a touch at this point... oh OK, the key here is one-touch sending of your content to iTunes and YouTube).

Looking to the future, there was also plenty of vague talk of 3D TV, with plans for 24, 32 and 46in 3D sets that will deliver 3D video when paired with 3D glasses. A proper lunch never quite materialised - not that we journalists are always looking to be eating and/or drinking, of course - so it was straight downstairs to see the products in action.

2.30pm

After being guided down a few corridors and through a few cavernous halls we finally find JVC's aladdin's cave, jam-packed with the company's new kit. For the full low-down on this, head over to the news story here. But if it's more pictures you're after, scroll on down...

This is the profile of a set from JVC's DV1 range.

While here's the even slimmer LT-42WX70.

All of JVC's new televisions use the company's freshly-designed remote control, below.

And here's the company's long-awaited Blu-ray player, the XV-BP1.

And finally, the chunky NX-BD5B Sophisti Blu-ray cinema system.

5.00pm

After seeing all the kit it was back to the hotel room where, resisting the temptation to have a quick forty winks, I set to work on the news story. In a matter of moments the pristine prose is posted online using our web-based CMS program for adding content to the site. Pictures are then emailed and/or sourced back in our UK office, and then added to the news story as it goes live. A few frantic emails later, and in this instance some pictures sent via mobile phone, and the story appears on whathifi.com. And relax.

7.00pm

As is customary - you'll be staggered to hear - we rendez-vous in the hotel bar for a much-needed drink, before the entire European press trip, together with the JVC representatives, head in to Prague to commandeer a restaurant for some food and perhaps another drink or two... This gives us a chance to pick the brains of JVC's engineers and product managers, while they attempt to gleam some nuggets of knowledge from the various journalists present (which doesn't take long etc.)

It's not long before the day - and possibly some of the liquid refreshment - catches up with us all, and we head back to the hotel for a night-cap...

?pm

...we retire to bed.

8am

Sadly there's rarely time to take a proper look around the city you're apparently visiting, so we grab some breakfast before heading back to the airport for a flight home... And so another press trip and another look at a whole host of new products has come and gone in the blink of an eye.

Firmware over the rainbow, Blu-rays fly - but why, tell me why can't they play first time?

2008-12-09T10:16:00Z

Having apparently learned nothing from 10+ years of DVD compatibility issues (anyone remember The Matrix DVD debacle?), we’re now starting to see some new Blu-ray discs that won’t spin in every player. Or, rather, they’ll spin, but meaninglessly, while the player’s display sends out a hopeful but ultimately unfulfilled message of ‘Loading’.

We’re hearing reports of new disc problems every day – most recently with the Fox Blu-ray releases of the James Bond back-catalogue and Buena Vista’s Kill Bill Volumes 1&2 boxset (first disc).

Depending on the discs and players involved – and some of these players, it has to be said, are 2008 vintage – the issues can involve anything from interminable load times to freezing menus and total unplayability. ‘Helpful’ on-screen statements such as ‘this disc may take 2-3 minutes to load, during which the screen may go blank’ don’t exactly add to a sense of 21st century plug-and-play excellence.

Warning! Blu-rays may not play...

Buena Vista (aka Disney) have even cheerfully included a leaflet inside the Tarantino twinset – which by now, of course, you’ve bought AND opened - that baldly states the following:

“This Blu-ray Disc is manufactured to the highest quality available. It is possible this Blu-ray Disc was manufactured after your Blu-ray Disc player was released. If that is the case, your player may not support all the features on the disc. In some cases, a firmware or software upgrade to your player may improve playability. To ensure the best possible viewing experience, please consult your hardware manufacturer’s website for the latest firmware or software version and, if an upgrade is available, we suggest that you follow its installation instructions. If you have any questions about this disc or its playability, please contact our consumer enquiries line on…..”

(Cue standard-rate London office phone number of Walt Disney Home Entertainment, obviously shut evenings and weekends - when you’re most likely to want to play your new Blu-ray purchase.)

PlayStation 3 shows how easy it can be

Sure enough, my regularly (and easily) updated Sony PlayStation 3 played both discs fine; though a brand new high-end Blu-ray player without an Ethernet connection (or Profile 2.0 status) struggled with Volume 1. At one stage I realised my receiver was also due a firmware update.

Can you sense my frustration yet? When the Kill Bill Blu-ray curse struck in the Newsome household, I was angrier than The Bride, and if a Hanzo sword had been at hand then there may well have been a frenetic, high-definition bisection of discs and kit. Fortunately, firmware saved the day (and the discs, by the way, look and sound stunning).

However, as someone on the whathifi.com Forums plaintively wrote: “when will hardware and software manufacturers talk to each other?”

An ugly profile

A damn good question, along with why the Blu-ray player ‘Profile’ system is such a complex mess. Manufacturers of Profile 1.1 players have been saying that Profile 2.0 is unnecessary, dubbing BD Live functionality as a gimmick, and that owners of 1.1-spec players wouldn’t be missing out on anything fundamental.

That’s all well and good until Hollywood’s finest pack their wares with so much BD Live frippery that even getting to the disc’s menus is a nightmare, as the Blu-ray’s software repeatedly goes in search of online content it cannot find.

Add Blu-ray without BD Live content (such as some of those Bond discs) that STILL have problems with some players – because they’re running Java software that not every Blu-ray system supports without a firmware update – and it’s enough to make the average consumer stick to cheaper, play-first-time DVDs.

Let us know your discs fumbles and firmware fixes

We're urging both manufacturers and retailers to make Firmware updates easily accessible to all - including clearly flagging up the latest software on websites or providing it via disc on request.

We'll also try and bring you news here on whathifi.com of any 'problem' BDs and their firmware solutions - please keep your own tales coming of dodgy discs and fabulous firmware so we can all keep up to speed. We've set up a dedicated Forum thread here.

Rant over - back to the glorious movie action

As I said at the start, we've been here before with DVD, and i'm sure these Blu-ray teething troubles will be soon forgotten - and once you've got The Dark Knight BD playing in its full high-definition sound and vision glory, you can forgive this stunning format anything.

Inside Sony Japan part 2 – exclusive Blu-ray system and stereo speaker previews

2008-11-27T23:23:00Z

We're still deep in the development belly of Sony Tokyo, and have had a hands-on play with a couple of new products that you'll all be interested in...

First up is the BDV IT1000 home theatre system with Blu-ray (pictured above) - originally previewed as the 'Pocky' system at the IFA Show. It marks the first fully specified Blu-ray-in-a-box system from Sony and comes with a full 5.1 speaker set-up.

The first thing you'll notice are the very thin speakers with a small wireless box for the rears. Barely an inch across and standing tall, each speaker (sub apart) stands tall and is designed for the more style and space conscious person, according to Sony. The speakers can be wall mounted, stand as they are or be cut down in size to stand on a rack beside a TV. Setting up the system is simple and the BD player has the familiar fascia of the S500 and is based on a S550 spec.

The BDV IT1000 launches next month and is expected to cost around £1500. Sony are keen to stress that all stands, leads and brackets are included in the pack, allowing you to set-up the system with minimal fuss and at no extra cost. We've had a play and first signs are impressive and you can expect the full review very soon – read it here before anyone else...

Next, it's a pair of colossal piano black floorstanders (below) which show Sony getting back into the speaker market. A UK release is being considered as we speak and the speakers themselves are the $16000 SS AR1s. You can currently buy them in Japan, along with a specially signed gift statue by the engineer.

The central premise is to bring concert hall 'feel and emotion' to the home, according to Sony. We'll test the AR1s next month, but – as you can see – they certainly look the part. If size is an issue, a smaller, $12000 pair (AR2s) are due for release next month in Japan.

Now, if you'll excuse us, we're just heading into a secure room at Sony HQ which houses every Walkman ever invented.

Stay tuned for more Sony news over the weekend...