AV Magazines

Do you want a touchscreen on your universal remote control? I am not sure I want one. After all I don't want to be looking at the touchscreen when I can watch TV and simply feel the buttons on my regular remote. Regardless of my taste in remotes Philips has designed a new universal remote control. The Prestigo SRT9320 is the remote that has a 2.8 inch color touchscreen right on top of those regular buttons I was talking about.

The screen is supposed to take care of the favorite channels and the custom commands. The remote can control 20 devices and you can be programmed without connecting it to a PC. The remote control is a little expensive at $249 but then again touchscreens aren't cheap. It will arrive sometime in Q1 of 2009 so better save some cash for the remote of the future.

SIM2 presents its enhanced Grand Cinema C3X 1080 Projector with the new LUMIS HOST Projector System. This new projector system is in fact an outboard projector control module, which enables you to connect it with the projector even from a distance up to 750 feet.

Featuring High Definition Optical Signal Transfer (H.O.S.T) technology, the new LUMIS HOST Projector System delivers 10,000:1 contrast ratio. It is a Full HD 1920 x 1080 home theater projector incorporating SIM2 Alphapath light engine and 3 HDMI inputs. You get three lens options for this projector, including T1 (short-throw), T2 (long-throw standard) and T3 (long throw).

Why do we need a remote control made out of gel? Well you got me here. I have no idea. Panasonic designed a new remote, the kind that is practically waiting to be touched.

The remote seems to be cold when it's off but when it will come to life then it will emit some light and it will mimic the motion of breathing. When you touch it the light stops and it becomes rigid. I'd definitely have to try one of those gel things!

via nextnature

Here's a nifty peice of media-playing, recording, streaming, hardware, with an iPod dock, how much better can you get than that? 

Mvix has recently revealed their PVR that fit's the above description, the MvixPVR. This box can do it all in terms of streaming, featuring WiFi, HDMI, and component connections, even Bittorrent functionality. But that's not all, it also has the ability to store an internal harddrive, and stream media off an external harddrive with it's USB port.

Unfortunately, Mvix is keeping their lips sealed in terms of pricing and availabilty. Bummer.

Read (eHome Upgrade)

Binoculars can deliver images but I guess you already knew that. Those binoculars in the picture here can deliver both audio and video. The LighSpeed binoculars will go one step further. They will also transmit those captured audio and video images via Infrared.

Are you in the army or you just happen to want to know your neighbors better? Do you have a friend across the street whom you'd like to communicate with? The LightSpeed binoculars will let you do that. Could it also deliver those images to a screen or to a recorder? With today's technology these binoculars could probably do it…

There's a school of thought that believes speakers should be heard and not seen; to that, BluTiger says "rubbish!"  They've taken a set of surround-sound computer speakers and strapped a couple of bright blue graphic equalizers to the front stereo pair.  Prepare to be dazzled (your eyesight if not your ears) by 200 LEDs.

Otherwise it's pretty much your basic surround-sound setup, with five speakers and a separate powered sub.  BluTiger boast 1,000 watts total, but we can't imagine any of those are particularly quality watts.  Still, there's thankfully a fader control to dim down (or switch off, but where's the fun in that?) the equalizers.

The package includes a remote control, "audio pod" with headphone jack, cellphone adapter and all the wires you need.  The BluTiger Computer Speakers are available now, priced at $300. 

[via Gizmodo]

Given the ratio of DVD player owners to Blu-ray player owners, you could argue that any of the high-definition decks are "high end"; however Denon Japan have announced what they're claiming is the world's first high end Blu-ray universal player.  The posh title is to take into account that the DVD-A1UD is capable not only of playing the usual Blu-ray and DVD video discs, but also DVD-audio, SACD and standard CDs.  It also comes with the company's DENON Link 4th technology, which apparently improves performance even from standard-definition sources.

Connectivity includes two HDMI 1.3 ports, component video, S-video, composite video, optical digital audio, coaxial digital, balanced two-channel stereo analog audio, ethernet, an SD card slot and a serial port, together with a DENON LINK port.  Thankfully the whole thing can be updated with new firmware, as in its current configuration the DVD-A1UD doesn't support BD-Live.

Denon are promising the DVD-A1UD in Japan by the end of January 2009, priced at 546,000 yen ($5,879) in black or silver.  A European launch will follow in March 2009, priced at €4,000 ($5,046).