HTIB

CES: Sony's Blu-ray HTIBs get as cheap as $400

LAS VEGAS--Along with its flagship BDV-E780W, Sony also announced two additional Blu-ray home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems. Here's a quick rundown of the key features of the two systems.

Key features of the Sony BDV-E280:

5.1 home theater system 1,000 total watts 3D Blu-ray compatible Two HDMI inputs Bravia Internet Video streaming media suite (Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, Hulu Plus, Pandora, YouTube, Slacker, Qriosity) SACD playback Wi-Fi ready (requires USB adapter, sold separately) iPhone/iPod dock included Quick start mode $400 list price; available in April

Key step-up features of the Sony BDV-E580:

Built-in Wi-Fi Two HDMI inputs … Read more

CES: Sony's flagship Blu-ray HTIB gets wireless rear speakers, dual HDMI-ins

LAS VEGAS--Sony announced its flagship Blu-ray home-theater-in-a-box today, the BDV-E780W. Sony's flagship HTIB offers a set of features similar to what we've seen on other models, including built-in Wi-Fi, wireless rear speakers, and two HDMI inputs.

Like other Sony Blu-ray products, the BDV-E780W will be able to access the Bravia Internet Video content portal, which includes Netflix, Amazon VOD, Hulu Plus, Pandora, YouTube, Slacker, and Qriosity. It also features Gracenote's disc identification software, which enables the player to display cover art and related information for Blu-ray and DVD movies.

The most noticeable change from last year's … Read more

Samsung's giant cube Blu-ray HTIB

LAS VEGAS--All-in-one home theater systems are often called home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems, but we've never seen one where the home theater is a box.

Samsung's newly announced HT-D7100 Blu-ray home theater design features a unique cubelike design, shunning separate speakers and components for a single large enclosure. The early press photos aren't clear enough to tell exactly how the HT-D7100 works, but we'll take a hands-on look tomorrow on the show floor and update this story.

The HT-D7100 is a 2.1 system, which means it contains a built-in subwoofer, and it features 110 watts of total … Read more

Samsung's flagship Blu-ray HTIB has two HDMI ins, wireless rear speakers

LAS VEGAS--Blu-ray home-theater-in-a-box systems are hardly unique anymore, but Samsung's flagship HT-D6730W is packed with features, including built-in Wi-Fi, wireless rear speakers, and two HDMI inputs.

The HT-D6730W is a 7.1 system with 1,330 watts of total power. Samsung is also offering a sound-processing mode called "3D Sound Plus"; we don't have many details on what that means yet, but we'll update this blog if we get more information.

The system's connectivity is highlighted by two HDMI inputs and it also features an iPod/iPhone dock. Samsung's press release indicates that … Read more

LG refreshes its Blu-ray HTIB lineup

LAS VEGAS--Along with its flagship Blu-ray home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) system, LG also announced its updated line of Blu-ray HTIBs, consisting of three new models, the LHB536, LHB336 and LHB326.

All three are 5.1 systems, each with 1100 total watts. The features breakdown is as follows:

LHB536: 3D, Smart TV, built-in Wi-Fi, iPod/iPhone dock, DLNA

LHB336: 3D, Smart TV, Wi-Fi ready (requires separate adapter, sold separately), iPod/iPhone dock, DLNA

LHB326: Netflix, Vudu, CinemaNow and YouTube streaming, Wi-Fi ready (adapter included)

Smart TV is the name of LG's streaming media suite this year, which includes all the same streaming-media … Read more

LG's flagship Blu-ray HTIB packs Wi-Fi, wireless speakers

LAS VEGAS--LG announced its flagship Blu-ray home theater-in-a-box (HTIB) system this morning, the LHB976, with several high-end features including two HDMI inputs, built-in Wi-Fi, and wireless rear speakers.

The 5.1 system is rated at 1100 total watts, and LG claims to have a wireless rear speaker sound processing mode that spreads the sound out in the back, so it sounds as if it's coming from more than two speakers. Like LG's HTIB systems last year, the LHB976 features a built-in iPhone/iPod dock.

The integrated Blu-ray player is well-appointed, with the previously mentioned built-in Wi-Fi and 3D … Read more

Yamaha's sound bar and AV receiver HTIB goes for just $550

Yamaha is known for its big, brawny home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems, but the company is taking a different tack with the new YHT-494. The system includes a sound bar, a full component-sized AV receiver, a subwoofer, and two surround speakers. And even better, the full system is available now for just $550, which feels like a deal with all the functionality offered.

The full-size AV receiver (which Yamaha sells on its own as the HTR-3063) allows the YHT-494 to pack a lot of connectivity into the system, including four 3D-compatible HDMI inputs. That's more than any other similarly priced system … Read more

Onkyo updates its flagship THX HTIB with 3D

Onkyo has announced the latest version of its flagship home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) system, the HT-S9300THX. While most of the details are similar to last year's excellent HT-S9100THX, the company has added a few key upgrades, including 3D compatibility, a new graphical user interface, and HDMI pass-through functionality when the receiver is in standby mode. These are the key key features announced so far:

Key features of the Onkyo HT-S9300THX:

Four HDMI 1.4a inputs 3D pass-through capability (can pass 3D video signal to compatible TV from 3D video source) THX I/S Plus certified HDMI Thru functionality (passes HDMI signals … Read more

Onkyo's new brawny HTIBs are 3D-ready

Onkyo's home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems have a reputation for stellar sound quality, and they get that done with big, powerful speakers that aren't found on many competing systems. The company's latest two HTIBs, the HT-S6300 and HT-S7300, look like incremental updates to last year's excellent systems, with 3D pass-through being the major addition. Here's a quick rundown of the important specs.

Key features of the Onkyo HT-S6300:

Four HDMI 1.4a inputs 3D pass-through capability 1080p analog upconversion Audyssey 2EQ automatic speaker calibration 290-watt subwoofer Onkyo UP-A1 iPod dock included $750 list price; currently available

Key … Read more