hdmi

If you're planning on buying an Apple TV, make sure you have some extra A/V cables on hand. According to the Apple Web site, the only items included in the box--besides the Apple TV unit itself--are the remote, a power cord, and the instruction manual. Indeed, a more detailed overview of the product elsewhere on Apple's site lists the cables you'll need to supply: either HDMI (which can carry audio and video to compatible HDTVs) or component video, and--if using component--a pair of analog stereo or an optical digital cable to handle the audio. Those not … Read more

One of the big surprises at CES 2007 was what we didn't see in the home-theater space. Despite expectations that a slew of next-gen A/V receivers would debut, Sherwood Newcastle was the only brand of note to announce a receiver offering HDMI 1.3 connectivity and built-in support for Blu-ray and HD DVD-friendly Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD decoding. But now that CES is history and the 2007 product cycle is ramping up, details on new receivers are finally starting to leak out: Home Theater Blog posted details on five new Denon receivers that it says will debut in … Read more

The Sherwood Newcastle R-972 will deliver HDMI 1.3 connectivity, six HDMI inputs, lossless audio decoding (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio), and a graphic onscreen user interface when it's released in August for $1,500. (Note that the back panel image shows four HDMI inputs, but Sherwood has pledged that the shipping model will include six.) The product becomes the first officially announced receiver we've seen that incorporates all of those bleeding-edge features. Its step-down model, the R-872, offers similar HDMI and lossless decoding capabilities with "only" four HDMI inputs and a text-only onscreen interface, … Read more

Hitachi's main television-related introduction at CES 2007 might engender a certain amount of confusion about an already-confusing topic to many HDTV buyers. The company is marketing its new plasma TV, the P50H401 (February, $2,500), as the world's first "50-inch 1080 HDTV flat panel for under $2,500." If you're paying close attention (and really, who is?), you'll notice "p" is a big deal, however--the panel's pixel array is 1,280x1,080, not the 1,920x1,080 that qualifies for 1080p native resolution. But the price is definitely better than that … Read more

At $1,600, Sony's new Vaio TP1 Living Room PC, announced today, might be a little pricey for some of you, especially considering that it doesn't have an HD optical drive. Still, we suspect that its Roomba-like design might be charming enough to help it find a way into many living rooms. It does include an HDMI-out, so you can at least hook it up to your HDTV. It will be powered by Windows Vista Home Premium and an Intel Core 2 Duo laptop chip (which model is unspecified). Other specs include built-in Wi-Fi networking, a standard-definition, … Read more

DLP-based rear-projection HDTVs have always been a mainstay of Samsung's extensive HDTV offerings, and offerings at this year's CES are no different. To follow up on its release of the HL-S5679W--the first widely available DLP to be powered by LEDs and 2006 Best of CES winner in the television category--the company announced three new LED-powered DLP sets for this year. The 61-inch HL-T6187S, the 56-inch HL-T5687S, and the 50-inch HL-T5087S all replace standard bulbs with a trio of light-emitting diodes, which imbues them with a longer life span (20,000 hours before needing replacement, as opposed to … Read more

Ever wanted to connect a video component to a monitor or a projector on the other side of the room but didn't want to run an expensive, unsightly HDMI cable to it? Well, Philips has introduced a set of wireless HDMI "cables" that will allegedly hit stores midyear, with a $300 price tag. I know it sounds a little contradictory to call cables wireless, but hey, I don't write the press releases or name the products.

I guess the point is in order to go the wireless HDMI route you will to connect a transceiver to … Read more

At a press conference today at CES 2007, LG introduced the first player capable of playing both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. The words on the drawer of the player read "Super Multi Blue Player," but the model number is simply BH100. The player will be available as early as the first week of February at Best Buy and Circuit City among other outlets, according to the company, and will cost $1,199. At least for now, this announcement appears to be the most significant news at the show.

In case there was any doubt of the unit'… Read more

Vizio is at it again. The price-busting flat-panel TV specialist has set its sights on the huge-screen category with a 60-inch plasma TV, the VM60P HDTV, that will retail for $2,999 when it hits stores in February. That price is the best I've seen for any flat-panel TV larger than 50 inches, and it helps people shopping for a massive picture consider something other than rear-projection sets. The closest comparable HDTV I can think of, Panasonic's 58-inch TH-58PX600U, costs more and has a smaller screen, although if Panasonic's excellent track record is any indication, its picture … Read more