CES 2007

The Neosonik A/V Controller and HDMI dongle

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Speaker wires and A/V cables are the bane of any home theater system. In recent years, most mainstream manufacturers have offered one of two options to cut the number of wires: produce virtual surround systems that offer only one or two speakers (plus a subwoofer); or utilize a wireless rear speaker module that eliminates the need to run speaker cables the length of the room (but still necessitates quite a few cables of its own). But true wireless A/V systems have remained elusive.

The A/V controller offers HDMI 1.3 connectivity

(Credit: CNET)

Enter Neosonik. The start-up hi-fi company is using CES to highlight its home theater technology that enables wireless audio and video. The hub of the system is a supercharged A/V controller with multiple analog and digital inputs (including HDMI 1.3 ports). In addition to performing all the standard functions of a high-end A/V receiver, the controller can wirelessly broadcast 5.1 audio channels to each of the companion speakers in the Neosonik system. Even more impressive, the controller broadcasts wireless HD video to a tiny dongle that plugs into the HDMI port of your HDTV.

We didn't get a chance to see the Neosonik video streaming in action (though CNET has seen the system prove its mettle before), but the system was delivering silky-smooth CD sound to a pair of wireless tower speakers in Neosonik's demo suite. It's impressive, to be sure, but it's worth noting that it's not completely wireless: each component (the A/V controller, the five speakers, the subwoofer, and the HDMI video dongle) needs to be plugged into the wall for power, of course. And the A/V controller will still have all of your A/V components wired into it.

Totally wireless--except for the power cord

(Credit: CNET)

That said, the Neosonik is--from a conceptual standpoint--about as close to ideal as one can expect. While we've seen wireless surround speakers (Avega Systems' as-yet-unreleased system from CES 2006) and wireless video (Philips Wireless HDMI system) before, the Neosonik is the first to combine them into one system.

Neosonik expects to begin shipping several wireless components and systems by mid-2007, with prices ranging from $6,000 to $10,000. But perhaps more enticing is that the company is planning on licensing its technology to other manufacturers under the name "AirPower A/V." The company is hoping that AirPower becomes a universal standard for home consumer electronics across several brands, not unlike Wi-Fi or DVD. For many of us, that's a dream that can't come soon enough.

I met with HP this morning to hear how its new MediaSmart TVs work with your Media Center PC ecosystem. (Takeaway: the TVs will play your PC-stored digital media, but you have to use Windows Media Player 11, and FairPlay-protected media from the iTunes Store won't work. Also, the built-in 802.11n wireless networking is a much-needed high-bandwidth touch.) The highlight of the meeting, though, was when a member of HP's PR team stepped in to hand the PR manager giving the presentation a write-up of the just-announced Apple TV device.

HP's MediaSmart TV: better than Apple TV?

(Credit: HP)

In a heretofore-unseen display of marketing agility, and before he was even halfway done reading the memo, the flack jumped into a point-for-point breakdown of why the external Apple TV is inferior to the value and functionality of HP's MediaSmart TVs. With MediaSmart you get the PC connectivity functionality built into a 1080p display, but with Apple TV, he cited, you still need the screen, and it will support output up to only 720p. He also pointed to out that while Apple TV will, naturally, play iTunes Store content, the movie selection is limited to about 300 titles, and all from one studio. With HP partnering with CinemaNow, you can download more than 4,000 titles from multiple movie houses directly to a MediaSmart television.

For myself, I like the idea of both, at least based on what I've heard. AppleTV has the benefit of letting you hook it up to any screen you want to, while 1080p output gives the MediaSmart TV the quality edge. I can even see a situation in which you'd connect the Apple TV to a MediaSmart TV, or a similar home network-aware TV. In that scenario, everyone's a winner.

The InFocus Play Big IN1 is due to arrive this spring.

(Credit: InFocus)

A handful of all-in-one home-theater projectors have hit the market over the last 18 months, and InFocus jumps into this interesting category with the InFocus Play Big IN1, an inexpensive DLP projector with an integrated DVD player and speaker to output sound. While the info on the unit is a little vague, InFocus says that they are also looking into having an iPod dock for playing back iPod videos, to go along with the DVD player "dock" that attaches to the bottom of the projector.

Here are the details so far:

(Credit: Pioneer)

The big surprise at CES 2007 has been the dearth of major announcements about new home-audio products. Receivers with HDMI 1.3 and built-in decoding for next-gen lossless audio formats are nowhere to be seen. But at least one receiver has brought something new to the table: Pioneer's VSX-1017TXV is the first model we've seen that offers built-in compatibility with both XM and Sirius satellite radio services. (In fact, it's one of three receivers in Pioneer's 2007 line that offers the dual-satellite option.)

As evidenced by the model number, the 1017TXV is just an evolutionary upgrade of 2006's well-regarded Pioneer VSX-1016TXV. In addition to the XM and Sirius compatibility (each requires an external tuner dongle and a subscription), the THX Select 2 Certified receiver offers two HDMI inputs, compatibility with Pioneer's optional iPod dock, and Pioneer's best-in-class MCACC autocalibration. Our major beef is that its HDMI functionality still falls short of our ideal (analog video can't be converted to digital HDMI output). That said, considering its $500 list price, the VSX-1017TXV looks to deliver an impressive home theater bang for the buck. And you can always relegate it to bedroom duty as a satellite-radio hub if and when you upgrade to any of those as-yet-unannounced HDMI 1.3 receivers.

We heard about Philips' 1.1 virtual surround system, the HTS8100 SoundBar, before CES 2007, but now that we've got the final specs, we're even more eager to give it a whirl when it comes out around the middle of this year, for $999. What differentiates from the single-speaker competition (a subwoofer is also bundled in) is the inclusion of a built-in DVD player, which will catch the eye of minimalists who want to pair it with a flat-panel TV and call it a home-theater day.

The HTS8100 has a built-in DVD player.

(Credit: Philips)

The HTS8100 is only five inches thick and features Philips' proprietary Ambisound technology, with five amplifiers integrated into the single horizontal "sound bar" to create what the company deems a "full 5.1-surround sound experience through a one-piece, fully integrated, home theater system." Playing up the system's high-end credentials, Philips says the built-in DVD player offers 1080p upconversion via HDMI and Faroudja DCDi circuitry. Sounds good to us.

The step-down HTS6600 is a 2.1 system.

(Credit: Philips)

If that $1,000 price tag scares you a bit, Philips has also introduced a sleek 2.1 virtual surround system that will list at $599 when it, too, hits stores in the second quarter of this year. The HTS6600 features HDMI connectivity but it upconverts video to 1080i, not 1080p. However, we suspect that only hard-core videophiles will be able to tell the difference.

At CES 2007 today, Netgear announced the Digital Entertainer HD (EVA8000), a media receiver that allows users to stream a wide variety of digital content to their entertainment systems, including HD movies, iTunes content (on Windows machines only), and even YouTube videos, as well as record television content like a digital video recorder. You can stream content from networked PCs, network-attached storage devices, and even locally connected USB media devices.

(Credit: Netgear)

Connected to your home entertainment system and your network router, the Digital Entertainer HD sucks in all the multimedia content on your network--including photos, videos, and music--from multiple machines and consolidates it all into a single media library, sortable by media type, title, genre, and even thumbnail art. Though you'll have to install a small program to stream YouTube or iTunes content to your entertainment system or to access your PC from your television, you won't have to install server software. If you have a TV tuner on your PC, you can also schedule the Digital Entertainer HD to record television shows, just like a DVR. And you can play content directly from a USB flash drive or an MP3 player by plugging it directly into one of two USB ports.

With multiple Digital Entertainment HD units, you can set up options called, "Follow Me," and, "Party Mode." Follow Me allows you to pause content on one TV, move to another room, and start up the same content from the same spot on a different TV. Party Mode lets you play the same content to all the TVs in your home.

In terms of output, the Digital Entertainer HD sports an HDMI port that displays up to 1080p resolution, though Netgear warns that 802.11g networks lack sufficient throughput to stream high-definition content. They recommend a draft N router or, an even better option, HD Powerline adapters, which use your home's electrical network to transmit data.

Netgear expects to ship the Digital Entertainment HD in the first quarter for $350.

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 both your video source and monitor, whether it's a TV or a projector. Unfortunately, the transceivers will require power, so you'll need to plug them into an outlet. They are HDCP-compliant.

Philips' wireless HDMI transceivers.

(Credit: Philips)

Philips says, "Wireless HDMI is an in-room solution that can transfer a 1080p signal without any signal loss. The signal is never compressed and retains all the attributes as if it were transmitted through a standard HDMI cable. By operating in the ultra wideband (UWB) range, the wireless cable experiences no interference from traditional devices. It functions free from obstruction of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cordless phones, microwaves, and cell phones. Additionally, the wireless HDMI can be placed anywhere within a 25 foot range--in an entertainment center, in a closet, on the other side of the room--without signal loss or degradation."

We're not quite sure how useful wireless HDMI is, but it's a cool concept, and with long HDMI cables costing hundreds of dollars, we can see how this could be an appealing solutions for those with challenging home theater setups.

In 2006, we saw a few portable DVD players that integrated an iPod dock so you could playback your iPod videos on the DVD player's larger screen. But Philips has taken iPod integration to a slicker level with two upcoming portable DVD players, the DCP750 and DCP850. Both are wide-screen models that feature 7- and 8.5-inch swiveling screens, respectively. Philips says they'll also have a built-in SD and MMC card reader, and both players will debut in the "first quarter" of 2007 with suggested retail price tags of $149 and $199.

Open dock, insert iPod.

(Credit: Philips)

They won't offer the picture quality of Philips' updated PET line and their battery life of 2.5 hours is pretty average. But the DCP line is really designed to iPod owners who are looking for an affordable way to enlarge their iPod videos so that more than one person can watch them at the same time.

The new, high-end PET 1030.

(Credit: Philips)

As far as the PET line goes, Philips is introducing the PET1030 portable DVD player, which features an impressive 10.2-inch swiveling screen for tablet-style viewing, five-hour battery life, and side-slot disc loading. The 8.5-inch PET830 offers less battery life (3 hours) but otherwise identical features. Both come with with a car charger and a Smart Car Mount and will retail for $199 and $279, respectively, when they're released in the first quarter.

(Credit: Toshiba)

Toshiba has expanded its lineup of HD DVD players from two to three with the newly announced HD-A20. The new model sits between the already available second-generation players, the $500 HD-A2 and the $1,000 HD-XA2. In fact, except for the addition of 1080p output via HDMI and some minor cosmetic changes, the features of the A20 seem to be nearly identical to the A2, which we've already reviewed in depth. Moreover, unlike the stepped-up HD-XA2, the A20 will not feature the latest HDMI 1.3 technology. The Toshiba HD-A20 will retail for $600 when it ships in spring 2007.

While the inclusion of 1080p support makes the A20 well worth the extra $100 as opposed to the 1080i-only HD-A2, the bigger question for prospective HD DVD buyers and for Toshiba is whether the nascent market for HD DVD-only players will have any traction in light of LG's Blu-ray/HD DVD combo player.