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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.
Samsung SCH-U740
(Credit: Samsung)After its previous attempt at a dual-hinged flip phone fizzled, Samsung tried again with its new SCH-U740. Similar to the D307, the U740 features a full QWERTY keyboard (thankfully with better navigation controls this time) and can switch from portrait to landscape mode to quickly compose text messages and e-mails. But unlike the D307, the U740 ditches silver for a unique black and champagne color scheme and this time, the carrier will be Verizon Wireless instead of Cingular.
Though it's not a real smart phone since it doesn't run a third-party operating system, it still should offer a set of worker bee-friendly features, including Bluetooth, a MicroSD card slot, a speakerphone, and EV-DO support for Verizon's V Cast multimedia service. And in an improvement over the D307, the U710 is set to offer a 1.4-megapixel camera with video recording and playback.
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Crave first spotted this one a few weeks ago, and now Intellitouch has announced its inexpensive, wireless "whole house" iPod speaker system.
The Eos works with up to four wireless speakers.
(Credit: Intellitouch)The Eos system consists of an iPod dock/base station with integrated speakers and a subwoofer, and separate Wi-Fi speakers. The base station can transmit audio to as many as four wireless speakers; each speaker has a removable power supply so that you can mount it directly on a power outlet or place it on any surface like a bookshelf system. Intellitouch claims that in contrast to existing wireless speaker systems, its GigaWave technology can transmit CD-quality audio up to 150 feet through walls and ceilings. (We'll find out when we get our hands on one.)
An optional weatherproof wireless outdoor amp connects to standard landscape speakers. The Eos system will be available in March in either white or black; Intellitouch is currently taking preorders. The core system with the base station and one wireless speaker is $299 (the base station is also sold separately for $129). Additional wireless speakers and the outdoor amplifier are $129 each.
Imagine being able to recharge your laptop by placing it on a pad. The people at WildCharge hope you can. In fact, they're betting that you're also sick of buying different power cords for every gadget you own--cell phone, smart phone, MP3 player, etc.
The WildCharger from Arizona-based WildCharge is the latest attempt to bring wireless power mainstream. The device works using a small flexible pad, approximately 6 inches by 15 inches on which gadgets or laptops are placed. The pad does have a wire and plugs into the wall. A receiver either integrated into a phone or laptop or attached as a battery pack.
It's been done before, but it didn't exactly take off. WildCharge says this time will be different.
In the future, WildCharge's goal is to have the receivers integrated into a variety of devices and the pads would be hotspots for recharging, either at a desk or in a house, or even in airports, cafes, or hotels.
The WildCharger, which is being shown off at CES, will go on sale this summer. No word on pricing yet.
No, no wires here.
Thousands of people pay thousands of dollars to have flat-panel HDTVs mounted on the wall with no visible wires. Samsung's FP-T5894W, the first mainstream large-screen "wireless" TV that I've seen, aims to make those wireless-looking installations a lot cheaper and easier. Like most "wireless" A/V gear, it does require one cord--to supply AC power--but that's it. The rack full of A/V equipment that accompanies any self-respecting plasma installation connects to the FP-T5894W's "wireless A/V center," which the company claims can sit up to 300 feet away from the panel itself. The panel and the included wireless center communicate using the 802.11n wireless standard at bit rates up to 150Mbps--plenty for 1080p video, for example. I'm looking forward to testing its capabilities with more than one video source (picture-in-picture) and at the extreme range of its signal.
The FP-T5894W is a 58-inch plasma display with 1080p (1,920x1,080) native resolution. (Note: Our video and images are of a 50-inch prototype on display at the company's CES 2007 booth; for now, Samsung is talking about only a 58-inch version being available for sale this year.) The screen deploys Samsung's FilterBright2 Plus technology, which the company is pushing again this year as a solution for reducing glare and improving the picture quality in bright light (a historical weakness of those big panes of glass). Samsung also touts a ludicrous 10,000:1 contrast ratio. These last two claims deserve a healthy helping of salt. The A/V center sports 3 HDMI 1.3 inputs among its many connections, although there's no mention of a PC input on its preliminary spec sheet.
Available in September, the wireless FP-T5894W will list for $5,799, a couple grand more than a wired Panasonic TH-58PX600U, for example. The company also announced two other high-end plasmas at the show, both also available in September: the 50-inch HP-T5084 ($4,199 MSRP) and the 58-inch HP-T5884 ($5,199 MSRP). Aside from wireless connectivity, they have essentially the same specs as the FP-T5894W (yes, the 50-inch model is also 1080p, and both models have HDMI 1.3). If you compare just the two Samsung 58-inchers, the cost of going wireless is about $600. There are a couple of other wireless solutions available, such as Gefen's $500 Wireless HDMI Extender, but this Samsung is the first big-screen integrated wireless TV I've seen.
Motorola Slvr L7c
(Credit: Motorola)Though Verizon Wireless has yet to announce officially that it will start offering the Motorola Slvr L7c, Motorola demonstrated such a phone this evening at a CES press event. Motorola reps declined to comment, but it's clear Verizon will join Sprint in offering the candy bar version of Moto's slim handset line. And in any case, bloggers have sighted the Slvr L7c on the carrier's prerelease Web site. Clad in silver, Verizon's Slvr L7c will be similar to both Sprint's model and the GSM Slvr L7 for Cingular. Features should include a VGA camera, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, and a digital music player.
A Pennsylvania start-up says it has the answer to one of the biggest problems in mobile phones: battery life.
After three years of keeping its technology under close guard, Powercast has come to CES 2007 to get consumer and manufacturer attention. Powercast is a radio frequency that is transmitted over a small area, and its energy is "harvested"--wirelessly--to give power to small devices like cell phones.
While it's presented as wireless power, Powercast isn't just a replacement for a universal charger. Instead, it's meant to either continuously charge a battery or replace the need for them altogether.
It works like this: a transmitter can be placed anywhere--in a lamp, for example, that is plugged into the wall and sits on a table. The transmitter in the lamp sends out a continuous, low RF signal. Anything with either AA or AAA batteries set within its range--and equipped with a Powercast receiver, which is the size of your fingernail--will be continuously charged.
"Our solution is, if talk time (on a cell phone) is 5 1/2 hours, by trickle-charging (it) at work, now talk time is 10 hours because the battery never gets to dead," John Shearer, CEO of Powercast, said in an interview.
There are many applications for Powercast, said Shearer, but the company is making the PC peripherals market a priority. Think a wireless keyboard or mouse with no battery, or a hermetically sealed battery that the customer never need access again.
Major CE and IT manufacturers will have to agree to build Powercast capability into their products, and thus far Powercast is revealing only Philips as a future partner. The first Powercast product will come to market by the end of 2007, the company says.
V Cast Mobile TV
(Credit: Verizon Wireless)Just as everyone suspected, Verizon Wireless is bringing programming from the small screen to an even smaller screen with today's announcement of V Cast Mobile TV. At a multimedia-filled event at the hip Palms Hotel, Verizon execs unveiled the service and the two phones that will support it.
As we told you earlier today, V Cast Mobile TV will bring live full-length television programming to selected handsets via Qualcomm's MediaFlo technology. The service is set to launch by the end of March and will offer eight channels of programming available including CBS, NBC, MTV, Fox, and ESPN. Verizon did not announce pricing at the event but it's known that V Cast Mobile TV will be an additional monthly fee beyond the base $15 per month for V Cast streaming video.
LG VX9400
(Credit: Verizon Wireless)V Cast Mobile TV will not transmit via Verizon's standard EV-DO network, but will broadcast directly and independently to the supported handsets instead. Verizon promises that the video quality will match that of a standard television with 30 frames per second (V Cast streaming video is 15fps) and without any connection hiccups or rebuffering. Also, Verizon promises near perfect audio/video syncing.
Samsung SCH-u620
(Credit: Verizon Wireless)Depending on the channel, V Cast Mobile TV shows will broadcast at the same time that they run on standard TV channels. Local programming won't be offered at launch, but could be offered later. And for the time being at least, you'll have to watch shows when they broadcast instead of being able to save them for later.
As of launch time, supported handsets will include the LG VX9400 and the Samsung SCH-u620. Both phones offer landscape displays for better TV viewing, dedicated TV buttons, and high-end features. Verizon said it will introduce additional models in the near feature.
After the announcement, I viewed a demonstration of V Cast Mobile TV and noticed a huge difference over streaming video from V Cast. There was no pixilation, and videos didn't look choppy in the least. And as promised, audio and video were remarkably in sync. In all, it looks very promising provided that Verizon can launch the service at a fair price and in enough markets. On the other hand, I'm not thrilled about watching an hour-long program on a cell phone's tiny display.
CES 2007 has barely begun but Verizon Wireless should strike an early blow today by announcing it will soon bring full-length TV shows to its phones. Though the company is waiting for a 12:30 p.m. press conference to break the official news, the New York Times reported the plan yesterday. And indeed, Verizon employees wearing "Verizon TV" badges have been scurrying around the Palms Hotel, where the announcement will take place.
(Credit:
Verizon Wireless)
According to the Times, the service will be available by the end of March and will feature shows from NBC, CBS, Fox, MTV, and possibly ESPN. The programming should come via the Qualcomm subsidiary MediaFlo, which has a dedicated network to transmit the high-resolution video.
This is hardly Verizon's first foray into multimedia; the TV announcement comes two years after Verizon first announced its 3G V Cast network and one year after the company unveiled its V Cast Music download service. Though clips of TV programming have been available for some time on the 3G networks from Sprint, Verizon, and Cingular, Verizon is one of the first networks to offer programs in their entirety. ESPN's involvement is also noteworthy, as it follows the collapse of the network's Mobile ESPN service earlier this year.
Exact details of available programs, pricing, and supported handsets weren't known at press time, but as Nicole Lee guessed earlier today, one such handset will be the LG VX9400. Check back soon for further updates.
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