Get nostalgic with tube-enhanced audio

Tired of the fatigue from those clinical-sounding stereo systems? Check out Philips' latest DVD micro theater enhanced with audiophile-grade vacuum tube technology. Diehard vinyl fans will be familiar with the warm audio characteristics offered by these analog systems, highly sought-after in the current days of A/V digitization.

The above is paired with an efficient digital amplifier piping out clean 150W power to a pair of real wooden three-way speakers. Each of them is endowed with quality neodymium ribbon tweeter, a dome midrange driver and a 5-inch woofer. That's besides onboard DVD and DivX playback via an HDMI terminal capable of hi-def 720p/1080i output.

The Philips MCD908 is now available from S$999 (US$734.56)

Total HD to unify HD-DVD and Blu-ray?

Studio house Warner Bros is taking matters into its own hands by introducing another new high-def video disc. Dubbed Total HD disc, it is compatible with both Blu-ray and HD-DVD players and poses as a quick fix for the ongoing standoff between the Sony- and Toshiba-led camps. After all, this will enable the studios to release Hollywood blockbusters in high resolution and, most importantly, a unified platform and standard.

The success of this upcoming disc format hangs heavily on the level of acceptance from the major movies studios. With Sony Pictures holding a sizeable stake in the Hollywood industry, chances are the road ahead for Total HD will probably be a long and bumpy one. We will bring you more updates on the technicalities once we get our hands on the announcement from CES 2007.

Gen-two HD ALiS

Following a successful launch of its world's first HD ALiS plasma TV, Hitachi has recently updated the lineup with two new entries from the latest 9000-series. Besides bragging rights for a stunning 1,024 x 1,080-pixel resolution, the highest among its class, the panels also comes equipped with an upgraded engine and input capability.

The 42PD9800TA and 42PD9500TA now features a second-generation Picture Master HD II image-processing engine and dual HDMI connectivity future-proofed with 1080p-compatibility. As the new flagship model, the former also offers onboard multimedia playback and a motorized swivel stand for added value and convenience.

Both models are now available, with the 9500 and 9800 retailing at S$2,999 (US$2,205.15) and S$3,999 (US$2,940.44), respectively.
More info here

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