10mm waffle-thin Samsung 40-incher

Just when we thought the Philips.LG 19.8mm LCD panel groundbreaking, Samsung has pulled a quick one on its rivals by unveiling a TV-equivalent with an even thinner 10mm thickness. Introduced at the recent FPD International 2007 in Japan, the 1080p 40-incher uses the latest LED backlighting and consumes less than 90W power. Even better, its waffle-thin chassis sports an ultra-narrow 14.6mm frame, almost half of what's usual and similar to the width found on current high-end LCD monitors.

Via Akihabara News

Slimmer 1080p LCD panels on the horizon

The ongoing trend for slim products in home audio-visual products continues with LG-Philips' recent announcement of its ultra-thin LCD panel at the FPD International 2007 event held in Japan. Measuring just 19.8mm thick, the 42-inch screen packs over two million pixels with a native 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and picture motion enhanced by a 120Hz video scanning technology. In addition, both companies also claim that the new panel is 40 percent thinner and 10 percent lighter than conventional designs from their competitors.

Well, it does seem like affordability is still high on their priority list as these new-gen panels feature standard cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) instead of Light Emitting Diodes which generally bring up the cost. Expect to see LCD TVs with the new ultra-thin panels to hit retail shelves as early as Q1 2008, but we doubt it will be heading our way here in Asia anytime soon.

Via Digitimes

Gentlemen, start your engines

Have you ever pulled off a perfect drift? One that hugs the corner as tight as a baby monkey gripping its mama while the world spins past.

No? We don't blame you. After all, not everyone has the cash to pump into a real racing car, nor the skill to execute such a driving technique. But if you do feel the need for speed, then it's time to take a seat--in the D-Box GP-200.

However, this is not a car. It's a bucket seat that's been mod with five speakers and three hydraulic jacks. It simulates racing action onscreen, but the term is a misnomer. Pair it with a PC game like rFactor and you can almost feel the wind in your hair when you go full throttle.

Yet, for all the promised heart-pounding action, its price tag isn't for the faint-hearted. The S$24,000 sticker price means deep pockets are required. And don't even think of buying it as an expensive accessory for your game console. However, according to the Singapore distributor, there are cheaper options available (S$8,000 and S$12,000).

As of press time, there are only a few games that support the GP-200, such as the aforementioned rFactor and Microsoft's Flight Simulator X. However, as the chair is relatively new, it could be a matter of time before more games support motion output to the GP-200.

     

Denon preps a pair of premium Blu-ray kits

Are you craving to sample studio-grade Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD surround sound through your spanking new A/V receiver? Now you have another choice other than the recently launched Pioneer BDP-LX70A. Japanese Hi-Fi maker Denon has announced not one but two premium Blu-ray products. The DVD-3800BD is a CD/DVD/Blu-ray player, while the DVD-2500BT is a transport (without digital-to-analog converters) with similar disc compatibilities.

Both are capable of outputting the two lossless high-resolution audios (as mentioned above) in raw (bitstream) format. Though there is no proven advantage in external Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD decoding, it enables your compatible receiver to process the signals instead of relying on just the HD player. This, according to some online reports, helps produce better sound. Another cool feature for the DVD-3800BD is its onboard HQV Realta processor, one of the highest-end video chipsets highly sought-after by enthusiasts and videophiles. Both kits also sport a HDMI 1.3 terminal which is capable of supporting judder-free film-centric 1080p24 signal.

The Denon pair will be available in Japan from Jan 2008 at an equally impressive US$1,981 (DVD-2500BT) and US$2,885 (DVD-3800BD), respectively. Other Asia launch details were not available at press time.

Via Akihabara News

Philips Streamium player that does it all

Sharing and streaming music can't get any easier with the new Philips Streamium WAC3500D. This compact stereo plays back MP3s from practically all music sources ranging from USB storage devices and CDs to PCs and iPods. The latter is possible via integrated wired or wireless (high-speed Wi-Fi) streaming and a bundled iPod dock. It also doubles as a music server with its onboard 80GB hard drive and convenient CD ripping function. For hassle-free CD-to-MP3 conversion, song tagging is catered by Gracenote's album database.

What's more, Philips is throwing in a power-efficient 80W digital amplifier and FM radio. Pricing and availability of the WAC3500D is not available at press time. Do check back with us for more updates.

You can read more about it here.

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