42-inch full-HD LCD TV at S$2,121?

The S$3,699 (US$2,719.85) Toshiba Regza 42X3500E may be the most affordable full-HD LCD TV in Asia, but Japan byd:Sign is jumping the gun with a S$2,121 (US$1,559.56) alternative. If you think this is probably a watered-down model, think again! Besides a future-proofed 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution, the Japanese vendor is throwing in a digital TV tuner and up to four HDMI 1.2 sockets for the LF-4201DAB.

Before you start toying with the idea of importing a set in, this juicy panel supports only 100V wall sockets. Hence, a step-down transformer is required for countries utilizing the UK-centric AC electrical system.

Via: Akihabara News

Twice the contrast at double the price

The upcoming BenQ W20000 projector promises twice the dynamic contrast of its W10000 predecessor. While its 20,000:1 rating still pales in comparison to the current 35,000:1 record held by the Sony Black Pearl, this Taiwanese offering is still ahead of the other full-HD DLPs currently available in the market. Other notable enhancements include a highly sought-after Hollywood Quality Video processor by Silicon Optix and dual 1080p24-ready HDMI inputs. In addition, this beamer is also upgraded with Texas Instruments' BrilliantColor technology which boosts color depth from 16.7 million to a staggering 1.07 billion.

The only catch is its estimated S$16,000 (US$11,764.71) price tag. This makes the W20000 one of the most expensive full-HD DLP projectors in the market which is quite unusual coming from BenQ, a company known for its value-for-money product proposition. The W20000 is expected to be available in Singapore in the first quarter of 2008. Pricing and launch details for the rest of Asia are not available at press time.

Free HD soccer fix for StarHub cable subscribers

We have good news for you folks in Singapore who are current StarHub HD channels subscribers. Thanks to growing competition like SingTel's MioTV, it looks like StarHub is now hoping to keep its subscribers loyal by broadcasting selected 2007/2008 Barclays Premier Leagues matches live in HD for free! These programs will be offered through an upcoming HD Showcase channel bundled to its S$16.05 HD Plus package from November 24.

You can look forward to at least two live matches per match week and up to 92 matches for the current Premier League season. That's not all. The telco also plans to introduce more HD content from a variety of different genres in the near future. To sample the scheduled lineup, check out your onscreen TV guide or logon here for more details.

Canon announces two ultra-bright XEED projectors

While contrast is the overruling factor in home theater projectors, it is brightness that's calling the shots for their multimedia counterparts. Canon's latest XEED duo is designed specifically to meet the market demand for ultra-bright light cannons. The SX7 and X700 are the company's latest LCoS-based offerings, packing powerful 4,000 ANSI lumens brightness ideal for large-screen conference hall installations. Other interesting bits are HD-ready DVI input and a 1.7x zoom for added setup flexibility.

If you are a graphics professional, the top-of-the-line SX7's inbuilt support for Adobe RGB and SRGB color space will also be a bonus for precise color-matching, critical in industries such as printing and medical imaging. The 1,400 x 1,050-pixel resolution SX7 has a retail price of S$9,200 (US$6,764.71), while the XGA-equivalent X700 is priced at an entry-level S$4,999 (US$3,675.74).

For this final frontier, you need space

Of all the home theater creations we've seen this year, Star Trek has got to be the most popular theme, hands-down. But this latest version makes others look like a junk sale on the back lot of Universal Studios.

This obviously custom theater built for a home in Palm Beach County, Florida, measures 21.3 x 6.7m and includes such details as "motion-activated air-lock doors with series sound effects" and a "red alert button on the Crestron TPMC-10 controller to turn all of the LEDs bright red and flashing," according to Electronic House. Each seat is equipped with D-Box motion simulation to enhance the jump to hyperspace.


Acoustic Innovations had considered replicating the series' original ship but instead went with the newer Enterprise NCC-1701A "for a more updated look." In addition to the theater itself, there are other themed spaces such as the captain's lounge. But it should come as no surprise that our favorite feature by far is the intergalactic bar. They probably even use those skinny glasses from the original show.

Via CNET Crave | Photo credit: Electronic House

Crave is...

The name says it all. Crave is our new blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.

Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.

Crave for...

» Mobile Phones (750)

» Digital Cameras (413)

» Notebooks (474)

» PC & Peripherals (503)

» Handhelds (254)

» Printers (44)

» Home AV (504)

» Music & Play (435)

» Gadgets (966)

» Future Tech (163)

Previously...

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Subscribe to
Crave

Today on CNET |  Reviews |  Crave |  Blogs |  CNET TV |  Digital Living |  Downloads