Epson's latest affordable all-in-one cinema

These Swiss knife-like entertainment projectors aren't new, but this upcoming Epson Dreamio is truly unique, price-wise. At only S$1,199 (US$863.34) a set, the portable EMP-DM1 delivers all the key components for movie screening ranging from a standard-definition light cannon to inbuilt surround speakers and DVD-Audio/Video player. There's even an onboard USB port which enables direct JPEG and DivX playback right out-of-the-box for hassle-free media sharing.

Believe it or not, there's even a slide-out handle to facilitate easy transportation for this 3.8kg 3LCD projector. You will just need to add a portable projection screen and you are all set for a primetime movie marathon. That said, it could have been better if there's HDMI input to go with a cable settop box and TV tuner, though there's always a set of component-video sockets and PC input to fall back on. The Epson Dreamio EMP-DM1 is expected to launch in Singapore from March 3. The rest of Asia will follow thereafter.

Sharp Aquos dominates home ground

There's a Chinese proverb, that "seasoned ginger is still the spiciest" (yup, literally translated). While Sony has staged a remarkable comeback after its disastrous early attempts into the flat-panel market, it's Sharp which has received the thumbs up from tech-savvy Japanese consumers based on the latest GfK study. According to the authoritative German market research institution, the LCD TV pioneer has captured a decisive 45 share of sales in the Land of the Raising Sun. More importantly, it wasn't even a close call, with Sony and Toshiba left lagging far behind at 18 and 13 percent, respectively.

So is this going to have a positive impact on local Sony Bravia, Sharp Aquos and Toshiba Regza sales? Probably not. Afterall, the Japanese are way ahead in the technology race with all the goodies designed primarily for internal consumption. As fellow Asians, we usually end up with the leftover, while the Americans and Europeans get to savor some of these HD concoctions after the Japanese.

On a separate note, call it patriotism or whatever you like as it's pretty obvious the Koreans--namely Samsung and LG--are left out of the lucrative Japanese market. That said, one of our senior Japanese contacts has conceded that the Americano iPod is one of the rare exceptions. Nice job, Steve Jobs.

Via Akihabara news | Photo credit: Akihabara news

An average DVD player with a Samsung twist

How do you transform a plain vanilla DVD player into a fashion statement? Number one, strip it apart and slap on some "bling bling" on the skin. Number two, ditch the boring plastic buttons and go covert with touch-sensitive controls. When all else fails, there's always the cute and petite approach, a tried-and-proven formula which works wonders particularly for the ladies. If we have finally gotten your attention, check out the latest Samsung DVD-F1080 hawking all the above aesthetics-driven attributes.

Just for the record (as we clear our throat), this Korean player also upscales DVDs up to 1080p via HDMI and plays back most popular multimedia formats. These range from DivX to MP3, WMA, JPEG and MPEG-4 clips. This slim and portable kit should be available on shelves in the next couple of days for S$169 (US$121.69) each.

Samsung BD-UP5000 goes EOL!

Even before this dual-format HD player has reached Asia, we received news that Samsung is planning to halt production as early as May. Unlike its Japanese competitors, it may be common for the Korean company's offerings to go end-of-line within a short span of months. However, this development is unprecedented as we have yet to lay our hands on one through the local retail shelf.

What makes the BD-UP5000 interesting is its inbuilt Silicon Optix HQV processor which would more or less guarantee quality DVD playback. When coupled with its CD, HD-DVD and Blu-ray compatibilities, this makes it a promising all-in-one player. Did we hear you lamenting over the SACD and DVD-audio omission? Okay, so it doesn’t cover these high-resolution music formats, but then again, they aren't that popular.

We are awaiting an official reply from Samsung on whether the BD-UP5000 is still coming our way. Stay tuned.

Via Blu-ray.com | Photo credit: Samsung

Can you fit the Wii Fit?

There may yet be a day when the ubiquitous treadmill is replaced by Wii machines in the gym, and the first step could very well be on the Wii Fit.

When the Wii was first introduced with its motion-sensing remotes, geeks everywhere suddenly had the incentive to exercise their arms in ways other than to lift a can of Coke. Capitalizing on this, the Wii Fit senses the movement of your entire body using a device which resembles a weighing scale. And, like a scale, it can insult you by breaking if you weigh too much.

The weight limit of 300lbs (136.1kg) may be fine for the petite Japanese, but it better be able to handle more weight if it wants to make it outside of Japan, particularly to the US, without a class action suit. After all, even 200kg nerds may want a piece of the Wii action. There is no firm news if the Wii Fit outside of Japan has been given extra protection against the gravitationally challenged, but it's something to look out for.

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