Posts in Home AV
StarHub's HubStation goes HD
Philip Wong | Nov 13, 2008
Come November 15, StarHub will be offering an HD flavor of its current digital video recorder (DVR) settop box. The new HubStation HD features twice the hard drive capacity of its plain Jane standard-definition (SD) counterpart. This extra disk space boosts recording time to a whopping 160 hours and 30 hours for SD and HD programs, respectively. Another major upgrade is an onboard all-digital HDMI output that relays both audio and video signals through a single cable.
As with its predecessor, the Singapore cable TV provider will also be bundling an identical suite of free value-added services. These range from StarHub's Digital Voice for unlimited incoming and local outgoing calls to 1Mbps broadband Internet access. Other notable features supported by HubStation HD include live TV time shift function, an electronic program guide, text messaging and video-on-demand. This HD-enabled DVR box will be available for a monthly rental fee of S$14.98 (US$10.67).
Here's a snapshot of the key features between the StarHub HubStation and HubStation HD.
| Features | HubStation | HubStation HD |
| Hard drive capacity | 160GB | 320GB |
| SD recording time | 80 hours | 160 hours |
| HD recording time | N/A | 30 hours |
| Best video connectivity | Component-video | HDMI |
| Best audio connectivity | Digital optical audio | HDMI |
| Highest video resolution output | 576i | 1080i |
| Monthly rental fee | S$8.56 (US$6.10) | S$14.98 (US$10.67) |
Photo credit: StarHub
Flat-panel TV shipments begin their decline
Erica Ogg | Nov 13, 2008
One of the hottest products in consumer electronics is finally cooling off.
A report released recently confirms that flat-panel television shipments to retailers are beginning to tail off. Specifically, LCD and plasma TV shipment grew just 21 percent, and 20 percent, respectively year over year during the third quarter of 2008, according to DisplaySearch's Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report.
That's by far the most meager growth for this category in the past two years. The previous six quarters' growth have all exceeded 41 percent compared to the previous year.
We're on the brink of a worldwide recession, so it's none too surprising that pricey televisions would be cut out of consumers' budgets. But what's potentially scarier for the TV industry is that most of the data for the third quarter was collected before the financial industry's late-September meltdown. In other words, the numbers for the fourth quarter, even with the late-year holiday sales push, could be even worse.
That said, some of the top TV manufacturers actually fared pretty well during the third quarter. Samsung, already the top producer of TVs, maintained its dominance, and actually increased its year-over-year growth in shipments by 99 percent. No. 2 Sony grew its shipments 73 percent.
Meanwhile, upstart Vizio, which has faded to No. 4 overall in TVs, is still the No. 3 manufacturer of plasma TVs and is the fifth-largest manufacturer of LCD TVs. For the year, its LCD shipments were down 8 percent, but due to its new entry into the plasma market, its plasma shipments were up a whopping 251 percent.
Another interesting tidbit from DisplaySearch's numbers: TVs with screens smaller than 40 inches have now increased shipments for two consecutive quarters, after declining for the previous year. It's a sign that consumers are looking to save money when buying a new TV, and also notable because the industry's prescribed antidote to rapidly falling prices has been getting customers to upgrade to bigger TVs. DisplaySearch reports that TVs larger than 40 inches "slowed to (their) lowest growth rate in over two years."
Via CNET Crave
160GB PS3 coming to Singapore in December
Philip Wong | Nov 12, 2008
Sony has just announced the December 3 availability of its 160GB PlayStation 3 for Singapore. The S$739 (US$526.28) limited-edition bundle comprises the console, two selected PS3 games (refer to list below), S$10 (US$7.12) PlayStation Network prepaid card and a Dualshock3 wireless controller. And oh, the company will be throwing in a PS3 umbrella as well. It's a freebie, so we shan't wonder at the choice of a brolly.
Editors' note:
The 160GB PS3 limited-edition bundle will be sold in Hong Kong at HK$3,660 (US$472) starting today.This latest development will pit the S$739 (US$526.28) 160GB PS3 against the S$679 (US$483.55) 120GB Xbox 360 Elite, leaving its S$599 (US$426.58) 80GB counterpart to compete with the S$499 (US$355.36) 60GB Xbox 360 Pro. We will update this post with regional pricing and availability soon.
NEC launches flexi control beamers
Philip Wong | Nov 12, 2008
While InFocus and Epson let you control your projector via a USB cable, NEC has taken two different approaches to deliver a similar capability. The NEC NP400, NP500 and NP600 offer a free Virtual Remote Tool software that allows users to power up, shut down and toggle inputs via a supplied VGA cable. An Ethernet connectivity also replicates these capabilities as well as offers the added advantage of centralized administration for a large number of networked projectors.
Common specifications of the trio include a native 1,024 x 768-pixel XGA resolution, dual PC inputs (VGA and DVI terminals) and a built-in 7W speaker. NEC has also included user-friendly features such as automatic vertical keystone adjustment, automatic power and quick on/off, as well as wall color correction. The 2600-lumen NP400, 3000-lumen NP500 and 3500-lumen NP600 are now available in Singapore at S$1,499 (US$1,067.51), S$1,899 (US$1,352.37) and S$2,288 (US$1,629.40), respectively.
Photo credit: NEC
Grand Enigma Speaker System
CNET.com staff | Nov 11, 2008
(Credit: Kharma)
Aperion's Intimus 533-PT speakers are really good. At US$1 million, Kharma's Grand Enigma speakers better be good. The Dutch company's higher-than-high-end speakers top HigherFi's list of the world's most expensive speakers, and we're betting they have the sound to match the price. If the system is within your financial means, you'd better hurry up and buy them; there's only one of them in existence.
Via CNET.com
Crave is...
The name says it all. Crave is our blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.
Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.
Crave for...
» Mobile Phones (2230)
» Digital Cameras (984)
» Notebooks (1233)
» PC & Peripherals (1312)
» Handhelds (585)
» Printers (82)
» Home AV (1145)
» Music & Play (893)
» Gadgets (1484)
» Future Tech (394)
» Green Tech (172)
» Lifestyle (157)
» Luxury (22)
» Home Appliances (57)
» Cars (99)
» Games and Gear (248)
» Software (95)
» Web (117)
Previously...
Hot Topics
What's Hot
apple apple inc. apple iphone apple ipod asia battery camera game google inc. iphone microsoft corp. microsoft windows mobile phone photograph singapore smart phone software sony corp. video
Copyright © 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.
