Panasonic brings 3D theater to BroadcastAsia

Panasonic is giving BroadcastAsia 2009 visitors a treat with an onsite demonstration of its 3D theater. Costing around US$61,000 to install, the setup is based primarily on the company’s professional P2HD video cameras and ultra-high-resolution DLP projectors. In a nutshell, the raw 3D footages are captured on two side-by-side shooters and played back using a pair of beamers equipped with special polarizer filters. The projections are then overlaid on a silver screen. This produces bright, albeit fuzzy, moving pictures which are reconstructed into realistic floating images through a pair of dedicated 3D glasses.

A similar system has already been deployed in Bangkok. The 4D adventure theater in Dream World brings the immersive experience one step further by integrating real special effects such as smoke and lighting as part of the theme park’s screenings. As to whether such 3D technology will be available for the living room in the future is uncertain, as a Panasonic spokesperson cited cost considerations, among other hurdles. That said, we were informed that this is an important space that many manufacturers are actively pursuing.
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New Xbox 360 coming fall 2010?

Take this one with a grain of salt, but gaming site 1UP is reporting that it's hearing a new Xbox 360 is in the works and is set to be released next fall in conjunction with the release of Project Natal. That in itself isn't all that newsworthy since it seems pretty logical that Microsoft would put out a new console with the release of its fancy new, you-are-the-controller technology that was demonstrated at E3 this month. However, 1UP is saying that while the new Xbox 360 will carry a new name and be a "new platform," it won't necessarily be much of an upgrade over the existing 360.
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JVC ups HDMI ports and contrast for its new HDTVs

JVC has just launched two new HDTV series for Asia. Its entry-level EX19 panels now pack up to three HDMI inputs and a competent 25,000:1 dynamic contrast compared with their predecessors. The full-HD Z49 has received a funky X-shaped pedestal stand and an even higher 40,000:1 dynamic contrast. More importantly, both lines have been upgraded with the company's latest Sound Meister technology developed for high-end audio. The system offers three one-touch listening modes ranging from Pure for classic and jazz music to Dynamic for action movies and Living for clearer dialog in soap operas, news broadcasts, etc.

The JVC LT-22EX19, LT-32EX19, LT-42EX19 and LT-42Z49 will retail in Singapore for S$549 (US$397.57), S$1,099 (US$795.86), S$1,699 (US$1,230.36) and S$2,499 (US$1,809.69), respectively. Pricing and availability for other Asia markets were not available.

Monster announces space-age universal remote

We've seen all sorts of universal remote controls, but nothing comes remotely close to Monster's funky contraption. The MCC AV50, which looks more like a control console straight out of Star Trek's USS Enterprise command bridge, is possibly the world's first tabletop remote according to the US cable company. At a glance, the controller does have a less intimidating feel compared with most of its rivals cluttered with buttons and switches. Having said that, this can be seriously streamlined or redesigned to accommodate a useful LCD display for example.

Nevertheless, this Monster remote has most of the common features covered with activity-based macro programming and an online wizard for setup. Price-wise, the MCC AV50 costs an affordable enough US$49.95, and is due out in July, but only for the US for now.

Via Crunchgear

A Hong Kong enthusiast's A/V nirvana

Last week, we featured a high-powered home theater system from Singapore. Today, we check out an equally impressive Hong Kong setup comprising two separate suites of premium stereo and movie equipment.

In the home theater department, the elaborate ensemble is centered on two THX-certified A/V processors: The Lexicon MC12B and an Integra DTC-9.8 (Read: Onkyo professional line). For optimum performance, these are paired with independent players covering major movie platforms ranging from legacy digital VHS to DVD and Blu-ray. Like its Singapore counterpart, this setup also utilizes multiple subwoofers for "earth-shaking" effects tuned via "bass trap". For the n00b, bass traps are acoustic absorbers or sound baffles that can absorb stray low-frequency sounds.
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