Philips promises Sense and Simplicity at IFA
Within the confinements of 8,000sq m which, by the way, spans an entire hall at IFA 2006, Philips' message to its consumers was outlined by a promise of "Sense and Simplicity"--that is, to have products that are designed with the users' needs in mind and are easy to use.
BERLIN, GERMANY--Just before the annual consumer electronics exhibition opened its doors on Friday (September 1), Philips yesterday announced a whole slew of home entertainment products and accessories including a 100-inch Ambilight HD flat-TV prototype with Ambilight Full Surround, wireless music systems, media centers and a pocket-sized digital audio and photo player, to list a few.
That's not all. The company also unveiled its first Blu-ray Disc player--the BDP9000--which caught the attention of the media's eye. In line with the Dutch giant's promise, this unit has an advanced Java-enabled browser interface for ease of use and setup. While it is capable of high-definition video playback in full 1080p glory, the BDP9000 is also backward-compatible with older disc formats. Unfortunately, there's no word on when the disc player would be made available for Asia.
Though there's no firm pricing on the BDP9000, we're not expecting it to come cheap. "The issue is the same in every market. The early adopters are people who can afford it in the first place and they have to invest in it," Rudy Provoost, CEO for Philips Consumer Electronics spoke to CNET Asia. "I think with high-definition content and Blu-ray applications, you'll see a band of pricing that is pretty consistent across the world," he added.
In response to the pick-up rate for Blu-ray, Provoost told CNET Asia that "the real driver would be the availability of high-definition content in the various countries". As of now, seven out of eight major movie studios have pledged to release titles in the Blu-ray format at a Blu-ray press conference held here at IFA. The seven comprise Disney, Fox, Paramount, Warner, Sony, MGM and Lions Gate.
Provoost also added that content delivery depends largely on the terms of engagement between what the Government wants and the market position of the respective brands; the result could lead to vastly different schemes not tied to any specific country.
Entertainment aside, Philips also intends to transform the electronic games industry with the introduction of its amBX applications. This will allow the player to add atmospheric lighting, wind effects and vibration on top of the traditional audio and video aspects of gaming to get a more immersive experience.
With the Ambilight backlighting technology and amBX applications, the Dutch multinational is sending a strong message to its audience--the company wants the user to be able to experience advanced technology minus the hassle. Here's a quick breakdown of the products showcased at today's opening.
| Model name |
In a nutshell |
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Wow factor: New models that add to the Philips Showline Media Center launched last year.
Other notable frills:
Blu-ray Disc playback capability and HDMI connectivity
Built on Intel Viiv Technology
Intel Pentium D (dual core) CPU and Intel G965 chipset
1,024MB memory
Microsoft Windows Vista-ready
MCP9480i model comes with My Philips Zone and a 320GB hard drive
Price: Between 2,300 euros (US$2,953)and 2,500 euros (US$3,209)
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Wow factor: Philips' first Blu-ray Disc player.
Other notable frills:
Plays back video content in full 1080p resolution
Advanced Java-enabled browsing interface
Compatible with older disc (DVD and CD) formats
Connects to HDTV and HDMI devices
Availability: Mid-2007 in Asia
Price: Approximately 1,000 euros (US$1,283)
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Wow factor: All-in-one internal drive for the PC.
Other notable frills:
Records and plays back on CD, DVD and Blu-ray Discs
2x read and write speed
9MB continuous data rate
Price: Approximately 799 euros (US$1,025)
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Wow factor: Streams music wirelessly throughout the home.
Other notable frills:
Connects up to five Wireless Music Stations
80GB harddisk for storing up to 1,500 CDs
LCD screen
Wi-Fi, UPnP and Ethernet PC connectivity
Broadcasts the same track to each room simultaneously
Reads MP3 and WMA files
Price: 1,000 euros (US$1,283) (bundle that comprises of the main system and a smaller satellite station). Each satellite station cost about 299 euros (US$383)
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Wow factor: Wireless bedroom music station with built-in alarm clock.
Other notable frills:
Streams music from the Wireless Music System or a Wi-Fi-enabled PC
Wakes up to your favorite music with the alarm function
Built-in memory that can hold up to seven songs
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Wow factor: Ultracompact digital audio and photo player.
Other notable frills:
Measures 9cm long and weighs 48g
2GB memory that can store up to 500 MP3s or 1,000 WMA music files
Shockproof
Stylish black onyx finish casing
Backlit sensory touchpad control with SuperScroll system
1.7-inch color screen
Up to 14 hours of continuous music playback
Supports Microsoft's PlaysForSure
Also available in 1GB version
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Wow factor: Standalone 9-inch digital photo frame.
Other notable frills:
9-inch LCD display
Built-in memory that stores up to 150 photos
Two onboard memory card readers that support SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro, CF and xD-Picture Card formats
Includes PhotoEffect Wizard for basic photo-editing
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Wow factor: Stylish speakers that combines performance and durability.
Other notable frills:
Connects to most MP3 players, PCs, TVs, CD and DVD players
Remote control
3.5mm jack
Made from stainless steel
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Wow factor: Noise-canceling headphones.
Other notable frills:
Cancels background noise by up to 85 percent
Soft ear cushions that enclose the speakers around the ears
Features a mute button to pause the noise-canceling function
Fitted with a detachable cable
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Wow factor: VoIP-enabled Webcams.
Other notable frills (SPC500NC):
CMOS sensor with SVGA resolution
Camera head pivots 360 degrees
Supplied with a multimedia headset and a boom microphone
Compatible with Skype, Windows Live Messenger and other free messaging services
Other notable frills (SPC315NC):
VGA resolution
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Wow factor: According to Philips, the VoIP841 is the world's first DECT phone for Skype.
Other notable frills:
Skype-enabled
65k full-color graphics display
Stylish design
Price: 199 euros (US$255)
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