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-------------------------------------------------------------- This story was printed from CNET Asia. --------------------------------------------------------------
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Rise of the Samsung A/V juggernaut
By Philip Wong, CNET Asia
06/05/2008 URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/tvs/0,39037594,62040730,00.htm SINGAPORE--The Korean juggernaut has awakened! Like warring Vikings on a fierce battle roll, Samsung is back in force with an ambitious home A/V launch today. Its largest in Asia to date, the 2008 lineup features a myriad selection of products from flat-panel TVs and home-theater-in-a-box sound systems to Blu-ray players and DVD recorders. Having said that, what's even more exciting are the numerous trendsetting innovations pushing the envelope on the local Asia scene.
By hooking up the TV to your home network with Internet access, you can now keep yourself updated with the latest news, stock updates and weather forecasts through its InfoLink service. Fully customizable, it can be configured to launch automatically or programmed to display in various font sizes and positions. The offline equivalent of InfoLink in this case is Content Library, a non-broadcast content management system which hosts slideshows, cooking recipes, fitness tips, games and child lullabies in its onboard memory. To maximize its full potential, new material can also be downloaded from its Web site to be played back through USB storage devices. Furthermore, direct streaming of MP3, JPEG, and MPEG-4 files is catered for with the implementation of WiseLink Pro-DLNA. Compatible with Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-certified media servers and PCs running its proprietary software, this eliminates the need for external media streamers and, at the same time, simplifies multimedia sharing among family members. Adding on to the growing list of impressive feature set are four generous HDMI 1.3 inputs and its 100Hz Motion Flow frame rate-doubling technology. On top of these, you will also get a full-HD native resolution and a class-leading 50,000:1 dynamic contrast. Those who can live without the above-mentioned networking functions can opt for the stripped-down Series 6 and 5 instead, or the no-frills Series 4 and 3 HD-ready entries. Samsung's 2008 LCD TV lineup
For plasma fans, the Korean chaebol has a comparable Series 6 equivalent with the same Touch of Color design, WiseLink USB connectivity and equal number of HDMI inputs. What's scorching hot, though, is its extreme (read: Theoretical) 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast which is seriously in a league of its own; face value at least. One notch below the hierarchy is the Series 5 which is near identical sans the rose-black styling and one less HDMI. Samsung's 2008 plasma TV lineup
In the Blu-ray department, there are the BD-P1500 and HT-BD2 duo. The former is a fourth-generation standalone player and streamlined iteration of its BD-P1400 with upgraded Profile 1.1 interactive features support. Unlike its predecessor, it's capable of delivering both unformatted and decoded Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD audio via HDMI. The BD-P1500 is also neck-to-neck with the Sony PlayStation 3 in terms of a 1080p24 video output, losing ground only in BD-Live (Profile 2.0)-compliancy. Though Pioneer was first to debut a Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD-ready surround sound system, Samsung is one step ahead of the rat race with its HT-BD2 featuring an integrated Blu-ray player. The neat all-in-one proposition aside, it's adequately driven by a beefy 1,100W amplifier and has 7.1-channel speakers for an enveloping sound stage. Being a third-gen Blu-ray kit, it's compatible up to Profile 1.0 only. On the bright side, its HDMI output is equally adept at churning out pristine 1080p24 pictures to complement the high-resolution audio. Taking a step back into the DVD domain, we have the 300W HT-X810 sound bar and 800W HT-X715 home theater system. What's remarkable about the handsome HT-X810 is its self-contained design and cutting-edge feature set. Putting aside a built-in 1080p-upscaling DVD player, the 2.1 kit offers Bluetooth for pairing mobiles devices, as well as a 5.8GHz wireless subwoofer interface. This lessen the amount of cumbersome wiring, thanks to its combination of virtual surround sound technology and wireless connectivity. To match the rose-black accents of its series 6 and 7 flat-panel TVs, Samsung is offering the exquisite HT-X715 compact 5.1 system. While it's based on the same Touch of Color design, there are also plenty of other refinements that further differentiate it from its peers, most notably the etched touch sensors on the DVD receiver and companion animated graphic user display. Lastly, it has almost comparable capabilities as the HT-X810 including Bluetooth connectivity, though 5.8GHz wireless is an optional addon via its SWA-4000 kit. Samsung's 2008 Blu-ray and HTIB lineup
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Series 6 plasma TVs
Series 5 plasma TVs
Series 4 plasma TVs
HT-BD2 home theater
HT-X810 home theater
HT-X715 home theater
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