CES - Home video

Iriver's Wave Home: All-in-one communications/multimedia hub gets some buzz

There's been a little bit of buzz at CES here about the Iriver Wave Home, which marries a networked mulitmedia device with a communications hub to form a kitchen/home office-friendly gadget.

A 7-inch 800x480 touch screen is built into the unit along with a detachable wireless handset and speakerphone for VoIP calls (you can make calls from the phone or an onscreen virtual keypad and the device supports video calls as well). You can access the Web, photos, music, and videos, and there's an FM radio that Iriver says can be "enjoyed through Wave Home's … Read more

Vizio VBR100 gets you in the Blu for $200

Vizio is best known for its low prices on HDTVs, but the company is branching out into Blu-ray with the new VBR100 player. From the specs, the biggest selling point is the $200 price tag, and we were surprised to see 7.1 analog outputs available too. Here are the details.

Key features of the Vizio VBR100:

Profile 2.0 compatible Onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio decoding 7.1 analog audio outputs Optical and coaxial digital audio outputs Available in April, $200 list price

Most of the players we've seen here at CES have tried to differentiate themselves … Read more

Silicon Image introduces next-gen home AV wireless networking technology: LiquidHD

One of the holy grails of consumer electronics is to create a wireless networking solution that works seamlessly behind the scenes to link together all your home AV, PC, and mobile gear throughout your house. Silicon Image, the company that brought you the HDMI standard, is on a quest to find that grail and the horse its riding is named LiquidHD.

The folks from Silicon Image are talking up the new technology at CES this year and the basic concept goes something like this: You have a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 connected to a TV in one room and … Read more

EchoStar SlingLoaded HD DVR 922 combines Slingbox and DVR into one super set-top box

We're huge fans of the Slingbox, which lets you access your home TV from any broadband-connected PC and many models of 3G smartphones. But the boxes have always had a fundamental problem of monopolizing the host video source (cable/satellite box or DVR); if you access your Slingbox remotely and somebody happens to be watching the home TV, both of you are forced to watch the same program.

That's just one problem that the new EchoStar SlingLoaded HD DVR 922 fixes. The "SlingLoaded" moniker basically means that it's got a Slingbox built-in. That, along with … Read more

Hands-on with WowWee's Cinemin pico projectors

Wowwee's 2009 lineup of iPod-friendly mobile projectors are hot--almost hot enough to make us forgive the company for unleashing Femisapien onto the world. Branded under the Cinemin moniker, WowWee's pico projectors come in three flavors: Swivel ($299), Stick ($349), and Station ($399).

Tom Merritt and I got some hands-on time with WowWee's Cinemin projectors at the CES 2009 Digital Experience showcase. Tom's First Look video can be seen on the right. For a closer look, I've included a slide show below.

To see more of the products WowWee is announcing at CES 2009, take a … Read more

Panasonic makes your Blu-ray Discs portable

One of the biggest disadvantages to Blu-ray has been its lack of portability. While DVD players are virtually everywhere and portable DVD players are cheap, when you buy a Blu-ray Disc you're typically limited to watching it in your home theater. The Panasonic DMP-B15 looks to address this; it is the first portable Blu-ray player and it's also designed to be used easily around the house with a built-in stand. Here are the details.

Key features of the Panasonic DMP-B15:

8.9-inch WSVGA (1,024x600) LCD screen Three-hour rechargeable battery Profile 2.0 compatible Bitstream output for Dolby … Read more

Panasonic's DMP-BD70V puts Blu-ray, VHS playback in a single box

It seems weird to put Lo-Fi VHS tapes and 1080p high-definition Blu-ray movies in the same box, but that's exactly what you'll be able to do with Panasonic's DMP-BD70V, which (as far as we know) is the first combination VHS/Blu-ray player. Aside from adding VHS playback, the specs look to be identical to the standard DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player. Here are the details.

Key features of the Panasonic DMP-BD70V series:

Blu-ray and VHS playback from a single player Profile 2.0 compatible Onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio Essential decoding SD card slot and USB input Access … Read more

Panasonic rolls out two new Blu-ray players

Panasonic had a stand-out 2008 on the Blu-ray front, with the DMP-BD35 earning the first Editor's Choice award for a standalone Blu-ray player. After mastering most of the basic Blu-ray functions, like BD-Live and high-resolution audio decoding, it looks like the two new players, the DMP-BD60 and DMP-BD80, are mostly incremental updates to the existing Blu-ray players, with the biggest new feature being Viera Cast support.

Key features of the Panasonic DMP-BD60:

Profile 2.0 compatible Onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio Essential decoding SD card slot and USB input Access to Viera Cast Internet content, including Amazon Video … Read more

Memorex shows off budget-friendly audio gadgets

Memorex may not be the most exciting brand on the block, but it's got a surprising amount of affordable, solid-looking products showcased at CES 2009. The following photo gallery rounds-up its line of audio and video accessories for the iPod, as well as some hands-on shots of its touch screen MP3 player, the TouchMP.