Latest in Home Theater, Cool Homes and Home Electronics

About 8 CEDIAs and other tradeshow years ago, a semi-updated 1950s technology was introduced that wowed the conventioneers, media attendees and industry analysts alike. It was the first TV-based 3D viewing of live and video-taped theatrical content. But the lack of an accepted standard from manufacturers, movie-makers and TV producers, let the next 3D die right there. The 2000 version… View this story

Do you know anyone with hundreds of Blu-ray movies? Make that hundreds of good Blu-ray movies. If so, they might want to keep an eye out for this monster. The Mega Changer by Sony can hold 400 Blu-ray discs, DVDs and CDs. Besides the fact that it will support BD-Live and contain an RS-232C port for custom installs, Sony is… View this story

If you’re walking by Hitachi’s new UltraThin 50-inch plasma, you may just miss it. This super-skinny TV measures a mere 1.5 inches thick. It’s not the thinnest we’ve ever seen, but it sure is pretty. Aside from a pretty picture, Hitachi didn’t say much else about its latest model. The company also has UltraThin models in 32-, 37-, 42- and… View this story

Have music through your house and save money? We’d go for that. Knoll Systems, maker of energy-efficient Eco-System multiroom amplifiers, will turn out an economy-minded four-source, four-zone controller and amplifier the company says will be the first in its line to qualify for an Energy Star rating. The GSZ44 controller/amp will use less than 1 watt in standby mode to… View this story

The Mezzo line needed some muscle, so Mordaunt-Short has released the Mezzo 8. This tower of power is a 3-way floorstanding speaker with a 25mm dome tweeter, one 5.25-inch midrange and two 6.5-inch bass Continuous Profile Cone drivers. Each one has Aspirated Tweeter Technology (ATT), which promises even the tinest detail from the biggest speakers. It may be a big… View this story

Subwoofer placement can often lead to a little trial and error. Infinity wants to make things a little easier, by making the whole process wireless. The company just announced three new wireless subwoofers. That makes placement a whole lot easier, eliminating the need for wires from the A/V receiver or other audio source. The PSW310W ($1,199) includes a 400-watt amplifier,… View this story

Home electronics are leaking out of your home theater—and that’s a good thing. It also means that you’ll need power protection beyond one room. RGPC’s HouseGuard can handle you entire abode from the AC panel. Designed for 120/240V single-phase electrical installations, this surge suppression system is RGPC’s second whole-house device. It’s also the first to use Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV)… View this story

The best speaker option for most kitchens is a round in-ceiling speaker. Fitted with a white grille, it can blend right in with the kitchen’s recessed light fixtures. Speakers in Sonance’s new line of in-ceiling speakers are even harder to discern. Just 0.20 inches of trim gives the Visual Performance speakers a clean, sleek appearance that befits the modern lines… View this story

Adding home control doesn’t come cheap, but Control4 is making the purchase slightly less painful with its HC-200. For $499, this unit can put a suite of home automation goodies in any home or apartment. Of course, if you’re already living large, the unit can act as a secondary device, providing lighting, security, entertainment, and more—even supplying access to the… View this story

Everyone’s hopping on the iPod/iPhone interface bandwagon it seems—even Lifeware, the Microsoft Media Center-based control platform from Exceptional Innovation. The company is giving a preview of its Apple iPod touch and iPhone interfaces to use with its Lifeware this week at the CEDIA Expo 2008 in Denver. Guess if we can run iTunes on Microsoft PCs, and Office on Macs,… View this story

CEDIA is fast becoming the trade show of choice from the harried booth technician to the pressured CEO. And what does that mean to the CE, PC, home networking and custom installing consumer, pro-sumer or professional? A happy and rested manufacturer, buyer, retailer or journalist is likely to make a better deal; field product queries with patience and have time… View this story

Savant Systems is riding the Apple wave of success on its innovative home control system. The providers of the Rosie system, which hasn’t been around all that much longer than Apple’s iPhone, has created almost as much buzz in the custom electronics world because of its open programming to Apple developers. The company’s all over the iPod touch and iPhone… View this story