Panasonic is using this week’s CEDIA show to debut its new AV receiver, the SA-BX500, and even though we doubt the nameplate will get much attention from the audiophile crowd, this unit does have a bit of audio-geekery with its bi-amplification/bi-wiring feature. Other stuff that will appeal to a wider audience includes 7×130-Watt amplification, HDMI connectivity (3 inputs, 1 output) that’s ready for your 1080p content, HDMI-CEC in VIERA Link form, support for Dobly TrueHD and DTS-HD MA, and the ability to simulate 7.1-channels of surround in 5.1-channel systems, so you can hear what you’re not missing. Available in October for $799, but you can grab a peek at the front and back right now.

From engadget

While some other manufacturers are churning out Blu-ray decks with price tags closer to the magical $200 mark, Sony’s bucking that trend by aiming squarely at those with bulging wallets and even fatter egos. The November-bound BDP-S5000ES one-ups the BDP-S350 by being BD-Live-capable (as opposed to BD-Live-ready) and boasts an Ethernet jack, external flash memory port, a 1GB Sony Micro Vault Tiny (gee, thanks!), Quick Start mode for getting those BDs spinning quicker and an ultra-special 14-bit HD video processor, which “improves standard-definition and high-definition picture quality with the help of HD Reality Enhancer and Super Bit Mapping technologies.” Infringing on Toshiba’s latest playground is the highly-touted Precision Cinema HD Upscale technology, which unsurprisingly upconverts DVDs to 1080p in order to make the most of your splendid DVD collection. You’ll also find niceties such as an RS-232C / IR input, BRAVIA Sync and an XMB-inspired user interface — now, if only we could find the secret sauce that makes this package worth the $2,000 asking price. (Psst… full release after the cut.)

From engadget

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Sony‘s got a smorgasbord of new kit comin’ atcha from the heart of Denver, so we’ll get things started with two new ES-series receivers. Just when you thought you’d seen the last of Sony’s 2008 ES lineup, along comes two more making their US debut. Both the STR-DA6400ES and STR-DA5400ES offer up second room high-def video / audio distribution via CAT5e wiring, meaning that you can zip along HD content over your existing home network. Additionally, the former unit packs two CAT5e inputs and is DLNA-compliant. Wondering what that means for you? It means that Sony now has an AVR that can stream music, photos and video from a DLNA-compliant PC while accessing online music content from Rhapsody and Shoutcast sans a PC. Beyond that, there’s the Faroudja DCDi Cinema chips, support for x.v.Color / Deep Color, Direct Stream Digital decoding, BRAVIA Sync and a 120-watt x 7 internal amplifier in each device. Catch the full release after the jump, and catch whichever unit suits your fancy within the next month for $2,500 / $2,000.

from engadget

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We’re not at all pleased by Epson’s refusal to reveal the native resolution of its MovieMate 55, but judging by the $699 estimated street price, we’d bet it’s no better than 1,024 x 768. At any rate, the 8.4-pound unit is designed more for sleepovers and summer camps than home cinema applications, as it boasts a built-in DVD player rather than a Blu-ray unit (and the resolution to match). You’ll also find a pair of 8-watt speakers, 1,200 ANSI lumens, E-TORL lamp and a built-in handle for good measure. Snag one for the youngin’ this October at resellers all across the land.

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Being that music lovers everywhere are scrambling to find bona fide replacements to their suddenly antiquated compact disc players, it follows logic for Olive Media to give us one more option besides the OPUS Nº5. The OPUS Nº4 is a high-end digital music server which features between 320GB and 1TB of internal storage space, an integrated CD burner, 4.3-inch 480 x 272 touchscreen, gigabit Ethernet / 802.11g WiFi, a USB 2.0 port, a slew of audio outputs and native support for WAV, FLAC and MP3 files. As for the iPod-friendly MELODY Nº2 companion, it enables various rooms of the home to access tunes stored on the OPUS Nº4 as well as songs on any networked Mac, PC or NAS drive. If you couldn’t guess, both units are aimed squarely at the affluent sect, which probably explains the $1,499 to $1,799 (OPUS Nº4) / $599 (MELODY Nº2) price tags. Check the gallery on Engadget HD.

[Via Macworld]
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We certainly haven’t been starved for media streamers of late, and if you reckoned the feature-packed EZfetch Wireless HD Digital Media Player would be priced right out of your league, guess again. This multifaceted unit, which appeared just days ago on the FCC’s website, is now officially available to anyone interested — and for $249, no less. Yep, for the price of a (likely sold-out) Wii, users can pick up a snazzy streaming box that pulls in content from Nokia N-series mobiles, PCs, NAS drives and a slew of WiFi-enabled devices in order to light up your living room TV. Furthermore, the gizmo plays nice with more formats than you can shake a stick at, and it’s shipping now to those who simply can’t resist.

[Via eHomeUpgrade]
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