Audio News for December 26, 2014

by | Dec 26, 2014 | Audio News

iSimple Bluetooth Upgrades for Vehicles – The new Inseam install kit from iSimple adds Bluetooth to in-factory or aftermarket radios in ten select vehicles from leading automakers. It can be connected either with RCA connectors or Motorola-style antenna connectors. The new system offers simpler installation, improved connections to factory steering-wheel/mounted controls, and more robust music playback controls, compared to its predecessor. It allows adjustment of the volume and to select tracks on most smartphone/tablet music players and Internet radio apps, and also works with a free iOS or Android app to set up user features promoting driver safety. The SRP is $189.

“4K” Streaming Service Adds Seven Movie Classics – The UHD video-streaming service UltraFlix has added seven classic Hollywood titles to its expanding library. Their VOS network is available as a featured app on 2014 Samsung and Vizio UHD TVs. They now have over 500 hours of UHD movies, concerts, TV shows and special events, including 100 hours of free content. Content is compressed using HEVC standards.

Hi-Res Logo Collaboration of CEA and Japan Audio Society – The hi-res logo develped by the Japan Audio Society will be made available to members of the Consumer Electronics Aossication (CEA). It will be used on hardware meeting the minimum 96K/24-bit performance requirements. It is already used by Sony, Pioneer, Teac, Onkyo and Audio-Technica, and will be promoted at the January CES. Products will undergo performance testing to certify eligibility to use the logo. In June the Recording Academy and the DEG announced a formal definition of hi-res music, separate from the hardware, which has aroused some controversy by including sources not defined by most audio engineers as being hi-res.

Neil Young’s Pono Player Coming to a Car Near You – The Toblerone-shaped hi-res music player is one of the first mass-market, entirely portable players, and was brought to life after a $6 million crowdfunding campaign. Ford is partnering with Pono for the 2016 Lincoln Continental and the hi-res system will also be available in future generations of the Teslas, with the help of hi-end audio firm Harman. If Harman would install the Pono system in Digital Trends’ in-car audio system with their onboard LTE Wi-Fi, the vehicle owner could download hi-res tracks from the Pono music store directly to their car.

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