Audio News for January 17, 2012

by | Jan 17, 2012 | Audio News

UltraViolet Support Grows – The new digital content locker system intended to allow consumers to pay just one price to purchase movie and TV titles for playback on multiple devices portably and in the home, is becoming a solid useage model. The general manager of the group of over 70 film and CE companies developing and promoting UltraViolet, said since the system’s launch last year three Hollywood studios are using it and a fourth will be marketing it soon. Consumers can stream and download content to their PCs, Macs, iOS and Android handheld devices, but a computer is required to sign up and maintain a library. Samsung’s new Blu-ray player does that automatically, and will also show what is in a user’s personal UltraViolet library, select a title and start streaming it onto a screen. 20 movies have so far been released with UltraViolet rights, with at least 100 more to come this year on Blu-ray. Amazon will soon starting selling movie digital downloads using UltraViolet format, and work if progressing on a common file format for downloaded content files that will be interchangeable on different platforms and devices. More than a million people have already registered.
Vizio Introduces 21:9 HD Displays – Among the eye-popping video exhibits at last week’s Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas were three Vizio CinemaWide Full HD sets with the new 21:9 aspect ratio screens. The idea is to be able to display CinemaScope 2.35:1 movies from Blu-rays and standard DVDs without the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. 16:9 and 4:3 programming is also displayed. The three sets are 50-inch, 58-inch and 71-inch size and all include passive-glasses Theater 3D plus Vizio Internet Apps. The latter includes Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Facebook, Flickr, Netflix, Rhapsody, Pandora, Twitter, Vudu, Yahoo TV Widgets and Fandango. New additions are Clear Channel’s digital radio service: iHeart, The Wall Street Journal’s WSJ Live app, and M-GO – an on-demand service from Technicolor. To navigate the V.I.A. platform, a Bluetooth remote and QWERTY keyboard are included, and the 3D displays come with four pairs of passive 3D eyewear.
CES Demo of First Compatible Active-shutter 3D Glasses – The FullHD 3D Glasses Initiative Standard was jointly developed by Xpand 3D, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony. It is for active-shutter glasses only, not for passive 3D eyewear. The Initiative licenses RF- and IR-based communication protocols between the glasses and 3D displays with Xpand’s active-shutter technology. The glasses are compatible with any display device from the brands licensed by the Initiative. There is one license for TV/projector/emitters and a second license for 3D eyewear. A verification program ensures that the products work seamlessly with other compliant products owned by consumers.  
B&O Launches New Products – B&O has expanded its 3D TV selection to five models, plus launching flat on-wall speakers, a CD-ripping device for its HD-based BeoSound 5 music system, and an Internet radio app. Their 65-inch active-shutter 3D plasma TV is only 2.52 inches thick and retails for $19,749.

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