Sony Laptops Feature SACD Recording – Sony’s new Vaio All-in-One-Windows PCs can record, edit and play music at SACD quality and even upgrade older recordings to the hi-res standard. The new JS and L series Vaio PCs are pre-loaded with Sonic Stage Master Studio software and a built-in Sound Reality chip. Sound Reality upconverts 44.K CDs to uncompressed DSD (Direct Stream Digital), used in SACDs. The DSD signal can be remastered into a 5.1 channel surround SACD. The DSD stream can be edited before burning to a blank DVD-R, but it is unclear from the announcement whether the discs can then be played back on any SACD deck, or only on the Vaio PC with the Sound Reality audio device.
First Theatrical Movie Release with D-BOX – In sort of a reverse to the usual order of things, the D-BOX Technology – popularized on many DVDs and Blu-rays for home use with special gear under chairs and sofas to shake and roll them in sync with screen action – will be part of the action-thriller Fast & Furious, to be released in theaters next month. The innovative and immersive experience will be deployed in exclusive viewing areas of theaters which are equipped with the special D-BOX-enhanced seating, similar to some entertainment site “rides.” At the Mann Chinese 6 in Hollywood a D-BOX demonstration seat will be installed in the theater’s lobby to give patrons an opportunity to test the immersive movie experience.