CES 2009

The Philips 7000 series FlatTV line features a new design.

(Credit: Philips)

With Funai licensing the Philips brand in 2009, things have gotten a little confusing about just what's going on with Philips home audio and video products. But it appears that all the products that Philips announced at CES 2009--including the new 7000 series Flat TVs--are true Philips products. Philips had already planned out its 2009 line and Funai Electric will be taking over the production of that line this year.

Thus far, details are scant on just when the new 7000 series LCD TVs will be released and how much they'll cost. However, they do have a new design that features an ultrathin bezel surrounded by a rounded acrylic edge. The 120Hz, 1080p sets will range in size from 32 to 52 inches and they have a fast 2-millisecond refresh rate.

The press release also notes these models feature the proprietary "Halo-Free technology, which removes the faint halo accompanying fast moving action." This new video processing technology allegedly helps eliminate artifacts "that are prevalent in LCD technology."

As we said, we're still trying to get the lowdown on pricing and availability, but for the time being we'll leave you with a quote from the umbrella company, P&F (Philips and Funai), that now is the exclusive manufacturer and distributor for Philips televisions and home-theater products in the U.S.

"The new design and superior technology in our FlatTV line will strengthen our offerings in the fast-growing, large-screen HDTV market," says Todd Richardson, senior vice president of sales and marketing for P&F. "The ultrathin frame design differentiates Philips from other sets on the market and the technology inside is certain to win over even the most discerning HDTV consumer. Consumers can look forward to an unparalleled viewing experience, thanks to the unique combination of exceptional picture quality and design at an attractive price level."

We'll add details as we get them.

The new PanTouch Clear line features a floating-image motif.

In case you're watching the digital-photo frame market, it appears that prices are coming down nicely heading into the spring of 2009. Hitting stores next month, Pandigital's new PanTouch Clear line features an allegedly simplified touch-screen interface and an eye-catching floating-image design for a relatively affordable price.

The PanTouch Clear models come in 7- and 8-inch size frames. They offer 800x600 resolution, a 4:3 aspect ratio, 6-in-1 card reader, and 1 GB of internal memory. They'll be available next month, with the 7-incher listed at $119 and the 8-inch model listed for $139.99. Both models are compatible with Pandigital's $30 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth accessories.

The company has also introduced a new line of budget products that is headlined by a 7-inch photo frame that also has a 4:3 aspect ratio (800x600), but no touch screen; it will carry a list price of $99.99.

JVC's UX-LP5 will be available in March and carry a list price of $149.95.

(Credit: JVC)

While this model doesn't offer the touch-sensitive controls and motion sensor of the step-up UX-GN6, it does have many of the same features, including a video output so you can play back iPod-stored video on a connected television, a front audio input for connecting other audio products, CD playback, and an AM/FM tuner.

It's worth noting that while the UX-GN6 is listed as having a total power output of 120 watts, the UX-LP5 is a 70-watt system. Both models come with a pair of two-way speakers.

The UX-LP5 will be available in March and carry a list price of $149.95. The step-up UX-GN6 will list for $199.95 while the more basic (read: no iPod dock) UX-G200 will go for $99.95. All the JVC micro audio systems will be in stores in March.

The JVC UX-GN6 will be available in March and carry a list price of $199.95.

(Credit: JVC)

Motion sensors were featured on some Logitech iPod clock radios last year and we expect to see more clock radios and micro systems offering this feature going forward. In this implementation, the feature enables you to wake-up the UX-GN6 from standby mode by simply waving your hand in front of the system. (We're not sure if tossing a shoe or pillow across the front of it would also do the trick, but we bet it would).

As for the touch-control panels, you run a finger up and down over the strip to adjust volume volume and control the CD player's forward/skip and reverse/skip functions. (JVC also says that other functions are handled using touch-panel controls, but doesn't cite exactly what they are).

Additional features include: a video output so you can play back iPod-stored video on a connected television; a USB port for playing music files stored on USB mass storage devices; a front audio input for connecting other audio products; the aforementioned CD playback; and an AM/FM tuner. The UX-GN6 has a total power output of 120 watts and comes with a pair of two-way speakers.

The UX-GN6 will be available in March and carry a list price of $199.95. The step-down UX-LP5, which features a retractable front flip dock for iPods, will list for $149.95, while the more basic (read: no iPod dock) UX-G200 will go for $99.95. Those units will be in stores in March as well.

Iriver didn't say when its Wave Home will be available or how much it will cost.

(Credit: Iriver)

There's been a little bit of buzz at CES here about the Iriver Wave Home, which marries a networked mulitmedia device with a communications hub to form a kitchen/home office-friendly gadget.

A 7-inch 800x480 touch screen is built into the unit along with a detachable wireless handset and speakerphone for VoIP calls (you can make calls from the phone or an onscreen virtual keypad and the device supports video calls as well). You can access the Web, photos, music, and videos, and there's an FM radio that Iriver says can be "enjoyed through Wave Home's built-in, high-quality stereo speakers."

"High quality" might be stretching it a bit, but you get the picture: the thing is basically a digital photo frame on steroids, complete with a 1.3-megapixel CMOS camera. Additional features include an Ethernet jack, SD card slot, USB connectivity, and support for digipen input.

Iriver is also touting the device's intelligent Widget, which "provides instant weather, stock and traffic updates, as well as Web and multimedia services that users can enjoy without a computer since the device is connected to broadband internet." Wave Home also supports Flash-based games and you can send and receive SMS and MMS texts.

What's missing? An iPod dock. My God, what were these people thinking?

I'm kidding. Well, sort of. Anyway, there's no definitive word on pricing or availability, but Iriver is allegedly trying to keep the cost below $400.

Silicon Image has released a dev kit for CE manufacturers and service operators.

(Credit: Silicon Image)

One of the holy grails of consumer electronics is to create a wireless networking solution that works seamlessly behind the scenes to link together all your home AV, PC, and mobile gear throughout your house. Silicon Image, the company that brought you the HDMI standard, is on a quest to find that grail and the horse its riding is named LiquidHD.

The folks from Silicon Image are talking up the new technology at CES this year and the basic concept goes something like this: You have a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 connected to a TV in one room and you want to stream audio and video to a TV in another room. Well, if your home is connected to the LiquidHD network, you'll be able to take that high-definition audio and video and move it to any TV in any room--without losing any quality.

Just what the heck is LiquidHD? Well, it's more than just a chip you put into a TV, Blu-ray player, or cable or satellite box. The company says it's, "a suite of protocols that runs over commodity IP networks such as Ethernet, Coax like MoCA, power line like HomePlug, and wireless like Wi-Fi (802.11n)." Yes, that's a mouthful.

According to the press release, the key components include:

*LiquidDiscover: Automatic discovery and authentication of all LiquidHD-enabled devices in the home--just plug it in and the TV automatically discovers your LiquidHD source devices.

*LiquidMedia: High-definition, high-fidelity media streaming from live and stored sources.

*LiquidPixels: Pixel accurate, low latency and low bandwidth remoting of any source device's user interface to any LiquidHD display device. Includes a single remote control at each display to control all source devices on the LiquidHD network.

*LiquidControl: Secure control and communication between all devices.

*LiquidPlay: Comprehensive security and content protection architecture built on a robust hardware solution. Enables consumers to move and play their legally obtained content on any LiquidHD device they own. Also protects CE devices from malevolent attacks by securing the control commands and LiquidPixels remote user interface.

The concept of LiquidHD is admirable, but the challenge for Silicon Image is to get all the CE manufacturers and a lot of other companies to agree to adopt LiquidHD as an international standard and incorporate LiquidHD technology into various devices. That Silicon Image has a track record with HDMI gives it an advantage, but it's still going to be a serious challenge to have companies add new technology--and cost--to their products in a down economy.

Nevertheless, Silicon Image remains optimistic about its chances. It's already released a developer's kit that will allow CE manufacturers and multiple service operators (MSOs) to implement the LiquidHD technology in "residential gateways, master set-top boxes, Blu-ray Disc players and digital video recorders (DVR)." The company also has an endorsement from one major studio, the Fox Group.

All this is pretty technical stuff for the average consumer to digest but the end result would certainly be appealing. Getting there, however, is probably going to take a while. The company hopes to show "real" products with LiquidHD built into them at next year's CES. We'll be there if they do.

The iHome iP1 will come out sometime this spring or summer at an undetermined price point.

(Credit: iHome)

You don't necessarily associate the iHome brand with "premium" audio and cutting-edge design, but the folks there are giving it their best shot with the upcoming 100-watt iP1, which features a whole new look for the company known for its budget iPod audio systems.

The iP1 has a set of "custom-designed" 4-inch woofers and 1-inch silk dome tweeters, which are powered by Bongiovi Acoustic's proprietary Digital Power Station processor. In terms of connectivity, there's a standard audio input to connect other audio devices along with an A/V output and a remote control. Works with iPhones, too.

The iP1 is due to arrive in the spring-to-summer time frame and will most likely be carrying a price tag in the neighborhood of $250-$300, though iHome hasn't set a price yet.

The iH15 LED Color Changing Stereo System is on sale now for $59.99.

(Credit: iHome)

iHome is highlighting a few products at this year's CES and one of them, the iH15 LED Color Changing Stereo System, is actually available now for $59.99.

The concept behind this simple and compact iPod audio system is that you can customize its color thanks to an LED behind the iH15's translucent cabinet. It's unclear whether you get the full range of colors pictured in the photo or just four (as the specs imply below). We'll let you know was soon as we get that little detail confirmed.

Here's all the company has to say about the product:

*Translucent cabinet changes color at the touch of a button

*Plays and charges most docking iPod models

*Four color-change settings

*Reson8 stereo speakers with passive subwoofer

*Line-in to listen to other aux audio sources

*5.47 inches tall by 5.47 inches wide by 5.47 inches deep

*Powered by an AC adapter (no battery option)

Due out in March, the FreeAgent Theater HD media player starts at $130 for a standalone unit.

(Credit: Seagate)

Western Digital recently released an HD media player that was designed to leverage the content people were storing on that company's external storage devices. Now Seagate's followed suit with a similar product, the Seagate FreeAgent Theater HD media player, which connects to your TV and plays back video, pictures, and music from external storage devices.

Seagate describes the FreeAgent Theater as an accessory that enables "people to easily enjoy stored digital media on their TV screens rather than their computer monitors." It works like this: you transfer files from your computer to your FreeAgent Go--or another storage device--then dock the device in the FreeAgent Theater via a USB connection. The little black box has the processing power and the codecs onboard to read a wide variety of file formats, including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and DIVX files with support for NTSC, PAL, and HD resolutions up to 1080i (there's also support for subtitles). The audio formats supported include 5.1-channel surround sound (if available) and popular digital-audio formats including MP3, WMA, WAV, and OGG. Naturally, there an easy-to-use onscreen interface that makes navigating your files easier. (when we get our review unit, we'll let you know just how user-friendly it truly is, of course).

The Seagate FreeAgent Theater HD Media Player will be available in March and comes in a stand-alone unit ($129.99 MSRP) or a package that ships with a FreeAgent Go portable drive. You can choose between configurations that include a 250GB ($229.99 MSRP) or 500GB (MSRP of $299.99) capacity FreeAgent Go Drive. All configurations include a remote.

Several of these types of products are hitting the market, so Seagate is not alone here, but it will be interesting to compare this model with Western Digital's WD TV Media Player, which also starts at $130, and boasts 1080p output, and Kodak's Theater HD player, which has a tentative list price at $300. Another product in this category is the even more affordable Iomega ScreenPlay TV Link.