CES 2010 latest news

Sennheiser's new HD 800 headphones cost a whopping $1,400 but they're exquisite.

(Credit: Sennheiser)

If you're someone doesn't like to pay more than $50 for a pair of headphones, look away, now. If you're someone who doesn't mind throwing down $300 for a pair of cans, you should probably look away, too. But if you've got $1,400 to burn on a sweet pair of headphones, read on because that's what Sennheiser's new HD 800 will retail for when they come out in February.

What do you get for $1,400? Well, for starters, the newly designed earcups are finished in Japanese Alcantara, which is a special form of man-made suede that's particularly friendly to the skin and easy to clean. After that, it gets pretty technical.

Sennheiser says the 56mm transducer in the HD 800 is "the largest that can currently be found in a dynamic headphone," explaining that the more transducer surface area that vibrates, the purer the headphone sounds at low frequencies. However, the problem with a transducer with a large surface area is that at high frequencies "undesired resonances occur at the diaphragm, resulting in distortions in sound reproduction." Apparently, the new design principle of the HD 800--which involves a patented ring design for the diaphragm--resolves this dilemma and minimizes the distortion of the sound image.

We haven't listened to them yet, but Sennheiser says, "The HD 800 has brilliant trebles, precise bass reproduction, and an exceptionally clear sound image. The frequency response is an unprecedented 6 to 51,000 Hertz."

Alright, as soon as the recession ends, I'm in. Who needs a new 50-inch HDTV when you can have these babies?

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.

(Credit: JVC Mobile Entertainment)

JVC rings in the New Year with not one, not two, but seven new CD receivers for its 2009 mobile entertainment product line.

JVC Mobile's new flagship KD-R900 In-Dash CD Receiver has two USB 2.0 ports (one front and one rear) for connection to an iPod, an iPhone, USB flash memory drives, digital audio players, portable HDD devices, or any two devices simultaneously. The KD-R900 also features hands-free Bluetooth phone calling and A2DP wireless audio streaming capability via an included USB Bluetooth adapter and high-quality external wired microphone. This adapter operates as a fully functional receiver, transmitter, and antenna for Bluetooth and plugs into either of the KD-R900's USB ports. Users are given the option of controlling their iPod/iPhone using either the in-dash receiver's controls or the controls on the device itself to make music selections, thanks to a full-speed two-way iPod control feature. The list of features is rounded out with a front aux input, flip-down detachable faceplate, and an LCD screen with variable-color illumination which is capable of over 30,000 customizable colors to match most vehicles' interior illumination hues. The unit is also HD Radio Ready, Satellite Radio Ready, and MP3/WMA compatible. The KD-R900 features a three-band parametric iEQ, wireless remote, MOS-FET 50Wx4, and 5V front, rear, and subwoofer preoutputs with subwoofer control. The receiver is available in March 2009 with an MSRP of $269.95.

At the next level, the KD-R800 CD Receiver features many of the same features as the top-tier KD-R900, with the exception of the full-speed two-way iPod/iPhone control. The KD-R800 receiver is available in February with an MSRP of $219.95.

JVC will be installing the KD-HDR50 at the Car Tech CES booth.

(Credit: JVC Mobile Entertainment)

The KD-HDR50 CD Receiver distinguishes itself with a built-in HD Radio tuner with multicasting and iTunes Tagging capability. Of course, like any good iTunes Tagging head unity, the USB 2.0 iPod control is in full effect. The unit doesn't include, but is compatible with, the USB Bluetooth adapter and is satellite radio ready. The KD-HDR50 steps up to a seven-band iEQ and is should shipping in January 2009 at an MSRP of $179.95. Also new for 2009 is the very similar KD-HDR20, which has many of the same features, with the exception of iPod control and iTunes Tagging, and it should cost for $139.95 and ship at the same time as the KD-HDR50.

The KD-R600 CD Receiver features a USB 2.0 connection with two-way control and charging for iPod/iPhone. The unit is ready for Bluetooth adapter, satellite radio ready, HD Radio ready, and has MP3/WMA playback capability for an MSRP of $159.95. The KD-R300 reduces the MSRP to $119.95 at the expense of the integrated iPod control. Finally, the entry level $99.95 KD-R200 is a basic unit that loses the flexibility of adding external modules. All three units feature a three-band iEQ, wireless remote, MOS-FET 50Wx4, and variable-color illumination display (KD-R200 features fixed color illumination).

View the full JVC 2009 CD receiver lineup.

Seagate just announced two new additions to the Seagate Pipeline group of hard drives made to fit in digital video recorders. The Pipeline HD mini and Pipeline HD.2 focus on acoustics to attract consumers.

Seagate managed to keep the sounds of operation down to a silent 21 decibels while at the same time increasing the amount of recyclable materials used to build the drives. Both drives are made of 50 percent recyclable materials and achieve a 52 percent power-saving improvement over its last iteration.

The Pipeline HD mini uses a 2.5-inch hard drive in either 160GB or 250GB capacities, allowing generous room to store up to 10 simultaneous stream of HD video, and the Pipeline HD.2 is Seagate's second generation of 3.5-inch DVR hard drives. The HD.2 will also be available in 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB capacities. Both drives are designed to work seamlessly with Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system.

(Credit: Audiovox/Jensen)

The VM9423 touch-screen multimedia system is the first of six new Jensen models that will launch during the first half of 2009. This top-of-the-line system has a built-in HD Radio tuner, integrated iPod connectivity, and iTunes tagging. The VM9423 is GPS navigation, backup camera, Bluetooth, and Sirius/XM satellite radio ready--all of which require additional modules to add their respective functions. We cringe thinking about the mess of cables and modules that would have to be tucked behind the dash for the full-blown, all-bells-and-whistles install, but we think this modular approach will let users add the features they can afford when they can afford them. Flexibility is always appreciated.

The device features a 6.5-inch touch screen with an interface that, while easy to read and understand at a glace, is a bit dated in its aesthetic. USB and SD inputs give the driver options to use digital storage devices with up to 8GB of capacity. MediaLink4, an under-dash interface adapter for connecting external devices, and jLink3 Cable, which terminates with a 30-pin iPod dock connector on one end and a proprietary Jensen connection on the other, are included. CD/DVD optical formats and MP3, WMA and DivX digital format playback are also supported. The VM9423 is expected to cost $549.99.

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.

(Credit: RCA)

In the minicamcorder market, last year RCA pretty much played second or third fiddle to Flip Video and Kodak, with Creative recently making a late charge. Well, RCA hopes to change all that with its new Small Wonder EZ209HD, which carries the bargain price of $120 and is due out sometime this spring.

This model is smaller and sleeker than previous Small Wonders, integrates a microSD card slot rather than an SD card slot (it accepts microSD cards up to 16GB), and retains a not-too-puny 2-inch LCD. Like the Creative Vado HD, the EZ209HD also incorporates an HDMI output so you can connect the camcorder directly to your HDTV to view your clips in their full glory.

Like competing mini-HD models, the EZ209HD records up to two hours of video on a single charge. It captures video at HD and SD resolutions at up to 60 frames per second. It also captures 8 megapixel still images, but like with all budget minicamcorders, both video and still quality don't measure up to what true HD camcorders and still cameras can produce. Still, this is an impressive price for these specs and should put some pressure on Flip Video to lower the price of its Mino HD. Of course, we'll have to wait to see if the video quality has improved along with the design of the camcorder.

(Credit: Dual)

On Tuesday, just a couple days ahead of CES 2009, Dual Electronics announced its new flagship portable navigation device (PND), the Dual XNAV43HD.

The XNAV43HD is unlike any other GPS in the U.S. market currently in that it offers built-in HD Radio technology, bringing live traffic updates right to your screen. Sure, you may be thinking, real-time traffic data on PNDs is nothing new, but the advantage of HD Radio over regular TMC receivers is that it offers more bandwidth, allowing you to receive more information about traffic and beyond, such as gas prices and weather information.

While the XNAV43HD doesn't offer the latter services yet, you do get traffic data from the Clear Channel Total Traffic Network and Inrix via Clear Channel HD radio stations. To our knowledge, the XNAV43HD is the first PND to have HD Radio technology in the United States.

Other highlights of the GPS include a 4.3-inch touch screen; text-to-speech functionality; multimedia support; and a reasonable price tag of $279.99. The Dual XNAV43HD is expected to be available in spring 2009.

The iHD171 will be available at the end of January for $200.

(Credit: iLuv)

We haven't seen too many HD clock radios, but at CES, iLuv will be showing off the dual-alarm iHD171 HD Radio with iTunes tagging for iPhone 3G and iPod. The iHD171 also features a video output for watching your iPod videos on a TV, along with an AM/FM radio that receives standard analog stations. It will be available starting in January for $199.99.

Here's a rundown of the specs:

*Compatible with iPhone 3G and 2G

*Time sync function automatically updates the clock to match the time on your iPhone or iPod

*One-touch iTunes tagging: tags music from HD Radio and saves the song info on your iPhone and iPod

*Digital stereo for AM/FM HD radio and multicast stations

*Receives CD-quality HD radio signals that increase clarity of FM radio stations

*Displays station, song title, band and frequency information

*Receives standard analog AM and FM stereo radio signals

*30 Programmable presets (10 AM/20 FM)

*jAura acoustic speaker technology

*Play and charge your iPhone/iPod

*Output your favorite videos to your TV (for iPods with video capability)

*Digital clock display with dual-alarm function

*Wake or sleep to iPhone/iPod, AM/FM radio, or buzzer

*Auxiliary line input for audio devices with 3.5mm jack

*Preset EQ function and mute function

*Audio output: 4Wrms x 2: 8Wrms/16Wpeak