Audio News for February 22, 2013

by | Feb 22, 2013 | Audio News

DTS Headphone:X Delivery of 11.1 Virtual Surround on Any Headphones – DTS demonstrated the recent CES their Headphone:X advanced solution, which can decode soundtracks mixed in 5.1, 7.1 9.1 and 11.1 channels. The technology accurately places the height and width channels of DTS NEO:X mixes. The headphone technology is targeting use in mobile devices and computers, though that focus might expand over time.

New Danish Corner Speaker – An extremely small speaker designed for stereo or home cinema sound in small and medium-sized rooms has been introduced by Danish Cornered Audio. Their entry-level triangular-cabinet C3 almost disappears in the corner, mounting flush without brackets and with hidden cable terminals. It uses the walls to fill the room with sound. It is available in black or white at $275 a pair and there are many other models above it to supply a home surround setup.

Retail-level Soundbar Sales Rise 82% in 2012 – These figures come from Quixell Research, who also cited a 126% unit-sales gain in their soundbars with external subwoofers. A spokesman said “…consumers are realizing that sound completes the picture, and are embracing the soundbar category at a heady pace.”  Their price ranges now go from as little as $49 at Wal-Mart to over $2000 for luxury-brand models with outboard subwoofer at a custom-install shop. It is felt the addition of streaming audio to soundbars, almost all of which utilize Bluetooth technology, has aided their growth. Such models sold over one million units in 2012.

Samsung Readies Movie & TV Search Service for Tablets & TVs –  A Samsung-developed service called Discovery TV outside the U.S. (the U.S. brand name hasn’t been finalized), available on all Samsung sets beginning this quarter of 2013, will let users of smart TVs and Samsung mobile devices search for specific shows across multiple Internet-video sources plus the home’s TV cable provider. The programs can then be streamed via Wi-Fi to a smart TV or to mobile devices viewed in other rooms. An interactive program guide appears when the users enters a ZIP code and selects a TV-service operator. Users can even search by genre such as comedy, and learn if it is playing live on TV or available for rent or purchase. In the U.S. online content from Netflix and Blockbuster will initially be offered, with plans to add searches of more online services. The service also learns a user’s viewing habits and over time offers recommendations.

Related Reviews
Logo Pure Pleasure
Logo Crystal Records Sidebar 300 ms
Logo Jazz Detective Deep Digs Animated 01