High-class Denon DBP-1610 Blu-ray deck aims low

September 28th, 2009

Denon has announced the DBP-1610, a new ‘high-performance’ Blu-ray player designed to strike a balance between high quality technology and affordable home cinema.

The DBP-1610 features: a 1080p/24 video ouput, Ethernet port (for BD Live updates), Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, plus DivxHD and AVCHD playback.

Denon’s new, jet-black Blu-ray player will be available in October at £399.99.

Denon DBP-1610 news release

September 2009 – Denon, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of high-quality home entertainment components, has introduced a new high-performance Blu-ray player designed to deliver a high-quality but price-conscious start into the High Definition era.

Amongst other highlights, the DBP-1610 features full support of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio and offers a high definition video experience, even from regular DVDs. Denon’s newcomer will be available in October at a suggested retail price of £399.99.

Like the company’s previous Blu-ray players, the DBP-1610 allows owners of advanced AV Receivers to add high-quality Blu-ray capability to their system and enjoy high definition audio and video.

To bring out the full quality of film, the new DBP-1610 has a 1080p/24 video ouput and supports Deep Color as well as “x.v. Color” schemes for realistic images. Furthermore, it offers high bit video processing including 1080p scaling for normal Standard Definition content such as DVD-Video to improve picture quality.

For easy connectivity, the new model features an onboard Ethernet port that allows for Internet access for BD Live and firmware updates.

Adding to its video handling capabilities, the DBP-1610 offers DivxHD playback and supports AVCHD playback from DVDs and SD cards made from HD camcorders.

For those listeners who want to use their Blu-ray player as a step-up CD player, the Denon DBP-1610 features a dedicated two channel analogue audio output, equipped with high-class Burr-Brown D/A converters and superior analogue components to ensure the high level of sound quality for which Denon is renowned.

The highly rigid chassis and centre-drive mechanism ensure total reliability and optimum
performance at all times.

The DBP-1610 is an ideal match for Denon’s award-winning new AV Receiver lineup. It will be available in October in a black colour finish at a suggested retail price of £399.99.

Denon

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Denon AVR-4810: the ultimate home cinema receiver?

September 17th, 2009

Denon is claiming that its brand new AVR-4810 is its “ultimate home cinema receiver”. But what does that actually mean? More importantly, what’s in it for you?

For starters, the AVR-4810 eclipses the performance of current 5.1 and 7.1 systems with support for 11.3 channel Audyssey DSX.

Audyssey DSX extends 5.1- and 7.1-channel sound sources to a wider and higher dimension via a pair of wide speakers (placed wider than the usual front speakers), and by adding two height speakers above the front.

The AVR-4810 also packs Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio under its brushed metal hood, as well as Dolby Pro Logic IIz.

And in addition to its six v1.3a Deep Colour HDMI inputs, the AVR-4810 boasts built-in Wi-Fi networking for Internet radio or audio and photo streaming, plus front and back USB ports and Multi-Room support.

Denon tells us that the AVR-4810 will be available in October at a suggested retail price of £2,799.99.

Links: Denon

Denon AVR-4810 home cinema receiver news release

September 2009 – Denon, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of high-quality home entertainment components, has announced its ultimate home cinema receiver, the AVR-4810. With nine on-board amplifier channels, each rated at a robust 180 watts, the AVR-4810 is equipped with the latest high resolution audio decoders including Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio, and also features Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX, delivering additional front height and/or front wide channels.

Most remarkably, it is the first Denon to support the full Audyssey DSX setup through its 11.3 channel outputs. To deliver the most detailed High Definition video, any signal, analogue or digital, can be upscaled to 1080p HDMI output via the built-in Anchor Bay advanced VRS processor.

The AVR-4810 will be available in October at a suggested retail price of £2,799.99. Colour variations include premium silver and black to perfectly match the latest Denon Blu-ray line-up.

Audio section
The multi-mono block amp construction ensures top audio fidelity, and the Free Assign amp configuration function allows maximum system configuration flexibility. Delivering the most detailed High Definition sound possible from a Blu-ray Disc, the new AVR-4810 supports the outstanding fourth generation Denon Link technology for a jitter-free audio transmission via HDMI. The additional Clock Jitter Reducer further looks after the best audio quality for all other digital sources without Denon Link 4th capability to maximize the listening experience expected from a Denon heavyweight. The highly acclaimed D.D.S.C.-HD circuit now features three 32-bit floating point high precision DSP processors and Denon’s Advanced AL24 Processing Multi Channel to provide more spatial sound and dynamic range. Denon’s new AVR-4810 further accommodates the flagship Audyssey package including MultEQ XT, Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ.

Video section
Besides six HDMI inputs (one at the front) and two simultaneously running HDMI outputs, the video section offers Denon’s High Picture Quality Circuitry and Digital Noise Reduction for maximum home entertainment quality. The HDMI 1.3a ports support Deep Color, x.v.Color and Auto LipSync. A high resolution 12bit/10bit scaler from Anchor Bay Technologies face-lifts even bad standard definition sources to a high quality 1080p image. The AVR-4810 furthermore supports vertical stretch to display movie content in original CinemaScope aspect ratio (anamorphic lens provided).

Audyssey DSX
The world’s first appearance of Audyssey DSX caused quite a stir. It extends 5.1- and 7.1-channel sound sources to a wider and higher dimension considering the human perception that is usually focussed on the front. A more spacious sound is achieved through a pair of wide speakers placed wider than the usual front speakers, and a greater sense of height in sound is achieved by adding two height speakers above the front. The Denon AVR-4810 is the first to support a full DSX setup by delivering 11 channels to power a 7.1 system plus two height and two front wide speakers (additional 2ch amplifier provided). A whole new listening experience for home theatre enthusiasts.

Advanced Connectivity
The AVR-4810 features network connectivity including Wi-Fi for Internet radio or audio and photo streaming, front and back USB ports with iPod/iPhone Digital Direct (digital audio transfer) as well as Multi-Room support. Everything can easily be handled by the newly developed advanced graphical user interface (GUI). Just like the smaller brother, AVR-4310, the new AVR-4810 comes with full support for Napster music services (subscription required). If further offers Denon’s new Party Mode function to have your favourite network music played simultaneously on each compatible device in your house. To make sure that people can enjoy the newest Denon technology for years to come, the unique and well-established feature- upgrade function via Internet will also be included.

Additional iPod dock
For users who want to upgrade their existing home entertainment system with iPod and network features, Denon also offers two new iPod dock models. The ASD-51N and ASD-51W add exciting new features to the users’ own solutions including stereo components, AV Receivers or mini systems. Both models, ASD-51N via LAN, ASD-51W via WLAN or LAN, are allowing the user to stream audio files, pictures, Internet radio stations and more through the connected device. They also feature the new Party Mode system for use with other compatible Denon devices.

Main features:
- Multi-mono block amp construction
- Minimum Signal Path for clear audio and video signal
- Direct Mechanical Ground Construction, for thorough vibration resistance
- Digital / analogue separate windings
- Stable power supply for high-quality sound and picture playback

Video quality
- HDMI one cable connection (Analogue video to HDMI up conversion) to a TV set
- Six x HDMI inputs (including one on the front panel)
- High bit i/p converter and scaler up to 1080p
- Multi cadence detection for SD and HD video signal
- Digital noise reduction and enhancer
- Denon’s high picture quality circuitry, to enhance enjoyment of existing DVDs
- Analogue to HDMI up-conversion, I/P converter and scaler on HDMI to HDMI
- Video digital noise reduction, to optimise effects for both SD and HD content
- Vertical stretch (supporting the CinemaScope aspect ratio)

Audio quality
- Identical quality and power for all 9 channels:
- 180W (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 0.7&% THD)
- 140W (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20kHz, 0.05% THD)
- HDMI clock control via DENON LINK 4th
- Clock jitter reducer available for all digital inputs
- Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoder
- Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit, D.D.S.C.-HD
- Audyssey DSX processing
- Dolby Pro Logic IIz processing
- Compressed Audio Restorer to enhance digital music files

Connectivity
- USB digital direct connection for iPod
- Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g compatible)
- Internet Radio and network audio/photo streaming from PC/MAC, server
- Napster online support (Napster Germany and Napster UK)
- Party Mode
- Web control
- Firmware updates and upgrades via Internet
- HDMI CEC

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New PURE DAB radio embraces Facebook, Twitter

September 17th, 2009

pure-sensiaDAB radio supremo PURE has announced the Sensia, a new, Internet-connected digital radio with a colour touchscreen display and Web 2.0-friendliness.

What makes the Sensia stand out is the combination of DAB/DAB+, FM and Internet radio with lightweight web apps that can hook up to news feeds, weather widgets, plus Facebook and Twitter profiles.

This extra information is displayed on the unique 5.7-inch, 640×480 pixel colour touchscreen. And thanks to integrated Wi-Fi, the Sensia can also be used to stream music from a home PC or NAS device.

When can you get one? How much? According to PURE, the Sensia will be available before Christmas, priced at £249.99.

Links: PURE, Sensia

PURE Sensia news release

London, UK 17th September 2009: PURE, the world’s leading radio maker presents Sensia, the world’s first high resolution DAB digital and internet-connected radio with a unique, large colour touchscreen which delivers a state-of-the-art and intuitive user-interface.

Incorporating PURE’s award-winning ‘Flow’ technology, Sensia is a revolutionary radio with a large 5.7” 640 x 480 high resolution colour touchscreen. Sensia gives users a unique way of interacting with internet and radio content including: podcasts and listen again services; DAB/DAB+* and FM; a growing set of custom PURE ‘Apps’ such as weather, news, Picasa, Facebook or Twitter; and new broadcast material such as station slideshows**. Sensia is also a media streamer enabling users to listen to music stored on a home computer or network storage device via Wi-Fi technology.

Paul Smith, PURE’s general manager says: “PURE made its name as the company behind the success of DAB. We’ve since created a market leading and multi award-winning, internet-connected product range with our Flow series. Sensia is the next major innovation from PURE, which I am confident will bring radio to a whole new ‘Facebook’ generation while still inspiring our traditional customer base. Radio will never be the same again.”

Sensia has an extremely sophisticated touchscreen interface which allows users to view and interact with the radio like never before: scrolling and spinning lists, tapping to select, sliding controls and swiping to change views. Users can choose between a multi-panel and a full screen view. The screen consists of a visual panel for viewing Apps, station slideshows or album artwork; a list panel for scrolling through lists of radio stations or music stored on a PC; a now playing panel and a control bar for operating Sensia.

Sensia is destined to be the centre piece of any room with a distinctive, elliptical shape and four striking colour choices: Bright red, vivid yellow, sleek black and cool white. A moulded stand is supplied, which allows the user to angle the radio to an optimum viewing position and a matching remote control completes the look.

A bespoke microsite has been created for Sensia at www.touchmyradio.com which includes a 3D interactive overview of Sensia as well as a virtual guide with a voiceover by Christian O’Connell, Absolute Radio’s breakfast DJ.

As with the award-winning Flow range, Sensia connects to The PURE Lounge, our own radio and media portal (www.thelounge.com) which acts as the index to the best of internet audio content and where users can register their radio as well as save and organise favourites. Also available from The Lounge and via Sensia is a unique selection of PURE Sounds to relax you to sleep or wake you in a positive frame of mind.

Sensia also features PURE Clearsound technology for 30W RMS of impressive stereo sound; an input for an iPod/MP3 player; an alarm; countdown timer; sleep timer and a headphone socket. Add the optional rechargeable PURE ChargePAK to listen to internet content anywhere within range of the Wi-Fi network or to DAB and FM radio when further afield. Sensia also comes with a clever RF remote control which allows users to control the device from up to 10m away without direct line-of-sight.

Sensia will be available in time for Christmas at just £249.99 (SRP inc. VAT) from all good stockists. For more information, please visit www.touchmyradio.com, www.pure.com, www.thelounge.com or call 0845 1489001.

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5 modem routers ready for 802.11n

September 15th, 2009

linksys-wag160nThe IEEE has recently rubber-stamped the 802.11n wireless standard, the next generation of Wi-Fi networking.

Here are five modem routers that are currently ‘Draft N’, ‘Wireless-N’ or ‘802.11n compliant’. They will all work with the official 802.11n Wi-Fi standard.

Netgear DGN2000, £79
This wireless N router from Netgear includes a 4-port switch and comes with a WN111 RangeMax Next Wireless-N USB Adapter for instant wireless networking up to 300Mbps.

Linksys WAG160N, £60
The smart-looking WAG160N (pictured above) features a built-in ADSL2+ modem/router and 4-port switch and uses Wireless-N MIMO technology for increased range and coverage in the home.

D-Link DIR-655, £80
The three antennas on the DIR-655 mark it out as a versatile 802.11n-compliant modem router. It’s not much to look at it, but it’s got performance where it counts - offering Gigabit wired networking and wireless speeds up to 300Mbps.

Netgear WNR3500, £104
Pushing the price up over the £100 mark, the WNR3500 features Netgear’s reliable RangeMax Wireless-N technology. A 4-port switch and Gigabit Ethernet networking make it a great all-rounder.

D-Link DIR-615, £55
This cable router also offers Wireless-N networking (up to the maximum 300Mbps) with an integrated 4-port switch. Dual firewalls, Xbox Live service compatibility and an enviable 11-year warranty round off the spec.

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802.11n Wi-Fi standard finally nailed down

September 14th, 2009

wi-fi-zoneThe 802.11n Wi-Fi specification has been finally approved by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) after a seven-year development cycle.

The new wireless standard is capable of shooting data at 300Mbps, a dramatic improvement over the 54Mbps speeds provided by the existing 802.11g Wi-Fi protocol.

Of course, unofficial ‘Draft N’ wireless products based on the core MIMO (Multiple In Multiple Out) technology have been available for some time.

Multiple In, Multiple out

MIMO uses multiple antennas at both ends of the wireless radio link to dramatically increase coverage and range compared to older 802.11g systems.

However, Draft N gear such as the popular Linksys WAG160N, was designed, built and sold based on early iterations of the 802.11n specification.

Manufacturers have stated that any Draft N modems or routers can be upgraded to the finalised 802.11n spec via a simple software update.

Further reading: IEEE

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New iPod touch range is roomier and cheaper

September 11th, 2009

While Apple fan-boys had fingers-crossed for an all-new iPod touch (maybe with a camera), Apple was content to leave the technology alone in favour of boosting the storage and slashing the price tag.

The entry-level 8GB iPod touch is now available for £149 ($199), while the 32GB iPod touch model costs £229 ($299). A new 64GB version of the super-slim music player is priced at £299 ($399).

According to Apple, the 8GB model can hold up to 1,750 songs, 10,000 photos and 10 hours of video; the 32GB model holds up to 7,000 songs, 40,000 photos or 40 hours of video; while the 64GB model holds up to 14,000 songs, 90,000 photos or 80 hours of video.

The 32GB and 64GB models are also rated 50 percent faster than the original iPod touch and feature OpenGL ES 2.0 support for even better graphics.

The new iPod touch range comes with the latest 3.1 software, which adds Genius recommendations for Apps, Genius Mixes, the ability to download ringtones wirelessly and to organise apps in iTunes on your Mac or PC.

The new iPod touch range is available now.

iPod touch news release

SAN FRANCISCO—September 9, 2009—Apple® today announced the new iPod touch® lineup starting at the breakthrough price of just $199, giving users a great iPod®, a great pocket computer, a great game player and access to Apple’s revolutionary App Store with over 75,000 applications. iPod touch features Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface, a gorgeous 3.5-inch widescreen glass display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a built-in accelerometer and speaker—all in an amazingly thin metal design that slips easily into your pocket. The 8GB iPod touch is now available for just $199, along with new models which deliver twice the capacity for the same price, with the iPod touch 32GB model for $299 and 64GB model for $399.

“At just $199 the iPod touch is the most affordable gateway to Apple’s revolutionary App Store with more than 75,000 applications that you can wirelessly download right into your iPod touch,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “You get a great iPod, a great pocket computer with the industry’s best mobile web browser and a great game player, all in this super-thin beautiful enclosure.”

iPod touch is a great iPod for enjoying music, television shows, movies and podcasts. iPod touch has incredible features for music fans such as Cover Flow®, Shake to Shuffle™, and access to the legendary iTunes® Store. And now, the new iPod touch supports Genius Mixes, which automatically creates up to 12 endless mixes of songs from your iTunes library that go great together. Movies and television shows look great on the gorgeous 3.5-inch widescreen display. iPod touch customers have the entire iTunes Store catalog at their fingertips, giving them instant access to the world’s largest catalog of over 11 million songs, TV shows and Hollywood movies to purchase and download directly to their iPod touch.

iPod touch is a great game player with its built-in accelerometer, revolutionary Multi-Touch user interface, its amazing graphics performance and the over 20,000 game and entertainment titles available on the App Store. With support for peer-to-peer connections, the new iPod touch gives users the ability to play multi-player games with people next to them or around the world. iPod touch customers can add new game titles from the App Store over Wi-Fi anytime and anywhere.

iPod touch is a great pocket computer, letting users surf the web, do email, manage their calendars, organize contacts, and use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. With its award-winning Safari® web browser, iPod touch users can experience the Internet like no other pocket-size device. iPod touch comes with the latest iPhone™ 3.1 software including: Cut, Copy and Paste; Spotlight® Search to search across iPod touch or within Mail, Contacts, Calendar and iPod; landscape keyboard for Mail, Notes and Safari; remote lock for MobileMe™ and anti-phishing features.

Apple’s App Store is a phenomenal success with a selection of over 75,000 apps available and customer downloads topping a staggering 1.8 billion apps. iPhone and iPod touch customers in 77 countries can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The App Store works with iPod touch over Wi-Fi so users can discover, purchase and download apps wirelessly and start using them instantly.

iPod touch features up to 30 hours of music playback or six hours of video playback on a single charge. The 8GB model holds up to 1,750 songs, 10,000 photos and 10 hours of video; the 32GB model holds up to 7,000 songs, 40,000 photos or 40 hours of video; and the 64GB model holds up to 14,000 songs, 90,000 photos or 80 hours of video.* The 32GB and 64GB models also include up to 50 percent faster performance and support for even better graphics with Open GL ES 2.0.

iPod is the world’s most popular family of digital music players with over 220 million sold. Apple’s new holiday lineup includes iPod shuffle® in five great colors starting at just $59; iPod classic® in a new 160GB model holding up to 40,000 songs for $249; the incredible new iPod nano® with a video camera available in nine brilliant polished aluminum colors starting at $149; and the revolutionary iPod touch starting at the breakthrough price of just $199.

Pricing & Availability
The new iPod touch is available immediately for a suggested price of $199 (US) for the 8GB model, $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. iPod touch requires a Mac® with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS® X v10.4.11 or later and iTunes 9; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3) or later and iTunes 9. Existing iPod touch users can update to the latest 3.1 software for just $4.95 (US) to enjoy new features including Genius Mixes and Genius for Apps. iPod touch owners who already have the 3.0 software get the 3.1 software update for free. Simply download the latest version of iTunes onto your Mac or PC, and purchase the 3.1 software update via iTunes.

*Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; photo capacity is based on iPod-viewable photos transferred from iTunes; and video capacity is based on H.264 1.5 Mbps video at 640-by-480 resolution.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

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