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- Home Entertainment
Panasonic Corporation of North America, a major developer and contributor to the success of the Blu-ray format, today introduced an expanded Blu-ray Disc player lineup with three new Full HD 3D models – the DMP-BDT310, DMP-BDT210, DMP-BDT110 – and a new 2D model, the DMP-BD75.
The BDT310, BDT210 and BDT110 are all high-quality Blu-ray Disc players with 2D-3D Conversion, which can convert 2D images from DVDs and Blu-ray discs into 3D with natural depth perception. With the 3D Effect Controller the user can control the leaping effects of 3D images, as well as allowing one to adjust the amount of depth. This permits the user to view expansive images and enjoy 3D content with exactly the kind of 3D effects they want. Also contributing to higher picture quality is the new UniPhier chip, which, simultaneously lowers power consumption. Vertical color reference process has also been increased by 1.5 times, to express fine details and nuances in movie scenes with the Adaptive Chroma Processing. The HDMI Pure Audio improves sound quality, delivering pure and robust bass sound reproduction with minimal noise compared to previous models.
The newest addition to VIERA CAST, Panasonic's proprietary internet solution, on the BDT310, BDT210 and BDT110 is the video/voice communication service, Skype. With this new application and optional camera, users can engage in long distance video/voice conversations with family and friends right from their TV. Panasonic has made it even easier to access this through the Blu-ray Disc player with a devoted Skype button on the remote control. Other features of Skype include Standby Mode, Auto Answering Video Message, which allows users to create a personalized message when away, and Video Voice Mail Recording which automatically records messages left onto an SD card. These three models are also DLNA-certified, allowing users to enjoy content with their Blu-ray Disc player, from a computer or other DLNA compatible device.
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SD gives consumers data transfer speeds that exceed even the most demanding high-def recording needs today with an important leap in SD bus-interface speeds up to 312 Megabytes per second with its new UHS-II bus-interface specification. These extraordinary transfer speeds give manufacturers the flexibility to develop new features and markets for mobile phones and other consumer electronics strengthened by the world-leading memory card standard.
"UHS-II increases SD performance and value and delivers immediate impact on manufacturer innovation and consumer creativity," said Norm Frentz, chairman of the SD Association. "We've tripled bus-interface speeds from last year's UHS-I development, and we plan to double UHS-II speeds in the future."
Fast and reliable, the new SD 4.00 specification available to members this quarter turns SD memory cards into high-performing storage systems and consumers' video and still cameras into professional-level equipment. Tripled bus-interface speeds give manufacturers more flexible design options, including low voltage and low power consumption, for large and small SD devices without compromising data transfer rates. Consumers will be able to increase the power and possibility of their mobile phone at home and work, recording high-definition video directly onto their UHS-II memory card and backing up data. Well-known SD benefits are heightened with UHS bus interface, providing faster continuous shooting speed for digital still cameras and higher resolution movie recordings in video cameras, including 3D HD. Since it is fully backwards compatible, devices supporting UHS bus interface will accept the billions of existing SD memory cards in the market today.
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Pegasys, Inc., the company that takes video to the next level, announces the upcoming release of the English version of TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works 5, the successor to TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress, in the 1st Quarter of 2011. The new software will make it possible to not only create materials, but also will bring creative, original video mastering and output in the best formats available. Purchasers of the popular TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress after January 5, 2011, can upgrade to TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works 5 for free once it is released in 2011. The retail price will be $99.95.
"Video now has to be quickly and easily created to be viewed in high definition, or for video sharing websites, or mobile devices offering video playback, and more. Currently, these types of output displays have become the main and most often targeted use of video. We re-examined what constitutes an encoder, and decided to release a new mastering system to answer the emerging demands of videographers,” commented Tak Ebine, Pegasys CEO.
TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works 5 includes improved editing or filtering functions, popular MKV or WebM format support, and other new features, which are expanding the limits of the encoder, becoming a complete encoding solution. It also supports many input and output formats, detailed parameter settings, and features a fast and precise cut-edit function, video format conversion, compression, material creation and much more! Previous generations of encoders were used to compress high quality videos, making them small enough to fit into hard disk drives with small capacities, or often tasked to meet the DVD-Video, BD or other specific format requirements. Market demand for video anytime and anywhere has greatly expanded the software feature set required to generate popular video formats.
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NETGEAR today announced at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) three new home networking products that deliver the connectivity consumers need to supercharge their Internet-ready home theater gadgets and connect their iPads and other tablets, gaming consoles, and smartphones to the Internet.
Demonstrating the company’s commitment to delivering the innovative products needed to create the best connected entertainment and mobility experience throughout the home, NETGEAR introduces the Universal WiFi Range Extender—a compact wall-plugged design (WN3000RP) and two powerline networking solutions: the Internet Adapter for Home Theater—HD+3D (XAVB5004), which is the fastest powerline networking solution currently available on the market, and the Powerline AV 200 Nano Adapter Kit (XAVB2101), which is the world’s smallest 200Mbps powerline AV adapter.
“Over the last 15 years, NETGEAR has led the way to connect people to the Internet with the most reliable and fastest connections possible,” said Vivek Pathela, vice president and general manager, Home/Consumer Products, NETGEAR. “Today, people are placing increasing demands on their home networks to stream videos to their home theaters, play online games in 3D, and engage in social networks and apps with their iPads, tablets, or smartphones. We’ve created a new fleet of products that not only give consumers the reliable connection they’ve come to expect from NETGEAR, but also numerous ways to easily connect the growing number of HD entertainment and mobile devices in the home to the Internet. It’s the next wave of Internet connectivity in the home.”
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Other World Computing announced today its new Mercury Aura Pro Express Solid State Drive (SSD) line is the first high performance SSD available on the market for pre-ordering for all 2010 Apple MacBook Air models. This announcement establishes OWC as the most comprehensive U.S. manufacturer of industry leading SandForce® processor based SSDs available today with OWC Mercury Pro brand SSD models available for nearly every Mac and PC produced over the past decade.
The OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express offers owners of and those interested in the 2010 MacBook Air models a SSD upgrade path that delivers higher performance, functionality, and reliability. With peak data rates of 275MB/s, the Mercury Aura Pro Express offers 22% higher speed than factory installed SSDs. The OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express is available in three sizes -180GB, 240GB, and 360GB – for more upgrade choices and nearly 3X higher data storage/backup capacity than factory SSD options when compared to 11.1″ model factory options up to 128GB and 13″ model factory options up to only 256GB.
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Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac® and PC technology company, announced today its new Mercury Aura™ Pro 1.8" Solid State Drive (SSD) line as the first and fastest SandForce® processor based SSD available for netbooks, subnotebook, and other computers that utilize an internal 1.8" sized SATA drive. This announcement establishes OWC as the most comprehensive U.S. manufacturer of industry leading SandForce processor based SSDs available today with OWC Mercury Pro brand SSD models available for nearly every Mac and PC produced over the past decade.
With peak data rates of 275MB/s, the OWC Mercury Aura Pro 1.8" offers netbook, subnotebook, and users of other computers that utilize an internal 1.8" sized SATA drive the fastest internal drive performance available today. Plus, with five models to choose from – 40GB, 60GB, 120GB, 240GB, and 480GB - the OWC Mercury Aura Pro 1.8" provides up to 16X the storage capacity compared to factory installed hard drives.
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D-Link is announcing three new categories of innovative, industry-leading home networking technologies at this year's CES. The company's DLNA-certified HD Media Routers, SmartBeam products and 500Mbps PowerLine solutions enable consumers to take advantage of now prevalent HD video-on-demand, HD gaming and other bandwidth-demanding applications with a strong Wi-Fi network platform and intelligent antenna technology.
D-Link is launching a new breed of DLNA-certified HD Media Routers incorporating HD Fuel technology, a Quality of Service (QoS) engine, to prioritize High Definition traffic for uninterrupted video streaming with services like YouTube HD, Netflix and VUDU throughout the home. The HD Media Routers come with an SD card slot to easily share media files across the home network or remotely and two HD Media Routers come with a USB 3.0 port for smooth HD content streaming from USB hard drives.
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Kingston Digital, Inc. today announced the SDHC UHS-I UltimateXX memory cards. The highest speed class available today, the UltimateXX meets standards set by the Secure Digital Association for next-level performance in SD card technology.
Shipping later this month, Kingston’s UltimateXX memory cards are ideal for the serious photographer or videographer. Photographers will appreciate the ability to easily capture sequential shots that were once a challenge due to the speed limitations of memory. The UltimateXX also makes it easy to capture HD video. The performance of SDHC UHS-I memory card is optimized when paired with a UHS-I device, although the card is backwards compatible with Class 4, 6 and 10 equipment.
“Kingston is pleased to be one of the first manufacturers to offer SDHC UHS-I memory cards to our customers,” said Mike Kuppinger, Flash card product manager, Kingston®. “Being a member of the SD Association enhances our ability to bring new technology to market. As the devices that support SDHC UHS-I become prevalent, our UltimateXX cards are at the ready.”
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Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today introduced the 32GB Class 10 Lexar High-Speed Mobile microSDHC card. The 32GB Class 10 microSDHC card guarantees a minimum sustained write speed of 10MB per second and a read speed up to 20MB per second, allowing users to quickly load files onto the card and transfer them between mobile phone and computer, and maximize their on-the-go mobile lifestyles. The 32GB Lexar High-Speed Mobile microSDHC card is part of a performance kit that includes a USB reader and mediamove for Lexar Media sideload software for easy and quick file management.
“We’ve seen a steady rise in the sophistication of smart and mobile phones, and usage trends show a convergence between communication and entertainment,” said Jim Chan, product marketing manager, Lexar Media. “Today’s users rely on their mobile devices, beyond talk and email, for capturing live moments and downloading their favorite content – whether it’s photos, music, or HD video – and they want the flexibility to store and share them on demand. It is with this knowledge that we’ve developed this convenient, all-in-one solution to enable users to not only capture moments and download content, but also to move these to a computer or social media sites easily.”
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- Network Storage
As consumers gather more memories, movies, songs and experiences online, the home storage hub is one of the key elements that make home the hottest spot. The new D-Link ShareCenter DNS-320 and DNS-325 storage solutions deliver the right mix of power, capacity and ease-of-use for today’s home consumers.
Continuing with the success of the top selling D-Link DNS-321 ShareCenter Network Storage device, the new DNS-320 features its own internal fast 800 MHz processor, a simplified interface, and software for finding and managing files. The DNS-325 adds miiiCasa™ file management integration and ups the performance ante with a 1.2GHz processor. Both models come with two drive bays (bundled offerings come with a 1TB drive in one of the bays).
Both these solutions help home users protect, manage, share, stream and remotely access their important memories and entertainment favorites. Whether you’re streaming movies to your Boxee Box by D-Link, recording from a mydlink-enabled network camera or sharing files to multiple locations throughout the house, these solutions have you covered.
