Sony Presents New Product Line

At the Sony dealer show in Las Vegas this week, several new product lines for home theater design were disclosed, including , networked Bravia HDTVs Blu-Ray players, A/V receivers, and Home Theater Systems. Though these exciting upcoming releases have been introduced, most of them will not be available for purchase until later this year.

The latest version of networked Bravia LCD HDTVs has been dubbed the W-series. The TVs from this series use Motionflow120Hz technology and the BRAVIA Engine 3, which both contribute to a smoother, clearer, sharper picture. Models include the 52-inch KDL-52W5100, 46-inch KDL-46W5100, and 40-inch KDL-40W5100.

Among the Blu-Ray players that were shown are a couple of stand-alone players, which range from $300-350. These models are the BDP-S360 and BDP-S560, which both deliver full HD 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output and will be available summer 2009. Two other players are the DVP-FX730 and DVP-FX930, portable DVD players that are priced at $130 and $190 respectively.

The HT-SS360 is an integrated A/V receiver, which supports full HD 1080p video and high-resolution audio, costing $350 and available in May 09. In addition, the STR-DN1000 receiver ($500) is available July 09 and includes four HDMI inputs and three component inputs, analog connections, and S-Air technology. Other models of this receiver range from $150-300.

The newest Sony home theater systems include models BDV-E300 and BDV-E500W. These are Blu-Ray home theater systems which boast wi-fi capability for using BD-live access and S-Air wireless audio compatible systems. They also feature Sony’s Digital Media Port which allows for music playback options for diverse accessories. The BDV-E300 costs $600 and is S-Air ready, but optional modules must be purchased separately. However, the BDV-E500W costs $800 and is integrated with various S-Air capabilities, which allow audio to be transmitted up to 164 feet away from the main system for rear surround sound speakers or up to 10 AirStation devices in the home. Three other home theater systems presented were the DAV-HDX587WC, DAV-HDX589W, and DAV-HDX285 systems, which range from $300-430, run on 1,000 watts, and include a five-disc DVD/CD changer.

Fab Five: The Best New Home-Theater Products for 2009

CES is done for the year, and we’ve rounded up the top picks for you.  Enjoy! 

Control4-Equipped LG TV

LG’s got it: the first TV ready to work with Control4 automation systems and let users run their systems from their TVs.  For now, these sets are commercial, but we hear that a lot of LG’s products start commercial and migrate toward residential.

Pioneer VSX-1019AH Receiver

Head on down to your nearest Pioneer dealer today, folks.  Well, wait till spring, but this multizone Pioneer receiver features 7.1 channels with 110 watts per channel, four HDMI inputs, and you can control it with your iPhone (among other features).  They thought of everything, didn’t they…

Super-slim Sony Bravia

Sony’s lovely Bravia TVs will soon be available in a 9.9-millimeter depth.  That means it will sit almost flush with your wall.  The Bravia Wireless Link Module also allows viewers to transmit pictures wirelessly, eliminating wires hanging all over the place.  Sony’s also bragging about the Wide Color Gamut LED edge light, which provides more vibrant color and coveted blacker blacks.

Samsung Wall-Mountable Blu-ray Player

This sweet little baby will round out the wire-free look of your home theater design.  It mounts neatly on your wall, perhaps under the aforementioned slim Bravia, and keeps a low profile at 1.5 inches thick.  Netflix and Pandora streaming, a gig of flash memory and DVD upscaling are but a few of the nifty features.

Hitachi Gesture TV

The first time you wave at your new Hitachi Gesture and it turns on, it’ll probably be a bit of a sci-fi moment.  Look at TV, look back at hand.  Huh.  It worked.  The Gesture simply uses motion to respond, rather than a remote.  Though it’s still in the planning stages and not due out until 2011, it’s a good one to look forward to.