Exceptional Innovation, makers of Life|ware, announces the launch of a
new line of Life|media servers, optimized for complete digital
entertainment experiences and comprehensive home automation.

Using benchmark internal components and the look and feel of a high-end
A/V receiver, Life|media provides from 500GB to 4.5 Terabytes of
storage for digital music, movies, pictures, and recorded TV as well as
instant access to Life|ware’s complete home control via the user’s home
network. The servers come in configurations that include Digital
CableCARD, NTSC or ATSC tuners, a DVD RW Drive (HDDVD & Blu-ray
forthcoming), and feature optical audio with Dolby Master Studio
decoding.

"Exceptional Innovation has been a terrific leader in creating
whole-home media and control solutions," said Joe Belifore, Microsoft's
Corporate Vice President, Entertainment and Devices for the eHome
division. "Life|ware has been instrumental in bringing MCE into the
CEDIA channel and we are now thrilled to have them as an OEM
introducing this line of professional media servers."

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Marantz America, a renowned manufacturer of advanced home entertainment
solutions introduced an upgraded version of its groundbreaking VP-11S1
High-Definition DLP front projector that features HDMI 1.3 inputs with
Deep Color capability. With its HDMI 1.3 Deep Color capability and
12-bit color depth, the upgraded VP-11S1 is capable of displaying an
astonishing 68 Billion colors! All VP-11S1 units now shipping to
retailers will incorporate the upgrade, with no increase in the
suggested retail price of $19,999. In addition, Marantz will be
offering a service solution for units currently in the field, which
will allow all existing VP-11S1 owners to have their projectors
upgraded to HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color (Pricing for the upgrade will be
announced shortly.).

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Outlaw Audio, a leading direct-to-consumer Internet electronics
manufacturer, has introduced its first full-range loudspeaker, the
Outlaw Bookshelf Loudspeaker. Designed and hand-built in the USA to
audiophile-grade performance standards, it is equally adept for use in
high-end two-channel or home theater applications.

"Since we launched Outlaw eight years ago, hardly a day has gone by
without someone asking us about speakers," commented an Outlaw
spokesman. "As many of us have a great amount of experience with
loudspeakers, it seemed like a fair question. However, the reality is
that we were hesitant to enter the highly crowded field of loudspeakers
unless we felt we could offer something truly special at a great price.
Well, now we can do just that – and it gives us great pleasure to
introduce our first loudspeaker."

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Disney/Buena Vista Entertainment threw a premiere party at the
Highlands Nightclub in Hollywood on Monday night to promote their
upcoming release of the first two Pirates movies on Blu-ray. Both
movies, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl and Dead
Man’s Chest will be released on the Blu-ray format on May 22, 2007.

The Blu-ray release of Dead Man’s Chest features new BD Java
technology. The Liar’s Dice game is a fully interactive,
high-definition special feature on the disc that should easily surpass
all existing features and set a new standard for the format’s special
features.

At
the event, it was also announced that Chronicles Of Narnia will be the
next film to be released on Blu-ray by Disney/Buena Vista.

Last night’s Blu-ray display of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead
Man’s Chest on a 101-inch Panasonic Plasma screen yielded stunning
results. The release of these films should be a giant success for the
Blu-ray camp.

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Music downloads, specifically from Apple Computer’s iTunes Music Store,
have gotten all of the press in terms of music sales in the past five
years. Apple has been able to harness the naughty consumer excitement
behind stealing music from the likes of Napster and Limewire, resulting
in not just the sale of zillions of their sexy and convenient iPods to
the masses, but also millions upon millions of legitimate DRM (digital
rights managed) music files. The impact on the surface has been so
powerful that users of both Mac and PCs use Apple’s system as an easy,
powerful and convenient way to buy music. Apple’s success as both a
hardware and software provider has been so impactful that music
retailers, ranging from independent yet prominent stores like Aaron’s
Records to content-minded chains like Tower Records, are now nothing
but a bankrupt memory.

As an avid collector of music
since I got my first-generation Sony Discman when I was 10 years old, I
must say I am amazed that people are as in love with buying songs by
the download as they are. Yes, the process is convenient but the value
simply stinks compared to buying used CDs. While your local music
retailer may have been recently converted to a Kinko’s or a Starbucks,
you still can buy CDs online and you can buy them used. My current MP3
collection of songs ripped from my CD collection both past and present
is about 88,000 songs. Amazingly, I find there are things missing and I
am easily able to add them in at prices that make downloads look silly.
I realized I was missing a copy of Van Halen’s very under-rated Diver
Down cover album. I was able to pick one up used from Amazon for $2.99,
plus a nominal fee for shipping. The disc arrived in good shape and I
ripped it for use on my iPod and then ripped it onto my ReQuest Audio
music server at home in a lossless format for use in my reference
theater, as well as in my distributed audio system. I added “Little
Guitars” to my Guitar Heroes playlist for hopeless play-along sessions
and then parked the CD in my media storage case for future use. I got
all of this value for about $3.50, when downloading all of the 12 songs
from iTunes would have cost me $0.99 each or $9.99 for the entire
record. This includes me owning the disc with no DRM on it, being able
to rip it lossless, as well as in lossy formats for my MP3 device, all
at one-third the price of a downloaded, copy-protected record from
Apple.

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Audio manufacturer Polk Audio announced that the Kohler Co. has
released an in-shower loudspeaker developed in conjunction with Polk
Audio for in-shower use called the SoundTile. With the new KOHLER
SoundTile, introduced at the 2007 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, you can
be sure not to miss a beat of your favorite song because quality audio
streams directly into your showering space.

Incorporating audio into the showering routine is a natural progression
of the experience and made easy with the KOHLER SoundTile. The
high-fidelity SoundTile shower speakers are designed to match the
shape, profile and finish of the iconic WaterTile bodysprays and
showerheads. Kohler engineered these speakers in close cooperation with
Polk Audio, an award-winning designer and manufacturer of
high-performance audio products. “The know-how and experience of the
Polk team in marine-grade speakers was instrumental in developing the
SoundTile,” says Keith Kometer, director of product marketing for
Kohler Global Faucets. “Bringing together seasoned plumbing and audio
professionals resulted in the creation of a best-in-class shower
speaker that sets a new standard in the industry.”

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The joint-development of high-performance digital amplifiers
incorporating Zetex Class Z direct digital feedback amplifier (DDFA)
technology, a “unique” performance-optimized digital amplifier
architecture, has been announced by NAD Electronics and Zetex
Semiconductors.

NAD is a brand known for delivering
audio products with outstanding performance and value for money. The
intelligent deployment of new technology is a cornerstone of the NAD
philosophy, but the overriding principle is that 'it must bring a
performance advantage'. Of digital amplifier technology itself, NAD has
set a high barrier for acceptance; the audio performance must match or
exceed that of the best linear amplifiers to be considered. The only
solution to pass this test is the Zetex DDFA technology, says the
company.

Greg Stidsen, NAD's director of product development, said: "The high
efficiency of Class D is well known and advantageous, but this alone
does not qualify it for inclusion in a NAD product. With the Zetex
technology we get the efficiency, but more importantly, the
no-compromise audio performance our customers expect."

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Usher Audio speakers and electronics are built for the experienced
listener who won't compromise on sound quality even at moderate prices.
The stand-mounted Be-718s–the Tiny Dancers–features Usher’s 1.5-inch
Be beryllium dome tweeters and carbon-impregnated paper-cone midbass
drivers.

The Be-718s fills even medium-large rooms
with impressive musical dynamics; the integration, speed and clarity of
its drivers are exceptional. Expansive, quick upper frequencies are
redolent with harmonics for rendering female vocals or the quick
shimmer of brass.

Our Be tweeters uncover low-level details usually lost in the noise
floor of less resolving speakers. Dr. Joseph D’Appolito serves as
Usher’s technical consultant, providing guidance in crossover design.
The result is powerful, transparent sound from well-crafted and
finished cabinets at very affordable real-world prices.

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DirecTV has announced that they are now offering their portable
satellite service system to current DirecTV customers. Originally
introduced at International CES, January 2007, the Sat-Go system allows
users to take their DirecTV service with them wherever they go.

The Sat-Go system was designed for users who often travel or go
camping. The system is comprised of a DirecTV receiver, 17-inch LCD
screen, flat antenna, and rechargeable battery, as well as AC/DC
adaptors, all housed in an easy to carry briefcase. The receiver is
detachable to allow customers to use it with their home installed dish.

As with the DirecTV dish, the portable unit must have a direct line of
sight to the company’s satellites, usually the Southern sky.

The portable briefcase unit is a bit pricey, retailing for $1,499. But
this may be a small price to pay to be able to take your DirecTV
service wherever you go so as never to miss your favorite programs or
to stay current with the latest news from around the world.

More information can be found at DirecTV’s official website.

Source: DirecTV

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