LG makes fashion statement
LG made its third appearance at London Fashion Week in September as the show’s official consumer electronics provider.
The company marked the occasion by hosting a celebratory party at the official London Fashion Week hotel - The Mayfair Hotel in London, announcing the availability of its new LCD and Plasma TV ranges. The LG4000, Scarlet LG7000, Scarlet LG6100, 32PG6000, PG7000 and PG6900 were all showcased at the exclusive event.
For more information on the new ranges, see the forthcoming edition of HCD, distributing late October. If you’re yet to subscribe, please click here
Blu-ray’s American blues
With sales of Blu-ray faltering in the US, and set to take even more of a hammering as the economy rocks still further, the format faces being kicked while it’s down by Blockbuster. The rental giant’s CFO Thomas Casey has told investors that with no more than five per cent of overall disc sales, blu-ray is unlikely to become the format of choice for buying or renting movies in the near future.
Casey reckons American consumers are currently unprepared to replace their existing DVD collections with Blu-ray, and that this is being compounded by the fragile state of the US economy.
Indeed, according to data from Nielsen VideoScan, Blu-ray’s market share fell to just eight per cent of disc sales during the week ending September 14.
Meanwhile, blu-ray player prices are set for a dramatic fall - below $200 - according to industry observers in the US. Big discounts are expected in November, when the retailers reveal their ‘Black Friday’ sales prices. Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving, which heralds the US sales season.
Of course, such a sharp decline in prices might inject much needed interest in the format, and generate future sales of hardware as well as software. Not that this is much comfort for US retailers who are already feeling the pinch of the economy and eroding retail prices. Happy Holidays? Not for American CE retailers this coming Christmas…
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Sheer magnetism!
Vinyl lovers will clearly be in rapture at the launch of the latest from turntable maestros Pro-Ject. Its beautifully engineered 6 PerspeX turntable (approximately £1,000) sees the introduction of new technologies that aim to establish new performance levels.
How is this achieved? Well, here comes the scientific bit: the 6 PerspeX’s turntable and arm are mounted on a sub-chassis machined from the granite-like Corian substrate that floats above the transparent acrylic plinth on three magnetic suspension points. For years, a form of magnetic suspension has been considered to be ideal for turntables, but has been difficult to implement until now.
The 6 PerspeX also features the new Pro-Ject 9cc Evolution tonearm, in which the head-shell and arm-tube are formed from a single piece of carbon fibre, ensuring the highest mechanical rigidity. The tube itself is conical, mimimising any standing wave reflections.
www.henleydesigns.co.uk
01235 511166
For more hot products, check out the product news section in the electronic edition of September’s HCD by clicking here
Loewe makes slim TV an Art form
Customer demand for slimmer and slimmer flatscreens is insatiable, so it’s little surprise to see design-conscious Loewe giving the people what they want with the Art SL.
Unveiled at IFA, the Art SL is the slimmest Loewe set yet (with a profile of just under 90mm), but its svelte design isn’t at the expense of features. Both the 42in and 47in Full HD models come with 100Hz tech and 24p motion picture display capabilities, as well as DVB-T and DVB-C receivers (as well as optionally for DVB-S) for receiving digital terrestrial, cable and satellite signals, respectively.
www.loewe-uk.com
For more hot products, check out the product news section in the electronic edition of September’s HCD by clicking here
Onkyo: more THX!
Your audiophile customer base will think that Christmas has come early this year with the latest product news from Onkyo. The cinema receiver maker is launching two new THX Ultra2 Plus certified 7.1 channel models - the first of their kind to feature onboard ISF video calibration facilities.
The £1,000 TX-SR876 and the £1,400 TX-NR906 are as feature-packed as they are stylishly robust. Key features include the new THX Loudness Plus processing system; Audyssey’s new Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume tech; HQV Reon-VX video upscaling to 1080p; plus powerful amplifiers, multi-room features and - on the TX-NR906 - advanced networked audio capabilities.
Also, the irresistible combination of HQV Reon-VX processing and ISF calibration should offer an unprecedented degree of optimisation and fine tuning for video signals. Onkyo claims that when a home cinema system based around one of these receivers is properly set up and calibrated by an ISF-certified installation technician (recommended by Onkyo), the results will justify the effort.
www.onkyo.co.uk
01494 681515
For more hot products, check out the product news section in the electronic edition of September’s HCD by clicking here
Infocus breaks barriers
The new X9 DLP projector from InFocus offers 720p action for just £499.
Its impressive spec - including a 2,500:1 contrast ratio and video optimised brightness of 1,800 Lumens and tuned by InFocus to provide rich colour, high brightness, wide contrast and natural motion - means that customers can enjoy the bigscreen HD experience for relatively little outlay.
Joining the recession-busting X9 is the competitively priced IN80, a 1080p projector available for just £1,299.
www.infocus.com
0800 028 6470
For more hot products, check out the product news section in the electronic edition of September’s HCD by clicking here
DVDO gets the edge
To find out more, please check out page 21 in the electronic edition of September’s HCD by clicking here
Niles masters multiroom audio
To find out more, please check out pages 12-13 in the electronic edition of September’s HCD by clicking here
Nevo nails it
The widest array of features of any remote in its class? That’s exactly what the latest revision to the award-winning Nevo family claims to deliver - all in a sleek, elegant remote control design.
The new NevoS70 hand-held universal controller (approximately £750) has ‘an elegant one-handed design, boasts a brilliant 3.5in colour touch screen, and can be personalised for every user in the home,’ enthuses Steve Adams, Armour Home’s brand manager responsible for Nevo.
The S70 benefits from the industry’s largest professionally maintained infrared database and offers multiple features. These include extended battery life and broad home coverage; connection to the home network for multimedia control with industry standard wireless tech; and the ability to view and control any device that has a compatible embedded web server, such as many web-based cameras and media servers.
www.mynevo.com
www.armourhome.co.uk
01279 501111
For more hot products, check out the product news section in the electronic edition of September’s HCD by clicking here
Stunning Stewart!
To find out more, please check out the product news section in the electronic edition of September’s HCD by clicking here
