CES 2007 Preview - Part 3

We're continuing to report on the status of new and innovative products coming our way this CES. They range from portable consumer electornics to larger AV products, but all are innovative in some way and piqued our interest. Welcome to Part 3 of this multi-part series:

Criterion TCI 2A Active Loudspeaker
The active electronic circuit is a complete unit of modular construction, located at the rear of the loudspeaker cabinet where its terminals are exposed. A metal plate carries the input circuit board with the XLR and Cinch inputs, the mains socket, the automatic power-on circuit, the room adjustment controls and the stabilised voltage supply. The second level of circuit boards houses the active crossover unit and all the signal processing circuitry. The three output modules for the bass, mid-range and high-frequency ranges constitute the final level. Pricing was unavaailble but specs can be found on the website: http://www.taelektroakustik.de/eng/index.htm

Samsung HT-X250 Sleek Home Theater System
This system, in my opinion, is a direct affront to Bose and presents a more technologically advanced solution to minimalist home theater. Featuring rounded microspeakers and a sleek, white thin-profile enclosure, this unit is very attractive and sure to capture the hearts (and wallets) of many spouses looking to reduce the clutter in a home theater environment. The system also is said to feature HDMI video outputs as well as USB connectivity for external music players. Not bad, and technologically superior (at first glance) to many other systems on the market.

Panasonic DMP-BD10 Blu-ray Disc Player
Despite an annoying amount of non-information on this unit, the Panasonic player boasts 1080p output via HDMI, Dolby Digital Plus support (waiting on titles), and a custom EZ Sync HDAVI control system for linking to other Blu-ray-enabled products such as the SA-XR700 Blu-ray reeceiver, TH-65PX600 plasma display, and SB-TP1000 speaker system. Panasonic seems to be pushing interoperability with its new products. Now, we'll just have to see what shakes out in this unfortunate and debilitating format war.

Sharp AQUOS LC-52D62U LCD TV
The AQUOS LC-52D62U is a full 1080p resolution television with "dramatically enhanced black level" and an elegant new design. The AQUOS LC-52D62U utilizes the next generation of Sharp's proprietary Advanced Super View/Black TFT Panel with multi-pixel technology, providing a native 2000:1 Contrast Ratio and a Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 10,000:1 with Enhanced Picture Contrast Technology, 4ms response time and wide viewing angles (176º H/V). The television has built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners and includes 2 HDMI inputs, is compatible with 1080p signals, and has 2 HD component video inputs. The AQUOS LC-52D62U features a sleek piano black cabinet with subtle, recessed bottom-mounted speakers, and the included table stand easily removes for wall mounting applications.

Acuiti iWear for iPods
Designed exclusively for use with your Apple iPod, iWear projects a virtual 44" screen creating a movie theatre experience that fits in the palm of your hand and weighs in at a mere 4 ounces. The lightweight and sleek design coupled with a user adjustable nosepiece and removable, flexible headphones guarantees maximum comfort. iWear plugs directly into the iPod bottom dock connector which it also powers off of so there are no messy power cords or bulky battery packs to get in your way. Additionally, your iPod's battery life will remain the same as if you were using the iPod screen. Independent focus adjusters allow iWear users to compensate from +2 to -5 diopters through quick and easy tuning; however prescription eyeglasses or contacts can still be worn in conjunction with iWear.

There's more to come when we hit the CES Show floor LIVE in 2007, so stay tuned!

- Clint DeBoer