This just in!
http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/story/16431/onkyo_intros_new_budget_home_theater_sets
HT-S4100 and HT-S3100 will cost $479 and $379 respectively.
In case someone does not know, Onkyo is a very good brand when it comes to home theaters. Apparently, they finally decided to capitalize on their growing reputation.
Leading the group of new systems is the HT-S5100, offering 7.1 channel surround count, three HDMI inputs (with 1080p pasthru), and an iPod dock that lets users plug in (and, of course, charge) their personal media players. The S5100 also includes Audessey 2EQ room correction technology that can automatically adjust sound characteristics and delays for each speaker relative to active listening locations and accommodate low-level listening. The S5100 also sports Dolby and DTS surround sound, a 130 Watt per-channel amp (with a 290-watt subwoofer), and seven satellite speakers. The system is also ready for Sirius satellite radio, and integrates optimizer technology to make MP3s and AAC files compressed for headphone use sound better over a legitimate audio system.
Next up, the HT-S4100 and HT-S3100 dial back to 5.1 surround sound, but still offer DTS and Dolby Digital surround sound processing. The S4100 offers a 200-watt subwoofer and an iPod dock; the S3100 powers its subwoofer off the main amp and lacks an iPod dock.
The manuals are not available yet, but here is where they will be:
http://www.onkyousa.com/download/own_manuals.cfm?cat=Systems
Friday, April 18, 2008
Panasonic SC-BT100 Blue-ray Home Theater System
Panasonic SC-BT100 Blue-ray Home Theater System
As it often happens, one starts with a simple question: "Does this sort of thing actually exist?"
In this case, the likelihood that someone already started making Blue-ray home theaters at an affordable price was fairly high. Indeed, here it is:
The price tag of this SC-BT100 is going to be just under $1000:
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9906766-7.html
It's certainly no the best that is out there, but it will do for some folks. I am still looking for a manual.
As it often happens, one starts with a simple question: "Does this sort of thing actually exist?"
In this case, the likelihood that someone already started making Blue-ray home theaters at an affordable price was fairly high. Indeed, here it is:
The price tag of this SC-BT100 is going to be just under $1000:
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9906766-7.html
It's certainly no the best that is out there, but it will do for some folks. I am still looking for a manual.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Bionic marvel: what do Bose Wave systems and whooper swans have in common?
If you ever saw Bose infomercials about their Wave music systems you probably remember the well-illustrated explanations of how the Waveguide system actually works. To summarize these principles, I will use a few quotes from the company’s site:
“They realized that by mounting a loudspeaker in a tube, the motion of the loudspeaker would act as a waveguide, effectively transforming a small amount of input (air) into a large amount of output (sound). Drs. Bose and Short discovered that a waveguide could match the mechanical properties of a loudspeaker for efficient operation over a wide range of notes.”
“Additional analysis and measurements revealed that the tube could be folded into intricate patterns with no ill effect on sound quality. This discovery eliminated any concerns about the length of the waveguide and proved to be an extraordinary breakthrough.”
Now, here is the amazing connection. For centuries there was a belief that swans are capable of producing most melodious songs only when they are about to die. All this despite the fact that ordinarily swans are not known to be particularly inclined to sing well or to sing at all! This legendary trait, however, has been surprisingly confirmed in the nineteenth century for whooper swans (C. cygnus), one of the two species that were observed, but not distinguished between, in antiquity. Because of the “remarkably shaped trachea, convoluted inside its breastbone” the whooper’s expiring breath produces soft tones, similar to a flute (see Arnott, W. G. 1977. “Swan Songs.” Greece & Rome 24:149–153). It is possible that the legend about swan songs goes back to one very observant hunter a few thousand years ago who, after shooting a swan, heard these soft tones (which also may have happened to be even more sonorous than usual). It seems, without too much simplification, that the Bose Waveguide system uses the very same acoustic principle!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Panasonic DMC-FX33 - more impressions
My Panasonic DMC-FX33 had its first field test and it is quite remarkable. Most of all, I am happy with the quality of video recording. I have had cameras that claimed to record mpg videos for at least six years, but not actually produced good enough quality. This Lumix creates excellent QuickTime movies. The motion is captured extremely well. I truly have no reason to have a camcorder, other than for some special effects. Playback through the TV was also great and simple. The jpgs and QuickTime files are all shown in the same lineup. Very convenient.
Philips HTS3544 power problem
Problem
I have heard before that Philips HTS3544 can experience some sort of power problem, but I was yet to encounter it. So, it happened! Came home from a brief trip and the unit would not turn on. The red indicator was red, but the receiver was not responsive to either the power button or the remote. Two factors may have contributed to this:
I unplugged the home theater for about 5 seconds, waited for the red light to go off, and then plugged it back in. It worked just fine. I assume that a bunch of settings were lost, but at least I can watch DVD again!
I have heard before that Philips HTS3544 can experience some sort of power problem, but I was yet to encounter it. So, it happened! Came home from a brief trip and the unit would not turn on. The red indicator was red, but the receiver was not responsive to either the power button or the remote. Two factors may have contributed to this:
- There was a power outage the day before I left. I did not turn on the HTS3544 since.
- I turned off the entire array of electronics with a master switch, so the unit did not have power for three days.
I unplugged the home theater for about 5 seconds, waited for the red light to go off, and then plugged it back in. It worked just fine. I assume that a bunch of settings were lost, but at least I can watch DVD again!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
What puts 'home theater' into 'home theater system'?
A little bit of semantics, the way I see it. After I installed Philips HTS3544 one thing became quite clear to me. Yes, I do love the sound, the woofers and all. But I understood that the HTS3544 (or what have you) is only the 'system' and the home theater is the actual space where you install it. In other words, the room where you install the unit has to mimic a real theater. This includes, the space, the furniture, the light. This is what I mean when I say that the system only properly refers to what you get out of the box. No more, no less. Without it you will definitely not have a theater experience. With it, but without the actual theater part taken care of - it just will not be the same. The biggest problem in my case now is that I just don't have enough room to put the rear speakers where they belong - in the back of the room, so that they are located behind me. So, for me this true home theater thing is something clearly in the future, which makes it all the more fun to be planning for it. So, I will be collecting pictures of setups that other people have, in hopes that this will eventually inspire me.
See also:
Home media room design
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Panasonic DMC-FX33 digital camera manual and specs
Panasonic DMC-FX33
Just bought this one at Costco at $199 - a very nice deal. I will have to write a lot more about it. More precisely, it's a DMC-FX33K, the K must stand for black, just as DMC-FX33A is blue (aquamarine?) and DMC-FX33S is silver.
First impressions: very conveniently sized, nice rubbery surfaces. A quality video mode and anti-blur mode are very promising. You have to take out the battery in order to charge it, but that's pretty much standard these days, unfortunately.
Instructions in English
http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/DMCFX33.pdf
Official specs:
| Camera Type | Stylish Compact |
| KEY FEATURES | . |
| Camera Effective Pixels | 8.1 Megapixels |
| Optical Image Stabilizer | MEGA O.I.S. (Mode 1 / Mode 2 ) |
| Optical Zoom | 3.6x |
| Image Sensor | 1/2.5", 8.32 Total Megapixels CCD, Primary Color Filter |
| Extra Optical Zoom | 4:3 Aspect Ratio: 4.6x for 5 Mega, 5.7x for 3 Mega, 2 Mega, 0.3 Mega 3:2 Aspect Ratio: 4.6x for 4.5 Mega, 5.7x for 2.5 Mega 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 4.6x for 4.5 Mega, 5.7x for 2 Mega |
| Digital Zoom 1 | 4x (Max. 14.3x combined with Optical Zoom without Extra Optical Zoom) (Max. 22.7x combined with Extra Optical Zoom) |
| Focal Length | f=4.6-16.4mm (35mm equiv: 28-100mm) |
| Lens | Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens |
| Lens Construction | 7 Elements in 6 Groups (5 Aspherical Lenses/6 Aspherical Surfaces) |
| Aperture Range | Wide: F2.8/F8.0 (2 steps) Tele: F5.6/F16.0 (2 steps) |
| PERFORMANCE FEATURES | . |
| Conversion Lens Compatibility | No |
| Focusing Area | Normal: 50cm - infinity Macro/Intelligent AUTO/Motion Picture/Clipboard: Wide 5cm/Tele 30cm - infinity |
| AF Metering | Face/1-point/1-point high speed/3-point high speed/5-point/Spot |
| Focus | Auto Focus System, Normal/Macro (Dial) |
| AF/AE Lock | No |
| AF Assist Lamp | Yes |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1250 / 1600 (High Sensitivity Mode: Auto(1600-6400) |
| White Balance | Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Halogen / White Set / White Balance Adjustment (+10steps, except for auto set) (Selectable at Portrait, Soft Skin, Self-Portrait, Sports, Baby, Pet, High Sensitivity, and Highspeed Burst mode) |
| Exposure | Program AE |
| Exposure Compensation | 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV |
| Backlight Compensation | Yes (at Intelligent AUTO mode) |
| Auto Bracketing (AE) | +/- 1/3 EV ~ 1EV step, 3 frames |
| Light Metering | Intelligent Multiple |
| Shooting Mode (Mode Dial) | Dial: Normal Picture, Macro, Motion Picture, Playback, Print, Intelligent AUTO, Clipboard |
| Scene Modes | SCN (Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self-Portrait, Food, Party, Candle Light, Fireworks, Starry Sky, Beach, Aerial Photo, Snow, High Sensitivity, Baby 1&2, Underwater, Sunset, Pet, Hi-Speed Burst) |
| Advanced Scene Mode | No |
| Shutter Speed/Shutter System | 8 - 1/2,000 sec. Starry Sky Mode: 15, 30, 60 sec. |
| Self Timer | 10 seconds / 2 seconds |
| Auto Review | 1 sec/3 sec/zoom |
| Review | 1x/4x/8x |
| Picture Adjustment | No |
| Color Effect Mode | No |
| Color Mode | Standard/Vivid/Cool/Warm/Natural/Black & White/Sepia |
| Recording Format | Still Image: JPEG (design rule for camera file system, based on Exif 2.21 standard), DPOF Corresponding Image with audio: JPEG (design rule for camera file system, based on Exif 2.21 standard)+ QuickTime Motion Picture: QuickTime Motion JPEG |
| Image Quality | Fine/Standard |
| Motion Image (Quick Time Motion JPEG) | 4:3 Aspect Ratio: 640 x 480 pixels, 320 x 240 pixels 30 fps, 10 fps 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 848 x 480 pixels 30 fps, 10 fps |
| RECORDING IMAGE SIZE (Pixels) | . |
| 4:3 Aspect Ratio (Still Image) | 3264 x 2448 2560 x 1920 2048 x 1536 1600 x 1200 640 x 480 |
| 3:2 Aspect Ratio (Still Image) | 3264 x 2176 2560 x 1712 2048 x 1360 |
| 16:9 Aspect Ratio (Still Image) | 3264 x 1840 2560 x 1440 1920 x 1080 |
| Motion Image (4:3 Aspect Ratio) | 640 x 480, 320 x 240 30 fps, 10fps |
| Motion Image (16:9 Aspect Ratio) | 848 x 480 pixels - 30 fps, 10 fps |
| CONVENIENCE FEATURES | . |
| Burst Shooting Mode | Full-Resolution Image, 3 frames/sec Max. 7 images (Standard Mode), Max 4 images (Fine Mode) High-speed Burst Mode: approx. 7 frames/sec (recorded in 2M for 4:3, 2.5M for 3:2, 2M for 16:9) |
| Unlimited Consecutive Shooting 2 | Yes |
| Easy Zoom/Zoom Resume/Motion Zoom | No |
| Still Image Recording with Audio | 5 seconds |
| Audio Dubbing | Maximum of 10 Seconds |
| Real-time Histograms | Yes |
| Composition Guide Lines | Yes (2 patterns) |
| Built-in Memory | approx. 27MB |
| Scene Mode Help Screen | Yes |
| Auto Angle Detection | Yes |
| Flip Animation | No |
| Travel Date/World Time | Yes/Yes |
| Title Edit | Yes |
| Text Stamp/Date Stamp | Yes/Yes |
| STANDARD FEATURES | . |
| Built-in Flash Type/Mode | Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off 0.6-6.3m (Wide/ISO Auto), 0.3-3.1m (Tele/ISO Auto) |
| External Flash | No |
| Viewfinder | No |
| LCD Monitor | 2.5" Diagonal Polycrystalline TFT LCD Display (207k pixels) Field of view: approx. 100% Auto Power LCD mode, Power LCD Mode, High Angle Mode |
| Playback Mode | 9, 25-thumbnail display, Calendar display, Zoomed playback (16x max), Image rotation, Category Playback, Slide Show, Favorite Pictures, Create Still Pictures, Resizing, Trimming, Protection, Aspect Conversion, DPOF Print Setting |
| OSD Language | English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese |
| Recording Media | Built-in Memory SD Memory Card SDHC Memory Card MultiMediaCard |
| Microphone | Yes |
| Speaker | Yes |
| Interface | DC Input, A/V Output (NTSC/PAL), USB |
| Direct Print | PictBridge |
| Color | Black |
| Power Supply | Lithium-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, 1000 mAh)(Included) AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC)(Optional) |
| Battery Life 3 | Up to 280 pictures(CIPA Standard) |
| ACCESSORIES | . |
| Included Software | ArcSoft® MediaImpression™, ArcSoft® Panorama Maker™, USB Driver, Lumix® Simple Viewer, Photo Fun Studio |
| Standard Accessories | Battery Charger, Battery Pack, Battery Carrying Case, AC, AV & USB Cables, Strap, CD-ROM |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 2.04'' x 3.74'' x .87'' |
| Weight | .29 lbs |
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