The obvious worry is that such a system will just be a pile of components, cobbled together with little regard for usability and ergonomics. The ITC One is not that. The company has combined an Xbox 360, Wii, Apple TV, iPod dock and a DVR with various audio/videophilic hardware in a relatively graceful manner, packing everything into an attractive aluminum case. Space is at a premium in this setup, so most of the internal components are stripped of their shells, and in some cases augmented (optical audio out is bypassed to connect straight to the S/PDIF connectors on the Xbox and Apple TV, and the Xbox gets a new heat sink and fan).

Most of the hardware is plugged into a central supply, which ITC claims saves 50% power at idle and 33% during use over an equivalent traditional cabinet of hardware. Networking is shared, and the systems can be controlled with face-forward LCD or the all-in-one remote, which is simple and well designed, with motion sensitivity, 4-6 month battery life on 2 AA batteries with an Apple-esque charge indicator. It's also got a brilliant alarm that beeps when you press the "lost remote" button on the primary unit (honestly, this should be everywhere).

For $25,000 though, we expect more than a clean build and clever remote, and there are some departments where the ITC One disappoints. First, Blu-ray is not standard. Seriously . If you are the kind of person who is planning on dropping this much cash on a home theater setup you probably expect to be able to play the dominant HD format. A BR player will be available as an upgrade, but you'll have to say goodbye to your precious Wii to make space.

Second, it seems like a massive chunk of the hardware cost is for overpriced (and over-hyped) A/V hardware. The Vidikron upscaler, power conditioning hardware and aforementioned optical out bypass are all perfect examples of the cost-ineffective gimmicks that plague home theater today. You could buy all of the core hardware (Xbox, DVR, Apple TV, etc.) in here for less than $5,000, and it'd be pretty hard to justify the $20,000 premium for the slick presentation and under-the-hood hardware improvements.

It's clear that a lot of thought has gone into the ITC One, and it took some inspired designing and engineering to cram all of this hardware into an attractive, usable box. The strange decision not to include Blu-ray by default (or even at all, at until they finish engineering it) leaves the One crippled, and the pervasive A/V hypeware pushes the price way out of reach for just about anyone, into the realm of professional theater installs. The ITC One is available now.

[SE2 Labs]

Panasonic SC-BT100
Wireless Home Theater System with Integrated Blu-ray Disc Player

Product Features
High Quality Picture
Combining a PHL Reference Chroma Processor with advanced P4HD imaging technology, Panasonic's original digital consumer electronics integration platform, UniPhier® reproduces crisp, natural colors that are extremely faithful
to the original movie. UniPhier® reflects the advanced encoding and authoring technologies developed by Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory (PHL) in collaboration with film industry professionals. With UniPhier® at its heart, the SC-BT100 provides a level of image and sound quality that meets Hollywood's stringent demands - so you experience movies just the way they were meant to be experienced.
*UniPhier is a trademark/a registered trade mark of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries.

PHL Reference Chroma Processor
The PHL Reference Chroma Processor up-samples (4:2:0 to 4:2:2) the color information in decoded video signals. Using unique Panasonic technology, this innovative circuit faithfully reproduces the fine details and nuances of Blu-ray video streams that have been recorded with high quality image compression system. It generates images with all the clarity and depth that BD-Video movies have to offer.

P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD)
P4HD processes more than 15 billion pixels per second and applies the optimal processing to every pixel. So that it can render progressive images superbly, expresses motion smoothly, and draws crisp diagonal lines.

Deep Color
The SC-BT100 is Deep Color ready, which means they can reproduce images with 12-bit, 4,096-step gradation. You enjoy exceptionally rich, natural-looking colors, with smooth, detailed gradation and minimal color banding.
*The TV must also be Deep Color compatible. Other TVs will display 8-bit, 256-step grada

1080/24p Playback
The SC-BT100 provides 1080/24p output. It reproduces movie images from a Blu-ray Disc in their original 24p form, with no need for conversion. You see movies in the same format used in movie theaters.
*24p stands for 24 frame/sec.
*1080/ 24p supported TV is required

Premium Sound Quality
Kelton Subwoofer
Thanks to a Kelton subwoofer, the SC-BT100 outputs deep, thunderous bass sounds that make viewing Blu-ray Discs a truly awesome entertainment experience. The Kelton subwoofer has two internal chambers. A drive unit mounted in the rear chamber vibrates the front chamber, causing a large, 10-inch Passive Radiator in the front chamber to vibrate and produce bass sounds. Because the front chamber functions as an acoustic filter, there is minimal unwanted noise. The thinness and high compliance of the passive radiator help achieve an extremely clean, powerful and responsive bass sound.

Bamboo Diaphragm Speaker
Use of rigid, low-density bamboo in the woofer and tweeter cones of the center and front speakers helps achieve a highly responsive sound. This system reproduces sounds from sources in high definition audio formats of Blu-ray disc with stunning clarity and fidelity.

Bamboo Paper
Sound Velocity (m/s) 2380 1900
Specific gravity 0.37 0.40

Vertical Symmetrical Configuration
The SC-BT100's front and center speakers feature a vertical symmetrical configuration, with the tweeter in the center and the woofers arranged directly above and below it. The sound seems to emanate from a single point. This reproduces a sound so clear and transparent that when you're listening to an orchestra, for example, you can easily pinpoint the location of each instrument.

Whisper- mode Surround
In the past, when you were watching a movie late at night with the volume turned down, the surround effect would be lost. Not with Whisper-Mode Surround. It compensates for the sound pressure level of the low-frequency component (which contains the signals that affect the surround effect), so you're enveloped in a rich surround sound even when watching movies at low volume.

Compatible for New All Audio Codec*
The SC-BT100 is compatible with the newest Dolby®TrueHD and DTS-HD™ 7.1-channel surround sound formats. Sit back and enjoy the incredibly rich, clear and faithful surround sound these high-data formats make possible.

New Medial Friendly
Integrated Universal Dock for iPod®
Just slip your iPod® into the built-in cradle and enjoy. With the BD theater system's awesome picture and sound quality, you'll love listening to the music and watching the images on your iPod®. There are no iPod® or USB cables to connect, so it's super easy and your room stays tidy and uncluttered.

iPod® Music / Video Capability
iPod® Music Playback and iPod® On-Screen Display for Music Menu
Panasonic's BD theater is a great way to listen to the music on your iPod®. The list of songs on your iPod® can be displayed on the TV screen, and you can use the remote control from the home theater or a VIERA TV to select and play them.

iPod® Video Playback
Use the iPod's screen to select a video, then sit back and enjoy awesome large-screen viewing and thunderous surround sound.
*To enjoy iPod® Video contents, please connect your home theater sound system with composite video cable.

Enjoy Multi Channel Contents of Set-top Box
Connect a set-top box to your BD theater with an optical audio cable, and you can view cable programs and other content on your large-screen TV, while enjoying 5.1-channel surround sound.
*The video output of the set-top box must be connected to the TV, and the set-top box must be connected to the SC-BT100 via an optical audio cable.

HD Networking with SD Memory Card
Linking with an HD Camcorder
The SC-BT100 can play back AVCHD-format images shot with an HD camcorder, such as the Panasonic HDC-SD9. Images recorded onto the camcorder's SD Memory Card are output directly from the SC-BT100's HDMI terminals in their original, high-quality 1920 x 1080 resolution. The SC-BT100 also provides an AVCHD Direct Navigator function that makes it easy to search for particular scenes.

Linking with a Digital Camera
The SC-BT100 can play back JPEG still images on an SD Memory Card, such as those recorded with a Lumix DMC-FX55 digital camera. The SC-BT100 can output the images to 1920 x 1080 resolution - ideal for a full-HD TV - and output them via the HDMI terminal* Using the Slideshow playback feature, you can play a music CD at the same time you're showing the photos, so viewers enjoy both beautiful images and your favorite music.
*JPEG and other still image sources converted to 1920 x 1080 resolution, while of high quality, will exhibit somewhat lower subjective image resolution than true, native 1080p full HD sources.

Easy to Use & Set-Up with VIERA LinkTM
New Seamless GUI
As the types of media continue to increase, the VIERA LinkTM capability continues to evolve. The newly enhanced VIERA LinkTM displays a menu on the TV screen, making it easier to operate the connected equipment. For example, you can display a menu with a list of the movies or music stored on your iPod®, and use the VIERA remote control unit to select one and begin playback.

Auto Theater Setup
When you connect your BD theater system to a VIERA TV via an HDMI cable, the TV settings (menu language, aspect ratio, and so on) are automatically loaded into the home theater system. This saves you the trouble of making those settings manually.
・VIERA LinkTM is a new name for EZ SyncTM.
・Not All 2008 VIERA LinkTM features are compatible with all 2006/2007 EZ SyncTM products.

Blu-ray Global Site
http://panasonic.net/blu-ray/

Blu-ray DiscTM Home Theater Sound System
SC-BT100

1. Premium Sound Quality with Full Audio Codec for Blu-ray Disc
2. High Quality Picture with Full-HD 1080p and Premium Live Experience for 7.1ch Surround with 5 Speakers
3. Enjoy Your iPod® Music and iPod® Video*1 with Integrated Universal Dock for iPod®*2
*1 iPod Video function is limited in case of connection to TV through composite Video output.
*2 Made for iPod, iPod® not included.

Home Theater Receiver
• Home Theater Mode: Total Output Power of 1250W
Front: 250W x 2 (1kHz, 6 ohms, 10% THD)
Center: 250W (1kHz, 6 ohms, 10% THD)
Surround: 125W x 2 (1kHz, 3 ohms, 10% THD)
Subwoofer: 250W (100Hz, 6 ohms, 10% THD)
• Home Theater Mode: Total Output Power of 472W
Front: 104W x 2 (120Hz - 20kHz, 6 ohms, 1 % THD)
Center: 101W (120Hz - 20kHz, 6 ohms, 1 % THD)
Surround: 34W x 2 (120Hz - 20kHz, 3 ohms, 1 % THD)
Subwoofer: 95W (45Hz - 120Hz, 6 ohms, 1 % THD)
• Digital Amplifier
• Whisper-mode Surround
• H.Bass
• Surround Enhancer
• Real Center Focus
• EQ (Flat, Heavy, Clear, Soft)
• Subwoofer Boost
• Subwoofer Level Control
• Quartz-Synthesized Digital Tuning System (AM/FM)
• AV Remote Control
• ENERGY STAR® Qualified

[BD Features]
Video Features
• PHL Reference Chroma Processor
• P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD)
• Precise Pixel Generation
• 16-Level Motion Detection with Pixel-Based Motion Adaptive
• Diagonal Processing
• Detection of 3:2 Pull-Down Progressive Processing
• i/p Conversion for 1080p* Playback
• Up-Conversion to 1080p* Playback
* HDMI connection required.
• 1080/24p Playback
• Deep Color
• 148.5MHz/12bit Video D/A Converter
• Digital Noise Reduction (3D-NR/ Integrated NR)
• Picture Mode (Normal, Soft, Fine, Cinema, User)
• Picture Adjustment (Contrast, Brightness, Sharpness, Color, Gamma Correction)
• Advanced Progressive Scan* (4:4:4 Signal Processing/4:3 Shrink Function/Letterbox Zoom & Shift)
* To enjoy a progressive scan picture, a TV with progressive scan capabilities must be used.
• Variable Zoom
• Multi-Format Playback (Blu-ray Disc, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW*1, DVD-R*1, DVD-R Dual Layer*1, +R*1, +R Double Layer*1, +RW*1, CD, CD-R/RW*2, MP3*3 and JPEG)

Audio Features
• Built-in Dolby®Digital Plus, Dolby®Digital True HD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio and Linear PCM
• Dolby® Pro Logic® II ( Movie, Music) (for Disc/iPod®/Digital In/FM/AM/AUX)
• DTS Neo :6 (Cinema,Music) (for Disc/iPod®/Digital In/FM/AM/AUX)
• 192kHz/24bit Audio D/A Converter
• Dynamic Range Compression

Other Media Features
• iPod® On-Screen Display for Music Menu
• iPod® Music Playback
• iPod® Video Playback
• High Definition Movie & Picture Playback via SD Memory Card Slot

Input/ Output
• 1 HDMI Terminal with VIERA LinkTM
• 1 Digital Input (Optical)
• 1 Component Video Out
• 1 Video Out
• 1 Wireless Rear Terminal
• 1 Analog Audio Input for AUX
• 1 Phone Out

Speaker System
• 5 New Satellite Speakers
• Wall Mounting Holes

Front:
• 2-1/2" Woofer x 2, 2-3/8" Cone Tweeter (Bamboo Diaphragm)
• Magnetic Shielding for Home Theater Use

Center:
• 2-1/2" Woofer x 2, 2-3/8" Cone Tweeter (Bamboo Diaphragm)
• Magnetic Shielding for Home Theater Use

Surround:
• 2-1/2" Full Range Speaker

Subwoofer
• 10 inch Passive Radiator /6-1/2 inch Woofer (Kelton Type)

*1 Discs recorded and finalized on DVD video recorders/cameras.
*2 This unit can play CD-DA format audio CD-R and CD-RW. It may not be able to play some CD-R or CD-RW due to the condition of the recording.
*3 For contents recorded on CD-R/RW media from CDs for personal use. Playability may vary depending on conditions and discs.
*Energy Star is a U.S. Registered Trademark

Although setup was easy, and its picture and sound were about what you'd expect from a $1,000 home-theater-in-a-box from the pre-HD era, the networking and file management aspects of the machine (i.e., the hard part) were just not finished. Seriously, it needs more time in the QA oven before it will be anything like good eatin'. As JVC is learning, it's not enough to just meet the bare minimum of HDMI and DivX support.

WHAT'S GOOD

Like I said, on the HTIB front, the DD-3 isn't bad. Perhaps best suited for apartment dwellers, its shiny black surfaces, gunmetal trim and curved edges suggest that it wouldn't look totally out of place on a Star Destroyer either. I like the fact that everything, even the 120W sub, is powered through a single plug on the main unit. Though there are only three speaker boxes, the center actually has two surround speakers integrated into it, with a decent psychoacoustic rendering of 5.1. (I will add that it works best in tight quarters, and may not pass muster from the pickiest of surround-soundophiles.) Each of the four speakers gets 25W of juice.

Setup was easy, especially since there's no wireless option: just plug a (really long) Ethernet cable in, connect the unit and the three speakers to the subwoofer, and you are off and running. On the PC end, all it took was CyberLink Media Server 1.1 install disc, though I downloaded an update patch from CyberLink's website just to be safe.

On paper, the DD-3 is friendly to many file formats: MP3, WMA, WAV, JPEG, ASF, DivX, MPEG1 and MPEG2. It also supports a range of disc types and USB devices. In fact, I found the best way to playback files from the PC was to burn them to CD or DVD. I did not have as much luck getting them over the network.

WHAT'S BAD

•The DD-3 only supports "up to" HDMI 1.0, and video resolutions of 480i, 480p and 720p only. Also, it will only play DivX files up to 720x480 at 30 fps or 720x576 at 25 fps. So, nothing high-def at all in that department.

•In USB mode, it did not recognize a bus-powered 2.5-in. Seagate drive, though it did power it up and is fully compliant with USB 2.0. I discovered, in very fine print, that this is because it will not support USB volumes over 2GB. There's goes, basically, every USB hard-disk drive in existence. When I plugged in a 1GB Lexar USB thumbdrive, the DD-3 only recognized some of the media files stored on it. I even tried to move them around, in case a folder hierarchy was frustrating the software, but no dice.

•Totally random annoyance: when you're watching a DVD, say you momentarily switch to another source (Network, USB, Line or whatever) then go back to DVD. It forgets where it was and starts over, all the way back at the FBI warning.

•In my mind, the main event was the CyberLink Media Server software. Like Windows Media Connect, it serves up files for you to listen to, look at or watch at the receiver end. As you can see in the gallery, CyberLink's interface couldn't be simpler: just check the folders—My Music, My Videos, My Photos, etc.—that you want to access, then leave the app running. On the DD-3's screen, I could navigate to my PC, but when I clicked on the CyberLink option, all I got was a single folder of music. As I scrolled slowly through all of the artists, I found that it ended in the letter D. So not only did I not get all of the designated files, it even truncated the list of files that it would let me access. Since the CyberLink software only runs on Windows XP anyway, I'm thinking maybe Windows Media Connect would have been JVC's better option.

When I called customer support to discuss my troubles, I got through to someone quickly, but he was unable to help. He told me the product wasn't even listed in the database, and I had to show him the press release on JVC.com before he was convinced I wasn't deluded or just plain dumb. The support rep told me that someone will get back to me in the next day or two. If anything positive comes out of that call, I will report back. On the other hand, if you never hear me discuss this product again, well, maybe it's for the better. – Wilson Rothman

More importantly, the $1,000 system has both Ethernet and USB jacks "allowing retrieval of music files, movies, digital images and other digital files stored on the computer." JVC says the Sophisti can connect directly to a computer, or to multiple ones via a network. You can also connect a camera or music player through the USB jack to enjoy photos (on your TV) and music. Though the press release didn't mention anything about codecs, JVC just told us that the Sophisti supports the following:

JPEG, MP3, WMA, WAV (PCM), AC3, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, MS MP4 v3, DivX

Yes, DivX. When we get our hands on a unit, we'll let you know how it all works out. One final note: In the product shot above, you may see something that looks like a bundled CRT monitor. It's a subwoofer, artfully placed by an unwitting photographer in the most misleading of positions. –Wilson Rothman

New JVC Home Theater System Plays Music, Video and Image Files From a PC [JVC]

To help you with the above romantic endeavors, Samsung is here to supply you with what you need for step 1. They've announced two new home theater in a box systems, catering to both the high and low end crowds. The first is the HT-TXQ120, a 1000 watt 5.1 system with an upscaling DVD player, HDMI ins and outs, and "tallboy" speakers. The lower end HT-TX250 is pretty similar but cuts the wattage down to a less-impressive 600. It also loses DVD upscaling, which doesn't really matter, but keeps HDMI out. No word on pricing, but the HT-TXQ120 will be available in March and the HT-TX250 will follow soon after in April.

…and that's the way you do it. –Adam Frucci

CES 2007 [Gizmodo]

Sony Reveals Radical Theatre System [Smarthouse]