Finally getting your home entertainment system connected to the internet and home network is easy and affordable.  Netgear now has the Home Theater Internet Connection Kit. This power-line networking system converts electrical wall outlets into high speed virtual connections that Ethernet enabled devices can use to stream multimedia content to either the internet or the home network.

The kit supports all devices that have an Ethernet connection for internet and home network access such as HDTVs, Blu-ray players, Game consoles, etc.  Data transfer speeds are up to 200 Mbps.  This will help minimize lagging when using high bandwidth applications such as HD video streaming, VoIP and online games.  

Netgear has also incorporated QoS (Quality of Service) into the design of their product so that more bandwidth can be allocated to high priority applications.  Also Netgear has added the push to secure feature that will lock the network down with the touch of a single button.

Netgear's Home Theater Internet Connection kit retails for $179.99.

Do you have Blu-ray yet?  Were you involved in this boost in sales?  What did you buy? I just bought Season 7  of 24.

According to the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), sales are up 91% compared to the the same period in 2008.  How much is that? 

$407 million.  Cha-Ching!

Sales of Blu-ray players is up also, 25%.  Over 2 million Blu-ray players have been sold thus far.  Prices of some really nice players are now below $250, plus they include Pandora and Netflix Streaming.   Manufactures are now giving the consumer more features for less money this year.  Also, some basic no name players are trending towards $100.  My speculation is, more consumers are comfortable buying a player now at these more realistic prices, plus there are more places and titles to rent.  Purchase prices are better too if you wait for sales.

DEG says there are nearly 11 million Blu-ray devices in homes in the U.S., including PlayStation 3 consoles.   Almost, 75 percent of those units are BD-Live compatible meaning they can access the internet content that is paired with the disc. More than 40 million Blu-ray titles have now been sold in the United States, and more than 1600 titles are available. Over 190 titles offer BD-Live content.

Spending for pre-recorded entertainment dropped 3.9 percent year-over-year to $9.73 billion in the first half of 2009, according to the DEG. Pre-recorded entertainment covers DVD, Blu-ray and digital distribution. Digital distribution was up 21 percent to $968 million, while rental spending rose 8.3 percent.  Looks like the recession has  more people are staying home to watch moves. 

Ron Sanders, President of Warner Home Video and the DEG, commented, "Despite an extraordinarily challenging marketplace, the home entertainment sector continues to be remarkably stable overall, particularly with the growth of higher-margin businesses like Blu-ray Disc..."

Yamaha Electronics Corporation has introduced its expanable wireless music system, known as MusicCast2 Network Music System. Powered by WIFI technology, the Yamaha MusicCast2 has the ability to distribute audio to around 32 rooms from a vast array of sources. It also supports Rhapsody digital music streaming service, Internet Radio and computers. It also streams music from Network Attached Storage Devices.

MusicCast2 also supports iTunes AAC files via TwonkyMedia server software. The TwonkyMedia server software is packed with MCX-RC 100 Network Music commander. It also supports music from iPod and Bluetooth devices.

There are three components to MusicCAST2:
Yamaha MusicCAST2 MCX-RC100 Network Music Commander ($499)
Yamaha MusicCAST2 MCX-P200 Pre-amp Network Music Player ($399)
Yamaha MusicCAST2 MCX-A300 Amplified Network Music Player ($399)

The Yamaha MusicCast2 features a 3.5” color LCD screen, touch pad and intuitive GUI. Hence, the customers can easily view display zones, album art, song titles and other details.

The Yamaha MusicCast2 Network Music system also supports MCX-RC100 Network Music Commander, which works as a multi-zone remote control for the Yamaha RX-Z7 and RX-V3900 receivers. The Network Music Commander can also turn on the A/V receivers, browse and navigate content.

The MCX-A300 Network Music Player brings high quality music. It plays music from the Rhapsody online music and Internet radio. It is compatible with MP3, WMA, PRO, and AAC, Apple FairPlay DRM, FLAC and WAV audio formats.

The MCX-P200 Network Music Player is a pre-amp component. It extends set up flexibility. It supports TV setup box, Blu-ray/DVD player by means of MCX-RC100 Commander’s GUI.

The YDS-11 iPod docks and YBA-10 Bluetooth receivers ensure smooth connectivity to iPods and Bluetooth devices. It provides subwoofers.

Each MusicCAST2 component can be purchased separately, or as a start-up package (MusicCAST2 Zone Pack 2A at $1199) which includes one MCX-RC100 Network Music Commander and two MCX-A300 Network Music Players.

According to Warren Mansfield, director of consumer technology for THX, the process of calibrating audio in a home theater is important because it enables homeowners to reproduce movie soundtracks in their homes the way the audio engineers intended.

“Calibrating receivers/preamps not only balances each channel so that you get matched sound levels from each speaker, but also calibrates the overall level so that 0 dB on the volume control represents the industry standard ‘Reference Level’ in the listening position,” he says. “This is the same level at which the movie was originally mixed and played theatrically. Only THX Certified products do this in the home.”

The above is taken from the article: Five Easy Steps to Superior Home Theater Sound by Robert Archer on ElectonicHouse.com. This article post has been my most clicked on article I have post on twitter to date. Check out the article. Its has some really good tips.

Till next time,

Todd Bartlett - Cinevidia Home Entertainment Solutions

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neoHD Media Controller:
The Yamaha neoHD Media Controllers will introduce your consumers to a whole new way of enjoying movies, listening to music, or playing games and slide shows. neoHD provides your customers the ability to control their entire HD home entertainment system via an intuitive on-screen interface, with one very simple remote control. With Yamaha’s neoHD Media Controllers you’re ready to watch, listen or play, nothing could be simpler!

MusicCAST2 System:
The completely new Yamaha MusicCAST2 system, provides your customers the simplest way to enjoy all their music, all their sources, in all their rooms, wirelessly! Just connect MusicCAST2 to your customer’s wireless home network and they will be able to enjoy music in any room of their home, at anytime. And with over 10,000 internet radio stations worldwide and Rhapsody music service, MusicCAST2 provides full access to all music content available online as well as music content stored on your customers’ computer and USB flash drives. Additionally, the MusicCAST2 Commander [MCX-RC100] will control the Yamaha RX-Z7 or RX-V3900 right out of the box with no set-up necessary, making the Commander a must addition when selling these models.

RX-V1065BL 7.1 Channel A/V Receiver:
Also available is the RX-V1065 addition to the best selling line of AV receivers in the country, the Yamaha RX-Vx65 series. The RX-V1065 is best suited for the Home Theater enthusiast or the Music listener because it combines high end construction with high end sound. The RX-V1065 features the newly developed GUI to provide ease of use, along with HDMI (4 in/1 out), 1080p video upscaling, HD Radio™, Pure Direct, YPAO and USB port for music playback.

PDX-30: A Desktop Audio product that virtually every iPhone or iPod fan who wants to enjoy a higher sound quality with great bass performance in a compact size. The PDX-30 is certified as a "works with iPhone" product, and comes with a card-type remote control for additional convenience. PDX-30 is available in 4 colors; Black, Blue, Gray, & Pink.

May 20, 2009 | by Todd Bartlett (cinevidia.com )

Pandora has one mission: To play the music YOU love. I'm good with that and you will be too. Pandora is a free music service that helps you listen to and discover new music. It is quite simple to set up and use: Register and then create stations. That's it!.

Once you enter your artist or song It will quickly scan its entire world of analyzed music, almost a century of popular recordings - new and old, well known and completely obscure - to find songs with interesting musical similarities to your choice.  You will hear some of your old favorites and will also find some new favorites as you listen.  Now the cool thing is, you can teach your station more about your likes or dislikes. When a song is playing you can give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down which tells Pandora more about the type of music you like. Your station is then morphed even closer to your musical liking.  Note, you are limited to making 100 stations.

Pandora is result of the Music Genome Project started in 2000.  Each song in the Music Genome Project is analyzed using up to 400 distinct musical characteristics by a trained music analyst. These attributes capture not only the musical identity of a song, but also the many significant qualities that are relevant to understanding the musical preferences of listeners. The typical music analyst working on the Music Genome Project has a four-year degree in music theory, composition or performance, has passed through a selective screening process and has completed intensive training in the Music Genome's rigorous and precise methodology.

Pandora is not just trapped on your computer either. You can also listen to it via your Home Theater.  Pandora is now available on some blu-ray players by Samsung, Logitec's Duet, Sonos, Vudo, the IPhone, Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices. Just make sure you have an unlimited data plan for the last three devices.

Pandora allows you to share your stations with your friends, find listeners that share your interests and bookmark other listeners profiles.

Here is my favorite station: u2 Radio and my Pandora Profile . Feel free to book mark me if you like.

Pandora has also created little widgets to allow you to put your favorite songs, artist or channels on your blog.  RSS feeds are also available.

So try it out and let me know what you think. I think you will really enjoy it. My clients have loved it.  And best of all, It's FREE.

Want to toss out that old CRT TV—or any other old electronics—but you don’t know how?

Yep, in some states it’s illegal to toss those old TVs in the landfill. They contain lead and other toxins that can leach into groundwater. Some states have laws that mandate that manufacturers take responsibility for recycling (or e-cycling) old TVs and other electronics. Massachusetts is considering one this week.

Eighteen states and New York City already have e-cycling laws, with programs in place or about to start, including California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia.

However, TVs are not yet a part of programs in Hawaii, Michigan Missouri, Oklahama, Texas and Virginia, though it is being considered in several of those states. There are also different ways these programs are set up and who pays for them, as explained in this article on the free of fee-based models.

For those who just want to know where and how to get of that thing, here are six ways:

1. Check the Electronic Takeback Coalition‘s comprehensive chart of E-Waste laws and pending legislation by state. There’s also a chart comparing what can be recycled in each state, and a detailed description of each law. (pdf links)

    

2. Find listings of local e-waste collection sites at E-Cycling Central and Mygreenelectronics. Many are municipal facilities that will only accept waste from that city or town’s residents, but private e-cyclers and others are listed as well. Other helpful information services are listed here.

Read the full article at Electonic House

• Head to the Hollywood Hills to peer into our Home of the Year gold-winning masterpiece.
• See what kind of theater can fit a 16-foot-wide screen, 34 theater chairs and more as gold winner in our Theaters $250,000 and over category.
• Spend a relaxing afternoon out by the pool--and the 30-plus speakers that provide audio everywhere in our best outdoor space gold winner.

ottom: 0in">Sound proofing doesn’t just keep the sound in, it keeps distracting sound out. Some simple cost effective ways to kill sound transmission are:

• Special dry wall such as Quietrock.

• Second layer of drywall with silicone

• Alternating studs and splitting the 2x6 bottom and top plate

• Vinyl Barrier Acoustic Material

Ideally, a home theater should be in an "acoustic-friendly" room, which would include a room with walls of differing length, carpeting and padded furniture. Too many hard surface and the sound bounces allover the place and causes unclear dialogue and distorted sounds. Acoustical treatment could easily be the most cost effective method to improving your system's sound.

It's common to spend 50/50 Video and Audio, but leave little for the Third important piece:  Simple activity based control of your new system.  No more 3 remotes and 5 button presses to watch Lost.  Your remote should allow you one click to Watch TV or Watch DVD or  Listen to Music.  Today’s Home Theaters do not need to be stuck in the basement or garage.  With today's designs and technologies, home theaters can be in the living room, the bedroom and even outside.  Don't like seeing speakers? Try in-wall or in-ceiling.  Don't want to see the equipment?  Hide  in the cabinet and control with an RF (Radio Frequency) remote. Outdoorsy type?  Set up an outdoor theater invite the neighbors.  Trust me, tons of fun and big wow factor.

At $249, this Universal Remote with a colorful LCD will control up to 18 devices. And it’s easy for your installer to program.

April 06, 2009 | by Audioholics.com

Universal Remote has delivered PC free programming in a beautiful and solid package. With minimal time invested, a typical setup can be programmed in a matter of minutes. With little more than a couple of preferential problems, we can’t help but recommend this as a great remote for the installer who requires on-site programmability without the use of a laptop.

Introduction and Build Quality This Universal Remote comes in a plain, but sleek package. It could even be considered beautiful, especially when compared to most standard sized remotes. When you open this package you will find the remote, a small user’s manual and the batteries needed to get the thing running. The build is no deviation from the norm, but nonetheless looks and feels better than most. The majority of the hard black plastic face of the remote is finished in a high gloss. This high gloss face forms a ridge down the center of the remote, as two curves on each side wave in, out, in and then out again. This forms an attractive double hour-glass look that adds to the look and the ease of familiarity with the remote. These four curve-ins are recessed a fraction of a millimeter and are further offset with a matte finish and reserve a special place for the volume, channel, and six other key buttons. All of the buttons pop just a little, as they are glossy, but a shade lighter than most of the face.

Click here to read the entire review on Audioholics.com.