HDTV

Niveus Media came to this year’s CEDIA locked and loaded, and while most typical consumers won’t look too far past the sub-$2,000 Vail system, those with cash to spare and colleagues to impress will certainly appreciate the Core i7-powered $19,999 Pro Series n9 media center PC. The rig setup on the show floor had said HTPC connected to four dual-CableCARD boxes via USB ($1,500 a pop), giving it the ability to record eight HD shows simultaneously while streaming HD movie clips to eleven other Media Center Extenders (without a hiccup, might we add). The mid-range Denali was also on hand, and Blu-ray drives were found across the board. We also spent a tick with the new v1.5 Niveus Movie Library, which very neatly enabled us to surf to any media stored locally or on the networked 16TB Cargo Media Server. Even if you can’t afford it, this stuff is still worth a look — check it all out here at Engadget HD.

If you were curious as to which manufacturer would begin utilizing those fancy Core i7 chips first, we highly doubt Niveus Media came to mind. Granted, it isn’t first to the punch per se, but Intel’s latest will help power some of the 2009 line of media servers. The passively cooled Rainier, Denali Limited Edition (rear pictured after the break) and the rack-mountable Pro Series have all been upgraded with niceties like HDMI 1.3 and Seagate’s Pipeline HD hard drives. You’ll also find the G45 Express chipset, SSDs and support for eight CableCARDs scattered about, though pricing won’t be disclosed until we get closer to the Q4 release date. More specifications are listed after the jump.

NIVEUS MEDIA’S 2009 MEDIA SERVERS BOAST PROGRESSIVE PROCESSING POWER AND ENHANCED MULTI-ZONE CAPABILITIES

Featuring HDMI 1.3, next-generation Intel processing, specialized Seagate hard drives, and upgraded cooling solutions for impressive multi-zone performance.

Denver, CO – CEDIA Expo 2008 – September 4-7 – Booth #850 – Niveus Media unveils its 2009 line of media servers, enhanced to provide an incredibly robust entertainment experience in as many as eleven independent zones. All Niveus media servers, including the passively cooled Summit Series’ Rainier and Denali Limited Edition and the rack mountable Pro Series, have been upgraded to incorporate bleeding-edge technologies for the most powerful Media Center performance.

“To accommodate the variety of installation applications and performance demands, we’ve upgraded all of our media servers to offer Niveus Authorized Dealers the preferred range of configurations,” states Brian Paper, Vice President Operations and Co-Founder of Niveus Media. “With a selection of form factors, processing power, audio and video solutions, and storage capacities, Niveus has a superior solution for today’s multi-zone scenarios.”

Significant upgrades across the Niveus Media Server line include: HDMI 1.3 support for high-definition audio codecs and the utmost in connectivity and new Seagate Pipeline HD™ hard drives for unprecedented acoustics, reliability, and video streaming performance.

Now completely fanless and utilizing an external power supply, the 2009 Niveus Media Center – Rainier Edition is optimized for the coolest and quietest performance and offers: up to 1TB of internal storage; Niveus Pro Audio featuring 8 channel analog & digital out and 116db signal-to-noise ratio; and, most notably, the new Intel® G45 Express Chipset with Intel® Clear Video technology, a videophile-worthy integrated graphics solution providing major advancements in video performance and responsiveness, enabling crystal clear 1080p video.

The rack-mountable Niveus Media Center – Pro Series line, scheduled to be available Q4 2008, features enhanced cooling technology, allowing for improved airflow and cool and quiet performance in demanding rack-mount scenarios. The Pro Series will also offer: up to 4TB of internal storage; a 32GB dedicated solid state drive (for the operating system); Niveus Pro Audio featuring 8 channel analog & digital out and 120db signal-to-noise ratio and support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio; and Nvidia’s GeForce Series 9 graphics featuring PureVideo™ HD technology for high quality video scaling up to and beyond 1080p. For advanced power, Niveus intends to utilize the Intel® Core™ i7 processor for the ultimate in high-definition, multi-zone entertainment.

“Intel is excited about Niveus incorporating both the onboard G45 graphics solution into its Rainier Edition as well as their future intention to offer the Intel Core i7 processor with the Pro Series,” states Jeff McCrea, Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s Consumer PC Group. “Niveus continues to leverage the Intel platform to deliver astounding multi-zone entertainment.”

For 2009, the flagship Niveus Media Center – Denali Limited Edition has undergone a complete facelift, adding even more sophistication to this award-winning media server. Internally, the Denali Limited Edition has been refined to incorporate: 2TB of storage; a 32GB dedicated solid state drive (for the operating system); a slot load Blu-ray Disc player; Niveus Pro Audio featuring 8 channel analog & digital out and 120db signal-to-noise ratio and support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio; and Nvidia’s GeForce Series 9 graphics featuring PureVideo™ HD technology for high quality video scaling up to and beyond 1080p. Denali Limited Edition now represents one of the quietest, most powerful media servers on the market.

All Niveus media servers are capable of storing, managing, and distributing high-definition TV, music, movies, photos, and more, and can be easily integrated with premier home automation solutions.

Niveus’ 2009 product line will be available in Q4 2008.

Once again, Sony’s booth was front and center upon entering the CEDIA floor, and while most everything there was as advertised, this one particular unit stuck out. Yeah, maybe it just caught out eye because it’s around the size of a small refrigerator, but upon speaking with a company representative, we learned that it’s actually a 400-disc Blu-ray Mega Changer. The unit on hand was simply there for demonstrative purposes, but Sony intends to launch the BD-Live-capable, RS-232 port-packin’ beast in early 2009. There’s no word on whether it will ever interface with HTPCs, but we wouldn’t count on it. Head on over to Engadget HD for a closer look.

Sherwood isn’t the only little-known company bringing the Blu to CEDIA — now we’ve got a boutique manufacturer joining the crowd. Announced today in Denver, Cambridge Audio has revealed that it too will be producing a BD deck in early 2009. The 640BD will be designed to complement the Azur range of AV receivers, and it will boast full HDMI 1.3 output (including bitstream output of all the latest Dolby / DTS tracks), a full set of analog video outputs, Ethernet, S/PDIF, Toslink and a set of separate, dedicated 7.1 / stereo analog outputs. Unfortunately, that’s all the details the company has prepared for this year’s Expo, but we’ll certainly be hearing more as CES time draws near. Per usual, the full release is after the break.

Cambridge Audio to introduce first Blu-Ray player in early 2009!
Suggested retail price – TBC
Expected Spring 2009

Cambridge Audio will release its first Blu-Ray/DVD/CD player in early 2009. Designed to be the
perfect partner to the Azur range of AV Receivers the 640BD features full HDMI 1.3 output,
including bitstream output of all the latest HD Dolby and DTS surround-sound systems plus
internal decoding of Dolby Digital EX, DTS ES, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS HR
surround-sound. A full set of analog video outputs is supported, HDMI 1.3 video/audio, Ethernet,
SPDIF, Toslink and separate dedicated 7.1 and stereo analogue outputs.

Cambridge Audio prides itself on developing products that offer true value for money to discerning
buyers and has embraced Blu-Ray technology with enthusiasm to wring out the best possible
performance from this exciting new format.

Supporting Dolby True HD means the 640BD provides audio that matches the original studio
masters. While natively supporting up to 1080p from Blu-Ray discs the 640BD is also able to
upscale DVD discs to 1080p video resolution taking the viewer to the heart of movie action.
Meanwhile, 24 frames per second (fps) progressive scan True Cinema allows films to be watched
as the director intended at their original frame rate without conversion for the most natural jog free
panning and motion possible.

All this means the 640BD lives up to Cambridge Audio’s philosophy of providing a passion for
performance to get the best out of any movie collection.

Please note, due to Cambridge Audio’s policy of continuous improvement, specifications and
appearance may change without notice.

It’s official, Amazon has moved Unbox-replacement Amazon Video on Demand out of beta for Mac and PC users, while confirming rumors the still-in-beta BRAVIA Internet Video Link service is open to all Sony HDTV owners. The streaming option (you can still download and watch via Unbox on PC or TiVo, and no matter how they’re purchased, content is added to the Your Video Library accessible from the web or IVL) gives Amazon that critical buy-now / watch-immediately element some other online stores lack, for its library of 40,000 licensed movies and shows. Prices start at $1.99 for single episodes of TV shows and at least $2.99 for movies — with savings available on season passes, now all we need to keep an eye on is the bandwidth meter.

Belkin has been dangling its FlyWire wireless HD box for, what, ever now? Thankfully, it seems that all the kinks have been worked out, and the October ship date should actually stick. A few tidbits we learned while hanging out at the outfit’s CEDIA booth: first, we confirmed that the technology within the device is AMIMON’s, so we’re guessing it’s WHDI. Secondly, we heard that the retail price of the top-end AV69003 may scoot up to $1,499 when it’s finally released. We know, that’s a lot of coin to make your components cord-free, but the demonstration showing off Blu-ray streaming through thin air was nothing short of astounding. No hiccups, no jaggies, no hints whatsoever that there wasn’t a direct HDMI connection. Check the box (and the receiver) out in the flesh over at Engadget HD.

With Belkin’s FlyWire just about to hit the market, JVC’s planning to ride the wave and produce a wireless HDMI box of its very own. The unit was said to be a last minute addition to its CEDIA arsenal, and the representatives on hand weren’t even briefed on what wireless technology the demo was using. Of note, there was a live demo involving no smoke nor mirrors, where the box received a 1080p signal via HDMI and beamed it out to a hidden receiver that was connected to an HDTV via (you guessed it) HDMI. JVC is obviously aiming for consumers with just one primary set-top-box (a PS3, for instance), and the plug-and-play nature means it can work with any source and any display so long as HDMI is involved. Pricing hasn’t been set, but we were told to expect a Q1 2009 launch. Check out the prototype in the gallery below.

The whole Profile 1.0 thing kind of put a damper on Sharp’s latest Blu-ray players, but since they were showcased at the company’s CEDIA booth, we figured it prudent to take a few snapshots and pass ‘em along. Design wise, the two are exceptionally similar, and we can’t say with good faith that the HP50U is really worth the extra coin. Hit the gallery over at Engadget HD and see if you can pick the two apart… and, go!

Well, what can we say? Here we have a TiVo HD with a subtle “XL” logo there on the bottom left, a more capacious hard drive and a Series 3 remote. That being the case, at least the one parked at CEDIA was outstandingly shiny — seriously, check it out over at Engadget HD.

Wilmington, NC had the pleasure of being the nation’s first DTV transition test market, and now it has officially become the first market in the nation to flip the kill switch on analog. As of noon ET today, the Wilmington area entered the digital frontier, and initial reports suggest that things are going fairly swimmingly. Granted, “a few” viewers were still “struggling” to see the signal (read: not at all prepared for the change), but at least the world didn’t completely implode or anything. Not like we can really avoid that scenario come Wednesday, but hey, an extra 24 or so hours to live it up ain’t half bad.