European Custom Installer

System Integration for the Connected Home

Home Theater

DF Solutions Brings Out Blu-Ray Media Server

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DF Solutions says its Base media server

DF Solutions says its Base media server is now fully enabled for Blu-Ray disc storage, playback and multi-room distribution.

The Base Media Server from DF Solutions positions itself as the most affordable media server on the market with Blu Ray compatibility.

The Blu-Ray capable Base Media Server offers 1TB of internal storage but can be linked to additional LAN-based NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices on the home network for unlimited expansion as required.

A new feature is the compatibility with the latest "Teamviewer" software, enabling installers to access the unit over the internet from a remote.

The Base Media Server features a unique, advanced 3D-interface.

The Base unit can be used in a single room or easily integrated into a whole home custom installation using the Link Clients and is controllable from many control systems, including Philips Pronto, iPhone, AMX and Crestron.

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First-Ever 3D FIFA World Cup

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SONY 3D

FIFA will produce the world's first FIFA World Cup in 3D (up to 25 of the 2010 matches) using Sony's 3D professional cameras.

"Global sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup are very important drivers of new technology, particularly in the TV market," explains Tom Morrod, Senior Analyst, TV Technology at Screen Digest.

"The news that the FIFA World Cup will be filmed in 3D for the first time will certainly increase the uptake rate of 3D TVs… As a result of this news, and an increasingly bullish industry outlook on 3D, Screen Digest has increased its forecast, and now estimates that 13.6m 3D TV sets will be installed in Europe by 2013."

Go Where Viewers will be able to enjoy FIFA 3D experiences

Blu-ray's New 3D Standard

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AMD at CES

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) releases the Blu-ray 3D, a long-awaited standard for full 1080p viewing of 3D movies on home TVs.

The first Blu-ray machines for 3D will be shown at CES in Las Vegas in January and shipping later this year. 3D movies (yes, Avatar!) will be play on these Blu-ray 3D machines (they can also play regular 2D disks). Current Blu-ray players can't handle the new 3D format, but maybe adapters will become available.

The spec is display-agnostic, able to deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display, whether LCD, Plasma or other technology (and regardless of what 3D technology the display uses to deliver the image). The new spec allows PS3 game consoles to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3D.

Blu-ray 3D calls for encoding 3D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2D content.

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NEC Shows Battery-Less Remote Control

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 NEC No Batteries Remote Control Prototype

In Japan, NEC Electronics shows a remote control prototype that works without using batteries.

Users generate a small amount of electricity through vibration when they push a button. NEC proves this can turn on or off a TV (or any CE appliance) and switch channels or control volume.

A powerful concept for a battery-less device...

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SCP's HDMI Extender

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SCP 948
At InfoComm, we saw the SCP 948 HDMI extender that uses CAT-5E/6 cable as transmission media.

The 948 offers solutions for digital entertainment center, HDTV retail and show site, HDTV, STB, DVD and projector factory, noise, space and security concerns, data center control, information distribution, conference room, presentation, school and corporate training environments.

Benefits from using HDMI EXTENDER SCP-948:

1) The length of HDMI cable is fixed and unchangeable after it is produced. Because the HDMI connector can only be soldered or terminated by professional worker in factory, the users cannot reduce or increase cable length. However CAT-5E/6 cables are available everywhere and be processed easily by user or installer.

2) By using SCP-948 the transmission distance for 1080P reaches 50 meters, 60 meters for 1080I. For general HDMI cables, cables must be customized when the length is over 10 meters.

3) HDMI EXTENDER 948 has the ability of buffering and amplifying. Series connection of SCP-948 achieves long distance transmission of HDMI signal. When two pairs or more SCP-948 are stacked together, they can be used to create a larger distribution(daisy chained.)

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World’s First Cinema Proportion TV

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Philips Shows World’s First Cinema Proportion TV

IFA holds its Press Conference each year well in advance of its late-August Berlin show. This year the trade show organizer came to Malta where industry sponsors demonstrated products to the more than 300 top technology journalists (including RAVE EUROPE).

Most interesting were the high end residential TV ranges like Loewe and the new Philips 21:9 cinema proportion TV. Philips linked their presentation to the new James Bond. Grab some popcorn and see the demo here…

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Dolby Plans to Bring 3D Home

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Dolby is talking with content providers about encoding its digital 3D technology into Blu-ray movies. Dolby is already a player in digital 3D cinema, now used on more than 400 screens in 24 countries.

Dolby's home 3D technology is designed so viewers would not be required to buy additional hardware. It would work on any 3D enabled TV(like Mitsubishi and Samsung) with a standard Blu-ray player.

Most 3D entertainment requires the use of glasses, but Dolby says its technology would support any glasses the TV maker specifies.

Home 3D so far lacks a unifying tech standard. Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) are working on ways to help standardize 3D home entertainment.

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