NewerTech announces the HDMI Headless Video Accelerator-- an adapter fitting in Mac mini HDMI ports allowing customers to create "headless" Mac minis for as storage and media servers.

The adapter fools the Mac mini into thinking a display is attached, meaning video drivers are loaded and GPU is fully activated for 100% full video performance, with no choppy images or mouse lag.

Being small and portable the Mac mini often finds use as a "headless" networking, storage, production studio media and home theater servers with no monitor, keyboard or mouse. However a Mac mini without a monitor fails to use the GPU, leading to slowdown and stuttering performance.

Kaleidescape launches the Encore portfolio at CEDIA Expo 2015-- a home theatre product line including the first 4K/UHD player from the company, the Strato Movie Player.

The Strato plays 4K resolution media at up to 60fps, with high dynamic range and lossless multichannel audio support. It carries an optional internal 6TB HDD able to store either 100 4K movies, 150 Blu-ray quality movies or 900 DVD quality movies, and can be paired with other Encore components, such as the Terra Movie Server.

The Terra simultaneously streams 4K movies to up to 7 Strato players (or Blu-ray quality video to up to 15 players), enables system configurations with up to 50 players and provides players with performance-enhancing computing and caching services. Storage comes through 24TB HDD.

Denon launches the AR-X6200W-- a network AVR featuring custom-made Denon High Current Transistors (DHCT) and support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding inside a discrete monolithic design.

It carries a 9-channel amplifier with 204W per channel, as well as Denon's D.D.S.C.-HD (Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit High Definition) with A24 Processing Plus and high quality D/A converters. It is capable of 11.2-channel processing, while the addition of a 2-channel power amplifier allows Dolby Atmos experiences with up to 7.1.4 or 9.1.2 configurations.

The Marantz 2015 network A/V receiver lineup gets a pair of additions-- the SR6010 and SR7010, both featuring wifi and Bluetooth connectivity as well as the latest processing technology and ease-of-setup.

The SR6010 is the 7:2-channel option, featuring 110W of power together with a combination of  HDAM (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module) technology and Marantz Reference Series components promising low-noise wideband performance in an all-discrete configuration.

It supports a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos configuration, but the 9-channel processor allows for 5.1.4 and 7.1.2 configurations through the addition of an external 2-channel amp. Marantz adds the AVR is DTS:X-ready, and the DTS NeuralX up-mixer able to create more immersive soundfields with any number of speakers.

YZC Electronics, maker smart home remote control IR extender systems, launches their new, versatile dual frequency-coded IR extender, the Flat IR Blaster.

The maker describes the Flat IR Blaster as “a breakthrough in the AV industry” in the IR Extender sector because you can now power up by a simple DC 3v CR2032 button battery.

Installers and their consumers now no longer need a DC adaptor to power up their IR Extenders. The designed-in low power consumption lets Flat IR Blaster’s replaceable battery last for up to 18 months.

If that isn’t enough to make installers happy, consider that the Flat IR Blaster is the only one of its kind in the market with flat cable features.

Customers wishing to replicate the social cinema experience without leaving the comfort of their homes might soon get a virtual reality equivalent through a VR headset and an online-capable version of the Oculus Cinema app.

Essentially Oculus Cinema is a media player app, if one claiming to be "the next best thing to owning your own personal multiplex." Currently available on the Samsung Gear smartphone-powered headset, it allows users to watch movies within a virtual cinema complete with rows of seats and simulated ambient screen lighting. However the virtual cinema is technically incomplete, since the seats surrounding the viewer are empty.

However the situation should change soon enough, as Oculus founder Palmer Luckey tells Road to VR the company plans to add online social features to the Oculus Cinema app, such as multiplayer modes.