entertainment

Integra has announced major audio and video upgrades to its DTR-20, '30, '40 and '50 series of THX-Certified home theater receivers. The new DTR-20.3, DTR-30.3, DTR-40.3, and DTR-50.3 offers advanced networking and USB capabilities, which were only available on last year's DTR-40.2 and higher models. The range also offers more connectivity options for external devices, increased video processing with Marvell Qdeo, IDT HQV Vida™ VHD1900, and better audio quality with Audyssey's MultEQ XT, Dolby Volume and dual subwoofer preamp outputs.

The Onkyo TX-NR1009 available from today is the first of the company’s line of AV Receivers to offer nine channel audio entertainment and to feature DTS Neo:X multidimensional audio technology. Now user can attach up to nine loudspeakers with distinct direction clues that enhance the height and space dimensions of a home theater room beyond the capabilities of current seven channel systems—creating a lifelike 3-D soundscape.

Canadians with Samsung’s SMART Televisions, Blu-ray players and Home Theatre systems will soon be able to stream entertainment services from Zip.ca, a provider of on-demand movie and television content.  According to Samsung Electronics Canada, a Zip.ca application is coming soon to Samsung’s home entertainment systems which allows Zip.ca members the ability to instantly watch movies and TV episodes from Zip.ca.

Tesco has announced plans to move into the video-on-demand market with the acquisition of Blinkbox, a video-on-demand start-up.  They now have an 80 per cent share in the company which they bought from private equity firms Eden Ventures and Nordic Venture Partners.  Blinkbox movie-streaming service has been in operation since 2008. So far the firm has grown its movie catalogue to over 9,000 Hollywood titles plus a host of television series.

According the Strategy Analytics, the connected home market will see a turnover of more than $1 billion this year.  The report titled, “Internet Radio and Connected Home Audio Devices (CHAD): Connecting Homes with Music,” found that a total of 3.3 million connected in-home audio devices were sold last year an increase of 57 per cent on previous year.  The report also found that the user demographics of current CHAD owners are skewed toward young and male user groups.

State Grid FibrLINK has entered into a strategic agreement with Mobinex, a Human Expression Analysis and Rendering Technology (H.E.A.R.T) supplier, to extend its TeliDH platform. State Grid FibrLINK will combine its TeliDH Digital Home products with Mobinex's H.E.A.R.T to develop and operate a digital home platform in China.

Cablevision has extends its digital TV service with the launch of the Optimum App. for the Apple iPad.  The new app allows you to access hundreds of channels and video on demand (VOD) services on your iPad in the comfort of your home.  The application delivers the full cable television experience to the Apple tablet device, and allows the iPad to function as a handheld television.  The service is free to Optimum cable television customers.

Onkyo has released a new home cinema AV receiver with Spotify,  the online music subscription service. The new affordable TX-NR609 receiver will allow access to the Spotify music service straight from your television, if you are a Spotify premium member.  The new AV receivers offers the latest in connectivity and high quality surround sound solutions from THX, Audyssey and Dolby.

Samsung last week unveil its new line of consumer electronics for 2011 at its Samsung Experience show.  The event demonstrated everything Samsung; from Television, Tablets, notebooks, cameras and more. Among the many new products features and functionality, Samsung want to highlight its new connectivity concept called the Nth- Screen. The concept is driving Samsung’s vision to offer seamless connectivity and interoperability between devices.

Wyplay has announced plans to demonstrate its Wyplay Studio Design Center at this year’s IPTV World Forum in London. As a connected home solution Wyplay platform is use by some to the world’s leading operators to provide TV services. The Wyplay Studio platform allows broadcaster and telecom operators to delivers high quality end user experiences.