Unique Wiring Solutions

Are you a Skype user? Do you know Skype-enabled TVs will be available in the
spring of this year? In the last few weeks Skype announced its partnership
with LG, Panasonic and Samsung to offer Skype ready TV’s allowing phone
calls to be made on camera right from your couch or desk. To use Skype, TV
owners will have to add the Freetalk TV Camera. Custom webcams come with a
specialist microphone system that’s designed to pick up your voice from the
couch, plus they deliver great video quality. For now, follow skype.com for
updates.

We had a chance to install a few of these new media servers, and we would like to share our experiences. First, let’s explain what PSX-2 is, since everyone misconcepts the device as a mere iPod dock (which is a huge understatement, by the way).
At a first glance PSX-2 looks almost like a traditional iPod dock, but in reality it offers quite more than its looks promise.
First, it allows for complete integration with home network, which lets the user to stream virtually any media over Cat5 cable. NOTE that the iPod itself is not needed to stream.
Second, control capabilities. The device itself merges seamlessly with any URC remote control. If you happen to be a lucky owner of MX-6000, or MX-5000, you can view the meta-data (artist info, track number, a cool album thumbnail, etc.) right on your remote.
If installed by a professional installer [read: us, wink, wink ] you get an awesome media streaming solution which is guaranteed to work as intended. Think music, movies, home videos, that can be accessed at any time, regardless of the computer being used by your kid, or iPod nowhere to be found. On top of that, PSX-2 features an intuitive and colorful interface to help get you access to your media in a snap.

Red more about this cool product HERE

A new TiVo Premiere DVR is ready to be shipped to your house today -
available with 320GB  (TiVo Premiere $299) and 1TB (TiVo Premiere XL  $499).
Brand new redesigned HD interface, Picture-in-menu and access to the world’s
largest on-demand video stores such as Netflix , Blockbuster On Demand,
YouTube and Amazon Videos will make all new TiVo owners very happy with a
final product.  Premiere XL is also THX certified for premium audio and
digital quality.  Schedule recordings online or with your mobile phone with
an option to transfer your favorite shows to a laptop, an iPod or iPhone, a
PSP, or other compatible device and take them with you.   Are you ready for
TiVo Premiere? Please visit Tivo.com for order information and enjoy your
new TiVo 4 in just a few days.

With new technologies in TV manufacturing emerging, 3D TVs seem to be the hottest thing this season. Here is what you’ll need to get ready for full HD 3D experience in your home:

3D-ready HDTV

Active shutter 3D glasses

3D Blu-Ray DVD or any other 3D HDTV content, whether from a cable or satellite provider

Things to remember:

1. When you buy your 3D HDTV, it might (or might not) come with 3D glasses. Even if it does, it will include only one pair. So please consider your family members when making a 3D TV purchase.

2. In order to watch 3D Blu-Ray disks you will need a 3D enabled player. Also, a great quality HDMI cable is a must! (10.2GB transfer or higher will be needed)

3. If you have an existing HDMI switching receiver, make sure it is 3D passthrough compliant! Otherwise connect the 3D Blu-Ray directly to the TV (you will still be able to use your existing receiver for digital sound, but you will have to use an optical or digital coax cable for audio transfer) – This is extremely important, since non-3D compliant receivers will not be able to deliver the performance of the 3D disk, and will most likely break the experience.

4. 3D content, although extremely sought after, will be very limited this year. There will be only a few movies released until December (one of them being “A Christmas Carol”, just in time for the holidays). ESPN promised to release a 3D channel by June of 2010, but the release date will vary by area – it is best that you check with your cable or satellite provider. NOTE!: your existing cable or satellite equipment will most likely have to be upgraded, and availability (based on my past experiences with all TV service providers) will be limited, so don’t wait until last minute to get that upgrade out of the way.

5. Buy for the future: even though the 3D content will be limited this year, the picture quality will be dramatically better when compared to traditional 2D TVs.

6. IMPORTANT! 3D HDTV isn’t for everyone! Lots of people have experienced headaches and eye strain from watching 3D content, and over a million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with stereo blindness. To make sure you don’t throw your money away, do yourself a favor and visit your local cinema to see a 3D movie, like “Avatar 3D” or “How To Train Your Dragon 3D”, and learn from that experience.  (Remember to perform this test on all members of your family, don’t be selfish!).

I will do my best to keep you updated on new products related to 3D technology, so check back often.

Still Two More Days to Attend the Most Important Event Ever

EHX Spring 2010 opened today and thousands of CE Pros affirmed this is the most important event they will attend to grow their business. There are still two days to join us at EHX Spring, taking place March 25-27 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Make sure you come back for Friday and Saturday to get the most of everything EHX has to offer. Haven’t signed up yet? Take advantage of EHX’s special $75 pricing and register for your New Opportunities Pass with Priority Code 75CONNECT (everyone else pays $99 at the show).