Unique Wiring Solutions, Inc | AV Blog
Audio / Video Installation Blog & News
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Sony Walkman X: Superior Hardware, Inferior Software
August 19th, 2009
Paul B
College is the perfect time to experiment with strange new things. Why not start with a portable media player that isn’t made by Apple?
On the surface, the most unsexily monikered NWZ-X1051 is everything we’d expect from Sony’s next-gen Walkman. It covers the obvious bases (music), sprinkles in some goodies (video playback), and caps it all off with a bright 3-inch OLED touchscreen (fancy!).
As a music powerhouse, the X1051 definitely makes the grade. In addition to supporting the standard file types, Sony threw in both FM radio and internet radio chops, courtesy of Slacker. Although these are great additions in their own right, they made for awesome additions to the X1051’s MP3 chops. Tired of listening to your English Lit lecture? Pop on some tunes. Sick of your selection? Try the radio. No luck there? Then fire up your own personalized radio station via Slacker. With all these options at our disposal there was rarely a moment where we weren’t bumping tunes.
Sony took a similar multi-tiered approach to the video. Not only did the X1051 play back our H.264, MPEG-4 and WMV video files, but it also has YouTube access baked in (Wi-Fi permitting). Though the quality of web video was a bit herky-jerky, it was definitely on par with other mobile devices we’ve used. Otherwise, locally stored video clips ran smoothly and looked great on the 432 x 240 screen.Unfortunately, the biggest hitch was the web browser. Smallish icons and hyperlinks made navigating with the touchscreen a chore, and for some reason the proprietary browser would slap some funky formatting on the occasional (cough, Wired.com). This was a bit of a downer given the otherwise well-appointed X1051, but ultimately a small price to pay given all the included goodies and the iPod-taunting price point.
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Motorized TV Mounting Solutions
August 19th, 2009
Paul B
Possibilities are endless when it comes to motorizing and/or concealment of your flat panel.
Below are a few examples what you can do to make all your friends jaws hit that hardwood floor of yours.
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Sony PS3 Slim for $299
August 19th, 2009
Paul B
Sony PlayStation 3 to be released September 1st at an attractive price point ($299.99).
New PS3 is just around a corner, with its release date scheduled for September 1st. New model retains all features of of the older PS3. Per Sony, it is 36 percent lighter, 33 percent smaller and it comes with a 120 gigabyte hard drive.
Great news to those who want the PS3 but don’t care about its new look: the older PS3 model now retails for a mere $100.
In addition, PS3 has become a most price-efficient Bluray player out there. At a $100 price range there no question this gaming system has become a solid competition to all stand-alone Bluray disk players, which start at roughly $199 and up.
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Logitec makes routers fashionable again with ultraslim LAN-W300N/R
August 17th, 2009
Paul B
Logitec makes routers fashionable again with ultraslim LAN-W300N/R
It’s part PS2 Slim, part AspireRevo. And according to Logitec, the LAN-W300N/R is the company’s thinnest 802.11n router ever. Measuring just 7 millimeters thick at its thinnest and 24 millimeters thin at its thickest, this ultra-glossy wireless router packs a pair of inbuilt antennas, four LAN ports, a WAN socket and an AC input. Beyond that, the device seems relatively unmoving, with a ¥9,100 ($95) price tag and a late August release over in Japan.
via www.engadgethd.com.
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TiVo turns on custom RSS video feed support
August 17th, 2009
Paul B
More than a year after dropping video podcast support into TiVo Desktop 2.6, the company will let users download them directly to their Series3, TiVo HD and HD XL set-top boxes.
This allows expansion beyond its own directory of web videos, allowing users to stream instantly, download a single episode, or setup a Season Pass (subscription) and download them automatically. As Dave Zatz points out the press release mentions supporting h.264, but offers no specifics on resolution or bitrate. Check out TiVo’s site for more info on setting it up either through the box or creating a compatible feed, and let us know if your preferred web series are working yet.
via www.engadgethd.com.
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Niles Launches the TS-Pro Wall-Mount Color Touchscreen
August 16th, 2009
Paul B
Simple yet Powerful Plug-and-Play Controller for the ZR-6 MultiZone Receiver
Niles Audio Corporation, The First Name in Custom Installation, is now shipping the TS-Pro wall-mount color touchscreen: an advanced, customizable control solution for Niles’ award-winning ZR-6 MultiZone Receiver. The easy-to-use TS-Pro features a high-contrast, 3.5” color touchscreen with a crisp, easy-to-read graphical user interface (GUI) and convenient hard keys that control frequently used functions such as volume and power on/off.
Easily configured without a laptop computer, the system integrator simply connects the TS-Pro to the ZR-6 and the system programming is automatically loaded. Also, system changes made in one TS-Pro are automatically populated to all other TS-Pros in the system.
“The TS-Pro is both simple to install and easy to use, delivering a perfect blend of functionality and flexibility in the form of an elegant, color touchscreen control,” said Frank Sterns, president of Niles Audio. “We designed the TS-Pro to be a true plug-and-play upgrade solution for Niles ZR-6 MultiZone System users that desire a richer, more contemporary control interface,” Sterns added.
The TS-Pro is available now for a MSRP of $799.95.
