Swinging over to Building B revealed some interesting exhibits and new product introductions in the custom A/V space.

First, is the latest gaming chair from D-Box, a Canadian-based company. At $4,100, it doesn't sound like an entry-level product, but the company is marketing it as such considering it sits side-by-side in the line with a $13,000 model. This chair, the GPH-120, is a hybrid gaming/home theatre chair with dual actuators that supply motion in sync with compatible games and movies. Finished in bright orange and black, the chair comes with a platform for mounting a steering wheel, and a small side table for placing a mouse (typically used in fighter games). Currently, D-Box motion coding is embedded into 12 PC games (no gaming console support just yet), but the company expects to add 20 more by mid 2010. Hundreds of movie titles already feature D-Box motion coding.

Two years ago when I saw California-based Pantel at CEDIA EXPO, the company had just begun offering its waterproof LCD TVs, and had limited inventory to ship. Today, Pantel was displaying a full line of waterproof TVs in various sizes, as well as mirror TVs for use in bathrooms or by the hot tub or pool. All models can operate in temperatures as cold as -32 degrees Farenheit or as hot as 140 degrees, and are viewable in direct sunlight. The company also has a line of digital signage products for the commercial end of the market, including touch-screen monitors. Retail pricing would be about US$5,000 for a 42" LCD. Pantel's Ryan Moody says that dealers can make up to 30 points on all models; something typically unheard of these days in the display market. Pantel currently does not have distributor representation in Canada, although its products are sold direct to dealers here.

Also offering a waterproof TV is Seura, but this model is geared toward indoor bathroom use rather than outside. The TV is available at 19" and 1" thin, is fully waterproof, and will be shipping at the end of the month in a variety of colour options. Seura products are available in Canada through BC-based Trends Electronics.

The home theatre and the PC (or Mac) have long worked together to complement one another, but never more so than at this year's CEDIA has this synergy been fully recognized. Clickfree, the Canadian company that makes portable back-up drives, was at the show promoting its latest models, which integrators can use to back up contents for a client, like PC files, music, and videos. The easy part is that Clickfree drives pride themselves on being 100% plug-and-play: connect the device via USB, and the built-in software immediately runs, backing up all your files. This means that the client has the capability to back up his own files as needed; an added value for convenience on both the client and integrator side.

Back to Building C, and there was further evidence of PC/TV synchronization. Pioneer might be getting out of the plasma business, but the company is already venturing into new product categories, many of which were on display at the show. One is the new iPod/iPhone dock, the XW-NAS3. But most notable is a new concept product unofficially named eTap or Entertainment Tap. It's a 1TB hard drive/media server that can store music (MP3, FLAC, PCM), DVDs, and photos, rip CDs and Blu-ray discs (as per new packaged Blu-ray protocol; standard DVDs cannot be ripped). The device, which likely won't see the light of day until next summer, will come with a Zigbee two-way remote, the ability to accept NAS drives for added storage space, and Control 4 compatibility. Central to the system is the customized and proprietary user interface: click on a Blu-ray movie or song and there's a button that allows you to instantly buy a hard copy of it (or download a digital copy) via WiFi or Ethernet connection to the Internet (Partners in the U.S. are Amazon and Best Buy.) You can instantly fetch lyrics for a song that's playing. View a movie trailer, then click a button to find out what movie theatres near you are playing that film, when, and then buy tickets right from your living room, using your TV. Additionally, you can Twitter from the UI. The oddest function, however, is the ability to play back video at 2x the speed, yet still maintain the pitch of the audio. "It's for people who don't have time to watch the entire show," notes Pioneer. "So a one hour program can be viewed in half an hour." While that feature might have some scratching their heads, the product represents an interesting new venture for Pioneer that will certainly make waves once it becomes available.

CEDIA EXPO 2009 was the first time Toshiba's inaugural Blu-ray player was shown, and it's a stunner. The mirrored front flip-down cover boasts attractive, raised lines on either side, and the digital display can still be viewed through it once the flap is closed. The thin-profile player, which will sell for $279, will come to market along with a new XDE model, an up-converting DVD player series that Toshiba introduced about a year ago. The XDE-600, a step-up from the previous-generation ‘500, adds a USB input for playing back photos and videos. It will sell for $99, representing a significant price difference in comparison to the Blu-ray, and clearly indicating that these two products serve very different markets.

Complementing Toshiba's flagship SV670 LED-backlit Regza LCD TV was a demo that visually illustrated the picture quality difference between local dimming LED backlit technology and CCFL. On the left, we saw the 55" LED backlit model and, on the right, a same-sized model with CCFL technology. Displayed on the monitor was a white ship, surrsounded by a black background. Both displays, according to a Toshiba representative, were in sports mode, which means further setting adjustments could improve the picture in either. But the evidence was still striking nonetheless: the LED backlit panel produced much better darks, more vibrant whites, and an all together more natural-looking picture.

Samsung claims to have the "world's first" soundbar with a built-in Blu-ray player in the HTBD8200. Already available in Canada, the slim $999 unit comes with a matching wireless 300-watt sub, and features the familiar Touch of Colour accents. Specs include 2.1 Dolby, PC streaming capability, BD Live, wireless LAN, USB slot, and the ability to access YouTube content with a software upgrade. It ships with a wall mount.

Another area Pioneer is stepping into is soundbars, offering its first model with 250 watts via its left and right, as well as two centres speakers. At $599, it will include a wireless sub, and is sized to fit perfectly underneath a 37" or 40" TV. While piano black is the current colour offering, Bruce Schepers, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Pioneer Canada, says we may see other colours come to fruition, including a vibrant Ferrari red.

Also showing off what it deems to be a "world's first" is Sharp with a 60" LCD to sit between the 65" and 52" models. At $3,999, it's $1,000 cheaper than the new 65" model; a significant difference for many customers. As part of the E77 Series, the LCD (which incorporates CCFL not LED backlighting technology), boasts a 10-bit panel and 120 Hz refresh rate. The demo showing on the display was recognizable from previous shows: youngsters dancing up a storm in bright green, yellow, red, and blue outfits. However, one look and it's obvious why Sharp continues to use the disc: it reveals the TV's ability to accurately reproduce colour, along with blacks and whites (albeit not as well as new LED models, which are, on average, $1,000 more expensive).

Onward and upward to Day Three, which will likely be less busy than the previous two days. Stay tuned!

Sharp Canada's Andrew Thompson poses with the company's new 60" LCD; potentially the first LCD of this size in North America.

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