Yamaha YSP-4000
We first saw the Yamaha YSP-4000 Sound Projector in use at CES 2007. At that time we were quite impressed that a single unit could generate a 5.1 sound field.
For those of you who are not familiar with what the Yamaha Sound Projector, it is single unit resembling an oversized center channel that decodes surround sound and generates multi-channel experience by bouncing sound waves off the walls in your room. The advantages are obvious, no running of speaker wire, easy placement of a single component, no clutter!
This type of device is ideal for an apartment dweller or for use in a master bedroom, or for the person who wants surround sound but doesn't want to deal with the installation of a multi piece system. You connect your source components to the Sound Projector and then connect and HDMI output to the TV. The YSP-4000 on supports two HDMI inputs.
The 4000 also supports two component, three composite, and two digital optical and coaxial audio inputs. Once all the connections were made you connect a microphone and start the automatic room calibration. This took a few times to get it to run successfully. There are some requirements about where you can place the microphone in relation to the Sound Projector. This may limit how well the surround performs.
In general the microphone needs down the centerline of the Sound Projector and no more than 1 meter above or below. Due to the room's dimensions that it was installed in, we had to move the orientation of the 4000 to get a calibration that succeeded. The unit also supports an iPod dock and XM Radio module. We received both and installed them into the unit. Each has a port on the back of the unit and only took a few seconds to install.
One word of caution on the XM Radio unit: If you don't have a South facing window near the unit you won't be able to receive XM radio. The unit also supports a subwoofer. Our tests did not include one but we strongly recommend that you use one for the full surround experience. A nice feature of the 4000 is that it can store three calibration setups in memory. This is very important because the room configuration is important to the experience.
In our case we ran two calibrations, one with the windows and blinds open and one with them closed. The Sound Projector produced a better experience with the windows and blinds closed. However, if I did not run a calibration with the windows open the surround experience would have been completely lost.
There is also a feature called "My Beam" that directs all the audio to your sitting position eliminating any surround effects. It has clear diagrams for optimal room placement. This will save you some grief if you have a room that the projector just won't work in. Performance After hearing how good the YSP-4000 sounded at CES and CEDIA we were hoping for the best. But if we were able to get any sort of multi channel sound we'd call it a success.
The answer is that for Ara's wife the sound was fantastic and for Ara, just 20 inches to her right, the sound was good. Due to the positioning of the microphone per the instructions the optimal sound was on Ara's wife's side of the bed when she sits up. In that position it the surround sound was very strong.
During Harry Potter I would look at the wall next to me in amazement. There is no speaker there but the sound was definitely coming from the wall just above my head. The experience was not as good on Ara's side of the bed. While the sound was far more expansive it was not as pinpoint. It was still an improvement over the TV speakers alone. This drove home the fact that the proper placement of the speaker makes a big difference.
We ran a final setup with the unit in a position that was not acceptable to the wife but more conducive to the proper calibration. For this last test the microphone was place right down the middle of the bed. In this case both my wife and I were able to hear surround sound as if we had speakers above our heads. The sound projector really works well if placed properly. The other area that was tested was music playback. We were quite pleased with how well the 4000 produced music.
There was a good sense of stereo and openness. HT Guys Advice The Sound Projector is an amazing device that makes setting up a home theater simple. While it's true that you can buy a traditional home theater surround sound system for less, you can't buy one that is easier to install. Just be sure to read the User's Manual first to make sure that the Yamaha YSP-4000 will work in your room layout.
ADSG was the R&D unit of the sound department producing products for movie theaters and movie studios. Two of the products they worked on include the DCP-1000 and DADR-5000. The DCP is a digital cinema processor used in movie theaters around the world. The DADR-5000 is a disk-based audio dubber used on Hollywood sound stages.
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Keywords:sound, sound projector, surround sound, sound stages, sound buy, sound department, sound coming, sound expansive, sound harry, sound speakers
Lenovo A600 First Look Review
Check out our first look of the new IdeaCentre A600 and see what Lenovo has up its sleeve with this new All-In-One desktop. The front bezel is comprised of glass which also covers the screen to protect it from fingerprints and scratches. Underneath the screen is a speaker bar that tucks back towards the hinge, which besides looking great also is a functional space to push your keyboard up into for storage.
The top and side edges are mostly closed off, textured with a rough matte finish at the top, and changing to a smooth glossy finish at the bottom near the ports and slot-loading optical drive. Along the bottom edge and a small band on the rear cover are the only vents for the case, with straight slots or right angle corners making up the holes. I am almost ashamed to admit it, but it took me a while to spot the slot-loading optical drive.
It blends in very well near one of the panel transition lines, and fits with the design of the computer. Overall I think the A600 is probably one of the best looking All-In-One desktops I have seen. Build quality of the case and included accessories is well above average. The front glass panel covering the screen feels very durable and will likely hold up well over time.
There are some minor optical distortions on the glass surface that you can see when the screen is off or showing black backgrounds that looks odd, but it is not visible in any other situation. The case is made from thick rugged plastic, with no flex or creaking even when you are lugging the entire computer from room to room.
The screen hinge lets you pivot the display forward about 15 degrees or back 5 degrees and stays put to the adjusted position. The keyboard is one of the nicer wireless units we have seen in the office, sporting a very thin profile, and featuring mouse controls with an onboard touchpad.
The coolest feature of the A600 IdeaCentre by far is the media remote gyroscopic mouse VOIP handset game controller. It can work as a presentation controller, moving the pointer around the screen with basic gyroscopic control, with left and right mouse buttons located near the center of the remote. It also has full controls for Windows Media Center and can function as a wireless handset to make calls through VOIP software, with a microphone and speaker built into it.
Finally it acts as a Wiimote style controller for various included games, using the gyroscopic control to interact with games. I personally think Lenovo should advertise this as the all-in-one remote with included desktop computer, since it is clearly the main attraction.
Performance System performance with the Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD3650 is very good for both regular users and power-users that might enjoy using the computer for typing documents in the early evening, and switching to some light gaming or HD movie watching late at night.
The system can handle most previous generation games without a problem as long as the resolution is scaled back from 1920x1080 down to 1280x720 and minor tweaks are made to the detail settings. For its intended market the system is more than capable for what it will be put through on a day-to-day basis. Lenovo has really been making strides to come out with new and exciting hardware, to help change the public perception that they are business-only with the ThinkPad and ThinkCentre name handing over their heads.
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Keywords:screen, screen showing, screen basic, screen feels, screen speaker, screen protect, screen hinge, covers screen, pointer screen, surface screen
Flip Video Mino HD
The first thing you notice when you open the Mino HD is how small it is. Using the Mino is a snap. It recharges via USB, so you plug it into your computer for three hours and it's all set to go. When you're ready to capture some video you simply turn it on and hit the big red record button. While recording you can zoom in and zoom out.
After recording a clip, you can watch it back with full volume control and even delete it immediately if it didn't turn out like you'd hoped. When you're done shooting all the video you need, all you have to do is plug it back into the computer and start working with the clips. The Mino HD includes a simple video application right on the camera, so you can watch, save, edit, email, post to the web - just about anything - without installing a single program.
The application, called FlipShare, is very basic, but it does enough to allow a novice user to do the essentials. It runs on both Windows and Mac OS, so everyone should be happy.
FlipShare features: Video and save clips recorded on the Mino HD Cut pieces of clips out with a very simple interface Tie videos together to make movies, including optional background music Email video clips to friends and family Email video greeting cards Post videos directly to the Internet, with support for AOL Video, MySpace and YouTube Prepare videos to be burned to DVD The Mino HD has 4 GB of built in memory that can record up to 60 minutes of footage.
The memory isn't expandable, so you need to get everything recorded in an hour. It records in 720p, 1280 x 720, 16:9 widescreen at 30 fps. The video actually looks really good. It is stored as an MPEG4 file using H.264 and AAC audio. The camera doesn't have image stabilization, so you have to stay pretty still if you want the image to look as good as possible.
The audio sounds good when you're close to the sound source or if the source is really loud. The further away the source is, the worse it becomes. When we briefly mentioned the Mino HD on Episode 335 and reported that it didn't have direct video output capabilities. We were wrong. It does have direct video output, but only in standard definition. You can plug the composite video cable directly into the Mino HD and play your videos back on any TV.
The quality will be better if you burn them to DVD, though. Our Mino HD happens to be black, and we think it's pretty cool looking. As a consumer, though, if you get yours through the Flip Video Store, you can completely customize the look of the camcorder. You can choose from pre-designed patterns and images from the design gallery, upload your own image and even use a pattern generator to create your own, custom, one of a kind Mino HD that shows your unique personality.
The custom designs don't cost any more than the standard black one that we have. Overall the Mino HD is awesome. While it won't replace a true camcorder, and it isn't going to get you into the wedding video business, it is extremely portable and very easy to use.
Imagine how many more video clips you would have and how many more memories would be preserved in high definition if your camcorder fit in your pocket easier than your cell phone. It's so easy to take with you, the possibilities just completely unfold. In the short time we had it, we took video of events we never would have recorded before because of the hassle associated with it. The Mino really is hassle-free HD.
The Flip gets all the press, but the Vado has 8GB of memory AND HDMI output at 720p. We've had a lot of fun with it. ADSG was the R&D unit of the sound department producing products for movie theaters and movie studios. Two of the products they worked on include the DCP-1000 and DADR-5000.
The DCP is a digital cinema processor used in movie theaters around the world. The DADR-5000 is a disk-based audio dubber used on Hollywood sound stages. ADSG was awarded a Technical Academy Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2000 for the development of the DADR-5000. Ara holds three patents for his development work in Digital Cinema and Digital Audio Recording. Every week they put together a podcast about High Definition TV and Home Theater.
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Keywords:video, video clips, video output, email video, video business, video cable, video events, video store, video myspace, video stored