Jabra has worked together with Dolby to provide an even better music listening experience to consumers. With these new line-up of headphones comes support for Dolby’s Digital Plus technology. Users can download Jabra’s exclusive sound app for iOS and Android devices to enhance their music listening experience, similar to how Beats Audio devices are optimized for Beats Audio’s headphones.

Jabra emphasizes that its new lineup of headsets are able to be “used and abused”. The Jabra REVO headphones are built using steel aluminum frame, steel hinges, a shatter-proof headband. The Jabra VOX has tangle-free, durable cables that won’t tear apart when pulled too roughly. So you can spend the small fortune to purchase these headsets, and not have to worry about them breaking within a short amount of time.

The Jabra REVO headphones and Jabra VOX earphones are now available on both Amazon and Dell’s websites. You can purchase the Jabra REVO Wireless Bluetooth headphone for $249.99, the Jabra REVO corded headphone for $199.99, and the Jabra VOX earphones for $99.99. For those of you who don’t know, Jabra is a renown brand in the audio business, and has recently won the Red Dot Design Award, an award given to the “best in design and business”.

Hardware

The 10.1-inch display on this device has 1920 x 1200 pixels and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The tablet is 8.8mm thin and weighs 580g – that’s just a bit heavier than it it seems like it should be given the aesthetics of the device. This just means that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, which is 20g heavier than the MediaPad, seems light simply because it’s got plastic on the outside, giant-looking speakers on the front, and a pen built-in. The MediaPad 10 FHD on the other hand does too good a job of hiding it all – but the speakers can certainly be heard loud and clear.

The speakers on this device are nice – Dolby Surround Sound back them up and you do indeed get some impressive blasts when you hold the device the right way or have it propped up with a stand or up against a wall. What I mean is that, like the rest of the past generation of tablets out there, the speakers on this unit are facing the back. Even though we would like them to face the front, they still sound nicer than the vast majority of the smart devices out there – and that includes smartphones.

Above: Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD pictured with its release buddy, the Huawei Ascend D1 quad XL

This device is available in 8, 16, or 32GB internal memory configurations – there’s no microSD slot, so choose wisely on that internal number right out of the box. The battery is 6600 mAh large, you’ll be connecting to the device for charging with a unique port at the bottom. The bottom of this tablet also shows a couple of ports that allow for the keyboard accessory which – sadly – we have not worked with at this time.

The display on this device is relatively sharp at 1920 x 1200 pixels, that placing the pixel density at 224 PPI, well below the iPad 4th gen’s 263.92 PPI and in a different league compared to the Google Nexus 10 which has 300 PPI. If you’ve seen neither of these tablets up close and personal before, you’ll find the MediaTab FHD to be rather bright and sharp.

The tablet is not unlike many, many other high-end tablets on the market right this minute, coming rather close to the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in its appearance and feel – it’s as if Huawei has taken a dash of Apple metal-love and placed it in a mixing pot with the Galaxy Tab 10.1, and out popped the MediaPad we’re looking at today.

Software and Performance

The Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich you see here is ever-so-slightly modified beyond its vanilla state. It’s not the abilities you’ll have added, but the slight side-steps you’ll be taking that really show you where Huawei was going with the user interface here. One example is the complete absence of an apps drawer – you’ll have everything out in the open here like MIUI or iOS rather than home screens and an app drawer separate.

There are also some slight changes in your standard settings in how you’ll be able to work with your device, but nothing to absolutely write home about. This device is not made to be competing directly with the US market for tablet dominance, so it’s not difficult to see why Huawei wouldn’t push too hard on the features list, especially in the software. You can play movies you’ve downloaded or transferred to the tablet with the standard movie playing app, you can play some MP3s if you wish, or you can straight up rely on Google’s suite of media-playing apps, which certainly is a viable option with Google’s family as mature as it is at the moment.

Above you’re seeing the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD next to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and a 3rd generation iPad with Retina display. They don’t look or feel all that different from one another when they’ve got their displays turned off, that’s for sure. See if you can name each tablet by their corners and edges!

Then have a peek at a few benchmarks taking note that this tablet works with Huawei’s own quad-core processor (quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A9 to be exact) but doesn’t quite beat out the competition in a standardized competition. You’ll be able to run many high-powered applications here but don’t expect much more power than you had with your NVIDIA Tegra 2 tablet – don’t be fooled by a simple addition of a couple cores to the name. Have a peek once more at the hands-on video above to see how well it does in everyday switching between apps and you’ll see the truth.

Camera and Battery

This device works essentially as well as the rest of the top-tier Android universe as far as battery life goes, with a massive 6600mAh battery under the hood to keep you up all night. What happens with a tablet – unless you carry it with you all day long – is that you leave it asleep for the major part of your day. When you do this, the machine gets a relatively unfair advantage over the smartphone you’ve got in your pocket as far as battery life goes because it’s not getting punched in the gut all day long with mobile data. It’s true too with this Huawei tablet: because you’re not prone to using it all day long, you’ll be getting several days of battery life if you use it regularly (or 26 days if you don’t use it at all). If you’re a heavy user, expect as short a battery life as 8 hours.

The camera is OK, certainly nothing to write home about. It’s utterly blown away by competitors such as the HTC Jetstream and the Google Nexus 10 tablet from Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1‘s camera takes the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD to the cleaners even though the Note has 5 megapixels under the hood and the MediaPad has 8 – food for thought. The video it captures, on the other hand, is fairly nice.

Wrap-up

This device is a rather nice addition to the Android tablet universe, and certainly offers up a unique option where otherwise you’d be handling either a Samsung tablet or going over to Apple for an iPad. If you’re thinking about grabbing the highest quality Android tablet on the market today, I would still personally point you toward the Galaxy Note 10.1 simply due to its much more well-rounded ecosystem and matured device family. [See: "Smart Device specs are over, long live the ecosystem" column for more information.]

If on the other hand you want to take a fresh look at the Android tablet and don’t mind that your device looks strikingly similar to an original Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Huawei is here to back you up. The speaker system is strong, the display is fairly nice, and you’ll definitely be the only one on your block with this tablet, guaranteed. The cost of this device for anyone outside of China will certainly be prohibitive at $600 USD or more, on the other hand, so unless you can get this machine for next-to-nothing, you’ll be better off skipping it and waiting for Huawei to present a more complete package – and a wider release, to boot.

This announcement has Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom Inc., bringing this news to ShowEast 2012 where they’ve made it clear that they’re aiming for the latest in technical achievements as well as cinematic storytelling with this new beast of a film. With the Dolby hardware and software they’ll be using here, the biggest and the best can be a reality, especially since Academy Award winner Andy Nelson and multiple Academy Award nominee Anna Behlmer are up in the re-recording mix laboratory for the Dolby Atmos mix.

Academy Award winner Ben Burtt and multiple Academy Award nominee Matt Wood are the supervising sound editors for this project as well, bringing a revolution to the sound experience with a “new level of creative control” afforded by Dolby. This experience is said to be bringing the “full impact of the sound mix” regardless of the configuration of the theater in which you’re experiencing Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013.

“We are in the incredible and lucky position to have access to the latest technology, the best possible tools, and the most talented artists in the business. We are therefore thrilled to announce that we will be employing the amazingly immersive Dolby Atmos audio system to bring the Star Trek into Darkness soundtrack to life.” – Abrams

Oddly this does not mean that every theater will have a certified Dolby Atmos experience – a list of theaters selected to show “Star Trek into Darkness in Dolby Atmos” will be released closer to the release date of the film. This film was written by Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci and is produced by the same trio along with Abrams. The film will be produced by the four through Bad Robot Productions and, again, will be directed by Abrams. SlashGear will be continuing to cover Star Trek Into Darkness until it’s released – stay tuned!

The Dolby sound technology will be integrated into the UltraViolet Common File Format. UltraViolet is the platform for the digital distribution of movies from major motion picture studios. This news comes right after we learned that Fox would be releasing its movies weeks before the official DVD and Blu-ray release using UltraViolet.

The first film Fox release early will be the science fiction flick Prometheus. One of the best features of UltraViolet is that the digital format is consistent across all UltraViolet retailers. These digital files can also be moved between all supported devices and applications.

Dolby says that the use of its Dolby Digital Plus technology will allow the content encoding providers to provide consumers with the sound experience envisioned by the music artist, director, or sound designer. Dolby says that it’s working with companies, including castLabs, Digital Rapids, and Elemental Technologies, to ensure that UltraViolet content plays correctly on a variety of services and devices. Dolby also has a developer kit to support the use of its capital the Digital Plus technology in the UltraViolet CFF specification.

This is the first generation in Acer’s ultrabook efforts, refreshed here in a second shot that’s set to take the original to lunch with 3rd Generation Intel Core i3 and Core i7 processors – Ivy Bridge that is. This update includes all of the excellent features we enjoyed in the first round which you can see in our Acer Aspire S3 with Core i7 Review and tacks on the boost of Intel’s next generation.

Have a peek at our hands-on video with the original above, check out the gallery of next-generation photos above and below, and check out our timeline below for all the S3 and S5 action you can handle. Be sure to check out the Acer Aspire S5 out specifically since it’s being released alongside this refreshed S3 – it’s a bang-out job of an ultrabook for sure!

At the end of June you’ll be able to pick up your very own Acer Aspire S5, aka the Aspire S5-391-9880. This model has USB 3.0, HDMI, and Thunderbolt ports, all of this under the whirring motor cover around the back of the device activated with the touch of a button. Check this strange feature out here:

This device is the first ultrabook to feature a Thunderbolt port, contains a 3rd Generation Intel Core i7 processor (Ivy Bridge), and works with a lovely 13.3-inch HD widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit display at 1366 x 768 pixel resolution. You’ll be getting Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit installed right out of the box, and 4GB of DDR3 dual channel memory inside. This notebook contains an SSD at 256GB, 2-in-1 digital media card reader, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 1.2 megapixel HD (1280 x 1024) video webcam.

Also inside you’ll find a 2310 mAh battery that Acer says will last you up to 6.5 hours, you get a 1 year warranty out of the box, and your audio experience will be presented by Dolby Home Theater v4 Audio with 2 built-in Acer 3DSonic stereo speakers.

This beast will be available inside the last week of June for MSRP $1,399.99 and will be at your favorite retailer set to ship then – grab it!

Here at the start of this beautiful relationship we’re seeing that Microsoft and Dolby have not disclosed any sort of financial terms at all, with all talk being on the software and hardware itself as its released this summer. Dolby vice president of marketing, product, and platform John Coulings was interviewed this afternoon and, according to Forbes, noted that under the arrangement they’ve got now, PC manufacturers will be footing some of the bill. These manufacturers will be required to pay a royalty to Dolby for the features they’re responsible for in Windows 8 specifically, in fact.

Dolby’s stock has jumped up a significant $7.37, this up 19.6% to a lovely $45 per share. We’re certain Dolby is pleased with this sort of leap upon this powerful news indeed. Have a peek here at few more details in the pipe:

Under this arrangement, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) generally will be required to directly license and pay Dolby a base royalty rate for the right to use the Dolby technologies included in Windows 8 and installed on PCs and tablets for online and file-based content. Dolby expects the majority of PCs to continue to ship with optical disc drives when Windows 8 is released and to include optical disc playback functionality.

For devices that also include optical disc playback functionality, which will be enabled by independent software vendor (ISV) applications installed on devices running Windows 8, OEMs will be required to pay a higher per-unit rate. This higher rate is consistent with historical rates paid for the inclusion of Dolby disc playback software. Dolby expects to receive only one royalty payment per device containing these technologies.

Have a peek at our timeline below to see what Dolby has been doing lately outside of the Windows 8 world on the whole.

[via Forbes]

The Dolby and Philips display uses a sheet of undulated plastic to deflect pixels in various directions, altogether offering 26 different viewing angles. However, it requires a very high-resolution screen in order to maintain on the different viewing angles, which makes it more difficult to implement on smaller devices such as smartphones. The depth of the 3D effect can also be adjusted to suit your distance to the screen.

However, the prototypes shown at NAB are still far from being consumer ready it appears. Currently, the high prices of such high-resolution displays is an obstacle for adoption in consumer devices. The first TVs or other devices to use the Dolby 3D solution likely won’t hit the market until 2013.

[via TheVerge]

Dolby’s patents cover a highly efficient digital audio compression technology that allows manufacturers to provide high quality audio while using extremely limited amounts of transmission and storage space. The suit claims that RIM uses this technology in some of its BlackBerry smartphones and also in the Playbook tablet, but has refused to obtain licenses from Dolby.

The technology is incorporated into the international standard known as High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding (HE AAC), which is widely used in many consumer electronics devices such as smartphones, tablets, and portable music players. However, most all major smartphone makers have agreed to license the Dolby technology, except for RIM.

“Litigation was regrettably our last resort after RIM declined to pay for the use of Dolby’s technology,” said Dolby executive VP Andy Sherman. “We have a duty to protect our intellectual property.”

Press Release:

Dolby Sues Research In Motion for Patent Infringement; Seeks Sales Halt Of Unlicensed Blackberry and Playbook Devices and Monetary Damages For Past Use

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Dolby International, has filed patent infringement lawsuits in the U.S. and Germany against Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RiMM), a Canadian manufacturer of wireless handset and tablet devices. The lawsuits seek recovery of financial damages and injunctions to halt sales of the many RIM products that infringe Dolby’s patents.

The lawsuits explain that RIM infringes Dolby patents covering highly efficient digital audio compression technologies which allow manufacturers and consumers to provide and enjoy high quality audio while using extremely limited amounts of transmission and/or storage space for such audio. RIM employs Dolby’s patented technologies in its Blackberry smart phones and Playbook tablet devices, without having obtained licenses from Dolby, the lawsuits say. All other major smart phone makers have agreed to license the Dolby technologies which are the subject of this litigation.

Dolby’s patented technologies, which have been incorporated into the international standard known as High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding (“HE AAC”), provide the core of HE AAC. Demonstrating the value of the Dolby technologies, HE AAC is widely used in consumer electronics devices such as smart phones, portable music players, and computer tablets to play back music and other digitized audio that has been compressed to less than 10% of its original digital file size.

“Litigation was regrettably our last resort after RIM declined to pay for the use of Dolby’s technology,” said Andy Sherman, executive vice president and general counsel of Dolby. “We have a duty to protect our intellectual property.”

The U.S. lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The German lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Mannheim in Mannheim, Germany.

You can get the much sexier, and much more expensive, Oakley and other brand of premium passive 3D eye ware in the over $100 range if you want your own pair of 3D glasses. The Dolby glasses will sell for about $12 a pair making them much more palatable for the theater looking to reduce ticket prices for movie fans. At first, they will only be offered in adult sizes. Dolby says next quarter it will offer kid sizes too.

The glasses use 3M multi layer optical film that reduces the weight of the glasses and increases comfort. The frame is made of nylon with wide temples for comfort and a shelf over the top of the lenses to prevent light from getting in and reducing internal reflections. The frames will also fit over most prescription glasses. The glasses also have RFID tags inside for tracking to manage the inventory. These glasses are good for hundreds of use and wash cycles according to Dolby and are aimed at theaters looking to get away from the disposable glasses we are used to now.

Unlike existing 7.1 systems, which use two rear speakers but each fed with the same channel, Dolby’s new setup will have two different channels for each.  For movie makers like Disney and Pixar, who Dolby have partnered with to demonstrate Dolby Surround 7.1, it means an increased ability to position sound in theatres.  Of course, we’ll have to wait for those theatres to actually roll it out first; no word on how expensive the upgrade might be, or what sort of timescale we’re looking at.

Press Release:

Dolby Unveils Dolby Surround 7.1 at ShoWest 2010

Dolby Works with Disney and Pixar to Create a New Audio Experience for Digital Cinema Audiences and Exhibitors

LAS VEGAS, Mar 16, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — At ShoWest 2010, Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB), announced it is working with Walt Disney Pictures(R) and Pixar(R) Animation Studios to deliver a new audio format, Dolby(R) Surround 7.1. Disney(R) and Pixar have stated that Dolby Surround 7.1 will be launched in select theatres with the release of Toy Story(R) 3 in 3D this June.

“For 40 years Dolby has not only provided content creators with the tools to create a more realistic audio experience, but has also enabled the exhibitor to deliver audiences the ability to experience the content as the creator intended,” said Page Haun, Senior Director, Marketing, Cinema Market Segment, Dolby Laboratories. “The release of Toy Story 3 in a discrete 7.1 mix will raise the bar for movie theatre owners and their patrons.”

Dolby Surround 7.1 brings a more exciting sensory experience to audiences for 2D and gives content creators control over audio placement in a theatre when mixing 3D movies. The ability to compose audio with visual elements of 3D allows content creators to immerse the audience deeper into the movie with dramatic realism.

Dolby Surround 7.1 provides content creators four surround zones to better orchestrate audio channels in a movie theatre environment. The four surround zones incorporate the traditional Left Surround and Right Surround with new Back Surround Left and Back Surround Right zones. The addition of the two Back Surround zones enhances directionality in panning 360 degrees around the theatre.

Dolby Surround 7.1 format comprises 8 channels of audio and has the following channel layout: Left, Center, Right, Low-Frequency Effects (LFE), Left Surround, Right Surround, Back Surround Left (new), and Back Surround Right (new). In order for exhibitors to deliver the new format, Dolby will be providing Dolby Surround 7.1 playback capabilities in the Dolby CP650 and Dolby CP750 digital cinema audio processor lines.

At ShoWest, Dolby is demonstrating to exhibitors a discrete 7.1 mixed demo reel of past Pixar movies to showcase the advanced audio solution. After the show, exhibitors will be able to access the content to test and demonstrate in their theatres.

Exhibitors interested in learning more about Dolby Surround 7.1 should contact their nearest Dolby reseller or Dolby sales office.

That’s exactly what Dolby asked themselves, and fortunately for the rest of us, they came up with an answer. At this year’s Game Developer’s Conference (GDC), they announced the release of their latest audio technology, codenamed Axon. It is specifically designed to implement realistic voice communication. But it also adds surround panning and distance attenuation. Basically, the experience that Dolby Axon will provide will make your video game experience so much better, it will seem almost life-like.

The technology is already available on some PC games, but Dolby wants to let video game developers know that the technology is ready for their console-based games. The Axon technology is similar to that of Creative’s new World of Warcraft headset, that’s set to ship in the UK within a couple of weeks. Basically, users are able to experience THX surround sound, and also change their voice as if to sound like a character in the game. The technology is meant to make the experience clearer, more crisp, and accurate. The new technology will decrease lag as well, so no more yelling at a friend just to watch him die because of lag.

[via Pocket-Lint]

That sort of modeling requires either a separate DSP chip or software, and it’s not entirely clear which Lenovo have added to their netbooks.  Still, the net result is that you can listen to audio through the S12 and S10-2′s 3.5mm headphone jack with standard headphones and hear virtual 5.1 surround, even if the original source is only stereo encoded.

Best of all, despite the improved audio quality there’s apparently negligible impact on battery life or processing grunt.  As well as the Lenovo netbooks there are several headphones that include the modeling DSP; more on those here.

Press Release:

Dolby Brings Surround Sound Experience to Netbook PCs

New Lenovo Netbooks Feature Dolby Headphone

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 17, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB), showcased today the first netbook computers incorporating Dolby(R) Headphone technology. The new Lenovo(R) IdeaPad S12 and S10-2 are lightweight, ultraportable PCs that offer an equally enthralling surround sound experience as desktop or laptop PCs.

Dolby Headphone creates a personal surround sound experience through any set of headphones, allowing listeners to feel immersed in the entertainment. It creates up to five virtual speakers in a virtual room. This results in a more natural listening sensation, which improves listening comfort and prevents the listener fatigue that often accompanies typical headphone use. Dolby Headphone works with any PC audio source.

“Dolby is synonymous with rich, multichannel audio, and with Dolby Headphone, we’re proving that small portable products like the IdeaPad S12 and S10-2 netbooks need not sacrifice the entertainment experience for size,” said Mary Anderson, Marketing Director, PC Segment, Dolby Laboratories.

“In designing our new IdeaPad S10-2, Lenovo’s main objective was to provide the perfect balance of size, performance, and cost, and with Dolby Headphone, we’re confident that we are also able to deliver a full entertainment experience,” said Wei Jun, VP, Notebook Business Unit of Lenovo Idea Product Group. “The processing efficiency of Dolby Headphone allows the new IdeaPad S10-2 to process a rich surround sound experience without overburdening the processor and battery life.”

Dolby Headphone technology can be included in almost any product that incorporates a headphone output and can process stereo or multichannel audio, including portable DVD players, PCs, digital TVs, and wireless devices.

There’s also Audyssey DSX soundstage extension processing and support for MP3, WMA, FLAC, Lossless, Ogg Vorbis and AAC files, together with a bi-directional remote control, ethernet port and 7.1 surround sound.  The TX-NR807 also supports multi-room audio, with powered zone two and three options as well as a serial port for system integration.

Amp power is seven channels of 135W, and there are various digital inputs/outputs as well as the HDMI (which you can see in the gallery below).  The TX-NR807 is joined by the TX-SR707, which has the same local switching but only 7 x 100W amplification and no networking functionality.

The Onkyo TX-NR807 is available now, with an MRSP of $1,099; the Onkyo TX-SR707, meanwhile, has an MRSP of $899.

Press Release:

Onkyo Debuts Mid-Price THX Select2 Plus AV Receiver With Streaming Internet Radio Capabilities and DLNA 1.5 Networking Compatibility.

With the growing market for advanced internet radio services like Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius Internet Radio, and vTuner, consumers increasingly seek to integrate their home entertainment systems with the internet.

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NJ (8/10/09) — Onkyo has introduced and begun shipping its first network-capable home theater receiver configured for Pandora, Rhapsody, and Sirius’ streaming internet radio services. The new Onkyo TX-NR807 also capable of playing computer music files from networked PCs, is fully compatible with the Digital Living Network Alliance’s DLNA 1.5 consumer electronics interoperability specification, and sells for less than half the price of the company’s previous network-capable model. With THX Select2 Plus certification and state-of-the-art processing from Dolby, DTS, Audyssey and Faroudja, the Onkyo TX-NR807 offers high definition audio and video performance. The TX-NR807 and non-networking TX-SR707, also introduced today, are Onkyo’s first receivers to offer Audyssey DSX soundstage extension processing in addition to Dolby Pro Logic IIz height-capabilities.

The Onkyo TX-NR807 connects directly to the internet or a home network via a rear-panel Ethernet port. The receiver’s on-screen user interface allows users direct access to Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius Internet Radio, and vTuner streaming radio services, or to access MP3, WMA, FLAC, Lossless, Ogg Vorbis, and AAC files from any computer or storage device on the network. The receiver is Windows 7 compatible, and its Ethernet port can also be used for firmware updates.

The TX-NR807 also includes Onkyo’s new Bi-Directional Preprogrammed RI Remote Control which will impress anyone who has ever been frustrated by the trial-and-error manual data inputs and paper listings usually needed to program associated TV’s, disc players, cable boxes, and other components. Onkyo’s new system allows users to select from a on-screen list of compatible products, and then automatically transmit the codes from the receiver to the remote control. The remote also offers up to four macro programs for simultaneous activation of multiple components and feature sets.

As a premium home theater receiver, the TX-NR807 is also the perfect match for high definition video displays with Blu-ray players and other HD sources. It has six HDMI 1.3a inputs, 1080p video upscaling of all sources using the powerful Faroudja DCDi Cinema processor chip. On the audio side it has a full suite of surround processing, including lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

The Onkyo TX-NR807 is one of the first receivers to incorporate Audyssey DSX technology, which allows the back surround channels to be retasked for front-wide speakers to expand the width of the sounds stage, or for front height speakers to provide vertical ambience effects. The receiver also includes Audyssey MultiEQ room calibration technology, plus that company’s Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ processing. Dolby ProLogic IIz processing is also included to provide an alternate implementation of height channel technology.

The TX-NR807 has seven powerful 135-watts-per-channel Onkyo WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology) amplifier sections for high output and low distortion, offering a dynamic power rating of 300 watts into 3 ohms. It has an extensive array of analog and digital inputs and outputs, including an MM/MC phono input. Its multiroom audio capabilities are similarly extensive with Powered Zone 2 and 3 capabilities, multiple DC triggers, bidirectional RS-232, and Onkyo’s exclusive Universal Port for connection of an optional iPod Dock and HD Radio tuner.

The Onkyo TX-NR807 is now shipping to Onkyo dealers and will have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,099.

Onkyo Debuts TX-SR707

Onkyo has also introduced the TX-SR707 THX-Select2 Plus home theater receiver, which has the same advanced high definition audio and video processing features as the TX-NR807, but uses a 7 x 100 Watts power amplifier section, Powered Zone 2, conventional preprogrammed remote control, and has no networking capabilities. The Onkyo TX-SR707 is currently available with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $899.

Since 1946 Onkyo has been passionately committed to developing audio products that deliver uncommon performance, quality and value. Bundling proprietary technologies and innovations with other sound-enhancing exclusives, Onkyo continues to created award winning product that are lauded by many of the industry leading audio publications. The company’s philosophy is to deliver products that are superbly designed and built to a consistently outstanding standard of excellence. Today, Onkyo is at the forefront of the home theater and digital revolutions. For more information about this and other fine Onkyo products, visit www.onkyousa.com or call 800-229-1687.

The HT-S7200 also upscales composite and component video to 1080i, with Faroudja DCDi Edge deinterlacing, and has dual-drive “tallboy” front speakers with dual 3 1.4-inch woofers and a 1-inch balanced dome tweeter.  The HT-S6200 makes do with bookshelf speakers all round, and both come with a 230W bass reflex subwoofer.

As well as ProLogic IIz there’s Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio support, Onkyo’s Audyssey room calibration and correction systems, and automatic EQ setup.  Both systems are available now, with the Onkyo HT-S7200 having an MRSP of $899 and the Onkyo HT-S6200 a MRSP of $699. 

Press Release:

Onkyo Home Theater Packages Ideal for Blu-ray and HD Video Systems

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NJ (7/28/09) — Onkyo has introduced two new 7.1-channel home theater systems that deliver leading edge AV processing and surround sound reproduction for today’s most advanced home theater programming, including HDTV and Blu-ray. The HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 each feature powerful AV receivers with 1080p-compatible HDMI inputs, 130 watt-per-channel amplification, processing for every major audio format on the market – including the option of incorporating front height-channel reproduction with Dolby’s newly introduced ProLogic IIz processing. Each package also includes a high performance 7.1-channel speaker system with a powerful active subwoofer, and Onkyo’s exclusive U-Port single-cable iPod dock and charging system.

The Onkyo HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 feature five and four HDMI 1.3a inputs, respectively, and are completely compatible with 1080p HD video. The HT-S7200 also incorporates upscaling of component and composite video sources to 1080i, including Faroudja DCDi Edge deinterlacing to eliminate unwanted conversion artifacts. There is audio processing for every major surround format, including decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio lossless audio formats, as well as Dolby’s new ProLogic IIz algorithm, which introduces a third dimension to surround sound through the addition of a pair of ‘height’ channels above the front left and right channel speakers.

Onkyo’s HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 each include a full complement of seven speakers with attractive gloss black finishes and a powerful subwoofer for deep bass reproduction. The HT-S7200 speaker system features dual-drive tallboy front speakers consisting of dual 3-1/4-inch woofers and 1-inch balanced dome tweeter – that deliver a fuller mid-range while making a sleek visual statement – a horizontal center channel with the same drivers, and four surround speakers. In addition to its inclusion with the HT-S7200, this speaker system is also available separately as the standalone model SKS-HT870 speaker package. The HT-S6200 incorporates gloss finished bookshelf sized speakers with single 4-inch woofers and 1-inch balanced dome tweeter on the three front speakers and 3-1/4-inch full range speakers for the surrounds. Both systems derive deep bass sound effects from a powerful, 230-watt bass reflex subwoofer with a 10-inch woofer.

Both the Onkyo HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 include a trio of acoustic correction technologies: Audyssey 2EQ room correction and calibration system, Audyssey Dynamic EQ, and Audyssey Dynamic Volume. When used in combination with the 2EQ system, the latter dynamically adjust the receiver’s output to correct for room acoustics, listening position, and playback-level variations, delivering an overall experience much closer match to what the audio engineers originally intended.

The Onkyo HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 include Onkyo’s exclusive Universal Port (U-Port) which enables one-cable connection for the included UP-A1 iPod™ dock. This control and charging dock integrates both audio and video playback from Apple™ iPhone™ or iPod portable devices, greatly extending the flexibility of these systems to integrate consumers’ electronic entertainment devices. Additionally, the U-Port connection can also provide a one-cable connection to the company’s optional HD-Radio tuner, making it simple to bring this new transmission format to the home theater.

The Onkyo HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 are now available at suggested retail prices of $899 and $699 each, respectively. The SKS-HT870 7.1-channel speaker package is also now available at a suggested retail price of $499.

Since 1946 Onkyo has been passionately committed to developing audio products that deliver uncommon performance, quality and value. Bundling proprietary technologies and innovations with other sound-enhancing exclusives, Onkyo continues to created award winning product that are lauded by many of the industry leading audio publications. The company’s philosophy is to deliver products that are superbly designed and built to a consistently outstanding standard of excellence. Today, Onkyo is at the forefront of the home theater and digital revolutions. For more information about this and other fine Onkyo products, visit www.onkyousa.com or call 800-229-1687.

Full specs are unconfirmed at present – we’re promised them at WMC – but LG have revealed that the Arena will feature both Dolby and DivX capabilities for “audio and video technologies never before seen on a mobile phone.”  The S-Class GUI uses an animated cube layout for four customizable home screens, as well as 3D graphics.  Going on what has leaked previously, though, we’re expecting a 5-megapixel camera, 3-inch WVGA 800 x 480 262K color touchscreen, Mobile TV capabilities and an FM radio.

The GUI certainly looks different from the leaked image last week, which – given how much that resembled a certain Apple handset – can only be a good thing.  We’ll know all about the LG Arena KM900 next week, when SlashGear brings you all the latest news from MWC in Barcelona.

[Thanks Alex!]

Press Release:

ARENA, LG’s Fully Loaded Flagship Handset Debuts at MWC 2009

Seoul (Korea Newswire) February 08, 2009 11:07 AM — LG Electronics, a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, announced today the launch of its new flagship mobile phone for 2009, LG Arena (LG-KM900). This fully loaded multimedia phone with LG’s innovative and dynamic 3D S-Class User Interface will be on hand at the Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona.

LG ARENA’s groundbreaking 3D S-Class UI was specifically designed to be a more fun and engaging gateway to an amazing multimedia environment. A cube-based layout provides four customizable home screens for direct access to all features. Music, movies, pictures and more are within reach, thanks to intuitive, touch-based 3D menus. The rich 3D graphics give S-Class a life-like look that makes it natural and easy to navigate.

“The direct, intuitive and dynamic S-Class UI will be unlike anything that has appeared on a mobile phone before. With rich 3D graphics, touch sensitivity and exciting multimedia capabilities, it will truly make ARENA a fully loaded multimedia phone,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. LG ARENA will feature audio and video technologies never before seen on a mobile phone. LG took great effort to ensure that its 2009 flagship delivers an exhilarating multimedia experience, including features aided by Dolby and DivX technologies. LG ARENA will also include enhanced internet connectivity with HSDPA 7.2 networks, Wi-Fi, A-GPS and far more. LG will announce more specifics about ARENA and its features a long with some surprises during a press conference at the Mobile World Congress.

About LG Electronics, Inc.

LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications, employing more than 82,000 people working in 114 operations including 82 subsidiaries around the world. With 2008 global sales of USD 44.7 billion, LG is comprised of five business units – Home Entertainment, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning, Business Solutions and Mobile Communications. LG is the world’s leading producer of mobile handsets, flat panel TVs, air conditioners, front-loading washing machines, optical storage products, DVD players and home theater systems.

LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading global mobile communication and information company. LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world with its cutting-edge technology and innovative handset design capabilities. Increasingly, LG is pursuing convergence technology and mobile computing products. LG will continue to take leadership in the mobile communication environment with stylish designs and smart technology. For more information, please visit www.lge.com.