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You like your TV, but do you really like your TV? Integra has introduced a new line of home theater receivers and separate AV components at the 2010 CEDIA Expo in Atlanta. The top model is the DTR-80.2 high-end receiver, shown here, followed by the DTR-70.2 receiver and the DHC-80.2 AV preamp controller. All three are 9.2-channel systems, THX Ultra2 Plus certified, and network capable. Plus, all three include Audyssys’s new MultEQ XT32 premium room correction technology and Audysssy Sub EQ HT to properly integrate the sound of dual subwoofers.

At the same time, Integra introduced the DHC-40.2, a mid-priced AV preamp controller, and the DTR-40.2 and DTR-50.2 AV receivers. These are 7.2 channel systems with THX Select 2 Plus certification, network capabilities, and Audyssey MultEQ. Look for the entire lineup now from Integra installers.

Promotional Image from Apple.com.

The App Store has offered a Remote app for iOS devices for a while now, but the new Apple TV might be the best use-case to show what an app-based touchscreen remote can do.

The new Apple TV had two remotes. The first is the minimalist metal slab that will ship with your tiny box. The second is the iOS application that you’ll download from the App store.

The first iteration of Apple TV had the same little white infrared remote the company used to ship with laptops. It was great for clicking through a slideshow presentation. It wasn’t very good to keep around your living room, unless you stuck it in a bowl with your keys. It wasn’t a real remote, and most people hated keeping track of another remote anyway, especially one that got lost at the drop of a hat.

The new remote, released earlier this year, isn’t a lot different from that old white remote. It’s a nicer device; like everything else Apple makes now besides the new square iPods, it’s a long strip of aluminum. It’s still got just six buttons: up, down, right, left, play/pause and menu.

But that minimalism seems almost smarter now. Apple now seems to be figuring out the exact number of hardware buttons it needs on each device. It took away too much on the iPod Shuffle, so now some buttons are coming back. It wanted to get rid of the buttons on the Nano, so it changed it to touchscreen.

For the Apple TV, it’s keeping the action on the screen, with the software interface. Make that easy to navigate, give people the exact options they need depending on context, and you don’t need dozens of buttons on the remote/media player/phone.

Maybe you don’t even need a remote, though. That’s because Apple TV’s second remote control is the Apple-made mobile device that Apple TV customers probably already own.

Seriously — what are the chances of someone buying Apple TV who doesn’t have an iPod, iPad or iPhone?

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Audiophiles, check this out: High-end audio component maker Parasound has introduced a new version of its acclaimed Halo JC 2 stereo preamplifier. The new Halo JC 2 BP adds a home theater bypass function that allows this preamp and its companion power amplifier and speaker to be connected as the left- and right-channels of a surround sound home theater system. You’ll get better performance in both modes without compromising the performance in either, the company promises.

And that’s not all. Parasound is including a new and improved remote control with the JC 2 BP. It has a new shape and a rubber coating that improves stability over the previous model. You can pick up the Halo JC 2 BP starting September 15 for the well-worth-it price of $4,500. Pick one up for me too, k?

“Runco” and “cheap” have never, ever been used correctly in the same sentence before, but being elite apparently doesn’t mean that you can just turn a blind eye to rambling bandwagons. With just about every other projection company flipping out 3D-ready alternatives, Runco has decided it best to follow suit. The company has just added a fanciful pair of PJs to its Signature Cinema line, with the SC-50d and SC-60d both offering 3D playback with support for Active3D (active shutter) or passive glassed-based solutions. The duo also packs a 3-chip system that outputs 1080p natively, and these are also the company’s first projectors to include its Smart Lens system — which offers a controllable motorized lens and iris that can be preset in memory. Hit the source links if you’re interested in learning more about the Fall-bound pair, but be sure you’re willing to pay upwards of $88,995 before wasting the bandwidth.

Continue reading Runco intros 3D-ready Signature Cinema projectors: $90k+, still require glasses

Runco intros 3D-ready Signature Cinema projectors: $90k+, still require glasses originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s all about the 3D these days, which is why Onkyo has just released two premium 3D-ready “home theater in a box” systems. The Onkyo HT-S6300 and HT-S7300 both have 3D-ready HDMI-1.4a inputs, 1080p video upscaling, lossless Dolby and DTS high definition audio, Dolby height processing, Audyssey automatic room equalization, and more. Both systems come with seven home theater loudspeakers, a subwoofer, an audio-video receiver, an Audyssey calibration microphone, and an iPod/iPhone dock.

The most obvious difference between the two is that the HT-S7300 includes a pair of 41-inch tall floor-standing speakers, each with dual, vertically arrayed woofers. The HT-6300 (shown) speaker system consists of six one-foot tall bookshelf speakers and a horizontal center speaker. They list for $899 and $749, respectively, and are available now.