Sony's VPL-VW50 projector was the talk of
CEDIA for its stunning image quality and low $5000 price. It uses three SXRD chips to
output a 1080p image with a 15,000:1 contrast ratio.
Sony also introduced two AVCHD 1080i
camcorders, one that records to 8cm DVD (the HDR-UX1, shown above, $1400) and another to
an internal hard drive (the nearly identical HDR-SR1, $1500).
Bang & Olufsen's Beosystem 3 looks like
the laptop that Frank Lloyd Wright might have designed, but it's really a 7.1-channel
surround-sound processor that takes visual simplicity to a new level. Cables
connect in front, behind the black trim piece; once the unit is tucked away inside
B&O's matching media cabinet, commands are received by a sensor
that, along with the remote control, is the only part of the Beosystem 3 meant to be
visible. Such sleek design doesn't come cheap: $7700.
Though you can't tell it from this picture,
Planar's Xscreen looks like a large plasma monitor, but it is actually a video screen with
a glass substrate that reflects light away from it to an amazing degree, allowing for use
of projectors in rooms that aren't completely dark. Prices range from $1399 for a 60"
screen to $2799 for a 100", with 70" and 80" versions available.
Let the high-definition wars begin! Pioneer's
Elite BDP-HD1 Blue-ray player will begin shipping this fall at a price of $1500...,
...while Toshiba will begin shipping its
second generation of HD DVD players later this year. Above is the HD-XAZ 1080p player
($999)...
