Fillion - Home theater and TVs

CES 2009: Sharp announces LCD televisions with integrated Blu-Ray players

Stéphane Dion — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:49:51 +0000

Not ready yet to purchase a Blu-ray player to replace your old DVD player? Don’t worry about it! Your next HD television set might well have one integrated in it already. Sharp has just effectively unveiled a new series of Aquos televisions with an integrated Blu-ray player on the side of the unit. The new televisions will be available in February and will come in 32″, 37″, 42″, 46″ and 52″ models.

The screens have a wide 176 degree viewing angle, 1080p resolution, and the 46″ and 52″ models are 120Hz. The suggested retail price for the smallest model is $1100USD. Check out the video and pictures below to find out more.

CES 2009: Sharp announces two new Blu-ray players

Stéphane Dion — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 22:45:40 +0000

Sharp announced two new Blu-ray players at the CES 2009. The BD-HP22U and BD-HP16U are third-generation players and have a retail price of $300 and $280 respectively.

Both players feature full HD 1080p digital output and are BD-Live capable. The BD-Live feature delivers additional content such as scenes not available on the disc, as well as other types of interactive content and even games, through an Ethernet-enabled Internet connection.

The new players support HDMI 1.3 and are practically identical, except for the HP22U which boasts 2GB of memory to store downloaded BD-Live content.

The BD-HP22U will be available in May and the BD-HP16U in March.

CES 2009: Panansonic announces a new line of televisions for 2009

Stéphane Dion — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:29:13 +0000

No fewer than 42 new models of televisions will be avaible in 2009 from Panasonic. With sizes ranging from 19″ to 65″, the new televisions are thinner than ever and above all, consume less power than in the past.

You’ll find all the details here.

More new arrivals!

Jean-François Gagnon — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:12:58 +0000

The S-1000 Series and S-700 Series from Yamaha

While waiting for the new S-2000 Series that I talked about previously in another post, Fillion Électronique has recently received the S-1000 Series, that, along with the S-700 Series, is intended to be an introduction to the S-2000 Series, which is the pinnacle of the line. The S-1000 Series lists at $1300 for a CD player and $1500 for an amplifier, and as far as the S-700 Series is concerned, which we should be receiving some time in October, the amplifier will be available for $900 and the CD player for $700.

The differences between the S-1000 Series and S-2000 Series:

They’re superb amplifiers and CD players that make us rediscover the impressive quality of the hi-fi systems that YAMAHA used to offer in the 80s. We also note that for the price, they obviously haven’t lost any of the expertise they’ve garnered from their years of experience as makers of hi-fi equipment!

Home theatres: small space, maximum sound!

Jean-François Gagnon — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:45:10 +0000

We recently talked about some of the possible alternatives for home theatre audio systems that are ideal for smaller spaces (link to the post). We present to you today THE best solution – I propose the 5.1 Kit B&W CM-1 + CM-C + PV-1, in conjunction with a unit that goes very well with this ensemble, the T775 receiver from NAD. This high-performance compact music and cinema ensemble will address the needs of even the biggest music lovers and connoisseurs of film on the planet. It features some of the best technology out there, as the speakers come from the same lineage as the Nautilus B&W series that floored critics when it first came out at the beginning of 2006. People were unanimously impressed by the sound quality of the CM-1, particularly considering its size.

These little speakers are just as good for listening to music as they are for watching movies. They offer high-fidelity sound quality. They work best when mounted on stands, but you can also mount them on the wall. And the design is exceptional. You can see by now that this audio system is truly a little gem. Offering high-performance and pleasing aesthetics, you won’t regret your investment (starting from $10,000), and your guests won’t either!

A high-performace home theatre system in a small space? It’s possible!

Jean-François Gagnon — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:58:03 +0000

There are some very good alternatives to make up for space constraints if you live in an open concept loft or a small condo.

The Bose LifeStyle system: a complete system that comes in just a single box. It offers good distribution and excellent sound quality. For between $2500 to $4500, it’s easy to integrate and allows you to adjust your setup for all kinds of interior environments. And, you can even keep your setup when you finally move from the condo to a larger residence with a room dedicated to your home theatre system…. (Finally!)

Another option that’s in the same price range but perhaps a little bit more sophisticated is the 5.1 Kit with Paradigm Atom Monitors + CC-190 centre and B&W ASW-608 “subwoofer”. Its the perfect solution for cinema lovers because this ensemble delivers nothing short of a dynamic and explosive sound! With 2 pairs of speakers that can be set up either on stands or mounted on the wall, a centre channel from the same company and a B&W subwoofer you preserve the aesthetic of your interior design, all the while enabling you to take full advantage of your setup. To complement this system, I’d recommend the Denon AVR-2808 amplifier. (The whole ensemble comes out to be about $3000.)

You could also opt for Focal/JmLab “Dome” speakers, capable of offering incredible sonic power. We’ve already talked about them before in this blog – their sound quality is exceptional. If you connect a home theatre amplifier/receiver from ROTEL (the RSX 1057 for instance) with these speakers, you’ll have quite the experience! With a slick, aesthetically pleasing look, this solution is a little more expensive than the first two: about $4000. It’s the best value for the money in its class.

But for cinema enthusiasts ready to invest in a 5-star system, there’s even better options ……