Podcast #1167: Best of CEDIA 2024

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

On this week’s show DJ gives us a recap of what he liked at CEDIA and we go through the What Hi-Fi Best of Show winners. We also read your email and take a look at the week’s news.

News:

• YouTube TV, Sling, Fubo, Hulu, & More Added Just 49,000 Subscribers
• SwitchBot Launches Universal Remote With Matter Support
• Replace a pile of battery-hungry remotes with this solar-powered universal

Other:

• Unfolded Circle

What Hi-Fi? Best of Show Awards Winners

• SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle - Ultra Evolution is a complete reimagining of speaker design for SVS. This unprecedented marriage of acoustic design breakthroughs and passion for audio excellence has never existed and elevates the new series into the echelon of the finest loudspeakers in the world. Consisting of seven new models with advancements in driver design, cabinet architecture, and component materials, Ultra Evolution ushers in a new era of reference quality sound that transcends their class. $5K per pair for the top of the line Pinnacle.
• Sony Electronics BRAVIA Theater Quad Wireless Speaker System - The true sound of cinema. With four wireless speakers and 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, our flagship Home Theater System brings the true sound of cinema home. $2500
• Sony Electronics BRAVIA 9 65” class Mini LED QLED 4K HDR Google TV - Thousands of Mini LEDs are precisely controlled by XR Backlight Master Drive™ to deliver authentic contrast and our brightest ever 4K TV. Access billions of accurate real-world colors with QLED technology and XR Triluminos Pro™. XR Processor™ intelligently enhances every scene in real-time boosting color, contrast, and clarity. $3K
• Sony Electronics BRAVIA Theater U Wearable TV Speaker - Experience true surround sound audio with Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer technology. Enjoy crystal clear sound with newly developed upward-facing X-Balanced Speaker Unit. Connect to your devices with a stable Bluetooth connection. $300
• Sony Electronics BRAVIA Projector 9 VPL-XW8100ES - Up to 3,400 lumens of brightness, generated by a long-lasting laser light source, for vibrant images even on a large screen. Native 4K SXRD panel provides full 4K resolution with 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. XR Processor for projector brings you the best of Sony’s image processing. $32K
• Sony Electronics BRAVIA Theater Bar 8 with 11 speakers, Dolby Atmos®/DTS:X® - Hear cinema-style surround sound all around you with 360 Spatial Sound Mapping. Sound is auto calibrated to your room’s characteristics with Sound Field Optimization. Supports industry-standard audio formats including Dolby Atmos®, DTS:X®, and IMAX® Enhanced. $700
• Kaleidescape, Inc. Kaleidescape Terra Prime 123TB Solid-State Movie Server - Terra Prime movie servers store Kaleidescape movies, TV series, and concerts. Kaleidescape movies have lossless audio and reference video, are downloaded asynchronously and then played back from local storage. This enables playback with full fidelity, irrespective of internet connectivity. Couldn’t find pricing for the 123TB but the 31TB goes for $25K
• Coastal Source Coastal Source CUBE™ Subwoofer - The CUBE Subwoofer enhances the Coastal Source Outdoor Experience by providing high-performance bass (low-frequency) in a small and elegant package. CUBE makes outdoor music more three-dimensional. It provides audiophile bass from a classic, compact shape that blends into your landscape and provides years of outstanding performance in even the most challenging environments. Pricing TBD
• Linkplay Technology Inc. WiiM CI MOD A80 - Combines an ESS 9018K2M DAC with a TI TPA3255 Class-D amplifier, delivering 60W per channel at 8 ohms, and supporting the latest Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 technologies. The inaugural batch of these products is scheduled to ship by October 2024.
• Hisense PX3-PRO Laser Cinema - The World's First Designed for XBOX UST Projector - With the HSR 240 high refresh rate and low-latency mode, get ready for smooth, lag-free gaming. $3.5K
• Hisense C2 Ultra - C2 Ultra redefines what’s possible in home cinema. Featuring Hisense's advanced Tri-Chroma laser technology, the C2 Ultra delivers breathtaking visuals with 3,000 ANSI lumens of brightness and a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, ensuring that every scene is vivid and lifelike. This model also boasts IMAX Enhanced and Dolby Vision® certification, providing a cinematic experience that rivals the best theaters. The built-in JBL 2.1 channel audio system, complete with a subwoofer, delivers powerful, room-filling sound that complements its top-tier visual performance. The C2 Ultra is the ultimate choice for those who want an all-in-one premium entertainment solution. $3K
• L-Acoustics Xi Series - The Xi Series offers a range of installation-focused coaxial enclosures with distinct formats, bandwidth, and SPL specifically tailored for short-throw applications. These enclosures provide pristine sound quality and discreet design, allowing them to integrate elegantly into venues requiring natural and powerful sound.
• Meridian Meridian Ellipse - Meridian Ellipse is the third loudspeaker to emerge from our Extreme Engineering Programme, producing a natural, authentic and lifelike sound which is immersive and room-filling. Ellipse is designed for music enjoyment: with a bass response usually associated with much larger speakers, Ellipse has complete control over the sound it plays, so your music is projected into the room with clarity and authority. $3K