iPad 3 to go Beyond HD

If you drooled over the HD resolution of the iPad 2 and thought that it couldn’t get any better then maybe the iPad 3 will make you eat your words, at least that’s what a report in The Korea Times claims. The report, in an affirmative tone stated that Apple will maintain the screen size to 9.7-inches and is all set to wrap up its full HD stint, as well as make way for better, higher-resolution screens, which one of our earlier reports claimed could go up to 2,048 x 1,536 pixels. That was, of course, just a rumor back then. Beyond HD (Image credit: 9to5Mac.com) The report further revealed that technology giants, LG and Samsung are very close to bagging the deal with Apple. Apple apparently is currently testing the samples of high-resolution LCD displays belonging to LG and Samsung at a lab in China. Those keenly following our reports on the Apple vs. Samsung saga would find it difficult to believe that Apple is looking at employing Samsung’s technology to its own. But, Samsung’s multi-faceted approach (its presence in the finished goods, as well as parts) to business makes its friendship more desirable. However, reports also direct us to the fact that Apple has been known to keep its list of providers same for all versions, across all its product categories. Hence, Apple looking elsewhere for its needs seems unlikely.

Olympus PEN E-P3 Digital Camera

One of the recent developments in the digital camera space has been the introduction of the mirror less, micro four-third sensor cameras. Some of the companies that are really pushing the envelope have been Olympus and Panasonic. There are a bunch of things that make these sort of cameras interesting. They are compact, although not as compact as the smallest point and shoot cameras and yet have the ability to produce SLR quality images. The reason for that is they have larger sensor sizes than point and shoot cameras, which means they have superior image quality.

14-42 mm lens bundled up

Olympus has re-introduced the PEN line of cameras in the digital camera era. Now, there’s a new model. It’s called the E-P3 and it’s the flagship model of the PEN range. Two cheaper models, the E-PM3 and the E-PL3 are yet to follow. The E-P3, like the older E-P1 and E-P2 are targeted at those who are looking to upgrade from a point and shoot camera to a camera with better performance, minus the complexities of a full-fledged DSLR. We first looked at these cameras at an Olympus briefing held in Mumbai, a few weeks back.

Design and Build Quality
The EPL PEN E-P3 has not changed much in design since its predecessors. The PEN E-P3 we received in our labs was a stylish matte black camera with hints of chrome highlights along the edges. Like other PEN cameras, it is compact in design and can fit easily in the hand. It is slightly larger than a standard point and shoot.

40 - 150 mm lens option also available

Unlike the E-P1 and E-P2, this camera comes with a built-in flash that is concealed in the frame of the camera. A simple press of a button next to it is all it takes to deploy the flash that is held inside the body by a set of springs and hinges. These buttons include a dedicated video recording button for shooting videos at 1080i and a Fn1 key  for setting various functions of this camera. Other controls found on the rear of the camera are standard buttons, which are seen on most cameras such as a four way navigational button for flash, aperture priority, auto focus and a timer. The navigational pad also doubles as a scroll for adjusting various camera settings. Besides these the other buttons found are playback, info, menu and erase. A silver jog dial is also located on the back and this is used for adjusting wide-angle and telephoto.

Mode dial on the top

On the top of the camera is a mode dial for changing between the different modes of the PEN E-P3. Other buttons found here are a camera shutter-release button, on/off switch and a secondary function button called Fn2, which can be used to change ISO sensitivity in the manual mode. It has different functions in the different shooting modes.

The camera being slightly smaller than a DSLR isn’t the easiest to grip with one hand. The handgrip on the camera is interchangeable with additional options being made available to users. These can be installed by merely screwing them on to the body. Olympus has bundled a 1150 mAh battery along with the camera and the battery bay is located underneath.

Mini HDMI port available

Features
The Olympus E-P3 uses a micro four-third, 12.3 MP sensor. Its distinct design means there’s no folding mirror mechanism. The screen at the rear is a 3-inch, 6,14,000 dots one. Olympus specifies that the screen used is an OLED. Unlike most other cameras, the E-P3 comes with a touchscreen interface, which is used primarily for selecting focus areas on the screen and also for altering settings.

Spring loaded flash

Olympus provides lens options with the E-P3. The standard kit includes only the stock 14-42mm (3.5-5.6) lens. We received the dual-kit lens kit, which includes an additional 40-150mm (4-5.6) lens. Other than the proprietary USB port, there’s also a mini-HDMI port so you can output videos to a large TV or projector.

Features (Continued) The last major product update, the E-P2 did not include a built-in flash, this one does. HD video recording capabilities are also present. It can shoot videos at HD 1080i using AVCHD and the AVI format. Full zoom on Olympus has taken a slightly different approach with the PEN E-P3. Some of the features include a special art feature, which is basically a set of filters that give you instant results. Olympus has also updated the interface on the PEN series of cameras. The E-P3 specifically has a very minimalistic interface with not too much happening on the screen at any given time. Icons and artwork used on the interface are dense and compact. Olympus has bumped up the amount of filters from six to ten. Hidden in the Scene mode is a 3D feature where it can click 3D pictures and can be viewed on a 3D compatible television. Performance The Olympus PEN E-P3 is bundled with various features and different shooting modes. Images shot outdoors seemed a bit dull in the iAuto mode, though focusing was accurate. Images appeared detailed and no color fringing was noticed. However, those images that were shot at low ISO sensitivities appeared very bright and the color looked off in most respects. Low ISO sensitivity saw color fringing The Olympus PEN E-P3 performed shoddily in images that were shot indoors, with a lot of colour supplementation being noticed. Images shot in iAuto mode appeared crisp and clear but, the colour supplementation was a turn off. Both the 14-42mm and the 40-150mm lens lend themselves well to macro photography. This was a major plus point of this camera. The flash lit up approximately ten feet of a well lit area, which is impressive for any camera flash. The camera allows users to accurately limit the amount of light that leaves the flash. Macro image shot well Focusing isn’t consistent. The camera manages to click photos quickly when there’s sufficient light and the objects are prominent. While focusing on walls or plain surfaces, focusing is slower and sometimes the auto focus system refuses to focus. Olympus bundles a 1150 mAh lithium ion battery along with this camera and they rate the battery at approximately 330 shots, which is quite impressive for a camera with all these features. Flagship model of Olympus Verdict The PEN E-P3 sells at a maximum retail price of Rs. 39,999 for a single lens kit (14-42mm) and a maximum retail price of Rs. 46,999 for a dual lens (14-42mm lens and 40-150mm). While this may be a step up from point and shoot cameras, the PEN E-P3 has its fair amount of quirks for a camera looking to break into the DSLR market share. While it may have a ton of interesting features and packs a ton of concepts into a compact body; this camera is still not competent enough to match up to DSLR when it comes to quality. Looks and flamboyance are this camera’s forte and it does well in the features department too. However, for a price of almost Rs. 47,000, one would rather opt for a lower price ranging DSLR camera and achieve better image results.

Harman/Kardon BDS 700 Home Theatre System - TECH2 REVIEWS

Harman/Kardon is one of the first manufacturers of stereo receivers, if not the first. They have been known for entering into the audio receiver market, well before any other manufacturer. The company continues to set the benchmark, as one of the best producers of AV receivers.

Fast forward to 2011, Harman/Kardon is now a company known world over by audiophiles and even by people who are remotely interested in AV technology. The company has expanded globally and they've now unveiled their brand new BDS 700 Blu-ray disc-enabled Harman/Kardon home entertainment system in India. The system includes BDS-5 Blu-Ray player, AV receiver and the acclaimed HKTS9 5.1 speaker system with active subwoofer.

Stylish front panel and big volume dial

Design and Build Quality
The Harman/Kardon BDS 700 home theatre system, unlike other brands is fitted with stand alone products and for the package is bundled up as one. We have the BDS-5 Blu-ray player cum AV receiver, the HKTS9 5.1 speaker system and a HKTS200SUB/ 230, which can also be purchased separately.

The BDS-5 Blu-ray and receiver is styled like other Harman/ Kardon receivers with a glossy black front and side panels, complete with a brushed silver top panel. This player is very stylish looking, and yet displays a sense of power which Harman/Kardon has been known for in the past few decades. The manufacturer has gone with a minimalistic design while designing the look of this product. There is a slot loader on the left of the front panel for a single disk. The LCD display flushes along the face of the front panel and is done very neatly, so much so that it becomes difficult to distinguish it from the rest of the panel. Like other AV receivers from Harman/Kardon, there is a large dial for adjusting volume and is grey in color. Below the face of the player is a USB slot, as well as a 3.5mm audio jack where a headset or a pair of earphones can be attached. This is seen on most players nowadays. On the top of the player are the circular on/off and eject buttons, which are designed really well and do not compromise the look of the player.

On the rear of the AV receiver is where all the connectors lie. Unlike other players, Harman/Kardon uses gold plated connectors for speakers. The connectors are neatly color coded for connecting to either the front, centre or surround speakers. Interestingly, Harman/Kardon has also added an Ethernet port on the rear thus making it possible to connect the player to the Internet for BD live content. Other connectivity options found at the back are an HDMI port, analog audio, digital audio, as well as a color coded LFE (Low Frequency Effects) subwoofer connector. Apart from HDMI, all these connectors are gold plated, as well.

Gold plated rear connectors

The HKTS9 5.1 speaker system like the player is very stylish looking. The system includes four two way satellite speakers and one centre channel speaker. Each of these speakers include a mid-range driver and a tweeter, which are neatly concealed behind the speaker meshing. The HKTS200SUB/ 230 subwoofer, like the player has a glossy black finish. The woofer has four cone shaped stands, thereby elevating it allowing the woofer to fire downwards. There is a single light on the top of the player for displaying the on/off status of the woofer. The woofer has an on/off switch at the back along with other controls like adjusting the volume level, a toggle switch for turning on bass boost, a toggle switch for phase mode and other connectors for LFE and external trigger input. The BDS 700 remote control is a sleek and stylish looking controller and has its buttons well spaced. The controller features designated buttons for switching between the different modes such as Blu-ray, iPod, etc., which simplifies switching between the different modes.

Overall the design of the BDS 700 is really good and would be a good ‘looking’ option for a home theatre system.

Features
The BDS 700 is primarily a Blu-ray player and a receiver for the bundled 5.1 channel speaker set. This in itself is the standout feature of this kit. The other features of this player include an Ethernet port, but this is restricting as with the cable one can only connect to the Internet to receive BD Live content. One cannot use the Internet facility to stream YouTube videos or even connect to an NAS device for streaming content. In addition to Blu-rays, the player can also play audio and video content from a flash drive using the USB port located at the front. However, the player supports only FAT32 drives so storage options were limited.

The player can support 1080p video playback and can support popular formats such as DivX - AVI, MPEG, and MP4. The BDS-700 supports a wide range of audio formats and can also render them using Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD, which are mostly found on higher end players.

Glossy subwoofer, centre and satellite speakers

The player also has an option called iPod Connect where one can use an iPod or an iPhone by pairing it with a Harman/Kardon Bridge IIIP to play content from the said portable device. However the dock is not included in the BDS 700 bundle and has to be purchased separately.

Performance
The Harman/Kardon BDS 700 was hooked to a Panasonic 65-inch 65VT20 Viera Plasma HDTV via an HDMI cable. The speakers were calibrated, according to the dimensions of our test lab to get the optimum results from the home theatre system. We tested the player using all the out of the box settings with minimal tweaking. We ran our tests using a Blu-ray of How To Train Your Dragon and also standard definition videos, as well as HD videos stored on a flash drive.

Sleek looking remote control

The Blu-ray playback was really good and the video rendered well. There were no issues with video quality and images displayed were crisp. The satellite speakers all fired well and the subtle background tones could be made out well from the rear channels. Voices were very audible through the centre channel and overall there was no issue with video playback through the Blu-ray feature. Playing videos through the USB flash drives was equally good, but it goes without saying that the Blu-ray playback was much better.

The audio playback was quite shallow. We noticed that though the volume was loud, there was a fair amount of emptiness in the form of lacking frequency response noticed. The speakers lacked the thump expected from a brand of their quality. The system needed to be tweaked to get the maximum out of it, and then it was a lot better. Out of the box, the audio playback just does not cut it. After tweaking, the playback was good with all of the deft tones noticed. The speakers having 65 watts per channel fired on all counts except for mids to a mild extent. There was the desired thump emitting from the 200 Watt subwoofer and no other playback issues. The remote control of the home theatre system performed really well even at distances of over 10 feet. There was no need to point it directly at the system. Pointing it in its general and selecting options worked pretty well too.

Glossy black and very visually appealing

Verdict
The BDS 700 is priced at a market operating price of Rs. 59,990, which includes taxes. Though the BDS 700 Blu-ray home theatre system did well in the looks department, as a Blu-ray capable home theater system, the cost is way too high. We see decent features and these are a powerful set of speakers, but out of the box, they lacked the quality expected. Harman/Kardon is in a league of its own and will continue to flourish the way they have been all these years. In this case, they’ve tried to create a package that competes with some of the mainstream brands; the end result isn’t as stunning or as jaw-dropping as it should have been.

LG Unveils World’s First Glasses-Free 3D Monitor

3D desktop monitors have hit a bit of a roadblock and there isn’t much to choose from as compared to 3D televisions. This is probably due to the fact that 3D glasses don’t come cheap and you have to pair it with Nvidia’s 3DVision kit which again is quite an investment. To avoid all this hassle, LG has launched their first (world’s first as well) glasses-free 3D monitor. The D2000 will also feature an eye tracking technology that automatically adjusts the 3D effect depending on the position of your eye.

No more dorky glasses

Along with that, the monitor also features 2D to 3D conversion feature which automatically converts movies and games into 3D. This is very similar to Asus’s Naked 3D technology used in their upcoming gaming notebook which also uses a camera to track your eyes. No word on the specifications or pricing as of now, so I guess we’ll have to wait and watch.

Denon AVR-1611 AV Receiver

Japanese electronics company Denon, is one of the most popular brands specializing in professional and consumer home cinema and audio equipment including A/V receivers, Blu-ray players, tuners and wireless music systems. The company is extremely popular and widely known for their high-end and enthusiast level AV receivers.

Denon recently launched a mid-range AV receiver, the Denon AVR-1611 which is targeted at those willing to have an assembled home theatre system yet wanting to spare the change in their pockets. Today, we will be looking at this feature-rich five-channel, 3D capable AV receiver.

Large display and controls for various modes

Design and Build Quality
The Denon AVR-1611 is an attractive looking receiver, oozing class and power. Though it is a mid-range receiver, it has the look of the brand’s higher end models. The first thing noticeable on the receiver is the huge LED display which displays all the modes and functions the receiver is in. On either side of the display are dials for volume and input selection, which like the receiver and display, is on the larger side. Below the display are various buttons for controlling different settings including video select, iPod play and tuner. There are a total of nine of these buttons at the bottom of the display but are well concealed because of their all black layout. One may find them difficult to locate. A mic input, various setting options as well as video and auxiliary inputs are also featured on the front of this surround sound system.

The receiver features the connectivity options on the rear side and the first thing that one notice is the four HDMI ports. These ports are aptly marked for different add on I/O devices like Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, PCs or televisions, etc. Other connectivity options found on the rear are the connections for surround sound speakers which are of pin type, composite video and audio I/O, coaxial and a port for attaching a subwoofer. The layout of the remote control is loaded with functions and the overall build quality of the remote is sturdy.

Remote control with buttons nicely spaced out

The connections are somewhat limited as compared to the brand’s costlier models, though it must be said that these connections are adequate for a person willing to upgrade to an assembled home theatre system on a limited budget.

Features The Denon AVR-1611 is pretty loaded with features and with 3D being the norm with most manufacturers outing their 3D players and televisions, Denon has made this receiver 3D capable. The 1.4 HDMI ports located at the rear of the receiver are able to send 3D content from a 3D player to a 3D capable television. The AVR-1611 has a variety of surround sound decoders Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats which are found on Blu-ray discs. It also features Dolby Pro Logic IIz which can take two-channel stereo, Dolby Surround and Dolby Digital 5.1 source material and up-convert it to 6.1 or 7.1 channel surround sound. In addition to the above features, the receiver also has a Denon’s Compressed Audio Restorer which restorers compressed audio formats such as MP3, AAC, etc as close as possible to the original by interpolating and generating the missing data during compression. Denon claims that power output per channel is 75 watts. The Denon AVR-1611 also features Audyssey MultEQ dynamic room acoustic correction system where a provided microphone can easily auto-calibrate the speakers. This sets it up accordingly to the size of the area the surround sound system is located in. Four HDMI ports found on the rear The interface of the setup screen is absolutely bare with the font in white with a dark grey background. In this time where most interfaces seen have some amount of style to it; this setup screen looks like something from a past decade. Though the styling of the interface is bad, the layout is easy enough to maneuver through. Performance We paired the Denon AVR-1611 with a five channel Paradigm Cinema CT90 surround sound speakers, a Philips BDP2700/12 Blu-ray player and a notebook PC using HDMI. The setup process was fairly simple and to put the playback experience in one word – Outstanding. Being a mid range player, we did not truly expect to experience the results we saw. The receiver did an outstanding job of channeling the minutest of tones to the various speakers. The playback volume was really good and it was quite difficult to find any flaw in it. After playing a variety of formats through the laptop and player while pairing it with a HDTV we were left quite impressed. Playback of Blu-rays was really good with each channel emitting the volumes clearly. As with most home theatre systems, the good thing witnessed here was the minutest of tones audible through the rear channels. Designed for performance Verdict The Denon AVR-1161 is sold at a max retail price of Rs. 31,900. While this may be mainly for those interested in assembling a home theatre system on a constrained budget  and willing to upgrade their system; this receiver will surely satisfy most audiophiles out there with its 3D playback capabilities, brilliant audio as well as video playback and its various other properties. So if one is searching the market to assemble a home theatre system, we would advise the AVR-1161. However we would suggest to pick up a powerful speaker system to go along with it.

Axis Introduces World's Smallest HD Security Cameras in India

Axis Communications, a global market leader in network video and security have unveiled the world’s smallest pan/tilt/zoom dome cameras. The M50 PTZ Dome Network Camera series is designed for business managers who need a discreet, yet affordable solution for remotely monitoring stores, banks hotels, lobbies, restaurants, etc. The series features two models, the M5013 which is priced at US $499 and the M5014 which is priced at US $599. Can you see me? The new line up is sleek and discreet giving the user 360-degree surveillance of his surrounding in HD. Store owners can now use the pan/tilt/zoom features for a perfect view of any suspicious activity going on. Due to its design, it can be used to monitor any part of the store with out the need of re-installing it. Other than surveillance, it can also be used for inventory checking without having to be physically present at the warehouse.

Techcom Launches HD TV Tuner for Just Rs 1,295

External TV Tuner boxes have been a big hit in India, especially since you don’t need a computer or a TV, but any PC monitor would do making it a very cheap and feasible solution. Now that LCD monitors go for throw away prices, the older Tuner boxes aren’t able to scale beyond a fixed resolution which didn’t matter much on a CRT but on an LCD, the quality isn’t too great. Techcom has recently launched their Ultra HD TV Tuner – SSD TV 725 which supports a resolution up to 2048x1152 for just Rs.1295 INR and a one year warranty. No more blurry video The HD Tuner supports Full channel scan for PAL-DK/1, PAL-BG/1 and  NTSC system of cable TV & air TV. It supports all popular monitor resolutions and different aspect ratios as well, like 4:3, 16:9 and 16:10. It also supports PIP (Picture In Picture) functions. The following are the requirements for the TV Tuner Receivable channel: DS1-57 CH, Z1-38CH(470MHz full TV Channel) Frame Frequency: 60Hz/75Hz Line Frequency: 31KHz-80KHz Antenna: 75 Unbalanced mode Note that the picture quality will still be limited by your cable operator, although the box should upscale the picture to fit your monitor’s native resolution. So, the overall picture would be slightly better than using a regular TV Tuner box.

Samsung HT-D555 Home Theatre System - 34,900

The trend is setting in where many people are opting in for a home theatre system rather than assembling their own surround sound system. Manufacturers are unveiling stylish home theatre systems with a wide array of features as compared to earlier budget friendly models.

Home entertainment in a budget

Samsung has launched the HT D555 HTS which is a 5.1 channel DVD home theatre system that features four tall boy speakers. Let's take a closer look to see if it is a hit or miss.

Design and Build Quality
The Samsung HT-D555 is a stylish looking home theatre system and has a glossy black finish. The player itself has a built-in amplifier and a single tray for loading DVDs. The glossy black front panel features the touch sensitive controls and the single disk DVD tray. When ejected, the DVD tray slides out easily however the response time is a bit slow for it to activate. There are touch-sensitive keys along the right side of the tray on the front panel for eject, function, stop, play/pause, on/off and volume.

Pretty, plain and simple

These keys are very responsive and have a blue LED lighting. On the bottom right of the player are the ports for mics, AUX and a bay that houses a USB port. This bay is concealed by a plastic flap, giving the player an all round clean, stylish, simplistic and sturdy look and feel. The player has all the connectivity options at the back with colour coded plugs for speakers, digital audio in, HDMI out, composite AUX in, component out and an FM antenna.

These tall boy speakers on the D555 have a height of 4.27 feet and feature three drivers that are exposed. They are two mid-range drivers and one tweeter. The tall boy speakers are finished with the same glossy black as seen on the player. The smaller centre channel speaker also features the same three drivers giving all the speakers a sort of uniformity. The sub woofer stands 1.28 feet tall and like the rest of this system, it too is stylish and sturdy in design. The bundled up remote control that came along with the player is very similar in design and layout to the Samsung Series 8 UA55D8000 television we saw recently. The remote control has a solid build and the buttons are nicely spaced out. However one issue we noticed was that when a button was pressed, the whole panel of buttons seemed to get depressed as well. This was not a major issue and was noticed only upon close inspection.

Features
The home theatre comes with a DVD player. The player supports upscaling of standard definition videos to high definition and the ability to play various formats. The player can’t handle high-definition videos though. Karaoke is also supported. The 5.1 channel speakers are another interesting and stylish feature of this player.

The interface of the player is simple in design with options for video, music, photos and settings. The interface looks pretty awful on a large TV due to quality of the artwork used - the text and icons have jagged edges. While navigating through each menu, all content can be seen in a grid manner.

Feature packed remote, similar to other Samsung devices

This makes it easier to scroll through different content to access what you want. The Settings menu is pretty straight forward with options to tweak the display, audio, system and language. The aspect ratio is locked to 16:9 in the display menu so no tweaking can be done to change the ratio. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the player could read portable hard drives; usually these players can support USB flash drives up to a maximum of 8GB.

Samsung claims that this player is able to read a wide variety of media formats such as DivX, XVid, MP3, WMA, WMV and JPG. We noticed that formats such as MKV could not be played.

Performance
We tested this home theatre system by playing back a variety of music genres and movies with different formats. The video playback of the Samsung HT D555 was overall pleasing. Video playback rendered well however, only the aforementioned formats were readible. Formats not specified on the spec sheet like MKV or MP4 were not visible on the screen to be played.

Proprietary but easy to figure connects for speakers

We played a variety of genres on this player and we were impressed with the audio quality of it. The speakers have a total power of RMS 1000 Watts and were way more impressive than the ones we saw with the Sony BDV-E870. The front speakers performed very well and a lot of definition was noticeable where the tones were soft from instruments like cymbals. However, we did notice that after cranking the volume to 70 per cent, a jarring of sound was heard. The woofer on the other hand was quite soft. Audio tracks with a lot of bass lacked the amount of thump expected.

The remote control is very responsive and there was no need to point it directly at the player for a function to be activated. We also did not like the screensaver too much and noticed that it was pixelated, giving it a somewhat cheap feel. Overall the performance of this home theatre system was good where audio and video playback was concerned.

Verdict
The Samsung HT D555 HTS sells for a maximum retail price of Rs. 34,900. We feel that though this could be a nice buy, the company could have added a Blu-ray player to the mix instead of the standard DVD player.

Neat design and decent performance to go with it

For a price of Rs. 5,000 more, the Sony BDV-E870 offers all these features as well as the ability to play back 3D content. We feel that since Blu-rays are becoming the norm these days, that would have been an interesting feature to add to the vastly populated home theatre system market.