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CES 2015 Home Entertainment Roundup

CES 2015 Home Entertainment Roundup 35sg

By NDTV Correspondent | Updated: 1 September 2015 15:51 IST

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CES 2015 saw several announcements in the home entertainment and audio categories, ranging from 4K TVs and high-end portable music players to a new MHL specification and a range of wireless speakers.

Perhaps the biggest trend observed across the two categories at Android TV by television manufacturers.

We've divided this roundup into announcements by individual manufacturers, and we begin with Sony - which perhaps had the most to unveil at the Consumer Electronics Show 2015.

Sony
Sony at CES announcements was the new 4K Processor X1, which the company touts "further advances the clarity, colour accuracy and contrast". Sony also unveiled the Bravia X9000C Series of 4K LCD televisions, which it claimed was the slimmest TV to date at 4.9mm (at its thinnest point).

The Japanese consumer electronics giant also announcements to make at CES 2015, from its Tizen-based smart televisions to the expansion of its Milk service. Samsung introduced its SUHD TV lineup for 2015, running on its Tizen OS and using its nano-crystal semiconductor technology. The said the Tizen-based smart TVs will feature more than 700 apps. The 'S' is said to represent the top-end smart TV models from the company.

The new Tizen-based SUHD range will come in three series - JS9500, JS9000 and JS8500 - and in sizes from 48-inches to 88-inches. The SUHD TV JS9500 will feature Samsung's Chamfer bezel design, and a soft, textured Shirring design on the back.

Samsung also announced the expansion of its Milk Video and Milk Music services, with the former set to be made available on Samsung's Smart TVs, while the latter will also be available on the Web. The company also added Slingbox-like features to its new smart TVs, allowing s to switch between watching content on their TV and their mobile devices.

LG
The South Korean consumer electronics giant announced 'Google Cast for audio', a new streaming technology on the lines of Chromecast that allows s to stream sound from connected devices (smartphones, laptops, and tablets) to Google Cast-ready speakers.

The company said, "We're announcing Google Cast for audio, which embeds the same technology behind Chromecast into speakers, sound bars, and A/V receivers. Just like Chromecast, simply tap the cast button in your favourite music or radio app on Android, iOS, or the web, and select a Google Cast Ready speaker to get the party started."

Google's new Cast for audio is definitely the company's answer to Apple's AirPlay, which also streams audio to AirPlay-enabled speakers.

The company also revealed that the Chromecast is now available in 27 countries and will expand to more countries this year. "Chromecast usage per device has increased by 60 percent since launch due to the growing roster of new apps and features," blog notes.

Sennheiser
wireless editions of its popular Momentum and Urbanite headphones. The over-the-ear and on-the-ear variants in the new Momentum 2.0 series, and the Urbanite XL (only over-the-ear variant), both, are now available with wireless connectivity options like Bluetooth and NFC-pairing.

The Momentum 2.0 wireless on-the-ear and over-the-ear models are priced at $399 (approximately Rs. 25,300) and $499 (approximately Rs. 31,700) respectively whereas the Urbanite XL wireless headphones will retail for $299 (approximately Rs. 18,950). All of them will be available in retail stores sometime later this month.

Additionally, the new Momentum headphones feature an active noise-cancellation (ANC) module. Lest we forget, Sennheiser has also updated the design of the existing wired range in a similar fashion. The Urbanite XL's over-the-ear variant is available in a wireless variant but there is no ANC. However, it has a touch-pad on the right earcup for controlling volume, changing tracks, and taking calls, ala Parrot Zik 2.0.

JBL, Philips, Panasonic, Sharp, Logitech, and others
Several other manufacturers showcased their wares or made announcements at CES, including MediaTek, the MHL Consortium, Roku, House of Marley, and Dish Network.

launched a Bluetooth-enabled wireless speaker dubbed Megaboom. The speaker is priced at $299.99 (roughly Rs. 19,000) and is said to reach US, Europe and Asia within this month. The UE Megaboom speaker is designed to deliver 360-degree sound and is IPX7-certified waterproof. Besides flaunting a stain resistant acoustic skin the speaker weighs less than a kilogram and can run for 20 hours on one full charge. The Bluetooth range of the speaker is up to 100-foot. Also, s can pair two speakers with one device to play a song together on both.

Sharp, Philips and announced future 4K for Roku TV, apart from Haier Roku TV models in partnership with Haier, and Insignia Roku TV models in partnership with Insignia.

The took the wraps off its long-anticipated video streaming service, named Sling TV, targeted to younger consumers who shun pricey cable and satellite subscriptions. The $20 a month service, the first from a distributor, will be available through Internet-connected devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Google Nexus Player for TVs, tablets, computers and smartphones.

Finally, the Mobile High-Definition Link (announced at CES that the next-generation MHL specification, superMHL, will be able to carry future 8K (7680x4320 pixels) video at up to 120 frames per second. The company says that the new reversible 32-pin superMHL connector can carry concurrent video, data and power charging all in a slim form factor, which is roughly the same size as the 19-pin HDMI Type-A cable.

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