Onkyo have launched yet another receiver, the TX-NR609, and this model is, according to the marketing department,

Targeting the sweet spot where affordability meets superb functionality, the TX-NR609 looks set to be another Onkyo classic.

Just because Onkyo have produced classics before there’s no guarantee they will in the future, but it’s always a good indicator. Anyway less talking, more info, the Onkyo TX-NR609 boasts 3D video support, ultra-high resolution 4K video upscaling via Marvell Qdeo and network capability to provide network streaming. It’s also a THX® Select2 Plus™ Certified receiver and will let you hook up your iPod or iPhone via the front-panel USB port. Here’s a fuller breakdown of the features and numbers on the Onkyo TX-NR609 receiver

* 7.2 channels
* 100W (8ohms 20-20kHz, 0.08%, 2 Channels Driven, FTC) /CH
* THX Certified
* 3-Stage Inverted Darlington Circuitry
* True HD, DD Plus, PLIIz Dolby
* DTS-HD Master Audio decoding
* ONKYO GAME Surround Modes
* THX Processing Mode
* Audyssey DSX
* Direct Mode
* 7 audio inputs and 2 outputs
* 2 Digital Optical audio inputs and 2 digital coaxial inputs
* 5 composite inputs and one output
* 2 component inputs and one output
* 6 HDMI inputs and one output
* HDMI v1.4a (supports 3D video and Audio Return Channel)
* Analog To HDMI UpConversion
* 1080p Upscaling
* 4K (3840 x 2160) Upscaling
* 17 1/8″ x 6 13/16″ x 12 15/16″ (435 x 173.5 x 328 mm)
* 24.7 lbs (11.2 kg)

Front output

* 100 W + 100 W (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.08%, 2 channels driven, FTC)
* 125 W + 125 W (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 0.1%, 2 channels driven, FTC)

Center

* 100 W (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.08%, 2 channels driven, FTC)
* 125 W (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 0.1%, 2 channels driven, FTC)

Surround

* 100 W + 100 W (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.08%, 2 channels driven, FTC)
* 125 W + 125 W (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 0.1%, 2 channels driven, FTC)

Surround Back
* 100 W + 100 W (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.08%, 2 channels driven, FTC)
* 125 W + 125 W (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 0.1%, 2 channels driven, FTC)

Dynamic Power – 240 W (3 ohms, 1 ch), 210 W (4 ohms, 1 ch), 120 W (8 ohms, 1 ch)

* Signal-to-Noise Ratio 106 dB (Line, IHF-A)
* Speaker Impedance 6 ohms–16 ohms

Reviews

As of yet there are no full reviews on the TX-NR609 receiver from Onkyo, but there are a couple of articles from Pocket-Lint and Audioholics giving their first impressions which are pretty favourable.

But as always, despite the lack of reviews, you can still buy the Onkyo TX-NR609 3D 7.2 receiver from Amazon right now!

Featured Tags home-theatre-receiver, onkyo


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Today we’re taking a look at a 27 inch LED monitor, namely the HP 2711. The boys at Palo Alto have produced a full Hi-Def res ultra-slim monitor for you to view your favourite PC games on. Of course it’ll work just as well with other types of software. The 2711 sports a BrightView panel for cutting down glare, has a Tilt Adjustment feature which allows to fold the screen down to be flush with your desk for some reason! It’s Energy Star Compliant and sports VGA, DVI-D and HDMI inputs for all round connectivity. Check out some more details for the HP 2711 27 inch monitor

* 27 inches, 1920 x 1080 res widescreen display
* Supported Video Formats 1080p
* 16:9 aspect ration
* Analog VGA, Digital (DVI-D), HDMI inputs
* 7.3 x 18.5 x 25.8 inches
* 12.6 pounds
* 170/160 degree viewing angles
* 3,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio

Reviews

TestFreaks – 8.9
PCMag – 3 out of 5
Amazon customer reviews – 4.5 stars out of 5

Pros – Good design, colour and performance, ultra thin
Cons – Bad grayscale, limited adjustability, glossy surface, no height adjustment

So there’s a bit of a mixed reaction to the actual quality of the display and no height adjustment seems a bit of odd feature to leave out, but if you are still interested then check out the HP 2711 27 inch LED monitor over at Amazon.

Featured Tags hp, monitor


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In response to Alan Herst’s comment on our Optoma Neo-i post, we decided to take a little look at the three projector manufacturers Alan referred to, and compare three of their mini or pocket projectors which play nicely with iPods and iPads. From AAXA we’ve selected their M2 mini projector which has a MSRP of $349, 110 lumens of brightness and a gigabyte of internal memory. Whilst the 3M MPro160 Pocket projector rounds out our trio with its integrated stereo speakers, and 80 inch image. We’ll get straight down to business and show how the raw numbers line up on these small projectors

	Optoma Neo-i	AAXA M2	3M MPro160
Price	$397	$349	$337
Native Resolution	854 x 480 (16:9)	1024 x 768 XVGA	800 x 600
Resolution	WVGA (854 x 480), WXGA (1280 x 800), HD (1080i)	XGA (1024×768)	VGA, SVGA, XGA, WXGA (1280 x 768)
Brightness	50 ANSI Lumens	110 ANSI-Lumens	32 lumens
Contrast Ratio	2,000 : 1	2,000 : 1
Light Source Life	20,000 hours plus	15,000 hours	20,000 hours
Max Display Size (inches)	120	100	80
Aspect Ratios	16:9 Native, 4:3 Compatible	4:3	4:3
Speakers	2 x 8W	2 x 1W	2 x 0.75W
Apple Connectivity	iPod/iPhone Dock	Optional iPod input cables	Optional adapter cable for Apple
Other inputs	HDMI, VGA-In, 2.5mm Jack	HDMI, VGA (mini-VGA), Composite A/V (3.5mm Jack), 5 Pin Mini USB	VGA, Composite Video, Component Video
Weight	2.2 lbs (1 kg)	1 lbs (455 g)	10.6 oz (300 g)
Size	12.8 x 3.1 x 8.9 inches (324 x 79 x 227 mm)	5.2 x 4.9 x 1.9 inches (132 x 125 x 47 mm)	5.9 x 2.5 x 1.2 inches (150 x 64 x 31 mm)
Noise Level	25db	30dB

We must admit that although it’s the most expensive of the models we compared, the Optoma Neo-i beats the other two easily on just about every spec and it has a dock and not an easily-lost cable to hook it up to your iPhone. Of course, it’s larger and heavier than the others but the Neo-i is not a true portable, unlike the AAXA M2 and 3M MPro160. So if you’re looking for a small projector for your Apple toys then we’d recommend the Optoma Neo-i unless size really does matter to you.

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Verizon Wireless have unleashed the HTC Thunderbolt LTE on the world, this sucker with its 4G technology enables high speed browsing with expected speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps. On the downside, it chews through juice like no other phone. The Thunderbolt LTE sports a 4.3 inch Super LCD screen with capacitive multi-touch and a 480 x 800 resolution. There’s an onscreen QWERTY keyboard, support for Exchange email, and it runs Android 2.2. Here is a full list of the features and specifications fo rthe super-fast HTC Thunderbolt LTE

* Android 2.2 operating system (Froyo)
* ROCK BAND Mobile
* DLNA capabilities
* Full messaging capabilities including SMS text, MMS picture/video and IM instant messaging
* Access to personal and corporate e-mail
* HTML Web browser (WebKit-based)
* Music player compatible with MP3, WMA, and AAC
* Video player compatible with MPEG4, WMV, XviD
* Built-in stereo speakers
* Dolby Mobile + SRS WOW HD surround sound enhancement
* 32 GB pre-loaded microSD memory card with support for other optional cards up to 32 GB.
* 8 GB internal memory
* 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat capabilities.
* 8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash plus auto focus, face detection, and geo-tagging.
* HD 720p video capture capabilities (1280 x 720 pixels)
* 1 GHz Snapdragon processor
* 4.3-inch Super LCD display with capacitive multi-touch capabilities
* Onscreen QWERTY keyboard
* Dual microphones and noise canceling technology for clearer calls.
* 3.5mm headphone jack
* Micro USB 2.0 port with mass storage capabilities.
* Speakerphone for hands-free communication.
* Hearing Aid Compatibility: M3 and T3
* 5.78 ounces
* 4.8 x 2.6 x 0.52 inches
* 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery

Here are a few reviews for the HTC Thunderbolt LTE

Reviewer	Rating	Pros	Cons
PCMag	4 out of 5	Incredible Internet speeds. Big, gorgeous screen. Elegant interface.	Heavy. Poor battery life when surfing or streaming on 4G. Occasional bugs.
Amazon	4.5 stars out of 5

So the HTC Thunderbolt certainly seems to get a general thumbs up if you’re after lightning fast internet access from your phone.

Featured Tags cellphone, htc


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Did you know that for only $1650 you can get hold of a 3D laptop, namely the HP Envy 17 3D. The HP Envy 17 3D base specification sports Windows 7 Home Premium, Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, 6GB memory and 1TD of HDD. As usual you can upgrade most of these options into some mega-laptop but just $1650 will get you this base model HP Envy 17. Here’s a full list of the features on the unit

* 17.3″ diagonal Full HD HP 3D Ultra BrightView Infinity LED Display (1920×1080)
* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* 2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz
* 1GB Radeon(TM) HD 6850M GDDR5 Graphics [HDMI]
* 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 1TB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
* HP TrueVision HD Webcam
* Intel 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
* Backlit Keyboard
* HP 3D Active Shutter Glasses
* 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (standard) – Up to 2.25 hours of battery life

Looks great if you’re after a portable media center, all the expected details, such as a Blu-Ray player, HDMI output etc. Here are some reviews on the HP Envy 17 3D from around the web

Reviewer	Rating	Pros	Cons
Computer Shopper	7.9	Speedy for price, full-HD, gorgeous LCD, huge touch pad	Shaky 3D capability boosts price too much, brief battery life
Trusted Revies	7 out of 10	Design and features 9/10	Battery life 4/10

Featured Tags 3D, hp, laptop


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One of the downsides of the Apple iPhone or iPod for us at Our Picks is that you can’t share your videos easily. Ever seen a group of friends huddled around an iPod trying to watch the latest movie? Not exactly the cinemnatic experience they would be used to. But do not fear iPod huddlers, for Optoma have come to the resue with their iPhone/iPod docking station and video projector with speakers too! Whilst the Neo-i can’t be called a true home theatre system, for those of us on a budget or lacking space for a full-sized HT system then the Neo-i may just be what you are looking for.

Not only can you slot your iPhone or iPod into the Neo-i, but there are HDMI and VGA ports for all sorts of other devices, there’s even an optional iPad connection kit. Your video will then be displayed on a 2,000:1 contrast ratio display up to a diagonal size of 120 inches. Your audio will pumped out through a 16W stereo system with DSP and Bass Reflex technologies. Here’s the full list of specifications for the Optoma Neo-i protable projector.

* DLP Projection Type
* WVGA (854 x 480), WXGA (1280 x 800) through VGA Port; HD (1080i) through HDMI resolutions
* 50 ANSI Lumens
* 2000:1 contrast ratio
* Estimated LED light source life of over 20,000 Hours
* 1.8:1 throw ratio (Distance/Width)
* 8” to 188” projection distance
* 5” to 120” (16:9 Native) display size
* 16:9 Native, 4:3 Compatible aspect ratios
* 2x 8W speakers
* WXGA, XGA, SVGA, VGA, VESA, PC and Macintosh Compatible
* Universal iPod/iPhone Dock (30-Pin), HDMI, VGA-In, 2.5mm Jack AV Inputs
* 2.2 lbs (1kg)
* 12.8” x 3.1” x 8.9”; (324 x 79 x 227mm)
* 25db noise level

Here’s what other people are saying about the Optoma Neo-i from around the net

Reviewer	Rating	Pros	Cons
CNET	3.5 out of 5	Brighter image than most pico projectors, speakers play reasonably loud	Picture’s somewhat soft, fairly pricey, compact but not superportable
iLounge	B – recommended

All in all, not necessarily a great product, but the Optoma Neo-i does what it says on the box, and that’s project video from your iPhone or iPod.

Featured Tags optoma, projector


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The Pentax K-r digital camera sports a 12.4 mega pixel sensor, HD video shooting and a massive 3 inch LCD display on the rear. The K-r also comes in three different colors, white, red and the more traditional black. It has a number of automatic shooting modes for the novice photographer, can take 6 frames per second for those fast action shots and has an 11 point autofocus system.

Pentax K-r DSLR specifications

* TTL autofocus, auto-exposure digital SLR digital-still camera with built-in retractable P-TTL auto pop-up flash
* Available in traditional black, classy white, and PENTAX red
* High quality 12.4 megapixel CMOS 23.6mm x 15.8mm sensor captures detailed images with high color accuracy and low noise and a primary colour filter
* JPEG: [12M] 4288×2428 pixels, [10M] 3936×2624 pixels, [6M] 3072×2048 pixels, [2M] 1728×1152 pixels, 3 levels of quality in JPEG (good, better, best)
* RAW: [12M] 4288×2428 pixels
* Video – HD TV: 1280×720 (16:9) at 25fps, VGA: 640×480 (4:3) at 30 or 25fps
* Large 3 inch LCD with 921,000 dots of resolution for responsive Live View and detailed image/video review.
* 97 x 125 x 68 mm, 625g with AA batteries and SD card
* Compact and lightweight body is exceptionally comfortable to use, and highly portable.
* Compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards
* Included Software – PENTAX Digital Camera Utility 4
* Sensor-shift Shake Reduction
* Sensor Cleaning Dust Removal mechanism – Image sensor moving mechanism, SP Coating and Dust alert function
* Powerful automatic shooting modes, such as Auto Picture mode and various scene modes, take the guesswork out of taking great pictures.
* Fast 6 FPS framerate captures quick action in dynamic environments.
* Highly responsive and accurate 11 point SAFOX IX autofocus system includes a dedicated AF assist lamp.
* High sensitivity 100-25600 ISO range features improved noise performance for high quality image capture even in extremely challenging lighting.
* Li-Ion battery compatibility can also be adapted to use AA batteries providing the ultimate flexibility for both field use and travel.
* Capture widescreen HD video with sound at 720p and 25 FPS, using any PENTAX lens.
* A maximum 1/6000 second shutter speed freezes fast action without subject movement blur.
* A viewfinder focus point indicator confirms the area of focus in an image.
* Improved in-camera HDR image capture features a Night Scene HDR mode, more blending options, and better pixel registration for easier operation without a tripod.
* A wide range of in-camera image processing and special effects filters encourages the photographer’s artistic expression.
* Infrared data transfer (IrSimple) includes file transfer and a unique camera-to-camera image comparison mode.
* SDXC memory card compatibility (via firmware update).

Whilst the Pentax K-r comes with a lot of bells and whistles that the professional photographer wouldn’t require, for a beginner fetaures like the Sensor-shift Shake Reduction and the automatic shooting modes are all bonuses. But what do other people say, well here are a selection of reviews of the Pentax K-r digital SLR from around the net

Reviewer	Rating	Pros	Cons
Amazon	4.5 out of 5	High ISO performance, fast auto-focus, fast shooting	inaccurate focussing and auto white balance
Photography Blog	4.5 out of 5	cheaper than its main rivals, small and lightweight design, increased number of creative filters, compact-like handling	no handy one-touch video recording
Digital Camera Review	4 out of 5	Nice price, Great image quality, Solid construction	No HDMI out, Comparatively smaller lens selection, Busy control layout

Whilst there are a few negative points raised by the reviewers, the Pentax K-r always scores at least 4 out of 5 with them. The price tag also gets a frequent mention which is always a good thing in our book. So there you have the Pentax K-r, a good value, good quality mid-range DSLR camera.

Featured Tags dslr, pentax


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