Pioneer’s Multiplatform Player Leads Among CEDIA Announcements

10 Sep, 2009 By: Chris Tribbey

---

ATLANTA — Perhaps the most exciting Blu-ray Disc player introduced at the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) show isn’t just a Blu-ray player.

Code-named “Project ET,” the network entertainment concept player includes audio and video playback for physical media, Internet access and home theater control capabilities, all in one device.

“And it also has a Blu-ray drive,” said Andy Parsons, SVP of corporate communications and new product planning for Pioneer. “We can put it in a box like this, we can put it in a TV. It’s a platform, not just a box.”

The platform allows consumers to store their movies, music and photos in the same place they can access social networking sites, shop online and control other devices in the living room. Downloaded and streamed movies and music can be viewed on a home theater system using a networked PC. The ET has I TB of data storage.

“Now that broadband speeds have increased to a level that lets users access high-definition quality content from the Internet, we are able to consider a network platform like Project ET, which is based on a unique home theater approach to delivering networked content and services into the living room,” said Russ Johnston, EVP for home entertainment business solutions group for Pioneer.

Pioneer reps showed off ET’s capabilities with a Blu-ray copy of Bolt, which Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment made special for the company. Just a few clicks had the digital copy of the film loaded onto the system, while other Bolt and Disney products were shown for sale. Users could Tweet, via Twitter.com, their rating of the film while they watched.

There are roughly 20 content companies, including YouTube, Netflix and Picasa, offering their product on the ET, but none of them are tied to the system permanently, with consumers able to pick from which companies they want to access content.

There’s not yet a release date or price for the ET.

Pioneer also announced that it now has the first-ever THX-certified Blu-ray player, the Elite BDP-09FD, which retails for $2,200. Parsons said the company was having trouble keeping it in stock at retailers.

“Pioneer recognizes THX as the industry benchmark for rigorous, unbiased testing and endorsement of high-performance home theater products,” Johnston said.

In addition to Blu-ray announcements from Sony Electronics and LG Electronics, other companies made high-def news at CEDIA:

•  JVC debuted two Blu-ray recorders, the SR-HD1250 and the SR-HD1500, with 250 GB and 500 GB of memory, respectively. The former has a price tag of $1,995, while the latter will go for $2,550 when they go on sale in October.

• Sharp showed off its new, networked BD-HP52U player, with a retail price of $380 and an October ship date. A company spokeswoman said Netflix streaming will be offered on the player.

• Toshiba showed off its recently introduced BDX2000, the first Blu-ray player from the former HD DVD backer. “It just makes sense,” said Louis Masses, director of product planning for Toshiba’s digital audio-video group. “It compliments our HDTVs, and consumers were asking for it

• While Toshiba is finally in the Blu-ray fold, still sitting on the sidelines is Microsoft and its Xbox 360. That’s not likely to change anytime soon, according to Kevin Collins, director of custom installation for Microsoft and the former company evangelist for high-def format war loser HD DVD. “There are still no plans to do Blu-ray with Xbox,” he said. “Where they’re seeing the most interest in high-def is with downloads.”

Many of the new Blu-ray players had lower price tags, especially Sony’s networked, wireless BDP-N460, which comes in October at $250.

“It’s the nature of the beast,” said Bob Lawton, a regional manager for LG Electronics. “The pricing is going down.”

While the price for new Blu-ray players is markedly down, Pioneer’s Parsons said he worried that some companies will go too low too fast, and others may start making cheap players with cheap materials.

“Personally, I worry about the ecological implications. If it’s not built to last, it’s going to end up in a landfill,” he said. “Players for $49 will be junky, but there are companies that are going to go down that path. We won’t be one of them.”
 

Bookmark it: digg del.icio.us technorati yahoo facebook twitter