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Blu ray Players

Toshiba BDX6400 Blu-ray Player

Chris Heinonen

I've reviewed a lot of Blu-ray players now and don't often get surprised. So when I took the Toshiba BDX6400 out of its shipping box I was a bit taken aback. I knew it was coming, but I expected a standard size black box. Instead I found a tiny little player that's even smaller than a Nintendo Wii. The tiny size made me instantly attracted to the BDX6400. Blu-ray players can only output HD content over HDMI now, so there really is no reason every player is a large box. A smaller unit like the Toshiba BDX6400 still has every connection you likely need, but is easier to store away. So just how much does this little player manage to pack inside?

Blu-ray Players

Pioneer BDP-62FD Universal Blu-ray Player

Chris Heinonen

Every year Pioneer updates their Blu-ray players, and every year I wind up happy yet disappointed with them. Each year performance and features seem to improve only to have a flaw, like edge enhancement or poor colorspace support, derail the Pioneer from being really top notch. This year Pioneer is offering the BDP-62FD, a $400 universal Blu-ray player that carries the Elite badge and features dual HDMI outputs among other features.

Blu-ray Players

Rein Audio X-DAC with USB Input

John E. Johnson, Jr.

USB DACs are hot items now because you can play music from your computer through them and into a set of headphones or to your main hi-fi rig. Some of these DACs only have a USB input, (no S/PDIF inputs) because their main purpose is for use with a computer. Of course, all computers come with audio ciruitry on the motherboard, and if you have a sound card installed in one of the PC card slots, it may very well have an S/PDIF output. However, their quality is often questionable due to the typically low cost of the sound card. Rein Audio, a German manufacturer, makes the X-DAC, which is a 24/192 DAC with both coaxial and Toslink optical S/PDIF inputs, but also, it has a USB input (24/96) to be used with your computer, giving you better sound quality than you would get from your computer's audio circuit.

DACs

CEDIA 2011 EXPO Show Report

SECRETS CEDIA Coverage Team

The CEDIA 2011 Expo is back in Indianapolis this year.  The SECRETS Team arrived earlier this week and have already seen some impressive new gear.  The first reports are in.....Check back frequently for reports from the team:  Cynthia Johnson, Chris Heinonen, Robert Kozel, Sumit Chawla, Piero Gabucci and Nick St Denis.  David Rich is with the team as well, focusing on some of the technologies with in-depth interviews with the manufacturers.

NEW.....David Rich has added a post show report in the CAVE.

Head for the CAVE.  Or for Individual Team Reports, go to Read More for the link.

Show Reports, Film Festivals and Concerts

Jones Audio

Secrets
Passion cannot be chosen or adopted. It is not a strategy to employ or a hollow marketing campaign. It is an indellible mark upon your identity...
AV Directory

Home Theater Movie Renter’s Guide – September, 2011

The SECRETS Movie Review Team

Conan the Barbarian/Conan the Destroyer (Blu-ray), Hanna (Blu-ray), Dexter Season 5 (Blu-ray), Good Will Hunting (Blu-ray), Scarface (Blu-ray), The Vampire Diaries Season 2 (Blu-ray), Blood Simple (Blu-ray), Nightmare Before Christmas 3D (3D Blu-ray), The Office: Season 7 (Blu-ray), A Fistful of Dollars (Blu-ray), For a Few Dollars More (Blu-ray), United 93 (Blu-ray), Thor (Blu-ray), The Magnificent Seven (Blu-ray), Return of the Magnificent Seven (Blu-ray), Star Wars: Episode IV (Blu-ray), Star Wars: Episode I (Blu-ray), Star Wars: Episode V (Blu-ray), Star Wars: Episode VI (Blu-ray)

Movie Reviews

CCTV Cameras

Secrets
ApexCCTV is a leading supplier of CCTV cameras, Digital Video Recorders (DVR), and security camera systems.
AV Directory