At the first press conference of the show, Atlantic Technology unveiled a new speaker technology called H-PAS (Hybrid Pressure Acceleration System), which purports to significantly increase the bass extension, dynamic range, and efficiency of just about any speaker while reducing the distortion with nothing more than a sophisticated acoustic chamber within the cabinet—no electronics. Developed in conjunction with speaker maker Solus/Clements, the system combines elements of horn loading, transmission lines, bass reflex, and acoustic suspension—hence "Hybrid" in the name. The frequency response of the chamber actually increases as the response of the driver decreases at lower frequencies, resulting in a very flat overall response from 70Hz down to a frequency that depends on the specific driver.

In addition to the SL90, LG also introduced the SL80 line of LCD TVs, which use conventional fluorescent backlighting. Even so, their depth is a svelte 1.8 inches, and they also incorporate a "single layer" design with a single piece of glass covering both screen and narrow bezel. Three screen sizes comprise this line—42, 47, and 55 inches. The SL80 is available now for retail prices of $1600, $1900, and $2800, respectively.

Networking is big at Sony, as demonstrated by the new BDP-N460 Blu-ray player. Like many Sony TVs, this BD-Live player can access streaming content from over 20 online providers in the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link stable, which will soon include Netflix. Special embedded software is designed to be used with Linksys dual-band routers for optimized wireless streaming. Look for it in October for less than $250.

In the realm of front projectors, Sony unveiled the VPL-VW85 (though Tom Norton has already conducted a review of a pre-production unit for Home Theater, and he liked it very much). With a new auto iris, it claims a dynamic contrast ratio of 120,000:1, and it refreshes the image at 120Hz with dark-frame insertion, a Sony hallmark. It should hit retailers in October for around $8000.

At last year's CEDIA, JVC showed its 4K projector intended for flight simulation and similar applications. Today, the company introduced a version for the ultra-high-end consumer market. With 4096x2400 resolution, the DLA-RS4000 uses a xenon lamp to output 3500 lumens and boasts a native contrast ratio of 10,000:1 with no dynamic iris. This THX- and ISF-certified monster will be available next month for $175,000 (including an outboard I/O box and your choice of lens). The main demo consisted of upconverted 1080p, and the black level wasn't as deep as I expected, even in the mostly darkened room, but some still photos at 4K, such as the screen shot shown here, looked spectacular.

I get tons of e-mail asking if there are any Blu-ray recorders available in the US, and up to now, I've had to say no. But JVC changed my answer with the introduction of the SR-HD1500 and HD1250. They can't record over-the-air, cable, or satellite content, nor can they be used to duplicate copyrighted material. Instead, they are intended to record camcorder footage on recordable Blu-ray media. The camcorder can be connected via FireWire or USB, or a memory card can be inserted in the unit's card reader, and the footage is copied to an internal hard disk. It can then be edited and burned to BD-R or BD-RE with or without menus. The HD1250 has a 250GB hard disk and will list for $1995, while the HD1500 has a 500GB hard disk, can accept Final Cut Pro files, and will list for $2550; both will be available in October.

Atlantic Technology isn't the only company with a concept product at CEDIA. Pioneer is showing its Project ET (Entertainment Tap), a networking paradigm that could be incorporated into a real product by next year. The Linux-based box being demonstrated at the show holds a 1TB (terabyte) hard disk, optical drive that can read Blu-ray, DVD, and CD as well as burn DVD and CD, HDMI I/O, and USB and RS-232 ports; in fact, up to 128 USB devices can be connected, including more hard disks.