For the longest time Blu-ray was high end in and of its self, but as always technology evolves and the old run of the mill Blu-ray decks no longer cut it for the technological elite. The Pioneer BDP-09FD features both Profile 2.0 and BD-Live and cuts a very bold profile. There are a few other tricks up its sleeve as well, including eight independent D/A converters for each of the 7.1 channels, two HDMI jacks (you can split the video and audio channels), plenty of calibrations that you’ll most likely never use and a totally scoff-worthy 4GB of internal storage.

If you are looking for a serious Blu-ray player, then this could just be it, but you have to wonder why they couldn’t have upped the price a little bit more and thrown in more than 4GB of internal storage. This thing would be perfect with at least 80GB.

Price: $2200 [Gizmodo via Engadget]

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Pioneer’s HTS-LX70 is a 5.1 channel home theater system that is ready to use out of the box. The speakers are unobtrusive and ought to add enough sound for the average lounge room. The touchscreen remote gives you control over the system and allows you to kick the auto-calibration process into action. Dolby True HD, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-96/24, DTS-ES Decoders and thirteen surround modes are built into the receiver.

Let’s face it, not everyone has the space or the budget for a fully-blown home theater. For most of us, an out-of-the-box home theater system is sufficient. They can provide good sound and they do so for a very reasonable price. If you are living somewhere where space is a premium, there is the added benefit that they are not overly large.

At $1,800, the price is high, but not that high and certainly cheaper than audiophile-grade gear. Note that the BluRay player in the picture is not included in the package. [Pioneer via Audio Junkies]

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I have to confess that when I first saw these shoes I thought to myself, “that is the stupidest idea I have ever heard,” and then I remember the old man that I nearly pancaked with my car the other night because he was dressed in black leaning onto the street when it was raining. I could not see him. There would be no way that I would miss him if he wore some illuminated shoes.

The shoes feature an LED light up the front which will illuminate an area of about 1.5 meters in front of you. The batteries are included and charged with the kinetic energy that is produced by your footsteps. The light can be switched on or off, so you only use it if you want to. They would appear to be vegan friendly, as they are constructed from some sort of breathable rubber. Rather than say that these look good, I prefer to say that they don’t look bad. They don’t exactly suit my tastes, but there are people out there that would be into them. They are a concept at the moment, but these are bound to get picked up by one manufacturer or another.

Source: Inventor Spot, Red Dot Award

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This is quite far from classic steampunk I realize, but it fits the definition in many respects. For those of you that do not know, the Nautilus is the name of Captain Nemo’s submarine in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Michael Malone, a Dallas-based architect designed this home theater based on the text description of the interior of the Nautilus in Jules Verne’s novel of the late 1800s. It is automated via an AMX control system and has a very impressive list of equipment. No word on price, but we are guessing that it cost a pretty penny. The equipment list, as published in Home Entertainment Magazine is featured below:

Acoustic Innovations Royal CinemaChairs (11)
AMX MVP-7500 7.5″ Modero ViewPoint Touch Panel
AMX NI-3000 NetLinx Integrated Controller
AMX PLK-SB2 SmartButton Keypad
AMX RDA-ENC6 Radia Lighting six-space enclosure
AMX RDD-DM6 Radia Lighting 6-Channel Integrated Dimmer Module
AMX RDM-2SWM Radia Lighting Dual Switch Module
AMX VST-TSTAT ViewStat Communicating Thermostat
AMX VSS2 Video Sync Sensor
BTX Motorized Drapery System
Delphi SA10000 Skyfi XM radio
Gold Medal #2660GT Antique Deluxe Sixty Special popcorn popper
InFocus ScreenPlay 7200 DLP projector
JVC HR-S5902 S-VHS VCR
Kenwood Sovereign DV-5900M DVD changer
Kenwood Sovereign MX-5000 THX Ultra two-channel amplifier
Kenwood Sovereign VR-5900 audio/video receiver
LG LSS-3200A DirecTV HD satellite receiver
NHT Evolution U2 Component Subwoofer
Panamax MAX 4310 power conditioner/surge suppressor
Pioneer CLD-501 laserdisc player
ScreenResearch ClearPix2 screen
Solus DR-ir6 ribbon in-wall loudspeakers (8)
Solus DR-ir8 ribbon in-wall loudspeakers (6)

Source: DVICE, Geekologie, Home Entertainment Magazine

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I have seen a few TV stands with built in speakers in my time, but the ANPR1000H  from Sharp is something that I could actually buy. Here’s why, I live in a small apartment, well big by Japanese standards but small for anywhere else. I don’t have the space or the budget for an expensive sound system and I don’t have the heart to upset the neighbors that much. Sharp’s new offering is plenty loud enough at 300W, gives you 2.1 channel sound that will leave your TV speakers for dead. Two subwoofers support the rack and a shelf well take as many components as you need. This looks the perfect rack if you are looking to conserve space, but desire high quality sound.

It looks good too; I must admit I am a fan of shiny black furniture and components. This is the perfect way to show off your huge Full-HD LCD TV (putting a plasma on a Sharp stand would be tantamount to blasphemy unless it were Pioneer).

Price: Around $1,000 (the British price will hit you for $1,200, but the smart money is on it being closer to the Australian price).

Sources: Crave via Techdigest via Sharp

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