Harman Kardon announces today the U.S. availability of their first standalone Blu-ray media player – the BDP 1. We first saw this player last month when it was announced for the European market (it goes by the BDP10 name there). If you’re already an owner of several Harman Kardon products, then you’ll love the BDP 1 since it matches nicely with many of their existing home theater products. The BDP 1 features:

• Supports BD-Live
• Upscales DVDs to 1080p (via HDMI connection)
• Allows for simultaneous JPEG and MP3 music file playback from discs or USB drives
• Comes with photo sldieshow presentation for image and sound files
• Supports Blu-Ray Disc media, including BD-R/RE, BD-Live and BonusView, DVD/DVD+R/DVD-RW, CD/CD-RW, MP3 or JPEG files on disc
• Audio formats support includes: LPCM, MP3, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD Master Audio and WMA
• RJ-45 port for Internet connectivity
• HDMI output (1.3a with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD bitstreams and high-resolution video)
  Front-panel USB jack for additional BD-Live memory or MP3 or JPEG file playback
• Optical and coaxial digital audio outputs
• Measures 66mm x 440mm x 352mm
• Weighs 3.7kg

You can purchase the Harman Kardon BDP 1 now at www.harmankardon.com for a suggested retail price of $499.

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Technorati Tags: Harman Kardon BDP 1, Blu-ray player

Harman Kardon will soon release their very first standalone Blu-ray player in the form of the BDP10 (and it’s about time folks!). Key features of the BDP10 include:

• Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and PCM outputs – up to 7.1 channel
• Outputs include one HDMI (v.1.3a with x.v.Color), one wide-bandwidth component output, one front-panel USB port for flash drives and external USB hard dives (FAT32 support), Ethernet port, two digital outputs (coaxial and optical), two-channel analog output, one composite video output
• Full-color and multilanguage user interface
• 1080/24p playback support
• BonusView support
• BD-Live (BD-Video Profile 2.0) support
• DVD playback with 1080p upscaling via HDMI output
• Plays back audio and video files on USB connected drives
• Supports MP3, WMA v.8/9 audio playback
• Supports HD JPEG playback along with slideshow playback of JPEGs and audio from same source
• Supports DivX video playback
• Backlit remote control
• Removable power cord
• Seven speed smooth scan and three speed slow motion playback
• Program playlist
• Parental control system with user-programmable password
• Dimmable dot matrix front panel display
• Color coded connections

According to Electronista, the Harman Kardon BDP10 will be coming out in May for the European market at a price of around $940 U.S. dollars (ouch). Expect the unit to eventually make it to the US.

[Check it out via Electronista]

Technorati Tags: Harman Kardon BDP10, Blu-ray player

The Harman Kardon AVR 7550HD 7.2 channel A/V receiver won the 2009 International CES Best of Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award for the Audio Components category. The AVR 7550HD is Harman Kardon’s latest flagship A/V receiver (with a suggested retail price of $2799 – yeah.. I won’t be buying this one anytime soon) and features:

• HDMI 1.3a with Deep Color support
• Pass-through up to 1080p video
• Faroudja DCDi Cinema digital video processing utilizing Torino chipset for 1080p video upscaling from all video sources
• One of the first to include Dolby Volume technology – a new approach to delivering consistent volume levels across a wide variety of content, channel programming, and input sources
• Includes Texas Instruments Aureus DA710 audio digital signal processor in a dual DSP implementation
• New HD full color on-screen menu system
• Supports Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio decoding
• Built-in USB port for USB memory stick or streaming audio from a PC
• Internet Radio Tuner
• Automated room equalization and system calibration
• Multi-room audio and video capability with A-BUS connectivity
• XM-Ready capability
• Comes with Harman Kardon Bridge II docking station for iPod

Again, this pricey receiver ($2799) will be coming out during the winter of 2009.

Technorati Tags: Harman Kardon, AVR 7550HD, A/V receiver

These beautiful looking speakers are in fact the new Harman Kardon GLA-55 2.0-Powered Loudspeakers available exclusively through Amazon.com. On the outside, the GLA-55 is made of the same material as what’s used for bulletproof glass. Each enclosure is baked at 80 degrees C for four hours and the walls have a variable wall thickness which results in a stiff and resonance free enclosure.  Features include Atlas and CMMD Transducers, Slipstream Port Design, a 110 watt digital power with DSP, Computer Optimized Equalization, and Optimized Compression Topology. The specs are as follows:

• Input Requirement:Main Connection–1/8-inch (3.5 mm) mini stereo jack
• Drivers: 1 x CMMD, 1 x Atlas AL driver per satellite
• Power: 56 Watts per satellite
• Frequency Response: 60 Hz-20 kHz
• Dimensions: 5.5-inch x 10.5-inch (140 mm x 270 mm)
• Weight: 2.5 lb (1.2kg)
• Input Impedance: 5k ohms
• Voltage input: 120V AC

Beauty apparently comes at a price as the GLA-55 is available for pre-order at a price of $999.99. Yikes.

[Check it out via Chip Chick]

Technorati Tags: Harman Kardon GLA-55 2.0 Powered Loudspeaker Systems

Harman Kardon also introduced their new Bridge II docking station for the Apple iPod or iPhone. The Bridge II is designed to work with a Harman Kardon “The Bridge ready” A/V receiver and brings the iPod to the home theater environment. You’ll be able to play your iPod through your home theater system, enjoy on-screen iPod menu display, remote control operations, and charging of the iPod. The Bridge II will connect to the Harman Kardon DMC 1000 digital media center, the new AVR 354 receiver, the HK 3490 stereo receiver, and other Harman Kardon The Bridge-ready receivers. Harman Kardon’s The Bridge II will be available early this summer at $129 dollars. It will also be included as part of the new AVR 354 A/V receiver.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Harman Kardon, The Bridge II, iPod, iPhone

Harman Kardon announced five new receivers today – the 7.1 channel AVR 354 and AVR 254 A/V receiver, the 5.1 channel AVR 154 A/V receiver, the HK 3490 stereo receiver, and the HK 3390 stereo receiver.  The new 7.1 channel A/V receivers come with features such as HDMI 1.3a capability, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, a new graphical on-screen menu, and improved iPod interface via The Bridge II docking station. All the multi-channel receivers offer HDMI 1.3a support and pass video signals at 1080p resolutions. The AVR 354 and 254 has a cool high definition full-color on-screen menu system that guides the entire home theater setup.

Here are some of the specs for the systems (from the Harman Kardon website).

The AVR 354 features:

• HDMI 1.3a support
• Upscaling to 1080p
• Full complement of Dolby and DTS decoding technologies
• HDMI repeater capability
• Faroudja DCDi Cinema processing
• EzSet/EQ equalization and multi-room capability
• Full-color graphical user interface
• Eight device programmable remote
• Suggested retail price of $899

The AVR 254 features

• Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding
• Faroudja DCDi Cinema video processing to 1080p
• Three HDMI inputs
• EzSet/EQ technology
• RS-232 port
• Suggested retail price of $649

No word on the actual specs of the AVR 154 but it has a suggested retail price of $399 and will be available in late spring of this year (which means it’s soon!)

The HK 3490 features:

• High performance phono preamp
• preout/main-in jacks
• high-current amplification
• Digital audio inputs
• Dual subwoofer outputs
• Dolby Virtual Speaker technology
• Suggested retail price of $499

The HK 3390 features:

• High current, ultrawide bandwidth amplification
• Four high quality composite video inputs
• Front panel inputs
• Suggested retail price of $399

Technorati Tags: Harman Kardon, AVR 354, AVR 254, AVR 154, HK 3490, HK 3390