NEW YORK –
Samsung revealed the prices and
ship dates of most of its 2012 audio lineup, which
includes the brand’s first tabletop docking speakers
and the brand’s first HTiBs with Samsung AllShare
Play networking, Ultraviolet-based “disc-to-digital”
content-sharing technology, and web browser.
The audio lineup consists of five docking speakers
at suggested retails of $229 to $799, up from
a previously announced four.
An expanded soundbar lineup consists of three
models, one available in two colors, priced from a
suggested $229 to $449, including the company’s
first convertible model that can be split to create
two separate speakers for placement on both
sides of a TV.
Also part of the line are six Blu-ray-equipped
HTiBs, five incorporating 3D Blu-ray players with
suggested retails ranging from $349 to $999 for
the 3D models and $299 suggested for the 2D
model. The top two models are the company’s first
with vacuum-tube preamp section.
One entry-level A/V receiver, also available with
a surround-speaker package, was unveiled but
price was undisclosed.
All products ship in March except for the AVRs,
due in the second half.
In the HTiBs, the disc-to-digital technology will
be available exclusively from Samsung for a limited
period, enabling select Blu-ray players and Blu-ray equipped HTiBs to authenticate that a DVD disc has been
purchased, not rented. If the disc is purchased, users will
be able to stream a cloud-based Ultraviolet-protected version
of the title in SD or HD to any Wi-Fi-equipped tablet,
smartphone, TV, or Blu-ray player equipped with the Flixster
app, said marketing manager Jim Kiczek.
To do so, users must purchase a cloud-stored SD or
HD version of the title. More than 80 percent of DVD
titles available can be streamed under the disc-to-digital
program, he said. Disc-to-digital technology will eventually
be rolled out to enable Blu-ray disc authentication.
Samsung’s other new networking technology, AllShare
Play, is an enhanced version of Samsung’s DLNA-based
AllShare technology, which lets users stream audio and
video content to an AllShare-enabled HTiB, TV or Bluray
player from DLNA devices in the house. AllShare
Play adds the ability for AllShare Play-enabled devices in
the home to view pictures and unprotected video stored
on mobile AllShare Play devices located outside the
house. Pictures and videos snapped by Samsung tablets,
smartphones, and Wi-Fi-equipped digital cameras,
for example, can be sent to the cloud for storage and
streamed to select AllShare Play PCs, TVs, HTiBs, and
Blu-ray players in the home. Samsung provides 5GB of
free cloud-based storage for the devices.
Key details of the products in each audio category follow:
Docking speakers:
All five models feature stereo
Bluetooth, iPod/iPhone dock, and separate USB-charging
dock for the Samsung Galaxy II and II smartphones
and Galaxy Note smartphone/tablet hybrid.
Three docking speakers add iPad charging and embedded
MP3/WMA/AAC decoders to play music from
USB-connected mass-storage devices. The top two
add embedded Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, and DLNA-based
AllShare Wi-Fi networking, with the top model also adding
vacuum-tube preamp.
The lineup starts with the horn-shaped DA-E550 and
rectangular DA-E570, both at a suggested $229 with
embedded iPod/iPhone connector, separate embedded
USB charging connector to charge the Samsung mobile
devices, stereo Bluetooth to stream music from the
Samsung mobile devices and from other mobile devices,
and 2×5-watt amplification.
The $349-suggested horn-shaped DA-E650 adds
iPad charging, embedded subwoofer, and embedded
MP3, WMA and AAC decoders to decode music from
USB-connected mass-storage devices. Amplification is
rated at 2×10 watts plus 1×20 watts.
At a suggested $449, the rectangular DA-E670 adds
embedded Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, and DLNA-based
AllShare networking technology. Power is rated at 2×10
watts plus 1×20 watts.
At a suggested $799, the rectangular DA-E750 adds
vacuum-tube preamp section and ups power to 2×20
watts plus 1×60 watts.
Soundbars:
The lineup starts with the $229-suggested
HW-E350, sized for TVs with screen sizes of 32
inches and up and featuring built-in subwoofer, single
HDMI 1.4a input, HDMI 1.4a output with audio return
channel, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 decoding, and proprietary
virtual surround.
The $349-suggested HW-E450, sized for TVs 40 inches
and up, adds wireless subwoofer, stereo Bluetooth, and
more power. The convertible models are the $449-suggested
HW-E550 (black) and HW-E551 (silver), each
sized for 46-inch and up TVs. It adds a second HDMI 1.4a
input, and it comes with wall-mount brackets and tabletop
stands that can be used when the soundbar is split in two.
No soundbar features an iPod/iPhone dock.
HTiBs:
The 2D Blu-ray HTiB will retail for a suggested
$299, and 3D Blu-ray HTiBs range in suggested retail from $349 to $999, up from last year’s top-end price
point of $899.
All 3D HTiBs feature 2D-to-3D conversion, Samsung
Smart Hub for downloading apps, disc-to digital technology,
and AllShare Play.
The 3D lineup starts at a suggested $349 for the HTE-
4500, down from last year’s opening price of $449 at
launch. The 5.1-channel HTE-4500 features Dolby True
HD and DTS HD decoding, features HDMI output with
audio return channel, but lacks HDMI input. It also has
iPod USB port and is Wi-Fi-ready and wireless surroundspeaker-
ready.
The $449 HTE-5400 adds web browsing, dual HDMI
1.4a inputs, built-in WiFi, and tethered iPod dock.
At $549, the 5.1 HTE-5500W adds enhanced speakers
and wireless surround speakers, and at $799, the
HTE-6500W adds vacuum-tube preamp. At $899, the
HTE-6730W also features vacuum-tube preamp, adds
7.1-channel speaker system, and adds post-processing
technology to add virtual height channels to the front leftright
speakers.
