|
Sony’s Cool New Hidden
Home Theater -
A sliding
panel hides a high definition TV and
speakers
By
Daniel Canale-Parola
(courtesy of
B&H PhotoVideo)
Not everyone is of the opinion that big
television sets make for attractive
furniture. Since they first arrived in
living rooms, a variety of approaches to
hiding TVs have been tried. The only method
that seems to have caught on is placing the
set behind cabinet doors in large wooden
cabinets. Not only does this take up a lot
of space, most TV cabinets are about as
contemporary and stylish as my dad’s 1976
Pontiac Le Mans. What to do if you prefer a
more urban, minimalist look and still want a
room that isn’t visually dominated by a big
TV?
Sony believes
they have an attractive new answer. The
TAV-L1, billed as an “integrated home
theater system”, hides a 32-inch high
definition Sony Bravia LCD television behind
a motorized sliding panel. The panel, which
slides downward, is not just for looks; it
houses a CD/DVD player (which also supports
DivX, MP3s, jpgs, SACDs and all the various
“+-RW” DVD and CD formats), and 2 50-watt
front speakers. Not to be outdone, the stand
features twin 100-watt vibration canceling
powered subwoofers.
Equipped with
Sony’s S-ForceŽ Pro Front Surround
Technology, which simulates a surround sound
effect without requiring rear speakers, this
low-profile unit should crank out a fair
share of home theater shake, rattle and roll
as well as doubling as a nice stereo system
for listening to music.
If you have kids with grimy hands (and what
kids don’t have grimy hands?) you’ll also
value the protection the sliding panel
provides for the Bravia’s screen. The unit
has video and audio inputs for your PC if
you really want to take the multi-purpose
concept to the extreme. The default grill
color is black, but for an extra bit of
change you will soon be able to choose from
one of the colored grills shown above (Sony
says they will be available this month).
for details and to order yours
The Vitals:
Television
type
16:9 widescreen HD-ready LCD TFT active
matrix monitor with DVD/CD player
Diagonal size
32 in
Width / Depth / Height / Weight
44.9 in / 14.2 in / 28.7 in / 99.2 lbs
Video Resolution
1366 x 768
Comb filter
3D digital
Supported Resolutions
480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
Audio controls
Bass, Treble, Balance
Total output power
200 Watt
Speakers
Two 50-watt built-in front speakers, one
built-in 100 watt subwoofer
Additional features
Room light sensor (RLS) Remote control
(Infrared)
Connections
HDMI Interface Input: 1 (Rear)
PC Video Input: 1 (Rear) - D-sub 15
PC Audio Input: 1 (Rear)
S-Video Inputs: 3 (1 Side / 2 Rear)
Composite Video Inputs: 3 (1 Side / Rear)
Audio In: 5 (1 Side / 4 Rear)
Audio Out: 2 (Variable/Fixed:1) (OPT:1)
(Rear)
Headphone Output: 1 (Side)
RF Connection Input: 1 (Rear)
Disc media type
CD, DVD, CD-R, SACD, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R,
DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD+R DL
DVD media format
PAL, NTSC
Additional DVD features
DivX capable, JPEG photo playback
|
