Dell has a very nice deal on the all-in-one audio component.

Some people don’t have the budget or the space for a big AV setup. If you fall into either (or both) categories, Dell has got the perfect deal for you.

Right now, Dell.com has the Yamaha YSP-3050 Digital Sound Projector for just $489.99. The single-component audio solution has an MSRP of $1,399.95, so this is quite a hearty discount.

Boasting multi-channel surround sound from a single component, the YSP-3050 features 21 drivers and two woofers, as well as corresponding digital amplifiers for the entire lot. It also has three Cinema DSP programs for the best possible delivery of movies, music and sports.

Two moderately-priced 1-meter cables tested by DPL Labs had different test results.

When it comes to HDMI performance, let me restate that reliability has been the major issue, and it usually surfaces with people breaking the rules.

This is not new, we’ve been following specification rules since the invention of the wheel, so why has it now taken such a toll?

In our experience, some manufacturers have shown a lack of competency in making HDMI products right the first time and continuing that over the products’ life span. It is absolutely false that all cables are the same, even at short lengths.

DPL Labs is more than just a certification company. It offers additional services that manufacturers, vendors, retail operations and even distribution firms look deep into when they are either buying or building products to verify that the integrity is what they were promised.

Your ears are more important than the numbers.

A reader wrote in to our Ask-a-Pro forum for help with understanding speaker specifications. The reader asked: “What are the best spec’s to look at when buying surround sound speakers. If a speaker’s frequency response is 47hz - 30khz and another is 58hz - 30khz which is better and why?”

Our resident audio authority Bob Archer, from CE Pro Magazine, offered this advice:

Unfortunately, determining a speaker’s applicability to a given installation is not as easy as looking at the specifications.

Frequency response can be a useful number in giving you a guideline in how dynamically the speaker will perform (it’s ability to create low frequency, midrange and high frequency content) , but there are other specs such as efficiency and impedance that are important too.

What do you do when you have an entire ecosystem of solutions for energy management, networking, security and digital health care solutions for homes, businesses and community-wide infrastructure? You build a whole new community.

That’s what Panasonic and eight other companies that are spearheading and calling the Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town (SST) in Japan. The smart town will feature widespread use of energy-saving devices and solutions that integrate energy creation, storage and management, Panasonic says.

Lack of awareness of energy management programs hinders progress, however.

A new survey by the Consumer Electronic Association (CEA) shows that consumers are receptive to energy efficiency, and that many find energy efficiency appealing to save money. “Saving money is what it’s all about,” says Steve Koenig, director of industry analysis for the CEA, in a keynote webcast on CEPro Live titled, “Powering Intelligent Electricity Use: Consumer Perspectives on Intelligent Energy Management.”

The phone survey, conducted among 1,254 adults in April 2011, found that 60 percent are concerned about their electric bills and that 38 percent are concerned about the electricity used by their electronics.

Energy use also ranked high among purchasing decision factors, following price and the variety and usefulness of features. People are also engaging in some energy-efficient behaviors. However, the CEA also found that about two-thirds of respondents were generally not aware of the smart grid or of energy management programs offered by utilities and others.

Costs continue to come down, but is it worth the investment?

Thinking of saving electricity by investing in a solar photovoltaic (PV) system? Here are a few good things to know, pulled from a recent Greenbiz.com webinar on Solar Powered Buildings: Worth Another Look as Prices Fall.

Federal tax credits— The 30 percent residential renewable energy tax credit is good through 2016. This gives you up to a 30 percent credit for the cost and installation of a solar PV, solar thermal, wind, geothermal heat pump and fuel cells. There is no ceiling, and excess credit can generally be rolled forward to the next tax year. So if you’re interested in solar technology, it’s a good idea to start pricing and planning now. You can find federal and local incentives at dsire.com

3Dⁱ Audio Adventures Await Explorers of Desktop Entertainment

Antec, Inc., has announced the immediate availability of their new soundscience^TM rockus^TM  3D 2.1 speaker system, designed to create powerful, enhanced audio for personal (pronounced "small format") theater and gaming experience.

soundscience's 3D audio technology, 3Dsst^TM, is a suite of DSP (digital sound processing) algorithms that creates a virtual surround sound experience from 2.1 stereo speakers. 3Dsst actively analyzes incoming stereo audio signals and places them into a 3D sound field. The soundscience rockus also boasts a dedicated music mode optimized for organic stereo sound reproduction, letting users hear music with deep, visceral sub-bass; powerful, spacious mids and crisp highs.

The soundscience rockus 3D 2.1 speaker system's satellites are made from anodized aluminum, which reduces enclosure distortion that plagues traditional PC speakers. Additionally, its subwoofer utilizes passive radiator technology to deliver an expansive range of bass comparable to larger footprint subwoofers.

Neo-i Gives Plug ‘n' Play Audio Video Compatibility to Portable Media Players & Other Source Components

"The Neo-i offers a unique solution to a marketplace that is increasingly dependent on portable devices for both audio and video content," said Jon Grodem, Optoma's senior director of sales & marketing. "This gives them a simple, all-in-one solution for sharing that content." 

Plasma Sales Show Growth, Pointing To Bright Future

 Well, we don't want to say we told you so but... On Ocotber 2, 2010 we posted a story entitiled "Plasma: The Myths Are Still Alive". It addressed mistaken beliefs about plasma flat panel performance. And now, we find out the following: