Panasonic rethinks iPod dock presentation

Clunky look, original concept: Panasonic ditches the traditional concept of an iPod dock in the form of its new MW-10.

Dubbed a multimedia audio system, the device combines a CD player, with a photo frame, AM/FM radio and iPod dock. Resembling a small TV the MW-10 has a 10-inch screen with a 800 × 480 resolution, 4 gigabytes of internal memory, SD card slot and a USB-port. The all-important iPod dock is at the rear of the unit. The built-in amplifier puts out 5W × 2 through the 40-cm speakers and makes use of bamboo fibers to aid sound reproduction. Alternatively, users can take the option of using the headphone plug. The device can play AAC, MP3 and WMA files, display JPEG photos and can do double duty as an alarm clock. Panasonic will also be releasing a smaller version, the MW-7. It has similar features except for a 7-inch screen and it lacks the iPod dock.

While Panasonic has set no prices for the pair, the MW-10 is expected to cost around ¥50,000 and the MW-7 in the neighborhood of ¥40,000 when they go on sale Oct. 23. While the reimagining of the iPod dock concept is interesting, the execution is wanting. The lack of networking ability in particular limits its usefulness. The MW-10 weighs 1.9 kg and the MW-7 is not much less.

The pricing produces high expectations, a not uncommon failing with Panasonic, which often curtails ambitious ideas with more ambitious pricing. panasonic.jp/compo/

All in one: JVC Kenwood has crafted a higher order of all-in-one device in the form of its Ryoma. The Ryoma is a high-definition digital TV tuner, hard-disk drive, combination Blu-ray/DVD recorder and AM/FM tuner joined together in one sleek box that employs the less-is-more design principle (although the size of the remote control violates that rule somewhat).

Prices are as yet unknown, but the contraption's appearance gives the impression that the global financial crisis is over. The Ryoma brings an extra dimension to radio in both offering much higher quality reception but also the ability to display images on a TV screen to accompany the broadcast. Unfortunately those images are likely to be commercials. The real drawback is that users must buy a separate device, the M-Linx box to make use of the radio.

JVC Kenwood is trumpeting this product as one that truly covers the key bases of watching video, recording it and listening to sound. The quality of the latter is one of the key selling points — a reasonable one considering the product's heritage, especially on the Kenwood side. www.jk-holdings.com/press/

Muscle TV: Digital televisions pack more computing power than some computers. Toshiba has upped the processing punch in dramatic fashion with its new Regeza-brand TV. The headliner for the 55X1 is that it runs on the Cell processor, akin to that inside the PS3. The extra grunt is used to boost the video and audio performance of the 55X1, resulting in a 240-Hz panel and a staggering 5,000,000 : 1 contrast ratio and 1250cd/m2 brightness in a 55-inch screen. In particular, the 55X1 is supposed to have enhanced color and brightness balance, and better image quality at the edge of the picture. In order to avoid the trap of a great picture chained to mediocre sound, Toshiba has equipped the 55X1 with a 7-speaker sound bar attached underneath the display. Padding out the product, Toshiba includes a 3-terabyte hard disk and dual TV tuner, both digital and analog. The 55X1 also uses LED backlighting, almost mandatory for top-drawer LCD televisions now, and Digital Living Networking Alliance ability.

The Cell processor is housed with the hard disk inside an external box about the chunky size of an early Blu-ray player. Viewers can employ the hard disk to time-shift up to 26 hours of programs from up to eight channels at the same time. The television can also display eight channels on screen simultaneously. Although finding that much television deemed worth watching and showing at the same time would be a marvel in itself.

The 55X1 also has a Web browser based on Opera to maximize use of both cell and screen.

The 55X1 won't be on the market until December. While there is no official price yet it is expected to live up to its features with a price of around ¥1,000,000. www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/