Onkyo debuts the first AV receiver able to convert any audio source into 11.4-channel surround sound-- the flagship TX-NR5010 Network AVR, with the latest DTS Neo:X codec.

Being 11.4-channel, it drives x9 speakers and has pre-outs for x4 subs as well as x2 more channels.

The company also says the the TX-NR5010 is the first AV component featuring Cisco Linksys SimpleTap technology for simpler network setup.

The Onkyo 2012 high-end AVR portfolio has 2 more models-- the 9-channel TX-NR3010 and the 7-channel TX-NR1010. The 3 receivers include THX Ultra2 Plus certification, Audyssey MultiEQ XT32 room equalisation and Audyssey DSX/Dolby Pro Logic IIz support.

All models also have 3D support, Dulby TrueHD and DTS-HD master audio decoding, and Silicon Image InstaPrevue picture-in-picture video input preview and selection technology.

Video features include 3-stage inverted Darlington circuitry, ISF video calibration, Onkyo's dual-core video engine and the HQV Vida VHD1900 chip with Marvell Qdeo technology for 4K upscaling.

Being top-of-the-line, the TX-NR5010 carries a toroidal transformer and gold-plated AV terminals, with sound output reaching 220W.

Go Onkyo Unveils 3 High-End A/V Receivers

The MIT Media Lab proposes a novel means of boosting the "immersive" experience in any home theatre setup-- projecting blurred images on peripheral screens via ceiling-mounted projectors.

The idea is similar to Philips' Ambilight ambient room lighting technology, only far more ambitious.  Dubbed Infinity-By-Nine, the system generates blurred images based on what is on-screen in real-time, stretching video to completely fill the viewers' field of view.

Why are the projections blurry? Simple-- human peripheral vision is never in focus, making what looks like crude blobs more than effective in creating "a spatially 3-dimensional experience in a computationally efficient way." Some Infinity-by-Nine testers even report the system makes them feel sensations such as heat from the images.

The Infinity-By-Nine team says the system runs on off-the-shelf hardware (including current PC GPUs), and installers can apply it in home theatres, gaming rooms and movie theatres.

Watch MIT LabCast: Infinity-By-Nine

Sony launches the first Google TV products for the European market-- the NSZ-GS7 Google TV STB and the NSZ-GP9 Google TV-enabled Blu-ray player, both first seen at CES 2012.

Both devices use a custom version of Android Honeycomb (with an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade available soon), and have access to around 150 special big-screen apps via online app store.

Connections come through ethernet and wifi, x2 USB ports and Bluetooth, and powering all is a Marvell ARM 7 dual-core processor.

The most interesting addition is a 2-sided remote control-- one side has a trackpad and familiar Android back/home/menu buttons, while the other has a QWERTY keyboard and a selection of remote control buttons.

The NSZ-GS7 should launch on July 2012 in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands, followed by the GSZ-GP9 from October 2012.

Go Google TV From Sony Arrives in Stores July 2012

Onkyo introduces the latest additions to its mid-range home theatre portfolio-- the HT-S6500 and HT-S7500, with 4K video support and upconversion (via Marvel Qdeo processor), 192 kHz/24-bit DACs, networking capabilities and Audyssey 2EQ.

Both systems also support InstaPrevue, an Onkyo source selection technology providing picture-in-picture display of programs available on connected HDMI devices.

The HD-S6500 is an 80W per channel 5.1 surround system with compact satellite speakers and a 120W subwoofer. It has x6 HDMI inputs (with Audio Return channel), front USB port (compatible with USB wifi and Bluetooth adapters) and built-in streaming music source support for services such as Pandora, Rhapsody, Slacker, Last FM and Spotify.

It also connects to PCs or networked drives (via DLNA) and supports MP3, WMA, WMA lossless, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, AAC and LPCM file playback.

The HT-S7500 is a 7.1 surround system with all features of the HS-S6700-- with additional x2 satellites and compact tower front speakers. It also has 1 more HDMI input and powered Zone 2.

The two systems also support control through iDevices or Android smartphones via remote control apps.

Go Onkyo

Autonomic upgrades the popular cloud-enabled Mirage MMS-5 media server with the MMS-5A-- now with a re-designed chassis, a new UI and audiophile-grade playback.

The MMS-5A supports 24-bit/192kHz digital USB audio output, while Autonomic claims the upgraded "sexy" chassis is ultra-quiet through the removal of the internal fan. The new UI makes navigation through online media sources (Pandora, Rhapsody, SiriusXM, Last.fm, Spotify and TuneIn) easier.

Users can also add content from iDevices via AirPlay support.

Mirage media servers allow users to sync music from local sources (Mac, PC or NAS) with other MMS units by uploading media to the cloud-- providing remote library access from other locations. Internal storage comes through 1TB HDD.

The system supports x6 independent audio streams with digital outputs (including USB) and x4 stereo pairs of analog RCA outputs for distribution to any number of zones. It is compatible with standard A/V racks (1RU) and includes rack ears, optional feet and defeatable front panel blue light.

Go Autonomic Mirage Media Servers

Microsoft plans to turn the Xbox 360 into even more than just a games console/online media player combination-- Xbox SmartGlass promises to unite all screens in the house (including mobile devices) with the machine.

Xbox SmartGlass is a wifi remote app. It allows users to control both video and game content with tablets or smartphones, using the Xbox 360 console as a hub.

First seen at E3 2012, the app also acts as a second screen-- showing extra video content depending on the content on screen. One interesting E3 demo uses HBO TV series Game of Thrones, with an interactive map on the tablet while the console plays an episode.

The app will be available for both iDevices and Androids, as well as (obviously) Windows 8 and Windows Phone.

According Microsoft, more American customers are using the console to consume media than playing online video games through Xbox Live apps for services such as Netflix and Hulu. European customers can access content from the BBC (UK), Telefonica (Spain), ZDF (Germany) and MediaSet (Italy).

Watch Xbox 360 at E3 2012

Go Xbox 360: Not Just for Games