XBMC 12 Frodo launches in finished form with support for Android, live TV

XBMC 12 Frodo

XBMC 12 Frodo has spent enough time in beta that you'd think it was walking to Mordor. Whatever prompted the long trek, it's at last over: the finished version of XBMC 12 is hitting the servers. As promised, the completed edition significantly expands the media center app's universe to include initial support for Android and Raspberry Pi, as well as live TV and DVR functionality. Sticklers for quality may like the upgrade as well, as there's new support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio processing on top of 10-bit H.264 video decoding. There's considerably more on tap with the completed Frodo build than what we can list here, so hit the download link if you want to see what two months of testing delivers.

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XBMC 12 ‘Frodo’ Beta 1 appears, includes support for Android, Raspberry Pi, HD audio and more

XBMC 12 'Frodo' Beta 1 appears, includes support for Android, Raspberry Pi, HD audio and more

Development of the XBMC project has continued to roll along since Eden launched officially earlier this year, and now the first beta for v12 Frodo is live. Those who dive in will experience a slew of new features that have been trickling out in monthly builds recently, including support for HD audio formats like DTS-MA and Dolby TrueHD, live TV and PVR access plus versions for Android and Raspberry Pi. There's a long list of features to check out -- and known issues, this is a beta after all -- check out the official blog for all the details and to try it out yourself.

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XBMC 12 'Frodo' Beta 1 appears, includes support for Android, Raspberry Pi, HD audio and more originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 08:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aperion Audio Intimus 4T Summit touts uncompressed surround sound without the cords

Aperion Audio Intimus 4T Summit touts uncompressed 51channel audio without the cords

See that little box next to those huge speakers? That's Aperion Audio's ticket to what's reportedly a no-compromise approach to wireless home theater. The Intimus 4T Summit Wireless is billed as the only system of its kind to transmit uncompressed 24-bit, 96KHz audio to its 5.1- or 7.1-channel speaker array without having to string wires across the living room. There's no interference and no more than 5ms of lag, even when that wunderkind box is processing Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio. Aperion is still touting an easy setup that can create a sweet spot in awkward spaces. If you like the idea, the only real catches are the $2,999 and $3,499 prices for the respective 5.1- and 7.1-channel systems -- although the outlay may be worthwhile to cut the clutter without sacrificing the finer details of Blu-ray movie soundtracks.

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Aperion Audio Intimus 4T Summit touts uncompressed surround sound without the cords originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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XBMC audio engine gets big rewrite, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio hit your media hub

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Fans of XBMC who've wanted their HTPCs to replace the higher-end components of a home theater setup, like Blu-ray players and higher-end receivers, are having their wishes fulfilled through a completely reworked sound system. AudioEngine, as it's called, can processevery stage of audio encoding and decoding, even with 7.1-channel formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. As the code uses more precise floating point math, the improvements can bolster heavily compressed audio and allow for upmixing from stereo to a native surround format. Sound should sync more closely to video and avoid any jarring interruptions from system sounds, too. The AudioEngine update is still limited to experimental nightly builds of XBMC, so don't be surprised if something goes awry, but it's slated as part of the main development track and should be a boon for just about any XBMC media junkie before long.

XBMC audio engine gets big rewrite, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio hit your media hub originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dolby ups TrueHD lossless audio on Blu-ray to 96k, says every upsampled bit is amazing (video)

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Just because your home theater can handle lossless audio doesn't mean the sound is as good as it could be. Dolby is now giving Blu-ray producers using Dolby Media Producer Encoder v2 the choice of premastering TrueHD surround sound at an upsampled 96k. Along with just squeezing the most possible clarity and depth out of 48kHz audio, the encoding purportedly eliminates some of the harshness of digital sound through an apodizing (signal altering) filter. At least three projects have already been given the 96k treatment, and authoring firms like Technicolor have upgrades in place to give that noticeable boost to your next Blu-ray movie.

Continue reading Dolby ups TrueHD lossless audio on Blu-ray to 96k, says every upsampled bit is amazing (video)

Dolby ups TrueHD lossless audio on Blu-ray to 96k, says every upsampled bit is amazing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 07:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E-Onkyo music service becomes first to offer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio

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Looking for something a little more than your average online music store has to offer? Then you may soon want to give Onkyo's somewhat niche e-onkyo service some consideration. It's set to be the first store to offer music in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 -- something that will initially be limited to just 100 albums (heavy on the classical, from the looks of things) and require a compatible Onkyo receiver. Those downloads will also only be available in Japan initially (where they're rolling out on May 30th), but Dolby says they'll be available "elsewhere in the world" sometime this fall. Not surprisingly, that new option will demand a bit of a premium as well, with albums starting at ¥3,000 (or about $35) and singles setting you back ¥400 (or $5).

Continue reading E-Onkyo music service becomes first to offer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio

E-Onkyo music service becomes first to offer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 04:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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