Ambilight Buzz Tracker

Philips' home theater in a speaker

We heard about Philips' 1.1 virtual surround system, the HTS8100 SoundBar, before CES 2007, but now that we've got the final specs, we're even more eager to give it a whirl when it comes out around the middle of this year, for $999. What differentiates from the single-speaker competition (a subwoofer is also bundled in) is the inclusion of a built-in DVD player, which will catch the eye of minimalists who want to pair it with a flat-panel TV and call it a home-theater day. Read more.

Diamond-encrusted TV

A diamond-studded TV set is Philips Electronics’ way to remind visitors to excerptthe Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that the company has sold one million of its special flat TVs with coloured background lights. Read more.

Norelco Holiday Campaign Targets Women

Following the success of its ShaveEverywhere campaign, Norelco has created a microsite and ad campaign promoting its SmartTouch-XL shaving product to women Christmas gift givers.

According to ClickZ, Tribal DDB produced the site and online ads. The agency also refreshed the ShaveEverywhere microsite with a holiday theme. Read more.

MSN Movies Offers Trailers In ‘Ambilight’

Cognizant that movie trailers are one of the most popular forms of online video downloads, Philips has collaborated with MSN’s Branded Entertainment & Experiences Team to offer online high-definition (HD) movie trailers in Ambilight on MSN Movies.

The companies are now providing to U.S. audiences streaming HD movie trailers with full Ambilight backlighting at MSN Movies.

The web site offers the trailers inset in the image of a Philips FlatTV with a surrounding Ambilight halo. The presentation offers a realistic recreation of the Ambilight Full Surround experience, complete with a screen-surrounding glow that is synched for color and brightness with the video image.

Ambilight analyzes incoming signal to project matching light in real time onto the surface behind the set, enveloping the environment in rich tailor-made blends of color and light intensity, matching the content on screen to create an immersive viewing experience.

The trailers are offered in standard definition or HD, both with complete smoothness and quality. Movie fans can share film trailer links via e-mail and even to post clips to Windows Live Spaces.

“Online trailers sites are among the most popular entertainment places on the Internet,” said Scott Levitan, senior VP of marketing and sales, Philips Consumer Electronics.

“The Ambilight feature on MSN Movies offers a rich and immersive online trailer viewing, creating a unique mini-cinematic experience. Coupled with high-definition picture quality, this first ever offering of online movie trailers in Ambilight heightens the impact of the scenes, drawing viewers to films in a way that has never been seen before. We hope that as movie fans see the Ambilight effect on MSN Movies they will be encouraged to discover the full thrill of Ambilight on a real life FlatTV. Read more.