There is a reason why many consumers love home theater in a box (HTiB) solutions. In a word, it is about simplicity. There is no mixing and matching of components required, and no hassle in compatibility. Open the box and set it up. Yamaha has taken the concept of simplicity to heart with its new YHT-494, a system that promises to be simple to use, yet is far from simplistic in the features it offers.
The new YHT-494 features a 3D-ready, HD audio capable receiver as the heart of the system. It offers 5.1 channel surround sound with 600 watts of total system power, and will be available shortly for a suggested list price of $549.95. This HTiB includes an ultra-slim "sound bar" front speaker, two small satellite rear surround speakers and a 100-watt Advanced YST subwoofer.
The sound bar can recreate the left/right and center channels, which eliminates the need for multiple front speakers. More importantly, at just two-inches in height it can fit unobtrusively in front of most 32-inch to 50-inch TVs without blocking the screen or the all-important infrared remote sensor. The feet on the bar can be adjusted or removed as necessary depending on a user's needs. Again, in a word: simple.
"Our goal with Yamaha HTiB products is, quite simply to provide consumers with the greatest degree of simplicity, while offering them a truly enjoyable experience at affordable price points," says Tom Sumner, President, Yamaha Electronics Corporation. "We anticipate exponential growth in 3D offerings over the next few years, and the YHT-494 is ahead of the curve, having the most requested features-right out of the box."
The Yamaha YHT-494 is suited for use with Blu-ray players, flat panel HDTV displays, HD services, video game systems and even portable audio/video devices. It features Yamaha's Quad-Field CINEMA DSP with 17 surround sound programs, while also offering other advanced capabilities including the SCENE buttons for one-touch operation. These four buttons can be set to default settings for Blu-ray/DVD, TV, CD or radio listening, where pressing the button automatically launches a number of operations that initiate play of the source controlled by the button.
The unit offers four 1080p-compatible HDMI V.1.4 inputs to connect up to four high definition A/V sources, as well as one 1080p, 3d-passthrough capable HDMI output that provides the highest video quality. Deep Color (30/36 bit) and x.v Color Standard are both supported. The system is also compatible with the optional YDS-12 Dock or YBA-10 Bluetooth wireless Audio Receiver. Sounds simple enough to us.
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