Upgrade Onkyo

Des nouvelles rassurantes...

Un autre communiqué de presse, mais qui nous arrive cette fois-ci de la division US de chez Onkyo. Rappellez-vous, je vous l’annonçais récemment l'arrivée imminente d'un upgrade soft et hardware pour les possesseurs de TX-DS989 et RDC-7. Et bien la nouvelle est belle et bien confirmée outre atlantique, puisqu'il sera possible dés juillet de pouvoir faire upgrader ces machines, pour bénéficier du DTS 24/96 du nouveau label THX Ultra 2 et de la fréquence de coupure ajustable.
Nouvelles vignettes...
Disponible chez nous vers la fin de l'été, il n’en reste pas moins qu’aucun tarif pour la France n’est annoncé, sauf peut être au USA au prix de 500 $. Affaire à suivre !
Nouvelle version du TX-DS989 : le TX-DS989-VER2

Communiqué de presse :
UPPER SADDLE RIVER, N.J. (5/1/02) – When Onkyo first introduced its top-of-the-line TX-DS989 home theater receiver two years ago, it featured a revolutionary “future-proof” upgradeable processor that protected consumers from having their receiver rendered obsolete each time a new home theater processing technology was introduced. In 2001, the company offered an upgrade that added DTS-ES and Dolby Pro Logic 2.

Today, Onkyo is announcing a program to upgrade these receivers to accommodate the new THX Ultra2 and DTS 96/24 home theater and multi-channel audio sound formats, and to add a variable subwoofer crossover for improved bass accuracy. The company also introduced the new TX-DS989Ver2 which incorporates all these changes.

“With this upgrade, the two-year-old Onkyo TX–DS989 is completely up to date with the latest in audio processing technology,” said Don Milks, Onkyo’s National Product and Marketing Manager. “We have made it possible for our customers to keep pace with the state of the art without having to buy a new receiver every six months.”

Like the earlier THX Ultra standard, THX Ultra2 certifies that the Onkyo TX-DS989Ver2 offers superior audio and video specifications, which have been updated to reflect new technology. In addition, because many multichannel titles lack Surround-EX encoding, the more stringent Ultra2 standard specifies sophisticated CinemaMode processing which automatically detects any program of 5.1 channels or more, and optimally reproduces it on a 7.1-channel system.

The addition of DTS 96/24 technology also provides a dramatic upgrade to the Onkyo TX-DS989’s capabilities. The DTS 96/24 standard allows conventional video DVDs to include 5.1-channel sound tracks with audio quality comparable to wide bandwidth, high dynamic range formats like DVD-Audio and SACD, while still allowing for full-motion video.

The upgrade also provides a variable subwoofer crossover can be set at 80, 100, or 120 Hz, except when using THX processing which fixes the low-pass filter at 80 Hz.

The upgrade, which will be available in June with a retail price of $500, requires internal hardware and software modifications that will be performed by regional service centers. An introductory $200 discount will be offered until August 30, 2002. Customers who purchased the DTS-ES and Dolby Pro Logic II upgrade last year will be given an additional $50 credit because those features are also included with the new upgrade. The price includes the cost of shipping and insurance to the service center.

The Onkyo TX-DS989Ver2 will be available in June with a suggested retail price of $3,500.