03/26/2012- Thecus has received hundreds of awards during its history for its innovative and reliable hardware, helping countless people all over the world to share our new digital-era treasure: data. Thecus believes in diversity. That’s why they are releasing a new Windows Storage Server-powered NAS product line to help you share your files using Windows Storage Server 2008 R2: the W Series. Three models will be available: 8-bay W8900, 12-bay W12000 and 16-bay W16000.

“The release of the W Series is the start of a very fruitful relationship with Microsoft that will help us achieve our main goal: to satisfy more and more Thecus users with high-quality network appliances,” says Florence Shih, General Manager of Thecus Technology.

Explore the reliable and powerful Thecus NAS appliance powered by Window Storage Server 2008 R2. This appliance offers new tools to manage and fulfill business needs. The appliance provides a network platform that allows users to access computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2. With the latest Windows Storage Server Service Pack 1 (SP1), RemoteFX and Dynamic Memory are two additions that increase user flexibility and control.

“We are pleased to see Thecus utilizing Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 to deliver a cost effective, reliable, and scalable solution,” said Thomas Pfenning, General Manager, File Server Foundation, at Microsoft. “This will help customers address challenges of managing and providing access to the growing amount of data that businesses rely on.”

Besides easy integration within a Microsoft infrastructure and finer optimization for Windows transfer protocols, users who are familiar with Windows Server will now have more familiar interface for managing and protecting their essential business data. In addition, Microsoft updates its product to maintain the security level of its appliances. And finally, the whole Windows ecosystem and community are available to help. Enabling functions such as replication, anti-virus, data backup and so forth has never been so simple and well documented.

Key benefits of a Windows-powered NAS include enhanced power, data and server management capabilities. Paired with Thecus’ W series, the possibilities are endless.

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2, Standard Edition

Some useful features delivered with Windows Storage Server make storage more efficient and thus less costly!

• Traditional files protocols (NFS, SMB..) are optimized to work better together
• Single Instance Storage (SIS): Transparent file de-duplication can maximizes space efficiency, saving up to 60% of capacity. When hard disks became a precious resource, this is an essential feature!
• iSCSI target: The classic set-and-forget architecture lets you configure your storage as a regular disk over the network and use it on a daily basis without users’ even noticing it.
• Remote administration: Simply connect to an easy-to-remember link and remotely access the control panel through any web browser on any computer!

Thecus Hardware: reducing costs but not quality

Thecus is a company entirely dedicated to storage and network sharing. The main advantage of reaching the high level of excellence is that Thecus helps customers optimize costs and quality. The hardware used for the W series has been tested and approved by media and users all around the world. And you can also benefits from Thecus prices, which give you the best value because of the experience and optimization delivered by our R&D teams.

Thecus products are always delivered using the best quality available on the market. For instance, take high-speed transfers: Thecus NAS appliances are delivered with USB 3.0 (10x faster than USB 2.0).

The following table summarizes the key specs of the W series:

For more information on the W16000, check out:
http://www.thecus.com/product.php?PROD_ID=68

For more information on the W12000, check out:
http://www.thecus.com/product.php?PROD_ID=69

For more information on the W8900, check out:
http://www.thecus.com/product.php?PROD_ID=70

For a long time I had resisted converting my DVD and Blu-Ray disks into any other format because I didn't want to lose any quality.  I had lived by this rule for a long time, and thankfully companies like QNAP and Thecus came to my storage rescue.  However, the day has come where the cost of storing all the extra garbage that comes along with these movies has opened my eyes to benefits conversions.  With that, I have began converting my movie collection to a format that allows me to lose all the excess fat, but keep my movie loss-less.

With the conversion to MKV, a new dilemma has plagued my media canter, Windows Media Center in Windows 7 does not natively support recognizing or playing back videos in this format.  Luckily, there are few things we can do to rectify this issue; allowing us to take advantage of the format and still maintain all the functionality we have been used to from WMC.

Step 1.  Installing a codec pack. 

There has been much debate about codec packs and having them on your system, however, I have not found any other way to get things working properly without them.  Some are of the opinion that FFDShow (Tryouts) will be all that you need to get things working, however, in my home, this simply has not worked very well.  Lately, I have been using Shark007 on all my HTPC's and I am not disappointed in the least.

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The 50 Series streamlined appearance is complemented by user-friendly design. The versatile monitors are VESA 100mm wall mount compliant, meaning that they can be used on a desktop or conveniently mounted on the wall to save space. The 50 Series also includes easily accessible  digital inputs that are rear-facing for direct insertion, a placement that is much more convenient than the more common downward-pointing ports. The monitors’ iMenu option allows the user to change settings using only the keyboard and mouse, so that it is not necessary to reach up to the screen to adjust contrast, brightness and other preset modes. Other bonus features include embedded Screen+ software that divides the screen into four self-contained work areas for improved productivity, and an Eco Mode that helps to reduce energy costs and environmental impact. The monitors also include an eSaver feature that lets the user preset power conservation modes for the display when the PC is not in use. The monitors’ Power Saving Mode uses 50 percent less power, and Standby Mode uses only 0.1w.

50 Series Specifications

•    Widescreen LED Display
•    1920 x 1080 resolution
•    20,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
•    16:9 Aspect Ratio
•    5ms response time
•    DVI-D with HDCP inputs
•    Kensington security slot for added protection
•    3 year limited warranty

The 50 Series and every AOC monitor are manufactured to meet the most stringent green standards. Along with being mercury free, the packaging for the monitors is made from recycled materials. In addition, AOC’s industry-leading LED display technology allows for a powerful and crystal clear display while minimizing power consumption. The 50 Series is available now for $149.99 (e2250Swdn) and $179.99 (e2450Swd) at Staples office superstores nationwide.

About AOC
AOC is the world’s largest manufacturer of LCD/LED monitors and HDTVs. With more than 60 years of design and manufacturing experience, AOC has earned a reputation for selling user-friendly, technologically advanced monitors, TVs and multi-functional displays. Every aspect of AOC’s global business focuses on the development of products that fit seamlessly into consumers’ digital lifestyle. For more information, please visit us.aoc.com.

Connect with AOC on Facebook at Facebook.com/AOCAmericas and on Twitter at Twitter.com/aocusa.

I can better be classified as more of a PlayStation fan than an XBOX 360 fan, mainly because I don't like to pay to play.  However, there are still some things that makes the XBOX an integral part of my entertainment center.  Firstly, its application list and UI is more attractive and user friendly than that of the PlayStation 3.  The unfortunate part of the XBOX's strengths is that it requires Gold membership.  Well, thankfully, Microsoft has loosened its reigns and plans on giving the "rest" of us some candy.

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Old Lyme, CT – April 17, 2012 – Building a hi-fi device that sounds so brilliant, so crystal clear and so free of distortion as if one were sitting right in front of the audio source. Creating a level of acoustics that surpasses everything that has gone before. These are the visions that drive Sennheiser in the development of its high-end products. For the first time, Sennheiser is now launching an amplifier for dynamic headphones, thus making the Sennheiser sound experience perfect. The digital HDVD 800 has a fully symmetrical layout and sampling frequencies of up to 24bit/192kHz to ensure an unequalled listening experience. It also harmonises perfectly with Sennheiser's HD 800, HD 700, HD 650 and HD 600 high-end headphones.

The outstanding features of the HDVD 800 include its balanced sound image, maximum precision and impressive spatiality. The high-end headphone amplifier has a fully symmetrical layout for operation with analogue audio sources, thus ensuring absolutely symmetrical signal transmission from the source to the headphones. For use with digital sources, the amplifier is equipped with a high-quality Burr-Brown digital/analogue converter that converts digital audio data into analogue signals with a resolution of 24 bits and a sampling rate of up to 192 kHz. This enables the HDVD 800 to transmit the entire frequency spectrum of high-end audio sources without any loss of frequencies.

“The search for perfect sound is a constant motivation for us to develop new ideas,” said Maurice Quarré, Director Product Lifecycle Management Sennheiser Consumer Electronics.“The best example is the legendary Orpheus. These electrostatic headphones with a vacuum tube amplifier, which came onto the market around 20 years ago, have become an icon in the audio world. With the HDVD 800, Sennheiser is now taking up the tradition of the Orpheus, providing music lovers with the perfect combination of Sennheiser headphones and a specially matched amplifier.”

Top-quality technology, top-quality sound
Signal processing in the HDVD 800 is fully symmetrical. That means that not only the signal input into the amplifier is symmetrical but also the signal output and therefore the connection to the headphones. “The fully symmetrical principle effectively compensates for interference and distortion. The sound therefore becomes much clearer as total harmonic distortion is minimised," explained Axel Grell, Sennheiser’s Senior Acoustical Engineer.Sennheiser supplies specially made cables for the symmetrical connection to headphones. The headphones can, however, also be connected using a normal 6.3 mm jack plug. In addition to the symmetrical inputs, the HDVD 800 also has an asymmetrical input socket; incoming signals are symmetrised before further processing takes place. Digital sources are connected to the rear of the unit as an AES/EBU input, S/PDIF(optical and coaxial) or USB. The USB 2.0 audio standard offers 24 bit data transmission at 192 KHz.*

In order to fully exploit the sound potential of the HDVD 800 with any audio source, a rotary gain switch at the rear of the unit provides simple adaptation of the amplifier output to the audio input voltage. This ensures that the dynamic range can be used to its full extent.

High quality in every detail
A glass panel embedded in the aluminium housing of the amplifier gives a clear view of the top-quality interior of the HDVD 800. Selected components and sophisticated circuitry promise the ultimate in listening pleasure. The rotary potentiometer is mechanically connected to the volume control by a 150mm long shaft. This unusually long potentiometer shaft allows the signal path between the audio source and the potentiometer to be kept very short, thus preventing possible interference of the signal.  High-quality components (Alps RK 27 quad) ensure that the volume is controlled with maximum precision and a fine rotary ‘feel’. Also visible through the glass panel are the cooling element, the audio relay and countless MELF resistors for the amplifier.“The material selection has been thought through down to the finest detail in order to fully exploit the amplifier’s sound potential. The audio aspects of each individual component were evaluated in listening tests before the optimum combination was finally chosen,” said Maurice Quarré.

And such meticulous attention has also been applied to the exterior. Both the housing and the potentiometer control as well as the rotary switch for selecting the source are made of anodised aluminium, while the front panel of the housing and the controls are milled from solid material. The HDVD was developed and designed in Germany, and the latest member of Sennheiser’s high-end series is also being manufactured there.

The new digital HDVD 800 will be delivered to Sennheiser’s worldwide sales partners from September.

About Sennheiser
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Conn. Sennheiser's pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

You can find all the latest information on Sennheiser by visiting our website at http://www.sennheiserusa.com.

Contacts:

Jeff Touzeau
Public Relations
Hummingbird Media, Inc.
(914) 602-2913
jeff@hummingbirdmedia.com

Rachel Smolin
Public Relations
Sennheiser Electronic Corporation
(860) 434-9190, Ext. 180
rsmolin@sennheiserusa.com

*Driverless operation on a Mac from operating system OS 10.5 onwards. A driver is included for Windows computers from XP operating system onwards for 192 kHz operation.

Technical Data

In-Ear Deluxe

The new IE 800 high-end headphones from Sennheiser

Old Lyme, CT – April 17, 2012 – The IE 800 headphones from Sennheiser are the ones with the most innovations per square millimetre. And for precisely that reason, these small in-ear earphones can certainly compete with much larger high-end headphones. They are brimming with groundbreaking ideas to ensure that audiophile music lovers can get as close as possible to perfect sound even when they’re on the move.

When it comes to audio quality, ear-canal phones have been known to come up against their limits in the past. But the IE 800 sets new standards: with its new model, Sennheiser is now rounding off its top segment with a set of genuinely high-end portable headphones. “The sound of the IE 800 can easily compete with that of our high-end portfolio," said Maurice Quarré, Director Product Lifecycle Management Sennheiser Consumer Electronics. These dynamic in-ear phones offer fascinatingly brilliant trebles, precise bass response and a detailed, lifelike sound image with a frequency response of 5 to 46,500 Hz.

The IE 800 not only boasts innovative technology but also features a modern design and high-quality materials such as the scratch-resistant ceramic housing. Its puristic design language and black/silver finish give it that certain extra. The high-end earphones were developed and designed at Sennheiser's headquarters in Germany. And the new in-ear earphones will be produced here too.

Outstanding in-ear sound system

The interior of the IE 800 conceals many small but effective innovations: the centrepiece is Sennheiser’s specially developed Extra Wide Band (XWB) driver. With a diameter of just 7 mm, it is the smallest wide-band sound transducer currently available in dynamic headphones. Its functional principle guarantees distortion-free sound even at high sound pressure levels. "Until now, high-quality in-ear headphones have used so-called balanced-armature multi-drivers,” explained Senior Acoustic Engineer Axel Grell. “Reproducing the entire audio spectrum requires several narrow-band drivers to be operated in parallel. However, this results in very slight jumps and delays in music reproduction." By contrast, the miniature-sized XWB driver developed by Sennheiser is able to perfectly reproduce the entire audible frequency spectrum and beyond. The advantage: music is played back with crystal clarity and with absolute time precision.

The endeavour to fully exploit the sound potential of the premium headphones led to a further small but highly effective innovation: a vented magnet system. The idea is actually quite simple and was used for the first time on the HD 700 high-end headphones. “The oscillating motion of the diaphragm produces an air flow in the magnet system housing that causes the diaphragm to wobble slightly,” explained Axel Grell. “By positioning two precisely defined vent holes in the housing directly under the magnets, we can cause the air to flow in a specific direction. This minimises the wobbling motion of the diaphragm and reduces total harmonic distortion to less than 0.06 percent.

Innovative dual-chamber absorber

With the IE 800, Sennheiser has succeeded for the first time in solving what is known as the ‘masking effect’. This effect, which has a negative influence on overall sound quality, is due to the way in which our ears work. “The human ear is unable to perceive low-volume frequency components of a sound if there are much louder sounds occurring in a lower frequency range at the same time," explained Axel Grell. "This means, for example, that very loud low-frequency sounds will ‘mask’ very quiet sounds in the medium frequency range. This is particularly apparent in in-ear headphones. The sealing of the ear canal by the earphones normally causes resonances that result in a peak in the 7kHz to 8kHz range. This has the effect of masking the actual higher-frequency components. Precisely this problem has been overcome in the IE 800 by the use of an absorber. Sennheiser’s patented dual-chamber system absorbs the energy of the resonance, thus preventing any unwanted peaks. As a result, all frequency components – even the finest nuances – in the music material become audible.

Finest wearing comfort

The optimum sound properties of the IE 800 are further enhanced by excellent wearing comfort. The housing is made of scratch-resistant, skin-friendly ceramic, while the ear pads consist of skin friendly silicone. This rules out any risk of allergies or skin irritation. To guarantee a perfect fit, Sennheiser has developed new ear adapters with an oval shape based on extensive international studies in ergonomics. According to their personal preference, users can choose from a selection of oval (SM/ML) and round (S/M/L) adapters. A protective mesh on the ear cushions effectively protects the drivers against dirt contamination.

About Sennheiser

Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Conn. Sennheiser's pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

You can find all the latest information on Sennheiser by visiting our website at http://www.sennheiserusa.com.

Contacts:

Technical Data

Transducer principle                          Dynamic, closed vented

Frequency response                          8 – 41,000 Hz (–3dB)

5 – 46,500 Hz (–10dB)

Impedance:                                           24 Ω

Total harmonic distortion:  < 0.06 % (1 kHz, 1V)

Weight:                                  8g

Cable length:                                        1.2 m (symmetrical)