January 30 - 4:25pm EST   Home entertainment electronics maker Marantz has recently unveiled its first Blu-ray player, the BD8002, which is capable of 1080p video playback at 24 frames per second and will upconvert standard DVDs to near high-definition quality. What Marantz is touting as a reference-grade video player, the BD8002 sports a 12-bit/297MHz video chipset along with a 10-bit Silicon Optix Realta processor with HQV system for upconverting standard DVDs. [full story]

November 21 - 1:05pm EST   Marantz Japan on Friday has introduced a new wireless dock for the iPod and iPod Touch personal audio and multimedia players. The system is composed of a receiver and multiple docks that will also charge the Apple devices and supports Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR A2DP and Bluetooth AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile). The system will allow users to play the content of their iPods via their home theater systems and control them via their home theater remote. [full story]

February 8 - 1:15pm EST   An extremely high-end Blu-Ray player from Marantz may ship by April, a new announcement suggests. Marantz's parent company, D&M Holdings, has revealed that "additional [Blu-Ray] models" should ship in the fourth quarter of FY07, which for D&M ends on March 31st of this year. While this likely includes at least one Blu-Ray player from the Denon brand, Marantz is known to be working on the the BD8002, a machine originally announced for the second calendar quarter of this year at CES. [full story]

December 28 - 4:25pm EST   Home theater outfit Marantz is preparing the release of an unusually elaborate HDMI switch. The VS3002, expected to launch first in Japan, will allow users to connect a full six HDMI inputs, where most allow a maximum of two or four. It has two outputs moreover, enabling owners to connect to both a TV and another device, such as a computer monitor. The 3002 will support HDMI 1.3's Deep Color standard, as well as RS-232C connections for more elaborate home theater setups. Although the system will ship with a remote, it auto-detect inputs as a rule, and also indicates whether or not a connected device is powered. Pricing is expected to be 35,000 yen ($310). [via ... [full story]