The new Minibar is a compact soundbar tuned by THX and designed for use by pay-TV operators.
SEI Robotics will be showcasing its latest innovation at IBC 2023 in Amsterdam. SEI’s minibar is the world’s first compact 5.1 soundbar and is based on Amlogic chipset with Dolby Atmos and audio tuning by THX.
This new soundbar has been developed specifically for the global Pay-TV market using top-tier audio and video experts. The first customer to sign up for Minibar will be Latin American pay-TV operator America Movil.
SEI has partnered with Hometics, an international smart home theater brand, to develop the minibar. The company’s smart home theater products range from 2.0 to 5.1.4 channels, providing stereo sound and panoramic surround sound. Hometics prides itself on plug-in-and-play products with wireless and seamless connections, making it easy for consumers to enjoy theater-quality entertainment using voice or remote control.
According to SEI, the minibar is a unique solution designed for pay-TV customers looking to upgrade their home theater with superior sound and vision. The minibar supports Dolby Atmos, 5.1 channel audio and runs Android TV OS. The soundbar’s audio has been specially tuned by THX.
At only half the length of a typical soundbar, the device supports 4K UHD output including Dolby Vision. Depending on what an operator wants, different models and configurations can be tailored to suit the needs of different pay-TV areas.
Despite its tiny size, the SEI promises 5.1 sound straight out of the box with minibar support , [+]
Mahesh Balakrishnan, vice president of consumer entertainment at Dolby Laboratories, said of the minibar’s pedigree: “Dolby experiences have transformed the way consumers enjoy their favorite entertainment. With support for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, SEI’s latest integrated soundbar and set-top-box is a one-stop shop that enables pay-TV operators around the world to deliver an incredible audiovisual experience to their customers Will provide solution.
THX has tuned the SEI Minibar’s sound to maximize its sonic performance. Consumers can experience the true vision of the filmmaker and enjoy home theater sound straight out of the box, regardless of the type of content and format they wish to watch.
“We are pleased to bring THX audio calibration expertise to this dynamic and innovative product. This partnership with SEI allows us to advance the THX mission to ensure more people can enjoy high-fidelity content the way creators want to enjoy entertainment,” said Chief Executive Officer of THX Ltd. Officer Jason Fibber said during a briefing with me. about a week ago.
The SEI Minibar can be expanded with rear speakers and a sub if the user wants even bigger sound.
Jeff Yin is CEO of SEI Robotics: “We look forward to collaborating with first-class partners in achieving product innovation, turning your TV into a plug-in and play Dolby Atmos sound system, providing pay-TV consumers an immersive Honored to do the audio-visual experience.”
The minibar is powered by an Amlogic S905X4 chipset, which includes a quad-core Cortex-A55 architecture made of 12nm process and has a processing power of 24 DMIPS. Along with Dolby Vision, the chipset may support HDR10+/HLG and HDMI2.1a 4K UHD video interface. Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio, and Earc.
The first rollout of the SEI minibar will be with Latin American pay-TV operator America Movil. The company’s Claro operation will be the first to bring SEI minibars to customers in Central and South America by the first quarter of 2024.
An America Movil spokesperson said: “The minibar will integrate all the services consumers today have come to expect, in one compact, all-in-one product, extending this home theater option to pay-TV customers. We are proud that America Movil and their Claro operation will be the first to launch, bringing it to our valued customers in Central and South America in the first quarter of next year.
Pricing & Availability: No price has been announced for the SEI Minibar. The minibar will be available as part of pay-TV subscription packages as operators roll it out in various global regions from next year.
more info: seirobotics.net
