AUDIO VIDEO NEWS

New this month, <I>Guide to Home Theater</I> brings to you the internet's largest community of qualified audio and video buyers and sellers, powered by industry leaders Videogon. Visitors to guidetohometheater.com will find a new "<A HREF="http://marketplace.guidetohometheater.com">AV Marketplace</A>" link that connects directly to the most robust venue for buying and selling used and new Audio and Video equipment on the web. Services also include an online Bluebook for quick evaluation of used equipment prices, online used equipment forums, member product reviews, information on manufacturers, and a member feedback system.

As summer winds down and both camps in the format war rev up for the holiday season more and more titles are being announced in both formats. August will see Lion's Gate release perennial demo favorite <I>Stargate</I> on Blu-ray, and Universal will release such diverse fare as <I>National Lampoon's Animal House</I>, <I>Army of Darkness</I>, and even <I>Fast Times at Ridgemont High</I> on HD DVD.

Canon has expanded its consumer line of HD-capable camcorders with the addition of the 7.1-megapixel PowerShot TX1 digital camera that incorporates a high-definition video recorder in the same housing, making it a double bonus for those who would prefer not to lug both a still camera and a camcorder to their kids' birthday parties and soccer games. (It'll get through airport security a lot faster, too.) As indicated by the "PowerShot" moniker, The TX1 is a digital camera with an optically image-stabilized 10x (optical) zoom lens and a 115,000 pixel swivelling side-mounted LCD screen.

ASW 675 sports new driver and enclosure design.

The top of the home theater market is a very attractive niche. Scottsdale, AZ-based Accurate Imaging Technologies hopes to establish itself as a major player in the upper end of the market with a series of easy-to-use but no-compromise products. Among them are several new CRT projectors, and an HDTV upconverter. The company plans to introduce high-rez plasma displays and DVD players with SACD compatibility later this year.

Home Entertainment 2001 arrives at the Hilton Hotel & Towers in New York this week for three days, May 11-13. There will be more than 80 rooms stuffed with the latest high end audio and video gear, including dozens of brand new products. For more information about the show, go to the <A HREF="http://www.homeentertainment-expo.com">HE 2001 website</A>.