Fred Manteghian

In what they've billed as their continuing commitment to the growth and development of the DVD marketplace, <A HREF="http://www.universalstudios.com">Universal Studios</A> announced 20 DVD titles with DTS audio tracks to be released in the first half of 1999. The opening volley, which includes <I>Dante's Peak</I>, <I>Waterworld</I>, <I>Liar Liar</I>, and <I>Daylight</I>, is expected in January. Other titles to follow are <I>The Shadow</I>, <I>Babe</I>, <I>The River Wild</I>, <I>The Getaway</I>, <I>The Nutty Professor</I>, <I>Apollo 13</I>, <I>Happy Gilmore</I>, <I>12 Monkeys</I>, <I>Dragonheart</I>, <I>The Jackal</I>, <I>The Frighteners</I>, <I>Born on the Fourth of July</I>, <I>The Boxer</I>, <I>For Richer or Poorer</I>, <I>Blues Brothers 2000</I>, and <I>Primary Colors</I>.

That's right. It's my birthday. Fifty years ago, I arrived. But unlike this Magnavox console which followed me into the world a few years later, I've not been abandoned curbside. At least, not yet.

A few weeks ago, I reported the Plasma Display Coalition (PDC) paid consultants to test their plasma sets independently (see <a href="http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/fredmanteghian/061406torment/" target=new>Tormenting the Plasma</a>). This week, I got my hands on the actual report and the results are fascinating. Just a bit of background. Everyone I know that buys an LCD TV says, when I ask why not a plasma, that the LCD won't "wear out," "burn up," or words to that effect. Turns out, debunking that myth was only one of the study's goals.

I need to get this off my chest. The Bryston amp is hurting a bit. As is the ARC preamp. The SP-14 preamp won’t go <i>out</i> of “bypass” mode into “normal” mode anymore. If you flip the “bypass” switch to “normal” you get nothing. No sound whatsoever. Never mind that I never listen to it in normal mode. I always use bypass, so, for me, it still works. There’s just the angst of knowing it doesn’t work in a mode that, frankly, I would never use. And what does “bypass” actually bypass? Well, the balance control for one, and the mode switch. If you’re in bypass mode, forget about reversing the left and right channels. I never did understand the need for that feature. Now, an absolute polarity switch – there’s a two-channel hot button topic that could easily fill a Rosetta stone. But alas, that’s not to be had either, even when “normal” worked, well, normally.