Barry Willis

<A HREF="http://www.sim2.com">SIM2 USA, Inc.</A> has announced the addition of a second generation remote "DigiOptic" Image Processor (DOIP) to the new HT300 LINK DLP front projector to provide greater installation flexibility and a wider choice of inputs. The advanced technical solution is said to provide quality connections to video sources up to 1600 feet away.

Set-top converter boxes (STBs) may eventually disappear, thanks to cable compatibility rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday, September 10. The rules ratify an agreement reached by cable companies and electronics makers late last year, and insure that new televisions will be able to connect directly to cable feeds nationwide without the need for an adaptive device.

Many home theater experts assert that a center channel loudspeaker belongs <I>behind</I> the screen&mdash;which is what commercial theaters do with them. Yet many acoustically-transparent perforated screens contribute moir&#233; interference to the image when used with fixed-pixel (LCD, DLP, and D-ILA) projectors.

One of the electronics industry's dirty little secrets is that plasma display panels (PDPs) can exhibit all kinds of problems at higher altitudes. Home theater fans in places like Vail, CO (altitude 8500') have been plagued by buzzing noises and other strange behaviors when trying to enjoy films or television programs on PDPs.