Scott Wilkinson

Ever since DVD first appeared five years ago, I've longed for the ability to record video material to disc rather than VHS tape. Well, as the old saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it." Not only is it now possible to record onto a DVD disc, there are no fewer than five formats available! Among these are DVD+R (write-once) and DVD+RW (rewritable), both created by Philips.

When it comes to surround-speaker systems, good things rarely come in small packages. Microsatellites and little subwoofers typically sound thin and anemic, with poor tonal balance and low volume capabilities. Yet there are many situations (e.g., small apartments, dorm rooms, guest rooms) in which such speakers would be ideally suited, if only they produced a reasonably good sound.

I have seen the future, and it is digital. On June 18, cinematic history was made as <I>Star Wars: Episode 1---The Phantom Menace</I> became the first movie in the U.S. to be publicly screened from a digital source rather than a film print (see <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?430">related story</A>).