HT Staff

New this month, Home Theater Magazine brings to you the internet's largest community of qualified audio and video buyers and sellers, powered by industry leaders Videogon. Visitors to hometheatermag.com will find a new "AVMarketplace" 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.

HDTV fans suddenly have more to choose from. On October 16, New York-based Cablevision Systems made good on its promise to deliver high-definition programming from the sky, with the launch of its Rainbow DBS (direct broadcast satellite) service.

ELAN
ELAN's new VIA!2 wireless touchpanel is perfect for controlling wholehouse audio, home theater, security, temperature, lighting, drapes, and just about any other wireless solution you could ask for. (Now, if only it could load and unload the dishwasher...) It uses an 802.11b wireless transmission method and comes with both the VIA!2 server and docking station. The 7.8-inch LCD touchscreen and large, easy-to-read buttons and user screens make the VIA!2 both intuitive and user-friendly. Using ELAN's VIA!TOOLS Windows-based software, you can complete the setup process in hours using simple point-and-click methods. ELAN says that the VIA!2 will last for 670 hours in hibernate mode, 24 hours in standby mode, or 6 hours in operation mode. The $3,500 price tag also gets you the Server Station, which can turn the unit's commands into IR or RS-232 commands for controlling other home devices. Look for this handy device in the first quarter of 2004.
ELAN Home Systems
(859) 269-7760
www.elanhomesystems.com

Theta Digital
Here's looking at you, Theta Digital; or, more specifically, your new Casablanca III Music and Cinema Controller. (Come on, that joke was just too easy.) The Casablanca III features Theta's Open Architecture, which consists of a motherboard for signal routing and several daughter boards for various function-specific circuitries. The company says that the Casablanca III takes customization to a new level, offering hundreds of crossover options like Linkwitz-Riley and phase-perfect. Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS ES (in both Matrix and Discrete 6.1 versions) are standard. Prices range from $9,000 to $20,000, depending upon configuration. The Casablanca III will definitely have you asking Sam to play it again. (Sorry, we couldn't resist.)
Theta Digital
(818) 597-9195
www.thetadigital.com