Despite the awesome advances in high-def graphics and killer surround sound, a lot of people still don't even think about playing videogames on their home theater systems. But today's games offer A/V performance that often exceeds some Blu-ray Discs, while delivering excitement that lasts far beyond one or two viewings.
For most A/V enthusiasts, owning a dedicated media room is the ultimate dream. A place sealed away from the many distractions of the rest of the house.
The home theater industry is so young and varied that it hasn't produced many people that can be considered legends. But there is one man who actually created the concept of home theater as we know it today, and who continues to push the boundaries and redefine what home theater can be.
Whether your music arrives via ripping, streaming, or downloading, it's not difficult to see that hard drives have won the music-storage battle - and it's easy to see why. Once music has been rejiggered into handy data files, so much more can be done with it beyond being able to carry 10,000 songs in your pocket.
They say luck favors the prepared. It also doesn't hurt to be in the right place at the right time. Whatever. The planets aligned in my favor, resulting in my being one of the few reviewers handpicked by Kaleiedescape co-founder and COO, Cheena Srinivasan, to audition and preview their latest addition.
Oil is more than $100 a barrel. Gas is already $4 a gallon in some cities. Subprime mortgages are causing stock-market freefalls. And it's getting to where you can't glance at the news without hearing about a recession.
My spirits were hovering somewhere between disdain and contempt when Press Day started at this year's Consumer Electronics Show back in January - but man, did that change in a hurry! It seemed like every manufacturer had something big, new, and important to say, and I felt a strange emotion welling up. Dare I say it? I was actually excited!
