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Audio Video News
Latest Software Reviews
HT Staff  |  Dec 13, 2004
DVD: Funny Ladies—Koch Vision
Video: 3
Audio: 2
Extras: 1
The premise behind Funny Ladies is a good one: a four-DVD set featuring uncensored standup routines from some of the best female comediennes in the business. Most of the material dates from the early nineties, and the outfits and hairstyles are often funnier than the stand-ups themselves. Unfortunately, the real joke is on anyone who purchases this travesty of a collection.
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Audio Video News
Hollywood vs Kaleidescape
Barry Willis  |  Dec 13, 2004

Adhering to all the rules imposed by the DVD Copy Control Association apparently isn't enough to keep high-end startups out of court.

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Audio Video News
Coming Attractions
HT Staff  |  Dec 13, 2004
Harman/Kardon
Home-theater-in-a-box systems have come a long way. Harman/Kardon's CP 15 6.1-channel system ($1,199) will get you started on your home theater journey, minus a display device. The CP 15 includes Harman/Kardon's AVR 135 A/V receiver, DVD 22 progressive-scan DVD player, and HKTS 8 home cinema speaker system. The AVR 135 can decode the popular surround sound formats, including Dolby Pro Logic IIx and Dolby Headphone. A full-function remote is also supplied. The DVD 22 can play back DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, WMA, CD, CD-R/-RW, MP3, and JPEG discs. The speaker package features contoured satellite speakers, a center-channel speaker, and a vertically oriented subwoofer.
Harman/Kardon
(516) 496-3400
www.harmankardon.com
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Audio Video News
O High-Def DVD Format, Where Art Thou?
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Dec 13, 2004
Punches continue to be thrown in the fight over which next-generation DVD format will be established as the industry standard. (And there will be an industry standard, right corporate bigwigs? Although full-fledged format wars are great for selling magazines - go ahead, subscribe to our humble publication now, just in case - tech-savvy consumers tend to sit on the sidelines when it comes to spending money on hardware that may never have software.) Here are some of the latest developments in the march toward a higher definition DVD.
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Audio Video News
Store More Digital Media Than Ever Before
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Dec 12, 2004  |  First Published: Dec 13, 2004
Want an easy way to store, manage, access, and enjoy digital entertainment content in your home? Beginning to think Microsoft's Windows Media Center Edition 2005 doesn't quite live up to all the hype? Afraid you'll run out of storage room? Concerned about so many questions to answer?
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Audio Video News
Coming Attractions
HT Staff  |  Dec 08, 2004
Proview
Plasma televisions are all the rage these days, and Proview has a new model that might be what you're looking for. The MH-462SU is a 46-inch widescreen EDTV that features dual NTSC tuners and is HD-compatible. It sports a 1,500:1 contrast ratio and 1,000 cd/m2 brightness. Connections are plentiful and include DVI-D with HDCP and component video inputs. The MH-462SU also features Faroudja video processing with 3:2 pulldown and a V-Chip for parental control. This model is available now for $3,199.
Proview
(877) 532-8176
www.proview.net
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Audio Video News
Latest Software Reviews
HT Staff  |  Dec 08, 2004
DVD: The Alamo—Buena Vista
Audio: 3
Video: 4
Features: 4
I'm not a huge history buff myself, but this version of the story of the men who held the Alamo against Mexican General Santa Ana is compelling and beautifully told, though some may argue that the story isn't historically accurate. As usual, Billy Bob Thornton (as Davy Crockett) steals the show, but the rest of the cast (Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, and Patrick Wilson) hold their own as well.
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Audio Video News
Mixed Messages on LCDs
Barry Willis  |  Dec 06, 2004

Many technology pundits agree that LCD screens should become commonplace high-def displays in the near future.

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Audio Video News
Hollywood Embraces HD DVD
Ultimate AV Staff  |  Dec 06, 2004

HD DVD is gaining momentum with Hollywood studios. Several studios have announced their intentions to go with the Toshiba format, among them New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Brothers Studios, according to a Toshiba press release from Tokyo.

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Audio Video News
Home Theater eNewsletter
HT Staff  |  Dec 06, 2004
Home Theater is proud to present the first edition of its new free monthly eNewsletter. The first Monday of each month, Home Theater will publish exclusive content for readers who either opt-in with a subscription or sign-up using the online form.

In the first issue, Maureen Jenson explains how to pick a great installer, while Darryl Wilkinson reveals his top AV holiday picks for under $100. Wilkinson also tells us why he thinks Dual Disc is in deep trouble, why HD-DVD may be taking the lead, and what you'll find if you watch Girl with a Pearl Earring on DVD.

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Audio Video News
Ultimate AV eNewsletter
Ultimate AV Staff  |  Dec 06, 2004

<I>Ultimate AV</I> is proud to present the first edition of its new free monthly eNewsletter. The first Monday of each month, <I>Ultimate AV</I> will publish exclusive content for readers who either opt-in with a subscription or sign-up using the online form.

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Audio Video News
The DVD Wayback Machine
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Dec 06, 2004
I don't know whether it's the silliest or the slickest player design to come along since the invention of the DVD format, but the new YAHOO! MetroRetro DVD Player is certainly worth a second look from anyone tired of the typical black- or silver-box chassis design that makes even some of the most expensive machines look like cheap commodities. The "retro" styling involves rounded sides and front-panel circular VU meters that give the player a look that's reminiscent of a 1960s/1970s-era Chevy.
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Audio Video News
Even more HDTV from VOOM
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Dec 05, 2004  |  First Published: Dec 06, 2004
Despite the fact that financial analysts remain nonplussed by VOOM, the HD-content leading satellite service (provided by Rainbow DBS, a subsidiary of Cablevision System Corp.), those of us on the receiving end of the small-dish system see big promise in such a large selection of HD channels from which to choose. That's why the recent announcement that Rainbow DBS has selected Lockheed Martin to build five more geostationary telecommunications satellites to provide direct broadcast services across the continental US (conus) should make all HDTV owners smile. The first of the five satellites is expected to be completed and launched before the end of 2007. VOOM anticipates an ultimate capacity of over 5,000 HD channels.
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Audio Video News
Universal Green-lights HD DVD
Barry Willis  |  Nov 30, 2004

<A HREF="http://www.universalstudios.com">Universal Pictures</A> is among the first Hollywood studios to announce its support for HD DVD, the high-definition optical disc format backed by a coalition of technology companies led by Toshiba. The studio made its announcement in a press release dated November 29.

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Audio Video News
Swan Song for TiVo?
Barry Willis  |  Nov 29, 2004

"TiVo" has become a generic term for both digital video recorders (DVRs) and the process of using them. The devices are surging in popularity, with factory unit sales up 304% during the first 9 months of 2004, compared to the same period last year. Total unit sales of DVRs exceeded one million units for the first time, with dollar volume up 233% to $345 million, according to figures released in late November by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

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