New Products - February/March 2005 Page 2

Pioneer-0205.jpg Pioneer Getting your system to sound just right is the No. 1 job of the Pioneer Elite VSX-56TXi. The THX Select-certified receiver, rated at 110 W x 7, features a Multichannel Acoustic Calibration System that can set bass management, speaker-distance compensation, and level independently for up to seven channels. Best of all, it does the job automatically unless you want to use the manual mode to tweak the settings yourself. The 56TXi upconverts composite- and S-video signals to component video so you can use just one connection to your TV. A FireWire port accepts multichannel digital audio from similarly equipped DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD players. The preprogrammed, learning remote control has an LCD readout. Price: $1,700. pioneerelectronics.com, 800-746-6337

Sonance-0205.jpgSonance Do you get separation anxiety when you have to stop listening to your iPod? Now the music can go on - all over your house - thanks to Sonance's iPort in-wall docking station. The iPort can work with whole-house audio systems from any manufacturer, letting you select music from your iPod using an existing keypad in any room. (First-generation iPods and iPod Minis aren't supported.) The cradle also charges your iPod as you listen. An accessory kit with hardware and cables is included, but professional installation is recommended. Price: $598. sonance.com, 800-582-7777

InFocus-0205.jpg InFocus You won't see any rainbows with the ScreenPlay 777 DLP front projector, unless you're watching Leprechaun . Most Digital Light Processing projectors have just one chip with a color wheel, but the 777 uses a separate Texas Instruments Mustang HD2+ chip for each color (red, green, and blue). With a high-def native resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels, the projector converts other formats, including 1080i, to 720p for display on screens sized up to 15 feet (diagonal). A Faroudja DCDi processor converts interlaced video to progressive-scan for smooth, sharp images. There are three analog component-video inputs and one DVI input. The lamp is said to last 1,500 hours before it needs replacing. Price: $29,999. infocushome.com, 800-294-6400

NOTE All prices and product information are supplied by the manufacturers. Dealer prices may vary.

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