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Tower Speaker ReviewsSubwoofer Reviews
Focal-JMlab Diva Utopia Be Surround Speaker System
Thomas J. Norton  |  Feb 20, 2005

Focal-JMlab has been manufacturing speaker drivers and systems from its home base in Saint-Etienne, France, since 1980. They first became known to audiophiles in the US for their range of Focal drive units, particularly their inverted-dome tweeters. The latter were used by a number of makers of speaker systems. One of them, Wilson Audio Specialties, has likely been Focal's most loyal customer over the years, having used various Focal drivers in most of its models since the original Wilson Audio Tiny Tot, aka the WATT, was produced in the mid-1980s.

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Audio Video News
Maximum Media Server
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Feb 20, 2005
Media servers - components designed to provide instant access to a large number of audio, and in some cases video, files stored in a central location - are hot. If you've never had a chance to use one, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. If, on the other hand, you've been fortunate enough to experience the ability to listen to any track of your music collection (or different tracks simultaneously in a multi-zone system), then you know what a joy it can be. It sounds silly, but using a system with such easy access to music can be incredibly addictive. It's even nicer to have instantaneous access to your entire DVD collection (with appropriate copyright respect, of course).
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Audio Video News
The iPod Goes Home (Entertainment)
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Feb 20, 2005
Everyone wants a piece of Apple's pie - or at least a piece of the iPod. With over ten million units sold (and more to come), the little digital music wonder is a clear favorite among music lovers. Manufacturers other than Apple have taken note of the iPod's popularity and are stumbling over each other in a rush to score big on the iPod craze by bringing out some sharp iPod accessories.
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Other Tech
Beyond DVD
James K. Willcox  |  Feb 19, 2005

For the past five years, DVD has been the bright beam of sunshine spreading across the home-entertainment landscape, not only heating up movie sales and rentals but also, with its first-rate images and sound, helping to spark the whole home theater trend.

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Panasonic TH-42PD25 Plasma HDTV
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Feb 15, 2005  |  First Published: Feb 16, 2005
Black level: the revenge.

Note: the other TVs in this Face Off include the LG RU-42PX11 Plasma HD Monitor, and V inc. Vizio P42HD Plasma HD Monitor.

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LG RU-42PX11 Plasma EDTV
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Feb 15, 2005  |  First Published: Feb 16, 2005
The power of processing.

Note: the other TVs in this Face Off include the Panasonic TH-42PD25 Plasma HDTV, and V inc. Vizio P42HD Plasma HD Monitor.

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Does Multichannel Music Have a Future? (2005)
Ken Richardson  |  Feb 15, 2005

Basking in surround mixes for my Elton John review last month, I got fired up by the London 2002 version of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" from the Dream Ticket DVD-Video.

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Hitachi 42HDT51 42-inch Plasma HDTV
Al Griffin  |  Feb 15, 2005

With LCD TVs nipping at their heels, plasma sets have quickly abandoned their industrial heritage and evolved to become a user-friendly centerpiece for your home theater. Basically, they've grown bigger - screen sizes will soon hit 70 inches - and accrued tons of cool features.

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V, Inc. Vizio P42HD Plasma HD Monitor
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Feb 15, 2005
HD for an SD price.

Note: the other TVs in this Face Off include the Panasonic TH-42PD25 Plasma HDTV, and LG RU-42PX11 Plasma HD Monitor.

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Portable Player Reviews
Creative Zen Portable Media Center Apex MP-2000 Portable Media Player
Chris Chiarella  |  Feb 15, 2005
Sliced bread, move over.

The exhilaration surrounding established digital audio and video formats tends to plateau over time, until some pseudo-genius somewhere figures out a way to make the technology fit into our pockets, and then pulses quicken anew. The portable MP3 player has become the must-have gadget for the masses. Portable DVD has become even sexier, with larger screens and enhanced feature sets, but a new crop of slimmed-down audio- and video-to-go devices is poised to change everything...again.

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