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Audio Video News
Comcast Testing On-Demand Movies Day And Date With DVD
 |  Dec 28, 2006

In late November Comcast began offering on-demand movie titles from every major studio day and date with the films' DVD debut in its Pittsburgh and Denver markets for $4 per viewing. On-demand video availability for major movies has typically lagged 30-45 days behind the DVD release, creating an exclusive window for DVD sales and rentals, which has certainly not helped on-demand's popularity. If this practice extends beyond these markets and to other cable and satellite operators it seems likely that DVD sales will continue to erode.

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Ears On
Delta Is Desperate to Entertain
Mark Fleischmann  |  Dec 28, 2006
Delta Airlines is struggling for survival, negotiating in federal bankruptcy court, and fending off a hostile takeover by US Airways. But whether you go first-class or coach, flying Delta is about to get more entertaining. These bullet points are a verbatim quote from an email Delta frequent flyers received a few weeks ago:
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Ears On
Has HD DVD Beaten Blu-ray?
Mark Fleischmann  |  Dec 27, 2006
How much bad news has analyst Rob Enderle got for the Blu-ray camp? On top of all that other bad news? Let me count the blows:
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Sony KDS-R60XBR2 60" SXRD RPTV
Randy Tomlinson  |  Dec 23, 2006

Sony's rear-projection 1080p SXRD sets really lit a fire under the HDTV market last year. Using Sony's dynamic iris system, these RPTVs produced deep blacks and stunning contrast like never before for a non-CRT "microdisplay". No other RPTV could match it, and of course, no flat panel plasma or LCD set could even approach it when it came to dark scene beauty and detail. These XBR1 series three-chip SXRD sets had nearly everything going for them and seemed to fly out of showrooms and into the homes of discerning videophiles. These sets truly put the last nail in the coffin of CRT-based RPTVs.

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Tower Speaker Reviews
The NHT Classic Four Surround Sound Speaker System
Michael Fremer  |  Dec 23, 2006

Since veteran Acoustic Research loudspeaker designer Ken Kantor and Chris Byrne founded the company back in 1986, NHT has been tossed around like a corporate football: first to Jensen International in the early 1990's, then to Recoton, and to Rockford Corporation in 2002 following Recoton's failure. Finally, in 2005, Rockford handed it off to Colorado-based Vinci Group.

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Home Theater Systems Reviews
Samsung HT-Q70 HTIB
John Higgins  |  Dec 22, 2006
  • $400
  • XM ready
  • Optional module available for wireless surround channels
The HT-Q70 is a step up from the HT-Q45 that convergence editor Chris Chiarella reviewed in our September 2006 issue. While the looks of the ensemble are virtually identical, there are significant upgrades behind the scenes. The total power output has gone up to 1,000 watts (from 800 watts in the HT-Q45). More importantly, at least for the home theater aspect, the player is a five-disc-carousel DVD changer and sports upconversion and an HDMI output (up to 1080i). The player can read CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, and DVD-RW. On the front of the player is a USB port for utilizing Samsung's USB Host Play. This allows you to plug a portable digital device into the port and play back MPEG video, as well as MP3, DivX, WMA, JPEG, and photo files.
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Home Theater Systems Reviews
Sony HT-7000DH HTIB
John Higgins  |  Dec 22, 2006
  • $500
  • XM ready with included XM Connect & Play antenna
  • Component setup, so upgrading is easy
  • Adjust the setup with Digital Cinema Auto Calibration and the included microphone
Sony's HT-7000DH is a component-style 5.1-channel home-theater-in-a-box. It includes a receiver (STR-K7000), a five-disc carousel DVD player (DVP-NC85H), four satellites, a center-channel speaker, and a subwoofer. The speakers have a black faux-wood finish. Aesthetically, there's nothing about them that stands out, so they should blend in easily among bookcases and shelving units. The DVD player upconverts over the HDMI connection to 720p or 1080i. It can read all DVD video formats, as well as VCD and JPEG. Being a Sony, it can also play SACDs. As for other audio formats, it is limited to CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and MP3 playback.
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Home Theater Systems Reviews
LG LH-T9654S HTIB
John Higgins  |  Dec 22, 2006
  • $350
  • Attractive speakers and player have distinctive look
  • Wireless-surround-speaker ready with wireless adapter (sold separately)
The LG LH-T9654S does its best to differentiate itself aesthetically from a menagerie of cookie-cutter HTIBs. The attractively shaped speakers are glossy black soft-cornered triangles with silver linings. The subwoofer, as well, is very distinctive, with a cut-corner design. It's also glossy black with silver accents. The player continues the sleek design with its relatively bare front panel—it's limited to the disc tray, the LCD, and a headphone jack. The navigational CD buttons are located along the top of the player.
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Audio Video News
The Return Of the On-Wall RPTV: Starring JVC!
 |  Dec 22, 2006

JVC has developed a new optical engine what squeezes 58" and 65" 1080p HD-ILA RPTVs into cabinets with depths of just 10.7" and 11.6, respectively, officially reviving the concept of "big screen" RPTVs that can hang on the wall. THe HD-58S998 will be available in January at an estimated $3,299, while the HD-65S998 will debut in March at approximately $4,199.

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Ears On
Diablog: RIAA Calling
Mark Fleischmann  |  Dec 22, 2006
Did the opening riff of "Layla" just leap out of your cell phone?
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