LATEST ADDITIONS

New Products
New Product: gigabeat S Series Portable Media Player
Peter Pachal  |  May 04, 2006

COOL FACTOR It's nice to see other portable media players keeping up with the iPod, and Toshiba's gigabeat S Series has comparable video chops: a crisp 21/2-inch screen with 320 x 240-pixel resolution.

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New Products
New Product: Mizzico WS-18 Wiring Channel
Peter Pachal  |  May 04, 2006

Everybody wants a flat LCD or plasma TV to hang on the wall, but punching holes for cabling can be a pain. Mizzico has its "Superb Wiring Solution" for this quandary: the WS-18, an 18-inch-long wiring channel ($89) that attaches to the wall between your TV and component rack (assuming it's right underneath), hiding any unsightly cables.

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New Products
New Product: Sony HDR-HC3 HDV Camcorder
Peter Pachal  |  May 04, 2006

At $1,700, Sony's HDR-HC3 high-def camcorder is just $100 cheaper than the previous model, but it still takes a step forward by being the first HD cam with an HDMI output - the digital video connector most common on new HDTVs.

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New Products
New Product: MovieBeam Wireless Downloadable Movie System
Peter Pachal  |  May 04, 2006

If you think Netflix is a convenient way to watch the movies you want, take a look at MovieBeam. After buying one of its shiny silver boxes ($228 after rebate), you can stream flicks right into your home for $2 to $5 a pop, and there are even high-def titles available.

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Other Tech
SLS Audio Q-Line Silver Surround Sound System
Rob Sabin  |  May 04, 2006

I've been talking up this proud little home theater system with friends, and the reaction has been universal. "SLS?" they ask, scratching their mystified noggins. "Never heard of 'em."

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Other Tech
Apple iPod Hi-Fi Audio System
Al Griffin  |  May 04, 2006

Apple's computers have always been audio- and video-friendly, but the company has mostly left the home entertainment part of the equation up to third-party developers. Although an Apple hard-disk video recorder or music server has seemed like an obvious thing for Steve Jobs to trot out, year after year there's been nothing but new (and very welcome) takes on the iPod.

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Other Tech
Inside Blu-ray & HD DVD
Al Griffin  |  May 04, 2006
When DVD appeared in early 1997, it didn't take much prodding for people to trash their collections of primitive VHS tapes and embrace the shiny new disc. The dramatic boost in picture and sound quality had a lot to do with it - when experienced on a widescreen TV along with 5.1-channel sound, watching a DVD was almost like sitting in a movie theater.
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Other Tech
JVC SU-DH1 Headphone Surround Adapter
Al Griffin  |  May 04, 2006

Here's the deal: It's late, the kid's in bed, the wife is reading, and I'm dying to watch the new Rob Zombie gorefest The Devil's Rejects on DVD. No chance of firing up the full surround sound rig under such conditions, but, hey, there's Dolby Headphone.

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A/V Veteran
Pass the Hat
Thomas J. Norton  |  May 04, 2006

Will the prices of HD DVDs and BDs—the discs themselves, never mind the players)—keep the brakes on sales of the new format? If current trends continue, those of us with big DVD collections had better start saving up if we want to eventually replace them with HD DVDs and BDs (Blu-ray discs).

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Geoffrey Morrison Blog
Greedo Shoots second...
Geoffrey Morrison  |  May 04, 2006
I’ve heard it from two sources now, and apparently the “never to be seen again” original versions of the Star Wars Trilogy, will be coming out on DVD. Looks they may be out as soon as September. How cool is that? Finally, the real versions of these classic movies. Too bad George ruined them forever with the crap he’s put out since. Bring on Yub Nub!
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