LATEST ADDITIONS

NY Times Comes to Bury HD, Not to Praise It

Mark Fleischmann | Dec 11, 2006

How often does The New York Times print something clueless about home theater technology? About as often as you go to the bathroom. The latest outrage comes in a story debunking various tech underachievers with the headline The Hat Trick That Didn't Happen. Reporter Richard Siklos cites a Frank N. Magid Associates survey saying that the number of HDTV buyers who are looking forward to watching high-def has declined from 63 percent two years ago to 47 percent now. He goes on to say: "The reason for this lack of enthusiasm is pretty clear in my own home. For one thing, plenty of shows on the high-definition channels I receive with my digital cable package appear with big black borders--because of the aspect ratio or somesuch--and I can't figure out whether this is my doing or the cable company's or the broadcaster's." Actually, aspect ratio is the program producer's decision, and those black borders are usually a superior alternative to stretching. Note to Siklos' editor: Tell your reporter to find his remote and learn to use the aspect ratio control or somesuch. He can learn more about aspect ratio in any number of places, including the Wiki. And while he's at it, RTFM. If fewer HDTV buyers are interested than HDTV today versus two years ago, the most likely explanation is that plummeting flat-panel prices have lured less knowledgable viewers into the market. And the solution is to assign knowledgable writers to cover the subject.

Audio Video News

First Generation Blu-ray Players' Interactivity Crippled?

| Dec 10, 2006

If you've been reading <I>UAV</I> regularly you know that the remaining first generation Blu-ray disc players scheduled for release this year are just starting to trickle in. <I>UAV</I> has recently posted its takes on <A HREF="http://www.ultimateavmag.com/hddiscplayers/1106panasdmpbd10/">Panasonic's DMP-BD10</A> and <A HREF="http://www.ultimateavmag.com/hddiscplayers/1206sonybdps1/">Sony's BDP-S1</A>, and rest assured that a full review of Sony's PlayStation3 is being fact-checked by Sony and will appear soon.

LCD TV Reviews

Toshiba Cinema Series Pro 47LZ196 LCD Flat Panel

| Dec 10, 2006

LCD flat panels have been marching steadily on your local electronics stores and, according to the sales numbers, into a lot of homes. Although plasma got an early lead as the hot flat panel technology, LCD is catching up. Early on, larger LCDs were compromised in performance and very expensive compared to plasmas at 42" and above, but no more. LCD is rapidly moving into price parity with plasma in larger screen sizes and performance has been steadily increasing.

Audio Video News

Primedia Job Offer

Ultimate AV Staff | Dec 10, 2006

We are seeking a seasoned sales professional to sell both print and online advertising in west coast territory for 2 leading enthusiast magazines and 3 websites in the home entertainment/consumer electronics industry.
<UL COMPACT>
<LI>Strong sales, presentation and negotiating skills</LI>
<LI>Develop new and cultivate existing business within the region (consultative sales skills a must!)</LI>
<LI>Ability to develop key client, agency and industry relationships at all levels. </LI>
<LI>Innovative and creative sales approach with strong business acumen </LI>
<LI>Must be well organized and have excellent verbal and written communication skills.</LI>
<LI>Promote and sell high-profile special projects (i.e. single-sponsored special sections, supplements, online events)</LI>
<LI>Travel for in-person client meetings and tradeshows</LI>
<LI>Prospect within territory for all potential advertisers</LI>
<LI>Maintain and grow substantial existing advertising base</LI>
<LI>Maintain database of all advertisers and prospects within territory</LI>
<LI>Plan and execute strategy to communicate features/benefits of all products to prospects and advertisers</LI>
<LI>Know all products and how to best present them </LI>
<LI>Follow through on sales and commitments with advertisers, prospects and peers</LI>
<LI>Submit thorough, accurate, timely reports and paperwork</LI>
<LI>Research prospects and advertisers to be familiar with their businesses</LI>
<LI>Revenue growth for online, print, events, sponsorships and custom publishing</LI>
<LI>Experience in making sales calls and closing business is a MUST</LI>
</UL>

Please send resumes and salary history to <A HREF="mailto:resumes@primedia.com">resumes@primedia.com</A>

Audio Video News

Primedia Job Offer

HT Staff | Dec 10, 2006

Strong sales, presentation and negotiating skills
Develop new and cultivate existing business within the region (consultative sales skills a must!)
Ability to develop key client, agency and industry relationships at all levels.
Innovative and creative sales approach with strong business acumen
Must be well organized and have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Promote and sell high-profile special projects (i.e. single-sponsored special sections, supplements, online events)
Travel for in-person client meetings and tradeshows
Prospect within territory for all potential advertisers
Maintain and grow substantial existing advertising base
Maintain database of all advertisers and prospects within territory
Plan and execute strategy to communicate features/benefits of all products to prospects and advertisers
Know all products and how to best present them
Follow through on sales and commitments with advertisers, prospects and peers
Submit thorough, accurate, timely reports and paperwork
Research prospects and advertisers to be familiar with their businesses
Revenue growth for online, print, events, sponsorships and custom publishing
Experience in making sales calls and closing business is a MUST

Please send resumes and salary history to resumes@primedia.com

Other Tech

Experts' Guide to Great Gifts

| Dec 09, 2006

HANNspree HANNSlounge 32-inch LCD HDTV $1,499 hannspree-usa.com Like most LCD TVs, the HANNSlounge is black and not very deep, but the external similarities end there.

New Products

New Products for December

| Dec 08, 2006

•LG 47LB1DA 47-inch 1080p LCD HDTV •Yamaha RX-V2700 Receiver •Mitsubishi HD1000U Front Projector •Canton CD 3200 Active Tower Speaker • Continue Reading »

Blu-ray Player Reviews

Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray Disc Player: Short Take

| Dec 08, 2006

In one significant way, the Blu-ray Disc format got off to an even more inauspicious start than the rival HD DVD format. <A HREF="http://ultimateavmag.com/hddiscplayers/706dsamsungbd/">Samsung's BD-P1000</A> player was the first, and for months, the only BD player on the market. It had shipped with a Noise Reduction circuit cranked up to 11, softening the picture substantially and actually increasing the noise in the image by several orders of magnitude. On top of that, many BD titles released over the last several months have been surprisingly variable in image quality, even compared with broadcast HD. In short, a lot of the BD titles released so far just don't look very good.

Ears On

NHT Pro M-00 Desktop Monitors and S-00 Subwoofer

Mark Fleischmann | Dec 08, 2006

Affectionately known as the "Moo," the NHT M-00 has been around since the late nineties. Originally it was a pro product that also appealed to savvy consumers seeking higher quality in desktop audio. Nowadays that secondary mission is more explicit, as the M-00 struts its double zeroes on two different parts of the NHT website: Pro Audio and PC Hi-Fi. And now that everyone and her sister is plugged into an iPod, a third mission beckons. What will this thing do for nearly everyone's favorite portable signal source?

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Scanning High-Def

| Dec 07, 2006

Batman Begins (Warner; Movie ••••, HD DVD Picture •••^½, Sound ••••, Original Extras •••, New Extras •^½). Batman Begins is the first disc I've heard with a Dolby TrueHD lossless soundtrack, and it does approach what you hear in a theater.

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