LATEST ADDITIONS

Low-Rent Audiophile Model

In A/V receivers, as in so many other things, new technologies start in mid- to high-priced models and work their way down. Once they have fully penetrated all or most of a manufacturer’s line, consumers who are on a budget have the same access to, say, lossless surround that more upscale buyers do. Then we at Home Theater uncork bottle after bottle of champagne in wild celebration, peel grapes for one another, run up and down the hallway, and don’t get much done for a few days.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the world of technological convergence. While they were once restricted to the desktop, PCs have all the power and functionality necessary to make them a vital part of the home theater experience. They can play DVDs and Blu-rays, run video games, load streaming audio and video from the Internet, and store a tremendous amount of media.