We really wanted to invite all of you to our 2007 Editors' Choice Awards, 64 stories above Vegas. But then somebody said something about "fire codes," and that was that.
When it was introduced at the 2006 CEDIA Expo, Sony's VPL-VW50 redefined the entire front-projector price structure. Of course, a few other manufacturers were ready with their own new projector announcements at that show, but the VW50—which came to be widely known as the "Pearl" after the company's code name for the project—generated the most buzz.
1. Rome: Season 2 (HBO, 5 discs). Rome in all its gory glory, a miniseries with such high production values that you'll feel like you're watching a movie. First-rate DVD transfers are accompanied by enough extras to keep you happy all winter. 2.
The video-tech evolution has been swift and in-your-face. From the square little black-and-white picture tube, we went to "in living color," rear projection, and the flat-ering DLP, plasma, LCD, and OLED. And on these displays we've watched broadcast, cable, VHS, Laserdisc, DVD, Blu-ray, and HD DVD (and the occasional porno - okay, that's neither here nor there).
One of the biggest news items to emerge from last year's Consumer Electronics Show was LG's announcement of a dual-format deck that could play both Blu-ray Discs and HD DVDs. We subsequently got our hands on that player, the BH100 Super Multi Blue, and we found it an intriguing but frustratingly incomplete solution.
Quick, think of the person you know who always throws a great Super Bowl party. That's right - Phil. Phil has that big-screen HDTV, a cool sound system, and that comfy couch. People are always high-fiving him after the game, telling him what a great party it was.
At MacWorld Expo last month, Apple CEO Steve Jobs promised that an upgrade of the Apple TV software to allow online movie rentals would be available by the end of January. But, as with so many things tech, the release of that software will now be delayed by "a week or two" according to a company statement issued on January 31. The software will be made available as a free download to existing Apple TV customers when it's finally deemed ready.