LATEST ADDITIONS

HT Staff  |  Sep 07, 2000
Too much is never enough for some videophiles. If you count yourself among them, ReplayTV has just the ticket for you: its new 3060 digital video recorder, boasting a 60-hour capacity with a single disc drive.
HT Staff  |  Sep 06, 2000
Movies or music? Sony has solved this dilemma with its new Sony DVP-S9000ES, an all-purpose disc spinner that offers progressive-scan video with Super Audio CD capability. Not only will the machine output flicker-free 480p video, it will also play standard music CDs, CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. Such versatility enables home theater fans to get the most from their present music and film libraries while being prepared for the future.
Robert Deutsch  |  Sep 03, 2000

T<I>im Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman. Directed by Dean Parisot. Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 5.1. 102 minutes. 2000. DreamWorks 86017. PG. $19.99.</I>

Jon Iverson  |  Sep 03, 2000

Last week, <A HREF="http://www.fujitsu-fme.com">Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display Limited</A> (FHP) announced that it has succeeded in developing what it calls the world's first 32- and 37-inch high-definition plasma display panels (PDPs). The new displays, which join FHP's existing lineup of 42-inch PDPs, use the company's proprietary ALIS (Alternate Lighting of Surfaces) drive-circuit technology and are intended for use as household television sets.

Barry Willis  |  Sep 03, 2000

New movies from <A HREF="http://www.universalpictures.com/">Universal Pictures</A> will soon be advertised through an untried channel: interactive television.

Barry Willis  |  Sep 03, 2000

What's in a name? If it's a "Digital Television," no one has been quite sure, and the resulting confusion over basic nomenclature has been one of many factors inhibiting market acceptance of the new format. Now, the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org/">Consumer Electronics Association</A> (CEA) has decided that clear definitions are needed to cut through the fog.

Jon Iverson  |  Sep 03, 2000

Last week, digital video and networking companies Optibase, Lucent, 3Com, DiviCom, ECI Telecom, and Siemens announced that they have formed <A HREF="http://www.bigbandnet.com">BigBand Networks</A> in an effort to provide "a new network platform to deliver entertainment-quality content and services combining video, voice, and data over multiple broadband networks including cable, DSL, satellite, and wireless."

Mike Wood  |  Sep 03, 2000  |  First Published: Sep 04, 2000
A four-way Face Off of 50-inch NTSC televisions.

In this age of high-definition/digital television, it might seem odd for us to be reviewing NTSC (aka analog) displays. After all, digital television (DTV) and its subgroup, high-definition television (HDTV), are the way of the future, destined to replace our analog NTSC system. However, even if you consider the current crop of digital programming adequate enough to warrant purchasing one of the newer, more-advanced ATSC (aka digital) displays, they're still fairly expensive. If you're looking to spend more than $3,000 on a display, we strongly suggest that you consider DTV or DTV-ready products. However, for those of us who didn't cash in our Internet stock options in time, there are some good deals to be had on big TVs, and, as usual, Home Theater is here to point you in the right direction.

Kevin McNulty  |  Sep 03, 2000  |  First Published: Sep 04, 2000
With Kenwood's HTB-503 home-theater-in-a-box, you can enhance your home on an average budget without sacrificing your firstborn. To take advantage of surround schemes that use more channels than a 5.1-channel receiver offers, you'll need to chain-in an external amplifier. Theoretically, any THX-certified amp of equal power will work fine with a THX-certified receiver that has the appropriate line outs, but it's usually a good idea to stick with the same manufacturer—if for no other reason than the components look as if they're from the same family. Denon offers the POA-5200 two-channel amp ($699) as a complement to their AVR-4800 receiver. The 5200 is a THX Ultra-certified two-channel amplifier that delivers 120 watts per channel into 8 ohms or 200 watts into 4 ohms. It features a rear-panel jack for remote power-on/-off control through the AVR-4800. The 5200 differentiates itself from many stereo amps in that it's actually two mono amps in one box—each channel has its own power transformer and DC-storage-supply section. It also features A/B switching for each channel so that one or two speakers can be connected to each channel and can be turned on or off as needed. When testing the POA-5200 in conjunction with the 4800, I found no distinguishable sound or level differences between the two, proving that the 5200 is an excellent addition to the 4800 for bringing THX Surround EX to life.
Bruce Fordyce  |  Sep 03, 2000  |  First Published: Sep 04, 2000
Denon's AVR-4800 receiver is the one-box key to home theater nirvana. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in your living room, the consumer electronics industry has come up with yet another home theater surround scheme: THX Surround EX. If excess truly is the path to the palace of wisdom, then it will be home theater products, not those retro hippie Gingko brain supplements, that make us all smart really quick. Wisdom will, however, probably have to take a back seat to confusion before all is said and done. Nonetheless, THX Surround EX is here, although its entrance was not celebrated with the carnival-like fanfare that heralded the entrance of Dolby Digital and DTS.

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