OTHER TECH

You can't escape Twitter. Even if you don't use it, you're bound to hear people talking about it. But, amongst all of the updates about what people are eating for breakfast, is a heap of good info. Here's a starter list to get your feed working for you.

You know the drill. You’re just getting into the latest action blockbuster on your new home theater rig when a still, small voice wafts gently into your SPL-addled ear. “Isn’t that a bit loud?” Or perhaps the voice comes screeching in from another room. “I can’t hear myself think in here.” Or there’s a knock at the front door from the men in blue, demanding that you surrender your assault rifle in exchange for a fun stay in the slam with Tony the Hammer.

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.

That fact that projection screens have emerged as a subject of hot debate might make the general public question the sanity of A/V aficionados. After all, these are flat white sheets we're talking about, right? Are we as nuts as oenophiles who enthuse about aromas of freshly reaped alfalfa in their pinots?

Classic games don't always age very well. While they mighty still play great, their low resolution and blocky sprites make the experience on an HDTV into a chore. Even if you grew up on games like Street Fighter II and Pac-Man, if you played them today on your nice, big HDTV you're more likely to get sharp, stabby, headachey feelings than warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feelings.