OTHER TECH

Chances are you turn to Sound & Vision to read about the latest cutting-edge gear - and perhaps dream about ultra-high-end systems or components you might never be able to afford. This is not one of those reviews.

Ever drive a car where the controls just didn't feel right? Recently, my wife and I were shopping for a small SUV, and we looked at the Honda CRV. But at nearly 6-foot-4, I was unable to get my knees under the steering wheel. It might be the best SUV in the world, but ergonomically, it just didn't work for me.

It wasn't long ago that you'd hear old-school audiophiles at CES bemoaning the disappearance of tubes - the vacuum tubes in audio gear, that is. But the latest technology to beat a quick retreat from the mega-electronics show is the picture tube, or CRT, used in traditional TVs.

Lately it seems as though every component in a fully tricked-out home theater system wants to dink with the video - the DVD player, the receiver, the TV. Usually whatever is being done is described as some sort of upconversion. What does that mean, though? And perhaps more important, is it always a good thing?