Audio Video News

Wiremold wants do-it-yourself flat-panel TV installers to play hide-and-seek with the many cables plasma and LCD TVs have to have in order to do their thing. Professional installers have the wherewithal to slip those butt-ugly cables in the wall behind a high-tech display; but you and I might not be so inclined, nor do we have the tools necessary to make an in-the-wall install really stay in the wall. (If you think a crowbar might be a good tool to use when installing any kind of electronics in the wall, you should consider consulting a professional.)

OK, I know this is remedial reading, but Apple's introduction of movie downloads through the iTunes Store and the coincident unveiling of its iTV player is clearly the biggest news that happened last week outside of the <a href="http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/cedia2006/">CEDIA Expo</a> in Denver.

Two new Architectural Speaker Series (otherwise known as in-wall and in-ceiling speakers) models are coming from Definitive Technology this fall. The Reference Ceiling Speaker UIW RCS II is designed for use as in-ceiling front main left, center, and right speakers or as rear or side speakers. Built like a brick house, the RSC II uses a non-resonant, sealed, medite enclosure. The sealed enclosure helps the speaker to provide nearly identical performance regardless of the available air space above the ceiling. The new model is a serious in-ceiling offering. With outer dimensions of 15.5 inches by 15.5 inches (and 5 7/8 inches deep), the RCS II is large enough to hold a forward-angled D'Appolito driver array using two 5.25-inch bass/midrange drivers and a one-inch pure aluminum tweeter plus a pair of 6.5-inch pressure-coupled planar low-bass radiators.

<B>The Big Monkey Of High-Def</B><BR>

HD DVD player owners (and the format itself) are getting an early Christmas present on November 14th when Universal will release Peter Jackson's smash remake of <I>King Kong</I> on the fledgling HD disc format. The suggested list price is $29.98. Few details on the release are available, and it's not known if Peter Jackson's extended cut, scheduled for release on DVD on the same day, will be included on the HD DVD.

Bang & Olufsen has come out with another electronics-with-style product - this time in the form of a 23-inch LCD TV. The Danish manufacturer says the new BeoCenter 6-23 incorporates a 23-inch 16:9 TFT LCD panel with an "anti-reflection coated and high-glare" screen that is designed to improve contrast and brightness - especially in day lit rooms. The new screen also offers a wider viewing angle, a feature that B&O says is especially important in a TV placed in a kitchen or hallway, which are typical locations for a home owner's secondary television.

Fox has announced its first wave of titles on the burgeoning Blu-ray Disc format, with an initial slate of catalog titles that "targets the early adopter" and a significant day-and-date release. November 14th will see the release of <I>Behind Enemy Lines</I>, <I>Fantastic Four</I>, <I>Kingdom of Heaven</I> (Director's Cut), <I>The Omen (666)</I>, <I>The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen</I>, <I>Speed</I>, and <I>The Transporter</I>. This wave will be followed on November 21st by the day-and-date Blu-ray and DVD release of <I>Ice Age: The Meltdown</I>.