Audio Video News

The size of a deck of cards, Verbatim's new 2.1-gigabyte Store 'n' Go HD Drive offers the blazing speed of a USB 2.0 connection (which also powers the little guy), meaning that even enormous MPEG video files can be transferred fast. The vast capacity of the one-inch, 4,200RPM hard disk puts it in a class above the popular flash memory drives, to hold almost half a DVD's worth of video... or music or photos or any other files you care to drag and drop. The Store 'n' Go is plug-and-play for Windows ME or better--Win98SE users, keep that driver CD handy--and is also Mac- and Linux-ready. The built-in USB cable means you never need to search for it, although an extension cable is also included, and at under two ounces this drive is light enough to carry around your neck, with a lanyard and protective carrying pouch supplied for that very purpose.

Is it the seductively cool blueness of the analog-style wattmeters on the amplifiers or the allure of the full-front impervious-to-wear glass panels? Maybe it's the classic, great sound quality. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I've always had a soft spot in my heart for gear from American-born-and-bred McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. So it's no surprise that the unveiling of a trio of new home theater components from the Binghamton, NY-based company would cause the drool to start forming at the edges of my mouth.

High-definition video isn't just for professionals anymore. It could soon be in the hands of hobbyists and amateur filmmakers everywhere.

Shaw's HD DVR: Calgary, Alberta telecommunications firm Shaw Communications has announced its new "High Definition (HD) plus Personal Video Recorder (PVR) Digital Terminal." Available to Shaw cable customers in Canada, the new HD + PVR Digital Terminal is said to offer them unprecedented control over their viewing, including the ability to control live TV with pause, rewind and fast-forward functions and record a variety of programming directly on their digital terminal.

Kaleidescape
Keeping track of all your DVDs is a tough feat. Kaleidescape makes the task much easier with their new K2500 Digital Movie Player. To make things even better, the K2500 can deliver DVD and HD movies in digital form from source to display without analog conversion. The unit connects via a switched Ethernet network to a Kaleidescape server ($27,000) and provides an HDMI output to connect A/V processors and displays. It can output HD video in 720p or 1080i, as well as the 480i and 480p NTSC formats. With its onscreen user interface, you can browse your entire DVD collection, create collections, and mark or play your favorite scenes with Kaleidescape's bookmark technology. The K2500 is $4,000.
Kaleidescape
(650) 625-6101
www.kaleidescape.com

If you're old enough to remember the extremely popular (and still produced!) Klipsch Heresy speaker, you'll probably be a bit surprised by the look and feel of some of the latest Klipsch loudspeaker introductions. On the other hand, if you're young enough that the first thing you think of when you hear the name "Klipsch" is one of their svelte ProMedia personal audio systems, then you'll probably just say, "Cool!" Either way, you can't fault the venerable 58-year-old company for focusing its engineering efforts on keeping up with the times.

At last weekend's CEDIA show, <A HREF=€�http://www.panasonic.com€�>Panasonic</A> unveiled a new series of high-performance plasma displays (PDPs) whose bold hardware-free minimalist look is a big departure from the competition. With their only exposed surface a single sheet of glass, images on the company's Onyx XVS series of plasma sets appear to float in mid-air. With no visible hardware, "all you see are crisp, clear, deep images,€� said Panasonic Display Group vice president Ed Wolff.