Audio Video News

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Audio Video News
Circuit City's Rough Road
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 28, 2005

This certainly has been a busy couple of weeks for Circuit City, the #2 retail outlet for consumer electronics in the U.S. No less than three separate events are bound to have an major impact on the company.

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Audio Video News
If You've Got It, Shake It
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Feb 27, 2005
It used to be that you had to be an astronaut or a fighter pilot in order to experience first-class motion simulation. D-BOX Technology, Inc., changed that when they introduced the high-end Odyssee Motion Simulator that included a dedicated controller and set of actuators that move your favorite chair or (a platform holding several chairs) in synchronization with a number of Hollywood movies for which D-BOX had slavishly encoded motion commands. (Read about Chris Chiarella's stimulating experience with the Odyssee simulator here .) Now D-BOX has lowered the price of admission for motion at home with Quest chairs and loveseats.
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Audio Video News
Anna Morph and Her Silicon (Optix) Enhancement
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Feb 27, 2005
High-end home theater owners may already be familiar with Silicon Optix, Inc. The company's Image AnyPlace video scaler provides a great deal of flexibility for installers when choosing where to locate a front-projection monitor in relation to the screen. The scaler's Image Geometry Correction circuitry adjusts the image for off-axis projection in two dimensions (two-dimensional Keystone Correction), so for nightmare-installation rooms the projector may be mounted at the top, bottom, or either side of the projection screen. The scaler also makes it possible to project images onto cylindrical, spherical, or completely irregularly shaped objects. (Imagine the thrill of watching movies on the top of your brother-in-law's shiny bald head.)
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Audio Video News
HE 2005 In New York
Ultimate AV Staff  |  Feb 27, 2005

<I>See, touch, and demo the next generation of personal media players, home networking solutions, HDTV, digital music, and more&mdash;all under one roof.</I>

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Audio Video News
HE 2005 In New York
HT Staff  |  Feb 27, 2005
See, touch, and demo the next generation of personal media players, home networking solutions, HDTV, digital music, and more—all under one roof.

The stage is set and the curtain will rise on April 28 for a return engagement of the popular Home Entertainment Show—the high-performance sound and imaging event of the year. HE-2005 will take place April 28–May 1, 2005, once again at the Hilton New York Hotel, only steps away from Broadway, marking the seventh time the event has been held in New York City.

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Audio Video News
Fujitsu Forges Ahead
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 22, 2005

While many manufacturers are flying journalists to exotic locales for their annual line shows this spring, Fujitsu decided to try something different. Using a service called <A href="http://www.webex.com">WebEx</A>, the company invited journalists to log onto a specific WebEx Web page at a specific time on Friday, February 18, to see a slide show controlled in real time by National Training Director David Fink. In addition, participants joined a conference phone call to provide real-time voice communication during the presentation.

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Audio Video News
Latest Software Reviews
HT Staff  |  Feb 21, 2005
DVD: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban—Warner Brothers
Audio: 5
Video: 3
Extras: 4
Directing this movie had to be tough. On the one hand, legions of Potter fans don't want a filmmaker to swing too wide of J.K. Rowling's beloved source material. Yet critics and audiences were becoming restless with Chris Columbus' literal interpretations of the first two books. It turns out that director Alfonso Cuaron was an excellent choice to take over the reins. His visual flair gave Hogwarts a much-needed fleshing out; he kept much of the original story intact while stepping up its pacing; and he got some of the best performances yet from Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson as Harry and Hermione. Younger viewers may find this film scarier than the first two, but it's all in keeping with Rowling's move toward darker themes.
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Audio Video News
Coming Attractions
HT Staff  |  Feb 21, 2005
Snell Acoustics
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Audio Video News
The iPod Goes Home (Entertainment)
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Feb 20, 2005
Everyone wants a piece of Apple's pie - or at least a piece of the iPod. With over ten million units sold (and more to come), the little digital music wonder is a clear favorite among music lovers. Manufacturers other than Apple have taken note of the iPod's popularity and are stumbling over each other in a rush to score big on the iPod craze by bringing out some sharp iPod accessories.
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Audio Video News
Maximum Media Server
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Feb 20, 2005
Media servers - components designed to provide instant access to a large number of audio, and in some cases video, files stored in a central location - are hot. If you've never had a chance to use one, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. If, on the other hand, you've been fortunate enough to experience the ability to listen to any track of your music collection (or different tracks simultaneously in a multi-zone system), then you know what a joy it can be. It sounds silly, but using a system with such easy access to music can be incredibly addictive. It's even nicer to have instantaneous access to your entire DVD collection (with appropriate copyright respect, of course).
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Audio Video News
Broadband Over Power Lines
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 20, 2005

Many people now access the Internet at speeds as high as 1 to 3Mbps over their phone lines using DSL or their cable-TV service using a cable modem. But DSL speeds drop dramatically if the home is more than a certain distance from the nearest phone company switching station, and cable-modem bandwidth can be reduced if there are lots of subscribers in the same neighborhood.

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Audio Video News
Latest Software Reviews
HT Staff  |  Feb 14, 2005
DVD: The Grudge—Columbia TriStar
Audio: 3
Video: 3
Extras: 3
Since I didn't see this in the theater, I'm gonna have to assume that the audio on my disc wasn't screwed up and that the noise that's supposed to be terrifying the characters in the movie (and by association the viewer) as it signals the "Grudge" is approaching really does sound a lot like "creaaaaakkkkkkkkkk." Yep, kind of like a door hinge that needs to be oiled. It's just, not exactly terror inducing, at all—not even in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. Overall, though, this film does compensate for weird plot twists and creaking noises with a decent-sounding DVD. Check out chapter 23 for a good dose of the nice horror movie soundtrack interlaced with the sound of splashing and the cries of that creepy little boy.
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Audio Video News
Coming Attractions
HT Staff  |  Feb 14, 2005
JBL
Now this is what we call a deal. With JBL's new Cinema Vision system, you get a 7.1-channel loudspeaker package, a 50-inch plasma HD monitor, and an A/V system controller that includes a five-disc DVD-Audio/-Video changer, a surround receiver, and a digital amplifier. The 16:9 monitor works with the A/V controller to automatically display any video source in widescreen mode. The A/V controller has a rated power output of 100 watts times seven, and the JBL Digital Link maintains all-digital audio and video signal paths. Each speaker uses multiple 5.5-inch woofers, along with a 0.75-inch titanium-laminate dome tweeter. The Cinema Vision is available as a system only, for $15,000.
JBL
(516) 496-3400
www.jbl.com
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Audio Video News
Sony Design Center LA
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 14, 2005

On February 7, 2005, Sony hosted a party to celebrate the grand opening of their new Design Center in Los Angeles, which joins several other such centers located around the world. With around 14,000 square feet of floor space, the Design Center is divided into several sections, including a large open work space with desks and movable dividers as well as several simulated living areas to see how new product designs fit into normal rooms.

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Audio Video News
Backstage at the Grammys
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 14, 2005

The audio portion of the <I>47th Annual Grammy Awards</I>, held on Sunday, February 13, 2005, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, has been called the most complex of all the annual award shows, and with good reason: Virtually all music during the show was performed live. The only exceptions were the clips played as the nominees were announced and as the winners walked on and off the stage.

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