I've always been a bit bummed that plasma TVs hold such a small market share compared with LCDs. And it doesn't help when companies like Vizio and Pioneer drop out of the plasma business altogether. Yet when I visit my local CostCo, I can see why—the LCDs on display are definitely brighter than the plasmas, which is why they fly off the shelves while the plasmas languish.
On August 4, 2005, Infinity invited a number of journalists to their home at the Harman International corporate campus in Northridge, California, for a tour of the facilities and a sneak peek at their latest speaker line, dubbed Cascade. Why are you only hearing about it now? Because Infinity embargoed the information until August 25.
The history of recorded music is a long and storied one that is worth preserving for future generations. Unfortunately, the earliest examples of the recording arts are difficult if not impossible to hear anymore. Many wax cylinders and shellac discs are crumbling in archives, unable to be played because any physical contact with a stylus would cause irreparable damage. Even those that can be played often suffer from lots of surface noise and scratches that cause clicks and pops. And many are broken, making even the most careful stylus-based playback impossible.
Baluncing Act Is it worth the effort to install HDMI cables "in-wall" given that they update the version so frequently? How long do you expect HDMI 1.4 to last ?
I'm setting up a home-theater area in our living room, and there can't be any freestanding speakers. I don't have side walls for surrounds, only ceiling space. Can in-wall dipoles be used in the ceiling? If so, what is the ideal placement and configuration? I'm setting up a 5.1 system, which is all the space will allow for.
I have a 15x32 living room with a plasma TV above a fireplace in the center of the 32-foot wall. I would like to put in a pseudo-home theater with 5.1or 7.1 surround sound, but I'm limited to a 5-inch-high center speaker/soundbar (up to four feet wide) under the TV, two in-wall speakers in front, and two or four in-ceiling speakers. What do you think of Polk, Gallo, Revel, and Episode (or other) in-ceiling and in-wall speakers, and what would you get on a $3000-4000 budget?
I purchased a Sony VPL-HS20 in 2003, and I have enjoyed the picture quality until recently, when the projector started intermittently turning off without notice. I figure it's time for a new projector, although I can no longer afford one in the $3000 range. I live in Canada, and the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8345 (similar to the 8350) is around $1250. Also, if I wanted 3D (not urgent), the Epson 3010 is around $1400 on Amazon.
I currently project onto a 119-inch screen with some light control, although it is not perfect during the day. If I purchased a budget projector such as one of the Epsons mentioned above, will the quality be at least as good as what I've seen from my Sony? If not, can you recommend something else for me?
What 7.1 speaker system do you recommend for under $1000? What's the difference between the Panasonic ST30 and GT30 plasmas? Why does my AVR display "DTS" no matter what Blu-ray soundtrack I select?
Integra's new lineup of A/V receivers and preamp/processorsthose with model numbers ending in ".3"include a Marvell Qdeo chipset that can upscale 1080p to 4K. Well, to be precise, it quadruples 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which some argue isn't true 4K (4096x2160). The demo system consisted of a DBS-30.3 Blu-ray player sending 1080p via HDMI to a DTR-40.3 AVR, which upscaled the image and sent 4K via HDMI to a processor made by Marseille. This processor converted the HDMI to four DVI signals, which were sent to a 65-inch 4K plasma of unknown origin that couldn't accept 4K via HDMI. (No currently available display can.) The image looked nice and sharp with no visible motion artifacts, but without a split screen, it was very difficult to see any significant benefit of upconverted 4K.
Intel Corporation announced on Wednesday that they will invest in a new venture with Revelations Entertainment, an entertainment-development company headed by actor Morgan Freeman and producer Lori McCreary. The deal is based on the formation of a new digital entertainment company called ClickStar, Inc., which will focus on distributing premium movies directly to consumers over the Internet, connecting filmmakers to film fans worldwide.