Tom Norton

A year or so ago I reviewed an Arcam AV receiver. It was one of the best sounding pieces I have experienced. But its HDMI inputs were switching only--no audio over HDMI. That has been corrected with the new AVR600 ($4000; $4500 with Internet LAN connectivity). It will also decode all of the latest audio formats, including DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. It's also one of the first AVRs to feature Dolby Volume. 120 Wpc, availability expected in late November.

As an update to its Titan and Lightning 1080p projectors, Digital Projection has added lens memory that automates changes in zoom, shift, and focus at up to 10 specific preset positions. The repositioning is said to be accurate to within two pixels over repeated cycles. This allows the use of a 2.35:1 screen for 3.25:1 content without the need for an anamorphic lens. While there are important advantages to the full anamorphic approach, there are disadvantages as well. Simply zooming out the 2.35:1 image to fit the 2.35:1 screen does eliminate considerable expense and complication.