Francis Ford Coppola wants to make you an offer you can't refuse: the five-time Academy Award-winning writer/director and winemaker says he is now turning his creative talents to the Internet and e-commerce. His Napa Valley winery, Niebaum-Coppola, has recently launched a new <A HREF="http://www.niebaum-coppola.com">website</A> that proffers videos, food, and wine, along with contests for movie items from Coppola films.
High-definition television will get a big push from at least two major networks this fall. Both <A HREF="http://www.abc.com">ABC</A> and <A HREF="http://www.cbs.com">CBS</A> have announced extensive programming in the format, which almost certainly will improve the awareness of the format among viewers.
This week, Pete Putman sets up the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?125">Marantz VP-1252 DLP projector</A> and gives it a complete examination. PP remarks that the Marantz "did some things well, and others things not so well."
From the January issue, Michael Fremer plugs the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?89">Musical Fidelity M250 monoblock power amplifier</A> in and puts it through the home theater paces. As Mikey notes, "The idea was to produce a 'non-temperamental, bomb-proof' amplifier capable of high power and high end sound quality."
The best rear-projection set reviewed to date? Thomas Norton lavishes high praise on the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?72">Hitachi 51SWX20B HD-ready CRT rear-projection television</A> and is especially fond of its handles.
Back in 1997, Scott Wilkinson put a two-part article together on color and vision as they pertain to video displays. Video display technology has changed radically since then, and so we've updated <A HREF="/features/204eye">An Eye for Color, Part 1</A> for 2004. Part 2 of this updated article is now available in the May 2004 issue of <I>Stereophile Guide to Home Theater</I>.
Joel Brinkley notes that "no company, it seems, can fail to have a universal player in their lineup these days." And at $999, Brinkley considers the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?157">Denon DVD-2900 universal player</A> a quality contender at a reasonable price.
CRT projector beater? Peter Putman gets to light up the <A HREF="/videoprojectors/1003yamaha">Yamaha DPX-1000 DLP projector</A> to see what the latest HD2 chipped designs can do. "It presents a mixed bag of operating features and performance that succeeds well in some ways, not so well in others," comments PP.
DLP done right? Joel Brinkley gets some quality time wth the <A HREF="/videoprojectors/1203runco">Runco Reflection CL-710 DLP projector</A> to find out just how close to the CRT ideal the technology has come. Thomas Norton adds his comments.
Fred Manteghian journeys to the BAT cave for his review of the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?21">Balanced Audio Technology VK-6200 multichannel power amplifier</A>. Manteghian notes that "this museum-quality piece of modern art was forced to sit on the floor during its stay here—but if you end up buying one, it deserves a seat of honor somewhere in your room."