In a rare admission of "limited success," i.e. failure, the Federal Communications Commission has issued a request for suggestions on how to implement digital cable readiness in the wake of the CableCARD's less than full penetration of the markets for DTVs and cable service.
Price: $5,550 At A Glance: Distinctive round-edged Cantons are easy to live with • Monitors deliver superb all-around performance • Adjustable sub delivers deep bass without bloat
Brilliant at Making Things
Last year I spent my vacation in Munich, Stuttgart, and Nuremberg. Afterward I sent e-mails and pictures to friends, raving about Germany’s high-speed trains and pedestrianized shopping districts. One friend wrote back and said that I made him sad because I spent all that time in Munich without visiting BMW, and in Stuttgart without visiting Mercedes-Benz. Let’s face it, the Germans are brilliant at making things: cities, cars, trains, eyewear, clothing, sausages, and beer—all the little things that enhance our quality of life. Wouldn’t you like your loudspeakers to measure up to that standard?
Price: $3,350 At A Glance: Stand-mounts and center with three-way HF control and bass adjustment • Switchable bipole/dipole surrounds • Sub with front-baffle volume control
HT Roots Matter
To Atlantic Technology, home theater is not a necessary evil. This is not a loudspeaker company that specializes in two-channel audio and tosses out a few centers and subs as an afterthought. The brand has been firmly rooted in home theater from day one. The company cares about dialogue clarity, panning, surround effects, and bass dynamics. The first two alone are worth a thousand-word essay: You want to catch every word, but you also want pans to be seamless across the three front channels. How do you go about reconciling those two requirements? You do a lot of listening and experimenting. After about a third of a century, Atlantic Tech has gotten pretty good at it.
There's good news and bad news about Managed Copy for Blu-ray. The good news is that as of December 4, 2009, the ability to back up programming will be encoded into all disc releases. The bad news is that players taking advantage of the feature have yet to see the light of day.
Would you like to build a custom DVD with specific episodes from your favorite Cartoon Network shows? You can, thanks to a joint venture of Cartoon Network and its late-night program division Adult Swim.
Online video is burgeoning but picture quality is lagging behind. Now YouTube is about to pass a milestone in its evolution by offering a 1080p video player.