Fred Manteghian

A few weeks ago, DirecTv sent me something that wasn't wrapping paper around my bill - notification that they would be "launching more than 75 HD channels … by year end." I've already talked about the DirecTv 10 and 11 satellites (see <a href="http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/fredmanteghian/030406Sputnik/" target="new">"Er, no, actually, you're watching them . . . ."</a>) back in March 2006. I've had most of the big local stations in hidef now over the satellite since March 2007 (NBC, CW, CBS, and FOX, MY, but not ABC or PBS!). Add one HBO channel, TNT, HDNet Movies, Universal HD and a couple of sports stations and the existing line up of HD stations on DirecTv still adds up to one big tease.

Ah, technology. Too bad automobiles can't keep up with home theater electronics, or we'd all be driving around in Hummers that get 200 miles to the gallon, emit pure oxygen and absorb all that heat coming off Al Gore. Sony's new receiver is the latest example of more for less. The STR-DA5200ES is feature packed, though perhaps not to the gills. And since we've segued from cars to fish, you should know now that, for the price, this receiver is better than a fair catch.

A month ago, I wrote about how the HD side of the <i>Stroker Ace</i> combo disc didn't play in my brand new Toshiba XA2. Shane asked if I'd bothered to upgrade firmware levels, which, of course, I hadn't. When I did, supposedly to release 1.6, I still had a problem with the disc. I put in <i>Children of Men</i>, another combo, and that wouldn't play on the HD side either. A week ago, I ran the firmware update request again. It took a few minutes (as opposed to about 20 minutes the first time) and then, well, I forget what it did then, but my Toshiba still thinks it's at release level 1.6.

Well, I finally got an HD DVD player. Thanks Shane for helping me decide on a model. In the end, I got the top of the line <a href=" http://www.guidetohometheater.com/hddiscplayers/207toshhdxa2/index.html" target="new">Toshiba XA2</a> and I couldn't be more pleased. 1080p and one of the best upconverting DVD players around. What's not to like? Feeding my also new <a href=" http://ultimateavmag.com/videoprojectors/207jvchd1/" target="new">JVC DLA-HD1 projector</a> and lighting up a 78" wide (89" diag) Stewart Screen (Studio Tek 130 – 1.3 gain), the picture is to die for.