Al Griffin

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
DVDs: Reference Disc
Al Griffin  |  Feb 03, 2006

Do clones deserve the same rights as their human progenitors? That's the ethical dilemma that director Michael Bay grapples with in the sci-fi foray The Island (DreamWorks; Movie •••, Picture/Sound ••••½, Extras ••).

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Other Tech
Targus SoundUP iPod Sound Enhancer
Al Griffin  |  Apr 03, 2006

The compact Targus SoundUP iPod sound enhancer plugs into any third- or fourth-generation iPod or iPod photo and is said to "recreate studio-quality sound" from digitally compressed music. That's a big claim for such a little device - one we had to check out.

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Toshiba 37HLX95 37-inch LCD HDTV/DVD Combo
Al Griffin  |  Apr 02, 2006

By now, LCD technology has all but taken over the small-screen TV category. You can still buy a small traditional tube set, but most folks looking for a TV to stick in a bedroom or kids' play area will find LCD more appealing. The main reason, of course, is the space-saving flat-panel screen.

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Vizio P42HDTV 42-inch Plasma HDTV
Al Griffin  |  May 01, 2006
What We Think
A tasty-looking set that offers surprisingly good performance at an astonishing price.
Some fascinating technology goes on behind the screen of a plasma HDTV, and it
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HP md5880n 58-inch DLP HDTV
Al Griffin  |  Apr 05, 2006
What We Think
A solid-performing bigscreen HDTV that delivers crisp 1080p pictures at a great price.
When it comes to buzzwords, "HDTV" holds considerable cachet: its ve
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B&W XT Series Home Theater Speaker System
Al Griffin  |  May 03, 2006
What We Think
A gorgeous system that delivers great sound - but you'll pay for the pleasure.
When TVs made the transition from bulky, oversize boxes to a slimmer, wall-friendl
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Other Tech
Make Room for HDTV
Al Griffin  |  May 05, 2006

Right now is a great time to buy an HDTV. Why? Because prices have dropped to where many people can actually afford one. Another reason: the explosion of choices brought on by recent advances in technology. From compact flat-panel TVs with 20-inch screens to expansive rear-projection sets with 70-inch or larger displays, there's an HDTV out there custom-made for you. But which one?

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Other Tech
Apple iPod Hi-Fi Audio System
Al Griffin  |  May 04, 2006

Apple's computers have always been audio- and video-friendly, but the company has mostly left the home entertainment part of the equation up to third-party developers. Although an Apple hard-disk video recorder or music server has seemed like an obvious thing for Steve Jobs to trot out, year after year there's been nothing but new (and very welcome) takes on the iPod.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
DVDs: Reference Disc
Al Griffin  |  May 09, 2006

David Lean's 1970 epic Ryan's Daughter (Warner; Movie •••½, Picture/Sound ••••, Extras ••••) gets the grand treatment in this two-disc special edition. Sourced from restored 65mm picture elements, the 2.2:1 transfer is consistently crisp, revealing every crag in stone houses.

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Other Tech
Inside Blu-ray & HD DVD
Al Griffin  |  May 04, 2006
When DVD appeared in early 1997, it didn't take much prodding for people to trash their collections of primitive VHS tapes and embrace the shiny new disc. The dramatic boost in picture and sound quality had a lot to do with it - when experienced on a widescreen TV along with 5.1-channel sound, watching a DVD was almost like sitting in a movie theater.
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