Al Griffin

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Other Tech
Media Servers
Al Griffin  |  Jun 18, 2004
Organizing a CD or DVD collection used to mean alphabetizing a huge pile of discs and painstakingly filing them away on shelves. But a new breed of component called a media server - a cross between a traditional A/V component and a full-featured PC - gives you easy, expanded access to your collection by letting you store it as digital data on a hard-disk drive.
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Custom Installation How-To
Ready, Set, Record!
Al Griffin  |  Jul 29, 2004
New technologies for time-shifting TV have been multiplying in recent years, making the VCR seem as old-fashioned as the Victrola. Most people know about TiVo and ReplayTV - hard-disk video recorders that seek out and store programs based on your viewing habits. But now there's also PC software like Snapstream's BeyondTV 3 that lets you capture shows on your computer hard drive.
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Philips 34PW9819 34-inch HDTV Monitor
Al Griffin  |  Jun 23, 2004

They say that "reality TV" programs where people marry someone they just met or jockey for advantage in competitions by playing naked have injected new life into television. But for me, it's high-definition TV that has made tube-watching fun again.

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3 Faces of HDTV
Al Griffin  |  Aug 26, 2004

After half a decade of struggling to attract eyeballs, high-definition TV (HDTV) has turned the corner at last. A lot of people have moved beyond wondering if they should spring for an HDTV to asking themselves, "Which one should I buy?" If you've been pondering the same question, it's time to get a grip on the different types of big-screen HDTVs.

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Samsung HL-P5063W 50-inch DLP Rear-Projection HDTV
Al Griffin  |  Oct 13, 2004

Once high-priced curiosities, TVs based on newer technologies like LCD and Texas Instruments' DLP (Digital Light Processing) now provide a reasonably affordable alternative to the tube sets we've been watching for decades.

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Philips 42PF9966 42-inch Ambilight Plasma HDTV Monitor
Al Griffin  |  Oct 31, 2004

Most folks here in the U.S. know Philips as a company that makes light bulbs. But the European electronics giant has been at the forefront of the flat-TV revolution since Day One, releasing a wide range of slim models in the plasma and LCD categories.

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Sharp Aquos LC-37G4U 37-inch LCD HDTV Monitor
Al Griffin  |  Nov 01, 2004

Although flat-panel LCD TVs have been hanging around even longer than plasma models, their small-size screens have garnered less attention. But things changed in the past year: LCD TVs started zooming up in size, undoing the myth that the technology is good only for small displays in the kitchen, bedroom, or office.

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Custom Installation How-To
Samsung DVD-HD841 Universal DVD/SACD Player
Al Griffin  |  Dec 31, 2004

Ever since "universal" DVD players first appeared, I've waited patiently for prices to come down and for the flood of Super Audio CD and DVD-Audio titles initially promised to arrive. Well, the flood never came - I've got Yes's Fragile on DVD-Audio and Miles Davis's Kind of Blue on SACD, but I'm still waiting on the Beatles' Sgt.

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Other Tech
How to Buy DVD Players & Recorders
Al Griffin  |  Jan 01, 2005

So your new HDTV and surround sound system are all set up and ready to rock, but you still need a DVD player. What's that? You saw one at Wal-Mart for 50 bucks but can't remember the brand?

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Hitachi 46F510 46-inch HDTV Monitor
Al Griffin  |  Dec 13, 2004

While HDTVs are a lot cheaper now than they were a few years back, the options are still limited if you're looking to score a high-def model for not too much cash. You can get a hefty direct-view tube TV for less than $1,000, but the screen size on that baby is likely to be only 30 inches or less - too small if you want an engaging home theater experience.

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