Michael Fremer

Bouncing back from the news that Pioneer is exiting the plasma-panel manufacturing business—Matsushita, Panasonic's parent company, will provide the panels for future Pioneer plasma TVs—the company debuted a new line of upscale, eye-popping products at a press event held May 7 at New York City’s appropriately upscale Gramercy Park Hotel.

Back when surround sound meant Dolby Pro-Logic, most informed enthusiasts preferred dipole or bipole surround speakers. Since Pro-Logic was an analog matrix system that derived four channels from two, resulting in a monophonic surround channel, the idea was to create as diffuse a surround sound field as possible to avoid "localizing" the position of the speakers and to prevent the creation of a "phantom" center channel for those sitting midway between the surrounds.

Sharp launched a handsome new line of thin, lightweight LCD flat panel AQUOS HDTVs at a press event held Tuesday August 14th, 2007 at New York's The Weather Room at Top of the Rock. Sharp's Bob Scaglione introduced the new, four model 1080p space-saving D64U line, telling members of the press that the space-saving, stylish looking new sets, which feature bezels that are 25% thinner and weigh 20% less than previous models, are also the thinnest Aquos models Sharp has ever produced, measuring just 3 3/4" deep.

Once upon a time loudspeakers were large, floor standing affairs, especially those designed to produce deep bass. Then came the acoustic suspension revolution and "bookshelf" loudspeakers were born, most of which ended up on stands in homes where sound quality counts. Many manufacturers specialized in one or the other, but a few offered both.