Weekly Site Roundup (05/03/04)
ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT
Olevia LT30HV LCD Television - Product Review
With their stylish appeal, improving performance, increasing affordability, flat panel televisions, such as LCD and Plasma types, are becoming an increasingly viable option to the traditional TV. Check out my review of the Syntax Olevia LT30HV 30-inch HD-compatible LCD television.
HOME ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY NEWS HEADLINES
CE Sales Reach $106.6B For Top Chains (TWICE)
2000th Super Audio CD Released (High Fidelity Review)
Don't Break The Bank To Buy That DVD player (IOL)
Onkyo Puts Stylish One-Piece DVD Receiver At Heart Of HTIB...(Widescreen Review)
Dubai Factory Powers JVC's Regional Growth (The Daily Star)
DVD-Audio Sales Five Times that of SACD... (High Fidelity Review)
InFocus Launches Flagship Three-Chip DLP Home Cinema Projector... (Widescreen Review)
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Pioneer DV-275 DVD Player
With the longest track record with optical disc formats going back to the introduction of the Laserdisc in the late 70's, Pioneer has embraced the DVD format with solid products. Pioneer's entry level unit, the DV-275 has a thin space-saving design. It features DVD/CD, DVD-R/DVD-RW, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3-CD, WMA-CD, VCD, and JPEG PhotoCD playback capability as well as progressive scan and all needed analog and digital AV outputs.
FEATURED LINKS THIS WEEK
Roksan
British designer and maker of excellent high-end audio products. Site includes porduct photos and other essential info.
Butler Audio
Check out the latest in vacuum tube hybrid amplifiers for home theater and home audio application as engineered and produced by B.K. Butler.
FROM THE HOME THEATER FORUM
DVD Region Code/Lock
From REBARSKI:
My opinion on the DVD region coding is that it stinks. My wife is Hungarian and we have a small child. We'd like him to be able to watch Hungarian entertainment. Hungarian DVDs are not available here and we can't watch imported Hungarian DVDs because of the region code. We shouldn't be denied watching Hungarian DVDs because a bunch of slimy Hollywood bastards are afraid somebody might watch one of their crummy flics before they're supposed to.
Join in on the discussion.
ELSEWHERE ON ABOUT.COM
About Printers and Scanners
Get the most out of your printer and scanner with great advice from Barbara Krasnoff, About.com's Guide For Printers and Scanners.
FROM THE MAILBOX
From V:
I originally came here from England and there are several DVDs I would like to purchase over there and then play them over here.
The question is:
If I purchased a certain Universal DVD player would I be able to play the European (PAL I think it is) DVDs in the States or is this just wishful thinking. If it is possible is this a very expensive product and would it be easy to use. I am not very electronically inclined.
From Your Guide:
DVD players that are labeled "Universal" refer to their ability to play high resolution audio formats, such as SACD (Super Audio CD) and DVD-Audio, as well as standard DVDs and CDs.
What you are referring to are labeled as CODE-FREE DVD PLAYERS. In addition, in your case you also need one that has a built-in PAL/NTSC converter in the DVD player (referred to as Multi-System) so you can view European DVDs on a U.S. TV.
These players are not that expensive -- many are below $250. Most of the players are from Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers.
If you live in or near a major city, such as New York, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego, there are a few local dealers that sell Code-Free/Multi-System DVD players. Also check out local dealers that see Asian Karaoke equipment.
For more details, as well as links to online dealers of Code-Free DVD players, check out my following articles:
Region Codes: DVD's Dirty Secret
FINAL WORDS
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Audio Video Interiors (The Connected Guide To The Digital Home).
Home Theater Magazine.
Stereophile Guide To Home Theater.
Stereophile Magazine.
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A Special Reminder: Although I update this site regularly, sometimes I miss broken links, this is especially a concern as old product listings expire and new ones have different link addresses. If you encounter any broken links in my articles or listings, just bring it to my attention so I can correct the address or delete it from the site if it has expired and can no longer be accessed.
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