Weekly Site Roundup (10/04/04)
ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT
LCD Television FAQs - Answers To Basic Questions About LCD TVs
Flat panel televisions are quickly becoming quite commonplace on store shelves and in consumers' homes. Although Plasma TVs seem to be be getting all the attention in this area, the LCD television is also making an impact. For answers to basic questions about LCD Televisions, check out my FAQs.
HOME ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY NEWS HEADLINES
Fox Joins Blu-ray Group (CNET)
Europeans Come Up With New DVD Storage Advance (CNET/Optics.org)
Belkin Announces News Wireless AV Transmitter (Belkin)
Toshiba, Matsushita Unit To Make Big TV Panels (CNET)
Runco Upgrades to Display Movies in the 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio... (Audio/Video Revolution)
...Wood Cone Speakers Featured In New JVC Desktop Audio System (Audio/Video Revolution)
VSDA Computes Video Piracy Costs (DVD Exclusive Online)
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Toshiba 36HF73 36-inch Televison
This Toshiba features an FST Pure Flat picture tube, cinema mode (3:2 pull down progressive scan), 16x9 mode, and is HD-upgradable. Also included are all the needed A/V inputs/outputs, as well as a 20 watt internal audio amplifier with SRS 3D sound. On the down site, the velocity scan modulation feature over-exaggerates edges on poor signal sources. For a smoother picture, disable this feature.
FEATURED LINKS THIS WEEK
Home Theater Surroundings
Enjoy your home theater in ultimate comfort with chairs and furnishings from Home Theater Surroundings.
Featured in the Furniture/Storage H - O Category Page.
Wraith Loudspeakers
Check out the unusual flat panel loudspeakers and subwoofers from Wraith...and, they also sound great!
Featured in the Louspeaker Manufacturer's U - Z Category Page.
FROM THE HOME THEATER FORUM
Widescreen TV Still Has Black Bars
From TOSHIBA1:
I just bought a 65" Widescreen HDTV by Toshiba and would like to know if there is a DVD player on the market that will allow a widescreen 16x9 and anamorphic format to be shown in all four corners of the TV without stretching the image. You see now I still have I small set of black bars on the top and bottom of the screen and I bought a widescreen TV to eliminate those. Can anyone help me out?
Join in on the discussion.
ELSEWHERE ON ABOUT.COM
Product Review - Creative MP3 Player
Despite the fall of Napster and the crackdown on "illegal" music file sharing, portable MP3 players are as popular as ever. Check out this informative review of the Creative MuVo Slim portable 256MB MP3 player from Nino Marchetti, About.com Guide for Portable Electronics/Entertainment.
FROM THE MAILBOX
From MJ:
Europe is on the PAL system and the US is on the NTSC system - that is
why this incompatibility exists. This issue also affects DVDs as well
as VHS tapes.
You can take your tape to a local video duplicator or editing service and have it transfered from PAL to NTSC. Check the yellow pages for video duplication or video editing and ask if they do PAL to NTSC coversions or transfers.
For a further explanation for future reference, read my article on this topic:
Who's Your PAL? - An Overview of Worldwide Video Standards
From Your Guide:
Is it possible to convert a videocassette made (at home) in Italy to VHS? A friend made a copy of a movie for me when I was in Italy, but when I got it home it wasn't readable by my VCR. Is there somewhere I
could take it to be reformated? Thanks.
FINAL WORDS
Submit your own product review to home theater! Just use the new handy form and your review and name will be posted on my site!
If you need more great info on home theater and audio, with an emphasis on the higher end, be sure to check out About.com's related partner sites:
Audio Video Interiors (The Connected Guide To The Digital Home).
Home Theater Magazine.
Stereophile Ultimate AV.
Stereophile Magazine.
Lastly, I would like your feedback on this Weekly Site Update Page. If you have any comments, either positve or negative, just let me know.
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.
For a look at earlier Home Theater Nooz and Vewz Weekly Updates, CLICK HERE
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email me at hometheater.guide@about.com
with your questions and/or comments.
