Weekly Site Roundup (12/06/04)
ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT
Holiday Special - Home Theater-In-A-Box Systems
Looking for the perfect gift to get that special someone started in home theater without all the hassle of buying everything and figuring out how to install it? Then a home theater-in-a-box system may be just the perfect gift to give this holiday season. These systems come packaged with everything you need to get a basic home theater started including a DVD player/AV receiver (combination or separate components), all the speakers, including the subwoofer, a remote control, and, the best of all, all the wire is included to connect it all together. Check out some of my current favorites.
HOME ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY NEWS HEADLINES
Mixed Message on LCDs (Stereophile - Ultimate AV)
Sony Sees Crisp Future For High Definition TV (Financial Times)
Faith-Based DVRs? Maybe, If Congress Has Its Way (Audio/Video Revolution)
Swanni's '5 Companies to Watch in 2005' (TV Predictions)
As Flat-panels Oust Older TVs, Disposal Fears Arise (Yahoo News/USA Today)
TI To Promote Television Technology (Monterey Herald/Associated Press)
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Tohsiba RD-XS52 DVD Recorder with Upscaling
If you have an HD-compatible television, here is a DVD recorder that may be the perfect match. The Toshiba RD-XS52 not only features DVD-R and DVD-RAM recording capability, combined with a 160GB hard drive, but it also features 720p/1080i upscaling output capability for both commercial and home recorded DVDs via its HDMI output. Also, if your HDTV only has a DVI input, there are HDMI-to-DVI cable adapters. With uncertainties still clouding the introcduction of high definition DVD recorders, the Toshiba RD-XS52 may be just the ticket to hold you over.
FEATURED LINKS THIS WEEK
Klipsch
Great Speakers and subwoofers from the legendary maker of the Klipschorn.
Featured in the Loudspeakers K-O Category Page.
Fujitsu Plasmavision
Get the whole scoop on Plasmavision technology and products from Fujitsu, includes product lineup and specs.
Featured in the Television A-F Category Page.
FROM THE HOME THEATER FORUM
Creating Chapters on DVD-Rs?
From NHAIMS:
I'm shopping for a DVD Recorder, but the feature I need most seems elusive: I want to make DVD-R discs (so I can play in other machines) with custom-named chapters. It seems that most recorders only give you an option of creating chapters ever 5-15 minutes or so. DVD-RAM allows you to go back and make chapters with names, but is there any machine out there with which I can make my own chapters? Will a recorder with a HD allow me to do this by pre-editing on the HD and then outputting to a DVD-R?
Join in on the discussion.
ELSEWHERE ON ABOUT.COM
About Stereo - Top 10 Great Bargain Turntables
Looking a great gift that a dedicated audiophile would love? Why not consider a turntable. Believe it or not, the vinyl record is still with us, and new turntable is a great way to revive any old record collection. Check out some great turntables as chosen by Anthony Armstrong, About Guide To Stereos.
FROM THE MAILBOX
From J:
...I'm putting together an HD home theater, with which process your articles have been very helpful.I have a Panasonic 50" HDTV to which I've added a HDCP/DVI board into the empty #1 slot for DirecTV HD programming. For audio, what I want to get is an Onkyo system that has an integrated DVD player that does not support HDCP/DVI, but I know (thanks to you) that I can get around this limitation by getting a separate DVI DVD player (e.g., the Samsung HD-931) and yanking one of the S-Video/Component Video boards from the
Panasonic and installing a second HDCP/DVI board to support DVD.My question is: Would this be a waste of time in the sense that, while it's a nice intermediate solution, I'll need to replace the DVD player when true HD DVDs and players become available? Do you have any idea how far in the future this might be?...
From Your Guide:
Getting a DVD player with DVI/HDCP or HDMI connection is one way to get the most out of the current DVD format -- although the upscaling is not considered true HDTV -- basically, you are matching the pixel display output of the DVD player with the televisions that have HD resolution capability. The effect of this works best with fixed pixel displays, such as LCD or Plasma televisions, but can also be effective on
projection televisions -- results are mixed on HD compatible tube televisions.
There are also additional DVD players that have this capability -- since the Samsung DVD-HD931 came out early in the year, Samsung has introduced two additional models, the HD841 and the HD941, also, also check out the Vinc Bravo D2. Toshiba, Sony, and Denon also have units.
In addition, for units that use HDMI, rather than DVI-HDCP -- there is a connection adapter that converts the connection for you.
Although high definition DVD players (and recorders) may start appearing on the market in late 2005 or early 2006 -- they will be expensive, software availability will be slim, and there will be two competing incompatible formats (HD-DVD and BluRay).
Frankly, for the low price of a current DVD player with DVI-HDCP or HDMI, you can enjoy enhanced definition of your current DVD collection. Unless there is an immediate breakthrough in pricing or software committment, I would hold off buying an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player or recorder for at leaseone complete generation (about 1 year to 18 months ) or perhaps longer if one format ends up dominating the market before spending your money on one.
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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