Weekly Site Roundup (12/02/02)
ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT
Budget DVD Players
DVD continues its penetration into retail stores and consumer's homes at an accelerated pace. Even if you don't have a high-end TV or home theater system, you can still enjoy the benefits of the DVD revolution. Here are some entry level players to consider for that perfect holiday gift. Updated for the 2002 Winter Holiday Season.
HOME ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY NEWS HEADLINES
Toshiba Introduces Industry's First 1080p Projection TV (Widescreen Review)
Maxwell Introduces New High-Capacity 9.4 GB DVD-R Discs (DVDinsider)
Tower Records SACD and DVD-A Holiday Sale (High Fidelity Review)
Coming Soon: Self-Destructing DVDs (Miami Herald)
Samsung Debuts Large LCD Panels (Stereophile Guide To Home Theater)
Study: HDTV in Third of US Homes by 2008 (Stereophile Guide To Home Theater)
Flat-Panel TVs Drive Tweeter Q4 Sales (TWICE)
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Yamaha TSX-10 Compact Audio System
The TSX-10 is a compact system with big sound. Incorporating the same technology as in their larger audio components, this unit delivers 18 WPC of high current power to its two-way bass reflex speakers. In addition, the Vertical CD transport is compatible with both CDRs and CDRWs. Other features include, a 40-channel preset AM/FM tuner and remote control. Great performance in a small package.
FEATURED LINKS THIS WEEK
HDTV Buyer
Everything you need to know about HDTV, including up-to-date news and trends in production and programming.
Featured in the Magazines/E-zines Subject Page.
TV Predictions
What is the future of TV? TV predictions knows...
Featured in the Magazines/E-zines Subject Page.
FROM THE HOME THEATER FORUM
Optimum Cabling
From BOBLEONAR2:
I have a Sony 27"Wega tv, a Sony STR-DE335 audio video receiver, and have just purchased a Sony DVD player. I have cabled the DVD player to the TV with standard line out RCA plugs to the ins of the TV. The diagrams in the DVD book depict this cabling as standard, but since I have the receiver, can I get better results from cabling into the receiver, or must I cable directly to the TV? The receiver is a Pro Logic and is 5.1 capable.
Join in on the discussion.
ELSEWHERE ON ABOUT.COM
Santa Brings New PDAs
Just as everyone these days have cell phones, another portable device many can't do without is the PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). Check out the lastest PDAs, just in time for the holidays, as reported by Ric Manning, About Guide To Portable Entertainment.
FROM THE MAILBOX
From Vincent:
I have a new analog TV that has all the correct connections for DVD. however, when I play a dvd I can not fill the screen. It is my understanding that only digital TV's can play DVD's on the entire screen. is there some type of adapter that i can connect such that I can fill the entire screen of my analog TV while watching a dvd
From Your Guide:
There is nothing wrong with your TV or your DVD player.
Most DVDs are made in the widescreen format, which results in black bars on the top and bottom of your TV screen --
Movies are made in various widescreen aspect ratios -- when you see the movie in a theater you will notice that the screen is much wider than that of a TV. Thus, when these films are transfered to DVD they are offen transfered as they were shown in the theater. When viewing the film in this manner, you see the entire image of the film the way the director intended it to be seen. If the image were made to fill the entire screen, you would miss as much as 30% of the original image.
However, some DVDs also contain a "full screen" version of the film on one side of the DVD and the widescreen version on the other side, or, in the case of Star Wars II, you can buy either the Full Screen version or the Widescreen Version -- check the labeling on the the DVD before you buy it - however, the vast majority of DVD movies are in the widescreen version only.
For an entire explanation, check out the following:
http://hometheater.about.com/library/weekly/aa042801a.htm
FINAL WORDS
Holiday News! It's that time of year once again. First, check out my annual Holiday Shopping Survival Guide, then, check in every week for a new holiday shopping article or top product picks. If you have any suggestions, just send me a line.
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.
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.
For a look at earlier Home Theater Nooz and Vewz Weekly Updates, CLICK HERE
Feel free to email me at hometheater.guide@about.com
with your questions and/or comments.
