Weekly Site Roundup (09/15/03)
ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT
Video Projectors: What You Need To Know
The video projector has long been used as a presentation tool in business and commercial entertainment, as well as in some very wealthy homes, but now with advances in technology, several types of compact, portable video projectors are available and affordable for the average consumer. For an overview of common types of video projectors, check out my report.
HOME ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY NEWS HEADLINES
BMG Launches Copy-Protected CD In U.S.
Disposable DVDs Far from Being a Sure Bet (Reuters)
New Satellite Radio Products (Stereophile)
Self-Destructing DVD Begins Test Marketing (About Home/Video DVD)
The WB Network Offers Dramatically Increased HDTV Programming (Widescreen Review)
Sony's Wireless Home Theater-In-A-Box (Gizmodo)
ViewSonic...High-Definition Compatible Televisions (Viewsonic)
RIAA Sues 261 File Swappers (CNET)
Wireless TV (Gizmodo)
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Onkyo HT-S767C Home Theater-In-A-Box
With 100x6WPC and 150-watt powered subwoofer, the Onkyo HT-S767C 6.1 channel HTIB has enough power for most needs. The Receiver/amp section also includes Dolby Digital EX/DTS-ES/Pro Logic II decoding. Its 5-disc changer plays DVD-Video discs, CDs/CD-Rs/CD-RWs, and MP3, WMA, and JPEG photo CDs. Output connections include composite, S-video, and component outputs with progressive-scan capability. If you are in the market for an all-in-one home theater system with quality, then consider the Onkyo HT-S767C.
FEATURED LINKS THIS WEEK
Soundations
Put a little style into your home theater system with AV furniture from Soundations.
Featured in the Furniture/Media Storage Subject Page.
DWIN
Check out the exciting video projector product line from DWIN; great performance at a reasonable price.
Featured in the Televisions Subject Page.
FROM THE HOME THEATER FORUM
Component Cable Connection Problem
From MAXIMUSX1:
...I've recently purchased (still under warranty) a Sony KV27FV310 TV and a Toshiba SD2805 DVD. I was using a composite cable (yellow plug) to connect them. Since I have heard all these talks about superb image using component cable, I want to see what the fuss is all about. I found a GE brand component cable for $10 and I hooked it up, but there was no visual. Well, I thought it must be the cheap cable so I bought a more expensive one from Philips and same thing happened, no visual. Switched it back to the composite, it works fine...any idea what the problem might be?...
Join in on the discussion.
FROM THE MAILBOX
From CG:
I wonder if you could verify for me that, if I purchase a Wega (Sony) TV which is not wide screen, I am subsequently going to see black lines around the picture when watching HDTV. The salesperson I was speaking with strongly advised me to buy a widescreen - we hardly ever watch movies. He (salesperson) claims that If we do not buy a wide screen, we are going to be watching pictures with black borders. Is that correct? Thanks for your eventual reply. I have been perusing your guides and find them very informative.
From Your Guide:
Athough the vast majority of TV programs will be shown in 4x3 (traditional TV screen shape) any programs produced and shown in High Definition (provided you add a high definition tuner to the TV) will exhibit black lines on top and bottom of the screen on a standard shape TV, as do most films on DVD. In addition, there are a growing number of TV shows shown on TNT, PBS, WB, Fox, SciFi Channel, etc... that are being shown in the letterboxed format that are not necessarily in HDTV.
For a full explanation of the nature of 16x9 TV and the importance of widescreen check out my article on the subject:
Widescreen TV: The 16x9 Factor
http://hometheater.about.com/library/weekly/aa042801a.htm
I would say that if you watch mostly news and standard TV -- even as more programs go widescreen -- you will still have a lot to watch that fills the screen - however, if you are a movie fan -- widescreen is the way to go.
FINAL WORDS
Special Announcement: My homepage has a new look with daily news postings in addition to my weekly article postings. Be sure to check out the new look at: About Home Theater
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.
Home Theater Magazine.
Stereophile Guide To Home Theater.
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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with your questions and/or comments.
