Weekly Site Roundup (10/13/03)
ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT
Holiday Shopping Survival Guide
It's that time of year to gear up for the coming holiday shopping frenzy, but before you actually go out and buy that home theater or other gadget gift, you need to know how to buy. Here are some tips.
HOME ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY NEWS HEADLINES
DTV Stations On Air Top 1000 (Digital Television.com)
Sony Prepares SACD Promotional Boost (TWICE)
Electronics Announces Upcoming Line of Consumer Televisions, DVD-R Recorders (DVD Insider)
The PSX Debuts... (Gizmodo)
JVC Enters LCD TV Market With 26-Inch Flat-Panel Display (Widescreen Review)
JVC DVD/VCR Line Expansion Includes Industry's First S-VHS Model (Widescreen Review)
Philips, Pioneer Unveil Dual-Layer Recordable DVD (TWICE)
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Yamaha YST-SW315 Powered Subwoofer
Yamaha is well known for excellent AV Receivers, however, their loudspeakers also deserve attention. The YST-SW315 10-inch powered subwoofer is a compact unit featuring a 270-watt RMS amplifier, with 20Hz-160Hz response, that provides deep bass smooth enough for musical applications, but with lots of punch for those DVD soundtracks. Give this one a serious listen before choosing your subwoofer.
>Manufacturer's Site
FEATURED LINKS THIS WEEK
Genelec
Based in Finland, Genelec is an innovator in loudspeaker design and manufacturing. With a 20 year tradition in the professional audio field, Genelec is also focusing the home theater market. Check out their fine loudspeaker products.
Featured in the Loudspeakers Subject Page.
Epson Home Theater
Well known for its computer peripherals, including video projectors for business use, Epson also offers a selection of video projectors for the home theater enthusiast.
Featured in the Television Subject Page.
FROM THE HOME THEATER FORUM
AV Configuration
From S:
I have a configuration dilemna that requires the wand of a audio/video wizard.I have a Sanyo TV that does not have a composite input jack.I am trying to hook up my DVD-R,VCR, and cable box through a 4 way RF modulator.I ran audio/video out cables from DVD-R, VCR and cable box to A/V inputs on modulator. I ran cable from wall to "cable in" on cable box. I ran a cable "TO TV/VCR" on cable box to "antenna in" on modulator.Finally, I ran a cable from "TO TV" on modulator to coaxial connector on TV. VCR and cable work fine. I can only play movies on DVD-R. However,when I attempt to record by engaging record button,"ERROR" flashes on LCD. DVD-R is a Cyberhome CH-DVR 1500.What am I doing wrong?Please advise.
Join in on the discussion.
ELSEWHERE ON ABOUT.COM
Buying Your First DVD Player
Want to buy your first DVD player and don't know where to start? Then check out this informative buying guide for DVD beginners from Ivana Redwine, About Guide for Home Video/DVD
FROM THE MAILBOX
From Brett:
Any info on the new DVD recording formats for camcorders?
From Your Guide:
Basically, they are the same DVD recording formats used in most DVD recorders and DVD burners. Sony DVD Cams use DVD-R and DVD-RW which are playable in most DVD players. Panasonic and Hitachi use DVD-R and DVD-RAM. DVD-RAM discs, although
reusable, cannot be played in standard DVD players, except for a few units made by Panasonic.
As of now, no one has introduced a camorder that records in DVD+R/+RW, even though these formats are the easiest to work with and have slightly better compatibility with standard DVD players (depending on who to talk too) than DVD-R/-RW.
In addition, since the recordable DVD camcorder discs are all 3-inches in diamter, instead of the standard 5 inch DVD size, the recording times are shorter than on DVD recorders. If you want DVD quality, each disc can hold about 20min of video. If you record at lower quality, discs can hold up to an hour or so.
Although I am real fan of recordable DVD, when it comes to camcorders, the miniDV tape format is still the best consumer format for recording video. The tapes each hold one hour at best quality and are much cheaper than the blank DVDs used in DVD cams. If you already have a camcorder that works well. I would wait another year or so before jumping into a DVD camcorder, but the choice is yours. Check them out at your local electronics retailer and see what you think.
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
Feel free to
email me at hometheater.guide@about.com
with your questions and/or comments.
