Weekly Site Roundup (02/02/04)

ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT
Home Theater Gifts For Lovers
Instead of giving your lover jewelry, flowers, candy, or lingerie on Valentine's Day, anniversary, or birthday, why not give a gift that will not only last, but provide the perfect catalyst for romance - a home theater-related product. Whether cuddling up on the couch to watch that romantic movie, or providing the perfect romantic musical background to set the mood, here are some great gifts that fill the bill.

HOME ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY NEWS HEADLINES
Key Consumer Electronics Parts In Short Supply (Forbes)
Universal Music Promoting SACD and DVD-Audio (Audio Revolution)
China's Next-Generation DVD Faces Hurdles (CNET Asia)
Hughes Cuts Jobs, Boosts DirecTV Prices (TWICE)
That New HDTV Won't Work For...Super Bowl If You're A Comcast Subscriber (Sacramento Bee)
Big Bang In Universal DVD Players (TWICE)
CBS Primed for Super Bowl In HD (TV Technology)

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Sony KLV-23HR1 LCD Televison
Flat panel TVs are in. If you are looking for a compact LCD TV that is HD-upgradable, check out the Sony KLV-23HR1. Along with a very stylish design, other features include a 23-inch diagonal 16x9 aspect ratio screen, 1280x768 pixel resolution, 480i/480p/720p/1080i input capability, progressive scan with 3:2 pulldown, built-in NTSC tuner, and SRS WOW audio for a more balanced sound.

FEATURED LINKS THIS WEEK
Gershman Acoustics
Check out the stylish and innovative lineup of loudspeakers from Gershman Acoustics
Featured in the Loudspeakers Subject Page.

Grommes
If you are a vacuum tube audio fan, then check out the selection of unique vacuum tube amps from Grommes.
Featured in the Vacuum Tube Audio Subject Page.

FROM THE HOME THEATER FORUM
DVD REGION CODING/LOCK
From JOHNKELL3:
If our elected representatives have granted large multi-national corporations the privilege of using DVD Region Coding to "protect" their "time-sensitive" copyrights to new material in different markets, then they should also obligate them to release old material in a single, all-region format that will work in all markets, or simultaneously, in different formats, for different markets. There is no way that the consumer should have to buy "all-region" equipment to play a DVD of old material that is currently available only in the UK, or only in America.
Join in on the discussion.

FROM THE MAILBOX
From R:
I am new to dvd players and found your info very helpful. I do have one question though that hope you can help me with. I have space limitations and would prefer to position my dvd player on its side. I recognize that in this position the tray opening would be perpendicular and the disc would have to be carefully inserted to make sure it did not fall out. Would the player be OK otherwise?

From Your Guide:
It is difficult to use a standard DVD player this way, because the DVD disc lays loose on the tray until the door is closed - so there is nothing hold the DVD firmly in the tray until the internal loading mechanism can grab it once the door is closed -- however, they are a few vertical DVD players available that use a center snap in the loading tray (like a laptop computer CD or DVD drive).

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!

User Submission Form.

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 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.