Weekly Site Roundup (03/09/04)
ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT
Buying Refurbished Products - What You Need To Know
We are always looking for bargains. It is hard to resist those after-holiday and clearance sales. However, another way to save money throughout the year is to buy refurbished products. This article disusses the nature of refurbished products and some helpful hints on what to ask and look for in purchasing such products.
HOME ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY NEWS HEADLINES
Yamaha Introduces New Home Theater Receivers (Audioholics/Yamaha)
To Pump Up Weak TV Ratings, NHL Pushing Transition To HDTV (South Mississippi Sun Herald/AP)
DualDiscs Under Wrap (Newsday)
Samsung Cuts DLP Prices By $500 (TWICE)
Microsoft on every DVD? (CNET)
Oscar Snafu Hits HDTV (Yahoo News/Variety)
DVD XCopy—Now What (PC Magazine)
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Samsung HLN437W DLP Projection Television
If you are shopping for a big screen TV and are finding conventional projection TVs take up too much space and Plasma TVs are too expensive, you might want to check out the Samsung HLN437W DLP projection set. Although you can't hang it on the wall, like a Plasma, this set takes up much less floor space than a conventional projection television. With its DLP technology, this 43-inch 16x9 HD-upgradable projection TV delivers excellent brightness and color consistency. In addition, this set features a native 1280x720 pixel resolution, a Faroudja DCDi video processor, and both HD-component and DVI HDTV inputs. To receive HDTV television signals you do need to purchase an external HDTV tuner or secure an HDTV cable or satellite box. If you are shopping for a big screen TV, definitely keep the Samsung HLN437W in mind.
FEATURED LINKS THIS WEEK
Buying
Televisions - An Online Guide
A comprehensive guide to buying televisions online. Also features links to other resources for television and home theater.
Featured in the Shopping Subject Page.
HDDVD.org
Keep up with the latest news on high definition DVD.
Featured in the DVD/Laserdisc Subject Page.
FROM THE HOME THEATER FORUM
NEW FORUM TITLE
From PACECRITTER:
This is one of those silly things that will drive me crazy if you can't help me. What in the world was the little plastic thingy that we had to put in the large center hole of a 45 in the 1950's and 60's so that it would fit properly on a smaller spindle on our record players??? The record player manufacturers eventually incorporated a built in thing that you could pop up for 45's or lower for the small holes on the albums.
Join in on the discussion.
ELSEWHERE ON ABOUT.COM
About Home Video/DVD
Keep up with the latest DVD and video releases, as reported by Ivana Redwine, About Guide For Home Video/DVD.
FROM THE MAILBOX
From RR:
I could use some advise on dvd recorders and the one I have in mind is a Go Video DV 1130. What I need to know is if it is possible to record a DVD Disc on this machine from a VCR tape either from the same machine or else using another VCR. It says in the ads that you can record a vcr from a disc in this machine but does it record a dvd disc from a vcr?? As you probably know by these questions I know very little about this...
From Your Guide:
The GoVideo 1130 is a DVD PLAYER/VCR COMBO -- The DVD side is a player only, but the VCR side records. What you are looking for is a DVD RECORDER/VCR COMBO -- such as the GO VIDEO VR3930 OR VR4940:
http://www.govideo.com/Index.asp?GV=DVDRComboAll
These machines will allow two-way copying, however, you cannot make copies of commercial VHS tapes or DVDs that are anti-copy encrypted. However, you can make copies of home recorded videos, such as camcorder footage, TV show recordings, or personal video productions.
In addition, the 3930 and 4940 can record from external sources, such as cable TV, camcorder, or another VCR (provided the tape is not anti-copy encrypted). It will not record from another DVD player if the DVD being played is anti-copy encrypted.
FINAL WORDS
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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.
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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.
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with your questions and/or comments.
