My Favorites For The Year Page 1, 2, 3, 4.
From the Home Theater Archives - My Favorites For The Year 1999
The following is list of my favorite home theater-related product picks for 1999. This listing is kept for archival and continued reference purposes.
Weirdest Product Of The YearThe Vinyl Killer
This is indeed a wierd product. Available from Dusty Groove, this product is basically a battery operated toy car, with a Phono Cartridge and Stylus mounted in the undercarriage. You lay a vinyl record on a flat surface, place the car on it, start it up and it will "drive" the grooves in the record. The recording can be heard through a small amplifier and speaker mounted within the body of the toy car. It works, but don't use it to play your rare collectibles.
Good Riddance!
DIVX
With introduction and proliferation of new Electronics Products every year, not all succeed, for better or worse. This year DIVX, a controversial derivative of DVD, was withdrawn from the marketplace.
This story began in 1997 when Circuit City, along with a group of greedy Entertainment Lawyers, came up with a Pay-Per-View scheme for viewing movies on your DVD player. DIVX (Digital Video Express), the target audience for this format was the consumer that was more into renting movies rather than purchasing them. The intention of Circuit City and their cohorts was to undermine the Open DVD format that was taking a strong hold in the consumer marketplace and eventually supplant it with a system that could bring continuing revenues to Circuit City and their Associates every time one would sit down to watch a DVD movie. They Failed!
Whether due to public pressure, or lack of industry and retail support, Circuit City announced the demise of DIVX on June 16, 1999, while claiming (no actual sales numbers to back it up) that the consumer was indeed warming up to the DIVX format.
A Final Word
So, there you have it, some of my personal favorites for the year. Obviously, with the hundreds of new products released during the year, there is no way to list, evaluate, or comment on each and every one. You are more than welcome to throw your opinion into the ring as well.
Once again, thanks for your continued support of my site and be sure to take advantage of all its resources.
Watch for upcoming information on forthcoming products for the next year.
Feel free to email me at homeelectronic.guide@about.com
with your questions and/or comments. However, you are more than welcome to also post your comments and opinions on my Forum and share them with the rest of my community.
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