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Audio Video News
All Ears - and Eyes - on the I-Sonic
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Apr 25, 2005  | 
Evidently, Polk has a thing for XM Satellite Radio. About six months after they introduced a stand-alone, home-component XM tuner (the XRt12), the speaker company is pulling the wraps off of a new XM-ready tabletop entertainment system called the I-Sonic. Sure, you might think it's just a new compact stereo system designed to sonically kick the you know what out of you know which (heavily advertised) tabletop system from you know who. (And who am I to say that you're wrong?) But a quick look at all of the I-Sonic's features and capabilities makes it appear to be something more - you know, the kind of thing your grandmother could use but will still impress the heck out of your more techno-sophisticated friends.
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Audio Video News
Dynamic Duo
Chris Chiarella  |  Apr 24, 2005  | 
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Audio Video News
Coming Attractions
HT Staff  |  Apr 24, 2005  | 
SkipJam

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Audio Video News
Latest Software Reviews
HT Staff  |  Apr 24, 2005  | 
DVD: Vanity Fair—Universal
In Mira Nair's (Monsoon Wedding) adaptation 19th-century Europe meets the cultural vibrancy of India. Reese Witherspoon stars as the ambitious heroine, Becky Sharp, one of literature's most intriguing and complex female characters. With nothing but wit, beauty, and sensuality at her disposal, Sharp travels on her scheme-filled journey to the height of society, only to find that the destination is as morally low as the gutter from which she came. Gabriel Bryne joins the cast as the devious Marquess of Steyne, along with James Purefoy as Rawdon Crawley. Witherspoon's performance is short of convincing, lacking a smooth transition from coyish girl to brazen coquette.
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Audio Video News
VOOM Doom Brings DIRECTV Boom
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Apr 23, 2005  | 
Those of us still mourning the imminent and unstoppable demise of VOOM, the ill-fated HD-centric satellite service, are being offered a reduced price on a second chance at HD nirvana from DIRECTV. Although it's small consolation to the thirty-some thousand VOOM devotees who are at this moment longingly stroking their VOOM remote controls and asking, "Why? Why me?", at least it's something.
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Audio Video News
Runco Does Cabo
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 20, 2005  | 

I've always been impressed with Sam Runco's familial attitude toward his employees and dealers as well as the consumer-electronics press corps and even the entire industry. This attitude is especially evident during his company's annual spring retreat in Mexico, held this year at the Meliá Cabo Real resort on the Sea of Cortez, halfway between Cabo San Lucas (famous home of Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo bar and tequila business) and the lesser-known but much more quaint San Jose del Cabo. Not only does Runco invite his top 10 dealers and a few fortunate journalists, he encourages them to bring their families, stressing the importance of making and maintaining personal connections within the CE community.

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Audio Video News
Mitsubishi Takes Care of Business
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 17, 2005  | 

QuickMotion. SmartShutter. Dark Detailer. Plush Imaging. Plush720p. Plush1080p. DeepField Imager. SharpEdge. Buzzwords were flying faster than you could swat them at Mitsubishi's April 2005 line show in Orlando, Florida. Journalists were flown in from all over the US to view the latest Mitsubishi televisions, loaded with these exciting&mdash;or at least exciting <I>sounding</I>&mdash;features.

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Audio Video News
Mitsubishi Strutts Its High Definition Stuff
user  |  Apr 16, 2005  | 
As is their practice this time of every year, Mitsubishi recently invited dealers to a secret location (actually it was in Orlando, Florida) where, amidst much hoopla, wining and dining, and the all-important dealer/sales representative bonding (courtesy of the wining and dining), the company unveiled the HDTVs which will be available for delivery to home theaters later this year. Mitsubishi's introduction brought to light 17 new models and involved several of the world's most sought after display technologies.
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Audio Video News
Wireless Home Theater...with an Asterisk
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Apr 16, 2005  | 
Normally the disclaimer* comes at the end, but why hide uncomfortable news? When it comes to home entertainment equipment and someone starts talking about a piece of gear being "wireless", they don't mean "wireless" - they mean "nearly wireless". Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about Panasonic's new rear-speaker wireless-ready home theater systems. Oh, by the way, "wireless-ready" means you'll need an optional piece of gear to make the system nearly wireless. (But don't let that put a barbed-wire fence around your lofty goal of having free-range wireless chickens. There ain't no totally wireless lunch from any company in this neck of the woods, pardner, but that don't mean you can't dream...)
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Doom and Gloom at Voom
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 14, 2005  | 

It seems that Voom is finally nearing the end of the line, despite Herculean (some would say Machiavellian) efforts to keep it alive by Cablevision founder Charles Dolan. In what can only be described as a real-life soap opera, Dolan's attempts to resurrect the HD satellite service have raised more than a few eyebrows and divided his own family squarely down the middle. (If you haven't been following the saga, you can get up to speed by <A href="http://ultimateavmag.com/news/030105voom/">starting here</A> and following the links.)

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Audio Video News
Digital Rights Management
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 13, 2005  |  First Published: Apr 14, 2005  | 

Digital rights management (DRM) was one of the hottest topics to be discussed at the recent Digital Hollywood conference, held March 31, 2005, at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel in (where else?) Santa Monica, California. DRM is a key issue holding up the finalization of the specifications for both HD DVD and Blu-ray, the two competing contenders to become the next-generation optical-disc format.

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Coming Attractions
HT Staff  |  Apr 11, 2005  | 
Optoma
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Audio Video News
Latest Software Reviews
HT Staff  |  Apr 11, 2005  | 
DVD: The Forgotten—Columbia/TriStar
A twisting, turning, supernatural story, The Forgotten stars Julianne Moore as Telly, a woman grieving the loss of her 8-year-old son. The only problem is, everyone around her insists that the boy she misses so desperately never actually existed. As she continues to cling to her memories, she finds herself sinking further into a nightmare. Although the heart of the film is about the unbreakable bond between parent and child, the story offers enough government conspiracy and X-Files-type intrigue to give it wider appeal.
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Audio Video News
HE2005 Concerts Announced
HT Staff  |  Apr 11, 2005  | 
The Home Entertainment Show, scheduled to take place in NYC April 28–May 1, is only weeks away! Throughout the Show, ticket holders can experience the finest consumer electronics and convergence products on the planet—PLUS enjoy a variety of live music performances by popular jazz, folk, rap, blues, and classical music recording artists.
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Audio Video News
HE2005 Concerts Announced
Ultimate AV Staff  |  Apr 11, 2005  | 

The <A HREF="http://www.he2005.com">Home Entertainment Show</A>, scheduled to take place in NYC April 28&ndash;May 1, is almost upon us! Throughout the Show, ticket holders can experience the finest consumer electronics and convergence products on the planet&mdash;PLUS enjoy a variety of live music performances by popular jazz, folk, rap, blues, and classical music recording artists.

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