Audio Video News

High definition video may be the Holy Grail for couch potatoes, but it's not good enough for the cinema. At least that's what members of the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) concluded at a Hollywood technology retreat February 8.

From the January issue, Michael Fremer plugs the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?89">Musical Fidelity M250 monoblock power amplifier</A> in and puts it through the home theater paces. As Mikey notes, "The idea was to produce a 'non-temperamental, bomb-proof' amplifier capable of high power and high end sound quality."

DVD is a hit. Lauded as the most successful format launch since—well, I guess nothing has had this overwhelming level of acceptance in a long, long time. I wish I could say the same about DVD's younger sibling, DVD-Audio. Introduced three years ago, it's just now starting to gather some momentum. On the hardware side, DVD-Audio offerings run the gamut from saucy little $200 players to budget-busting state-of-the-art machines. New DVD-Audio titles are still just trickling out, but even a cursory glance at a typical disc's fairly lengthy production credits might explain the relative paucity of releases. I counted 13 DVD-Audio-related producers, engineers, and mixers on R.E.M.'s Reveal disc and a crew of 21 on Queen's epic A Night at the Opera. Releasing a DVD-Audio reissue or brand-new title is a labor-intensive effort.