Audio Video News

Panasonic wants to make DVD-RAM the dominant video recording format in the near future.

Giclée Art World
What's an evening in your home theater without your favorite film-time treat? Nothing makes a home theater a home theater more than a big, freshly popped bowl of popcorn. Now, thanks to artist Clark Carroll's Pop Art, you can keep that feeling in your theater even when the popper is taking a well-deserved rest. Carroll has been an illustrator for 30 years and has been a member of the Society of Illustrators in New York (whose other members have included Norman Rockwell). Pop Art is available as a limited-edition giclée on Somerset paper, numbered and signed by the artist. The 15- by 20-inch version sells for $250, and the 30- by 40-inch size is $400. It might not fill your theater with that buttery aroma, but Pop Art may be the next best thing.
Giclée Art World
(610) 449-5560
www.gicleeartworld.com

From the January issue, Peter Putman lights up the <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/showarchives.cgi?92">Epson America PowerLite TW100 LCD front projector</A> to see if real home theater projectors exist at under five grand. As Putman notes, "Epson's entrance into the home-theater projector arena has long been anticipated."

<A HREF="http://www.philips.com">Philips Electronics</A> has often tested the market for new products by introducing them under its Magnavox brand. In late February, the Dutch industrial giant announced that it would follow that tradition with the release of a $499 DVD+RW recorder wearing the Magnavox badge.

Home Cinema Accessories
It's often the only thing missing when Uncle Bob busts out the camcorder. A tripod might make his masterpieces easier to watch later, but we're talking about the verisimilitude that only a clapper can offer. The Professional Studio Clapboard from Home Cinema Accessories measures 11 inches tall and 12 wide, and it offers plenty of room to write and change your scene and take numbers. The Professional Studio Clapboard also comes with a wall-mounting cord for those who'd rather admire than direct, and it's a great value at just $15.
Home Cinema Accessories
(800) 346-8575
www.homecinemaaccessories.com

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.