Audio Video News

Simplify, simplify. Hitachi has applied this wise old adage to high technology, with a new product that should tweak the interest of movie and music fans everywhere.

The DV-W1 combines a DVD/CD player with a CD recorder for superb versatility in one sleek unit. At approximately 17" W x 3" H x 13" D, the DV-W1 takes up no more shelf space than any other component, but does the work of three. The left-side transport will play DVDs or CDs, and the right-side transport will record on either CD-R or CD-RW discs at twice the normal playing speed. Pretty nifty, but the clincher is that it can be done with one button, with on-screen instructions. A programmed-dubbing mode lets you choose the tracks you want to transfer and then record automatically. Making compilation CDs of your favorite recordings was never easier.

The unit's unencumbered look is a clever deception; a flip-down panel hides an array of buttons for controlling every aspect of the DV-W1's performance. Among the extremely useful video features are 2X and 4X zoom; and user-adjustable luminance, hue, sharpness and black level. Analog output is as high-rez as it gets, thanks to inboard 96kHz/24bit DACs, and a built-in Dolby Digital decoder with six-channel outputs. For use with external decoders, coaxial and optical digital audio outputs are standard; NTSC video outs are provided for composite, component, and S-Video. There is no provision for progressive output.

The DV-W1 is available at Hitachi dealers now. Suggested list price is $800.