New Products

DWIN The TransVision TV3 from DWIN, comprising a DLP front projector and a processor/controller, is a formidable video force. The processor can accept high-definition video signals at any of its two DVI, two VGA, and two component-video inputs, while the projector uses a Texas Instruments HD2 DLP chip to render images at 720p (progressive) resolution. A program's proper aspect ratio is automatically determined, and an Adaptive Film Mode is said to reduce motion artifacts. The projector has a 200-watt lamp, and a Carl Zeiss zoom lens lets you place it at a distance of 1 1/2 to 2 times the screen width. A backlit universal remote control is supplied, plus there's an RS-232 port for external system control. Price: $10,500. www.dwin.com, 818-239-1500

JVC The DVD format has matured - isn't it time your playback equipment did, too? JVC's ultra-slim (13¼4 inches) XV-NA77SL has an up-to-date look and phat features that will make you feel like the playa. Not only can this guy handle DVD-Audio discs, but it's also said to play discs in any recordable DVD format, including DVD-RAM. Of course, CDs with MP3 files are no problem, but feel free to throw in a few Windows Media Audio (WMA) tracks, too. A progressive-scan video output aims to give you improved images on digital TVs. The player has built-in Dolby Digital decoders as well as optical and coaxial digital audio outputs. The supplied remote has glow-in-the-dark keys, and the rear-panel connectors are gold-plated. Price: $230. www.jvc.com, 800-526-5308

Philips Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS), the latest video-display technology, is starting to appear in more stores now that Philips has introduced rear-projection LCoS sets, including the widescreen 55-inch 55PL9773 HDTV monitor, a.k.a. Cineos. Not only does it have a native resolution of 720p, but the cabinet is a slim 17 1/2 inches deep and weighs only 120 pounds. For video inputs, you get two component-video, VGA, and DVI (with HDCP copy protection). Pixel Plus technology is said to improve standard-definition video by upconverting it to high-def resolution, and the contrast ratio is rated as 400:1. A universal remote control and the pictured swivel stand are included, but the matching cabinet beneath is optional. Price $4,000; cabinet, $499. www.philips.com, 800-531-0039

Niles The Niles ZR-8630AV multizone receiver, rated at 30 watts per channel into 8 ohms, delivers stereo audio and composite video to as many as six zones. Nicknamed Bob, the receiver can switch the outputs among six external components - like DVD players, satellite TV receivers, and CD changers - plus two built-in AM/FM tuners. Each zone has both speaker- and line-level audio outputs, and there's a paging input for voice announcements. You can tell Bob what to do via separate wall keypads (Niles sells them for $80 to $200) or the supplied infrared remote handset. Price: $2,995. www.nilesaudio.com, 800-289-4434

Sony For those who can't get enough of MiniDisc (MD), Sony has unveiled a new line of portable player/recorders. The MZ-NF610, a 4-ounce Net MD device that can download audio to MD via a USB 2.0 connection, is said to be virtually crash-proof and comes with a software package for ripping and managing your music. The software's MoodLogic function will even sort your tunes into categories like "romantic" and "club music." You can record audio line-level sources through the stereo minijack or the optical digital input. The portable comes with a wired remote control, an AM/FM tuner, and a rechargeable AA battery. Price: $200. www.sonystyle.com, 800-222-7669

Sonic Foundry Aspiring filmmakers will drool at the abilities of Sonic Foundry's Vegas+DVD software. The Windows PC-based package includes the company's Vegas 4.0 professional video-editing software, plus DVD Architect 1.0 with a Dolby Digital encoder for creating your own 5.1-channel soundtracks. Vegas gives you everything you need to edit your footage, including a surround sound mixer, an effects generator, and split-screen previewing. Then the Architect takes over when you're ready to build your disc. Mark your chapters, create DVD extras like slide shows, and design cool, effects-laden menus to go with them. The software lets you import AVI, MPEG, MOV, and Windows Media video as well as digital still photos. Both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW formats are supported. Price: $1,000. www.sonicfoundry.com, 608-204-7703

Outlaw Audio A back surround speaker in your home theater won't just demand your attention - it needs its share of power as well. Outlaw Audio's Model 7100 seven-channel power amplifier can deliver enough juice to satisfy two speakers in the back while making sure your other five don't get jealous. The Class AB amp is rated to deliver 100 watts to each of seven channels into 8 ohms. Each channel has its own overheating protection circuits and heat sink, so there are no cooling fans that could generate noise. The chassis measures 17 1/4 x 5 x 16 1/4 inches and weighs 51 pounds. Price: $899 (sold only through Outlaw's Web site). www.outlawaudio.com, 800-392-1393

Sharp Zeroing in on a moving target can be a challenge, but Sharp's VL-Z7U Viewcam can help you keep up. The body of the lightweight (1 1/8-pound) camcorder swivels independent of the handgrip, and so does the 2 1/2-inch color LCD screen. It captures images to MiniDV tape and takes still photos with a resolution of up to 1.3 megapixels. There's 10x optical and 500x digital zoom, and the zoom microphone adjusts the audio recording based on what you're pointing at. Digital image stabilization keeps the picture steady even when you're not. You can transfer video via the composite- or S-video output, and an 8-megabyte Secure Digital (SD) card is supplied for still pictures. Price: $900. www.sharpusa.com, 800-237-4277

Meridian Standing 3 1/2 feet tall and loaded with hardware, Meridian's DSP7000 speaker is a shrine to digital audio. PCM bitstreams are fed directly to its inputs, which can accept 96-kHz/24-bit signals (Meridian says a future upgrade will support 192-kHz signals). The three-way speaker has dual 8-inch woofers, a 6-inch midrange driver, and a 1-inch semi-horn-loaded dome tweeter. Each section has its own digital-to-analog converter, and each driver has its own 100-watt amplifier. Frequency response is rated as 30 Hz to more than 20 kHz ±3 dB. The digital crossover is said to be more precise than passive analog crossovers, yielding reduced distortion. You can control the listening axis, frequency balance, and volume with the supplied remote control. The layered wood/metal cabinet is curved to eliminate resonances and finished in piano-black lacquer, with custom colors available for an extra two grand. Price: $27,500 a pair. www.meridian-audio.com, 404-344-7111