A/V Veteran

Our annual Home Entertainment show, sponsored by Primedia's home tech and photography publications—Ultimate AV, Stereophile, Home Theater, Audio Video Interiors, and Shutterbug—is still three months away. But time has a way of catching us off guard. If you plan on attending from out of town, you need to make plans now!

Home Entertainment 2006 will be held in Los Angeles at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel on Century Boulevard near Los Angeles International airport from June 1-4, 2006 (June 1 is a trade-only day). That's not only a convenient location for locals (freeway close, as we say out here), but for those flying in from out of town, as well. Unlike New York, where getting from any airport to midtown is roughly as pleasant as a root canal, the Sheraton is a short ride from your arrival terminal on the hotel shuttle.

You can find out more details, including a continually updated list of the exhibiting manufacturers, here. I'll also be writing more about the show in this space as the date gets closer, so stay tuned.

If you're coming to the LA show from out of town you're probably planning to make a vacation out of it. And for me, a summer vacation in LA means—going to the movies! (You thought I was going to say surfing, perhaps. OK, that's available too, if you want it). I've written before that LA has some of the best movie theaters in the country. And early June is the beginning of the prime season for escapist, popcorn flicks—the sort that really come to life only on the biggest, baddest screens and sound systems.

A recent letter from a reader in Canada asked for recommendations of the best movie theaters to check out on a visit to LA. Check back later in the week for my response.