THE BIG PICTURE

Greetings to all UAV readers! As you may have heard, there have been some changes around this digital watering hole. Shane Buettner has moved over to head Home Theater magazine and its associated website, leaving some mighty big shoes to fill here at UAV, a challenge I happily accept.

For those who don't know my name, I've been in the home-theater editorial game for over 15 years, writing for some of the most prestigious publications in the industry, including Home Theater (which I helped launch), Audio/Video Interiors, and, most recently, The Perfect Vision. I've always been passionate about high-quality video and audio reproduction, and as a hard-core geek, I love digging into the nitty-gritty of any related technology. I also enjoy translating all that geek-speak into plain English to help anyone with a modicum of interest understand what they need to know to get the most out of their home-theater experience.

In my new position, I'll be the captain of this ship, and I've got big plans. Of course, you'll continue to find the comprehensive A/V product reviews you've come to expect from the likes of Tom Norton and other highly qualified reviewers. We'll also maintain our extensive coverage of the major trade shows and other interesting industry events.

In the "what's new" department, we're planning to revamp our buyer's guides to be more streamlined and efficient so you can easily find the products we think represent the best that consumer electronics has to offer at any budget. Also, look for more feature articles that explain various fundamental concepts, sort of like an evolving, growing home-theater textbook without the dry, boring language you probably learned to hate in school.

And let's not forget the blogs...speaking of which, I'm thinking about using mine not for pontificating (tempting as that may be), but rather for answering your questions. We're still working on the specifics of this idea, so keep an eye out for your chance to get some straight answers to your burning home-theater queries.

Finally, I'd like to invite you to tune into The Tech Guy radio program, hosted by Leo Laporte. This nationally syndicated, consumer-technology call-in talk show airs live every Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM Pacific time. Why am I shilling for Leo, you ask? Because I'm his "home-theater guy," with a 10-minute segment every Saturday right after the 11:30 news and an occasional hour-long stint answering listener questions.

The program might air at different times in your neck of the woods, so check out Leo's website for more info on when different stations broadcast the show. You can also get podcasts from his site and stream the show from sites such as KFI AM 640, the L.A. station that carries it live.

Home theater truly is the show that never ends, with ever-changing technology and exciting developments that keep all of us coming back for more. I hope you'll keep coming back to UAV for all your home-theater info, and I encourage you to let me know what you'd like to see on the site in terms of content and presentation. My primary goal is to deliver the information you really want in a manner that makes it easy to find, and with your help, I look forward to doing just that.