Despite all the huffing and puffing over copy protection, making your own audio and video recordings is easier than ever. And for audio in particular, recording quality is also better than ever. The tough part is sorting through all the alternatives - a task we'll strive to simplify here.
Last week, <A HREF="http://www.vdcdisplaysystems.com">Video Display Corporation</A> (VDC) and <A HREF="http://www.christiedigital.com">Christie Digital Systems</A> jointly announced that the companies had reached an agreement in principle for VDC to acquire the Marquee line of CRT projectors from Christie (formerly Electrohome Projection Systems). The companies report that the agreement specifies that all manufacture, sales, service, inventory and other assets and operations of the CRT line of projectors will be transferred to VDC Display Systems of Cape Canaveral, FL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of VDC.
Die-hard fans of the sci-fi film <I>The Matrix</I> will soon have a purchasing decision to make: Is Warner Home Video's latest <I>Matrix</I>-related DVD project a welcome new morsel of valuable information or the latest example of the movie industry's ongoing attempts to milk customers for all they're worth?
With the market penetration of DVD players now at 33% and growing, the film industry is ramping up production to release an unprecedented number of new titles, as well as plenty of old favorites in the new format.
Only four years after its official introduction, the Digital Versatile Disc has made its way into one of every three American homes, according to a study released in early October by the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org">Consumer Electronics Association</A> (CEA). The market's remarkably rapid acceptance of the technology has cemented DVD's position as the "fastest selling consumer electronics product of all time." The amazing number of players in consumers' hands is attributable to DVD's vastly better picture and sound, compared to videotape, and to extremely attractive prices. Basic players can now be found almost everywhere for well under $200.
The current tendency for consumers to stay home rather than travel may bode well for electronics manufacturers and retailers this coming holiday season, according to a survey conducted by the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org">Consumer Electronics Association</A>.
<I>Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach, Thelma Ritter. Directed by John Huston. Aspect ratio: 1.66:1. Dolby Digital mono. 125 minutes. 1961. MGM Home Entertainment 1002063. NR. $19.95.</I>
For years, the only game in town for those wanting a home-theater video projector was the cathode-ray tube, or CRT. Many buyers are put off by the bulky size, setup sensitivity, need for constant tweaking, and limited brightness of these devices, but there's no denying that, when combined with a screen of sensible size for the typical living room, a CRT provided overall home-theater performance second to none.
Acoustic Research, one of the most well known names in American audio, is also a major player in the home theater arena. The Lake Mary, Fl-based speaker manufacturer has recently introduced the HC6 system, a six-piece surround array in glossy piano black, with a suggested price below $800.
If you've ever installed a stack of A/V equipment in an armoire or cabinet with a sealed back, you know the meaning of "pain-in-the-neck." Struggling with a hand mirror and a flashlight to hook up cables in a cramped compartment can make you wish you'd never heard of home theater.