LATEST ADDITIONS

October 7, 2002 - <A HREF="http://www.runco.com"> Runco International</A> has recently acquired the assets of Vidikron and Projectavision. Both brands had hit the skids due to serious marketing and management difficulties, and both will be revived as independent brand names under the Runco umbrella, according to a September 27 announcement.

<A HREF="http://www.sim2USA.com">SIM2 USA</A>, a division of SIM2 Multimedia S.p.A., has become the first manufacturer to launch a projector and monitors using Texas Instruments' new HD2 Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) chipset. The company's new projector is the HT300 Plus, the latest addition to the renowned line of Grand Cinema DLP projectors. Also new are two models in its Grand Cinema RTX line.

<I>Voices of John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, Jennifer Tilly. Directed by Peter Doctor, David Silverman. Aspect ratios: 1.85:1, 4:3. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX, DD Surround 5.1 sound-effects-only track, THX-certified. 94 minutes. 2001. Buena Vista Home Entertainment 93968. G. $29.99.</I>

How many people have purchased high-performance sports cars only to drive them in bumper-to-bumper traffic? Sure, they might attract attention, but they certainly aren't taking advantage of the car's performance benefits. The world of home theater isn't all that different. Your listening environment can noticeably affect your system's performance, for better or for worse. Changing that environment may cost nothing, or it may cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Then again, we review plenty of subwoofers and amplifiers that cost thousands of dollars. Perhaps spending a little on room acoustics may not be such a bad idea.