LATEST ADDITIONS

<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.

In the home theater display realm, "some day" has finally arrived. As you've read in past issues of Home Theater, the world of technology is advancing, and we're all the better for it. We now reap the benefits of the microchip's evolution. Several audio DSP chips offer improved sound processing, and advanced video-processing chips have helped display technology take large steps forward.

When a video product is arguably the best of its kind, it's hard to find the right words to describe it without blubbering. "The Next Best Thing to Being There" sounds vaguely familiar. "The Real Thing" might perk up your thirst, but doesn't quite gel. And "Must See TV" is only two-thirds right. With the Reference Imaging CinePro 9x Elite CRT projector and Teranex HDX Cinema MX video processor, we're definitely not in TV-land anymore.