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Geoffrey Morrison Blog
The Toshiba HD-XA1
Geoffrey Morrison  |  May 26, 2006
As promised, here’s Gary’s review of the Toshiba HD-XA1. For those that want a little more depth, we’ll be running a longer version of the review and more in the August issue.
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Other Source Component Reviews
Toshiba HD-XA1
Gary Merson  |  May 26, 2006
HD DVD has (finally) arrived.

A new prerecorded video format is big news. It doesn’t come along every day. It’s been nine years since DVD was release, and it was 19 before that since LaserDisc. Enter HD DVD. Its higher transfer rate (35.5 mbps versus broadcast’s 19.4 mbps maximum) and advanced codecs (VC-1 and H.264) create a potential for audio and video quality to far exceeds broadcast HD, as well as containing a host of new features and capabilities. The first two models are the HD-A1 ($499) and HD-XA1 ($799). Both have the same performance; the step-up HD-XA model adds a better enclosure, a motorized door, RS-232, and a backlit remote.

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Tower Speaker Reviews
Focal Profile Speaker System: Short Take
Ultimate AV Staff  |  May 26, 2006

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Tower Speaker Reviews
Vandersteen Model 5A Speaker System: Short Take
 |  May 26, 2006

<B>Price</B>: $22,434 as configured in SCB's reference system.

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AV Receiver Reviews
The Marantz SR9600 THX Ultra 2 AV Surround Receiver
Michael Fremer  |  May 26, 2006

DVD players have become so "commoditized" that it's typical today for players to sell for less than $100. And you know what? Some of these inexpensive players feature progressive scan output and perform quite well overall. I saw one such player advertised in my local paper today selling for $18! It wasn't too long ago that de-interlacing meant adding a $10,000 Faroudja scaler to an already expensive DVD player.

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Ears On
soundmatters FULLstageHD
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 26, 2006
The explosion of flat-panel and microdisplays has multiplied the number of manufacturers and products on the market. Unfortunately this happy profusion leaves a performance gap on the audio side. My Sharp AQUOS LCD HDTV has excellent speakers—by TV-speaker standards—but I don't depend on them for movies. And the sound on a typical no-name LCD set is simply wretched for any content, even sitcoms. So what do you do when you've uncrated your new display only to discover that the other half of the home theater equation is a shaping up to be a big zero?
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Tower Speaker Reviews
Vandersteen Model 3A Signature System: Short Take
 |  May 25, 2006

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/506vander3a.1.jpg" ALT="506vander3a.1.jpg" WIDTH=220 HEIGHT=281 HSPACE=4 VSPACE=4 ALIGN=RIGHT><B>Price</B>: $11,673 as configured in SCB's former reference system.

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The S&V Interview
HT Talks To... Doug Liman
Chris Chiarella  |  May 25, 2006
Straight Shooter Director Doug Liman hits the mark every time.

In less than a decade, Doug Liman has established himself as one of Hollywood's most versatile—and successful—directors. He has nimbly moved from comedy to thriller to a unique hybrid of the two in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, soon to be re-released in a new, unrated DVD edition from Fox Home Entertainment. Here he talks about the challenges of making quality movies in a demanding business.

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AV GlossaryOther Tech
HD DVD Versus Blu-ray
Gary Merson  |  May 25, 2006
What's the difference?

The next generation of prerecorded video content is here. The new machines use a blue-violet laser to read discs with far more storage capacity than current standard-definition DVD, and they can play high-definition content in full 1,920-by-1,080 resolution. The big attraction is the promise of the best picture quality you have ever seen on a display. The prerecorded, high-definition content offers pristine, near-perfect images with fewer artifacts (noise and blocking) than is possible today with broadcast or D-VHS content.

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Geoffrey Morrison Blog
The Death and Life of CRT
Geoffrey Morrison  |  May 25, 2006
We love it, but it's time to go.

Don't get me wrong—I love CRT displays. They still offer the best picture quality across the board, and I can't imagine having anything else for my computer monitor. That said, the technology isn't long for this world. Fewer and fewer companies are coming out with new models as consumers spend their money on big screens and flat panels. So, when contributor John Higgins mentioned that his TV had died, I knew what had to be done. I needed to give it a fiery send-off. I needed to destroy it.

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