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Other Tech
Zvox Model 315 Sound Console
Rich Warren  |  Oct 13, 2004

What can you get from a single box not much larger than a DVD player with three small drivers firing forward and a woofer port firing rearward? If the box is the Zvox 315 Sound Console, you get more sound than you might think - full, wide stereo and a surprising amount of surround sound.

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Samsung HL-P5063W 50-inch DLP Rear-Projection HDTV
Al Griffin  |  Oct 13, 2004

Once high-priced curiosities, TVs based on newer technologies like LCD and Texas Instruments' DLP (Digital Light Processing) now provide a reasonably affordable alternative to the tube sets we've been watching for decades.

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Other Tech
HP Media Center PC with Personal Media Drive
Michael Antonoff  |  Oct 13, 2004

Media Center PCs are designed to replace a stack of A/V components, letting you watch live or recorded TV shows, play or burn DVDs, download movies and music, and play home videos and photo slideshows. Available in various hardware configurations from several computer manufacturers, these remote-controllable systems share the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 operating system.

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Audio Video News
Coming Attractions
HT Staff  |  Oct 11, 2004
Panasonic
Panasonic has recognized their customers' desire for high-quality performance with easy setup, and the result is their new home theater receiver, the SA-XR70 ($400). This fully digital receiver features HDMI connectivity, which simplifies the connection to other sources and allows for high-quality playback. It supports high-definition images up to 1080p and the DVD-Audio multichannel audio format. The SA-XR70 has built-in decoders for DTS, DTS ES, Dolby EX, and Dolby Pro Logic IIx. Connections include optical inputs and outputs, component video, and S-video.
Panasonic
(800) 211-7262
www.panasonic.com
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Audio Video News
Latest Software Reviews
HT Staff  |  Oct 11, 2004
DVD: Raising Helen—Buena Vista
Video: 3
Audio: 3
Extras: 2
In the breezy comedy Raising Helen, Kate Hudson's fast track to agenting in the modeling business gets sidetracked when her sister's three kids move in with her after a fatal accident kills their mom. With the exception of a couple of surprisingly touching moments and the mega-talents of Joan Cusack, no feathers are ruffled too much, leading to the predictable conclusion with lots of smiles and hugs.
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Audio Video News
"DarkChip" DLP Projectors
Ultimate AV Staff  |  Oct 11, 2004

Texas Instruments continues to push the envelope of projector technology, and high-end manufacturers continue to adopt TI devices into ever-better projectors. TI's latest Digital Light Processing (DLP) devices are known as "DarkChips" for their improved contrast, a result of narrower gaps between mirror elements, smaller mirror hinges, higher reflectivity, and in a seeming paradox, better light absorption thanks to a new coating. DarkChips are said to offer better color uniformity and much lower dithering effects than their predecessors.

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Audio Video News
"DTV: Get It!"
Barry Willis  |  Oct 11, 2004

Better late than never. Years after mandating a changeover from analog to digital television broadcasting, the Federal Communications Commission (<A HREF="http://www.fcc.gov">FCC</A>) has launched a campaign to inform consumers about the benefits of the new format.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Without a Trace: The Complete First Season On DVD
Corrina Y. Jones  |  Oct 11, 2004
Anthony La Paglia, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Enrique Murciano, Poppy Montgomery, Eric Close. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). Dolby Digital 2.0 (English), Four discs. 992 minutes. 2003. Warner Bros. Home Video 33703. NR. $59.98.
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The Custom Installer: Punk'd
John Sciacca  |  Oct 08, 2004

After returning from our honeymoon, my parents took my wife and me to dinner at one of San Francisco's swanky restaurants. To commemorate the event, I brought a prized bottle of wine - a 1982 Sterling Private Reserve cabernet. Instead of being offended that I had my own bottle, the sommelier asked if he might have a taste. But the restaurant still added a $20 corkage fee to our bill.

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Audio Video News
The 3 D's of T3
Chris Chiarella  |  Oct 08, 2004
The latest videogame based specifically on the most recent Arnold Schwarzenegger (who apparently recorded only a portion of his in-game dialogue) action sequel, Terminator 3: Redemption, is the first I've ever seen (and heard) to offer such a distinct hierarchy of audio formats across each of the three major consoles. (I'm a Home Theater guy, sadly this is one of the first details I look for on the package.)
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