Hardly a month goes by when we don't receive a reader letter or e-mail taking us to task for discussing the "2:3 pulldown" functions of DVD players instead of the more commonly found "3:2 pulldown." Let me immediately put the confused at ease by saying that both terms refer to the same thing.
Marantz
With Marantz's new display, you can enjoy plasma technology without breaking the bank to do so. According to the company, the $6,000, 42-inch PD4220V widescreen monitor boasts high brightness and outstanding color accuracy and contrast. The monitor features an 853-by-480 resolution, 4:3 and 16:9 formats, and a DVI input. It's compatible with computer images up to UXGA resolution, and it automatically scales (up or down) video sources as necessary. An RS-232C serial port is also included.
Marantz
(630) 741-0300 www.marantz.com
DVD: Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series—Shout! Factory
Video: 4
Audio: 3
Extras: 4
This series about high school misfits barely completed a semester during its original run, but it gained a devoted following. The six-disc, 18-episode series includes five installments that never aired on NBC, and they're a real find for fans that can't get enough of early '80s nostalgia.
Fred Manteghian writes up the <A HREF="/surroundsoundpreampprocessors/304aragon">Aragon Stage One preamplifier-processor and 3005 5-channel amplifer</A> after wiring both into his main system. "Their combined price of $7500 is definitely beyond the high-end receiver market, but these components are designed for maximum multichannel and stereo enjoyment," writes FM.
Low-cost TVs: Free trade may be good for American consumers, but it isn't always good for American workers. So concluded a US trade panel investigating charges that Chinese manufacturers have been "dumping" low-cost television sets on the US market over the past three years. On May 14, the US International Trade Commission voted unanimously to impose duties averaging 23% on imports of Chinese-made color televisions (CTVs), an action that could force up retail prices. Acting on a petition brought by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the Industrial Division of the Communication Workers of America (IUE-CWA), and Five Rivers Electronic Innovations, LLC, a TV manufacturer in Greeneville, Tennessee, the Commission found that between 2001 and 2003, total CTV imports from China rose 3000%, from 56,000 units to 1.8 million units. Imports of consumer goods reached an all-time high of $31.3 billion in March 2004, according to Five Rivers president Tom Hopson.
Most movie fans agree that earthshaking bass is an essential part of the home theater experience. They also agree that the presence of one or more high-powered subwoofers required to create it can cause severe fluctuations in domestic tranquility.
The Stage One is Aragon's second-generation surround processor, replacing and retiring the original Stage. The Stage One combines a strikingly machined front panel with the latest thinking in surround processing, including no processing at all for us vinyl buffs. And in a concession to those who think there might still be something on the public airwaves worth listening to in this ClearChannel world, the Stage One also throws in an AM/FM tuner. Visually, the robust 5-channel Aragon 3005 and 2-channel 3002 amps share the Mondial-inspired "M" design with the Stage One.