New Products

Sony The superconvergent Sony Dynamo Vaio MX personal computer wears many hats - it's a PC, a TV, a radio, and both a player and a recorder for DVDs, CDs, and MiniDiscs. At its heart is a 1.7-GHz Pentium 4 processor with 512 megabytes of RAM and an 80-gigabyte hard drive, but it also has built-in NTSC and FM tuners, a CD/DVD-R drive, and a slot for a Sony Memory Stick. With Internet access you can preset TV recording up to two weeks in advance, and the hard drive can store up to 90 hours of video, easily burned later to DVD. Pick your connectors: two IEEE 1394 (FireWire or i.Link), one Ethernet, one serial, one parallel, and two USB ports; an S-video input and output; an optical digital audio input and output; and a PC card slot. Price: $2,800. www.sonystyle.com, 800-222-7669

Samsung Go digital, go widescreen, go flat - go for it all with Samsung's 30-inch DynaFlat TSL-3099WHF HDTV monitor. Connected to an HDTV tuner, the direct-view set displays high-def broadcasts in the 1080i format on its flat 16:9 screen. An advanced shadow mask is said to improve electron-beam precision and thus picture clarity. The set is trimmer than comparable direct-view sets, measuring 357/8 x 227/8 x 18 inches and weighing in at 155 pounds. A dual-tuner picture-in-picture function can display either two channels side by side or one inset within the other. There are two wideband component-video inputs for HDTV signals as well as four composite- and two S-video inputs. A universal remote control is supplied. Price: $2,799. www.samsungusa.com, 800-726-7864

Standesign If you can't install a rear-access door in your home theater component rack, Standesign's BCM retractable component rack seems like the next best thing. The rack neatly tucks inside a wall, sliding up to 50 inches out on a removable gantry when you need to add a component or make adjustments. Its cable-management system will keep your wires from getting tangled when you slide everything back in. You can add as many modular shelves as you need to hold your gear, spaced 8, 10, or 12 inches apart. Prices: rack, $599; gantry, $249; shelves, $99 each. www.standesign.com, 612-706-9250

Terk Ready to launch yourself into satellite radio? Besides a compatible car tuner, you'll need a special car antenna like Terk's TRK-SR1 (shown) or TRK-SR2, both of which receive XM Satellite Radio (but not its competitor, Sirius). The glass-mounted SR1 attaches to a side window with a strong adhesive and feeds signals through the glass, so no modification to your vehicle is required. You can fold down the 10-inch rod when there's low headroom, and a sleeve protects it in the car wash. The stealthier SR2 can be mounted on the roof or trunk; it's about the size of a computer mouse. Mounting hardware, cables, and connectors are supplied for both models. Prices: SR1, $100; SR2, $80. www.terk.com, 631-543-1900

MB Quart The on-wall speaker line from MB Quart starts with the 13 x 7 x 6-inch QL A80 Balcony DS shown here, which when mounted on a side wall has a forward-firing 5 1/4-inch woofer and two angled 1/2-inch titanium tweeters. One tweeter is coaxially mounted with the woofer for precise imaging, the other fires toward the rear to create a more diffuse soundfield. Flip a switch, and one tweeter is turned off for rear-wall mounting. The QL A50 Balcony Classic, with a 4-inch woofer, looks similar. Designed for corners and shaped like a one-eighth sphere, the magnetically shielded QL A46 Octa has a 3/4-inch tweeter and a 5 1/4-inch woofer. Each speaker comes with its own durable mounting gear. Prices per pair: A80, $499; A50 $399; A46, $249. www.mbquart.com, 800-962-7757