Audio Video News

So, you bought that fancy-schmancy ulta-flat panel TV. Thing sits practically flush on the wall.  Well, it would if you didn't have a big, bulky HDMI cable. Panasonic hit the world with an HDMI to fit flush, and now Centronics is...

The official opening day of CES brings more announcements - and more gawking attendees to fight your way through. Geoffrey Morrison, Home Theater Magazine's Video Editor, more than once voiced his desire for a cattle prod. Fortunately for everyone concerned, none of the exhibitors were displaying cattle prods although a quick trip through the Las Vegas Convention Center aisles will take you past vendors showing everything from telescopes to hand-held electronic Bible navigators to flying discs with LED lights inside. It's such a shame all we get to cover is home theater gear...

Home theater isn't a huge draw at Alexis Park, home of Specialty Audio exhibits, but some manufacturers have video and surround-sound demos going here. Martin-Logan had one of the best-sounding multichannel rooms we have visited so far, with a "Theater" center channel beneath a Runco PL-50C plasma display, a pair of "Ascents" front left and right, a pair of "Scripts" for the side/rears, a "Cinema" in center rear, and a prototype subwoofer handling low bass duties.

Early predictions for 2001: prices will decline, and products will improve. That's the upbeat message delivered at pre-show press conferences held consecutively on January 5 by frequent partners <A HREF="http://www.philips.com/">Philips Electronics</A> and <A HREF="http://www.sony.com/">Sony Corporation</A>.

Want to get excellent 5.1 sound in your room with minimal visual impact? Magnepan plans to offer an option that will motorize its MGMC1 planar speakers so they can fold back against a wall. Because the speakers sound best at around a 30 degree angle from the wall, some folks may want to push them flat when not in use. The motorized option is currently in prototype and should be ready later this year. Expect a true ribbon version of the MGCM1 sometime in 2005.

For me (and, I'm sure, for many others), CES 2005 marked the year that 1080p took off. I'm not talking about 1080p broadcasts or pre-recorded content; it will be a few more years before we see that, and even when we do, it will likely be 1080p/24, not 1080p/60. But 1920x1080 fixed-pixel displays&mdash;plasma, LCD (panels and projectors), DLP, and LCoS&mdash;were suddenly <I>everywhere</I>, unlike last year, when they were as rare as than hens' teeth.