Audio Video News

Die-hard fans of the sci-fi film <I>The Matrix</I> will soon have a purchasing decision to make: Is Warner Home Video's latest <I>Matrix</I>-related DVD project a welcome new morsel of valuable information or the latest example of the movie industry's ongoing attempts to milk customers for all they're worth?

Only four years after its official introduction, the Digital Versatile Disc has made its way into one of every three American homes, according to a study released in early October by the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org">Consumer Electronics Association</A> (CEA). The market's remarkably rapid acceptance of the technology has cemented DVD's position as the "fastest selling consumer electronics product of all time." The amazing number of players in consumers' hands is attributable to DVD's vastly better picture and sound, compared to videotape, and to extremely attractive prices. Basic players can now be found almost everywhere for well under $200.

<I>Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach, Thelma Ritter. Directed by John Huston. Aspect ratio: 1.66:1. Dolby Digital mono. 125 minutes. 1961. MGM Home Entertainment 1002063. NR. $19.95.</I>

If you've ever installed a stack of A/V equipment in an armoire or cabinet with a sealed back, you know the meaning of "pain-in-the-neck." Struggling with a hand mirror and a flashlight to hook up cables in a cramped compartment can make you wish you'd never heard of home theater.

Absent from the market for more than half a year, Aragon audio products have come back with a bang. Indianapolis-based <A HREF="http://www.klipsch.com">Klipsch Audio Technologies</A>, one of the oldest and most respected names in American audio, <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/shownews.cgi?966">acquired</A> Mondial Designs, maker of both the Aragon and Acurus brands, in a friendly buyout early this year.

If they build it will you want it? That's the DTV question of the month for <A HREF="http://www.zenith.com">Zenith Electronics</A> and <A HREF="http://www.TriveniDigital.com">Triveni Digital</A>, who are partnering with the <A HREF="http://www.PBS.org">Public Broadcasting Service</A> (PBS) to provide technical support for a new interactive television series, <I>Life 360</I>, which had its debut last week.

Philips Consumer Electronics has announced plans to offer a special edition DVD of DreamWorks' animated hit film Shrek free with the purchase of a select group of DVD-Video players and other products during the winter holiday season.