Scott Wilkinson

Driving to Vegas, I always stop in Baker, California, gateway to Death Valley and home of the world's tallest thermometer—134 feet, representing the highest recorded temperature in the US of 134 degrees in 1913. In this night shot, the thermometer is reflected in the 2009 Lincoln MKS that THX loaned me for the trip to check out the THX-certified sound system therein. Unlike past systems, this one can play multichannel DVD-Audio and even DVD video on the in-dash screen (as long as the car parked). Just like past systems, however, this one is quite boomy in the bass, and the only EQ controls are bass and treble. I got it sounding pretty good, especially on Donald Fagen's <I>Nightfly</I> DVD-A, though road noise—even in a car as quiet as this—can wreak havoc on something with a wide dynamic range like Stravinsky's <I>Firebird</I>.

The Consumer Electronics Show may not start until Thursday (Wednesday for us press folks), but LG has decided to get a head start on product announcements. In a move clearly designed to complement its Netflix-streaming <A href="http://www.ultimateavmag.com/hddiscplayers/lg_bd300_network_blu-ray_play... Blu-ray player</A>, LG announced today a new line of LCD and plasma TVs with broadband connections and embedded software that will allow them to display streaming Netflix content directly. Currently, there are 12,000 titles to choose from, 300 in high definition&#151;clearly an underwhelming number, but one that is certainly going to increase as quickly as Netflix can encode them.

As we bid a fond farewell to 2008&#151;"fond" in the sense that many are glad to see it depart&#151;it's only natural to take a look back at the year gone by and try to sneak a peek at the year to come. In the realm of home theater, there's a lot to ponder...

Many companies have gotten into the LCD TV game over the last few years, hoping to capitalize on the high demand for flat panels. But most are newcomers compared to Sharp, which was among the first to offer LCD TVs in Japan way back in 1988. Since then, Sharp has remained ahead of the curve in terms of manufacturing and environmental concerns, investing billions of dollars in new plants and processes.