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Inside
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Theater
www.hometheatermag.com • May 2006
THEATER
SHOPPING
TIPS
>The Key
Things You
Need to Know
The
Westinghouse
1080p HDTV
Budget Surprise
>
The End
of CRT
0 70992 34953 1
www.hometheatermag.com
US $4.99 Canada $6.99
Also available in black finish.
PREVIEW May 2006 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 5
46
features columns
SHOPPING MADE EASY GearWorks: The Death and
by Gary Altunian Life of CRT by Geoffrey Morrison
30
KLIPSCH Hook Me Up: HD DVD Versus Blu-ray
by Steve Guttenberg by Gary Merson
35
46
56 Celebrating 60 years of inno-
vative engineering.
What’s the difference?
42
interior designers and A/V integrators.
Log on to
Curtain Call by Michael J. Nelson www.hometheatermag.com
Check out our new Website! We have a whole new
www.hometheatermag.com. It’s got a new look and
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122 The Channel-Seven Report and sign up to receive
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56 gear reviews, video-game reviews, blogs, tons
of DVD reviews (old and new), and more. 4 Home Theater / May 2006 > www.hometheatermag.com
minute reporting of
everything that’s hot in
the world of home theater.
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PREVIEW from the test bench p. 65
departments
Prologue by Maureen C. Jenson
18 Letters
14 The magic of scaling, and your ques-
tions on HDTV resolution put to rest
once and for all.
Premium Programming
91 104
18 Your source for the highest-quality
digital programming to check out
this month. SPOTLIGHT SYSTEM
20 AV Newswire by Mark Fleischmann 66 Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby Grand Speaker System,
REL R-305 Subwoofer, and Optoma HD72 DLP Projector >
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
20 From the news desk… the Sonos multi-
zone system, and more good stuff on
HIGH PERFORMANCE
HD DVD and Blu-ray.
Premiere Design
78 Mirage Omnisat v2 Speaker System >
Sometimes it’s better to be indirect.
Log on to
ON THE COVER www.hometheatermag.com
Buckle up; this might get
exciting. Gear from Mirage,
for more info about our
Revel, and Westinghouse. ratings system,
Screen image courtesy measurements, and
of Everett Collecttion. other cool stuff.
Photography by Cordero
Studios.
ex tr ao rd in ar y
integ rated
systems.
www.
nhth
ifi.
com
Inc.
NHT,
©2006
Join our many
happy customers like
Geri B. from Huntersville, NC:
"Bravo! You are truly a gem!
> prologue BY
Your customer service is MAUREEN C. JENSON
just fantastic."
Now g!
or call 1•866•684•3843
Deliver
Show
in Berkline Seats Cinema Seats
on a Promise
HT goes behind the scenes at a 60-year-old
American institution.
Choose from our wide selection of
Berkline seats and commercial quality I think I’ll start to emulate the late, legendary loud- HEY READERS,
Cinema Style seats. Call us for excellent speaker designer Paul Klipsch. You see, Mr. Klipsch
prices on our Berkline seats. Cinema Style It’s that time of year again:
seats start at $329.99 with Free Shipping. took to wearing a button behind his lapel that had the time to make those travel
word “Bull*&it” printed on it. arrangements and join us at the
When he heard outlandish claims about the perfor- Home Entertainment Show
Feature Marquee
mance of a competitor’s loudspeaker that supposedly in Los Angeles from June 1
had achieved sonic breakthroughs, he would flip his through June 4. More than
lapel and let his button do the talking. 250 manufacturers will be in
There have been countless times when I—and pre- 80 demo rooms, and they can-
sumably most of us—could have put Mr. Klipsch’s not wait to show you the latest
button to good use. In my case, I would use it every systems and technologies. In
9
$59.9 time I heard someone in the A/V biz come up with the addition, there are loads of free
concerts and seminars and a
This is by far the coolest accesso- newest and latest product that is going to revolutionize
ry for your theater! Our affordable marquee system comes with 96 ton of intelligent fun. Log onto
letters to announce your next feature or event. Add the Deluxe the world of home entertainment. It is amazing the
www.homeentertainment-
Packs for even more authenticity. number of e-mails we get about new stuff that never sees expo.com for more details.
the light of day. I suppose this is one of the facets that
Poster Cases and Custom Theater Prints makes our work at Home Theater magazine so interesting—separating the wheat from the chaff.
And Klipsch has always been one of those companies that delivers on a promise. I’ve had
g g
startin startin a pair of Klipsch Tractrix Horn speakers in my dining room for longer than I care to remem-
at at
99 0
$389. $69.0
ber, so, as a fan, I was intrigued when contributor
Steve Guttenberg asked if he could take a factory tour
Dear Readers,
at Klipsch and write a feature on his findings. Steve’s The Audio Video Interiors section within
foray begins Home Theater magazine is a huge suc-
on page 56. cess. Thanks to those of you who have
Log on to: www.hometheatermag. taken the time to e-mail with your com-
Our new line of Illuminated Poster Cases Put your name in lights! Put In keeping ments. Please continue to send us infor-
feature no-tool, quick-change Snap-Lock your custom message on sign com to sign up for our four free
frames, extruded aluminum construction, and marquee.Four sizes avail- w i t h o u r mation on your own home theaters,
monthly eNewsletters. You’ll get regardless of whether you designed and
and convenient, low-profile rocker switches. able, framed and unframed. n o - bull*&it
exclusive tips, trends, news, and constructed them yourself. We love to
reviews from your favorite HT writers. approach, con- see what you’ve accomplished, and, if
LED Theater Signs Theater Blanket tributor Gary appropriate, we will publish your endeav-
NEW! Our new,stunning ors in the magazine or on the audio-
LED Theater Signs Altunian takes you through the home theater shop- videointeriors.com Website. On a very
replicate the look of
neon and come in Blue, ping experience starting on page 46. So, when you related note, we are gearing up to run
Red, Green and White. head to the store, you will be properly armed with your problem home theaters, as well, and
Three sizes available— publish them complete with our expert
12, 18 and 24 inches. what you need to know. And, as always, this issue is solutions for your particular room or sys-
Various designs to packed with our honest opinions of the gear we review. tem issues. Send pictures, diagrams if
mount on wall or
ceiling.
NEW! Just in time for the Fall and Sit back, relax, have a good read, and decide what possible, and a brief outline of what is
Winter, our 100% cotton Deluxe Home wrong to HTLetters@primedia.com, or
Theater Blanket is available in next to buy while I browse online for someone who send snail mail to Editor, Home Theater
Burgundy, Hunter Green, or Dark Blue.
sells buttons with expletives. magazine, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los
Don’t forget about our: Angeles, CA 90048. Let us help turn your
• Popcorn Machines & Supplies Most orders theater into a reality.
CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTIONS:
dy ship within
• Edge-Light DVD Marquees Spee ing 24 hours! hometheater@palmcoastd.com > Or write to: P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast,
p
Ship
• Clapboard Photo Frames FL 32142-0235Please include your full name, address, and phone number on any inquiries.
• Gift Certificates
www.stargatecinema.com 8 Home Theater / May 2006 > www.hometheatermag.com
from the staff
TOSHIBAHDDVD.COM
Of course I’d only shoved him off the couch and onto the floor, but the moment felt real. Really real. That’s when it hit me: the lifelike
clarity of a Toshiba HD DVD player not only completes the performance of your high-definition TV—it makes it so real you can feel it.
MOVIES IN TRUE HIGH-DEF > STUNNING IMAGES > ENHANCED AUDIO > PLAYS STANDARD DVDS & CDS > UNIQUELY INTERACTIVE
Discs may require an HDMI™ or HDCP capable DVI input on your HDTV or HD monitor for high definition playback. Dolby® Digital Plus support for up to 5.1 channels, Dolby True HD support for up to 2 channels, DTS-HD support for up to 5.1 channels of DTS®
core only. Some standard discs may not be compatible. Firmware update may be required for some interactive features depending on content, which may also require an always-on broadband Internet connection. Because HDDVD is a new format, certain
disc, digital connection and other compatibility issues are possible. If you encounter compatibility problems, please contact Toshiba Customer Support. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. DTS is a registered trademark of DTS, Inc. HDDVD
is a trademark of the DVD Format/Licensing Corporation. ©2006 Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
May 2006 Volume 13/Number 5
The result?
The Concertas not only sounded like Revels, they
handily outperformed the competition as well.
A tall order indeed.
3 Oak Park Drive, Bedford, MA 01730-1413 USA | Tel: 781-280-0300 | Fax: 781-280-0490 | www.revelspeakers.com
©2005 Harman International Industries, Incorporated. “Revel” is a registered trademark of Harman International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved
LETTERS We welcome questions and comments.
You can e-mail them to htletters@
primedia.com, or mail them to: Home
Theater Letters, 6420 Wilshire Blvd,
FULL-RESOLUTION Los Angeles, CA 90048. Please note:
Be sure to check the FAQ page on our
VIDEO MEASUREMENTS HAPPINESS Website (www.hometheatermag.com)
I read your piece on HD resolution by After reading Merson’s feature in to see if we’ve already answered any
Gary Merson [March 2006 issue] with the March issue, it struck me as questions you might have. Questions
about the features and functions of a
great interest. I have a question that somewhat of an apocalypse for particular product are best directed to
neither Merson nor anyone else I’ve HDTV manufacturers. If I were the manufacturer. Questions about
read has addressed. How can a native one of the marketing VPs at any what product you should buy are best
directed to a dealer who knows all the
1,080 display accurately display a 720 major electronics group selling details of your system, your preferences,
signal? Same applies for a 786 display. “bobbing” resolution sets, I would and your personal habits. All submis-
As I see it, it’s like asking a screen with soon have a serious sit-down with sions are considered the exclusive
property of Home Theater magazine
a resolution of four to accurately por- the engineers. The article was and Primedia. Due to the volume of
tray a source with a resolution of three. well written, easy to understand, mail that we receive, we regret that we
Steve Benoff and certainly gives the unedu- cannot respond to every letter.
Los Angeles, CA cated consumer greater likeli-
hood of in-home happiness, fol- way to lower exorbitant cable
Magic! Actually, it’s called scaling, and lowing a $3,000-plus purchase. charges for HDTV is for sub-
every digital display needs to do it. So, I took a look at the chart scribers to discontinue their ser-
Even if your display is 1,280 by 720, and, since my set was not listed, vice. Sure, and if your water bill is
it is still most likely scaling the image contacted the manufacturer to too high, why not just dig a well
(due to overscan). Done right, scaling see if I could get some answers. in the back yard? Drill for oil the
will transparently change the incom- Not only could they not (or next time the gas bill goes up?
ing signal’s resolution to the native would not) tell me the type of I live in an ugly and dirty desert
resolution of the display. Done poorly, the processing chip or explain town in Southern California. It’s
this conversion to a different resolu- how their sets process HD, they not as though there are any nature
tion will come with all sorts of arti- informed me that, even if they walks nearby. Land developers
facts. There is no real measurement passed the information off to have seen to that. So the only
for this, so we discuss it in the text of engineering, it was unlikely thing of beauty I have to contem-
the review. Check out the November they would divulge such data. plate is broadcast content on my
and December 2005 GearWorks (also In a world that is already highly HDTV. But greedy communica-
available on the Web) for a more in- complex, the consumer is once tions companies are making that
depth explanation.—GM again fooled by what they think increasingly problematic.
full-resolution happiness means. The fact is, shareholders of
HDTV RESOLUTION Thanks for uncovering such a Time Warner love imperfect
As a somewhat longtime sub- simple but major aspect of HDTV- market conditions, i.e., monopo-
scriber of your wonderful maga- buying knowledge. I am now a listic conditions. That’s when
zine, I could not help but be a bit suspicious that my Panasonic share price goes up. It’s an invest-
little disappointed with the incor- TC-32LX50 LCD flat panel may ment opportunity. But consumers
rect info in this month’s maga- not be performing as it should. like us foot the bill. Cable charges
zine. I am reading the new issue The motion artifacts I am observ- for HDTV are outrageous, and it
[March 2006] as we speak. In the ing lead me to believe I am in full- isn’t just our right to complain,
article with the list of TVs that resolution unhappiness. it is our duty. Thank God, Jesus,
pass or fail the HD-resolution test, Alan Sauber John, and Mary that Verizon is
I could not help but notice that Charlotte, NC finally getting into the business.
you listed the Sony KDF55A20 Now at least there’s the possibil-
as a DLP. As a sales manager at a GO DIG A WELL ity that competitive market pres-
large retail electronics store, I I was appalled to find Richard sures will make HDTV service
have yet to see a Sony DLP. Hofrichter’s letter, titled Quit affordable to the general public.
Russ Complaining, printed in your let- One has the feeling that Home
Williamsport, PA ters column [March 2006 issue]. Theater magazine sympathizes with
According to Hofrichter, there’s Hofrichter’s position, otherwise
What a horrible mistake. Such a cat- something self-indulgent about why print his stupid letter? Home
astrophic error. Gary will be beaten. voicing your dissatisfaction with Theater magazine should be on the
It was supposed to read 3LCD.—GM the cable monopoly, and the only vanguard of the fight for reasonable
While PRIMARE have enjoyed a decade long reputation for exceptional audio performance, these latest designs yield a new standard
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LETTERS
cable rates. You have been shirk- These tests involve operating all know, 90 some odd years since the
ing your duty for too long. accessible channels continuously and beginning of television. That is why
Wm. B. Fankboner produce output ratings that are often it’s rare to see a CRT burn in any-
Indio, CA much lower than the manufacturers’ more, and the better plasmas are
claims. Many manufacturers only extremely difficult to burn in.
“Ugly and dirty desert town in state the power output with one, per- So, technically, LCDs can’t burn in.
Southern California?” You mean haps two, channels operating. This It is possible for them to exhibit “persis-
L.A.?—GM will produce much larger numbers tence,” where an image sticks on the
because the unit isn’t stressing the screen. It may look similar to burn-in,
RECEIVER WATTAGE common power supply for all chan- but it is significantly harder to cause
I was looking through this year’s nels. Some manufacturers, on the and infinitely easier to get rid of. Usu-
Home Theater Buyer’s Guide, and other hand, publish much lower ally just turning the LCD off will
a friend of mine asked me why it numbers based on the stringent FTC fix the problem. Or, and this usually
seems that some of the higher-end method with all channels operating helps for plasma burn-in, as well, a
(more pricey) models have less simultaneously. As always, the details full-white screen from a test DVD for
wattage than some of the models in the fine print of a specification a few moments also helps.—GM
that cost less? Even some of the page make for important differences
local stores are that way, too. He that are often overlooked.—MJP TV DEAL OF THE YEAR
noticed it all through the guide— I went shopping last month for
a lot of them only have 50 watts. Is LCD FLAT-PANEL BURN-IN? my third hi-def TV. I was after the
there a true power rating for this? Over the years, many authors Samsung 67-inch 1080p DLP.
We would like to know before he have expressed concern over My first stop was Magnolia Home
makes his purchase. burn-in for various types of TV Theater at Best Buy. They wanted
Joe (Via E-Mail) technologies. I am preparing to $5,500. I then went to Circuit
purchase a flat-panel LCD TV City. They were asking $3,985.
This is a complex situation, so a bit and want to make sure I do not So back to Magnolia for a price
of history is in order. Back in the two- make a mistake. I have children match, which they did. So, I just
channel days of 1974, the Federal that make a point of leaving the saved $1,500. That was just the
Trade Commission (FTC) began same screen up all day, and I have start. The next day, I received
enforcing strict standards as to how been guilty of playing my Xbox in the mail Best Buy’s coupon for
amplifier power output was to be well into the evening. the 10-percent-off sale for the
measured and promoted. To the best The January 2006 article by following weekend. I went back
of my knowledge, these standards are Mark Fleischmann covers the Sony and they gave me a credit for
still in place, but, in 2001, it was KDL-V40XBR1 LCD HDTV in another $430 due to the coupon.
decided that not all channels had to great detail. He is certainly on While I was there, I noticed a
be measured simultaneously and that point with his comments, and I promotion from Samsung starting
the details of bandwidth and har- believe the competition has a new that day that, if you buy the TV I
monic distortion no longer needed to standard to live up to in this cate- purchased, they would give you
be specified in all advertisements. gory. Within the article, he does a free DVD player worth $200. I
In our published measurements of not address burn-in tolerance. just received it. Then, to top it
reviewed gear, we still test to the spirit My specific question is, should all off, I used Best Buy’s rewards
of, if not the letter of, the 1974 FTC I be concerned with burn-in on card to buy the TV. I just received
method. These tests are brutal and, this set or with LCD technology the certificates for $150 to use
some would argue, not indicative of in general? at Best Buy. So, I did the math,
real-world program material, but they Jerald Horner and the total savings was around
provide a consistent standard by which Flower Mound, TX $2,300. I just wish everything I
to compare amplifier capabilities. purchased worked like this. By
The only types of displays that can the way, the new format on the
burn in are those that create their magazine is great.
Correction: In the Spotlight System in our
light with phosphors. This includes Dyemasters
January 2006 issue, we mistakenly listed the
CRTs, plasmas, and presumably (Via E-Mail)
price of the Aperion Audio S-12 subwoofer as SEDs, when and if we ever see them.
$59. The correct price is $599. The thing is, phosphor development Now that’s some impressive bargain
has come a long way in the, you shopping!—GM
>
May 25, 4:35 pm ET: Baltimore at Seattle
May 26, 7:05 pm ET: L.A. Dodgers at Washington
May 29, 7:05 pm ET: Milwaukee at Pittsburgh
> NASCAR Grand National Division: Discovery HD Theater
March 12, 4:00 pm ET: Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Las Vegas, Nevada > May 2, 8:00 pm ET: The Desert Speaks
March 19, 1:00 pm ET: Atlanta Motor Speedway; (series premiere)
Hampton, Georgia > May 5, 8:00 pm ET: Rides 4: Summer School
March 26, 1:30 pm ET: Bristol Motor Speedway; > May 7, 8:00 pm ET: China Rises: Party Games
Bristol, Tennessee > May 12, 8:00 pm ET: Million Dollar Auctions
> May 14, 8:00 pm ET: Wild Squadron
NBC
> Thoroughbred Horseracing ESPN/ESPN2
May 6: Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs Racetrack; Louisville, Kentucky > Major League Soccer:
May 20: The Preakness Stakes, Pimlico Race Course; Baltimore, Maryland May 6, 4:00 pm ET: Los Angeles at New England
> NHL: May 13, 4:00 pm ET: Houston at Dallas
May 6, 7, 13, and 14: Conference Semifinals May 20, 4:00 pm ET: Chicago at Houston
May 20: Conference Finals May 27, 4:00 pm ET: Colorado at Salt Lake City
> May 27–28: 67th Senior PGA Championship, Oak
Tree Golf Club; Edmond, Oklahoma INHD/INHD 2
> Various AFL games
CABLE/SATELLITE > Various MLB games
HDNet > Action Sports World Tour (series premiere)
> Various Major League Soccer games > Airtime (new episodes)
> NASCAR Grand National Division races > Rush 30th Anniversary Tour concert
> Sundays at 9:00 pm ET: HDNet Concert Series > Pink Floyd: The Wall
> Showtime
> Team America: World Police
> Wicker Park
> Three Days in September
(original documentary premiere)
> Huff (new season)
> May 6: Showtime Championship Boxing
** In addition to the special events listed above, all of the major broadcast networks and
some of the cable networks show at least a portion of their weekly programming in HD.
Check your local listings for additional HD programming on the major networks and these
HDTV channels: Cinemax HDTV, Discovery HD Theater, ESPN HD, HBO HDTV, HDNet, HDNet
Movies, INHD, INHD2, PBS HD, Showtime HD, Starz HDTV, TNT in HD, The Movie Channel
HD, and Universal HD (formerly Bravo HD+).
$BMMGPSBGSFFDPOTVMUBUJPO
announced software releases on HD DVD, Lionsgate has announced
that they will release 10 titles in the Blu-ray format. For more of the
XJUIBIPNFUIFBUFSFYQFSU
latest on the Blu-ray and HD DVD technologies, hardware, and soft-
ware, see this month’s Hook Me Up column on page 35.
PSWJTJUXXXDSVUDIGJFMEDPNINUUPTFFPVS
MBUFTUDPMMFDUJPOPGQSFNBUDIFETZTUFNT
Sonos Gets Slicker
news
AV wire> > > > >
> by MARK FLEISCHMANN,
Springtime
Audio Editor
> Projectiondesign
Projectiondesign makes projectors that range all over the map in
terms of price and, thus, performance. They debuted their $24,595 Action!
Model Three 1080 projector at CES, but also present was their more mod-
erately priced $5,995 Action! Model Two projector, pictured here. The
Action! Model Two has a native resolution of 1,280 by 720, and it uses TI’s
HD2+ DC3 DLP technology coupled with video processing that incorpo-
rates Faroudja’s DCDi chip. The projector employs the same UniBoard
video signal processing found in the company’s higher-end projectors. By
keeping all processing on a single printed circuit board, the Action! Model
Two is said to maintain signal quality and prevents electrical interference.
Projectiondesign • (800) 298-4508 • www.projectiondesign.com
> Audio-Technica
Many situations call for headphones, and there’s no reason to
use some cheapo pair. Fortunately, Audio-Technica has just released their
new Import Series line of headphones. Five of these models are designed
specifically for audiophiles, three of which are open-air headphones—
including the ATH-AD500 (pictured here)—and two of which are closed-
back models. Audio-Technica reports that each model has high-quality
sound with deep, resonating bass and crisp vocal projection. They feature
large-aperture drivers, a double air-damping system, and copper-clad
aluminum-wire voice coils. Prices range from $119 to $249.
Audio-Technica • (333) 686-0719 • www.audio-technica.com
> Onkyo
> Pioneer
Some people can be rather intimidated by the sheer number
of components needed to put a home theater together—not to men-
tion their price. Pioneer’s new $299 A/V receiver, the VSX-816-K/S,
may appeal to these folks. The receiver has the necessary bevy of
connections and more than just the basic features. It offers a claimed
100 watts per seven channels and is configurable, so you may choose
either a 5.1-channel or a 7.1-channel arrangement. The receiver offers
a large variety of programmed surround modes, and it comes ready
to work with an XM Connect & Play antenna, delivering XM radio in
the new XM HD Surround format.
Pioneer • (800) PIONEER • www.pioneerelectronics.com
> Morel
Israel-based Morel has come out with a new on-wall, flat-panel-
friendly speaker called the Vario ($999), and you can even adjust its
shape to fit flush with your display. A solid MDF cabinet minimizes dele-
terious vibrations, while two 5.25-inch woofers sandwich a soft-dome
tweeter. The woofers employ unique Morel engineering, such as the
patented double-magnet, 3-inch aluminum voice coil featured in the rear-
vented motor structure. Here, three are arranged around a display as left,
center, and right speakers. A Vario subwoofer, designed to complement
the sound and style of the on-wall speaker, is available for $999, as well.
The sub uses a 10-inch driver and a 220-watt amplifier.
Morel • (800) 464-8569 • www.morelhifi.com
> Panasonic
The existence of wires running through a room for surround
speakers can be a major deterrent to exploring surround sound. If that’s
your stance and you’re also looking for a home theater ensemble that
doesn’t require hours of research, two of Panasonic’s new home-
theater-in-a-box systems may be down your alley: the $600 SC-RT50
and the $500 SC-HT940 (seen here). You can configure each with one of
two wireless surround-speaker-receiver kits that retail for $150 and
$200. Both HDMI-enabled HTIBs can upconvert DVDs to 720p and 1080i.
You can either set the towers on their stands or wall-mount them.
Panasonic • (800) 211-7262 • www.panasonic.com
“The best technology, picture quality and service money can buy.”
Franklin Karp, Harvey Electronics in New York, NY
THE FUJITSU AVM-II DIGITAL VIDEO PROCESSOR. Our award-winning technology speaks for itself. You get a vivid
high-definition picture with noise reduction, picture text optimizer, ambient light sensor and advanced color management, available in
four screen display sizes: 42”, 50”, 55”, and 63”. After all, you deserve the best.
T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S A R E I N F I N I T E
Available only at an authorized Fujitsu retailer. To find one near you, visit plasmavision.com.
Three-year limited warranty includes parts and labor and one year on plasma display element.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
> LG Electronics
If you’re outfitting a new home theater, you might decide to
save yourself a little hassle and possibly some cash by including one of
LG’s HDTVs that come with a built-in DVR. The 50-inch 50PC1DRA plasma
(shown here) can store 15 hours of digital high-definition programming
or 66 hours of standard-definition programming. The sets incorporate
LG’s XD Engine and have HDMI inputs. Plus, they are digital cable ready,
eliminating the need for an external cable box, even for HD program-
ming. The 50PC1DRA features a black-gloss finish, and the 50PC1DR has
a black/silver-gloss finish. Both models retail for $6,100.
LG Electronics • (800) 243-0000 • www.us.lge.com
> BG
Multiroom audio is great, but certain rooms where you
spend a lot of time aren’t spatially conducive to big speakers—like
the bathroom, the laundry room, or even your walk-in closet. Enter
BG’s PD-6CS dual-channel speaker ($399). BG claims that their
Coherent Signal Summation technology sets the speaker apart from
the competition. It combines signals from stereo sources into one
signal. Other such speakers often try to accommodate stereo mate-
rial by using two closely spaced tweeters to reproduce high fre-
quencies, but this can lead to irregular dispersion. The PD-6CS uses
the same ribbon driver, Kevlar woofer, and neodymium magnet
found in other models from BG’s popular PD Series.
BG • (775) 884-1900 • www.bgcorp.com
> Qsonix
Many have speculated that the huge popularity of Apple’s iPod
is due at least in part to its simple, intuitive user interface. Qsonix brings
this same approach to hard-drive-based music servers for the home with
their Q100 Digital Music Entertainment System. It consists of a console to
transfer and store your CDs and a 15-inch LCD touchscreen. The touch-
screen sports the graphic user interface, which lets you use your fingers
to manage your entire music collection. The Q100 offers three compres-
sion ratios: lossless compression, high quality (320 kilobits per second),
and normal quality (192 kbps). The 400-gigabyte version retails for
$5,495 and can store up to 7,500 CDs’ worth of songs.
Qsonix • (877) 4-QSONIX • www.qsonix.com
> Wireworld
Power cords are an often overlooked member of A/V systems that
can potentially affect your system’s performance. Power cords, unlike signal
wires, should ideally pass only line frequencies from 50 hertz to 60 Hz and
attenuate the other frequencies, thus preventing power-line noise and har-
monics from contaminating the signals. Wireworld’s new 52 series of power
cords answers this call. They have a unique flat shape with conductors that
are formed in a spiral-coil arrangement to increase inductance and there-
fore decrease spurious high-frequency transmission. Prices range wildly
from $100 for the Stratus cord (seen here) to $2,000 for the Gold Electra.
Wireworld • (954) 680-3848 • www.wireworldcable.com
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The Death
and Life
of CRT
We love it, but it’s time to go.
By Geoffrey Morrison
Relics of the 20th century face off.
Don’t get me wrong—I love CRT all, I can’t surf, and it would take Figure 1 shows a top-down
displays. They still offer the best pic- far too long. And how many times view of the main circuit board and
ture quality across the board, and I do you think we would have made the back of the tube. On the upper
can’t imagine having anything else it around the block before the middle of the circuit board is the
for my computer monitor. That said, cops pulled us over? input stage, in this case just S-video
the technology isn’t long for this My next thought was to tie the and composite video. At the upper
world. Fewer and fewer companies TV between my car and Higgins’ right is the tuner (the small, verti-
are coming out with new models as and tear the set asunder. Nope, I cal metal box). The tall cylinder
consumers spend their money on big stopped this one, too. If you look on the upper left is the do-not-
screens and flat panels. So, when at our cars, you’ll see that there touch high-voltage power supply.
was a good chance the TV would Figure 2 is more interesting. This
tear them apart. is where much of the magic hap-
OK, last chance. We’ll crush it pens. This is the back of the tube,
with the cars! We lined up the cars, with the electron guns (encased in
and…hmmm, too much glass.
Well then, I’ll be boring and
just take it apart. After all, I’ve
never seen what was inside a
picture tube (a vacuum!).
Ancient Technology
You didn’t attach that to the bumper, did you? This TV was manufactured at
contributor John the end of the last century.
Higgins mentioned While it is standard def, it is
that his TV had died, still pretty indicative of what
I knew what had to CRT TVs look like now, as well
be done. I needed to as before. Twenty years ago,
give it a fiery send- there would have just been
off. I needed to more stuff inside. The circuit
destroy it. boards were bigger and more
My first thought numerous, and there were
was to tie it to the more wires and plastic bits. This
back of a car and is because companies figured
surf it down the out ways to use fewer, more
street. This, as you integrated parts (less money),
can imagine, was a while incorporating new tech-
Geoffrey don’t surf. stupid idea. After nology (more features). Figure 1: CRT guttiwuts
HD DVD
Versus Blu-ray
What’s the difference? by Gary Merson
and differences of the two formats as a disc. The first is MPEG-2, the com-
closely as I can discern. pression standard for broadcast televi-
Let’s begin with the similarities. sion. The maximum bit rate for
Each format uses 120-millimeter- broadcast is 19.39 megabits per sec-
diameter discs, the same size as ond. At this rate, the average 1080i To locate a dealer near you, visit www.bdiusa.com
standard-definition DVDs. Both for- HD broadcast is around 10 gigabytes
mats’ players will read SD DVDs in per hour. Both next-generation DVD
Era speakers.
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formats have more headroom than deinterlaces 1080i film-based content,
broadcast. HD DVD, for example, has the resulting image from either a
a transfer rate up to a maximum of 1080p/24 or 1080i output should
36.55 mbps, almost twice that of look nearly identical. (For more on
HDTV broadcast television. Blu-ray deinterlacing and HD resolutions, see
is even faster, with a bit rate on our feature in the March 2006 issue or
prerecorded discs (ROM) of up to at www.hometheatermag.com.)
54 mbps. These higher rates mean
better, cleaner images. In addition, Le Difference: Physics and
there are two other compression Capacity
methods for squeezing more into the The differences are in the details.
same space. These are called MPEG-4 While both disc formats create high-
(also known as H.264) and VC-1 (also definition images, the discs themselves
known as WM9). These two methods are slightly different. With HD DVD,
are more advanced and more robust the layer where the information is
than MPEG-2 (according to their recorded is 0.6 millimeters into the
respective proponents), requiring disc. Blu-ray’s layer is only 0.1 mm
lower transfer rates to achieve the deep. Blu-ray originally needed a pro-
highest-quality, full-resolution high- tective caddy, but new coatings make
definition pictures. An HD DVD it unnecessary. Both formats use pits
demo disc encoded in VC-1 and pro- in a reflective layer to store the digi-
vided by Toshiba has an average bit tal data. The pits are smaller in the
rate of just 12 mbps. Blu-ray format, resulting in a larger
HD DVD and Blu-ray players are storage capability per layer. A single-
capable of providing enhanced menus, layer read-only Blu-ray disc (ROM)
multiple layers, multiple Dolby
Digital and DTS audio formats, and
used for the prerecorded content has
a capacity of 25 GB. A single-layer Behind
commentary tracks with the actor or
director’s image overlaid. Both for-
mats can also connect to the Internet
HD DVD can store 15 GB. Dual-
layer discs have been announced for
both formats at 50 GB for Blu-ray and
Closed Doors
for downloads of new movie trailers, 30 GB for HD-DVD, respectively. AVION home theater furniture is more than just a pretty
bonus content, and games, although (For more information on how this face. Yes, it’s a sleek design. But it’s what you don’t
not all Blu-ray players will have works, check out GearWorks in the see that makes AVION a true original. With hidden
Internet connectivity. (All announced September 2004 issue or at integrated features like speaker and media storage
HD DVD players will.) www.hometheatermag.com.) How much compartments, an easy-access back panel, hidden
Both formats’ discs will be able to capacity does a disc need to achieve wheels, flow-through ventilation and an optional flat
hold a standard-definition version of pristine quality, added features, and
panel TV mount, AVION is ready to meet the demands
the material, as well as the HD one. A top-quality audio? That is where
of the most challenging entertainment systems.
Warner spokesperson has indicated things get interesting; both camps are
that they plan to introduce new making their own claims.
releases as dual discs (DVD + HD The Blu-ray side, led by Sony
DVD). Blu-ray has demonstrated dual Pictures, is currently advocating
discs, but no studio has yet to MPEG-2 compression as the way to
announce availability. provide the highest-quality images. A
Film-based HD content on either Sony Pictures spokesman says that all of
format will be recorded as 1080p/24, their initial releases will be encoded in
according to sources from both MPEG-2, which requires more disc
camps. At the moment, though, only capacity to encode a movie. Sony and
Blu-ray has players that will output their other owned studios do not sup-
this format natively. Reportedly, there port HD DVD and do not intend to
is no filtering in the 1080i output of release discs in the format. Sony also
To locate a dealer near you, visit www.bdiusa.com
HD DVD, and all film-based content owns a number of Blu-ray patents.
will be flagged to provide a 3:2 output The HD DVD camp will be releas-
cadence. If the display device properly ing most of their discs in either
Setting the standard for
www.hometheatermag.com > Home Theater / May 2006 37
high performance furniture.
hook me up
MPEG-4 or VC-1. According to (AACS) for their main copy-protection
Microsoft’s HD DVD program manag- system. Simply put, you will not be
er, Sage Schreiner, in a published able to make disc copies of prerecorded
interview, “On a quality 1,920-by- HD movies. In addition, both for-
1080p display, MPEG-2 will not look mats incorporate HDCP on their
as good as VC-1 (or H.264).” digital HDMI outputs. The Blu-ray
A Warner Home Video executive Association has approved a second
told me that their titles would be encryption layer called BD+. Fox
encoded with the same compression Studios mandated this second layer as
scheme for either format and at the a condition to release their content on
same maximum bit rate, so the image a high-definition disc format.
quality should be the same with the The BD+ system is a dynamic
discs they supply in both formats. encryption scheme. In other words, if
Warner has indicated that their discs some hacker compromises the security,
will all be encoded with VC-1. it can be updated. The AACS system is
A 15-GB single-layer disc can store also dynamic, but, used alone, it is
more than 4 hours’ worth of content apparently just not sufficient for Fox.
and more than 8 hours on a double- The AACS system within each pre-
layered disc using VC-1 or MPEG-4. recorded disc contains an optional flag
(called Image Constraint Token or
ICT) to control the resolution on a
player’s analog output. At each movie
studio’s discretion, if the flag is acti-
vated, each format’s players, via com-
ponent video outputs, would max
out at 960 by 540, exactly one-fourth
of the resolution. This would mean Support your
that the millions of HDTV owners
without HDMI (or DVI/HDCP)
inputs would not be able to view their
loved ones
Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD player content in full resolution. Fox, That new flat screen may as well be part of the family
So, which disc format provides the Paramount Disney, and Sony Pictures with as much time as you’ll be spending with it. Give
best image quality? Ultimately, the (and therefore MGM) all say they will it the attention it deserves by putting it on something
jury is still out until we can compare not enact the down-rez flag on their just as impressive. Like ICON from BDI. Strong steel
them side by side. But, on paper, the releases, at least for now. construction and floating glass shelves provide a sturdy
same title on either format will likely For the consumer, the extra layer and elegant home for your new arrival. And if you
look similar. of copy protection has no advantage.
want to take your baby for a spin, there’s even a model
If you own a display without a copy-
that swivels!
Output Resolution protected digital video input (DVI or
The initial HD DVD players (from HDMI), there will obviously be an
Toshiba and RCA) will have a maxi- advantage to purchasing content on
mum output of 1080i, although which the respective studios leave the
next-generation players are expect- down-rez flag off.
ed to incorporate 1080p output
(using an HDMI output). The first Cost
Blu-ray players from Samsung and There are two sets of expenses for
Pioneer will output 1080p. This is each format: the hardware and the
useful for the handful of set owners software. I’ll start with the software.
who have displays that will accept Sony Pictures has announced the
and display a 1080p signal. wholesale price of Blu-ray discs with a
cost to retailers of $17.95 for catalog
To locate a dealer near you, visit www.bdiusa.com
Copy Protection titles (meaning old releases) and
Both formats have approved the use of $23.45 for new releases. At press
Advanced Access Content System time, the only announced retail price
Setting the standard for
www.hometheatermag.com > Home Theater / May 2006 39
high performance furniture.
hook me up
is for the film Chronos (independent models, both with USB and Ethernet and dollars will eventually find support
studio). It has the same MSRP of ports for network (Internet) connec- from the hold-out studios. Disney is an
$24.98 for either HD DVD or Blu-ray tivity, for $500 (the HD-A1) and $800 excellent example. They were very
at Amazon.com. The manufacturing (the HD-XA1). late to begin producing (standard-
cost of discs, according to published The two Blu-ray models announced definition) DVDs, but they could not
repor ts, are lower for HD DVD so far are the Samsung BD-1000 ignore the sales and began to offer
because it uses existing SD DVD man- (no network connection) at $1,000 many of their titles in the format.
ufacturing equipment (with some and the Pioneer BPD-HD1 (with If HD DVD’s lower price creates
modifications). The Blu-ray camp has network connectivity) for $1,800. far greater demand than its Blu-ray
reportedly said the cost advantage of What PlayStation 3 will do to the counterpart, I would suspect that
HD DVD will disappear within a few pricing of Blu-ray players and the Disney (along with other studios)
years as production volumes ramp up. next generation of disc players as a would begin to make their respective
The hardware costs consist of royal- whole remains to be seen. catalogs available in both formats.
ties and the cost of materials and labor. Clearly, HD DVD has a current
The materials and labor should cost advantage. Time will tell how Conclusion
cost about the same, since the quickly hardware prices will decline. Based on early demonstrations of
major components, such as the HD DVD and Blu-ray, both formats
blue laser, the MPEG-2/VC-1/ Manufacturer and Studio provide the best-looking high-
MPEG-4 decoder chip, and the Support definition images ever available to
HDMI output circuitry are The Blu-ray group showed proto- consumers. As playback media, we do
essentially the same for both for- types and prospective production- not expect picture-quality differences
mats. The largest variable cost model players at CES 2006 by LG, between the two. There will be format-
appears to be in the intellectual Mitsubishi, Panasonic , Philips, based distinctions for the operation,
property (IP). The Blu-ray disc Samsung, Shar p, and Sony. The the look of graphics and special fea-
The Fifth Element on Blu-ray (BD) format uses IP owned by HD DVD promotion group displayed tures (interactivity), and, later, when
players by Toshiba, RCA (Thomson), ready, the “managed copy,” or the abil-
and LG. Studio support falls into three ity to move content around the home
categories: ones that support only or to other devices (such as a PC or
HD DVD, ones that support only hard-drive recorder, an issue for a
Blu-ray, and media companies that future discussion).
will supply discs in both formats. Boiling it down, Blu-ray offers
more storage, which will enhance its
HD DVD Only value as a game- and computer-data-
Universal, Weinstein storage media but may or may not be
of significance as a prerecorded for-
Blu-ray Only mat. Initially, the prices of players will
20th Century Fox, Lions Gate, be higher for Blu-ray when compared
HD DVD titles Disney, Sony Pictures (includes with HD DVD. Again, this difference
core members of the BD Association, Columbia TriStar, MGM), Miramax may disappear when Sony’s
plus the interactive portions known as PlayStation 3 appears with Blu-ray
BD Java (BD-J), which is owned by Sun Blu-ray and HD DVD playback. More movie studios have
Microsystems. A published report has Warner Brothers, Paramount, New said they will offer content on Blu-ray,
placed the price of the royalty package Line, HBO although (as announced) the number
at around $30 per BD player. By com- of titles available through 2006 will be
parison, the royalties for HD DVD HD DVD and Blu-ray are claiming about the same for both formats.
players have been pegged at around around 40 titles each at launch and HD DVD will get you in the game
$12 per unit. In addition, the iHD sys- around 200 to be available for each for as little as $500 at introduction
tem included in the cost of HD DVD format by year’s end. and may gain significant sales
software is owned by Microsoft momentum—and additional support
and will be included within their Current Studio Advantage: from hardware makers and studios if
new Vista operating system for PCs Blu-ray the HD DVD camp can maintain the
with HD DVD drives. However, if recent history is any indi- price differential it has against Blu-ray.
Currently, there is a huge retail- cation of studio support, the format I anticipate that things will heat up
hard-cost difference. Toshiba has two that wins consumers’ hearts, minds, very quickly, so stay tuned.
with myself. Since I was the sole producer of the film, I was
able to hire myself to direct it.
SHOOTER I IMAGINE THAT BIG-BUDGET ACTION MOVIES ARE VERY COMPLEX TO
DIRECTOR DIRECT, DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER TYPES OF MOVIES. DO YOU PER-
CEIVE MORE PRESSURE FROM THE STUDIO?
DOUG LIMAN Of course there is more pressure—more is at stake. Money
HITS THE always comes with strings. I have always said that it is easier to
MARK EVERY make a great movie when you have less money. But I also love
the challenges that come with the big studio films.
TIME.
YOU’RE A CINEMATOGRAPHER: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE LOOK OF
YOUR MOVIES ON DVD?
Very. Go and Swingers actually look better on DVD than in
the theater because I was able to do digital color timing,
which I could not afford for the film versions.
DO YOU EVER PERSONALLY SUPERVISE THE TRANSFER?
Ever? Always! Every single shot, both for color and for framing
for the nonletterboxed versions.
THE SOUND MIXES ON YOUR MOVIES TEND TO KICK BUTT, AS WELL.
I love 5.1 movie sound—the immersive experience of great
surround. My roots are actually in bad movie sound: I mixed
Swingers myself on the Avid, because we ran out of money.
We couldn’t even keep the picture and audio in sync with
each other. After Miramax bought the movie, I thought they
would go through and redo the entire soundtrack, but all
I
n less than a decade, Doug Liman has established himself they did was fix the sync.
as one of Hollywood’s most versatile—and successful—
directors. He has nimbly moved from comedy to thriller DVDS OF YOUR MOVIES ARE TYPICALLY LOADED WITH SPECIAL
to a unique hybrid of the two in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, soon to be FEATURES. AS A MODERN FILMMAKER, HOW DO YOU VIEW THE
IMPORTANCE OF DVD?
re-released in a new, unrated DVD edition from Fox Home
Entertainment. Here he talks about the challenges of making
quality movies in a demanding business.
by Chris Chiarella
NOW, I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW YOU WENT FROM SWINGERS TO GO,
AND I SEE HOW YOU PROGRESSED FROM THE BOURNE IDENTITY TO
MR. & MRS. SMITH. BUT HOW THE HECK DO YOU MAKE THE TRANSI-
TION FROM GO TO THE BOURNE IDENTITY?
I had read the novel Bourne Identity in high school and always
thought it would make a great film. After Swingers became
such a huge success, I was the flavor of the month, and every-
one in Hollywood was asking me what film I wanted to do
next. I said, “Well, there’s this book I’ve always loved…” and
people would respond “Well, what else besides that?” So, the
leap from Swingers to The Bourne Identity did seem too big. But
I never gave up. I pursued the rights to that property from 1995
to 2000 with rejections lying at the end of every path. Eventually,
I took my brand-new pilot’s license and flew to Glacier National
Park and convinced [author] Robert Ludlum in person to
let me have the rights. I then sold the project to Universal, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
How do you make your flat panel LCD or plasma TV stand out with strength, stability and style? Consider a Sanus flat-panel pedestal, a new
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HT TA L K S T O . . .
I think DVDs make us into better filmmakers. I feel much
more liberated with my scissors in the editing room know-
DOUG LIMAN
ProCinema 100
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Home theater is a broad term. To many Sony, Yamaha, Panasonic, and many others
enthusiasts, it’s a dedicated media room combine the receiver, satellite speak-
complete with a 100-plus-inch projection ers, subwoofer, and DVD player in one
television, a surround sound proces- performance-matched package—just add
sor, and mega-amplifiers coupled with a TV. They cost less than separate compo- Klipsch RB-10 Speaker System
reference-grade loudspeakers. Custom nents and can offer good performance, but
theater seating and automated lighting- not as good as what you can potentially get
control systems help create the true by selecting separate audio and video com-
cinema experience in the home. Some ponents and speakers. The best system for
home theater owners even have a box you depends on a few factors.
office and a popcorn machine or motor- To determine your needs, consider how
Yamaha RX-V1600 A/V Receiver
ized curtains in front of the screen. For often you’ll use a home theater and how
many others, a home theater is a 25-inch important it is to you and your family. If
TV with a prepackaged home theater you crave the excitement of movies,
system. Either way, it’s home theater. music, and games, and they will be a cen-
tral part of your family’s home entertain-
Determining Your Needs ment, consider it a wise investment that
Although they come in many forms, most will return many hours of enjoyment and
home theater systems consist of a multi- justify a larger budget. If you plan to use
channel audio/video receiver or proces- your home theater infrequently, consider
sor and separate amplifiers (with five or an all-in-one home theater audio system Denon AVR-4306 A/V Receiver with iPod
more audio channels), five or more speak- and a moderately priced television.
ers, at least one subwoofer, a DVD player,
and a display device of some sort. Prepack- Establishing a Budget
aged home theater audio systems from A total budget for a home theater system
depends on your financial situation, so only
you know how much you can afford. You
can be certain that even most moderately
priced components and systems, when pur-
chased wisely, offer very good perfor-
mance. For a system with separate audio
components, expect to spend approxi- Polk RTi12 Speaker System
mately half of your total budget on these
components and your speakers and half on Flat-panel and projection television
a video display. For example, you can pur- prices range from less than $1,000 to
chase a good audio system with speakers for more than $10,000, depending on screen
Panasonic SC-HT17 HTIB
approximately $2,500 (with components size, image type, screen resolution, and
from Yamaha or Denon and speakers advanced, high-definition features. The
from Klipsch or Polk, for example). Add a sky is the limit for separate audio compo-
37-inch flat-panel LCD display (from Sharp, nents and speakers (McIntosh, Anthem,
Samsung, or Philips, for example) for and Meridian are good examples of
$2,500, and your total investment is $5,000 no-holds-barred audio components).
for a very good home theater system that However, you can find prepackaged home
will provide years of enjoyment. For a theater audio systems for less than $100.
prepackaged home theater system (also
known as a home-theater-in-a-box system) Where to Shop
and a flat-panel television, you will probably It’s a good idea to shop in more than one
spend about one-third or less on audio and location before you make a purchase.
two-thirds on a video display. Compare prices, service, and product
Pro tip: Shop in more than one location before you make a purchase. Compare prices, service, and prod- Mitsubishi WD-62627 DLP HDTV
uct recommendations among various stores and salespeople. Here’s a quick shopping guide:
You should base your choice for a dig-
WHERE TO SHOP SERVICE /KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS ital television on these factors: Image
Big box/warehouse stores Find a home theater specialist Widest selection and quality, room size, ambient-light condi-
competitive prices tions, and viewing habits. Generally
Audio specialists Generally the most Offer the best brands and speaking, plasma displays offer better
knowledgeable people demo facilities
picture contrast but require a darker
Custom installers Offer customized solutions Wide range of product selection
and installation
room for optimum viewing. You can
Internet shopping Best prices, but be certain Many product options; check
view LCD models in brighter rooms, but
of your needs warranty coverage they have a narrower viewing angle.
Larger rooms and longer seating
The Best.
Just got Better.
Lexicon LIVE™ *
V2
3 O a k P a r k D r i v e , B e d f o r d , M A 0 1 7 3 0 - 1 4 1 3 U S A | Te l : 7 8 1 - 2 8 0 - 0 3 0 0 | F a x : 7 8 1 - 2 8 0 - 0 4 9 0 | w w w . l e x i c o n . c o m
Lexicon® and LOGIC 7 are registered trademarks of Harman International Industries, Incorporated. Dolby Pro Logic IIx is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved.
Windows
To Kitchen
30° Sub
16' employ new technologies,
Listening such as a plasma TV or a DLP
projector, or on a product
Position
that is expensive to repair or
60°
Entrance
SL
replace. Otherwise, I’d rather
SR
spend my money on new
Seating Area
To Bedroom
Bookcase discs, better components, or
performance accessories.
Dahlquist DQ10 L/C/R speakers • Paradigm Reference Studio
100 surround speakers • 2 Morel IS-9A powered subwoofers • Consider an extended warranty on
Yamaha DVD-S2300 universal disc player • AVDeco HR 619 equip- video displays, such as DLP, plasma, or
ment rack • MIT speaker cables and interconnects • Homemade
acoustic treatments on rear wall LCD televisions, because of potential
pixel failure. Each picture element is
called a pixel, and occasionally a few
sure that the audio/video receiver pixels can fail, resulting in a small, dis- Gary and a Friend
includes them, as well. tracting spot in the picture. The manu- audio reflections from walls, floors, and
facturer’s warranty and the extended objects in the room. There are many
Should You Consider the warranty usually cover pixel failure if attractive acoustic treatments that hang
Extended Warranty? there is a minimum number of failed on walls or sit on floors that can inte-
Extended warranties provide extended pixels within the warranty period. grate nicely into your room’s décor.
coverage for defective parts or manufac- Check the coverage carefully. Be sure Correct room acoustics can significantly
turing and are usually inclusive of the to ask if the warranty includes in-home improve sound quality. Consult a pro-
manufacturer’s warranty. For example, a service or pickup and delivery. I would fessional if you need help.
three-year extended warranty provides a decline the extra coverage on receivers, If you’re choosing to buy a home-
total of three years of coverage, which DVD players, and speakers because they theater-in-a-box system, it usually
includes the manufacturer’s warranty. For usually don’t need it. Remember, includes the speaker wire, but it is usu-
you’re buying an insurance policy. If ally no thicker than dental floss, and
Home theater system recommendations: you’re a Libertarian, you’ll probably you’ll get better audio/video perfor-
1. $5,000 home theater system: want to avoid the extended warranty. If mance if you upgrade the wires. If you’re
Yamaha RX-V1600 A/V Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . $1,100
knowing you’re covered makes you considering separate audio components,
Yamaha DVD-S657 Universal Disc Player . . . . . $300 more comfortable, then you need to purchase premium speaker wires, because
Klipsch RB-10 Speaker System . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,094 decide how much up-front cash that they can maximize audio performance if
Total Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,494 comfort is worth to you. chosen carefully. A step or two above
Video: Sharp LC-37DB5U AQUOS 37-Inch what comes packed with your new gear
LCD HDTV with HDMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,599
Total system price. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,093
Important Accessories is a good place to start, depending on
You will be presented with lots of acces- your system goals. Once again, decide
2. $10,000 home theater system: sory choices, but, in my opinion, the ahead of time what your accessory budget
Denon AVR-4306 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver . . . . . . $1,999 most important accessories are room- will be. It’s easy to spend vast sums of
Denon DVD-2910 Universal Disc Player. . . . . . . $739 acoustic treatments, speaker wires, and money to obtain slight, if even tangible,
Polk Audio RTi12 Speaker System . . . . . . . . . $3,350 connection cables. Room-acoustic treat- improvements that may or may not be
Total Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,088 ments consist of various materials important to you. Then again, if money
Video: Sony KDS-R50XBR1
designed to absorb or diffuse undesirable is no object, go for the gusto!
50-Inch LCOS HDTV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,000
Total system price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,088
54 Home Theater / May 2006 > www.hometheatermag.com
Premium video connection cables can range instead of a 50-inch one—if the difference Proper speaker placement involves some
up to several hundred dollars each and are meant I could afford better audio perfor- experimentation. Avoid placing the system in
important for good picture quality. As with mance. Although some people believe that a room with bare walls and floors. Use
almost anything, there are values to be found a big picture is the most important part of acoustic treatments on the walls, carpet, or
if you search them out. How far you go home theater, I think audio performance is rug, and/or use bookshelves on one or more
depends on what you’re comfortable with, but more critical. A good home theater audio walls to break up the sound reflections.
always be aware of your chosen dealer’s return system enhances the experience by drawing Experiment with subwoofer placement by
policies in case you’re not as impressed as you the viewers into a movie, making them part putting the subwoofer at your listening posi-
think you should be for your investment. of the action on the screen and arousing their tion (including height) and moving around
High-quality speaker cables are available imaginations. Don’t underestimate the the room to find where the bass sounds the
from several manufacturers, including importance of audio in a home theater. best. When you find the best spot, put the
Monster Cable, AudioQuest, Kimber Kable, subwoofer in that location.
Liberty Cable, and many others. You can also Geting the Best Performance These guidelines barely scratch the sur-
make your own with a roll of bulk cable, From Your New Home Theater face of room acoustics and proper speaker
some connectors, and a few tools. Now that the toughest part is over, take the placement. Many online resources offer
final steps to get the best performance from more information. Visit our Website at
Where to Cut Corners (If You your system. Correct speaker and sub- www.hometheatermag.com/bootcamp/28/index.
Must) woofer placement is the key; it’s just as html for our technical editor’s guide to speaker
Home theater is one of my favorite pas- important as the components you purchase. placement. But, simply stated, a moderately
times, so there are few places where I would Although there isn’t enough space here to priced system will sound very good in a
recommend cutting corners. However, elaborate on speaker placement and room room with good acoustics, while a high-end
if necessary, I would choose a smaller acoustics, here are a few guidelines that will system will disappoint the listener in a room
display—for example, a 42-inch display help you get the best sound. with poor acoustic characteristics.
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Klipsch: Celebrating 60
Years of Innovative Engineering
Steve wishes his Brooklyn apartment was as quiet as Klipsch’s anechoic chamber.
BY STEVE GUTTENBERG Klipsch VP Jim Hunter shows off a prototype horn design.
Like a devoted Elvis fan’s pilgrimage to Graceland, my trek to Klipsch Audio Technologies’ home base in
Indianapolis, Indiana, had a certain spiritual resonance. I’ve always wanted to go, and, when I realized that Klipsch was celebrating
their 60th anniversary, I could procrastinate no longer. Paul Klipsch founded his company in 1946, when high fidelity was a strictly
monophonic pursuit. Over the decades, the brand successfully transitioned to stereo, home theater, pro audio/cinema, custom
installation, multimedia, and, most recently, to high-performance iPod speakers. Paul Klipsch first made his mark in 1926 design-
ing radios for General Electric, but then he changed course and headed south to maintain locomotive engines in Chile. He went
on to earn 23 patents, ranging from firearm design and oil-prospecting technologies to a slew of speaker and acoustic designs. Paul
Klipsch was a man of many passions, but he remained involved with his company until 1999. He passed away in 2002.
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Klipsch: Celebrating 60
Years of Innovative Engineering
a sense of humor. In the 1950s, of a competitor’s $10,000 speakers
speakers were all fairly huge, but, by to have an external, state-of-the-art
the 1960s, the competition’s speak- reference. They’re not about to fall
ers were getting a lot smaller. Paul prey to the “not invented here” syn-
Klipsch downsized some designs, but drome and only judge one Klipsch
his speakers were still pretty against another Klipsch.
darn massive. A specially finished, There are arguments, discussions,
commemorative 60th-anniversary and debates among the various mem-
Klipschorn model ($11,000 per pair) bers of the Klipsch design team, but,
will be available in a limited produc- in the end, they’re all searching for a
tion run of 200 pairs. new speaker that they can honestly
say is an improvement over the exist- Klipsch makes products of all sizes.
Up Close and Personal with ing model. Kerry Geist,
Speaker Designers a principal engineer for
My mission at Klipsch had an ulterior the consumer-products
motive: I wanted to find out what’s division, tells me that,
involved in designing a speaker. It is, when he develops a new
after all, just a box with some dri- loudspeaker line, the
vers, so what’s the big deal? The first process star ts with
thing I learned was that speaker the individual woofers,
designers always face a rather daunt- midrange drivers, and
ing challenge—they’re clueless about tweeters. That’s where
the potential customer’s room the designers invest
size and acoustics. That’s why the most of the engineering Jim Hunter waxes poetic about founder Paul W. Klipsch.
Technology Center has a number of hours. “You can spend as much time require more internal bracing to
listening rooms—some small, some with the drivers as the entire speak- maintain stiffness. And remember,
large—many of which were designed ers,” he says, but he points out that too, that taller, slimmer speakers
to replicate the acoustics of average the cabinet also exerts a major have more audible problems with
rooms. I noted that, in some of influence over the speaker’s sound. internal standing waves, so designers
the rooms, the speakers are Speaker designers are always juggling have taken steps to build nonparallel
placed behind dark curtains for a mix of parameters: size, aesthetic internal surfaces to break up cabinet
“blind” testing—the listeners can’t design, manufacturing tolerances, modes. That adds expense, so, while
see the speakers they’re listening to. and, the big one, cost constraints. the higher-end models may not look
The engineers use these rooms to That last one impacts entry-level all that different on the outside from
compare prototypes to previous- models more than high-enders, and their more affordable brethren, their
generation models and to compare the budgetary limitations first restrict cabinets may be built to a more com-
Klipsch speakers with the competi- what the designer can build into the plex, robust standard.
tion’s speakers. The company even speaker’s crossover network (which, Klipsch’s new Reference IV line
laid down hard cash and bought a set in its basic form, directs high fre- includes 14 speakers and six sub-
quencies to the tweeter and bass woofers to cover a wide range of
frequencies to the woofer). After price points and sizes. Geist admits
all, many models in the line may that some of the models came
share the woofers and tweeters, together pretty quickly, and some
but the crossovers are unique to required a lot more time. The big
specific speakers. Economies of scale towers have larger woofers and larger
are limited when parts are unique horns, but what does the larger horn
to specific models. provide? Geist put it this way:
For full-size models, the trend is “Larger woofers have more limited
skewing to taller and slimmer tower high-frequency response, so the
Prototypes that didn’t make the grade. speakers, and those longer sides tweeter has to reach down lower to
The Nº433, Mark Levinson’s first triple-monaural, single-chassis power amplifier combines multi-channel
flexibility with the legendary quality and performance of our traditional monaural and dual-monaural designs.
The Nº433 is no exception to the demanding standards that Mark Levinson amplifiers
have defined for more than three decades. Rated at 200 watts per channel into 8 Ohms and 400 watts per
channel into 4 Ohms, the Nº433 combines a unique combination of brute force and finesse.
The Nº433 perfectly augments the 400 series of amplifiers and allows multiple
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Sound Quality. Reliability. Flexibility. The Nº433 places Mark Levinson firmly in the multi-channel world.
©2005 Harman International Industries, Incorporated. Mark Levinson is a registered trademark of Harman International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Five surround sound channels.
One speaker. Zero clutter.
Polk Audio, Inc., 5601 Metro Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 USA Customer Service 800-377-7655 Monday - Friday 9am to 6pm E.S.T.
from the
66 74
91 104
Our Test Gear OUR RATINGS
SYSTEM
SPOTLIGHT SYSTEM PG 66 >Audio Precision System Two 2532
Each product is
Vienna Acoustics Grand Speaker System, Dual Domain
rated on a scale of
REL R-305 Subwoofer, and Optoma >Fluke 189 multimeter
50 to 100 in five
HD72 DLP Projector >Leader LT-446 HDTV test generator
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
categories: build
>Leader LV5700A waveform monitor quality, value, fea-
tures, performance,
HIGH PERFORMANCE PG 74 >LG OS-9020A oscilloscope
and ergonomics. The
Revel Performa F52 Speaker System >LinearX loudspeaker measurement
overall rating is an
Sonic revelation. system
average, with each
>Minolta LS-100 luminance meter
MIDRANGE PG 78 >Photo Research PR-650 SpectraScan
category receiving
the following weight:
Mirage Omnisat v2 Speaker System colorimeter
Sometimes it’s better to be indirect.
>Staco variable transformer Performance: 35%
3PN2210B (22-amp)
Westinghouse LVM-42w2 LCD Value: 25%
HD Monitor >TecLab TWS-1510 test benches
Features: 15%
A true HD monitor.
Build quality: 15%
Thiel SmartSub SS1 Subwoofer Ergonomics: 10%
Woof smarter, not harder.
We also color-code
ENTRY LEVEL PG 100 each ratings box to
reflect a certain
ZVOX Mini Sound Console Amplified
Audio System price class:
A lot of sound from a little box. PURPLE > High end ($$$–$$$$)
BLUE > Midrange ($$–$$$)
CONVERGENCE PG 104 Visit the “How We Test” link on our
GREEN > Entry level ($–$$)
Website for a detailed explanation of
Samsung SyncMaster 244T our ratings system and a list of our
LCD Monitor reference gear.
Start clearing room on your desktop. www.hometheatermag.com
www.hometheatermag.com > Home Theater / May 2006 65
from the
test bench SPOTLIGHT SYSTEM $$$—$$$$
Cordero Studios
in mind something
eerily similar to the
Spotlight System for
this month. It has a
full-bore audio system
built around Vienna
Acoustics speakers,
an REL Sub-Bass
System, and a Primare
BY DARRYL WILKINSON of an evening arguing the partic- processor/integrated amp. The
ulars of what gear to buy—and lean, mean video package includes
especially how the money should an Optoma DLP front projector
Say your Great-Aunt Edna died be divided between the audio and and a Primare DVD player.
and left you $10,000 or so in her video parts of the system. I reviewed the Primare gear as
will with the stipulation that you Like a lot of people, you might part of the Spotlight System in our
had to spend it on a home theater (sadly) lean toward pairing the October 2005 issue, so I’m not
system (that’s why she always was largest, most expensive plasma TV going to dwell on it in depth, other
your favorite great-aunt). You and with the cheapest, most basic than a brief recap. Primare’s SPA21
I could while away the better part home-theater-in-a-box. In a more is a five-channel (100 watts each)
sor. Its strong points are extremely > SUBWOOFER: REL R-305
musical and exquisitely detailed Connections: Speaker-level, line-level, and
sound processing, loads of stan- LFE inputs
Enclosure Type: Sealed
dard inputs, and exceptional ease Woofer (size in inches, type): 10, paper-cone cast frame
of use. Its weak points are a mini- Power Rating (watts): 300
mal remote control and limited Crossover Bypass: Yes
HD switching (two component Available Finishes: Hand-rubbed Piano Black
These listings are based on the manufacturer’s stat- Dimensions (H x W x D, inches): 14.25 x 12.5 x 13.5
inputs only—no HDMI or DVI). ed specs; the HT Labs box below indicates the gear’s Weight ( pounds): 41
performance on our test bench.
Primare’s DVD26 is a top-notch Price: $1,595
progressive-scan DVD player that,
alas, isn’t compatible with DVD- >SPEAKER Beethoven Maestro Grand Bach Grand
Audio or SACD. These two pieces Baby Grand
of Danish gear make a high-end Type: Three-way, tower Two-way, center Two-way, monitor
Tweeter (size in inches, type): 1.1, silk dome 1, silk dome 1, silk dome
electronics combo that’s long on
Midrange (size in inches, type): 6, X3P cone
performance but short on glitz. Woofer (size in inches, type): 6, XPP cone (2) 6, XPP cone (2) 7, X3P cone
Nominal Impedance (ohms): 4 4 4
Requiem Recommended Amp Power (watts): 40–250 30–200 30–200
Available Finishes: Maple, Cherry, Piano Maple, Cherry, Piano Maple, Cherry, Piano
Several years ago, I had the chance
Black, Rosewood (extra) Black, Rosewood (extra) Black, Rosewood (extra)
to live with a set of Vienna Dimensions (H x W x D, inches): 38.9 x 6.7 x 12.9 6.77 x 23.2 x 11.45 34.6 x 7.4 x 9.8
Acoustics speakers and fell in love Weight ( pounds): 65 30 40
with their open, airy character, as Price: $3,500/pair $1,195 $1,995/pair
well as their gorgeous aesthetics.
Vienna Acoustics has the habit of
naming their speakers after famous
HT Labs Measures: Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby Grand
Austrian and German composers. Speaker System and REL R-305 Subwoofer
It sounds a little presumptuous, I at a distance of 1 meter with a 2.83-volt input and
know. But the company is actually scaled for display purposes.
located in Vienna—imagine that— The Beethoven Baby Grand’s listening-window
response (a five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree
and is steeped in the city’s musical horizontal and vertical responses) measures +3.19/
sensibilities. ( Just be glad they –6.97 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3-dB
didn’t decide to name the speakers point is at 36 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 30 Hz. Imped-
ance reaches a minimum of 2.98 ohms at 94 Hz and a
after varieties of sausage.) phase angle of –33.95 degrees at 4.6 kHz.
Vienna Acoustics has since The Maestro Grand’s listening-window response
reworked the models I was familiar measures +1.73/–7.04 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz.
An average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal
with—“outstanding” wasn’t good
responses measures +2.26/–6.88 dB from 200 Hz
enough praise, I guess. To both to 10 kHz. The –3-dB point is at 53 Hz, and the
acknowledge their heritage and yet –6-dB point is at 42 Hz. Impedance reaches a mini-
distinguish the new versions, the > L/R Sensitivity: mum of 4.29 ohms at 197 Hz and a phase angle of
88.0 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz –42.93 degrees at 3.7 kHz.
company has attached the “Grand” The Bach Grand’s listening-window response mea-
surname to the composers’ names. > Center Sensitivity: sures +1.53/–7.67 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3-dB
For this month’s system, Sumiko, 89.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz point is at 39 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 34 Hz.
Impedance reaches a minimum of 4.94 ohms at 148 Hz
the North American importer for > Surround Sensitivity: and a phase angle of –49.85 degrees at 3.6 kHz.
Vienna Acoustics, sent me a pair of 86.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz The REL R-305’s close-miked response, normalized
Beethoven Baby Grands, a Maestro to the level at 40 Hz, indicates that the lower –3-dB
This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing point is at 25 Hz and the –6-dB point is at 20 Hz. The
Grand center-channel speaker, and
close-miking of all woofers) frequency response of the upper –3-dB point is at 66 Hz with the LFE input. Note
a pair of Bach Grands for the sur- Beethoven Baby Grand L/R (purple trace), REL R-305 that, due to the incorrect high-frequency rolloff using
round channels. (So “Maestro” subwoofer (blue trace), Maestro Grand center channel the LFE input, I was unable to reference the frequency
wasn’t a specific composer. Get over ( green trace), and Bach Grand surround (red trace). response to our usual 80 Hz as the response is already
All passive loudspeakers were measured with grilles –7 dB at that point.—MJP
VIENNA ACOUSTICS BEETHOVEN BABY GRAND SPEAKER SYSTEM,
from the test bench REL R-305 SUBWOOFER, AND OPTOMA HD72 DLP PROJECTOR
[
front baffles, with
their curved edges, HIGHLIGHTS
have the added sonic
Vienna Acoustics Beethoven
benefit of minimizing
Baby Grand Speaker System
early reflections and and REL R-305 Subwoofer:
diffraction effects—
Finishes and appearance nicer
perhaps that’s part of
than most fine furniture
why they sound so
Sub provides a foundation of bass
open and natural.
for the speakers to build upon
The sophisticated
design of the speakers’
thin, sturdy grilles has
both auditory and harder polymers (configurations
visual benefits, too. referred to as XPP and X3P).
The aluminum grille The process creates an especially
frame contains a V- stiff cone that’s self-damped and
shaped phase diffuser resists breakup. The Beethoven
down the center that Baby Grand and the Maestro
helps control disper- Grand include bass drivers with
^ Darryl loved the
Optoma HD72’s bright, col-
it.) Sumiko also sent a new REL sion. Vienna Acoustics says, as a additional spider-web-like rib-
orful image. Hopefully, he
R-305 Sub-Bass System. result of the unique design, you bing that’s claimed to provide
didn’t do any permanent The first thing I noticed about can leave the grilles on for every- extra rigidity. For tweeters,
damage to his vision here.
the new speakers was that Vienna thing but the most critical listen- Vienna Acoustics uses hand-
Acoustics has upped the ante on ing by the most finicky listeners. coated silk domes specifically tai-
the fit and finish. These speakers The V-shaped diffuser creates a lored for each model.
are even more refined, with an groove, visible on the front of the All three models are ported
heirloom-furniture look and feel. grille, that adds an additional ele- designs. The three-way Beethoven
Unless you have a wood-related gant visual touch. Baby Grand is actually a hybrid;
phobia, you’ll be hard pressed One of Vienna Acoustics’ only the ultralow-frequency
not to find their subtle yet obvi- strengths is designing drivers. driver is mounted in a ported
ous beauty irresistible. Tall and Their proprietary midbass and chamber. But the port design in
slender, the front and surround bass drivers have cone materials the Bach Grand is even more
speakers create the optical that share similar sandwich-style interesting. Not only is the
93
illusion of appearing smaller designs in which a softer polymer smaller of the two floorstanding
than they really are. The narrow is sandwiched between layers of speakers ported in the front and
VIENNA ACOUSTICS BEETHOVEN BABY GRAND SPEAKER SYSTEM AND REL R-305 SUBWOOFER OVERALL RATING
Build Quality Value Features Performance Ergonomics
> Gold-and-silver-alloy > These are great- > Beethoven Baby > Holographic sound > The speakers are
terminals directly con- sounding and great- Grands include ultra- with height, width, and beautiful but should be
nect to crossovers looking speakers—a stable aluminum-spike depth out from the wall for
two-for-one deal assembly best performance
> Heirloom-furniture- > Extreme low bass
quality finish > Who can put a price > Subwoofer has inputs extension without boom > You can remotely
on sound this good? for low and high level that locate the REL sub’s
you can simultaneously control box This system is pleasing on so
97 90 90 97 89
adjust and operate many levels. It’s exceptional for
music, movies, and simply as
part of your living room.
General information
Beethoven Baby Grand Loudspeaker, $3,500/pair; Maestro Grand Center-Channel Speaker, $1,195; Bach Grand Loudspeaker, $1,995/pair
R-305 Subwoofer, $1,595 > Sumiko, ( 510) 843-4500, www.sumikoaudio.net > Dealer Locator Code SUM
[
the back—a design Vienna where the driver and porting
Acoustics claims stabilizes the interact—but the tweeter is
cone’s movement at the frequency mounted on a wedge assembly HIGHLIGHTS
Optoma HD72 DLP Projector:
AT A GLANCE OPTOMA HD72 DLP PROJECTOR
Its performance is unbeatable
> CONNECTIONS for $1,999
Inputs: Uses a DarkChip2 DLP chip and
Video: HDMI (1), DVI-I w/HDCP (1), TI’s BrilliantColor technology
S-video (1), component
Has a native resolution of 1,280 by
video (1), composite video (1)
Audio: None 768 and is plenty bright and sharp
> FEATURES
Type: DLP Outputs:
Native Resolution / Aspect Ratio: 1,280 by 768 / 16:10 (and 16:9) Video: None
Lamp Life: 3,000 hours Audio: None
Different Lenses Available? No located directly over the front
Dimensions (H x W x D, inches): 3.72 x 13.56 x 9.67 Additional: RS-232 (1), IR receiver (2),
12-volt trigger relay (1)
port. As with past Vienna
Weight ( pounds): 7
Price: $1,999
Acoustics models, rake—the tilt
of the speaker—is very impor-
HT Labs Measures: Optoma HD72 DLP Projector tant. It takes a little extra effort
to get the angle just right, but it’s
worth it for the additional trans-
0.7
9000
Optoma Green
parency and focus you’ll hear.
8500 0.6 Green
Focus is the number-one charac-
8000 0.5 teristic you’ll discover when you
Color Temperature
1 8 F u l l e r P l a c e , B r o o k l y n , N Y 1 1 2 1 5 , U S A , Te l 7 1 8 7 8 8 4 4 1 1
VIENNA ACOUSTICS BEETHOVEN BABY GRAND SPEAKER SYSTEM,
from the test bench REL R-305 SUBWOOFER, AND OPTOMA HD72 DLP PROJECTOR
92
OPTOMA HD72 DLP PROJECTOR OVERALL RATING
Build Quality Value Features Performance Ergonomics
> Small and light- > Excellent picture for > Has HDMI and DVI > Vibrant color; bright > Limited throw ratio
weight the money connectivity display
> Backlit remote does
> Minimal light leak- > Two-year warranty > Plenty of basic and > Exceptionally sharp not have much range
age from chassis advanced adjustment image for the price
capabilities > No lens shift but
small amount of digital
> Front and rear image shift
adjustable feet
ACCUPHASE • ANTHONY GALLO ACOUSTICS • ARCAM • B&K • B&W • BDI • BENZ • BURMESTER • CARDAS • CLASSÉ • CINEMA TECH • CONRAD-JOHNSON • CRESTRON • DCS • DRAPER • DYNAUDIO
• ELAN • ESCIENT • FINITE-ELEMENTE • GRADO • GRAHAM • HARMONIX • HITACHI • KOETSU • KRELL • LAMM • LIGHT SPEED • LOEWE • MARANTZ • MARTIN LOGAN • MCCORMACK • MCINTOSH
• MERIDIAN • MONSTER CABLE • NILES • NOTTINGHAM ANALOG • PANASONIC PHONE SYSTEMS • PRO-JECT • PS AUDIO • RCA • REGA • REL • ROTEL • RUNCO • SALAMANDER • SENNHEISER •
SHANLING • SILTECH • SME • SOTA • SPEAKERCRAFT • STEWART FILMSCREENS • STRAIGHT WIRE • SUMIKO • TARGET • TOSHIBA • TRANSPARENT • VTL • WILSON AUDIO • ZOETHECUS
from the
test bench HIGH PERFORMANCE $$$—$$$$
Cordero Studios
These are coupled with a 5.25-inch
Initial Impressions OCC cone midrange driver housed
For this evaluation, I in its own subenclosure within the
configured a 7.1 system F52 tower. A proprietary 1-inch
with the C52 center- aluminum dome tweeter, housed
BY ROGER MAYCOCK channel speaker, flanked on the left in what the company calls the
and right by the F52 tower speak- Constant Acoustic Impedance wave-
ers. Positioned on the left and guide, reproduces high-frequency
When the assignment came in right sides were a pair of
to review Revel’s Performa system, S30s, while the M22
I was more than just a little bit loudspeakers served as the
excited. After all, spending time left and right rear chan-
with a Performa F52, C52, S30, nels. I also placed a B15A
^
Roger Maycock wires M22, and B15A setup is akin to subwoofer along a side
the 7.1-channel Performa
F52 speaker system.
driving a Mercedes-Benz CL600 wall on the floor.
coupe with every conceivable The Revel Performa
option when you’re accustomed to F52 system makes quite a
commuting in a Honda Accord. statement in terms of
There’s nice, and then there’s, “Give visual impact. The F52,
me the keys, and get out of the C52, and M22 enclosures
way!” Yes, this would be fun. were finished in a lustrous
[
The Performa line’s B15A sub- I auditioned my classical-music
woofer is, without a doubt, one of selections strictly in stereo—
the most highly configurable sub- without the subwoofer. The first HIGHLIGHTS
woofers available. The system pro- movement (Allegro) of Beethoven’s Great imaging, with superb ability
vides comprehensive control over Concerto No. 5 in E Flat, Opus 73 to handle wide dynamic contrast
equalization (frequency, bandwidth, (Emperor) was delightful. I was B15a subwoofer is highly config-
and level) with EQ in/out, plus particularly impressed by the urable and exhibits extended, con-
high- and low-pass contour control F52’s ability to handle vast trolled bass response
with master in/out. There are set- dynamic changes. From pianis-
tings for automatic-on/standby simo through fortissimo, the Royal
operation, as well as external Philharmonic Orchestra’s perfor- checking to make sure I had not
trigger operation, whereby the mance was vibrant and highly accidentally engaged the center-
subwoofer will switch between detailed, and the subtlest nuances channel speaker.
film and music contour-response of the piano were evident. Switching my configuration to a
settings—dependent upon whether Similarly, the first movement 2.1 setup for R&B, I listened to a
it detects a steady 12-volt DC volt- (Allegro non troppo) of Lalo’s number of tracks from Stevie
age (from elsewhere in the system). Symphonie espagnole, Opus 21, was Wonder’s A Time to Love and Anita
Furthermore, the B15A ships inspiring. The solo violin exhibited Baker’s My Everything. The B15A
with an LFO test-signal CD to aid a presence that is rare in all but the subwoofer delivers what I consider
in the setup process. best-performing systems. The to be an incredibly articulate, nat-
system presented the subtleties of ural bass response right down to
Performance Jascha Heifetz’s bowing technique the lowest depths. This subwoofer
For my evaluation, source playback with aplomb. Pizzicato string pas- is a terrific compliment to the
equipment included an Onkyo sages sparkled—with just the right F52s. Together, the system deliv-
DV-SP800 SACD/DVD/DVD- amount of bite to the pluck. ered vocal tracks that were big and
Audio player, Parasound’s Halo C2 On both pieces, stereo imaging highly intelligible, and the low-
controller, and Sunfire’s Cinema 7 was highly detailed and exhibited an mid background vocoder tracks on
amplifier. Kimber Kables fed the almost three-dimensional quality— Wonder’s “Positivity” rang clear as
front and center-channel speakers, enabling me to identify placement a bell. Similarly, Baker’s lush, soul-
while Monster Cables fed the S30s of various instruments quite easily. ful style came through as if she
and B15A subwoofer. XLO Electric Center imaging was particularly were right there in the room.
cable provided signal to the M22s. impressive. On both the piano Simply put, this loudspeaker com-
95
The system was calibrated at 75 dB concerto and the Heifetz violin per- bination gave new meaning to the
with a C weighting. formance, I twice found myself term “smooth jazz.”
96 90 96 98 94
mum results components and painstaking
attention to detail in their con-
struction, providing a wealth of
configuration options for maxi-
mizing system performance.
General information While you can certainly spend
F52 Loudpeaker, $6,498/pair;C52 Center-Channel Speaker, $2,499; S30 Surround Speaker, $2,295/pair more for a system, the socin dif-
M22 Surround Speaker, $2,200/pair; B15A Subwoofer, $3,295 ference would most likely be
Revel, ( 781) 280-0300, www.revelspeakers.com > Dealer Locator Code REV marginal, if apparent at all.
Cordero Studios
floors to enliven bass—as we did
in our listening studio. The laws
of acoustics rule an audiophile’s
life, and our understanding of
them is still evolving.
Most speakers deliver a high ratio
of direct sound versus reflected
sound. Mirage’s contention is
that real-life concert halls deliver
70 percent reflected sound and
make room reflections work for 30 percent direct sound—and that
BY MARK FLEISCHMANN loudspeakers rather than against speakers should do the same.
them. That determination bears Although it isn’t a wholly original
Mirage has been, ahem, fruit in the second-generation idea, it’s definitely the path less
reflecting on the influence of room Omnisat series. often traveled, and the Omnisat v2
acoustics for nearly two decades. Reflections can help or harm system put my listening room to
In the process, this distinguished musical perception. A bad room work in a most unusual way.
Canadian speaker maker has birthed (or bad speaker positioning) can
some unorthodox designs. The cripple good equipment. However, New Players, New Shapes
common thread running through the absolute elimination of all The original Omnisat model was
all of them is a determination to reflected sound seems shockingly a compact satellite speaker that
For the first time ever, at least in satellites were highly intelligible.
[
a formal review, I also installed a Although they were never more
spare pair of the smaller satellites than 3 feet apart on the desk—and HIGHLIGHTS
in the multimedia system on my I did much of my listening on the The top-mounted drivers
desk, which consists of an old Onix opposite end of the room—they increase ratio of reflected
OA-21s integrated stereo amp tossed out a soundstage that was versus direct sound
with 50 watts per channel and a well proportioned and, to borrow They turn the sweet spot into a
Rotel RCD-965BX special-edition a visual metaphor, brightly lit. sweet room
CD player—they’re both worth Directional information was plen- And they’re just adorable
collecting, even if you have to tiful whether I sat, stood, or
Google them. My desktop system walked around the room. In fact,
also includes a 10-month-old IBM it was in generous supply even
ThinkCentre and a brand-new iPod when I lay down on the floor (not
nano. I used 12-gauge zip cord and something I resort to often during great shape now).As I moved lower,
generic interconnects (shock!). a speaker review). The only way the two men in a six-voice chorus
Don’t even get me started on the to really inhibit the speakers was became noticeably more prominent.
turntables in each system. to step behind the five-drawer The towers, directly at ear level,
The desktop system allowed me filing cabinet to the left of the were easier to localize than the
to hear how the Omnisats would desk—basically obstructing them satellites, which sat several inches
interact with the wall. Like every with a large object. below ear level. I was more con-
speaker I’ve ever used on my desk, scious of where the big guys were
they sounded clearer at the edge Big Speaker, Little Speaker in relation to me, whereas the little
(2.5 feet from the wall) than they Beautiful glass stands support the guys on my desk just seemed to
did when flanking my monitor (a 45-inch-tall towers. Added to the disappear into the woodwork. In
little more than 1 foot from the top-mounted 1-inch tweeter and retrospect, my long-wall speaker
wall). The superior positioning 4.5-inch “quasi midrange” woofer placement probably had me sitting
wasn’t possible during the day, but are six more matching drivers on too close—about 7 feet away—
it did get me through a couple of the front. Two function as normal to allow the front-mounted
pleasurable evenings. Low-level woofers, and the other four are woofers to integrate fully with the
resolution was better with the passive radiators. Evidently, Mirage top-mounted drivers.
grilles off—the Omnisats’ bubble- wants to get as much oomph as After I carried the disc with the
like grilles are a thick plate of honey- possible out of the Omnisat v2 FS’s choral test track back and forth
combed plastic covered with fabric slim, graceful enclosure. between the desktop stereo and
and are not quite acoustically trans- The freestanding speakers were reference surround systems, I con-
parent. Keeping the grilles on more sensitive to changes in cluded that the satellites sitting on
allowed higher volume levels with- height—mine, not theirs. All those my desk had the advantage in con-
out fatigue, though. extra woofers made a difference as sistency. Eventually, I moved the
94
Even close to the wall, where I did slow-motion squat-thrusts in satellites from the desktop system
most speakers turn to mud, the front of the speakers (my legs are in into the front left/right positions
96 94 95 93 96
of their unique Omnisat, Mirage
improves aesthetics and broadens
form factor appeal without losing
sight of their key design goal—
broad dispersion that makes every
General information seat in the house a good one.
These speakers would serve
Omnisat v2 FS Loudspeaker, $500; Omnisat v2 CC Center-Channel Speaker, $400; Omnisat v2 Surround Speaker, $250 extremely well in both family
OMNI-S12 Subwoofer, $800 > Mirage Loudspeakers, (416) 321-1800, www.miragespeakers.com > Dealer Locator Code MRG rooms and designer showcases.
of the surround system and kept I fine-tuned the channel levels).
going. Incidentally, I have a pro- At the same time, the speakers’
nounced bias toward the use of dominant reflectivity achieved a
identical satellites in a surround beautiful blend of the instruments.
system, so perhaps I merely Some speakers soften the album’s
remained true to form. vibes, blurring its sensuous bloom,
A supplied right-angled bracket but, with the Mirages, each instru-
adapts the satellites for easy wall ment was subtly outlined and
mounting. Mirage recommends delicately shaded, like bubbles
that mounting follow the “6-foot blown by a child.
rule.” If the Omniguide housing The graphic-novel-inspired Sin
holding the tweeter and main City includes several film-noir-like
woofer goes above 6 feet, mount scenes with rainfall—always a beau-
the speakers facing downward. tifully subtle way to use the sound-
Below 6 feet, keep them facing up. field.A car that whooshed from the
Never one to poke holes in walls, I center-channel speaker to the right
just plopped them onto 21-inch surround perfectly complemented
stands. That left the top-mounted the onscreen action. Dialogue was
drivers about 5 or 6 inches below not just clear but frighteningly
the level of my ears. profound—the center’s midrange
driver really came into its own with
From the Soundstage to the movie’s ominous narration.
the Soundfield The OMNI-S12 subwoofer’s
Up to this point, I’d been listening 12-inch driver delivered the
solely in stereo—which is notewor- movie’s biff-bam-oofing and other
thy in itself. Many speakers sold low-frequency effects, without
today flunk the two-channel test, working up a sweat. The sub not
but the Omnisats were relatively only provides a crossover-bypass
immune to the dreaded hole-in- switch—allowing proper integra-
the-middle effect. The soundstage tion when using the crossover in
didn’t collapse when the center and your receiver—but mounts it on the
surrounds shut down. In Dolby Pro front panel, along with volume, fre-
Logic II’s music mode, the Omnisat quency, and phase controls.This is a
v2 CC gave voices a different feel, bass tweaker’s paradise.
presumably due to its unique (in Mirage has done great stuff with
this system) 3-inch midrange driver the Omnisat series. The speakers
and associated crossover. look better than ever.They function
My favorite surround music unusually well in stereo, which
recording is the multichannel should please the lonely audiophile.
SACD of Gary Burton’s Like Minds. But they also spread sonic data to
Burton’s vibes have the place of every seat in the house, which
honor in the center of the sound- should please large gatherings of
field, with the rhythm section movie or sports fans.That union of
behind him, Chick Corea’s piano solitary and family interests will
suspended between left front and make these slender speakers sell as
surround, and Pat Metheny’s guitar big as they sound.
between right front and surround. * Audio editor Mark Fleischmann is
The Omnisats were directionally also the author of the annually updated
specific enough to place each player book Practical Home Theater
where he belonged (especially after (www.quietriverpress.com).
Vidikron’s CineWide™ movies without distracting black bars above and below the
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A Runco International Company
© 2006 Vidikron. All rights reserved. Vidikron, CineWide, LightAmp, and Vision, are trademarks of Vidikron.
CineWide Technology — DLP is a trademark of Texas Instruments.
No Black Bars Photo courtesy of Cinema Design Group International, Boca Raton, FL.
Vidikron supports ISF installers and calibrators.
PRESENTS
HT on a
Budget
One reader did it —
you can too!
Plus:
Total Isolation Working with an
How to get interior designer —
an acoustically what you need
independent theater. to know.
HOW TO NAVIGATE AVI
DIY READER HOME THEATER
AudioVideoInteriors.com
As you read the magazine, you will notice an BY DAVE CURLEE
AudioVideoInteriors.com logo in the margin
next to certain underlined text, which represents a Web-
exclusive story. Go to our Website, and you will see the
same text as a link that you can click on for additional
features, installer portfolios, biographies, and more!
84 DIY HOME
THEATER >
One reader creates an
impressive media room, EASY The Beginning
on a budget. by Dave
Curlee
86 TOTAL
ISOLATION
How one couple pulled
ADDITION
If you think that a
home theater sys-
tem will be an
overbearing addi-
I am an avid do-it-yourselfer, thanks to my father.
We did everything around our home together, from
electrical to plumbing to construction. I purchased
my first home theater receiver in college back in 1989.
It was a Kenwood with big and loud Cerwin Vega speak-
off a home theater that tion to your family
is completely indepen- room, think again.
ers. For the next several years, I pieced together this
dent from the house With the right fur-
system as best I could with what money I had.
where it resides. After I graduated from college, I got married, and
niture, you can
By Ford Gunter
make it work. my wife and I decided to build a larger home to grow
89 ASK THE our family in. One item I definitely wanted for our new
EXPERTS home was an updated, nondedicated home theater
What you need to know
system for our family that would play music and movies.
about working with an
interior designer on your My wife, Krisi, was not too sure about the idea at first.
home theater. She did not want an overbearing system. I assured her
by Nancy Klosek that it would be family functional, easy to use, and
would blend in nicely with our great room. We also
wanted a secondary system upstairs in our bonus room
and a complete home-security system. We knew if we
were to put in what we wanted, we would have to do a
lot of the work ourselves.
HOW IT WORKS FOR YOU
CORRECTIONS
We mislabelled Jon Sandberg’s photo as Phil Mulligan • Start Small. If you don’t have a budget to build a theater all
in the March 2006 Ask the Experts column. In December at once, don’t worry. You can start out small by buying one
2005 “The Balancing Act,” we mistakenly listed the or two components and building your system over the
interior designer of this project as Modern Interiors. It course of several years.
is, in fact, MCID, Inc. The gorgeous work here was • Buy Appropriate Gear. Remember, there is a wide variety of
done by the principal designer of MCID, Monica Bodell. gear available at all price points. You don’t have to go with the
Please contact her at: (310) 372-6898, www.mcidinterior-
top-of-the-line equipment for every component. Choose what
design.com, or see this month’s Ask the Experts for
details on her work. We apologize for any confusion
is important to you and then budget more for those items.
these mistakes may have caused. • Get a Good Remote. Don’t be one of “those” with three or
four remotes on your coffee table. Get a good universal
remote, and learn to use it!
84 Audio Video Interiors / May 2006 • www.audiovideointeriors.com
Getting Started
We took the blueprints and started deciding where the DVD player. I was not
the home theater system would be located and how too sure which one to pick,
we would use it. We wanted a 7.1-channel system so I consulted my sales rep,
with speakers in the dining room and kitchen for music. Jason, at my local Ovation retailer.
I also laid out the locations for the alarm system master Jason was very instrumental in
panel, keypads, and sensors. Once we’d determined piecing together my old system,
where the home theater would be located within the great and I knew I could rely on his
room, I met with the builder and added a dedicated recep- knowledge. He recommended the
tacle with a 20-amp breaker for the main theater system. Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai. He also
My wife and I both work full-time jobs, so we ran all the priced all my other equipment.
wiring on evenings and weekends. In the evenings, my Since I knew what I wanted, he
wife would hold the lights while I climbed in the rafters was able to give me very good
pulling the wire. On the weekends, my father and pricing. Our equipment was under
brother-in-law, Joe, helped to get all the wiring complete budget, which left enough for a
by our deadline. We ran the wiring for the in-ceiling Monster Power HTS3600 surge
speakers and took accurate measurements of the locations protector. When you’re spending
before we installed the drywall. That way, I would know money on high-quality equipment,
exactly where to cut the drywall in the future to it is important to protect your
install the in-ceiling speakers. I stapled all the wiring every investment with a surge protector.
6 inches and insulated behind the main theater system to I decided to use the Philips Pronto
minimize any vibrations. In order for the main system to Pro remote from our old system
blend nicely, we needed a nice cabinet. We did not find for a few months until we did our
any we liked in our local furniture stores, but we stumbled first main system upgrade and
across one online at www.furniturefind.com. added the secondary system in the
bonus room. We ordered all the equipment and let Jason PERFECT FOR TYKES
Selecting Our Equipment know when we would need it. Our home theater was A second bonus-room
After we’d pulled all the wire and orderied the cabinetry, finished within a couple of weeks of the projected date, system upstairs helps
keep the little one
we started the research to choose our equipment using and all of the equipment arrived on schedule.
entertained.
Home Theater magazine. We started with the television.
After poring over the many available models and sizes, For the rest of this story and additional images, go to
we had narrowed it down to two Mitsubishi models. We www.AudioVideoInteriors.com/readerqa/0506diy.
debated on whether to buy a 65-inch Platinum Series YOU CAN DO IT!
model or the 55-inch Diamond Series model. A Platinum My Budget Dave Curlee and his
would have been over our budget, so we decided to go Couch and Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,000 wife, Krisi, did the wiring
for the Diamond Series’ higher quality and smaller size. Entertainment Cabinet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,000 themselves after work
It is a beautiful set with a high-gloss finish. The size is per- Mitsubishi WS-55908 Diamond HDTV. . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,500
Denon AVR-5803 THX Ultra-2 A/V Receiver . . . . . . . . $4,000
and on weekends.
fect for the room—any larger would be overbearing. The Polk Audio RTi200i Front, CS400 Center, FX500i Surround, and
next equipment to decide on was the receiver and speak- RC60i Rear Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,000
MartinLogan Descent Subwoofer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,000
ers. I remember how I wanted a Denon and Polk Audio Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai DVD/SACD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,000
system back in college but could not afford it. That still Monster Power HTS3600 Surge Protector . . . . . . . . . . . $500
has not changed much, but we allocated a little more to Sony CDP-M555ES 400-Disc CD Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . $700
Monster Cables and Speaker Wiring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $550
our budget for the receiver and speakers. I wanted pow- Lutron Dimmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $350
erful, high-quality sound, but separates were out of our Columns, Plants, Paint, and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . $500
Polk Audio Atrium Outdoor Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $450
budget, so we opted for the top-of-the-line Denon Polk Audio RC60i Speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $300
AVR-5803 A/V receiver and Polk Audio RTi series Niles SPS4 Speaker Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100
speakers with a MartinLogan Descent subwoofer. For Niles VCS2D Imp Volume Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200
DVDO i-Scan HD Processing Scaler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,250
our music collection, we chose the Sony CDP-M555ES Escient Fireball DVDM-100 Disc Manager . . . . . . . . . . $2,250
400-disc CD changer. The last component to add was Sony DVPCX777ES DVD Changer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $950
Universal Remote Control MX-3000 Remote. . . . . . . . $1,000
TOTAL $29,600
T OTAL ISOLATION
How one couple pulled off a home
theater that is completely independent
from the house in which it resides.
BY FORD GUNTER
W
A LONG STRANGE TRIP hen Bob and Nancy Malone broke ground on their
Bob and Nancy Malone
dream home in Lake Arrowhead, California, in 2002,
waited three long years for
they had no idea just how challenging it would be.
their theater to be com-
pleted, but, once it was
Nancy’s lifelong desire to have a home theater called for the help of
done, it was an acoustic Aaron Andrew of Audio Video Design (AVD), based in Mission Viejo,
dream come true. California, to design a home theater within, but structurally independent from, the 14,000-square-foot house. Aside
from the three-hour round trip between Mission Viejo and Lake Arrowhead, Mother Nature threw her best at them,
as well. After “the old fire” of 2003, which destroyed 350 houses in nearby Cedar Glen (and approached within feet
of the back of the Malone house before a wind shift sent the flames east), the Malones faced a tremendous flood in
December 2004, and then snow. As if that wasn’t enough, the house’s location on a mountainside presented a whole
new set of logistical problems. After all was said and done, the project took three-and-a-half years to complete.
86 Audio Video Interiors / May 2006 • www.audiovideointeriors.com
The theater, which is structurally independent of the chase to house lighting in an acoustically isolated envi-
rest of the house for acoustic purposes, seats eight in ronment,” he said. “The room is a real fine line between
DreamLounger Sport recliners by Theater Design function and aesthetics,” Andrew said.
Associates out of Chicago. “In doing research for the One of the more challenging elements of Andrew’s
theater,” Malone said, “it came to our attention that there job is interfacing with everyone involved in building the
were some very comfortable theater seats made in house, including architects, builders, tradesmen, crafts-
Chicago, and we happened to be going there that year.” men, and designers. In this instance, however, AVD
Interior designer Sam Cavitt of Media Environment only worked in one room. “Usually, we’re basically the
Design said, “Making the eight seats fit comfortably in electric contractors, wiring the whole house,” he said.
the space with good sight lines and traffic patterns” “We do security, lighting, sprinkler systems, back-
was one of the biggest challenges of the project. ground sounds, plasmas, audio, the pool….”
The size of the room also presented problems for Aaron For the Malone house, however, it was a collabora-
Andrew and his team from Audio Video Design. “It is a tion between Andrew, Cavitt, the construction con-
smaller room, and we went into very detailed construc- tractor, and the Malones. “The aesthetics match the
tion,” he said. “We used materials to isolate acoustics, to homeowners’ desires, but we didn’t compromise any
create a completely isolated shell. The whole house is not acoustics or sight lines,” Andrew said.
connected to the theater by any support structure.” “The Malones communicated well what they were
“Acoustic-isolation construction maintains a very after, and we were able to re-create that,” Cavitt
good, low-noise environment,” Cavitt said. “A com- said. “The theater is in a traditional style, with just
bination of absorptive and reflective acoustic substrate a hint of Greco-Roman detail, featuring custom
was used to create a balanced sound.” Cavitt’s Paradise wood moldings and oak to match what is going on in
Photography by AG Photography
Theater, (a division of Media Environment Design), the rest of the house.” Just outside the theater, a TAKE A SEAT
also used a stretch-fabric track system for a clean fit mock ticket window and a fully functional bar greet DreamLounger recliners by
to the installation, a dark-red, motorized Austrian moviegoers, and, inside, all components are taste- Theater Design Associates,
shade in front of the screen for drama, and custom fully hidden behind the rear wall. covered in red velvet (left),
millwork details for an elegant finish. “Cavitt was just a delightful man to work with,” are inviting and comfort-
But, to Cavitt, the coolest feature is what’s above. “I Malone said. “He instructs, and he teaches, specifically able but don’t affect sight
like the coffered ceiling and how we used the soffit as a in the sound component of the theater.” lines. The component rack
(above) hides behind a wall.
User-friendly components are essential when non- automatically calibrates to ISF standards, assuring the
GET YOUR TICKETS technophiles are responsible for operating complicated, client they will receive the best possible image.”
(AND DRINKS) integrated systems, and one wrong button push can For their many VHS tapes, a Marantz MV8300
A ticket booth outside the
mean hours of confusion. “In a system with several dif- high-definition VHS player sits in the rack, so the
theater (above) is a throw-
ferent sources—DVDs, satellite, etc.—we want to Malones can “record videos onto tape in the highest
back to classic movie
palaces, while a bar (above
make sure the clients can hit one button on the touch- quality available to date,” AVD’s Andrew said. The
right) lets audience members panel to have the system discretely go to that com- Sony DVP-CX777ES 400-disc changer coupled with
relax with a drink before mand,” Andrew said. “We used a Crestron control, an Escient DVDM-100 manager are more than capa-
the show. because it allows us to give the clients a very intuitive ble of handling the Malones’ 130 DVDs.
interface, and we can do updates remotely and make For audio, AVD stuck with their usual prearranged
changes without having to go on site.” In the theater, JBL Synthesis systems based on room specs. For the
the Crestron ST-1700C 1-Way RF color touchpanel Malone house, Andrew and company chose a JBL AV1
communicates with the Crestron CP2E control THX digital sound processor, an AVA7 seven-channel
processor with Ethernet functionality behind the wall. THX amplifier, and a JBL SDEC-2500A THX digital
In front, behind the Austrian curtain, is a 100-inch- equalizer. Two JBL HTPS400 THX powered sub-
diagonal Stewart Filmscreen Custom ScreenWall 4-Way woofers support seven configurable flush-mount loud-
ElectriMask FireHawk screen. Behind the rear wall, a speakers: four S4As, one S4HC, and two S4VCs. “The
Marantz VP-12S4 HD DLP projector offers high qual- JBL Synthesis system allows us to create the most real-
ity at a reasonable price. “The Marantz projector only istic listening experience possible in any size room,”
displays 720p but has a better picture than any other Meyer said. “The system sounds great out of the box; it
projector in its price range,” said Ty Meyer, presi- sounds incredible once the system is calibrated.”
dent of AVD. “The projector In the end, the Malones are thrilled at the possibility
HOW IT WORKS FOR YOU of high-quality, high-intensity viewings of Gone with the
Communicate with Your Team Wind, Singin’ in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, Calamity Jane,
If they don’t know exactly what you are looking for, the out- and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
come will likely be unsatisfactory. If you communicate effec- And the architects are happy, as well. “I’m most proud
tively with the installer and the interior designer, they can of the fact that the Malones are delighted,” Cavitt said.
manage your expectations to deliver an end result you will love. “We not only offered a good-looking room but a
good-performing room,” Andrew said.
Choose User-Friendly Components
For the non-techy folks out there, Aaron Andrew of Audio Video WAIT! THERE’S MORE!
Design advises using gear that is user friendly. Here, Andrew chose Log onto www.AudioVideoInteriors.com/interior-
ideas/0506malone to continue reading about this
a Crestron touchpanel that performs at the touch of a button. family jewel.
Cordero Studios
fill) to choose from and no auto-
matic aspect-ratio detection.
Where It Counts
an NTSC tuner, so don’t bother Obviously,Westinghouse chose to
BY ADRIENNE MAXWELL looking for an RF connection or make the above sacrifices in order
Some of you may think that I onscreen program guide.They are to offer this 42-inch 1080p LCD
call the LVM-42w2 a “true HD of no use here. It also lacks a for the low price of $2,799. Just
monitor” because I’ve finally acqui- CableCARD slot or any bonus be glad they chose to sacrifice
esced to the HDTV conspiracy connections, such as a card reader peripheral features and not the
theorists who insist that only or USB port. At least the monitor necessary staples to produce a
1,920-by-1,080 displays like this has built-in speakers and a sub- higher-quality image, like an
one should be labeled HDTVs. woofer, discreetly hidden within adjustable backlight and 3:2-
Don’t worry—I plan to support the small frame, and they’re capa- pulldown detection. Although the
1080i and 720p a bit longer. ble of surprisingly robust audio. display’s internal processor didn’t
No, I’ve used the description Secondly, this monitor isn’t pick up the 3:2 film sequence
“true HD monitor” for two rea- meant to ease you into the HDTV on Video Essentials, it did pick it
sons. For one, the LVM-42w2 is era the way some TVs do. It was up on the Silicon Optix HQV
indeed a monitor, not a television. built for HDTV, and its input panel Benchmark test disc and did an
This LCD has neither an ATSC nor reflects that.The LVM-42w2 has a excellent job with my demo
scenes from Gladiator and The on the test discs but looked more One feature that’s surprisingly
Bourne Identity. Likewise, it did a than respectable with real-world absent from the first crop of 1080p
poor job with video-based signals video-based signals. displays is the ability to actually
accept a 1080p source. Many can
AT A GLANCE WESTINGHOUSE LVM-42W2 LCD HD MONITOR only accept 1080i and 720p and then
> CONNECTIONS upconvert them to 1080p.That’s not
Inputs: the case with the LVM-42w2,
Video: HDMI (1), DVI (2), VGA (1), component video (2), which can supposedly accept 1080p
S-video (1), composite video (1) through all of its HD-capable inputs.
Audio: Stereo analog (6), minijack (1)
Outputs:
To test this, I fed a 1080p signal
Video: None from the NeuNeo HVD2085 DVD
Audio: Stereo analog (1) player to the monitor’s component,
Additional: None DVI, and HDMI inputs. The pic-
ture looked great with DVI and
> FEATURES
Type: LCD component; however, with HDMI,
Screen Size (diagonal): 42 inches I saw noticeable picture errors
Native Resolution / Aspect Ratio: 1,920 x 1,080 / 16:9 (blue, Matrix-like lines) in dark
Lamp Life: 60,000
colors.We also tested the monitor’s
Wall Mount or Stand Included?: Stand
Dimensions (H x W x D, inches): 28.3 x 41.3 x 8.9 digital inputs with our reference
Weight ( pounds): 57.3 HTPC.Again, the DVI signal looked
Price: $2,799 great, but we did not get an image
through HDMI.Westinghouse says
HT Labs Measures: Westinghouse LVM-42w2 LCD HD Monitor that the HDMI input accepts 1080p,
but we were unable to verify this
7500 0.7
with our equipment.
I also tested whether or not this
0.6 Westinghouse Green
7000 Green monitor passes the complete
Color Temperature
0.5
6500 1080i interlaced signal or cheats
0.4 Westinghouse
D6500 K
Red by only passing 540 lines and then
6000 0.3 Red
upconverting them. (See Gary
Color Temp - Before
5500 Color Temp - After
0.2 DTV Phosphors
D6500
Merson’s article in the March
Westinghouse
5000
0.1
Blue
Color Temp - After
2006 issue for more information.)
Blue
20 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
IRE
70 75 80 85 90 95 100 0
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
Happily, the LVM-42w2 passes the
full signal; combine this with its
57.19 dark images and cooler with brighter images. After
excellent detail, and you’ll be able
0.064
making adjustments using the Photo Research PR-650, to enjoy all of the information in
> Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio—894:1; the gray scale measures within 57 Kelvin of D6500, the the HDTV signal.
ANSI Contrast Ratio—712:1 accurate color temperature, across most of the range.
Darker images were still warmer than the rest of the
I should note that the monitor’s
> Measured Resolution with the Leader LT-446: HDMI and DVI inputs didn’t work
gray scale, and the brightest images were slightly
480: 480 ( per picture height)
720p: 720 ( pph)
cooler than the rest of the gray scale. well with my Motorola HD cable
The right chart shows the gray scale (or color tem- box, which has a DVI output. I got
1080i: 1080 ( pph)
perature) relative to the color points of the display’s
> DC Restoration ( poor, average, good, excellent): red, green, and blue color filters. For the most part, no picture through DVI, and the
Excellent these are fairly close to those specified by SMPTE. Red HDMI input consistently lost the
is pretty much spot on. Blue is very slightly oversatu- picture when I first powered up the
> Color Decoder ( poor, average, good, excellent):
rated and very slightly greenish-blue. Green is slightly
Excellent
undersaturated and somewhat bluish-green.
monitor or changed channels. I
> Measured Color Points: After calibration, and using a full-field 100-IRE tried multiple cable types and
Red Color Point: x=0.642, y=0.330 white ( 57.19 foot-lamberts) and a full-field 0-IRE lengths with the same result. I had
Green Color Point: x=0.271, y=0.585 black (0.064 ft-L), the contrast ratio was 894:1. Using
Blue Color Point: x=0.145, y=0.060 a 16-box checkerboard pattern (ANSI contrast), the
no such problems with any of the
contrast ratio was 712:1. The best contrast ratio was DVD players I used, so it may just
The left chart shows the LVM-42w2’s gray scale relative
to its color temperature at various levels of intensity, or
achieved with a backlight setting of 0. The brightest be an issue with my cable box.
image was achieved with a backlight setting of 100,
brightness (20 IRE is dark gray; 100 IRE is bright white).
which produced a blinding 158.3 ft-L with a 100-IRE
The gray scale as set by the factory, in the Color 1 color-
field and 0.192 with a 0-IRE field. This makes a con-
temperature mode, measures somewhat cool with
trast ratio of 825:1.—GM
“The Servo-15 RULES! … lower than you can hear
and louder than you can stand.”
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The deepest, loudest, cleanest, most articulate bass on the planet is the sole
domain of Paradigm’s Servo-15. No other servo subwoofer delivers more impact.
None is more transparent. None more musical. (With one notable exception, the
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w w w . p a r a d i g m . c o m
from the test bench WESTINGHOUSE LVM-42W2
NUVISION NVX32HDU LCD
LCD HD HD MONITOR
MONITOR
[
The LVM-42w2 looked quite of the LCDs we’ve reviewed, pro-
good right out of the box. It offers ducing 0.064 foot-lamberts at the HIGHLIGHTS
three picture modes, vaguely 0 backlight setting. If you want a A noise-free, highly detailed
labeled Color 1, Color 2, and bright monitor for a bright room, 1080p image
Color 3. The default Color 1 set- it puts out a ridiculous 158.3 ft-L
A ton of HD inputs
ting is also the most accurate. at the 100 setting. If you’re look-
Within this mode, I only had to ing for a monitor to take with you
make minor adjustments to the to the park on a sunny afternoon,
contrast, brightness, color (called this is the one. 1080p resolution has something to
saturation), and tint (called hue) Like most LCDs, viewing angle is do with it, bringing out every bit
using Video Essentials’ test patterns an issue, as the black level rises of detail in the picture; but let’s
to render a pleasing, natural when you move even 45 degrees not forget about good color bal-
image. When we measured the off-axis.The picture is still watch- ance, excellent depth, and the
monitor in our lab, the results able but loses depth and color satu- nondigital nature of the image.
confirmed that the color temper- ration.This is especially true when They all work together to produce
ature tracks close to 7,000 Kelvin you view it from below, so you a beautiful picture.
across the board, with excellent don’t want to mount this LCD too Its screen size puts the monitor
red and blue color points. The high on the wall. On a positive note, in an interesting market position;
green color point is more greenish- the screen does not suffer from 42 inches is usually a plasma
blue, but it’s not oversaturated, light- or color-uniformity issues. screen size, while LCDs reside at
so it doesn’t throw the overall As for my favorite test, Video either 40 or 45 inches.This moni-
color balance off in a notice- Essentials’ quantization test pattern, tor is certainly less expensive than
able way. Calibration isn’t a the light-to-dark ramp was one any 40- or 45-inch LCD on the
necessity; however, should you of the smoothest I’ve seen in an market, most of which are still
choose to have it done, we were LCD flat panel, be it through 720p, but it’s also comparably
^ Westinghouse’s
remote provides dedicated able to calibrate the LVM-42w2 the component, HDMI, or DVI priced with many 42-inch plasmas,
buttons for VGA, S-video, to track right at 6,500 K through- input. I did see some slight band- again at 720p. That’ll certainly
and composite.
out much of the range. ing, but there were no large jumps make the plasma-versus-LCD
You can adjust the LCD’s back- in the grays, which means that the battle more interesting.
light in increments from 0 to 100. LVM-42w2 is capable of produc- Regardless of where your loyal-
We measured the monitor’s black ing most of the needed steps ties lie, it’s difficult not to be
level and light output at the 0, 50, between white and black to render impressed by the LVM-42w2’s per-
and 100 backlight settings; much a clean, noise-free image. formance. Just make sure you’re
to our surprise, the contrast ratio All of these positive perfor- ready now to enjoy all of the bene-
was excellent in all three (894:1, mance characteristics combine to fits of high definition. Get yourself
824:1, and 879:1, respectively). create excellent TV and DVD an HD cable or satellite package,
This gives the LVM-42w2 some images. Maybe a third reason to an upconverting DVD player, and
valuable flexibility in terms of call this a true HD monitor is that an Xbox 360.Then your only con-
91
suitable viewing environments. HDTV in particular looks so good cern will be what to do with all
If black level is your primary on the LVM-42w2. Yes, that those extra HD inputs.
84 95 83 96 88
The LVM-42w2 may lack many
features found in LCDs by the big-
name manufacturers, but it under-
stands its purpose: Render HDTV,
and render it very well. The fact
General information that it costs just $2,799 makes
LVM-42w2 LCD HD Monitor, $2,799 > Westinghouse Digital Electronics, (866) 287-5555, www.westinghousedigital.com that HD image look even better.
Dealer Locator Code WES
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from the
test bench MIDRANGE $$–$$$
Cordero Studios
crossover products—if you’re metal grille and seems to hang in
buying an all-Thiel system or inte- space.The red (off) or green (on)
grating Thiel subs with other man- glowing LED is also positioned
ufacturers’ speakers, ask your well behind the grille surface,
custom installer about these. making it appear like a little col-
Another problem Thiel identified ored specter. My review sample
was room interaction. This prob- came in the amberwood finish, a
lem is showing up on lots of radar rich dark brown wood veneer, with
screens, if the growing number of rounded corners and gold screws
room-equalized subs and receivers securing the front panel.
is any indication. However, full- The back panel includes RCA-
BY MARK FLEISCHMANN spectrum room EQ sometimes type mono line-level inputs and
creates more problems than it outputs and two XLR jacks for use
Even if Thiel hadn’t given solves.Thiel focuses on bass-related with the Thiel passive crossover
their new subwoofer line the slick problems—the area where most and SmartSub Integrator. Absent
name of SmartSub, I’d still say rooms are deficient.They diagnose is any crossover-frequency or
most subwoofers are stupid. Make them not as room resonances, phase control. As I mentioned
that stoopid. Granted, I’ve had which are hard to solve without above, Thiel prefers to handle
some good ones in the last few a bulldozer, but as boundary- these functions in a separate box,
years, and that’s no accident, since compensation problems, which although the sub will work with
no reviewer would willingly are more predictable.The result is the built-in crossover functions
[
the trains impressed me less than a That gig helped get him a job in
synthesized tone that kept kicking King Crimson. On Discipline, the
the musical soundtrack into high first Levin-enhanced Crimson HIGHLIGHTS
gear. Instead of the blurred blare album, he switches on some Delivers clean, low pitches,
I’d expect from a brute-force, big- tracks from bass guitar to Chapman and, in a sub, that’s what it’s
box sub, I heard a precise pitch. It Stick. The Stick is a long, hollow all about
didn’t pound—it hummed threat- fret board that a musician taps Substitutes subtlety for brute
eningly, giving chase scenes a dif- rather than plucks.The shimmer- force
ferent emotional feel. It created ing solo Stick introduction to Corrects for some room-
less anxiety and more excitement. “Elephant Talk” is as good as any- acoustic problems
Toy Story has a few great little thing anyone’s ever played on the
subwoofer-borne moments, from instrument, and, despite the
the simple blam of a backyard fire- absence of a Thiel crossover, it
cracker to the bass parts of Randy made the jump between the Thiel Back to Unreal Reality
Newman’s cheerful score. The sub and my main speakers quite Occasionally, a product comes
SmartSub SS1 didn’t overplay any coherently. Just as impressive was along and sweeps away all expec-
of them, and I appreciated that. the Stick’s majestic growl on “The tations, and the Thiel SmartSub
Tony Levin was the focus of my Sheltering Sky.” Because the SS1 did just that. It reminded me
musical demos.What better way to Stick’s richly woody hollow- how crucial a player the sub-
celebrate first-class bass than with a bodied harmonic signature is so woofer is in a home theater
first-class bassist? I’ve always loved different from that of a bass system. Even if you can’t spend
his part in “On the Air,” from Peter guitar, the SmartSub SS1 was $2,900 (or more) for a sub-
Gabriel’s second album. As I ran influential here, as well. My cat woofer, you should still find your-
through it again for the first time in endorsed this track by lying down self a Thiel dealer, audition the
years—on vinyl, no less—the famil- in front of the sub. SmartSub SS1 or one of its larger
iar sound of Levin running like a Levin has made his fortune as brothers, and hear what genuinely
panther in a pack of wolves was just session man to the stars, substitut- deep-pitched and taut bass sounds
as I’d remembered it, but I’d forgot- ing sensitivity for anonymity. His like.You might find your expecta-
ten about his supple playing beneath touch transforms songs like tions for bass performance slip-
the song’s midsection. His bass lines “Watching the Wheels,” from ping up a notch. Maybe the first
swoop up and down a fair amount, Double Fantasy by John Lennon and step toward attaining the system
and the SmartSub SS1’s disciplined Yoko Ono, and again the Thiel sub of your dreams is to dream a
aluminum driver assisted by holding maintained its proportion when better dream.
it all together, preventing the higher those powerful hands moved * Mark Fleischmann is the author of
94
pitches from swelling out of propor- momentarily from the lower Practical Home Theater, available
tion to the lower ones. strings to the higher ones. through www.quietriverpress.com.
98 89 95 96 94
but it’s a promise rarely fulfilled.
Thiel’s SmartSub SS1, though
expensive and slightly small, deliv-
ers on that promise with impres-
sive low-frequency performance.
General information Not everyone can afford it, but
SmartSub SS1 Subwoofer, $2,900 > Thiel Audio, (859) 254-9427, www.thielaudio.com > Dealer Locator Code THI everyone should hear it.
Designed for
Entertainment
MID-STATE Co.
2600 Bell Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50321
Phone: 515-244-7231
Fax: 515-244-0828
National Wats: 1-800-798-2568
e-mail: mstate@m-state.com
from the
test bench ENTRY LEVEL $–$$
Cordero Studios
nected to a single box. information—essentially, the
As I speed-dial my cell phone Earlier this year, ZVOX went all extent of the soundfield-widening
to reach my wife in the kitchen, to shrinky-dink and introduced the effect—via the PhaseCue knob.
ask her to bring me another Dr. Mini. As the name suggests, the Set it lower for a more traditional
Pepper, it hits me: People want it Mini is a more compact version sound or higher for more process-
easy. Too often, however, “easy” of the original sound console. It’s ing and a wider effect. The large
and “home theater” don’t mix, less than half the size but maintains quantity of available bass further
unless, for example, you have the the same basic design and full conveys the illusion of size. The
means and the know-how to hire a amplifier power. Each of the three right speaker in turn combines the
good custom installer to hook up main loudspeaker drivers is now right signal with R–L info, while
your gear and configure your uni- 2.5 inches in diameter, and the mono center speaker plays an
versal remote. ZVOX clearly the three split 20 of the system’s L+R signal. This same L+R infor-
understands the critical anti-work 40 total watts. The remaining power mation that, once filtered, also
ethic of home entertainment. is reserved for the new 4-by-6-inch feeds the subwoofer. Power is dis-
Their original 315 Sound Console subwoofer. Another improvement is tributed to the three individual
(in our April 2005 issue) connects the addition of an idiot-proof speakers according to the dictates
to a TV or audio source with a remote control with only two of the current PhaseCue setting.
comforting “Set it, and forget it!” buttons: volume up and down. Interestingly, when PhaseCue is
philosophy, previously applicable fully turned down, the Mini does
only in the realm of Ron Popeil’s Z Secret not default to a 2.1 role with a
famous rotisseries. ZVOX’s goal is If you’re new to ZVOX, or if mute center and no processing.
to deliver spacious home theater you’ve had a few too many Instead, the left and right drivers
[
mono L+R center driver and sub- There are no vents on the top or HIGHLIGHTS
woofer are active. the bottom, so you can place the
Drastic improvement over most
A key benefit of the product Mini on top of other gear, and you
onboard TV audio in about two
design and its internal audio can stack components atop it with-
minutes
processing is the freedom to place out leading to excessive heat
Compact new styling allows place-
the unit in a variety of different buildup. I prefer to leave the rear-
ment in even tighter spaces, or
locations and still hear clear, pow- panel subwoofer-level knob at about
on the go
erful sound. You get even greater 90 percent. This is ideal for most
User-friendly design tweaks,
placement freedom thanks to the listening situations, as the bass can
though naturally not quite as
AT A GLANCE ZVOX MINI SOUND CONSOLE AMPLIFIED AUDIO SYSTEM big sounding as a full 5.1 system
> FEATURES
Enclosure Type:
Left/Center/Right: Acoustic suspension slightly overpower the other chan-
Subwoofer: Bandpass nels when turned all the way up.
Speaker Type: Full-range driver
(size in inches, type): 2.5, paper with
Also on the back panel is a three-
neodymium magnets ( 3) position power switch. If you leave
Subwoofer this switch in the standby position
(size in inches, type): 4 x 6 (oval), bandpass rather than on or off, you should
Amp Power (watts): 40
These listings are based on the manufacturer’s stat- Available Finishes: Black, White, Silver
never need to fuss with it.
ed specs; the HT Labs box below indicates the gear’s
performance on our test bench. Dimensions The Mini’s instructions fit in
(H x W x D, in inches): 3.3 x 13 x 10 their entirety onto a single sheet of
Weight ( pounds): 8.8 paper, and the setup was an
> CONNECTIONS uneventful two-minute process. I
Inputs: Stereo minijack (2) simply connected the included
Outputs: Subwoofer output via minijack number 2 analog stereo-to-miniplug cable
from my TV’s variable audio
HT Labs Measures: ZVOX Mini Sound Console Amplified Audio System
output to the Mini. Or I could have
This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close- just run the mini-to-mini cable out
miking of all woofers) frequency response of the center of the TV headphone jack. The
channel (purple trace) and subwoofer (blue trace). The
loudspeaker was measured with the grille at a distance
sight was refreshingly minimalist,
of 1 meter and scaled for display purposes. with only an audio input and an AC
The center channel’s listening-window response (a power cable to worry about.
five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal In all of my demos, PhaseCue
and vertical responses) measures +1.97/–2.41 decibels
from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3-dB point is at gave a definite goose to the dia-
254 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 205 Hz. logue. It was certainly not as dis-
The subwoofer’s close-miked response, normalized tinct as a dedicated center channel,
to the level at 80 Hz, indicates that the lower –3-dB
point is at 63 Hz and the –6-dB point is at 57 Hz. The
but it created a convincing phantom-
90
upper –3-dB point is at 156 Hz.—MJP like effect. The evident detail in the
surrounds during Master and
Samsung SyncMaster
244T LCD Monitor
Start clearing room on your desktop.
capable of displaying high- The elegance of this new monitor
definition resolutions, includ- combined with the many menu
ing 480p, 720p, 1080i, and options made this a very noticeable
1080p. Just as importantly, it omission. Switching between the
at your fingertips, and you can nav- source, size, and position. There is ing the monitor to the user’s specific
igate via the up, down, and select also a nifty split-screen configura- needs, be they work, play, or a com-
buttons along the lower-right edge. tion, made possible by the screen’s bination. MagicTune 4.0 provides
In addition to reporting statistics 16:10 canvas. While the extent of basic tabs for picture, color, and
like current resolution and any the possible customization is really more, with sliders to adjust bright-
custom picture settings, the menus inspiring, I also longed for a remote ness, contrast, color tone (aka
invite you to choose handy names control, especially on features such temperature), gamma, and the sat-
for the various inputs from a drop- as PIP, which are familiar from, and uration of six different colors. There
down list: DVD, D-VHS, VCR, and much easier in, the living room. is also a five-step color-calibration
so on. Here, you can also make the A suite of nifty new software on tool, although it lacks any sort of
most of the PIP window, specifying the bundled CD is all about tweak- onscreen instructions and is
therefore difficult to use. Even so,
AT A GLANCE SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 244T LCD MONITOR MagicTune 4.0 was where I spent
most of my time, as it is the most
> CONNECTIONS comprehensive of the tools and
Inputs: is typically more friendly and
Video: Component (1), S-video (1), interactive than most TV calibra-
> FEATURES composite (1), DVI (1),
tion menus. MagicColor and
VGA (1)
Type: LCD
Audio: None MagicColor Pro are also accessible
Screen Size (diagonal) 24 inches
Native Resolution / Aspect Ratio: 1,920 by 1,200 / 16:10 via the onscreen menus. They offer
Outputs: further options, such as Color
Lamp Life 20,000 hours
Video: None
Wall Mount or Stand Included?: Stand Weakness for those with special
Audio: None
Available Finishes: Silver, Black
viewing concerns. The now-
Dimensions (H x W x D, inches): 14.4 x 22 x 3.6
Weight ( pounds): 21.1 Additional: USB 2.0 (2) streamlined Natural Color 2.0
Price: $1,699 color-management system is much
easier to use. It helped me perfectly
HT Labs Measures: Samsung SyncMaster balance my reds, greens, and
blues in less than two minutes,
244T LCD Monitor compensating for factors such as
room light and eye-to-screen dis-
7500 0.7
Samsung tance. Happily, after you’ve installed
0.6 Green Color Temperature
7000
Green
the software, you don’t need the
Color Temperature
0.5
actual disc to perform any of these
0.4
6500
D6500 K
Samsung Red setups. The MagicBright function
0.3 Red
6000
provides one-button access to the
0.2 DTV Phosphors
D6500
four brightness and contrast presets:
5500
0.1 Samsung Blue
Color Temp - After
Entertain (high brightness for DVD
20 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 Blue
IRE
0
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
and video playback), Internet (a
medium boost to brightness), and
0.117 109.5 The left chart shows the 244T’s gray scale relative to the Normal and Custom options.
> Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio—936:1; ANSI its color temperature at various levels of intensity, or
Contrast Ratio—864:1 brightness (20 IRE is dark gray; 100 IRE is bright white).
Should Samsung’s engineers’ idea of
The gray scale as set by the factory, in the Warm2 the proper brightness and contrast
> Measured Resolution with the Leader LT-446
color-temperature mode measures slightly cool with not match yours, you can quickly
(via component):
dark images and slightly warm with brighter images.
480: 470 (per picture height) tweak both via the onscreen display.
The darkest images were bluish-green.
720p: 620 (pph) Many of the settings have auto-
The right chart shows the gray scale (or color tem-
1080i: 820 (pph)
perature) relative to the color points of the display’s matically suggested values, such as
> DC Restoration (poor, average, good, excellent): red, green, and blue color filters. These are fairly close the automatic Dynamic, Standard,
Excellent to those specified by SMPTE. Red is very slightly under-
saturated. Blue is very slightly greenish-blue. Green is and Movie picture presets. The
> Color Decoder (poor, average, good, excellent):
Excellent
slightly bluish-green. Standard preset delivers a sharp
After calibration, and using a full-field 100-IRE image under brighter circumstances,
> Measured Color Points: white (109.5 foot-lamberts) and a full-field 0-IRE black
Red Color Point: x=0.634, y=0.329 (0.117 ft-L), the contrast ratio was 936:1. Using a 16-box
Green Color Point: x=0.286, y=0.601 checkerboard pattern (ANSI contrast), the contrast
Blue Color Point: x=0.146, y=0.063 ratio was 864:1.—GM
[
244T’s rendition of the HD
HIGHLIGHTS image’s precise details was ATI All-in-Wonder X1900
nothing short of magnifi- Offspring of ATI’s Radeon X1900, the world’s fastest consumer 3D graph-
Large, widescreen monitor for cent, but this level of qual- ics processor, the ATI All-in-Wonder X1900 is an affordable, single-card
serious computer entertainment solution for high-end gaming, video capture, playback, and TV viewing,
ity is a double-edged
(and work, I suppose) with both an NTSC tuner and an interactive programming guide. The PCI
sword. Yes, I noticed Express interface enables high video bandwidth, while the 32-bit, multi-
Supports a variety of high- minutiae I never saw threaded shader core with 48-pixel pipelines (shaders create the often
definition standards: 1080p
before, like the pattern of complex surfaces of 3D objects) performs akin to more expensive dedicat-
resolution, DVI input, HDCP ed graphics cards. It has a 500-megahertz clock-speed graphics engine
the screen door when the
Gorgeous to look at, especially T-1000 stops by John and a whopping 256 megabytes of super-fast GDDR3 RAM for the most
after calibration demanding games. Advanced adaptive antialiasing also drastically
Connor’s house. But I was reduces distracting jaggies, delivered via up to 1080i high-definition com-
simultaneously more aware ponent video output from the included adapter. It also has dual integrated
of imperfections suddenly DVI outs at up to 1080p. The Windows XP Media Center
Dynamic is sharper still, and Movie exposed, like the some- Edition–compatible AiW X1900 features ATI’s Avivo technology for realis-
assumes darker surroundings and times-serious occasions of tic video reproduction, combined with the benefit of hardware-
assisted decoding of the soon-to-be-everywhere H.264
provides a warmer color tone. film grain. The range and
video codec, easing the load on your CPU.
Again, a Custom option is also here, subtlety of colors were also > $499 • (888) 974-6728 • www.ati.com
and it can save and recall personal a striking revelation. I
preferences. MagicColor can run in could directly patch in an outboard on the screen that the SyncMaster
Intelligent mode, enhancing most DVD deck via standard component 244T couldn’t handle with grace.
colors but preserving skin tones. Or video cables and watch that in PIP The width and overall surface
it can run in Full mode, enhancing while the HD version played, for area also ably fill the field of vision in
everything. It can also display an on- the ultimate A/B comparison. As a near-field desktop environment.
the-fly demo, showing the left side often happens with high-end gear, Of course, a drastic step-up prod-
of the screen with MagicColor and you are limited by the source mate- uct does take a little getting used to.
the right side without, which makes rial, so traditional applications and When a predominately white Word
a pretty persuasive case. the streaming of smaller windows document like this article is open,
of compressed video looked fine. the SyncMaster 244T tended to
Let the Games Begin Gamewise, the SyncMaster 244T light up half my office like a
With the SyncMaster 244T prop- took everything I threw at it, lamp. Mousing also took on a
erly tuned, it was time to fire up including some of the most new cadence, as I now need to
my HTPC rig—tricked out around demanding recent games set at their cover a larger area and a different
a 3.6-gigahertz Intel Pentium 4 highest resolutions. The monitor shape. The SyncMaster 244T also
processor with Hyper-Threading also delivered the textures and takes a little longer to warm up than
and the new ATI All-in-Wonder light/shadow details my ATI graph- some LCDs, but such minuses are
X1900 multimedia video card (see ics card rendered in all of their almost negligible, while the bene-
sidebar). I relish any opportunity glory. I saw only the most minimal fits are substantial. Priced lower
to scrutinize the Windows Media instances of ghosting, even during than Samsung’s big flat panels of
Video HD version of Terminator 2: fast-action scenarios, and I saw vir- years past and better-featured to
90
Judgment Day, found on disc two of tually no streaking of images, boot, the SyncMaster 244T is cer-
the T2 Extreme DVD. The short regardless of content. There was tainly an investment, but one you
answer is that the SyncMaster nothing my HTPC could throw up can feel good about.
SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 244T LCD MONITOR OVERALL RATING
Build Quality Value Features Performance Ergonomics
> Remarkably tight fit > Costs more than > Exceptional connec- > An outstanding > Clean lines and a
and finish most people’s PCs, but tivity, plus HDCP performer on all HTPC well-designed stand, but
worth every penny duties the USB hub is a mixed
> Substantial heft due > Has lots of easy-to- blessing
largely to the integrated > DVI and component use, beneficial calibra- > Stellar picture quality
power supply video cables included! tion tools and display makes it an alternative > A remote control is
options to a traditional HDTV sorely missed Most computer monitors are too
91 88 93 90 85
small to provide a real HT feel, but
what’s too big to be practical?
The 24-inch widescreen format of
the SyncMaster 244T might be
right at the sweet spot, and the
General information multiple inputs and dazzling video
SyncMaster 244T, $1,699 > Samsung Electronics America, (800) SAMSUNG, www.samsung.com > Dealer Locator Code SAM make it a clear winner.
HOME ENTERTAINMENT SHOW 2006 JUNE 1– 4
THE ULTIMATE IN HOME ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY
4 Days • 5 Floors • 10 Concerts • 250 Brands • Unlimited Possibilities
hotter L.A.?
than
the
What’s in
The new
stars
ways
you can
see or
listen
to them.
Enjoy
live music
Sheraton Gateway Hotel
6101 West Centura Blvd.
Los Angeles, California
310.642.1111
ON THE SHELF
APRIL DVDS ANNOUNCED AFTER LAST MONTH’S DEADLINE:
April 4th:
Blue Thunder Special Edition (Sony Pictures)
Ushpizin (New Line)
April 11th:
Unfinished Life (Miramax)
April 18th:
Breakfast on Pluto (Sony Pictures)
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities (Magnolia)
Hostel (Sony Pictures)
Klepto (Magnolia)
Mercenary for Justice (20th Century Fox)
Moonstruck: Deluxe Edition (MGM/UA)
April 25th:
Casanova (Touchstone)
Casualties of War: Extended Cut (Sony Pictures)
Crumb Special Edition (Sony Pictures)
led complicated, dense lives, and their biopics reflect that complexity with running MAY DVDS ANNOUNCED BY PRESS TIME:
times of three hours or more. In Walk the Line, director and cowriter James Mangold May 2nd:
Baby Boom/Mr. Mom (MGM)
shows remarkable restraint in telling the story of his idol, Johnny Cash, in just over two Delicatessan (Miramax)
hours. Cash’s life was no less dense, no less complicated. But Dinosaurs: The Complete First and Second Seasons (Disney)
Eight Days a Week (Warner Brothers)
Mangold chose to focus on the events leading up to 1968, a pivotal The Family Stone (20th Century Fox)
year in which Cash recorded At Folsom Prison, kicked his decade-long Hoodwinked (Genius Products)
King of the Hill Season Six (20th Century Fox)
drug habit, and married June Carter. Up to that point, Cash lived Modern Romance (Sony Pictures)
a troubled, haunted existence, but, in 1968, he found redemption. Return to Me/At First Sight (MGM)
Ritual (Buena Vista)
That, for Mangold, was the story to tell, and he tells it very well. Syriana (Warner Brothers)
Walk the Line is available on DVD in a full-screen version, a wide- The Warrior (Buena Vista)
screen version, and a two-disc Collector’s Edition. We received the May 9th:
Big Momma’s House 2 (20th Century Fox)
widescreen version, which is also disc one in the Collector’s Edition. Family Guy: Freakin’ Sweet Collection (UMD, 20th Century Fox)
The packaging lists the aspect ratio as 2.39:1 anamorphic, but it Family Stone (20th Century Fox)
Golden Girls Season Five (Buena Vista)
measures closer to 2.23:1, leaving more black space along the Grandma’s Boy (20th Century Fox)
bottom of the screen than the top. This doesn’t detract from the The Poseidon Adventure (20th Century Fox)
Puff, Puff, Pass (Sony Pictures)
attractive transfer, which boasts natural colors and a fine amount of Ronin Collector’s Edition (MGM/UA)
detail. Not surprisingly, the disc’s best attributes are its Dolby Rumor Has It (Warner Brothers)
Scrubs Season Three (Buena Vista)
Digital 5.1 and DTS soundtracks, which do an outstanding job rendering both dialogue That ’70s Show Season Four (20th Century Fox)
and music. The simplicity of Cash’s signature guitar/bass/vocals sound will highlight The Towering Inferno (20th Century Fox)
X-Men (UMD, 20th Century Fox)
the strengths in a well-balanced 5.1 system and make for some great demo material. X-Men 2 (UMD, 20th Century Fox)
The bulk of the bonus content is reserved for the Collector’s Edition: extended music May 16th:
sequences, a making-of, and featurettes about the Folsom Prison concert and Johnny and The Big Valley Season One (20th Century Fox)
Hill Street Blues Season Two (20th Century Fox)
June. On this disc, you get 10 deleted scenes with optional commentary by Mangold and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Warner Brothers)
a full-length commentary track by Mangold. I must say, it’s one of the more engaging Napoleon Dynamite Collector’s Edition (20the Century Fox)
The Ringer (20th Century Fox)
commentaries I’ve heard, especially for a solo track. Mangold’s passion for filmmak- Tristan & Isolde (20th Century Fox)
ing and music is clear, and his insights complement May 23rd:
the onscreen story without being redundant. Per- Big Momma’s House 2 (20th Century Fox)
Boondock Saints (UMD, 20th Century Fox)
haps DVD is what allowed Mangold to show Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (20th Century Fox)
such restraint with the film, knowing that he The Dirty Dozen Special Edition (Warner Brothers)
Donnie Darko (UMD, 20th Century Fox)
would later have a platform to tell the rest of the Kingdom of Heaven Director’s Cut (20th Century Fox)
story for those who want to hear it. M*A*S*H Season Ten (20th Century Fox)
Tora! Tora! Tora! Special Edition (20th Century Fox)
May 30th:
www.hometheatermag.com > Home Theater / May 2006 109 The Bette Davis Collection Volume 2 (Warner Brothers)
Marilyn Monroe: The 80th Birthday Celebration Collection
(20th Century Fox)
CRITIC’S COUCH
DVD: North Country—Warner Brothers
Reference CORNER In this thought-provoking film inspired
by a true story, acclaimed New Zealand
director Niki Caro (Whale Rider) offers
When Good DVDs viewers another portrait of a courageous
heroine breaking the gender barrier to
Happen to Bad overcome traditionally
male-dominated roles.
Movies, Part 1 In an Oscar-worthy
performance, Charlize
Or, Tony Scott strikes again. Theron brings unaffected
by Chris Chiarella
authenticity to her role as
The sort-of-true story about the daughter of actor Josey Aimes, an abused
Laurence Harvey who turned her back on a life of glam- young mother who sets
our and privilege to become a bounty hunter, Domino out on her own, landing
is unnecessarily complicated, often meandering, and a back-breaking job at
never as funny or as deep as it tries to be. Most an iron mine in Northern
tedious is the running “joke” involving Beverly Hills Minnesota during the late 1980s. She and
90210 alumni Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green, and her female coworkers become victims of
the oh-so-poignant “heads you live, tails you die” quarter incessant abuse from the men who resent
stolen from a church collection plate. Even director Tony their presence. After being ostracized by
Scott’s stylistic flourishes, such as the clever subtitles, her family and coworkers for standing
which were inventive when used in his vastly superior up to injustice, she decides to fight back,
Man on Fire, here seem tiresome, redundant, and filing a ground-breaking class-action
forced. Perhaps affected by the sudden demise of the sexual-harassment lawsuit.
real-life Domino, a promising movie with some won- The film unfolds in a series of flash-
derful performances winds up a great big mess. backs with a muted color palette, reflect-
Scott’s conspicuous manipulation of color, contrast, and film grain are in full evidence here, ing the bleakness of Josey’s life. The
and these contribute to a spectacular DVD image. The 2.40:1 anamorphic frame is crystal clear 2.40:1 anamorphic picture is natural
when it wants to be—notably in those moments when the camera holds on Lucy Liu’s freckles, looking with a slight softness at times.
Keira Knightley’s peach fuzz, or the pits in Mickey Rourke’s battle-weary face. At other times, it’s An atmospheric Dolby Digital 5.1 sound-
a dance of shifting focus and obvious film-processing techniques. This disc effortlessly captures track makes subtle use of the surround
a variety of distinct looks over the course of its two hours. While halos vex some characters in speakers with easy-to-understand dia-
certain lighting situations, I would call this a stunning transfer, regardless. logue. Music by Gustavo Santaolalla
The setup screen informs us that the audio—Dolby EX and DTS ES—has been optimized for hauntingly resonates the somber mood of
home theater with no re-EQ required, a bit of virtual advice I’ve never seen before on a DVD. And the picture, with Bob Dylan, a Minnesota
this is no idle boast: With nary a tweak to my receiver, I enjoyed a perfectly balanced soundfield with native, contributing several songs.
unsullied dialogue. The surrounds were subtly atmospheric, while, simultaneously, there is a dis- Special features are scant but include a
crete directionality. Highs were remarkably crisp, and, when the bass was not conveying the mighty fascinating making-of documentary that
destruction of Winnebagos or helicopters, it was reinforcing the finer points of a raid or a shootout. highlights interviews with the real women
This New Line Platinum Series release is rather bonus-laden for a single disc. A commentary who inspired the story. A segment of
track and a secondary story-meets-audio-montage option bring together the director, the writer, deleted scenes is also worth a watch.
and the executive producer, plus actor/musician Tom Waits. A 20-minute featurette about the North Country is a powerful and beauti-
true-life Domino Harvey offers supplemental audio of the screenwriter interviewing the bounty ful film that will likely provoke a strong
huntress. Or you can sit through a 10-minute course on Scott’s visual methodology. Seven deleted, emotional response and inspire dialogue
extended, and alternate scenes are also included with optional commentary. DVD-ROM fans can on an issue that still impacts our times.
access the full printable screenplay as well as a script-to-screen feature synced to the movie. You —Corrina Jones
can even scan forward or back in the script while the movie plays in a window. A character map
on the left lights up as people in Domino’s life come and go from scene to scene.
New Line scores again with another technical stunner festooned with interactive goodies. But
I remain perplexed by the celebration of such mediocrity as Domino while worthy hits like Fox’s
Home Alone and Warner’s The Road Warrior languish in substandard editions.
• Casters
DVD: The Chumscrubber—DreamWorks DVD: Bambi II—Buena Vista
Suburban angst and dysfunction are prime “Your mother can’t be with you anymore,”
fodder for films and TV, whether it be intones the Great Prince, a regal buck, to • Removable Backs
housewives that seem desperate or disaf- young Bambi, thus setting into motion the
fected teens too heavily medicated to events of this modern-day follow-up to the • Interchangeable
even communicate with each other. The timeless classic. Voiced by Patrick Stewart, Door Panels
Chumscrubber falls into the latter category the Great Prince breaks with tradition by
and presents a world all too familiar, while taking everyone’s favorite fawn under • High Capacity
retaining its individuality in the genre. hoof, teaching Bambi the ways of the forest, Media Storage
The film follows Dean (Jamie Bell) as he while bonding with his son. Consider this
copes with the suicide of his best friend, Bambi: The Formative Year. • Internal Lighting
the major supplier of pharmaceuticals to Disney animators
the high-school community. Naturally, his returned to the com-
parents are indifferent, and his fellow stu- pany’s classical style, • Whisper Fan
Ventilation
dents just want their drugs again. The film delivering visuals that
has many diverging threads that all con- could be seamlessly
nect in the end, integrated into the • Integrated Surge
courtesy of a 1942 original. The Protection
wonderful acting emphasis is on the
ensemble that’s scenic meadows and • Articulating
too long to list. forest flora, and Bambi Cantilever Arm
The film itself and Thumper haven’t
looks fantastic, changed a bit. The detail in the 1.78:1 • R/L/C/Sub
presented in anamorphic presentation is stunning, as Speaker Storage
glorious 2.40:1, well, and it all looks comfortably familiar.
anamorphically The soundtracks, Dolby Digital 5.1
enhanced for your and DTS, are modern all the way. They • Steel Perforated
Shelves
widescreen televi- match well with 2005’s Bambi Platinum
sion. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track sounds Edition but are potentially jarring to tra-
good, even if it’s best used in a limited ditionalists used to the original’s mono • Internal Wire
amount of sequences. The animated track. But forest ambiance is nicely ren- Management
Chumscrubber bit within the film is a prime dered, and the dialogue is firmly anchored
example of how far the film pushes the in the center channel. • Fully Assembled
home theater experience. The movie As this is a made-for-DVD sequel,
looks better than most quirky films of there’s no second disc of material—nor is • Screwed and
this ilk, and it features James Horner’s one needed. But the extras you’ll find on Glued Joinery
best score in years. the disc are slim. There’s a short making-
The special features include a rather of, which includes the voice talent and
• Made in the USA
dry commentary from director Arie Posin goes into the initial intimidation the film-
and screenwriter Zac Stanford. There’s makers felt at following up on such a
also the obligatory behind-the-scenes beloved film. There’s also a visual trivia
featurette, which is far more informa- track, a rather tedious game, and a tutor-
tive, if just a bit too brief. ial on drawing Thumper. Sure, it’s not
The Chumscrubber is a worthwhile film, The Lion King, but a little more attention
comparable to Donnie Darko, without the to extras would have been welcome. Award winning home theater
sci-fi element. It’s a very good addition to —Gary Frisch furniture designed exclusively for
the genre.—Michael Prince
Plasma, DLP, and LCD TVs.
www.diamondcase.com
800-616-5354
All Aboard!
Step into Miyazaki’s magic flying machine.
by Aimee C. Giron
If you could travel into Hayao Miyazaki’s head, wisdom and grace found in
you would experience otherworldly adventures few works for any medium.
into forests governed by spirits and fantastical It is accessible to even the
flights, and meet children who see the world youngest child, yet it
through their souls instead of their eyes. Spend respects the intelligence of
a moment in his colorful world, and you might the most literate and culti-
never see things the same way again. vated adult.” Howl’s Moving
It would be unjust to see his films simply as The visuals (in a 1.85:1 anamorphic presenta- Castle
beautiful works of art; each one bares a part of tion) are stunning, with gorgeous color and detail. If you were fortunate
Miyazaki’s soul, demonstrated by his meticu- The Dolby Digital 2.0 track is equally exceptional, enough to be swept
lous drawing method and high regard for the and, for a mostly dialogue-oriented film, surround off your feet by
hand-drawn art form. sound is not necessary. Special features include Miyazaki’s Spirited
Earlier this year, Hayao Miyazaki received his the featurette “Behind the Microphone,” original Away, get ready to
second Academy Award nomination for Best trailers, and complete storyboards. take off once again in
Animated Feature. In 2003, the Oscar went home Howl’s Moving Castle.
with the acclaimed Japanese filmmaker for his Whisper of the Heart Sophie is a simple
animated picture Spirited Away. A touching story about discovering one’s per- girl with a simple life.
Here is a look at some of the latest Miyazaki sonal passion, Whisper of the Heart features After a fateful visit
releases procured from Studio Ghibli. Shizuku, a schoolgirl who realizes her talent and from the Witch of the Waste, Sophie is cursed and
love of writing. Fellow student Seiji Amasawa turned into an old woman, and she must escape
My Neighbor Totoro has dreams of his own—to to the hills where she finds
Satsuki and her younger sister Mei are moving into become a world-class Howl, the famous wizard. While
their new home. With their mother sick and their violin maker. Both he and he is the one with extraordinary
father at work during the day, the girls are left Shizuku inspire each other abilities, Sophie ultimately
mostly on their own. One afternoon, Mei wan- to pursue their creative bears the power to transform
ders into the forest where she discovers a myste- endeavors amidst the con- Howl beyond his present state
rious creature known as Totoro, a forest spirit ventional academic expec- of malevolence.
whom only children can see. They become friends, tations of their parents. Based on Diana Wynne
and Totoro finds different ways to help the two What is most surprising Jones’ novel, Howl’s Moving
girls in their struggle as he takes them on an emo- about Whisper is Miyazaki’s Castle is a unique tale about
tional journey between his world and theirs. encouragement to move stories we have heard before,
Hailed as one of the toward something, even at encompassing everything from
greatest children’s films the cost of breaking social fantasy, to self-discovery, and, of
ever made, Totoro exhibits norms. While he does not course, the search for true love.
Miyazaki’s attention to condone total abandon of The 1.85:1 anamorphic pic-
detail, along with his one’s education, the film ture does justice to this exquis-
respect for both the ani- emphasizes the importance of listening to one’s ite story—the precise detailing and bright colors
mated medium and his heart, a message not often encouraged by a culture are impeccable. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is
audience. In her book, known for its unwavering focus on academics. also praiseworthy and sure to give your sur-
Hayao Miyazaki: Master Available in anamorphic 1.85:1, the video quality rounds some exercise. Special features include
of Japanese Animation, in Whisper seems the least improved of the three the featurettes “Behind the Microphone,”
Helen McCarthy says that releases here. The picture is soft and the colors dull. “Interview with Pixar Animation Director Pete
the film’s “apparent sim- The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is redeeming, however, Docter,” and “Hayao Miyazaki visits Pixar
plicity masks a depth of and carries the film’s soundtrack magnificently. Animation Studios” and complete storyboards.
CRITIC’S COUCH
DVD: The Dukes of Hazzard Unrated DVD: Crash Two-Disc Director’s Cut DVD: Lady and the Tramp 50th
Edition—Warner Brothers Edition—Lionsgate Anniversary Edition—Buena Vista
I have a pretty low opinion of remakes of This is a special one. The newly minted Disney’s love letter to dogs everywhere,
classic TV shows. But I loved The Dukes of Academy Award winner for Best Motion Lady and the Tramp remains a sweet, funny
Hazzard when I was a kid, and the cast Picture is set in L.A., but it could be adventure. This new 50th Anniversary
and crew on this one seemed like they about all of America, warts and all. Paul Edition replaces the
could reproduce the Haggis’ script (he also directed) has 1999 movie-only
stupid fun of the TV such depth and insight into thoughts release, extensively
show. Well, I think that we have—sometimes fleeting, restored, remixed,
they did a great job. sometimes ones that are ingrained about and remastered.
That’s right—I think race, stereotypes, and prejudice—that The extra-wide
this movie is fun and it makes you question yourself. The 2.55:1 anamorphic
funny. To anyone performances are superb. The cast image is hypnotically
expecting more, I have turns in Oscar-worthy performances beautiful, first and
to ask, “Did you ever all around. foremost for the
see the TV show?” It The 2.35:1 anamorphic picture cap- wide range of rich,
stars Johnny Knoxville tures the beauty and grunge of L.A., in blemish-free colors.
and Seann William both its landscape and its citizens’ actions. The background details become more evi-
Scott, who have made The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is a dent the longer you watch. You can almost
careers of having fun in perfect platform for the absolutely stun- read the text on Lady’s housebreaking
bad movies, and Jessica ning score by Mark Isham, which is, newspaper. The strength of the blacks is
Simpson, who allegedly has a career doing simply put, one of the great ones. When revealed in the effortless blend of light and
something. The plot revolves around the I think of Crash, I immediately think of heavy shadow in many scenes. Since the
Duke boys needing to save Uncle Jesse’s the music—poignant, ethereal, and so film is only 76 minutes, a full-frame pre-
farm (duh). An oddly cast Burt lump-in-the-throat-inducing. sentation is also available on disc one, a
Reynolds is pretty good as Boss Hogg, Standout extras pan-scan of the widescreen and not the
and a simply odd Willie Nelson is sur- include featurettes reframed version of the movie that was
prisingly funny. on L.A. itself and created by the studio for those theaters
The anamorphic 2.35:1 picture is the cultural influ- unprepared to show CinemaScope in 1955.
pretty clean, with very little noise. It’s ences thereof, The audio is typical of Disney Enhanced
not quite as detailed as it could be. The including interest- Home Theater Mixes, particularly those
Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is pretty loud ing interviews heard on the real classics. Surround effects
throughout, although the dialogue is still with the mayor are subtle. Maybe it’s a train or bicycle bell
audible over the music and sound effects. and other com- in the surrounds, some directionality of
The extras are almost as much fun as munity leaders. offscreen voices, or music spread across
the movie itself. The behind-the-scenes Crash is purely the 5.1 channels, but never distractingly
documentary is great, as is the featurette on another level. so. Purists might want to stick with the
on all the car jumps (no computer graph- Just when you think you understand what’s cleaned-up mono track, which is also excel-
ics!). There are a few other short fea- going on, the movie turns you on your lent, instead of the Dolby Digital 5.1 track.
turettes, a bunch of deleted scenes, and a ear. It’s a fantastic depiction of how looks An entire second platter’s worth of
ton of gag takes. Also included is Jessica can be deceiving, how it may be right to extras comes on strong for the kids, with
Simpson’s embarrassing “These Boots Are question initial instincts and how first an onscreen board game, a Virtual Puppy
Made for Walking” video. impressions aren’t always what they seem. DVD-ROM feature, and the infotaining
If you like dumb movies, or the dumb When all the pieces fall into place on a “PuppyPedia.” There’s a making-of, some
TV show this was based on, this one is defi- film, you get art that’s thoughtful and deleted scenes, and in-depth looks at story-
nitely worth a rental.—Geoffrey Morrison brilliant.—Tony DeCarlo boarding for us grownups.—Chris Chiarella
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CURTAIN CALL
by Michael j. Nelson
I
take a back seat to no one when it comes to being on top of a difficult install with no circus peanuts on hand!) Take
of the latest technology trends. I was one of the earliest the equipment home, uncrate it, and hastily rip out your
adopters of battery-powered socks. When five-blade beloved five-channel system, the one about which you
razors hit the store shelves, there I was camping out in assured all your visitors, “It don’t get no better than this!”
front of the pharmacy so that I could be the first to expe- The most difficult part, aside from the growing anxiety
rience the sensation of shaving my whiskers down to the over how you’ll sell this to your spouse (use a circus
subatomic level. Clearly, I live on the “bleeding edge.” peanut to tamp down the dread), is wiring up the two
So, it is with some embarrassment that I confess I had additional surround speakers. If, like me, you have a work-
not, until recently, taken advantage of the many, now- room adjacent to one side of your home theater, snake the
not-so-new seven-channel formats: Dolby EX, DTS ES, wire into that, then begin crawling up a shelf stacked to
and Dolby Pro Logic IIx. (I still do not have the capabil- the ceiling with half-used cans of paint, rusty tools, and
ity to run Harman’s Logic 7, and, even as I write this, tasteless lamps. After you tip the shelf over, lie under a
my cheeks burn with the shame of it.) pile of half-used paint cans, rusty tools, and tasteless
Let me first say how completely cool it is to be in the lamps, and moan for a time. Realizing you haven’t broken
seven-channel club. I used to see all of you seven-channelers any bones, crawl out from under the pile and begin actu-
palling around together, telling your little seven-channel ally moving the shelves to give access to the wire.
in jokes, and I was soooo jealous. But now I’m one of you! Once you have the wires strung, go ahead and drill holes
You guys all want to get together for pizza later? Hello? for the wires. Now measure. Discover that you were off
Like anything worth having, acquiring seven channels by 8 inches. Redrill. Then check the workroom to find
can be difficult—but it’s not so difficult if you follow my you have drilled directly into a shelf board. Re-redrill.
path. First, while eating lunch one day, suddenly decide Mount the speakers’ bolts using the same drill/redrill
you’re going to clear out your afternoon schedule and technique. Vacuum up the many small piles of gypsum
set up a seven-channel system. Under no circumstances dust, and you’re ready to listen.
should you consult your spouse on this. It’s easier to There remains the small matter of explaining the
apologize than to ask for permission. broken lamps, holes in the walls, and, of course, the
While still finish- extra speakers on the wall to your spouse. Here you have
ing your turkey several options. You can try the total denial technique:
sandwich, drive to “What? There are no extra speakers. Those have always
your local electron- been there. Are you feeling OK?” Before you attempt this,
ics store and pur- please understand that it is a very, very stupid idea.
chase the necessary Alternately, you can pretend that the speakers are a
equipment—in my gift: “Ta-da! Happy, um, Friday, dear!” But I suggest
case, a new receiver, the honest approach: “You won’t believe this, but some
two more speakers, crazed home theater installers broke into our house.
several hundred feet They tied me up and force fed me circus peanuts until
of speaker wire, and I agreed to let them put in two more speakers.”
a bag of circus Let me know if this works, would you?
peanuts. (Though * Michael J. Nelson is the former host and head writer of
Illustration by Joe Goebel
optional, I forcefully Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the author of three
recommend you books, most recently the novel Death Rat! (HarperCollins).
consider the night- He has contributed commentary tracks for Fox’s re-release of
mare of finding your- Reefer Madness, as well as the classics Night of the Living
self in the middle Dead and Carnival of Souls.
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