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of this document
Date: 2005.12.09
22:32:00 +08'00'
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SOUND & VISION
contents
INSIDE 86
68
01/06 features
68 Xbox 360 81 Powerhouse
72 Sure, it does games — but is
Microsoft’s next-generation console
Power products are becoming as
plentiful as DVD players, but what
ready to rule your home theater? are they, and what do they do?
on the cover BY JOHN SCIACCA BY JAMES K. WILLCOX
Xbox 360 (p. 68) and
Apple iPod (p. 72).
Photo by 72 Video iPod 86 What’s in Store: Best Buy
Tony Cordoza. Can the latest iPod do for video America’s biggest electronics chain
76 what the original did for music? goes upscale, with an emphasis on
Or did Apple take too big a bite? service. BY LAURA CURL
BY ROB MEDICH AND PETER PACHAL
76 Best in Show
Standout products and installations
from the CEDIA Expo.
81 BY AL GRIFFIN AND JOHN SCIACCA
soundandvisionmag.com SOUND & VISION JANUARY 2006 7

contents
58
test reports departments
37 Spotlight Super Remotes 11 Track One
The extraordinary powers of remote BOB ANKOSKO
18 controls from Nevo and Philips make
for a new breed of coffee-table hero.
A note from the editor
12 Feedback
42 Spotlight Simple Surround Readers sound off
All-in-one theaters from Panasonic,
Samsung, and Yamaha deliver 16 Random Play
everything but the popcorn. HDTV: the year in review, Sony
28 BMG’s copy-protection woes, music
48 Toshiba cellphones face off, 15 minutes with
56-inch 1080p DLP HDTV J.D. Fortune of INXS, more
50 Hitachi exclusive! 20 Reality Bytes

42-inch plasma HDTV KEN C. POHLMANN
64 52 Samsung exclusive!
Apocalypse coming soon
40-inch LCD HDTV 22 The Connected House

ERIC TAUB
55 Denon Dialing for HDTV
DVD-5910 universal DVD/SACD player
24 The Custom Installer
92 58 Onkyo JOHN SCIACCA
TX-SR503 digital surround receiver Custom is cool
62 Quick Takes 26 Tech Talk

Pioneer and Tao XM2go portable DAVID RANADA
satellite-radio tuners The progressive tradeoff
96 64 Quick Takes 28 New Products
PocketDish portable video player PETER PACHAL
The latest home-entertainment gear
66 The List
The best gear to buy right now 32 Digital Bling
Cool gadgets to go
97
entertainment 34 Q&A
IAN G. MASTERS AND AL GRIFFIN
92 Movies Your audio/video questions answered
War of the Worlds, Revenge of the
Sith, Charlie and the Chocolate 108 BackTalk ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons
Factory, Wedding Crashers, more The perpetually bearded bandleader
108 talks about iPod sharing, group
96 Games longevity, and more
The Warriors, Star Wars: Battlefront,
From Russia with Love, more
97 Music
Kate Bush, Fiona Apple, Beck’s
Guero in surround, Trey Anastasio,
Stevie Wonder, Jamie Cullum, more

track one
Gadgets and Gaming Are King
AMERICANS GO NUTS FOR ENTERTAINMENT ELECTRONICS
WE LIVE IN THE AGE OF THE INTERNET, yet the Post Office seems to be delivering more catalogs this
holiday season than ever before. I even spotted an eBay mailer in the recycling pile the other day. (So
much for a paperless society.) Not surprisingly, you’ll find plenty of electronic gadgets in the color-
ful pages of those brochures, including a staggering number of iAccessories. The first dozen pages
of Sharper Image’s gift catalog show nothing but iPod add-ons — from $30 illuminating earbuds to a
$500 sound system with an iPod docking station on top of one of the speakers.
The Consumer Electronics Association recently surveyed 1,000 Americans to find out what sort of
gifts they intend to give — and hope to receive — this holiday. When asked “what they wanted most,”
people put coveted electronics gear right behind peace, happiness, and good health! Specifically, “MP3
player” (which includes the almighty iPod) topped 2005’s giving and getting lists, displacing the digi-
tal camera and plasma TV, respectively, which were top of mind in 2004. Following MP3 players on the
gifts-to-give list were digital cameras, game systems, DVD players, portable CD players, DVD record-
ers, cellphones, and laptop PCs. Wish-list runners-up were plasma TVs, digital cameras, laptop PCs,
big-screen TVs, desktop PCs, game systems, HDTVs, DVD recorders, and home theater speakers (or
systems). It’s interesting how the pricey stuff ends up on the wish lists — sound familiar?
As you can see from our cover, we’re featuring two of the season’s hottest gifts: Microsoft’s just-
released Xbox 360 gaming system and Apple’s fifth-generation iPod, which adds video to its bag
of tricks. Unlike most of the other Xbox 360 stories you’ll read — which, as you’d expect, focus on
gaming — John Sciacca’s “kid-in-a-candy-store” report (page 68) offers a broader perspective, as he
explores what else the console can do before he zeroes in on its gaming chops. It turns out, 360 can
do quite a bit more than most of us would expect from a game console (networking, anyone?). Drew
Thompson rounds out our coverage with hands-on previews of five new, reference-quality games.
Early reports from Wall Street suggest that sales of the new video-enabled iPod are going strong,
possibly even outselling the ultrasleek nano. That’s impressive, considering Apple shipped a million
nanos in its first two weeks on the market and that some analysts expect 7 to 8
million nanos to be sold in 2006. For many of us, the big question is: Does anyone
really want to watch TV and videos on a 21⁄2-inch screen?
But I have to admit, when Pete Pachal handed me the new iPod with an episode
of Lost onscreen, I was impressed with the picture. It was sharper and more vivid
than I could have imagined. Small? Yes. Grainy? Not at all. Turn to page 72 for Rob
Medich’s report on the iVideo phenomenon and Pete’s hands-on evaluation of the
sleek player.
Still looking for last-minute ideas? We test three all-in-
one home-theater systems in “Simple Surround” (page 43),
a bargain receiver from Onkyo (page 58), a couple of inex-
pensive portable XM satellite radios from Pioneer and Tao
(page 62), and Dish Network’s way-cool PocketDish portable
video player (page 64), which lets you take your favorite
satellite-delivered shows with you wherever you go. And
for the enthusiast on your list (or perhaps you), check out
“Super Remotes” (page 37) for the lowdown on two handsets
that give new meaning to the word “control.” One even has
its own program guide! Enjoy the issue.
BOB ANKOSKO, EDITOR IN CHIEF

feedback
THE SKINNY ON 1080P
I’ve been waiting patiently for 1080p technology to become affordable, and
I think I’ve found what I’m looking for in the Sony SXRD KDS-R50XBR1 [see
photo], which Al Griffin reviewed favorably in November (available on the S&V
Web site). But I’m puzzled why almost none of the 1080p TVs can accept
1080p sources. What’s the point of a 1080p set if it can’t accept a 1080p sig-
nal? If it’s upconverting everything to 1080p from lower-rez sources, are you
really getting any benefit?
JOE RIVERA / ASTORIA, NY
True 60-frame-per-second (fps) 1080p signals have twice the informa-
tion content of the standard 30-fps 1080i signals popular today with HDTV
broadcasters. But most manufacturers apparently haven’t bothered to develop the What these 720p sets can’t do, how-
“front-end” circuitry to process these signals — even though the new 1080p HDTVs ever, is deliver on a 1080p HDTV’s promise
have the 1,920 x 1,080 pixels needed to display them. They’ve had no incentive to to display all the pixels inherent in a 1080i
do so — except for a few WMV-HD discs that play only on PCs, there has been little signal — the most common HDTV format.
or no 1080p source material. The upcoming HD DVD and Blu-ray systems can carry Like a 1080p display, 1080i signals con-
1080p signals, but whether movies will be issued in that signal format is an open tain 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, but they’re “inter-
question. Still, that hasn’t stopped everyone: two sets we recently reviewed — HP’s laced” — split into odd and even fields
Pavilion MD6580n (October) and Mitsubishi’s WD-52627 (September) — can accept that each contain half the pixels and are
1080p signals via an HDMI input (HP) or a PC input (Mitsubishi). flashed up on the screen in succession.
That said, all native-resolution 1080p HDTVs, including Sony’s SXRD models, Using a process called “deinterlacing,” a
have more pixels than a 720p set with which to display an image. Assuming each is 1080p set easily combines the fields into
a traditional display with discrete pixels in a grid, this could allow you to sit closer full video frames, which are then displayed
to a 1080p set of the same size without seeing distracting lines between the pixels, progressively at 60 frames per second.
or let you enjoy a larger screen at the same seating distance. And we’ve seen that In comparison, a native 720p HDTV
benefit in our evaluations of 1080p TVs. Nonetheless, 720p DLP sets that use Texas faced with displaying a 1080i signal must
Instruments’ “wobulating” Smooth Picture technology (see “Pixel Magic” on the perform a downconversion to make the
S&V Web site) don’t suffer from a visible pixel grid and offer the same benefit. image fit, and some are engineered to
begin by throwing out one field entirely
before upconverting the remaining 540-
line field to 720p — resulting in an even
more severe loss of information from the
Better Performance at a THIRD LESS original 1080i signal. So, despite all the
hype, the key benefit of 1080p HDTVs
Than the Competition
today is not their ability to display 1080p
SoundWorks Radio CD source material, but to show more detail

with 1080i programs than a common
720p flat-panel or microdisplay TV can.
“Editors’ Choice” – CNET Of course, this all assumes the TV’s pro-
cessing or optical elements don’t degrade
“Editors’ Pick” – WIRED Magazine image clarity and that you’re close enough
“4 out of 4 Stars” – Boston Herald to the screen to see the difference (see
“Tech Talk,” page 26).
MISSING LINK FOUND?

In “The Missing Link” (November “Tech
Talk”), David Ranada is wrong about why
he was unable to make an HDMI connec-
tion between his TV and his cable box.
The TV set and its HDCP copy-protection
Today’s high performance table radios are better performing vented enclosure into this very small, compact package. The
authentication are working correctly, as
and more feature-packed than ever before. And while there result is a unique music system that delivers room-filling
are several excellent choices on the market, we think our sound of a quality that will exceed your expectations, but not evidenced by his being able to use a DVD
award-winning SoundWorks Radio CD is the best sounding, your budget. Our SoundWorks Radio CD costs fully a third less player’s HDCP-encoded HDMI signal and to
best value around. And the critics agree!
But to say that our SoundWorks Radio CD is just a table radio

than the competition. We encourage anyone to compare our
performance with other products costing well over one
hundred of dollars more.
L
doesn’t do it justice; it’s much more. Think of it as a home
stereo wrapped inside a little box. It can play 10 hours To Order Call: 1-800-FOR-HIFI New! S&V’s Resource Center
of music on a single MP3 CD, features a superb AM/FM radio
with a total of 24 presets, has two alarms and, most Or Visit: cambridgesoundworks.com CRT . . . DLP . . . LCD . . . LCoS . . . HDMI . . . DVI.
importantly, offers great sound. Try the SoundWorks Radio CD in your own home for 45 days – Need help understanding the HDTV alphabet?
If you don’t fall in love with its incredible, room-filling sound, Visit www.soundandvisionmag.com/
One of the keys to great sound is getting the bass right. This
return it for a full refund.† resourcecenter, where you’ll find a glossary of
is where our engineers earned their musical chops, because
they invented a way to fit a powered subwoofer with its own ONLY: $349.99 Available in Black or Ivory audio/video terms plus everything you need to
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Visit our Cambridge SoundWorks stores in New England or
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©2005 Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc. †45-Day Satisfaction Guarantee only applies to items purchased on our website,
through our call center or at one of our retail stores. Customer is responsible for return shipping costs for website and
phone orders. Not responsible for typographical errors.
Definitively
Mythos ®
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Clearly, Mythos Two and Three ($499 ea.) along
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And the gorgeous Mythos One Tower ($899 ea.),
Mythos Four Tower ($699 ea.) and Mythos Five
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11433 CRONRIDGE DR. • OWINGS MILLS, MD 21117 • 410. 363.7148

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See our dealer list on page 14
feedback
get any signal from the Scientific-Atlanta between them? Should I buy the DVD-A
8300HD cable box. version of an album or pay more for the
The real problem is that Time Warner DualDisc and get a CD and DVD mix?
hasn’t activated the HDMI digital out- CHANCE CHADWICK / FORT MYERS, FL
puts on these boxes yet. Apparently, The classic answer: It depends! All
the output is active when the box is DVD-A discs, by definition, are high-
first installed, but if you leave it on long resolution — and nearly all include
enough, Time Warner will send a signal a surround mix (certain Neil Young
to shut it off. If you simply unplug the albums being the prime exception). But
cable box, then plug it in again and let it the amount of video extras depends
sync to Time Warner’s signal (wait until on the record label and the individual
the time is displayed), you’ll once again release. Meanwhile, all DualDiscs, by
be able to use the HDMI jack. definition, have a DVD side. But again,
KEN TARASZKA / LARGO, FL what you get from that DVD depends
David Ranada replies: Cable compa- on the label and the title. Many extras
nies are omnipotent, and about the or few? Album mix in DVD-A, Dolby
time the November issue hit the news- Digital 5.1, or “enhanced” (but not
stands, Time Warner condescended to high-resolution) stereo? Anything is
activate the Scientific-Atlanta 8300HD possible! So before buying, read the
HDMI outputs in the New York City package’s fine print carefully — and if
area. Both the cable decoder in our you want DVD-A on a DualDisc, be sure
video lab and mine at home started it says “Audio” under the DVD logo.
working with the HDMI-equipped TVs.
The box’s general-purpose error mes- LISTEN UP
sage, telling us that the TVs weren’t “HD Radio: Ready for Prime Time?”
equipped with HDCP, is itself clearly (November) reinforced my view that HD
in error. We’ve also had to go through Radio is all about profit and not about
some of the power-up/down shenani- sound quality. While HD Radio has con-
gans you mention while connecting venience advantages, it doesn’t deliver
and disconnecting various TVs. Other cutting-edge sound. As Ivan Berger
interesting features in the box — like wrote in the article, “tests show that
fine-tune control of picture settings, all rates down to 48 kbps sound like ‘CD
of which are covered in the full man- quality’ to typical, less critical listeners.”
ual available at Scientific-Atlanta.com “Typical, less critical listeners”?! Are
— remain deactivated or inaccessible they pushing Muzak? Maybe they should
in our area. The system is definitely not use deaf listeners! Have we lost the
plug-and-play. struggle for high-quality sound repro-
duction? Are we going to end up with
SDTV EXCLUSIVE background music forever?
The RCA 27F634T SDTV that you pre- KENNETH NOELSCH / CENTRAL ISLIP, NY
viewed in “Random Play” (November)
sounded interesting as a replacement CORRECTIONS
for my old Hitachi TV in the bedroom, so In the November test report on Sony’s
I went to RCA’s Web site to find a dealer 50-inch SXRD HDTV, we mistakenly said
— and what do you know? The only that the set’s “Twin-View mode lets you
ones within 100 miles of my home were watch two different high-def channels,
five different Wal-Marts. Is RCA selling or any other combination of sources side
this set exclusively through Wal-Mart? by side in their original aspect ratios.”
L. WALKER / BERKELEY CA Only one high-def source can be dis-
Yes. But the situation isn’t unusual played at a time using Twin-View.
— big TV makers often target cer- The illustration for “Choose Your Own
tain models for exclusive distribution HDTV Adventure” (December) should
through massive chains. Given the have been credited to Bill Villarreal.
set’s low $360 price, it seems like a The satellite section of “What’s on
nice fit for the bottom-feeding retailer. HDTV?” (November) said that subscrib-
ers to DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket
DUALDISC DILEMMA ($225) can watch games in high-defini-
I thought I read somewhere that Dual- tion. Actually, only subscribers to the
Discs don’t sound as good as DVD- NFL Sunday Ticket Superfan package
Audio discs. What are the differences ($325) can watch them that way. S&V
We welcome your letters. Send e-mail to soundandvision@hfmus.com and regular mail to Editor,
Sound & Vision, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Please include your name, street address,
and phone number for verification; only your name, city, and state/country will be printed. All
letters are subject to editing at our discretion.
14 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com

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Small size, big sound and

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Imagine the ultimate sub/sat system — remark-
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The Mythos Gem System is the perfect choice
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Also available in black finish. 11433 CRONRIDGE DR. • OWINGS MILLS, MD 21117 • 410. 363.7148
www.definitivetech.com
See our dealer list on page 14
random play EDITED BY KEN RICHARDSON
AND PETER PACHAL
HDTV WATCH / 15 MINUTES / SNAPSHOTS / REALITY BYTES / THE CONNECTED HOUSE / THE CUSTOM INSTALLER / TECH TALK
“An HDTV Walks into a Bar . . .”
hdtv watch
CHALK UP 2005 AS THE YEAR that late- “We should stick with this,” Conan said. in HD, as The West Wing presented a
night comedians turned high-def — and “We’d be the highest-rated show on debate between presidential candidates
HDTV itself became fodder for jokes. NBC!” Later in the year, Letterman Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) and Matt San-
With Conan O’Brien (above), David quipped: “The picture is so clear, you can tos (Jimmy Smits), complete with an NBC
Letterman, and Saturday Night Live all read the serial number on my toupee.” News logo in the corner of the screen.
going wide in O-Five, Jay Leno’s six-year Too bad that SNL didn’t follow their The real NBC News and the other com-
head start seemed but a blip. Conan and lead. The show opened its 31st season mercial-network news divisions weren’t
Dave milked the technology for comedic with merely a mention by host Steve high-def in 2005 (unless you count ABC’s
effect in a brilliance not seen since Ernie Carell that the program is now in HD. Good Morning America). Leave it to
Kovacs mocked TV’s transition to color in Meanwhile, in primetime, Will & Grace HDNet to fill the void with at least two
the 1960s. Conan blackened the 4:3 box (below left) began its season with the memorable broadcasts: a riveting docu-
at the center of the screen and peered out first-ever live HDTV broadcast of a sit- mentary on Hurricane Katrina and the
from the edges of the new 16:9 world. com. It made an end run around view- live launch of the Space Shuttle Discov-
Reappearing in the middle, he used the ers’ fondness for zipping past commer- ery. HDNet wanted to show the shuttle’s
side panels to show Abe Vagoda playing cials by recruiting a supporting character return, too, but bad weather caused the
Ping-Pong against him- in the show as a spokesperson for Sub- spacecraft to be diverted to California.
self. And Pamela An- way, the sandwich chain. Less crass was Alas, HDNet’s cameras were in Florida.
derson pole dancing. the first live showing of a drama series — MICHAEL ANTONOFF
16
Last-Minute Podding! 15minutes
with J.D. FORTUNE OF INXS
Dreams really can come true. Just ask J.D. Fortune (below,
at left). The 32-year-old Nova Scotia native beat out 15 other
hopefuls on last summer’s reality-show nailbiter Rock Star:
INXS to become the new lead singer of the veteran Aussie
band. They felt so in tune with Fortune that they chose his
S tockings still unstuffed? Better get to the store quick (be it brick or click) and case the joint —
for iPod cases, that is. A few suggestions (starting above, from left):
❯❯ The parent company of PowerSupport is Japanese — hence, kimonos! Dress up an original iPod
“Pretty Vegas” to be the lead single for their comeback album,
Switch (Burnett/Epic). Marvels J.D.: “I wake up in the morn-
ing and go, ‘Did I just do that? I did, didn’t I?’ And then
or a mini in the “tranquil harmony” of a Kimono case, or slip a shuffle into a Kimono jacket (shown). I have a big smile on my face the rest of the day.”
(various styles, $23 to $45, powersupportusa.com) — MIKE METTLER
❯❯ Unfortunately, you can’t go Ape with Marware’s SportSuit Safari cases for the mini or the nano
(what a cool King Kong tie-in that would be). But you can go Giraffe (shown), Zebra, Leopard, Pan- So, ’fess up: Have you, in fact, ever “thumbed your way to
ther, Tiger, Polar Bear, or Flamingo. ($20, marware.com) Vegas, dirty”?
❯❯ Get your pals the Grass FunSkin from Speck Products, and they may think you’re on . . . the ball! [laughs] You know what’s funny? I have hitchhiked in Vegas,
It’s available for the nano and the video (shown). Get your pals the iKitty for the original iPod or the and it lasted about 15 minutes before a friend of mine drove
mini, and they may think you’re . . . feline alright! ($35, speckproducts.com) up and said, “What are you doing, man? Do you know how
❯❯ Now it’s time to head for the border: the border at the bottom of this story. Check out eight of the dangerous this is?”
26 Chameleon cases for the mini, from Griffin Technology. From left: Melondrama, Splish, Byte, Woody, How do you feel about “Pretty Vegas” being available initially
Inferno, Kiwi Love, Seeing Spots, and Arrrgh. ($15, griffintechnology.com) — KEN RICHARDSON as a downloadable single only?
It’s like licking honey off a knife: it’s sweet, but if you go too
far, you could cut your tongue. People are hearing the song
thanks to the Internet, but that leaves it in a position where it
can be manipulated.
I did a search on “Pretty Vegas,” and it was coming up in
places like the Czech Republic. I thought, “What’s going on?
How’s this even possible?” But at the same time, I’m going,
“Wow, that’s my f---ing song!”
During the three months you and your castmates lived
Format War Games together in the house in the Hollywood Hills, you were cut off
from all outside media. How did your blogs get posted on the
Rock Star: INXS site at MSN.com?
Warner Bros.: “Warner Home Video will We wrote them out in longhand, and show staffers collected
release titles on the Blu-ray format to sup- them three times a week.
port the launch of Blu-ray players in North People were booing me whenever I was introduced in the
America, Japan, and Europe.” first few weeks of performances, so the blogs were a way for
Toshiba: “We understand that Warner me to say, “Look, I’m not a dick. Here’s where I stand as a
Bros. continues to strongly support HD DVD. human being, and this is what I believe in.”
. . . The fact that new voices from the Blu- You guys were shown watching your performances on Verizon
ray camp have recently called for adoption cellphones. Is that the wave of the future?
SCOTT DUNCAN/EPIC
of key features already in HD DVD — iHD You can now run a business from your cellphone or your iPod
for its superb PC interoperability, and — so what you actually wind up with is more personal time.
Mandatory Managed Copy to allow for If you can get back to somebody while you’re on the move
secure DVD ripping — shows doing something else, that technology is worth
the level of technical balance its weight in gold.
achieved by the HD DVD for-
mat. . . . Toshiba strongly
believes that HD DVD will eventually win broad sup-
port as the more superior format, and in cooperation with
our partners, we are committed to bringing products first to
market early next year [2006] in the U.S.”
Buena Vista: “Warner’s news further illustrates the potent
ILLUSTRATION BY NED SHAW
combination of Blu-ray’s superior consumer proposition

and its undeniable market support. . . . The continued dra-
matic momentum toward Blu-ray makes us more opti-
mistic than ever that a ‘format war’ can be avoided.”
Sound & Vision: Reading press releases is fun. But
seeing players — and HD discs — in stores is believing!
17
SOUND & VISION JANUARY 2006
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snapshots
Music Cells
When digital music players and cellphones mated, it was just 100 songs, and you
a matter of time before Apple got involved. And so the music can expand that by
giant has joined with Motorola, a cellphone giant. Voilà, the buying a 1-GB card.
Motorola ROKR. Meanwhile, Sony has put the Walkman name The tiny earbuds
on the W800 phone, giving the com- need to fit snugly in
pany a chance to show why it used to the ear canal for the
MOTOROLA
ROKR cellphone be the king of music portables. best sound, which
$250 ($150 with Having dominated the MP3 market, can be excellent.
Cingular contract) Apple now wants to plant its seed in However, they also
Motorola.com your phone. But the Motorola ROKR block out most exter-
isn’t an iPod — it’s a cellphone with nal noise. Like the
iPod-like capabilities. Using iTunes, ROKR, the W800 has
SONY you transfer music directly from your speakers, though they
ERICSSON
W800 Walkman PC or Mac to the ROKR. In music mode, don’t sound as good. But a built-in FM radio is included.
cellphone the phone does work like an iPod Other than FM, however, these two cells are more alike than
$500 — except the built-in 512-megabyte different. Both have standard features that include a 2-mega-
Sonyericsson.com
(MB) TransFlash memory card holds pixel camera, Internet access, and Bluetooth wireless connec-
just 100 songs and accepts only MP3 or tivity (for voice only; no music transfers allowed). Each auto-
AAC files with bit rates of 128 kbps or less. Nice-sounding ear- matically pauses the music when you have an incoming call,
buds are included, and they let in enough ambient sound to be and both have “music only” options to listen with the phone
safe to wear outside. The ROKR also has a pair of surprisingly off. But neither lets you create a ringtone from your music.
decent built-in speakers. Either of these cellphones gives you a great way to tote music
Getting music on the Sony Ericsson W800 Walkman phone without carrying an extra gadget, but the ROKR rocks just a bit
is super easy. Just connect to a PC and drag and drop your MP3 more. It’s more user-friendly and has better sound, and anyone
files — no software necessary. (It won’t play your AAC down- with an iPod will like its iTunes compatibility. So go ROK out —
loads from iTunes, nor will it play WMA songs.) The phone unless you like the W800’s FM radio and expandable memory,
comes with a 512-MB Memory Stick Pro Duo that holds about two tricks you won’t find in Apple’s grove. — LESLIE SHAPIRO
TA-TA FOREVER . . .
In 2005, they died with their voices on
DON ADAMS THURL SIMON WARONKER JOHN FIEDLER,

Best known for RAVENSCROFT Okay, we’re cheating here, but bear PAUL WINCHELL
his live-action He was gr-r-reat with us. He wasn’t the voice of the In the world of
TV role as Agent as Tony the Tiger Chipmunks (that would be Ross Bag- Winnie-the-Pooh,
86 in Get Smart, for Kellogg’s dasarian, Sr., a.k.a. David Seville, who Winchell was
he was also the Frosted Flakes. died in 1972). But he founded Liberty Tigger (right). His
voices of Tennes- But he also sang Records, where the Chipmunks got death must have
see Tuxedo and the songs in TV’s their start. And they were named after been too much
Inspector Gadget How the Grinch him and two other Liberty execs — for Piglet: Fiedler
(shown). Stole Christmas. Theodore Keep and Alvin Bennett. died the next day.

Two million reasons to stay in Friday night.
2,073,600 pixels are hard to resist. Behold the highest high-definition,

thanks to 1080p DLP™ technology. With twice the pixels of plasma TV,
and Plush1080p™ imaging for a perfect picture from any video source.
For a Mitsubishi retailer, visit mitsubishi-tv.com.
The DPL™ logo and DLP™ medallion are trademarks of Texas Instruments. Highest high definition as defined by
CEA Technology Standards: 1920 x 1080. Pixel comparison based on plasma pixel count of 1280 x 768.
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REALITY BYTES Ken C. Pohlmann
Apocalypse Now Coming Soon

DOOMSDAY FOR ANALOG TV
l
FIRST, THE GOOD NEWS: when you turn on your analog TV at 11:59 p.m. on April 6,
2009, you’ll get pictures and sound. And now the bad news: at midnight and forever
after, your TV will never receive a signal again.
As you might expect, the federal government is behind this. It doesn’t own any TV
JESSICA ALBA vs. CAM’RON: Yes, it’s the
actress and the rapper playing one-on-one
with the videogame NBA 2K6 in the first Digi-
talLife Celebrity Tournament. A benefit for
stations, but it does own the broadcast spectrum — the frequencies over which TV
victims of Hurricane Katrina, the event was
is broadcast. To use those frequencies, commercial TV stations have to play by the
sponsored by the Global Gaming League at
government’s rules. And the new rule is that it wants some of those frequencies back. the DigitalLife Expo 2005 in New York City.
Actually, the government is trading the old frequencies for some new ones, but the Who won this match? It seems the Purple
new ones can only be used to broadcast digital signals. So when the old frequencies go Hazer thought it best to defer to Sue Storm.
dark (the Senate bill targets an April 7, 2009, cutoff and the House bill says December
31, 2008), analog TV broadcasting will cease in the United States. And in an instant,
about a zillion analog TVs will become
obsolete.
Stealth DRM
All those people smugly kick- Exposed
ing up their feet in front of their
Facing a firestorm of criticism, Sony BMG sus-
beautiful new digital TVs proba-
pended making CDs with a copy-protection
bly won’t even notice. Others will program that contains “cloaked” monitoring
buy some kind of tuner/adapter software. Not only is the software virtually
that will receive the new signals invisible, but it’s so difficult to remove from a
and display them on their old ana- PC that it might disable your CD drive.
log sets. But countless viewers with The controversy began when security expert
a TV in the guest room or an old set Mark Russinovich discovered the stealth files
in the garage or basement will wind on his PC and traced them to a Sony BMG CD
up with junk. containing digital-rights-management technol-
ogy called Extended Copyright Protection
Why is the government doing
(XCP). The cloaking utility — a kind of soft-
this? Because it knows what’s
ware that’s often referred to as a “rootkit” —
best for everyone, and digital TV had been automatically installed on his PC
— with its undistorted pictures alongside a proprietary media player that’s
and potential for high-definition — is required to play the CD. Russinovich was upset
unquestionably what’s best. That belief because rootkits are more typically associated
is certainly not influenced by the fact that the with hackers, and he couldn’t delete this root-
government will make billions auctioning off the old analog spectrum. And of course, kit using the Windows “Add/Remove Programs”
TV manufacturers will also make a few bucks selling digital TVs and tuners. No mat- option. (Mac computers are not affected.) So
ter who benefits, and regardless of whether a largesse-inspired government decides to he filed a report on his Web site (sysinternals
.com), taking the label to task for not fully dis-
buy adapters for people with analog TVs, it is you and I who will pay the entire cost.
closing the software in the End User Licensing
I’m not complaining. But in the spirit of things, as long as we’re legislating costly
Agreement (EULA) that pops up onscreen.
and inconvenient improvements in people’s lives, let’s abolish analog radio. What the Word quickly spread across the Internet and
heck — if it’s good for TV, it’s good for radio. And why stop there? Let’s abolish CDs, into the mainstream media, sending Sony BMG
too. Manufacturing those plastic discs consumes valuable petroleum that should be and the software’s developer, First 4 Internet,
put where it’s really needed — in the gas tanks of SUVs. scrambling to put out the fire. Although the
But you know what, since your car’s CD radio won’t work anymore, why bother label claims that its EULA is adequate and that
driving? Let’s just abolish cars, and make everybody ride bicycles. If cycling is good there has always been a way to remove the
enough for the Chinese, it must be good for Americans. Of course, the Chinese are the software via a link to a Sony BMG site, it
ones who’ll be making all the digital TVs that we’ll be buying. Soon, everyone in China posted a patch that can be used to make the
cloaked files visible (http://cp.sonybmg.com/
will be rich enough to buy a new car. I think it’s only fair that we stop using gasoline
xcp/english/updates.html). About 20 Sony
so they can gas up instead. They’ll certainly need it more than we will.
ILLUSTRATION BY JACK GALLAGHER
BMG releases have XCP, including Switchfoot’s

Well, that’s just wishful, utopian thinking. I suspect that the lobbyists who dictate (now ironically titled) Nothing Is Sound.
government policy don’t share my vision. We should just be thankful that our legisla- Sony BMG released a statement “deeply
tors are helping bring us better TV sound and pictures so we can all spend more time regretting any disruption this may have
sitting passively in front of the tube. Heaven forbid that we turn off our TVs and do caused.” But the disruption seems to be grow-
something useful, like build them. S&V ing: at press time, there were reports that
three Windows viruses exploiting the rootkit
were circulating. — JAMES K. WILLCOX

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THE CONNECTED HOUSE Eric Taub
Dialing for HDTV

MA BELL’S KIDS TAKE ON THE CABLE GUYS
IN 1964, AT&T INTRODUCED THE PICTUREPHONE at the New York World’s Fair. Forty-
one years later, the phone companies are finally bringing out a product that combines
voice and video. And they’re calling it . . . television.
Within the next few months, millions of Americans will be able to get cable chan-
I’ll Have a Beer —
nels from the successors to the company that brought us the pink Princess phone. and a Speaker, Too!
This won’t be the same old
Tons of screens, pitchers of beer, provoca-
cable service you get today,
tively dressed waitresses — sports bars are
but one that the phone excellent for catching the big game. But what
companies hope to fill with if you want to watch hockey, and everybody
enough bells and whistles to else wants to watch football? In most places,
make TV the centerpiece of you’re relegated to a table in the corner, star-
your connected home. And ing at a distant, silent screen while the sound
the companies say they can system blares John Madden’s commentary.
do a better job than the often- But if the bar has TableSound — a wire-
less system from commercial electronics
reviled local cable operators.
manufacturer Comprehensive — you’ll get
They’d better be right, because
your own private audio feed. Using the VHF/
they need a new business. With
FM band, a TableSound transmitter jacked
a call to France now costing less into a TV sends audio to a mono speaker right
than a piece of bubble gum, they on your table. Each speaker can select from
have to figure out a new way to four channels, and it even has a headphone
make money before they become jack in case the crowd gets too loud.
as relevant as a vinyl record. In a demo at (where else?) a bar, the
SBC — which has acquired AT&T and will adopt its name — and Verizon are laying sound was a little rough, but the system was
thousands of miles of fiber-optic cable to offer high-speed Internet, hundreds of TV a snap to set up and use. Comprehensive
president Scott Schaefer says he expects
channels, and video on demand. They call it a “triple play” — voice, data, and TV all
most sales to come from businesses, but he’ll
from one company, and all charged on one bill.
also sell TableSound — starting at $369 for
SBC wants to tie all its technologies together. For instance, its U-Verse service will
four speakers and one transmitter — to peo-
let a subscriber see caller ID information on his TV screen. Only those on an accepted ple who might want it for parties or patios.
caller list are shown; others are shuttled off to voice mail. If the subscriber wants (comprehensiveinc.com) — PETER PACHAL
to take the call, he can pause the show using the company-supplied DVR, or he can
transfer the show to a TV in another room and later on pick up where he left off.
Because everything is sent via the Internet, everything can appear anywhere at any
time. Take a picture with your camera phone (from SBC’s Cingular service, of course), THE NUMBER
store the image on the Internet, and then download it to your TV. Use your cellphone
to remotely program your home recording. Watch TV on your cell. Move pictures,
movies, and music from PC to TV. Or surf the Web on your plasma screen.
Verizon isn’t impressed with SBC’s parlor tricks. The rival Baby Bell, which
$67.3
launched its FiOS TV service in Keller, Texas, this past September, said it could offer billion
the same things SBC does but thinks subscribers aren’t that excited about them. “We China’s output of
want services that enhance the viewing experience without hyping it up,” a Verizon consumer electronics
executive said. products in 2005
— up 22% from ’04.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY NED SHAW (CHINA), JACK GALLAGHER
One enhancement: HDTV. FiOS customers can already get 17 high-def channels,
including local and basic cable feeds, for an additional $9.95 (pay TV channels in HD Source: Global Sources
are extra). And because of the giant-sized bandwidth systems, customers with multi-
ple HDTVs can watch a different high-def channel on each set. SBC’s U-Verse custom-
ers, on the other hand, will have to live with receiving just one HD feed at a time.
All this is great news for HDTV enthusiasts, because cable and satellite are fight-
ing back. Early in 2006, DirecTV will launch its Home Media Center, an HD-compatible
server that moves TV, pictures, and music around the house just like U-Verse prom-
ises to do. Whether you buy TV programming from your phone company or elsewhere,
the options are getting better every day. S&V

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THE CUSTOM INSTALLER John Sciacca NEWS +

Custom Is Cool NOTES
❯❯ Sprint users are now the first wireless
customers in the U.S. who can download full
songs over the air from their cellphones. The
Sprint Music Store has more than 250,000
titles from all four of the major-label groups.
For $2.50 a song, you get two versions: one
for your phone only, another for your PC
(where you can burn the song to CD). Mean-
while, Sirius has made a deal to provide 20
commercial-free music channels to Sprint
WHY CEDIA cellphone users for $6.95 a month.
EXPO 2005 WAS ❯❯ It’s official: Grokster is Croakster. Four
REALLY THE PLACE TO BE months after the Supreme Court ruled that
the file-sharing service could stand trial for
copyright infringement, Grokster decided to
REMEMBER BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL? It seemed like everyone went to the Senior Prom. settle the original
But as the party started winding down, the cool kids pulled away in rented limos and lawsuit filed
against it by MGM
headed off to hotel rooms around town to continue partying the night away.
and pull its own
A similar thing happens each year in the electronics industry. In January, Las
plug. Co-defen-
Vegas hosts the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which everyone attends. Like
dant StreamCast
all things Vegas, CES is huge and over the top, with every piece of electronics para- will apparently sol-
phernalia imaginable. And with some companies having booths so large they prac- dier on in the courts.
tically require their own Zip codes, it’s easy to get lost, and impossible to take it all in. ❯❯ Gwen Stefani’s
But the cool kids still have their own thing going on, and for them the annual event “Hollaback Girl” is the
is the CEDIA Expo, held by the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association first song to sell 1 mil-
every September. The Expo focuses only on the gear that makes home theater, dis- lion copies in down-
tributed audio/video, and home automation possible. You know — the stuff you read loads. Said Gwen: “It’s
exciting to see people
Sound & Vision for (see “Best in Show,” page 76).
make the song a part
While the show floor is definitely the sexiest part of the Expo, there’s a lot more
of their lives. Whether
to the experience than just checking out the latest digital wizardry. For a custom
it’s CDs, computers, or cell-
installer, the Expo is really about opportunities. phones, it really is bananas.” No Doubtedly!
Of course, there’s the opportunity to see the cutting-edge products that will have us
talking for the next year. This year’s buzz was definitely 1080p. While I’m not ready to
take a hammer to my 720p HDTV — yet — it won’t be long before having anything less
than 2 million pixels will make you feel like you’re sitting at the wrong lunch table.
Blast from the Past
You can also see which trends are hot and which are about to be. Streaming media Today, TV makers seduce us by showing
is here to stay, and nearly every company is trying to work it into its products. If you images of teenagers with improbably deep
pockets outfitting their tiny beach houses with
haven’t converted your CDs and photos to digital files yet, do so before you have to
big-screen plasma sets. But decades ago,
endure whispered snickers at your next dinner party. Also, measuring storage in giga-
America had to be sold on an equally radical
bytes is so last year — the cool kids are talking in terabytes now.
invention: color. Steve Kosareff has a perfect
The iPod revolution continues unabated, and soon you’ll be liberating your Pod from book for your home theater coffeetable: Win-
your pocket and docking it in various places around your house. If you aren’t enjoying dow to the Future: The Golden Age of Television
XM satellite radio yet, you probably will when you buy your next receiver. “XM Ready” Marketing and Advertising ($19, Chronicle), a
branding is nearly as popular as lower-back tattoos. Another receiver must is HDMI history of how Madison Avenue got us to wel-
switching, and manufacturers are racing to add it to their lines. come TV into our homes in the 1950s and ’60s.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY NED SHAW (STEFANI), JACK GALLAGHER
Finally, the Expo offers the chance to learn more about being an installer. CEDIA is The vintage ads here, ranging from celebrity
keen on educating its members, and more than 175 educational courses and 100 man- endorsements (George Gobel?) to the 19-inch
console TV as fashion statement, have a surreal,
ufacturer-training sessions were held at the show. When you work in an industry that
Father Knows
evolves at a pace that would make Darwin nervous, ongoing education is a must.
Best quality
Since the first Expo in 1989 — hosting a scant 500 attendees — the CEDIA show has
that shows
continually grown in popularity. This year’s Expo had 560 exhibitors and drew over how much
26,000 members from around the globe. Increased demand for booth space had the has changed
show overflowing both the Indianapolis Convention Center and the adjoining RCA since the
Dome. Next year, the show moves to a larger venue in Denver and expands from three dawn of the
days to four. Speaking for the cool kids, we can’t wait! S&V boob tube.
— MICHAEL
GAUGHN

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TECH TALK David Ranada
The Progressive Tradeoff

WHAT MAKES 720P BROADCASTS LOOK DIFFERENT?
HARDLY A WEEK PASSES WHEN WE DON’T RECEIVE one or more letters from read-
ers who seem to be in a panic about the difference between 1080i and 1080p HDTVs.
All of their concerns arise from the desire, sometimes bordering on the obsessive, to NO FEAR OF MUSIC IN SURROUND:
get the best possible resolution from their sets. Few seem to realize that there’s a limit Talking Heads keyboardist/guitarist Jerry
Harrison (front) joined industry colleagues
to how much display resolution you actually need.
and S&V staffers at Avatar Studios in New
Unless you have fighter-pilot vision — markedly better than the standard 20/20 —
York City to celebrate his multichannel mixes
your eyes will be able to resolve an object only if it extends over 1⁄60 of a degree (1 arc-
of the band’s entire studio catalog, as
minute) or more, which is what a 1-inch-wide object appears like when seen from 100 released in a “brick” of eight DualDiscs from
yards away. This figure comes from many decades of vision research, including a 2004 Rhino. (See “Speaking in Surround” on our
paper from the BBC detailing its experiments Web site.) Sponsored by the label along with
on HDTV resolution requirements (Google Acura and Panasonic — to boost their “Any-
“BBC,” “Drewery,” and “acuity”). thing but Stereotypical” campaign for the
The BBC experiment found that at the ELS Surround DVD-Audio car system — the
average British viewing distance — deter- get-together was followed by a party that
night at CBGB, where Harrison DJ’d some of
mined in another BBC study to be 2.7
his favorite mixes.
meters, or just short of 9 feet — a 50-
Shown with Harrison (from right):
inch (diagonal) 720-line widescreen
ELS namesake Elliot Scheiner, “brick” co-
HDTV will give you all the resolu- mixer Eric “E.T.” Thorngren, S&V Editor in
tion you can see. Change either the Chief Bob Ankosko, “15 Minutes” columnist
viewing distance or the screen size, Mike Mettler, and Entertainment Editor
and the resolution requirement Ken Richardson.
changes. Sit closer or use a bigger
screen, and you need greater screen/
signal resolution. Sitting at 9 feet, you
start needing 1,080 lines to avoid see-
ing the pixel structure once the screen size
QUOTABLE!
‘
‘
reaches around 56 inches. I don’t have an
Virtually forgotten among all the 1080p marketing hype is “temporal” resolution, or
resolution in time. This is set not by the screen but by the incoming signal. If you want
iPod. I don’t carry
the most lifelike reproduction of motion, then a live-action (not a movie) 720p signal is around any bits of
what you should feed your HDTV. It’s often overlooked that the total information con- equipment —
tent of a 720p signal is about equal to that of a 1080i signal, but it’s distributed differ-
except my knife.
ently. What a 720p signal gives up in spatial resolution — which you may not even see
— — KEITH RICHARDS
— it makes up for in temporal resolution by carrying 60 full frames per second (fps) vs.
the 30 fps of a 1080i signal.
PHOTO BY ALAN DAVIDSON; ILLUSTRATIONS BY NED SHAW (RICHARDS), JACK GALLAGHER
As with film “judder,” which I explored last month, you should be able to see a dif-
ference in the smoothness of motion as you switch between true 720p signals from
Fox, ESPN, and ABC and 1080i signals from CBS, NBC, and other HDTV sources. In
the 1080i programs, look in particular for jerky or flickering edges on bright, horizon-
tally moving objects (which in many panning shots may be in the background). These
1080i motion artifacts will become more noticeable with brighter or larger screens and
should disappear altogether with true 720p.
Beware, though, that at this point the only 720p signals you can absolutely be sure
are being pumped out at a true 60 fps are live HDTV sports broadcasts. The impor-
tance of sports programming to those networks was a factor in their selection of 720p.
Do not use slow-motion replays, movies, commercials, or other programs that may
have originated on film or in standard-definition video to make a judgment on HDTV
judder. True 60-fps 1080p signals, should we ever somehow get them, will probably
trump 720p and 1080i in picture quality. But 1080p will look like 720p if the combina-
tion of screen size and viewing distance puts the screen at your eyes’ resolution limit.
Don’t go looking — or paying — for something you may not be able to see. S&V

new products PETER PACHAL
Hot gear from the world of home entertainment

Double Your HDTV
Two big emerging technologies for HDTV are built-in high-def DVRs and 1080p resolu-
tion. Now you can get ’em both in Mitsubishi’s 73-inch WD-73927 ($7,999), a DLP set with
a 1080p chip and a recorder that can store up to 25 hours of HDTV. It even has a second HD
tuner so you can watch Law & Order while recording CSI. Whatever you’re watching, it’s all
upscaled to 1080p format, and Dark Detailer video processing is said to improve contrast.
mitsubishi-tv.com, 949-465-6000
>> The Simple Digital Life

Ready for a PC in your component rack? Don’t worry, it won’t bite — but
it will rip. Sony’s Vaio XL1 Digital Living System ($2,300) combines
a 200-disc DVD megachanger/recorder (left) with a powerful Pentium D
computer. Load the changer with CDs, and it’ll download artist names
and titles over your broadband connection and rip everything to its 200-
gigabyte hard drive. You can also
record TV shows to the drive and
easily archive them on DVD blanks
in the changer. An HDMI output
provides a simple one-cable
connection to your TV or receiver.
sonystyle.com, 877-865-7669
NOTE All prices and product information supplied

by the manufacturers. Dealer prices may vary.
28 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION

One-Stop DVD
So you’re supposed to get a DVD player with an HDMI output for the best possible playback quality
and a DVD recorder for archiving shows? Equipment racks have only so many shelves, so let’s try and
consolidate those two in a single component like RCA’s DRC8060N ($299). Not only will it record to
DVD+R/RW discs, but the HDMI output will feed your HDTV what it likes best — 1080i- or 720p-format
signals. The Commercial Advance feature, which is said to “see” commercials in a recorded show and
automatically skip over them, is a nice perk. rca.com, 800-336-1900
] plasma
for all
You used to have to settle for less than HDTV
resolution if you wanted an affordable plasma
TV, but Norcent’s PT-4240HD ($2,000) shows
that you can have a slim set — and high-def, too
— without taking out a second mortgage. All
signals, including those from the built-in HDTV
tuner, are converted to match the display’s 1,024
x 768 pixels. DVI, component-video, and VGA
top dog connectors can handle external HD sources.

norcent.net, 909-305-8885
Nostalgic shoppers will appre-

ciate the classic flywheel control
for the dual-zone AM/FM tuner
of Marantz’s SR-9600 flagship
receiver ($4,199) — that small
“dial” smack in the middle of the
front panel. But they’ll choose
it for its extensive portfolio of
high-end features such as HDMI
switching and triple-zone capa-
bility. Discriminating audiophiles
will especially like the 140 W x
7 amplifier’s “tunnel” heat sink,
which should keep the ultra-
quiet fan from activating unless
things are really scorching. And
it wouldn’t be top of the line if
it wasn’t THX Ultra 2 certified.
marantz.com, 630-741-0300

new products
Stage Tight
Here’s simple approach to making a speaker system
plasma-friendly: combine all three front speakers into a
single on-wall tube. For its A 360 speaker ($699), Jamo (pronounced
Yah-moh) lined up three 31⁄2 -inch woofers and three midrange drivers, each
with a coaxial tweeter, in a 40-inch-long, 3 5⁄8 -inch-deep enclosure. Now with the
A 360 above or below your flat panel, you’ll have a front soundstage that’s heard
more than seen. jamo.com, 847-465-0005
disc doctors
Whether it’s a party, a date, or you’re just chillin’, nothing sucks the mood
right out of a room like a skipping CD. Keep this tragedy from ever happening
by using imation’s scratch-resistant ForceField CD and DVD
blank discs ($10 for a pack of ten CD-Rs; $14 for a pack of
ten DVD-Rs or +Rs), which have a coating on the data side
that shields recordings from everyday wear and tear. And
when your store-bought titles
start acting up, don’t chuck them
away. Try Esprit’s WipeOut
Ultra disc-repair kit ($15),
which is said to bring scratched
discs back to life. Just apply a
few drops of the nontoxic chemical
to the scratch, wipe with the included microfiber cloth, and
your tunes, movies, or games should be ready to spin again.
imation.com, 888-466-3456 • cdrepair.com, 908-284-0426
One big hurdle in buying a new HDTV is that store

showrooms aren’t great for judging picture quality.
sharper
There are a few retailers that’ll let you make picture

adjustments to TVs and check them out with your
own material, but then how do you know what
to look for? Easy — just use Silicon Optix’s HQV
Benchmark DVD ($30). Loaded with test patterns,
look
the disc teaches you how to evaluate a set’s scaling

and line-doubling abilities while giving you the
tools to do it. So next time you’re browsing for a new
TV, you’ll be able to separate the seasoned sets from
the green screens. www.hqv.com, 416-490-7779

digital bling PETER PACHAL
1 Sizable View Call It Versatile

DIRECTED DMP740 PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER
>>> COOL FACTOR Sure, the new iPod can play video, but
serious mobile viewers may want something with a lower squint
factor. The 7-inch widescreen LCD on Directed’s Dockable
Media Player won’t make you feel nearsighted, and its 40-gig
drive provides plenty of room for music, photos, and
video (MPEG-4, DivX, WMV, AVI, or MOV formats).
>>> BONUS If you have a Directed all-in-one monitor in your car,
the DMP740 docks in seamlessly, bringing along all its content —
including any TV shows you’ve recorded through the A/V input.
$600 • directedmobilemedia.com, 800-876-0800 2
KYOCERA KX18 JET MULTIMEDIA CELLPHONE
>>> COOL FACTOR Made for newbie service provider Amp’d
Mobile, Kyocera’s Jet gives you easy access to all sorts of down-
loadable goodies like ringtones, video clips, and games. And
thanks to high-speed EVDO (Evolution Data Optimized) technol-
ogy, downloads won’t make you feel like you’re on call waiting.
>>> BONUS The fun really begins if you get an optional
512-MB TransFlash card (about $65; it comes with a 128-MB
card), which will give you lots of space to store MP3 files and
MPEG-4 clips captured by the phone’s built-in camera.
$120 • kyocera-wireless.com, 800-349-4188
3
Aural Pleasure Watch and Listen
4
KOSS TÜGO MP3 HEADPHONES SKULLCANDY MACGYVER MP3 WATCH
>>> COOL FACTOR When you’re crammed in an economy-class >>> COOL FACTOR C’mon, what isn’t cool about using your watch
airplane seat, you’ve got enough to worry about without getting to do things mere mortals can only dream about — like storing tunes
tangled up in a headphone cord, too. Koss’s Tügo packs 512 MB for (256 MB to 1 GB) to keep your music close at hand. When your 5 hours
storing MP3 music right next to your ears, which are shielded of battery life expire, the clock will keep right on ticking, Mr. Bond.
from engine noise and overly chatty passengers by the earcups. >>> BONUS The MacGyver can pull a Dick Tracy by acting
Also a handy accessory if you ever want to dress up as Lobot as a voice recorder. Plus it arms you with a flash drive for storing
from The Empire Strikes Back. data files in a pinch (those Russian satellite plans, maybe?).
>>> BONUS Charged through your Mac or PC’s USB port, the It’s all in the wrist after all.
built-in battery is said to keep you rocking for about 10 hours. $170 for 256 MB, $230 for 512 MB, $300 for 1 GB
$300 • www.koss.com, 414-964-5000 skullcandy.com, 435-940-1545

4HE
5LTIMATE
(/-%4(%!4%2%80%2)%.#%
46NOTINCLUDED
733%2)%3
WWWATHENASPEAKERSCOM !LSOAVAILABLEATAND
q&a IAN G. MASTERS & AL GRIFFIN
Expert advice on home theater, audio, and video

including the optics of the camera used a soundtrack “on the fly” like this.
to record images to the film negative, The most complicated way, but one
exposure settings for a particular shot, that would yield the best results, is to
and the lab processing that occurs after transfer the films to digital form on a
the film is fully exposed. Nonetheless, computer hard disk and add the com-
35mm film is considered a high-reso- mentary there using editing software.
lution medium with detail to spare for This would also allow you to edit the
high-definition video transfers — which film itself, if you want. Then you can just
is why those old Mel Brooks and Cheech transfer the doctored film to DVD, either
and Chong films showing on the INHD using the recorder you have or a DVD
channel look so good. But the Holly- burner in your computer. Without know-
wood studios are starting to switch to ing what, if any, computer gear you have,
HD video cameras for production, with I can only suggest you consult a store
the technology’s well-known proponents serving pro and semipro videographers.
including Star Wars director George It might be worthwhile setting yourself
Lucas and Sin City’s Robert Rodriguez. up in this way if you have a very large
LIGHTNING STRIKES number of films, or if you plan to con-
Q. My satellite receiver pulls in both DirecTV high-defi- ADD YOUR OWN tinue editing in the future.
nition and terrestrial HDTV broadcasts from local chan- SOUNDTRACK
nels. But nearby lightning strikes have damaged the Q. My wife and I bought a DVD TIVO TIGHTWAD
tuner section of the receiver badly enough that it had to recorder to transfer home movies from Q. I have a DirecTV receiver with TiVo,
be returned to the manufacturer for repair. The cable VHS tapes to DVD-R discs. Some of and I’m wondering if I can retain TiVo
from the rooftop antenna and satellite dish is adequately them have no sound since they were capability without spending $700+ for
grounded before it enters our house. How can I protect originally filmed on an 8mm camera. a new high-def DirecTV TiVo box when
the receiver from another strike? We want to add narration to some of we upgrade to HDTV. If I connect a
DENNY TAYLOR / MUSCATINE, IA them but the dealer where we pur- high-def DirecTV receiver to a sepa-
chased the recorder didn’t know how rate TiVo box, could I record HDTV pro-
A. I.G.M. says: I doubt your problem has anything to do to do this and the owners’ manual isn’t grams, just at reduced quality?
with the antenna or dish, or how they’re grounded (although much help. How can we dub audio onto JOHN NEIMAN / BREA, CA
proper grounding is very important). If lightning had hit these movies, and what equipment
your equipment directly, the damage would have been a lot would we have to get? A. A.G. says: First, Let’s be clear:
worse than a bunch of blown capacitors in the receiver. The D. CREPS / NEW ALBANY, IN DirecTV’s standard and high-def
“nearby” lightning strikes you mention can put large spikes receiver/DVRs are integrated compo-
in the power lines, however, and these can cause the kind A. I.G.M. says: The easiest way would nents — the receiver functions can’t be
of damage you’ve experienced. A surge protector inserted be simply to add the commentary to separated from the recorder, and vice
between the AC plug and your receiver might avert dam- the tapes before you dub them. You versa. That’s because the digital signal
age, although there’s only so much such devices can do for may have — or be able to find — an old the DVR records first gets compressed
a direct hit. For the best protection, unplug your gear before VCR with an “audio dub” function. This at the DirecTV uplink facility before get-
a storm hits. Don’t just switch it off, as that doesn’t discon- lets you replace the audio of an existing ting bounced up to a satellite and then
nect it from the power lines. (See “Powerhouse,” page 81.) recording (or add audio to silent record- earthward to your dish. DirecTV’s DVR
ings like yours) without disturbing the simply stores programs without applying
pictures. A feature of VCRs well into the additional compression. This system is
IS FILM HD? hi-fi era, it only operated on the linear different from a standalone TiVo, which
Q. The movies from the 1970s and audio track recorded along the edge of has a digital video encoder that lets you
’80s that I’ve watched on HDTV movie the tape and was notable for its inferior select the quality level of recordings to
channels are very sharp and nice-look- sound quality, but it might suffice for a maximize hard-disk space.
ing. Does movie film have enough reso- project such as yours. If you’re not interested in recording
lution to be considered high-def? What Alternatively, you could simply add in HD, you could save “downconverted”
are the movie studios using now? commentary live as you transfer the films high-def DirecTV channels on a standard
JOSE G. MEJIA / WEST MELBOURNE, FL from tape to DVD. Ideally, the equip- TiVo by connecting the receiver’s com-
ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN UELAND
ment you would need would be a micro- posite- or S-video and audio outputs
A. A.G. says: Unlike HDTV, which phone and some sort of preamplifier to to the recorder’s input. But why bother
has a number of subformats with fixed boost the mike’s output to a level the since you’ll probably spend as much
horizontal and vertical pixel counts, the recorder’s inputs can handle. An inex- buying a separate high-def DirecTV
35mm film stock used to shoot movies pensive mixer would do this and also receiver and standalone TiVo recorder
doesn’t have a specific resolution. That give you the facility to add a bit of music, as you would on an integrated HDTV
number depends on several variables, although that can be tricky when making receiver/DVR? S&V
Have a question about audio, video, or home theater? Send e-mail to soundandvision@hfmus.com (put “Q&A” in the subject line) or regular mail to Q&A, Sound & Vision,
1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Please include your name, street address, and phone number for verification; only your name, city, and state/country will be printed.
Sorry, but only questions chosen for publication can be answered, and all letters are subject to editing at our discretion.

JOHN SCIACCA spotlight
Extraordinary
powers make
for a new breed of
coffee-table hero WHAT WE THINK
Super
Remotes RC9800i
Computer-free program-
ming, music streaming,
photo viewing, and a free
program guide overshadow
some limitations.
W
ith HDTV, 6.1-channel digital audio, and streaming audio and video files now the-
oretically at our fingertips, we truly have a bonanza of entertainment options!
But let’s face it — more often than not it’s the fingertip part that becomes a sys-
tem’s Achilles’ heel. No matter how cinematic your TV or how superb your audio
system, you need some sort of controller to tie everything together. And as technology
pushes our home theaters to new performance thresholds, entertainment systems are get-
ting more difficult to use, not easier. With a typical setup having five remote controls (mine
has nine!), even the most basic activity can require multiple button pushes on multiple NEVOSL
remotes, transforming a night of movie watching into an excruciating exercise. It’s expensive, but the abil-
At a bare minimum, your system should respond to one remote. Better yet, if you have ity to customize its screens
PHOTOS BY TONY CORDOZA
two systems in your home, your controller should have the panache to juggle both. And the to the extreme and its
most modern systems need a way to liberate the thousands of MP3s, photos, and videos hyper-cool styling will have
stored on hard drives throughout our homes and route them to where we are. you drooling.
Two super touchscreen remotes we’ve gathered up, the Philips RC9800i ($599) and the
Universal Electronics NevoSL ($799), take very different approaches to addressing these
needs. Read on to find out how they performed in my multiroom system. ➤

spotlight
$599 / 5 5⁄8 x 4 x 1 IN / WWW.HOMECONTROL.PHILIPS.COM / 888-744-5477
networked computers that contain

music or video you want to access.
PERFORMANCE The
RC9800i’s interface is terrifically
simple and effective. Select the
room to control and choose from
the list of Activities categorized
under Watch, Listen, or Browse.
Selecting Watch displays activi-
ties like “Watch DVD” and “Watch
cable” that are applicable to the
room you’re in. Listen displays
nonvideo activities, and Browse
offers a menu of networked
devices. Choosing an activity fires
up the room’s system accordingly.
If something gets out of sorts,
touching the “?” icon produces a
screen with power and input but-
tons to help get everything back
on track.
Philips For a remote at this price — and

with the Pronto pedigree behind it
— I expected at least some ability
Your own private program guide to customize. But you can’t even
rename, resize, relocate, or delete
buttons from the touchscreen’s
T
hat Philips would be one of the first to market with a remote for the new digital age display. Eight generically labeled
comes as no surprise. The company revolutionized the remote-control world by intro- Function buttons can be used for
ducing the Pronto, the first affordable touchscreen remote, in 1998. Nonetheless, set- nonstandard commands, but they
ting up a Pronto is so complex that many owners hire a professional installer to do it. don’t appear under the Activi-
In contrast, Philips designed the RC9800i so that even the most technophobic user can set ties page. Since I liked using the
it up solo. At first glance, the remote resembles a digital camera with its large LCD touch- (Continued on page 40)
screen. While the 320 x 240-pixel screen resolution is great for photo viewing, the remote’s
size and horizontal orientation can make one-handed operation difficult. But I’m getting the short form
ahead of myself . . .
PLUS
SETUP An initial menu screen asks if you’ll be using the remote with a wireless net- Easy, computer-free programming.
work. I said yes, and the remote automatically found my Wi-Fi connection, grabbed an IP Stream digital music files through
(Internet protocol) address, and downloaded the correct time. Cool! Next up is designating docking station.
rooms that the RC9800i will control, clearly showing that this remote is designed to break Free, built-in TV program guide.
out of single-system boundaries. Once all your rooms are assigned, you add specific com- View photos via Wi-Fi on the
touchscreen.
ponents to be controlled to each room’s profi le. Select a device type, and a list of brands
appears. When you select a brand, the remote offers possible matches from its control-code
library. If none work (or none are available), it can learn the codes from your original hand-
MINUS
Only IR control (no RF or Wi-Fi).
set. Finally, the remote walks you through some steps to determine whether your gear uses
discrete power on/off commands, how inputs are selected, and so on. No customization of screens.
Once all devices have been entered, an Activities setup screen appears that ties every- Requires two-handed operation.
thing together. For instance, you might tell the remote that you use your receiver and your
TV when watching a DVD and that the TV needs to be set to its Video 3 input. This whole key features
“interview” process took less than an hour for my two-room setup, which included teaching ● 31⁄2 -inch (diagonal), 320 x 240-pixel LCD
the Philips remote all the codes for two components that weren’t in its database. touchscreen
With the programming finished, I headed to the Philips Web site, where I registered for ● Computer-free setup
the free electronic program guide (EPG). Once you’re registered, the guide automatically ● Wi-Fi streaming of music and photos from
updates itself as long as a Wi-Fi Internet connection is present. I also installed and set up the networked computers
● Electronic program guide
Philips Media Manager software on my PC from the supplied CD-ROM (a Mac version is also
supplied). This allows you to specify folders — such as My Music or My Pictures — on any

$799 / 31 ⁄8 x 71⁄2 x 13⁄8 IN / MYNEVO.COM / 866-612-0583
giving you Wi-Fi control of audio

and video components located in
different rooms or hidden inside
cabinets. The NevoSL can control up
to 250 NevoLinks.
PERFORMANCE The NevoSL

fits nicely in one hand, though
some may find it awkward to use
the touchscreen that way. Fortu-
nately, a lot of system control is
done via the buttons at the bottom
of the remote. There’s also a pull-
out stylus for those with sausage
fingers. A well-placed scroll wheel
allows you to quickly navigate
through multiple pages relating to
the same device — say from the
TV’s 0-9 keys to its menu keys to a
page of your favorite channels.
Using IR control in my living
room theater, the remote worked
great. With access to every com-
Nevo
Sleek, sexy, and so programmable
mand arranged exactly the way I
wanted, I could truly ditch all of
my other remotes. However, I had
poor results with the NevoLink
and Wi-Fi control, and ultimately
didn’t use any NevoLinks in my
W
hile you probably haven’t heard of the Nevo brand or its manufacturer, Universal setup. Two separate samples both
Electronics Incorporated (UEI), it’s likely that you’ve used — or are using — one repeatedly “hung” on commands.
of UEI’s products. The company is a leading supplier of remote controls for cable For example, about 20% of the
companies and A/V component manufacturers. And if your remote includes a time, instead of issuing a single
built-in library of preprogrammed codes, chances are it was licensed from UEI. The NevoSL is command, the NevoLink would
the company’s latest flagship venture. It exudes a high-tech cool that begs you to pick it up issue the same command repeat-
and play with it. Even sitting in its elegantly sculptured charging cradle, blue backlight glow-
ing softly, this remote lets you know it’s different, inviting you to take it for a spin. the short form
SETUP With its ability to customize every single button, the NevoSL can be pro- PLUS
grammed to your exact preferences. Want a Display Format button on every page? Done. Incredible programming flexibility.
Want a THX button on your DVD page, a Dolby Pro Logic II button on your cable TV page, and It just looks so cool.
a DTS Neo:6 button on your CD page? No problem. NevoMedia Server/Player software for
Usually such customization entails a cumbersome and time-consuming setup, so before streaming music and photos.
diving in I perused the remote’s 90-plus-page “design guide.” Fortunately, the manual is well
written, and the NevoStudio Windows XP programming software goes a long way toward MINUS
easing this pain. The NevoSL is clearly intended for professional programming, but the soft- NevoLink worked erratically.
ware is so intuitive that advanced DIYers should be able to tackle it and tailor the remote Expensive.
to their heart’s delight! Along with NevoStudio, the CD-ROM contains NevoMedia Manager
software, which includes Media Player and Media Server applications (more on them later).
The layout of the home page — where the remote returns when you press a side button —
key features
● 31⁄2 -inch color LCD touchscreen
is key. It can be arranged by rooms, family members, activities, and so on. The NevoSL gives
● Programmable and fully customizable
you a choice of 15 different backgrounds, with 4 themes each — every page can look the
through NevoStudio software
same or different. You also have 67 different device icons to choose from. No matter what ● NevoLink Media Bridge option ($199 each)
background or layout design you select, the NevoSL just looks great. Plus, the software makes ● NevoMedia Server software streams music
changing layouts or adding your own graphics ridiculously simple — just click and drag for and photos to NevoSL
most operations. I used photos from my recent trip to Italy as backgrounds on several pages, ● NevoMedia Player software plays music
giving the remote an incredibly personal touch. and photos on PC or Mac

During programming you can also set up optional NevoLink Media Bridges ($199 each),

spotlight
Philips continued
EPG — which appears only on the
Activities page — I had to cycle
between several screens to access
the guide and then the buttons
for my cable box. Also, the ability
to control remote gear via radio-
frequency (RF) or Wi-Fi instead of
only infrared (IR) would have been
welcome for homes with multi-
room audio or video distribution That could be an inconvenience for some forms the remote into another source
or with hidden gear. people in day-to-day use. But the ability component! Too bad the dock won’t
Still, this remote has some tricks up to stream music and photos from your stream photos to your TV, too.
its sleeve. One is the free EPG. If your laptop or desktop to the remote should
TV doesn’t have a program guide or you put you in a forgiving mood. Listening to BOTTOM LINE Judged strictly as a
want to use a CableCARD, this service music over the remote’s built-in speaker remote control, the RC9800i might come
will be invaluable. Even though I have a is definitely neat. Better yet, pop the up short compared with others at its
guide through my cable box, using the remote into its docking station and run price because it lacks any customization,
RC9800i to scan for shows on the sly a stereo minijack-to-RCA cable to your making it tough to totally consolidate
while my wife watched one of those end- receiver, and you’ve got a super cool way all your remotes. But factor in its music
less remodeling shows was pretty slick. to blast MP3 songs from your computer streaming, photo viewing, and program
As I mentioned, the large screen pretty through your main system. If you don’t guide, and its added value can quickly
much ruled out one-handed operation. have a media server, this feature trans- make up for the shortfall.
Nevo continued
edly for 5 to 10 seconds — causing,
say, the volume to rise 30 dB unex-
pectedly or the channel to change 15
times in a row. UEI was unable to rep-
licate this problem, and it’s probably
a networking gremlin in my system.
But still . . . . The NevoLinks each have
six outputs for IR emitters. It would
have been nice if the remote could be
programmed to individually address
these outputs, which would allow
you to control multiple devices of the photos on the remote’s screen isn’t quite other remote, and its ability to be fully
same brand without conflict — for as cool since only about one-quarter of customized should stave off obsoles-
example, if you owned two identical CD the screen is used. What is cool is that cence. Media Center PC owners will
changers. album cover art is displayed when avail- love the NevoSL as an interface for pre-
The NevoMedia Player and Media able, enriching the browsing experience. viewing and selecting digital content
Server programs worked great. Once run- from around the house. If I have one
ning, the Wi-Fi-enabled NevoSL “found” BOTTOM LINE “Power users” with caveat it’s that, at $799, it’s pricey for
my laptop and displayed pictures and a slew of remotes will want to give the what it does. But, then, how can you put a
played music as instructed. Browsing NevoSL a cuddle. It can truly replace every price on freedom? S&V
the LE&AP server, neither could access the photos, and only the
UPnP: Universal or Unknown? Philips could access music stored on LE&AP.
Both of these remotes tout their ability to control and interface Upon investigation, I learned that the UPnP “standards” are
with UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) devices. During my review more general guidelines than a strict standard, and manufac-
period, I found that “Universal” was optimistic at best. I had turers can choose to follow some but not all of the compat-
an Escient DVDM-300 and Leviton’s LE&AP media server plat- ibility rules. And it seems that the compatibility issues lie with
form on hand — both of which claim to be UPnP. Neither remote the hardware, not the remotes. While these issues will likely be
could “see” the Escient at all. Both found the LE&AP server, resolved by firmware updates, it would be a smart bet to check
but not the receiver/player used in each zone. And while both the most up-to-date product compatibilities before purchasing a
remotes displayed the music and photo file descriptions from media player. — J.S.

T O S H I B A X H D - 1 0 8 0 P P R O J E C T I O N T E L E V I S I O N F E AT U R I N G T E X A S I N S T R U M E N T S D L PTM
T E C H N O L O G Y F O R T W I C E T H E R E S O L U T I O N . T H E Y G O T T H E I R S . W H AT ’ S S T O P P I N G Y O U ?
The DLP™ logo and DLP™ medallion are trademarks of Texas Instruments.
© 2005 Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. mytoshibatv.com
spotlight RICH WARREN
Simple
Surround
Three all-in-one
T
icket prices at the box office may
be at an all-time high, but the
theaters that cost of admission for good home

theater continues to plummet.
deliver everything Case in point: the three home-theater-

in-a-box (HTIB) systems gathered here.
but the popcorn While enthusiasts might find one of

these nice for a bedroom or summer
home, they’re just the ticket for those
getting in the game. In fact, for a fam-
ily of four, it wouldn’t take too many
admissions to the mall cineplex to pay
for the Yamaha DVX-C700 ($550) or
Panasonic SC-HT930 ($650 with wire-
less surround option). The Samsung
HT-P1200 ($1,000) delivers high style
at a higher price, but one that’s still
within reach.
Image quality from all three sys-
tems was very good — about what
you’d expect from a typical DVD
player. But they differed notably in
their sound. You’ll sacrifice some sonic
accuracy and dynamic capability com-
pared with more expensive systems
— at these prices, you can’t expect
perfectly neutral sound or the kind of

loud, low-end rumble that comes with
top-of-the-line speakers. But all the
systems in this trio delivered surpris-
ingly solid home theater performance
and some serious bang for the buck. ➤
WHAT WE THINK
DVX-C700 SC-HT930 HT-P1200

Not the flashiest Wireless surrounds It’s clumsy to
system, and it’s bass- and a solid operate, but this
heavy on music, combination of versatile system
but you get good features, performance, delivers very
movie sound at an and styling make for good sound in a
affordable price. great value. gorgeous package.

TOSHIBA LCD HDTV WITH BUILT-IN DVD PLAYER. THEY GOT THEIRS. WHAT’S STOPPING YOU?
* Unified remote control may not operate additional devices or all of their features, in which case it is suggested that you use the original remote for the applicable device.
© 2005 Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. mytoshibatv.com
spotlight
$550 / YAMAHA.COM/YEC / 800-492-6242
Yamaha
Movie chops and
universal audio to boot
T
he conservative, uncluttered styling of Yama-
ha’s DVX-C700 system (in black or silver)
understates its ample features. Its five-disc
DVD/CD changer plays SACD, DVD-Audio, and
just about anything else you can throw at it. Four
movie and four music surround modes are available,
including Dolby Pro Logic II for expanding stereo pro-
grams to multichannel and even a Silent mode that
provides virtual surround sound through a pair of
ordinary headphones. The six-piece speaker package
is anchored by a compact bass module.
SETUP Yamaha provides clear wiring dia-

grams, but neophytes may be at a loss when it comes
to fine-tuning — the manual briefly mentions adjust-
ing speaker delay, for example, but doesn’t clearly say how to do it. You Raitt’s voice. I then spun a more spartan production,
get a single 100-foot length of speaker wire from which you must cut and the Sara K. Super Audio CD Play on Words. Here again,
strip a section for each satellite — a bit inconvenient, but it does let you the bass instrumentals eclipsed Sara’s voice.
customize lengths for your installation.
MOVIE PERFORMANCE On the other hand, the
MUSIC PERFORMANCE DVX-C700 acquitted itself nicely on movies, as dem-
the short form I called upon Dolly Parton to dem- onstrated when I watched Sahara on DVD. This movie
onstrate two-channel sound for pummels the listener with as many bullets, projec-
me with her new recording, Those tiles, and explosions as any slammin’ soundtrack
PLUS Were the Days. A rock-solid image around. The Yamaha played quite loud without dis-
Good ambience and depth.
rooted Parton center stage, with tortion and imparted oomph to the artillery shells
Good clarity even at loud volumes.
good ambience around her and the — nothing to shake the house, but not bad for a small
band, but a mild bump in the mid- bass box. The opening fusillade was well defined
MINUS to upper bass frequencies — not — I could hear individual cannons firing rather than
Bass-heavy on music.
uncommon in budget-priced HTiB a blur of explosions. Dialogue between Matthew
Slow disc handling.
systems — exaggerated the bass McConaughey and Penelope Cruz was clear through-
to where it was overpowering her out without being edgy. Overall, the system conveyed
key features voice. Turning down the subwoofer palpable depth and ambience.
● Rated power satellites, 750 W total at in the setup menu improved the
10% THD; subwoofer, 150 W at 10% THD balance between voice and band, OPERATION Yamaha’s remote wasn’t the easiest
● 5-disc universal DVD changer plays
though. to use among this bunch, in part because the oft-used
standard DVD and CD plus DVD-R/RW,
DVD+R/RW, DivX, Kodak Picture CD, JPEG, The bass was less tamable on volume keys are the same size and shape as the sur-
DVD-Audio, SACD, CD-R/RW, WMA, and MP3 multichannel music. I initially bal- rounding keys and are buried in the lower button grid.
● Progressive-scan component-video output anced the system for movie view- And given the system’s bass-heavy character, the lack
● 3 surround and 4 sound-fi eld modes ing, but the bass module boomed of a dedicated button to adjust bass level was notable
• 4 picture presets its way through several surround — you’ll need to visit an onscreen menu for that. Disc
● Control center 171⁄8 x 3 x 16 in
music tracks. Neither turning down loading and selection were also considerably more lei-
● Front L/R satellite 6 1⁄ 2 -in woofer, 3⁄4 -in
the sub level nor moving the mod- surely than with the other systems here.
tweeter; 13 in high; 8 3⁄4 lbs
ule away from the wall fully cured
● Center two 3-in woofers, 3⁄4 -in tweeter;
14 5⁄8 in wide; 5 3⁄8 lbs the boominess. On the heavily pro- BOTTOM LINE The Yamaha DVX-C700 per-
● Surround 3-in woofer, 1⁄ 2 -in tweeter; 81⁄4 duced DVD-Audio reissue of Bonnie formed well on movies and two-channel stereo, and
in high; 2 5⁄8 lbs Raitt’s Nick of Time, which features slightly less well on surround music, although a sys-
● Bass module 6 1⁄ 2 -in driver; ported; 7 x a lot of instruments mixed hard tem that plays all your DVD-Audio discs and SACDs at
15 3⁄4 x 18 in; 261⁄2 lbs to the rear, I had to lower the sur- this price is still a boon. Overall, it’ll give the Cineplex
round levels to keep the focus on a run for its Raisinets.

$650 (WITH WIRELESS SURROUND KIT) / PANASONIC.COM / 800-211-7262
Panasonic
her voice — that special little edge that makes her vocals
stand out.
MOVIE PERFORMANCE
Ready to cut the cord? I turned once again to the near-
comic shoot-’em-up Sahara to
the short form
I
n Japan, professional pushers shove people into stress the Panasonic’s movie capa-
subway trains during rush hours. Panasonic must bilities. I found no bullet holes in
PLUS
Rapid, smooth disc handling.
have used these same people to cram features into my home theater, but the sound did
Many customizable audio and video
the SC-HT930 ($450) HTiB system. It plays nearly raise my heart rate a few notches. options.
all discs except SACDs. Audio frills include multiple Though the system blasted explo- Wireless surround option.
presets for EQ, along with music ambience modes and sions into the room at significant
dialogue- and depth-enhancing modes for movies. volume, the bass module couldn’t MINUS
Multiple picture presets optimize the image for fi lm go low enough for truly convincing Some amplifier strain at high volume.
or video programs or your personal preferences. You bass. And the more the soundtrack Shallow soundstage on two-channel
could spend a week playing with all the possibilities. poured on battle effects, the less music.
What really sets the SC-HT930 system apart, though, distinct each became, indicating
is the optional SH-FX50 wireless kit ($200), which some amplifier strain. On the other
eliminates the need to run wire to the rear speakers. hand, voices sounded natural and
key features
● Rated power satellites, 740 W total
dialogue remained clear even dur- at 10% THD; subwoofer, 260 W at
SETUP Installing the wireless kit (above right) ing the frenzy of battle. If you’re 10% THD
involves plugging the card-like transmitter into a slot willing to forgo playing the system ● 5-disc changer plays standard DVD
in the back of the SC-HT930’s main console, plug- really loud, it can deliver a thrilling and CD plus DVD-RAM, DVD-R/RW,
DVD+R/RW, JPEG, DVD-Audio, CD-
ging the kit’s receiver/amplifier module into a conve- sonic experience. R/RW, WMA, and MP3
nient wall outlet at the back of your room, and ● Progressive-scan video output
then running short cables from the OPERATION ● 4 surround and 6 sound-fi eld modes
module to the surrounds. The sys- Panasonic grasped ● Optional SH-FX50 wireless surround
tem worked fine and didn’t degrade that people using this kit (includes wireless transmiiter and
the sound in my setup. There’s also system want instant receiver for surrounds), $200
● Control center 17 x 23⁄4 x 16 5⁄8 in; 9 lbs
some assembly of the front speaker gratification. Load a
● Front L/R satellite two 31⁄8 -in
stands, but it’s rare when a system disc, and it spins up
woofers, 23⁄8 -in dome tweeter; 48 5⁄8
in this price range includes speaker quickly, revealing its in high including supplied stands;
stands at all, and even rarer when contents in a mat- 9 5⁄8 lbs
the stands are as nice as these. ter of seconds. The ● Center two 21⁄2 -in woofers, 23⁄8 -in
system even sets the dome tweeter; 125⁄8 in wide; 3 lbs
● Surround 31⁄8 -in woofer, 23⁄8 -in dome
MUSIC PERFORMANCE I appropriate playback
tweeter; 123⁄4 in high; 23⁄8 lbs
spun the new Dar Williams CD My mode for the source
● Bass module two 57⁄8 -in drivers;
Better Self to soak in some two- material automati-
ported; 111⁄4 x 157⁄8 x 201⁄2 in; 331⁄8 lbs
channel music. This disc layers cally. Panasonic also
plenty of players around Williams, provides a convenient
and it’s a challenge for any system key on the remote to
to articulate them all cleanly. The adjust the bass level, which allowed me to easily optimize
Panasonic intimately reproduced the sound in my room for movies
her expressive voice with fairly or music.
good left to right imaging on a shal-
low soundstage. Overall, I’d rate BOTTOM LINE The SC-
the sound as good, lacking only a HT930 brings home theater
bit of depth and articulation. to nearly any room without
I returned to Bonnie Raitt for maxing out your credit card.
music in surround. She sang Impressive styling accom-
“I Will Not Be Denied,” panied by reasonably good
and the DVD-Audio audio performance and a
recording filled in bevy of features makes it an
the depth missing attractive package. And the
from the two-chan- option of going wireless on the
nel mix with a well- surrounds, with no sacrifice in
balanced image. The sys- sound quality, recommends it for
tem clearly revealed the body in many installations. ➤

spotlight
$1,000 / SAMSUNG.COM / 800-726-7864
SETUP Assembly is straightforward, and Samsung supplies a

microphone to balance speaker levels and set delay times automatically
— the only system here to include this feature.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE I chose Dar Williams’s “Blue Light of the

Flame” from My Better Self to check out two-channel stereo. The sound
poured forth full yet distinct, from a precise soundstage with notable
depth — the best overall two-channel sound of the three systems.
Multichannel audio fared equally well. When Bonnie Raitt begged,
“Have a Heart,” the Samsung centered her voice and let the accompani-
ment spaciously unfold around the listener, precisely delineating each
instrument. I went back to my Sara K. SACD, with her singing accom-
panied by Bruce Dunlap’s nylon-string guitar on “Wouldn’t It Be Lov-
erly.” This track showed off the system’s smooth midrange and excel-
lent stereo imaging.
MOVIE PERFORMANCE The HT-P1200 showed cour-

age and valor in the opening battle scene of Sahara. Fortu-
nately, the big explosions didn’t overpower the creaking of
the ship or the splash of projectiles into the water. While
the bass was only a little deeper than from the other sys-
tems, it felt more vis-
ceral. Dialogue came
the short form
through clean and
clear, even while PLUS
competing with
Elegant design.
the machine guns HDMI video output with 720p/1080i
of the Mali militia, upconversion.
and extra detail was Plays louder without distortion than
revealed during the fights most HTiBs.
in the rustling of clothes and Auto speaker calibration.
slaps of skin.
Samsung OPERATION The system was a

bit cumbersome to use. Loading the
horizontal disc well as the two plas-
MINUS
Awkward disc loading.
Crowded remote control.
A sexy system that’s tic doors slide apart requires press- key features
ready for its close-up ing the disc onto (and later prying it
off) the center clamp as on a cheap
portable CD player. The overly com-
● Rated power satellites, 650 W total;
subwoofer, 150 W
● Plays DVD and CD plus DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/
C
alling Samsung’s visually striking HT-P1200 plex 56-key remote uses too many RW, DivX, Kodak Picture CD, JPEG, DVD-
system an HTiB stretches the definition by a Audio, SACD, CD-R/RW, WMA, and MP3
similar or identical keys. And unlike
● HDMI video output and USB port
few feet — not to mention a few pounds. Once the other systems, the only video
● Auto speaker calibration
you open the nearly refrigerator-size carton, adjustment is the choice of wide-
● 8 surround modes and 4 sound-field modes
a novel home theater system awaits. A sleek floor screen or regular 4:3.
● Stands provided for L/R fronts and
stand supports the vertically oriented control console, surrounds, plus control center
which sports a single-disc DVD player. BOTTOM LINE The Samsung ● Virtual Headphone for surround sound
Beyond its pretty face, the system plays nearly HT-P1200 delivers the goods in terms without speakers
every conceivable type of disc, handles ripped music of home theater performance and ● Control center 71⁄8 x 191⁄2 x 31⁄4 in, 6 lbs;
and digital photos through a USB port, and offers a styling, though the pretty façade supplied stand, 19 1⁄2 in high, 175⁄8 lbs
dizzying array of features, including Faroudja’s DCDi masks a lack of operational grace. ● L/R satellite 2 3⁄4-in woofer, 3⁄4-in
tweeter; 515⁄8 in high, 13 5⁄8 lbs including
(Directional Correlational Deinterlacing) technol- Still, it filled my room with a richer integral stand
ogy for the best possible progressive-scan playback. sound than the other systems here, ● Center 2 3⁄4-in woofer, 3⁄4-in tweeter; 215⁄8
For utmost convenience and video quality, there’s an and when you consider features like in wide; 4 3⁄8 lbs
HDMI digital audio/video port to directly feed your Faroudja video processing, HDTV ● Subwoofer 8-in driver; ported; 10 5⁄8 x
digital TV, along with onboard video upconversion to upconversion, and automatic setup, 19 5⁄8 x 15 in; 28 5⁄8 lbs
either the 720p or 1080i HDTV signal format. This is a it’s a great all-in-one option if you
unique feature among these systems. have more money to spend. S&V

test reports
$3,200 / 513⁄4 x 361⁄4 x 17 IN / 87 LBS / TACP.TOSHIBA.COM / 800-867-4422
DAVID KATZMAIER
ber (available on S&V ’s Web site),

and I found it offered for as low
as $2,799 at a Toshiba-authorized
online merchant.
Toshiba’s 56HM195 is all busi-
ness on the outside. The screen is
surrounded by a thin gray frame
on the top and sides, allowing for
tighter installations than most
sets of this size. Basic controls
are on the right side, along with
a pop-out hatch that houses a set
of inputs and a pair of multime-
dia card slots. I’m not a huge fan
of the crowded remote: the button
arrangement on its bottom half
is somewhat haphazard, and the
keys for display mode and menu
access aren’t prominent enough.
I appreciated the handset’s blue
backlighting, but not the faint
whining sound it produced.
SETUP Toshiba includes

a couple of features to help you
operate your A/V system. Theater-
Net lets you command numerous
components through the televi-
sion’s onscreen interface by way
of infrared (IR) emitters (four are
supplied). I prefer using a uni-
versal remote, which is why
I liked the second control
option: IR pass-through.
This is the only HDTV I’ve
reviewed that can simply
pass the infrared commands
from any remote through its IR
Toshiba emitters to other components, so

you can stash your gear in a cabi-
net, for example, and still control
the whole system. It also lets you
56-inch 1080p DLP HDTV conveniently aim your remote
right at the TV for any system
A
s the choices in HDTVs become ever more complex, there remains one simple function anytime the set is on.
constant: higher resolution is better. When the average football fan compari-
son shops for a new big-screen centerpiece for his living room, he may not care PICTURE QUALITY
about DLP vs. LCD vs. LCoS, but as surely as a touchdown beats a field goal, Before digging into a movie or TV
1080p beats 720p every time. The Toshiba 56HM195, a 56-inch rear-projector show, I put the 56HM195 through a
that uses the same chip as other 1080p DLPs we’ve tested, boasts the same key thorough calibration and checked
advantages of those sets vs. lower-resolution HDTVs. One is the ability to deliver more out a variety of test patterns and
detail with 1080i HDTV broadcasts. The other is that video clips in both standard- and
WHAT WE THINK you can sit closer to the screen without seeing dis- high-definition. Unlike most of the
tracting grid lines between the pixels. And it delivers 1080p sets I’ve seen in the past
Video purists will have
these benefits for significantly less money than com- year, this Toshiba had a blue bias
some issues, but this
parably sized 1080p sets from other manufacturers: even with the Warm color-temper-
Toshiba delivers a sharper
the 56HM195’s $3,200 list price is $600 less than the ature setting selected, which gave
picture than many sets.
52-inch Mitsubishi WD-52627 I reviewed in Septem- a faint blue cast to white and gray

the short form
PLUS
areas. Calibration largely fi xed this without much of the grainy noise in dark areas
Displays full detail from 1080i sources.
problem in the lab, but to see how that I’ve seen on other 1080p DLP sets. Sin City
Extremely bright picture.
the set performed with a movie, also helped demonstrate the Toshiba’s excellent
No visible pixel structure.
I chose the demanding, largely contrast: white areas were extra-bright next to
black-and-white Sin City DVD. those inky dark shadows. This set would have
With my HDMI-enabled DVD no trouble in a fully lit room. And as I’ve come MINUS
player set to 1080i output, the to expect from 1080p DLP, pixel structure was Some “false contour” banding.
Toshiba easily handled the sharp- invisible — I was able to walk right up to the Inconsistent color of gray.
est details on the disc, realisti- screen and stare into Kevin’s
cally rendering fine areas like the pure white sunglasses without
hair of the poor child Nancy blow- making out individual pixels.
ing in the breeze, or the stunning On the other hand, the
blonde locks of Goldie against the movie did manage to bring out
blood-red heart-shaped bed. The some color-wheel rainbows
few splashes of lurid hues in this — brief trails of color along the
expanse of shadows and light edges of brighter objects, like
came across with shocking impact. Hartigan’s white tie on the pier
On the other hand, I noticed sig- — but it was no worse than
nificant “false contouring,” which I typically see with DLP sets
appears as distinct bands of vary- and something many viewers
ing brightness where I should have won’t even notice.
seen smooth gradations from light To showcase the Toshiba’s
to shadow. In one instance, the 1080p capabilities, I chose Joe
headlights of Hartigan’s car cre- Kane’s Digital Video Essen-
The Toshiba’s deep, inky blacks gave Sin City plenty of pop and impact.
ated bands as their light became tials D-VHS (the 1080i ver-
fainter toward the middle of the sion) delivered via the HDMI
hood. I saw similar effects in the jack. The Space Shuttle launch sequence, with key features
faces of the two unnamed char- music by Respighi, looked spectacular. A series ● 1080p DLP light engine
acters in the introduction — the of ripples made the waving American flag look ● Compatible with Toshiba Symbio external
woman’s cheek had a blotchy blue real enough to touch, and I could easily discern DVRs
area along a distinct band at the ridges in the individual tiles on Atlantis’s hull ● IR pass-through and TheaterNet
edge of her cheekbone where I and individual rivets in the black borders around onscreen control system
● Digital cable-ready with CableCARD slot
should have seen a natural fade the cockpit windows. During liftoff, the huge
and TV Guide On Screen
into shadow. burst of smoke engulfed the gantry in beautifully
● inputs 2 HDMI, 2 DTVLink, 2 component-
Depending on the brightness defined billows of amazing complexity.
video
of the gray areas, some Once in orbit, the camera lingers on the
● Fully backlit remote control
of the bands took on earth from above, and while the clouds
● 5-format memory-card reader for digital
unnatural discolor- remained crisp, I did notice the unwanted
photos and music files
ations, tending toward contours again. As the blue sea passed
● Price $3,200 list
faint purple or green in beneath and the sharp light of the sun
places that should have cut into it, then faded slowly as it crossed
been neutral gray. While the water, I saw distinct bands of grada-
test bench
The 56HM195 gave mixed results in testing.
Sin City’s black-and-white tion instead of a smooth transition from
Multiburst patterns from Sencore and
images made the discol- light to dark areas of the picture. Accupel signal generators looked excellent
oration more obvious, the with 1080i sources, with every line resolved,
banding was plainly visible BOTTOM LINE The Toshi- while 720p sources did not deliver nearly as
much detail. The grayscale was quite blue
in many types of color proba’s issues with false contours and overall before calibration and much improved
gram material as well, via somewhat inconsistent grays might afterward. Color decoding was very accurate.
all inputs and resolutions. give some home theater aficionados Geometry was very good on my review
sample, while overscan was a little worse
This effect is not unknown in pause. But the 56HM195’s sharpness than average at about 5%. Uniformity was
HDTVs, even DLP models, but with 1080i HDTV sources combined worse than on many DLP sets, showing color
it was more pronounced here with its bright picture makes a variations across the screen in gray areas.
A horizontal ramp pattern showed large
than on any other 1080p DLP package that high-def football
steps and discolorations instead of a smooth
I’ve reviewed so far. fans will want to draft early, and transition from black to white.
In its favor, the Toshiba ren- its low asking price just helps
dered a deep, inky black that sweeten the deal. On any given
gave the picture plenty of pop Sunday, it all depends what team ➥ Full lab results on S&V Web site
and impact. Shadows were clean, you’re on. S&V

test reports DAVID KATZMAIER
$3,400 ($4,400 LIST) / 44 5⁄8 x 28 3⁄4 x 141⁄8 IN, 93 LBS WITH STAND / HITACHI.US/TV / 800-448-2244
I really liked Hitachi’s remote.

The oversized, glossy black clicker
is fully illuminated and has just
the right number of buttons. In
another notable feature, a pair
of scroll wheels take the place of
keys for volume control and chan-
nel selection. I quickly got used
to swinging the volume down low
during commercials and zooming
through channels with off-air and
cable sources.
Hitachi’s thoughtful design
extends to the menu system as
well. Moving between items and
making selections was completely
intuitive, and the picture controls
slid obediently to the bottom of
the screen instead of obscuring
the image. Despite its many fea-
tures and options, I found the TV
extremely easy to set up and use.
SETUP When it came time

to connect my gear I discovered
plenty of available inputs, includ-
ing a pair of HDMI ports and two
IEEE 1394 with DTVLink ports for
digital video sources. The side of
the plasma also includes a USB
port — I plugged in a standard
thumb drive containing digital
photos and was able to view them.
My only real complaint is the lack
Hitachi
of a computer input.
The Hitachi includes both an
off-air digital tuner and a Cable-
CARD slot to receive digital TV
42-inch Plasma HDTV and HDTV from antenna and cable
sources. If you choose to ditch
W
ith the possible exception of the iPod Nano and the Motorola Razr V3 cell- your cable box and go CableCARD,
phone, there’s no piece of electronics more stylish than a plasma TV. Even the the free TV Guide On Screen pro-
cheapest examples of the breed exude a sexiness that escapes bulky projec- gram grid (now widely used by TV
tion TVs and small LCD panels, while many high-end models are downright makers) helps make up for the loss
gorgeous. I’m still convinced that, despite all the talk about picture quality of your cable provider’s guide.
and space-savings, the main draw of a big-screen plasma is the image it pres- When it came time to adjust the
ents while turned off. image quality I really appreciated
I’m no fashion plate, and I own neither an iPod nor a Razr, but even I can tell that Hitachi’s Hitachi’s Day and Night modes.
42HDT52 makes most plasmas look like Sarah, Plain and Tall. It’s entirely black, but unlike Each is fully adjustable and fully
many all-black televisions, it looks classy rather than generic. A single pane of glass extends independent for each input, which
beyond the edge of the picture straight out to the narrow black speakers on either side and allowed me to customize bright-
to thin strips of burnished black metal along the top and bottom. The speakers curve back ness, contrast, color, etc. for two
to give the panel a friendlier, rounded-off look. And different lighting situations with
WHAT WE THINK the subtly rounded glossy black stand, which matches each source I had connected.
the panel perfectly, also offers a remarkable feature: a You’ll also find four color-tempera-
Its blacks could be blacker,
motorized swivel that let me turn the TV up to 30° in ture presets, one more than nor-
but this beautiful plasma still
either direction using buttons on the remote control. mal; the fourth is optimized for
delivers the high-def goods.
Very cool. black-and-white material.

PICTURE QUALITY jacket as well as the stitches in Wayne’s leather
After connecting all of my gear gloves and the subtly lit shapes of his fingers as PLUS
and calibrating the picture for crit- he holds a stapler to Gordon’s head. Also in the Stunning design.
ical viewing in S&V ’s darkened lab, Hitachi’s favor, I noticed only the slightest false Sharp, detailed 1080i image.
I settled down to a healthy dose of contouring, which appears in many plasma TVs Backlit thumbwheel remote.
dark cinema: the Batman Begins as visible bands of gradation between lighter and Cool motorized swivel stand.
DVD. Although I’m a fan of Michael darker areas of the image. Instead, even the most
Keaton’s Batman character from difficult transitions between dark and darker
the first Batman film, Batman appeared generally smooth and even. MINUS
Begins is easily my favorite of the Having had my fill of dark, I moved on to some-
Relatively light blacks.
series, and the widescreen transfer thing brighter in high-def. HDNet’s presentation
Some flicker in still images.
looks superb. of a NASCAR race in 1080i
The film is filled with dimly provided an excellent, er,
lit scenes, which I’ll get to in a vehicle to show off the Hit-
moment, but its brighter scenes achi’s sharp HD image. The
really brought out the Hitachi’s thin girders in a distant
strengths. Bruce Wayne’s train- grandstand were clearly
ing montage, which alternated discernible, and the pic-
between Henri Ducard (Liam Nee- ture appeared so crisp that
son) describing the tenets of Nin- it became glaringly obvious
jitsu to Wayne (Christian Bale) and when the camera dropped
Ducard sparring with Batman on even slightly out of focus.
a frozen pond, served up a visual This sharpness with 1080i
feast. The bluish-white ice floes sources is one of the Hita-
looked natural and neutral instead chi’s major strengths, one it
of overly blue (as some TVs will likely owes to its exceptional
make them), and fine details were vertical resolution. Hitachi
visible everywhere, from the intri- uses a technology it calls The brighter scenes in Batman Begins brought out the Hitachi’s stengths.
cate carvings on Ducard’s armored ALiS (Alternate Lighting of
forearm to the woodgrain on the Surfaces) to achieve a native
dojo floor. resolution of 1,024 x 1,024 pixels. This is signifi-
key features
● 1,024 x 1,024-pixel resolution
When the scenes were darker, cantly higher on the vertical axis than most high-
● 2 HDMI, 2 DTVLink (IEEE 1394), 2
the Hitachi had a more difficult definition 42-inch plasmas, which have 1,024 x 768
component-video inputs
time. The black bars above and pixels. And, indeed, the image seemed sharper
● Digital cable-ready with CableCARD slot
below the picture, and with 1080i sources than other 42-inch panels I’ve and TV Guide On Screen
other black areas, tested. ● 2 customizable picture modes per input
appeared lighter than On the other hand, I also noticed some- ● Price $3,400 ($4,400 list)
on many other plasmas what more instability in paused or still-photo
I’ve seen. I also noticed images than I usually see on a typical plasma
a bit more video noise, TV. When I used my DVR controls to pause test bench
which appeared in one the race, for example, I saw the tiniest flicker The Hitachi 42HDT52 exhibited excellent
grayscale characteristics on the test bench,
instance as faintly discol- throughout the image, mostly noticeable with only mild variations before calibration in
ored specks in the jacket along horizontal edges of objects. None of the Night/Standard setting and even better
worn by Jim Gordon (Gary this was visible when I restarted the pro- results afterward. It maintained a consistent
level of black regardless of picture content.
Oldman) as he walks into gram, however, and it wasn’t an issue in
Multiburst resolution patterns revealed typical
his office, as well as in the normal viewing. results for horizontal resolution, but flicker
surrounding doorframe and intruded on still vertical-resolution patterns
moldings. The noise became BOTTOM LINE Few plasma TVs from all sources — likely a result of ALiS
(Alternate Lighting of Surfaces) technology
less noticeable if I reduced on the market can compete with the Hita- and largely invisible in moving images. Color
brightness, but as the best chi 42HDT52 on looks when turned off, decoding underemphasized green significantly
compromise I decided to stay and although it falls short of some plas- and red slightly for standard-def sources via
component video, while high-def appeared
at about 40% and live with a bit mas on dark scenes, its loaded feature
more accurate, with only the green slightly
more noise to preserve shadow set and sharp high-def picture help tip undersaturated. Geometry and uniformity were
detail. the scales in its favor. Yes, it does cost excellent, as expected for a plasma, and no
Despite the relatively light more than many similar-size models. edge enhancement was visible with sharpness
set to zero.
blacks, the Hitachi did a fine job But in a world of no-name knockoffs
rendering details in shadowy and cutthroat profit margins, this ➥
Full lab results on S&V Web site
forms like the folds in Gordon’s much class can’t come cheap. S&V

test reports AL GRIFFIN
$2,600 ($3,800 LIST) / 39 x 30 x 131⁄8 IN, 60 LBS WITH STAND / SAMSUNG.COM / 800-726-7864
swiveling base is included. The

one important thing missing is a
front- or side-panel A/V input for
a camcorder or game console, and
I’d also have liked to see a mem-
ory-card or USB input for viewing
digital photos.
Around back, the Samsung
offers a good selection of inputs,
including HDMI, component-video,
and VGA-style PC connections.
Strangely, a minijack audio out-
put for headphone listening is also
located here — nice thought, but
talk about inconvenient! Sam-
sung’s remote control isn’t backlit,
but finding the button you want
in a dark room won’t be a prob-
lem thanks to its simple, clear
layout. To switch inputs, just tap
the Source button — the TV auto-
matically ignores unused inputs,
quickening the process. And to
select Display Modes, open the
slide-down door at the bottom and
hit the P.Size button. The options
include 16:9, 4:3, Panorama, Zoom
1, and Zoom 2 for standard pro-
grams, just 16:9 and 4:3 for HDTV.
SETUP The Samsung’s

Plug and Play option (found in the
Setup menu) eases you through
channel setup once you con-
Samsung
nect an antenna or cable line.
After I plugged in my RadioShack
antenna and selected the
Air and Start options, the
40-inch LCD HDTV Samsung quickly found
all the digital broadcasts
L
CD technology is something TV makers want you to take seriously, and in my area. I used the
to prove they’re not kidding, they’ve packed it into just about every onscreen digital signal-
type of set, including front-projection, rear-projection, and flat-panel strength meter to fine-tune
models. Of those three, it’s the last kind that’s really heating up — 40- antenna placement for the
inch and larger flat-panel LCDs are finally starting to give plasma TVs strongest reception. One
some competition. With more than 15 new models and a new factory outstanding thing about this
dedicated to the category, Samsung is bullish on LCD. The 40-inch LN-R408D TV is its electronic program
($2,600) is one of its largest, so we decided to take a look. guide (EPG), which pulls data
Even when not mounted on the wall, your flat-panel TV is bound to be a from digital channels and
conversation piece, so it’s got to look good. With a glossy black frame that presents it onscreen in a well-
flares into a triangle at the bottom and includes a thin silver grille over organized grid with program
the speakers, the LN-R408D has that titles and descriptions spanning
WHAT WE THINK angle well-covered. A large, disc- 12 hours ahead. I actually found
shaped power button is centered the Samsung’s EPG preferable
A stylish TV at an affordable
below the screen, while other con- to the one provided by my cable
price, but it’s better for watch-
trols like volume, channel, menu company.
ing talk shows in daylight
navigation, and source select are Setting up the Samsung’s pic-
than movies in the dark.
on the side. A silver-toned, non- ture wasn’t nearly as trouble-free.

the short form
A Custom picture preset is avail-

able for each input along with
doctor’s eyes was reasonably vivid. However, the
horizontal shafts of white light streaking across
PLUS
Solid picture with fast-motion programs
three additional presets — all of the walls behind them had a noisy, coarse look. I
like sports.
them can be modified and stored also noticed a patchy effect in the highlight por-
Excellent onscreen EPG.
with your changes. However, tions of various images, which tended to look flat
Nice styling.
when I selected the Warm 2 Color or “burned out.”
Tone preset — the one that deliv- In a subsequent scene where Batman (Christian
ered the most natural-looking Bale) surprises Detective Gordon (Gary Oldman)
overall color of the four choices on a fire escape, the Samsung didn’t reveal much
MINUS
— darker parts of the picture still shadow detail from their surroundings — the black Weak black level and shadow detail.
had a strong greenish tint that tones of Batman’s costume blended into the scene’s Coarse picture effects in highlights.
I couldn’t remove with any user dark, urban background. Things hardly improved No front- or side-panel input.
controls. The set’s My Color Con- when the action
trol user menu also wasn’t much descended to the bat-
help in removing a reddish skin cave, where both Bat-
cast — an effect that showed up man and his cavernous
regardless of which Color Tone environment tended to
preset I selected. The green tint merge into a uniform
disappeared only after I calibrated dark gray, giving the
the set with the service-menu picture a flat, 2-D look.
controls, though the red cast could The Samsung fared
only be tamed by turning down much better on less
the color control, which slightly moodily lit mov-
desaturated other colors as well ies, like Dodgeball: A
Moreover, I couldn’t turn off True Underdog Story,
the set’s DNiE processing, which which I recorded off
includes fairly aggressive edge HBO-HDTV on my
enhancement that adds artificial- cable DVR. In the final
The colorful uniforms of Dodgeball looked rich on the Samsung LCD.
looking white halos around objects match between Aver-
— only a split-screen demo mode age Joe’s Gym and the
showed the picture with and with- obnoxious crew from key features
out DNiE. Fortunately, turning Globo Gym, the colorful uniforms on both sides ● 1,366 x 768-pixel LCD display
the sharpness down to minimum — orange-red for the Average Joe’s players, pur- ● Built-in HDTV tuner
removed most of DNiE’s ill effects. ple for the Globo guys — looked rich. The picture ● Digital cable-ready
showed a good amount of detail, although it was
● inputs CableCARD slot; HDMI, 2
PICTURE QUALITY less crisp than on other, similar-size big-screen component-video, 1 composite/S-video, all
Like most LCDs, the Samsung was LCDs I’ve tested. But what most impressed me with stereo audio; 2 RF cable/antenna; VGA
capable of show- was how the Samsung’s high- with minijack analog stereo audio
● outputs optical digital and analog stereo
ing a clean, bright def picture remained solid even
audio, minijack headphone
picture when I
watched analog “The electronic through fast-action scenes of
dodgeball mayhem. Some LCDs ● Price $2,600 ($3,800 list)
cable channels like program guide is I’ve seen have a problem with
CNN in a well-lit picture “smearing” on shots with
room. To really
outstanding. rapid motion, but definitely not
test bench
put it to the test, I actually found this one.
The Samsung’s color temperature measured
reasonably close to the 6,500-K standard with
though, I pulled
out the new Bat-
it preferable to BOTTOM LINE The
its Warm 2 mode selected, although there was
a pronounced green shift toward darker parts
man Begins DVD the one provided Samsung LN-R408D’s occasion- of the picture that could only be corrected with
service-menu calibration. Grayscale tracking
and took a trip ally patchy picture and its weak
to Gotham. In a
by my cable performance with dark programs
was ±200 K, which is average. Color-decoder
performance was slightly worse than average,
scene where the company.” — something I’ve seen on several with green and red errors visible through both
the HDMI and component-video inputs. With
creepy Dr. Crane other LCD TVs reviewed recently test patterns, the set was unable to display all
and crime boss — make it a dicey option for seri- of the detail in a 720p-format HDTV signal.
Carmine Falcone ous movie watching. But in well-lit
converse in a psychiatric prison’s rooms — on programs like news, sitcoms, and sports
interrogation room, the skin tones — you’ll appreciate its bright picture and solid han-
of both actors looked natural, dling of quick motion. Good looks and a reasonable ➥
Full lab results on S&V Web site
and the piercing blue hue of the price tag just round out the package. S&V

“ … they dazzled me … I was mesmerized … STUNNINGLY GOOD!
… Over and over, magic is what I heard.”
– Jeff Fritz, SoundStage! on the Studio 100
From the beginning, we’ve taken a cost-no-object approach to design in our Paradigm®
Reference Studio line, using only the most sophisticated technologies. What’s more,
drivers, component parts, crossovers and enclosures are designed, engineered and
manufactured under one roof—our own! Only this way can we deliver the level of
technical excellence for which Paradigm® is world renowned. Our success can be heard
in every sound, every glorious note.
S-PAL™ Satin-Anodized Pure-Aluminum domes. MLP™ Mica-Loaded-Polymer cones.

© Paradigm Electronics Inc. & Bavan Corp.
High-pressure die-cast aluminum chassis.Oversize magnet assemblies with symmetrical

focused-field geometry. IMS/Shock-Mount™ “baffleless”enclosure technology. The result
is speaker performance that ranks among the finest available at any price.
Sound is supremely neutral,natural,detailed and clear.Imaging is spacious.Localization,

unerringly precise. We invite you to visit your local dealer to experience the sensational
w w w . p a r a d i g m . c o m
sound of Paradigm® Reference Studio for yourself.
DAVID RANADA test reports
$3,500 / 171⁄8 x 61⁄8 x 171⁄8 IN / 40 LBS / USA.DENON.COM / 973-396-0810
the DVD-5910’s multistep gamma
Ap
d
control is considerably more ver-
Denon
prov
e
satile than most.
Full bass management and
speaker-distance compensation
DVD-5910 Universal DVD/SACD Player are provided for the multichannel
analog outputs, and — even more
I
n a world overrun by lightweight, throwaway players, Denon’s 42-pound, $3,500 DVD- rare — the processing is applied
5910 is a breed apart. It’s unusually well equipped in all the key areas — audio/video identically, as it should be, to all
technology, performance, adjustability, and hookup options — making it a prime candi- the formats the player handles,
date for hard-core home theater enthusiasts who seek a true cinemalike experience. including DVD-Audio, Super Audio
The DVD-5910 has more connectors than any other DVD player I’ve seen. Most impor- CD, MP3, WMA, and CD as well as
tant are the digital outputs: DVI for video only, HDMI for video and audio, and IEEE 1394 DVD-Video. You even get a gener-
for multichannel audio. Like many of today’s players, the DVD-5910 “upconverts” standard- ous selection of crossover frequen-
definition DVD video to an HDTV format — its DVI and HDMI outputs scale to your cies (40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 Hz) for
choice of 720p or 1080i. Actually, these connections can’t produce HDTV- optimizing the bass.
quality picture detail from DVDs, though if you have a fi xed-pixel display
— such as on a DLP, plasma, or LCD HDTV — they do offer an all-digital SETUP Using any of the
connection that will bypass the player’s digital-to-analog video conversion player’s multitude of audio or
(which in the Denon is outstanding) as well as the TV’s analog-to-digital video outputs was straightfor-
conversion (sometimes of questionable quality). ward. While its provision of
Using the DVI, HDMI, or component-video connections engages the DVD- professional-style BNC jacks
5910’s sophisticated processing power to carefully convert the interlaced 480i to carry component-video sig-
signal off the DVD into the progressive-scan 480p format. This is the starting nals is a bit extravagant (since
point for any 720p or 1080i upscaling and is where the Denon stands out: for there are also parallel-driven
progressive conversion it uses a Silicon Optix Realta HQV processor, a high- RCA jacks), this will please
end device with an impressive pedigree and an outstanding reputation. Scaling custom installers who prefer
is in turn done by another video processor, this one from DVDO. Audio conver- these ultra-reliable twist-
sion is handled by 24-bit Burr-Brown digital-to-analog converters, which also lock connectors. Like most
carry all-star status among aficionados. of the HDMI outputs I’ve
The player’s exceptional array of fine-tuning adjustments goes beyond the checked out, Denon’s will
standard video controls (contrast, brightness, hue, saturation, and sharpness). carry multichannel digi-
The most interesting of these is “gamma,” tal audio (including, for
WHAT WE THINK which controls the translation between the once, an SACD bitstream),
signal level on a DVD and the image bright- which greatly simplifies
This player’s superb audio
ness on your TV. Adjusting gamma can have connection to an HDMI-
and video performance and
an enormous influence on the visibility of equipped receiver.
full range of adjustments
objects in the darkest parts of an image with- The remote con-
define “state of the art.”
out affecting overall brightness or contrast, and trol is nicely laid out,

test reports
the short form
PLUS with fewer buttons than you’d expect thanks to quality over some players, we’ve
Superb audio and video performance. the extensive use of onscreen menus. All of the tested much cheaper models that
remote’s buttons are backlit, but you’ll need to look nearly as good. You’ll need to
Accurate bass management for all
formats, including DVD-Audio and memorize their positions since most of the labels look beyond video to fully justify
SACD. remain dark. the Denon player’s premium price.
Wide range of video adjustments.
Extremely flexible connectivity. MOVIE PERFORMANCE With all the MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Backlit remote control. high technology packed inside the player, it was no Fortunately, you’ll find that justi-
surprise that it performed outstandingly via both fication on the Denon’s audio side,
its progressive-component and HDMI outputs. The where its capabilities and perfor-
MINUS toughest program material I could muster was our
collection of test patterns and sequences, espe-
mance clearly put it in a class by
itself. The DVD-5910’s sonic per-
Remote labels not illuminated. cially a disc issued by Silicon Optix that lets you formance with both multichannel
Expensive. gauge how a DVD player han- DVD-Audio and SACD was abso-
dles the initial conversion to lutely superb.
480p (see page 30). The usual A continuously loud movie
result of poor progressive- soundtrack or song is far easier
scan conversion is jagged for a player to reproduce impres-
near-horizontal and diagonal sively than music filled with soft
edges, and we unfortunately and delicate passages, where a
find these “jaggies” with player’s added background noise
most DVD players. — the most difficult thing to elimi-
Jaggies were entirely nate — is most obvious. And no
absent on the Denon, not piece is better at stressing a play-
only with the Silicon Optix er’s dynamic range than Ravel’s
disc (as might be expected) Boléro. The DVD-5910 took the
but also in the live-action wide dynamics of Paavo Jarvi’s
test pattern found in Chapter Telarc SACD in stride. The sound
9 of The Bourne Supremacy. remained clean and clear from the
While Matt Damon’s fight pianissimo drumtaps at the begin-
The Denon player realistically portrayed the fantasy The Chronicles of Riddick. scene is a nifty piece of com- ning to the fortissimo, pound-
bat choreography, it’s the ing-bass-drum climax. Bass man-
background of thin Vene- agement and speaker-distance
key features tian blinds that represents the real compensation —
[
● Internal scaling to 720p and 1080i signal
video challenge. No jaggies here. which rarely work
formats
● Plays DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW (except
Nor were there any other progres- “The DVD-5910’s correctly in any
VR mode or dual-layer), DVD-Audio, SACD, sive-conversion problems with DVD player — per-
MP3, WMA, and JPEG programs that switch frequently sonics with both formed perfectly
● outputs HDMI; DVI; component,
composite, and S-video; optical, coaxial,

between video- and film-based multichannel DVD- as I switched
sources, such as routinely occurs in among disc types
IEEE 1394, and Denon Link digital audio;
multichannel analog audio
DVD “making-of” documentaries. Audio and SACD and signal for-
And the picture just got better mats, with no
● Bass management and speaker-distance
the closer I looked. In the direc-
were absolutely change in the bass
compensation for all formats
● Price $3,500
tor’s cut of The Chronicles of Rid- superb.” balance I dialed in
dick, Chapter 8, the Denon realis- during setup.
tically conveyed the wide variety
test bench of skin tones of the ethnically BOTTOM LINE The Denon
Measured as well as onscreen video tests mixed crowd listening to the Lord Marshal’s speech DVD-5910 offers faultless audio
produced excellent results, particularly for the
DVD-5910’s progressive-scan conversion. If
as well as the pinpoint highlights on the costumes. and video reproduction, and its
anything, audio performance was even better, Vast expanses of near-flat or gently curved surfaces, wide range of adjustments and
with superbly low background noise levels. as seen throughout The Incredibles, are difficult to rock-solid bass management
DVD-Audio noise was an astonishing 23 dB
reproduce — they can be degraded by “contouring” or guarantee that no matter how
below CD noise, which was itself right at the
theoretical 16-bit limit. Bass management and “color-band” effects where there should be an even good your HDTV and sound sys-
distance compensation were correctly applied gradation of brightness or color. There were no such tem are, your DVD player will
to all signal formats. problems here — images looked very clean, crisp, and never be the weakest link. If state-
smooth. of-the-art is on your shopping list
➥ Full lab results on S&V Web site But while the DVD-5910’s wide array of picture fine- and price is no object, you won’t
tuning adjustments may give it an edge on picture go wrong. S&V

A PICTURE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS. GIVE OR TAKE A FEW .
“Worth every penny.”

Al Wozniak, Plasmavision end-user
“The best plasma display in my store.”

Leon Shaw, Audio Advice in Raleigh, NC
“A plasma we’d all be thrilled to have.”

Cindy Davis, Editor-in-Chief of Electronic House Magazine
“No other plasma display outperforms it.”

Jason Lord, The Source A/V Design Group in Los Angeles, CA
“The best technology, picture quality and service money can buy.”
Franklin Karp, Harvey Electronics in New York, NY
“Now that I’ve got a Plasmavision® display, Superbowl Sunday

is always at my house.”
Marty Kravet, Plasmavision end-user
“Fujitsu’s line of Plasmavision® displays are by far the best in

class in the plasma category.”
Joe Piccirilli, Managing Director of AVAD
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.
test reports KEN C. POHLMANN
$300 / 171⁄8 x 57⁄8 x 14 3⁄4 IN / 221⁄2 LBS / ONKYOUSA.COM / 800-229-1687
Onkyo
TX-SR503 Digital Surround Receiver
range of home theater speaker
systems.
L
ife is complicated, and getting more so every day. We usually welcome complex- MUSIC PERFORMANCE
ity because it’s often accompanied by more functionality. For example, a cell- To audition the Onkyo’s music
phone with a built-in MP3 player is pretty sweet. On the other hand, its owner’s side, I eagerly unwrapped the
manual is probably 200 pages long. Sometimes we want simple things that just DualDisc with the new DVD-Audio
do their jobs. And the Onkyo TX-SR503 7.1-channel receiver is one of them. surround mix of Dire Straits’
Don’t get me wrong — the SR503 is far from stripped down. But compared Brothers in Arms. I’ve listened to
with some expensive receivers, with their USB ports and overcrowded remotes, this this classic about a million times,
one, which lists for a mere $300, is pleasantly basic. And amid increasing numbers of and it’s part of my standard rota-
receivers with digital amplifiers, the SR503 stoutly follows the analog tradition. But tion of test material.
can it deliver the sonic goods without coming up short on the essentials? Clearly aware that he
was working with the
SETUP When it comes to interconnection, the Onkyo covered most of the musical equivalent of
bases. There’s no HDMI digital video port, which I’d have liked, but I was encour- the Sistine Chapel ceil-
aged to find three component-video inputs. (If you have more than three compo- ing, mixing engineer
nent-video sources, then you have too many and should send the extras to me.) Chuck Ainlay avoided
The Onkyo doesn’t upconvert lesser-quality sources, though, so you can’t play getting too rambunctious
composite video from a VCR or old analog camcorder and expect its signal to with the surround chan-
appear at the receiver’s component- or S-video monitor output. Ditto for digi- nels. He placed a few synth
tal audio signals, which won’t be passed by any analog audio outputs. For parts there, and reverberated
this test, I used the Onkyo’s component-video input and both its coaxial dig- odds and ends to enhance
ital and multichannel analog audio inputs to connect my DVD player. You’ll ambience and depth, but noth-
also find B speaker outputs for the front left/right channels round back ing gets crazy.
— a nice touch for such an inexpensive receiver. On “The Man’s Too Strong,” the
Unlike some receivers — even the occasional budget model — that surrounds punch up the power
automatically set speaker “size,” distance, and level as well as bass chords that repeat throughout the
crossover, the SR503 leaves setup strictly a manual affair. No big deal. song, fi xing something that had
I was impressed with the cross- always bothered me before. On

WHAT WE THINK over-frequency options — 60, the title track, the album’s origi-
80, 100, 120, and 150 Hz, which nal stereo mix is a masterwork
This budget receiver delivers
are more than most receivers of sonic space and breadth; the
a full 7.1 channels and robust
offer. This flexibility can help surround mix judiciously applies
bang for the buck.
fine-tune the sound of a wide front-to-back delays to increase

Once you leave, all I do is sit here.
Staring at the walls. Sure, they look great.
But still.
They can never replace the times
we spend together.
Watching football. Cooking shows.
Hogging the remote.
Hey, did you hear where that sound came from?
Don’t even look around. It was all me.
Hurry home.
YSP-1000
The YSP-800 and YSP-1000 are the next-generation digital sound projectors from Yamaha,
providing multi-channel surround sound from just one component. Each uses unique Yamaha
technologies, including automatic system calibration, to make set-up fast, simple, and acousti-
cally ideal. And most importantly? They’re from Yamaha. So they speak for themselves.
©2005 Yamaha Electronics Corporation, USA.

test reports
the short form
PLUS the depth even further. It’s certainly effective, but not EASE OF USE As you
Good bang for the buck. as technically impressive as the tremendous depth might expect, this no-frills
Robust power output. achieved by the original. receiver is pretty easy to use once
Easy operation. The really good news is that the Onkyo was very you get it set up. The remote’s
transparent on these telling tracks, neither add- design is simple, but it lets you do
ing nor subtracting from the music. The reverb on everything you need to do and can
MINUS the title track’s lead guitar is one of the sweetest control a number of other compo-
No upconversion from composite or ever recorded; its ethereal decay sounded exactly nents. I appreciated its color-coded
S-video. right. And the receiver held together well even when buttons and backgrounds, and the
pushed to loud volumes, with backlit component buttons. Two
every channel pulling its own thumbs up!
weight. This was evident in how However, there are some minor
clean the all-important lead limitations you should be aware of
vocals sounded, which were if you intend to use the B speaker
anchored in the center chan- terminals to play stereo music
nel. Any strain there would have in a remote room. These speak-
been obvious and ruined how ers are powered by the receiver’s
the album came across. back surround amplifier chan-
Thankfully, despite its budget nels, so your main system reverts
status, the Onkyo TX-SR503 pro- from 7.1-channel to 5.1-channel
vides both DTS Neo:6 processing if you’re listening in both rooms
(with Center Image control) and at the same time. Also, you’ll
Dolby Pro Logic IIx (with Pan- need to connect your CD or DVD
orama, Dimension, and Center player’s analog stereo output to
Width controls). Both generate the receiver for remote playback
surprisingly effective 7.1-chan- — digital audio signals fed to the
nel sound from a stereo source. receiver, even PCM stereo, can’t
Sonic subtleties and loud effects in The English Patient all came through clearly. There are a few proprietary be heard through the B speaker
sound-field modes, including terminals. Similarly, only analog
Orchestra, which added a nice stereo signals will be passed to
key features bit of ambience to the notoriously bone-dry Studio 8H the receiver’s tape output jacks, so
● Rated for 75 watts x 7 channels
where Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra you can’t expect to record sources
● Dolby Pro Logic IIx and DTS Neo:6
made some of the historic mono recordings in my col- connected digitally. And you can’t
processing for 7.1-channel playback from
stereo, Dolby Surround, and 5.1-channel lection. And there’s also a CinemaFilter that “softens” record from a DVD player con-
sources overly bright soundtracks. nected via the multichannel ana-
● Cinema Filter mode to “soften” bright log input, either. But none of these
soundtracks MOVIE PERFORMANCE To test the small caveats should be much of
● Subwoofer crossover adjustable from 60 Onkyo’s movie chops, I settled in with The English an issue in a budget installation,
to 150 Hz Patient, that arch-Romantic WWII drama set in the and the money Onkyo saved by
● 3 component-video inputs, 1 output Middle East and Italy. Its soundtrack is quite sparse, cutting these corners was clearly
● A/B speaker switch with subtle nuances in every scene. I listened care- invested in the sound.
● Price $300 fully to the clinking of medicine bottles, the rever-
beration of prayers in a desert canyon, the soft BOTTOM LINE I have a
test bench sounds of sand shifting in the breeze, and the whir love-hate relationship with com-
The Onkyo TX-SR503 did not present any of insects in the night air — every detail was accu- plexity. But I always admire prod-
surprise numbers on the test bench. It uses rately conveyed. ucts designed for efficient use.
tried-and-true design elements that do a
very competent job. At 116 watts (20.6 dBW) Interspersed with the sonic nuances in The English The Onkyo TX-SR503’s simplicity
with one channel driven into 8 ohms, or 71 Patient are some lively scenes that include an artillery will be welcome in many electron-
watts (18.4 dBW) with seven channels, power attack on a military hospital, a fierce sandstorm, and, ics stacks. It makes a good starter
output was perhaps the highest I have seen
at this price, and it was accomplished with
of course, the powerful roar of a biplane engine. These receiver for someone just getting
low distortion. The background noise level effects demand fast and dynamic power output, and going in home theater or a great
was a couple of decibels short of theoretical the Onkyo did not disappoint me. Sure, it lacks the centerpiece for a secondary sys-
perfection, but it shouldn’t be audible during
raw wattage of some receivers, but I was impressed by tem. If you want a megareceiver
normal playback. While bass management
is not available for the multichannel analog how robust the sound was. In my home, it played loud that does everything, then go
input, it was consistent for all other inputs and enough to rattle the fine china (well, okay — Tupper- ahead and take out a second mort-
formats. ware). Don’t make the mistake of shying away from gage. If you want a good, solid 7.1-
➥
Full lab results on S&V Web site this receiver because you equate price with volume. channel receiver you can pay cash
The SR503 can definitely annoy your neighbors. for, this is it. S&V

quick takes DANIEL KUMIN
PIONEER $330 PLUS XM SUBSCRIPTION / 21⁄4
x 4 3⁄8
x 11⁄4
IN / 8 OZ WITH BATTERY / PIONEERELECTRONICS.COM / 800-746-6337
TAO $299 PLUS XM SUBSCRIPTION / 2 3⁄4 x 41⁄2 x 11⁄4 IN / 71⁄4 OZ WITH BATTERY / TAOLIFE.COM / 800-860-5048
Ap
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Two to Go / Pioneer and Tao XM2go Satellite Receivers the short form
S
atellite radio is rapidly filling the niche on rock and pop (as on Channel 40, Deep
that FM broadcasting occupied 20 — er Tracks, a fave), with good but not great clar-
— 30 years ago. That is, providing a vast ity and punch — like most headphone por- PLUS
array of musical choices without a relentless tables, they’re short on amplifier power and Works for portable, home, and car use.
assault of commercials, DJs, and blather. No refinement. Sound quality was determined Good sound (with replacement
earphones).
wonder XM and Sirius already have millions more by XM’s compression scheme than the
Recording and search-by-artist
of listeners, or that people delighted by sat- hardware, and it varied depending on the functions.
ellite radio in their cars crave it at channel. It was very good (by
XM’s range of programming.
home, in the gym, on the bike, or MP3 standards) on many but
at the seashore. not all of the music channels
Enter versatile portables like — for instance, Steely Dan’s
MINUS
Frequent reception dropouts in hilly/
the two feature-packed XM2go “Gold Teeth II,” a very famil- non-urban terrain.
minis seen here. While distinct iar track, was eminently lis-
in styling, they are essentially tenable. But sound was fairly
identical: same features, same crude (Internet radio quality) key features
functional controls, same dis- on the sports and talk chan- ● Built-in antenna for outdoor portability
plays, same menus, and, as best nels. I concede, though, that ● Full home, portable, and car accessories
● 30 channel presets
I could determine, same perfor- being able to listen to broad-
● Song-memo and artist-alert/search
mance. What’s more, the Tao is casts of my hometown Red Sox
● Can store 5 hours of programming
a near twin to the Delphi MyFi throughout a multistate busi-
● Can display sports scores or stock prices
reviewed in the February/ ness trip would be pretty cool.
March 2005 issue (avail- I have a good car system,
able on the S&V Web site), and what I heard when the
so everything said there portables’ line outputs were make reception nearly continuous,
applies here as well. connected through the car so if you live in a major urban area
Like the original MyFi, both portables dock was a shade better than via ear- or somewhere flat, you should be
come heavily equipped with accessories for phones. Both receivers also boast built-in FM able to hang onto the signal while
home, car, and walkabout use — though the modulators for playback through your car outdoors or driving. Indoor drop-
supplied earbuds should be scrapped imme- radio — convenient but decidedly lower-fi. outs shouldn’t be a problem with
diately and replaced with a decent pair of Mobile satellite reception where I live in the stationary antenna connected.
in-ear or over-the-ear headphones. Notably, semi-rural New England was variable. Walk- Neither player’s display is read-
each can record up to 5 hours of program- around reception was good on open ground able from more than a few feet
ming for those times when XM reception as long as I carried the receivers clipped away, so their supplied remotes
is spotty or impossible, and both can auto- upright to my belt — both have low-gain are handy for selecting preset sta-
matically search out your favorite artists antennas built into their top edges. But with tions when the units are in their
on channels you’re not listening to. You can even a modest hill or building to the south home docks. And though neither
store up to 30 presets for favorite channels. or southwest, the signal intermittently van- is an ergonomic masterpiece, both
ished, and at a walking or are fairly intuitive to use.
SETUP Setting up either model is a jogging pace it could be
simple matter of turning on the receiver, many minutes before BOTTOM LINE These
confirming a good signal, and registering it returned. The models are so similar that nei-
your XM subscription ($13 a month) via the same was true in the ther their performance, func-
Web or an 800 call. The supplied antennas car in hilly terrain, tionality, nor even price will
worked fine, with each unit’s home antenna though dropouts be much of a factor in decid-
aimed out a southwest-facing window and were fewer and, of ing which one to buy (both are
the car antenna clamped magnetically onto course, far shorter in available online for about $200).
my VW Jetta’s roof and connected via the duration. Inexplica- I liked the Pioneer slightly bet-
supplied car dock (the antenna’s position on bly, the Pioneer was ter, mostly for its styling and
the car made quite a difference here). slightly but distinctly its marginally easier-to-press
less drop-out-prone keys. You can choose which-
PERFORMANCE Again, my con- in the car. XM ever appeals to you visually,
clusions apply equally to the Pioneer and operates terres- feels good in your hand, or just
Tao. Both were able to drive my Etymotic trial repeaters in speaks to your subconscious.
Research earphones to ample volumes most cities that You won’t go wrong. S&V

quick takes MICHAEL ANTONOFF
Personal Satellite TV / PocketDish portable video player

$599 / 81⁄4 x 41⁄4 x 3⁄4 IN / 11⁄4 LBS / POCKETDISH.COM / 800-333-3474
the short form
W
ith digital cable’s video-on-demand box or camcorder. Another supplied adapter
advantage, satellite TV has been seek- cable connects the PocketDish to a TV so
ing an edge. EchoStar’s Dish Network you can watch stored programs on the big PLUS
may have found one with its PocketDish screen (composite video only). High-speed transfer from satellite
receiver.
AV700E portable video player. The sleek The PocketDish opening screen shows
handheld console, with a 7-inch widescreen icons for video, music, and photos; an inter- Intuitive interface through Dish DVR 942.
LCD and stereo speakers, contains a 40-giga- nal browser that lets you see every file on Excellent picture quality on built-in
screen.
byte (GB) hard drive that stores 40 hours of the hard drive from one directory; some
Dish programs. But what makes the Pocket- supplied games; a resume function that
Dish different from other portable players picks up playing whatever was onscreen
MINUS
Cryptic button labels on player and
is that you don’t need a computer or even when you put the player into standby mode; remote.
an analog connection to a source compo- a scheduler for automatically recording from
Won’t play shows recorded on Windows
nent to load or record programs. Instead, it an external video source other than the DVR Media Center PCs.
captures both TV shows and Sirius satellite 942; and an audio recording function (micro- Narrow vertical viewing angle.
radio via a high-speed digital connection to phone not supplied).
Dish Network’s DVR 942 satellite receiver, Loading up the PocketDish with pro-
a dual-tuner model with a 250-GB digital grams from the DVR 942 was surprisingly key features
video recorder that replaced the DVR 921 we simple and fast. As soon as you attach Pock- ● 7-inch widescreen, 512 x 384-pixel LCD
reviewed in April 2004 (available on the S&V etDish to the front of the DVR 942 with its
● 40-GB hard disk for storing up to 40 hours
of TV
Web site). The biggest difference is the addi- USB cable, your TV screen offers a list of
● Plays MP3, WMA, and WAV audio fi les,
tion of a USB 2.0 port, now used for down- shows already on the player and tells you JPEG photo files
loads to the PocketDish. how much recording time is still available. ● Docking pod for recording from composite/
Made for EchoStar by Archos, a company You use the navigation buttons on the 942’s S-video input; composite-video output to TV
● Timer for unattended recordings
it partly owns, the PocketDish player is also remote to select shows you’ve previously
available in two smaller models. The AV500E recorded on the DVR, then click to copy
comes with a 4-inch widescreen display and them to the PocketDish.
30 GB of storage ($499), and its little brother, little loss in quality when watch-
the AV402E ($329), offers a 21⁄4-inch conven- PERFORMANCE USB transfers from ing talking heads or even a ten-
tional 4:3 screen and a 20-GB hard disk. the DVR 942 were incredibly quick. A 1- nis match on the AV700E’s screen.
hour Charlie Rose Show from PBS copied Only when I connected the Pock-
SETUP PocketDish comes with a pair over in just 4 minutes, a 2-hour Cold Pizza etDish to my 50-inch plasma TV
of USB cables for connection to your DVR from ESPN in 12 minutes. HDTV programs did I notice a significant loss of
942 and, if you wish, a PC or Mac as an addi- recorded on the 942 can’t be transferred dig- resolution, especially with action
tional source of programs, music, and pho- itally, but you can dub them at standard res- sequences — the tennis segment
tos. There’s also a docking “pod” with an olution (and real-time speed) from the 942’s looked like something from a badly
adapter cable for recording directly from the S-video output. worn VHS tape. A recording of Cold
composite- or S-video output of, say, a cable Digital transfers looked great. There was Pizza made from an analog cable
box was noticeably inferior to the
digital transfer from the satellite
receiver. Also, when I connected
PocketDish to my TV via the dock-
ing pod, I could hear a slight whir-
ring sound from the hard drive.
The noise went away when I used
the supplied cable to connect the
player directly to my set.
Since the DVR 942 also lets you
receive and record Sirius satellite
radio, I copied a segment from the
Pure Jazz channel. Curiously, artist
names and song titles from Sirius
that were visible on my TV screen
as songs were playing through the
942 weren’t transferred to Pocket-
Dish — only the channel name and

a date/time stamp for the recorded through their USB 1.1 ports. Though not as fast But if you already own a Dish DVR
segment. Dish says that a software as USB 2.0, transfers will still be a lot faster than 942, adding a PocketDish is a no-
update available in early 2006 will recording a show in real time. brainer. The interface is intuitive,
support display of artists and titles. and the fast digital transfers will
Another glitch: though PocketDish BOTTOM LINE If you’re looking for a por- make you wonder how you ever
automatically turns off its screen table player to carry around video, music, and had the patience to wait for a 1-
when playing music transferred from photos copied from your computer, there are hour show to copy in 1 hour. There
your computer, it sees Sirius record- easier-to-use, lighter-weight, and less expensive is simply no easier way to take
ings as video files and keeps the LCD alternatives (though with smaller screen sizes). your Dish on the road. S&V
active, unnecessarily draining the
battery. I was able to turn off the
LCD by pressing the display button
to make the PocketDish think it was
sending its video to a separate TV
even though none was connected. In
any event, the removable 3.7-volt lith-
ium-ion battery gave the PocketDish
enough power to keep video playing
for more than 4 hours.
Using a PC to load the PocketDish
8FNBLFIPNFUIFBUFSFBTZ
is more complicated than working
off the DVR 942, requiring Windows
Media Player or Windows Explorer
software. But PocketDish won’t play
video files recorded on a Windows
Media Center PC because they’re
recorded in Microsoft’s proprietary
DVR-MS format — too bad if you’ve
built up a library of programs in that
file type. Nor will it play such popu-
lar formats as Windows Media Video,
MPEG-1, and MPEG-2 — only a variant
of the newer MPEG-4 format. Some
conversion utilities are supplied that
may help you transfer your older files.
I had no trouble copying photos from
an SD card directly to the PocketDish
with my own USB adapter.
The AV700E’s LCD is gargantuan
for a hard-drive portable and plenty 8BOUBOFBTZUPVTFIPNFFOUFSUBJONFOUTZTUFNUIBUMPPLTHSFBUJO
bright even viewed off to one side.
ZPVSIPNF $POTVMUXJUIB$SVUDIGJFMEIPNFUIFBUFSFYQFSU:PVMM
However, tilting it up or down even a
few degrees washes out the picture. CFTQFBLJOHXJUITPNFPOFXIPIBTTQFDJBMJ[FELOPXMFEHFPGDVTUPN
The kickstand is nonadjustable, so JOTUBMMBUJPOBOEXIPMFIPVTFBVEJPWJEFPTZTUFNT
keep some books handy to achieve ի6QPOSFRVFTU ZPVMMHFUBOJUFNJ[FETZTUFNQSPQPTBMCZFNBJM
the right angle if you want to watch
TIPSUMZBGUFSZPVSDPOTVMUBUJPO
PocketDish hands free. Another draw-
back is that most buttons on the ի:PVSFYQFSUBEWJTPSXJMMNBLFTVSFZPVBSFQSFQBSFEUPJOTUBMMUIF
player aren’t labeled, and the labels TZTUFNZPVSTFMGPSUPTVDDFTTGVMMZJOUFSBDUXJUIZPVSDVTUPNJOTUBMMFS
on the remote are cryptic. For exam- ի3FMZPO$SVUDIGJFMEGPSBMMUIFIFMQZPVOFFEmJODMVEJOHGSFFMJGFUJNF
ple, the play button is one of three
UFDIOJDBMTVQQPSUUIBUTBWBJMBCMFEBZTBXFFL IPVSTBEBZ
marked “O.” Plain English, please!
Dish says that all its forthcom-
ing DVRs will contain USB 2.0 ports $BMMGPSBGSFFDPOTVMUBUJPO
and be PocketDish-compatible. Also,
owners of the DVR 522 and 625 can
XJUIBIPNFUIFBUFSFYQFSU
expect an automatic software down-
load by January 2006 that will make
0OFPGPVSFYQFSUTXJMMIFMQZPV PSWJTJUXXXDSVUDIGJFMEDPNTWTUPTFFPVS
the receivers PocketDish-compatible EFTJHOZPVSESFBNTZTUFN MBUFTUDPMMFDUJPOPGQSFNBUDIFETZTUFNT
the list
Ap
d
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The Best Gear to Buy Right Now
THIS MONTH, DENON’S NO-HOLDS-BARRED DVD-5910 replaces the DVD-3910 as
our pick for the ultimate DVD player (at least till introduction of an HD disc for-
mat). We’ve also listed a trio of XM2go portables from Pioneer, Tao, and Delphi as
well as the new Xbox 360 game console. As for deletions: Pioneer and Denon have
replaced their PDP-4350HD plasma and AVR-3805 receiver, respectively. Panason-
ic’s Onyx TH-42XVS30U plasma and Sony’s Qualia 006 RPTV have been ambushed
by less pricey competition, and the iriver H10 music player has been eclipsed by
the iPod nano. For the full reviews, go to soundandvisionmag.com. Unless noted,
all prices are manufacturers’ list, which may bear no resemblance to selling prices. HP
HDTVs Panasonic DVD-S77 HDMI player remote and display, XM satellite-radio

FLAT-PANEL $250, SEPTEMBER 2005 capability, and powerful sonics.
Dell W4200 42-in plasma Progressive-scan video that’s a cut above typical pioneerelectronics.com
$2,599, SEPTEMBER 2005 DVD players. panasonic.com
Yamaha RX-V657
Surprisingly strong performance and a Panasonic DMR-ES10 recorder $550, SEPTEMBER 2005
good basic feature set make it a great $200, JUNE 2005 Integrated XM satellite radio, good sound,
bargain. dell.com An entry-level recorder with solid video quality and plus Yamaha’s extensive surround options.
REAR-PROJECTORS good editing chops. panasonic.com yamaha.com/yec
HP Pavilion MD6580n 65-in DLP Marantz SR4500
$5,500, OCTOBER 2005 NETWORK A/V $430, JULY/AUGUST 2005
Unique features and a superb 1080p Kaleidescape movie server Strong power reserves and some sophisti-
image combine in this mammoth DLP $22,500 and up, FEB/MARCH 2004 cated user adjustments belie its low price.
set. hp.com Now in its second generation and still the ultimate marantz.com
Sony KDS-R50XBR1 hard-disk movie player. kaleidescape.com
Pioneer VSX-815
50-inch SXRD Xperinet Polaris video/music server $365, JULY/AUGUST 2005
$3,999, NOVEMBER 2005 $6,995, JUNE 2005 Easy auto setup stands out at this price and
Stunning picture quality at a real-world Hard-disk-based movie and music distribution in a combines with solid audio performance.
price in this 1080p LCoS HDTV. “poor man’s Kaleidescape.” xperinet.com pioneerelectronics.com
sonystyle.com
Escient FireBall DVDM-300
Mitsubishi WD-52627 52-in DLP HOME THEATER SPEAKERS
music server/DVD controller
$3,699, SEPTEMBER 2005 $4,999, JUNE 2005 MartinLogan Fresco
1080p resolution, a super-smooth pic- A proven hard-disk music system with flawless $5,970, JANUARY 2004
ture, deep blacks, and vibrant color DVD changer control. escient.com Turns ears and eyes with the spacious son-
create a winning combo. ics from its dipole drivers and its sexy good
mitsubishi-tv.com Escient Fireball SE-80 music server looks. martinlogan.com
$999, OCTOBER 2005
FRONT PROJECTORS A new low price for Escient’s friendly Music Man- B&W FPM
Sharp XV-Z2000 DLP ager user interface, along with wireless PDA control $4,650, JANUARY 2004
$4,000, JULY/AUGUST 2005 and other features. escient.com The Flat Panel Monitor system delivers
Fine HDTV home theater performance high-end sound from speakers just 4 inches
with the benefits of DLP at a sensible Olive Symphony Digital Music Server deep. www.bwspeakers.com
price. sharpusa.com $899, DECEMBER 2005
Its lack of an onscreen TV user interface is notable, Revel Concerta
Sony Cineza VPL-HS51 LCD but the otherwise sophisticated Symphony excels $3,794, DECEMBER 2005
$3,500, APRIL 2005 on sound quality and features like built-in wireless These big, boring boxes sound so accurate
There’s terrific value in this LCD streaming. www.olive.us and unstrained that you won’t even care
projector that delivers great HDTV and they’re a throwback to the 1970s audiophile
JVC progressive-scan DVD images. aesthetic. www.revel.com
sonystyle.com
A/V RECEIVERS
Denon AVR-5805 Definitive Technology Mythos
$6,000, MAY 2005 $3,694, JANUARY 2004
DVD PLAYERS/ DefTech invented the high-performance
RECORDERS 10-channel behemoth with high-end sound and
truly amazing multiroom flexibility. usa.denon.com “plasma speaker” with this slim, aluminum-
Denon DVD-5910 enclosure system. definitivetech.com
OLIVE universal player with HDMI Onkyo TX-NR1000
$5,000, JUNE 2005 Infinity TSS-4000/1100
$3,500, see page 55 $2,394, SEPTEMBER 2005
The DVD-5910’s cutting-edge video, Excellent performance, sophisticated features, and
a future-proof modular chassis. onkyousa.com An all-around great-sounding and good-
superlative audio, and rugged build looking on-wall/freestanding system.
quality remain the last word in DVD Yamaha RX-Z9 infinitysystems.com
players. usa.denon.com $4,499, MAY 2004
THX Ultra2 certification, 51 surround programs, 9 Magnepan Magneplanar MC-1
Pioneer DVR-633H-S recorder $2,250, APRIL 2005
$599, NOVEMBER 2005 channels — and that’s just the beginning.
yamaha.com/yec Thin dipole-panel speakers that deliver
A 160-GB hard drive, high-speed dub- remarkably three-dimensional and accurate
bing to DVD, and the easiest and most Pioneer VSX-74TXVi sound. magnepan.com
accurate editing system we’ve seen to $1,700, OCTOBER 2005
APPLE date. pioneerelectronics.com Well-executed iPod control through the receiver

Energy Take Series JVC Everio GZ-MG30 (hard-drive) Xbox 360 game console
$2,225, JULY/AUGUST 2005 $900, DECEMBER 2005 $299 ($399 with optional hard disk), see page 68
Extends the high-value tradition set by The tapeless/discless camcorder has truly A quantum leap in gaming plus the ability to
the original Take 5 series in a stylish new arrived thanks to a 30-gigabyte hard drive that stream video, pictures, and music from your PC
design. energy-speakers.com captures 7 hours of DVD-quality video. jvc.com to your home theater. xbox.com
Definitive Technology Mythos Gem Logitech Harmony 880

ADD-ONS universal remote control
$2,048, JUNE 2005
Mythos junior (see above) at an affordable Polk Audio XRt12 XM radio tuner $250, JULY/AUG 2005
price, with a kick-ass mini-sub thrown in. $330, FEB/MARCH 2005 This advanced model boasts a full-color LCD
definitivetech.com Notable sound quality and a TV output for view- screen, but any Harmony remote is a good
ing channel data. polkaudio.com remote. logitech.com
Atlantic Technology System 1200
$1,280 TO $1,410, NOVEMBER 2005
A good all-around system for movies and
music that delivers AT’s classic neutral
sound at an affordable price.
atlantictechnology.com
Aperion Intimus 532

$1,339, NOVEMBER 2005
Excellent stereo imaging, a vertical-array
center speaker, a strong compact sub,
and good build quality make for great value.
aperionaudio.com
Paradigm Cinema 110

$800, APRIL 2005
An excellent-sounding and stylish compact
system with dipole surrounds — a rarity at
this price. paradigm.com
HSU Research Ventriloquist

VT-12/STF-1
$500, OCTOBER 2004
Cleverly designed 6.1-channel system that
represents the pinnacle of value.
hsuresearch.com
MUSIC PORTABLES & EXTRAS

Klipsch iFi iPod sound system
$400, SEPTEMBER 2005
The best-sounding iPod speaker add-on
we’ve tried to date. klipsch.com/ifi
Creative Zen Vision

portable video player
$400, NOVEMBER 2005
Superb picture quality, good sound, and
an intuitive interface meet in this all-in-one Arena is a radical new Home Theatre system from Tannoy. Blending form and function, this beautifully crafted audio system
video-music-photo player. creative.com offers much more than gorgeous styling; exceptional acoustic performance combines with application flexibility to deliver
Pioneer, Tao, & Delphi XM2go a system that defines the category.
satellite radios
About $200 each (street price); Pioneer/Tao, see The satellite speakers feature a technology breakthrough from Tannoy, bringing together the company’s renowned
page 62; Delphi, FEB/MARCH 2005 WideBand™ expertise into a brand new miniature (5”) version of their world famous point source Dual Concentric™
Though styled differently, these functionally drive unit.
identical portables each deliver XM radio
to your home, car, or belt clip in a sophisti-
cated, well-executed package. Versatile mounting platforms with carefully designed cable management enable complete integration with the surroundings
in the way that you choose. Arena is lavishly finished in a choice of magnificent high gloss colours - bronze, silver,
Apple iPod nano
white or black.
$249, DECEMBER 2005
With up to 4 gigabytes of unskippable flash
memory coupled to the justly beloved Click To put Arena in your home or business, please contact Tannoy by e-mail or telephone.
Wheel interface, the super-slim nano takes T: 519.745.1158 E: inquiries@tannoy.com
cool to an entirely new level. apple.com
CAMCORDERS
Sony HDR-HC1 (high-def MiniDV)
$2,000, DECEMBER 2005
High-definition widescreen footage on regu-
lar MiniDV tape plus extensive user controls
at a price you can aspire to. sonystyle.com
first look
Ap
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Xbox 360
Is Microsoft’s next-gen game console your
new home-entertainment hub — or are we
just playing games here? by John Sciacca

F
orget about DLP vs. LCoS or Blu-ray vs. HD DVD. The with enough high-tech features to serve as the hub of your
biggest battle heating up in the home-entertainment digital-entertainment empire — and the strategy is just
world right now is over who’s going to rule the next sneaky enough to work.
generation of gaming. And Microsoft just launched the first While the original Xbox had all the styling of a Borg
strike — 100 megatons worth of silicon known as Xbox 360. cube — black, utilitarian, and loaded with power — the 360
You might be one of the lucky ones who gets a 360 this looks like it was kissed by Apple, with a sleek, hourglass-
holiday season — that is, if the gift giver pre-ordered your shaped, cream-colored chassis. (When your iPod dreams,
console and put the deposit down months ago. But as I it fantasizes about becoming a 360.) To keep the Xbox’s
write this in mid November, I’m one of only ten people in svelte physique, the power supply was removed from
the country with one — and that’s about as cool as it gets. the chassis. Microsoft calls the external supply a “power
brick,” and it’s literally as big and heavy as one!
LOOKS AND BRAINS The 360 comes in two flavors. The $299 core system
But the new Xbox is far more than just a gaming machine. includes a wired controller and a combo
For years, Bill Gates has wanted to come up with a output cable that feeds composite video
component that would give Microsoft as much and both analog and digital audio. But
sway in the living room as it’s had in the smart money is on the $399 ver-
the office. To accomplish this, sion I tested, which comes with
the 360 has been a detachable 20-gigabyte (GB)
crammed hard drive, a wireless control-
ler, a wired Xbox Live headset,
a component-video/optical
digital audio output cable, and
(for a limited time) a Univer-
sal Media remote control.
The Xbox 360 would be
worth its price even if it
only played games, since it
costs more to buy a video
card for your computer that
delivers close to the 360’s
performance. But this is far
from a one-trick pony. Pop in a
DVD movie and you get progressive-
scan playback with Dolby Digital or DTS
sound, and you can navigate the disc with either
the Universal Media remote or the gaming controller.
Considering this baby’s video-processing horse-
power, I expected to see solid picture detail and resolu-
tion on DVDs, but progressive-scan conversion wasn’t as
good as it should be. Jaggies and stair-
steps ought to be things of the past,
but after watching a combination
of movies as well as test pat-
terns from the terrific HQV
Benchmark DVD from
Silicon Optix (see page
30), I realized that
the 360’s video
processing is
geared more for
game graph-
ics than mov-
ies. This is
a service-
able DVD
player, but
state of
the art it
ain’t. ➤

USB ports. Music and photos on it will appear automatically under the
YOUR MEDIA — EXTENDED Portable Device tab. After my digital camera was correctly identified as a
The Xbox 360 has definitely got what it takes, though, Canon PowerShot A95, I was able to browse through photos on its mem-
to turn your home into a digital playground — but fi rst ory card. The 360 supports JPEG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF photo files and MP3,
you need a broadband network. While the broadband WMA, and AAC audio files.
connection on the original Xbox was mainly used The 360 goes online and grabs artist and album info whenever you
for online gaming, the 360 uses its wired or optional pop a CD into the tray for ripping or listening. (Ripping, which is done
wireless connection to reach out and touch the out- in WMA format at 192 kbps, takes about 6 minutes.) You can only create
side world. (A wireless networking adapter is $99. The playlists on the 360 for songs stored on its hard drive, but any playlists
360 supports Wi-Fi: 802.11a, b, and g.) Once you’re already on your computer(s) show up under Saved Playlists. If you get
connected, exciting possibilities open up. sick of hearing a game’s original soundtrack, all 360 games let you import
Using the new Xbox to access music and photos your own tunes for in-game background music — a slick touch.
on networked PCs is a breeze. When I installed the Ergonomically, the next Xbox is a hit. Microsoft is finally treating
free Windows XP Connect file onto my laptop, the 360 the 360 like every other component in your rack, letting you turn it on
immediately appeared on the list of available devices. remotely. Simply press the green X button on the controller (or the power
(Video files weren’t supported at the time of the button on the Universal Media remote), and the sys-
product launch but might be later.) The Music tem fires up. This might seem minor, but all pre-
and Picture tabs on the onscreen Xbox vious consoles required you to get up off the
Media dashboard gave me almost
instant access to my stored files. Of
Fact Sheet couch to go over and press the power but-
ton. You might be able to tolerate this
course, photos looked way better on $299 with a seldom-used gaming rig, but
my 61-inch HDTV than on the PC, >> 121⁄8 x 31⁄4 x 101⁄8 inches never in a component designed to be
and my favorite tunes sounded >> 73⁄4 pounds the hub of a home theater system.
great pumped through my home >> High-definition, widescreen, Dolby Digital Before putting on my game face, I
gaming
theater rig. tested how well the Xbox Media Cen-
>> Stream digital photos and music from any
Way cooler, though, is that Windows XP PC ter Extender streamed content wire-
every 360 comes with Media >> Built-in Media Center Extender adds streaming lessly via an 802.11a router that was
Center Extender technology, giv- video — including HD — from PC in another room 25 feet away and on the other side
ing Media Center Edition 2005 >> $399 option includes console, detachable 20-GB of a wall. The wireless link was rock
PC owners an incredible one-two hard drive, wireless controller, wired Xbox Live solid with standard-def shows, but
punch of performance and versa- headset, component-video/optical digital audio on HDTV scenes with fast motion and
output cable, and (for a limited time) Universal
tility. To borrow from Snoop, this is a lot going on, like the massive battle at
Media remote control
the shizzle, making the basic XP Con- the end of Attack of the Clones, the picture
>> xbox.com >> 800-469-9269
nect features pale. The 360 acts as a vir- stuttered and a “Network Congestion” mes-
tual extension of your PC, letting you enjoy sage appeared. You’re still better off watching
the good life on your big screen with an inter- HDTV with a wired connection — and it looks great.
face identical to the one on your computer.
This is definitely the way to browse your music col- HIGH-DEF SOUND & VISION
lection, too, since it’s the only Xbox interface that dis- Don’t think Microsoft forgot what the 360 is really about: gaming. This
plays album cover art. Beyond music and photos, you baby is bred for it, and it didn’t disappoint me. Since every Xbox 360 title
also have access to any video files you’ve recorded or supports either the 720p or 1080i high-def format, images virtually leap
downloaded — including high-def! Yep, use the Media off the screen. (If you haven’t upgraded to an HDTV yet, don’t worry —
Center to record your favorite shows off the air in HD, the 360 also supports both 480i and 480p resolutions.)
then stream them for viewing wherever the Xbox is Playing NBA 2K6 was eerily close to watching a high-def broadcast of
connected. A recorded episode of Lost had the same a real game. I could easily recognize individual players, right down to
terrific video quality via the 360 that I’ve come to Richard Hamilton’s signature face protector. The cinematic visuals cou-
expect from watching the show through my high-def pled with the sheer graphics horsepower under the 360’s demure hood
cable box. means every game has tons more going on. From the detail on the ball, to
You can also control the Media Center PC’s TV tun- the way the net reacts to a swish, to the sweat pouring off players as the
ers from the 360, scheduling recordings and using going gets tough, the eye-popping visuals nearly made me forget I was
all of the DVR functions. Even browsing the free pro- playing a game. That is what next-generation gaming is about: graphics
gram guide (delivered from the Internet) is way cool. and sound that put you right inside the action. (For the lowdown on more
Click on Movies, and you get a list of films currently reference-quality titles to check out, see “The New Games in Town.”)
playing on TV, complete with DVD cover art ! You can But incredible graphics are only half the equation — audio is what
also browse cast and director info, read reviews, or really adds impact to the experience. Every Xbox title supports Dolby
find similar movies. When is the last time just finding Digital 5.1 sound. Never again wonder where gunshots are coming from
what to watch got you excited? — hear them whizzing out of your surround speakers and know to check
Looking for a way to share media without using your six-shooter. Microsoft has supersized the audio capabilities, infus-
your home network? Connect a digital camera or ing the 360 with 32-bit audio processing and 320 independent compres-
other portable device directly to one of the 360’s three sion channels. That means more processing power to handle ambient

The New Games in Town by Drew Thompson
For all its new tricks, the Xbox 360 is still a As incredible as the GameCube, PS2, and 1
gaming console at heart. And since every Xbox versions look, they’re like camcorder
game for it supports either the 720p or bootlegs compared with the 360’s cinematic
1080i high-def format, is 16:9 widescreen, 720p presentation. You’ll feel like you’re in
and has Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, the movie as you fight for survival from the
your home theater can become the ultimate first-person perspective of an overwhelmed
gaming setup. So be sure to grab these ref- Jack Driscoll (played by Adrien Brody). And
erence-quality titles, due out by the end of when you’re injured, instead of watching a
2005. — Drew Thompson health meter dwindle away, your vision blurs
and the musical score grows more ominous.
1. Call of Duty 2 (Activision) You’ve Prevent yourself from becoming the bite-
probably played so many World War II games sized treat of one of Skull Island’s overgrown
that you feel like marching in a Veteran’s Day beasts, and you’ll get to go ape as Kong him- 2
parade. But this first-person shooter recap- self, taking on T-Rexes and other predators
tures the excitement of putting on your uni- from an empowered, third-person — er, pri-
form for the first time. One of the most daz- mate — perspective.
zling things 360’s processing power brings to
the game is super-sized environments. The 4. Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft)
enormous battlefields give you a variety of I’ve only played a few short demo levels, but
ways to complete missions instead of having I’ll go out on a limb and say that this futuristic
your hand held the whole way. Sure you can first-person shooter from Rare will follow in
go in guns blazing, but you can also advance the footsteps of the same developer’s Gold-
under the concealment of smoke grenades enEye 007 — one of the most-beloved games
or loop around and surprise the enemy from of the genre. As sexy superspy Joanna Dark,
behind. It’s up to you. Axis troops in the first you’ll have a variety of 28 high-tech weapons 3
Call of Duty seemed pretty crafty at the time, to choose from. For example, one gun can
but now they’re sitting ducks compared with be turned into a motion sensor that explodes
this game’s Mensa candidates. Fortunately, when an enemy enters its perimeter. Another
your squad mates are just as smart. And their doubles as a holographic projector that emits
chatter isn’t just for ambience anymore since a Doppelgänger to baffle your opponents.
they can tell you where enemy gunfire is com- And Zero’s environments expand and con-
ing from. (For more, see our review in the tract automatically based on the number of
December 2005 issue.) people playing over Xbox Live, so you’ll never
feel like you’ve been locked inside an Ikea
2. Project Gotham Racing 3 store after hours.
(Microsoft) Are Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and
Aston Martins out of your price range? For 5. Madden NFL 06 (EA Sports) 4
60 bucks, Project Gotham Racing 3 puts you Say goodbye to the cardboard cutouts that
behind the wheel of picture-perfect recre- packed virtual sports arenas in the past. 3-D
ations of these and other high-performance fans are just one of many features that make
cars. If you thought the first two games in this a must-have for early adopters of Xbox
the series looked realistic, consider this: 360. The players are shockingly realistic,
while each vehicle in Project Gotham Racing detailed down to the warning labels on their
2 was made of about 8,000 polygons, each helmets, and you can see what’s going on
one here has more than 80,000 polygons. in individual seat levels of the stadiums. At
Your proving grounds — New York, Tokyo, some venues, like San Fran’s Monster Park,
Las Vegas, and London — are the most life- you can even see where the sun has caused
like cityscapes to grace any game. (Check certain sections of seating to fade. Thanks
out the buildings’ reflections on the cars’ to the widescreen aspect ratio, you’ll learn
Turtle Waxed exteriors.) Also, thanks to the what it feels like to have Peyton Manning’s 5
horsepower under Xbox 360’s hood, a soft sideline-to-sideline field of vision. Instead of
blur effect creates an unsurpassed sensation having you look down on the action from the
of speed. And who needs a rear-view mirror broadcast booth, the game keeps you on the
when the surround sound tells you which side field, enveloped by the roar of the crowd and
the competition is trying to pass you on? the reverb of the stadium announcer and ref-
eree. The Dolby Digital mix also makes sure
3. Peter Jackson’s King Kong you can hear the footsteps of a defender
(Ubisoft) Kong is a polygonal prince on all coming up on you from behind — and that
consoles, but the Xbox 360 version is king. you feel the impact when you hit the turf hard.
effects like leaves rustling and boots crunching on gravel, all to Quibbles aside, there’s no doubt that the Xbox 360 makes a
make the gaming experience more engrossing. giant cannonball splash into the convergence pool. Its high-def
One complaint: With its mandate for HD gaming, it’s surpris- gaming makes it a natural to fit into your A/V rack. And Media
ing the 360 doesn’t have an HDMI or DVI output for the very Center PC owners will want to use it as a natural extension of
best digital video. And the supercharged processing could have that experience, streaming digital media to the best system in
easily been used to upscale DVDs to 720p or 1080i instead of the house. This is how ol’ Bill is gonna make his next $100 bil-
just 480p. lion, and I’m ready to chip in the first $399. S&V

first look
Video iPod
Will the Video iPod do for TV what the original iPod
did for music? Or did Apple take too big a bite?
BY ROB MEDICH
I
’m tooling around the lazy lanes Okay, okay — videos downloaded responsible for The Incredibles and
of my Long Island hometown onto the new iPod (official name, Toy Story offers you half a dozen
in the ol’ Acura. Inside the car, still simply “iPod”) are meant to be computer-animated shorts.
a sing-songy woman’s voice is watched, not listened to at 30 miles Finally, over in TV Shows, you can
bouncing around — per hour. But then, when it comes to choose from five Disney series avail-
“The parties took place on the the iPod, who’s to say how the play- able the day after the first broadcast.
front lawn of 4347 Wisteria Lane ers should be used? After all, you From ABC, there are the hits Lost
every Sunday afternoon . . .” never quite know what new features and Desperate Housewives, and the
it will have or what you might be less-celebrated Night Stalker ; from
Err . . . well, actually, it’s Lee Avenue able to do with it. This new one — the Disney Channel, there’s That’s
I’m driving down, and it’s Saturday aside from still playing music — So Raven and The Suite Life. You can
afternoon. displays TV shows, home movies, see a 30-second preview of each epi-
“Chloe Pendergast would bring music videos, and video podcasts. sode and download your selections
the tea set . . .” And video was never even supposed for $1.99 each (or you can buy an
True, there are a few festive-looking to be part of the iPod equation — entire season for $34.99). And the TV
people strolling the streets, but their Apple’s Steve Jobs had long pooh- shows come commercial-free.
garb leans more toward brontosau- poohed the idea. True, the MPEG-4 pickings right
rus than tea party. (Did I mention it’s So, as we check out what’s so great now are as slim as the new iPod
Halloween weekend?) about the latest resident of ’Pod land, itself (less than half an inch thick!).
keep in mind that the video iPod But within three weeks of the
“Of course, it never occurred to might not be around long in its pres- iTunes/iPod October relaunch, Apple
the young girls that while they ent form. Apple has been known to sold one million videos. A bona fide
were busy playing out their fan- change course in less time than it iSuccess? “Yeah — that was a pretty
tasy, one of the older girls in the takes to send an iChat. strong statement,” says Van Baker, a
neighborhood was engaging in a research VP specializing in con-
fantasy of her own.” DESPERATE FOR VIDEO? sumer electronics at the Gartner
Now that’s more like it. An under- If you take a virtual stroll through Group, a consulting and analysis
current of lust and deviance, com- Apple’s iTunes Music Store, you’ll firm.
plete with a plucky, tongue-in-cheek see some new departments like the So just why did so many people
musical soundtrack, all pumping Music Videos section. There you’ll plunk down two bucks to watch
through my car stereo courtesy of find (as of this writing) some 2,000 video on a 21⁄2-inch iPod screen that
my patched-in iPod — Apple’s new major-label offerings (as opposed to some might need reading glasses
video iPod. Loaded with a recent epi- two million songs back in the audio- to see — especially since the ABC
sode of Desperate Housewives, this only area), including classics like shows are broadcast free? Apple
now-multimedia player has helped Michael Jackson’s Thriller — the No. wasn’t offering any explanations (it
me see my boyhood home for the 1 video download on November 4. can be a little sour that way), but
two-faced burg of sin it really is. Click on “Pixar,” and the company Baker has a streaming thought. ➤

“Partly, it’s the novelty,” he says. “Also, people like being tight lips. A Fox spokesman gave me, “No comment — until
able to watch favorite musicians while listening to their we know what our position will be.” And an HBO mouth-
music. And part of it is, ‘I missed an episode of my favorite piece said, “We’re nowhere close to launching anything
show, like Lost, and want to watch it.’ ” And, he points out, on the iPod. I don’t think there are discussions far enough
not all the video downloads are meant for the iPod — some along to speculate if it even could happen.”
people just watch them on computers. Baker explains, “This is still an experiment for every-
The new iPod isn’t the first portable thingabob to which body, and it’s still very much in the early stages. The TV
you can transfer video and then play it. Archos and iriver, networks’ big concern — and part of the reason the iPod’s
for instance, have players that can record TV shows. So resolution is only 320 x 240 — is that they don’t want to be
why, as always, is everybody fawning all over the Apple putting top-notch content on an Internet service because
product? “Because it’s drop-dead simple,” Baker explains. they’re scared to death somebody’s going to hack into it.”
“The iPod/iTunes combination is easy to understand and Still, Jobs was right: “They’ve gotta expand their cata-
seamless — it just works. If you start telling people, ‘Oh, log,” Baker says. “Five TV shows and some Pixar shorts isn’t
you gotta hook up these cables, then go in and set the com- enough to drive demand for video on this product. They
pression,’ forget it. You just lost the audience.” have to convince CBS, NBC, Fox, and maybe even HBO and
Apple has another thing going for it. The company didn’t Showtime. They probably need some sports stuff, too. And
bother to rechristen this newest ’Pod as a video player. It’s movies are a possibility — certainly they could strike a
simply the latest model of the leading music machine — deal with a CinemaNow or Movielink. But those services
which just happens to now play video. In fact, at the prod- have been fairly slow to take off, simply because Hollywood
uct’s unveiling, Jobs introduced his iTunes/TV-show alli- seems hesitant to put its best-selling titles on them.”
ance with, “One more thing . . .” Meanwhile, Baker says, Apple will continue reinventing
the iPod as it’s done so many times before. And don’t worry:
VIDEO FEAST OR FAMINE? this new iPoding of video is certainly no threat to the high-
But “Our next challenge is to broaden our content offer- definitioning of America. Über-fidelity TV won’t disappear,
ings,” Jobs said later, after hanging up the “Over one million like the Concorde. “People watch video on multiple plat-
sold” sign. Still, despite the success, no other video provid- forms now,” says Baker. “The ultimate value proposition
ers have yet jumped on the broadband wagon. I tried to get for the consumer will be: any content, anywhere, on any
a reaction from a couple of other TV networks but met with device.” Think: Lost, in the jungle, on a coconut. S&V
Showtime
Apple’s new iPod: 10,000 tunes plus TV
BY PETER PACHAL
D
on’t call it the Video iPod! thing had happened to their favorite The new iPod promises to do just
That was unquestionably music player. The iPod is still alive and that. While portable video players are
Apple’s message after it well — it just plays videos now. You common these days, Apple’s seam-
introduced its latest flag- know, if you want ’em. lessly integrates with the iTunes
ship digital music player. Well, I want ’em. Now that I’ve got online service, which offers a few
Although the iPod’s new- a digital cable box with a DVR, I’m ad-free TV shows for easy download
found video abilities were clearly the into TV like never before, and it’s get- along with thousands of music videos
biggest news in the upgrade (5G, to the ting tough to keep up, even with fast- and vidcasts. Plus it has the bytes to
iCrowd), Apple appeared wary of ter- forwarding through commercials. If store them — 30- and 60-gig versions
rifying people by hinting that some- there’s any way to get up to date on
Threshold during my daily commute,
sign me up.
“The iPod’s screen is about the same
size as a camcorder’s viewfinder —
are available. All that capacity comes
passable in a pinch, but hardly the best
in handy when a single episode of
Night Stalker takes up 200 MB.
way to watch a thrillfest like Lost. Still,
It’s no surprise the new iPod keeps I was impressed with how much detail
the same successful design, size
(although the new model is a bit thin- was visible on such a small screen.”
ner than previous generations), and
interface — the often-imitated but I could discern individual Venetian MUSIC AND OTHER FEATURES As a
never-equaled Click Wheel. It comes blinds reflected in his iris. music player, the new iPod is . . . well,
in either traditional white or nouveau After hooking up the iPod to my TV an iPod. Which is to say this is what
black, just like the iPod nano. (Apple sells an A/V cable for $19), I it’s designed for. It’s functionally iden-
Black or white, the iPod is still just compared the downloaded Lost with tical to the iPod nano (see review in
as effective at doing what the iPod the real McCoy — a broadcast-qual- the December 2005 issue), complete
does best: making you look cool. In ity recording on my DVR. I immedi- with viewable album art, a folder for
fact, watching video on your iPod in ately noticed that the iPod’s video had podcasts, and a learning curve appro-
public is probably the best nyah-nyah significantly higher contrast (which priate for music lovers aged 8 to 80.
you can give a less up-to-date techno- would also contribute to the lack of The sound is excellent — even at high
hipster. As a video ’Podder, you ascend shadow detail). But the resolution volumes, the earbuds delivered clean,
to a higher caste in the social hierar- actually looked pretty decent — a bit undistorted sound.
chy of portable electronics, a step up more pixelization was visible from the Apple clocks the built-in battery life
from mere passive music listeners, iPod, but only if I looked closely. of the 30-gig model I tested at 2 hours,
and certainly well above the annoying Those visible pixels are due mainly but I found that to be a bit generous.
brats jabbing away at their PSPs. to the lower resolution of the iTunes On a full charge, I almost got through
Music Store’s M4V-format downloads, two full episodes of Lost (about 43
VIDEO CHOPS But what exactly are you which match the iPod’s 320 x 240-pixel minutes each), pausing playback now
looking at? The iPod’s 21⁄2-inch (diag- screen exactly (though it also supports and then for interruptions. Plus the
onal) screen is about the same size files up to 480 x 480 pixels in MPEG- battery meter appears wildly inac-
as the viewfinder on most camcord- 4 format). In fact, the new iPod is curate. After just a couple of minutes
ers — passable in a pinch, but hardly pretty damn picky about the formats it into a video, the full-charge green
the best way to watch a thrillfest like plays (see below). I can imagine what bar dropped to almost half. It always
Lost. For what it is, though, it’s not it would say at a dinner party with seemed to be warning me that I was
bad. Images are sharp and bright, other personal video players: “You running on fumes, even when it had
with no motion blurs or screen-door play DivX? How . . . common.” But if decent reserves. Power is definitely an
effect (faint lines between pixels you have a bunch of vids you’re dying issue — especially when you’re play-
seen on some LCD screens). As with to move to your iPod, any number of ing video.
most LCDs, blacks could be blacker, freeware programs can help. Google
and some detail is lost in shadow, but “convert,” “video,” and “iPod” to start. BOTTOM LINE Want portable video
overall I was very impressed with just Once you have videos in your iTunes in a bad way? There are a number of
how much detail was clearly visible library, they’re listed right along with player options, like Creative’s Zen
on such a small screen. In the first everything else — my Desperate Vision, that won’t have you reaching
few seconds of the Season 2 premiere Housewives downloads were sand- for a magnifying glass as often. But if
of Lost, in a closeup on the eye of the wiched between Dar Williams and you’re into music first and video sec-
mysterious occupant of “the hatch,” Don Henley. Fortunately, your iPod ond — and especially if you’re never
knows what’s what, and any files home for Lost — your inclinations are
transferred over show up neatly in right in line with Apple’s. The new
proper folders, like TV Shows, Video iPod may be a little picky about the
Podcasts, and Movies. videos it will play, but being exclusive
is what the iCrowd is all about. S&V
Fact Sheet
30 GB, $299 ($399 with 60 GB)
>> 23⁄8 x 41⁄8 x 3⁄8 in (1⁄2 -in depth with 60 GB)
>> 43⁄4 oz (51⁄2 oz with 60 GB)
>> 320 x 240-pixel, 21⁄2 -in LCD screen
>> Plays AAC, MP3, Audible, WAV, and AIFF audio
>> Plays MPEG-4 and H.264 video in M4V, MP4, and
MOV formats
>> Displays JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only),
and PNG photos
>> Rated battery life: 14 hours for music playback,
2 hours for video (20 hours music, 4 hours video
for 60-GB version)
soundandvisionmag.com >> apple.com >> 800-692-7753 SOUND & VISION JANUARY 2006 75
Best in Sh
C
EDIA was a coming-out party for LCoS in more ways
than one. Going forward, DLP will face have serious
competition in the rear-projection TV arena. Along
with its SXRD front projector, Sony showcased its
new 50- and 60-inch SXRD rear-projection models (check
out the November issue for a review of the $4,000 KDS-
R50XBR1, also available on the S&V Web site). And there
were plenty more LCoS-driven RPTVs in the house. JVC
displayed a new line of 1080p HD-ILA models: the 70-inch
HD-70FH96 ($6,000), 61-inch HD-61FH96 ($4,500), and 56-
inch HD-56FH96 ($4,000). Both the Sony and JVC HDTVs
use an adjustable iris system to enhance both black lev-
els and shadow detail — areas where LCoS sets previously
came up short. And LG stepped into the fray big time with
the introduction of the 71-inch 71SA1D (shown below), a
1080p LCoS that outsizes the competition by a full screen
S
urprise, surprise — the iPod inch. According to LG, the 71SA1D was scheduled to ship in
was the belle of this year’s late 2005, but the price had not been set as of press time.
CEDIA ball, with nearly every — Al Griffin
manufacturer touting some
new way to leverage it. Among the
cooler options were Denon’s S-
101 ($999) and S-301 minisystems
($1,599), which sport an onscreen
interface so slick, it’s like you and
the ’Pod never parted. And Dolby’s
Virtual Speaker processor deliv-
ers convincing surround sound from
each system’s pair of speakers and
subwoofer.
Yamaha added some new tricks
to its already terrific MusicCAST sys-
tem. For the MCX-2000 ($2,200),
the company doubled the number of
supported clients to 16, doubled the
hard-drive capacity to 160 GB, and
added an FM tuner and the ability to
stream Internet radio. Not enough?
This baby is also ready to play XM
satellite radio — just get a subscrip-
tion and add the $50 Connect & Play
home antenna.
Monster Cable’s new Media
Director MCC DIR2000 ($6,995,
available March; shown above)
means that you can now Monster-ize
virtually your entire system. This top-
shelf, seven-channel THX preamp/
processor features Dolby Digital
Plus and DTS HD processing, HDMI
switching, a sexy 7-inch LCD screen,
and a built-in wireless music bridge
to stream Internet radio and MP3
files from networked computers.
— John Sciacca

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.
A
ll the biggest news about the latest trends and products used to come out
of the Consumer Electronics Show — no more. Intimate compared with the
vastness of CES, the CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design & Installation Asso-
ciation) Expo gives companies a chance to push some products into the spotlight
that might get lost in CES’s Vegas glare. Here’s a roundup of some show stand-
outs. (For more on the Expo, see “The Custom Installer,” page 24.)
C
EDIA’s show floor is packed with companies like Crestron,
AMX, and Vantage delivering amazing home-automation
control. But these systems are often priced in tens of thou-
sands of dollars, placing them beyond the reach of most of
us. Enter Control 4, a company that hasn’t reinvented the auto-
mation wheel but has found a way to make it affordable for just
about everyone. Control 4 made its debut at 2004’s CEDIA Expo,
but this year it’s ready for prime time. It uses a variety of inter-
faces to control your home theater and multiroom entertainment
system as well as your house’s temperature, lighting, and security.
Amazingly, the system is both inexpensive and easy to use! (Look
for a full review in the February/March issue.) — J.S.
S
peakers designed to complement sexy flat-
panel TVs were everywhere again at this
year’s Expo. Polk offered an interesting
variation on the theme with its SurroundBar
($950). The 43-inch-wide cabinet features multiple
drivers and SDA Surround processing to reproduce
all five main channels and create encompassing
surround sound.
Not to be out styled, B&W launched its XT
series (shown at left). The XT4 tower ($2,500 a
pair), XTC center speaker ($800), and XT2 sur-
round ($1,000 a pair) all feature satin aluminum
exteriors and a sleek profile, creating a striking,
modern design. Fortunately, B&W’s hallmark Nauti-
lus tweeter, woven-Kevlar drivers, and sweet sound
haven’t changed. Watch for our review.
All was not quiet on the subwoofer front. Defini-
tive Technology unleashed its latest SuperCube,
the Trinity Signature ($2,995). This bass beast uses
six 14-inch drivers and a 2,000-watt amp in a 313⁄4-
inch-tall cabinet to deliver a gut-punching 128 dB
at 20 Hz and 116 dB at 16 Hz!
JL Audio is bringing its mobile-audio excel-
lence home with the visually arresting Gotham sub
($7,500). Weighing in at 305 pounds and standing
nearly 3 feet tall, the Gotham packs an amp capa-
ble of delivering short-term blasts of 3,800 watts
for thunderous deep bass — well below 20 Hz, if
you’re counting.
If a large black cube doesn’t meet your big-bass
needs, check out Sunfire’s ContraBass in-wall
sub ($2,995). Its “anti-shake technology” is said to
counteract the massive forces generated by its two
10-inch drivers, reducing unwanted sounds caused
by cabinet vibrations. This allows the hidden sub
to generate powerful bass without buzzing and rat-
tling — or cracking your walls. — J.S.

C
EDIA Expo is where the front-projector companies
usually unveil their hot new stuff, and 2005 was no
exception. By far the most eye-opening demo was
in the Texas Instruments booth, where the
chipmaker previewed a DLP light engine that has
three separate chips, each with a full 1,920 x
1,080-pixel array. TI used high-def clips
from Sin City to show off the new
technology, and picture quality on a
huge, 12-foot diagonal screen was
nothing short of stunning. Projectors
using the chips are expected to arrive
sometime in mid to late 2006.
Nobody announced model and price
information for new 1080p DLP front projec-
tors, but with LCoS gaining ground, you can bet
they’ll come in under $20,000 — which brings us to the
most talked-about projector at the show: Sony’s VPL-
VW100 (shown at right), a 1080p model using SXRD
(Sony’s spin on LCoS). The company is selling the VPL-
VW100 for $10,000 — a staggering price when you con-
sider that its predecessor, the Qualia 004, cost $27,000.
Other notable price announcements included $15,000
for InFocus’s ScreenPlay 777, a carry-over three-chip
DLP model, and $3,000 for Mitsubishi’s HC3000, a sin-
gle-chip 720p DLP front projector from a company that
mostly makes big-screen rear-projection TVs. At those
prices, each company appears to be making a play to own
N
the market for its respective product. ot surprisingly, the biggest flat-panel TV splash at CEDIA
With high-def DLP front projectors selling for as little as was made by Sharp, a company that’s practically syn-
$3,000, Yamaha’s 720p-res DPX-1300 doesn’t seem like onymous with LCD. Its LC-65D90U ($20,999, shown
much of a deal at $12,495. But this projector has a secret below), a 1080p LCD model, dwarfed just about every
ingredient under its hood: Silicon Optix’s Realta HQV chip. other set using similar technology. Sure, I’ve seen LCDs this big
According to the company, the processing power con- before at trade shows, but none that were actually available in
tained in this bit of silicon goes a long way toward improv- stores. You heard that right — if you’re craving the world’s largest
ing the picture quality of both standard- and high-def LCD TV, Sharp’s 65-incher is just a phone call and 20 Gs away.
programs — as I could clearly see in demonstrations at The other flat-panel news concerned small but noticeable
Yamaha’s booth. — A.G. picture-quality improvements in 42- to 50-inch plasma TVs.
Eye-catching examples that I look
forward to seeing more of could
be found at both the Pioneer and
HP booths. Pioneer’s Elite PRO-
1130HD ($6,500) and PRO-930HD
($5,000) as well as regular-line PDP-
5060HD ($6,500) and PDP-4360HD
($4,500) integrated HDTVs all
showed evidence of the company’s
determination to remain plasma-TV
king. The Pioneers include a crystal
emissive layer placed between the
plasma glass and light cells, a new
feature that enhances black levels
by accelerating the rate at which the
cells charge and discharge.
And for HP’s second-genera-
tion plasmas, the 42-inch PL4200N
($3,300) and 50-inch PL5000N
($4,300), the company upped the
ante with a slick new exterior for
both sets plus improved video pro-
cessing and a contrast-enhancing
color filter that suppresses reflected
room light. Watch for reviews of both
the Pioneer and HP sets in upcom-
ing issues of S&V. — A.G.

BEST HOME THEATER
Under $60,000 Genesis Home
Technologies, Beaverton, OR
genesishometech.com
$60,001 to $80,000 Howell &

Associates, Burlington, Ontario
howellandassociates.com
$80,001 to $102,000 Percy’s,

Worcester, MA percys.com
$103,000 to $150,000 Howell &

Associates, Burlington, Ontario
$180,000 to $200,000 Home

Waves, Cumming, GA
www.homewaves.com
$210,000 to $250,000 Audio by

Design, Waxahachie, TX
audiobydesign.com
$300,000 to $370,000 All Around

Technology, Rockville, MD
allaroundtech.com
$425,000 to $650,000 Audio
America’s Greatest Installations Command Systems, Westbury, NY

audiocommand.com
E
ach year at the CEDIA Expo, the custom-installation organization honors the country’s
best installers with its Designers’ Choice Awards. Among the categories are Best Home
BEST INTEGRATED HOME
Theater, which has eight levels beginning at $60,000 and less and going up to $650,000, Under $150,000 AVIA, Huntington
and Best Integrated Home, divided into nine levels ranging from less than $150,000 to Station, NY www.aviainc.com
more than $3 million. (The winners are listed at right.)
CEDIA judges look at many factors in considering an installation for recognition as Best $150,001 to $225,000 DSI
Home Theater, including the creativity of the design. But while upscale theaters are known for Entertainment Systems,
Studio City, CA dsientertainment.com
their “wow” factor, many of them are essentially miniaturized variations on the showcase Bijous,
Palaces, and Pantages of the 1930s. That’s why the audacious 2005 winner at the $210,000 to
$225,001 to $300,000
$250,000 level really caught our eye.
Genesis Audio & Video, Irvine, CA
Out of the imaginative depths of Audio by Design in Waxahachie, Texas, and architect Michael genesis-audio.com
Malone of Dallas, Texas, comes the nautical wonder shown above. Inspired by the James Mason-
helmed Nautilus sub in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the room features fake rivets around the $300,001 to $400,000 Starr
Solus Diamond Reference Series in-wall speakers and an InFocus SP7200 high-def DLP projec- Systems Design, Baltimore, MD
tor concealed inside a ceiling hatch. There’s also a diver’s suit on display, elaborate faux-metallic starrsystems.net
“supports” and fixtures crafted by Dillonworks of Mukiteo, Washington, and plush-velvet chairs
and wall treatments. About the only thing missing is the giant squid. — Michael Gaughn $400,001 to $600,000 Home
Waves, Cumming, GA
www.homewaves.com
$700,000 to $925,000
Electronics Design Group,
Piscataway, NJ edgonline.com
$1 million to $1.75 million

Engineered Environments,
Oakland, CA engenv.com
This installation
by Just One
$1.9 million to $2.75 million
Touch Audio &
Ambiance Systems, Clifton Park, NY
Video in Santa ambiancesystems.com
Monica, CA
(jotonline.tv), Over $3 million Sound Solutions/
won the CEDIA/ SEI, Los Angeles, CA
Theo Kalomirakis soundsolutions.com
award for Best
Home Theater For photos and more information on
Architecture. the winners, visit CEDIA.net.

-AKES ANYTHING YOU LISTEN TO MORE INTENSE
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Power products are becoming as plentiful as DVD
players — but what are they and what do they do?
BY JAMES K. WILLCOX
L
et’s face it: compared with lust-inducing gear pretty savvy about protecting their PCs, home theater
like big-screen plasma TVs, feature-filled digi- owners have only recently begun to be aware of the need
tal surround receivers, and 7.1-channel speaker to protect their systems, even though they have just as
systems, power accessories are about as sexy as much — and often more — to lose.
dentistry. But if your house should ever get hit
with a huge voltage surge, you might find hav- THE PERILS OF POWER
ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL GILLIGAN
ing a tooth or two pulled a lot less painful than replacing The Holy Trinity of power products — surge protectors,
your gear. power-line conditioners, and uninterruptible power sup-
Many people still see power products as just another fla- plies — were created to deal with three basic problems:
vor of snake oil foisted on an unsuspecting, gullible public, transient voltage surges and dips, dirty power lines, and
but there are some good reasons for considering a surge power outages. The most destructive of these are power
protector, line conditioner, or battery backup for your surges and spikes — short bursts of voltage that substan-
home theater system. While computer users have become tially exceed the home standard of 120 volts AC. Although

handle up to 20,000 POWER TO SPARE
volts, compared Since power-line noise and volt-
with the 6,000-volt age fluctuations have been around
limit of most outlet for years, you might be wonder-
surge protectors, so ing why they’re suddenly such a
they’re good at dealing with surges big deal. The main reason is that
between the local power company today’s gear uses things like sur-
and your home. face-mount power supplies, micro-
One of the best ways to han- processors, and other miniature
dle a lightning storm couldn’t be components that are more sus-
cheaper: unplug your system. But ceptible to damage by surges and
only do this if you know a storm spikes.
is approaching, not once it’s in the A surge protector — generally
“surge” and “spike” are often used area, since you then run the risk referred to now as a transient volt-
Power-line interchangeably, a surge is a volt- of being fried along with your gear. age surge suppressor, or TVSS — is
conditioners/ age increase lasting for 3 nanosec- Since a surge protector can’t save designed to stop surges and spikes
surge protectors onds or more, while a spike lasts your gear from a direct or nearby from reaching your gear, while a
(counterclockwise, for less than 3 nanoseconds. If the strike, this simple step is still line conditioner is meant to reduce
from top left): surge is great enough, it can dam- your best protection in a violent or eliminate noise and “dirt” in
Monster Power
age unprotected equipment in its storm — provided, of course, that AC power lines. An uninterrupt-
Signature Series
path. (When I was 11, a lightning there’s somebody around to do the ible power supply (UPS) is a bat-
HTPS 7000,
Panamax M5400- strike sent enough voltage into the unplugging . tery-powered AC generator that
EX, Furman Sound garage to char my guitar amp and Blackouts can also be a prob- provides enough time (usually 7
IT Reference 20, a world radio I’d won as a newspa- lem, especially for rear-projection to 10 minutes) during a sudden
APC S15, Richard per delivery boy.) At the other end TVs and front projectors, which power loss to let you do things like
Gray’s Power of the worry spectrum are dips (or have expensive lamps that need save system presets or let the fan
Company RGPC sags), which occur when the volt- to be cooled by fans before they’re cool your projector’s lamp before
1200 Custom, PS age drops below 120 volts, most turned off. Sudden outages also you have to power down. Most line
Audio PowerPlant commonly when the motor in a threaten gear like receivers and conditioners and UPS devices also
1000, and Belkin
large appliance like a refrigerator high-end multiroom systems that provide surge protection, and
PureAV PF40L.
or air conditioner kicks in. use PC-like microprocessors to some boast voltage regulation to
Surges can be caused by vio- save data and presets, and which ensure a steady stream of exactly-
lent weather disrupting the power should be shut down in stages, like 120-volt power.
from your local utility, a car acci- a computer. Surge suppressors vary widely
dent knocking down poles and You should also be aware of in both price and performance,
lines, or even the power company electromagnetic interference (EMI) but most work by absorbing tran-
constantly shifting grids to keep and radio-frequency interference sient voltage surges or by divert-
up with the regional demand for (RFI), which can come from util- ing them to the outlet’s ground.
electricity. The least common, ity-company power lines, appli- The most common way to do this
but potentially most catastrophic, ances like microwave ovens and is to place one or more metal-
cause of surges is lightning strikes. hair dryers, and even your A/V oxide varistors (MOVs) between
Nothing can prevent your gear gear. Although surges cause the the “hot” power line and the
from frying if your house takes a most damage, some say that volt- ground. When the excess voltage
direct hit, and even a strike a quar- age sags, RFI, and EMI can reduce hits a preset limit — typically 250
ter-mile away can send damaging a component’s life expectancy and or 300 volts — the MOV’s resis-
levels of voltage into your home. cause snow or lines on TV screens, tance drops, allowing the voltage
While the better outlet surge pro- or mask soft sounds and mar detail to travel across the “hot” wire and
tectors can help, homes in light- and resolution in audio gear. Inter- into the ground. Less frequently
ning-prone areas often have “surge ference can also scramble system used suppression options include
arrestors” wired to the main and component presets, or cause silicon-avalanche diodes (SADs),
breaker panel. These can typically computers to freeze or crash. which also clamp excessive volt-

✸ Choices, Choices
When it comes time to pick a power product, stick for digital, analog,
with an established company or one known specifi- video, and audio gear,
cally for power products. (For some shopping tips, and microprocessor-con-
see “Splurge on a Surge” on page 84) trolled switching that protects com-
ponents by turning them on and off in the
APC, well regarded for its PC power products, is now tar- proper sequence.
geting the home theater crowd with conditioners, both with Panamax, which has had a solid reputation in power
and without battery backups. Its C5 ($99) and C10 ($179) products for more than 30 years, has upgraded its EX line
power strips offer isolated EMI/RFI noise-filtering banks for with new models like the M5400-EX ($759), which fea-
digital, analog, video, and high-current devices. (The C10 tures five isolated outlet banks, protection for two satellite
also has outlet banks that power up and shut down your receivers, two cable TVs, a phone line, and a LAN line. The
gear in a programmed sequence to avoid loud pops that can M5500 ($800) adds what Panamax calls an “AC Regenera-
damage your speakers.) The all-in-one S15 ($1,999) has 12 tion” transformer, which isn’t really an AC regenerator but
outlets, 3 of which can be sequenced, plus noise reduction rather balanced isolation transformers that feed clean power
and a battery backup that provides 71⁄2 minutes at full load to four isolated outlets for video sources and a TV.
or 19 minutes at half load. PS Audio’s products aren’t balanced isolation trans-
Belkin, maker of a broad array of electronics acces- formers or filters — they’re real AC regenerators that do the
sories, got serious about power two years ago when it AC-DC-AC dance. And to our knowledge, it’s the only com-
debuted its PureAV line. The strip style PureAV PF3L pany doing it. The P300 PowerPlant ($1,495) is rated at
($200) boasts 10 outlets and separate filters for audio and 300 watts total, making it best for lower-power gear ranging
video gear, while its top-of-the-line strip, the PureAV PF40L from DVD players and turntables to small amplifiers and pre-
($300), adds LED voltage and current meters, more robust amps. For bigger systems, the top-of-the-line PowerPlant
surge protection, and a separate filter for digital gear. The 1000 ($3,500) produces 1,000 watts of clean, regulated,
flagship Power Console PF60 ($749) is a rack-mountable balanced power. Surge protection is provided by six high-
box with 13 programmable outlets, 6 isolated audio, video, speed clamps that PS Audio calls Tranzorbers, along with
digital, and high-current filters, and a central LCD for moni- four MOVs and even a backup fuse.
toring input voltage and output current on each bank of out- Richard Gray’s Power Company has been making
lets. Belkin’s first combination UPS/power conditioner, the power products for the high end of the market for years,
PureAV Hybrid AVU1500 UPS ($1,199), features an IR stirring up a lot of debate along the way. The company’s
blaster that lets the lamps in a rear or front projector cool unusual approach to conditioning includes connecting
before the projector is shut down. its products in parallel to the AC lines rather than directly
Most surge protectors have to be replaced after some- to them. This allows any component that shares that line
thing like a severe lightning strike because the unit essen- to take advantage of the unit’s conditioning even if it isn’t
tially fries itself to save the rest of your gear. But Furman plugged directly into it. And, while many power condition-
ers limit or compress current, these units actually store
Sound’s Series Multi-stage Protection circuitry uses both
power so they can boost current when needed. For surge
a high-voltage MOV and a thermal fuse in conjunction with
protection, the company uses a massive choke (or induc-
shunting circuitry to handle surges without sacrificing itself.
tor) that creates a low resistive load in parallel with the line
Furman’s line ranges from power strip-style protectors to
as protection from short-term spikes, backed up by a MOV.
large, discrete balanced-power AC line conditioners, such
The unusual-looking 240-volt SubStation ($2,995) essen-
as its flagship IT Reference 20 ($3,250), which features
tially acts as a huge step-down transformer that eliminates
complete isolation between each of four discrete two-outlet
ground loops by completely isolating the AC line, while the
AC banks to help eliminate ground loops and power-sup-
ply backwash between interconnected components. Also hefty but more conventional-looking, rack-mountable RGPC
notable are the Elite-15 PF ($500), a more affordable sin- 1200 Custom conditioner ($2,095) sports 12 commer-
gle-rack conditioner with pull-out LED lamps like those used cial-grade Hubbell outlets, dual-stage surge protection, and
twin fast-blow fuses.
in musicians’ racks, and the RVC-7W Reference Video
AC power conditioner ($999), an unusual flat in-wall sup-
pressor designed for use with flat-panel TVs.
Monster Cable’s extensive line ranges from the power-
strip-style Home Theater PowerBar 1100 ($200), which
features isolated filtering, to mid-level shelf-mount models
like the HTS 3500 MKII Home Theater Reference Pow-
erCenter ($399), which has dual-mode surge protection
and separate filtered outlets for digital, audio, and video
gear. In the upper tier, the Sig-
nature Series HTPS
7000 ($1,500)
features twin
isolation trans-
formers, five
isolation fil-
ters optimized

✸ Splurge on a Surge
It will take some research to find the right surge pro-
tector for your needs. Steer away from cheap models
and ones designed for PCs, since home theater gear for a minimum of real protection
has different power requirements. (For instance, a big and upwards of $1,000 for state-
TV or amp draws much more power on startup than a of-the-art models featuring things
PC does.) Here are some shopping tips: like advanced line conditioning,
● Make sure the suppressor is UL 1449 Second multistage surge protection, and
Edition (or Revision 2) listed, and that the listing is even voltage regulation.
for a transient voltage surge suppressor. (I’ve come
Surge protectors have been
across units that claimed a UL listing, but it was only
available for years, but line condi-
for the power cord!) If it’s been listed as a TVSS, it
tioners are a relatively recent phe-
should show the clamping voltage (or Suppressed
Voltage Rating), which is the amount of voltage it lets nomenon. Most low-cost power
through before the protection kicks in. Don’t buy any- conditioners use a filter to reduce
thing that admits more than 400 volts, and a 330-volt AC-line noise, typically a capacitor
rating is better. Also, look for a surge protector with a plus a coil of magnetic material — Furman Sound’s RVC-7W
short response time — 1 nanosecond or less is best sometimes called a toroidal choke Reference Video line conditioner
— or its protection will kick in after the damage has coil — that spirals around the live mounts in the wall for use with
already been done. wire, basically creating a band- flat-panel TVs.
● Surge protectors are like prizefighters: even if
pass filter. These simple filters are a lowly $100 surge protector can
they don’t receive a knockout punch, the accumu-
claimed to be effective at reduc- help keep your prized system from
lation of jabs and body punches will take its toll.
Repeated surges will eventually cause the unit’s MOV ing high-frequency noise. Other, becoming toast. S&V
✸
to weaken and fail. Make sure the surge protector has more sophisticated — and expen-
either an indicator light or an audible prompt that lets sive — approaches include using
you know when it’s ready to throw in the towel and an isolation transformer or even Joules and
yell, “No mas.”
● Because they’re conductive lines that can also
an AC regenerator, which converts
AC power to much cleaner DC, and
Warranties
carry surges and sags, phone and cable lines also Joule ratings — the amount of
then back to AC. Cleaner AC power
need protection. If the device has phone-line protec- energy a surge protector can
is said to improve both video (bet- sustain before failing — were
tion, it should be UL 497 rated.
ter black levels, brighter colors, designed to make comparisons
● Buy from a company you or your dealer or
and sharper details) and audio easy. But they‘re almost mean-
installer trusts, and one that has earned a reputation
(richer sound and more detail) in ingless except as marketing
for making good surge-protection devices. Carefully
ready the warranties to find out if the company really some systems. tools because, while they’ll tell
stands behind its products. Uninterruptible power supplies you when the unit will fail, they
have backed up personal comput- won’t tell you how much volt-
ers for years, but it’s only recently age a protector will let through
to your gear. Although Under-
The unusual- age, and gas-discharge arrestors, that home theater owners have
writers Laboratories (UL) lists
looking which become conductive when turned to them for protecting their
joule ratings, standards bodies
SubStation from the voltage surges above a certain gear from power outages. Basically, such as the IEEE and the IEC
Richard Gray’s level, passing the excess juice to all UPS devices contain a battery don’t recommend using them
Power Company
the ground. and an inverter, which converts for comparing surge devices.
uses a 240-
Some better surge protectors DC power to 120-volt, 60-cycle AC Instead, look at the Surge Volt-
volt connection
use a combination of SADs and power. Some UPS devices only use age Rating, or clamping volt-
to completely
MOVs, relying on the SADs’ quick the battery when the need arises, age, from the UL 1449 Second
isolate the AC
response and the MOVs’ high-cur- while others run off the battery Edition.
line, eliminating
rent capability. These suppressors continuously. Most do line filtering Warranties are another
ground loops.
prickly issue. While many com-
often also have fuses that blow and can protect your gear against
panies offer a warranty that
if the voltage gets too high. surges, spikes, sags, and dips.
covers not just the surge pro-
How much energy a tector itself but also the com-
T
MOV can withstand o hear some people, you’d ponents installed downstream,
before it’s destroyed think that a line condi- the Web is filled with complaints
or blows a fuse is mea- tioner can have more of about how difficult it is to col-
sured in joules (see an impact on your sys- lect on them. Many warranties
“Joules and Warran- tem’s sound than your contain so much fine print and
ties”). speakers. But as with all things so many exclusions that they’re
While you can buy audio and video, power prod- worthless. And frequently the
burden falls on the customer to
a basic surge protec- ucts are an area where common
prove that the suppressor was
tor at Home Depot for sense should prevail, and the law
installed properly and that its
less than $30, chances of diminishing returns definitely failure caused the damage.
are you’ll wind up with applies. So do your research, check So read the warranty carefully
little more than an out- out some demos, and buy the prod- to see what is really covered
let strip. Expect to pay uct that will best protect your A/V and what you have to prove to
between $100 and $300 investment. But remember: even collect.

What’s in Store
Best Buy America’s biggest electronics chain goes

upscale, with an emphasis on service
BY LAURA CURL
S
tepping up to the Red Octane Ignition
dance pad hooked up to the Dance Dance
Revolution game on an Xbox at the
entrance to Best Buy’s San Francisco store,
I’m drawn into a pleasure palace of elec-
tronic entertainment. In the center aisle,
rows of CDs fan back to the left, facing identical rows
of DVDs on the right. Past the CDs, a middle-aged man
uses an Xbox game controller to flick through weapon
choices, preparing to take on a seemingly endless
number of digitized Nazis in Medal of Honor. Further
into the store, I line up with other customers at waist-
high tables to touch, feel, and play with digital cam-
eras, cellphones, iPods, and iPod wannabes.
Shopping here isn’t about hunting down the latest
gadget in a sea of boxed electronics, strapping it to the
shopping cart, and racing to the cash register. Filled
with an array of gear that ranges from MP3 players to
high-end home theater systems, this Best Buy shouts
that entertainment has become such a lifestyle that
even the shopping experience needs to entertain.
Many of the products that enable this lifestyle —
including home theater and multiroom entertainment
systems and home networks — are becoming more
and more complicated. To ease the burden on custom-
ers who feel overwhelmed by the choices, Best Buy is
trying to make high-tech solutions easier to assimi-
late into the go-go lives of gaming fanatics, home the-
ater enthusiasts, and even soccer moms who want to
sample the latest in electronic entertainment without
sorting through all the latest gear.
The retailing giant is charting a new course, put-
ting the emphasis as much on customer service as
on products, and its goal is both to simplify the shop-
PHOTOS BY MICHELLE HOOD
ping experience and (not surprisingly) to boost sales.

Recognizing that it already had a strong handle on
portable gear, entry-level A/V components, personal
computers, entertainment software, and appliances,
but didn’t have an effective way to cater to the serious
home theater enthusiast, Best Buy acquired the Seat-

Facing page: Nestled into the back corner of Best Buy’s
cavernous San Francisco store is the Magnolia home theater
area. Above: In the Magnolia suite’s main show floor, you can
browse through walls filled with flat-panel and rear-projection
TVs. You can also take a seat on the green sofa to experience
a home theater demo on a 61-inch Pioneer Elite plasma TV.

Studio 3 (top and left)
features an InFocus
HDTV projector and an
8-foot-wide Stewart
movie screen. In
Studio 2 (middle),
you can watch a 55-
inch Fujitsu plasma
HDTV while sitting in
Salamander Designs
Matteo theater chairs.
Studio 1 (bottom)
features speakers
ranging from traditional
floorstanders to in-wall,
ceiling, and outdoor
models.
tle-based Magnolia Hi-Fi spe- For $1,500, Magnolia will

cialty chain in December 2000. send one of its installers to your
“Best Buy had been working house to mount the TV and
toward what it calls ‘customer speakers on the wall, run all the
centricity,’ and this was an ideal necessary wires, and hook up
fit,” says Kris Peterson, VP of all the components. If you want
the Magnolia Home Entertain- a universal remote control like
ment and Design division. “They the Harmony 880 ($250), there’s
already had customers in their also a charge for programming
stores all the time buying CDs, it. If you go with a “complete
DVDs, cellphones, and laptops, solution” that includes the gear,
but these people weren’t buy- installation services, and recom-
ing home theater systems there mended accessories, the system
because they were buying them will cost about $7,500.
from us. So the executives at
Best Buy started wondering, MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME
‘What if they still bought those In the cavernous San Francisco
systems from Magnolia, but store, the hushed rooms of the
inside of a Best Buy?’ ” 3,500-square-foot Magnolia
Best Buy has built Magnolia Home Theater suite offer relief
Home Theater ministores into from the skull-throbbing sounds
more than 70 of its outlets and of videogame machinegun fire
expected to have a total of 100 and blaring TVs. The area is a
store-within-a-store complexes calming place with soft light-
open by the end of 2005. Alto- ing, a low-slung ceiling, and car-
gether, Best Buy has revamped peted floors. After browsing the
about 250 of its 714 U.S. stores rows of flat-panel TVs, I sit on a
to add departments targeted lichen-colored suede couch in
at specific types of custom- the Magnolia area’s main show-
ers, from home theater buffs floor to check out a $22,000
to small business owners, all home theater system featuring
staffed with sales consultants a $10,000 Pioneer Elite 61-inch
trained to help you come up plasma HDTV, a Denon AVR-
with a custom-tailored system. 3805 receiver ($1,000), a Denon
For example, if you say that DVD-2910 DVD player ($600),
you usually watch TV from an and a Vienna Acoustics speaker
angle in a very bright room, but system ($6,120). All of the gear
you also want a system that will — including a $3,000 HP Media
blend into the space, a Magnolia Center PC — rests on a $1,200
consultant might recommend a Salamander Designs stand.
wall-mounted, 42-inch Fujitsu In a room dedicated to music
plasma TV and suggest a sur- listening, called Studio 1, I kick
round sound system featuring a back in a sleek $750 ChairWorks
Denon DVD player and receiver Italian-leather chair while Nora
and Definitive Technology Jones croons “Come Away with
speakers to go with it. Me” on speakers ranging from

$200-a-pair bookshelf models to Martin- ples for custom-made speakers, survey without ever leaving the store. Forty Best
Logan Mosaics selling for $999 apiece. an assortment of furniture to house the Buys now feature Test Drive areas where
There are many kinds of speakers on dis- electronics, and even shop for acous- you can try out the latest NBA Live on
play, from traditional floorstanders to in- tic treatments that look like giant fabric a game console hooked up to a 50-inch
wall, ceiling, and outdoor models. pictures encased in attractive moldings. plasma TV and a surround sound system
“Today’s in-wall and ceiling models The room’s 8-foot-wide Stewart screen while seated on a comfy couch. Twenty-
can sound really good,” says John Tran, ($1,800) offers a real movie-theater expe- five stores also offer personal shopping
who manages the Magnolia area in the rience. Here, shoppers can more closely assistants who can help even techno-
S.F. store, “and they free up over a square identify with the comfort-loving Hob- phobes find the right cellphone, cam-
foot of floor space for each speaker — bits as they sink into luxurious leather corder, or mobile audio system.
that’s a lot of space in a San Francisco chairs while watching
apartment.” The Lord of the Rings
Alison Bloomfield, who’s listening to over a $5,000 InFocus
a $250 pair of Boston Acoustics speak- HDTV projector sup-
ers, says she enjoys shopping in Studio ported by a $5,275
1’s quieter environment. “It’s so much Vienna Acoustics
more sane and pleasant in here than out speaker system and a
there,” she says, gesturing to the brightly $1,200 REL Acoustics
lit main floor. She aspires to a more Strata III subwoofer.
extensive — and pricier — entertainment Electronics include
system, “but that’s a whole other budget Primare’s $4,000
I’m not ready to cross into yet.” SPA21 amplifer/pre-
Bloomfield is the type of customer Best amp, Denon’s DVD-
Buy hopes to “grow” over time. “We don’t 3910 DVD player
necessarily set out to sell someone an ($1,500), and a Sam-
entire system,” explains Tran. “But we sung DirecTV high-
make recommendations that are right def satellite receiver
for them at the moment, and then show ($300) — all resting in
them new systems that they might like a $1,200 Salamander
to purchase when they’re ready.” Designs stand.
In the cozy “lifestyle” setting of Studio Elizabeth and Tom
2, a couple sinks into a pair of reclining Beeks are happy to
Salamander Matteo theater chairs ($1,300 pay Magnolia $700
each), complete with cupholders, while to install the Pana-
watching a snippet of Hitchhiker’s Guide sonic 37-inch plasma
to the Galaxy on a $10,000 Fujitsu 55-inch TV they just bought
plasma HDTV that’s accompanied by the- for $2,400. The couple Best Buy’s new emphasis on service includes personal
aterlike surround sound. wants to install the shopping assistants who help customers create a system
While the mix of components in the TV over their fireplace and have it installed.
Magnolia rooms work well together, Tran on an articulated
says, “we know that what’s on display mount so they can swivel it back and If my recent experience is any indica-
won’t be right for everyone, so we try to forth as well as up and down. “The guys tion, the chain’s new approach appears
tailor the mix of products and services here are really good at explaining every- to be working. On the weekend, the San
to a person’s specific needs. We want to thing from how the TV connects with a Francisco store is jammed with custom-
build a relationship. Just as people talk sound system to how the TV mount will ers trying out the latest video and audio
about an accountant or an auto mechanic attach to the wall,” says Tom. gear, and even on a weeknight, guys in
as ‘my guy,’ we want to become the ‘my oversized sweats and backward-facing
guy’ that people talk about when they’re A PLEASURE TO SERVE YOU baseball caps line up to play Metal Gear
discussing home entertainment.” Service doesn’t stop when you walk Solid or watch a clip from X-Men II on
But unlike most auto mechanics and from Magnolia back into the main store, a high-end plasma HDTV. Forget about
accountants, the Magnolia staff makes though. For instance, Best Buy’s Geek hanging out at a movie theater or a gam-
house calls. The store charges $100 for Squad runs around San Francisco in ing arcade — the new community enter-
an in-home consultation but gives you a a fleet of Volkswagen Beetles making tainment center would appear to be your
$50 gift card you can use toward any Best house calls to set up wireless networks, local Best Buy. On my way out, I pass
Buy item you want. “We used to use out- computers, and office equipment in both an espresso machine where customers
side contractors to do installations,” Tran homes and offices. (Geek Squad services pause to pour themselves a cappuccino,
says, “but in the past two years we’ve are available at all Best Buy stores.) latte, or even a chai tea latte for just a
taken more of it in house so we have bet- While the Beetles are off limits to cus- buck. Watching them, I can’t help won-
ter control from start to finish.” tomers, videogamers can take some of dering: can the gourmet popcorn be far
In Studio 3, you can peruse wood sam- the latest thumb candy out for a spin behind? S&V

entertainment
MOVIES EDITED BY JOSEF KREBS / GAMES EDITED BY DREW THOMPSON / MUSIC EDITED BY KEN RICHARDSON
INSIDE
93
War of
of the Wo
World
rldss 92
FANTASTIC FOUR
. . . AND THE END
OF THAT LITTLE
STAR WARS
94 SAGA
CHARLIE AND
THE CHOCOLATE
FACTORY
96
THE WARRIORS
97
KATE BUSH
THE
SCORE
●●●●●
SUPREME
●●●●
EXCELLENT
●●●
GOOD
●●
FAIR
●
POOR

entertainment movies EDITED BY JOSEF KREBS
Hayden Christensen,
Natalie Portman in Sith
War Correspondents a big bag of candy than enjoyed a sumptu-

ous meal. Nonetheless, in a head-to-head
comparison of Lucas and Spielberg based
on their latest films, Lucas emerges victori-
SPIELBERG AND LUCAS DELIVER FX EPICS ous. Sith far surpasses its two predecessors
— and my own downsized expectations.
cial effects nor the The DVD picture on each of these two-
WAR OF THE WORLDS considerable pres- disc sets is virtually flawless, with color,
DreamWorks ence of child-star contrast, and detail so spot-on that no
Movie Picture/Sound Dakota Fanning can one’s going to get nostalgic about theatri-
Extras save us from a miscast cal presentations. And each soundtrack
Tom Cruise and his charac- ranks among the most dynamic I’ve ever
STAR WARS: EPISODE III ter’s predictable redemption. heard. Tonal boundaries are stretched to
— REVENGE OF THE SITH Cruise may have ensured a big the limit at each end of the spectrum, and
Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox opening for the film, but he also the surround channels overflow with spa-
Movie Picture/Sound makes the proceedings seem calcu- tial information as effects move in lock-
Extras lated and insubstantial. step with the action onscreen. Sith’s no-
Substance hasn’t exactly been the holds-barred opening sequence borders
O ver the course of their illustrious strong suit of Star Wars in recent years, but on a virtual-reality experience. Both titles
careers, Steven Spielberg and George Revenge of the Sith benefits from giving make for full-throttle home theater.
Lucas created the modern blockbuster and the last word on the saga, and, despite a Sith trounces Worlds when it comes to
made their names synonymous with epic, thin script, it’s quite a pleasure to see the extras. In fact, it may provide the most
crowd-pleasing entertainment. Recently, series’ threads tied together after 28 years. complete portrait of how a film was made.
however, Spielberg movies like The Ter- Worlds’ visuals come off better than Besides an informative commentary by
minal and Catch Me If You Can left most Sith’s because their seamless blend of tradi- Lucas and his colleagues, there’s a sprawl-
audiences underwhelmed. And Lucas’s tional filmmaking and digital effects has ing 90-minute documentary, Within a Min-
Star Wars: Episodes I and II — which visceral impact. Those giant, creaking tri- ute, that outlines the contributions made
ended his 22-year hiatus as a director pods from outer space seem all too real — to a single climactic sequence by each of
— thrilled few beyond the series’ most and genuinely scary. Sith’s visuals are the production’s departments (almost 1,000
devoted fans. Returning to the summer- unconvincing at times, despite all the people in all). You also get 10-minute
movie sweepstakes in 2005, both fi lmmak- money and technology. The movie was shot featurettes on the stunts and Anakin Sky-
ers took on the considerable challenge of digitally, and huge swaths of it are 100% walker’s transformation to Vader, 15 short
restoring some of the luster to their mega- computer-generated. For all the creative Web documentaries, a videogame preview,
reputations. control this method affords, it still lacks the a music video, and six fully finished deleted
In War of the Worlds, Spielberg adheres true-to-life feel of first-rate cinematography. scenes (10 minutes) sure to thrill fans.
pretty closely to H. G. Wells’s tale — but Certain scenes and sequences look car- Worlds also has a 90-minute documen-
that only leads to an overemphasis on vio- toonish because that’s exactly what they tary, but it quickly grows tedious. And as
lence and gore as the story gradually loses are — computer-animated images. After usual, Spielberg doesn’t provide a commen-
steam. And neither the breathtaking spe- 21⁄2 hours, it seems more like you’ve eaten tary — just a brief onscreen introduction.

Other extras include eight featurettes Lame extras include an amiable but
ranging in topic from Wells to the shallow cast-and-crew commentary,
animated pre-visualizations of scenes. three rightly deleted scenes, several
Worlds : [PG-13] English, Dolby Digital inane promotional featurettes, and a
5.1, DTS 5.1, and Dolby Surround; French, peek at X-Men 3. [PG-13] English, Dolby
Dolby Digital 5.1; letterboxed (1.85:1) and Digital and DTS 5.1; Spanish, Dolby Surround;
anamorphic widescreen; two dual-layer letterboxed (2.35:1) and anamorphic
discs. Sith : [PG-13] English, Dolby Digital EX widescreen; dual layer. — RAD BENNETT
and Dolby Surround; French and Spanish,
Dolby Surround; letterboxed (2.35:1) and MYSTERIOUS SKIN Inflamed: Chris Evans feels the burn in Fantastic Four
anamorphic widescreen; two dual-layer Original Theatrical Director’s Cut
discs. — KEN KORMAN TLA
Movie Picture/Sound
WEDDING CRASHERS
Warner
Extras
Formerly immature filmmaker Gregg
WORLDS APART
Movie Picture/Sound Araki has clearly come of age. He It’s amazing how many ways a story can be told.
Extras brings a steady and respectful hand to Byron Haskin’s 1953 version of THE WAR OF THE
If you’re in the mood the story of two teenagers who react WORLDS (Warner; Movie , Picture/Sound
to check your brains very differently to their abusive pasts, , Extras ) has a completely different
at the door and just one climbing deep inside himself and the focus and tone than Steven Spielberg’s gloomy take
laugh a lot, you might other becoming an extroverted hustler. on the H. G. Wells fantasy. Spielberg leaps almost
want to pop this disc Both young actors turn in fine perfor- immediately to the special effects of the Martians’
into your player. Owen mances, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt arrival and instant conquest of the suburbs, and then
Wilson and Vince exudes a heartbreaking vulnerability. he sticks exclusively to his freaked-out everyman’s
Vaughn, who play the Although I’ve seen blacker blacks and frantic struggle to save his family. Haskin starts by
uninvited guests, better shadow detail on many other indie creating characters and a sense of community before
clearly had a blast making this movie, DVD releases, picture quality is decent showing even minor close encounters. Later, as his
and parts of it are very, very funny. If even if colors tend to be a tad muted. heroic scientist searches for a way to save mankind,
that’s not enough, Christopher Walken The 5.1-channel mix presents a wide Haskin gradually develops the scope of the action,
does his Christopher Walken thing. soundstage with lots of movement from building to the complete destruction of Los Angeles
The movie looks like most big-budget side to side, but surround effects are and other cities throughout the world. This is a War
Hollywood features: colors are bold (to mostly limited to swells in the music. of global dimensions — one we can truly care about.
the point of oversaturation) and there’s Interesting extras include a commentary Images are clean and free of damage. Contrast is
plenty of image detail. The Dolby Digital by the director and the two leads that good, with deep blacks and rich Technicolor hues —
5.1 soundtrack, though often restrained, shows their obvious dedication to the from the warm, earthy tones of the small-town setting
is ramped up for the wedding scenes to project. You also get long clips of both to the DayGlo greens and oranges of the machines and
completely immerse you in the celebra- actors reading from the novel upon their death rays. The audio also builds: the movement
tions. Extras are overly generous given which the film is based. [NR] English, of Army vehicles across the front sound stage is aug-
the dopiness of the movie, but they’re Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, and Dolby Digital mented by wonderful alien-attack effects in the sur-
kind of kicky anyway. You get two stereo; letterboxed (1.78:1) and anamorphic round channels. The DVD includes two informative
commentaries (one with director David widescreen; dual layer. commentaries (one by stars Gene Barry and Ann
Dobkin, the other with Vaughn and — MARC HOROWITZ Robinson and the other by fi lm historians), a mak-
Wilson), a pair of goofy making-of ing-of documentary, and a featurette. Then there’s
featurettes, three deleted scenes, a game, 5X2 the entire infamous Orson Welles radio production
and a music video. [R] English, Dolby TH!NKFilm of the story. Its brilliantly original and effective for-
Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround; letterboxed Movie mat of a music show constantly interrupted by news
(2.35:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual Picture/Sound flashes demonstrates how imagination trumps pro-
layer. — MARC HOROWITZ Extras duction values every time. — JOSEF KREBS
FANTASTIC FOUR TWO FOR THE

20th Century Fox ROAD
Movie Picture/Sound 20th Century Fox
Extras Movie
Fantastic Four struggles to bring to life the Picture/Sound
40-year-old Marvel Comics series in Extras
which four research scientists are trans- Both films open
formed into the superheroes Mr. Fantastic, with an unhappy
the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, couple on the
and the Thing. Since the movie has verge of divorce
neither heart nor intelligence, the group’s and then rake
encounter with a radioactive cloud really over the past,
just turns them into special effects. attempting to
They’re pretty attractive ones, though, explain what
which makes the DVD worth a rental. went wrong. In 5x2, director Fran-
Images are sharp, and the 5.1-channel çois Ozon takes us back chrono-
mix is robust, with pulse-pounding bass. logically through five episodic
soundandvisionmag.com
REFERENCE DISC
An edgy update, CHARLIE
AND THE CHOCOLATE
FACTORY (Warner; Movie sequences that each reveal more about
, Picture/Sound the characters and the major incidents in
, Extras ) their relationship.
takes several liberties with In the stylish and bittersweet Two for
Roald Dahl’s classic book, but the Road (1967), director Stanley
it also manages to convey the Donen constantly moves Audrey
story’s dark humor. The true Hepburn and Albert Finney back and
star here is director Tim Bur- forth over different eras of their relation-
ton’s visual style: the world ship. The jumps are triggered by echoing
outside Wonka’s factory is situations and held together by Henry
shown as a surreally hum- Mancini’s soulful score. As Donen puts
drum place, while the inside it in his commentary, “everything is the
teems with confectionery present, since the pair carry their histo-
landscapes and fantastic ries with them.” And that’s the source of
candy-making contraptions. their problem.
The picture on this two-disc Each picture has excellent contrast,
set has excellent detail, even in the dark inte- Another highlight is Danny Elfman’s lively with deep blacks, brilliant whites, rich
rior shots of Charlie’s tumbledown home. score. Scenes like the boat trip through the bow- colors, and generally crisp and detailed
(Despite this, there’s an overall smoothness to els of the factory are punctuated by timpani images. Sound is clear and stays in the
the images that seems like intentional digital swells and braying horns. The deep bass and front channels. Extras for 5x2 include
processing — something I saw in the theater.) swirling surround effects in the Dolby Digital EX behind-the-scenes footage and 15
Both the colorful factory sets and the Oompa mix help create a sense of rubbery motion. minutes of involving deleted scenes.
Loompa costumes look deliciously vivid, while Extras take up a full second disc and include Road’s only extra, apart from a restoration
the actors’ skin tones are perfectly natural — many interesting behind-the-scenes and spe- demonstration, is the director’s commen-
except for the pale purple-green-tinted com- cial-effects documentaries as well as one on tary, but Donen always draws your atten-
plexion of Johnny Depp as Willie Wonka. Dahl’s life. — AL GRIFFIN tion to subtle cinematic points. 5x2 : [R]
French (with English subtitles), Dolby Digital 5.1
and stereo; letterboxed (1.85:1) and anamorphic
widescreen; dual layer. Road : [NR] English,
Dolby Digital stereo and 2-channel mono;
LAST-MINUTE SHOPPING! A.D./

French and Spanish, Dolby Digital 2-channel
mono; letterboxed (2.35:1) and anamorphic
widescreen; dual layer. — JOSEF KREBS
Film Special Editions TV Series
B.C.
EMPIRES:
THE BIG LEBOWSKI
Achiever’s Edition
BEN-HUR Collector’s Edition SEINFELD Gift Set, Seasons 5 & 6
(Warner, 4 discs) (Sony, 8 discs) DYNASTIES Universal
SIN CITY REMINGTON STEELE Season 2 The Greeks Movie Picture/Sound
Recut & Extended Edition (20th Century Fox, 4 discs) Romans, Extras
(Dimension, 2 discs) MACGYVER Season 4 Egyptians, The Coen Brothers’
THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Paramount, 5 discs) Japanese, and hilarious but initially
40th Anniversary Edition VERONICA MARS Season 1 Medicis each underappreciated 1998
(20th Century Fox, 2 discs) (Warner, 6 discs)
get their chance follow-up to their
OKLAHOMA! LAS VEGAS Season 2
to rule the roost smash hit Fargo has
Special Edition (Universal, 3 discs)
(20th Century Fox, 2 discs) TALES FROM THE in Paramount’s acquired cult status
STATE FAIR CRYPT Season 2 fascinating five- over the last seven
Special Edition (Warner, 3 discs) disc documen- years, and it’s easy to
(20th Century Fox, 2 discs) THE A-TEAM Season 3 tary set. Beyond see why. A wild, unpredictable tale of
LOONEY TUNES (Universal, 3 discs) conquest and mistaken identity and kidnapping, The Big
Golden Collection, “24” Season 4 political maneu- Lebowski would be a wondrously off-kilter
Vol. 3 (20th Century Fox, 7 discs) vering, this 15- detective story if only it featured a detec-
(Warner, 4 discs) THE L WORD Season 2
hour life lesson tive. Instead, we get The Dude, a pot-
LOONEY TUNES (Showtime, 4 discs)
will teach you addled layabout played by Jeff Bridges
Movie Collection SOUTH PARK Season 6
(Warner, 2 discs) (Paramount, 3 discs) about technol- as if it were his calling, and a glorious
TOM AND JERRY KNIGHT RIDER Season 3 ogy, art, archi- assortment of oddball supporting charac-
Spotlight Collection, Vol. 2 (Universal, 3 discs) tecture, and ters played by the likes of John Turturro
(Warner, 2 discs) THE X-FILES MYTHOLOGY above all, ideas. and Julianne Moore. The razor-sharp
REBEL SAMURAI Colonization; Super Soldiers picture is far superior to that of earlier DVD
Sixties Swordplay Classics (20th Century Fox, 4 discs each set) editions, allowing the Coens’ typically
Kill!, Samurai Rebellion, Samurai Spy, HOME IMPROVEMENT Season 3 hyper-real sets and cinematography to
Sword of the Beast (Touchstone, 3 discs)
shine. The bowling alley where much of
(The Criterion Collection, 4 discs) NORTHERN EXPOSURE Season 3
the film takes place looks like a way
HARRYHAUSEN GIFT SET (Universal, 3 discs)
It Came from Beneath the Sea, ROCKFORD FILES Season 1 station to a brighter, much funnier world.
20 Million Miles from Earth, (Universal, 3 discs) And a tight 5.1-channel mix weaves
Earth vs. The Flying Saucers THE WEST WING Season 5 together a wide-ranging collection of
(Sony, 3 discs) (Warner, 6 discs) popular songs. Extras include a half-hour

movies entertainment
documentary that, remarkably, has the THE WAGES OF FEAR
reclusive Coens opening up about their The Criterion Collection
style and technique. A three-minute slide Movie
show features the on-set photography of Picture/Sound
Bridges. And in a great sendup of special- Extras
edition gift sets, you also get an introduc-
tion by a fake film historian as well as a LE SAMOURAÏ
bowling towel and coasters. [R] English and The Criterion Collection
French, Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish, Dolby Digital Movie
stereo; letterboxed (1.85:1) and anamorphic Picture/Sound
widescreen; dual layer. — KEN KORMAN Extras
Director Henri-
HAMMETT Georges Clouzot’s
Paramount The Wages of Fear
Movie Picture/Sound (1953) is one of the
Extras None most riveting adventure
films ever made — and
DETECTIVE STORY one of cinema’s darkest
Paramount existential visions. In a
Movie Picture/Sound squalid South Amer-
Extras None ican oil town, four men
VENTO
Hammett (1982) had a who are destitute in
long and deeply trou- pocket and spirit take
bled production, with on the virtually suicidal
executive producer task of transporting
Francis Ford nitroglycerine over bad
Coppola eventually mountain roads to a fire
reshooting much of at a distant oil field — a journey that tests
what director Wim our nerves almost as much as theirs. The
Wenders had shot. newly restored black-and-white images
Nevertheless, it stands on this two-disc set (actually the second
among the finest hard- Criterion edition of Wages) are highly
boiled detective detailed in both blinding sunlight and
pictures ever made. darker scenes, and the contrast of fire
Based on a highly against a night sky is perfect. And the
fictionalized episode various elements in the clean mono
from Dashiell sound are so well integrated that you
Hammett’s life, the film has colorful might not even notice how effects are
characters and wonderfully stylized sets. used to bump up the suspense. The
But what makes the movie so special is second disc includes new and vintage
that it somehow manages to capture the interviews, a recent documentary on
atmosphere and spirit of the great writ- Clouzot’s career, and a featurette on the
er’s novels — a feat that so many other cuts made for the original U.S. release.
movies have failed to achieve. In director Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le
Despite its title, the intermittently Samouraï (1967), existentialism isn’t cruel Perfect form and sound.
entertaining Detective Story (1951) is a but cool. Alain Delon, sporting a rakish
The form is artistic. Beautifully crafted like
weepy melodrama about a New York fedora that perfectly frames his face, is a
City police detective battling personal freelance hit man whose controlled the body of a musical instrument. The sound
demons and struggling with his shaky professionalism (particularly when things
marriage. Taken from a stage play, it go wrong) is just another indicator of his is exquisite, and the combination of perfect
is set almost exclusively in a single isolation from the rest of humanity. craftsmanship and state-of-the-art techno-
room at a police station, which only Images are sharp, with excellent contrast;
emphasizes its inherent claustrophobia the blue-gray color scheme makes the logy is unique. This new Canton loudspeaker
and the hopeless overacting of Kirk picture seem like tinted black-and-white,
series represents pure musical enjoyment and
Douglas in the title role. but skin tones are natural throughout.
Hammett’s soft, grainy picture and The soundtrack is crisp, and its effects timeless design. Its name is Vento.
flat surround soundtrack are a huge — atmospheric bird cries, off-screen
disappointment. Detective Story fares tires on rainy streets — are some of the
better with its detailed, high-contrast best I’ve heard in a mono track. Extras
black-and-white images and crisp include interviews with the director and
mono sound. Hammett : [PG] English, cast and a 30-page essay booklet. Both:
Dolby Surround; letterboxed (1.78:1) and French (with English subtitles), Dolby Digital
anamorphic widescreen; dual layer. Detec- mono. Wages : full frame (1.33:1); two dual-
tive Story : [NR] English and French, Dolby layer discs. Le Samouraï : letterboxed (1.85:1)
Digital 2-channel mono; full frame (1.33:1); and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer.
single layer. — KEN KORMAN — SOL LOUIS SIEGEL Experience the new Vento series. For further details contact
your local dealer or Canton, 504 Malcolm Avenue SE,
Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55414, 612.706.9250.
Smartketing, 6555 Saint-Denis Street, Montreal. Quebec H2S 2S1,
soundandvisionmag.com JANUARY 2006 95 Canada. 514.279.6006 or visit www.cantonusa.com.
entertainment games EDITED BY DREW THOMPSON
You Can Dig It! STAR WARS

BATTLEFRONT II
LucasArts (PS2, Xbox)
THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF THE BIG BOPPERS Game Graphics/Sound
Once again, online warfare
First, you’ll plunge into a (for up to 24 players on PS2,
complex backstory that 36 on Xbox) has you captur-
reveals how each of the ing and defending control
Warriors joined the gang points scattered about loca-
and earned his street cred tions like the Death Star and
(and trademark leather molten-hot Mustafar. But
vest). Yeah, they’re deplor- now you also get to play as
able vandals, one and all — Force-fueled warriors — including the man in
but somehow, you still grow black (no, not Johnny; I’m talking Vader) —
attached to them. and engage in ship-to-ship space battles. It’s
Even though you’re given Star Wars like it oughta be, without the mushy
a wide array of combo romance and lame politics. — D.T.
moves, rumbling gets
tedious at times. Fortu- BLITZ: THE LEAGUE
nately, you can also steal car Midway (PS2, Xbox)
stereos and mug pedestrians Game Graphics/Sound
(don’t send me letters, folks This game evades EA’s horsecollar grip on the
— it’s a game ) to get cash for gridiron with a manic, potty-mouthed, arcade-
“flash” (a health-restoring style testosterone fest hawked and headlined
drug) and graffiti paint. And by NFL legend Lawrence Taylor. Blitz is full of
THE WARRIORS exciting chase scenes will get fun quirks — eight-per-side gameplay, 30-yard
Rockstar (PS2, Xbox) your blood pumping the same first-down markers — but it hits its stride off
Game way the best Hollywood block- the field in illicit subjects à la ESPN’s smart but
Graphics/Sound busters do. One chase lets you re- shortlived Playmakers (whose writers contrib-
enact one of the movie’s most famous uted here). Detailed X-ray graphics document
This isn’t another lame tie-in. This is how moments as you frantically hop chain-link each catastrophic injury, but just pump up the
great a movie-based game can be when fences and avoid other obstacles to escape victim with painkillers and trot him back out for
it’s not rushed to coincide with a theatri- the Furies, a bat-wielding band of thugs in the second half. — DANIEL SOZOMENU
cal release date. Thanks to danger-filled baseball uniforms and Kiss-like war paint.
settings, gang slang from the original The 720p presentation (on Xbox) can’t FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
actors and spot-on soundalikes, and the save the blocky-looking characters and EA Games (all consoles)
enthralling throb of Barry De Vorzon’s bland color palette. But all of the original Game Graphics/Sound
synth score, The Warriors perfectly cap- flashbacks leading up to the fateful gang For James Bond, things are
tures the eerie, urban vibe of Walter Hill’s summit — and the developer’s obvious always a bit shaken — but
1979 cult classic. love and respect for the source material — that’s the way he likes it. This
Of course, you get to “bop” your way help to make amends. Note that The War- game has tons of gadgets,
through the gauntlet of colorful gangs riors is rife with foul-mouthed machismo from laser-crammed wrist-
from the flick, but the game goes far and brutal beatings, so sensitive types watches to suitcase copters.
beyond the movie. In fact, the missions need not apply. (Don’t send me e-mail It also has a shiny veneer of
that parallel the film’s plot don’t even either.) Everyone else: come out to pla-ay! 1960s style — not to men-
begin until two-thirds of the way through. — DREW THOMPSON tion new dialogue from the original 007 him-
self, Sean Connery. Like playing through the
Indiana Jones stage show at Disneyland, From
SSX ON TOUR STUBBS THE ZOMBIE Russia with Love is dazzling, but it’s all rigged,
EA Big (all consoles) Aspyr (Xbox) leading you through a set course of events.
Game Graphics/Sound Game Graphics/Sound Shaken, yeah, but not stirring. — J.M.G.
Like a stoner’s homeroom There are two sides to every
daydream, the first 30 sec- slaughter. Meet Stubbs, your FAR CRY: INSTINCTS
onds of this fourth SSX give average zombie business- Ubisoft (Xbox)
you an animated world of man who’s looking for excite- Game Graphics/Sound
pencil-sketch graffiti, starring ment in the 1950s-era future- It’s the prototypical 1980s action farce:
a hilarious, guitar-shredding land that is Punchbowl City. Retired soldier. Tropical paradise. Mercenaries
unicorn rocking out to Iron His hobbies include feasting mucking things up. Ripe for the Cliché Hall of
Maiden’s “Run to the Hills.” on human noggins, bowling Fame, maybe, but these are the popcorn thrills
It’s the developer’s way of saying anything his own head — and rocking out to modern that make gaming great. Whereas most first-
goes on these wicked slopes: customize your covers of old hits, such as the Flaming Lips person shooters give you sterile warehouses
character (from hairdo to dimples), pick your doing “If I Only Had a Brain.” (You can even to run ’n’ gun in, Far Cry offers up a wide-open
fix (be it snowboarding or skiing), then free- get 13 of those covers on a separate CD from jungle to hustle through. Stalk your prey like
style your way from lame-ass to legend in the Shout! Factory.) Nothing earth-rattling, but Predator. Set MacGyver-esque booby traps.
massive “Tour” mode. Totally! this beat-’em-up definitely flips the script on a Or just have yourself a good ol’ Commando-
— JON M. GIBSON weak-pulsed genre. — J.M.G. style massacre. Pass the Goobers! — J.M.G.

EDITED BY KEN RICHARDSON music entertainment
Kate Fiona
Songbirds of a Feather? Fiona Apple took only six years to

deliver her third album, Extraordinary
Machine. During that time, an unreleased
THE APPLE FALLS A BIT FAR FROM THE BUSH version produced by Jon Brion — yes, the
same Jon Brion who co-produced Kanye
West’s latest megahit — was apparently
banshee wails. In fact, given rejected as noncommercial, only to be
KATE BUSH all the graceful melodies leaked online mysteriously. (Both Epic and
Aerial and gentle piano, you’d swear Apple now maintain that she pulled the
Columbia Bush is turning the tables and plug on that version herself.)
Music Sound emulating Amos. But instead of Forget the sellout charges, though:
the sexual/philosophical subject new producer Mike Elizondo’s work is
FIONA APPLE matter that Amos draws from, still plenty quirky, and a pair of Brion-
Extraordinary Machine the various songs on Aerial ’s first produced tracks give Machine a suitably
Epic/Clean Slate disc muse on subjects like math, odd beginning and end. In fact, the disc
Music Sound clotheslines, Bush’s son, and Elvis. finds Apple exactly where Bush was at the
DualDisc Extras The second disc, containing the three-album mark: breaking away from
concept piece “A Sky of Honey,” is by piano-based balladry and moving toward
BUSH, TREVOR LEIGHTON/COLUMBIA; APPLE, AUTUMN DeWILDE/EPIC
Before anyone says another word about far the more satisfying, though it takes a a more idiosyncratic, rewarding approach.
Kate Bush’s influence on songwriters while to get off the ground. And not until And Apple’s “Get Him Back” is one of the
like Tori Amos and Fiona Apple, I’ll make its closing trilogy — especially the album’s most toothsome breakup/revenge songs
one request. Listen to Bush’s 1982 art-rock title track, with its birdsongs and mad since, oh, Bush’s “The Wedding List.”
masterwork, The Dreaming , or the second laughter — does Bush truly get into the Of course, the parallels go only so far:
half of its 1985 follow-up, Hounds of Love. mystic. Take those bright moments (and Apple is her own woman, with a deep
Now name one thing by Amos or Apple (or the presence of names like Gary Brooker voice and jazz/torch leanings that make
anyone else) that sounds remotely like it. and Lol Creme) as a reaffirmation of her her a rarity in the singer/songwriter
Unfortunately, Bush’s first album in 12 art-rock past. And the subtler direction world. So does her dry, cynical sense of
years, the two-CD Aerial, doesn’t sound here is at least more rewarding than the humor, which gets a workout in “Better
like The Dreaming either. It sounds pop-crossover attempts on her last album, Version of Me” and the music-biz treatise
exactly like the work of an artist who’s The Red Shoes. Still, Bush has been away “Please Please Please.” And there’s enough
been raising a family in the country for for more than ten years, so a merely pretty musical invention here to suggest that a
the past decade: there’s more content- album — even a frequently gorgeous one — Dreaming-style peak may not be far away.
ment, less intensity, and absolutely no is bound to feel like an anticlimax. The DualDisc extras include a decent

entertainment music
video for “Not About Love.” There’s no
TRACKING SURROUND surround mix, but the (ahem) “enhanced
stereo” version of the album does help
make the varied sonic textures more
vivid. Fans will want the DualDisc mainly
for the six-song live performance that
draws from this album and its predeces-
sor. Here, joined only by Brion on acous-
tic guitar, Apple is relaxed and charming.
The extras get docked a notch for includ-
ing less than a minute’s worth of the
promised “behind-the-scenes footage.”
— BRETT MILANO
TREY ANASTASIO
BECK. You haven’t completely ex- The Three B’s: held camerawork that’s excessively Shine
perienced Guero (Interscope; Music Beck, Bon, and Bell jittery. The album keeps Bon Jovi in Columbia
, DVD-Audio Mix , a solid holding pattern, but here the Music Sound
Extras ) until you’ve seen and heard this two- production by John Shanks and the band isn’t so much DualDisc Extras
disc Deluxe Edition. Packaged like a hardcover book, big as dense, and O’Brien’s very different surround A more appropriate
it’s filled with pictures, lyrics, and whimsical drawings. mix fails to open up the sound. — KEN RICHARDSON cover photo would
The stereo CD includes seven bonus tracks: remixes, show Trey Anastasio
remakes (with alternate titles), and three new songs DVORAK. Recordings of 19th-century symphonic thrusting his notebook
(“Send a Message to Her” being the keeper). And the warhorses — with their standard upfront, concert-hall skyward, not his gui-
DVD-A disc has a lively surround mix by Elliot Scheiner. format — don’t always make the best choices for sur- tar, since Shine high-
The bassy groove of “Go It Alone” made my subwoofer round sound. But the Cincinnati Symphony and con- lights his newly confident songwriting.
rumble like a lowrider’s muffler, while the pointillistic ductor Paavo Järvi’s Super Audio CD of the Symphony And I’m not referring to his first-ever
synth of “Girl” and the steely slide guitar of “Scare- No. 9 (Telarc; Performance , SACD Mix complete batch of lyrics (decent though
crow” streamed from the main channels like aural ), engineered by Michael Bishop, provides they are). It’s his writing of songs that
lasers. Every song has a video (essentially, abstract warmth, clarity, and depth, enhancing the pleasure that impresses — the way “slow dancing with
computer-generated patterns), but I prefer the option this ever popular music can still provide. Järvi and his the trees all around” genuinely sways
to view a gallery of static images while listening. orchestra are in full command of the soulful, stirring with the music. That track, “Tuesday,”
— PARKE PUTERBAUGH music. And coupling this “New World” Symphony with also has a killer riff in the cho-
the Symphony No. 2 by Dvorak’s 20-century country- rus, and it’s just one of many
THE WALLFLOWERS. After hearing the alleged man Martinu was a brilliant stroke of programming. irresistibly catchy hooks on
(and uncredited) multichannel version of Rebel, Sweet- — ROBERT RIPPS this album (“Come as Mel-
heart (Interscope; Music , DualDisc Mix , ody” indeed). It all adds
Extras ), I ran a diagnostic check on my system. MAHLER. This recording of the tragic Symphony No. up to a personal high for
No, the problem was the freaky faux surround sound, 6 has Claudio Abbado returning to his former home Trey, certainly his
in which only occasional, faint keyboards can be heard base at the Berlin Philharmonic (Deutsche Grammo- best studio
in the center and surround channels. You may like the phon; Performance , SACD Mix ). work since
band’s pleasantly innocuous rock if you like midperiod He remains a Mahler conductor par excellence, and
Jackson Browne, but that mix and the nonessential the Berliners are extraordinarily sensitive to the
bonuses (studio rehearsals, an insult-filled mock inter- shifting moods of this work. The composer’s rich,
BECK, AUTUMN DeWILDE/INTERSCOPE; BELL, BILL PHELPS/SONY; ANASTASIO, PHIL KNOTT/COLUMBIA
view by Jon Lovitz, and a scene aboard an aircraft complex sound world is a natural fit for multichan-
carrier) should keep you from paying extra for this nel SACD, and mixer Klaus-Peter Gross provides
DualDisc edition. — P.P. satisfying live surround on these two discs — Phish’s
highlighted by offstage cowbells and the final move- Farmhouse.
BON JOVI. Forget about the big hair. A certain album ment’s devastating “hammer blows.” — R.R. Whereas his
released 20 years ago (!) was bursting with big rock old band’s
— and it boasted a big sound, since it was produced by TCHAIKOVSKY. Thankfully, Joshua Bell has found post-hiatus
Bruce Fairbairn and mixed by Bob Rock. Now, remixed a way to make the overplayed, often-recorded Violin swansongs
by Obie O’Brien for six channels, Slippery When Wet Concerto in D Major (Sony; Performance , (and much of
(Mercury; Music , DualDisc Mix , SACD Mix ) a worthwhile listening experi- his first solo
Extras ) is even bigger, featuring super- ence, with his nuanced, caressing reading of the score. album) were
active surrounds stuffed with keyboards, harmonies, Michael Tilson Thomas and the Berlin Philharmonic burbling, ram-
and ambience. (If only Jon’s lead vocals and the bass seem somewhat subdued, and it’s all a bit too “seri- bling affairs,
could’ve gotten more oomph in the center channel and ous” for a work that would profit from a bit more aban- Shine is pithy
the subwoofer.) The videos for the five big hits are a don. The Danse Russe from Swan Lake and the Médi- and punchy,
bit washed-out, but who cares? These are brilliant, tation in D Minor are well-played if skimpy encores with Trey
career-making clips. Alas, the extras on the new for the 36-minute main event. But the uncredited sur- backed
Have a Nice Day (Island; Music , DualDisc Mix round mix is quite good — both buoyant and envelop- mostly
, Extras ) include five bland, stereo-only live ing — and a reason to recommend this recording in a
performances and a title-track video ruined by hand- crowded field of competition. — R.R.

by Kenny Aronoff on drums and pro- how far the points of his stylistic com-
ducer Brendan O’Brien doubling on pass can spread. While there are still
bass. Still pining for the stretched-out nods to the old (“I Only Have Eyes for
Anastasio of old? “Wherever You Find It” You”) and the new (the Doves’ “Catch
is an instant six-minute classic — the Sun”), it’s Cullum’s own songs that
and I’d argue that “Spin” and “Black” dominate, as he rummages through
should be heard together as a dramatic, lounge-lizard swing (“Get Your Way”),
nearly ten-minute climax, complete with funkish neo-soul (“Mind Trick”), and even
some jaw-dropping guitar at the very social-commentary pop (“21st Century
end. Not enough? Then check out the Kid”). If only his words and melodies
DVD side of this DualDisc, featuring were as accomplished as his keyboard
some Treydmark live solos on three
Shine songs plus the unreleased “Dark
playing, which continues to burst with
energy and ideas. — BILLY ALTMAN
LAST-MINUTE SHOPPING!
and Down.” There are interviews, too, Need more than the boxes and Christmas discs we
and behind-the-scenes footage (but no THE MAGIC NUMBERS gave you last month? Clip this list and get nutcrackin’!
surround mix for either the live tracks or The Magic Numbers BOXES: Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run: 30th
the album itself ). — KEN RICHARDSON Capitol Anniversary Edition (Columbia, 1 CD, 2 DVDs), with new
Music Sound remastering plus 1975 gig
STEVIE WONDER Is it the sound of the Strokes hitting the and more. XTC’s Apple Box
A Time to Love sandbox or Belle & Sebastian getting a (xtcidearecords.co.uk, 4
Motown swift kick of punk angst? Or the Mamas CDs), combining both vol-
Music Sound and the Papas for the 21st century? In umes of Apple Venus with
It was hard to know any case, the Magic Numbers — a Lon- demos. Rod
just what to expect don foursome of two sets of brothers Stewart’s
from Stevie Wonder’s and sisters — perform jittery pop that’s The
A Time to Love. After tastefully sweetened with 1960s AM- Great
all, it’s been a decade radio harmonies. The opening cuts on Ameri-
since the legendary their self-titled debut have an optimistic can Song-
soul-popster’s last studio set, Conversa- bounce — and stay tuned for the second book (J, 4 CDs),
tion Peace. The good news is that Won- half, where reflective odes point to the gathering all
der’s signature voice and multileveled band’s versatility. — ROB O’CONNOR four volumes of
instrumental skills remain prodigiously standards. Jelly Roll Morton’s
intact. The not-quite-as-good news is NEIL DIAMOND The Complete Library of Congress Recordings by Alan
that, after such an extended break, he 12 Songs Lomax (Rounder, 8 CDs), from 1938. Johnny Cash’s
hasn’t been able to edit himself. Virtu- Columbia The Complete Sun Recordings (Time Life, 3 CDs), 1955-
ally all of the 15 tracks here could eas- Music Sound 58. Barbra Streisand’s The Television Specials (War-
ily have been shortened without losing Neil Diamond’s 12 Songs isn’t quite the ner, 5 DVDs), 1965-73. King Crimson’s 21st Century
anything, especially the many lengthy artistic rehabilitation we heard on Guide, Vol. 2 (DGM, 4 CDs), 1981–2003. The Motown
midtempo ballads (such as “Moon Blue” Johnny Cash’s American Recordings. Box (Motown, 4 CDs), including
and “True Love”) that continually subvert Producer Rick Rubin had the idea of 30 new stereo mixes. Allan
the CD’s flow. Still, when the grooves do stripping each artist to his essence, but Sherman’s My Son, the Box
hit — as on the “Superstition”-styled Cash’s roots simply ran deeper and (rhinohandmade.com, 6 CDs),
“Please Don’t Hurt My Baby” and truer. Still, Diamond is a genuine with all of the satirist’s Warner
the old-school-Motownish “Pos- touchstone to rock’s Tin Pan Bros. recordings. And Live 8
itivity” — you realize how pre- Alley days, and Rubin manages (Capitol, 4 DVDs), uncut by MTV.
cious Wonder’s often-taken-for- to steer him away from syrupy HOLIDAY CDs: New titles by
granted music truly is. pomp. Strumming and singing, Brian Wilson, Regis Philbin,
— BILLY ALTMAN he’s backed by guitarist Mike Odetta, the Marshall Tucker
Campbell and keyboardist Band, the LeeVees (Hanukkah Rocks), and Charlie
JAMIE CULLUM Benmont Tench. Just Brown (Monster Cable’s 5.1 SuperDiscs of original and
Catching Tales don’t expect Neil Dia- 40th-birthday versions). Also, various-artist sets from
Verve Forecast mond and the Heart- Elton John and . . .
Music breakers (or a return John Waters!
Sound to his Bang Records Baby, it’s hot inside!
On his breakout major- days). The disc does
label debut, Twenty- offer a garagey pop
something, the jazz- tune with a whiff of
based English singer/ the 1960s (“Save Me
pianist Jamie Cullum a Saturday Night”),
MYRIAM SANTOS-KAYDA/VERVE
nonchalantly covered a quietly agitated,

Cole Porter, Jimi Hen- jazz tour de force
drix, and Radiohead. (“I’m On to You”),
The follow-up, Catch- and other small but
ing Tales, again finds welcome pleasures.
him willfully deter- — PARKE
mined to prove just PUTERBAUGH
Jamie Cullum
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Prices effective through January 31, 2006. √Gift Card valid only at these advertised prices & towards future purchases
Copyright 2006 J&R Music World. City of N.Y. Dept. of Consumer Affairs License Numbers 0900310/0900615/0900616/0900617
For advertising information call 1-800-445-6066 or 1-212-767-5750, or fax us at 212-767-5624
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The Best Sex On Earth!
Deep within their fertile plains, Sweden hides their sexual secret weapon,
maybe it’s time you learn n “the ropes” of great sex.
BY JAMIE IRELAND
Dear Jamie, Kathi,

Last month, my boyfriend Jack returned from a business trip in Oh, yes, I know all about “the ropes”. The term was originated
Europe and brought me back the present of a lifetime–incredible on the “privileged playgrounds of Europe” and has been a
sex. We have been dating almost 3 years and have always enjoyed sexual secret over there for decades.
a nice sex life, but like most women, I longed for more. The physical contractions during male climax can actually
One night during his trip, Jack spent an entire evening dining be multiplied and intensified by a product called Ogöplex
out with a Swedish nutritionist and his wife of 20 years. The Extract Pur. The ingredients come naturally from botanical
couple was still quite passionate, so Jack asked his secret. The pollen extract only found in the fertile plains of Sweden. The
nutritionist pulled out a small canister from his satchel and gave multiple contractions and intensely strong response are often
it to Jack. He smiled and told him to take one tablet a day and referred to as ropes because of the rope-like effect of release.
soon, he’d know “the ropes” of good sex. As some people have said, “it just keeps going and going
When Jack came home three weeks later, I couldn’t believe it. and going....”
He flat wore me out. The best part of it all was that he was having Ogöplex is also known to greatly increase sexual energy, sta-
multiples. I know that sounds crazy, but trust me, he was and it mina, and power. I found out about Ogöplex a few years
would stimulate me into the most powerful and intense climax ago. I was dating a cowboy from Texas who took Ogöplex
I’ve ever had! We spent the next two months having the best sex every single day and believe me, that good ol’ boy sure rocked
of our lives! my nights! Ever since then, I enthusiastically recommend
I’m writing because the tablets ran out last week and we desperately Ogöplex to everyone!
want to know where we can find more. All the canister says is Ogöplex is now available in the United States and can be
“Swedish ropes extract”. Do you know anything about “the ropes” shipped direct by Böland Naturals–if you’re interested, you
and can you tell us how we can find it in the States? can contact them at 1-800-573-5630 or visit Ogöplex.com.
Kathi K. Good Luck Kathi,
New York City, NY
Jamie Ireland
SDVSOG1105
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How to reach advertisers in this issue
PAGE ADVERTISER WEB SITE PHONE
63 ABT Electronics abtelectronics.com 888-228-5800
C2, 1 Acura acura.com 800-TO-ACURA
4 Anthem www.anthemav.com 905-362-0958
33 Athena athenaspeakers.com 416-321-1600
10 BenQ benq.us 866-700-BENQ
36 Best Buy bestbuy.com 888-BEST-BUY
61 Boston Acoustics bostonacoustics.com 978-538-5000
12 Cambridge SoundWorks hifi.com 800-367-4434
95 Canton cantonusa.com 800-811-9757
65 Crutchfield crutchfield.com 800-955-9009
2-3, 13-15 Definitive Technology definitivetech.com 410-363-7148
80 Energy Loudspeakers energy-speakers.com 416-321-1600
57 Fujitsu plasmavision.com 866-952-8324
21 HP hp.com 888-999-HPHP
100-101 J&R Music & Computer World jr.com 800-221-8180
25 Klipsch klipsch.com 800-KLIPSCH
47 LG lgusa.com 800-243-0000
19 Mitsubishi mitsubishi-tv.com 800-332-2119
6 Newegg.com newegg.com 800-390-1199
31 Onkyo onkyousa.com 800-229-1687
23 Panasonic panasonic.com 800-211-PANA
5, 54 Paradigm paradigm.com 905-632-0180
8 Pioneer pioneerelectronics.com 800-PIONEER
C4 Sharp sharpusa.com 800-237-4277
27, C3 Sony sonystyle.com 877-865-SONY
67 Tannoy tannoy.com 877-426-4644
41, 43 Toshiba tacp.toshiba.com 800-631-3811
48a-b Vonage vonage.com 866-243-4357
59 Yamaha yamaha.com/yec 800-4-YAMAHA
Sound & Vision (ISSN 1537-5838) (USPS 504-850), fices. Authorized periodicals postage by the Post Office
January 2006, Vol. 71, No. 1, is published monthly except Department, Ottawa, Canada, and for payment in cash.
bimonthly in February/March and July/August by Ha- POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sound &
chette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc. (HFM U.S.), 1633 Vision, P.O. Box 55627, Boulder, CO 80322-5627; phone,
Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Periodicals postage 850-682-7654; e-mail, soundandvision@neodata.com;
paid at New York, NY 10001 and at additional mailing of- fax, 303-604-7644.
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40052054. Canadian Registration Number 126018209RT.

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor ON N9A 6J3.
e-mail: soundandvision@neodata.com
backtalk
MIKE METTLER TALKS TO
ZZ TOP’S PERPETUALLY
BEARDED LEADER ABOUT
MUSIC IN SURROUND, iPOD
SHARING, AND THE SECRETS
OF GROUP LONGEVITY
Your new coffee-table book, Billy F. Gibbons: Rock + Roll
Gearhead (MBI; motorbooks.com), is filled with lavish
photos of two of your favorite things: cars and guitars.
Indeed. While writing the book, the expressions I needed
to use regarding the rapidly changing field of sound began
moving outside of my comfort zone. So I visited AIX Studios
in Los Angeles, whose primary focus is producing multichan-
nel music. For the first time in a long time, I was returned to
the world of the undisturbed listening experience. I heard
subtleties like the amp of a bass player crackling behind me,
and the squeak of a drum pedal — real-life incidents and
sound events that were delightfully uplifting during playback.
There’s no question that we live in a 360° environment, and
recreating your favorite sounds with that in mind is a natural.
So have you thought about recasting your older material
in surround?
Yes. We had a brief break during the 2005 tour that provided
an opportunity to go into the studio. And as we were working
on new material, we decided to experiment with older mate-
rial in the surround domain.
Like what — classic songs such as “La Grange”?
“La Grange,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” and a couple of
the different blues numbers that we do. Quite unexpectedly,
upon entering the multidimensional arena, songs that we had
grown used to hearing in one or two dimensions suddenly
became completely different. It was almost as if we were lis-
tening to things that we couldn’t quite place.
A music fanatic like yourself must have an iPod.
Yep. I think the iPod is the convenience tool that liberates
one from having to pull wagons full of heavy product down
the street. Carrying around all of those CD cases got to be
burdensome.
Has owning an iPod helped expose you to new music?
Without question. We bought a second iPod, which became
part of what we called the iPod pass-around game. There
were six of us involved, including Jeff Beck, and the instruc-
tions were: “Load your favorites on here, then pass it
Billy F. Gibbons around.” It was the Month of Music Marathon — you had to
return it in 30 days. Many things fresh and formerly not heard
have now become favorites. I was surprised to find that
“Hide and Seek,” a track by Imogen Heap, a girl from London
whom I was first exposed to a year ago, appeared six times.
Six out of six participants included it. Now I’m interested in
the nano. I just got one for my little sweetie.
The nano is so tiny, it seems you could easily lose it.
I also got her a tube of super glue with a tiny little keychain
tab so she could actually keep track of the thing.
ZZ Top has been together for 35 years and counting
without a personnel change. What’s the secret?
It’s no secret. There are two reasons, actually: One, we
love to do this more than anything else. And two, we’re still
not sure what else we’d be doing if we weren’t doing this.
MICHAEL WARING/RCA
Besides, we only know three chords.

You could always try to learn that fourth chord.
[laughs] Right! See, there’s always some kind of challenge
waiting for us out there. S&V
For an extended interview, go to soundandvisionmag.com

© 2005 Sharp Corporation
THE WORLD AWAITS THE NEXT GREAT STORY. WILL IT BE A L AST – DITCH HAIL MARY VICTORY? AN INCREDIBLE
BUZZER– BEATER? A CELEBRATION PARADE? WHATEVER THE MOMENT, ONE THING IS CERTAIN — THE SHARP AQUOS
LIQUID CRYSTAL TELEVISION WILL DELIVER IT WITH TRUER COLOR, GREATER DETAIL AND INCREDIBLE SOUND. EXPERIENCE
A TRUE HD WORLD WHERE THERE’S ALWAYS MORE TO SEE. TO LEARN ABOUT AQUOS, VISIT MORETOSEE.COM

Sovi 106

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Digitally signed by

YYeP ou=TeAM YYePG,

G accuracy and integrity

Vice President/Publisher Paul J. Turcotte

LOS ANGELES West Coast Ad Director Sheri Jennings, 323-954-4836

International Sales, Global Sales Director Dawn Erickson

Executive Vice President Nicholas J. Matarazzo

Instant gratification is a hallmark of Paradigm® Monitor speakers—bring them home, set

PTD™ Pure-Titanium Domes with ferro-fluid cooling.High-power ICP™ Injection-Molded

soundandvisionmag.com SOUND & VISION JANUARY 2006 7

50 Hitachi exclusive! 20 Reality Bytes

40-inch LCD HDTV 22 The Connected House

62 Quick Takes 26 Tech Talk

soundandvisionmag.com SOUND & VISION JANUARY 2006 9

BOB ANKOSKO, EDITOR IN CHIEF

soundandvisionmag.com SOUND & VISION JANUARY 2006 11

SoundWorks Radio CD source material, but to show more detail

MISSING LINK FOUND?

But to say that our SoundWorks Radio CD is just a table radio

“ Mythos sounded like a $20,000

“Incredible speakers ... absolutely gorgeous

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14 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com

System’s Crown Jewel”

Small size, big sound and

“Outstanding... I couldn’t believe the sound

Complete Gem System

“An HDTV Walks into a Bar . . .”

combination of Blu-ray’s superior consumer proposition

DON ADAMS THURL SIMON WARONKER JOHN FIEDLER,

18 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com

2,073,600 pixels are hard to resist. Behold the highest high-deﬁnition,

REALITY BYTES Ken C. Pohlmann

Apocalypse Now Coming Soon

BMG releases have XCP, including Switchfoot’s

20 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com

THE CONNECTED HOUSE Eric Taub

Dialing for HDTV

22 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com

THE CUSTOM INSTALLER John Sciacca NEWS +

24 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com

TECH TALK David Ranada

The Progressive Tradeoff

26 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com

Hot gear from the world of home entertainment

>> The Simple Digital Life

NOTE All prices and product information supplied

28 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION

top dog connectors can handle external HD sources.

Nostalgic shoppers will appre-

soundandvisionmag.com SOUND & VISION JANUARY 2006 29

One big hurdle in buying a new HDTV is that store

There are a few retailers that’ll let you make picture

the disc teaches you how to evaluate a set’s scaling

30 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com

1 Sizable View Call It Versatile

32 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com

Expert advice on home theater, audio, and video

34 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION soundandvisionmag.com

soundandvisionmag.com SOUND & VISION JANUARY 2006 37

networked computers that contain

Philips For a remote at this price — and

38 JANUARY 2006 SOUND & VISION