How To Shop For A Next Generation Disc Player By Adrienne Maxwell October 2006 If you’ve just purchased an HDTV or are contemplating doing so, here’s what you can expect to happen during the first few weeks with your new toy: you’ll connect it to your current cable or satellite box and be less than dazzled by the improvement the TV offers with standard-definition signals. You’ll either purchase an HDTV antenna to pull in over-the-air HD channels, or, more likely, you’ll call your provider and upgrade to an HDTV package. Upon seeing a true HD signal, you’ll be thrilled. You’ll spend every waking moment watching programs that never interested you before, just because they’re in high definition. After only a short time, you’ll find yourself chanting the same word the rest of us have been chanting for years: “More!” HDTV enthusiasts have been waiting impatiently for a high-definition software format that gives them more ...

All About Convergence: 2006 Edition By Adrienne Maxwell September 2006 What is convergence? In a world that’s growing ever more connected, perhaps the better question is, what isn’t convergence? The simplest definition I found for the word “convergence” at www.dictionary.com is: “The process of coming together or the state of having come together toward a common point.” Of course, the site goes on to provide definitions of the word’s specific meaning in mathematics, physiology, biology and even commodities trading. Try to narrow down to the word’s meaning to consumer electronics circles, and you’d still have to wade through myriad possibilities, from telecommunications companies that are merging voice, data and video services to the portable-electronics trend of housing a cell phone, camera, MP3 player and PDA in one handheld device. Okay, what if we narrow it down even further, from consumer electronics to home entertainment? You’ll soon see that even this encompasses a whole lot of stuff, but ...

Why Are Audiophiles Afraid of Powered Speakers By Jerry Del Colliano August 2006 From my days in high-end retail, now more than a decade ago, to today’s current home theater market, I have always been perplexed as to why Americans are hesitant to invest in powered speakers. Seemingly stashing your amp neatly inside of your speakers provides a host of advantages including more rack space, less heat, potentially lower cost and beyond. Literally all you have to do is run interconnects from your receiver or, better yet, your AV preamp directly to your speakers. Simplicity is yet another advantage, but consumers aren’t yet breaking down the doors at retailers to invest in powered speakers.

How To Find High-Definition Content For Your HDTV By Adrienne Maxwell July 2006 Walk into any sports bar in the country and you’re likely to see the same thing. Rows of brand-new widescreen flat panels adorn the walls, purchased by owners anxious to make their place “the” place to watch the big game. But don’t except to be treated to HDTV on said panels. No, what you often see are plain old standard-definition signals – even worse, plain old standard-definition signals stretched disproportionately across the screen. It begs the question, why spend thousands of dollars to upgrade to HDTVs and not shell out a little extra cash to actually show high-definition programming?

10 Reasons Why You NEED To Be an Early Adopter of HD Discs (Blu-ray and HD DVD) June, 2006 By Jerry Del Colliano 1. High Definition Video is many times better than DVD. Unless you are legally blind, you can see the vast difference between DVD video at 480i and the HD disc formats at 1080i. Would it be better if the players reproduced 1080p? Of course, but how many of us have 1080p HDTVs throughout our homes? It’s tough enough to convert to all HDTV sets capable of 1080i. And when you get down to it, the difference between 1080i and 1080p is noticeable but miniscule when compared to the difference between a DVD and an HD disc.