Ensconced in a multitude of luxurious homes, we got a chance to visit the Haven event on a private estate last week.  Haven is a pre-Oscar, three day event for celebrities and media that included entertainment, charitable activities and a variety of companies offering a glimpse at their product lines.  We made the trek through the maze of finely manicured streets of Beverly Hills and popped into the event on Friday afternoon.We wandered into the estate and took a quick tour of the grounds.  The photographers around the red carpet appeared pensively waiting for the next group of celebrities to roll in.  Lining the house, an oasis-themed swimming pool framed the open area and lead up to an expansive, overlook view of Los Angeles.  Inside the house, waiters and waitresses scurried around with little plates of appetizers and the throng ...

So you missed out on the $199 deals last fall for digital satellite video. You're increasingly frustrated by the noisy, poor quality signal your local cable system provides plus there are a couple channels you'd love to get but The Powers That Be force you to buy another $20-a-month "package" to get them. And to top it all off, now your cable provider is not only raising their rates again but lowering the picture quality even further. . . The Man's keepin' you down too, eh, buddy?

It might be easier to pick a top-performing fantasy football running back than it is to choose the right HDTV to watch him on every Sunday. At AVRev.com, we have made it easy for you this year with an HDTV cheat sheet that gives you the inside track on the best, brightest and most resolute HDTVs on the market for this football season. Note: prices are subject to change, based on market conditions. HP SL4278N 42-Inch MediaSmart LCD HDTV Last year, HP introduced the MediaSmart LCD TV, with a built-in digital media receiver to which you can stream music, photos, and even HD video from your computer, over a wired or wireless network. The media function was a nice perk in an otherwise good-performing HDTV. The second-gen MediaSmart TVs have just arrived, and the specs look promising. The SL4278N ups the TV ...

AV Education on RHT How To Make Your TiVo Skip 30 Sec. Commercials Written by Jerry Del Colliano The category of PVR or “personal video recorders” is one that is just starting to boom for the AV industry. In a recent market research study, we found that only three percent of AudioRevolution.com readers currently have PVRs, i.e., products that use the TiVo or ReplayTV service to record TV. A majority of the entrants to the study say they plan to purchase a PVR in the next year. Cable companies that are looking for ways to compete with satellite providers are now looking at offering PVRs directly in their set-top cable boxes. The cost of the PVRs then becomes a small monthly fee that tacks onto your cable bill. Before you flip out over ...

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 ...