AV Education on RHT How-To Setup A Basic Home Theater By Jerry Del Colliano Introduction Despite the increasing complexity of audio/video systems these days, not all people require (or have the budge to afford) a professional installation. Many performance-oriented readers who are on a tight budget prefer to do system installation themselves and invest their installation budget into better gear. While there is a point in every big-dollar AV system where you need the pros, the do-it-yourselfer can still have sweet success when setting up a receiver, a DVD player and other associated gear. I have compiled some ideas to think about and some tips from my recent installation of a bedroom theater. Hopefully they will give you some guidance for when you install your system.

Introduction The Halcro SSP-100 is one of the most technologically advanced, full-featured audio video preamp-processors in the world. At $9,900, it is a relative bargain compared to other lofty competitors such as the Meridian 800 or Theta Casablanca, but it costs significantly more than the vast majority of processors currently on the market. The SSP-100 does everything you would expect of a full-featured audio/video processor and adds a video scaler, making it one of a few units in the world with this range of capabilities. I am not surprised that Halcro is one of the first manufacturers to offer this combination of features. Halcro, an Australian company, has long been known for their excellent amplifiers and cutting-edge digital amplification circuits. The SSP-100 shares industrial design cues that run throughout the Halcro line, namely the use of ovals. If you view the unit from above, there is a prominent oval cap that extends approximately a half ...

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 ...

Introduction The Halcro brand name is famed in the world of audiophiles, most notably for offering amplifiers that have been lauded as “the best” by many in the know. In an effort to move past the constantly shrinking two-channel audiophile world, Halcro has expanded their product offerings to include a home theater line, consisting of multi-channel amplifiers and a preamplifier-processor (review pending). The amplifier line consists of two-, three-, five- and seven-channel units. The MC50 five-channel unit which retails for $5,990 is the one we’re reviewing here. Halcro’s parent company Minelab makes technologically advanced metal detectors and land mine scanning equipment. In the security industry, it is imperative that every product be designed and built to astronomical standards, as lives are literally on the line. Without question, Halcro has adopted these same high standards for their audio gear. The build quality of the MC50 is spectacular, even in comparison to the best that more established audio companies ...

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?