Introduction Panasonic has just introduced the latest version of its commercial panel line, which many reviewers, me included, believe to deliver superior picture performance over their consumer line. The new 9UK series replaces last year’s 8UK series, and the TH-50PH9UK, the subject of this review, is certainly one of the best values in its category. Plasma panels have plummeted in price in the last year or so, and are now quite competitive with similar screen sizes in the LCD flat panel category. A year and a half to two years ago, most 50-inch plasma panels were in the $8,000 to $10,000 range. Today, this 50-incher can be found in the $3,500 to $4,000 range, depending on accessories, and will give just about any plasma in its size range a run for its money in terms of picture quality and performance. Design Panasonic’s industrial panels are a do-it-yourselfers dream. Simple and basic in design, the 9UK series ...

Introduction As we inch closer to the DTV transition, many television manufacturers are hedging their bets as to which display technology—plasma, LCD or micro-display—will ultimately win our hearts and checkbooks. Some companies have chosen to offer both plasma and LCD flat panels; others can’t even narrow it down that much, bringing out product in every new display category. Pioneer has taken a road less traveled. The company is quite content to put all of its eggs in the plasma basket. (Okay, I’m done with the platitudes.) They no longer manufacture rear-projection TVs of any kind, nor do they offer panels smaller than 42 inches, since that would essentially require them to give LCD a serious look. As I write this, the Pioneer website lists a total of nine TVs on the roster, all plasmas ranging from 42 to 61 inches. If all you do is plasma, then you had better do it well. ...

Introduction Home theater enthusiasts are now most certainly in a digital world, both audio and very recently video. It is becoming increasingly important to be able to add new components and switch seamlessly between a wide variety of digital sources. These now include DVI (digital visual interface) and HDMI (high-definition media interface) as an interface, providing a one-cable digital solution for both picture and sound, as opposed to the multiplicity of analog cables required to watch HDTV, such as RGBHV or YPrPb. Unfortunately, because of a continuing desire by the motion picture and television industries to control the dissemination of their intellectual property (the movie, television show or video game itself), we now are all subject to varying degrees of digital connection irritation brought about by the inclusion of HDCP (high-definition copy protection). This copy management system inhibits the ability of any digital recorder (such as a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD disc recorder) to legally or illegally make ...

Introduction PSB Speakers, aptly named after founders Paul and Sue Barton, have been producing high-performance loudspeakers since 1972. Paul Barton, the chief speaker designer, had his beginnings in high school putting together speakers for college students. Now one of Canada’s most reputable names in loudspeakers, PSB with Paul Barton at the helm, continues the craft of speaker design that started 30 years ago. In addition to Paul Barton’s passion and dedication to speaker design, PSB has a close relationship with the National Research Council (NRC). The NRC offers nearly a century of knowledge and test resources in the area of psychoacoustics research that PSB has effectively incorporated into their Image Series speakers. The midlevel price range of the Image Series speakers affords precision sound reproduction to those with limited budgets. The PSB Image Series speakers reviewed consisted of the Image T65 main loudspeakers ($1099 per pair), an Image C60 center channel ($449), two Image S50 surrounds ...

Introduction In the world of affordable to moderately-priced speaker systems, there are dozens of major players, yet few have a more recognizable name and longstanding reputation for quality sound than does Polk Audio. The reason for this is simple. Polk has been producing great-sounding speakers for better than three decades. You will find Polk speakers in the largest retailers around the world, with a speaker in practically every price class they carry. The review package consists of two Monitor 60s, a four-way floor-standing speaker that I used for the front left and right speaker positions, the Polk CS1 center channel speaker, a pair of Monitor 30s, two-way shelf or stand-mounted speakers that were positioned as surround monitors and the PSW10 subwoofer. This 5.1 package is available in either black or cherry wood grain finishes and sells for $1,330. The Monitor 60 is a floor-standing speaker that measures 37.5 inches tall, seven inches wide, 13-and-one-quarter inches deep ...