THE BUZZ

It's time to get excited: Blu-ray players due this summer

With HD DVD already here and Blu-ray on its way, we're at the dawn of a new era in high-definition home entertainment.

Ever since high-definition television was introduced, home theater buffs have been eagerly waiting for DVDs capable of real high-def resolution. That's why manufacturers and studios have been feverishly working to introduce the next generation of hardware and software.

The HD DVD format, which currently only has players being produced by one manufacturer (Toshiba), was rolled out this spring. And now the other high-def format, Blu-ray Disc (BD), is poised to make its debut. From early June to early August, Blu-ray players will be unveiled by LG, Mitsubishi, Sharp, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, and, of course, Sony. Let's take a closer look at what we can expect from the new Blu-ray players...

Kind of blue We have seen demonstrations of Blu-ray players, and they are truly spectacular! Here's what we find most amazing: as great as high-def broadcasts are, your experience with Blu-ray has the potential to be far superior to anything you're currently viewing over cable or satellite, with 1080p video and heightened sound quality that simply hasn't been available on any consumer format.

Why is Blu-ray so much better? Well, as we just mentioned, Blu-ray can output a 1080p video signal (which really only matters if you have a 1080p display) and high-resolution audio that's even more engaging than today's Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks. Also, the data rate is significantly higher (currently 36 Megabits per second) than high-def broadcasts (19.3 Mbps), which is in turn higher than that for DVD movies (typically from 3Ð10 Mbps). This incredibly high rate of data transfer - and there are already plans to make it even faster - provides better performance, especially in fast-motion scenes.

More room for more stuff
A single-layer Blu-ray disc (BD) has enough room (25 GB) for approximately four hours of high-definition video with audio. A dual-layer BD (50 GB) can hold enough for approximately eight hours of HD video. And the Blu-ray specifications actually allow for four- and six layer-discs, meaning pretty soon we will see capacities of 100 GB and 200 GB! Considering the fact that we're composing this article on a laptop computer with a 60 GB hard-drive, these disc capacities are truly breathtaking.

This increased capacity will allow for all sorts of interactive features, such as PIP filmmakers' commentaries, with graphical interfaces that are more user-friendly and Internet-like. Also, in addition to 12 cm discs (the standard size for CDs and DVDs), an 8 cm variation for use with camcorders is planned that will have a capacity of 15 GB. Which just goes to show that Blu-ray has the potential to revolutionize not only your home theater experience, but your computer applications and home movies as well.

We're stoked!
The introduction of the new high-def DVD formats is one of the most exciting developments in years. You'll benefit from unprecedented picture quality and up to 7.1-channels of exquisite surround sound - with higher resolution than today's formats. And all the next generation high-def players are backwards-compatible, so you can still play all of your existing DVDs. This really is a significant upgrade for your home theater system, so call us or come in today to pre-order your new player.

TAKE IT OUTSIDE

Let's get this party started!
Why leave your favorite tunes in your house when all the action is going on outside?

When it comes to custom home entertainment, our goal is to provide you with easy access to all your audio and video sources wherever and whenever you want. And outdoors is no exception! With digital advancements to your music system and great new categories of all-weather speakers, you can spice up all your outdoor activities with your favorite tunes.

You'll never have to run inside and change the CD again!

We can create a whole-house sound system for you that incorporates digital music servers and/or DVD/CD mega-changers (with advanced disc management) to give you easy access to all your entertainment. Advanced keypads and remotes with LCD readouts let you choose songs or albums from your music library - you're just a button-push away from hearing any song you like from your entire collection. Or push "shuffle" for your own personal jukebox effect.

Now that controlling all your favorite tunes is so much easier, you might want to consider adding some new all-weather speakers to your system...

Weather-resistant wonders

Outdoors speakers are faced with quite a challenge - not only do they often have to overcome a lot of background noise, such as barking dogs, traffic and wind, but they also have to do it without four walls to contain the sound and reinforce low-frequency response. That's why all the models we sell have superior bass output and the ultimate in durability.

Standard all-weather models look like a traditional box speaker and usually come in a white finish, although other colors are available. They're normally mounted under the eaves or in an otherwise sheltered location. Many of these models come with mounting brackets that allow the installer to properly angle the speaker and aim it at the listening area; the more advanced ones even have pivoting tweeters for further aiming the sound where you want it.

Walls of sound

If you want an even less obtrusive option, try an all-weather in-wall speaker. These speakers have grilles and flanges that can be painted to match the exterior of your home. We have both rectangular and round models to complement lighting or other visible fixtures. We also have weather-resistant in-ceiling models.

Rock it!

Shaped like large rocks to blend into the landscape, our "garden speakers" are ideal for use along walkways and patios and in large open areas. As far as the sound goes, some are directional, while others are designed to radiate sound in a complete circle. A few even contain built-in low-level lights that are perfect for pathways or ambient lighting effects.

"Is there music coming from that geranium?"

In the "What'll they think of next?" category, here's another outdoor speaker with a garden theme: the "speaker-planter" or "planter-speaker." These weather-resistant marvels feature a speaker (or sometimes two) built-in to the base of a planter. Don't worry about the mixture of water and electricity: excess water drains through a tube in the bottom of the planter and out the bottom of the base so that it never comes into contact with the speaker. These versatile components are sure to be a topic of conversation at all your outdoor gatherings.

Don't be left out in the cold

We've been designing and installing outdoor solutions for years, and so we know all the tricks of the trade to give you a system that provides optimum sound quality for your unique environment. Call or visit us today and let's get the ball rolling!

VIDEO VIEW

Three myths about HDTV
Don't let faulty information influence your HDTV buying decision - here's a look at some commonly held assumptions that turn out not to be true!

It's probably inevitable with any product or technology that starts off as a niche item and then becomes popular - either some piece of incorrect information gets repeated often enough that it enters the public consciousness, or things that were true at the beginning of a product's life-cycle no longer are. In this piece we'll debunk some of the rumors surrounding HDTV.

"Screen burn-in is a huge problem for plasma HDTVs."

Here's one of those statements that initially had some validity, but is now for all practical purposes not a problem. Plasmas have the POTENTIAL for burn-in because they are phosphor-based technologies - if a static image is on screen for too long, the phosphors can literally burn the image into the screen.

From a practical standpoint, though, this has ceased to be an issue for a while now, as manufacturers have developed new phosphor/gas mixtures and burn-in prevention software that greatly reduce the risk of burn-in. Unless you have the same static image up on your screen for a week straight, you really shouldn't have to worry.

"HDTVs look so great out of the box that they don't need a professional calibration."

Even manufacturers of the best HDTVs generally ship their sets with the brightness pumped way up, so the TVs will look good in brightly lit showrooms. Many sets ship with less than accurate color settings, as well. So just about any TV will benefit from a professional calibration. A professional calibrator (that's us!) is equipped with specialized tools and can access special service menus that most lay-people don't know what to do with. If you've made a good-sized investment in your HDTV, we highly recommend a professional calibration. You'll definitely be able to see the difference.

"The bigger your HDTV set, the better it will look."

Our rebuttal to this one is a little more nuanced. Yes, in general we recommend buying the largest HDTV possible - FOR YOUR VIEWING DISTANCE. Your screen should be big enough to provide immediacy and impact, but not so big that you can be distracted by the set's "structure" - scan lines or pixels. (One of the beauties of HDTV is that its higher resolution allows you to sit closer than you could with an analog set without noticing this structure). If you sit too close to a large set, no matter how great its resolution, the picture will not look its best and will actually feel fatiguing to watch over time.

So how big should you go? Most experts recommend that you determine screen size with a formula something like this:

Screen Size = Viewing Distance / approximately 2

(Note: some suggest that you divide viewing distance by 2.5; some say it should be more like 1.5).

If your viewing distance is 10 feet (120 inches), for example an appropriate screen size is somewhere around 60 inches.

Let us give you the RIGHT information

As an independent specialty dealer, we prefer having ongoing relationships with our clients rather than the "one-and-done" philosophy of so many big chain stores. So we have a vested interest in giving you the straight scoop and becoming your trusted resource for all you home electronics purchases. We invite you to come in today and let us help you make a truly informed decision about your next TV.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Digital video recorder: Rent or own?

Q. is there any reason I should buy a DVR rather than just rent one from my cable company?

A. We get asked this a lot, and before we answer we must cop to an obvious conflict of interest. We would definitely prefer that you buy a DVR from us rather than rent one from the cable company! Other than the fact that our livelihood depends on selling and installing home electronics, there are some other pretty good reasons to buy an advanced DVR rather than rent a more rudimentary machine from the cable folks. Let's take a look...

Advanced features improve your experience

While the DVRs available through your cable company offer a certain level of convenience, they don't have all the functionality currently available. You don't have any choice in terms of hard drive space or program guide. Also, a large number of the rented DVRs don't allow you to choose the level of recording quality, so you have less control over how you use your hard drive. For instance, some people record the news every night, but they'd like to be able to choose a slightly lower recording quality than they might use for a movie so as not to chew up as much space.

For posterity

Even the largest hard drives eventually fill up, so what do you do if you want to keep a recording permanently? Well, you need to integrate a DVD recorder into your setup. The DVR from your cable company may or may not have the outputs necessary to run to an outboard DVD burner, but even if they do, this is yet one more component and set of interconnects to clutter up your system. Why not opt for a one-box solution?

We have amazing units available that incorporate a hard drive AND a DVD recorder, giving you the best of both worlds! If you want a permanent recording for your collection, you can simply dub any programming from your hard drive onto the DVD recorder, or use the recorder to make a recording directly from the source (remember, though, that duplicating copyrighted pre-recorded DVDs is not possible).

In addition, most of these "combo" recorders have advanced circuitry that lets them monitor the remaining space on your hard drive or disc and then switch over to the other format when necessary, so you'll never miss the end of a show you're recording.

Come in for a DVR demo

As we mentioned before, one of the down sides to renting a DVR from your cable company is the lack of choice. Come see us, on the other hand, and you can choose the model that's exactly right for your unique needs. We'll take you through a complete test-drive and make sure you have all the information to make an informed decision - and we guarantee you'll have fun doing it!