I got a chance to see the Statement D2 pre/pro from Anthem up close. I like the 4 HDMI inputs but I'm already starting to think 5 or even 6 would be appropriate for the next gen. Marketing manager Mark Aling told me their new room equalization software is now available and will be integrated into the D2. It adds a couple of hundred to the price, bringing it up to just under $7K. Unusual is Anthems recognition that every EQ mic shipped with a pre/pro or receiver is inherently different from each other mic, so they actually cut a CD for each microphone / serial# combination and their software recognizes where compensation is needed to overcome the sample to sample variation between microphones. I doubt you'll ever see that level of detail from a mass-market receiver manufacturer, but in a "statement" product like the D2, it really sets Anthem apart from the pack. If you already own a D1 or D2, you can get the upgrade by contacting your dealer.

This is a pretty good shot of the JVC RS1 projector with an anamorphic lens by Panamorph giving it a 2.35:1 image. Video processing was done in the Anthem D2 processor and sequence from Phantom on Blu-ray looked really good.

NHT has come a long way, or a different way, or, whatever. Their A/V pre/pro, bundled with five speakers, two self-powered subs, five 4-channel amps (one for each speak), plus, uh, wires I think, goes for $40,000! Each of the amp's channels is responsible for one of the four drivers in each speaker, so there is no crossover in the speakers themselves. Of course, in the middle of the convention hall you couldn't get much of a feel for the systems sound. I would have liked to have heard an isolated room demo.

I could tell you that this is a better picture of the Samsung SP-A800 we reported on earlier in the show. But it isn't. It's the Samsung SP-A400, and apart from its smaller size, it's a dead ringer in appearance for the SP-A800. It's a 1280x768 design. Didn't catch the price yet, but it's sure to be lots cheaper than the circa $10,000 price of its big brother.

Take the Starglas material discussed in the last entry, make it 2" thick, and you can have your TV picture on the floor and even walk all over it.