SPD-Smart
If those new windows from MW cost a fortune and you don't want to cover them with curtains or shades whenever you watch a movie in your home theater, consider using SPD-Smart windows. You control the window's tint and decide how much heat, light, and glare you want to enter the room. SPD-Smart says that the windows offer a limitless number of options between clear and dark states, so you can go from a darkened theater to a sun-filled room instantly. Imagine never having to clean between every single blind or wash those dust-filled curtains. Pricing starts at $70 per square foot.
SPD-Smart
(888) SPD-REFR www.smartglass.com
Home Cinema Accessories It's often the only thing missing when Uncle Bob busts out the camcorder. A tripod might make his masterpieces easier to watch later, but we're talking about the verisimilitude that only a clapper can offer. The Professional Studio Clapboard from Home Cinema Accessories measures 11 inches tall and 12 wide, and it offers plenty of room to write and change your scene and take numbers. The Professional Studio Clapboard also comes with a wall-mounting cord for those who'd rather admire than direct, and it's a great value at just $15. Home Cinema Accessories (800) 346-8575 www.homecinemaaccessories.com
Integra
Universal players are becoming more and more appealing to consumers, and Integra's new DPS-10.5 universal player ($2,500) is a good example of why. This THX Ultra–certified player is compatible with nearly every format in use, including DVD-Audio and SACD. It sports an HDMI output to pass video in the digital domain, plus two iLink ports to allow the digital transfer of high-resolution audio signals. The O-Plus FlexScale circuit upsamples video to customizable formats, including 720p and 1080i. A full set of 7.1-channel analog audio outputs and two optical and two coaxial digital audio outputs are also included.
MoDesign (Monster, LLC)
Are you looking to house your various electronics in a way that will add to your room's décor rather than detract from it? MoDesign's $2,500 Audio/Video Component Tower 6000, part of their Centra line of home theater consoles, is made with a smoked-black-tinted glass door and sleek, lustrous wood. If you don't like the glass, wooden doors with either a light- or deep-cherry finish are also available separately. The unit is functional, too. According to MoDesign, a dual-fan cooling system helps your components perform as they should, and the glass door is specially designed not to interfere with signals from remote controls. The Monster Cable Management System helps keep your cables neatly organized.
MoDesign (Monster, LLC) (866) 563-6388 www.MDesignLife.com
Elite Leather
You already know how much better it is to watch a new movie at home in your lush home theater. It's even better when you can nestle into a top-of-the-line recliner. Elite Leather's new Tahoe chair, which is reminiscent of a recliner, is available in two-, four-, and five-seat configurations to accommodate any room, and each seat features its own cup holder. The chair can recline almost completely horizontally, even when placed flat against a wall—perfect for saving space. It's available in your choice of over 200 leather or 100 Ultrasuede colors. Prices for a three-seat configuration range from $5,000 to $8,000, depending on the grade of leather.
Elite Leather
(626) 839-4400 www.eliteleather.com
Terk
And you thought your antenna days were behind you. With Terk's new HDTVo HDTV antenna, you can receive both UHF and VHF signals. You'll be able to catch all of your local HDTV broadcasts, thanks to the HDTVo's directional log-periodic antenna array with a pair of curved elements that capture and focus HDTV signals toward the array. According to Terk, this produces a high degree of interference rejection. Additionally, the high-gain, ultra-low-noise amplifier is designed to increase the strength of weak signals and optimize them for maximum reception. The $120 antenna is lightweight and sleek, so it's a breeze to mount on the roof.
Terk (631) 543-1900 www.terk.com
Harman/Kardon
A thing of beauty is a joy forever, as the saying goes. Truth be told, Harman/Kardon's AVR 630 A/V receiver is more than just beautiful. According to Harman, this 7.1-channel receiver is the first of its kind to feature a quadruple-crossover bass manager that lets you select different crossover frequencies for the front, center, surround, and rear speakers. The AVR 630 also includes A/V sync relay and RS-232 connectivity. Think we're done? Not even close. It also can handle all of the popular surround sound formats, including Dolby EX and DTS ES, and it has built-in MP3 and HDCD decoding. For $1,299, this thing of beauty truly will be a joy forever.
Harman/Kardon
(800) 422-8027 www.harmankardon.com
JBL
Getting 7.1-channel sound in your home theater is easy with JBL's new SCS300 7.1-channel loudspeaker package. The satellite and center-channel models offer dual 3.5-inch PolyPlas woofers and 0.75-inch titanium-laminate tweeters. The system's sub utilizes a high-excursion 10-inch woofer and 200-watt amp in a tuned-port enclosure. The sub's back panel features volume control, LFE and line-level inputs, and speaker-level ins and outs. An auto power-on/-off function automatically turns the sub on when an audio signal is present and switches the sub to standby when there's no signal. For $650, you'll get the sub, the center, six satellites (with mounting brackets), and the necessary cables.
JBL
(516) 496-3400 www.jbl.com
Rotel
We usually don't believe that old adage about looks being deceiving. More often than not, things are exactly as they appear. So imagine our surprise when we heard about Rotel's new RSDX-02, an all-in-one DVD receiver with a 5.1-channel digital surround amplifier. This sleek component features 80 watts per channel for its five speaker outputs. The RSDX-02 offers Dolby Digital and DTS multichannel decoding; Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS Neo:6 for two-channel sources; and an All-Channel Stereo mode for evenly spreading the sound. The internal DVD player also plays CD-Rs/-RWs, MP3- and JPEG-encoded CDs, and DVD-Audio discs. The RSDX-02 has coaxial and optical digital audio inputs and wideband component video input/output facilities that allow you to integrate your source components with the newest TVs, including HD-ready sets. This deceptively simple-looking piece is yours for $1,499.
Rotel
(978) 664-3820 www.rotel.com
HT Staff
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