Increasing the length of a product's warranty is a pretty good indication that a manufacturer has plenty of confidence in that product---and plenty of confidence in the market.
One of the most difficult aspects of home entertainment systems is getting equipment from many different manufacturers to operate as one system. It's bad enough with a simple video-and-sound setup, but add projector, screen, drapes, lighting, and security, and you've got a technical nightmare.
On Monday, July 2, 2001, Primedia announced that it has agreed to acquire emap usa from Emap plc. This transaction, which will create the second largest magazine company in the United States, is currently under a customary regulatory review. It is expected to close during the third quarter of the calendar year.
Pioneer Electronics continues to refine audio and video performance with its new generation of DVD players. The $2000 DV-38A is the company's effort to combine high-resolution sound and image at an upscale but not unattainable price.
The surround processor is the heart of every high-end home theater system. Good ones, like Myryad Systems' MDP500, have flexibility built in for unanticipated new formats.
The quality of electrical power is often the limiting factor for high performance audio and video systems. Many manufacturers have attempted to address this limitation---caused in large part by electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI)---by designing and marketing surge protectors, AC line filters, uninterruptible power supplies, and various sorts of AC enhancers and generators. Many of these solutions are bulky, expensive, or only partially effective.
Many home theater receivers have excellent audio capabilities, but not many boast state-of-the-art video features. Onkyo has changed that with its TX-DS696, a 5 x 100-watt home theater receiver with component video switching and the ability to mix and match composite and S-video components. This feature is the result of a proprietary YC separator/mixer that "reconciles the incompatibility of composite and S-Video signals," according to company publicity. "Without this circuit, the video source, receiver, and video monitor must all use the same type of video connection."
It's no secret that home theater is the fastest growing sector of the consumer electronics industry. The HT phenomenon has been a boon to manufacturers and retailers alike.
Convergence has taken another step forward with the newest offering from Princeton Graphics Systems. On June 13, the display and monitor maker introduced its Ai3.2HD, a 32" flatscreen CRT with HDTV compatibility and interactive television features.
HT Staff
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