 Filed Under: Equipment How To $$ 
Posted Mon May 10, 2010, 3:12 PM ET — By Mark Elson
Once when we were watching a DVD in the media room, my wife missed a scene because she was nodding off. But usually it’s me who does the nodding. I search for the remote control, and I can never find it when I need it. Forget about the whole remote, I’ll just settle for the right button. I fish around. There, that must be it. My fingers traverse the button terrain to find the Pause or Rewind button in the dark purely by feel. Because I’m holding the darned thing upside down, I accidentally hit the Open/Close button, which stops the movie cold and slides open the disc tray. Ah, the joys of not missing a minute of a movie! Does this sound familiar? If so, you need to read further. Juggling remote controls is one of the top three buzz-kills in the field of home electronics. And we can do something about it. The can-do spirit is in the air. Here, I’ll sift through the world of remote controls and share with you some prominent models that feature the absolute best characteristics in the category. Filed Under: Equipment $$ How To
Posted Mon Apr 26, 2010, 3:05 PM ET — By Darryl Wilkinson
I’ve often thought it would be nice to have music in multiple rooms of the house; but, as I’ve alluded, my home is not custom install friendly. I decided that a wireless multiroom system would definitely be the best bet. Sonos, a company that focuses exclusively on wireless multiroom audio, has a system that’s designed to do just thatŃand moreŃin up to 32 independent zones without breaking the bank or tearing down any walls. After I read the endearing tag line, “Wireless that works like magic,” I thought, what better time or place could there be to check out Sonos’ latest system incarnation? So I asked Sonos to send out its Bundle 150 two-zone package ($999 ) plus a ZoneBridge and let the fun begin. Filed Under: $$ Equipment
Posted Fri Nov 13, 2009, 6:24 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
You can't have an audio system without speakers, however, it's the speakers that cause the most problems, especially with respect to interior design. Known for their wide selection of residential ceiling fans, Hunter has teamed up with Soundolier Integrated Wireless Technologies to create the Concert Breeze, a combination ceiling fan and powered audio system. At first glance, the Concert Breeze looks like any common ceiling fan, yet hidden inside the fan’s light is a proprietary 2.4GHz wireless audio system. Without the hassle and expense of running wires, the Concert Breeze receives full range digital quality audio from any source, up to 300ft away. Simply connect a Soundolier Maestro wireless transmitter to any audio source – TV, mp3 player, etc. – through the speaker level or 3.5mm input jack and send stereo DSP audio to the Concert Breeze. Four selectable stereo signal channels virtually eliminate interference and one transmitter can send the signal to an unlimited number of receiver devices within the signal range. Filed Under: Equipment $$$
Posted Tue Nov 10, 2009, 1:33 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Delivering up to 14TB of centralized network storage, Envive's TheaterStation Multi-zone Digital Media Management System keeps all your media in one convenient location. A single TheaterStation Client can connect with a variety of 4TB, 6TB, 10TB and 14TB storage units that fit in standard rack mounts. As your video and audio library expands, so will your Envive system. Users can easily transfer, store and sort music and movies, whether they are created, purchased on hard media or downloaded from the Internet. The complete TheaterStation product line is ideal for either single-zone or multi-zone installations. Filed Under: Equipment $$
Posted Thu Oct 15, 2009, 10:02 AM ET — By Kim Wilson
if you thought you couldn't afford a high quality 1080p projector– think again. Panasonic's new PT-AE4000U just lowered the bar, on price, but not quality. This LCD projector retails for $2499, though some say it can be found for less, even from authorized dealers for hundreds less. Consciously designed for smaller home theaters, the PT-AE1000U can project a 120-inch image from as little as 11 to as much as 24 feet away. You sure can't get that in a flat panel display for a mere $2.5k. Filed Under: Equipment $
Posted Wed Oct 14, 2009, 11:59 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Whole-house music need not be expensive or require extensive integration. Moreover, it can be easily controlled with something you may already own. Enter the new Sonos Zone Player S5. This wireless, zone player with built-in speakers will stream music from your PC or Mac and is easily controlled with an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch. The Sonos S5 will be available in late October for $399 each and the iPhone app that controls it is free. Filed Under: Equipment $$$
Posted Wed Oct 7, 2009, 5:33 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Stewart Filmscreen is branching out, providing unique window treatments designed to improve the overall home cinema experience. While the Acoustishade is a beautiful addition to any decor, available in a variety of colors and any custom size, it also controls ambient light as well as exterior noise from interfering with the viewing experience. The Acoustishade is the most stylish and cost effective soundproofing solution available. Filed Under: $$ Equipment
Posted Tue Sep 22, 2009, 3:34 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
While the title of this entry may sound like an oxymoron, I assure you it's not. Runco has recently announced details about the LS-3 LightStyle projector that will ship in November, just in time for Christmas. Retailing for only $4995, this is the Runco projector many folks have been waiting for. Filed Under: $$ Equipment
Posted Fri Sep 4, 2009, 4:53 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
For the price of other stand-alone Blu-ray players, it only makes sense to invest in Samsung's BD-P3600, which integrates streaming technology providing you a lot more bang for the buck. Streaming movies, TV, music and other content is without question the wave of the future,,,and the wave is only gathering up more water as a variety of new AV products are partnering with content providers. Filed Under: $ Equipment
Posted Thu Sep 3, 2009, 1:00 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Apple's iPhone and iTouch have certainly been game changers when it comes to touch screen control. Logitech has updated their Squeezebox WiFi music player with a color touch screen and called it the Squeezebox Touch. Of course, there is much more to this new model than just a fancy screen. Not all homeowner's, especially DIYers, want or require a complex multizone system. The Logitech Squeezebox Touch is a wonderful low-cost, alternative method for providing simple and intuitive access to a wide variety of music choices including free Internet radio, personal digital music files and music subscription services such as Pandora, Rhapsody, and Sirius. Filed Under: News Equipment
Posted Wed Sep 2, 2009, 4:25 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
The LG LH50 LCD series and the PS80 plasma series will soon provide streaming of the popular movies-on-demand service, Vudu. These new Internet-connected TVs employ "NetCast Entertainment Access", allowing users to browse, search, and choose a variety of HD and HDX films right from their TVs without an additional Vudu set-top box. Filed Under: Equipment $$$
Posted Tue Aug 18, 2009, 5:32 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
In celebration of 60 years developing some of the highest quality sound reproduction products in the world, McIntosh releases the MXA60 Executive System, the company's first standalone integrated audio system. Filed Under: Equipment $$
Posted Tue Aug 18, 2009, 4:39 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
A cost-effective alternative to touch screen controllers are universal remotes. The Harmony Remote 900 by Logitech uses advanced RF technology to operate all your AV devices up to 100 feet away without the need for RF emitters attached to each device. Instead, the Harmony 900 uses a single IR blaster and one or two mini blasters on the cabinet shelves of your entertainment center. A color touchscreen allows selection of each device and the intuitive button layout provides all the necessary controls for AV Receivers, DVD/Blu-ray Players, TVs, Projectors, cable/satellite set-top boxes and any other IR device. The Harmony remote creates macros easily through an online interface so all you need to do is select the buttons labeled "Watch TV", "Watch a Movie" or Listen to Music" to fire up all the appropriate gear and select the proper inputs. Forget the coffee table clutter and integrate all your gear into the single, easy to use Harmony 900. For more details about the Harmony 900, which retails for $399, click here Filed Under: Equipment $$$
Posted Fri Aug 7, 2009, 2:10 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Runco. always know for their premier video displays. has added multiple new 1080p plasma monitors to its line of high-end video display solutions. The five new CinemaWall and PlasmaWall displays are the world's first to feature Runco's exclusive OPAL (Optical Path ALignment) technology. While other manufacturer's seem to be abandoning plasma TV, Runco is enhancing its performance to exceed anything currently available. Filed Under: Equipment $
Posted Fri Aug 7, 2009, 1:21 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Digeo, makers of the Moxi HD-DVR set-top box (only available to digital cable subscribers) has released the Moxi Mate, as a companion piece. The Moxi Mate enables multi-room access to video content from a connected Moxi HD-DVR as well as PCs and other devices connected on a wired or wireless in-home network. The unit will carry an MSRP of $399, though for a limited time you can purchase it for $199. Filed Under: Equipment $$
Posted Fri Aug 7, 2009, 12:53 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
As flat panel TV's get even thinner, speaker manufacturers are working overtime to supply soundbars, the latest speaker craze, that will unobtrusively sit underneath these newer sets, The latest entry is Leon Speakers with their Horizon 212, designed expressly for the newest ultra-thin TVs. Available in an enclosure that is only 1.5" deep and 3.25" high, the L/C/R speaker features dual 2" Peerless woofers surrounding a 1" Morel cloth dome tweeter for each channel. The Left and Right channels are rated at 60-watts RMS (@8 ohms) while the center channel is rated at 90 watts RMS (@6 ohms). The Horizon can be flush mounted directly to the wall or with the use of the Leon Under Mount bracket, the speaker can be mounted to any articulating wall bracket. The Horizon 212 series starts at $1695 depending on the channel configuration. In addition to the L/C/R model, the Horizon 212 can be configured for L/R or center only. Filed Under: Equipment $$$
Posted Tue Aug 4, 2009, 4:40 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Bay Audio's HomeBase Sub makes sure that sound by the poolside is just as robust and detailed as your in-home sound system. The underground HomeBase sub is rated down to 24Hz, providing concert-level bass with an output up to 90db at 100 feet away. Filed Under: Equipment $$$
Posted Thu Jul 30, 2009, 7:07 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Well known as a leading manufacturer of high-end electronics, Anthem has jumped into the business of high definition projectors with two high-performance three-panel 1920 x 1080p LCOS projectors, the LTX300 and LTX500. According to Jack Shafton, Anthem's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, "The video playback capabilities of the LTX projectors mesh perfectly with the industry-leading A/V processing available on our Anthem Statement D2v and AVM 50v. Our dealers can now offer a high-performance, turnkey video and A/V control solution to their customers.” Filed Under: Equipment $$
Posted Fri Jul 24, 2009, 4:43 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
PSB, the highly respected Canadian speaker manufacturer, has redesigned their highly acclaimed Image Series. Based on trickle down technology and styling from their flagship Synchrony series and the follow up Imagine series, PSB's Image series has been completely remodeled and equipped with the company's most current features and enhancements for an entirely new auditory experience. Filed Under: Equipment $$$
Posted Mon Jun 29, 2009, 6:37 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Known for their audio purity, Naim launches the all-in-one NaimUniti, which offers high performance audio in a single chassis design that includes an integrated amplifier, CD Player, FM tuner, internet radio, iPod dock, digital-to-analog converter, music file player and network audio streaming. The NaimUniti offers extreme digital versatility, capable of handling a wide range of audio files such as MP3, Windows Media®, AAC, Apple® Lossless (from an iPod®), FLAC and WAV formats. 1 2 3 Older Posts >
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