Home Theatre Systems

4 expert reviews

As I've noted so many times in the recent past, soundbars are a viable step up from horrific built-in HDTV speakers, which have only gotten worse as flatpanel HDTVs have gotten flatter. Soundbars are especially suitable for people who don't like...

3 expert reviews

Vizio, how you've grown. When flatpanel HDTVs came along, you were among the first brands created especially to bring the new display technology to eager consumers. Now that butt-ugly direct-view and rear-pro sets are largely a bad memory, you're at...

3 expert reviews

Netgear's 3DHD Home Theater Wireless Networking kit features a 4x4 MIMO chipset from Quantenna

2 expert reviews

Once a year, I pack several Gucci suitcases with cash and FedEx them to the folks who develop licensed technologies for surround systems. Without these fine people, products would be festooned with fewer logos, toy critics like myself would have less...

2 expert reviews

It goes without saying that the soundbar and satellite/subwoofer categories have grown in stature along with the overwhelming popularity of flat-panel displays. As those displays have become rigorously slimmer, their skinny bezels have provided less...

2 expert reviews

Nothing can replace a multi-discrete-speaker, multi-thousand-dollar home theater system, and Atlantic doesn’t tout the FS-7.0/SB-800 system as being able to do so. On the other hand, it’s a great alternative to a traditional home theater setup or...

2 expert reviews

Why shouldn't respectability and innovation be on speaking terms? In loudspeakers, that's not as easy as it sounds. Much of the recent audio innovation in home theater has come in products that are designed to complement flat-panel TVs. These products...

3 expert reviews

To sum up, the VX100 model is designed for the home theatre and is built around flexibility that allows for a variety of home theatre setups. The customer or installer can fit an array of different combinations of optional input sets to suit the video...

2 expert reviews

Don’t get me wrong, the Coolermaster UCP is certainly a nice piece of kit. Not only does it look aesthetically pleasing, its performance contrasts well with extremely tight rails.

2 expert reviews

Some people would call it cheating. Others might be less pejorative and consider it a shortcut. Either way, setting a rectangular box on top of your TV, plugging in an analog stereo RCA cable, finding an outlet for a single AC power cord, and pressing...

2 expert reviews

There are two ways to look at compact home theater—a.k.a. in-a-box—systems. The dominant, mass-market HTIBs are a step down in cost and performance for those who are content to pay less and get less. If the system comes with fewer distracting bells and...

2 expert reviews

As consumer electronics technologies continue to morph into ever more complex forms, convergence is key. Elan Home Systems was founded in 1989 in Lexington, Kentucky, and convergence is their raison d'tre. In the past, they have brought together...

2 expert reviews

There are other Linux-based media applications that can produce a similar media experience, and repurpose standard-fare computer equipment as video recording and playback gear. Freevo and GeexBox are two likely examples, but they fail to match the...

2 expert reviews

One of the several local electronics stores within throwing distance from our studio is a chain called Fry's Electronics. It is a nerd's heaven, a kind of Best Buy, CompUSA, and a local computer repair shop all thrown in a Cuisinart. Every week, the...

2 expert reviews

The audio industry seems about to leap off a cliff. Permit me to suggest that this may be a rash decision. True, component audio sales have diminished, but that's no excuse for the industry to abandon its principles and give up on sound quality. What...

3 expert reviews

Discussions are fast and furious at the site. Looks like he's not the only one with an opinion on the matter.

2 expert reviews

CES 2005. Tired. Wet from the Las Vegas snowstorm. Hungover from the technology discussion the night before. Stuck in a hotel suite for a demo: yet another home theater audio system with no surround-channel speakers? Can't be any good. Wait, there's...

2 expert reviews

We are still not satisfied with the results of our Home Theater PC, and are temporarily giving up handcrafting our own hardware. But it looks as though a better solution is within reach. In the second part of our review, slated to appear in the next...

2 expert reviews

VL-System's M-Play 202, which comprises a 5.25" display panel and an infrared remote control, offers a lot more than competing multi-functional displays. The system is compatible with the Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005 (MCE) multimedia operating...

2 expert reviews

Following up on their return to the graphics card market, Diamond expands their product line to include "XtremeTV" tuner products. Can they ...

2 expert reviews

The solutions from SoundGraph let you control any PC or notebook with an IR remote, as long as you have a free USB port for the infrared receiver. All standard video, audio and image data can be listed and managed, and played with the included...

2 expert reviews

For your living room, you'll want to avoid computers that are too ugly, bulky and noisy. So the best choice is a small form factor PC. This is a case that's already fitted with the basic equipment (motherboard, power supply and cooling), and to which...

2 expert reviews

MediaCenter is an application that brings all TV, video, music, and photo functions together in a simple, clear graphical interface. The files on the computer are directly accessible with the remote control, or more traditionally with the mouse. This...

2 expert reviews

Pacific Digital tries to buck the media player trend, and get a picture to say more than 1,000 words for under $220.

2 expert reviews