video-magazine-1995-06

EE TLSCOOP: B&W’S FIRST P INCORPORATING SOUND &IMAGE CARVER rrw-s6xPO aAmplifier POWER! em . A+HmoSpmhloeiptpiiTneghresTaitpisiee)rs ... .. 12 Stereo Amps Compared REVIEWED eteleiuitclimiGletle)s Home Theater EXTRA! Powerhouse, Barco , Underwater Video and Hitachi TVs TV Guru Joe Kane HOME actus Virtual Reality eo | IMPROVEMENT . « instant $1,500 x JUNE 4995 USA $2.95 CANADA $3.50 ia

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Heres a switch - speakers that change with you. In the past, you bought a specific speaker to do a Move from center aisle at the cinema, to third seat specific job. When your needs changed, typically so did flute section, as fast as you can turn your wrist. Because your speaker. NHT introduces the future: The VT-1A. A rev- we've taken home theater to a new level. Where the olutionary new speaker that goes from optimum surround choice is no longer between movies and music, it's sound to tight, focused audio at the flip of a switch. between NHT and everybody else. ISE YOUR HEAD. Now Hear This, Inc., 535 Getty Court, Bldg. A, Benicia, CA 94510 ' For the NHT dealer nearest you: (U.S.) call 1-800-NHT-9993; (Canada) Artech Electronics Ltd., (514) 631-6448 CIRCLE NO. 11 ON READER SERVICE CARD

JUNE 1995 18 FUTURE INTENSE Research labs are perfecting the next wave of home-entertainment technologies 25 CITIZEN KANE An interview with video guru Joe Kane 28 POWER TRIP Separate power amplifiers for home-theater use m@ Power Struggle: 12 stereo amps compared 37 HITACHI MODEL 27UX5B 27-inch TV set 41 HARMAN KARDON AVI200 4/V integrated amplifier 46 B&W MODEL SOOASW 12-inch powered subwoofer 48 BARCO BARCOVISION 701 Front projector 53 DEPTH CHARGE How to take great underwater videos 56 NEW TECH Canon & JVC camcorders, Ambico editor 58 VIDEOTEST Sony CCD-TRV30 LcpD camcorder 81 VIRTUAL REALITIES “Affordable” virtual-reality headsets 82 NEW TECH Paramount Pictures multimedia speakers 84 SHORTWARE Dell Dimensions XPS-P75 multimedia PC 86 SOFTWIRE One Tribe, Gadget, A Brief History of Time 4 CHANNEL ONE From here to eternity 7 FEEDBACK D-VHS, laserdisc discrepancies 11 FAST FORWARD Sony/Philips dig in with their DVD 14 HOME IMPROVEMENT $1,500 home-theater upgrades 61 SHORTWARE Mitsubishi HS-U770 S-VHS VCR, Panasonic LX-H670 laserdisc player, MB Quart QL 402S speaker, GE VG4235 VHS VCR, Advent HT204 surround speaker 69 NEW TECH Pioneer AC-3-ready LD player 75 SOFTWIRE The Mask, Wolf, Tootsie, Repulsion, Hud 128 OFF THE AIR It ain’t over ’til it’s over ON THE COVER Carver's TFM-35x power amp and Acurus’ A150 power amp (see page 28), with Magnavox's TP3290 TV set 39 COVER PHOTO Tony Cordoza VIDEO (ISSN 1044-7288), Volume XVIX, Number 3, is published monthly except bimonthly July/August by Hachette Filipacchi USA, Inc., and managed by Hachette Filipacchi Magazines, Inc., 1633 Broad way, New York, NY 10019. Second-class postage paid at New York, NY 10001, and at additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. One-year subscription rate for U.S. and possessions, $17.94, Canadian $26.20 (includes 7% GST); GST registration number 130479439. Authorized as second-class postage by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada, and for payment in cash. One-year subscription rate for all other countries, $24.94. Cash orders only, payable in U.S. currency. Address orders, change of address, correspondence, and inquiries regarding subscriptions to: VIDEO, Box 56293, Boulder, CO 80322-6293, or call toll-free 800.365.1008. Change of address takes 60 days to process; send old address label, new address, and zip code. All material listed in this magazine is subject to manufacturer's change without no tice, and publisher assumes no responsibility for such change. Postmaster: Send address changes to VIDEO, Box 745, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-1473. Customer service numbers 1.800.601.8345 or 1.815.734.1283. VIDEO is a trademark of Hachette Filipacchi USA, Inc. Copyright 1995, Hachette Filipacchi USA, Inc. All rights reserved. PRINTED IN USA

cH AN N CEL oONo CE VIDEO MAGAZINE BILL WOLFE Editor-in-Chief From Here Executive Editor MARC HOROWITZ To Eternity Technical Editor LANCELOT BRAITHWAITE Senior Editors PETER BARRY @ TIME NEVER STANDS STILL. YOU ONLY HAVE TO ROB SABIN follow the news about digital videodiscs and 5.1-channel digital audio for a reminder. Not that Art Director LAURA SUTCLIFFE Associate Art Director Mi KHOO there’s anything much to dislike about 12-inch Assistant Art Director GARY FRENCH laserdiscs and Dolby Pro Logic surround sound, Managing Editor MIKE METTLER of course, but the next wave of video and audio Associate Managing Editor MICHAEL GELFAND technology is rising, and it’s only a matter of Associate Editor JOSEF KREBS months before it hits. The fact that video and audio continue to converge into Project Coordinator BARBARA AIKEN home theater makes these changes all the more exciting. H% These probably Database Manager JOSE L. GARCIA aren’t the only changes on your mind. As my predecessor indicated in this space last issue, Hachette Filipacchi Magazines, Inc.— publisher of Contributors Stewart Applegath, Michael Desmond, | Stereo Review, Car and Driver, and many other fine publications, M. Faust, Ron Goldberg, Ty Harrington, Tom Heald, and the fourth largest media company in the United States—has purchased Pete Hisey, Ken Korman, Daniel Kumin, Timothy Liebe, , VIDEO Magazine from its founder, Reese Communications. The issue that Kevin Miller, Mel Neuhaus, Tom Nousaine, you’re holding offers just a taste of the great things that await you. Ken C. Pohlmann, Cliff Roth, James K. Willcox ®@ One difference that you may notice immediately is that the audio half of the home-theater equation now enjoys the same substantial, in-depth TONY CATALANO treatment—in VIDEO Tests, features, and so on—as the video half. Lesser treatment for audio would leave you unprepared to make buying decisions Vice President and Group Publisher about audio components. And that just isn’t the VIDEO way. ™@ But the bonus audio coverage doesn’t come at the expense of our video coverage. In fact, CONSUMER ELECTRONICS GROUP we've created the “Video File” section for the sole purpose of unifying our prime ADVERTISING ; video reporting in one place. “Video File” is where you'll find articles, new-product information, and even VIDEO Tests on such hands-on, truly Publisher: Jay Rosenfield 212.767.6062 VP and Associate Publisher: participatory video gear as camcorders, mixers, editors, and the like. M@ | trust that regular readers have also noticed VIDEO’s bold new look. Every issue will Scott Constantine 212.767.6346 Regional VP/Ad Director, East Coast: benefit fromm Hachette Filipacchi’s extensive resources. There will be more \\ pages devoted to products, trends, and technology, more four-color Charles L.P. Watson 212.767.6038 Regional Account Manager, East Coast: photographs, and a contemporary design to bring it all together. But have no Christine B. Forhez 212.767.6025 fear: VIDEO will never sacrifice substance for style. We just know that it’s Account Executive: possible—no, imperative—to bring you both. ™ An added attraction is VIDEO’s Penry Price 212.767.6077 “Guide to Multimedia” We'll be gathering the latest news and reviewing the Midwest Advertising Manager: hottest components, systems, and software in the MPC, videogame, and online Jerry Stoeckigt 312.923.4804 categories. As computer power continues its inevitable march into the Regional VP/Ad Director, West Coast: home-theater arena, VIDEO will be there, as always, to guide you. ™ One very Bob Meth 213.954.4831 familiar face will continue to be VIDEO’s guiding light regarding technical West Coast Advertising Manager: matters: It's my great pleasure to announce that Lancelot Braithwaite, technical Paula Mayeri 213.954.4830 editor since 1978, has accepted our offer to remain at his post. Obviously, the West Coast Sales Assistant: Nikki Parker integrity of our video testing is in the very best of hands. Senior Editor Peter Assistant to the Publisher: Aline J. Pulley Barry and many key contributors are still members of the VIDEO team as well. @ Finally, I'd like to welcome aboard readers of Sound & Image, Hachette Operations Manager: Sylvia Correa Filipacchi’s bimonthly home-theater magazine, which has been incorporated Advertising Coordinator: Linda Neuweiler into VIDEO. For you, this change simply means that you'll be getting Sales Assistant: Yvonne Telesford more—more issues, more product reviews, more information, and more National Record-Label Sales Representatives: expertise. ll We're all in for an extraordinary ride. The digital revolution in home entertainment will grace every corner of our homes, shaking them at their The Mitchell Advertising Group (MAG Inc.) foundations and lighting a fire under our precious leisure time. DBS, DVD, and Mitch Herskowitz 212.490.1715 5.1 are just the beginning. So sit back and enjoy. Rest assured that VIDEO will always bring you the tests, news, analysis, and advice that'll help you Steve Gross 212.490.1895 Bil Oopunderstand what all the gyrations mean. Same as it ever was. @ Production Director: Patti Burns Production Manager: Gary M. Krystofiak General Manager: Greg Roperti Business Manager: Christine Z. Maillet Newsstand Sales Director: Margaret Hamilton HEEaM VIDEO Magazine (TM) : Hachette !S PUBLISHED BY ¢)Girujstions ilipacchi HACHETTE FILIPACCHI Member MAGAZINES, INC. Chairman: Daniel Filipacchi President, CEO, & COO: David J. Pecker Executive VP and Editorial Director: Jean-Louis Ginibre Senior VP, Global Advertising: Paul DuCharme Senior VP, Director of Corporate Sales: Nicholas Matarazzo Senior VP, CFO, & New Business Development: Paul De Benedictis VP, Marketing Director, Corporate Creative Service Director: Lynn Chaiken VP, General Counsel: Catherine Flickinger VP, Manufacturing & Distribution: Anthony Romano VP, Circulation: David W. Leckey VP, Research & Marketing Services: Susan Smollens VP, Communications & Special Projects: Keith Estabrook VP, Magazine Development: Marcia Sachar Creative Production Director, Global Marketing: Jean Pierre Labatut

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Even Orson Welles A new reason to be afraid of the dar Grins the drama of home theater to your fingertips. Crunching footsteps behind you. Laser beams shooting Preprogrammed DSP(Digital Signal Processing) modes over your head. Just a typical night at home with Adcom’s such as Concert Hall, Nightclub, Stadium and Five- home theater GTP-600 tuner/preamplifier. At Adcom’s Channel Stereo surround, let you create a variety of cus- level of critically acclaimed performance it doesn’t just tom-tailored, psychoacoustically correct listening environ- produce surround sound. It creates effects ments. that are out of this world. These features cou- The award-winning ple ideally with the GTP-600 and an Adcom GTP-600’s advanced, power amplifier give programmable remote you the control to create a sonic experience that surpasses which lets you com- mand up to eight addi- anything you’ve ever heard in a movie theater. tional system components for complete home theater control. Award-winning technology takes you to the outer limits. Surround yourself now at your Adcom dealer. Preview the new GTP-600 tuner/preamplifier at your Providing switching for up to four video sources and four audio sources, the GTP-600 gives you authorized Adcom dealer today. But be careful, you might the flexibility to customize your audio/video want to leave the lights on. system for years to come. Composite or S-video connections provide a high definition “Dolby” and “Pro Logic” are registered trade marks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation signal path for maximum video quality. And with @A©1D9C9O4M features like Adcom’s exclusive Cinema Surround circuitry and Dolby Pro Logic® decoding, the GTP-600 11 Elkins Road, East Brunswick, NJ 08816 U.S.A. (908) 390-1130. Distributed in Canada by PRO ACOUSTICS INC. Montréal, Québec (514) 344-1226 CIRCLE NO. 10 ON READER SERVICE CARD

FEEDBAC K .0—ds—s eer _ —_—_ MINDLESS IS MORE Michelle West’s mindless “A View- able Feast—15 Films in 26 Hours” [“Off the Air,” February 1995] shows the trouble with the video market. It’s the “We’ll-watch-any- thing” attitude West oozes that’s re- sponsible for the abysmally low standards that pervade the enter- tainment industry. We can load up on as much home theater equip- ment as we want, but there’s still nothing intelligent to watch. Robert Kiley Boca Raton, FL Have you tried public television, The Learning Channel, the Arts & Entertainment network (A&E), or ABC’s Sunday late-morning/early- afternoon programming? —Ed. DATA RETRIEVAL tional VCR was a standard VHS or into our TVs, so having just a sin- My local newspaper reported that an S-VHS model. gle set of this circuitry in a set-top JVC is working on a new D-VHS box makes perfect sense. We'll (Digital-VHS) format that'll be An interesting wrinkle is that provide more details on D-VHS, ready to ship next year and will decks built to JVC’s D-VHS stan- and on other digital-video develop- cost about $350 more than present dard won't incorporate a D/A con- ments, in upcoming issues. —Ed. VHS machines. Is my paper right? verter or a decoder for decompres- sion/expansion purposes. Instead, GATE CRASH Jim Anderson they'll simply output a digital bit- THX’s stamp of approval on the de- Milwaukee stream that'll require decoding and fective pressing of the widescreen D/A conversion within some other laserdisc release of Stargate JVC—with a technical assist from component—in their presentation, makes me question their ability to Hitachi, Matsushita, and Philips— JVC spokesmen mentioned that a be a guarantor of quality. After all, has indeed developed a new for- next-generation “set-top box” the entire pressing managed to mat they’re calling D-VHS, though would be a logical recipient of a D- leave the factory without anyone the “D” stands for “Data” or “Digi- VHS deck’s bitstream output. We'll catching the audio problem. tal-Data,” not just “Digital” alone. ultimately have a variety of digital- The format provides a standard for bitstream sources at our disposal John Grosskopf a digital-bitstream record/play de- in our home-entertainment systems Schertz, TX vice that uses conventional S-VHS (DBS, DVD, next-generation video- tape for storage. When equipped game machines, digital cable, and THX’s Paul Matwiy responds: “The with an appropriate interface, a D- so on), and there’s no need to left-channel phase inversion... VHS deck could record the digital have redundant decoding and D/A- was discovered during the distribu- bitstream output by any video, au- conversion circuitry in each compo- tion of the disc. With any quality- dio, or multimedia product; record- nent; everything will ultimately feed assurance program, particularly ings would mirror the quality of the one that’s as encompassing as the source. D-VHS decks will also play Mal THX Laser Disc Program, mistakes standard VHS tapes as well as _ Video, “Feedback” occur which may be unforeseen. conventional S-VHS tapes with 1633 Broadway, 45th f The important thing is to learn from VHS and S-VHS quality, respec- and act decisively on those mis- tively. JVC spokesmen said that D- New York, NY 100 takes. [We have embarked on] a VHS capability would add a $300 Email complete review of all quality-con- to $400 premium to the cost of a trol procedures. . . . In the future, conventional VCR, but they leoMag@ all THX laserdiscs will proceed couldn’t say whether that conven- through a revised testing process to further minimize the likelihood of VIDEO JUNE 1995 7

such an error happening again.” In addition, it isn’t the fault of the the only difference between them is selected filming process if film-crew that the top and bottom of the LD’s The Pioneer Laser Disc Corpora- members, studio equipment, and images are cropped and not letter- other things show up in full-screen boxed at all! It should be mandato- tion asks owners of defective Star- video versions. Because filmmak- ry that distributors list two aspect ers have been using a technique ratios on the packaging for their gate discs to return them to their called “shooting and protecting’—in widescreen releases—that of the which action is confined to the original theatrical release and that retailer, who will provide a replace- widescreen space within the frame of the LD. with the aid of ground-glass line ment. : —Ed. markings in the viewfinder—for William P. Bailey, Sr. over 40 years, that’s simply a result North Ft. Myers, FL SUPER, MAN of careless cinematography. In response to Conrad P. Felber’s CUSSIN’ ROULETTE letter about the letterboxed and Richard A. Strain | read “Warranty Roulette” [March full-screen versions of Terminator Tallahassee, FL 1995] with interest. Some addition- 2: Judgment Day [“Feedback,” Feb- al situations deserve mention, such ruary 1995], the film’s Super-35 for- GHOST MISCONDUCT as accidental damage from, say, a mat isn’t “seldom-used,” as Mr. Fel- Several weeks ago, | purchased surge of lightning or the problem of ber claims. Rather, the format the widescreen editions of Ghost having to pay for returning a unit— seems to be more popular than and An Officer and a Gentleman. especially a bulky one—when you ever. For example, it was used in They proved disappointing—espe- need warranty service. | tend to True Lies, Howards End, Back- cially Ghost. After comparing the disconnect my components when a draft, The Remains of the Day, Top “widescreen” disc to the pan-and- storm is in the area, but | can only Gun, The Abyss, and, of course, scan VHS version, it was clear that do that when I’m home, of course. | Terminator 2. \\t’s true, however, that anamorphic “squeeze” optics are more common.

guess the alternative is to buy inex- RESOLUTIONARY ing on recording capabilities at this pensive products and simply toss As a laserdisc fan, I’m interested in them when they get frazzled. Even the efforts of Sony/Philips and time. See “Future Intense,” page that beats worrying about repairs. Toshiba/Time Warner to develop a standard for a CD-sized digital 18, for a look at exciting alternative Allan Johnson videodisc. However, any proposed Oscala, FL format that can’t accommodate TV technologies. —Ed. widescreen aspect ratios or record | just finished “Warranty Roulette,” high-definition programming isn’t PROGRESS RETORT and | thought I’d share my own per- worth considering. I’m also inter- With two of my five VCRs getting a sonal tale of woe: The CRT in my 3- ested in alternatives to CRT tech- bit long in the tooth, | decided to go year-old TV went south, and the nology, such as LCDs and laser- shopping for a couple of replace- cost to repair it was estimated at scanned image projection—es- ments. | wasn’t asking for much— $400. I’d opted not to buy an ex- pecially if they address color con- just what | already have. Would tended warranty because of the TV vergence. Improve it and the ap- you believe that it’s impossible to maker’s good reputation. It was no parent resolution of images will be buy a VCR that can be pro- consolation to hear both the repair- so good that we won’t need to re- grammed without the aid of on- man and a representative from the sort to high-definition. screen menus? I’ve always been manufacturer cluck their tongues able to program my old VCRs with- and mumble that they'd never seen James Krillenberger out disturbing a family member one of these CRTs go bad so quick- Bellville, OH who's watching TV, but no more— ly. Now | wish | had bought the ex- now | have to interrupt my son, tended warranty—roulette, indeed. Both DVD camps say that their for- who’s busy with his Nintendo, or mat can accommodate various as- my wife, who's watching the news. Michael Harrington pect ratios, but neither are focus- This is progress? Chino, CA Norm Strong Seattle ou may be surprised to find the SV-15s. Hook Canon name on a line of high perfor- mance loudspeakers. But what you’ll find them up to truly surprising is revolutionary sound your stereo or that will actually change the way you listen to music or movies. make them YOU IS THE NAME. part of a full home theater system. AMILIAR TO They even come with their own integral mounting brackets so how you place them Cc.anon is just as much your choice as how you Our S-35 and S-30 speakers, for a ee”. play them. Canon example, project sound onto a specially At the designed acoustic mirror for truly unique center of itall wide dispersion sound. We call it Wide is our S-C10 Imaging Stereo” and with it you get a stereo —Baosxmaollsrtereohooffrersopnolty 1 Centre Chan- sweet spot up to siPxepetimes larger than you cwahnerbeeternuejoysteedr.eo sound bWriodaedeInmsagtihnegsteSrteeoreosweet ~nnel Speaker. ever had before. Whic: h means everyone spot up to six times larger. It’5s two way hears the same perfect stereo design makes itperfect for dialogue repro- image whether you’re one duction. Combine all this with our $-B20 person or a roomful Sub-Bass and you’ve got a complete home of people. theater system with sound imaging so Ifyou’re lifelike you could sell tickets. looking for For a brochure or the location of your wide dispersion nearest Canon dealer, call 1-800-828-4040. SV-15s with S-B20 Sub-Bass sound that gives Because ifall you know is our name, you you a wide range of options, we offer our haven't heard anything yet. CIRCLE NO. 8 ON READER SERVICE CARD All Canon speakers are designed and manufactured in the U.K.

The three most important letters in home theatre... AMERICAN CUSTOM THEATRE BETTER SOUND THAN A MOVIE THEATRE Others are struggling to make home theatre sound almost as good as your local theatre. We've surpassed it. Others fell you how home theatre must always be done. We've customized it. We know that one size doesn’t fif all. You define your needs, and we will help our dealer design a custom system based upon your personal requirements. The heart of the American Custom Theatre is the Acurus ACT I Surround Sound Processor. When combined with high quality amplification, such as the Acurus 200X3, and the proper speakers for your listening environment, it will surpass the sound system in you local movie theatre. Now the best seat in the house, is in your house. On-screen programming makes the ACT I as easy to use as your TV. Hand crafted in America, it has separate glass epoxy circuit boards for the three input audio section, three input video section and power supply. Utilizing 1% metal film resistors and the most advanced surround sound processing integrated circuit, the Acurus ACT I has a smooth and refined sound that surpasses processors costing several times the price. Brought to you by Mondial Designs Lid., acclaimed in Europe, Asia and America for engineering the best value in quality audio components. MONDIAL DESIGNS LIMITED 20 Livingstone Ave., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 - 914-693-8008 + Fax 914-693-7199 CIRCLE NO. 43 ON READER SERVICE CARD

FAS$ T FO RW AR D News & Notes in Home Theater & Multimedia As we reported [“Channel One,” C~ TCONRYDOZA May 1995], Sony and Philips are forging ahead in their efforts to win side running time. (Relatively few MM) CD, use a two-layer, single- support for their proposed digital contemporary movies run longer sided approach developed in con- videodisc (DVD) format, which is in- than 135 minutes, of course.) junction with 3M. A movie's running compatible with the widely support- time would have to exceed 4.5 ed rival format developed by Toshi- Sony and Philips, who say that hours before a significant lag in ba and Time Warner [“Special Re- DVDs are just one application of playback would be introduced. port,” April 1995]. their high-density multimedia (HD- Though the rival formats both of- er 270 minutes of total running time, Toshiba and Time Warner’s DVD is capable of holding more data than Sony and Philips’ DVD 10 gigabytes to 7.4 GB); the extra capacity is said to result in subtly superior images. A two-sided disc is required, however, so playback will be interrupted with programs that exceed the 135-minute-per- JVC is set to introduce the Dy- ture clarity, record single- namic Drum—a low-cost “core frame images (which should technology” for VHS VCRs. It please video and computer an- facilitates all sorts of special imators), and record back- video effects: DD-equipped wards, making continuous VCRs are said to play at rapid- recording—without the need to rewind—possible. search and slow-motion speeds with theoretically perfect pic- It works like this: Ordinary helical (diagonal) vid- The Dynam- eo recording and ic Drum, on the oth- er hand, uses a computer- playback are handled controlled motor to keep the dg by heads that spin (on heads at the appropriate angle. a drum) at an angle rela- JVC says that the Dynamic |» 7 tive to the tape. While Drum will also allow longer all of this is going on, of running times and high-density course, the tape is moving. recording. Previously unavail- able frills like high-speed dub- Change tape speed during bing and the ability to record a movie in less than real-time playback with a VCR that has a may also become a reality. conventional head drum, —Cliff Roth and the relative angle of the heads to the recorded signal changes, resulting in noise bars.

You've surely read the headlines about computer software in the world’s most In the scramble to develop the next the recent trade accord with China, populous nation is reported to be 94 which was designed to put the kibosh percent of all product sold or used; generation of set-top TV descram- on software pirating and open the Chi- laserdisc, videotape, CD, and audio- blers, Scientific-Atlanta is promot- nese market to American movie, mu- cassette piracy is at 100 percent in ing PowerTV, an operating system sic, and computer-software compa- many parts of the country. Some 500 for interactive television that runs nies. But most accounts failed to TV stations routinely broadcast pirated on most microprocessors. It will be describe just how serious the situation American programming, and privately available to other box makers for a really is behind the Great Wall. run video movie theaters show current modest licensing fee. S—A follows U.S. blockbusters without paying roy- Microsoft and a Thomson/Sun Mi- According to the offices of the U.S. alties. The annual cost to U.S. film and Trade Representative as well as the TV producers alone is estimated at crosystems alliance, among others, Motion Picture Association of America $50 million. into the set-top-box fray. (MPAA), China has flagrantly refused to enforce the anti-piracy laws on It's hoped that the accord will It’s too early to tell who has the its books since the last U.S.- change things for the better. Along edge, but S—A comes to the party China negotiations in 1992. In that with making a much larger commit- with established ties to cable oper- time, Chinese criminal courts have ment to enforcement, the Chinese ators. The company also knows the never convicted a major copyright in- government will allow groups like the fringer, and no substantial civil judg- MPAA and the Recording Industry As- ment has been issued against a Chi- sociation of America (RIAA) to open nese defendant in a copyright case. offices in China; these groups will ad- minister licenses and police copyright- The predictable result: Piracy of ed programs. Better yet, U.S. film studios and record cost constraints attached to set- companies will be allowed to form joint ventures with top boxes, which is one reason why Chinese disc and tape fac- tories, in effect legalizing PowerTV has a modular, expandable these operations while giv- ing American firms legiti- design with minimal memory re- mate access to the Chinese market. quirements. S—A has also hooked up So far, the Chinese have with several key providers of multi- acted in good faith. They’ve even shuttered a handful of media development tools; the com- a. renegade laserdisc and CD pany hopes to encourage indepen- * plants. As for the long haul, dent software firms to develop however, the jury remains out—in more ways than exciting interactive-TV applica- one. —RS tions. And at least two of the Baby Bells—Ameritech and Southern New England Telephone—have already committed to using PowerTV boxes and software in their interactive-TV field tests. RS

MCOLAN CNH WIDGET FONDA TRUTH WEEDSA COJTULD SOLDIER STREEP BAKyCON Theives 713322006) ©TCHC1hoo9elum9usp5meabniya 1336304 [aie wun N = EA. GPRLUESAT 2 SMAOVRIENGSA!T See details below. £{fs5en] ~ Baby's Day Out 1310705 Monkey Trouble 1298603 Ace Ventura: A Few Good Men 1106301 E.T.: The Ghost v4 Fried Green Tomatoes 0826008 ,> Blown Away 1291301 The Paper 1285501 Pet Detective 1242908 The Last Of | Love Trouble 1318708 The Fugitive The Mohicans (1992) 1005404 _Extra-Terrestrial 0681106 Gettysburg 1213305 3 1197706 —Star Wars 0056408 Cliffhanger 1149301 Grease 0207407 + Lassie (1994) 1318609 The Pelican Brief Beethoven 1251305 The Empire Strikes Back 0091009 1071406 o 3 Ninjas Kick Back Return Of The Jedi 0354704 1009901 CLUB FAVORITES 5 WTihtrheeHsoonmoers What's Love Got 1286608 & The Pi ae Pee aOU anUTTLE GIANTS 1330208 | TDoanDcoesWiWtihthIt?Wolves 01820158200007 11229812580095 |MBEAVVEERRLIYCKHILLS COP 3 11320907220019 WHLEONVEASAMWANOMAN — 1310507 — BARCELONA 1340603 NATURAL BORN Th Suglear PiHainlol 1237809 WTYOAMTBTSTOEANREP 1291400 |= BLANKMAN 1335306 KILLERS WIned'er7ceenBtacPkroposal |5 COLOR OF NIGHT © 1343805 PRINCESS CARABOO 1327709 | coemmTaenndments (1956) 0202606 Beverly Hillbillies 1364506 THE COWBOY WAY 1292705 1254200 |<<x 1340306 | TT—P=ohree=tDtaWy,nh—ciWetoemWaiD—nt;ohg —.10295044110012 TGhaerdeSnecr(e1t993) 1142009 TJHUERASFSLIICNTSPTAORNKES ==14226947030018 GRUMPY OLDMEN 1251503 ||s-oE] CORRINA, CORRINA 1334101 sRuEeD sRcOoCuKt WEST 11334365050064 1206903 SISTER ACT 2 1268101 7Mig ate 1343706 | Malcolm X THE LAND BEFORE 4221605 |= Scent Of A Woman 1208305 1314103 MRS. DOUBTFIRE | Doctor Zhivago | Time w PHILADELPHIA (THEATRICAL 1188804 1297407 4251404 & iGt7206 SeaWONLEFs In THE 1314905 | ASeHtotimneg EOvfenOuWriOthwnDad_13131002650064 Dennis The Menace SPEED SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE 1154905 |z. VERSION) Casablanca 50th Anniversary Edition THE NEXT KARATE KID 1335405 OUTFIELD (1951) 4262104 | he Hudsucker Proxy 1287101 Backdraft 1107903 The Godfather 0000802 Steel Magnolias 0597807 S North | Was A Male War Bride 1200005 Top Gun 1121300 The Godfather: Parti! 0001800 Under Siege 1077908 Home Alone Renaissance Man 1319607 Free Willy 1147503 Intersection 1268804 Home Alone 2: 0002600 The Godfather: Part Il! 0842302 Fiddler On The Roof 0055103 The Shadow 1328707 Lost In New York Trial By Jury 1297001 Beethoven’s 2nd 1241504 Jimmy Hollywood 1297902 Hard Target 1145705 —Willy Wonka And The Bible... Widow's Peak 1328004 The Wizard Of Oz 0001404 Little Big League 1292903 The Hunt For 1310309 The Bodyguard Red October The Chocolate Factory 0606103 In The Beginning 0074708 Above The Rim 1298405 1105907 Midnight Cowboy Deluxe All Dogs Go To Heaven Bad Girls 1285808 0865204 Bram Stoker's Dracula 1102904 Pure Country 1094507 Being Human 1285204 25th Ann. Edition 1276401 The Color Purple 0559005 : Bitter Moon 1286400 The Firm Raiders Of The Lost Ark 0910802 1270503 My Fair Lady-30th Blue Chips 1199504 Anniversary Edition 1298702 Thumbelina 0426908 The Good, The Bad 0058206 Carmen Jones 1285105 In The Line Of Fire 0104208 And The Ugly China Moon 1302108 Clean Slate 1310804 The Naked Gun 33 % - Four Weddings Driving Miss Daisy 0982207 Cops And Robbersons 1292200 And A Funeral The Favor The Final Insult 1286707 On Deadly Ground 1104900 Lethal Weapon 3 1051507 a Black Beauty (1994) 1287903 1179605 The Greatest Story ES City Slickers II: The NFL’s 100 Greatest Legend Of Curly’s Gold 91296805 Crooklyn 1293505 Follies 1319904 Ever Told 0085506 1299700 Guarding Tess The Nightmare Before 0825000 Lawrence Of Arabia & 0289702 Christmas 1261809 30th Anniversary Edition 1068501 x Posse (1994) 1302306 0630103 Serial Mom 1275809 AE CIENT Show Boat (1951) 0255604 1154400 THE LITTLE RASCALS What's Eating 3 1300409 8 Seconds 1278704 1265909 Gilbert Grape? 1264605 7 Fern Gully: 1190107 Ren & Stimpy: ‘s (THE MOVIE) The Last Rainforest 1006808 1302900 The Classics 1299007 © The Silence Son-In-Law 1192301 1333509 Of The Lambs Demolition Man 1199306 & 0805309 Dirty Dancing 0495507 Sister Act 1071208 1251909 Basic Instinct 1033208 Scarface (1983) 0216804 <i : :: and our toll-free number.useCalylo2u4r credit a card (For New Video Club Members Only.) WDeZpSt. hours day. seleorcnonte ait aoll,njus,t mail ofthe the response card always provided PE ee Se Se ee ee eee eee 6 movies you want for 1¢ each, by the date specified. And you'll Columbia House Video Club Dept. WZS plus shipping and handling. In always have 14 days to decide; if Advance Selections exchange, you agree to buy just not, you may return the selection PO. Box 1112, Terre Haute, IN 47811-1112 six more movies in the next three years, at our regular Club prices at our expense. Yes, please enroll me under the terms outlined in this (which currently start as low as $19.95, plus shipping and han- advertisement. As a member, I need buy just six more dling)—and you may cancel membership at any time after As soon as you become a ——movies at regular Club prices within the next three years. |You may order one or two more movies now for doing so. 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IMPROVEMENT Turn a TV and VCR into a bona-fide OST HORIZONShome theater for under $1,500 IKE SO MANY COUPLES ON A ed one another. To make matters better with dialogue than standard budget, Ed and Rina Ascott stickier, the couple had a fairly mod- are building their home theater est budget—$1,200 to $1,500—with Pro Logic, and the Ascotts will enjoy piece by piece. It all started which to work. So they turned to the JAZZ CLUB and CONCERT modes if with a Hi-Fi VCR, which the VIDEO for advice. they decide to use the system for couple plugged into an old playing music. Boston Acoustics’ We referred the Ascotts to three new CR Series speakers deliver su- stereo receiver that drove a pair of audio/video dealers who specialize small bookshelf speakers. Then they in designing high-performance perb detail and never sound harsh; home-theater systems. They were their imaging abilities are also ex- used last year’s tax refund to trade confident that the couple’s plans up their 19-inch dinosaur of a TV set could be fully realized, and they im- 1) Yamaha RX-V490 for a new 32-inch model. Now they mediately got down to recommend- have the bug again. Their goal this ing components that would be ca- A/V receiver pable of delivering rich soundtrack time out: To get as much impact detail, crisp dialogue, convincing (2) Boston Acoustics CR-7 from soundtracks as they do from surround effects, and solid bass. main speakers Their system picks follow; prices their new TV set’s visuals. quoted are real-world sale prices (1) Boston Acoustics SAT-6 A little research indicated that the before tax and, where necessary, in- center speaker stallation. answer was Dolby Pro Logic sur- Boston Acoustics CR-6 round sound. Then the Ascotts dis- Jeff Fandel surround speakers Soundings, Denver covered that pairing an A/V receiver YAMAHA'S RX-V490 RECEIVER IS THE LMSGATORNCKYDKESTMAN/THE with five or six speakers would en- heart of System I’s package. Its CIN- EMA DSP mode performs noticeably velop them with sound. But they quickly grew confused upon visiting a couple of competing electronics superstores—there were so many models to choose from, and the salespeople consistently contradict- 14 JUNE 1995 VIDEO

them right up against the wall or use any small object as a wedge. The effect is awesome, with tons of ambience! And they won’t have speakers hanging on the wall back there, which many people find ob- jectionable. Bill Behrens Behrens Audio-Video Jacksonville, FL BUDGET SYSTEMS NEED TO START WITH a solid foundation, so | recommend that, for System III, the Ascotts go with a smart Onkyo receiver and five great MB Quart speakers now and then add Quart’s powered sub- woofer later. The TX-SV414Pro has discrete output stages, so it deliv- ers a lot of punch for a very afford- Klipsch’s KG.5 home-theater speaker package anchors David Wexler’s system tem If: $1,34 cellent. The VR-500 subwoofer that aren't worth keeping down the (1) Onkyo TX-SV414Pro $399 kicks out a nice amount of tight, line. Many Dolby Pro Logic re- A/V receiver $399 clean bass—especially given its ceivers at this level use a relatively small size. The SAT-6 center speak- unsophisticated decoding chip that (2) MB Quart Model One 249 er provides a sonic match with the doesn't provide enough in the way main speakers 299 CR-7 mains, and I’ve recommend- of quality surround effects. Sher- ed CR-6s for surrounds—they’'re wood’s RV-6030R uses a better (1) MB Quart QL CTR terrific speakers in their own right, chip than most similarly priced re- center speaker and they'll be a sonic match with ceivers, and it just flat out sounds the front three speakers should the great. The Klipsch speakers have (2) MB Quart Point Five Ascotts decide to upgrade to Dolby exceptional tonal quality even at surround speakers AC-3 or DTS digital surround, both low volume levels, and they have of which use discrete, full-range excellent dispersion, which results Recommended upgrade $500 rear channels. in a wide, accommodating sweet- spot. Though my “recommended Add one MB Quart Sub Ten David Wexler upgrade” for System II would take The Little Guys, Glenwood, IL the Ascotts about $100 over their powered subwoofer YOU NEED TO START WITH THE RIGHT budget, I’d strongly urge them to components when your budget is consider it: The 2.5s will deliver able price. The MB Quarts are no- tight, or you'll end up with things richer, more robust sound as mains than the smaller .5s can. | also rec- nonsense: They plant excellent- ommend that they place the rear .5s on the floor, facing the back quality drivers in a no-frills cabinet, wall, and angled up about 30 de- grees, if possible; they can lean and they produce very punchy, dy- Sherwood’s RV-6030R namic sound. Plus, the center speaker's angled cabinet allows placement above or below the TV. (1) Sherwood RV-6030R $349 In a couple of months, the Ascotts A/V receiver can add Quart’s Sub Ten—it’ll really fill out the sound. = (1) Klipsch KG.5 home theater $999 speaker package (4) KG.5 main/surround speakers (1) KV-1 center speaker (1) SW-8 powered subwoofer Recommended upgrade $250 Replace two KG.5s with two KG2.5s VIDEO JUNE 1995 15

Cinema DSP blurs the line between wat ») Phantom Speakers Only Yamaha Yamaha Cinema DSP gives dialogue more definition. Music, more dimension. And sound effects, far greater realism, more graphic detail Cinema DSP creates phantom and superior placement. This breakthrough in realism is no small feat. speakers that It’s accomplished by multiplying the effects of Digital Sound Field fully replicate Processing and Dolby Pro Logic* the experience Digital Sound Field Processing isYamaha's unique technology that you get in multi- electronically recreates some of the finest performance spaces in the world. speaker movie While Dolby Pro Logic places sound around the room, matching the theaters. It sounds so real, dialogue and sound effects with the action on the screen. you'll swear you Together, these two technologies allow Yamaha to offer a complete line hear sounds from places you don’t even have speakers. ©1994 Yamaha Electronics Corporation, USA. Cinema DSP is a trademark of Yamaha Electronics Corporation, Dolby Pro Logic is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation.

hing a movie and actually being in one. of home theater components that outperform other comparatively priced products on the market. After reading this ad, if you get the feeling that watching a movie with Cinema DSP makes a world of difference, you're absolutely right. But don’t just take our word for it. Hear it for yourself. Stop by your local Yamaha dealer for a demonstration today. It’s one demo that’s bound to change the way you look at YAM AH A movies forever. Or at least for a very, very long time. For the dealer nearest you, Yamaha Electronics Corporation, USA. PO. Box 6660, Buena Park, CA 90622.

IFNUIT=UNRE Pau eT dire rd ture. It’s your daugh- ter’s seventh birthday, so you pullient JOH cam- ome corder, plug in a eredit-card- == H a 4 SE_— o Be A: i == iaLpae tera ansport to suck a - -= -r a— poweira,r your - fa7s recharg~ e 2%J- S'-— —— keeps your cam going and’ go- = «- . ing and going.... - After shooting an hour’s << ee \"i = — as ra FE home computer, Instantaneous access to any scene makes editing and adding special ef- a snap. A half-hour, chrdiffeh your household — wiring to a super-high-resolu- at-panel display?itprac- tically fills the wall of the f~ amily y room, whegrpe thpne mo-

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tion-picture academy—your daughter programming, like sequels. offers five times the density of any disc and her giddy friends—are gathered for We’re still in the early rounds of a critical viewing. that’s read by infrared lasers [see DVD development, and the status quo “Breaking the Density Barrier,” De- SCIENCE FICTION, YOU SAY? HARDLY. changes almost daily. The Toshiba/ Time Warner format quickly vaulted cember 1994]. Development labs around the world are ahead of the Sony/Philips format last The Big Blue laser is soon expected pushing the technology envelope so winter when some of the world’s lead- fast that it’s impossible for product de- ing consumer-electronics and entertain- to find its way into IBM’s Model 3995 velopers to keep up. Considering only ment companies—including Matsushita Optical Library, which holds 12 dozen those technologies that already exist in (parent company of Panasonic, Tech- 5.25-inch optical disc cartridges. This one nascent form or another, it’s clear upgrade will boost the system’s capaci- that the next 15 to 20 years will witness nics, and Quasar), Thomson (RCA, GE, ty to a massive 5 trillion bytes, allow- huge advances in home video and elec- and ProScan), Hitachi, Pioneer, JVC, ing the Video Jukebox, as the 3995 is tronic home entertainment. A metamor- Mitsubishi, and MGM/UA—sided with known, to hold over 1,300 hours of phosis is taking place in everything the two-sided approach. The Sony/ compressed broadcast-quality movies from VCRs and videodisc players to Philips camp quickly countered with or more than 300 hours of HDTV-qual- camcorders, from the nature and source forays into the computer and multime- ity programming. If you’re having trou- of television signals to the living-room dia realm, since the one-sided approach ble imagining what that means, consid- set on which you receive them. What makes for a logical CD-ROM upgrade. er that a mere dozen of these machines lies ahead? could store every one of the nearly The only thing that’s clear at this time 8,000 laserdisc titles currently avail- DIGITAL VIDEODISCS is that the outcome of this budding for- mat war remains unclear. At this point, able; consumers subscribing to an asso- The videodisc format is receiving an both sides have pledged to have real ciated video-on-demand service could exhaustive facelift. Two coalitions— DVD products available within a year. access any one of them within 10 sec- Sony and Philips in one camp, Toshiba And both have promised to up the ante onds, given an adequate conduit. and Time Warner in the other—are with even bigger disc capacities next working on rival (read: incompatible) IBM’s Big Blue laser is about the size CD-size digital videodisc (DVD) for- year, when their blue lasers become of a VHS videotape—suitable for the mats that are superior to today’s 12- available for production. [For more on refrigerator-sized Jukebox, but far too inch laserdisc in both image quality and DVD, see “Special Report,” April large for use in home gear. It won’t be playing time. The Sony/Philips format 1995, and “Fast Forward,” page 11.] long, though, before the Big Blue laser uses one side of a disc but, thanks to a spawns a Baby Blue sibling that’s just technology developed by 3M, plants BLUE LASERS right for camcorders and VCRs. Sony digital data in two layers on that side. The Toshiba/Time Warner format uses The blue laser holds the key to higher and Toshiba, among others, are also at a two-sided disc that actually is two densities from several new optical-stor- work on small blue lasers and expect to thinner discs bonded together, a /a the age technologies as well as to some include them in components by the end 12-inch laserdisc. Both formats offer new display devices. Compared with 270 minutes of playing time—much traditional infrared lasers, the blue of 1996. more than enough for most movies, laser’s ultra-fine beam allows the data If you’re not impressed by a mere with loads of room left for supplemen- pits on a storage disc to be placed four tal materials, trailers, and associated times closer together, so more informa- fivefold increase in storage density, tion can be crammed onto it. IBM has what does 50 times do for you? That already demonstrated a rewritable opti- capacity is possible today with new cal disc based on the blue laser, and it multilevel discs being developed by IBM’s Almaden Research Center. Somewhat similar to the dual-layer ap- proach 3M developed for Sony and Philips’ DVD, IBM is stacking several translucent recording surfaces on one single-sided disc. IBM’s engineers can write data on (and read it from) as many as 10 layers simply by moving the lens that focuses the laser beam [see “Gleaming the Disc,’ December 1994]. Combine a Baby Blue laser and one of these multilevel discs and you’d have a rewritable DVD that holds 50 times the data of today’s music CD. That’s enough room for 33 hours of laserdisc- quality video. HOLOSTORS Beyond optical discs lies the three-di- mensional world of holographic data storage, or “holostor.” Engineers at Bell A tiny, 0.25-inch-long crystal is the heart of IBM’s blue laser. 20 JUNE 1995 VIDEO

Labs, IBM’s Almaden Research Center, by a holostor. and the disc’s direct-access capabilities and Stanford University, among others, would eliminate time-consuming are busy working on it. should beat DVD-based record/play searches. The next logical step would decks to A/V shops. JVC recently an- be to replace this hard drive with a As anybody who has ever looked at nounced plans to market digital Data- higher-capacity recordable DVD. one knows, a hologram provides differ- VHS (D-VHS) decks by the end of Though a DVD’s optical nature will ent images when viewed from different 1996. In standard mode, a D-VHS VCR place a somewhat higher demand on angles. To create a holostor, IBM is us- can record about 5 hours of compressed the camera’s batteries, next-generation ing traditional holographic techniques bitstream data, such as a digital feed power cells should be able to handle to record “pages” of digital information from future DSS receivers, DVD play- the job. at different angles on a piece of poly- ers, or set-top boxes. The deck records mer film that’s about the size and thick- on standard Super-VHS tape and plays Still, the best solution to the problem ness of a dime. Technology based on back existing VHS and S-VHS cas- of limited battery capacity is to use a liquid-crystal displays—originally de- settes [see “Data Retrieval,” “Feed- nonvolatile memory module. These veloped for digital watches and com- back,” page 7]. modules function like the main memo- puters—is used as a template to form ry in your computer—only they don’t the pages of digital information. A Sony recently announced that they forget what’s in them when you power charge-coupled device—similar té the were working on a digital VCR that down. Eventually, we’ll see “flash”- CCDs used to capture images in cam- records for up to 4.5 hours and accom- memory cartridges, much like game corders—reads the digital data project- modates either of two cassettes—one is cartridges, that’ll be capable of holding ed by the holostor. Each new page can about the size of an 8mm cassette, and gigabytes of A/V information. be accessed just by changing the angle the other (designated for “future use’’) of view, and each dime-size volume is even smaller. And Goldstar has Hitachi has already demonstrated a can hold more than 100 pages—essen- shown a digital VCR that uses a stan- tiny, 10-ounce camcorder that records tially in the same spot. dard VHS cassette; it offers 4 hours of 30 minutes of video onto a 400- digital recording. megabyte flash-memory chip that’s Now imagine 36 of these little holo- about the size of a sugar cube. Right graphic volumes on a thin, 5-inch- Though we’re likely to see digital now, Hitachi’s prototype only records square sheet of plastic and you have an VCRs in 1996, don’t expect any tape- images with sub-VHS quality, but with idea of holostor’s potential. A holostor based medium to be around for the long better compression techniques and of this size could hold about 22 hours term. Even professionals are getting higher-capacity chips, it could record of HDTV-quality audio/video program- away from it. Avid, a leader in digital up to 4 hours of laserdisc-quality video ming. But that’s just the first phase. editing systems, and Ikegami, whose or, at the flip of a switch, an hour of Eventually, IBM expects to shrink the cameras are used by news crews across HDTYV-quality video. A flash-memory- dime-size volume down to the size of a the country, are jointly developing a based camcorder would require very pin head, providing 100 times more ca- camera that uses a plug-in hard-disc little power, and there would be no tape pacity. You could slip one of these ba- drive instead of tape. While this ap- transports or recording heads to break bies into your holographic VCR and proach would prove too costly for con- or wear down over time. record 6 hours a day for a year before sumer products, it’s perfect for profes- you filled it up. sional applications. Editing becomes a Best of all, flash memory will be ex- simple procedure: All that network tremely simple to use. You’d be able to RECORDING technicians would have to do is pop the pop the memory module out of the hard drive out of the camera and plug it camcorder when you're finished shoot- Before we get the chance to invite into the editing system. No analog-to- ing and simply plug it into your com- holographic VCRs into our living digital conversion would be required, puter for editing. Images—enhanced, if rooms, however, we’re likely to be you wish, by the latest digital effects— tempted by a record/play deck that uses could be recorded onto a DVD for rewritable optical discs. This technolo- playback. Flash memory could also re- gy is already found in today’s home place DVDs, of course. computers: A recordable optical-disc cartridge costing about $15 can store Products based on flash-memory more than 1.5 hours of MPEG-1-com- technology are technically feasible to- pressed video. Few people are fond of day, but the high cost of the chips is MPEG-1 quality, of course, but a re- keeping them in the labs. The wait writable DVD based on the proposed shouldn’t be long, though: Chip capaci- new MPEG-2 standard could be easily ty is doubling and chip costs are halv- accomplished, with a recording capaci- ing every year or so. Look for flash- ty of about 4.5 hours. And while a memory video products to hit store recording DVD deck is likely to be de- shelves not long after the end of the layed by the usual arguments over decade. movie copyrights and home taping, a record/play version for computers DISPLAYS could quickly follow the launch of the first DVD players. Equally feasible—but perhaps further off—is the promise of large flat-panel Actually, digital VCRs that can re- TVs. The concept has been around for cord several hours of enhanced video over 50 years, but no one has been able to perfect a product that has a chance to VIDEO JUNE 1995 21

eeee ee make it in the crucible of the living ating razor-sharp projected images at don’t need special glasses or a helmet room. Today’s best liquid-crystal tech- high levels of intensity. Once an inex- to view its true-to-life images; it’s reali- nology—the kind found in portable pensive blue laser becomes available, it ty without substance—you can reach PCs—produces incredibly sharp colors, could solve the brightness problems out to touch the image, but when you but only when viewed head on; move that have long plagued projection TVs. do, there’s nothing there. As with any to one side, and the image fades. An al- For example, a German firm demon- hologram, it’s really just patterns of ternative to LCDs is the gas-plasma TV strated an early prototype of a blue- light playing tricks on your visual cor- that’s being sold today by Fujitsu Gen- laser TV at a recent industry conven- eral. Its 21-inch screen is only 2.5 inch- tion. It was capable of projecting a tex [see “Video’s Fourth Dimension,” es thick, but it lacks the contrast and bright, sharp image onto a wall-size brightness of conventional TV sets. screen while using less power than a November 1994]. conventional TV. MIT researchers don’t expect to see a Matsushita has gone a different way, developing a new flat-panel display Texas Instruments is developing a saleable holovision system for 10 to 15 based on a modified CRT design. In- new chip that employs 440,000 tiny years. Today, the biggest obstacle is stead of directing a beam from a single hinged aluminum mirrors that can be that too much resolution and bandwidth cathode at each pixel on the screen, as electronically switched back and forth are required to record holographic im- is done with a standard CRT, the new between two positions. TI claims the ages in real time; the technology enve- display uses an array of tiny electron- technology will allow the projection of lope just hasn’t expanded far enough emitters that’s situated under groups of magazine-quality color images onto for today’s CCDs and the like to capture screens the size of a living-room wall at all of the imaging data. MIT re- Reference and data beams converge on virtually any brightness desired. The searchers get around this by using a su- a polymer to form an IBM holostor. advent of an affordable blue-laser percomputer to generate their holo- source would likely make the chip graphic images. And while it’s true that pixels. Matsushita is selling this active- commercially viable. the TV or holovision set of the future matrix design in a 13-inch screen that’s will likely have a powerful computer only 4 inches thick, though it’s still too Another possible application for the inside it to handle compressed video costly for consumer applications. The blue laser can be found in the 3-D TV data and communicate with all of the company notes that it also has a 16- developed by Navy researchers. The other systems in your home, the cost of inch prototype that’s even thinner, and system requires no fancy glasses with that much computing power is keeping it’s working on 21- as well as 25-inch polarized, colored, or switched liquid- such systems in the lab. versions. crystal lenses. Instead, it works by pro- jecting a laser-generated image onto a Finally, there’s high-definition TV The blue laser mentioned earlier is al- spinning helix. Picture a piece of reflec- (HDTV). Where does it fit into all of sO opening up new possibilities for cre- tive screen material stretched into the this? The answer is that no one really shape of a helix—sort of like a spiral knows for sure. An analog HDTV sys- staircase with a ramp instead of steps. tem based on TV broadcasts and 12- The helix spins too rapidly for the eye inch laserdiscs is currently available in to detect, effectively making it disap- _ Japan, and it’s likely that similar ma- pear. If you focus a single laser beam chines will become available here, on the helix from above, it would pro- along with HDTV sets and possibly duce a dot that would move up and down as the helix spins. By using a VCRs, when the FCC finally sets its computer to time the laser to illuminate digital HDTV standard. After numer- each spot when it’s at the proper height ous delays, that’s now scheduled to and depth, a 3-D image is created. happen by the end of this year. But the high cost of HDTV sets (estimated at The effect can be spectacular. The $5,000 or more) and the estimated $8 to Navy is already using this 3-D “volu- $10 million it will take for each U.S. metric-imaging” technique to track air- broadcaster to convert their station to craft from San Diego to Los Angeles the format suggest that the transition will be slow. on a helix screen, which resides within a transparent cylinder that’s 3 feet in di- THE PLUS SIDE IS THAT EVEN IF HDTV ameter and 18 inches tall. For now, the images are formed with red, green, and starts out as nothing more than a tool of yellow lasers, but when the yellow professionals and a plaything for the laser is replaced with a blue laser the Navy’s system will be able to recreate rich, its mere existence could help drive real-time 3-D images of any subject in any color. some of the other high-resolution tech- The next step beyond 3-D TV is holo- nologies we’ve discussed into stores. vision, or, as the researchers at MIT prefer to call it, holovideo. MIT re- At least one of these technologies searchers are building a real-time, 3-D holographic display that projects should hit as soon as next year, of images into dimensional space. You course. All of which proves that we’re living in a time that will witness great advances in the way we entertain our- selves at home. If you think things are terrific now, just wait until you see what the next wave brings. Here’s to the future. 5 22 JUNE 1995 VIDEO

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CiatniezenTV guru Joe Kane wants to improve your image JOE KANE IS THE VIDEOPHILE’S someone who’s qualified to set it videophile—at least when it up and make it perform. Other- wise, it’s a waste of money. comes to picture quality. He’s the publisher of A Video Standard, VIDEO: Many people believe that standard “‘direct-view” sets the ground-breaking laser- produce better pictures. disc that allows anyone to do a professional job of adjusting KANE: That perception is there because there are so few people their TV set. As president of the who know how to set up projec- Imaging Science Foundation, he tors. And because, until just re- cently, projectors really have trains technicians to accurately been very poor in their image calibrate TV sets and projection quality. systems in home theaters across VIDEO: How do front-projectors the country. Kane got his start compare with rear-projection working as an engineer for Ko- sets? dak in film-to-tape transfers, and KANE: The quality of the image he has served as chair of the is highly screen-dependent, and that’s another thing that very few Display Committee for the Soci- people realize. ety of Motion Picture and Televi- sion Engineers. Average TV viewers may not relate to Joe Kane's perspective, but video- Philes see him as both guru and kindred spirit, as our Cliff Roth discovered. VIDEO: Assuming that living- VIDEO: What’s the most impor- room real estate and cost aren’t tant attribute for a screen to problems, should everyone get a have? projection TV set? KANE: The reflective material KANE: Yes... but let me quali- has to be uniform, so you can fy that. In order to realize its po- have a picture without color shift tential, you don’t just buy a pro- and with minimal luminance jector, turn it on, and have it shift. In other words, no matter work. There’s a lot of adjustment where you are in the room— involved in making it work, and whether you're lying on the floor, part of the process is to get standing up, off to one side, or

Girectly) on axis with the screen— inch TV should have a line-doubler at- line-accumulator accumulates those youve got to be able to see a good pic- tached to it. People don’t really under- 525 lines in one-thirtieth of a second ture. And when you move around, the stand that, partially because direct- and then reads them out on the screen quality of the picture shouldn't change. view IDTV sets [which incorporated over the next sixtieth of a second, so Otherwise, the main reason to have a doublers] were a total flop. Manufac- that you’re presenting all 525 lines in big screen—the ability to please a large turers didn’t do a good job of putting one-sixtieth of a second—not in one- audience—is lost. line-doublers in TV sets. The doublers thirtieth of a second. That is, in its sim- were of low quality, and people recog- plest form, what a line-doubler does: It VIDEO: So the pictures presented by nized that the IDTV sets, which were basically provides twice as many lines front and rear systems can be compara- expensive, didn’t even have the quality per unit of time as the ordinary televi- ble, given the right screen? of a normal NTSC set. sion system. KANE: Yes. But again, some qualifiers: VIDEO: Even direct-view sets can ben- VIDEO: Adjusting for the time differ- If you have a totally dark room, the efit from a line-doubler? ence between the two half-pictures is | front-sereen will have an edge over the what makes a line-doubler expensive? rear-screen as far as contrast ratio. And KANE: Yes. Go into a store and take a if there’s any ambient light in the room, look at the 31-, 32-, or 35-inch TV sets KANE: Yes. Incidentally, the electron- the rear-screen can have an advantage on display. You’re going to notice a ics that can do what I’ve just described over the front-screen. How well you horrible line structure. I mean, it just can be had for only $500 or $600. can control your ambient light should sticks out! All of those sets scream for play a big part in determining whether a line-doubler. Unfortunately, line-dou- VIDEO: Would such a product alone you choose a front- or rear-screen. blers cost a great deal of money. improve the image? VIDEO: Should aspiring videophiles VIDEO: What does a good line-doubler KANE: No. The majority of line-dou- who own regular rear-projection TV cost? blers that do only that actually degrade sets—-the kind selling for, say, $2,000 the quality of the image. NTSC is a to $5,000—replace the screen that KANE: You have to pay between composite format—a single coaxial ca- came with their set? $15,000 and $20,000 to get a great ble is all that’s necessary to route the line-doubler. You could get an adequate picture information. NTSC composite KANE: Absolutely. model for $5,000. is an encoded signal; the red, green, and blue information that’s needed to VIDEO: How much would that cost? VIDEO: Will line-doublers ever come make images is encoded on a single down significantly in price? wire. So we need a device to separate KANE: The retail price of the screen is the red, green, and blue again. It’s about $50 per square foot. So you look KANE: The only way they’ll come called a decoder, and it changes the sin- at the number of square feet that it'll gle-wire NTSC signal back into a take to do the job, plus the labor down is for a market—a very large three-wire red, green, and blue system, charge. A huge system with a 10- so it can drive the display device. The square-foot screen could be upgraded market—to be found. You’d have to sell majority of people who are building for under $500. line-doublers aren’t paying anywhere a minimum of 100,000 sets a year with near enough attention to the decoding VIDEO: How does viewing distance process. If all you’re doing is putting enter the screen-size equation? built-in line-doublers in order to begin that image into a personal computer, you can use an inexpensive decoder. KANE: That depends on the quality of to break even. But if you’re blowing that image up to the picture. If you're using a line-dou- a 5- or 7-foot-wide image, you have to bler, you can sit much closer than you VIDEO: So the only way to bring the decode the signal properly or the pic- ordinarily would if it were a straight price down is to build them into sets? ture won’t look good. You become far NTSC image. With NTSC, we're talk- more critical of quality when the image ing about sitting at least five times the KANE: Yes. That’s the only way to de- is big rather than small. picture height away from the picture. If liver the quantity that’s going to get the you have the best components driving price down. VIDEO: So the decoding processes and your picture and your system is set up the intelligence behind them account correctly, two times the picture height VIDEO: Can you describe, in simple for the great leap in price? is probably much closer to the correct terms, how line-doublers work? number. KANE: That’s a major part of it. There KANE: Basically, you can think of a are plenty of line-doublers on the mar- VIDEO: Should everyone be saving up line-doubler as a line-accumulator. ket between $600 and $5,000. The ma- for a line-doubler if they don’t already Consider our television system: It has jority of them fail completely as home- have one? two half-pictures. The first half of the theater devices because the decoder is picture is broadcast in the first sixtieth so bad that once you blow the image KANE: There’s no question. As far as of a second, and then, in the second up, it’s intolerable. Im concerned, anything beyond a 27- sixtieth of a second, there’s another set of lines that comes along and fills in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 88 area between the first set of lines. It takes a total of one-thirtieth of a sec- ond in order for the 525 lines in our system to be written on the screen. A 26 JUNE 1995 VIDEO

Two years in the movie business and already we're making acceptance speeches. The B&W THX’ Home Cinema System. Any music lover familiar with B&W’s legendary loudspeakers probably isn’t surpri d by our THX Home Cinema System’s award-winning ways. What may surprise you is how successfully — and quickly - B&W has made the transition from the top of the music world to the pinnacle of home theater sound. Working together with Lucasfilm, B&W has created what critics are calling the most advanced THX system available - for movies or music. *.. THX is a viable, if not the only, approach to Home Theater sound. Not to mention fine sound period. B&W’s realization of that concept is superb,” wrote Thomas J. Norton in Stereophile [Vol. 17 No. 10, Oct. 1994]. Call 1-800-370-3740 for the name of a B&W dealer near you. And experience the astonishing realism, the embracing ambience, the heartfelt emotion of the B&W THX Home Cinema System. This one performance you simply don’t want to miss. B&W Loudspeakers of America, 54 Concord Street, North Reading, MA 01864 tel 1-800-370-3740 fax (508)664-4109 = THX is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. Listen and You'll See

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Separate Power Amps Drive Home Theater IF POWER CORRUPTS, AND ABSOLUTE knob of an average A/V receiver. power corrupts absolutely, then Bottom line: A home theater sys- you’re going to be happily corrupted for life once you experience a home- tem that’s equipped with typical theater system driven by generous, speakers and is set up in a typical liv- clean, high-quality amplifier power. ing room needs a minimum of about Audiophiles love to debate the sub- 150 watts per channel to handle mu- ject, but even they generally agree on sic-and-sound peaks without regular- one thing: Having more power is al- ly exceeding the limits of its ampli- most always better than having less. fiers. Now these limits don’t neces- sarily manifest themselves as gross The rationale behind this need for “clipping,” which we’ll define as dis- greed is simple physics. Sound pres- tortion that’s obvious, harsh, and constant. Instead, they’ll restrict your sure (loudness) is a logarithmic phe- system’s definition, transparency, ef- nomenon, so while a very few watts fortlessness, and dynamics in vary- will suffice at low, but still accept- ing—and often subtle—degrees. Put able, loudness levels, you need many another way, a system that’s powered more watts to drive high-fidelity by even a top-grade A/V receiver de- speakers to something approaching livering 60 watts per channel general- realistic levels. In addition, every ly won’t have the definition, trans- time you want to make things a little parency, effortlessness, and dynamics bit louder—or you change to speak- of a system with similarly top-grade ers that are slightly less “sensitive” “separate” power amps that are de- (see “Sensitivity,” page 34)—you livering 250 watts per channel. must double power. Specifically, dou- bling amplifier wattage delivers only This explains why people who pur- a 3-dB gain in reproduced loudness, a sue a seriously high-performance subtle increase that equals about one home theater often run with separate and a half “clicks” on the volume amps that deliver large amounts of SY DANIE 2 AUNMIN

Clockwise from top left: Acurus A150, Parasound HCA-1000, NAD Model 216THX, B&K ST3030. Overleaf: Proton’s AA-2120 power. The process of designing such a mizes space efficiency. Third, there are would be to deploy four stereo amps: system is both complicated and miti- the inevitable, inescapable “market re- one amp would power the front speak- gated by the fact that you’ll be using alities”: Many of the people who are ers, another would handle the sur- multiple speakers and amp channels: prepared to spend a large chunk of Five speakers—plus, in all likelihood, change on a high-performance system rounds, the two channels of the third one or two subwoofers—all playing at take the separates approach for granted. amp would be “bridged,” or combined, once make more sound than just one to deliver gobs of power to the all-im- pair, so you need less power per speak- CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS portant center speaker (more on bridg- er (though only 3 to 4 dBW less). But ing in a moment), and the last amp don’t overlook the fact that home-the- Determining the amount of amplifier would power one or two passive subs. ater programs can demand more power power for a separates-based home- from your system than pure music—or theater system requires some fore- The plain fact, however, is that in that your home-theater system may thought—and some hard choices. At a many systems—especially those em- spend plenty of time playing CDs or minimum, you’ll need four channels of ploying powered subwoofers—you in- audio tapes in plain-vanilla two-chan- amplification: two for the left/right evitably find yourself with an “extra” nel stereo. In short, it always makes front speakers, one for the center amp channel. Consequently, many sense to go for as much power as you folks opt for at least one stereo amp can when you're designing or upgrad- speaker, and one for the two surround that’s “bridgeable”-—that is, one whose ing the audio side of a home-theater speakers; in this configuration, the two two channels can be combined into a system. And, with few exceptions, surrounds are run in “parallel” from a single, much more powerful one. Typi- higher power comes from outboard single amp channel. This penny-pinch- cally, bridging nets you two to three separate-component power amplifiers. ing arrangement works well if 1) your times the power of a single channel front speakers will handle deep-bass re- alone [see “Bridging,” page 35]. Separate power amps are the exclu- production or if you’re employing a sive source of truly high-wattage audio There is yet another home-theater power for three primary reasons. First, powered subwoofer, and 2) if the sur- amplifier option, and it splits the horns high power is expensive: It’s technical- round speakers have a nominal imped- of the channel-count dilemma. Manu- ly possible to build a receiver that de- ance rating of 8 ohms or, if they’re 4- facturers have begun to build multi- livers a real-world 250 watts per chan- channel amps—three, four, five, or six nel, but the resulting price tag would be ohm models, the amp channel that’ll be channels of amplification in a single prohibitive. Second, the delivery of powering them can happily drive a 2- chassis. Many “high-end” manufactur- high power is a tricky exercise, and ohm “load.” ers—and system designers, for that putting the requisite big-current circuit- matter—avoid multichannel amps on ry in its own chassis—with a complete- A much more common approach is to the theory that discrete two-channel ly separate power supply—sidesteps splurge for six channels of amplifica- many engineering hurdles, limits hum, tion. In this scenario, you’d assign two amps (as well as one-channel “mono-' noise, heat, and crosstalk, and maxi- channels to the front speakers, two to the surround speakers, one to the center block” models) provide better dynamic speaker, and one—or two, paralleled— separation of the channels. Translation: to one or two passive subwoofers. Whenever the movie that you’re watch- ing includes a big, low-frequency An extreme, power-mad approach 30 JUNE 1995 VIDEO

“boom” on its soundtrack, the amp channel amp might drive a center parison test of 12 stereo power ampli- channel that needs to power that boom speaker, two surrounds, and, with two fiers demonstrates, one manufacturer’s may be momentarily drained. If all of channels bridged, a passive subwoofer. “100-watt” amp may deliver 110 watts the amp channels for the entire system Keep in mind that if you need more before the onset of major distortion, are contained in one chassis and are fed power in the future, a modestly en- while another “100-watter’ might pro- by a common power supply, that drain dowed multichannel amp could ulti- duce as much as 150 watts or more may impinge on the ability of the mately find itself orphaned; it’s often [see “Power Struggle,” below]. amp’s other channels to simultaneously easier to reassign a stereo amp—from reproduce the rest of the soundtrack, front- to surround-channel duties, for How can you tell what an amp really which might include delicate music, example. delivers? If you happen to be looking at subtle ambient effects, or dialogue. amps in the price range of our compari- That won’t be the case, obviously, if SHELF-HELP son test—$500 to $800—you can pe- you use separate amps. It’s also true ruse our lab tests. Otherwise, you’re up that when you start cramming four, Choosing power amplifiers is at once the proverbial creek—unless you have five, or six channels into a single box, the easiest and the hardest task in sys- $5,000 worth of test gear you can lug you essentially end up with an A/V re- tem building. It’s easy because amps to your local audio/video shop. ceiver—minus the preamp, surround essentially have no features, esoteric decoder, and tuner circuits. And wasn’t modes, or controls. In addition, they But keep our initial proviso about the whole idea of going with separates have relatively few specs, and the ones power in mind: An amp delivering 150 to get away from such multichannel co- they do have are easily understood— watts per channel delivers less than a 2- habitation? basically, you'll end up looking at dB improvement in overall dynamic the number of watts and a price tag. range when compared to an otherwise- Still, I've reviewed many multichan- Choosing an amp is hard, on the other comparable 100-watt-per model, and nel amps, and many of them are excel- hand, because all amps are functionally that’s just not enough to lose sleep lent designs that offer a legitimate cost black boxes with no moving parts and over. So your best bet is to determine savings. It’s a tough call: Where cost is only one function (to amplify). So how the total budget you have available for no object, I’d go with separate stereo are you supposed to make a choice? amplification and then start shopping, amps, monoblocks, or some combina- weighing specs, the reputation of the tion of the two. But where budget con- Audiophiles may sneer at the idea, manufacturer, and your assessment of straints loom, consider a hybrid ap- but the dollars-per-watt equation prob- any given model’s quality. proach. If you’re upgrading a stereo ably comes into play in a majority of system that already includes an excel- amplifier purchases. All things being You should also gauge your reaction lent two-channel power-plant, for ex- equal, more power will potentially to the way a particular model looks and ample, you could add a three-channel sound better than less power. Unfortu- how its controls feel. Don’t discount model to service the center and sur- nately, all things aren’t equal, and you the last issue: It’s your money, so buy round speakers. Alternatively, a five- certainly can’t go purely by spec-sheet something you truly like. How you re- power ratings. As our companion com- spond emotionally to an amplifier can POWER have as much to do with your ultimate STRUGGLE The evaluation system included Sony's excellent CDP-XA3ES CD player, a of performance, follow. 12 Stereo Amps Marantz LV-500 laserdisc player, and Bryston’s sleek Model 2B-LP ($750) is Compared B&W Model 803 speakers; the 803 is a fine full-range design of about average beautifully assembled to pro-audio stan- PERFORMING IN-DEPTH COMPARISONS OF A sensitivity. Listening was confined to dards—there are no cosmetic frills, but dozen power amps, including listening straight two-channel stereo, since the the extra-duty parts and super-hunky evaluations, would make a great project two-channels for two-speakers formula chassis are extremely reassuring. (The ... fora full year. | didn’t quite have that stressed each amp to the maximum and front-panel heat sinks are a pro-audio much free time on my hands, so I revved eliminated any confusion as to the layout, providing full cooling in a rack- up the production line and got down to source of the observed sound. mount scenario.) Sound quality was work, Before running the amps through clean and defined, with good midrange the lab [see the “Measurements” portion Don't take my subjective impressions depth and bass impact at moderate lev- of the chart that appears on pages 32 as gospel, however. Instead, take them els. The 2B didn’t offer the high-volume and 33], | auditioned each model in turn as merely that—impressions of each amp weight, transparency, or slam of the big- following an overnight “burn-in” session in one room, with one system, and to ger amps, however, and it clipped audi- that stabilized the amps’ temperatures. one pair of ears. And though I've ranked bly at its limit, which, unsurprisingly giv- A set rotation of LDs and CDs was used the amps, I'm not tap-dancing when | say en its specs, was clearly lower than the as program material; each amp was given that each model truly is a fine compo- others. Add a relatively high price tag the aural once-over, playing exclusively nent, You'll note that our chart breaks and the 2B has an uphill climb in this at a consistent reference level. Finally, | the field into four performance groups; company—despite its impeccable con- performed comparisons among the can- the order you see simply reflects my struction. didates. price-is-no-object subjective preference, which | based on the desirable traits I've The TA-N55ES ($520), part of Sony’s outlined in our accompanying feature, upscale ES line, has a nice fit and finish “Power Trip.” Comments on specific and solid sheet-metal. It also proved to models in the group, in ascending order be a fine-sounding amp with good dy- namic ability, refinement, and ultimate power—but it just didn’t deliver enough VIDEO JUNE 1995 314

pure impact per dollar to climb to the pressed, however, with its bottom-end thin sheet-metal paled beside most of top. Even at modest loudness levels, it detail and weight. One downer: The 2800 the competition. But the plain fact is that seemed a hint less smooth, transparent, employs faux binding posts that don't ac- it was among the best sounding in this group. The 2120 had all of the slam, im- and musical than the best of this bunch. cept banana plugs. pact, and weight of the bigger boys, The N55ES does offer front-panel speak- The TFM-35x ($800), from Carver, was and—surprisingly, considering its er selection as well as a ganged input- the dollars-per-watt leader here. It also price—it got close to their ultimate out- level control, but at its detented “nor- delivered the greatest overall punch, put, too. Transparency and depth were mal” position, the latter induced a with massive bottom-end grunt and room- fine, with good detail and accurate measured 0,6-dB channel imbalance. In shaking dynamic ability; a recording of soundstaging. The 2120 also seemed to tolerate “too-high” levels well, suggest- all fairness, that's no big deal (though it trap drums played at high levels was ing graceful clipping-and-recovery be- should be easy to avoid from an engi- thrilling. The TFM-35x seemed to have a havior. Overall, this is a very fine amp— lop $100 off its price tag and it could be neering standpoint). Note that the non- marginally warm tonality as well as a a giant-killer. standard speaker-terminal spacing rules slightly thick “feel.” Nevertheless, it re- The RB-980BX ($599), from Rotel, out the use of standard dual-banana tained good detail and depth of image didn’t have the most output of all of the “100-watt” models, but it was among the plugs. on complex passages, and it did a very most listenable. Its smooth, open char- acter was balanced by excellent trans- Denon’s large and imposing POA-2800 nice job with massed strings. This is also parency and transient detail as well as (almost paradoxically) plenty of low-end ($800) has one of the best fit-and-finish a very cool-looking amp, with nifty, back- oomph; complex music was reproduced very well. The RB-980BX is also a nice, jobs here. The big amp sounded good, lit front-panel meters that may be more appealingly compact package with parts too, and it offers plenty of power. But it entertaining than practically useful. One just didn’t deliver the punch its specs thing's certain: You can’t overlook the (and price) appeared to promise. gobs of power that the TFM-35x readily Though balance and dynamics were - delivers good, the 2800's sense of air and defini- _ Sonance’ amp 2120 ($649) isn’t tion were not as refined as thatofsome of the other amps in this group. I was im very impressive to the eye—its some- 1 Acurus A150 $695 45x 17x 12.1; 150/200 Oo 183/239 : 914.693.8008 32 Ibs. | i 110/180 ; |2 Parasound HCA-1000 | $575 3.5 x 19'x 13; Standby/normal, @) BP (4) 140/221 418 (at 0.05%) : i 800.822.8802 22 Ibs. 200/300 current overload [e) | 3 B&K ST3030 $798 §:3.x 17 x 15:5; 125/200 @) — ‘e) BP (4) 217/225 | 716.656.0026 38 Ibs. : 4 NAD Model 216THX | $699 5x 17.1 x 15.1; 120/180 e 400 @) Soft-clipping, BP (4) 162/250 >500 201.825.7950 25 Ibs. : bridged mode BP (4) 130/F dB/watt BP (4) rs) Proton AA-2120 $600 SxIGE x 16.7; Lee meters Protection 137/178 — 310.404.2222 30.8 Ibs. (8) _ LEDs 0 6 Audio by Van Alstine | $795 KA KAS: e 390 i 134/214 —15 Omega Ili 260 33 Ibs. 612.890.3517 f- ri Rotel RB-980BX $599 48% 17.3 x 12.8; 120/180 e 360 @) Protection BP (4) 118/180 354 (at 0.05%) 800.370.3741 22.4 Ibs. 120/160 LEDs 250/350 8 SonanceSona2m1p20 | $649 §.4x 16.8 x 12.6; 200/350 e 320 0 (2) Volume BP (4) 130/184 act i 800.582.7777 23 Ibs. 410/150 trim pots ASX17% 14.5: 9 Carver TFM-35x $800 25.3 Ibs. e 700 i Vumeters | Meter range10x,| BP (4) 258/338 >500 206.775.6245 light dimmer 78% 17.1% 16; 10 Denon POA-2800 $800 39.8 Ibs. (e) — [@) Speaker- ST (8) 200/316 ~ 201.882.7490 6x 18.8x 14.5; selector 26.9 lbs. 11 Sony TA-N55ES $520 e 300 Protection, Speaker- BP (8) 418/171 310 800.222.7669 stereo/mono selector, attenuator 12 Bryston Model 2B-LP | $750 18x 19x 11; 50/100 e 200 Q Oo BP (4) 63/96 178 (at 0.012%) 705.742.5325 18 Ibs.

and finish quality that are well above av- value—and it’s an “audiophile-ap- ing, high-value products. This baby is erage. (The only exception here is its proved” wedge, too. characterized by lots of dynamic ease, slightly lightweight top cover.) This is a powerful bottom-end weight and impact, terrific power amplifier that’s just a bit Proton’s AA-2120 ($600) is a visual and excellent definition and depth. | al- less studly than the very best models in standout thanks to its sexy blue meters. so detected just a hint of warmth to this group. But its beauty isn't skin deep: It proved midrange and treble voices that | found to be the sleeper of the group. Overall attractive. The 216’s ultimate power lim- Frank Van Alstine—for years a widely sound quality matched the best of the its were close to the top—just a decibel respected amp modifier and builder— bunch on almost all terms, including de- or two short of the most powerful in this has delivered an outstanding model in tail, depth, and definition. Only bass im- group. It’s a very good amp and a fine the Audio by Van Alstine Omega Ill 260 pact had a slight falloff at tip-top loud- value. ($795). The Omega, which is custom-built ness levels, and in all other ways the upon ordering, is big and a bit brutish- 2120 left little to be desired. Add a deci- B&K's ST3030 ($798) is clearly assem- looking. It’s quite heavily built, with bel or two to its ultimate-level delivery bled with great care, and its sculpted good connectors and generous, extra- and mix in a little higher-end sheet-met- front panel lends an elegant look. It also ribbed heat-sinking. Plenty of power was al work (and/or a few dollars off its tick- boasts a very hefty, pro-grade feel for on tap, with superb bottom-end weight et), and the Proton would have ranked what is, in reality, a relatively affordable and notable top-octave clarity. The way up there. 200-watt-per-channel amp. Music and Omega seemed very adept at delivering soundtracks sounded clean and highly busy, complex passages with great defin- You may decide to demote NAD’s etched in the midrange and treble as ition; effortless dynamics were also in Model 216THX ($699) when you learn well as impressively powerful and de- evidence, though peak output was a bit that you can’t replace its main fuse (pop fined at the bottom end. | occasionally lower than from the most powerful amps it and you have to pay a visit to a techni- detected marginally less-than-perfect in the group. If not for its cost, the cian). But that doesn’t change the fact smoothness at the very top of the loud- Omega would have ranked at or near the that the THX-approved 216 is otherwise ness range, and when clipping occurred top. Nevertheless, it’s still a reasonable quite well made and very much follows its onset was fairly quick. (Note that clip- NAD's tradition of building fine-sound- ping occurred only at very high levels.) In addition, the amp emitted an extremely 192 0.06% 400 dB -0.06 dB 69 dB at 200 Hz; $1.89 |A 1A faint mechanical buzz from its power transformer while powered up; it was 154 0.01% 92 dB -0.05 dB 53 dB at 16 kHz | $2.03 |B+|A | wholly inaudible when my LDs and CDs were playing, but it was just perceptible 248 0.07% 87 dB 0.7 dB 102 dB at 300Hz; 27 when they weren't. In any case, the $T3030 is very powerful amp and a su- 172 0.005% 89 dB 40.1 dB 69 dB at 16 kHz | $1.82] A |A | perb value. 145 0.01% 100. dB at 400Hz; | Despite having one of the lowest stick- Mn ers in our group, Parasound’s HCA-1000 70 dB at 16 kHz $2.16 |Be|A | ($575) delivers the goods. Immense cur- 151 0.14% rent reserves helped it deliver truly ef- 95 dB ai +0.05 dB 95 dB at 200 Hz: $217 |8 A. ' fortless sound at high levels, with im- 62 dB at 16 KHz pressive dynamics and an open, clear, a T 95 dB at 200 Hz: | A and well-defined image. The soundstage 77 dB at 16 kHz it helped produce was both deep and 93 dB -0.5 dB $2.96 A wide, with fine detail and instrumental 9773 ddBB aatt 21060kHHzz: integrity on heavy, complex material. Ex- cept for a slightly rattly top cover, the 430 0.09% 100 dB -0.4 dB 88 dB at 200 Hz; $2.58 |A-| A HCA-1000 is quite nicely made, too, though its low-and-wide rack-mount 67 dB at 16 kHz front panel may clash with some stacks. This is a terrific performer and clearly 150 0.02% 93 dB +0.1 dB 90 dB at 200 Hz: $2.44 |B-| A our best-buy champ. 73 dB at 16 kHz The final nod goes to Acurus’ A150 262 0.5% 96 dB -0.7 dB 93 dB at 200 Hz; $171 |A-|B ($695). The compact A150 is constructed 66 dB at 16 kHz very solidly, with good-quality parts throughout. It does have a rather utilitar- 214 0.06% | 95dB “0.1 dB 93 dB at 200 Hz. $199 |A |Be ian air about it, however. More impor- tantly, this amp delivered toas of $2 dB at 16 kHz punch—significantly more than | expect- ed from a “150-watt” amp. The sound 128 0.02% 85 dB +0.7 dB 91 dB at 200 Hz; $2.12 |A-| B+ had outstanding dynamic outlines and impact; trap drums and big bass events 50 GB at 16 kHz were impressively rendered. There was also an open, highly detailed, but never 72 0.009% 88 dB 0,02 dB 77 dB at 200 Hz; $5.91 |A |B harsh character to the sound, with no- 49 dB at 16 kHz table depth and “space.” And despite its modest size, the A150 came very close to delivering the cleanest output of the en- tire group. This is a very fine amp and a top value. Get ready to be corrupted. -—DK VIDEO JUNE 1995 33

A Van Alstine better? (Deep breath.) The high-end versus everybody-else From top: Sonance Sonamp 2120, Proton AA-2120, Rotel RB-980BX, Audio by Van Alstine Omega Ill 260 amplifier debate is a long-running one, with partisans from both sides defend- satisfaction with it as any other factor. 100-watt “high-end” power amplifier ing their positions—often with a good While shopping, you'll quickly find ... or three or four similarly powered deal of froth and bluster. It’s really just “mass-market” models. Which route is another way of asking a question that that, say, $2,000 will buy you a single eternally haunts the audio realm: Do amplifiers sound different from one an- other? Empirically, you have to say, Of course they do. But let me refine the question: Do two competently designed 100-watt amplifiers from different brands that are operating “linearly”’— that is, well below their limits (below clipping) at all times—sound different from one another? The answer here is less clear. Maybe similarly powered amps real- ly do sound alike—as long as they truly are working linearly. But what does “working linearly” really mean? In the real world of dynamic music-and- soundtrack playback into speakers, how linear—that is, free from all forms of distortion, both static and dynam- ic—are amps? Have we measured all possible mechanisms that create distor- tion? Have we done so under every conceivable circumstance? Have we done the same with every known form of nonlinearity? Have we even discoy- ered them all? The odds are very good that there are still plenty of things that we don’t Speakers, Amps, and Loudness TO THOROUGHLY GRASP THE WAY A POWER doesn’t introduce any echoes or reflec- only be adequate in terms of loudness. amplifier actually performs in a system, tions, but hey, I’m making a point here.) you first have to understand the con- Next, you should know that power and We really need at least another 10 GB if cept of speaker sensitivity. This spec— loudness retain a logarithmic relation- which is sometimes (and less accurate- ship: Every time you want to increase we want our system to deliver true cin- ly) termed “efficiency’—specifies how the loudness from any speaker by 3 dB loud a speaker will play with a given SPL (and that's a very modest increase), ematic impact. The resulting 107-dB- power input (usually | watt) and when you must double the amplifier power. It measured at a given distance (usually | follows that to hear the same loudness SPL peaks will be very loud—though not meter). Typical home-theater speakers at a distance of 4 meters as you had at are usually spec’d with sensitivities 1, our hypothetical power plant needs much louder than a symphony orches- that will reproduce between 85 and 92 four times the amplifier power: 4 watts. dB sound-pressure level (SPL) at | tra at full cry from the third row. To get watt/] meter—pretty darned loud for Now remember that soundtracks one little watt. It's really more compli- aren't steady-state like a test tone. there, we'll need 400 watts. cated than that, of course. Soundtracks have peaks, and your amp needs to be able to handle them. Con- It would be sensible, of course, to First, we don’t normally listen to our ventional wisdom maintains that peak speakers from | meter away—usually, capability should be at least 10 times have 3 dB of clean headroom for insur- it’s more like 4 meters (13 feet or so). higher than steady-state capability. And every time you double your dis- This brings our hypothetical amp up to ance. So we really need 800 watts. We tance from a speaker, you lose 6 dB of 40 watts. level. (Actually, this is strictly true only can divide that figure by a “fudge fac- in a “free-field” environment that But the 97-dB-SPL peak level pro- duced by our 40 watts at 4 meters will tor” of two, since home-theater systems enjoy added output from one or two subwoofers and a third, center speaker. But that still leaves us, theoretically, with a need for 400 watts—and, yes, that’s per channel. Moral #1: Every time you increase speaker sensitivity by 3 dB, you buy a 50-percent reduction in your power needs. Moral #2: As I said, more power is always better. —DK 34 JUNE 1995 VIDEO

know about this subject. This explains, il perhaps, the widely made observation CARVER “Wie ais Bins Acar that power amps do not, in fact, all sound alike. When reproducing dynam- ic music, even at relatively modest loudness levels, even a “high-power” amplifier is likely to regularly go be- yond its linear range—at least on an in- stantaneous, here-a-few, there-a-few milliseconds basis. So my theory is that precisely how an amplifier behaves (or misbehaves) just before, during, and af- ter such clipping has everything to do with its “sound quality.” All well and good, you say. But how do I derive this crucial information from a spec sheet? You don’t. Virtually every amp spec youre likely to see re- flects steady-state, continuous-tone measurements that tell you next to nothing about how an amp acts under dynamic-music conditions. So all you can do is use the spec sheet as a very loose sort of indicator of overall power and engineering quality. Interpreting amplifier specs is an ac- Bryston Model 2B-LP, Sony TA-N55ES, Carver TFM-35x, Denon POA-2800 quired skill—sort of like reading Beo- wulf in the original Old English. The from 20 to 20,000 Hz at a specified lev- 8-ohm loads.” This is a good baseline, following high points should increase but what it doesn’t tell you is how your comfort factor. el of total harmonic distortion (THD). A much power the amp will deliver over e THF Power. Every amplifier will be hypothetical amp might be rated like the full audio band at, say, 0.5 percent spec’d with an IHF (Institute of High this: “115 watts per channel, 20 Hz—20 Fidelity) power rating: watts per chan- kHz at no more than 0.08% THD with CONTINUED ON PAGE 92 nel, both channels driven into 8 ohms MANY STEREO POWER AMPLIFIERS CAN BE More Power To Ya ly the load you plan to assign to a magically transformed into single- bridged component. If you want to channel amps of much higher power. amp into a single 8-ohm speaker, for bridge an amp, 8-ohm speakers are al- Reasons you might want to do this: if example, and each of the amp’s chan- most always recommended. Many you need to drive a passive subwoofer nels delivers the amount of current power amps are capable of driving 4- or center-channel speaker, or if you (and consequently works as hard) as it ohm speakers when bridged and can want to boost your system’s overall would if you asked it to drive a 4-ohm do so without much complaint— power by purchasing a second, identi- load. The result is that you almost al- though some will shut down or pop cal amp. ways get more than twice the maxi- their fuses when run hard into 4-ohm mum power of a single channel speakers. Bridging into impedances Bridging combines a stereo amp’s alone—typically, you get three times lower than 4 ohms or into tricky, highly two power channels in such a way that as much power or even more, depend- reactive loads—like the kind you get each channel drives halfofthe monaur- ing on the amp’s internal current limits. with some multi-driver speakers—is al audio waveform—the left channel Second, bridging degrades an amp's not recommended. provides the positive-going half of the s/N by 3 GB in almost all cases—a nom- signal, the right the negative-going inal penalty in the case of most well- Note that many audiophiles avoid voltages. Exactly how this is managed designed amps, where stereo S/n is of- bridging altogether because of the isn't too critical to understand, but ten at least a few decibels better than stress and noise penalties it intro- there are a couple of salient points to the source material and many decibels duces. But it can be a valuable solu- remember. below the noise floor of a typical living tion to odd, orphaned home-theater room {see the brief discussion of S/n, channels and an economical one when First, bridging fools the amp into page 93]. huge amounts of power are required. “seeing” half the load impedance to which it's connected. Bridge a stereo Because bridging makes the amp —DK work harder, however, consider careful- VIDEO JUNE 1995 35

The M3\" re incredible can be placed in corners fl TheMatched Home Theater System that fits anywhere. Even in your budget. “Tf you want the dynamics of high performance surround sound while our powered subwoofer rattles home theater...but you don’t want to design your your windows. Thanks to the M3!’s unique shape and home around big home theater speakers, nor do you built-in bracket and the subwoofer’s compact size, want to spend thousands of dollars and your entire M Home Theater is guaranteed to fit your space and weekend in a store trying to mix and match a system, decorating requirements (available in black and white). then you'll understand why we designed the M Home Theater Solution.” Matthew Polk And at $999, you’ll love the way it fits your budget. For more information call 1-800-377-POLK, or dial The performance will positively astound you. Five matched Polk M3lls provide bigger than life, seamless The M3\" Video center channel speaker can be placed anywhere above, below or our toll-free dealer locator at 1-800-992-2520 to find beside your TV without discoloring your picture since itiosmagneticnally shieilded, , nearest authorized Polk Audio dealer. Dealer Locator Number (1-800-992-2520 The kfaSpeucialdistsi® o B Ad code: 60009 5601 Metro Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21215 USA (410)358-3600. CIRCLE NO. 50 ON READER SERVICE CARD “Polk Audio”, The Speaker Specialists” and “Dynamic Balance” are registered trademarks of Polk Investment Corporation used under license by Polk Audio Incorporated. *Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. Dealer pricing may vary.

Ne Plus Ultra With careful adjustment, Hitachi’s Model 27UX5B is a knockout THOUGH CERTAINLY NOT RESTRICTED TO THE WIDE WORLD sion sound (MTS), and “3D Surround of audio/video components (see Honda/Acura and Sound” circuitry, which synthesizes Toyota/Lexus), upscale nameplates are pretty common ambience. in the home-theater realm: Toshiba adds the “Cinema Series” tag to their high-end video products. The “Elite” label The 27UXS5B also comes with Hi- tells you that you’re buying Pioneer’s best. And you know you’ve tachi’s “Genius” remote control, which found Sony’s top-of-the-line audio gear if the model number is can be taught to control most manufac- followed by the letters “ES.” Five years ago, Hitachi introduced turers’ VCRs and cable boxes. I found it fairly intuitive to use, and—miracle its “Ultravision” line of top-drawer the 27UXS5B is not a feature-laden set. of miracles—the most commonly used rear-projection TVs, and last year, the But considering its price, you can’t ex- buttons are backlit. (We watch movies company added the Ultravision pect every bell and whistle that’s found moniker to select direct-view sets. The on more expensive models. That’s not in the dark a lot, don’t we?) One down- Model 27UX5B is a 27-inch Ultravi- to say that this set is all bones: In addi- side: Its input selector is labeled Avx, sion model. tion to obligatory single-tuner picture- which I found a little confusing. in-picture (PIP) capability, a front-pan- Name-calling is all about differentia- el set of A/V inputs facilitates easy Onto the acid test. If you’ve been tion, really. Given the vast number of hookup of a camcorder or videogame reading our TV reviews regularly, you 27-inch TVs offered today, competi- console. Spin the set around and you’ll know that most manufacturers ship tion is extremely stiff. Prices in this find the typical VHF/UHF antenna con- their sets with their CONTRAST and size category range from $600 to nection, two standard video inputs, an BRIGHTNESS controls pushed to the $1,800 depending on the manufacturer S-Video input, two pairs of audio in- max. The idea is to make the sets look and any given model’s feature count. puts, and a pair of audio outputs. Tun- bold and eye-catching on a brightly lit At $799, the 27UXS5B fits snugly into ing range is spec’d thusly: broadcast sales floor. Unfortunately, our living the category. But does it live up to the channels, 2-13 and 14-69; cable chan- rooms aren’t sales floors, and a set lofty expectations the upscale Ultravi- nels, 2-13, A-I, J-W, W+1—W+28, and that’s (mis)adjusted in this fashion gen- sion name inspires? W+29—W+84. Audio amenities include erally looks terrible at home. The stereo speakers, multichannel televi- 27UX5B didn’t deviate from the norm Measuring 23.1 x 27.3 x 20.3 inches here—straight out of the box, its pic- (h/w/d) and weighing in at 88 pounds, ture appeared overly bright and ex- tremely blue; colors were oversaturat- ed, picture detail was subpar, and images were marred by high levels of BY KEWIN MILLER

video noise. The good news is that the TV set. A really bright picture is fine RRSa aa aS 27UX5B’s picture controls offer ... if you’re watching a set poolside at BY THE NUMBERS enough range to square things. high noon on a sunny day. Set CON- TRAST and BRIGHTNESS too high the Measurements by Berger—Braithwaite Labs I called them up using the Genius and rest of the time, however, and a lot found that CONTRAST (white level) was of fine picture detail will simply be Horizontal resolution: 410 lines max’d out. Then I brought out my washed out. It’s also important to note Picture S/N ratio: video, 53.7 dB; trusty Philips color analyzer and mea- that a picture tube’s life expectancy can sured 135.5 footlamberts of light out- be significantly shortened if you leave chroma AM, 62.3 dB; chroma PM, put—more than four times the refer- the set’s CONTRAST control max’d; it’s 62.1 dB ence standard of 30 footlamberts. Like- kind of like driving a car at maximum Screen brightness: before calibration, wise, BRIGHTNESS (black-level) was al- RPMs all the time. 135.5 footlamberts; after calibration, 35.5 so set near maximum. footlamberts I got down to tweaking the 27UX5B Color temperature: before calibration, We’ve kind of been conditioned to by spinning Reference Recordings’ 11,350 degrees K; after calibration, 6,520 believe the opposite, but it’s a fact that ubiquitous A Video Standard test disc degrees K brighter is not necessarily better when in my laserdisc player. Various test pat- Audio frequency response: line out, it comes to the images produced by a terns helped me do the job. I started by 20 Hz-20 kHz +3, -0.3 dB reducing the set’s CONTRAST control. I 38 JUNE 1995 VIDEO also brought BRIGHTNESS down. Other Color temperature can also be adjust- patterns told me that the set’s COLOR, ed, and once I’d calibrated it, the TINT, and SHARPNESS controls were 27UXS5B produced incredibly stable reasonably well adjusted. In the end, I and accurate images. The top of the brought BRIGHTNESS, COLOR, TINT, and gray scale measured 6,520 degrees SHARPNESS down to two notches below Kelvin, the middle windows weighed their midpoint. in at or very close to 6,500 degrees, and the bottom of the scale measured I also noted that the set has an auto- 6,525 degrees. Peak light output mea- matic tint control (labeled WHITE CON- sured 35.5 footlamberts. Each of these TROL) that comes factory preset to the figures is just a bit over the standard for ON position. According to the 27UX- our NTSC TV system. 5B’s manual, “If you prefer a reddish screen, set to OFF.” Translation: If you I measured horizontal resolution at prefer overly saturated colors, you 410 lines and vertical resolution at 500 should leave this control in its ON posi- lines; this is excellent performance. tion. If you want accurate colors, I Detail was superb, with clean informa- strongly recommend turning it off. tion across the bandwidths. And video noise was minimal. The 27UX5B proved to be surpris- ingly easy to calibrate. Test-disc pat- At this point, the picture was remark- terns revealed excellent gray-scale de- ably sharp with generally terrific color lineation, indicating a superb power performance. Its rendition of red tones supply. Convergence was also excel- was especially good (with WHITE CON- TROL in the OFF position), besting the lent. Overscan, which measured out at performance of the ProScan set I use as 3 to 5 percent, was exceptional. a reference. On the other side of the ledger, the 27UX5B’s sound quality—delivered via a 10-watt amplifier and a pair of 4- inch speakers—is standard-issue. You really need Dolby Pro Logic, five- or six-channel amplification, and five or six speakers if you’re looking for a compelling home-theater experience. I wasn’t too happy with the 27UX- 5B’s owner’s manual. Not that I was looking for anything extravagant—just a Table of Contents or an Index. The manual is almost entirely devoted to the Genius remote, and extrapolating any other information about the set proved tedious. QUIBBLES ASIDE, HITACHI’S MODEL 27UXS5B is a great buy. It’s attractive and aggressively priced, and it per- forms extremely well once you bring its picture controls into line. The illu- minated Genius is quite the bonus, too. The Ultravision tag is well deserved.

TFM-35x e purity of separates. From the passion of Carver. The Carver name evokes an almost mystical no, stunningly — reproduces the dynamic following among serious music lovers. peaks of digital music and movie soundtracks. And justly so. Carver power amplifiers have Witness the superiority of Carver separates: generated critical acclaim year after year, Flawless sound, low distortion, instant and model after model, with one — the TFM-35 — authoritative response to octave fluctuations in universally acknowledged as “one of the best the center channel. Note the abundance of audio amplifier values in the world.” Upgraded power: At 360 watts per channel @4 ohms to the TFM-35x, with high fidelity enhance- (triple that of a top receiver), merely one of ments so advanced, it also exceeded the strict the most powerful audio amplifiers available specifications of THX® home theater. for both music and home theater. One look, one listen, will confirm Carver’s With the infinite flexibility to accommodate passion for aural perfection. Gold plated system upgrades for years to come. input jacks, 5-way binding posts, dual analog meters. Expansive headroom that faithfully — Yet, this is but a preview. For a feature length brochure, contact Carver today. CARVER Powerful ¢ Musical e Accurate CARVER CORPORATION, P.O. BOX 1237 LYNNWOOD, WA 98036 © (206) 7751202 q © 1994 Carver Corporation Made in Distributed in Canada by Evolution Audio, Oakville, Ontario (416) 847-8888 THX is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm LTD. all rights reserved CIRCLE NO. 25 ON READER SERVICE CARD

BACSAOSRSSOeReUeeSs POWER G R- y) 42/6/08) Compae t VHS vaste It’s in your grasp. The GR-AX900 from JVC. Just point and zoom - 120x Digital Hyper Zoom gives you The Logical Choice CIRCLE NO. 12 ON READER SERVICE CARD the power for any situation. With virtually no camera shake, courtesy of the Digital Image pact VHS Stabilizer. A simple turn of the Program AE dial lets you choose from an awesome array of Digital Special Vvuse Effects - Including Slow Shutter Mode which boosts low light sensitivity to an estimated 0.75 lux (actually Thoenly compact video below measurable limits!) for amazingly bright vedcassweittthesyouthratVcHaSn VbCeR* images even in the dimmest settings. Or try your hand at digital still photography - with the Snapshot and Motor Drive modes, your videos will have a whole new look. The high-resolution color LCD viewfinder is the crowning touch on this powerful Camcorder. Visit an authorized JVC dealer and get a grip on the GR-AX900. It’s time you had a little fun with some serious digital power. ® Technically Perfect. Perfectly Sailmple.

A. VIDEOTEST — Sound Logi Harman Kardon’s AVI200 offers quality, not gimmicks THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’: LATELY, IT SEEMS THAT on the front panel to facilitate tempo- many old-guard stereo companies have been compromis- rary connection of a camcorder, a ing their audiophile heritage to compete in the home- friend’s VCR, or a videogame console; theater arena. Their A/V products “work,” of course, but a pushbutton on the front toggles be- some audiophile niceties are getting as rare as quality television tween the two. The AVI200 can also programming: Bandwidth is shrinking, distortion and noise are drive two TV sets simultaneously. All rising, and true flexibility is often torched to make room for the video connections are plain old NTSC- switching and processing needed for A/V applications. Fortunately, composite—that is, the RCA-jack (pin) type; no S-Video hookups or fancy Harman Kardon doesn’t appear to like A/V receiver, which would probably gold-plated jacks are on hand. compromises. have lots of ersatz surround effects. But For die-hard vinyl buffs, the AVI200 HK is clearly taking the role of stal- the AVI200 takes a simpler route, of- also includes a phono preamp and an wart, bucking the trend and putting fering an integrated five-channel amp input for a moving-magnet (MM) car- their design dollars into quality rather with video switching, Dolby Pro Logic tridge—the most common variety. than gimmicks. Traditionally, the com- surround-sound processing, and just There are also three other audio inputs pany has championed the cause of ul- two other surround-sound modes: STA- nominally designated for a tuner and tra-wide bandwidth and high output DIUM and THEATER. CD player as well as the ubiquitous current with reasonably low distor- AUX, but they’re all electrically identi- tion—translated, that means they tend That’s not all she wrote, though. cal, so they can be used for any line- to pursue clean, loud full-range sound. Three A/V sources (VCR1, VCR2, and level source. In addition, the AVI200 The AVI200 A/v integrated amplifier VDP) can be accommodated. You can accommodates two audio tape decks; ($599) is a case in point. For the same that may seem like overkill, but it money you could buy a fully loaded record on VCR1 (but not on VCR2) from won’t be if you want to add an external either of the others. The back-panel audio processor like an equalizer. VCR2 jacks are conveniently replicated In my book, the AVI200’s A/v hook- BY ALEXANDER N. RETSOFF

ups are adequate—no more, no less. the front as is (the AVI200 does, after modes. The upper part of the next rock- You can have a recording VCR, all, provide quite a bit of power) and er selects standard Pro Logic, while the laserdisc player, and, through the VCR2 just bulk up the rear with a stereo amp. lower part accesses the three-channel terminals, a satellite receiver hooked Next to the preamp connectors are re- surround mode you'd use if you don’t up simultaneously. But I certainly mote-control jacks that permit you to have rear speakers. (I don’t recommend wouldn’t thumb my nose at a fourth hook up HK’s HE1000 remote sensor three-channel operation; you really A/V input, and I’d happily sacrifice ($60); this arrangement allows you to need surround speakers for home the- some of the audio-only options to that end. Many folks will miss the S-Video control the system from another room, ater.) The next rocker selects the “mu- or from the same room if your setup sic” modes—STADIUM on top, THEATER jacks, of course. hides the AVI200 in a cabinet or other- on bottom. The top of the final rocker Two sets of “front” speakers can be wise out of sight. These options simply activates a noise sequencer, which as- mean that the AVI200 has a good sists you in the task of balancing the connected and individually selected by chance of growing with you rather than output of each speaker; the lower half front-panel buttons, so you can send being outgrown. cycles through the NORMAL, WIDE, and stereo to two rooms simultaneously if PHANTOM center modes. Five more you want. Multiway binding posts are I also appreciate this baby’s tone- rockers let you pick a source. provided for both sets of front speak- control bypass switch. HK calls it DI- ers. I suggest that you take advantage Most of the time, you’ll control the of their standard (0.75-inch) spacing RECT, and it sits right next to the VCR2 AVI200 from its infrared wireless re- and use “GR” or dual-banana plugs for button that toggles between the front mote. It’s a 57-button affair (if you the hookup; I found the posts rather and back VCR2 jacks. The bypass count the MASTER VOLUME and REAR flimsy. The center speaker and rear- switch is handy because most tone con- speaker pair connect to spring-loaded trols affect frequency response to some LEVEL rockers as two buttons each) clips. A pair of switched outlets (100 that’s dedicated to a bevy of HK prod- degree even when set at their center, ucts—it can control a compatible HK watts total) and one unswitched outlet “flat” position—and tone-control cir- (also 100 watts max) are on back to cuitry can’t help but add a little noise tuner, CD player, and cassette deck, for power your other video and audio gear. and distortion. If you’re not using the example. The remote is reasonably in- controls, it’s always best to bypass tuitive to use despite its large number The AVI200 also packs in some valu- them entirely. Audiophile-grade com- of similarly shaped buttons; its color able extras. On the back are preamp- ponents offer this feature regularly, but scheme helps you identify buttons that level outputs for each channel as well most A/V receivers don't. are dedicated to a particular component as main inputs for the left and right or function. The remote isn’t illuminat- front power amps. Out of the box, the The surround-sound processor is con- latter are jumpered to the former; re- trolled by four vertically oriented front- ed, however, so you’ll need room light move the link and you can use the panel rocker switches. Press the top of to see what you're doing. front-channel power amps to drive sur- the leftmost rocker and you'll bypass round speakers (vastly increasing pow- the processor, setting the unit up for You really need the remote (or a uni- er capability in back) and buy a sepa- stereo. The bottom adjusts delay time rate stereo power amp for your front for the surrounds—16 to 30 millisec- versal model) to use the AVI200—only speakers. Alternatively, you can leave onds in 2-ms steps for Pro Logic, 8 to the remote can adjust center and rear 96 ms in 8-ms steps for the two music levels, activate the sleep timer (10, 20, Ssm Three audio-only 30, 60, or 90 minutes), or kick in the each channel = Mai audio mute. The remote also lets you dim the display or turn it off entirely; I appreciate that grace, since I find bright displays distracting when I’m watching a movie. With the exception of adjust- ing the tone and balance controls, acti- vating the LOUDNESS contour (using the small button near the master volume knob), selecting front speakers, tog- gling between the front and rear VCR2 inputs, and bypassing the tone controls, everything you can do from the front panel can be done from the remote. I really liked the fine degree of ad- justment afforded by the AVI200’s stepped-attenuator level circuitry for the center and rear channels. Many components jerk these levels in large, unwieldy steps that don’t really let you pick the precise level that you want. HK provides a generous 40-step range for each; numerics representing rela- tive rear and center levels appear mo- mentarily in the display whenever you make a change. Master volume is han- dled by a precise motorized control. 42 JUNE 1995 VIDEO

/\\— i ie i moI w: rH | | 1|4k LEFT SURROUND |) Rt fe tet i| he CENTER CHANNEL | | LASER DI(SAK/V) 1a DoEmC,K (AU€PIO) PLAYER ie CABLE TV EFEED (A/VA ) = |Se eerncara eee c 1 tm Ru te WeHsWk WaOW | eroeanrmaieawhtnnaieonabengetei anppye:etnwneet H A SATELLITE | FEED (A/V ) j CP PLAYER (AUAIO) - Make Your Audio/Video System The Best It Can Be. Whether designing the ideal home theater system or For instance, the B&K AVP 2000 A/V Control Center making your present system even better, B&K amplifiers, offers eight simple-to-use personal memory presets that preamplifiers and audio/video control centers with Dolby allow you to easily customize your audio/video system. Pro Logic* are the best investments you can make to A single command instantly gives you music, movies or guarantee that your entire system will be the best it can be. satellite, cable or TV broadcasts tailored to bring you B&K components, recognized as the best in their class, optimum audio/video performance. outperform receivers as well as similar components cost- Visit a B&K dealer today. You'll see and hear how ing considerably more. Their remarkable value is the result B&K components can make your audio/video system of B&K’s uncompromising the best it can be. COMMITEE eave B&K Audio/Video Control Centers Call 1-800-543-5252 engineering and ; Feature Dolby Pro Logic * Time Link manufacturing quality. for the dealer nearest you. * “Dolby” and “Pro Logic” are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. B& K Components Designed, Engineered and Made in the U.S.A. B&K Components, Ltd. ¢ 2100 Old Union Road, Buffalo, NY 14227-2725 USA « In NY (716) 656-0026 © Fax: (716) 656-1291 CIRCLE NO. 27 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Definitive Technology PNUh tate) ah4=ve MBm l=¥(-=1)a) AK Alaska Audio: Juneause Hoitt’s: Fairbankss Pyramid: An- BY THE NUMBERS chora AL Cohen's Electronics: Montgomerys Kinkaid’s TV: Measurements by ANR Labs uscaloosas Likis Audio: Birmingham. - Custom A/V: Little Rock. - Jerry's Audio Video: Phoenix, Tucson. Output at 1% THD+noise (8 ohms): 100 dB (front); 47-20,000 Hz +0, -2.5 dB - Access to Music: Larkspure Accurate A/V: So. Lake Tahoe watts x 2 (front), 120 watts x 1 (center), (center WIDE); 140—20,000 Hz +0, -2.5 dB + Audio Concepts: Long Beach, San Gabriele Bay Area Audio: (center NORMAL); 52—7,700 Hz +0.8 San Joses Chrisopher Hansen: West LAs Coast Satellite: Atas- 30 watts x 2 (rear) —3 dB (rear) cadero, Santa Mariae Creative Stereo: Santa Barbara, Venturae Dynamic power: 8 ohms, 110 watts x 2 David Rutledge Audio: Paim Desert Digital Ear. Tustine Lar- Bass tone control: +9.7, -10.7 dB at 100 son’s: Reddings Monterey Stereo: Montereys Pacific Coast (front), 125 watts x 1 (center), 35 watts x 2 Hz; +11.5, -12.7 dB at 50 Hz; +12.2, :Newport Beach Paradyme: Sacramentos Performance (rear); 4 ohms, 175 watts x 2 (front), 200 -13.5 dB at 20 Hz Audio: San Franciscos Sound Co,: Escondido, San Diegos Systems Design: Redondo Beache Videotek: Wesminstere watts x 1 (center), 40 watts x 2 (rear) Treble tone control: +5.5, —7.2 dB at 5,000 THD+noise at rated power (8 ohms): Hz; +9.5, -10 dB at 10,000 Hz; +12.1, estchester TV: Bakersfielde Wilson A/V: Woodland Hills. —11.3 dB at 20,000 Hz - Listen Up: Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs. < 0.053%, 20—20,000 Hz (front, stereo); - Al Franklin’s: Hartlorde Carston's Audio Video: Danbury» <0.3%, 30-20,000 Hz (front, Pro Logic); Loudness contour: +8.1 dB at 50 Hz, jobert’s Audio Video: New London. <0.3%, 30—20,000 Hz (center, Pro Logic); - Audio Buys. <0.7%, 30-8,000 Hz (rear, Pro Logic) +1.7 dB at 10,000 Hz - Sound Studio: Newark, Wilmington. 5 A-weighted noise referred to 1 watt Channel separation at 1,000 Hz: front Absolute Sound: Winter Parke Audio Center: Deerfield. leache Invisible Audio: Pensacola Hoyt Stereo: Jacksonvillee (8 ohms): —80.4 dB (front), -81.1 dB left/front right, 37.3 dB; front left/center, Palm Audio: Destine Sound Components: Coral Gablese (center), —-80.4 dB (rear) 40.9 dB; front left/rear, 51.9 dB; front right/ Sound Ideas: Gainesvilles Sound Insight: Ft. Pierces Stereo- S/N referred to rated power (8 ohms, taypes. te uairtb. Beache Stereo World: Ft. Myers, Naples» Stu- A-weighted): 98.5 dB (front), 99.2 dB front left, 40.2 dB; front right/center, GA- Audio Warehouse: Savannahs Ken’s Stereo Junction: jacone Merit TV: Columbuse Music Audio: Atlantas Stereo (center), 94.4 dB (rear) 40.1 dB; front right/rear, 52.6 dB; center/ Connections: Valdostae Stereo Festival: Atlantas Stereo Frequency response: 20-—20,000 Hz +0, front left, 42.6 dB; center/front right, tie Martineze Stereo Video Systems: Marietta. - Audio Center: Honolulu. aia ; f —0.02 dB, <10—110,000 Hz +0, —1 dB 35.1 dB; center/rear, 67 dB; rear/front left, - Audio King: Des Moines» Audio Video Logic: Des Moines» (stereo direct); 20-20,000 Hz +1.3, -0.1 43.2 dB; rear/front right, 36.5 dB; rear/ ‘amera Corner: Davenport: aways: lowa City, Cedar Falls. center, 48.8 dB - Good Ear: Boises Wise Buy: Idaho Falls. - United Audio Centers: Chicago & Suburbs Camera Cor- ner: Bloomingtone Cars & Stereos: Rockfords Jon's Home Center; Quincys Sound Forum: Crystal Lakes Select Sound: An illuminated mark on the knob lets Logic mode. Signal-to-noise ratios rela- Napervilles Sundown A/V: Springfield. you know where you've got it set. tive to rated power were very good to RS.AccentAudio: Clarksville, Indianapolis. excellent. The Pro Logic system’s chan- Turn to performance and the good - Accent Sound: Overland Parke Advance Audio: Wichita+ news just gets better: This is where the nel separation, better than 35 dB (worst udio Junction: Junction City. : AVI200 really shines, and my measure- case) and ranging as high as 67 dB— - Ovation Audio: Lexington, Louisville. ments paint a very pretty picture. Re- was excellent. - Alterman Audio: New Orleans, Metairie, Covingtone Sound garding frequency response, you won't vice; Baton Rouges Wright's Sound Gallery: Shreveport. More importantly, the AVI200 sound- - Cookin’: Saugus Goodwins Audio: Boston, Shrewsbury* find flatter, more extended response (in ed every bit as fine as my measure- antucket Sound: Hyannis. ments led me to expect. Dolby Pro Log- He Audio Buys: Annapolis, Gaithersburg, Laurel, Rockville, the DIRECT stereo mode) no matter ic soundfields were firmly established, ‘aldorfs Cumberland Elec.: Cumberland» Gramophone: Batt., where you look. In Pro Logic mode, the and sibilant “spitting” in the rear was Ellicott Citys Soundscape: Baltimore. main front channels were very flat, cen- conspicuous by its absence. The front ME- Cookin’: Portlands Sound Source: Bangor. é ter response held steady up to 20,000 soundstage was notably clean and, with - Pecar's: DetrTrooy*iCltass,ical Jazz HollandsClassic Hz, and the surrounds rolled off pretty the tower speakers I used for the main Stereo: Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids Front Row A/V: Flint» Future much on Dolby target. channels, sufficiently solid in the lower Sound: Ypsilanti Court St. Listening Room: Midland, Saginaw. register—so much so that I didn’t really - Audio Designs: Winona» Audio King: Minneapolis&Sub- The AVI200 bested its front-channel miss a subwoofer (except with the very urbs, Rochester, St. Cloud Audio Perfection: Minneapolis power ratings by such a wide margin deepest sound effects). Power levels - Independence A/V: Indep. Sound Central: St Louis. that it’s almost ludicrous. With Dolby were more than adequate for my setup, McLelland TV: Hattiesburg Players A/V: Ridgeland. Pro Logic, it’s rated for 65 watts in and I expect they will be with most sys- each front channel with 8-ohm loads; I tems unless they’re built around unusu- - Car & Home Stereo Center: Billingss Rocky Mountain measured 100 watts a side in the main ally inefficient speakers. i Fi: Great Falls, left and right and 120 watts in the cen- NC- Audio Video Systems: Charlottes Stereo Sound: ter before excessive distortion started Durham, Greensboro, Raleigh, Winston Saleme Audio L to kick up. The rear is spec’d at 25 Wilmingtone Tri City Elect.; Conover. watts per channel; I measured 30. With NE- Custom Electronics: Omaha, Lincoln. 8-ohm loads, dynamic power wasn’t NH- Cookin’: Nashua, Manchester, Newington, Salem, S. much greater than continuous power, Nashua. but with 4-ohm speakers, the dynamic - Hal's Stereo: Trentone Monmouth Stereo: Shrewsbury, power kicked up to 175 watts to each alle Sound Waves: Northfielde SoundWorks: Cherny Hill main, 200 watts to the center, and about Naceonads Stereo: West Caldwell, Woodbridge. 40 watts to each surround. - Sound Ideas: Albuquerque. i Distortion was quite low, too. In - Upper Ear: Las Vegas. stereo, HK specs the fronts at 75 watts - Audio Breakthroughs: Manhasset» Audio Den: Lake per channel, 20 to 20,000 Hz, at less roves Audio Expressions: Newburghe Audio Junction: Wa- than 0.09 percent THD; with Pro Logic, tertowne Clark Music: Albany, Syracuse Stereo Exchange: HK raises its ratings to 0.3 percent in Manhattan, Nanuets Hart Elect.: Vestale Innovative Audio: the front channels over the 20 to Brooklyne Listening Room: Scarsdales Rowe Camera: 20,000-Hz range and to 0.7 percent in the rear over the 20 to 7,000-Hz range. Rochestere Sound Mill: Mt. Kisco, Yorktown Hts.» Speaker My distortion readings were much low- Shop: Amherst, Buffaloe Stellar Stereo: Ithaca. k er over most of each frequency range. GK Pomemporary Sounds: Okla. Citys K Labs Premium Au- Noise was fairly low even in the Pro io: Tulsa. gu Audio Craft: Akron, Cleveland, Mayfield Hts., Westlakee I’M TRULY IMPRESSED BY HARMAN udio Etc.: Daytone Paragon Sound: Toledo. Kardon’s high-concept approach to the ee Bradford's HiFi: Eugenes Chelsea A/V: Portland, Beaver- lone Kelly's Home Ctr.: Salem Larson's: Medford, Roseburgs Stereo Plant: Bend. PA- Gary’s Elect.: State Colleges GNT Stereo: Lancasters Hart Elect.: Blakely, Kingstone Hi Fi House: Abington, Broomall A/V integrated amplifier. The AVI200 Palmer Audio: Allentowne Stereoland: Natrona Heights (Pitts- burgh): Studio One: Erie. - AN Design: Charleston Upstairs Audio: Columbia. delivers audiophile-quality sound, great - Audio King: Sioux Falls. : Chattanoogas Hi Fi Buys: Nashvilles Lind- technical performance, far more power say Ward: Knoxvilles Modern Music: Memphiss New Wave Elect.: Jacksons Sound Room: Johnson City, than advertised, and a well-conceived - Home Entertainment: Dallas, Houstone Audio Tech: Tem- ple, Wacoe Audio Video: College Stations Brock A/V: Beau- design. In terms of pure performance, monte Bunkley's Sd. Systems: Abilene* Bjorn's: San Antonios High Fidelity: Austins Yd Clear: Dallase Marvin Electron you get an awful lot for the money. ics: Ft. Worthe Sd. Box: San Angelo» Sd. Quest: El Pasos Sd. Most of my complaints—the relatively Systems: Amarillos Sd. Towne: Texarkana. urAlpine Elect: Provoe AudioWorks: Salt Lake Citys Crazy ob's: St. Georges Stokes Bros.: Logan. flimsy binding posts and lack of S- yA. Audio Buys: Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassase Video connections, for example—are udio Connection: Virginia Beach Audiotronics: Roanoker Home Media Store: Richmonde Stereo Type: Charlottesville fairly minor. The merely adequate num- - Audio Video A y S. Burlington. } - Definitive Audi levue, Seattles Evergreen Audio: ber of A/V sources could prove prob- iverdales Pacific St. & Sd.: Wenatchees Tin Ear: Kennewick. VA- Sound Post: Princeton. 4 lematic for some, but if three A/V inputs WI- Audio Emporium: Milwaukee* Absolute Sound & Vision: Sheboygans Sound World: Wausau.__ are enough for you, the AVI200 picture Puerto Rico- Precision Audio: Rio Piedras. Canada- A & B Sound: Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Vancou- is quite sharp. Sometimes, there’s ab- ver & Suburbs, Victorias Advance Electronics: Winnipeg Au- dio Ctr.: Montreal, Ottawae Bay Bloor Radio: Torontoe CORA: solutely no need to teach an old dog Quebec Citys Digital Dynamics: Clearbrooks Great West Au- dio: Londons Lipton's: New Market Ontarioe Peak Audio: Hali- new tricks. a faxe Sd. Room: Vancouvere Sd. Station: Courtenays Stere- oLand: Windsor. Definitive Technology®Mexico- Contact Grupo Volumen: Mexico City. 44 JUNE 1995 VIDEO

Definitive's BP10 & BP20 Win AudioVideo GrandPrix Award — Audio Video International Experience the miracle of bipolar technology when you hear the absolute sonic superiority of Definitive $ revolutionary BPS, 10 & 20 “Truly Outstanding” The Ultimate Home Theater — Stereo Review Combine the BP8s, 10s or 20s with our C/L/R 1000, C1 or C1 jr. center Our double Speaker-of-the-Year syne NY channel, BP1 or BP2 bipolar surround triumph is absolutely unprecedent- speakers and optional PowerField ed. But of course, Definitive is the BP10 - $550 ea. - $799 ea. BP8 - $399 ea. leader in high-end loudspeakers BP20 subwoofer for the ultimate in sound for music and home theater. and our BP8, BP10 and BP20 are The breathtaking performance of our award-winning bipolar sonically superior to any conven- speakers makes your music and movies really come alive. Award after Award Confirms tional speaker, regardless of cost. Definitive’s Sonic Superiority CIRCLE NO. 24 ON READER SERVICE CARD These American-made, advanced e Stereo Review “Showstoppers” and technology bipolar (front and rear “Expert Dream System” radiating) systems combine lush spacious soundstaging, lifelike e Video Magazine Product-of-the-Year e Audio Video Speaker-of-the-Year depth-of-field, razor-sharp resolu- ¢ CES Design & Engineering Awards tion and pinpoint 3-D imaging with e Sound & Vision Critic’s Choice powerful subwoofer-like bass (to e Inner Ear Report Editor’s Choice below 20 Hz), high efficiency, wide You owe it to yourself to hear these dynamic range and easy-to-position remarkable speakers today. convenience. The dramatic result is superb music and movie reproduc- Definitive Technology” tion so real that it has been called, 11105 Valley Heights Drive * Baltimore, MD 21117 “an incredible sonic miracle!” (410) 363-7148

i B&W’s Model SOOASW touches all of the basses ts I HAD A FUNNY EXPERIENCE A FEW WEEKS AGO. I WAS SNOOPING 12-inch Model 800ASW. 1 ~~ \\ around my local specialty audio/video emporium when I The 800ASW ($1,600) is designed to | zi94 happened upon a customer who was planted on a couch in deliver the lowest octaves of the audi- ble spectrum, including bass instru- front of a rear-projection TV set. The Crow was spinning on a ments like the pipe organ and tympani laserdisc player, and the salesman had one of the movie’s many as well as the subterranean special ef- moody outdoor encounters on A—B repeat. As we watched the dimly fects you get with many movies. A lit scene, we heard scratchy footsteps and thin snatches of good plan would be to pair it with two “main” speakers—the ones you’d put dialogue, all nearly drowned out by the scene’s steady downpour. on either side of your TV set—that, on their own, deliver appreciable output j Just as I crept closer, the salesman hypnotic force. The guy on the couch down to about 80 or even 60 Hz, even threw a switch... andthe room came literally gasped, then asked the sales- though the 800ASW can comfortably alive: Suddenly, the footfalls were dis- | man—who seemed quite pleased with stretch up to about 135 Hz. The sub- | tinct sounds, and it was easy to distin- _ himself, by the way—what he’d done. woofer also has its own built-in ampli- i] guish that the characters were walking The salesman replied that we’d started fier, which means that you don’t need a j on wet pavement. When the dialogue __ out listening to the projector’s built-in dedicated amp channel (or two) from a | came it was clean, clear, and crisply in- speakers. Then he’d switched on a five- component like an A/V receiver or an telligible. And the rain—well, I just | speaker surround-sound setup. Finally, outboard amp to drive it. } instinctively pulled my jacket more _ he’d kicked in a powered subwoofer. B&W’s big sub is finely crafted and | closely around me. Then the salesman Now, I wasn’t surprised; I’ve had sur- fully outfitted. The beautiful Gf hefty) | threw another switch, and the only way _ round-sound gear tied to my video sys- 73-pound cabinet is made out of black- | I can describe the result is to say that tem for years. But the guy on the couch ash wood veneer, and it’s finished on i the scene just seemed to fil/ the room: was flabbergasted. If your video gear all six sides. The cabinet is finished in | Now the footfalls had an ominous reso- _ isn’t part of a home-theater system, I such a way that you can place it on any | nance, the dialogue sounded like it was _—_suggest that you start looking into it of its four sides; depending on how really being spoken by human beings, immediately. And one of the powered you arrange it, it'll stand 20 x 17 x 17 and the rain drummed with an almost — subwoofers I’d look at first is B& W’s inches (h/w/d) or 17 x 20 x 17 inches, BY TOM NOUSAINE

with no loss of style points either way. tem sound “muddy” or “bloated.” The processor, or some other type of A/V Four conical, adhesive-backed plastic 800ASW offers a knob that lets you controller. RCA output jacks are on feet are provided; they accept either pick a frequency between 40 and 135 hand to deliver line-level (unpowered) rubber inserts, for setup on a hard floor, Hz, and it filters away signals above signals to the main speaker amplifiers; or screw-type spiked tips, for use on that point at a rate of 12 dB per octave; this output is filtered at 90 Hz and 18 carpeted floors. this 12-dB “slope” is a typical figure, dB per octave, meaning that everything indicating a smooth, moderately grad- below 90 Hz is filtered away. RCA The front panel holds a 12-inch-di- ual rolloff. LINK OUT jacks are provided to daisy- ameter long-throw driver. It has a plas- chain a second 800ASW. tic cone and a foam surround. The driv- In addition to the crossover-frequen- er is magnetically shielded, so you can cy knob, the back panel offers a volume Not all A/V controllers offer line-level place the cabinet near your TV set with knob, a switch that can be set to bypass subwoofer outputs, however, so the no risk of upsetting its picture. The the low-pass crossover, and a two-posi- 800ASW also provides connectors that front panel is also ventilated with a port tion phase control (0 and 180 degrees). accept traditional speaker wire. Just that measures 10 inches long and 3 The volume knob does just what you’d run wire from your A/V controller to the inches in diameter; the port flares at ei- think it would: The goal is to keep the sub and then run more wire from the ther end, ensuring quiet operation. sub’s output in balance with that of sub to the mains. This configuration (With some “ported” subs, you can ac- your system’s other speakers—you enables 80-Hz high-pass filtering for tually hear air rushing through the don’t want the sub to sound either too the mains; in other words, signals be- loud or too soft. You’d probably want low 80 Hz are cut off. The slope for vent.) You won’t see the driver or the to bypass the 800ASW’s built-in cross- this filter is rated at 6 dB per octave, port if you keep the supplied black- over if your system’s A/V receiver or which is very gradual, but in practice cloth grille in place. surround-sound processor already per- it'll vary according to the impedance forms low-pass filtering (some receiv- characteristics of the main speakers. A The back panel grants access to the ers and processors have built-in sub- nice touch: All of the speaker connec- 800ASW’s power plant. Nicely finished tors employ handy binding posts that heat sinks are on display. Keep them at woofer crossovers). accept standard banana plugs. least a few inches from an adjacent Phase is a very complicated subject; wall or piece of furniture; this will en- The last two features are a detachable able them to do an effective job of dis- suffice it to say that a subwoofer’s out- power cord and an on/off switch. The sipating the heat that builds up as the put can be severely attenuated depend- sub also has an auto-on function, how- sub’s built-in power amp works up a ing on 1) the sub’s position in your ever; it powers up the sub as soon as head of steam. room and 2) its physical relationship to it’s fed a signal and switches it to the other bass-producing speakers in “standby” mode whenever a signal is The amp is rated to deliver up to 200 your system. If you aren’t getting much absent for 2 minutes. Your best bet, watts continuous, and it’s fed by a vari- bass out of the sub and you’re sure that therefore, is to leave the power switch able low-pass filter. The filter lets you it’s wired and otherwise adjusted cor- in the ON position and let the sub turn pick the frequency at which the sub rectly, try flipping the phase switch to itself on and off. starts to operate. The usual routine is to the 180 position. determine the frequency at which your Impressive design chops notwith- main speakers stop producing apprecia- The back panel also offers a number standing, the proof is always in the per- ble bass and use that point as the sub’s of connectors. There’s a set of RCA- formance. So I positioned the 800- “cutoff’—you don’t want your sub and type line-level input jacks; you’d use ASW—near a corner at the same end your mains to gang up on frequencies, them to route in subwoofer-output sig- of the room that’s occupied by my since that’ll probably make your sys- nals from an A/V receiver, surround main speakers—and wired it up. Instal- lation in my “separates”-based home theater was as simple as wiring up a Hi-Fi VCR: First, I ran a set of RCA cables from the left and right outputs of my preamplifier directly to the 800ASW. Then I routed another set of RCA cables from the sub to the inputs on the power amplifier that I use to drive my main speakers; I used the 90- Hz high-pass filter because my mains were smallish bookshelf types. The most time-consuming part was the setting of the low-pass crossover. I initially set it at the 12-0’clock position (about 70 Hz) and then took a break to set the sub’s level control; a pink-noise test signal made level-balancing a snap. Then I returned to the low-pass filter. I used test gear to find the best cutoff, and that’s how it should be done if you CONTINUED ON PAGE 94 VIDEO JUNE 1995 47

A. VIDEOTEST rront Bright, sharp images and software setup mark the Barcovision 701 IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR BONA-FIDE TAKE-YOUR-BREATH-AWAY May 1995, respectively]—the Barco performance from your home theater, know that there are a doesn’t come from the factory preset few minimum requirements: You need a great surround-sound for any particular screen size or instal- system for visceral impact, a laserdisc player for the highest-quality lation preference. Instead, a trained video source, and a big-screen TV to really draw you into the dealer performs the installation from experience. Though the gap is narrowing (witness ProScan’s new start to finish in the owner’s home. 80-inch rear projector), the largest images—measuring up to 100 or more diagonal inches—are still supplied by front-projection TVs. Installing and setting up the 701 isn’t especially daunting because it’s very Barco’s Barcovision 701 is a prime ex- choices for the Barcovision 701. easy to adjust—in fact, in this regard — ample of the breed. Measuring 11.9 x 21.6 x 28.6 inches it’s the most flexible projector I’ve seen at this price. All of the control and con- In the cozy (if pricey) little world of (h/w/d) and weighing 84 pounds, the vergence settings are accessed via soft- front-projection TV, there’s only a ware that’s built into the projector; ad- handful of major players. Barco is a 701 ($8,995) is sleek and compact as justments can be made via the supplied charter member, though you don’t hear far as front projectors go. It’s also the backlit remote control or from the unit much about the company in home- company’s entry-level unit. As with itself. video circles. That’s because Barco’s most projectors, you can only buy it from an authorized dealer—one that The term “easy” is relative when ap- primary, er, focus, is in the business should be well-versed in the installa- plied to a front-projector setup, how- world, where the company has had tion and setup procedures necessary to ever. You'd have to be extremely famil- great success. The needs of industrial make the projector look its best. Unlike iar with this projector and its extensive customers differ somewhat from the two other front projectors I recently software menus in order for it to be tru- needs of home-theater aficionados, of reviewed—Mitsubishi’s VS-1250 ly simple. Translation: Unless you’re course. As you'll see, that fact drove ($7,995) and AmPro’s Model 1200 willing to learn by your mistakes, don’t Barco to make some interesting design try this at home. Barco sent a trained ($6,995) [‘“Videotests,” April 1995 and technician to help me with the setup. But I’m getting ahead of myself. BY PETER BARRY