video-magazine-1992-05

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FEATURES HOW TO BUY A HOME THEATER 36 A strategy for winning the most demanding & costly video challenge you'll ever accept. 40 By Martin Levine 44 ACCESSORIES AFTER THE FACT 47 A new array of lights, mics and more helps home shooters fire up flat videos. By Ron Goldberg TV ALCHEMISTS How an MIT think tank is breaking barriers to create TV’s future. By Frank Beacham INSTALLATION OF THE MONTH: ALL IN A WALL How a low-budget theater packs big-screen punch. By Stan Pinkwas REVIEWS 48 The Rapture, Black Robe, Billy Bathgate, Aliens on laserdisc, more EDITOR’S CHOICE / Boyz N the Hood & Heaven’s Gate on disc. 49 By Kenneth Korman S77 DIRECTORY / The latest releases on tape and disc SONY CCD-FX410 8MM CAMCORDER, 14 Cover: Goldstar GVR-A485 VHS VCR, Sharp VL-MX7U twin-lens 8mm camcorder, Panasonic PV-VP1 video printer. By Berger-Braithwaite Labs Straight talk on shop- ping for a home DEPARTMENTS theater. System pic- CHANNEL ONE / A theater of your own tured features a rear- projection TV by Pi- FEEDBACK / Letters from readers 6 _ oneer, Thiel speakers, LATE NEWS / The Winter Olympics in widescreen HDTV, more GAZETTE / Jodie Foster, Poison director Todd Haynes, more 8 a Sony VCR, a Pro- Scan laserdisc player, HANDS-ON TEST / Two cutting-edge camcorder accessories 9 Marantz THX amplifiers 10 ts : ee Q & A/ Technical queries answered 32 Photosrenh byVittorio CNEOWLLEPCRTOODRU’CSTSC/LETAheRIfiNrstGcHoOnsUuSmeEr 34 = Sartor two-CCD ‘6c0asmcWohridrelry,birdmsoreto Space: 1999 35 4 / From Rie ie OFF THE AIR / What drives you crazy this year? 104 Number 2 A) The VIDEO Magazine (ISSN 1044-7288) is published monthly by Reese Communications, Inc., 460 W. 34 St., New York, NY 10001. Second-class postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing Audit Bureau office. © 1992 Reese Communications. Inc. All rights reserved. © under Universal, International, and Pan American Co pyright Conventions. Reproduction of editorial or pictorial content in any manner $22.47 (includes GST #R125938423) U.S.; foreign, air mail, $40 U.S. Canadian is prohibited. Single copy price $2.50; $2.95 in Canada; £2.50 in U.K One-year subscription (12 issues) $15.; Canada, international publication permit #546488. Address subscription orders, change of address, correspondence and inquiries 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 notice, and publisher assumes no responsibility for such change. Printed in the U.S.A. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VIDEO, Box 56293, Boulder, CO write to; Serials Acquisition Dept., University Microfilms, Inc., 300 North Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. 80322-6293. For microform copies of issues or articles, 4 VIDEO MAY 1992

onvenience. Just sit back and your laserdiscs will be deliv- ered free of charge’ to your home or offi ec. In fact, most orders ship within 24 hours of your call. And with your free monthly catalog Pak vulll always be up on the lat- est selections. Just call our kno on their way. Now isn't that convenient. meee ee --4 I To geta free catalog and get | I on our mailing list, senc Laser 3 Fan Club ] P.O. Box 93103 l Long Beach, CA 90809-9924 u I Name I Address | SR ae | Phone I NG a Ay LaserDisc Fan Club CALL TODAY. 1-800-322-2285 or in Canada 1-800-826-1002 Mon-Fri Zam-6pm, Sat 8am-Spm Free delivery via U.P.S. is not ava za, Canada or He handling charge per shipment. P: and policies subject to change. ©1992 LaserDise Fan Club, Circle 11 on Reader Service Ca

|Ea CHANNEL ONE FroxSound A theater of your own Frox has stirred excitement Do you have a theater in your home? What room is it in? How did throughout the consumer electron- you buy the compon— eindnivitdusally or as a system? Where did you buy it? Did you use the services of a professional installer or assemble ics industry because of its advanced the system yourself? If you don’t currently enjoy a home theater, are you considering one? If so, how do you define home theater and where audio/video processing and its do you plan to shop for it? powerful, yet intuitive user If I sound like a clipboard-toting, mall-roving researcher, it’s be- cause home theater is one of the hottest topics in the consumer interface.What’s more, the electronics business this year. Indeed you may have already been sur- veyed, since many companies are asking these very questions in an FroxSound system has also been effort to define the concept and stake out positions in the market. engineered for the purest signal Reinforced by a recent survey from the Electronic Industries Asso- ciation which shows that two-thirds of consumers would rather watch and effects and can accommodate movies at home than in theaters, suppliers of audio and video equip- ment are developing dramatic new home theater systems designed to any future audio engineering de- exploit their particular histories and technological specialties. velopments through software. For instance, JBL, one of the earliest suppliers of loudspeakers for the movie industry and a leading name in commercial sound systems, According to Gareth Loy, Senior is making its home theater statement with Synthesis One, a system that features a double-barrelled sound system that can be switched Audio Software Engineer, the 24 bit from Cinema to Music mode, for optimum listening pleasure from these two different types of entertainment experiences. Meanwhile, a digital audio system accepts uptoeight new company named Frox is offering a complete home theater system, for $10,000 to $30,000 or more, that emphasizes the advantages 2st- digital inputs, features 16 digital out- century digital technology can bring to streamline the use of home en- puts, offers true digital signal process- tertainment equipment and programming. ing for sound effects and passes the Companies like RCA that have strong franchises in video are natu- rally developing their systems around the monitor as the centerpiece of audio signal between components via a total home theater experience, while still others look to translate a strong consumer brand awareness in hi-fi products into a leadership fiber optic connectionsTh.e end result position. But regardless of the starting point, or whether they are sell- ing individual components or complete systems, the companies is a digital audio system that produces involved are all pursuing the same goal—to re-create the theater expe- rience in your home. audio signals at their optimum purity. From your calls and letters to us, we know that many of you al- Italhass foour ready have a home theater system. You'll appreciate the process that is outlined in this month’s cover story, “How to Buy a Home Theater,” analog inputs and will be able to compare it with your own experiences. For those who are about to embark on such a project, the article will give you a and outputs. leg up in your decision-making process. The Frox James M. Barry Editor SY, Digital APurdoifoevsisdieoonal Straii ght “Ei E Retailers isthe system's audi:o frame- Association work, built upon an innovative fiber optic path that preserves the signal in the digital domainas longas possible, from CD or LaserDisc player, through the Frox audio system, and right to the input of the digital self-powered speaker. Signal processing offers digital tone controls, a digital graphic equalizer, digital Dolby Pro Logic, and an innovative Sonic Playground that recreates a variety of room environments. FroxSound has been built using the Motorola 56001 Digital Signal Processor, which can be repro- grammed at a moment’s notice to integrate any new digital audio de- velopment. Additional audio pro- cessing can be obtained by purchas- ing additional signal processors. PARACR2CSoiaenrracdvdl.iecre is an association of specialty audio and video re- tailers. To locate a PARA dealer near you, call: (816) 444-3500 VIDEO MAY 1992

OUTHAOGMTEOGWETHETOIORUR ENTER THE _ Here's your opportunity to create an 8th ANNUAL Original video production and have your VISIONS OF U.S. work judged by video professionals—with the HOME VIDEO chance to win valuable Sony prizes. CONTEST The contest, sponsored by Sony and administered by the American Film Institute, is an invitation for you to express your vision—on 8mm, VHS or Beta. Just choose a category-fiction, non-fiction, music video or experimental— and start shooting. Submit your work by June 15, 1992 and a distinguished panel of judges comprised of LeVar Burton, Kathleen Kennedy, Francis Ford Coppola, Corin Nemec, Tim Allen, Carole King, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Underwood and Shelley Duvall will begin the judging process. You'll be in competition for an exciting selection of Sony video products, and everyone who enters will receive a bonus blank videocassette. To find out more about how you can get your footage in the door, call (213) 856-7743 or write Visions of U.S., P.O. Box 200, Hollywood, CA 90078. VISIONTHE EIGHTH ANNUAL OF U.S. VIDEO CONTEST The Visions of U.S. Video Contest is sponsored by Sony Corporation of America and administered by The American Film Institute.

FEEDBACK — VIDEO magazine The terms of war President and Managing Director, | Jay Rosenfield While I am a huge fan of your “Eyes- Executive Vice President, On” challenges, I can’t help but ques- Edward M. Milarsky tion the method of testing employed in Editor, James M. Barry “Laser War Games” (Feb. 92). The first Managing Editor, Stan Pinkwas problem is that you ran all the signals 11th Deck: Sony's SL-HF1000 SuperBeta VCR through a single monitor, preventing a || was an early stalwart editing deck for consumers. Technical Editor, Lancelot Braithwaite | simultaneous side-by-side comparison of Overlooked classic Senior Editors, Kenneth Korman, pictures. More disturbing is that you Brent Butterworth Assistant Editors, Brian Clark, used only one disc. No single source is In “10 Decks That Shook the World,” April P. Bernard Contributing Editors: Bob Angus, Mavis likely tmoacbhriinn:ges.outSia:llvlertahdeo sui: sbtalegreqauatlidtii“£s8 ecs, || y‘oyouur March feature on classic VCRs, Arthur, Bob Barlow, Frank Beacham, Ivan of the | unforgivably omitted THE classic Berger, James Caruso, Steve Daly, Steve Ditlea, Bruce Eder, Ron Goldberg, Ty but sources with more varied qualities | VCR, Sony’s SL-HF1000 SuperBeta | Harrington, David Lachenbruch, Frank | Lovece, Gordon McComb, Marianne would seem to be called for. What is sur- model. It introduced videophiles to true Meyer, Rich Warren, Stewart Wolpin, Roderick Woodcock | prising is that you did use varied sources editing with such features as flying erase | Art Director, Lonnie Heller for the “Clash of the Titans” rear-screen heads, a built-in edit controller, a jog/ ' prroojjection “Eyyes-On” in last Sepptem- shuttle dial and a title generator. Also it ber’s issue. records in the impeccable Bl-SHB Scott Rohm Trabuco Hills, California mode, which produces a better overall Associate Art Director, Vera Naughton picture than S-VHS. Art Assistant, Luis Ramos Jr. Editor's reply: Matching five monitors, even Greg Kimnach Production Manager, James LoGrasso of the same model, seemed unreasonable be- Parma, Ohio | Production Assistant, Gaye Whyte Typesetting, Janet M. Holland cause variations among the monitors would Editor's reply: The jog/shuttle dial was in- Publisher, Eric C. Schwartz have affected picture-quality judgments. We troduced on Sony's SL-HF900 SuperBeta | | Vice President, Circulation | believe the variety of scenes in Silverado VCR. However, the SL-HF1000's flying and Special Projects, Rena Adler | was sufficient for this exercise — and, having erase heads and additional editing features | Circulation Assistant, Elizabeth Moss made the dial more useful. Newsstand Sales Director, Gerald Levine since used the players outside the bound- Marketing Director, Luanne Rao aries of the shootout with other sources, our Financial Officer, Albert Mineo perceptions have proven consistent with the |Riachout anxie ty “Eyes-On” results. Projection selection | Why do your “Videotests” of new VCRs Business Manager, Janette Eyans invariably ignore timeshifting, the only Assistant Business Manager, | special thing that thousands do with Lily Schwartzberg Just read ‘“‘Formula-1 Video,” your their VCRs. I have a good VCR which I Corporate Offices, Editorial & Sales: 460 March feature on front projectors, and bought solely for one feature, a long West 34 Street, New York, NY 10001; thought I'd share my recent experience. backup time should my power supply 212-947-6500, 212-947-6727 (fax) | Before investing $1,400 in new tubes for fail. It’s vital to us timeshifters, and West Coast Sales Office: Linda DeRogatis, my 5-year-old Kloss projector, I went to | should be included in all VCR reviews. | Associate Publisher; Cynthia Gallivan, West Coast Advertising Manager; 1453 the library and listed the phone numbers Charlie Schibener Third Street, Suite 490, Santa Monica, CA 90401; 213-393-5057, 213-393-5538 (fax) of all the Los Angeles and Orange Nashua, New Hampshire | Chicago Sales Office: Milton Gerber, Media County dealers who mentioned projec- | Plus, 4409 RFD Stonehaven Drive, Long | tion TV sets in their Yellow Pages ads. Editor's reply: Beginning with this issue, | Grove, IL 60047;708-913-5400, 708-913-5403 (fax); 405 North Wabash, | Chicago, IL 60611; 312-644-0001, After two days and dozens of calls, I | when backup power time is available, we | 312-644-0930 (fax) came up with one Sharp LCD projector will include it in our “Videotests” of VCRs. | that could be demonstrated and one Mitsubishi that couldn’t. I finally bought For the record | a Sony VPH-1000Q (without a demo) | Yamaha manufactures its own laserdisc | Detroit Sales Office: John Kennedy & | from a supplier to the film industry. players. In “Laser War Games,” (Feb. Associates, 16899 Village Lane, Grosse Luckily, I’m satisfied. Considering the | 92) we incorrectly reported that Pointe, MI 48230; 313-886-4399, | enormous geographical area (and the Yamaha does not. 313-354-1482 (fax) | concentration of wealth) that I covered, | Editor-in-Chief, Art Levis (1936-1991) I can only assume the projection TV in- Video Magazine welcomes ‘your comments. Fe REESE COMMUNICATIONS dustry is going nowhere fast. Address correspondence to Feedback, Video INCORPORATED Phil Hughes Magazine, 460 West 34 Street, New York, Long Beach, California NY 10001. 8 VIDEO MAY 1992

EDITED BY | from Pro-Logic, which combines left, | nounce its HDTV standard in early | tight, center and rear signals in two an- 1993. @ Sony’s coming entry into mobile LATE NEWS| BRENT BUTTERWORTH alog tracks. Expect to see the first prod- video should jump-start the dormant ucts equipped with AC-3 in about 18 | field. The company recently showed months. e Minolta’s new double-CCD prototypes of three car video monitors, | Master Pro 8-919 Hi8 camcorder is the an in-dash 8mm VCR and a VHS hi-fi product of an unusual joint develop- deck intended for installation in a van ment program. While Minolta focused or trunk. e If you’ve been wondering on the camera section, Hitachi devel- why there seem to be so many news re- | oped the recorder. But Hitachi has no plans to introduce its | The latest on HDTV, own U.S. model. Minolta, Pro-Logic’s successor meanwhile, was careful not to and Minolta’s focus fuss. | debut its camcorder before | April. An earlier date risked entangling the model in a pat- While Americans followed this winter’s ent suit by Honeywell against quest for Olympic gold on CBS and portions of the autofocus sys- TNT, the French had a wider view of tem, which is the same one | the ceremonies and events. And it | Minolta uses in its Maxxum | wasn’t just those who were fortunate 35mm SLR cameras. Accord- enough to attend the 16th Winter ing to James de Merlier, a Olympic Games in person who enjoyed | Minolta marketing chief, the an expanded picture of the competition. | relevant patent ran out on | In 25 locations throughout France and a April 1. e It didn’t take Sony | like number elsewhere in Europe, long to elbow its way into the Thomson Consumer Electronics broad- top echelon of companies mar- Going for the Gold: To promote advanced television in Europe, Thomson broadcast several Winter Olympic events in HDTV. cast widescreen HDTV accounts of the keting VHS VCRs. Just three games. For Thomson, this was an oppor- years after the company bit the | tunity to replicate its home turf success bullet and entered the one- in 1968 when the company introduced time archrival VHS camp, the company ports lately of consumer electronics re- color TV in France during the Grenoble reports it’s the number-one brand in | tailers either going out of business or | games. @ Dolby Laboratories is creating VHS hi-fi unit sales and in the top five seeking some form of bankruptcy protec- a successor to Pro-Logic, the surround- of all VCRs sold. e When’s HDTV going tion, one reason is surely an overpopula- | sound standard that gave bi:th to home to be on the market and what will be the tion of dealers. While the general theater. Dubbed AC-3, the new stand- price? No one really knows yet, but Ze- population increased by 10 percent dur- | ard will be a consumer version of the nith R&D Vice President Wayne ing the 1980s, according to statistics pre- | | company’s SR-D digital theater sound Luplow estimates that, “For any given sented by JBL during a home theater | | format. Intended for laserdiscs and CDs, screen size, the extra cost increment of | demonstration this spring, the consumer | AC-3 will include discrete digital tracks | our HDTV system will be on the order electronics retail establishment grew by | for three front speakers, two surround of $1,000, as compared to $30,000 in Ja- 75 percent to sell tens of millions of | speakers and a subwoofer. This differs _ pan.” The FCC is scheduled to an- VCRs, TVs and other new products. @ | NBO daeaeTEGO THE HIGHEST RESOLUTION VIDEO SEIS EET LITE TE THE MOST DYNAMIC DIGITAL SOUND SEES SEE tl ‘Name Brands Only’ NBO (Name Brands Only) has helped thousands experience the technical advantages ofsatellite TV, and we've helped them install iteasily and quickly all bythemselves. With 100% financing offered in all 50 states, NBO provides a complete satellite TV system for as little as $29 per month. FCHOSTAR \\\\ \\\\\\aa\\aawA™ Order our FREE catalog today to learn more about NBO’s SATELLITE TV SYSTEMS. DISCOUNT PRICES CALL 800-346-6466 DON’T PAY CABLE Circle 50 on Reader Service Card. MAY 1992 VIDEO

GALENTE tary, Americans; she also wrote the |people have to work all the time, so Jodie Foster script. That led to a chance to direct | they'll do two or three films a year, | Tate for Orion Pictures, which has tradi- |whatever comes along, and they just dis- | comes of age tionally given first-time directors a | regard the things that aren’t right about | sh—owittness Kevin Costner’s Dances | it,” Foster says. “I’m not a hack—I just | Sitting and speaking with Jodie Foster, |With Wolves. Now, with an Oscar for her | don’t know how to work that much. I director-star of Little Man Tate (Orion), |performance in The Accused, a nomina- | don’t have any ideas left at the end of a you get the feeling she takes for granted | tion for The Silence of the Lambs and her | movie. And it’s more fun this way,” she being the smartest person in a room. | feature directing debut, Foster realizes | says. “If you've got to spend three or four And she’s usually right: Foster earned a | “the next step is crucial for me. After |months on something, it better be some- literature degree, with honors, at Yale, |The Accused and Silence, I’m more scru- | thing you enjoy.” and was valedictorian at the Lycee Fran- _ tinized. And if my name is on the mar- | —Frank Lovece cais prep school in Los Angeles—where |quee now, any kind of failure is a bigger _ from age 9 her classes were conducted in | issue than if I wasn’t.” French, we of the languages in which All of which are good reasons to be Todd HIay nes | she’s now fluent. picky about future projects. “A lot of 4 4; | Thus it came as no surprise when | picks his Poison | Foster—a working actress since age 3 — “T did a lot of traveling to show this film, and I was almost disappointed that there | chose for her movie directorial debut a were never any picketers or protesters,” says Todd Haynes, the writer-director of drama about a child prodigy. Little Man Poison (Fox Lorber). And though he Tate, starring herself, Dianne Wiest and never thought that this $250,000 experi- mental film would be seen by more than Harry Connick Jr., tells the fictional sto- | a handful of people, Haynes has been | ry of a 7-year-old genius, Fred Tate, “very happy to find audiences are much more receptive to complex, | played by newcomer Adam Hann-Byrd. innovatively structured films than | I'd expected.” It’s stretching things to say Foster’s own It’s not that the genial, boy- ish-looking Haynes wants to of- life mirrors Fred’s—a kid with a shock- fend anybod—yfar from it. But he owes the unexpected suc- | ing genius at painting, music and math cess of his film in large part to. publicity generated by Rev. | who tries desperately to fit in with his Donald Wildmon, the Mis-| sissippi fundamentalist who peers—but there are similarities: The has led protests against thir- tysomething, L.A. Law, the single mother. A long-gone, barely re- TV movie Roe vs. Wade and | even a Mighty Mouse car- | ferred-to father. And the early mastery toon for offending his defi- | nition of “family values.” of language — Foster reportedly was After Poison won the speaking full sentences before age 2, Grand Prize award at the and pancling cold scripts at 5. : , Sundance Film Festival, Wildmon condemned its “I don’t know,” Foster ponders 2 .. “explicit porno scenes of with uncharacteristic uncertain- , y * - ty. “I wasn’t a genius at math and all that other stuff. And I was not at all that person- ality; I was not quiet or pas- sive. I was an actor kid, so | was uninhibited and out there and danced on ta- bles.” Foster’s first directing job was a short titled “Hands of Time,” for a BBC documen- homosexuals involved in | \\ anal sex,” a charge he | might have realized was untrue had he bothered Brain Trust: to see the film first. (He Jodie Foster and Adam later admitted he had Hann-Byrd in Little Man not.) Although one of its | three interlocking seg- Tate, Foster's first fea- ¥ ments does deal with | ture as director. 10 VIDEO MAY 1992

homosexual obsession, it is suggestive rather than explicit, with less nudity | | than many PG-rated films. As entertaining as it is provocative, Poison’s three stories differ broadly in style and approach, but are linked by characters who are outsi—d“eporisson” to society. “Hero” takes a tabloid TV ap- proach to the story of a 7-year-old boy who killed his father and then flew away _ okeu“tHorrtohre,” wHikieinn dwohwic: hof ahnisi: nsnuobcuernbtanresheoamrec.h | | scientist is transformed into a hideous “leper sex killer,” parodies ’5Qs horror | tiful or successful people cannot under- stand the pain and torment of Frankiemovies. “Homo,” the most naturalistic loneliness. She identifies with Frankie a great deal, and even feels that her status of the segments, is a Jean Genet tale of as a movie star gives her some special in- and Johnnysexual obsession in a French prison. sight into Frankie’s feelings of isolation Director Haynes wanted to present and her distrust of people. She recounts the story of her deathbed visit to a friend and Michellecharacters who are not to blame for their situations. In this sense, their situa- tions become a metaphor for AIDS. When last fall’s theatrical release of Frankie & Johnny (Paramount) failed to dying of AIDS: “They wheeled him in score a major hit with the moviegoing on a gurney and suddenly the ambu- | public despite its A-list leads, Al Pacino lance driver turned to me and said, ‘May | and Michelle Pfeiffer, some in the movie I have your autograph?’ ” business saw this as proof that its older Director Marshall says he was some- “demographic” no longer buys movie what surprised by the controversy tickets. This relatively small drama about loneliness and fear of attachment caused by Pfeiffer’s casting. “Many peo- seemed not to be what moviegoers, the ple could play the woman,” he says, “but majority of whom are simply too young | to get what Terrence [McNally] really to identify with the characters, crave. conceived for Frankie — well, Michelle is sexy, and I think Frankie is sexy too.” Meanwhile the film was attacked from Pfeiffer adds that her character, even in Far From the Mainstream: Controversy has the other side for “Hollywoodizing” Ter- the play, was never described as homely brought an unusually large audience to Poison. rence McNally’s depressing play. Critics but as “someone who could be very at- argued that the uncommonly beautiful | tractive if she just put some work into Michelle Pfeiffer could never play the “sTehlIeff-r-bebl'lsamea liaontkof thse eglafy-incdoimcmtumneintty,i”a’end it.” Appearances aside, Pfeiffer does Haynes observes, “‘a tendency to go back || quite common character of Frankie cre- evoke her character's emotional state in to the moment when you made the ‘fatal ated on stage by Kathy Bates. This camp error’ and linger on it. I feel that that’s a very convincing manner. With any being unfair to yourself and your experi- also took issue with some of the comic luck, Frankie & Johnny’s demographic ences. will have an opportunity to find this out touches and additional characters found when it hits video store shelves April 29. in the Garry Marshall-directed film. —Jon Silberg Pfeiffer objects to the idea that beau- “But I didn’t mean it to speak only | The Ratings Game. LIVE Home Video has become to a gay community. For instance, I’ve the first major label to add explanations of “R” ratings to heard from women all over the world who've told me how erotic the film is to cassette boxes. The explanations will be based on infor- them. Because there’s no woman de- mation provided by the MPAA, which rates feature films picted in the [prison seduction] scene, it for theatrical release. Look for listings on violence, takes a sort of play-acting where you en- nudity and profanity on upcoming releases Obsessive ter into the mentality of the male char- Love, Incident at Oglala, Prom Night IV and Fear. acter. And that’s what gay people have | always done when viewing Hollywood Lotto for Video. Ohio, Idaho, Delaware and Wash- ington state have added movies on videocassette to their films, to play-act as they watch films lottery games as “second chance” consolation prizes. More than 120,000 vid- with heterosexual roles and get pleasure eos have been claimed in Ohio alone, where lottery players can choose among and excitement out of them.” 121 different titles. Ohio's most popular prizes? Total Recall, Dirty Dancing and —M. Faust |Gr—ea_t__Mo_m_ents in Ohio Sports. ey J MAY 1992 VIDEO

‘eOBERRAAML ag mM oe a LJ VAE- PANATAR 5 SER.NO.B-264 This Hand-Cranked silent film camera, the 1903 The Anamorphic Lens achieved the first large-format H. Ernemann developed in Dresden, Germany, was one screen image. Originally developed in the late 1920s, it helped entice thousands ofpeople back into the theaters ofthe earliest successful motion picture cameras. during a sagging film economy three decades later. Every so often the technology of movie Buy the new Mitsubishi speed, and take a guess at how to will cover just about any shoot- HS-CX7u Camcorder and youll set the white balance. Or, using ing situation you might encounter. be buying more than just a cam- era. You'll be getting alittle bit of the new HS-CX7u, you can sim- The HS-CX7u also comes history, too. Because ours is the ply select the “skier” icon. And six first video camera in the world equipped with our Stable Cam’ with One-Touch Event Settings, separate functions will be automat- feature. This sophisticated image which automatically control all ically adjusted to shoot in the snow. stabilization system automatically critical camera adjustments. Or maybe youre shooting in- compensates for any shakiness in Let's say, for example, you want doors at your neighbors 60s Retro your hands while shooting. Which to use your camera on the big ski party. No problem. Just select the means your pictures wont come “party’ icon. And the camera pro- tripY.oucan remind yourself to grams itself to handle the lighting out looking like you shot an earth- adjust the iris, check the shutter conditions you find at a party. quake. Unless, of course, you shot an earthquake. There are six icons in all,which Whats more, the HS-CX7u © 1992 Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc. For the name ofyour nearest dealer call 1-800-527-8888.

The Arriflex Camera, like the 1950s 35-2C pictured The “skier” icon represents the here, was the first camera to use a “spinning mirror brightness event setting, one ofsix single- touch automatic settings, on the new reflex shutter’ making itpossible for the camera operator to see through the camera while filming. Mitsubishi HS-CX7u Camcorder. was designed with a lightweight so youre guaranteed not to miss capabilities allow you to pickup high- any of the action. Awelcome quality sound from any direction. inner lens focusing system. So it B\\ benefit when your Now that you know the uses less battery power, while daughter picks one HS-CX7uis one of the most sophis- exact instant to ticated pieces of movie making focusing faster than heavier take her very first equipment in the world, you might steps on earth. want to head over to your nearest external lens systems. In And to make Mitsubishi dealer and take a look. fact,thewholecam- P sure you catch all After all,something this huge © those editorial com- doesnt come along very often. era weighs a mere _ ~ § ments your Uncle Fred is so fond of making, our MITSUBISHI 14 pounds. | Hi-Fi recording and reproduction TECHNICALLY, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE” Our“Quick ¢ Circle 4 on Reader Service Card. Recording” fea- ture allows you to — go from ‘stop’ to “play” in less than one-third of a second,

BERGER-BRAITHWAITE LABS _ DATE(+) TIME(NEXT) =AGE/EVENT [SUOSIONLNEaN fOy MNES | PROGRAM FADER BACK LIGHT | Simple Sony: The CCD-FX410 offers exposure modes for portrait, sports and high-speed shutter, eliminating the need for manual adjustment ofiris and shutter. Sony markets The new CCD-FX410 eschews man- | With its new fami- ly-oriented CCD- three lines of 8mm ual control of exposure and shutter | FX410, Sony may camcorders: the F | speed, substituting three specialized | have created its series for basic auto exposure modes. These modes, ac- easiest-to-use camcorder. Instead of family use, the V cessed with a large dial, let even total series for video en- technophobes achieve optimum picture manual shutter and thusiasts who quality in most conditions. The portrait mode opens the iris as far as possible and iris controls, it offers SONY want all the bells controls exposure with shutter speeds up | to 1/1,850-second, limiting depth of field auto exposure (AE) and whistles, and modes for portrait, the TR series of sports and high- 8mm subcompacts. All to soften the focus on the background. | speed shutter. It camcorder have full automat- | The sports mode uses a moderately high | produces a very ic modes for point- shutter speed (up to 1/500-second) for good picture and and-shoot operat- low blurring in slow and still playback, good to very good ing ease. The differences appear in the and a high-speed shutter mode (1/4,000- audio, with excel- second) for even less blur and very crisp | lent ease of opera- number of manual controls. Sony CCD-FX 410 cus. switchable to | blinks for low battery or tret condenser tion. At $1,100, the 8mm Camcorder powered manual low tape. and onscreen FX410 earns our Jacks: external mic, vid- | Price: $1,100 Minimum Illumination: indicators for backlight, eo in/out. DC out to RF recommendation. 3.6 lux for 50 IRE | manual focus mode. LP unit. audio in/out, ear- phone and LANC remote Audio: hi-fi AFM mono weighted video—49.4, play. tape transport chroma AM—42.1, Edit Search: 1x Titles/Graphics: age in- chroma PM—39.0 Weight & Size (h/w/d): Iris: auto with 3 AE | mode. AE mode, counter, sert. date/time record Audio Frequency 1.8 Ibs. without battery or modes plus BLC tape remaining graphic, Cue & Review Search: Response: 50 Hz-12.5 5x forward. 7x reverse Special Features: still kHz. +0.1/-3 dB: -9.9 dB tape: 4-1/4 x 4-5/8 x Fade: trigger-operated, zoom position graphic, | frame. frame advance, at 20 Hz; -7.3 dB at 20 10-5/8 inches audio/video to black fader. low battery, low Fast Forward/Rewind kHz Time: approx. 6-1/4 min. 1/5x slow motion. insert Tape Format & Speeds: Shutter Speeds (sec.): tape/no cassette. zero for P6-120 edit. flying erase head, Hi-Fi Dynamic Range: 69.8 dB 8mm; SP, LP (play only) normal—1/60. AE por- memory, dew. trouble, Remote Pause: LANC counter memory Audio Distortion: 0.3% 3-conductor submini Absent Features: dirty heads. battery ca- ae ae piel RATINGS | pacity remaining. age, Remote Control: IR Picture: very good Video Heads: 2 trait—1/60-1/1.850 wireless with hold switch, wide-angle/telephoto Audio: good/very good | Image Sensor: automatic: AE sports— | date or time, replace zoom rocker and buttons Ease of Use: excellent | 1/3-inch CCD 1/60-1/500 automatic, AE clock battery for record start/stop. play, Overall: high-speed shutter Viewfinder Controls: di- very good/excellent rewind/search. fast for- Lens: {/1.6. 10x mode—1/4.000 opter focus. viewfinder ward/search. stop, pause/ its,Wane: ne still. slow and data screen RESULTS (6.1-61mm) two-speed White Balance: angle. edit search rocker power zoom, full auto | Horizontal Resolution: | VCR Controls: rewind/ 250 lines Filter Diameter: 37mm Viewfinder; electronic | search. play. fast forward/ with large sports-type ad- S/N Ratios (dB): un- Minimum Focusing Dis- justable magnifier. LED search. stop, pause, re- weighted video—41.6. tance: 1/2 inch recording indicator which cord Microphone: mono elec- Autofocus: TTL inner fo- Ht 14 VIDEO MAY 1992

For camcorder users who want to get into editing in- expensively, Gold- star's GVR-A485 may be the perfect VCR. At $500, it’s priced about the same as many bare-bones VHS hi-fi decks, but it includes all the features essential for editing: jog/shuttle dials sti;lls and slow motio5 n. And of course, | Goldstar made its on the VCR and the re- name with bar- mote, a flying erase there’s a standard full auto mode. White gain-basement head, audio and video VCRs, but the dub, a character titler balance is completely automatic. VIDEOTEST company has and front inputs. On top Trigger-operated fade, backlight steadily and suc- of all this, its picture 634 cessfully upgraded quality and ease of use compensation, time/date/age imprinting its line. The re- are both very good to ex- sults can be seen cellent and its audio and focus may be adjusted manually. in its top-of-the- quality is very good. We line GVR-A485. rate it very good to ex- The zoom lever offers a moderate zoom It’s intended for cellent, and recommend speed and a super-fast speed that goes diting, but w'th it highly. through the 10x zoom range in about GOLDSTARthree seconds, making quick shot fram- ing easy. The viewfinder display gives all VHSthe details about which functions are operative, with a few cautions and graphic representations of zoom adjust- VCR med arn nee ment, tape remaining and battery condi- and jog/shuttle dials on both the remote “just fit recording” automatically sets tion. This data continually reassures the control and the VCR, it’s no slouch as a the speed for a recording so it fits the re- user that all is operating well. home theater deck. maining amount of tape. The FX410’s streamlined styling and The GVR-A485 offers all the stand- The onscreen display can be set for blunt nose differentiate it from other ard features of VCRs in its price class, English or Spanish. A monitor switch shoe-style camcorders. Sony placed the including hi-fi stereo sound, four heads lets a user check tuner output during camera controls in the usual places, but for clear stills and slow motion, and a ca- playback. The timer accepts eight pro- shifted the VCR controls and input/out- ble-ready tuner with MTS/SAP sound | grams for up to one year in advance and put jacks to the right side of the lens and dbx noise reduction. And there are | there is a calendar for years up to 2090 cowl. This arrangement allowed Sony to many nice extras. Audio dub and video in the menu system. make the FX410 much smaller and light- | dub make sophisticated editing possible, In addition to normal VCR func- er than last year’s F-series models. The | a flying erase head allows insert edits tions, the remote control operates pow- light weight, the “subcompact-with- | without glitches, and a front-panel input er, volume, channel and mute for some a-snout” design and the folding view- | facilitates easy camcorder hookup. Syn- TV sets from Sanyo, Goldstar, Sony, finder make it easy to carry and store. chro edit in and out jacks allow the deck Magnavox, RCA and Zenith. A flap ‘Despite its simple design, the FX410 to act as master or slave in an automat- conceals many buttons. Buttons for includes features that have become rare ed editing system with synchro edit- mute, volume and channel project on small camcorders: an accessory shoe equipped Goldstar, Hitachi, and through the flap. Contouring makes the for attaching a light or a microphone, an Hitachi-made RCA and Minolta equip- remote comfortable to hold. audio/video input, a LANC connector ment. Although most of the controls on for use with editing controllers, and A one-page character generator the VCR are hidden in a compartment, jacks for an external microphone and an with four type sizes makes titling easy, it is still very easy to use because most | earphone. Finger ridges on the top panel although it won’t memorize titles. An are concentrated in one place and laid prevent slipping. auto head cleaner reduces the need for out logically. Most face upward, so the The FX410 comes with a wireless re- | professional head cleaning. VISS index VCR can be placed on a low shelf. Re- | mote control. It features a hold switch, a search with auto mark and manual wind, eject and power off at the end of | zoom rocker, VCR controls and a button mark/erase lets a user locate specific play are automatic, and if you turn off continued on page 17 points on a tape easily. A feature called the power d uring rewind, it will com- ile STEREO WHS! HIG Editing for Everyman: One of the least expensive editing VCRs available, the Goldstar GVR-A485 includes a flying erase head and jog/shuttle dials. MAY 1992 VIDEO

plete rewind and power off without edit and presetting the tuner, are not We rate ease of operation very good eject. The stereo/mono/SAP switch has duplicated on the remote. But that’s automatic defaults if the selected signal fin—meost people edit from the deck, to excellent. Picture quality is very good anyway. Clock set, timer programming, is not present. titling, calendar, display language and to excellent. Audio quality is very good. The unusual rental play switch de- the color of the menu background can be accessed only from the VCR’s menu These ratings are comparable to those of serves special praise for reducing noise the best decks in the GVR-A485’s price on poor recordings. Some switches, like system. range. Combined with its impressive fea- ture package, the deck’s performance those for audio dub, video dub, synchro makes it an outstanding value. a Goldstar GVR- systems power, mute, volume bidirectional search up Special Features: jog/ 35.7 LP, 36.2 EP up and down, channel to 99 marks shuttle dial, flying erase A485 VHS VCR Front-Panel Controls: up and down, eject, re- Audio Frequency stop, play, fast forward/ cord, rewind/search, Audio: linear mono, head, frame advance, Response: hi-fi—20 Price: $500 search, record, rewind/ play/2x, fast forward/ hi-fi AFM stereo variable slow motion, Hz-20 kHz, +0.8/-2.1 Weight & Size (hiwid): search, pause/still, pow- search, pause/still, stop, 2x speed play, audio dB; linear (-3 dB)—75 er, eject, synchro edit, frame advance, VISS, Titles/Graphics: dub, video dub, insert Hz-10 kHz SP, 75 Hz-4 11.5 Ibs.; 3-1/4 x synchro edit start and mark, erase, slow, slow 1 page, no memory, 4 edit, front-panel input, kHz LP and EP 14-1/4 x 13 inches stop, channel up and speed up and down, type sizes, white down, clock/counter/ auto tracking and track- auto head cleaner, Hi-Fi Dynamic Range: Tape Format & time remaining, reset, ing up and down; Tuning Method: digital auto tracking, 83.5 dB Speeds: VHS; audio dub, video dub, covered buttons for 10 frequency synthesis English/Spanish display, SP. UPAEP: TVNCR, SP/LP/EP, selectable onscreen Linear Audio S/N: tuner/simulcast/AV, auto digits, 100, TV preset, Channel Selectors: display color, rental 42.8 dB Video Heads: 4 program, add, erase, menu, clear/monitor, programmable scan on tape mode, headphone display, TV/VCR, tuner/ VCR; scan plus direct jack Audio Distortion: Cue & Review Search: edit, rental, tape length, simulcast/AV, clock/ access on remote hi-fi0.4%, locking—5x SP, 10x LP, normal/mix/hi-fi, left/ counter/remain, reset, RESULTS linear—1.1% 15x EP; hold down—7x stereo/right, stereo/ SP/LP/EP, QSR start Preset Method: auto SP, 15x LP, 30x EP mono/SAP, headphone and QSR length preset with manual Horizontal Resolution: RATINGS volume, record level left add/erase Picture: Fast Forward/Rewind Counter Digits: 230-240 lines very good/excellent Time: approx. 3 min. right, jog/shuttle 5—hrs:mins:secs.. Tuning Range: 2 to for T-120 ial 13, 14 to 69; 4A, A to S/N Ratios (dB); un- Audio: very good Program Start W, W+1 to W+84, A-5 weighted video—44.6 Remote Pause: syn- Remote Control: IR Locator/Index/Cue: to A-1 SP, 42.5 LP, 43.4 EP; Ease of Use: chro edit in and out wireless with TV/VCR index with auto mark, weighted video—51.8 very good/excellent compatible with Gold- switch, jog/shuttle dial, Timer: 8-event/1-year SP, 51.2 LP. ot EP: star and Hitachi-built exposed buttons for manual mark/erase and chroma AM—46.2 SP, Overall: Power Backup Time: 43.9 LP, 37.1 EP; very good/excellent 10 min. chroma PM—40.9 SP, AZDETwN_o ’w_aSy_s St_oTc_rAeaTteEp-Tr‘oTOUfAePFRsEsS-NioTTnaHHlOIENqSuT-EaOlAHiAtEROyXUTCviIRdTeSIoVOsNEGFw,i-th1ou0t0breaAkiNn=gDtheVbPanCk!-10 PROFESSIONAL VIDEOS. | Winner of a Design & Engineering Award Our newest product, the VPC-10 is truly unique. Combining 3 basic video functions (1) a video enhancer at the Consumer Electronics Show, the and signal processor to improve the picture quality and enhance colors, VE-100 allows you to create up to 100 perfectly (2) a Special Effects Generator, to create numerous exciting wipes, such as cut scenes. It’s compatible with all formats. venetian-blind, curtain, and mosaic. (3) a “paint box” for changing the Utilizing the infrared signal of the recording deck, colors on a segment of the picture. All of these functions can be combined in an infinite number of patterns, sizes, colors, and wipes. Additional and incorporating the “VITC” time code system, it Features: 4 Compatible with all systems O Record from either of 2 sources Q split-screen for comparing and altering the incoming and outgoing video allows you to make seamless edits, with 3 frame signal 4 Create positive or negative images O 2 outputs for making 2 accuracy! You can combine several tapes, and copies simultaneously O Color generator controlled by joystick for creating add audio from an external source. Easy to learn, entire color spectrum Fade between video picture and background color or effect GQ Manual editing can be accomplished by using the fade to black and easy to use, you can be editing within an hour button. Suggested Retail - $459.95 after connecting the equipment. There is nothing of comparable quality on the market even close to A 2 D Ee Ry ® D1i4s7trNibeuwtedHyidneCaPnarakdaRobayd,OPTFrEaXnklCinORSPqOuaRrAeT,IONNY 11010 (516) 328-7500 our Suggested Retail - $459.95. Send your $10.00 check for Azden's 9 minute video with step-by-step explanation of both units. Returnable for refund ifyou purchase either unit.

the start/stop button, and fades both TECHTIPS video (to black) and audio. If manual focus is selected, the ring continued from page 15 at the front electrically controls the in- | ternal focusing element. This feels much to turn the onscreen data on and off. more natural and precise than the awk- Sony designs its F-series camcorders ward buttons found on many cam- Cable caution for ease of operation, and the FX410 corders. The sports viewfinder lets you When hooking up an RF cable to a TV fully embodies this principle. To shoot, see the screen away from the eye, which or VCR, do not coil the excess. Coiling just snap on a battery, insert a cassette, proves useful when using a tripod. the cable will turn it into an antenna set the power switch to camera and the The shoulder-strap loops on the bottom that can pick up interference. If you standby/lock switch to standby, select make it easy to raise the FX410 to shoot- can’t trim the cable to fit, run it in a se- the proper AE mode with the dial, com- ties of right angles to take up the slack. pose the shot with the zoom and hit the ing position without moving the strap start/stop button. It will probably take Ted P. Cantrell you less time than it did to read the last from your shoulder. The AC adapter Fort Lewis, Washington sentence. also carries contacts for audio and video, so you can leave the adapter connected permanently to your TV set or VCR. A beep tells you that you’re record- The manual is thorough, well illustrated Rewriting the book ing and the red LED below the view- and easy to understand. Ease of use is finder screen will confirm it. (Switches excellent. good. In wide- on camcorders how to operate behind the battery disable the beep and | To more easily remember the remote.) If you’ve entered a birth- Picture quality is very angle mode, the lens produces a slight camcorder features you seldom use, con- day, an anniversary or an event date, the barrel distortion of subjects closer than sult the manual the first time you use | number of years and months from that two feet. Audio quality is good to very the feature, then write down your own date can be recorded on the picture. Of good, although unlike many newer 8mm set of instructions in a three-by-six-inch, course, time and date can also be re- camcorders, it is not stereo. Overall, we spiral-bound notebook. Chances are corded. If there is a lot of light behind rate the CCD-FX410 very good to excel- you'll find your own instructions easier the subject, the locking backlight con- lent. It probably won’t satisfy advanced to follow than those in the manual. | trol opens the aperture a few stops for | users, but it’s perfect for those who just better pictures. The fader is triggered by want to point and shoot. Peter diSandro z Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MAKING A GREAT VIDEO After using your camcorder the first time, you realize that the built-in microphone INCLUDES QUALITY SOUND T00! :'<:~:.picks up sounds don’t want. And, when shooting from a distance, you can’t hear your subject's voice clearly. Azden, the leader in quality audio for video, offers a full line of microphones to make your sound as good as your pictures. This powerful professional miniature VHF wireless system has a range of over 300 feet. Itallows you to shoot from a distance and pick up your subject's voice bd clearly. Ithas 2 switchable frequencies, and itcomes with 2 mics (handheld and clip-on). Th transmitter clips tothe subject's belt, and the mini receiver my attach to the camera (s _ &ve ude

AVIDEQTESTS Sharp earned its | reputation as a camcorder manu- | facturer with sev- eral unique full- | size VHS ma- | chines. Now it has |SHARP brought the same spirit of innova- tion into the 8mm | field with two |8mm stunning new sub- camcorder compacts, the VL- | M6U and VL- Double Vision: Sharp's VL-MX7U incor- MX7U. Both feature two cameras, porates a conventional 12x zoom lens and a mounted one on top of the other. The second, fixed-focus wide-angle lens. top camera is the one you'll use most of the time, because it has a 12x zoom lens. The bottom camera uses a fixed-focus, wide-angle lens. The VL-MX7U re- the zoom camera) with macro capability. Sharp has acai, viewed here differs from the VL-M6U in Both use artificial intelligence, or fuzzy HIGHLIGHTS the 8mm market that it includes a color LCD viewfinder logic, to make compromise settings that and stereo sound, and costs $200 more. would cause a straight digital system to — with two of the Lens select switches behind the most unusual camcorders ever produced. Both de- zoom rocker and along the side allow a balk. Other useful features include four liver a wide-angle picture using a sec- ond camera. The extra camera lets user to switch between the two cameras. high shutter speeds, a backlight com- you cover almost an entire room, so You can go directly from a wide shot to a pensator, gain up for low-light shooting you can shoot all the guests at the Thanksgiving table. Images from medium shot or close-up, or perform a and two-speed zoom. both cameras may be recorded PIP style, and you may also cut or wipe box wipe between the two. A picture-in- The VL-MX7U we tested has a sil- between the two images. The VL- MX7U reviewed here offers a good picture button centers the image from ver finish reminiscent of many old film picture and very good audio and ease the zoom lens inside the wide-angle cameras. A dark gray finish is also avail- of use, for an overall very good rating. At $1,699, it is a bit expensive, but its shot. Another button moves the PIP able. In many ways, it resembles Sony’s features are sure to appeal to many. window across the screen. TR-series camcorders. The twin cam- The camcorder’s digitally operated eras, however, set it apart. The bottom | automatic functions include auto white camera offers a 62-degree angle of view, | balance with lock, and autofocus (on continued on page 27 sharp Vi-MX7U Minimum Focusing White Balance: digital electret condenser lens with positioning chroma AM—43.2, Distance: primary—0.4 and wipe, flying erase chroma PM—39.4 Twin-Lens inches, secondary full auto with lock Jacks: video/stereo au- 8mm Camcorder lens—4 inches dio in/out, DC for RFU head, counter memory, Audio Frequency Viewfinder: 2/3-inch edit search, still frame, DATA Autofocus: primary— color LCD with on- Tape Format & Speed: insert edit Response: 40 Hz-15 digital continuous to screen indicators for 8mm, SP kHz, +0.1/-3 dB, -3.9 Price: $1,699 macro; secondary— super wide-angle lens, Absent Features: re- dB at 20 Hz, -5.3 dB at fixed focus tecording, pause, coun- Video Heads: 4 (small Weight & Size (h/w/d): ter, date/time, shutter head drum) mote control, external 20 kHz 1.5 lbs. without battery Minimum Illumination: speed, manual focus, mic jack, indexing, Hi-Fi Dynamic Range: or cassette; 4-1/8 x primary—4.2 lux nor- white balance lock, Edit Search: forward— LANC jack for editing 73.6 dB 4-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches mal, 3.2 lux gain up; gain up, BLC, fade, 1x, reverse—3x control, earphone jack secondary—4.9 lux nor- dew, low battery, tape Audio Distortion: 0.3% Image Sensor: 1/3-inch mal, 3.8 lux gain up (all end, no cassette, low Cue & Review Search: RESULTS CCD, 270,000 gross measured for 50 IRE) light, protect tab, heads forward—7x, reverse— RATINGS pixels need cleaning 5x Iris: automatic with Horizontal Resolution: . Picture: good Lenses: primary—f/2 BLC and gain up Viewfinder Controls: Fast Forward/Rewind recorder—250 lines, -/2.4, 8x (6-48mm) modes vertical position, diopter Time: 8-1/4 min. for Audio: very good two-speed power zoom, focus and brightness P6-120 viewfinder—200 lines secondary—f/2.4, 4mm, Auto Fade: trigger op- fixed focus erated, about 4 sec. VCR Controls: rewind/ Counter Digits: 5 S/N Ratios (dB); un- Ease of Use: search, play, fast for- very good Filter Diameter: Shutter Speeds (sec.): ward/search, stop, Audio: hi-fi AFM stereo weighted video—40.6, 32.5mm normal (1/60), 1/100, pause/still, record weighted video—47.9, Overall: very good 1/250, 1/1,000, 1/4,000, Special Features: 1/10,000 Microphone: stereo switchable twin-lens system, PIP in either 18 VIDEO MAY 1992

VTOIDADY'EOGRAPHER VIDEO Magazine Advertising Supplement

TODAY'S VIDEOGRAPHER eea Camcorder ui5ae lenstech Charger consists of three Charge It! _ nology enables users to cap- simple steps: The first involves erasing “battery You’ve fully recharged your ure details with a memory.” Repeated re- camcorder battery (at least charges cause reduced effec- that’s what you thought). poratesa superwiesaisso tiveness in charge capacity You didn’t take any chances especially in NiCad batter- because what you’re record- As the zoom ratio increases, ies. TC600 erases this effect ing is simply too important and reconditions the battery to miss. Unfortunately, 15 ly into focus through the full to receive a full charge. Step minutes go by and your bat- ide ahs setting also offers. two is a rapid electronically- tery is dead and so are your controlled charge with three chances of recording that LED status indicators that once in a lifetime home tell you if a battery needs video. ° charging and monitors the The trouble was not with entire process. A battery can the battery but with the bat- be fully recharged in an tery recharger. Wide vari- hour. Step three is the “Top ances in battery design fre- Off’ charging feature, mak- ing use of an additional quently cause some battery measuring circuit and not chargers to undercharge bat- relying solely on voltage teries by as much as 20 per- measurement the way other cent. You paid the price for chargers do. this in lost moments you meant to capture on tape. For added convenience an Instead, you should have AC/DC adaptor is included used the new TC600 Turbo so you can charge batteries CamCharger from Arkon. at home, in your car or even The TC600 is an AC/DC on your boat. The TC600 quick charger and recondi- ensures that your camcorder tioner that is compatible battery gets the safest, most with virtually all 6-volt efficient and complete 8mm and VHS-C nickel charge possible and all with cadmium (NiCad) cam- a flick of one switch. The corder batteries. It has one TC-600’s suggested retail switch (for battery capacity) price is $99.95. Consider it and it is the first camcorder charger to feature “Top Off’ an inexpensive insurance charging, which compen- policy against lost video sates for wide variances in battery design and fully reg- memories. ulates charging while also preventing overcharging. Great Sound, No Wires Operating the Turbo Cam- options. In There is an inherent prob- 2 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT Unfolded, it lem with every camcorder. It is that while long distance shooting may be conve- nient, the audio always leaves something to be desired. Wireless microphones offer home videographers an easy |way to maintain top audio quality while your subjects

TODAY'S VIDEOGRAPHER roam far and wide.The tures Le isi, fthey’re part o(f an a tremendous differ- camcorder designs like two new ay Har ence in the produc- Azden WMS-PRO, for tion quality of your home videos.The cam- example, is the number one corder manufacturers have selling wireless microphone concentrated on improving system for camcorder users. the picture quality. It’s up to you to make the most of It is appropriately called a your sound. “system” because the company offers you a ies EE 75. Se choice of an inconspic- Tripod Heads uous lavalier and a Are Better ' handheld microphone, Than None either one of which The tripod you use can have you plug into a mini a dramatic effect on the quality of your home videos. transmitter.]wo That’s because “steady” doesn’t always mean switchable frequencies are “smooth.” Bogen, an indus- available in case one hap- try leader in tripod design, pens to be noisy or occupied. has elevated the video tri- The powerful VHF system pod to new levels of stability offers you great audio recep- with the introduction of two tion within a range of 250 new fluid tripod head units. feet — and even greater in many open areas The mini- The Bogen 3066 cine/fluid head can handle camcorders receiver comes with a shoe and accessories weighing as mount and velcro attach- much as 22 lbs. This profes- sional quality tripod head is ment to the camera or you designed with telescoping handles for cine and video Both of these camcorders deliver the fibers cameras. The large, remove- 8mm video — high quality video, superi: able camera platform has a sound reproduction and up to 2.5 hours of re mounting stud that travels single 8mm cassette.They also include a 10: in a 3-1/2 inch slot and facilitates balancing at the lens, full-range inner focus system. tha camera’s center-of-gravity. The fluid head pans 360 autofocusing from are: toinfinity degrees and the panning drag can be adjusted by nal processing that ensures minimal sear loss and ; means of a simple adjust- ment screw. Tilting range is rate adjustment of focus, exposure and white shane 60 degrees up to 90 degrees can just tuck it into your Special user-friendly fea- breast pocket. ‘tures specific to the CCD- mx If all you need is a hand- FX410 include the three- held microphone, the mode AE (Auto Exposure) - recently introduced WM/T dial that combines program PRO is the right option. This wire-free VHF hand- auto exposure and high held microphone’s transmit- speed shutter operation. ter is built into the handle, the antenna is incorporated This allows users to simply into the mesh grill and it has the same two switchable fre- select among three modes to quencies as the WMS-PRO. Azden also offers profession- control exposure and depth al videographers the WHX- of field: Portrait, to ae the hee ok bl PRO, which combines the the background; Sports, to easily choose shutter WMI/T microphone with the when capturing high-speed action; and High Speed Shut PRO system receiver. Regardless of the choice when the fastest shutter speed (1/4000 sec.) is pref ed you make, these Azden wire- The minimum illumination is rated at 2 lux with goo less microphones will make color reproduction. The viewfinder also flips con pl forward for compact storage in carrying case _ Not to be outdone, the CCD-FX510 adds titles ics that can be added from a selection of eight colors a ue supe oporet ae Cau either - scras ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 3

Ti__ TODAY'S VIDEOGRAPHER down with the camera under With these valuable ade, perfect control at all times. ons, a videographer can nit The 3130 QR Micro fluid head weighs only 2-1/4 lbs. capture all the action usiip, and has an adjustable handle that can be positioned on the 5x wide-angle lens ai. either the left or right side for the occasions wheré,, to hold just about any of the new video camcorders (up to close-up is preferred, there,| 8-3/4 lbs.). It allows a smooth 360 degree pan, can the 1.5x tele-converterT.h} be tilted up or down 90 set comes with two lens¢, degrees, has pan and tilt locks and a continuously protective pouches for st@, adjustable positioning slot for best camera balance. age and lens caps to ke, out the dust.The bright ai, The 3066 Cine/Video fluid head has a suggested retail colorful packaging includ, price of $405 and the 3130 OR Micro Fluid Head retails Lights, action, sample photos of the effea, for $84.95. that the lenses produc, Cameralian while on the other si¢’ Big & Better Video Views there are simple direction You should expect the same for use and technical speciiy creative flexibility from your camcorder as you get from cations. Metal housi: your 35mm camera. For the assures lens durability, hig.) increasingly popular mini- camcorders and smaller quality optical glass is us’; palm-size models, Kenko has throughout and step rin | oeaaerleos What’s often missing from your home videos? Mostly, the are also available so the, answer is “you.” Shooting requires a selfless family member or friend who gives up being involved in the action to. affix to any camcords ensure that everyone else is preserved on tape for posterity. model. ; Kenko is also now selli Other times, it’s a smooth picture because of a shaky cam- its own high quality pho era hand or just spontaneity since people know they’re and video filters for the fi being recorded and they are uncomfortable with it. time in America. These f To solve these problems, ParkerVision introduces the ters, which are already t CameraMan, a breakthrough home video robotics device best selling models in Jap that doesn’t require someone behind the camera. It is a Southeast Asia and seve revolutionary new consumer version of automation systems European countries, inclu now in use at major broadcast locations. more than 40 different ty The product is composed oo of models; among them of two parts, a base unit and ParkerVision’s several patented speci effect models. The video fit a wand. The base couples with virtually any cam- CameraMan ters will be packaged i. corder and contains a preci- bright blister packs wit] photos demonstrating th, sion-crafted system of robotics that pans 360 creates the ultimate effect of each filter. degrees, tilts and and pro- : : . duces camera movements videomaking TComfSort forA‘N that are surer, swifter and | Camcorders smoother than hand-held machine shots — and it performs all functions utilizing computerized speed control. The wand serves as an electronic tracking device so that the cam- corder actually follows you wherever you roam. It also Back pain, ouch! All yo camcorder equipment |} incorporates a wireless microphone so that your audio is becoming a pain in th neck.The innovative Ba recorded at the source without ambient noise or camcorder Strap or Compact Vide hum. A “stealth” feature amazingly tracks subjects even if Strap™ from OP/TEC} USA may be just what ya they disappear behind trees or other objects and locates need. them when they re-emerge. Both these products af erAaAeACeSnnLsAM introduced a compact lens What’s more, camcorders with remote control operation made of a soft neoprene p set (1.5x telephoto and 5x wide-angle) with a 37mm are fully operational by CameraMan’s magic wand, which thread. can be programmed to recreate all camcorder zooms and (continued on page 7) 4 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

TODAY'S VIDEOGRAPHER mbined with comfort (AMTsUBSH it is — your videos should can nOfretch backing, which have your own stamp on On usifhakes your bag or compact them. Your signature should lens ankmcorder feel 50% lighter be your own. where hd 100% more comfort- , there ble. The Bag Strap has —Arthur Ornitz, rtet. Three types of connection > lensegpabilities so that it can There are some people the for stofsily adapt to bags and te keejses of all types.The result camera just loves. You can’t ight an; a secure, comfortable change that. When the includ¢ansportation system for camera loves you, you’re le effecxnensive camera or video roductear. very lucky. ler sidThe OP/TECH USA’s —Aaron Spelling, rectlOMompact Video Strap™ also l specliffers a similar weight reduc- Small but powerful My theory is, when you’re LOUSI Fon system that combines sharpshooters looking at a film, you’re see- ry, hig vith a Non Slip Grip™ ing a flat piece projected on > 1S US’bhich enables you to safely New Mitsubishi What do you want from a a flat surface. A director =P TLD larry your video slung over camcorder? If you’re looking should change camera so theour shoulder without wor- video lightweights for one that’s lightweight, angles a lot to involve the acord.ying about it slipping or pack features simple to use and still loaded audience. You want the audience to feel a part of a _tliding off. The OP/TECH with advanced video tech- group rather than just being nology, then the new line of observers. The only way you ideo fills A “connection system” can approach this 3-D feel- ged itllows you to customize the with a punch. VHS-C camcorders from ing is to cross over and get ‘Ss witlleneth of the strap with five Mitsubishi is for you. There the camera right in there. ing th options of connectors. are three new advanced —Clint Eastwood Your aching shoulders will thank you for these acces- models to choose from: two palm-size models, the S-VHS- My years in live television sories. The suggested retail have told me this: You just price of the Compact Video C HS-CX7u and VHS-C HS-CX4u, and the upscale S- can’t put a camera on some- Strap™ is $17.95, while the thing, shoot it and hope — Bag Strap retails for $24.95. VHS-C HS-C35u that features three interchangeable lens- that never works. Planning Both products are 100% is everything. Every move, made in the USA. es. every camera shot needs to be worked out in advance, as lips From Mitsubishi has made shooting easy, having predetermined well as in detail. The Pros” optimum camera settings for each situation and then —John Frankenheimer, Whether it’s a new way of -ts atdlooking at color or lighting grouping them under a corresponding icon. By selecting Camcorder ne pad or composition — whatever Accessory one of the icons, the HS-CX7u and HS-CX4u_ automati- Checklist cally set brightness, iris, white balance (color temperature), aa or Bag. Look for something lightweight, with auto-focus sensitivity, shutter speed and focal center. plenty of dividers and pock- ets that will expand with The palm-sized HS-CX7u and HS-CX4u are among the your growing collection of gear. Make sure the strap is lightest models on the market, weighing just 1.4 pounds. comfortable! They also come equipped with an innovative StableCam A Tripod. Make sure it is designed for video, not for function that smooths out unwanted jumpiness during filming. More powerful than ordinary Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) technology, StableCam even senses whether image motion is due to camera or subject move- ment. As a result, the natural shake and jitter of the human hand is never a factor in recording the moment you want tocapture. The HS-CX7u and HS-CX4u boast many other features that simplify their operation. There is a logical system of on-screen menus and a convenient system of viewfinder- based alarms that warn of tape or power problems. A built- in sliding lens cap eliminates the annoyance of a cap dan- gling from a string in front of you. The HS-CX7u also offers Hi-Fi stereo. (continued on page 6) ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT §

_ TODAY'S VIDEOGRAPHER still photography; look for a during the editing process fluid pan head, lightweight (that is, if you are equipped aluminum. construction, and with a converter like the quality pan/tilt gears. Tamron Fotovix). An elec- A Brace. Sometimes you tronic still camera is an alter- have to move and a tripod native that is especially valu- won't do. Some sort of brace able for desktop video editing or prop is also advised. The and effects. Steadicam Jr. is highly rec- ommended here. Mitsubishi Pick Batteries. You (continued from page 5) never have enough juice. So bring along backups and, of To bridge the gap between course, make sure they are already charged. Several bat- Wireless mics get consumer and professional tery rechargers plug into your camcorders, Mitsubishi also car battery in case you still offers the HS-C35u. Weigh- run low while in the field. the message| ing only 2.1 pounds, it com- A isis. Of course, you bines the high resolution of need a light that plugs S-VHS, the creative flexibil- directly into your cam- corder. But, if you are really ity of three interchangeable serious, separate studio lights Wayenced dccoeohee demand nothing less chan oe lenses and an easy-to-use (with their own stands) are also recommended. sional sound to go along with their productions — without operating system. background hiss or overload distortion. To address their With more than 400 lines ~ ea ala Several different varieties will help needs, Nady has introduced two new mCP OnE systems; of resolution, recording and improve your video’s sound. At least one wireless mic the Nady 551 VR Two. playback of the HS-C35u and one shotgun should be tucked into your production Channel Wireless Video Nady och: delivers clear, sharply accessory sack. Microphone system and the defined images. An inner A ens Adapters. For those tough to get shots, an add- (351 VR Ultra-Compact two new ultra-com- lens focus system rotates a on telephoto lens adapter Wireless Microphone system smaller inner lens rather will come in handy. The 1.5 magnification variety gener- for video camcorders. pact wireless mics — than the larger heavier outer ally does the job. _ The Nady 351 VR elimi- lens, resulting in quicker W color Monitor. A nates the problems inherent focusing and longer battery portable TV will help you get a better picture of what in camcorder onboard mics, allowing the mic to be placed | life. The inner lens system you've captured on tape at a sound source up to 200 feet away. This ultra-compact also. incorporates an than the EVF. If you don’t mind the load, a small CRT _unitis about the size of an audio cassette, and it connects to advanced 1/10,000 second is advised, but for lighter loads a portable LCD model any camcorder through its external mic jack. The receiver high speed shutter.The HS- is still an improvement. attaches either to the camcorder shoe mount or it can be C35u lenses include the eae Camera. Yes, don’t forget a camera. Still _used with an included belt clip. A Nady microphone trans- expanded 6x zoom capabili- photos will come in useful -mitter, the HT-10 wireless handheld mic or LT-20 lavalier, ty of the normal lens (9- _comes standard with the 351 VR system. Nady’s specialized 54mm), a telephoto _companding noise reduction circuitry provides an unparal- lens(14.2-85mm) for tight leled dynamic range of 120 dB. The system operates on one shots and the wide angle of two VHF frequencies, allowing operation of up to ae lens (5.9-35.4mm) that 351 VR systems in the same location. expands for panoramic vis- If pro quality sound is what you desire, then move up to ithe tas. Regardless of the choice, _ Nady 551 VR which offers the same features as the 351 VR there is a perfect lens for ob it with two user-selectable VHF frequencies, professional every situation. mnections and an all-metal rugged design. The 551 VR. The operational com- receiver also features a balanced audio output jack and a head-- mands of the HS-C35u are t output. The system includes the same HT-10 handheld simple to operate and hone or the 551 LT two-channel bodypack transmitter they’re divided into logical features Surface Mount Technology, a mini-XLR con- on-screen menus and few sole cept any electret condenser lavalier microphone, dedicated buttons. Through ready, all metal case. It retails for under $500 and the viewfinder, the con- ‘the351VRhasacies es price of about$300. sumer can rapidly speed 6 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

15 expert video — TODAY'S VIDEOGRAPHER through a menu display of i Bring plenty of extra battery power. You can never have while it is inconspicuously the most frequently used too much power. plugged into the back of the functions. And your pic- CameraMan base. tures perfect are comple- Invest in production accessories: eipee for stabilicy,, mented by Hi-Fi stereo lights for image quality, microphones for sound quality Up to four key locations sound. can be preset in Camera- and a case to carry it around and protect your investment. Man’s electronic brain so The suggested retail price that at the touch of a but- for the S-VHS-C HS-CX7u 3 When doing a hand-held shoot, steady your whole body ton a new location can be is $1,299. For the VHS-C as much as possible by leaning on oe or oo recalled and focused on. HS-CX4u, the suggested You can program the device retail price is $1,199 and a rigid stance with your legs. to automatically cycle the S-VHS-C HS-C35u has between locations. Other a suggested retail price of Plan out your shots (sequence, movements, angles, features include pan/tilt $1,699. etc.) completely before you begin shooting. override which allows users to select camera moves indi- EAE If possible, avoid walking while shooting. Find some- vidually, smoothly panning thing with wheels and dolly the scene. and tilting for precise Sony images. The camcorder easi- Don’t overuse the zoom.. And don’t use the zoom when ly disconnects from the base (continued from page 3) you can easily pause the camcorder, move in for a ee up, and resume shooting. unit in case a spontaneous reversed. With its high-sen- “freehand” shot is what’s sitivity CCD image sensor, One of the most basic formulas for setting up action and required. the minimum illumination introducing a scene is to shoot a long shot, followed by a of CCD-FX510 is rated at an medium shot of the subject, which is followed a a close-up. Currently, the Camera- extra-low 1 lux. It also fea- Man is available directly tures a large LCD informa- 8.The inside of your lens cap is a boring chow Make sure only from ParkerVision. A tion display on the side of it is off before you shoot. full demonstration video- the camcorder that shows all tape and sales brochure is camera settings for easy 9 Don’t rely on lux ratings. If a scene looks too a in available by calling: 1-800- monitoring. The newly- your viewfinder it probably is — bring along extra light- designed detachable EZ 428-8543. snap-on connector allows for ‘ing if your location doesn’t have alternate light sources. instant hook up of video, ISTE ah4 a aoe RRR: audio and power for direct i] Learn how to use the camcorder before the big day. playback on TV. Fuji Practice and become familiar with allotitsfeatures. The CCD-FX410 carries a (continued from page 2) suggested retail price of | Always pewind your tapes when you are finished $1,100 and the CCD-FX510 shooting. Also, don’t leave your tapes in the cam- tentional recording. The carries a suggested retail F122SW also has a remote price of $1,200. corder — it can crinkle or crease the tape. control receiver for full long distance operation. a— S 1 a If you have to use your camcorder as a VCR, invest in a rewinder. It'll save wear and tear on the a Other features include a CameraMan seven-speed electronic shut- corder’s motors and gears. (continued from page 4) ter, high performance micro- i3 When editing, use effects apericly. Never use an special effects. The wand effect just for the sake of using an effect. Also, make phone, time/date recording, operates like any universal edit search for quick review, learning remote except that sure to edit events in a logical sequence. and a unique mode menu it functions up to 100 feet display function on thé away and does not have to 4 Keep your camcorder clean and well-maintained so viewfinder or TV. Both be in the line of sight as that you can always rely on it. camcorders come with a camcorder remotes do. The wand will also control all 1‘ After recharging your battery several times, tet it Fuji 8mm videocassette, camcorder functions via a drain completely by letting the camcorder run or by rechargeable battery pack, control unit that stores com- AC power adapter, lithium mands for two camcorders, using a discharger. battery(for memory), RFU adapter and AV cable. The suggested retail price for the F122SW is $1,600. The F120SW’s suggested retail price is $1,400. tos ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT 7

ONE TITLER SPEAKS FOR ITSELF Some companies Why don’t they show you photos show you of their ee ey Ee) a pa rf These are unretouched photos of actual TV screens! The Videonics Video TitleMaker produces better titles than character generators costing thousands of dollars. Surpasses Ifyou'd like titles of this quality in your S-VHS/Hi8 resolution for ultra-smooth letters. video productions, call 1-800-338-EDIT Mix any color in the spectrum or for the name of a dealer near you. choose patterns for titles, backgrounds, outlines, and borders! 6. VIDEONI Enhance fonts with drop shadows, outlines, several grades of bold, and more. Superimpose titles over video or color screens. Each with 8 speed settings. Use any of 20 effects—at any of 8 speeds—to fade or wipe between title screens. Withspecial and hundreds of pages. Battery backup secures your wo rk. © 1992 Videonics, Inc. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Videonics logo and Video TitleMaker are trademarks of Videonics, Inc. Television screens are NOT simulated! Circle 54 on Reader Service Card. _

| 2-LENS CAMCORDER balance and clashing colors than a good. We do wish it had a few more | black-and-white finder, but it offers only jacks, but we love the dual-camera de- | continued from page 18 200 lines of horizontal resolution, which sign and find the performance quite ac- is not enough detail for accurate manual the widest available on a consumer cam- focusing. ceptable for a subcompact 8mm cam- corder without the use of adapters. This makes shooting indoors much easier— Because there’s no earphone jack, corder. a you'll seldom find yourself backing up you must trust the camcorder to do a | against walls to get everyone in the pic- good job on sound rather than checking | ture. The top camera is fairly conven- it for yourself. It has no mic jack, so you tional. Two attached lens caps fold open can’t use a wireless or shotgun mic for to the right. The lower one folds up to distant sounds. Finally, it has no LANC or synchro edit jack, so you can’t use it nestle in the upper one and the whole with an edit controller, and you can’t Home run video assembly hinges backward to lie along take advantage of the synchro edit fea- the left side of the camcorder. ture found on some VCRs. Sharp points You need a tripod to get good shots of a Because there are two lens and sen- | out that its target customer is unlikely to baseball game. But using a tripod from sor assemblies, there are two bulges on want those sophisticated options. Oper- behind the chain-link cage surrounding the left side instead of one, but the space between them is mostly filled in and ational ease is very good. the batter leaves about 18 inches be- Picture quality is good, highlighted | used as a control surface with buttons tween the fence and the lens, and the by a very good to excellent chroma AM fence becomes superimposed over your for picture-in-picture, move/wipe and signal-to-noise ratio, but brought down subject. To remedy this problem, length- lens select. On the camera bulge above are buttons for BLC/gain up and fader. by average unweighted video S/N and en one tripod leg all the way. Then | On the lower camera bulge are far and chroma PM S/N. The gain-up switch | shorten the other two so they stand al- near buttons for manual focus of the zoom lens. A covered compartment with improves low-light sensitivity by about most flush against the fence, bringing input/output jacks for video and stereo audio, and a DC output for an RF one lux. But as with most, if not all, your lens to within inches of the fence. adapter. An output/edit/input switch camcorders there is an increase in pic- But watch out for foul tips, and be sure controls the function of the video/stereo audio jacks. ture noise in the gain-up mode. Audio to keep one hand on the tripod to keep quality is very good compared to sim- it from falling over. ilarly equipped 8mm camcorders. Paul Anderegg Overall, we rate the VL-MX7U very San Diego, California The viewfinder can be rotated up for low-angle shooting. The back part of the finder telescopes backward for shooting Mix it up on the spot with a Nady and collapses for easy transport. The | VCR controls on top double as controls | real time portable camcorder mic mixer! for camera functions such as autofocus on/off and shutter speed select. The rear panel has grooves and con- Get pro quality audio mixing with your camcorder while you’re shooting tacts for the battery, and looks like it | the video should accept the battery type used by | Sony and many other brands, but ridges | on the camcorder prevent interchange- | Includes a narrator headset for voice ability. Similarly, a lip on the battery pre- overs vents using it on other brands of camcorders. Mix between 2 external mics includ- ing wireless mics and the narrator’s Surprisingly, the silver color makes the camcorder less forbidding and the | headsets—even add background legends easier to read. Using the MX7 is music from a personal stereo very simple because, as on most cam- Compatible with all camcorders corders, all basic operations are per- formed with the right hand, including MCM-400 now only $69.95 lens selection. Even PIP and wipe effects are easy to create, because those buttons are large and easily found. But distin- | guishing between them should have been made easier by using differently Save an additional 20% on your MCM-400 with the shaped buttons rather than the tiny purchase of aNady 151 VR lapel or handheld wireless microphone. Call toll free for details. bump used on one and the depression Nady 151 VR on the other. The buttons above them wirelss mic system for BLC/gain up and fade are fairly easy | to tell apart. Having the transport controls do | Add $5 per order for shipping and handling. Mostorders shipped within 48 hours. Special delivery services available. CA residents add applicable sales tax. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Mail check or money order to: double duty as camera controls elegantly | reduces button count, but it spreads the area over which the left hand must 7700 Edgwater Drive, Suite 617 move during shooting. The color view- Oakland, CA 94621 finder makes you more sensitive to color Circle 52 on Reader Service Card. MAY 1992 VIDEO 27

Hy FUUIX Hi-Fi Stereo HusEx-His | DATE) VIDEO CAMERA RECORDER TIME(NExt) H8&0O ssiiummmanal Wasi: Fujix H80 Hi-8 Camcorder There is nothing better at preserving a_, Hi-8 MP videotape, shoot, and you'll video image than the Fujix get the kind of resolution and clarity that Hi-8 Camcorderfrom Fuji. ¢ can enhance your own creativity in shooting The Fujix H80 features aeediting. aoe S FUJI our exclusive Multi-Action Hand- Hi8 MP:course, when }. grip, Stereo HiFi sound, TTL auto-focus- your tapes look this ing system with macro, plus many other state-of-the- art features. Load it with Fuji’s new double-coated 8mm good, you want to make | sure they’re seen by the _OUBLECOATING e120 Fue © 1992 Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc.

image worth preserving isalso worth projecting. VOL.) MIN. — = a onmo MAX ON < [POWER] PUSH-OFF Fujix P-40U Handy Projector widest possible audience. To that end, Fuji offers you In short, Fuji provides the revolutionary Fujix P-40U Handy Projector. all the ingredients neces- sary to enhance the enjoy- The Fujix P-40U weighs less than a pound, but it ment of your video expe- projécts like a heavyweigh—tup to a 40-inch diagonal rience. See it for yourself. image to be exact. And since itworks with your television, VCR, camcorder or videodisc player, you can entertain To locate your local Fujix retailer, call 1-800-442-FUJl, a large crowd with anything from your own creations, EX tide to big sports events, to your favorite movie classics. Ey) FUJI. Anewwayofseeing things.” Circle 5 on Reader Service Card.

Panasonic MEMORY MONITOR THERMAL SUBLIMATION: OYE TRANSFER PRINTER VIDEO PRINTER PY-VP1 Many people now carry camcorders Up Close and Personal: Panasonic's PV-VP1 makes prints from any video source, and zooms in for closeups. VIDEOTEST instead of film It produces images measuring 3-5/16 zoom enlarges the pixels of a specific 636 cameras, but often wish they could by 4-5/16 inches on postcard-size paper. part of an image. The result is that ob- PANASONIC get stills from vid- | The printer accepts both video and jects appear larger, but not sharper. A eotape to share S-video signals and uses one video field divided picture button selects the com- video with relatives and to make images. Eight-bit digitization posite mode, which produces a multi- friends. It has al- gives 256 gradations of yellow, cyan and image print from two, four, nine, 16 or ways been possible magenta from ink applied by a thermal 25 images. Multiple-image compositions to make film pic- sublimation dye transfer process. Col- may be copies of the same image, differ- | tures from a TV or gradation is smoother than with the | Sony CVP-G500 (“Videotests,” Sept. pri'nter ate ,Wbuet etahiiscectre- 90), which offered only 64 gradations of While color video printers have been equipment and a little skill. Video print- each color. around for a few ers are an easy-to-use alternative. Pictures may be captured from mov- years, their high Video printers are still expensive, ing or still video and stored in digital but as we’ve come to expect from high- memory. The PV-VPI makes prints from cost has kept them from taking off. tech products, the price is dropping and an image in memory in about 80 sec- Panasonic’s PV-VP1 color video the quality is improving. The Panasonic onds. It also can make up to nine copies printer may help change that. Its PV-VPI1 breaks new ground in color re- of the same picture automatically. $1,300 price is lower than that of production, while coming in at a lower most of its competitors, and its color Zoom and cursor buttons allow a | reproduction capability is the great- price than many competing printers. user to enlarge one portion of the field. est of any consumer video printer to However, with supplies starting at $l a date. It lets the user zoom in on the As with the digital zooms on many Pan- | print, it can be expensive to operate. asonic and Hitachi camcorders, this picture, or combine as many as 25 images on one print. Picture quality, Panasonic PV-VP1 Price: $1,300, Printing Head: film tint and color, and slide | ease of use and overall performance ink cassette/paper set thermal type, 5.6 dots/ switch for video/S-video are all very good to excellent. Com- Video Printer mm input pared to shooting TV screens with a supplies—standard 50 Picture Quality: 256 Remote Control: IR film camera, it’s expensive, but it’s in- sheets (VW-VSSOP, gradations for each col- wireless with buttons credibly fast and convenient. or (field memory) for power, 4/9/16/25 $60), standard 100 multi, dual, one-shot Ink Colors: yellow, erase, strobe, card size sheets (VW-VS100P, cyan, magenta (2 images), zoom, di- vided picture, four $100), adhesive-backed Printing Speed: 80 cursors, memory, mem- secs. per print, continu- ory monitor, print, 50 sheets (VW- ous up to 9 prints counter and clear | RESULTS ture in memory) VSS5O0P, $85) Picture Memory: Inputs: front—S-video Horizontal Resolution: Accuracy of Colors: 8-bit, 1 field and character genera- 400 lines, 540 (h) x very good/excellent Weight & Size (h/w/d): tor, rear—S-video and 468 (v) dots 16.5 Ibs., 4-3/8 x 17 x Front-Panel Controls: video RATINGS 14-1/2 inches buttons for power, Picture S/N (dB): un- Picture: memory, memory moni- Outputs: weighted luminance— very good/excellent Paper Size: tor, print and print S-video and video 49.8, weighted lumi- Ease of Use: 3-15/16 x 5-13/16 counter, rotary controls nance—54.6, unweight- very good/excellent for contrast, brightness, ed video—40.4, weight- Image Size: ed video—50.6, chroma Overall: 3-5/16 x 4-5/16 AM—48, chroma PM— very good/excellent 51.8 (all measurements Printing System: ther- taken from digital pic- mal sublimation dye transfer 30 VIDEO MAY 1992

ent images, or strobed sequences auto- nal-to-noise ratios of the pictures direct- matically collected over a three-second ly. There is no visible variation in period. Images in a composite may be erased one at a time from the last one so evenness (luminance noise) from an you can make corrections. S-video 50 percent gray field, although The contrast, brightness, color and it is very hard to see low levels of noise tint of each image may be adjusted be- fore it is stored. Titles may be added in a small video picture. On a 50 percent with an optional character generator. The special printing paper and ink rib- gray composite video signal, there was bon can both be loaded from the front. no visible noise, only artifacts from lumi- The PV-VPI1 is about the size of a typical VHS VCR. It has S-video and nance/chrominance separation, which video inputs and outputs on the rear, showed up as lines tinged with color. and inputs for S-video and a character generator on the front. A front-panel se- From a completely red field the eye lector determines whether the S-video or video input is active. Connecting an cannot distinguish variations in color in- S-video input to the front panel jack au- tomatically disconnects the signal sup- tensity (chroma AM noise) or hue plied to the rear S-video jack. There is no front composite video input. (chroma PM noise). Compared to the Using the printer is fairly straightfor- same picture on a 25-inch TV screen ward. Load the paper in the tray, being careful not to get fingerprints on the the prints appear to have a video S/N print surface. Take up the slack in the ink ribbon and insert the ink cassette of more than 55 decibels and chroma into the slot. Attach the power cord, a signal source and a monitor. Select the AM and PM S/Ns of more than 65 dB. S-video or video signal source and adjust contrast, brightness, tint and color. Visually the pictures are as good as the Store the picture to be printed by push- ing the memory button. Both the memo- best we’ve seen from video prints of this ry and print indicators will light. size. Zoomed images may be more grainy Press the print button to make a print or the memory monitor to return than a complete field, and smaller multi- to the incoming signal. You may not images may lose detail. store a new picture if the memory indi- cator is lit without pressing print or Video Snapshots: Prints shot from laserdisc im- The only measurements we were monitor to view the source, and you can ages show accurate colors and good detailing. only print when the print indicator is lit. able to take directly are S/N ratios of the zoom and divided picture. A user can The remote control carries buttons also make prints from the front panel. If digitized image stored in memory before you have to make picture quality adjust- for the basic printing functions, plus ments, more than one try may be neces- printing. While the data we show (see sary if your monitor is not adjusted to match what the printer delivers. Ease of box) should not be directly compared use is very good to excellent. with the estimated picture quality fig- Because the output is a print rather than a TV picture, it’s difficult to meas- ures in our earlier video printer test, we ure the performance of this device. For example, the horizontal resolution as as- rate picture quality as excellent com- sessed by a TV resolution chart is slight- lyabove 400 lines; however the picture pared to similarly priced printers. Com- is composed of 540 dots horizontally by 468 dots vertically. pared to more expensive industrial- There is no way to measure the sig- grade printers, some of which make larg- er images, we rate it very good. If you’re in the market for a video printer, this one’s a must-see. Even if you're not, you should check one out at a local dealer. We’ve discovered count- less uses for these printers here at the magazine, and we think you might find them as indispensable as we do. a VIDEO TAPES FROM OVERSEAS? NO PROBLEM View or record them | with our award winning 50/60 Hz Digital | Frame Converter VCR! This new international VCR plays any VHS standard in the world with no vertical hold problems. You can even make copies of foreign tapes and because the 50/60 has a cable ready tuner and RF modulator, you can use it as a regular VCR with aregular TV set. The 50/60 is the only Multistandard VCR made in the USA and therefore based on an NTSC deck. NTSC features, ease and low cost of service, make it your best choice. Call today and ask for our special offer. Toll Free 1-800 749-8779 or (305) 854-8777, INSTANT REPLAY 2601 S. Bayshore Dr., Coconut Grove, FL. 33133 A Member of the ELECTRONIC INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION (@4) Circle 6 on Reader Service Card. MAY 1992 VIDEO 31

Ful P-400 40-inch picture from a pocket projector BY RON GOLDBERG | and in the case of the P-40U, it’s the pic- models that feature a removable grip, ture quality. Most LCD projectors use like the F60 WIDE and the M890. The monitor can mount on this grip, which ention the words “projection three liquid-crystal panels, one each for in effect becomes a miniature tripod. monitor” to most videophiles and red, green and blue. A dichroic mirror Connect the P-40U this way and you you'll get a reaction somewhere system typically combines the output of have a remote-controllable two-channel between longing and fear. Almost the three panels into a single full-color A/V record/playback system weighing everyone loves the big picture, but video image. The P-40U employs a single LCD less than five pounds. projectors are huge, difficult to set up panel. Three shutters tinted to the primary LCD video still has a long way to go, and expensive. Or are they? mostly because of difficulties and ex- Not if you look at the Fujix P-40U RGB colors blend the image into a cor- pense in manufacture. However, prod- ucts like the P-40U are a clear indicator Handy Projector, which is two parts cut- | rectly colored composite, and an 18-watt that remarkable accomplishments are ting-edge technology to one part science halogen lamp projects the picture imminent. It’s now possible to produce a | watchable 20-inch picture (the P-40U’s | fiction. Conceived by Fuji as a camcord- through a manually focused 55mm, 2.8 ing accessory, the P-40U is a one-pound lens. The total pixel count for the LCD projector that will run off either a P-40U is 89,000, a meager number com- camcorder battery or AC. While the im- pared to the several hundred thousand optimum screen size) from a projector age quality won’t make anyone forget that full-size projectors from Sharp and scarcely bigger than a VHS cassette. | HDTV, the idea of a handheld projec- tion monitor that can throw images of up to 40 inches and won’t even be the Diving Buddy: Sony's SPK-TRX sports biggest piece in a camera bag is nothing case, shown near the short of miraculous. Great Barrier Reef, can Fuji has designed the P-40U to be a take TR51 and TR81 complete portable playback system, to Handycams to a depth be used anytime it’s inconvenient or im- of two feet. possible to use a conventional direct- view monitor. In addition to its video ca- pabilities, the unit includes two built-in speakers and a miniature stereo amp (!) which delivers 150 milliwatts of output. | Audio/video connections are han- | dled by three RCA jacks on the side of the un—iS-tvideo is not supported. The rear panel of the P-40U includes an in- SONY SPK-TRKput for the included 6-volt AC adapter, as well as a frame for a standard NP-55 A waterproofor NP-77H camcorder battery. The P-40U will run for about 13 minutes with Magnavox employ. As a result, the | P-40U’s images are “dotted” with the missing pixels. Although the actual vid- | eo information is reasonably sharp and | clear, the overall effect of the picture is not unlike that of a pointillist painting. way to shootObviously, the Fujix is not intended to compete with traditional monitors. Rather, it serves as an extremely useful BY RICH WARREN accessory, especially for camcorder One-Pound Wonder: Fuji's P-40U projector uses a shoots and business presentations. For alt water need not be a barrier to single LCD panel to project a large, watchable image. shooting terrific videos of one of the example, the director of a video shoot world’s most famous sights, the can now see the action as it’s being shot, Great Barrier Reef. Best reached without having to serve double duty as from Cairns, Australia, the reef is at the cameraperson. The P-40U and a least a two-battery experience. While piece of white paper or posterboard will handily substitute for a TV monitor when shooting in places where AC pow- serious divers need bulky marine cases, er is unavailable, like the great outdoors. snorkelers swimming just beneath the the former and a half-hour with the lat- Anyplace where a TV won’t go, the | water’s surface can capture the experi- ence with a housing like the Sony SPK- | | ter, provided both are fully charged. P-40U will. Naturally, a design this radical In addition, the P-40U makes an in- TRX sports case. The $200 case, suitable for CCD- (though not, at $799, inexpensive) is teresting sidekick to Fuji camcorder bound to be compromised somewhere, 32 VIDEO MAY 1992

OUR 4 TR51 and CCD-TR81 Handycams, is a Kenko introduces the NEW KC-SET for com- relatively simple waterproof housing rat- pact video cameras. This two lens set has a .5X ed for shooting down to two feet, which wide-angle and a 1.5X telephoto lens to cap- makes it fine for snorkeling. To try out ture all the action the case, I sailed to nearby Michelmas indoors and outdoors. Comes complete with Cay aboard the catamaran Ocean Spirit. storage bags and lens caps. At the reef, the water is exceptionaily clear, and the light is good down to about 15 feet. The most photogenic ma- rine life lives in this range, including liv- Our new video filters will protect and enhance the ing coral gently fingering the water and images you shoot. giant clams as large as small cars. The SPK-TRX held a foot or two underwater With video lens supports, transfer units and assorted accessories, Kenko is the only name vividly captured this exotic world. (If COMPACT VIDEO eee you'll ever need. For the highest quality video lenses, filters and accessories straight you want to go all the way to 246 feet, Your 8mm or VHS-C camcorder from the Kenko factories, feels 50% lighter and 100% more ask your local dealer you'll need Sony’s MPK-TRS housing comfortable with this patent pend- to show you the ing weight reduction strap system. Kenko product for $1,200.) An innovative Non Slip Grip™ pre- line or write to vents it from slipping off your Kenko for a dealer To insert the camcorder, a TR81, shoulder. It easily customizes to near you. any length. And it turns from a into the case, I removed a metal shoe strap into a carrying handle in just a snap. Available in eleven fash- from the SPK-TRX and screwed it to ion colors. 100% U.S.A. made. the tripod mount on the bottom of the PLEASE CALL 1-800-251-7815 camcorder, using a screw that comes FOR THE DEALER NEAREST YOU. with the case. Then I slid the shoe and OP/TECH USA)\" the camcorder into the slot on the bot- KENKO AMERICA, INC. 17801 Sky Park Circle tom of the case. I plugged the case’s wa- Suite B Irvine, CA 92714 terproof external microphone cable into (714) 251-9646. the mic jack, and the remote cable into the camcorder’s remote jack. Next, I covered the rubber gasket with “O-ring” silicone grease, also supplied, and latched the case shut. The case adds about 18 ounces to the weight of the camcorder, and only Circle 51 on Reader Service Card. increases the dimensions about an inch Circle 9 on Reader Service Card. on each side. This makes the complete ENJOY TV WITHOUT package lighter and smaller than many an uncased 8mm or VHS-C model. The case’s controls duplicate the DISTURBING ANYONE camcorder’s standby/pause ring, start/ stop record button and zoom rocker— and function as smoothly as those on fWITAHTVmTHAEM_SP&ELTIRFAAYMNIASNZMGIINTGHTEEARC.DOPRDHLOENSESS the camcorder. The case’s external mon- Works with any brand of TV or aural mic works well. radio. Perfect for anyone who needs to hear without disturb- One thing to watch out for is your ing others, including those with own haste to start shooting. It’s impor- ~\\5y)hearing difficulty. tant, while loading the camcorder, not It is now possible to listen to TV as loud to force the case, since any misalign- as you like without troublesome cords and without disturbing others. With ment or excess force can warp it, defeat- the INFRASOUND IR500 cordless ing the watertight seal. I learned this the headphones, you hear the TV hard way on my second outing, when I loud and clear, but only the TV - hastily jammed the camcorder into the ates no other sounds in the room are amplified. Thus, if you have case and unknowingly bent its hinges. After about 10 minutes of snorkeling, I difficulty with your hearing or if noticed corrosive salt water immersing your viewing schedule is the camcorde—ras well as a bright red different than your mate’s, you exclamation point, which appears in a Infrared Transmitter can now enjoy TV - with or without a hearing aid - and all small window on the rear of the SPK- you'll hear is pure listening TRX if water penetrates the case. infrared —ZGE Receiver pleasure. No wonder INFRASOUND As the viewfinder blanked out, I is America’s best-selling cordless frantically swam toward shore. On the Fully headphone for TV use. Adjustable ~ beach, I removed the camcorder and Headband LOOK AT THESE FEATURES: toweled it dry, then left it to dry further ae e Totally cordless headset - no trailing wires in the sun. Two hours later, it was work- e Fully adjustable volume control on headset ing. A month later, the TR81 was still re- Fully adjustable SoRato tia e Works with any TV or audio system. volume control foam e High amplification guaranteed up to 25 feet from TV. cording videos as good as new. While I & on/off switch don’t recommend trying this, Sony de- earpads e Brilliantly improves TV sound clarity for hearing aid users. serves credit for building such a robust A product of: e Manufacturers Limited one year warranty. UL Listed. camcorder. a ARKON RESOURCES, INC. TEL: (818) 358-1133 © FAX: (818) 303-6157 11627 Clark Street ¢ Suite 101 ¢ Arcadia « CA ¢ 91006 « USA CANADIAN OFFICE: (416) 737-4818 MAY 1992 VIDEO 33 °

BUYER BEWARE BY RODERICK WOODCOCK | Fraudulent phone tricks can Widescreen cost you money. worries & Phone fraud tip-offs. lens coatings Beware of phone sales tactics with [I]: read that widescreen TV sets as well as on both sides. these characteristics: will electronically remove the black One possible solution for future discs *overemphasizes free merchandise bands from letterboxed videotapes and would be to include a digital equivalent eunauthorized dealers laserdiscs during playback. I’ve also read of the text in each subtitle, allowing it to that some foreign-language tapes and be superimposed over the image area on *pressures you to buy before a deadline discs use the areas within the black widescreen sets, or displayed within the And remember, ifit sounds to bands to display subtitles. black bands for those with regular sets. good to be true, it probably is. Won't these subtitles disappear It’s not as pleasing to the eye to have when the black bands are removed? Or subtitles cover part of the image, but for BUYERS GUIDE do widescreen sets contain electronics widescreen movies viewed on this new that will allow the subtitles to be re- generation of TV sets, there’s no other Q. Who can you By tained even when the bands are re- solution, apart from dubbing the dialog. moved? call and give your = [esr ag OR noticed that the lenses of some Paul R. Riley camcorders have a purplish tint, credit card number \\suinc: ay Lawton, Oklahoma while some others have an orange tint. to with confidence? Wea] []Unfortunately, the soon-to-come What’s the difference? Is one better widescreen TV sets with 16:9 aspect than the other? Q. Who is the ratios don’t offer an easy solution for this Jerry Clark world’s largest problem. Since the subtitles are part of Detroit, Michigan camera, electronic the video image, they will be masked out and computer by the circuitry that enlarges the image Whether for a still camera, a movie department store? to fill wider screens. The only way to see camera, binoculars or a camcorder, the subtitles is to leave the set in the 4:3 any complex optical system employs Q. Who has only mode, which creates a “windowboxing” coated optics to improve light transmis- effect, or black bars on top and bottom sion. Different kinds of coating have factory fresh been used, including magnesium (pur- merchandise? Screen Trims: Some letterboxed laserdiscs, like ple) and amber (orange). Each has its Nothing Refurbished! Dances With Wolves, include subtitles in the black own advantages. The coating selected bars (top). Future widescreen TV sets (bottom) will depends on the lens itself. Both work Q. Who has the cut off these subtitles. well and neither is necessarily better. It’s because of the coating that cam- largest selection of era lenses have to be kept clean and, Direct Factory when they do get dirty, they should be Authorized Brands? cleaned very carefully. Examine the lens under a good light and blow off any Q. Who can you |: loose dust with air from a blower brush. call for experienced | Follow by cleaning with a piece of lens and knowledgeable tissue rolled into a swab and moistened with a touch of lens cleaning fluid. And sales staff? protecting the lens with a neutral sky- light or UV filter is inexpensive insur- Q. Who guarantees ance against dust or dirt degrading you the lowest image quality in the first place. purchase price? continued on page 92 Q. Who can you call for prompt and Video Magazine welcomes your speedy shipment? questions. Please include a phone number, but not a return Q. Who gives you a \\ 5m envelope as the volume of mail does not permit replies. All let- 10 day money back ters may be edited for clarity guarantee? and space. Address queries to Q @& A, Video Magazine, 460 Q. They all come [ West 34 Street, New York, NY 10001. and go, but who has |: years?been here for 92 | TO FIND OUT WHO THIS 92 YEAR OLD RETAIL GIANT IS, TURN TO PAGE 58 Circle 8 on Reader Service Card.

Minolta delivers first two-chtp consumer camcorder, Y TIMESHIFTER’S fi stereo VCR. For > FIRST 2-CCD DREAM CAMCORDER Sony makes a splash timeshifters, the by blending program- SLV-696HF ($649) in- Minolta’s Pro 8-918 Hi8 ming and editing camcorder ($2,705) features into a VHS hi- corporates Gemstar’s marks another step in VCR Plus programming the evolution of con- system, while editing sumer camcorders. features include a flying Until now, two-CCD erase head, audio/video cameras have been insert editing, Control S larger professional input and front-panel in- puts. Another model, models. The Pro 8-918 the SLV-595HF ($595), uses two half-inch, has the programming 410,000-pixel CCDs, features without the and checks in with a editing extras. compact weight of 2.5 pounds to boot. Using v IN LIVING COLOR two chips produces v TAKING THE DOLBY DIVE The 1991 ViVA-winning Fuji FEOWIDE 8mm cam- more accurate color Two manufacturers, Sherwood and Carver, are in- separation and greater corder featured a wide-angle adapter lens that slid color saturation. Addi- troducing their first receivers with the Dolby Pro- tional features include Logic surround system. Sherwood’s RV-6010R of- into place. The new F122SW ($1,600) retains that AFM hi-fi stereo sound, | feature, increases the zoom range from 8x to 12x audio/video dubbing, fers a choice of four surround modes. Pre-out/main- frame advance, a flying in jacks for each of the five amplifiers increase the | and adds a color LCD viewfinder. erase head, manual iris unit's flexibility. Independent video switching permits control and a character recording three video sources simultaneously. The generator. A 5x tele- receiver is offered as the RV-6010R with a unified photo and a 0.65x wide- remote ($450), or as the RV-6010RS with a pro- angle lens are available as accessories. grammable remote ($500). The Carver HR-895's four surround modes include simulated stereo for mono source material. This heavyweight performer, priced at $1,200, has seven audio, four composite video and three S-video inputs. The front video input also accommodates S-video. A second remote and infra- red receiver are supplied for multiroom use. COO

BY MARTIN LEVINE CENTER- CHANNEL HOW | SPEAKER BTHUEYAATER A strategy for winning the most demanding & costly video challenge you'll ever meee At first David Witt, an At- | The uncertain path Witt followed| nents, ordering room alterations and lanta real-estate developer, | from a vague yearning toward a full- developing a budget can be daunting. couldn’t quite describe blown home theater, for about $25,000 We're going to give you some straight- | what it was he really want- so far, illustrates the unpredictable na- forward advice to help you cut through | ed when he called Drew ture of home theater shopping. What the confusion, advice about working | Bardagjy, a noted home you get isn’t always what you expect with installers, about two unique short- | theater installer, also based | and, as any Hollywood producer knows, cuts to full-scale theaters (see “JBL’s Ul- timate Option” and “Instant Movie in the bustling capital of the the ‘unexpected always costs more. This is a sobering thought when you Palace”) and some basic tips about new South. Witt’s notion of some kind of entertainment room with a consider that elaborate home theater home theater speakers, screens and the big-screen TV set was so hazy the term systems, with faithful surround-sound rooms you ‘llput them in. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. “home theater” never even came to reproduction, can easily push past mind. But a home theater is what Bar- $30,000 —even past $100,000 with ex- Far more than most people realize, dagjy ultimately designed. And while tensive custom cabinetry and room choosing projectors, screens and audio Witt initially omitted some elements | modifications. But it need not be a dis- amplifiers is secondary to two more im- | that normally characterize home thea- couraging thought. Home theaters can portant objectives: deciding on the type | ters, now that he and his three teen-age also be assembled for less. Moreover, of viewing experience you really want | kids have had a taste of the experience, there’s a growing corps of design and in- | and finding someone who can translate | Witt plans to add surround sound and a stallation specialists, and harnessing your yearnings into a suitable system. their skills should be part of your plan. For example: few other finishing touches. Do you want the best possible envi- “It looks just like a movie screen,’ How? That’s what we’re going to says Witt of his new 84-inch, custom- talk about: How best to approach the ronment for movies? Or are you really built Optics screen, which displays im- ages from a Sony video projector. “Peo- challenge of putting together a home | after a multipurpose media room? ple come down at night and they just theater. Even working with an installer, | Do you want to re-create a movie | you need to bring a lot to the job be- palace remembered from childhood? Or | can’t believe it.” cause the demands of choosing compo- would an unobtrusive system that disap-mt 36 VIDEO MAY 1992

SURROUND SPEAKER DISTANCE TO SCREEN SHOULD BE 2 TO 3 TIMES SCREEN DIAGONAL nes VIEWING TO SCREE ANGLE SHOULD BE SHOULD NOT 1.5 TO 1.7 TIMES EXCEED 30° SCREEN WIDTH > wenn nnn nnn VIDEO PROJECTOR PLACE @ SURROUND SPEAKERS SPEAKER ANYWHERE SURROUND SPEAKER WITHIN SHADED AREAS pears between screenings make more an existing room meet your needs? With | drawing up plans, hauling lumber and sense? or without renovation? | plugging in the circular saw. And anyone Are you prepared to sacrifice part of Let’s start with a fundamental ques- | with a reasonable grasp of home elec- | your backyard to a new room built to ac- tion. Should you do it yourself or work | tronics can plug in a rear-screen projec- | commodate all this equipment? Or can | with an installer? Some people love | tion TV set, patch components together | 1 0TIPS FOR CHOOSING SPEAKERS Directionality counts for front speakers. Speakers that re- | well as many others marketed as audio/video products flect sound off walls and floors may work well for usually are, but it pays to check. listening to music, but are anathema to home theater. The left and right front speakers and the center-channel Consider the room environment. Are you looking for a speakers should, as do THX speakers, focus the sound hideaway system? Do you want to keep equipment away | | straight out at the listener for realistic imaging. from young hands? Many manufacturers offer speakers that can be built into walls. While bookshelf designs can : i : be built into cabinets or suspended off the floor, this can rFlaantgereasrpeonsiem,porgtoaondt. poMwoevrie hasnodulnidntgracaknsd aofwteinde shdiyftnafmriocm halosuo salter their performance, and not necessarily for the soft whispers to loud explosions in an instant, and your : @ pspoewaekrersanebetHtaeresebneisable to handle the quick surges in No one in the room should hear sounds directly from the surround speakers. In contrast to the role of front ¢ speakers, the surround-sound speakers should radiate re- Any speaker placed close to a TV set should be magnet- | flected patterns. The idea is to create a swirling, three- | | ically shielded. Speakers sold for center-channel use as dimensional effect. —ML DBOUUC: GHLMAASN itiaes Eg i A Be } MAY 1992 VIDEO 37

HOME THEATER and even adjust a basic surround-sound processor. The theater system this kind of effort leads to need not cost more than $10,000 and will almost certainly deliver big-screen enjoyment and palpa- | ble surround sound. But a rear-screen system limits pic- ture size. And while a Dolby Pro-Logic surround-sound decoder and a basic ar- ray of five speakers may impress the | neighbors, it might not reproduce the | | sonic effects envisioned by the movie's director. All in One: Synthesis One includes a projector, surround speakers, amps and processing circuitry. A more elaborate system, which comes closer to reproducing the total JBL’ There are two conventional ways to assemble home the- | experience moviemakers struggle to cre- ater components: Choose them yourself (which can be lad both fun and nerve-wracking) or work with an installer ate, almost demands a professional in- who chooses them for you. Now, JBL, a leading supplier Ultimate of commercial speaker systems, is offering a third way— staller, someone who knows all the latest 0 ti an ensemble of components it describes as the first com- plete packaged home theater system. Choosing JBL’s equipment and which pieces work best D ion-- Synthesis One simply eliminates many of the other com- together in particular settings. “It’s es-*| . sential, especially in the upper price | ponent decisions you would otherwise have to make, ranges,” says Mike Aguilar, vice presi- | Synthesis dent of Technics, a major supplier of sur- without sacrificing quality. round-sound decoders and other audio/ video components. | On You'll still need video sources—a VCR or a laserdisc Not surprisingly, his view is echoed | e play—ebrut little else. Synthesis One includes a data- by most installers. “I’m trying to create | grade video projector, a video controller, a screen, two an environment that faithfully repro- 18-inch subwoofers, signal processing equipment and a duces what the director intended,” says wall-shaking 1,600 watts of amplification. Of course, at a Ferdinand Steyer, founder of F. Steyer suggested price of $47,900, plus installation costs, Syn- Design, a home theater design firm | thesis One should be virtually complete. (For those with based in Greenwich, Connecticut. “Di- continued on page 94 rectors go through incredible pains to But what is a home theater anyway? | create good soundtracks. I saw a screen- | best movie theaters in Manhattan— | with a six-track Dolby sound syste—mit | While definitions vary, three elements | ing of Backdraft at Lucasfilm’s Sky- was just flat. A good home theater sys- are essential: | walker Ranch and the soundtrack was tem should provide a better experience eA large screen. Front projectors are amazing. Later, when I went to see Back- draft at what I thought was one of the \\than even the better movie theaters.” preferable since they can throw the im- 5TIPS FOR DECORATING YOUR HOME THEATER Almost anything goes as long as it doesn’t detract from people who can be seated in the audio/visual sweet system performance. An art deco movie palace? A mini- spo—twitshin a 15-degree angle to the screen. Anything malist box? Either’s fine, if it’s what you want. There are more acute will affect brightness and color accuracy. no hard and fast rules for decorating a home theater. Go easy on sound-absorbing materials. If the room is Beware of ambient lighting. Two-piece projection moni- acoustically “dea—dt”hat is, if sound is absorbed rather tors are helpless in the face of strong ambient lighting. than reflected by the walls, ceiling and floor —the sur- round-sound effects will suffer. While this isn’t a problem at night, you might want to use the room during the day. And if it gets strong sun- A moderately rectangular room is better than long and light and the curtains are sheer, you may have a narrow. Long, narrow rooms don’t give installers enough prreoblem. e room to space the speakers properly and to work in If you can’t find the right couch and chairs, consider enough good seating. For best acoustics, choose a room custom furniture. If theater-type seats leave you cold, in which the ceiling is about two-thirds the width of the there are furniture designs that maximize the number of —ML room.

age sizes that give home theaters real | impact, although rear-screen projectors | will do a fine job on a smaller scale. The American Society of Interior Designers recommends screens from six to 10 feet, measured diagonally. e High-quality surround sound. There are plenty of ways to achieve this, al- though all will include Dolby Pro-Logic Premier Attraction: From theater seats to gilded capitals, what you see is what you get. surround-sound decoding and an array of front and side or rear speakers with Instant What happens when the home theater you'd like to in- sufficient amplification for the room stall seems too tame for the lavish settings your child- vthey'ere abeinggusceedoniint. atSiornevogucon|UA memories still inspire? It may be time to explore the work of Theatre Design Associates, a unique firm that offers a variety of custom interiors —all crafted to through the windows, but why should Palace fee the grand picture palaces that were once as much you? A room with the ability to go com- art of the romance ofmveeone as the films them- pletely dark heightens the impact of any : ves. movie you're watching, and completes Founded by ee film diecus: Theo Kalomirakis, the illusion of enjoying it in a private the company offers a line of Dream Palace interiors in theater. opulent “Classic,” “Traditional” and “Art Deco” styles, Imagine capturing the magic of Hol- from about $13,000 to $57,000 for rooms as large as 22 lywood, as envisioned by a movie's direc- by 34 feet. These are real theater environments, right tor, and bringing it home. No scratchy down to plush, red theater-style seats. If your budget al- prints, no muddy sound, and speakers lows, you can include a working marquee, poster continued on page 92 sturdy enough to revel in the explosive | soundtracks of contemporary action | Like other top installers, Steyer be- oe find out what the customer wants, then films. “Home theater isn’t about a spe- cific component or screen size,” says gins by interviewing his clients, drawing deliver it.” Nailing down a concrete vi- | Steyer. “It’s about realizing a concept them out as they begin to articulate the sion from hazy musings is part of the in- | and an environment, and integrating emotions and desires that made them staller’s job. continued on page 90 that into your home.” seek him in the first place. “My job is to OTIPS FOR PICKING THE PERFECT PROJECTION SCREEN | Go for the biggest screen you can work into your budget hot spots and a rapid drop-off in performance for anyone and room. This is a home theater, after all—not just a seated at a sharp angle to the screen —although installers place to watch TV. A common complaint among people say some recent entries in the 1.5 to 2.1 gain range offer who have installed a home theater is, “I should have performance close to flat matte white. gotten a bigger screen.” It may look huge at first, but it Will your screen roll, hang or slip away? The size and will seem to shrink with time. design you choose will be affected by how the screen will Front or rear projection? Rear-projection sets outperform be installed. Essentially, there are three choices: a screen that rolls up and down as needed, particularly handy for front projection in bright light, but are limited in size. Remember that if your room is large enough, you can theater rooms that serve more than one function; hide- take a two-piece system and mount the projector behind away screens that fit inside custom cabinetry with doors that swing or roll open, or a screen that is always open the screen. and in view. If you have small children who love cray- Screen “gain” is important, but shouldn’t override other ons, you may want to hide the screen. considerations. A high-gain screen, with its greater abili- Is it time for 16:9? The widescreen aspect ratio of HDTV ty to reflect light, will improve performance if you plan to keep some lights on. But many installers opt for flat was born in the movie theater. Now, with more wide- matte white screens because they offer performance equivalent to a flat response loudspeaker; what the mov- screen discs and tapes a ’ailable than ever, and more on iemaker envisioned is what you see on the screen. And high-gain screens, especially beaded gesigeh tend to have the way, it might be wise to plan a system that can be adapted for widescreen viewing. Discuss the issue with your installer. —ML EHP.HNINLILSIP MAY 1992 VIDEO 39

BY RON GOLDBERG A new array of lights, mics and more helps home shooters fire up flat videos. he lights have come up on another, tremely noticeable impact on both. combines a shoulder shall we say, uninspired homemade | And they’re a bargain, too. We’ve mount and a chest video. By now, the alibis have a fa- listed our favorite accessories below at brace for hands-free miliar ring: “‘There just wasn’t | list price, but most are available at much enough light for that shot,” “the wind | lower street prices. operation. Tristar offers a $165 car- | really messed up the sound,” or some LEGS TO STAND ON mounting camera similar variation on these crestfallen Camcorders get smaller every year, | support called the themes. Your friends have heard it all but no matter what the size, holding one 360 CPL CaMobilia, before, and forgive you once again. up to your eye for an extended period of which turns your However, they’re losing patience with time is a clear invitation to shaky foot- automobile into Ro- these amateurish videos, and frankly, so age. The answer to this pervasive prob- bodolly. The Steadicam are you. lem is to use a camcorder support, the The difference between what they’re most popular being the trusty tripod. | JR is a downsized seeing and what they want to see is a Unlike a unit designed for still cameras, version of the pro- matter of production value. Steady cam- a video tripod gives you flexibility of mo- fessional Steadicam that won an Oscar era work, proper exposure and intellig- tion for pans, tilts and elevations. The for technical achievement. Using a pat- ible sound are the least that an audience best feature a fluid head, which makes ented gimbal-based handle, the $595 expects from any video. All this can be for silky-smooth movement. Some even | Steadicam JR is an amazingly potent sta- simple, once it’s understood that pro- come with a dolly, a set of wheels that | bilizing device. A high-contrast LCD monitor lets you keep the camcorder on duction value is a matter of both tools makes the tripod mobile. Picking the right tripod is largely a target. You can run, jump and jostle the and technique. There’s no digital substi- matter of taste. Our favorites include camera through crowds and still come the Slik 504 QF, a $189 fluid-head model | up with rock-steady footage. Ask any tute for knowing what to do. weighing in at a mere 5-1/4 pounds; Hollywood cinematographer, if you More often than not, though, good technique can be substantially bolstered by the right tools. Camcorders are pretty Thomson’s AC040, a $169 fluid-head | don’t believe us. much self-sufficient in that they can de- | model with soft click stops for precise One of the more unusual supports, liver acceptable footage under most pans and tilts; and the $199 Bilora to say the least, is the Action Boom shooting conditions. But using the right Pro930, which offers left- or right-hand- (from $249) by Classic Video Products. accessories will produce better work and | ed panning and a shock-absorbing cen- A combination stabilizer/boom mount, make the job easier as well. Good acces- ter column to protect the camcorder. the unit can keep a camcorder steady sories are designed to enhance the vid- | More portable supports can also do a through a dizzying variety of eographer's efficiency and creativity, and great job of curing the shakes. For exam- movements, including 360-de- MBLAEOCSORTMSI:OINLwLOhen used properly, will have an ex- ple, the $59 Gold Coast GT-B bracket | gree revolutions, and ground- 40 VIDEO MAY 1992

Mod Monitor: Classic Video Products’ Action Boom uses a head-mounted LCD monitor that allows users to follow action no matter what the camcorder's position. Lifetime Light: Cool-Lux’s 35-watt Mic- ro-Lux camcorder light carries a lifetime war- ranty on both the bulb and the fixture. Shining Bright: Lowel's AC-powered $865 Intro-kit includes three lights and all the accessories serious shooters need. MAY 1992 VIDEO 41

ACCESSORIES level and overhead shots. A head- or chest-mount LCD monitor keeps your eye on the action, and the unit can be attached to a tripod for more special ef- fects. Be prepared to experiment, thoug—hit’s a complicated device and the instructions are sketchy. THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Now that the camcorder is steady, the emphasis shifts to the two cardinal points of video input, lens and eyepiece. What is actually seen through the view- | finder obviously has great bearing on what ends up on tape. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to follow or direct action when a camcorder is mashed against the eye, especially for those who wear glasses. | The Citizen M329 monitor solves this problem admirably. A $189, full-color LCD unit with a 2.9-inch screen, the five-ounce M329 clips onto the cam- corder for a “real world” look at incom- ing footage. An optional platform lets the Citizen double as a playback moni- tor, a sun shield makes it visible in the brightest light, and a tuner that turns the M329 into a mini TV set is also available. All too often, a camcorder’s lens is regarded as unchangeable. Outside of zooming and manual focus, few video- graphers pay it much mind. This is a shame, because altering the lens with an | adapter can solve problems and open up | new creative possibilities. Lens adapters (also called convert- ue ers) are optical devices which screw onto camcorder lenses. They come in Hot Shots: Top photo, clockwise—Samson’s MR-1 handheld wireless mic, Ambico’s V-0880 video light, Sun- pak’s Readylight 20, Samson’s MR-1 lavalier wireless mic and receiver, Azden’s Cam-3 mixer, a Lenmar various focal lengths, from fish-eye wide- flip-lens wide-angle/telephoto converter, and Minolta wide-angle and telephoto adapters. Bottom photo, left angle to extreme telephoto. A 5x lens to right—Slik’s 504 QF tripod, Classic Video Products’ Action Boom and Bilora’s Pro930 tripod. adapter increases focal length by a mag- nitude of five; when used with a 10x best suited for exterior shoots, where either of these accessories, remember zoom lens, total magnification will be a there's plenty of light and room for the that the adapter mount has to be the whopping 50x at the extreme telephoto extended telephoto capabilities. same size as the filter diameter of the position. Conversely, a wide-angle camcorder lens. adapter will reduce the focal length, The more popular brands include Sigma, Tokina, Vivitar and Ambico. making wide shots even wider. The better units feature all-glass ele- LET THERE BE LIGHT There are some caveats to the ments. Some perform double duty by Although most camcorders do a fine adapter approach. Not all lens adapters work with camcorder autofocus mecha- flipping between wide-angle and tele- job of capturing both light and sound, nisms, and some do so only if the cam- photo, or even zoomable settings. A controlling illumination not only im- corder uses a TTL focusing system. As a good 2x converter runs between $50 and proves picture quality, but allows for result, you may have to use manual fo- $125, with the costlier units sporting some real creati—vpiaitntying with cus. In addition, a lens adapter usually cuts down on the light entering the anti-glare coatings and glass elements. A light, if you will. camcorder. In general, converters are wide-angle converter, identified by a The most utilitarian way of control- L fractional magnification like 0.8x or low- ling light is by way of an accessory light. er, runs from $60 to $100. When buying |These mini lights (usually between 10 |HMSOLHERTOSSTISL:LO 42 VIDEO MAY 1992

| Can See CITIZEN Clearly Now: With Citizen's M329 LCD monitor, a video- grapher can frame shots more accurately, flood light for overall illumination, a spot light for focused work and a smaller while keeping a com- { light for backlighting or highlights. Sev- fortable distance from eral manufacturers offer lightweight sys- tems designed for serious video and film the camcorder. ' use. Lowel offers the Intro-kit ($865), a versatile and complete AC-powered sys- tem that includes a broad light and two spots, as well as stands, barn doors, gels and a carry bag. Lighting kits ranging from simple units that plug into the wall to elaborate setups requiring an out- board DC-regulated power supply are | also available from Smith-Victor, Cool- Lux and many others. SOUNDING BETTER Audio is one of the most crucial, yet and 30 watts) typically clip onto an ac- overlooked qualities of good home vid- cessory shoe and run off a camcorder- eo. Poorly reproduced dialog, excessive type rechargeable battery. The advan- ambient noise and the videographer’s tage here is that with very little extra | spoken directions leaking onto the weight or bother, ample illumination is soundtrack greatly diminish the impact only a button away. of even the most visually astounding Among the more interesting offer- productions. The keys to better audio ings in this category is Sunpak’s $259 are good microphone technique and Auto CV300, a shoe-mounted unit that | | | proper mixing. | Most camcorders have a unidirec- provides total or fill-in lighting. When set to automatic operation, the Auto | tional microphone, which picks up | CV300's sensor measures ambient light sound from the front and sides, while re- | and blends in electronic light for a more jecting sound from the rear. This posi- | balanced picture. In manual mode, the tion is good, but limited. Zooming in on | unit fires 30 watts of straight or diffused a distant subject might bring it closer vi- illumination. Sima offers a similar mod- sually, but the microphone is still far el, the $114 SL-4 Sensorlight. away. Using an external mic placed close | Cool-Lux’s $80 35-watt Micro-Lux to the subject will improve matters con- employs the same rugged construction Shake It Up: Cinema Products’ Steadicam JR lets siderably. Most camcorders have an ex- that has made the company’s Mini-Cool users shoot steady footage under most conditions. ternal mic jack, and many have a DC | light standard equipment on Space output jack for microphones with built- | Shuttle missions. Both the fixture and | the light from the camcorder and hold- thae lamp écarry saeelirfetime waorrafnty. An- | ing it off to the side as you shoot will de- in preamps. other noteworthy clip-on light is Sun- liver similar results. One of the more popular trends is pak’s $80 Readylight 20, a compact, the use of wireless microphone systems. Small lights in the 10- to 30-watt These broadcast on VHF frequencies, convenient and affordable 20-watter range are fine for close shooting, but for and send clear audio back to the cam- that comes with a battery and a re- more demanding applications, you need corder from as far as several hundred | charger. a more powerful accessory light or a ded- feet. Nady has been especially active on Although a clip-on light might seem icated lighting kit. The advantage of the this front, offering the 151 VR system the most expedient way of illuminating a former is that it’s as convenient as the with a choice of either a wireless hand- shoot, it does have drawbacks. For ex- smaller clip lights. For example, Hah- held mic (model 151 VRHT, $250) or a | ample, direct lighting tends to produce nel’s Pro Zoom ($230 with battery) is a clip-on lavalier (model 151 VRLT, $200). harsh, unflattering pictures. Imagine a 50-watt battery-powered model, and the Samson’s MR-1 wireless system, ranging | 50-watt spotlight in your face while the $50 Ambico V-1077 provides 50 watts from $464 for a lavalier mic system to camcorder’s running and you'll get the on DC and 150 watts when running on $540 for a handheld system, uses dbx message. Some of the more versatile AC current. noise reduction and adjustable back- lights offer a tiltable head for bounce But as convenient as clip lights are, ground squelching, along with selectable lighting. This technique reflects light off tricky lighting situations and creative ef- impedance matching for perfect micro- the ceiling, and provides soft, even illu- fects are best served by a true lighting phone-to-camcorder compatibility. | mination. In a pinch, simply removing system. These will typically include a | continued on page 102 i MAY 1992 VIDEO 43

BY FRANK BEACHAM |VALCHEMIS How an MIT think The picture on the screen is familiar, yet their resolution tank is breaking strange. The super high-definition moni- | beyond that pro- barriers to build tor (2,000 lines of resolution) is display- | vided by the ori- a startling vision | ing a panoramic, three-dimensional ginal program of TV's future. image of the living room set from I Love source. Lucy. Nearby, a computer operator Structural vid- Ready to Merge: Media Lab Associate clicks on his mouse, and Lucy and Ethel | eo is just one of Director Andrew Lipp- suddenly appear on the set. As a group the startling proj- man, a leading of visitors gasps in astonishment, the ac- ects under way at advocate for the merger tors are given computer-generated the Media Lab, of TV and computing movements and new camera shots are one of the world’s technologies, with an chosen. Scene by scene, the program is leading centers for interactive city guide dissected and reassembled in ways never advanced media program. imagined by the show’s original director. research. Founded Leaning against the screen in the in 1985, the lab is | “computer garden” of the Massachusetts a melting pot Institute of Technology's famed Media | where academia Lab, associate director Andrew Lippman and industry meet to experiment with the future of television, film, computing announces that we have just witnessed a and related technologies. Its talent pool demonstration of “structural video.” A has included dozens of the country’s computer using 3-D design software has || been programmed to take apart, alter | brightest thinkers and tinkerers, and its and reassemble TV programs and mov- corporate sponsors, from Apple Com- ies. Here, the computer has just created puter to Warner Bros., represent a vir- a full 3-D model of the I Love Lucy set tual Who’s Who of the media estab- | | from the fragmentary glimpses seen in a lishment. With nearly 120 researchers divided | typical episode, then adjusted it for widescreen, high- into a dozen working groups, the lab has resolution display. won or applied for more than two dozen | The computer | patents, some involving consumer video | applications —like a system for altering can also locate ac- broadcast signals to prevent home VCRs tors within the from recording pay-per-view events, and original tape and cut and paste the development of “micons,” which are | them onto the set | essentially film clips stored on discs, an | in new ways dic- important tool in a broader effort to tated by the com- merge television and computer technol- puter operator. In ogies. While the lab’s work has yielded this manner, it may be possible some products, its primary mission is re- not only to create search. And now that its years of experi- widescreen ver- mentation on.the merging of TV and sions of I Love | computing are nearing commercial via- Lucy and other bility, the subject has become the focal point of numerous Media Lab projects. = vintage programs, For example, its researchers use the NLHISPRPHOMSIAHKNIA:WA ieee but to increase VIDEO MAY 1992 a

phrase “scalable video” to describe the | can invest in as much definition as they eo can let us build a continuum where concept that would permit a broadcast |wish,” Lippman adds. “In five years, I’m we can have a range of quality.” signal to support everything from con- | hoping the videophile will have as much | ventional TV to a variety of HDTV sys- Looking further into the future, the |tems. In scalable or variable data-rate quality as he wants for the money he television (a goal the lab now considers wants to spend. For 50 cents, he gets to lab foresees ‘model-based video,” in more important than higher resolution), see a small picture; for $1, he gets to see which a TV receiver would generate the movie in CinemaScope. Digital vid- programs using a computer-driven mod- the aspect ratio, the number of frames el processing images from a cameralike per second and the number of scan lines can be adjusted to suit the requirements % of an individual movie, a TV receiver or Reinventing Lucy: Researcher analyzes Lucy set elements on a monitor with 2,000 lines of resolution. a viewer's preferences. These and other picture characteris- tics, shaped as a digital data stream, would be determined on the fly as the images are transmitted and used. “In a scalable system, one requires less band- width for a smaller image,” explains Lippman. “As more bits are processed, the image becomes clearer or larger, at the recipient’s discretion.” Scaling a video signal permits it to be displayed at a variety of screen sizes. | This, in turn, would allow TV images to be measured in lines per inch, like com- puters, instead of lines per screen. More- over, “since a scalable signal can be decoded at a variety of resolutions and costs, broadcasters and consumers alike RLPUEAICISCYLNH:EVAYERNDTING MAY 1992 VIDEO 45

ALEHEMISTS device. “In this manner you could view, for example, a baseball game from the perspective of the ball,” reads a Media Lab manifesto. In the longer term, “little holographic baseball players will run around your living room hitting and catching a quarter-inch holographic ball.” Open Sesame: Onscreen display with full-motion images from three different sources shows how open-ar- chitecture TV set could eliminate barriers among video standards that are now incompatible. BEYOND HDTV If this seems like pie in the sky, con- of years should be a matter of optimism extensibility and interoperability.” These last three words, admittedly a sider the impact the Media Lab is al- for people in television,” FCC Chairman ready having on the development of Alfred Sikes recently said. “We are mouthful, were virtually coined at the digital television, in part by influencing going from the initial promise of better Media Lab. As the lab uses the term, policy deliberations within such key video and audio to the potential, extensibility refers to the ability of a TV bodies as the Federal Communications through digital applications, for a lot of system to operate using any of several | display technologies, including high-res- | Commission, the Society of Motion Pic- new products.” Sikes also said that the olution displays still to be developed. In- | teroperability refers to the ability of a | ture and Television Engineers and the FCC's selection process for an American TV system to function at any frame rate. The use of the terms by Sikes indicates International Standards Organization. HDTV system now includes among its “What's happened in the last couple [.criteria “the characteristics of scalability, Video The Media Lab is involved in exotic research projects, the level of the Media Lab’s influence, Unleashed while the lab’s work in realizing these ranging from education to music. But many deal with concepts offers important glimpses into the tufruturee of consumer video, including experiments in: the future of television. @ Holo, aphic Video. By improving the computational A significant part of this future may speed for holographic images, research led by Professor involve open-architecture television, the subject of another key Media Lab Stephen A. Benton makes it possible to create high-def- project. Using this technology, the TV nition video holograms. image is made to be independent of line e Audio and Listening Environments. Experiments, su- and frame rates. In an open-architecture pervised by Professor Barry Vercoe, hold out the promise system, a TV receiver would be able to of shifting the mixing and production of TV audio from display and mix pictures from HDTV equipment, film cameras or any of the studio consoles to home receivers. The lab is also work- world’s major broadcast standards ing with “synthetic spaces” that would electronically enhance a room’s natural ambience through an active (NTSC, PAL and SECAM) using any boundary system of microphones and speakers. The tech- display standard at frame rates ranging nique uses a new oe of flat reverberators running on a from 24 to 100 per second. high- speed digital audio processor. The goal is to sepa- “tate a room’s acoustics from its Open-architecture television uses processing that analyzes the TV signal in architecture. e Storyteller Systems. In a terms of its vertical, horizontal and tem- _ project headed by Professors poral frequencies. The frequencies are | packaged according to the content of | | Kenneth Haase and Glorianna the video image. Davenport, computers are pro- “For example, if Iaim my camera at grammed to use recorded video, a still scene, there is no high temporal sound and text to produce sto- energy because nothing in the scene is changing,” Lippman explains. “If Iaim |ries customized to match the at a movie, the frame rate [for an open- viewers’ needs and interests. architecture TV] is low—24 a second— -e@ Desktop Movies. Can film- but the vertical and horizontal frequen- making be computerized? One cies are extremely high because movies project, ledbyMedia Lab Asso- are extremely clear. If ]aim at a sporting ciate Director Andrew Lipp- event, the TV’s frame rate goes up to | man, involves programming a 30—the rate for conventional TV — but | computer to make movies auto- vertical resolution drops because we are | matically, drawing on a memory not sensitive to detail if it’s moving too bank of archetypal images, in- continued on page 95 DHNAIIRVSOEHSNIHPKIOARWTA: Micon Maven: Professor Glorianna Davenport withscreens cluding those for actors and _ —FB showing “micons”—film clips stored for storytelling purposes. backgrounds. 46 VIDEO MAY 1992

mL i MO N.TA BY STAN PINKWAS a CD player, an auto-reverse cassette Inside Job: deck and a tuner. The system is also The 52-inch monitor ot all home theaters are created wired for cable and to accept SkyPix’s equal, but not all need to be. A direct-broadcast transmissions when and the equipment small room and a modest budget are they become available. To the set’s left, stack on the right are enough to help anyone watch moy- Taylor installed a storage cabinet for vid- set into a wall con- ies in style, even when it involves retain- ing a design professional to set up the structed in space formerly occupied system. A recent home theater created eotapes, laserdiscs and CDs. by a closet. for a condominium in Rancho Mirage, The TV set, two flanking speakers California, demonstrates just what’s pos- and the cabinets are all flush with the sible. wall and intrude backward into a space The room was 12 by 18 feet and the previously occupied by a closet and a budget was $10,000. The goal was a full laundry. “We took out the closet doors, theater system, with a big screen, sur- removed the main support beam from the middle of the closet and ran a false wall across the front,” explains Taylor. “For the left cabinet, we pushed back into a small laundry room behind an ex- isting portion of wall. This was a little more difficult.” round sound and appropriate video and Rack Pack: | audio sources. Vincent Taylor, president The system’s primary components include a of V. Frederick International of Palm Carver laserdisc player, an Akai VCR and a MUDesert, California, met the challenge by Proton CD player. basing his design around Philips’ Wall- Vision system, a family of home theater components cre- ated to simplify in- stallation and work well in a va- riety of configura- tions. ALL IN AWALLThe center- piece was a 52- inch WallVision rear-projection TV set, which was How a low-budget theater packs big-screen punch mounted approx- imately in the center of the sys- tem’s wall, and protected by a screen- But not too difficult, since the entire size filter that enhances the set’s picture installation took just two days, from low-cost home theater systems. by improving contrast and reducing scan start to finish. “We’ve been trying to get For cost-effective surround sound, lines. The set’s features include 50-watt the home theater concept to work at a Dolby Pro-Logic surround sound. reasonable price,” observes Taylor. “This Taylor placed NHT 1.8 speakers to the installation was a trial case for us in this left and right of the TV set and used The main equipment stack rests to price range.” In fact, it worked out so Hughes Orb speakers, which have a 180- the right of the TV set in one of two well that Taylor, who is also a member of matching WallVision cabinets. It in- the Custom Electronic Design & Instal- degree dispersement pattern, as side cludes a Carver laserdisc player, the cli- lation Association (see box on page 92), ent’s old Akai VCR, a Hafler amp and a speakers. A center-channel speaker by has since installed half a dozen relatively Philips rests beneath the TV set. Proton 3000 Combo Unit, which houses To keep the enclosed system from overheating, Taylor added an air vent continued on page 92 MAY 1992 VIDEO 47

IMPES DISCS R E LE A PT CATURE FILMS faith to the breaking point and beyond. posed to be. The Rapture is a film so audacious, | Despite that eventually fatal flaw, | it’s hard to believe it came out of Holly- | The Rapture compels your attention with The Rapture wood. Writer-director Michael Tolkin the heedless intensity of a Sam Fuller neither proselytizes nor attacks religion; movie. (Tolkin, like Fuller, began his ca- 1991. Mimi Rogers; dir. Michael Tolkin. Hi- instead, this film mirrors his own reli- reer as a journalist.) And Mimi Rogers, fi surround, cc. (R) 100 min. $89.95. New gious confusion, and aims to prod view- who is in almost every frame, is sensa- Line. ers into examining their beliefs. tional in a very difficult, demanding Los Angeles telephone operator His method requires making vir- | part. Both director and star took a lot of Sharon (Mimi Rogers) seeks relief from tually all audience members uneasy. Re- chances here, and together they have her mechanical job by cruising seedy ligious viewers will be uncomfortable | created something unique: a film with bars, picking up strangers for anonymous with the film’s frank depictions of the courage of its own confusion. sex. But sex can’t hide the desperation | Sharon’s sexual adventures; liberal view- —M. Faust Black Robe 1991. Lothaire Bluteau, Aden Young; dir. Bruce Beresford. Hi-fi surround, cc. (R) 101 min. $94.95. LD (pan-and-scan or let- terboxed) $34.95. Vidmark. In 1634 Father Laforgue, a Jesuit missionary, sets forth from Quebec to- ward a remote outpost in Huron country from which nothing has been heard in | some time. He is accompanied by mem- | bers of an Algonquin tribe, the very kind | of ignorant souls to whom Laforgue | wants to bring the civilizing light of | Christianity. As the dangerous journey | progresses, Laforgue will realize just who | is most ignorant, and his faith will be | shaken to the core. Director Bruce Beresford (Driving | Miss Daisy) has earned a reputation for films about the collision of differing ways of life, and this one, adapted by Brian Moore from his novel, will enhance it. Beresford makes the most of the gap be- imi Rogers explores one of several alternative lifestyles in The Rapture. tween the “black robe,” as Laforgue is called, and his guides, natural beings who cannot comprehend his mission she feels over the growing pain and emp- ers may be surprised by its non-judgmen- and don’t much care for a heaven with- | tiness in her life. tal, even sympathetic tone toward out sex, hunting or tobacco. Nothing is | On the verge of suicide, Sharon has religious beliefs usually depicted as fa- _ overstated—not even the awesome a religious revelation. She joins a sect of natical. And, after the careful ambiguity scenery —so as not to overwhelm the | fundamentalist Christians, marries and of most of The Rapture, everyone will be real drama, which lies in Laforgue’s ef- raises a child. She is happy for a few surprised by the ending. Not only are we fort to reconcile his orthodox beliefs years, until another revelation leads her to an Abraham-like test that strains her |left without any answers, we're even un- with the realities of the wilderness. Lo- sure about what the questions are sup thaire Bluteau suggests all of Laforgue’s 48 VIDEO MAY 1992

“EDITORS CHOICE kenneth korman 4 | complexity with a minimum of effort, who has the nerve to correct Dutch’s LA solitary, fundamental question may _ and the cast as a whole is remarkably speech. _ well shape the world of video soft- subtle. For all the fine performances, in- _ ware in the years ahead: Are video- | Black Robe is an unusually cerebral cluding memorable support from Steven _ tapes and discs to serve merely as the adventure film. As such, it engages the Hill and Bruce Willis, the story never last link in the chain of distribution mind more than the heart. But it does so comes into focus. Too low-key to hold _ for theatrical product—a way for stu- most thoroughly. —Sol Louis Siegel the spotlight, Dean is upstaged by Kid- _dios to recoup losses on often medi- man’s sexy irreverence and, especially, | ocre films—or as carriers for unique | Billy Bathgate Hoffman’s psychotic fury. Still, Billy | Mgr with an excitement and al- 1991. Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, | Bathgate has moments where the twisted lure all their own? Loren Dean, Bruce Willis; dir. Robert Ben- logic of crime makes perfect sense, If the first scenario holds true, _ ton. Hi-fi surround, cc. (R) 107 min. where the interplay of cruelty and greed becomes a spellbinding ritual. _ video software will likely go the way | $92.95. Touchstone. of the dinosaur, replaced by sleek Gangster flicks are back in style, —Jon Young _ new satellite systems that beam the with everything from the dismal Mob- My Own Private Idaho latest hits—and little else —directly — sters to the riveting Goodfellas commemo- into homes. But when the potential | tating bad guys. Largely forgotten in the 1991. River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves; dir. _ of current software is fulfilled, as in © Gus Van Sant. Hi-fi surround, cc. (R) 105 the new Criterion Collection laser- min. priced for rental. New Line. _disc of Boyz N the Hood, it’s easy Complete the following sentence: It to imagine a future brimming with takes guts to make a movie like My Own _ entertaining and informative video. Private Idaho because: A) the average Boyz N the Hood contains all the | hallmarks of the best Criterion re- American moviegoer may not cotton to a film whose main character is openly leases: an immaculate and faithful | gay; B) even those who have no problem transfer of a truly great movie, extras with a gay lead may be intimidated by like deleted scenes and actors’ screen _tests, and a fascinating second- }' the many lines and scenarios co-opted _ soundtrack commentary from first- from Shakespeare’s Henry IV and V Going Dutch: Dustin Hoffman (center) plays the in- plays; C) the presence of Keanu Reeves time director John Singleton. Two at- famous gangster in the overlooked Billy Bathgate. obliges every reviewer to make a joke _ tributes, however, set it apart. It was _ about how the movie really should have released on the same day as the rent- been called Hal and Ned’s Excellent Ad- _al tape version of the film—an almost — venture. _ unprecedented feat for a deluxe edi- tion of a new ti- wake of Bugsy, Billy Bathgate deserved My Own Private Idaho tells of the better. Despite a disappointing box-of- friendship between narcoleptic street ttle and it's fice and rumors of production problems, hustler Mike Waters (River Phoenix), a director Robert Benton’s adaptation of “Ned Poins” to Scott Favor (Keanu priced at a reason- E.L. Doctorow’s novel delivers a few Reeves), the “Prince Hal” who hustles able $49.95, only thrills, thanks to a strong cast. only to embarrass his family until he | _ $15 more than Co- comes into his inheritance at 21. Scott’s | lumbia TriStar’s Similar in structure to Goodfellas, “Falstaff” is one Bob Pigeon (played brilliantly by William Richert, director of pan-and-scan, no- t(hLeoremnelDoedanr)amaas hfeoljlooiwnss ayDoeupnrgessBiiolnl-y Winter Kills and the River Phoenix vehi- extras disc of the era gang on the wane. But while Big Ap- _ film, and about Heaven's Gate ple crimelord Dutch Schultz (Dustin 4. | Hoffman) may be fading, he’s hardly de- | _ $40 less than the videocassette. We feated: Facing a racketeering trial, the | Private Idaho’s _can only hope to see many more discs don has the venue moved to the coun- River Phoenix try, where he embraces the locals, ensur- _of this type from Criterion—and _ ing a favorable verdict. Behind closed |from other companies. doors, Dutch tends to unleash his vi- In some cases, though, there’s re- _ cious temper, committing murder in a | spontaneous fit of rage more than once. _ally no “best” way to produce a title © for laserdisc. Image Entertaiment’s | Street-tough accent and all, Hoff- | man plays Schultz as a barely tamed ani- new edition of Heaven’s Gate | mal, only a veneer of civilization ($59.95), Michael Cimino’s infamous masking his primal brutality. With a _ big-budget Art Western, includes the toothy grin and amiable manner, Dean _film’s full 218-minute running time shows how a poor boy can be seduced by _and its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. power, while Nicole Kidman strikes an alluring pose as the sophisticated moll This version has seldom been seen in this country, in theaters or on video. But sitting through it is still like read- ing a 500-page coroner's report. It’s spellbinding in a morbid sort of way, but in the end the body is still dead. m MAY 1992 VIDEO

cle A Night in the Life ofJimmy Reardon). such cases are sickening enough, and a cision makes for a truly jolting climax. But the essence of Idaho is Mike’s quest Mamet’s direction and dialog are so | to find his elusive mother as well as rec- movie about them would have been oncile his not-quite-requited love for entertaining that one can forgive the oc- | Scott, concepts that may be Shake- grossly exploitative. But this watered- spearean but aren’t rooted in the Henry casional “large print” messages. Homi- | plays. down film will disappoint fans hoping cide isn’t about homicide. It’s about what drives people to kill. My Own Private Idaho is haunting, for a return to the Craven of Last House frightening and often beautiful. And the truth is, if Gus Van Sant had simply let on the Left or The Hills Have Eyes. the Bard be an inspiration rather than an integral concept, My Own Private Desperate for money to keep his Idaho might have been great. family from being evicted, a 13-year-old —John Walker boy nicknamed “Fool” (Brandon Ad- The People ams) agrees to join a robbery attempt on Under the Stairs the spooky old mansion of a slumlord. But when the robbery goes awry, he is 199]. Everett Gill, Wendy Robie; dir. Wes Craven. Hi-fi surround, cc. (R) 102 min. trapped in the house and hunted by the priced for rental. LD $34.98. MCA/Uni- versal. psychotic couple (Everett Gill and Wen- Writer-director Wes Craven origi- dy Robie) who live there. Help comes from prisoners of the house: the couple’s abused daughter (A.J. Langer) and the barely glimpsed denizens of the secret passages between the walls. The film’s chief assets are strong per- formances from Adams and Langer, two excellent young actors. McGill and Robie are energetically macabre, but Craven undercuts them with too much jokey comic relief. People Under the Stairs is basically a chase movie with a f| Pa} Vai few gratuitous, undeveloped “horror” Identity Crisis: Joe Mantegna’s Detective Gold touches. It’s okay as a thriller, but scary? embarks on a voyage of self-discovery in Homicide. Hardly. —MF Homicide eye eee 1991. Joe Mantegna; dir. David Mamet. Hi-fi surround, cc. (R) 100 min. priced for Aliens | rental. LD $34.95. Columbia TriStar. 1986. Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn; dir. James Cameron. Digital surround, cc. Detective Robert Gold (Joe Manteg- (R) 154 min. CAV boxed set, 7 sides. $99.98. FoxVideo/Image. na) is two kinds of cop: a street-smart James Cameron may soon rank as | detective whose only family is “the the laserdisc’s best friend. With his gor- geous, carefully supervised transfer of force,” and the classic “good cop” who Terminator 2: Judgment Day, he set a new quality standard for the format. The can charm cooperation from the stoniest captivating characterizations and awe- some action of his movies inspire repeat- suspect. But is Detective Gold—a man ed viewing, making them worth owning on disc instead of renting on tape. who can't distinguish between Hebrew With his latest release —a digitally and Yiddish—a good Jew? That’s a ques- transferred, letterboxed CAV edition of tion Gold must face in David Mamet's his monster-movie masterpiece, Aliens, previously offered only as a murky pan- complex thriller Homicide. and-scan CLV — Cameron gives laser- Gold and his partner Tim Sullivan disc fans an exclusive peek at almost 20 minutes of footage not seen in the theat- | (William H. Macy) are key players in tical release. But he didn’t just toss in | scraps from the editing room floor. The | the precinct’s search for a cop-killing fu- new footage adds greatly to the content gitive. But Gold finds himself doing dou- of the film, extending several scenes, ble duty when he stumbles into the fleshing out the characters and clearing aftermath of an apparent botched rob- up sketchy spots in the complicated sto- bery and the shooting-death of an elder- Monster Mash: Wes Craven's The People Under ly shopkeeper. The victim’s family is the Stairs attempts to blend laughs with horror. convinced the murder was motivated by anti-Semitism, and pulls strings to keep their fellow Jew assigned to the case. But nally conceived The People Under the Gold’s frustration turns to confusion as Stairs as a horror film about children he discovers the victim’s ties to a group locked away from the world by their of militant Jews, and, in the process, is abusive parents. It’s just as well he soft- forced to confront his own identity— ened that idea: True-life stories about and loyalties. The outcome of Gold’s de- 50 VIDEO MAY 1992