video-magazine-1995-04

ter Systems TE REEESEESESEESSLEEESELES) DWE THEATER lands-On Tes Decoder eHow To 80008800000088 “) VIDEDT ESTO Worldwide VCR, 35-Inch TV, VHS Camcorder, Front Video Projector & Line Doubler

IT’S THE BIGGEST ADVANCE IN SATELLITE TELEVISION SINCE THE MINI-DISH. IT’S THE MINI-DISH YOU DON’T HAVE TO BUY. And it's only available from PRIMESTAR. With PRIMESTAR, the complete mini-dish satellite TV service, there's no equipment to buy. Starting at about a dollar a day*, you'll get the use of the mini-dish, maintenance and all kinds of program- ming, including movies, news, and family shows. PRIMESTAR brings you the very best in televi- sion, all in digital-quality picture and sound. Our complete, comprehensive lineup includes The Disney Channel, three channels of HBO, two channels of Cinemax, the leading regional sports networks, ESPN, TNT, TBS and much more. So start getting the entertainment you want. Just call 1-800-PRIMESTAR. \"Prices may vary. Does not inelude installation. sA R Blackout restrictions apply. PRIMES WE BRING SATELLITE TELEVISION DOWN TO EARTH.” 1-8O00-PRIMESTAR



Press RECORD agaim to comfirm recording. FEATURES SMALL-DISH MANIA 46 | TAPES ffDiscs How DSS is bringing digital sizzle to satellite TV. By Jonathan Takiff 50 , VIDEOTESTS DIGITAL FEVER, VEGAS STYLE DEPARTMENTS New disc and tape technologies energize a record-breaking CES. PERSONAT BESTS ee Si eS 54 Oscar-season awards for the year’s outstanding laserdiscs. By David Morrell _ HOME THEATER FORUM: THE CASE FOR SYNERGY 58 Surround sound speakers, a processor/preamp and a D/A converter bring a room to life. By Anthony Chiarella REVIEWS / River Wild, Glenn Gould, Little Rascals on tape; 62 Prince of Tides, Year of the Dragon on laserdisc; Mickey Mania on Sega CD; 63 Sports Illustrated Almanac on CD-ROM, more 69 EDITOR’S CHOICE / Butch & Sundance anniversary disc. By Ken Korman DIRECTOR/ YThe latest releases on tape and disc MITSUBISHI VS 1250 FRONT PROJECTOR 30 Dwin LD-2 Line Doubler and A/V Control Center, Aiwa HV-MX1 Multistandard VHS VCR, Toshiba CN35D90 35-inch Cinema Series TV, Samsung SCF754 VHS Camcorder CHANNEL ONE/ TVs and power, part 2 Ae 6 FEEDBACK/ Letters from readers ae prearete kO FAST FORWARD / CD Plus, IBM’s MuxMaster, Tom Hanks, 12 10 Years Ago, Late Breaking News, more RSaloreaent gay NEW PRODUCTS / Low-cost combi player, multistandard VCR, 18 Cover: video printer, more RCA's Digitals HANDS-ON TEST / ZenTiVprtemiheres StarSight’s onscreen guide ——-22_—=Sauelte Gystern: SPECIAL REPORT/Video's nextgeneration-10 gigabyte movie CDs 24 caradndremote. HOME THEATER / Calibration, the ultimate tweak for yourTV = 26 __ Photograph by CAMCORNER / What type of editor are you? 28 Gene Colman Q & A/ Technical queries answered 29 COLLECTOR’S CLEARINGHOUSE / Reader requests for GA ns taal hard-to-find tapes and discs Volume XVIV OFF THE AIR/ Why home theaarte beettrersthan movie theaters 106 Number 1 ky 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 office. © 1995 Reese fo cembeae Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. © under Universal, International, and Pan American Copyright Conventions. Reproduction of editorial or pictorial content in any manner is prohibited. Single copy price $2.95; $3.50 in Canada; £2.50 in U.K. One-year subscription (12 issues) $18.; Canada, $22.47 (includes GST #R125938423) U.S.; foreign, air mail, $40 U.S. Canadian international publication permit #546488. Address sub- scription orders, change of address, correspondence and inquiries to: VIDEO, Box 737, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0737, or call 815-734-1283. 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. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VIDEO, Box 737 Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0737. For microform copies of issues or articles, write to: Serials Acquisition Dept., University Microfilms, Inc., 300 North Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. 4 VIDEO APRIL 1995

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TVs and magazine power, part 2 Last October, we noted that the U.S. Department of Energy was getting President, Jay Rosenfield ready to set energy consumption limits for TVs, effectively requiring manu- Editor, Stan Pinkwas facturers to slice the power TVs use by nearly a third. The goal was energy Senior Editor, Peter Barry Technical Editor, Lancelot Braithwaite conservation. The means, we felt, were misguided. We pointed out that TVs Associate Editor, Stewart Applegath Assistant Editor, Josef Krebs use relatively little power, and that TV makers have been cutting power lev- Entertainment Editor: Ken Korman els on their own. Of more concern, we noted that the department’s pro- Contributing Editors: Bob Angus, Frank Beacham, Brent Butterworth, Anthony posed regulation would force TV makers to strip popular, useful features Chiarella, Bruce Eder, Mark Elson, M. Faust, Ron Goldberg, Ty Harrington, Tom Heald, from their sets, and could hinder the development of new TV-based tech- David Lachenbruch, Timothy Liebe, George Mannes, Marianne Meyer, Kevin Miller, Cliff nologies. Readers were outraged, and let us know in dozens of letters con- Roth, Sol Louis Siegel, Jon Silberg, Tom Soter, Jonathan Takiff, John Walker, Rich Warren, demning the rule as an act of bureaucratic interference. Roderick Woodcock The Dept. of Energy appears to have listened. It recently announced it Art Director, Marshall Moseley Assistant Art Director, Nadira Abdul-Kadir would re-examine the data used to write its regulation. In other words, it Art Assistant, Gary French Production Manager, Gary M. Krystofiak will calculate TV power needs based on modern, feature-filled sets, not the Production Assistant, Kim Lau Typesetting, Janet M. Holland old, no-frills models it originally used. The Electronics Industry Association, Publisher, Jay Rosenfield which prodded the department to think twice about its power math, praised Associate Publisher, Linda DeRogatis the action as a “first step,” but still thinks “this proposal should be killed Circulation Director, Rodney Bell Circulation Assistant, Jessica Schneider entirely.” Classifieds Representative, Lydia Ferrante Newsstand Sales Director, Gerald Levine We can’t help but agree. If manufacturers have to segregate the circuits Marketing Director, Luanne Rao for picture-in-picture, second tuners, hi-fi sound, image enhancers and the Financial Officer, Mark C. Spector, C.RA. Business Manager, Janette Evans like into external boxes designed to plug into TVs, power use would jump Assistant Business Manager, Lily Schwartzberg instead of shrink. Considering all the features today’s TVs pack, they’re Advertising Coordinator, Karen Pellino already energy bargains. n Corporate Offices, Editorial & Sales: Linda Futterman, Christine Barbieri, “Small Dish Mania,” this month’s cover story, will bring readers up to date 460 West 34 Street, New York, NY 10001; on the extraordinary success of the Digital Satellite System, which is selling 212-947-6500; 212-947-6727 (fax) as fast as receivers can be made. As contributing editor Jonathan Takiff West Coast Sales Office: Linda DeRogatis, Susan Kay Moses, shows, the system continues to expand, with new products, programs, ser- 1453 Third Street, Suite 490, Santa Monica, CA 90401; 310-393-5057; 310-393-5538 (fax) vices, picture enhancements and channels. Chicago Sales Office: Milton Gerber, We also call your attention to contributing editor Frank Beacham’s Kristene Richardson, Media Plus, 135 N. Arlington Heights Road, Suite 106, “Special Report” about the multi-gigabyte movie CDs being developed by Buffalo Grove, IL 60089; 708-913-5400, competing groups of companies. While details of the format (possibly for- 708-913-5403 (fax) mats) are still to be completed, the discs’ introduction sometime next year promises to be a watershed event in the story of video. Subscription Inquiries & Adjustments: 815-734-1283 This issue also introduces “Home Theater Forum.” It’s a new way of looking at and listening to high-octane components for your favorite room, Editor-in-Chief, Art Levis (1936-1991) which is what we'll be doing in our favorite room, Video Magazine’s Home Theater Facility. We’ll be auditioning components that can help enhance REESE your system's performance, and talking about how to make sure you're get- ting the best your system can deliver. @ CIONMCMORUPNOIRCAATTEIDONS CEA S PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Stan Pinkwas Editor 6 VIDEO APRIL 1995

YOU NOW FROM YOUR—es VIDEO STORE. Introducing DIRECTV,™ an amazing INTRODUCING a theater. You can also choose breakthrough that turns your TV from tons of pro and college sports, into a video store, where you can Pa and the newest and most popular always get hit movies at the touch cable networks. CNN, ESPN, The DIRECTY. IT’S PERSONALIZED TV™ of aremote. Through a tiny satellite the Hollywood hits you want, start- Disney Channel, and a lot more. dish, only 18 inches wide, DIRECTV ing as often as every 30 minutes. No Probably for less than you pay for delivers tons of movies to more trips to the video cable now. Check out the afford- choose from. The latest store. No more disappoint- able 18-inch RCA brand DSS™ dish releases, well before they're ments when the movie you and DIRECTV at your Consumer on the premium movie channels. want is out of stock. And with Electronics or Satellite TV dealer. Plus classics and independent films DIRECTV’s totally digital picture Or call |-800-345-4388 for the near- too. For just $2.99 each, you get and sound, you'll feel like you're in est authorized DIRECTV dealer. “UJB9ZOp]de9i1p1eAe1dNa9ayS ©1994 DIRECTV Inc. DIRECTY, DSS, and “DIRECTV. It’s Personalized TV” are official trademarks of DIRECTY, Inc., a unit of GM Hughes Electronics.

©1994 Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. DSS™ is a trademark of DIRECTY, Inc., a unit of GM Hughes Electronics. Available in the continental U.S. only. Programming sold separately

We've all heard a lot of talk about the DigitaAlge.But what have we seen? Here ends the hype, the hyperbole and all those other “hb” words. Introducing the RCA Digital Satellite System. That's not another announcement. That's a fact. Twenty-two thousand miles above the equator are twin satellites using advanced digital technology to give you the ki5 nd of picture and sound that wilf l completely rewrit: e the televitseion hi;story books. HToheme60T\"heRatCrAe and DSS System. Digital Home Theatre is here You see, your TV is only as good as the broadcast signal it receives. And the current signal hasn't changed since the NTSC first set the standard way back in 1940. In other words, it’s well over 50 years behind the times. Announcing the end of announcements announcing the coming digital revolution. Enter the DSS system. An entirely new kind of broadcast that can deliver up to 35% more lines of resolution and CD-quality sound? Combine that with an RCA Home Theatre” and you get Digital Home Theatre. Television will never be the same again. The DSS system will be on the cutting edge well into the next century. It incorporates MPEG-2, the new standard for digital television. It gives you a laser-disc quality” picture and eliminates many of the problems with todays IV and cable systems. Like interference and video noise. You won't sameness |”get caught with your technological pants down either. The DSS system has a wide-band data of watching television port. So when HDIV comes along, you'll be ready! In fact, we're playing a major role in the development of HDTV. This is not fiction, It's reality. The DSS system could be in your living room tomorrow. So, what are you waiting for? Changing Entertainment. Again: Messe B“JaU€Pd/OaI9]pIEAeIDNa9ayS *Picture and sound quality depend on yourTVand audio systems. +Additional components required for HDTV. Simulated picture. Screen size measured diagonally.

VIDEO care FEEDBACK ADVERTISER Letters from our readers CIM KeyceMmDitccreiney MeyMVE-Va:cclntele mio See the difference With the unmasked full-screen video version, you see visual informa- The Electronic Mailbox, discusses I would like to thank you for the “Home tion that you were never intended to Theater” column about TV calibration see, such as production assistants and what’s new in video products. (Oct. (94). Ihad my Mitsubishi 50-inch equipment or stunt people that are rear-projection set calibrated by a local rightfully cropped by the masking. Here, What's new and exciting in pro recommended by the Imaging less is more. I’ll stick to my beautiful let- home video editing? Science Foundation. The result of his efforts was nothing short of astounding, terbox version. By far the hottest thing in home transforming the set’s bluish whites into Conrad P. Felber video editing is desktop video. pure and vivid ones. Flesh tones are With Sima’s new PC Ed/it, anyone more realistic and color accuracy has Sudbury, Ontario can edit and rearrange scenes of their distinctly improved. I urge other Video Canada home videos with ease and accuracy Magazine readers to consider having right on their computer — for this service performed. You won't Logos drive me under $100! Fast Electronics and believe the difference. ADDA Technologies offer several When a person buys a new car, he does products that let consumers use their Robert McLean not expect to see Ford’s or GM’s logo on 386 PC or better to create titles and Bethpage, New York the windshield while driving. Why add special effects. Today, you can should we have to watch the logos of tum your computer into a digital Keep it simple stations such as The Family Channel, video mixer with effects like Arts and Entertainment and Turner ChromaKey, A/B rolls and dissolves Sherwood’s RV-5030R (“Best of the Classic Movies in the righthand corners for under $500. The most important Year,” Jan.) is a smart, inexpensive, of television screens when we have thing to remember is only buy desk- great-sounding, no-frills home theater already paid to see the program? This top video products from retailers who receiver. Why should I have to spend offer technical support and some kind practice has become an intrusive new of satisfaction guarantee. Sherwood RV-5030R A/V Receiver form of advertising. What are the hot new products lots of money for silly surround modes, Walter Oleksy in video accessories? S-video jacks, etc.? I want quality sound Evanston, Illinois without paying $1,000. Add NHT’s Sunpak Memory-Free and SuperZero speakers and an SW-2P sub- Best of the best? Lenmar NoMem batteries. These woofer and you will have a great-sound- batteries not only offer consumers ing system, with money to spare for Brent Butterworth’s review (“Video longer running times, but their tech- things you really need, like RCA’s DSS nology prevents them from getting system or a widescreen TV. tests,” Oct. ‘94) of the Toshiba TW56- battery memory. Battery memory is the problem that turns your two-hour George Owens D90 observes that the TV has a hori- battery into a five-minute one. With Port Angeles, Washington these batteries you just charge it up zontal hot spot, and adds, “Make sure on your existing battery charger and Masked by design get a full running time, every time. you'll be able to watch the set with your The Sunpak Memory-Free batteries In response to Joe Redifer’s letter (Feb.) come with a lifetime warranty, and on letterboxing versus pan-and-scan, he head within a foot of the vertical screen they have just introduced a new should check his copies again. There is model for Canon camcorders. indeed extra picture on the left and axis.” Given this, how can you name the right side of the frame of Terminator 2: Any other hot new products for Judgment Day, and more detail on the Toshiba the Best Widescreen TV of our readers to look for? top and bottom. But it wasn’t intended to be seen that way by the director. 1994? George Heidel JVC has just introduced a uni- James Cameron’s film is in a seldom- versal editor, the EdiTool, used format called Super 35, which Redding, California which requires no hook-up and is achieves a widescreen look without easy to use. Now anyone can edit using widescreen lenses. It is rectangu- Editor’s Reply: We chose Toshiba’s their home videos from the comfort lar, but not wide enough for TW56D90 as the Best Widescreen TV of their living room. Ambico has “widescreen,” so it is masked for the- because its picture is definitely the best introduced a whole new line of video atrical release and laserdiscs. among the widescreen sets we’ve seen. production equipment. While the hot spot is a flaw, bear in mind that no product is perfect. For the record The installed lighting system discussed in February’s “Home Theater” was the Lutron Grafix Eye, not the Magic I. m= Send letters to Feedback, Video Magazine, 460 West 34 Street, New York, NY 10001; or fax to 212-947-6727; or send via CompuServe to 75147,1255, or via the Internet to 75147.1255@compuserve. com. Letters may be edited for space. 10 VIDEO APRIL 1995

EDIT STANDBY With the [Zilool new JVC EdiTool the only things JX-ED11 (yp you'll miss are the Video Editing Controller hook-up (42> cables! ale Completely Wireless Edit Controller with Exclusive $7 YPLE/ Absolutely no hook-up! Jog Wheel Scanner! Total wireless operation means no If you are one of those consumers who thought Cables needed! video editing was too complicated and involved EASY! Two button editing! expensive equipment, the JX-ED11 was created ‘ just for you. EXCLUSIVE! Jog Wheel Scanner With JVC’s Cable Free Editing, you can perform eae accurately at edit points. easy edits by using large simplified controls. The UNIVERSAL! Works with most JX-ED11 works with most brands of remote IR camcorders and VCRs. compatible camcorders and VCRs. :: Wa Mi Ld INNOVATIONS Circle 4 on Reader Service Card.

Fast >> POOSLAS, FORWARD VOLUME 3 Pr Pr >> Tom Hanks-hits, CD Plus, <q misses and Gump a new disc with a CD- Few actors are as hot as Tom ROM twist ual 4 Dylan’s Hanks. Coming off an Oscar-winning per- formance in Philadelphia, the story of a man’s classics battle against AIDS discrimination, he with video stayed on top with the phenomenal suc- Clips, will cess of Forrest Gump. But his career has had also its share of flops, like The Burbs and How do you eh Radio Flyer, and debacles like Bonfire ofthe Vanities. Of Bonfire, an adaptation of Tom follow a monumental * Wolfe’s bestseller, Hanks re- career as a recording Vd ; 4 called in an interview with engineer and produc- Video Magazine that he knew at the time that “we were ei- er? How about by ther making something on the order of Gone With the Wind, dreaming up a new or we were the biggest clowns breed of mauldinedia CD that can play on audio CD players as a regular album, in the business and we'd be laughed off the screen.” Rue- then come alive on a CD-ROM equipped PC as a sight-and-sound extravagan- fully, he admits “We were “Tom: Hanks laughed off the screen.” za with video clips, graphics, liner notes and lyrics. The disc might even serve as Hanks attitude is always to “do the work and hope for the best.” But he said a computer link to the artist’s or label’s online service for touring info, other al- he marvelled at Gump director Robert Ze- bum previews and ticket buying. meckis’ devotion. It seemed, said Hanks, | that Zemeckis knew he was creating a his- For Albhy Galutan, computers have become his virtual life since he dreamed tory-making film. Hanks worried that the film’s special effects and historical trick- up and created late in 1993 a Crash Test Dummies prototype disc. Galutan has ery might overshadow the story, but Ze- meckis’ confidence won out in the end. long been the chief engineer at Criteria Studios in Miami and a studio collabo- “Bob is a dynamo,” says Hanks. “I will rator to everyone from the Bee Gees on Saturday Night Fever to Eric Clapton and Barbra Striesand. never question him again. Any actor who harbors the idea that he ever wants to di- Galutan’s achievement has been to create the format, then sell Sony and Philips rect should work with Bob Zemeckis.” on the idea of making CD Plus an extension of their audio disc standard. “CD Does Hanks want to direct? While his ca- Plus is a hybrid of the Photo CD technology that merges still pictures, sound and reer has been defined by unpredictable moves, this may not be one of them. “I indexing,” explains Galutan. “The trick is in multisession recording, coding the See graphics and then putting liner notes in a separate sector than the audio.” Also in on the ground floor is Microsoft, which has designed its new Win- dows '95 operating shell to be “CD Plus-ready.” All other PC users, 4865X and better, will need to install a smidgen of driver software, online or on disc. The first CD Plus titles include Sony’s two disc sight-and-sound rendering of Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 and a dressed up Jar of Flies EP by Alice in Chains. Atlantic, Capitol, Geffen, MCA and Warner Bros. also have enhanced titles on the way. And a near-future goal is to make the same CD Plus discs Mac- intosh compatible, so that a single title can be stocked in both audio and com- puter stores. ~ Jonathan Takiff really like this high-paying movie star gig, and I'd like to hold onto it as long as they’ll Instant high definition let me.” - By Jon Silberg For the right price, you can have Captain’s HD VCR | a high-definition VCR today. It can record | and play up to three hours of high-defi- (212-307-HDTV), an HDTV company | based in New York that also carries blank nition TV, or simultaneously record HDTV tapes, as well as feature films on | three hours of two separate S-VHS or HDTV tapes, for $300 to $400 each. VHS programs on_ high-performance metal particle videotape. Because the -Lancelot Braithwaite HDTV is recorded as an RGB baseband signal rather than a composite signal, the deck is compatible with all proposed HDTV systems, requiring only adecoder that outputs an RGB signal. The right price, by the way, is $15,000. The VCR is available from Captain 12 VIDEO APRIL 1995

TQHUEOMTEONTOFH TIMESHIFT TEN YEARS AGO IN VIDEO MAGAZINE Here in the U.S., the big Sony news is high- res Super Beta. But back in Japan, Sony re- a server site anda cently devoted equal fanfare to its parallel Is there cable company’s announcement of the Video 8 camcorder. head end,” says Video 8 weighs less than 5.1 Ibs. with bat- a Mux- Aldo Mazzilli, busi- tery and tape and lists for $1,100. It uses a | Master ~PAUL MCGLOTHLIN ness development CCD imager equivalent to the one in the | in your manager for IBM newest CCD Betamovie. Video 8 seems to future? Information and Multimedia Coordinator, Research. offer many consumer-friendly features not ‘ Henry T. Gage Middle School MuxMaster es- even found in Beta- ey Huntington Park California sentially combines data streams from movie. Sony execu- slower sources, like tives won't be more Fiber-optic cable has always been computers, into a single stream for trans- specific, but say that New Product oh they will “definitely” considered the ultimate carrier of digital mission over optical fiber. When the com- information. But coming services like bined signal reaches its destination, the he selling Video 8 in 'dAny GoodMovies? the U.S. sometime “ ih video-on-demand may squeeze even stream is separated back into its original fiber’s capacity to cope with the info-gob- channels. MuxMaster uses a technique this year...8mm is go- bling demands of multimedia. To over- called “wavelength division multiplexing” ing to need an ex- come this limitation, IBM Research has to transmit each channel at a different col- developed a technology that promises to or of light. The technique can be compared tensive library of create a twenty-fold increase in fiber’s ca- to radio broadcasting, which simultane- prerecorded tape if pacity, while slashing the cost of trans- ously transmits signals of different fre- it’s really to com- mission. quencies without interfering with each pete with the bigger boys. A-8 Video IBM’s MuxMaster technology, now in other. APRIL 1985 | prototype form, makes it possible to trans- IBM officials say the breakthrough Movies, a California-based company, goes mit 20 simultaneous data streams—in- could also slice the cost of leasing fiber on the record as being the first to support cluding video, text, audio and still image by 95 percent. With the current cost of files—over a single fiber cable. Current renting a single fiber cable starting at $150 the 8mm format by selling cassettes. It has technology only allows one stream at a per mile per month, a MuxMaster user released Suzie Superstar and | Want to time. IBM believes MuxMaster will find needing a 10-channel, two-way link over Be..BAD, two X-rated features. Let the sell- an important market among cable TV op- 10 miles could save $342,000 per year. And ers of half-inch prerecorded tape not for- | erators with video-on-demand services. that’s reason enough for anyone to con- get that their billion-dollar business “We're providing the capability to com- sider a new technology. began with people’s taste for adult fare...A | municate large volumes of data between —By Frank Beacham double-deck VCR—similar in concept to twin- deck audio recorders—hus been announced by Sharp. So far, the one-speed VHS unit is built only for PAL and SECAM use and is be- ing sold in the Mideast for $935. A fact which seems guaranteed to anger Hollywood isthe unit’s ability to dub from one tape to the other. It will probably be kept away from U.S. shores for some time... The numbers are in on VHS hi-fi, and what looks gloomy for manufacturers may mean golden opportu- nities for shoppers. Some hi-fi models, plagued by initial quality problems and an early lack of prerecorded programming, re- portedly haven't been selling very briskly. The discounting on older decks should be- gin shortly...Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want Year’s Best: Recipients of Video Magazine Awards for 1994’s best products, which were presented in To Have Fun begins filming this month with a ceremony at the Consumer Electronics Show, include (top row, from left) Hitachi’s Bruce Schoen- egge, JVC’s Bill Simms, Sherwood’s Bob Magee, Terk’s Neal Terk, StarSight Telecast’s Brian Kloster- Sara Jessica Parker and Lee Montgomery in man, Sherwood’s Rick Jordan, Toshiba's Steve Nickerson, Sony’s Craig Rathbun, Madrigal’s Jon the lead roles. Not bad for what was meant Herron; and (bottom row, from left) Mitsubishi’s Howard Borsa, Pioneer’s Kerry McCammon, Goldstar’s to be a one-joke video that co-starred a Peter Suh, Video Magazine award presenters Jay Rosenfield and Stan Pinkwas, Intel’s Jerry Braun, wrestler. . | Videonics’ Jack Aiello, Counterpoint’s Laura Hendershot and NHT’s Chris Byrne. APRIL 1995 VIDEO 13

whisper convenient way to make these things | interoperative.” He id th ee step Il be to conve apne video and data, but whisper whisper age capacity is advanced enough e | to seven years, ‘ede! - | in Television Digest. — munications | oe | Commission| HITACHI IS INTRODUCING A_ has voted toal- |. locate space on the broadcast spec- pair of wireless camcorders that trans- trum for satellites to transmit digital mit images and stereo audio via an audio services. This could clear the infrared signal to an adapter that way for radio stations to broadcast plugs into a TV. The debut is in CD-quality music channels to homes Europe, but if the models are a hit, and automobiles equipped with tiny they'll probably turnuphere. dish-sized antennas. THE MONTH’S CLEVEREST NEW | PROFESSIONAL VIDEOGRAPH- CD-ROM isn’t an exotic new game, Now with but Bob Dylan Interactive: Highway 61 _ ets will have adramatically new kind ihe Enhanced Sound Circuitry Revisited, a nostalgic look at the ’60s of camcorder to consider after they from the vantage point of the 90s. get a look at a new disc-based model Introducing the Stuffed with music and memorabilia, by Avid and Ikegami. The camera the disc includes 10 songs, perfor- section, which has no moving parts, VOLUME STABILIZER™ mance clips, 500 Dylan song lyrics, converts light gathered by a three- stills of 41 album covers, archival CCD imager into digital signals that that lets you hear the whispers photos, and video anecdotes from fel- are recorded onto a rewritable opti- and stops you from cal disc. The breakthrough model low musicians, like the one about will be introduced at the upcoming cringing at the bangs. how Dylan scribbled the lyrics to “Blowin’ in the Wind” on a scrap of annual meeting of the National It's an innovative, low cost solution Association of Broadcasters. to home video volume control prob- lems because it automatically e increases the volume of the audio source during soft passages and BLOCKBUSTER HAS A NEW reduces volume during loud pas- service for deaf and hard-of-hearing sages. You'll hear every word of customers. Video renters and pur- dialogue and every bar of music chasers can have their tapes visually while the VOLUME STABILIZER checked before leaving the store to softens the sounds that are make sure the tapes have closed cap- normally too loud. tions, and that they're ee dis- played. Blockbuster acted after learn- Whether you use a Satellite dish, a =~ ing that more than half of deaf and home theater system, or just a hard-of-hearing video buffs report VCR, you can put the remote con- Digital Dylan: Folk songs and interactivity. _| problems with captioned tapes. trol aside. Now with four models to choose from. paper just before he sang it for the | — % first time at Gertie’s Folk City. Call or write for our Created by Graphix Zone and Sony Music/Columbia Records, Dylan STUDENT | VIDEOGRAPHERS FREE Interactive is priced at $60 and works can earn high-end editing compo- with PCs and Macs. nents and a touch of glory for their paper on “Dynamic Range; schools through a competition being When less is more.” sponsored by Videonics, a leading manufacturer of editing products. For more information ask your dealer or DONT EXPECT [0 SEE SCIEN. Competitors in the Thoughts and tists achieve the much-discussed Dreams contest must submit a four- to BrOoOKiNecall or write: goal of technology convergence for five-minute video produced by stu- at least several more years, according dents. Prizes include $2,000 and a Technologies to Howard Frank, a special assistant _ Videonics Editing Studio for the win- to the director of the Defense _ ning school, and Videonics compo- 2035 Carriage Hill Road Depart-ment’s Advanced Research nents for nine additional schools. The Allison Park, PA 15101-3350 Projects Agency. Speaking about contest is open to all U.S. middle and cable, phone and wireless networks, high schools, and the deadline for 1-800-366-9290 Frank told a recent gathering of con- entries is May 15. For further informa- vergence experts that “There’s no tion, call 800-338-EDIT. a 14 VIDEO APRIL 1995

The three most important letters in home theatre... AMERICAN CUSTOM THEATRE BETTER SOUND THAN A MOVIE THEATRE Others are struggling to make home theatre sound almost as good as your local theatre. We've surpassed it. Others fell you how home theatre must always be done. We've customized it. We know that one size doesn't fit all. You define your needs, and we will help our dealer design a custom system based upon your personal requirements. The heart of the American Custom Theatre is the Acurus ACT I Surround Sound Processor. When combined with high quality amplification, such as the Acurus 200X3, and the proper speakers for your listening environment, it will surpass the sound system in your local movie theatre. Now the best seat in the house, is in your house. On-screen programming makes the ACT I as easy fo use as your TV. Hand craffed in America, it has separate glass epoxy circuit boards for the three input audio section, three input video section and power supply. Utilizing 1% metal film resistors and the most advanced surround sound processing integrated circuit, the Acurus ACT I has a smooth and refined sound that surpasses processors costing several times the price. Brought to you by Mondial Designs Ltd., acclaimed in Europe, Asia and America for engineering the best value in quality audio components. MONDIAL DESIGNS LIMITED 20 Livingstone Ave., Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 + 914-693-8008 + Fax 914-693-7199 Circle 5 on Reader Service Card.

Bloodier blood, scarier scr; other benefits of USSB USSB digital entertainment is breakthrough, state-of- It is quite simply the sharpest, most brilliant picture and J the-art transmission of television programs in the form of digital information. The result is a sparkling, super clear clearest sound ever broadcast. picture comparable to laserdisc quality. Plus sound that’s unsurpassed even by digital CDs. The effect is startling. IT COMES TO YOU FROM OUTER SPACE. Action scenes become more exciting, love scenes more romantic, and the landscapes will take your breath away. What makes it possible is the remarkable new technology | | from RCA called the Digital Satellite System. Because it : uses the largest, most powerful communications satellite : ever launched, it broadcasts up to 150 channels ofperfect : - digital signals thatcan be picked u by a tiny 18\" satellite dish. HE BIGGEST HITSON THE| MALLEST DISH\" a OWN this re- 7 America’s avorite Networks” \\ a way you've | ever experienced. you'll get Showtime and HBO, with the best _ films from Hollywood and diverse, | oe ee pce00\" ROE CR ye OE Sagi, PORSIN J ©1994, United States Satelite Broadcasting Company, Inc. Experience Digital Entertainment and The Biggest Hits on the Smallest Dish are service marks of United States Satellite Broadcasting Company, Inc. All information subject to change. HBO and Cinemax are registered trademarks ofTime Warner 9 Entertainment Company, LP Showtime, The Movie Channel, and FLIX are service marks of Showtime Networks, Inc. MTV: Music Television, Nickelodeon /Nick At Nite, and VH-1/Video Hits One are registered trademarks of MTV Networks, adivision ofViacom International Inc. All News Channel isa

eams, sweatier palms and digital entertainment. exclusive original programming including MULTICHANNEL MAGIC. With USSB, you get comedy, movies, documentaries, family five distinct channels of HBO, three channels of Showtime, series and sports specials. Plus classic two versions of The Movie Channel, three channels of and contemporary A SAMPLE OF THE TREMENDOUS CHOICE OF Cinemax, as well as FLIX. Fourteen films on Cinemax. distinct premium channel choices MOVIES YOU GET EVERY TIME YOU WATCH USSB. Showtime HBO Sleepless in Seattle Age ofInnocence Movies from the every time you sit down to watch TV. 60’s, 70’s and 80's It’s a movie-lover’s paradise. on FLIX, and non- :¥ ONE MONTH FREE! 1o intro- |, stop movies on The ’ he ’ a “Ae BE ‘ sa {t duce this dazzling new dimension of ;» Movie Channel. ‘Showtime West television pleasure, we’re offering : HBO everyone who purchases an RCA y You'll also get great In the Line of Fire music videos on MTV and VH-1, . =So I Married an Axe Murderer unique comedy on Comedy Central, ~ ae ty q .“ | |= @ Digital Satellite System-ONE FREE MONTH of all our great channels. Cinemax HBO West Fugitive r wi great children’s programs on Nickelo- Experience the power of USSB digi- deon, and classic television on Nick Remains of the Day tal entertainment on the new RCA at Nite. As well as quality women’s a Digital Satellite System. Visit your programs on Lifetime and the 24-hour- Cinemax West RCA dealer or satellite TV retailer a-day fast-paced All News Channel. Ruby in Paradis today, or call 1800-BETTER TV for Plus our pledge to provide you with The Movie Channel West more information. the very highest level of customer Life with Mikey service and support...24 hours a day, USSB 365 days a year. EXPERIENCE DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT™ J) a WLLL AE Muli: Channel MUSIC TELEVISION cimemax trademark of Conus Communications and Viacom Satellite News, Inc, Comedy Central is a registered trademark of Comedy Partners. Lifetime Television is a trademark of Lifetime Television. Age of Innocence, Beverly Hillbillies, So |Married an Axe Murderer, The Fugitive and Demolition Man as seen on HBO. Sleepless in Seattle, Cliffhanger, In the Line of Fire courtesy of SHOWTIME. Weekend at Bernie's, Remains of the Day and Ruby in Paradise as seen on Cinemax. Little Man Tate and Life With Mikey © Touchstone Pictures courtesy of The Movie Channel, They Call Me Mr: Tibbs courtesy of FLIX. Circle 6 on Reader Service Card.

PNhEoWouerse2)e: BY STEWART APPLEGATH NB SHARP VIDEO PRINTER Sharp’s GZ-P15U ($999) is a compact color video printer that connects to any video source. It can print images with 16.7 million colors in a variety of formats. A stabi- lization function takes jitter out of still frames, while a high-speed strobe print func- tion helps you catch your tennis swing in a succession of images. Digital image pro- cessing improves color, edge rendering and noise reduction. Print paper is also available in pre-printed postcards or self-adhesive labels. (For more info, circle 107 on your Reader Service Card) THEATER IN A BOX Magnavox’s MX931 Home Audio Theater Package ($499) offers a one-brand, one-box answer to home cinema sound. Simply unload it and hook up any hi-fi VCR and a TV and you're ready to go with a five-speaker Dolby Pro-Logic sur- round system. The MX931 provides 50 watts per channel to the front speakers, and 10 to the center and the rears. Magnavox says the package includes installation instruc- tions, color-coded wires and an 800 number for set-up questions. (For more info, circle 108 on your Reader Service Card) as we COLORFUL AND EFFICIENT Quasar’s new VM555 camcorder ($649) is a VHS-C SMALL BUT SOLID os point-and-shoot cam- Rock Solid Sounds’ HCM 1 two-way compact speaker ($199) : oo ee is employs Acoustic Voice Matching to maximize flexibility and ensure accuracy within your listening environment. Though small four-speed 300m and in size, Rock Solid Sounds says the HCM 1 can handle 150 watts and still offer musical accuracy, speed and definition, with a ‘ 35 a sliding lens cover response range from 60 Hertz to 22 kilohertz (-6 dB). It comes in three- and five-unit clusters suitable for home theaters. (For f get I aamn ratio battery more info, : circle 102 on yyour Reader Service Card) ’ f fife and tape remaining ;, indicators are visible in : * ayfi who forgtehte tvoiebwrfiinngdera.lonFgor etnhoousgeh batteries, Quasar says it has achieved a 20 percent increase in power efficiency. (For more info circle 111 on the Reader Service Card) WORLDWIDE VIDEO Samsung’s SV-300W Worldwide VCR ($1,999) makes the world smaller for multi- Cultural videophiles by domesticating foreign transmission formats like PAL and SECAM. This four-head, hi-fi VCR can copy, record and play any TV broadcast format, regardless of where you find yourself. It has a multi-source AC power input that’s com- patible with 100- to 240-volt sources. (For more info, circle 101 on your Reader Service Card) 18 VIDEO APRIL 1995

Give Us Your Best Shot! Fxe)y)Y VID fe) ley @a5.2A6 For eleven years, Visions of U.S. has discovered a wealth of new creative talent in the premiere video contest of our time. This year it’s your turn to create an original video production and have your work judged by video professionals —with the chance to win valuable Sony prizes. {he contest, sponsored hy Sony and administered by the American Film Institute, is an invitation to express your vision— on 8mm, VHS or Beta. Just choose a category— fiction, non-fiction, music video, experimental or young people — and start shooting. Submit your work hy June 15, 1995 and a distinguished panel of judges including Tim Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Kathleen Kennedy, LeVar Burton, Penelope Spheeris, Scott Wolf and Henry Thomas 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. v2 To find out more, call (213) 856-7787. Or write Visions \" of U.S., P.O. Box 200, Hollywood, California 90078. ¢VISIONS\\ ont Al wa thetehaeacyh Enter The Eleventh Annual Visions of U.S. Video Contest. B The American Film Institute ©1995 Sony Electronics Inc, All rights reserved.Sony is atrademark of Sony SONY Sponsored by: Sony Electronics Inc.

NEW PRODUC |4 i{ gf um COMBI VALUE Pioneer's CLD-S104 combination player brings the home theater experience to a wider audience at a breakthrough suggested price of $299. Digital video processing brings the timebase correc- tion and dropout compensation available on costlier laserdisc players to this budget model. The CLD-S104 also offers multi-speed and 24-step program play, and the chapter and frame search capabilities found on more expensive players. (For more info, circle 100 on your Reader Service Card) WHO’S AT THE DOOR? Vivitar’s SMS-4 Video Door Phone ($597) is a video intercom you can use to screen your visitors without opening the door. The two-part secu- rity device installs easily by adapting existing doorbell wiring. A sensi- tive, wide-angle lens and a two-way condenser-type microphone is secured in a weatherproof housing. The four-inch, black-and-white moni- tor provides one-way video. Up to four monitors can be connected to the system. (For more info, circle 109 on your Reader Service Card) Good Vibrations Aura’s IC-US Interactor Cushion ($99) promises to rock your world. Lean back against the cushion, connect its power amplifier to the audio output of almost any A/V receiver, TV, VCR or game system and Aura says you will feel as if you are inside the action. The cushion converts bass sounds into vibrations. Adjustable controls enable to you find your favorite level. (For more info, circle 110 on your Reader Service Card) TERK ANTENNA Terk Technologies’ TV15 indoor TV antenna ($39) provides an ele- gant, functional solution to TV reception problems. Designed by an expert in radar and communications technologies, the compact TV15 brings in TV broadcasts from channels 2 to 83 with its “advanced frequency matching technolo- gy.” Terk adds Pin-Dot pre-tuning, which reduces ghosts and artifacts in difficult reception conditions. A selector lets you switch between off-air reception and other sources. (For more info, circle 105 on your Reader Service Card) SPEAKER MOUNTS OmniMount Systems’ Universal Mounting Kits ($59, pictured, and $79) give you the ability to mount speakers almost anywhere. The kits wed steel support arms to a high-strength polymer ball and socket, and are designed for speakers up to either 8 or 15 pounds. They allow attachment to any wall, ceiling, deck or floor, regardless of the surface material. Nuts and bolts are included, along with a hex wrench, a drill bit and detailed instructions. (For more info, circle 104 on your Reader Service Card) 20. VIDEO APRIL 1995

With Cinema DSP, you'll be amazed at what comes out of the woodwork. Bats screech overhead. Wolves howl in the distance. And CINEMA’ footsteps crunch across your living room floor. No, it’s not your imagination. You’re hearing sounds placed Beary Rear around the room, just as the director intended. Only Yamaha All courtesy of Yamaha Cinema DSP. The home theater technology that gives dialogue more definition. Music, more Cinema DSP dimension. And sound effects, more graphic detail. creates phantom Only Yamaha Cinema DSP creates phantom speakers that speakers. It sounds fully replicate the experience you get in multi-speaker movie theaters. It sounds so real, in fact, you'll swear you hear sounds so real, you'll swear Msi Music) you hear sounds in Effects places you don’tx seni even have speakers. in places you don’t even have speakers. As you might imagine, a breakthrough like this is no small feat. It’s accomplished by multiplying the effects of Digital Sound Field Processing and Dolby Pro Logic.® Digital Sound Field Processing is Yamaha’s unique technology that electronically recreates some of the finest performance spaces in the world. And Dolby Pro Logic is the technology responsible for placing sound around the room, matching the dialogue and sound effects with the action on the screen. Together, these two technologies allow Yamaha to offer a complete line of home theater components that outperform other comparatively priced products on the market. Stop by your local Yamaha dealer for what could be a very eerie demonstration. Maybe we can’t talk you into a system, but that doesn’t mean we can’t scare you into one. ® For the sales location nearest you, call 1-800-4YAMAHA. YAMAHA © 1994 Yamaha Electronics Corporation, USA. Cinema DSP is a trademark of Yamaha Electronics Corporation. Dolby Pro Logic is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. Yamaha Electronics Corporation, USA. P.O. Box 6660, Buena Park, CA 90622 Circle 7 on Reader Service Card.

HANDS-ON BY RON GOLDBERG TEST . A 35-inch Zenith TV premieres StarSight’s onscreen guide Amid all the talk ZSetnairthP’oswe3r5:. tries tomaskhiin:elgd umsiesr: -s about hundreds of from inch TV with takes. channels and video- STARS IGHT on-demand, it’s easy a sampling of The first thing we to lose track of the StarSight got after setting up fact that many people d4Local Progra menus show- the system and tuning feel they have enough d4Local ProgLorcaal Pmro|gra | ing program in some TV channels trouble managing the listings, by =was a StarSight box aU.J. Simpson [rial Opening channel or = informing us that channels they already receive. As any savvy Video Magazine reader 40.J. Simpson Trial Opentna caiannltldonlreaettctieororsnd,: Mnaasteerssix omfitn:huetUensivelrleseffet. 40.3. Simpson Trial Openina knows, America is lit- Ei Love Lucy | Animal Show It’s great to know a tered with flashing 40. J. Simpson Trial Opening show’s name and the 12:00 displays, com- a0. J. Simp n Trial Opening time remaining when plicated remotes and you land on a com- missed timeshifts. For dJenn Jon New Jersey mercial. There was also a reading of the people with these 4in the Heat of Biker Mice station and the time problems, it’s “never Charlie Rose mind the fancy stuff.” of day. A second But what about an screen, accessible onscreen TV guide with one button, gave with a foolproof us more information: recording capability? the year of the show, StarSight, a software the category of pro- service by StarSight gram, a plot summary, Telecast that’s been Claud Pica Wana $ Looes ae and a notice of any introduced first by violence and _ lan- EDDY tue wed TU FRI SAT SUN Zenith, is just that. 9:00P 9:30P 10:00P guage. It was really We checked out easy and informative, StarSight on Zenith’s Splmeneus but since we’d only new 35-inch SM- 1 hour long been online with 3589BT8 TV. It’s the StarSight for a few (26 ||daily (M-F) |to Press RECORD again minutes, we didn’t yet first component to confirm recording. carry the guide, have everything we although it will soon teed Avontea I Casablanca | wanted to see. Before be used in TVs, you can really use it, (5 ithe Prince of Tides ites StarSight takes a VCRs, TVCRs and while to “download” stand-alone _ set-top [FAMILY] CBL boxes by many manufacturers. The $1,999 RATING: *«%%%* into your TV, which has to be off dur- Zenith monitor itself had a very nice ing the process. This means overnight picture, with good blacks and vivid col- for most folks. If, for any reason you ors. But the remote control was what signing on. After that, StarSight costs have to have the TV on all day and was really interesting about the TV. It’s $4.99 a month, about the same as you'd night, you can’t use StarSight. simply laid out, feels great in the hand pay for four issues of TV Guide. A wire After two hours, we turned the set and features a few buttons you’ve never runs from the back of the TV to any back on and found everything up—a seen before, for StarSight navigation. point in the sight line of the VCR's week’s worth of StarSight’s onscreen You get StarSight by pressing one infrared remote window. It’s an emitter TV guide. The main menu guide screen button and following the onscreen that turns the VCR on and off for shows what’s on while you’re watching, instructions. Unlike most onscreen StarSight-activated recording. When plus and minus a half hour. To see menus, StarSight wisely chooses black you have StarSight, your VCR has to be what’s on later or what you missed ear- type on lighter backgrounds for almost off when you're not using it. For exam- lier, you use arrow keys on the remote to all its operations. It means having to ple, if you were to fall asleep while shift a screen cursor back and forth in cover up the TV picture with graphics, watching a VHS movie and _ set the day, or to other days in the week. but it’s much easier to read. StarSight to record a late-night pro- Again, it’s really simple. To change the Setting up the StarSight service gram, you wouldn't get it. For some show that you’re watching, you simply involves connecting your cable, VCR videophiles, this may be one more thing scroll up and down among the program and TV, and then calling an 800 num- to remember. But for everyone else, it’s choices and hit enter when you see ber to sign up. You get a free month for one blessed thing to forget. StarSight continued on page 4] LMEOSRSIL 22 VIDEO APRIL 1995

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= SPECIAL BY FRANK BEACHAM ] REPORT ot | Video's next generation— 10-gigabyte movie CDs | Without a shot being fired, a looming, is being supported by Matsushita, par- with or without letterboxing. Other | behind-the-scenes battle over competing features include Dolby AC-3 (5.1 | formats for a digital video disc (DVD) ent company to Panasonic, Technics, Quasar and MCA; Thomson Consu- channels) surround audio, and a | appears to have come to an end. The parental lock-out capability. The DVD | likely winner is a high-density CD devel- mer Electronics, parent to RCA, GE players will be compatible with current and ProScan; Nippon Columbia, par- audio CDs. oped by Toshiba and Time Warner, and ent to Denon; as well as Hitachi, Pio- The DVD format has capabilities be- backed by several of the world’s top tech- neer, JVC, Mitsubishi, MGM/UA and yond movies. It can be used in comput- nology and entertainment companies. er-related applications as a server for sup- The prize: lead position in the billion- Turner Home Entertainment. dollar race to develop the next big movie To the eye, the Toshiba/Time Warner and entertainment medium. DVD resembles The Toshiba/Time Warner DVD can a conventional hold a staggering 10 gigabytes of digital data, with 5 Gb on each of two sides. CD. However, That’s enough capacity for two 135- to get double- minute movies with digital surround sided play capa- sound, multiple language tracks and sub- bility, the disc is titles; room enough for one 4.5-hour disc formed by bond- to hold all of Gone With the Wind or The ing two 0.6mm- Godfather with space to spare. In music terms, it’s 15 times the capacity of a stan- thick five-inch dard CD. It’s also the equivalent of 6,900 discs back to computer floppy discs, or a stack of paper back. The pro- documents twice as high as the Empire cess is similar to State Building. that now used to manufacture laserdiscs. The DVD _ format Movie Machine: Ten-gigabyte movie CD proposed by Toshiba and Time Warner, flanked by prototype player and widescreen TV. The new format, incompatible with a uses variable MPEG-2 digital image com- plying programs to networks for digital similar CD configuration proposed by pression technology. It allows a peak data transmission, and as a high-capacity CD- Sony and Philips, became the instant transfer rate of 10 megabits per second and ROM that supports full-motion video in frontrunner as an industry standard can sustain an average transfer rate of 4.94 multimedia programs. As a music plat- when Sony announced it would study megabits per second for the full 135 min- form, the format could be used for longer | the specifications of its competitor. “Our utes available on each side. Video and au- playing, higher fidelity versions of con- | | aim has been to achieve a single stan- dio quality, said Philip Kent, president of ventional CDs. It can also support high- | dard in this area, and we still believe in Turner Home Entertainment, are “far su- definition TV, when blue laser technolo- the advantages of a single format,” said perior” to any existing home video format. gy becomes available. | Rick Clancy, Sony vice president of cor- The Toshiba/Time Warner format “Don’t think of the DVD simply asa | porate communications. can accomodate up to eight languages glorified videocassette with superior pic- | _ Asked if Sony might abandon it’s and 32 sets of subtitles on a single disc. DVD and join the companies backing the This allows producers to put several continued on page 42 | Toshiba/Time Warner format, Clancy said language versions on a disc, reducing mastering and inventory costs and The Player: Prototype Sony digital “it’s not so black and white.” Sony, said making it easier to market the same video disc player with 3.7-gigabyte Clancy, first saw specifications for the disc in many countries at the same disc from Sony and Philips. competing format the day it was an- time. nounced. “We are not being arbitrary,” he Viewers will be able to select either said. “It will be scrutinized by our engi- neers.” Sony plans to resolve the issue this a dubbed, subtitled or original language year. “Our goal is to work this out so we will be in a position to int: duce a prod- version of a film, all of which can be uct sometime next year,” said Clancy. contained on the same disc. They will also be able to select the aspect ratio of The Toshiba/Time Warner DVD is expected to be introduced in 1996. It their choice, whether it’s a conven- tional 4:3 screen or 16:9 widescreen, 24 VIDEO APRIL 1995

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i TweMnEte+ a BY KEVIN MILLER ~ i4 + j+e Calibration, the CS ultimate tweak @ for your TV. Calibrating your TV monitor to meet why TVs from different manufacturers ing point is very blue. This limits a mon- the color temperature specifications set placed side by side in a showroom never itor’s ability to produce accurately all by the National Television Standards display the same degree of color satura- the other colors in the spectrum. This is tion. particularly noticeable on black-and- Committee (NTSC) can improve your set’s picture. Earlier “Home Theater” If you look at the accompanying dia- white pictures, which tend to exhibit a columns explained how you can do gram, you'll see the higher temperatures some of this yourself (June ‘94), and are well into the blue side of the scale. green haze. On color images, scenes when it’s appropriate to get the help of a This means that the neutral gray start- with lots of white will look blue/white, technician (Oct. ‘94). One rea- and skin tones will appear bluish or son sets vary so much from the =| NTSC standard and from each greenish. (No, it’s not a Martian, other, is that they’re fighting for ||CCIHERO1M93A1TI2C° ITY it’s the way your TV has been consumers’ attention on the sales |DIAGRAM\" | set.) floor. Manufacturers believe, It follows that if you adjust Taking Temperatures: The CIE diagram shows with good reason, that TVs that how red, green and blue combine to form a your monitor to the broadcast appear brighter and hotter get neutral 6,500-degree gray. Toshiba’s 16:9 TV looked at first and longer by more (below) is one of a growing number that can be standard of 6,500 degrees people. But the factory settings calibrated to this NTSC standard. Kelvin, the set will more accu- used to make sets sizzle in stores rately reproduce incoming aren't the ones that work best for broadcast signals. You will be CCPRHOHEAOUSRTRETOTA:ER watching movies at home, which seeing a truer representation of is why calibration helps. what broadcast engineers work so hard to deliver. In the case of It may interest readers to a movie that originated on film, know more about the differences you will be viewing a closer approximation of what the cine- we've seen among TV sets as matographer and _ director intended you to see. Another they arrive from the factory, benefit of a properly calibrated about the sets we’ve found that set is that colors look more con- sistent from channel to channel are able to be calibrated, and on regular television or cable. about which sets are best at Channel-to-channel consisten- tracking a gray scale. Not all cy can be further improved if consumer or, for that matter, your set has defeatable auto color and auto tint features. professional monitors can be properly calibrated. However, The good news for consumers the picture is improving. Today, is that more TV manufacturers far more manufacturers build are including internal controls their sets with this capability. that allow their sets to be adjusted to 6,500 degrees. For example, three years Color temperature is measured in ago, only Toshiba’s most expensive TV degrees Kelvin, and gray has a particular was capable of being set to the standard color in the NTSC television system. It and to track a gray scale. Today, several is defined as 6,500 degrees Kelvin or Toshiba TVs—including the 32-inch D6500 near the black body curve on CN32D90, the 35-inch CX35C60 and the chromaticity diagram of the Com- mission Internationale d’Eclairage. The CN35D90 sets (see “Videotests,” this diagram shows the relationship of colors to a neutral gray, and their correspond- issue), the 55-inch TP55D80 rear pro- ing temperatures. This temperature was jector and the 56-inch widescreen chosen because it’s at a point that com- set—can be calibrated with a color ana- lyzer by accessing the service menu bines red, green and blue to create a through the remote control. “daylight” gray. Using this as a neutral point allows the maximum degree of This is an easier, better way to color fidelity. Because manufacturers have been waging a brightness war to access the controls for gain, which attract attention on the sales floor, TVs adjust the upper end of the gray scale are factory-set to color temperatures ranging from 9,500 tol6,000 degrees (also known as drive) and bias, the Kelvin (the upper limit of readability by lower end of the gray scale (also known the Philips color analyzer, a professional as screen), than on any other sets we’ve measuring tool) and beyond. It’s also encountered. When we looked at the CN32D90 (“Videotests,” Feb.), we 26 ~=VIDEO APRIL 1995 noted the color temperature arrived ba

from the factory at 9,100 degrees top to bottom. In addition, all the cali- able to visit your local retailer and do an Kelvin. After calibration, the set was bration controls are on the rear panel, 6,600 degrees and tracking a gray scale eliminating the need for an installer to A/B comparison of a factory set monitor almost flawlessly. The only other TV go inside the set. These details make it manufacturer that lets you calibrate its one of our favorite TVs. and an identical set calibrated to the sets without going inside them is Thomson Consumer Electronics. Its Once you've watched movies on a NTSC standard. Then you'll be able to RCA and ProScan sets have the gain properly calibrated monitor, and seen what NTSC pictures can and should judge for yourself. a and bias controls for red, green and blue on the rear panel. look like, it can be difficult to go back. Kevin Miller is a founding member of the It is still not possible to see this differ- Imaging Science Foundation, which is In the course of calibrating moni- ence in stores while shopping for a TV. working to make TV calibration more tors, we have found factory settings that But I hope that before long you will be available. Ifyou are considering a TV and range from 7,500 degrees Kelvin for a would like to know ifit can be calibrated, Sony PVM 2530 professional monitor to beyond the 16,000-degree upper call the Foundation at 407-997-9073. limit of the Philips analyzer. This rein- forces the old adage that NTSC stands VANDEISTEEN AUDIO for Never Twice the Same Color. The award for the best factory setting goes to “Superior on both In its pursuit of perfection, Runco International. Its 750 video pro- high-end audio has established jector comes from the factory well con- film and music, lofty standards that only the best verged with a color temperature very VANDERSTEEN's speakers can reach. Now your close to 6,500 degrees. This greatly full-range speakers family entertainment system reduces set-up time and expense. dispel the myth that can meet these same standards. video requires Experience open natural voices, Other sets we’ve encountered that unique main astonishing definition, powerful calibrate well include Mitsubishi’s 35- speakers.\" bass and vivid imaging with inch CS3515R, 40-inch CS40FX-1 and legendary VANDERSTEEN VS-1250 data-grade front projector, boxless speakers. Pioneer’s Pro-97 and Pro-107 rear pro- jectors, Sony’s VPH-1252Q data-grade \"Ultimate front projector, NEC’s 6PG data-grade realism!\" | projector, Hitachi's Ultravision rear For almost 20 years, VANDERSTEEN AUDIO projectors, Thomson's 35-inch PS35653 has built affordable loudspeakers true to both and widescreen PS34190 ProScan sets, Proton’s 27-inch VT-296 TV, and science and music. If you are looking for Magnavox’s 27-inch TP2790. speakers that accurately reproduce the Professional projectors and monitors come with factory settings close to the entire frequency range and dimensions NTSC standard. However, consumer of the original sound, we can direct “Amazing sets are delivered with their color tem- you to your nearest carefully selected definition, peratures set extremely blue, and over- VANDERSTEEN dealer. ee t foundation!\" driven in their contrast range, which Please write or call for a brochure means they’re running beyond optimum capability. The Pioneer Pro-97 50-inch- and name of your nearest dealer. inch rear projection set clocked in at a very blue temperature of 11,500 degrees VANDERSTEEN AUDIO ™ Models available from $495. on the bottom of the gray scale, 12,000 in the middle, and 11,000 at the top of 116 West Fourth St, Hanford, CA 93230 the scale. After calibration, it was able (209) 582-0324 to track the gray scale nearly perfectly, with a temperature of 6,500 degrees on IENSI the bottom of the scale, 6,500 at the top, and between 5,800 degrees and 6,500 in between the top and bottom of the scale. This is quite acceptable, es- pecially considering that most sets won't track a gray scale perfectly from top to bottom anyway. A few hundred degrees of temperature variation in either direc- tion is not as critical as it may sound. We also tested a ProScan PS35653 35-inch direct-view console that merits mention. It comes set on the blue side of the scale with a color temperature measuring well over 10,000 degrees from top to bottom. However, the set is most impressive in overall gray scale tracking. It can be set to track the gray scale flawlessly at 6,500 degrees from Circle 8 on Reader Service Card.

CAMCORNER BY DENNIS DAY What type of video editor are you? Four personal ways to make the cut. I’ve worked as a freelance video editor of backgrounds. They arrive on time at like-and are inclined to say things for 10 years under the direction of hun- the edit suite, but talk to everyone in other people don’t understand. Writers dreds of directors and producers, cut- sight, so they might as well be late. Their have a tendency to do quirky things with ting everything from documentaries and main interest is telling a good story, and their hands or mouths. They focus intent- art videos to traditional dramas. Piecing they hate special effects. They haven't the ly and intelligently on the video screen, together other people’s ideas, I found slightest idea what the editor is doing, but but have to be helped putting a video- myself analyzing the videomakers I edit- have no difficulty putting a tape in a tape in the VCR. ed for and the different approaches they VCR. They think primarily in terms of used. It helped that many directors real- characters and stories, rather than about Writers think a video is a book or, ly liked to talk. I discovered in the how scenes look. From a photographic sometimes, a poem. They’re incredibly course of this work that there seems to perspective, all their action tends to be well organized, yet startlingly absent- be four distinct editing “personalities” centered in the frame. Rather than try to minded. When they finally get all their among videomakers. express irony through editing, they play tapes together in the edit suite, they with irony through characters and situa- expect the editor to create the visual Of course, many of the people I tions. They’re not only smooth talkers, equivalent of a T:S. Eliot poem. They work for are not editors at all. they’re smooth operators. They talk so love special effects, particularly when Generally, they don’t know how editing much I feel like I never get anything done. the effects don’t work very well. They components work. Some have never But storytellers don’t seem to care. been in a studio situation before. But think the resulting mess is “neat.” that doesn’t stop them from being able Storytellers are most likely to become However, writers are apt to come up to tell editors what their videos need. famous. After all, everybody loves a good And the way they do this tends to fall story. However, storytellers make bad with some of the most interesting edit- into broad patterns. Whether you find ing ideas imaginable. As a result, they yourself in a studio situation someday, music videos, their editing sessions cost make editors feel that they’re doing or continue to do your own editing at twice as much as they should, and they something really important. On the home, you may find it helpful to under- sometimes make editors feel like they’ve other hand, writers often drive editors stand the fundamental ways in which been hired just to lend an ear. crazy, forcing them to assume impossibly the videomakers I’ve worked with contorted positions on their switchers approach the process of editing. WRITERS to achieve the effects they’re after. Writers generally arrive late, then dis- Finally, writers often make “one-of-a- STORYTELLERS kind” masterpieces, which audiences Storytellers are very likable people. cover they forgot to bring their video- consider odd, and which frequently tapes. A coffee break ensues. Most come never get seen. They come from an unbelievable variety from a literary background—poetry, VISUAL THINKERS 28 VIDEO APRIL 1995 Visual thinkers often occupy influ- Ss~. philosophy, film theory and the hit ential positions in the media world. Either they work in the industry (in film, video, computer graphics, adver- tising etc.), or the tape they’re working on is going to get them a job in the industry. Often they come from a back- ground in photography, painting or design. They blow into the edit suite like Hitchcock onto a set. For visual thinkers, video editing is the laborious process of getting what’s in their heads onto tape. They know how the electronic tools, digital gizmos and color-correcting gadgets are sup- posed to work, but sometimes get bogged down in techno-babble. They think primarily in terms of images, color, framing, shape and juxtaposition. They often view the screen as an electronic canvas. They play around a lot with the continued on page 43 Dennis Day is an award-winning video artist working in Toronto. DVAANSICEOLN

BY RODERICK WOODCOCK Your technical From its inception, The Academy for queries answered the Advancement of High End Audio has been in the business of recogniz- BI recently had some water damage won't hold up over a long time and that ing excellence. Every other year, including this year in Los Angeles, the Ato my videotape cabinet and the a better investment would be laserdisc Academy holds its Golden Note Awards banquet, during which awards bottom two shelves of tapes are covered versions of these movies. What do you are given in the following categories: with mildew. There is even mildew think? Richard Remmele Solid State Electronics Tube Electronics inside the shell of the cassettes. Is there Ft. Meyers, Florida Best Loudspeaker Design Best Loudspeaker Value any way of removing the mildew suffi- Given a choice between VHS tapes Cable Design and laserdisc versions of the same Peripherals Design ciently so that I can at least dub the titles, I think that an investment in Aesthetic Design laserdisc sets would be more rewarding in Best Re-Issue Design damaged tapes. At least five of them are Best Re-Issue Recording the long run. Most collectors agree that a Best Original Recording irreplaceable! John A. Brown, II good laserdisc pressing of a new title will Best New Company outlast videotape versions. However, Most Innovative Technology Waynesville, North Carolina pressing defects can still occur, and new Nominees for each category are cho- |} titles should be opened and played to sen by a truly international panel of determine if a defect is present while it respected audio journalists. The win- }:.:: mildewed tapes can be can still be exchanged with the dealer. ners are chosen by the voting of the ell cleaned, if not by yourself, then Academy's General Members. perhaps by someone else with the time, If your wife is motivated by an aes- patience and special tools needed for thetic appreciation of the movies she is Regular readers should “watch this the task. Some years ago, a reader sent space,” as the winners will be me a photograph of a gadget he had collecting, then laserdiscs provide better announced later this year. To be sure, built just for this task. It allowed him to audio and video quality than tape. But the winners in each category are truly mount a cassette on a wooden jig, pull even if she is hoping that the value of representative of “the best” our out the tape and run it through a these titles may increase as years pass, my industry has to offer. chamois pad dampened with film clean- thinking is that the laserdiscs will still er. The tape is run through at slow have more value than tape, simply The envelope, please... speed, using either a slow speed motor because fewer laserdiscs are pressed for a attached to the hubs, or by hand crank- Chris Browder, B&W Loudspeakers, ing. Other readers have reported similar given title than tapes. Due to the President of the Academy for the results by modifying older VCRs, utiliz- increased difficulty in re-pressing some Advancement of High End Audio ing just their tape drives, or by adapting titles, based on supply and demand, some THE ACADEMY inexpensive tape rewinders. One com- early laserdisc releases have already FOR THE pany that makes a jig that can be used appreciated in value, although marginally. to repair tapes is Multi-Video of HIMENDATGADVANCEMENT Charlotte, North Carolina. It costs Be aware though that newer formats about $125, so you may want to try are always looming on the horizon. This column is presented by The Academy for the Ad- building your own jig first. Right now we are just a year or so away vancement of High End Audio, an organization dedi- from the arrival of the digital video cas- cated to the recognition of excellence and the promo- Cleaning the interior of the shells sette recorder as well as a new CD-sized tion of greater awareness of high end audio. can also be time consuming. If they’re digital video disc system that may offer extensively gummed up, it’s probably video quality rivaling or surpassing better to transfer the reels to a brand new shell, ditching the blank tape laserdiscs. Should these formats become inside. If the reels themselves are established, especially the digital video disc, you can expect to see all the major mildewed, consider transferring the tape itself, after cleaning, to two brand studios re-release most of their best new reels and a new cassette housing. titles in this new format. And if digital Few of these alternatives are easy for video discs become as successful as most consumers, and shouldn't be CDs, then within a decade, both VHS undertaken lightly, lest you make mat- ters worse. Since I’m not aware of any and laserdiscs may be fading formats. So services that specifically cater to the don’t expect to get rich by sitting on repair of flood damaged or mildewed “unopened” copies of movies you may tapes, anyone offering this sort of ser- have collected in these two formats. = vice is welcome to write, and I'll pass Address questions to Q&A, Video Mag- the information along when it arrives. azine, 460 West 34 Street, New York, NY 10001; fax questions to 212-947- | My wife wants to buy and store, 6727; or send questions via CompuServe to 75147,1255 or the Internet to unopened, “collector sets” of pre- [email protected]. Ques- | recorded tapes. I say that these tapes tions may be edited for space. APRIL1995 VIDEO 29

MITSUBISHI FRONT PROJECTOR ecccccve 100-inch diagonal image is generally considered the size at which these By Peter Barry PRICE: $7,900 machines can maintain optimal picture When you're ready for V-RATING: VVV\\\\ brightness. Even the best projectors are the full cinema treatment severely tested at larger picture sizes. in your home, that can BETTER —P mean only one thing: a The VS-1250 is strictly a video front projection system. PICTURE monitor. It has no tuner for pulling in Front projection systems, which are TV stations, nor adjustments for color two-piece set-ups because they require FEATURES and tint. In the past, these controls a separate projection screen, offer the would be found on a separate video largest picture available to consumers. VALUE controller. In this case, however, With set-up options that include image Mitsubishi has decided not to offer the sizes from 70 to 120 inches, these mon- for a 100-inch picture and a tabletop itors deliver the big picture. mount. Of course, it can be configured video controller. Instead, it recom- Mitsubishi’s VS-1250 is a multi- in other ways, such as with a ceiling mends use of a line doubler, a recom- speed, data-grade projector. Data-grade mount or hidden in drop panels, but the mendation likely to become more com- means it meets the detail specifications mon in the world of front projection. for the computer industry, which requires greater image accuracy than This is smart for two reasons. First, a video grade projectors. Multi-speed good line doubler can significantly refers to the ability to scan at a rate higher than the NTSC broadcast stan- SPECS AND diagonal, may be adjusted | manually switchable, Picture S/N Ratios (dB): dard of 15.75 kilohertz. In this case, the MEASUREMENTS {or sizes from 70 to 120 power connector video 61.1 (calculated), scan rate is 31.5 kHz, a speed that Bog chroma AM 65.8 (calcu- allows the projector to be used for com- Brand & Model: | lated), chroma PM 65.3 puter graphics as well as with a line dou- Mitsubishi VS-1250 Aspect Ratio: 4:3 External Speaker (estimated); note—line bler. At its $7,900 suggested price, the Connectors: none doubled pictures are not VS-1250 can be considered an entry Price: $7,900 | Tuner: none measurable with our stan- level data-grade monitor. Data grade Internal Audio dard NTSC equipment projectors go up to about $20,000 in . | — hagighasl . Amplifier Power: none price. beva nacht Screen Brightness: The projector comes already set up 3-5/8 x 26-1/2 inches | intended tobe used wi Accessories: power 7.43 footlamberts from | a wired external controller cord, adjustment tool (in factory, 12.75 after 30 VIDEO APRIL 1995, Power Consumption: | control compartment) calibration 300 Watts or line doubler (see Screen Size: accompanying Dwin | RESULTS Color Temperature: factory set for 100 inches Videotest) 16,000 degrees Kelvin | Horizontal Resolution: from factory, 6,600 after Inputs: RGB+S from over 400 lines calibration |5 BNC connectors or 25-pin sub D connector, VMLPEIHOSDORETSOISTL:E

TESTS BY BERGER-BRAITHWAITE LABS improve the picture. Second, the stan- DWIN LINE DOUBLER SPECS AND stereo audio (L&R pairs, dard price of the video controller is AND A/V CONTROL CENTER about $3,000, while the Dwin LD-2 line MEASUREMENTS _ RCA jacks), 12 VDC screen control (2.5mm dual con- doubler and A/V control center that we centric) used, which essentially includes a con- troller, is priced at $3,500 (see accom- By Peter Barry che — DwinDwi | Arcemcoetsesocrointerso:l wireless panying “Videotest”). So, in this in- stance, we got the controller plus a line The Dwin LD-2 line dou- Price: $3,500 doubler for only a few dollars more than bler by Dwin Electronics the cost of a controller. Weight & Size (h/w/d): |RESULTS is an interesting compo- Setting up a front projector is not a nent to review in that it 10.8 pounds, 3-1/2 x 17 x Horizontal Resolution: | task to undertake yourself. You will like- cannot be looked at on its own. Yet we 12-3/4 inches know what a scan line looks like, and over 400 lines ly only be able to purchase this projec- we are familiar with the artifacts line Power Consumption: tor through a home theater installer, doublers can introduce. A line doubler 65 Watts | oo biRatios regs and he will bring it in and set it up. Ask that introduces too many artifacts dur- MReBmoCSteOOPCoLntprrooln:raAmlmleagtreo |Svgn oucomaA|4'¢°i9ghted luminance 61. | your dealer at the outset to detail his ing the doubling process can be worse | 66.8 at video out, chroma installation experience; you will have to than no line doubler at all. And, in fact, Inputs: RGB+S (9-pin D), live with the company’s abilities. We for a number of years, less expensive |PM 67.1 at video out asked Mike Levy of Total Media doublers were more problematic than S-video (two 4-pin Systems to set up and calibrate the VS- curative. We are happy to report that mini-DIN), video (four RCA | Audio Frequency 1250. We were shooting the image at a | line-doubler technology has come a jacks), stereo audio (seven ts i 100-inch diagonal Da-Lite Model C long way since and that you don’t have to buy a $15,000 Faroudja LD100 to L&R RCA jack pairs), marie ieH2-20 kHz, power Audio S/N: 92 dB Outputs: RGB+S (separate | Total Harmonic BNCs), fixed and variable | Distortion: 0.02% screen with a gain of 1.0. This is a good experience its benefits (though more in a projection system. It acts as a digi- reference screen with no hot-spotting. power to you if you can, as it is still the tal NTSC converter, digitizing the com- posite or S-video output signal from a Our first step was placement. Since industry reference). laserdisc player, or surround proces- we were not setting up a permanent The LD-2 serves a number of roles sor/preamp. Then it line-doubles the signal and decodes it into an analog installation, we put the projector on a RGB+S signal, which consists of sepa- floor mount. Our screen was against the rate signals for red, green and blue information plus a fourth signal called wall and 27-inches off the floor. This Sync. Sync is used to re-integrate the dictated that we place the projector at a separate signals at the projector in prop- er time alignment. height of 20-inches off the floor and PRICE: $3,500 120-inches away for a perfect fit with After the LD-2 has digitized the sig- V-RATING: VVVV nal, it is line-doubled, or put through the screen. The Mitsubishi came from the Motion Adaptive Line Interpola- the factory with this type of set-up BETTER —P tion Circuit. Now the NTSC broadcast intended. If you are considerering standard utilizes a horizontal scanning PICTURE continued on page 39 another kind of set-up, Mitsubishi will FEATURES configure it for you before shipping. VALUE This particular projector had not 4 2345 been aligned before shipping, so adjust- RATINGS ARE RELATIVE TO THOSE FOR OTHER LINE DOUBLERS continued on page 38 System LD2 APRIL 1995 VIDEO

VIDEO DA4 HEAD ne) AIWA MULTISTANDARD VCR convert a PAL or NTSC signal to ncacmicarreeetsuienn AIWA HV-MX1 MESECAM, but it will let you watch a By Brent Butterworth MULTISTANDARD VCR SECAM or MESECAM tape on an Aiwa took the video | PRICE: $750 NTSC or PAL TV, and record the signal on an NTSC or PAL VCR, and record world by surprise two ___V-RATING: VV VV \\ NTSC and PAL signals in MESECAM | years ago with its $600 BETTER —> and SECAM. (Conversion of SECAM M360 VCR, the first or MESECAM to NTSC results in a affordable multistandard deck. The PICTURE black-and-white picture.) M360 could play tapes recorded in the SOUND | PAL video standard used in many for- FEATURES The HV-MX1 is perfect for those eign countries, including most of West- who have relatives or friends abroad. ern Europe, on the NTSC TVs we use converters. With the HV-MX1, you can You can watch their tapes on your TV, | in North America. It could also play record an NTSC tape of a PAL signal, and send them tapes they can watch on NTSC tapes on a PAL TV. You could or a PAL tape of an NTSC signal. As their PAL TV and VCR. You can also connect a PAL or NISC VCR to its output, convert a tape and record in the with the M360, you can also watch | send them tapes of American TV second VCR’s tape format. either kind of tape on a PAL or NTSC shows. The deck is great for corpora- TV. It incorporates an NTSC tuner, tions with international divisions or However, the M360 could only con- too, so you can record TV shows in customers, and for wedding videogra- vert standards on playback. It couldn’t record an NTSC signal in PAL format, phers who need to provide PAL tapes for some clients. | Aiwa limited the four-head deck to PAL or NTSC. | monaural sound because the methods | It also records, plays and converts used to record NTSC and PAL hi-fi dif- | the MESECAM format, a version of the fer greatly. Adding multistandard hi-fi | SECAM system used in France. It won't would have dramatically increased the Aiwa multiburst shows little energy in the higher SPECS AND PAL SP/LP, NTSC AFM-none CAM bars, indicating less than average resolution. MEASUREMENTS SP/LP/EP M7acao iise (P4iBc)t:uruenweSi/gNhtReadtivoisdeo or a PAL signal in NTSC format. Thus, Brand & Model: Video/FE Heads: 4/0 it offered no way for North Americans Aiwa HV-MX1 English/Spanish/German | PNTASLC-NT4S5C.5 3S8P.,4;41w.e0igEhPt,ed to make PAL tapes for relatives in | Cue & Review Search: | video NTSC 51.5 SP. 47.4 Europe, except by buying a second Price: $750 4x non-locking; 6x lock- Preset Method: auto | EP, PAL-NTSC 47.1; chro- M360 or a PAL VCR to use as the PAL ing; variable NTSC/PAL; program plus manual recorder. Weight & Size (h/w/d): variable MESECAM add/erase ma AM NTSC 45.3 SP, 11 pounds; 3 x 15 x | 40.9 EP, PAL-NTSC 43.4; The $750 HV-MX1 solves this 14-3/8 inches Visible FF And Rew: no Cable Tuning Range: 2 problem by incorporating two standards to 13, 4A, A-5 to A-1, A to chroma PM NTSC 45.8 Power Use: 100-240 Fast Forward/Rewind || W, W+1 to W+84 ae41.4 EP, PAL-NTSC VAC, 23 Watts Time: 4-1/4 min for 7-120 | Timer: 8.5 tape | 6-program/1-month Jacks: front-video and Audio Frequency audio; rear-video in & Remote Control: |R | Key Features: multi-for- Response (-3 dB): out, audio in & out, RF in wireless mat use, still frame, frame NTSC SP 50 Hz-11 kHz; & out advance, slow motion Program Start | NPATLSCSPEP7575HzH-z1-04 kkHHzz; Tape Format & Speeds: | Locator/Index/Cue: RESULTS PAL/MESECAM/NTSC | 4L4inedaBr Audio S/N: 3.58 VHS; record-PAL index with auto/manual | Horizontal Resolution: SP/LP, NTSC SP/EP; play- mark, manual erase, and | 200-220 lines NTSC; Audio Distortion: search | 200-230 lines PAL/MESE- 3% at start; 1.1% after about 5 min. | Audio: |inear-mono; hi-fi 32. VIDEO APRIL 1995.

price of the deck. Because the HV-MX1 SatelliteTV has no hi-fi sound or flying erase head, is HOT! it’s useful chiefly for standards conver- | | sion and casual viewing. Installing it in a | home theater system or video editing | suite is asking for disappointment. ASK ABOUT THE The deck has a conventional set of | playback controls on the front, with intu- Basic Remote: FULL-VIEW SYSTEM Aiwa’s remote | itive, standard selection buttons. Buttons Carries conven- The one that dishes up everything! tional VCR | to select NISC or PAL recording sit to controls. Stan- SEE OVER the left of the cassette hatch. The | dard-converting NTSC/PAL playback selectors sit to the | controls are on a: right of the hatch. You select MESE- the deck. CAM recording and playback through | the onscreen menu system. The deck automatically senses which standard is on a tape, and which standard is coming League Pass! NBA Games | in on the input. The one thing I don't like in terms of ergonomics is a door that | | covers the cassette hatch and the eject | button. It doesn’t improve the deck’s | appearance, and there’s no easy way to remove it. The back panel has a single set of video and mono autio inputs and out- | puts, plus conventional antenna jacks. The remote control is also conventional. | However, the deck works with any power | standard, from 100 to 240 volts, and at Satellite TV 50 or 60 Hertz. HomeTheater! To test the HV-MX1, I recorded NTSC signals in both NTSC and PAL | The sound exhibits slightly high wow lev- | | formats and watched them on a JVC pro- | els during the first couple of minutes of a | | fessional NTSC monitor. I also watched a recording, warbling somewhat until the PAL tape recorded in Italy. I monitored tracking settles down. On most VCRs, the tracking settles in after a few seconds. | the sound with Grado SR-80 head- Technical editor Lancelot Braithwaite confirmed my perceptions when he mea- phones. As a tool for inexpensive standards | conversion, the HV-MX1 does a great | sured significantly less distortion after | job. It will give you a watchable picture | five minutes of recording. However, the | | | no matter how you convert the signal. initial levels aren’t intrusive. However, forget any high-falutin’ The HV-MX1 really has no competi-_ | videophile quality standards you might tion. You can get better performance in | have, because converting a video from | Panasonic’s AG-W1 multistandard | one format to another almost always VCR, but it'll cost you a cool two grand. results in significant picture degradation. If you need only a couple of conversions You get strange-looking motion artifacts a year, sending your cassettes to a con- | when converting NTSC’s 30 frames per version house, which usually charges | second to PAL and SECAM’s 25 frames, and vice-versa, plus the extensive digital about $40 a tape, is more cost effective. processing required creates artifacts of its For those who need a lot of conversions, but haven't been able to afford the equip- | own. converted within the HV- | ment, the HV-MX1 is a very effective solution. a| Videos MX1 suffer from low horizontal resolu- | tion, digital artifacts, including horizon- | tal lines that jump up and down, and | TEGOTIPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA aliasing, which creates stair-stepped edges on diagonals and curves. Still, the HV-MX1 is a remarkable achievement | for a suggested price of $750. Its convert- | ed videos look almost as good as the for- High and dry eign music videos, professionally con- | verted from PAL, that I like to watch on I always carry rain protection for my camcorder when I’m taping outdoors. | New York City cable TV. Specifically, I carry a large, neatly-fold- In straight NTSC recording and play- ed freezer bag with a Ziplock top. I may back, the HV-MX1 performs like a typi- cal low-cost VCR. Horizontal resolution get soaked, but the camcorder stays dry. Oo Name Brands Only’ is so-so, cutting down the picture detail Bob Law “Sa” —s Satellite TV/Home Theater Catalog | noticeably compared to a top VHS VCR. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada APRIL 1995 VIDEO Circle 9 on Reader Service Card.

TOSHIBA TV Twofer: Toshiba’s 35-inch set TOSHIBA comes with a full-featured remote and one with basic features only. TOSHIBA 35-INCH DIRTEOCSTHIVBIAEWCNM3O5NDI9T0OR film like Blade Runner with the bright- CINEMA SERIES TV ness too high and you're likely to miss many subtleties. Using A Video Standard By Kevin Miller PRICE: $2,799 test laserdisc from Refer-ence Recordings, I discovered the set has Senior editor Peter Barry V-RATING: VV VV superb gray scale delineation, indicating a good power supply. recently gave Toshiba’s BETTER —> 32-inch CN32D90 The feature I most applaud Toshiba PICTURE for is its three color temperature set- Cinema Series set high SOUND FEATURES tings: cool, medium and warm. The marks for picture quality (“Videotests,” cool setting measured a very blue 12,300 degrees Kelvin on my Philips Feb.). You might infer then, that color analyzer, a professional device Toshiba’s 35-inch entry would score high as well. This, however is not always a given when jumping from the 31- or 32-inch size to the 35-inch model. SPECS AND cy synthesis and right-8 ohms, spring Screen Brightness: 40 While a 3- or 4-inch increase in tube MEASUREMENTS loaded clips; rear left and footlamberts from factory, | | right-supplied surround 16.5 after calibration size may seem a simple leap, manufac- Brand & Model: Method of Tuning: Toshiba CN35D90 Color Temperature: turers often have trouble getting their programmable scan on speakers only, spring 9,350 degrees Kelvin pre- Price: $2,799 calibration on medium 35-inch sets to perform as well. In set; scan plus direct loaded clips setting, 6,500 K post- Weight & Size (h/w/d): calibration on medium Toshiba’s case, the CN35D90 certainly 175./ pounds, 30-3/4 x access on remote Internal Audio 36-5/8 x 25-5/8 inches Accuracy of Colors: lives up to its smaller cousin’s visual Broadcast Tuning Amplifier Power: front very good/excellent attributes. Power Consumption: 283 Watts, average | Range: 2 to 13, 14 to 69 left and right-10 W/chan- Audio Frequency Out of the box, factory settings were Response: stereo line Screen Size: 35 inches nel; subwoofer-13 W; rear out-20 Hz-20 kHz, diagonal +0.3/-1.8 dB; front speak- on the high side of their range, a typical Cable Tuning Range: left and right-5 W/channel er out terminals-20 Hz-20 kHz, +0.2/-3.3 dB, rear situation. At first look, the set was 125 channels-2 to 13, A-8 speaker terminals-variable to A-1, Atol, Jto W, AA Key Features: Dolby with DSP setting extremely oversaturated, which was not to ZZ, AAA, BBB, 65 to 94 Surround system with 2 external speakers, two Audio S/N: line-76.7 dB; surprising considering the color was set and 100 to 125 remotes, 3 color-tempera- speakers-64.7 dB at the maximum position. Each adjust- Remote Control: two: EZ ture settings Total Harmonic Distortion: line 0.4%; ment, with the exceptions of sharpness IR wireless remote and | speaker-1.3% and tint, was set too high. Tint was at main IR wireless about one quarter on the graphic; it Aspect Ratio: 4x3 Outputs: video and fixed level stereo, variable level needed to be raised slightly. Contrast Speaker Size: main.L&R Stereo, PIP audio, antenna RESULTS 2x5 inches each; sub- 1 loop through, speakers was set at the three-quarter mark, and woofer-one 4-inch round; Horizontal Resolution: surround (separate cabi- Headphone Jack: none 420 had to be lowered. Brightness was also nets) two 5-inch round External Speaker Picture S/N Ratios at about the three-quarters mark on the Type of Tuning: frequen- Connectors: front left (dB): video 53.9, chroma AM 63.1, chroma PM 62.3 graphic, which raised black level to a point where deep blacks were absent or light gray in appearance. Try watching a 34 VIDEO APRIL 1995

designed for this task. The reading had achievement when you're working with Blockbuster Hit of 1994 due a peak light output of 40 footlamberts, which is about 10 footlamberts too high. a tube this big. The set also boasts Late April on LaserDis< .... The medium setting measured 9,350 degrees Kelvin, while the warm setting Toshiba’s Cyclone subwoofer system, Tom measured 7,200 degrees, which is very which actually created a sense of bass. It Hanks ;, close to the industry standard of 6,500 degrees Kelvin. In fact, Ihave not mea- even has a volume control specifically sured any consumer TV that came so close out of the box. for bass, like separate powered sub- It’s great to have these temperature- woofers. I am not easily impressed by setting options, especially if you don’t have access to professional calibration TV audio systems, preferring instead an (not all installers are equipped to cali- brate TVs). If you do have access, the outboard set-up for uses other than settings can be an outstanding viewing enhancement. Consider: You could ask casual viewing. This one surprised me. I your installer to use the high setting to found the audio fairly engrossing. I lis- keep the set’s picture the way it came from the factory. The medium tempera- tened to the left and right speakers with ture can be set for home theater viewing by having it professionally calibrated to the Cyclone subwoofer system on the 6,500 degrees Kelvin for accurate color rendition on videos. And if you are a CAV boxed laserdisc set of Star Wars, real cinemaphile, the warm setting can Schindler’s List, and Take 5, a Sony test be adjusted to 5,400 degrees, which is the standard color temperature for film. laserdisc. This setting will give you the unique pleasure of watching black-and-white There’s one feature on this set, movies the way they were intended to be seen. If you have a laserdisc collec- which is also on sets by other manufac- Other Top tion with a wealth of good old black- and-white classics, you'll see them like turers, that I would recommend against b mean’ iics THE you've never seen them before on video. using if accurate color is important to Ms QOe 208 Ear Sey WILD Toshiba is one of the few consumer TV makers that also gives installers the you. It’s a Flesh Tone correction circuit, titles... ability to calibrate the set from the remote control. This saves a lot of time designed to compensate for variations and hassle. Once you know the proce- dure, calibration, which can be tricky in flesh tones when changing channels. Sieg vAL Re Ge AeeD, BR and time-consuming, becomes a piece The circuit makes flesh tones look more TwaIsihMETceoPUaeCHLeZEeAR of cake. I dialed in the color tempera- ture on the top of the gray scale to normal relative to the factory setting’s 6,510 degrees, achieving 16.5 footlam- berts of light. This is excellent for this boosted reds. My advice would be to size screen. My reference ProScan PS31122 31-inch monitor gives me 16 leave the circuit off, and back off the footlamberts. The bottom, low-output color setting with the remote. IRE window measured 6,450 degrees Kelvin after calibration. As with most The CN35D90’s factory-set color, direct-view sets that can be calibrated, all the signal windows in between fell brightness and contrast levels start out into place beautifully at or near 6,500 K. I calibrated the set to 5,400 K on the too high. But after adjusting the front SPEGIALIST DANGER warm setting, the film industry’s refer- ence temperature for white, and to panel controls with the help of A Video 6,500 degrees for the medium setting. Standard, the set produced a spectacular JURASSIC PARK CLITHEENT Watching Schindler’s List at the 5,400 degree setting showed a marked picture in every regard, except for the improvement over the way the film looks on monitors calibrated to 6,500 bluish color of white. After eliminating degrees. At this setting, if you look closely, you can see slight greenish the blues with the color analyzer, all the tones. This is not the case at 5,400 degrees. This is pretty tweaky, but it’s colors were vivid, smooth and accurate. something for film buffs to consider. The detail level on this 35-incher is also M AVERICK Natural Born This set, like Toshiba’s CN32D90, uses Toshiba’s FST Perfect SuperTube. extremely high, with a reading of 420 Killers It certainly appears very flat, not an easy horizontal and 450 vertical lines. I also Mention this Ad and get a 20% discount off the Suggested Retail Price on the Titles loved watching black-and-white mater- listed above, (Offer expires 6/30/1995) ial after setting the warm color temper- Call for our FREE Monthly Laserdisc ature to 5,400 degrees Kelvin. This is a Catalog! Hundreds of New and Recent Releases. All, at least, 15% OFF S.R.P.! great capability. All this and decent PLUS... sound with external rear speakers OVERNIGHT included adds up to a monster value on DELIVERY this monster-sized direct-view set. Bottom line: I’d gladly own this one, and I don’t say this often. . AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Overnight Delivery Only $2.75 per Order*! Sepia secrets 1 or 100 discs - you pay only $2.75! *Orders can include “Pre-orders” and “Back-orders!” If you’re shooting black-and-white pho- tographs with a camcorder and want to (Continental U.S. shipments only - certain make them look old and sepia-toned, areas and shipments over 5-Ibs. may require light them with a regular light bulb or a studio light and set the white balance an extra business day) adjustment to the outdoor setting. You can also white balance while holding a Every Laserdisc title available at up to 40% OFF! blue gel filter in front of the lens. The darker the blue of the gel, the more Laserdisc Fan Club, Inc. sepia-toned your photos will look. es 1058 E. 230th St. « Dept. V45 Joe Faria = Carson, CA 90745 San Geronimo, California cn (800) 801-DISC(3472) “790 FAN CLUBom FAX (310) 952-3000 JO9U2“8}aOdp1pi|9eA1sdI1a98yS 2 Open Monday - Saturday For your FREE Laserdisc Catalog, please complete and mail the coupon below: Name: Address: City, State, Zip Code: APRIL 1995 VIDEO 35

SAMSUNG VHS CAMCORDER mechanism and a flying-erase head. \"SVAHMSSUCNAGMCOSRCDFE75R4° While some VHS models offer more By Stewart Applegath extensive capabilities-with such fea- wecoeeve tures as color viewfinders, digital effects Despite the dominance or zooms and built-in lights—they do so PRICE: $599 in the marketplace of at a significantly higher cost. compact VHS-C_ and V-RATING: VVVV\\’ 8mm camcorders, with The SCF754 isn’t shaped to fit your and without LCD viewscreens, full-size BETTER —)P VHS models remain popular. Samsung shoulder, but it sits comfortably and has just introduced the SCF754, one securely nevertheless. There aren’t PICTURE of two new VHS camcorders it offers. many buttons to worry about and it is SOUND This format has particular appeal to easy to operate them by feel. Because of FEATURES those who value ease and practicality. its size and configuration, you can see VALUE It is stable, comfortable to shoot with, most of the control legends while you’re offers two-hour SP recording time, shooting, a pleasant change from many ment on the bottom of the viewfinder. and you can play back the tapes on of the small camcorders we see. The The focus is controlled by a mode any VHS VCR without a cassette viewfinder is adjustable and extends far adapter and without having to hook enough from camcorder’s body so that switch that gives you the option of auto up the camcorder. you can use either eye comfortably. There is a diopter focus control, bright- and manual focus, or a combination of ness, and a further fine focus adjust- the two. The focus mechanism also allows automatic macro down to a dis- SPECS AND | Auto Focus: TTL, switch- Jacks: video in/out, audio | 2-hour battery MEASUREMENTS able to manual with but- in/out, DC out RESULTS tons for near, far and Tape Format & Speeds: one-stat AF VHS;SP Horizontal Resolution: camera-280 lines; recor-der- Brand & Model: Iris: auto only Video/FE Heads: 2/1 240 lines; EVF-330 lines Picture S/N Ratios Samsung SCF754 Auto Fade: to black, | 7 & Review Search: (dB): unweighted video 48.2, weighted video 52.1, Price: $599 hold-down type, about 4 secs. X chroma AM 46.4, chroma 9 M 45.1 Weight & Size (h/w/d): | Shutter Speed (sec.): | Fast Forward/Rewind 5.3 pounds; 8-3/8 x 3-7/8 normal (1/60), 1/100, | Time: less than 6 min. for Approx. Battery Life 1/250, 1/1000, 1/2000, | 1-120 (man. focus/no zoom): x 15-7/8 inches —- 4000 | 125 min. Remote Control: none Audio Frequency Power Use: 12 VDC, White Balance: auto Response: 75 Hz-11.5 Audio: |inear-mono; hi-fi kHz, +1.5/-3.0 dB 10.5 Watts switchable to indoor or AFM-none | Linear Audio S/N: outdoor Samsung multiburst pattern shows signal output in Image Sensor: 1/4-inch Titles/Graphics: 2-line, dB the fourth bar, indicating good detail for VHS. ccD Viewfinder: black-and- 16-character, 1-page/OSD Audio Distortion: 1.3% white electronic The SCF754 provides a practical Lens: F1.8; 12x (5.4- 64.8 Timer: self timer; time package of features for the very low mm) power zoom with | lapse price of $599. Included are 12x zoom capability, manual shutter control, a macro at WA Viewfinder Controls: Key Features: still two-hour battery, a versatile focus | frame, frame advance, Filter Diameter: 52mm | diopter focus, brightness, | audio dub, video dub, | electrical focus | insert edit, manual focus, Minimum Focusing Distance: WA 1 inch; tele Microphone: mono elec- 2 inches | tret condenser 36 VIDEO APRIL 1995

tance of one inch. In manual mode, two it works as long as the button is pressed. Not only can you plug the camcorder buttons on the top front of the cam- The camcorder’s self-timer gives into a TV or VCR to play back your corder control the focus mechanism: tapes, but you can also record from one moves the focus in one direction, you a 10-second delay to get into the other sources. The SCF754 doesn’t offer the other button moves it in the oppo- action and will record either 30 seconds microphone or headphone jacks, hi-fi site direction. The buttons did the job a or the remainder of the tape. There is stereo or manual aperture control, but bit slowly, but with a manual, motor-dri- these are not unusual omissions at this ven system, it’s better that the mecha- also time-lapse recording (at one sec- price level. nism moves slowly when you're seeking ond intervals, every minute) and an a fine focus. The push-auto button is animation capability. The clock select The rocker mechanism that con- much faster and gives you the best of and set buttons serve as the tracking trolled the zoom lens moved more slow- both worlds: manual focus with a quick adjustment buttons in playback mode. ly than I would have liked. Its slowness resort to automatic focus. The auto was an impediment when I wanted to focus worked quite well, if a bit slowly. The SCF754 offers a good package zoom in, get an accurate manual focus, However the delay is offset by the fact of editing-friendly features, such as then zoom out again. Even for general that it didn’t have to hunt. video dub, which replaces video but shooting, a slightly faster zoom or a keeps the audio, and audio dub, which manual zoom lever would be an Samsung has provided a manual keeps the video and replaces the audio. white balance control, which works Samsung has included a flying erase improvement. when the camcorder is in manual mode. head, so you don’t have to worry about The SCF754’s picture is quite good. It has two settings: one for incandescent the rainbow glitches at the joints light and one for outdoor light. There is between video segments. With the still It’s not the best we’ve seen in a VHS also a manual shutter speed control but- frame, frame advance and titling func- camcorder, and there was a bit of chro- ton, with settings ranging from 1/60 sec- ma noise, but it is $300 less than most ond up to 1/4,000 second. tions, beginners or casual users can do others we’ve tested. Overall, the cam- most of the basic editing they'll need to corder delivered very respectable per- The SCF754’s other features do, without buying a more sophisticated formance. Sound quality was perhaps a notch below picture quality, and there’s include a titler with 32 character editing VCR. no mic input, but audio frequency spaces, (16 per line), an automatic The AC unit doubles as a battery response and distortion were average, exposure system and a record review and there was very little noise leakage function that allows you to check the charger and the connecting cable plugs from the transport and zoom motors. last few seconds of just-recorded tape. in beside the RCA input/output jacks. The fader (to black) is straightforward; Battery life is long: it is rated at two This camcorder may not have all hours and that’s about what we got. the features videophiles look for, but if We're glad that RCA audio/video inputs and outputs have been included. The Swiss Army arger “Rapid Charge Only” feature 4-level LED battery capacity indicator for NoMEM?® Batteries Dirpoweercsupptly for most 8mm and VHS-C 6V LOVp-owAer aCdaptor Reconditions and charges one or two batteries sequentially Introducing the OmniSource™ Plus. We call it a charger power is concerned, you never know what you'll need until you need it. But that hardly does justice to the most versatile and convenient, do- everything power manager for camcorder enthusiasts. Sure, there are chargers that'll do some of these things. But only the OmniSource Plus does all of The OmniSource Plus automatically reconditions and charges one these things. Ask your Lenmar dealer about the or two nickel-cadmium batteries. It rapidly charges NOMEM® memory- OmniSource Plus. It’s the ultimate power tool free batteries. It tests the battery power level. It powers VHS-C and 8mm no camcorder bag camcorders directly. It works from the home AC. It works from the car’s should be without. CAMCORDER PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS DC. It does practically everything but edit the footage. Because where For the name of your nearest Lenmar dealer, and a catalog of our other Camcorder Performance Products call: 800/424-2703 ©1994 Lenmar Enterprises, Inc. Circle 11 on Reader Service Card. APRIL 1995 VIDEO 37

GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT ACCESSORIES? WE'VE GOT THE ANSWERS. you're looking for a solid starter cam- corder with the great convenience and Call for our free catalog & Bullseye information stability VHS offers, Samsung’ s i. is a good choice at a low price. BmVAIDEOocr sMual ey E lm ERCEEMLOLTUELSAR FRONT PROJEGTOR AB NTTEELNENPAHOSNESCR1oaie2enrracdvdl.iecre a ese PNUoTe DISC INDUSTRIES) =Vvi0E0 cave continued from page 31 29k50eNLaekwe yEEmsma2sR”oad 900 MHz WIRELESS ments were made to the vertical height = §00-231-0031 and the tilt position. Keystone adjust- ments were also made to get the top of Is your Cable Company the picture equal in width to the bot- tom. _Alienating You? The focus out of the box was very Say NO to unearthly good. Typically, front projectors display a good picture straight from the box, rental fees! Owning your cable requiring only that the installer fine tune it. Once we had it running, we put »yERROLO equipment saves you on the test laserdisc A Video Standard the high cost of by Reference Recordings and checked monthly equipment the critical parameters. rental charges, and gives you control of Using the crosshatch pattern, white your TV. horizontal and vertical lines intersect- ing on a black background, we could see We have the Best in that the image was square to the screen. We noted a slight bend in the vertical CONVERTERS and DESCRAMBLERS! lines just below the intersections. It is the power supply’s duty to maintain Everquest ¢ Panasonic ¢ Jerrold © Zenith ¢ Pioneer straight lines. The slight bend could indicate ringing around objects, but no 1 800 624-1 aSCR1oiae3nrracdvdl.iecre Scientific Atlanta ¢ Oak ¢ Eagle ¢ Hamlin ¢ Tocom such ringing was visible on laserdisc fis images. On a convergence pattern, the red, green and blue lines overlapped oicaiel a exactly to make the white lines. Because we were line-doubled with the MD Lhdtionés— National Consumer Dwin, we were able to see two distinct Cable Association lines on the red and green convergence 875 S. 72 Street ¢eOmaha, NE 68114 pattern when we adjusted the focus, which is pretty impressive. The VS-1250’s line amplifier, evalu- ated on the multiburst pattern, showed itself to be very extended and linear, which means that picture detail was delivered cleanly, well out to 4.2 | megaHertz. The 100 IRE window, a white rectangle on a black background, is the best reference for picture bright- ness and color temperature because it delivers the highest light output. Here it held its shape, with no col- ored edges or asymmetries. This tells us the power supply was not being over- whelmed by the contrast level. Using a Philips color analyzer, we read a color temperature of 16,000 degrees Kelvin, which is extremely blue, and a footlambert measurement of 7.43, which, while acceptable, could be bet- ter. Bear in mind that brightness at the projection distance is a key factor in overall picture quality. While observing the IRE window, | Levy was able to adjust the 1250’s con- trast (inside the set) up to a level of 12.75 footLamberts, which is as good as we've seen in front projectors. By Bane tehe 100 IRE window, the con- 38 VIDEO APRIL 1995

trast could be optimized within the set’s compared to projection models the com- excellent film-like experience. 8 linear operating range. The added white pany showed a year and a half ago. level, or contrast, is a huge factor in the Resolution was better than 400 lines both For more information: Mitsubishi, 800- final picture you see on the screen horizontally and vertically. (Despite man- (even the screen contributes to preserv- 779-1775; Reference Recordings, 800- ing that precious light). ufacturer specifications, 440 lines of reso- 336-8866; Total Media Systems, 516- lution is the maximum that’s obtainable 777-7058. Once we had gotten plenty of today.) LINE DOUBLER footLamberts, we needed to bring the The VS-1250 gets its good picture color temperature down from the very continued from page 31 blue 16,000 degrees to 6,500 Kelvin, the from three seven-inch CRT guns. They NTSC standard, so that colors could be are well made with nine-element glass frequency of 15.75 kiloHertz per second lenses. Each lens incorporates a color cor- This number comes from multiplying 525 set against a proper reference point. recting filter that helps maintain the lines by 30 (for every 1/30 of a second). After the usual back-and-forth process color purity in the individual red, green The scanning method is called interlacing: that calibration entails, the VS-1250's and blue guns. They help refine the col- Two 263-line “fields” are laid on top of one color temperature was brought down to another so that the spaces of the second 6,600 degrees Kelvin in the 100 IRE win- ors you see. field cover the lines of the first. This helps to Once the set-up was complete, we fill the spaces between lines. Two fields cre- dow, with a boost to 8,000 degrees in the ate one full frame every 1/30 of a second. middle windows (where the light ouput is put on some of our favorite laserdiscs lower), and 6,600 degrees again in the for a real-world look. The discs includ- The line doubler takes the original lowest output windows. ed Batman Returns, The Piano and two fields and digitizes them. It holds Speed. When the colors are right and them and compares them for motion dif- Why did we see an 8,000 degree the picture is of this quality, your view- ferences (interpolates them), then cre- peak? Because most video projectors ing experience is raised to a new level. ates a single field which it scans at 1/60 The subtleties of detail that were of a second. This scanning is done pro- don’t have a gamma correction circuit revealed within the expanse of a 100- gressively, as in computers: the lines are that tames such peaks, although it is pre- inch screen drew us into the movies in a drawn sequentially from top to bottom. sent in the Pioneer Elite series of rear- way few smaller set-ups can equal. Because the doubler does this at 1/60 projectors. This calibration achieved a huge improvement in color rendition, In all, Mitsubishi’s VS-1250 projec- and the gray scale was right on. Color tor delivers a big image with very good accuracy was very good. brightness and color rendition for its price. Coupled with the Dwin line dou- We also found that Mitsubishi has bler as its controller, the 1250 offers an improved its power supply in this product PANASONIC PB50 Orig. PAN..........$45.00 RAPID CHARGERS PANASONIC PB80/88 Orig.PAN........39.00 CAMCORDER CHARGER/DISCHARGER MW SSOONNYY 8NPm7m7H15204000mabm.ah....... “26.00 [i 6V, 7.2V, 9.6V runs from CANON 8mm 2000 mah.. asa re house or auto. a at 1 hr. time for Sony, Canon, |g PALMCORDER 2000 mab...........:..000 33.00 Panasonic, RCA/Hitachi & most other brands JVC GR-C9 Type Co....ssecssssecsessseseesses 36.00 Charges 1 battery $44 SHARP BT 21/22... oe Charges 2 batteries $69 SHARP BT 70/80 2400 mah.............. 39.00 RCA/HITACHI 8 mm 2400 mah.............39. NEW External Powerpac+ 5 to 7 hours of recording time. Powerpac+ includes: =6volt @ 10 amps pe Winter Special Sqy sealed lead acid battery. S Rapid Charger Discharger € =Heavy duty pouch and belt. Arkon BC-600 =A charger for charging at home / For most 6 volt batteries Sony, Sharp, Canon, Panasonic, (optional charging cord for car). JVC, Minolta, RCA/Hitachi #An adaptor of your choice. Can use in house or car =12 volt @ 7 amps $95 $85 Discharges and charges in one BATTERY TECH, INC. S“te autom\"a$t3i7c.00cycle. sh Le 800-442-427528-25 215TH PLACE, BAYSIDE, N.Y. 11360 = FAX:718-631-5117 AMERICAN MrasotmeerCard) pea | EXPRESS Sava !] Circle 14 on Reader Service Card. APRIL 1995 VIDEO 39

mg of a second, in 1/30 of a second it scans running out to the Mitsubishi VS-1250 twice as many fields as would be scanned front projector (see first “Videotest”). Entertainment without the doubler. If you take a screen The adjustment parameters for contrast image’s original 525 lines and multiply by and the other controls offer 63 notches of 22% OFF 60, you get 31,500, or the scanning fre- adjustment. The Dwin comes from the quency of 31.5 kHz. This creates a more factory set at 31 across the board. Once All Laser Discs ! film-like image. Monitors that have the the projector was calibrated and set-up ability to scan at 31.5 kHz are known as was complete, we returned to our test THE LOWEST PRICES AND THE BEST multispeed monitors. disc, A Video Standard, for final tweaking. SELECTION ANYWHERE Settings remained at 31 except for sharp- The LD-? also serves as a switcher for ness, which we brought down to 11 to CALL AND SEE FOR YOURSELF reduce edge enhancement. We have seven inputs, including four composite found these settings need to be cus- 1-600-399-2759 video sources, two S-video and one RGB tomized for the surround sound processor source. An onscreen menu shows input being used, as video loops vary. We Stock All Titles selection and video controls for contrast, including: brightness, color, tint, sharpness and The picture, after we completed our video noise reduction, as well as horizon- adjustments, looked really good. The Jason's Lyric (PolyGram) tal picture centering. There are also bass, effect of filling in the spaces between scan Forrest Gump (Pioneer) treble, balance and volume controls for lines gives the image a somewhat softer audio, and all are accessible via an focus, but the overall effect is preferable All Karaoke Titles infrared multibrand wireless remote. You by a good margin to the scan lines that can choose different settings for each would otherwise be visible. The best part (English,Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese) video input and store them in memory; of the image was that there were virtual- they will be recalled each time the input ly no artifacts from the digital doubling Fast Order Processing is selected. Or you can choose three “per- process, even on scenes with a lot of Free UPS Shipping sonal preference” video settings that can motion. The line doubler had truly be stored and recalled for any input improved image quality. Scan lines in a Visa - Mastercard - Discover picture usually harm the movie illusion AMEX - Checks except RGB. by limiting depth perception; the lines We hooked the Dwin into our system themselves remind you there is a flat sur- Free Monthly Newsletter face. By reducing the presence of these Free Catalog via the Video 1 input with a composite lines, faces and objects take on a more signal output from the Proceed PAV three-dimensional perspective. What VJoim Our decoder/preamp, and an RGB+S signal you get is a smooth image with a touch of Si<y Disc softness. On the best laserdiscs, the pic- Club And FRIERDLY PEOPLE & EXPERT ADVICE! ture looks spectacular. On lower quality Get Up to 9CSF0OEU8RRS-VT7IIO8CN0MEF-EO6R6C0OA0RLL discs, video noise becomes more appar- 2S % OFE 9F0A8X-29O4R-D7E48R0 ent, but the bottom line is that the pic- Om Major ture has been dramatically improved over 1-r8ic0anB0uy-er3s 5CClu4tb-Wh1ple3rs2tsp4ace straight projection and the drawbacks are Witles ? negligible. After living with a well-dou- ABC 130 HIGHWAY 33 @ ENGLISHTOWN, NJ 07726 bled system for a while, it would be very You may join for free after purchasing 15 LL] [SMCCCCO=DDNIYTTDRR--7C040E.0A.0.M...OCO!RDE.CRASLLLL difficult to return to a non-line-doubled or more laser disc. Call for more info. RX-V1070 & 870 CALL ccoAtM6sA4H5A. * CCD TR-91 CALL CARVER* image. Sky Entertainment The LD-2 is compatible with data- CCD TR-70 ... - GALL 1223 S. Los Angeles St. L.A. CA 90015 SONY 's 1-800-399-2SKY Fax 1-213-464-4SAT SLVR1000 S-VHS .....USA SLV-920HE CALL Circle 15 on Reader Service Card. SLV-770HF& 720HF CALL EVS-7000. HI-8 . CALL KYO: CALL LD. nas‘SV-919THX CALL) ov717PRO iNSTOCK £0P-C645 ONEER ... 689} CDP-C745 vcr's CDP-CX100 CALL PatsFoRALL MODELS matey 3 100CD HRS-6! 900 SONY HRS-4900 . LL] CANON CAMC: TR-D1015S Bic N. “1000 HI-8 CALL RY AT DIGITAL.. ALL MODELS BOSE* AMS Sli & AM7 CALL] H. KARI ace PIONEER CALL] SONY MINI DISCCALL| VWHMSWH83.a9\"AW- 3 it SEPAnEIES SoDRaATyEFD. ee CALL ic LATESTHI ..CALL] GTP-450 CALL CALABC HITACHI vers ‘AMCAULSL]T e@O VeIDEO coe CALL AGFCAE-1S8S16MKI a HOPI&SUPER ZERO CALL fenye Fasetacoours* PRO-840, USAWARUNIY IINNCLUDED CALL 908.780.6600 CALL] BALLPAIUNPEU*N*KATU®TOTCEALKL CALL] BOSTON ACoUSTICS* VE \"ChuBS 70... GALL PHASE LINEAR eee TINEI)CIN DOLLAR IDNNVENTORY orca Pane eTandaebahedbyou18 DAYMONEY Circle 16 on Reader Service Card. 40 VIDEO APRIL 1995

grade projectors from every major com- TEGOIPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA REMOVABLE pany. The fact that line doublers are being recommended to purchasers of Musical batteries MULTI-COLOR the Mitsubishi VS-1250 reviewed here, VIDEO LABELS! as well as to purchasers of other major Nothing is more frustrating than having brands of projector, is a real benefit to your camcorder batteries die when those ready for a dedicated home the- you're miles from an electrical outlet, ater. If you pair the VS-1250 with and when you have to get those shots of Dwin’s LD-2, you will not be disappoint- the pyramids! However, it may be possi- ed. 3 ble to salvage the situation. Put your “dead” batteries in a warm pocket or, Dwin Electronics can be contacted at 612 temporarily, in the sun. Turn off all auto Luton Drive, Glendale CA 91206; 818- modes on your camcorder, and prepare 956-1608. to focus and zoom manually. Now try using the battery that first ran out of continued from page 22 juice. It will probably have recovered enough to run the camcorder for up to a something you want to watch. minute. Try any other batteries that you may have in turn, and repeat the If you can’t decide what to watch, process. It’s a nuisance changing batter- ies every 30 seconds, but this technique you can press a “theme” button, which can eke out enough residual power to help you snare get those once-in-a-life- lists program choices by category: time shots. movies, specials, sports, children’s, and James R.C. Adams North Manchester, Indiana so on. This is one cool system. You can FACTORY- * decide what you’re in the mood for, DIRECT and StarSight will tell you what’s on SAVINGS while you’re watching and what’s com- FRCEAETSALTOEGREO ing up later in the week. If you see We make speakers and music systems de- signed by Henry Kloss (founder of AR, KLH & something you want to record, now or Advent). We sell them, and components by Pioneer, Sony, Philips, Carver & others — factory later in the week, the procedure is direct. You can save hundreds of dollars. Our Ensemble’ II subwoofer-satellite speaker sys- remarkably simple. Just highlight what tem (above) sells for $439, about half the price ofcompeting models. 30 day return guarantee. you want to record on the onscreen 1-800-FOR-HIFI 67-45 guide and press a record button. CAMBRIDGE There’s been a lot of progress made SOUNDWORKS in the quest for the holy grail of point- The country’s largest factory-stderieorceomcpatny. and-shoot VCR recording. Much cred- Suite130, 311 Needham Street it should go to Gemstar and its VCR Newton, MA 02164 Fax: 617-332-9229 Plus system. But StarSight is the easi- Circle 17 on Reader Service Card. est system to use that I’ve seen, despite the sophistication of the technology that makes it work. The combination of clear graphics and minimal button- pressing makes timeshift recording seem effortless. Shows that are cur- rently being recorded are shaded red in the menu guide, and shows you've scheduled to be recorded get a small red marker to remind you of your plans. By pressing a “to do” button, you can review and edit a list of single, daily or weekly programs that you have decided to tape. And with the SM3589BT8’s picture-in-picture capa- bility, you can record one show while watching another, with an assist from the VCR’s tuner. 2$03S.h9ee5ts 5$09S,h9ee5ts StarSight isn’t the first onscreen menu system that’s caught our eye. RCA deserves kudos for the onscreen + $1.80 S+H + $2.80 S+H guide for its Digital Satellite System. Each sheet of labels contains: 1 spine, 1 face, 9 index icon, But StarSight’s a humane and seeming- 6 tape length, and 5 speciality ly bullet-proof system that you can use Specify package color: red, green, blue, yellow, with your existing cable or antenna white, gray, or mixed. TV. And it doesn’t cost any more than TO ORDER TV Guide. I call this a bargain, and an CALL or MAIL TO: unqualified success. = P.O. BOX 641563 LOS ANGELES, CA 90064 APRIL 1995 VIDEO 41 800-LABEL36 Circle 18 on Reader Service Card.

OPEGIAL REPORT previewed at the Consumer Electronics Show (see “Digital Fever, Vegas Style,” L.ascriwisc this issue) held a few weeks before the PLPC. 2 LOTST SSSA a ash 5. omBEL AT, continued from page 24 Toshiba/Time Warner announcement, Ken Crane’s Is The Largest also meets the advisory group’s recom- Laser Disc Mail Order Retailer In The U.S. ture and sound,” said Gerald M. mendations. It would store 3.7 Gb of We Stock Levin, Time Warner’s chairman and data on a single sided disc. This trans- Every Title! CEO. “Think of it, instead, as a very lates to about 135 minutes of MPEG-II * Fastest Availability On New Titles! * Most Orders Shipped Same Day! powerful, cost-efficient storage device quality video together with multiple * 20% Discount On All Titles! ¢ Free 2nd Day Air UPS Shipping that can dramatically enhance multime- tracks of compressed digital audio and In The Continental U.S.A. dia applications, bringing to them, for subtitling. * Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Checks, And C.O.D. the first time, high-quality, real-time, For greater capacity, the Sony and * $1.50 Handling Charge full-motion video.” Philips specification includes a version Per Order Shipped. Indeed, the Toshiba/Time Warner that will be able to accomodate 7.4 Gb NOW SAVE DVD appears to meet the key goals of on two layers of a single substrate, or Suggested Retail On the Hollywood Digital Video Disc Advi- recording medium. This enhancement is * Every Pre-Ordered New Release sory Group, a panel of entertainment being developed together with 3M. ¢ Every Title In Stock industry executives created to identify ¢ Every Back-Order Through May 31st, 1995 essential elements the next home enter- COST AND YIELD Includes FREE tainment format would need from the In a white paper on their format, 2nd Day Air Shipping industry’s point of view, and to head off Titles must ship between format wars over competing standards. Sony and Philips argued their single-lay- these dates So Order Early The group recommended a carrier capa- er design is superior because it elimi- ble of holding a full-length film at a qual- nates “various production problems PHONE US AT... ity better than current tape and laserdisc associated with laminated (two layer) 1-800-624-3078 systems. It also specified surround sound, discs, including the need for additional 1-800-626-1768 multiple language and aspect-ratio capa- molding, sputtering and coating stages; 1-714-892-8369 bility, as well as parental lockout and the longer production cycles; layer separa- ability to employ an unspecified copy tions due to poor bonding and lower (Fax Number) manufacturing yield rates.” Sony and protection system. Philips also argued that a single sub- ForA Free Catalog The Sony/Philips format, which was strate design avoids the complex and Write Or Visit Our SuperStore tciieterahrtninaé expensive servo mechanisms and optical pickups that players for laminated discs Ken Crane’s LaserDisc WY have traditionally required. 15251 Beach Blvd. As a result, they say, their design can Westminster, CA 92683 be manufactured with only minor modi- Circle 19 on Reader Service Card. Replacement Batteries... fication at dozens of existing CD facili- ties around the world, and produced at a * All camcorder batteries in stock! cost similar to that for conventional Ds. * All cellular phone accessories in stock! Toshiba and Time Warner say that * Computer and laptop batteries! their double-sided discs can also be mass Memory Free batteries to fit: produced on existing equipment, with Ca-nChiononn- GE - Hitachi JC Pen-nJyVC - slight modifications, at costs that are Magnavox - Memorex Minolta - Nikon -Olympus- competitive with other high-density Panasonic Pentax - Quasar - Radio Shack - RCA - Ricoh-Samsung- Sears-Sharp-Sony-Zenith optical discs. and all others, FROM $27.97! Long-Life Battery Belts...7S6V ..A6.5A.HouAr..3 IbsR. Memo’ry-Free..$59. NEW WAY TO WATCH the DVD Because97 7iceedeCereiRhactEavsTteEsiensessicaticai it’s fully digital, 36V..10 A. Hour...5 Ibs...Memory-Free..$79. 974 could also lead to a new way for con- H12V...6.5 A.Hour...Memory-Free...........$69.977Z /12V..10 A. Hour...Memory-Free...........$99.977 sumers to purchase motion pictures and other entertainment software. For 312V....13 A.Hour.. paged 9 nai $129.977 example, since the cost of manufactur- oe9 £ mE ing a five-inch CD is less than a dollar, movie studios could choose to virtually 7 Same as give away the DVD, but charge con- sumers for an electronic “key” that would regulate access to the disc. “When a movie is new, the studio might charge $5 for a key that allows a single viewing. When the movie gets a little older, the charge might be $3 for a view- We're #1 for all ibatteryiN ing. At a certain date there might be a $5 charge for an infinite viewing key,” 1 - 800 -ASK- BTRY said Andy Lippman, assistant director of 1- 800 25 Fe Gan!) the Media Lab at the Massachusetts IN NYC OR OUTSIDE THE US “(213)760-7595 Institute of Technology. BS 2 8 ZS.sS= F —= i)mn rm = ra]Ss “The cost of the disc is inconse- ZMASAAReEturSnsASin A30 Ndays'. SS3hAipping,a_N2insurance,return shi) er SZrSef)undable. Prices subject to change. Garsecsessesieeunumnusssususutsmuusuesusuamsinuestita Circle 20 on Reader Service Card. 42 VIDEO APRIL 1995

quential in this scenario. What you Bogen 5169 are doing is distributing only a license CiTnhee SuVpierdeLoighTtwreiigphotd key and charging only for the key.” Though the first generation of digital video disc players will not use this encryption technique, Lippman said the sponsoring manufacturers have The 3169 combines Bogen 3001 Sturdy legs feature 3 click-stop spread angles discussed the possibility of including Tripod Legs with a 3130 Fluid Head. It's easy to use and easy and are made of tubular encryption features and an enabling to handle. The Bogen 3001 hard-finish aluminum and each Tripod is the lightest (about F \\ has a sure-grip, quick-acting, “smart card” on second-generation lbs.) and the smallest (folds to 20 1/2 in.), but one of non-fouling lever lock. DVD players. the most versatile tripods we offer. Add the Poratable Video Dolly Regardless of such matters, DVD is or the Lightweight Tripod on a fast track to the marketplace. Top it with the Bogen / 3130 QR Micro Fluid Spreader and you have rock- Expect to hear more about this emerg- solid support for smooth pans and tilts. ing technology a See the Bogen 3169 Cine continued from page 28 \\ Video Tripod with QR 9JLU8“/ZOped9lP|1eeA1ds9ayS ‘\\\\ Micro Fluid Head at your edges of the frame rather than work \\ dealer or contact to keep everything centered. They’re not so much interested in the story as how to Bogen Photo Corp. tell it. Visual thinkers never “make things up” in the edit suite. Everything is 565 E. Crescent Ave. worked out in advance. They dream in Ramsey, N.J. video. 07446-0506 Visual thinkers also tend to make lots (201) 818-9500 of money and great music videos. However, they don’t usually tell good sto- We don't sell anything ‘\\ ries, since they’re more interested in we wouldn't buy ourselves. . what actors are wearing than in what they’re saying. ILLUSTRATORS SONY C‘uan,l ge Illustrators generally need a vaca- HANDYCAM Ri4 vontere CAMCORDERS tion. Other than this, they’re hard to pin SHARP down. They come from all walks of life og VIEWCAM' and approach everything with a mild degree of interest. They always arrive on Berger Bros. Camera and Video Exchange time. Not surprisingly, illustrators gener- Specializes in both Photographic and Video ally use video to illustrate ideas, usually Equipment. We carry the Largest Selection of someone else’s. To them video is like cre- Camcorders and Accessories in stock and at the ating a slide show with sound, or holding lowest prices. We'll help you make the right a conversation with pictures. choice over the phone, that’s why we can offer a full money back guarantee. We could list all of There is a direct relationship our Equipment in our ads like everyone else...but between what they want to say and the we Call that our 240-page Catalog. images they use to say it. They have a fundamental understanding of how most 1-800-262-4160 electronic things work, especially clocks. We Compete With Any Legitimate Price & We Ship Anywhere They’re out of the edit suite at five o'clock sharp. Illustrators fuel the indus- When Tomorrow Won't Do. Call Us Today. trial video side of the industry, and make all those business conventions more (516)-264-4160 ¢ FAX (516)-264-1007 exciting. They also help editors pay the 209 BROADWAY (ROUTE 110) AMITYVILLE, N.Y. 11701 rent. Which type of videomaker do I like working with most? The truth is, all of them. In fact, some of the most brilliant videos I’ve been privileged to fade-up on defy categorization. Incorporating many different approaches, they elude me just when I think I have them figured out. As in the real world, the broader your expe- rience and the more comprehensively you approach the editing of videos, the morte likely it is your ideas will succeed. = APRIL 1995 VIDEO 43

HMoDLI_GtIyTYAwoLoD) COLLECTOR'S EDITED BY JOSEF KREBS CLEARINGHOUSE NOW offering Reader requests wholesale prices for hard-to-find tapes and discs to the consumer I am looking for the 1988 Saturday Night movie or knows where I can get a @eeeeee@e2ee0e00080 decent VHS copy, please contact me. Live episode that featured Mel Gibson Call us toll free Raiford L. Pittman from anywhere in the as host. I am also looking for a copy of Attorneys at Law (800) U9.S9. 4at-DISC his 1980 movie Attack Force 2. If anyone 208 South Main Street «(714) 821-7458 Box 216 can help I’ll send a blank VHS tape FROM NOW UNTIL Sardis, MI 38666 MARCH 31, 1995 along with postage. April Fairchild RECEIVE 20% OFF I am looking for a good copy in either ALL LASERDISCS Rt. 1 Box 69-AA VHS or Beta of the movie Red Planet Mars (1952) with Peter Graves and INCLUDING McNeal, AZ 85617 Andrea King. I also need The Rains THESE HOT Came (1939) with Myrna Loy and NEW RELEASES Phone: 609-266-0656 Tyrone Power, Arabian Nights (1942) in Technicolor, and Titanic, with Clifton ALEC BALOWIN Vincent Price and Peter Lorre made two Webb and Barbara Stanwyck. Will hilarious spoofs of the horror flick genre reimburse any reasonable expenses. Shitidow back in the ’60s. The first was The Raven, of which I have a videotape copy, David A. McClintock © 1994 Universal City Studios, Inc. and Bregman/Baer Productions, Inc. All Rights but I don’t even know the name of the 1454 Sheridan Avenue, N.E. Reserved.\"The Shadow” is o registered trademark of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. other. Price played a man who inherited Warren, OH 44483 ‘Available 01/24/95. his father’s funeral home. Peter Lorre played his assistant. To make a living, peancciaude: van damm they had to murder people to drum up business. If someone out there has this C2RSCoi2eanrracdvdl.iecre Digital Hollywood Entertainment 6849 Via Sola Circle CAPTIVE AUDIENCE?? My wife has threatened to leave me if I can’t manage to obtain the tape of Buena Park, CA 90620 ¥a “4 Service Howard Keel in Concert in London. I am (800) 994-DISC (714) 821-7881 “CABLE TV CONVERTERS* more than happy to pay any costs as I love my wife. (I also enjoyed watching FAX (714) 821-7458 > cm; ane the concert in the past.) ASK ABOUT OUR FREE D. H. Stoddard +27 SLUE BLOCKER: ** 6854 Shorecrest Court S10] NST ANS SS) sto O)adad= Fort Worth TX 76132 Phone: 817-292-1198 WE CARRY ALL MAJOR BRAND NAME CABLE TV CONVERTERS I am looking for a copy of a TV movie * YOUR SATISFACTION IS OUR #1 PRIORITY ! called An Inconvenient Woman (1991) * 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE ! taken from the book by Dominick * 1 YEAR WARRANTY! WE SHIP C.O.D. ! Dunne. It stars Jason Robards and Jill * OUR UNITS ARE GUARANTEED TO WORK !! Eikenberry. It was originally shown in two parts with a total running time of PLEASE HAVE THE BRAND NAME & MODEL 200 minutes. I will pay any reasonable NUMBER OF YOUR CABLE COMPANIES expenses for a good VHS copy. CONVERTER, BEFORE CALLING. Terri Pierce WE WILL MEET OR BEAT ANY VALID PRICE QUOTE. 45 Andora Circle Droville, CA 95966 UNLIKE SOME OF OUR COMPETITORS, WE ARE HAPPY TO SPEND THE TIME TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS Send requests for hard-to-find tapes and CONCERNING THE PURCHASING OF OUR EQUIPMENT. discs to Collector's Clearinghouse, Video Magazine, 460 West 34 Street, New York, VFIOSRUACLATCAOLMOGMUNOIRCAINTFIOORNMSATIIONNC. NY 10001; or fax requests to 212-947- CALL 1-718-229-2358 6727; or send via CompuServe to 75147,1255 or via The Internet to meee SORRY NO NEW YORK SALES ***** [email protected]. Include postal address, E-mail address or phone ** FOR ORDERS ONLY **FRIENDLY - PROFESSIONAL - SERVICE- SINCE 1975 number since this is a reader-to-reader ser- 1-800-GO-CABLE vice. Requests for copyrighted material must be for personal use only. You may 20-04 UTOPIA PARKWAY SUITE 236 WHITESTONE, NY 11357 offer to reimburse expenses, but Clearing- house is not open to requests for the pur- BY PURCHASING CABLE fag psa on VISUAL COMM. THE CUSTOMER chase or sale of tapes and discs. AGREES TO COMPLY WITH THI WS REGARDING PRIVATE OWNER: (SHIP OF CABLE TV ou MENT IIF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THESE LAWS CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS. ANYONE IMPLYING THEFT OF SERVICE WILL BE DENIED SALE OF EQUIPMENT. Circle 23 on Reader Service Card. 44 VIDEO APRIL 1995,

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ONAL BY JONATHAN TAKIFF Dion MANIA How DSS Satellite Suite: RCA’S is bringin DSS dish, receiver, access digital sizzle card and remote control. to satellite television. as there ever been a runaway con- Hughes Electronics/DirecTv, Thom- ble good reception any- sumer electronics success story to son Consumer Electronics and Hub- where in the continental match that of the Digital Satellite bard’s United States Satellite Broad- U.S. with a pizza-sized System, a.k.a. DSS? Consider the casting had already bested combined dish that fits where first-year sales figures for VCRs, CD larger satellite antennas competition. In the first year home players and big TVs. At year’s end, cannot—physically, legal- VCRs became available, Sony moved almost 350,000 of the dishes were 30,000 of its beloved Betamaxes. Two already perching on American rooftops, ly or esthetically. And it years later, when VHS VCRs appeared, while another 240,000 were on the way does so at a $699 and up price tag for about 120,000 were sold. With CDs, we to dealers still crying over Christmas DSS hardware, plus fees of $7.95 to $65 remember first-year sales of 35,000 play- sales lost for lack of enough DSS sys- for monthly program packages. ers. (And oh, how the masses fumed tems to meet a demand that exceeded about their kingly $800 to $1,200 Thomson’s most optimistic projections. DSS’ use of digital signal coding is prices.) Big-screen TVs? A respectable Thomson, sole maker of the receivers also potent, because it guarantees the crowd of 115,000 hauled them home for now, has said the backorders will delivery of robust, ghost-free video sig- during their first year. continue into Spring, even though its nals in huge numbers (more than 150 factory in Juarez can produce 100,000 channels beam down from two adjacent Yet that’s chump change next to the receivers a month, and will soon expand “birds”) with high-quality surround sales figures rolling up for DSS, the first to 150,000. sound. And after pointing the dish in high-powered, all digital, direct-broad- the right direction (south), operation of cast satellite system to be realized in the C-band satellite TV has been avail- the system is virtually goof proof. All a U.S.; for that matter, the world if you able to backyard America since the user has to do is land the cursor of the underline the digital part. As a higher- 1970s. And the medium-powered DSS onscreen program guide on a tech compact alternative to cable, DSS’ Primestar satellite system, which is pleasing show title and tap a button. 18-inch dish, stylish receiver, high pic- financed by the nation’s biggest cable ture and sound quality, and massive concerns, has been brewing for four Representing 15 years of effort and array of programs represent a system years. But DSS is a product unto itself. who’s time hasn’t just arrived, but It’s the first to fully and elegantly fill the an investment in excess of $1 billion, exploded. description of direct broadcast satellite. DSS could turn a profit for major stock- Its KU-band signals, high-power rating holder GM Hughes Electronics as soon Just seven months after its small- and prime orbital positions make possi- as the middle of next year, when the sys- town debut, and two as a nationally tem expects to have three million sub- available product, this brainchild of GM scribers, says Hughes/DirecTv execu- tive Eddy Hartenstein. Much of this has 46 VIDEO APRIL 1995

come at the expense of the cable indus- year’s Christmas season. like new, and making people realize they try, which has taken to calling DSS Just in case RCA and Sony can’t meet have something as a source input that’s “Deathstar” and is re-tooling Primestar worthy enough to drive a big screen.” as a more potent competitor (see side- the demand, two or three more suppliers will get into the biz in early 1996. Likely Finally, says Hartenstein, “there’s bar). just an overwhelming amount of choice “More than 50 percent of our sub- candidates include = Matsushita’s in terms of what you want to watch.” Panasonic brand, Toshiba, Goldstar, Between the two service suppliers, you scribers have cable passing by their Uniden and maybe Hughes itself. can buy 43 off-network (“cable”) chan- front door, but chose us instead,” notes DSS sales crews are also just starting USSB’s Steve Blum. And that’s saying something, since DSS, unlike cable, can’t supply you with local over-the-air channels or, for that matter, network affiliates from any TV market if you already have decent local reception. “That’s not a big deal,” says Blum. “Eighty percent of the country can pick up local channels perfectly well with a rooftop antenna or rabbit ears. Other people are combining DSS with a lowest cost ‘lifeline’ cable service.” With more manufacturers coming online soon, and more avenues being explored for DSS sales, the baby dishes may soon be as ubiquitous as rooftop antennas were in the pre-cable TV era. Two-Way Play: Digital decoder for OpenTV system developed by Thomson and Sun Microsystems Sony, the system’s second supplier, is holds potential for interactive services on DSS. allowed to begin selling DSS products | to test their appeal to apartment dwellers and commercial establish- only after a million RCA units are in the ments. Faster than you can say “make nels, including a lot that cable systems sales pipeline. Sony expects that day to mine a double,” DirecTv envisions sign- can't take with their relatively paltry come on or about June 1. “Production ing up some 400,000 bars and restau- channel space. These include the newly has already begun in our Mexico facili- rants for one of six different program ty,” allows company exec James packages priced from $175 to $29,999 added CNN International, Canada’s Palumbo, who plans to plant Sony’s per year, depending on the channels cool Much Music channel and, a DSS DSS with a few thousand dealers, do and the size of the establishment. bonus, 28 digital radio channels that tap serious consumer educating with fancy into every speciality from eclectic rock in-store displays, and promote the Factor in the price erosion that’s and reggae to classical favorites and “unique styling and features” of Sony sure to come in the next few years for “For Kids Only.” brand systems. While stressing value, ease of use and multiroom capability, DSS (even though demand is expected One complaint voiced by cable Palumbo says Sony won’t compete on to stay high), and estimates by market companies (in anti-satellite advertising) analysts that 10 million DSS systems and also by some subscribers is that buy- price or volume with RCA, which may will be installed by the end of the cut $100 off its system prices for this decade don’t seem far fetched. Still, the ing a full load of DSS programs “does question remains: why has DSS taken not price out very well compared with cable alternatives,” as Ralph E. Abbott puts it. Abbott is one of several DSS buyers who responded to our inquiries off so much faster than other home for feedback on CompuServe’s Consu- electronics products that have turned mer Electronics Forum. Clearly, Abbott out to be huge hits? “A couple reasons,” would like to see more channels offered suggests Hartenstein. “First, there’s no a la carte. But USSB’s Blum argues against shortage of software with this product. comparing “apples and oranges,” by You get it all at once. You don’t have to which he means “a 70-channel (cable buy a library of software. There are 150 or Primestar) service versus a 150- channels from day one” (and dozens channel (DSS) one.” And Blum sug- more to come, as we’ll see below). gests we pay heed to such movie buff Sea TV: TracVision for yachts combines DSS “The second reason,” said Harten- delights as the five-channel HBO pack- reception with satellite tracking capabilities. stein, “is we’re offering picture and age and the three-channel Showtime audio quality on virtually every channel feed USSB also offers for $10.95 a that’s previously been available only on laserdisc. It’s making old TV sets act month, which is about the price of a sin- APRIL 1995 VIDEO

SMALL DISH DSS was not alone in waking viewers up to the benefits of small and medium-dish reception. Primestar Partners ended last year with three times as many customers as it started the year with, a number “well north of 200,000,” and perhaps as high as 250,000, according to president John Cusick. In achieving the increase, Primestar demonstrated that its medium-power, 69-channel satel- lite system is not going to roll over while high-powered newcomer DSS lures customers away. To the contrary, Primestar is gearing up for a big- league battle with DSS this year and especially next, when it moves into two new high-powered satellites and orbital locations, upgrades to MPEG II decoding and increases channel capacity to 200. Indeed, bolstered by new programs, a $100 million ad campaign, $500 million in equipment commitments from its partners, and the hard charging of its new chairman, James Gray, Primestar expects to reach profitability with a customer base of one million by the end of this year. Wired: Monster Cable’s DSS installation kit. gle movie channel on cable. Formed eight years ago by leading cable companies Comeast, Continental Cablevision, Cox, Newhouse, In addition, movie channels recent- Tele-Communications, Inc., and Time Warner, Prime- ly went bilingual on USSB. With just a touch of the “alternative audio” button Star was originally designed to serve viewers outside cable’s reach, folks who wouldn’t mind giving up a little on the DSS remote, you can hear HBO, yard space for Primestar’s 39-inch dish. Last year, it Cinemax or Showtime in Spanish. “You can even put the closed captioning up became a more serious venture, upgrading from analog on screen in English with the dialog in Spanish, to help learn the language.” to digital technology and increasing channel capacity. Still, isn’t there a crime called too This year, Primestar is risking cannibalizing its part- much of a good thing? How can a mere mortal find time to ners’ prime business by targeting some areas that have even surf 150 chan- already been cabled. “They're doing this because there’s this little company out there called General Motors that’s nibbling away,” said Primestar spokesman Alan Levy in an interwiew with Satellite News. Primestar con- nels, with-out tinues to lease rather than sell its system hardware as molting into Beavis part of a package costing from $30 to $60 a month that or Butt-Head? “Of “Kkie @e includes programs. a @% course, you can't,” Yet, here too, the company is starting to sing a dif- Blum responds. ferent tune. Primestar is now courting consumer elec- “What's terrific is r4 3a tronics dealers to showcase the service on its sales floors coming home late 5 6W and take a cut on any subscribers it signs up. Meanwhile, after a hard day, 8 9A project partner TCI is allowing satellite dealers to sell knowing you have 04 the Primestar equipment in a few “beta test” markets for just two hours to $1,095, including installation, according to product dis- spare in front of the > >m tributor Lee Taylor of Recreational Sports and Imports. TV, and being able Ss = The markets include Roseburg, Oregon, Seattle, Tuscon, to find exactly the Albuquerque, Denver and Salt Lake City. kind of program Primestar will expand its channel offerings to up to you're looking for.” 80 this year, adding the likes of CNN International, the Virtually every Starz! movie channel, and a second set of audio services. new DSS - sub- yniversal’s DSS-compat- Like DSS, Primestar will also begin going after the bar scriber has been ible VCR Pro 4 remote. and restaurant business, especially by touting its 15 buying at least one of USSB’s services, after enjoying a free regional and national sports channels, as well as its NHL month’s preview of all the available and NBA League Pass series. However, Primestar won't options. Some are content with the be able to offer the NFL Sunday Ticket season pass. basic $7.98 package covering MTV, DirecTv holds the exclusive small-dish distribution rights for this feast of football. -JT continued on page 70 48 VIDEO APRIL 1995

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oy WYHNTEDT a * ROECTRONICS, SHOW New digital disc and tape technologies energize a record-breaking, something-for-everyone CES. If earlier Consumer Electronic Shows can with the dramatic new-technology be said to have flirted with the digital demonstrations, there were plenty o technologies sweeping through the realms here-and-now products to be seen and of home entertainment, this year’s ex- sampled. travaganza, held recently in Las Vegas, ushered them in with open arms. The Among the video showstoppers were science of zeros and ones, bits and bytes demonstrations by Sony of digital video dominated CES as never before. Previews discs (DVD) and digital videocassettes, of forthcoming video and audio systems, two new formats the company says will be progress reports about new products, and introduced sometime next year. DVD, the increasing sophistication of video and computer games made it seem like the fu- Mini/Maxi: Casio’s Megavision monitor/projector. ture had just breathlessly arrived. Right at the start, the show’s keynote speaker, Sony America president and CEO Michael Schulhof, warned an over- flow audience that consumers “are get- ting ready to embrace an all-digital en- vironment in entertainment” and that any companies that are unprepared “will, in no uncertain terms, jeopardize their en- tire business.” But there was scant evidence of un- preparedness. The four-day spectacular was the biggest ever, with 102,000 at- tendees filling the city’s convention cen- ter, several temporary tents and exhibit space in half a dozen hotels. And, along This report was written by Stan Pinkwas, Brent Butterworth, Ken Korman, Peter Barry, Lancelot Braithwaite and Stewart Applegath. 50 VIDEO APRIL 1995