video-magazine-1992-07

WORLD’S egal Se 1 gaan Hy JUL BOLD NEW IVs How Designers Shape The Future PindOF THE TAPES mee Bes en\\Viel> sels Boost Videotape mame ane aes _ VIDEO'S PROS CONFRONT HDTV CABLE’S NEW NEMESIS DBS Promises A Video Alternative VIDEOTES IS “etaee a #6ape Camcorders ol

bt ei rol | {|=| | NAV/SION . PANAT At 72.5 SER.NO.B-2°* This Hand-Cranked silent film camera, the 1903 The Anamorphic Lens achieved the first large-format screen image. Originally developed in the late 1920s, it H. Ernemann developed in Dresden, Germany, was one helped entice thousands ofpeople back into the theaters ofthe earliest successful motion picture cameras. during a sagging film economy three decades later. Every so often the technology ofmovie Buy the new Mitsubishi speed, and take a guess at how to will cover just about any shoot- is HS-CX7u Camcorder and youll set the white balance. Or, using ing situation you might encounter. be buying more than just a cam- era. You'll be getting a little bit of the new HS-CX7u, you can sim- The HS-CX7u also comes history, too. Because ours is the ply select the “skier” icon. And six first video camera in the world separate functions will be automat- equipped with our Stable Cam” with One-Touch Event Settings, ically adjusted to shoot in the snow. feature. This sophisticated image which automatically control all stabilization system automatically critical camera adjustments. Or maybe youre shooting in- compensates for any shakiness in doors at your neighbors 60s Retro your hands while shooting. Which Let’ say, for example, you want party. No problem. Just select the means your pictures wont come to use your camera on the big ski “party” icon. And the camera pro- out looking like you shot an earth- tripY.oucan remind yourself to grams itself to handle the lighting adjust the iris, check the shutter conditions you find at a party. quake. Unless, of course, you There are six icons in all,which shot an earthquake. What’ more, the HS-CX7u © 1992 Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc. For the name ofyour nearest dealer call toll-free 1-800-374-2222.

The Arriflex Camera, like the 1950s 35-2C pictured The “skier” icon represents the here, was the first camera to use a “spinning mirror brightness event setting, one ofsix single- reflex shutter, making itpossible for the camera touch automatic settings, on the new operator to see through the camera while filming. Mitsubishi HS-CX7u Camcorder, was designed with a lightweight so youre guaranteed not to miss capabilities allow you to pick up high- quality sound from any direction. inner lens focusing system. So it any of the action. Awelcome Now that you know the uses less battery power, while benefit when your HS-CX7u isone of the most sophis- ticated pieces of movie making focusing faster than heavier daughter picks one equipment in the worldy,ou might want to head over to your nearest external lens systems. In exact instant to Mitsubishi dealer and take a look. fact, the whole cam- A take her very first After all,something this huge doesnt come along very often. era weighs a mere _ steps on earth. MITSUBISHI 14 pounds. r And to make TECHNICALLY, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE” Our“Quick g P sure you catch all Recording’ fea- P those editorial com- ture allows you to ™ — ~— ments your Uncle Fred go from ‘stop’ to “play” in = ié s so fond of makinz g, our less than one-third of a second, Hi-Fi recording and reproduction Circle 57 on Reader Service Card.

FEATURES THE SHAPE OF SCREENS TO COME 30 How top TV designers play with perception to make tomorrow’s sets thinner, sleeker, wilder. By Lawrence B. Johnson THE LAYERED LOOK 34 New materials, coatings and techniques propel blank tapes to new levels of performance. By Ron Goldberg SHOCK OF THE NEW 38 HDTV and a flurry of hot products jolt video professionals with a vision of rapid change. By Frank Beacham DAWN OF A NEW DISH 40 Satellite video services promise a new way to bring movies home. By Robert Angus TAPES & DISES REVIEWS 44 Bugsy, JFK, Cape Fear, Citizen Kane on laserdisc, more 45 EDITOR'S CHOICE / The great outdoors on tape. By Kenneth Korman 56 DIRECTORY / The latest releases on tape and disc VIDEOTESTS SONY SLV-696HF VHS VCR, 14 DEPARTMENTS Canon E250 8mm camcorder, Sony TR101 Hi8 camcorder, Cover: Yamaha DSP-A1000 audio/video amplifer. By Betger-Braithwaite Labs Mitsubishi's skinny 50- CHANNEL ONE / Video passages inch VS5017S shows FEEDBACK / Letters from readers GAZETTE / The making of Apocalypse Now, The Addams Family’s Thing, more how innovative product CES NEW PRODUCTS / Highlights from Chicago’s Consumer Electronics Show Q & A/ Technical queries answered 6 designers are changing the shape of today's COLLECTOR'S CLEARINGHOUSE / Dancing sailors & The Last Polka 8 televisions. Photo by OFF THE AIR / The boy in the RestRider bubble 10 Jay Brenner Video Magazine 98 Volume XVI Number 4 106 The waiCioVrsnfshIiftsptaiDecerunrEeomn.ghOaetietosb:ii©oMtonSaefan1edglo9r.aai9dza2prdliSeursinsbeRnplesegoiAsnlcecseaqs(ituIetbiicSaiosolkSniCpieNtotysipymoe1mnp6r0fur0mo4inirDc4itdee-csap7au#yt$2tc.5s28,hi.485o6t)0n4Uco;n8shpi8,airv$s.noe2gcprt.eesAua9.scibd5.stldy:irPAisrelnhilMsseCniesrdtcanierndgdosahmfutdoiobsianllsnm;tdcrsethr:,hais£epdle2tdyrI.iUrvnb5oc.ee0yn.Sds,..sRAio3.enr©0ledUa0es.bPreeKusOl.nN,,SdoCreTOcnotrnMehhmewAam-UnuSnZygniaTeeevidaeEecdrbrRraose:tfassRilausdo,db,.nsdS,scrIea,rennAnitsdnepdsrtn,Ininazacodit.cAnd,iproorbrn4c(eorao61srled20,s,es.ipWMsaco.IsnhAnuldadel34nes84gPmn)1aeac0tSsne$6et1.r.5,iAta.amon;NledeVrCIwliaiiDcnnsEaqtaYOeunoddi,rark,iCi,enoBspot$Nyhx2tYrio2si:.5g14m6Vh072atI09gD03aE(C1,izOo.nin,cvnBlSeoeuBenudoclteidxoissenordns5G,s-u6Sb.c2TjCl9ea3OcRs,#tesRp8Btr10ooop23udo52mlus29dact-en3tar6u8ig,2f4oea92nc3C3t.pO)uaorifed8FeUro0d.'r3aiSstt2.om2;rNi-cicef6ahrolw2aro9nefo3igroY,geornPrm,ikocw,rtaicoitocrrNhaipoYlaimullaetistalcon,olndonlo-ft$tfie4aricn0edested,siUut8i.eai0nSsno0.and-ano3Clryp6au5anmbmr-aalta1idiin0lcsin0lihaeen8esng.rr, Audit Bureau 4 VIDEO JULY 1992

The Empire Strikes 0782904 SEE DETAILS BELOW. The Godfather 0000802 Back 0783209 She \"HOME ALO The Godfather: Part Ill 0842302 Return Of The Jedi * 0515007 Dial M For Murder 0603506 Blue Velvet 0788703 Backdraft* The Silence of the Lambs Home Alone* Beetlejuice 0633008 0559005 0805309 0104208 Dirty Harry 0601708 Patton *0844308 Reversal Of Fortune 0969709 2001: A Space KEVIN Dangerous Liaisons *0638700 Odyssey *0825000 COSTNER Dead Calm *0645200 0216804 0602003 The Hunt For RO) TIN Body Heat 0607606 Red October * 0681106 . Hoop 0607200 Scarface (1983) *0642504 Deliverance 0602300 E.T.: The Extra- E Star Wars Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves* The Sound of Music” Bonnie & Clyde 0953505 Terrestrial 0211102 0781500 Caddyshack 0632505 * 0211409 0976803 0003905 Hard To Kill 0633602 Batman (1989) Full Metal Jacket 0971507 *0921304 Die Hard *0367607 The Abyss * 0881102 *0983502 Dune Die Hard 2: Die Harder *0041806 Ghost *0826008 Above The Law 0630806 * 0497008 New Jack City * 0642702 Back To The Future 0211706 Memphis Belle 0602805 Back To The Future 0279505 Part Il 0968107 Lethal Weapon *0844407 *0969808 0211300 Back To The Future Lethal Weapon 2 Part Ill 0104604 Road Warrior 0211508 0364901 Bugs Bunny Super Star *0497305 The Blues Brothers * 0104307 0100008 Forbidden Planet 0210104 Harry Connick, Jr.: 0920306 Singin’ & Swingin’ *0085803 American Graffiti 0004200 Goodfellas 0523407 0298307 0439307 National Lampoon’s 0051102 Edward Scissorhands Animal House 0367409 *0203505 Bird On A Wire 0260000 Predator Double Indemnity 0289702 Predator 2 * 0201301 Field Of Dreams 0297705 Jaws The French Connection 0050708 * 0201608 Class Action 0029108 The Man Who Would The African Queen * 0911701 Be King *0430603 Big * 0202507 Kindergarten Cop * 0001305 Fatal Attraction *0448605 Brainstorm 0601500 0205302 All Dogs Go To Heaven 0383000 Star Trek: 0431908 Bugs Bunny Classics *0638601 The Motion Picture 0202200 Casablanca *0962100 0827808 Hot Shots * 0061705 Star Trek Il: Black Rain *0392704 The Wrath Of Khan *0842609 Chinatown 0337303 0203307 Star Trek Ill: 0441600 Superman: The Movie 0001404 The Search For Spock 0000208 Superman Il Star Trek IV: 0360909 The Grifters The Voyage Home The Accidental Tourist Presumed Innocent Star Trek V: A Bridge Too Far The Final Frontier Other People’s Money Beverly Hills Cop Mobsters Beverly Hills Cop Il The Wizard Of Oz 48 Hrs. Another 48 Hours The Naked Gun 2'/2: The Smell Of Fear Airplane Coming To America Alien Aliens Here's a great way to build a specified. And you'll always have 14 | Dept. $36 P.O. Box 1112, Terre Haute, Indiana 47811-1112 collection of your favorite movies—on days to decide; if not, you may return Yes, please enroll me under the terms outlined in this advertisement. As a member, | the selection at our expense. |need buy only 2 more selections, at regular Club prices, within the coming year. | laserdiscs! Just write in the numbers of the 3 laserdiscs you want for Money-Saving Bonus Plan. If you |Send me these 3 laserdiscs for $1.00 each plus $1.50 each shipping and handling (total $7.50) | $1.00 each, plus shipping and continue your membership after | handling. In exchange, you simply fulfilling your obligation, you'll be | Please Check How Paying: C1) My check is enclosed agree to buy two more laserdiscs in eligible for our generous bonus plan. |(Charge my introductory laserdiscs and future Club purchases to: 2QY/2QZ It enables you to enjoy great savings the next year, at regular Club prices on the movies you want—for as long | (MasterCard =] Diners Club C] AMEX CI VISA C] Discover (currently as low as $29.95, plus as you decide to remain a member! shipping and handling)—and you 10-Day Risk-Free Trial. We'll send |Acct. No. Exp. details of the Club's operation with may cancel membership at any time your introductory package. If not | Signature after doing so. satisfied, return everything within 10 days for a full refund and no further | Name Free Magazine sent every four obligation. weeks (up to 13 times a year) For fastest service, use a credit card reviewing our Director's Selection— and call us toll free 24 hours a day: plus scores of alternate choices, Dept. | Address Apt. including many lower-priced lV, $36 |City State laserdiscs. And you may also receive e Special Selection mailings up to four Entertaining |Zip oeeee AeLl Phone: Noel ) times a year. (That's up to 17 buying LASERDISC America... | Note: Columbia One Person continental U.S. House Laserdisc Club reserves the right toadietled or cancel any membership. Offer limited to opportunities a year.) at a Time.™ (excluding Alaska). Applicable sales tax to all orders. 1400 N. Fruitridge | Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47811-1a]112 Buy only what you want! If you CLUB 14/F92 want the Director's Selection, do nothing-it will be sent automatically. If i *letterbox ©1992, The Columbia House Company | you'd prefer an alternate selection, or none at all, just mail the response card always provided by the date

HOW TO BUY CHANNEL ONE RECEIVER OR PROCESSOR? A/V receivers and surround sound processors are both central compo- nents in a home theater system, but do you really need both? And, if not, which would serve you better? Many manufacturers produce both types of components. Luxman, for example, makes both the RV- Video passages 371 A/V surround sound FM/AM receiver and the F-116 Dolby Pro Among the many home video-related stories reported in the general media Logic surround sound processor. this spring, a few items deserve special attention. The RV-371 is Luxman's top-of- In April, a brief note in The New York Times confirmed the closing of Vid- the-line receiver and features 3 Pro Logic and4 simulated surround sound eo Review magazine, our competitor for more than a decade. We read the modes as well as a CD synchro func- notice with mixed feelings. Indeed, we had heard the news several days earlier tion and 20 station presets. This model and while we’re not happy to see any publication shut its doors, we’re doubly pumps 70 watts to each of the front proud of our continued service to video enthusiasts. channels, 55 watts to the center chan- nel and 50 watts to the rear channels. Those of you who subscribe to this publication certainly know how vibrant the home video marketplace is, and if you have picked us up at a newsstand Like the RV-371, the F-116 also for the first time, you will see in these pages a continuous flow of new and im- has Dolby Pro Logic capabilities, but proved equipment and programs created explicitly to enhance the home video does not have an amplifier or the AM/ experience. FM tuning If you are a former Video Review reader, welcome to Video Magazine. abilities of the We've been chronicling the video revolution since its inception a decade and receiver. Italso a half ago, and attribute our continued success in large part to keeping our lacks the CD finger on the pulse of this most dynamic of markets. If you’d like to suggest areas for expanded coverage, we’d love to hear from you. ti synchro func- e A passing of a different nature was also noted by the Times in April, that Professional tion. It does, of Charles P. Ginsburg, an engineer who played a key role in the development fomlee however, have of video technology. In the early 1950s, while employed at Ampex, Ginsburg headed a six-member research team given the mandate to create a video re- Association three decoder programs, in- corder able to preserve television images. In 1956, Ampex introduced the cluding Pro Logic, Mono Logic and world’s first practical video recorder and the tape to go with it. Music, and an Auto-Azimuth™ cor- It could have been (and eventually would have been) someone else, but Ginsburg’s team got there first. Without his effort and that of his team, the rection technique, which makes ad- home video revolution, which is a natural extension of that seminal work, justments for balance and other play- would not be here, and the world would be a much different place. back errors. Finally, we'll add a word to the millions already written on the most signif- They are both high-end sound icant news event involving home video—the Rodney King verdict and devices, but which is best for you? subsequent unrest. From where we sit, only two elements of the entire affair A surround sound processor is an are entirely clear. One is the increasing pervasiveness of camcorders in Ameri- can society—almost anything can and will be captured on tape. Second, not- ideal addition to any pre-existing withstanding the profound impact of home video, human nature doesn’t sound system that lacks sufficient change. While viewing events in person, or on tape, people often see and hear processing power options and true what they want to see and hear. home theater ambience. A receiver is good for those who need AM/ FM tuning and sound processing capabilities combined in one multi- purpose unit. See your local PARA dealer for more information on these products. For more information on Luxman's units, call 1-800-421- James M. Barry Editor 2284, ext. 307. PARA is an association of specialty audio/video retail- ers. To locate a PARA dealer B“JU|9Pd1Oap91pl1Ae1Jda9aySnear you, call: (816) 444-3500 6 VIDEO JULY 1992

For the first time ever, the Consumer Electronics Show opened its doors to the general public in Chicago, May 30 and 31, 1992. Ifyou couldn’tactually be there, we've got the next best thing... It’s the OFFICIAL 1992 INTERNA- TIONAL SUMMER CONSUMER MAPS = TOURS = EVENTS = PRODUCTS ELECTRONIC IDEBOOK — andit = brings the excitement home! Published IDEO Magazine for Summer CES and now offered exclu- sively to VIDEO Magazine readers, it’s an instant collector's item. More tha hidbeautifully de- Yes, send me the OFFICIAL 1992 INTER- 1 NATIONAL SUMMER CONSUMER ELEC- TRONICS GUIDEBOOK for only $9.00 plus $1.00 shipping and handling. Name (please print) Address City State Zip Number of copies: Payment enclosed ($10 per copy):___ (Check or money order payable to VIDEO Magazine) Mail coupon and payment to: Guidebook, VIDEO Magazine 460 West 34th St, New York, NY 10001

FEEDBACK VIDEO Hell hath no fury... President and Managing Director, Jay Rosenfield In the May issue’s “Q&A” column, Ke Roderick Woodcock suggests that Ste- ——~ y Editor, James M. Barry phen Larner of Salt Lake City should Future Lab: MIT's Media Lab, where television's switch from ED Beta to S-VHS. Who do future includes pay-per-view copy protection. Managing Editor, Stan Pinkwas you think you are? You should be help- Technical Editor, Lancelot Braithwaite ing him with this format—not trying to That’s entertainment Senior Editors, Kenneth Korman, scare him away from it. For you to ad- Brent Butterworth vise Larner to abandon a superior format I enjoyed your article about the MIT Assistant Editors, Brian Clark, is like telling General Schwarzkopf to Media Lab (“TV Alchemists,” May ’92) April P. Bernard abandon President Bush and side with and noted, in particular, its invention of Contributing Editors: Bob Angus, Mavis Saddam Hussein! a new way to prevent viewers from copy- Arthur, Bob Barlow, Frank Beacham, Ivan ing pay-per-view broadcasts. Thus, the Berger, James Caruso, Steve Daly, Steve Michael Folkman Media Lab joins the distinguished com- Ditlea, Bruce Eder, Ron Goldberg, Ty Orlando, Florida pany of Macrovision and VideoCipher. Harrington, David Lachenbruch, Gordon America may not have done much re- McComb, Marianne Meyer, Rich Warren, Your editorial posture on the selection of cently to bring new forms of electronic Roderick Woodcock an HDTV system is that quality should entertainment to the world, but we’re be the final consideration, not retro- definitely Number One in preventing Art Director, Lonnie Heller compatibility. Why then are you so them. Way to go, USA! Associate Art Director, Vera Naughton firmly committed to the demise of ED Art Assistant, Luis Ramos Jr. Beta in the face of its inherent superi- Norm Strong Production Manager, James LoGrasso ority over the aggressively marketed Seattle, Washington Production Assistant, Kim Lau S-VHS format? The timeshifter segment Typesetting, Janet M. Holland of the videophile market requires VCRs Fading memories that sacrifice as little quality as possible Publisher, Eric C. Schwartz from the received signal. Please clear the air and stop kowtowing to the prevailing Associate Publisher, Linda DeRogatis winds of the industry. Circulation Director, Rodney Bell Circulation Assistant, Rosemary Y. Paver Dean Schaffer Newsstand Sales Director, Gerald Levine Katonah, New York Marketing Director, Luanne Rao Financial Officer, Albert Mineo Editor's reply: We are not committed to the Since 1987 I’ve used premium blank Business Manager, Janette Evans demise of ED Beta. If anyone feels that the tapes to record extensively home movies Assistant Business Manager, picture quality of ED Beta is worth the ef- and news events I felt would be histori- Lily Schwartzberg fort and cost involved in tracking down cal to pass to my daughter. I thought tape, we applaud them. For most people, tape technology had come a long way, Corporate Offices, Editorial & Sales: 460 S-VHS is simply more convenient. but when I found out the maximum life West 34 Street, New York, NY 10001; span of tapes is 15 years I was devastated | 212-947-6500, 212-947-6727 (fax) Wanted: better picture (see “Videotape’s Wonder Years,” Oct. West Coast Sales Office: Cynthia Gallivan, I mainly watch letterboxed movies, and 91). I felt deceived by the VHS market- West Coast Advertising Manager; 1453 I have surround equipment that is top- ing claims. Nothing lasts forever, but I Third Street, Suite 490, Santa Monica, CA of-the-line. Yet, with all the innovations felt these tapes would last another gen- 90401; 213-393-5057, 213-393-5538 (fax) in audio, like home THX, we are still eration. The lifetime warranty on the missing out on picture quality. New back of tapes is a real deception. Chicago Sales Office: Milton Gerber, Media front-projection systems claim up to 900 Plus, 4409 RFD Stonehaven Drive, Long lines of resolution, but we are still Richard Carde Grove, IL 60047; 708-913-5400, watching laserdiscs with only about 400 Presque Isle, Maine 708-913-5403 (fax); 405 North Wabash, lines on NTSC systems. We can deco- Chicago, IL 60611; 312-644-0001, rate home theaters or even build our Editor's reply: The story states, “Sony pre- 312-644-0930 (fax) own Roxys, but the picture needs to be dicts both metal and oxide tapes will last 15 closer to film quality before we video years without significant decay.” Granted, Detroit Sales Office: John Kennedy & and cinema addicts can feel more com- this is under ideal conditions, but 15 years is Associates, 16899 Village Lane, Grosse fortable with our expensive equipment. seen aS ad minimum, not a maximum. @ Pointe, MI 48230; 313-886-4399, 313-354-1482 (fax) Gabriel Bazurto Video Magazine welcomes your comments. Tucson, Arizona Address correspondence to Feedback, Video Editor-in-Chief, Art Levis (1936-1991) Magazine, 460 West 34 Street, New York, NY 10001. CREOEMSMEUNICATIONS @ INCORPORATED 8 VIDEO JULY 1992

You're Creating The Ultimate Home Theater. Just How Serious Are You? Presenting High-Resolution SharpVision. en the specifications demand the spectacular, nothing less is called for: The extraordinary SharpVision Projection System. It offers resolution that continues to set anew standard in LCD. A picture that adjusts up to a breathtaking 121/2 ft* for an experience that truly measures up to a movie theater. All in one sleek, compact design that eliminates bulky cabinetry and allows your imagination to break out of the box. LIQUID CRYSTAL ENTERTAINMENT So why not arrange for a private screening at a select SharpVision Dealer? While we're demonstrating our remarkable new projection system, HAR P 5 lll you'll be demonstrating your commitment to the best. Call 1-800-BE-SHARP. FROM SHARP MINDS COME SHARP PRODUCTS” © 1992 SHARP ELECTRONICS CORPORATION. *MODEL XV-S250ZU ADJUSTS FROM 20” TO 150” MEASURED DIAGONALLY. SIMULATED PICTURE. Circle 2 on Reader Service Card.

GAZETTEEDITED BY KENNETH KORMAN __ Coppola’s jungle fever Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Casualties of War and every other movie about our experiences in Vietnam owe a huge debt to the first and best film of the genre, Francis Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. Even so, Coppola’s magnum opus is probably more well-known for its many produc- tion problems than its content. The behind-the-scenes drama in- cluded a decision to fire the film’s origi- nal lead actor, Harvey Keitel, nearly a month into production; a heart attack suffered by his replacement, Martin Sheen, soon after production resumed; a typhoon that destroyed many of the lo- cation sets in the Philippines; and a Communist insurgency in that country that not only made movie-making diffi- cult, but led to the recall of the military hy, Missing in Action: Apocalypse Now (above) stopped cold when rented helicopters were needed for a real war, the roller-coaster ride of his creative Hearts of Darkness; her only previous ex- process. To that end, Eleanor Coppola perience was with making very short art allowed Hearts’ directors, Fax Bahr and films in college. “The cameras arrived George Hickenlooper, to incorporate on my front porch one day, and J liter- audio tapes of private conversations ally sat down, read all the instruction from the period between she and her manuals and tried to learn how to use husband. them. I made all the classic mistakes: “A lot of people think I had a bug The lens cap was left on, the camera | under the table,” says Eleanor Coppola slipped off the tripod, everything.” Her of these revealing moments, which show original plan was just to shoot enough The Hot Seat: Francis Coppola (right) on the set. Francis confronting his deepest fears of footage for a five-minute promo film for failure. “But I really didn’t have any United Artists, but she ended up with helicopters Coppola had rented from equipment like that. It’s just that Francis 60 hours of film and 40 hours of audio. president Ferdinand Marcos for the got to a point where he really couldn’t Despite the personal and profession- film’s brilliant action scenes. have cared less if'a tape recorder was al traumas of working on her own film The true story behind the making of on—he was just too preoccupied with and living with her husband as he made the film, warts and all, can now be seen his film.” And why did Francis allow the his, all the while deep in a heat-soaked | in Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s use of this often unflattering material in | jungle for nearly a year, Eleanor Coppola Apocalypse (Paramount). A full-length | the documentary? ‘In the end, he wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again. documentary that relies heavily on couldn’t let his vanity outweigh his com- “We were stretched by the experience,” 16mm footage shot on the Apocalypse set mitment to letting the filmmakers say she explains. “I'd never been so miser- by Coppola's wife, Eleanor, as well as what they wanted to say.” able and angry and exhausted, but I’d new interviews with many of the film’s Eleanor Coppola went through her also never been so exhilarated and principals, Hearts is most memorable for own process of self-discovery while awed. It wasn’t a comfortable process— its intimate portrait of the director and shooting the footage that would anchor | but I treasure the experience.” —KK 10 VIDEO JULY 1992

Just one of those Things Magician Christopher Hart had never appeared in a feature film when he heard about a most unusual casting call: Director Barry Sonnenfeld and producer Scott Rudin needed a hand with their upcoming big-screen adaptation of The Addams Family (Paramount). A hand— quite literally —was required to play Thing, the disembodied valet to car- toonist Charles Addams’ fictional but charmingly macabre clan. Hart believed the part would fit him like a glove. “The filmmakers knew the hand needed a lot of personality to come alive on film,” Hart says. “It must have been an interesting question: Where am | going to find a hand? And who uses Wagon Train: Thing (Christopher Hart) lends a hand after the Addams family is evicted from its mansion. their hands like that?” Rosalind Chao, told Video Magazine. “Its draw is that it can appeal to so many dif- One actress’sHart had to compete with mimes ferent types...It was marketed as an art film, so people tended to label it. They and puppeteers for the role, but his high- would say, ‘Isn’t it like Ju Dou?’ just be- cause it had an Asian face in it. Other ‘Gold’ minely expressive digits set him apart. “I got people would say, ‘It’s such a women’s movie.’ It really is schizophrenic.” called back after my first audition be- cause they wanted to see me do specific Thousand Pieces of Gold (Hemdale) is a Based on the life of a true pioneer, emotions — happiness, trepidation, how sweeping epic, documenting a Chinese Thousand Pieces of Gold profiles Lalu a hand looks waking up in the morning. woman’s hardships during the American Nathoy, a much-loved legend of the So I borrowed a camcorder and taped gold rush. Well, it’s actually an old-fash- Northwest. Sold to a marriage broker in myself for hours, running on the floor in ioned love story. No, wait: It’s a social China, Lalu is carted to an Idaho mining different ways, skidding around corners. commentary on interracial relationships town, the property of a greedy Chinese I watched a lot of cartoons to make my and prejudice. It’s a “chick” movie. saloonkeeper. She vehemently refuses to “Tt’s like an ink blot,” the film’s star, prostitute herself for him, opting to work hand look really animated.” off her “price” through hard labor, and eventually earns her freedom, the re- The movie's script called for Thing spect of the townspeople and the love of the saloon’s co-owner. to be truly mobile—he was no longer Rosalind confined to a box as in the old Addams Chao While the story can be pigeonholed into different genres, each is driven by Family TV series. Patience and stamina | one elemen—tthe lead character. “As a thus proved as vital as dexterity with woman, it’s very hard to get a role where you're not the appendage to some male Sonnenfeld and company executing one character,” said Chao, best known as Klinger’s wife on M*A*S*H and as a difficult special-effects shot after anoth- | botanist on Star Trek: The Next Genera- er. It wasn’t the most comfortable debut tion. “And I was very intrigued by her...the fact that she really did exist. an actor could make, but it was a memo- She had everything going against her, but it was her spirit—that was what rable one for Hart. “The hardest endeared an entire town to her, scene —apart from when Raul Julia what made them love her. And she’s still loved today.” stepped on my finger —was the one —April P. Bernard where Thing runs across an intersection to get help. I was strapped to a dolly with my arm extended off to the side while someone pushed me across the | street. It was a close-up so | couldn’t wear pads on my fingertips, but I had to give it weight and really run or it looked like Thing was just floating down the street. But your hand can only run on asphalt so many times — my fingers really took a beating.” JULY 1992 VIDEO 11

IN JUNE, WE RE- but the growing popularity of karaoke THE TREND TOWARD USER- may finally give LD its big break. Ac- friendly camcorders with programmed ported on the heated cording to Isaac Levy, Sanyo/Fisher vice exposure modes reaches a new level race among five high- president of marketing, laserdisc re- with Fisher’s FVC10, which has almost definition TV systems no manual camera controls. The $800 mains an enthusiast product with lim- 8mm camcorder relies on fuzzy logic au- to be declared the na- ited appeal for the general public. But tofocus, auto iris and auto white bal- tion’s HDTV stand- ance, plus six special shooting modes. ard. Now, four of the thanks to karaoke’s exposure in bars and tace’s major contend- QQ ers have agreed to nightclubs, customers are clamoring for share both the benefits and the risks of it. In fact, Sanyo recently began selling a NOTICING THE LACK OF NEW modestly priced karaoke player, even high-end editing VCRs this season, we pursuing the prize. The compani—esZe- asked several manufacturers for an ex- nith, AT&T, General Instrument and though it has yet to offer a conventional planation. It turns out that most new Ja- MIT — developed three of the four all- laserdisc player. panese-market high-end decks digital HDTV systems being considered incorporate direct-broadcast satellite tuners or HDTV circuitry. Currently, by the Federal Communications Com- neither feature would do U.S. consum- mission. Should any of their systems ers much good, so some manufacturers win, the companies plan to work togeth- are delaying the introduction of new er to perfect it. high-end VCRs until DBS and HDTV take hold in the U.S. IT LOOKS LIKE GEMSTAR’S VCR Plus may soon become as ubiquitous on Point-and-Shoot Pinnacle: Fisher's FVC10 uses pro- A SOURCE AT SAMSUNG, WHICH VCRs as onscreen programming and re- grammed shooting modes in place of manual controls. mote control. At last count, seven man- is aggressively shedding its image as a ufacturers had added VCR Plus to their NOT CONTENT TO JUMP ON THE new decks. The major holdouts are Pan- laserdisc karaoke bandwagon, JVC has maker of low-end components, tells us asonic, which instead offers its easy-to- introduced a line of CD+G karaoke use LCD Program Director, and Mit- players. The graphics are limited —in the company is preparing a unique new subishi, which is adding a simple, one- most cases, just lyrics — but, according to button programming system to decks JVC, a karaoke CD +G disc costs about product —a dual-well VCR in which one like the new S-VHS HS-U67. a third as much as a karaoke laserdisc. tape well handles VHS cassettes, while LASERDISC HAS BEEN CREEPING the other uses 8mm. The target date for into the public consciousness for years, introducing it is either late this year or early next year. 2 MAKING A GREAT VIDEO After using your camcorder the first time, you realize that the built-in microphone INCLUDES QUALITY SOUND TOO! picks up sounds from all directions, including those you don’t want. And, when shooting from a distance, you can’t hear your subject's voice clearly. Azden, the leader in quality audio for video, offers a full line of microphones to make your sound as good as your pictures. This powerful professional i { A mini 3 channel mic ; mixer for recording sound miniature VHF wireless system has pus _ from 2 add-on mics and a a tange of over 300 feet. It allows , 1 yeh you to shoot from a distance and iacetlll personal stereo, while pick up your subject’s voice b Full-size directional mic. Headset with boom mic clearly. Ithas 2 switchable frequencies, and itcomes with 2 Hide Dea Al abteltta,chantdo tthhee cmianmierraece(isvheorecmaonunt-—=«f0Y\"oUaSdndOiont.gnaYroruartviooincea’s —_on Allowssubyjeocut'stovzoiocoe,m in ‘&youvrelcbrroeasitncluded)pockoetr, be=k—e«sp—t(i§»n-«C«*«é upN geCarded. OF,puesle Le a yimif i ro _ 0yy: = ¥A. 4wait \" olLo‘ ce i

Camcorder not included. CameraMan is a trademark of ParkerVision, patents pending. You step out from behind the Imagine the with perfectly-timed camera camera...yet it continues to pan, moves, at distances up to 80 feet. tilt and zoom with astonishing Ultimate The Wand also incorporates a accuracy...while you step into the professional-quality wireless picture and enjoy your most Videomaking microphone to record sound at the exciting video ever -- from in front M Ala sb°bate source with brilliant clarity. of the camera! Create fully-automated videos, ntroducing CameraMan” from or access the Wand’s Command ParkerVision, the biggest breakthrough in video Center and control CameraMan from your easy chair. since the camcorder. Convenient Pre-Sets let you program up to four With CameraMan, you can create the most locations for instant recall at the touch of a button. exciting videos you’ve ever imagined. The revolutionary Our FREE Video will introduce you to the CameraMan tracking system follows the action with ultimate videomaking experience. To get yours, the precision of a professional camera operator, while call 1-800-231-1759. you enjoy the fun of being in your own videos. For a Free Video and Brochure, For the first time, you’ll be able to preserve special Call 1-800-231-1759 or Write Today! moments as they should be, with everyone included. And CameraMan works with virtually every CameraMan’ camcorder on the market! creates an PARKERVISION The exclusive CameraMan Wand\" Because your memories deserve the best. invisible link to the base unit, tracking the action ParkerVision, 8493 Baymeadows Way, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Hi-Fi Stereo aaa iSPEED TPAUSE REWIND, STEREO ving CasserTe Reconoen SLV-e96HF HQ WHS) Simplified Sony: The SLV-696 includes VCR Plus circuitry, which allows a user to program the VCR by punching in code numbers from TV listings. Like many other shuttle dial, which combines most trans- | Sony’s SLV-696 carries all the VCR manufactur- port functions in one easy-to-use con- most desirable fea- trol. The SLV-696 continues with the tures from previ- 641VIDEOTEST ers, Sony has add- features that made last year’s decks so ed Gemstar’s VCR desirable. It differs from the SLV-595 in ous Sony 600-series VHS VCRs, Plus programming that it offers a flying erase head, audio including dual-mode shuttle control and video insert editing and a remote on both the VCR and the remote, circuitry to its new control that operates many brands of TV sets, instead ofjust Sonys. Both have context-sensitive onscreen help, 30- decks. VCR Plus hi-fi sound, digital auto tracking, a rap- second skip search, high-speed re- SONY lets users program id-access tape transport, a tape stabilizer wind, a flying erase head, audio dub, the VCR by enter- and automatic head cleaning. video dub and a camcorder-friendly ing four- to seven- front A/V input. It adds VCR Plus The front of the deck is rather bare, timer programming, which lets users digit codes from with buttons for high-speed rewind and timeshift by entering numerical codes pause, and the dual-mode shuttle dial from TV listings. Its picture is very VHS VCR TV listings. The surrounding buttons for play and stop. good, its audio is very good to excel- codes are pub- Left of center sits a control compart- lent, and ease of use is excellent, for an overall very good to excellent rat- lished in many lo- ing. At $649, it is a good value we recommend highly. cal newspapers, as well as in TV Guide. Sony’s 1991 VHS VCRs were best- sellers, thanks in part to their dual-mode oony Tape Format & quick timer and timer pause context-sensitive on- 39.6 SP, 38.7 EP Speeds: VHS: record; switches for Program Start screen help, dual-mode olV-GOGHE record—SP, EP; command mode 1/2/3 Locator/Index/Cue: shuttle control, still Audio Frequency VHS VER play—SP, LP, EP and edit and a rotary index—auto mark, man- frame, bidirectional Response: hi-fi—20 sharpness control yal mark/erase, search frame advance, slow Hz-20 kHz, +0/-2.7 dB; Price: $649 Video Heads: 4 for marks up to 19 motion, 2x speed play, linear (-3 dB)—100 Weight & Size (h/w/d): Remote Control: IR skip search, front-panel Hz-11 kHz SP, 100 13.3 Ibs.; 4 x 17 x Rapid Search: lock- Audio: linear mono, hi- AN input, counter Hz-5 kHz EP 15-5/8 inches _ ing—7x SP, 21x EP | wireless with switches fi AFM stereo memory, audio dub, for TV/VCR control and video dub, insert edit, Hi-Fi Dynamic Range: MLPVEOHISRODSTEIOLTGLERSOATPHS: Cue & Review Search: command mode 1/2/3, Tuning Method: auto rewind 86.4 dB 7x SP, 21x EP frequency synthesis rockers for volume and Absent Features: Linear Audio S/N: Fast Forward/Rewind Channel Selectors: titles/graphics, LANC Time: 4-1/2 min. for channel, a dual-mode programmable scan on remote control jack 43.2 dB T-120, 3 min. in high- shuttle dial surrounding VCR. scan plus direct speed rewind access on remote RESULTS Audio Distortion: hi- buttons for play and fi—0.3%, linear—0.9% Remote Pause: stop, and individual but- Preset Method: auto Horizontal Resolution: Control S tons for power, TV/VCR program plus manual 240 lines RATINGS output, menu, four cur- add/erase Front-Panel Controls: sors, execute, 10-digit | S/N Ratios (dB): un- Picture: very good dual-mode shuttle, but- keypad, enter, timer Cable Tuning Range: weighted video—43.9 tons for power, high- A-8, 2 to 13, A to W, SP, 41.5 EP; weighted Audio: speed rewind, play, clear. timer on/off, tape W+1 to W+58, A-5 to video—49.7 SP, 49 EP very good/excellent stop, pause, eject, speed, input select, in- A-1, W+59 to W+84 chroma AM—47.2 SP, channel + and -, manu- dex. data screen, index 43.3 EP: chroma PM— Ease of Use: excellent al tracking up and Timer: 8-program/ down, record, TV/VTR, mark, index erase, VCR 1-month, 3-hr. backup Overall: input select, counter re- Plus, once, daily, week- very good/excellent set, video insert, audio ly, audio monitor, slow Special Features: VCR insert, tape speed, -, slow +, frame back, Plus timer program- frame forward, high- ming, flying erase head, speed rewind, reverse | search, forward search, record (2), skip and 14 VIDEO JULY 1992

> ment with audio/video inputs, a rotary | The Canon E250 : sharpness control, switches for com- harks back to the Canon’s E250 shoe-style 8mm mand mode and edit, and buttons for 642VIDEOTEST original, shoe-style camcorder may such functions as channel selection, 8mm camcorders, look a little old- tracking, record, audio insert and video often forgotten fashioned in these days of constant camcorder innovation, but it’s actu- insert. The back panel carries the usual now that subcom- ally a very practical machine. Its 12x optical zoom range, while common set of A/V and RF inputs and outputs, pact machines on VHS camcorders, is unusually long for an 8mm. A supplied six-watt with the addition of a Control S jack. have become so light slips into a powered accessory popular. The shoe and uses the camcorder battery CANONThe remote control echoes the basic “shoe” description for power, which is convenient, but diminishes battery life. It also fea- controls exposed on the VCR front pan- tures both character and digital memory titlers. Picture quality is el. To these it adds a 30-second skip but- comes from the good, audio is average and ease of use is very good. At $1,499, it is more ex- ton, menu system controls, forward and 8mm lower camera sec- pensive than some competitors, but reverse locking search, and basic TV camcorder tion at the front, the features and overall good perfor- controls. The TV buttons can be pro- which makes the mance make it worth considering. grammed to operate almost any brand of camcorder look like a shoe from the Its other attractive features include set. Across the center run the VCR Plus side. Shoe-style camcorders are usually white: balance lock, gain up, both char- acter titles and digital memory graphics, controls, including a button labeled easy to use because most have large but- a self-timer (which starts recording in 10 seconds, either continuously or for 30 VCR Plus and buttons for once, daily tons and no confusing menu system. seconds), an interval timer (which re- cords a half-second shot every 10, 30 or and weekly. This model stands out because it has 60 seconds) and an infrared remote con- Using the VCR is very easy. The an optical 12x zoom lens that produces trol. You have a choice of fade triggers — dual-mode shuttle concentrates most long telephoto shots without digital cir- a fade start/stop button on the remote produces fully automatic fades, while ; commonly used functions in a single cuitry, which diminishes resolution. An- the fade button on the camcorder is the hold-down type. convenient control on either the VCR other great feature is its six-watt video The E250 relies on a standard con- or the remote. On the remote, locking light, which fits into a powered shoe on figuration, with one notable exception: Canon's FlexiGrip. Combining the cam- search and 30-second skip buttons make top of the camcorder. The light uses continued on page 96 finding the spot you want on the tape power from the camcorder battery. This very easy. VCR Plus programming is arrangement minimizes weight but available for those who find it more con- halves battery life. If you plan on using venient, but standard programming is the light, carry extra batteries. also available for those who don’t have access to VCR Plus codes. However, all programming may be reviewed in date/ time/channel form. The main menu offers submenus for timer set/check, setup, tuner preset, set VCR Plus channels and clock set. But- tons for menu, four cursors, the 10-digit keypad and execute are all that you need for menu choices. Onscreen dis- plays and context-sensitive help mes- sages are available in English or French. continued on page 21 8mm VIDEO CAMCORDER Canovision 8 \\ C.TITLE DATE gs [AWB goles O33 MANUAL GAIN UP Going Long: CISTATIIES pisp.av STEREO The E250 is the first Canon 8mm camcorder SHUTTER MEMO. COLO! with a 12x zoom lens. JULY 1992 VIDEO 15

VIDEQTESTS VIDEOTEST Sony’s success Mite(=e) a |b) with the subcom- 10x du 643 pact TR-series travel camcorders SONY takes another step forward with the CHiO8 NIA addition of image stabilization. The new CCD-TRIO1 uses a Steadyshot optical stabilizer erthat senses cam- id through a liquid-filled active prism that Clear Advantage: The TR101’s optical stabilizer keeps the picture steady without degrading image quality. bends the image back to its initial posi- corded in the vertical interval. It may be Sony’s CCD- tion. A major advantage of this system is recalled later, but does not permanently TRIO1 builds on that the CCD image sensor always out- blemish the recording as do the time/ the winning for- puts maximum detail, compared to elec- date imprinters found on most cam- mula of last year’s tronic stabilizers that use only a portion of the available pixels and change the corders. This provides precise counter CCD-TR8I with the addition of opti- portion used to compensate for move- readings that are unaffected by tape slip- cal image stabilization. Unlike elec- ment. This image stabilization system page, or by placing a tape in the cam- tronic image stabilizers, this one does was developed jointly with Canon. corder that has not been rewound. not reduce resolution. The TR1O1 also has a microphone that can auto- Other features new on this model Carried over from last year’s CCD- matically adjust its pickup pattern to are 10-bit digital camera signal process- TR81 (which remains in the line) are match the 10x zoom range, a pop-up ing, digital fade to mosaic, a stereo/zoom features like full-range inner autofocus, remote sensor, data code recording mic with automatic wind noise switch- stereo sound, a tiny remote, 24-step and mosaic digital fade. Picture qual- ing, a 10x zoom and a directional remote manual exposure control, a digital su- ity is very good to excellent, audio control sensor that pops up from the top perimposer, onscreen zoom and expo- quality is very good and ease of oper- panel. Advanced synchro edit with pre- roll allows precise editing when the ation is excellent, for an overall rat- TRIOI is used with certain Sony VCRs, ing of very good to excellent. At including the Hi8 EV-S3000. $1,800, it’s a good value. Data code, which stamps frames L with time and date information, is re- sony COD-TR101 Image Sensor: 1/3-inch eCRTewith fo~ ceuselienecgtrodniop- pDhConeoust, foLrANRCFU reamnodte,in/ Titles/Graphics: 1-page video—42.4, weighted Hi8 Camcorder CCD, 410,000 gross pixels digital memory in 8 col- video—48.4, chroma ter, LED record indicator out switchable for S-vid- ors with reverse and scroll AM—42.2, chroma PM— Price: $1,800 Lens: {/1.6-2.9, 10x and onscreen indicators eo/video/stereo audio 38.2 for white balance, zoom Special Features: image Audio Frequency Weight & Size (h/w/d): (6.2-62mm) two-speed mic. image stabilizer, Tape Format & Speeds: Stabilization, flying erase Response: 40 Hz-16 1.9 Ibs. without batteries power zoom manual focus, Hi8, oper- Hi8/8mm; record—SP, head, data code, preroll kHz. +0.1/-3 dB; -7.2 dB and cassette; 4-1/4 x ating speed. operating play—SP/LP synchro editing at 20 Hz, -7 dB at 20kHz 4-3/8 x 7-1/2 inches Filter Diameter: 52mm mode. title mode and col- or. counter, shutter Video Heads: 4 Absent Features: digital Dynamic Range: 74.6 dB Minimum Focusing speed, zero memory, sound. audio dub, R' Distance: tele—31-1/2 fader, zoom scale, low Edit Search: 1x time code, indexing Audio Distortion: 0.3% inches, wide—1/2 inch battery. cassette warning, dew, head clog. trouble- Cue & Review Search: RESULTS RATINGS Autofocus: TTL eject. low clock battery, approx. 7x Horizontal Resolution: area number, area name, Fast Forward/Rewind Hi8—400 lines, Picture: Minimum Illumination: data code, date/time and Time: approx. 8 min. for 8mm—250 lines very good/excellent 3.8 lux for 50 IRE iris scale E6/P6-120 S/N Ratios (dB): un- Audio: very good Iris: auto/manual VCR Controls: stop, re- Remote Pause: LANC weighted luminance— wind/search, play, fast 44.4. weighted lumi- Ease of Use: excellent Fade: digital to mosaic or forward/search, pause, Remote Control: IR nance—50.1, unweighted black, trigger-operated record and edit search wireless with a slide Overall: Microphone: stereo/ switch for hold and but- very good/excellent Shutter Speeds (sec.): zoom electret condenser tons for tele, wide, start/ normal (1/60), 1/100, stop, data code, rewind/ 1/250, 1/1,000, 1/2,000, Jacks: stereo mic, head- search, fast forward/ 1/4,000, 1/10,000 search, stop, play, pause and data screen White Balance: auto/ hold/outdoor/indoor Audio: hi-fi AFM stereo

MOVIES FOR PICTURE EA. x See Details Below. DineKEVIN COS Ret kab atbenytebe, ante The silence ofthe lambs a8 0743203 Ae 0397604 0559005 1. THEHUNTFORRED OCTOBER| 0825000 |NAKED GUN 0447102 |THEALLSTARGOSPEL SESSION | 0666404 |JUNGLEFEVER 0559104 0055509 STEEL MAGNOLIAS 0597807 | NAKED GUN 2% 0842609 | LAWRENCE OF ARABIA poe LITTLE MAN TATE 0691600 |THELAST BOY SCOUT THE LAND BEFORE TIME 0582205 | CHER FITNESS —ANEW (RESTORED) 0591909 _|MOBSTERS 0337303_| SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (40TH be 0298505 |SOUTH PACIFIC 0350603 |OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY 0392704 _|ANNIVERSARY EDITION) os93606 |2 [RAIN MAN 0286906 |ATTITUDE 0232504 |MERMAIDS 0804708 |& 0827303 |= FIDDLER ON THE ROOF 0055103 | IT'S AWONDERFUL LIFE 0392308 CLUB FAVORITES THE DOORS 0497305 _|DAYS OF THUNDER GOODFELLAS 0969808 |(45TH ANNIVERSARY) 0102228 |© BIRD ON A WIRE 0599308 |TO KILLA MOCKINGBIRD LIONHEART 0524504 |STAR TREK— KINDERGARTEN COP 0523407 |THEBEAR 0911800 |SESAME STREET PRESENTS: 0611723 |WILLY WONKA AND THE MOTION PICTURE 003505 _|THE COLOR PURPLE 0630103 |HARLEM NIGHTS THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY 0970608 |FOLLOW THAT BIRD 0606103 |STAR TREKI— sigeoch a EVES 0976803 HAMLET \"THE FISHER KING 0687103 |THE WRATH OF KHAN C201301 a AMERICAN TAIL 0218404 |FATALATTRACTION 0439307 |BLAZING SADDLES 0001248 0391409 |BEETLEJUICE 0633008 NEW JACK CITY 0971507 |STAR TREKIN— ALL DOGS GO WHEN HARRY MET SALLY 0537308 |THEUNTOUCHABLES 0432104 OUT FOR JUSTICE 0977207 |THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK 0201608 TO HEAVEN 0289702 |_KING RALPH STAR TREK IV— STAR WARS 0056408 |_WEST SIDE STORY 0050591 | THEABYSS 0881102 THE VOYAGE HOME 0430603 |OKLAHOMA 0005405 |COMING TO AMERICA 0441600 _|THE DEER HUNTER 022415 |& THE WIZARD OF 02 0050757 |THEALAMO 0058305 |& STAR TREKV— 0001404 | CASABLANCA THE FINAL FRONTIER 0448605 _| BEN-HUR 0260331 | MO’ BETTER BLUES 0498006 | K-9 0583401 E EDWARD SCISSORHANDS 0104604_| THE GREATEST STORY THEPRINCESS BRIDE 0125005 | MISSISSIPPI BURNING 0237305_| O PROBLEM CHILD PROBLEM CHILD 2 0498204 EVER TOLD 0085506 |APOCALYPSE NOW 0200113 0057943 |2 SOAPDISH 0559500 | THE SOUND OF MUSIC 0003905 |MADONNA: TRUTH OR DARE 0235002 |LOOK WHO'S TALKING 0198200 |2 GUILTY BY SUSPICION 0842500 |THE GODFATHER PART Ill 0842302 |Ropocop 0597906 | DELIRIOUS 0977603 |BARTON FINK 0397901 |ROBOCOP 2 0804005 |LITTLE WOMEN (1949) 0876409 |£ THE FIVE HEARTBEATS DRIVING MISS DAISY 0982207 |3 Sacane § [5u) anp ten's 0743401 |BOYZN THE HOOD 0385906 |JANE FONDA'S COMPLETE SLEEPING WITH HOMEALONE EXCELLENT ADVENTURE 0297408 |DEFENSELESS 0398008 _|WORKOUT 0635904 |MISERY 0776302 |O THE ENEMY BILL AND TED'S 0105304 0104208 9° WEEKS 0270801 |GREASE 0207431 |DR. ZHIVAGO 0002600 |2 E.T.THEEXTRA-TERRESTRIAL | 0681106 |\" 0391201 |CHARLOTTES WEB 0209528 |SEVEN BRIDES FOR 0251835 _|THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 0091008 |& HARD TO KILL 0953505 |SEVEN BROTHERS DOC HOLLYWOOD 0977801 |BOGUS JOURNEY 0379305 _|TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA PATTON 0004333 _|RETURN OF THE JEDI 0354704 |5 SPARTACUS (RESTORED) 0551002 TURTLES: SECRET OF THE OOZE | 0861708 THE TERMINATOR 0652800 |CURLY SUE 0579805 |TOPGUN 0426932 | ALIENS 0360909 THE BIBLE 0074708 |SHATTERED 0726604 0385807 |ABOVE THE LAW 0633602 _|YOUNG GUNS RICHARD SIMMONS: SWEATIN’ TOTAL RECALL 0227603 _| ANOFFICER AND YOUNG GUNS II 0041202 tf as TO THE OLDIES 0648303 |DIEHARD 0367607 | AGENTLEMAN 0202135 _|TANGO & CASH 0647404 LETHAL WEAPON 0630806 |DIEHARD2 0211409 |GHOSTDAD 0497404 0041806 _|BACK TO THE FUTURE LETHAL WEAPON II 0642702 |THEKING AND! 0034702 _|BACK TO THE FUTURE II 0921304 | KICKBOXER 0674200 , i: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK 0910802 | THE GOOD, THE BAD BACK TO THE FUTURE Il 0497008 | KICKBOXER2 0386102 a INDIANA JONES & AND THE UGLY 0058206 | GLORY 0855700 | PAINT YOUR WAGON 0304907 = 0910703 |NOTWITHOUTMY DAUGHTER | 0722603 |DEATH WARRANT THE TEMPLE OF DOOM 0916809 |CAMELOT 0602748 :5 TIHNEDIALNAASTJCONREUSSA&DE 0910604 |PPRREEDDAATTOORR 2 00316044930017 | ANNIE 0151613 _| THE ROOKIE 0969204 GHOST ‘2 THETEN SCARFACE (1983) 0216804 |PETER PAN _|AWAKENINGS 0213116 | RAMBLING ROSE 0337204 s MARKED FOR DEATH 0045807 _|MY FAIR LADY REGARDING HENRY 0897009 |OUTOFAFRICA 0691709 0826008 |COMMANDMENTS | £ 0350751 _|DON’TTELL MOM THE 0842906 0202606 g ROAD HOUSE 0287508 |ONGOLDEN POND 0052357 | BABYSITTER'S DEAD 0385708 | spORTS ILLUSTRATED: THE THE GODFATHER ooo0802_| § DYING YOUNG 0029009 |BUNS OF STEEL 0345900 |FATAL ATTRACTION OFFICIAL SWIMSUIT VIDEO 0568303 _|THE GODFATHER PARTI 001802 |& 0396507 | (DIRECTOR'S SERIES) 0691501 |STAR TREK IV 0691808 |DIRTY DANCING 0920306 |< QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER 0715102 |DOUBLE IMPACT 0029108 | HEIDI 0688507 | (DIRECTOR'S SERIES) 0495515 THE JOSEPHINEBAKER STORY | 0384404 |HOT SHOTS ’ use your credit card and Dept. HERE’S HOW TO GET YOUR 6 MOVIES FOR 39¢ EACH... our toll-free number. Call 24 hours a day. 04S nate sélecti4on, or none at all, jF ust ee of the 6 movies you want for 39¢ mail the response card always FColumbia House Video Club Dept. 04S Advance Selections each, plus shipping and handling. provided by the date specified. I P.O. Box 1112, Terre Haute, IN 47811-1112 In exchange, you agree to buy And you'll always have 14 days to I Yes, please enroll me under the terms outlined in this just six more movies in the next decide; if not, you may return the advertisement. As a member, Ineed buy just six more mov- three years, at our regular Club selection at our expense. I ies at regular Club prices within the next three years. prices (which currently start as I You may order one or two more movies now for low as $29.95, plus shipping/han- If I plus $1.50 each shipping and handling (a total of $11.34). dling)—and you may cancel you continue your membership $9.99 each—and have less to buy later! What's more, each discount purchase immediately reduces your membership obligation by one! dmoeimnbgersso.hiWpihata'ts amnoyre,tii meyouafctaenr Ya0fut'elr;l bfeulfeilliolgeiinbgle your obligation, I1 # ot Also send my first selecfotr $i9.o99nplus for our generous $1.75shipping/whhicah In’dmalddiingntgomy get two more movies fon the low bonus plan. It enables you to I # # $11.34 payment (total: $23.08). price of $9.99 each and have joy great savings on the movies I Pear oe much less to buy later (see com- YOu want—for as long a you I}# # we plete details in coupon). decide to remain a member! I Please check how paying: Also send still one more selection for an every four weeks (up to 13 tsiemnest We'll aSeyleeacr)t,ionre—vpileuwsingscooruers Diorfecalttoerrs- |é ; 5 additional $9.99 plus $1.75 shipping/handling nate movies, including many Send Aidadtetaaiilles ofofthe the ChiCklu’bs opera I My checkis enclosed. 2TL2TN/2TQ | (total: $34.8It2he)nn.eed atgioen. wIiftnhot ysoautrisfiinetdr,odruecttuorrnyevpearcyk-- Charge my introductory movies and future Club purchases [tDioBs:caovyere [b2uy oinnse4larmysor.e (instead Fe HC: pmmigioed ee thing within 10 days for a full J| MaastsetreCranrd [7 DibgtClub \"]AMEX; [7 VISA refund and no further obligation. g Account# 2TM/2TP/2TR I Expiration Date Signature Fite Selection bapsra ed to Pf, Entertaining :Name ; ‘our times a year (a total of up to ae a I Address Apt. City 17 buying opportunities). aaa VIDEO I State Zip Phone ( ) If apes at a Time. I Note: Columbia House Video Club reserves the right to reject any application or cancel any membership. Canadian residents you want the Directors Selection, do nothing— it will be sent auto- CLUB will be serviced from Toronto. Offer limited to residents of the contiguous United States. Residents of Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto matically. If you'd prefer an alter- I Rico, U.S. territories, APO and FPO addresses please write for separate offer. Applicable sales tax added to all orders. I 1400N. Fruitridge Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47811-1112 945/F92 ]

BOGEN 3169 INSGEINMIPOLUYS! | CINE/VIDEO TRIPOD AudioAccess takes the =f complexity out of home THE IDEAL entertainment systems CAMCORDER Our new MRX Multi-Room § COMPANION Control System was designed to # Easy to use and provide clients with effortless ji easy to handle, the 3169 control of their stereo system. i combines Bogen 3001 Tripod Legs From any room in the home, and a 3130 QR Micro Fluid Head with Quick Release touch a button to switch fon A ie Plate. The Bogen 3001 Tripod is the lightest (about 3 lbs.) FM to Tape, CD to Video or an Auxiliary source. Use our and the smallest (folds to 20 1/2 in.), but is one of the most elegant wall keypad or handheld remote, or control the versatile tripods we offer. Sturdy, hard finish aluminum legs | ® whole system from the front panel of the MRX. feature 3 click stop spread angles and each has a sure grip, quick-acting,non-fouling lever lock. The Bogen 3169 is he MRX Controller/Receiver combines six stereo amplifiers,9 just one of a wide choice of tripods, fluid heads, dollies and | six stereo preamplifiers, an AM/FM tuner and an internal | infrared memory for controlling other stereo equipment. accessories. AudioAccess | 26046 Eden Landing Rd. Suite 5 See your dealer or write to Bogen Photo Corp., 565 East Hayward, CA 94545 Crescent Avenue, Ramsey, N.J. 07446-0506; (201) 818-9500 | | Phone:510/293-0183, ext 16; Fax: 510/293-0189 | Quite Simply... The Best in Sights & | Maximize the Performance of Your System | Sounds | For the best performance from today’s high technology | VCRs, TVs, LaserDisc players and home theater systems, as The Monterey satellite receiver's unique four-way well as SVHS and Hi-8, the quality of the video interface audio/video switcher lets you easily select from a host of © cable is more critical than ever. satellite TV options or as many as three other Monster Video® cables are specifically engineered for the audio/video alternatives — and from any room in the | best possible video picture, using only the highest quality house. Your VCR, camcorder or CD player can be on-line r | copper constructions for the best signal transfer, double and entertainment-ready at all times. And with the receiver's digital color P-I-P functions, you can toggle shielding for rejection of interference, and the finest connec- on-screen between any two of these inputs at once. | tors such as our 8 cut Turbine Design® 24k gold connector a What's more, several Monterey models offer the best in satellite sound in digital or analog stereo, and with Dolby | (pictured above). Our S video cables feature special low capacitance designs for maximum signal transfer with mini- surround sound and dynamic noise reduction. The Monterey is the essential control center to the ultimate » mum loss, even over long runs. home entertainment experience. \"| From entry level SV1, to high performance MV2, to our new advanced performance Series 3 video cables, there is a ge Monster Video® cable for every system and every budget. For more information and location of the Chaparral dealer | ‘ # For the Monster Video® dealer nearest you, ge call 1-800-726-6001. nearest you, Call: (408) 435-1530

sure meters, a recallable data screen, | data code and all playback functions. tion that takes place quickly, and the and a world clock with time-zone and | Like other TR-series camcorders, data screen provides not only the coun- | daylight-saving-time switching. |the TRIO1 is easy to operate. It uses no ter, but date, time, index, scan operating The TRIO1 is slightly smaller than |menus, and both the data screen and mode, tape speed and approximate posi- most other TR-series camcorders, al- display provide more than enough feed- tion on the tape. Audio dub, video dub though it appears larger because of the back to reassure you of what options are and the flying erase head allow you to camera bulge that houses the image sta- selected. Because it does not visibly de- perform all basic editing functions. Ease bilizer. There is no manual zoom, but a | grade images, the stabilizer may be left of use is excellent. two-speed power zoom helps compen- |on for most shooting. Beginners can set Picture quality measures very good, sate. A ring controls the powered manu- the camcorder to auto lock, so they while audio performance is very good to al focus, which gives it a natural feel. don't have to worry about focus, white excellent, making this deck a top per- The microphone appears bug-eyed balance, shutter speed and exposure. former among VHS hi-fi VCRs. Our because of its three grilles—one faces The automatic zoom mic seems both | overall rating is very good to excellent— forward, and one to each side. These more natural and more professional | the SLV-696 is a top-notch home thea- provide stereo sound, and facilitate the than conventional zoom mics. optional zoom feature of the micro- ter deck, a good editing deck and‘an ex- These features combine with the cellent value. phone. The mic grilles surround a pop- light weight and compactness to make up infrared sensor for the remote con- the TRIO ideal for almost any type of trol. It swivels so you can control the shooting, but it’s especially good for camcorder from any direction. traveling, when you're never quite sure The TRIO1 follows the pattern set by what conditions you'll encounter. Ease previous TR models, with run/stop and _ of use is excellent. zoom controls in the familiar places, | Picture quality is very good to excel- playback controls on top, and numerous | lent compared with other Hi8 cam- Screen size solution camera controls along the left side. The corders we've measured. Audio quality Steadyshot switch is conveniently lo- | is very good, for an overall very good to I have devised a useful formula for deter- cated on the lower left of the lens cowl. excellent rating. The TR101 builds on mining the proper size video monitor for Nearby sit buttons for manual focus, the traits that made the TR81 one of our your viewing habits. Simply divide the white balance, shutter speed and expo- all-time favorites, and its image stabilizer | diagonal screen size (in inches) of the sure, and a thumbwheel that accesses 24 makes it a must-see if you’re shopping set you are considering by the distance exposure steps. These controls are oper- for a Hi8 camcorder. a (in feet) at which you plan to view the ational only when auto lock is off. set. The resulting number should be The viewfinder may be tilted up for somewhere between three and four. Should your tastes run to letterboxed SONY VCRlow-angle shooting. Underneath are controls for functions including stereo fare, this number should be between audio channel selection, edit, daylight- continued from page 15 four and four-and-a-half. This method saving and area (time zone) and second- Index marks are automatically in- will spare you the disappointment of ary record start/stop. | serted when a recording is started from buying too small a screen, and the head- The remote control is barely wider stop and you may manually add or erase ache of trying to watch a 52-inch moni- than a finger, but a lot thinner. It has a | index marks to let you return to those tor from seven feet. switch to prevent accidental operation marks. Bidirectional frame advance and A.J. Lehe and buttons for tele, wide, start/stop, _ slow motion make it easy to analyze ac- Birmingham, Alabama THE VIDEO SHOWCASE Get more information on any advertisers featured in Video Showcase or find out where the nearest dealer is for that product. Simply cirde the product number along with your desired shopping option and we'll do the rest! Showcase #1 Showcase #3 A. Send me literature A. Send me literature B. Send me dealer information B. Send me dealer information Showcase #2 Showcase #4 A. Send me literature A Send me literature B. Send me dealer information B. Send me dealer information Name IMOTE CONTROL Address > Starts at City 20. (o.a.c.) coder & Programming Pkg. JULY 1992 VIDEO 21

BOGEN 3169 ASE CINE/VIDEO TRIPOD Liga PROOUGIS THE IDEAL INGSEINMIPOLUYS! _| eae AudioAccess takes the Easy to use and | complexity out of home easy to handle, entertainment systems the 3169 Our new MRX Multi-Room § combines Bogen 3001 Tripod Legs Control System was designed to § and a 3130 QR Micro Fluid Head with Quick Release provide clients with effortless | i Plate. The Bogen 3001 Tripod is the lightest (about 3 lbs.) control of their stereo system. Band the smallest (folds to 20 1/2 in.), but is one of the most From any room in the home, § B versatile tripods we offer. Sturdy, hard finish aluminum legs touch a button to switch from Ff | FM to Tape, CD to Video or an Auxiliary source. Use our § feature 3 click stop spread angles and each has a sure grip, elegant wall keypad or handheld remote, or control the quick-acting, non-fouling lever lock. The Bogen 3169 is whole system from the front panel of the MRX. just one of a wide choice of tripods, fluid heads, dollies and he MRX Controller/Receiver combines six stereo amplifiers, § i six stereo preamplifiers, an AM/FM tuner and an internal § accessories. nfrared memory for controlling other stereo equipment. AudioAccess | See your dealer or write to Bogen Photo Corp., 565 East | 26046 Eden Landing Rd. Suite 5 Crescent Avenue, Ramsey, N.J. 07446-0506; (201) 818-9500 i Hayward, CA 94545 Phone:510/293-0183, ext 16; Fax: 510/293-0189 # chaparral Monterey Satellite Receivers THIGH PERFORMANCE | on =) | Quite # Simply... a The Bestin a Sights & me Sounds The Monterey satellit« 460 West 34NtYh 1St0r1e1e7t-0460 audio/video switcher New York, satellite TV options or audio/video alternati house. Your VCR, cam ! and entertainment-re receiver's digital colo on-screen between a! What's more, several sSapteelldintee soaucnnde inadnidgi Monterey is the esser home entertainment i For more information | nearest you, call: (408;

sure meters, a recallable data screen, data code and all playback functions. tion that takes place quickly, and the and a world clock with time-zone an Like other TR-series camcorders, | data screen provides not only the coun- daylight-saving-time switching. the TRIO1 is easy to operate. It uses no | ter, but date, time, index, scan operating The TRIO1 is slightly smaller than menus, and both the data screen and mode, tape speed and approximate posi- | most other TR-series camcorders, al- | display provide more than enough feed- tion on the tape. Audio dub, video dub though it appears larger because of the | back to reassure you of what options are and the flying crase head allow you to camera bulge that houses the image sta- selected. Because it does not visibly de- perform all basic editing functions. Ease bilizer. There is no manual zoom, but a grade images, the stabilizer may be left of use is excellent. two-speed power zoom helps compen- on for most shooting. Beginners can set Picture quality measures very good, sate. A ring controls the powered manu- ' the camcorder to auto lock, so they while audio performance is very good to | al focus, which gives it a natural feel. don't have to worry about focus, white excellent, making this deck a top per- The microphone appears bug-eyed | balance, shutter speed and exposure. former among VHS hi-fi VCRs. Our because of its three grilles—one faces The automatic zoom mic seems both overall rating is very good to excellent— forward, and one to each side. These more natural and more professional the SLV-696 is a top-notch home thea- | provide stereo sound, and facilitate the than conventional zoom mics. ter deck, a good editing deck and’an ex- optional zoom feature of the micro- | These features combine with the cellent value. phone. The mic grilles surround a pop- light weight and compactness to make up infrared sensor for the remote con- | the TRIO1 ideal for almost any type of trol. It swivels so you can control the | shooting, but it’s especially good for | camcorder from any direction. | traveling, when you're never quite sure | The TRIO1 follows the pattern set by | what conditions you'll encounter. Ease | previous TR models, with run/stop and of use is excellent. zoom controls in the familiar places, Picture quality is very good to excel- playback controls on top, and numerous lent compared with other Hi8 cam- Screen size solution | camera controls along the left side. The corders we've measured. Audio quality | Steadyshot switch is conveniently lo- is very good, for an overall very good to I have devised a useful formula for deter- cated on the lower left of the lens cowl. excellent rating. The TR101 builds on mining the proper size video monitor for Nearby sit buttons for manual focus, the traits that made the TR8I1 one of our your viewing habits. Simply divide the white balance, shutter speed and expo- all-time favorites, and its image stabilizer diagonal screen size (in inches) of the sure, and a thumbwheel that accesses 24 makes it a must-see if you’re shopping set you are considering by the distance exposure steps. These controls are oper- for a Hi8 camcorder. P] (in feet) at which you plan to view the ational only when auto lock is off. set. The resulting number should be The viewfinder may be tilted up for somewhere between three and four. Should your tastes run to letterboxed SONY VCRlow-angle shooting. Underneath are controls for functions including stereo | fare, this number should be between audio channel selection, edit, daylight- continued from page 15 four and four-and-a-half. This method saving and area (time zone) and second- Index marks are automatically in- will spare you the disappointment of ary record start/stop. |serted when a recording is started from buying too small a screen, and the head- The remote control is barely wider stop and you may manually add or erase ache of trying to watch a 52-inch moni- than a finger, but a lot thinner. It has a index marks to let you return to those tor from seven feet. | switch to prevent accidental operation marks. Bidirectional frame advance and A.J. Lehe and buttons for tele, wide, start/stop, slow motion make it easy to analyze ac- Birmingham, Alabama 4 ooEt ea SATELLITE TV a. —||| The Highest Resolution Video NBOLTRIIE Discount Prices « Don’t Pay Cable ae ‘SEE I “Name Brands Only” NBO (Name Brands Only) has helped thousands experience the technical advantages of satellite TV, and we've helped them install it easily and quickly all by themselves. Order Our CALL NOW COMPLETE SYSTEM w/ REMOTE CONTROL FREE 800 346-6466 S Starts at Catalog To Learn More About NBO’S SATELLITE TV SYSTEMS. 29,.. (o.a.c.) Incls. Decoder & Programming Pkg. Circle 4 on Reader Service Card. JULY 1992 VIDEO 21

VIDEOTESTS YAMAHA warura. souno diGITAL SOUND FIELO PRO NG AMPLIFIER O6P-41000 i Lucky Seven: Yamaha’s DSP-A1000 includes five amplifiers for the front and two for the rear. Although most quality and versatility approaching that Yamaha’s DSP- major audio com- of systems using high-end surround de- A1000 digital coders and separate amps. sound field proc- VIDEOTEST panies sell one or essing amplifier is more audio/video The DSP-A1000 uses digital process- 644 amplifiers and re- ing to recreate the sound of many fa- one of the most versatile A/V ampli- mous showplaces around the world by fiers yet. It uses seven channels of ceivers, the offer- manipulating direct and reflected sound amplification to reproduce 24 dig- plus delay. Some of the surround envi- itally simulated sound fields, which YAMAHA ings tend to be ronments are even named, like the An- duplicate the acoustics of several ma- pretty bland. Most aheim Stadium and New York City’s jor showplaces throughout the world. A/V are just standard Village Gate jazz club. It provides Dolby Pro-Logic decoding amplifier receivers with a for correct reproduction of encoded It creates these sound fields using movies. Video and audio quality are Dolby Pro-Logic seven channels of amplification. A com- both excellent, and operational ease decoder and a few plete system uses left and right main is very good with a little practice, so extra channels of overall performance is very good to speakers, one or two center speakers, excellent. At $1,500, it is an exceed- amplification left and right rear speakers, and left and [ingly good value. thrown in. But Yamaha’s DSP-A1000 amplifier is in another class —it offers Yamaha Price: $1,500 and reverse, TV/VCR, 1, tape 2 and main THD: center—80 W/100 kHz; main and center— DSP-AI000 direction A, play, direc- amp; $-video/video/ster- +0.2/-0.5 dB, effects— A/V Amplifier Weight & Size (h/w/d): tion B, deck A/B, eo audio—aux, LD, TV/ W, 0.015% THD; front +0.2/-0.6 dB 44 Ibs.; 6-3/4 x 17-1/8 pause, rewind/search, DBS, VCR 1, VCR 2 stop, fast forward/ effects and rear ef- Audio S/N: phono— x 18-1/2 inches search, test, A/B/C/D/E, Outputs: stereo au- fects—25 W/30 W, 87.3 dB; others—96.8 dB preset/channel - and +, dio—tape 1 record, 0.05% THD Remote Control: IR tape 2 record, main Channel Separation: front level - and +, cen- preamp out, center, RESULTS (1kHz) phono—68.8 dB, wireless with a trans- front effects and rear others—60.3 dB mit/learn LED; recessed ter level - and +, rear effects; mono audio— Video Frequency Distortion: phono— buttons for reset and mono and subwoofer, 0.01%; others—0.005% clear; slide switches for level - and +, master S-video/video/stereo au- Response: video—10 Yamaha RS/user/learn, dio—VCR 1 record and MHz, -4.1 dB; S-vid- RATINGS 1/2 page for CD/LD volume - and +, cursor VCR 2 record; monitor eo—10 MHz, -2.4 dB keys and parameter - and +, cursor up and out—video and S-video; Video: excellent set/menu; and buttons down, onscreen, effect left and right speakers Picture S/N (dB): un- for power. TV, VCR 1, on/off, muting, and 12 out—main. front effects, weighted luminance— Audio: excellent VCR 2, tape 2 monitor, center and rear 52.6, weighted lumi- DAT/tape 1, tuner, CD, effects—hall 1, hall 2, nance—62.3, unweight- Ease of Use: phono, aux, VCR 2, Amplifier Power: ed video—61.7, weight- very good VCR 1, TV/DBS, LD, hall 3, church, rock (20 Hz-20 kHz into 8 ed video—66.8, chroma sound. chapter - and +, ohms/6 ohms) main— AM—66.6, chroma Overall: concert. jazz club, dis- 80 W/100 W, 0.015% PM—49.9 very good/excellent pause/stop, display, Audio Frequency still/step forward and co, stadium, concert Response: 20 Hz-20 reverse, search forward video, TV theater, mov- ie theater and Dolby Pro-Logic Inputs: stereo audio— phono, CD, tuner, tape 22 VIDEO JULY 1992

Philips Presents CD-Interactive When the engineers from Philips invented CD audio, they knew they were at the forefront of a remarkable new technology. Naturally, they i Th continued to evolve their idea. W e The result of their effort isthe ar ae ee 2 latest Philips innovation: CD-Interactive. me ~— The Philips CD-Interactive wa. «> — # player connects quickly and a & ; easily to both your television S&S < eee andstereo system. By simply . :( inserting a CD-| title into the Oe 6 a player, you can then use the , special ‘‘thumbstick’’ remote to chart your own course along the CD-| disc, controlling everything you see and hear: And because CD-| is a global standard, the Philips CD-Interactive player will be compatible with all forthcoming CD-I titles. Itis also backwards compatible with 3” and 5\" audio CDs, CD Graphics, CD ROM-XA ‘bridge’ discs, and forward compatible with the new Photo CDs. Philips CD-Interactive is clearly the next generation of both television and CD audio. Once you've experienced CD-|, we think you'll find it impossible to get itout of your system. ©1992 Philips Consumer Electronics Company. yom PHILIPS A Division of North American Philips Corporation. ES

right front effects speakers, which ors for Dolby Pro-Logic and sound field main left, main right and center ampli- processor, and a small, versatile alpha- fiers are connected to the preamp out- should be mounted above the main numeric display. A door covers a com- puts by jumpers, but the other preamp partment with a headphone jack, an connections to amplifiers are internal. It speakers, near the ceiling. Yamaha pro- S-video/video/stereo audio input and also has three AC sockets, two switched vides a line-level subwoofer output, but two rows of controls. In the upper row are buttons for set menu and effect, and and one unswitched. you'll need to provide an amplifier for plus/minus rockers for input trim and The remote control has a few program. In the larger main row are a the subwoofer. You may omit the center switches for setup and logical groups of channel by selecting the phantom cen- bass extension switch, and rotary con- controls for power, input selectors, LD/ ter channel option, and you may omit CD control, DAT/tape/VCR control, the front effects speakers by combining trols for bass, treble, balance and a VCR test, tuner VCR/TV channel, digital these sounds with the main front speak- sound field select, amplifier/parameter ers. Each of these options compromises 1 record selector. control, mute and master volume. Many sound quality slightly. groups, including disc control, tape con- The rear panel holds a forest of With 24 memorized sound fields and connectors, plus a rotary main level con- trol and sound field, have two sets for so many sources, Yamaha has accom- trol, a grounding screw and switches for functions and most buttons can be user- plished a major feat by allowing a user to front mix and single/dual center-chan- programmed for different brands of control many options without confusion. nel speakers. It has stereo audio inputs Nearly all adjustments can be made by for phono, CD, tuner, tape | and tape 2, equipment. remote control with an onscreen display and S-video/video/stereo audio inputs The DSP-A1000 can bé set up much to guide you, but you'll need to spend a for LD, TV/DBS, VCR 1 and VCR 2. It little while exploring the options before has stereo audio outputs for tape 1 and like any other integrated amplifier, but adjusting them becomes second nature. tape 2 record, S-video/video/stereo au- there are many more connections to However, then you'll even be able to dio outputs for VCR 1 and VCR 2 record cover all of the video and audio inputs modify sound fields and return them to playback, and S-video/video monitor and outputs. Speaker connection, too, is their original settings from a provided outputs. standard, but remember to observe cor- table. The system’s flexibility and high A row of speaker connectors has left rect polarities. You can leave the jump- performance are truly impressive. and right pairs for main, center, front ef- ers at their factory settings, unless you The only exposed controls are the fects and rear effects. There are also plan to use other amplifiers. To set the rear switches, you need only know power switch, the volume control, the paired line outputs for main, center, input selector and a tape 2 monitor se- front and rear effects, and single outputs whether you'll be using two center lector. Left of center is a window cover- for mono and subwoofer. Line inputs for ing the remote sensor, discrete indicat- speakers or one, and whether you'll be ip using both main and effects front speak- ers or just main. There'll be a mess of ca- bles, so invest in cable ties to avoid a rat's nest. We strongly recommend la- beling the ends of all the cables. Using the DSP-A1000 is not diffi- cult, but you need to familiarize yourself with both source switching and the sound field options to get the best out of the system. The main source switch is HIGHEST CAPACITY | on the outside of the amplifier; the LONGEST RUN TIME smaller source selector in the compart- ment lets VCR 1 record from the same LOWEST PRICES or any other source without interrupting ee eALsL BRANDS your main program. Depending on the surround mode 24 HOUR SHIPPING chosen, the DSP system lets you control room size simulation, initial (first reflec- tion) delay, room liveliness simulation, PANASONIC PB80/88 orig. PAN . . $39.00 SONY NP77H 2400 mah........ $39.00 low-pass filter, reverberation time, ef- SONY 8mm 1500 mah.......... $26.00 fects delay, directional enhancement CANON 8mm 2000 mah......... $33.00 and Dolby Pro-Logic. The manual ex- PALMCORDER 2000 mah........ $33.00 plains how these parameters affect the JVC GR-C9 1500 mah........... $35.00 SHARPBlgal2eo saust<oaae $45.00 sound image. There are eight basic mu- sic surround modes. There are also sev- eral video modes: pop/rock and classical music video, TV drama and sports, MADE IN U.S.A. CAMCORDER CHARGER/DISCHARGER 70mm movie theater general and adven- ture, and normal and enhanced (or from house or auto — 3 hour time 35mm) Dolby Pro-Logic. SONY - CANON - PANASONIC - RCA/HITACHI $39 We strongly recommend you spend a little time experimenting with these pa- rameters to understand how they work. Then you'll have a powerful tool to 800-442-4275 oc28-25 215 PLACE, BAYSIDE, N.Y. 11360 ° FAX 718-461-1978 modify or create your own sound envi- ronment. With the right speakers, cor- rect speaker placement and careful continued on page 98 Circle 5 on Reader Service Card. 24 VIDEO JULY 1992

“4 Philips CD-Interactive : Every CD-Interactive title is a uniquely ©1992 Philips Consumer Electronics Company. crafted key, designed to unlock the potential A Division ofNorth American Philips Corporation. of your television. yfty, Me As the leading developer of . CD-I titles, Philips isworking closely with the world’s most renowned publishing and entertainment companies. Time Life, The Smithsonian Institution, Children’s Television Workshop, ABC Sports Presents, and Mercury Records are just a few of the groups already involved in the production of CD-I titles. The current CD-| catalog covers a wide spectrum of interactive games, how-to's, children’s pro- B grams, museum Z| tours, musical i jukeboxes and ¢ historical journeys. Scores of new CD-|'s will be released in the € coming year And with the introduction of Photo CD processing, you will be able to create your own CD-I family albums. The doors CD-Interactive can open are endless. And the entertainment and educational opportunities it brings into your home will revolutionize your entire concept of what television has to offer Hi PHILIPS a },

BY BRIAN CLARK MITAee irignigtasLate-breaking he just-completed Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago saw lots of new products introduced. In fact, since the show was open to consumers for the first time, some of you may have already glimpsed many of the innovations due soon in stores. Below are some highlights of the show. Look for complete coverage in next month’s issue. NEW FOR — SMOOTH OPERATOR — THE PALM Ricoh’s R-18H Hi8 camcorder ($1,799) uses Ricoh’s SmoothShot optical image- stabilization system. The angle of a prismatic lens within the body is controlled Panasonic's new line of by sensors that detect horizontal and vertical movement. The user has the op- camcorders includes tion of full manual control of white balance and iris. Audio can be switched the PV-362, a VHS-C between a stereo shotgun zoom mic and two side mics that offer a wider re- cording angle. model that boasts a 10x zoom lens and a price of $1,299. White balance and iris canbe controlled manually or automatically. Additional features include hi-fi stereo sound, a five- watt light and color digital fade. ZENITH TEAMS WITH INSIGHT © The InSight Telecast system gives viewers an interactive, onscreen program guide that permits VCR programming at the touch of a button. Beginning early next year, Zenith will add the InSight system to its TV sets. Later, Zenith ex- pects to add InSight decoding to its VCRs as well. InSight screens display TV programs by title, channel or category in either grid or column formats. To pro- gram a VCR, a user simply selects a show title and presses record. InSight’s listings are transmitted in compressed form in the vertical blanking intervals broadcast by PBS channels. .. JACK OF ALL TRADES — HON REA JVC's HR-D990 hi-fi stereo VHS VCR ($600) allows users to perform random assemble edits for up to eight cuts. A second JVC deck with a pause-in termi- Le OOP — r nal is required to access the feature. The four-head HR-D990 produces noise- : free special effects, and the Hyper-Bass feature enhances the lower frequences on soundtracks for more theaterlike sound. NEWS de : CRIE&Rco. | raccoons fonecams Sern pcoses_1 rolGonyTs PRO-LOGIC FOR PEANUTS ~— Kenwood’s SS-992 surround processor, priced just under $300, offers Dolby Pro-Logic decoding with built-in center (30 watts) and rear (15 watts) amplifiers. Modes include phantom, wide, normal and Dolby 3 for a system without rear speakers. 26 VIDEO JULY 1992

Biasiy Somerfield od Okay. So we've told you San Francisco Chronicle ie = Ssh the Philips CD-Interactive is the next genera- P| tion of both tele- vision and audio. And we've gone on and on about our amazing selection of CD-I titles. Brent Butterworth UY Gr. But because our opinion is, admittedly, more than a little biased, we wouldn't, dream ee ed Corman h of asking you to settle for our word on it. Video We would, however like you to consider the opinions of electronics writers from eee vePahileig nlSisnes10/e€0pn.gc)reeSaaytnsedtsettmeaccIhhsni|ooelnvoeegymo.fentthe: coast to coast who've had the chance Popular Science to see the Philips CD-Interactive system ©, .-..- heraRledvsiieCwD-|aftaerstrheevi! ew millip CD Interactive RForlalni: kng Vizard m ched Cn a future of home enter- Stone 44S of tainment and a format 1,;\\aren Ccan reaSpesame cc h~ e ef2 that's here to stay. = ries pased “a‘: m oath j ; Popular Science even went so far as to call it \\othet ee gnd © r ing © : one of 1991's 100 greatest coloring yaue 9 2 o . ee achievements in science and technology. stress the [Si SIT S Of course, the opinion that matters :| ; most is, ultimately, yours. So we'd like Johnathon Takiff to encourage you to take your Daily News ; own CD-I test drive. For the name : of the Philips dealer nearest you, call 1-800-223-7772. Tom Malcom Info Magazine /S$Ga O &fo)Od Le) § I) U///2} d PHILIPS PH jLi PS (a) ES ©1992 Philips Consumer Electronics Company. id C ? A Division of North American Philips Corporation.

BY RODERICK WOODCOCK Overmodulation, lens hoods and wired LANC remotes [|]I’ve read that S-VHS and Hi8 tapes This effect can be corrected in the lens is being focused. Recently intro- won’t play on regular VHS or 8mm playback circuitry, though, and many newer VCRs can play S-VHS tapes duced inner-focus lens systems use a sta- VCRs. But what exactly does that without exhibiting these picture flaws. tionary front lens, and focus by the mean? It seems to me that if the cas- The Japanese call this feature Midoki, movement of a smaller lens inside the settes are compatible, you’re going to get while Panasonic has dubbed it SQPB for lens assembly itself. This makes it possi- some sort of picture on the screen. Super Quasi Play Back. While you get a ble to use rectangular lens hoods. viewable image, you don’t gain the extra Rod Bently According to the pros at Canon, Los Angeles, California Fuji, Hitachi, Ikegami and other com- panies supplying lenses to the profes- | sional market, rectangular hoods con- form more accurately to the aspect ratio _ of the scene being videotaped, and are | | better able to keep reflections and glare | that would degrade picture quality off the front surface of the lens. To my knowledge, Minolta’s Pro 8-918 is the only consumer camcorder that has a | llrectangular hood. I have a Sony CCD-V701 8mm | camcorder. Since it’s not always | convenient to use the wireless remote | control that came with it, I would like to set up a remote control with a wire and push-button switch, connected to the Control L jack. Could you provide a schematic diagram and parts list? J.P. Johnson | Knoxville, Tennessee Losing Streak: This Hi8 tape shows overmodulation—highlight streaking—when played in an 8mm camcorder. f Sorry, but the Control L, or LANC, jack on Sony camcorders (and other | brands bearing the LANC logo) is ex- | A Nae often written that high-reso- sharpness and resolution of S-VHS. For tremely complicated. Unlike the remote lution formats don’t play well on that, you still need a real S-VHS deck. pause line on some other camcorders, | On the Hi8 side, Sony’s GV-300 Video which is often just a simple open-and- | standard-resolution equipment, but un- Walkman can play Hi8 tapes, but with close circuit, the LANC jack is multi- less you’ve seen the results we can un- faceted. You can’t accomplish what you | derstand your confusion. So we’re the resolution of standard 8mm. printing a picture to show you what it want easily or inexpensively. But Sony | | looks like. [|]On TV news programs, you see a lot does sell the RM-95 wired remote con- | As you can see, the image is very of amateur and professional cam- trol, which will give you access to all streaky, with a lot of jagged whites tear- corders being used. Some of the profes- major functions on your V70I. It costs | ing sideways from highlight areas. The sional camcorders use round lens hoods, about $100. effect is called overmodulation, and it You can purchase documentation on occurs because the luminance signal— while others use square lens hoods. Is LANC from Sony Parts in Kansas City. the area of the video signal where the there any advantage of one over the The order number is 997245311. It costs black-and-white part of the picture re- other? Do any amateur camcorders use sides—is recorded at a higher frequency square lens hoods? about $10, plus about $4 for shipping. m | in S-VHS or Hi8 than in their lower res- olution counterparts. Since standard Jim Langford decks don’t have the compatible circuit- Cerritos, California Video Magazine welcomes your questions. ry to properly interpret the S-VHS or Please include a phone number, but not a Hi8 signals, they reproduce what they The hoods on the majority of cam- return envelope as the volume of mail does | can, resulting in an extremely over- corders, both professional and ama- not permit replies. All letters may be edited modulated picture. teur, have traditionally been round. This for clarity and space. Address queries to Q PVCMRIPIID1TNES0OTU is partly for esthetics, but mostly because & A, Video Magazine, 460 West 34 Street, the front lens assembly rotates when the | New York, NY 10001. 28 VIDEO JULY 1992

SIAR TIRE Unlike Starfleet officers, you don’t need to spend years in training before you experi- y ence the glories of outer space. Just go to your local laserdisc store and pick up Star Trek VI, The Undiscovered Country. And the pristine CD sound and crisp, clear picture (60% sharper than on ordinary earthly videotape) will give you the thrill of traveling Warp 8, without the jet lag. And, since it’s also available in widescreen, you’ll see enemy ships approaching, even from light-years away. So, beam aboard right now. The universe is waiting. MI aaetaaotnWBiEeSs: ©1992 Pioneer LDCA, Inc., Long Beach, CA. Star Trek is a registered trademark of Paramount Pictures Corporation. All rights reserved. Call 1-800-421-1621 for a store near you Circle 53 on Reader Service Card.

BY LAWRENCE B. JOHNSON Art & Industry: Zenith designer works with CADCAM program to check controls for a 25-inch TV. OnAPL Remember when a television was just a TV set? That's when catching a movie OGREEND meant going out to the cinema. Today, COME the TV has metamorphosed into a video monitor or a monitor/receiver. It’s a high- \\How top TV designers performance component, the central el- play with perception to ement in complex audio/video sys- tems—and living rooms. And thanks to make tomorrow's sets new big-screen models, you can join in thinner, sleeker, wilder The Hunt for Red October or saddle up with the Silverado gang without budging Making It New: from your easy chair. But when the Concept sketch by Ze- show’s over and you'd like your living nith designers for a room back, that behemoth of a box re- projection TV with a mains center stage in your life. You unique curved profile. could cover it with a tarpaulin, but tarps are hard to find in decorator colors. 30 VIDEO JULY 1992 Enter Eichi Kamiya. He doesn’t sell tarps. He's chief of television design for Mitsubishi Electronics. It’s his job to make big TV sets fit into home environ- ments, and to make them approachable for consumers who do not hold engi- neering degrees. Kamiya and his coun- terparts at other TV manufacturers are the buffers between technology un- bound and the human condition. It's their job to mediate the inevita- ble design conflicts between company technicians (who dream about what might be possible if new models were to include two more triple-function but- tons and a deeper chassis) and viewers concerned with solving problems like how to connect a VCR to a TV already accommodating cable service on anten- na A and a Nintendo system on antenna The changing character of TV sets and the increasing demands being

placed on them are raising a flurry of Shallow cabinets for big screens are The Lean Look: also being created by a couple of other Large new TVs empha- tricky issues that TV design chiefs are size slim lines and major TV makers, like Sony and Pan- space-saving designs, being called on to grapple with. These asonic. “You want the television to fit like those for Sony's the scale of your other furniture,” says 32-inch KV-32XBR95S range from finding ways for sets to house (far left), RCA’s radi- Panasonic design chief Oz Mazzetta. cally compact 52-inch new, advanced features to the shape of “The closer you can get it to the wall, P52152 projection set the more depth you can take out of the (left) and Toshiba's 30- the TV itself, an issue of growing signifi- cabinet, the better it’s going to be ac- inch CN3081B Cinema cepted in most homes.” Series TV (below). cance given viewers’ increasing prefer- At Sony, designer Kaz Ichikawa ex- cabinet on a 32-inch TV. It would domi- ence for bigger screens. How Kamiya plains that the color and finish of the nate the room. For larger sets, dark gray or black is best. Darker tones also help and the industrial designers at other TV cabinet affect your perception of to minimize reflections, of objects in the how big it is. “It’s critical that such a electronics manu- large box not be visually emphasized,” facturers cope notes Ichikawa. “You wouldn’t with these prob- want a lems profoundly white affects not only the way TV sets Concept study for look, but our re- 9-inch RCA TV. sponse to their performance and our willingness to buy them. Reducing the big-screen TV cabinet, or at least making it appear smaller, is the designer's number-one challenge, said Kamiya in a telephone hookup from Mitsubishi's world headquarters in To- kyo. “Everyone likes a big screen, but not everyone likes a big cabinet, so sav- ing space becomes important. Besides, to enjoy the picture on the screen, the distraction of the cabinet must be re- duced to a minimum.” It was Kamiya’s design team that collaborated with Mitsubishi’s engineers to produce the Slim Profile line of rear- projection TV sets. These sets are so thin the 50-inch VS5017S has a chassis depth of just 22.5 inches, or about six inches less than standard projection cabinets. The design strategy can be summed up in two words, “compact and Home Theatrics: Studies for widescreen 60-inch projection sets for RCA, using movie theater architectural references. SSJTOTUNEADYN:IDOsARiTmple,” says Kamiya. ES JULY 1992 VIDEO 31

SEREENS TO COME room or of room light, that can disturb CONFRONTING THE TUBE Winged Combo: Tube televisions present the designer RCA study for a 9-inch the picture.” TV with streamlined The materials of TV cabinetry have with a smaller beast to wrestle than pro- side speakers and a built-in 8mm VCR. also changed —to everyone's advantage, jection sets, but every voice agrees that direct-view has one mean and nasty de- Cube Tubes: Concept studies by RCA for a 13-inch says Rick Althans, director of industrial sign feature that cannot be wished away: stereo TV feature playful shapes and pastel accents. design for Zenith Electronics. “In the the picture tube itself. “That's the essen- tial design prob—ldeealming with the tion —and the design team must make past, it was desirable to be more tradi- picture tube and chassis and how they sure it’s a pleasant experience.” tional, to make the TV fit in with the rest of the furniture in a room, usually relate to one another,” says Lewis Lenzi, Mazzetta is more graphic: “By the the living room,” Althans observes. “But head designer for Thomson’s RCA and time you've connected a VCR and a la- we're no longer thinking in terms of serdisc player, the wires hanging down ProScan TV sets. For example, says and draping all over are terrible. On our French provincial. The look today is Lenzi, while “the picture tube deter- SuperFlat sets, we use a trap door for all high-tech. Wood has been replaced by mines how deep the cabinet must be,” the leads, which are routed straight plastic, which by its very nature —as a the faceplate is no longer the main sur- liquid form — contributes to the sense of face receiving design attention. “It used complete design integration.” to be,” adds Lenzi, but “now that televi- sions have become true A/V compo- What is acceptable to an American nents, the rear panel has become consumer may depend, however, on important as well. With all the audio where the question is asked. According to Toshiba’s top designer, Kimiyoshi and video connections offered, this has Ban, video buffs on the East and West become a key area of customer interac- coasts find the high-tech look of black easiest to live with, while Middle Ameri- ca prefers big cabinets in natural oak. One popular twist on the new look is the softening appearance of “suede” paint. “Touch is very important,” ob- serves Kamiya. “So a paint that looks like cloth is appealing to consumers.” Widespread as suede paint may be, it’s tricky to blend for just the right “feel” and no two manufacturers are likely to use the same mix. When Panasonic de- cided to use suede on its SuperFlat models, says Mazzetta, “it took about three months to work out a for- mula that gave us the texture we wanted.” os SqUeEZING Getting a handle on it shouldn't be hard. But the typical TV remote control, with its smorgasbord of buttons, \\} Too Many tends to leave consumers scratching their heads. For de- Rockin’ Roller: Buttons signers, the defiant little remote represents a major New remote for Sony Into Too XBR2 TV sets shows challenge: to find a happy medium between versatility Programmable Rocker Little feature directly below Space and friendliness. hinged door. “Most people use the remote rather than controls on \\} the TV itself,” says Mitsubishi designer Eichi Kamiya. } “For American consumers, the real problem seems to be too many buttons. Multifunction buttons are difficult, so if 32 VIDEO JULY 1992 we developed onscreen menus that take you through log- ical sequences the way computers do.” Japanese 7| consumers, notes Kamiya, “prefer buttons and direct commands. They’re not comfortable with screen menus.” Toshiba is also convinced that multifunction keys are too much for most consumers to grapple with. It prefers

Fanning Out: Study by RCA for a 9-inch bedside TV in- cludes design elements from the ’40s and a storage drawer built into the base. In a Blue Mood: 1989 concept set proved a fore- runner for upcoming “biomorphic” TVs from RCA. morphic and organic. “When we first worked on the box design, about 10 years ago, we produced square cabinets with a lot of empty space down into an integrated base stand. terminal box Mitsubishi offered on the inside,” recalls Sony’s Ichikawa. “But Once you've hooked everything up, you rear of some direct-view models. It since the picture tube has a narrow don't see any wires at all.” worked, it was handy. Alas, reports Ka- neck, we began shaping the cabinet along the lines of the picture tube, But sometimes a good idea fails to miya, “the connectors inside were just which reduced the size. Now all the connect. Witness the flip-up component too expensive.” While Mitsubishi still offers the feature, it has not proven to be continued on page 76 Wraparound: New 13-inch RCA ColorTrak set. especially popular with consumers and may not be included in future models. Nevertheless, we've come a long way from the sheet of Masonite that once constituted rear-panel “design.” Today’s TV sets are created to be beautiful on all sides. It's what Lenzi calls sculptural de- sign. But this doesn’t solve a fundamen- | tal problem: How can the large housing around a 35-inch picture tube be made visually tolerable? The same answer seems to come from every direction— disguise this big high-tech box as a natu- Video to Go: ral object. And since nature abhors not RCA study for a only a vacuum but straight lines, the lat- est buzz words in TV design are bio- 13-inch TV includes a handle. to add two keys that divide the onscreen menu into pic- Sony is creeping up on the problem from another di- ture and audio functions, beyond the basic setup proce- dure. “This provides for better understanding,” declares rection, mouselike. “We’ve found that the customer’s Toshiba design chief Kimiyoshi Ban. eyes leave the (remote) commander when he’s trying to But Oz Mazzetta at Panasonic feels onscreen menus have “gotten out of hand. Part of the problem may be adjust the TV from his chair,” says designer Kaz Ichi- words, just too many words. Maybe we need to develop a system of symbols, like those on road signs. We need to kawa, “so we've come up with something like a com- simplify the messages going to the TV and reduce the number of buttons on the remote to six or seven.” puter mouse that you rock against your thumb to acti- vate an onscreen menu. An arrow points to your op- Thomson designer Lewis Lenzi came up with another approach that is proving popular: shaped buttons, which tions.” The “programmable rocker” control appears on divide functions into tactile subgroups. Created ‘for RCA televisions, the concept was such a hit that Thomson re- remotes for Sony’s new XBR2 TV sets. introduced it in a universal remote that, as Lenzi recalls, “exceeded sales forecasts by seven or eight times.” Zenith has adopted the second-remote approach: a comprehensive commander for initial setup and major adjustments plus another, smaller device that offers only the most frequently used controls: on/off, channel up/ down, volume, mute and recall. Designer Rick Althans refers to the mini-commander by a name that says it all—the “everyday remote.” —LBJ SJSOTNEUAYDN:IDOART JULY 1992 VIDEO 33

fr f ee | “eee New materials, coatings and ay © techniques propel blank tapes |. | | to new levels of performance. \\ ||| / | Rules of Attraction: Gray magnetite parti- cles in TDK tape are held in position by a binding agent (repre- sented by blue bars and jagged and wavy lines) designed to cre- ate a strong, elastic web. 34 VIDEO JULY 1992

performance. Taken as a whole, they have led to a new generation of blank tapes that represents a substantial leap forward in the state of the art. PARTICLE THEORY The most essential building blocks of any magnetic media are the actual mag- netic particles that store the incoming signals. In VHS tape, these particles have traditionally been made of a chem- ical compound called gamma ferric ox- ide, also referred to as maghemite. It consists primarily of iron, which has ex- cellent magnetic properties. Years ago, tape manufacturers hit on the idea of using magnetite, a crystal- like particle with better magnetic prop- erties. The problem was that magnetite is especially susceptible to oxidation— tion, much as a fine-grain photographic known to the rest of us as rusting. When film yields more detail. al magnetite oxidizes, it evolves into a Once the particles have been, re- chain is only as strong as its weakest duced to the finest achievable pitch, compound with non-magnetic proper- link. And in the past decade, each they must be arranged in the coating as ties, a disaster for long-term tape use link in the video chain has been uniformly as possible. Any aberration in and storage. strengthened. Radical advances like high-band video have dramatically im- their physical direction produces a “wild The challenge was to develop some proved the recording side, while VCRs card” effect, with less predictable play- way of using magnetite particles while with super-accurate digital tracking and back results and increased possibility of high-resolution monitors have but- noise and distortion. enhancing their stability. The answer tressed the playback side. But between came in the form of cobalt, an element these two pillars lies perhaps the most Even if all these qualities have been noted for stability. Manufacturers dis- critical link in the chain—the place covered a way to coat magnetite crystals where all the video and audio informa- met, the job is still only half done, be- tion is captured, stored and retrieved. cause the tape has to remain true to this with cobalt, which let them harness the Naturally, we’re talking about video- “captured” state as long and unerringly tape. superior magnetic saturation of magne- Tape has had its hands full in keep- tite with little worry of eventual degra- ing up with other advances in video dation. hardware. Conceptually, little has chang—ebldank videotape is still essen- as it can. This means staying within They were also able to use more par- tially a strip of plastic film (the base) these microscopic tolerances throughout ticles on the tape. That’s because tradi- coated with magnetic particles, which tional tape formulas needed a shading are attached to the base by way of an ad- repeated plays, rewinds and visual scans, agent to physically darken the tape. hesive substance called the binder. even if the tape is left out on a sunny Darkening is required for two reasons: When video and audio signals are fed to window ledge or used on a cold, rainy the tape, the magnetic particles are elec- tronically arranged in a pattern that cor- oo TDK are First, VCRs use an responds to the incoming information. The tape’s basic job is twofold: Capture optical sensor to de- termine the differ- as much of the information as possible, ence between the and store it in an accurate and depend- able way for playback. tape and the clear Easier said than done. In order to leader at the begin- glean as much signal as possible, the magnetic particles have to be micro- ning or end of the sco—paniywhcere from 0.14 to 0.2 mi- tape. More impor- crons (or millionths of a meter) is typical. The smaller the particle, the fin- tant, lighter-colored er the resolution of incoming informa- tape particles raise transmission levels. In other words, they require more signal Life Preserver: TDK tapes use a cobalt coating to enhance their stability. strength to repro- duce accurate video signals. But these day for a camcorder shoot. shading agents left less room for magnet- ic particles. Since cobalt-enhanced mag- As you can see, the job is a daunting netite is dark already, no shading agent one, but tape manufacturers have risen to the challenge. Recent advances have is necessary, leaving more room to resulted in increased picture resolution squeeze particles onto the tape. and more reliable performance. And since recording and playback can only Virtually all tape manufacturers now be as good as the tape they rely on, these use some form of this substantial step refinements are just as profound as the forward, although the technology goes sexiest new hardware technologies. The under numerous monikers. Maxell calls progress in blank tape technology has occurred in several key areas, each its formula Black Magnetite, which is geared toward a specific aspect of tape available in both VHS and S-VHS. JVC offers High Energy Magnetite on its editing, library and A/V master cas- JULY 1992 VIDEO 35

Particle Power: and a base film, JVC’s High Energy Magnetite Y” High-density tapes (far particles (left) illustrate left) typically pack mag- how a cobalt coating is netic particles in well- applied, while the sur- organized arrays, set face of Fuji’s new atop a binding agent Super VHS PRO tape (below, left) shows a denser particle pattern than its earlier PRO-S tape (below, right). settes. Sony’s spin on the idea is Vivax, proach a theoretical limit in reducing called orientation. which goes into the company’s V series the size of magnetic particles. The good The term “high-packing,” which of cassettes. TDK’s new Sound and Col- news is that the diminutive size of new or line uses what the company calls Avi- particles means more can be packed you're likely to see on tape packages, ac- fine particles. Scotch employs the onto the tape, resulting in higher perfor- tually refers to a three-step process. refinement in its Black Watch series, mance. This allows for a process called First, the ultrafine particles are densely available in high-grade, pro and S-VHS high-density packing, which was pi- dispersed throughout the tape’s coating, oneered by Sony and soon adopted by which includes the adhesive binder. versions. Then they pass through a magnetic others. field, which lines the particles up in as ORIENTATION FOR FRESHMEN Unfortunately, one problem solved is straight a row as possible. Finally, the Through continual development, surface of the coating is smoothed out by often another problem created. In this a process called calendaring. This en- tape manufacturers have begun to ap- case, it was how to disperse ultrafine sures that the tape surface carries no particles into the most efficient arrange- bumps or other irregularities that would ment. To produce the most effective and result in dropouts. dependable results, particles must be aligned as uniformly as possible. The fi- Nothing about this procedure is in- nal physical pattern they fall into is herently new. In fact, it’s basically the Tale Of Most major tape manufacturers have introduced new for- way videotape has been made from the mulations which take advantage of recent breakthroughs start. However, the development of ul- The Tapes in tape technology. Collectively, they add up to a sub- trafine particles has spurred advances in stantial elevation in picture resolution, sound reproduc- each of the three manufacturing steps. tion and reliability. Here’s a look at who's using what: For one thing, there can be a higher ra- tio of actual magnetic substance mixed e Maxell: VX, HGX Black, RX-PRO and XR-S. Each into the binder. Manufacturers now rou- tape features the company’s Black Magnetite particles. tinely disperse the magnetic particles The HGX Black and XR-S tapes also feature a special more than once into the mix, allowing backcoat for smoother tape handling. several times the magnetic density that HS, EHG, Hi-Fi, HD-X Pro. These tapes use older tape formulas provided. an e TDK: of the company’s cobalt-treated Super Avilyn Since there are more particles, the update orientation process had to be improved formula called Super Avilyn Plus. Longer-length HS and as well. A typical technique now used is EHG tapes use a PEN-type base the company calls PX. called double orientation. This works e Fuji: S-VHS Pro, A/V Master, A/V Pro. Fuji has like a magnetic version of the twin-blade been especially active with double-coating. Each tape razor, where a whisker is mostly cut by a uses this technique, as well as double orientation. Each first blade, while a second blade takes care of whatever remains. comes with a plastic library case. In double orientation, the tape coat- e Sony: V. Sony's tape philosophy is based on high- ing first passes through a single magnetic packing technology. V tapes offer the company’s new Vi- field, which orients most particles in the vax particles and a special orientation technique which required direction. Later, a second mag- lines the particles up in a V pattern. netic field aligns any particles that might eJVC: S-XZ, S-XG, EHG, Pro HF, SX. Each of these have escaped the first orientation. Since formulations features the company’s High-Energy Magne- there are so many particles in a high- tite, resulting in a 10- to 22-percent improvement in packed tape, the extra step is necessary. overall magnetic energy compared to previous offerings. Finally, the tape is calendared using up- e Scotch: Premium VHS, Hi Pro VHS, S-VHS. These to-the-minute techniques, like high entries in the company’s Black Watch series incorporate temperatures, high pressure and multi- cobalt-enhanced magnetite and a special anti-static treatment on the leader and backcoating. —RG continued on page 94 36 VIDEO JULY 1992

deo is to Call a Porsche’ ansportation. i Fasten your seat outside, the essence lameyial—ian'(e)ge lsuat-igel| Our TVs are as be C rola) the ears as on the eyes. Stereo sound with d noise reduction. 181 c el capability. Three audio/video inputs. Our VCRs are eq pressive. Multi-television remote control. Front- mounted jacks. Auto he 4sg. sLiyksetetmh.e styling and cHSAMSUNG Samsung's new TVs and fol-iare)gaat-lalet-Me)m-Unle) g-1ola\\-icel) >in a class of their own. Electronics Test watch one at a dealer near you. Technology that works for life. Samsung Electronics America, Inc., 105 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660. For more information, please fo! hele -Me)Mell|ardeln elie3 East (201) 229-4000; West (213) 537-6791; Midwest (708) 916-2230; South (404) 956-0800. Circle 6on Reader Service Card.

BY FRANK BEACHAM OFTht HDTV and aflurry ofhot products jolt video professionals with a vision ofrapid change. If ever there was any doubt 1992 would Two-Way Tube: be a tumultuous year for television, it Sony's 34-inch wide- ended at NAB '92, the huge technology screen, high-definition exposition for TV professionals. More Trinitron monitor dis- plays images from than 50,000 broadcasters and video pro- either HDTV or NTSC duction executives descended on Las sources. Vegas recently for the annual gathering of the National Association of Broad- to air HDTV programs. Those failing to going to be a war over this,” said Larry casters. NAB is to professionals what CES is to video consumers. An annual do so may lose the precious HDTV Thorpe, vice president of Sony Ad- visit here gives video’s movers and shakers a clear view of the future of their channel the FCC plans to give each vanced Systems. “It’s still a proposal and business, and of powerful new products coming on the horizon. broadcaster. Should the FCC’s proposal it’s not nailed in concrete yet. But the But this spring’s convention was one stand, HDTV broadcasting could be in FCC has thrown down the gauntlet. to remember. It began only hours after the Federal Communications Commis- full swing by 1998. This is going to energize television.” sion issued a death sentence for televi- Once HDTV broadcasting is under Energize television it did. Suddenly sion as we know it: an ambitious calendar for converting the country to way, the FCC further proposes giving talk at the convention about interim high-definition TV reception. What be- gan as a case of future shock for many broadcasters 15 years to convert to full widescreen technologies using 16:9 as- professionals ended in confusion as vet- eran production chiefs struggled to HDTV service. At that point, around pect ratios began to fade. Instead, TV’s come to terms with some of the same difficult TV technology issues consum- 2008, the entire nation would be receiv- ers will soon be asked to face. ing HDTV signals and broadcasters The events at NAB are important to would be required to return their cur- video consumers because the technolo- gies the industry embraces (or rejects) rent NTSC channels to the FCC. influence, sometimes determine what we These were fighting words to broad- see in our living rooms over the next few years. This year, the technology under casters who contend they are being the microscope was HDTV, and the FCC gave the TV industry plenty to talk forced into an expensive new technolo- Point and Record: about. The commission proposed that gy without new sources of revenue. The Audio-Technica’s once it selects a new HDTV transmis- sion standard (probably next year), FCC, on the other hand, thinks broad- AT385a shtogun mic is broadcasters should have only five years casters had better get with it or they will ideal for the serious be put out of business by more pro- sound recordist coping gressive video technologies. “There’s | with a budget. 38 VIDEO JULY 1992

Into the Future: spin doctors started talking about how Fraudulent phone tricks can Video professionals HDTV won't be as expensive as previ- cluster around Canon's ously expected. Companies such as cost you money. Sony, Toshiba and Zenith were talking _| booth at NAB (left), about “cost-effective” consumer HDTV. Phone fraud tip-offs. | while a transparent, “HDTV is for real. Fifteen years Beware of phone sales tactics with cutaway version of a from now it will dominate the airwaves,” these characteristics: Sony TV tube (above) argued Jerry K. Pearlman, chairman of *overemphasizes free merchandise *unauthorized dealers comes in for close ex- Zenith Electronics, as he tried to con- *pressures you to buy before a deadline vince reluctant broadcasters to jump on amination. the HDTV bandwagon. He predicted And remember, ifit sounds to consumer HDTV sets will soon be avail- good to be true, it probably is. File Edit Go Tools Objects Font Style UTK Reel List able for about $1,000 over conventional = Safes) | Who can you [clip: [Bay Nite receivers. call and give your Sony revealed a research project credit card number BayB»erBkriealreeyan Fr.a.napcriosox9cia:om3ca0httiernplomym -RSoylmlpiangthyStotnoersthpelaByienv:it- |] Go To In to with confidence? The “aaudio seemHsO,real GPlooTyo Gut which could dramatically lower the cost appropriate for this cut. Play To Out of HDTV production equipment and Who is the ‘a home receivers. Thorpe, who is also a world’s largest ee ae Record member of the committee advising the camera, electronic Manual Record FCC on its choice of an HDTV stand- and computer | 90:00:52:20 00:00:52:20 %8\\ ard, outlined Sony’s scenario to lower department store? :| 00:02:26:24 |[00:02:26:24 Cancel HDTV costs for broadcasters and con- sumers. He suggested that broadcasters Who has only +[ 00:01:34:04 | [77 Rename consider a scalable digital TV system factory fresh that would allow them to use a less ex- merchandise? Dicritical Edit Delete pensive version of a currently costly Nothing Refurbished! HDTV production standard. “Every- Add To Edit List body has been hung up on line numbers Who has the Locate Clip Card and field rates,” Thorpe said. “But now largest selection of that we are thinking digital, that’s no Direct Factory Hide Snaps longer the issue. The issue is information Authorized Brands? content, not line numbers and field Edit Friendly: Abbate’s inexpensive VideoToolkit rates.” Who can you lets Macintosh users visually monitor editing points. call for experienced Noting that each of the three digital and knowledgeable Shoulder Pal: Sony’s EVW-300 Hi8 camcorder com- HDTV production systems before the sales staff? bines top Hi8 features with broadcast-level resolution. FCC is based on a data stream greater Who guarantees Muscle Deck: JVC's BR-S605UB S-VHS VCR than a gigabit (one billion bits per sec- you the lowest moves the format more firmly into pro editing circles. ond). Thorpe said each of the proposed purchase price? systems reduces that data stream to about 20 megabits. “If we are only trans- Who can you mitting 20 megabits when we are origi- call for prompt and nating a gigabit,” Thorpe asked, “‘is it speedy shipment? necessary to begin with gigabits? I don’t Who gives you a think so,” he said, answering his own 10 day money back guarantee? question. A new scalable, data-rate HDTV tKebherrryyyter,They all come broadcast system designed along these and go, but who has lines could compete in cost with pro- been here for 92 posed widescreen systems using a 525- years? line scan rate, Thorpe said. If this can be achieved, broadcasters could afford to TO FIND. OUT WHO THIS implement HDTV quickly and avoid 92 YEAR OLD RETAIL GIANT IS, lower resolution systems in the interim. TURN TO PAGE 3 2 The scalable TV principle would Circle 7 on Reader Service Card. also apply to home receivers. “Initially HDTV will be expensive,” Thorpe ac- JULY 1992 VIDEO 39 knowledged. ‘But every manufacturer continued on page 86

BY ROBERT ANGUS DAWN OFANEW Direct From Space: Decoder and remote control for SkyPix TV, due this summer, along with SkyPix’s control screen (above) and movie selection screen (right). the smaller antennas won’t receive most of the channels their customers (and cable subscribers) already receive. The heaviest hitter in the DBS league is DirecTV, a joint venture of Hughes Aerospace and the RCA division of Thom- son Consumer Electronics. Beginning early in 1994, a new gen- eration of high-powered Hughes satellites will begin beaming as many as 100 channels of programming to antenna/receiver systems made by RCA and expected to cost $900 or less. Satellite video services promise Hughes expects to fill at least 60 channels with pay-per- view movies, with a new film scheduled to start every few min- new way to bring movies home. utes. Other channels may be devoted to news, music videos and other popular genres. The programs will be supplied either by Hughes or Hubbard Broadcasting, a Minneapolis company that operates the All News Channel. But DirecTV is unlikely BS, the small-dish satellite service you’ve been hearing to carry such popular cable channels as ESPN, CNN or MTV about for years, is on the verge of becoming a reality. A because the cable industry, which owns parts or all of these cluster of companies is bringing direct broadcasting from channels, wants to reserve them for cable subscribers and satellites (DBS) to the point where it can be enjoyed in- owners of large dishes. stead of merely anticipated. Boosters like Eddy Hartenstein, To achieve so many channels, DirecTV will harness a new executive vice president of DirecTV, one of the forthcoming technology, digital signal compression, to squeeze as many as services, predict DBS will “do for video what the compact disc 10 television channels into the spectrum space now occupied did for audio.” It won’t be long before viewers have the chance to judge for themselves. There’s nothing new about home satellite antennas — big dishes have been around since the late ’70s. What DBS systems bring to the game is the promise of small, user-friendly dishes and man- ageable costs. But their appearance also raises issues of compatibility and copy protection that will only be resolved as the systems go online. DBS systems promise 60 to 80 chan- nels, filled mostly with pay-per-view movies, delivered to antennas only 18 to 36 inches in diameter, making them small enough to be easily mounted un- der the eaves of a home or on a city apartment balcony. Some backers see DBS as a supplement to cable TV serv- ice. Others consider it an alternative. Large-dish dealers argue that DBS is not Cable Challenger: DirecTV, due to begin early in 1994, will use a receiver and a small antenna, both a replacement for their wares because made by RCA, to feed up to 60 movie channels into a conventional set. 40 VIDEO JULY 1992

Picture Tells a Stor New Compact VHS cassettes from JVC — featuring High Energy Magnetite This ensures that both tape reels are locked unless the cassette is securely loaded in a camcorder or VCR. Slim and easier to handle, the new cassette case provides protection from dust. For greater convenience, a simple JVC GR-M5 switch has replaced the safety tab to prevent accidental erasure. Just make sure it’s Compact VHS—so you can watch it on your VCR at home JVC

oy.=)] by a single TV channel. Indeed, without events and rock concerts are likely to DESCRAMBLERS digital compression, no DBS operator range from as little as $2.95 to $35 or can hope to deliver the variety of pro- more. There’s also likely to be a one- THE MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN CABLE EQUIPMENT: gramming necessary to compete with ca- time access charge of some kind, and ble or conventional satellites, which both TVN and SkyPix intend to ask for e BASE BAND e JERROLD explains why compression is an essential part of the business plan for every com- deposits up front. e PIONEER e TOCOM: pany talking about getting into the DBS Initially, most DBS suppliers thought e HAMLIN e ZENITH business. they would get by on pay-per-view One of the talkers is SkyPix, which alone. But they’re discovering subscrib- ¢ SCIENTIFIC ATLANTA ¢ OAK ers want packages that look like popular hopes to jump the gun by using an exist- For out of this world prices call ing GTE satellite, SBS 6, to begin serv- cable offerings. This means including WORLDWIDE CABLE ice this year. At presstime, SkyPix was one or more superstations (PrimeStar 1 800-772-3233 uplinking 10 test channels, which it now offers eight), a news channel, a FREE CATALOG AVAILABLE hopes to expand to 80 when its digital sports channel, a music TV channel and compression equipment arrives. TVN, a so on. SkyPix and DirecTV expect to ‘1291 A POWERLINE ROAD, SUITE 109 large-dish pay-per-view movie service charge about $11.95 per month for these POMPANO BEACH, CL 33069 advertiser-supported services, which partly owned by Hollywood movie stu- may or may not be the same as those MC / COD / VISA _NO RLORIDA SALES dios, expects to do essentially the same available by cable. thing when it moves to one of several REPAIR new, more powerful satellites in a year or If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool video- YOUR VCR two. TVN will use the extra channels to phile, won’t you end up subscribing to IN YOUR ‘shrink the waiting time for any movie several or all of these services? Unlikely, OWN HOME says Esther Rodriguez, vice president of AND SAVE start to less than 15 minutes. communications for General Instru- There’s more: PrimeStar, a cable- ment’s VideoCipher Division. “There =}leF just aren’t enough movies people are owned system aiming 10 channels at guing to be willing to pay to see early to Save time and money! four-foot dishes using an older Hughes fill up all those channels,” she explains. satellite, will increase its pay-per-view “They'll be sharing the same pool of Order your VCR repair channels from two to as many as 60, al- movies as the pay-per-view channels kit today. though it’s not clear exactly when. An and, while there’s always somebody who Atlanta-based company called Bright- hasn’t seen Citizen Kane and wants to eEasy to follow, step-by- side has ambitious plans to deliver a sim- see it right now, I don’t think there are step guided VHS tape ilar package of pay-per-view movies and enough of them for any one showing to eAll cleaning supplies golden-oldie TV programs late this year eAll belts and tires for your or early next year using a digital signal- makc it pay.” specific brand compression system developed by Scien- To keep track of so many new chan- | VIDEO WORKSHOPeTech line for support tific-Atlanta. nels, DBS operators plan to offer their 7266 W. Sunset Blvd. A Each system intends to operate as if own electronic program guides, com- Los Angeles, CA 90046 plete with automatic VCR program- (213) 850-6720 it were in a vacuum. PrimeStar re- ming. All you need do is pick out a ceivers, which must be leased from the program and press a button on the re- $39% + $600 shipping & handling. company as part of the program pack- mote control to send the necessary pro- Add tax if applicable. age, won’t pick up Brightside or Di- gramming information to your VCR’s reclV transmissions. Nor will theirs memory. However, if the Hollywood stu- Please specify model when ordering. receive PrimeStar’s. Each programmer dios have their way—and most DBS We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, deliberately has chosen a different com- suppliers have no objecti—oynou won't pression system to confound video be able to timeshift movies or other pay- check or money order. eavesdropping by unauthorized viewers. per-view events because they'll be copy- protected, with systems from either Circle 54 on Reader Service Card. Dishes will be fixed in place and pointed only at the satellite each is in- Macrovision or Eidak. tended to receive, unlike today’s steer- “Because the movies start every 15 able (and costlier) large antennas. As a result, DBS systems won’t be able to de- minutes or so, there’s no need for liver the 200-plus channels now avail- timeshifting,” a spokesman for one DBS able to large-dish owners. In fact, programmer earnestly insisted. “The Thomson hopes big-dish owners will only reason anyone would want to re- also buy a small dish and DirecTV an- cord a pay-per-view movie is to get tenna to provide the most of both around the copyright laws.” One reason might well be that, having spent $4.95 worlds, according to Thomson executive to watch, a viewer might be called away vice president Joe Clayton. trom home or get drowsy and decide to How much will all this cost? Hard- go to bed. The argument in favor of Macrovi- ware is expected to range from Di- sion, according to TVN executive Stu recTV’s do-it-yourself price of $800 to Levin, is that if pay-per-view operators $1,100 or more for a custom-installed can convince the Hollywood studios SkyPix system. The cost of leasing their films are perfectly secure, they may PrimeStar equipment will be included in be able to get titles more quickly —as soon as they’re released for video rental, a monthly subscription rate of about $19.95. Program costs will vary. Pay-per- continued on page 96 view movies are expected to run from $3 to $5, with no monthly charge. Sports 42 VIDEO JULY 1992

WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD SONYAU.THORTIZOEDSHDEIABLEAR_FZOR@: OSE Canon PIONEER RGA Panasonic JJG HITACHI AND MANY MORE! 1166 HAMBURG TPKE, WAYNE, NJ 07470 « (201) 696-6531 Circle 14 on Reader Service Card. aVeIS)A ad=Ce AME BIAN) “All equipment shipped in factory ee fresh sealed cartons.

Two of @ Kind: Annette Bening and Warren Beatty ignite Bugsy. | script is more dreamer than “business- see his own world crumbling beneath him. Beatty, who has coasted on likable man,’ as his mob partners like to call parts for too much of his career, shows themselves. Sent to Los Angeles to take that he can do more than charm an au- over the California rackets, Bugsy is dience: Here it binds Bugsy’s paradoxical star-struck by his introduction to Holly- traits into a three-dimensional character. Bugsy wood. A two-week trip turns into per- Bening is strong, but an underwrit- ten character whose motivations are 199]. Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Ben manent relocation when he falls in love never clear holds her back. There are juicier parts for the supporting actors, Kingsley; dir. Barry Levinson. Hi-fi sur- with Virginia Hill (Annette Bening), a particularly Ben Kingsley and Harvey round, cc. (R) 135 min. priced for rental. tough cookie who already knows her Keitel (who were nominated for Os- Columbia TriStar. cars), and Elliott Gould (who should way around gangsters. have been). Barry Levinson’s direction Bugsy is a film of impeccable virtue shows the clear-eyed affinity for mid- Historians will dispute the accuracy century America that has characterized most of his work, from Diner to Avalon; in every area, down to the Ennio Mor- of this depiction of one of America’s if he’s become typed as a director of peri- ticone score and the Oscar-winning set most infamous criminals. But while Bug- od films, it’s only because he’s so good at and costume designs. Yet all of these ac- sy clearly romanticizes its subject, it it. —M. Faust | complishments are overshadowed by doesn't whitewash him: Siegel’s insanely Warren Beatty in his best role in years, violent side gives Beatty a chance to play as the New York mobster who turned unbridled rage for the first time onscreen. Las Vegas from a desert outpost into the This Bugsy is a man of extreme con- entertainment mecca of America. tradictions — violent but loving, elegant The Bugsy Siegel of James Toback’s but ignorant, a visionary who couldn’t 44 VIDEO JULY 1992

EDITOR'S CHUTE > kenneth korman JFK Sutherland) about strange doings in the In summer, even a hardcore video- intelligence community. There seems to be little connection between the New phile’s fancy turns to the great out- 199]. Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Orleans and Washington stories, and a Pesci; dir. Oliver Stone. Hi-fi surround, cc. good deal of information about Oswald's doors. But a little perspective may be (R) 189 min. $94.99 (2 cassettes). LD let- own involvement has been omitted. just the thing before you head for terboxed $39.98. Wamer. There are juicy character bits among the more than 100 speaking parts (in- that national park. Two current vid- Few movies have ever been made cluding Tommy Lee Jones as Shaw); with a more equal mix of passion and there are also stretches between hose eo releases inspire respect for our calculation than JFK. The calculation showcase sequences that are intepmin- fragile world while shedding a little | can be seen in casting Kevin Costner as able. At least Stone keeps his arguments Jim Garrison, the New Orleans D.A. clear enough that you can accept or re- light on our changing place in it. who prosecuted local businessman Clay ject them on their own terms. He has re- Shaw tor the John F. Kennedy assassina- turned the most traumatic event of our From the Heart of the World tion. Costner is but a carrier for Oliver times back to public debate, and in the (Mystic Fire, $29.95) takes us to Co- Stone’s pet theory—that Kennedy was process shattered the image of the JFK lombia’s equatorial mountains, where killed in a CIA-directed coup. But Cost- theorists as a bunch of pathetic gecks. ner's presence ensured that people after centuries of silence, the ancient would pay to listen, and that Stone Kogi tribe has maar . chosen to speak through filmmaker Alan Ereira. The Kogi landscape — which in one small could get the money to make the picture area encompasses on the gigantic scale he required. JFK is an important and valuable film. In its key sequences, JFK expands That does not necessarily mean it’s a virtually every type the techniques of propagandistic film- good one. —Sol Louis Siegel of terrain on earth, making. Stone and his Oscar-winning from desert to arc- editors combine color, black-and-white Slacker tic tundra — appears and documentary footage into seamless 1991. Dir. Richard Linklater. Hi-fi mono. to be surviving. Un- units that seem to carry the authority of (R) 97 min. $79.98. Orion. til, that is, director a multiplicity of viewpoints, with a so- Two young drunks discuss the socio- Ereira takes us near the top of the phistication that makes MTV look like religious ramifications of Scooby-Doo home movies. These segments — all rear- and the Smurfs. A young woman tries to mountain and shows why the Kogi § THVSEG (REWIOEO rangements of fact and/or speculation— sell an extremely gross Madonna me- have come forward: The seldom-seen are intended to show how Lee Harvey mento. A man pesters passers-by with tundra, which supplies water to sus- conspiracy theories inspired by late- night sci-fi movies and the Weekly World tain the region’s entire ecosystem, is News. A Kennedy assassination buff pro- dying from the environmental abuses poses his own book on the subject— of the outside world. Suddenly it’s im- Conspiracy a Go-Go. possible to argue with the Kogi asser- tion that “the world is coming to an These are just a few of the dozens of end,” and that it’s up to us to save it. characters who wander in and out of There’s more than one way to il- Slacker, a buoyantly funny instant cult lustrate man’s humble place in the classic that plays like My Dinner With natural world, as proved by the hys- Andre featuring the cast of Repo Man. terically funny Cane Toads: An Director Richard Linklater’s long Unnatural History (First Run takes and fluid but unobtrusive camera- Features, $39.95). In an effort to work evoke the lazy atmosphere these ward off the cane grub, the Austra- people live in. He takes us on a day-long lian province of Queensland import- tour of Austin, Texas, eavesdropping on ed 102 supposedly predatory cane students, drop-outs, hangers-on and toads from Hawaii in 1935. These fat, hustlers. They yak about their enthusi- ugly amphibians proved uninterested asms and obsessions, have petty argu- in sugar cane pests, but utterly spell- ments with lovers and friends, and bound by each other: They repro- | ial scheme to get by without a regular pay- duce at an unbelievable rate and are check. now completing the “toadal con- Lawyers, Guns and Money: Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) tries to solve the mystery of the era in JFK. Slacker has its dull moments, but quest” of northern Australia. The Linklater never stays with any character Aussies have adapted to their un- Oswald was enmeshed with covert anti- for too long before moving on. Be sure to Castro forces bankrolled by the CIA stick around for the closing credits, in stoppable new friends, from keeping them as pets to boiling them down | through Shaw, and how it was all but which the mostly unnamed characters for the psychedelic drug in their skin. | one component of a far-reaching con- are identified with such drolly terse syn- spiracy. [he argument begins to fall opses as ‘“Handstamping Arm Licker,” If you can’t beat ’em, join ‘em, but apart after the long exposition by “X” “Tura Satana Lookalike” and “Grocery don’t mess with Mother Nature un- (an amazing performance by Donald Grabber of Death’s Bounty.” —MF less you're willing to pay the price. = JULY 1992 VIDEO 45

aes, u : > 1- perhuman, concluding with an outland- Canyon? And how is Mack going to pay ish yet disappointingly conventional back Simon? Tete-a-tete: Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte face off showdown. Still, Scorsese buffs can ap- in Martin Scorsese's chilling Cape Fear. preciate some witty touches, from ultra- As Kasdan’s characters mingle in sick humor to cameos by Robert Mit- and out of each other's life-altering ex- Cape Fear chum and Gregory Peck (who were in periences, two slightly more profound the original version of the film), even if questions emerge: What’s the difference 1991. Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange, Nick Cape Fear ends up a smarter, slicker ver- between coincidence and divine inter- Nolte; dir. Martin Scorsese. Hi-fi surround, sion of Friday the 13th. —Jon Young vention? And what’s the proper way to cc. (R) 128 min. priced for rental. LD say “thank you” for the latter? Some $39.98. MCA/Universal. Grand Canyon may find the answers in Grand Canyon, a lovely, frightening film that puts per- Roll over Freddy Krueger and tell 1991. Kevin Kline, Danny Glover, Steve spective in perspective. —John Walker Leathertace the news: Max Cady is the Martin; dir. Lawrence Kasdan. Hi-fi sur- baddest dude yet. Portrayed with zest by round, cc. (R) 134 min. $94.98. FoxVideo. Europa Europa Robert De Niro, the villain of Cape Fear displays the relentlessness of a B-movie A mere suicide was sufficient to cat- 1991. Marco Hofschneider, Julie Delpy; slasher, but he’s even more sinister. Un- alyze the marathon introspection and wr./dir. Agnieszka Holland. Hi-fi stereo, like the cartoon characters above, Cady yuppie convergence of writer/director subtitled. (R) 115 min. $79.98. Orion. is funny, believable (for a while, anyway) and perversely appealing, especially Lawrence Kasdan’s The Big Chill. In “To what extent the Jew takes over compared to the family he menaces. Grand Canyon, Kasdan’s latest effort, foreign culture,” Hitler wrote in Mein learning experiences are ladled out to Kampf, “can be seen from the fact that Although you can’t top the 1962 the principal characters like servings he is mostly found in the art which thriller of the same name, director Mar- from God's buffet. When well-to-do law- tin Scorsese casts this brutal remake in yer Mack (Kevin Kline) finds himself seems to require least original invention, the idiosyncratic terms of his best films, stranded in South Central Los Angeles, the art of acting.” Solomon Perel, a Jew pondering good and evil, damnation and tow-truck operator Simon (Danny in Hitler’s Germany, has to be an ac- salvation. When ex-con Cady arrives in Glover) arrives just in time to talk a tor every moment of his adolescence— a sleepy southern town to harass Sam not for a living but for his life. In a Rus- street gang out of doing some serious Bowden (Nick Nolte), the lawyer who damage. Good luck or just good timing? sian orphanage, where he finds himself unsuccessfully defended him in a rape after fleeing the invasion of Poland, he trial 14 years before, it looks like a case Mack's friend Davis (Steve Martin), of hardened criminal versus upstanding who produces splatter films, is seriously L.A. Story: citizen. In fact, the attorney suppressed maimed in a robbery attempt. Bad luck @ Like all the characters evidence that might have exonerated or cosmic justice? Meanwhile, out for his client, and the Bowden family is a her morning jog, Mack’s wife Claire in Grand Canyon, powder keg. Sam and wife Leigh (Jessica (Mary McDonnell) discovers an aban- Davis (Steve Martin) Lange) are at each other's throats, while doned bab—ythe perfect buffer to the ® and Mack (Kevin Kline) 15-year-old daughter Danielle (Juliette fact that Mack is teetering on the brink discuss the meaning of Lewis) is trouble waiting to happen. of an affair and that their teen-age son is it all. starting to flutter from the nest. What The tension builds as Cady gets clos- has all this got to do with the Grand becomes the model Komsomol youth. er, but Max is so much more interesting Seized by the Nazis when they invade than his prey—except for Danielle, Russia, Solek passes himself off as “Josef who's drawn to the avenger —that it’s Peters,” a pure Aryan. Improbably, the hard to get caught up in the struggle. deception works, and he finds himself a Eventually the director dispenses with prize student in an elite Hitler Youth school. This outlandish story is true, and in Europa Europa, 1991's finest movie, Ag- nieszka Holland tells it with nightmarish logic and dark comedy. The individual 46 VIDEO JULY 1992

events, from the chaos of battle to the exist for women of her ‘‘advanced”’ Nazi teacher's espousal of racial myth as years. As the long-suffering wife, this objective science (a scene as hilarious as talented actress spends the entire movie | it is scary), are as fantastic as the story smiling patiently and reassuring her itself. Solek adapts himself to party lines spouse everything will be okay. Amidst wherever he goes; his situation makes the blandness, Martin Short’s bizarre him the objective observer of a world supporting turn provides a desperately gone mad. needed jolt of adrenalin. Playing an ag- The theme is not survival but identi- gressively cheerful wedding coordinator, ty — how Solek maintains a sense of who he jabbers in a hilarious, often incom- he is even when it can be fatal. Hol- prehensible accent that suggests Polish land’s use of dreams and recurring im- crossed with Japanese mixed with Cali- ages continually underscores her protag- fornia hip. For a few moments, Short re- onist’s conflicting longin—gfsor his lost captures the edgy brilliance of his SCTV family on the one hand and to be like days, something he’s usually failed to do | in Hollywood. Fans of Steve Martin, “everyone else” on the other. The main Back for More: Death can’t stop Stevenson and Rickman from being Truly, Madly, Deeply in love. however, should be advised that their obstacle to that, which he must always hide, is his circumcision, the indelible hero covered similar ground more effec- mark of his heritage. spite of) their differences. Playwright tively in Parenthood. —JY Anthony Minghella, in his filmmaking This is actually what makes Europa Europa universal and not just another debut, balances giddy romance with cool Oe eel ae tealism, painful emotions with quirky Holocaust tale. Solek is aware of playing roles, but the other teen-agers submit to humor. He has made a little film to be whatever nonsense they have been cherished. —MF taught and are doomed. “This,” Holland Citizen Kane tells us, “is how we make our children Father of the Bride 1941. Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Doro- live.” The question she leaves us to an- swer for ourselves is: why? —SLS 1991. Steve Martin, Diane Keaton; dir. thy Comingore; dir. Welles. Digital mono. Charles Shyer. Hi-fi surround, cc. (PG-13) (NR) 119 min. Turner/Image Entertain- Truly, Madly, Deeply 105 min. priced for rental. Touchstone. | ment edition: CLV 2 sides, $29.98. Crite- 199]. Alan Rickman, Juliet Stevenson; wr./ As soothing as a warm bath, Father | rion editions: CLV 2 sides, $39.98; CAV 6 dir. Anthony Minghella. Hi-fi surround, cc. of the Bride is genial retro fluff. This re- sides with supplement, $99.98. (PG-13) 107 min. priced for rental. Buena Vista. make of the 1950 Spencer Tracy comedy | Here are three more additions to the It would be impossible to talk about could have been more than formula fun, growing list of laserdisc Kanes, which is the splendid British film Truly, Madly, Deeply without noting that it bears more thanks to the presence of Steve Martin now up to a grand total of six. All the than a passing resemblance to Ghost. (Both films were made in 1990.) But in the title role of the anxious dad who | latest reissues are newsworthy; the where Ghost was a lightweight melange of genres designed for maximum audi- reluctantly confronts the marriage of his Turner/Image offering is the most eco- ence manipulation, Truly, Madly, Deeply is a poignant comedy about the pain of beloved daughter (sweet Kimberly Wil- | nomical way yet to add this must-have loss and the need to move on. liams), not to mention a mountain of to any collection, while Criterion offers Unable to get over the death of her wedding bills. However, our wild and two outstanding new editions: One is a lover Jamie (Alan Rickman), Nina (Ju- liet Stevenson) is granted her wish: She crazy star gets few opportunities to dis- lavish CAV update with expanded sup- returns home from work one day to find him waiting for her. Though a ghost, he play his antic gifts, being confined plemental materials, the other a medi- proves a sufficiently corporeal presence as the two make up for lost time. After a mostly to grimaces and eye-rolling. um-priced CLV. few weeks of bliss, though, things begin to settle down and Nina starts to ques- Still, he fares better than Diane Kea- Although the Turner folks seem to tion the reasons for Jamie’s return. ton, whose one-dimensional part is a have taken great pains to clean up Despite its fantastical premise, ev- startling reminder of how few good jobs | scratches from the source material (even erything in Truly, Madly, Deeply rings true. The spiky Rickman and the Nuptial Nightmare: wounded but resilient Stevenson make a perfect couple because of (rather than in Martin Short takes the cake as Father of the Bride's wacky wedding coordinator. JULY 1992 VIDEO 47

u )—— =— >— Prt —\\ —— at the expense of a jumped frame or Who’s Afraid mick) growing attachment to alcohol. two), the picture quality of the Image of Virginia Woolf? The scene in which Lemmon destroys a disc is only passable compared to that of greenhouse looking for a previously the Criterions, which is absolutely mag- 1966. B&W. Elizabeth Taylor, Richard stashed bottle will make you squirm, al- nificent, In addition to a breathtaking Burton, Sandy Dennis, George Segal; dir. though not as much as he does later in a transfer, the deluxe model also features Mike Nichols. Digital mono, letterboxed. straitjacket. It’s a tame film that shows (among other things) an early short (NR) 129 min. Side 3 CAV. $39.98. its age, but at least it deals intelligently called Hearts of Age that Welles made as Warner. with its subject matter. a drama student and a 70-minute inter- active documentary called The Legacy of Days of Wine and Roses —Brian Clark Citizen Kane, featuring interviews with 35 directors, technicians and Kane col- 1962. B&W. Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick; The Sundowners laborators. dir. Blake Edwards. Digital mono. (NR) 118 min. CLV 2 sides. $39.98. Warner. 1960. Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, Pe- Multiple Choice: Three new laserdisc editions of ter Ustinov; dir. Fred Zinnemann. Digital Welles’ masterpiece should keep Kane buffs happy. Mike Nichols’ big-screen version of mono. (NR) 133 min. plus trailer. Side 3 Edward Albee’s play Who's Afraid of Vir- CAV. $39.98. Warner. The Image disc offers two separate ginia Woolf? is surely one of the most soundtracks. The digital tracks are Dol- brilliantly acted films ever made. An This episodic tale of a roving family by-quieted monaural, while the more lis- evening with George and Martha (Rich- tenable analog tracks are the original, ard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor) turns \"” unenhanced mono. Both are superior to into hours of psychological torment for the Criterions’ audio, which seems to the film’s other couple, played by George Family Fare: Deborah Kerr hits the trail in The have been mastered at too hot a level Segal and Sandy Denni—snot to men- Sundowners, filmed on location in Australia. and overloads noticeably in several tion George and Martha themselves. scenes. The film is vicious, sad, hilarious and as- of sheep drovers in the 1920s is lively, tonishing. The language from Albee’s humorous and generous in spirit. It also If you like Citizen Kane, you'll be play was retained, forever altering Holly- has terrific set piec—beraswls, horse happy with the Image disc. If you love it, wood’s definition of permissible ver- races, a shearing contest and more —as go for one of the new Criterions, even biage. Haskell Wexler’s cinematography well as great scenery and all sorts of ani- with the occasional audio blemish. is another element that pushes the film mal stunts. The cast is good enough to make us forgive that they're not natives, —Ron Goldberg near perfection. and we can almost ignore Robert Mit- This reissue adds the widescreen for- chum's attempt at an accent. And though labeled (accurately) as a “Family mat, a CAV side three, the theatrical Classic,” it’s sexier than most modern trailer and a few minutes of exit music. movies. The letterboxing is slight and the bars disappear with the black-and-white film. The digital transfer is brighter, if not Virginia Woolf begs for a Criterion-style sharper, than the tape. There are lots of supplement, with commentary from Al- chapter stops, as well as a CAV third bee, Nichols, Taylor, et al. In the mean- side for the racing scenes and the theat- time, this version works just fine. rical trailer. It’s a nice presentation for a movie that's old-fashioned in the best Days of Wine and Roses began as a sense of the term. teleplay written for the 1958-59 season of CBS’ Playhouse 90. It’s an honest, straightforward account of a married couple’s (Jack Lemmon and Lee Re- 's : a R Cocktail Hours: Virginia Woolfs cast | empties its souls and several bottles in one lengthy soiree.

Witness for the Valentino) and the headstrong Lady Di- Burning Sand: Prosecution ana Mayo (Agnes Ayres) in The Sheik, Agnes Ayres and the silent that ignited Valentino’s ca- Rudolph Valentino are 1957. B&W. Charles Laughton, Tyrone reer —as well as the passions of female even hotter than their Power, Marlene Dietrich; dir. Billy Wilder. moviegoers. Though campy today with desert surroundings in Digital mono, letterboxed. (NR) 116 min. its melodramatic excesses, The Sheik still 1921's The Sheik. CLV 2 sides. $34.98. MGM/UA. shows why Valentino became a legend: He was born to smolder (but appears mostly with middle-class families in their When United Artists adapted slightly deranged when he smiles). The most prosaic crises. His films seem noth- Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecu- print looks 70 years old, but those ing more than a succession of ordinary tion for the big screen, guests to the set scratches actually add to the nostalgic even—tunstil you realize that he has were asked to sign a pledge “promising fun of watching this Harlequin romance stripped away everything between the not to reveal any of the secrets relating set in “Mohammed's land.” Roger Bel- audience and the emotional lives of his to the electrifying climax.” Burt Lancas- lon’s score, from 1987, is weirdly dramat- characters. In his great Tokyo Story ter, Noel Coward, William Holden, ic; you'll either love it or hate it. And if (1953) and Early Summer (1951), both Hedda Hopper and other bigwigs duti- you don’t know what “vivisection” available on tape, the effect is emo- fully took the oath—and cemented the means, look it up. It actually appears in tionally overwhelming. tilm’s main selling point, a plot with the title cards! twists to match a roller coaster’s. New Yorker now brings us a pair of Equinox Flower late Ozus. Equinox Flower, Ozu’s first Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power), amia- color film, is simply lovely. An execu- ble but shiftless, befriends a wealthy wid- 1958. Shin Sabrui, Kinuyo Arima; dir. tive’s daughter rejects her arranged suit- ow— then becomes the prime suspect in Yasujiro Ozu. Hi-fi mono, subtitled. (NR) or for one of her own choosing; the her murder. His barrister, Sir Wilfrid 118 min. $69.95. New Yorker. resulting rift is illuminated with subtle, (Charles Laughton), is recovering from a gentle humor throughout, and fleshed heart attack, his ability to withstand the An Autumn Afternoon out with telling supporting characters. pressures questionable. To add to the Ozu’s great theme, that life is beautiful suspense, Vole’s wife (Marlene Dietrich) 1962. B&W. Chishu Ryu, Shima Iwashita; even when it disappoints us, was never is called to testify not in his defense, but dir. Ozu. Hi-fi mono, subtitled. (NR) 112 better illustrated. The colors glow, and as a witness for the prosecution. min. $69.95. New Yorker. so does the picture. Laughton shares a wickedly delight- No great film artist has hewn to a vi- An Autumn Afternoon, Ozu’s last ful chemistry with wife Elsa Lanchester, sion more limited than that of Yasujiro film, reworks the basic idea of his Late who plays Sir Wilfrid’s nurse. While Ozu. Technically, it is distinguished by Spring (1949), in which a widower (the she’s warbling orders in the second per- the famous “Ozu shot,” the long take wonderful Chishu Ryu in both films) son, he’s threatening to plunge a ther- from the vantage of someone seated at pushes his daughter into marriage so she mometer between her shoulder blades. tatami level. Thematically, he deals won’t waste her life caring for him. The But Dietrich turns in the best perfor- late film is more complex; it shows us mance as the multifaceted Christine— some of the ways in which Japanese fam- even in a gratuitous flashback (not in ily life deteriorated in the postwar peri- Dame Agatha’s short story or play) od, which invests the story with a showcasing her singing and her gams. different kind of poignancy. Picture quality is good on this letter- These two films, and the others cit- boxed disc, which shows a nice use of ed here, are urgently recommended. the wide screen, especially in frames composed with three people. —SLS —April P. Bernard PEAS ee The Sheik 192]. BW. Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres, Adolphe Menjou; dir. George Mel- ford. Silent with musical accompaniment in hi-fi stereo. (NR) 79 min. VHS, Beta $19.95. Paramount. “Why have you brought me here?” “Are you not woman enough to know?” So much for the relationship be- tween Ahmed Ben Hassan (Rudolph JULY 1992 VIDEO 49

ies ¥ | BRAND NEW # AGCESSORIES| 10X1ZOOM STEREO 410,000 PIXELS REMOTE PALM SIZE -O8R0D0-E6R88-LI3098CSR1oaie0enrracdydl.iecre “INFORMATION LINE 1-516-933-8484 __