video-magazine-1992-01

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lM alt-migaorle lelell ra fefoiectl Mim efet-.-o1l1famualaa| / the world’s smallest j meikemrere la aletsee(lol emt @ elomete! ah: Jj Handycam™ CCD-TRSI. j j i evomrelaat<PVAlarcerataalaelerel palerelae(ol mia arel' foreals el mele lelercmeh iol arsOOM ilalcr—mel| inor—letloGl}ola mm» (em 70a)le (ol telea)h ale relalehzerelan| f i iata aol rere kM aales-i am ele) ollllcl mierclanlnee(clle Matom cell wel atslom fel alteen lleverlim) 7-10elaa Mere!ail fel <o / ole ine) aalirel aren 72h a Cemel omellel(omcl ale llelels-relare!| ), 4Gy if with speed and accuracy. There's AFM Hi-Fi stereo 4 f4 ; ff by f fA / if ANalemOwcemielimalelels—mel Mixeteelgeiial:m alaatomteteml im Zelll ne 4; into details, youll fall in love with Sony Handycam.

FEATURES AWARDS SPECIAL: BEST PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR 48 TAPES & DISCS VIVA GOLD! 48 VIDEOTESTS DEPARTMENTS ‘91's top hardware. By Brent Butterworth 54 VIVA GOLD! 58 ‘91's top tapes and discs. By Kenneth Korman 60 A TALE OF TWO FORMATS S-VHS and Hi8 are straddling the line between consumers and professionals. By Frank Beacham 62 TOKYO TIME WARP é 64 Two shows deliver a fast-forward preview of video's future. By Lancelot Braithwaite 67 INSTALLATION OF THE MONTH: TRIPLE PLAY 69 Sports come alive in a 3-screen room. By Stan Pinkwas 80 THE TROUBLE WITH CABLE 14 A flood of complaints may bring sweeping changes to cable. By Steve Ditlea 6 REVIEWS 8 Thelma & Louise, City Slickers, The Naked Gun 2-1/2, Spartacus, more 10 EDITOR'S CHOICE / Fantasia on laserdisc. By Kenneth Korman 12 DIRECTORY / The latest releases on tape and disc 28 30 Cover: RCA VR690HF VHS VCR, 34 The ViVA Gold! award 41 for innovation and ex- Canon UCi 8mm camcorder, Panasonic CTP-3196SF SuperFlat Prism monitor/receiver, 42 cellence. Photograph by Hitachi VM-E25A 8mm camcorder. By Berger-Braithwaite Labs 44 Jay Brenner 45 Video Magazine CHANNEL ONE / Plus ca change 129 Volume XV FEEDBACK / Letters from readers 132 Number 10 LATE NEWS / New camcorders from Mitsubishi and Sharp, Go-Video’s latest deck, more GAZETTE / Terminator 2's computer animation, director Mike Nichols, more CAMCORNER / Sharpen your skills with a touch of class TECHNICALLY SPEAKING / How to pick the perfect satellite receiver HANDS-ON TEST / Sony CCD-TR51 8mm camcorder Q & A/ Technical queries answered NEW PRODUCTS / Memorex camcorder, Cambridge SoundWorks surround speakers, more TOMORROW / Art from science’s frontier AUDIO INPUT / Dbx vs. RCA: The MTS shouting match COLLECTOR’S CLEARINGHOUSE / Soap stars, sitcoms and Saturday Night Live OFF THE AIR / Home audio royalties: Is video next? The VIDEO Magazine (ISSN 1044-7288) is published monthly by Reese Communications, Inc., 460 W. 34 St., New York, NY 10001. Second-class postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing ky Audit office. © 1992 Reese Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. © under Universal, International. and Pan American Copyright Conventions. Reproduction of editorial or pictorial content in any manner Bureau is prohibited. Single copy price $2.50; $2.95 in Canada; £2.50 in U.K. One-year subscription (12 issues) $15.; Canada, $22.47 (includes GST #R125938423) U.S.; foreign, air mail, $40 U.S. Canadian international publication permit #546488. Address subscription orders, change of address, correspondence and inquiries to: VIDEO, Box 56293, Boulder, CO 80322-6293, or call toll-free 800-365-1008. Change of address takes 60 days to process: send old address label, new address, and zip code. All material listed in this magazine is subject to manufacturer's change without notice, and publisher assumes no responsibility for such change. Printed in the U.S.A. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VIDEO, Box 56293, Boulder, CO 80322-6293. For microform copies of issues or articles, write to: Serials Acquisition Dept., University Microfilms, Inc., 300 North Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. 4 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

P.. asonic Multi Laser Disc Players. They can play CDs and movies that look and sound incredible. Imagine a CD player that also plays the thousands of movies and videos available on laser discs. That's the program- mable LX-101, a multi we laser disc player that SS 3 plays all five types of discs. It has digital Y/C and digital time base correction for uncompro- mising video quality. Along with a scan function and shuttle that lets you see a Clear picture in forward or reverse. And for equally sharp sound, its MASH* digital audio technology repro- duces even the faintest sound to its fullest. So when there's a multi laser disc player that looks and sounds this sensational, why settle for anything less? < To speak to a Panasonic = dealer nearest you about our Multi Laser Disc Players, call 1-800-365-1515, ext. 456. Hl * Panasonic developed the world’s first MASH type DAC. MASH technology was invented by NTT (LSI Labs). MASH is a trademark of NTT. BACK TO THE FUTURE Il® © 1989 Universal City Studios, Inc. & Amblin Entertainment, Inc. Allrights reserved. Licensed by MCA/Universal Merchandising, Inc. TV picture simulated. Se eee PLTAHYAST MAOLVSIEOS, laermirp’ai izol@relo(o/hielalolM ial oltesleitielehiet cel -Wi (olor inet cs-[0Le{-/an\\- 107.6 -gOrefe) Panasonic’ just slightly ahead of our time?

The Ultimate CHANNEL ONE In Video! With fully Digitized Audio Satellite TV Plus ca change Buyers Guide It’s been a half-dozen years since I was last active in the video market, New!! 1991 Buyers Guide and as I return to take the editorial helm here at Video Magazine I’m struck by how much has changed —and equally, by how much has not. Video-$19.95 Plus $4 s/h. As I look over the video landscape today I see on retail displays and Satisfaction Guaranteed in homes products that were gleams in developers’ eyes, or on drawing or your Money Back. boards, or just coming to market a few short years back. Everywhere | , Complete Satellite see smaller, faster, better video products from innovative, aggressive jw Systems Start At...... companies that have made home video an integral part of our lives. TRS Over 200 Channels. Half a decade ago the video marketplace was rife with format bat- ‘All Major Sporting Events Over 100 Radio Channels. tles, incompatibility controversies and ongoing disputes over which Over 1500 Movies Per Month. medium could best deliver information and entertainment to the con- Pay Per View Channels. sumer. That hasn’t changed. Many of the players, the issues and the Special Interest and competitive arenas are different today, but the marketplace is as untidy Education Programming. International Feeds- as ever and I for one think that’s good news. I’m glad to see that video Instant Access to Major World Events. continues to be a vibrant, vital and contentious commercial enterprise Includes: The Echostar 4000 with and cultural phenomenon with a legion of opportunities for individuals Decoder (Features Favorite 100 and companies to make a mark. Channel Selection), LNB, Feedhorn, That’s especially good news for you, the serious video user, because Motorized Dish, 18\" Jack & Motor. you're one of the constants in the furiously accelerating and rapidly changing video scene, and the principal beneficiary of the results of Save 30-60%!! these vendor confrontations. You decide which products deliver the en- 1F-ax8:0080-53-56052--02215906 tertainment and information value to meet your needs, and ultimately which will make it in the marketplace. We'll do our best to continue to supply you with the latest and most complete information you need to get the maximum value from your equipment and to keep you in the forefront of the video market. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on what we're doing right, what we can improve on, and what new topics or issues you’d like to see addressed in these pages. Drop me a line. James M. Barry Editor SATELLITE TE~LEVISION 2316 Channel Drive B‘JU“}S[1OPU/O0/INOD4POADHYUDIDODOSOUHSYWIJPOPJDU! Ventura, CA. 93003 Serving the Consumer Since the Beginning of the Satellite Television Era.

SEeSlON LtAySERDDIeSC. e@ SEE DETAILS BELOW. TOTAL RECALL _laserdiscs. And you may _ Selection mailings up to fo (That'upsto17 buying opportunities ayea TheEmpireStrikes Back* Returnofthe Jedi* wantit!If you want the Director's Selection 0564082 3547042 nothing—it will be sent automat sally. If you'd 0910092 mOaiel ithheervesaponnsse cCard ealways provideed Bey thie date specified. And you'll always have 14 days PATTON wowosa [RANMA __—_—+| canoe|tBot Sduecciadea;ngifenot, you may return the selection There's a money-saving Bonus Plan. If you THE WIZARD OF OZ (ANNIV. ED) |2941082 SOUUTENERS pees continue your membership after fulfilling your aT. ages] LETHAL WEARON2 * | 6427022 | obligation, you'll be eligible for our generous TPHREEDAETXOURIUS2TERRESTRIAL ay |CoN Cee teaoe NON THE bonus plan. It enables you to enjoy great * FOURTH OF JULY * |4891042 | savings on the movies you want—for as long HENRY & JUNE HARD TO KILL as you decide to remain a member! SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY NATIONAL LAMPOON'S And there's a 10-day risk-free trial. We'll THE WAR OF THE ROSES ANIMAL HOUSE 2115082 | send details of the Club's operation with your THE DOORS * introductory package. If not satisfied, return CBAARCOKUTSOETLHEFUTURE neoverfyurtthhienrg obwliitghaitnion1.0 days for a full refund and BACKTOTHEFUTURE!] * Pa GAV iC EAnTT For fastest service, use your credit card BACK TO THE FUTURE II STOOD STILL 0576042 | and our toll-free number. Call 24 hours a day: SINGIN'& SWINGIN gsaio7z |INSODAYS pene 1-800-538-2233%' 0519022 BIRD ON A WIRE * 4973052 |THE AFRICAN QUEEN BULL DURHAM 2360002 | AMERICAN GRAFFITI 2113002 | | Columbia House Laserdisc Club BEN-HUR (1959) * 1 Dept. FYA P.O. Box 1112, CITIZEN KANE (REMASTERED) 1Terre Haute, Indiana 47811-1112 IT’S AMAD, MAD, pees ia 5028052 || Yes, please enroll me under the terms outlined in MAD, MAD WORLD 0580082 |BLUE STEEL (1990) 6965002 11 is advertisement. As a member, |need buy only 2 QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER —% |7151022 |HOW THE WEST WAS WON * |2669082 1 more selections, at regular Club prices, within 1 coming year. PRESUMED INNOCENT —_ | 9621002 |OUT OF AFRICA 1 THE MAN WHO BEETLEJUICE 6330082 1i Send me these 3 5822052 laserdiscs for WOULD BE KING %* |0858032 |THE LAND BEFORE TIME 1! $1.00 each 0609052 1 ROMANCING THE STONE 0894092 |NEXTOFKIN =| 5245042 plus $1.50 each BATMAN (1989) '1 shipping and handling THE BLUES BROTHERS x |6425042 |HELLO, DOLLY LIONHEART * ! (tofal $7.50) 1 THE GRIFTERS EDWARD SCISSORHANDS 1046042 ! Please Check How Paying: 1 PREDATOR 3649012 |ANGEL HEART 7956092 11! (_] My check is enclosed 2QY/20Z THE RIGHT STUFF 6043062 | cINEMA PARADISO 11 yale 4my introductory laserdiscs [_] VISA ALIEN 3815092 and tuture Club purchases to: (SUBTITLED) 8805002 11 MasterCard [_) Diners Club [_] 3609092 |THE GHOS&TMRS. MUIR | 1 (_) AMEX 200A1S:PACE ODYSSEY 0025012 | JACOB’S LADDER 2303002 | 41 HARVEY :1 Acct. No. EXCALIBUR L.A. STORY 2310012 |!1 Expiration Date BSLCUAERFAVECLEVE(T1965) [eee |[sere% |5150072 |IT’S AWONDERFUL LIFE 4079082 1 1 1 Signature ! SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE % | 0013052 | NATIONAL LAMPOON'S 1 6015002 | VACATION 6039022 1 Name 1! AweAN AMERICAN TAIL 7000082 |CNHATRIIOSNTAMLASLAVMAPCOAOTNI'OSN 9525072 1 Address 11 ROBOCOP 2350022 | REVERSAL OF FORTUNE 9697092 11 Apt. City AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF THE RUNNING MAN 4956062 Zip. IN LONDON 7140062 | 9 1/2 WEEKS 2708012 ! 11 State CLOALSEURMDBIISAC HOCULSUEB |i... |ayeEssae6502002 | MEAN STREETS 1 1400N. Fruitridge Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47811-1112 11 Phone No. ( ) 6093052 1 Note: Membership is limited and Columbia House Laserdisc Club 1 reserves the fightto reject or cancel any membership. limi 3807092 | NORTH BY NORTHWEST 2509022 ! to continental S. (excluding Alaska). Applicable sales tax added © 1992, The Columbia House Company *Letterbox ! to all orders. 22/892 1

FEEDBACKEDITED BY BRIAN CLARK VIDEO magazine What’s the fuss? President and Managing Director, Jay Rosenfield After reading your feature on VCR pro- gramming (“Prime Time for Timers,” Editor, James M. Barry Oct. ’91), [had to laugh. I own two Sony Beta VCRs, the EDV-7500 and the SL- Managing Editor, Stan Pinkwas HF600. Both are extremely easy to pro- gram. It’s no problem to set the timer in Technical Editor, Lancelot Braithwaite under 35 seconds, and just four buttons Senior Editors, Kenneth Korman, are used to program. A button labeled Brent Butterworth “check” confirms the completed timer setting. I don’t know who clamored for Assistant Editors, Brian Clark, onscreen programming, but it seems to April P. Bernard add confusion and complexity to the Contributing Editors: Bob Angus, Mavis task of timeshift recording. Arthur, Bob Barlow, Frank Beacham, Ivan Berger, Warren Berger, James Caruso, Steve Don Manderfeld Daly, Steve Ditlea, Bruce Eder, Ty Richfield, Minnesota Harrington, David Lachenbruch, Frank Lovece, Gordon McComb, Marianne Nostalgia machines Jump to Wide: The Living Daylights, with Timothy Dal- Meyer, Murray Slovick, Richard Warren, ton, will make its widescreen laserdisc debut in '92. Stewart Wolpin, Roderick Woodcock As a former Betaphile, I read your “Vid- Editorial Assistant, Lily Schwartzberg Editor’s note: The rights to The Living eotest” of Sony’s SL-HF2100 Beta VCR Daylights have been acquired by MGM/ Art Director, Lonnie Heller UA, and the company will release a De- (Oct. '91) with annoyance. I’m re- luxe Letterbox Edition disc of the film, Associate Art Director, Kristina Juzaitis complete with Dolby Surround encod- Art Assistant, Luis Ramos Jr. minded of a General Motors plan to de- ing, side three in CAV and the original theatrical trailer, in spring of '92. Production Manager, James LoGrasso velop a new production run of ’57 Production Assistant, Gaye Whyte Chevys. What's the point? I stopped be- Typesetting, Janet M. Holland ing a Betaphile when the Hi8 format was Vice President, Circulation and Special Projects, Rena Adler introduced, and think of it as an evolu- Newsstand Sales Director, Gerald Levine Circulation Assistant, Elizabeth Moss tionary step in development. All the Beta- In 8mm we trust Financial Officer, Albert Mineo Business Manager, Janette Evans max innovations are current Hi8 features. Assistant to the President, Leslie Dionicio Hi8 is Betamax, in a smaller cassette As a broadcast engineer with NBC-TV Publisher, Eric C. Schwartz with a better picture. Hi8’s PCM digital and an owner of a Hi8 video camera, I Associate Publisher/National Advertising Director, Linda DeRogatis audio, RC time code and Y/C separation read with interest Roderick Woodcock’s Marketing Director, Luanne Rao East Coast Sales, Dina Redding-Berrigan, are worthy innovations that should be column comparing VHS with 8mm Annette Y. Schnur Classified Sales, Mary Au embraced. All the clamoring for a U.S (“Technically Speaking,” Nov. ’91). He’s Midwest Sales, Milton Gerber, Christine Richardson version of the 2100 “nostalgia machine” absolutely correct in noting that impair- West Coast Sales, Cynthia Gallivan West Coast Advertising Assistant, Karen would have been better spent demand- ments become more objectionable on DeMarco Ad Coordinator, Maria Sozio ing more Hi8 consumer VCRs. I’d hate smaller formats. I soon realized that National Editorial & Sales: 460 West 34 to see Hi8 go the way of Betamax and fine dust wreaks havoc on 8mm tape. Street, New York, NY 10001; 212-947-6500, 212-947-6727 (fax) ED Beta as a consumer format, while I recommend sealing the cassette Midwest Sales Office: Media Plus, 4409 RFD Stonehaven Drive, Long Grove, Betaphiles throw their dollars at nos- hatch airtight using vinyl tape. On pro- IL 60047;708-913-5400, 708-913-5403 (fax); 405 North Wabash, Chicago, IL 60611; talgia. Gene Windell fessional camcorders, a refrigerator-type 312-644-0001, 312-644-0930 (fax) West Coast Sales Office: 1453 Third Street, San Antonio, Texas gasket is installed for this purpose. Since Suite 490, Santa Monica, CA 90401; 213-393-5057, 213-393-5538 (fax) small tape is sensitive to wrinkling, one Japan Editorial & Sales: Mike Ueda, Nobuo Shoji, CES International, New Nishishin Living widescreen should load or unload the cassette only Building, 1-18-2 Nishi Shinbashi, Minato- ku, Tokyo 105; 03-3592-1531 (phone), Kenneth Korman’s article on James at the beginning or end of the reel. With 03-3592-1532 (fax) Bond laserdiscs (Nov. ’91) was enjoyable and informative. As a Bond collector, a few precautions, 8mm can definitely Editor-in-Chief, Art Levis (1936-1991) I’ve wondered why CBS/Fox still hasn’t teleased The Living Daylights in its origi- be trusted. David Vaughan REESE nal widescreen format. It now has the COMMUNICATIONS distinction of being the only pan-and- Woodbridge, Virginia @ INCORPORATED scan Bond on disc. Where’s the extras you'd expect for $49.98? Neal Radke For the record Cucahy, Wisconsin General Instrument does not make Channel Master satellite receivers, as was erroneously stated in Dec. ’91 “Vid- eo Flashes.” We regret the error. 8 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

(WaI31 aOLBeA)LBLsaEd, Because, one day, everybody will understand that VCRs are more than ‘boomboxes' with pictures. Everybody will realize, that Video is indeed the most sophisticated method for receiving information. Locally and internationally. Better than letters, faxes, phones, audio tapes, or computer discs, because only Video gives you both sight and sound at the same time. We are the World Authority on Multistandard Video since 1976, and we make the only consumer VCR/DIGITAL STANDARDS CONVERTER that plays any foreign tape on any American TV set; allows you to make copies of foreign tapes and comes with cable ready tuner and RF modulator. So, if the concept of the ‘Global Village’ appeals to you, don't Wait until everybody else gets the idea. Contact us today. TOLL-FREE 1-800-749-8779 INSTANT REPLAY 2601 S. Bayshore Dr.., Coconut Grove, FL 33133 FAX (305)858-9053 For additional information, circle No. 2 on Reader Service Card.

LATE NEWSEDITED BY BRENT BUTTERWORTH Go-Video goes forward stabilization system that compensates user can also wipe or fade between the for side-to-side movement as well as up- two cameras. A picture-in-picture effect The maverick manufacturer that intro- and-down shaking. The $1,199 HS- can also be created, with the wide-angle duced the dual-deck VCR to the U.S. is CX4U is a basic model, while the $1,299 image surrounding the shot from the expanding its offerings to three models. HS-CX7U features hi-fi sound. zoom lens. The inset picture window Go-Video plans to add a four-head, ster- can be moved from side to side. eo hi-fi dual-deck VCR to its line this + summer. It joins the original two-head, The $1,499 VL-MX6U is a basic linear stereo VCR-2, and a new version Sharp’s crazy new 8mm of the VCR-2 that duplicates Macrovi- model with 3-lux sensitivity, two-speed sion-encoded tapes. Sharp, the leader in full-size VHS cam- zoom and full-range autofocus, while the corders, has introduced its first 8mm $1,699 VL-MX7U adds stereo sound and Amateur moviemakers machine. Although most industry insid- an LCD color viewfinder. Both are avail- unite! ers expected Sharp to enter the 8mm able in a traditional gray color, or with a market, none expected it to do so in stunning silver finish that recalls Ger- man 35mm cameras of the ’30s and ’40s. A new organization helps would-be moviemakers make their dreams come true. United Video Features (UVF) of- fers a referral service for amateur script- writers, producers and cameramen, and will soon have a digital video-editing system for use by its members. Through a newsletter and seminars, UVF keeps members informed on new technology and techniques for making full-length video movies on the cheap. Interested videographers may call Steve Frost at 603-483-5129. Mitsubishi launches camcorder line One of the world’s most innovative cam- Double Vision: Sharp's VL-MX8U features a twin- Fast scans corder lines is headed for the U.S. this lens, twin-sensor camera section for instant zooms. The price of surround goes down. month. Mitsubishi, which has not sold such a flamboyant way—the new Sharp camcorders here for two years, is intro- 8mms are two of the most original cam- AudioSource has added center-channel ducing two VHS-C subcompacts and corders we've ever seen. Both use a amplification to its popular SS Three one S-VHS-C model. All carry features unique dual-lens/dual-sensor design to surround-sound decoder, and has available on no other camcorder on the produce special effects that normally re- changed the input transistors for an eight-decibel improvement in signal-to- market today. quire expensive video processors. noise ratio. Now anyone who owns a hi- The most revolutionary of the group The camcorders actually incorporate fi system can add full Dolby Pro-Logic surround —no extra amps requir—edfor is the $1,699 HS-C35U, an S-VHS-C hi- two separate video cameras. The bottom just $400. fi model with a unique system of inter- one uses a wide-angle lens with fixed fo- changeable lenses. Unlike the lenses in cus, for a 62-degree field of view. The Toshiba adds VCR Plus. Toshiba Canon’s L1 system, which incorporate top one has a conventional 12x zoom will add VCR Plus circuitry to two of its focus, iris and zoom motors, the HS- lens with digital autofocus. This ar- VHS VCRs, the M-458 and M-658. C35U lenses are simple, bayonet-mount rangement lets the user switch from full Both will be available early this year. = adapters for wide-angle, normal and wide-angle to full telephoto instantly. A telephoto shooting. Focus, iris and zoom functions take place within the cam- corder chassis. This arrangement cuts cost considerably, while adding tremen- dous flexibility. The company’s new subcompacts boast a new dual-axis electronic image 10 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

IFYOU'VE DREAIVIED OF OWNING SIMA ren MAKE ITSO!THE MEXT ee For Star Trek® fans throughout the known universe, the future has never looked brighter... because Star Trek: The Next Generation is now available on special double-episode Collector's Edition videocassettes, uncut and uninterrupted, exclusively from Columbia House Video Library. Your introductory video contains the exciting premiere, “Encounter at Farpoint”, co-written by legendary series creator Gene Roddenberry. On this first critical mission, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his newly commissioned first officer, Commander William Riker, lead the crew in a race against time to solve the mystery of the Farpoint Station and escape certain execution by the alien superbeing “Q”. Join all the extraordinary new crew members: Worf, the hot-blooded Klingon security officer; Data, the Android with exceptional skills; Lt. Geordie La Forge, a technical wizard despite his blindness; beautiful Counselor Troi, the Betazoid with empathic abilities, and others. Beam up your first videocassette at $15 savings! Enjoy this thrilling adventure for 10 days, risk-free. If you’re not delighted, simply return it within 10 days for a full refund. Or keep it and pay just $4.95 plus shipping and handling — $15 off the regular price. As a subscriber, you'll travel to strange new worlds. Every 4-6 weeks you'll receive an exciting new two-episode videocassette with episodes such as “The Naked Now,” in which the crew is intoxicated by a deadly contaminant and “Code of Honor,” in which Lt. Tasha Yar is kidnapped by aliens and much more. Preview each for 10 days, risk-free. Keep only the ones you want for just $19.95 plus shipping and handling. There is no minimum to buy and you may cancel at any time. For fastest service, use your credit card and call toll-free 1-800-538-77 Nas C) YES, rush the two-hour premiere of Star Trek: The Name (please print) Next Generation and enter my subscription under the Address Apt. terms described above. It’s mine to keep at the low introductory price of just $4.95 plus $2.45 shipping and handling. Check method of payment: O Check enclosed (for $4.95 plus $2.45 S&H) made City State Zip payable to Columbia House Video Library. P26 Charge my Star Trek®: The Neat Generation () purchases, beginning with my first cassette to: P27 Phone Number American Express Visa TM & Copyright © 1991 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserves rd. STAR TREK® and STAR TREK®: THE NEXT GENERATION a i, ‘ are registered trade marks of Paramount Pictures. H4 © The Columbia House Company, 1991 ‘, O) MasterCard () Diners Club Account No. Exp. Date Note: All subscriptions subject to review. Columbia House Video Library reserves the right to reject or cancel any subscription. Canadian resi- Signature dents will be serviced from Toronto. Applicable sales tax added to all orders. Mail to: Columbia House Video, P. 0. Box 1112, Dept. HES, Terre Haute, IN 47811

The tricks of ‘Terminator 2’ In the old days, ifyou wanted King Kong ff ry a to climb a building, you had two He’ll Be Back: Complex computer-generated imagery brought Terminator 2’s hellish future to life. choices: stop-motion photography, a painstaking hand-animation of a tiny this point, surface texture, color, light- Norman Lear, model, performed one frame at a time, or cel animation, which involves filming ing, shadows and reflections are add- ‘Family’ man hundreds of hand-drawn illustrations ed—to get it right, hours can be spent Back in ’71, the controversial political from plastic “cels.” Now, there’s a third, humor of All in the Family sent shock more effective alternative — computer- on a single frame. Digital compositing waves of laughter and recognition through prime-time America. The show generated imagery (CGI) — most recent- combines the figure with previously addressed on a weekly basis such for- ly taken to new heights in Terminator 2: merly taboo subjects as racial prejudice Judgment Day (LIVE Home Video).The filmed background scenes. The finished and the Vietnam War, and it always did so with insight and humor. Series cre- effects work in this film is dazzling—a sequence is electronically transferred ator Norman Lear has gone on to many brilliant combination of old and new other projects —such as producing Rob techniques that make audiences actually back onto film, a single frame at a time. Reiner’s first movie, This Is Spinal Tap, believe the unbelievable. as well as a new film called Fried Green “What we did took a lot of labor,” Tomatoes and another network sitcom, | “Our computer animation depart- | ment tripled in size for that film,” notes says Jurkowitz, who reports that 35 ILM Jill Jurkowitz, spokeswoman for Indus- technicians worked for a year to craft trial Light & Magic (ILM), which han- dled the CGI end of the job. (Produced just 50 shots for Terminator 2. That’s less on a large budget and a tight schedule, T2’s effects used a combination of CGI, than five minutes of screen time, at a re- ported cost of $6.4 million. Expensive? models and masks supplied by ILM, Fan- tasy II, 4-Ward Productions and makeup Yes. And the sweetest irony? Viewers maven Stan Winston.) The ILM se- quences found the evil terminator (Rob- have no idea about the painstaking work ert Patrick) slithering through a barred involved. But that’s what magic is all window, having his head split in two by a shotgun blast, walking out of a flaming about. —Tom Soter inferno and literally falling to pieces in a final fiery moment. Jurkowitz claims the most difficult effect was a sequence in which the evil terminator pours himself into a helicopter seat and then recon- stitutes himself as a person. “We had to match dialog and motion,” she says, “which can be especially tricky.” Yet little is simple where CGI is con- cerned. For any body metamorphosis (or “morphing”), a technician must give the computer the first frame in the transfor- mation and the final result; the machine figures out how to fill in the transitional frames so that the first form mutates flu- idly into the last. That means creating mathematically defined three-dimensional computer models for all the characters or sets, then making an onscreen wireframe dis- play of the model. The model is run through tests for fluidity and then “ren- dered,” often the longest process. At 12 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

Where’s My Beer? Jean Stapleton and Carroll more. Films like Who's Afraid of Virginia Making the Scene: Mike Nichols and Harrison Ford Woolf? (1966), The Graduate (1967) and watch a video playback on the Regarding Henry set. O'Connor are back on the new All in the Family tape. Carnal Knowledge (1971) explored adult gives you too small a picture, and pan- | Love Child, for debut in January —but relationshi—pasnd sexuality —in a way All in the Family remains a personal fa- that wasn’t necessarily graphic, just and-scan is unbearable. But now I love vorite. more honest than other movies. The recent release of the All in the composing in 1.85 because I want to Family 20th Anniversary Special (Colum- In Nichols’ latest film, Regarding bia TriStar Home Video) provided Lear make film technique invisible—I don’t with a unique opportunity to look back. Henry (Paramount Home Video), Har- “The show gets a lot of credit for chang- rison Ford and Annette Bening star as a want it to be a part of the audience’s ex- ing attitudes, but I don’t think it did heartless yuppie couple —he’s a Wall anything but get people to talk,” Lear Street shark while she’s an empty social- perience. And the Panavision frame says. “If 2,000 years of Judeo-Christian ite—who rediscover traditional values ethic couldn’t diminish intolerance and after a random act of violence changes makes you more self-conscious because bigotry, what’s a little sitcom going to their lives. Has age finally caught up do?” with the maverick director? Have the you really have to work at compositions. Hosted by Lear and compiling high- lights from the show’s nine Emmy conservative ’90s left their mark? “I’m Now I can just follow my instincts about award-winning seasons, 20th Anniversary really the last to know,” Nichols told us Special is peppered with commentary recently. “It’s hard for me to see patterns a story, and I don’t miss the wider screen from early fans of the show as well as in my own work —I’m just glad they let cast members Carroll O’Connor, Jean at all.” —KK Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Sally me keep doing it. But ‘conservative’ is Struthers. But time has scarcely blunted probably the wrong word. ‘Less angry’ the show’s impact. Lear contends the would be a little more accurate.” show’s primary intention was to bring an audience, “laughing or crying,” to The look of Nichols’ films has its knees. “You can’t do that unless you changed almost as much as their con- totally arrest people by dealing with tent. Once known for his careful wide- things they care about. Archie Bunker screen compositions — both The Gradu- was like my [real-life] father, but when ate and Carnal Knowledge are available he called me the laziest white kid he on heavily letterboxed Criterion Collec- ever met, he was knocking an entire tion laserdiscs—the director now opts race just to call me a name.” for the far less drastic 1.85 aspect ratio Lear has little patience for current for his movies. “It’s all about video and TV producers who merely pander to TV,” Nichols explains. “Letterboxing public tastes. “There used to be this ad- age, ‘Nobody ever lost money under- Save the Planet. National Video Resources, a project of | estimating the intelligence of the the Rockefeller Foundation intended to bring independent American people.’ That’s crap. This a smart populace. They know when films and video to wider audiences, has joined forces with they're being lied to, but we don’t have the Video Project and the Seventh Generation mail-order anybody with the guts to fight back.” —Shari Roman company to compile the Environmental Video Collection Regarding catalog. Among the catalog’s 39 titles are a number of pro- Nichols grams previously unavailable to the general public; others were recently repriced for direct sale. All the vide—ofsrom Director Mike Nichols exploded onto Bill Forsyth’s feature-film comedy Local Hero to Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax—are the American film scene more than two decades ago with a series of frank, ex- linked by concern for our deteriorating environment. For orders or a free cat- plicit movies that shocked some audi- alog, call 800-456-1177. ences and left others clamoring for Pressing Matters. Pioneer recently opened a second laserdisc pressing facility in Carson City, California, increasing the company’s capacity from =z600,000 to 1.6 million discs per month. A recent tour of the 304,000-square- K, hk Bae foot facility revealed the latest in not only laserdisc technology, but in other fields such as robotics— mobile machines are used at several points in the manufacturing proc- fa ess to increase efficiency and reduce the risk of disc-destroying contamination. The ’ ; plant’s increased capacity should further im- ga prove the availability of titles and provide an even stronger foundation for the for- Final Exam: Quality control at Pioneer's plant. mat’s continued growth. JANUARY 1992 VIDEO 13

VIDEO I}o BERGER-BRAITHWAITE LABS a pen PoC UR SEO ae OTEspear HOME THEATRE SERIES —WHS) Hi-Fi STEREO 4 HEAD VIDEO SYSTEM POWER STOP*EJECT. PAUSE REWIND F.FWO Y CHANNEL A NPB cM! Programming Plus: RCA’s VR690HF VCR incorporates VCR Plus circuitry, which allows a user to program the deck by entering numerical codes from TV listings. The VR690HF is programming system, which is one of the one of the easiest easiest to operate. VCR Plus, last year’s most revolu- VCRs to pro- For the most part, its features are tionary video ac- typical of a midpriced, four-head hi-fi gram—its VCR deck. Exceptions include front-panel in- cessory, is this puts that may be used for audio-only re- Plus circuitry re- cording, an onscreen instruction and year’s hottest VCR feature. RCA is first off the blocks with three VCR duces this often- troubleshooting manual, remote control Plus decks, which can be pro- of two RCA VCRs, multispeed slow-mo- grammed by punching in simple nu- arduous task to a merical codes from TV listings. The tion, an automatic head cleaner and a $629 VR690HF reviewed here is a RCA VCR few touches of the universal remote that controls numer- four-head hi-fi model with front-pan- VHS number keys. Just ous TV brands. It has no flying erase look up the pro- head, so it’s not suitable for serious edit- el inputs and synchro edit. Picture, with gram you want audio, ease of use and overall perfor- to record in TV ing, but it does have a front-mounted mance are all very good to excellent, synchro edit jack that makes dubbing comparable to all but the very best Guide or any other from an RCA camcorder easy. VHS hi-fi VCRs. The $529 VR665 is publication that virtually identical, but doesn’t have You might have a tough time picking VCR Plus or front inputs. We recom- carries VCR Plus out this deck in the st—osurrpriseingly, mend both—if you want the extra the VCR Plus circuitry doesn’t show on VCR Plus codaendspu,nch in the deck or the remote. The deck looks features and easier programming, get the higher-priced model. the four- to seven-number code listed next to the program. For those times when you can’t find a VCR Plus code, the deck also includes RCA’s onscreen RCA VAGSOHF Price: $629 advance, 10-digit key- manual add/erase dub, insert edit, titles/ Hz-12.5 kHz SP, 75 VHS VER pad, 100, display, clear, graphics, indexing, Hz-5 kHz LP, 75 Hz-4 Weight & Size (h/w/d): program, tape speed, Broadcast Tuning manual audio level con- kHz SLP 11.7 Ibs.; 3-1/2 x help and edit; rockers Range: 14-3/4 x 12-5/8 inches for slow speed up/down 2 to 13, 14 to 69 trols, audio level Hi-Fi Dynamic and tracking up/down; display Range: 83.1 dB Tape Format & and controls for TV Cable Tuning Range: RESULTS Speeds: power, previous chan- A-8, 2 to 13, A to W, VHS; SP, LP, SLP nel and mute, plus W+1 to W+84, A-5 to Horizontal Linear Audio S/N: rockers for volume and A-1 Video Heads: 4 channel Resolution: 38.5 dB Timer: Cue & Review Search: Counter Digits: 8-event/1-year using ei- 230-240 lines Mans ici locking/non-locking—5x, 5—hrs:mins:secs. ther VCR Plus codes or SIN Rati:os (dB): hiu-dfiio—0.3%D,istloritnieona:r— SP; 9x, LP; 15x, SLP onscreen programming unweighted video—47.3 | 44% Audio: linear mono, Fast Forward/ hi-fi AFM stereo Special Features: SP, 44.5 LP, 43.2 SLP; Rewind Time: VCR Plus program- 3-1/4 min. for T-120 Tuning Method: ming, still frame, frame wSeP,igh5t2e.3d LvPi,de5o1—5S3L.P8; | RATINGS frequency synthesis advance, slow motion, Remote Pause: auto rewind, onscreen chroma AM—44.3 SP, Picture: edit in/out on front Channel displays/instructions, 42 LP, 39.7 SLP; very good/excellent panel Selectors: auto head cleaning, chroma PM—42.7 SP, Kida: programmable up/down audio-only recording, 37.8 LP, 37.7 SLP Remote Control: scan on VCR, scan front-panel inputs, very good/excellent IR wireless with buttons plus direct access on counter memory Audio Frequency for VCR 1 on, VCR 2 Response: Ease of Use: on, TV/VCR, off/power, remote Absent Features: hi-fi—20 Hz-20 kHz, very good/excellent play, rewind/search, fast speed play, flying erase +0/-1.7 dB all speeds; forward/off, stop, re- Preset Method: head, audio dub, video linear, -3 dB—100 Overall: cord, pause, frame auto programming with very good/excellent 14 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

like many other RCA models, with a The title of Canon’s UCI may “world’s smallest be the most port- simple, attractive design and basic trans- camcorder’’ able camcorder changes hands of- ever —it’s roughly port controls on the front. A door hides VIDEOTEST ten. The current the size, shape and weight of a James champ is Canon’s Michener paperback. Its menu sys- a few other controls and the front in- 618 UCI, an 8mm ma- tem is the most extensive we've seen chine that is al- on a camcorder, and its titler is one of puts. The rear panel has the usual inputs CANON most as conven- the most versatile. An infrared re- mote control clips to the side. Picture and outputs. 8mm ient as a 35mm and audio quality are good, ease of point-and-shoot. use is very good to excellent, and The contoured, well-balanced re- camcorder overall performance is very good. At At only 1.28 $1,499, it is a good value we recom- mote breaks from tradition with several mend highly. cproeudnibdlsy, ueiteairsauidn- unusual controls. Of course, it has trans- Canon wee port and tuner buttons, with a 10-digit Its two-page digital superimposer stores high-contrast titles or graphics keypad. But its power buttons throw a and superimposes the pages separate- ly, together or alternately. The latter few curves. Separate buttons turn the mode allows simple animation. For a more sophisticated look, titles can be VCR on and off, and there are buttons wiped or scrolled, opaque or transpar- ent, and shadowed. The memo button to turn on a second RCA VCR. There is adjusts title density through eight levels. also an on button for a TV set, but the its flat shape makes it easy to pack and carry. Its features list is exceeded only by Within the three-screen off/power button turns off all devices si- those of advanced Hi8 machines. menu system are shutter speeds, white balance multaneously. So if you want to turn off Canon achieved the UCI's compact lock, some title op- design by rethinking virtually every part tions, edit erase the VCR but continue watching TV, of the 8mm camcorder. The biggest ad- you should turn off the VCR at the ma- chine, or you’ll have to turn the TV back on again. Also, the stop and eject vance is the seven-group, nine-element zoom, which has two glass aspherical buttons are combine—dif you’re not lenses. To create them, Canon had to used to this setup, you may find yourself develop a completely new lens grinding technique — previously, aspherical lenses accidentally ejecting tapes. had to be cast in plastic. The lenses help The TV controls operate 12 different types sold under 30 brand names, but there is no list of compatible TV sets— shrink, lighten and shorten the camera section while allowing a wider angle of just try the options until you find out if view than any other Canon camcorder. The new Canon-built compact transport the remote works with your set. The help button calls up an onscreen in- struction manual and troubleshooting also deserves special praise. guide. Few other camcorders offer Programming the VR690HF will be so many features. The list begins with a TTL fuzzy gaia a treat for those who have given up try- logic autofocus that op- ing to program VCRs. The VCR Plus erates continuously to system offers one-time, Monday- 0.4 inches from the lens in wide-angle through-Friday and weekly options. Un- mode and two feet in telephoto. It maintains like the original VCR Plus remote, the sharp focus even during pans and tilts. The UCI circuitry does not control cable boxes. also has an 8x zoom lens, a gain-up mode To record scrambled programs, cable for 2-lux sensitivity, 25-zone auto white bal- subscribers will have to leave the cable ance and an onscreen menu system. box tuned to the correct channel. Some cable users in large metro- politan areas with multiple cable systems may need to go through a one-time set- up procedure. This tells the VCR Plus circuit which channels in your system | correspond to those in the TV listings. Ease of use for the VR690HF is very good to excellent. Picture quality is very good to excel- lent, competitive with other midpriced VHS hi-fi decks. At 230 to 240 lines, horizontal resolution is slightly low, but It’s a Snap: this helps the deck achieve higher sig- An infrared remote (above) snaps onto the nal-to-noise ratios. Audio quality is also side of Canon's UC1 8mm camcorder. very good to excellent. Our overall rat- ing is very good to excellent. r JANUARY 1992

(which returns to the beginning of a Canon UCT Shutter Speeds (sec.): Tape Format & ter memory, blank tape poorly shot scene if the camcorder has normal, 1/100, 1/250, Speed: 8mm SP search, flying erase been recording for less than one min- 8mm Camcorder 1/500, 1/1,000, 1/2,000, head, tally light off, IR ute), gain up, trigger/hold-down fade, a 1/4,000, 1/10,000 Video Heads; 4 sensor off, self-timer, continuous or 30-second burst self-tim- Price: $1,499 edit erase er, blank tape search, line in/out switch- White Balance: auto Cue & Review Search: ing, and on/off selectors for the tally Weight & Size (h/w/d): with lock 9x forward, 7x reverse, Absent Features: ear- light and the IR sensor. 1.8 Ibs. including re- 15x high speed in ei- phone jack, indexing, mote and battery; 6-3/8 Viewfinder: electronic, ther direction remote control jack for Like most camcorders, the UCI is x 3-1/8 x 5-1/2 inches with diopter adjustment, editing, manual iris designed for right-handed operation. It onscreen indicators for Fast Forward/Rewind Image Sensor: WB lock, self-timer, Time: approx 8 min. for RESULTS has the traditional strap that goes 1/3-inch CCD counter, shutter speed, P6-120 tape, gain up, menu, Horizontal Resolution: around the back of the hand, a run/stop Lens: {/2.6; 8x battery, superimpose Remote Control: IR 240-250 lines button for the right thumb, and a zoom (6-48mm) power zoom page/color, dew, fade, wireless with buttons rocker under the first two fingers. Most sensor, tally light, line for zoom wide, zoom S/N Ratios (dB): vid- Filter Diameter: 37mm in, time, date, transport tele, record start/stop, eo—unweighted 41.1, camera controls occupy the left side, in- mode and caution on screen, tape return, weighted 48.3; chroma cluding buttons for the titler, fader, Minimum Focusing rewind/search, play, fast AM—40.7; chroma backlight compensator, and near and far Distance: 10mm at Viewfinder Controls: forward/search, counter PM—36.7 power focus. Some double as VCR con- wide-angle, 0.7m at vertical postion, diopter ~*~ record, stop and Audio Frequency trols. The viewfinder tube extends rear- tele focus sti Response: ward for correct viewing and can swing 20 Hz-15 kHz, +0.5/-3 upward for low-angle shooting. Autofocus: TTL fuzzy VCR Controls: play, Counter Digits & dB, down 6.9 dB at 20 logic switchable to rewind/search, fast for- Memory: kHz What’s unusual is that part of the manual ward/search, stop and 5—hrs:mins:secs. left side swings outward —it’s really an record start/stop Audio S/N: 62 dB infrared remote control. It can be oper- Minimum Illumination: Audio: hi-fi AFM mono ated while attached to the camcorder, or rated—2 lux using gain Microphone: omni- Audio Distortion: 0.3% detached to operate camera and play- up; measured—3.9 lux, directional electret Titles/Graphics: date, back modes at distances up to 16 feet. It normal; 1.7 lux, gain up condenser type with au- time and two pages of RATINGS has transport controls, and buttons for tomatic wind noise superimposable memo- record run/stop, and zoom wide and Iris: auto with 1/4-stop reduction ry in 8 colors with Picture: good tele. A release lets you lower the re- auto BLC and 1.5-stop reverse, scroll/wipe, maining part of the left side to reveal the manual BLC shadow, see-through Audio: good Auto Fade: to white; Jacks: external mic, Special Features: still Ease of Use: | trigger/manual in, man- frame, insert edit, coun- very good/excellent DC out for RFU, video ual out in/out, audio in/out Overall: very good HERESOLUTION No matter how you take your coffee, 16 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

eject button and the cassette compart- case of audio, slightly better than rated. digital superimposer, print the title with ment. Overall, we rate the UCI very good. In a fiber-point pen on a white background. An external microphone jack sits at the front of the left panel, and the front fact, it may be the most convenient Superimpose it in the color of your has audio/video input/output jacks and a DC output for the RF converter. The camcorder we've tried. Py choice, then shift the camcorder slightly battery locks onto the back with the re- lease along the top edge. to the right or left. The letters on the Almost all the controls are easy to TECHTIPS background will appear to be shadows of figure out, but if you skip the manual you may miss some features. The back- the superimposed letters. Press the re- light control is unusual in that it oper- ates automatically in quarter-stop steps, cord button and you’ve got it. This pro- and manually in one 1.5-stop step. Some users might prefer buttons for certain cedure works best with your camcorder functions in the menu system, like shut- on a tripod. Henry N. Perella ter speed, white balance lock and gain up. Calling all tipsters Providence, Rhode Island One thing to watch out for is the Do you know something we don’t about Surveillance by PIP VCRs, TVs, camcorders and other power switch, which is next to the zoom home video equipment? We’ll share it The picture-in-picture (PIP) feature on rocker. It can be easy to shut off the with our readers if you share it with us as some TV sets or VCRs can double as a camcorder accidentally. Also, the hinges a “Tech Tip.” We'll also give you credit simple security system. Connect an old for the remote control should be han- and a $25 bounty for each tip we pub- surveillance camera (or any video cam- dled carefully to avoid breaking them. lish. Tips should be informative and to era, for that matter) to a video input of Although one-handed operation is easy, the point. Please include your name, ad- the TV or VCR. You can mount the we recommend using two hands for dress and phone number —and a self-ad- steadier shots. Ease of use is very good to dressed, stamped envelope if you wish camera above your front door, or wher- excellent. your submission returned. Send submis- ever you prefer, as long as there’s enough sions to Tech Tips, Video Magazine, 460 light for the camera to function. Picture and audio quality are good West 34 St., New York, NY 10001. compared to other 8mm camcorders, When the doorbell rings, hitting the The shadow knows PIP button while you’re watching TV about as Canon rates them, and in the will let you see who is there without To create a sophisticated shadow look leaving your chair. This technique also for titles memorized with a camcorder's works to keep tabs on sleeping infants, children at play or anything else you need to keep an eye on. ‘Ted Cantrell Fort Lewis, Washington Serve your 35mm slides and negatives any way you like with Fotovix Ill. It's the surprisingly affordable and easy to use photo-to-video processor that perks up business presentations and home photo libraries. Fotovix III also inputs instantly to floppy disks, for sharp computer imaging and desktop publishing. For larger format films, there’s the advanced Fotovix II-X. And ifspecial effects are your cup of tea, there’s Tamron’s Video Editor II. For a demonstration see a Tamron dealer or write TAMRON to: Tamron Industries, Inc., Box 388, Port Washington, NY 11050. In Canada: Amplis Foto, 22 Telson Road, Markham, Ont. L3R1E5. - OTOV i4 Fotovix can make itfor you. For adaitional information, circle No. 4 on Reader Service Card. JANUARY 1992 VIDEO 17

VIDEOTESTS VIDEOTEST When they were introduced in Ja- 619 pan last year, Pan- asonic’s Gao mon- PANASONIC itor/receivers 31-inch quickly became the country’s monit]or/ number-one seller. Now the company has released a U.S. version called Su- perFlat. The sets, inch modelandaivnacilhaibmleodeinlvaan2d7- recelver 3196SF reviewed here, earn their name because they have 30 percent less face curvature than conventional TV sets. One look at the picture imme- diately shows why these sets took Japan by storm. Cut the Curves: With 30 percent less face curvature, SuperFlat sets produce more realistic pictures. Because ofits flat, dark face, the new tube reflects little ambient light. A mul- tions as velocity modulation scan, black Panasonic’s Super- ti-prefocus electron gun with six elec- level expansion, video noise reduction, Flat monitors in- trodes and three lenses keeps the focus pincushion correction, wide-band CCD sharp at both the center and the cor- comb filtering and both vertical and hor- corporate some of ners. It uses an Invar shadow mask that izontal sharpness. the biggest ad- does not distort color when it is heated Complementing the picture is a 10- vances in the history of direct-view sets. The new SuperFlat tube pro- and advanced circuitry for such func- watt-per-channel stereo amplifier, which duces an outstanding, high-contrast Panasonic Price: $1,800 | 4-inch woofers and two channel scan and chan- | picture. Its Dome audio system puts CTP-3196SF concentric 2 x 3-inch nel scan; VCR/VDP many small hi-fi systems to shame, Superfiat Weight: oval tweeters in inte- contro--VCR/VDP without destroying the set’s clean Monitor/ Receiver 132 pounds grated enclosures switch, channel scan lines. Picture and audio quality are rocker and buttons for excellent, ease of use is very good to Size: Type of Tuning: power, TV/VCR, pause, excellent, and overall performance is 25-1/4 x 32-1/8 x 18 frequency synthesis frame advance, rewind/ excellent. At $1,800, it is a bit expen- inches search, stop, play, fast sive, but we think that once you see Method of Tuning: forward/search and re- and hear it, you'll reach for your Power Use: programmable scan on cord with safety 165 watts set, scan plus direct checkbo—oikt’s one of our all-time access on remote Inputs: S-video—2, vid- Front-Panel Controls: eo—3, stereo audio—3, favorites. on slide-out drawer Broadcast Tuning antenna—2 panel—buttons for pow- Range: 2 to 13, ture, video noise reduc- Response: line out—20 er, display, menu, 14 to 69 Outputs: video—1, tion, three picture set- Hz-20 kHz, +0.4/-0.7 normal, video, antenna, stereo audio—1 fixed ting memory banks dB; speakers—30 TV/video, advance/re- Cable Tuning Range: level and 1 variable Hz-15 kHz call, volume up, volume 125 additional channels level, RF—loop out RESULTS down, channel up and Audio S/N: 79.1 dB channel down; inside Remote Control: IR External Speaker Horizontal Resolution: compartment—slide wireless with TV control Connectors: 2 for sur- tated—700 lines; con- Total Harmonic switch for TV speakers buttons—power, sleep, round firmed to 650 lines Distortion: line out— on/off TV/Video, recall, mute, 0.2%, speaker—1.9% rapid tune, skip, 10-dig- Internal Audio Picture S/N (dB): it keypad, video, Amplifier Power: video—58.3, chroma RATINGS normal, menu, 100, an- front—10 watts/channel, AM—65.7, chroma tenna, PIP, size, audio surround—10 watts PM—65.2 Picture: excellent swap, freeze, replay, Screen Size: 31 inches search, picture swap Special Features: Accuracy of Colors: Audio: excellent diagonally headphone jack, PIP, very good/excellent at Speaker Size: two and cursors for up, standard setting Ease of Use: down, right/plus and front inputs, channel very good/excellent lock, program timer, se- Audio Frequency lefi/minus plus rockers lectable color tempera- Overall: excellent for volume, favorite 18 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

BOGEN 3169 | CINE/VIDEO | | & Fast Cap TRIPOD Camcorder Comfort and | Convenience OP/TECH USA’s new Compact Video Strap takes the strain out of carrying a camcorder. Using soft, Wi easy to handle, durable neoprene and a 2 NM the 3169 combines Bogen 3001 Tripod Legs and a 3130 QR Micro unique “comfort stretch” Fluid Head with Quick Release Plate. The Bogen 3001 Tripod is the lightest (about 3 lbs.) and the smallest (folds backing, this product is the to 20 1/2 in.), but is one of the most versatile tripods we offer. Sturdy, hard finish aluminum legs feature 3 click most comfortable video stop spread angles and each has a sure grip, quick-acting, non-fouling lever lock. The Bogen 3169 is just one of a strap available. It makes wide choice of tripods, fluid heads, dollies and accessories. even the heaviest :: See your dealer or write to Bogen Photo Corp., 565 East camcorders feel 50 percent lighter and 100 percent more Crescent Avenue, Ramsey, N.J. 07446-0506; (201) 818-9500 comfortable, and is available in eleven fashion colors. For even more | convenience, OP/TECH USA offers the Fast Cap, a revolutionary lens cover. It attaches to a lens or filter, and the base stays in place while the hinged, spring-loaded lid can be flipped open bya flick of the thumb. The Fast Cap is the last cap you'll ever need. For the dealer nearest you call, 1-800-251-7815 or write OP/TECH USA, 290 Arden Dr., Belgrade, MT 59714 Circle Showcase # 1 Circle Showcase # 2 AllNew! VIDEO SHOPPER Chaparral SOSEB SHOP WITH THE VIDEO SHOWCASE Nicsikenp @cheidee Get more information on any advertisers featured in Video Showcase or find out where the nearest dealer is for that of satelite TV options product. Simply cirde the product number along with your desired shopping option and we'll do the rest! pacekialy Showcase #1 Showcase #3 order or CD player A. Send me literature = A. Send me literature Yatoaulllteimess.eceAlneadstwsith B. Send me dealer information B. Send me dealer information st once. ANS rien: Showcase #2 Showcase #4 satellite sound in A. Send me literature A Send me literature asrtrhoeunedssesnotuianld caonndtrol B. Send me dealer information B. Send me dealer information nt experience. Name Address ‘al dealer nearest you City

VIDEQTESTS VIDEOTEST When they were introduced in Ja- pan last year, Pan- asonic’s Gao mon- 61 © itor/receivers PANAS 0)l|( quickly became the country’s number-one seller. Now the company has released a U.S. version called Su- 3 1 -inch perFlat. The sets, available in a 27- ] inch model and monitor/ the 31-inch CTP- rece1lver 3196SF reviewed here, earn their name because they have 30 percent less face curvature than conventional TV sets. One look at the picture imme- diately shows why these sets took Japan by storm. Cut the Curves: With 30 percent less face curvature, SuperFlat sets produce more realistic pictures. Because ofits flat, dark face, the new tube reflects little ambient light. A mul- tions as velocity modulation scan, black ti-prefocus electron gun with six elec- level expansion, video noise reduction, Panasonic’s Super- trodes and three lenses keeps the focus pincushion correction, wide-band CCD Flat monitors in- sharp at both the center and the cor- comb filtering and both vertical and hor- corporate some of ners. It uses an Invar shadow mask that izontal sharpness. the biggest ad- Complementing the picture is a 10- vances in the history of direct-view does not distort color when it is heated and advanced circuitry for such func- watt-per-channel stereo amplifier, which || sets. The new SuperFlat tube pro- duces an outstanding, high-contrast Price: $1,800 Panasonic _ |a-inch woofers and twa | channel scan and chan- || Picture. ItsDome audio system puts CTP-d196SF Supertlat Monitor/Receiver VIDEO 460 West 34th Street New York, NY 10117-0460 18 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

[BOGEN 3169 OP/TECH USA Compact Video Strap |CINE/VIDEO & Fast Cap TRIPOD Camcorder The ideal Comfort and camcorder Convenience companion. OP/TECH USA’s new Easy to use and easy to handle, Compact Video Strap takes § the 3169 combines Bogen 3001 Tripod Legs and a 3130 QR Micro the strain out of carryinga @ Fluid Head with Quick Release Plate. The Bogen 3001 Tripod is the lightest (about 3 lbs.) and the smallest (fol camcorder. Using soft, to 20 1/2 in.), but is one of the most versatile tripods we offer. Sturdy, hard finish aluminum legs feature 3 click durable neoprene and a stop spread angles and each has a sure grip, quick-acting, non-fouling lever lock. The Bogen 3169 is just one of a unique “comfort stretch” wide choice of tripods, fluid heads, dollies and accessories. backing, this product is the See your dealer or write to Bogen Photo Corp., 565 East most comfortable video Crescent Avenue, Ramsey, N.J. 07446-0506; (201) 818-9500 strap available. It makes Circle Showcase # 1 even the heaviest e camcorders feel 50 percent lighter and 100 percent more 4 comfortable, and is available in eleven fashion colors. For even more # convenience, OP/TECH USA offers the Fast Cap, a revolutionary lens cover. It attaches to a lens or filter, and the base stays in place | while the hinged, spring-loaded lid can be flipped open bya flick of the thumb. The Fast Cap is the last cap you'll ever need. i For the dealer nearest you call,1-800-251-7815 or write OP/TECH USA, 290 Arden Dr., Belgrade, MT 59714 Circle Showcase # 2 | All New! VIDEO SHOPPER Chaparral | Monterey Magazine Satellite For The Receivers Hands-On Video User Quite Simply...The Are you a video Best in Sights enthusiast who & Sounds rolls up his sleeves and works with The Monterey satellite receiver's unique four-way audio/video video? Then the switcher lets you easily select from a host of satellite TV options new magazine or as many as three other audio/video alternatives-and from VIDEO SHOPPER any room in the house. Your VCR, camcorder or CD player is designed for you. can be on-line and entertainment-ready at all times. And with Articles stress how- the receiver's digital color P-I-P functions, you can toggle on- 4 to-do-it information, screen between any two of these inputs at once. What's more, editing, pre- and } several Monterey models offer the best in satellite sound in post production, 1 digital or analog stereo, and with Dolby surround sound and taping techniques, program collecting and new products and dynamic noise reduction. The Monterey is the essential control accessories that help you add on, upgrade and enhance your video center to the ultimate home entertainment experience, system. Plus, in every issue, you'll find VIDEO TRADER, our very successful newsletter that contains hundreds of ads from people | For the name and location of the Chaparral dealer nearest you just like you who want to buy, sell or trade anything and everything | call: (408) 435-1530 related to video. Circle Showcase # 4 For a $9.97 subscription price, you can receive 6 issues of VIDEO SHOPPER. Send check or money order to VIDEO Circle Showcase # 3

The Mitsubishi CS-3535R 35\" TV features a fine pitch screen, digital Sre relosiliror invar shadow mask, velocity scan renverelel eluC@vaRe yarclenliems beam forming,and — an anti-static coating.

Tekestatsmverces “Wow, what a picture!” When we introduced the Take, for example, our ex- 20% while forming an anti- clusive Diamond Visiorf picture static shield against dust. It also first 35” direct view TV back in tube. A direct descendant ofour absorbs ambient room light stadium display screens, itdeliv- rather than reflecting it,so your 1986, people couldn't believe ers optimum contrast and color picture never looks washed out. that a picture that big could also even under the most challeng- be that sharp and that beautiful. ing light conditions. Our Dynamic Beam Form- ing technology resulted from Its a reaction that has be- And this year, were treat- the fact that electron beams be- come more pronounced with ing selected Diamond Vision come distorted as they reach the every passing year. And this tubes with a special coating that edges and corners of the screen. year is no exception, thanks to boosts contrast an additional Reshaping and refocusing the Mitsubishi’s commitment to beams results ina much sharper technical innovation. overall picture. Also contributing gener- ously to a sharper picture is our exclusive Fine Pitch Screen. By reducing the pitch, or horizon- tal distance between the phos- phor stripes, it delivers a 20% improvement in detail. We could go on and on about the picture enhancing advantages of our digital comb filters, invar shadow masks and quote from a considerable list of other technical specifications. But to really appreciate the remarkable picture you get with the CS-3535R direct view 35” you need to do some basic re- search of your own. Turn it on and watch it. 2%. MITSUBISHI TECHNICALLY, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE” © 1991 Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc. For more information on Mitsubishi Home Theater Systems and the name of your nearest dealer, call toll-free (800) 527-8888, ext. 245. For additional information, circle No. 3 on Reader Service Card.

ime emanemar drives Panasonic’s new Dome sound sys- headphone jack and S-video/video/ster- the remote’s buttons might be mislead- tem. It uses two-way speakers in sealed cabinets behind the tube. Ports conduct eo audio jacks. ing. The recall button does not call back the sound through cleverly camouflaged grilles in the bezel to maintain accurate The back seems equally bare be- the previous channel, but activates the stereo perspective. The tuner uses MTS cause Panasonic covered the jack panel time/channel/audio mode display. Rapid stereo decoding with dbx noise reduc- tion. Surround-sound circuitry powers with a door to conceal unsightly wires. tune calls back the last channel, and two rear speakers, which are not sup- The removable door hides four columns skip is a new feature that lets you chan- plied. Convenience features include a pic- of jacks for input and output, connectors nel-hop for up to six minutes in one- ture-in-picture (PIP) that may be placed for surround speakers, two antenna in- minute increments before automatically anywhere on the screen in two sizes, with freeze, swap, audio swap and sepa- puts and a loop-through output from the switching back to the original channel. The PIP may be activated without | rate picture controls. The PIP also offers antenna 2 feed. Input 2 and program out selective channel search, selective video input and an eight-frame instant replay. have columns of RCA jacks for video lifting the flap. There is no second tuner, | In addition to the standard programma- and stereo audio while input 1 has an ad- so operating most PIP functions requires | ble scan tuning there is a favorite chan- ditional S-video connector that disables an external video source. Video and | nel memory, which stores up to 15 channels. Three favorite picture settings the video jack if an S-video plug is in- sound adjustment, setup, picture set- | may also be stored. A clock, a sleep tim- er, parental channel lockout control and serted. The fourth column has variable- tings and advanced features are all ma- | aibiltiwtyo.-program timer add to its flex- level audio jacks for feeding a stereo sys- nipulated through onscreen displays. | Little but the picture tube is visible tem. Unfortunately, some displays fill the en- | from the front. The narrow pedestal The remote control exposes com- tire screen so none of the picture shows | hides a small drawer with simple con- trols for most functions and the menu monly used buttons, like power, volume through. This is the one weakness in an | system. A door at the right opens to re- and channel up and down on the front. otherwise almost-perfect system. Ease of | veal a switch for the internal speakers, a A cover on the rear conceals more eso- use is very good to excellent. | teric controls, such as the unusual PIP Picture quality is excellent. Pan- | functions and controls for a cable box. | asonic rates the set at 700 lines of hori- , VCR controls poke through the cover. zontal resolution, which we verified | The flap can be folded under the remote visually to 650 lines. The electronics so all controls are exposed. compensate for the extremely low cur- | The set is designed to be operated vature of the SuperFlat tube so there is | primarily from the remote. The only little geometric distortion, and very low | control in the drawer that does not ap- variation in focus from the center to the © pear on the remote is display, which ini- | edges of the picture. The Invar shadow | tiates a demonstration mode. Three of continued on page 103 | Two ways to create professional quality videos without breaking the bank! AZDEN’S STATE-OF-THE-ART VE-100 AND VPC-10 TURN THOSE HOURS OF os TAPES INTO EXCITING, | PROFESSIONAL VIDEOS. \\ Our newest product, the VPC-10 eet is truly unique. Combining 3 basic video functions (1) a video enhancer Winner of a Design & Engineering Award and signal processor to improve the picture quality and enhance colors, at the Consumer Electronics Show, the VE-100 allows you to create up to 100 perfectly (2) a Special Effects Generator, to create numerous exciting wipes, such as cut scenes. It’s compatible with all formats. venetian-blind, curtain, and mosaic. (3) a “paint box” for changing the Utilizing the infrared signal of the recording deck, colors on a segment of the picture. All of these functions can be combined and incorporating the “VITC” time code system, it allows you to make seamless edits, with 3 frame in an infinite number of patterns, sizes, colors, and wipes. Additional accuracy! You can combine several tapes, and add audio from an external source. Easy to learn, Features: 4 Compatible with all systems O Record from either of 2 sources and easy to use, you can be editing within an hour after connecting the equipment. There is nothing (1 split-screen for comparing and altering the incoming and outgoing video of comparable quality on the market even close to signal O Create positive or negative images U 2 outputs for making 2 our Suggested Retail - $459.95. copies simultaneously G4 Color generator controlled by joystick for creating entire color spectrum Oi Fade between video picture and background color or effect 4 Manual editing can be accomplished by using the fade to black button. Suggested Retail - $459.95 A y D = Re ® 147 New Hyde Park Road, Franklin Square, NY 11010 (516) 328-7500 Distributed in Canada by OPTEX CORPORATION Send your $10.00 check for Azden's 9 minute video with step-by-step explanation of both units. Returnable for refund ifyou purchase either unit. 24 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

The difference between zoom and 20000000000000m. I;you're looking for a are hiding in the background, camcorder that can bring you can bring them eyeball the action up close, here are to eyeball. three words of advice: Hitachi Digital Zoom. With Hitachi Digital Zoom, the possibilities are endless, The amazing fact is, while most ordinary cam- To learn more about Digi- corders can get you only tal Zoom and other innova- 8 times closer, Hitachi’s new tions like Accushot, Artificial Digital Zoom is capable Intelligence and Autohead of magnification up to 100 Cleaner, call 1-800-HITACHI. times. Of course, as with all Your dealer will show you digital camcorders, at ex- that the difference between tremely high zoom levels, ordinary camcorders and picture clarity diminishes. Hitachi camcorders is,among other things, a whole lot of So now, when your Little Leaguer isplaying deep Z00000000000000M. center field, you can catch every detail from the seats record them close up from the last behind home plate. row of the balcony. When your favorite singing And when all the zoo animals group comes to town, you can ©1992 Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc. For additional information, circle No. 16 on Reader Service Card.

VIDEOTESTS Hitachi amazed the camcorder VIDEOTEST world last year when it intro- 620 duced a VHS-C camcorder that flattens for easy HITACHI carrying. Now it brings the same 8mm camcorder convenience to mm. The top quarter of the VM-E25A swings over 90 degrees to become the grip, camera section and viewfinder. When flattened, the VM- E25A fits in a three-inch briefcase and still leaves room for papers. But that is not its only trick. It also carries a unique set of digital effects, in- cluding modes that let a user squeeze or Concealed Camcorder: stretch the picture horizontally, a 64x Hitachi's VM-E25A folds flat for easy carrying digital zoom with a viewfinder magnifi- (top) and unfolds for shooting. cation readout, and 24 superimposible ond may be selected manually. color graphics. A remote control stashes A slide switch on the left rear edge inside the cassette compartment. For releases a catch that allows the top part of the camcorder to fold to the right, so point-and-shoot convenience, it uses ar- tificial intelligence, or fuzzy logic, to control focus, iris, backlight compensa- With the VM- E25A, Hitachi tion (BLC) and shutter speeds to 1/250- brings its success- ful twist-and- second. Shutter speeds to 1/10,000-sec- shoot concept to 8mm— twisting the Hitachi VM-E25A Filter Diameter: 34mm Viewfinder Controls: stop, record with safety, camcorder into shooting position 8mm Camcorder diopter focus title on/off, title shift for- turns on the power and slides away Minimum Focusing ward and reverse, A/V an integral lens cover. Its tiny chassis Price: $1,300 Distance: almost to sur- VCR Controls: fast for- dub, synchro edit/review, is packed with a 64x digital zoom, face of lens ward/search, play, rewind/ self-timer, camcorder fuzzy logic autofocus and exposure, a Weight & Size (h/w/d): search, stop, pause, re- start/stop, tele and wide concealed remote control and a new 1,7 Ibs.; 4-1/4 x 2-3/8 x Autofocus: view and eject digital effect that squeezes or widens 7-7/8 inches, grip vertical TTL fuzzy logic Counter Digits: an image. Picture quality and ease of Microphone: stereo elec- 5—hrs:mins:secs. use are good to very good, audio Image Sensor: Minimum Illumination: tret condenser quality is good and overall perfor- 1/3-inch CCD tated—4 lux, measured— Audio: hi-fi AFM stereo mance is good to very good. It has a 5.7 lux for 50 IRE Jacks: multipin—A/V in/ few operational quirks, and its $1,300 Lens: out and synchro edit Graphics: 24 price is a little high, but its extra fea- {/2, 8x (6-48mm) zoom Iris: fuzzy logic auto with auto BLC Tape Format & Special Features: still tures make it very appealing. Speed: 8mm SP frame, insert edit (A/V Auto Fade: hold-down dub), counter memory, weighted 48.6; chroma Audio Distortion: 0.3% type, about 4 secs. Video Heads: 2 second clock, digital A38M.—242.5; chroma PM— zoom to 64x, program RATINGS Shutter Speeds Cue & Review auto exposure, flying Audio Frequency (sec.):. auto exposure—in Search: erase head, elapsed Response: Picture: four steps from 1/60 to locking—9x forward, 7x time, time remaining, slim 50 Hz-15 kHz, -3 dB; good/very good 1/250: fixed—normal, reverse and wide modes -5.7 dB at 20 Hz and 1/120, 1/250, 1/1,000, -4.9 dB at 20 kHz Audio: good 1/2,000 and 1/10,000 Fast Forward/ Absent Features: Ease of Use: Rewind Time: external mic jack, ear- Hi-Fi Dynamic Range: good/very good White Balance: auto | approx. 8 min. for P6-120 phone jack, indexing, 67.3 dB Overall: good/very good digital memory Viewfinder: electronic Remote Pause: with adjustable diopter through optional synchro RESULTS and onscreen indicators edit cord for shutter speed, battery Horizontal Resolution: level, manual focus, Remote Control: stores 240-250 lines zoom mode/magnification, in cassette compartment low light, self-timer, coun- door—IR with buttons for S/N Ratios (dB): ter, menu, dual time/date rewind/search, play, fast video—unweighted 42.5, forward/search, pause, 26 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

the VM-E25A assumes a shape similar tery for a few seconds. Unfortunately, dividual pixels are magnified, so resolu- to that of a conventional subcompact. this returns the camcorder to its factory tion drops and edges may be fuzzy. This effect, noticeable in all digital zooms, is This motion uncovers the lens and sets settin—gtshe user must reset the time, date and camera adjustments. In spite of increased as the room ratio increases— the camcorder to camera mode, and these hazards, ease of operation is good places the zoom and run/stop controls in to very good. especially above 30x—and is more ap- their normal positions. parent in the wide mode. Our overall Picture quality is good to very good, tating is good to very good. But for two A button near the zoom rocker gives and audio quality is good, both about operational quirks, the VM-E25A is an a choice of zoom modes. Zoom 1 allows a what we expect from an 8mm cam- interesting, practical combination of 2x digital extension of the optical 8x mechanical and digital video technolo- zoom, up to 16x. The zoom 2 mode pro- corder in its price range. The digital gies. a vides an 8x digital extension, to 64x. At zoom provides no increase in detail— in- all zoom settings over 8x, a zoom meter in the viewfinder tells you the current magnification. Zoom ranges over 12x re- quire use of a tripod for steady pictures. Wide and slim modes are available Finally, ACompatible Unified Remote from the zoom 2 mode. Wide mode That’s Easy To Use stretches images horizontally by about 20 percent, while slim mode compresses images by the same amount. This last feature may be useful with upcoming = Unified remote unit controls most JVC televisions and VCRs. = Also compatible with most Panasonic, Sony, Sharp, Hitachi, 16:9 widescreen TV sets that will dig- Mitsubishi, and Toshiba televisions and VCRs. itally expand images to produce wide- ce AVE screen pictures. Both can be used for comic or artistic effects. ; Folding the camcorder for shooting reveals controls along its top. These in- clude camera controls, such as auto- focus on/off and powered manual focus 4e es TV near and far. On the beveled top left edge sit VCR controls. Fast forward and s tt ad + rewind double as edit search controls. CHANNEL An eject button, a camera/VCR mode et VOLUME selector and a review button sit nearby. \\@) “oy A stereo microphone and a covered multipin audio/video/synchro edit port e = occupy the front. On the rear are a com- partment for the clock/memory battery and grooves for the main battery. VCR MUTE SLEEP TIMER Opening the cassette door reveals a | button that ejects a credit-card-sized re- RM-A5 ( TV/ VCR) mote control. The remote carries a full UNIFIED REMOTE set of VCR transport controls, like play CONTROL and stop, plus start/stop, zoom and titler = Compact, lightweight VCR POWER a buttons. It has a few controls not on the design. PLAY FF camcorder, like synchro edit and A/V REW dub. = 19 Large, colorful, user-friendly keys to STOP PAUSE / STILL The titler calls up 24 color graphics, ia | including a vertical curtain that may be prevent pressing the superimposed in three positions, and wrong key various event graphics—a birthday accidentally. cake, Christmas bells, a heart and oth- @ Easy-to-use operation ers. The titler may be operated from the simplifies the basic camcorder or the remote, but it won’t | commands you use let you create your own graphics as most most often. @ Quick and easy push- button access of factory preset codes to use with other brands. camcorders can. | IMPORTANT TV/ VCR CHANNEL The twist-and-shoot design makes Although the Unified Remote Control unit is compatible with most JVC TVs and JVC using the camcorder easy. It offers man- VCRs, as well as many TVs and VCRs from ual focus and shutter speed selection, other manufacturers, it is possible that the Unified Remote Control will not work with your TV or VCR, or in some instances will provide only certain functions. but white balance, iris and BLC remain under fuzzy logic control. The remote can be tricky —the user must be careful to turn it the right way before inserting it into the cassette door, or it may jam, JVC Company of America which could mean taking it to a repair- 41 Slater Drive, Elmwood Park, N.J. 07407 man for removal. Occasionally, the cam- JVC Canada Inc. 21 Finchdene Square, Scarborough, Ontario M1X 1A7 corder's electronics freeze up. The user can restore normal operation by remov- ing both the battery and the clock bat- JANUARY 1992 VIDEO 27

CAMCORNERSTATE OF THE ART Sharpen your skills with a touch of class BY JIM SULSKI the National Alliance of Media Arts comparing camcorder formats and a CGLRAERGKE Centers, which publishes a guide to class called ‘Professional Results From When Steve Hotvedt decided to im- member organizations around the coun- Consumer Video Cameras.” Fees vary; prove his home video skills, he enlisted try. The NAMAC guide is available for the help of the professional videogra- $20 to non-members (call 510-451- call 415-861-3282. phers he found at the Bay Area Video 2717). As an example of the wealth of Coalition in San Francisco. “I learned training resources available, we rounded e The Visual Studies Workshop Media basic techniques that made a world of up five of the most respected: Center in Rochester, New York, offers difference,” said the 44-year-old Hot- dozens of basic and advanced classes. vedt. “Simple things, like shielding a mi- e The Center for New Television in Fees vary; call 716-442-8676. crophone from the wind. | also find I’ve Chicago is offering more than 20 classes become more careful about the way I set this fall and winter, ranging from one- e In New York City, Film/Video Arts day workshops to six-week courses. Re- is a 23-year-old organization that offers up a shot, and composition 50 workshops a year. Fees vary; call and flow of action have be- cent workshops include “Getting the come more important.” Most From Your Camcorder” and “Put- 212-673-9261. ting Your Family History on Tape.” Fees ; Most facilities offer a ba- Hotvedt is one of thou- vary; call 312-951-6868. sands of amateur videogra- sic course for beginners, cov- phers who are ditching unin- @ Quote... Unquote Inc., the public ac- spired instruction manuals for cess facility for Albuquerque, New Mex- ering the rudiments of cam- live teachers. With camcord- ico, offers about 40 classes each year and corder and VCR operation, ing turning into a national charges $15 per class. Call 505-243- audio, lighting, framing and hobby, video classes are pro- 0027. composition. Such classes not liferating. Whether you’re a only help students learn the beginner or nearly a profes- e San Francisco’s Bay Area Video Co- difference between a pan and sional, video classes are avail- alition holds nearly 100 seminars and a dolly, but the language of able at a variety of facilities, workshops each year, covering topics video, “how to think about not all of them obvious. that range from production basics to in- shooting in terms of editing,” These include media access teractive videodisc development. Re- explains Ida Jeter of the Cen- centers, community colleges, cent sessions have included workshops ter for New Television. “Basic public access facilities for ca- classes also help students ble TV, adult education cen- overcome basic pitfalls,” adds ters, even professional pro- Mona Jimenez of the Visual duction houses. Open to any- Studies Workshop. “For ex- one, their offerings range ample, how to eliminate au- from day-long workshops to dio buzzing by simply turning accredited sessions lasting off fluorescent lights or not several weeks. While the plugging a camcorder into the most advanced classes may same outlet as the refrigera- cost several hundred dollars, many cost less than $100. tor.” More advanced classes Finding a local video training site can be as simple as making a phone call. can be a living alternative to For example, to reach your neighbor- an owner’s manual. The kind hood’s cable public access facility, simply call your cable company. If you don’t of training that’s available delves deep subscribe to cable, call your municipality into the nuances of computer graphics, for the name of the firm. Community lighting and studio production. Such colleges and adult education classes are classes also offer access to equipment usually listed in the phone book under way beyond the budgets of most enthusi- “Schools.” When you reach a school, asts. You can edit with state-of-the-art ask for the adult education department. video systems, or rent or borrow other- wise unattainable camcorders. Media access centers are a bit harder to find. One comprehensive source is Apart from skills, training also wid- ens students’ video horizons. “The whole point about the medium is the editing,” says David Bolt, executive di- rector of the Bay Area Video Coalition. “Plenty of videographers develop a good continued on page 118 28 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

Special moments. You relive them each time you They’re packed with the latest features and very remember them. And when a moment is really special, easy to use, so you'll never miss the moment. They’re you celebrate it with something that’s truly befitting. Compact VHS, so you'll never have to let go of the moment either — the cassettes you record fit right into At JVC, we know. That’s why we create each of our your VHS VCR for easy playback (via “VHS Playpak” Compact VHS camcorders to fit those moments or directly on a JVC F/C-compatible VCR). A natural fit for the way you live. perfectly. Compact enough to fit comfortably in your hand, lightweight for fatigue-free shooting, crafted Special moments. Record them, relive them, and ergonomically so that simple things — like changing cassettes — don’t mean you have to change the hand celebrate them with JVC Compact VHS camcorders. that holds the camcorder. The Perfect Fit. GMIRNI-ACXOM5PUACT VHS CAMCORDER MGIRNI-ACXOM1P0AUCT VHS CAMCORDER CGHiO-RFMi-PSSATCXET9RE0SO-UVHCSAMCORDER CGORM-P3AC0T3UVHS CAMCORDER GCHiO-RFMi-PSSATC5ET0RE5SO-UVHCSAMCORDER

TECHNICALLYSTATE OF THE ART OPEAKING How to pick the perfect satellite receiver BY ROBERT ANGUS As receivers’ looks, performance and as part of a complete receiver, even in function have improved, prices have ris- economy models like Radio Shack’s So you think your home theater has it en. Today, a simple starter receiver costs Memorex SR 2014. Most economy re- from $750 to $1,200. A better unit will ceivers come with infrared remote con- all—a combi player, an S-VHS VCR, a trols, as do virtually all costlier units. 35-inch high-resolution monitor and a run you $1,400 to $1,800 and a full-fea- The most expensive, like the Chapparal surround-sound system. Maybe you Monterey 90 and Uniden 4800, also in- even have theater seats and a popcorn tured top-of-the-line model costs $2,000 corporate a UHF remote so that you can machine, but unless you have a satellite change satellites or channels and make system, you're missing something. The or more. If you’re a do-it-yourself type other adjustments from virtually any fact is, satellite TV is the best picture and the only one in your household like- room in the house. you can get short of laserdisc, and far ly to be using the receiver, you may be better than conventional TV broad- able to make do with a low-priced mod- Memory is the element that sepa- casts. el. But if other members of the family rates low-cost units that are relatively are likely to be using it, you'd be well- difficult to use from top-of-the-line Because of the need for a dish eight advised to spend more. Higher-priced models that virtually program them- to 10 feet or more in diameter, the plea- receivers may not deliver better pictures selves. The limited memory in units like sures of satellite TV have been limited than starter units, but they invariably largely to viewers in the suburbs or in are easier to use, and more likely to in- the HTS Tracker IV or the Drake 1024 the sticks. But small-dish satellite is on clude such desirable features as stereo remembers where most or all of the sat- the way. In fact, viewers in some parts of digital audio output. the country can receive many programs ellites are (so that you don't have to on four-foot dishes. Don’t even consider a satellite re- hunt every time you switch from one to ceiver that doesn’t include a VideoCi- another), and may allow you to program If you've decided to take the plunge pher II Plus descrambler. You'll need it some favorite channels. It also lets you into satellite (or dump that 10-year-old to receive any of the 70 or so cable prevent the kids from watching X-rated clunker system in favor of a full-featured channels you may care to subscribe to fare or the babysitter from running up a one), the place to start is with a satellite receiver. Most of today’s receivers can (another 100 or more are available free pay-per-view tab. handle both the present-day channels More memory, like in the Houston that require large dishes.and signals of charge). Likewise, make sure that the from the yet-to-come small-dish satel- receiver is capable of receiving both C Tracker V or the Panasonic PS 700EX, lites. Virtually all come with de- allows you to store information on lots scramblers built in. And most have and Ku bands. The former requires a more satellites and channels, including dropped the made-on-the-kitchen-table large dish and offers the most popular those that have non-standard audio. look of yesteryear for styling that fits in cable and satellite programs. The latter These receivers also let you store audio- perfectly with the rest of your equip- covers the frequency range where small- only channels, of which there are at dish and direct-broadcast satellite pro- least 80, embracing a wide variety of ment. grams will be available. music and talk formats. Your system will require a positioner The most sophisticated units, such to move the antenna from one satellite as the Toshiba TRX 2200 or the General to another. You can buy it separately or Instrument 2750R, allow you to select programming not just by satellite and Satellite Simplified: Toshiba's TRX 2200 lets users select programs by category or channel name. channel number, but also by channel name and program category. Top-of-the- line models like the Uniden 4800 fea- ture program guides that automatically position the dish and receiver for the program you want to watch. You don’t even have to know what channel or sat- ellite it’s on or the name of the program- met. Onscreen display, available these days on all premium-priced models, most midpriced units and even some starter receivers, makes channel selec- tion easy. Satellite audio, as broadcast by pro- continued on page 103 30 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

PERHAPS THE BEST WAY TO EXPLAIN THE NEW PHILIPS COMPACT DISC INTERACTIVE SYSTEM IS TO EXPLAIN WHAT IT’S NOT. Eirst Of all, this fe , normal, every, No c COyo ap oe ee ve laltelte (Gli) What you're looking at is not a CD. Well, not exactly. It’s actually a new kind of CD called a CD-I. You've probably already read that CD-I’s were coming. And you probably already know that CD-| stands for Compact Disc Interactive. What you may not know is that just one 5” disc can contain the combined works of Shakespeare, Dickens and Mark Twain. It can bring to life the paintings and photographs of the great museums of the world. And it can enable your children to exercise their creativity by using television as an interactive educational tool. CD-| technology 's not like anything you've seen or heard before. And the possibilities it creates are, truly, limited only by your imagination. PH iLi PS &PHILIPS

PHILIPS PRESENTS THE IMAGINATION MACHINE.’ And this is defip n ormal, ey °\"Y It, 4~p day, “sii PHILIPS THE INVENTOR OF CD tive audio/video, animated graphics and text. TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCES A A world you can manipulate and control. WHOLE NEW WAY OF LOOKING THE IMAGINATION MACHINE AT TELEVISION. When the engineers at Philips CREATES AN INTERACTIVE REALITY. figured out how to turn an audio Imagine taking your family on a leisurely stroll signal into a series of digital impulses, a format was born that through the back rooms of the Smithsonian. provided an everlasting alterna- tive to the LP Of course, what Imagine hearing an ABC golf announcer can be done to an audio signal comment on the great chip shot you can be done to a video signal as well. Thus, the advent of CD-I. just made from your easy chair. aq A combination of both technologies, the Imagination Machine is greater than the Imagine It's Saturday Woe RN sum of its parts. As a CD player, it provides stunning musical clarity thanks to Philips watching cartoons, LO? “Bitstream processing.” And, as a CD-I player, your kids are it creates an exciting new world of interac- creating their own. ©1991 Philips Consumer Electronics Company. A Division of North American Philips Corporation.

nation Machine, Tu Push a button on the Utilizing the full advantages You adjust for exposure. You Aidaaonang, YOU Watch, It's “Time-Life Photography” of CD-Interactive correct for lighting. You focus, CD-I| disc and you will find you experience technology, the disc You shoot. In seconds you yourselfatthe table features a unique camera actually see how the picture Time-Life of contents of an entire would tum out. Too dark? Photography simulator which lets Adjust your f-stop and try again. 10 volume series on you actually experience Series photography. taking pictures. Sandy's Circus Push \"Make A Movie\" on The interactive nature of the Does Suny stay with the the \"Sandy's Circus\" CD-| “Sandy's Circus\" CD-| disc animals or does hejoin brings the adventures of the clowns? Your children disc and your children Sandy the Sea Lion to life in decide how the story become their own writers new ways, time after time: will end with the easy to and directors, creating aal and entertaj,, Me operate thumbstick cartoons that let their imaginations run wild remote: eoyr |=eos ® for yOurfFami QM es Kk)ok co be beli: eveg The Imagination Machine creates, TAKE YOUR in 2lst-century language, an IMAGINATION FOR “audio/video reality.” Just slide ina CD-I disc, point and click A SPIN. the unique “thumbstick remote” To let you sample this amazing and you're in control. For the technology in action, we've first time in the history of set up an Imagination Machine television, you plot the demonstration kiosk at course. You call the shots. an electronics dealer near you. And, for a limited time, we're TELE TEACH; offering a special introductory package of two free CD-! titles, one ENTERTAIN, AND : free audio CD, and coupons toward Photo CD Sampler and CD+Graphics discs with your INVOLVE FOR YEARS TO COME. Imagination Machine purchase. The Imagination Machine from Philips. It’s As the leading developer of CD-I titles, not like anything you've experienced before. For the name of the Philips dealer nearest Philips is working closely with the world’s you, simply call 1-800-223-7772. most renowned publishing and entertainment groups such as Rand McNally, Time-Life and ABC Sports. And in 1992, through an agreement with Kodak, you'll even be able to create your own CD-| family albums. PHILIPS &PHILIPS

BY TY HARRINGTON Professionals have long been CCO-TRot asking us to make a handheld VHF wireless mic just like the A flyweight 8mm WMS-PRO, but it had to be for video to go completely self-contained with Camcorders have hundreds of use—sre- Under Cover: Sony’s CCD-TR51 has a sturdy, in- no wires, or antenna. cording memorable times, documenting important events, capturing life’s hu- tegral lens cover that's impossible to lose. Now it's here, the new Azden morous moment—bsut only if you have WHX-PRO, and one in hand. I’ve often been in situa- operate the zoom lens and other con- it's got all the tions where I wished I had a camcorder, trols at distances up to 50 feet. features of the ¢ but had left it behind because I didn’t best-selling want a heavy object hanging from my The trick with the TR51 is the han- WMS-PRO. dling. Naturally, the smaller the unit, shoulder. the more susceptible it is to erratic cam- Suggested When I picked up Sony’s new 8mm corder motion. But I found that there Retail: are nearly always cars, trees, telephone $275 CCD-TRS51, with its reduced dimensions poles and other sturdy structures to and light weight (1.3 pounds), I realized brace the TR51 against. When I couldn’t ‘a Range of the problem has been solved. Just as find anything to hold it against, I found 35mm point-and-shoots let you always that locking my elbows against my torso F over 250 feet. keep a camera in reach, the TR51 makes and exercising careful breathing control it easy to keep a camcorder handy. worked quite well. Over the long haul, m2 switch the light weight reduces fatigue and ac- Small enough to fit in a parka pock- tually promotes steady shooting. ' ableVHF et, the $1,200 TR51 packs a useful array of features, including a 6x zoom lens I became so attached to the TR51 (f1r6e9q.u4e4n5ciMeHsz and with a steady, lightning-quick inner au- that it was with me always —in the car, tofocus system and an auto macro fea- in restaurants, even at the supermarket. 170.245MHz). ture. It has stereo audio with an external There were so many great shots I would microphone jack, a world clock with @ Powerful mini never have caught without it, like a receiver comes with _ daylight-saving time adjustment, time/ waiter’s bawdy humor and an enormous shoe mount & velcro. date recording and title superimposer tower of soft paper towels toppling on an Like point-and-shoot cameras, it has a eight-year-old running after his brother. P Mincludes monitor sturdy, integral sliding lens shield that Sitting in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New can’t come loose like conventional lens York City with the TR51 resting on the earphone. © _ caps, further encouraging the user to tuck the TR51 into a pocket. arm of the pew, I was for the first time a PLUS: a “standby” able to tape inside a church, during a file ; switch on the mic The TR51’s controls are as practical as its size, designed for fast, simple oper- service, without anyone seeming to no- YP tor quiet switching. tice. And no one complained when I WMS-PRO owners ation without interrupting shooting. For deftly videoed from my side while visit- ing my 95-year-old grandmother at a My: yf can buy the example, the fader is underneath the nursing home. S~ lens, where it’s easy to locate by touch It’s true that many larger camcorders have features the TR51 lacks, but be- without stopping to look. The autofocus cause it’s so handy and so incon- and backlight compensation controls are spicuous, I’m tempted to make it my camcorder of choice, or at least to own nearby. one as a second camcorder so I'll never Beyond take-along convenience, the have to leave home without video. = TR51’s compact chassis attracts much less attention in the field than larger uni—tactsion is less likely to stop or shift in response to its presence. The viewfinder rotates 90 degrees upward, allowing an operator to cradle the TR51 at chest level. Looking down into the eyepiece, with the TR51 all but hidden by arms and body, gives the user a very low profile. A wireless remote control, barely larger than a matchbook, facilitates edit- ing and makes it possible to discreetly i, 147 New Hyde Park Road y Franklin Square, NY 11010

P.asonic introduces the FX Generator. It can change your coloring, texture, back- ground, and even your mind ORIGINAL ART about home videos. For everyone whose imagination keeps going after the camera stops rolling, Panasonic introduces the new FX Generator. It puts an end to boring home videos with the kinds of special effects you MONO TONE see on music videos and sports events. RANDY'S You can strobe FIRST PARADE or make an image STROBE mosaic. Paint it, freeze it, or THEROCK HILL 6 squeeze it. Then give it a more HALLOWEEN in es FESTIVAL ae y. ) \\| professional look by color correct- OCTOBER31, & Mf 1991 ing, superimposing and scrolling } Sleltl 743 titles, and adding shadowing and edging. Add an optional character gen- erator to create up to 10 pages of video titles, dates, times, : os a = 5 and a stopwatch. oe < _— ee a ee RS With special audio ‘ Lanes >. : effects, you can add ~ fy =asound track, ;; a voice-over and even pulsate your video effects to the beat. Put it all together and you'll see that with Panasonic, you'll have OUR NEW to view cae PANASONIC FXGENERATOR home videos. CAN CHANGE THE WAY aici YOU VIEW HOME VIDEOS. (ee saieangees OOS Panasonic: Fai6NcCSRoodinoeaenra.frraciovldtrieeimcraoetniaoln, just slightly ahead of our time®

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BY RODERICK WOODCOCK How to delete a date, splice an S-cable and compare S-VHS with VHS Counter Cover-Up: A date/time stamp can be concealed with a special-effects generator (center) or a computer digitizer and genlock (right). [i]I videotaped my daughter’s birthday paste the piece over the readout. Obvi- [I]e<: anyone make inline splices for ously, this works best when the readout Y/C cables? I have two or three party but accidentally left the date covers a simple background, such as a wall, and when there’s little camera mo- short ones, and would like to join them and time stamp on. Now I’m stuck with tion in the scene. together. I know longer cables are avail- able, but they’re expensive. the readout throughout the tape, and it’s [i]:know S-VHS offers 60 percent more horizontal resolution than Arthur Clark distracting. Is there any way of getting standard VHS in SP mode, but what Santa Barbara, California rid of it? William Ferris about other methods of recording? How does S-VHS EP compare to VHS SP? San Diego, California Does an S-VHS master dubbed to VHS equal or exceed VHS masters made di- A You can obliterate the readout in rectly in the camcorder? For VHS re- [JI’m not aware of any inline splices three ways, none elegant. One is to cording, is S-VHS tape better than premium-quality VHS tape? specifically made for Y/C cables, but place a special-effects generator (such as Azden’s VPC-10) between the cam- Jim Doreck here’s a hint that Macintosh computer corder and the VCR and make a copy of the tape, using the generator’s wipe fea- Seaside, California owners (like me) discovered a few years ture to cover the date with a colored bar. If the area is too hard to match, you []Based on my experience with more ago when the Y/C specification was set. can add a bar on top and bottom for a than a dozen S-VHS decks in four letterbox effect. It turns out that the pin placement for years, S-VHS EP displays more resolu- The second method, which is much tion and sharpness than standard VHS Macintosh’s ADB keyboard cables is al- more expensive, is to take the tape to a at SP. I often record six or eight hours of professional postproduction house and TV programming in S-VHS EP, dubbing most identical to that for Y/C cables. have them digitally sample a piece of things I want to save to library tapes in each scene and electronically paste it S-VHS SP. In both S-VHS and VHS, SP The only visible difference is the slight over the readout. Networks use this is clearly superior to EP, owing to wider technique to cover up the numerical track widths and significantly fewer metal “V” bulge on Y/C cables, designed dropouts. time code that often finds its way into to help align the cables for insertion. I believe an S-VHS original dubbed their tapes. to VHS will equal or exceed the quality Inline splices for Macintosh ADB You can accomplish the same thing, of an original VHS master, and will be cables cost $5 to $10 at computer stores. albeit more crudely, with a computer clearly better than VHS copied to VHS. that has genlocking, digitizing and Using S-VHS tape for VHS master re- But long, inexpensive Y/C cables are NTSC output capabilities. A typical set- cordings isn’t a bad idea, but in this case, up would comprise a Commodore Ami- it won't significantly outperform premi- also available from companies such as ga, an AmiGen genlock, a NewTek Digi- um VHS tape. View digitizer and a color splitter. Digi- Recoton, so 1 recommend you track tize a frame from a scene, and use the them down. brush tool from a paint program such as NewTek’s DigiPaint 3 to crop out a piece Incidentally, while Mac ADB cables of the frame next to the readout. Then can suffice as Y/C cables, don’t try using MVCPIPRTD1ISE0NUOUTBEIRSHI Y/C cables on a Mac because the ADB circuit is far more delicate than the Y/C circuits used in VCRs. s Video Magazine welcomes your questions. Please include a phone number, but not a return envelope as the volume of mail does not permit replies. All letters may be edited for clarity and space. Address queries to Q & A, Video Magazine, 460 West 34 Street, New York, NY 1000]. JANUARY 1992 VIDEO 41

WHROOLI ESVAasL)E,RS NEW PRODUCTSEDITED BY BRIAN CLARK FOR MORE INFO: CONVENIENT FAX # (201) 696-6531 (201) 633-1476 WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY LEGITIMATE PRICE INFO & ORDERS:.... 1(800) 950-4080 Authorized Dealer for JVC, Sony, Hitachi, Panasonic, much more. by w/Caner Sonic Memorex debuts slimmed-down camcorder Holography Toshiba Memorex’s Model 127 VHS camcorder has a narrow body and weighs just 3.8 Hitachi Sound. pounds. Iris control and white balance are automatic. A backlight/gain-up control Sony helps in tough shooting conditions. Editing features include a flying erase head, Jvc insert edit, index recording, blank search, a digital tape counter with memory and and more! forward/reverse video search and freeze frame. yj Price: $999. For additional information, circle No. 132 on Reader Service Card Super Hi-fi deck heads Sylvania’s Input Mts. Sylvania’s top-of-the-line VCR is the VC4360, which features hi-fi stereo sound and contains an MTS/SAP decoder to receive and record TV stereo and SAP DIRECT VIEW TV's broadcasts. The four-head design permits still and slow-motion special effects. The VHS machine allows onscreen control of programming, VCR setup, and clock and 35\" DIRECT VIEW «es. eee calendar setting. The cable-ready tuner can receive up to 155 channels. 40”-70\" REAR PROJECTION Price: $499.95. OVER 900 LINES OF RESOLUTION For additional information, circle No. 130 on Reader Service Card. ZaoS=e:“THANKS FORASUCCESSFUL SEASON” ra Luxman introduces powerful receiver —— a Luxman’s RV-371 Pro-Logic audio/video receiver has Dolby Pro-Logic surround- We ship within 24 hours. PRICES ALWAYS COMPETITIVE sound capability. The front channels are rated at 70 watts, while center and rear are 50 watts per channel. Front-panel All prices quoted include manufacturer's standard jacks include one for S-video. Eleven audio and video inputs are available. accessories:& U.S. Warranty. All units are factory sealed. We are an AUTHORIZED DEALER for ALL Price: $1,400. NAME BRANDS WE SELL! 10 DAY EXCHANGE. For additional information, circle No, 131 J[“‘BUJ}DOOU}O/BI4NDOUOPD/HOODAOKJEWOIYISDOPJDU! S & H NON-REFUNDABLE! on Reader Service Card. 42 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

WMHAOLESOAuLOEn|RS FOR MORE INFO CONVENIENT FAX # (201) 696-6531 (201) 633-1476 WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY LEGITIMATE PRICE INFO & ORDERS:... - 1(800) 950-4080 FAST SERVICE! BEST PRICE! |_ Laser karaoke brings the sing-along home © ARRANGE FAVORITE SCENES IN ANY ORDER Pioneer is introducing laser karaoke players for home use, and with more than | 1,000 karaoke songs available, everyone should be able to find some favorites. The © BUILT-IN CHARACTER GENERATOR INTERNAL GRAPHICS (12 TYPE STYLES & 64 COLORS) CLD-V820 is a combi player as well, and can remove vocal tracks from most CDs. | Music levels can be adjusted to match the key of a singer’s voice. Laser karaoke © 12 TYPES OF FADES OR WIPES © INDEX SCENES discs contain music, backing vocals, video and onscreen lyrics. @ WIRELESS REMOTE Price: $1,000. © 16 WIPES BY COMBINING 5 BASIC PATTERNS For additional information, circle No. 133 on Reader Service Card. © COLOR BALANCING w/JOYSTICK CONTROLLER * 8 BACKGROUND COLORS, PLUS Panasonic offers | 51-inch projection set COLOR BAR CHART Panasonic’s 51-inch PTP-5186S projec- © COMPATIBLE w/SUPER VHS | tion television produces more than 700 & 8mm HI-BAND lines of resolution. The set has sur- @ VIDEO ENHANCER round-sound circuitry and dbx noise re- duction, along with variable audio © INDEPENDENT A/V FADERS JIX-SV55 | outputs for additional speakers. The in- cluded pair of speakers are each rated at © FULL FUNCTION 10 watts. The inset of the picture-in-pic- © SUPERIMPOSE ture feature can be either 14 or 18 ® AUDIO MIXING inches, and can be freeze-framed or © FADE IN/FADE OUT switched with the main picture. The au- © 98 WIPE PATTERNS | dio also can be swapped. @ PICTURE-IN-PICTURE Price: $2,999.95. © DIGITAL SPECIAL EFFECTS © JOYSTICK IMAGE POSITIONER For additional information, circle No. 135 © BUILT-IN DIGITAL SYNCHRONIZER on Reader Service Card. Sia, al © 200 CUTS — 100 SCENES @ ACCURATE TO WITHIN 3 FRAMES © AUDIO MIXING INCLUDING FADE IN/OUT © COMPATIBLE w/VHS, BETA, 8mm, SUPER-VHS | e6 ve meus VIDEO SEASON” 30U | © REMOTE CONTROL Surround speakers meet THX specifications = om“THANKS FOR A pd | Cambridge SoundWorks has introduced THX-certified surround-sound speakers for home theaters. Dubbed “The Surround,” the speakers send higher octaves out We ship within 24 hours. PRICES ALWAYS COMPETITIVE BPUJ‘Z“|DOpI/OOUNI4ODPUOAWDODUIDKSDOJSYWOOPJDU) the side of the cabinet, contributing to the surround effect. All prices quoted include manufacturer's standard Price: $400/pair. accessories-& U.S. Warranty. All units are factory sealed. We are an AUTHORIZED DEALER for ALL For additional information, circle No. 134 on Reader Service Card. NAME BRANDS WE SELL! 10 DAY EXCHANGE. S & H NON-REFUNDABLE! JANUARY 1992 VIDEO 43

AWHaOeLaErSAoLnEeRcaS s TOMORROWSTATE OF THE ART FOR MORE INFO: CONVENIENT FAX # (201) 696-6531 (201) 633-1476 WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY LEGITIMATE PRICE INFO & ORDERS:.... 1(800) 950-4080 Art from science’s frontier BY STEVE DITLEA VHS Hi-Fi w/MTS, Spectra Sonic S-VHS play- Visits to synthetic worlds of pulsating back, Flying ERASE head, VHS indexing, Tog lattices. Swirls of color that make ’60s en ring. real time counter, auto head psychedelia seem dreary. Vivid represen- clean. tations of scientific principles never be- SVHS Hi-Fi w/MTS, Spectra built in sound fore animated. These eye-catching processor, digital tracking, front A/V pack, visualiza—tidaozznlisng products of the insert edit, Tog dial shuttle, auto head clean. computer graphics revolution —are made by scientists to explore the outer Super VHS, 7 head Hi-Fi MTS & Spectra Sonic, limits of their knowledge. And you real time counter with digital tracking, auto won’t find them for rent at your local — clean, Tog dial/shuttle ring, amorphous video store, or on MTV. eads. Until recently, access to these and VHS Hi-Fi w/MTS, digital tracking, on screen many similarly striking videos was lim- programming with a front panel A/V jack pack. ited to other scientists, professionals and attendees of events like the annual SIG- Full Function A/V Mixer: Built-in digital synchronizer, GRAPH (Special Interest Group Graph- Frozen Moments: Computer-generated scenes from digital special effects, superimpose, fade-in/fade- out, audio mixing, 98 wipe pat- ics) conference. When such tapes were (top down) Spacetime Visualization, Rock Art, Vol 1: available to the public, they were ex- terns, picture-in-picture and tremely costly or offered through ob- The Moody Blues and The Conquest of Form. joystick image positioner. scure channels. But all this has changed with the appearance of an adventurous tal animation. The catalog’s fractal of- = Some“THANKS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SEASON” catalog, Computers in Science & Art, ferings reflect Strasmich’s own fascina- from Media Magic (Box 507, Nicasio, tion with the subject, which began in We ship within 24 hours. PRICES ALWAYS COMPETITIVE 1987 with Fractal Fantasy ($15), a tape CA 94946; 415-662-2426), a firm better he edited and for which he composed All prices quoted include manufacturer's standard known for its New Visions catalog of electronic music. accessories:& U.S. Warranty. All units are factory New Age music. sealed. We are an AUTHORIZED DEALER for ALL Gathering examples of the mandala- NAME BRANDS WE SELL! 10 DAY EXCHANGE. The latest Science & Art catalog, like forms generated by supercomputers, which also offers books, describes sever- Media Magic also offers state-of-the-art BPE“UOJ[1dOY/0IUONOI7OODDPAWUWDJDOSBHWYSIIDOPJDU) S & H NON-REFUNDABLE! al dozen unique, science-oriented vid- fractals in The Fractal Universe ($30) CPVMIPRD1TIES0NOUTBEIRS eos, all on VHS, with a few titles also on and Mandelbrot Sets and Julia Sets ($35). laserdisc. Almost half were compiled es- For those with a yen for psychedelia, pecially for the catalog. Media Magic Rock Art ($20), produced by Aeon founder Michael Strasmich says his goal is to broaden the audience for an emerg- continued on page 100 ing medium he calls “science as art,” which is about “synthesizing science, es- thetics and entertainment.” Viewers don’t need scientific backgrounds to ap- preciate such videos, Strasmich con- tends, since “science and art now over- lap.” They will need curiosity, however, and perhaps a sense of wonder: Some of the tapes are as brief as 15 minutes and light on technical explication. But their content is hypnotically beautiful and virtually unavailable else- where. For example, you don’t need to understand fractals, a branch of mathe- matics that can model the patterns of fern leaves or the shapes of coastlines, to be struck by the haunting beauty of frac- t 44 VIDEO JANUARY 1992

AUDIO INPUT Dbx vs. RCA: The MTS shouting match BY MARTIN BROCHSTEIN VCR industries. More than 32 percent the FCC only has jurisdiction over of the 20.8 million color TV sets sold in broadcastin—git has no power over the What is stereo TV? It’s probably not a 1990 were capable of receiving a stereo reception end. Therein lies the dispute. question you’ve thought much about. signal. Through the first nine months of Most videophiles assume that the wide 1991, the percentage had risen to 37 per- At its core is the fact that there’s no sound imaging coming through a stereo cent, and shows every indication of con- true technical definition of the word TV or VCR tuner is by definition a re- tinuing its steady climb well into the “stereo.” The most commonly cited cri- production of the stereo signal. But a future. terion for stereo sound is a minimum minor brouhaha has arisen within the separation of 15 to 20 decibels through- consumer electronics industry about Stereo TV seemingly was conceived out the listening range. But there actu- whether all sets marked as stereo should in a bowl of alphabet soup. In 1983, the ally isn’t a concrete standard. James indeed be carrying the label. In the cen- Federal Communications Commission Gatman, general manager of TV prod- (FCC) approved a Multichannel TV uct management for Thomson, calls Zenith $J2565S RCA 26040 WN a a ma T TITT dB Left-channel frequency response —}—+—4 te Left-channel frequency response |_| — fete rane EOE +++} ee a a 0 = - atte SS St HH K fe : | RHLIIE | T TE 4 Teta eV AT | | Wa -20 Se ae as -20 -30 Right-channel frequency response -30 Right-channel frequency response 20 100 1K PT el) 10K 20k 20 100 10K Frequency in Hertz Frequency in Hertz Separation Anxiety: These charts show the difference in stereo separation the noise into the right channel of each set. The further apart the lines, the between a Zenith TV set with a dbx MTS decoder and an RCA set with a greater the separation between stereo channels. The Zenith set act ieves non-dbx decoder. The upper line represents pink noise fed through the left channel of an MTS encoder into each set. The lower line shows leakage of 13 to 19 decibels of separation, while the RCA set produces a maximum of 7 dB separation. ter ring are dbx Technology Licensing, Sound (MTS) system proposed by the stereo a “psychoacoustic phenomenon” descendant of the company that in- Broadcast Television Systems Commit- that isn’t necessarily measurable vented the dbx noise-reduction system, through normal testing. Dbx begs to dif- and Thomson Consumer Electronics, tee (BTSC) of the Electronic Industries fer. which makes and markets TV sets under Association (EIA) in conjunction with the RCA and GE brands. The story of the National Association of Broadcast- Dbx officials say they became aware | their dispute says as much about the re- ers (NAB). within the past year that certain low- alities of business as it does about ques- priced stereo TV sets from Thomson, tions of technology. MTS is a broadcast standard that in- Sharp and Philips don’t include dbx de- cludes companding (signal compressing/ coders. Most of these companies’ stereo Riding the growing appetite for expanding) technology developed by sets do indeed have dbx decoders, for home theater components, stereo has dbx, a noted developer of noise-reduc- which dbx is paid a royalty that averages become a major element of the TV and tion circuitry. The stereo signal is dbx- about a dime fer set. But certain low- encoded at the transmitter or cable Martin Brochstein is senior editor of Tele- headend for eventual dbx decoding at end models use other circuitry, which vision Digest. _ the receiver. In most stereo TV sets and produces less stereo separation than VCRs, that’s exactly what happens. But continued on page 122| JANUARY 1992 VIDEO 45

LaserDiscs: en] 0 y have led the way in providing The Ultimate digital sound en LaserDisc owners with the widest Collectible par with the variety of quality programming, compact disc along offering films in their original Videophiles turn to with picture quality widescreen aspect ratio as well as the LaserDiscs for the best iat is a full 60 pan and scan alternative. LaserDisc in audio and video percent sharper than suppliers have also managed to programming. ordinary videotape. locate lost film footage and have Special effects such as scouted out top-quality masters from APPLE COMPUTER COFOUNDER slow motion and freeze which to duplicate their platters. In Steve Wozniak has long been a some cases, supplementary narration, technical visionary. However, these frame, and extensive storyboards and other collectible days his visions are being supplied programming and random materials have been added to the by LaserDiscs — those 12-inch access of frames and chapters programs to appeal to the interests of optical videodiscs that have become are some of the features that attract a the LaserDisc audience that tends to the primary source of his home growing number of video buyers to be more serious about their movies entertainment as well as the focus of the LaserDisc format. than the average videotape renter. a prized and growing movie Meanwhile, machines that play collection. both sides of discs have made the It’s no wonder that collectors format more convenient for movie like Wozniak consider LaserDiscs to Thousands of LaserDiscs are viewing. Longer playing CLV discs be such a prized possession. Unlike played back in rooms throughout his are now widely available and new home videotapes that deteriorate over house in the foothills of the Santa machines are able to play them with Cruz mountains by Wozniak and his the highest quality special effects. time, LaserDiscs do not degrade or kids. Then there is the collection — wear out with repeated play. Movies an additional 2,000 discs in total — New combination disc players that that have been restored to their that remain untouched, collector’s play LaserDiscs as well as the original roadshow quality become items that are still in their original, popular audio-only compact disc shrink-wrapped condition and have increased the marketplace for more than just home entertainment; alphabetized behind locked cabinet optical disc audio and video, with the they become documents for posterity. doors. number of players having doubled over the last few years. Viewers simply get more from “T’ve always been interested in the LaserDisc format — in terms of movies,” he told a GQ magazine Hardware development quality and content. One example, columnist. “Even before there was notwithstanding, it is the LaserDisc the VIDEO Magazine VIVA award- the Betamax, I had home VCRs and programming that originally drew winning “The Godfather Collector’s satellite TV. Then when LaserDisc Wozniak to the format. “The ability Edition,” includes. all. three came out, the specs just floored me. I to study the films and see them the installments of the Francis Ford just saw it as a winning technology.” way they were meant to be seen is Coppola film classic, and has been what I really like,” he relates. further enhanced with a unique With LaserDiscs, consumers can collector’s program, “The Godfather Not surprisingly, LaserDisc programmers like Pioneer LDCA Family: A Look Inside.” This disc, which is not being sold separately, contains behind-the-scenes and rehearsal footage, actor/actress Pioneer LDCA has led the way in providing LaserDisc owners with the widest variety of quality programming.

interviews and excerpts from the :AMERICAN TARGET ASSOCIATION ‘ei director’s archives. It is an example * OFFICIAL ~) FT. TIMED AND RAPID FIRE of the type of video exclusives that oe PISTOL TARGET are made available to LaserDisc owners. f‘iihee rs MATCH ee‘A ‘ In fact, these limited edition box ai Cc RELAY sets have spawned a subculture of disc collectors who pay enormous TARGET « sums to fill out their collections. One collector is now offering $6,000 for STAGE » \"The Star Trek Gift Set\" #1701. This limited edition collector’s set, which Cs includes all five Paramount Pictures’ “Star Trek” films, was released last THE NAKED GUN 214 summer in the widescreen format. At THE SMELL OF FEAR the same time, Pioneer also issued the restored color pilot of the ey television episode “Star Trek: The Cage,” which includes color footage (? believed to have been destroyed from Gene Roddenberry’s classic The Naked Gun 21/2 television series. on laserdisc. Don’t miss it. However enticing LaserDisc If you’re looking for some real laughter, set your sights on collectibles may be, the fact remains that LaserDisce provides its audience The Naked Gun 2%. With a laserdisc picture that’s 60% sharper with the same hit movies — and at the same times — as the mass market than ordinary videotape and incredible CD sound, you'll find your- videocassette alternative. When Paramount Pictures released self ducking every time Frank Drebin appears on the screen. “Ghost” last year, it was the most successful initial shipment of any And if you’re still hungry for shenanigans, we also have the film title in the history of the LaserDisc format. Madonna’s original The Naked Gun, Airplane! and Airplane II— The Sequel — “Blond Ambition” tour disc broke ground last year by becoming on laserdisc. So take aim at your local laser- available on LaserDisc before it was disc store and pick one up today. Because WMiibdmabbdedieiaeacZIAs available on videotape; and it is still exclusively available on LaserDisc. with these movies, we've scored a direct hit. More recently, the Madonna concert RUod? Oy BP2 By documentary “Truth or Dare” offered the superior quality of LaserDisc © 1992 Pioneer LDCA, Inc., Long Beach, CA. © 1992 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All rights reserved digital audio and video. And Call 1-800-421-1621 for a store near you “Terminator 2,” which was released For additional information, circle No. 14 on Reader Service Card. on tape to the rental market only, was issued for sale before Christmas on LaserDisc in both the pan and scan and widescreen versions; a special limited edition T-2 box set was also released in the widescreen CAV format that allows more critical viewing in all playback and special effects modes. With more than 6,000 LaserDisc titles to choose from, even diehard film buffs like Steve Wozniak are having trouble keeping their collection fully stocked. “I find myself going to the store and buying them by the armful,” he says.

BY BRENT BUTTERWORTH BEST PRODUCTS ‘91's Top Hardware OF THEYEAR What does ittaketobe Vegas.Theremaining a video visionary? Part 15 products and 10 of the answer is easy: tapes and discs receive Simply create a product VIVA award designations. of a program that tran- | _ To distinguish the scends the ordinary. verybest from 1991's But in the diverse, entries, our editors and technologically racing contributors debated culture of video, there's long and hard. The year was notable both no shortage of candi- dates. That’s why the — for the variety and the hard part of the answer inventiveness of its rom thousands of video products introduced each year, we is identifying the best _ products. Some dis- played original features, select several hundred of the best for coverage in Video from among the many like interchangeable Magazine. Now after weeks of deliberation, we've picked worthy contenders. the best of the best of '91 for our 1992 ViVA Gold! awards. The 10 products described below represent the video industry’s Last year, we initi- lenses,or refinements, highest achievements in technological innovation, perfor- ated the ViVA Gold! like new TV tube mance and value. They're stellar machines that powerfully il- awards to do just that: shapes, or ingenious lustrate video's vitality and diversity. approaches to familiar VIVA, for Visions in Vid- tasks.Afew even dem- PHILIPS eo Award. This year ViVA Gold! returns. In onstrated entirely new the accompanying _ Ways to use video. pages, you'll see Video What counted Magazine's selections most? Innovation, ex- for 1991's best equip- cellence in perfor- Ment and programs, mance—and finally, The 10 best in each each candidate's impact category receive VIVA | on the way we shoot, Gold! awards, to be edit, record and even presented at this see the world around month's Consumer us through the medium Electronics Show in Las of video. VIVA GOLD! AWARD PHILIPS CD-1 SYSTEM With its staggering development budget 48 VIDEO JANUARY 1992 and unfamiliar concept, many expected CD-Interactive to be the consumer elec- tronics industry’s answer to Hudson Hawk. But a few holes of Palm Springs Golf and a few clicks of the shutter in Time-Life Photography should make any- one a believer. It’s easy to think of this combination of a computer and a CD- ROM drive as a souped-up, $1,000 vid- eogame, but it’s so much more. As you stroll the Smithsonian, delve into dino- saurs or blast a battleship, CD-I makes you feel like part of the action. We can’t wait to try out Philips’ next round of discs, and to see what innovations Pan- asonic, Pioneer, Sony and others bring to this exciting new format.

A SONY KV-29XBR85 29-INCH MONITOR/RECEIVER _ PANASONIC LX-101 COMBI PLAYER it’s the most hassle-free projector avail- By fusing the guts of its high-end able. Just set it on a bookshelf, plug in an We've always loved Sony TVs, but this LX-1000 combi player with a no-frills antenna and an audio/video source, and may be our all-time favorite. A stylish drive mechanism, Panasonic created the prepare to be amazed. You'll see a pic- chassis/pedestal combination and a first bargain-basement laserdisc player ture with realistic color and no visible for videophiles. The $600 LX-101 boasts pixels. And you'll never have to balance unique screen size almost put it in its an S-video output with digital lumi- on a stepladder for monthly conver- nance/chrominance separation, a digital gence adjustments. own product category. Its picture is com- timebase corrector for an extra-steady petitive with that of any consumer mon- picture, and a MASH one-bit digital-to- Seee se al itor. The pedestal holds a VCR or a analog converter like the ones used in laserdisc player, and contains a sub- the best Technics CD players. Its CLV SONY CCD-TR81 Hi8 CAMCORDER woofer with its own amplifier. For those The TR81 is the subcompact we’ve been who simply want a realistic picture with- scan mode produces clean, flashing waiting for, packing a high-resolution re- out constant tweaking, it’s possibly the frames, which are much easier on the corder and full manual control into a ideal TV set. eyes than the flipping, mutated scan im- ages of most inexpensive combi players. palm-size package. Building on the suc- mee dee It doesn’t have side changing or digital cessful TR-series formula, Sony added a effects, but it puts out a great picture new inner TTL autofocus that greatly CANON L1 Hi8 CAMCORDER SYSTEM and great sound. And isn’t that why you outperforms past designs, as well as a We knew the VL-mount industry stand- buy a laserdisc player in the first place? manual focus wheel that feels as smooth ard for interchangeable lenses would be as the ones on film camera lenses. A Fa ea manual iris gives advanced users the ex- the genesis of many exciting new cam- posure control they expect from a Hi8 corders. But we never guessed it would MAGNAVOX LC-1000 camcorder. With the TR8I, all you lose result in such a stunning machine as LCD PROJECTOR/RECEIVER is sore arms and bulky carrying bags. Canon’s LI. With its 15x, 8x and wide- You can’t yet buy a video wall like the angle 3x zoom lenses, a 2x telephoto ones in Total Recall, but for $6,300, you converter and a Canon EOS 35mm can get the next best thi—nMaggna- camera lens mount, the L1 adapts to al- vox’s LC-1000 LCD video projector. most any shooting situation with the With a tuner and sound system built in, twist of a lens barrel. Its tasteful digital effects, stereo zoom microphone and professional feel have made it the cam- corder for serious amateur videogra- phers. And pros love it, too—it has found its way into the hands of local news crews, and has even been used to shoot an Esprit clothing commercial. JANUARY 1992 VIDEO 49

ci 3]canon UE! PANASONIC PRISM SUPERFLAT probably the most convenient cam- tion is a welcome change from the 31-INCH MONITOR/RECEIVER corder to date. Although this sandwich- bumping and grinding many players go Perhaps the most revolutionary direct- sized, 1.3-pound wonder goes almost through when changing sides. view set since the first Sony Trinitron, anywhere, it carries more features than mina Panasonic’s SuperFlat is the muscle car FUJI F6OWIDE 8MM CAMCORDER of monitors. With a darker face plate many full-size camcorders. Scrolling, Looking more like a weapon than a cam- and 30 percent less curvature than wiping and transparency options make corder, the F60 introduces two remarka- standard tubes, it produces incredible its titler one of the most versatile ever. bly useful features: a pistol grip that also Snap off its attached infrared remote, doubles as a mini tripod or a carrying and you can get in the picture while re- taining full control of the camcorder. and an integral wide-angle adapter Cee that slides into place at a touch, without contrast and some of the most vivid col- LEXICON CP-3 THX the picture distor- ors in video. The picture is so different SURROUND-SOUND DECODER tion caused by from those we’re used to, it makes most Those who think all Dolby Pro-Logic many wide- other sets seem old-fashioned. And its decoders sound the same should change angle lenses. sound system is one of the best we've their minds after five mintues with the ever heard in a direct-view monitor. CP-3. Its THX Cinema mode incorpo- ae rates subtle enhancements to Pro-Logic, PIONEER ELITE PRO-75 aaa 45-INCH REAR-PROJECTION resulting in a sonic improvement that is MONITOR/RECEIVER MITSUBISHI HS-U65 S-VHS VCR anything but subtle. We've tried it with The latest in a long line of outstanding The U65 is the standout among this dozens of discs and tapes, and in every year’s crop in inexpensive S-VHS VCRs one, sound placement was perfect, and big-screens, the Pro-75 offers an option- that match their high-end brothers’ per- we heard new details and surround ef- al contrast screen that saturates colors fects we never knew were there. On- and gets rid of the annoying scan lines screen menus optimize the CP-3 for that gave jumbo sets a poor reputation almost any speaker setup, listening posi- tion, audio source and room size. UE aap 1991 ViVA Winners Ithough only 10 video products earned ViVA Gold! awards, many more deserve special recognition. formance decibel for decibel. We like it The 15 we present below (in no par- better than its competitors because of its ticular order) have captured our atten- outstanding ease of operation, solid tion and fueled our enthusiasm for the chassis, onscreen rewind meter and so- field. For innovation and excellence, phisticated styling. Combined with out- each merits the ViVA award we present. standing picture and sound quality, SONY MDP-605 COMBI PLAYER these features may make it the perfect In the effort to make combi players less home theater VCR. expensive, manufacturers are substitut- Cin Tag ing stampings for castings and plastic for CANON UC1 8mm CAMCORDER metal. But like a '57 Chevy, the MDP- In the quest for compactness, Canon re- 605 almost seems to be machined from a thought almost every component of the solid block of steel. Its disc tray is vir- 8mm camcorder. The result is the UCI, | tually inflexible, and its smooth opera- 50 VIDEO JANUARY 1992