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MORIGINAL MASTER AECORDING\" pa THE wonILE eT FORMULA* O-M-R +. A/A/D + 24k Au = The Ultimate Audio Experience ORIGINAL MASTER AECOADING OAIGINAL MASTER AECOADING ORIGINAL MASTER AECOROING: siuETRAN john coltrane *(Original Master Recordings le fidelity FRoercoardcionmgpsletceataflroege aOnrdigiUnaLlTRMAaDsItSerC r lol a di®visBioin goef cMeFsScL,aI.ncl. ab -423- } or write to: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, ptleacthendolocgoympa+ct24 dkiasrcast) gold PO Box 1657, Sebastopol, CA 95473-1657. _ Iustratio; n by James Dowle‘n ©19. 90 (e/mololeliielsrelmeliolgesloiiclamnel £e1./-) Me 77 on Re=a)der Serviice Card.
VIDEO. Hi-Fi Stereo wow wea MHS 32 BOOB TUBE TO SUPER TUBE: TV’S SILENT REVOLUTION 42 A high-tech drive to turbocharge the CRT delivers wider, sharper, brighter pictures. 46 By David Lachenbruch 48 Hi8’S MOST WANTED Hands-on investigation of six power-packed camcorders. By Brent Butterworth and Ty Harrington INSTALLATION OF THE MONTH: PALISADE EARTH STATION A commanding view and a dish on the roof enhance a handsome home theater. By Stan Pinkwas CAMCORDER HEAT WAVE Slim lines and radical zooms ride a tide of wild new camcorders. By Murray Slovick TAPES & DISCS REVIEWS 51 GoodFellas, Edward Scissorhands, Reversal of Fortune, Postcards From the Edge, VIDEOTESTS Kindergarten Cop, more 53 DEPARTMENTS 60 EDITOR’S CHOICE / Around the World in 80 Days. By Kenneth Korman DIRECTORY / The latest releases on tape and disc PIONEER CLD-M90 COMBI PLAYER WITH CD CHANGER, 10 GE CG805 8mm camcorder, Sony SLV-686HF VHS VCR, Onkyo A-SV810 A/V amplifier. By Berger-Braithwaite Labs CHANNEL ONE / Building better ‘bottles’ 4 FEEDBACK / Letters from readers 6 LATE NEWS / CD-I decks, Nipper contest, VCR Plus, more 7 Cover: GAZETTE / Alan Dershowitaz, on Reversal of Fortune, Metropolitan's Whit Stillman, more § — Small-screen past, TOMORROW / Cable TV’s high-tech gamble 44 |.) whiodsetscarneaen afduotuureed—thuet NEW PRODUCTS / Magnavox VHS-C camcorder, super tube. Photograph Instant Replay multistandard VCR, more 26 by Jay Brenner HANDS ON TEST / Sima Ed/It 3 28 ; TECHNICALLY SPEAKING / VCRs reach for a centerfield advanta ge 30 LVoilsuametaXVmpa Q & A/ Technical queries answered 102 Number 4 A) The VIDEO Magazine (ISSN 1044-7288) is published monthly by Reese Communications, Inc.. 460 W. 34 St.. New York, NY 10001. Second-class postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing Audit office. © 1991 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 #R 125938423) U.S.: foreign, air mail, $40 U.S, Address subscription orders, change of address, correspondence and inquiries to: VIDEO, Box 56293, Boulder. CO 80322-6293. 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. POST- MASTER: 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 Zeed Rd.. Ann Arbor. MI 48106 JULY 1991 VIDEO 3
HOW TO BUY... CHANNEL ONE Surround Sound nd Sound is more than just an audio upgrade. It is an essential part of a complete audio or audio/video system. Buying a surround sound decoder involves careful evaluation of the equipment that will be used with the component and, as Building better ‘bottles’ always, showroom demonstrations and guidance from a qualified retailer. The first step is to decide whether the decoder will be used for a complete audio/ Our cover story this month is devoted to video system or an audio setup only. Sur- round Sound is adequate for audio, while that reliable old ox that pulls the video Dolby Pro-Logic plow—the picture tube. As contributing is preferred for editor David Lachenbruch points out, the A/V. Pro-Logic includes a center old-fashioned CRT is basically little more channel that than a bottle, on the bottom of which im- Professional separates music ages are projected. AudioVideo and sound effects Yet this aging video antique (now in its Retailers from dialogue so Association that the dialogue | \\4 seventh decade) is alive with brash new ; ideas on everything from radical shapes and is always coming / sizes to advanced faceplate alloys. If you from the direction of the screen. think LCDs and other sexy display tech- Your first decision is to choose be- 4 =o I niques mean the CRT’s days are numbered, «tween an A/V receiver or a dedicated Sur- think again and turn to page 32 for a fascinating tour through the vid- round Sound decoder depending on eo bottle. whether you'll be using any existing Adding to the tube’s new glamour is presstime word out of Japan equipment. Most of the receivers on the that Thomson (RCA) and JVC are jointly developing a VHS system market are more than capable of excellent capable of recording and playing back pictures in the widescreen 16:9 Surround Sound decoding, and decoders display aspect ratio. This could hasten introduction of widescreen sets in the U.S., something we feel would lend true meaning to the phrase themselves are no longer just for rear channel amplification, since many now “home theater.” include all five necessary channels. Hither e way, go over your existing equipment to be As you'll see on page 10, our “Videotests” are sporting a new look. We've added “Highlights” boxes, which provide quick overviews of our sure that it’s all compatible with the model you have in mind. Of course, make sure findings. And, for those of you who clip and file the tests, an easier-to- that the A/V receiver has an ample amount of inputs as well as other features, such as read numbering system has been implemented. The changes were de- switching capabilities, that you might re- signed to make the tests even more helpful in the evaluation of video quire. Among the extra features to consider equipment. We’d be interested in hearing your reaction. @ is a subwoofer output that provides in- Leave-It-to-the-Japanese Department: Japanese homeowners may soon creased low end response for sound effects. have no need to install TV antennas. Two glass companies say they've developed window glass in which silver-alloy TV antennas can be Before making any A/B comparisons, etched. Etching is scheduled to begin next year. make sure that the retailer has a complete Surround Sound demonstration area with all pertinent audio and video equipment. Bet Ce Proper guidance and good demonstrations will not only help you make your buying decision but also help you appreciate the audio excitement of the Surround Sound experience. Information for this column was provided Art Levis by Debra Smith, vice president of market- Editor-in-Chief ing at Tweeter Etc. in Cambridge, MA. To find your local dealer, call: 816-444-3500 ‘4/A“ZBUJU0jBOPdad4OINUIpJL/AOJEeJI!ODaEaIUySPUpOeJU! 4 VIDEO JULY 1991
PRESUMED INNOCENT 9621002 DIE HARD % |3676072 OBFORJNULOYN THE FOURTH % |4891042 BACK TO THE FUTURE % |2114092 BACK TO THE FUTURE PARTII x |9213042 SCHMARZEWE SOE BACK TO THE FUTURE PARTI * | 4970082 eRuce witcre mE €Semen inc TOTAL PREDATOR 3649012 Die Hard 2* RECALL RETURN OF THE JEDI % | 3547042 0418062 To2ta2l76R0e3c2all MAN WHO WOULD BEKING % | 0858032 The Sound Of Music * 0039052 waeRopnts tm ROMANCING THE STONE 0894092 An American Tail BATMAN (1989) % |6425042 2184042 THE BLUES BROTHERS 2117062 The Wizard Of Oz * pen mee E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL * |6811062 Star Wars * | THE RIGHT STUFF 6043062 ALIEN 0002082 ALIENS 3609092 2001: ASPACE ODYSSEY 0025012 DUNE 2111022 EXCALIBUR 6021022 BLUE VELVET * | 5150072| SCARFACE (1983) 2168042 SUPERMAN: THEMOVIE * | 0013052 SUPERMAN Il 6015002 JAWS 1000082 ROBOCOP 2350022 ROBOCOP 2 | s0s0052 AWNERAEMWEORLIFCANIN LONDON 7140062 DIRTY DANCING 4955072 Empire Strikes Ba’ ck* Patton* reiva FIX 6502002 0910092 0043092 Q&A 3807092 The Abyss* MAD MAX 7109052 8811022 DOCTOR ZHIVAGO 0026002 | THE COLOR PURPLE * | 6301032 Here's a great way to build a collection mail the response card always provided BEN-HUR (1959) 2603072 of your favorite movies—on laserdiscs! by the date specified. And you'll always RAIN MAN 2869062 Just write in the numbers of the 3 have 14 days to decide; if not, you may TANGO & CASH % |6474042 laserdiscs you want for $1.00 each, plus return the selection at our expense. LETHAL WEAPON 6308062 shipping and handling. In exchange, you LETHAL WEAPON II % |6427022 simply agree to buy two more laserdiscs There's a money-saving half-price HARD TO KILL 9535052 in the next year, at regular Club prices BLAZING SADDLES 0012062 (currently as low as $29.95, plus Bonus Plan. If you continue your shipping and handling)—and you may membership after fulfilling your Hy ANNAITIMOANLALHOLUASMEPOON'S 2115082 cancel membership at any time after obligation, you'll be eligible for our doing so. Bonus Plan. With each selection you FIDDLERONTHEROOF * |0551032 buy at regular Club price, the plan Every four weeks (up to 13 times a currently allows you to take another ONCE UPONATIMEIN AMERICA |6058082 year), you'll receive a Club mailing, selection of equal value or less at 50% reviewing our Director's Selection—plus Off...so you'll continue to save money for THE DEER HUNTER % |2124072 scores of alternate choices, including many lower-priced laserdiscs. And you as long as you remain a member. TSHTEOODDAYSTTIHLEL EARTH 0576042 may also receive Special Selection And there's a 10-day risk-free trial. mailings up to four times a year. (That's SPARTACUS 2108072 up to 17 buying opportunities a year). We'll send details of the Club's operation with your introductory AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS |6036052 You buy only what you want-when package. If not satisfied, return you want it! If you want the Director's everything within 10 days for a full THE AFRICAN QUEEN 0511022 Selection, do nothing-it will be sent refund and no further obligation. automatically. If you'd prefer an alternate selection, or none at all, just For fastest service, use your credit card and our toll-free number. Call 24 hours a day: 1-800-538-2233 AMERICAN GRAFFITI 2113002 Columbia House LASERDISC CLUB BTHUETCSHUNCDAASNSCIEDY KAIDND 0517062 Dept. T7WP.O. Box 1112, Terre Haute, Indiana 47811-1112 Yes, please enroll me under the terms outlined in this advertisement. As a member, THE EXORCIST 6003042 | need buy only 2 more selections, at regular Club prices, within the coming year. THE BIBLE % | 0747082 Send me these 3 laserdiscs for $1.00 each plus $1.50 each shipping and handling(total $7.50) FIELD OF DREAMS 9203062 ROAD WARRIOR 6028052 BLUE STEEL (1990) 6965002 Please Check How Paying: My check is enclosed 2HJ/2HK DARKMAN 4981052 C Charge my introductory laserdiscs and future Club purchases to: (MasterCard (J Diners Club CL) AMEX = CI VISA HOW THE WEST WAS WON * | 2669082 MAGNUM FORCE 6090082 Acct No. Exp. NEXT OF KIN 6472062 THE LAND BEFORE TIME 5822052 Signature OUT OF AFRICA 2131082 Name BEETLEJUICE 6330082 SUDDEN IMPACT 6146022 Address Apt. State DIRTY HARRY 6017082 City THE BIRDS 1027072 DANGEROUS LIAISONS | * | 6387002 Zip Phone No. ( ) *Letterbox BIRD ON A WIRE % |4973052 Note: Membership is limited and Columbia House Laserdisc Club reserves the right to reject or cancel any membership. Offer limited to continental U.S. (excluding Alaska). Applicable sales tax added to all orders. ©1991, Columbia House BULL DURHAM 2360002
FEEDBACKEDITED BY BRIAN CLARK VIDEO magazine Letterboxing and schemes to bleed the consumer! Next President and Managing Director, subtitles we'll have to pay for the music we hear Jay Rosenfield on car radios. Producers and manufac- In response to Raymond F. Young’s com- turers should get out in the market and Editor-in-Chief, Art Levis ments on letterboxing (‘‘Feedback,” compete against each other rather than Managing Editor, Stan Pinkwas May 91), I too favor more releases in Technical Editor, Lancelot Braithwaite this format. However, I am not pleased scheme against consumers, otherwise Senior Editors, Kenneth Korman, Brent with the way some companies handle Butterworth the subtitles on letterboxed releases. I they may wind up crying for protection Assistant Editors, Brian Clark, recently purchased several movies let- like the Chrysler Corp. April P. Bernard terboxed on laserdisc and found that in- Contributing Editors: Bob Angus, Mavis stead of seeing the subtitles on the Marcus Couch Arthur, Bob Barlow, Ivan Berger, Warren screen, the subtitles were placed in the Warren, Michigan Berger, James Caruso, Steve Daly, Bruce black bar at the bottom of the screen. Eder, Mark Fleischmann (Directory), Ty In search of foreign discs Harrington, Lawrence B. Johnson, David I plan to buy a system that will pro- Lachenbruch, Frank Lovece, Gordon ject the picture portion of letterboxed Many thanks for an excellent magazine. McComb, Marianne Meyer, David Ranada, films on a screen and cut off the black Murray Slovick, Mike Ueda (Japan), bars by projecting them on a wall farther I’m an avid collector of movies and buy Stewart Wolpin, Roderick Woodcock back. Star Wars, Return of the Jedi and Editorial Assistant, Lily Schwartzberg The Hunt for Red October all have the them on tape and laserdisc whenever subtitles below the picture, but Die Hard Art Director, Lonnie Heller 2, which I’ve just purchased, has subti- possible. Imagine my surprise when I ran Associate Art Director, Kristina Juzaitis tles in the image as it was seen in thea- Art Assistant, Luis Ramos Jr. ters. If studios can do it with Die Hard 2, across the Disney classic Song of the Production Manager, James LoGrasso why can’t they do it with other movies? Production Assistant, Gaye Whyte South. After I learned that it was never Typesetting, Janet M. Holland Brad Beaupain Ellensburg, Washington released in the U.S., the man who sold it Vice President, Circulation and Special Projects, Rena Adler The roar of the lambs to me said it was purchased while he was Newsstand Sales Director, Gerald Levine Circulation Assistant, Elizabeth Moss Regarding “Pay-per-view on cassette?” stationed in Tokyo. Financial Officer, Albert Mineo (“Gazette,” May ’91), I see no good in a Business Manager, Janette Evans cassette that self-destructs after a speci- I’m dismayed by the fact that a com- Assistant to the President, Leslie Dionicio fied number of plays. The only people to benefit from this system would be pro- pany as American as Disney would de- Publisher, Eric C. Schwartz ducers and manufacturers, not consum- ers. I like to view rental movies twice. If prive Americans of such a classic. I can Associate Publisher/National Advertising producers had their way, we’d be paying Director, Linda DeRogatis each time we play a record, a CD ora only wonder what else might occupy Marketing Director, Luanne Rao video of any program. Talk about East Coast Sales, Dina Redding-Berrigan, shelf space in Japan. Is thete no one who First Annette Y. Schnur Look specializes in importing Hollywood gems Classified Sales, Mary Au Midwest Sales, Milton Gerber, Carolyn that unfulfilled collectors, like myself, Bowman West Coast Sales, Cynthia Gallivan can contact? Christopher White West Coast Advertising Assistant, Caryn Cannova Pensacola, Florida Ad Coordinator, Maria Sozio Editor’s reply: Two sources worth looking National Editorial & Sales: 460 West 34 into for foreign laserdiscs are: Sight and Street, New York, NY 10001; 212-947-6500, Sound, 1275 Main Street, Waltham, MA 212-947-6727 (fax) 02154, and Laser Island, 1810 Voorhies Av- Midwest Sales Office: Gerber/Kamikow, enue, Brooklyn, NY 11235. 4409 RFD Stonehaven Drive, Long Grove, IL 60047; 708-913-5400, 708-913-5403 (fax) Address correspondence to Feedback, Video West Coast Sales Office: 1453 Third Street, Suite 490, Santa Monica, CA 90401; Magazine, 460 West 34 Street, New York, 213-393-5057, 213-393-5538 (fax) NY 10001. Japan Representatives: Mike Ueda, Nobuo Shoji, CES International, New Nishishin Mitsubishi's innova- Building, 1-18-2 Nishi Shinbashi, Minato- tive ceiling-mounted ku, Tokyo 105; 03-3592-1531 (phone), VS-1000R projection 03-3592-1532 (fax) TV eliminates much of the hassle of front CREOEMSMEUNICATIONS projection. One lens @ INCORPORATED channels the light from three CRTs, making changes un- usually simple. VIDEO JULY 1991
LATE NEWS___ EDITED BY BRENT BUTTERWORTH Zenith adds VCR Plus Multimedia and caption decoding Muscle: The Magnavox CDI910 | Gemstar’s VCR Plus, the VCR pro- CD-I player, its remote and upcoming software grammer that has swept the nation, is titles. also on its way to sweeping the VCR market. Zenith plans to use VCR Plus circuitry in selected decks this fall. The company also expects to become the first major manufacturer to offer TV sets with caption decoders, getting ay sae va a big jump on the competition by using | decoding technology it developed. Philips shows first 24-bit graphics, CD-quality sound and consumer CD-I decks Name the new Nipper partial-screen, full-motion video. The decks initially will be sold under the Magnavox brand name. Philips says CD- Nipper, the dog from RCA’s old “His It’s finally here — after years of develop- I players will sell for around $1,000 at Master’s Voice” logo, is one of the ment, Philips previewed its long-awaited world’s most recognized corporate mas- consumer CD-Interactive player in mid- discount, and will be introduced along cots. But the scene-stealing puppy who May. CD-I impressed us. with realistic with 50 software titles this fall. Stay | tuned for a hands-on review. a | stars alongside Nipper in the company’s latest ads isn’t so famous —in fact, he Nady’s 151 VR Wireless Camcorder doesn’t even have a name. Thomson Microphones—The Clear Audio Choice! Consumer Electronics, parent company of RCA, has decided to fill in the blank on Junior’s tag, and it wants you to help. Grand prize in the company’s contest to name the new Nipper is a $6,500 RCA By putting the microphone “where the action is”, the Nady 151 VR Wireless System delivers crisp, clear, precise professional quality audio. No | home theater system, and the first 2,000 more ambient noise problems. No more camcorder motor noise. And it’s compatible with all camcorders and video cameras with an audio input. who enter will receive free replicas of Nady’s 151 VR range is over 250 feet. The 151 VR wireless transmitter the dogs. Entry forms are available at clips on a belt where it can’t be seen. The attached lavalier mic is positioned RCA dealers, and must be received by | July 22. | near the speaker’s mouth on a tie, coat, shirt, etc. Or choose the high quality, Picture tubes tailored sleek handheld mic transmitter. Both are powered by a 9V battery. to fit all tastes For the very best in audio for video, the choice is clear—Nady. | As big-screen, direct-view TV sets be- For best pricing, call: Oe cab Ran come a commodity rather than a rarity, Nationwide: 800/222/8228 NADY 151VR manufacturers are beginning to offer sets | In CA: 800/624/1784 | sized to fit exacting tastes. With the re- | 15 Day Money Back Guarantee cent launch of a 29-inch Sony monitor, | Add $5 per order for shipping and handling. Most orders shipped | two 30-inch Toshiba sets and two JVC within 48 hours. Special delivery services available. CA residents 31-inchers, consumers can buy screens | in almost any size between 25 and 35 add applicable sales tax. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Mail inches. check or money order to: Nady 151 VR lapel mic Sony’s 29-inch KV-29XBR85 serves 1900 Powell Street, Suite 1135 as a step up from 27-inch models, with a Emeryville, CA 94608 15.4 percent larger viewing area; active Nady 151 VR handheld mic signal correction circuitry that uses arti- | ficial intelligence to control color, sharp- | | ness, brightness and picture; a split- | screen display mode that shows two full- | height, half-width images; and a sub- woofer with its own 40-watt amplifier. | For additional information, circle No. 3 on Reader Service Card. 7 JULY 1991 VIDEO
EDITED BY KENNETH KORMAN sila Be 8. Strange Bedfellows: Ron Silver plays legal whiz Alan Dershowitz in Reversal of Fortune; Jeremy Irons and Glenn Close (inset) appear as the unfortunate von Bulows. A legal eagle’s hints of decadence. has always thrived on controversy. He is role ‘Reversal’ Although Dershowitz gathered currently defending Leona Helmsley “T love this movie because it’s a case- strong scientific evidence to prove that book study of how civil liberties can Sunny’s coma, which is expected to last and Jim Bakker; past clients include protect the innocent rather, than the the rest of her life, was the result of a guilty,” says famed Harvard Law pro- Deep Throat star Harry Reems and fessor and civil libertarian Alan Der- suicide attempt, he admits that no one showitz of Reversal of Fortune (Warner will ever know exactly what happened. X-rated rappers 2 Live Crew. Though he Home Video). Adapted from Dersho- “About halfway through the case,” is Jewish, Dershowitz came to the de- witz’s book, the film depicts the author’s the lawyer recalls, “I told Claus I had be- efforts to overturn socialite Claus von come convinced by the evidence that fense of American Nazis when they Bulow’s conviction for the attempted there was no crime. And he looked me murder of his wealthy wife, Sunny. in the eye and said, ‘Then you're a fool. wanted to march on the largely Jewish There’s no way you could know whether While Reversal of Fortune is a fas- I’m innocent or guilty. Only two people suburb of Skokie, Indiana. cinating look at the American legal know. One of them is in a coma, and the process, its broader appeal rests in its de- other has a self-interest in telling you While Ron Silver is appropriately piction of von Bulow. In the hands of di- he’s innocent.’ rector Barbet Schroeder, screenwriter cast as the feisty Brooklyn-born lawyer Nicholas Kazan and actor Jeremy Irons “Von Bulow always wanted to keep (who won an Oscar for his efforts), von that ambiguity in the public mind. in Reversal, Dershowitz relishes the story Bulow is depicted as a man of perverse There was a perverse quality of having humor who relishes attention and likes of an alternate casting attempt: “Woody to tease the scandal-loving public with this piece of information, his secret, which became his most prized possession Allen was asked if he would play me in because other people were so eager to the film. And he said no, he couldn’t do get it.” Dershowitz was initially criticized for me justice.” —M. Faust agreeing to represent von Bulow, but he Laserdisc strikes a new chord Until recently, little effort had been made to enhance movie music on laser- disc. Oh, you can pump it up digitally along with the dialog, and mix it for ster- 8 VIDEO JULY 1991
eo or surround sound, but that doesn’t at enhance the music in the same way let- terboxing enhances cinematography or High Society: Filmmaker Whit Stillman focuses on New York's vanishing debutante culture in Metropolitan. digital video transfers can highlight art Uptown kids go tus as a dying breed “doomed to down- direction. But laserdisc buyers picking ‘Metropolitan’ up Paramount’s letterboxed reissue of ward social mobility.” Chinatown get a special musical treat — Writer/director Whit Stillman was a Jerry Goldsmith’s acclaimed score from Harvard undergraduate on Christmas It’s been a bizarre road to the direc- the film, alone and unimpeded by dialog, break in Manhattan when he accepted tor’s chair for the 38-year-old Stillman, on the disc’s extra pair of (analog) audio an invitation to be an escort at a Park with stops in freelance journalism and channels. Avenue debutante ball. While the very notion of a high society black-tie affair international film sales in Spain. It was But Chinatown isn’t the only disc was anathema for a young leftist in 1969, with this welcome feature. MGM/UA’s Stillman was ripe for a break from the while encouraging a friend to make the 50th anniversary laserdisc edition of The stridency and antagonism of student Wizard of Oz includes the separate un- politics. shoestring Spanish film Skyline in New mixed “M&E” (music-and-effects) track Despite strong reservations, Stillman York that Stillman, who had been look- recalls, “I got involved for a few weeks with this group of really eccentric, ing for a way to break into filmmaking charming characters. I couldn’t hate them totally because they were being since his student days, realized how nice to me. You wouldn’t want to spend the rest of your life with them, but in cheaply a film could be made. that context it was like stepping into a Fitzgerald novel.” Since most low-budget films shot in Two decades later, that experience New York opt for gritty lowlife stories, became the basis for Stillman’s first film, Stillman figured he could make a mark Metropolitan (RCA/Columbia), an ironic yet affectionate look at a group of young with a film that “focused on the opposite Upper East Siders confronting their sta- of the usual downtown subject matter. By taking an anachronistic subject we could make a film with a totally different look and texture.” Metropolitan cost “well under a mil- lion,” but Stillman doesn’t want to dwell on the low budget. “It’s interesting to filmmakers who might want to see how you did something with so little money. Value Added: The new Chinatown disc features mu- But to the general public, I think it’s off- sic-only tracks in addition to the standard soundtrack. putting. We tried for a look that, from on Audio-2. Other discs, such as CBS/ the technical side, would be painless for the public to see.” —MF Fox’s Heaven Can Wait (1943), Voyager's CLV versions of Taxi Driver and Raging Direct to Dise. MGM/UA‘s long-term dedication to the laserdisc format reaches a new peak in July with the in- Bull, and Paramount’s A Place in the Sun troduction of the “MGM/UA Laser Exclusives” series. Each month the company will release a title on laserdisc and Desire Under the Elms, also have that will not be available on VHS. First up is Vincente Minnelli's Two Weeks in Another Town (1962), starring free-standing MGE tracks. Kirk Douglas and Edward G. Robinson. August's release will be Mervyn LeRoy’s Rose Marie (1954), which features What makes all these discs and oth- choreography by Busby Berkeley. Both discs include sup- plementary material in addition to the digitally transferred films. er forthcoming titles so special is that Truth, Justice and Super Mario. A permanent visit from Mario and they give audiences their first and best Luigi may soon ease the strain on your wallet, thanks to a recent settlement between Nintendo of America and the Federal Trade Commission. Game buffs chance to hear the finished film music in from New York and Maryland who bought a Nintendo console between June 1, 1988, and December 31, 1990—and who mailed in their registration cards— its proper setting, without dialog intrud- will receive “instant redemption certificates” worth $5 off a cartridge. Charged with fixing prices on videogames, Nintendo could shell out up to $25 million ing. In a movie like Chinatown, this is in coupons (plus $5 million in damages), with other states joining in the anti- even more of a gift than one might ex- trust settlement later. pect — Goldsmith's music lent the film much of its doom-laden, noirish mood. Chinatown became one of the most sought-after soundtrack albums of the '70s, frequently commanding prices in excess of $75. And MCA Records, which owns the rights to the sound- track, has no plans to reissue it on com- pact disc. —Bruce Eder JULY 1991 VIDEO
VIDEQTESTSim BERGER-BRAITHWAITE LABS QUPIONEGE one co corres remem par Ae CO/COV &-DISC MULTFPLAY aIavceortsices a Six-Ring Circus: Pioneer's CLD-M90 combi player plays up to five CDs from a rotating carousel. Laserdsics may be played without removing the CDs. The CLD-M90 up the CDs and moves them to a central | oneer audio cassette decks. The feature playing position. A laserdisc may be selects the tracks that will fit on a cas- combines two played while CDs are in the tray, but sette and automatically records them. A technologies that CDs cannot be played while a laserdisc special cable connects the CD deck syn- Pioneer pio- is loaded. chro jack on the CLD-M90 with a simi- neered: a combi A number of features enhance CD lar one on the audio cassette deck. In player and a CD sound and operation. The deck uses the compu program mode, the CLD-M90 changer. While newer one-bit digital linear conversion scrambles the order of tracks to get the PIONEER Sharp has offered system for more precise audio. Its ran- most onto one side of an audio cassette. a combi player combi with a three-CD dom play feature works two ways. If se- Twenty-four CD tracks or laserdisc player changer for more lected from stop mode, it plays one chapters may be programmed for play- than a year, Pi- oneer’s is the first random track from each disc in turn, back. continuing without repeats until all Hi-lite/intro scan plays the first six to accommodate tracks on all discs are played. If selected or eight seconds of each laserdisc chap- five CDs, matching the capability of while a disc is playing, it plays the tracks ter, or six or eight seconds of aCD track many dedicated CD changers. The CDs on that disc in random order. beginning one minute into the track. fit in depressions arranged around the Other CD features include auto pro- The unit’s automatic digital level con- laserdisc tray. A mechanical arm picks gram edit, which works with certain Pi- trol (ADLC) is a compressor rather than Pioneer Disc Formats: intro scan, CD 1 to CD | frame—5 Titles/Graphics: dar CLO-M90 LD, CD. CD-V 5. pause, play/search, onscreen/display—func- Combi Player 10-digit keypad, 10+, Program Start Special Features: With CO Rapid Search: clear display, chapter/ Locator/Index/Cue: tion, disc, chapter/track, still frame (CAV only), Changer chapter/track; time on time, repeat and pro- disc, chapter/track, time, time remaining, frame advance, audio CDs, CD-Vs and CLV gram time/frame total time, frame, digital track selection, head- LDs; frame on CAV phone jack, random LDs Counter Digits: Audio: sound, audio channel, play, hi-lite/intro scan, time—4 (mins:secs.)/ hi-fi AFM stereo, digital edit, auto program, Cue & Review Search: stereo CD/LV, repeat, chapter, max—3 min. for CLV side, play, random play discs and chapter/track calen- Remote Pause: While its picture cellent audio quality, ease of opera- | control in, control out quality is out- tion and overall performance. standing for its However, it lacks features many vid- and CD deck synchro eophiles demand, such as automatic price class, Pi- side-changing, an S-video output and Price: $700 Remote Control: oneer’s CLD-M90 combi player is digital effects, which make it possible most remarkable for an audio fea- Weight & Size (h/w/d): IR wireless with buttons ture: a five-CD changer. The deck’s to view still frames, slow motion and 21 Ibs; 5-5/8 x 16-5/8 x ability to play a laserdisc while the clear search from CLV discs. We rec- 17-1/2 inches for power. stop/eject, CDs remain loaded will also please | ommend it for those who want the stereo/L/R, D/A/CX, music lovers who like to keep favor- CD-changing feature but do not use ite CDs loaded and ready to play. picture effects. Its $700 price is very still/step forward and The deck provides very good to ex- reverse, scan forward reasonable. and reverse, chapter/ track skip forward and reverse, random, hi-lite/ MLVPOEIHSRDOSETIOOLTGLEROSATPHS: 10 VIDEO JULY 1991
a limiter. It uses different attack and re- GE now offers two With eight scene lease times so that it does not fight with volume controls and introduces little subcompact 8mm transition options, signal degradation. GE’s subcompact VIDEOTEST camcorders, CG805 can really The video features are limited—the which differ in jazz up a home video. It offers dia- only special effects are still frame and 994 mond wipes with hard, soft and mo- step with CAVs. Slow motion and speed light sensitivity saic edges, square wipes with hard, play are absent. Skip works on chapters and zoom ratio. soft and striped edges, and a unique or tracks for CDs, CD-Videos and laser- The $999 CG800 random fade, any of which make discs, while scan works with all discs. conventional fades look dull by com- Step, skip and scan are all bidirectional. GE has a 6x zoom and parison. It’s light enough for all-day 2-lux light sensi- shooting, and small enough to fit in The CLD-M90 looks like Pioneer’s tivity, while the tiny cases. In fact, we carried it in a other combi players —it’s black, and has belt case designed to hold audio cas- a large front display, a 10-digit keypad CG805 reviewed settes. We think it’s especially fun to and the usual open/close, play, skip and use, although it lacks titling and oth- scan buttons. Noteworthy additions in- 8mm here has an 8x er advanced features. Its picture clude selector buttons for CD 1 to CD 5, camcorder quality is good to very good, its audio a pair of buttons for random and hi-lite/ zoom and 4-lux quality is very good, and its ease of intro scan, a tiny one for onscreen dis- sensitivity. The operation is excellent. Overall, we consider it a very good camcorder, play on/off, and another pair for edit/ CG805 has most of the features of and we recommend it. compu program/auto program and ADLC. its competitors, except titling. Its the RF adapter. A jack cover on the sup- time/date imprinter gives date, time and port strap tends to pop out under nor- The rear panel has two sets of video mal handling. On the left side below the and stereo audio outputs; a group of vid- date, or one minute of time and date. cassette hatch sit buttons for program eo, DC and mono audio outputs for an mode and set, focus, counter reset and optional RF adapter cable; a pair of mini The camcorder uses buttons for manual display mode. jacks for control in and out, and a sub- focusing instead of a lens ring. There is The program mode button doubles mini jack for CD deck synchronization. as a hold-down type fade/wipe control. The remote control reprises the front no manual zoom. When the lens is Holding down both program mode and controls, and adds buttons for stereo/ set for more than three seconds calls up left/right and digital/analog/CX audio. zoomed out, the automatic macro focus a viewfinder display for fade/wipe mode, gain, shutter speed and white balance. The CLD-M90 works like most Pi- allows shooting almost to the face of the The mode button selects a oneer combi players—even those who lens. characteristic and the set button cycles through the have never used a combi player should The camcorder is shaped like a small options. The counter dis- be able to learn basic operations after play mode button box with rounded corners. The lens has cycles through continued on page 14 no external controls, while the view- continued finder has a pull-out viewing hood, and on page 18.4. tilts up for low-angle shooting. A zoom rocker sits atop the viewfinder, and the tun/stop slider and a recording indicator occupy the viewfinder’s rear. Hiding under the viewfinder are the date/time set and select buttons, the lat- ter of which selects the display/record mode for date and time. Forward of the compu program and LD kHz, +0.6/1.8 dB; LV grip are jacks for video and audio, an in- play with CDs present analog—20 Hz-20 kHz, +0/-1.8 dB; CD—10 put/output switch and a DC out jack for Absent Features: Hz-20 kHz, +0.2/-1.8 index search, side- dB Creative Options: changing, slow motion, GE's CG805 offers an speed play, digital pic- Audio S/N: unusual variety of ture effects and S-video digital—more than 100 scene transitions, output dB; analog—76.3 dB including six wipe RESULTS Audio Distortion: patterns. digital—0.04%; Horizontal Resolution: analog—0.5% 420 lines RATINGS S/N Ratios (dB): video—49.1 un- Picture: weighted, 56.8 very good/excellent weighted; chroma AM— 49.3; chroma PM—39.2 Audio: very good/excellent Audio Frequency Response: Ease of Use: LD digital—10 Hz-20 very good/excellent Overall Performance: very good/excellent JULY 1991 VIDEO 11
VIDEOTESTS Hi-Fi Stereo DDAIAUGTIOPTARLOH4EAAHUDETAODCLTERASANYCES!KTIRENMG STEREO VIDEO CASSETTE RECORDER SLV-686HF HQ (WHS) FLYING ERASE HEAD Sony Launches a Shuttle: The SLV-686 features the new dual-mode shuttle, which helps users select play, stop, fast forward and rewind by touch. Sony’s SLV-686 is The door covering the 676’s cassette Sony’s SLV-686 hatch has been removed. The $600 VHS editing VCR an improved ver- SLV-585 is almost identical, except it smartly reprises lacks the 686’s flying erase head, audio many of the fea- S10 Ot. tne dub, video dub and insert edit. tures—such as high-speed rewind, a SLV-676 intro- The 686 carries many of the latest flying erase head and front-panel in- VCR bells and whistles, including a rap- puts —that made last year’s SLV-676 duced last year. id-access tape transport, skip search a winner. Its dual-mode shuttle ring, (which advances the tape at high speed which helps users to control the deck The major change by feel, is a sophisticated refinement. in 30-second increments, making it easy Bucking the industry trend, Sony has is the addition of to skip commercials), high-speed re- removed the cosmetic but cumber- wind, onscreen help messages, automat- SVOHNSY VCR play and stop but- some door covering the cassette tons in the center ic and manual index search (which hatch, a reversal we welcome. Its locates specific points on a tape), front- ease of operation is excellent, audio of the shuttle ring, panel audio/video inputs for use with a and video quality are both very good, creating what camcorder, an automatic head cleaner Sony calls a “dual- and digital auto/manual tracking adjust- and overall performance is very good to excellent. The modest price of mode shuttle $650 makes it an excellent valu—eit costs $50 more than the SLV-585, ring.” This ring— which lacks the 686’s editing fea- tures. We recommend it highly. duplicated on the remote —lets users control the deck by feel, without having to hunt among similarly shaped buttons. Sony SLV- GBGHE SP, EP; play—SP, LP, monitor, slow speed Program Start dub, insert edit, auto 40.9 SP, 38.4 EP | VHS VER EP plus and minus, frame Locator/Index/Cue: in- rewind, dual-mode shut: advance forward and dex—marks not less tle ring, front A/V Audio Frequency SONY Video Heads: 4 reverse, high-speed re- than 2 mins. apart; inputs, onscreen cau- Response: hi-fi—40 64 atput wind, locked search search—up to 19 for- tion/help indicators, Hz-20 kHz, +0.4/-3 dB, Cue & Review Search: forward and reverse, ward and reverse auto head cleaner, and down 3.7 dB at 20 Hz; Price: $650 shuttle ring—1/5x, 1x, skip, record (2), pause, visible fast forward and linear (-3 dB)—100 Weight & Size (h/w/d): 2x, 7x (SP)/21x (EP) shuttle edit forward and Audio: linear—mono; rewind Hz-10 kHz SP; 100 15 Ibs; 3-3/8 x 17 x reverse, index, mark hi-fi AFM—stereo Hz-5.5 kHz EP 14-1/4 inches Fast Forward/Rewind and erase Absent Features: Power Use: 42 W Time: 4-1/2 mins; high- Tuning Method: fre- headphone jack, A/V Dynamic Range: Tape Format & speed rewind—2-1/2 Front-Panel Controls: quency synthesis monitor output, edit 88.6 dB Speeds: VHS; record mins. shuttle ring with inset monitor, synchro edit buttons for play and Channel Selectors: and PIP Audio S/N: 43.1 dB Remote Pause: stop; buttons for pause, programmable scan on Control S high-speed rewind, auto VCR; scan plus direct RESULTS Audio Distortion: hi- tracking on/off, manual access on remote fi—0.3%; linear—1.1% Remote Control: IR tracking up and down, Horizontal Resolution: wireless with switches record, audio insert, Preset Method: auto 240-250 lines RATINGS for TV/VTR and com- video insert, quick tim- plus manual add and mand mode 1/2/3, er, timer on/off, channel erase S/N Ratios (dB): video, Picture: very good rockers for channel and up and down, index unweighted—45.5 SP, volume, shuttle ring mark and erase, record Cable Tuning Range: 41.3 EP; video, weight- Audio: very good with inset buttons for speed, edit, antenna 2 to 13, A-8, A-5 to ed—50.4 SP, 48.2 EP; play and stop, and but- TV/VTR, clear, com- A-1, A to |, J to W, chroma AM—44.6 SP, Ease of Use: excellent tons for power, menu, mand mode VTR1/ W+1 to W+84 42.1 EP; chroma PM— cursor, execute, 10-digit VTR2/VTR9; and a ro- Overall Performance: keypad, enter, antenna tary sharpness control Timer: 8-event/1-month very good/excellent TV/VTR, timer clear, timer record on/off, in- Counter Digits: 5— Special Features: still put select, record hrs:mins:secs. frame, frame advance, speed, counter reset, slow motion, speed data screen, audio play, audio dub, video 12 VIDEO JULY 1991
To satisfy your taste for satellite TV, only system, superior even to videodisc quality, one Integrated Receiver Descrambler-IRD) has What’s more, the Super 2750R has a VIDEOpal® all the right ingredients. The VideoCiphe . Order Recorder built right into the system, so you can enjoy Plus Super 2750R. me pay-per-view programming instantlyat the touch of a button. The Super 2750R has easy-to-use menus~. _.. Tosavor satellite TV-firsthand; stop by your authorized that list, among other things, your favorite chan- . ~ General Instrument dealer and see the Super 2750R. | nels by category. Soeven with 150 channels, you —-You’ also'find’a lot more to tempt you, including a wide ' can find first-run movies, sports, news, and range of IRDs, the InfoCipher™ 1500R Data Receiver and _ much more, just by looking at your TV screen. VIDEOpal, all from General Instrument, the leader in satel- You'll also find your entire home entertain- —_ lite TV technology.” y ment center — from TV to stereo — looks and Call 1-704-327-4700 for the sounds better than ever before with enhanced General Instrument dealer RAL video and digital stereo sound.* Because the nearest you. And get aa Super 2750R delivers the clearest possible signal to your ready for a feast. . INSTRUMENT GENE! CIPHER ITPLUS SATELLITE RECEIVER INSFRU! one “1uf11Oe0Dn4u.eoWnuiOpjpUe! *Digital Stereo Sound on VideoCipher channels. Enhanced stereo sound on non-VideoCipher channels. General Instrument, P.O. Box 700, Hickory, NC 28603 (704) 327-4700. © 1991 Cable/Home Communication Corp. VideoCipher® and VIDEOpal® are registered trademarks. InfoCipher™ is a trademark of General Instrument Corporation.
VIDEQTESTS REC SELECTOR ONEYWO Integra wv surrouno INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER RU SOOFUFRCE; VVDIPD>EO VDBISD?EO AGOUSTIC PROX ] | po “—0—9—d—i> go to os INPUT SELECTOR—*)) VOLUME PARAMETER SELECTOR L RoWONO) A-SV810PRO0 Sight and Sound: Users can control most of the functions of Onkyo’s A-SV810 audio/video amplifier through onscreen menus like the one above. Onkyo’s A-SV810 amplifier control and power amplifiers The Onkyo A-SV810 inte- integrated audio/ for stereo, center and rear channels. grated audio/video Videophiles will especially appreciate amplifier is the VIDEOTEST video amplifier the recording selector, which makes it easy to copy video from any input to a first A/V amp or receiver with oper- 096 combines a num- VCR connected to the A-SV8I10. ating menus that can be seen on a video monitor. This eliminates the ONKYO ber of features Despite so many capabilities, the need for many front-panel controls, amplifier looks friendly, thanks to selec- giving the amp a minimalist look that A/V highly desirable in tors that cycle through options. The should appeal to audiophiles. It offers aipiafier learning remote and onscreen display a multisource vid- make setup and operation easier than five channels of amplification, more inputs and outputs than most people eo system. It has normal. will ever need, and a surround sound Its surround modes include small decoder with enough modes —in- onscreen menus, cluding Dolby Pro-Logic and Three- and large theater; small, intermediate Channel Logic—to satisfy tweakers. source switching, and large hall; live concert, jazz club, Picture quality and operational ease Dolby Pro-Logic are excellent, and its audio qual- disco and bypass. The delay can be ad- |Thies Channeldecoding, Dolby| ity is very good. At $1,100, the Th Stony A-SV8I10 is a very good to excellent performer well worth consideration. sound processing modes to, simulate dif- ferent acoustic environments, pre- Onkyo A-SV810 38.6 Ibs; 6-3/4 x 18 x Amplifier Power: ster- ward and reverse, Video Bandpass: 10 Audio S/N (dB): pho- A/V Amplifier 16-5/8 inches eo mode—75 search forward and re- MHz, -2.2 dB (more no—80; all other—more Wichannel, surround verse, and stop; deck than 800 lines horizon- than 103 Price: $1,100 Video/S-Video Inputs: mode—front and center A/VCR—power/reverse, tal resolution) Weight & Size (h/w/d): VDP, DBS, VCR 1, 85 Wichannel; rear—35 forward, pause, stop, Total Harmonic VCR 2, VCR 3 (no W/channel search forward and re- Picture S/N (dB): Distortion: bypass— S-video) and VCR 4 verse, TV/video, luminance— 0.04%; Dolby Pro-Loaic Remote Control: learn- channel plus and mi- 62.9 unweighted, front and center—0.4% Stereo Audio Inputs: ing IR wireless with nus; deck B/DAT—last 63.1 weighted; video—65 rear—0.9% CD, tuner, tape/DAT, A/B/learn switch, indica- track/reverse play, for- unweighted, 66.2 weight- phono and for all video tors for press matching ward play, next track, ed; chroma AM—72.4; RATINGS inputs keys and learned/send- pause, stop, search re- Picture Quality: ing, and 5 dual-mode verse and forward; chroma PM—50.5 very good Video/S-Video buttons for acoustic phono/DBS—play/reject/ Outputs: monitor, VCR program presets, input channel A and channel Crosstalk Between Audio Quality: 1, VCR 2 and VCR 3 selectors, power, sur- B; tuner/TV—power, Inputs: 58.4 dB excellent (no S-video) round mode, delay TV/video, volume up Operational Ease: time, test tone, four and down, station/chan- Audio Frequency very good Stereo Audio Outputs: cursors, enter/escape, nel plus and minus Response: video preamp/subwoofer out, mute, center level up sources—10 Hz-20 Overall Performance: tape/DAT, VCR 1, VCR and down, rear level up Accessories: remote kHz, +0.1/-0.4 dB very good/excellent 2 and VOR 3 and down, volume up and down; CD/VDP— control with batteries External Speaker power/disc, pause, play, and IR remote control Connectors: front, rear eject, chapter/track for- and single/dual center cable Internal Audio RESULTS ALMCSPVMEHPIROPSO-TDIRLT1SENSI:0UOTFIUBEILIERLSR 16 VIDEO JULY 1991
justed in three-millisecond steps from 15 input as S-video must be monitored as eration is very good. to 30 milliseconds. The ambience sim- S-vid—ethoere is no transcoding. The video bandpass level is 10 mega- ulation controls allow the user to select Also on the rear panel are speaker hertz, -2.2 decibels, which translates to room size and shape, seating position, connectors for front left and right, sin- more than 800 lines of horizontal resolu- reverberation and effect level. Settings gle/dual center, and left arid right rear tion. Luminance signal-to-noise ratio for can be stored using one of 10 memory speakers. Except for the stereo sub- banks. A test tone makes speaker bal- woofer/preamp output, there are no pre- S-video sources is 62.9 dB unweighted ancing easier. Separate tone and level amp outputs or power amp inputs. and 63.1 dB weighted. The S/N for video sources is 65 dB unweighted and 66.2 dB controls are provided for left/right, cen- The remote control is fairly simple ter and rear channels. with buttons grouped by function and weighted. Chroma AM S/N is 72.4 dB, designated by background color, button and chroma PM S/N is 50.5 dB. All The display dominates the upper color or lines. Many buttons have two these measurements were made with part of the front with indicators for in- functions, depending on the position of only one channel active. If more than put, surround mode, audio, video, Pro- an A/B/learn switch. “A” functions are one channel is active, video crosstalk Logic and the channel being adjusted. between channels is 58.4 dB. Compared Bar graphs in three groups for left/right, lettered in white and “B” functions are to other A/V amplifiers and receivers, center and rear each have individual lettered in blue. video performance is very good. bars that show bass, midrange and treble Using the amplifier from the front The audio frequency response is 10 equalization levels. Below the volume panel is a bit time-consuming because Hertz to 20 kilohertz, + 0.1/-0.4 dB. Fre- control sit input connectors for S-video, the user must cycle through so many op- quency response of the front channels is video and stereo audio. tions to find the right one. In many cases within the manufacturer’s specification The rear panel has audio inputs for these are better handled from the re- of 2 Hz to 100 kHz, +/-3 dB in bypass CD, tuner and tape/DAT, plus an output mote, which has dedicated buttons. mode. Audio S/N from all inputs except for recording to audio tape. It has A/V The main menu controls important phono is more than 103 dB (our meas- inputs for LD player, DBS, video 1, video functions like input selector, surround urement limit). At the phone input, it is 2 and video 3. The latter three inputs mode and equalization. Once the user 80 dB, as specified. Total harmonic dis- have companion outputs for recording. chooses a function, secondary screens tortion is 0.04 percent for the front All the video inputs have video and appear with more choices, information channels in bypass mode, 0.4 percent for S-video input jacks except video 3. and directions. With so many options, it the front and center channels in Dolby There are S-video and video monitor takes a while to understand the system Pro-Logic mode, and 0.9 percent for the outputs. Signals input as standard video and to remember where to look for items rear channels. Audio quality is excel- must be monitored as such, and signals |on the menu. After practice, ease of op- | lent. a | | B| i i Aiter yo ed yO dl eo)gels e DES OUL that yo zlanlee)ce(s 0 opho ol/alemigtehsj-m.e]0 mele DUND TOO! e<0 =\"ou realized o)aaieelimeliacreiile de e leade oUF ant. And eC ole)ilalem ice)aememelisir-la(e-mme)0 mers =tol Mase pe C goodas your p e Olce clea \\ilavarsl0le|(omce)ms(e (sro mmantclalelic es a e0 (0)0) sle)al=\\om OM antcl.Comyse WMS-PRO ach one apa elbrale ar need dnada D
GE COB805 Sensitivity/Gain: RF adapter and DC graphics, audio dub | normal/high power in and video dub 8mm Camcorder continued from page 11 Auto Fade: Tape Format & Speed: Accessories: 8mm, SP only 1 hr. battery, 110-240 display modes for a four-digit counter, about 4 secs, hold- VAC 50/60 Hz AC and a counter with memory and elapsed down type Video Heads: 2 adapter/charger with re- fresh mode, RF output time in hours, minutes and seconds. DATA Shutter Speeds (sec.): Cue & Review Search: adapter, shoulder strap, Suggested Price: 1/1,000, 1/500 and nor- jack covers, video/ster- At the rear are the battery and a DC 7x approx. eo audio cable, anten- input jack. The top carries an eject mal (1/60) na cable and antenna Fast Forward/ transformer slider, transport controls, a camera/off/ $1,099 White Balance: Rewind Time: VCR switch and indicators for power auto, outdoor, indoor 7 min. for P6-120 cas- RESULTS Weight & Size (h/w/d): sette and play/still. 1.9 Ibs; 3-3/4 x 3-3/4 x Viewfinder: Horizontal Resolution: Ease of operation is excellent, but 7-1/2 inches tiltable EVF with on- Counter Digits: 250 lines screen indicators for 4; elapsed time—hrs: we miss some features available on more Image Sensor: battery condition, shut- mins: secs. S/N Ratios (dB): complex camcorders, such as titling and 1/3-inch CCD ter speed, manual video—40 unweighted, a jack for an external mic. However, the focus, gain, counter/ Program Start 48.7 weighted; chroma camcorder’s auto macro mode lets the Lens: elapsed time, dew/tape/ Locator/Index/Cue: AM—42.1; chroma user pick up titles easily —just zoom out {/1.8, 8x (6-48mm) pow- end, status, time, date, counter zero if set PM—36.1 and hold anything from a handwritten er zoom with macro fade/wipe mode, white line to a brochure up to the lens. balance and program Audio: Audio Frequency Filter Diameter: menu hi-fi AFM mono Response: When the viewfinder is tilted up, 30.5mm 20 Hz-15 kHz, +0.8/-3 Special Features: dB, down 6.3 dB at 20 most users will have to remove their Minimum Focusing Viewfinder Controls: still frame, insert edit, kHz right hand from the safety strap to reach magnifier focus, tilt up/ auto rewind, separate the run/stop slider and zoom rocker. Se- Distance: eject, counter memory, Dynamic Range: lecting fade/wipe, shutter speed, gain 4 feet in telephoto set- down, electrical focus, flying erase head, edit 73.3 dB and white balance settings through the ting, almost to the lens search (transport con- brightness and record trols active in camera Audio Distortion: 0.3% face in wide angle button with indicator mode) RATINGS menu is a minor nuisance, but it does re- Autofocus: VCR Controls: Absent Features: duce the number of buttons. The coun- TTL, switchable to rewind/search, play/still external mic jack, head- Picture: ter is a four-digit type; the elapsed time manual power focus phone jack, accessory good/very good counter works only in record. The au- with indicator, fast for- shoe, stereo audio, PCM audio, LANC re- Audio: very good ward/search, stop and mote control jack, remote pause jack, re- Ease of Use: dio/video jacks may be used as inputs or Minimum Illumination: record mote control, title/ excellent rated—4 lux; meas- outputs, so the user can record from an ured—6.5 lux for 50 Microphone: Overall Performance: outside source. However, the absence of IRE, gain normal; 5.5 electret condenser very good lux for 50 IRE, gain a mic jack prevents a user from attach- high Jacks: as] ing a directional or wireless mic. video and audio in/out Iris: auto switchable, DC out for Horizontal resolution of the CG805 is 250 lines with an unweighted video | hertz, +0.8/-3 dB, down 6.3 dB at 20 signal-to-noise ratio of 40 decibels. Weighted video S/N is 48.7 dB, chroma gain at normal, 5.5 lux with gain at high. kHz. Dynamic range is 73.3 dB and total AM SIN is 42.1 dB and chroma PM S/N Picture quality is good to very good. harmonic distortion is 0.3 percent. Au Audio frequency response of the is 36.1 dB. Minimum illumination is rat- dio quality is very good. r] ed at 4 lux and measured at 6.5 lux with | mono AFM track is 20 Hertz to 15 kilo OUR ENGINEERS HAVE SUCCEEDED and we proudly announce our Newest & Best: THE 50/60 HZ DIGITAL FRAME CONVERTER the only VCR/STANDARDS CONVERTER in the world that e plays PAL & SECAM on any NTSC TV e has no vertical hold problems e allows you to make copies of foreign tapes e comes with cable ready tuner & RF modulator e is priced below $1,000. TOLL FREE 1-800-749-8779 INSTANT REPLAY 2601 S. Bayshore Dr., Miami, FL 33133
BOGEN 3169 SUNPAK SV-11 CINE/VIDEO 8MM TRIPOD CAMCORDER The ideal Innovations in camcorder style and companion. performance. easy to handle, the Advanced handling and user-friendly controls make this 8mm camcorder an exemplary state-of-the-art product. Its i A. 3169 combines sophisticated fuzzy-logic circuitry provides users with the ultimate in focusing, exposure control and automatic white Bogen 3001 Tripod Legs and a 3130 QR Micro Fluid Head balancing. Its unique binocular style design offers ideal handheld balance to this 24 oz. package. Other valuable with Quick Release Plate. The Bogen 3001 Tripod is the high-end features include an 8X zoom (7-56mm) with an f/1.8 lens, 4 lux low light sensitivity, wireless infrared lightest (about 3 Ibs.) and the smallest (folds to 20 1/2 in.), remote control, 1/60-1/10,000 second high speed shutter, high speed search, hi-fi stereo sound, record but is one of the most versatile tripods we offer. Sturdy, hard preview, auto focusing from infinity to .5 inches, time-lapse special effects videography. Suggested retail price: $1899. finish aluminum legs feature 3 click stop spread angles and each has a sure grip, quick-acting, non-fouling lever lock. For more information about this exciting video innovation contact: The Bogen 3169 is just one of a wide choice of tripods, fluid Sunpak, 401 Hackensack, NJ, 07601. heads, dollies and accessories. Circle Showcase # 2 See your dealer or write to Bogen Photo Corp., 565 East Crescent Avenue, Ramsey, N.J. 07446-0506; (201) 818-9500 Circle Showcase # 1 AN ‘ower Packs ‘WITH VIDEO SHO WWCASE ..., ack of Get more information on any advertisers featured in Video Showcase or find out where the nearest dealer isfor that product. To order | ne Videos directly, give us your Visa or MasterCard account numberand we'll have the order processed for you immediately! Simply crde the | produd number along with your desired shopping option and we'll do the rest! » Millennium® Power System is I'd like to use my leading rechargeable brand from Showcase #1 Showcase #3 es Energy Products, North erica's largest supplier of A. Send me literature A. Send me literature Visa MasterCard hargeable batteries. As the B. Send me dealer information B. Send me dealer information cial camcorder power pack of C I'd like to order C I'd like to order C's top rated TV show America's Acct. # iniest Home Videos, you can nt on Millennium's original Showcase #2 Showcase #4 Expiration Date lipment quality and extended run Signature e to insure you'll never miss life's A. Send me literature A. Send me literature den moments on tape. B. Send me dealer information B. Send me dealer information ennium's leading technology C I'd like to order C. I'd like to order vides a full range of replacement <s to power virtually all VHS, S-C, and 8MM camcorders in use ay. And, a Millennium power k is a sure investment providing a one-year replacement guarantee every model sold. ry power, call inium retailer nearest you. State Lip Phone ¥SI |
GE C6805 Sensitivity/Gain: RF adapter and DC graphics, audio dub 8mm Camcorder normal/high power in and video dub continued from page 11 Auto Fade: Tape Format & Speed: Accessories: about 4 secs, hold- 8mm, SP only 1 hr. battery, 110-240 display modes for a four-digit counter, down type VAC 50/60 Hz AC Video Heads; 2 adapter/charger with re- and a counter with memory and elapsed fresh mode, RF output Cue & Review Search: adapter, shoulder strap, time in hours, minutes and seconds. Shutter Speeds (sec.): 7X approx. jack covers, video/ster- 1/1,000, 1/500 and nor- eo audio cable, anten- At the rear are the battery and a DC DATA mal (1/60) Fast Forward/ na cable and antenna Rewind Time: transformer input jack. The top carries an eject Suggested Price: White Balance: 7 min. for P6-120 cas- $1,099 auto, outdoor, indoor sette RESULTS slider, transport controls, a camera/off/ Weight & Size (h/w/d): Viewfinder: Counter Digits: Horizontal Resolution: VCR switch and indicators for power 1.9 Ibs; 3-3/4 x 3-3/4 x tiltable EVF with on- 4; elapsed time—hrs: 250 lines 7-1/2 inches screen indicators for mins: secs. and play/still. battery condition, shut- SIN Ratios (dB): Image Sensor: ter speed, manual Program Start video—40 unweighted, Ease of operation is excellent, but 1/3-inch CCD focus, gain, counter/ Locator/Index/Cue: 48.7 weighted; chroma we miss some features available on more elapsed time, dew/tape/ counter zero. if set AM—42.1; chroma complex camcorders, such as titling and Lens: end, status, time, date, PM—36.1 a jack for an external mic. However, the 4/1.8, 8x (6-48mm) pow- fade/wipe mode, white Audio: er zoom with macro balance and program hi-fi AFM mono Audio Frequency camcorder’s auto macro mode lets the menu Response: Filter Diameter: Special Features: 20 Hz-15 kHz, +0.8/-3 user pick up titles easily —just zoom out 30.5mm still frame, insert edit, dB, down 6.3 dB at 20 auto rewind, separate kHz and hold anything from a handwritten eject, counter memory, line to a brochure up to the lens. flying erase head, edit Dynamic Range: search (transport con- 73.3 dB When the viewfinder is tilted up, trols active in camera mode) Audio Distortion: 0.3% most users will have to remove their Minimum Focusing Viewfinder Controls: magnifier focus, tilt up/ Absent Features: RATINGS right hand from the safety strap to reach Distance: external mic jack, head- 4 feet in telephoto set- down, electrical focus, phone jack, accessory Picture: the run/stop slider and zoom rocker. Se- ting, almost to the lens brightness and record shoe, stereo audio, good/very good ‘face in wide angle button with indicator PCM audio, LANC re- lecting fade/wipe, shutter speed, gain mote control jack, Audio: very good remote pause jack, re- and white balance settings through the mote control, title/ Ease of Use: excellent menu is a minor nuisance, but it does re- Autofocus: VCR Controls: TTL, switchable to rewind/search, play/still Overall Performance: duce the number of buttons. The coun- manual power focus with indicator, fast for- very good ward/search, stop and ter is a four-digit type; the elapsed time Minimum Illumination: record rated—4 lux; meas- counter works only in record. The au- ured—6.5 lux for 50 Microphone: IRE, gain normal; 5.5 electret condenser dio/video jacks may be used as inputs or lux for 50 IRE, gain high Jacks: outputs, so the user can record from an video and audio in/out Iris: auto switchable, DC out for outside source. However, the absence of a mic jack prevents a user from attach- ing a directional or wireless mic. Horizontal resolution of the CG805 is 250 lines with an unweighted video signal-to-noise ratio of 40 decibels. Weighted video S/N is 48.7 dB, chroma gain at normal, 5.5 lux with gain at high. hertz, +0.8/-3 dB, down 6.3 dB at 20 Picture quality is good to very good. kHz. Dynamic range is 73.3 dB and total AM S/N is 42.1 dB and chroma PM S/N is 36.1 dB. Minimum il ; ed at 4 lux and measur OUI VIDEO and wi 460 West 34th Street New York, NY 10117-0460 THE 50, the only VC] e plays PAL ¢ e has no verti eallows you ecomes with eis priced be TOLL FREE 1-§
BOGEN 3169 SUNPAK SV-11 CINE/VIDEO 8MM TRIPOD CAMCORDER The ideal Innovations in camcorder style and companion. performance. Easy to use and Advanced handling and user-friendly controls make this 8mm camcorder an exemplary state-of-the-art product. Its easy to handle, the sophisticated fuzzy-logic circuitry provides users with the : 3169 combines ultimate in focusing, exposure control and automatic white Bogen 3001 Tripod Legs and a 3130 QR Micro Fluid Head balancing. Its unique binocular style design offers ideal with Quick Release Plate. The Bogen 3001 Tripod is the handheld balance to this 24 oz. package. Other valuable lightest (about 3 Ibs.) and the smallest (folds to 20 1/2 in.), high-end features include an 8X zoom (7-56mm) with an f/1.8 lens, 4 lux low light sensitivity, wireless infrared but is one of the most versatile tripods we offer. Sturdy, hard remote control, 1/60-1/10,000 second high speed finish aluminum legs feature 3 click stop spread angles and shutter, high speed search, hi-fi stereo sound, record each has a sure grip, quick-acting, non-fouling lever lock. preview, auto focusing from infinity to .5 inches, time-lapse The Bogen 3169 is just one ofawide choice of tripods, fluid special effects videography. Suggested retail price: $1899. heads, dollies and accessories. For more information about this exciting video innovation contact: Sunpak, 401 Hackensack, NJ, 07601. See your dealer or write to Bogen Photo Corp., 565 East Crescent Avenue, Ramsey, N.J. 07446-0506; (201) 818-9500 Circle Showcase # 2 Circle Showcase # 1 Kenko Lens Converters & Accessories Millennium® Camcorder Power Packs Look...with the best The Official Camcorder Power Pack of ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos Kenko offers the industry's most complete line of camcorder conversion lenses and optical accessories. Of particular note, its J The Millennium® Power System is KUT-65 super tele-converter is an industry best-seller, offering a the leading rechargeable brand from full 6.5X telephoto lens conversion. Ideal for surveillance, sports Gates Energy Products, North or wildlife observation, the unit comes with metal step rings so it America's largest supplier of can adapt to almost any camcorder. The rechargeable batteries. As the company also offers a range of other quality official camcorder power pack of teleconverter lenses, including ABC's top rated TV show America's products for mini-camcorders and for Funniest Home Videos, you can Sony TR camcorders. Another count on Millennium's original important Kenko accessory is its equipment quality and extended run KDP-01 video transfer unit, which time to insure you'll never miss life's allows you to easily transfer 110 and golden moments on tape. 35mm slides and color negatives to Millennium's leading technology home video. provides a full range of replacement packs to power virtually all VHS, For more information about these VHS-C, and 8MM camcorders in use important video accessory products today. And, a Millennium power contact: Kenko America, Inc. 17801 pack is a sure investment providing a Sky Park Circle, Suite B, Irvine, CA full one-year replacement guarantee 92714. on every model sold. Circle Showcase # 3 Don't let the memories outlast the battery power, call 1-800-CAN-POWR today for the Millennium retailer nearest you. Circle Showcase # 4
Buy direct and save with guaranteed lowest prices TOMORROW on all camcorder replacement batteries. #1 Sony 8mm 1500 maH $29.97 JVC or Panasonic Hand-Grip 34.97 Palmcorder & JVC Grax-7 34.97 Canon 8mm 34.97 All others in stock CALL One year warranty-made in USA (800) ASK - BTRY Cable TV's high-tech gamble In N.Y. or outside of the U.S. call (212) 385-4047 Just call us with the make and model number of your BY ROBERT ANGUS end of the year, its fiber-optic network ' equipment or battery, and our friendly and professional will not only be two-way interactive, but sales staff will be happy to help you. It’s that easy. If you read newspapers, you’ve been will deliver 150 channels. Some chan- hearing about all the delights the late nels will be capable of handling HDTV. We also carry cellular telephone battenes 20th century is about to bring video- All 35mm camera batteries--even hard to find ones philes— more channels than anyone By December, cable systems around Cordless telephone batteries - all makes - $12.97 ever dreamed possible, pay-per-view the country will be carrying an hour a Add just $3.95 for shipping movies of your choice when you want day of HDTV programming, well in ad- Call 9:30-5:30 ET. Same-day shipping no extra $ them, CD-quality surround sound, high- vance of the adoption of any system by M/C, Visa, American Express gladly accepted definition TV, supermarket shop-at- the Federal Communications Commis- Or send check or money order. Sorry, no C.O.D.'s sion and the start of terrestrial HDTV home services, two-way communication broadcasts. You won't be able to reccive #1 BATTERY SPECIALISTS 10 WARREN STREET 3RD FLOOR this on your own TV set, but you may be NEW YORK. NY 10007 Fax No. (212) 3854952 services that include home security and able to catch it on a display monitor at a medical alert systems. Some of this is nearby shopping center. For additional information, circle No. 5 on Reader Service Card. here already. More will be available by the end of the year. And they’re all com- Digital signal compression, the tech- Use Sound Effects ing through the courtesy of your local nology that squeezes up to 10 TV chan- Just Like The Pros! cable operator. nels into the space normally occupied by one, will be a reality by next summer, ac- Imagine the sound of a drum roll or laughter as someone stumbles ... That's right— cable. The 1950s tech- cording to Hal Kribergh, president of |appluase as you come on the screen... cartoon boinks, and whistles nology that was supposed to be blown the Jerrold Division of General Instru- away by direct-to-home satellite broad- ment. This is when Jerrold expects to while children play, or 40 minutes of race track sounds as people run | casting 10 years ago, wiped out by over- begin delivering both the head-end |around. All sound effects that are important for an entertaining video. the-air HDTV early this decade and compressors and the TV-top decom- clobbered by telephone companies as pressors such systems require. Sounds you can now add to your library of accessories. soon as they get into the home video business. Instead, cable has stepped While the FCC and terrestrial ]Our audio cassettes were originally created for fun and entertainment. l swinging into the high-tech arena. And broadcasters race to establish a system Adventure sounds for kids, Environmental tapes for relaxation | swinging in all directions. Create A Message for answering machine messages. However, many for broadcasting digital audio, upgrading video enthusiasts have found they are also great for video production. | For example, when Time-Warner Cable finishes rebuilding its system in 50-year-old FM and 70-year-old AM |Now you can add that unique and fun element to your productions. 1 Brooklyn and Queens, New York, by the |Collect all 14 tapes and use sound effects just like the pros. technology, subscribers to several hun- | Create A /YR(TSDLIENSTEG 95 0a. dred cable systems already are enjoying | Message 9.951 45 Different Sound Effects the benefits of CD-quality digital broad- | On One Tape! I (10 to 30 seconds each) 40 MINUTE AMBIENT | . Cartoon Sounds STEREO SOUND EA. 2. Police Raid “Just like being there” © AS1 In Dinosaur Land | . Construction Site Fiber Optic Cable (Light Signals CO AS2 At The Construction Site lime Coaxial Cables (T.V. Signals) . . Screaming Baby & Kids CO AS3 At The Car Race Track Y Amplifiers | . Heavenly Harp C1 AS4 In The Kitchen | CASS In The Office . Shopping Mall 0 AS6 At The Farm | | . Combat Zone © AST Cartoon Sounds I . In the Bathtub with Playful Music . Airport Terminal € ASB In Space |. OEfvfaiccueatSioounndSsiren po codigo . 9.95 ea. I :ey tn 60 MINUTE AMBIENT 1 STEREO SOUND EA. . Wild Pigs I . Out the Door . Workshop | . Dinner Crowd I * 30 DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE xeering MoCrreowd (© EESS12 SGeonottlheingBabObcleianng SSoturnedasm | © ES3 Spring Rain I (©) ES4 Summer Evening Sounds (ESS Jungle Sounds JPlus shipping and handing{ssc0 USA,$10 other). Channel Ready: Time-Warner drawing Callifornia residents add 7% sales tax. USA funds only. | shows how fiber-optic | VISA and MASTERCARD accepted. I cable serves as a high- I Send your name, address, credit card info, check or money order to: capacity, two-way signal carrier between main 1G2E6T6AWWAeYnStworth Way SAVE! Order 6 or more tapes and facility and neighbor- hood distribution hubs. | Dept. VMI Limitgeedt FREE Shipping & Handling. San Jose, CA 95121 time offer. Save! Order today. I Pay Headen |%* For immediate shipment, use your credit card and call today. (408) 972-4108 / Most orders shipped within 48 hours. Getaways ‘‘specialist in audio cassettes for the imagination’. Order today and start enhancing your videos with creative sounds! TCIABMLEE- For additional information, circle No. 6 on Reader Service Card. 22 VIDEO JULY 1991
Anettiai QD HITAGHE builtin 3way SurroundSound including Dolby” itsoundtsruetolifet,oo. Call 1-800-HITACHI and find out where to experience Ultravision for yourself, © HITACHI ©1991 Hitachi Home Electronics (America), Inc., 3890 Steve Reynolds Blvd., Norcross, GA 30093; (404) 279-5600. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories, Inc. For additional information, circle No. 55 on Reader Service Card.
casting with 30 more channels. Sprint and MCI. All that’s standing in out of the goodness of their hearts. For the way is government approval. the past year, they've been feeling the When the Olympic Games get un- hot breath of telephone companies on der way next year in Barcelona, sub- Cable in the classroom used to mean their necks. The telephone companies, scribers on some cable systems will be prevented from getting into the home able to act as their own program direc- CNN Newsroom and The Weather video business by the court decision that tors, picking and choosing from among Channel. Soon it’s going to mean mini- broke up American Telephone & Tele- four separate satellite feeds. They will be networks, so-called I-Nets, uniting all graph, have been pressuring Congress to able. on a pay-per-view basis to see vir- the schools in a district, and feeding pro- let them compete directly with cable for tually any event they choose, simply by grams to each other and to individual your dollars. pressing the right buttons on their re- mote controls. Some events will be homes in the community, thanks to a Their fiber-optic networks, they say, transmitted in HDTV or extended-defi- combination of optic fibers, digital signal are uniquely suited to multichannel and nition formats. compression and money from the cable broadband video transmissio—nin other industry, private foundations and the words, pay-per-view on demand and Off-premise interdiction devices, government. HDTV. But dramatic drops in the cost like SkyPort from TeleCommunications of optical fibers are making it economi- Inc., promise to pare home cable bills by Some predictable results of all this cal for cable operators to replace their authorizing only the channels a house- activity: We'll be watching television coaxial cables at about the same rate as hold actually wants, unlike today’s basic more and ABC, CBS and NBC less. Zir- and premium packages. Such devices conium jewelry and electronics close- telephone companies are replacing older also make pay-per-view ordering easier, outs may still be the mainstays of shop- phone cables. and they’re already being installed at lo- ping channels, but so increasingly will cations around the country. tib roasts and fresh produce ordered by Compared to traditional cable up- remote control from neighborhood mar- grades, the new technologies are cheap, Personal Communications Systems kets. If you live in the Central or Moun- which helps to explain their favor with is the cable industry’s answer to the tain time zones, you'll be able to catch cable operators. And while off-premises threat by telephone companies to use TV favorites at the same convenient interdiction devices offer some consum- their existing wires to supply video pro- times as viewers along the East and er benefits (like eliminating second-set gramming to homes. PCS promises to West coasts. And by the time you save charges, making do-it-yourself multi- free phone users from the umbilical cord enough to buy the widescreen HDTV room distribution systems legal in many to the phone network. It can also bypass needed to display them, you'll have an states for the first time), the major bene- the existing phone network to connect even wider selection of ultraclear pan- fits involve cost-cutting and piracy pre- directly with long-distance carriers like vention for cable operators. Rate oramic programming. Cable operators aren't doing all this WPRESOLUTION ‘J4TaUaj0pOUedao4lNUOIpueONeldOIaeUSyWPOpJeU!
increases over the past few years have ming for specific neighborhoods. Ulti- with volume and competition from rival helped the cable industry finance re- mately, it will be possible — technically if suppliers offering the same titles (there search into HDTV, fiber optics, digital not economicall—tyo create a program are no exclusives in pay-per-view as signal compression and digital radio, as for a single viewer and deliver it exclu- there are in studio deals with premium channels), pay-per-view prices are well as invest in the equipment to bring sively to him or her. the technologies to viewers. In a sense, that’s what many opera- bound to drop. Cable systems also have plans for tors see in the proliferation of pay-per- At the other end of the pay-per-view onscreen program guides that interact view channels. An experimental fiber- scale, prices of $40 and more now with VCRs (much as VCR Plus does), optics center in Heathrow, Florida, in- charged for major sports events could private local cable networks within the cludes a data bank with more than 2,000 seem puny compared to some of the nar-: larger cable net (all the schools in a feature films in its library. As the system rowcast events already possible on new channels. One example is the cram community tied together, or all the doc- automatically records a purchase order, course for children of Japanese business- tors’ offices), interactive information a human operator starts the film on the services tied either to videotex or home customer’s movie channel. men living in the U.S. For those kids computers, emergency warning systems On a scale, pay-per-view operators who plan to go to college in Japan, les- that alert subscribers to disasters even propose to use many of the new chan- sons are likely to cost parents living here $300 to $400 per session when they be- when the TV set is turned off, fax net- nels made available by digital compres- works that deliver store coupons or local sion (as many as 50 in the Queens, New gin in a year or two. news direct (and unsolicited) to your York, system) for movies timed to coin- “This may seem exorbitant,” a spokesperson for TV Japan says, “but Ja- machine, and so on. cide with their release in rental shops. “The technology is in place for most Since there are no more than five or six panese parents who want their children of these things,” says John Bringenberg, major titles released each month, each to get into the better universities don’t manager of strategic planning for TCI, film will appear on more than one chan- think it’s unreasonable at all. And the the nation’s largest cable operator. nel with start times staggered so that no cost of delivery is high. A cable operator “We're waiting to see which ones the purchaser waits more than a few min- may have only one or two families who consumer is going to want before we utes. need such a specialized service, but he make major investments in them.” must tie up a channel or a portion of a Peering only a little farther, experts WIDE PRICE RANGE like Bringenberg say that cable opera- At the moment, pay-per-view prices channel.” One plan is for students to re- spond to classroom teachers by phone tors, freed from the tyranny of limited hover around $5, well above the price and to fax in their homework and exam- channels, will be able to create program- for rentals. But cable insiders say that inations. . + 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 Industries, Inc., Box 388, Port Washington, NY 11050. TAMRON In Canada: Amplis Foto, 22 Telson Road, Markham, Ont. L3R1E5. e OTOVI 4 Fotovix can make itfor you.
, Klasseonda NEW PRODUCTS —EDITED BY BRIAN CLARK (SPECIALISTS 1160 HAMBURG TPK., WAYNE, N.J. 07470 FORMOREINFO: CONVENIENT FAX # (201) 696-6531 (201) 633-1476 WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY LEGITIMATE PRICE TOLL FREE:.... 1 (800) 444-6300 FAST SERVICE, BEST PRICES! Canovision 2 AUTHORIZED DEALER ‘ FE Magnavox shows compact camcorder Magnavox’s CVM620 VHS-C camcorder has an 8:1 f/1.8 zoom lens. The low-light level is rated at 4 lux. The variable high-speed shutter has six settings: 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1,000, 1/2,000 and 1/4,000. Editing features include a flying erase head, edit search and a digital fade special-effects control. Other features include digital auto- focus, auto date/time and auto tracking. An integrated DC video light is included. Price: $1,299.95. For additional information, circle No. 156 on Reader Service Card. Revolutionary new technology allows 50/60 reaaccerece interchangeable lenses. Digital Signal Processor allows 2x New deck plays PAL and SECAM tapes Closeup. Overlap, Gain-up (0.5 lux), Freeze, Art Freeze, and strobe effects The Instant Replay 50/60 Digital Frame Standards Converter VCR converts 625- to be added to videos. line 50-Hertz PAL or SECAM signals into 525-line 60 Hz signals, which can then True-to-life AFM stereo sound. be viewed on any NTSC TV or monitor. NTSC tapes can also be viewed. The unit ALL OTHER MODELS IN STOCK: has a tuner, timer and wireless remote. Older Instant Replay models can be retro- Ai DIGITAL H800 E08 E61 fitted with the 50/60 converter module. The VCR will be available in several ver- sions, among them two-and four-head, and S-VHS models. Converted signals are PRICES ALWAYS COMPETITIVE recordable. We ship within 24 hours. Price: Begins at $995. All prices quoted include manufacturer's standard accessories & U.S, Warranty. All units are factory sealed. We are an AUTHORIZED DEALER for ALL ‘DASU|JJ6OUDOOI/N4IOUDPNHODIDHEOWISYIPNOPA}DMU!E BRANDS WE SELL! 10 DAY EXCHANGE. S&H NON-REFUNDAAI FI 26 VIDEO JULY 1991
Mey gteouta a C “SPECIALISTS FORMOREINFO: CONVENIENT FAX # (201) 696-6531 (201) 633-1476 WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY LEGITIMATE PRICE TOLL FREE:.... 1 (800) 444-6300 Panasonic introduces fully loaded deck DVVIIIDREDOECEETDEOIDTNPORILUC=SS ~— The Panasonic PV-S4167 S-VHS hi-fi stereo VCR comes loaded with features. @ ARRANGE FAVORITE SCENES wavs Editing enhancements include a shuttle control and a flying erase head, along with IN ANY ORDER | synchro edit, audio/video dubbing and four video heads for noise-free stills. A real- time counter permits time search. Audio features are strong as well, with hi-fi ster- © BUILT-IN CHARACTER GENERATOR INTERNAL eo sound and MTS/SAP. Included is a remote, plus Panasonic’s Program Director, GRAPHICS (12 TYPE STYLES & 64 COLORS) which is designed to simplify VCR programming. An LCD panel on the Program Director confirms start and stop times before transmitting them to the VCR, © 12 TYPES OF FADES OR WIPES which then offers onscreen confirmation. @ INDEX SCENES © WIRELESS REMOTE Price: $749. EDITING “= For additional information, circle No. 158 on Reader Service Card. PROCESSOR Sharp camcorder stresses ease of use © 16 WIPES BY COMBINING 5 BASIC PATTERNS © COLOR BALANCING w JOYSTICK CONTROLLER Sharp’s VL-L8100U full-size VHS camcorder features a one-inch LCD color viewfinder. The fully automatic © 8 BACKGROUND COLORS, PLUS system includes an auto iris, but all COLOR BAR CHART settings can be made manually as well. Also notable is the 16x power zoom lens ® COMPATIBLE w'SUPER VHS JIX-SV55 with variable shutter speeds. Other key & 8mm HI-BAND features include a flying erase head, fade in/out, insert edit and ® VIDEO ENHANCER auto dubbing. © INDEPENDENT A/V FADERS Price: $1,399. ity For additional information, RMV-100 for circle no. 159 on Reader Service Card. e EDIT CONTROLLER Camcorder bags for the waist MATCHING Aztec Video's foam-padded SB4 video camera bag is for small 8mm and Compact e JVC COMPONENTS VHS camcorders. The bag is designed to be worn around the waist yet still allow freedom of movement. The adjustable belt strap has a quick release. Bags are AZDEN available in black and khaki. VE-100 Price: $34.95. PROFESSIONAL EDITOR @ 200 CUTS — 100 SCENES © ACCURATE TO WITHIN 3 FRAMES @ AUDIO MIXING INCLUDING FADE IN/OUT ®@ COMPATIBLE w'VHS, BETA, 8mm, SUPER-VHS AV SWITCHER REMOTE © 6 VIDEO IMPUTS VIDEO 3 OUTPUTS @ REMOTE CONTROL PANASONIC WJ-AVES Digital A/V Mixer © BUILT-IN DIGITALSYNCHRONIZER ¢ DIGITAL SPECIAL EFFECTS © SUPERIMPOSE ¢ FADE-IN FADE-OUT * AUDIO MIXING ¢98 WIPE PATTERNS® PICTURE-TO-PICTURE © JOYSTICK IMAGE POSITIONER For additional information, FaicN1RSCodnio0eearnarf.raciovdltdrie.imecoarentiaoln, circle no. 160 on Reader Service Card.
Kl sateoude BY BRENT BUTTERWORTH C Se SPECIALISTS A $300 fix for problem pictures. FORMORE INFO: CONVENIENT FAX # (201) 696-6531 (201) 633-1476 WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT ANY LEGITIMATE PRICE TOLL FREE:.... 1 (800) 444-6300 FAST SERVICE VHS: Eight-segment assembler automates editin It’s school play night. The excitement’s of accessories, including an A/V cable, a chores, placing desired scenes in any order. H high, the house lights are low and your mono mic, and a cable that lets users Circuitry and digital auto- daughter steals the show. Although you add music from a headphone jack. tracking ensure quality video and fuss-free playback. caught the whole act on video, your The Ed/it 3 performs a variety of tape draws bad reviews. You concen- editing chores. We used the mixer to JVC HR-S5800U trated so hard on composition that you blend stereo audio from a camcorder didn’t notice the camcorder was set for with sound effects from a Commodore S-VHS: Feature-laden deck offers the utmost in outdoor white balance. And a poorly Amiga or background music. By slightly scene-finding convenience. Full-featured placed stage light tricked the auto iris enhancing the picture, we salvaged a remote with display dupli- dark, backlit close-up of a guitarist. The cates on-screen programming into underexposing many shots, turning result wasn’t gorgeous —the enhancer capabilities. smiling faces into silhouettes. adds a green halo to bright areas—but at least it made his features visible. JVC HR-SC1000U Fortunately, accessory manufactur- ers have come up with devices that can The Ed/it 3 even improved the per- S-VHS: Hi-Fi stereo, VHSC & VHS combo, jog improve such problem videos. Sima’s formance of more sophisticated devices, shuttle, digital A/V track with $300 Ed/it 3 is the least expensive. dual screen programming. allowing us to tweak images superim- While it can’t turn a disaster into a mas- posed with Panasonic’s WJ-AVE5 mixer, S-VHS: Title/date recording adds personal terpiece, it provides useful —even indis- and to fine-tune scenes digitized with touch. Bargraph-style ‘‘tape time remaining” pensa—bfelatueres for home editing. the Amiga and NewTek’s DigiView Gold display eliminates recording digitizer. Most of the Ed/it 3’s processing surprises. Synchro-edit Picture and color controls dominate does not significantly degrade picture or feature simplifies dubbing. the left half of the Ed/it 3. A video en- sound. We only encountered visible hancer occupies the middle. The unit’s noise when using the enhancer or boost- stereo audio mixer has inputs for an au- ing the color all the way. On color bars, dio/video source, a music source and a we noticed slight RF interference. microphone. The stereo mic input is a We’ve come to rely on units like the nice touch, because stereo clarifies speech. Ed/it 3 and Videonics’ Video Equalizer It also has an audio/video fade but- for extra control over editing. The Ed/it ton, a bypass switch that deactivates the 3 is $50 cheaper, but lacks the Equal- video processing, and two audio/video izer’s digital effects, colorizer and S-vid- inputs. The picture rolls when the user eo jacks. Certainly, you can edit videos switches sources, but by fading out, without one of these processors, but for switching sources and fading in, the user a few hundred dollars it’s doubtful you’d can produce a clean transition. find a more useful editing accessory. Sima packs the Ed/it 3 with a wealth TOSHIBA SV-771 S-VHS: Optical scanner digitizes graphics for superimposition. Other digital tricks include color correction, fades, wipes, 1 negative/positive, titles, and noise reduction. PRICES ALWAYS COMPETITIVE We ship within 24 hours. Capable Console: All prices quoted include manufacturer's standard The Ed/it 3 has a color accessories & U.S. Warranty. All units are factory processor, an enhancer, a sealed. We are an AUTHORIZED DEALER for ALL fader and an audio mixer. ‘J1B|UJ0}O/PD[UO4NOIOPsDAUDODJUEAYWYSJOPPJDNU!AME BRANDS WE SELL! 10 DAY EXCHANGE S & H NON-REFUNDABLE 28 VIDEO JULY 1991
ta rtadce WHERE IT'S ALWAYS YOUR cHorce: & & OVEGRUNAIGRHATNTDEELEIDVERY Your Best Deal on the 6™ Floor 9AMO-P9EPNM 7EADASYTSERN 7 Day Unconditional Refunds - No Restocking Fee* YOUR CHOICE SONY SONY RICOH YASHICA KX-90 Hi8_ 10x Zoom 4Mode program AE . 1/2\" RICOH agg a CCD chip 8Xzoomw/macro 3 lux VN-500 ime Base Connection High Fidelity 4capsule stereo mic 8x power Zoom |i -V101 wimacro 4Lux 1/2precisionCCD 1 page digital)e ORIeiconfie NIKON Superimposer w/scroll and reverse Full USAwarranty Hi8 4Mode program AE 1/2\" precision CCD chip 8X zoomw/macro 3 lux / Lens Prices & Warranty Vary byBrand CCD-F55 CCD-TR4 RICOH YASHICA 8X Power zoom wimacro 2 lux Easy snap-on R-66S connection forTVplayback — Wireless remote 1 Page NIKON digital superimposer A/V Fader —_Full USA warranty SONY 6X variable speedzoomw/macro 5Lux 1 page R-860S digital superimposer Quick record Variable 8X Power zoom wimacro 2 lux _—Easy snap-on high speed shutter Linear time counter —_Full connection for TV playback _Wireless remote 1 Page USA warranty ar lens, Prices & Warranty Vary by Brand digitalsuperimposer A/VFader Hi-Fi Stereo Full JVC-GRAX-7 CCD-V701 er MINOLTA V-20R CANON A-1 DIGITAL = [C PALMCORDER nt Baird Boren PRO ED Hi-Band Stereo : 10X Zoom Remote 2 Lux CCD TTL Focus - 6 Zoom Charactor Generator Bolte a : ‘tee ; tes pt] PROB 808 3omLux Shutter eee ‘ ~ “ ye ; . } Dual Beam Infrared Remote Wireless Super Compact Full 1 Lux Size VHS | Ultra Compact 8X Zoom 10,000 Shutter PV5-575 eccccceeALh 1 F-V-/O4 : ,.ccoccceovcccosccccsece Special Effects $ Lux 450 Lines Resolution Maxxum Optics Timer Infrared Focus FMaaxxsum VOpatrcihcsaes PV-660. ..cccsocesCALL EE PVEZ 10.acscctscesssssoccceecesesess CANON STATE-OF- 11-PRO THE-ART Hi8 AG-180 a Digital 8 os Interchangeable AAGG--415900 AG-1960‘VE= Lenses AAGG--A19957_|0 |AWECOAMLPSLOETCEARLRIYNE |“TINOvNa CVI-124. Lshaiuihecnatasini RCA PRO-820....ceosssoveeeeee ACCESSORIES day refund policy, no Lene feail returned within 7 days of receipt. All returns MUST have prior authorization, and mustbereturned in original mint condition, Merchandise lust bereturned retumed within 7daysofreceiving. Shipping, handling & insurance arenot refundable. All otherswillhave a6% restocking fee, Notresponsible for typographical ifors. This ad valid during month of issue. For additional information, circle No. 12 on Reader Service Car
TECHNICALLYSTATE OF THE ART SPEAKING VCRs reach for the centerfield advantage. BY RODERICK WOODCOCK plates on the top and bottom of the and playback at both SP and EP, two chassis to counteract these vibrations This is an unusual year for the VCR, in double-azimuth heads are built into a that a seemingly simple mechanical in- and further stabilize the transport. Legs single head assembly on each side of the novation has upstaged the electronic ad- filled with damping material help isolate video drum. The width of the Fisher’s vances that normally grab videophiles’ the transport from external vibrations. SP head is 58 microns, while the width attention. You may have noticed this in- of the EP head is 19.3 microns. Other In the early days of VHS, it was manufacturers are also exploring the use novation on new VCRs from Toshiba, common to find a large brass impedance of Sendust and other improved magnet- Sharp and Fisher, all of which have cas- roller in the tape path on each side of ic materials in video heads. sette doors centered on the front panel. the head drum. These smoothed out The symmetrical look of these VCRs is a fluctuations as the tape traveled around Sharp is also introducing midmount welcome change from the jumbled array the heads. As years went by, some man- VCRs this fall, but is adding separate in- of buttons and hatches covering most ufacturers dropped their use or reduced novations of its own. The company’s re- decks. However, centering a VCR’s their diameter to cut manufacturing search has concentrated on improving transport may improve the deck’s pic- costs. But big impedance rollers have re- the quality of the signal recovered from ture quality even more than its appear- appeared in the FVH-8901, augmented the tape by the video heads. Most dou- by sophisticated digital servo circuits ble-azimuth video head designs combine ance. that enable more precise control of the different head widths that must serve In so-called midmount VCRs, the rotational speed of the head drum and the purposes of both SP and EP record- capstan, which controls the forward mo- ing and playback. Sharp determined tape transport, video drum and motor that this design impaired the quality of assembly become the nucleus at the tion of the tape. the EP picture, because the heads were center of a balanced deck, with circuit Innovations in video head design are slightly wider than the recorded video boards, power supplies and the tuner ar- ranged around the transport. The elec- also part of the new midmount VCRs. tracks. The composition of the magnetic mate- For example, a 26-micron-wide head tronic components become supporting tial used to make a video head can con- players, repositioned so they do not in- tribute to the amount of noise visible in forced to retrace a 19-micron-wide video terfere physically or electrically with the the picture. Instead of the conventional track picks up seven microns of extra- transport. The intended effect is to re- ferrite video heads that have been the neous information from the adjacent duce “jitter,” or vertical jumpiness in the picture caused by vibration-induced mainstay of all video formats for the past track. This overlap produces crosstalk, fluctuations in the tape path. decade, Fisher’s midmount machines which lowers picture quality. By adding use Sendust heads. Sendust is a new ma- two separate playback-only video heads, Jitter causes the biggest problems terial that offers a higher saturated mag- each precisely 19 microns in width, with tapes longer than 120 minutes netic flux density and better low-fre- Sharp has been able to raise the video (which are unusually thin), and tapes quency characteristics than were previ- level of the much-used EP mode signifi- recorded at the EP speed, where quality cantly. The company’s unique nine-head is already at a minimum. Midmount ously available. video drum holds two SP heads and two configuration may be especially benefi- Compared to ferrite video heads, EP heads deployed in double-azimuth cial for S-VHS, maximizing the format’s ability to record in excess of 400 lines of Sendust heads achieve an improvement pairs, two audio heads, two 19-micron horizontal resolution by suppressing me- of three decibels in color signal-to-noise continued on page 90 chanical anomalies in the transport. ratios. For optimum quality recording In Fisher’s midmount FVH-4903 Ready, Willing and Stable: Fisher's FVH-4903 VCR is among the first to feature a centered cassette tray. and FVH-8901 VHS VCRs, the power supply resides in a separate part of the chassis, since it’s a source of picture-de- grading noise. Keeping it insulated from other VCR components ensures a higher signal-to-noise ratio from the VCR and, hence, a better picture. A VCR's head drum rotates at 1,800 rpm, and some of the machine’s parts may resonate at or near that frequency, amplifying vibrations caused by the head drum’s rotation. Fisher uses thick steel
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BY DAVID LACHENBRUCH BOOB TUBE TO SUPER TUBE TV's SILENT REVOLUTION A high-tech drive to turbocharge the CRT Helis wider, sharper, brighter pictures. f it’s never occurred to you to ask fecting what we watch and that may that should never have worked— three soon affect the way we watch. Perhaps separate guns spew electrons from why we continue to watch televised slightly different directions. it’s not surprising that viewers are being images on the bulging bottom of caught off guard. The cathode ray tube Between the guns and the screen lies was actually developed before electronic a shadow mask (sometimes called an what is basically a large bottle occu- television. When TV came along, its use “aperture mask” or “aperture grille”). to display pictures was widely considered The mask keeps the right electron beam pied mostly by a vacuum, consider it a temporary expedient until science de- from landing on the wrong colored veloped a flat, hang-on-the-wall substi- phosphor on the screen. The wrong col- now. Because the bottle is changing. It’s ors are in the so-called shadow of the tute. mask from the standpoint of the elec- being stretched, flattened, coated, prod- That was 70 years ago, and the pic- tron gun. ded, programmed, tweaked and remade ture tube is still going strong, besting all In the first color tubes, screens were competing technologies, including flat- to a degree unseen since the advent of coated with triads of phosphor dots— screen LCD devices. (Even the vast ma- red, green and bl—uwheich are still color. A few of the changes are dramat- jority of consumer projection TV sets found in some computer monitors. Mod- rely on picture tubes—in fact, trios of ern tubes use vertical strips of color in- ic, but most are invisible—and more are stead of dots, a pattern inspired by the tubes, one for each primary color.) One Sony Trinitron, the first to use such a on the way. What viewers see instead of the difficulties in catching up is that the picture tube is a moving target. Just configuration. are better pictures, sometimes only sub- when most people believe the CRT has reached the end of its tether, it gets bet- Despite improvements to flat-screen tly better than those of earlier models. ter. systems —in resolution, brightness, size and cost—picture tubes have managed But the steady march of minor improve- It’s easier to understand how this is to stay so far ahead that a low-resolu- possible by taking a closer look at what tion, three-inch LCD color TV costs ments by numer- makes tubes tick. Life inside a picture about the same as a conventional 27- tube is hectic. In a black-and-white inch tube set. And color picture tubes ous companies, tube, it’s not so bad — an electron stream are still moving ahead, with a multitude merely paints a picture on a phosphor of very small improvements which col- each brandishing screen by going back and forth. In a col- lectively yield significant, noticeable ad- or tube—a Rube Goldberg invention its own propri- etary approach, is having a major impact on picture quality. Especially on larger screens. The plain fact is that the boob Perfecting the Pitch: tube is growing up, Sony Trinitron cutaway undergoing a si- reveals fine pitch aper- lent revolution ture grille. that’s already af- 32. VIDEO JULY 1991
t prove the picture itself. This is Zenith’s (ha Flat Tension Mask (FTM) tube, already 4h 4h he 4 being produced in a 14-inch size as an MITTSnyews expensive computer monitor. The tube has an absolutely flat black faceplate on Masked Marvel: which the picture looks like a Ko- High-resolution FTM dachrome slide, with sharp contrast and monitor. a forerunner of virtually no noticeable reflections. 20-inch TV sets Zenith plans to introduce But the truly significant aspect of the next year. FTM could be the technology used to produce it. All color tubes now are made Gleaming the Tube: using a painstaking and costly high-pre- Prototypes of equip- cision process in which the metal shad- ment (above. right) ow mask is used as a negative to lay developed by Zenith to down the phosphor stripes on the face- precisely stretch master plate in three separate exposur—eosne shadow mask templates for each primary color. The mask is then for its Flat Tension wedded to the faceplate of the same Mask picture tube. tube on which it was used to imprint the phosphors. So much precision is re- quired that there is no interchange- ability of shadow masks and face- plates. The FTM system, if Zenith succeeds, would change all this. In place of the traditional curved or domed shadow mask, which must be allowed space to Alloy for the ’90s: Cutaway of a Pan- asonic Prism TV tube shows extra-rigid Invar shadow mask, which increases screen brightness. vantages. One of the most obvious ways exploring still larg- § in which the tube has progressed is size. er sizes. And dif- ferent shapes. In Just a few years ago, a 25-inch tube Europe, TV sets was considered a giant screen. Now are already on sale there’s a wide variety of tubes at larger with picture tubes | in the widescreen siz—ineclusding 26-, 27-, 29-, 30-, 31-, 16:9 dimension in- 32- and 35-inch models. The latter size stead of the boxy | was considered a tremendous feat a few 4:3 ratio of stand- years ago when introduced by Mit- ard TV, both for subishi, but today 35-inch tubes are use with letter- made by three manufacture—rtswo of boxed movies and them with plants in the U.S. Sony has for HDTV and even introduced a limited-edition TV EDTV broadcasts set with a tube measuring 43 inches in viewable diagonal. The tube, the world’s in widescreen, as largest CRT, is used primarily in TV sta- well as for the proper display tion broadcast monitors; Sony’s consum- of letterboxed films (see sidebar). er version carries a suggested price of $40,000. Although myriad small improve- The stratospheric Sony aside, it’s ments are in progress at picture tube doubtful even the big 35-inch tube will plants, one large advance promised for be the largest mass-produced consumer the future could revolutionize the way size for long. Manufacturers are already picture tubes are made and vastly im- JULY 1991 VIDEO 33
SUPER TUBE expand, Zenith would substitute a com- Under the Lens: Lab technician at Philips analyzes surface characteristics of a high-end picture tube. pletely flat mask rigidly secured to the glass tube (which has an equally flat the silkscreen process, but competitors develop the Trinitron. This tube em- faceplate) so it cannot expand or con- are dubious. ploys a unique aperture grille with slits tract. Zenith is already producing such running the height of the tube, along monitors, but they’re costly. The picture tube is not only the with a single, large, three-barrel electron most expensive part of a TV set (fre- gun in place of the standard three guns, Zenith thinks it can mount the mask quently comprising up to 70 percent of providing a sharp spot size and high with such rigidity that it can replace brightness. The Trinitron faceplate is the traditional photographic method of the cost), but the most critical. It is the unique in that it is cylindrical in shape, laying phosphors on the glass with a rel- tube’s combination of optics and elec- rather than spherical —that is, it’s com- atively low-cost method of printing or tronics which delivers the actual pic- pletely flat from top to bottom, and silkscreening. This would eliminate huge ture, and it—not a TV set’s electronic curved only on the horizontal axis. circuitr—yis the limiting factor in Sony's tubes have always had sharp cor- and sensitive production equipment, brightness, color clarity and resolution. ners, a relatively recent innovation in transforming the most complex part of tube-making into a simple printing proc- Sony recognized this long ago, and ess. departed from the rest of the industry to Zenith officials say this could make possible relatively low-cost tubes, even for HDTV. Zenith says it’s sufficiently encouraged to promise the introduction ofa20-inch FTM.TV set late in 1992. It hasn't determined yet whether it can use What The Baker Saw [Hint: ThinkWidesereen} ed-definition and high-definition broadcasts from satellites (with an optional satellite tuner). Thomson Consumer Electronics says the tube, which it makes in its plant in Italy, is capable of full high-fidel- ity display. The screen measures 34 inches, diagonally, which is equivalent to a 28-inch-high set in the standard 4:3 ratio. Other major TV manufacturers in Eur—oinpclueding Philips, Grundig, Nokia and such Japanese-owned com- panies as JVC —also plan to bring out 34-inch, 16:9 sets for the European market. In Japan, where widescreen HDTV is broadcast from satellite for one hour a day, 16:9 sets are available but at a cost of about $17,000, plus almost the same amount for a converter-tuner. Lejosne paid 35,000 francs, about $6,000, for his set. Although Space System is billed as an HDTV moni- tor, it can display images using any of the three major worldwide standa—rNdTSsC, PAL and SECAM —in ei- ther wide or standard ratios. Widescreen display of a standard picture cuts a small portion off the top and the bottom. Standard display leaves room at one side of the Wide Load: RCA prototype of widescreen TV set with 16:9 aspect ratio. image for a picture-in-pictu—reor rather, a picture-out- side-pict—ufrreom additional channels. Laurent Lejosne, a baker in the Normandy town of Ver- non, halfway between Paris and Rouen, along with his Thomson, whose U.S. brands are RCA and GE, says wife Veronique and their two-year-old daughter Jessica, it has no plans to market 16:9 sets here in the near fu- made television history this spring. They became the first ture, unless the market “demands” it. family in the western world to purchase a 16:9 wide- screen TV set. The set they bought was a Thomson What did the baker see? For one thing, he watched Space System receiver, designed to display standard broadcasts, videotapes and laserdiscs—and both extend- the European soccer fin—aSlparstak Moscow vs. OM— broadcast directly from satellite in the D2-MAC wide- screen format. According to the French press, the Lejosne family had many visitors. —DL RGPJTBCAHOCLROYSOAEONHTNORIONSB 34 VIDEO JULY 1991
The Incredible olrinking Tube Ever wonder why picture tubes shrink when you bring them into the United States? For example, other brands of TV sets. let's say you buy a 29-inch color TV The Trinitron, like other tubes, has set in Canada and drive it across developed over the years, and the com- the border. When you get home— pany is now offering a glimpse of its ulti- mate potential in a new computer voila, there’s a 27-inch set! If you version called the “20/20.” This 20-inch square display has a viewable resolution fancy a nice 21-incher in Tokyo, it of 2,048 by 2,048 pixels, or more than four million pixels, which is triple the will whittle down to a perfect 20 pixel size and information-carrying ca- pability ofastandard 1,280-by-1,024-pix- the minute you enter Uncle Sam’s el high-resolution computer monitor. territorial limit. But if you take the (In the consumer area, some of Sony’s high-end sets now employ artificial in- sets back to where you got them, | telligence to monitor brightness, color and contrast, adjusting the tube’s pa- they'll swell to their original size. rameters 60 times each second.) The reason TV sets undergo a The shape of the TV’s picture is con- sea change is that picture tube sizes stantly being refined, and more changes are on the way. A 1980s development by are measured differently in the U.S. Toshiba ended the era of rounded cor- than almost any place else. This ners, if not bulging screens. Toshiba wasn’t always the case. The first called it the FST, which originally stood for “flat square tube” but on second CRIs had round faceplaces that thought was changed to “flatter squarer tube,” since it was neither truly flat nor were identified by their diameter in SONY truly square. The corners were relatively sharp, and while the face of the tube was inches. When masked off into Perfect Vision: Sony’s state-of-the-art “20/20” monitor displays a square 20-inch picture with three On the Line: something approaching a rectangu- times as much image information as a standard Toshiba's 30- and 32- high-resolution computer monitor. inch TV sets (above) lar picture, the measurement be- use FST picture tubes still spherical it was closer to flat-faced like those (right) under- came corner-to-corner. Eventually than its rivals because it had a gentler going a quality check curve. during assembly. rectangular picture tubes were in- Toshiba’s move set the fashion, and troduc—eadnd were identified the all tube makers followed suit so far as the corners were concerned, but many same way, by the tube’s overall di- balked at flattening the face. They agonal measurement, a system still needed the rounded face to achieve the used in most countries. proper relationship between the elec- tron gun, the shadow mask and the tube But in the ’50s, the Federal face. Except for Sony’s cylindrical face, all tubes —including the FST —had Trade Commission decided that ad- spherical faceplates (the FST’s face was merely a segment of a larger sphere). vertising the diagonal size of picture It was RCA which discovered how tubes constituted misrepresentation, to make a faceplate that appeared flat pointing out that neither bedsheets but was more harmonious with the nor two-by-fours were sold that shadow mask than spherical tubes. This was called, naturally, an “aspherical” way. It proposed the use of length- faceplate. It was designed by computer to provide the best, most consistent pic- by-width ratios or the picture area ture within the limitations of the shad- ow mask. in square inches. TV set manufac- Close inspection shows it’s neither turers objected, and more than 10 flat nor rounded, but that it plateaus at years of hearings and legal squab- the main part of the screen. Many larger tubes now have aspherical faceplates for bling ensued until—finally —a optimum color performance in the cor- ners and at the edges as well as at the compromise was reached. center, because these faceplates permit stronger shadow masks. The compromise involved some- Nevertheless, the shadow mask re- thing new — “viewable diagonal,” mains the most critical component with- in the picture tube. Because it’s made of which was defined as the measure- steel, it expands when heated, and this ment of the picture itself, rather JULY 1991 VIDEO 35 than the tube that houses it. In larger sizes, the tube’s external glass walls constitute one or two inches not occupied by picture. So the FTC issued an order, and on mid- night, December 31, 1966, most tubes lost a little fat. Just to make sure everyone knows the difference, American tubes are identified with a “V” after the size designation, as in “27V,” which, of course, is a 29-inch tube in Silesia. And Upper Volta. And Sri Lanka. And just about every place else. —DL
Save on cable rental fees! 2CAL8L 4TOL-L-8FR4EE312-800 can cause color contamination and in- accuracies, particularly at the edges and MASTER CARD/AMEX/VISA/C.0.D. corners. For the brightest picture, high voltages are necessary. But higher volt- MasterCard a a on nF < Deas ages generate more heat as more elec- trons strike the metal shadow mask. ene] AMERICAN ExPREss® [ VISA Unfortunately, the most voltage is re- quired in the largest screen sizes, where oe soa the mask is likelier to buckle and dome with the heat. Have make and model number of equipment used in your area ready ALLOY OF CHOICE Enter Invar, a metal alloy specifically FOR TECHNICAL & CUSTOMER SERVICE developed for rigidity at high tempera- 305-749-3038 tures. When made into a shadow mask, it results in 75 percent less shifting un- F3aSiCRNcoo0dienaen.rdrfracvoidldirteecmiearotniaoln, der high temperatures than standard steel. Deluxe, high-end tubes 27 inches NO FLORIDA SALES and larger are now beginning to use In- var shadow masks. The material is ex- pensive and processing it into a mask is diffic—ualftter five months of receiving unacceptable samples from the only American source of shadow masks, Thomson Consumer Electronics’ RCA picture tube operation had to import its Invar masks from Japan. But the Invar mask is a major im- provement. It makes possible a smaller electron beam spot size, providing better focus, and it lets tube makers use a high- er voltage (up to 32,000 volts) for the brighter picture giant tubes require, pro- viding a picture that can be 40 percent brighter than that of a steel-mask tube. With the development of upgraded VCRs, laserdisc players and other pro- gram sources capable of higher resolu- tion than broadcasts —and looking forward to HDT—dVemand for higher resolution picture tubes is growing. The resolution is determined primarily by the pitch —the distance between the center of each trio of phosphor stripes on the scr—etoegenther with the electron beam spot size. Pitch is generally greater on a larger tube than a small one. While a tradi- tional large tube might have a pitch of 0.85mm (about 0.03 of an inch) at the center of the screen and 1.1mm at the edge, Invar tubes, even in the 35-inch size, have pitches as narrow as 0.71mm at the center, which is equivalent to 0.278mm in 13-inch tubes. True HDTV is reckoned to be reproducible at 0.5mm to 0.6l1mm pitch in a 34-inch widescreen 16:9 tube. Also affecting spot size, and there- fore resolution, is the width of a tube’s neck, with extra girth benefitting the picture. While many smaller tubes have necks only 22.5mm in diameter, necks on bigger tubes increased first to 29mm and then to 32mm and 32.5mm. A new version of the Mitsubishi 35-inch tube will have a neck diameter of 37.5mm. continued on page 78
and reduced home satellite ufacturer of widely-used General dish size. satellite television scram- Puts The This new innovation, bling systems. These systems Viewer In known as DigiCipher tech- conform to the CATV Control nology, is capable of trans- industry’s standard scram- mitting as many as 10 stan- @ DigiCipher bling method, designed to technology opens dard television signals over a up satellite TV to single satellite transponder protect against unauthorized to a home satellite dish, thus more viewing signal reception. With the options than ever. allowing programmers to company’s VIDEOCIPHER General Instrument has led increase the number of pro- the satellite industry in pro- II PLUS Series 2100E inte- viding consumers with more gram channels. Incredibly, home entertainment diversi- as the number of program- grated receiver-descrambler, ty than was ever before imaginable. ming options increase, the viewers are able to descram- ble programs that they have Most recently, General necessary size of a dish will Instrument has developed decrease. Dish sizes can now subscribed to. an advanced digital video be reduced from the stan- compression technology that dard eight- and ten-foot General Instrument also will result in increased pro- gram channel capacity, types to antennas as small as manufactures a full line of improved picture quality, 30-inches in diameter. satellite TV receivers such as Since the DigiCipher sys- the Super 2750R integrated tem was designed as a “seam- receiver descrambler, which less” simulcast interface for satellite, cable and broadcast features MasterPeak channel television, it opens the door tuning for a perfect picture for future home HDTV every time. Also included delivery and reception and satellite data transmission. are a l-year/6-event timer, Even sending personal mes- digital stereo sound, and a sages over a satellite trans- 150 favorite channel recall ponder is now made possible. function. This last feature Innovative technology is allows you to call up a list nothing new to General on screen and select a chan- Instrument. The VideoCi- nel automatically. pher Division of the compa- A built-in VIDEOpal ny is the designer and man- Order Reorder module pro- vides instant pay-per-view ordering at the touch of a button. With this module — which is also available sepa- rately — you only pay for the programs you order. Attach- ing the unit is simple: just connect it to your descram- bler, plug it into a telephone jack, and attach its AC power adapter. Some of the services available with VIDEOpal are the Satellite Sports Network, Viewer’s Choice, the Cable Video Store, Spice, Madison Square Garden Network, Playboy At Night, TVN, Home Sports and Midwest SRC3oae0enrrda.vdiecre Sports Network and others. Niroc.le All these choices are made iaFondrfdoirtmiaotniaoln possible by General Instru- ment satellite products and technology. With such a limitless amount of pro- gramming choices, staying Shown on the lefi, unprocessed [TSC material from Paramount's “Indiana Jones home has never before been and The Last Crusade.” At the right, the same material, after it has been com- such an attractive entertain- pressed into the DigiCipher'™ format. ment option. @
videos, original A New children’s pro- Sky View From gramming and SkyPix an optional @ As many as 30 package of major movies and favorite satellite video programs are now available in services are also your home any being made time ofthe day. available. SkyPix’s 80-channel DBS The SkyPix | (direct broadcast satellite) service adds a new perspec- hardware pack- | tive to home theatre by age will begin | offering viewers the world’s shipping this IUTARY a a system comes as a complete package that includes a first in-home video store — thanks to a dramatic summer, and sev- small receiving antenna and a compact digital receiver with innovation in digital video eral leading con- remote control. technology. sumer electron- SkyPix viewers can choose ics retailers have already and advanced audio/video from between 20 to 30 major Hollywood films at committed to carrying the quality in home entertain- any time, offering a virtual system. You should be able ment. on-demand programming to view SkyPix at major With the SkyPix DBS ser- schedule. Viewers rest retailers near you, including vice you can watch, when fat assured; show time is never Macy’s, Dayton Hudson, more than a few minutes Circuit City, The Wiz, you want and you only pay ae away. As many as 30 movies can be broadcast simultane- for what you view. ® ously and they will be avail- Leachmere’s, The Good Guys and Magnolia Hi-Fi able for viewing at 30- minute intervals. DBSand Video. The SkyPix home enter- A number of Hollywood’s tainment system comes as a major studios and indepen- dents have already agreed to Educatescomplete package that supply programming to SkyPix, including Columbia, includes a small receiving Disney, MGM/UA, Orion, Paramount, Tri-Star, Carol- & Sellsantenna (exact size depends co, Goldwyn and Universal. In addition to movies, a on geographic location) and variety of programming a compact digital receiver choices including sports, news, live events, music with remote control. Its sug- Wt SiyPt gested retail price is $699. For homes already equipped @ This leading with a satellite antenna, the satellite distributor IBS service you Call Watell, when receiver and remote are also takes consumer HOU Wait and! (row sold separately. education seriously, Guijjnayator what This new DBS system uses advanced digital technology In the same way that satel- to achieve unprecedented lite television is more than video delivery and reception. just another entertainment It is capable of a remarkable source, DBS (Direct Buy- 480 lines of resolution and ing Service) Satellite Televi- ghost-free reception. Using sion is more than just a mail order satellite dealer. digital compression, the DBS is a complete satellite SkyPix technology also equipment and installation allows eight separate pro- consulting service. grams to be transmitted in the satellite transponder DBS offers numerous ser- vices to help its customers bandwidth normally occu- choose equipment and pied by only one program. install satellite systems. For Digital audio and video encoding, signal processing, tuning and error correction are all developments that do-it-yourself satellite lend themselves to the ulti- installation, the company mate in convenience, choice, provides all necessary tech- VERTI€}SSUIPPNLEMGENT
Houston Tracker Systems place to find out more (HTS), Echostar, General Instrument and California about the possibilities of satellite home theatre. The Amplifier. national trade organization The mes- representing the home sage the satellite television industry, company the SBCA is comprised of satellite manufacturers, sys- wants all SATELLITE ome tem operators, equipment TELEVISION entertain- manufacturers and distribu- ment buffs tors, as well as retailers and programmers. to hear is that nical information and basic satellite television offers The organization’s prima- installation guidelines by mail or over the phone. But more choices and quality ry goal is to expand the use if you prefer to have a pro- fessional install your system, at affordable prices. of satellite technology for DBS will put you in touch the broadcast of entertain- with their nationwide net- Satellite’s flexibility and work of qualified installers. quality are unmatched ment, news, information (For Southern California customers, DBS’s own ser- due to new technological and educational program- vice professionals can meet your installation and repair breakthroughs. ming. Boasting more than Among the innovations 600 members, the group needs.) A free brochure introduc- in satellite technology being serves as a source of techni- ing DBS’ expansive equip- touted by DBS are cal, legislative and general ment inventory, which improved audio quality due includes an informative industry information. The home satellite buyer’s guide, will help you make to digitized audio signals SBCA’s Public Relations your purchase decisions. To and phenomenal video res- Task Force operates a toll- give customers a more in- depth look at satellite tele- olution that surpasses the free national information vision and equipment, DBS visual quality of even the also plans to offer the line — (800) 726-7222 — best cable system. industry's first buyer’s Says the company’s sales to accommodate any ques- guide/catalog on videotape that will answer common manager Michael Byrd, tions and requests for sup- questions and demonstrate products. The videotape plemental information will be available from the company for $19.95 by “Whether it’s only one of about satellite entertainment calling (800) 350-0256 and your choices or your only will include a money back and technology. guarantee. To help with any customer technical choice, satellite television is For further information, queries, DBS also offers a toll-free hotline — (800) the best choice for all- contact the SBCA at 225 350-0256 — with qualified around home theatre enter- Reinekers Lane, Suite 600, satellite technicians stand- tainment.” Alexandria, VA 22314; ing by. For a free catalog, call Along with numerous (703) 546-6990. ® customer services, DBS also DBS at (800) 327-0046. In offers the industry's most complete lineup of state-of- California call (800) 327- the-art satellite equipment. Some of the more popular 2345. You can fax them at brands include Chaparral, (800) 652-2190 or write to them at 2316 Chan- nel Drive; Ventura, CA 93003. @ Need Some Help? The SBCA (Satel- lite Broadcasting and Communica- tions Association of America) is the
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Be i Rude evo eae pn PNAS Ha PEN WeNey PAR WRIA URCHEHelly aD ANN Bek TRY ilyvt SEARLES LPS LRP NS ed aa ae shel Mot otWE WANTED HISSMOSTBY BRENT BUTTERWORTH AND TYHARRINGTON A hands-on investigation of six power-packed camcorders he suspects: six of the most wanted questioned every feature, every button With regular and tracking modes, camcorders ever to hit the street. and every pixel of every picture. We the H850 has the most sophisticated au- paid special attention to picture and tofocus system of the camcorders we The victims: serious amateur tested. In either mode, focus is deliber- videographers trying to finger the sound quality, and to manual features, ate and accurate in bright light. Track- which most experienced users prefer. ing mode works well, provided the perfect Hi8 camcorder, confused by con- We didn’t have to check the manual fo- subject is not temporarily obstructed. cus, because all six camcorders have a The tracking mode offers automatic flicting testimony from store personnel traditional focus ring at the front of the backlight compensation, which helps and features that appear under several lens. This is highly preferable to the compensate for the lack of amanual iris. cumbersome power focus buttons that The limited sensitivity of the H850’s aliases. have become the norm on VHS and camera section prevents the AF from The investigating officers: contribut- VHS-C camcorders. settling in low light unless zoomed at least halfway out. ing editor Ty Harrington, a globe-trot- All have AFM hi-fi stereo sound, ting field videographer whose travels and two also feature PCM digital stereo. The H850 sports a useful innova- place tough demands on himself and his Most have a manual iris, which is impor- equipment, and senior editor Brent But- tant for backlight compensation in con- ti—oplung-in ROM chips with selec- terworth, a postproduction fanatic ditions that make subjects’ features tions of computer-generated music and whose multigenerational edits and spe- invisible; for slightly underexposing animations. Chips are available for cial effects assault and batter all but the shots to achieve extra color saturation; events such as birthdays, weddings and sharpest video images. and for controlling depth of field, or how sports. The graphics are so sophisticated much of the picture is in focus. that duplicating them would require a Mr. Outside and Mr. Inside, as Commodore Amiga and lots of talent. they’re known on the force. MIGHTY MITES The Canon H850 and RCA Pro880 The H850’s picture appears the least The suspicious activity began last noisy of any of the camcorders we test- year, when video manufacturers exposed show Hi8 doesn’t have to come at a high ed, perhaps because its colors seem a whole gang of new Hi8 machines with price. Both are small units, available for slightly undersaturated. The H800, a innovative features that caught video street prices hundreds of dollars below similar model without slots for the chips, list, but in picture and sound quality should still be available in many stores. enthusiasts by surprise. they rival machines costing twice as It is probably the least expensive Hi8 on much. The $1,900 H850 breaks the Hi8 As reports of perplexed shoppers mold, offering mainly point-and-shoot the market. reached our office, we decided it was features. It offers no manual control Light, small, simple and straightfor- time to round up the Hi8 camcorder over iris, white balance or audio record- gang and test them until they told the ing level. Fortunately, the automatic ward, RCA's $1,600 Pro880 is a strong truth, the whole truth and nothing but features work well—the only thing we contender for those who want the bene- the truth about their strengths and really miss is manual iris. fit of Hi8 without paying for extra bells weaknesses. and whistles. Its amazingly stable infra- red AF works much better in low light We began the investigation by lining ISPLMLTEHMOLSEOARUVTSLSEOILTSLRW:ALOT up six leading Hi8 machi—nCeanosn’s H850 and LI, Sony’s CCD-V801 and CCD-V5000, RCA’s Pro880 and Olym- pus’ VX-H804. Then we thoroughly 42 VIDEO JULY 1991
OLYMPUS videoHif JULY 1991 VIDEO 43 SHOOTING =f SUSPECTS The Hi8 lineup, from left: Sony's CCD-V801, Canon's L1, RCA’s Pro880, Olympus’ VX- H804, Sony's CCD- V5000 and Canon’s H850. than the other systems, and re- spectably in bright light. Another strength is its short- throw manual iris, which permits quick compensation for adverse light conditions. The exposure often) continues changing for about a second after the user stops turning the knob,, making setting the iris a bit difficult, but we got used to it. The Pro880 offers all the basic fea- tures most shooters need. A nice touch is the ever-present battery power indica- tor on its external LCD panel. We con- sider this preferable to the low-battery indicators of most units. These often ap- pear only seconds before the unit shuts off. The Pro880 is ideal for sophisticated shooters on a budget, or for those seek- ing to step cautiously into Hi8 while waiting to see what further innovations come along. MIDSIZE MUSCLE Slightly larger and heavier than the H850 and Pro880, Olympus’ VX-H804 and Sony’s CCD-V801 should appeal to shooters seeking traditional feel and more features. The VX-H804, Spartan compared to the larger units, includes well-chosen, well-placed fea- “-«#ttim tures. Its manual iris con- trol is sure-footed a easy to operate. A 4 record-only digital”
MOST WANTED zoom doubles the size of an image, and Long Shot: Shots of the Chrysler Building in Manhattan from one mile away demonstrate the Canon L1's an electronic viewfinder swivels 180 de- grees, reducing the likelihood it will |zoom range—from full wide-angle (left) to full telephoto with the 2x digital zoom activated (right). break off during field use. CCD-V801 is a full-featured model, code, which should allow very precise The VX-H804's AF is one of the while the $1,600 CCD-V701 is a similar, editing when used with Sony’s new time- best we tested, because it offers three but slightly stripped down economy code compatible RM-E700 editing con- target zones. Users can tweak the auto- troller. It also features 27 shutter speeds, focus with a zone select button, which is model. positioned so that hitting it doesn’t shake the picture. The AF hun—tpusls- The V801's great strength is its light- an onscreen picture adjustment menu, ing back and forth in search of a sub- ning-fast control wheel, which adjusts and a gain control adjustable from -3 to ject —only when zoomed all the way in. iris, shutter speed and gain. Like ad- +18 decibels, which is useful in low vanced 35mm SLRs, the V801 features light. Its picture appears a bit noisier than that of the other units. In addition to accurate, programmable exposure Its picture and sound quality are su- analog audio, it offers PCM digital ster- eo, which provides especially clear modes, including full auto, portrait, perb — both Sonys seem to produce more sound. The PCM cannot be dubbed as it sports, aperture-priority and shutter-pri- realistic color than the other cam- can with some Sony camcorders and ority. Unlike most camcorders, the V801 corders. The only weaknesses we found VCRs. A wired pause remote illustrates holds its settings even when turned off, were its autofocus and its viewfinder, the VX-H804’s design approach —it’s a instead of returning to full auto mode — which looks fragile. sturdy, practical workhorse with few frills but most of the necessary nuts and an ideal arrangement for serious users bolts. who seldom shoot in full auto. THE BIG GUNS Sony’s latest Hi8s combine compact Sony’s through-the-lens AF has of- For ambitious amateurs, wedding design with features useful to weekend warriors and semipros alike. The $1,900 ten been criticized for hunting, prompt- videographers and others who need but can’t afford professional equipment, two Party Decorations: ing the company to switch to infrared Graphics chips plug AF on some new 8mm models. The Hi8 camcorders—Canon’s L1 and Sony’s into Canon’s H850 to V801, however, still uses the TTL sys- CCD-V5—0st0ra0ddle the fine line be- generate animation for tween pro and consumer gear. Both are almost any occasion. tem, and still tends to hunt at focal limited-edition models, so finding one lengths greater than 15mm (slightly past Fun With Frames: full wide-angle). It only stays put on might be difficult, and chances are nei- The multi-image effect brightly lit, high-contrast subjects. on Sony’s CCD-V5000 ther will be heavily discounted. captures eight stills and The V801 offers rewritable time The $3,000 LI uses the VL lens inserts live video at lower right. mount, a new industry standard for in- terchangeable camcorder lenses. Canon currently offers two VL lenses, a 15x zoom supplied with the Ll and an op- tional 8x zoom. One of us feels the 8x zoom would be a more appropriate stock-equipment choice because its lighter weight would better balance the unit. But the other loves the extra range of the 15x lens and found its grooved fo- cus and zoom rings easy to handle. Except for the new lens mount, the L1 is similar to Canon’s Al Digital. It of- fers two sets of digital effects, one for re- cording and another for playback. The recording effects are especially useful. They include an overlap setting that freezes the end of a scene, then dissolves it into the next, and an electronic close- SPCVMHIPCROTD1IRTSE0NEUSOTEB: 44 VIDEO JULY 1991
Hig STBY CUSTOM PRESET CONTRAST »COLOR SHARPNESS alel= RESET up that doubles the zoom range to 30x. Processing on Double Up: The L1’s focal range is astonishing, but the Go: at long telephoto settings, holding it With Sony’s CCD-V801, An image produced steady is practically impossible. Wind color and contrast set- can shake the picture even when the LI tings can be altered without (left) and with is mounted on a light tripod. through an onscreen (right) digital zoom, menu. It also has what we consider to be which is featured on the best gain-up circuit available — a dig- tenuation and the directionality of the ital strobe effect that stores the light microphone. It’s not surprising that the Let There Be Light: Sony's V5000, Canon's from several frames as one. This lowers LI produces, to our ears, the best sound A scene shot using the HLi804a.nd Olympus’ VX- the sensitivity to 0.5 lux while adding of all the units. little noise. Canon L1 without (left) However, we came to a split decision and with (right) digital The only real weakness is its expo- on the LI. One of us feels it is poorly bal- gain-up. sure control. In manual mode, the iris adjustment is exceedingly precise, but to anced, that its features need refinement, and that Canon should have designed it achieve this the user must overcome a to accommodate wide-angle lenses. The confusing control wheel with five revo- other loves it, praising the sound, the ef- lutions at either end of the adjustment fects and the solid feel of the big 15x range that seem to have no function. An lens. Both of us feel the Al Digital is a unstable, sliding scale in the viewfinder helps little. We hope Canon (or another manufacturer) creates a VL lens with a manual iris ring like those on profes- sional video lenses. A full range of audio controls per- mits adjustment of recording levels, at- more practical investment for many am- ateur videographers. Sony’s $2,700 CCD-V5000 packs more features than any other consumer Almost While we liked all the Hi8 camcorders we tested, none camcorder. Foremost is a timebase cor- Perfect, was perfect. But we have seen an 8mm unit that comes _ rector, which smoothes out picture er- Almost close—Sony's EVC-X7, with which the military shot _ rors caused by tiny variances in tape most of its Gulf War footage. The $2,800 EVC-X7 ac- transport or head rotation speed. About Gone cepts threaded, C-mount lenses used on movie and | half the generation loss encountered in editing is due to timebase error, so the surveillance cameras. This gives users a selection of ae TBC alone makes the V5000 attractive dreds of lenses, including some auto iris units with ring- to serious editors —and it works great on-the-lens aperture control, a feature we’d love to see with a Video Toaster. on consumer camcorders. Unfortunately, Sony never a Its professional, Betacam-style shoul- made a Hi8 version of the EVC-X7, and recently discon- - tinued the model. At presstime, there were still about — der rest allows steady operation, and a 1,000 in stock. For information, call Ken LaMarca at strong, top-mounted handle helps offset Sony Security Systems Division, 201-358-495B4.B E&TH‘ the big machine’s potential unwieldiness in the field.The left side is filled with controls that permit virtually every function to be precisely set without re- quiring the user to look in the view- finder. It’s as user-friendly as the L1 is command-intensive. Its audio capabilities are especially impressive. It has PCM audio that can be dubbed in later, a pop-up narration mic, level and balance controls, and a monitor/playback speaker. Noise from the transport leaks into recordings, so demanding users will want to employ a separate mic. There is no external mic continued on page 98 JULY 1991 VIDEO 45
UNTO BY STAN PINKWAS L\\STALLATION OF THE MON,TAH PALISADE EARTH STATION A commanding view and a dish on the roof enhance a handsome home theater. It was a cold, bright January day when set the Yamaha DSP-3000 digital sound Design and Installation Association (see DPIKSEH.ANHHAVISGONULITIAFIDASRMOP two dozen excited sports fans parked field processor to stadium mode, and box). their cars and headed into the theater 100,000 fans roared as the game began. for a special live screening of Super Bowl The heart of the theater is a Sony XXIII. The showing was special because The home is a dream house designed 1040 video projector set up, coffee-table the theater was in a private hom—eand for a New York City businessman and the home was still under construction. his wife. Perched atop a high palisade, it style in the middle of the room, to work But the media room was ready, and the overlooks a spectacular Hudson River in tandem with a seven-foot retractable Super Bowl was an irresistible way to screen by Draper. A 30-inch Yamaha test its powers. The theater passed with panorama. Inside, the view is flying colors, especially when the owner just as good, thanks to a so- monitor, set into the main equipment phisticated installation wall and fed by a Proton video tuner, 46 VIDEO JULY 1991 that includes, in addi- tion to the theater, au- serves as a second screen. dio/video distribution to ACS president Robert Kauf- other rooms and outdoor decks, and satellite reception man specified a single brand for from a roof-mounted dish. The installation was designed most of the system’s extensive ca- by Audio Command Systems pabilities. Thus, the theater’s of Rockville Center, New S-VHS VCR, combi player, Dolby York, with the assis- Pro-Logic decoder, CD changer, tance of Jay Measley, _dual-well audio cassette deck, the home’s architect. ACS is a member of turntable, amplifiers and the Custom Electronic front speakers are all i by Yamaha. These are aided by an oblong NSW-10 super woofer be- low the projec-
Room at the Top: Main media room cen- ters around a Sony projector and a Yamaha direct-view monitor, both of which also re- ceive satellite programs - from the rooftop dish (far left). Installer Rob- ert Kaufman (lower left) also designed a bed- room console (above) that fully exploits the system's A/V prowess. tion screen and in-wall Sonance IV rear TV set. Two outdoor decks are also speakers. wired for sound, and here ACS installed The satellite reception uses a 10-foot Winegard dish fitted with a Saginaw ac- one pair of Design Acoustics DA-360 tuator and a Chaparral dual feedhorn. outdoor speakers and a pair of B&W | This enables the dish to service two re- | ceivers, an HTX Houston Tracker in the LM-1 Marine speakers. theater and an Echo Star in the master The system, which cost about CEDIA bedroom. $50,000, is controlled by two Yamaha The Custom Electronic Design & In- The unique architecture left little stallation Association is a nationwide usable wall space, making visual integra- | MRX-100 universal remotes and built-in non-profit trade organization made tion of the elaborate system into the up of companies that specialize in in- structure an unusually challenging task, touch panels created by ACS. One of stalling electronic entertainment, au- according to Kaufman. For example, the tomation, security and communi- black metal fascia on the equipment the panels is installed in the master bed- cation systems in the home. CEDIA cabinets were custom cut to precise may be contacted by telephoning specifications, then flawlessly anodized. room in a bedside console, which also 1-800-CEDIA30 or by writing: Motorized drapes help regulate the CEDIA, 10400 Roberts Road, Palos room’s light. houses a telephone, an intercom and a Hills, IL 60465. The system distributes audio and compact “suite system” consisting of a For additional information, video signals to nine roo—imnclsuding circle no. 161 on Reader Service Card. combi player, an audio cassette deck and the dining room, the kitchen, a living JULY 1991 VIDEO 47 room, a study, the bedroom and the a receiver. bath—although not every room has a The video signals, including those |from the satellite dish, play through a 27-inch Yamaha monitor and another S-VHS VCR, both concealed with the help of a motorized lift in a cabinet at the foot of the bed. Here as in every oth- er space in the house, residents are nev- er far from instant contact with the rest of the world. ]
BY MURRAY SLOVICK CAMCORDER rey WAM Slim lines and radical zooms ride a tide of wild new camcorders. We expected camcorder manufacturers to hit the as three inches on many models, meaning they can Hot Shots: beach this summer, savor a few daiquiris and last fit in suitcases or large attaches. Sharp's VHS VL-L50U (above), Sony's 8mm year’s relentless tide of innovation, and wait for VHS remains the format of choice for left- CCD-V401 (right) and better economic times. But manufacturers have handed shooters, with Panasonic serving as the unexpectedly turned up the heat in this season’s southpaw’s savior. The company’s Switch Hitter Ricoh’s Hi8 R-105 (be- new wave of products, unleashing refinements sure design places primary controls on a central grip be- low). to excite any videophile, novice or pro. neath the lens, while the viewfinder pivots from left to right to accommodate either eye. This way, The best place to feel the heat is at local cam- the camcorder can be used equally well by lefties corder dealers, where new shooting machines are and righties. beginning to dock. Summer shoppers should savor Of particular note to those with creative models with professional features, like inter- streaks are the PV-760 and S-VHS PV-S770 changeable lenses and time code, as well as point- and-shoots graced with features formerly available Switch Hitters, both of which feature electronic only on full-size shoulder-bruisers. The trend to image stabilization and 30x digital zoom. Both portability is even washing away bulky, full-size come with a 10-watt video light and several digital VHS camcorders, leaving slim, lighter VHS units effects, including a mirror-image mode and a vari- in their place. ety of wipes for scene transitions. We're going to take you on a guided tour through this season’s hottest selections in all the Zenith’s VM7170 also comes with a 10-watt major formats— VHS, VHS-C and 8mm. Each for- light, but with a difference. While most enhance- ment lights share power from the camcorder's bat- mat is filled with surprises and, given that the re- cession is expected to last until well after the tery with other camcorder functions, the weather turns frosty, dealers may be offering some VM7170's light draws from the second of two bat- very cool deals on the new models. teries that come with the unit. A 100-minute bat- DIET VHS tery fits at the camcorder’s rear; a 50-minute The most notable change among still-popular supplemental battery fits in the hand grip. The camcorder also switches automatically to the sec- VHS camcorders is that full-size machines are less ond battery when one is drained. so for 91. The width has been reduced to as little Hitachi is extending its Twist and Shoot con- continued on page 80 48 VIDEO JULY 1991
Compact Close-Up: A digital zoom extends the 8x optical range of the Panasonic PV-41 to 12x. a a , pee Slick Shooter: ; Magnavox's stream- lined, top-of-the-line VHS CVM320. JULY 1991 VIDEO 49
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TAPED &DIOL FEATURE FILMS of thrilling set- pieces; it’s enough to brilliant movie’s cleverest points: The make anyone wish he were a gangster. mob is really just the ultimate clubhouse Even Pesci’s Tommy—a frightening, Os- for nasty boys who won’t grow up. GoodFellas car-winning perform—afasncicnaetes as —Sol Louis Siegel much as he appalls us. Having grabbed 1990. Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe us, Scorsese gradually pulls us into fear Edward Scissorhands Pesci, Lorraine Bracco; dir. Martin Scor- and desperation as Henry’s drug dealings sese. Hi-fi surround, cc. 146 min. (R) start to drag him down and a huge rob- 1990. Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne $94.99. 8 $44.98. LD letterboxed $29.98. bery degenerates into an orgy of murder. Wiest; dir Tim Burton. Hi-fi stereo, cc. Also Spanish-dubbed and Spanish-subtitled The picture might have been strong- (PG-13) 100 min. $94.98. CBS/Fox. versions. Warner. As a popular artist, Tim “What’s the world com- Burton must know that sooner ing to?” joshes Jimmy Con- or later he’s going to get way (Robert De Niro) during slammed by both the critics a friendly card game in Mar- and the public. He may have tin Scorsese’s harrowing and tempted fate by making Ed- furiously entertaining Good- ward Scissorhands, the story of Fellas. “This is what the a gifted innocent confronted world’s coming to,” snaps with fickle admirers and rules Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), he doesn’t understand. But it who then guns down a harm- turns out Burton knew what less soul who had the nerve he was doing all along— he’s at to stand up to him. This up- his best making movies which, sets Jimmy, who's fresh out of like their title characters, defy lime with which to bury the classification. body. Edward is the creation of a An astonished witness to lonely inventor who died be- this scene is Henry Hill (Ray fore he could install Edward’s Liotta), subject of both hands, leaving him with an ar- GoodFellas and the book on ray of scissors, clippers and which it’s based, Nicholas other sharp objects in their Pileggi’s Wiseguy. As a boy, place. Peg, the local Avon lady, Henry dreamed of being a finds him and takes him home, gangster the way others where he soon amazes the dreamed of being cops or neighbors with the shapes he firemen. As an adult hood he can form out of shrubbery, hair can’t imagine anything better | and ice. But he can’t touch than “the life—”the money, people, least of all Kim (Wino- the privileges, the kicks, the Men of Distinction: GoodFellas' Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta. na Ryder), Peg’s cheerleader sense of belonging. He does- daughter, whom he loves. And n’t worry about the violence that can er had Henry been a more flavorful the worst qualities of Kim’s jealous boy- explode at any moment, since he figures character. As it stands, Liotta does well friend, Jim (Anthony Michael Hall), al- on being the one to dish it out. What he to hold the screen with De Niro (charm- ways seem to bubble to the surface in doesn’t figure on is the creeping para- ing and lethal in a supporting role), Paul Edward’s presence. noia that can overtake those who live Sorvino as the local boss and Lorraine The movie starts out as a satire of without limits. Bracco as Henry’s wife, Karen. Bracco’s middle-America—the sights and atti- Scorsese’s portrayal of Henry’s youth nervy portrait of a mob wife who won't tudes of pre-Vietnam suburbia are viv- and early career is a raucous succession suffer silently underscores one of this idly underlined and frozen in time. JULY 1991 VIDEO 51
eA Pt b DIsts : | Cutting Up: | As Edward Scissor- hands, Johnny Depp : 4 finds yet another way to amuse local subur- banites. When Jim’s meanness starts to ruin Ed- However clunky, Reversal makes an this drunken wretch wearing shades at outrageously funny sick joke, thanks to the dinner table, cigarette in hand as she ward’s chances of happiness, the story Jeremy Irons’ witty, Oscar-winning por- consumes an ice cream sundae for her trayal of Claus von Bulow, who’s been moves slowly but surely into the darker convicted of trying to murder his wife main course. realm of the European fairy tale. Kim and wants to appeal. Part charming aris- Scenes featuring Dershowitz, on tocrat and part uneasy loser, his rich, begins to return Edward’s love even as resonant voice suggests a dignified head whose book the movie is based, seem te- of state, but his shaky morals recall dious by comparison. Building a case for the neighbors are turning against him; Richard Nixon. Claus stoutly proclaims von Bulow’s retrial, the attorney and his his innocence, then offers crass quips team debate points of law in awkward Burton handles these deeper feelings guaranteed to discourage sympathy. expository fashion; glimpses into Der- When Dershowitz calls von Bulow a showitz's personal life have the feel of with surprising grace, leading to an emo- strange man, Claus responds, “You have filler. Since the real-life case remains no idea.” Indeed! murky, Reversal of Fortune attempts no tionally satisfying finish. definitive determination of guilt or inno- That weirdness elevates the story cence. Anyway, the facts are secondary Johnny Depp (Edward) is affecting; from sordid melodrama to absurd farce. to the audacious spectacle of Claus von Sunny von Bulow is doomed long before Bulow himself, fascinating proof that the he studied Chaplin’s movies and learned her irreversible coma. Terminally un- rich really are different. —Jon Young all the right things. The blonde-wigged happy, her marriage on the rocks, she consumes dangerous quantities of every- Postcards From the Edge Ryder and pumped-up Hall pull off con- thing from aspirins and laxatives to painkillers, supplemented by liberal 1990. Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Den- vincing stretches, while Dianne Wiest doses of alcohol. Glenn Close deftly por- nis Quaid; dir. Mike Nichols. Hi-fi sur- trays Sunny as a ludicrous, angst-ridden round, cc. (R) 101 min. priced for rental. (Peg) and Vincent Price (the inventor, zombie. It’s impossible not to laugh at LD $34.95. RCA/Columbia. in flashbacks) add new riffs to old char- Rich and Infamous: An adequate comedy-drama that Jeremy Irons won an should have been better, Postcards From acters. Danny Elfman’s rich score puts Oscar for his portrayal the Edge suffers from a lack of nerve. Un- of Claus von Bulow in der Mike Nichols’ glib direction, Carrie the cap on an achievement as fragile Reversal of Fortune. Fisher’s adaptation of her novel promises insights into a tortured, drug-ravaged and wonderful as one of Edward’s ice soul, not to mention insider Hollywood sleaze. While it delivers little of either, sculptures. —SLS workmanlike performances from Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine at least Reversal of Fortune produce some diverting moments. 1990. Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Ron Sil- Poor Suzanne Vale (Streep). ver; dir. Barbet Schroeder. Hi-fi stereo, cc. Though just out of rehab, staying off (R) 112 min. $92.99. LD $29.98. Warner. drugs may be the least of her problems. Reversal of Fortune flirts with disas- ter. As if the narration by the comatose Sunny von Bulow (Glenn Close) wasn't hard enough to swallow, the fragmented story jumps back and forth in time, mixes truth and falsehood, and shifts point of view with lively abandon. Nicholas Kazan’s script combines worlds that go together like oil and water, alter- nating between the extravagant ennui of the super-rich and the energetic prag- matism of attorney Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver). 52 VIDEO JULY 1991
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