When you watch a movie like Spider-Man 2 in an Imax theater, as I did recently, you're likely to be struck not only by the sheer size and detail of the picture, but also by the seemingly effortless ability of the Imax system to put out immense amounts of sound. Much of this ability comes from having lots of amplifier power.
At first glance, Harman Kardon's AVR 7300, the latest flagship receiver from the venerable American brand, looks little different from its predecessors. And in a lot of ways, it is the same.
Although flat-panel LCD TVs have been hanging around even longer than plasma models, their small-size screens have garnered less attention. But things changed in the past year: LCD TVs started zooming up in size, undoing the myth that the technology is good only for small displays in the kitchen, bedroom, or office.
Most folks here in the U.S. know Philips as a company that makes light bulbs. But the European electronics giant has been at the forefront of the flat-TV revolution since Day One, releasing a wide range of slim models in the plasma and LCD categories.
The hottest-selling HDTVs right now are big-screen rear-projection sets, a category that's still dominated by the relatively cheap, time-tested cathode-ray tube (CRT). But the new "microdisplay" TVs are gaining fast.
Many video enthusiasts, al though they may have long wanted to destroy their cantankerous, tape-eating, low-resolution VHS machines, have collected large libraries of off-air programs or camcorder footage that they wouldn't want to be without. What better way to preserve your VHS library than to copy it to a far more robust and easy-to-use medium like recordable DVD?
No, these aren't HTiB systems - home theaters in a box. You'll need to add more than just a TV to them before you can kick back and enjoy a movie theaterlike experience at home.
Once high-priced curiosities, TVs based on newer technologies like LCD and Texas Instruments' DLP (Digital Light Processing) now provide a reasonably affordable alternative to the tube sets we've been watching for decades.
The day has finally arrived when you can legitimately call yourself a Home Theater Enthusiast. You've got your HDTV, and you've upgraded from a nice enough home-theater-in-a-box system to a decent set of surround speakers.
Also: The National, Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke, Audra McDonald, “Women of Brazil,” and more. Plus: notable historical items from the Rolling Stones, Primus, and Captain Beyond.