New Products - Jan. 2002
Hot gear from the world of home entertainment
(continued)
Key
Digital
With outboard high-definition tuners and DVD players competing for your TV’s
component-video inputs, a video switcher like the Key Digital KD-SW2x1 might
come in handy. It has two inputs and one output, each with jacks for wideband
component video, stereo analog audio, and coaxial digital audio. LEDs on the
front of the 4 1/2 x 3 x 2 1/2-inch switcher show which input is selected. The
switcher automatically chooses the active input, but you can select your source
manually as well. An RS-232 port allows for computer control. Price: $449. www.keydigital.com,
718-796-7178
TV
One
The XGA Theater upconverter from TV One lets you watch standard video on a VGA,
SVGA, or XGA computer monitor. No software needed: just install the box between
your video card and monitor, then connect a satellite receiver, videogame player,
VCR, camcorder, or DVD player to the converter’s composite- or S-video input,
and the box converts the signal for display on your monitor. It does the same
thing for standard broadcast or cable programs through its built-in TV tuner.
The converter simultaneously routes stereo audio to your speaker system, and
it includes controls for brightness, contrast, hue, and color. A remote control
is supplied. Price: $199. www.tvone.com,
800-721-4044
NHT
The three 1-inch tweeters in NHT’s CS-8.3 Ci are said to eliminate the “hot
spots” (beaming) of typical single-tweeter ceiling speakers. An 8-inch long-throw
woofer combines with the tweeters to deliver a rated frequency response of 55
Hz to 20 kHz ±3 dB; sensitivity is given as 87 dB. Each speaker weighs 5 pounds
and has a paintable matte-white finish. Price: $550 a pair. www.nhthifi.com,
407-333-0900
Tascam
Although the CD has all but completely replaced the analog cassette, tape decks
still have squatter’s rights in many car systems and portable players. So you
might want to consolidate your recording gear and make music compilations in
both formats with Tascam’s CC-222 CD/cassette recorder. It has both coaxial
and optical digital inputs as well as outputs, plus analog stereo RCA jacks
for recording from analog sources. The double deck performs easy dubs from cassette
to CD or vice versa, and fade and pitch controls help you make smooth compilations.
A remote control is supplied. Price: $875. www.tascam.com,
323-726-0303
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