James K. Willcox

Inner Workings: Inside a Media Server

By James K. Willcox
Posted February 8, 2008

In the beginning - well, at least 5 or 6 years ago - music stored on a PC generally either stayed there or was downloaded to a portable player. But as more and more audio and video content has become available online, people want to hear and see it on home entertainment rigs.

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Belkin's TuneStudio Rocks the iPod

Finally: a device that lets you use your iPod as a high-quality recording studio. Check out Belkin's affordable 4-channel digital audio mixer (and hear the results!).

By James K. Willcox
Posted April 16, 2008

With both iPod accessories and home project studio gear now more common than three-chord bar bands, it's seems like it's getting tougher to come up with a really new concept. That's why Belkin's inexpensive, colorful TuneStudio recording deck, which bridges those two worlds, really grabbed our attention.

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The Basement Home Theater Jim Built in the House that Jim Built

Our star DIY-er Jim Wilcox finally stopped dreaming of building himself a home theater and did it.

By James K. Willcox
Posted September 2, 2008

For nearly a decade I've been profiling custom home theaters for Sound & Vision, and in all that time I've never really had my own - or even a space carved out exclusively for watching movies or listening to music. And let me tell you, envy can be an ugly thing.

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The House That Jim Built, Part 3

At long last, our intrepid DIYer finally gets his home theater

By James K. Willcox
Posted September 15, 2008

Has it really been 2 years since I last wrote about my efforts to install the A/V and networking systems in the new addition to my home?

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Movies on Demand

More and more cable companies are offering movies you can watch any time you want.

By James K. Willcox
Posted March 10, 2003

This past fall, astute subscribers to the Time Warner digital cable service in New York City began to notice something unusual-and no, it wasn't that their bills were going down. It was the appearance of Channel 1000 on the onscreen program guide, accompanied by the letters MOD. Was this a new retro fashion channel? Actually, the truth is more interesting.

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Where Have All the CDs Gone?

The record industry blames piracy and downloading for sagging sales — here's the whole story.

By James K. Willcox
Posted June 3, 2003

Illustration by Dan Vasconcellos

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HDTV Showcase

Three installations that show off the many faces of high-definition TV

By James K. Willcox
Posted October 15, 2003

For more than a decade, the arrival of high-definition television was trumpeted with all the bluster of a carnival barker and the sincerity of a contestant on a reality-TV dating show.

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The Case of the Invisible Speakers

In-wall and ceiling speakers aren't just for background music anymore.

By James K. Willcox
Posted October 29, 2004

For years, in-wall and in-ceiling speakers were the 98-pound weaklings of the speaker world. Lacking the muscle needed for realistic-sounding music playback - let alone action-movie soundtracks - they were ignored by anyone who took sound seriously.

But the once-ridiculed category has re-emerged, surprisingly pumped and ready to kick sand in the face of that conventional wisdom.

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Beyond DVD

The high-def Blu-ray and HD DVD formats both want to be DVD's successor -- format war, anyone?

By James K. Willcox
Posted February 20, 2005

For the past five years, DVD has been the bright beam of sunshine spreading across the home-entertainment landscape, not only heating up movie sales and rentals but also, with its first-rate images and sound, helping to spark the whole home theater trend.

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MartinLogan Montage Home Theater Speaker System

By James K. Willcox
Posted June 13, 2005

Download our fast facts table and lab results in handy PDF format. As I was awaiting the arrival of MartinLogan's new Mont

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