Kevin James

Basic Cable: Choosing the Right Cables for Your System

By Kevin James
Posted April 4, 2007

Many people spend a lot of time selecting their gear with barely a thought to how they're going to hook everything up - until it's unpacked in the living room. In a modern A/V system, however, making the right connections can have a big effect on what you see and hear.

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Talking Shop

How three specialty retailers sell quality in the age of competitive price

By Kevin James
Posted May 3, 2007

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Don't Get Zapped

A good surge protector can be the difference between a functioning system and a fried one

By Kevin James
Posted July 2, 2007

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The HD Deluge is Here!

Cable, satellite, and the telcos are poised to offer significantly more high-def programming - finally

By Kevin James
Posted September 7, 2007

Thanks to more efficient manufacturing, cutthroat retail competition, and predatory market-share grabs by a few manufacturers, HDTVs are now readily affordable. But the one thing that hasn't changed is the refrain heard from many people when they get their new sets home: "Hey, where's all the high-definition programming?"

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Installations: Hawaiian Hideaway

This Honolulu condo is an exercise in hiding gear in plain sight.

By Kevin James
Posted February 4, 2008

For most people, Hawaii is an earthly paradise, filled with awe-striking natural beauty and blessed with a near-perfect climate. Even noted cynic Mark Twain wrote that in Hawaii, "the good that die experience no change, for they but fall asleep in one heaven and wake up in another." I can only guess he never tried to get a decent DirecTV satellite signal there.

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Installations: A League of its Own

A wife keeps her football-fanatic husband at home by letting him build his dream theater.

By Kevin James
Posted April 3, 2008

Deadline pressures aren't exactly uncommon in the custom installation business. But racing alongside a team of builders to complete a dedicated home theater on time was probably the biggest challenge facing Michael Blacker, owner of Dallas-based MB Audio/Video, during a recent installation in Plano, Texas.

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FiOS TV: The Light Fantastic

Verizon's fiber-to-the-home networks offers some clear advantages. Here's everything your HDTV needs to know.

By Kevin James
Posted June 1, 2008

If you've confused some of the recent TV commercials from Verizon, AT&T and the cable companies with ads from Metamucil, that's to be understood. Both, after all, extol the virtues of fiber. But while the former claims it can help you lead a longer life, the latter promises to make it a happier one.

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Why Buy Blu-ray Now?

Five reasons why it's finally time to get a high-def disc player.

By Kevin James
Posted July 7, 2008

You have to feel a little bit sorry for Blu-ray Disc. Despite winning the high-def format war, few are showing it much love. The month after Toshiba pulled the plug on HD DVD, Blu-ray sales plummeted by 40%.

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HDTV Update 2008

Cheaper, thinner, clearer, and just plain all-around better, this year's HDTVs are an astonishing leap forward -- but the best is yet to come.

By Kevin James
Posted July 29, 2008

After two straight years of heady double-digit price drops, it's sometimes hard to get beyond the fact that high-def TVs of all stripes are far more affordable than ever. But to just focus on price misses the bigger picture, so to speak: TVs haven't just gotten cheaper, they've also gotten better.

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Front Projectors Hit New Lows -- and Highs

CEDIA: As prices drop and quality jumps, full frontal projection is looking more and more sexy.

By Kevin James
Posted September 3, 2008

Over the past 18 months, prices for entry-level 1080p front projectors have fallen faster than the Super Bowl repeat hopes of the NY Giants. As a result, you can get a pretty awesome DLP or 3LCD model for about $3,000, while an entry-level 1080p LCoS projector from Sony (SXRD) or JVC (D-ILA) will set you back about $4,500 to $5,000.

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