October 2005 E-ZineOctober! The month that brings receiver and speaker tricks and treats in Home Theater! There’s a new digital receiver by JVC which is advertised, talked about on the forums, ordered, press released, and, to the best of my knowledge, hasn’t shipped, but is about to be. This one comes under the heading of (as someone posted in a forum “Too Good To Be True?”)The JVC RX-D702 (B=Black, S=Silver) What’s so good about it? I don’t know where to start. A LOT. It’s smaller than you’ll expect. Part of the reason is it uses new digital amps which require a lot less internal space. 7 channels of Digital Hybrid Amplifiers totaling 1050 watts. You can feed it music wirelessly from your computer. (USB transmitter provided.) It has an HDMI output and two HDMI inputs. Converts Composite, S-Video or Component to HDMI with HDCP. IMPRESSIVE! What’s that mean? One wire (not provided) to your display. Everything else plugs into the receiver. JVC boasts a slew of advanced features including one that ‘acoustically centers’ your center speaker which may be above or below the plane of your set; simulated acoustic spaces, plug and play setup (I am unable to determine if it contains user adjustable EQ per speaker, or, and perhaps more importantly, video vs audio delay to cure lip sync problems.) There is a DSP EQ on board.
Downside? Looks a little cheap …but this might just be a tremendous value that many will love. We will watch the forums for you. I’ve seen pre-order prices as low as $599 – might have been a typo. One thing you can be certain of – the toys are getting more capable! And from the looks of it, this one is sized to be wife-friendly. That alone might tip the scales in its favor.
Through our special arrangement with Amazon.com, you can read more about, and even order this unit by visiting the trends section of Great Home Theater.com - 150 watts x 7-channel receiver - Surround Sound modes: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic II & IIx, DTS, DTS-ES/DTS NEO:6, DTS 96/24 - DVD multi-channel compatible - Virtual Surround back channels - 3D Phonic Surround Sound - Wireless USB Input receives audio signals from a PC (USB transmitter provided) - Hybrid Feedback digital amplifier - Center channel alignment - ALL CH STEREO - CC converter - 3D Headphone - Quick Speaker Setup - Video up-conversion from Composite to Component/S-Video/HDMI - AV COMPU LINK for one-touch playback - DAP for 2-channel/multichannel digital sources - DSP digital Equalizer - Multibrand A/V remote control - Analog Connections: 5 in, 2 out - Digital Connections: 3 Optical in, 1 optical out, 1 coax (assignable) - Video Connections: Component (2 in, 1 out), S-Video(4 in, 3 out), Composite(4 in, 3 out) - Color: Black or Silver Some will say – all that $$$ for THAT? And then I have to buy speakers and wires and… well, heck. It can be an eye opener, but the whole home theater EXPERIENCE is supposed to be that and an EAR opener too – AN EXPERIENCE – a step up (way up) from watching TV or playing video games. But it isn’t free. I think it’s a shame that so many will drop the $4000 for a new plasma screen but then fall for the cheap home theater in a box when it comes to audio. You’ll live with this for ten years or MORE. Don’t you want the whole show? In my suggested systems section, I break down what I think should be spent for each piece of the system at various price points.
The JVC RX-D702 (B=Black, S=Silver) Retail: $600?
Through our special arrangement with Amazon.com, you can read more about, and even order/preorder this unit by clicking the links below.JVC RXD702B 150-Watts per channel Audio / Video Control Receiver with HDMI Switching and Wireless PC Link 
If you agree with me that placing outboard on wall speakers to either side of and below your plasma or flat screen looks…. disconnected and wrong, then you’ll be pleased to discover the trend that places all three speakers (left, center and right,) into one strip that hangs under your 42 inch plasma or other flat panel display. Boston Acoustics P400 On-wall 3-in-1 home theater speaker The Mythos Solo from Definitive Tech is $699 retail. You can also find tricky ones which will create phantom rear speakers with special digital processing. Some of the better ones are here: in our Surround Sound section of GreatHomeTheater.com DVDO iScan HD+ High Resolution Video Scaling Engine $1499 retailHere’s a breed of box that outputs all resolutions. Why would you want one? Well, good question! You are getting this whole home theater thing, aren't you? In the event your receiver doesn’t do the dirty work, or your display won’t, you can run everything to this box and then feed your audio receiver from it (and on to your speakers) and send one wire (along with power cable) to your display. Why this is good: will do 1080p, will delay processing so the lips match the speaking (different video versus audio processing rates can screw you up and you might need the fix.) Speaking of FIX, since you, as a 21st century bub, want the whole deep truth, try to wrap your eyes around THESE specs.The DVDO iScan(TM) HD+ is a high resolution video scaling processor and A/V switcher that sets a new standard for up-converting, cross-converting and even down-converting all your video sources. The iScan(TM) HD+ will scale the output of your standard definition sources (480i, 480p, 576i, 576p) such as DVD player, Set-top-box and VCR, to perfectly match the optimum resolution of your display - 720p, 1080i, or any user-defined resolution up to 1080p. Furthermore, iScan(TM) HD+ is HDCP compliant and supports scaling of HD sources (720p, 1080i) over DVI. The iScan(TM) HD+ functions as your complete A/V hub, providing simultaneous audio/video switching with automatic video upconversion/processing. Motion and source adaptive video deinterlacing for NTSC (3:2 and 2:2 pulldown; video) and PAL/SECAM (2:2 pulldown; video) sources Precision Video Scaling(TM) technology by Anchor Bay Technologies Fully HDCP compliant over DVI Scaling of HD sources over DVI User defined output video reso lution from 480p up to 1080p Flexible Input and Output Aspect Ratio Control Display Profiles - For multiple display configurations RightRate(TM) High-performance Framerate Conversion AutoVFR(TM) - Intelligent Component video inputs with Automatic Video Format Routing Advanced Source Transition Management provides seamless transitions between source types AutoCUE-C(TM) - Automatic Chroma Upsampling Error detection & correction 12-bit video digital-to-analog converters (DACs) Full-frame Timebase Correction High performance, 10-bit multi-standard video decoder High quality super-adaptive comb filter with 2D Y/C separation Flexible Digital Audio switching and routing - four audio inputs and two audio outputs Precision AV LipSync(TM) intelligent digital Audio Delay technology to match Audio. Here is its less expensive though impressive baby brother: DVDO iScan HD High Resolution Video Scaling Engine Did you really READ that? Man, you are REALLY into it. Does your head hurt? Note that this has a DVI output, but the newer model, the iScan VP30 has 4 HDMI inputs and does all the above and more. Considers itself the perfect A/V hub. But it’s so new it isn’t paper-trained yet. When I can, I will link to it. NEVO by Universal Electronics, is a wireless whole house controller that is fully customizable to run your digital life. As we hit fall, the stores and web sites will tout the new HDTV 1080P displays which are out in full force, even if programming is lacking. Surely it will toddle down the digital pike sometime very soon. The Blu-Ray Hi-Def player and the HD-DVD forces are hanging tough in their battle for supremacy. If we don’t see hard and soft product for the prime holiday buying season we surely will early in the new year. And by the way – the difference between DVD and Hi Def DVD will ruin you. Something to look forward to. More next month, and always, in GreatHomeTheater.com
Enjoy the show! Bob Wood
August 2005 E-ZineYacht-Man endorses the cheapest darn HTIB!This is the third time I’ve written this story. Word keeps dumping it for some unknown reason. Conspiracy theorists would suggest that certain large electronics companies don’t want you to know the story. (Yet a very large company builds the product I am trying to reveal!)First, about Sandy. Sandy and I go back 30 years. He’s a very close friend. Back in the day (when stereo stores were much bigger businesses than today) we’d hit every store in town and ‘test’ their speakers. At some point, almost always, a salesman would come into the room at the speed those dog handlers parade their dogs at dog shows… with his arm outstretched, and thumb and index finger ready to TURN THE VOLUME DOWN. Sandy and I tested everything. He ended up with a great home system with which he drove many neighbors away. He later programmed or managed several of Canada’s great radio stations. So he has certainly been around speakers and knows what sounds good. Sandy now lives on a yacht in Florida, and since space is at a premium, he discovered a great “so cheap it can’t be any good” HTIB (Home Theater In a Box). He raves about it! And I know he’s got good ears, so even though I recommend against these little things in general, he may be on to something – he has a knack for finding the good stuff. The Sony HT-DDW660. It comes with amplifier, speakers (5 little ones and a powered small subwoofer). An FM tuner. You can read about it through Amazon.com’s link which I will post in the archive portion of these newsletters on GreatHomeTheater.com. I thought Sandy was nuts – that this was particleboard and crap – yet when you read the reviews you find people raving.
It costs about $189 new. For everything. Sandy says it’s perfect for his boat and perfect for a bedroom system.
BREAKTHROUGH! A front projection screen that claims to have 10 times higher contrast, and be 2 times brighter than standard front projection screen!I saw a demonstration of this on TV – they showed a front projection screen which was broken into what you’d call ‘normal’ and ‘Mirage’ sides. The screen was lit by a 500 watt quartz light only a few feet away. The ‘normal’ side was white, as the light washed it out completely. On the Mirage side you could CLEARLY see the projected picture. This could well be a DRAMATIC breakthrough. If you are considering a front screen projector, you have to know about the Mirage. It could drastically change home theater design. A front projection screen that you can use in a bright room! A BRIGHT room! You have to check this out! http://www.screeninnovations.com/mirage_press.html
1080P - ROBOT EARS - LIP LOCK LOST
All the manufacturers are announcing their new display lineups and the move to 1080P is ON! Not that there's any programming at that high res yet, but given the way of the world, there is likely to be, sooner or later. Plus, you have to consider that any TV or display you buy today is probably going to last at least 10 years, so you are buying as much for the future as today.
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is $1500 retail.
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