Your New Disposable Flat Panel HDTV

Flat panel TV bargains abound these days. With prices dropping 30%-40% from 2006 to 2007 (confirmed this week by LG US CEO Michael Ahn) one can easily be tempted by the leader pricing of the “new brands” (called tier two and tier three by the consumer electronics industry) that undercut top panel maker prices by hundreds of dollars.


What the enticing, price driven TV commercials and their dealers don’t tell you is that Westinghouse, Polaroid and other tier two and three set makers add costly charges during the one year warranty period and buyers may incur substantial service charges after their warranties expire. In fact, two companies surveyed don’t support service at all after the one-year warranty expires!


Polaroid’s HDTVs, which sell mainly through Circuit City, would seem to be bargain-priced compared to the “name brand” competitors. Polaroid’s 1080p 42” LCD Model number PLD 4241TLXB, for example, sells for $1149.99 at Circuit City, while Toshiba’s 42HL167 goes for $1699.99.


The Polaroid set seems like a good deal until you find out what the Circuit City and Polaroid websites fail to disclose, which is that Polaroid HDTVs cannot be repaired after the warranty period expires!


With no parts and no authorized “out of warranty service available”, what you basically get when you buy a Polaroid is a disposable HDTV— think paper towel. When the warranty expires, if the set breaks, it’s ready for the town dump.


You can always buy an extended warranty from Circuit City, but that subtracts a substantial portion of the savings gained by buying an off brand TV in the first place.

Next up, Vizio HDTVs. Here is what appears on its website.
”Service LaborDuring the one (1) year warranty period, VIZIO will provide, when needed, service labor to repair a manufacturing defect at its designated service center. To obtain warranty service in the United States, you must first contact VIZIO Technical Support via email at techsupport@VIZIO.com or via phone at (949) 428-2525. The determination of service will be made by VIZIO. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR UNIT TO VIZIO WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORIZATION.


ServiceDuring the one (1) year warranty period, VIZIO will, at its option and sole discretion, repair or replace defective parts, which may be new or remanufactured, including replacement of the entire unit. The Customer will be required to ship the product to the service center indicated by VIZIO when the return authorization is provided. The Customer is responsible for all transportation charges to the service center. VIZIO is not responsible for the de-installation or re-installation of the product.


Packaging and Shipping InstructionWhen shipping the product to an authorized VIZIO service facility, the original carton box and packing material, or an equivalent as designated by VIZIO, must be utilized.”


According to Vizio, all TVs 37” and larger must go by truck to California. Fed Ex Ground from NY to Vizio in Irvine, CA is $88.95 for its 42” LCD TV and $108.95 for its 50” plasma. You threw out the TVs packing carton? If you are in the warranty period, it’s no problem, Vizio will ship you a new cardboard box at no charge (according to its CS rep).
If the Vizio flat screen breaks after the one-year warranty expires is where it gets expensive.



The prices are shocking.
For any Visio 42” LCD, the carton and packing material with shipping is $300. Its out of warranty service is at a “Flat Rate” of $300 parts + $140 labor. Outbound shipping (FED EX ground) to Vizio cost $89. For return freight, Vizio charges $250 bringing the total cost of an out of warranty repair cost a staggering $1079. The current cost of a new Visio 42” LCD at Circuit City is $1099. Think of it, twenty bucks more and you get a brand new disposable TV with a new one-year warranty. What a deal!


Insignia
Insignia is Best Buy’s “house brand.” It offers a line of HDTVs up to 42”. According to Best Buy salesmen and the Insignia website (http://www.insignia-products.com/t-WarrantyInformationEnglish.aspx) if an Insignia TV needs repair, you must bring it into the store where it was purchased in its “original packaging or packaging affording an equal degree of protection”. Hauling a 92 pound 42” plasma television in its factory carton is quite a hassle probably requiring a large SUV, pickup truck or van. The Best Buy salesmen also said that after the factory one year warranty expires, Best Buy will not repair Insignia brand televisions, but if the two hundred dollar Best Buy extended warranty is purchased with the television, Best Buy will provide in-home service.


Westinghouse
If the set is purchased from Best Buy it must be returned to the store for warranty service regardless of the size of the TV, according to the Westinghouse customer service department. If purchased elsewhere, Westinghouse customer service must be called to determine if the set is in need of factory service. Westinghouse will issue a return authorization if they determine factory services is needed and it will pay the freight both ways if the TV was purchased within the last 90 days. From 90 days to the end of the one-year warranty, the consumer must pay the return freight and supply the original packaging or a suitable equivalent. Westinghouse does not sell replacement cartons and packing. Out of warranty service is available locally in select markets according to its customer service department. If there is no local factory authorized servicer in your area, the set owner must pay the freight both ways and the cost or repair parts and labor, which will be determined after Westinghouse receives and examines the malfunctioning television.


Olevia
Olevia’s limited customer service hours (7:00 am- 6:00 pm Pacific time) and broken links on its website regarding its warranty rules made it difficult to obtain information on its policies. Furthermore, its warranties are the most complicated. If an Olevia HDTV requires repair within the one year warranty period, the additional costs and services incurred will depend on how long you owned the set its screen size.

Name Brand HDTV Service All the top name brands including Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi Samsung, Philips, LG, Mitsubishi, Sharp and Toshiba etc. have in-home factory authorized warranty service for their larger size TVs (usually 32” and up). Out of warranty service is no problem. All the major name brand TV companies have vast parts supplies and a nationwide network of factory authorized servicers.

Netflix Vs. Blockbuster Total Access

OK, you have your new home theater installed. Now the question is how do I watch my movies? In this article we will be dissecting Netflix and Blockbuster Total Access.

Theatrical Concepts has been in the custom home theater business for 15 years. We understand that any custom company can be intimidating, especially one that deals with complicated electronics. One of the things we pride ourself in is the fact that our purpose is to educate the customer. What sets us apart from most electronic stores is that we are not going to sell you something you don't need. We keep absolutely no inventory in our back room. The reason for this is we don't want to be put in a situation where we feel like we have to sell you something just because we have extras in the back. We want to make sure that whatever we sell you fits your needs, not whatever will make some saleskid the most money.

Whether it's something as simple as mounting a plasma over a fireplace, or something as complex as an elaborate theater system and multi-room sound, we go the extra mile to make sure that the customer is educated enough to make a wise decision on their project. Before a customer spends a dime with us we do free in home consultations. During this time the customer is given ample (not overwhelming) amounts of information on what new technology will fit their needs and why some items will not work. Here's an example; when it comes to getting the most out of your system we suggest customers use the next generation DVDs called Blu-ray. We would love to sell you one of our players for $1200. But, we usually tell people to go out and buy a Playstation 3 themselves. It is the best Blu-ray player on the market, it costs half the price, it can work as a music server, gaming system, and will upconvert your old DVD's.
We make no money on the PS3, but we do feel it should be the central point to any system.

The site you are looking at is one of the many educational tools we provide for our customers.
On the right hand side you will find an archive of articles relating to the latest in home entertainment technology.

Visit us at our showroom today. And thank you for checking us out.


Robert Matt
Sales Manager

1080p= Making Sense Out Of The New Buzzword in Home Entertainment

1080p is the shorthand name for a category of video modes. The number 1080 represents 1,080 lines of vertical resolution, while the letter p stands for progressive scan or non-interlaced. 1080p is considered an HDTV video mode.

The term usually assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a horizontal (display) resolution of 1920 dots across and a frame resolution of 1920 × 1080 or exactly 2,073,600 pixels. The frame rate in hertz can be either implied by the context or specified after the letter p (such as 1080p30, meaning 30 frames per second).

1080p is sometimes referred to in marketing materials as "True High-Definition" or "Full High-Definition".

So how do you know if what you are watching is a full 1080p movie or show?

- You are only going to see 1080p on a Blu-Ray movie, HDDVD, or a few PS3 games.

- Most high def broadcasts you see (local, or satellite) are produced between 720p and 1080I. And there's little or no chance they'll jump to 1080p any time soon because of bandwidth issues.

- For normal viewing distances, in order to see a benefit from 1080p content a display must be bigger than usual or the viewing distance needs to be closer than usual

"Pirates" Sets Sail to the Theaters and Your Home

This week Disney made a huge impact in the Blu-ray vs. HDDVD format war by releasing the first two Pirates of the Carribean movies on Blu-ray Disc the same week that the third installment is released in the theaters.

A few months ago when Casino Royale was released on Blu-ray Disc, It shattered sales records and catapaulted Blu-ray past HDDVD. Disney hopes to put the nail on the coffin by releasing the two biggest movies in cinematic history on the same day.

However, HDDVD is not going down without a fight. The complete Matrix Trilogy is being released on the same day. (Blu-ray fans don't fret, the Blu-ray version will be available in the fall).

So, Pirates fans, I offer this challenge: Before you see Part 3 in the theaters this weekend, stop by our showroom and watch a scene or two from the previous movies. I can guarantee our Blu-ray player, Hi-Def projector, and surround sound system can produce a better experience than the movie theater.

Our Review of Samsung's Blu-Ray Disc Player

By now You may already know where we stand on the whole Blu-Ray vs. HDDVD debate. With a majority of our jobs we tell customers to go out and buy a Playstation 3 to play their Blu-Ray movies. We make no money on the PS3, but it is the least expensive and BEST player on the market. After this video review you will see why we recommend the PS3.

Check Out Our Business Profile

The 5 Worst Shows In HDTV

5. Friday Night Lights (NBC)
The high school pigskin program features a cinema verite style with jerky camera movements. The grainy video, which is supposed to add realism, just looks terrible in HD. This is a real shame; it's an interesting show but the poor video and camera tricks are just too intrusive.

4. The View (ABC)
Not much of a view -- and, no, I don't mean the less than attractive visages of the on-air talent. The camera filters, which are obviously installed to protect Rosie and Babs, create such a cloudy view that you think you're sitting in seat 12F in a Boeing 747.

3. NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams
Once again, the show is victimized by excessive camera filtering, apparently to preserve Mr. Williams' image as America's 'handsomest' network anchor. But even worse, the camera rarely comes within a zip code of the chief news reader. The effect is to make the viewer feel detached from the action.

2. Good Morning America (ABC)
More bad camera filtering. Diane Sawyer's close-ups are so blurry that she could be Tom Sawyer.

1. The Today Show (NBC)
In studio segments, NBC has installed camera filters and stark lighting that drowns out the details -- and color -- of the faces of the hosts. The effect is to leave their faces looking albino-white, with a bright halo covering their heads from the lower neck to the hairline. And Meredith Vieira? Her face looks weather-beaten as if she's been living out on the prairie for the last ten years.


So speaking for HDTV owners, I say to the networks: Please cut this stuff out.

Check out the February 1st article "Best Shows in HD" in the archives section.

High Def Gets Higher? The Movie Theater Industry May Try To Pry You Away From Your Home Theater

Sony has announced that they are rolling out a new digital cinema projector that can display theatrical movies at a resolution four times clearer than High-Definition TV. The projector outputs an image with 4,096-x-2,160 pixels resolution, which is double that of HDTV both horizontally and vertically to result in more than 8 million pixels versus about 2 million on HDTV.

The Problem: Don't plan on seeing Spiderman 3 on this new system unless you live in Chicago, Maryland, New Jersey, or Japan.

Sony is using the rising popularity of HDTV as leverage to sell the system. With high-definition home theater systems in many a movie buff's home and broadcast HDTV being enjoyed by millions of people, it's becoming more difficult for cinemas to entice customers based on picture quality.

The Outlook: As competetive as this industry is, don't be surprized if you see companies using the same technology for home use in the near future. Sony has not ruled out the possibility of a home version of their new projector.

When and Where Can I See The Cards Play in Hi Def

Here is Fox Sports Midwest's HD coverage for the Cardinals.

Fri Apr 27 Chicago Cubs 7:00 p.m.

Mon Apr 30 at Milwaukee 6:00 p.m.

Fri May 4 Houston 7:00 p.m.

Sat May 5 Houston 12:00 p.m.

Tue May 15 at Los Angeles 9:00 p.m.

Sat May 19 at Detroit 6:00 p.m.

Fri June 1 at Houston 7:00 p.m.

Fri June 8 L.A. Angels 7:00 p.m.

Sat June 9 L.A. Angels 6:00 p.m.

Mon June 18 Kansas City 7:00 p.m.

Mon July 2 Arizona 7:00 p.m.

Tue July 3 Arizona 7:00 p.m.

Wed July 4 Arizona 6:00 p.m.

Thu July 5 Arizona 6:00 p.m.

Fri July 6 San Francisco 7:00 p.m.

Sat July 7 San Francisco 6:00 p.m.

Fri July 20 at Atlanta 6:30 p.m.

Tue July 24 Chicago Cubs 7:00 p.m.

Thu July 26 Chicago Cubs 7:00 p.m.

Fri July 27 Milwaukee 7:00 p.m.

Sat July 28 Milwaukee 6:00 p.m.

Mon Aug 6 San Diego 7:00 p.m.

Tue Aug 7 San Diego 7:00 p.m.

Wed Aug 8 San Diego 7:00 p.m.

Thu Aug 9 San Diego 7:00 p.m.

Fri Aug 24 Atlanta 7:00 p.m.

Sat Aug. 25 Atlanta 6:00 p.m.

Tue Sept. 4 Pittsburgh 7:00 p.m.

Wed Sept. 5 Pittsburgh 7:00 p.m.

Fri Sept. 14 Chicago Cubs 7:00 p.m.

Mon Sept. 17 Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.

Tue Sept. 18 Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.

Wed Sept. 19 Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.

Thu Sept. 20 Houston 7:00 p.m.

Come Visit Our Newly Renovated Showroom

Foyer Area

-60" Sony DLP with custom made entertainment center

- 50" LG Plasma

- Tannoy Surround Sound System

Theater Room 1

- Marantz VP4000 Projector

- 106" Stewart Screen

- KEF Surround Sound System

Theater Room 2

- Marantz VP12 Projector

- 120" Da-Lite Screen

- 2-23" Nuvision LCD's

- NHT Surround Sound System

- Blu Ray Player, Dish HD, and Direct HD that is also fed to every screen in the store.

Theater Room 3

- Marantz VP8600 Projector

- 80" Planar X-Screen

- Mirage Surround Sound System

How to Fix a Scratched DVD / CD

Most parents can relate to this: My daughter loves to watch figure skating. She often tries to emulate her favorite skater on our hardwood floor. One day she was doing some serious sliding, it was pretty impressive. Then I found out that under her left foot was my Van Halen "5150" CD, and under her right foot was the director's cut of Apocolypse Now on DVD. Both copies of course were data side facing the floor.

Here are a few tips I have found that will get your favorite disc back to a playable condition:

1. Clean the disc. Even if a disc isn’t actually scratched or scuffed, dust, oil, and other surface contaminants can prevent it from playing properly. Thus cleaning the disc should always be your first move. Run warm water over the damaged disc to remove dust. If there is stubborn dirt or grease on the disc, gently rub it with your finger while you are washing it, and use a gentle detergent or liquid soap (with the water) or rubbing alcohol (in place of water). Anytime you rub or wipe a disc, you should do so by starting at or near the center of the disc and rubbing straight outward toward the edge to prevent further scratching. Shake the water off and let the disc air-dry (do not dry it with a towel or cloth, and don't sun-dry it either).

2. Try to play the disc. Many times a good cleaning is all that is needed. If, however, problems persist after cleaning, try to play the disc in a different player. Some players handle scratches better than others; computer drives tend to be best.

3. Burn a new disc. If you can get the disc to work in one player—especially your computer’s—but not in others, try burning a new disc. The disc burning utility on your computer may be able to read the disc well enough to produce a perfect copy. You may wish to try this even if the disc doesn’t play correctly on the computer.

4. Locate the scratch. Actually repairing the disc will be easier if you can figure out where the offending scratch is. Visually inspect the disc’s playing surface for scratches or scuffs. Scratches that run perpendicular to the disc’s spiral—that is, those that run generally from the center to the rim—may not affect playing at all, and in any case are generally less damaging than those that roughly follow the direction of the spiral.

5. Polish or wax. Baking soda toothpate works best at reaching the dirt or oil inside of the scratch. If that does not work, Vaseline is a good temporary fix that will get you through the process of copying the disc.

6. Bring the disc in to get refinished as a last resort. If the disc still doesn’t play correctly, bring it in to a music store (especially one that sells used CDs) or a DVD rental store and ask if they can repair the disc for you. Many of these businesses have CD refinishing machines that do a remarkable job, and they’ll probably charge you less than five dollars to repair the disc.

MPAA Lobying for Home Theater Regulations

Los Angeles , CA - The MPAA is lobbying the US Congress to push through a new bill that would make unauthorized Home Theaters illegal. The group feels that all theaters should be sanctioned, whether they be commercial settings or at home.


MPAA head Dan Glickman says this needs to be regulated before things start getting too far out of control, "We didn't act early enough with the online sharing of our copyrighted content. This time we're not making the same mistake. We have a right to know what's showing in a theater."


The bill would require that any hardware manufactured in the future contain data technology that tells the MPAA directly of what is being shown and specific details on the audience. The data would be gathered using various motion sensors and biometric technology.


The MPAA defines a Home Theater as any home with a television larger than 29" with stereo sound and at least two comfortable chairs, couch, or futon. Anyone with a home theater would need to pay a $50 registration fee with the MPAA or face fines up to $500,000 per movie shown.


"Just because you buy a DVD to watch at home doesn't give you the right to invite friends over to watch it too. That's a violation of copyright and denies us the revenue that would be generated from DVD sales to your friends," said Glickman. "Ideally we expect each viewer to have their own copy of the DVD, but we realize that isn't always feasible. The registration fee is a fair compromise.


The bill also stipulates that any existing home theaters be retrofitted with the technology or else the owner is responsible for directly informing the MPAA and receiving approval before each viewing.







Have a happy April 1st!

Picking the Right Video Game System for Your Home Theater

The latest line of video game systems has caused quite a buzz in the Home Theater industry. Now that we are four months past the holiday shopping season, these systems are more readily available and more adults are finding out that they are a perfect match to their Home Theater.

Let's compare the Big 3:



Sony's Playstation 3




Price: $599.99 (60GB)



*Features: Blu-Ray DVD player, music server, 4 USB ports, ports for digital camera memory cards, really cool slide shows for photos, and internet access.



*Drawbacks: If you want to load music from your i-Pod, earlier versions of the PS3 does not read artist information or album art. It lumps all song titles into one big folder.



*Overall: The PS3 is the cheapest and the best Blu-Ray player on the market. Plus if you have a flat screen mounted over a fireplace, the slide shows with music set to them is a great feature to have at parties.







Microsoft's XBOX 360



Price: Game system = $399.99


HDDVD Player Attachment= $199.99



Features: HDDVD Player, USB ports for downloading music or photos, High Def movie downloads on XBOX Live, and the best selection of games.


Drawbacks: A $200 attachment is a pretty steep price for a format that is only supported by one movie studio (Universal). XBOX Live movie downloads can take between 6-10 hours.



Overall: Universal Studios has a decent selection of movies available for the HDDVD format. However, it's only a matter of time before HDDVD throws in the towel and millions of XBOX 360 owners are stuck with an obsolete HD player.






Nintendo Wii



Price: $374.99



Features: You can play games on it.



Drawbacks: You can only play games on it.



Overall: Save this system for the kid's rooms.

TV Remote Inventor Dies at Age 93

Robert Adler, a US inventor best known for the creation of the couch potato's dream device, the TV remote control, has died at the age of 93.

He received an Emmy award in 1997 for the 1956 invention jointly with fellow engineer Eugene Polley. Adler earned more than 180 US patents throughout his 58-year career.

His widow Ingrid said the remote was not his favorite invention, that he rarely watched television and was "more of a reader".

"He was a man who would dream in the night and wake up and say: 'I just solved a problem,'" she told the Associated Press news agency. "He was always thinking science."

Adler began working for electronics corporation Zenith in 1941 and stayed at the company until a merger in 1999.

Zenith produced the first remote control device, attached to the TV by a cord, in 1950.
Later wireless devices communicated with the TV by flashing at photo cells in the TV, but these were affected by sunlight.

Adler's contribution was to create a device which used ultrasonic signals.
He was also known for his work on military communications equipment during World War II, and is considered a pioneer in surface acoustic wave technology, essential for modern-day TV sets.

Jim's Home Theater VS. The Movie Theaters

During the Home Show, we ran into a customer who had a home theater installed through us about three years ago. For anyone who knows Jim, he is a very unique character and he was going on about how he prefers his home theater to the movie theaters. After a 20 minute conversation I gave him my e-mail address and told him he was writing our next newsletter. So, here are Jim's thoughts on his home theater vs. the movie theater:

The Picture In The Theater Is Terrible - Though the digital theater revolution is coming (if George Lucas has anything to say about it) movies on film today look just like that- movies on film. There are scratch marks, artifacts, scene change cues all distracting from your viewing experience. Any fast motion on screen appears as if Dad is quick panning for the first time with the Handy-cam he got on Christmas morning. As technology changes and Dad gets his steady-hand cam so should the theater industry upgrade to digital technology.

What Am I Paying For? - The moment I pay, mostly, upwards of $10 per ticket. I am bombarded with advertising. At the concession stand I am reminded that Coke is a necessary compliment to my Sno-Caps and Ju-Ju-bees ($6.50 each). The moment I sit down I am entertained, once again sponsored by Coke, to some trivia and the occasional still advertisement to get my degree in clerical forensics from International Continental Bipolar University. Then the lights go down and I am greeted by, more advertising. Not even previews of movies I don't want to see but advertisements I might see on TV. Even before the movie starts the theater has recouped the cost of my keister being in their uncomfortable seat. Speaking of which...

What's the deal with those seats? - Sitting in a movie theater seat is like being bumped from first class, to coach, to that little seat the stewardess sits in during take off and landing. Just enough seat cushioning to make it through the previews before you encouraged to go to the lobby for some dancing peanut butter cups ($6.50). Want to adjust positions? Sure, though the 17 year old usher has never used the letters WD and the number 40 together in a sentence so prepare for squeaking louder than Flipper being deprived of a trout head. Not to mention all the other people adjusting their positions at the same time which erupts into a chorus of cheeps and chirps the likes of which haven't been heard since the R2-D2 family reunion.

The line between movies and TV is growing narrower everyday - Recent television shows have taken advantage of advances in technology and talent to churn out some primetime gems that are rivaling anything seen in the movies. Think Lost, 24, Prison Break just to name a few. All of these would make fantastic movies. Yet they are far BETTER as television shows. Throw in an HDTV signal and the experience you get at home for "free" cannot be beat.

There is No Originality in Hollywood Anymore - Think. Hard. What is the last original concept in a movie you saw that has come out of Hollywood? Just for arguments sake lets look at 2005's top grossing movies: Star Wars 3 (sequel) The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (Book adaptation), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book adaptation) War Of the Worlds (remake), King Kong (remake), Wedding Crashers (same genre of "frat pack" characters in a different setting), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (remake). Sigh.

I Have A Great Home Theater - It is truly awesome. Thanks Lee. Take everything that is great about movies, put it on my wall in crystal clear High Definition. Pump it though my 5.1 surround system – and get this, I can sit there in my underwear ( I highly recommend this). Gone are all the distractions. Just me and the movie.

Blu-Ray Releases for March '07

March 13th


-Casino Royale

-Ice Age

-Mr. and Mrs. Smith

-Dances with Wolves

-The Thomas Crown Affair


Our Pick= Ice Age
Animaton is always the best bet in showing off HD's full potential. The landscapes and character detail are breathtaking. Plus, both children and adults find this movie one of the most entertaining to come out of this genre.





March 20th

-Blood Diamond

-Chicken Little

-Rocky Balboa

-Eragon

-Finding Neverland

Our Pick= Rocky Balboa

Arguably, the best Rocky movie to come out since the original. During filming, Stallone would go through hours in the make-up chair to make him look like a retired boxer who has taken a few too many hits. I can't wait to see this in HD so I could link certain facial scars to Mr. T or Dolph Lundgren. Plus, with the enhanced sound, you can understand what Rocky is mumbling about during the more dramatic scenes.

March 27th

-March of the Penguins

-Happy Feet

-Dude Where's My Car

-The Pursuit of Happyness

Our Pick= Dude, Where's my Car
You need to take advantage of watching pure acting at it's finest displayed in full HD. The stunning realizm brought forth through genius cinematography is a must see for any classic movie buff. It is a shame that this epic was snubbed by the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Just kidding.... Pick up March of the Penguins

Come visit our showroom today, or call Rob Matt at 636-938-7666.

Coming Soon to an HDTV Near You

I Feel a Draft

The NFL Network on February 22 will begin 27 hours of high-def coverage of the NFL Combine. The Combine enables coaches and general managers to test college players in a number of skill exercises prior to April's NFL Draft.

Pioneer HDTV
PBS has begun production on Pioneers of Television, a four-part documentary on past stars of TV, including Dick Van Dyke, Andy Griffith, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Barker, Andy Williams, Tommy Smothers and Art Linkletter. The documentary, which is scheduled to air in 2008, will be filmed entirely in high-def and some vintage clips of old shows will be remastered in HD for the show.

Fox Pitches HDTV
Fox has announced that it will air up to 72 Major League Baseball games this season -- and for the first time -- most will be presented in high-def. The coverage begins on April 7 with three regional match-ups.

Your Own Personal HD Concert
Bolstering its continued status as the prime television destination for top music acts, VOOM HD Network's Rave HD-the first and only 24/7 high definition music channel-will present the premiere of Depeche Mode's "Touring the Angel: Live From Milan's Fila Forum." Catch the band as they celebrate 25 years of achievement with "Touring the Angel," one of the most successful, highly grossing and critically acclaimed tours of last year.

And the Winner is....

Blu-ray: We've Won!

Sony says it will boast of the "victory" in promotional campaigns.

Washington, D.C. (February 11, 2007) -- Did you hear that Sony's Blu-ray HDTV DVD format has defeated Toshiba's HD-DVD?Well, you will -- although HD-DVD supporters won't hear of it.

Fueled by some recent sales reports, Sony says it will soon market Blu-ray as the winner in the high-def DVD format war. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president David Bishop tells Video Business that consumers no longer have to wonder which format will prevail.“I think finally everything that we knew going into this format has started to happen,” Bishop told the publication. "We have a critical mass of content, we have the biggest mass of consumer electronics companies in the world supporting this format. That has moved Blu-ray into the forefront.”



Bishop notes that Blu-ray titles outsold HD-DVD movies and TV shows in January by a two to one margin. He also says Blu-ray players are outselling HD-DVD players in part because of the launch last November of the PlayStation 3, which has a Blu-ray player inside.

"The message that we’re going to put out to the consumer now is, now it is safe to make a choice,” Bishop says. “No more fence-sitting is needed.”

However, HD-DVD backers say there were more Blu-ray DVD sales in January because there were more Blu-ray titles released during the month. In addition, some retailers told Video Business that Sony's declaration of victory may not mean much to consumers.

The Main Event: HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray

Well, as far as HD DVD vs. Blu-ray goes, it looks like we've pretty much passed the point of no return now; with each passing day it seems less and less likely that a compromise will be reached on a next-gen format. The ongoing peace talks between the two camps seem to have finally dissolved. It's disappointing, but however you feel about the fact that the HD DVD and Blu-ray factions squandered countless chances to make it right and come together, it looks like they're going to be duking it out mano a mano right in our living rooms. There may not be a lot we can do to fight back — apart from refusing to adopt either format out of sheer spite of their pigheadedness.

Current Sales of HD DVD and Blu-ray Players

Blu-ray=48%

HDDVD=52%

Winner: Undecided

*However, the group that came up with these numbers did not include the Blu-ray features of the PS3 or the HD DVD attachment to the XBox 360. Estimates say that the sales of the 360 attachment don't even come close to the success of the PS3.

Movie Studio Support

Blu-ray=Sony Pictures (including MGM/Columbia TriStar), Disney (including Touchstone, Miramax), Fox, Paramount, Warner, Lions Gate

HDDVD=Paramount, Studio Canal, Universal, Warner, the Weinstein Company


Winner: Blu-Ray
*Everyone knows that Disney has complete power over every aspect of the entertainment world, just ask my 6 year old.



Movie Sales




Winner: Blu-Ray... I think
*Seriously, If you can make any sense out this graph let me know. This was the only format comparison I could find on the Net. According to my 6 year-old, the blue line totally kicked the black lines butt.


Bottom Line
When it comes to picture and sound quality, both formats are identical. The driving factor that will choose a winner in this war will be the video game industry. Sony has done a great job in marketing the PS3 to the home theater market. With the 60 gig system, you could entertain guests with family photos, music, or high-def movies (and the kids can play games on it too).



If you want to see how a PS3 could enhance your home theater, come by our showroom today.



Or you can visit us at the home show at the American Center February 22nd through the 25th.

What is HDMI?

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the first and only industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. By delivering crystal-clear, all-digital audio and video via a single cable, HDMI dramatically simplifies cabling and helps provide consumers with the highest-quality home theater experience. HDMI provides an interface between any audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, or A/V receiver and an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV), over a single cable.





Before HDMI

After HDMI



With the launch of HDMI version 1.3, HDMI continues to increase its overall functionality to meet the needs of the High-Definition marketplace. HDMI 1.3 will include the following new features:

Give me a call if you would like to upgrade to HDMI or if you any other questions.

Robert Matt (636) 938-7666
Visit our showroom today.

Top 15 Best Shows in HDTV

15. NBA- TV: Better than being courtside. The NBA TV high-def cameras get so close to the action that they should be whistled for a lane violation.

14. Story Tellers: Featuring artists such as Pearl Jam, Green Day and The Pretenders performing before a studio audience, MHD's Story Tellers is a feast for the eyes and the ears. Don't spent your money at Ticketmaster; just get MHD. But be careful holding up your lighter at the end of the show; couches can burn.

13. The Today Show: The morning talkfest delivers a bright and vivid broadcast, although the in-studio cameras are 'filtered up' to gloss over the increasingly wrinkled Meredith Vieira.

12. Late Night With David Letterman: Unlike NBC's Tonight Show, which seems to have a cloudy filter on each camera, Late Night offers a sharp and detailed image of Dave and his guests. It's a great program to gaze at the stars.

11. HDNet World Report: Watching the high-def news doc is like being a correspondent in the field. The show has brought its HD cameras to such faraway (and dangerous) spots as Iraq, Afghanistan and early post-Katrina New Orleans. The images are sometimes breathtaking -- and sometimes hard to look at. But that's what TV news is supposed to be all about.

10. NBC Sunday Night Football: The network's premiere season for the primetime NFL broadcast delivered some sensational images. Although there was occasional pixelation during the action, the overall effort was terrific. Loved the overhead HD camera. Great high-def pre-game show, too.

9. Sports Center: The studio shots are so-so, but there's no better place to watch game highlights in high-def than Sports Center.


8. NHL On HDNet: Fox Sports Chairman David Hill calls HDNet's coverage of the National Hockey League "sensational" and I have to agree. The broadcast offers a panoramic view of the ice -- and jaw-dropping close-ups of the players as they bang into the boards. Coupled with incredibly crisp sounds, it's no wonder why the NHL is so excited about how high-def's potential impact on the league.


7. CSI: Miami: The CBS police drama beautifully captures the vibrant colors of South Beach and surrounding Miami. If they could only do something about David Caruso's pasty face.


6. Rome: The Roman Empire was one wild and crazy place and this show realistically depicts the scene. Don't miss the program's opening credits montage; it's a real masterpiece.

5. Dan Rather Reports: The veteran journalist's return to TV has been an unqualified success. Using the high-def cameras to tell more of the story, Rather seems more comfortable than he ever did at CBS. The result is a no-nonsense look at the day's most pressing issues and controversies. Last month's expose of the drug wars on the Mexican border was Peabody-worthy.

4. ESPN's Monday Night Football: The primetime NFL broadcast lost something when it switched from Michaels/Madden to Tony, Tony and Joe. But the images are just as good and the earlier start time doesn't hurt, either.

3. American Idol: I'll be frank --I'm not the biggest fan of this show. But the high-def broadcast offers an equally frank view of the contestants as they reach for stardom. In HD, you can see every lip quiver; eye twitch; and cosmetic enhancement. And that's just Paula Abdul.

2. Lost: Okay, the show's taking a beating among the press corps for its meandering plot turns. But it's still a high-def looker and I still have faith that creator J.J. Abrams will find a way out of his own personal jungle.

1. 24: Wow. The HD 24 brings the drama into your living room. In high-def, you can see the tension in the faces of the characters; the muscles in their cheeks are clenching so hard that I'm afraid that Kiefer Sutherland is going to pop a vein. Particularly when he yells, "Put the weapon down! Now!!"