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The new CS-470 from TV One offers high-performance computer-to-video scan conversion along with a genlock and overlay feature. Capable of converting computer graphics to standard NTSC or PAL video, the rackmount CS-470 is equipped with an onboard digital luminance keyer that enables graphics to be keyed over an external composite or S-Video signal, and can additionally be used to key-out black areas of computer images, which can then be replaced with external video.

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VoodooPC announced the launch of the world’s only fanless home theater entertainment PC. The Voodoo VIBE f:50 is designed to plug seamlessly into any home theater system.  Besides playing slide shows, digital video, DVD movies, and digital audio, the VIBE f:50 also features the highest performance hardware available today.  Dual TV Tuners provide the capability to record two television channels at once, or watch/record/rewind/pause Live TV while recording other channels at the same time.  more

TV One announced five new  high-definition home theatre system components that extend the range of DVI signals and offer a versatile number of display options. Part of the TV One-task™ product group, the devices are all fully HDCP compliant, and collectively join to form the 1T-DVI Series. more

Panasonic has developed a new, high-performance series of plasma televisions that couples the company's most advanced flat-panel display technology with a bold new concept in home theater design.  Panasonic is the best-known brand of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE:MC). With their striking, minimalist designs and perfectly flat screens, the new Onyx XVS series plasma sets seem to project images in mid-air, making the Onyx XVS experience a dramatic departure from conventional television. more

Panasonic DVD Recorder Home Theater system includes electronic program guides and a  built-in 80GB* Hard Drive Can Record Up To 142 Hours - Panasonic's new recordable DVD home theater system lets you enjoy the latest audio and video technologies with one convenient, high-performance package.  The system completes the home theater experience, whether it's listening to music on CDs and DVD-Audio discs, watching the latest blockbuster movies on DVD, or recording favorite TV programs.  The unit's DVD recorder offers multi-format playback (DVD video, DVD-Audio, DVD-RAM, DVD-R(1), CD, CD-R/RW(2) and MP3). more

ImageMAX Plus is a high performance HDTV Progressive Scan Video Up-Converter for the Home Theater market.  Now, you can view any Composite Video, S-Video or YCbCr Component Video signal on any HDTV, Plasma, Projection or PC Display.  By means of advanced frame buffer technology and line doubling, imageMAX Plus can transform existing standard video from a DVD Player, VCR, Camcorder, Video Game, Satellite Receiver or virtually any other video source into a high quality picture on any display device with an RGBHV (PC-type) or YPbPr progressive scan input.  It is perfectly suited for use with HDTV-ready TV Sets, resulting in dramatically improved video image quality.

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Teeny-weenie video camera - review of the new Panasonic D-snap SV-AV100 SD Video Camera

The AVT-3300 Universal Hi-Res Gamer allows you to play virtually any video game in high resolution on a PC Monitor. However, since it has a standard Composite Video input, it is not limited to Video Game use and can also be used to up convert to SVGA or XGA almost any video signal, such as from a VCR or DVD. It has pass-thru connections for VGA Video and Soundcard Audio from the PC, so it is easy to switch between a Video Game and PC signal on the PC Monitor and Speakers without moving around any cables ­ just move the slider.

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4Video's Hot Pick's - Looking for a great Home Theater in a Box? High performance, quality & affordability. These Go VIDEO all-in-one home theater systems offer a great start. The DVD/VCR Combo also has FRONT RCA jacks. You will never have to get behind the entertainment center again to switch around cables... everything magically works because GO Video has a feature that automatically determines if you want to watch a TV - a VHS tape,a DVD or that you just hooked up your camera to show your own work. These are hassle free durable systems, well designed and while not the ultimate system, it won't cost you 1000's either. I rate these systems A+ for quality & value.Silver model or the Black model

Get the Sonic Blue Version from Amazon - Rio HT2030 Progressive-Scan DVD-VCR Home Theater System

So you already have a VCR - DVD and sound system hooked to your big screen? Then consider Replay TV - Record your favorite shows and watch them when you want to watch them. Skip the commercials - and program it to catch your favorite shows. Forget to tell Replay TV to record something and your 1000 miles away? Go online and tell your ReplayTV DVR record it. Talk about remote control! Way Cool - While there is a monthly service fee of 12.95 Tivo continues to be the leader in DVR's. Reports indicate that their service is great. Get the ReplayTV RTV5504 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder from Amazon

to get Replay TV from B&H Photo Video (cheaper than Amazon)

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You can now play your MP3s and music files stored on your computers on any TV in your home by using the wireless ew-5000 Digital Media Receiver from Hewlett Packard. ($299 list) This cool little box uses 802.11b WiFi technology to send your music files from your computer's hard drive to any TV within your house. By the way, as the DMR uses standard RCA plugs, you could connect it to an audio system. The DMR also transmits digital images from your computer as well. By linking your slide show to a music play list, you can have it run on any TV in the house. You can use multiple DMRs simultaneously. If your computers are networked, each DMR can access the shared music and image files stored on each of the computers. If there is a shared printer attached to one of the networked computers, you can use the DMR to select an image, do some minor editing, and then print it out - all from your living room, bedroom or den. Pretty cool. The HP DMR is for Windows computers only and is available in two versions - wireless and wired. Click here to get the Hewlett Packard DMR-EW5000 Digital Media Receiver   from Amazon

Are you running out of video in and video out jacks on your video editing or home theatre system? Do you have an old VHF only in TV set you want to use with your DVD player or videogame player? Check out the new AVT-8034 VHF Player from AV Toolbox. For only $15, the AVT-8034 VHF Modulator  converts a Composite Video and Stereo Audio signal from a DVD Player, VCR, Video Game or any other device to an RF signal for connection to the Antenna terminal of a TV Set.  The output is selectable as a standard VHF Channel 3 or 4 signal.   The built-in signal Splitter/Combiner allows external RF signals to be mixed with the modulated signal from the AVT-8034. Includes selectable output – channel 3 or 4 VHF, built-in splitter/combiner and composite video and stereo audio input.

for more info and to buy it from AV Toolbox.

If you are into home theatre or HDTV or simply have too many cables that you constantly need to be plugging and unplugging and switching around, check out the AVT-5842MX Component Video Matrix Router, a 4-Input by 2-Output switcher that can be used for either YPbPr Progressive Scan Video or YCbCr Component Video, plus Stereo Audio. The AVT-5842MX is Dual Output Switcher and sends the selected input to the outputs independently.  Since it is a Matrix Switcher, each of the two outputs can have the same or a different video signal, selected from the four inputs.  Selection can be made by the front panel push buttons or by the IR Remote Control. Up to four devices with Component Video outputs, such as  DVD Players, Video Game Consoles, HDTV Receivers or HD Cable Boxes, can be connected to two TV Sets,  HDTV Displays or other devices with Component Video inputs, without moving cables around.  The high signal bandwidth insures no loss of video or audio quality.  Just $109.

 Do you have too many cables? Are you a victim of too much spaghetti connecting your home theatre?

The AVT-5231 Multi-format Router allows you connect three Video and Audio sources and select which of them is routed to the output.  Multiple input devices, such as VCR's, DVD Players, Video Game Consoles, Satellite Receivers, etc., can be connected to a destination device without moving cables around.  Input selection can be made via the Front Panel Push Buttons or the Infrared Remote Control.  No signal degradation takes place, so the quality you put in is the same as the quality you get out. The AVT-5231 is incredibly flexible, since it can accommodate either Composite or S-Video for each of the three video inputs and Analog Stereo or Digital Optical Audio for each of the three audio inputs and route the selected input to the respective output.

AVT-5231 Features and Specs

• 3 Video Inputs: Composite Video via RCA connector and S-Video via 4-Pin Mini-DIN connector

• 3 Audio Inputs: Analog Stereo Audio via RCA connectors and Optical Audio (S/PDIF) via Toslink connector

• 1 Video Output: Composite Video via RCA connector and S-Video via 4-Pin Mini-DIN Connector

• 1 Audio Output: Analog Stereo Audio via RCA connectors and Optical Audio via Toslink connector

• Video Bandwidth: 10MHz

• Video S/N Ratio: >50dB

• NTSC and PAL compatible

• Size: 1.75" High x 9.4" Wide x 4.5" Deep (44mm x 238mm x 114mm)

• Weight: 1 lb 9 oz (0.7.kg)

• External 115VAC to 9VDC @ 300mA Power Supply Included

• One-Year Limited Warranty

Click Here for more Info

Links and other Articles

How to Make DVD Movies
Camcorder Review Section - what camcorder should you buy
How to Watch Internet Video
Equipment Review Section
Check out the Home Theater section at B&H Photo Video for special deals, close-outs and new stuff

Want better sounding audio from your PC games and DVD movies? Want to record audio from the net and your computer to a hi-fi device? Check out the USB-12 Sound Box from AV ToolBox allows you play back music or other audio files on your PC and output them via the USB port to external devices.  It supports both digital and analog playback.  In the digital playback mode, it receives the audio stream from the PC via the USB port and transmits the audio data according to the AES/EBU, IEC 60958 S/PDIFF consumer interface standards.  In analog playback mode, it supports AC97 Codec standards. 

The small external box hooks up to your Mini Disc Recorder, DAT, Receiver, Cassette Recorder or PC Multimedia Speakers.  The USB Sound Box allows you to play various music sources from a Laptop or Desktop PC via the USB interface and connects to recording or playback devices.  It also features an LED indicator that shows the operational status.  

USB-12 Features and Specs

• Transmit an audio stream without using the Sound Card in the PC

• Compatible with Win 98, Win 98SE, Win ME and Win 2000

• Compatible with Win XP without additional driver

• Plug-and-Play Operation with Windows default drivers

• Compliant with USB Specification v1.1

• LED indicates the USB Sound Box's operational condition

• Audio Output Level: 2.6 Vp-p Max at input 1KHz/0dB or 0.8Vp-p Max at input 1KHz/-10dB

• Digital Audio Output Power Level: -18.0~23.0 dBm

• System Requirements: IBM Compatible PC, 166 or better with Windows OS listed above and USB Port

• Input Jack: USB Type B Connector

• Digital Audio Output Jack: Toslink Optical Connector

• Analog Audio Output Jack: 3.5mm Stereo Audio Connector

• Includes: 3' USB Cable, 3' Toslink Digital Optical Cable and Toslink to Mini Digital Adatper

• Size: 0.8" High x " 1.8 Wide x 2.8 " Deep (23mm x 47mm x 72mm)

• Weight: 1.1 oz (30g)

• Power Consumption: 80mA - Powered by USB Port

• One-Year Limited Warranty

Click here   for more info

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