Home Theaters

Once again we have new DVDs, a large selection for most, and certainly enough to keep your spare time filled until the next installment.

Tuesday September 25, 2007:

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The Bronx is Burning (2007)
Brothers and Sisters: The Complete First Season (6-DVD Set) (2006)
Bug (2006)
Chalk (2006)
Coffee Date (2006)
The Crown Witness (2007)
Cujo (Anniversary Edition) (1983)
Curse of Alcatraz (2007)
Dora the Explorer: Save the Mermaids (2007)
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Blue Sunshine/Monstroid (2007)
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Gamera, Super Monster/They Came From Beyond Space (2007)
Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Maneater of Hydra/The House That Screamed (2007)
Evening (2007)
Experiments in Terror 2 (2006)
Full of It (2007)
The Hole Story (2005)
I Tried (2007)
Knocked Up (Unrated Widescreen) (2007)
Knocked Up (Unrated Widescreen Collector’s Edition) (2007)
Knocked Up (Widescreen) (2007)
La Prepa (2006)
The Last Cigarette (1999)
Macbeth (2006)
Max Havoc: Ring of Fire (2006)
My Name is Earl: Season Two (4-DVD Set) (2006)
Next (2007)
Party (2000)
Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea (2004)
Polish Kitsch Project (2003)
Rembetiko (1983)
Spider Baby (Director’s Cut) (1964)
Splinter (2006)
Strike (2006)
Stupid Teenagers Must Die! (2006)
Such is Life (2000)
Talmud (2006)
Tekkonkinkreet (2006)
Ten Canoes (2006)
That Beautiful Somewhere (2006)
Times Have Been Better (2006)
The TV Set (2006)
The Unit: Season 2 (6-DVD Set) (2006)
Walking Tall: Lone Justice (2007)
Who Was Kafka? (2006)
You Tell Me (2006)

Knocked Up in 3 different versions? Wow. This must mean the sales are expected to be huge. I’m thinking the Elvira sets are probably cool stuff to have around as collector’s items and also great show for Halloween, when you open the door for the little ones, let them see that the monsters are loose in the house!

The TV to DVD flow seems to be slowing - I wonder if the sales are slowing, or if the work necessary to prepare other series is increasing due to expected quality changes. No one wants to see the shows they remember fondly as grainy or filled with defects, so repairing the defects takes an actual eye on the product.

More later.

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I certainly do. Beta format was clearly superior. The video quality was apparent to anyone who had vision better than 20-40, and the tape path through the machine was better, allowing gentler handling, and thus longer life.

                               Did you make the wrong choice?

Next was the HiFi audio added to the tape formats. Once again Beta HiFi was superior. The signal-to-noise ratio was about 20 decibels higher, meaning that on a good recording, there was no noise above the level of the preamplifier you happened to be using.

So twice Sony had the superior product, and twice the product went down in flames, for no technical reason. So much for the market gravitating to quality.

I would like to get an high definition player, but I know that the least of the problem is the player itself. Once the habit to purchase gets going, the expense goes up in a way that makes the cost of the player pale.

I have looked at the trade papers, and some of the talking heads are of the opinion that the ‘format wars’ may continue through 2011. It was not clear why that date was chosen, but that would be a long time to be buying movies, only to find that the format was being discontinued.

While it can be argued that every format eventually gets discontinued, it would be nice for the better technical format to win once, and then continue in popularity for a couple of decades.

I have been on the losing end a couple of times, buying a Beta HiFi machine that was very nice, and having it fail suddenly with about 100 tapes that languished for years before I gave them away.

Ever see one of these? It was very cool in the ’80s. Quality that would max out the picture resolution of any television or television monitor at the time. The disc itself was the size of an LP.

I also purchased a Pioneer LaserDisc player, and purchased about 150 discs, only to have them be discontinued and some of them suffer from laser rot. The player is currently in storage, and when put there worked fine. I plan to pull it out to see some of the Japanese LaserDiscs I have.

Wouldn’t it be nice to get to a format that when the media was purchased you could know it would physically last, and that it would be possible to pass the purchases to progeny, as they would still be useful?

For those wary of anything that holds the Ultimate moniker, after the release of Microsoft Windows Vista,  there should be nothing to fear here.

This actually looks like it might be very useful to those people who wish to watch television on their laptop, or possibly add a second tuner to that cramped case that holds the HTPC.

The package includes an antenna for HD signals (UHF), and will also pick up old fashioned analog TV, if you just have to see that sort of thing. The description from Pinnacle says no software needs to be installed, and there is flash storage for up to two hours of television playback.

The entry fee is $130 - cheaper and lighter than carrying a small LCD television along, and for those wishing this for their home desktop, a version with similar features is available for $80.

Another Tuesday, some more selections -

Beef IV (2007)
Beyond the Gates (Rated R) (2006)
Beyond the Gates (Unrated) (2006)
Blade: House of Chthon (2006)
BloodRayne 2: Deliverance (Rated R) (2007)
BloodRayne 2: Deliverance (Unrated) (2007)
Brooklyn Rules (2006)
Closure (2007)
Collier & Co.: Hot Pursuit (2006)
Commando (Director’s Cut) (1985) (from the Governor’s Good days, before he decided politics was his bailiwick!)
The Condemned (2007)
Corazon Marchito (2007)
Cruising (Deluxe Edition) (1980)
Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team (2005)
The Dead One (2007)
Death Proof (2007)
Deliverance (Deluxe Edition) (1972) (this is the first big movie for Burt Reynolds, thank goodness he learned comedy! )
Dimension (2007)
Dragon Heat (2005)
El Mago (2004)
Family Guy: Volume 5 (3-DVD Set) (2006)
The Flying Scotsman (2007)
Ghost Whisperer: The Second Season (6-DVD Set) (2006)
Gracie (2007)
The Gymnast (2006)
Ham & Cheese (2004)
I’m Reed Fish (2006)
The Insatiable (2006)
Jeff Dunham: Spark of Integrity (2007)
Lucky You (2006)
Married with Children: The Complete Seventh Season (3-DVD Set) (1992)  (It’s hard to believe this was so long ago - like The Lucy Show, it never seems to be out of re-runs)
Masters of Horror: Sounds Like (2006)
Masters of Horror: The Washingtonians (2007)
Pittsburgh (2006)
Robinson Crusoe on Mars (Criterion Collection) (1964)
Severance (Special Edition) (2006)
Smallville: The Complete Sixth Season (6-DVD Set) (2006)
Stargate Atlantis: Season Three (5-DVD Set) (2006) (for fans like me, this is great - for those not so inclined - see if you can borrow Season One to check it out! You just might convert!)
Striktly Business (1991)
Thomas & Friends: Thomas and the Toy Workshop (2007)
The Threepenny Opera (Criterion Collection) (1931) (Nice to see older stuff restored and released - more of this should happen)
Troy (Director’s Cut (2004)
The Valet (2007)
The Victim (2006)
We Are Marshall (Full Frame) (2006)
We Are Marshall (Widescreen) (2006)
Zoo (2007)

There does seem to be a direction to separate the regular and widescreen editions. Personally, I think that when first released the two should be boxed together - by the time the movies hit the bargain bin, the two can be separated.

See you in 7.

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NBC is apparently feeling the pressure to recover from its recent tiff which led to the removal of content from iTunes.

So, as they say, their loss is your gain - Deals on content in the NBC catalogue:

ShopNBC.com knocks up to $60 off a purchase of $500 or more via the coupons below. ShopNBC.com is the online presence of the ShopNBC television shopping channel. Shipping starts around $8 and sales tax is added where applicable. Coupons end October 31. The discounts:

$10 off orders of $100 or more via coupon code “YTC91″;
$20 off orders of $190 or more via coupon code “YTC92″;
$30 off orders of $280 or more via coupon code “YTC93″;
$40 off orders of $360 or more via coupon code “YTC94″;
$50 off orders of $440 or more via coupon code “YTC95″; and
$60 off orders of $500 or more via coupon code “YTC96″.

Surely you can find something there. Remember, this stuff goes back a long way. The original Saturday Night Live stuff is from NBC!

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I was looking at some specials and saw this - it is very nice for those who have TiVo units. The ability to transfer programming, get program listings, and other soon to be added features is enhanced by a wireless connection through the USB ports. The ports are there, you might as well make good use of them.

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TRENDnet 108Mbps Wireless Adapters for $10 after rebates: USB, laptop, PCI

CompUSA.com offers the TRENDnet 108Mbps 802.11g Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter, model no. TEW-444UB, for $34.99. Together, mail-in rebates of $15 and $10 drop it to $9.99. That’s the lowest total price we could find for this item. Shipping adds $5, or order it online for in-store pickup. Sales tax is added where applicable.

Also on sale:
TRENDnet 108Mbps Wireless Notebook Adapter, model no. TEW-441PC, for $9.99 after $25 in rebates; and
TRENDnet 108Mbps Wireless PCI Adapter, model no. TEW-443PI, for $9.99 after $25 in rebates

If you have an HTPC, or another similar device, this could also be useful when connecting to a home server, where the major content is housed.

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Crutchfield is having a sale on speakers by Polk Audio. While not my first choice as ultimate effort speakers, the company makes very solid designs, with great value for each price range.

Crisp, spacious sound at a great price. The Monitor 30 bookshelf speaker takes advantage of proven Polk technologies to deliver solid performance for your music and movies. Start with Polk’s celebrated Dynamic Balance® drivers — the 1″ tweeter dishes out natural, detailed highs, while the 5-1/4″ woofer produces clear, low-distortion mids and bass. Plus, a tuned flared port reinforces the low-frequencies without introducing sound-muddying noise. And the rock-solid MDF construction virtually eliminates resonance.   Read more Details:
       »     video-shielded
       »     bass-reflex
       »     frequency response 63-24,000 Hz (-3dB)
       »     8-ohm impedence
       »     sensitivity 89 dB
       »     handles up to 100 watts
       »     dual 5-way binding post terminals
       »     built-in keyhole slots for wall-mounting
       »     cherry vinyl finish
       »     7-1/16″W x 11-1/16″H x 10″D
       »     warranty: 5 years

Priced per pair  $179.99

Crystal-clear dialogue. Subtle on-screen sounds. Powerful effects. That’s what you can expect from Polk’s CS2. It’s the ideal center speaker if you’re putting together a Polk Monitor home theater speaker system. The CS2 features a 1″ Dynamic Balance® dome tweeter and dual 6-1/2″ Dynamic Balance woofers. The woofer cones are stiff and lightweight for rich sound and low distortion. You’ll love the way this sturdy speaker anchors the movie action to your television picture.

The CS2 is voice-matched to all the speakers in the Polk Monitor line. Team it up with the Monitor 60 or Monitor 70 tower speakers for an impressive front soundstage in a large-room home theater setup. Or match it to the Monitor 40 bookshelf speakers for convincing home theater in smaller rooms.Details:
       »     video-shielded
       »     bass-reflex design
       »     frequency response 60-24,000 Hz (-3dB)
       »     8-ohm impedance
       »     sensitivity 90 dB
       »     handles up to 175 watts
       »     5-way binding post terminals
       »     black oak vinyl finish
       »     21-1/4″W x 7-3/4″H x 11-1/8″D
       »     warranty: 5 years

Priced each $269.99

The center channel speaker from Polk is a stand out. So much so that I would consider using it (after a trail to see how it integrates) with a non-Polk system. Nice.

Add the Polk PSW125 to your home theater or stereo system and prepare for some serious bass punch. Its 12″ driver and high-current 150-watt amp add plenty of bottom-end to all of your music, movies, and video games. This sub sports a new, more powerful driver design to deliver deeper, louder, and punchier bass than previous Polk subs. Special circuitry inside the amp and a solid MDF cabinet with internal bracings ensure clean, detailed lows, even when you crank up the volume. Details:
       »     bass-reflex (ported) cabinet design
       »     150-watt RMS amplifier
       »     12″ front-firing driver
       »     frequency response 32-225 Hz
       »     continuously variable 60-160 Hz crossover
       »     phase switch
       »     auto on/off
       »     speaker-level, line-level, and unfiltered LFE inputs
       »     speaker-level output
       »     16-1/4″W x 16-11/16″H x 20-7/16″D
       »     warranty: 5 years woofer, 3 years amplifier

$314.99

I can’t really recommend this sub on its sonic qualities alone. It is a decent performer, but not stellar. It does, however, have a very good warranty - check it - most powered woofers are substantially shorter in the warranty area. If you think your sub just might need to take a beating, this might be the one for you (wild and crazy teenagers who don’t know what amplifier clipping is comes to mind)

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Although the basic reason for the release of Easy Media Creator 10  is to achieve compatibility with Windows Vista, there are other additions and refinements to the package.

Roxio beat Nero to the punch here, as it is the first product offered that is certified Vista compatible. Ahead Software’s Nero Burning ROM will be available in early October.

Catering to the YouTube generation, EM10 offers an easy way to upload content to any of several internet video content sites, from most any source. Special attention is given to mobile phone video, with tools to transform raw efforts into polished productions.

Incorporated into the new version is a useful feature for anyone who has a few ‘burns’ under their belt. Disc cataloguing is made easy, and alleviates any need for a third party solution. Nice.

DVD playback is easier and more wide ranging now, as support is better for Home Theater PCs. EM10 supports Dolby Digital EX 6.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 so that more accurate reproduction can be had.

All the other features from earlier versions are there, working together as before, and more easily accessed through the menus. The backup feature, which is all many will need, the photo importer, and the outstanding support for ISO burning are still there, lean and ready to go with no bloat.

As before the product can be had with or without the Dazzle video capture hardware. The price without is $99, and with adds an additional $50.

It will be interesting to see what Ahead does with Nero, but of late, I tend to wonder about the application - I have suffered through 5 minor revisions of version 7, with none of them resolving the problems with the NMIndexServer application that is part of Nero Scout. At first I thought it was a problem with the speed of the machines I was working on, but after the same problems were occurring on two different dual core machines, I gave up on that idea. The only way thus far, to eliminate the problem is to disable Scout. If it cannot be fixed, Ahead should give it a decent funeral - and drop it from Nero 8.

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  Cables are one thing that, in the digital arena, get discounted as being binary in function. The cables either work or they don’t.

An article from Tom’s Hardware Guide explains, why, in the case of HDMI, is not so.

The assumption that newer is better, and digital is always better than analog, can get a person into trouble in many places. This is one.

Component video + audio

The HDMI cable pin arrangement, 19 pins, in a very small space

While the signal carried by HDMI is digital, the number of analog to digital conversions can be the same as with component cables, and the quality of long HDMI cables is questionable in many cases.

Because of its universality with one single input for audio and sound, HDMI has become the much preferred standard for HDTV hook-ups. That doesn’t mean it necessarily has a huge leaps-and-bounds advantage over component, though. Component video provides a more reliable picture, carries a more robust set of standards and generally works better for long-range professional-type set-ups.

So, don’t throw out those component cables just yet, or eschew a component switcher, simply because of some incorrect notion that all digital is best!

Conversion cables of high quality are available, and may make certain systems easier to set up and manage.

THG article

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Many people will simply assume, when putting in a home theater, that, since their name is not Trump or Lucas, they should simply put the components in the living room and call it good. After all, this saves on furniture for the home theater, and usually causes the fewest problems with the other occupants of the house.

This is probably a bad idea for several reasons.

If you think about it for a moment, you realize that one of the differences between simply watching the television in the living room, and being at the theater, is that when at the theater there is a minimum (hopefully) of interruption. This provides a much better experience than anywhere that has a good chance of turning into chaos at any moment. Shutting out the telephone, the doorbell, the people who might be at the door, and any other disturbance is a pleasure to be indulged.

For those lucky enough to live where basements are found beneath houses, these usually make very good viewing rooms with very little effort. Everyone wants to have a showplace for their theater, but it is something that can be worked on, all the while enjoying the basic joys of limited noise, interruptions, and space. St first, the home theater may simply be a comfortable chair in the appropriate location, and the components themselves.

Those who have no basement need to be more creative. A small bedroom may seem like a very bad start for a home theater, but with some creativity, it can be a cozy place for two to four people to enjoy theater. Smaller scaled furniture, smaller speakers (which will be fine because of the room’s reduced volume) and possible placement of equipment in the closet can make for a very nice setup. It can be like a castle within the castle.

Worse still is the person who has every bedroom full up, and no basement or other space available that has not already been allocated to some other usage. This person must be extremely creative, before giving up, and simply going with the  problems of the living room.

The master’s bedroom is the last resort, and with some effort, may turn into a resort away from the cares of the world, and the rest of the house.

Again, care must be used to not upset the other members of the household, especially anyone sharing the master bedroom. However, a bedroom can usually hold a television on the wall or in a small etagere,  the electronics can be placed in a vertical stereo stand, and that placed under the television. Again, smaller speakers will suffice, as the reduced volume of the room will negate the need for larger amounts of air to be moved.

Many bedrooms will have no space for chairs or other seating, but being creative again will make it possible to watch comfortably, using large throw pillows, foam wedges, and anything else that provides reasonable comfort for viewing. (Many times I’ve wished I could lie down at a theater with bad seating!)

Where the theater goes is up to you, but putting it out of the living room (or any other room with lots of traffic and noise) is always a good idea.

It’s also September 11, 6 years after the bombings in New York. Without getting maudlin, it would be nice if everyone took a moment to reflect on what happened, the people who died, and those who did so much to rescue others.

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Now for the releases! September 11, 2007

American Cannibal: The Documentary (2006)
April Fools (2007)
Away From Her (2006)
The Blue Rose (2007)
Blue Smoke (2007)
The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down (2006)
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007)
Carolina Moon (2007)
The Case for Christ (2007)
Cautiva (2003)
Dirty Sanchez (2006)
Even Money (2006)
Face/Off (Collector’s Edition) (1997)
A Few Days in September (2006)
From Beyond (Director’s Cut) (1986)
Goosebumps: It Came From Benath the Sink (1996)
Goosebumps: Say Cheese and Die (1996)
Grey’s Anatomy: Season Three (7-DVD Set) (2006)
The House of Usher (2007)
I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal (2007)
Internationally Speaking (2005)
Liberty Bound (2004)
Max Lucado: 3:16 - Stories of Hope (2007)
McHale’s Navy: Season Two (5-DVD Set) (1963)
Nailed (2006)
Private Property (2006)
Punish Me (2006)
The Retrievers (2001)
The Return of the Living Dead (Collector’s Edition) (1985)
Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror (2007)
Snow Cake (2007)
Supernatural: The Complete Second Season (6-DVD Set) (2006)
Ten ’til Noon (2006)
Triad Election (2006)
Two and a Half Men: The Complete First Season (4-DVD Set) (2003)

Wow, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is still playing on HBO.  Other than that, I see a bad trend here. Lots of television shows released, and not many quality movies from the past.

There are still many movies from the last 30 years, better than lots of what has been put out recently, and they have never been mastered for DVD.

For parents, it is nice to see the Goosebumps stuff being released. It’s good for kids without being ridiculously silly.

Two and a Half Men will make a great addition to the television archives - it’s one of the few winning comedies this century.

’til next week -

 For those who want to make a big splash with a new HDTV before Sunday Night Football, or any other night for that matter…

Syntax Olevia 227V 27″ Widescreen LCD HDTV for $450 shipped -
Buy.com offers the Syntax Olevia 227V 27″ Widescreen LCD HD Television for $449.99. With free shipping, it’s the lowest lowest total price we could find. Features include a 1366×768 16:9 resolution, built-in ATSC and NTSC tuners, 1600:1 contrast ratio, and HDMI, VGA, component, S-Video, and RCA video inputs. New Google Checkout users can get $10 off. Of note, MacMall.com has it for the same price.

Nice size screen for those who are going to watch alone or with one friend -

Now for those big living room get togethers…

Panasonic 50″ Widescreen Plasma HDTV + DVD player for $1,400 -
newegg.com offers the Panasonic 50″ Widescreen Plasma HD Television, model no. TH-50PX600U, bundled with the RjTech Compact Slim DVD Player for $1,399.99. With $99.99 for shipping, it’s the the lowest total price we could find for the pair. Features include 1366×768 native resolution, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, built-in ATSC and NTSC tuners, Secure Digital card reader, CableCARD slot, and dual HDMI, VGA, component, S-Video, and RCA video inputs. Deal ends October 31.

And for those who want to be able to watch at work!

newegg.com offers the ViewSonic N2635w 26″ Widescreen LCD HD Television for $459.99. This $60 mail-in rebate drops it to $399.99. With $49.99 for shipping, that’s the lowest total price we could find. It features a 1360×768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 800:1 typical contrast ratio, built-in ATSC and NTSC tuners, and HDMI and VGA video inputs. Rebate expires September 30.

Always looking for deals, and quality at any price. -

While commercial offerings are not as easily customized as something you build from parts, there are ways to improve your experience with almost any brand DVR.

WeaKnees, a company that sells, repairs, and modifies commercial offerings is able to increase the record time, increase reliability, and upgrade other hardware features on most any brand that can be name.

While its focus is mainly TiVo units, WeaKnees also will help you with your Ultimate TV DVR, DirecTiVo, Replay TV DVR - including those sold by AT&T and other cable providers, and the newer Direct DVR, non-TiVo models.

Both standard and high definition models are covered, with the ability to increase, to almost ridiculous levels (1300 hrs), the record time of SD DVRs.

WeaKnees also sells modem replacements, networking parts, power supplies, and also (hard to find) remote controls for any of these units.

For those who have both weak knees and are all thumbs, WeaKnees will handle the repair or upgrade completely. Those who consider themselves handy (this would be anyone who has replaced a hard drive in their computer) kits are available to do it yourself, and save money.

While I think that most who read this column will agree with the above sentiment, yet many will not agree on which DVR is the one to use.

Several have come and gone over the past few years, including the failed effort by industry giant Microsoft - Ultimate TV, and the lesser known Replay TV.

Those who have cable or satellite television at their home are usually predisposed to having the offering by the content provider, as the ease of using those products is a major part of the choice, as is the relative difficulty of using another product that hasn’t been given the ‘official blessing’ of that same content provider.

There is another choice for those who wish to put an effort into their project.

Building a personal video recorder, from parts, and getting seamless integration into a home theater system is possible, but it requires diligence and perseverance.

The choices of operating system for the recorder are simple. If using a Microsoft solution, Windows XP Media Edition is simple enough to set up. The system will work well if sufficient care is taken in choosing parts. Careful attention to the Hardware Compatibility List will give a good result, but with the restrictions Microsoft has put on the project.

Also available for your Windows-equipped computer  is SnapStream Media’s Beyond TV. The ability of the software to work with a much wider variety of hardware is the strength here. Another nice thing is a comfort zone for those used to the TiVo interface. While the interface is not identical by any means, it does work with a similar feel.

On the other side of the table, using Linux is a good choice for those unafraid to learn a new way of doing things. With the choice of Linux, very careful component choice is needed, as in many ways, using Linux for this purpose is like traveling through the Old West - danger could be behind the next rock in the path.

SageTV Media Center for Linux does most of what Media Edition for XP does, with less concern for the troubles of the operating system that sits beneath. No viral attacks or trojans will have to be searched for on this machine, due to the more secure nature of Linux. Sage also offers Media Extender capabilities, and the ability to load onto a laptop any content on the main machine for viewing anywhere.

For those who really like the Wild West experience, and are willing to substitute some more effort and time taken to get things just right, there are the totally free, open source projects called Myth TV and Freevo. Both of these are viable solutions, but the care taken from the start to read, understand, and follow the directions is important. If you aren’t given to patience, and following directions is something you thought you left behind in high school, the best course is to steer clear of these.

Everyone of these choices has the benefit of no-monthly fees for guide service, and all but the Microsoft offering allow much greater freedom concerning what you do with what you have recorded. For many, stealing content is something, by far, not in the back of the mind, but archiving a series for personal use is something very much desired.

All of these programs allow the original idea of personal viewing freedom to be extended beyond what the pre-packaged solutions offer.

Relative newcomer to the computer audio scene, Auzentech has been offering extremely high quality sound cards with a combination of great features and price.

As a builder of computers, I have found, since the days of DOS, that Creative sound cards are difficult to set up in a heavily configured PC, and that the software makes assumptions that it should not make. In the days of DOS, only certain IRQs were allowed to be used, and DMA channels were used in a way that not many motherboard manufacturers were prepared for. I can remember certain brands of motherboards failing with the use of Creative cards, simply because of DMA usage.

With high quality motherboards, there was no source for concern with board failure, but many times the sound would simply not work. This has been something that continues to this day, with Creative cards taking more than one IRQ, causing DMA problems, and software support that is based around the fact that nothing is installed in any slot on the motherboard, other than a graphics card.

Many times I have had e-mail exchanges with support at Creative, who refuse to acknowledge that people use SCSI cards, Firewire cards, and other assorted add-in cards in their machines. That is what the slots are there for.

In stark contrast, CMedia is a chip maker that decided that its reference designs should work, in a mixed environment, and that many who use their cards will also have other things in their machine.

Fortunately, many makers of cheaper sound cards don’t move far from the reference designs of CMedia, and tweak the software only a bit from one design to the next. Auzentech is one of these manufacturers.

The typical Auzentech board uses a stock CMedia chipset, adds the best quality components to support the chip, and adds the ability to upgrade the driver chips (op-amps), so that the very best output can be had, with extremely high signal to noise ratios.

The Auzentech system drivers are easily used, and work well with most any motherboard (I say that only because I have not tried using CMedia cards in EVERY chipset manufactured over the years - but my personal experience is that I have never had a CMedia card not work where any IRQ was available, and many times, I’ve managed to get good performance when an IRQ was shared).

Check out DTS Connect here

The X-Plosion 7.1 DTS Connect is the current top of the line, that uses the CMedia chipset.

C-Media CMI8770 PCI chipset (8CH audio single chip with DTS® Connect and Dolby® Digital Live Real-Time Content Encoder)

8CH codec embedded PCI audio single chip

Full-duplex 8CH 24bit/96kHz DAC / 2CH 16bit/48kHz ADC

Integrated S/PDIF input/output supports 44.1kHz/48kHz/96kHz sample rate and 16/24bits resolution

The world’s first DTS¨ Connect logo program certificated PCI audio board

DTS® Interactive : A real-time 5.1 encoder that takes any 2 or more channel and encodes it into DTS® bit stream. DTS® Interactive provides a single cable connection via S/PDIF digital audio output to a DTS® enabled surround sound system by encoding all audio into a DTS® compatible bit stream at 1.5Mbps

DTS® Neo:PC : An up mixing matrix technology that turns any 2 channel audio into 7.1 surround sound. DTS® Neo:PC, based upon DTS® Neo:6 matrix surround technology, transforms any stereo content such as MP3, WMA or CD audio, into a 7.1-channel surround sound experience

Dolby® Digital Live(DDL) Real-Time Content Encoder converts PC audio into a 5.1 channel Dolby® Digital bit stream

Swappable dual DIP type OPAMP controlled preamp circuit (4pcs output control OPAMP IC with DIY socket, 2pcs MIC input control OPAMP IC with DIY socket)

socketed op-amps so ultra high quality op-amps can be used - ultimate analog fidelity

Max 2.8Vrms full swing analog output gain by unique preamp circuit / incredible powerful analog output, improve dynamic range / SNR
Proper OPAMP control circuit (+8V, -8V dual power supply circuit) for high quality audio quality, prevent audio distortion at high volume level

Package contents: HDA X-PLOSION 7.1 DTS Connect Audio Card / MPC to MPC(2pin-2pin) CD S/PDIF audio cable / TOSLINK fiber optic digital cable / installation CD / warranty card / owner’s manual

This card makes an excellent addition to any computer, whether used for HTPC or gaming, or simply audio enjoyment while doing other work on the machine. The quality of sound it produces will never be the weakest link in the chain.

For gamers, who insist that the difference between EAX 2.0 and the up-until-now-Creative-only EAX 5.0 is something they cannot do without, Auzentech has released the Prelude 7.1. While it uses the high quality Auzentech ancillary chips on the board, it uses the Creative X-Fi chipset, and also uses Creative drivers, so it will likely not play well with others on the motherboard, but will give the EAX 5.0 experience, with Auzentech  quality and price.

So, with this addition to the line up, Auzentech can offer quality to anyone, regardless of their definition of the term, at a reasonable price.

Other Auzentech offerings