Home Theaters

Today, the following movies will be released for rent or sale:

*Alpha Dog (Full Screen Edition) - 6.6/10 with 6,343 votes cast; starring Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Anton Yelchin and Bruce Willis

-Plot Synopsis: A drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood, a drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever to be on the FBI’s most wanted list.

*Dreamgirls (Two-Disc Showstopper Edition) - 6.6/10 with 10,873 votes cast; starring Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy

-Plot Synopsis: Based on the Broadway musical, a trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960’s.

*Fletch (The “Jane Doe” Edition) - 6.5/10 with 10,447 votes cast; starring Chevy Chase, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson and Geena Davis

-Plot Synopsis: Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher, Los Angeles journalist, really lives for his profession. As Jane Doe, he publishes articles that have caused several heads to roll in the past. Now, Fletch is at it again as a master of disguises.

*Happily N’ever After (Full Screen Edition) - 2.6/10 with 1,200 votes cast; Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sigourney Weaver, Freddie Prinze Jr. and George Carlin

-Plot Synopsis: An alliance of evil-doers looks to take over Fairy Tale Land. But when Ella realizes her stepmother is out to ruin her storybook existence, she takes a dramatic turn and blossoms into the leader of the resistance effort.

*The Hitcher (Widescreen Edition) - 5.1/10 with 3,100 votes cast; starring Sean Bean, Sophia Bush and Zachary Knighton

-Plot Synopsis: A collegiate couple hit the road in a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, en route to spring break, but their pleasure trip soon turns into a waking nightmare after encountering a mysterious hitchhiker.

*Little Children - 7.9/10 with 7,145 votes cast; starring Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson and Jennifer Connelly

-Plot Synopsis: Little Children centers on a group of young marrieds, whose lives intersect on the playgrounds, town pools and streets of their small community in surprising and potentially dangerous ways.

*The Sandlot 3 - Heading Home starring Luke Perry, Danny Nucci and Sarah Deakins

-Plot Synopsis: Sucessful, arrogant baseball superstar Tommy “Santa” Santorelli travels back in time to 1976 and relives his boyhood days on the sandlot baseball team, this time choosing friendship over glory and ultimately earning both.

*Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? 5.6/10 out of 19 votes cast; starring Teri Horton, Ben Heller and Tod M. Volpe

-Plot Synopsis: A rollicking adventure that documents a 15-year war with the art world’s inner circle.

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Finding a quality projector for your home theater needs that doesn’t include sleepless nights and creditors calling your momma’s house is a difficult proposition, one that Optoma seeks to destroy.

The Optoma HD72 not only breaks the price barrier for 1280×768p DLP projectors, at less than $2000, it also includes the majority of features normally reserved for projectors that cost two to three times as much. It incorporates Texas Instruments’ Brilliant Color, designed to deliver higher vibrancy and overall brightness and claims to provide truer colors to on screen images.

It also boasts a 3000-hour lamp-life, which is of major importance when factoring in the fact that all projectors need to have their expensive bulbs replaced every few years. To reduce buyer uncertainty, the projector also includes a 2 year limited warranty with a ZERO dead pixel policy, a move many of Optima’s competitors have yet to take with their entries.

As for picture quality, the projector utilizes a 3500:1 contrast ratio, but is capable of 5000:1 with its built-in AI turned on, a feature designed to automatically adjust the light output of the projector and deliver better contrast ratios while marinating high ANSI lumen output. This is the first projector in or near its price class to offer this feature. True Vivid technology is also integrated, adding a deeper three dimensional look to images, complimenting the TrueVision processor that effectively eliminates object jaggedness and smooths images for a cinema-style look.

This projector is also compatible with just about anything you can throw at it. The dual digital inputs are HDMI and HDCP compliant, important if you prefer to route video sources directly to the projector instead of through a video-switching device that could possibly degrade the signal performance, and also includes component video, S-video and composite video cpnnections.

As a true 720p DLP projector, the Optoma gives you a sharp, bright image up to 104 inches in size at a projection distance of 12 feet…for less than $2000! The only negatives concerning this projector are the maximum 1.2x zoom lens and the lack of lens shifting ability. Depending on the size of your room, these may or may not be important restrictions, but for the price, are almost expected. A full-function remote is also included.

Prices around the internet have generally been established at around $2000, but at least one seller has it for considerably less after a substantial rebate.

For offering affordable cinema-style quality and a movie experience you just don’t get with big screens, the Optoma HD72 earns an envy rating of two.

optoma, projector, home cinema, home theater

Today, the following movies will be released for rent or sale:

*Ten Items Or Less - DVD - 6.7/10 with 607 votes cast; starring Morgan Freeman, Paz Vega and Jonah Hill

-Plot Synopsis: An actor (Freeman) prepping for an upcoming role meets a quirky grocery clerk (Vega), and the pair hit the road to show one another their respective worlds.

*Caffeine - DVD - 5.6/10 with 192 votes cast; starring Breckin Meyer, Mena Suvari and Katherine Heigl

-Plot Synopsis: A fanciful battle of the sexes ensues when the relationships of the staff and patrons of a quirky London café are unexpectedly turned upside down by sudden revelations of terribly embarrassing secrets having to do with their sexual misadventures.

*Code Name: The Cleaner - DVD - 3.5/10 with 903 votes cast; starring Cedric the Entertainer, Lucy Liu and Nicollette Sheridan

-Plot Synopsis: Jake, a regular guy who has no idea who he is after being hit over the head by mysterious assailants, finds himself entangled in a government conspiracy.

*Deja Vu - DVD - 6.9/10 with 13,284 votes cast; starring Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton and Jim Caviezel

-Plot Synopsis: An ATF agent travels back in time to save a woman from being murdered, falling in love with her during the process.

*Night At The Museum - DVD - 6.3/10 with 16,843 votes cast; starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams and Owen Wilson

-Plot Synopsis: The new night guard at the Museum of Natural History discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and wreak havoc.

*The Queen - DVD - 7.6/10 with 12,606 votes cast; starring Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, Sylvia Syms and James Cromwell

-Plot Synopsis: After the death of Princess Diana, HM Queen Elizabeth II struggles with her reaction to a sequence of events nobody could have predicted.

*Thr3e - DVD - 5.1/10 with 501 votes cast; starring Marc Blucas, Justine Waddell and Laura Jordan

-Plot Synopsis: Innocent lives hang on the whim of an elusive psychopath whose riddles and timelines force three people to end the game before one or all of them die.

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If watching movies in true to life color is your thing, finding the highest aspect ratio is one of the most important factors when shopping for a home theater television. The Panasonic TH-50PX60U features a 1366 x 768-pixel resolution and an amazing contrast ratio of 10000:1, giving you true movie quality in the comfort of your own home.

Though it comes in four sizes (37″, 42″, 50″ and 58″), I was told the 50″ I looked at was indicative of each and the picture was fantastic. Spiderman 2 was playing and it really brought the movie theater experience to life, truly putting my current television to shame.

Sporting more holes than your grannie’s Afghan, the dual HDMI inputs, three component-video inputs, three S-Video inputs and SD memory card reader for digital photo viewing promise to handle all your multimedia needs with ease. To make room for all that input, Panasonic appears to have nixed the CableCard slot, so digital cable subscribers, BEWARE! To combat this chink in the armor, a built-in ATSC tuner was installed, allowing the set to receive over-the-air HDTV signals with no additional hardware.

The two built-in 10-watt speakers pump out virtual surround sound and are more than adequate for small home theaters like my own, but this television honestly deserves to have an audio compliment equal to the picture. The set is also extremely thin and can fit just about anywhere, including on the wall. Though it weighs nearly 90 lbs., it’s less than 4″ deep and would be a big upgrade to most wall art.

In addition to the superior picture and incredible amount of input options, the set also has many of the internal goodies people may find useful including a built-in closed-caption decoder, V-chip lockout controls, on screen input labeling and a sleep timer so you can ensure you never burn an image into the already resistant screen.

At less than $1750, I’ve seen no comparison for a screen like this right now. With a stunning picture at a 160 degree viewing angle at less than twice the width of an LCD monitor, this Panasonic plasma arouses three envy buttons.

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Much like the Beta vs. VHS battle back in the late 70’s, there is much at stake in the HD vs. Blu-Ray battle the DVD format finds itself embroiled in today. Back then, Beta had better picture clarity and came in a smaller size. Unfortunately, they only fit 60 minutes of recorded programming, a major factor of why the 3-hour VHS format eventually emerged victorious.

I would like to write my main Wednesday post covering DVD and CD players for your home theater, but I thought it would be best if I detailed the differences between the two DVD formats first, so you can make a more informed decision about which to purchase. For starters, let’s take a look at the history.

HD DVD is Toshiba’s offering in this new melee, which for all intents and purposes, has been going on since 1969 when Philips developed the LaserDisc. Philip’s partnered with Sony soon after, and from this association, the CD was born in 1979. In the early 1990’s, the two teamed together again in an attempt to create a next generation CD that could play video, as well.

Unfortunately for them, the Toshiba offering had all the major backers behind it. The two groups got together and agreed on a common format, later to be known as the DVD. Toshiba was contractually given the majority of royalties in the deal, and so the Philip’s/Sony partnership soon began work on their next generation DVD, which would come to be known as Blu-Ray. Toshiba followed suit, developing their next generation DVD which would become known as HD DVD.

Despite similarities in size and laser-usage, they are basically incompatible and cannot play on each other’s DVD players, thus forcing consumers to choose which format they are going to adopt. Eventually a winner may emerge, but for now, the two are in the midst of a marketing battle for your minds. To help guide you, here are the major differences:

Capacity -

HD DVD - Single layer, 15gb; Double layer, 30gb; Highest Test, 45gb; Theoretical Limit, 60gb

Blu-Ray - Single layer, 25gb; Double layer, 50gb; Highest Test, 100gb; Theoretical Limit, 200gb

Format Founders -

HD DVD - Toshiba Corp., Hitachi Corp.
Blu-Ray - Sony Corp., Royal Philips Electronics

Supporting Member Studios -

HD DVD - Buena Vista Home Entertainment, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, Warner Bros.
Blu-Ray - 20th Century Fox, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Electronic Arts, MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, Vivendi Universal Games, Warner Bros.

For the most part, they are similar products with many of the same backers. The main difference is that Blu-Ray discs cost more and have more storage. This differs from the Beta/VHS battle, as Beta cost more to be manufactured, but had less storage. This time, it is up to the marketplace to decide on a winner, if there ever is one.

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On Tuesday’s, I will list the week’s DVD releases ready to take home and view in the comfort of your home. In addition, I will list their overall rating on IMDB, how many votes were cast and starring roles.

Today, the following movies will be released for rent or sale:

*Spider-Man 2.1 - Unrated, Extended Cut (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) - DVD - 7.8/10 with 72,571 votes cast; starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco

Plot Synopsis: Peter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles Doctor Octavius, a brilliant scientist with mechanical tentacles to do his bidding.

*Freedom Writers (Widescreen Edition) - DVD - 7.3/10 with 2,362 votes cast; starring Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey and Scott Glenn

Plot Synopsis: A young teacher (Swank) inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.

*Notes on a Scandal - DVD - 7.5/10 with 5,375 votes cast; starring Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and Tom Georgeson

Plot Synopsis: A pottery teacher (Blanchett) enters into an affair with one of her students, causing upheaval in her personal and professional lives.

*The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition) - DVD - 7.8/10 with 11,161 votes cast; starring Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy and Gillian Anderson

Plot Synopsis: Based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970’s.

*The History Boys - DVD - 6.8/10 with 1,780 votes cast; starring Samuel Anderson, James Corden and Stephen Campbell Moore

Plot Synopsis: An unruly class of gifted and charming teenage boys pursue sex, sports and higher education.

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Shopping for a television for your home theater has become much like shopping for a car. With so many models available, finding the perfect one for your long-term needs that fits in your budget can be a harrowing experience.

Whether you are on a budget or simply do not wish to spend a fortune on a widescreen television, the Samsung HL-S5687W is a great option that will allow you to sleep soundly at the end of the day. From the leader in DLP (digital light processing) hardware, this 56″ rear-projection model delivers top of the line High-Def Television with 1080p of vertical display resolution.

The first thing about this model you will notice is the sleek design, which will fit nicely with most modern home theater decor. Next, at only 16.3″ deep, this model will waste very little space and should fit snugly into your entertainment center. It’s also relatively light in weight, tipping the scales at just under 74 lbs. and can be moved around with relative ease by one person.

Though priced significantly lower than its main competitors at less than $2,000, the Samsung offering also features dual compatible HDMI inputs to connect your Blu-Ray DVD player, as well as a PC input to play your favorite next generation games. Poring over reviews, it appeared the only drawbacks of this model were the absence of picture-in-picture, fire wire, and cable card, features that are quickly losing necessity in today’s marketplace.

To make up for those losses, Samsung completely redesigned the menu system for this model and makes navigating the intuitive interface a snap. A USB port is another nice feature that allows the user to display their favorite digital photographs, as well as play their mp3 collection with little trouble. A comprehensive list of detailed features can be found here.

Go to your local A/V store to test drive it for yourself, but make sure you browse the internet for an even better price. Even after shipping, you should definitely be able to beat the retail price.

For offering superior visual quality and an attractive frame at a price even a single-father of three can appreciate, this HD TV garners two green envy buttons.

Samsung, HDTV, widescreen, home theater, 56″

Remember the drive-in?

It was about the only place you could play tag, eat popcorn and watch a movie at the same time. The drive-in from my youth was turned into a full time swap meet, and later on, a Wal-Mart. Luckily, both places I have moved since have drive-ins, and the good memories have continued well into parenthood. I now enjoy watching my own kids run around and play while taking in the new animated feature.

Much of the country is sadly lacking a drive-in now, as megaplexes with $9 tickets and $8 popcorn dominate the movie-going landscape. Most of today’s kids grow up without this wonderful tradition, but thanks to MobMov, they no longer need be deprived.

MobMov (short for Mobile Movie) is an online community of do-it-yourself drive-in fans. By joining the community, you get invites to chapters in your area and information on how to start your own, including details on how to set up your own vehicle with a projector and suggestions for where to host your theater. There’s also information about what movies you can watch and any copyright legalities you may need to know about.

This seems to be an idea with some legs, as people are continually seeking affordable social fare, especially when it comes to a night out with the kids. As exciting as watching a movie from your car is, I don’t see why the idea can’t be taken a step further. Car’s are mostly symbolic and nostalgic in this model. If you can find an audio source and weather is warm in your area of the world, a white screen, lawn chairs, an ice chest and a barbecue would be more than sufficient in setting up your own theater in your backyard and enjoying your feature under the stars.

Either way, hosting your own theater is a great way to socialize with friends, family and neighbors. The MobMov Manifesto has some projector and transmitter suggestions, as well as how to legally set it all up. The biggest drawbacks from most people will be the cost of a good projector (though I ‘m sure you basically make up for it after just a few showings) and the lack of movies that are apparently available legally at this juncture. Barriers ordinarily can’t keep good ideas contained, and so I think in time, the movie companies will find a way to benefit from relaxing their rules, and we can all benefit from bringing the drive-in home.

A simple solution for a dying institution. For reincarnating an old favorite and making it available to the masses, this idea gets two green envy buttons.

MobMov, drive-in, home theater, home video

If you’ve got a home theater junky in your family and the majority of their coffee table is littered with remote controls, I’ve found the perfect gift. Not only will they love you for life for buying them such a fantastic present, they’ll probably name it after you.

This beauty is so incredible, just recommending it to them may get you your own personalized seat in their favorite room of the house. So what is this thing, you ask? It’s the TX-1000 Medius. Sure that may mean absolutely nothing to you, but check this badboy out.

This is the Titanic of remote controls. Not just in size, but in features, as well. Not only does this thing take two hands to hold, it requires a computer to program, can be updated to work with new products for life, can control every room in the house from one location and has color changing screens. It’s the kind of remote your wife will NEVER be able to figure out and there’s a good chance no one will be playing with your media center ever again (especially if you have the foresight to destroy the instruction manual).

In addition to being able to control all your electronic IV’s in up to 15 rooms while lounging in your La-Z-Boy, it has nearly 5000 screen color combinations and you can actually store guest settings on your computer just in case you do want someone else to be able to use it. A USB cable is included with your purchase and like many remotes, it requires four AA batteries that reportedly will last an astounding 10-12 months.

On the negative side, this baby runs around $500 (not to mention an extra $50 per base station to control separate rooms) and requires a Cliffs Notes just to turn the volume down, but it’s definitely an eye grabbing, ice breaker your friends are sure to be envious of. The device also weighs two pounds, though that isn’t all bad. There’s very little chance this remote will ever get lost in your couch cushions.

For sheer audacity alone, this device gets three green envy buttons.

universal remote, Medius, multimedia

My last post dealt with playing the media stored on your PC directly on your television, but if you are like me, your PC is more of a home theater than your television is. Today, I’d like to talk about doing the opposite and turning your PC into your television.

2005 saw the release of the Slingbox, a 14″ x 5″ device that connects to your home audio/video components and then through your broadband connection, remotely streams your live television feed to your Windows XP computer. Six months ago, the second generation variation hit the market and offered Mac and non-XP users the ability to enjoy television on their computer.

With the new version, once the software is installed on your machine, you literally can watch your cable and satellite programs anywhere in the world you have access to a high-speed connection. For those on the go, the newer version is even more valuable as it can be installed on pocket PC’s as well, though I have never seen the quality on one of these devices. Having seen it used on home PC’s and desktops, I can say the quality is much better when run through your home network and assume the lower quality is present on smaller devices, too.

The second generation release came in three varieties, but the Pro version allows the user to stream their television content on more than one device. This feature alone trumps the other versions for me, but if you only want television access on one computer, the Slingbox A/V is equal in quality and about $70 cheaper. At $250 for the Pro, the picture quality, operating system versatility, onscreen remote and ease of setup are worth the money. Being able to watch your computer screen as if it were your home television while travelling is also very comforting and worthy of the cost alone. There’s simply no better (or easier) way to take your home theater viewing on the road with you.

Check out some of the Slingbox’s versatility on the demo page here or find out which version is best for your needs. If you spend a lot of time on your computer and are looking for a way to spend even more, Slingbox has a product for you. If you’d rather keep your television viewing to your living room or home theater, but want your computer media available, then Apple TV is your product. All in all, both are great products and welcome additions to the home theater landscape depending on where and how you prefer to veg out.

For being more versatile than Apple TV and giving computer addicts like myself more reason to stay chained to it, Slingbox Pro gets two green envy buttons

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The impossible occurred during a recent trip to the neighborhood Apple Store. Having given up on television programming some years ago, I figured there was no turning back. As a work from home father of three, tuning in to my favorite shows when they air is difficult at best. Tivo and DVR gave a brief respite and are nice products for serious television watchers, but neither wielded the complete power over media and programming I needed and I don’t watch enough to justify the recurring fees. Enter the Houdini of home entertainment, Apple TV.

Within moments of the clerk’s demo, I was in awe much like the first time using a remote control. What the iPod did for music, Apple TV is going to do for your television set. Combining futuristic form and flawless function, Apple TV allows the user to download ANY movie, television show, song or podcast available on iTunes and watch it on their wide screen television when they want.

With the click of a button, you can change from the latest episode of Prison Break to The Great Easter Egg Hunt, then seemlessly change over to your collection of Tony Bennett duets. You can even show friends and family a slide show of your collection of the most embarrassing photos of your kids. In fact, the only restrictions are your imagination and the need to watch on a high-definition wide screen television (which, sadly for now, will keep me from being able to enjoy Apple TV in my own home).

Watching television will never be the same. The ability to choose what you watch, when you watch and how many times you can watch it in addition to having your personal music and photo libraries is the Holy Grail for home entertainment enthusiasts. While there are a few products on the market with similar capabilities, I have yet to see one match Apple TV in style, combined features and price. Having your computer’s media library available on your television is a dream come true for a media miser like myself, and just may be enough to push me into the high-definition wide screen television market. Head to your local Apple retail store for further investigation. I’m sure you will be impressed.

For being cool enough to make me want to buy a new big screen television, but not cool enough to actually do so, Apple TV gets one green envy button.

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