Touch That Dial: PCTV Compaq PC Theatre, Hi-Val Hi-Val DVD Home Entertainment System, RF-Link WAVECOM Sr. TV Allowance, EchoStar Dish 5000

by Whitney Wolff
Fall 1997

PC Theatre
Suggested retail price: $5000
Compaq
http://www.compaq.com
(800) 345-1518

Who Could Ask For More?

The folks at Compaq Computers and RCA have joined forces to create a product that may forever change the entertainment and computing experience in the home. The result of their efforts is the PC Theatre: a complete entertainment system that allows you to seamlessly make the most of broadcast television, cable, digital satellite, DVD video, interactive PC games, the Internet and e-mail--all with one device--from the comfort of your living room sofa.

The PC Theatre utilizes a 36" diagonal big-screen display with precision pitch picture tube that delivers digitally enhanced video and high quality text and graphics. Included is an interactive television program guide, which provides a look at TV programming up to two days in advance, as well as picture-in-picture capability, stereo speakers, and digital satellite compatibility. The system can be operated with a universal remote control, or its wireless keyboard with trackball.

As a multimedia PC, the system is powered by a 200 MHz Intel Pentium processor with MMX technology and includes 40 MB of EDO RAM, a 3.8 GB hard drive, 16X Max CD-ROM drive and a 33.6 Kbps modem.

Hi-Val DVD Home Entertainment System
Suggested retail price: $850
Hi-Val
http://hival.com
(888) DVD-HiVal

DVDelivery

The Hi-Val DVD Home Entertainment System enables you to play DVDs on your television using your computer's DVD-ROM drive. A wireless signal transmits DVD information from your computer drive to your TV. It transmits the signal up to 300 feet (in direct line-of-sight), or through up to five walls, floors, and ceilings. The system eliminates the need for a separate DVD player by using RF (radio frequency) technology (set-up on the computer and another video or audio source in the building) to access the PC's DVD-ROM drive. The idea is to eliminate the need to purchase both a DVD-ROM drive for your computer and a DVD player for the family room. The Hi-Val Home Entertainment System combines Hi-Val's new wireless WaveLink remote system with Toshiba's DVD-ROM drive, and includes a Quadrant International PCI encoder board, and six DVD features. Feature titles include Spycraft, The Daedelus Encounter, Silent Steel, Muppets Treasure Island, Encyclopedia Electronica and Wing Commander 4. The system requirements are: Windows 95, Pentium 133 MHz or higher (166 MHz recommended), 8MB Free RAM (16 recommended), 4 MB free hard disk space, and bus master PCI slot.

WAVECOM Sr.
Suggested retail price: $250
RF-Link
http://www.rflinktech.com
(888) 273-5465

Cut Those Cords

Want to send high-quality video and audio from one room to another? The answer may be the "Wireless Audio Video Everywhere COMmunicator" (WAVECOM Sr. for short). RF-Link's WAVECOM Sr. is an RF-linked 7x4x2 inch receiver that allows "interference-free" wireless audio and video reception anywhere in the home. With it, you can transmit cable television from one TV to another, transmit the output of a VCR or DVD player to a television in another room, even transmit the output of a camcorder to monitor a baby on a TV in another part of the house. It can also be handy for surveillance and security applications. The signal transmits up to 300 feet in direct line of sight and penetrates walls, floors and ceilings. An added benefit is the extended remote feature, so there is no need to walk back and forth to adjust or change channels. Four separate channels allow up to four sets of transmitter/receiver pairs to operate simultaneously.

TV Allowance
Suggested retail price: $99
(800) 231-4410

Awww Mom...

If you'd like to keep better track of how much television your kids are watching, look into TV Allowance, the Television Time Manager. TV Allowance helps parents limit the amount of TV their children can watch. Your TV's power cord plugs into the TV Allowance locking compartment and the TV Allowance cord plugs into the wall. You, the parents have a master code that allows you to program how much television time each child gets per week. The TV is automatically shut off after the time is used up for that child's particular code. It also can block out certain time periods. There is a save function to accumulate unused hours from week to week in order to build up credit for a reward. There is also a look button to check remaining time left in an individual's account. TV Allowance also works with video games and the VCR.

EchoStar 5000
Suggested retail price: $500
EchoStar
www.dishnetwork.com
(800) 333-3474

DISHing it Out

EchoStar has unveiled its new EchoStar 5000 set-top DBS (direct broadcast satellite) receiver. New features include a unique Program Guide that lists your local programming information through its on-screen guide, allowing you to have a complete TV schedule for local and satellite programming on a single display. The receiver also comes with video input jacks, allowing viewers to easily switch to another home entertainment device like their VCR, camcorder or DVD (digital video disc) player. In addition, it's equipped with event timers that record programs to the user's VCR at pre-indicated times. The EchoStar 5000 can even display caller ID messages on-screen.