New Gear
PAQ'd Full of Features
The Compaq iPAQ Music Center is an MP3 Jukebox and Internet radio tuner that records and stores digital audio. It has enough capacity to hold the contents of nearly 400 audio CDs or 5,000 individual songs. The iPAQ connects to your phone line for Internet access and comes with a full-function remote control that interfaces with your TV, stereo and compatible CD players.
iPAQ Music Center: $899
(800) 282-6672
[www.compaq.com]
High-D TV
AccessDTV Digital Media Receiver 2.0 is a universal TV tuner card that installs into Windows 98, Me and 2000 computers. AccessDTV delivers high-definition television and interactive features including an interactive programming guide, content-specific message boarding, a personal video recorder and pause and instant replay of live broadcasts. AccessDTV requires a Pentium II 400MHz, 64MB RAM, an open PCI slot and 40MB of disk space for software installation.
Digital Media Receiver 2.0: $479
Optional subscription fee: $9.95/month
(800) 808-8149
[www.accessDTV.com]
Maxed Out
The Max 1000+ from Panamax prevents small electric spikes and surges from weakening sensitive micro-electronic components in your home theater system. Along with eight A/C outlets, the Max 1000+ has a coaxial input for cable/antenna protection. Additionally, a noise filtration feature eliminates up to 99.7 percent of signal line noise. When voltage drops below 90 or rises above 134 volts, the unit automatically shuts off power to equipment, then restores the power when voltage returns to a safe level.
Max 1000+: $299
(800) 472-5555
[www.panamax.com]
Two in One
Panasonic's new TC-15DT2 15-inch LCD television combines high-resolution 16:9 picture features with a built-in progressive-scan DVD player. Other features include Active Light Control, which automatically detects brightness levels and adjusts them accordingly, and Dynamic Sharpness Control, which enhances images with more detail. A built-in tilt feature allows adjustment of the monitor's viewing angle.
TC-15DT2: $3,100
(800) 211-PANA
[www.panasonic.com]
Hook 'Em Dan-O
From Terk Technology comes the VS-4 video selector that allows you to connect up to four audio-video components and a pair of powered speakers to your television. It can be used with DBS satellite systems, DVD players, VCRs, cable boxes, video game systems and multimedia speakers. The VS-4 is S-video compatible and works with RCA connections as well.
VS-4: $40
(631) 543-1900
[www.terk.com]
Surf 'n Tune
ATI's TV Wonder USB Edition is an external tuner card that plugs into a PC through a USB port. It is able to tune up to 125 channels and comes with its Guide Plus+ interactive program listing. Among its other features are live television wallpaper, zoom and pan, VCR recording to the computer's hard drive, still image capture, simultaneous Web browsing and TV tuning, analog video input for capturing from VCR or camcorder and transcript creation of chosen programs. The TV Wonder runs on Windows 98, Me or 2000.
TV Wonder USB Edition: $99
(905) 882-2600
[www.ati.com]
Sima in Control
Sima's SUR-20 Universal LCD Touchscreen Remote Control allows control of up to eight electronic entertainment components. Each device has its own display layout. The user can either use preprogrammed codes or “teach” the Sima remote by simply pointing the old remote at the SUR-20's Learning Eye and pressing designated buttons. Other features include programmable button options and macro functions (it holds up to 25 commands per macro).
SUR-20 Universal LCD Touchscreen Remote Control: $99
(800) 345-7462
[www.simacorp.com]
Totally Tunable
The DDL Player from SmartMedia is a stand-alone stereo with Internet connectivity that tunes in Internet radio stations from all over the world. Built-in features include a fully-searchable database of streaming radio stations, push-button activation, RCA outputs and a built-in 56k modem with phone jack. The DDL Player is also DSL/Ethernet enabled and can display real-time artist information as it streams from the SmartMedia online broadcast center.
DDL Player: $100
Subscription fee: $14.95/month
(800) 700-8883
[www.smartmediaonline.com]
Scan Potato
The e-scanner from Hewlett-Packard allows WebTV Plus owners to imbed images into e-mails, add photos to personal Web sites or upload photos to album sites. The e-scanner connects through the WebTV Plus receiver's video input and requires no software installation. Users can scan photos, drawings and text documents as large as 4 inches by 6 inches. With the WebTV Plus Page Builder feature, users can also incorporate photos to their personal Web pages.
e-scanner: $100
(800) 826-4111
[www.hp.com]
Sharp's Edge
Sharp's DV-A2000U is a DVD-Video and audio CD player with Dolby Digital decoding and six-speaker output. It's equipped with parental lock, which enables appropriate viewing levels to be set for different age groups. Other features include an AM/FM tuner with 40 station presets, zoom levels, angle selection, repeat playback and support of eight languages and 32 subtitles.
DV-A2000U DVD/CD player: $500
(800) BE-SHARP
[www.sharpelectronics.com]
Switch on Recoton
Recoton's AVS500 Stereo Audio/Video Switcher can be used to toggle between DVD players, satellite systems, VCRs, camcorders, video game systems and other video components. Three stereo audio/video inputs and one output allow connection of up to three line-level audio/video devices to the television. A 6-foot stereo audio/video connection cable is included.
AVS500 Stereo A/V Switcher: $25
(800) 732-6866
[www.recoton.com]
4-Eyes
The i2DVD player from iDVDBox Inc. combines Internet, DVD, MP3 and Interactive TV technologies. It provides interactivity between DVD and CD media and the Web, as well as between TV and the Internet. It comes with a built-in 56kbps modem and external USB-Ethernet adapter. It supports Web pages with JavaScript, RealAudio, Macromedia Flash and SSL. With i2DVD player, you can view photo and video CDs. You can also listen to CD-audio and MP3s stored in CD-R and CD-RW as well as streaming MP3s.
i2DVD player: $499
(561) 995-5973
[www.idvdbox.com]
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