theaters

Home theater in a pool

You've heard of home theater in a box. Now try home theater in a pool.

Apparently, these Wisconsin home owners weren't big swimmers--or perhaps even anti-exercise--and decided to drain their indoor pool and convert it into something more couch-potato friendly. The folks over at Electronic House magazine put the little showcase together, and it has to be one of the more unique looking theaters we've seen. Personally, instead of the expensive leather couch, I'd have gone for putting three of four giant beanbags at the deep end, so you could literally dive into your seat.

P.… Read more

At least your stereo can be a flat panel

You can't walk two steps around here without tripping over some company's latest Apple iPod-docking mini stereo. The majority of these gadgets are just landfill fodder, but the new Altec Lansing InMotion iM600 looks like it might stand out from the herd. First, it folds flat--down to 1.7 inches. With a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated at 7 hours, that flatness might come in handy if you want to take it on a romantic iPod picnic or even to a room in your house with an inconveniently located outlet. There's a built-in FM tuner with … Read more

Chocolate spreads to home theater

Chocolate lovers are everywhere, and LG knows it. So the company is taking its popular phone brand and milking it (sorry) for home entertainment products as well on the U.K. market.

The "J10HD Chocolate" is a home theater system with an 80GB hard drive and surround-sound speakers that can play DVDs, CDs and MPEG4 videos, as well as MP3 files. The only feature it shares with its handset cousin is a touchpad similar to one on the Chocolate phone, according to Coolest-Gadgets, but that's not the point. It's more about marketing than any technological ties.… Read more

Velocity Micro CineMagix Grand Theater

Perhaps one of the most notable sign of the convergence of entertainment devices is the media PC. It started with TV tuner cards, but quickly escalated to PC's which touted their multimedia capabilities. Velocity Micro has taken the next step with their CineMagix Grand Theater. A full-fledged media PC, The CineMagix aims to provide users with a total digital experience.

Another audio system cuts the cord

How quickly things change. Barely a couple of months ago we were whining about the dearth of wireless audio systems on the market; now it seems as if our cup runneth over.

The latest to join the fray is a new home theater system from Acoustic Research, a subset of Audiovox, which promises "CD performance" in its sound. The wireless setup includes five "voice-matched" satellite speakers that the company says uses a special channel so it won't conflict with the frequencies of phones, computers, microwaves and other household devices, according to Electronic House.

All this … Read more

Sony Line Show 2007: Complete coverage

Fans of Sony products are often disappointed at the January Consumer Electronics Show to discover that the company doesn't have very much to say. Sure, there's a big Sony booth and a handful of token product announcements and press releases, but it's always small potatoes compared to the dozens of new items on display from competitors such as Samsung, Philips, and Panasonic. But that's entirely by design: rather than get lost in the CES maelstrom, Sony opts to launch its new line of products at its own Sony-only line show. We've got complete coverage of … Read more

New Sony home theater systems for 2007

Sony's new line of Bravia home theater systems may be turning heads, but the company is also debuting a troika of more traditional, component-based home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs). Two of the three systems don't include DVD players (so you're not paying extra for something you already own). And while these systems may not have the slick look of the Bravia line, the inclusion of a full-scale A/V receiver offers the flexibility of more A/V inputs.

The "HT" line is composed of three products: the HT-DDW790 ($200, March), the HT-DDW990 ($300, May), and the HT-7100DH ($… Read more

Sony bows trio of Bravia home theater systems

Sony has taken the wraps off its latest lineup of all-in-one home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs). The 2007 line spans seven products: three models being sold under the Bravia banner--a label previously reserved only for the company's flat-panel TVs--three affordable component-based systems and one model that integrates a complete surround speaker system into a TV stand.

The Bravia line includes the DAV-HDX265 ($300, March), DAV-HDX267W ($300, April), and DAV-HDX500 ($500, March). Each model is a 5.1-channel system with a five-disc CD/DVD changer built into a unified slim head unit, all of which are designed to match the eponymous flat-screen … Read more

Sony RHT-G800: home-theater-in-a-TV-stand

We highlighted the Evesham Sound Stage X1 earlier this month, but truth be told, Sony and Onkyo were already offering similar TV stands with integrated speakers at least as early as last year. Sony must really like the concept, too, because the company has gone back to the well yet again.

While the RHT-G800 doesn't look that different from the company's past "home theater stands," it's the first one to be HDMI enabled (two 1080p-capable HDMI inputs and one output). And just because its speakers, subwoofer, and electronics happen to be crammed into a TV … Read more

A Titanic-inspired home theater

Now that we've taken care of your outdoor entertainment needs, it's time to concentrate on your home theater. You'll need a theme, of course, and perhaps you can find some inspiration from this home in Tennessee--which is modeled after the interior of the Titanic.

Why its owners chose one of history's most notorious shipwrecks for its decor is beyond us, but you've got to admit it's creative. Among the 20- by 14-foot theater's many features are a custom 120-inch screen and surround-sound speakers embedded in the room's pillars and ceiling. And … Read more