Backstage Crew: Day two: Richard

The Yamaha Natural Sound AV Receiver RX-V2700 should provide most home theater enthusiasts with everything they need to power their home audio/video system. With support for Dolby and DTS sound formats, three each of HDMI and component video inputs, numerous audio and video inputs (including a phono input!), and support for two additional zones or rooms, this receiver can handle just about anything you can throw at it. Plus, it's XM-ready, featuring XM's new neural surround audio format, which allows you to receive a surround signal from certain XM stations. It supports the optional Yamaha iPod dock, allowing you to control your iPod from the remote. It even has an Ethernet connection, allowing you to access and control media content across your network. The only bad news is the price. Expect to put down a little over a thousand bucks for this if you buy it online. But for its category and capabilities, it's not a bad deal.

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Notice speakers anywhere? No? Well, that's the point. Believe it or not, each of these objects--including each of the planters and lamps--is a concealed speaker. These are the latest of an entire line of shelf, floor, and wall-mounted concealments from Acoustic Research. These speaker covers from AR's Home Decor line are available for front, center, and rear Acoustic Research speakers--even subwoofers. Finally, there's a solution to the problem of speakers for your A/V system looking completely out of place in your living room, bedroom, or den. While more than 20 designs are already available today, these new models will show up in a variety of outlets later in the year.

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Creative has announced Xdock Wireless, a wireless music distribution system for the iPod. Comprised of a base and remote units, the system allows for music streaming from your iPod to up to four rooms, in addition to wired audio and video connections from the base itself. The audio is enhanced with Creative's X-Fi technology, which restores much of the sound damaged from compression. While the base unit will play video to an external monitor, it will not output onscreen controls for audio or video selection. Expect to see the system in stores this spring with a price point of just under $200 for the base and just under $100 for each receiver. It will be available in both black and white models.

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Sanus Systems has introduced a series of display mounts that recess the mounting hardware inside your wall. An in-wall box installs in a hole cut between two standard wall studs. The box also includes cutouts for power and media cabling, so you can more easily run wiring behind the walls to your display. The mounting arm then installs inside the recessed box, allowing your TV--mounting hardware and wiring included--to sit flush against the wall. Say goodbye to the unsightly mess behind your wall-mounted TV. Just push the set back against the wall, and the hardware and wires disappear.

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Digeo has announced at CES that it will create a consumer version of its popular Moxi digital media recorder, available later in 2007. The Moxi product will be digital cable ready, using CableCard technology to receive, to descramble, and to control your digital cable service, including high-definition content. With extender units, you'll be able to access all of the features from the base system, including scheduling recordings and watching a DVD. This new system could prove to be some serious competition for Microsoft and TiVo, whose comparable systems are not as flexible in their multiroom viewing.

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The Audiovox VE1070XM is an under-cabinet media center for your office or kitchen that plays pretty much any media source you can throw at it. Audio CDs, MP3 CDs, DVDs, AM radio, FM radio, TV (with build-in tuner), and auxiliary audio and video. It's XM ready and is an alarm clock to boot! The 16:9 video display looks great with DVDs. Now you just have to figure out how to get your cable service to the kitchen.

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XM is showing new home audio devices that are XM ready, making XM radio more readily available in your home. This Onkyo system is one of three bookshelf systems; others are from Panasonic and Polk Audio. This particular device also plays CDs, DVD video discs, DVD Audio discs, and Super Audio CDs--so, basically you're covered for all formats.

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Leslie Dame Enterprises has an amazing line of media storage furniture that will look beautiful in many decors. Solid veneers put these units in a class of their own, making most metal and plastic media shelves seem unworthy. This particular unit is dark-stained oak with sliding glass doors. The unit holds 1,400 CDs and more than 750 DVDs. Check Plow & Hearth and a variety of other catalogs or online stores to browse or to order from their selection.

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