By John Sciacca

Quick….name a luxury automobile. Maybe you thought of Bentley, or Rolls Royce, or something sportier like Aston Martin or Ferrari. Now…..name a high-end watch. You probably thought of Rolex or maybe Omega or Patek or Cartier. How about a luxury kitchen appliance? There’s Viking, Sub-Zero, Thermador or Wolf…

Now, name me some high-end audio/video gear. If you thought Sony and Bose, then you are like the vast majority of the population. And while I have absolutely nothing against either of these companies, no one “in the know” would consider either of them to be high-end.

For all its bluster and billions, the consumer electronics industry has really done a poor job of promoting itself, especially on the high-end. In fact, most companies that are really considered to be performance leaders are totally unknown to the vast majority of people, even those that are looking to purchase them. When introduced to a brand that has the equivalent pedigree of a Bentley, Rolex or Viking, most people shrug their shoulders and say, “Never heard of ‘em.” So, I thought I would introduce you to some high-end manufacturers, and explain what they are…and what they are not.

In the electronics world, Wilson is not the volleyball from Castaway, rather the manufacturer of some truly stellar loudspeakers.

There is a Meridian in Santa Barbara, CA that makes affordable – yet drinkable – wines. However, the A/V Meridian is from the UK and a leader in digital audio processing.

Macintosh is an Apple computer; McIntosh has been making highly desirable audio gear that engenders fanatical-like loyalty since 1949.

BO is generally considered offensive and undesirable. B&O (Bang & Olufsen) is a Danish company known for world-class industrial design.

A kaleidoscope offers a complex pattern of constantly changing colors and shapes; a Kaleidescape is a media server capable of storing literally thousands of movies.

Ronco is the late-night huckster trying to sell you things like the Chop-o-Matic and the pocket fisherman. Runco makes some of the world’s finest video projectors.

Crestron and Lutron are not characters in the upcoming Disney Tron reboot. They are actually leaders in home automation and lighting control, respectively.

B&W is not BMW. B&W is Bowers and Wilkins, the British speaker manufacturer, whose speakers are used in places like Skywalker Ranch and Abbey Road. BMW is Bavarian Motor Works, the car company.

Theta is the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet and the name of that Fraternity/Sorority you rushed in college. It is also the manufacturer of some terrific processors and amplifiers.

SIM2 is not a sequel to the popular “The Sims” video game, but an Italian projector manufacturer.

Oppo, Sonos and ADA are not merely examples of corporate palindromes. Oppo makes a highly regarded Blu-ray play, Sonos a terrific wireless audio distribution system, and ADA (Audio Design Associates) has been pioneering high-end audio and distribution systems for over 30 years.

Classé might sound like a term from the Urban Dictionary, but it is actually Canada’s leading maker of high-performance music and theater components.

by Brent Butterworth
A new generation of projectors promises to fix every problem we ever had with video projection. Based on the time I’ve recently spent with a couple of these machines, it looks like the promises have been fulfilled.

These new projectors use LEDs as a light source instead of the UHP lamps that other projectors use. LEDs offer all sorts of advantages over lamps. The biggest one is that LEDs never need replacing—unlike lamps, which need to be replaced every 2,000 to 3,000 hours. That means a huge cost savings over the course of several years. Manufacturers rate the lifetime of the LEDs anywhere from 20,000 hours to practically forever (even though they’re all using the same LEDs).

Supposedly, the performance of LEDs doesn’t change much over time. But lamps start to dim and shift color after about 1,000 hours, necessitating frequent readjustment of the picture controls.

LEDs can also deliver deeper black levels and better contrast. Many lamp-based projectors use an automatic iris to get deep blacks; the iris closes down automatically during dark scenes to make the blacks darker. Problem is, you can often see the iris working. LEDs don’t need the iris, because they can be dimmed almost instantly to any level. Based on what I’ve seen so far, the speedy operation of the LEDs can indeed eliminate the “pumping” and flickering you sometimes see with auto iris mechanisms.

That’s a lot of advantages, right? Well, there’s more.

Because LED projectors use separate red, green, and blue LEDs instead of a white lamp shining through a rotating color filter wheel, the “color fringing” effect you see on most DLP projectors is eliminated. And because LEDs can deliver more intense, saturated color, you can set the projectors up for an ultra-vivid picture. Some will say it’s unrealistic, but I’ve grown addicted to the look after living with it for a few weeks.

This first generation of LED projectors warms up in 40 seconds, only about a third of the time it takes for a lamp-based projector to fire up. And when you shut them off, they go off instantly because unlike lamps, they don’t need to be cooled down gradually by a fan.

The time I recently spent with the Digital Projection M-Vision Cine LED convinced me that LED is the wave of the future for video projection. It’s a shame that only a small handful of people are getting to enjoy the rich hues of the Winter Olympics on an LED projector, but I’m glad I’m one of them.

By John Sciacca

Today (February 3, 2010), the HDMI Licensing group announced that the 3D portion of the HDMI 1.4 Spec is available for download (www.hdmi.org). Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing, commented, ”The HDMI Consortium recognizes the importance of standardized 3D formats for movies, gaming and broadcast content and the need for non-adopter companies and organizations to have access to that portion of the HDMI Specification. As the mainstream adoption of 3D is gaining momentum and content providers define and expand their 3D roadmaps, HDMI is ready to support this major market development.”

The press release went on to say that the HDMI Consortium plans on shortly releasing a 1.4a version of the spec which will include updates to the 3D portion of the spec.

If you’ve been involved with the consumer electronics industry for any amount of time at all, you know that standards and, especially cables, change. We’ve seen composite video, S-Video, Component Video, VGA, RGB, DVI (with –I, -D, and –A varieties), and IEEE 1394. But HDMI – which stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface – has proved to be the moving-est target of them all. Since its inception, the HDMI cable has undergone more changes than Britney Spears.

In case you’re curious, these are the changes that each version has added, and what we can look forward to – at least for now – when the 1.4 spec finally hits the street.

HDMI 1.0 –Released December 2002. Intended to be a single cable replacement to DVI cables, supporting video up to 1080p/60 Hertz with HDCP copy protection, along with 8 channels of LPCM/192 kHz/24-bit audio. The ability to carry audio was the biggest difference from DVI cables, which were video only.

HDMI 1.1 – Released May of 2004. Added support for DVD-Audio soundtracks.

HDMI 1.2 – Released August 2005. Added support for SACD audio.

HDMI 1.2a – Released December 2005. Specified Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) features, commands and compliance tests, allowing (in theory) all devices to communicate and control each other.

HDMI 1.3 – Released June 2006. Increased bandwidth to 340 MHz (10.2 Gigabits per second) and added support for Deep Color with 30/36/48-bit xvYCC. (Previous versions supported up to 24-bit.) Also supports output of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio and incorporates automatic audio syncing with video capability (lip sync).

HDMI 1.3a – Released November 2006. Mostly “housekeeping” fixes and specifications for manufacturers. It did add support for streaming SACD in bitstream rather than raw DSD format used in previous versions.

HDMI 1.3b, 1.3b1 and 1.3c – Released Mary 2007, November 2007 and August 2008 respectively. Describe testing and products based on the 1.3a spec and the Type C Mini connector and active cables.

HDMI 1.4 – Increases maximum resolution to 4K x 2K, supporting much higher pixel counts than 1080p (up to 4096 x 2160 at 36-bit). Will allow Ethernet over HDMI, for 100 Mbps connection between connected devices. Also adds an audio return channel, allowing your TV to send audio back to your A/V receiver. Of course, it will also support 3D as announced today, with stereoscopic, 1080p images.

The only real bummer is that older gear likely won’t be upgradeable to the new spec, so enjoying 1.4 (and beyond) will require purchasing new hardware – Blu-ray, TV, A/V receiver – instead of just upgrading firmware.

My 13 year old son  sent me an email with a link to http://www.musicforrelief.org/ Rob knows I’m passionate about Dave Matthews Band, I collect their live recordings, and travel around seeing DMB shows every summer. Dave Matthews Band donated the July 5, 1997 live version of “Typical Situation”  recorded at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater,  Irvine, Calif.

The download is a compilation of unreleased music from, Linkin Park, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Alanis Morissette, Slash, The All-American Rejects, Hoobastank, Kenna, Enrique Iglesias and Lupe Fiasco.  There is a separate link to donate (It’s the honor system, donate whatever amount you want.)

I thought this was a great idea, and wanted to share it with you!  It’s also a great way to get the kid’s involved in the relief efforts. Please forward this to anyone you think would like some cool tunes and would donate a few bucks for the relief efforts in Haiti. Please kindly consider posting this link http://www.musicforrelief.org/ to your Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Website, Blog, etc.

If you download the music and donate any amount, EDG will donate an additional $20.00 to the fund. We’ve set aside $1,000.00 for this, so all we need is 49 people to donate. My son Rob was the first donor and my inspiration to send this out. (Thanks Rob!)  If you donate, please send me an email at bob.gullo@edgusa.com and we’ll match your donation right-away!

by: John Sciacca

I am imminently facing a BIG birthday. As in a number that no longer starts with a 3. This has got me looking back on my life. And as I peer down that long, dusty trail, what I see is a lifetime that has been closely intertwined with technology changes and advances. I invite you on my journey, and perhaps share your own memories in the comments section.
My first electronics’ related memory goes back to when I was 7. The Atari 2600 came out. Life as I knew it would never be the same.
At age 9, I did a day’s worth of chores for my grandmother – raking leaves, cleaning the pool, vacuuming, etc. – to earn enough money to walk down to a local record store to purchase my first record: a 45 of Gary Numan’s “Cars.” I think the pay rate equated to about $.25 an hour.
My parents bought me a GE clock radio for 5th grade graduation. The kind with the glowing, blood red numbers straight from the deepest levels of Dante’s Inferno and the oh-so-sweet faux wood grain cabinet. That radio served me well for over 20 years.
The following year my grandmother got me a color TV, a sweet 13-inch Sharp model. Many, and I do mean MANY hours were spent playing Atari 2600 on this baby.
In 7th grade, after MUCH pestering, my parents finally relented and bought me a Sony Walkman. I also purchased my first cassette, Styx’s Paradise Theater.
Around the same time, I worked an entire summer washing dishes in my aunt’s Italian restaurant in Coos Bay, Oregon. (I think the pay rate had skyrocketed to $1 an hour.) I saved all my money and bought a Sony Betamax. Then I bought my first Beta movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Sophomore year in high school I bought a Magnavox portable CD player. I also bought a pair of Sony Studio Monitor headphones and my first CD, Wing’s “Greatest Hits.” Years later, I sent this player and a bunch of my favorite CDs to the woman who would become my wife.
Around this time, my interest turned to car audio. I took at job at a now defunct big-box retailer called The Goodguys! and I purchased a truly sick car stereo system. I believe I had the first 10-disc CD changer at my high school. (A high school where the class president drove a Maserati I might add.)
In my early 20s I discovered Laser Disc and Home Theater at a friend’s house. We watched Speed and I was hooked. Sounds coming from behind me? What kind of Black Magic is this and how do I get it? My first “real” HiFi purchase was a giant Definitive Technology subwoofer. Then I obtained a Carver LD player from someone who was upgrading. Pure A/V bliss! I purchased a surround system and then had the LD player “modded” to output the AC-3 (Dolby Digital) RF stream. Then I pitched Dolby Digital Laser Disc reviews to a magazine, my first break into journalism!
In 1997 DVD came out and I was there. I hedged my bet by buying a Pioneer combo LD-DVD player. First DVD purchase: Jerry Maguire.
Since then, I’ve kept steady with technology, though it seems to get harder and more expensive to do so. I replaced a 35-inch Mits tube with a 61-inch DLP. Got an 80 Gig Video iPod. (First iTunes purchase: Talking Heads double-album “The Name of this Band is Talking Heads.”) Bought a house and installed a housewide audio system. Got a PS3 which serves as my Blu-ray player. (First Blu-ray disc: Pixar’s Cars.) And last year I replaced my entire HT system with some state of the art stuff including a Pioneer Elite Plasma and an anamorphic lens equipped video projector.
For now, I’m about as up-to-date as I can be. But, after reading all the news coming out of CES this year, looks like I need to start preparing for the next 40 years and the move to 3D…

by Julie Jacobson

It may not seem hip today, but 15 years ago, this media room was the biggity bomb.

Desser Media Room

Commissioned by Ed Desser, then the president of NBA Television, the entertainment center features 18 tube TVs and a 108-inch projection screen.

“I bought a bunch of 19-inch TVs and stacked them on top of each other and thought it would be really interesting to see what — at the time — was on all three networks,” says Desser. “I liked it enough so I added some more. And I thought, if having six monitors on is good, well then, 19 has to be better.”

So Desser enlisted Electronics Design Group of Piscataway, N.J. EDG founder and president Bob Gullo recalls, “We worked with a cabinet maker, drawing sketches with pencils.” Today, EDG’s “sketches” are lifelike renderings.
Read More…

by Brent Butterworth

December saw what may be the two most significant events in the history of 3-D video. On December 17, the Blu-ray Disc Association announced the finalization of the Blu-ray 3-D standard. The following day marked the release of Avatar, which will be as important to 3-D as the Magna Carta was to the rule of law and Gilligan’s Island was to the modern sitcom.

Based on what I’ve heard, read, and watched, the 3-D we see in the home might just beat out what we see in the theater.

The standard released by the Blu-ray Disc Association requires the use of a new 3-D Blu-ray player (or a Sony Playstation 3) and a 3-D TV. It will pass on the new HDMI version 1.4 interface, so no special cabling will be required. Standard 2-D Blu-rays and DVDs will play on a 3-D player, and 3-D Blu-rays can be backward-compatible with existing 2-D Blu-ray players. Discs can carry 3-D video in full 1080p resolution.

While few specifics of the new standard have been made available to the public, manufacturers tell me that the new 3-D TVs will require that viewers wear LCD “shutter glasses. When the TV is showing the left-eye image, the left LCD shutter becomes transparent and the right shutter becomes opaque. The opposite happens for the right-eye image.

These shutter glasses may be a little clunky, and they probably won’t look terribly cool, and they’ll probably cost $100 or so to replace if you accidentally sit on them. However, they may have an advantage over the polarized glasses you need to watch Avatar, Up, and other 3-D releases in the movie theater.

When watching Avatar, I noticed that if I turned my head slightly, the sides of the image went out of alignment, as if I were looking at it with my eyes out of focus. I had to be careful to stare almost straight at the screen if I wanted the whole image in focus. LCD shutter glasses shouldn’t suffer this problem. While LCDs don’t perform the same at all angles, they shouldn’t produce the blurred images that I saw during Avatar.

The CES show in January promises lots and lots of new 3-D TVs and Blu-ray players—and lots of really impressive demos—so we’ll soon have a better idea of what the new home 3-D video technology offers us. Actual products should be available sometime around summer of 2010 … just in time for the Blu-ray release of Avatar.

by John Sciacca

Without a doubt, the latest technologies are amazingly cool. With an iPhone, you can carry around more computing power in your pocket than what fueled the moon launches. With Blu-ray, you have access to studio-master quality audio and video in your very home. And every time I walk past one of the new LED backlit LCD TVs, I marvel at their razor-thin side profile. It’s an inch thick. An inch! You could practically shave with it. I mean, how do they possible cram all the magical techno-guts inside that thing? (If you really want to know what is inside, check this video I shot at CES last year. You’ll need Quick Time to watch. http://bitstream.soundandvisionmag.com/blog/2009/01/ces-2009-day-three-inside-hitachi-ultra-thin-lcd.html)
So, with all this great tech at our disposal, it is easy to overlook things that are low tech by nature. Like vacuum cleaners. Not very sexy, right? I mean, this is strictly a must have item, not something that people get excited about. I have a Dyson, probably one of the coolest vacuum cleaners around. And yet, it’s never one of the things I pull out to show people when they come to my house. In fact, it is sequestered away in a closet, where we hope no one will see it. (Which is kind of odd, right? Like, the people coming over know we have a vacuum. It isn’t a secret.)
Well, I recently saw a vacuum system that did excite me. In fact, of all the cool tech in this person’s home – and we’re talking about automation, full lighting and HVAC control, Kaleidescape movie servers, etc. – this was the thing that most excited them as well. A central vac system with an in-wall, retractable hose.
Now, I’m not saying that these things haven’t been around for a while, but this was the first working example I saw, and it seems like one of those things that no one knows about or that have been forgotten. But this completely addressed the giant negative that everyone hates about central vac: dragging that damned hose around all over the house. We used to have a central vac system. Never used it. First time I had to fight that 25-foot house up and down the stairs and back into the closet, was the time I decided to use the regular vac from then on.
But the Hide-A-Hose and Vroom systems from Vacuflo (www.vacuflo.com) were so cool and so easy to use and put away that you would truly give your old vac – even a Dyson – the heave-ho. The Hide-A-Hose stores up to 50 feet of hose in the wall, meaning you never have to see it or fight with it. And, because it is 50-feet long, you can get away with fewer ports around the home. When you’re finished, simply put your hand over the nozzle and it sucks itself back into the wall. The Vroom is great for spot cleaning, like quick spills in the kitchen.
Check out my video for a demonstration.

By Brent Butterworth

Everyone’s heard loud bass, but very few people have ever heard good bass. Good bass reproduction demands that every note in the bass range be reproduced evenly, with no notes emphasized. Fortunately, recent research has shown us for the first time a way to get even bass response in almost any room. The result is the most natural, accurate, and impactful bass reproduction that’s ever been achieved in the home.

Here’s the technical background: At bass frequencies (below about 200 Hz), a room acts as a resonator, much the way an empty Coke bottle does when you blow across the top. With certain notes, the room resonates, amplifying the note so it sticks out. Meanwhile, some other notes may disappear almost entirely.
Fixing this problem isn’t as simple as plugging in a graphic equalizer and adjusting a few knobs. That’s because the way the room affects the bass depends on where you are in the room. Move from one side of the couch to the other, and you’ll probably hear huge differences in the sound of the bass.
Harman International—parent company of numerous professional and consumer audio brands—recently devoted a great deal of research to finding ways to fix the bass problem. The solution they came up with is multiple subwoofers. Using two instead of one gives a big improvement. Using four instead of two gives an even bigger improvement. A Harman engineer gave me a full four-sub demo in my house a couple of years ago, and since then I’ve tried this trick with numerous subwoofers and it always delivers remarkably consistent bass response no matter where on my couch I sit.

Don’t let the thought of four subwoofers scare you. Instead of one big 15- or 18-inch model, you can use four small 10-inch models. And placement is easy: Just put the subs in the corners.

If you’re planning a new home theater or media room, talk with your installer about the merits of multiple subwoofers. If you equate bass with that annoying, boomy sound you hear when a hopped-up Honda Civic passes you, you’re in for a nice surprise.