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Denon DVD-2500BTCI Blu-ray Player – Benchmark

Adrian Wittenberg

The DVD-2500BTCI is one of several Blu-ray players that Denon is offering in their current lineup.  Unlike the  DVD -3800BDCI which features a Realta HQV video processing solution and internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio, the DVD-2500BTCI is billed as a digital-only transport that offers playback of BD discs as well as output of  the audio signals on the disc in raw bitstream format using its HDMI 1.3a compliant connection.

DVD Players

Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote

Sandy Bird

Harmony has been building universal remotes for a number of years now.  Honestly a couple of years ago, with the release of the 880, Harmony converted me from years of using Phillips Pronto remotes.  The Harmony remotes were simply easier to program and faster to change when a new component was introduced or swapped.

Video Accessories Misc

Sony PMW-EX1 Prosumer 1080p High Definition Video Camera

John E. Johnson, Jr.

The Sony PMW-EX1 is a Prosumer HD video camera that is quite affordable ($7,499) when you take into account that it will record 1080p30. That's right. Remember how we have all been talking about the day when HDTV programs might begin broadcasting in 1080p instead of 1080i? Well, if it isn't actually part of program broadcasting yet, you can have it for all your home videos. Those birthday parties, daughter's wedding, trip to Europe . . . . you can record them in 1080p30 with a camera that is reasonably portable (it comes with its own small suitcase).

No, it's not one of the pocket sized HD cameras, but you can carry it around without too much difficulty. And, as you will see, the image quality is vastly superior to any consumer HD camera of the past. It's studio quality, affordable to the aficionado.

Video Accessories Misc

Lumagen Radiance XD Video Processor

Ofer Laor

My long romance with Lumagen processors started quite a few years ago when image processing was still considered something so uniquely bizarre, the only place you could actually read about it was on Internet forums. I was a frequent forum visitor, and after a lot of reading I ended up with the first generation of Lumagen processors. In this review, Secrets takes a look at their latest iteration, the Radiance. It's expensive, but what a picture!

Video Processors

Panasonic 65PY700 65″ 1080p Plasma HDTV

Ofer Laor

A typical display will go quite easily into my house. When I call up the local importer, they are usually quite inclined to lend me their displays. The 65PY700 was no exception, but it did require quite a bit of work to verify that it would fit into my test lab area. The hallway and staircase leading up to the second floor are quite tight, and I've never actually tried a display larger than 55" in height . . .

HDTV

DViCO TViX HD M6500A Media Streamer

Ofer LaOr

I found both video and audio quality of the TViX M6500A to be exceptional, and over the last few months, some of the firmware updates have already made this unit significantly more stable and better than its previous versions. Given that DViCO has been quite adamant in providing support for existing products and continually improving them, I have no doubt they will succeed in turning this unit into an ever more powerful item over the upcoming months.

Media Servers

Revel Ultima2 – Studio2, Voice2, and Gem2 Speakers

Sumit Chawla, Ph.D.
Several months have elapsed since I've had this system, and during that time this loudspeaker ensemble has provided me with a truly exceptional experience.  In looking back at the review, I see that I have used nothing but superlatives to describe their sound.  This system is very well-rounded across the frequency range.  The timbre is both accurate and well-matched within the family.
Surround Sound Speaker Systems

Audioengine AW1 Wireless Music Transmitter/Receiver

Piero Gabucci

So there you have it – how I solved my yearly summer outdoors music problem with a terrific economical device from Audioengine, the AW1. I hate to sound like an advertisement, but order one, give it a try, and send it back if you don't agree with me that it's a flexible, high quality, and very useful product.

Wireless

JL Audio Fathom f113 Subwoofer

John E. Johnson, Jr.

With no reservation, and by every standard, this is a world class subwoofer. It has massive output, low distortion, and all from a mid-sized enclosure. The price might put some consumers off, but I never heard anyone complain about investing money in a good subwoofer. Save your pennies, and do it.

Subwoofers

Toshiba Regza 46RV53OU 46″ 1080p LCD HDTV

Ofer LaOr

If an HDTV like this had been available three years ago, it would have been spectacular. However, this is mid-2008, and there are lots of excellent 1080p units out there. In short, although the contrast ratio on the Toshiba 46RV53OU was exceptional, the overall performance was disappointing.

HDTV