This big screen
Thanks to home cinema, a personalized programme, whenever you like !
The Seventh Art can now be enjoyed every day and in the comfort of your home. Thanks to home cinema, a personalized programme, whenever you like !
And you don’t need to own an apartment of 250 sq. metres before thinking about installing a home cinema system. In fact, there’s not even any point in devoting an entire room to it. Though one day, of course, that would be quite nice… As a general rule, for a screen 70 x 120 cm (ie. a plasma screen), you need to be seated approximately three metres away. As for the room’s width, the greater it is, the further apart you can set the loudspeakers in order to enjoy the surround effect. In other words, your home cinema will be ideal in a room of twenty sq. metres but perfectly adequate in a corner of the lounge.
High-tech equipment
What does home cinema actually comprise ? For the image, a screen ; for the sound, five or six surround units and a bass speaker. The latter can be placed wherever you please (behind the sofa, beneath the other units…) as the vibrations it emits pose no problem for the ear. But first the screen : you can choose between plasma and a video-projector. The one proposed by Nec, the “HT410/510”, ensures that silence is golden (from 700 to 905 €). No more purring noises so incompatible with watching a film. And as well as its accoustic performance, it ensures incomparable image quality (an additional yellow segment serves to heighten the intensity of the colours and give more vivid yellows). The latest offering from Hitachi is the “Cine Master PJ-TX 200” (1,990 €) which provides image resolution up to four times better than standard image technology. Among its many attributes, a little bonus : a luminous remote control, very practical in the dark. Worth knowing : its predecessor, the “PJ-TX100” costs 1,799 €. If you opt for a plasma screen, you’ll be faced with a very wide choice. Again from Hitachi, the new “6600” series offers a 42-inch plasma model (“42 PD6600”) and the 37-inch LCD (“37LD6600”), priced respectively at 2,490 and 2,190 €. Loewe’s “Xelos” range is flat, versatile and digital (from 1,190 to 4,490 €). But maybe you’d like to hang your screen on the wall ? Thomson has done it for you. The “50 DSZ 644” and “61 DSZ 644” models are less than 18 centimetres deep and give a “cinema-style” sound without wires or extra speakers (3,499 and 3,999 € respectively). Still in the “pure lines” category, Sony’s “S” and “V” series propose top-notch design and state-of-the-art technology. The “S” series offers five new models with very wide-angle vision (from 900 to 2,900 €) ; the “V” series boasts models with perfect sound (thanks to Virtual Dolby Surround technology, which reproduces wrap-around sound effects by virtually recreating the presence of back speakers : 1,800 to 2,400 €). This brand’s star product is called “Qualia 005” : a 46-inch LCD television which benefits from Triluminos technology, the first LED back-lighting system on the market. It reproduces colours and depth close to those perceptible to the naked eye. Only available in December, “Qualia 005” will cost about 15,800 €.
All-in-one systems
According to B&O : “Outstanding sound is already half of visual enjoyment”. With “BeoVision 7”, the television which provides a comprehensive home cinema solution (81-centimetre LCD screen, built-in DVD player and digital surround sound module, plus stereo speaker system), B&O guarantees a very high level of technology and tasteful design, here entrusted to David Lewis (8,000 €). At LG, design is also a predominant factor. And this year, it’s been applied to three new models. The “LH-SW5200”, equipped with a wireless digital transmission system (499 €), the “LH-CX247”, a DVD/video recorder combo (for a direct copy of the DVD on the video recorder, 299 €) and the “LH-T6345”, possibily the best value for money (179 €). Very much in the swing of things as regards design, JVC’s “TH-S66E” with its column-type surround speakers is a home cinema system compatible with Divx, MP3 and WMA (599 €). In a completely different vein (but also ensuring high performance), Thomson’s “DPL 912 VD” flaunts its square shape (179 €). The “nec plus ultra”, however, comes from B&O and bears a very explicit name : “BeoLiving”. It enables you to add all B&O products to a wide array of electrical home equipment such as lighting, curtains… and enjoy a total home cinema experience live. This made-to-measure concept is directly related to smart home technology.
Carnet : Bang et Olufsen, 116 rue d’Antibes, Cannes (04 93 38 83 83) et 3030 chemin de Saint-Bernard, Vallauris (04 93 65 30 40). Bose, 30 boulevard de Lorraine, Cannes (04 97 06 50 50), 60 rue Gioffredo, Nice (04 93 85 46 54) et 3030 chemin de St-Bernard, Vallauris (04 93 65 30 40). Elonex, www.elonex.fr Hitachi digital media, N° : 0 810 00 01 27 et sur www.hitachidigitalmedia.com JVC, www.jvc.fr LG, 0 825 825 592. Loewe, www.loewe-fr.com Nec, www.nec.fr sony, www.sony.fr Thomson, www.thomson.fr
By Cécile Olivero - photos : press
