Fast Forward into the Future

THESE ARE exciting times in the audio-visual home entertainment area — that’s for sure. In the past year, consumers have been faced with a vast range of new formats, products and possibilities — all designed to turn the average front room into a virtual entertainment and recreation nirvana.

Products like Digital Compact Cassette (DCC), MiniDisc, and Dolby Pro-Logic Home Cinema are being heavily marketed as the entertainment media of the future. As we enter the brave new world of hi-tech consumer electronics, more and more people are thinking in terms of an overall audio-visual system rather than separating hi-fi and TV-video in the traditional manner.

According to Mark McNamee of Dub-Linn Hi-Fi, there are clear signs of a change in customers approach to home entertainment. “The business used to be concerned mainly with hi-fi enthusiasts,” he says, “but now it’s ordinary people wanting to integrate hi-fi, home cinema, computer terminals etc. We also get a lot of requests to put in multi-room systems. The idea being that the wife could be listening to Gay Byrne on the radio in the kitchen, the husband listening to Beethoven in living room and the kids listening to Guns N’ Roses in the bedroom — all from the same integrated system.”

In pure audio terms, Compact Disc is already well-established as the primary sound carrier and it has virtually wiped out vinyl as the standard recorded music format. Cassette sales remain steady, though there are signs that it has peaked in popularity and the very fact that it doesn’t match the digital sound quality of CD has prompted the hardware manufacturer to bring out a comparable digital recording format.

Not that it’s been an overwhelming success in the marketplace. Digital Audio Tape (DAT) which has existed for over five years remains in the wilderness as far as most consumers are concerned and despite its high quality sound it seems destined to be regarded as a professional rather than a domestic format.

MiniDisc and DCC are more recent alternatives to cassette. Both are recordable digital systems and they are currently being marketed as a high quality replacement for conventional cassettes. Though it’s still early days, neither format has captured the public’s imagination in the same way that Compact Disc did ten years ago.

CD interactive or CD-i is making some inroads in the home entertainment market and looks like becoming the established interactive format. Similar to the already familiar Compact Disc machines, Cd-i players are compatible with all currently available audio CD’s, as well as the new generation of interactive CD’s. The crucial difference is the visual element — the new format can play audio discs with graphics and visuals, CD-i games, educational discs (encyclopedias etc), full motion-picture movies and concerts as well as Kodak Photo-CD’s.

But probably the most exciting and potentially lucrative development in the whole area of home entertainment and one which combines audio and visual in a unique fashion is Home-Cinema.

What is Home Cinema?

On the face of it, the words “home” and “cinema” would seem to be a contradiction in terms. After all, most people go to the cinema to enjoy a night out, as well as to indulge in the pleasant pastime of watching a film —whether it be the latest Hollywood blockbuster or an obscure Eastern European art-house movie. This desire for a shared communal audio-visual experience will probably always exist and the fact remains that cinema-audiences figures have been growing in recent years, despite the competition from TV and other sophisticated forms of home entertainment.

Ask anyone why they prefer seeing a movie in a cinema rather than watching it on the box at home and they will probably point to the dramatic visual impact of the big-screen. “It just isn’t the same on TV,” they’ll tell you. This may well be true but, as the old adage goes, size isn’t everything and if you’re at the back of the cinema the big screen isn’t much bigger than it would appear if you were at home a few feet from a decent-sized TV set.

The next time you’re at the flicks, hold your fist up an inch or two away from your face and the chances are the screen will be obliterated. Do the same at home a few feet from your TV and the same thing will happen — the actual size of the screen depends as much on your distance from it as the physical size of the screen itself.

The real benefit and impact of a movie in a cinema is in the three-dimensional sound that is experienced. It seems louder, fuller, more realistic and has the effect of making the audience very much a part of the action. This is the cornerstone of the development of the home cinema experience.

Most standard television sets have relatively tiny speakers, often built into the rear of the unit. The results are, not surprisingly, barely adequate — fine for watching the evening news, but hi-fi it ain’t! Anything with a bit of oomph soundwise tends to rattle the whole TV cabinet or distort the sonic impact into a noisy melange.

The fact is, however, that TV broadcast sound quality has improved dramatically in recent years and Nicam Digital stereo broadcasts are becoming more the norm. It is also true that the vast majority of households already have at their disposal a method of dramatically improving the sound from their TV or video. A basic, simple home-cinema effect can be achieved by linking your TV and stereo system together.

If there is a scairt socket at the back of your TV, simply connect it to the auxiliary or video output on your amplifier. Obviously this won’t give authentic surround-sound or even true stereo (unless you have a NICAM TV or Video) but the results are a huge improvement on the sound from the TV speaker.

To enjoy the benefits of true home cinema requires three basic elements. Firstly, you’ll need a Dolby Pro-Logic surround-sound amplifier or receiver, or alternatively, an add-on processor to convert your two-channel stereo amplifier into a full five-channel unit. Dolby Pro-logic is the home version of the industry standard Dolby Surround system which is installed in commercial cinemas.

The receiver takes a stereo broadcast (or sound from a video) and splits it into five separate channels: a centre channel for dialogue, two front channels for the stereo effect and two rear channels for special effects to complete the full dynamic three-dimensional effect. It’s important to point out that the effect is equally available from videotapes, laser-discs, CD-i video-discs or stereo TV broadcasts. Whatever source you choose (and most people will have several), once it’s in stereo it should be capable of being converted into a surround-sound signal .

THERE'S NO GOING BACK

There is, in fact, a higher option than Dolby Pro-Logic available. Known as THX it has been developed by Lucasfilm — the people that brought us Star Wars and Indiana Jones. In reality THX is the Egon Ronay or Michelin guide to home-cinema and manufacturers are invited to submit their systems to Lucasfilm for licensing, provided it meets certain performance standards. THX does add extra processing embellishments to the Dolby system and Lucasfilm claim that their system contributes to a more realistic sonic ambience in a home-cinema set-up. Opinion is divided on which is better system but both are capable of stunning sound quality.

The speaker configuration in a home cinema system is a crucial element in achieving the surround-sound effect. Most systems have five speakers: a centre channel speaker placed above or below the screen, two stereo speakers at each side of the screen and two rear speakers ideally placed in the left and right hand corners behind the viewer. A sub-woofer may be added to the system to give extra bass-response, should it be needed.

In theory, you could use a standard-size TV set in a home-cinema system but in order to get the full cinematic effect, a 28-inch screen or larger is recommended. The important thing is that it has a sharp, well defined picture to achieve the highest resolution possible. Unfortunately high definition TV known as HDTV is still at the testing stage and has not been made available to the consumer. Hundreds of films and TV shows have already been filmed in a HDTV format and even The Rolling Stones have recorded a live concert in HDTV in anticipation of its eventual arrival. When it is finally launched it will be the cherry on the cake of audio-visual advancement.

The results possible on a home-cinema set-up are stunning. Those fighter planes taking off from the deck of the aircraft-carrier on Top Gun sound like they’re in your back garden. Rock concerts in surround-sound are even better — it’s like being in the front row. And even the roar of the crowd at a football match is comparable to being on the terraces rather than sitting at home watching from a distance. Once you’ve experienced surround sound, you’ll find it difficult to sit in front of a 14-inch TV set again.

So that’s the technology covered. But what will all this impressive hardware set you back? Surprisingly it’s not as expensive as you might think. A Dolby Pro-Logic receiver can be had for around £400, and a set of surround-sound speakers for about £200. A 28-inch TV set will cost £400 and a Nicam Video-recorder around the same. That’s about £1,400 or £1,500 in total.

If that sounds like a lot to pay for the privilege of avoiding a cinema queue, remember that you will probably already own a TV, a video and a stereo system anyway and the Pro-Logic receiver and speaker system can be used in conjunction with a CD player or cassette deck, effectively combining to produce a complete home-entertainment audio-visual system.

There could indeed be exciting times ahead.

IT'S BEEN a difficult year for the distributors of TV, hi-fi and video equipment in Ireland. The reasons are clear. McKenna's, one of the country's biggest retail chains had been in trouble for some time. When they finally went to the wall, it hurt all of the major suppliers.

“We knew it was coming but it still hit us like a sledgehammer,” one senior industry source who refused to be named commented. “It isn't just that we were exposed to direct financial losses. Of even greater importance is the way that it vests such a level of market dominance in Power City. They're crucifying us on margins but we have to play ball because they've got about 50% of the Dublin market now. It's been a tough year and it could get tougher.”

In contrast to the gloom being peddled by others in the industry, Mervyn Groves of Sanyo remains up-beat. “Of course the loss of McKenna's makes life a bit more difficult,” he says, “because they did good business and sold a lot of product. But we weren't over-exposed. What we have to do now is make the most of the changed situation.”

In this, Sanyo have been helped by the breakthrough in advanced video technology which the company achieved with the Digital View Scan. The DVS enables the user to fast forward, scan, cue and review a tape while maintaining clear, normal sound. It does this by playing sections – or bursts – of the accompanying soundtrack at normal speed, which means in effect that the user can literally watch, understand and enjoy a recording in half the time.

“It really is a superb facility,” Mervyn Groves comments. “It has just been voted Innovation of the Year in the UK by Video Camera magazine, which is a highly appropriate endorsement. It's one of the things that gives us confidence because we have excellent product at very competitive prices. I think the period between now and Christmas could be very good.”

The Digital View Scan machine also features Nicam stereo sound, making it very competitive on the higher end of the domestic market at £569. The VHR 874 Video with Digital Viewscan is part of the Sanyo Unique Collection, which also includes two new midi CD systems, the highly desirable system 994 coming with 24 CD multi-changer and Dolby Pro-Logic, making it potentially the cornerstone of an excellent total home entertainment system.

It's the way of the future.

Battle Stations

Sony's Minidisc and Philips Digital Compact Cassette are locked in mortal combat. Only one can become the primary digital home-recording format of the future.

Sony’s cute, diminutive MiniDisc player and Philip’s Digital Compact Cassette machine (DCC) are, right now, competing directly with each other and both companies are locked in a marketing struggle to establish their respective technologies as the digital recording format of the future. While it’s still far too early to ascertain which of these incompatible systems will win out, there are some indications as to how they are being perceived by the understandably confused, consumer.

With MiniDisc, Sony seem to be aiming at a younger, more mobile customer and the players are being marketed as a digital alternative to the Walkman. DCC machines, on the other hand, are seen as complementing an existing home hi-fi system and are being suggested as a direct replacement for the cassette deck (although there are portable DCC machines available).

Worrying for both Sony and Philips is the decidedly lukewarm response each format has received from the hi-fi press and the virtually unanimous conclusion from the audiophile experts that neither matches the absolute sonic performance of standard Compact Discs. So it looks like they will sink or swim on their perceived convenience and recording capabilities, rather than their inherent sound quality. One thing is certain though, Sony and Philips will have a tough battle to establish them as mass-market audio items.

In some ways it’s a little unfair to pitch these two quite distinct audio-formats against each other. While they might share many common features, such as high resolution digital-sound and the ability to record, they are based on entirely different technologies which were developed independently of one another.

What most people would question is this: why are these two giant electronics corporations competing with each other with different formats? It would seem to make eminent sense for them to be working together to provide a worldwide industry-standard digital recording format as they had done with CD, which was jointly developed by Philips and Sony.

Incompatible systems which perform the same function have a sorry history and usually one of them goes to the wall (and not necessarily the technically inferior format). It happened with video in the late seventies. Betamex and VHS battled it out for a number of years with the latter format winning out in the end, even though it was widely acknowledged that Betamex was better in many respects and continues to be used professionally.

SEARCHING FOR THE DIGITAL SOLUTION

The nightmare scenario for Sony and Philips is that both formats might fail — as happened with quadraphonic record systems in the early seventies. Given the financial and marketing resources behind both MiniDisc and DCC this is unlikely. What is more probable is that they will become regionally popular at first, rather than gain worldwide dominance. Mini-Disc, for example, is said to be selling well in the Far-East.

DCC, on the face of it, would appear to have the best chance of acceptability. Apart from the digital sound and recording capabilities, the format is what is known as “backwards compatible”. In DCC’s case this means that ordinary conventional cassettes can be used on the players as well as the digital tapes. This would seem to be a strong selling point for those who already have a large collection of cassettes, which would otherwise be rendered obsolete if that format were to be abandoned in favour of DCC.

In order to understand the background to these two digital recording formats it’s necessary to backtrack a little. Before the advent of Compact Disc, the typical home-audio set-up would have consisted of a record turntable, cassette deck and tuner, along with an amplifier and speakers. The cassette deck complemented the record player in that it was used to record directly from the vinyl source or from a radio broadcast.

Typically, compilation tapes were made from record collections or extra tapes were made for the car or walkman. Cassettes were still considered very much in the second division when it came to sound quality. They may have been more convenient and indeed compact but in reality they never matched the sonic quality of vinyl.

When CD arrived on the scene, offering a massive leap in audio quality, there was no equivalent home-recording format which would allow the user the same facility, while maintaining sound quality. The only option was to continue using cassettes to record CD’s and suffer the loss in sound performance. Ever since CD was mooted as a mass-market sound carrier, the major hardware manufactures have seen it as a priority to produce a recordable medium to match the digital quality of Compact Disc and which would partner it in the same way that cassettes existed alongside records.

Early on in the game they came up with what looked like the perfect solution. Digital Audio Tape, or DAT as it has become known, seemed to fulfil all the requirements and needs of the consumer. The sound was exceptional and the small videotape-style cassettes, at half the size of ordinary cassettes offered up to four hours of continuous digital recording capability.

DAT also offered the facility to insert digital “subcodes” during recording to enable fast-access to, and programming of, individual tracks when played back — just like CD’s. Furthermore, because the tapes were so compact, they were ideal for use in a portable format like the walkman. So everything looked rosy, and digital recording had arrived. Alas, not so.

STILL THE BATTLE RAGES

Unfortunately for the manufacturers and consumers, DAT ran into all sorts of problems right from the start — with most of these hassles having nothing to do with the actual medium itself. Firstly, the software manufacturers —otherwise known as major record companies — suddenly awoke to the fact that perfect copies or clones could be made by taping CD’s onto digital audio tape, thus depriving them of revenue.

They certainly wanted nothing to do with DAT and refused to support it by making pre-recorded DAT titles available. They insisted on having copy-inhibiting circuitry built into the DAT machines which prevented the copying of CD’s, a move which of course lessened the attractiveness of DAT in the eyes of the consumer. After several delays and false starts, DAT was finally launched on the UK market in 1990 — coinciding with one of the worst recessions in consumer spending in thirty-years. At £500 DAT machines were expensive, though ironically CD players were even dearer when first launched. They never achieved the kind of mass market acceptance which would push prices down over the long term.

There was another problem with DAT which may have held it back and that was the high-production costs associated with the type of rotating recording and playback head. It was costly to manufacture and would remain so, consigning DAT to the ranks of the professional and top of the range audiophile fanatic.

Whatever about it’s stormy history there is no doubt that DAT is here to stay. It’s used widely in recording and broadcasting studios and it’s suitability as a portable unit means that journalists (and bootleggers!) favour it over the professional Walkman players which had dominated previously. Domestic use would seem to be restricted to those who want the very best digital recording possible and are prepared to pay for it. The DAT tapes themselves are still quite pricey (around £10 for a two-hour tape), so it’s unlikely ever to have mass appeal.

This gap in the digital recording market is what Sony and Philips are trying so desperately to fill right now. So far neither has made the breakthrough — just ask anyone you meet what they know about MiniDisc or DCC and the chances are you will be met with blank stares. Software remains a problem too. Pre-recorded Mini-Discs and DCC tapes are thin on the ground in most record shops, unless your tastes run to the big-selling artists like Sting or Bryan Adams.

There’s still everything to play for, Brian.

Hi-Fi File

• Audio-Tek at 184 Rathmines Road, Dublin 6, have built-up an enviable reputation as expert retailers of high-quality hi-fi separates over the years. Specialising in high-end American brands like Carver as well as popular Japanese lines like Pioneer and Technics, Audio-Tek also offer a range of top quality home-cinema equipment.

Among the new products at Audio-Tek is the Harmon Kardon Festival 300, voted European Compact System of the Year 1994-1995. Combining a CD player, cassette deck, tuner, and amplifier in a single package, the Festival 300 was commended for it’s ease of use, innovative design and excellent sound quality. With a remote control to operate all functions including volume, power, pause, reverse, program, play and random track selection, it also features a layered display function designed to simplify the operation of the system. The Harmon Kardon Festival system represents a new breed of intelligent music systems with new standards of style and utility.

Also available at Audio-Tek is the recently launched JBL “Sound Effects” range of flexible modular loudspeaker systems. These compact systems are designed with performance, style, and ease of installation in mind and the range has recently won an industrial design excellence award.

The Sound Effects range includes speakers designed for either hi-fi or home-cinema use, or a combination of the two. The speaker system features JBL’s unique titanium dome tweeters and each package is made up of various stylish subwoofer, satellite, and surround-sound speakers, designed to be room-friendly. Incidentally, the Sound Effects systems come complete with high quality wire, fixings, and comprehensive instructions and there are a wide range of design and installation options.

Audio-Tek also stock a full range of audiophile accessories such as speaker stands speaker cables and interconnects in what is already one of Ireland's outstanding hi-fi and home entertainment outlets. If you want quality, check it out.

• One of the best ways of improving the sonic performance of an existing hi-fi system, without breaking the bank, is to invest in good quality speaker and interconnect cables. Very often, the standard leads supplied by the hi-fi manufacturers are not of a very high quality and can inhibit the potential of even budget-priced audio systems. A relatively small investment can yield impressive results and bring out the maximum performance your hi-fi system is capable of. Improved bass response, more detailed mid-range and brighter treble are just some of the improvements normally achieved by utilising superior quality cables and interconnects.

The Chord Company have over ten years experience in producing high-quality speaker cable and interconnects and their range is now available in Ireland. One of the most popular Chord Company products is the Flatline speaker cable which is the result of research and development conducted by NASA for space rockets! Less than a millimetre thick and made from oxygen-free copper strands, Flatline cable can be folded around corners, concealed under carpets and even hidden under wallpaper!

Interconnect cables are the short leads that link your amplifier to your CD player or tuner and an investment in higher quality cables and plugs can make a significant difference to the overall sound of a hi-fi system. The Chord Company’s celebrated Cobra interconnect has just been awarded What Hi-fi magazine’s Best Interconnect Award for 1994. The judges said it was “An excellent all-round performer and great at taming bright sounding CD players without losing rhythm or drive”. Praise indeed, if it were needed.

• Chord products are distributed in Ireland by Cloney Audio, 55 Main St, Blackrock Co. Dublin. Tel: 01 2889449.

• Maxell, who have long been a household name in the whole area of cassette and video tape production have just launched a new range of audio cassettes — UD1 CD and UD2 CD. UD1 is a normal position super-ferric tape and UD2 is a budget-priced chrome tape. With improved features such as energy efficient anti-resonant cassette shells and dual damping slip-sheets, they offer an improved sound and reliability as well as a better dynamic range. “What these features basically mean,” says Neil Colin of Addex, main distributors of Maxell products in Ireland, “is that the tape runs easier in the shell and there is less chance of it snagging or having a resistance-causing distortion in sound quality.”

One of the more useful features of this new range of tapes is the fact that it comes in a 74 minute length designed to cater for those who wish to tape from a CD (maximum CD length is about 74 minutes)

For their basic range of tapes known as the UR range, Maxell’s have revived the famous “man in the chair” icon and the tapes now feature that long-running logo which was designed originally to represent the power of the tapes.

On the digital side, Maxell have launched a three-hour DAT tape as well as a blank Digital Compact Cassette and recordable MiniDisc. DCC tapes are priced at £9.99 for a single C90 and MiniDiscs are £12.99 for a sixty-minute disc. A 90-minute DAT tape retails at £9.99.

Video tapes are a huge market for Maxell particularly in the high quality tapes designed for stereo-recording. For the winter season, Maxell are offering a four-pack of E180 video-tapes, plus a tape-head cleaner for just £9.99 – excellent value by any standards.

Finally, Maxell have launched a “green” video-cassette with a shell manufactured from recycled plastic cups! “It’s enjoying good sales, particularly in urban areas,” says Neil Colin. “So there is obviously an interest in audio products which are also environmentally-friendly.”

• Hi-Fi Corner, located beside the Virgin Megastore at Aston Quay in Dublin offers a complete hi-fi and home entertainment service to the discerning customer. Whatever your needs, be it a CD-based separates system or a complete package combing all audio formats, Hi-Fi Corner have a wide range of top-rated and award-winning products in stock.

And if it’s Dolby Pro-Logic home cinema that you’re interested in, then Hi-Fi Corner can demonstrate the various systems in their professional listening room and advise on a system to suit your particular needs and budget.

There is growing interest in the new recordable digital formats — DCC and MiniDisc. At Hi-Fi Corner you can hear both systems and decide for yourself where the future lies.

• Lyric Hi-Fi in Belfast caters for the hi-fi enthusiast who demands that little bit extra in terms of sound quality and product design. Some of their most popular lines are the big British names like Linn, Arcam, Naim — all products with first-class sound quality and reputations which have been established over the years. Lyric Hi-Fi also specialise in Home Cinema but as David McLean of Lyric points out, they take a slightly different approach to other retailers.

“A lot of our customers would already have a good quality audio system, so rather than encourage them to buy a pro-logic receiver, we would tend to offer a remote control surround-sound processor, which would connect to their existing amp. This means that you don’t have to sacrifice any audio quality to achieve full cinema-sound.”

Another area in which Lyric Hi-Fi are heavily involved, is in multi-room systems. “When people are building a house they are actually wiring it for multi-room sound systems,” says McLean. “Even if they don’t have it installed immediately they also have the option of putting it in a later date. We’ve recently fitted out a house with eight rooms at a cost of around £25,000, so there are people who are prepared to pay for an integrated home system.”

Sharp-dressed Hi-Fi

Audio products are, by their very nature, subject to the vagaries of fashion and style and many an otherwise worthy product has failed, simply because it didn’t look the part. Sharp have always been on the case in this regard, putting a high premium on the appearance of their range of audio and hi-fi products. Whether personal, portable, micro, midi or mini hi-fi, Sharp systems are noted for their stylish good looks, host of excellent features and value for money. Reliability of the product is second to none and they have always prided themselves on quality and durability.

According to Vincent Byrne of Dimpco Ltd, who distribute Sharp products in Ireland, the current generation of Sharp systems seems to be even more popular with the Irish consumer this year. “They seem to have struck a chord with the public,” he says. “This season there is an increased interest in audio and a swing away from computer games systems which dominated for the past few years.”

Sharp have six mini-systems to choose from, ranging in price from £199 to £499 — all with CD and all with remote control and twin tape deck. All Sharp systems incorporate twin-drive speakers which are essentially turbo-charged to give extra power and even Sharps’s mini-system has an amplifier which drives two 50 watt speakers. Sharp also have a range of TV’s and videos with a Nicam stereo model coming out shortly.