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More from Terry Paullin

Events & Tradeshows

One Installer's Opinion: The Perfect Storm

By Terry Paullin • Feb 9 2013, 4:00am

Ahh ... C.E.S. (Consumer Electronics Show) - That immutable bastion of ultra-hype for what's happening sometime next year - maybe .... set in the perfect confluence of fantasy, caprice and wishful thinking ... Las Vegas.

As I stood in the Central Hall of the L.V. Convention Center, I found myself in front of a scene that made me laugh out loud, and was remindful of the ever increasing spin all around us. The displays in front of me had signage that heralded "The future of TV" (4K of course) coming soon (2nd qtr.) - and up and to the left was an even bigger sign from a different manufacturer that informed "8K - The future of TV". We have obsoleted ourselves before we even hit the street. God bless the Marketing Department.

I wish I could put a finger on it, but I can't. It has happened with such regularity that it can't be coincidence. Every time the next new thing comes along...

General Interest

One Installer's Opinion: Times, They are a Changin' - Part Deux

By Terry Paullin • Feb 5 2013, 3:20pm

Some time ago, maybe three or four years back, I penned the first of the above titled reviews - something about "digital is in/analog is out", I think. To no one's surprise, things continue to change in our amusing little A/V world and in my opinion (see Column Title) at an ever increasing rate. Here's an update, as I see it...

General Interest

One Installer's Opinion: What?! ... Better than Home Theater?

By Terry Paullin • Feb 4 2013, 3:15pm

From time-to-time most of us get confronted with an allegation from this direction or that, from one manufacturer or another proclaiming "This changes everything ..." or "Sets a new standard for ..." or "An experience like never before ..." - each hoping to keep our attention just long enough to finish the paragraph. Lucky me, as a journalist, I get piles of press releases, even from companies who can't spell Home Theatre (... that IS how you spell Home Theatre, isn't it?) claiming this uber status for their latest and greatest. Most can be quickly discounted as someone trying to reinvent the wheel and call it "visionary". The thought that a few of these might actually be something new under the sun can similarly be dispelled with a Google search or two.

But on that odd, rare occasion, the real deal comes along. This month's column is about one such game changer...

High-End Audio

One Installer's Opinion: Subtraction as a Means of Addition

By Terry Paullin • Jan 28 2013, 3:08pm

No, I haven't invented yet another "New Math". I think there are many examples in life where Less is More. This time I'm talking about one relatively new case that's close to our home (theatre) - or, at least half of our home, the audio half.

I was thinking lately about how Audio has been getting a short shrift in recent H.T. print. A scan of contemporary periodicals dedicated to Home Theatre reveals more inch/columns aimed at; "4K", "streaming video", "edge lit", Big Screen", "black levels", "2.35 aspect ratio" ...... all video fair.

So why the Aural snub?

General Interest

One Installer's Opinion: Searching for the Truth...

By Terry Paullin • Jan 24 2013, 3:33pm

It's that time of year again when H.T. pundits, ivory tower consultants and I-got-nothin'-better-to-do bloggers put pen to paper - O.K., fingers to keyboards and make all kinds of predictions, forecasts and wild speculations based on the last "customer survey" they saw regarding the future of Home Theatre.

I wish just once I could hear...