October 2008 - Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear -

Is replacing a car stereo really that easy?

I was helping a friend get a stereo for his car recently, and he asked a good question: "Is installing a stereo really as easy as we say it is?" We used to say that a lot, and I guess the message stuck. In recent years, Crutchfield has been careful not...

Published Thu, Oct 30 2008 4:30 PM by Deb G

Filed under: car audio, installation, Crutchfield, DIY

Fill 'er up: Autofilling your iPod shuffle

Recently, I found myself getting ready to mow the grass on an unseasonably warm weekend afternoon, and I decided I'd rather listen to music than the drone of a lawnmower engine. (My Klipsch in-ear headphones help tremendously with this kind of thing....

Published Wed, Oct 29 2008 10:15 AM by Jim Ralston

Filed under: Jim Ralston, iPod, iTunes, iPod shuffle

Digital photo frames: the gifts that take you down memory lane

At a get-together the other night, my friends Lisa and Mary Lee told me about cool, personal gifts they’d made using digital photo frames . Lisa and her husband Bob will celebrate their 20 th wedding anniversary next week. She's going to surprise him...

Published Mon, Oct 27 2008 10:37 AM by Chris E

Filed under: Chris E, digital photo frames, digital photo printers, scanners, gift ideas, holiday gift ideas

Video - How to Choose a Blu-ray Player

Now playing at Crutchfield.com is our latest video: "How to Choose a Blu-ray Player ." Two of our A/V editors, Julie and Steve, outline the basics of Blu-ray technology. You find out what features to look for, how to pair your player with your receiver...

Published Tue, Oct 21 2008 2:38 PM by Crutchfield Video

Filed under: Blu-ray, Crutchfield Video

GPS Locators and Wildlife Preservation

We've talked at length about the Zoombak Personal Locator , a GPS system designed to help you track and find your pets. But what if you're dealing with an elephant? In Kenya, communities near wildlife preserves suffer when elephants raid their crops,...

Published Mon, Oct 20 2008 9:34 AM by Gabrielle

Filed under: GPS, Gabrielle Thorndyke, Zoombak, pet management, location devices

Lonely For My Headphones, Part 2: Bose QuietComfort 2

It Can't Come Quickly Enough There's nothing like having your favorite pair of headphones kick the bucket to make you realize just what a difference these devices can make to one's work. Since my beloved Shure earphones died, it's been harder to concentrate...

Published Fri, Oct 17 2008 10:28 AM by Gabrielle

Filed under: Bose, headphones, noise-cancellation, Accessories, GabrielleT

Why are vinyl records making a comeback?

Check the temperature in hell. This sort of thing isn't supposed to happen in the consumer electronics business. An old analog technology appears to be making a big comeback. Sales of vinyl records increased 77 percent in the first half of 2008, compared...

Published Wed, Oct 15 2008 9:48 AM by Jim R

Filed under: turntable, Jim R., vinyl records, LP

Can you hear the differences between car amplifiers?

Amplifiers all sound alike, right? No they don't. Many amps just make your music loud enough to overcome road noise. Other amplifiers handle music more carefully to promote higher fidelity. Small technological differences between brands often make for...

Published Tue, Oct 14 2008 9:30 AM by Buck P

Filed under: car audio, car sound, sound quality, A/B testing, amps, amplifiers

First TVs that meet new ENERGY STAR standard have arrived

Kudos to Toshiba , the first brand Crutchfield stocks to deliver models that meet the new ENERGY STAR rating for TVs . Take a look at the 42RV535U , 42XV545U and 46XV545U . If you read our story about TV power consumption , you learned that the original...

Published Fri, Oct 10 2008 11:03 AM by Jim R

Filed under: TV power consumption, Toshiba, ENERGY STAR

"Fast" zoom lenses pick up where image stabilization leaves off

Let's assume your new DSLR camera came with an image-stabilized kit lens, or offers image stabilization built into the body. So why would you want to consider adding a zoom lens with a fixed f/2.8 maximum aperture ? The answer, like with most questions...

Published Thu, Oct 9 2008 11:35 AM by ZakB

Filed under: DSLR, camera, Zak, zoom, lens, image stabilization

Fresh news on the satellite radio merger

The long-awaited merger between XM and SIRIUS satellite radio has more-or-less been resolved. Both entities are hammering out the final details and fine points, but they have answered the call about programming changes for current and future customers...

Published Tue, Oct 7 2008 1:04 PM by Robert FV

Filed under: XM, satellite radio, Robert FV, Sirius, merger

Kicker and Crutchfield roll out crowd-pleasing Polaris ATV

I recently added an article describing Crutchfield’s new Polaris Ranger ATV to the Customer Car Showroom on our website, and I wanted to tell everyone about it. I really enjoyed this assignment, and not only because it got me out of the office for an...

Published Thu, Oct 2 2008 10:17 AM by Robert FV

Filed under: car audio, car sound, car speakers, Crutchfield Car Showroom, Robert FV, tailgate party, car, Kicker, Polaris, ATV

Denon firmware upgrades now available for select receivers

Here's a news flash for many Denon home theater receiver owners. Denon has just announced a significant firmware upgrade package for their AVR-3808CI and AVR-4308CI receivers. This special upgrade adds some new performance-enhancing features and entertainment...

Published Wed, Oct 1 2008 3:18 PM by DaveB

Filed under: EQ, receiver, DaveB, Denon, downloads

October 2008 - Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear

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