New Technology

Sharp corporation has developed a new LCD that allows two users to view different video on the same monitor simultaneously. Using this technology you and your spouse will never have to argue about what to watch. Audio will be an issue though. Sharp claims that one or both of you can use headphones while the other listens through the home theater.

According to Sharp these monitors can be used to:

• LCD multimedia monitor: Display a TV broadcast on the right screen, while displaying an Internet browser screen on the left screen.
• In-vehicle display: Driver's side shows a map display, while the passenger side shows a movie on DVD.
• Professional monitor: Display sales offer information to clients on one side while revealing internal data to sales personnel on the other.
• Advertisement monitor: A passerby who comes from right direction can see advertisement [A], and a passerby who comes from left direction can see advertisement [B]. The LCD enables the simultaneous display of two different advertisements and makes more effective use of LCD placements.

The LCDs go into production in July of this year. The LCDs will cost twice what current LCDs go for now.

Crowson Technology TES 100 (Tactile Effects System)

When buying your home theater system you will see and hear terms like Dolby Digital 5.1 (6.1 or even 7.1). These numbers refer to the number of speakers in the system. The .1 refers to the subwoofer (Podcast 16 has more information about subwoofers). A subwoofer is typically used to handle audio frequencies below 80 Hz, otherwise known as Low Frequency Effects (LFE). Effects are really what the Crowson Technology's TES 100 (Tactile Effects System) is all about.

The TES 100 uses a Linear-Direct-Drive technology to really bring home the Effects that the mixers create on Hollywood sound stages. The "Couch Kit"system consists of a Tactile Transducer that is placed under the back legs of a couch (Crowson also has a "Chair Kit" version of the device that has one transducer) and vibration isolators that are placed under the front legs of the couch/chair. Our testing was performed on the couch version. We used an amplifier specifically designed by Crowson to drive the transducers. The amplifier has operating frequency range down to 1Hz. If you want to use your own amplifier make sure it has a comparable frequency range otherwise some of the effects may be lost.The transducers and amplifier are designed and built in the USA.

The device works exactly as it is advertised. It takes a little trial and error to dial it in. For this version of the amplifier it was a bit of a pain to get up adjust the volume until it was just right. The next version of Crowson's amplifier will have a remote to save you the trip. The reason this is important is because each movie has varying levels of LFE mixed in. In our tests we found that some movies just rocked and rolled too much at a setting that was just fine for another movie. But this not really an issue just lower the gain and you'll be good to go. If a movie has little or no LFE you don't feel anything. You'll want to turn off the amplifier when listening to music, as the vibration may be a distraction. However, when I contacted Crowson about this they sent me the following reply:

[Regarding music playback, actually many of our customers report that they enjoy the added tactile effects for some types of music, although the gain levels may be different than for movies. Since the actuators have an extremely flat frequency response (they are very, very accurate), the bass that you feel should not be distracting, as it is in perfect sync with the audible sound. From techno/drum and bass, to classical pipe-organ concertos, the TES 100 can deliver the resonance that you would experience in a club/concert hall, without needing an overpowering audible subwoofer level.]

What we found amazing is how the device works. We won't go into the physics here, we'll just point you to Crowson's website for that. One of the test movies was an episode of "Band of Brothers". Each effect had a different feel. When a truck drove by you felt a rumbling. If it was a tank the rumbling was stronger and deeper. Bombs felt like they were exploding under you. You really felt what you were watching. Then it was the kid's turn. We put Monster's Inc in for them. Monster's Inc has an interesting THX logo at the beginning. It is a bunch of cows mooing and running through the speakers. The kids just started giggling when the stampede started. When the main character (Sulley) jumps around it feels like a very large person jumping up and down on the second floor of your home. After the movie was over my youngest one asked if we could keep the system. There is something for everybody with this system. Another nice benefit of this system is that in the late evening you can lower the volume of your home theater and still feel the LFE since the transducers do not add sound. It's a great way to keep the spouse and neighbors happy!

A concrete slab foundation home will transfer the effects better than a platform foundation or a second floor. Heavier furniture may absorb some of the effects as well. The next version of Crowson's amplifier will double the power from 85 watts per channel to 150 watts per channel delivering even more power for those instances where more power is desired. The MSRP and release date of this next generation amplifier have not yet been set. We'll go into more detail about our experiences on the podcast so make sure you listen.

The system as tested:

TES 100 Couch Kit $649 (TES 100 Chair Kit version has one transducer and costs $349)

A200 TES Stereo Amplifier $499

For more information contact Crowson Technology at (888) 4-CROWSON, (805) 745-8324 or www.crowsontech.com