Stories by Scott Bartley

BenQ PE7700

BenQ (pronounced Ben-queue, in case you were afraid to ask) is making a concerted effort to become a hip, cool technology vendor, much like that benchmark for hip and cool technology vendors, Sony. While many of its products tend to fall more in the ...

Panasonic Viera TH-42PV500

LCD televisions have been hogging the limelight recently and it's easy to forget that for all their glory they're only now catching up to the level of image quality that plasma TVs have enjoyed for a while. In that time, plasma manufacturers haven't ...

InFocus ScreenPlay 777

Modern multiplex cinemas may have killed some of the grandeur associated with the movie-going experience (where are the curtains, we ask?) but even the smallest, blandest box of a theatre maintains that most essential element of the cinema's magic --...

Sony STRDA5000ES

With a golden fascia and angular approach, the small Sony STRDA5000ES looks rather smart. A bevy of buttons and knobs are hidden beneath the front panel, leaving only the essentials on top.

Sherwood Newcastle P-965 and A-965

If you're currently shopping for a mid/high-end home theatre system, or are perhaps looking to move onto something more serious after an initial foray into the wonderfully addictive world of home theatre, then the Sherwood Newcastle P-965 and A-965 c...

Pioneer VSX-AX3

The Pioneer VSX-AX3 is a sturdy-looking machine that stands quite tall (188mm) and tips the scales at 18.4kg. It's finished in brushed aluminium, and a minimalist approach is taken to the layout of buttons, the bulk of which are tucked away out of si...

Onkyo TX-SR701

Onkyo's TX-SR701 is one of the lighter receivers we have looked at, but even so it turned out to be quite a talent. Finished in sophisticated gold with matching golden LED display, the TX-SR701 certainly looks the business. It has a well-laid-out con...

Marantz SR-7400

The SR-7400 goes for the buttony look, with a front panel that's emblazoned with knobs galore. They're tidy enough, however, and don't affect the overall good looks of the Marantz one bit. The physical construction of the 15kg SR-7400 appears faultle...

Lexicon RV-8

Before the RV-8, American high-end audio manufacturer Lexicon hadn't done much in the way of home theatre receivers; in fact, it had done nothing at all. So the release of the RV-8 seven-channel receiver marks something of a milestone for the company...

ProjectionDesign Action! model one mk II

The price tag of $10,000+ isn't chicken feed, but when you consider that this is the follow-up to a five-star unit that used to retail for a breathtaking $19,999, the value of this mk II will surely have the competition scrambling for red pens to sla...

Panasonic PT-AE700E

Panasonic's PT-AE700E LCD projector has more tricks up its sleeve than $3899 should rightly buy. Successor to the highly regarded PT-AE500, the PT-AE700E, is a high-definition (its native resolution is 1280 x 720) projector that has impressed us imme...

InFocus ScreenPlay 5000

The ScreenPlay 5000 home theatre projector from InFocus is unusual in that it uses an LCD projection system instead of the more common and newer DLP technology.

Hitachi PJ-TX100

At just $3999 at the time of writing, the PJ-TX100 offers one of the best price/performance ratios around. And it looks good too. A stylishly sloping fascia gives the projector a modern appearance that should suit just about any lounge room. The desi...

Sherwood Newcastle R-865

This aesthetically stunning unit shows off a clean, visually striking design and a metallic grey finish with a gorgeous blue tinge. Smart-looking front-panel buttons, funky neon-blue LEDs and an exceptionally crisp and clear LCD panel all add to its ...

Top of the shop - projectors

Modern multiplex cinemas may have killed some of the grandeur associated with the movie-going experience but even the smallest, blandest box of a theatre maintains that most essential element of the cinema's magic - the projected image.