$3.4 Million In-house Cinema Wins HE's Installation of the Year Award

A house in Austin, Texas has just been awarded with Home Entertainment's "Installation of the Year" accolade, and we have no reason to disagree with the judgment. Check out the tantalizing gallery below: More »

Runco Weatherproof Plasma Is For Rich People Who Like Pina Coladas...

...and getting caught in the rain. The $9,000 Runco Climate Portfolio WP-42HD outdoor plasma is built to withstand "adverse environmental conditions including temperature, exposure to moisture, dust, oils and intermittent direct water spray." It has a sealed aluminum housing and internal ventilation, along with jacks that adhere to international weatherproof standards. It even has optimized circuitry to operate at temperatures as low as -4°F, for that ski-lodge hot-tub appeal. Still, at $9K, the 42" TV itself isn't terribly exciting: native resolution of 1366x768 and support for video up to 1080i only, and DVI with HDCP inputs but no HDMI. [Runco/Planar]

Runco XP-65DHD 65-inch Plasma Display Knocks Our Socks Off

One look at this Runco plasma display brings us a little closer to thinking that plasma really isn't dead yet. But you'll pay for this magnificent 65" screen with its 1080p resolution, because this set cost $19,995. More »

Runco Plasmas Rev Up SD Broadcasts to "Near HD"

Runco is known for its high end equipment and its latest legion of plasmas are no exception. Ranging from the 42-inch PlasmaWall SP-42DHD to the 60-inch CinemaWall SP-60, the new displays use Runco's special sauce (aka Vivix II processing) to make standard definition material look like high-def. Those are pretty lofty claims, as few TVs are capable of really making standard def programming jump out. The displays come with the usual A/V inputs including RGB, DVI with HDCP, and component. Resolutions range from 1,024x768 to 1,365x768, so keep looking if you're after 1080p. We'll update with pricing as soon as it comes in. – Louis Ramirez More »

Runco Rules the High-End Projector Stratosphere

If you're looking for the highest-end home theater DLP projectors, Runco is where you go, and the company has now introduced seven 1080p (1920x1080) projectors that will debut next month at CEDIA Expo 2006 (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association). The RS-1100 (pictured here) features Runco's CineWide with AutoScope technology. It has Runco's proprietary SuperOnyx light engine and a selectable lamp intensity control. You can also choose from six different lenses to fit your home theater dimensions. More »