There are many flat panel TV mounts available for purchase today. Peerless, a well-known audio/video mounting company, is aiming to change that with their latest line of PerfectMount solutions. Today we’re taking a look at one of the high-end articulating models, but they start at only $74.99.

There are many advantages to mounting your TV on your wall, from being able to adjust the viewing angle, reducing glare by tilting the unit, and for a clean, no-wire look. The PMAXLU articulating model we reviewed sells for $731. The model extends and tilts for adjusting the viewing angle for the best viewing anywhere in your living room.

You can also push your TV flat against the wall to save space when no one is watching. The mount also has an internal cable management system along the sides for routing cables and controlling the sometimes overwhelming clutter.

Had it not been for our 80-pound plasma TV we tested out with this mount, installation probably would have been a lot easier than it already is. The main piece of the wall mount attaches with only four screws and mounts to wood studs, concrete or cinder block. Installation took less than an hour, including removal of the plasma TV stand and adjustment of the TV attachment hardware for our particular model TV.

We imagine that installation could take even less time with a smaller (and lighter) TV. The last touch of the cable management and plastic snap-on covers gave the mount a finished look, and not leaving the piece that attaches to the wall uncovered. It’s hard to go back to a stand-mounted TV once it’s up on a wall mount for adjusting to the best viewing angle in the room. Watching TV at dinner? Swing out the mount towards the dinner table. Entertaining guests? Leave the TV flat against the wall so everyone can see it.

Check out Peerless’ PerfectMount line today at the Peerless website and see which model works best for your situation.

Logitech’s Harmony 1100 is the second touch-screen remote the company has produced, and the first that we’ve been able to get our hands on. Becoming the iPhone of remotes, the remote substitutes the majority of the tactile response of other remotes with simplified touch-based controls.

Previously, we’ve looked at a good number of the Logitech universal remotes including the One, 880, and 890 Pro. With all of these, Logitech includes its stunning device database of over 200,000 devices and 5,000 brands. The 1100 is no different. Setup is as simple as popping in the battery, plugging in, and picking out your home theater setup.

Like the 890 Pro, the 1100 has RF compatibility which means it can control much more than your TV. Have RF-compatible lighting? Blinds? Fireplaces? The 1100 can setup varying environments by controlling all of these. Of course, game consoles, TVs, and other media peripherals are no exception to the extensive database that Logitech maintains.

Beyond setup, the first drawback we found in the remote is that one hand usage of your remote is no more. The sheer width of the remote makes access to the touch-screen impossible without using two hands. The remote does include a few tangible buttons including channel toggle, volume, directional control, power and a few others. These can be used one handed, but if you want to get to the menu of your cable box without fooling with the touch-screen, you might want to consider another remote.

However, beyond this small drawback, the 3.5″ touch-screen is absolutely beautiful. It might not be the most impressive screen ever, but it certainly is the most impressive on a remote. Touch controls are consistently responsive and the default layout of the controls is very easy to use. The large size of the on-screen buttons makes the remote very easy to use, and the interactive help makes the remote very easy to use. In addition, virtually every screen and control can be customized through the included software, making the remote incredibly flexible.

Ultimately, the Harmony 1100 does carry an expensive suggested price tag of $499.99, but if you have an extensive home theater to control, no other remotes come close to the customizability and control that the 1100 offers.

Pros

• Extremely Customizable
• Beautiful Screen
• Incredible Ease of Use

Cons

• Very Expensive
• No One-Hand Usage

Previously, we reviewed the Harmony 890 Pro and Harmony 880 universal remotes from Logitech. Both of these remotes proved great options for universal remotes. However, today we look at the Logitech Harmony One which blows its predecessors out of the water.

The Harmony One replaces up to 15 remotes and has a full-color touch screen that provides quick access to all of your devices with a single touch. All of the buttons on the front of the remote are backlit for easy navigation in the dark; no more fumbling for buttons late at night. The ergonomic design also fits comfortably in your hand and the rechargeable battery lets you forget about buying a 24 pack of AA batteries.

One of the things that Harmony remotes are known for is their simple guided online setup that walks you through the setup of every device. Activities such as “Watch TV” or “Watch a DVD” are instantly recognized for the devices and are setup accordingly. Logitech’s online database of devices supports any hardware you might have or desire with over 200,000 devices and 5,000 brands.

We tested the Harmony One with a variety of devices including our Panasonic AX-200U projector, Comcast cable box, Sony A/V receiver, and our OPPO DV-981HD DVD player. Once unboxed, simply install the software on your PC or Mac, connect the USB cable to the remote and voila. Setup was mostly straightforward, and with a few tweaks to the device settings, everything was working within 45 minutes.

The Harmony One is incredibly easy to use but is somewhat expensive. If you’re looking for a universal remote that is easy to setup, has great compatibility with various devices and has very intuitive features, the Logitech Harmony One is a great choice. It’s available from Amazon today for just under $220.

Pros

• Rechargeable battery.
• Easy setup via Mac or PC.
• Touch screen for easy control.
• Backlit buttons.

Cons

• May be expensive.

Final Verdict
5 out of 5 stars.

Need a quick and simple way to mount your new flat screen TV on your wall? Look no further than the Ergotron WM Low Profile Wall Mount. This wall mount installs in three easy steps and supports TVs up to 61 inches and 175 pounds. It’s extremely thin profile only comes out just over an inch from the wall.

We tested the WM Low Profile Wall Mount using the Vizio VW32L LCD TV we reviewed just a few weeks ago and it installed seamlessly. Pair a super easy installation and a five-year warranty, and you’ve got yourself a great way to mount your new flat screen TV. The Ergotron WM Low Profile Wall Mount is available at Amazon for just under $69 bucks.

Let’s say you only have a single HDMI port on your TV or projector, but you have multiple devices you want hooked up. Instead of unplugging and replugging in different cables you should use an HDMI switcher, and today we’re reviewing a great one from XtremeMac.

This particular switcher offers the ability to output four sources to one display (not all at once, though). Taking design cues from the AppleTV (it is designed for it after all), the switcher measures in at 7.7″ x 7.7″ square and features a brushed metal surface around the edges and a glossy white top, Apple-style. On the front you’ll find a black strip with numbers for each input that light up corresponding to which input you’re on. On the back is a power connector, the output HDMI port, and four input ports. The included remote has buttons for all four inputs, and a power button for turning the switcher off/on.

As a precaution, there are no HDMI cables included, so you’ll have to supply your own. Don’t buy from the retail stores though, they overprice like crazy. Go for the cables from XtremeMac for $19.95 (2ft) each or from Monoprice, which I’ve been using a lot lately. The XtremeMac XtemeHD HDMI Switcher supports resolutions up to 1080p.

I hooked up the following devices to the switcher: a MacBook using an HDMI – DVI cable, a Vudu set-top box, and an Oppo DV-981HD upconverting DVD player. All worked flawlessly with the switcher and switching between inputs took only a few seconds, displaying a “no input” screen for only a second. No loss of video quality could be noticed either.

The XtremeMac HDMI Switcher now takes a permanent spot in my home theater setup and I highly recommend it. It’s available for $99.95 at XtremeMac’s website.

Pros

• Fast switching.
• Supports up to 1080p resolutions.
• Priced reasonably.
• No video degradation whatsoever.

Cons

• None.

Final Verdict
5 out of 5 stars.

The OPPO DV-980H provides a sleek and stylish product perfect for any home theater. If you’re looking for a DVD player for your new LCD, but you aren’t ready to invest in a next generation player, this player is a strong contender in the market for upscaling DVD players.

While HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players are becoming what’s “in” as far as the home theater goes, the price range for players of the next generation of movies are too steep for many average home theater owners. This is where the DV-980H comes into play. At the low price of $169, your existing DVD collection will be “upconverted” to 720p or 1080i/p. Compared with a normal composite and even component DVD players, the OPPO is a clear favorite.

In the box, you receive the player (in a nice mesh protective bag), a slew of cables to connect to any TV, a remote control, and a nice manual to get started with. With the setup being quite self-explanatory, I jumped head first into putting the included batteries into the remote and connecting the DVD player to the wall and my TV.

The remote control included with the player is not the most ergo-dynamic remote you will ever hold, but it definitely gets the job done. A simple layout with large buttons makes the included remote control great for anyone with either large hands or bad eyesight.

One of the nicest things about the DV-980H is that included in the price of the DVD player is a high quality HDMI cable. In our tests, we found the cable to perform just as well as a cable we purchased for upwards of $25. With this cable already being included, we had no need to purchase our own which is always nice, and of course will be nice for you also.

The DV-980H includes support for many format types, including DVD, DVD-audio, and SACD. In addition, photo CDs are displayed in full HD resolution, making for a very nice option for displaying slide shows for the family or just providing something to look at during a party.

One of the strong points of this player is in its audio quality however. The DV-980H provides Dolby Digital 7.1 surround sound. This is perfect for those of you with advanced speaker systems that require the highest sound signal throughput.

Another nice feature of the DV-980H is its support for a USB drive to be attached. In our tests of this feature, we found the lack of codec supports somewhat frustrating, however. While the player claims to support DivX and Xvid media files, it refused to detect our high definition Xvid files, which was very disappointing (now how are we supposed to watch The Office?). Also, WMVs are unsupported if you are looking to play them off of a USB drive. However, our tests with standard XviD and DivX worked well. As a note, in addition to playing video off of a USB drive, the DV-980H will also create a slideshow of your pictures and play your music as well.

Overall, the construction of the DVD player and included equipment is very high and stylish. The setup of the device was very simple, and the overall functionality is great. While not perfect, the OPPO DV-980H provides one of the best options on the market for upscaling DVD players.

Pros

• High quality, stylish black design
• Feature rich, and high quality sound and video output
• Great upscaling of DVDs
• Ability to play media off of DVD drives
• Included HDMI cable

Cons

• File support limited for USB Drives

We give the OPPO DV-980H a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

We’ve been building up our collection of projector reviews here at ConnectReviews, kicking it off with the Panasonic AE-1000U we reviewed last month. Today, we’re taking a look at a lower-priced 720p model from Mitsubishi, the HC1500.

Here’s the lowdown on the specs of this killer budget DLP projector. The images are displayed in 720P resolution at 1600 lumens with a 2500:1 contrast ratio. It operates as low as 25dB to keep from distracting you while watching your favorite Hollywood flick. On the back there is an array of inputs including: HDMI, VGA, Component, composite, and S-Video. The compact projector can display an image up to 275 inches diagonal, or as small as 40 inches diagonal.

In our testing, we used our Comcast high-definition cable box, an Oppo DV-981HD upconverting DVD player, high-definition content stored on a MacBook notebook computer, and the new Vudu box which we’ll be reviewing this month. At first glance, there was a noticeable screen door effect when viewing the image extremely up close, but this should not bother you if you’re sitting far back enough. Besides this, the image had great sharpness, rich color, and a particularly bright image compared to the AE-1000U rated at only 1000 lumens.

There are some quirks to point out though. There is no lens shift except for the extendable feet in the back and front, and the zoom was somewhat limited in our testing setup. In addition, it was hard to get the projector to fit our 80″ wall-mounted screen especially where our testing projectors normally are located. Besides all these, the projector performed exceptionally well in our tests but there is another new projector in town that could knock this one out, the Panansonic AX-200U which we’ll be reviewing in November.

The Mitsubishi HC1500 is available today for a price of just under $870 on Amazon.

Pros

• Bright image.
• Crisp and rich colors.
• Relatively quiet at 25dB.
• Great for consumers on a budget.

Cons

• Noticeable screen door effect up close.
• Only 1 HDMI input.

Final Verdict
4.5 out of 5 stars

Home theaters are becoming more popular as they come closer to mimicking the experience that you get in a real movie theatre. There are now 1080p high definition projectors out in the market that produce excellent images, today, we’re taking a look at the Panasonic AE-1000U.

The Panasonic AE-1000U is a 1080p LCD projector that has “full HD Hollywood quality” according to Panasonic. The AE-1000U can project on to screens as large as 200″ or as small as 40″. You also have a slew of ports: two Component, one composite video, one S-video, and two HDMI ports.

We tested the AE-1000U using a variety of components: Comcast high-definition TV, an Oppo DV-981HD upconverting DVD player, and an Apple MacBook with high-definition content loaded on the hard drive. Colors were vibrant, bright; image quality and black levels were superb as would be expected for a high-end home theater oriented projector. Be aware though, that you need to stay away from a high level of lighting as it will wash out the image. Low to medium lighting is okay.

The projector was also relatively quiet when in use. Overall, the AE-1000U is a great choice for a dedicated home theater room with low mood lighting. It isn’t cheap but it isn’t too expensive compared to other 1080p offerings. The Panasonic AE-1000U is available for $6000.

Pro

• Excellent image quality.
• Good color reproduction.
• Quiet operation.
• Lots of inputs.

Cons

• Shouldn’t be used in rooms with lots of lighting.

Final Verdict
5 out of 5 stars.

Personally, I’ve been looking for a remote to control all the new devices in my home theater. I didn’t have to look any further than the Harmony 890 Pro Universal Remote. Its plethora of features makes up for its minor problems and earns this remote a place in my entertainment center. Read more after the jump.

The 890 Pro is part of Logitech’s flagship line of universal remote controls. This line has always received stellar reviews for their versatility and design. Albeit pricey, if you have a large home theater to control, this remote is a dream come true.

First off, let’s start with setup. When you open the box, you see the remote itself, software, a very vague step-by-step instruction page, a rechargeable battery, USB cord, and charger. Of course, when I started to try to figure out how to put in the battery, I ran into some severe difficulties. It turns out, you have to press down in a specific place while sliding the cover. This wasn’t at all documented. I was surprised to not find a booklet describing the remote’s capabilities, but I suppose it is just a remote.

Next comes the system setup. The software Logitech included with the remote itself wouldn’t sync with my remote. A quick software upgrade fixed this, but I would think the version of software that was bundled with the remote should work fine. After the remote was recognized and ready to receive instructions, it was a breeze to setup. The ability to control multiple rooms is interesting, although most likely unused by many. The nicest part of this remote is that it doesn’t just control devices, but it performs activities. For example, if you wish to play a DVD, you simply press a single button and it turns on the DVD player and TV, and adjusts the TV to the correct input to play the DVD.

In my testing, the device support for the remote is amazing. Logitech claims that it supports 175,000 different devices, and I completely believe this number. I was very glad the remote worked with my Xbox 360 and controlled DVD playback perfectly. It also controls my DVD player and cable box flawlessly (and has a very nice button setup).

In addition to the normal expected media devices, with the remote’s RF capabilities, it can also control lighting as well as fireplaces. These can be controlled as “Scenes” such as full light for normal room usage, very soft light for watching movies, and no light for when the room isn’t in use (or otherwise).

Now for the remote itself. I let some relatives use the remote, and they complained about simply one things. The buttons were too small. I can’t help but agree. While some remotes have distinctly separated rubberized buttons, the 890 Pro has small, plastic, closely-grouped buttons. However, these buttons are backlit, which makes them easier to read in any environment. The menu system of the remote has features that the remotes for the actual devices don’t have (such as one touch aspect ratio control). However, it sometimes feels cumbersome to navigate the menus.

The remote also has an assortment of other features such as, when the remote is in the charger, being able to display a custom slideshow. These pictures are displayed through the brilliant color LCD display, which wakes up when you shake the remote. One small problem that I discovered while using the remote is that on occasion, the remote will have issues while placed in the charger. Random beeping will occur for about 10 seconds, then stop. I have no idea what causes this, but it’s just a small issue I’ve discovered.

Overall, the remote has some small issues, but if you are a home theater fanatic, this remote is definitely for you. The fact that you can control 15 devices with a single remote is really phenomenal. Also, it’s ability to create specific environments for your home theater is a very advanced feature. The control that comes with this remote will easily make this the only remote you need for a while down the road.

Pros

• Amazing device compatibility
• “Activities” and “Scenes” are very useful and interesting features
• Well designed, sturdy remote construction with a beautiful LCD

Cons

• Buttons very small
• Some difficult to navigate menus
• Occasional minor bugs

Final Verdict
4.5 out of 5 stars