Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, November 19, 1993                   TAG: 9311190171
SECTION: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE                    PAGE: HGG-12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By DONNA MUSSELWHITE
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IF IT'S HIGH-TECH, IT'S HOT

Retailers expect home theatre to be one of the biggest sellers again this holiday season. With improvements in the quality of projection TV, more and more people will be adding the audio component and turning even their 30-inch screen TVs into home theater, said Tom Mitchell, electronics manager for Holdren's.

"You can really individualize a system like this for your home," Mitchell said, estimating that consumers could spend anywhere from $1,000 for a 30-inch TV and good basic sound system to $20,000.

Sound Decision offers a high performance five-channel receiver starting at $399, says owner Dwayne Martin, that can work with a customer's existing TV.

"It really changes TV into theater. You can take advantage of the surround sound that's built into lots of movies like Aladdin and the different video games," Martin said.

Multi-room audio - hooking up speakers in several rooms off a single receiver - has also become a popular addition in many homes.

"With infra-red control, you can be in one room and use your remote control to even change channels on the receiver," Mitchell said.

In-wall speakers that are flush with the walls of your home - and that can even be painted or wallpapered to match - are also popular high-tech additions that can be done either in existing homes or during construction. Speakers run anywhere from $200 to $500 per pair, but labor costs vary widely according to the difficulty of the job.

Another high-tech gift for families this year will be CD-ROM drives for personal computers. These increase the interactivity capacity of computers, and with the addition of sound output, add the options of animation and sound to a family's personal computer.

"For example, if your child needs to research a speech of JFK's, you can access your research material from a CD, and not only bring up the written speech, but also hear the delivery of the speech and see a video of him," Mitchell explained.

A CD-ROM can be added to most IBM-compatible computers for as little as $300, Mitchell said. Speakers, soundboard and software run anywhere from $500 to $700. Even if you need to purchase the computer, Mitchell estimates you could purchase the entire system for as little as $1,300.

Gordon Ewald says he believes the interactive system Ewald-Clark is offering will be a major seller this Christmas. "It looks like a VCR and plugs into almost any TV, and you can't believe everything it does," he said.

Selling at $498, the Phillips Interactive CDI system plays audio CDs through your TV or stereo; plays graphics on your TV screen from CDs, similar to MTV images; plays photo CDs; turns your TV into an interactive CD for games, research materials, etc.; and plays digital video movies from 5-inch discs. The systems come with remote control, joy stick, action buttons or mouse, and there is even a version with bigger control buttons for children.

"This is such an incredible addition to the home that two-thirds of my employees have already purchased one for themselves," Ewald said.

And on the music front this year, Sony is offering "the closest thing there is to a jukebox for your home," Mitchell of Holdren's said. It's a 100-disc CD changer for $1,000 guaranteed to provide hours and hours of your favorite music.