NEW YORK -Etown.com, the Web-based consumer infomediary, e-commerce platform and b-to-b cyber service, has bestowed its consumer electronics Product Of The Year awards for 2000.
The winners in this fifth annual event were chosen from more than 700 products etown staffers reviewed between Nov. 1, 1999 and Nov. 1, 2000. The final selections were based on a wide variety of factors, most notably overall technology, value, performance and/or quality.
Not surprisingly, industry giants Sony and Panasonic once again garnered the lion’s share of awards, although their take, at four honors each, was notably smaller than in past contests. Etown editors attribute the change to a surfeit of new products from a multitude of often-smaller CE contenders.
The single best Product Of The Year will be announced this evening at an invitation-only awards ceremony held jointly by etown and TWICE at the Hard Rock hotel’s The Joint ballroom.
HOME THEATER/VIDEO
Category Winner: Pioneer DV-37 progressive-scan DVD player
VCR: Sharp VC-S101U
Satellite: DISH Network 6000 satellite system
DVD: Pioneer DV-37 progressive-scan DVD player
Video processor: DVDO iScan Plus V2 line doubler
PVR: Sony TiVo SVR-2000
TELEVISION
Category Winner: Philips 64PH9905 RPTV HDTV
Direct view: Proscan PS36500
Front projection: Runco VX-1c DLP
projector
Flat panel: Panasonic TH42PWD3
DTV/HDTV: Philips 64PH9905
HOME THEATER/AUDIO
Category Winner: Onkyo TX-DS989 receiver
A/V receiver: Onkyo TX-DS989
Surround separate: Proceed AVP Dolby Digital preamp/processor
Home theater speaker package: Polk RM6200 satellite/subwoofer system
HOME AUDIO
Category Winner: Martin Logan Scenario stereo speakers
CD player: Marantz CC3000 five-disc
CD changer
CD-R: Marantz DR6050 dual-drawer CD-R/CD recorder
Compact system: Denon DG-1
micro-compact system
Multimedia speaker: Cambridge SoundWorks multimedia sound system
Stereo separate: Musical Fidelity
A3CR dual-mono preamplifier
Stereo speaker: Martin Logan Scenario
PORTABLE TECH
Category Winner: Creative Labs
Nomad Jukebox
Boombox: Panasonic RX-ES25 AM/FM/cassette/CD boombox
Personal cassette: Aiwa HS-JS479
AM/FM portable cassette player/recorder
Personal CD: Panasonic Shockwave SL-SW869V
MiniDisc: Sony MZ-R70PC player/recorder
Palm PC: Hewlett-Packard Jornada 545 Pocket PC
Digital audio player: Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox
Headphones: Sennheiser HD200
GPS: Garmin eMap Deluxe 12-channel handheld GPS receiver
Portable DVD: Panasonic DVD-LV75 portable DVD
TELECOM
Category Winner: Research In Motion 957 e-mail pager
Cordless phone: Sanyo CLT937 900MHz DSS
Cellphone: LG-LGI3000W cellphone/PDA
Pager: Research In Motion 957
IMAGING
Category Winner: Sony DCR-VX2000 DV camcorder
8mm format: Sony DCR-TRV520 Digital 8
DV format: Sony DCR-VX2000 DV camcorder
Digital camera: Canon PowerShot S100 Digital Elph
ACCESSORIES
Category Winner: Finite Elemente Spider Rack
Remote control: RCA RCU810
A/V furniture: Finite Elemente Spider Rack
Surge suppressor: Panamax Power Max 8 DBS
Antenna: Channel Master StealthTenna