TURN-ONS AND TURN OFFS IN CURRENT HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES : ****Excellent ***Good **Fair *Poor : TECH FLASHES

Has watching videos cut into your reading? One way to ease your way back into print: reading “Fast Forward: Hollywood, the Japanese, and the Onslaught of the VCR” by James Lardner, published by W.W. Norton, a lively account of the movies-vs.-tape conflict that led to a Supreme Court decision assuring the legality of normal video home-recording. The issue is still very relevant, considering the current controversy over digital audio recording. . . . Or, has the VCR kept you from fixing that leaky faucet? Try “Reader’s Digest Videomanual of Home Repair,” a 110-minute (drip) tape (drip) from (drip) Random House. Information: (212) 872-8036.