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Audio Video News
Pioneer Announces 2011 Receivers, Apple AirPlay Support and More
Thomas J. Norton  |  Mar 09, 2011  |  0 comments
For its 2011 lineup of AV receivers, Pioneer has gone Apple in a big way. The four new models, introduced at a press event in San Francisco, range in price from $249 for the VSX-521 to $549 for the top-of-the-line VSX-1021.

To various degrees, depending on model, the receivers incorporate a high level of compatibility with iDevices from Apple, including iPhone and iPad, with no external dock required. All four feature at least 110 watts per channel (120W per in the VSX-1021, all measured at 1kHz and 8Ω) using traditional class-AB amplification. The two lower end models sport 110W x 5 and the top two are equipped to drive 7 channels. Among their features are compatibility with today's most widely used audio formats (including Dolby Pro Logic IIz's height-channel option), 3D pass-through via multiple HDMI 1.4 inputs, and Pioneer's proprietary MCACC room calibration. All of the new units are Bluetooth-ready (with the addition of an optional adapter).

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Audio Video News
Warner Movies to Hit Facebook
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 09, 2011  |  0 comments
Warner Bros. will distribute movies through Facebook, the studio revealed this week. The first movie to hit the social networking site will be The Dark Knight.

The move is experimental. It comes on the heels of another unorthodox movie-distribution move, in which the studio offered two movies as Apple Store apps for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Lord of the Rings Extended Blu-ray Goes Up for Pre-Order
Stan Horaczek  |  Mar 09, 2011  |  0 comments

The other trilogy has already been available on Blu-ray for some time, but it seems the release of the extended Lord of the Rings trilogy is finally almost upon us. Amazon is currently taking pre-orders for $90.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Tourist (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Mar 09, 2011  |  0 comments
A mysterious woman (Angelina Jolie) and a vacationing math teacher (Johnny Depp) from America become involved in an international manhunt after meeting on a train traveling from Paris to Venice. A case of mistaken identity puts poor Frank (Depp) in the crosshairs of a British gangster looking to reclaim his lost fortune from a former associate.

Depp is one of the hottest stars in Hollywood and I had high hopes for this international spy thriller. Sadly, the star power of Depp and Jolie couldn’t overcome the meandering and predictable script from the trio of writers which includes the director (Florian Heckel von Donnersmarck - The Lives of Others). Character development is nonexistent and there’s no real drama or suspense throughout the film and anyone with half a brain can see the ending coming from a mile away.

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Audio Video News
Panasonic 2011 Blu-ray Players
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 08, 2011  |  3 comments
Panasonic today held press briefings at its Panasonic Hollywood Labs facility near Universal City, CA, regarding its 2011 line of Blu-ray players, HTIBs (home-theater-in-a-box systems), self-contained iPod microsystems, and a soundbar. This being Ultimate AV, I'll focus on the Blu-ray players here.
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Audio Video NewsPortable Player ReviewsHeadphone Amp/DAC Reviews
Pioneer's New Receivers Really Love Apple
Brent Butterworth  |  Mar 08, 2011  |  0 comments

DVD, say your prayers. Blu-ray Disc, better get your affairs in order. Judging from the new A/V receivers Pioneer introduced on Monday at the W Hotel in San Francisco, one could easily conclude that the old "hard" media formats have pretty much played out.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Hereafter—Warner Bros.
Kris Deering  |  Mar 08, 2011  |  0 comments
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 4/5
George is a blue-collar American with a special connection to the afterlife dating from his childhood. French journalist Marie has a near-death experience that shakes her reality. And when London schoolboy Marcus loses the person closest to him, he desperately needs answers. Each seeking the truth, their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might - or must - exist in the hereafter.
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Premiere Design
Zu Audio Dominance Speaker
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 08, 2011  |  0 comments
Zu Audio is well known for relatively affordable high-performance speakers, so it came as a bit of a surprise to see—and hear—a new, high-priced flagship from the Utah-based company at CES (actually, T.H.E. Show) last January. The Dominance raises the bar for Zu and gives other ultra-high-end speakers a run for their money.
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Accessory Reviews
The HT iPad App Guide
Kim Wilson  |  Mar 08, 2011  |  1 comments
Apps for the home theater enthusiast.

I’m still amused by the naysayers who said the iPad was inconsequential: a product with limited use that no one asked for. Fast-forward to 2011, and it’s one of the hottest mobile devices ever, creating a new product category much in the way Apple did with the iPod and iPhone. It’s more than a giant iPhone, as some like to call it. In fact, many of the things you liked about the iPhone, you’ll appreciate more with the iPad. One such category is A/V control apps. Many manufacturers have adopted the Apple iOS platform—first the iPhone and now the iPad—with dedicated interfaces for controlling their products and systems.

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Review: The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season
Mike Mettler  |  Mar 08, 2011  |  0 comments

Ah, zombies. It's a word that either gets your blood pumping or you skin crawling, or maybe it does both. Regardless, I come to praise The Walking Dead, not bury it - far, far from the latter, in fact.

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