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TV ReviewsLCD TV Reviews
Vizio XVT553SV LCD HDTV
Thomas J. Norton  |  Nov 08, 2010  |  3 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $2,200 At A Glance: Outstanding resolution • Accurate color • Superior off-axis performance

LED Goes Main Street

I’m a 3D fan to a point. But after a steady diet of four (or was it five) 3D flatpanel reviews in a row, the opportunity to take a brief vacation from those ubiquitous 3D glasses was a pleasure, even as three more 3D sets lay waiting in the wings for our probing eyes and meters. Vizio plans to release its own 3D sets soon, possibly even by the time you read this. But for now, the 2D XVT553SV is the company’s premier offering.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Pacific—HBO Home Entertainment (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Nov 07, 2010  |  0 comments
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 3.5/5
"The Pacific" tracks the intertwined real-life stories of three U.S. Marines - Robert Leckie, John Basilone, and Eugene Sledge - across the vast canvas of the Pacific Theater during World War II. The miniseries follows these men and their fellow Marines from their first battle with the Japanese on Guadalcanal, through the rain forests of Cape Gloucester and the strongholds of Peleliu, across the bloody sands of Iwo Jima and through the horror of Okinawa, and finally to their triumphant but uneasy return home after V-J Day. "The Pacific" is based in part on the books "Helmet for My Pillow", by Robert Leckie, and "With the Old Breed", by Eugene B. Sledge, as well as original interviews conducted by filmmakers.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Disney’s A Christmas Carol—Walt Disney Pictures (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Nov 07, 2010  |  0 comments
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 4/5
When three ghosts take penny-pinching Scrooge on an eye-opening journey, he discovers the true meaning of Christmas - but he must act on it before it's too late.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Centurion—Magnet (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Nov 07, 2010  |  0 comments
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
AD 117: The Roman Empire stretches from Egypt to Spain, and East as far as the Black Sea. But in northern Britain, the relentless onslaught of conquest has ground to a halt in face of the guerrilla tactics of an elusive enemy: the savage and terrifying Picts led by revenge-hungry Pict Warrior Etain. When the Roman legion is ambushed, the seven surviving Romans pledge to rescue their leader and return to Rome to re-group.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Sound of Music—20th Century Fox (Blu-ray)
 |  Nov 07, 2010  |  0 comments
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 4.5/5
In this true-life story, Julie Andrews lights up the screen as Maria, a spirited young woman who leaves the convent to bring love and music to the home of Captain von Trapp and his seven children.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Kids Are All Right—Universal Pictures (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Nov 07, 2010  |  0 comments
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3/5
It's all about family. Nic and Jules are married and share a cozy suburban Southern California home with their teenage children, Joni and Laser. Nic and Jules - or, when referred to jointly by Joni, "Moms" - gave birth to and raised their children, and built a family life for the four of them. As Joni prepares to leave for college, 15-year-old Laser presses her for a big favor. He wants Joni, now 18, to help him find their biological father; the two teenagers were conceived by donor insemination. Against her better judgment, Joni honors her brother's request and manages to make contact with "bio-dad" Paul, an easygoing restaurateur. The kids find themselves drawn to the confirmed bachelor's footloose style - especially in contrast to Nic, a principled doctor who has long established their house rules. Jules, who has been looking to start a new career in landscaping, also strikes up a rapport with Paul. As Paul comes into the lives of the forthright four, an unexpected new chapter begins for them as family ties are defined, re-defined, and then re-re-defined.
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Shane Buettner Blog
Is Google TV A Newer, Smarter Convergence or Has Collision Returned?
Shane Buettner  |  Nov 07, 2010  |  13 comments
In the next few issues we’re going to be diving headfirst into the emerging Google TV ecosystem in the form of Logitech’s Revue and a Sony Google TV-equipped BD player. It occurred to me in planning this coverage that I’ve seen some of this before. Just a few years ago this merging of the computer world with consumer electronics was called convergence by its proponents, and collision by its many detractors. Its first clumsy steps were really little more than dragging a full blown PC into your theater system and using your TV as a really big computer monitor with a wireless keyboard and/or mouse. Instead of enhancing functionality, it combined the worst aspects of both worlds. People using computers all day for business had no interest in taking all the issues with computer interfaces and mucking up their leisure time with it. In response to its failure to catch on in the home theater world, computer monitors got bigger, desktop audio systems got better, and the home theater and computer/Internet worlds each went to their respective rooms.
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Vote
Which is More Important, Convenience or Quality?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 05, 2010  |  0 comments

Blu-ray is the gold standard for video and audio quality, but discs are old school, and the convenience of streaming and downloading A/V content is quite compelling for millions.

On the other hand, streaming video from Netflix, Hulu, and other sources often suffers from softness, macroblocking, and other artifacts of high compression, whereas Blu-ray offers pristine picture and sound. In addition, the best high-def cable, satellite, and over-the-air channels look far better than most streaming media I've seen.

This leads me to wonder: Which is more important to you, the convenience of streaming and downloading A/V content or the quality of physical media and many traditional broadcast sources?

Vote to see the results and leave a comment explaining your choice.

Which is More Important, Convenience or Quality?
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Other Tech
Wrap Up: Blu-Con 2010
Richard Ames  |  Nov 05, 2010  |  0 comments

The International Ballroom in the Beverly Hilton has been the home to the Golden Globes for the past fifty years. The space is much smaller than it appears on TV. And much colder. Apparently someone heard it was going to be above 72 outside and turned the air conditioner up to cryonic.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
White Christmas (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Nov 05, 2010  |  3 comments
A pair of army buddies (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) join forces with a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) in order to save a Vermont inn run by their former commanding officer.

The simplistic plot doesn't inspire but the plethora of Irving Berlin classics are mostly enjoyable. The song "White Christmas" was made popular by Crosby in the 1942 film "Holiday Inn," and within the first few minutes he's belting out the tune. My wife enjoys the film much more than I do—I find it somewhat boring—but the HD presentation kept my attention.

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