LATEST ADDITIONS

A/V Veteran
DIY "Calibration"
Thomas J. Norton  |  Feb 13, 2024  |  4 comments
If you find yourself experiencing a flashback on reading this blog, you're not alone. Last summer I wrote a similar piece. But there's always new ground to cover, particularly on the subject of TV setup and calibration. Some of the material here is similar to that in the prior blog, but in other ways the results are different.

An accurate calibration requires that the calibrator be trained, have access to specialized test gear and PC calibration software (of the latter, Calman from Portrait Displays is the best known and most widely used)...

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Audio Video News
Florida International Audio Expo 2024 Opens Friday
SV Staff  |  Feb 12, 2024  |  1 comments
The Florida International Audio Expo 2024 opens Friday (February 16) in Tampa at the Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore and runs through Sunday, February 18.
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Signals
Another Last Hurrah
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Feb 12, 2024  |  4 comments
This is my last communication. Outer walls breached. Door is splintering. Hinges giving way. Out of ammo. Just one grenade left. I’ll take as many as I can with me. God have mercy on my soul.

The 2023 holiday season was another last hurrah, this time for DVDs and Blu-ray Discs...

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Music and Soundtrack Features
The Creation of The Beatles’ Last Song and the Rebirth of Red and Blue
Matt Hurwitz  |  Feb 09, 2024  |  4 comments
How does the most popular band in rock music history both close out their recording history and celebrate their iconic legacy at the same time? Well, in early November, The Beatles accomplished both by releasing their last new recording, “Now and Then,” and reissuing their ever popular catalog compilation albums, The Beatles 1962-1966 and The Beatles 1967-1970—known informally as the “Red” and “Blue” albums (Apple/Capitol/UMe), augmented with dozens of new tracks and completely remixed in stereo. “Now and Then” was accompanied by both a 12-minute documentary about its creation, by filmmaker Oliver Murray, and a joyous, fun music video by director Peter Jackson.

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Music and Soundtrack Features
Magic Before and After: Peter Jackson’s “Now and Then” Music Video
Matt Hurwitz  |  Feb 09, 2024  |  2 comments
Paul and Ringo join their 1967 counterparts in the “Hello Goodbye” music video - © Apple Corps, Ltd.

It starts with Paul and George tuning up their acoustic guitars, during the February 1995 sessions for the recently-released final Beatles tune, “Now and Then.” Before long, we’re being reminded of just whom their brother, John, misses every so often and why, in a way that both stirs our hearts and also makes us smile.

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Special Features
“Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song” Documentary
Matt Hurwitz  |  Feb 09, 2024  |  First Published: Jan 31, 2024  |  2 comments
Documentary director Oliver Murray - Courtesy Oliver Murray

On November 1, a day before the release of “Now and Then,” fans were treated to a special film, a 12-minute documentary titled Now and Then – The Last Beatles Song, directed by British filmmaker Oliver Murray. The film wonderfully mixes footage from the 1995 sessions (and more recent), intermingled with loads of great archival Beatles footage, all of it beautifully restored. And unlike so many rock documentaries, it is The Beatles themselves who walk us through the process, rather than a narrator type.

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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Oppenheimer
Chris Chiarella  |  Feb 09, 2024  |  5 comments
Picture
Sound
Extras

Oppenheimer is the epic story of an extraordinary genius, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), tasked by the U.S. government to lead the team that would deliver the world’s first atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project assembled many of the world’s brightest minds in a makeshift town in the far reaches of the New Mexico desert, inevitably igniting clashes of styles and personalities. In a race against time to devise a weapon like none ever created, they had to overcome all manner of obstacles and faced unknown risks to complete their assignment and contribute to a decisive end of World War II.

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Audio Video News
Last Call: 11th Hour Super Bowl TV Deals
Bob Ankosko  |  Feb 08, 2024  |  1 comments
It’s probably too late to buy a new mondo TV and set it up in time for the big game, but who cares? A great deal is a great deal and there’s still time to take advantage of compelling discounts from all of the major TV brands. But you have to act fast because those deals are about to disappear.
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Ask S&V
Got a Burning Tech Question? Ask S&V!
SV Staff  |  Feb 08, 2024  |  0 comments
Got tech questions? Looking for advice on how to get the most out of your A/V gear? The experts at Sound & Vision have answers! Email your questions to AskSandV@gmail.com.
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4K TV ReviewsTV Reviews
Hisense 65" 65U8K mini-LED 4K TV Review: The Price is Right
Tom Norton  |  Feb 07, 2024  |  3 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $900

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Wide Range of Features
Affordable Price
Impressive Picture Quality
Comprehensive Connectivity
High Refresh Rate for Gaming
Minus
Limited Off-Center Viewing Angles
Calibration and Ergonomic Challenges
Intrusive Pop-up Ads on Smart Platform

THE VERDICT
I wouldn't choose the U8K for a video mastering suite. But for the consumer looking for a TV that punches far above its price, the Hisense generated more OMG moments from me on the best source material than I can recall from any TV I've previously reviewed. The only thing keeping it from earning an even higher performance rating is its limited off-center viewing—an issue with most LCD-based televisions.

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