Like most Home Theater readers, I’ve known SRS Labs primarily as the company that does virtual surround sound and other audio solutions for HDTVs and soundbars—features largely dismissed by serious enthusiasts as lightweight hocus-pocus. So it was with some skepticism that, back in March, I rolled into the firm’s Santa Ana, California, headquarters for a private demo of some new surround sound technology.
These days, LED-backlit LCD TVs get a lot of attention, thanks in part to their super-thin form factor. This is especially true for edge-lit LED models.
These days, LED-backlit LCD TVs get a lot of attention, thanks in part to their super-thin form factor. This is especially true for edge-lit LED models.
Despite the rising popularity of LED-backlit LCD TVs, plasma has remained a favored display technology for many critical viewers who think it delivers the more natural, film-like picture. What it hasn't delivered, at least in the past, is the svelte profile and sleek styling that you get with LED-backlit LCD sets.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably noticed that it's a great big 3D world out there, and it's getting bigger every day. The latest arrival is Toshiba's 55WX800U, a 55-inch 3D LCD TV with edge-lit LED backlighting. At $3,300 (list), the 55WX800U doesn?t come cheap, but it does have the usual array of features we've come to expect from a top-of-the-line set.
Home theater enthusiasts know that when it comes to performance there is no real substitute for an AV receiver connected to discrete speakers spread around the room. But soundbars, those popular standalone TV speaker systems, have been getting better and better with each passing year, and some very respectable options have been turning up in the premium category. Here’s our current list of the best you can buy, with recommendations under $500, from $500 to $1,000, and above $1,000. For the full review (where available), click on the title of each product. —Rob Sabin
When the Federal Communications Commission approved the ATSC digital broadcast standard in December 1996, most consumers shrugged as the pundits (us at Home Theater included) heralded the greatest advance in television since the introduction of color in the 1950s. Time has proven us right. With six times the detail of standard-definition video, HDTV has been both a revelation and a revolution. For those who care about picture quality, one quick look was enough to know the world had changed, and we were never going back.