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 Samsung Stops Selling Blu-ray Players in U.S.
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Bohemian Rhapsody
BLU-RAY MOVIE REVIEWS, Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Mike Mettler  |  Feb 22, 2019  |  0 comments
Picture
Sound
Extras
The indisputable success of Bohemian Rhapsody confirms what many of us have known for decades: Queen was one of the biggest rock bands in the world, and their late frontman Freddie Mercury was one of the singularly most polarizing and mesmerizing popular-music performers of the 20th century.
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How Long Will You Continue to Buy Discs?
VOTE
SV Staff  |  Feb 22, 2019  |  3 comments
Physical media took another hit this week with word that Samsung will no longer produce standard and 4K/Ultra HD Blu-ray players for sale in the U.S., leaving Sony, Panasonic, and LG to carry the BD hardware mantle.

The news comes on the heels of recent NPD VideoScan data that reveals 4K/UHD discs accounted for only 5% of sales among the top 50 titles for the week ended February 9; standard Blu-ray claimed 40% and DVD 55%. The numbers were reported by MediaPlayNews.com, which bills itself as the “voice of the home entertainment industry.”

Add to that Hollywood’s selective commitment to 4K on disc. Upcoming home video releases of The Favourite and Stan & Ollie, for example, will reportedly be released only on DVD and standard Blu-ray. Other upcoming releases that make no mention of 4K/UHD Blu-ray include Vice (due out April 2) and Holmes & Watson (due out April 9). Both movies will be released on DVD and standard Blu-ray, according to studio announcements.

Despite 4K-on-disc omissions, the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) put a positive spin on 4K Blu-ray in its 2018 year-end report, noting that 445 4K titles were available, compared with 682 digital 4K releases. In its Q3 2018 report, DEG said sales of 4K discs at that time translated into more than $162 million.

All of which brings us to your disc buying habits and how they are changing.

Be sure to leave a comment to share your thoughts on what many believe is the beginning of the end of physical media.

How Long Will You Continue to Buy Discs?
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Samsung’s New Wireless Earbuds Are Voice-Enabled
AUDIO VIDEO NEWS, NEW PRODUCTS
SV Staff  |  Feb 22, 2019  |  0 comments
Samsung has added voice control to the next generation of its wireless Galaxy Buds.
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Samsung Stops Selling Blu-ray Players in U.S.
SMARTSTREAM
Barb Gonzalez  |  Feb 21, 2019  |  12 comments
Samsung has stopped selling Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players in the U.S. Could this be one more sign that physical media will ultimately disappear, only to be replaced by streaming movies and TV?
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Nativ Announces Tidal/MQA Update for Hi-Res Player
AUDIO VIDEO NEWS
SV Staff  |  Feb 21, 2019  |  0 comments
Hong Kong-based Nativ has announced a software update for its Vita high-resolution (hi-res) music player/server that adds support for Tidal Masters, which provides access to thousands of albums encoded in the high-resolution Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) format created by Meridian Audio’s Bob Stuart.
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Qobuz Hi-Res Streaming Service Launches in NYC
AUDIO VIDEO NEWS
SV Staff  |  Feb 21, 2019  |  0 comments
Paris-based hi-res music streaming and download service Qobuz officially opened its doors in the U.S. at a launch party held last week at the Devialet store in New York City’s SoHo district.
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U.K.'s ATC Announces CD Player/Amp-DAC Combo
AUDIO VIDEO NEWS, NEW PRODUCTS
SV Staff  |  Feb 20, 2019  |  1 comments
Convinced the 36-year-old Compact Disc still has plenty of life left in it, U.K.-based ATC Loudspeaker Technology has announced that a new integrated amp/digital-audio converter (DAC) and matching CD player are headed for these shores.
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Sony VPL-VW995ES LCOS Projector Review
PROJECTOR REVIEWS
Kris Deering  |  Feb 20, 2019  |  2 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $35,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Breathtaking image quality
Reference-level optics
Laser light source
Minus
Low light output for price point
Lacks dedicated picture mode for HDR

THE VERDICT
The Sony VPL-VW995ES delivers reference-level images with all video formats and benefits from a high-end lens that's optimized for 4K playback.

In 2018, I reviewed Sony's VPL-VW885ES 4K laser projector, a $25,000 model that I hoped would be the successor to previous Sound & Vision Top Pick winners from Sony, the VPL-VW1000 and VPL-VW1100ES, but it fell slightly short of expectations. At CEDIA 2018, Sony unveiled its VPL-VW995ES, a next-gen step-up model in the ES projector line that sported the high-end optics missing from the VW885ES plus a few new tricks. The VPL-VW995ES appears to be a true successor to the earlier designs, but at a steep $35,000, does it have the chops to command such a lofty price? Let's find out.

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SVS Announces White Finish Option for Prime Wireless
AUDIO VIDEO NEWS
SV Staff  |  Feb 20, 2019  |  0 comments
SVS today announced that the Top Pick-designated Prime Wireless speaker system introduced last fall is now available in a gloss white finish.
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Seymour-Screen Excellence Unveils ‘Budget’ Projection-Screen Masking System
AUDIO VIDEO NEWS, NEW PRODUCTS
SV Staff  |  Feb 20, 2019  |  0 comments
Seymour-Screen Excellence aims to bring Hollywood-style screening room capabilities to a broader audience with a new, lower-priced motorized projection-screen masking system.
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