LATEST ADDITIONS

A/V Veteran
The Benefits of Bigscreen TVs Over Projectors
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 29, 2020  |  2 comments
A video projector has long been the gold standard for achieving the true theater experience at home. It still is, but there are limitations to projectors that can compromise the big screen experience with today’s best source material.

The relatively limited brightness a projector offers becomes more significant as the size of the screen and the demands of the source material increase. Unlike in the past, where the desire for ever bigger screens could be satisfied (more or less) even by a less than wallet-choking projector, HDR demands far more peak brightness than standard dynamic range...Flat screen TVs in jumbo sizes have become increasingly common lately, at prices far less intimidating than before. A decent LCD/LED, 85-inch 4K set can be had for under $3500.

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CES 2021New Products
LG To Introduce QNED Mini-LED TVs
SV Staff  |  Dec 29, 2020  |  0 comments
The Virtual CES 2021 TV news is starting to roll in. First up, LG, which has announced it will release a series of “QNED” Mini-LED TVs as its 2021 LCD TV lineup’s flagship offering. There will be 10 new 4K and 8K Mini-LED models in all, with screen sizes up to 86 inches.
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Signals
The Rapture of the Rumble
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Dec 28, 2020  |  3 comments
Because everything must be controversial, I am going to be controversial. This blog discusses God, politics, climate change, and Enzo Ferrari. Furthermore, if it causes lightning to strike you, so be it.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Ghost in the Shell
Roger Kanno  |  Dec 24, 2020  |  0 comments
Picture
Sound
Extras
Mamoro Oshii's beautiful and unsettling anime film, Ghost in the Shell, has been released on Ultra HD Blu-ray to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Based on Masamune Shirow's cyberpunk manga, the film explores themes of existence, and humanity in a technologically advanced world where people are cybernetically enhanced or have their bodies entirely replaced by cybernetics. One such cyborg is the film's protagonist, Major Motoko Kusanagi, who questions her own reality as she battles with the mysterious Puppet Master who hacks not only computers, but also humans.
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Vintage Gear
Long Live the JBL 4412 Studio Monitor!
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 24, 2020  |  1 comments
In this edition of Sound & Vision’s Audio Time Machine, we highlight the JBL 4412 studio monitor, a mid-’80s evolution of famous 4300 Series monitors that once dominated recording studios.
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Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary Edition Loudspeaker
Daniel Kumin  |  Dec 23, 2020  |  0 comments

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $700/pair

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Good bass extension
Excellent midrange balance and accuracy
Pluggable port yields flexible placement and performance
Impressive fit and finish
Minus
Slightly bright sound with some recordings

THE VERDICT
This anniversary edition Bowers & Wilkins compact bookshelf combines good looks with intelligently balanced sound.

There are quite literally hundreds of small, two-way loudspeakers you can buy priced from under $100 to well north of $10,000 per pair. To this throng British stalwart Bowers & Wilkins now adds the 607 S2 Anniversary Edition (the anniversary commemorated is the company's launch of its first 600 Series designs 25 years ago). Whether or not the world desperately needs another small two-way may be up for debate, but B&W's authority to add one is not: the ranks of fine small speakers marching forth from the south coast of the UK over the past half-century has been illustrious.

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4K TV Reviews
Discovery+ Streaming Service To Launch in January
Barb Gonzalez  |  Dec 23, 2020  |  1 comments
Discovery+ will launch on January 4th as the newest aggregated subscription streaming service. Drawing on 17 of Discovery's channels, the service will offer the largest inventory of unscripted and non-fiction programming.
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Signals
Annus Horribilis
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Dec 21, 2020  |  2 comments
2020 was not a particularly good year. In fact it was a horrible year. Normally, at year's end, we're supposed to reminisce about the year. But I think we'd all rather forget that 2020 ever happened. Let's ignore it, and instead skip back all the way to 1984, to a story about a Christian rock band, an LP record, and a very mysterious inner groove.

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Music and Soundtrack FeaturesThe S&V Interview
Gavin Harrison Exposes the Secrets of His Expert Rhythmic Designs
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 18, 2020  |  2 comments
Gavin Harrison knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it. The critically celebrated, session-bred progressive-oriented British drummer vaulted into superstar status during his jaw-dropping eight-year stint as a member of Porcupine Tree, and he's since moved even further up the wide-acclaim foodchain thanks to all the mind-bending work he's done during his current, ongoing gigs behind the kit with both King Crimson and The Pineapple Thief. The thing is, Harrison pays little or no heed to the constant praise for his innovative drumming, nor does he spend much time ruminating over his impeccable legacy.
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Audio Video News
Winter 2020: Best Affordable Gear
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 17, 2020  |  0 comments
Despite all the hardships 2020 has imposed on us, home entertainment has remained a bright spot with A/V gear across all categories providing the means for elevating our music and movie experiences. Thank goodness for that. And thank goodness 2020 is coming to a close. As we look to the New Year with hopes for a return to a normal life, free of restrictions and financial hardship, we present 21 prime A/V specimens for your consideration. All are Sound & Vision Top Picks and all are affordable, at prices ranging from $130 to just under $3,000 with most falling in the under-$1,000 category. Whether you’re contemplating a new turntable or TV, we’re confident one of more of the products highlighted here will speak to you.
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