Appreciate the recap! 2021 definitely had its struggles, but also some amazing advancements in streaming and audio. Roofing Calne
2021 Top Picks of the Year
What else happened in 2021? It was yet another peak year for video streaming, and for Premium VOD releases that let viewers stream the same movies showing in theaters at home in glorious 4K/HDR with Dolby Atmos sound. Relative newcomers like Disney+ racked up millions of new subscribers based on shows like Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back series, along with legacy content such as the Star Wars franchise and Marvel Cinematic Universe. Music streaming also made big waves, with Apple Music adding both lossless high-res upgrades and Dolby Atmos mixes to its extensive library, and Amazon Music Unlimited expanding on the Atmos front by making its offerings available for listening with third-party hardware. High-res music stalwarts like Tidal and Qobuz, meanwhile, continued to flourish and to add features.
Even as streaming continued its unstoppable forward march, physical discs sales remained vibrant, though numbers were down by as much as 20 percent compared with 2020, the year movie theaters shuttered and everyone was watching from home. Still, we saw plenty of great new and catalogue titles released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, along with many excellent box sets, including lavish ones from George Harrison (All Things Must Pass) and The Beatles (Let it Be). We also witnessed the arrival of new Ultra HD disc players, a category that had been dithering, from French startup Reavon in 2021. We of course were quick to review these, and to award them TPoY in the Source Component category.
Same as in 2020, TV sales boomed in 2021, with viewers continuing the trend of choosing larger screen sizes. TV prices also hit new lows for both high-end and high-value sets. For one example, LG's "Gallery" 65G1PUA OLED Ultra HDTV, our 2021 TV TPoY, sells for $3,000—$500 less than the company's 65GXPUA OLED that took that prize in 2020. On the high-value front, the TCL 6-Series 65R635 Roku Ultra HDTV we reviewed in early 2021 now sells for $1,000, while the 70-inch Vizio M70Q7-J03 LCD Ultra HDTV that TV expert Thomas J. Norton also gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to can be found for as low as $750! Many new high-end TVs, such as the LG, Sony, and Samsung models we tested in 2021 also now feature multiple HDMI 2.1 inputs, which let you experience high frame-rate games when using the new Xbox and PlayStation consoles—if you can find one of those!
The audio scene in 2021 saw the arrival of plenty of affordable soundbars, including some with Dolby Atmos capability, virtual or otherwise. There were also many new and interesting compact high- performance subwoofers, along with an expanded range of sophisticated wireless speaker options. We were happy to get some quality time testing out Trinnov Audio's Altitude16 surround sound processor in 2021. How happy? The Altitude16 earned our overall Top Pick of the Year award based on its innovative, highly customizable feature set, and on reviewer David Vaughn's glowing write-up.
While a sophisticated $18,000 surround sound processor is something that attracts our interest here at S&V, we're also always looking out for high-value gear. For 2021, we're proud to present an expanded list of products that earned a Top Value badge, including our Top Value of the Year: Monolith by Monoprice's Encore T6 surround speaker system. At around $1,400 for a speaker package that offers this level of quality and performance, you really can't go wrong.
While the list that follows represents Sound & Vision's Top Picks for 2021, it also includes products reviewed in our December 2021/ January 2022 and February/ March 2022 print issues. Prices are subject to change from the MSRP listed when the review was originally printed, so check online to see the latest deals.
- Log in or register to post comments


Great read, thanks for sharing! The rise of Dolby Atmos in both music and movies was definitely a highlight.Roof Repair Carterton

Domestic & Commercial Tree Care
Thank you for this detailed look back at 2021—such a fascinating year for home entertainment tech! Despite the supply chain hiccups, it’s impressive how much innovation still came through. I especially enjoyed seeing the growth in streaming and high-res music options. If you happen to need a tree surgeon while enjoying your upgraded home setup, feel free to visit our site!

CLICK HERE
Thanks for the great summary of how 2021 shaped up in the A/V world! It’s clear that despite supply chain hiccups and ongoing disruptions, innovation didn’t stop—especially in streaming and high-res audio. I loved the expanded Dolby Atmos options and was especially impressed by the Beatles box sets and Peter Jackson’s *Get Back* series. If you’re also upgrading your media setup and happen to notice your roof could use an upgrade too, feel free to visit our site for expert roof repair services.

Flat Roof Repairs
Thank you for this retrospective on 2021! It’s great to see the improvements over 2020, even though we didn’t quite reach the full "return to normal" that many of us hoped for. The challenges with supply chain disruptions and the underrepresentation of certain categories in the Top Picks of the Year list are understandable, given the circumstances. Still, it’s exciting to hear about the rise of video streaming, Premium VOD releases, and music streaming advancements like Apple Music’s lossless high-res upgrades and Amazon Music’s Atmos expansion. These were definitely bright spots in an otherwise challenging year.
If you happen to need a roof repair, feel free to visit our site! Thanks again for sharing these insights!

Loved seeing how audio and video tech continued to evolve despite supply chain hurdles. Those Ultra HD Blu-rays and Atmos upgrades made home viewing truly cinematic. Need your roof sorted? You can find us online for trusted Roof Repairs Calne services, if the need arises.

Morgan attended Ben Franklin Elementary, Rose Hill Junior High, and Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Washington. He was an all-star athlete, excelling in both football Jeffrey Dean Morgan young and basketball. He even led his high school basketball team as captain. After high school, he continued playing at Skagit Valley College. However, a knee injury put an end to his basketball dreams. Not letting that stop him, Morgan turned to his creative side, picking up painting and writing. These interests eventually set the stage for his career in acting.