LATEST ADDITIONS

Mark Fleischmann  |  Aug 13, 2008
If you live anywhere near the Wedge Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina, check out the paintings of Ruth Whiting. She's every nerd's dream--a painter who finds inspiration in cables! Says Whiting: "My work can be seen as a product of my fascination with the sublimely ordinary. For some time now I have set myself the task of revealing the beauty and heroism of mundane objects. I think of my paintings as lenses through which insignificant items, usually thought of as nothing more than functional, can assume the roles of heroes. My paintings do not attempt the illustrative role of myth, and yet there is a level upon which a giant orange extension cord that writhes through the nave of a quiet church demands a mythic justification. Thus, rather than propose a narrative, I attempt to create a situation that calls for an explanation. Electrical cords are like the connective tissue of our technological lives yet most of the time all we do is trip over them. This is a show dedicated to glorifying the dreams of extension cords." See showrooms here and here. This page includes clickable larger images. All oil on paper, the paintings are for sale at prices ranging from $130-500.
uavGary Altunian  |  Aug 12, 2008  |  First Published: Aug 13, 2008
Not long ago, large floorstanding speakers were preferred—practically required—to get the sonic performance demanded by audiophiles and home-theater fans. Smaller speakers simply couldn't adequately reproduce the wide dynamic range and clarity of today's high-resolution digital sources.
SV Staff  |  Aug 12, 2008
While some companies are concentrating on making small little itty-bitty plastic speakers, Boston Acoustics just announced a new line of furniture-grade speakers that look gorgeous, with technology to make them sound as good as they look. Vista is...
Mike Mettler  |  Aug 12, 2008

When asked how he'd like to see his own role defined in our ever-escalating high-definition home-entertainment world, Masi Oka, star of NBC's hit fantasy/sci-fi series Heroes, reaches for the stars. "I'd like to be known as a visionary Blu-ray Bluetooth," he smiles.

Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 12, 2008

Robert is just getting started in the whole home-theater game, and he has some basic questions:

SV Staff  |  Aug 12, 2008
Soundbars are in. No, not the kinda bar you regret through your hungover haze the next morning. Slim, single speaker cabinet that blends in seamlessly with your TV-type of soundbar is what we're talking about. The new SLIMstage40 is an amplified...
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 12, 2008

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/patton.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Released in 1970, <I>Patton</I> is the cream of the crop of World War II films released recently on Blu-ray by 20th Century Fox. The film won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. George C. Scott, in the title role, famously turned down the honor as he didn't believe in competing with other actors. That takes nothing away from one of the most compelling performances ever put on film.

SV Staff  |  Aug 12, 2008
While no one can complain about the visual advantages of digital TV, the audio department is hearing plenty of complaints. The Dolby Digital standard does provide 'CD-quality' sound in the home, but other audio problems are plaguing the new format....
SV Staff  |  Aug 12, 2008
Set-top boxes, your days are numbered. That's according to a new study from IMS Research. Integrated digital TVs (iDTVs) will replace set-top boxes, with shipments of iDTV expected to hit 143 million by 2013. Japan has already seen the decline in...
Mark Fleischmann  |  Aug 12, 2008
On a different planar.

Recorded music is a cozy conspiracy between conventional speaker technology and listening expectations. Most speakers are made of cones and domes, so we’ve gotten used to their particular dispersion patterns and regard them as a normal part of music. The first experience of planar speakers, like BG’s Z-62, can come as a shock to the listener who’s never heard a planar tweeter before.

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