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3D Projector ReviewsProjector Reviews
Sony VPL-VW1000ES 4K SXRD Projector
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 06, 2011

2D Performance
3D Performance   (See Review)
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Editor’s note: Click here for Tom Norton’s review covering the 3D capabilities and performance of the VPL-VW1000ES.

Editors Note: Home Theater is pleased to bring you this exclusive first review of Sony's VPL-VW1000ES, the world's first 4K projector built from the ground up for the consumer market. With more than four times the resolution of HDTV, 4K is already transforming digital cinema, and it now stands to create a more engaging and dramatic home theater experience as well.—Rob Sabin

Price: $25,000 At A Glance: Superb resolution • Excellent blacks and shadow detail • Four times the pixel density of 1920x1080 HD

Things could hardly be looking better for the video projector fan. The quality you can get today for under $10,000—or even under $5,000—is astonishing.

But the competition is fierce, and to stand out in the crowd, manufacturers are constantly on the lookout for the next big thing. True, 3D is still on its run as the NBT of the decade. Beyond that, 4K video lurks, waiting for its time in the spotlight.

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Home Theater Geeks Podcast
Podcast 90: Kevin Voecks
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 06, 2011
Kevin Voecks, speaker designer and manager of product development for Harman's Luxury Audio group, returns to the podcast to talk about box speakers versus dipole designs such as electrostats, speaker and subwoofer placement in a room, the importance of first reflections, Harman's new QuantumLogic Surround upmixing algorithms, the placement of multiple height speakers, in-wall/ceiling versus on-wall/ceiling speakers, answers to chat-room questions, and more.

Run Time: 56:23

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Gadget Gary
Remote Harmony
Gary Dell'Abate  |  Dec 06, 2011

Logitech is a cool company. It took all of the top aspects of its best-selling universal remote control and made it so that you could control your TV, set-top boxes, music systems, and other home gear on your iPhone or iPad. My kinda thing.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Cowboys and Aliens
David Vaughn  |  Dec 05, 2011

This Blu-ray boasts a solid video transfer with rich colors, revealing skintones, and reference-quality contrast, but it's the audio track that steals the show. The enveloping DTS-HD 5.1 mix features chest-pounding LFE when aliens attack, horses gallop, or when a mysterious wrist-mounted energy weapon is unleashed. Unfortunately, the movie itself is a real stinker.
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Work In Progress: Altec-Lansing A-Series Custom In-Ears
Michael Berk  |  Dec 05, 2011

We told you a few weeks back about Altec-Lansing's latest venture, a foray into the high-end in-ear monitor market. We're planning to give the new A-Series a spin as soon as we can - but it's not so simple a procedure as just bringing in a review unit.

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Ask S&V
Cambridge 840C vs. Oppo BDP-95
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 05, 2011
Between the Cambridge Audio Azur 840C and Oppo BDP-95, which sound better for music? I know the Oppo can play SACD, but is the difference significant? I have a Sunfire 200Wpc amp and Von Schweikert VR-4 Generation III speakers.

Pender Linwood

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Portable Player Reviews
Picking the Perfect Tablet
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Dec 05, 2011

PORTABLE ENTERTAINMENT. It started with the Walkman and was revolutionized by the iPod. Now with tablets, audio, video, and more merge into one uber-device of computing awesomeness.

We have a narrow set of criteria for tablets here at Sound+Vision. That it surfs the web, does email, can video chat, and so on is cool, but we're not Office+Meetings magazine. We - like most people, it turns out - want tablet-as-entertainment.

And surprisingly, that makes the choice easier than you'd think.

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AV Receiver Reviews
Pioneer Elite VSX-52 A/V Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  Dec 05, 2011

Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $900 At A Glance: Elite build quality • AirPlay, control app, iDevice USB • Great sound for under $1,000

Do you prefer wine sold in a box or in a bottle? Boxed wine does have its advantages: It’s available in a greater variety of package sizes, it’s easier to carry to a picnic, and the lighter packaging reduces manufacturing cost, shipping cost, and carbon emissions. Yet most oenophiles prefer bottled wine for quality and selection. One is more practical, the other more aspirational. In theory, boxed wine can be as good as bottled wine—and here, as the knowledgeable oenophile is aware, our metaphor is in danger of breaking down over warring factors such as oxidation and shelf life. But in reality, the best wine producers and their most discerning and passionate customers prefer the bottle.

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Tower Speaker Reviews
Review: Magnepan Mini Maggie
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Dec 05, 2011

“This is the worst listening room I’ve ever heard,” Magnepan’s Wendell Diller said, half joking. It might have been less than half.

Honestly, I couldn’t disagree. We were sitting in my office, facing my computer and a newly setup Mini Maggie system. I don’t review speakers in my office, for good reason. It’s basically a cube with mostly bare walls: one of the worst acoustic environments possible.

And with any speaker — especially a planar magnetic speaker — the room is a huge part of the deal. So began my quest for a better room, better sound, and the perfect setup.

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Vote
Does Power Consumption Influence Which TV You Buy?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 02, 2011
Yesterday, Tom Norton posted a blog about how much power is consumed by plasmas and LED LCD TVs, and the difference is staggering. With TVs of similar size, the plasmas he measured consumed more power on average than the LED LCDs by roughly a factor of 5!

In general, plasmas carry a lower price tag than LED LCDs of comparable size. But if plasmas consume five times as much power, they cost five times as much to operate, so those initial savings can easily be wiped out and then some over years of use. Then there's the whole "green" argument, which I won't get into here.

Is power consumption of concern to you? Does it factor into your TV buying decision?

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice.

Does Power Consumption Influence Which TV You Buy?
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