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Projector Reviews
BenQ HT9050 4K DLP Projector Review
Kris Deering  |  Dec 07, 2017
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $8,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great optics
Accurate color adjustments via CMS
Long-life LED light engine
Minus
Lack of key features
Disappointing contrast performance
No HDR support

THE VERDICT
The BenQ HT9050 has DLP’s latest 4K chip design, but its poor contrast and lack of key features result in an uninspiring package that can't compete with other projectors at or near this price point.

It wasn’t long ago — just 10 years, in fact — that the home projection market was all about DLP. It dominated nearly every price point and was always at the cutting edge of features. But eventually, things changed. Texas Instruments stagnated on DLP development. Meanwhile, new technologies like LCOS emerged, taking onscreen performance to an entirely new level, particularly for native black level and contrast. DLP has stuck around, but it's often found on the budget side of the market, with entry-level home/business designs, or at the opposite end of the spectrum, with cost-no-object three-chip designs.

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SmartStream
Is a Smart TV All You Need?
Barb Gonzalez  |  Dec 07, 2017
Smart TVs can now stream the highest quality 4K HDR videos. We take a look at two smart TVs to see if we still need an external streaming device or if the new connected TVs are really as stand-alone and plug-and-play as they're supposed to be.
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Ask S&V
How Do I Connect My Apple TV 4K for Surround Sound?
Al Griffin  |  Dec 07, 2017
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I just bought an Apple TV 4K streaming box and was wondering if I can use it with my surround sound system. If so, how do I connect it? —Mario Caballero

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The S&V Interview
Collective Soul Shine Sonically on New Live Album
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 06, 2017
Photo: Joseph Guay

The five men in the fine Atlanta-bred alt-rock collective known as Collective Soul had a very specific mixing rule for Collective Soul – Live: “There are no overdubs here,” confirms Collective Soul frontman, vocalist/guitarist Ed Roland. To further delve into the sheer liveness of Live, Roland and I got on the line to discuss the balance of dynamics in the band’s live mixes, why their biggest hit “Shine” comes across so well in a live setting, and which classic live albums they referred to as inspirations.

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New Products
December 2017 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Dec 06, 2017
Vutec Stiletto Projection Screen
Stiletto—an alluring name for an alluring projection screen that appears to float in midair thanks to its super-thin bezel. It’s so skinny, you practically have to squint to see it. But the frame is made of extruded aluminum, so it’s anything but flimsy. Lightweight, yes. Flimsy, no.
Wide or Really Wide: A selection of ISF-certified screen materials, with gains ranging from 0.6 to 1.3, are available in standard 16:9 or ultra-wide 2.35:1. Screen sizes range from 92 to 159 inches (diagonal) in 16:9 and 115 to 189 inches (diagonal) in 2.35:1; custom sizes are also available.
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Remotely Possible
Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch Is A Smart Choice Even If You're Not Fit
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Dec 06, 2017
In terms of competence, experience, and knowledge (okay, let’s throw insight in there, too), I should be one of the last people to evaluate the new Fitbit Ionic watch and the equally new Fitbit Flyer wireless fitness headphones.
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Audio Video News
Streaming Key for Nearly a Third of Internet Users
SV Staff  |  Dec 06, 2017
New research from financial services company Raymond James shows that almost a third (31 percent) of Internet users polled in November cited streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu as their primary source of video content, up from 24 percent a year ago and just four percent behind the 35 percent of survey respondents who named cable as their primary source of video entertainment.
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Audio Video News
Survey: 45% of U.S. Households Have a Smart TV
SV Staff  |  Dec 06, 2017

A recent consumer survey from Parks Associates shows that ease of use is a key factor in choosing smart TVs and other connected devices.

Almost half (45 percent) of U.S. broadband households have a smart TV, making it the most commonly used platform for streaming video content among this group, according to a new Market Snapshot from Dallas-based research firm Parks Associates.

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Audio Video News
New TI Chipsets Expand 4K UHD DLP Applications
SV Staff  |  Dec 06, 2017
Texas Instruments (TI) yesterday announced an expanded family of chipsets to bring 4K Ultra HD technology to new applications, including” laser TVs, mobile smart TVs, smart home displays,” and a range of projectors, including handheld pico projectors.
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A/V Veteran
Stranger HDR Things
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 05, 2017
High Dynamic range, or HDR, is perhaps the most exciting of the trio of improvements that Ultra HD brings to the table, the others being a wider color gamut and higher resolution. The images from a flat screen set pop off the screen in a way that the dimensional but often too dim 3D never could. And you don’t need special glasses to see it.

A flat screen set, capable of peak brightness levels of over 1000 nits (just under 300 foot-lamberts) can make the most of an HDR source. HDR program material is mastered for a peak output of either 1000 nits or 4000 nits, with most of that luminance reserved for bright highlights.

But not all displays can hit 1000 nits...

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