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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
David Vaughn  |  Nov 17, 2011
Things come full circle for Harry Potter in the thrilling conclusion of the popular franchise. At the end of Part 1, Harry, Ron, and Hermione escape from the clutches of the Death Eaters, but their loyal friend Dobby the former house elf perishes. The trio has little time to mourn as they continue to hunt down and destroy the horcruxes that hide tiny pieces of the evil Lord Voldemort's soul. Their quest takes them to Gringots Bank and into the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange and eventually back to Hogwarts, where Harry confronts the new headmaster, Professor Snape.

While Part 1 was a slow build toward a cliffhanger ending, Part 2 is a pure adrenaline action film from the first moments that Voldemort steals the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's casket. As a huge fan of the books and the movies, I was more than happy to see Warner split the final book into two films—something that should have been done with every movie starting with The Goblet of Fire. Even with the extended time given to the story, there are quite of few characters who don't receive as much screen time as they deserve.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Blu-ray Review: Blue Velvet
Ken Korman  |  Nov 17, 2011

It’s always fascinating to see how important films age over time, especially those that elicited strong, visceral reactions from audiences and critics when initially released.

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New Products
NHT Endows Your Desktop With SuperPowers
Michael Berk  |  Nov 17, 2011

Since returning to independence under the leadership of founder Chris Byrne in 2007, NHT has moved on from its DSP-focused experimental phase (which resulted in interesting products like the Xd), emphasizing straightforward, high-quality, reasonably priced speakers.

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Headphone Amp/DAC Reviews
Making the Wireless Connection: New HP 3D, TV, and Audio Solutions
Michael Berk  |  Nov 16, 2011

Over the past couple of weeks Hewlett Packard has rolled out a huge pile of new consumer products, among them a clutch of all-in-ones, touchscreen PCs and tablets, Beats-enhanced laptops, and even a curious little Wi-Fi mouse.

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Ask S&V
Energy Take Classic 5.1 vs. Pioneer SP-PK21BS
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 16, 2011
I have a Samsung 46-inch LCD TV, Onkyo TX-NR509 A/V receiver, and KLH HT-60 speakers. I just got the Onkyo, and now I'd like to upgrade my speakers. I am considering the Energy Take Classic 5.1 system as well as the Pioneer SP-PK21BS speakers, but the Pioneers seem a bit large for my room (25x14 feet with a viewing distance of 10 feet). Also, the Pioneer's center speaker is so high, it would block the bottom portion of my screen.

Michael J. Leone

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Signals
FOR SALE: Pre-Owned Bitstream, Gently Used
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Nov 16, 2011

They are not so common any more, but I'm sure you remember used record & CD shops. Now imagine them without the bricks and mortar. Or the bins. Or the records and CDs. Say what? Welcome to the biggest music-industry brouhaha since Napster.

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Grace Notes
Sony's 3D Headset: Virtual Reality Goes Mainstream
Leslie Shapiro  |  Nov 16, 2011

Big screen not quite big enough? Don't like company while you watch TV? You can finally place your order for Sony's widely anticipated 3D headset, the HMZ-T1 ($799.) But before we get to the specs, consider the cool factor: The headset looks like something straight out of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

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Tech2
Vinyl: It’s Still Growing
Brent Butterworth  |  Nov 16, 2011

They say that when everyone’s hip to a trend, it’s no longer hip.

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The S&V Interview
Exclusive Video Interview: Steven Wilson
Mike Mettler  |  Nov 15, 2011

“I’ve been thinking about doing this for a long time,” Steven Wilson told me backstage about an hour before his groundbreaking live quad show unfolded at the Performing Arts Center at Temple University in Philadelphia on Saturday, November 12.

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Music ReviewsBlu-ray Movie Reviews
This Week in Blu-rays and Music, November 15, 2011
Josef Krebs  |  Nov 15, 2011

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