LATEST ADDITIONS

Tech2
A 7.1 Update
Brent Butterworth  |  Aug 10, 2011

At the party last night at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood to celebrate the release of the Blu-ray Disc and DVD of Dexter, Season 5, I got to spend some quality time with Craig Eggers, Director of Blu-ray Ecosystems for Dolby Labs. Eggers was there because the Blu-ray release is in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. I think I was supposed to talk with him about the new discs, but instead I cornered him for an update on something far more interesting to me: the status of 7.1 sound.

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A/V Veteran
An Elite to Top Them All?
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 09, 2011
The trademarked Elite name is still used by its owner, Pioneer, for a variety of products. But the company dropped its video-display business over two years ago. At that time, the Elite Kuro plasmas were widely considered, by us and many others, to be the best HDTVs available. Though they are no longer made, many observers still consider those last Pioneer Kuros better than any flat panel HDTV you can buy today.
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Home Theater Geeks Podcast
Podcast 76: Michael Fremer
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 09, 2011
In his second appearance on the podcast, our own Michael Fremer, audiophile extraordinaire and redoubtable raconteur, waxes rhapsodic about the dichotomy of the quality of physical media versus the convenience of streaming, then takes us on a tour of his listening room and his incredible collection of vinyl records. He also opines on the audible effect of different cables and demagnetizing black vinyl records (really!), objective versus subjective (what he calls "observational") listening, and comments and questions from the chat room.

Run Time: 51:14

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Streaming Device ReviewsNew Products
Boxee Comes to the iPad
Michael Berk  |  Aug 09, 2011

HTPC, PC, Mac, dedicated hardware, and now the iPad. Boxee continues to extend the footprint of its video interface software with its iOS application, a nifty little front end for the iPad. But don't expect a mobile version of the full Boxee experience.

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Audio Video News
Hands On With the Resistance 3 Multiplayer Beta
Timothy J. Seppala  |  Aug 09, 2011

The Resistance series has never had it easy. The original title launched alongside the PS3 back in 2006, and remained largely overlooked in the furor surrounding Sony’s $600 asking price for their new console.

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Curtain Call
Meet Bill
Michael J. Nelson  |  Aug 09, 2011
A few columns ago, I mused on what it must be like for an expert to have to face the staggering amount of misinformation floating around in his or her area of expertise. And yes, all I can do is muse, as the few times I’ve been in the company of experts, the mistake was discovered and I was soon escorted from the premises. Sure, I was acquainted with a woman who made a conscious decision to become the foremost expert on the origin and history of the Cornish pasty (true story). Sadly, throughout my life, this connection has not opened as many doors as you might imagine.
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TV ReviewsLCD TV Reviews
Samsung UN46D6000 LED LCD HDTV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 08, 2011

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $1300 At A Glance: Exceptional color and detail • Deep blacks • Non-uniformity clearly visible in letterbox bars and dark scenes • Smart TV functions well implemented

The Samsung UN46D6000 LED-edgelit LCD TV is among the best-selling flat panels from several retailers, and for good reason—it's a superb performer in almost every respect. Out of the box, it turned in the most accurate measurements of any TV I've ever reviewed (that is, after I selected the Movie picture mode), its color and detail are exquisite, its blacks are very deep, and the Smart TV online content looked better than I've seen from most displays. The only real fly in the ointment is the non-uniformity of illumination in dark scenes and letterbox bars, which is endemic of just about all LED-edgelit LCDs. But if you can get past that, the UN46D6000 is an exceptional value I would recommend to anyone looking for a flat panel on a budget.

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Audio Video NewsHeadphone Amp/DAC Reviews
A 3D Glasses Standard at Last?
Michael Berk  |  Aug 08, 2011

Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, and X6D Limited (the folks behind the XPAND 3D glasses system) today announced the "Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative," a move towards bringing some much needed universality to both RF- and IR-coupled active 3D technologies.

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New Products
Ludacris' Soul SL300 Headphones, Now Everywhere
Michael Berk  |  Aug 08, 2011

The SL300, the long-awaited flagship model in Chris 'Ludacris" Bridges' Soul headphone line, finally makes its way to major retail chains nationwide today, so pretty much everybody who can make it to a Best Buy or has an Amazon account should have a chance to see if Luda's put his money where your ears are.

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Ask S&V
Rooftop-Antenna Rotors
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 08, 2011
I'm an avid listener of TWiT and have heard you on the Tech Guy and your podcast. Because of TWiT and the fact that I don't watch a lot of TV, I have decided to "cut the cord"—that is, dump cable and satellite. However, I would like to take advantage of digital over-the-air broadcasting. I remember hearing that you have a rooftop antenna with a motorized rotor for orientation adjustments. What options are available for different qualities and prices?

Juan E.

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