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Audio Video News
Netflix Streaming Bumps Off Disc Option
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 25, 2011
Attention Netflix streamers: The "Add to DVD Queue" option will be eliminated from streaming devices. The move effectively means that you can rent a disc only by going to your computer, even if you pay the monthly rate for a combined streaming and disc plan.

The announcement came in a company blog. Here is the blog post in its entirety:

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Cyrus—Fox Searchlight Pictures
Kris Deering  |  Jan 24, 2011
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3.5/5
Extras: 3/5
Still single seven years after the breakup of his marriage; John has all but given up on romance. But at the urging of his ex-wife and best friend Jamie, John grudgingly agrees to join her and her fiancé Tim at a party. To his and everyone else's surprise, he actually manages to meet someone: the gorgeous and spirited Molly. Their chemistry is immediate. The relationship takes off quickly but Molly is oddly reluctant to take the relationship beyond John's house. Perplexed, he follows her home and discovers the other man in Molly's life: her son, Cyrus. A 21-year-old new age musician, Cyrus is his mom's best friend and shares an unconventional relationship with her. Cyrus will go to any lengths to protect Molly and is definitely not ready to share her with anyone, especially John. Before long, the two are locked in a battle of wits for the woman they both love - and it appears only one man can be left standing when it's over.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Alice In Wonderland—Walt Disney Pictures
Kris Deering  |  Jan 24, 2011
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Join Alice as she chases the White Rabbit and journeys into a topsy-turvy world that gets "curiouser and curiouser" as her fantastical adventures unfold. Meet the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Tweedledee & Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts and more unforgettable characters, all set against a backdrop of awe-inspiring splendor.
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Premiere Design
GoldenEar TritonCinema Speaker System
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 24, 2011
One of the biggest audio sensations at CES wasn't a megabucks speaker—it was the Triton Two tower from GoldenEar Technology. The company was recently started by Sandy Gross and Don Givogue, who had been partners at Definitive Technology (Gross also co-founded Polk), to raise the bar on speaker performance and value. They seem to have hit a home run with the Triton Two, which is available in a stereo pair or as part of the TritonCinema multichannel system for a price that will surprise you.
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Tower Speaker Reviews
Focal Electra 1028 Be Speaker System
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 24, 2011

Performance
Value
Build Quality
Price: $23,247 (updated 3/16/15)
At A Glance: Highs to die for, uncolored midrange, tight bass • Cinematic soundstage • Flawless build quality

Going for the Beryllium

Focal first became a household audio name in the 1980s. Located in Saint-Etienne, France, the company furnished driver units for a number of well-known speaker manufacturers, among them Wilson Audio Specialties. Wilson continues to use an exclusive version of a Focal inverted titanium-dome tweeter. With that exception, Focal has long since kept all of its driver production in-house for its own complete lineup of loudspeakers for the consumer, professional, automotive, and multimedia markets.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Secretariat (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jan 24, 2011
Behind every legend lies and impossible dream. Witness the spectacular journey of an incredible horse named Secretariat and the moving story of his unlikely owner (Diane Lane), a housewife who risked everything to make him a champion.

Disney is never one to shy away from an inspirational sports story and while this doesn't live up to the magic of Miracle, it has a lot of heart and explains the struggles Penny Chenery had to endure to be a woman in a male dominate world. I'm sure there were some liberties taken with some of the facts to liven-up the story, but that's not uncommon in Hollywood. Regardless, the performances are very good, especially by Lane and John Malkovich, who plays the eccentric Canadian horse trainer.

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Audio Video News
Sony Makes Its Browser Move
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 24, 2011
Sony Bravia TVs and other broadband-connected products are getting a new feature: the Opera web browser.

Of course there's hardly a higher-end TV left that doesn't have some kind of IPTV capability. But most IPTVs depend on apps, guided by the philosophy that a computer-centric approach is not right for television. By adopting a little-known but fully developed browser, while also offering apps, Sony is taking more of a belt-and-suspenders approach.

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Vote
Do You Suffer From 3D Sickness?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 21, 2011

Aside from the high cost of active-shutter glasses, one of the biggest complaints about 3D TV is that watching it can make some people physically sick with eye strain, headaches, dizziness, nausea, or even convulsions. This phenomenon has prompted manufacturers such as Samsung and Sony to issue warnings about watching 3D content if you're drunk, pregnant—hopefully not at the same time!—tired, elderly, or prone to seizures. One possible explanation is that stereoscopic 3D is not the same as what we see in the real world, and the human brain responds differently.

I have never experienced any related symptoms while watching 3D TVs, and I realize that such warnings are mostly to cover the company's legal ass. Also, I suspect the incidence of these problems is greater with active-shutter glasses, which alternately open and close 60 times per second, than with passive glasses that are used in most commercial cinemas.

Still, I don't know how common "3D sickness" really is, so I ask you: Have you ever experienced any of the symptoms listed above while watching 3D content, and if so, under what circumstances?

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice, especially if it depends on the program or where you sit. What programs or locations are best and worst?

Do You Suffer From 3D Sickness?
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Premiere Design
Devialet D-Premier Integrated Amp/DAC
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 21, 2011
Among the standout gems at CES this year was the D-Premier integrated amp/DAC from French newcomer Devialet. Distributed in the US by Audio Plus Services, the D-Premier serves as the stylish hub of a high-performance 2-channel audio system.
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Custom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
Basement DIY Theater
Tom Kern  |  Jan 21, 2011

In 2008, I started to design and build the home theater my wife, Allison, and I always wanted. I spent months pouring over home theater magazines and DIY theater websites learning what to do, and more importantly, what not to do. Having toyed around with home and car stereo in the past, I decided that there was no need to hire someone to install and calibrate my system. Taking a “hands on” approach helped me understand every aspect of the project and in the long run it should be easier to integrate new components in the future.

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