LATEST ADDITIONS

Audio Video News
Panasonic Adopts Quick Chip
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 09, 2011

The convergence train has long since left the station and one of the results is that TVs are adopting more and more computerized functions. And we all want our computers to run fast, so it's good news that Panasonic has adopted a faster UniPhier processor for its Viera TVs and Blu-ray players.

The Cortex-A9 is a 1.4GHz dual-core chip. Panasonic says it can muster "two TV broadcasting channels [we're guessing that means streams], as well as Internet-based content and applications in high-resolution at the same time. In addition, the new chip is able to reduce power consumption of and the number of components used in smart TVs, which will help drive smart TVs to spread in the global market."

Continue Reading »
Home Theater Geeks Podcast
Podcast 68: Jeff Murray
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 08, 2011
Jeff Murray, president of SpectraCal, discusses the importance of setting a TV's basic picture controls and grayscale calibration, the advantages and pitfalls of color-management systems, the company's VideoForge test-pattern generator and VideoEQ processor, automatic calibration using CalMan software with some of Panasonic's 2011 TVs, where to get educated about video calibration, calibrating 3D TVs, answers to chat-room questions, and more.

Run Time: 58:43

Continue Reading »
Ask S&V
TV Disappointment, Vizio 3D, Closed Captioning
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 08, 2011
I'm unhappy with the LCD TV I bought, any suggestions? What do you think of the Vizio XVT3D650SV? Is there a TV that displays closed captions when you mute the volume?
Continue Reading »
Ask S&V
3D On Any TV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 08, 2011
Back in the late 1980s, Sega released the Sega Master System, a competitor to Nintendo's NES. This system could be purchased with 3D shutter glasses that plugged into the system. These glasses worked basically the same way as today's glasses, but because they sync'd to the game system, they worked with the TV you already had. Why doesn't someone make a 3D Blu-ray player with glasses that sync to it so that any TV could display 3D? This would lower the barrier of entry and maybe sell more 3D movies.

Robert Johnson

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Blu-ray Review: Another Year, and more
Sol Louis Siegel  |  Jun 08, 2011

Another Year (Sony)

Continue Reading »
Desktop Speaker Reviews
Tivoli Audio NetWorks Internet Radio
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 08, 2011
Price: $300 At A Glance: Internet radio in attractive wood-veneer box • Also accesses music from PC or USB device • Wi-Fi or wired connection

Net Radio in a Box

This review needn’t be complicated. The product certainly isn’t. Tivoli Audio’s NetWorks Internet Radio is a little wooden box that plays Internet radio. Aside from the remote, it has only one visible control, a wheel on top. If you never deviate from a favorite station, you’ll rarely even think about the other controls.

Continue Reading »
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Robin of Sherwood (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jun 08, 2011
Shot entirely on location in England's castles and countryside, this modernization of the classic Robin Hood tale combines elements of history, myth, and magic with plenty of action thrown into the mix. The ensemble cast includes Michael Praed as Robin of Loxley, Ray Winstone as Will Scarlet, and Nickolas Grace as the conniving Sheriff of Nottingham.

Broadcast on PBS and Showtime in the 1980s, this British series certainly shows its age with the outdated music, 1.33:1 framed image, and campy production value. The series has a cult-like following and I don't mean to insult the fans, but I don't get it. My wife and I did our best to get through all 13 episodes, but couldn't make it to the end.

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Does Free HDTV Still Matter?
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 08, 2011
Does free HDTV broadcast over the air still matter? The Consumer Electronics Association contends the answer is no. And it has trotted out a survey to prove its point. Among 1256 adults questioned in December 2010, just eight percent said they get over-the-air HDTV signals. And the number has declined since 2005.

"Using huge swaths of wireless spectrum to deliver TV to homes no longer makes economic sense," said CEA CEO Gary Shapiro. "Congress should pass legislation to allow for incentive auctions so free market dynamics can find the best purposes for underused broadcast spectrum, such as wireless broadband."

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
KEF rocks (and rolls) for children
Michael Berk  |  Jun 07, 2011

Our friends at KEF are looking to raise some money this summer for the ChildLine Rocks Foundation, and naturally they're doing it in a high-octane, high-volume fashion. The organization works to prevent child abuse.

Continue Reading »
The Big Picture
X-Men: First Class
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 07, 2011
On Sunday, my wife and I saw X-Men: First Class at the Pacific Theaters Glendale 18 in Glendale, CA. It was the first film presentation I've seen in a while, and I was a bit surprised that this movie is not being offered in 3D at all. And you know what? I didn't miss it at all.
Continue Reading »

Pages

X