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What You Need to Know About Hi-Res Audio
SV Staff  |  Apr 19, 2016
Trying to get a handle on Hi-Res Audio and how it relates to your enjoyment of music? Get answers to frequently-asked questions.
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A/V Veteran
What HDR Means for Color and Luminance
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 19, 2016
What’s a “nit” and what’s it have to do with what you see on your TV screen as we enter the Age of High Dynamic Range (aka HDR) video.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Vizio Introduces E- and M-Series SmartCast TVs
SV Staff  |  Apr 19, 2016
Vizio today introduced the SmartCast E-Series and M-Series 4K/Ultra HD (UHD) TVs, featuring app control, built-in Google Cast plus Dolby Vision high-dynamic range (HDR) capability in the case of the more upscale M-Series.

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Signals
Cassettes, Really?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 19, 2016
I am sorry. Only certain people will be allowed to read this column. To ensure that you are qualified, you must first correctly answer this question: What is the relationship between cassettes and pencils? If you can answer that, feel free to read on. If you can’t, please move on.

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Audio Video News
Denon Adds Bluetooth and Hi-Res Audio to Heos
SV Staff  |  Apr 19, 2016
Denon today announced that it is adding Bluetooth and Hi-Res Audio capability to its Heos wireless multiroom music system. Moving forward the updated Heos models will carry the designation HS2; previous generation Heos models are being discontinued but are fully compatible with their updated counterparts.
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Portable Player Reviews
Astell & Kern AK Jr Music Player Review
Mark Fleischmann  |  Apr 18, 2016

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $499

AT A GLANCE
Plus
A&K’s most affordable player
Same Wolfson DAC as in classic models
Flatter form factor
Minus
DSD converted to PCM
Less than intuitive GUI

THE VERDICT
The Astell & Kern AK Jr is the least expensive music player from the company that has defined the state of the art in pocketable audio.

Visit the Apple Website and scan the banner across the top: Mac, iPad, iPhone, Watch, TV, Music, Support. Where’s the iPod? You’ll have to hit Music and scroll down a bit for the link to the iPod page. There you’ll find the surviving touch, nano, and shuffle players, but no high-capacity hard-drive-based models or even the iconic click wheel. Apple (and to be fair, Apple isn’t alone) recognizes that most people now use phones for onthe-go listening.

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Audio Video News
Amazon to Offer Monthly Prime Video Option
SV Staff  |  Apr 18, 2016
Amazon is dropping the requirement that you have to sign up for a year to access its Prime membership services and taking aim at Netflix by adding a subscription option that will offer Prime Video as a standalone service at $8.99 a month, according to a CNN Money report.
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Audio Video News
4K/Ultra HDTVs Abound but What About Content?
SV Staff  |  Apr 18, 2016
Upwards of half of all U.S. households will own a 4K/Ultra HD TV over the next three years, according to research firm Strategy Analytics, which begs the question: How much 4K content will be available?
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Grace NotesNEWS============
Stairway to Heaven Copyright Infringement: Does the Song Remain the Same?
Leslie Shapiro  |  Apr 18, 2016
On May 10, 2016, a jury will begin a trial to decide if Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant and Jimmy Page copied parts of the song “Taurus” by the band Spirit for their mega-hit “Stairway to Heaven.” A ruling last week by a U.S. District Judge determined that the case should move forward, stating the following: “While it is true that a descending chromatic four-chord progression is a common convention that abounds in the music industry, the similarities here transcend this core structure. Enough similar protectable expression is here that the issue of substantial similarity should [be heard by a jury].”

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Tech2
Jungle Book Review
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Apr 16, 2016
Disney’s The Jungle Book (not to be confused with next year’s The Warner Bros. The Jungle Book) is a movie that I saw and I have some thoughts on. Probably not spoilery, but I’ll keep them to myself until you click the button right below this sentence…

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