LATEST ADDITIONS

Premiere Design
Marantz UD9004, UD7005, & UD5005 Universal Disc Players
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 27, 2010

D&M Holdings is the corporate umbrella under which both Denon and Marantz live, so it's no surprise that the flagship Denon DVD-A1UDCI (reviewed by Shane Buettner for Home Theater) and Marantz UD9004 universal disc players are both based on a common platform. So why is the Marantz $1500 more than the already very-expensive Denon?

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3D Glasses: Can They Have Universal Appeal?
Kevin James  |  Jul 27, 2010

While 3D movies have been doing blockbuster business in theaters, for some potential viewers the idea of wearing (and buying) expensive, uncomfortable 3D glasses at home has all the appeal of Carrot Top/Pauly Shore double feature.

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Premiere Design
Wilson Audio Sasha W/P Speaker
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 27, 2010

Few speakers are more highly regarded than the venerable WATT/Puppy from Wilson Audio. After eight model revisions, Wilson decided to implement some upgrades that warranted a new name—and the Sasha W/P was born.

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Audio Video News
Blu-ray Up, DVD Down
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 27, 2010
The numbers for home entertainment spending are in from the Digital Entertainment Group. Blu-ray and downloads are up, DVD is down, and when you add it all together, overall spending is slightly down.
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Audio Video News
Audyssey's volume-bosting tech for small devices
SV Staff  |  Jul 27, 2010
Audyssey has been working on sound technology for home theaters for years now, but it's stayed mostly clear of portable gadgets. That's changing with today's announcement of a new technology for beefing up the sound capabilities of small devices....
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Audio Video News
'Apocalypse Now' coming to Blu-ray soon
SV Staff  |  Jul 26, 2010
This year is seeing some of the greatest movies ever made hit Blu-ray. First Criterion announced that it will be releasing Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai on Blu-ray Disc this fall, and now Lionsgate has announced that Francis Ford Coppola's...
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AV Receiver Reviews
Arcam AVR500 A/V Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 26, 2010

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $3,499 At A Glance: Less powerful version of AVR600 • Omits network/IP functionality and some legacy inputs • HDMI 1.3 connectivity excludes 3D

Paring Down to Essentials

In this economically tough climate, we all have to trim expenses to the essentials. Just this week, I instructed my manservant to take my suits to the dry cleaner only if they’ve been worn for more than three hours. My nightly meals at five-star restaurants will be cut back to six nights a week at 4.5-star restaurants. During the summer, I’ll raise the thermostat in my 25-room summer house from 70 to 71 degrees (unless I’m actually there). The pilot of my personal jet will have to cut back the monthly Caspian Sea caviar run to every other month. And no more caviar for the pool boy.

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AV Receiver Reviews
Yamaha RX-Z7 A/V Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 26, 2010
Price: $2,700 At A Glance: Numerous networked music options including Rhapsody • Anchor Bay VRS video processing • HDMI 1.3 connectivity excludes 3D

Features, Performance, or Both?

In Akira Kurosawa’s classic film Rashomon, a violent crime is followed by several markedly variable versions of the same story as told from the viewpoints of four different characters: the criminal, two victims, and finally a relatively neutral observer. In the same manner, readers may finish this review with wildly divergent ideas of what’s important and whether the Yamaha RX-Z7 is right for them.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Fanboys (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jul 26, 2010
Four estranged buddies embark on a road trip across the country in a last ditch effort to reclaim their friendship. Star Wars fans since childhood, their goal is to break into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in an attempt to see a rough cut of Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace before its worldwide theatrical release in 1999.

My name is David Vaughn and I have been a Star Wars fanboy since 1977. Yes, I stood in line for more hours than I would like to admit to see The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi when I was an adolescent. Furthermore, I did the same in 1999 at the ripe young age of 30 in order to be one of the first to see The Phantom Menace.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
White Collar (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jul 26, 2010
Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) is a charming criminal mastermind who is finally caught by his nemesis, FBI Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) and in lieu of being sent back to prison, the two form a unique partnership. Caffrey lends his criminal expertise to the FBI in exchange for limited freedom to help the Feds capture other elusive criminals.

I don't have much time to watch TV and I find watching the shows on Blu-ray is much more convenient to my schedule. The buddy-cop angle is far from new and I was a bit apprehensive when I popped the first disc in my player, but surprisingly I've enjoyed every one of the 14 season one episodes. The tandem of Bomer and DeKay has great chemistry and the supporting cast that includes Tiffany Thiessen and Willie Garson is very strong.

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