How do you make a two-hour movie about a forced water landing in the Hudson River that lasted 208 seconds, where everyone already knows the happy outcome? You don’t. You keep it to a 90-minute running time and make two mini-movies: one about the exceptional skill and decision-making that saved lives in the air and on the ground, and one about bureaucrats second-guessing that decision-making. Weaving the stories together keeps Sully from being overly dull, but a documentary format might have been more interesting.
There’s something big goin’ on in the flat-panel TV market, in more ways than one. Sales of 4K Ultra HD displays are taking over new TV purchases at 55 inches and above, and once-pricey 75-inch 4K sets are suddenly very attainable, with some coming in well under $3,000.
With 35 days to go, China-based Maxus Tech has successfully crowdfunded a device that uses sonar technology to turn any surface into a gesture-based control interface. The company actually exceeded its $20,000 goal on the first day and as of today has raised more than $45,000.
2D Performance 3D Performance Features Ergonomics Value
PRICE $8,000
AT A GLANCE Plus
Stunning resolution
Excellent blacks and
shadow detail
Compatible with 4K content
Minus
Some clipping in HDR
THE VERDICT
If you want a projector illuminated by laser light, this Epson is the only game in town for less than five figures. But there’s a lot more here to rave about than just the lasers.
If video projectors have one serious limitation as display devices, at least for the home, it’s lamp life. Manufacturers make glowing claims for this, sometimes as high as 6,000 hours; that’s to half brightness. However, the video perfectionist is unlikely to get to half that figure, or even a third of it, before he or she senses that the picture is growing dim. It’s not unheard of for critical users to replace the lamp at 1,000 hours to maintain the projector’s youthful good looks. But projection lamps aren’t cheap.
Q After reading soundbar reviews in Sound & Vision, one thing seems clear: to get the best sound, you need to combine a soundbar with a subwoofer. My problem is that I will soon be moving from a house to an apartment. As I’m sure you’re aware, the tenant with a subwoofer in an apartment building is usually the least favorite neighbor.
My current 5.1 setup includes Definitive Technology ProMonitor 800s, a ProCenter 1000 and ProSub 1000. Everything is hooked up to a Marantz 7701 preamp/processor and matching amp. Do you have any suggestions for replacing my system with a standalone soundbar that won't compromise on bass? I would ideally like to continue using the Marantz amp and preamp. —Brian Morgan
The consistent trickle of new receivers in recent weeks continues, this time with a stereo model from Onkyo that offers extensive connectivity and supports high-resolution audio playback and a host of wireless networking features.
With Genesis essentially in the rearview mirror save for reissues and other archival material, Mike Rutherford, the consummate songwriter/guitarist/bassist, has focused his energies on ensuring Mike + The Mechanics remains a going concern. To that end, Rutherford and his Mechanics have collectively tinkered under the hood to engineer the quite-fine-indeed-sounding Let Me Fly (The End/BMG), out on April 7. Rutherford, 66, called in to discuss his approach to Fly, how he thinks you should listen to it, and why he no longer sings his own material.