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Guide To Hi-Res Audio
SV Staff  |  Nov 12, 2015
High Resolution-Audio is the next evolution of digital music. This Guide, produced by Sound & Vision’s editorial staff in partnership with the Consumer Technology Association (best known as hosts of the annual CES), provides a deep-dive look at this exciting technology, including basic technical definitions, information about equipment you’ll need, tips on where to find hi-res music online, and more.

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Ask S&V
Do I Need New HDMI Cables for UHDTV?
Al Griffin  |  Nov 11, 2015
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’m preparing to make a big, across-the-board system upgrade, much like I did several years back when HDMI 1.3 became standard for most devices. Will I need to replace my 5-year-old HDMI cables with new, higher speed ones to accommodate 4K video and HDMI 2.0/HDPC 2.2? —Mark Johnson

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4K TV ReviewsTV ReviewsLCD TV Reviews
LG 65UF9500 LCD Ultra HDTV Review
Rob Sabin  |  Nov 11, 2015
2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $2,800

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Accurate out-of-box color
Superb webOS 2.0 smart interface
Solid value in a 65-inch set
Minus
Moderate black levels and contrast
No future-proofing for enhanced UHD content
3D crosstalk

THE VERDICT
LG’s 65-inch Prime Series looks great with most content while offering sexy design and superb ease of use at an attractive price.

LG Electronics has impressed enthusiasts with stunning (and mostly expensive) OLED displays, but the company competes aggressively in traditional LED-driven LCD flat panels, too. The 65UF9500 reviewed here is a 65-inch Ultra HD model near the top of that line, and one of two models designated as Prime Ultra HDTVs (the other being a 79-inch version priced at $7,500). The Prime feature package includes, among other things, a wide color gamut option, enhanced brightness for highlights, and LG’s webOS 2.0 smart TV platform. Of course, it can’t boast the deep blacks and infinite contrast of LG’s OLEDs. That said, does it deserve a space among today’s top “regular” TVs? Let’s take a closer look.

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The S&V Interview
Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty: Owners of a Lovely Spark
Mike Mettler  |  Nov 11, 2015
Creative sparks don't always fly when veteran musicians get together to collaborate. But that's exactly what happened when two progressive titans, vocalist Jon Anderson and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, came together to form the Anderson Ponty Band, a.k.a. APB. Their oh-so-apropos debut, Better Late Than Never (Liaison Music), mixes fine, edgy originals with rearranged and revamped covers of classic material like Yes's "Roundabout" and Ponty's "Mirage" — renamed here as "Infinite Mirage," as it now features Anderson singing new lyrics he wrote just for the song. “We work together like family,” marvels Ponty, 73. Agrees Anderson, “We’re musical brothers, you know?” I called Anderson, 71, during an APB tour stop to discuss working with Jean-Luc, our ongoing mutual love of surround sound, and the ever-escalating legacy of Yes.
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Audio Video News
Sony Unveils First 4K Ultra HD Discs
SV Staff  |  Nov 11, 2015
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) has announced the first six movies it plans to release on Blu-ray in the 4K Ultra HD format early next year.
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Audio Video News
Music Retailers Adopt Hi-Res Logo
SV Staff  |  Nov 11, 2015
A number of hi-res music retailers have agreed to adopt the Hi-Res Music logo shown here and integrate it into their websites and branding materials, according to an announcement from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), made in cooperation with The Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) and The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing.
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Audio Video News
Sonos Trueplay Speaker Tuning Now Available
SV Staff  |  Nov 11, 2015
Sonos has announced that its Trueplay speaker tuning software is now available via a free update.
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A/V Veteran
Ultra HD's Brave New World: More Than Just 4K
Thomas J. Norton  |  Nov 10, 2015
As we’ve taken pains to point out previously here at Sound & Vision, there’s more to Ultra HD than just 4K resolution. The latter merely offers eight times as many pixels as 1080p HD. That’s unlikely to make much difference on any but the very largest sets viewed from 6-8 feet from the screen. Advanced color and high dynamic range (HDR), are also a part of the specs for Ultra HD (or UHD for short), and will definitely up the ante in the eye-candy department even on a small set viewed from across the room.

While advanced color and HDR remain, for now, small players in the psychodrama that most folks still refer to as simply 4K, they’re definitely on their way...

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Audio Video News
DTS:X Coming to Movie Theaters
Mark Fleischmann  |  Nov 10, 2015
Look out, Dolby Atmos. Another object-oriented surround sound system is coming to town.

The DTS:X system hit Carmike Cinemas-owned theaters in September with Lionsgate titles American Ultra and Sicario and in November with Mockingjay: Part 2. Carmike upgraded seven theaters in Georgia, Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, California, and Alabama.

DTS:X and Atmos both enable soundtrack mixes to use metadata to steer objects around a three-dimensional soundfield. In addition to its theatrical debut, DTS:X is also following Atmos into home theaters with compatible A/V receivers and Blu-ray Disc releases.

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Audio Video News
Hollywood and DEG Finalize 4K Disc Packaging
SV Staff  |  Nov 10, 2015
The Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) today announced that it has developed packaging for the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs heading our way early next year.

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