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Audio Video News
Netflix Streaming Is Huge
Mark Fleischmann  |  Oct 26, 2010
Netflix streaming is not just an up-and-coming mode of video distribution. It's become huge.
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Custom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
The Stargate Theater
Kim Wilson  |  Oct 25, 2010
When you have a vision as big and bold as the recreation of the set design in Stargate Atlantis, you need a systems integrator that is right with you all along the way. Fortunately, for the client they discovered Visual Concepts Home Theater and Automation, whose motto is "we can build anything you can dream".
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3D Tech
Stewart Silver 5D Screen Material
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 25, 2010
Last week, I attended a meeting at Stewart Filmscreen, where I learned about a new screen material called Silver 5D. It's a clever name, since this material is designed to work well with both polarized 3D and 2D images (3D + 2D = 5D).
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Pacific (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Oct 25, 2010
Executive producers Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman, who brought us Band of Brothers, deliver another WWII masterpiece about the battles in the Pacific. The 10-part miniseries follows the true-life stories of Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), John Basilone (Joe Mazello), and Eugene Sledge (Jon Seda) as they fight their way across the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945. It all starts with the horrific conflict of Guadalcanal, continues to Cape Gloucester and Peleliu, then to the famous combat at Iwo Jima, the terror of Okinawa, and finally their return home after V-J Day and how the mental scars of battle aren't easily forgotten.

Given its massive budget (estimated to be $195 million), I expected the battle scenes to rival those in Saving Private Ryan—which they do in their scope and visceral impact—but it's the psychological struggles of our three heroes that kept me riveted. Not only do they have to fight a relentless enemy in the Japanese, but they must cope with the elements—suffocating heat, malaria, tropical rainstorms—and somehow keep a grasp on their own humanity. If they're fortunate enough to survive and return home, how will they acclimate to the civilized world after spending four years in hell?

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AV Receiver ReviewsBlu-ray Player Reviews
Denon S-5BD Blu-ray Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  Oct 25, 2010
Price: $1,799 At A Glance: A/V receiver with integrated Blu-ray drive • Audyssey MultEQ, Dynamic EQ, Dynamic Volume • USB port for direct iPod connection

Looking for the Right Fit

Let’s say you hit the mall looking for a leather jacket. You find a store with an especially nice selection and immerse yourself in the joy of leather. At first, you just walk around enjoying the sights. But then you refine your search: by color, style, material, lining, presence or absence of shoulder padding, the mechanical integrity of the zipper, and the little things, like whether there’s a fastened interior pocket the right size for your iPhone. Finally you hit the target, finding the jacket line that meets all of your specifications. You begin pawing through jackets, at first enjoying the little thrill of handling something you actually may buy. You paw through some more, getting nervous. Finally, you reach the end of the rack, and you’re frantic. You turn around, find a salesperson standing there, and ask: “Is this jacket available in a small?” The salesperson smirks and answers: “Sorry, sir, we only have that in large or extra-large.”

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Audio Video News
Samsung to Offer 3D Prescription Specs
user  |  Oct 25, 2010
One of the problems facing 3D enthusiasts is what to do about the glasses. Besides being expensive and manufacturer-specific, they also are uncomfortable for people who already wear glasses. Doesn't the bridge of your nose have enough to do?
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Premiere Design
Arcici Turntables
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 22, 2010
Known primarily for high-end equipment racks, Italian Arcici also makes some beautiful turntables. Shown here is the Alba with Lyla tonearm, the least expensive model that retails for 14,000 euro (about $19,500 as of this writing), and like the other Arcici turntables, all setup instruments and gauges are included.
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Ask the Expert: November 2010
Al Griffin  |  Oct 22, 2010

Question: I’m in the market for a Blu-ray player and A/V receiver, but I’d like the system to play 96-kHz/24-bit high-rez music downloads as well. The info I’ve found on manufacturer Web sites simply indicates whether or not the equipment supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, but not if the DACs support 96/24 decoding. Since many players and AVRs have a USB port, can this be used as an input for sending 96/24 files from my PC?
Joe Massey, Exeter, NH

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Test Report: LG 47LE8500 LCD HDTV Page 4
Rob Sabin  |  Oct 22, 2010

These days, LED-backlit LCD TVs get a lot of attention, thanks in part to their super-thin form factor. This is especially true for edge-lit LED models.

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Test Report: LG 47LE8500 LCD HDTV
Rob Sabin  |  Oct 22, 2010

These days, LED-backlit LCD TVs get a lot of attention, thanks in part to their super-thin form factor. This is especially true for edge-lit LED models.

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