LATEST ADDITIONS

Test Report: Panasonic TC-P5OVT25 Plasma HDTV
Al Griffin  |  Sep 10, 2010

Along with Samsung, Panasonic has been pushing hard to bring 3D TV to both early adopters and regular folks who happened to catch Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3, or one of the other recent 3D blockbusters at their local multiplex. But whereas Samsung is neutral when it comes to displays, offering 3D TVs in LCD and plasma flavors, 3D for Panasonic is all about plasma. The company’s initial VT20 Series sets were made available exclusively through Best Buy.

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Premiere Design
Albedo Helmholine Speakers
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 10, 2010
"Albedo" is defined as the ratio of reflected light to incident light on an object, often a celestial body such as a planet or moon—the higher the albedo, the brighter the object appears. So it's no wonder that the tag line of Italian speaker maker Albedo is "Brightness in Sound."
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Audio Video News
3D to Dominate Sony TV Line
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 10, 2010
Most TV makers are presenting 3D as a desirable new feature for upper-echelon sets. Sony is taking a more aggressive approach, at least in the Japanese market. In 2011 nearly all models 40 inches and up will be 3D capable, relegating 2D to a minority of smaller models.
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Audio Video News
Apple patents a photo frame HDTV system
SV Staff  |  Sep 09, 2010
Apple may not be actively pursuing a foothold in the HDTV market outside of its Apple TV set-top box, but it doesn't mean the company isn't still considering how to improve on HDTV technology. According to Patently Apple, Apple has received a...
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Premiere Design
Dared Flagship Monoblock Power Amps
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 09, 2010
With just about everything being made in China these days—including high-end audio gear from companies based in other countries—it seems inevitable that native manufacturers would join the party. Founded in 1995, Shenzhen Danyigao Audio Equipment Limited uses the trademark Dared to brand its tube-based electronics, including the Flagship Series DV-805 and DV-845 single-ended monoblock amps, whose model numbers indicate the specific tube on which each is based.
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Other Tech
Gadget Gary: Dash Addict
Gary Dell'Abate  |  Sep 09, 2010

Sony calls the Dash a “personal Internet viewer,” but I’m not sure that’s a fully accurate description. Truth be told, I’m not sure exactly how to describe this device since it does so many things: It can serve as your alarm clock, you can watch movies on it, peruse one of 1,500-plus widgets, watch Netflix and YouTube. . . the list goes on and on.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Forbidden Planet (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Sep 09, 2010
Captain John J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen) leads a crew of 18 to the planet Altair to investigate the mysterious disappearance of some settlers. Upon arrival, the crew is warned not to land (which they ignore) and are greeted by Robby the Robot. The only two survivors left on the planet are Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his beautiful daughter Altaira (Anne Francis), but what happened to the rest?

While the special effects are nothing special and the pacing is on the slow side, I found the story is entertaining. You can see how Gene Roddenberry was influenced by this and many other 1950s sci-fi films for Star Trek. While the human actors do an admirable job, Robby the Robot steals the show and went on to become one of the most famous robots in movie history appearing in an additional 20 movies and TV shows over the past 50 years.

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Audio Video News
Amazon Out-Streams Apple
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 09, 2010
In the wake of the second-generation Apple TV's introduction, Amazon has one-upped Steve Jobs with a new TV-streaming scheme. Your 99 cents per show will buy not just limited-time streaming rights, but permanent ones. Apple charges 99 cents to rent, Amazon 99 cents to own (for both HD and SD). Amazon's previous price was $2.99.
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Audio Video News
Are 3D TVs here to stay?
SV Staff  |  Sep 08, 2010
CrunchGear's Devin Coldewey put up an interesting piece Tuesday on the state of 3D TVs. His main point is best summed up in the headline: "Get Used To "3D" TVs – They're Here To Stay." The reasoning is that adding 3D compatibility is trivial, and...
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Other Source Component Reviews
TiVo Premiere DVR
David Vaughn  |  Sep 08, 2010
Price: $299 At A Glance: New user interface • Multiple streaming services from Netflix, Amazon, and Blockbuster • Enhanced Internet-driven search capabilities

Has TiVo Reinvented TV Again?

What started as Jim Barton and Mike Ramsay’s idea in 1997 became a reality in 1999 when TiVo burst on the scene and changed the way people watch TV. While time-shifting programs had been around for years via VCR, you couldn’t pause live TV, watch one program while recording another, or view a comprehensive program guide at the push of a button. The cable and satellite companies took their sweet time entering the DVR market, and TiVo’s only other competitor—ReplayTV—was absorbed by DIRECTV. TiVo became so popular, its brand name became a verb.

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