LATEST ADDITIONS

SmartStream
Want Faster Streaming? Use an AC Bridge and Router
Barb Gonzalez  |  Sep 05, 2013
If you have a fast Internet connection and are still having trouble streaming high-definition movies and TV shows, you need to consider getting an “AC” bridge and router to connect to your home theater.
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3D Blu-ray Movie ReviewsBlu-ray Movie Reviews
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Chris Chiarella  |  Sep 05, 2013
Picture
3D-ness
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
Peter Jackson gave the world a beloved, wildly successful film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, culminating in a record-breaking Oscar sweep, so of course, he was the obvious choice to helm the Hobbit prequels. But whereas the Rings trilogy made a newbie like me love it with its epic thrills and fascinating characters, An Unexpected Journey seems to be in love with its own familiar world and everyone in it. We meet a younger Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit happily minding his own business when the wizard Gandalf drafts him for a dangerous quest.
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Audio Video News
Sony Introduces Curved-Screen LCD HDTV
SV Staff  |  Sep 05, 2013
Sony has announced that its first curved-screen LED-based LCD television, the 65-inch KDL-65S990A, will be available in October at Sony Stores and select electronics retailers nationwide at the price of $4,000.
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TV Reviews
Panasonic TC-P65ZT60 3D Plasma HDTV
Tom Norton  |  Sep 04, 2013

2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $3,800

At A Glance
Plus: Rich, accurate color and superb resolution • Full adjustability • Unsurpassed blacks and shadow detail
Minus: Adequate but not very bright 3D

The Verdict
Four years after the Pioneer Kuro plasma exited the market, Panasonic has finally, in its ZT60 series, created an HDTV that is essentially its equal in all key areas of image quality.

In 2009, Pioneer ceased production of its highly regarded Kuro plasma HDTVs, and videophiles everywhere took to wearing hair shirts and pondering self-flagellation.

We knew back then that Panasonic produced excellent plasmas as well, but the Kuro’s inky blacks remained unsurpassed. So when a number of former Pioneer engineers went to work for Panasonic, there was new hope. Big changes don’t happen over a single product cycle, however, or even over two or three. But now, with the release of Panasonic’s new ZT60 series, Panasonic claims to have reached that elusive summit. But has it? Can Kuro buyers stop sweating about their sets breaking down, and can those who missed the Kuro express altogether finally stop kicking themselves? We’re here to find out.

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TV Reviews
Panasonic TC-P65VT60 3D Plasma HDTV
Tom Norton  |  Sep 04, 2013
2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price $3,000

At A Glance
Plus: First-rate blacks and shadow detail • Impeccable color and resolution
Minus: Color decoder error calls for care in calibration • Adequate but not terribly bright 3D

The Verdict
With performance nearly identical to the flagship ZT60 series, Panasonic’s VT60 offers state-of-the-art image quality at a more affordable price.

If the Panasonic ZT60 series is the company’s statement product for 2013, the VT60 is an update of its long-running VT flagship line. What’s in that silly little one-letter difference? Less than you might expect, and more. For starters, the ZT60 line is available only in 60- and 65-inch sizes. The VT60 adds a 55-incher to the mix. In addition, the ZT60 is said to be something of a limited edition, the result of a complex, time-consuming manufacturing process associated with that set’s Studio Master panel.

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Audio Video News
Energy Introduces Power Base Soundbar
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 04, 2013
Energy today introduced the Energy Power Base soundbar, which is available on Amazon.com for $399 now and will roll out to retail stores in October.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
This Week in Movies & TV, September 3, 2013: Old News
SV Staff  |  Sep 04, 2013
The Hour: Seasons 1&2, Now You See Me, Revolution: Season 1, Cockneys vs Zombies, Person of Interest: Season 2, The Iceman, Da Vinci’s Demons: Season 1, Stories We Tell, The Office: Season 9.
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Tech2
Panasonic SC-NT10 Rugged Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Sep 04, 2013
Aimin’ to take a beatin’
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Bluetooth Speaker Reviews
Panasonic SC-NT10 Rugged Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Sep 04, 2013

Panasonic has found a cool niche with their line of "tough" products: normal electronics with a little extraness so they'll survive some decent wear and tear.

This idea has found its way into a Bluetooth speaker. The SC-NT10 is fairly rugged looking, sports some decent outdoorsy specs, and has the added benefit of looking not quite unlike a flying saucer.

And if that doesn't entice you to read, know that I actually went out of doors to test this thing. Outside! Where there's sunlight! And things! It was terrifying!

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This Week
This Week in Music, September 3, 2013: Nine Inch Nails, with fewer teeth
Ken Richardson  |  Sep 03, 2013

Nine Inch Nails: Hesitation Marks

New release (Columbia; tour dates)
Photo of Trent Reznor by Baldur Bragson

Trent Reznor already came back haunted in March with the release of Welcome oblivion by How to destroy angels. That side project with Atticus Ross and (Reznor’s wife) Mariqueen Maandig took post-industrial/ambient music and made it sound fresh. By contrast, Hesitation Marks, Reznor’s first album in five years under the Nine Inch Nails moniker, seems beset by run-of-the-mill electronica. Ross and another veteran collaborator, Alan Moulder, return as co-producers with Reznor, but together they’re often just busy little techno-bees buzzing around Reznor’s generally average material.

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