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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Seabiscuit
David Vaughn  |  May 29, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/seabiscuit.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>The little horse that could debuts on Blu-ray with a fantastic VC-1 encode and an encompassing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. It was difficult to pick only three scenes to highlight here, since virtually the entire film is filled with worthy scenes. For example, any of the racing sequences will give you the illusion of riding a horse in the middle of a high-stakes race with the animals' labored breathing and pounding hooves. The same can be said of the video and its impeccable attention to detail. Each of the three scenes below will give you a general idea of why this disc deserves the title of "Ultimate Demo."

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Audio Video News
Hulu Desktop Beta has great potential
SV Staff  |  May 29, 2009
The first thought that hits me when I open Hulu's desktop application is how bad I feel for Joost. A few years ago they were trying to pull off the same magic trick: bringing a full-fledged TV experience to the desktop. Adobe tried, too with...
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Children of Men
David Vaughn  |  May 29, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/com.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>In the year 2027, the human race is on the brink of extinction due to mass infertility, and life on Earth has descended into chaos. Is Darwinism the culprit? Does the human race deserve to survive? Theo (Clive Owen), a dissatisfied government worker, becomes the unlikely potential savior of the species when he's asked by his former lover (Julianne Moore) to escort a miraculously pregnant girl out of the country to keep her safe.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Seabiscuit (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  May 29, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/seabiscuit.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Based on the best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand, <i>Seabiscuit</i> tells the true story of the horse that could and the three men who made him a winner&#151;owner Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges), trainer Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), and jockey Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire). With the nation suffering from the effects of the Great Depression, the undersized racehorse gives America something to cheer for.

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Audio Video News
Is Zune HD the future of portable media?
SV Staff  |  May 29, 2009
Just a few days ago, the Zune HD was nothing more than the subject of some wild speculation, but now that it has been made official, many people are wondering whether or not Microsoft's new player is actually going to be make as much noise as...
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Audio Video News
HDMI 1.4 Spec Unveiled
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 29, 2009
HDMI 1.4 is here, with the release of a new specification by HDMI Licensing LLC, the consortium led by Silicon Image. Should you care? Here are some highlights of the new standard:
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Music Reviews
Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown
Jaan Uhelszki  |  May 28, 2009
Review
Reprise
Music ••• Sound ••••½
It's been 5 years since Green Day sounded the alarm wit
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Audio Video News
Custom soda machines for your theme theater
SV Staff  |  May 28, 2009
Beverages and movie-watching go together like, well, beverages and virtually any other activity. Beverages are just that great. You can keep a cube fridge in your home theater to ensure a frosty drink is always available, but that just seems so...
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Audio Video News
Court Nixes Cable Apartment Exclusives
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 28, 2009
Do you live in an apartment building served by cable? If so, you're probably resigned to your local cable operator having a monopoly. But the U.S. Court of Appeals says that's not the way it has to be.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Valkyrie
David Vaughn  |  May 27, 2009  |  First Published: May 28, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/valkyrie.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>After filming <i>Superman Returns</i> with HD cameras, director Bryan Singer used 35mm film in the loosely based true story <i>Valkyrie</i>, in which Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The film opens in North Africa with a rich golden hue; when Stauffenberg ventures back to the fatherland, the color palette opens up with bold reds and lush greens. Although the film is a middling affair, the audio and video presentation is stupendous and a demo showpiece.

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