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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Chris Chiarella  |  Dec 15, 2023
Picture
Sound
Extras

Having already cracked the code to what would yield the best animated Batman of all time (and arguably the best adaptation of The Dark Knight, period), the team behind TV’s The Animated Series was ultimately given the green light to make a PG-rated feature film in that same style. And while small-screen Bats pushed creative boundaries, in theaters he went even further, with blood, violence and even (gulp) sex adding a palpable impact to this wholly satisfying adventure.

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The S&V Interview
Displace Offers a New Take on TV
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 14, 2023

15 Minutes with Balaji Krishnan, Displace Founder & CEO

Displace, the San Diego-based startup founded by serial entrepreneur Balaji Krishnan in 2022, has a bold vision for the future of TV. He envisions a world in which we are surrounded by a network of super smart TVs that integrate seamlessly into our daily lives. The kind of TV he has in mind was previewed almost a year ago at CES 2023 and is now close to being ready for prime time: It’s super lightweight, runs on batteries, and literally sticks to the wall with the ability to be easily moved from one spot to another. We reached out to Krishnan to get an update on where things stand with his remarkable TV. Here’s what we learned.

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Audio Video News
Dirac Live Bass Control Now Available for More Denon and Marantz AVRs and Preamps
SV Staff  |  Dec 14, 2023
Dirac, the Swedish company specializing in sound optimization, today announced that its Live Bass Control feature is now available for license in seven mid- and high-end AV receivers/preamps from Denon and Marantz.
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SmartStream
Apple TV OS 17.2 Update Moves Movies & TV from iTunes to Apple TV & More
Barb Gonzalez  |  Dec 13, 2023
The recent Apple TV OS 17.2 update aims to bring all your movies and TV shows together in one place to make it easier for you to find what you want to watch.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Noble Audio Adopts xMEMS Driver Tech for New Wireless Earbuds
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 13, 2023
Noble Audio, a 10-year-old Texas-based company specializing in high-performance in-ear monitors (IEMs) with luxurious custom finishes, has announced that its latest set of noise-canceling wireless earbuds are built around a cutting-edge silicon-based microspeaker developed by xMEMS Labs.
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Soundbar Reviews
Sony HT-A5000 Soundbar Review
Tom Norton  |  Dec 12, 2023
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE: $1,000

AT A GLANCE

Plus
Do-it-all abilities
Competent audio performance
Minus
Operational complexity
Intimidating manuals

THE VERDICT
The detailed setup and operation of the Sony HT-A5000 soundbar can be a little off-putting, but its performance doesn't disappoint and offers a dramatic upgrade over the on-board sound of virtually any television.

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Audio Video News
Owners of Como Audio Table Radios Could Be In for a Rude Awakening
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 12, 2023
In case you haven’t heard, Como Audio, the company that made a name for itself building high-quality table radios incorporating traditional FM radio and internet radio, closed its doors earlier this year. The company faltered when, amid the worldwide supply-chain shortage, chipmakers stopped producing chipsets needed to manufacture its radios.
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A/V Veteran
Star Date: 1997 - Lessons from the Past Still Apply
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 12, 2023
In 1997 I was on the staff of Stereophile magazine as a consulting technical editor, and also a contributor to (and later the editor of) the Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, at the time a nascent publication subsumed into Sound & Vision in the mid 20-aughts (itself a very long story!)

In any case, we were visited that year by Phil Abbate, then a reporter for the AAS (Atlanta Audio Society, today the Atlanta Audio Club). Phil interviewed me during his visit to Santa Fe, New Mexico, then the headquarters of Stereophile. Whether that interview ever made it into the pages of the AAS (or onto the bits of the then also nascent Internet) I don't know. But during a recent effort to sort out my increasingly cluttered files I ran across a copy of that interview, which Phil had sent me shortly after it happened.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
1More’s New $50 Wireless Earbuds Include Noise Cancellation
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 11, 2023
With two weeks to go before Christmas, earbud specialist 1More has introduced a $50 set of noise-canceling wireless earbuds with serious stocking stuffer potential. Serious because the earbuds were released for sale yesterday at the discounted price of $40.
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Editor's Eye
The Cost of High Fidelity, My Transition to Streaming & Defining Value and Affordability
Mark Henninger  |  Dec 08, 2023
When I browse audio forums and social media, I often see absolute nonsense posted about the fidelity you can achieve with a phone, claiming it is not "audiophile" or whatever. Reality is if you stream lossless music through a phone and use good headphones, the listening experience is extremely high fidelity.
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