LATEST ADDITIONS

This Week
New Blu-rays for August 7, 2012: Cowboys, Cops, Monsters, and Martyrs
Josef Krebs  |  Aug 07, 2012

Rio Grande and Johnny Guitar

This week Olive Films are releasing these two classic westerns from the early 1950s. Rio Grande (1950) is part of what is known as John Ford’s cavalry trilogy — along with Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) — based on stories by James Warner Bellah.

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This Week
New Music for August 7, 2012: Tripping The Wing Beat Fantastic
Mark Smotroff  |  Aug 07, 2012

Mike Kennealy
Wing Beat Fantastic

New Release (Exowax)

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol
Chris Chiarella  |  Aug 07, 2012
Picture
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
Tom Cruise returns as IMF agent Ethan Hunt for this fourth film in his big-screen Mission: Impossible franchise, and this might just be the best one yet. Hunt is the sort of fellow I secretly hope we have on the federal payroll: fearless, cool under pressure, and a quick study in almost everything. He’s a good man to have on our side when the going gets rough because he simply will not quit as long as he has a pulse.
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CinemaStyle
Together but Separate
Jamie Sorcher  |  Aug 06, 2012
Most folks envision stadium-style seating for their home theaters, but that take-me-out-to-the-ball-game approach isn’t the only way to go. For a more flexible, family-style setup, think sectionals. These aren’t the stodgy, hulking pieces of upholstered furniture of the past. Today’s versions offer unique configurations that combine love seats, sofas, chairs, chaises, and ottomans (great as additional seating or as a table for food/drink) and can work together or separately for multiple options. One more thing: Don’t forget to take the tush test when you shop for any kind of seating. Comfort is the key if you’re going to enjoy your screening experience.
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Wide Angle
Honey's Not Dead: The Jesus and Mary Chain Live
Al Griffin  |  Aug 06, 2012

It's summertime, and that means outdoor concerts. Here in the far other end of New York state, we typically get to lay out our blankets and take in a predictable bunch of touring acts from the '70s and '80s. Peter Frampton? Check. Huey Lewis and the News? Check. Yes? Yes. The Jesus and Mary Chain. Um, did you say "The Jesus And Mary Chain?"

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Tech2
iTunes vs Amazon Instant Video vs Google Play vs Sony Unlimited vs Samsung Media Hub
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Aug 06, 2012

I have been saying for ages that the only thing that matters in a tablet is the available content: What can I download to the device, and watch on a plane, train, automobuggie? Everything can stream Netflix, surf the web, etc. The number of downloadable TV shows and movies is by far the most meaningful difference between tablets.

The assumption: iTunes and Amazon offer so much more content, the other services - and thus, tablets that aren't iPads or Kindles - are pointless.

Is that assumption correct? Or more to the point, how can you tell?

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Vote
Have You Optimized the AC Power in Your Home Theater?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 03, 2012
Last week's poll question asked if your home theater's AC power is protected from things like lightning strikes and blackouts. This week, I'd like to know if you have taken steps to optimize the AC power to your home theater. Such steps can include installing a dedicated circuit, establishing a common ground, and using a power conditioner, such as the Furman IT-Reference 20i pictured above.

If you use a power conditioner, have you noticed an improvement in the audio and/or video performance of your system that you can reasonably attribute to that device? Inquiring minds want to know!

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice.

Have You Optimized the AC Power in Your Home Theater?
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Ask S&V
PCM vs. Bitstream
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 03, 2012
Which is best, sending PCM or bitstream from the player to the A/V receiver? I have reviewed many posts in the A/V forums and other areas that don't seem to give a definitive answer. I have an Onkyo TX-SR608 AVR and an LG Blu-ray player capable of decoding DTS and Dolby lossless audio. I view Blu-ray and DVD discs about 50/50; certainly Blu-ray when available. Should I set the Blu-ray player to output PCM or bitstream? And why the final choice? Do I need to tell the AVR which stream to expect?

James

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TV Reviews
Panasonic TC-P65VT50 3D Plasma HDTV
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 03, 2012

3D Performance
2D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $3,700 At A Glance: Bright, punchy picture • Blacks and shadow detail approaching reference quality • Near-complete adjustability

Panasonic has improved its plasma sets each year, and while that march forward has generated torturous verbiage to describe its continually improving plasma HDTV black levels (Infinite Black, Infinite Black Pro, Infinite Black Ultra, and, perhaps next year, Infinite Black Pro Ultra), the company has kept pushing the design envelope. And it has done so even as flat panel prices continue to drop. A 65-inch plasma for $3,700 would have been considered an impossible dream just a few years ago when the goal was to get prices down to $100 per diagonal inch.

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AV Receiver Reviews
NAD T 787 A/V Receiver
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 02, 2012

Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $4,000 At A Glance: Seven powerful amplifiers • Complexity simplified • Future-proof modular design

For good reason, grizzled veterans of the audio/video hardware wars eagerly anticipate reviewing NAD gear. The company’s distinguished history began in the 1970s with the invention of the business model that was adopted years later by Apple, among others. Rather than building a factory to produce its products, NAD contracted with existing manufacturing facilities, thus avoiding high capitalization costs.

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