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Custom Installation Equipment ReviewsCustom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
Six Versatile Entertainment Centers
Kim Wilson  |  Jul 28, 2010

<B>Sanus JFV60 ($540)</B><BR>
The versatile JFV60 can be mounted directly on the wall, appearing to float in midair, or it can be placed on the floor like any other cabinet. It provides a sleek, low-profile sophistication that blends right into the interior decor in either configuration. The unit can support up to 200lbs (all components and TV) when mounted on the wall, or 350 lbs when floor standing.

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Ask S&V
Picture Presets, AVR Shopping, Soundbar Center
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 28, 2010
Black Hole Mode
You often talk about the advantages of professional calibration, but why couldn't TV makers include a mode for a blacked-out room? Or am I missing something? I have a ninth-gen, 50-inch Pioneer Kuro and a PS3. I set the TV's picture mode to Movie for standard-def TV and Standard for Blu-ray (with film mode set to Advance).
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Audio Video News
Video Streaming Explodes
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 28, 2010
Video streaming has grown from an emerging category of program delivery to an option enjoyed by the majority of Netflix subscribers. And for TV addicts, the selection of shows from various online sources is near comprehensive.
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Premiere Design
Marantz UD9004, UD7005, & UD5005 Universal Disc Players
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 27, 2010

D&M Holdings is the corporate umbrella under which both Denon and Marantz live, so it's no surprise that the flagship Denon DVD-A1UDCI (reviewed by Shane Buettner for Home Theater) and Marantz UD9004 universal disc players are both based on a common platform. So why is the Marantz $1500 more than the already very-expensive Denon?

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3D Glasses: Can They Have Universal Appeal?
Kevin James  |  Jul 27, 2010

While 3D movies have been doing blockbuster business in theaters, for some potential viewers the idea of wearing (and buying) expensive, uncomfortable 3D glasses at home has all the appeal of Carrot Top/Pauly Shore double feature.

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Premiere Design
Wilson Audio Sasha W/P Speaker
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 27, 2010

Few speakers are more highly regarded than the venerable WATT/Puppy from Wilson Audio. After eight model revisions, Wilson decided to implement some upgrades that warranted a new name—and the Sasha W/P was born.

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Audio Video News
Blu-ray Up, DVD Down
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 27, 2010
The numbers for home entertainment spending are in from the Digital Entertainment Group. Blu-ray and downloads are up, DVD is down, and when you add it all together, overall spending is slightly down.
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Audio Video News
Audyssey's volume-bosting tech for small devices
SV Staff  |  Jul 27, 2010
Audyssey has been working on sound technology for home theaters for years now, but it's stayed mostly clear of portable gadgets. That's changing with today's announcement of a new technology for beefing up the sound capabilities of small devices....
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Audio Video News
'Apocalypse Now' coming to Blu-ray soon
SV Staff  |  Jul 26, 2010
This year is seeing some of the greatest movies ever made hit Blu-ray. First Criterion announced that it will be releasing Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai on Blu-ray Disc this fall, and now Lionsgate has announced that Francis Ford Coppola's...
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AV Receiver Reviews
Arcam AVR500 A/V Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 26, 2010

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $3,499 At A Glance: Less powerful version of AVR600 • Omits network/IP functionality and some legacy inputs • HDMI 1.3 connectivity excludes 3D

Paring Down to Essentials

In this economically tough climate, we all have to trim expenses to the essentials. Just this week, I instructed my manservant to take my suits to the dry cleaner only if they’ve been worn for more than three hours. My nightly meals at five-star restaurants will be cut back to six nights a week at 4.5-star restaurants. During the summer, I’ll raise the thermostat in my 25-room summer house from 70 to 71 degrees (unless I’m actually there). The pilot of my personal jet will have to cut back the monthly Caspian Sea caviar run to every other month. And no more caviar for the pool boy.

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