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What is Your Viewing Distance?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 23, 2012
As many of you already know, your screen size and optimum viewing distance are related. According to THX, the maximum recommended viewing angle—the angle formed by the sides of the screen and your seating position, as shown above—is 40 degrees. SMPTE (the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) recommends a minimum viewing angle of 30 degrees. This translates to a viewing distance from 1.2 to 1.6 times the screen's diagonal measurement. For example, if your screen is 50 inches diagonally, the optimum viewing distance is 60 to 80 inches, or 5 to 6.7 feet.

This is much closer than most people sit from their video display. How about you? To vote in this poll, follow these steps:

1. Measure your viewing distance in inches;
2. Divide your viewing distance by your screen's diagonal size in inches;
3. The result is the relationship between your viewing distance and screen size.

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

What is Your Viewing Distance?
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Ask S&V
THX Certification
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 23, 2012
I understand that THX certification is a high honor for home-theater gear, but how important is it? I often see reviews of speakers, receivers, and TVs with very high ratings, but they don't have THX certification. (GoldenEar's Triton Two tower speakers come to mind.) Is this because the product isn't quite up to THX standards, or is something else going on?

Mark Nott

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Three Musketeers 3D
David Vaughn  |  Mar 23, 2012

Director Paul W.S. Anderson isn't what you would call an A-list talent and he stoops to an all-time low with The Three Musketeers. The classic novel from Alexandre Dumas is butchered beyond believe with horrendous dialog, wooden acting, and some of the most mind-numbing suspension of belief ever witnessed in cinema (a 17th century airship battle—really?). While the 3D is a serviceable effort, the 2D encode is so good you'll want to put the glasses away and relish some of the most amazing detail you've ever seen from a Blu-ray. Not to be outshined is the outstanding DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack that features pinpoint discrete effects and jaw-dropping imaging. If you're looking for some eye and ear candy to demo your system then this would be a great addition to your library.
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Tech2
The New iPad: Important and Unimportant
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Mar 23, 2012

Synopsis of every tech article in the days leading up to a new Apple release: “OMG STFU this new Apple thing is gonna be AMAZING!!!! I heard from a guy who knew a guy who saw a guy who says...”

And the days right after: “OMG stupid Apple, this new iThing didn’t cure all disease or make me immortal. Apple SUXORS!”

Yep, there’s a new iPad. Yep, it’s got more moreness. So let me say this: Yep, the new iPad is the best tablet you can buy... just like the old one. Cutting through the hype and BS, here’s why.

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New Products
New Gear: Emotiva Introduces the Affordable, Feature-Packed XMC-1 7.2 Channel Pre-Pro
Michael Berk  |  Mar 22, 2012

Affordable audiophile and home-theater gear leaders Emotiva have announced the new XMC-1, the first product to emerge in a revamped lineup of digital products from the company, designed by Moog and B&K veteran digital systems wizard and Emotiva VP of Engineering Ray Dennison.

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Power Amplifier ReviewsSurround Processor Reviews
Test Report: Bryston SP-3 Preamplifier/Processor and 9BSST2 5-Channel Amplifier
Daniel Kumin  |  Mar 22, 2012

It’s a fact of modern life. The higher you climb in the high end of anything, the less, at least in one sense, you will get. You will find, I believe, few gargoyles on buildings designed by I.M. Pei, and even fewer rear-seat DVD screens in Paganis.

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Surround Sound System ReviewsBookshelf Speaker Reviews
Test Report: Wharfedale DX-1 Speaker System
Brent Butterworth  |  Mar 21, 2012

It seemed that audio companies had surrendered the home-theater-in-a-box concept to the TV manufacturers.

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Ask S&V
LED Backlighting vs. Edgelighting
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 21, 2012
I hear you talk about LED backlighting and edgelighting in LCD TVs, and I can't seem to find which one my Samsung UN60D7000 uses. I thought it was backlit, but hearing you talk about it made me wonder if I was right.

Joe Souders

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Headphone Reviews
Review: WeSC Chambers by RZA Headphones Page 2
Brent Butterworth  |  Mar 21, 2012

We haven’t made any secret of our general disdain for headphones endorsed by hip-hop artists. Not that we have anything against hip-hop artists, nor is there any good reason why hip-hop ’phones should sound bad.  It’s just that many of them do.

In last year’s celebrity headphone test, we didn’t dig the Soul by Ludacris SL300WB at all, and had a mixed reaction to the Beats Pro and Skullcandy Roc Nation Aviator. But our not-unpleasant experience with the Sync by 50 SMS-WS got us thinking that maybe someone in the hip-hop world was starting to understand that while crazy, bass-heavy tonal balances may be initially impressive, they’re not something most of us want to live with on a day-to-day basis.

Next up in the battle of the rapperphones is the $275 WeSC Chambers by RZA.

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Headphone Reviews
Review: WeSC Chambers by RZA Headphones
Brent Butterworth  |  Mar 21, 2012

We haven't made any secret of our general disdain for headphones endorsed by hip-hop artists. Not that we have anything against hip-hop artists, nor is there any good reason why hip-hop 'phones should sound bad.  It's just that many of them do.

In last year's celebrity headphone test, we didn't dig the Soul by Ludacris SL300WB at all, and had a mixed reaction to the Beats Pro and Skullcandy Roc Nation Aviator. But our not-unpleasant experience with the Sync by 50 SMS-WS got us thinking that maybe someone in the hip-hop world was starting to understand that while crazy, bass-heavy tonal balances may be initially impressive, they're not something most of us want to live with on a day-to-day basis.

Next up in the battle of the rapperphones is the $275 WeSC Chambers by RZA.

Continue Reading »

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