LATEST ADDITIONS

CES 2012
LG Smart TV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 18, 2012
As with most of the major TV manufacturers, LG announced big improvements in its Smart TV functionality, which is available in 60 percent of its 2012 lineup, including the LM8600 series shown here. In addition to content from providers such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, and many others, LG offers 3D Zone, which streams 3D content and almost 1200 apps from the LG App Store. Also new this year is a full web browser with Flash and HTML 5, allowing you to access just about anything you can find online.
CES 2012
LG LM9600 & LM6700 LED-LCD TVs
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 18, 2012
Pictured here are LG's LM9600 (bottom row) and LM6700 (top row) LED-LCD TVs. The 47- and 55-inch LM9600 use the company's nano-LED backlighting, while the 60-inch version uses conventional LED backlighting with local dimming, and all incorporate LG's L9 dual-core processor and refresh the screen at 480Hz. The 120Hz LM6700 is LED edgelit with LED Plus pseudo local dimming.
CES 2012
LG PM9700 Plasma TV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 18, 2012
To combat the glare and reflections endemic to plasma TVs, LG has created a TruBlack filter for its flagship PM9700. As you can see in this photo, the screen has a distinctly matte finish, greatly obscuring reflections that are especially problematic in dark scenes.
CES 2012
CES 2012: Apt-X Bluetooth Update
Michael Berk  |  Jan 18, 2012

We've talked a bit over the past year about CSR's apt-X Bluetooth audio profile; while we've been impressed with the performance of the receivers we've been able to listen to, and at CES we found apt-X in a wide variety of products, including Monster's new boombox, affordable DACs from Arcam and Cambridge Audio, NAD's iOS dock, and even Burmester's audiophile-only ultra-high-end 113 "super DAC."

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CES 2012
CES 2012: The Golden Age of Wireless?
Michael Berk  |  Jan 18, 2012

Wi-Fi, 3G, and LTE networks may have been overwhelmed during CES 2012 itself, but news of wireless and wireless standards for audio (and video) was everywhere, with high-end manufacturers and do-it-all mega-corporations alike looking to free their consumers from their plastic-sheathed copper bonds.

In keeping with the overall haziness of CES 2012, the buzz came in the form of a meme with a few almost-maybe-real devices attached rather than as a single wowza product debut. During last Monday's press extravaganza, pretty much every TV titan talked about integrating content across all of the screens in their customer's expanding gadget arsenals, and while there was certainly plenty of excitement around do-it-all wired connections like MHL, making everything converge seamlessly seems to require a wireless approach.

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CES 2012
CES 2012: Arcam rSeries
Michael Berk  |  Jan 18, 2012

Arcam were showing an interesting little collection of solidly-built digital audio solutions in their suite at the Venetian.

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CES 2012
Samsung Booth
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 17, 2012
Samsung's booth was dominated by flying video cubes overhead, making it easy to find from just about anywhere in Central Hall.
CES 2012
Netgear Routers and Devices to Include Apps
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jan 17, 2012
Netgear showed off the new Smart Network Cloud Application Platform on its 2012 routers, network attached storage (NAS) drives, and media players, where users can access a number of useful home networking apps through a dashboard called the AppManager. These third-party-developed apps include home lighting and power control, media search capabilities, and internet usage meters.

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CES 2012
Wifi Routers Stream Several HD Movies Simultaneously
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jan 17, 2012
While home theater enthusiasts may not have given much thought to routers and other home network devices in the past, it’s time we started to pay attention. Whether we are streaming a high definition movie from Vudu, or everyone in the house wants to stream to their own TVs, the router must be able to handle the demand. Netgear, Linksys, D-Link, and Belkin all showed new routers that are capable of streaming several high definition mov
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CES 2012
Streaming Movies and TV Shows Include Dolby Digital Plus
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jan 17, 2012
Dolby announced that movies and TV shows from HBO Go will include Dolby Digital Plus. Dolby Digital Plus supports up to 7.1 channel surround sound so you can experience a movie, or TV show, the way the director intended. This means that viewers can have a high definition movie experience with full surround sound similar to that of watching a Blu-ray Disc.

Dolby previously announced that Dolby Digital Plus is available Netflix and Vudu streaming services. Initially, the multichannel surround sound format could only be played through a Playstation 3 or XBox 360 video console.

With the CES announcement, Dolby Digital Plus will be available on TVs and Blu-ray Players with these video on demand apps.

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