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Audio Video News
CES 2011
Kim Wilson  |  Jan 03, 2011

It's just about time for CES, the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. While mobile devices are expected to dominate, as manufacturer's vie for recognition in the tablet and smartphone categories, there will still be an abundance of announcements from top AV companies with newer, thinner, HDTVs offering 3D capability, Internet-connected Blu-ray players providing a range of options and services, and AV receivers that connect to your home network. With an increased number of components offering Internet connectivity, wired and wirelessly, the living room space is changing dramatically. So catch all the news and the latest product announcements from the show floor with daily updates from our correspondents at sister publications <a href="http://www.hometheater.com/category/ces-2011/">
Home Theater</a> and <a href="http://www.ultimateavmag.com/category/ces-2011/">UltimateAV</a>.

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Vizio VIA Plus Ecosystem
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 03, 2011
I normally don't cover smartphones and tablets on UAV, but this is something special that relates to flat-panel TVs and Blu-ray players. At CES this week, Vizio will introduce its own smartphone and tablet, both based on the Android operating system, that incorporate the next generation of Vizio Internet Apps dubbed VIA Plus. In addition, we will see the company's newest LCD TVs and Blu-ray players, also with VIA Plus.

The big news here is the seamless integration of TVs, Blu-ray players, and mobile devices, allowing you to enjoy any available content on whatever device is most suitable for a given situation—you can even start watching something on one device and transition to another device at any point in the program. Not only that, the phone and tablet include an IR blaster and universal-remote app, allowing them to control a home-theater system. Finally, both can play HD video from an HDMI output, which is way cool in my book.

Oh yeah, one more thing—the new TVs and Blu-ray players will incorporate Google TV with Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard/universal remote, Wi-Fi, and Chrome browser. As you may have heard, Google has asked its partners not to tout Google TV at CES because it's not quite ready for prime time, but Vizio has decided to do so anyway. It should be an interesting show!

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Battlestar Galactica: Season Four (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jan 03, 2011
Season four of the series was an up and down experience for numerous reasons. When it first aired on the SciFi Network (now Syfy), the 20 episodes were spread over 12 months, with a seven month hiatus between the first eleven and last nine, frustrating the audience. Furthermore, the scripts had a "been there, done that" aspect and I think the writers were filling time in order to get to the tidy conclusion.

Season four does have some great episodes that include "Guess What's Coming to Dinner," "Revelations," "Sometimes a Great Notion," and "No Exit." One of my favorite scenes in the entire series is in "Revelations" where Tigh (Michael Hogan) reveals his secret to Adama (Edward James Olmos). This emotional scene captures the essence of the series of being a story about people and relationships and not about technology.

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TV ReviewsLCD TV Reviews
Sony BRAVIA XBR-52LX900 3D LCD HDTV
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 03, 2011
Price: $3,600 At A Glance: Excellent color and resolution • 2D-to-3D conversion mode • Middling shadow detail and off-axis performance

LCD With a Side of LEDs

When I looked over Sony’s press release at the January 2010 CES, I was a bit confused. There are 10 different 3D sets in Sony’s current lineup. The XBR-LX900 line under review here includes 60- and 52-inch models with LED edge lighting, an integrated 3D sensor, and ships with two pairs of 3D glasses in the box. Other 3D HDTVs in Sony’s other lines include either full-array LED lighting with local dimming or Dynamic Edge LED edge lighting. Sony includes the 3D sensor and glasses with some sets, while they’re extra-cost options with others. Sony offers 3D HDTVs in screen sizes ranging from 40 to 60 inches, but not every 3D line offers all of them.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Wall Street – Money Never Sleeps—20th Century Fox (Blu-ray)
Kris Deering  |  Jan 02, 2011
Emerging from a lengthy prison stint, Gekko finds himself on the outside of a world he once dominated. Looking to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter Winnie, Gekko forms an alliance with her fiance Jacob. But can Jacob and Winnie really trust the ex-financial titan, whose relentless efforts to redefine himself in a different era have unexpected consequences.

This Blu-ray delivers a striking film-like transfer with plenty of rich detail and film grain. I loved the natural look of the color and contrast and the superb definition. Shadow detail is strong and the contrast levels really work well with the darker material. Dimensionality is outstanding, especially in the outdoor scenes. The DTS-HD Master Audio mix is solid, but this isn’t an engrossing mix.

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Vote
Is Frame Interpolation a Godsend or the Devil's Spawn?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 31, 2010

Anyone who owns a 120 or 240Hz LCD TV has seen frame interpolation at work, though they might not realize it. These TVs create new video frames and display them between the actual frames as depicted above to reduce motion blur. The problem is that this process has an unwanted side effect—it makes movies look like they were shot on video, just like soap operas. Most videophiles hate this "soap-opera effect" so much, they turn it off and live with more motion blur.

If you have a 120 or 240Hz LCD TV and aren't familiar with this effect, go into the TV's picture menu and turn frame interpolation on and off while watching a movie clip with some fast motion. (In most such TVs, it's on by default.) In many cases, this control is in a submenu called something like "Advanced," but don't be scared, you can't damage anything. Also, this control often has several settings like Low, Medium, and High; try them all and look for any differences.

The frame-interpolation function goes by different names in different brands; here are the names used by the biggest manufacturers:

  • LG: TruMotion
  • Samsung: Auto Motion Plus
  • Sony: Motionflow
  • Toshiba: ClearScan
  • Vizio: Smooth Motion

Those who have seen frame interpolation at work usually have a strong opinion about it, so I ask you: Do you think frame interpolation is a godsend for reducing motion blur or the devil's spawn because of the dreaded soap-opera effect?

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice; I look forward to reading your thoughts on this.

Is Frame Interpolation a Godsend or the Devil's Spawn?
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Case 39 (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Dec 31, 2010
A family-services social worker (Renée Zellweger) fights to save a little girl with a haunted past, only to find out that this mysterious new case turns into a nightmare she may never survive.

Originally made in 2007, this stinker didn't hit American theaters until 2010, and for good reason. To call the screenplay unoriginal would be an insult to other unoriginal screenplays—yes, it's that bad. Its only saving grace is the cast, which also includes Bradley Cooper and Ian McShane, who along with Zellweger do their best to take the clichéd-laden script and attempt to make it suspenseful.

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Premiere Design
LG LZ9700 & LW6500 3D TVs at CES
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 30, 2010
LG will have some big announcements at CES next week—literally. Perhaps the biggest is the 72-inch LZ9700, which the company claims is the world's largest LED-backlit 3D LCD TV.
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Signals
The Analog Sunset
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Dec 30, 2010

Blu-ray players are changing — and your HDTV might not like it. However, if your TV has an HDMI input, and it’s HDCP-compliant, you don’t need to read any further. You have nothing to worry about. This article doesn’t concern you. Put down the magazine and do something else just as constructive, like, oh, I don’t know — how about you go check your car’s windshield-washer fluid. . .?

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Other Tech
S+V 101: HDTV Color Spaces Explained
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Dec 30, 2010

Color is one of the most important aspects of a TV’s performance, right up there with contrast ratio, black level, and video processing.

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