LATEST ADDITIONS

Editor's Eye
Truth or Dare: Which New Formats Really Deliver?
Rob Sabin  |  Sep 09, 2016
We recently reviewed a TV and a projector boasting HDR, or high dynamic range playback. In his review of Samsung’s latest flagship flat panel, Tom Norton raves about his HDR experience. Al Griffin specifically discussing HDR in his review of Epson’s excellent new 4K-compatible projector, in essence says, “Umm...it’s OK.”
Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Pioneer and Onkyo to Support DTS Play-Fi
SV Staff  |  Sep 09, 2016
DTS has announced that Pioneer and Onkyo will upgrade select soundbars, AV receivers, lifestyle products, and home theaters-in-a-box with the DTS Play-Fi streaming platform via firmware updates.
Continue Reading »
Audio Video NewsNew Products
$249 Electrostatic Headphone Easily Crowdfunded
SV Staff  |  Sep 09, 2016
It’s impossible to escape headphones. New product announcements turn up in our inboxes every few days and some are even launched via crowdfunding campaigns—like Sharkk’s Bravo electrostatic headphone.

Continue Reading »
SmartStream
How to Stream High Quality Audio to an Older Car Stereo
Barb Gonzalez  |  Sep 08, 2016
While streaming music is often built into new car systems, what's the best way to listen in an older car? GoGroove's Flexsmart X5 has great sound quality, performance and features for those who still need an FM Transmitter.
Continue Reading »
Projector Tech
How Do Light Rejecting Screens Work?
SV  |  Sep 08, 2016
Ambient light allows us to see the world. From the moment of our first breath to our final sigh, the waking hours of our lives are bathed in ambient light. Think of your best days under the sun; the warm rustic glow of candles and firesides, or the countless light bulbs that have illuminated your path through all these years. Of all the phenomena in this great universe, it has contributed so much to the quality of our lives. That is, unless you are trying to get a good picture on any large video display—then it is just too darn bright. Once again, the old adage proves correct that “you can have too much of a good thing.”
Continue Reading »
Ask S&V
How Can I Make VHS Look Better on an HDTV?
Al Griffin  |  Sep 08, 2016
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have dozens of concerts and other programs that I recorded using JVC’s HRD-470U, one of the best VHS tape machines ever made. Here’s my problem: even high-quality VHS tapes look terrible when played on a high-definition digital TV. Is there some sort of “widget” I can buy that will make VHS recordings look better on my HDTV? —Jay Daley / Wickenburg, AZ

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Sound & Vision Tech Tidbits September
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 08, 2016
The Netflix Binge Scale measures series likely to be consumed in a single week. At the top end are thrillers like Breaking Bad and Dexter, while political dramas like House of Cards and The West Wing are watched over a longer period.

UltraFlix brings UHD and HD streaming to partnering smart TVs (from Hisense, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Vizio) and media players (Roku 4). It offers more than 1,000 hours of movies, shows, sports, concerts, and documentaries...

Continue Reading »
Audio Video News
Report Examines How Tech Can Improve Lives
SV Staff  |  Sep 08, 2016
A new report from IBM and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Foundation—a public, national foundation with the mission to link seniors and people with disabilities with technologies to enhance their lives—reveals that meeting the needs of a growing aging population will require new technologies, partnerships, ideas, and business models. The report also discusses how technology such as cognitive computing will empower seniors to live longer, healthier, and more independently by preventing fraud and abuse, providing greater social connectivity, and improving access to vital information and services.
Continue Reading »
Throwback Thursday
Flashback 2005: Apple Introduces the iPod Nano
SV Staff  |  Sep 08, 2016
Eleven years ago this week, Apple introduced the ultra sleek iPod Nano. The Nano was a replacement for the hugely popular iPod Mini, which drove the number of iPods sold from 2 million to 10 million by the end of 2004, just 12 months after it was introduced.
Continue Reading »
4K TV ReviewsTV ReviewsLCD TV Reviews
Samsung UN65KS9800FXZA LCD Ultra HDTV Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Sep 07, 2016

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $4,500

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent blacks and shadow detail
First-rate resolution
Compelling high dynamic range
Minus
HDR limited to HDR10
No 3D

THE VERDICT
In some important respects, Samsung’s new top-of-the-line TV improves upon the company’s previous flagship, and at a lower price.

When we last reviewed one of Samsung’s so-called SUHD sets, Ultra HD with high dynamic range (HDR) was not yet available on Blu-ray. But the arrival of such discs—together with UHD Bluray players like Samsung’s own UBD-K8500—has changed the game.

The 4K resolution of Ultra HD sets is all well and good, but HDR is the most eye-popping feature of UHD. Not all 4K sets, however, incorporate HDR, and those that do don’t necessarily perform at the same level. HDR still can’t be done well cheaply; at present, the displays that do it best are their respective makers’ premier offerings. The Samsung KS9800 series definitely belongs in that company—and among the three models within that family, the 65-incher we’re discussing here is the smallest.

Continue Reading »

Pages

X