LATEST ADDITIONS

Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 02, 2011
I currently have a Sony KP-51HW40 51-inch CRT rear-projection HDTV. I find the picture quality stunning, with great contrast and solid blacks. Since it is a CRT-based display, I believe the black levels are better than most plasma sets. Is this correct? I ask because I'm thinking of upgrading to a 60-inch plasma, most likely the Panasonic TC-P60S30. I see from your review of the TC-P50S30 that it has what you call "reasonably good blacks" at 0.009fL. Is this black level much inferior (less black) compared with my Sony CRT? I am afraid of buying the Panasonic and having poorer blacks than what I am used to, because black level is very important to me. I am also curious about how the overall picture quality compares between both sets.

Daniel Hebert

Geoffrey Morrison  |  Dec 02, 2011

I need your help. Maybe you can explain something to me.

Why do we need winners? I'm not talking about sports and such; I mean with A/V gear, movies, video games, etc. How many articles and forum posts have you seen that proclaim one object the winner over another?

What is behind this desire to declare a winner when there's no competition being fought?

Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 01, 2011
In response to my review of the new 60-inch Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD LED-backlit LCD TV, a question arose in the online comments as to the power it consumes relative to the 60-inch Pioneer Elite PRO-141FD Kuro plasma I compared it to. The answer surprised me.
Michael Berk  |  Dec 01, 2011

Love radio? Tired of Internet radio's algorithmic bent, and long for the days when a flesh and blood DJ put a lifetime of obsession into picking that next track? Slacker Radio just might be what you're looking for.

Leslie Shapiro  |  Dec 01, 2011

Seems like a new way to listen to music over the Internet pops up everyday.  Pandora might have a lock on the market, Slacker has the coolest name (and real-live DJs behind the scenes), everyone's talking about Spotify and MOG, but there's another website that does something most others don't. Stereomood designs playlists based on your mood or activity. Yup - music to suit your every mood.

John Sciacca  |  Nov 30, 2011

Today, 3D has become a de facto feature on almost every higher-end TV and even many projectors, and it continues to make headlines. But the biggest news to come out of the CEDIA Expo trade show this past September wasn’t of the three-dimensional variety. The news that took many attendees by surprise was 4K.

Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 30, 2011
I have a Denon AVR-4311CI A/V receiver, and I'm looking to upgrade my speakers, which currently include the Polk Audio TSi400 front left and right (bi-amped), CS10 center, FXi A6 side surrounds, RM 8 back surrounds, and two DSW Pro 500 subwoofers. The room is about 15x18x8.

I plan to get the Aperion Audio Verus Grand towers and center to begin with. When funds allow, I will upgrade the surrounds. Do you think the Denon will provide enough power to push the Grands like they should be, or do I need to look for a separate amp? I am concerned with the quality of the sound and do not usually play at a loud level.

Andrew Phillips

Geoffrey Morrison  |  Nov 30, 2011

There are two ways to look at the rapidly decreasing price point of 3D HD projectors. The first way: Manufacturers are racing one another to the bottom by finding ways to make 3D cheaper and cheaper. The second, more accurate way: 3D is just a new feature (though one marketed to within an inch of its life) found on cheaper and cheaper products, just as 1080p resolution was a few years ago.

Looked at through those eyes, the Sony VPLHW30ES is less a “new 3D projector” and more a continuation of a long line of excellent SXRD models from Sony that now just happen to also do 3D. Plus, it’s a fantastic value.

Brent Butterworth  |  Nov 30, 2011

Flat-TV friendly speakers from a company best known for its horns. If your speakers are fat, what good does a skinny TV do? Speaker manufacturers have begun addressing that problem in the last year.

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