LATEST ADDITIONS

A/V Veteran
Light it Up: How Your TV Produces an Image
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 08, 2017
When it comes to shopping for a new television, manufacturers will flood you with a tsunami of glowing prose hyping all of the advantages their sets offer. But these claims can be a puzzle to potential buyers, who understandably haven’t made a study of TV technology. The latter is perhaps most confusing with regard to how a TV produces a visible image; that is, how it lights up the screen. Here are some of the key facts...
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Audio Video News
Alexa: I Control the World
Mark Fleischmann  |  Aug 08, 2017
Amazon is many things to many people, and now it’s become the king of the smart-speaker market. Parks Associates reports that the online retail giant dominates smart speakers with 70.6 percent of sales, adding that smart speakers are in 11 percent of U.S. broadband households.
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Signals
Amazon Echo Dot: When Sound Quality Just Doesn't Matter
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Aug 08, 2017
I crossed my fingers. I carried a rabbit's foot. I went out in the backyard and found a four-leaf clover. I started eating Lucky Charms for breakfast. I rearranged the furniture in my home theater according to feng shui (good for luck, not so good for sound). I did everything I could. But now I see that I have failed. People like the Amazon Echo Dot. They like it a lot.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Redesigned Audio Physic Speakers Debut in U.S.
SV Staff  |  Aug 08, 2017
Audio distributor Vana Ltd. has announced the availability of two Audio Physic speakers in the U.S.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Bryston Announces Refined Preamplifier
SV Staff  |  Aug 08, 2017
Bryston has announced that it will ship a new preamplifier featuring patented technology and a flexible input/output configuration in September.
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Audio Video News
Savant Acquires Artison
SV Staff  |  Aug 07, 2017
Home automation stalwart Savant today announced its acquisition of Artison, the Minden, Nevada-based company founded by noted audio designer Cary Christie, who developed the first on-wall speaker designed to integrate with a flat-panel TV more than a decade ago.
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Audio Video News
LG and Vizio Announce Smart TV Updates
SV Staff  |  Aug 07, 2017
LG and Vizio today announced updates to their smart TV platforms.
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Audio Video News
8K Tech Moves Forward but Will We Be Ready for It?
SV Staff  |  Aug 07, 2017
Don’t worry, you won’t have to trade in your new 4K/Ultra HDTV for an 8K model any time soon but that doesn’t mean 8K technology isn’t moving forward.
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Pixels & Bits
Pixels & Bits: Episode No. 2
Rob Sabin,  |  Aug 06, 2017
In Episode 2 of Sound & Vision's Pixels & Bits podcast, editor-in-chief Rob Sabin and contributing technical editor Steve Guttenberg discuss the birth of VHS and the Betamax/VHS videotape format war, spotlight the $3,000 HiFiMan HE1000 magnetic planar headphones (4:24); debate whether $6,000 headphones are really worth it (5:15); and talk about how the longevity of some audio products adds to their value (14:00).

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Ears On
How I Found a Timeless Moment on the Sidewalk
Mark Fleischmann  |  Aug 04, 2017
I live in a dense urban neighborhood where it's not uncommon to see secondhand LP dealers plying their trade on the sidewalks. One day I was pawing through dirty old LPs when I came across something decidedly odd. The jacket mentioned a singer named Marni Nixon; no relation to the president, but if you grew up during the Nixon era, the name would catch your eye. Backing her was an all-cello chamber ensemble. And the titles of the works, by Villa-Lobos, were Bachianas Brasileiras Nos. 1 and 5. I knew nothing of the Brazilian composer then but have always loved Bach. Curiosity pried $1 out of my wallet and I carried home my prize.

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