LATEST ADDITIONS

Premiere Design
Sony XBR-84X900 4K LCD HDTV: 1080p? Pfff…4K Is Like Being There
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 19, 2012
OK, you can stop drooling now. We know you can’t wait to get your hands on the world’s first TV capable of displaying 8 million pixels of luscious detail—four times the resolution of 1080p. (We can’t, either.) Sony’s 84-inch XBR-84X900 4K LCD HDTV is one of the first 4K TVs to reach a handful of stores across the country. The heart of the set is a new chip that analyzes images with resolutions of 1080p or lower and upscales them to 4K. How well the chip performs that task is vitally important since 4K content for home viewing is not likely to be available for some time, even though Sony says 10,000 U.S. movie theaters are already using 4K projectors, and a growing number of theatrical movies are being shot in 4K.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Snow White and the Huntsman
Corey Gunnestad  |  Nov 19, 2012
Picture
Sound
Extras
Interactivity
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the sexiest hunk of all? If given a choice between G.I. Joe or Ken, who do you think Barbie would choose? It’s a rhetorical question, but the answer is obvious all the same. And even though the handsome Prince in Snow White and the Huntsman isn’t exactly a Ken doll, he’s still hopelessly out of his depth here. A woman’s quest to stay forever young and beautiful can go to some pretty obsessive lengths depending on the woman (so I’m told), and in the kingdom of Tabor, the Evil Queen Ravenna is taking it to the harshest of extremes. Snow White, total hottie and legitimate heir to the throne, poses the last remaining threat to the queen’s eternal beauty and supreme rule, so drastic measures are called for.
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SmartStream
Xbox Enhances Video Streaming with SmartGlass Update
Barb Gonzalez  |  Nov 19, 2012
Xbox 360 launches new SmartGlass app for smartphones and tablets and updates Bing search. The combination make the video game console one of the best media streaming experiences available for home theater.
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Headphone Reviews
Review: Parrot Zik Noise Cancelling Headphones
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Nov 19, 2012

I'm skeptical of any audio product with a fancy design. In my experience, the more trendy or attractive a product is, the worse the performance. Maybe this prejudice comes from a place of subconscious competition, given that I'm so trendy and attractive.

So I approached the Parrot Zik with caution, not least because I found out that "Design by Starck" was not a misspelling and had nothing to do with Ned or even Robb (What about Tony? - Ed.).

But turns out, zee Ziks are zuper.

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Audio Video News
Home Theater Top Picks iPad App Now Available
HT Staff  |  Nov 16, 2012
Home Theater's new Top Picks app for your iPad is now available for free at the iTunes App Store.

The app provides instant access to our list of Top Picks recommended products across 12 categories. Each pick has a short blurb explaining why our reviewer's liked the product and includes a link to the full review.

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Portable Player Reviews
Apple iPod touch 5G and iPod nano 7G Multimedia Players
Chris Chiarella  |  Nov 16, 2012
Apple has redesigned and added features to the ever-evolving iPod touch 5G and iPod nano 7G. Lighter and slimmer than its predecessor, the touch now packs a movie-perfect 16:9 screen, while the nano gets its largest screen ever. Read on to find out which one is right for you.
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Headphone Reviews
Giveaway: Skullcandy SLYR and Astro A50
Michael Berk  |  Nov 16, 2012

Over the past few months, we've looked at a whole lot of gaming headsets, from affordable, entry-level models to the cream of the crop - and we've found worthwhile candidates for you at all price points. Even better, we've got three headsets to give away this week, from Skullcandy and Astro.

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Tech2
Review: MechWarrior Online Beta
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Nov 16, 2012

It seems the latest trend in gaming is a lengthy open beta, where interested players can experience the game during the development process. Ideally, their voices and opinions are heard by the developers in a way that benefits the final product. Final, in these days of ongoing updates, being a relative term.

So with other open betas recently I’ve been cautiously optimistic, careful not to judge rough edges but take look for the inevitable potential.

With MechWarrior Online, I’m still looking.

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Signals
iPad Mini: Better Than Bratwurst?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Nov 15, 2012

How many times has this happened to you? You’re rounding the Warsteiner-Kurve at the Nürburgring at about 3 lateral Gs and your iPad Mini flies out the window of your Porsche 997 GT2 and lands on a hausfrau’s schnitzel, and she exclaims, “Mein Gott in Himmel!”

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Grace Notes
David Versus Goliath: Internet Radio Takes On the Music Industry
Leslie Shapiro  |  Nov 15, 2012

We all know the story. Underdog David takes down the giant Goliath with his tiny slingshot, giving little guys throughout the centuries a glimmer of hope.  This time, it’s Internet radio providers versus the three major record labels, but in an interesting twist, it could be time for Goliath to take a stand.

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