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Audio Video News
We Can't See Microsoft and Logitech in Harmony
SV Staff  |  Mar 11, 2008
Good thing this rumor doesn't have legs. If it did, we'd have to break them. Since early January, reports have surfaced that Microsoft is interested in acquiring peripheral-maker Logitech for close to $10 billion. Finally, Logitech chairman...
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Audio Video News
Home Theater vs. Movie Theater
SV Staff  |  Mar 11, 2008
We don't know about your family, but ever since we set up our big-screen HDTV and surround-sound speakers a couple years ago, we've been to the movies exactly . . . once. There's something about enjoying a film with all settings (picture quality,...
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Audio Video News
Movie Downloads Still Half-Baked
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 11, 2008
Like a Perdue Oven Stuffer Roaster with an unpopped plastic thermometer, downloads are still a half-baked method of movie delivery, according to a recent survey.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Ice Age
 |  Mar 10, 2008

Unlikely heroes Manfred, Sid, Diego, and Scrat join together to return an infant boy to his father before the coming ice age dooms them all. These brave souls, however, are not human. Manny is a wooly mammoth, Sid is a sloth, Diego is a saber-toothed tiger, and Scrat—one of the funniest creatures ever created—is a tiny saber-toothed squirrel who just wants to protect his precious acorn.

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Fred Manteghian Blog
My Only Friend, the "N"
Fred Manteghian  |  Mar 10, 2008

I just installed one of the new line of wireless 'N' routers (802.11n draft resolution), the <a href="http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=377018" target="new">Belkin Vision N1</a>. The computer industry is, for the most part, not quite as psychotically frenetic with their product introductions as the consumer electronics industry, so this went fairly smoothly. No HDMI teeth mashing, no video muting, no loud buzz when you switch to DTS.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Ice Age
David Vaughn  |  Mar 10, 2008

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/403iceage.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Unlikely heroes Manfred, Sid, Diego, and Scrat join together to return an infant boy to his father before the coming ice age dooms them all. These brave souls, however, are not human. Manny is a wooly mammoth, Sid is a sloth, Diego is a saber-toothed tiger, and Scrat&mdash;one of the funniest creatures ever created&mdash;is a tiny saber-toothed squirrel who just wants to protect his precious acorn.

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Audio Video News
Greenpeace Watches TV-Makers Carefully
SV Staff  |  Mar 10, 2008
Environmental organizations like Greenpeace are used to provoking the ire of brand-loyal techies who take issue with any negative press about their favorite consumer electronics manufacturers (Apple fans are notorious for this). Its a dirty job,...
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Audio Video News
Kuros: Get 'em while they last?
SV Staff  |  Mar 10, 2008
  Who knows what the future may bring? Pioneer has announced its plans for the beloved Kuro line of plasma televisions, but those plans still seem so...unpredictable. Will Panasonic really incorporate enough of Pioneer's tech innards to make...
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Accessory Reviews
Monster IlluminEssence Lighting System and Central Command AVL300 Remote Control
Adrienne Maxwell  |  Mar 10, 2008
Lighting control for cowards.

When selecting products to review, I like to tackle new categories. Every new genre I explore provides the opportunity to better understand the industry as a whole. There is, however, one category that I've avoided like the plague: lighting systems. Why? Because my mama taught me never to stick fingers, screwdrivers, or any other conductive material into a wall socket. I have a healthy fear of my mama and an even healthier fear of performing any task that might lead to electrocution, fire, or total protonic reversal.

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Tower Speaker Reviews
Focal Chorus 800 V Speaker System
Steve Guttenberg  |  Mar 10, 2008
I'm a big Samuel L. Jackson fan, but I didn't totally buy his performance in Black Snake Moan. Jackson plays a righteous old man who takes in a trashy nymphet (Christina Ricci) to set her straight. I was especially intrigued with the story because Jackson's character was loosely based on R.L. Burnside, who didn't just sing the blues, he lived them. Up to the point where Jackson picked up his guitar, he was perfectly fine. But when he started to sing, his performance didn't ring true. It comes down to authenticity. Acting is one thing; singing with a voice that sounds so rough it bleeds is something else. Come to think of it, I could say the same about great speakers. It's one thing to design a speaker that measures well, but that doesn't necessarily make for a great-sounding speaker.
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