LATEST ADDITIONS

New Products
May 2016 New Gear
SV Staff  |  May 02, 2016
A dazzling OLED TV, UHD Blu-ray player, multifunctional surround speaker, and more.
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Audio Video News
DEG Reports Strong Sales of 4K/UHD TVs & Discs
SV Staff  |  May 02, 2016
Consumers have purchased more than 7 million 4K Ultra HD (UHD) TVs since they first hit the market in 2013, according to a new report from the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG).
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Audio Video News
Reporter’s Notebook: Deadpool Unmasked
Corey Gunnestad  |  May 02, 2016
Actor Ryan Reynolds, director Tim Miller and actor Ed Skrein at the Deadpool press event in Beverly Hills. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision.)

What Can You Get for 47 Dollars and a Bag of Skittles?

On Monday, April 11, 2016, the good folks at Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment were kind enough to invite a select few of us to a special global media event at the ever-so posh Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, California to herald the video release of one of its biggest box office successes, Deadpool on May 10. And I was lucky enough to attend...

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Audio Video News
April 2016 Top Picks at a Glance
SV Staff  |  Apr 29, 2016
Looking back over our Top Pick posts in April, we find a small, eclectic collection of AV gear that we can recommend without reservation. Most intriguing is a super compact projector that delivers shocking value—and brightness—for considerably less than a grand.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Sicario
Chris Chiarella  |  Apr 29, 2016
Picture
Sound
Extras
When a government strike against the Mexican drug cartel on American soil proves fruitful but costly, a dedicated FBI field agent (Emily Blunt) joins an interagency task force to help bring the men responsible to justice. She quickly learns, however, that her new colleagues have a disturbing tendency to bend or break the rules, or even write their own. They’re an effective bunch, albeit mysteriously motivated. The dangerous transport of a high-value prisoner to the U.S. yields valuable information, including the whereabouts of a crucial cartel tunnel under the border.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Ricki and the Flash
Anthony Chiarella  |  Apr 29, 2016
Picture
Sound
Extras
Ricki Randazzo’s dreams of rock stardom are shrinking in the rearview mirror. While her group, The Flash, is the house band at a dive bar, Ricki (Meryl Streep) struggles as a cashier at an upscale supermarket. It’s there that she receives a call from her ex-husband (Kevin Kline) asking her to come home to Indianapolis as her estranged daughter has attempted suicide. Ricki returns not only to an unstable daughter but also to one son fresh out of the closet and another about to be married… with no intention of inviting her to the wedding.
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Music Reviews
Chesky Records Uses Its Head to Make Better-Sounding Music
Steve Guttenberg  |  Apr 29, 2016
I met singer-songwriter Amber Rubarth when she was recording her first Chesky Records album, Sessions From the 17th Ward, back in 2012. I instantly fell in love with her music and the sound of her voice, but more than that, I was amazed by how relaxed she was making an entire album in just two days. Most of the tunes were hers, and they were consistently good, but her covers of Tom Waits’ “Hold On” and Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman” blew me away. No wonder legendary record producer Phil Ramone said Rubarth was “part of the new old-soul generation.”
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3D Projector ReviewsProjector Reviews
Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 2045 3D LCD Projector Review
Kris Deering  |  Apr 28, 2016

2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $850

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Fantastic portability
Super bright
High-end features at a low-end price
Minus
No lens shift
Focus uniformity less than stellar
A bit noisy

THE VERDICT
What it lacks in size, it makes up for in features. The Home Cinema 2045 packs a wallop for the dollar, delivering a bright and accurate image from a wonderfully portable unit.

I’ll be the first to admit it: I have become very jaded in my view of home theater projectors. Looking at my history with Sound & Vision (and previously Home Theater), I have always had the privilege of reviewing the upper crop of projectors; rarely do I get to evaluate more value-tier options. This wasn’t always the case, though. There was a time in my life when most of the projectors I used personally or reviewed for other publications were priced for a consumer on a much tighter budget. And so today, I’m intrigued to take a look at a more budget-conscious model. Enter the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 2045, a three-LCD 1080p 3D projector that, while low in cost ($850), boasts a feature-rich spec sheet.

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Audio Video News
Sony Announces HDR Update for VPL-VW365ES Projector
SV Staff  |  Apr 28, 2016
Sony announced that it is bringing high dynamic range (HDR) capability to the $10,000 VPL-VW365ES home theater projector it introduced last fall. Current owners will be able to add the feature with a firmware update.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Yamaha Intros $180 Receiver with Bluetooth
SV Staff  |  Apr 28, 2016
Yamaha today unveiled an entry-level stereo receiver that puts a new spin on a classic audio theme with the inclusion of Bluetooth connectivity.
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