• Full-array LED backlight with local dimming • TruMotion 240-Hz processing • NetCast Entertainment Network access, including Netflix, Vudu, Picasa, YouTube, and Yahoo! Widgets • Backlit remote
Another interesting professional/consumer crossover product introduced at the Audio Engineering Society (AES) convention last week was a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) from Antelope Audio. The Zodiac Gold can handle digital audio at resolutions up to 24 bits and sample rates up to 384kHz, a far higher rate than any commercially available content currently uses.
3D at home can be fun, but in my reviews of 3D displays from most major manufacturers (Sony, Samsung, LG, Toshiba, and Panasonic), I've come across a problem that has been little noted. This problem is not with the displays themselves, all of which do a good job with the 3D effect, apart from occasional ghosting or crosstalk (double images when one eye sees the image meant for the other eye).
• Edge-lit LED backlight • 3D-capable (comes with two sets of active-shutter eyewear)t • 3D conversion of 2D content • Motionflow Pro 240 Hz display modes • Streaming options include Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Pandora, Slacker, and Picasa
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) convention isn't concerned with consumer products, but there's always a bit of crossover with the pro-audio items on display. For example, at last week's annual conclave in San Francisco, I found a new top-of-the-line headphone from Germany's Ultrasone. The Edition 10 is the company's first model in the Edition lineup to feature an open-back design, which took the company two years to develop. Also new to the Edition 10 is an oxygen-free copper (OFC), silver-plated, Kevlar-reinforced cable that can be easily configured for balanced or unbalanced connectors.
Although 3D TV has grabbed its share of headlines over the past year, it appears that many consumers are still wary of the format. To cite one example, more than 70% of respondents in a recent survey sponsored by the cable TV industry said they wouldn’t consider buying a 3D TV in the next 12 months. Wouldn’t consider it! To these folks, plain old 2D movies at home look just fine, thanks. Watching 3D is something that you do while sitting in a squishy movie theater seat holding a bin of buttered popcorn and a 54-ounce Coke.
Although 3D TV has grabbed its share of headlines over the past year, it appears that many consumers are still wary of the format. To cite one example, more than 70% of respondents in a recent survey sponsored by the cable TV industry said they wouldn't consider buying a 3D TV in the next 12 months. Wouldn't consider it! To these folks, plain old 2D movies at home look just fine, thanks. Watching 3D is something that you do while sitting in a squishy movie theater seat holding a bin of buttered popcorn and a 54-ounce Coke.
Price: $200 At A Glance: 802.11n Wi-Fi • VUDU HDX, Blockbuster On Demand, and Netflix streaming • Superb video processing
A Streaming Value
It’s hard to believe that it’s been three years since HD DVD lost the format war. Toshiba bet the farm on HD DVD, and ever since Warner Brothers and several large retailers decided to stop supporting the format, many pundits wondered how long it would take the company to release a Blu-ray player.
The holidays are approaching, which means big box electronics stores are starting to dangle mostly-awful iPod dock speaker systems in front of would-be consumers like bait. Thankfully, Onkyo isn't taking that approach, instead they have announced two new stereo systems designed for small spaces or even your shelves.
Looking for a way to save their home from a group of developers, two brothers and their gang of "Goonies" embark on an adventure in search of One-Eyed Willy's hidden treasure. They get more than they bargained for when they cross paths with the Fratelli family, who are looking for a big score themselves.
1985 was quite a year for teen-centric movies—The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Back to the Future and of course, The Goonies. Four of the five are now available on Blu-ray and those of us who want to relive some of the classics from our youth get to do so with the best picture and sound quality available. This is a fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, and director Richard Donner gets the most out of the teenage cast.
Price: $200 At A Glance: 802.11n Wi-Fi • VUDU HDX, Blockbuster On Demand, and Netflix streaming • Superb video processing
Looking for a way to save their home from a group of developers, two brothers and their gang of "Goonies" embark on an adventure in search of One-Eyed Willy's hidden treasure. They get more than they bargained for when they cross paths with the Fratelli family, who are looking for a big score themselves.
