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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsAudio Video News
Star Wars Trilogy Hitting Blu-ray September 27th According to Amazon
Stan Horaczek  |  Jan 20, 2011

We managed to catch the trailer for the upcoming release of the Star Wars saga on Blu-ray out at CES. During the presentation, which was put on by Panasonic, they marched out an Amazon exec to announce that pre-orders were going live, but there was still no release date to be had.

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Review: Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 8
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jan 20, 2011

It might just be my eyes, but the BeoSound 8 has a certain visual resemblance to a Fiat 500, or maybe a Frogeye Sprite.

Or Peter Lorre.

There's just something visually arresting about the two connected discs. To be honest, I'm not sure if I like it. Then again, what do I know? My idea of high style is putting on shoes.

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Premiere Design
Trenner & Friedl Duke Speaker
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 20, 2011
As always, there was no shortage of ultra-high-end speakers at CES this year. Among the most impressive was the magnificent Duke from Austrian speaker maker Trenner & Friedl.
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AV Receiver Reviews
Pioneer VSX-1120 A/V Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 20, 2011
Price: $749 At A Glance: Top model in regular line • THX Select2 Plus certification, proprietary auto setup • Marvell video processing, DPLIIz height enhancement

Not Elite but Neat

Like Sony, Pioneer maintains two separate A/V receiver lines. Pioneer Elite emphasizes build quality and power while providing all the latest features. The line simply known as Pioneer emphasizes value while providing nearly as many of the latest features as Elite. They both succeed handsomely. Over the summer, Pioneer updated both lines. Having already dived into the bottomless pool of joy that is the Elite SC-37 [HT, December 2010], top model among the new Elites, I was ready to slide the regular Pioneer line’s top model into my rack’s guest AVR berth.

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Audio Video News
Folks Fuss Over FCC's CNBCU Deal
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 20, 2011
The Federal Communications Commission's conditions for the merger of Comcast with NBC-Universal are attracting comment. Media giants are dreading what will happen at the negotiating table as they cut deals for their own content. At the same time, others are saying that the FCC's net neutrality rules don't go far enough.

The initial fussing is coming from Disney and News Corp., both of whom own motion picture studios, TV networks, and cable channels. One of their concerns is that the FCC's requirement that Comcast make available programming it owns to online video services it doesn't own. This could complicate their ongoing negotiations with the likes of Netflix and Apple, pointed out The Wall Street Journal.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Life As We Know It—Warner Bros.
Kris Deering  |  Jan 20, 2011
Video: 3/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Holly is an up-and-coming caterer and Messer is a promising network sports director. After a disastrous first date, all they have in common is their dislike for each other and their love for their goddaughter Sophie. But when they suddenly become all Sophie has in this world, Holly and Messer must set their differences aside. Juggling career ambitions and competing social calendars, they'll have to find common ground while living under the same roof.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Let Me In—Hammer/Anchor Bay
Kris Deering  |  Jan 20, 2011
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 3.5/5
In bleak New Mexico, a lonely, bullied boy, Owen, forms a unique bond with his mysterious new neighbor, Abby, who moves from town to town with the man who appears to be her father. Trapped in the mind and body of a child, however, Abby is forced to hide a horrific secret of bloodthirsty survival. But in a world of both tenderness and terror, how can you invite in the one friend who may unleash the ultimate nightmare?
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Music ReviewsOther Tech
The S+V Interview: John McCrea of Cake
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 20, 2011

So I've been basking in the sounds of Cake's new chart-topping album Showroom of Compassion (Upbeat Records; cakemusic.com), and have to say that I'm really loving it.
Oh good. That would be horrible if it was a nightmare for you. [chuckles]

And it's a great album to listen to on vinyl. The bass lines on "Got to Move" and "What's Now Is Now" have real impact.

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Media Server ReviewsWireless Multiroom Speaker ReviewsStreaming Device ReviewsWireless Multiroom Speaker ReviewsDesktop Speaker ReviewsPortable Player Reviews
Sonos ZonePlayer S5
Kim Wilson  |  Jan 19, 2011

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $399

At A Glance: Single-box solution • Easy setup and operation • Perfect for smaller rooms, garage, and outdoors • Integrates with existing Sonos systems • Product now called Play:5

Sonos, a leader in low-cost, wholehouse audio, has made it possible to inexpensively stream audio from a computer to multiple A/V systems using one or more of its ZonePlayers. The $399 Sonos S5, the newest ZonePlayer, is completely self-contained. It incorporates its own power supply, amplification, and internal speakers, which allows audio streaming from a wide variety of sources without a dedicated sound system. It can serve as your main (or only) ZonePlayer or as an extension of an existing Sonos system.

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Home Theater Geeks Podcast
Podcast 50: Barb Gonzalez
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 19, 2011
Barb Gonzalez, aka the Simple Tech Guru and the first female geek to appear on the podcast, shares her extensive experience with network media players and streamers, downloading to own or rent versus streaming, why she doesn't like Roku but does like Apple TV and Western Digital's Live Hub, the ins and outs of various online content providers such as Netflix and Vudu, getting content from one place to another around the home, physical media versus online streaming, and answers to chat-room questions.

Run Time: 51:21

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