Severtson Screens, the family-owned Mesa, Arizona-based company that celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2016, has introduced a new line of acoustically-transparent projection screens featuring a “finer weave and brighter white material” for enhanced picture performance.
Warner Bros. has announced that all eight films in the Harry Potter series will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray in 2017. All of the films will support high dynamic range (HDR), a “wider color spectrum,” and a DTS:X immersive soundtrack.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Impressively dynamic, generous nine-channel power
Dolby Atmos, DTS:X on board
THX Select2 certified
Minus
Meh remote
Ocassionally unintuitive ergonomics
Some features still await firmware update
Premium pricing
THE VERDICT
This Onkyo has faultless amplification and solid usability, though you’ll pay extra for it.
Onkyo must not have gotten the memo about Class D–powered audio gear being smaller, svelter, lighter. The company’s new topmodel-but-one TX-RZ1100 is an imposing object 8 inches tall, and while the receiver’s 43-pound weight poses no challenge to the seemingly 100-pounders of yesteryear, it’s not exactly nothing, either.
The NVIDIA Shield TV was created as the best streaming player for gamers. Features including Home Control, improved search, and all the content a cord-cutter could want in one device, makes the new Shield TV a top media streamer choice for everyone.
Thirty-three years ago, Apple’s now-famous “1984” TV commercial was broadcast during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII (the then Los Angeles Raiders pummeled the Washington Redskins 38-9), introducing in dramatic fashion a machine that would redefine home computing: The Macintosh.
Q For the past few years I've been following the High-Res Audio "movement." After reading several articles in Sound & Vision, I finally decided to order an AudioQuest Dragonfly Black and rip a few of my favorite 90s rock/alternative CDs to FLAC format. I also downloaded the HDtracks sampler and purchased 96/24 versions of Pearl Jam's No Code and Muse's Drones. I couldn't wait to “hear my music again for the first time." Know what? It didn’t matter if I listened with my Apple EarPods, Bose SoundTrue headphones, or Logitech desktop speakers, I couldn't hear any differences! What gives? Do I really have to spend $1000 on headphones to appreciate hi-res audio? Is the problem the distortion and effects in the music I typically listen to, or is High-Res Audio all hype? —Adam Head
A First off, let me say that I sympathize with your struggle to grasp the benefits of High-Res Audio (HRA). It’s not easy to hear differences. In some cases, there aren’t significant differences to be heard. Let me explain.
Swedish speaker company Procella Audio is partnering with Trinnov Audio and Artnovion to create a state-of-the-art 22-channel immersive audio system capable of Dolby Atmos, Auro-3D, and DTS:X playback at the upcoming at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show, which opens February 7 in Amsterdam.
Uriah Heep burst onto the music scene at the dawn of the 1970s, and their heavy-but-melodic sensibilities instantly catapulted them into the hard-hitting Brit-rock fraternity collectively known as The Big Four, placing them right alongside Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple. A full-bore Uriah Heep reissue series is now underway, having commenced late last year with the two-CD set Your Turn to Remember: The Definitive Anthology 1970–1990 (BMG/Sanctuary) and followed by the band’s first two albums — namely, 1970's ...Very ’Eavy ...Very ’Umble and 1971’s Salisbury — with scores of bonus tracks to boot. I got on the horn across the Pond with co-founding Heep guitarist Mick Box to discuss the ins and outs of putting together the Anthology, how the band recorded an actual tea kettle onto the classic 1972 track “The Wizard,” his thoughts on streaming, and the band’s future plans.
Sony Spiffed Up PS4 Pro with Ultra HD and HDR capability and content, including upconversion of non-native 4K content. However, the $399 device’s Blu-ray drive does not support UHD...
Vizio’s SmartCast has received improvements including Google Play Movies and TV, a new Quick Start mode over Wi-Fi, and improved navigation...