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Balanced vs. Unbalanced Cables
Al Griffin  |  Nov 06, 2013
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com.

Q I have a legacy AV receiver (Integra DTR-7) and am considering replacing it with a separate preamp/processor and amplifier. I’ve noticed that some preamps only have RCA outputs, while other, more expensive preamps also have balanced XLR outputs. Is there a noticeable difference in the sound quality when using balanced XLR cables versus unbalanced cables? The length of the cables needed to connect the two units would only be 1 meter. —Ed Mendelson / via e-mail

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SignalsAudio Video News
Chromecast Opens the Music Box
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Nov 05, 2013
The wildly popular Google Chromecast just got even better. It has added Pandora Radio and Hulu Plus to its list of supported content. And, the best may be yet to come.

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Audio Video News
Behind the Scenes at Bang & Olufsen
Barb Gonzalez  |  Nov 04, 2013
A visit to Bang & Olufsen’s headquarters in Struer, Denmark provides a rare look inside the AV company know for trendsetting design.
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New Products
New Gear
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 04, 2013
LG's Google TV, an in-wall soundbar from Niles, Screen Innovations' edgeless screen, a compact stereo amp/DAC from AudioControl, and more
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Other Source Component ReviewsPortable Player Reviews
Belkin Dyle Mobile TV Receiver
Michael Antonoff  |  Nov 04, 2013
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price $100

At A Glance
Plus: Watch broadcast TV while commuting • Steady reception in motion • Works without Wi-Fi or a mobile data plan
Minus: Limited channels • Reception spotty in buildings and locking in stations can be frustrating

The Verdict
Lets you watch TV while on the on the go but programming options are limited and reception is not a sure shot.

Though the picture quality of over-the-air TV can surpass cable, you’re likely to get no reception at all in a moving vehicle. That’s because broadcast DTV was conceived for stationary screens—not today’s legion of mobile devices.

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Editor's Eye
OLED Is Here, and TV Will Never Be the Same
Rob Sabin  |  Nov 01, 2013
The accompanying OLED stories mark our first up-close look at a display technology that goes by an acronym best pronounced as “Oh-lead,” and one that stands for the future of television. That’s a bold statement, and the time line should perhaps be qualified as “near-future” inasmuch as anything can happen in the developing world of display technology, and taken in its entirety, the future is known to be a very, very long time. But I dare say we’ve waited a long time to this point just to see OLED’s promise, and having now witnessed it firsthand, I’m having a hard time guessing what could better it short of a holographic display with equal image quality or something that does just what OLED does for a whole lot cheaper.
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HDTV Tech
So...What’s an OLED?
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Nov 01, 2013
After years of speculation and skepticism, drooling and disappointment, longing, frustration, and pensive excitement, Organic Light-Emitting Diode televisions are finally available. OLED (oh-lead, if you like), is the first true next-generation HDTV technology since LCDs emerged from their nascent toy stage and started stomping all over plasma TVs.
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TV ReviewsOLED TV Reviews
Samsung KN55S9C 3D OLED HDTV
Al Griffin  |  Nov 01, 2013
2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $9,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Exceptional contrast
Bright, crosstalk-free 3D
Uniform picture at off-axis seats
Upgradeable One Connect box
Minus
Geometric distortion due to curved panel
Slight tinting from anti-reflective screen coating

THE VERDICT
While the curved screen prevents it from being our dream OLED, the exceptional performance of Samsung’s set points the way toward TV’s future.

Nothing elevates the pulse of an A/V enthusiast more readily than the prospect of new video display tech. I may be showing my age here, but I remember when the first plasma TVs made the rounds for review. Looked at next to today’s models, those sets were bulky (4 or more inches deep) and had poor contrast compared with the tube TVs they replaced. Many were plagued by banding artifacts that made pictures look like a paint-by-number kit.

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Tech2
Battlefield 4 Review
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Nov 01, 2013
As I expected, I’ve been playing a lot of Battlefield 4. In some ways, my initial thoughts were correct, this really is a polish of BF3.

However, what I didn't expect, is that in that polish, it’s actually a better game. A definite improvement over its predecessor. The little tweaks and changes combine to make something greater than the parts marginally improved.

Thoughts and such, after the jump.

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Ears On
Surround Tribes: Where Do You Fit In?
Mark Fleischmann  |  Nov 01, 2013
A home theater system, as I never tire of saying, is the union of big-screen television and surround sound. Conceptually speaking, the big-TV part is not a heavy lift. But some people interested in getting into home theater may have trouble visualizing what a surround sound system might look like. And it's hard to blame them. Surround systems come in many configurations, each appealing to a different tribe of listeners. How can you, as an aspiring home theater buff, decide which surround tribe you belong to? Here are some common configurations matched to the listeners to whom they would appeal.

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