Audio Video News

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Audio Video News
Poll Results: No Love Lost for 3D TV
HT Staff  |  Jul 08, 2013  | 
3D was largely shrugged off in last week’s Home Theater poll. In response to the question “What’s your take on 3DTV,” more than half of respondents (61%) selected “I don’t care about 3D one way or the other” (45%) or “I couldn’t care less…” (12% for owners of active 3D TVs and 4% for owners of passive 3D TVs). Only 13% reported “loving” 3D, while 20% said they watch 3D programs occasionally. Wearing glasses is apparently not an issue for those who like 3D: Only 5% of respondents chose “3D glasses drive me crazy.” And if you're on the fence and looking for a 3D movie to check out, Oz the Great and Powerful was singled out as an exemplary example of 3D in action. Here’s a complete breakdown of the survey results...
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Audio Video News
A/V for the Great Outdoors
Bob Ankosko  |  Jul 03, 2013  | 
Ah, summertime. The smell of lavender wafts through the air. A warm breeze rustles through the trees while you kick back on the patio and savor the latest craft beer. It’s almost time to head inside to watch the Yankees take on Detroit. If only you could watch the game outside… Well, you can. In honor of America’s favorite season, we present 10 products that will add pleasure to your backyard experience. Read on, and you may soon be the envy of the neighborhood.
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Audio Video News
Streaming TV Productions Proliferate
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 01, 2013  | 
Online streaming outfits are turning themselves into studios, bankrolling movies and TV series. Before you scoff, did you watch Netflix’s House of Cards? We did, blasting through all 13 episodes in the first month of availability. The series, with Kevin Spacey as a Machiavellian congressman, has made 86 percent of Netflix subscribers less likely to cancel, says a Cowen and Co. survey. We can’t wait for the second “season.”
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Audio Video News
Yamaha Announces Flagship Aventage Amp/Preamp Combo
HT Staff  |  Jun 27, 2013  | 
Yamaha today announced the addition of two flagship A/V separates to its upscale Aventage line, which until now had been reserved for receivers. The CX-A5000 11.2 channel A/V preamplifier and MX-A5000 11-channel power amplifier will each carry a suggested retail price of $3,000 when they become available in August.
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Audio Video News
Pioneer Announces $399 Soundbar Designed by Andrew Jones
HT Staff  |  Jun 26, 2013  | 
Pioneer Electronics today unveiled a soundbar/subwoofer system designed by noted speaker engineer Andrew Jones who has a track record of designing affordable speaker packages that compete with systems that sell for much more.
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Audio Video News
Solid Like a Rock: Thorax Lowboard A/V Rack
Bob Ankosko  |  Jun 26, 2013  | 
It’s not every day you come across an equipment rack made of concrete, but if you’re into industrial design, the stark, angular look of the Thorax Lowboard might be just the ticket. Made by Thorax of Bochum, Germany, the rack is modular and comprises a series of 3-inch-wide concrete squares held together by screws and 1- to 2-inch-wide stainless steel or aluminum brackets; each square weighs about 33 pounds and measures 20.4 x 20.4 inches with a thickness of 1.5 inches.
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Audio Video News
Sharp Unveils First THX-Certified Ultra HD TV
HT Staff  |  Jun 26, 2013  | 
Sharp Electronics today unveiled its first Ultra HD TV, the 70-inch AQUOS LC-70UD1U LED-based LCD TV, which will sell for $8,000 when it hits stores in mid-August. Hailed as the company’s “finest television ever,” the set has four times the resolution of standard high-definition and is the first Ultra HD TV to receive THX 4K certification.
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Audio Video News
Poll Results: Action/Adventure Movies Rule the Demo; HT Readers Recommend Their Favorites
HT Staff  |  Jun 19, 2013  | 
The results of last week’s survey are in. We asked what type of demo material you use to impress unsuspecting friends and family and action/adventure movies were the runaway winner capturing more than half of the votes. Computer animated movies were a distant second with 22 percent of the votes, followed by concert videos with 10 percent and current hit TV shows with 8 percent. Read on to see a list of demo recommendations from fellow enthusiasts with links to our reviews.
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Audio Video News
Like Magic: Black Diamond Motorized Projection Screen
Bob Ankosko  |  Jun 18, 2013  | 
Hailed as a sleek “zero-glare” alternative to flat-panel TVs, the Black Diamond Motorized projection screen is ideal for minimalist décors and spaces that simply don’t have room for a huge screen. Hit a wall switch and, like magic, a slender tube descends from the ceiling and the screen unfurls, suspended from ultra-slim aircraft cable.
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Audio Video News
Cutting Edge Technologies Supplementing, Rather than Displacing, Older Tech
HT Staff  |  Jun 14, 2013  | 
Tablets Owners in Particular Show Stronger Ownership/Uusage for Just About Every Type of Tech

The technological world moves incredibly fast, with cutting edge trends sometimes getting pushed to the edge of the information and entertainment superhighway almost before the digital ink of their announcements has dried. Netbooks, for example, seemed to be the next big thing for a short time until falling victim to their own limited capabilities. E-readers have faced speculation that they may follow a similar trend, though the jury is still out on this category, with 17 percent of U.S. adults owning one.

In fact, adopters of new technology appear reluctant to let go of the old technology their new devices threaten to replace.

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Audio Video News
ESPN’s Decision to Close 3D Channel Raises the Question: Is 3D Dead?
HT Staff  |  Jun 14, 2013  | 
Is 3D dead? That’s the question being asked in the wake of news that ESPN plans to close its ESPN 3D cable channel by the end of the year due to low demand—so low that audience ratings were below Nielsen's measurable threshold, according to a StarTribune report.

Voices throughout the industry are questioning whether 3D will ever take off or remain as a little used TV feature that will eventually wither away.

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Audio Video News
Vizio Introduces 80-Inch Smart TV for $4,000
HT Staff  |  Jun 13, 2013  | 
Vizio today introduced its largest HDTV to date, the M801d 80-inch Razor LED Smart TV featuring a new Apps Plus platform and a competitive $4,000 price, the lowest list price for a TV of its size on the market.
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Audio Video News
Hopper Fights Hate with VROOM
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 13, 2013  | 
The war against Hopper—Dish Network’s zippy ad-skipping DVR—has taken a couple of new tacks. TV networks hate it because it enables viewers to breeze through brain-damaging ads. They’ve made their displeasure known by fighting Hopper’s AutoHop and PrimeTime Anytime features in court on flimsy copyright-violation grounds, apparently unaware that the Supreme Court sanctioned home time-shift recording in 1984’s Betamax Decision.
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Audio Video News
Aereo Spreads to Boston
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 12, 2013  | 
Aereo has brought its live-TV-over-Internet service to the Boston metro area as of May 15, following a controversial launch in New York. The move expands Aereo’s reach to 4.5 million viewers spread over 16 counties in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
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Audio Video News
Pioneer Adds Entry-Level Home Theater Receivers to Elite Line
HT Staff  |  Jun 10, 2013  | 
Pioneer has added two models to its Elite series of A/V receivers: the SC-71 ($1,100) and SC-72 ($1,400). The 7.2-channel receivers will be available this month and offer multi-zone and multi-source capability, 4K Ultra HD upscaling, high-resolution audio playback, wireless control via Pioneer’s free iControlAV2013 app (for Apple and Android device), and Pioneer’s Class D3 amplification...
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