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Audio Video News
Comedian to Do Streaming-Only Show
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 17, 2011  | 
Dave Chappelle intends to launch a new comedy show that won't appear on broadcast, cable, or satellite TV. If you want to see it, you'll have to stream it. The show would mark Chappelle's return to TV after his highly rated Comedy Central show crashed and burned.

From whom you'd be streaming was still up for grabs at presstime. Some observers said Netflix would be the obvious choice. But Hulu or some other streaming service could turn out to be the lucky winner.

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Audio Video News
TiVo Aims at Cable Ops
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 15, 2011  | 
TiVo aims to capture the attention of the cable TV industry with two new cable compatible products as well as an update of its iPad app.

The TiVo Premiere Q boasts four tuners for recording and viewing multiple streams, while the TiVo Preview is the first TiVo HD product not to have a DVR.

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Audio Video News
Component Audio on the Upswing
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 14, 2011  | 
Consumer interest in component audio is growing, according to a recent survey by MarketSource.

The number of adults who intend to buy one or more audio components has risen to 39 percent, versus 35 percent a year back.

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Audio Video News
Blu-ray Nipping at DVD's Heels
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 10, 2011  | 
Blu-ray is making new friends at a healthy pace, according to figures from the NPD Group, while DVD is dead in the water.

Fifteen percent of U.S. households used a Blu-ray player in a six-month period spanning 2010-11, a big improvement from nine percent in 2009-10, while the percentage using DVD remained unchanged at 57 percent. So while Blu-ray remains behind DVD, it is catching up.

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Audio Video News
Panasonic Adopts Quick Chip
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 09, 2011  | 

The convergence train has long since left the station and one of the results is that TVs are adopting more and more computerized functions. And we all want our computers to run fast, so it's good news that Panasonic has adopted a faster UniPhier processor for its Viera TVs and Blu-ray players.

The Cortex-A9 is a 1.4GHz dual-core chip. Panasonic says it can muster "two TV broadcasting channels [we're guessing that means streams], as well as Internet-based content and applications in high-resolution at the same time. In addition, the new chip is able to reduce power consumption of and the number of components used in smart TVs, which will help drive smart TVs to spread in the global market."

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Audio Video News
Does Free HDTV Still Matter?
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 08, 2011  | 
Does free HDTV broadcast over the air still matter? The Consumer Electronics Association contends the answer is no. And it has trotted out a survey to prove its point. Among 1256 adults questioned in December 2010, just eight percent said they get over-the-air HDTV signals. And the number has declined since 2005.

"Using huge swaths of wireless spectrum to deliver TV to homes no longer makes economic sense," said CEA CEO Gary Shapiro. "Congress should pass legislation to allow for incentive auctions so free market dynamics can find the best purposes for underused broadcast spectrum, such as wireless broadband."

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Audio Video News
iTunes Lofted Skyward
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 07, 2011  | 
What game-changing moves did yesterday's Apple software announcements hold for home theater enthusiasts?

Among the few mentions of Apple TV, the company's video streaming set top box, came in connection with Photo Stream. This new app pushes photos and other content to the cloud, then sends them to your computer, portable, and other devices. Apple TV is one of those devices.

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Audio Video News
Audyssey Announces Dynamic Volume TV
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 03, 2011  | 
You've already read about Audyssey Dynamic Volume in our pages and webpages. Audyssey has just announced a new version called Dynamic Volume TV.

Audyssey Dynamic Volume TV is designed to reduce the dynamic extremes of TV programming in somewhat the same way regular Dynamic Volume handles the extremes of movies, but without the obvious pumping effects of cruder automatic gain controls. It also evens out levels among different inputs.

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Audio Video News
Onkyo Unveils First DTS Neo:X Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 02, 2011  | 
Onkyo's TX-NR1009 is the first surround receiver with DTS Neo:X, which converts signals with 2.0, 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 channels to 9.1 or 11.1 channels.

Why this, why now? Frankly we're not sure.

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Audio Video News
Apple iCloud Nears
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 01, 2011  | 
Apple now confirms that iCloud will be the name of its soon-to-be-launched cloud-based content locker. And content-wise, it looks as though all the pieces are falling into place.

Apple reportedly expects to sign up the Universal Music Group this week, reports The Wall Street Journal. That would make it the last of the four major music labels to participate, along with EMI, Sony, and Warner.

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Audio Video News
Blockbuster Pricing Floats Downward
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 31, 2011  | 
Memorial Day shoppers got a special treat at Blockbuster in the form of radically lower rental prices.

In the wake of its acquisition by the Dish Network, Blockbuster is reducing the price of "just released" rentals from $4.99 for three days to $2.99 for the first day and 99 cents per additional day. Other new titles will cost $1.99 first day, 99 cents per additional day.

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Audio Video News
Apple Prepares Cloud Service
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 27, 2011  | 
Apple is fixing to follow Amazon and Pioneer into the cloud. Music industry sources say Apple is lining up support to launch a new service that would store music online.

What would make Apple's service different than the other two? It would license the music, instead of leaving the legal details of acquisition to the user. Hence the music industry consultations.

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Audio Video News
DLNA to Stream from Cable STBs
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 26, 2011  | 
Over the years DLNA has emerged as a useful standard enabling a/v products to pull content from router-connected computers, among other uses. Now some new interoperability guidelines will enable it to do the same from cable, satellite, or telco TV set top boxes.

The new standard was developed in conjunction with CableLabs, the research arm of the cable, satellite, and telco TV industries, and uses DTCP-IP link-protected streaming. It effectively means you can stream pay-TV signals throughout the home without having to pay for extra set top boxes, though you will need at least one box using the new technology.

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Audio Video News
Is 3D Gear Abused in Your Local Theater?
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 25, 2011  | 
We couldn't quite believe this when we read it. But apparently it's true: Movie theaters are leaving 3D equipment in place when showing 2D films. The result, says The Boston Globe, is an image with a fraction of the proper brightness.

Reports the paper: "A walk through the AMC Loews Boston Common on Tremont Street one evening in mid-April illustrates the problem: gloomy, underlit images on eight of the multiplex's 19 screens...."

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Audio Video News
Vizio Products to Get Vudu Button
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 24, 2011  | 
In the mood for Vudu's 1080p video stream with Dolby Digital Plus surround? Vizio is going to make it easy for you by building a dedicated Vudu button into 2011 TVs, Blu-ray players, and set-top boxes.

Vudu says other manufacturers will offer the button too though their names weren't disclosed at presstime.

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