Shane Buettner

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HDTV Buying TipsHDTV Tech
Plasma vs. LCD
Shane Buettner  |  May 01, 2007
They're both sexy slim, and can hang on the wall. But in spite of the similar physical profiles these two technologies are very different, and each has its strengths and weaknesses and they're not necessarily the ones the sales guy at the Big Box Store will tell you about.
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PlayStation3 Hitting Shipping Targets
Shane Buettner  |  Jan 07, 2007

Some interesting info at Sony's press event included an update on PS3's shipping and availability. They're still selling fast, but the good news is enough quantity is getting out that you might be able to get one without being injured or paying thousands on Ebay.

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In-Wall Speaker Reviews
Polk Audio LC-265i-IP powered In-Walls: On the Bench
Shane Buettner  |  Sep 13, 2006
  • $2,900/pr.
  • Active, 200-Watt two-way, with one 6.5" polypropylene woofer, one 6.5" polypropylene mid/woofer, and one 1" ring radiator tweeter, built-in DSP room correction and IP (Internet Protocol) ready for networked systems
Polk is calling the LC-265i-IP the "world's first active IP addressable loudspeaker." OK, sure. What's that? These three-driver in-walls carry onboard amplification for each driver, and work in networked systems, which we assume is a way to move your iTunes library around the house. In addition to being fully powered, these advanced speakers also have DSP-based room correction built-in. Got your attention yet? Look us up in December for the verdict, just in time for Xmas!
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Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
PSB Alpha B1 Loudspeaker System: On the Bench
Shane Buettner  |  Sep 13, 2006
  • 5.1-Channel System Price: $1,286
  • Alpha B1 L/R/LS/RS: Two-driver, two-way speake r with one 5.25" metalized polypropylene woofer and one .75" aluminum dome tweeter, $279/pr.
    HWD: 4.25" x 9.75" x 6.25"
  • Alpha C1 Center Speaker: Three-driver, two-way center speaker with two 5.25" metalized polypropylene woofers and one .75" aluminum dome tweeter, $229/ea.
    HWD: 7" x 17.8": x 9.25"
  • SubSeries 5i subwoofer: 150-Watt powered, vented sub with one 10" polypropylene woofer, line and speaker level inputs, $499/ea.
    HWD: 16.5" x 12.4" x 14.8"
PSB is a stalwart brand for offering high-end performance at a price. The Alpha B1 is the latest incarnation of PSB's minor classic, the Alpha mini-monitor. The new version offers improved driver materials and a tweaked design. Make sure to check out HT's November issue for the full download on how a 5.1-channel system built around these speakers performed for us.
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Quick Hits
Shane Buettner  |  Oct 29, 2007  |  Published: Oct 30, 2007

News worthy of comment has been slow. So, here are some quick shots. Chime in if you have anything on any of these quick shots to the solar plexus.

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Resolution Is A Double-Edged Sword
Shane Buettner  |  Apr 18, 2007

A common fallacy in the high-end audio world is that if you buy better, higher resolution gear all of your recordings will sound better. The short answers is, they won't. Higher resolution invariably exposes more flaws in recordings you already knew were flawed, but what's more uncomfortable is that you'll also hear "new" flaws in recordings that sounded pretty good previously. Some of these might be your favorite demo cuts, which really sucks. And of course, your best recordings will scale new heights entirely, but which turn out to be which is often unpredictable.

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Richard Gray’s Power Company- Don’t Fight The Power
Shane Buettner  |  Sep 15, 2006

RGPC’s irrepressible Dick McCarthy was at CEDIA with new products, as always. Pictured above are McCarthy and RGPC’s Alex Gianaris with the company’s latest power delivery components.

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AV Receiver Reviews
Rotel RSX-1057 Receiver: Coming Attraction
Shane Buettner  |  Sep 13, 2006
  • $1,499
  • 75-Watts x 5 into 8 ohms
  • DD, DD-EX, ProLogicIIx, Dolby Virtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone, DTS, DTS-ES/Discrete/Matrix/Neo: 6, MP3, MPEG multichannel, HDCD
Features We Like: HDMI 11 switching, transcoding of composite and S-Video to component video, three coaxial and two toslink digital audio inputs, one 7.1-channel analog audio input, preamp outs, expandable to 7.1-channels, massive overbuilt power supply, multi-source/multi-zone
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Runco Does Three-Chip 1080p DLP With A Side of THX
Shane Buettner  |  Sep 14, 2006

Runco’s Video Xtreme line of DLP front projectors has been knocked up two big notches- while other manufacturers are aggressively marketing single-chip 1080p DLP, Runco is offering a series of three-chip 1080p models.

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Projector Reviews
Runco LS-5 DLP Projector
Shane Buettner  |  Apr 26, 2010
Price: $6,995 At A Glance: Extraordinary out-of-box performance • Exceptional blacks and contrast • Very strong value proposition

Dynamic Images From Runco

Runco is one of the names that the home theater industry is built on. That’s not hyperbole; neither home theater nor Home Theater would be here today without the vision of men like Sam Runco. He helped design the products that created the custom install channel, and he championed front-projection home cinema. A few years ago, Planar bought Runco, and while Sam is no longer there, the Planar PD8150 we reviewed in June 2008 signaled that we could look forward to innovative new front-projection designs under the Planar and Runco banners.

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