Thomas J. Norton

Sort By: Post Date | Title | Publish Date
CES 2015
Stream TV Presents Glasses-Free 3D but Does Anyone Care?
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 06, 2015  |  Published: Jan 05, 2015  |  0 comments
Ultra-D is a development of Stream TV Networks, in conjunction with partnering companies, to offer glasses free 3D. Their press event was a less elaborate affair than the usual CES press event (though the awful photograph shown here is largely my fault!).
Continue Reading >
A/V Veteran
Subwoofer Setup Steps
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 26, 2022  |  3 comments
Audiophiles have an inherent advantage over home theater enthusiasts: when it comes to setting up their systems, they need only make room for two loudspeakers plus a convenient location for the sources and amplifiers needed to drive them. For a home theater we need to find space for more, often much more. Those multiple speakers must also support the screen, and often there isn't much flexibility in where to put the latter—be it a TV or a projector with a separate screen. In any home theater setup the locations for the center, surrounds, and perhaps overhead speakers are then usually fixed by the placement of those front speakers and the main listener/viewer positions, with little room for deviations in a proper setup.

But positioning one or more subwoofers for the best results is a chore that takes time and patience. Subwoofers are relatively rare in 2-channel systems, which is unfortunate because they can achieve soul-satisfying bass while limiting the need for hulking, and expensive, front left and right loudspeakers.

Continue Reading >
Speaker SetupSpeaker Tech
Subwoofer Setup: How to Get Great Bass in 3 Steps
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 07, 2020  |  62 comments
Subwoofers are like the magic beans of audio, expanding a playback system's dynamic range in a way that dramatically enhances the listening experience. There's an attitude among some audiophiles that subwoofers represent, if not the spawn of the devil (there are numerous such spawns in audio lore), a bad compromise at minimum. But the truth is that adding a modest but well-designed subwoofer to speakers, even compact bookshelf models, can result in better performance than what you'd get from full-range towers that cost considerably more.
Continue Reading >
A/V Veteran
Subwoofering: 15 Movies with Killer Bass
Thomas J. Norton  |  Mar 24, 2015  |  35 comments
A recent article in the trade publication CE Pro surveyed several industry experts on the material they recommended to check out your subwoofer. I’ve now lost the article in preparing for my cross-country move—almost complete except for the small detail about getting the household furniture and goods delivered! But I do have some ideas of my own which may or may not overlap with that now missing article. I’ll concentrate here on movie soundtracks, in which the benefits of a subwoofer will be most obvious even with the largest main L/R speakers most listeners are likely to be using.
Continue Reading >
Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Superman: The Movie, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut—HD DVD
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 28, 2006  |  Published: Dec 29, 2006  |  3 comments

The 1978 story of the comic hero Superman was far from the first live action realization of that character, but it has become a classic. Christopher Reeve, in the title role, was an appealing actor. While he was never a great one, he was a good choice for the Man of Steel. It's no accident that Brandon Routh, a Reeve near look-alike, was chosen for the lead role in the new Superman Returns.

Continue Reading >
A/V Veteran
Survey Suggests Media Rooms More Popular than Dedicated Theaters
Thomas J. Norton  |  May 16, 2023  |  5 comments
Home theater encompasses a range of possibilities. For most enthusiasts it's a DIY affair. For others, it's a matter of hiring a custom installation pro to do the job.
Continue Reading >
A/V Veteran
Sussing Out the Churchills & 2 Hidden Sci-Fi Treasures
Thomas J. Norton  |  Feb 27, 2018  |  0 comments
No, this not a list of Sci-Fi Movies about Winston Churchill, or Churchill movies with a Sci-Fi twist. I admit that these might make for a high concept movie or two. I'm not attempting to give Hollywood ideas here, but I'm open to a big payday for story credit. After all, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, not to mention Abe Lincoln, Vampire Hunter were huge hits! We might also enjoy Churchill and His Time Machine, perhaps, or has that already been done—though I don't recall Bill and Ted picking up Churchill along with Lincoln, Socrates (pronounced So-crates for you Philistines) Napoleon, Freud, and others in their time-travelling phone booth.

But enough of that. The first two of my Hidden Treasures are serious films about Winston Churchill, and the other two are light science fiction...

Continue Reading >
A/V Veteran
Swords, Sand & Sandals: Revisiting CinemaScope Epics
Thomas J. Norton  |  Sep 20, 2022  |  0 comments
A few blogs ago I commented on the 1954 movie, The Egyptian. In the '50s, the introduction of CinemaScope inspired, or rather demanded, epic tales in a genre often referred to as Swords and Sandals. Many of them, but not all, were set in the ancient world, typically Egypt or Rome. Here we look at a few more of those classics.
Continue Reading >
Video Processor ReviewsTest Tool Reviews
TacT TCS mkII pre-pro/theater correction system
Thomas J. Norton  |  Nov 07, 2004  |  0 comments

TacT is a company with a mission. Their amps are all digital, and their 2-channel and AV preamplifier-processors are dedicated to solving the single biggest puzzle in home audio reproduction: the effect of the room.

Continue Reading >
Tower Speaker Reviews
Take 2 System Report
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 24, 2005  |  0 comments

<I>TJN takes a look (and listen) at a system consisting of four recently reviewed products: the Revel Performa F32 speaker system, the Sony STR-DA9000ES A/V receiver, the Marantz DV8400 DVD player, and the Sony VPL-HS51 video projector.</I>

Continue Reading >

Pages

X