Thomas J. Norton

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CES 2009
Focal's Dome
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 10, 2008

Dome in this case doesn't mean a tweeter diaphragm, but rather Focal's new "Lifestyle Luxury" speaker package, consisting of small, two-way satellite speakers in a rounded enclosure together with a small, separate sub. The satellite is shown here. It's used for every channel, including the center. The tab is $1475 for a 2.1 channels and $2495 for a 5.1-channel system. The "Dome" satellite speakers themselves are available separately for $750/pair. Available in April.

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Tower Speaker ReviewsSubwoofer Reviews
Focal-JMlab Diva Utopia Be Surround Speaker System
Thomas J. Norton  |  Feb 20, 2005

Focal-JMlab has been manufacturing speaker drivers and systems from its home base in Saint-Etienne, France, since 1980. They first became known to audiophiles in the US for their range of Focal drive units, particularly their inverted-dome tweeters. The latter were used by a number of makers of speaker systems. One of them, Wilson Audio Specialties, has likely been Focal's most loyal customer over the years, having used various Focal drivers in most of its models since the original Wilson Audio Tiny Tot, aka the WATT, was produced in the mid-1980s.

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CES 2011
Focus on Ford
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 07, 2011  |  Published: Jan 08, 2011
The Grand Entryway exhibits featured this arrest-me-red 2011 Ford Focus (available in March). Why? Because of its high tech electronic features. This former Focus owner (2000) was more interested in its performance—planned 160HP engine at first; later supplemented by a twin turbo version (I thought I heard them saay 240HP--torque-steer city?) and later still either a hybrid or electric (they weren't clear on which one).
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CES 2015
For TCL, Size Matters
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 07, 2015
TCL showed what they claimed to be the world's largest 110-inch curved 4K UltraHDTV. Presumably that means that it's bigger than all of the other 110-inch curved 4K UltraHD sets out there.
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CEDIA 2014
Form Meets Function: Bang & Olufsen's 85-Inch 4K/Ultra HD TV
Thomas J. Norton  |  Sep 12, 2014
B&O is widely known for making excellent, stylish, but very expensive products. While its BeoVision Avant 85-inch 4K/Ultra HD LCD set isn't exactly cheap at $25,000, it's not that far off from the prices its competitors charge for similarly-sized 4K sets (and cheaper than some). The set comes with a unique powered, rotating stand and remote. A B&O sibling 55-inch 4K set is also available, but its $8,000 price (the stand for this model is optional at $2,000) it's not as competitive.
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A/V Veteran
Four Days in LA
Thomas J. Norton  |  Mar 27, 2018
Elsewhere on this site I discuss my experiences at the press events I attended in Los Angeles (LG) and New York (Sony). Between these two events I elected to spend a few extra days in Los Angeles to pay informal visits to two manufacturers and also to check out the latest movies in good movie theaters—including one of the best in the country.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Free Guy
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 31, 2021
Picture
Sound
Extras
Guy is an NPC (non-player character) in the hit video game, Free City. He "lives" a happy but chaotic life as the game's active player characters, identifiable by their sunglasses, ravage the city. The NPCs simply go about their business as best they can in the only world they know.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Frozen
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jun 26, 2014
Picture
Sound
Extras
Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fable The Snow Queen, Frozen opens by introducing us to two princesses, Anna and Elsa. Elsa has been born with power over cold—a curse she can’t control. To protect Anna and others, Elsa locks herself in her room as the two siblings grow into young adulthood.
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Projector Reviews
Fujitsu LPF-D711W LCD Video Projector and LPF-QSD1W AV Selector
Thomas J. Norton  |  May 30, 2005

When Fujitsu announced a high-end LCD projector, my first reaction was a stifled yawn. After all, until recently, home theater LCD projectors had been limited to the low end. Yes, they sometimes offered very good value for the money, and we've given good reviews to more than one of them over the years. But an LCD projector priced like a new car, in competition with 3-chip DLPs and high-end LCoS projectors, seemed far-fetched. Even more surprising was the fact that Fujitsu was known in the home video market for plasma displays, not projectors.

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Projector Reviews
Fujitsu LPF-D711W LCD Video Projector Take 2
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 11, 2005

In my recent review of Fujitsu's remarkable <A href="http://www.ultimateavmag.com/videoprojectors/505fujitsu/">LPF-D711W LCD projector</A>, I commented:

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