Thomas J. Norton

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CES 2011
PSB's Mini Me
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 08, 2011  |  Published: Jan 09, 2011
At $700/pair, PSB's Imagine Mini (second from left, on stand) may turn some heads. It did not have any deep bass, but was clean as far down as it went, and even when played loud (though not unreasonably loud) did not fall to pieces. With a good subwoofer, five of them plus a spare (unfortunately they are sold only in pairs), or four with an Imagine center, could make for a sweet, small room home theater setup.
Accessory Reviews
PureLink HD-150 1:5 HDMI Distribution Amplifier, HS-42A 4:2 HDMI Selector, HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Extension Cable
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 08, 2007

HDMI connections, combined with a pristine source and a great display, can produce beautiful images, perhaps the best ever available to consumers. But the format has not been trouble free. Even if we ignore consideration of which version of HDMI we're dealing with, and the length limitations of the connections, more than a few videophiles have had problems getting HDMI some combinations of source, display, and switcher to work together.

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CES 2015
QD Vision IS Quantum Dots
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 06, 2015
An increasing number of manufacturers are starting to use Quantum Dots as a light source for their LCD TVs, replacing LEDs. QD Vision is a major supplier of these devices...
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CEDIA 2016
QMotion Shows One Way to Darken a Home Theater
Thomas J. Norton  |  Sep 17, 2016
t may be unglamorous, but many of us have a need to darken our home theater spaces, particularly when using a projector and a conventional screen. Normally this involves either a tedious process of manually closing the drapes, or buying expensive, custom, powered blinds...
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CEDIA 2015
Quantum Media 4K
Thomas J. Norton  |  Oct 16, 2015
Quantum Media showed its full RGB 4K laser projector. The booth was too dark to get a good shot of it, but it’s large (and loud) enough to deserve a small projection booth of its own. In its 4K guise it will cost you between $150,000 and $200,000...
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A/V Veteran
Rain's Gonna Fall Part 2: How to Protect Your AV Gear During Severe Storms
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 13, 2024
In my last blog — Rain's Gonna Fall: How to Protect Your AV Gear from Severe Storms — we focused mainly on protecting audio/video gear from possible electrical surges. This time, we’ll look at how to minimize potential damage caused by hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods.
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A/V Veteran
Rain's Gonna Fall: How to Protect Your AV Gear from Severe Storms
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 23, 2024
Is your home theater or music system protected from summer thunderstorms and other major weather events? Once personal safety concerns have been addressed, here are a few preventative measures you can take to keep your AV gear safe.
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A/V Veteran
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On Your Head
Thomas J. Norton  |  Mar 31, 2014
From a recent article in the Los Angeles Times:

“A South Korean Company aiming to transform the way Americans experience movies at the multiplex is bringing its ‘4-D’ technology to Los Angeles.”

What’s 4-D? The technology is actually called 4DX, and instead of just picture and sound it adds, as needed, moving and vibrating seats, wind, strobe lights, fog, rain, and scents, all of them supporting what’s happening on the screen.

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Ralph Breaks The Internet
Thomas J. Norton  |  Mar 15, 2019
Picture
Sound
Extras
Wreck It Ralph and his new BFF Vanellope have settled into a familiar routine—starring in their arcade games by day, playing other games after work, and hanging out later at Tapper's (root) beer joint. But Vanellope's Sugar Rush game breaks, and to find the part needed to fix it they sneak into a new WIFI portal at Game Central Station. It takes them to the totally unfamiliar world of the Internet, where chaos is inevitable given Ralph's natural talent for wrecking things.
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A/V Veteran
Rampage in A Quiet Place
Thomas J. Norton  |  Apr 24, 2018
Back in the Jurassic age movie theaters routinely offered double features. That practice has long since disappeared, but you can recreate it by seeing two movies on the same day. It takes some doing to get the schedule right, with perhaps a half hour between the end of the first film and the beginning of the second—just enough time to see a man about a dog. Of course it will cost you for separate tickets, and you’ll want to be sure you can get good seats for both films.

Then there’s the challenge of making a good pairing...

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