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Blu-ray Player Reviews

Magnetar UDP800 Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player Review

David Vaughn | May 02, 2024

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $1,599

AT A GLANCE
Plus Fantastic build quality
Universal disc compatibility
Analog XLR audio output
Minus
No Wi-Fi or onboard streaming apps
Horrible remote

THE VERDICT
The player's build quality is top-notch, but there are a few quirks that need to be addressed.

Though the famous Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) quote, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,” has been twisted over time from the original quote, “The report of my death was an exaggeration,” both very much apply to the state of physical media today.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Mamma Mia!

David Vaughn | Dec 15, 2008 | Published: Dec 16, 2008

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/mammamia.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna (Meryl Streep) is about to see her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) get married. Hoping to have her father walk her down the aislebut not knowing which of Donna's three lovers from 20 years ago it might beSophie secretly invites all three: American businessman Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), English banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth), and free-spirited author Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard).

Blu-ray Movie Reviews Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

David Vaughn | Dec 07, 2018

Picture
Sound
Extras

Both a prequel and a sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again tells two stories: the first set in the present day as Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) prepares for the grand reopening of her mother Donna’s (Meryl Streep) hotel, and the second when the young Donna (Lily James) first arrives on the island in 1979. Sophie learns about her mother’s fun-filled adventures with the young Dynamos, Tanya and Rosie, and how she first met her three possible dads, Harry, Bill, and Sam, all those years ago.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Mamma Mia! The Movie Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! More Gift Set (Blu-ray)

David Vaughn | Nov 08, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/mommamia2.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna (Meryl Streep) is about to see her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) get married. Hoping to have her father walk her down the aislebut not knowing which of Donna's three lovers from 20 years ago it might beSophie secretly invites all three: American businessman Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), English banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth), and free-spirited author Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard).

Power Amplifier Reviews Surround Processor Reviews

Marantz AV8801 Surround Processor & MM8077 Amplifier

David Vaughn | Feb 20, 2013

AV8801 Surround Processor
Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

MM8077 Amplifier
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

Price: AV8801, $3,599; MM8077, $2,399 At a Glance: Up to 11.2-channel playback with Audyssey DSX and DTS Neo:X Audyssey MultEQ XT32 and Sub EQ HT Apple AirPlay support

As A/V enthusiasts, we are constantly on the lookout for the best audio and video we can find, and when we reach that state of nirvana, we enjoy our equipment until the next CES or CEDIA when we then hear about something new and begin to worry that our system will soon be second best. Writing for Home Theater makes me an unwilling accomplice in this never-ending cycle of upgrade-itis, but truth be told, I’m just as affected by this as the rest of you. Thankfully, I’m able to get my fix by having lots of equipment moving through my rack, but every now and then, I fall in love with a piece and don’t want it to leave my possession.

Surround Processor Reviews

Marantz AV8802 Surround Processor Review

David Vaughn | May 21, 2015

Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $3,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
11.1 channels with Audyssey MultEQ XT processing
Dolby Atmos, Auro-3D, and DTS:X surround
Full 4K video processing upgradable to HDCP 2.2
Minus
Limited range for remote sensor

THE VERDICT
Noticeably improved sound quality over its predecessor plus Atmos, Auro-3D, and DTS:X surround processing make the Marantz AV8802 a top-notch upgrade.

It’s been a little more than two years since I reviewed the Marantz AV8801 surround processor, and I liked that model so much, it never left my system. At the time, I thought it was the best-sounding pre/pro I had ever owned, and I had no real desire to upgrade anytime soon. That all changed last fall when Dolby announced that Atmos for the home was on its way. I started thinking how I could finagle four extra speakers into my room—because for some reason, I have this overwhelming desire to stay on the cutting edge of home theater technology, regardless of the personal expense.

Surround Processor Reviews

Marantz AV8805 A/V Surround Processor Review

David Vaughn | Nov 07, 2018

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $4,499

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D formats
13 processing channels and 15 audio outputs
Clean, highly detailed sound
Minus
Very narrow remote sensor

THE VERDICT
Marantz’s new flagship surround processor makes the most of the Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D formats while providing a notable sound quality improvement over its predecessor.

I remember my first flagship A/V receiver like it was yesterday. It was the year 2000, and Onkyo’s TX-DS989, which sold for a cool $3,200 and featured seven channels of built-in amplification plus support for the latest, greatest THX Surround EX and DTS-ES codecs was every home theater enthusiast’s dream. With rear surround speakers now added to the mix, a home theater could actually match the arrays found in cinemas.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Marley & Me (Blu-ray)

David Vaughn | Mar 30, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/marley.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Based on the best-selling book by John Grogan, this is a story about a young couple (Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston) who decide to get a puppy, Marley, in lieu of having a child at an early point in their marriage. Unfortunately, they adopt "evil" with the face of a dog that fails obedience school and is branded as "the world's worst dog."

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Mars Needs Moms 3D

David Vaughn | Aug 14, 2011

Nine-year-old Milo (motion-capture performer Seth Green and voice actor Seth Dusky) stows away on a Mars-bound alien spaceship as it races away with his mom (Joan Cusack), who has been abducted so the Martians can steal her mom-ness in order to raise their young. Once he arrives on the Red Planet, he's befriended by Gribbler (Dan Fogler), an immature young adult whose mother was also stolen by the Martians when he was a boy. It's a race against time as Milo struggles to save his mother from imminent doom at the hands of the aliens.

This is a decent family film that starts off pretty slow but picks up steam in the second act as you get to know the main characters. The motion-capture techniques developed by producer Robert Zemeckis in The Polar Express have improved over the years, especially with adult faces, but the children come across a little creepy. Despite the shortcomings in the story, both the 3D and 2D presentations are outstanding, and the DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack is definitely demo-worthy.

Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

David Vaughn | Jun 13, 2008

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/061308master.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Captain “Lucky Jack” Aubrey (Russell Crowe) of the HMS Surprise receives orders to sink or capture the French privateer Acheron off the east coast of South America. In his first encounter with the enemy vessel, the more powerfully built French warship gets the better of his crew and nearly sinks the Surprise. Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), Aubrey's best friend and ship's surgeon, tries to convince him there is no shame in returning home given the conditions they face. Torn between duty and friendship, the fate of his crew weighs on his mind.

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