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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 3D
David Vaughn  |  Oct 23, 2011
Captain Jack Sparrow is back with a new adventure on the high seas as he's on the hunt for the Fountain of Youth. After a daring escape from the King of England, Jack becomes enslaved on Blackbeard's ship and learns that a woman from his past has some hidden daddy issues that could cost him dearly. In pursuit are Sparrow's nemesis Barbossa and a separate Spanish armada, who have their own nefarious plans for Ponce De Leon's legendary spring.

3D conversions are all the rage in Hollywood, but thankfully this isn't one of them and it shows from the outset while Jack is loose on the streets of London. Detail is excellent in both foregrounds and backgrounds and separation between objects adds a lot of depth to the image. But as good as the 3D is, it's the DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack that's the star of the show. It features plenty of discrete effects, strong bass response, and virtually unlimited dynamic range.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
David Vaughn  |  May 02, 2013
Picture
Sound
Extras
Steve Martin stars as Neal Page, an uptight advertising executive who misses his scheduled flight from New York to Chicago when an obnoxious salesman steals his cab. As fate would have it, the cab thief turns out to be a shower curtain ring salesman (John Candy) who just happens to sit next to Neal on his flight home. Due to inclement weather, their plane is diverted to Wichita, and when they land, Neal fails to secure a place to stay for the evening. Lucky for him, his new “friend” has booked the last room in town. Thus begins a relationship made in heaven—or hell, depending on your perspective.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Point Break
David Vaughn  |  Jul 27, 2008

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/point.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Rookie FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) goes undercover to bring down a gang of bank-robbing surfers. Moving into the gang's inner circle, Johnny befriends their thrill-seeking, charismatic leader, Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), and finds that he is attracted to Bodhi's lifestyle. He must ultimately choose between his newfound friendship and his duty to the law.

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Subwoofer Reviews
Polk Monitor XT10 Subwoofer Review
David Vaughn  |  Mar 22, 2023

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $299

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Compact Design
Plenty of output above 30 Hz
Wallet-friendly street price
Minus
Weak output below 30 Hz
A bit boomy

THE VERDICT
If you’re on a tight budget and aren’t looking for subterranean bass output, the XT10 will provide some oomph down to 30 Hz for a wallet-friendly price.

Polk Audio is an American manufacturer of high-performance audio products, founded in 1972 by Matthew Polk, George Klopfer, and Sandy Gross. The company quickly made a name for itself in the audio industry by introducing innovative technologies such as the first ever satellite speaker for home use...

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Ponyo (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Mar 02, 2010

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/ponyo.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Walking on the beach near his home, a five-year old boy named Sosuke (voiced by Frankie Jonas) finds a beautiful goldfish trapped in a bottle. He releases the tiny creature and names his new friend Ponyo (Noah Lindsey Cyrus). As the two grow closer, she reveals to him that she's the daughter of a powerful wizard (Liam Neeson) and a sea goddess (Cate Blanchett). When she magically transforms herself into a real human girl it creates a dangerous imbalance in nature which threatens to destroy Sosuke's home.

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Test Tool Reviews
Portrait Displays G1 Pattern Generator: Precision Calibration Anywhere, Anytime
David Vaughn  |  Nov 20, 2024

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE
$549

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Pixel perfect color accuracy
Easy setup and Ssamless interaction with Calman
Supports SDR, HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision
Field upgradable

Minus
Works only with Calman
Pricey compared to DIY options

THE VERDICT
A compact, portable device designed for high-precision display calibration, offering seamless integration with Calman software.

My first foray into calibrating displays came about 20 years ago when I purchased a Hitachi RPTV (remember those?) and discovered various online forums that talked about getting the most out of your display through calibration. In those days, the controls needed to perform a full calibration required one to enter the factory service menu, which at that time intimidated me enough to hire a professional calibrator to do the job.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Poseidon (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Mar 31, 2010

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/poseidon.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>The cruise ship Poseidon is on its way from London to New York on New Year's Eve when it's suddenly struck by a rogue wave turning it upside down in the water. The Captain (Andre Braugher) tells everyone in the main ballroom to be calm and patient, but a band of survivors led by Dylan (Josh Lucas) and Robert (Kurt Russell) have their own plan of escape.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Predator - Ultimate Hunter Edition (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jul 02, 2010
When the US loses a diplomat over enemy lines, Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his covert military team are sent to find them and get out of dodge without being detected. Once on the scene, they find some special forces personnel skinned alive and wonder who or what could have done it.

The 1980s had its share of sci-fi/horror classics and Predator is one of the best and spawned a number of sequels including the upcoming theatrical release of Predators. Schwarzenegger is outstanding as the action hero and director John McTiernan takes a promising concept and delivers the goods with plenty of action and intensity.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pretty Woman
David Vaughn  |  Feb 26, 2009

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/pretty.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>In this contemporary Cinderella story, a streetwise prostitute, Vivian (Julia Roberts), meets no-nonsense billionaire Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), who hires her to be his companion for a week. Their business arrangement turns into something more when the couple discovers they are a match made in heaven.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Pride and Prejudice (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jan 25, 2010

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/pridebd.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>During the Georgian period in England the Bennet family is in dire financial shape. Mr. Bennet (Donald Sutherland) has five daughters and an overbearing wife (Brenda Blethyn), but if the old man keels over, the family estate passes to a distant cousin and the girls would be at his mercy. In order to have a better grasp on her future, Mrs. Bennet prepares her daughter to marry into suitable families with one requirement&#151;money. However, when Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) comes to town for the summer things may not go according to plan.

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