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Sony XBR8
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 04, 2008

Among the many new Sony LCD flat panels at the show is the XBR8 with triluminous LED backlighting and local dimming. Instead of white LEDs, this set uses clusters of red, green, and blue LEDs.

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Audio Video News
Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo: HD @ E3
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 20, 2005

Normally, <I>UAV</I> wouldn't pay much attention to the Electronic Entertainment Expo, otherwise known as E3, being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, May 17-20, 2005. But at this year's show, there were some announcements that perked up my ears a bit: new game consoles from the Big Three (Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo), at least some of which will have high-def capabilities, making them much more interesting to home theater buffs.

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Premiere Design
Sound All Around
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 18, 2009

Sometimes in this blog, I like to profile new and unusual technologies that may&#151;or may not&#151;actually perform well. Sony's <A href="http://www.sony.net/Fun/design/activity/product/sountina_01.html">NSA-PF1 Sountina</A> speaker is just such a product. I have no idea how it performs since I've never heard it in action and I know no one who has, but the technology is certainly intriguing.

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Ask S&V
Soundbar in the Center
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 14, 2011
I have the opportunity to update my home theater audio system and have decided on the Marantz SR7005 AVR. My room is small, and when I remodeled 10 years ago, I installed four Paradigm in-wall speakers and a large center-channel speaker for my 5.1 system. It occurs to me that if I replace the center channel with a 3-channel soundbar, I could use my existing in-wall speakers for the surround and have a full 7.1 system.

What do you think of this approach? Paradigm makes a 3-channel soundbar, the Millenia 20 Trio (shown above). I like my Paradigm speakers, but I thought that looking at other brands might be a good thing to do.

Byron Servies

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Ask S&V
Soundbar, TV Setup, Multichannel Music
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 03, 2010
Ill-Advised Combo
I have a very large room with high ceilings and a loft, and I have a 5.1 system with satellite speakers. Will a Polk SurroundBar 360 work together with the speaker system I have, or does it work only by itself?
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Ask S&V
Soundbars, 60 vs. 120Hz, DVRs
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 06, 2010
Clutter Cutter
We have a budget of about $600 for a sound system to go with our new Panasonic TC-P54G25 plasma TV. We are looking for a system without a lot of clutter. Is there something with a subwoofer and just a couple of speakers, or do we need many speakers? Our TV room measures 22x22 feet.
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Premiere Design
Space Saver
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 08, 2010

Most home-theater geeks prefer to buy separate components in order to optimize the performance of each one and allow them to be swapped out independently for repair or upgrade. But what if you don't have enough space to accommodate all those separate devices? <A href="http://www.usa.denon.com">Denon</A>'s answer is the new S-5BD, which combines a full-featured Blu-ray player and AVR into one compact package.

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Premiere Design
Spare No Expense
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 31, 2009

<A href="http://www.usa.denon.com">Denon</A> is certainly pushing the envelope&#151;in terms of both performance and price&#151;with its new flagship line that includes a surround pre/pro, 10-channel power amp, and universal disc player. <I>UAV</I> reviewed the pre/pro and power amp <A href="http://ultimateavmag.com/surroundsoundpreampprocessors/denon_avp-a1hdci_..., but we haven't yet taken a critical look at the DVD-A1UDCI player.

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Ask S&V
Speaker Matching
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 28, 2011
I am in the process of upgrading my home theater. I just bought the Panasonic VT25 plasma TV and Marantz SR6006 A/V receiver, and I want to get the right speakers. I bought the B&W CM2 center channel, so my challenge is now the in-ceiling speakers. I am considering Martian Logan, B&W, and Current in-ceiling speakers. If I stay with the B&W center, should I go with B&W in-ceiling?

The Martin Logans cover more of the highs, while the B&Ws cover more of the midrange. With music, the B&Ws sound more realistic, but with movies, the Martin Logans sound better. I was told that matching manufacturers is key to maintain the same tonal character. If I don't, will there be an impact to movies and music? Any feedback on these speakers in general and/or matching manufactures would be very helpful. I am willing to go listen to other speakers that you suggest.

Mike Perrone

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CEDIA 2010
SpeakerCraft Roots & FloBox
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 23, 2010
Famous for in-wall and in-ceiling speakers, SpeakerCraft decided to go back to its founders' roots with the new Roots standalone speakers, which include three 2-way satellites and two subwoofers (one of which is shown in red here). A similar design aesthetic was applied to the FloBox, which combines the Vital 250 integrated amp with a speaker system that includes a 5.25-inch woofer, two 3-inch midrange drivers, and two 0.75-inch tweeters.
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