Thomas J. Norton

Sort By: Post Date | Title | Publish Date
CEDIA 2017
Sony Projects True 4K and Teams With Kaleidescape
Thomas J. Norton  |  Sep 06, 2017
s CEDIA drew close to its September 7, 2017 opening, Sony announced three new full 4K/UHD projectors with a native resolution of 4096 x 2160. This is the resolution of Sony’s 4K SXRD imaging chips. Pro 4K projectors have a 4K resolution of 4096 x 2160, whereas consumer 4K uses 3840 x 2160. There are several ways of handling the difference between these two resolutions when displaying consumer 4K sources. The ideal approach, which involves no added processing to generate potential artifacts, is to simply leave a blank sliver of about 125 pixels at each side of the screen.

All three of the new projectors can accommodate high dynamic range in either the HDR10 or HLG formats...

Continue Reading >
4K TV ReviewsLCD TV ReviewsTV Reviews
Samsung QN65Q9 LCD Ultra HDTV Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 24, 2017
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $6,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Bright and punchy HDR
Excellent resolution
Stunning color
Minus
No Dolby Vision
Edge-lit instead of full-array backlight dimming

THE VERDICT
Samsung’s new top-of-the-line QLED flagship brings first-rate brightness, brilliant color, and crisp resolution to the Ultra HD party, but enthusiasts might notice its lack of a full-array, local dimming backlight.

Now that we’re awash in high dynamic range (HDR) material on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Samsung is determined to make the most of it with two new TVs, the 65-inch QN65Q9 reviewed here and the 75-inch QN75Q9 for buyers who prefer a bigger (and, at $10,000, pricier) set. Each has a screen that’s flat, not curved.

Continue Reading >
A/V Veteran
Colors in Space
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 22, 2017
When it comes to Ultra HD, we’ve heard endlessly about three different color gamuts: Rec.709, DCI-P3, and Rec.2020 (also called BT.2020). But exactly what is a color gamut?
Continue Reading >
Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Sing
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 11, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
In a city of human-like animals (think Zootopia), Buster Moon, an ambitious koala theater owner, has fallen on hard times. He hasn’t had a hit in ages, when he suddenly has an inspiration: We’ll pack ’em in with a singing contest! When his loopy lizard assistant mislabels the announcement flyers to offer a $100,000 prize, hundreds of hopefuls show up for the auditions.
Continue Reading >
A/V Veteran
Light it Up: How Your TV Produces an Image
Thomas J. Norton  |  Aug 08, 2017
When it comes to shopping for a new television, manufacturers will flood you with a tsunami of glowing prose hyping all of the advantages their sets offer. But these claims can be a puzzle to potential buyers, who understandably haven’t made a study of TV technology. The latter is perhaps most confusing with regard to how a TV produces a visible image; that is, how it lights up the screen. Here are some of the key facts...
Continue Reading >
A/V Veteran
8 World War II Films Worthy of Any Collection
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 25, 2017
War is Hell, but it does offer endless opportunities for great (and often not so great) movies. That goes double for WWII. The recently released Dunkirk reminds us vividly of that fact. The reviews have been ecstatic and clearly make it the first film of the year likely to be nominated for Best Picture of 2017, not to mention leaving home theater fans salivating over the release, later this year, of the Blu-ray (and, presumably, the Ultra HD Blu-ray).

While I haven’t yet seen Dunkirk, its release sent me scurrying to my disc collection for other great titles. Some worthy entries aren’t...

Continue Reading >
Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Passengers
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 21, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
Onboard the starship Avalon, thousands of passengers and crew are bound for a new colony on a distant planet. They’re in suspended animation for the 120-year journey. But passengers Jim Preston and, later, Aurora Lane are awakened 90 years too soon—and the pods can’t be reconfigured to put them back to sleep.
Continue Reading >
Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Trolls
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 14, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
There are many definitions of a troll, but as they appear here, in a form first conceived by a Danish woodcarver in 1959 (and subsequently as popular toys), they’re tiny, cute creatures with spiky, multicolored hair who do little besides sing, dance, hug, and party. The miserable Bergens, their enemies, believe that by eating a Troll they can be happy—at least for a day.
Continue Reading >
A/V Veteran
OLEDs Here and There
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 11, 2017
All of us are familiar with LG’s successful use of OLED technology for flat screen UHDTVs. We also know that Sony is marketing its own OLED sets this year. But Sony buys its OLED panels from LG Display (an independent entity from LG itself, though connected to it in some inscrutable way). In fact, LG Display is currently the only company in the world that manufactures OLED panels for consumer televisions. LG’s arch-rival Samsung is a leader in producing OLEDs for cell phone displays, but a few years back decided against marketing OLED HDTVs, at least for now.

Other companies are also marketing OLED sets, but none of them are currently available in the US. And at present all TV OLED panels come from LG Display. But that doesn’t mean that these sets are identical. Each maker uses its own unique electronics and video processing.

While you can’t yet purchase an OLED display here in the US apart from an LG or Sony, it’s useful to know a little about others offering this technology. The more OLEDs sold worldwide, the more viable the technology will remain and, ultimately, the faster its currently high prices will drop...

Continue Reading >
4K TV ReviewsOLED TV ReviewsTV Reviews
LG OLED65E7P OLED Ultra HDTV Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jun 30, 2017

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $5,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
It’s all about the black
Wide viewing angle
Supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision
Minus
Pricey

THE VERDICT
Last year’s OLED sets from LG were so impressive that, apart from their peak white capabilities (an ongoing shortcoming relative to LCD designs), it was hard to see a road ahead for improvements. But LG has found that road, and while the upgrades might prove subtle to most viewers, videophiles will welcome them.

LG’s 2017 OLED offerings fall into five model groups, with the OLED65E7P positioned roughly in the middle. At $5,000, it’s hardly a Black Friday special, but it’s significantly cheaper than the near-paper-thin 65-inch flagship OLED65W7P (reviewed in our June issue), which commands $8,000.

Continue Reading >

Pages

X