Tom Norton

Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The War of the Worlds
Tom Norton  |  Nov 25, 2022  |  1 comments
Picture
Sound
Extras
The War of the Worlds was a huge movie hit in 1953, based loosely on H.G. Wells 1898 classic novel of an invasion from Mars. We're at the center of the action during our military's initial encounter with the Martians' unstoppable machines (the latter very different from Wells' tripod conception). Later we're trapped in a trashed farmhouse and get a frightening glimpse of a live Martian. In a gripping conclusion, the Martians appear on the verge of total victory.
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A/V Veteran
IMAX Enhanced: IMAX Comes Home
Tom Norton  |  Dec 14, 2021  |  3 comments
IMAX, as most people experience it, is a high quality movie format used in specialized theaters worldwide. But its history, and development, is complicated. Here's the low-down on a relatively new home theater format that trades on the IMAX name.
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A/V Veteran
How to Train Your Drogon
Tom Norton  |  May 23, 2019  |  0 comments
If you don’t understand the pun above, don’t be confused. Even though 30 million viewers in the U.S., and untold millions more around the world, watched every one of the over 70 episodes of HBO’s remarkable series Game of Thrones, most of the world remains oblivious to this noteworthy achievement — or perhaps actively avoiding it…
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A/V Veteran
Sony Stages Stunning Demos of its 2019 TV Lineup
Tom Norton  |  May 07, 2019  |  2 comments
Sony recently invited journalists to its New York City facilities to brief us on the company’s 2019 TV product strategy, along with comparative demonstrations against the best offerings of its key competitors.
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A/V Veteran
AXPONA 2019: A Guide to the Best Sound
Tom Norton  |  Apr 23, 2019  |  1 comments
The annual Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) show in Chicago has exploded into the biggest audio show in North America. 2019 was my first experience there, and it lived up to its reputation. The only show that’s now bigger, based on the number of exhibitors (though I understand it’s heavy on static displays), is May’s Munich show in Germany.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Darkest Hour
Tom Norton  |  Jun 15, 2018  |  0 comments
Picture
Sound
Extras
Darkest Hour shows the other side of the 1940 events depicted in 2017’s equally superb Dunkirk. The latter showed the evacuations that enabled the British army to survive, the former depicted how Churchill, taking the office of Prime Minister almost by default, navigated around the pacifists in his cabinet who wanted to negotiate a settlement with Hitler’s Nazi Germany. In doing so he cemented his status as arguably the most important national leader of the 20th century.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Sony Fills in the Blanks as it Rolls Out its 2018 TVs
Tom Norton  |  Mar 27, 2018  |  0 comments
Sony held an event in New York last week to fill in the press on its new sets for 2018. These were first seen at the 2018 CES, though without prices or delivery dates. We now have that information, and all of the 2018 Sony models should be available at a store near you soon, if they’re not already there.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
LG Showcases 2018 OLED & Super UHD TVs
Tom Norton  |  Mar 26, 2018  |  0 comments
LG held a product launch and reviewer workshop in Los Angeles last week, and I was there for the fun.
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Projector Reviews
Face-Off: Sony VPL-VW285ES vs. JVC DLA-X790R
Tom Norton  |  Dec 21, 2017  |  5 comments
Since the Sony VPL-VW285ES I recently reviewed was still on hand while I was reviewing the JVC DLA-X790R, a brief comparison was impossible to resist. The results were quite interesting…
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Projector Reviews
JVC DLA-X790R D-ILA Projector Review
Tom Norton  |  Dec 21, 2017  |  4 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $6,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Standard-setting blacks
Impressive HDR
Solid color and resolution
Minus
Complex setup menus
Some black crush

THE VERDICT
It may not have true native 4K imaging chips, but the JVC DLA-X790R shouldn’t be overlooked by those upgrading a projection system or looking for their first projector. It’s a knockout.

One of the key features of the Ultra HD format is 4K resolution. But to date, the catalog of true native 4K home theater projectors — those with imaging chips featuring a minimum of 3840 x 2160 pixels without relying on any pixel-shifting tricks — is pretty thin. JVC has the laser-lit DLA-RS4500K at $35,000, and Sony has its own premium models above $10,000. But if you're looking for something priced more affordably, you’re currently limited to Sony’s new VPL-VW285ES ($5,000) and VPL-VW385ES ($8,000).

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