Other Source Component Reviews

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Other Source Component ReviewsBlu-ray Player Reviews
Ayre Acoustics DX-5 Universal A/V Engine
Shane Buettner  |  May 24, 2011  | 

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $9,950 At A Glance: Breathtaking picture and sound with all 5-inch silver discs • State-of-the-art audio performance with USB audio • No 3D

The Last Great Silver Disc Player?

The era of 5-inch silver disc players began in the 1980s, and it isn’t over yet. But even quality-driven, Blu-ray- and CD-playing dinosaurs like me are compelled to admit that there are fewer days ahead for the disc player than there are behind it. The Ayre Acoustics DX-5 Universal A/V Engine ($9,950) builds a bridge between yesterday and tomorrow. The DX-5 is a universal disc player. It plays CD, SACD, DVD-Video/Audio, and Blu-ray Discs. But it’s also a cutting-edge digital-to-analog converter for digital audio files from a variety of sources, up to 24-bit/192-kilohertz. Its supertrick analog audio outputs are stereo only, so the only people who need apply are extreme videophiles and two-channel audiophiles who want a reference-quality universal Blu-ray player and state-of-the-art playback of digital audio files. The DX-5 is loaded with crucial and daring proprietary technology, and it’s the best-sounding, most versatile digital source component I’ve had in my system. The price tag? Who cares. Don’t you want to know more?

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Other Source Component Reviews
TiVo Premiere DVR
David Vaughn  |  Sep 08, 2010  | 
Price: $299 At A Glance: New user interface • Multiple streaming services from Netflix, Amazon, and Blockbuster • Enhanced Internet-driven search capabilities

Has TiVo Reinvented TV Again?

What started as Jim Barton and Mike Ramsay’s idea in 1997 became a reality in 1999 when TiVo burst on the scene and changed the way people watch TV. While time-shifting programs had been around for years via VCR, you couldn’t pause live TV, watch one program while recording another, or view a comprehensive program guide at the push of a button. The cable and satellite companies took their sweet time entering the DVR market, and TiVo’s only other competitor—ReplayTV—was absorbed by DIRECTV. TiVo became so popular, its brand name became a verb.

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Other Source Component Reviews
Digeo Moxi HD DVR
Shane Buettner  |  May 11, 2009  | 
Price: $799 At A Glance: Superb user experience • Widgets! • Big storage with ability to scale higher • Works only with CableCARD • Not compatible with PPV or On-Demand • Can’t order pizza

Pimping Your HD Cable Ride

DISH Network and DIRECTV have poached a lot of cable customers using the allure of their premium HD DVRs. Bigger storage, more robust features, a slick user interface, no cable company to deal with—it’s an easy sell most of the time. But what if you can’t or won’t do the dish and still want an enlightened HD DVR experience from digital cable? Digeo’s answer is the Moxi HD DVR. At its core, the Moxi is a high-end HD DVR that has a 500-gigabyte hard drive with a 75-hour HD capacity and the ability to add a ton of additional storage. On paper, the Moxi would be a compelling device even if this was all there was to it. But its DVR functionality is only the beginning. The Moxi is also a media hub that aggregates content from your home network and the Internet without bringing a full-blown media PC into your living room. Yep. Those newfangled widgets are inside. Let’s take a look.

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Other Source Component ReviewsBlu-ray Player Reviews
Samsung BD-UP5000 Duo HD Blu-ray / HD DVD HD Player
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 28, 2008  | 
A cease fire or a bridge too far?

Months ago, when Samsung announced its BD-UP5000 dual format player, there appeared to be no end in sight to an ugly format war that threatened the future of high definition on a disc.

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Other Source Component Reviews
TiVo Series3 HD DVR
David Vaughn  |  Dec 24, 2007  | 
There are all types of fanatics in the world; religious fanatics, sports fanatics, Windows fanatics, Apple fanatics, the list goes on and on. But one type of fanatic that I never really understood is the TiVo fanatic. You've probably have met someone who's asked, "Do you have TiVo yet?" or stated that the "TiVo has completely changed my life!"
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Other Source Component Reviews
Toshiba HD-A30 HD DVD Player
 |  Dec 24, 2007  | 

Hardly a week goes by that a big sale on HD DVD players from some mega-retailer or another doesn't make some screaming headlines. But it's been Toshiba's entry level, 1080i players that have lead that charge, with the HD-A2 getting famous overnight thanks to Wal-Mart's $99 sale, and the HD-A3 frequently seen at retail for around $199. But for my money, the real bargain in Toshiba's line could very well be the HD-A30.

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Other Source Component ReviewsBlu-ray Player Reviews
LG Electronics Super Blu BH200 Multi Format HD Disc Player
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 08, 2007  | 
With the current stalemate between Blu-ray and HD DVD, and most studios exclusive to either one format or the other, the only options for the HD enthusiast would seem to be to sit on the fence, take sides, or pull out the old checkbook and buy two players.
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Other Source Component ReviewsBlu-ray Player Reviews
LG Electronics Super Blu BH200 Multi Format HD Disc Player
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 08, 2007  | 

The format war rages on. With the current stalemate between Blu-ray and HD DVD, and most studios exclusive to either one format or the other, the only options for the HD enthusiast would seem to be to sit on the fence, take sides, or pull out the old checkbook and buy two players.

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Other Source Component Reviews
Toshiba HD-A30 HD DVD Player
 |  Dec 02, 2007  | 

  • $399
  • Audio Decoding: DD, DD+, Dolby TrueHD, DTS
  • Ins and Outs: HDMI
  • Feature Highlights: 3rd gen HD DVD player with 1080p/24 output, DD+ and TrueHD decoding/transcoding (output as PCM over HDMI), upconverting HDMI and component outputs for standard-def DVDs
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Other Source Component Reviews
Toshiba HD-A35 HD DVD Player
Thomas J. Norton  |  Nov 12, 2007  | 
The $499 HD-A35 is the top of the line in Toshiba's third generation of HD DVD players, although the HD-XA2 remains available. Apart from Onkyo, which sells a player made by Toshiba, and Vantage, an as yet little known Chinese manufacturer, no other company markets HD DVD players.
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Other Source Component Reviews
Toshiba HD-A35 HD DVD Player
Thomas J. Norton  |  Nov 11, 2007  | 

It's hard to believe, but Toshiba is now selling its third generation of HD DVD players. That's two generations beyond the two models that launched the HD DVD format in April 2006.

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Other Source Component Reviews
Update: Toshiba HD-A20 HD DVD Player, Firmware Version 2.5
Thomas J. Norton  |  Oct 14, 2007  | 

Toshiba recently issued an update for its second-generation HD DVD players, primarily for the HD-A20 and the HD-XA2. I installed the update on an HD-A20, the middle model in Toshiba's HD DVD lineup (though shortly to be superceded in the launch of a third generation).

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Other Source Component Reviews
Toshiba HD-A20 HD DVD Player
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Aug 27, 2007  | 
1080p HD DVD for $500—sort of.

The new models of HD DVD and Blu-ray players are coming faster and faster. Even better, they're getting cheaper and offering more features. The big draw for the HD-A20 is its 1080p output. That, and a price tag of $499.

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Other Source Component Reviews
Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite
Chris Chiarella  |  Aug 27, 2007  | 
Think of it as the Xbox 360.1

In the video-game business, the stakes are high. So, the Big Three have detailed road maps and five-year plans. A new console usually remains unchanged for at least a few Christmases, save for possible software updates and minor technical variations. However, this isn't the case with the Xbox 360. After only a record 17 months in its original incarnation, it has transformed into the Xbox 360 Elite, with two noteworthy hardware upgrades plus a fresh style.

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Other Source Component Reviews
Xbox 360 Elite and HD DVD Add-On Drive
David Vaughn  |  Jul 08, 2007  | 

The past year and change has been an interesting time for home theater enthusiasts, with the introduction of two competing high-definition movie formats, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc. The scenario is very reminiscent to the 1980's when VHS and Betamax had their own slugfest for the wallets of consumers, but in this new "war" the battleground has evolved.

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