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Audio Video News
Nintendo Wii getting Netflix streaming this spring
SV Staff  |  Jan 13, 2010
 Netflix is continuing on its quest for omnipresence by sliding its way onto Nintendo's oh-so-cute Wii console later this year. According to the Associated Press, the service will work much like it does on the PS3 in that you'll need...
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Audio Video News
More 3D Channels on the Way
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 13, 2010
Remember when we reported on DirecTV's 3D channel around the turn of the year? Well, it has company. Discovery, Sony, and IMAX have announced that they too will launch a 3D venture, as will ESPN.
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The Big Picture
Drinking From a Fire Hose
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 12, 2010  |  First Published: Jan 13, 2010

I must be a glutton for punishment. After spending five grueling days at CES, I decided to stick around Las Vegas for THX's Home Theater 2 training course. I've already taken the Home Theater 1 and Video Calibration courses, so I figured why not complete the training offered by THX? At least I'd be sitting most of the time.

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CES 2010
It's a Wrap
Tom Norton  |  Jan 12, 2010
CES 2010 is now just a memory, but hopefully not a fading one. On my last day or two I saw a few things that I couldn't get posted while still in Vegas. IDT, the company that now owns the HQV Reon video processing technology, showed a number of interesting new technologies. The most intriguing was a small, nondescript box (no wasted funds on here on cosmetics!) that can perform all the Reon video processing functions, including deinterlacing, upconverting, and noise reduction, plus flesh tone correction&$151;the latter said to be more sophisticated than the flesh tone correction offered in some televisions. No decision yet as to whether it will be marketed under IDT's own brand name or by a third party. The price could be as low as under $100, which would be a huge plus for those whose HDTVs have mediocre built-in video processing.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Last Action Hero (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jan 12, 2010

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/lastaction.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Movie lover Danny Madigan (Austin O'Brien) finds himself transported into the latest Jack Slater (Arnold Schwarzenegger) action film when he's given a magic movie ticket by an elderly theater owner (Art Carney). Danny tried to convince Jack he's a fictional character but he doesn't buy it. His perspective changes when his arch nemesis, Benedict (Charles Dance), steals the ticket and enters the "real world" in order to kill Arnold Schwarzenegger, thus taking out Slater.

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Audio Video News
Standard Set for Buy Once, Play Anywhere
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 12, 2010
The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem--a group of studios, cable companies, and other partners--has set the standard for a Common File Format that will allow a/v software consumers the convenience of "buy once, play anywhere."
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Audio Video News
HD Deals: Free Movie Deal At Best Buy
SV Staff  |  Jan 11, 2010
  Tax Day is only a few months away and Best Buy wants to reward you if you decide to do them at home this year. Buy one of their H&R Block "Do-It-Yourself" tax software kits and get a free movie up to a $20 value. But if...
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Audio Video News
Polk Hitmaster: turn on, plug in, rock out
SV Staff  |  Jan 11, 2010
Rock Band and Guitar Hero are all about feeling like a rock star. If the plastic guitar and drums aren't enough, you can get even more weird gadgets to plug into your game system of choice and clutter your home theater room. Two years ago, Rock...
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Tower Speaker Reviews
B&W CM9 Speaker System
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jan 11, 2010
Price: $7,250 At A Glance: Clean highs, neutral mids • Mid- and upper-bass prominent • Small but potent subwoofer

Well Centered

These days, most major speaker manufacturers know how to produce a good speaker. But only a few manage to hit all the marks simultaneously: great engineering, great sound, and fair pricing. British speaker manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins has long been a leader in that hunt.

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Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
Boston Acoustics Reflection RS 260 Speaker System
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 11, 2010
Price: $2,900 At A Glance: Gloss finish and rounded edges enrich rectangular appearance • Custom-designed woofers and tweeter • A polite top end with fully fleshed-out midrange

Between VS and CS

In this brutal economy, it takes more than a good resume to keep you afloat. Boston Acoustics has a legendary audiophile pedigree that dates from its birth in 1979 as an independent brand. In this environment, it probably matters more that Boston is part of the D&M Holdings family, along with Snell Acoustics, McIntosh, Denon, Marantz, and Escient. This positioning has already borne fruit with pairings of Denon A/V receivers and Boston speaker packages, including the distinctive bell-shaped VS Series speakers, which I showered with well-deserved superlatives when I reviewed them last year. You really can’t go wrong with a set of VS speakers and one of Denon’s upper-end A/V receivers.

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