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The Night Manager: Books and Show
Geoffrey Morrison  |  May 14, 2016
I recently finished The Night Manager just in time to watch the first few episodes of the show. I have some thoughts.

No spoilers without warning though.

First, a recommendation…

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
Corey Gunnestad  |  May 13, 2016
Picture
Sound
Extras
I sometimes wonder if the filmmakers behind those cheesy science-fiction/horror B films of the 1950s ever believed that they were creating high art. Certainly films like Creature with the Atom Brain, Invasion of the Saucer Men, and I Married a Monster from Outer Space must have seemed pretty ridiculous to the moviegoers of the time too, don’t you think? And yet since then, those films have been elevated to a near-mythic cult status.
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3D Blu-ray Movie ReviewsBlu-ray Movie Reviews
The Martian
Chris Chiarella  |  May 13, 2016
Picture
Sound
Extras
Andy Weir’s bestselling novel The Martian was justly lauded for its clever use of hard science facts to tell a thrilling yet believable tale of science fiction. Of course, the characters needed to be compelling as well if this bold survival epic was to work, and on screen as well as on the page, the futuristic drama is a smashing success. We begin a couple of decades from now as a manned Mars expedition is cut short due to a violent storm on the surface of the Red Planet.
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Audio Video News
Hi-Res Music Logo Expanded to Streaming
SV Staff  |  May 13, 2016
The Hi-Res Music logo adopted by music industry in 2015 as a way to help music enthusiasts identify the highest quality digital audio files and the retailers that sell them will be available for adoption by streaming services on June 1, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and its member companies, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group.
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Editor's Eye
UHD Blu-ray Is Finally Here — Consider Us Wowed
Rob Sabin  |  May 13, 2016
The launch of Ultra HD Blu-ray reminds me of the trials and tribulations of a highly anticipated and far more complicated product launch 10 years ago that you may remember.
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SmartStream
Hulu to Offer Live TV Streaming Bundle in 2017
Barb Gonzalez  |  May 13, 2016
Hulu has announced plans to offer a live TV streaming service as an alternative to traditional cable. Slated to launch in 2017, the service aims to offer “live sports, news, and events” and a limited number of cable and network channels at a price that undercuts the price of cable TV.
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Audio Video News
Annual Klipsch Pilgrimage Kicks Off May 20
SV Staff  |  May 13, 2016  |  First Published: May 06, 2016
One week from today diehard Klipsch fans will descend upon the small town of Hope, Arkansas to pay homage to Paul W. Klipsch who founded Klipsch Audio 70 years ago and to celebrate their collective passion for the special brand of speakers he created.
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Audio Video News
Is Apple Plotting to End iTunes Music Downloads?
SV Staff  |  May 12, 2016
How long before music subscription services completely overshadow downloading? Sooner than you might think. Digital Music News is reporting that unnamed sources with strong ties to Apple say the tech giant is preparing to abandon iTunes music downloads.
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Blu-ray Player Reviews
Samsung UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  May 12, 2016

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $400

AT A GLANCE
Plus
World’s first UHD Blu-ray player
Outstanding overall performance
Reasonable price (for a “first”)
Minus
No auto picture adjustments for HDR, non-HDR, and 1080p discs with current UHDTVs
Small, frustrating remote

THE VERDICT
As the first Ultra HD Blu-ray player, the Samsung UBD-K8500 provides exceptional performance with the right display and disc. But as with any new format, there are growing pains to be sorted out before we can toast to its complete success.

The video world, or at least the segment that still values packaged media, has been waiting impatiently for Ultra HD discs. Many of us still prefer to pay for our movies once and have them on the shelf. More important, we want their video and audio quality uncompromised by Internet bandwidth limitations. Editor's note: For our reviewers' impressions of some the first UHD Blu-ray movie titles, see "Eye on UHD: 14 Ultra HD Blu-ray Movies Reviewed."

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsBlu-ray Player Reviews
Eye on UHD: 14 Ultra HD Blu-ray Movies Reviewed
SV Staff  |  May 12, 2016
No format launch would be complete without movies to play, and UHD Blu-ray Disc boosters got more than they could have hoped for, with more than two-dozen titles from Sony, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and Lionsgate available concurrent with the debut of the Samsung UBD-K8500 player and all mastered with HDR10 high dynamic range. We asked our movie reviewers Tom Norton and David Vaughn for their top-line observations on 14 titles in the first batch to help you separate the demo-worthy from the duds.
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