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Audio Video News
Best Gear of November 2020
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 26, 2020
As pandemic panic sweeps across the nation, we look for inspiration from the approaching Winter Solstice and ever-resilient holiday spirit. In recent weeks we found some in a handful of exemplary A/V products, including one that puts your father’s video projection system on a bold new path. All are certified Sound & Vision Top Picks and all are ready to ignite your imagination. Here’s to making the best of a trying situation with hopes for smaller yet meaningful gatherings with family and friends on this national holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Projector Reviews
Epson LS500 4K Laser Projection TV Review
Al Griffin  |  Nov 25, 2020

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $4,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Bright, living room-friendly image
Packaged with easy to assemble screen
Plentiful picture adjustment options
Minus
Limited contrast and color space coverage
High fan noise in Normal Light Output mode
Basic remote control

THE VERDICT
With its powerful brightness and impressive overall picture, Epson's LS500 offers a compelling alternative to pricey oversize flat-panel TVs.

Remember the rear-projection TV (RPTV)? RPTVs were big, boxy contraptions housing a projector that beamed an image at the rear of a screen mounted on the set's front surface. While necessarily inelegant compared with the sleek flat-panel TVs that eventually replaced them, the RPTV in its heyday solved the problem of getting a big image—screen sizes topped out around 80-inches—without having to resort to a room-dominating two-piece system with a ceiling-mounted projector and separate screen.

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SmartStream
How to Find and Stream Holiday Movies
Barb Gonzalez  |  Nov 25, 2020
In a year when the world is crazy, a holiday movies binge may be the best way to keep spirits bright. New streaming services have made it harder to find classic titles as content is shuffled from one app to another when licensing rights expire. If you’re growing tired of the same movies, you’ll find Netflix has created sequels to last year’s Holiday hits originals. And if live performances have been your family tradition, you can share some holiday culture via virtual streaming events.
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Audio Video News
SVS Discounts 2000 Series Subs for Black Friday
SV Staff  |  Nov 23, 2020
Here's your chance to get a seismic deal on a serious sub. Subwoofer and speaker-maker SVS is having a Black Friday sale on its 2000 Series subs, discounting its SB-2000 sealed cabinet model to $500 from $700, and its PB-2000 model to $600 from $800. According to SVS, supplies of both models are limited and the deal will continue until all inventory is sold out.
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Signals
The Lasso of Truth
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Nov 23, 2020
You are in a real pickle. You've borrowed money for your project, and persuaded other people to invest their money as well. Everyone expects a return. The product is finished and ready to launch. Then there is a delay. Then another delay. And another. Everyone is getting antsy. What should you do?

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Music Reviews
Paul McCartney: Flaming Pie - Archive Collection Deluxe Edition
Mike Mettler  |  Nov 20, 2020
Performance
Sound
I've always looked at Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career—now getting into its sixth decade—as being on a sine wave. When's he's at the top of his game, he's at the apex (Band on the Run, Flowers in the Dirt), and when he's off the mark, he's at the nadir (Give My Regards to Broad Street, Press to Play).
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The S&V InterviewAudio Video News
The State of HDMI 2.1
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 19, 2020
15 Minutes with HDMI Forum President David Glen

Three years ago the HDMI Forum released the highly anticipated Version 2.1 of the HDMI specification, which paved the way for a major boost in A/V performance with support for higher video resolutions, high-dynamic range (HDR), and increased bandwidth plus important features like variable refresh rates (VRR) for gaming and eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) for simplifying system setup. We recently caught up with Forum president David Glen to get an update on where HDMI stands today and where it’s going in the future.

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The Connected Life
Buy Once, Cry Once: How to Plan Your AV Budget
John Sciacca  |  Nov 19, 2020
Buy once, cry once. You might be familiar with that old adage, which is used to describe the purchase of a high-cost item that entails upfront financial “pain,” but with no need to buy again in the future due to the superior craftsmanship and build quality. It’s often associated with tools and watches but works quite well for A/V gear.
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Tower Speaker Reviews
JBL HDI-3600 Loudspeaker Review
Al Griffin  |  Nov 18, 2020

Performance
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $3,800

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Impressive looks and build quality
Plays loud effortlessly
Wide imaging capability
Minus
Requires careful amp-matching
Fussy about setup and placement

THE VERDICT
JBL's upscale-looking HDI-3600 tower speaker delivers effortless, fatigue-free sound.

When I first ran across JBL's HDI series loudspeakers at the 2019 CEDIA Expo, I was struck by the line's upscale looks and substantial build quality. The brand's new speakers seemed more akin to the Revel models also being shown in parent-company Harman's sprawling booth than the budget-priced JBL Stage series towers Sound & Vision had reviewed earlier that year.

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Audio Video News
Def Tech, Polk Audio Speakers Get IMAX Enhanced Certification
SV Staff  |  Nov 18, 2020
Definitive Technology and Polk Audio parent company Sound United has announced that several speaker models from both brands are the first to become IMAX Enhanced certified. The newly certified speakers include the Definitive Technology Demand D17, D15, and D5c, and Polk Audio Legend L800, L600, and L400.
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