LATEST ADDITIONS

A Bravia New World
Fred Manteghian  |  Jun 01, 2006

Sony also announced new Bravia LCD flat panel televisions. The new Bravia V-series LCD panels come in 40" and 46" sizes, with full 1920 x 1080p resolution. The more upscale Bravia XBR3 series, featuring the same screen sizes and resolutions as the V-Series, incorporates Sony's new Digital Reality Engine version 2.5 with increased computational power. The XBR3 Bravia line also feature an ATSC tuner for over the air high definition reception. Both the standard and XBR3 Bravias feature a new BRAVIA Engine Pro video processing system especially designed for high-definition signals. Approximate pricing for the upscale KDL-46XBR3 and KDL-40XBR3 models which ship in September will be $5,300 and $4,300, respectively. A nearly identical XBR2 line is available for $300 less in each respective model. It offers the same features but with replacable color bezels, seeming designed for the custom installation market.

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The Magic Number
Fred Manteghian  |  Jun 01, 2006

When you walk into a Sony press event and all you see are a bunch of chairs, two teleprompters and a podium (well, that is after you see the table laid out with free food to attract reporters), you know Sony has <i>another</i> room somewhere nearby with the real goodies. And that's just the way it was this morning at the show.

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Ears On
Freebies Settle Rootkit Fiasco
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 31, 2006  |  First Published: Jun 01, 2006
Under a court settlement, Sony BMG has agreed to compensate consumers for exposing their computers to CD-borne security hazards. If you bought a title with the now infamous XCP rootkit, you get a replacement disc, $7.50 in cash, and a free download (or no cash and three downloads). Not too shabby! Wish I'd bought a few myself. Purchasers of titles contaminated with Suncomm MediaMax get only the downloads. You've got to hand it to Sony BMG. The label has done an awful lot to atone for its error. Details here.
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Other Tech
Alan Parsons on 5.1 Music Mixing, Live and Studio
Mike Mettler  |  May 31, 2006

In our previous installment, S&V traveled to Washington, DC, to sit in on the recording of Alan Parsons' groundbreaking installment of Artist Confidential in 5.1 for XM Satellite Radio back in March.

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Other Tech
Harmony 520 Universal Remote
John Sciacca  |  May 31, 2006

Ed. Note: This remote was also featured in our Ultimate Gift Guide

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Other Tech
Kameleon 6 Hybrid Remote
John Sciacca  |  May 31, 2006

Ed. Note: This remote was also featured in our Ultimate Gift Guide

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Other Tech
Kameleon 8 Remote
John Sciacca  |  May 31, 2006

Ed. Note: This remote was also featured in our Ultimate Gift Guide

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Other Tech
Feedback: Reader Letters, Extended Remix
 |  May 31, 2006

Format War Is Hell

After all the hype and hoopla over the last year or so about hi-def discs, I finally got to see a Toshiba HD DVD player for a couple of hours on both a 50-inch Pioneer plasma TV and a 72-inch Toshiba DLP set. The image on the supplied demo disc and The Last Samurai was incrementally better than a first-class upconversion of a high-quality standard DVD.

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Other Tech
Tommy Shaw's Summertime Playlist
Mike Mettler  |  May 31, 2006

Like the Rolling Stones, Styx continues to gather no moss. Singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw has been a member of these perennially successful road warriors - perhaps best known for enduring rock hits like "Renegade," "Come Sail Away," and "Too Much Time on My Hands" - for 30 years and counting.

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A/V Veteran
What's New!
Thomas J. Norton  |  May 31, 2006

Tomorrow I'm off to our 2006 Home Entertainment Show at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel near Los Angeles International Airport—LAX to the locals. We'll be blogging on line from the show, including gobs of photos and comments about all the new products we see. Check it out, starting tomorrow evening, Thursday, June 1.

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