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Audio Video News
DTS Play-Fi Expands ‘Works With Alexa’ Lineup
SV Staff  |  Jul 30, 2018
DTS has announced that a dozen existing Play-Fi-enabled products from Klipsch, Onkyo, Pioneer, and several other brands are now “Works with Alexa”-certified.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Star Wars: Episode VIII-The Last Jedi
Dennis Burger  |  Jul 27, 2018
Picture
Sound
Extras
Is Star Wars art or entertainment? The simplest answer to that question is, “It’s both, of course.” But Episode VIII: The Last Jedi proves the question to be less simple than it first appears. Because of all its silly creatures, swashbuckling adventure sequences, million-dollar-a-minute special effects, and cheeky humor, The Last Jedi is at its heart a deeply personal, deeply thematic, deeply deconstructive, big-budget indie film that forces longtime fans to contend with questions about what Star Wars even is and why its unique blend of mythology, arthouse pastiche, and B-movie kitsch works as well as it does.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Denmark's Dali Callisto Speaker Systems Hit the U.S.
SV Staff  |  Jul 27, 2018
Lenbrook, parent company of the iconic NAD and PSB brands, has announced the arrival of Denmark’s DALI Callisto high performance wireless speaker systems in the U.S.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
New Klipsch Subwoofers Hide in the Wall (or Ceiling)
SV Staff  |  Jul 27, 2018
New subwoofers from Klipsch are designed to deliver powerful bass with a “minimal visual footprint” — so minimal that the bass module is hidden in the wall or ceiling.
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4K TV ReviewsOLED TV ReviewsTV Reviews
LG OLED65C8PUA OLED Ultra HDTV Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 26, 2018

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $3,499

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Deep black levels
Extremely wide viewing angle
Supports Dolby Vision and HLG
Minus
Expensive compared to same-size LCD UHDTVs
Lower peak brightness than LCD UHDTVs

THE VERDICT
This new C8 series set exceeds the performance of LG’s previous OLED models, making it the best OLED TV from the company I’ve yet tested. Its price is also significantly lower than last year’s C7, which means more buyers can now bring home an LG OLED instead of dreaming about one.

The picture quality improvements in LG’s 2018 OLED Ultra HDTVs aren’t a dramatic upgrade over the company’s already superb 2017 sets, but they are accompanied by a new Alpha 9 processor, an autocalibration option, and a few new and updated features. LG has gathered all of these capabilities under the “LG ThinQ AI” rubric. While the AI (Artificial Intelligence) claim may be a bit overstated, that’s where the market is going and LG is not alone in it. I wonder if adding a blinding blizzard of do-everything geegaws makes the screen interface too complex for the average user who simply wants to turn on his or her TV and watch a movie.

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Audio Video News
Best Soundbars of 2017/2018
SV Staff  |  Jul 26, 2018
A good soundbar performs a valuable service: It elevates TV sound quality far beyond what the TV’s tiny speakers TV could ever hope to achieve and, in some cases, it will even deliver a legit surround-sound experience. Does that mean a soundbar can replace a full-blown home theater speaker system? Nope, but that’s rarely the goal. Instead, most soundbar shoppers are looking for a simple, space saving setup. We’ve compiled snapshots of the best soundbars — and soundbases — we’ve reviewed over the past 18 or so months. Prices range from $270 to $799 and all but one model received a four-star or higher rating in the important Performance category. If you’re in the market for a soundbar, start here.
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SmartStream
Why People Still Rent DVDs
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jul 25, 2018
How choice, community support, and nostalgia are keeping the last Blockbuster alive in Bend, Oregon. After spending an afternoon at my local blockbuster, I learned a lot about who still rents videos and why.
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The S&V Interview
Elliot Scheiner, Surround Sound Mixmaster
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 25, 2018
Legendary producer/engineer Elliot Scheiner at LA's iconic Capitol Studios.

“I make these records, so I know what the artists want to hear,” notes legendary producer/engineer Elliot Scheiner (a.k.a. ELS) while perched behind the main mixing board in Capitol Records Studio A in Los Angeles. I sat down exclusively in the control room with Scheiner and the members of acclaimed indie/folk-rockers Dawes to discuss their mutual and individual goals for surround sound recording and mixing, and how well it all comes across in the ELS Studio 3D premium audio system in the 2019 Acura RDX.

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Special Features
Outdoor AV Roundup: Cool Gear for a Hot Summer
Al Griffin  |  Jul 25, 2018
The weather is warm and outdoors is the place to be. It doesn’t matter if you’re poolside, at the beach, or on the road with the family, you don’t have to leave your music and movies behind. Here are 10 AV gear suggestions for getting an entertainment fix in the great outdoors.
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Audio Video News
Survey: Pay TV Exodus Accelerates in the U.S.
SV Staff  |  Jul 25, 2018
Cord-cutting — the practice of dropping traditional cable TV in favor of internet-delivered content — is expected to jump more than 30 percent this year, according to the latest forecast from eMarketer.
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