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Audio Video News
Vizio Rolls Out 2018 SmartCast OS to 2016-2017 TVs
SV Staff  |  Apr 17, 2018
The 2018 SmartCast operating system (OS) Vizio introduced last week as part of a major new-product rollout is now available on all 2018 Vizio smart TVs and will be added to all 2016 and 2017 SmartCast 4K TVs via free cloud-based updates.
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Audio Video News
LG Adds ‘Hulu with Live TV’ to Smart TVs
SV Staff  |  Apr 17, 2018
LG has announced an updated user interface (UI) for its 2017 and 2018 smart TVs that includes Hulu with Live TV, a streaming subscription plan that provides live sports, news, and entertainment from more than 50 channels in addition to the Hulu library of TV series and movies.
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Audio Video News
Get Ready for High Def Vinyl
SV Staff  |  Apr 16, 2018
Everything else is going HD, so why not vinyl?

Austrian-based startup Rebeat Innovation has received almost $5 million in funding to continue developing a new kind of high-resolution vinyl record that not only sounds better than the best of today’s vinyl releases but plays longer and louder as well.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Pioneer Launches Nani Personal Sound Amplifier
SV Staff  |  Apr 16, 2018
The Nani? PHA-M70 Personal Sound Amplifier Pioneer previewed at CES in January is now available in the U.S. for $150.
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Grace Notes
Zwift and the Case for a Bigger TV
Leslie Shapiro  |  Apr 16, 2018
Welcome to my world. The world of Zwift that is — the online virtual cycling game/training tool that makes indoor cycling fun. Yes, I said it. Training indoors can actually be fun, and the bigger and better your TV is, the more fun it will be. If you struggle with your significant other over new electronic purchases, I have found your solution. Get your SO hooked on Zwift and he or she will beg you for a bigger TV.

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Blade Runner 2049
Chris Chiarella  |  Apr 13, 2018
Picture
Sound
Extras
The 1982 science-fiction opus Blade Runner remains an undeniable visual spectacle that fired the imaginations of many a viewer. While neither a bona fide critical or commercial success upon debut, it visualized a Los Angeles of the future beyond anything we’d seen before and set the stage for endless fan speculation that has led to five different studio-sanctioned cuts thus far. The sequel, 2049, was released to much of that same indifference. Thirty-five years coming, it still failed to generate a response befitting a cult franchise of this magnitude.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
iFi Unveils Battery-Powered Amp/DAC for Hi-Res On the Go
SV Staff  |  Apr 13, 2018
UK-based desktop audio specialist iFi audio has introduced a battery-powered ultra-portable amp/DAC (digital-to-analog converter) that makes hi-res audio transportable.
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The Connected Life
Voice Control: The Next Frontier
John Sciacca  |  Apr 13, 2018
As audio/video systems have advanced in performance, features, and capabilities, they have also become increasingly more difficult to operate. Back in the day, a TV was just a TV, with a single remote control and about 13 channels to navigate. You pointed the remote at it, and if it didn’t work, you changed the batteries. A sound system had an input selector to choose what to listen to and a volume knob to make the music louder or quieter.
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Power Amplifier Reviews
Parasound Halo A 52+ Amplifier Review
Al Griffin  |  Apr 12, 2018

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $2,995

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Ample power for all channels
Dynamic sound
Affordable
Minus
Signal-sensing power-on mode can be fussy

THE VERDICT
Parasound’s new five-channel amplifier is a versatile performer, delivering clean power with ample headroom for both movies and music.

While attending the 2017 CEDIA Expo in San Diego, I happened upon a small European audio electronics manufacturer that was showing a prototype five-channel amplifier. When I asked why the company was planning to release a multichannel amp after many years of making stereo-only gear, I was told matter-of-factly that home theater was “making a comeback.” A comeback? To me, home theater had never gone anywhere, so I found the response surprising.

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Ask S&V
How Do I Connect a PS4 and BD Player to My Soundbar?
Al Griffin  |  Apr 12, 2018
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q My system consists of a Sony XBR-X900E TV, a PlayStation 4Pro console, and a Yamaha YAS-207 soundbar. The PS4 Pro does not play Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs, so I’m planning to buy an Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Here’s my problem: I want to connect both the PS4 Pro and the disc player to the Yamaha, but the soundbar only has one HDMI input. I’ve looked around for an HDMI switcher that’s compatible with both 4K/60-Hz video signals and high dynamic range but haven’t been able to find one. Will I have to switch the cable connected to the soundbar from my sources on an as-needed basis to maintain best picture and sound quality? —Paul Trava / via e-mail

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