LATEST ADDITIONS

Mike Mettler  |  Oct 04, 2017
Performance
Sound
Extras
These days, when it comes to surround sound mixing, most in-the-know producers and musicians’ respective collective first thought inevitably turns to the maxim, What would Steven Wilson do? Indeed, the man also known as the once and future king of hi-res and 5.1 production has long staked his claim as the No. 1 go-to guy for any artist interested in obtaining a top-shelf mix that takes full advantage of the vaunted six-channel, 96-kilohertz/24-bit (and sometimes higher!) audio spectrum offered via DVD and/or Blu-ray. (And yes, a hi-res download option is on the master main menu as well.)
SV Staff  |  Oct 04, 2017
As voice control technology spreads like wildfire throughout the AV world, Amazon is looking to keep its lead over the competition with redesigned Echo and Echo Plus smart speakers, new Alexa features, and a new family member, the Echo Spot.
Kris Deering  |  Oct 03, 2017
Texas Instruments has upped the DLP game with the recent rollout of their newest digital micromirror device (DMD), claiming full Ultra HD performance. The 0.66-inch chip has nearly the same physical dimensions as the DLP chip found today in many 1080p home theater and business application projectors. It features a native resolution of 2716 x 1528 pixels, which combined with an optical actuator used for pixel shifting, allows for an onscreen image of 8.3 million pixels—roughly the same as a native 3840 x 2160 UHD imaging chip. The chip’s compact size is said to allow for more cost-effective manufacturing—and has resulted in a new $2,000 low price point for at least one Optoma 4K projector.
SV Staff  |  Oct 03, 2017
Onkyo and Pioneer have announced that a Dolby Vision firmware update for a number of 2016 models will be available by end of December. The update will enable the passthrough of high dynamic range (HDR) content encoded in the Dolby Vision format.
SV Staff  |  Oct 03, 2017
Tom Petty, a leader of the American rock scene for more than four decades and the voice behind some of the most memorable songs in the rock/pop catalog, died unexpectedly of cardiac arrest Monday evening. He was 66.
Al Griffin  |  Oct 02, 2017
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

A Does the metadata used to enhance video for high dynamic range TVs also work with still photographs? —George Yeoh / via e-mail

SV Staff  |  Oct 02, 2017
Roku today announced five new streaming players said to offer better performance, improved wireless reception, and new convenience features at prices ranging from $30 for a more powerful Roku Express to $100 for a new Roku Ultra.
SV Staff  |  Sep 30, 2017
As September gives way to October, it’s time to reflect on what the past month (or two in this case) has brought us in the way home entertainment goodness. A fair amount, as it turns out. Recapping the virtues of our eight most recent Top Picks, we find four remarkable (and remarkably different) speaker systems to meet almost any need, an AV receiver that has been boldly reinvented for the wireless age, a spectacular soundbar from a brand you forgot about, headphones that will make even the most reluctant “speakers-only” audiophile smile, and a super-capable AV processor from one of audio’s stalwart companies. Which ones will make your upgrade list?
David Vaughn  |  Sep 29, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
Korben Dallas, a retired space fighter pilot, has been relegated to driving a cab in New York City, and since leaving the military, his life has been on a downward spiral. His luck begins to change when a beautiful girl named Leeloo drops into the back of his cab, and before he knows it, he’s stuck in the middle of an intergalactic feud that happens every 5,000 years. It turns out the lovely young lady is the Fifth Element, who when combined with earth, wind, fire, and water becomes the perfect weapon to save the human race from destruction.
Brandon A. DuHamel  |  Sep 29, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
The long-running Japanese franchise Power Rangers is rebooted in this 2017 film from director Dean Israelite and writer John Gatins. The somewhat camp story follows a group of teen misfits who uncover a collection of ancient artifacts and a buried alien ship; endowed with superpowers, the teens must muster their new powers and learn to work together to save the world. Power Rangers is hardly high art, and it never has been. The American version of the series was culled from stock Japanese footage edited together with new English-speaking scenes.

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