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A/V Veteran
UHD by the Numbers
Thomas J. Norton  |  Sep 26, 2017
Last month I blogged about the color gamuts used for Ultra HD. But there’s always more that needs to be said. So with a little repetition here where unavoidable, or as needed to set the stage, let’s dig a bit deeper.

There’s no such thing as a P3 color gamut in the UHD standards, only BT.2020 (also known as Rec.2020). But there is a DCI/P3 color gamut in the video universe (DCI stands for Digital Cinema Initiative), and it’s used in all digitally projected theatrical presentations (which today means virtually all films in theaters).

Because time is money, film studios use the P3 color gamut today on virtually all of their Ultra HD video releases, since video masters in that gamut already exist. And no consumer displays can do significantly better than P3. 

Manufacturers have made much noise about P3, as have we in some cases...

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Audio Video News
Dish's Hopper DVRs Go MultiRoom
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 26, 2017
The Dish Music app uses DTS Play-Fi wireless technology to endow Dish’s Hopper 2 and 3 DVRs with multiroom smarts.
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Audio Video News
Fabriq Targets Echo with $100 Alexa-Enabled Speaker
SV Staff  |  Sep 26, 2017
Toronto-based Fabriq aims to fill what it perceives as a void for inexpensive smart speakers that offer decent sound quality with a new Alexa-enabled speaker that sells for $100.
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Signals
Alexa and the Bird Brain
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Sep 26, 2017
Well, it's come to this. Apparently, a parrot used Alexa to order some stuff off the internet.

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Audio Video News
‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7 Available for Download
SV Staff  |  Sep 26, 2017
While fans of HBO’s Game of Thrones will have to wait until December 12 to get Game of Thrones: The Complete Seventh Season on Blu-ray or DVD, the full season is now available for download on iTunes and Google Play for $26.99 in HD or $19.99 in SD.
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Audio Video News
LG TVs to Access to Comcast’s Xfinity TV in 2018
SV Staff  |  Sep 25, 2017
Comcast and LG today announced that owners of 2017 and 2018 webOS-enabled LG smart TVs will be able to access Comcast’s Xfinity TV service through the Xfinity TV Partner app in 2018 without the need to lease a cable box.
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Audio Video News
Countdown to Cult of Chucky
SV Staff  |  Sep 25, 2017
Fans of Hollywood’s famous demonic doll are in for another blood-spattered adventure as Chucky continues his reign of terror behind the locked doors of an insane asylum in Cult of Chucky, due on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital on demand October 3.
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Grace Notes
The Last Concert Hall
Leslie Shapiro  |  Sep 25, 2017
Picture your dream living room. We close our eyes and listen to the subtle nuances of our favorite recording. Luxurious speakers line the walls, a subwoofer discretely positioned in the sonically perfect corner. There’s nothing better than leaning back in a comfortable chair, spending hours listening to music. But the sad reality is that we don’t.

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Ask S&V
Is HDR Available on Regular Blu-ray Discs?
Al Griffin  |  Sep 25, 2017
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

A I own an Ultra HDTV but am still using a regular Blu-ray player. I have no interest in buying Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs but would like to get the benefits of the HDR 10 and Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR) formats on my TV. Would an Ultra HD Blu-ray player apply HDR 10 and Dolby Vision HDR effects when upscaling regular Blu-rays to 4K, or are those benefits only available with Ultra HD discs? —Jason BF / via e-mail

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
XXX: Return of Xander Cage
David Vaughn  |  Sep 22, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
It’s been several years since Xander Cage has been on the scene, but he’s brought back into the fold when a device called Pandora’s Box falls into the wrong hands. It has the ability to bring down any satellite and turn it into a weapon of mass destruction as it crashes down on the planet. One of his conditions for coming back to the CIA was that of recruiting his own team so he can ensure their absolute trust and his own personal safety.
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