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Audio Video News
Senators Raise Smart TV Privacy Concerns
SV Staff  |  Jul 24, 2018
If you have privacy concerns about what information your smart TV is gathering and how it’s being used, you’re not alone.
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A/V Veteran
Giving Movie Musicals Their Due
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 24, 2018
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (that is, a sequel) opened in theaters this week. I didn’t realize that the first film, Mamma Mia! The Musical was a major hit when it was released in 2009, selling hundreds of billions of tickets to folks worldwide. I wasn’t of them, having a love/hate relationship with the Abba tunes featured in the film.

In fact I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with movie musicals. La La Land lost me after the first song and dance number from the otherwise appealing leads who could neither sing nor dance. And apart from that title and a few others (notably The Greatest Showman—a recent release now available on a spectacular UHD Blu-ray), the musical hasn’t received a lot of film love in recent years. But it was, for decades, a movie staple...

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Vizio Ships Flagship 65-Inch 4K Smart TV
SV Staff  |  Jul 24, 2018
Vizio today announced the availability of the flagship 65-Inch 4K smart TV it previewed at CES 2018 in January.
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Audio Video News
Bill Maher Comedy Special Slated for Digital Release
SV Staff  |  Jul 24, 2018
HBO has announced that the stand-up comedy special Bill Maher: Live from Oklahoma that aired July 7 will be available for digital download August 6.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Vanco Introduces HDMI Wireless Extender, Bluetooth Adapter
SV Staff  |  Jul 23, 2018
Vanco, an Illinois-based distributor of electronic accessories, has announced an HDMI extender that wirelessly extends signals up to 131 feet and a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver kit that brings wireless connectivity to components that lack it.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
1More Updates Gaming Headphones with 3D Sound Technology
SV Staff  |  Jul 23, 2018
China-based headphone specialist 1More, maker of the Quad Driver earphones that made our 2017 Top Picks list, has announced an updated version of its Spearhead VR gaming headphones that uses processing developed by pro-sound company Waves Audio to “eliminate the ‘head effect’ and enhance the sense of space and position.”
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Audio Video News
Amazon Prime Video to Support Dolby Atmos
SV Staff  |  Jul 20, 2018
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan will be the first Amazon video release to carry a Dolby Atmos soundtrack when it becomes available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video August 31.
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Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Game Of Thrones: The Complete First Season
Al Griffin  |  Jul 20, 2018
Picture
Sound
Extras
Rewatching Game of Thrones, this time on Ultra HD Blu-ray, so many years after first entering Westeros, that fictional realm conjured up by fantasy writer George R.R. Martin, is an experience akin to visiting an old friend—and a crime scene. As the series unfolds, and its extensive cast of characters get introduced, there’s an uncomfortable pang that comes from knowing what hellish circumstances these men, women, and children are about to endure. The first episode marks the first time you hear “winter is coming” uttered. The statement is tossed off casually and doesn’t land with much impact. But it does leave a certain chill in its wake. These poor folks don’t know the half of it.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Audirvana Plus Music Player Comes to Windows 10
SV Staff  |  Jul 20, 2018
Audirvana, maker of the Audirvana Plus audiophile music player for Mac users, has introduced a Windows 10 version of the software.
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4K TV ReviewsLCD TV ReviewsTV Reviews
Sony XBR-65X900F LCD Ultra HDTV Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Jul 19, 2018

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $2,300

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent shadow detail
Superb color and resolution
Punchy HDR
Minus
Mediocre off-axis performance
Some blooming

THE VERDICT
The new Sony XBR-65X900F is no OLED-killer, but it offers OLED-like benefits at a reasonable price.

OLED ULTRA HDTVS grab most of today’s headlines. And although prices for OLED sets have dropped dramatically over the last year, they still command a high premium. Even flagship LCD sets— Sony’s Z9D line, for example—remain beyond the price reach of many consumers. Sony’s new X900F LCD TVs, which are available in screen sizes all the way up to 85 inches, provide a more reasonable alternative. Choose the 65-inch X900F under review here and you’ll leave the store with a far smaller dent on your credit line than you would when buying an OLED or a flagship LCD.

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