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4K TV Reviews
Discovery+ Streaming Service To Launch in January
Barb Gonzalez  |  Dec 23, 2020
Discovery+ will launch on January 4th as the newest aggregated subscription streaming service. Drawing on 17 of Discovery's channels, the service will offer the largest inventory of unscripted and non-fiction programming.
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Signals
Annus Horribilis
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Dec 21, 2020
2020 was not a particularly good year. In fact it was a horrible year. Normally, at year's end, we're supposed to reminisce about the year. But I think we'd all rather forget that 2020 ever happened. Let's ignore it, and instead skip back all the way to 1984, to a story about a Christian rock band, an LP record, and a very mysterious inner groove.

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Music and Soundtrack FeaturesThe S&V Interview
Gavin Harrison Exposes the Secrets of His Expert Rhythmic Designs
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 18, 2020
Gavin Harrison knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it. The critically celebrated, session-bred progressive-oriented British drummer vaulted into superstar status during his jaw-dropping eight-year stint as a member of Porcupine Tree, and he's since moved even further up the wide-acclaim foodchain thanks to all the mind-bending work he's done during his current, ongoing gigs behind the kit with both King Crimson and The Pineapple Thief. The thing is, Harrison pays little or no heed to the constant praise for his innovative drumming, nor does he spend much time ruminating over his impeccable legacy.
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Audio Video News
Winter 2020: Best Affordable Gear
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 17, 2020
Despite all the hardships 2020 has imposed on us, home entertainment has remained a bright spot with A/V gear across all categories providing the means for elevating our music and movie experiences. Thank goodness for that. And thank goodness 2020 is coming to a close. As we look to the New Year with hopes for a return to a normal life, free of restrictions and financial hardship, we present 21 prime A/V specimens for your consideration. All are Sound & Vision Top Picks and all are affordable, at prices ranging from $130 to just under $3,000 with most falling in the under-$1,000 category. Whether you’re contemplating a new turntable or TV, we’re confident one of more of the products highlighted here will speak to you.
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Ask S&V
Looking for a TV-Worthy Interface for Streaming Music
Al Griffin  |  Dec 17, 2020
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have over 9,000 songs on a hard drive hooked to my computer. When I listen, I stream it over my home network to a Samsung TV connected to a Denon receiver. The audio is fine but the visual effect of browsing through folders on a 70-inch screen leaves much to be desired. Is there an inexpensive way to browse and play your stored digital music library in a home theater using a visual interface like Microsoft Groove Music? —Jay Sklaroff, via email

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4K TV ReviewsLCD TV ReviewsTV Reviews
Samsung QN65Q90T LCD Ultra HDTV Review
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 16, 2020


Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1,900

AT A GLANCE
Plus
High peak brightness for HDR
Wide viewing angle for an LCD TV
Extended color
Minus
No Dolby Vision support
Some visible “blooming”

THE VERDICT
Samsung's 65-inch Q90T series model offers impressive overall performance at a far lower price than the company's previous flagship 4K TVs.

While most buyers might view two grand as a high price to pay for a new TV, longtime readers here will recall the days when that amount would barely get you a small, flat-panel HD set with few features—and certainly not 4K with HDR. But intense competition in the TV world has resulted in bigger and more sophisticated displays at lower prices. Samsung's Q90T series, including the 65-inch model reviewed here, is actually derived from the company's 2019 Q80R series.

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Streaming Movies and TV
The World of Raised by Wolves - A Behind-the-Scenes Look
Matt Hurwitz  |  Dec 15, 2020
A mother and father head to a new home to begin a family. Sounds simple enough, right? But in the world of HBO Max's Raised by Wolves, the world is anything but simple.

The Ridley Scott-driven sci-fi series takes place 150 years in the future, when a world war between a religious cult, the Mithraics, and those who won't accept their life, the Atheists, has led to the Earth becoming uninhabitable.

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New Products
Definitive Technology Announces Studio 3D Mini Soundbar System
SV Staff  |  Dec 15, 2020
Definitive Technology today announced the addition of a compact soundbar system to its lineup. The Studio 3D Mini features Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing, 4K/Dolby Vision video pass-through, and HDMI eARC connectivity. It’s also the first Def Tech product to feature HEOS Built-in, letting users stream audio from multiple services as well as link the soundbar wirelessly to a HEOS-enabled multiroom setup.
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Sponsored Webinar
Value Electronics & Panasonic Present a Discussion of the Award Winning Panasonic DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player!
SV Staff  |  Dec 14, 2020

LIVE: Friday, December 18, 2020 - 12:00PM ET

Join us when Robert Zohn of Value Electronics will present Panasonic’s award winning DP-UB9000 Blu-ray player covering the key features and a taking a deep dive into the special capabilities that make this flagship player so unique.

UPDATE: This webinar is now available for replay!

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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
District 9
Chris Chiarella  |  Dec 11, 2020
Picture
Sound
Extras
District 9 rises above its disparate components—there are multiple strong influences, everything from Alien Nation to the faux-documentary feel of The Office—to deliver a socially resonant story that's even more relevant a decade after its release. Like all good science fiction, its impact derives from how it weaves in the trappings of everyday life, perhaps illuminating our own foibles.
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