LATEST ADDITIONS

CEDIA 2020Projector ReviewsProjector Tech
Hands-On with JVC’s New Theater Optimizer Function
Kris Deering  |  Sep 15, 2020
At the last CEDIA Expo in September 2019, JVC announced a firmware update for its native 4K D-ILA projectors that delivered true frame adaptive HDR tone mapping to the lineup. For CEDIA Expo Virtual 2020, the company’s key announcement is an improved version of that Frame Adapt HDR feature called Theater Optimizer. The firmware also includes a few other tweaks and new features and will be available as a free firmware update in November 2020 for the following models: DLA-NX5, DLA-NX7, DLA-NX9, DLA-RS1000, DLA-RS2000, and DLA-RS3000.
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CEDIA 2020
Sony Launches Three New 4K SXRD Projectors
Al Griffin  |  Sep 15, 2020
Sony Electronics has announced a trio of native 4K (4096 x 2160) SXRD projectors aimed at the consumer and custom installation channels. The new models are the VPL-VW715ES, VPL-VW915ES, and flagship VPL-GTZ380.
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CEDIA 2020
PSB Speakers Adds New Models to PWM On-Wall Series
Al Griffin  |  Sep 15, 2020
At CEDIA 2019, we reported on the PWM2, a 36-inch-long, 3.5-inch deep on-wall offering from Canada’s PSB Speakers. That model has now been joined by the PWM1 and PWM3. At 28 and 48 inches long, respectively, PSB’s slim, new on-walls provide a wider range of options to mate speakers with flat-panel TVs in a design-conscious home theater.
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Signals
The Case of the Singing Bridge
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Sep 14, 2020
When I bought my first house, the first night I slept there, I was convinced the place was possessed. The first night I slept in my current house, a Nor'easter came along and the place howled like a banshee. Which brings us to the Case of the Singing Bridge.

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New Products
ELAC Releases Uni-Fi 2.0 Speaker Lineup
SV Staff  |  Sep 14, 2020
It’s been four years since Elac introduced the Uni-Fi Series, a budget speaker lineup that earned an enthusiastic Top Pick when it was reviewed in Sound & Vision. Not one to rest on his laurels, designer Andrew Jones is back with a next-generation Uni-Fi Series, one that incorporates a number of improvements with only a modest price increase over the original speakers.
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Spartacus
Chris Chiarella  |  Sep 11, 2020
Picture
Sound
Extras
The timeless overclass/underclass struggle was never more memorably explored than in Spartacus, a film adapted from Howard Fast's fact-based, heavily dramatized book. Directed by young up-and-comer Stanley Kubrick and starring old-school movie idol Kirk Douglas in the title role, it's the sort of epic spectacle often aspired to but seldom achieved.
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Vintage Gear
The Model Eighteen: The First Marantz Receiver
Bob Ankosko  |  Sep 10, 2020
Image: audioscope.net

In this edition of Sound & Vision’s Audio Time Machine, we highlight the Marantz Model Eighteen, the iconic brand’s original stereo receiver.

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Media Server Reviews
Kaleidescape Strato S 4K Ultra HD Movie Player Review
Kris Deering  |  Sep 09, 2020

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $5,995 ($8,995 as reviewed)

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Outstanding interface and ease-of-use
Movie store offers 4K titles not available on disc
No A/V quality compromise compared with discs
Minus
Pricey hardware
Some movies lack immersive audio
No Movies Anywhere support

THE VERDICT
Kaleidescape delivers an out- standing user experience, and its online movie store features Ultra HD movies with uncompromised A/V quality, including some titles that aren’t available on disc.

I've been keenly aware of Kaleidescape since the company's start when I first laid eyes on its beautiful onscreen interface at a high-end A/V store in Seattle. Since then, I've regularly encountered that same interface in the homes of my video calibration clients, in stores, and at trade shows.

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SmartStream
Stream These Netflix Originals for Free
Barb Gonzalez  |  Sep 09, 2020
Netflix is offering a small number of titles to stream for free without a subscription. Streaming is immediate and does not require that viewers create an account or login.
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New Products
Rotel Unveils New Surround Preamp and Amplified Surround Processor
SV Staff  |  Sep 09, 2020
Rotel has announced the arrival of two new additions to its home theater product lineup: the RSP-1576MKII Surround Sound Processor and RAP-1580MKII Amplified Surround Processor. Both offer processing for up to 7.1.4 channels of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio and feature Dirac room correction technology. Each unit also supports integration with control systems via RS232 and IP Ethernet and provides three assignable independent 12V trigger outputs and wired IR input/output.
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