The year 2017 in the world of audio/video gear proved mostly evolutionary, with a touch of the revolutionary thrown in. The former was seen clearly in the flat-panel television category, which wholly gave itself up to not just Ultra HD resolution this year but also to the idea of high dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut displays. We saw Dolby Vision finally make its way to a few UHD Blu-ray Discs, and critically, watched OLED mature into a commanding market presence. Meanwhile, we got more, and cheaper, options for 4K signal-friendly front projectors.
When I first saw Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, as a college student, I was bored and, beyond that, puzzled: such a static set piece from the maker of Dr. Strangelove, 2001, and A Clockwork Orange. I wasn’t alone: Box office was middlin’, critics were mixed. The film now strikes me as a masterpiece, although a demanding one, as many masterpieces are. Based on Thackeray’s mid-19th-century novel about the rise and fall of an Irish upstart seeking to connive his way into British high society, it’s a string of gorgeous pictures, as gorgeous as many paintings in a museum, and Kubrick modeled many shots on paintings by Hogarth, Gainsborough, and other artists of the era.
Many filmmakers would surely crack under the challenges of finally bringing Wonder Woman to the big screen. But the remarkably gifted Patty Jenkins (writer/director of 2004’s Monster, her last feature) tackles the ambitious production—an action-heavy World War I– era period piece—with educated gusto, thoughtfully honoring and expanding upon the beloved heroine’s legacy. Of course, none of that matters without the right star, and Gal Gadot’s Princess Diana combines strength, brains, and innocence to give this movie an irresistible heart.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies are poised for record growth in 2018, according to new research from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
Sony’s Bravia XBRA1E OLED Ultra HD TV left last week’s CES confab with an Excellence in 4K Product Award from the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), one of three awards presented.
Forty-five years ago this week, the King, donning his iconic white sequin-studded jump suit, made history in Honolulu when more than a billion viewers in 40 countries tuned into Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite, a live broadcast seen by the largest audience in the history of television.
NuVision, a U.S.-based display company with manufacturing partners in China and Mexico that seeks to deliver a “compelling mix of quality, technology and value,” has announced plans to re-enter the U.S. TV market.
Left for dead at the side of the road, RadioShack is still twitching. Following its latest bankruptcy filing, it has emerged with a reorganization plan that would mix an online presence with 400 independently owned dealerships and 27 company-owned stores in Colorado, Texas, and New York. Eight new RadioShacks have recently opened, and another 18 are being considered. However, RadioShack probably will not return to the days when it lived in a $200 million HQ in Fort Worth, overseeing an empire of 7,000 stores nationwide.
Q I’ve ripped most of my CD collection to my computer using iTunes. At this point, I’d like to maybe get a portable media storage unit and transfer my iTunes library to it so I can play music through my AV receiver and Amazon Echo speakers. Is that a good idea? All suggestions are appreciated, but I am looking for an inexpensive solution. —John McGlynn / Boca Raton, FL
A There are a few ways to skin this cat. Here are some suggestions that won’t cost much money.