LATEST ADDITIONS

SmartStream
Is a Smart TV All You Need?
Barb Gonzalez  |  Dec 07, 2017
Smart TVs can now stream the highest quality 4K HDR videos. We take a look at two smart TVs to see if we still need an external streaming device or if the new connected TVs are really as stand-alone and plug-and-play as they're supposed to be.
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Ask S&V
How Do I Connect My Apple TV 4K for Surround Sound?
Al Griffin  |  Dec 07, 2017
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I just bought an Apple TV 4K streaming box and was wondering if I can use it with my surround sound system. If so, how do I connect it? —Mario Caballero

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The S&V Interview
Collective Soul Shine Sonically on New Live Album
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 06, 2017
Photo: Joseph Guay

The five men in the fine Atlanta-bred alt-rock collective known as Collective Soul had a very specific mixing rule for Collective Soul – Live: “There are no overdubs here,” confirms Collective Soul frontman, vocalist/guitarist Ed Roland. To further delve into the sheer liveness of Live, Roland and I got on the line to discuss the balance of dynamics in the band’s live mixes, why their biggest hit “Shine” comes across so well in a live setting, and which classic live albums they referred to as inspirations.

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New Products
December 2017 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Dec 06, 2017
Vutec Stiletto Projection Screen
Stiletto—an alluring name for an alluring projection screen that appears to float in midair thanks to its super-thin bezel. It’s so skinny, you practically have to squint to see it. But the frame is made of extruded aluminum, so it’s anything but flimsy. Lightweight, yes. Flimsy, no.
Wide or Really Wide: A selection of ISF-certified screen materials, with gains ranging from 0.6 to 1.3, are available in standard 16:9 or ultra-wide 2.35:1. Screen sizes range from 92 to 159 inches (diagonal) in 16:9 and 115 to 189 inches (diagonal) in 2.35:1; custom sizes are also available.
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Remotely Possible
Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch Is A Smart Choice Even If You're Not Fit
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Dec 06, 2017
In terms of competence, experience, and knowledge (okay, let’s throw insight in there, too), I should be one of the last people to evaluate the new Fitbit Ionic watch and the equally new Fitbit Flyer wireless fitness headphones.
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Audio Video News
Streaming Key for Nearly a Third of Internet Users
SV Staff  |  Dec 06, 2017
New research from financial services company Raymond James shows that almost a third (31 percent) of Internet users polled in November cited streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu as their primary source of video content, up from 24 percent a year ago and just four percent behind the 35 percent of survey respondents who named cable as their primary source of video entertainment.
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Audio Video News
Survey: 45% of U.S. Households Have a Smart TV
SV Staff  |  Dec 06, 2017

A recent consumer survey from Parks Associates shows that ease of use is a key factor in choosing smart TVs and other connected devices.

Almost half (45 percent) of U.S. broadband households have a smart TV, making it the most commonly used platform for streaming video content among this group, according to a new Market Snapshot from Dallas-based research firm Parks Associates.

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Audio Video News
New TI Chipsets Expand 4K UHD DLP Applications
SV Staff  |  Dec 06, 2017
Texas Instruments (TI) yesterday announced an expanded family of chipsets to bring 4K Ultra HD technology to new applications, including” laser TVs, mobile smart TVs, smart home displays,” and a range of projectors, including handheld pico projectors.
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A/V Veteran
Stranger HDR Things
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 05, 2017
High Dynamic range, or HDR, is perhaps the most exciting of the trio of improvements that Ultra HD brings to the table, the others being a wider color gamut and higher resolution. The images from a flat screen set pop off the screen in a way that the dimensional but often too dim 3D never could. And you don’t need special glasses to see it.

A flat screen set, capable of peak brightness levels of over 1000 nits (just under 300 foot-lamberts) can make the most of an HDR source. HDR program material is mastered for a peak output of either 1000 nits or 4000 nits, with most of that luminance reserved for bright highlights.

But not all displays can hit 1000 nits...

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Soundbar Reviews
Sony HT-ST5000 Soundbar System
Daniel Kumin  |  Dec 05, 2017
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $1,500

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Generally neutral sound reproduction
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X spatial enhancement
Ample level for serious listening to both music and movies
Minus
No physical surround-speaker option
Subwoofer-to-soundbar integration is tricky

THE VERDICT
Sony’s high-end soundbar-subwoofer twosome delivers natural, tightly imaged, Atmos/DTS:X-abetted sound along with striking, understated good looks.

Soundbars are marching relentlessly up-market, and Sony is right there with the Dolby Atmos- and DTS:X-capable HT-ST5000, which carries a list price of $1,500 and is being widely promoted this holiday season at $1,298 from the major retailers. It checks all the latest boxes: scarily slim, seriously wireless (including a wireless subwoofer), and no-rear-speakers faux surround sound.

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