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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Hisense Launches 100" 4K ‘Laser TV’
SV Staff  |  Oct 25, 2017
Hisense, the multinational consumer electronics manufacturer and TV market share leader in China, today announced the availability of what it is touting as a 100-inch 4K “Laser TV.” The thing is, it’s not really a TV in the traditional sense.
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Audio Video News
CTA: Energy Star Spec Puts TVs Under EPA Control
SV Staff  |  Oct 25, 2017
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday released the Final Draft Version 8.0 of the Energy Star specification for comment and the Consumer Technology Association immediately chimed in.
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AV Receiver Reviews
Pioneer VSX-832 A/V Receiver Review
Daniel Kumin  |  Oct 24, 2017

Audio Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE$479

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Satisfying power for both two-channel and multi-channel modes
3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X setup option with phantom surrounds
Surprisingly responsive home-network streaming
Basic auto-setup/EQ on board
Minus
Five-channel power requires choice between height or rear channels
No analog multiroom capability
No audio outputs other than HDMI

THE VERDICT
Good five-channel power, 4K/HDR readiness, excellent streaming responsiveness, and phantom-rear-channel Atmos give this affordable AVR its distinct attractions.

Everybody knows what to expect from a flagship or cruiser-class A/V receiver: top-bracket power of 120 watts per channel or more, with nine, 11, or even 13 channels ready for latest-generation surround technologies like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, as well as hightech auto-setup routines and DSP on board. And then there are the deluxe extras, such as extensive multiroom capabilities, 4K/HDR passthrough and 4K scaling, and plenty of internet- and computer-audio streaming options. But what can you expect from the other end of a brand’s AVR fleet? Not so much, right?

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A/V Veteran
Buy it Again, Sam
Thomas J. Norton  |  Oct 24, 2017
Every time we get a new video format, studios seem to see it as an excuse to sell their movies all over again to enthusiasts. And we buy them. But is the transition to Ultra HD Blu-ray somehow different?
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Phorus Ships First Alexa-Enabled Play-Fi Speaker
SV Staff  |  Oct 24, 2017
DTS has announced that the first DTS Play-Fi-enabled speaker to incorporate Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service is now available.
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Signals
The Perplexing Mystery of Building 8
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Oct 24, 2017
Roswell.

Area 51.

Building 8.

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Audio Video News
LG Orchestrates a Strange Surprise
SV Staff  |  Oct 24, 2017
In anticipation of Friday’s Season 2 premiere of Neflix’s hit series Stranger Things, LG enlisted the help of Jeff Tremaine, prank director of Jackass fame, and ad agency FCB New York to surprise a fan of the show with a very special delivery.
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Remotely Possible
What’s a High-End Home Theater Doing in America’s Best Airport*?
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 23, 2017
You wouldn’t expect to see a high-end, 17-seat “microcinema” in the middle of an airport, but that’s exactly what I found at Oregon’s Portland International Airport (PDX) after I’d landed there in late July of this year. After being in the air for hours, scurrying through DFW to make a connection in a different terminal, and then spending more hours in the air, I was in no mood to explore anything other than the baggage claim carousel once I finally shuffled off the plane. So, despite glancing at the 30-feet wide, neon-emblazoned Hollywood Theatre marquee as the moving walkway carried me passed it, I remained blissfully ignorant as to the who, what, why, and how of the whole thing. (Even in my air travel-induced stupor, I was able to deduce the “where” part…)
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Bluetooth Speaker ReviewsSmart Speaker ReviewsWireless Multiroom Speaker ReviewsGrace Notes
Harman/Kardon Invoke with Cortana: a Smart Speaker That Actually Sounds Great
Leslie Shapiro  |  Oct 23, 2017
When a company known for making very good speakers and receivers comes out with the first Cortana-based smart speaker, it better sound good. Did it? Nope — it sounded great!

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Audio Video News
AV Industry Mourns the Loss of Jim Barry, CTA’s Digital Answerman
SV Staff  |  Oct 23, 2017
The AV industry is mourning the loss of Jim Barry who passed away Friday night at the age of 71. Following a distinguished career in journalism, Barry served as the Consumer Technology Association’s Digital Answerman for the past 22 years, showcasing and explaining technology products to consumers via television and radio appearances along with newspaper interviews across the country.
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