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Projection Screen Reviews
Stewart Filmscreen Phantom HALR Ambient Light Rejecting Screen Review
Michael P. Hamilton  |  Oct 05, 2017
Performance
Setup
Value
PRICE $4,132 as reviewed

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent off-axis light rejection
Wide viewing angle maintains color saturation
Very good calibration accuracy
Minus
Cloudy artifacts with camera pans on bright scenes
High price

THE VERDICT
A paradoxical hybrid that blends excellent contrast management for challenging viewing environments with a frustrating callousness about pristine image fidelity.

Two years ago, Sound & Vision contemplated how pairing sub-$2K projectors with innovative ALR (ambient light rejecting) screens might compete as similarly priced replacements for large flat panels in multipurpose environments. Compelling, immersive, life-size projected images for the same currency swap as a diminutive, backlit, uh…TV?

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Throwback Thursday
Flashback 1982: World's First CD Player Arrives
SV Staff  |  Oct 05, 2017
A momentous occasion in the history of consumer electronics took place 34 years ago this week when Sony offered the CDP-101 for sale in Japan.
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Ask S&V
How Do I Get the Best Picture and Sound From an Apple TV 4K?
Al Griffin  |  Oct 05, 2017
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I just bought the new Apple TV 4K streaming box and am wondering how to get the best picture and sound from it. My system consists of an LG OLED Ultra HDTV and a Marantz SR7010 receiver. Should I route the signal from the box through my Marantz receiver via HDMI, or connect it directly to the TV? —Mike Franchek

A I would connect the Apple TV 4K directly to your TV — for now. Here’s why.

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Audio Video News
Integra Announces Dolby Vision Update
SV Staff  |  Oct 04, 2017
Integra has announced that a Dolby Vision update for a number of current and new AV controllers and receivers will be available by end of the year. The firmware update will enable the passthrough of high dynamic range (HDR) content encoded in the Dolby Vision format.
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Music Reviews
Jethro Tull: Songs From the Wood: 40th Anniversary Edition
Mike Mettler  |  Oct 04, 2017
Performance
Sound
Extras
These days, when it comes to surround sound mixing, most in-the-know producers and musicians’ respective collective first thought inevitably turns to the maxim, What would Steven Wilson do? Indeed, the man also known as the once and future king of hi-res and 5.1 production has long staked his claim as the No. 1 go-to guy for any artist interested in obtaining a top-shelf mix that takes full advantage of the vaunted six-channel, 96-kilohertz/24-bit (and sometimes higher!) audio spectrum offered via DVD and/or Blu-ray. (And yes, a hi-res download option is on the master main menu as well.)
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Audio Video News
Amazon Focuses on Alexa with New Echos
SV Staff  |  Oct 04, 2017
As voice control technology spreads like wildfire throughout the AV world, Amazon is looking to keep its lead over the competition with redesigned Echo and Echo Plus smart speakers, new Alexa features, and a new family member, the Echo Spot.
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Projector Tech
Is DLP's 4K Really 4K?
Kris Deering  |  Oct 03, 2017
Texas Instruments has upped the DLP game with the recent rollout of their newest digital micromirror device (DMD), claiming full Ultra HD performance. The 0.66-inch chip has nearly the same physical dimensions as the DLP chip found today in many 1080p home theater and business application projectors. It features a native resolution of 2716 x 1528 pixels, which combined with an optical actuator used for pixel shifting, allows for an onscreen image of 8.3 million pixels—roughly the same as a native 3840 x 2160 UHD imaging chip. The chip’s compact size is said to allow for more cost-effective manufacturing—and has resulted in a new $2,000 low price point for at least one Optoma 4K projector.
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Audio Video News
Onkyo and Pioneer Announce Dolby Vision Update
SV Staff  |  Oct 03, 2017
Onkyo and Pioneer have announced that a Dolby Vision firmware update for a number of 2016 models will be available by end of December. The update will enable the passthrough of high dynamic range (HDR) content encoded in the Dolby Vision format.
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Audio Video News
RIP: American Rock Icon Tom Petty
SV Staff  |  Oct 03, 2017
Tom Petty, a leader of the American rock scene for more than four decades and the voice behind some of the most memorable songs in the rock/pop catalog, died unexpectedly of cardiac arrest Monday evening. He was 66.
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Ask S&V
Is HDR the Same for Video and Photography?
Al Griffin  |  Oct 02, 2017
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

A Does the metadata used to enhance video for high dynamic range TVs also work with still photographs? —George Yeoh / via e-mail

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