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Audio Video News
Ultimate Ears Introduces Playful Waterproof Speaker
SV Staff  |  Apr 24, 2017
Ultimate Ears, the company known for making professional in-ear monitors worn by live performers, has introduced a playful take-anywhere Bluetooth speaker.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Oppo Intros Audiophile-Infused UDP-205 UHD Player
SV Staff  |  Apr 24, 2017
Oppo Digital today announced an audiophile version of the S&V Top Pick-designated UDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray player introduced last December.
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Audio Video News
Samsung Announces New HDR Format, Streaming Deal with Amazon
SV Staff  |  Apr 21, 2017
Samsung and Amazon have announced a new standard for high dynamic range (HDR) content that “leverages dynamic metadata to produce enhanced contrast and colors on an expanded range of televisions.”
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Suicide Squad
David Vaughn  |  Apr 21, 2017
Picture
Sound
Extras
What if Superman hadn’t been a good guy? Could the government do anything about it? After the events in Batman v Superman, members of the U.S. government are nervous that aliens and metahumans could wreak havoc upon the Earth at their whim and there would be nothing the human race could do about it. With this in mind, a covert government agent named Amanda Waller hatches a plan to use incarcerated supervillains to form her “Task Force X” in order to combat evil forces in the world. To control them, she has explosive devices implanted in their necks that will detonate if they decide to not follow orders. As circumstances have it, her team is needed shortly after it’s formed to battle an ancient villain named Incubus who has invaded Midway City.
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Audio Video News
Symphonica Aims to Kickstart Smartphone Speaker
SV Staff  |  Apr 21, 2017
With 10 days to go, Symphonica is facing an uphill battle to meet the $35,000 Kickstarter funding goal for a hand-crafted acoustic horn designed to naturally amplify sound from smartphones. To date, the startup has 73 backers who have pledged just over $9,500—less than a third of its goal.
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Audio Video News
Emotiva Announces Modular Monoblocks
SV Staff  |  Apr 21, 2017
Emotiva Audio has announced a new three-channel amplifier based on three of the company’s 600-watt balanced monoblock modules.
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Editor's Eye
The End of the Early Adopter
Rob Sabin  |  Apr 21, 2017
Being first used to mean being special, with all the attendant risk. Now, everybody’s screwed.
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Custom Installation Equipment ReviewsCustom Installation How-To
Video: Touring the Control4 Smart Home RV
Rob Sabin  |  Apr 20, 2017
Control4, the company behind the award-winning home automation platform favored by many electronics integrators, has taken the smart home on the road. A new "Smart Design, Smart Living" Airstream RV trailer outfitted with room vignettes designed to show off C4's technology is in the midst of a 12-week, multi-city tour to teach interior designers, architects, and consumers what home automation really is and what it can do. This miniature smart-home-on-wheels allows demonstration of automated lighting, whole-home audio and video entertainment, and security through the use of wall keypads, mounted touchscreens, conventional handheld remotes, smartphone and tablet apps, and even Amazon Alexa voice control.

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New Products
April 2017 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Apr 20, 2017
Integra DLB-5 Soundbar System
Object-based surround sound has advanced the art of home theater sound but at the cost of yet another set of speakers. Enter Integra’s DLB-5, which provides a simpler path. The 3.1.2-channel system comprises a passive soundbar, wireless subwoofer, and svelte 5 x 50-watt receiver that supports Internet Radio, several streaming services (including Tidal, Spotify, and Pandora), and more connectivity options than you’ll need: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Blackfire’s FireConnect, and DTS Play-Fi (due via a future firmware update).
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3D Projector ReviewsProjector Reviews
BenQ HT1070 DLP Projector Review
Al Griffin  |  Apr 20, 2017

2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $699

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Calibrates well for accurate color
Better-than-average contrast ratio
Backlit remote control
Minus
Limited installation features
High fan noise in Normal Lamp mode
Not as bright as competition

THE VERDICT
The better-than-average contrast and accurate color potential offered by BenQ’s low-cost projector make it a great option for a budget home theater.

Budget 1080p projectors targeted at sports fans are a staple of many manufacturers’ lineups. These usually come with a promise to “transport you to the stadium” by projecting a bright, 100-inchdiagonal picture from just a few feet out from a wall or screen, and they include a Sports picture mode to give Astroturf that hyper-real, greener-than-green look. In some cases, however, such projectors can deliver surprisingly accurate images. Pair one of them with an equally affordable screen, and you’ll get a satisfying big-screen movie-viewing experience for under $1,000.

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