LATEST ADDITIONS

Director's Intent: Kaleidescape 4K
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
David Vaughn  |  Dec 06, 2022

Picture
Sound
Kaleidescape Scenes
Extras
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi begins with the words, “This is a true story,” not “based” on one, with a screenplay by Chuck Hogan that is based on the book from Michael Zuckoff. It steers mostly clear of the politics surrounding the attack and tells the story from the perspective of the people who were on the ground during the attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi on September 11, 2012. Regardless of the politics, four Americans lost their lives that night: Ambassador Chris Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith, and CIA operatives Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, both former Navy SEALs who were civilian contractors working out of a secret CIA Annex near the compound.
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Signals
Musicboarding: The Latest Form of Airline Torture
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Dec 05, 2022
Waterboarding is a harsh interrogation technique. Most governments have disavowed and unsanctioned its use. There is a title for a Tom Cruise movie in there somewhere. In any case, waterboarding is essentially a form of torture. And a certain airline likes to waterboard its passengers. But instead of water, they use music. And musicboarding is much, much worse.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Arsenic and Old Lace
Roger Kanno  |  Dec 02, 2022
Picture
Sound
Extras
It may not be the equal of his holiday classic masterpiece, It's a Wonderful Life, but Frank Capra's black comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace is one of the great comedies of American cinema. Adapted from Joseph Kesselring's play of the same name, it stars Cary Grant as Mortimer Brewster, a recently married writer whose honeymoon plans with his wife (Priscilla Lane) are sidetracked by a series of macabre incidents when he visits his doting aunts and eccentric brother.
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Streaming Device Reviews
2022 Roku Express HD Player Review
Barb Gonzalez  |  Dec 01, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $29.99

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Quick and easy setup
Excellent picture quality when upscaled on a 4K TV
Connects to TV USB for power
Voice control, private listening, and hidden control with mobile app
Minus
It only supports up to 1080p high-definition resolution
Is not Dolby or DTS enabled, requires pass-through
It cannot be hidden behind the TV
No volume buttons, microphone, or TV control on remote

THE VERDICT
With its Roku OS simplicity and surprisingly good performance for an HD streamer, it’s an excellent choice for anyone looking for a budget device to go with a second TV.

Considering its low price, it wouldn't be fair to compare the entry-level Roku Express with higher-end 4K models. This 1080p streamer isn't trying to be the best in the market, but it does an excellent job for what it is—a value-priced HD player. When the Roku Express goes on sale, it's an easy choice as a gift or to go with that legacy TV in the second room.

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Audio Video News
Tubes or Solid-State? No Need to Choose with McIntosh’s New Hybrid Drive Tech
Bob Ankosko  |  Dec 01, 2022
McIntosh’s new Hybrid Drive technology brings vacuum-tube and solid-state amps together in one component for the best of both worlds.
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Integrated Amp ReviewsStreaming Device Reviews
Technics SA-C600 Streaming CD Receiver Review
Howard Kneller  |  Nov 30, 2022

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Stellar performance
Full feature package
Small physical footprint
Killer price
Minus
Small, monochrome display
Modest power rating

THE VERDICT
A small, but technology and feature-rich all-in-one component that delivers large and impressive sound at a fraction of its expected price.

Like many, I've embraced music streaming, but refuse to give up my CDs and LPs. As a result, my stereo system contains multiple components and a thicket of wires. For people who won't tolerate such complexity, Panasonic's Technics has thankfully introduced the SA-C600 streaming CD receiver ($999). This impressively small component features an integrated amplifier, a streamer, a CD player, a phono stage, an FM tuner, and a headphone output.

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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Wrensilva Launches Limited-Edition Hi-Fi Console
Bob Ankosko  |  Nov 30, 2022
And you thought the hi-fi record console was a thing of the past. Nope. San Diego-based Wrensilva today introduced a limited-edition version of its compact Loft console.
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Ask S&V
Why Do I Get a “Not 4K” Warning When I Stream on My 4K Roku Setup?
John Sciacca  |  Nov 29, 2022
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q When I’m streaming 4K through my Roku Ultra, I occasionally get an onscreen warning that says “not 4K-compatible.” I also have a Panasonic DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray player but there’s no issue with it. Every check I make shows that I am set up properly for 4K streaming and my Wi-Fi signal to the Roku is great. Any ideas? It’s making me crazy. —Michael Henn, via email

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Spatial Audio File
Ryan Ulyate Gives Us the Full Breakdown of His Stellar Dolby Atmos Mixes for Tom Petty’s Greatest Hits
Mike Mettler  |  Nov 28, 2022

Tom Petty always, always knew how to ensure the music he made over the course of his long and storied career would sound the absolute best it could during playback in any format. Petty’s longtime engineer and production partner Ryan Ulyate continues to both carry that torch and up the ante, as evidenced by his stellar mixing of all 18 tracks found on Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ November 1993 Greatest Hits collection in Dolby Atmos. Recently, Ulyate and I got on Zoom together to discuss how he created the stems for these Atmos mixes by accessing the original masters, which songs on Greatest Hits are the most immersive and why, and what Tom himself would have said upon hearing his music in Atmos—perfect topics all for deep-dive coverage in this month’s Spatial Audio File, methinks, so read on. . .

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Signals
Hey Sony, What's the 0-to-60?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Nov 28, 2022
Trinitron, Betamax, Walkman, PlayStation, Compact Disc, MiniDisc, Blu-ray – and EV. Yes, you read that right. In the not-so-distant future, you can pre-order your Sony Electric Vehicle. With a little help (or maybe a lot) from Honda, the proud block-letter logo of our favorite electronics company can now reside in your garage. And I'm not talking about that old Trinitron in the corner of the garage that you keep meaning to recycle.

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