Bob Ankosko

Audio Video News
Poll: Men Make the AV Buying Decisions But Only Half Consult Spouse
Bob Ankosko  |  Jun 22, 2015
When it comes to buying AV gear for the household, 99 percent of the respondents to last week’s survey said they make all or most of the decisions. The results were evenly spit between those who “make most AV buying decisions…but consult my spouse/significant other” (42 percent) and those who “make all AV buying decisions…without consulting my spouse/significant other” (40 percent). Only 17 percent said they consult their significant other "before purchasing any new AV gear." Here are the complete results...
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HDTV Tech
State of the Arc: Curved Screens Are Here, But Why?
Bob Ankosko  |  Jun 11, 2015
Are curved screens going to take over the world? If you walk into one of the 500 Best Buy stores featuring Samsung’s impressive Entertainment Experience display area, you might think so at first glance. Stylish curved-screen TVs are front and center in the ultramodern space, displayed under glowing “Curved UHDTV” signs that beckon you to come over and take a closer look.
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New ProductsPremiere Design
OLED Obsession: LG 65EG9600 4K OLED TV
Bob Ankosko  |  May 28, 2015
2015 is shaping up to be the Year of the Ultra HD as the balance begins to shift from everyday HDTVs to 4K/Ultra HDTVs with their higher-than-HD 3840x2160 pixel count. The latest projections from the Consumer Electronics Association show UHD shipments growing exponentially over the next few years, jumping from 1.3 million sets in 2014 to 4 million this year and tripling again to 13 million in 2017. Before long, UHD will become as commonplace as HD.
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Audio Video News
Ultra HD Alliance: Taking TV to the Next Level
Bob Ankosko  |  May 20, 2015
Introducing the Ultra High Definition Alliance

When we first heard about the Ultra High Definition Alliance, an industry coalition that has set its sights on establishing new standards that raise the bar on video quality, we were eager to learn more, especially after perusing the “who’s who” list of member companies: DIRECTV, Dolby, LG, Netflix, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Technicolor, Walt Disney Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, and Warner Bros. We caught up with Vince Pizzica, senior executive vice president of strategy at Technicolor, to find out what makes the UHD Alliance tick.

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Audio Video News
Poll Recap: Tower Speakers Rule
Bob Ankosko  |  May 18, 2015
Proving once again that size does matter, a home theater setup based on floorstanding tower speakers—like the ones featured in our recent “Top 10 Tower Speakers: Under $3,000” list—was the hands-down favorite in last week’s poll.
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Audio Video News
Celebrated Speaker Designer Andrew Jones Joins ELAC
Bob Ankosko  |  May 14, 2015
Speaker designer extraordinaire, Andrew Jones, who left Pioneer in the wake of the recent merger with Onkyo to join the German speaker company ELAC, has not been sitting idle.

The 89-year-old German-based speaker company announced yesterday that it is returning to the U.S. market with a new affordable line of speakers designed by Jones. Dubbed ELAC Debut, the eight-model series will include bookshelf, floorstanding, center-channel, and Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers along with three powered subwoofers.

ELAC is unveiling the speakers at The Home Entertainment Show Newport in Irvine, CA May 29-31.

A 17-year Pioneer veteran, Jones was the driving force behind a number of affordable home theater speakers, including the Dolby Atmos-enabled SP-EBS73-LR speaker system, a 2015 Sound & Vision Top Pick. Jones was also chief speaker engineer at Pioneer’s high-end speaker company, TAD, and held positions at KEF and Infinity prior to Pioneer.

Bluetooth Speaker Reviews
ClearView Clio Bluetooth Speaker Review
Bob Ankosko  |  May 13, 2015
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $349

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Blends into any décor
A cinch to setup
Clear, clean sound with vocal and acoustic music
Minus
Volume and bass are limited
Sound is confined
Pricey

THE VERDICT
Clio is an unobtrusive, one-of-a-kind speaker that is capable of producing clear yet confined sound with limited volume and bass potential.

They call Clio the first invisible speaker. And even though it’s not really invisible, when you put this unique specimen on a kitchen counter, end table, or fireplace mantel, it’s pretty darn hard to spot with its low-profile base and acrylic glass “windshield” that disappears into the room.

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Audio Video News
SI Intros Low Gain Ambient-Light-Rejecting Screen
Bob Ankosko  |  May 01, 2015
Screen Innovation says its new Slate .8 projection screen features the company’s most versatile ambient-light-rejecting technology to date.
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Home Movie Theaters
Two Award-Winning Home Theaters
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 30, 2015
The music industry has the Grammys to recognize outstanding contributions to the art of song composition. The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association, aka CEDIA, which you might know from our coverage of the annual CEDIA Expo, has the Electronic Lifestyles Awards to honor the creativity and technical skill behind some of the most advanced home entertainment and home automation systems on the planet. Here we profile two of the 14 home theaters that made the cut in 2014.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Sony Unveils Soundbars and Budget AV Receivers
Bob Ankosko  |  Apr 24, 2015
Sony this week announced pricing and availability of two new budget AV receivers and four soundbars, including the high-end HT-ST9 that will list for $1,500 when it hits stores in July.

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