Audioholics Featured Reviews & Articles
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Vizio has always intrigued me. And their top of the line SV470XVT 47-inch LCD TV is no exception. It's the brand I get asked about the most - probably because it's available in a majority of big box…
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I love surround sound. I love it so much I want everyone else to share my love for it. But how do you do that? Well, for starters you can help others get surround sound in their home. You know the…
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Game consoles come and go every few years, but peripherals are eternal. Yet this mainstay of the video game scene has been challenged by a new category - hardware that is designed for and made to enhance specific games and genres. And nowhere was this more evident than at E3 2009. In part 1 we discussed the games, check out part 2; the hardware.
Let me start by confessing that I never liked video games because they taught hand/eye coordination or social skills - I liked playing them because they were fun. So the opportunity to attend E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center was irresistible. Even more so because the nonsense of trying to turn it into a business event over the last two years was rolled back so that glitz and glamor could once again lead the way. And why not? Times may be tough but games touch on so many genres that there’s sure to be something for everyone. Which explains why the video gaming industry has continued to be so profitable through the years.
Wonder why the 3D in the movie theaters or on the TV seems to be almost totally focused on animation? I hadn’t - until I attended this hands on, working demo on 3D put on by SpectSoft. By watching the stereoscopic workflow, I could see just how incredibly time consuming and laborious the process is when people are the ones in front of the camera. But I also learned how SpectSoft’s stereo capture and playback tools can not only speed up the process of shooting people in 3D, but aid in saving time and money as well.
Sony BD-Live Experience
Marshal Rosenthal
— last modified May 04, 2009 22:31
Sony demonstrated to us the “Sony BD-Live Experience” which we learned from our trip to Sony Studios takes interactive to a new level for enhancing the Blu-ray experience. 2008 saw over 36 million Blu-ray discs sold worldwide - a 300% increase over 2007. With over 10,000 unique weekly visitors going to the Sony BD-Live Portal, and how every disc from June moving forward will have BD-Live as an integral part, it looks like BD-Live is here to stay. Check out the cool interactive features such as interactive chat and quizes that will surely bring a new level of enjoyment to how you watch and interact with your favorite movies in glorious hi definition audio and video.
While we're on the topic of trade shows... we put together a music video which summarizes some of the highlights of this year's 2008 Audioholics State of the CE Union Event & Expo. We had a great time and really enjoyed the incredible audio and video demos provided by manufacturers. Of course, there was also great food, tons of giveaways and excessive amounts of dancing - including a custom party event complete with Zorro and his wife.
At this year's 2008 Audioholics Expo we invited Jonathan Novick, Director of Sales for Audio Precision to talk about the measurements behind more meaningful multi-channel amplifier standards. For those of you unfamiliar with Audio Precision, they are the world’s leading manufacturer of high end audio test equipment. Every serious audio engineer and a select few A/V magazine uses their equipment for evaluating amplifier performance and taking low level and high level measurements.
Marantz made their presence known in a big way at the 2008 Audioholics Expo with their new separates and flagship DLP video projector. The AV8003 and MM8003 are the first of the newly redesigned line of AV receivers and processors which borrow some of the cosmetic stylings from their Reference line. Dubbed the M1 chassis, the new design is also designed to better dissipate heat and reduce vibrations. Audyssey auto-calibration is include and so it XM and HD Radio. Balanced outputs are available on the AV8003 and a digital media player is included to allow consumers to stream content from a PC, Escient or NAS drive to the home theater. The system not only does audio, but also plays video from networked storage.
We interviewed Chris Kyriakakis at the 2008 Audioholics Expo about the new Audyssey Dynamic Volume which is appearing in Denon and Onkyo receivers this year (and some others as well). The new technology allows consumers to listen to their multichannel audio and movies at levels far below reference levels without missing out on important surround sound information, or getting blown away by peak sound effects. The technology works by adjusting dynamics with multi-channel sources in mind - and in a way that preserves the intended mix. It also takes care of the excessive volume associated with hyper-compressed television commercials and varying source levels. Once Audyssey is set, it takes care of the rest, no matter what volume level you are listening at.
Craig Eggers, Senior Manager of Dolby Labs, speaks with us at the 2008 Audioholics Expo event in Orlando, Florida and discusses Dolby TrueHD as well as the new Dolby Volume which promises to revolutionize the way consumers listen to home theater and multi-channel music in their living rooms. In particular, Dolby Volume allows better sound reproduction of multi-channel movie and music content without losing surround channel information and eliminating the "pumping and breathing" artifacts so commonly found in typical 'loudness' controls.
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