http://www.audioholics.com/rss.xml Where audio and video equipment undergoes rigorous objective and subjective tests by our staff, ensuring that marketing slogans aren't the only guidelines for your home theater choices. hourly 12 2006-12-01T00:00 http://www.audioholics.com/static/logo.jpg http://www.audioholics.com/ http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/pioneer-unveils-2008-kuro-1080p-hdtv This week Pioneer introduced six new models of Plasma HDTVs for the company’s Kuro line. Pioneer says the new 2008 Kuro models will display black levels up to five times deeper than its 2007 models – talk about new and improved! The new 50-inch and 60-inch plasmas will sell for $4000 and $5,500 respectively. wayde 2008-05-09T11:26:06+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/projectors/epson-pro-cinema-1080ub When we got our first glimpse of Epson's Pro Cinema 1080UB at the 9th Annual Audioholics State of the CE Union Event in Clearwater Beach, Florida, we knew we were in for a treat. We had already reviewed the excellent Pro Cinema 1080, and the UB - short for Ultra Black - only took a good projector and made it even better. This review is more of a comparison and evaluation of the new features than a full descriptive overview of everything about the 1080UB. If you want the full blow-by-blow, take a look at our review of the Pro Cinema 1080 and you'll find everything you need to help you evaluate the full complement of this projector's features. clint 2008-05-08T23:22:20+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/comcast-may-cap-unlimited-internet After Rogers, Canada’s top Cable/Internet broadband provider announced it’ll end its unlimited Internet access, America’s number two Internet provider considers the same measure. An insider tells DLSReports.com that Comcast is discussing monthly caps on Internet use. In the new system subscribers to the previously unlimited plans will have 250GB limit. An additional charge of $15 would be applied for every additional 10GB. wayde 2008-05-08T12:29:04+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/do-it-yourself-diy-topics/schumakubins As a Do-it-yourself speaker builder I have found myself wondering many times as I perused the internet’s vast sea of home speaker builder’s selections as to what some of the DIY speaker kits would sound like. Hence I decided to check out the Schumakubins which were born on the Parts Express forum utilizing their very own Dayton drivers. The Schumakubins shined with their smooth midrange and tight bass. If you are interested in building speakers but a little reluctant the Schumakubins are a great opportunity. I recommend buying the kit with the precut front baffle. You will be on your way to getting the best sound for the least amount of money and work. Kit speakers are a great and fun way to get some really good sound enjoyment and the Schumakubins are a great way to start. ken 2008-05-07T21:39:16+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/education/frequently-asked-questions/too-many-hdmi-outputs Jim from Iowa asks us how in the world he's supposed to make use of all the new HDMI-capable components he has when his TV and AV receiver don't have enough inputs. It's a good question, and one that many people are asking as more and more manufacturers place HDMI into their products. We tackle it a couple of ways to give you options for maintaining a great picture and also retaining the ability to get the best audio quality possible. clint 2008-05-06T09:31:16+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/software/game-reviews/gta-4-behind-the-hype After all the hype and "best game in a million years" talk, I just couldn't resist. This is the first GTA game I've played mostly because of timing. I was out of gaming for all of the other GTA games so I'm looking at this through "virgin" eyes. First of all "The Best Game Ever?" Um... No. No it isn't. So far it is cool and I'm enjoying it but it is far from the best game. The sheer size of it it staggering and the thought put in to all the characters is great but the best game... sorry. tom 2008-05-05T16:23:50+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/news/press-releases/conservation-group The nation’s largest on-line audio-visual (A/V) magazine announced plans today to team with a leading conservation organization, the National Center for Conservation Science & Policy (www.nccsp.org), in calling for sweeping changes in government policy on global warming. Both organizations have come together to address global climate change at the Audioholics 10th Annual State of the CE Union Event at Walt Disney’s Premier Swan Dolphin Resort the week of October 22. Gene 2008-05-05T10:21:54+00:00 Press Release http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/metallica-radiohead-online-music A switch of sorts has occurred between two camps in the ongoing online music distribution issue. Radiohead has decided to abandon the pay-as-you-please business and longtime Internet curmudgeons Metallica are exploring their options for an online music release, possibly adopting the method Radiohead is giving up. wayde 2008-05-05T09:31:33+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/projectors/projector-screens/focupix-hdvio-electric-rf We were more than skeptical when we first heard of the Focupix electric screens. Their retail price hovered around $799 for a 104-inch screen, however the typical street price was just $329.99. With a retail drop-off that steep we wondered how on earth anyone could pack enough equipment into the box to make this screen actually function. It turns out these electric screens must be easier to make than I thought. The overall quality and performance of the Focupix HDVio screen had us rethinking what an electric screen should truly cost the average consumer. clint 2008-05-05T08:10:56+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/apple-itunes-dvd-release Today Apple announced a deal with Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, Sony Pictures, Lionsgate and New Line to release movies into the iTunes store simultaneously with DVD releases. iTunes has already experimented with what is being referred to as "day and date release" titles with such films as Juno. MGM was noticeably absent, but smaller studios like Magnolia and Image Entertainment were included. This announcement follows Apple's recent announcement that it inked deals with all of the major studios to provide 30-day rental access to films for $3 - $4 each and also provide "download/purchases" for around $15. clint 2008-05-01T08:37:50+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/scarlett-tv-series-hoax-lg Want to market your new flat panel TV? Why not consider creating the concept for a new TV show, getting it placed into the imdb.com, drumming up a full release party with 500 invitees, bring them to a theater for a swanky screening... And then tell them it's a big hoax. Yeah, that'll sell tons of TVs! On Monday night, about 500 people planned to gather at the Pacific Design Center in Hollywood for a full-blown release-style screening of Scarlet, a new TV series from director David Nutter that was supposed to star Natassia Malthe. Except that the premier never happened. In fact, the show never truly existed in the first place. clint 2008-04-30T09:26:53+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/blue-jeans-followup We've received a lot of encouraging words, questions, and concerns from our customers over the heavily-publicized threats made against our company by Monster Cable recently, and wanted to give everyone an update and an explanation. Our view of this situation is that, apart from revealing things like litigation strategy which, for obvious reasons, we need not to speak about publicly, we want everyone to know exactly what this is about, why it's going on, and what the merits of the case are. Whether we have war is, of course, entirely up to Monster; we will not start a war, but we are not the least bit hesitant to fight one if it comes. Don't fear the bully! Kurt Denke 2008-04-29T23:18:02+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/grand-theft-auto-iv-hit-streets-at-midnight The buzz over what’s speculated to be the top selling video game of the year was palpable last night. All over North America Grand Theft Auto IV went on sale at the stroke of midnight. Game shops and electronics stores opened starting at midnight for one hour to give sales a running start. wayde 2008-04-29T10:34:20+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/the-evolution-of-digital-music-on-demand Think back to a time when you couldn’t log onto the Internet and download any song you wanted in little or no time at all. It seems like that was an eternity ago, right? Once MP3s became more popular, users needed MP3 players to listen to their digital music. MP3s and MP3 players brought about the beginning of the digital music age, where music is downloaded, streamed, given away as prizes, ad-supported, and listened to everywhere. Mary Sekerak 2008-04-28T15:25:51+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/pioneer-vsx-94txh The last Pioneer receiver review I personally did was in 2005 on an entry-level product (the VSX-815) which struck me as a good balance between available features and power. It will seem pretty obvious when I say that this flagship Elite AV receiver product trumps my last experience by quite a bit. It also, however brings a certain amount of expectation. Being a top of the line model, the VSX-94TXH has a lot of competition and is going to need to distance itself in some areas before being crowned the leader in any particular department. clint 2008-04-28T06:55:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/trade-show-coverage/disney-vacation Audioholics is celebrating 10 years of success by hosting the Biggest Private Media Event of the season. The Audioholics State of the CE Union (SOTU) Show will be open to manufacturers, custom installers, dealers, and consumers. The event will take place October 22nd thru October 26th, 2008 at Disney’s Premier Swan Dolphin Resort in Orlando Florida. FREE Educational seminars, 7 live state of the art A/V demo rooms, plenty of product giveaways (receivers, DVD players, more) and great food and fun. Best of all it's Disney. Register Now! Gene 2008-04-25T20:12:28+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/education/display-formats-technology/thx-video THX Display Certification primary goals are to drive quality in manufacturing and help simplify consumer buying decisions. According to THX, having a single testing methodology and specification enables display manufacturers to standardize on one benchmark that is recognized by both industry insiders and consumers alike. We put THX to the test with a series of questions we had about this program to ensure it wasn't just another logo branded on a product to pimp sales. Gene 2008-04-25T15:38:23+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/hd-cable-petition With the recent wave exposure about poor quality HD cable signals, a petition has been developed by one of the hosts of the popular audio/video podcast AV Rant. In the original posting, it seems that this petition was instigated by problems the host and Audioholics' staffer, Tom Andry, had with his Comcast HD service and a few vocal listeners. admin 2008-04-25T11:05:35+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/education/frequently-asked-questions/hdmi-output-component A reader asks Dr. A why he can't view some of his material on the TV he bought. Lots of people run into this problem, so we figured we'd take it to Dr. A for a solution. clint 2008-04-25T10:04:32+00:00 Tech Article http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/cables/planet-wave-cable-kit The Planet Waves DIY Home Theater Kit proved to be a versatile product for the end user and custom installer alike. It’s probably the easiest self terminating system I have come across and the fact that you can pretty much utilize any conceivable analog termination on the market with a simple twist on connector and fastening screw is something every home theater aficionado and cable installer should have in their bag of tricks. If you’re looking to customize/shorten your cable lengths while clearing out the cable spaghetti in the back of your rack, this is an excellent solution to consider. Gene 2008-04-24T13:44:02+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/hate-crimes-against-geeks-on-the-rise The long running joke of high school is beating up the geek. It's in practically every movie in the genre. For many geeks it was considered a "right of passage" that gave them the drive and motivation to be successful academically so that they could later fire that tormentor and watch him degenerate into alcoholism and poverty. For many, this thought is the only thing that gets them through this most trying of times. tom 2008-04-24T12:01:47+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/dvd-piracy-china-black-market Digital piracy and fake products is a problem throughout the developing world but nowhere to the scale seen in China. The problem isn’t likely to be solved through diplomacy, litigation or law enforcement – business is forced to come up with creative solutions of its own. Could techniques used in China aimed at combating piracy be carried worldwide? wayde 2008-04-24T09:25:52+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/sharper-image-for-sale Sharper Image Corp., the company that brought us such incredibly useless products as the Ionic Breeze air purifier, put itself "up for sale" today - just two months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Apparently the struggling economy has really send people running away from the upper-end retail store, which sells most of its products at strict retail and largelyinventories only the highest-priced items for each category. clint 2008-04-24T09:16:59+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/three-priests-signed-by-sony Who says three singing Roman Catholic priests wouldn't make for compelling music fare? Well... don't answer that. Father Eugene O’Hagen, 48, his brother Martin, 45, and their old school friend David Delargy, 44 signed a $2 million contract yesterday with Sony BMG after a demo CD was submitted to a rep by an Irish pop musician who asked them to make a demonstration recording. Each of the priests hold a parish in Northern Ireland and apparently the contract was signed by the steps of Westminster Cathedral in London. clint 2008-04-24T09:02:54+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/onkyo-receivers-audioholics-store Audioholics is proud to bring on board the Onkyo brand of products to our ecommerce store. “This is a brand we are very excited about” says Gene DellaSala, President of Audioholics.com. “Onkyo’s latest receiver line represents some of the best values in today’s A/V market. Last year Onkyo won our 2007 Product of the Year award for the TX-SR805 which led the pack in innovative features in its price class. Check out the full line of Onkyo A/V receivers at the Audioholics e-store and stay tuned as we add more Onkyo products to our store line up. clint 2008-04-23T16:00:35+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/drm-bad-killing-online-music You've heard us (and everyone else for that matter) harp on how bad DRM is for consumers. What many readers don't understand is why. Microsoft gave us a perfect example yesterday as they issued an email explaining that users of its now-defunct MSN Music service will need to make any and all authorizations or deauthorizations before August 31. This is just another nail in a slowly descending coffin. clint 2008-04-23T11:34:54+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/comcast-compresses-hd-no-one-shocked Comcast and other cable providers are compressing their HD channels up to 3:1. This means softer pictures, audio and video dropouts, and users on Internet forums exposing your bad signal for what it is. Is there relief on the horizon? Maybe... tom 2008-04-22T10:37:46+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/sonys-2mm-oled-display Sony is really pursuing this OLED thing to its biggest potential and put out a new display this week that measures just 2mm thick. We thought the original 3mm model was thin, but it seems Sony is still working on making the process even better. The new display was recently shown off at the Display 2008 expo trade show in Japan, where Sony also debuted a new version of its $2500 11-inch XEL-1, the world's first mass-produced OLED TV. clint 2008-04-21T08:14:49+00:00 News http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/hd-radio-next-big-thing HD Radio makes sense. Digital music with meta information similar to mp3, but with even more flexibility. As the digital transition looms nearer for televisions, radio - for the most part seems bent on staying analogue, even though the same fuzzy AM and FM radio has been annoying us for decades. HD Radio proved to change all that, but similar to HD DVD, there seems to be only one main technology player in town - iBiquity and they aren't exactly having adopters sign up in droves for a non-mandatory digital radio transition. clint 2008-04-21T07:57:12+00:00 Editorial http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/cable-a-la-carte It seems to make intuitive sense - why should you have to pay for cable channels you never watch? It's not hard to see the benefit for the end user - only pay for the channels you actually watch. In my house this means no more Lifetime, TLC, MTV, VH1, BET, anything related in any way to country music, and a host more. But would I really save any money? tom 2008-04-18T12:56:18+00:00 Editorial