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Recent Home Theater Editorials

Editorials

Oppo Digital Bids Farewell, Ends US Manufacturing

— April 05, 2018 19:45

Oppo Digital Bids Farewell, Ends US Manufacturing

After a stellar 14-year run, Oppo has announced that it will begin the process of ending manufacturing of new products. They were a great AV company that will sorely be missed.

Editorials

The Long Overdue Death of Retail Compact Disc (CD)

Brandon Dimmel — February 23, 2018 00:00

The Long Overdue Death of Retail Compact Disc (CD)

Memorializing the Compact Disc. Once upon a time, the CD was the ubiquitous music platform. Our story outlines how the disc-based music technology was adopted, loved and eventually abandoned.

Editorials

The Biggest Failures in Consumer Audio/Video Electronics History

, — January 30, 2018 00:00

The Biggest Failures in Consumer Audio/Video Electronics History

We take a take a look at what we feel to be the biggest product failures in consumer A/V electronics and try to figure out what went wrong and how missteps today may lead to success stories tomorrow.

Editorials

Disney Expands Media Empire with 21st Century Fox

— January 02, 2018 00:00

Disney Expands Media Empire with 21st Century Fox

With Disney soon to own a majority of Fox TV and film Studios, the stars may have just aligned for the creation of the most powerful media conglomerate ever created. What changes will this bring?

Editorials

Title II is Not the Net Neutrality You’re Looking For

— December 02, 2017 00:00

Title II is Not the Net Neutrality You’re Looking For

The end is nigh for net neutrality as it exists today. Trump-appointed FCC chief Ajit Pai put forth a plan last week that promises to roll back Obama’s net neutrality policies. What's to come of this?

Editorials

Star Wars Battlefront II: EA Embraces the Dark Side of Gaming

— November 20, 2017 14:00

Star Wars Battlefront II: EA Embraces the Dark Side of Gaming

Star Wars Battlefront II has been lighting up the gaming community with bad press around what gamers are decrying as a corrupt in-game economy that gives unfair advantages to players that pay.

Editorials

Denon, Marantz Receivers Get DTS Virtual:X Firmware Update

— November 17, 2017 16:00

Denon, Marantz Receivers Get DTS Virtual:X Firmware Update

Sound United and DTS have announced the availability of a DTS Virtual:X firmware update for many Denon and Marantz A/V receiver to expand your immersive audio experience without needing more speakers.

Editorials

Why DTS Headphone: X Isn’t Ready For Fans of Surround Hi‑Fi

— November 10, 2017 12:00

Why DTS Headphone: X Isn’t Ready For Fans of Surround Hi-Fi

DTS Headphone:X is a new technology that promises to change how we listen to music, movies, and television using our favorite headphones. Have initial reviews come up short of expectations? Read on.

Editorials

Auro‑3D Listening Evaluation on a Denon AVR‑X7200WA

— November 01, 2017 00:00

Auro-3D Listening Evaluation on a Denon AVR-X7200WA

Immersive audio isn't just Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. We demoed Auro-3D and looked at the technology, how to take advantage of it at home, and how it performed in a real-world setup with listening tests.

Editorials

Is the Netflix Empire Built on a House of Cards?

— October 21, 2017 00:00

Is the Netflix Empire Built on a House of Cards?

From a Q3 2017 earnings report, Netflix is at an all-time high in almost any meaningful measure. The online entertainment service has over 109 million subscribers worldwide but can it be maintained?

Editorials

Star Trek Discovery ‑ Stranded in Compressed, Two‑Channel Subscription Space

— October 04, 2017 17:00

Star Trek Discovery - Stranded in Compressed, Two-Channel Subscription Space

The premiere of Star Trek Discovery aired on the CBS network on 9/24/17 and was enjoyed by anyone who could get over-air reception. But episode one was a teaser to make you pay for CBS All Access.

Editorials

Walter Becker & Steely Dan: Engineering the Passion Behind the Sound

— October 02, 2017 00:00

Walter Becker & Steely Dan: Engineering the Passion Behind the Sound

On September 3rd, 2017, the world lost another musical legend - Walter Becker, one half of the duo that named themselves after a metallic sex toy from a William S. Burroughs novel; Steely Dan.

Editorials

What Goes into Naming a Consumer Product?

— August 14, 2017 12:00

What Goes into Naming a Consumer Product?

Ever wonder how companies come up with the names for their products? Can a name really affect sales and product perception? Can a clever name rescue a bad product? Read on to find out.

Editorials

Push vs. Pull Marketing in Hi‑Fi Audio

— July 14, 2017 00:00

Push vs. Pull Marketing in Hi-Fi Audio

This article presents the different marketing strategies behind the way various consumer electronics companies present their products. It's all very intentional. Here's a peek behind the curtain.

Editorials Preview

T.H.E. Home Entertainment Show To Take Center Stage in Anaheim

— July 12, 2017 00:23

T.H.E. Home Entertainment Show To Take Center Stage in Anaheim

T.H.E. Show Anaheim is set to take place September 21-24,2017 to demo new loudspeakers, audio components, home theater, HDTV, vinyl, headphones, virtual reality, & educational seminars. Register now!

Editorials

Xbox One X: Consoles Hit the Downside of the Innovation Curve

— June 21, 2017 07:00

Xbox One X: Consoles Hit the Downside of the Innovation Curve

Microsoft unveiled Xbox One X, its next generation game console at E3 last week. It features true native 4K Ultra-HD and HDR, but offers little else in the way of innovations. Will that be enough?

Editorials Preview

Win a Fully Expenses Paid Trip to T.H.E. Home Entertainment Show

— June 19, 2017 18:15

Win a Fully Expenses Paid Trip to T.H.E. Home Entertainment Show

T.H.E. Show Anaheim (Sept 21-24, 2017) in Southern California is demoing over 400 brands of high end audio gear. Enter their sweepstakes for a chance to win a fully expenses paid trip for two on them!

Editorials

Virtual Reality Home Theater: Whole Lotta Hype ‑ For Now

— April 25, 2017 17:00

Virtual Reality Home Theater: Whole Lotta Hype - For Now

It’s still early days for VR, and 2016 can be seen as the market’s year zero. A wide variety of VR headsets went on sale last year after much hype, speculation and capital investment. But what's next?

Editorials

Trump Rolls Back Online Privacy in Regulatory Shell Game

— April 07, 2017 12:00

Trump Rolls Back Online Privacy in Regulatory Shell Game

President Donald Trump just signed a repeal for an FCC privacy regulation designed to protect consumers from Internet providers selling their data. Find out what this means to you the consumer.

Editorials

Denon/Marantz Audyssey MultEQ Editor App Allows Full Customization of Sound

— April 05, 2017 13:05

Denon/Marantz Audyssey MultEQ Editor App Allows Full Customization of Sound

Denon and Marantz have launched a new Audyssey MultEQ Editor app, giving home theater enthusiasts full control to refine and customize the set-up of their systems for even better surround sound.

Editorials

Wikileaks: The CIA is Spying on All Your Electronics ‑ And it's Getting Weird

— March 16, 2017 00:00

Wikileaks: The CIA is Spying on All Your Electronics - And it's Getting Weird

The latest round of Wikileaks is called Year Zero and includes over 8,000 pages of details about how the CIA is spying on just about anything with an Internet connection. Are you being watched?

Editorials

ATSC 3.0: Cord Cutter’s Dream or Tiered Internet Nightmare?

— March 10, 2017 00:00

ATSC 3.0: Cord Cutter’s Dream or Tiered Internet Nightmare?

The FCC has approved the deployment of an innovation in digital broadcast television that could change everything you thought you knew about network TV and wireless. Get the facts about ATSC 3.0 here.

Editorials

Is Your TV Watching You? Vizio Busted for Spying on Customers

— February 12, 2017 18:00

Is Your TV Watching You? Vizio Busted for Spying on Customers

On Feb 6th, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that Vizio must pay out a settlement of $2.2 million for selling data collected on some 11-million consumers using the company’s smart TVs.

Editorials

Super Bowl LI: Fox Sports Wins With a Cord Cutting Touchdown!

— February 04, 2017 22:45

Super Bowl LI: Fox Sports Wins With a Cord Cutting Touchdown!

Internet streaming is the preferred way of watching Super Bowl LI for those eschewed by outrageous monthly cable bills and haven’t bothered to hoist an antenna onto our roofs. We discuss how.

Editorials

The Death of 3D TV

— January 29, 2017 08:00

The Death of 3D TV

The last 3D TV manufacturers, LG and Sony, have disclosed that they will end production on 3D sets for 2018. The demise of 3D was a long but steady ride downward.

Editorials

Beam Me Up, Scotty! Acoustic Tractor Beam Now a DIY Project

— January 23, 2017 12:00

Beam Me Up, Scotty! Acoustic Tractor Beam Now a DIY Project

Acoustic tractor beam technology is so last year. Sure, thanks to a series of coordinated breakthroughs by an international team of physicists from the UK and US tractor beams now exist!

Editorials

Norway Kills The FM Radio Star – Could It Happen Here?

— January 12, 2017 19:00

Norway Kills The FM Radio Star – Could It Happen Here?

Norway became the first country to begin a campaign of shutting down FM radio signals this week. The nation’s “Radio Digitization” program began on 1/11 at 11:11 am. Will other countries do similar?

Editorials

Goodbye 2016: Lemmy to George Michael ‑ The Year the Music Died

— December 31, 2016 10:00

Goodbye 2016: Lemmy to George Michael - The Year the Music Died

I know it’s ridiculous to blame the arbitrary goal posts in time we call a year for the loss of many beloved celebrities in 2016. And I’m certain our perception of 2016 as the grim reaper is skewed.