Recently Published AV News
Spotify Premium Is Lossless Listening At Last, But with Caveats?

After years of delays, Spotify is finally rolling out lossless audio quality to subscribers of its Premium plan. Lossless audio is offered via FLAC, but it maxes out at 24-bit/44.1kHz. Any caveats?
YouTube Goes Commercial

Based on the YouTube blog, they are experimenting with a new model - partnerships with major studios. Since Google acquired YouTube just over two years ago for $1.65 billion (with a b), they've been …
Epson Showcasing a Wide Array of High‑Performance Front Projectors at Audioholics SOTU Event

Epson, the world’s largest manufacturer of front projectors and makers of 3LCD technology, will be displaying a suite of its top home entertainment projectors at this year’s Audioholic’s State of the …
New Xbox Live Interface Imminent

For those that have been looking forward to the "New Xbox Experience" since its announcement at E3, the wait is almost over. Microsoft announced Wednesday that their interface will be going live on …
Blackberry to Storm Touch‑Screen Market

The makers of Blackberry tossed its keychain into the touch-screen fishbowl this week. As it dives into the same market as iPhone, RIM hopes to attract some crossover Apple unfaithful. But is the …
Studios Graded on Blu‑ray

Congrats Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, for getting in A in Blu-ray! An article at the Sound and Vision website gives grades to the major studios making Blu-ray discs. In the article Ken Brown …
Sony Shows New 0.3mm OLED at CEATEC

Sony debuted yet another amazing OLED TV at this year's CEATEC in Japan - an OLED display that measures just 0.3 mm in thickness. It demoed these alongside other 0.9 mm models which are more likely …
Best Buy Bets Chicks Dig Gadgets

Whenever a couple goes to the shopping center it usually pans out like this - the guy makes a b-line for the Yellow and Blue warehouse while the significant other goes for more feminine fare. But now …
Copyright Judges Force Ruling on Digital Music Royalties

The revolution will not be televised after all... Last week, three copyright judges forced an end to debate between songwriters, labels and online digital music servicesby maintaining current …
Hauppauge HD‑PVR Gets Dolby Digital 5.1

Life just got better for DIY HTPC'ers. Hauppauge, the gold-standard in video capture cards for your PC, just released a new beta driver that provides 5.1 audio support for its HD-PVR.
Marantz SR6003 A/V Receiver Preview

The new Marantz SR6003 receiver has arrived! Featuring an all-new chassis, front panel design and high-density fluorescent display, the SR6003 produces 100 watts of continuous power per channel.
Emotiva Audio Charity Sale To Benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

The highly anticipated XPA-1 Differential Reference Monoblock amplifier from Emotiva Audio will make its debut in November 2008, as a special limited edition of 10 units will be sold to benefit St. …
Netflix Grabs Starz

Netflix, once known only for its mail DVD rental service, has been expanding. First they introduced streaming of some 12,000 titles on their website. Next, they paired with Roku (and others) to bring …
Auralex Acoustics Introduces Custom‑Printed Acoustic Panels

Auralex Acoustics is breaking new ground by launching a gallery of custom-printed acoustical panels. Auralex Acoustics is exclusively the first to market SonicPrint, its custom-printed, artistic …
Wal‑Mart Encourages Piracy

When Wal-Mart started offering DRM free music in February 2008, it was heralded as a triumph over DRM. Now, consumers took a hit over the weekend from Wal-Mart who is shutting down their DRM music …
Iron Man on Blu‑ray ‑ May Have Dodged a Missile

In true super-hero style - Iron Man might have narrowly avoided a near disaster. No, it wasn’t an explosive missile from his arch-nemesis in the film, Iron Monger played by Jeff Bridges. Instead it …
Good and Bad ‑ SanDisk Introduces slotMusic

The future doesn’t look good for the battered and bleeding CD format. Sales of the music medium sunk 19 percent last year alone. But the end of the CD doesn’t necessarily spell an end for physical …
Metallica Death Magnetic Sounds Better on Guitar Hero III

Metallica is possibly the greatest rock band to do everything it can to alienate fans. The latest stain on the controversial metal act’s karma comes from questionable recording tactics on its latest …
Blu‑ray on a Budget in Uncertain Times

Bubbles may burst, Lehman may crumble, AIG may get bailed out - but gold isn’t the only comodity on the rise, so is Blu. These days consumers may be thinking twice about a buying a new …
DRM Still Breathing, Chokes up DECE

Rumors of the demise of Digital Rights Management have been greatly… well, you know how it goes. At a time when it looked like DRM was drawing its last gasp - a new consortium of manufacturers, …
Hitachi Eases Back on Plasma Displays ‑ Enlists Panasonic

According to a news report issued today, Japan's Hitachi said it will shrink production of plasma panels and begin buying them from Panasonic (Matsushita) to reduce costs and get back in the black in …
Top 10 Reasons to Attend the Audioholics SOTU Trade Show Event

As you may be aware by now, Audioholics is throwing its 10th Annual State of the CE Union Trade Show Event & Party on October 23rd and 24th at the Disney Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida. You’ve …
Best Buy Buys Napster

Reuters released a story today announcing that Best Buy will buy Napster for $121 million in cash in order to take on Apple #1-ranked iTunes music store and compete with non-iPod music players. …
Paradigm Reference Signature Sub 25 has Brains to Match Its Brawn

Paradigm Electronics Inc., an international leader in speaker design and manufacturing, introduces its most powerful and intelligent subwoofer ever: the Signature SUB 25. Recognizing that on-demand …
Marantz SR5003 A/V Receiver Preview

The new Marantz SR5003 has arriveds! This hot new $799 receiver features three HDMI 1.3 inputs, XM and Sirius support, and an all new front panel design. Click to read all the details.
TiVo HD XL with 150 Hours of HD Record Time

TiVo has just upped the PVR service ante with its new HD XL set-top-box. The new TiVo machine not only carries an improved capacity, enough for 150 hours of HD programming, but it’s also THX …
THX Certification Opens New Doors

Serious Materials has announced a new product for you high-end home theater installs called QuietHome THX certified, soundproof doors. The product will join its other interesting THX certified home …
New Research Shows Sound Helps Primates See

Traditional neurological models of auditory, tactile and visual sensory input processing by the brain are hierarchal, based on separate input channels from sensory receptors for each mode to each of …
Yamaha RX‑V1900 A/V Receiver Preview

Preview: The new Yamaha RX-V1900 receiver has arrived! This exciting new 130W x 7.1 channel receiver features an HD Radio Tuner, four HDMI v1.3a inputs with HDMI up-conversion and scaling to 1080p.