A modern AV receiver is a marvelous piece of machinery that's responsible for some of the key performance aspects in a home theatre, in both the audio and video domains.Today's AV receivers are available in a wild range of prices, from entry-level models starting at just a few hundred dollars to flagship models that retail for several thousand dollars.
A little over two months ago, users first started posting on forums regarding Panasonic plasma TVs and their changing black levels. Typically, plasmas have an edge over LCD HDTVs with regard to viewing angle and black levels (since many LCDs cannot turn off their backlights, they cannot achieve truly dark black tones).
After considerable outcry, Panasonic has finally released a statement stating that "background bright will increase" but that it is automatic and part of adjustments the plasma TV makes to maintain optimal picture quality over the entire lifespan of the TV.
These are the single greatest headphones in the history of the world. That is of course a bit unfair to all the headphones I've never tested. I also had to upgrade the stock headphone cable with a new one from Cardas Audio before I could make such a statement, but now that I have your attention, read on.
My Harmony 890 Pro has greatly simplified control of my home theatre.
Everything from the media centre PC, PlayStation 3 and every single component, including a switch from MonoPrice.com is controlled by this single remote. It makes operating everything so much more unified and simple.
Unfortunately, many Harmony remotes have been out of reach due to their prices. Logitech recognizes this and is now remedying the problem with their latest 600 series remotes, all price under $100 USD.
Parasound - the name sounds familiar. They make a wide range of HiFi down there in California, right? Nearly. Their products are designed and engineered in San Francisco and manufactured to their specifications in Taiwan. They are a California-based company, and they've been around for close to 30 years.
Over the years, manufacturers have used exotic materials, abstract shapes and anything else they could find in the quest to create better and better speakers.
SW Speakers new “Magic Flute” speakers are a testament to thinking outside the box.
The speakers claim to alter surrounding air pressure to allow them to create a truer sound wave. Since sound travels faster through denser air, there is some merit to this claim. However, theory and reality seldom agree so hopefully there will be a review of these soon.
Hot on the heels of their home stereos, Philips has updated their HDTV lineup with LED-backlit for the 9000 and 8000 as well as a refresh of the 7000 series.
The king of the hill, 3D-ready 9000-Series feature 400Hz technology and boast a 0.5 ms response time both of which will come in handy for the alternate frame 3D system.
There's also been upgrades to Philips' "Pixel Perfect" processor offering 500 million pixels per second power and a better Ambilight system with Spectra 3, which now brings more sections of wall-bouncing light for a more accurate atmospheric halo effect.
Philips has updated their micro systems with SoundSphere speakers. The new range includes a model with “Streamium” technology so you can wirelessly store, stream and enjoy online music or music from your computer.
Philips SoundSphere speakers have a uniquely positioned tweeter and woofer with rigorous audio crossover engineering that minimizes interference and produces a more natural sound. The free-floating tweeter is outside the speaker box, meaning sound radiates in all directions to give a deeper, wider sound impression, similar to the tones you would hear during a live performance or in a recording studio.
Denon has long been associated with high performance audio/video gear both in the two channel and home theatre domains, providing cutting edge technologies in the majority of its products.Earlier this fall, I spent a couple of months playing around with the Denon AVR-4310CI AV receiver, one of the company's higher-end receivers, priced at $2699.
At CANADA HiFi we generally put highly complex audio and video gear to the test.Well, this isn't one of those times.In fact, this time we're looking at a home theatre accessory that's so simple yet so useful - you might ask yourself - why didn't I think of that?
There's a commonly repeated axiom among many AV enthusiasts which says that even the most cutting edge TVs and playback components become obsolete every 5 years or so.Good quality AV receivers and speakers on the other hand can last for decades.
To accompany the new 3D-capable Blu-Ray player, Sony announces a 3D-capable receiver for under $500 USD, the STR-DN1010.
Featuring HDMI v1.4 3D pass-through technology, full-HD connectivity and compatibility with all of the latest Blu-ray Disc audio formats, the new STR-DN1010 A/V receiver is designed to create a simple solution for controlling any HD or 3D-capable home theater.
If you're a home theatre buff, you've surely read articles or reviews about Optoma projectors.The company has earned a well respected reputation among enthusiasts for delivering some of the best price-to-performance ratios in the projector business.Optoma also offers some of the most attractively priced DLP-based projectors available today.
Hot on the heels of the demonstrations of its 3D HDTVs in retail SonyStyle stores, Sony announces the new BDP-S470 stand-alone Blu-ray 3D-ready player. The model can be upgraded to play Blu-ray 3D disc content with a firmware update available this summer.
When connected to a broadband Internet network, the new BDP-S470 instantly streams movies, videos, music, and more from YouTube, Yahoo!, DailyMotion, Sony Pictures, Sony Music, and other total providers through the Sony BRAVIA Internet Video platform.
A few US online retailers are taking pre-orders for Samsung’s LED LCD 3D ready 1080p HDTVs, expected to ship later this month.The new C7000 series will launch with two models this February: the 46-inch (UN46C7000) and 55-inch (UN55C7000).A 40-inch model will follow in late March.Amazon.com lists the 40, 46 and 55-inch models for $1999.99, $2599.99 and $3299.99 respectively (prices are US and include shipping).
Choosing a flat panel LCD TV has recently gotten a little more complicated - for those who care about performance anyway.Since LCD TVs were first introduced, manufacturers have strived to achieve the same level of performance that plasma technology is capable of.Perhaps the biggest Achilles' heel for LCD technology has been the inability to display deep blacks.As a result LCD TVs have never been able to match the black levels, contrast ratio and overall colour reproduction that video enthusiasts enjoy on their plasma TVs.
In the August/September issue we provided an introduction to do-it-yourself (DIY) audio and touched upon several DIY ideas - one of them being system tweaks.In this issue we well take a closer look at some simple and common system tweaks that can be applied to your analog setup.When it comes to turntables there are several accessories and tweaks that can be applied, some of which can be inexpensive to implement and yet can provide startling improvements.
Hot on the heels of CES 2010, Panasonic has officially released information on their 3D HDTVs, albeit only in Japanese.
What's the latest in TV technology going to cost you? At today's exchange rate, approximately $6,000 CAD. OUCH!
That'll get you the 54", 3D-capable Viera TH-P54VT which will begin shipping by the summer. If that's a little heavy on the wallet, Panasonic will also be releasing a 50" version.
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