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 Witness WWII from Space, Superman: Unbound and Open Road
Out of the Blu
Value Electronics HDTV Shootout: And Then There Were Three...
Editor's Eye
Getting to Know Your Surround Receiver
Ears On
Warner Archive Instant Takes Back Titles From Netflix
SmartStream
Darryl Wilkinson
 More Power To the People
Remotely Possible
Latest Additions

Three Lesser Known Blu-ray Discs Worth Checking Out
Out of the Blu
Chris Chiarella • Apr 13, 2013 • 0 comments
I can't promise T next time ("the" doesn't count) but this edition is brought to you by the 19th letter.
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Sonos Playbar Soundbar
Soundbar Reviews
Rob Sabin • Apr 12, 2013 • 1 comments

Sonos Playbar Soundbar
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

Sonos SUB Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $699 At A Glance: Excellent sound quality for music and movies • Powerful optional subwoofer • Mixed surround-sound performance

Since its launch in 2005, the Sonos wireless music system has won accolades and an extensive fan base thanks to an early focus on tapping into the digital music libraries that consumers built after the iPod’s launch in 2001, and an evolving graphic interface that, in today’s version, brings the benefits of room, source, and track selection to intuitive touchscreen apps that run on smartphones and tablets.

For those unfamiliar, you start by plugging one Sonos component into your network router to create a bridge to the Internet and to your home PC or hard drive where your personal music is stored. It can be any component the company sells. Sonos offers several powered speaker systems (Play:5, Play:3, the SUB subwoofer) and two player modules that feed music into either an existing hi-fi system (the Connect) or into a pair of speakers (Connect: Amp). If none of these devices can be placed near a live Ethernet jack, you can plop the aptly named Bridge wireless adapter next to your router.

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TVs and Soundbars Need to Make Music Together
Editor's Eye
Rob Sabin • Apr 12, 2013 • 1 comments
You may have heard that sales of soundbars are skyrocketing today. I’m excited about that. The best of the new premium soundbars sound pretty great, and with their unassuming presence, lack of speaker wires, and relatively simple installation, they stand to introduce legions of new ears to the joys of a high-quality home theater experience.
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Separates: Bring On the Heavy Artillery
How To Choose
Mark Fleischmann • Apr 11, 2013 • 1 comments
Bigger is better. That’s probably the dominant argument in favor of buying a separate multichannel amplifier and surround processor instead of an A/V receiver. It’s also the wrong argument. There are three good reasons for you to choose separates: to scale up your system to a larger room, to power more-demanding speakers, or to achieve higher performance than you can get with an average AVR.
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TV for the Ages: The Philco Predicta
Vintage Gear
Steve Guttenberg • Apr 11, 2013 • 0 comments
Tube televisions are starting to look like relics of a bygone era, but they had a long run, from the very beginning of the TV age until just a few years ago. CRTs evolved from round, to rounded squares, to squarish, almost flat tubes—but cathode ray tube TVs (and projectors) remained the unchallenged display technology right through to the dawn of hi-def TV.
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Pioneer Adds Two Elite Receivers to 2013 Lineup
New Product Announcements
HT Staff • Apr 10, 2013 • 0 comments
As a service to our readers, HomeTheater.com publishes selected manufacturer-supplied announcements and press releases for products that we think might interest you. Content is posted here exactly as issued by the manufacturer and does not imply endorsement of any kind by Home Theater or any hands-on experience by its reviewers or editors. Visit our Reviews area to browse test reports for products that have been formally evaluated by our expert staff.

Pioneer Elite Receivers Offer Studio Quality Content Playback and Multi-Zone/Multi-Source Capabilities

VSX-43 and VSX-70 Increase Entertainment Options Throughout the Home

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 10, 2013) – Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today introduced two new Elite® home theater AV receivers, the Elite VSX-43 7.1-channel receiver and VSX-70 7.2-channel receiver, designed for expanded entertainment and control throughout the home.

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Emotiva UMC-200 Preamp/Processor
Preamp/Processor Reviews
David Vaughn • Apr 10, 2013 • 9 comments

Emotiva UMC-200 Preamp/Processor
Audio Performance
Video Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
 
Price: $599 At A Glance: Audiophile audio quality at a bargain price • Customizable EQ solution • Outstanding value

I’m not an engineer, and no, I don’t play one on TV either, although I’ve been around the A/V business long enough to know the technological challenges manufacturers face when creating a new pre/pro or AVR from the ground up. This is especially hard for smaller companies with limited budgets in an HDMI-enabled world.

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Where do you shop for and buy A/V gear?
Vote
HT Staff • Apr 09, 2013 • 9 comments
With more tools than ever at our disposal, shopping for and buying A/V gear is a very different experience today than it was just a few years ago. What’s your strategy in the age of mobile shopping? Do you have a favorite store or e-tailer? Take a few minutes to respond to this week’s HT Poll and tell us about your experiences in Comments. Stories encouraged!
Where do you shop for and buy A/V gear?
Local independent retail store
17% (202 votes)
Big-box retailer (Best Buy, etc.)
15% (183 votes)
Custom installation company
4% (45 votes)
Online retailer (Amazon, Crutchfield, etc.)
23% (278 votes)
Direct from company websites when possible
5% (65 votes)
I shop in a store but sometimes make the purchase online
5% (60 votes)
I shop in a store but often make the purchase online
5% (59 votes)
Wherever I can get the best deal!
27% (328 votes)
Total votes: 1220
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JVC Introduces 50-Inch BlackCrystal LED LCD TV
New Product Announcements
HT Staff • Apr 08, 2013 • 0 comments
As a service to our readers, HomeTheater.com publishes selected manufacturer-supplied announcements and press releases for products that we think might interest you. Content is posted here exactly as issued by the manufacturer and does not imply endorsement of any kind by Home Theater or any hands-on experience by its reviewers or editors. Visit our Reviews area to browse test reports for products that have been formally evaluated by our expert staff.

JVC Introduces 50” BlackCrystal E-LED TV

— The R Series BC50R joins a growing line of affordable edge-lit BlackCrystal LED TVs, with 1080p video, Energy Star-certified efficiency, and XinemaSound™ 3D audio processing technology —

IRVINE, CA, April 8, 2013 — JVC-TV, the legendary brand in audio/video electronics, announces the introduction of the new 50” R Series BC50R BlackCrystal E-LED HDTV featuring an extremely slim, efficiently powered edge-lit LED screen, 120Hz CrystalMotion™ video processing, and JVC’s XinemaSound™ 3D post-processing audio technology.

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Sony Bravia XBR-84X900 3D LCD Ultra HDTV
3D Flat Panel Reviews
Tom Norton • Apr 05, 2013 • 4 comments

2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $25,000 At A Glance: Stunning resolution • Superb color • Glorious 2D and 3D performance

With 4K-resolution Ultra HD the latest and greatest star in the consumer electronics galaxy, we ink- and pixel-stained wretches of the press were all champing at the bit to lay hands on one. But at a massive 84 inches diagonal, 216 pounds with its floor stand, priced high enough to put you in a nice new car as long as your tastes aren’t too posh, and still limited in availability, Sony’s new 4K flagship made the company understandably reluctant to ship review samples to all the usual suspects.

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