A couple of weeks ago we mused on the qualitative audio experience offered by Blu-ray, and whether our friends family and neighbors know or care what they’re missing with the lossy audio options available from streaming applications. Today, I want to get your lively thoughts on the video quality of streaming applications. Before Netflix, Apple TV or Vudu we’d been preaching that not all high-definition content is created equal. The high bitrates and advanced compression used on Blu-ray is superior on large screens to critical viewers. It’s the gold standard. While I’ve not found the video quality of streams from Cable on-demand, Netflix or Apple TV to be impressive my question is whether you have? Do you find that the difference in video quality between streaming and Blu-ray is definitive on your video setup? What about your friends and family? When they come over and see Blu-ray on your system do they seem interested in going Blu? Or if they notice, do they shrug, and not want to spend the money on a player and discs? Or are there other barriers?
10" powered subwoofer with 1,250-Watt Tracking Downconverter amplifier, self-diagnostic EQ, single-ended and balanced line level inputs
Bob's latest subwoofer uses a single front-firing 10" driver and over a thousands watts of power to deliver su-20Hz bass in an enclosure that's basically an 11" cube on all sides. It ships with self-diagnostic EQ and microphone to tailor itself to your room, and accepts balanced and single-ended line level inputs and includes continuously adjustable phase and a passive 70Hz high pass filter for use with satellite speakers.
For the most part there are two kinds of people in this consumer electronic world: those that want a flat panel TV and those that already have one. We've seen a growing number of loudspeakers designed to live in this flat panel society, Sunfire's got the first narrow profile on-wall or in-wall powered subwofer I've seen, the SubRosa.
I was hoping at this show to be able to get some definitive answers about the aduio decoding and interactivity capabilities of LG's Super Blu, second-gen combi player. Only a couple of these questions were answered here as the unit at the show was a prototype that LG's reps weren't yet famiilar with.
Alright, let me say up front that I ripped that title from the new guy, David Vaughn. But I share David's opinion that this Tuesday is a very significant day of choice that could bear a surprising impact on the format war. This Tuesday The Matrix trilogy will be released on HD DVD, while the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies hit Blu-ray (exclusively) just ahead of the third installment in that series hitting theaters.
One of the most compelling demos of next-gen interactivity I've seen is a technology being dubbed Blu-ray Magic. Using Blu-ray's network-connected BD live platform, connects BD users to pertinent content and materials, even when there's no disc in the machine. For instance, the screen above is generated with no player in the drive, showing what's available and upcoming on Blu-ray and allows users to not only download and view trailers, but purchase or rent the featured titles through partners like Amazon and NetFlix.
Home theater or digital cinema at home? Wolf Cinema’s DLP digital projectors blur the line. The biggest, baddest Wolfs (Wolves?) are three-chip DLP projectors with full 1080p resolution, constant screen height, and scalable light output configurations for a wide variety of screen sizes, materials and lighting conditions- including very large screens. They are custom install centric in that they run hot and require professional installation and ventilation. Wolf Cinema’s distributor seems open to getting us a review sample, so it looks like I might get to take this Ferrari for a drive!
Well, so much for being on vacation. Yes, your intrepid editor here has been attempting to get some time away from the AV rat race, but, in the words of the immortal Michael Corleone (cue the deep, gravelly voice), "they pull me back in."
Leon speakers are all about audio- audio for your video. The company custom builds speakers around video displays of all kinds, there is nothing off the shelf about any Leon system. On display at CEDIA was this whopping 140” wide Stewart CineCurve screen (that’s almost 12 feet wide for those of you keeping score at home!) with accustom built Leon speaker system tracing the screen. I'm cheating calling it a soundbar, but I don't know what else to call it and I'm lazy. I don’t know how much the speakers cost, but if you can afford a CineCurve that size, and a projector to drive it, you don’t care!
What a swift kick in the ass! Co-written and produced by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly on TV, The Avengers), The Cabin in the Woods is the most self-aware and gleefully gory comedy-horror flick since the Scream series devolved into a parody of a parody. As I write this, there are probably forums of fanboys aflame, identifying and exchanging the horror movie references throughout. Its plot practically defies description, but the elevator pitch would be Evil Dead meets The Truman Show.
Shane Buettner
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