Bitstream

Sony brings Netflix to Bravia HDTVs, neglects PS3

2009-07-09T11:48:19-04:00

The list of devices ready to bring Netflix's decidedly awesome online streaming service into your home theater is getting longer all the time. The latest addition is Sony's Internet-connected Bravia HDTVs.

LEDs light Sharp's newest line of HDTVs

2009-07-08T10:31:18-04:00

Yesterday, Sharp announced its newest HDTV line, the Aquos LED series. As its name implies, the Aquos LED HDTVs use LED backlighting instead of conventional CCFL. Because LEDs lack the toxic chemicals of CCFL backlights, use far less energy, and...

Yamaha announces newest A/V receiver

2009-07-06T17:40:13-04:00

Yamaha announced today a new A/V receiver with an impressive feature set and a price tag just shy of a grand. The RX-V1065 is a slightly more powerful version of the RX-V665 receiver. It retains all the features of its...

California declares July 1, 2009 "DTS 7.1 Day"

2009-07-01T16:10:22-04:00

Happy DTS 7.1 Day! If you're a resident of the Golden State (and more specifically, the SoCal community of Agoura Hills), then today is a day to celebrate DTS 7.1 surround. Agoura Hills mayor Denis Weber and California 41st District...

Marantz's KI Pearl gear gets coffeetable book, SACD

2009-06-29T11:38:14-04:00

Last month, Marantz announced its upcoming KI Pearl line of high-end audio equipment. The SA-KI Pearl SACD Player and PM-KI Pearl Integrated Amplifier were created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the company's European brand director, audio designer Ken Ishiwata....

SRS TruVolume: Why another volume leveler?

2009-06-26T21:45:49-04:00

Given that TV makers can already choose from at least two volume-leveling technologies— Audyssey Dynamic Volume and Dolby Volume—the announcement that SRS has launched a competing technology might be greeted with the same excitement as a new brand of HDMI...

Michael Jackson: 1958–2009

2009-06-25T21:33:00-04:00

When I heard the news, I was in the S&V sound room listening to (wait for it) "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." True! Specifically, when my mother called (a true rocker, she), I had just heard "Shine . . ....

U.S. I.T.C. blunts Sharp imports

2009-06-25T11:14:20-04:00

The U.S. International Trade Commission is banning imports of certain models of Sharp LCD, due to an ongoing 2007 patent dispute with Samsung. Out of four patent infringement claims from Samsung, an ITC judge ruled that one was indeed violated...

The sound of gaming

2009-06-23T16:53:26-04:00

Video games and home theater enthusiasm seem like the perfect match. A far cry from the days of pixelated sprites and harshly synthesized sound effects, modern video games have all the hallmarks of a top-notch Blu-ray release: high-resolution graphics, Dolby...

Belkin boasts 1,000-Mbps Powerline adapter

2009-06-22T11:00:32-04:00

There is HD video flying all over the place, overworking wireless routers to the point of exhaustion. Belkin's new Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit does what any good Powerline system should do, sending heaps of data through a house's existing wiring.

Tomorrow Is Vinyl Saturday...

2009-06-19T16:16:22-04:00

...and you know what that means: It's an official reason/excuse for yer vinyl-centric EIC to buy more wax! Yes, it's true — the folks who bring us that wonderful annual spring event, Record Store Day, are presenting Saturday, June 20,...

Yamaha unveils MusicCAST2, wireless music system

2009-06-19T16:03:46-04:00

Wireless music systems really can run the gamut from low end to something extremely snazzy and high-end like Sooloos. Yamaha’s new outfit finds itself somewhere in the middle.

Popcorn Hour C-200 ready for a Blu-ray drive

2009-06-19T10:50:11-04:00

The Popcorn Hour has always been a pretty capable little media streamer, but the newest iteration is substantially more robust than most of its predecessors.

Maingear's HTPC is a serious gaming machine

2009-06-18T17:19:34-04:00

Home Theater PCs and high-end gaming rigs generally sit on two opposite ends of the expensive computer spectrum. Maingear, however, has created a pretty impressive machine that can ably handle both.

Sirius XM iPhone app is live, lacks Howard

2009-06-18T14:04:07-04:00

If you have been pining for satellite radio on your iPhone or iPod touch, then today is your lucky day. The Sirius XM app lets you stream 120 channels to your portable player.

Paradigm's new speakers: both on- AND in-wall

2009-06-17T14:32:40-04:00

Paradigm's new architectural speakers can't make up their minds. On one hand, they're built into the walls, requiring holes to be cut for installation like in-wall speakers. On the other hand, they protrude from the wall, like on-wall speakers. Not...

New Gear: Intimus 4BP Bipole Speaker

2009-06-16T17:28:46-04:00

It’s not easy to find affordable equipment as an entry-level, home-theater buyer. That is until Aperion Audio announced its new surround sound speaker.

Audyssey Labs launches new Sub Equalizer

2009-06-15T18:42:07-04:00

During the press junket that introduced Audyssey Labs’ DSX 10-channel surround-sound technology, the company also gave us an advance listen to a new product it was working on: the Sub Equalizer. Now that the Sub Equalizer has been officially announced,...

What the DTV transition really looked like

2009-06-15T17:27:39-04:00

Chances are, you were well-prepared for the DTV switch, but those who weren't got to see something pretty interesting.

Meanwhile, over at "The Howard Stern Show" . . .

2009-06-12T18:25:13-04:00

Yesterday, I went over to The Howard Stern Show at Sirius XM central HQ here in midtown Manhattan to hand-deliver copies of the June/July/August issue to Gadget Gary himself, Gary Dell'Abate. The issue features a piece that reports on the session we conducted in Gary's new home theater where both he and I auditioned some amazing video and audio samplings for a roomful of gear-lovin' guys. (We'll post the full story here soon, but you can get a preview over at Gary's own site, bababooey.com, over the weekend.)

New gear: Monster Turbine Pro headphones

2009-06-12T12:26:52-04:00

The Turbine Pros come at a $80 premium compared to their non-Pro counterparts and are plated in a very shiny gold material that will either elate or disgust your sense of style

Good riddance to analog TV

2009-06-11T19:00:00-04:00

With apologies to World War II vets, June 12, 2009, should be declared D-Day.

Savant unleashes new Virtual Control User Interface

2009-06-11T15:07:02-04:00

The company that created the iPhone interface has just made another impressive user-friendly device, this time for your home.

Monster's tabletop $50 remote control

2009-06-11T10:53:49-04:00

Though it looks like it was ripped straight from the dashboard of a 1974 Chevy Nova, Monster's new AV50 remote control is an all-new piece of gear. The AV50 is a tabletop remote, designed to be plunked down on a...

Harman Kardon brings the Blu

2009-06-10T17:36:55-04:00

Harman Kardon is finally entering the U.S. Blu-ray Disc player market with the BDP-1, a full-featured and pricey deck that ships later this month. The BDP 1 plays both Profile 1.1 (Bonus View) and Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) Blu-ray features, and...

The Perfect Shield

2009-06-10T15:40:57-04:00

The Shield remains one of the most seamless shows that has ever aired. It never faltered, never stumbled, never even had a "fill-in" or "coasting" episode. For seven seasons, Michael Chiklis's Vic Mackey runned and gunned all through the seediest neighborhoods in L.A. as if his life depended on it (it did), and we were treated to some of the grittiest, most brutally honest law-and-disorder storytelling and envelope-pushing basic cable ever aired. (Thank you, FX.)

Sirius XM reportedly getting a $2 price hike next month

2009-06-10T15:40:46-04:00

It looks like subscribers will be hit for an extra $2 in every Sirius XM bill in the form of a music royalties surcharge.

Wear your music: ThinkGeek's soundtrack shirt

2009-06-10T14:33:53-04:00

If there was an audio-themed superhero, this would be his costume. ThinkGeek's Personal Soundtrack Shirt slaps a speaker squarely on your chest, so you can simultaneously exude fashion sense and decibels. At $40, the shirt might seem pricey for a...

Cuban Upgrades The Mavs' Arena To 1080p

2009-06-10T11:45:17-04:00

Mavs owner Mark Cuban announced that his American Airlines arena will be the first HD building the NBA and NHL will see next season.

Vizio unleashes 31 new HDTVs for 2009

2009-06-09T13:26:04-04:00

Vizio has announced 31 new SKUs across three different product lines that will be rolling out this year.