Def Leppard - London To Vegas

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Def Leppard got its start back in 1977 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England when Rick Savage, Tony Kenning and Pete Willis formed a band called Atomic Mass. Joe Elliott joined the band a short time later and became the lead singer and proposed a new name for the band, "Deaf Leopard," which was ultimately adopted with some modified spelling. Kenning ended up leaving the shortly before their first recording session and was replaced by a fifteen-year-old drummer by the name of Rick Allen.

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Tidal and Dolby Bring Atmos Music to Home Theaters

The presence of music in Dolby Atmos format on Tidal has been something of a well-kept secret since the streaming service started adding it in December 2019. Why? I suspect it’s because Atmos support so far has been limited to select Android smartphones and tablets—not exactly a premium method to experience immersive music. But things changed big time this week with Dolby and Tidal’s joint announcement that Tidal Hi-Fi subscribers can now stream Atmos music to home theater systems via an Apple TV 4K, Fire TV Stick, NVIDIA Shield TV, or other compatible device.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/tidal-and-dolby-bring-atmos-music-home-theaters

CEDIA Expo 2020 Canceled

Emerald (formerly Emerald Expositions) announced today that CEDIA Expo 2020, scheduled to take place September 8-12 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, has been canceled. The event, which draws custom A/V and smart home technology integrators from the U.S. and beyond and also serves as a key launch platform for new products, follows a series of 2020 show cancellations, including High End Munich, AXPONA, and Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.

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Best Gear of May 2020

Who know Ground Hog Day could last so long? Though not gone, the fear-inducing COVID-19 virus is loosening its grip on society, allowing Americans to finally start getting back to (or at least anticipate) something resembling normal life. For many of us, the return to normalcy means revisiting home entertainment aspirations with renewed vigor. To help with that quest, we present the latest round of Sound & Vision Top Picks — an eclectic ensemble that runs the gamut from a forward-looking AV receiver to an ingenious accessory that makes mounting a TV over your fireplace practical.

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Hands On: HBO Max

HBO Max launched today, and at first glance, it offers an impressive amount of content. HBO Max is basically HBO Now on steroids. Along with streaming HBO programming, HBO Max has added over 10,000 hours of TV shows. Here's all you need to know to get HBO Max and a hands-on first-day review.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hands-hbo-max

NAD T 778 AV Surround Sound Receiver Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $2,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Striking front panel display
Excellent sound quality
Effective Dirac Live room correction
Future-ready MDC chassis
Minus
No analog video inputs
HDMI Out 2 only supports 1080p

THE VERDICT
Those who value sound quality will find much to love about the T 778, which features BluOS multiroom music streaming and Dirac Live room correction, along with an upgradeable chassis to prevent obsolescence.

While entry-level surround systems move increasingly toward less complicated designs that pair soundbars with wireless speakers and subs, the A/V receiver remains the steadfast workhorse of the media room. As such, it is arguably the most important component in your system, handling all audio/video switching, amplification, audio and room correction processing, and often much more. And as systems move from 5.1- to 11.2-channels-plus, the AVR is being called on to do even more.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/nad-t-778-av-surround-sound-receiver-review

LG Readies Rollout of 48-Inch OLED Ultra HDTV

One highlight of Sound & Vision’s CES 2020 TV coverage was LG’s 48-inch CX series 4K OLED TV, a model the company touts as a desktop monitor option for gamers, as well as viewers with limited living space. LG has been gradually rolling out its new OLED line this spring, including the 65-inch GX series model that recently earned our Top Pick, but there’s been no sight yet of its new baby OLED. That situation changes in late June, when LG will ship the 48CX in the U.S. following release in select European and Asian markets.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/lg-readies-rollout-48-inch-oled-ultra-hdtv

Sandy Gross Departs GoldenEar Technology

Back in early January we reported that The Quest Group, California-based owner of AudioQuest, had purchased speaker maker GoldenEar Technology. The following week, I met with GoldenEar co-founder Sandy Gross in the AudioQuest suite at CES and was happy to learn he would be continuing in his old role at the new company for the time being. Well, that time is now up: Gross has announced he is leaving The Quest Group in order to pursue his “many interests.”

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sandy-gross-departs-goldenear-technology

So You Want To Be a Movie Mogul

Well the first thing you know ol' Jed's a millionaire. Kinfolk said, "Jed move away from there." Said, "Californy is the place you ought to be." So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly. Hills, that is. Swimmin' pools. Movie stars. Corona virus.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/so-you-want-be-movie-mogul

Remaster Class: Star Wars

Enthralling in every way a movie can be, George Lucas' Star Wars (retconned as Episode IV: A New Hopein 1981) is simply one of the greatest achievements to ever hit the screen. A wildly imaginative yet classically inspired adventure, it has been entertaining audiences—and spawning prequels, sequels and spinoffs—since 1977.

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Samsung Unveils Terrace Outdoor 4K TV and Soundbar

Sure, we’ve been home for the past few months, and some of us are just starting to make our first tentative forays into the outside world. The problem is, we’ve become completely addicted to watching TV in the interim and are now going to need bigscreen sets in our backyards as well. All of which makes Samsung’s announcement of its first outdoor TV and soundbar especially timely.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/samsung-unveils-terrace-outdoor-4k-tv-and-soundbar

It’s a Great Time to Bring A/V Into Your Backyard

The inimitable Robin Williams once said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying let’s party.” Living in the Northeast, I couldn’t agree more. Summer’s just around the corner and lockdown rules are finally being loosened to allow parks, beaches, and businesses to open. But the thing is, your backyard never closed. And what better time to take the music and other entertainment you enjoy inside your home to the great outdoors.

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10 Top Concert Blu-ray Discs

One thing our ongoing pandemic lockdown continues to remind many of us music lovers of on a daily basis is just how much we all miss attending live concert events.

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Watch Together Online with Netflix Party and TwoSeven

It has been months since we could go out to the movies with friends and family, but there still are ways to view movies with friends during this time of safe social distancing. At a basic level, you could coordinate a movie start time while having a FaceTime conversation on your phones. You could also start a movie and share your screen in Zoom, Discord, or Microsoft Teams. But a better option is to install a web browser extension that synchronizes the viewing experience alongside video-chat or text messaging.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/how-watch-together-netflix-party-and-twoseven

Epson Home Cinema 3800 4K LCD Projector Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,699

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Very good contrast and light output
Low input lag
Generous lens shift range
Fully backlit remote
Minus
Limited DCI-P3 color space coverage

THE VERDICT
Epson's latest 3LCD projector goes easy on the wallet while delivering performance and features typically found in more expensive models.

Epson's Home Cinema LCD projector lineup ranges from basic, inexpensive beamers designed for portable use to high-end models meant for serious home theater installations. Of these, we typically devote space to the company's premium UB (Ultra Black) offerings such as the 5050UB 4K PRO-UHD (reviewed in the August/September issue and also on soundandvision.com), along with mid-range models like the 3800 under evaluation here. A big plus of the Epson projector family is that the costs usually top out at $3,000, with mid-range offerings priced about one-third to one-half that amount while providing many of the same features found in the high-end offerings.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/epson-home-cinema-3800-4k-lcd-projector-review

Can I Use an OLED TV for Bright Room Viewing?

Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q My house has a well-lit living room where I watch TV. Are OLED sets bright enough to use in that space, or should I buy an LCD TV instead? —Paul G.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/can-i-use-oled-tv-bright-room-viewing

So You Want To Be a Movie Mogul

Well the first thing you know ol' Jed's a millionaire. Kinfolk said, "Jed move away from there." Said, "Californy is the place you ought to be." So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly. Hills, that is. Swimmin' pools. Movie stars. Corona virus.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/so-you-want-be-movie-mogul

Remaster Class: Star Wars

Enthralling in every way a movie can be, George Lucas' Star Wars (retconned as Episode IV: A New Hopein 1981) is simply one of the greatest achievements to ever hit the screen. A wildly imaginative yet classically inspired adventure, it has been entertaining audiences—and spawning prequels, sequels and spinoffs—since 1977.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/remaster-class-star-wars

Samsung Unveils Terrace Outdoor 4K TV and Soundbar

Sure, we’ve been home for the past few months, and some of us are just starting to make our first tentative forays into the outside world. The problem is, we’ve become completely addicted to watching TV in the interim and are now going to need bigscreen sets in our backyards as well. All of which makes Samsung’s announcement of its first outdoor TV and soundbar especially timely.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/samsung-unveils-terrace-outdoor-4k-tv-and-soundbar

It’s a Great Time to Bring AV Into Your Backyard

The inimitable Robin Williams once said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying let’s party.” Living in the Northeast, I couldn’t agree more. Summer’s just around the corner and lockdown rules are finally being loosened to allow parks, beaches, and businesses to open. But the thing is, your backyard never closed. And what better time to take the music and other entertainment you enjoy inside your home to the great outdoors.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/it-s-great-time-bring-av-your-backyard

10 Top Concert Blu-ray Discs

One thing our ongoing pandemic lockdown continues to remind many of us music lovers of on a daily basis is just how much we all miss attending live concert events.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/10-top-concert-blu-ray-discs

How to Watch Together with Netflix Party and TwoSeven

Create a virtual viewing room for you and your friends to watch a movie together. Here's how to watch Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Hulu, Disney + and more in the comfort of your own homes.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/how-watch-together-netflix-party-and-twoseven

Epson Home Cinema 3800 4K LCD Projector Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,699

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Very good contrast and light output
Low input lag
Generous lens shift range
Fully backlit remote
Minus
Limited DCI-P3 color space coverage

THE VERDICT
Epson's latest 3LCD projector goes easy on the wallet while delivering performance and features typically found in more expensive models.

Epson's Home Cinema LCD projector lineup ranges from basic, inexpensive beamers designed for portable use to high-end models meant for serious home theater installations. Of these, we typically devote space to the company's premium UB (Ultra Black) offerings such as the 5050UB 4K PRO-UHD (reviewed in the August/September issue and also on soundandvision.com), along with mid-range models like the 3800 under evaluation here. A big plus of the Epson projector family is that the costs usually top out at $3,000, with mid-range offerings priced about one-third to one-half that amount while providing many of the same features found in the high-end offerings.

from
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/epson-home-cinema-3800-4k-lcd-projector-review

Subs and TVs and Cables, Oh My

As we march into the third month in this Days of Our Lives lockdown, it appears that the jail doors are starting to inch open, if ever so cautiously. Before long we might be back to some semblance of normal. The long term effects of our response to the Covid-19 virus might be worse than the virus itself, but that story won’t fully hit the presses for a few months—or years. In the meantime, here are a few, pithy thoughts on some perennial home theater topics.

TV Shopping Takes a Hit… Unless you’re Amazon, this virus has been a serious blow to the consumer electronics market.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/subs-and-tvs-and-cables-oh-my

Can I Use AirPlay 2 With Both Wireless and Wired Speaker Setups?

Is there an amp or integrated amp with Apple’s AirPlay 2 that I can use to power my passive JBL towers while simultaneously streaming music to multiple Apple HomePod speakers? —Marc Rocard

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Watch Your (Audio/Video) Language

You can tell the age of a tree by counting its rings. You can tell the age of a person by counting the number of times they say something anachronistic. For example, if I start talking about Compact Discs, kids will instantly identify me as being, uh, mature. They will make snide remarks about the La Brea Tar Pits and mastodons. Kids can be cruel. Ask me how I know.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/watch-your-audiovideo-language

Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll

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It would be easy to characterize Chuck Berry, who passed away at age 90 in 2017, as one cantankerously acrimonious fellow, but after revisiting Taylor Hackford's astute 1987 documentary Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll, now available on Blu-ray for the first time via Shout Select, I'm reminded of how captivating, creative, and downright business-savvy the pioneering, guitar-playing singer/ songwriter actually was.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hail-hail-rock-n-roll

Yamaha Introduces A-S Series Integrated Amps

Back in fall 2019, Yamaha took a page from the Technics playbook and introduced a series of upscale components aimed squarely at audiophiles. The 5000 series it rolled out consisted of speakers, a preamp/amp, and a belt-drive turntable, each sporting a design that referenced the golden age of hi-fi and a price tag typical of much high-end gear. Yamaha has now added a trio of integrated amplifiers, the A-S series, to its Hi-Fi component lineup, providing audiophiles with a somewhat less pricey, though no less premium, system-building option.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/yamaha-introduces-s-series-integrated-amps

Best Gear of the Year (So Far in 2020)

Home entertainment in all of its many forms has remained a constant during this time of great uncertainty, providing a welcome distraction from a pandemic that continues to command attention around the world. In the spirit of providing an escape from the unrelenting parade of COVID-19 statistics and prognostications, we offer a summary of Top Pick-worthy products we have reviewed so far in 2020 — any of which could be a valuable addition to your AV setup. It’s an eclectic mix for sure, running the gamut from $300 earbuds made of wood and a like-priced vacuum-based record cleaning system to an assortment of speakers, ranging from a $1,000 soundbar to an $8,000 home theater speaker system with several great options in-between. Enjoy, and drop us a line to let us know how you’re coping.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/best-gear-year-so-far-2020

Enclave Audio CineHome PRO Wireless Home Theater System Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,600

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Easy, app-driven automatic setup
Good audio quality via hi-res wireless WiSA platform
Simple and intuitive control app
Minus
Lack of A/V switching may be an issue for some systems
No included remote control or learning feature
No decoding or full-resolution transmission of DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD bitstreams

THE VERDICT
Enclave's THX-certified wireless system delivers highly dynamic and enjoyable surround sound in an easy-to-install and use package...though it comes at a price.

When I was a trade reporter many years ago, I wrote an article about the skyrocketing sales of packaged home theater audio systems. Inside each box was a rudimentary A/V receiver, five or six speakers (typically compact satellites in plastic cabinets), color-coded speaker cables, and graphic instructions to get things hooked up. The article's big takeaway was that the brands selling these (Sony, Panasonic, et. al. ) had discovered that many buyers either left the rear surround speakers in the box or wired them up and placed them on top of the front left- and right-channel speakers.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/enclave-audio-cinehome-pro-wireless-home-theater-system-review

From PiP to Zoom: A Brief History of Screen-Splitting

Whether you’re using a TV, tablet or phone to shelter at home, your screen is becoming ever more crowded. Though TV news still relies on a traditional split screen when an anchor hands off a story to a correspondent, Lester Holt now regularly leads off NBC Nightly News by addressing a gaggle of bobbleheads (some masked) in which ten correspondents peer into cameras from locations as wide ranging as the other side of the world to the other side of Lester’s desk.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/pip-zoom-brief-history-screen-splitting

Lyngdorf Audio Launches MP-40 Surround Processor

Denmark’s Lyngdorf Audio has announced the MP-40, a new, entry-level addition to its surround sound processor lineup. Designed for use in smaller installations, the MP-40 is said to “offer all the sonic qualities and performance” of Lyngdorf Audio’s flagship MP-60 processor, but in a more compact and streamlined package.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/lyngdorf-audio-launches-mp-40-surround-processor

The Rise of Home Theater

I think something important is happening to movies right now. Not in their content or marketing, but in their distribution. Of course, what we're talking about is a shift, arguably a permanent shift, away from theatrical distribution, and toward home distribution.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/rise-home-theater

Blu-ray Player, Disc Sales Boosted During Stay-at-Home Spell

It’s not at all surprising that self-isolating citizens in the U.S. have been flocking to video streaming services in large numbers since the pandemic arrived. For example, a press release issued last week by the NPD Group, an organization that tracks consumer data, cited a “72 percent increase in the number of Netflix subscriber profiles that were used to stream video each week” following orders from states around the country telling residents to shelter at home. What is surprising is the increase we’re also seeing now in sales of Blu-ray Disc players, a product category in sharp decline after hitting its peak back in 2015.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/blu-ray-player-disc-sales-boosted-during-stay-home-spell

The Lighthouse

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Around 1890, two lighthouse keepers—isolated on a remote New England island with just gulls, each other, and a large supply of liquor for company—begin to gradually lose their sense of reality, civility, and eventually their sanity in an atmospheric concoction not conveyed this intensely since The Shining. It all makes for a great (if grueling) two-handed drama.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/lighthouse

Sony Pictures Doubles Down on IMAX Enhanced

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), IMAX, and DTS announced this week that SPE will release “hundreds of new titles in the IMAX format over the next two years, including all upcoming SPE and IMAX theatrical releases.” The announcement follows the expansion of IMAX Enhanced content onto multiple streaming services worldwide, including FandangoNOW here in the U.S.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sony-pictures-doubles-down-imax-enhanced

Best 5.1 Surround Sound Music Tracks

Okay, you got me. I freely admit before all my fellow music lovers and audiophiles alike that I had a very specific ulterior motive when I noted in a recent Remaster Class column that the title track to Yes' September 1972 magnum opus Close to the Edge was my "second-favorite 5.1 mix." Following my primary intention of encouraging listeners to marvel at the fully enveloping scope of that song's truly amazing surround sound mix, I figured the next thing anyone reading said comment might wonder would be along the lines of, "Yeah, cool cool cool, that's great and all—but what's No. 1?"

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/best-51-surround-sound-music-tracks

Magic Is Possible When Modern Tech Meets History

When the owner of a magnificent mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota took on a remodeling project, he had something special in mind for his office — one that brought history and modern technology together in a most impressive way.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/magic-possible-when-modern-tech-meets-history

Home Theater Tips: Smart Shades, Smart Lights

Motorized window shades and smart lighting are a godsend for controlling light in an open, mixed-use media room. Here’s how.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/home-theater-tips-smart-shades-smart-lights

Sonos Launches Atmos Soundbar, Updates Play:5 Speaker and Sub

Wireless multiroom speaker maker Sonos today announced Arc, a new soundbar that brings support for Dolby Atmos soundtracks. The $799 Arc slots in above the $399 Sonos Beam in the company’s soundbar lineup and will serve as a replacement for its current Playbar and Playbase offerings.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sonos-launches-atmos-soundbar-updates-play5-speaker-and-sub

LG OLED65GXPUA OLED Ultra HDTV Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $3,500

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Rich, accurate color
Wide viewing angle
Outstanding HDR performance
Minus
Remote control difficult to use
Table-mount legs an optional accessory

THE VERDICT
LG’s design-savvy 65GXPUA OLED offers up a mix of features and performance that’s guaranteed to grab your attention.

LG's GX series for 2020 sits in the middle of the company's OLED TV range, just above the CX series, and right below the WX (for Wallpaper—ultra thin and designed for, you guessed it, wall mounting). But at 20mm, GX series sets are also very thin, and while they come with a wall-mounting bracket, it doesn't include legs for a table-top mount, though that option is available at a modest extra cost. The GX series has built-in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice control, and it also adds a Gallery feature that can display stationary artwork surrounded by a faux frame inside its otherwise nearly invisible bezel.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/lg-oled65gxpua-oled-ultra-hdtv-review

MantelMount MM860 Motorized TV Mount Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Solves major TV installation issue
Solid build quality
Out-of-the-box automation
Minus
Limited horizontal swivel range
Awkward power/cable routing
Professional installation highly recommended

THE VERDICT
The MM860 costs more than many TVs, but it solves a common installation issue, performs reliably, and looks cool.

As long as architects design houses with a fireplace as the focal point of the living/family room, people will continue to mount their TVs above the fireplace mantel. But a problem with that location is that it situates the screen too high for comfortable viewing. And even though people know that height is going to be an issue, they often have no other obvious installation choice and are consequently forced to suffer life with TVOF (TV Over Fireplace) syndrome.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/mantelmount-mm860-motorized-tv-mount-review

The TV Supply Chain: Taking Stock

We have no confirmed data to show how the current coronavirus pandemic might affect the consumer electronics market. Even experts paid to research such things can only guess, but there’s no doubt it’s effect will be significant. When I was researching price information on-line for a display under review, I noticed that 2019 sets were much more heavily represented and easily available than 2020 models. That’s no surprise. There’s likely an ample remaining supply of the former, while the latter are still trickling into the country.

That drove me to contemplate the convoluted world of the supply chain...

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/supply-chain

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Lands on Disney+

Viewing fantasy epics turns out, unsurprisingly, to be a fine way to pass time while social distancing. Over the past few weeks I’ve binged both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies and am now working my way once again through Game of Thrones. What to view next? Some good news today for Star Wars fans seeking to ingest the full suite of films based on George Lucas’ original space opera: Disney+ has added 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the latest entry in the series, to the list of titles available to stream on the service in 4K with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound. May the Fourth be with you!

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/star-wars-rise-skywalker-lands-disney