First Cow

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"It's the getting started that's the puzzle—no way for a poor man to start. You need capital. Or you need some kind of miracle. Or a crime." These words, uttered by King-Lu, a Chinese immigrant seeking fortune in the mid-19th century Oregon Territory, set forth a series of events leading to a business selling baked goods to the hardscrabble inhabitants of Fort Tillicum. King-Lu's partner in the venture—which originates from a crime, as opposed to capital or a miracle—is Otis Figowitz, a mild-mannered cook also trying to carve out a future among the fort's traders and trappers.

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Good Riddance 2020: New Gear for a New Year

Ringing in the New Year has new meaning as we say good riddance to a year besieged by a deadly virus and transition to what we all hope will be a fresh start in 2021 — new beginnings without tragic loss, social isolation, and economic devastation. While you contemplate the better world that awaits us, here’s a peek at the latest news and products AV companies have to offer.

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Yamaha RX-V6A 7.2-channel A/V Receiver Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $600

AT A GLANCE
Plus
HDMI 2.1-ready (via firmware update)
Versatile speaker switching
Built-in phono preamp
Minus
Small front panel and onscreen displays
Lacks analog video connections

THE VERDICT
Yamaha's latest mid-priced A/V receiver promises—and delivers—cutting-edge features at an unprecedented price.

The big car companies refresh their lineups on a pretty regular schedule. Honda, for example, brings out all-new versions of its models every four to five years, and it makes smaller upgrades and improvements in the years between the big changes. How many people know that the A/V receiver manufacturers do pretty much the same thing?

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/yamaha-rx-v6a-72-channel-av-receiver-review

The Big Picture

A video projector has long been the gold standard for achieving the true theater experience at home. It still is, but there are limitations to projectors that can compromise the big screen experience with today’s best source material.

The relatively limited brightness a projector offers becomes more significant as the size of the screen and the demands of the source material increase. Unlike in the past, where the desire for ever bigger screens could be satisfied (more or less) even by a less than wallet-choking projector, HDR demands far more peak brightness than standard dynamic range...Flat screen TVs in jumbo sizes have become increasingly common lately, at prices far less intimidating than before. A decent LCD/LED, 85-inch 4K set can be had for under $3500.

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LG To Introduce QNED Mini-LED TVs

The Virtual CES 2021 TV news is starting to roll in. First up, LG, which has announced it will release a series of “QNED” Mini-LED TVs as its 2021 LCD TV lineup’s flagship offering. There will be 10 new 4K and 8K Mini-LED models in all, with screen sizes up to 86 inches.

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The Rapture of the Rumble

Because everything must be controversial, I am going to be controversial. This blog discusses God, politics, climate change, and Enzo Ferrari. Furthermore, if it causes lightning to strike you, so be it.

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Ghost in the Shell

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Mamoro Oshii's beautiful and unsettling anime film, Ghost in the Shell, has been released on Ultra HD Blu-ray to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Based on Masamune Shirow's cyberpunk manga, the film explores themes of existence, and humanity in a technologically advanced world where people are cybernetically enhanced or have their bodies entirely replaced by cybernetics. One such cyborg is the film's protagonist, Major Motoko Kusanagi, who questions her own reality as she battles with the mysterious Puppet Master who hacks not only computers, but also humans.

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Long Live the JBL 4412 Studio Monitor!

In this edition of Sound & Vision’s Audio Time Machine, we highlight the JBL 4412 studio monitor, a mid-’80s evolution of famous 4300 Series monitors that once dominated recording studios.

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Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary Edition Loudspeaker

Performance
Build Quality
Value

PRICE $700/pair

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Good bass extension
Excellent midrange balance and accuracy
Pluggable port yields flexible placement and performance
Impressive fit and finish
Minus
Slightly bright sound with some recordings

THE VERDICT
This anniversary edition Bowers & Wilkins compact bookshelf combines good looks with intelligently balanced sound.

There are quite literally hundreds of small, two-way loudspeakers you can buy priced from under $100 to well north of $10,000 per pair. To this throng British stalwart Bowers & Wilkins now adds the 607 S2 Anniversary Edition (the anniversary commemorated is the company's launch of its first 600 Series designs 25 years ago). Whether or not the world desperately needs another small two-way may be up for debate, but B&W's authority to add one is not: the ranks of fine small speakers marching forth from the south coast of the UK over the past half-century has been illustrious.

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Discovery+ to Launch January 2021 with All Discovery Channel Content

Discovery+ will launch on January 4th as the newest aggregated subscription streaming service. Pulling from seventeen of Discovery's family of channels, it becomes the largest inventory of unscripted and non-fiction programming

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Annus horribilis

2020 was not a particularly good year. In fact it was a horrible year. Normally, at year's end, we're supposed to reminisce about the year. But I think we'd all rather forget that 2020 every happened. Let's ignore it, and instead skip back all the way to 1984, to a story about a Christian rock band, a LP record, and a very mysterious inner groove.

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Gavin Harrison Exposes the Secrets of His Expert Rhythmic Designs

Gavin Harrison knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it. The critically celebrated, session-bred progressive-oriented British drummer vaulted into superstar status during his jaw-dropping eight-year stint as a member of Porcupine Tree, and he's since moved even further up the wide-acclaim foodchain thanks to all the mind-bending work he's done during his current, ongoing gigs behind the kit with both King Crimson and The Pineapple Thief. The thing is, Harrison pays little or no heed to the constant praise for his innovative drumming, nor does he spend much time ruminating over his impeccable legacy.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/gavin-harrison-exposes-secrets-his-expert-rhythmic-designs

Winter 2020: Best Affordable Gear

Despite all the hardships 2020 has imposed on us, home entertainment has remained a bright spot with A/V gear across all categories providing the means for elevating our music and movie experiences. Thank goodness for that. And thank goodness 2020 is coming to a close. As we look to the New Year with hopes for a return to a normal life, free of restrictions and financial hardship, we present 21 prime A/V specimens for your consideration. All are Sound & Vision Top Picks and all are affordable, at prices ranging from $130 to just under $3,000 with most falling in the under-$1,000 category. Whether you’re contemplating a new turntable or TV, we’re confident one of more of the products highlighted here will speak to you.

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Looking for a TV-Worthy Interface for Streaming Music

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

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

Q I have over 9,000 songs on a hard drive hooked to my computer. When I listen, I stream it over my home network to a Samsung TV connected to a Denon receiver. The audio is fine but the visual effect of browsing through folders on a 70-inch screen leaves much to be desired. Is there an inexpensive way to browse and play your stored digital music library in a home theater using a visual interface like Microsoft Groove Music? —Jay Sklaroff, via email

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Samsung QN65Q90T LCD Ultra HDTV Review

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $1,900

AT A GLANCE
Plus
High peak brightness for HDR Wide viewing angle for an LCD TV Extended color
Minus
No Dolby Vision support Some visible “blooming”

THE VERDICT
Samsung's 65-inch Q90T series model offers impressive overall performance at a far lower price than the company's previous flagship 4K TVs.

While most buyers might view two grand as a high price to pay for a new TV, longtime readers here will recall the days when that amount would barely get you a small, flat-panel HD set with few features—and certainly not 4K with HDR. But intense competition in the TV world has resulted in bigger and more sophisticated displays at lower prices. Samsung's Q90T series, including the 65-inch model reviewed here, is actually derived from the company's 2019 Q80R series.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/samsung-qn65q90t-lcd-ultra-hdtv-review

The World of Raised by Wolves - A Behind-the-Scenes Look

A mother and father head to a new home to begin a family. Sounds simple enough, right? But in the world of HBO Max's Raised by Wolves, the world is anything but simple.

The Ridley Scott-driven sci-fi series takes place 150 years in the future, when a world war between a religious cult, the Mithraics, and those who won't accept their life, the Atheists, has led to the Earth becoming uninhabitable.

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Definitive Technology Announces Studio 3D Mini Soundbar System

Definitive Technology today announced the addition of a compact soundbar system to its lineup. The Studio 3D Mini features Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing, 4K/Dolby Vision video pass-through, and HDMI eARC connectivity. It’s also the first Def Tech product to feature HEOS Built-in, letting users stream audio from multiple services as well as link the soundbar wirelessly to a HEOS-enabled multiroom setup.

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Value Electronics & Panasonic Present a Discusson of the Award Winning Panasonic DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player!

LIVE: Friday, December 18, 2020 - 12:00PM ET

Join us when Robert Zohn of Value Electronics will present Panasonic’s award winning DP-UB9000 Blu-ray player covering the key features and a taking a deep dive into the special capabilities that make this flagship player so unique.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/value-electronics-panasonic-present-discusson-award-winning-panasonic-dp-ub9000-ultra-hd-blu

District 9

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District 9 rises above its disparate components—there are multiple strong influences, everything from Alien Nation to the faux-documentary feel of The Office—to deliver a socially resonant story that's even more relevant a decade after its release. Like all good science fiction, its impact derives from how it weaves in the trappings of everyday life, perhaps illuminating our own foibles.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/district-9-0

Samsung Launches 110-inch MicroLED Ultra HDTV

Samsung has announced that a 110-inch version of its MicroLED TV will be available globally starting in Q1 2021. According to the company, the prefabricated sets combine surface mount technology with new production techniques borrowed from its semiconductor division that make MicroLED TVs easier to manufacture in a range of screen sizes. Samsung’s announcement indicates that it plans to offer similar displays with smaller screen sizes in the future.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/samsung-launches-110-inch-microled-ultra-hdtv

Last-Minute Holiday Gift Ideas

A few things to consider as we approach the home stretch.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if you’re reading this and haven’t finished your holiday shopping you’re now officially a last-minute shopper. I’m right with you. In a normal year I’d be thinking two weeks is plenty of time to tie up loose ends. But in the Age of COVID, the world is upside-down and restrictions (whether government-mandated or self-imposed) are real and impacting just about everything — especially inventory levels and shipping times. Is the gift you’ve been contemplating in stock and, if so, will it arrive in time? On-time delivery was an issue last year so you can imagine how much pressure shippers are under this year with online shopping reaching all-time highs. If you, like me, find yourself running out of options, here are a few last-minute gifts ideas to consider, including a couple that don’t require physical shipping.

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All 2021 Warner Movies Have Same Day Release in Theaters and HBO Max

WarnerMedia has announced that all of their 2021 theatrical movies will be available to stream on their HBO Max service the same day they are released in theaters. It may be a welcome decision to those of us who either don’t want to spend two hours in a closed room with strangers or where theaters are closed. But, it is causing concern to those in the movie industry. How will this alter how we see theatrical features in the future?

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2020 Blu-ray Gift Guide: Blu Cheer

Each autumn, I fret that we won't be able to find ten worthy entries for this gotta-have-'em list, and every year am genuinely surprised at the bounty that has somehow remained heretofore unreleased. I guess there will always be anniversaries and restorations and quadrilogies and the like, and as long as the studios keep investing the time and care to craft these disc-filled boxes we enjoy so much, we'll continue recommending the cream of the crop to help stoke seasonal merriment.

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Sonos Adds Dual Subwoofer Support

Wireless speaker pioneer Sonos has announced that owners of its Arc, Beam, Playbar, Playbase, and Amp products now have the ability to add a pair of the company’s Sub subwoofers to their home theater setup. Previously, the company’s soundbars and amps only supported a single subwoofer connection. The feature arrives as part of a software update available only in the Sonos S2 control app, and further requires that at least one Sub be a Gen 3 model, which provides additional processing power.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/sonos-adds-dual-subwoofer-support

John Lennon Remembered

It’s hard to believe 40 years have passed since John Lennon was fatally shot outside his home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on this very day. We’re marking the anniversary of Lennon’s untimely passing with a review of the new Gimme Some Truth: The Ultimate Mixes box set and Matt Hurwitz’s story on the production of tracks remixed in stereo, 5.1, and Dolby Atmos.

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Backstabbing for Beginners

Good morning students and welcome to Backstabbing for Beginners. In this class, you will learn how to betray like a pro. As we will see, there are many ways to screw over another party. But all backstabbing can be boiled down to two easy steps: Step 1: Plunge the knife. Step 2: Twist the knife.

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John Lennon: Gimme Some Truth: The Ultimate Remixes - Deluxe Edition

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I always viewed John Winston Ono Lennon as an inveterate seeker—an artist who was forever searching low and high to find both his ballast and his balance. During his time in The Beatles, Lennon was able to connect with listeners on an interpersonal level ("In My Life") while he also remained unafraid to address his own fears and insecurities ("Help!"), was eager to embrace the free-associative nature of the Sixties ("I Am the Walrus"), and was wholly game to confront the depths of his pain ("Julia").

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Product News: Late Fall 2020 Edition

New gear to brighten the New Year — and maybe Christmas if you hurry.

With Christmas only three weeks away, the 2020 Holiday Season is in full swing as A/V makers fill the pipeline with new gear and performance updates in hopes of bringing holiday cheer to a pandemic-weary public that’s embracing home entertainment like never before. Thank goodness for big-screen TVs, home theater setups, and the plentiful selection of music and TV/movie streaming services. From a $100 amp/DAC to a unique and nostalgic take on the classic hi-fi console, we review the latest A/V news.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/product-news-late-fall-2020-edition

Being There...Virtually

With large-scale live events still in a holding pattern, attending VR and AR concerts online could be the next best bet for diehard concertgoers.

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2020 Holiday Gift Guide

With a year of historic turbulence and divisive presidential politics almost behind us, it's time to count our blessings as we look toward the holiday season with hope for peace, prosperity, and a return to normalcy for all. Here we present a dozen gifts guaranteed to delight family and friends—and maybe even make your own personal wish list. Our goal was to go easy on the wallet so prices start at $50 and top out at around $300. With any luck, you'll be able to fill in a couple blanks on your shopping list and, ultimately, bring cheer to those you care about as we say good riddance to 2020.

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https://www.soundandvision.com/content/2020-holiday-gift-guide