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JVC and Panasonic Try to Figure Out HDR Tone Mapping

Josh Zyber — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:00:19 +0000

High Dynamic Range video is both the most exciting aspect of the 4k Ultra HD format and also the most confusing. With their new flagship products, JVC and Panasonic have teamed up to simplify HDR tone mapping (the process by which an HDR signal is adapted to fit within the limitations of an HDTV or...

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Poll: What Device Do You Use for Streaming Video?

Josh Zyber — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 12:00:07 +0000

These days, it seems like pretty much any piece of consumer electronics you can get your hands on will stream video from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and more. For home theater purposes, what streaming device do you favor? Are you happy with it? The poll below lumps the most popular streaming devices into categories. Feel...

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A Eulogy for OPPO Digital

Josh Zyber — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 12:00:12 +0000

The announcement this week that respected Blu-ray player manufacturer OPPO Digital will halt production and exit the market was met with stunned disbelief by many home theater fans who’ve sworn by the brand over the years. The company’s decision leaves a major hole in the home theater product space. Will another competitor step in to...

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Remote Dis-Harmony

Josh Zyber — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 12:00:50 +0000

I’ve used Harmony universal remote controls for years. As much as I greatly appreciate their broad range of device support, sometimes I find the limitations of Harmony’s programming options extremely frustrating. Some background: I have a couple of different Harmony units in use right now. For a physical remote, I still favor the older Harmony...

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Watching 4k Ultra HD on a 1080p Display

Josh Zyber — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 12:00:51 +0000

At least in theory, Ultra HD Blu-ray players are designed to be backwards compatible with viewing on any HDTV or 1080p display. However, most professional reviews only focus (for obvious reasons) on true 4k High Dynamic Range, Wide Color Gamut playback, assuming that’s what most readers are interested in. Those who may need the downconversion...

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Poll: Do You Have an Ultra HD Blu-ray Player?

Josh Zyber — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 12:00:52 +0000

The 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray format has been on the market for just over a year. Have you bought into it yet, or are you still happy with regular Blu-ray? I’ve been an avid videophile for most of my adult life, and I’ve typically been on the leading edge of every new home video upgrade...

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Weekend Roundtable: Treat Yo Self

Josh Zyber — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 20:00:21 +0000

In theory, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the countless other retail sales you’ve been bombarded with recently are supposed to be the time to buy holiday gifts for friends and family. Be honest, though. You actually bought stuff for yourself, didn’t you? This week’s Roundtable is a bit of a confessional. What presents have you...

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When 4k Is Not 4k

Josh Zyber — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 20:00:01 +0000

For the second year in a row, 4k Ultra High Definition was all over the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This year, the manufacturers promise not only more 4k TVs, but (with the arrival of Ultra HD Blu-ray) some actual 4k content to watch on them. There’s just one catch: Most of the movies...

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An Ultra HD Blu-ray Q&A!

Josh Zyber — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 19:00:23 +0000

It’s time to throw your Blu-ray collection in the trash! That junk is old hat. There’s a new video format coming out really soon that’ll be everything Blu-ray is and more. More pixels! More colors! More expensive! Before you buy, you may have some questions about Ultra HD Blu-ray. Let’s see if we can find...

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Poll: Is Your Blu-ray Player Connected to the Internet?

Josh Zyber — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 13:00:49 +0000

Back when the Blu-ray format was launched, the ability of players to connect to the internet was touted as a huge advance that would revolutionize the way we watch movies. Even if the feature didn’t quite live up to that hype, the internet connection still has its uses. Is your player connected online? In the...

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Poll: Did You Ever Own an HD DVD Player?

Josh Zyber — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 16:00:18 +0000

Continuing our recent theme of polls about home theater hardware, this week we’d like to know if you ever bought into Toshiba’s short-lived HD DVD format. The great High-Definition Format War is still a touchy subject for some folks. Passions ran very high during those two contentious years. Some people still hold bitter grudges about...

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Mid-Week Poll: Do You Import Blu-rays from Other Countries?

Josh Zyber — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 14:00:09 +0000

As a film fan and Blu-ray collector, I often find myself importing Blu-ray discs from other countries (primarily Europe) in order to obtain movies that either aren’t available on Blu-ray in the United States yet, or that are available in superior editions elsewhere. How common is this among our readers? Have you imported movies from...

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