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The Ultimate Avengers: Infinity War Character Guide: The Incredible HulkThis is a big time, perhaps the biggest time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- as Thanos sets out to destroy not only the Avengers, but also life throughout the universe including Earth. That being said, there are many different superheroes that will be featured in Avengers: Infinity War, along with their complex storylines all coming to a head in this film. It all seems overwhelming, doesn't it? How can one movie contain all of our beloved superheroes? [Teaser]Welcome one and all to High-Def Digest's Ultimate Avengers: Infinity War Character Guide, a fun new article series where we take look back at all the great characters we're going to see in part one of Marvel's most epic cinematic universe crossover adventure to date. [/Teaser] Hopefully, this character guide will help you going into Avengers: Infinity War. You'll be able to learn about each character's comic book origin, their MCU origin, the best scene thus far with each character, and what to expect from each superhero in Infinity War -- as well as future MCU movies, and more. THE INCREDIBLE HULK Name: Bruce Banner (Hulk) Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby 1st Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962) Comic Book Origins: Dr. Bruce Banner is leading a new experiment for the US Army with the Gamma Bomb. Dr. Banner is very cautious and wants to perfect it before testing it. General Ross is insistent that the bomb be ready immediately, while his daughter Betty tries to calm Dr. Banner down. Upon the first detonation, Dr. Banner notices a college student driving into the blast radius and he runs out to save the student. Upon pushing this student out of the way in time, Dr. Banner is consumed by the Gamma blast, where his scrawny fragile physique begins to change. After this, General Ross and the US Army, along with some evil villains, make it their priority to capture Dr. Banner. Whenever Bruce gets angry, he turns into The Hulk which, in the first few comic issues, was gray in color (shortly after that he changed to completely green). Fun Fact: Stan Lee stated that Hulk was originally gray in color due to the inexpensive ink to print in that color, but when Marvel had more money, he was changed to the color green because there were no other superheroes who were that color. Marvel Cinematic Universe 1st Appearance: The Incredible Hulk (June 13th, 2008 - Directed by Louis Leterrier) - It's tough to talk about Hulk's first appearance, since there have been a few movies featuring the Hulk with different actors. In 2003, we saw the film Hulk, which was directed by Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain) and starred Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, as well as Sam Elliott, Jennifer Connelly, and Nick Nolte. This was in no way affiliated with the current MCU and was met with mixed reactions. Cut to 2008, the same year as Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, starring Ed Norton and was directed by the guy who made the Transporter movies, Louis Leterrier. In this film, Dr. Banner and General Ross are working together on an experiment with Gamma Rays, similar to the super soldier serum from the Captain America films. Things go wrong and Dr. Banner is engulfed in the Gamma Rays. He is now on the run from the US military and the evil General Ross. Through some fight scenes and character moments, Dr. Banner ends up in Columbia, where Tony Stark meets him and tells him he is putting a team together. Somewhere in the mix, Marvel didn't enjoy working with Ed Norton, which isn't a surprise due to the many complaints of what a pain in the ass he is, so Marvel fired Norton and hired Mark Ruffalo for the Bruce Banner/Hulk role in the rest of the films. Ruffalo brought a kinder and more sincere attitude to the character than Norton ever did and has performed a cavalcade of emotions throughout each MCU film where Hulk is featured. Best Scene Thus Far: Whenever Hulk is on screen, everyone stops what they are doing and they pay attention because he is so much fun to watch. There are two big scenes that come to mind here, making this a Hulk-sized section. Both scenes happen to come from the first Avengers movie. One of them is the scene where Hulk comes face to face with Loki, where the evil Loki starts to yell at Hulk like he is some lost puppy dog, only for Hulk to smash Loki into oblivion. It was a super suspenseful scene that ended in a super funny bit where we finally got to see Hulk unleash his fury onto someone. The other scene in question comes again in the Avengers film where Dr. Banner shows up to help Iron Man battle the giant alien coming in from the sky and he reveals to Stark his secret -- he's always angry. It's such a sentimental and perfectly executed moment that shows the underbelly and pain in Banner as he quickly transforms into the Hulk and begins his reign of terror on the villains. It's fantastic. What To Expect from Infinity War: In Thor: Ragnarok, Dr. Banner tells Thor that since he has been Hulk for so long, that if he changes back to Hulk again, he might never get back to being Dr. Banner and, of course, he transforms at the end of that film back to the Hulk. Going into Infinity War, that question is still in play, however, due to the trailer, we see Dr. Banner in human form at Dr. Strange's place -- then we see the Hulk charging the bad guys with the rest of the Avengers. I'm willing to bet that some form of Stark and Wakandan technology, along with some magic from Dr. Strange, has allowed Dr. Banner to go back and forth easily from the Hulk. I do think Banner/Hulk will play bigger parts in the upcoming film than in the past as he will be key in defeating Thanos and his minions. In fact, there is a scene in the trailer for Infinity War that I think Stark puts Dr. Banner in the Hulk Buster suit only to have it overrun by the villains -- which is where Hulk will emerge and defeat everyone. Future MCU Appearances: There is no plan for a stand-alone Hulk film in the future. The reason being is that Universal still holds the rights to Hulk and does not play well with others. They do not want to sell nor co-produce a Hulk stand-alone movie with Marvel. However, we will continue to see Hulk in other MCU movies, as Kevin Feige stated that starting with Thor: Ragnarok, Hulk is going to have a big trilogy story arc, the second part coming with Infinity War. I bet we will see a Planet Hulk storyline before too long. In Conclusion: The Incredible Hulk is the big fan-favorite of the MCU for sure. Mark Ruffalo has brought that character to life in each film and I always look forward to seeing the big green machine on screen. I do believe we will be getting a big story arc with Dr. Banner with the next two films and I do believe he will play an integral part in Infinity War, as well as having some of the best scenes, too. ``` If you'd like to read about more Avengers: Infinity Wars characters, check out our other guides in this series (organized by MCU order of appearance): Iron Man Hulk Black Widow Thor Hawkeye Captain America Guardians of the Galaxy Vision Scarlet Witch Ant-Man Spider-Man Black Panther Doctor Strange ThanosPosted Thu Apr 19, 2018 at 02:13 PM PDT by: -
The Ultimate Avengers: Infinity War Character Guide: Iron ManThis is a big time, perhaps the biggest time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- as Thanos sets out to destroy not only the Avengers, but also life throughout the universe including Earth. That being said, there are many different superheroes that will be featured in Avengers: Infinity War, along with their complex storylines all coming to a head in this film. It all seems overwhelming, doesn't it? How can one movie contain all of our beloved superheroes? [Teaser]Welcome one and all to High-Def Digest's Ultimate Avengers: Infinity War Character Guide, a fun new article series where we take look back at all the great characters we're going to see in part one of Marvel's most epic cinematic universe crossover adventure to date. [/Teaser] Hopefully, this character guide will help you going into Avengers: Infinity War. You'll be able to learn about each character's comic book origin, their MCU origin, the best scene thus far with each character, and what to expect from each superhero in Infinity War -- as well as future MCU movies, and more. IRON MAN Name: Anthony Edward Stark (Iron Man) Created by: Stan Lee 1st Appearance: Tales of Suspense #39 (May 1963) Comic Book Origins: In Tales of Suspense #39, we meet Tony Stark, the wealthy, playboy inventor who is showing a group of military officials his new invention, which is some sort of mechanism that powers up certain objects. Meanwhile, across the globe in Vietnam is the evil Wong-Chu who is taking over villages and killing innocent people. Stark arrives in Vietnam to demo his new invention, where he accidentally sets off a landmine and injures himself. Wong-Chu takes Stark prisoner, knowing how famous he is over in the states and falsely tells him that he will heal his body if he does hard labor to build a weapon for him. Stark sees through Chu's statements, but works for him anyway. However, instead of building a weapon, Stark builds the first Iron Man suit, which is a giant bulky iron suit that is gray in color. Stark heads out and destroys Chu's henchmen, then lights an oil leak on fire and kills Chu. The new Iron Man then walks through the jungle in the end. After this issue, the giant Iron Man suit becomes gold in color, but then after that, we get the more familiar the red and gold suit that we all know now. Marvel Cinematic Universe 1st Appearance: Iron Man (May 2nd, 2008 - Directed by Jon Favreau) - Much like his comic book origin, Favreau and Kevin Feige used some key elements from his first appearance in comics. Instead of Vietnam, we are in war-torn Afghanistan where we have the billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) showcasing his latest invention, which is a giant bomb that can eliminate several square miles of land and enemies. Things go well, but Stark and his entourage are attacked in their vehicle with gunfire and explosions and Stark ends up a prisoner by a guy named Raza. Instead of building a big weapon for Raza, Stark builds the big Iron Man suit and saves the day. The rest is history. Best Scene Thus Far: There are so many scenes to choose from, because Robert Downey Jr. just embodies the whole Tony Stark/Iron Man character so well, but despite the many funny scenes he is in throughout most of the films, it's in his first film where his best scene to date comes into play. It's when Stark finally dons the full red and gold suit for the first time, where he goes back to Gulmira to defeat the terrorists that have stolen his weapons. Here we see him first use all of his very cool rockets and technological advances in his suit to defeat a threat. It doesn't seem staged or overly-choreographed. It's raw, gritty, and with heart. Even Stark is scared to get out and fight the bad guys at first. It's one of the only times he isn't too cocky. This is also where he realizes his new lot in life. It's the perfect scene. What To Expect from Infinity War: The last time we saw Stark/Iron Man, things weren't going so well for him or the other heroes, which was in Captain America: Civil War. Sure, we saw him for a few minutes in Spider-Man: Homecoming, helping out a young kid, but now Stark and the rest of the Avengers are about to face their greatest adversary - Thanos. From the trailers we've seen and the rumors of Robert Downey Jr.'s contracts being up for future films in the MCU, it might be one of the last times we see Iron Man with Robert Downey Jr. at the helm. In Avengers: Infinity War, I expect Iron Man to gather the team back together to fight Thanos, while traveling to Wakanda so he and the Wakandans can work together to defeat the bad guys. Even though we might see Robert Downey Jr. in the unnamed second part of this film, I think it's safe to say he loses a lot in this one. I think he might give the keys to the kingdom to Black Panther's sister Shuri, so she could take over the Iron Man legacy as well. I also think that he might be donning out some custom made Iron suits to other Avengers throughout the film, too, such as the Hulk-Buster suit, which I believe Bruce Banner will be in. Needless to say, I think Iron Man will give the ultimate sacrifice in this film. Future MCU Appearances: We know that Robert Downey Jr. will be in the 4th Avengers film right now, be we don't know to what capacity. Of course Iron Man will be a part of the Avengers for future films, but I imagine that Shuri from Black Panther will take over in the role, unless Marvel/Disney finds a way to pay Robert Downey Jr. more money. One thing is for sure, Downey Jr.'s stamp will always be a part of the MCU. In conclusion: At first, Stan Lee wanted to create a character/superhero that wasn't the norm. In fact, this is the epitome of an anti-hero. He's super wealthy, cocky, arrogant, and provides weapons to people. That's not exactly the work of a superhero. But in a perfect way, Tony Stark's heart was broken in both physical and emotional ways. This turned his life around to be the best person he could be by saving people from evil threats at all costs, by always putting others first. And what better person to play this character than Robert Downey Jr. This man is, in fact, a real-life superhero. With his rough and rowdy past, Downey Jr. pulled himself together and became the best person possible and made the best version of himself, while helping others. ``` If you'd like to read about more Avengers: Infinity Wars characters, check out our other guides in this series (organized by MCU order of appearance): Iron Man Hulk Black Widow Thor Hawkeye Captain America Guardians of the Galaxy Vision Scarlet Witch Ant-Man Spider-Man Black Panther Doctor Strange ThanosPosted Thu Apr 19, 2018 at 01:36 PM PDT by: -
Bullets & Quips Abound in Final 'Deadpool 2' Trailer[teaser]The "Merc with a Mouth" will return to theaters in May.[/teaser] 20th Century Fox has released the final trailer for David Leitch's Deadpool 2, offering another healthy assortment of kick-ass action and snarky meta references while introducing us to Deadpool's newest and possibly greatest ally... Peter! The movie is set to premiere on May 18, 2018, and advance tickets are now on sale via www.deadpool.com. Check out the final trailer below! After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry's hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World's Best Lover. Deadpool 2 stars Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson / Deadpool, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Josh Brolin as Nathan Summers / Cable, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, T.J. Miller as Weasel, Zazie Beetz as Domino, and Stefan Kapicic as Colossus. The movie comes from director David Leitch with a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Other upcoming movies in 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchise include Simon Kinberg's X-Men: Dark Phoenix starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner, and Jessica Chastain which is set for a February 14, 2019 release; and Josh Boone's The New Mutants starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, and Alice Braga which is set for an August 2, 2019 release. Likewise, the studio's long in development Gambit film starring Channing Tatum is due to arrive on June 7, 2019 -- though no new director is currently signed on following the previous departures of Gore Verbinski, Rupert Wyatt, and Doug Liman. Source: 20th Century Fox (YouTube)Posted Thu Apr 19, 2018 at 11:05 AM PDT by: -
Hands-On with Bluesound Wireless Hi-Fi Multi-Room Speakers[teaser]Last week, High-Def Digest attended a special demo for Bluesound's current lineup of wireless audio products. Held at the Cachet Boutique Hotel in New York City, the event featured several of the company's latest sound bars, speakers, and audio components.[/teaser] Part of the Lenbrook Group of Brands that also includes NAD Electronics and PSB Speakers, Bluesound is now in its second generation of gear and continues to use the 50 years of audio expertise from its related companies to its advantage. Made "by audiophiles for audiophiles," Bluesound's products emphasize sound quality and hi-res music support, offering the convenience of multi-room wireless connectivity without losing the ability to produce studio-master-level audio. And with its latest sound bar model, the company is expanding this approach to movies as well, bringing support for compact, wireless Dolby Digital 5.1 audio to the home theater. Armed with a versatile collection of speakers and components, the demo primarily highlighted two devices: The Pulse Sound Bar and the PowerNode 2 Streaming Amp, while also touching upon a few additional models in the lineup. Here's a rundown of our impressions... Wireless Home Theater Lineup To kick off the demo, Bluesound spotlighted its currently available Pulse Sound Bar, which recently received a price reduction from $999 to $799 for the black model and $899 for the white model. Part of the company's second generation lineup, the Pulse Sound Bar is designed to serve as a users' all-in-one audio hub with robust control and streaming options via the free BluOS App for iOS or Android. The device features 6 Integrated high-performance speakers and 2 Passive Radiators, along with a 120 watt DirectDigital Amplifier DAC. Optical, RCA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with aptX, and USB connectivity are all included as well, though the unit does not feature any HDMI ports or video passthrough options. This omission was made to help simplify setup and focus squarely on audio while letting your display handle all the other work. From a design perspective, the sound bar carries a nice aesthetic with versatile placement options thanks to a kickstand and wall mount brackets. With that said, at 5.5-inches high, the unit is rather tall, which will likely make it a bit tricky to place in front of some displays without blocking part of the screen. Thankfully, Bluesound has a solution for this with its own Universal TV Stand built to house the sound bar and a display (up to 65-inches). Music playback is supported for MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, WMA-L, ALAC, and OPUS files, along with Hi-Res formats like FLAC, MQA, WAV, and AIFF. Access to free internet radio services like TuneIn Radio, iHeartRadio, Calm Radio, and Radio Paradise is provided as well, and users can stream tracks from platforms like Amazon Music, WiMP, Slacker Radio, Qobuz, HighResAudio, JUKE, Deezer, Murfie, HDTracks, Spotify, TIDAL, Napster, KKBox, and Bugs Music. And while the unit has been designed to provide healthy bass on its own, a wireless subwoofer transmitter is also integrated, allowing users to add a separate Pulse Sub for even more robust LFE. The Pulse Sub uses a 6 1/2” (165mm) Polyproplene cone and is rated for 100 Total Watts Dynamic Peak power and a frequency response of 26Hz - 150Hz. Unlike most traditional subwoofers, the unit features a unique slim, rectangular design for flexible placement beside, behind, and underneath furniture, or even mounted to a wall. In addition, beyond the sub and sound bar, customers can also pair two Pulse Flex wireless speakers with the system to serve as rear satellites, completing a full surround sound setup with wireless Dolby Digital 5.1 compatibility. The Pulse Flex features a custom 3.5" driver and 1" driver. Bluetooth with aptX, Wi-Fi, Toslink, 3.5mm, USB, and headphone connectivity are all included, and the device supports an optional battery pack for portable playback. For demo purposes, we listened to a hi-res streaming track of Beyonce's "Daddy Lessons" through Tidal using the sound bar's music mode. The speaker offered a nice, full-bodied audio profile with rich mids, clean highs, and a surprisingly deep low-end. Stereo separation was also solid, providing an enveloping presence throughout the room. For comparisons sake, Bluesound also paired a wireless Pulse Sub to the system, offering some extra oomph to the track's bass response giving the system an even more robust quality. According to the company, connecting the sub also improves the audio quality of the sound bar itself as it allows the processor and drivers to focus on the mids and highs, alleviating some of the heavy lifting. Unfortunately, as nice as the track sounded, we ran into some pesky Wi-Fi issues in the hotel room used for the demonstration making it a bit difficult to control playback and listen to other tracks. To be clear, this was an issue more specific to the hotel's lackluster connectivity than anything having to do with the sound bar's actual performance, but it still limited how much I actually got to hear. Looking to the future, Bluesound also emphasized its regular software updates for the Pulse Sound Bar, allowing the company to add new features to the device when they become available. On that note, the reps stated that voice control features are a possibility, but they're waiting to see how the technology evolves. The Pulse Sound Bar is now available for a suggested retail price of $799 (black) or $899 (white) -- though Amazon's current listings do not seem to reflect the recently reduced pricing. Meanwhile, the Pulse Sub is available for $599, the Pulse Flex is available for $299, and the TS100 TV Stand is available for $299. Wireless Stereo Components Beyond speakers, Bluesound also offers a collection of wireless audio components, including the Node 2 Streaming Music Player, the Powernode 2 Streaming Integrated Amplifier, and the Vault 2 CD Ripper and Streamer. The Node 2 is designed to connect to an existing stereo or home theater system, adding the ability to access various internet radio stations, cloud music services (like TIDAL, Spotify and Qobu), and a user's own local music library. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with aptX streaming support are integrated, and wired outputs include Analog RCA Stereo with FIXED option, Coaxial RCA, TOSLINK digital optical, Headphone 3.5mm Stereo, Subwoofer RCA, and 12 Volt trigger out. Meanwhile, the Powernode 2 offers the same functionality as the Node 2 plus amp support for driving stereo speakers with tech borrowed from Bluesound's sister company, NAD Electronics. The unit's HybridDigital Amplifier is rated for 60 Watts x2 into 8ohms. Finally, the Vault 2 once again offers similar streaming media player capabilities as the Node 2, but this time with the added benefits of an integrated 2 TB hard drive with the ability to rip CDs in lossless high-res or MP3 formats, and the option to download and store high-res tracks. For demo purposes, I got to listen to the Powernode 2 Integrated Amp in action through a pair of tower speakers from Bluesound's sister brand, PSB Speakers. All of the music was being played from a connected USB device. The first track we listened to was a hi-res FLAC file from artist Shelby Lynne. The song came through with rich fidelity and a nice, intimate quality in the vocals. As the track played I also got to check out the system's beautiful Controller App interface on a mobile device, offering easy navigation, detailed tech info for the song, album art, playlist creation, and other standard bells and whistles customers have come to expect from other similar platforms. For the next track, we listened to Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," first as a standard FLAC file and then as an MQA encoded file. Both sounded quite good with a deep, steady bass beat behind warm vocals -- but I couldn't really detect any major difference between the two. Either way, the music offered a great demonstration of the Powernode 2's hi-res audio support, allowing users to stream a variety of formats from a wide array of sources. The Powernode 2 is now available for $799, the Node 2 is available for $499, and the Vault 2 is available for $1,199. Final Thoughts Though my time with Bluesound's lineup was relatively brief, the company's focus on hi-res playback and wireless connectivity has the potential for a winning combination. The multi-room audio space is becoming an increasingly crowded market with a growing assortment of viable options for casual and quality-minded users alike, but key design and feature perks on the Pulse Sound Bar and Powernode 2 are certainly worth an audiophile's consideration. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi issues and listening conditions didn't really lend themselves to hearing all of the nuances that might help further separate Bluesound from the competition, but we're hoping to get more one-on-one time with some of these products soon. With that in mind, be sure to check back for more impressions and full reviews in the near future!Posted Wed Apr 18, 2018 at 07:30 PM PDT by: -
HEOS Details HomeCinema HS2 Sound Bar with Amazon Alexa Voice Control[teaser]The company's newest sound bar model has been revealed.[/teaser] Denon and HEOS have announced the release of their latest audio device. The HEOS HomeCinema HS2 Sound Bar offers voice control and whole-home audio support. "The HEOS HomeCinema HS2 not only provides outstanding sound for any TV, it also increases the efficacy of the HEOS network, which is currently the most fully featured IoT audio platform in the industry," said Nick Murrells, Technical Category Director, HEOS. "In combining Denon's legendary audio prowess with whole-home audio capabilities, Amazon Alexa and the latest entertainment technologies, the HomeCinema HS2 is an easy choice for consumers who prize great sound, flexibility and ease-of-use." The sound bar features two bi-amplified mid-woofers and two tweeters with four channels of Class D digital amplification, a 400MHz floating point DSP engine, and decoding for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS. In addition, the system includes a wireless subwoofer with dual 5.25-inch drivers and support for horizontal or vertical placement. Amazon Alexa voice control is offered as well via the HEOS Home Entertainment Skill and a separate Amazon Alexa device, allowing users to access music streaming services, change volume, switch tracks, and adjust other controls through spoken commands. Whole-home audio support is also provided, enabling the sound bar to work with other HEOS products. Meanwhile, high-resolution audio playback is supported as well over a wireless network or from a USB device. Bluetooth, optical, and HDMI connectivity are all integrated, and users can control the sound bar with the included remote, their TV's remote via HDMI ARC, a satellite or cable box remote with the IR learning feature, or the HEOS app. Denon's HEOS HomeCinema HS2 Sound Bar is now available for a suggested retail price of $799. Source: Denon via Home Theater ReviewPosted Wed Apr 18, 2018 at 01:30 PM PDT by: -
Amazon & Best Buy Team Up to Offer New Fire TV Edition Smart TVs[teaser]The retailers are joining forces to sell Fire TV Edition displays.[/teaser] Amazon and Best Buy have announced a multi-year partnership to offer Fire TV Edition smart TVs to consumers. As part of the deal, Best Buy will begin selling new 4K and HD Fire TV Edition displays from Insignia and Toshiba this summer, expanding the lineup's presence to the company's many brick-and-mortar stores. "Amazon and Best Buy have a long history of working together, and today we take our partnership to a new level," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. "These Fire Edition smart TVs by Insignia and Toshiba deliver beautiful visuals and all the movies and TV shows you love, with an experience that gets better every day with Alexa. We could not have a better partner in this endeavor." Fire TV Edition smart TVs feature integrated support for the Fire TV platform, offering access to a variety of streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, HBO, PlayStation Vue, Hulu, and more. Likewise, the displays also provide easy access to live over-the-air TV content when paired with an HD antenna. In addition, units include a Voice Remote with Alexa support, allowing customers to launch apps, search for content, switch inputs, control smart home devices, and more through spoken commands. "Our goal is to enrich the lives of our customers by offering them the very best products and services, whether they come to us online, visit our stores, or invite us into their home," said Hubert Joly, Best Buy chairman and CEO. "Our partnership with Amazon is exciting because we believe Fire TV Edition delivers an incredible user experience and further strengthens the growing connection between home theater, home automation and voice control." The first Fire TV Edition smart TV from Toshiba will hit Best Buy stores this summer, and you can sign up to be notified when they become available by clicking HERE. Additional models will then be released throughout the year. Fire TV Edition smart TVs will be available exclusively at Best Buy stores, through BestBuy.com, and from Best Buy as a third-party seller on Amazon.com. Source: Amazon via BusinessWire; BestBuy.comPosted Wed Apr 18, 2018 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
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Pioneer Launches VSX-933 7.2-Channel Receiver with Dolby Atmos & DTS:X for Under $500[teaser]The new immersive audio receiver is now shipping.[/teaser] Pioneer has announced the latest addition to its home audio lineup. The VSX-933 offers 7.2 channel support with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for an MSRP of $479. The receiver is rated for 165 W/Ch (6 ohms, 1 kHz, THD 10%, 1-ch driven) or 80 W/ch (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, THD 0.08 %, 2ch Driven, FTC), and uses a Direct Energy design. In addition, the unit offers support for 5.2.2 Dolby Atmos and DTS:X configurations, along with DTS Neural:X and Dolby Surround up-mixing technology. Likewise, the device features a Reflex Optimizer option to enhance the performance of Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers. HDMI connectivity with HDCP 2.2 compatible 4K/60p, 4:4:4, 24-bit, HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision video pass-through is integrated as well. Meanwhile, the VSX-933 also provides Hi-Res audio playback over local network and USB, including support for 192 kHz/24-bit FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and ALAC, along with DSD 2.8 MHz/5.6 MHz. Chromecast built-in, Google Assistant, DTS Play-Fi, FlareConnect, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are all featured as well. Likewise, users can stream music from services like Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, TIDAL, and Deezer. Finally, the receiver incorporates MCACC (Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System) for easy speaker setup with an included microphone. Here's a full rundown of key specs per Pioneer: - Dolby Atmos®/Dolby Surround Upmixing - DTS:X®/DTS Neural:X Upmixing - Supports pass-through for HDR10, HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), and Dolby Vision signals - 165 W/ch (6 ohms, 1 kHz, THD 10 %, 1ch Driven) - 80 W/ch (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, THD 0.08 %, 2ch Driven, FTC) Pioneer's VSX-933 is rolling out to retailers now for an MSRP of $479 -- though Amazon seems to be incorrectly listing the product for $579 as of press time. Source: PioneerPosted Wed Apr 18, 2018 at 10:50 AM PDT by: -
Final 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' Trailer Teases More Dinosaur Action[teaser]Life will find a way in June.[/teaser] Universal has released the final trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, offering a more detailed look at the film's dinosaur black market plot line. The movie comes from director J.A. Bayona (The Impossible) and is set to hit theaters on June 22, 2018. It's been four years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment. Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles. When the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Owen is driven to find Blue, his lead raptor who’s still missing in the wild, and Claire has grown a respect for these creatures she now makes her mission. Arriving on the unstable island as lava begins raining down, their expedition uncovers a conspiracy that could return our entire planet to a perilous order not seen since prehistoric times. Check out the final trailer below! Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is produced by Frank Marshall, Pat Crowley, and Belén Atienza. Meanwhile, Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park) and Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) serve as executive producers. Likewise, Trevorrow is one of the film's screenwriters along with co-writer Derek Connolly. Additional cast members include James Cromwell, Ted Levine, Justice Smith, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniella Pineda, Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, and Isabella Sermon. Actors BD Wong and Jeff Goldblum reprise their roles as Dr. Henry Wu and Ian Malcolm respectively from previous entries in the Jurassic Park franchise as well. The movie serves as a direct sequel to director Colin Trevorrow's Jurassic World, which was released in theaters and Blu-ray back in 2015. Source: Universal (YouTube)Posted Wed Apr 18, 2018 at 10:15 AM PDT by: -
'The Hurricane Heist' Headed for Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray[teaser]Rob Cohen's crime thriller arrives on both formats in June. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate says 'The Hurricane Heist' will be available on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on June 12. A perfect storm of action is unleashed in this high-powered action-thriller. As a massive hurricane builds, criminals infiltrate a U.S. Mint facility. Their plan: to steal $600 million and escape using a Category 5 hurricane as cover. But a treasury agent and a storm chaser have a plan of their own, desperately racing against time—and the hurricane—to save the hostages and stop the thieves before their town is reduced to rubble. Each release will feature a Dolby Atmos soundtrack and supplements include Audio Commentary with Director Rob Cohen, Deleted Scenes, The Eye of the Storm - Featurette, Hollywood Heist: A Conversation with Rob Cohen - Featurette, and VFX Reel. You can find the latest specs for The Hurricane Heist linked from our Blu-ray and 4K Release Schedules, where it is indexed under June 12.Posted Wed Apr 18, 2018 at 10:14 AM PDT by: -
Alex Garland's 'Annihilation' Announced and Detailed for Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray[teaser]The film starring Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, and Jennifer Jason Leigh comes to home video next month, but if you want the 4K UHD you'll have to head on over to Best Buy. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Paramount says 'Annihilation' will be available on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on May 29. The 4K UHD will be a Best Buy exclusive. Biologist and former soldier Lena (Natalie Portman) is shocked when her missing husband (Oscar Isaac) comes home near death from a top-secret mission into The Shimmer, a mysterious quarantine zone no one has ever returned from. Now, Lena and her elite team must enter a beautiful, deadly world of mutated landscapes and creatures, to discover how to stop the growing phenomenon that threatens all life on Earth. Each release will feature a Dolby Atmos soundtrack and supplements include: Part 1 – SOUTHERN REACH- Refractions – See how director Alex Garland created the tone, textures and color palettes for the various film environments on set.- For Those That Follow – Listen to the cast's perspective on their roles and learn why they found the story so intriguing. Part 2 – AREA X- Shimmer – See how filmmakers transformed real set locations to create the world of Annihilation.- Vanished into Havoc – Check out all the action as cast and crew walk you through the mind-blowing stunts and special effects. Part 3 – TO THE LIGHTHOUSE- Unfathomable Mind – Learn why the visual effects are integral to achieving director Alex Garland's overall vision for Annihilation.- The Last Phase – Listen to the cast and crew share their fondest memories from filming Annihilation. You can find the latest specs for Annihilation linked from our Blu-ray and 4K Release Schedules, where it is indexed under May 29. Order the Blu-ray Order the 4K Blu-rayPosted Wed Apr 18, 2018 at 09:26 AM PDT by:
