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Top Five Dolby Atmos Demos in 'Pan'What a terrific year for home theatre audio enthusiasts. Dolby Atmos is now readily available on over 30 domestic Blu-ray titles (even more international options should you care to import) and it's gaining traction via streaming services like VUDU. 2016 looks to take the format even further, as pretty much every studio tentpole has announced support from the format, theatrically, while we'll only have to wait a week for the year's first new Dolby Atmos Blu-ray ('Sicario' on January 5th). In other words, a treasure trove of audio delights are coming our way.As we anticipate new title announcements, as 2015 sails into the night, let's explore this year's final Dolby Atmos Blu-ray release, 'Pan'. Directed by Joe Wright and written by Jason Fuchs, 'Pan' takes audiences back to the beginning, telling a grand tale of how an orphan named Peter found his way to Neverland and became a legend called Pan. Along the way we me classic J.M. Barrie characters such as Hook, Smee, and Tiger Lilly as Peter might find the courage to fulfill his destiny while searching for his long lost mother. As a Dolby Atmos mix, 'Pan' boasts a hemispherical soundstage that engages height and surround level speakers for a strong sense of overall immersion. The sound design team has done an excellent job panning effects that are rendered with absolute clarity, as well as dispersing John Powel's film orchestrations across the entire listening environment. I was particularly taken by the film's sensation of physical space in the Neverland sequences; woods and canyons and mine shafts are layered with atmospherics and reverberated echoes. Dolby Atmos converts will likely be quite pleased by this mix, though titles like 'Gravity' and 'Mad Max Fury Road' still represent the format's highest bar.[teaser]If you're looking to show off your new Dolby Atmos system, here are our top five favorite demonstrations to be found in 'Pan' [/teaser](and a requisite SPOILER WARNING): Stealing Orphans & Luftwaffe Inbound Chapter 2: 00:12:30 - 00:17:23 Our first demo is one of the film's most inventive action sequences. It's World War II London. Peter and his friend Nibs are both orphans living under the cruel dictatorship of a heartless nun. One night, as the boys are sleeping, pirates drop down out of the sky on ropes, snatching boys up through orphanage skylights. Incredibly the boys find themselves aboard a flying pirate ship, which is immediately confused for enemy aircraft and bombarded by the Royal Air Force. This demo begins quietly with bits of action, of pirates dropping down and boys' voices flying up into the ceiling. On the flying ship, we get sails and wind and screams and a rousing score. Metallic chain links clink into place. Then the sequence builds to a rousing climax, as fighter planes strafe the galleon with scores of machine gun bullets. LFE levels are taught, especially when the ship takes a dip in the River Thames and when a train rumbles overhead. This demo is perfect for showing off the difference between ear-level-only surround sound... and Dolby Atmos. Is This... Canada? Chapter 3: 00:19:50 - 00:23:45 As the stolen orphan boys arrive in Neverland, they meet their new overlord, Blackbeard, a villainous pirate who has enslaved thousands of stolen boys to help him mine solidified fairy dust. To whip his slaves up into a frenzy, Blackbeard pushes the crowd to sing Smells Like Teen Spirit (yes, that one). I think we could argue over whether or not this Baz Luhrman esque approach to the material works, but it makes for an excellent demo because is shows of Dolby Atmos' ability to build realistic sonic environments. It sounds like you're tucked low into a canyon with thousands of cheering and singing boy-slaves. Then, as Blackbeard gives his speech, there's just the perfect amount of echo and reverb. Play this demo to test out how well your speakers are positioned and to look for any gaps in your soundstage; if everything is calibrated as needed, it will provide total immersion. Neverbirds Chapter 6: 00:48:28 - 00:51:41 Peter has escaped the villainous Blackbeard along with the roguish James Hook and the bumbling Smee to search for Peter's mother. After crash landing in the forest, they build a fire and begin to talk about their lives... Only it's very clear that they are not alone in these woods. For this demo, pay special attention to how detailed the wooded environment sounds. Insects and animals buzz in the distance. A fire crackles. Then the clittering, clacking Neverbirds (imagine Kevin from 'Up' but made of bones) descend from above. What follows is a fantastic chase with heaping servings of LFE and aggressively-panned whooshing wings before one of the natives appears from the shadows with a slashing sword and a helping hand. This demo is perfect for those who want to test out individual speaker levels, because these sound pans fly all over the place and will show off any speaker that's too hot or too cold. Keep Waiving The Torches Chapter 8: 01:14:25 - 01:17:15 Things have gone from bad to worse in Neverland. Blackbeard has tracked Peter down and attacked the natives. Peter, Tiger Lilly, and Hook are afloat on a raft, drifting down a canyon in the middle of the night. But you better be careful where you leave your hands, because these waters are infested with crocodiles. This demo opens with noises just under the water's surface. Something is stalking our heroes. Splashing about. Suddenly the crocodile leaps over our heads -- sending splashing sounds with it and rumbling the LFE -- and knocks Peter into the water, where we follow him into the dark depths. I loved the sensation of being under water as well as the wind-swept crackling of waiving torches across the front soundstage. This demo is best used for scaring your water-phobic relatives after holiday pie. Fight for the Fairy Kingdom Chapters 9 - 10: 01:26:59 - 01:37:26 Like many action adventure stories, the battle-laden climax offers the perfect time to unleash the full fury of a sound mix. IE, what should be the most emotional scene in the movie, will also be the loudest and most audibly complex. 'Pan' serves one last gorgeous set-piece in the form of two flying galleon tearing through the Fairy Kingdom, which looks like the cross between the Fortress of Solitude and a mine shaft. This sequence offers up all the shooting flames, swirling fairy clouds, crashing galleons, whomping LFE, and creaking and stretching ropes you can handle. Swords crash and fists fly and a demo that shows off this mix's excellent dynamic range -- from soft to loud, from high to low. If an eleven minute demo is too long for you, the alternative time code to stop is 01:32:23, which acts as a bit of a break in the sequence. The full eleven minute version is definitely a fuller and richer experience because it adds effects like falling into the whirling wind and a full fairy swarm, but demos can get too long for some guests and friends. Play this final demo to test how your system responds to reference-level volumes. Does the bass boom too much, or do the speakers become harsh and bright? If it under-performs to your tastes, you may consider more calibration tweaks and/or new loudspeakers.Posted Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 01:50 PM PST by: -
HDD Gear Deal Spotlight: Up to 63% off 4K Ultra HD TVs[teaser]Amazon is offering big discounts on select Ultra HD TVs! [/teaser] As part of the online retailer's ongoing holiday promotions, Amazon is running a limited time sale on 4K displays from Seiki, Samsung, and Hisense. Seiki SE42UMS 42-Inch 4K Ultra HD TV - Currently $330 (63% off). Samsung UN78JS9500 Curved 78-Inch 4K Ultra HD TV - Currently $8,998 (40% off). Samsung UN65JU6500 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD TV - Currently $1,598 (31% off). Samsung UN60JS7000 60-Inch 4K Ultra HD TV - Currently $1,498 (29% off). Samsung UN48JU6700 Curved 48-Inch 4K Ultra HD TV - Currently $898 (22% off). Hisense 50H7GB2 50-Inch 4K Smart LED TV - Currently $548 (16% off). These deals will only be active for a limited time while supplies last. Make sure to stay tuned to High-Def Digest for more sales and promotions!Posted Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 01:00 PM PST by: -
High-Def Digest's Top Ten Blu-ray Demo Discs of 2015Hopefully Santa is dropping some new AV Gear under your tree this year. If he still needs ideas, tell him to check out HDD's 2015 Home Theater Gift Guide. Then, after setup, calibration, and fine tuning, there's only one thing left to do: Demonstration. Show your friends and family what it means to have a kickass display and sound system. This is the best freakin' part! What makes a great Blu-ray demo disc? First, its video presentation must boast sparkling clarity and an endless sense of depth and resolution (in 2D or 3D). Add in inky black levels, a wide dynamic range, and a extra serving of robust, saturated colors (should the filmmaker intend as such), and you've got a recipe for must-watch High Definition. Ultra High Definition, available now on streaming and via Ultra HD Blu-ray early next year, will push these capabilities even further.No demo is complete without heart-pounding audio. A mix so good you can't help but turn your amps to eleven and blow your guests out of their seats. Audio that places the audience dead center in another world. Crystal clear dialog surrounded by a maelstrom of sound effects and music elements. Truly standout sound mixes suck the audience towards the screen with a sense of enveloping immersion, and then hit them in the chest with roaring LFE. The challenge here is that sound mixes can bog down into muddy dreck if they're only loud, if they lack nuance and layers in the way they approach bombast. Dolby Atmos has really evolved this year and raised the bar for what it means to be demonstration worthy. The first thing I realized when putting together this list is that there are too many top top notch Blu-ray releases. It's nearly impossible to cull it down to only ten top choices. Modern day high definition video and lossless, multi-channel surround sound presentations are so good now that, were it not for film exhibition formats like Dolby Cinema and IMAX, there would be no point in going to commercial cinemas anymore (of course, for some of you, you're already at this point).Before we jump into the top ten, let's mention numerous Blu-rays that could be swapped onto this list (and might be on your lists). Each of these titles are demonstration worthy, in one way or another, but just weren't in my top ten: 'American Horror Story: Freak Show''Ex Machina''Exodus Gods & Kings' (and 3D)'Furious 7''Fury''Game of Thrones' Season 1 and Season 2 (the first TV in Dolby Atmos!)'Hannibal: Season 3''Interstellar''Jupiter Ascending' (and 3D)'Mission Impossible Rogue Nation''San Andreas' (and 3D)'Spartacus''Terminator Genysis' (and 3D)'Tomorrowland''Unbroken' [teaser]There are almost too many excellent Blu-rays this year. Great catalog titles. Animation. TV. 3D. 2D. Dolby Atmos. DTS-HD MA. There's so much excellent work being done, it's hard to pull out The Best. Still, I tried. Here are my top ten personal favorite Blu-ray demo discs in some semblance of a preferential order:[/teaser] JURASSIC WORLD 3D 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio I don't connect with this film the same way I did with the original, which is why despite its world class sound mix, it's a little further back on the list than it might be on yours. But there's no denying the quality of its picture, 3D stereo imaging, and the roaring sound. At least from a sonic perspective, I can't wait to go back to the park again and again and again. INSIDE OUT 3D 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio One of my favorite films of 2015, 'Inside Out' is the definition of demonstration worthy video with deep black levels and ultra saturated colors. The 7.1 mix is also incredibly rich and detailed, and provides tons of engagement during the action setpieces. ALADDIN: DIAMOND EDITION 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Finally, after far too long a wait, one of the best DVD sound mixes of the early 2000s arrives on Blu-ray with an upgraded 7.1 sound mix. From the song and dance numbers to the bellowing mouth of the enchanted mine, this Blu-ray is an audio delight mixed with very strong video. My only complaint, after enjoying the 3D conversions like 'The Lion King', is that there is no 3D option. JOHN WICK Dolby Atmos This badass little action picture is this year's 'Taken'. A clean, driven film with tons of bullets and bloody fights. The sound mix is a demo almost from start to finish. Definitely check out the club sequence in the middle of the movie, which blends bullets and pounding music to perfect effect. KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio A fun, satirical, subversive take on the spy genre, this movie is a high energy, extremely violent romp with a perfect sense of tone. The video presentation is ultra sharp, while the 7.1 surround sound is bombastic and precise. ROGER WATERS: THE WALL Dolby Atmos As a person who knew relatively little about this seminal album and its inception, I was moved by what is an emotional journey dressed up as a concert film. Roger Waters has taken his personal scars and used them to make a statement about the devastating, human consequences of a world at war. Even if you don't connect with the messages, this Dolby Atmos mix stuns from start to finish. The music is complex (each instrument coming to life). Crowd noise creates a sense of time and place. And the sound effects pan better than many of this years action movies. The video is quite good too. An excellent, excellent Blu-ray. BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA Dolby Atmos What a treat it is to see a gothic romance made using century old production techniques... presented on a digital high definition medium with a 21st sound mix. Remastered for Sony's Supreme Cinema Series, this guilty pleasure has never looked or sounded better on home video (here's hoping there's an Ultra HD Blu-ray in the works). Outside of 'Spartacus', it might just be the most film-feeling Blu-ray of the year. Black levels are deep, while the colors are rich and more accurate to the film's original release. And the Atmos mix... along with our next title, this proves how much fun one can have sprucing up catalog titles. From the opening of iron gates, to thunder and rain, this mix makes for an excellent demo disc and a definite improvement on what came before. THE FIFTH ELEMENT Dolby Atmos Sony's go-to title for home video releases has been remastered in 4K and has never looked better (especially when one considers its botched first Blu-ray). But the real star of his show is the Dolby Atmos mix. What was already demonstration worthy has been made wider, taller, and more immersive than ever before. If you live in an apartment building, make sure your neighbors are at work before unleashing this soundtrack on the world. GRAVITY: DIAMOND LUXE EDITION Dolby Atmos This thrilling survival movie wowed theatrical audiences because of its masterful use of 3D and its format-defining use of Dolby Atmos. Before 'Gravity, no film had ever sounded so precise in cinemas because, until this time, it had been impossible to place individual voices in individual speakers along an entire array. While it's a bummer that we don't get the 3D option here, 'Gravity' in Dolby Atmos is an exquisite experience that features a wide range of tonal environments and scenes that go from ultra quiet to overtly aggressive. MAD MAX FURY ROAD 3D Dolby Atmos The road to Valhalla is shiny and chrome! Hands down the best sound mix off all time (just ahead of 'Gravity' and 'Life of Pi', in my humblest opinion). What was earth shattering in cinemas rides home with almost constant engagement in every speaker while boasting house-shaking LFE. Sure, some argue it's nothing more than chaos and noise -- loudness wars! -- but I so, so disagree. Because inside the aural insanity, you can hear every sparkling detail -- every throttle response, every whistle of wind, every bullet spark, every haunted voice crying out. It is an assault, true, but also symphonic and layered and clear. And, on top of that, the 3D conversion is excellent, while both the stereo and 2D editions offer an infinite sense of sharpness and color saturation.All hail the Immortan of Blu-ray! 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Dolby Atmos home theater mix from Dolby Laboratories on Vimeo.Posted Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 12:30 PM PST by: -
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Blu-ray Pre-Orders Live![teaser]J.J. Abrams restores balance to the Force with Star Wars: Episode VII already up for Blu-ray pre-orders at Amazon! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Disney/Buena Vista will be releasing 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' on Blu-ray in the new year. Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. When a defector named Finn crash-lands on a desert planet, he meets Rey (Daisy Ridley), a tough scavenger whose droid contains a top-secret map. Together, the young duo joins forces with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to make sure the Resistance receives the intelligence concerning the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last of the Jedi Knights. No other details have been revealed at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under PENDING. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
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LG webOS 3.0 Smart TVs Earn UL Verification for Controlling Smart Home Appliances[teaser]The new smart TV platform will be compatible with other LG Internet of Things (IoT) devices. [/teaser] LG's webOS 3.0 system has received UL (Underwriters Laboratory) verification for smart home readiness. This means that webOS 3.0 smart TVs will feature smart home management functionality for supported internet connected appliances. "We've always considered the living room TV as a central hub of the smart home and LG Smart TV with webOS 3.0 was designed with this functionality in mind," said Sam Kim, senior vice president and head of TV product planning at the LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. "This UL verification further supports LG's commitment to providing an unparalleled user experience and developing innovative IoT-capable smart home products that exceed consumer expectations." LG's upcoming 2016 webOS 3.0 smart TVs will include a new IoTV app, allowing users to control compatible smart appliances directly through their televisions. The TV will display the status of all connected devices, including refrigerators, air conditioners or washing machines. Through the smart TV interface, customers can then control their individual appliances, letting them adjust room lighting, change the temperature of the air conditioner, and more right from the TV app. The full lineup of UL verified LG webOS 3.0 Ultra HD and OLED smart TVs will be revealed at CES 2016. The show will be held on January 6-9 in Las Vegas. Source: LGPosted Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 11:15 AM PST by: -
Criterion's March Blu-ray Titles Now Available for Pre-Order![teaser]The distributor has revealed its upcoming slate of March releases, including John Frankenheimer's 'The Manchurian Candidate' and Vittorio De Sica's 'Bicycle Thieves.' [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion is preparing 'Paris Belongs to Us,' 'The Manchurian Candidate,' 'A Brighter Summer Day,' 'A Poem Is a Naked Person,' and 'Bicycle Thieves' for Blu-ray throughout the month of March. 'Paris Belongs to Us' (March 8) - One of the original critics turned filmmakers who helped jump-start the French New Wave, Jacques Rivette began shooting his debut feature in 1957, well before that cinema revolution officially kicked off with The 400 Blows and Breathless. Ultimately released in 1961, the rich and mysterious Paris Belongs to Us offers some of the radical flavor that would define the movement, with a particularly Rivettian twist. The film follows a young literature student (Betty Schneider) who befriends the members of a loose-knit group of twentysomethings in Paris, united by the apparent suicide of an acquaintance. Suffused with a lingering post–World War II disillusionment while evincing a playful temperament, Rivette’s film marked the provocative start to a brilliant directorial career. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed French mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: New interview with Richard Neupert, author of A History of the French New Wave Cinema; Jacques Rivette’s 1956 short film Le coup du berger, featuring cameos by fellow French New Wave directors Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard, and François Truffaut; PLUS: An essay by critic Luc Sante. Order the Blu-ray 'The Manchurian Candidate' (March 15) - The name John Frankenheimer became forever synonymous with heart-in-the-throat filmmaking when this quintessential sixties political thriller was released. Set in the early fifties, this razor-sharp adaptation of the novel by Richard Condon concerns the decorated U.S. Army sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), who as a prisoner during the Korean War is brainwashed into being a sleeper assassin in a Communist conspiracy, and a fellow POW(Frank Sinatra) who slowly uncovers the sinister plot. In an unforgettable, Oscar-nominated performance, Angela Lansbury plays Raymond’s villainous mother, the controlling wife of a witch-hunting anti-Communist senator with his eyes on the White House. The rare film to be suffused with Cold War paranoia while also taking aim at the frenzy of the McCarthy era, The Manchurian Candidate remains potent, shocking American moviemaking. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary from 1997 featuring director John Frankenheimer; New interview with actor Angela Lansbury; New piece featuring filmmaker Errol Morris discussing his appreciation for The Manchurian Candidate; Conversation between Frankenheimer, screenwriter George Axelrod, and actor Frank Sinatra from 1988; New interview with historian Susan Carruthers about the Cold War brainwashing scare; and Trailer. Order the Blu-ray 'A Brighter Summer Day' (March 22) - Among the most praised and sought-after titles in all contemporary film, this singular masterpiece of Taiwanese cinema, directed by Edward Yang, finally comes to home video in the United States. Set in the early sixties in Taiwan, A Brighter Summer Day is based on the true story of a crime that rocked the nation. A film of both sprawling scope and tender intimacy, this novelistic, patiently observed epic centers on the gradual, inexorable fall of a young teenager (Chen Chang, in his first role) from innocence to juvenile delinquency, and is set against a simmering backdrop of restless youth, rock and roll, and political turmoil. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed Mandarin/Taiwanese mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: New audio commentary featuring critic Tony Rayns; New interview with actor Chen Chang; Our Time, Our Story, a 117-minute documentary from 2002 about the New Taiwan Cinema movement, featuring interviews with Yang and filmmakers Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang, among others; Videotaped performance of director Edward Yang’s 1992 play Likely Consequence; PLUS: An essay by critic Godfrey Cheshire and a 1991 director’s statement by Yang. Order the Blu-ray 'A Poem Is a Naked Person' (March 29) - Les Blank considered this free-form feature documentary about beloved singer-songwriter Leon Russell, filmed between 1972 and 1974, to be one of his greatest accomplishments. Yet it has not been released until now. Hired by Russell to film him at his recording studio in northeast Oklahoma, Blank ended up constructing a unique, intimate portrait of a musician and his environment. Made up of mesmerizing scenes of Russell and his band performing, both in concert and in the studio, as well as off-the-cuff moments behind the scenes, this singular film—which also features performances by Willie Nelson and George Jones—has attained legendary status over the years. It’s a work of rough beauty that serves as testament to Blank’s cinematic daring and Russell’s immense musical talents. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: New interviews with Harrod Blank, musician Leon Russell, assistant editor Maureen Gosling, and artist Jim Franklin; Behind-the-scenes material, shot and edited by Gosling; Trailers; More!; PLUS: An essay by critic Kent Jones. Order the Blu-ray 'Bicycle Thieves' (March 29) - Hailed around the world as one of the greatest movies ever made, the Academy Award–winning Bicycle Thieves, directed by Vittorio De Sica, defined an era in cinema. In poverty-stricken postwar Rome, a man is on his first day of a new job that offers hope of salvation for his desperate family when his bicycle, which he needs for his work, is stolen. With his young son in tow, he sets off to track down the thief. Simple in construction and profoundly rich in human insight, Bicycle Thieves embodies the greatest strengths of the Italian neorealist movement: emotional clarity, social rectitude, and brutal honesty. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed Italian mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: Working with De Sica, a collection of interviews with screenwriter Suso Cecchi d’Amico, actor Enzo Staiola, and film scholar Callisto Cosulich; Life as It Is, a program on the history of Italian neorealism, featuring scholar Mark Shiel; Documentary from 2003 on screenwriter and longtime Vittorio De Sica collaborator Cesare Zavattini, directed by Carlo Lizzani; PLUS: A book featuring essays by critic Godfrey Cheshire and filmmaker Charles Burnett, classic writing by Zavattini and critic André Bazin, and reminiscences by De Sica and his collaborators. Order the Blu-ray Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for all of the titles listed above linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed throughout March.Posted Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
David Gordon Green's 'Our Brand is Crisis' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]The film starring Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton will debut on Blu-ray in February. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers will be releasing 'Our Brand is Crisis' on Blu-ray on February 2. A Bolivian presidential candidate failing badly in the polls enlists the firepower of an elite American management team, led by the deeply damaged but still brilliant strategist "Calamity" Jane Bodine (Bullock). In self-imposed retirement following a scandal that earned her nickname and rocked her to her core, Jane is coaxed back into the game for the chance to beat her professional nemesis, the loathsome Pat Candy (Thornton), now coaching the opposition. But as Candy zeroes in on every vulnerability – both on and off the campaign trail – Jane is plunged into a personal crisis as intense as the one her team exploits nationally to boost their numbers. Dramatic, rapid-fire and laced with satire, "Our Brand is Crisis" reveals the cynical machinations and private battles of world-class political consultants for whom nothing is sacred and winning is all that matters. Specs haven't been revealed yet, but supplements include: Sandra Bullock: A Role Like No Other featurette. You can find the latest specs for 'Our Brand is Crisis' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under February 2. Order the Blu-rayPosted Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
ADX Receives Patent for Trillium Audio Technology Used in RIVA Turbo X & S Premium Mobile Speakers[teaser]The company's patented sound system processor creates a wide soundfield from mobile speakers. [/teaser] ADX (Audio Design Experts, Inc), the parent company of RIVA Audio, has been awarded a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its Trillium audio technology. The sound system can currently be found in the RIVA Turbo X and RIVA S mobile speakers. "Trillium™ is an example of RIVA's imagination and innovation to revolutionize the wireless speaker market and challenge the preconceived notions of what a Bluetooth speaker can be." said Donald North, President and Chief Engineer of RIVA Audio. "More than just small, portable boxes, RIVA's speakers are made to truly expand the musical sound field and provide the user with a more natural listening experience." Trillium is a proprietary audio process that up-mixes a left/right stereo signal and outputs it through three channels of amplification and seven transducers. This allows compact, mobile speakers to create a large stereophonic soundfield with virtual left and right speakers outside the enclosure. Likewise, the technology also expands low frequencies with signals for four passive radiators. Finally, speaker models that use the process are able to avoid off-axis comb filtering, resulting in a wider listening area with clean sound even at high output levels. ADX's Trillium audio technology is currently implemented in the highly recommended RIVA Turbo X Bluetooth Speaker (full review here!) and new RIVA S Bluetooth Speaker (full review coming soon). Source: ADXPosted Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 03:15 PM PST by: -
Jared Hess's 'Don Verdean' Dated and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]The comedy starring Sam Rockwell, Amy Ryan, and Jemaine Clement is planned for Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Lionsgate will be releasing 'Don Verdean' on Blu-ray on March 1. From the writers of Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre comes a comedy of biblical proportions. Hired by an ambitious small-town pastor to find sacred relics in the Holy Land, a self-proclaimed biblical archaeologist comes up short and his attempt to cover up his failure fuels a comic conspiracy. The "absurdly funny" (WNYN-TV) Sundance Film Festival favorite is currently available On Demand and features laugh-out-loud performances by Leslie Bibb (Talladega Nights), Primetime Emmy® nominee Will Forte (TV's "Last Man on Earth"), and Danny McBride (The Is the End). The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, lossless 5.1 audio, and supplements include: "Digging In: Behind the Scenes of Don Verdean" Featurette; "Behind the Sounds" Featurette; and Audio Commentary with Director Jared Hess. You can find the latest specs for 'Don Verdean' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under March 1. Order the Blu-rayPosted Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
LG Set to Debut webOS 3.0 Smart TV Platform at CES 2016[teaser]The company's new smart TV tech will be on display at the upcoming show. [/teaser] LG has announced plans to debut its new webOS 3.0 smart TV platform at CES 2016. The webOS 3.0 system offers enhanced features and new content over the previous version. "The new webOS 3.0 is a major update since this advanced TV platform technology was first introduced in 2014," said Brian Kwon, President and CEO at LG’s Home Entertainment Company. "The webOS story of Simple Connection, Simple Switching and Simple Discovery has really connected with customers and illustrates very clearly our commitment to securing a leadership role in the smart TV market with innovation and creativity." LG's webOS 3.0 offers several new and updated options, including three "magic" smart features. First up, is Magic Zoom which allows users to magnify objects and letters without any picture quality loss. Next, is Magic Mobile Connection which allows users to easily display content from a mobile device on their TV through the company's LG TV Plus App. Finally, the platform also incorporates an upgraded Magic Remote with more set-top box and DVR functions. In addition, webOS 3.0 offers several more updated features as well, including Channel Advisor for info about frequently watched programs, Multi-View for watching two sources at the same time, and a Music Player App. The new lineup of 2016 LG webOS 3.0 smart TVs will be on display at LG's booth during CES 2016 from January 6-9 in Las Vegas. Source: LGPosted Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 10:00 AM PST by:
