(Credit: CBS Interactive)Sony’s Bravia Internet Video Link (or “BIVL,” as we call it around here) is getting two more content partners: Slacker and Howcast. Slacker is the online streaming music service (similar to Pandora and Last.FM), while Howcast is a help and how-to website. Both will be …
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(Credit: Vudu)Vudu has launched a third version of its downloadable movie set-top box–but this one is strictly for the upscale home installer set. Unlike the squat Mac Mini-like dimensions of earlier Vudu products, the XL2 has the more standard (and rack-mountable) 17-inch width you’d see in a typical …
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(Credit: Pioneer)I receive a lot of e-mail asking why we haven’t reviewed many AV receivers in recent months. First off, let me say: mea culpa. Reviews coverage of this category has suffered, mostly because AV receivers are among the most time-consuming products to analyze (because they now need to be examined in detail for their audio and video performance). But enough of the excuses; here’s what we’re doing to remedy the situation.
We’re concentrating our efforts on receivers that deliver the maximum value in the sub-$500 range. That means as many HDMI inputs as possible (ideally, at least four), support for Blu-ray lossless audio decoding (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio), and the ability to convert analog video inputs to HDMI (i.e. HDMI upconversion of composite, S-video, and component inputs). That latter feature is becoming somewhat less important now that most every new home video device tends to sport an HDMI output, but there are still plenty of sources–most notably the Nintendo Wii–that don’t.
With those bullet points in mind, here are five models on our reviews radar. All of the models listed below are 7.1-channel models that offer lossless audio decoding, HDMI inputs, automatic speaker calibration, on-screen interfaces, built-in compatibility with Sirius and/or XM satellite radio, and analog-to-HDMI video conversion:
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The Pure-Fi Anytime: One of Logitech's latest iPod clock radios. But how does it compare to the other models in the Pure-Fi line?
(Credit: Logitech)
Logitech’s line of Pure-Fi iPod speaker docks has swelled to six, and CNET’s reviewed pretty much every one. Some of the …
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(Credit: Energy)“The bigger the speaker, the better the sound” is a rule of thumb that you’re likely to hear from many audiophiles. Thankfully, every rule has an exception. In this case, it’s the Energy RC-Micro 5.1. Energy’s latest surround-sound speaker system sports downright miniscule dimensions–the …
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(Credit: Dish Network)After a delay of several months, Dish Network will be releasing the DTVPal DVR in mid-December. The antenna-friendly HD DVR will retail for $250 (after a $50 instant rebate).
You may remember the DTV Pal DVR as the EchoStar TR-50. That’s the name under which it …
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(Credit: 2Wire)2Wire has unveiled the MediaPoint, a thin-client set-top box that’s designed to deliver HD video via broadband. The MediaPoint box will have a small footprint (just 7 inches square) and a good array of features, including HDMI output, wired and wireless network connectivity, USB expansion options, and …
Continue reading about 2Wire debuts MediaPoint set-top box, but you can’t buy it–yet
(Credit: Vudu)Vudu is now offering more than 1,100 movies in high-def, making it number one in on-demand HD. The company says that it blew past the 1,000-title milestone by adding more than 150 HD flicks per week in October, and it’s pledging to continue its HD …
New York City over-the-air analog TV stations went dark for two minutes today. The prescheduled test gave a temporary taste of what’s planned when the stations permanently pull the analog plug on February 17, 2009.
The two minute test occurred between 5:58 and 6:00 p.m. ET, …
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