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Treme: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review

last modified March 23, 2011 03:35

Treme is a new drama series on HBO, sprung from the mind of David Simon, creator of the The Wire. Set in New Orleans not long after hurricane Katrina, Treme brings us average people as they rebuild following the worst man-made disaster in American history. But don't expect a somber look at life in the Big Easy. Instead you'll find Treme populated with colorful characters of indomitable resilience as they pick up the broken pieces of their lives in this musical city. Treme switches effortlessly between subplots and unique perspectives, woven together with a thick thread of New Orleans' unique culture, food and most of all music. You'll not only forgive this series for breaking into a song – the music is what keeps you coming back. Finally, television that rewards your musical sound system!

last modified March 23, 2011 07:04

When Atdec was looking for a place to try out their new TH-2050-VFM in the field I started looking around... and found a friend that still hadn't mounted his TV on the wall (honestly, it's getting so bad that a friend of mine actually snapped a pick of this guy's existing TV install and texted it to me). The TH-2050-VFM is a great-looking mount that comes in a combination silver and black color scheme. The articulated arm has three pivot points - one at the wall, one in the middle of the arm, and the last just behind the mounting plate. This is an attractive and highly usable mount. For obvious reasons it would also work well in a corner or a commercial environment as well. It's elegant, beautiful and well-built. In this particular case we were dealing with a TV that was set on top of a fireplace mantel. It was an older flat panel TV, so it had that going for it. It also supported a VESA mounting pattern, so the TH-2050-VFM seemed to be the perfect solution to our desire for a better use of space.

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Visual Apex VApex Fixed Frame Screens First Look

last modified March 16, 2011 02:15

Visual Apex has released a new line of fixed screens that are easily assembled at home and are quite affordable. Sporting a CinemaWhite high gain fabric (1.1 gain, 80 degree viewing angle), the VApex (get it, Visual Apex = VApex) screens come in 92, 100, 106, 120, and 135 inches diagonal for $329, $339, $349, $399, and $499 respectively. It's hard to imagine that you could DIY a screen for less than the cost of the VApex screen. Assembly looks to be a snap, the materials all look to be very high quality, and you can go from box to watching a movie in less than an hour (it seems). If you've had your eye on a projector to bring your home theater to the next level, the Visual Apex VApex screens should be in the back of your mind.

last modified December 31, 1969 06:00

The Crestron PROAMP-7X400 "PROCISE" amplifier is an 108lbs behemoth that is designed to work perfectly with your Crestron PSPHD "PROCISE" surround processor. We don't know the price but it is sure to be expensive. But for that you get a ton of management and control ability that will work not only with the Crestron processor but also can be accessed from a Crestron touchpanel, computer or mobile device though Cresnet (talk to your local installer). There are some curious omissions on the back panel but Crestron seems to have given consumers a real reason to pair their amp with their processor. Most just hope matching faceplates will do that for you.

A Heartfelt Goodbye to Gary Altunian

last modified March 21, 2011 02:15

Gary was 59 and a native of Southern California. He was director of training and development at a regional CE chain, The Federated Group from 1975 to 1988. From 1988 to 2003, he was Yamaha's national sales training manager. In 2003, he launched a career writing about audio components for such publications as Widescreen Review, Ultimate AV and Home Theater Magazine. Gary passed away March 15 after fighting cancer for several years. Funeral arrangements weren't available as of this posting. What we personally knew of Gary was a bit more recent, having spent some time with him at CES back in 2005 and he having the somewhat dubious privilege of having introduced us to one of our long-running jokes, the Samsung AV-R3000 AV receiver...

The Tourist Blu-ray Review

last modified March 21, 2011 01:45

The Tourist is a lighthearted caper film complete with Interpol vans, overtones of romance and international espionage. Starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, it features beautiful people in beautiful, exotic locales being chased by the kind of generic baddies that were rejected from a James Bond movie. There – you've just decided if you'll like this film or not and you're almost certainly right. Despite its wide berth of mixed reviews, The Tourist is neither a great movie nor an abomination of modern filmmaking. I found The Tourist surprisingly entertaining if equally forgettable.

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Verizon Uses DirecTV

last modified March 18, 2011 01:54

So I was driving my motorcycle downtown today and scoped this out of the corner of my eye. What's that? Could my eyes deceive me? A DirecTV dish positioned right next to the big Verizon Plus Corporate sign? It certainly was... so intrigued was I that I pulled out my camera - riding gloves and all - and risked the shot while perched on the bike. This is one heck of an endorsement from the company that brings you Fios! Now I don't know if it's there because someone else in the building put it there, or because Verizon can't get its own service downtown (I live downtown and it's not available to my home) - but in either case it's good for a laugh... and hopefully it doesn't get anyone in trouble.

last modified March 18, 2011 10:12

D&M Holdings gave a statement this week that its factory in Shirakawa, Japan is going to be closed until next week as a result of some severe damage from last week's intense 9.0 offshore earthquake. Bob Weissburg stated only that the facility sustained some damage and that it would remain offline until the 16th. The company still needs to ascertain the extent of the damage, but apparently felt that to be a sufficient amount of time to do so. The entire area surrounding Shirakawa is apparently undergoing careful scrutiny as it incurred major damage - to major highways, it's high speed train rails, and the city water supply. It goes without saying that power supply to the city is also having to be rerouted and compensated for following the damage.

last modified March 18, 2011 08:55

Kevin Spacey must love Netflix. It what is brand new ground entirely for the streaming Goliath, Netflix just outbid several significant cable networks, including HBO and AMC to acquire a new drama series called House of Cards. Lest you think this is a small thing - the show is being produced and directed by none other than David Fincher and stars Kevin Spacey (who is also an executive producer). The deal is still "wet", but deadline.com reports that Netflix won the deal by committing to two full seasons of the show up front - something almost unheard of in a cautious industry that works through Pilots and last-minute renewals. If we estimate just $4 million per episode, we're talking a financial outlay of around $160 million or more. With that kind of investment, we're wondering if Netflix is going to want to inject commercials - or bank on the influx of new memberships through popularization of the show.

last modified March 18, 2011 01:30

The Crestron PSPHD PROCISE Surround Processor is just what it says it is - a surround processor. It is really more about giving custom installers a very easy way to create a high end sound in a home theater with all the little things that discerning audiophiles want paired with features that will make installations easier. The price tag is definitely high but that is to be expected with this sort of product. We're sure that installers are drooling as they wait to get their hands on one. With a custom installer name like Crestron behind it, you can bet it is also not going to be cheap. You'd be right but we'll leave that to the end. Hopefully you didn't see it above and spoil the surprise. The last thing the Crestron PSPHD is not is 3D capable. What this means is that you'll have to find a way to get the 3D picture to your screen but not through the Crestron.

Toshiba 46WX800U 46" 3D TV Video Review

last modified December 31, 1969 06:00

Toshiba's first 3D TV has a flush glass front, with a chrome trim. It's not just pretty outside, though. The GUI interface, where you control the the system menu, Yahoo! Widgets and Internet apps, is equally gorgeous - though a bit laggy. When you enter the NetTV mode it gives you access to Netflix, VUDU, Pandora and YouTube, and lines them up in a semicircle underneath your current video source. Blockbuster is listed but not ready (even as of March 2011) and YouTube XL wasn't working when we tested this set, but it's clear that more apps are possible via firmware updates. Overall it's a beautiful layout that makes it easy to see all of your options. An updatable Yahoo Widget system drives most of the remaining content on the Toshiba, and gives you access to such features as Facebook, Flickr, eBay and other apps and blogs. This content ranges from simple information pages, to full-out HD video programs. To access this content you can connect the TV to your network via Ethernet or the built-in 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi.

Logitech Speaker System Z906 First Look

last modified December 31, 1969 06:00

Is the Logitech Speaker System Z906 for everyone? Of course not. But if you are on a serious budget and are looking for a $400 5.1 system with a basic receiver, we're betting you could do a lot worse. The speakers are all wall mountable, the "sub" promises 165 watts of "pure" bass, and the remote is wireless. With up to six inputs on the control unit/receiver, you'll be hard pressed to use them all. We wish we had more information on the frequency response and drivers (not to mention construction) but, honestly, it doesn't matter. It has 500 watts. And that's, like, 70 cents a watt. You can't beat that right?