We research all day so you don’t have to!
For Black Friday Amazon is bundling Infamous and Killzone II for free. You will also receive a $10 credit good towards your next purchase and a $5 VOD credit. Quantities are limited.
OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD & DVD-Audio
OPPO Digital, Inc. has finally released their BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD and DVD-Audio. Place your OPPO BDP-83 order here
The short take is the price is the same $499 charged during the Early Adoption Programs. It’s built extremely well for its price point and offers everything one could wish for and then some being a true universal player.
If you don’t require world-class DVD upscaling OPPO’s new BDP-80 might just be a better choice and being over $200 less can’t hurt!
For a variety of reasons these movies need to be enjoyed more than once. The reasons are so obvious we can even list a few.
My guess is you have already seen at least eight of the ten so you should just about be ready to start on your second take. Odds are you’ll enjoy them even more.
There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy each and every one of the following Blu-ray discs. They each have a very good reason why we do but we won’t bore you with the details. We have included lesser known titles that are often overlooked so there is also a very good chance Netflix or your local rental shop will have them in stock!
Most certainly you won’t enjoy listening to all of these CDs but there is a pretty good chance you’ll find one or more to your liking. Hopefully you’ll find a new favorite artist for your efforts. If not all we can say is you have lousy taste in music!
Boston Acoustics HSOLOMIST Horizon Solo Am/Fm Radio Wtih Auxiliary Input (Mist)
We have always loved the Boston Acoustics sound and believe we can pick out a set of their speakers almost instantly. To our ears they have a fullness or presence other speaker brands lack. This makes them perfect for home theater as it delivers the soundtrack right into the middle of the room. The movie comes alive as you feel the sounds surround you and take you deep into the storyline.
Now the Boston Acoustics sound might be as important in a clock radio but fortunately for Boston Acoustics everything else is just as outstanding. Great looks, a strong tuner and a ton of other features ensure you’ll love Boston Acoustics almost as much as we do for home theater.
Zinwell ZAT-970A Digital to Analog TV Converter Box
More than likely you haven’t been using an analog over-the-air TV for years. However the same can’t be said for the rest of your family and friends. Remember June 12th is the day analog goes dark. Using the government provided $40 coupon (up to two per household) you can ensure mom won’t miss her favorite show. With converter boxes going for as low as $40 you can be a hero for free. If you get lucky like me you’ll get a piece or two of pie as a reward.
The Best That I Could Do 1978-1988
Although I prefer John Mellencamp’s later albums if you only know his music from truck commercials The Best That I Could Do is a great introduction to his early years. Billed as Johnny Cougar when his first album of covers was released in 1976 called Chestnut Street Incident little did it look like this singer and songwriter would become a major force in the music industry.
First he won the public with hit after hit and as he matured the critics were won over by his continuing heartfelt lyrics and passion. His band has been performing for over thirty years and with almost as many albums to pick from we guarantee you can find a few to relate to and appreciate regardless of your age or taste in music.
Having a forum addiction I have read uncountable number of posts claiming one piece of equipment is better than another. Only to see the very next post claiming the exact opposite. Then of course it’s post after post wondering about upgrading to the latest model for better performance.
When these discussions evolve around video I often chuckle and tend to be interested only on a entertainment level. Of course different features sets can make one model better suited for your installation and influence the level of performance but let’s take Blu-ray players as an example. I have used at least a dozen different models in my theater from the Sony PS3 to Pioneer’s BDP-09FD. The difference in cost is multiple times the cost of the PS3 but when using HDMI for audio and video any differences would have to be measured in pennies.
With this in mind I consider the fascination with the latest and greatest a hobby in and of itself and most inclined to partake spend more time researching, discussing and tweaking than they ever do enjoying home audio and video. A few years ago I posted a poll asking the following.
Which would provide the biggest improvement over your current image:
I was surprised when the last option drew the largest number of votes as it showed people realize in most cases they are attempting to replace their equipment long before they have come close to taking advantage of what it has to offer. Which to me enforced their hobby was indeed upgrading equipment. Certainly no harm in that but it seems a shame when we don’t get all the performance available to use especially when you consider how much can be gained with very little effort and cost.
When it comes to the video chain the best way to ensure you are getting everything you can is by having a professional calibration performed. Often it will turn out to be the best return you have ever had on for your entertainment dollar. The images will go from looking like TV to real life and open up a whole new world of realism you never knew was available.
Now if I haven’t quite convinced you to book your local ISF calibrator I have a completely free option to get you on the path to becoming a believer. You will begin to see images how they were intended to be seen. You can download and burn a free set of test patterns that will allow you to properly adjust your display. Even if you just correct the brightness and contrast levels you will be able to see more detail in the image and gain many other benefits.
Don’t worry it’s not difficult and if you write down your current settings you can always go back home again! For help in getting started or for future reference when you are ready to dig deeper in the world of calibration bookmark the following link which can also use to download the free test patterns.
Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player
HD was invented for large screens and room engulfing audio. Neither can be obtained by using your computer outside of connecting it to your audio and video system. While many have done exactly that by building complex and expensive HTPCs we recommend a much easier and less expensive path.
The Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player allows you to play all of your media files on your home audio and video gear. This includes almost every type of HD audio and video format via HDMI. Simply transfer, rip or download your files to an external drive. When you are ready to play them connect the external drive to the WD TV HD Media Player and you are good to go.
Although there are other media players there are four reasons why this player is an easy sell.
Now don’t get us wrong it’s not as easy to use as TiVo but if you are already streaming media you’ll appreciate its simple yet sophisticated approach. To learn more visit the WD TV HD Media Player thread at AVSForum where you’ll find endless information and even firmware hacks to add that feature you just can’t live without.
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