Internet Radio Features Pandora Service – The new $199 Livio Radio is the first dedicated device to offer Pandora’s popular personalized music service via both its front panel and its remote. Users can customize the music and programming they receive across any genre, from anywhere worldwide, without a monthly fee. The radio works independently of a computer (but of course requires a Wi-Fi router in the home) and allows the music to be brought to any room of the home. Livio developed the radio to make Internet audio streams accessible to more people in more places. It uses Reciva, a leader in Internet radio technology, to access a comprehensive list of over 16,000 validated Internet outlets around the world. Details at www.LivioRadio.com
Pioneer’s New Post-Plasma Direction – Pioneer Electronics, which has announced that as of March of next year they will no longer offer their line of Kuro plasma displays, is now defining its post-plasma position in the home electronics market. The company will promote three core messages to consumers: First, that they are AV specialists, making AV receivers, DVD and Blu-ray players and speakers – not just display devices. Second, they will promote their “shared vision with creative professionals” – these include London’s Air Studios and THX (Pioneer was the first to offer Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital and THX-certified receivers). Pioneer’s third message is to stress “balance” in the home-AV domain; in other words not to be just TV-focused or speaker-focused. Their executive VP of home entertainment says the company has a fiscal plan “that fully considers the business without plasma.”
Sony Bravia TV Problems – Sony uses third party manufacturers to make their Bravia LCD TV displays, and they have been hit by a rise in the price of flat panel displays due to a shortage of glass substrate. In Australia alone, Sony sales have fallen from 30% less than 15%. To try to boost sales, Sony in the UK is offering a $300 rebate for old CRT TVs turned in when consumers purchase a new Bravia TV. A catch is that one has to buy a 46-inch or larger display, or a 26-inch or larger for a $200 rebate.
Beefs About Cinema Sound in Theaters – Film Journal International assembled a group of renowned audio experts to discuss sound in today’s commercial cinemas. Here’s just a few of the problems that were discussed: Poor adjustment of sound levels. Lack of maintenance of equipment. Faulty sound pickup. Under-specification of speakers for a given theater size. Inadequate number of subwoofers and surround speakers. Poor alignment of the sound reader in the projector. Overuse or incorrect use of equalization. Rattles and buzzes. No bass end or boomy bass. Distortion. Poor balance. Auditoriums that are not up to par for wide-range uncompressed hi-res digital cinema sound. The group spoke about the equipment having become increasingly easy to operate, and the days of the professional projectionist being over. Multiplexes hire high schoolers only trained to thread the projector or push the start button. There are easy-to-use test discs and strips, which should be used weekly, but they are often ignored. The whole audio system needs to be carefully selected and maintained to assure full bandwidth, power handling and clarity with the new hi-res digital audio sources. And they didn’t even address the beefs about what is on the screen: the out-of-focus, the catawampus alignment of images, the masking-off of parts of the image onto areas around the screen. Now can we understand why it’s often quite easy to surpass both the sound and image quality of a commercial theatrical movie in your own home theater?
