Podcast #595: Top 5 AV Receivers for under $600

Last week we gave you our opinion on which TV to buy for under $1000. This week we’ll do the same for AV Receivers, but for less than $600. As with TVs, there are many factors to consider when buying a receiver. And there’s also personal preference, past experience and brand loyalty. We’ve used all of those factors to compile the list, and we assume you'll apply your bias to it and find the one that fits your home theater just right.

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Podcast #594: Allaire ARIS Speaker and Top 5 HDTVs for under $1k

If you wanted to setup a home with multiple zones in the fastest way possible its pretty clear there is only one way to go, wireless. There are plenty of solutions for Apple’s Airplay technology built in but what about if you use Windows Media Player? What would you say if we found a system that works with just about any protocol out there and sounds great too? That’s where the Allaire ARIS Wireless Speaker System by Aperion Audio comes in.

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Podcast #593: Blu-ray: Here to stay?

In our last episode we spelled out the reasons the Blu-ray disk, and the DVD for that matter, may not be around for much longer. That sparked some healthy debate at the watercooler and in our email. As you can imagine, pristine, high quality audio and video aren’t the only reasons to hang on to the disk format. In the interest of point-counterpoint, "we report, you decide," this week we’ll cover the reasons why Blu-ray could hang around for a while.

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Calibration Corner #3

In this episode we cover the following topics:

• Manual audio calibration for older receivers
• Calibration for day and night
• Large or small speaker settings
• SpectraCal C6 or i1Pro 2 Enhanced
• Backlight levels?

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Podcast #592: Is Blu-ray a Dead Format?

Ask anyone who knows something about home theater what is the highest quality audio and video available to mere mortals today and they will tell you Blu-ray. Blu-ray video is stunning and the audio is simply amazing. But we don’t have to tell you that. So does Blu-ray have a future? The following are some reasons why Blu-ray may not be around for too much longer.

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Podcast #591: HDTV in the Great Outdoors

For many avid campers and outdoor enthusiasts, time spent away in the wilderness is a great opportunity to unplug and distance yourself from all of the technology that surrounds us everyday. For others of us, the idea of being away from HDTV for an extended amount of time puts us into a bit of a panic. But don’t fret, there are ways to experience the great outdoors and bring your HDTV along for the trip.

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