Podcast #597: Google Chromecast review

There was a lot of buzz a couple weeks back when Google announced the release of a new HDMI device called the Chromecast ($35). We weren’t immune to the curiosity, so we ordered one. The popularity made them tough to get, but when ours finally arrived, we couldn’t wait to see if it would live up to expectations. We’ll admit, we set our own expectations. Google didn’t do much to hype it up. They simply said, here it is, at a very reasonable price, have at it.

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Podcast #596: ZyXEL 500 Mbps Fast Ethernet Powerline Adapter

Just about everything we add to our home theaters need an Internet connection. Sure you can use WiFi but nothing beats a hardwired connection. If you have an older home it may be difficult to string wire yourself or costly to hire someone to do it for you. One option that is dead simple and as easy as plugging a device into a socket is Ethernet over Powerlines. We have reviewed many over the years but as technology improves we like to test newer products to see if data rates are getting faster. On this episode we take a look at the ZyXEL 500 Mb/s Fast Ethernet Powerline Wall-Plug Adapter.

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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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