rays

Do all Blu-ray (and DVD) players sound the same?

I get this question a lot, "Steve, what's the best-sounding Blu-ray player." Sometimes the questioner is more specific, "I have an Oppo BDP-83, but is the Oppo BDP- 95 better? What are you using at home?"

I have an Oppo BDP-95 ($999), which has a lot in common with the company's BDP-93 ($499) 3D universal Blu-ray, SACD, DVD-Audio player, but the BDP-95 is the potentially better sounding player. I say potentially because that player's upgraded digital-to-analog converter and audio circuitry won't make a nit of difference if you're using the player'… Read more

New Yamaha app gives greater AV, media control

Yamaha has unveiled its AV Controller App 2.0 for Android and iOS devices. The app is designed to let users not only control Yamaha receivers and Blu-ray players wirelessly but also stream music to them via DLNA and from a mobile device.

The new app also offers multizone functionality, enabling users to control music in any zone, in addition to system functions such as power, source selection, zones, DSP, and volume.

The app lets users select computers and/or NAS devices from a source list, browse the media contained on them, and stream that media to a receiver. Yamaha … Read more

Get a triple-core Blu-ray laptop for $399.99 shipped

I tend to post a lot of cheapie laptops, largely because I like things that are cheapie, but also because I think most users can get by with a dual-core processor, minimal RAM, and so on.

Of course, sometimes you want a bit more power, like for games and video editing. Maybe you even want to get your Blu-ray on. That brings us to today's deal.

Newegg has the refurbished HP Pavilion dv6-3259wm 15.6-inch laptop for $399.99 shipped. Among the highlights: a triple-core processor and a built-in Blu-ray drive.

I'll be the first to admit this … Read more

Top 10 music Blu-ray discs

I've received so many great-sounding Blu-rays over the past couple of months, I had to put together a Top 10 list.

A lot of them didn't make the cut; just because a Blu-ray has a high-resolution soundtrack doesn't automatically mean it sounds great; the variables of the original recordings and mixing can make or break the sound. For example, Tom Petty's "Mojo" Blu-ray doesn't sound much better than the CD version of the same music, but it does have an uninspired 5.1 surround mix. All of the following discs are distinctly better … Read more

Blu-ray player holiday buying guide

If you're thinking of picking up a Blu-ray player this holiday season, the buying process can be overwhelming.

The differences between different models are often minor; every manufacturer supports a difference suite of streaming-media services and they all pretty much look the same. And a lot of the information you need to make an informed choice isn't readily apparent by browsing the placards at a local retailer.

Luckily, you can narrow your choices quite a bit by asking the right questions. We've isolated the most important features, and once you've made your picks, you should be … Read more

HP chairman photographed using MacBook Air

Hewlett-Packard Executive Chairman Ray Lane uses a MacBook Air at home. At the very least an indication that when given a choice, he opts for a rival's product.

The photo seen here is a bit curious as Lane was originally a proponent of spinning off HP's PC business--despite its status as the largest PC/laptop maker in the world (and a profitable one at that).

So, this raises the question, if HP's chairman openly opts for Apple hardware, how favorably disposed would he have been to holding on to HP's PC division in the first place?… Read more

Where are the truly beautiful speakers?

Go to any hi-fi show and you'll see room after room filled with the latest and greatest-sounding speakers, but chances are you won't come away from the experience captivated by brilliant designs. I sometimes wonder if the audio industry will ever get its act together and make speakers you don't have to be an audiophile to love.

Extreme cars, like Ferraris and Lamborghinis, arouse strong, positive reactions from people who would never buy or even drive them, but high-end audio speakers rarely achieve that sort of admiration. My best guess as to why that's so is that truly beautiful audiophile speakers are rare. Or to put it another way, do you have to be an audiophile to think speakers are beautiful? Granted, if you're already an audiophile you might be predisposed to view large speakers in a positive light and see their form as part of their function. For nonaudiophiles, size is definitely a factor, in the opposite direction: the smaller a speaker is, the easier it is to fit into the average person's living space.… Read more

Get a Samsung Blu-ray player with Netflix for $49.99

With Blockbuster hanging by a thread and Netflix clearly positioning itself to exit the movies-by-mail business at some point down the road, buying a Blu-ray player might not seem like the smartest move.

Unless, of course, that player is a mere 50 bucks. While supplies last (and they never seem to last long these days), Best Buy has the refurbished Samsung BD-C5500C Blu-ray player for $49.99 shipped (plus sales tax in most states).

Update: Sold out! If you're still keen on this model, Tech for Less has it for about the same price: $43.97, plus $7.70 … Read more

First Take: LG LW5300 series

When LG representatives showed us around the CES 2011 booth, they told us of their plans to release a smart TV-free 3D television, and here it is: the LW5300.

Rather than a standalone television, it's a bundle that includes the TV, a BD645 Blu-ray player, and four sets of glasses. The TV comes in three sizes: 42 inches, 47 inches, and 55 inches.

The TV part of the bundle, aside from missing LG's Smart TV Internet suite, has identical specs to the LW5600 we reviewed and liked a lot for its 2D picture quality. It features an edge-lit LED backlight with local dimming … Read more