Podcast #417: ZVOX 575 Single-Cabinet Surround Sound System

We understand that many of our listeners don't have the space for a full blown home theater system. However, those same listeners don't necessarily want to listen to their movies through the TVs tiny speakers. For them a single unit solution is what the doctor ordered. The ZVOX 575 (Buy Now $699) is such a system that takes all of 10 minutes to un-box and start enjoying fuller richer sound from your home theater.

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Blu Ray Top Ten Countdown

Our Semi Monthly countdown of the top ten Blu Ray titles as measured by Amazon.com. Today's show is based on sales as of Friday February 26th. 

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Podcast #416: Cryptography, DRM and You

We talk about DRM quite often.  Technically it stands for Digital Rights Management, but we did have a listener recommend we try to change that to Digitally Restricted Media.  The point of DRM is to protect digital media files from piracy.  The actual result of DRM is a lot of frustration for those who just want to watch movies and listen to music.

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Podcast #415: Switched Digital Video

Last week Braden wrote that Cablevision is planning on rolling out network DVR (Cablevision To Roll Out RS-DVR In April) functionality in April. This technology has got us excited because it shows that Cable is pushing itself to compete with Satellite, FiOS and U-Verse. One area that cable still falls a little short when compared to these other services is the number of HD channels they offer. A new technology called Switched Digital Video is being deployed that will allow cable companies to increase the number of HD channels they offer. But not every is happy about it.

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Podcast #414: Wal-mart is buying Vudu

Rumors surfaced earlier this week, but it has been confirmed by official press release that Wal-mart is planning to acquire Vudu, a pioneer in the instant movie service market.  Wal-mart has tried to get into the online video game once before.  Does this mean the death of what otherwise was a great technology, or is it a huge step in the right direction?

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Episode #3: AV After Dark

Welcome to the third installment of AV After Dark. This time they guys discuss the Olympics and how it differs from market to market. What sport are Ara and Tom fans of? You'll never guess (or maybe you will). Is there a future for OLED? What is Hulu doing right, what are they doing wrong? What about Netflix? They guys weigh in. Panasonic black levels are addressed as are recommendations for displays. Ara went to Mecca... we mean Macworld. Thanks for listening. You can find the AV Rant at their website. We really enjoy these collaborations and hope you do too. Thanks to listener Ted for both the Intro and Outro music. Check out more of his work at www.thesysmusic.com. 

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