Home Entertainment

 

10 Best Software 2009

January 1, 2009 By Dennis Burger 135 comments
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Our 10 Best Software Award winners.

Nothing less than our picks for the best demo material of the past year.

The Best Monster Movie Marathon

October 26, 2009 By Dennis Burger 35 comments
The Best Monster Movie Marathon

These spectacularly spooky Show-Offs will ensure your sub isn't the only thing going bump in the night.

Ah, Halloween: the weirdest of all holidays. The night when all the world turns into a Key West street parade and yard decorations run the gamut from tacky carved vegetables to toilet paper. Who could blame you if you decided to stay inside with the door shut tight and wait for the craziness to pass?

Holing up for the night doesn’t preclude you from celebrating All Hallows’ Eve entirely, though.

LIGHTS, CAMERA… BOOGIE!

June 11, 2008 By Dennis Burger 26 comments
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Make your system sing with these great musical movie moments.

I’ve covered my fair share of music and movies here in Show-Offs over the years. Interestingly enough, as I look back over previous columns, I notice a distinctly never-the-twain-shall-meet approach to the cinematic and lyrical media.

Subwoofer Demo Material - Bring the Boom

May 11, 2009 By Dennis Burger 30 comments
Bring the Boom

Put your system (and your foundation) to the test with these spectacular subwoofer Show-Offs

Sure we all enjoy a carefully crafted surround sound mix that oozes ambience and paints a pretty phonic picture in the air, but what we all really love is head-slamming, rump-shaking, rafter-rattling bass.

With that in mind, this installment of Show-Off is all about giving you the lowdown on the lowest of the low—Blu-ray subwoofer demos certain to pin you to your seat, part your hair (assuming you have any) and rattle anything that isn’t nailed, bolted or Gorilla-glued to the walls or floor.

Digital Hi-Fi

November 18, 2009 By Dennis Burger 28 comments
Digital Hi-Fi

Digital hi-fi never really went away, but it’s back and better than ever after taking a bit of a beating.

If your golden ears have shied away from the digital domain before, though, it’s time for another listen. Not only are old formats like SACD finally reaching their full potential thanks to pure digital interconnectivity, the new high-resolution audio formats found on Blu-ray are making access to eerily  high-fidelity music playback easier than ever.

BLU NOTE

September 11, 2008 By Dennis Burger 78 comments
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Avoid the crowds and get your money’s worth with these spectacular concerts on Blu-ray.  

I’ve just about done with concerts.Not that I don’t love live music—nothing compares to being in the same room with talented musicians doing their thing—but it's just not worth the hassle anymore.

Where is the joy in paying $250 for a nosebleed seat, only to have to strain to hear the music over all of the Chatty Cathys, while some old drunk dude in a two-sizes-too-small Motorhead T-shirt spills Bud in your lap? With the advent of Blu-ray, I honestly cannot find a reasonable answer to that question.

Great Prog Rock Concerts on Blu-ray and DVD

September 7, 2009 By Dennis Burger 25 comments
The Best Prog Rock Concerts on Blu-ray and DVD

Progressive Scan
Take your home theater to new heights with these phenomenal prog rock concerts on Blu-ray and DVD

It’s snooty. It’s often dissonant. And if you try to tap your foot to it, you run the risk of dislocating your shoulder blades.

But there’s just something about progressive rock that makes for the perfect home theater demo, whether you’re into this often obtuse genus of music or not (and for the record, I very much am).

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