If you like movies, quality matters. The more “real” the audio and video, the more immersive and enjoyable the experience. That’s why we like big, high resolution TVs and multi-channel audio. No doubt OTT streaming services have gotten better, much better, over the last couple years. But how well do they stack up against physical media? It’s been over two […]
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I don’t think I’ve ever seen an AMD based NAS before, but this guy looks like a beast and not terrible money for what you get. Well worth a read. This is not the first AMD-based NAS we are testing on MadShrimps and it has been demonstrated to us once again that the platform has potential even when dealing with […]
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A solid, well performing subwoofer is a critical aspect of a good home theater, or audio system. Especially if you use an AVR with LFE filtering enabled (you should be in most cases). The Sunfire XTEQ12 is a bit outside my price range, but it might hit the mark for you. The Sunfire XTEQ12 brings back a fond memory for […]
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Vizio has made a name for itself selling “value” kit. I’ve never personally played with any of it, but my understanding is, that for the most part, you get what you pay for. Well except for the intrusive tracking and reselling of your viewing habits which must be included in the price somewhere. TV makers are constantly crowing about the […]
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Harmony has been pushing its control ecosystem beyond the home theater and into the more general home automation space recently, with the Elite topping the lineup. The $350 price tag is a bit hard to swallow vs. its ~$130 siblings (what I use), but there are a few advantages to stepping up. Earlier this year I reviewed the Harmony Companion (former […]
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A while back I was pondering whether to opt for the new-fangled Roku 4 or “settle” on a 2015 Roku 2. Fortunately, David Katzmaier has taken a crack at this conundrum and picked a clear winner. Streaming video, whether it’s from Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Watch ESPN or PBS Kids, is more popular than ever. And the selection of […]
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LG loves OLED, LG’s OLED displays support two of the five (!) HDR standards and more. Including temptation for UK buyers at the end. Must resist 🙂 OLED television has captured the attention and imagination of the videophile community due to the display technology’s ability to render true blacks, and one manufacturer more than others has been responsible to push […]
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As you could probably notice from the image above, the first time I opened the Windows 10 Movies & TV app was to take this screenshot. Frankly there are better [free] apps for watching local content, and I’m not convinced by Microsoft’s content ecosystem (yet). That said, SRT support is a great step forward. Hopefuly the player continues to get […]
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AFAIK, Asustor is the first to bring Braswell NAS out to market. At the higher end of the consumer/SOHO NAS market this model looks quite interesting both as a NAS and a playback device. Asustor is one of the recent entrants in the NAS market. Over the last couple of years, they have tried to play in the same space […]
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I don’t own a Mac, so this issue is news to me. It’s not clear in the write up if the USB issue is isolated to DACs or other devices as well. I’m a longtime Apple Mac user – my first machine was a Performa 6100. Every time Apple upgrades their systems or changes processors inevitably something gets “broken” and […]
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