Sound & Vision September 2017

My Track One editorial in June (“It’s the Software, Stupid”) chided manufacturers for releasing Wi-Fi-based speakers, several of which we tested for that issue, that failed to perform with perfect reliability in our reviewers’ homes. As mentioned, our team all had Wi-Fi networks suitable for video streaming, with average to above-average routers. I concluded that the products’ firmware or the multiroom apps intended to control them were somehow at fault. But I also began to wonder what role our Wi-Fi network really plays with these new products, and whether the demands are not, in fact, outpacing the capabilities of today’s “average” network. After all, it’s hard to believe manufacturers would release speakers that regularly behave glitchy or drop out in real-world use. Did these things perform this way in their labs?…

E-mail them to HTLetters@sorc.com. Please note: Questions about the features and functions of a particular product are best directed to the manufacturer. Questions about what product you should buy are best directed to a dealer who knows all the details of your system, your preferences, and your personal habits. All submissions are considered the exclusive property of Sound & Vision magazine and TEN: The Enthusiast Network. We reserve the right to edit letters for brevity. Due to the volume of mail that we receive, we regret that we cannot respond to every letter. That Stuff Can Kill You I am the original owner of a wonderful, but aging, Pioneer Elite PRO-151FD TV. Time has taken its toll, and I would like to replace it with a modern hightechnology smart TV in the…

In the age of internet-delivered entertainment, it’s easy to lose sight of the power of broadcast TV—that woefully underutilized bastion of free HD-quality programming. A few decades ago, rabbit ears and roofmounted antennas were a staple in American homes. Today, about 11 percent of American households get TV over the air, and another 9 or so percent rely exclusively on the internet for TV. Both categories are growing (the latter far more dramatically) as the we’re-tired-ofstupidly- high-cable-bills cord-cutting movement gains momentum. All of this brings us to ATSC 3.0, hailed by its proponents as a revolution in technology that will transform TV broadcasting by bringing together internet and over-the-air signals with a common IP backbone. We reached out to Mark Richer, president of the Advanced Television Systems Committee, to learn…

HHGregg Closed after 62 years in business. The Indiana-based CE retail chain fell victim to an illadvised IPO, national expansion, the rise of online retailing, and falling prices... LG, Samsung, and Sony are Netflix-recommended TV makers. Among other talents, their products can power up and start Netflixing within seconds, rapidly switch between Netflix and live TV, and display the Netflix interface in HD... Vizio’s Acquisition by LeEco has come apart due to “regulatory headwinds” in China. The combined company would have taken third place in 2017 TV shipments... Comcast’s Xfinity Instant TV streaming is designed to tempt young broadband customers who don’t opt for pay-TV. Now being tested in Boston and Chicago, the skinny bundle would go for $15 to $40/month including cloud DVR service... Verizon May Launch a streaming video service that would…

PRICE $999 IT’S A STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL design: The Beyerdynamic Xelento Remotes are most definitely a looker. Better yet, their ergonomically balanced design made for a perfect fit in the concha of my ears; these are some of the most comfortable in-ears I’ve ever worn. As for the sound, it was spectacular! The Xelento Remotes feature Tesla drivers with large ring magnets. The drivers are essentially miniaturized versions of the Tesla drivers featured in Beyerdynamic’s high-end overand on-ear headphones. And like those, the Xelento Remotes are handmade in Germany. When I asked the company’s spokesman why their technicians handbuild each Tesla driver and wind its incredibly tiny voice coils, he said Beyerdynamic hasn’t been able to automate the process and maintain the quality they demand. The Xelento Remotes come with an unusually generous assortment…

What will people do in a self-driving car? The Auto Insurance Center, an industry-supported site, asked that question in a recent survey. Reading a book and catching up with friends and family via phone were the two most popular responses. But there was a three-way tie for #3. Equal in ranking to getting work done outside the office were watching a TV show and viewing a movie. Considering that the majority of commuters fortunate enough to not be at the wheel peer incessantly at a screen, it’s reasonable to expect that the coming liberation from driving will result in even more buds and screens. I haven’t been this excited about the prospect of in-car entertainment since the days of putting the pedal to the metal to reach the drive-in for a…