VIZIO VF551XVT 55″ LCD LED HDTV

John E. Johnson, Jr.

VIZIO has introduced a 55" (diagonal) LCD HDTV (1080p) that uses 960 LEDs in 80 control blocks as the backlighting. The control blocks change their brightness according to the brightness of the part of the scene that they responsible for illuminating. The result is absolute black, where there is supposed to be black. We measured a contrast ratio of nearly 300,000:1. It also has 240 Hz refresh rate (120 Hz plus backlight scanning) which allows for interpolated frames in between actual frames, and this delivers smooth motion during panning or objects moving across the screen. Best of all, it is available (street price) at $1,899 which is not an increase over last year's technology at the same screen size.

HDTV

Monster PowerNet 200 and 300 Kits for Audio and Video Streaming Through Your House AC Wiring

Chris Heinonen

Two years ago, there wasn't a single device in my home theater that required an internet connection. Speed ahead to today, however, and my home theater now needs more internet connections than the rest of my household. Two BD Live Blu-ray Players, a DLNA Receiver, a PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Tivo HD, and a plasma with Internet Widgets all want to be online for either content downloads, media streaming, firmware upgrades, or more, and many of these require a lot of bandwidth to work well. Monster Cable's PowerNet 200 and 300 packages allow you to connect your music and video server to your hi-fi system in another part of the house by using the household AC wiring.

Wireless

December CD Reviews for the Audiophile – Holiday Recordings to Savor – Part II

Jason Serinus

It's that time again, boys and girls. Santa, egg nog, menorahs, craziness, last-minute shopping, and empty bank accounts to ring in the New Year. You're going to need some good music to get through it all, and even more to entertain family and friends. Whatever your family situation, if you're looking for music appropriate to the holidays, you need look no further. There are some really goodies in the list of mostly new releases that follows. Enjoy!

CD Music Reviews

PrimaLuna DiaLogue Two Stereo Integrated Tube Amplifier

Rick Schmidt

The PrimaLuna brand needs no introduction to the tube-loving community, but I do (did). Though I've heard plenty of good sounding tube gear at shops, at various friends' houses and of course at shows, I generally listen to solid state equipment. So, having the PrimaLuna Dialogue Two here for review was a new, and very pleasant experience.

Integrated Amplifiers