Home Cinema Choice Summer 2021

HIGH-PERFORMANCE SOUND & VISION XXL ENTERTAINMENT

We check out a luxury
18-seat movie den, p36

SAMSUNG’S 8K HERO

Is this flagship 75in Neo QLED the best TV ever?

p1ror0aouGtdr0euuGdi+cdeiteansr PICK UP FILM & TV
THE PACE
■ INDIANA JONES 4K
Daisy Ridley ■ RAYA AND THE
is on the run in LAST DRAGON
sci-fi flick Chaos
Walking, p88 ■ BASIC INSTINCT 4K
■ STAR WARS: THE
BAD BATCH

Retro tech

Home cinema’s
weirdest inventions

On Test Dream discs
The movies
Philips B97 Dolby we need to
Atmos Soundbar
Hisense 55A6G TV
Apple TV 4K

SVS SB-1000 Pro see in 4K!
12in subwoofer

TCL Mini LED TV www.homecinemachoice.com

Inside BIPOLE/DIPOLE SPEAKER ADVICE ➜ OPINION ➜ COMPETITIONS ISSUE 322 SUMMER 2021 £5.50
AUS- $14.50 NZ- $16.50 CAN- $17.99

➜ READER’S ROOM ➜ JBL TOUR HEADPHONES ➜ PHILIPS OLED705 ➜ & MORE

OLED 806

Uniquely immersive.
Completely beautiful.

The thrillingly realistic picture on this gorgeous OLED TV combines
with immersive 4-sided Ambilight to create cinema-sized excitement.
Whatever you watch or play, the action will leap from the screen—right
into your living room.

philips.com/oled

OPINION 3

When LG OLED
was ahead of
the curve, p24

www.homecinemachoice.com Welcome

EDITORIAL TEAM Compiling our retro technology feature this issue
Editor Mark Craven (p24) brought back some happy memories (and
[email protected] some nightmares – remember the curved TV craze?).
Art Editor John Rook
But it did make me wonder if the consumer
CONTRIBUTORS electronics industry has become ...less adventurous.
Steve May, Anton van Beek, John Archer, Steve Withers,
Rik Henderson, Dan Sait, Ed Selley, Richard Stevenson, A number of the innovations highlighted arrived around
Jon Thompson, Gavin (AV-Holic) a decade ago. Perhaps there was something in the air
in 2010 that caused R&D teams to push the envelope.
Photography Mike Prior
In 2021, companies haven't stopped developing new technology,
ADVERTISING
Advertising Sales Executive but often these advancements are hidden within new
Richard Morris processing chips and AI networks. These all make
Mob: 07834 346461
E-mail: [email protected] a di erence, but much home cinema hardware looks the same
from the outside now as it did a few years ago.
MARKETING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
UK: New, Renewals and Enquiries So maybe it's time to bring back curved TVs, or to cook up
Tel: 0344 243 9023 something equally bonkers – if only so we can look back in
E-mail: [email protected]
USA & CANADA: another ten years and wonder what we were thinking.
Toll Free: 001 866 647 9191
REST OF WORLD: New, Renewals and Enquiries Editor
Tel: +44 (0) 1604 828 748
BACK ISSUES 30 89 50
www.mags-uk.com

MANAGEMENT TEAM
Group Editor Paul Miller, [email protected]
Group Sales Manager Sonia Smart
Subscriptions Manager Beth Ashby
Chief Executive Owen Davies

Published by AVTech Media Ltd
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Tel: 0844 412 2262
From outside the UK: +44 (0)203 855 6105
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Home Cinema Choice, ISSN 1359-6276, is published monthly with an additional
issue in May by AVTech Media Ltd, a division of MYTIMEMEDIA Ltd, Suite 25,
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SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

4 ISSUE 322/SUMMER 2021

30 07 CONTRIBUTORS

09 John Archer:
36 The experienced
TV tester cut his
teeth as an early
HCC sta er

Jon Thompson:
Film producer and
post-production
expert delves into
Hollywood and AV

Steve May:
HCC’s former Ed.
is one of the UK’s
most respected
AV journos

Anton van Beek:
Our avid movie
watcher and disc
collector cut his
teeth on Total DVD

Richard
Stevenson:
Former Editor of
the UK CE trade
journal ERT

Ed Selley:
Audiophile Ed
mixes his home
cinema passion
with a love of vinyl

Steve Withers:
Movie fan, display
calibrator and
object-based
audio obsessive

FEATURES BULLETIN REGULARS

In-depth interviews and special reports. The place for hot products, trends Whether you want our opinions or your
Starts... p18 and technology. Starts... p7 own, here's where to look. Starts... p75

18 Tech talk 07 Homegrown home cinema 75 Digital Copy

Bipole and dipole speakers explained New TV range from UK corp Mitchell & Brown Mark Craven has a hate-hate relationship
with mains cables
COVER STORY 08 Aventage assemble!
76 In the Mix
24 Gone but not forgotten Yamaha preps new flagship AV receiver
The ramifications of Amazon's MGM buyout
Recalling some of home cinema's 09 B&O targets TV audio
best (and worst) innovations 78 Feedback
We listen in to the Beolab 28 speaker
COVER STORY Where you share your thoughts...
10 BenQ PJ adds Filmmaker Mode
30 So, what next for 4K Blu-ray? 82 Certified: AV-Holic
Android-powered W1800i 4K DLP beamer
Team HCC writes its wishlist for UHD disc Take a tour of Gavin's cinema room
12 AV industry giving back
COVER STORY 114 AV Avenger
Together For Cinema wants to up its pace
36 Dream theatres Steve May doesn't care how long movies are
14 Getcha motor runnin'
We check out an 18-seat largescreen home COMPETITIONS
theatre, plus a media room made for movies, Black Widow set for Disney+ debut
games and music 80 Great Blu-rays to be won!
14 Hisense TVs go high-spec
SELECT Line of Duty: Complete Series One to Six;
Mini LED and OLED sets hit shops The Story of Film: An Odyssey; But I’m a
The place to look if you're planning to buy Cheerleader: Director’s Cut; Bringing Up Baby
some new AV gear. Starts... p101 17 OLED for everyone?

101 Gear guide Meet Philips' entry-level OLED705

HCC's comprehensive Top 10s/15s list
only the very best kit money can buy

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

SUBSCRIBE! Sign up to the world’s best AV magazine
to save money and never miss an issue p20

46 50
54
'A dazzling demonstration
of what HDR is capable of'

58

62

REVIEWS 92

With a focus on performance, these are in-depth tests you can trust... p45 PLAYBACK

COVER STORY 62 SVS SB-1000 Pro The latest Blu-rays, DVDs, games and
books reviewed and rated. Starts... p89
46 Samsung QE75QN900A Compact, entry-level 12in sealed subwoofer
gains app-based EQ 90 Chaos Walking [4K]
Flagship 8K Neo QLED TV puts its mini LED 91 Basic Instinct: Collector's Edition [4K];
backlight and 1,920 dimming zones to stunning 64 TCL TS8132
use with HDR But I'm a Cheerleader: Director's Cut;
3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar Sound of Metal; The Little Things
COVER STORY 92 Indiana Jones: 4-Movie Collection [4K]
66 Hisense 55A6G 94 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart [PS5]; Lake
50 Philips Fidelio B97 Mungo: Limited Edition; Encounter of the
55in 4K LCD TV blends Vidaa smarts with Spooky Kind; Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
IMAX Enhanced Dolby Atmos soundbar Dolby Vision playback 95 Raya and The Last Dragon [4K]
system with wireless detachable surrounds 96 My Fair Lady [4K]; Super 8 [4K]; In The
68 Astell&Kern KANN Alpha Line of Fire [4K]; The Babadook: Limited
54 TCL 65C825K Edition [4K]
Put your hi-res music in your pocket with 97 Saw [4K]; National Lampoon's Animal
Chinese giant's first UK mini LED TV hopes this high-end digital audio player House [4K]; The Sting [4K]; Columbia
to impress with multi-HDR picture quality Noir #3
– and a ordability 70 KEF LS50 Wireless II 98 Army of the Dead [Netflix]; Star Wars:
The Bad Batch [Disney+]
58 Apple TV 4K (2021) Premium active stereo speaker system
with HDMI ARC SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE
A new-look remote control, colour calibration
tool and 60fps HDR playback 72 Trinnov Altitude16

60 Polk React What's it like living with the French marque's
immersive audio processor?
Stereo soundbar with Amazon Alexa onboard
and surround sound upgrade path

60 JBL Tour One

Wired/wireless headphones with ANC

Humax Aura Android TV 4K Recorder

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Entertainment whenever you want it, wherever you go. With AURA from Humax, watch live TV or your favourite
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*Compatible Android or iOS device required. Enhanced casting feature available from May 2021. Enhanced recording function subject to channel availability. Features outlined are subject to change at any time without notice.
Google, Google Play, Android TV and other marks are trademarks of Google LLC. The FREEVIEW words and logos are trademarks of DTV Services LTD. © DTV Services Ltd. Channel content, logos and application logos are
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WWW.HOMECINEMACHOICE.COM 7

BULLETIN

➜News highlights YAMAHA New Aventage-class receiver trio confirmed

PHILIPS Entry-level OLED705 TVs BENQ W1800i 4K HDR projector with Filmmaker Mode
AT THE PLEX This month's cinema releases NEWS X10 Hot news stories in bite-sized chunks
BLACK WIDOW The super-spy Avenger is back in action on Disney+ Premier Access & MORE!

Homegrown home cinema

Mitchell & Brown➜www.mitchellandbrown.co.uk

UK home entertainment marque Mitchell & Brown ONLINE…
has unveiled a 30-strong range of Brit-built TVs
for 2021, running from second-room smallscreen For breaking AV news, blogs, features and
HD Ready and Full HD sets to flagship 4K models in reviews visit www.homecinemachoice.com
43in, 50in, 55in and 65in guise, all with a seven-year Follow us on Twitter @hccmag
warranty. The latter screens support Dolby Vision Like us on Facebook
HDR playback and Amazon Alexa voice control, and facebook.com/homecinemachoice
feature a smart portal with Freeview Play catchup,
Prime Video and Netflix apps. Pricing peaks at £900 SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE
for the 65in 65UHD18114K.

8 YAMAHA/PLAYLIST

Aventage assemble!

Yamaha RX-A8A➜uk.yamaha.com

Yamaha is prepping a new flagship AV receiver due
to land in August. The RX-A8A tops its Aventage
class of 8K-ready premium models (see p10 for
more) and will come with a suitably premium
price of £3,300. Amplification is rated at 11 x 150W,
enabling out-of-the-box 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos/DTS:X
playback, while Yamaha's proprietary Surround:AI

processing – 'the only artificial intelligence found in
an AV receiver' – is given a fresh boost by an

upgraded 64-bit quad-core processor. The Aventage
styling has also been overhauled, but the central
fifth foot remains...

The receiver features a revised 'H-frame' BACKGROUND IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
internal structure to boost chassis rigidity

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

BULLETIN 9

Sony's early Christmas gift Chord speeds up its HDMI cable Playlist...

Anyone purchasing a Sony Chord Company Team HCC's disc and VOD
Bravia XR TV between has announced a picks of the month
now and July 31 can claim new iteration of its Loki (Disney+)
a digital £50 voucher C-view HDMI cable
to be redeemed at the that's certified Ultra Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief
PlayStation Store. This High Speed with is roped in to help fix the timeline
act of generosity from the Ethernet, meaning it supports data rates up in this latest MCU streaming series.
Japanese major is intended to 48Gbps, and is suited to HDMI 2.1-related
to highlight the gaming features such as 8K/60 and 4K/120 Mare of Easttown
chops of its XR models, which all feature passthrough. Dubbed C-view 2.1, the new (Sky Atlantic)
the company's Cognitive Processor XR cable replaces the UK brand's earlier model
(which detects 'focal points' in an image), and features upgrades to plug shielding,
and support 4K/120Hz gaming via HDMI 2.1. conductor routing and insulation. Available
The range includes 4K LED and OLED sets, lengths are 0.75m, 1m, 1.5m, 2m and 3m,
and the 8K Z9J flagship. with pricing ranging from £30 to £55.
www.sony.co.uk/braviapromo www.chord.co.uk

B&O targets TV audio

When it comes to wireless speakers, a star is born...

Bang & Olufsen's Beolab 28 is not your everyday The best TV drama of the year
wireless speaker. Gorgeous to look at, and brimming so far? We think so. Kate Winslet
with advanced acoustic technology, this new active excels as a smalltown cop with
floorstander o ers an audiophile take on wireless a murder mystery to solve in a
streaming – and from our early audition provides gripping seven-parter.
a dizzying (and expensive...) TV sound upgrade.
Jungle Fever (BD)
Designed and crafted in B&O’s Struer, Denmark
facility, the speaker is an anodised, aluminium The BFI’s superb new release of this
cylinder, and includes a built-in subwoofer with underrated Spike Lee joint is sure
custom 6.5in driver. A new generation of the to get your temperature rising.
company's Active Room Compensation then
works to adapt bass response to suit any space. Zack Snyder’s Justice
League (4K BD)
There are also three 3in full-range drivers,
located front and side, plus a 1in tweeter developed This reconstructed comic book
specifically for the Beolab 28. Pricing is £9,750 a pair. epic delivers heroic 4K HDR
visuals and Atmos audio on
It was acceptable in the '80s The Beolab 28 can stand this double-disc UHD release.
free or be wall-mounted
The speaker's distinctive look apes the iconic column Stray (BD)
shape first seen on B&O's Beolab Penta, which was Switchability is via a partnering app or the speaker's
introduced in the mid-1980s and was notable as an remote control. Beautiful ‘dogumentary’ using
early attempt to control the directionality of sound in a trio of feral hounds in Istanbul to
a loudspeaker – something that crops up again here. We auditioned the Beolab 28 for music in the explore some very human concerns.
narrow mode (Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song
HCC was invited to the Beolab 28's London reveal, provided ample opportunities to show o mid-range
and we can confirm this is the hi-fi update you didn’t vocal finesse), and then in Wide mode with scenes
know your TV needed. A pair certainly has no problem from A Star is Born. With the movie, the soundstage
filling a large room (peak Class D power is rated at a was evidently wider yet still centred on the screen,
massive 625W per unit) and the built-in down-firing ensuring the intimacy of Oscar-winning track Shallow
subwoofer delivers copious bass. wasn't lost.

Making the speaker particularly interesting from Bang & Olufsen suggests that some may opt for
a cinematic point of view is its Beam Width Control a single speaker for streaming duties (AirPlay 2,
function. When the speakers are switched on, a Chromecast and Bluetooth are supported), but
slatted ‘curtain’ around the speaker grille moves buying anything less than a pair seems careless.
as the sound beam is adjusted.
The Beolab 28 will be made compatible with the
In Narrow mode, music aims to reach the ear Beolink Multiroom system before the end of 2021 via
directly, minimising the interference of side-wall a firmware update. Owners of a compatible B&O TV
reflections for undiluted sweetspot listening. can connect using Powerlink or Wireless Powerlink.
For other hardware, there's an optical audio input.
In the more social Wide mode, the soundstage www.bang-olufsen.com/en
becomes more di use, maintaining a natural tonal
balance regardless of where you are in the room.

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

10 BENQ/YAMAHA

At the 'plex… We'll fix it, says Yamaha

Heading out to see a flick? HDMI board replacement scheduled for '8K-ready' V series AV receivers
Catch these this month

The Forever Purge

July 16: Supposedly the final film Yamaha has said it will o er a free hardware fix for to register their AVR in order to be notified of the
in the what-if-crime-was-legal-for 'next steps.'
a-night franchise (according to its 2020 AV receivers that have been a ected by
series writer James DeMonaco), Firmware for full functionality
this direct sequel to 2016's The the HDMI 2.1 'bug'.
Purge: Election Year features a The announcement covers the RX-V4A, RX-V6A, Yamaha receivers that won't require a physical
gang of miscreants who aren't hardware swap for HDMI 2.1 are the newer Aventage
happy sticking to the rules. RX-A2A, TSR-400 and TSR-700 models launched models. However, even these premium 2021
last year. newcomers are scheduled to have support for
Wrath of Man 4K/120 and 8K/60 passthrough, plus HDR10+
While rival AVR makers Denon and Marantz compatibility, unlocked via a firmware update.
July 23: Jason Statham reunites are tackling the HDMI 2.1 issue – which a ects And Yamaha hasn't confirmed exactly when that
with director Guy Ritchie for a passthrough of 4K/120Hz video from the Xbox will arrive, beyond saying 'later this year.'
violent action-thriller about Series X console – via an external HDMI adapter
a mysterious Los Angeles cash to be o ered free-of-charge, Yamaha's solution Joining the RX-A8A (see p8) in the lineup this
truck driver hunting the group of involves an update to the HDMI board itself. Summer will be the RX-A6A and RX-A4A. Nine-
thieves responsible for the death channel and seven-channel models respectively,
of his son. Says Yamaha: 'From the time we launched the receivers share the same key functionality as
several AV receivers in 2020, we stated that we the RX-A8A (MusicCast multiroom, Surround:AI
The Suicide Squad would support emerging HDMI 2.1 capabilities processing, YPAO room optimisation and 7-in, 3-out
– including passthrough of 4K/120Hz – in these HDMI connectivity) but target thriftier buyers through
July 30: Writer-director James models via future updates. their £2,200 and £1,200 price points.
Gunn looks set to bring some
Guardians of the Galaxy-style 'A future hardware update is required for Power output on the RX-A6A is rated at 150W per
craziness to the DC Universe with customers who plan to connect Xbox Series X channel (the same as the flagship RX-A8A), but the
this sequel flick featuring a group or Nvidia RTX 30 [graphics cards] at 4K/120Hz to RX-A4A dials it down a touch to 110W.
of supervillains sent on a secret these select AV receivers.' uk.yamaha.com
government mission.
The update program will begin in the Autumn,
and will be free for 24 months to customers with
one of the a ected models. Owners are advised

BenQ PJ embraces Filmmaker Mode

Android-enabled W1800i model aims to please movie fans

BenQ has expanded its range of Android Although 4K HDR playback is enabled by dual The W1800i features a co ee table-
HDMI 2.0 inputs, the PJ doesn't o er wide colour friendly throw ratio of 1.13-1.46:1
TV-enabled 4K projectors with the W1800i. performance, instead guaranteeing 100 per cent
Priced £1,100, the 4K DLP beamer supports reproduction of the REC.709 colour space. BenQ
says every model is factory-calibrated to this
HDR10 and HLG playback (plus 3D at 1080p), standard, and ships with a calibration report.
and uses Google's Android TV platform to enable
voice control and access to apps via the Google New to the BenQ projector armoury is
Play store – Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ the W1800i's support for Filmmaker Mode,
are integrated out of the box. the image quality initiative established by
the UHD Alliance.
The projector claims a brightness output
of 2,000 Lumens and a 10,000:1 contrast (but Built in to the W1800i's compact
misses out on the Dynamic Iris of pricier BenQ two-tone chassis is a 5W sound system.
models). Setup tools include a 1.3x optical zoom, www.benq.eu
vertical keystone correction and picture rotation.

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

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contact your local dealer
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12 SHARP TV/NEWS X10

Press play AV industry giving back

Discs spinning your way Together For Cinema starts new era, plans 25 more rooms by 2026
in the coming month…
An AV industry initiative founded in 2009 to design Ian Morrish: 'We can deliver so much more,
July 05 and install cinema rooms in children's hospices and as an industry pulling together we can
across the UK has plans to step up the pace. make so much more of a di erence'
Mortal Kombat 4K [2021] Having reached an initial goal of completing 25
Demons 4K rooms by 2020, Together For Cinema founder Together For Cinema is a
Demons 2 4K Ian Morrish says the new target is for 25 more non-profit organisation, with
Hell Night rooms over the next five years. operating costs (including ongoing
Howard the Duck 4K servicing of its home cinema
Scott Pilgrim vs The World 4K '[We] can deliver so much more, and as an installations) covered by sponsorship. A new
Space Jam 4K industry pulling together we can make so much scheme of Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum
Threshold more of a difference to so many,' says Morrish of the annual sponsorship tiers is open to any individual
Wellington Paranormal: S1 organisation he set up after watching an episode of or company that wants to get involved.
Wynonna Earp: Seasons 1-4 The Secret Millionaire that featured a holiday home In addition to its sponsors, the organisation works
for terminally ill children. with partners including AV distributor AWE, which
July 12 gives up its time and expertise to manage the
A greater commitment flow of speakers, projectors, processors and other
Almost Famous 4K hardware donated to Together For Cinema from
Alone The ambitious installation target is part of a new companies such as Monitor Audio, which has
Cyborg approach by Together For Cinema described as been involved in over ten projects so far.
Ghost in the Shell 4K 'a fuller focus and a greater commitment.' Morrish UK installers that have tackled these life-
In Hell – an AV veteran who now runs the organisation changing build projects include Knektd Integrated
The Krays: Limited Edition full-time – told HCC that other goals are to Media, Glo AV, Hughes Smart, Intuitive Homes,
Line of Duty: Series 1-6 Collection increase awareness 'in and out' of the industry; H&H Audio Visual and Cornflake AV.
Snatch 4K expand the network of product suppliers We're excited to see the next wave of
(all hardware is freely donated); explore cinema rooms Morrish and his industry
July 19 other potential venues such as care and volunteers can put together.
respite centres; and grow its network www.togetherforcinema.co.uk
of industry-qualified installers.

True Romance: Limited Edition 4K Sharp TV is out of the frame...
The Big Fix
The Day of the Dolphin ...while Dolby treats are the difference between new DL and DN models
Invincible [2001]
Telly maker Sharp has launched a pair of being only a £20 difference in ticket price, the
July 26 inclusion of Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos
'frameless' TV ranges designed to 'blend support on the DN model makes it look like an
Babymother obvious upgrade.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage: e ortlessly into the living room environment.'
Limited Edition 4K Both the DN and DL series are 4K HDR- There are also 50in options in both series, priced
Bringing Up Baby £530 (50DL3KA) and £550
Cult Spaghetti Westerns enabled and run the Android TV 9.0 OS. Integrated (50DN3KA). Again, the pricier
The Daimajin Trilogy speaker systems are from set enjoys the Dolby tech.
Mirror Harman/Kardon. All four of Sharp's TVs
Robotrix feature HDMI 2.0 connections,
The Violent Professionals Buyers seeking a genuine Bluetooth and USB
The Walking Dead: Season 10 bigscreen experience will multimedia playback.
Wild Search likely be tempted by the www.sharpconsumer.com
65DL3KA (£730) or
June 28 65DN3KA (£750), both 65in
models. Yet despite there
After Love
Blow Out
El Topo
The Holy Mountain
Promising Young Woman
The Sergio Martino Collection

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

BULLETIN 13

This month’s top 10 news stories in handy, bite-sized chunks... Premiere...

6They're grrrrrrreat! What's happening in the
Sky, Freeview. Freesat and Virgin Media world of TV and films
viewers have new channels to browse.
Narrative Entertainment's Great! Movies, Turtle power
Great! Movies Action, Great! Movies Classic and
Great! TV take the channel slots previously held
by the Sony Movies bouquet.

1All aboard the upgrade train 7 No more taking the Mickey Seth Rogen and Brendan O’Brien,
Denon and Marantz have announced upgraded FindAnyFilm.com, the anti-piracy-focused the brains behind the two Bad
iterations of their flagship AV amplifier and UK website that lets movie lovers track down Neighbours comedies, have been
processor respectively. New from Denon is the legitimate content across cinema, DVD/ tapped to produce a new
AVC-X8500A, priced £3,700, a successor to its Blu-ray, pay-per-view and VOD has added Disney+ CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja
2018-era 13-channel AVC-X8500 amp. Sound United titles to its platform. Turtles reboot. Due to hit cinemas in
stablemate Marantz, meanwhile, is launching the 2023, the ‘toon will be directed by
AV8805A (£3,900), an overhaul of the 13-channel 8Sony puts VR on Xmas list The Mitchells vs The Machines
AV8805 processor. The new A successor to Sony's 2016 PlayStation VR
'A'-class models replace virtual reality headset is rumoured to coming helmer Je Rowe.
outgoing hardware at retailers, by Christmas ...2022. Insiders told news
and owners of earlier units agency Bloomberg that it Evil to the Max
can have the upgrade (a new will work exclusively with
HDMI board introducing a the PS5 console and use Evil Dead Rise has found a home at
dedicated 8K-capable HDMI Samsung OLED panels. HBO Max. Sam Raimi and Bruce
2.1 input) carried out by an Campbell are returning to exec
authorised dealer for £650. 91980s hi-fi produce the film, which follows two
amp reborn estranged sisters battling demonic
2Mubi joins Japanese audiophile forces as the horror moves from
pod race brand Luxman the woods to the city.
Cinephile streaming
service/distributor is celebrating its 95th Period Predator?
anniversary by launching the
Mubi has launched a podcast series. Its first six- L-595A SE integrated Class Actress Amber Midthunder has
episode season, 'Lost in Translation', focuses on film A stereo amplifier. Limited to landed the lead role of Comanche
releases from around the world, beginning with Paul 300 units and priced a cool warrior woman Kee in Skulls,
Verhoeven's Dutch-language feature Turkish Delight. £11,000, it's based on the company's best-selling filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg’s
Find it on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts L-570, which launched in 1989, and even adopts upcoming addition to the Predator
and elsewhere. the same front-panel layout and two-tone design. franchise that looks like a return
to the survivalist-slasher roots of
3Amazon clicks 'Buy' on MGM 10Lynch mob the 1987 original.
Retail/media megacorp Amazon has bought Coming to Limited Edition 4K Blu-ray
venerable Hollywood studio MGM for $8.5bn. and Blu-ray on August 30th via Arrow
The deal gives the streaming giant control of Video is David Lynch's controversial
MGM's catalogue of over 4,000 movies. Previously, 1984 sci-fi adaptation Dune. Both releases feature
both Netflix and Apple had shown interest in original uncompressed stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1
acquiring MGM, and the studio even put itself up mixes, plus a platter of bonus features including the
for sale in December. new feature-length The Sleeper Must Awaken:
Making Dune documentary.

4 Ishtar BD hits legal bu ers
Powerhouse Films/Indicator's scheduled
hi-def disc release of infamous 1987 box
o ce flop Ishtar has been cancelled 'due to
legal complications.' The limited edition Blu-ray was
due to go on sale July 19. Those who pre-ordered the
title will receive a full refund.

5Apple joins Nvidia app suite 'Sting! You said this would
The Shield streaming media player from be as big as Star Wars!'
Nvidia has added Apple TV to its VOD roster.
The service includes access to the Apple TV+
platform, and supports Dolby Vision and Dolby
Atmos playback.

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

14 DISC PREVIEW

Getcha motor runnin'

Black Widow➜Disney+

Black Widow, the long-awaited standalone movie
for ex-KGB agent turned Avenger Natasha Romano

(Scarlett Johansson), will finally debut in UK
cinemas on July 9 – and simultaneously be available

to watch via Disney+ as a 'Premier Access' video-
on-demand title. The 24th film in the MCU, originally

scheduled for a theatrical release last Summer,
is set between the events of Captain America: Civil
War and Avengers: Infinity War, and sees Romano 's

past come back to haunt her...

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

INTRODUCING THE

MIGHTY MICRO

The SVS 3000 Micro is a lifestyle-friendly
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deliver a reference listening experience.

“A superb addition to SVS’s portfolio of home cinema
subwoofers that outperforms its size and price point.”

Home Cinema Choice, June 2021
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16 HISENSE/PHILIPS

Face to Face Sennheiser teams with Alexa Three become five for Sonus faber

Topics of discussion on Priced £180 and on sale Italian speaker
the HCC Facebook page now, Sennheiser's HD manufacturer Sonus
450SE is a 'special edition' faber has added two
Your go-to demo discs update of its HD 450BT more models to its
for picture quality... closed-back wireless cans. entry-level Lumina
New to its arsenal is range. The standmount
The Revenant 4K is absolutely Amazon Alexa integration Lumina II (£1,000
outstanding and The Shining (the model is sold per pair) and floorstanding Lumina V
(pictured) is a brilliant example exclusively through (£2,500 per pair) bring more system building
of an older movie which looks Amazon), another chatty option in addition flexibility to the lineup that launched last year,
incredible in 4K. Blade Runner to Google Assistant and Apple Siri. Features joining the Centre I model and smaller
2049 is a go-to demo for PQ too. carried over are Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX standmount and floorstanding options.
Nick Guy Low-Latency, USB-C charging, and Finishes are walnut, wengè or piano black.
I remember using Top Gun on VHS compatibility with Sennheiser's Smart For a partnering subwoofer, Sonus faber
video in normal surround sound Control app. Battery life is rated at 30 hours. sells its three-model Gravis range.
and impressing people on a en-uk.sennheiser.com www.sonusfaber.com
system before even Pro-logic came
out. I'm showing my age now! Hisense TVs go high-spec
Andy Edwards
Gemini Man. The frame rate really Mini LED debut and second-generation OLED confirmed
pushes the boundaries. for UK market
Steve Old
Synapse’s 4K release of Suspiria.
Absolutely stunning picture and
audio, and a perfect example of
what the format can do.
Murray Lothian

What you're watching The 2021 TV range from Hisense has now hit UK Hisense's 2021 mini
on your home cinema... stores, and it includes both a first-generation mini LED and OLED options both support
LED model and new-look OLED. These sets top HDR10+ and Dolby Vision decoding, continuing
I'm gonna watch my o a typically extensive range that also features a multi-HDR policy for its top-tier models.
mate's Blu-ray copy a ordable 4K LCD TVs (including the A6G reviewed Ambient sensors enable Dolby Vision IQ.
of Zack Snyder's Justice in this issue).
League to see if it's 'A TV for everyone'
worth buying the 4K disc. Claiming flagship status is Hisense's U9GQ
Gary Sharples (above, left), which adopts a mini LED backlight said Leading the company's more traditional 4K LCD
to feature approximately 10,000 LEDs, and claims models is the U8GQ, at 55in and 65in. Spec sheet
Monster Hunter 4K and The an HDR-friendly peak brightness of 3,000 nits. ticks here include Quantum Dot colour, Full Array
Underground Railroad on Amazon Local Dimming Pro and a suggested peak brightness
Prime Video. The set is currently only available in 75in guise, of 1,000 nits.
Simon Russell with a £3,300 price tag. Aiding its 'detailed, exquisite,
and lifelike images' is a Quantum Dot colour system Below this are the brand's mid-range models
Imprint are killing it with recent and 120Hz refresh rate. It also claims IMAX Enhanced – the A7GQ and A6G. To cover all bases, screen sizes
releases. Tonight is the underrated certification. here range from 43in to 75in. Hisense has also
gem The Mothman Prophecies. introduced a budget second-room set, the A4G, in
Simon Beaumont One rung down the Hisense ladder is its second- 32in and 40in. The smaller model features a 1,920 x
generation OLED proposition, the A9G (above, right). 1,080 resolution panel.
Speed and Last Action Hero, both Available in 55in and 65in screen sizes, and also
on UHD Blu-ray. IMAX Enhanced, it puts its ultra-slim panel on Says Arun Bhatoye, Hisense UK's head of
Stewart Elliott a full-length soundbar stand. Front-firing drivers marketing: 'We’ve aimed to create a TV for everyone,
are joined by a rear woofer, as part of a 2.1.2 Dolby with a wider range of technology than ever before.'
The second series of Ragnarok. Atmos-enabled speaker system. Peak brightness www.hisense.co.uk
Dan Mann is rated at 800 nits.

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HOME CINEMA CHOICE SPRING 2021

BULLETIN 17

OLED for everyone?

Philips OLED705➜www.philips.co.uk

With price tags of £980 for its 55in version and
£1,500 for a 65in model, Philips' OLED705 TV
(in shops now) is positioned as a high-value
alternative to its premium 8 and 9 Series screens.
Dolby Vision and HDR10+ playback are joined by
three-sided Ambilight, DTS Play-Fi support and
the Android smart system, while audio comes via
a 40W-rated 2.1 speaker array. Picture fettling is
handled by Philips' P5 Perfect Picture Engine silicon,
not the step-up 'AI' iteration.

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

18 ADVICE

Tech Talk #01

Bipole/dipole speakers

Bipole, dipole and even tripole loudspeakers have been mooted as ideal for surround sound
– but are they any better than the humble monopole? Words: Richard Stevenson

Loudspeakers come in all shapes and sizes. They also Dipole and bipole speakers are designed sides (such as M&K Sound's S150T). These are more
come with different patterns of sound dispersion. for on-wall surround channel placement suited to larger listening rooms where potential
You may have seen a multichannel package mixing reflections and cross-driver interaction should
different cabinet types. So what's going on? Tripole speakers feature front be less of an issue.
and side-firing drivers
First up, let's discuss the basics of polar dispersion Surround sound saviour
pattern in various loudspeakers. Hang in there, as this
isn’t as B-movie as it sounds and there are lots of When should you use bipole or dipole speakers?
potential ramifications for home cinema, particularly When your room layout and size doesn't favour
for side and rear surrounds. monopole/direct radiating speakers in the surround
and rear positions. Dipoles, as espoused by THX,
A monopole speaker is what we all know and love are intended for deployment as surround speakers
as a loudspeaker. A cabinet of some sort, with drivers on side walls. Listeners sitting close and on-axis
facing in one direction. Sound radiates forwards from to a dipole will be in the speaker's 'null', and
the front of the loudspeaker in a roughly cone-shaped subsequently hear a diffuse, reflected sound –
pattern, with a few subtle dispersion variations whereas a monopole will be effectively shouting right
depending on driver configuration. The sound output into their ear. Bipoles are preferred for rear surround
of a monopole is precisely positioned (you could (when a pair is used), helping to fill out a back
point at the speaker if blindfolded), they offer good soundstage while still retaining some directionality.
'imaging' and they don’t suffer too much from the
main signal interacting with reflections from walls. It's important with bipole and dipole speakers
to consider how they interact with your room.
Yet surround sound information needs to Either design placed on a side wall but also in close
‘surround’ you by definition, so for standard channel- proximity to a rear wall will combine its dual-driver
based formats a more diffuse dispersion pattern output with reflections from only one of the drivers
could result in a more ambient, less localised effect. facing that nearby rear wall. The result could be
a sound more muddy than diffuse.
Enter bipolar and dipolar loudspeakers, cabinets
with drivers on two opposing sides – although the The elephant in the movie room is object-based
design concept gets 'tweaked' a bit for surround sound. The Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro-3D
sound speakers, with the drivers often angled a formats favour a precise speaker location and
little forward rather than positioned back-to-back. directivity to enable accurate object mapping in
The sonic upshot of such a speaker is a much the three-dimensional space of your room. Dolby's
wider dispersion cone with a more diffuse and less guidelines explicitly state that dipole speakers are
pin-point sound, theoretically giving you a more 'not recommended' for an Atmos system.
immersive surround experience.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't experiment,
In a bipolar design, the drivers operate in phase though. Depending on your listening environment,
(meaning they're both moving in and out at the same dipole or bipole speakers might be just what's
time). The result is a very wide dispersion. Yet if you needed to give your surround system a boost ■
have the same loudspeaker but switch the drivers
on one side of the cabinet out of phase, you have
a dipole speaker. In our surround speaker with drivers
angled slightly into the room, the two alternate
phases attenuate each other where they overlap in
front of the dipole speaker, reducing directly radiated
sound reaching your ears. You therefore perceive
a greater proportion of the sound off-axis, making
the output even more diffuse, and less localised.

While speakers like Monitor Audio's Bronze FX
have drivers on three sides, and could be classed as
tripoles, they have tweeters on the opposite ba es
and a single bass/mid driver facing forward. This
configuration gives bipolar dispersion of high
frequencies, and monopolar dispersion of lows,
which are arguably a lot less prevalent in surround
channels. MA's models can also be switched from
dipole to bipole operation. There are also genuine
tripolar speakers with full-range output on three

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

REFERENCE SUBWOOFER
PERFORMANCE HITS
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24

Toshiba's ZL2 TV made
a dog's dinner of 3D
Blu-ray playback...

Steve May and Mark Craven ride a wave of nostalgia as they recall some of home cinema's
best (and worst) innovations, from glasses-free 3D to golf ball-sized speakers

Toshiba ZL2 – a 3D TV viewer – Toshiba claimed it could accommodate Toshiba went big on glasses-free
up to nine pairs of peepers, using face recognition 3D technology at the 2012 CES
without spex appeal technology via an in-built camera, plus the
company's CEVO Engine processing, to target
'This TV will rightly be looked back on in the years its 3D 'sweetspots.'
to come as the start of a new era in television
technology.' So said HCC's John Archer in his review To make sure the 3D image wasn't a blocky,
of Toshiba's ZL2 TV in the Summer of 2012. Yet he low-resolution mess caused by all those filters,
was referring to this 55in LCD screen's 4K pixel count, the ZL2 used a 4K panel. This was arguably its more
not its glasses-free 3D playback talents. Both of exciting element, particularly once you discovered
these tech tricks were world's firsts. the glasses-free 3D presentation was dependent
on you keeping your head
The 3D TV revolution was in full swing in 2012, still. Yet Toshiba scored an
complete with discussions about active and passive own goal by not enabling
technology, lamentations about crosstalk noise and a native 4K video source
the cost of 3D spex, and wondering when James to be input by HDMI (you
Cameron's format-defining Avatar would finally could view 4K JPEGs from
get a wide 3D Blu-ray release. USB), so all buyers could
do (if there were any...)
And amongst all this, the idea of autostereoscopic was take advantage of its
displays, requiring no goggles to view 3D images, HD-to-4K upscaling. Here
burbled away in the background. the ZL2 was impressive,
and gave a taste of things
Enter Toshiba with its ZL2, a 'glasses-free 3D' to come. As for spex-free
set carrying a £7,000 price tag. It used an array of 3D, we came, we saw,
lenticular lenses to direct picture information to we shrugged.
your left and right eyes, which your brain would then
collate into a single 3D picture. Nor was it just for one

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

TECH FOCUS 25

LG Super Multi Blue Still, LG's combi machines looked like a good idea LG launched two generations of its
on paper, especially to film fans who felt forced to dual-format HD disc spinner – and then
– a format war fix either stick with one format or buy two separate the plug was pulled on HD DVD
players. Nor were they prohibitively priced.
LG's BH100 'Super Multi Blue' disc player landed
in 2007 as the AV equivalent of a bottle of combined The problem was that both were a step or two
shampoo and conditioner. The South Korean behind the tech curve. The BH100, for example,
company had cast an eye over the fractious HD was unable to play CDs (an odd flaw for a multi-
DVD vs Blu-ray format war that had been raging for format deck), but far worse was the hatchet job
a year and decided that a machine that could handle it did with HD DVDs. Although doomed to failure,
both types of disc was in order. HD DVD bested Blu-ray by some margin when it
came to bonus features and interactive menus,
It even launched a successor – the 'Super Blu' something LG's deck couldn't handle at all – you
BH200, pictured – at the 2008 CES. Unfortunately, just got the movie, and nothing else. And further
during the same show, Warner Bros. announced it niggles (the lack of a bitstream audio output on
was withdrawing support for HD DVD, leaving the either model, no Ethernet connection on the BH100,
format effectively dead by the time that new various bugs) made LG's 'Super' hardware feel
double-duty deck hit shops. not so super.

TiVo – Putting the P into PVR CED – groovy movies

Sky+ may have popularised the set-top-box, but it was TiVo in 1999 that ushered in LaserDisc may have been the
the hard drive recording revolution, finally putting an end to the videotape era. It took definitive video disc format, but
its time arriving in the UK – American audiences had the jump on Europe by around a CED (Capacitance Electronic Disc)
year – but that didn’t diminish our excitement. was a low-cost rival that very
nearly gave it a run for its money.
The original TiVo box, sold under the Thomson brand, ran on a 50Hz processor.
A custom chip allowed TiVo to multitask, dialling in via an attached landline to refresh Unlike LaserDiscs, which like
its programme guide while playing one stream and recording another. Shows were CDs were read by a laser pick-up,
archived to a 40GB hard drive, enough for 40 hours of SD. Bitrates peaked at 6Mbps. this all-analogue option took a leaf
out of vinyl’s playbook, and read
This tech spec might seem rather staid today, but the joy of TiVo was always the its grooved discs with a proprietary stylus. The
user experience. The recorder had personality – owning one was fun, futuristic. benefit of this approach was cheap replication
costs, the downside was ...well, it
Thomson gave up on TiVo quite quickly – in 2002 – but it returned to Blighty in was a video disc that was read by a needle.
2010 in Virgin Media's TiVo box (pictured), complete with thumbs up/down voting
and suggested recordings. The cable giant is now replacing it with its 'TV 360' UI. In the UK, Hitachi was CED’s greatest exponent,
in the US the market was dominated by RCA's
SelectaVision players. Both were cheaper to buy
than rival LaserDisc systems, but gritty, low-res
picture quality made CED a poor substitute.

An obvious flaw in the CED master plan was disc
wear. Platters actually had a lubricated surface to
reduce this, and were sold in caddys as a result. The
player extracted the disc from the caddy, to prevent
dirt and debris caused by handling.

CED launched with a 50-strong movie catalogue,
and titles actually continued to be released several
years after player production halted. These are still
available on eBay if you want to own some, but
we suggest you frame them rather than play them.

BACKGROUND IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/PERFECT VECTORS SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

26 AV INNOVATIONS

Now you see it

Tech debuts that we're not
even sure we remember
LG Google TV

Google's Android OS has been a Curved TVs – home LG embraced the curved craze with both
fixture of Sony and Philips smart OLED and LCD technology
TVs since the mid 2010s, but it was cinema gets the bends
LG that unveiled a smart set using a Samsung led the way. Speaking at the brand’s
Google-powered UI in 2012. The TV ‘Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether product forum in 2014, president BK Yoon promised:
was meant to hit the UK the next or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they '2014 will be the year of curved Ultra High Definition
year, but by then LG had picked up should.’ Dr. Ian Malcolm may have been lecturing TV.' At the same event, Michael Zoller, Samsung’s
the WebOS system developed by Professor Hammond in Jurassic Park, but he could sales and marketing chief, insisted that research
Palm. And it's used that ever since. just as easily have been berating TV bosses about confirmed the human eye is naturally drawn to
curved televisions. strong curves. The TV maker also said its aim was
THX Steerable to mirror the curvature of the human eye. All manner
Line Array After spending the best part of a decade trying to of hokey science was proffered to justify the effort.
engineer the ultimate flatscreen, transitioning from
A decade ago THX showed o its fat CRTs to flat LCDs, the world’s biggest brands Rival brands were quick to follow, but it soon
Steerable Line Array technology at thought it would be a smart move to drive buyers became clear that glare and reflections were an
CES with a prototype soundbar- round the bend with a new wave of curved TVs, issue. Where traditional flatscreens picked up one
style device featuring 92 aping the immersion of large format cinema. room light, a curved model picked up two. Image
individually amplified drivers. geometry looked odd. You could mostly get away
The idea was to create steerable There were considerable challenges. LCD with it on live action, but EPGs appeared wonky.
sound without the need to bounce backlights don’t easily bend and panels were bulky. The TVs also had a very narrow viewing sweetspot.
audio o walls. THX – not then OLED, a tad more flexible, was fragile. When
a hardware company – hoped to wall-mounted, curved TVs looked more Pringles Both Samsung and LG showed prototypes that
license the patented tech to third than Panavision. could switch from curved to flat upon demand
parties. Presumably it still does. (technically ingenious, also pointless). Soon after,
CD-i – the joy of text despite increasingly generous promotions, sales
Pioneer 'Fuga' of curved TVs flattened. Then they were gone.
Released in 1990, Compact Disc-Interactive, better
Before Pioneer wound up its Kuro known as CD-i, was billed as a futuristic alternative Sex. Most heinous of all, the format was also
plasma TV project, HCC was invited to cartridge-based games and books. Exploiting the probably responsible for the term ‘infotainment’.
to its Kawasaki R&D plant to be data capacity of CD, it was an ambitious But as CD-i discs could hold 72 minutes of MPEG
shown new 'Fuga' processing, cocktail of MPEG video, low- video, it became an early DVD forerunner.
designed to both improve upscaling resolution audio and text.
of SD sources and to manipulate an Philips shut down its CD-i operation in 1996. The
image in real-time to change depth Developed by Philips, format wasn't all bad though. It peaked
of field. This innovation was due to its bizarre software with video-centric
appear on the next generation of catalogue covered games Dragon’s
Kuro display, which never appeared. everything from Lair and Mad Dog
puzzle games McCree. The
McNallyVision to interactive system’s ability to
encyclopaedias branch from one
In the pantheon of home recording, including The Joy of sequence to another,
few video formats now seem as plus compatibility with
ridiculous as Britain's McNallyVision. a light gun, made these
Touted as a rival to VHS in the early arcade recreations a hoot.
'80s, Gordon McNally's invention
hoped to transform the home video
system with its cheap, pirate-proof
design. Was it the playback-only
system Hollywood had been waiting
for? The answer was an emphatic
‘no’, as it really wasn’t a video tape
system at all, but an 8mm film
projector in disguise – and not a very
good one. It never went on sale.

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

TECH FOCUS 27

Sony XEL-1 – OLED starts small The XEL-1 buried
connections in its stand,
Long before LG Display cornered the market in OLED, Sony blazed a path for
the technology, convinced that its ‘organic panel’ was the future of television. allowing panel depth
Unfortunately, it was (literally) thinking too small when it launched its 11in XEL-1 in 2007. to remain an ultra-
thin 3mm
A black-mirrored design centrepiece, the XEL-1 astounded viewers with a wafer-thin
panel that was just 3mm at its thinnest, jauntily a xed by an aluminium side arm to a
tuner base complete with a Memory Stick slot and two HDMI ports. We had never seen
anything quite like it; the screen appeared to be almost floating.

Much like contemporary OLEDs, the XEL-1 offered an exquisite black level
performance and vibrant hues, even in scenes with low light. Screen resolution,
however, was a paltry 960 x 540.

While HDR wasn’t on the agenda back then, Sony alluded to it with proprietary
Super Top Emission technology, which
allowed the XEL-1 display to channel peak
brightness, and ‘faithfully reproduce light
flow such as reflections of sunlight or
camera flashlights.’ The set also boasted
superior native motion clarity, but
following a fast-moving tennis ball
on such a diddy screen was a big ask.
Sony has probably never been so
ahead of the TV curve – it just needed
to go large.

LG joined the small OLED party in 2010 with
its 15in EL9500 (left)

Paradigm SUB2 – bonkers bass

Is it a co ee table? Is it a piece of objet d'art? No, it's a six-driver
subwoofer claiming 9,000W of peak power and a 7Hz low-
frequency response. Meet Paradigm's SUB2, one of the maddest
subwoofers ever made.

Weighing over 100kg, and arranging its half-dozen 10in drivers
within a hexagonal cabinet (part of its 'vibration-canceling design
architecture'), the SUB2 was built for people who wanted premium,
ultra-low bass and didn't really care how they got it. Its performance
was remarkable – scarily deep and brutally loud, but speedy with it.
And it came in a cherry red finish (pictured) if the black option was
too terrifying for you.

Actually, this is one product that hasn't gone quite away. There
are still models available, only now retailing for over £11,500, not the
£7,250 launch price of 2010. So maybe grab one as an investment.

Denon's Cara S-5BD

– when two became one

Back in the day – well, the 2000s – Denon was a purveyor of high-end,
heavyweight DVD and Blu-ray players. Yet the brand was also known
for its AV receivers, and in 2010 it decided to marry the two.

The Cara S-5BD was both disc-spinner and surround sound
amplifier, the technology (including Audyssey EQ) squirrelled into a
black gloss cabinet that looked positively futuristic at the time and still
causes a double-take today. All you had to do was add some speakers
and away you went.

So why didn't it take off? Probably because AV-hedz were happy
to stick to separates (and wanted more than the five-channel power
plant of the Cara) and convenience-first shoppers were put off by the
£2,000 price. We wish we hadn't given our review sample back, though.

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

28 AV INNOVATIONS

Philips 21:9 – wide-eyed TV

Before you complain about letterbox bars on your flatscreen, remember
that Philips briefly tried to convince us all that the shape of things
to come was 21:9. The Dutch TV giant, obviously persuaded by the
preponderance of ‘Scope movies in theatres, concluded that we would
all rush to buy 21:9-shaped screens in a quest for a convincing home
cinema experience. It duly launched its first super-wide set in 2009.

Unfortunately for Philips most widescreen TV is formatted at
16:9, and, even worse, there were still a lot of 4:3 broadcasts during
the noughties too. The result was a bit of a mess. You could choose to
watch 16:9 or 4:3 natively, with black bars down the side, or make use
of a range of format modes to automatically stretch the edges of
non-compliant ratios to fill the wider space. Even with 21:9 movies
on Blu-ray the image wasn't pixel matched, as the content was still
encoded as 16:9 with top and bottom bars and therefore essentially
zoomed to fill out the screen. So while the form factor was alluring,
the marriage between hardware and software felt doomed to failure.

Samsung did nearly join the CinemaScope fun, previewing a
humongous 21:9 105in UHD TV in 2014. But it never came to market...

Bose Solo TV – making a stand away), the sound quality from this soundbase was rock-solid, with
the extra enclosure space used to accommodate bass drivers in lieu
In 2012, sonic innovator Bose launched the Solo TV. A successor to of an outboard subwoofer.
its earlier Solo soundbar, it showed o a new approach to TV audio
boosting – instead of a slim 'bar, you got a deep cabinet for you Over the following years there was something of a soundbase
to put your telly on top. The boom, until TV screen sizes
'soundbase' was born. exceeded the point where
mounting one on top of
In typical Bose style, the Solo anything other than a full-size
TV was both forward-thinking cabinet made much sense.
but a little old-fashioned, But the Solo TV certainly had
o ering optical, coaxial and more of an impact than Bose's
analogue phono inputs when VideoWave (launched the same
many rivals were embracing year), a chunky 55in LCD TV
HDMI, Bluetooth and USB. But with a six-woofer, ported bass
once you'd accepted that the system and eight-driver speaker
only real way to connect it was array. In an era of thinscreens, it
to run everything through your looked positively old-fashioned.
TV first (an idea that hasn't gone

Sony HT-IS100

– anyone for golf?

Sony took the sub/sat 5.1 system concept to extremes when it debuted
the HT-IS100 in 2008. This £400 bundle of fun partnered a ported sub
(featuring both 4.75in and 6.25in woofers) with five almost comically
tiny single-driver speakers that you could dot around your room – or
wall-mount using supplied brackets – for fuss-free surround sound.

Multichannel amplification was tucked inside the subwoofer, as
well as a surprisingly wide-ranging set of connections, include three-in,
one-out HDMI switching, banks of component and digital optical ports,
and Sony's now discontinued proprietary Digital Media Port hookup
for adding iPod dock and Bluetooth adapter accessories. The sub even
incorporated an FM/AM radio tuner.

The golf ball-sized speakers and fixed 800Hz crossover between
woofer and satellites didn't inspire confidence in performance, but the
HT-IS100 actually sounded ...not bad. But the fact Sony recommended
taping or clamping speaker wires, so they didn't pull the dinky, lightweight
satellites over, showed it had probably gone a step too far in pursuit
of stealth home cinema ■

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

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30

WHAT NEXT FOR
4K BLU-RAY?

Although we're in the middle of a surge of
UHD re-releases of classic movies, Team
HCC is still feeling greedy – here are the
titles on our 4K Blu-ray wishlist

The Abyss/True Lies/Avatar Alien sequels

It’s hard to believe that two of James Cameron’s blockbusters have First came 4K outings for Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Alien:
never been released on Blu-ray, but all fans of The Abyss or True Lies Covenant in 2017, followed two years later by a 40th Anniversary
can do right now is use their BD decks to spin their long-cherished UHD outing for the director’s original sci-fi-horror cracker Alien.
DVD copies. So why not skip Blu-ray altogether and jump straight to But since then xenomorph franchise fans have been left hanging,
4K disc instead? with no sign of 4K HDR upgrades for James Cameron’s Aliens,
which celebrated its 35th anniversary last year, David Fincher’s
If you’re wondering what’s holding things up, the answer appears Alien3 (1992) or Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Alien: Resurrection (1997).
to be Cameron himself. When Knives Out director Rian Johnson and
Wrexham FC owner/major Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds tweeted Presuming that we’re not waiting for Cameron to sign o on yet
about the situation in early 2019, Cameron replied, ‘I know guys, I know another 4K restoration, the main reason for the delay to the three
— it’s on my to-do list, promise.’ But despite professional film colourist sequels is most likely Disney’s 2019 acquisition of Fox and the
Skip Kimball subsequently announcing that a new colour grade for a reorganisation behind-the-scenes. On top of that, as eagle-eyed
fresh 4K scan of The Abyss had been completed, there have been no Disney+ UK subscribers will have noticed, the Alien franchise has
further updates. It might be that Cameron is too busy with production yet to be added to the Star channel – a possible indication that
on Avatar sequels to approve 4K HDR masters of his old movies – and 4K restorations of the sequels have yet to be completed.
that also goes for that franchise's 2009 original.

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

PLAYBACK EXTRA 31

Taxi Driver Sleeping King Kong Carlito's Way

A decade ago, HCC met Sony Beauty (1959) (1933) Three years ago Universal
Pictures’ digital mastering guru Pictures gave the Brian de
Grover Crisp to talk about the Walt Disney’s 16th animated The king of all monster movies Palma/Al Pacino gangster flick
4K restorations he'd overseen of feature was also the first to was last restored in 2005, Scarface a fan-pleasing UHD
David Lean’s The Bridge on the be specifically designed and following a six-year hunt around makeover. On the other hand,
River Kwai (1957) and Martin photographed for a large- the world to locate the best this classic 1993 movie, which
Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976) in format Super Technirama 70 surviving elements (the original saw the director and star return
preparation for impending Blu-ray presentation. Released on BD in negatives no longer existing). to the genre but with a smarter,
releases. The work put into both a 2.55:1 aspect ratio, the studio’s These elements were then narrower focus, hasn’t been
told in the exceptional quality of restoration of Sleeping Beauty is scanned in 4K, before undergoing touched by the studio since a
those 1080p discs. But while … quite the looker itself, despite the a frame-by-frame restoration. 2010 Blu-ray that appeared to
River Kwai eventually bridged the grain removal employed in an The resulting Blu-ray is a massive use an unloved scan in need of
gap to UHD for its 70th anniversary attempt to recreate the look of improvement on what came a clean up. Lensed by regular de
in 2017, there’s still no sign of a 4K the original ‘clean’ animation cels. before, although there are Palma cinematographer Stephen
disc release of Taxi Driver... We doubt Disney would go as far still issues with clarity, noise H. Burum in ‘Scope, and shot on
as restoring the negative's native and artefacting that further 35mm, we’d expect Carlito’s
[Stop the presses! Just before this issue film grain for a UHD release, but restoration work could improve. Way’s red-lit nightclubs and
trudged o to the printers, Sony Pictures the film’s rich colour palette and Kong turns 90 in 2023 – a freshly shadowy alleyways to look
announced that Taxi Driver will feature in stunning painted backdrops are struck UHD disc would be a great gorgeous in 4K HDR if given
its Columbia Classics Collection: Volume ripe for remaster. birthday present. the treatment it deserves.
Two 4K boxset, coming this September]

The Thing Manhunter/
Silence of
[1982] the Lambs

It took three attempts to get a James Bond films US label Kino Lorber brought
Blu-ray release that did justice Hannibal to UHD Blu-ray in 2019,
to John Carpenter’s gory 1982 No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007, will be released so isn't it time the two best
horror masterpiece. An initial in cinemas this September, a year-and-a-half after it was originally films about Thomas Harris’s
2008 release from Universal and scheduled. But that’s nothing compared to how long fans have cannibalistic serial killer joined
2016 2K remaster from US label waited for the franchise to make its bow on UHD Blu-ray. Okay, the fun? Michael Mann’s colour-
Shout Factory both exhibited so a 007: The Daniel Craig Collection 4K boxset (housing Casino coded Manhunter (1986) and
varying degrees of digital Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre) was released Jonathan Demme’s neo-gothic
tinkering. Thankfully, Arrow’s in 2019. But that’s your lot — and even that feels rather The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
2017 UK Blu-ray was based incomplete now. are very di erent stylistically, but
on a new 4K restoration that both approaches have plenty to
brought an authentic film-like The good news is that 2022 marks the series' 50th anniversary, o er a 4K HDR upgrade. While
quality to Carpenter and and there's surely no better way to celebrate than issuing the other Manhunter would probably need
cinematographer Dean Cundey’s 20 films on Ultra HD disc. Hopefully the delay also means there’s a new remaster, The Silence of
finely-tuned widescreen visuals been time to create new 4K restorations that don’t exhibit the the Lambs was restored in 4K
(and was overseen by the technical issues that a ected some of the films on Blu-ray (we’re ahead of Criterion’s 2018 US BD.
filmmaking pair). We can only looking at you, GoldenEye). It's part of the MGM catalogue,
imagine what fresh horrors a though, so the ball's now
true 4K HDR presentation could in Amazon's court...
unearth in the film’s gloopy
practical e ects.

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

32 4K BD WISHLIST

Ben-Hur Once Upon a The Godfather Trilogy

[1959] Time in the Who wouldn’t want the chance to watch two of the greatest
crime films ever made (and a so-so trilogy closer) in 4K? Sadly,
This Biblical blockbuster set a West there’s still no confirmation on when we might hope to see
benchmark for catalogue Blu-ray Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part II
when Warner Bros. issued its A beautiful Western, Sergio (1974) or The Godfather Part III (1990) make their UHD debut.
Ultimate Collector’s Edition in the Leone’s 1968 near-three-hour epic And even though Coppola oversaw a new 4K scan and restoration
US a decade ago. Returning to the is a film of operatic extravagance of the latter’s original negative for his 2020 The Godfather Coda:
large-format 65mm negatives, crying out to be revisited in 4K The Death of Michael Corleone re-edit, it was only released on
the studio undertook an 8K scan HDR (and not 4K SDR, as is the Full HD Blu-ray.
and frame-by-frame restoration case with the recent outing for the
that reportedly cost it a whopping director's The Good, the Bad and When the trilogy finally does make the switch to 4K, we’re sure
$1million. As beautiful as that disc the Ugly). Paramount’s 2011 BD it will have been worth the wait. The chance to savour Gordon
is, it's obvious there’s even more still looks pretty terrific, but it ‘the Prince of Darkness’ Willis’ famously shadowy cinematography
detail to be drawn out of the doesn’t entirely succeed in bolstered by HDR grading and the extra resolution of the UHD
scan, while the likes of The Ten resolving the Techniscope format should make it an o er you can’t refuse.
Commandments have shown photography’s native film grain,
us the di erence WCG/HDR can looking a little ‘clumpy’ at times.
o er vintage movies. Throw in a A fresh restoration would also
4K version of the 1925 silent film present the chance to eliminate
version while you're at it. remaining dirt and scratches.

The Terminator/Robocop Hellraiser The French

This pair of fan-favourite 1980s sci-fi-actioners are primed for ‘We have such sights to show Connection
a 4K release. Or so you’d think… you,’ intoned Doug Bradley’s Lead
Cenobite (AKA 'Pinhead') William Friedkin’s Oscar-winning
The 2012 ‘remastered’ Blu-ray release of James Cameron’s towards the end of this 1987 1971 crime film has a chequered
tech-noir thrill-ride The Terminator (1984) was based on a 4K scan. horror that marked the directorial history on Blu-ray. For its first
And in the time since then the studio should have had plenty of debut of genre author Clive release in 2009 the director took
opportunity to ditch the revisionist ‘teal and orange’ colour timing and Barker. While Barker the a new approach to the film’s
restore the original mono soundtrack (the 5.1 remix is a bit of a mess). filmmaker doesn’t bring the same colour timing, resulting in a
Meanwhile, a 4K scan and restoration of Paul Verhoeven’s masterful kind of flourishes to the look of cold-looking Full HD presentation
RoboCop (1987) was undertaken in 2013 – and anyone that picked the movie that Barker the writer that filled its palette with pastel
up Arrow’s stunning 2019 Blu-ray knows just how good that looked. does to its sadistically seductive tones. Fans were upset and in
script, it's the now iconic 2012 a new BD transfer arrived,
The trouble is, both films were produced by MGM and are now Cenobite makeup and the again supervised by Friedkin,
owned by Amazon, meaning they could be locked away on the audacious gore e ects that restoring the film’s original
Prime Video streaming platform and never given a 4K disc release. would really benefit from the balance. As good as that release
But we’re still hoping that they’ll be back… extra detail a orded by an Ultra looked, there are clearly details
HD release. Having already in the film’s gritty visuals that
completed a 2K restoration for would be even better suited to
its 2015 Blu-ray release, maybe an Ultra HD Blu-ray encode.
Arrow Video could now be The studio (Fox) just needs to
tempted to tackle a 4K do-over? keep Friedkin at arm’s length
during any additional work that
needs to be done.

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34 4K BD WISHLIST

Raging Bull Speed Racer

Another one from the Martin Se7en/Panic Room The Wachowskis’ live-action
Scorsese vault, although from anime flopped upon its original
a filmmaking perspective this is What’s in the box? Not Ultra HD Blu-rays of these two David 2008 release, but Speed Racer
about as di erent as you can get Fincher thrillers, that’s for sure. has built up a sizeable cult
from Taxi Driver. Shot in stark following over the last decade-
black-and-white, this Robert It’s more than a decade since the noir-ish serial killer flick and-a-half that would race down
De Niro-headlined 1980 boxing Se7en (1995) made its bow on Blu-ray, courtesy of Warner Bros., to the shops to pick up a UHD
biopic is perhaps the filmmaker’s and as much as the Fincher-approved 1080p transfer did a decent upgrade. While the digital
most visually striking movie, job of recreating the bleach bypass process that gave the film’s cameras used to lens the film
and the thought of watching its visuals their distinctive high-contrast look, the brighter highlights might hold little additional
incredible fight scenes in 2160p, and deeper blacks of a considered HDR pass ought to deliver unresolved material for a new
with the added intensity of even greater tonal accuracy. 4K scan to get to grips with, HDR/
flash-bulbs popping in HDR, WCG should do wonders for the
is tantalising. We'd go a couple As for Fincher’s slick 2002 thriller Panic Room, a 4K disc release film’s already eye-poppingly
of rounds with Jake LaMotta if was on the cards at Sony Pictures back in 2018, alongside the colourful CG visuals. Meanwhile,
someone said we'd get this on film’s first ever outing on 1080p Blu-ray – only for both to be pulled an Atmos/DTS: remix would be
4K afterwards. from the studio’s schedule with no explanation forthcoming, and a vast improvement on the
leaving us clutching our DVD copies. Blu-ray’s lossy DD 5.1 track.
Oh, and talking Scorsese, how
about The Departed, Cape Fear,
Gangs of New York, The Aviator...

Tron: Legacy Citizen Kane

Night of the Living Dead There’s a lot stacked against this This black-and-white drama
enjoyable 2010 sci-fi sequel made in 1941 is often cited as
(1968)/Day of the Dead (1985) – and frequent Blu-ray demo the greatest movie ever made
disc back in the day – receiving (although it only scooped one
UK label Second Sight nabbed the ‘4K Blu-ray remaster’ gong in a 4K upgrade. Not only was it Academy Award from nine
the HCC Movie Awards last year for its Limited Edition of George A. specifically shot for 3D using the nominations). So – if you ask
Romero’s horror Dawn of the Dead (1978). Housing 4K restorations Pace Fusion twin camera rig, but us – it's a far more deserving
of the film's three cuts, plus a bonus Blu-ray, three audio CDs and a it was done using Sony D35 digital candidate to be watched at home
150-page book, the boxset cuts an imposing figure on any disc shelf. cameras, whose 35mm-sized in beautiful 4K HDR than, say,
5.8K sensors actually only The Smurfs 2. Good news, then,
What we now need are comparable UHD Blu-ray editions of the allowed recording of Full HD 1,920 that a 4K restoration of Citizen
other films in Romero’s original zombie trilogy – Night of the Living x 1,080 images (at rates up to Kane’s original nitrate elements
Dead (1968) and Day of the Dead (1985). However, while a 4K 50fps), so any potential 4K already exists, having been
restoration of the former was the basis for Criterion’s 2018 Blu-ray, upscale would likely yield limited used as the basis for the
that label has yet to adopt the UHD format. And Day of the Dead upgrades over the existing BD. gob-smackingly gorgeous 75th
will no doubt need a thorough restoration to bring it back to life But where a 4K disc could really Anniversary Blu-ray that arrived
before any 4K release can be considered. impress is through the added on these shores in 2016. So we
intensity a HDR grade would bring wait patiently for Warner Bros.
to director Joseph Kosinski's to dust it o and give Orson
highly-stylised aesthetics inside Welles’ groundbreaking movie
'the Grid'. And, while they’re at it, another chance to shine.
a Dolby Atmos remix wouldn’t go
amiss either.

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

PLAYBACK EXTRA 35

Ring [1998] Pulp Fiction

The Planet of the Apes movies Arrow unleashed a spectacular Quentin Tarantino is such a
4K restoration of Hideo Nakata’s massive movie nerd that it’s
(1968-1973) J-horror classic Ring (1998) on impossible to think of him not
Blu-ray in 2019, so we hope a true wanting his own movies to look
We know the superb modern reboot trilogy is already available on 4K disc release might also be on their very best when watched at
4K disc. What we want is the original cycle of five sci-fi movies: the cards. After all, the label has home. Having already supervised
Planet of the Apes (1968), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), already started upgrading some and approved the digital clean-up
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of its earlier 4K restorations — of his influential 1994 crime story
of the Apes (1972), and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). such as The Bird with the Crystal compendium for its Blu-ray
Plumage (1970) and Donnie Darko release, we expect he’d be willing
New 4K restorations will be needed to bring the best out of (2001) – from Blu-ray to Ultra HD. to do the same for a brand-new
the celebrated monkey makeup, however, as the work done on all As for what we'd like from a 4K 4K restoration for a potential
five films for the 2008 Blu-ray boxset, and a subsequent 2010 release, the additional clarity Ultra HD Blu-ray. And while
restoration of the first film for a new DCP, was completed in a 2K might make you believe Sadako we all remember the film's
workflow. And having missed the boat to tie a release into 2017's was crawling out of the screen conversations about hamburgers,
War for the Planet of the Apes, we may have to wait for the into your cinema room. If that’s we sometimes forget the lush
follow-up currently in pre-production at Disney. not too terrifying to contemplate. colour and deep shadow found in
Andrzej Skula’s BAFTA-nominated
35mm cinematography.

Barry Lyndon Gone with the Wind The Third Man

This meticulously constructed This sumptuous 1939 historical romance was once an evergreen in From its characters to the
1975 period film ranks among the Warner Bros. catalogue, being repeatedly re-released across evocative cinematography,
Stanley Kubrick’s very best. every new format. And for Gone with the Wind’s 70th anniversary everything about Carol Reed’s
It’s also one of his most Blu-ray in 2009, the best available materials were scanned at 8K brilliant 1949 British noir is
groundbreaking, turning to before digital realignment and restoration. So high-quality painted exclusively in shades
innovative cinematographic elements exist for starting work on a 4K project. of grey – and the thought
techniques (included lenses of Robert Kassler’s stunning
developed by NASA) to But there are two potential problems. The first is the film’s black-and-white photography,
photograph interiors lit only by depiction of slavery – although a new 'historical context' intro rendered with even more nuance
candlelight – it was The Revenant on HBO Max screenings shows how this can be addressed. The and delineation on Ultra HD
of its day, if you will. The di use second is that, according to restoration expert Robert Harris, the Blu-ray, sets our pulse racing.
look that resulted from Kubrick's intentionally soft nature of the film’s photography, the multiple The good news is that
experimentation may dampen mattes and opticals, and limitations of the three-strip Technicolor Studiocanal undertook a
down detail, but an HDR pass film’s colour range, mean that a 4K restoration would ‘need a great beautiful new 4K restoration
would bring additional subtleties deal of hand-holding’ for what may well be a modest upgrade. of The Third Man ahead of its
and increased brightness peaks remastered Blu-ray release
to the painterly visuals. As Warner in 2015, and as the label is no
Bros. seems to be slowly working slouch when it comes to releasing
its way through releasing catalogue titles on 4K Blu
Kubrick’s catalogue on UHD, (it's recently issued everything
and with a 4K digital scan of the from Bill & Ted's Excellent
camera negative already existing, Adventure to The Ladykillers),
it’s surely only a matter of time. we're pretty hopeful ■

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

36 DREAM THEATRE/WWW. AONYX.CO.UK

XXL
entertainment

This cinema has 18 seats, four subwoofers, a pro-grade projector
and a bowling alley next door. Daniel Sait tries to hide his envy

A

KIT CHECKLIST

BARCO: Balder CinemaScope 4K HDR projector with
EN44 long-throw lens
PROJECTA: 4.1m-wide fixed-frame 2.37:1 acoustically
transparent screen
TRIAD: 3 x OnWall Platinum LCR; 2 x Triad InWall
Silver/6 Monitor; 4 x Triad InCeiling Silver/6
Monitor; 2 x Triad InWall Gold/4 Surround; 2 x
InRoom Platinum Sub (subwoofers); 2 x 700 DSP
subwoofer amplifiers
SONANCE: 2 x R12SUB subwoofers; 2 x Sonamp
2-750 MKII subwoofer amplifiers
ARCAM: AV860 processor; 4 x FMJ P349 power
amplifiers
KALEIDESCAPE: 12TB Strato S 4K player
APPLE: Apple TV
PANASONIC: DP-UB9000 4K Blu-ray player
CONTROL4: EA-5 system processor; 7in wall-
mounted touchscreen; SR260 remote
FURMAN: Rack-mounted power conditioner

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

INSTALL 37

THIS IMPRESSIVELY PROPORTIONED home
theatre features high-end hardware from Barco,
Arcam, Kaleidescape and Triad, and could easily
fit all of The Waltons with seats to spare. To add
to the cost-no-object feel, it partners an adjacent
billiards room and ten-pin bowling alley, all brought
under the control of the owner by a Control4
automation system.

It's a basement conversion, somewhere in one
of London's well-heeled neighbourhoods. Richard
Reid, managing director of installer AONYX,
explains: 'The top end of London’s residential

B real estate market is in a bit of an arms race

to provide customized living experiences, and
centre-piece amenities like this movie theatre
make a statement.' Helping to make that
statement are the 18 seats across three rows,
4.1m-wide projection screen, and almost totally
invisible hardware installation – the in-ceiling
models in the 7.4.4 speaker system feature RAL
colour-matched painted grilles, and the projector
is discreetly housed in a hand-built enclosure.

'The most important thing, however, is that
the room and system is always reliable and easy
to use, and that’s why we chose to install Control4,'
says Reid.

Blank-slate brief
C When the project started AONYX was presented

with a concrete shell and a brief to simply 'create
an amazing cinema.' The finished room features
stretched fabric walls that hide acoustic treatments
and in-wall speakers, a false wall at the front
accommodating the screen, LCR speakers and
two of the system's four subwoofers, and a nearby
kit-rack housing a 12TB Kaleidescape 4K movie
player, Apple TV streamer and Panasonic DP-
UB9000 UHD Blu-ray player.

Delivering the bigscreen image is a high-
performance Barco Balder projector, a laser-based
model claiming a 7,000 Lumens output – ideal to
both work well with the sizable projector screen
and get the best from HDR sources. Completing the
AV lineup are Triad on-wall, in-wall and in-ceiling
speakers from its Platinum, Silver and Gold series,
and Arcam amplification and processing.

AONYX beefed up wireless networking in this
subterranean space with professional-grade gear,
ensuring sufficient bandwidth to support the
devices of multiple guests in addition to the AV
system. Because this is probably the sort of cinema
your friends will want to shout about on Instagram ■

A. Made for movies

The 4.1m Projecta screen is 'Scope ratio, ideal for
a diet of Hollywood blockbusters. The partnering
PJ provides automatic aspect ratio switching

B. Total makeover

The transformation from a concrete shell included
a new co ered ceiling and stretched fabric walls.
In-ceiling speaker grilles are colour-matched

C. Going underground

The basement dimensions were 11.4m long by
8.4m wide, which made it relatively easy to
accommodate the room's 18 seats

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

38 INSTALL

D

D. Looooong-throw lens E

The projector is from the residential line of
commercial cinema specialist Barco. To reach
the other end of room, it's fitted with an ultra-
long-throw 2.50-4.61:1 lens

E. Going on strike

In between movies, the cinema owner can kick
back with a game of ten-pin bowling. Lighting and
entertainment are all under the Control4 system

F. Master and commander

Handling Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing for
the 7.4.4 system is Arcam's AV860 processor,
tethered to a quartet of FMJ P349 power amps

G. Sitting pretty

Seating is arranged over tiered rows, with each
visitor getting a full-size recliner and footrest.
Space is available for wheelchair users too

F

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021 G



40 DREAM THEATRE/WWW.CYBERHOMES .CO.UK

Sit down,
listen up

Movies, games and – most importantly – music are enjoyed
in this revamped media room, reports Mark Craven

A

KIT CHECKLIST

SONY: VPL-VW870ES 4K HDR projector
SCREEN RESEARCH: ClearPix 2.40:1 2.3m screen
with motorised side masking
MERIDIAN: 271 Digital Theatre Controller; 2 x
DSP7200SE (front L/R); 1 x DSP5200HCSE
(centre); 4 x DSP320 (in-ceiling); 2 x DSP640
(surrounds); 2 x DSW subwoofers; 218 MQA
music streamer
INTEGRA: DRX-R1.1 Dolby Atmos processor
APPLE: Apple TV
SKY: Sky Q PVR
SONY: PlayStation 4
MICROSOFT: Xbox One
PANASONIC: DMP-UB900 4K Blu-ray player
VICOUSTIC: Acoustic panels
SAVANT PRO: Smart home system and app;
remote control
LUTRON: Lighting control

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

INSTALL 41

LIKE LAUREL AND Hardy, steak and chips or Zack
Snyder and hashtags, music and movies go well
together – plenty of us use our AV setup to listen
to music too. This room, designed and fitted by UK
installer Cyberhomes, is one such example, as the
owner is described as a 'music industry mogul' who
wanted his media den upgraded for critical listening
in addition to movie and gaming entertainment.

Because of this, the cinema looks a little di erent
than the pro install norm. In place of recliner chairs is
a spacious sofa, acoustic treatments aren't hidden,
and the left/right loudspeakers are in-room active
floorstanders rather than passive in-wall cabinets.

The space itself is compact, and presented
Cyberhomes with a few challenges. Pre-existing
joinery on the front wall had to be moved, and the
wall, plus parts of the ceiling, sides and rear, was
then rebuilt. A large window on one side was fitted
with a blackout blind, plus a full-length curtain to
limit first reflections (a curtain was added on the
opposite wall the same purpose). Front corner bass
traps were installed to counter room nodes, and rear
and ceiling surfaces treated too.

Joining the front speakers are a centre channel
behind the projector screen, and in-ceiling and
in-wall speakers. Two in-room subwoofers provide
LFE for the 5.2.4 array.

While some hardware is rack-mounted,
a bespoke cabinet was built to house the all-
important PS4, Xbox and games collection ■

A. 'He's no good to me dead...'

'Not all our cinema rooms feature an original

Star Wars costume,' admits the installer

B. On active duty

Meridian's DSP7200 Special Edition speakers

B combine dual 8in bass drivers, a dedicated
mid-range and a high-spec beryllium tweeter

with four 150W amplifiers and the company's

proprietary digital signal processing

C. Shadow details

The Lutron-based lighting system includes LEDs

that highlight the room's acoustic treatments and

bias lighting around the projector screen

C

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

42 INSTALL

D

D. UHD hero E

A high-end native 4K projector – Sony's VPL-
VW870ES – handles the cinema's visuals from
a Panasonic UHD BD player, Sky PVR, Apple TV
and games consoles

E. Fabric conditioning

Full length curtains help reduce reflections
from the room's window and walls

F. Making waves

For an optimal performance for both critical music
listening and movie/games night, the installer
fitted bass traps and absorption/di usion
treatments from Vicoustic

G. Flush fit

Hardware, including the Meridian controller and
Integra Dolby Atmos processor, is housed in an
in-wall Middle Atlantic rack, which pulls out and
rotates for easy access to cabling

F

G

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

HomeCinemaAlliance.co.uk

THE TOP CINEMA DESIGN
AND INSTALL COMPANIES

A professionally designed and installed home cinema system
is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Featured image: Immersive Cinema Rooms

North SouthEast South West North West

Bespoke Home Cinemas Immersive Cinema Rooms CinemaWorks Electric Orange
www.bespokehomecinemas.co.uk www.immersivecinemarooms.co.uk www.cinemaworks.co.uk www.electric-orange.co.uk
0113 266 0101 01424 870763 0117 214 0115 0151 9092770
AV6 – Smart home solutions
Inspire Audio Visual Cinema Rooms London www.av6.co.uk
www.inspire-av.com www.cinemarooms.com 0330 325 0441
0330 430 3490 01245 790855 Homeplay
www.homeplay.tv Home Cinema Alliance
Midlands & Wales New Wave AV 01932 781327
www.newwavehomecinema.co.uk
Trusted Technology 01732 852500 EIRE
www.trustedtechnology.co.uk
03300 881 844 SeriouslyCinema Active Room Technologies
www.seriouslycinema.co.uk www.activerooms.ie
Cotswold Home Cinema 0345 230 0330 (+353) 01 906 5346
www.cotswoldhomecinema.co.uk
01386 700147

THE VERY BEST CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY...

ARRIVING SOON!

thAepw3fvr5oaoerrYdrdoyEuivncAbetgeRsrsSt

EISA AWARDS 2021-22
Celebrating the year’s best products

The Expert Imaging and Sound Association is the community of 60 technology magazines, websites and social media
commentators from 29 countries, specialising in hi-fi, home theatre, photo and video, in-car and mobile electronics.

Every year the EISA jury of experts rewards the best products in each class with a coveted EISA Award.

The 2021-22 EISA Awards will be announced on August 15th 2021

TESTED BY THE EXPERTS Q WWW.EISA.EU

WWW.HOMECINEMACHOICE.COM 45

Hardware ➜ SAMSUNG 75in 8K QLED with mini LED backlight PHILIPS Premium

Dolby Atmos soundbar system TCL Flagship C825K 4K HDR TV APPLE Second-generation
4K media player KEF Active wireless standmount speakers POLK React soundbar with Alexa
integration JBL Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones HISENSE 55in Dolby Vision TV & MORE!

LFE at your fingertips

SVS has now brought its control and EQ app RATINGS KEY…
to its entry-level subwoofer range. We get acquainted
with the compact SB-1000 Pro to find out if it's Outstanding
the new king of budget bassmakers... Above average
Acceptable
All prices quoted are approximate and may have changed Disappointing
Dire

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

46 QE75QN900A/£7,000

AGENT
ORANGE

Daisy Ridley
watches out for
the fashion
police... p90

1

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

REVIEWS 47

Samsung's premium-priced 75in Neo QLED TV AV INFO
presents John Archer with an 8K showcase
PRODUCT:
Sing when 75in 8K QLED with
you're dimming mini LED backlight

POSITION:
Samsung’s flagship
LCD TV for 2021

PEERS:
LG OLED65G1;
Sony 65A90J;
TCL 65C825K

Even though it’s a relatively new TV technology, it’s already
obvious that not all mini LED TVs, which replace a conventional
LED backlight with one featuring thousands of tiny light sources,
are created equal. A mini LED backlight is only one part of the
picture quality story – the number of available dimming zones
is another. And in the case of this 75in range-topper from
Samsung, it's a story with a happy ending.

Elsewhere in this issue we audition a relatively seen in previous years. You can place it on the back 1. Samsung's
a ordable (£1,500) 4K mini LED set from TCL that of the TV’s desktop stand, making it all but invisible. 75-incher is supported
combines its backlight with local dimming across by a metal-finished,
160 zones. Here, we’re looking at a high-end (£7,000) The box's quartet of HDMIs are built to the latest HDMI central stand
8K mini LED TV that boasts an eye-popping 1,920 local 2.1 standard. The 75QN900A therefore supports not just
dimming zones. And while my experience suggests that 8K at 60Hz, but the 4K/120Hz, variable refresh rates 2. The frame on this
moving to mini LED can bring a positive performance (including the AMD Freesync and Nvidia G-Sync formats), 'Infinity' design TV
di erence to any TV, Samsung's QE75QN900A proves and automatic low latency mode switching features is ultra-thin – while
that going the extra mile can really help unlock the associated with the games consoles and PCs. depth is a mere 15mm
technology's full potential.
Via its mini LED backlight and local dimming zones,
I'm getting ahead of myself. Let’s start exploring this this Samsung can pump out an extraordinarily high
set properly from the outside in – because that outside peak brightness. I measured around 4,000 nits in its
is so spectacular. Dynamic preset on a 10 per cent white HDR window.
But this light output is only sustained very briefly; for
To infinity and beyond
a more sustainable, real-world figure,
This is the latest Samsung flatscreen to feature the you’re looking at the 1,680 nits or
brand's so-called ‘Infinity’ design. The screen is housed
in a frame so narrow you can barely see it 2 so measured in the TV’s Standard
when sitting directly in front. What’s more,
because the switch to mini LED removes picture mode. This, I must point out,
the lenses and packaging that bulk up is still very bright.
regular LED lighting, the set's sides are
much trimmer than you might expect. Scaling new heights?
The QE75QN900A therefore becomes
a much better wall-mounting option than Inside, there's a new 8K-tuned video
previous Samsung 8K bigscreens. processing engine that draws on the
knowledge of 16 neural network image
You can still just sit the TV on a piece analysers when deciding how best
of furniture. The centrally mounted desktop to treat any incoming source. This is
stand is complicated to attach, but its smart particularly relevant to its upscaling of
metal finish and angular design are a great sub-8K content to the screen’s native
match for the minimalistic screen. resolution. Some argue that the lack
of 8K source material makes a screen
As usual with Samsung’s premium like the 75QN900A kinda pointless
models, connections are handled by an – save your money and buy a 4K model
external One Connect box. This has been instead. I tend to think even last year’s
slimmed down drastically from the hefty items 8K TVs from Samsung were so good
at upscaling that they neutered
such arguments.

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

48 REVIEWS

3

Smart features are provided within Samsung’s Tizen- ‘blooming’ around bright objects, even in the most 4
based Eden platform, which includes apps for Netflix, extreme situations. However, move to viewing the
Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten, Disney+, YouTube and the TV o -axis (to an angle more than around 30 degrees)
catch-up services for all the UK’s terrestrial broadcasters. and blooming goes from almost non-existent to
What's missing is Freeview Play to bring these UK quite noticeable.
terrestrial apps under one ‘roof’.
Unlike even the most adept of Samsung’s standard
A chink in the 75QN900A’s feature armour is its lack LED TVs with local dimming, the 75QN900A’s deep black
of support for Dolby Vision. This is a point literally everyone floor is maintained without the screen typically having
keep making, and Samsung keeps doing nothing about. to drastically dim bright highlights. So, for instance, as the
car headlights approach from the distance in the opening
'This is a full-blooded, night-time scene of The Invisible Man on 4K Blu-ray,
well-rounded and flat-out the screen avoids blooming, keeps black levels deep,
dazzling demonstration and sustains the intensity of the light details.
of what HDR is capable of'
Dimming of bright image elements when contrast
There’s some compensation in the shape of HDR10+ soars has long been the biggest flaw with Samsung’s
playback, but plenty more content out there is Dolby Vision otherwise usually excellent high-end TVs, so it’s great
flavoured. A growing number of TVs from rival brands now to see the issue all but eradicated here (really small
support both formats, too. areas of standout brightness, such as stars, distant
street lights and so on, can still dim down, because even
Fantasy flatscreen nearly 2,000 dimming zones isn’t the same as every
pixel producing its own light).
The 75QN900A’s pictures are state-of-the-art. Or to put
it another way, absolutely fantastic. When it comes to colour handling, this Quantum
Dot TV makes quite the impression. The deliberately
Contrast performance is exemplary. Black levels in exaggerated hues that give parts of Inside Out (4K BD)
dark areas are deep and natural, and with the mini LED/ an extra dream-like quality pop o the screen like never
local dimming engine in full swing, the richness of its before (although some exceptionally rich reds can look
blacks holds up even when punctured by a zingy HDR a touch washed-out). And the subtle, low-lit skin tones
highlight. There’s practically no visible backlight and locations in the extended Gringott’s Bank sequence
in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (4K BD)
have a consistency and accuracy that I've not witnessed

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021

REVIEWS 49

on another LCD TV – not least 5 SPECIFICATIONS
because there’s no low-contrast
greyness or obvious backlight 4K: Yes. Actually 8K, 7,680 x 4,320 resolution HDR: Yes. HDR10; HDR10+; HLG
shifting to mess with anything. TUNER: Yes. Freeview HD; satellite HD CONNECTIONS: 4 x HDMI; 3 x USB; optical
digital audio output; Ethernet SOUND (CLAIMED): N/A BRIGHTNESS (CLAIMED): N/A
Put this TV's colour, contrast and CONTRAST RATIO (CLAIMED): N/A 4K/120: Yes DIMENSIONS (OFF STAND): 1,654.8(w)
light control together, and you’ve x 945.6(h) x 15.4(d)mm WEIGHT (OFF STAND): 31kg
a full-blooded, well-rounded and
flat-out dazzling demonstration FEATURES: Built-in Wi-Fi; USB multimedia playback; Neo Quantum processor;
of what HDR is capable of. Eden 2.0 smart system; multiple voice control systems; mini LED backlighting
with 1,920-zone local dimming; Neo QLED colour technology; HDR10+ adaptive;
Native charms Q Symphony; Dolby Atmos bitstream output (DD Plus/TrueHD)

So what of its 8K talents? TESTED WITH
It makes the resolution count.
With native 8K content THE INVISIBLE MAN: Leigh Whannell
– which is still mostly limited to graduated from scripting the Saw and
an 8K showreel from AV testing Insidious franchises to directing this
specialists Spears & Munsil! tense, inventive horror for Universal
– you can clearly appreciate the Pictures (once the studio gave up on
extra texture, depth of field and its Dark Universe idea of connected
three-dimensionality that having so many more films). Far creepier than Invisible Man
pixels, and so much more pixel density, can have films of old, we can't wait for the
on a 75in display. sequel. Available on 4K BD.

Meanwhile, Samsung's 4K upscaling is superb, than you’d expect from a TV with such sophisticated 3. 4K-8K upscaling
with a pretty much flawless 8K rendition of image processing. is handed by
decent-quality 4K sources. Head-to-head Samsung's Neo
comparisons pitching the 75QN900A against a The 75QN900A isn’t just a killer movie screen, it excels Quantum processor
variety of high-performance 4K TVs reveals 2160p with games too. Upscaling is still convincing even though
sources gaining a more natural, immediate and three- Game mode strips the video processing back. This low-lag 4. Eight rear-mounted
dimensional appearance on the 8K screen. This is at preset also reduces the potency of Samsung's local woofers complement
least true of the TV’s Standard and Dynamic presets dimming controls, but its HDR impact remains huge. the screen's
– opting for either the Filmmaker or Movie modes, as a Contrast takes something of a hit but there’s none of the bezel-based drivers
cinephile purist might do, results in an image that does quite irksome backlight blooming sometimes noticed
look quite a lot softer. while gaming on Samsung’s 4K 65QN95A [HCC #319]. 5. Behind the panel
sits a 1,920-zone
Good-quality HD sources remain not just watchable OTS not quite OTT mini LED local
but actually enjoyable after passing through the dimming engine
75QN900A’s pixel-pimping engine, and even SD sources Where this flagship set could fare better is with its audio.
are far from a disaster. The Object Tracking Sound (OTS) system, which combines
signal processing with speakers ranged around the bezel
Samsung’s motion processing can work very well with to better locate e ects with the onscreen action, works
24p movies if you choose ‘Custom’ and set judder and brilliantly, really bringing complex soundmixes to life.
blur reduction to level three or four, but the default Auto
setting produces more unwanted processing side e ects The speakers sound unstressed by even the heaviest
excesses of the mammoth Blade Runner 2049 (4K BD)
soundtrack, too, and bass is nimble.

But the array of woofers on the TV's rear can’t deliver
especially deep frequencies, and limited forward projection
and a slightly subdued maximum volume level stops this
TV from filling the room as e ectively as I’d hoped.

As a result, you might want to think about saving up
yet more money for one of Samsung’s relatively high-end
soundbars, which can join forces with the TV’s speakers
courtesy of the brand's Q Symphony technology. Or partner
this 75-incher with a full-spec home theatre system.

Despite the odd niggle or two, the 75QN900A is a
genuine head-turner. Comfortably the finest demonstration
yet of the benefits of mini LED technology, it becomes by
default the most all-round glorious LCD TV I've seen to
date. All those dimming zones and pixels don't come
cheap, but the performance matches the price ■

VERDICT

Samsung QE75QN900A

➜ £7,000 ➜ www.samsung.com/uk

WE SAY: A dazzling showcase of just what mini LED is capable
of when partnered with Quantum Dot colours and a premium
video processing engine.

SUMMER 2021 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

50 PHILIPS FIDELIO B97/£1,000

Philips' transforming Fidelio soundbar

1

o ers old-school home cinema thrills,
says Steve May

Surround sound
comeback king

The Philips Fidelio B97 soundbar drops deeper than Back in business
James Cameron chasing the Titanic. You might think
the fancy detachable speaker modules that double The B97 is the new king of Philips' soundbar range, and the
as wireless rears would be the star of this high-end first to carry 'Fidelio' branding since that premium product
soundbar, but it's actually the subwoofer in this twin set class was resurrected in 2020.
that’s the pearl. It delivers profound, subterranean bass,
the kind that slams you in the chest. Even The Rock It’s a 7.1.2 design with category redefining functionality.
would stagger under the weight of its output. Philips calls its detachable speaker enclosures 'surround
sound on demand', and that’s precisely what they o er.
In the Love, Death & Robots episode ‘Automated A light tug removes them from the main 'bar, so you can
Customer Service’ (Netflix, Dolby Atmos), a robot vacuum position them to the side of, or behind, your hot seat.
decides to purge a house of all living things, including its
elderly resident. The animation style may be goofy, but When set free, these enclosures pair with the soundbar
the deep thrum the Vacubot makes as it hunts its prey is automatically over Wi-Fi. They’ll run for upwards of ten
chilling; I began to fear this smart bar might have similarly hours, and recharge their batteries when reconnected to the
malicious intent. Death by infrasonics? I can think of worse main hardware (there’s also a USB-C option if you need it).
ways to go.
With the surrounds and 'bar combined, the complete
chassis measures a substantial 1.3m, and is best partnered
with 65in screens – you can wall mount if you don’t want
to park the thing in front of your screen. It looks decidedly
premium too, with a nice smoky mirrored finish to the
endcaps and the top and front wrapped in a metal mesh
driver grille that's apparently tuned for transparent

HOME CINEMA CHOICE SUMMER 2021