Home Cinema Choice

MARANTZ’S MARVEL HIGH-PERFORMANCE SOUND & VISION Inside READER’S ROOM ➜ OPINION ➜ COMPETITIONS ➜ MAGNETAR UHD DISC PLAYER ➜ REMEMBERING JJ ABRAMS’ CLOVERFIELD ➜ DEVIALET ➜ MORE! ISSUE 338 FEBRUARY 2023 £5.99 AUS- $15.99 NZ- $18.50 CAN- $18.99 www.homecinemachoice.com PERFECT HARMONY Bigscreen install also made for music, p30 On Test Philips 77in OLED Perlisten R Series 5.1 speaker system Sony XW7000ES 4K laser projector MartinLogan sub B&O soundbar Cinema 50 amp stuns with heroic sound... and style ■ KNIVES OUT 2 ■ SMILE ■ IN BRUGES ■ NEED FOR SPEED UNBOUND ■ GANGS OF LONDON S2 ■ JU-ON COLLECTION ■ MORE! FILM & TV Blockbusters! The big movies of 2023 you won’t want to miss Bass invader! Win SVS’s stunning 3000 Micro subwoofer 100+ products rated in our Gear Guide

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FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE 34 87 44 January is when I tend to watch the most fi lms. Why? Because the evenings are cold and dark, and Santa Claus has so comprehensively emptied my wallet that I can't a ord to do much else. I also have a recurring New Year's resolution to expand my cinematic horizons, although I usually just end up rewatching Fast and Furious movies. Speaking of movies, 2023 looks like being a welcome return to form for Hollywood, following three years of cinema closures, lockdowns, SVOD launches and the rest. Our roundup (p22) shows 'blockbuster season' starting early (mid-February for Ant-Man 3) as the major studios cram the slate with new titles, some held over from last year and beyond. True, many of them are sequels, but leave it to Christopher Nolan to blag a prime July spot for his original drama Oppenheimer. I won't make a trip to the multiplex to see all of 2023's treats – but I'm sure I'll catch many of them at home next January. Editor 'It's-a me! Mario!', p26 Welcome OPINION 3 Title First name Surname Address Postcode Telephone number Please reserve/deliver my copy of Home Cinema Choice on a regular basis, starting with issue: If you can’t always fi nd a copy of this magazine, help is at hand! Complete this form and hand in at your local store, they’ll arrange for a copy of each issue to be reserved for you. Some stores may even be able to arrange for it to be delivered to your home. Just ask! Subject to availability If you don’t want to miss an issue NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: February 16, 2023 www.homecinemachoice.com EDITORIAL TEAM Editor Mark Craven [email protected] Art Editor John Rook CONTRIBUTORS Steve May, Anton van Beek, John Archer, Steve Withers, Rik Henderson, Ed Selley, Richard Stevenson, Dan Sait, Jon Thompson Photography Mike Prior ADVERTISING Advertising Sales Executive Richard Morris Mob: 07834 346461 E-mail: [email protected] MARKETING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS UK: New, renewals & enquiries… Tel : 01858 438 446 Email: [email protected] Europe, USA, Canada & rest of world: Tel: +44(0)1858 438 446 Lines open Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm GMT BACK ISSUES 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 Suite 6G, Eden House, Enterprise Way Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6HF Tel: 0844 412 2262 From outside the UK: +44 (0)203 855 6105 Distributed in the UK by Marketforce UK Ltd BACKGROUND WALL IMAGES: ©STOCK.ADOBE.COM ©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM ©iSTOCKPHOTO.COM 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 6G, Eden House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6HF, UK. The US annual subscription price is 68GBP (equivalent to approximately 98USD). Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Home Cinema Choice, Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at CDS GLOBAL Ltd, Tower House, Sovereign Park, Market Harborough, Leicester, LE16 9EF. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.

COVER STORY HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 22 07 Rack 'em up New Monitor Audio multichannel power amps 08 C'est magnifi que! Devialet gives its Dione soundbar an operatic makeover... 09 Bristol's back in business Long-running UK audio show returns in February after two-year break 10 Magnetar UHD BD player Chinese disc-spinner promises highperformance home cinema 12 Pioneer Elite AVRs arrive First receiver models land in the UK following new brand ownership 14 Dark side of The Rock Black Adam is about to break free on 4K BD 16 Tech Talk Variable refresh rates explained 22 Movies you won't want to miss in 2023 Starring Indiana Jones, John Wick, Adonis Creed, Aquaman and Super Mario 30 Movies 'n' music Basement conversion designed for a fi lm and hi-fi bu 34 Dominus den Cinema room with Perlisten sound system 98 Catalogue classic 2008 found-footage sci-fi Cloverfi eld 101 Gear guide HCC's comprehensive Top 10s/15s list only the very best kit money can buy 71 Digital Copy Mark Craven on vintage HDR conversions 72 The Hi-Fi Guy Ed Selley doesn't always want to EQ... 74 In The Mix Where does the streaming business go now? 76 Feedback Where you share your thoughts 82 Certifi ed: AV-Holic Step inside a reader's room 114 AV Avenger Steve May's thoughts on Avatar 2 in 3D 48fps BULLETIN Th e place for hot products, trends and technology. Starts... p7 FEATURES In-depth interviews and special reports. Starts... p22 SELECT Th e place to look if you're planning to buy some new AV gear. Starts... p101 REGULARS Whether you want our opinions or your own, here's where to look. Starts... p71 John Archer: 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 30 16 07 COMPETITIONS 78 Great Blu-rays to be won! Halloween Ends 4K, Living, Smile 4K and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 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 4 ISSU E 33 8/FEBRUARY 2023 CONTRIBUTORS Steve Withers: Movie fan, display calibrator and object-based audio obsessive

COVER STORY COVER STORY SVS 3000 MICRO SUBWOOFER UP FOR GRABS – SEE P36 FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE 40 'This Marantz amp delivers immersive audio in its most literal sense' 40 Marantz Cinema 50 New-look nine-channel home cinema amplifi er ready for Dirac Live 44 Philips 77OLED807 Monster 77in 4K HDR OLED TV proves that bigger is always better 48 JBL Stage Series 5.1 Entry-level fl oorstanding speaker system with High-Defi nition Imaging waveguide tech 52 Sony VPL-XW7000ES Premium 4K HDR laser projector aims to be brighter than the rest 56 MartinLogan Dynamo 800X Compact 10in subwoofer with Anthem Room Correction and app control 58 Perlisten R Series American loudspeaker brand's second-tier range is a chip o the high-end block 88 Beast [4K] 89 Don't Worry Darling [4K]; Munsters: Col. Ed; Three Thousand Years of Longing; Clerks III 90 Need For Speed Unbound [PS/Xbox]; King Kong [1976] [4K]; The Outer Limits: Original Series; The War of the Worlds & When Worlds Collide: Double Feature [4K] 91 Smile [4K] 92 Gangs of London: S 2; The Trial: 60th Anni. [4K]; Tangerine: Ltd. Ed; Pulp Fiction [4K]; Planes, Trains & Automobiles [4K]; 94 In Bruges [4K]: The Dunwich Horror; Maniac [1980]; Ghost Stories for Christmas Vol. 1; Something in the Dirt 95 Ju-On: The Grudge Collection [4K/BD]; Big Time Gambling Boss; Righting Wrongs; Yes, Madam! 96 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery; Troll REVIEWS With a focus on performance, these are in-depth tests you can trust... p39 PLAYBACK Th e latest Blu-rays, DVDs, games and books reviewed and rated. Starts... p87 44 SUBSCRIBE! Sign up to the world’s best AV magazine to save money and never miss an issue p18 62 Sony XR-55A84K Below the Big S's Quantum Dot OLED, but still a fi ne picture performer 64 T+A Solitaire T Wireless/wired headphones from the German marque o er 'HQ' mode 66 Bang & Olufsen Theatre Single-box sound system takes the idea of a soundbar to another level 68 Samsung UE55BU8500 A ordable 55in 'Crystal' LED TV 69 M&K Sound D95 Slender on-wall two-way loudspeakers 89 52 48

Introducing MartinLogan’s latest generation of DynamoTM subwoofers. Five models engineered to deliver an intensely tactile bass experience. They feature new technology, bold construction and the power to reveal the ‘Truth in Sound’: fast response, accurate detail and realistic impact. Smartphone App control and ARC® Room Correction give you the ultimate control and optimal bass in any listening space. For music or cinema, Dynamo brings the performance home. PowerfullyElegant. www.pmc-speakers.com If you haven’t experienced a MartinLogan, it’s time you did: www.martin-logan.co.uk ï App control via smartphone ï Anthem Room Correction (ARC®) for PC, iOS and Android ?e^qb[e^_khgm&Ûkbg`hk ]hpg&Ûkbg`]^lb`g Applicable to the Dynamo 800X, 1100X, and 1600X models only

FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE WWW.HOMECINEMACHOICE.COM 7 ➜News highlights DEVIALET Dione soundbar prepped for a night at the opera... BRISTOL HI-FI SHOW UK audio showcase returns in Feb MAGNETAR High-end universal 4K player touches down from China AT THE PLEX This month's cinema releases NEWS X10 Hot news stories in bite-sized chunks BLACK ADAM The Rock rolls into the DCEU & MORE! BULLETIN Rack 'em up Monitor Audio IA Series ➜ www.monitoraudio.com Monitor Audio's 'Installation' amp range has four new models, all designed to allow 'more channels to be placed into less space than ever before'. The compact IA60-4 (£1,150) and IA125-4 (£1,650) support four-channel outputs, rated at 60W and 125W respectively, but use Power Share technology to enable a singlechannel 250W feed if desired. Need more grunt? Step up to the IA750-2 (£2,150, 2x750W) or IA750-4 (£3,150, 4x750W). The new quartet are pictured here atop the 12-channel IA60-12. For breaking AV news, blogs, features and reviews visit www.homecinemachoice.com Follow us on Twitter @hccmag Like us on Facebook facebook.com/homecinemachoice ONLINE…

HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 8 DEVIALET/PL AYLIST C'est magnifique! Devialet Dione Opéra de Paris ➜ www.devialet.com Released to celebrate fi ve years of the brand's partnership with Opéra national de Paris, Devialet's special edition iteration of its Dione soundbar (HCC #333) will glam up your movie room with its 22-carat 'moon gold' fi nish and new-look Orb centre driver and end panels. Pricing is £2,400, a £400 premium over the standard black iteration, and the underlying 17-driver, 5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos array and proprietary amplifi cation remains unchanged. When wall-mounted, the Dione Orb driver is rotated through 90 degrees

FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE Making music on the GO Advantage Pro-Ject? Another superportable and bargain-priced headphone amp from iFi Audio, the £59 GO Link comprises two sections linked by a 6cm cable – one providing a USB-C connection for a smartphone, the other featuring the D/A conversion silicon and 3.5mm output (thus catering to owners of devices with no headphone jack). Supporting 384kHz PCM, DSD256 and MQA, the GO Link is bundled with USB-A and Apple Lightning adaptors. www.ifi -audio.com You've got the Fred Perry tennis shoes and polo shirt, but have you got the matching turntable? Designed by vinyl honcho Pro-ject, and priced £450, the 'Fred Perry x Pro-Ject Record Deck' borrows plenty from the brand's Essential III and Debut Carbon EVO models, but is an all-new design. As befi ts its mass market positioning, it's pre-fi tted with an Ortofon OM 10 cartridge and features a built-in phono pre-amp. Three fi nishes are available, including Maroon/White/Ice (pictured). www.project-audio.com Bristol's back in business Long-running UK audio show returns in February after two-year break The Bristol Hi-Fi Show will throw open its doors this February for the fi rst time since 2020, following cancellations in 2021 and 2022 due to the Covid pandemic. Organiser Audio T, a hi-fi /home cinema retailer with 12 stores across the England and Wales, says the show is making a 'triumphant return'. The venue is again Bristol's Marriott City Centre Hotel. Audio from A to Y Running from Friday February 24 to Sunday February 26, the Hi-Fi Show (previously known as Bristol Sound and Vision), is set to feature over 150 exhibiting brands. Those confi rmed so far include Acoustic Energy, Arcam, Bowers & Wilkins, DALI, Jamo, JBL, Lyngdorf, Marantz, Musical Fidelity, Naim, PMC, Pro-Ject, REL Acoustics, Sonus faber, SVS, T+A, Triangle and Yamaha. The Pioneer and Onkyo brands, now returned to the UK market thanks to new ownership and distribution (see p12) will also be present. As usual, expect some brands to use the show to launch new products. For example, Scottish loudspeaker maker Fyne Audio has said it will be debuting its F57SP centre speaker, designed to bring surround sound potential to the company's premium F500SP and F700 ranges. Primare's SPA25 AV receiver (reviewed HCC #337) will also make its fi rst UK appearance – grab a listen! Lined up as the 'Offi cial Streaming Service' of the Bristol Hi-Fi Show is hi-res music streaming platform Qobuz. The company will be creating a 'host of bespoke playlists' for the event and off ering showgoers a 60-day free trial to its service. Entry prices are the same as they were in 2020, meaning adult tickets are £14 on the door or £12.50 online (plus online booking fee), while students and seniors can get in for £12.50 or £11 online. Children under the age of 16 accompanied by an adult receive free entry. Multi-day passes are also available. www.bristolshow.co.uk BULLETIN 9 Playlist... What Team HCC has been watching this month Tokyo Vice (iPlayer) Michael Mann directs the pilot episode and produces this gripping, character-driven crime drama series starring Ansel Elgort. What We Do in the Shadows (Disney+) The fourth season of the hilarious supernatural mockumentary has fi nally taken a bite out of Disney’s SVOD platform. Mayor of Kingstown: Season One (BD) Jeremy Renner stars in this grim but gripping neo-noir from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. The Dead and the Deadly (BD) Newly restored 1982 Hong Kong horror-comedy-action extravaganza casts a powerful spell on Blu-ray. Vigilante (BD) 1983 Death Wish cash-in blasts its way onto disc with a new PMC loudspeakers (left) at the show in restoration and plenty of extras. 2020, and (above) Primare's SPA25 AVR

HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 Magnetar UHD BD player Chinese disc-spinner promises high-performance home cinema The 4K Blu-ray player market has been nearly dormant for quite a while. Samsung has withdrawn, while LG, Panasonic and Sony continue to sell the same product lines year after year. Yet new decks have still arrived, such as those from French-owned Reavon (see HCC #324), while the latest is the UDP800 from Chinese newcomer Magnetar Audio. Available online for €1,599 from distributor Archisoft (which also handles the Reavon and Zappiti brands), the player is a full-width and heavyweight (8kg) model with a 'universal' tag, meaning support for DVD, DVD-Audio, CD, Super Audio CD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray. Both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats are supported. Steel yourself Contributing to the deck's premium price tag is its physical build. 'Achieving exceptional audio and video performance requires high-quality chassis 10 ACO USTI C E N E R GY/4K BLU - RAY construction,' says Magnetar of the UDP800, which features a double-layer metal enclosure with 3mm steel base plate and two-tone brushed aluminium front panel. Inside, components including the disc mech and 'high-power, low-noise' transformer are independently shielded. Connections include USB for local media playback from drives up to 16TB, plus Ethernet for network audio and video. Twin HDMI outputs (main and audio-only) are off ered, as well as optical and coaxial, RS-232, and analogue audio on unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR connections. The latter hints at Magnetar's audiophile aspirations – the UDP800 packs dual Burr-Brown DACs for stereo music, one used for each channel. Media Tek's MT8581 quad-core SoC does number-crunching and delivers the player's onscreen menus, which will be familiar to anyone who has owned an Oppo UHD deck. magnetar-audio.eu Brit loudspeaker brand Acoustic Energy has added an on-wall option for its entry-level 100 Series. The AE105 is available now priced £249 each, in black, white or walnut veneer fi nish. Measuring 12cm deep and 45cm high (or wide, if mounted horizontally for centre channel use), the speaker features a 1in fabric dome tweeter and pair of 5in cones, one a passive radiator, the other a bass/ mid driver – frequency response is a claimed 55Hz-26kHz. Acoustic Energy's tweeter is housed in the Wide Dispersion Seen here in its walnut option, the AE105 joins fl oorstander, bookshelf, centre and subwoofer options in the 100 Series Acoustic Energy goes on-wall AE105 designed for surround or two-channel setups where 'space is at a premium' Technology (WDT) waveguide that graces all of the 100 Series models. The AE105 is supplied with cloth magnetic grilles, plus a rear mounting plate, template and wall spacers, but AE points out it can also be used sat on a bookshelf or cabinet. Look out for 5.1 and 2.1 packages bundled with the £499, downfi ring AE1082 subwoofer. Says company MD, Mat Spandl: 'The AE105 is a compact design for those whose living space is at a premium but don’t want to compromise on sound quality.' www.acoustic-energy.co.uk Babylon January 20: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva star in writer-director Damien ‘La La Land’ Chazelle’s Babylon, a tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess following the rise and fall of various characters dreaming of stardom in 1920s Hollywood. The Fabelmans January 27: Steven Spielberg mined his own experiences for this coming-of-age drama about a boy from a troubled family who dreams of becoming a fi lmmaker. Expect this one to make a strong showing at this year’s Oscars... Puss in Boots: The Last Wish February 3: Having used up eight of his nine lives, the sword-fi ghting kitty is pulled out of retirement when he learns that there may be a way of getting them back. Sequel to the 2011 Shrek spin-o . At the 'plex… Heading out to see a fl ick? Catch these this month

BECOME A PERLISTENER Visit karma-av.co.uk for further information and full specifications… 01423 358846 karma-av.co.uk Perlisten’s THX Certified Dominus subwoofer systems will add the deepest dimension to your sound. Choose from D215s, D212s, D15s and D12s (pair) according to room size. “A flagship subwoofer engineered to deliver a referencegrade performance in a large cinema space – and certified THX Dominus – Perlisten’s D215s sounds as purposeful and powerful as it looks.” EISA HOME THEATRE SUBWOOFER 2022-2023 “What the D215s brought to this sequence was a presence across the low frequencies that felt both utterly natural and occasionally terrifying… this is a grown-up woofer destined for high-end systems and with the tools to be properly integrated within one. Simply brilliant.” HOME CINEMA CHOICE SEPTEMBER 2022

HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 12 MITCHELL & BROWN/AV RECEIVERS January 16 Black Adam 4K Cloverfi eld: 15th Anniversary Steelbook 4K [Zavvi exclusive] The Fighting Kentuckian Halloween Ends 4K Halloween Trilogy: 3-Movie Col. Hatching Houdini Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin: Deluxe Edition Vengeance [2022] Villa Rides January 23 The Breakfast Club Hell of the Living Dead 4K House on the Edge of the Park 4K Ingmar Bergman: Volume Four The Queen of Spades Royal Warriors Run, Man, Run: Limited Edition Witchblade: Complete Collection January 30 The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Body of Evidence Eight for Silver Enter Santo: The First Adventures of the Silver-Masked Man Gerry Anderson: A Life Uncharted - Extended Director’s Cut The Lukas Moodysson Collection The Micro-Budget Cinema of Michael J. Murphy, 1967-2015 This is England February 6 Cutter’s Way Death of a Gunfi ghter .Com For Murder The Enforcer It’s Only Money Legion of Super-Heroes The Night of the Following Day They Might be Giants A Woman Kills February 13 Giallo Essentials: White Edition The Killer [2022] The Last Emperor 4K UHD Ltd Ed The Woman King Press play Discs spinning your way in the coming month… Pioneer Elite AVRs arrive First receiver models land in the UK following new brand ownership For some AV-Holics, it will be a sight for sore eyes – a brace of high-spec AV receivers from Pioneer. Once a stalwart of the UK market, the company ghosted these shores in 2019, only to now return thanks to a change in ownership. The recent history of Pioneer is rather convoluted (see HCC #334), involving joint-ventures, new distribution deals and ownership by Onkyo. All that perhaps matters now is that the Pioneer, Onkyo and Integra brands are owned by Premium Audio Company (PAC), an umbrella org that also has loudspeaker names Klipsch and Jamo in its stable. And UK distributor Henley Audio is bringing new Pioneer (and Onkyo) hardware to Blighty. Tricks and treats First out of the gate are the Elite-branded VSXLX505 and VSX-LX305 receivers, priced £1,599 and £1,399 respectively. Both are nine-channel models with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced, plus HDMI 2.1 connectivity across six inputs ensuring HDR10+ passthrough and next-gen gaming tricks. The costlier AVR claims a 180W-per-channel (8ohm) output from its Direct Energy amplifi cation, while the VSX-LX305 is rated at 9x170W. Other di erences between the two include the VSXLX505's 11-channel processing (supporting use with an external stereo amplifi er) and more comprehensive suite of legacy connections. Both feature Pioneer's traditional Advanced MCACC room 'tuning' platform, but can also run Dirac Live. Henley Audio is also introducing the more a ordable VSX-534 (£525) and VSX-935 (£999) Pioneer receivers – but there's no word yet on whether a return for the company's two Ultra HD Blu-ray players (UDP-LX500 and UDP-LX800) is on the cards. Says Henley Audio operations director Simon Powell: 'Hopefully something will come out in the future. But for now [they are] not an imminent part of the range.' eu.pioneer-av.com / www.henleyaudio.co.uk 'Bring on the big four' UK TV maker Mitchell & Brown enters the QLED arena Mitchell & Brown, the Bolton-based TV company, has launched a QLED range that it hopes will 'compete on picture performance with the Big 4 TV brands.' The 4K sets combine their QLED panels with Android TV smarts and Dolby Vision. The JB-xxQLED1811 series comes in three sizes – 43in, 50in and 55in – and is priced from £549 to £749. Most specifi cations are the same, but the larger two models feature a beefed-up integrated audio system for 'cinema-scale sound.' 'Bringing QLED TVs to market is a pivotal move,' reckons Mitchell & Brown's operations director Dan Brown. 'From humble beginnings, this family business from Bolton has been taken to heart by UK retailers and customers alike.' www.mitchellandbrown. co.uk. The VSX-LX505 is a nine-channel AVR with HDMI 2.1 and Dirac The sets are all 4K with Dolby Vision There's no return confi rmed for Pioneer's UDP player range

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HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 14 D ISC PRE VIEW Dark side of the Rock Black Adam ➜ Warner Bros. ➜ Ultra HD Blu-ray Following years of teasing fans, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson fi nally got to fl ex his muscles as superpowered anti-hero Black Adam in last year's DC Studios comic book adaptation of the same name. While not quite the box o ce smash its star and director Jaume Collet-Serra will have hoped for, from January 16 Black Adam aims to fi nd fresh fans on disc. Warner Bros.'s 4K release will feature HDR10/Dolby Vision-graded visuals, a Dolby Atmos soundmix and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

PJ Lens HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 16 ADVICE After falling behind the AV tech curve with the original PS4 and Xbox One consoles, the latest games machines and PC graphics cards are back in the business of pushing TVs to their technical limits. None more so than when it comes to a critical gaming feature called variable refresh rates. Games have actually varied the number of frames per second they output at any given moment, as a way of managing graphics loads, for years. However, TVs traditionally run at locked frame rates of 50/60Hz, or with some premium models, 100/120Hz. So when they fi nd themselves faced with incoming signals constantly varying refresh rates, pictures succumb to tearing lines running across the screen, and a choppy feeling to the gaming experience. Enter the latest generation (2.1) of HDMI, which makes it possible for TVs with su ciently powerful processors and data management capabilities to adjust playback in line with changes in the refresh rate coming from a game source. Bye bye to screen tearing, hello to more responsive and cleaner gaming. In fact, variable refresh rate (VRR) management is seen as so important to the games industry that two of the its biggest names, AMD and Nvidia, have developed their own proprietary VRR technologies. Dubbed FreeSync and G-Sync respectively, these exist alongside HDMI’s own core VRR system for games and hardware that want to license them. The Xbox Series X supports AMD FreeSync, while AMD and Nvidia PC graphics cards support their manufacturer’s associated format. The PS5 only supports the core HDMI version of VRR. While VRR can have a huge impact on the gaming experience, the demand it places on TVs and their HDMI silicon has meant that VRR compatibility is mostly limited to relatively premium screens. Samsung and, especially, LG lead the way, with VRR an option on all HDMI inputs on their upper-tier models. Sony, Philips and Panasonic support VRR on their latest premium TVs, but only on two of their inputs. The only ‘budget’ TVs to feature VRR so far are from TCL’s C735K range, although it’s reasonable to expect the market to expand in 2023. Aiming higher The arrival of TVs au fait with VRR has coincided with consoles and graphics cards powerful enough to run games more consistently at locked high frame rates, ironically making VRR support less consistently useful. At the same time, however, the extra processing grunt available to current-gen consoles and graphics cards has introduced another new gaming feature – 120Hz refresh rates – causing VRR to become a big deal once again. The idea behind 120Hz is that it delivers silky smooth pans and movement, revolutionising the sense of accuracy and responsiveness of your gaming experience. It’s quite challenging, though, for games and hardware to output frame rates this high. Some manage it, such as Gears 5, the Halo: Master Chief Collection, Destiny 2, Call of Duty: Warzone and The Touryst on the Xbox Series X. But many titles have to either dynamically vary their native resolutions or native frame rates in order to handle the new graphics load. This is where VRR comes in once more – in fact, it's even more useful with 120Hz than it used to be in the 60Hz era, given the much wider range of potential refresh rate changes it opens up for developers to use. Check your settings Getting set up for VRR gaming starts, of course, with VRR-capable hardware – a PS5, Xbox Series X or S, or a powerful PC gaming rig – connected to a TV with the necessary VRR HDMI and processing. Obviously, you'll need to make sure with TVs that don’t support VRR across all HDMI inputs that you've connected to one that does. Also check that VRR is enabled from your console’s menus, and note that some games, such as Dirt 5, require you to choose specifi c game settings to establish a VRR experience. Lastly, use an HDMI cable that’s manufactured to the HDMI 2.1 spec. The ones provided with the Xbox Series X and PS5 will do, but for a longer run or when using a PC rig, get one that’s o cially Ultra High Speed certifi ed. With all that taken care of, you can fi re up a VRR title and admire the glory of ultra-smooth, tearingfree gaming ■ Variable refresh rates Videogame afi cionado John Archer explains why the industry has embraced VRR technology, and why TV manufacturers have struggled to keep the pace Tech Talk #15 TV makers including Panasonic are targeting gamers with their premium sets Gears 5 can run at 120fps on the Xbox Series 5, with a 'dynamic' 4K resolution Microsoft's Xbox Series X is compatible with AMD's FreeSync VRR technology

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BECOME A PERLISTENER [ PER-LISTEN-ER ] noun · (A person joining the PERLISTEN community by sharing a perceptual listening moment)

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HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 MOVIES YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IN 2023 With Hollywood hoping for a post-pandemic bounce-back at the box o ce, this year's movie slate features returns for the Mission: Impossible crew, John Wick and Adonis Creed, plus a certain professor of archaeology. Team HCC looks ahead, popcorn in hand INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY ‘I don’t believe in magic. But a few times in my life I’ve seen things, things I can’t explain. And I’ve come to believe it’s not so much what you believe, it’s how hard you believe it’. So intones the trailer for Dial of Destiny, and if there’s one thing we believe, it’s that Harrison Ford deserves another shot at sending archaeologistadventurer Indiana Jones o on a high following 2008’s disappointing …Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The big di erence this time out, of course, is Steven Spielberg’s absence from the director’s chair, with Logan helmer James Mangold cracking the whip instead. In cinemas: June 30 Phoebe Waller-Bridge (second from left) joins the Indy franchise

FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE This sequel to the hyper-stylised, Oscar-winning superhero ‘toon Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) sends Miles Morales (Shamiek Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) out across the multiverse to stop the Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a criminal whose body is covered with interdimensional portals. Other characters Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) return among an army of alternate universe ‘Spider-People’, joining newbies Jessica Drew Spider-Woman (Issa Rae) and Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya). And because of the scale of the story being told, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is only half of a two-part sequel – Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will complete the story when it swings into cinemas in March next year. In cinemas: June 2 PL AYBACK EXTRA 23 DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES Legendary role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (now part of the Hasbro empire) turns 50 in 2024. Before then, however, there's something else for Level 12 Paladins to celebrate: upcoming spin-off fl ick Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. The plot (involving a band of unlikely adventurers embarking on an epic quest to fi nd a long-lost relic) is the oldest campaign setup in the Dungeon Master’s handbook, but the fi lm's trailer shows this fantasy fest also hopes to raise plenty of laughs – perhaps the producers have realised that mixing thrills and spills with plenty of gags has worked very well for the MCU? Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Pierce Brosnan are among a cast surrounded by a treasure chest of CGI. There's also a spin-off TV series in the works. In cinemas: April 7 BARBIE We initially had zero interest in a live-action fi lm based on the world’s best-selling fashion doll. That all changed, however, when it was announced that indie darlings Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach would be writing the fi lm, with Gerwig also directing. It also doesn’t hurt that Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are taking on the roles of Barbie and Ken, alongside a supporting cast including America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cena and Will Ferrell – the latter confi rmed to be playing the CEO of Barbie manufacturer Mattel. What about the story? Not a clue. Even the trailer released in the run up to Christmas would sooner (brilliantly) parody 2001: A Space Odyssey than reveal any plot details. But according to actress America Ferrera, ‘Whatever you think it is, it’s not that. It’s something else.’ In cinemas: July 21 TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS Creed II director Steven Caple, Jr. swaps the boxing ring for the world of battling ‘bots with this seventh instalment in the Transformers fi lm series. More epic in scope than 2018’s superb Bumblebee, this follow-up skips forward seven years to 1994 and features two friends from Brooklyn (played by Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback) joining Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and their fellow Autobots as they're sucked into a global confl ict including two ancient animal-based Cybertronian factions: the Maximals and the Predacons. Among the giant ‘bots making their fi rst appearances in the live-action series will be Transformers: Beast Wars favourites Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman), Airazor (Michelle Yeoh) and Rhinox (David Sobolov). Mark it in your diary to fi nd out what a $200m budget gets you in AV spectacle in 2023. In cinemas: June 9 THE MARVELS Serving as both sequel to Captain Marvel (2019) and a continuation of the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, director Nia DaCosta’s MCU debut features Carol Danvers/ Captain Marvel and Iman Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel teaming up with Monica Rambeau (last seen gaining special abilities of her own in WandaVision) when their powers start acting up. In cinemas: July 28 THE LITTLE MERMAID Another live-action do-over of a classic animated feature from Disney, this time an update of its 1989 take on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. Whether it will measure up to the original ‘toon is anyone’s guess, but the casting of black actress/ singer Halle Bailey as Ariel has already made a splash. Apparently black mermaids aren’t ‘historically accurate’... In cinemas: May 26 THE EQUALIZER 3 Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua don't believe in a quick turnaround – this third Equalizer movie comes fi ve years after the second, and nine years after the fi rst. Fans of the series will expect Fuqua's slick direction, a revenge narrative, and Denzel being tough as nails. Dakota Fanning is secondbilled, reuniting with Washington for the fi rst time since 2004's Man on Fire. In cinemas: Sep 23

HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 24 MOVIES OF 2023 ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA The two previous standalone Ant-Man movies have been fairly low-key aff airs in terms of the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, more 'enjoyable' than 'essential'. This third outing promises to be very diff erent. Kicking off Phase Five of the MCU, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will mark the bigscreen introduction of Kang the Conqueror, this era’s major villain (played again by Jonathan Majors after his appearance in the Loki TV series), while Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiff er) look to quip their way out of the sub-atomic Quantum Realm. And, of course, Ant-Man and the Wasp is only the tip of the Phase Five iceberg this year, with second seasons of What If…? and Loki, plus fresh MCU series Secret Invasion, Ironheart, Echo and Agatha: Coven of Chaos all streaming on Disney+ in 2023. In cinemas: February 17 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 When we last saw former assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) he’d been shot by an old friend, fallen from the roof of a New York hotel onto the streets below, and been spirited away to the underground lair of a former crime boss. In this fourth instalment, Wick is forging new alliances as he charts a path to fi nally destroying The High Table, the ultimate authority that governs the underworld’s criminal organisations. That is, of course, if he can stay alive long enough to get to them. As former stunt coordinator Chad Stahelski continues behind the camera, expect plenty of the franchise’s trademark action scenes. Martial arts scraps should again be high on the agenda, too; Hong Kong action legend Donnie Yen has been cast as a High Table assassin and former friend of Wick. Let the high-octane bloodletting begin… In cinemas: March 24 AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Director James Wan and leading man Jason Momoa get to close the door on the DC Extended Universe as we know it with this sequel to the highly enjoyable 2018 blockbuster Aquaman. Although underwater cinema threatens to feel rather passé following Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avatar: The Way of Water, this superhero sequel still has tricks up its soggy sleeve judging from concept art already revealed by Wan showing spectacular undersea settings and an illustration of Momoa’s half-Atlantean hero battling returning villain Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). There might even be a return appearance of Ben A eck’s Bruce Wayne/Batman – although a rumoured Michael Keaton cameo (tying into The Flash, see p28) has apparently been left on the ocean fl oor after confusing test audiences. In cinemas: December 26 FAST X Louis Leterrier jumps into the driving seat to helm this penultimate Fast & Furious fi lm. The plot is a closely guarded secret, but as the budget has ballooned to $340m (making it the fourth most expensive fi lm ever made) there’s every chance they sent the entire cast - including newcomers Brie Larson and Jason Momoa – into space for real this time. In cinemas: May 19 BLUE BEETLE Originally intended for a streaming release on HBO Max, this $120m DC Studios comic book adaptation will debut in multiplexes instead. Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña stars as Jamie Reyes, a Latino teenager who gains super-powers after an alien beetle attaches itself to his spine. Susan Sarandon, meanwhile, will be playing the fi lm’s enigmatic villain Victoria Kord. In cinemas: August 18 THE HUNGER GAMES: BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES Adapted from Suzanne Collins’ 2020 novel, this prequel entry in the hit 'young adult' franchise is set decades before the events of the previous fi lms (so no Jennifer Lawrence) and tells the story of the young man who will grow up to become Panem’s sadistic President Snow. In cinemas: November 17

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HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 26 MOVIES OF 2023 THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE Thirty years on from the live-action box offi ce fl op starring Bob Hoskins as every videogamer's favourite moustachioed plumber, the character returns in a CG animated adventure. Rights holder Nintendo, in conjunction with studio Universal, fi rst announced plans for the fi lm in 2018 (with a 2022 release date), perhaps spurred into action by news of rival game icon Sonic the Hedgehog speeding into cinemas – now the challenge becomes beating the box offi ce success of the latter's two movies so far. Chris Pratt is on voice duty, and – based upon the trailers – seems to have resisted the temptation to 'giva Mario ana Italian' accent, while Jack Black will be bringing his voice chops to big boss villain Bowzer. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, creators of the riotously funny Teen Titans Go! DC comics series, are in the directors' chair. In cinemas: March 31 COCAINE BEAR In 1985, investigators in the US State of Georgia stumbled across the carcass of a 175-pound black bear that had died after eating millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine from a duff el bag fl ung from a smuggler’s plane. Ignoring the bit about the unfortunate ursine overdosing and dropping dead (it's since been stuff ed and put on display in a Kentucky shopping mall), this comedy-horror from director Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect) uses the story as the springboard for a tale of a killer bear on a drug-fuelled rampage. Cocaine Bear is also notable for featuring one of the last onscreen performances from the late Ray Liotta, although, as Banks joked, ‘No matter who you are, even if you’re Henry Hill [Liotta’s character in Goodfellas], if you meet a bear high on cocaine, you are the underdog in that situation’. In cinemas: February 15 SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS Recent studio shake-ups left the future of the DC Extended Universe up in the air, but however things play out under the new management, audiences still have a handful of hold-overs from the previous regime to enjoy. First out of the studio gates is the sequel to the 2019 comic book crowd-pleaser Shazam!, with Asher Angel and Zachary Levi back as teenager Billy Batson and his adult superhero alter-ego. Grabbing an early spring cinema slot after being delayed by almost a year from its original April 2022 release date, this follow-up fi nds Billy dealing with the fallout from taking his powers for granted, while pitting him and his super-powered foster siblings against the magical Daughters of Atlas – Anthea (Rachel Zegler), Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu). In cinemas: March 17 THE MEG 2: THE TRENCH Pitting one-time Commonwealth Games diver Jason Statham against a giant prehistoric shark, The Meg ended up being one of 2018’s breakout hits, taking more than $530m in cinema admissions. No wonder a sequel was greenlit. Nothing has been revealed about ...The Trench's story, but if it follows the plot of The Meg author Steve Alten’s 1999 literary follow-up of the same name, then we should get to see Statham tackling a diff erent type of prehistoric monster (as well as yet another megalodon). At the very least, the presence of Kill List and Free Fire director Ben Wheatley behind the camera might result in a more visceral (literally) movie than its bizarrely bloodless predecessor. And as Alten has written eight novels in his Meg series to date, we may well be watching Statham fi ghting off massive fi sh for years to come. In cinemas: August 4 A HAUNTING IN VENICE Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of a fellow guest at a seance in this adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party. As with 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express and 2022’s Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh directs and stars. Guests/ suspects/victims include Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Kelly Reilly and Michelle Yeoh. In cinemas: September 15 THE EXPENDABLES 4 The elite mercenaries are drawn into a potential nuclear confl ict between the US and Russia in what is being billed as the fi nal instalment in the explosive all-star action franchise. Creator Sylvester Stallone has promised an 'R' rating, following part three's PG-13 jollity, which will please fans of Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Iko Uwais, et al. In cinemas: September 22 GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE SEQUEL Filming on the next Ghostbusters movie is due to get underway any day now. Plot details are hushhush (although a return to New York is on the cards) and there's no o cial title yet either. What is confi rmed is the return of Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s principal cast – led by Mckenna Grace – and we wouldn't bet against Dan Aykroyd turning up again. In cinemas: December 20

FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE PL AYBACK EXTRA 27 OPPENHEIMER Based on the prize-winning J. Robert Oppenheimer biography American Prometheus, Oppenheimer marks Christopher Nolan's return to cinemas after 2020’s Tenet, and his fi rst fi lm in two decades not to be fi nanced or distributed by Warner Bros., following a disagreement over the studio’s policy of simultaneous cinema and SVOD releases. Focusing on Oppenheimer’s role in the 'Manhattan Project' of the 1940s, it casts Cillian Murphy as the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ alongside a heavyweight roster including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey, Jr. and Kenneth Branagh. Still refusing the lure of digital fi lmmaking, Nolan shot Oppenheimer using IMAX 65 and other large format fi lm stocks (in both black-and-white and colour), and opted to blow stu up in camera rather than use CGI. No doubt the eventual Ultra HD disc release will be dynamite. In cinemas: July 21 Regular Nolan collaborator Hoyte van Hoytema has handled Oppenheimer's cinematography

V HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 28 MOVIES OF 2023 DUNE: PART TWO Denis Villeneuve's fi rst Dune movie (2021) was an absolute triumph, so we're glad the second part of his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel is arriving a little over two years later. Continuing the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), Dune: Part Two focuses on their quest for revenge against the forces that betrayed them. New cast members include Austin Butler, last seen in Baz Luhrmann's biopic Elvis, as Feyd-Rautha (memorably portrayed by Sting in David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation), and Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV. If the fi lm hits big, Villeneuve has suggested a third movie, based on Herbert's Dune Messiah novel, could be in the offi ng. Also keep an eye out for Dune: The Sisterhood, an HBO Max prequel series set 10,000 years before the events of the Dune duopoly. In cinemas: November 3 THE FLASH He may be the fastest man alive, but the arrival of The Flash’s fi rst solo fi lm has taken far longer than anyone expected. Directed by It’s Andy Muschietti, fi lming wrapped in October 2021. However, between the personal troubles that dogged lead actor Ezra Miller, pandemic-related delays aff ecting completion of the fi lm’s visual eff ects, and behind-the-scenes shenanigans at Warner Bros. resulting in various reshoots and re-edits (including the removal of a cameo by Henry Cavill’s Superman), The Flash has been held up for over a year. This sort of 'troubled production' doesn't usually bode well for a tentpole title, but there’s still a lot for DC fans to be excited about if Muschietti can stick the landing – not least the fact the fi lm’s story (inspired by the multiversehopping Flashpoint comic) features appearances by both Ben A eck and Michael Keaton's Batmen! In cinemas: June 16 CREED III Michael B. Jordan steps back into the squared circle as Adonis ‘Donnie’ Creed, while also making his feature directorial debut, for this umpteenth (okay, ninth) movie in the Rocky franchise. Set seven years after the events of 2018's Creed II, the story – written by original Creed director Ryan Coogler, his brother Keenan, and King Richard scribbler Zach Baylin – features Donnie’s childhood friend and fellow boxing prodigy Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors) resurfacing after an 18-year stretch in prison. Naturally, it's not long before the two are taking to the corners for an emotionally charged bout. Sylvester Stallone produces, but won't be donning the pork pie hat for another round as Rocky Balboa. 'I bowed out of that one', he told Metro last year. 'I just didn’t know if there was any part for me. I wish them well and keep punching!' ■ In cinemas: March 3 MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to race to your nearest premium large format screen this summer to gawp at the seventh instalment in the blockbuster Mission: Impossible franchise. Reuniting Tom Cruise with …Rogue Nation and … Fallout writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, this fi rst half of a double-sized story (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two lands in 2024) sees its leading man once again performing his own deathdefying stunts. Chief among them is a sequence in which Cruise rides a motorbike off a cliff and free-falls into a base jump. Or, as the daredevil star himself described it in the behind-the-scenes featurette released online towards the end of last year, ‘far and away the most dangerous thing we’ve ever attempted’. Bring it on! In cinemas: July 14 WONKA Did we really need a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel charting Willy’s life before entering the sweetie business? Probably not. But if there has to be one, it can't hurt that Simon Farnaby and Paul King – the writing team behind Paddington and its sequel – are onboard. Dune's Timothée Chalamet takes on the role previously fi lled by Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp. In cinemas: December 15 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOL 3 Now co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn exits Marvel with this third adventure for Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord and his crew of extraterrestrial misfi ts. Dangling story threads from the two earlier fi lms will be resolved, and fan-fave character Adam Warlock will fi nally appear, after more than ten years of MCU teasing. In cinemas: May 5 SCREAM VI The success of last year's Scream 'requel' guaranteed a sequel, with this follow-up fl ick arriving within a year. Courteney Cox and Jenna Ortega return, but Neve Campbell's franchise hero Sidney Prescott doesn't. This sixth Scream fi lm will freshen things up by taking the slasher action to New York City. Well, it worked for Friday the 13th... kinda. In cinemas: March 31

Humax Aura Android TV 4K Recorder uk.humaxdigital.com | humaxdirect.co.uk Trade? Call: 0208 326 6009 1Aerial required to access live TV services. 2Minimum broadband speed of 2mbps required. The FREEVIEW words and logos are trademarks of DTV Services LTD. © DTV Services Ltd. Channel content, logos and application logos are trademarks and copyright of their respective owners. Google, Google Play, Android TV and other marks are trademarks of Google LLC. © 2022 Humax Electronics Co. Ltd. Humax Aura A W A R D 2 0 2 1 Best PVR HUMAX AURA AWARDS 2020/21 2022 Best PVR Humax Aura WINNER Did you know that most are spending a minimum of £500 a year on monthly TV subscriptions? Slash your entertainment bill for good with the Humax Aura Android TV 4K Recorder. Get all of your TV cravings, all in one place without having to worry about those pesky additional costs. It’s a one-time purchase giving you unlimited use of top features such as the Google Assistant, the Google Play Store and built-in Chromecast, whilst also giving you access to 85+ live TV channels all for free, thanks to Freeview Play. Enjoy seamless recording for up to four shows at once. There’s even a dedicated Humax Aura app on Android & iOS, allowing you to stream live TV and recordings around the house, or download to take with you on the go. Available in 1TB & 2TB options.

HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 30 D RE AM TH E ATRE/WWW.NEWWAVEAV.CO.UK Movies 'n' music This multipurpose AV space hides a full-fat Dolby Atmos system with four subwoofers, but puts its dedicated stereo speakers on display. Words: Daniel Sait KIT CHECKLIST SONY: VPL-VW590ES 4K HDR projector CINEMA BUILD SYSTEMS: 2.35:1-ratio Slim Screen ANTHEM: MRX 1140 AV receiver with ARC Genesis room correction TRIAD: 1 x Rack Amp 700; 1 x Rack Amp 300; 3 x Inwall Silver/6 LCR; 4 x Inwall Bronze LCR; 2 x Inwall Bronze/6 Sub; 2 x Inwall Bronze/4 Slim Sub; 4 x In-Ceiling Bronze/8 Sat CONTROL4: EA1 controller; SR260 remote control; wireless dimmer keypads VICOUSTIC: Sound treatment NAIM AUDIO: Uniti Nova streaming amplifi er BOWERS & WILKINS: 2 x 702 S2 fl oorstanding loudspeakers

A FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE THE TREND IN custom cinemas is to hide loudspeakers away, especially at the screen end of the room. Yet this basement-based system, designed by Kent outfi t New Wave AV, has Bowers & Wilkins speakers standing proud in the front left/right positions. The reason for this is that it's used both for movies and music, and runs a dedicated stereo setup as well as a 7.4.4 cinema array. Installer Angus Murray says they worked with the owner 'to ascertain whether one system could o er both solutions but, in the end, it was decided that two dedicated systems would be the correct way to go.' For the fi lm side of things, the cinema features a 'Scope ratio projector screen and Sony 4K HDR projector. All the (hidden) speakers are from American corp Triad – a mixture of its Silver and Bronze ranges, including a quartet of in-wall subwoofers powered by racked amplifi ers. After room treatments from Vicoustic were installed, further calibration was handled by the system's Anthem AVR ■ INSTALL 31 A. Bigscreen gaming Okay, this basement cinema was designed primarily for movie nights and music sessions, but the owner also likes to go large with the games console too...

C E D B HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 32 INSTALL B. Stereo setup For two-channel music, the owner demanded a separate system featuring Bowers & Wilkins 702 fl oorstanders and a high-end Naim Audio Uniti Nova streaming amp C. Easy does it Operation of the cinema is via the Control4 app on the owner's smart device or the company's SR260 remote. Lighting scenes have been programmed for play, pause, etc D. Sound tuning Rather than hide the room's absorption and di usion treatments – from Portuguese specialist Vicoustic – side and rear-wall acoustic panels are on show E. Peekaboo! Installed within the rear wall is Sony's VPL-VW590ES, a lamp- rather than laser-based 4K HDR model with an expansive 1.38-2.83:1 throw ratio suited to a largescale theatre

A A HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 A ROOM WITH some innovative storage, this project from Yorkshire-based company Yorkshire AV was its fi rst to feature loudspeakers and subwoofers from Perlisten Audio, the American manufacturer that entered the home cinema arena in 2021. Flagship S Series models, all Certifi ed THX Dominus, were chosen for the job of delivering a 9.3.6-channel Dolby Atmos system. The rest of the specifi ed hardware is equally high-end, with amplifi cation and processing/room correction coming from Trinnov Audio separates, and sources comprising a Kaleidescape movie server system, Oppo Ultra HD Blu-ray player, 34 D RE AM TH E ATRE/WWW.YORKSHIREAV.CO.UK Dominus den... Movies up front, music hardware at the back – this 9.3.6-channel cinema with THX certifi ed speakers aims to cover all bases, reports Mark Craven KIT CHECKLIST SONY: VPL-XW7000ES 4K HDR laser projector SCREEN EXCELLENCE: 16:9 aspect ratio Reference projector screen PERLISTEN: 9.3.6-channel S Series speaker array OPPO: Ultra HD Blu-ray player KALEIDESCAPE: Movie server system APPLE: Apple TV 4K media player SKY: Sky Q TRINNOV: Altitude Dolby Atmos/DTS:X processor and Amplitude amplifi cation ELAN: System integration/control

C C B FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE INSTALL 35 A. Hideaway All three of the cinema's Perlisten D Series subwoofers have been discreetly installed. Trinnov processing is used to marshall the 9.3.6 channel system, in conjunction with Trinnov amplifi cation B. Music on demand The rear-wall alcoves provide space for the owner's headphones and DAC/amp. Flanking them are the Perlisten S4i-LCRS rear surround in-wall speakers C. Scarlet fever The lighting scheme includes colourchanging LED strip lights mounted to the co ered ceiling, and along the bottom of the fabric-covered sides and screen wall. Control is via an ELAN system Apple TV 4K streaming box, and Sky Q. The cinema's front wall hides the L/C/R speaker stage, and houses a 16:9 ratio Reference screen from Screen Excellence. 4K HDR images are delivered by a Sony VPL-XW7000ES projector (see p52), mounted in a purpose-built void, below the ceiling pelmet, on the rear wall. DAC's entertainment It's also at the back where Yorkshire AV was asked to do something a little di erent. The fi lm-loving owner of the room also has a passion for music, so acrylic shelves in cubby holes were created to house their high-end Chord Electronics DAC/amp and headphones. Apart from these items, all other system hardware resides in an external rack. The room features a custom RGB lighting system mixing fl oor- and ceiling-level LED strips with downlighters – even the shelves are backlight. Walls and ceiling are dressed in a mix of wool fabric and velvet with 'appropriate acoustic controls' installed to get an optimal sound performance. Recliner chairs from specialist company Valencia provide seating for four ■

HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 THIS ISSUE WE'VE teamed up with SVS and its UK distributor Karma AV to give away an SVS 3000 Micro, the audio brand's ultra-compact and ultraimpressive award-winning subwoofer. Worth £979, this bijou bass-maker sells in both piano gloss white and piano gloss black fi nish – and the competition winner will get to choose which one to have. Double bass Described by SVS as 'like a magic trick', the 3000 Micro is designed to bring the US company's trademark bass performance to a smaller enclosure than ever before. Its smartly styled, structurally reinforced MDF cabinet measures just 27cm deep, 28cm high and 30cm wide, and mounted within, in a dual-opposed confi guration, are two 8in aluminium cone woofers on inverted surrounds to boost excursion potential. Providing the horsepower to this driver duo is an 800W (2,500W peak) Sledge STA-8002 amplifi er module, the same as found on SVS's larger, more conventional SB-3000 and PB-3000 subs. This is partnered by an Analog Devices DSP that handles real-time adjustment of the 3000 Micro's output, and enables its app-based user control – SVS's Bluetooth smart device app provides quick 36 COMPETITION WIN!An SVS 3000 Micro subwoofer AWARDWINNING SUBWOOFER WORTH £979 TO BE WON access to settings including volume, phase, crossover and Movie and Music presets, plus a graphical parametric EQ tool with three user slots, and Room Gain Compensation. This means that setup can be as fuss-free or as in-depth as you like. Connections on the rear panel, below the sub's Intelligent Control Interface, include stereo/LFE line-level inputs, a stereo output, and 12V trigger – and once laced up, you're in for a treat. Super sub As we said in our original fi ve-star review of the SVS 3000 Micro in HCC #321, its 'slam, depth and output all beguile – the pursuit of a tidy form factor hasn't resulted in obvious compromise. The M.U.T.O-by-the-bridge sequence in Godzilla was thrilling, a smorgasbord of low- and mid-bass e ects and whumps that stopped and started, rose and fell, with delightful precision... a superb addition to SVS's portfolio.' To be in with a chance of grabbing the 3000 Micro in our competition, simply answer the question opposite correctly. And good luck! ■ 'Setup can be as fuss-free or as in-depth as you like – and once the SVS 3000 Micro is laced up, you're in for a treat' For more information on SVS's 3000 Micro subwoofer, and its other home cinema speakers and subs, head over to www.karma-av.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE WIN AN SVS 3000 MICRO! 37 To be in with a chance of winning an SVS 3000 Micro subwoofer, simply answer the following movie-related question correctly: Q: Who directed the 2022 fantasy fl ick Three Thousand Years of Longing? A) GUILLERMO DEL TORO B) M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN C) GEORGE MILLER ENTER AT WWW.HOMECINEMACHOICE.COM/COMPETITIONS THE CLOSING DATE for this competition is February 17, 2023. See p78 for full terms and conditions. The sub's dual 8in aluminium cone woofers are driven by an 800W Sledge amplifi er The 3000 Micro is compatible with SVS's control/setup app

THE TOP CINEMA DESIGN AND INSTALL COMPANIES A professionally designed and installed home cinema system is much greater than the sum of its parts. HomeCinemaAlliance.co.uk South East Immersive Cinema Rooms www.immersivecinemarooms.co.uk 01424 870763 Cinema Rooms www.cinemarooms.com 01245 790855 New Wave AV www.newwavehomecinema.co.uk 01732 852500 SeriouslyCinema www.seriouslycinema.co.uk 01727 648841 iCubed Home Cinema www.icubedhomecinema.co.uk 07864 075693 North West Electric Orange www.electric-orange.co.uk 0151 9092770 Dellicompagni www.dellicompagni.co.uk 01889 279092 South West CinemaWorks www.cinemaworks.co.uk 0117 214 0115 London Homeplay www.homeplay.tv 01932 781327 Cinema Lusso www.cinemalusso.co.uk 01883 460440 North Bespoke Home Cinemas www.bespokehomecinemas.co.uk 0113 266 0101 Inspire Audio Visual www.inspire-av.com 0330 430 3490 Midlands & Wales Trusted Technology www.trustedtechnology.co.uk 03300 881 844 Featured image: CinemaWorks Home Cinema Alliance

FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE ➜Hardware MARANTZ Nine-channel home cinema amplifier JBL Entry-level 5.1 speaker set PHILIPS OLED807 TV dazzles in 77in guise BANG & OLUFSEN High-end Dolby Atmos soundbar PERLISTEN R Series floorstanding speaker array SAMSUNG Mid-range 55in LCD TV MARTINLOGAN Affordable subwoofer with ARC room correction MORE! Outstanding Above average Acceptable Disappointing Dire RATINGS KEY… WWW.HOMECINEMACHOICE.COM 39 Sony shines bright Boasting a laser light engine claiming a 3,200 Lumens output and featuring Sony's best-in-class X1 Ultimate processing, the VPL-XW7000ES is a 4K HDR projector designed for high-ticket home theatres. We fi re it up for an audition on p52. All prices quoted are approximate and may have changed

HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 The Cinema 50 heralds a signifi cant change to Marantz's home cinema line. Most obviously, it introduces an entirely new design, and I certainly approve. But the changes aren't just cosmetic, they're also under the hood, from the interface to connectivity. This is a nine-channel model, priced at £1,700, so entering the premium end of the market. In terms of positioning, it actually sits below the Marantz Cinema 40 (the reverse nomenclature can be a little confusing), which typically sells for £2,400. The Cinema 40 is broadly comparable in specifi cation to the model on our test bench, and mostly justifi es its price hike with a higher claimed power output – 9 x 125W/8ohm vs the 9 x 110W/8ohm of the Cinema 50. If you want the new styling but also hanker after a radio tuner, Marantz's Cinema 60 is available in FM and FM/DAB versions, priced £1,250 and £1,300 respectively. Power on both is rated at 100W/8ohm, via seven onboard channels. Providing an entry point for 2023 is the slimline Cinema 70, another seven-channel model priced £850. If you're buying Stateside, all the Cinema models are receivers, because that's the market preference. Hey, good lookin' Marantz's new HD user interface is uncluttered. Setting up any AV amplifi er or receiver can be a harrowing aff air, but the GUI here, which is actually generated by the Cinema 50's HEOS network module, off ers calm, orderly guidance. As for look of the hardware, I'm not sad to say goodbye to the traditional Marantz curved fascia. This new design, available in Black or Silver Gold fi nishes, follows in the fashionable footsteps of Marantz's two-channel amplifi ers, the Model 30 and Model 40n. With squared-off , symmetrical John Wick is on the hunt (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, 4K Blu-ray). The aforementioned needle drop, featuring Slovakia's Cappella Istropolitana chamber orchestra, provides a glorious accompaniment to the symphony of violence about to unfold, and any preconceived notion that a Marantz AV amp is too refi ned to do justice to genuine cinematic mayhem is quickly dispelled. Automatic weapons discharge all around me, and the transients are fast and fabulous. My ears ring. Now this is what you call music! Turn up the Wick The heavily armed agents of The High Table are swarming The Continental hotel, but they don't stand a chance. Wick has access to guns – lots of guns – and he's getting through the armoury at speed. The barrage of gunfi re from every angle is astonishing; this is Dolby Atmos audio writ large. When Wick and concierge Charon upgrade to heavy-gauge, armour-piercing shells, the gun retorts become even more visceral. I feel an urge to nudge the volume up further, something I've been doing all through the movie. Yet the amp, like Wick, remains unfl ustered. It never sounds under strain, always teasing more power in the tank. What better way to put this Marantz high-end home cinema amplifi er through its paces than with some high-brow music. Specifi cally, Winter, from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons (or, as I like to call it, Le quattro stagioni). The trilling of violins, beautifully elucidated by this amplifi er's melodious HDAM amplifi cation, is sublime, and I just love the way the strings are dramatically engulfed by a full orchestral storm… and heavy weapons fi re. 40 MARANTZ CINEMA 50/£1,700 Marantz rings the changes with this new-look home cinema amplifi er. Steve May gets all emotional Home cinema with heart PRODUCT: 9.4-channel Dolby Atmos AV amplifi er POSITION: Second from the top of Marantz's new-look lineup PEERS: Denon AVC-X6700H; Yamaha RX-A6A AV INFO 1. A fresh aesthetic, but the 'porthole' display remains 2. The Cinema 50 is rated at 9x110W – the step-up Cinema 40 promises more juice 1

FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE 2 REVIEWS 41

HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 3 4 5 42 REVIEWS edges, and a novel textured fi nish, this Marantz feels fresh, reborn. There's still the traditional 'porthole' display, though. Flanked by moderately sized volume and source knobs, this provides just enough room to identify the chosen source plus any volume adjustment. It's a bit squint-inducing, but on the plus side it's not overly bright or distracting in a dark-room cinema environment. The amp comes with a rather nice, slim remote control. Marantz hasn't opted to reduce the number of buttons on off er, but the wand feels good in the hand regardless. There's a backlighting button on the right edge, which I initially missed. Want to be more hands-on? The Cinema 50's pulldown fl ap conceals controls, including Zone 2 power and source, HDMI output and Status and Sound mode buttons. There's also a USB-A connection and mic setup jack. There's no front-mounted HDMI input though – all ports are around the back, with six HDMI inputs and three outputs (one with eARC/ARC support, one a secondary monitor for a projector, one to support Zone 2). All inputs support 4K/120Hz and 8K as standard, plus upscaling if required, while HDR handling stretches from vanilla through to Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The amp is also fi ne with ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) passthrough. Also on off er are four digital audio inputs (split between coaxial and optical), fi ve analogue inputs, phono for a vinyl deck, and no fewer than four subwoofer outputs. If you're system building, there's a full 11.4 bank of pre-outs, including a stereo Zone Two output. Wireless support covers Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AirPlay 2. Streaming and multiroom are courtesy of the HEOS platform. EQ options Follow the clear, concise setup instructions and you'll be prompted to EQ the Cinema 50 for your listening room. Room calibration comes via Audyssey MultEQ XT32, with Dynamic Volume and LFC calibration. You can measure up to eight positions in the room, the idea being to cover the main seating area. If you want to dig deeper, the Cinema 50 works with Audyssey's new Windows PC-based software package, MultEQ X (see HCC #336), but this requires the purchase of a licence to use. The amp is also due to receive a Dirac Live fi rmware update in March 2023, meaning tweakers could

VERDICT FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE 6 What isn't missing though is emotional kick. It's not an easy characteristic for an amplifi er to master, as it's so intangible, but you know it when you hear it. For the fi rst act, the soundmix of Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho (Dolby Atmos, Sky Cinema), is L/C/R with a sub; almost monophonic in its presentation. But when Ellie timeslips back to the 1960s, emerging from that dark tunnel into Picadilly Circus, every channel on the Marantz amplifi er blooms into life. It's beautiful. Tra c honks from the height channel, and the orchestra soars from the rear. The Cinema 50 handles this transition with appropriate awe and wonder. When Ellie enters the Cafe de Paris, and descends the mirrored staircase, the strings are achingly sweet, and dialogue gently reverberant. This is immersive audio in its most literal sense. Good for the soul With this new amplifi er, Marantz has convincingly positioned itself as hardcore home cinema with a heart. You can certainly buy more brawn for the same cash, but few home cinema amplifi ers boast comparable soul. Inevitably, there are minor niggles – a front-mounted HDMI input would have been nice, and some would trade all those analogue ins for a USB-B jack – but these are trifl ing notes. The brand's new premium design is chic and contemporary, and the restyled user interface fi ts the cool update perfectly. HEOS is a peerless streaming and multiroom client, while the updated 4K/120Hz HDMI board brings with it some welcome future-proofi ng. And then there's the sound performance: eff ortlessly smooth and balanced, with whip-snap steerage and popcorn-jolting dynamics. Marantz's Cinema 50 is an AV amplifi er for all seasons ■ SPECIFICATIONS DOLBY ATMOS: Yes DTS:X: Yes IMAX ENHANCED: Yes MULTICHANNEL INPUT: No MULTICHANNEL PRE-OUT: Yes. 11.4 MULTICHANNEL OUTPUT (CLAIMED): 9 x 110W (into 8ohm) MULTIROOM: Yes. Zone 2 AV, plus HEOS AV INPUTS: 4 x digital audio (2 x optical and 2 x coaxial); 6 x analogue stereo HDMI: 6 x inputs; 3 x outputs DIMENSIONS: 442(w) x 392(d) x 165(h)mm (excl. wireless aerials) WEIGHT: 13.5kg FEATURES: HEOS streaming and multiroom; Audyssey MultEQ XT32 calibration; Dirac Live compatible (future fi rmware); Auro-3D compatible; 360 Reality Audio support; Bluetooth (including headphone support); Ethernet, Wi-Fi; Voice Assistant compatible (Alexa/Google Assistant/Apple HomePod); USB playback of MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, WAV, ALAC and DSD; Movie, Music, Game and Pure sound modes; Auro, DTS and Dolby upmixing; backlit remote control; HDAM modules; HDMI 2.1 Marantz Cinema 50 ➜ £1,700 ➜ www.marantz.com WE SAY: The Cinema 50 is a knockout AV amp, with a forwardleaning spec, excellent connectivity and a performance that’s as smooth and exhilarating as a bobsleigh run. REVIEWS 43 buy a licence for that, too. For most users, I suspect Audyssey MultEQ XT32 will su ce. Usability on the Cinema 50 is excellent. Menus are quick to navigate, and what you need to adjust is never too far away. Pressing the Info button on the zapper identifi es the input signal, with every channel that's active highlighted alongside the post-processing active speaker confi guration, so you know when sources are being upmixed. The display also identifi es the codec and post-processing, be it Dolby Atmos, Dolby Surround, DTS:X and so on. An additional click will impart HDR, resolution and colour space details. North star The Cinema 50 uses the aforementioned HDAM amplifi cation circuitry, widely acknowledged to give a characteristically warm, Marantz sound. Less frequently shared is just how marvellously malevolent this output can be. The gritty opening preamble to The Northman (Dolby Atmos, Sky Cinema) is built on a bedrock of menacing volcanic rumble, while ethereal whispers creep from both the Atmos height layer and the rear speakers. It gives a spine-tingling example of just how seamlessly integrated the Cinema 50's 3D soundscape is. A quartet of sound modes are accessed by the remote control: Movie, Music, Game and Pure. These, in turn, subdivide to Auro 3D, Auro 2D surround, multichannel stereo, regular stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround, and DTS Neural:X. Choosing between these is largely a matter of taste. If you want to keep things simple stick to Pure, which is the direct feed. A missing sound preset is Sport; Marantz has seemingly forgotten that home cinema systems are also used for footie, fi ghting and F1, so there's no go-to preset. I decided that DTS Neural:X worked best when it came to creating a live, stadium ambiance, and to improve commentary clarity I tweaked the Dialogue Enhancer (available in the Options menu) to medium. 3.Back-panel is well stocked with analogue and digital ins, HDMI stage, and 11.4-channel pre-outs 4. Marantz has remodelled its remote handset too 5. The front panel, housing volume and source buttons, sits proud of a textured fascia 6. The amp is also sold in a black fi nish, seen here with the front-fl ap down TESTED WITH JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM: You might fancy watching this third outing for Keanu Reeves' titular hero as prep for John Wick 4 (see p24), and the Dolby Atmos track is a sonic masterclass. Listen out for the library fi ght scene – when Wick breaks the assassin’s jaw with a hefty book, that’s the crunch from a Granny Smith… 'The strings are achingly sweet, and dialogue gently reverberant. It's immersive audio in its most literal sense'

HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 1 We don’t often review di erent screen sizes from the same TV range. Yet here we’re making an exception for Philips' 77OLED807, a monster OLED whose screen measures – as you can probably guess – 77in from corner to corner. 44 PHILIPS 7 7O LED 807/£3,499 This 77in OLED TV from Philips reminds John Archer why bigger is (nearly) always better OLED writ large This is a whole 22in more than the 55in 55OLED807 we looked at previously (HCC #333) – enough to remind us that something magical happens when you get a screen above 70in or thereabouts. This is where you feel like you’ve crossed from merely watching TV to enjoying a genuine 'home cinema' experience, and might have you wondering why anyone bothers with a projector and screen combination. That's not meant to throw shade on the 55OLED807, which remains an outstanding mid-sized OLED option. It’s just that if the 77OLED807 can take the smaller model's quality to a display nearly twice as big, it could give your home cinema habit a whole new dimension.

FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE 2 so thin supporting such a huge chunk of glass feels even more contrary to the rules of physics. As you’d expect, the 77OLED807 sports exactly the same feature count as the 55in version, including four main feature highlights beyond the Ambilight system. First, its panel is one of the latest EX types, capable of delivering as much as 30 per more brightness than ‘regular’ OLED screens. This amounts to just under 900 nits of peak light output on a 10 per cent white HDR window, according to my measurements. Two of its four HDMI ports can handle 4K at 120Hz, variable refresh rates (including the NVidia G-Sync and AMD Freesync systems) and Auto Low Latency Mode switching features. The 77OLED807 also gets input lag down to a good, though not class-leading, 15.1ms. The TV also supports all four key HDR formats (HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision), so will retrieve the absolute best quality possible from any source you feed it. Finally, its pictures are powered by the sixth-generation version of Philips’ P5 engine. Designed to apply multiple processing enhancements to what Philips sees as the fi ve main pillars of TV picture quality (colour, contrast, sharpness, motion and source detection), P5 Gen 6 introduces new colour optimisation features; a new AI Auto Film mode for better detection and playback of movie sources; and Ambient Intelligence, which takes a more sophisticated approach to optimising pictures to suit your ambient room conditions. Smart features are provided by the Android TV OS. In conjunction with a provided Freeview Play app, this covers a huge range of apps and streaming services, but can be a bit buggy and inconsistent with its app feature support. The whole-screen home page also lacks customisation options. Starry-eyed Stretching the OLED807’s impressive picture talents to 77in only exaggerates their quality. The impeccable contrast remains undiminished, as deep, neutral black colours occupy screen space alongside intense HDR highlights. The small stars and large, ultra-bright spaceships found in 2001: A Space The set's gigantic proportions give Philips’ unique approach to design more room to shine – literally, when it comes to Ambilight. This long-running exclusive technology places LEDs around the TV’s rear edges, casting coloured light out onto the wall around it. Ambilight can track the content of the onscreen picture in terms of both the hue and position of the colour ‘halo’, expanding the viewing experience even further than the 77in picture. Basically, the 77OLED807 is much more capable than the 55in version of fi lling your fi eld of view – and then some, thanks to its XL Ambilight array. Keeping it slim It's an elegant-looking telly too, the ultra-thin frame around the screen feeling even more impressive at this scale than it does on the 55OLED807, as does the remarkable skinniness of the main screen at its outer edges. Something REVIEWS 45 PRODUCT: 77in 4K HDR OLED TV with Ambilight POSITION: The 807 series is Philips' mid-range OLED option PEERS: LG OLED77C2; Panasonic TX-77LZ2000 AV INFO FELINE SCARED? Idris Elba has a holiday from hell in thriller flick Beast p88 1. This is the largest OLED807 model, above 65in, 55in and 48in fl avours 2. HDR support includes Dolby Vision and HDR10+

VERDICT HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 3 46 REVIEWS Odyssey (4K Blu-ray) stand proud of their black backdrops, creating some wonderfully dynamic images – particularly because the 77OLED807 continues Philips’ trick of seemingly being able to briefl y overdrive very small picture areas to give bright highlights a real boost. The way each pixel of an OLED screen can produce its own light guarantees the TV's HDR highlights are delivered without compromising the black level depth or colour tone of the pixels around them, and there’s no instability in the screen’s baseline brightness. There’s noticeably more shadow detail in the darkest corners of 2001...'s space environments with the 77OLED807 than there was with its 806 predecessor. This comes from the EX panel’s extra brightness capabilities and, I suspect, improved HDR tone-mapping. The new panel also engineers brighter fullscreen HDR images, such as those on show during Bowman’s ‘visions’ in the latter stages of Kubrick's fi lm. This makes for a more satisfying HDR experience, and helps bring out nuance and vibrancy from the restored colour palette. Presets with punch There's an eye-catching potency to the imagery here, especially using one of the TV's relatively aggressive picture presets. The good news is these are much less likely to generate unwanted noise or colour imbalances than on Philips sets of yesteryear. In fact, even the new Crystal Clear preset (which replaces Vivid) is consistent enough to be very watchable, and gives you the best look at all the 77OLED807’s many picture enhancement features. You can, of course, opt for a third-party setting devoted to accuracy, including the UHD Alliance-inspired Filmmaker Mode, IMAX Enhanced, and Dolby Vision HDR. Interestingly, Philips’ knack for bringing out the sharpness of 4K material is even more obvious on this 77in OLED807 model than on the 55-incher, despite the smaller screen’s extra pixel density. And with motion processing options including settings that do an outstanding job of gently smoothing motion judder and reducing blur without generating the 'soap opera e ect' or fl ickering glitches, this sharpness can be always on show. The varied colour range in 2001... goes from expanses of pure bright whites to ultra-rich reds, blues and yellows at the drop of a hat, something this TV handles with impressive conviction and aggression. In fact, the only complaints about the 77OLED807’s pictures more or less mirror those found with the 55OLED807. So, for instance, new AI Ambient Modes dim the picture in dark rooms too much to be useful, and should ideally be switched o . The TV only delivers half resolution when gaming in 4K/120 unless you choose the Monitor preset rather than just the Game mode. Furthermore, while out-of-the-box settings are better balanced than on the previous generation, the 77OLED807 is still over-eager with its default noise reduction and motion smoothing features with some of the otherwise most engaging presets, requiring you to delve into its long-winded setup menus. Sound-wise, Philips has put in some real e ort with the 77OLED807. Its 2.1 speaker confi g gets a claimed 70W of amplifi cation, and this power is used to create a dynamic sound with good detailing and a large soundstage. Bass is reasonably present with chunky, modern action movie mixes. But a screen this size warrants an external system. Dream come true Overall, Philips' 77OLED807 does exactly as we’d hoped, giving us all the good things that make the 55OLED807 such a winner, but on a much more cinematic scale. Anyone wanting to go large on their 4K HDR experience should have it on their wishlist ■ SPECIFICATIONS 4K: Yes. 3,840 x 2,160 HDR: Yes. HDR10; HLG; HDR10+; Dolby Vision TUNER: Yes. Freeview HD; satellite CONNECTIONS: 4 x HDMI; 3 x USB; Ethernet; headphone output; optical digital audio output 4K/120 PLAYBACK: Yes SOUND (CLAIMED): 70W BRIGHTNESS (CLAIMED): N/A CONTRAST RATIO (CLAIMED): N/A DIMENSIONS (OFF STAND): 1,723(w) x 987(h) x 78.6(d)mm WEIGHT (OFF STAND): 35.8kg FEATURES: P5 Gen 6 processing engine; Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; USB multimedia playback; 4K/120Hz gaming support; VRR incl. Nvidia G-Sync and AMD Freesync Premium; Dolby Vision Game mode; four-sided Ambilight system; eARC; ALLM; Dolby Atmos sound decoding; Android smarts; Calman Ready; HDMI 2.1 on two inputs Philips 77OLED807 ➜ £3,499 ➜ www.philips.co.uk WE SAY: The 77OLED807 gives you all the picture and sound quality of the award-winning 55OLED807, but at a much more immersive, movie-friendly size. 'The 77OLED807 is much more capable than the 55in version of fi lling your fi eld of view – and then some' 3. Supporting the TV are two thin, chrome feet with Philips logo TESTED WITH 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY: Nowhere is 4K Blu-ray’s ability to breathe new life into old classics more apparent than Stanley Kubrick's 1968 sci-fi . The fi lm’s groundbreaking VFX and bold use of lighting and colour are done justice by the painstakingly managed 4K HDR remaster, while detail levels are out of this world...

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HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 1 48 JBL STAGE SERIES 5 .1/£1,386

FEBRUARY 2023 HOME CINEMA CHOICE 2 but inert cabinets come in a choice of matte black or wood fi nishes. Drivers are covered by black fabric grilles that attach via studs, and – given the white cones – you might want to keep the grilles on in a darkened room. The A170 fl oorstander is a 2.5-way design with twin 5.25in woofers, one reaching up to a 2.8kHz crossover, the other fi ltered at 1.8kHz. It has two bass ports at the rear, plus dual binding posts for bi-wiring, and its outriggers can be fi tted with a choice of spikes or rubber feet. The A130 is a two-way, with a 5.25in bass/mid woofer, dual binding posts and a single bass port. The sealed A125C centre is also a two-way design, but doubles up on the 5.25in bass/mid units. The A100P subwoofer features a 10in polycellulose driver, powered by a Class D amp rated 150W (300W peak). The bass-refl ex design uses dual ports, for a claimed frequency response of 35Hz-150Hz. The fi nish mirrors the rest of the system, and setup is equally simple with a single RCA input for LFE, and basic level, crossover and phase controls, plus an auto power feature. After nearly a century in the speaker business, there's something else JBL is often associated with – horn-loaded compression drivers. All the brand's premium loudspeakers use a variation on this approach, from the gargantuan fl agship Summit series with horn-loaded mid and tweeters, down to its more domestically friendly HDI and Studio 6 Series where JBL's High-Defi nition Imaging (HDI) waveguide technology graces the high-frequency drivers. The Stage Series sees JBL bringing its HDI technology down to an a ordable entry-level range. All seven passive models use a 1in aluminium dome tweeter paired with an acoustic lens and HDI waveguide for, it's claimed, a smoother high-frequency response and improved directivity. Mid-range and lower frequencies are handled by polycellulose ribbed drivers, with a white cone fi nish intended to echo previous JBL designs. Right on target The lineup is headed by the A190, followed by two other fl oorstanders: the midrange A180 and the more compact A170. There are two bookshelf speakers, the A130 and A120, along with a pair of dedicated centre speakers (A135C and A125C). Finally there's a pair of Stage Series active subwoofers: the 12in A120P and the 10in A100P. There are a couple of obvious omissions for a range aimed primarily at the home cinema market: there's no dedicated surround speaker, and more surprisingly there's no upfi ring driver for object-based sound formats. The lack of the former is less of an issue in these days of discrete audio, but the latter omission puts the Stage Series at a disadvantage compared to the competition. The 5.1 set auditioned here features the £559-per-pair A170 fl oorstander for front left and right, plus the £279 A125C centre, A130 bookshelf speakers for surround channels (£229p/p), and the A100P subwoofer (£319). Based on those prices, the Stage Series certainly hits the 'a ordable' target, yet the construction and fi nish of these speakers defi nitely belies that status. JBL's simply crafted If you've been in a commercial cinema, the chances are at some point the sound you heard was reproduced by JBL speakers. The company has been synonymous with fi lm audio since Al Jolson warbled in The Jazz Singer, and founder James B. Lansing was among the pioneers who helped usher in the era of the 'talkies'. REVIEWS 49 JBL brings some bigscreen know-how to a range of a ordable home cinema speakers, says Steve Withers All the world's a sound stage PRODUCT: Entry-level 5.1 speaker system POSITION: Affordable option in the JBL range, sitting below the Studio 6 PEERS: Triangle Borea; Monitor Audio Bronze; Polk Audio Monitor XT AV INFO 1. All Stage Series models get the white polycellulose drivers – even the A100P subwoofer 2. The A130 is the larger of two Stage Series bookshelf speakers, and uses a 5.25in bass/mid driver

VERDICT HOME CINEMA CHOICE FEBRUARY 2023 3 50 REVIEWS With the speakers and subwoofer in a standard 5.1-channel confi guration, and the surround mixes of the recent David Bowie boxset A Divine Symmetry (CD/BD) on hand, these Stage models lived up to the name. During Life on Mars they created a balanced soundstage that evenly spread instruments around the room. Bowie's vocals and Mike Garson's beautiful piano were delivered with particular projection, while Mick Ronson's guitar and string arrangements added some scale to proceedings. The use of identical tweeters and bass/mid drivers in all the enclosures adds to this feeling of tonal cohesion, During the scene in Spider-Man: Far from Home (4K Blu-ray) where Mysterio taunts Peter, his voice was steered e ectively around the room, although the di erent orientation of the A125C centre compared to the A170s was noticeable. Precision time The 4K Blu-ray release of Edge of Tomorrow has a new Dolby Atmos mix, and here the lack of any upfi ring option is felt. However, the track still includes some energetic surround steering and a thunderous LFE channel, which the Stage system handled with admirable skill. The fl oorstanders and bookshelves produced a solid bass foundation, before handing o to A100P sub. This – naturally, given its price and spec – lacks the subterranean depth to do full justice to the fi lm's insane amounts of infra-sonics, but it integrated sweetly with the wider system for a smooth, controlled bass response. And the dual-woofer centre also played its part, anchoring the sound between the front left and right channels with an excellent midrange that dug into dialogue. Where the Stage Series really impresses, though, is in terms of its precision and directivity. This 5.1 set accurately placed sound e ects around the room during the oftrepeated beach assault of Edge of Tomorrow. This sequence has a complex sound design (with fi zzing rockets and explosions peppering the ground), but it didn't feel muddied. Also, while there was plenty of clarity to discern, there's was an all-important fun-factor to the Stage's delivery. JBL's speakers o er a sophistication you don't usually expect from an 'a ordable' model, and deliver plenty of dynamics and tonal fi delity. The front fl oorstanders add width, and there's a nuance to the overall sound that comes from a clean treble and uncongested midrange. Transients sometimes lack the crispness of more expensive speakers, but the system delivers an articulate and often blockbusting performance. Brad Pitt actioner Bullet Train (4K BD) brought all these strengths together, allowing the Stage Series to tap into its bigscreen DNA and strut its stu . It punched well above its weight with an aggressive high-end, solid midrange, and well-defi ned lows. Like the fi lm, it was thrilling stu . Budget brilliance Overall, JBL's Stage Series is a superb entry-level proposition. There's an energy to the performance that sounds cinematic, even while the delivery is well focused and deep bass nicely integrated. Build quality is impressive for the price point, too, making this 5.1 pack ideal for anyone looking to build a high-class soundstage on a budget ■ SPECIFICATIONS Stage A170 DRIVERS: 1 x 1in aluminium tweeter; 1 x 5.25in polycellulose woofer; 1 x 5.25in polycellulose bass/mid ENCLOSURE: Rear-ported bass refl ex FREQUENCY RESPONSE (CLAIMED): 44Hz-40kHz SENSITIVITY (CLAIMED): 89dB IMPEDANCE (CLAIMED): 6ohm POWER HANDLING (CLAIMED): 200W DIMENSIONS: 190(w) x 930(h) x 255(d)mm WEIGHT: 14.34kg Stage A125C DRIVERS: 1 x 1in aluminium tweeter; 2 x 5.25in polycellulose bass/mid ENCLOSURE: Sealed FREQUENCY RESPONSE (CLAIMED): 75Hz-40kHz SENSITIVITY (CLAIMED): 88dB IMPEDANCE (CLAIMED): 6ohm POWER HANDLING (CLAIMED): 150W DIMENSIONS: 469(w) x 190(h) x 220(d)mm WEIGHT: 7.95kg Stage A130 DRIVERS: 1 x 1in aluminium tweeter; 1 x 5.25in polycellulose bass/mid ENCLOSURE: Rear-ported bass refl ex FREQUENCY RESPONSE (CLAIMED): 55Hz-40kHz SENSITIVITY (CLAIMED): 86dB IMPEDANCE (CLAIMED): 6ohm POWER HANDLING (CLAIMED): 100W DIMENSIONS: 190(w) x 321(h) x 230(d)mm WEIGHT: 5.45kg STAGE A100P DRIVERS: 1 x 10in polycellulose woofer ENCLOSURE: Rear-ported bass refl ex ONBOARD POWER (CLAIMED): 150W (RMS) FREQUENCY RESPONSE (CLAIMED): 35-150Hz REMOTE CONTROL: No DIMENSIONS: 335(w) x 340(h) x 380(d)mm WEIGHT: 13.63kg FEATURES: RCA line-level LFE input; level control; 50-150Hz crossover; 180-degree phase switch; auto power JBL Stage Series 5.1 ➜ £1,386 ➜ uk.jbl.com WE SAY: JBL's pedigree shines through in these a ordable, but well-made speakers. No upfi rers seems like a missed opportunity, but the Stage sounds precise, detailed and thrilling. 3. The tweeter of the passive models is a 1in aluminium dome mounted in JBL's High-Defi nition Imaging (HDI) waveguide TESTED WITH BULLET TRAIN: Starring Brad Pitt and directed by action maestro David Leitch, this bloody but fun adaptation of a Japanese novel features a wonderfully energetic Dolby Atmos soundtrack that delivers the violence with plenty of surround engagement, while the bass doesn't pull its punches. Looks fab on 4K BD too. 'Punches well above its weight with an aggressive high-end, solid midrange, and well-defi ned lows'