The Ghosts have returned and they need a-bustin’ in Gil Kenan’s follow up to the super-charming and exceedingly lovable Afterlife…which sadly makes all the mistakes Jason Reitman’s film deftly managed to avoid…
Echoing a similar (though more console-oriented) thread from a few months back, this fresh confessional could prove tempting with more great games to potentially immerse yourself in if you have a lot of spare time on your hands.
Twisted Metal (Paramount +) Premiere TV Show Review
by Mark Costello
The PlayStation videogame franchise series NO-ONE wanted comes to UK shores nine months after a tepid US bow, but it’s probably slightly more fun than you expected it to be…
Is a dedicated DAC preferable to a streamer for Hi-Res audio?
by Ian Collen
While many of the answers to this fair question point to the latter option, this discussion also opens up some welcome recommendations and use-case solutions for getting the best sound at a sensible price.
Doug "Edge of Tomorrow" Liman may be frustrated by this going straight-to-streaming, but Jake Gyllenhaal is absolutely on board for this utterly unabashed 80s remake which totally knows its place, bringing us delicious throwback video rental beat-em-up carnage.
With an all-in fan-service-only self-assuredness, ’97 takes a decision to appeal whole-heartedly to the Millennial nostalgia which holds the original show in such high regard, recreating the feel of a thirty-year-old show as closely as possible... but is this enough?
Halo 2 the game was known for its truncated and confusing narrative, the controversial introduction of an alien playable character and more of the same of its legendary gameplay. What does Halo 2 the series have to offer? Well, after less than hour we already know it’s got a truncated episode count and features more of the same as season one…for better and for worse…UPDATED for full Season review.
Having already provided two different takes on the Borea BR03, Triangle is back again with a spec that feels tailor made for 2024. Does it deliver on the promise?
The second of Lucio Fulci’s classic Gates of Hell splatter trilogy to get a UK 4K release, Arrow deliver their usual strong technical presentation with an almost overwhelmingly excellent array of extras…
Cyrus is billing this as more of an update over the Phono Signature stage it's replacing rather than a complete redesign, but that could still make it a big deal for those serious about their vinyl.
Staggeringly heartfelt, Andrew Haigh's All of Us Strangers is a sublime reflection on grief, repression and identity - past and present - a supremely resonant masterwork of quietly profound poignance.
And so it is that we turn our attention to another super high end home cinema leviathan. But rather than a processor, this time it’s the new installation-friendly AVR from Storm Audio. What does SA get right that the luxury competition doesn’t?
Developed in collaboration with JVC, the new ultraportable solution introduces K2HD technology to the line-up to help restore the source audio to its original master quality.
This week we ask if home theatre/home cinema is still a popular addition to homes or are people consuming music, movies, sports and TV in different ways in their living spaces. Is Home Cinema or Home Theater as we used to know it, now dead?
Can a ‘phantom’ centre speaker work as well as the real thing?
by Ian Collen
With several members happy with stereo speakers for their home cinema viewing, this discussion weighs up the pros and cons of a two-channel audio system against dedicated LCR and 5.1 set-ups.
Pre-orders for the 4K UHD RGB laser projector are now open, ready to offer a plug-and-play simplicity that can deliver 120-inch displays around the home.
Brosnan and Baccarin afford this cheap low-rent 'thriller' from Dead Calm's Phillip Noyce a distinctly YMMV justification for sitting through its amateurish hijinks.
Never have the words ‘Based on a True Story’ had such a profound effect on a generation…and never have they been such a lie, with the controversy around Stuart Rosenberg’s seminal haunted house classic proving to be almost as interesting as the story of the Lutz Family themselves. And with 88 films releasing the 1979 classic on a brand new 4K UHD, we can decide for ourselves what actually happened and what didn’t…
Thinking of starting your own DIY home cinema project?
by Ian Collen
This detailed thread covering an impressive room conversion offers a timely reminder that the forums can provide a wealth of inspiration and support for all manner of professional or personal AV projects.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor's Version) (Disney+) Movie Review
by Cas Harlow
The concert epic that shook the blockbuster landscape to the tune of a quarter of a billion, Eras is a thoroughly grand and impressively choreographed celebration of the sheer star power of Taylor Swift.
What are the best sources for watching 4K UHD content?
by Ian Collen
With most new TVs catering for 4K as standard, this thread discusses some of the best options for making the most of that premium UHD technology, such as the main streaming services and Blu-ray discs.
This annual update offers up some welcome refinements over 2K23, but with a few pre-existing flaws still pinning it against the ropes can the franchise once again be named king of the ring?
Shooting for Bottoms meets Pulp Fiction, this cheap, tonally awry, distinctly un-funny, try-hard, sack-full-of-dildos romp utterly misfires, clearly coming from the wrong solo Coen Brother, and both awkwardly and shamelessly wasting the talents of a couple of good actresses.
Samsung’s flagship soundbars have for generations now delivered the most immersive audio performances in the soundbar world with their huge amounts of power, four components (including real rear speakers) and massive channel counts. So, can Samsung’s new HW-Q990D - which sticks again at 16 channels - keep the improvements coming?
Lyngdorf MXA-8400 Eight Channel Power Amplifier Review
by Martin Dew
Lyngdorf Audio finally offers an 8-channel power amplifier to complement its MP- surround processors. That puts them right in line with its super high-end home cinema competitors. The MXA-8400 certainly looks the part, but does it sound like it as well?
Another month, another superb release schedule for little known gems from the boutique labels that continue to do the Lord’s work. This month, some hugely fun Asian actioners (and one sadly not so…), some brutal British kitchen sink dramas and Alain Delon being cool in knitwear. What more do you want? UPDATED WITH 6 COMPETITIONS!
After a long and uncertain three year wait, Denis Villeneuve's Magnum Opus continues with this epic second chapter in his staggering realisation of Frank Herbert's Dune - UPDATED WITH IMAX REVIEW.
AVForums TV, Display and Calibration Podcast - 11th March 2024
by Phil Hinton
This week we look at whether you should consider buying last year’s TV models instead of waiting for the 2024 versions and save yourself a lot of money doing so?
Where to watch the 2024 Oscar best picture nominees
by Andy Bassett
UPDATED with winners 11-Mar-2024: With the 2024 Oscar ceremony having just taken place, we look at the streaming services where you can quickly catch this year’s best film nominees so you can now 'agree to disagree' with the Academy's choices if you so wish.
Continuing her run of Netflix starring vehicles, Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown takes on a competently designed CG dragon in a flabby, frivolous piece of perfectly tolerable night-in entertainment.
The mainstream horror rut continues as Blumhouse follows up its last dull, dreary, multiplex horror with… another dull, dreary, multiplex horror. Who’d have imagined that?
Nuts and bolts Statham doing what he does best; it's trashy, it's hilariously OTT, but it's also a frequently viscerally satisfying piece of revenge action carnage. UPDATE - NOW ON SKY/NOW TV
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Hi-Fi
LG launches portable StanbyME Speaker
by Ian Collen
Designed to work in harmony with its namesake lifestyle TV, as well as being a standalone wireless audio solution, the new stereo speaker features dual 20mm tweeters with a 20W output.