Pitchfork’s “The 50 Best Albums of 2016”

Pitchfork’s “The 50 Best Albums of 2016”

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As 2016 winds down and draws to a close, it is time to look back on the events – as well as the music – that helped shape and define a tumultuous year. Popular online music journal Pitchfork has shared their ranking of ‘The 50 Best Albums of 2016,” which features the bold and welcome return of A Tribe Called Quest after an 18-year hiatus, the final album from the otherworldly David Bowie, and not one, but both, of the Knowles sisters, who, in their albums Lemonade and A Seat at the Table, have redefined the modern protest song. Take a look to see if your favorite album of 2016 made the cut.

http://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9980-the-50-best-albums-of-2016/?page=1

Blackfire Research Announces Industry’s First WiFi Surround Sound Solution for Smart TVs and Set Top Boxes

Blackfire Research Announces Industry’s First WiFi Surround Sound Solution for Smart TVs and Set Top Boxes

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Blackfire ImmersionXD delivers a low-latency, multi-channel audio solution for TV and set top box manufacturers

SAN FRANCISCO – December 27, 2016 – Blackfire Research, the leading developer of wireless solutions for home entertainment, today announced the availability of Blackfire ImmersionXD – the industry’s first low-latency WiFi surround sound software solution for television and set top box (STB) manufacturers. Blackfire ImmersionXD (IXD) enables smart TVs and set top boxes to deliver the ultimate home theater experience.

Built on patented technology, Blackfire IXD streams stereo, multichannel 5.1 or 7.1 audio from the TV or STB – including OTT streaming services and connected devices such as BluRay disc players. Blackfire IXD also supports multiroom media streaming, transforming the smart TV or set top box into a whole home media center.

“Instead of creating yet another proprietary wireless network in your living room, we use a standard WiFi network”, said Ravi Rajapakse, Founder and CEO of Blackfire Research.  “By utilizing standard WiFi together with our patented technology, Blackfire IXD mitigates network interference and delivers exceptional performance and improved reliability.”   

The Blackfire IXD solution includes software integrated into the Smart TV or set top box motherboard and Blackfire IXD enabled speakers.  Blackfire IXD reference modules and speakers are available.

Blackfire IXD will be available for demonstration from January 5-8, 2017 during the CES Show in Las Vegas.  Contact Blackfire Research for more information at info@bfrx.com

About Blackfire Research

Blackfire Research (www.bfrx.com) develops wireless software and hardware solutions for high-performance, wireless home entertainment systems. Blackfire Research is built on patented Internet Protocol technologies designed to wirelessly stream media to multiple devices simultaneously over standard Wi-Fi. Through partnerships with global, industry leaders, Blackfire creates products that allow movie, TV, and music lovers to wirelessly build the home entertainment experience they desire.

 

Media Contact:
Stephen Lambright
slambright@brfx.com

Consumer Electronics Veteran Joins Blackfire Research Leadership Team

Consumer Electronics Veteran Joins Blackfire Research Leadership Team

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FORMER RAZER EXECUTIVE, RUBEN MOOKERJEE, NAMED VP OF GLOBAL SALES AND DISTRIBUTION

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – December 7, 2016 – Blackfire Research, the leading developer of wireless technology for home entertainment, today announced that Ruben Mookerjee has joined the executive team as VP of Global Sales and Distribution.

Mookerjee joins Blackfire Research with more than 30 years of Consumer Electronics experience, most recently serving as the Vice President and General Manager at Razer, the dominant brand and global leader in PC gaming.

“We are thrilled to have Ruben head up our Sales and Distribution,” says Blackfire Research founder and CEO, Ravi Rajapakse. “He brings a unique background in consumer products that combines technology with business development and sales distribution. I have known Ruben for several years, and am delighted to have his leadership and expertise on the Blackfire team.”

Prior to Razer, Mookerjee headed up the PC Components business at Corsair, where he also led the acquisition of Simple Audio, a networked audio player. Mookerjee held executive positions at Logitech (NASDAQ: LOGI), Labtec and Hewlett Packard. Mookerjee holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Kingston University, London.

“I first met Ravi several years ago, and was instantly intrigued by his vision and the robust technology developed by the Blackfire Research team”, said Mookerjee. “There is a lot of wireless technology out there, but they all trade off performance for convenience. Blackfire Research has opened up the possibility of a wireless future, from 4K video to 5.1 audio, that can be screened around the home without compromising the integrity of the product or the user’s experience.”

About Blackfire Research

Founded in 2006, Blackfire Research (www.bfrx.com) develops wireless software technology and hardware solutions for high-performance, wireless home entertainment systems. Blackfire Research is built on patented Internet Protocol technologies designed to wirelessly stream media to multiple devices simultaneously over standard Wi-Fi. Through partnerships with global, industry leaders, Blackfire creates products that allow movie, TV, and music lovers to wirelessly create the home entertainment experience they desire.

Pitchfork’s “50 Best Holiday Songs of All Time”

Pitchfork’s “50 Best Holiday Songs of All Time”

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The Holiday Season has arrived, and with it, come those same, familiar, Christmas songs played nonstop on the radio (and in every store) from Black Friday through New Year’s Day. Even if you’ve developed a frosty attitude towards them over the years, you have to admit, these melodies sure are catchy, and guaranteed to get you settled into the Season of Giving. And, as popular online music journal Pitchfork notes, there are quite a few Christmas tunes that make for excellent music. Check out the link below for Pitchfork’s list of “The 50 Best Holiday Songs of All Time.”

Didn’t see your favorite Christmas song on the list? Add yours in the Comments Section below!

The Pioneer VSX-1131 AV Receiver is Named One of 2016’s Best

The Pioneer VSX-1131 AV Receiver is Named One of 2016’s Best

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So Make Sure to Add it to your Black Friday Shopping List

Today marks the official start to the holiday shopping season and everyone is panicking. So many gifts to buy, so little time! Perhaps you’re looking for a fantastic gift for the music lover in your life? Or maybe you are searching for the perfect addition to your own home entertainment system to show off during holiday dinners? Look no further:  as a proud partner of top audio-visual company Pioneer, Blackfire Research is happy to announce that the Pioneer VSX-1131 AV Receiver, powered by Blackfire Research’s “FireConnect,” has been named one of the best AV Receivers for 2016 by Thewirecutter.com and Themasterswitch.com – so make sure to add it to your Black Friday shopping list!

The Pioneer VSX-1131, which features Blackfire’s FireConnent, placed “runner-up” for Thewirecutter.com’s “The Best Receiver” of 2016 award. On their decision to include the VSX-1131 as one of the year’s best AV Receivers, WireCutter expressed that “the VSX-1131 has AirPlay, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Dolby Atmos, and integrated Wi-Fi support. It will convert an analog video signal to HDMI, too, so you need to run only a single cable to your TV. It even offers…component-video and phono inputs…[and] features Google Cast for Audio support, which we really like to see.”

As if one wasn’t enough, Themasterswitch.com has ranked the AV Receiver as #10 on their list of “Best A/V Receivers of 2016,” stating that “[t]his is a good, solid all-round system” and that “it’s one of the more reliable units out there…We do like the increased HDMI ports, and we really enjoyed the room correction system, which calibrated the system nicely.”

The Pioneer VSX-1131 AV Receiver “has seven amplifier channels [and] the serious home cineaste can also operate a Dolby Atmos loudspeaker set with its additional ceiling speakers. With 160 watts per channel, the amplifier output meets higher demands, similar to the seven HDMI ports, one of which is located on the front panel. This allows you to quickly connect external players without much hassle. The VSX-1131 supports 4K UltraHD with HDR on every HDMI port, while it can convert Full HD into 4K using its powerful video scalers.” (Pioneer 2016)

The receiver also features “various streaming options [already] installed. With Spotify, Tidal and Deezer, all the payment streaming services are supported…TuneIn adds thousands of web radio stations, while AirPlay, Google Play and Bluetooth provide matching wireless access to every tablet or smart phone. And if you’re planning a multi-room system in the near future, you’ll be happy to know that the VSX-1131 is already compatible with FireConnect and so able to feed all connected sources into a corresponding system.”(Pioneer 2016)

Pioneer explains that Blackfire’s Fireconnect “enables any audio source connected to the receiver—from vinyl to streaming audio—to be sent wirelessly to a compatible speaker placed anywhere in the home.”

“The new Pioneer AV receivers with FireConnect enable the concurrent playback of every audio source connected to the AV receiver via an optional wireless speaker. Conveniently control the multiroom playback with track selection and volume via smart phone and tablet.” (Pioneer 2016)

Congratulations Blackfire Research and our partners over at Pioneer. Let’s keep setting the standard for wireless home entertainment.

You can purchase the Pioneer VSX-1131 on Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart.