Summary: News: THX Tune-Up iOS app will have your new HDTV looking better than ever Can an app make your TV look better? According to THX, the answer to that question is yes. Today the company is releasing THX Tune-Up, a calibration app for iOS it claims can help you get the best performance from your home theater setup. Tune-Up arrives just in time for the rush of HDTVs being sold ahead of this weekend's Super Bowl, and there's good reason for new TV owners to give the app a look. True, there are those people that will pull a $1,500 big-screen TV out of its box, plug it in, and live happily ever after with their new purchase. Considering the investment high-end HDTVs demand, though, it's worth doing some extra work to ensure you're getting the optimal viewing experience. That's where calibration comes in, but why is it necessary to begin with? … BRINGING CALIBRATION TO THE IPHONE THX Tune-Up marks the first time we've seen a smartphone assist users with setting up their home theater centerpiece. Even so, the execution here is largely similar to optical media solutions. Tune-Up displays various visual patterns on your TV with step-by-step audio and text instructions guiding you through each test. They're all extremely straightforward, and a photo sample paired with each test helps you better understand how each change impacts image quality. THX has also come up with a clever substitute for those plastic color filters; since the company can't exactly include physical accessories with a digital app, it uses the iPhone's camera to mirror their utility. As for the included sound system tests, they're a bit simpler but will help you verify that audio is being routed through the proper speaker. Just how do you go about connecting Tune-Up to your HDTV? There are a few methods, none of them free. The first is AirPlay mirroring over the $99 Apple TV, though THX cautions this isn't an ideal solution since you can't run audio tests thanks to current limitations with Apple's protocol. The company would instead prefer that you use Apple's official AV cables and tether directly over HDMI. And while the app is free (for a limited time), those cables aren't cheap — the Lighting AV cable is $50 — and may convince some to skip Tune-Up entirely in favor of cheaper solutions or free online resources like AVS Forum. But those that do try out THX's method will be rewarded with modest improvements. In our tests, it worked as advertised. Speaking to The Verge, company reps made clear that Tune-Up isn't meant to be a substitute for having a professional visit your home for a thorough calibration. Instead, it's a tool that can (fairly quickly) help your new TV look better than it did the first time you turned it on. And as an added bonus, you'll be able to play the famous "deep note" that moviegoers hear before THX-certified movies in lossless audio. Available in the App Store now, THX Tune-Up is free for one week, after which it will run $1.99 in the US and abroad. An Android version is planned for spring 2013. http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/29/3927728/thx-tune-up-calibration-app-iphone-home-theater Apple announces 128GB iPad with Retina display, available February 5th starting at $799 Just as the rumors foretold, Apple has just anounced a 128GB version of its fourth-generation iPad with Retina display — the Wi-Fi model costs $799, while the Wi-Fi plus LTE model costs a whopping $929 — that's nearly as expensive as the base model MacBook Air. The new iPad model isn't available in the store yet, but Apple says it will be on sale as of February 5th. In Apple's press release, the company cites a few specific use cases for such a giant iPad. Specifically, AutoCAD files and multi-track music files — we've been seeing lots of evidence of the iPad's growing prominence in music-making, so it's not unreasonable to imagine those power users requiring more storage. Unfortunately for prospective iPad mini owners craving this capacity bump,
