HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

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Podcast #1007: Dirty Power and our Favorite Automations Jul 09, 2021

Show notes

Is the power in your house dirty enough to affect your Home Theater experience? We quantify how to determine if you have dirty power and how to clean it up. We also look at our favorite Home Automation Scenes, read your emails and go through the week's news.

Dirty Power

Howard's email got us thinking about power and power conditioners. There is a lot of talk about dirty power and how it affects the life and performance of your electronics. Some say you will see and hear a difference. Others say it doesn't make a difference unless the power is really dirty.

How do you know if you have dirty power? You measure it with a Line Noise EMI Meter that measures the harmonics or dirty electricity on your home's electrical wiring in millivolts. Acceptable readings are generally between 200 and 400 mV. When you get over 800mV some sort of power line filtering is needed. Well at least that's what some experts say.

The Line noise meters aren't cheap. The one we use costs about $130 (AlphLabs Inc Power Line Meter). If you have dirty power, a good power conditioner will cost you anywhere between $50 and $150. There are some that run about $500. Almost all provide surge suppression so for that alone you may want to consider one for about $50.

Real World Results

We measured the line noise in Ara's house in two places. The room where the podcast is recorded and he has his music listening setup as well as the family room theater. The podcast studio is an addition that was done about 15 years ago. The family room was original construction from 1992. The results were a little surprising:

Podcast Studio - The Line Meter measured 150 millivolts which is good. The socket that was used was one the above the one used for a Furman power conditioner. The measurement from a socket on the power conditioner was 160mV. For fun we unplugged the Airport Express, audio amplifier, and the mixing board used for recording the podcast from the power conditioner and remeasured. The measurement dropped to 130mV in the unconditioned and power conditioned outlets.

Family Room Theater - The Line Meter measured 30 millivolts which is excellent. It also measured 30mV for the power conditioned outlets.

Conclusion - Ara's home has clean power! And the power conditioner didn't have to do anything to the power.

Can You Hear and See the Difference?

This is a touchy subject similar to Hi Res Audio. In our tests, there was no perceptual change in sound or picture quality using a Furman and Belkin Power conditioner. Which makes sense since the filtering essentially left the low noise levels untouched. Do we have power conditioners? Yes, because they act as high falootin power strips and they don't cost much more than a quality power strip.

If you have very dirty power or even grounding issues, a power conditioner will definitely clean it up and improve your experience. Dirty power can be caused by a number of different electrical issues, some examples of these issues include:

Smart Meters
Dimmer Switches
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL)
Switch-mode power supplies (Computers, Phone and Tablet Chargers, etc)
Surges or transients in voltage
Power interruptions
Variations in the frequency of power
Waveform distortions
Non-linear loads

If you suspect you have dirty power it may be a good investment to buy a similar meter and know for sure. If you have some buddies you can all chip in and buy one together. When one is done you can ship it to the other buddy if they don't live nearby. You can ship it anywhere in the US for about $8 with the USPS "If it fits it ships" box.

Our Home Automations/Scenes

Home automation has three basic functions:

Remote control of devices around the house - by this we mean something as simple turning on a light from the comfort of the couch or as complex as closing the garage door from another state
Controlling devices throughout the house at specified times - You can set your porch light to come on at sunset and turn off at 11:00PM for example.
Scenes - Scenes are more or less the same thing as controlling a device at a specific time but usually entail controlling more devices or they can be a reaction to an event, or they can be enabled on demand.

Here is a list of some of the time based automations we use in our homes:

30 min before sunset if people are present - Kitchen ceiling lights are turned on. At this time it's starting to get dark in the kitchen so it's nice to have the extra light. You'd be surprised how long you will work in low light before your mind tells you to turn on the lights and see everything better. You may think this is no big deal but something so simple comes in handy when you are in the middle of cooking. Note that if it's cloudy 30 minutes is not early enough. Next improvement is to tie it in with the weather.
15 min before sunset - The rest of the indoor lights are turned on.
Sunset - All outdoor lights are turned on
8:45 PM - The kitchen light bleeds into the family room and at this point we have settled into the evening watching TV. This automation dims the kitchen lights to 40% and turns the hue lights in the cabinets to amber also at 40%. There are hue lights behind the TV and those go to violet/purple color. Finally the lamp in the family room also goes reddish/amber color. This enhances the viewing experience.
11:00 PM - All indoor lights are turned off and the family room and living room lamps are set to 15%. They act as a night light. This is repeated at midnight because sometimes we are awake at 11:00 so we'll turn a few lights back on. The midnight automation covers us with a final sweep of the indoor lights
2:00 AM - All outdoor lights are turned off.
Sunrise - the two lamps acting as night lights are turned off
9:00 AM - All lights are turned off. In case someone leaves the house with out turning off lights they are all turned off.

Here is a list of some of the sensor automations we use in our homes:

Mudroom Light - you have to go through the mudroom when leaving or entering through the garage. The doors have contact sensors so when a door is opened the light comes on automatically and turns off in two minutes only if it is dark outside.
Porch Sensor - from 2:00 AM until sunrise if the motion sensor in the porch is tripped the porch light is turned on. Followed by a light upstairs one minute later. This is done to simulate someone waking up because the light turned on.
Side of House and Backyard Sensors - After midnight any of these sensors turns on outdoor lights. The lights turn off after five minutes. Since animals trip this automation pretty frequently we have a physical controller that has a button to activate a scene called "Security Lights Off".

Here is a list of some of the seasonal automations we use in our homes:

Halloween - When this is enabled the outdoor lights turn to purple and orange at sunset.
Christmas - When this is enabled the outdoor lights turn to Red, Green, Orange, Blue, and White, at sunset.

We also have a scene in the projector room that manages the lights for watching a movie. I tried to tie it to the play/pause button on the harmony remote and just got frustrated with it. Instead there is a button on a separate controller that is a toggle for movie watching on and off. Super simple but not as fancy.

What are your favorite automations?

Podcast #1006: SVS 3000 Micro Subwoofer Review Jul 02, 2021

Show notes

This week we take a look at two articles comparing Apple services to Google and Amazon. Which service is right for you? It will be a shocker how they decide! We also spent some time with the smallest thing in subwoofers this week. The SVS 3000 Micro. This small subwoofer packs a big punch. We also read your emails and take a look at the week's news.

Apple HomeKit vs Google Assistant

If you are trying to decide between Google Home or Apple Home for your smart home system, we've researched and compared the two platforms to help you decide which is the best smart home system for your home. Full article here...

Apple Music vs. Amazon Music: Which music service wins?

Both Apple Music and Amazon Music have made some big changes. Apple Music has launched both lossless music streaming and spatial audio support, while Amazon has taken the lossless capabilities of its Amazon Music HD tier and added the high-fidelity feature to Amazon Music Unlimited at no extra charge. Full article here...

SVS 3000 Micro Subwoofer Review

We all know that sound is a huge part of our home theater experience and the subwoofer is a huge part of the sound. What if we told you the subwoofer is actually a Micro part? See what we did there?? SVS has designed and built a subwoofer that is small enough to fit into any space but packs a huge punch! We are talking about the 3000 Micro which is available today for $799.

Specifications:

Dimensions (including grilles): 10.9" (278mm) H X 11.7" (297mm) W X 10.7" (271mm) D
Weight: 22.5lbs (10.2kg)
Dual opposing 8-inch active drivers designed acoustically and electrically in parallel
800-watt RMS, 2,500-watt peak Sledge STA-800D amplifier with fully discrete MOSFET output
Frequency Response 23Hz to 240Hz +/-3dB

When we first saw this subwoofer we thought it would be perfect for use with a computer. Most desktop speakers do not provide enough bass and considering the size of the 3000 Micro we thought it would be a perfect marriage. And it was! The Mico produces a clean, tight bass that makes listening to music on the computer almost as fun as listening on a dedicated music setup. Being less than a foot cubed it can easily fit on, next to, or under any desk.

The rear panel has all the controls you need to tune the subwoofer to your liking including presets so you can easily change the output to match what you are doing. But even better than that, SVS has an app that connects to the 3000 Micro via bluetooth to make configuring and changing the settings simple and easy. This allowed us to really explore and dial in the subwoofer to our liking. All subwoofers going forward need this kind of control!

The fit and finish on all SVS products is amazing and the 3000 Micro is no exception. It comes in two colors, Piano Gloss black and Piano Gloss white. Dare we say there is not one athstetics committee member that can complain about the diminutive subwoofer being displayed proudly in any room of the house.

Performance

We take a practical approach to measuring subwoofer performance. Can it rattle the walls? Do our spouses yell at us to turn down the bass? Do we feel the bass in our chest? The answer to all three is a resounding yes!! For a test of the pure bass capabilities we used the track Woofer Test by Bad Ass Sound System (BASS). If you try playing this on your phone or normal desktop speakers you get a bunch of dead air because your speakers can not reproduce frequencies that go that low.

The 3000 Micro had no issues whatsoever with this track! You could clearly hear the sweep of frequencies until it went so low that you could only feel it. And you knew it was working because it was rattling the walls. At one point Ara's wife came into the office from the adjoining room asking what the hell was going on. Fortunately she just laughed and said, "Oh a new toy, have fun but I'm trying to work so try not to break anything!" So nice having a wife who understands!!

After the raw sound tests we listened to music on full range speakers that Ara built. We set the amplifier to send everything below 100Hz to the subwoofer. We listened to our standards, Tin Pan Alley by Stevie Ray Vaughn and California Roll by Snoop Dog. Really it's only the first ten seconds of California Roll. Both were tight and clean. It was hard to believe a small subwoofer like this could produce sound so big. The 3000 Micro exceeded our expectations not only for a subwoofer this size but of subwoofers in general.

Who is the 3000 Micro for?

Everyone! Seriously, you can justify buying this subwoofer If you own an apartment and want to add bass to your home theater without taking up a lot of space. If you live in a house but can't find a good spot for a subwoofer because they are too big, this is a great solution. Not only because it's small, but because it performs like subwoofers twice it's size. You've heard the term "punches above its weight class"? That fully applies here.

If you spend a lot of time working on your computer but want to listen to music you can now focus on small desktop speakers that handle the mid and high frequencies and let the 3000 Micro do the heavy lifting at the low end. And don't forget gamers, especially if you game on a PC.

Conclusion

At $799 the SVS 3000 Micro is not the cheapest subwoofer on the market. In fact SVS sells the SB 1000 Pro in a similar finish for $100 less. It too will rattle walls with a low end frequency of 20Hz but it's a few inches bigger. In actuality the SB-1000 in the Black Ash finish may be the best value in a subwoofer costing only $499. But if you want similar performance in a compact package that looks stunning, we recommend spending the additional $200 to buy the 3000 Micro. No compromises required!

Podcast #1005: Best OTA DVR for Cord Cutters Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

We were on vacation this week but that didn't stop us from putting together a show for you. We take a look at the best OTA DVR for cord cutters and we have an abbreviated email and news segment.

Best OTA DVR for cord cutters: Amazon Fire TV Recast, TiVo, AirTV and Tablo

CNET's picks for devices that record and stream free, live over-the-air television from an antenna. Full article here…

Podcast #1004: Netflixland and is your TV's Sharpness too high? Jun 18, 2021

Show notes

Are you ready for Netflixland? We discuss how Netflix is opening up an e-commerce site. We also take a look at the best Roku TVs in 2021 and why you should not set your TV's sharpness very high. As usual we read your emails and discuss the week's news.

Netflix Shop??

Netflix opened an e-commerce site on Thursday where you can buy things like caps, necklaces, hoodies, and, yes, underwear—much of it branded with popular Netflix movies and TV series. The move is part of a larger push for the company to compete with Disney's streaming business, which is propped up by revenue from its merchandising and theme parks. Shop at Netflix

The Best Roku TVs in 2021 (Tom's Guide)

The best Roku TVs combine great smart TV features with value prices, but not all Roku TVs are created equal. Full article here...

Why you should never increase the sharpness on your TV

Let's say you're adjusting your TV settings and you think it wouldn't hurt to get a sharper and better image. You should know that increasing the sharpness is, in fact, counterintuitive. On most TVs, maxing out the sharpness will actually add something called "edge enhancement," which can diminish the fine resolution in the image you're looking at. Full article here...

If your sharpness is set too high, you might not be benefiting from all the crisp detail that's possible in that fancy 4K TV. Sometimes the best setting is actually 0, while on most TVs the setting is best in the bottom 20% or so. Here's why you should turn down the sharpness control. Your eyes will thank you.

Sharpness means edge enhancement

On nearly all TVs, the sharpness control adds something called "edge enhancement." That's exactly what it sounds like. The edges in the image are enhanced, essentially by adding a thin outline or halo to them. This makes them more visible.

While unenhanced images can look soft by comparison, especially at first, they're actually more detailed because they show fine textures in walls, pores on faces and tiny hairs -- all of which can be hidden by too much edge enhancement.

What's the best TV setting then?

The easiest way to check is switch your TV to the Movie or Cinema picture preset, and see where the sharpness control is in that mode. Whatever that number is, it's a good place to start.

Want to fine-tune it? While watching a variety of content, especially 4K if you have a 4K TV, turn the control down from that starting point and see what happens. Does the fine detail disappear? If so, that's too low. Ideally, you'll be able to find the spot that offers the most actual detail and the least additional noise. Don't be surprised if that number is 0.

Looking sharp? Keep looking

TV manufacturers love edge enhancement, largely because it makes their TVs seem super detailed when viewed in a store. If you go to your TV right now and turn the sharpness control all the way down the picture is absolutely going to look soft. Much like with high color temperatures, anyone who isn't used to making fine adjustments to their TV controls has gotten used to a certain "look" to their TV's picture. So at first, even the correct sharpness setting might seem soft, especially if your TV has been in the Vivid or Dynamic picture mode.

Try the new, lower sharpness setting for a few days. If you then don't like the look of the un-enhanced image, that's fine. Turn it back up. But I bet when you do the "original" setting will look weird.

Podcast #1003: Finally a Reason for Atmos! Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

On today's show it's all about Dolby Atmos. First up is the ten best Dolby Atmos scenes and if that is not enough we discuss how to stream Dolby Atmos music. We end with our impressions of listening to Dolby Atmos music on Apple Music. We also read your emails and the week's news.

10 of the best Dolby Atmos movie scenes

It's in your soundbar; it might be on your phone; soon, you may even find it in your car. Dolby Atmos is seemingly everywhere. But even if you have equipment that supports 3D audio playback, what should you watch to make sure you get the most of it? Full article here…

Dolby Atmos Music Streaming Services

At Audio Advice, we are big fans of Dolby Atmos — and right now, with all the exciting hi-res music streaming news and support for Dolby Atmos coming to Apple Music and others, you do not want to choose a streaming service for music until you read this. You may even consider switching to one of the streaming services in this comparison after reading this. Full article here…

Apple's Spatial audio

Although this discussion is with Apple's Spatial Audio (ATMOS). The comments will apply to all services and devices that support Dolby Atmos streaming

Works with Headphones and Atmos Home Theaters via AppleTV.
Listening through headphones is good but a full blown Atmos 5.1.2 or 7.1.2 system sounds better
Listening on a stereo pair of speakers had no difference than without Atmos
Even a 5.1 or 7.1 system sounds more open but not as enveloping as a true Atmos setup. More like SACD or DVD-Audio
Ara's favorite tracks to demo:
- Riders on the Storm - The Doors
- Like Someone in Love - Diana Krall
- Country Again - Thomas Rhett
- Mr Perfectly Fine - Taylor Swift
There is a huge playlist at Apple Music with the more popular genres. I found the newer music was mixed better.
Apple claims that their devices support spatial audio without headphones. Listened on my iPhone. Very underwhelming. Listened on iPad and noticed a more "spatial" sound. Nowhere as good as my 7.1.2 system but pretty darn good for listening on a tablet.
Finally a reason to set up an Atmos system!

Podcast #1002: New Flagship Receivers and Should you buy an 8K TV Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

In this week's show we look at the number of DVD, Blu-ray and UHD discs that have been released, run down the new flagship receivers from Denon and Yamaha, and answer the question, should I buy an 8K TV? Plus we read your email and take a look at the news.

DVD & Blu-Ray Release Report

Your resource for DVD & BLU-RAY titles released in the domestic market. Latest Report...

New Flagship Receivers Launched

It's that time of year again. Time when we drool over the new receivers that will be coming out soon. This week we have announcements from Yamaha, Denon, and Marantz. OK Denon and Marantz are essentially the same company but we like things in threes.

Denon AVC-X8500HA

13- channel amplifier monolithic power amplifier 210W per channel
8K/60Hz pass-through or upscaling, 4K/120Hz pass-through for gaming, and support for the latest HDMI specifications.
13.2 channel processing to power up to a 7.2.6 or 9.2.4 speaker configuration
HDR / HLG / Dolby Vision / HDR10+ / Dynamic HDR
Full Specs here

Price and availability

$4299, June 2021, Upgrade to A-spec for existing AVC-X8500H owners: $599

Marantz AV8805A

13.2 channel processing, 15.2 channel XLR and RCA outputs, and flexible amplifier stages
8 HDMI inputs and 3 outputs. One dedicated 8K input supports 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz pass-through capability, while Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10+, 21:9 video, 3D, BT.2020 pass-through and HDCP 2.3 copy protection standard is supported on all HDMI inputs.
Features exclusive Marantz Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module (HDAM) technology that provide ultra-fast slew rate, true wideband performance, and maximum dynamic range for optimum sound quality.
Full Specs here

Price and availability

$4799, June 2021, Upgrade to A-spec for existing AV8805 owners: $599

Yamaha RX-A8A

11.2-channel 150-Watt with Zone 2/3/4
4K120 and 8K60 HDMI with HDCP 2.3 and eARC (7 in/3 out)
Dolby Vision, HDR 10+ (with firmware update)
pre-outs
Full Specs here

Price and availability

$2999, June 2021

Yamaha RX-A6A

9.2-channel (with 11.2-channel processing) 150-Watt surround sound with Zone 2/3/4
4K120 and 8K60 HDMI with HDCP 2.3 and eARC (7 in/3 out)
Dolby Vision, HDR 10+ (with firmware update)
pre-outs
Full Specs here

Price and availability

$2199, June 2021

There is also the RX-A4A and RX-A2A with lesser features costing $1299 and $799 respectively. The A2A being the only one without full pre-outs.

You don't need an 8K TV — ask me again in a decade

We found this article written by Brian Westover at Tom's Guide that confirms what we have been saying for a while now that you don't need an 8K TV. We feel that 8K is simply hype to get you to part with your money. Some of Brian's key arguments:

Brian has seen demos, as have we, that are very impressive. Brian uses the analogy of looking through a window. He also states that these demos have been on very large screens. On smaller screens the excitement decreases.

At smaller screen sizes — the sort that are actually affordable — 8K resolution is much less impressive. An 8K picture is best enjoyed on screens that measure between 75 and 100+ inches, much larger than most 4K TVs in the home, since an 8K display is essentially four 4K displays stitched together into one seamless picture. Larger screen sizes may be getting more popular, but 85-inch TVs are simply too large for most homes, and that's the range where 8K really looks its best.

We agree with Brian that at smaller screen sizes the difference is negligible. We disagree with Brian that a 75 inch screen can showcase the benefit of 8K. At 75 inches one can barely see the benefits of 4K! No, for 8K you need 100+ at a minimum.

But the main issue is content. There isn't any and it will be a long time before it becomes available. The studios were already mastering in 4K and down converting to 1080P. Once TV technology caught up it was a matter of finding a way to get 4K content into consumers hands. It was easy enough to get 4K onto a disc. The main title fit on one disc while the extras were moved to supplemental discs. Streaming was made possible by better compression on more powerful hardware through bigger network pipes. And finally, ATSC 3.0 will allow for it to be broadcast straight into your home.

Moving to 8K is going to require far more bandwidth, new mastering technology, and of course new more expensive TVs. It is unlikely that there will be that kind of wholesale change in how content is created for years. All for the benefit of the third most important part of the TV specifications following contrast and color. Which brings us back to screen size. If and when there is 8K content, will you have room for a 100+ inch screen? Probably not. Save your money and pick up a nicer 4K TV now and don't worry about 8K.

Podcast #1001: Email and News May 28, 2021

Show notes

On this week's show we play catch up with your emails and the news from the past two weeks. We'll have a traditional shw next week.

Podcast #1000: The HT Guys Go Down Memory Lane May 21, 2021

Show notes

1000 Episodes in Review It's our 1000th episode so we thought it would be fun to go down memory lane. It has been so much fun getting to know all of you. Some we know well and have developed personal relationships with. Others came and went as things in their lives changed. To Industry members, thank you for your support! To our listeners, thank you for subscribing, downloading and listening to our show. It's because of you that we are here today and will be here tomorrow! There was a big gap in our records between 2005 and 2007. We switched to Google Docs in 2007 and have been able to keep everything we wrote archived there. But from memory some highlights were: We became the official podcast of AVS Forum and were introduced to members at their CES Party We had an affiliation with HDTV Magazine Met Mark Cuban (owner of HDNet at the time) and Interviewed the President of Syntax-Brillian at the HDTV Conference in Beverly Hills Dolby Flew us to San Francisco to demo some of their projects they were working on. While there we recorded two shows of their now defunct Dolby podcast Oppo and Monoprice were big supporters of the show early on as was Olevia TVs Sonos - The first real product we reviewed on the show back in 2005 A few of our day job colleagues mocked us for doing a podcast. LOL jokes on them HT Guys TV Tech Timeline Braden (Sony CRT...) -> Panasonic Plasma 480p EDTV -> JVC LCoS 1080p Rear Projection -> Epson 1080p Projector(s) -> (Lots of 4k TCLs) -> Sony 4k LED Ara RCA CRT -> Samsung DLP-> Panasonic Plasma-> JVC Projector-> Vizio 4K TV Optoma UST Reviews of all the Rear Projection TVs from 2007 - JVC HD-61FN97 61" HD-ILA Our bottom line at the time - The JVC HD-61FN97 is an excellent value. It looks great, does a wonderful job with HD content, a great job with DVDs and a pretty good job with standard definition TV. Blacks are good, contrast is solid, colors are excellent and detail is vivid. We try to look for great values to help you (and us for that matter) get a little more out of each hard earned dollar. You'd be hard pressed to find a better looking 61" TV at its price. At an online street price of $2125 this is an awesome TV for the money. It really helps bring the big screen home. Our first mention of home automation was in March of 2007. We wrapped up our discussion with - One day home automation will be standard. We'll wonder what people ever did without them. But for now your options are somewhat limited. You can spend a lot of money to get it custom built and done just right, with a system like Crestron, AMX or Control4, or you can try to put it together yourself if you don't mind the occasional hiccup that comes with a home made system. This can be one of the most fun home projects you've ever worked on. And it lasts forever - it's the gift that just keeps on giving. Our earliest "Kaleidescape Killer" comment was also in 2007 when we showcased a $2500 Linux based machine with full DVR and DVD server capabilities. The company was called Interact-TV and they are no longer in business. Our Top Ten shows in HD from 2007: Ara: American Idol (Fox) Dancing with the Stars (ABC) Football/Basketball/Sports Center/Etc on ESPN Planet Earth/Sunrise Earth (Discovery HD Theater) Lost (ABC) CSI Miami (CBS) CSI (CBS) Bikini Destinations (HD Net) Heroes (NBC) NHL Hockey on HD Net Braden: The Unit (CBS) Las Vegas (NBC) Numb3rs (CBS) Monday Night Football (ESPN) Lakers Basketball on KCAL 24 (Fox) I Shouldn't Be Alive (Discovery HD) Destination HD (Discovery HD) Planet Earth (Discovery HD) CSI Miami (CBS) SlingMedia VS Major League Baseball Issue: Slingboxes infringe on the local cable company's right to broadcast the content. Interactive TV Still not a thing DVDpedia In an attempt to build a video server or "Kaleidescape Killer" out of a Mac Mini Ara used DVDpedia to catalog and display album art and id3 data about his library. It worked OK but was quickly abandoned for Boxee and then eventually Plex. Plex is indeed the Kaleidescape Killer! Vudu Movie Download Set Top Box ($399) - October 2007 What we liked: High quality movies on demand Large selection with more coming every week Easy to use remote and easy menu navigation Up and running in five minutes What we disliked: No lease option to defray $400 entry price Not a large selection of Dolby 5.1 Downloads interfered with VOIP telephone service Bottom Line: This is the best home video on demand system the HT Guys have seen. The video quality is first rate! The user interface is clean and simple. You will have the system up and running in no time. All of this is with the initial release of the system software. With more movie releases coming, HD, external storage, and new software updates this product will only get better. At $400 for the Vudu box its not for everyone, but you will get a very good video on demand system for the investment. HDDVD - Bluray - a comparison Conclusion Blu-ray clearly has an advantage in specs, higher storage capacity and higher maximum bitrate. HD-DVD seems to hold the edge in "market readiness" if that's a real term. All the features you want were required in the spec from the beginning, so you know your player supports it. Man it would be nice if the studios would create discs in both formats so we didn't have to buy two players... Netflix Watch Instantly Technology Minimum Requirements Computer running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher, or Windows Vista Internet Explorer version 6 or higher Windows Media Player version 11 (DRM version 5145) or later An active broadband connection to the Internet 1.0 GHz processor 512 MB RAM 3 GB free hard disk drive space Recommended in addition to minimum requirements An active broadband Internet connection of at least 1.5 Mbps 1.5 GHz processor 1 GB RAM The Death of Rear Projection TVs - Jan 2008 Harmony One Universal Remote - As with any Harmony remote, the One is a great choice for your home theater. It's new, sexy and easy to use. The touchscreen is cool and the larger buttons make it a bit easier to use. But overall it doesn't represent a huge departure from the 880. Of course we're gadget freaks, so we'll both be using them, but if you want to save some money, the 880 remains a great option. Bang for the buck, the 880 is still probably the way to go. For the coolness factor, the One is where it's at. Mobile Digital TV Standard - Although ATSC 3.0 has a provision for this most people are just using IPTV over the Cell Networks Orb Speaker Review - we did a review of these cool spherical speakers that sounded pretty good at the time. The cost for a 5.1 system was $1597 in June of 2008. The company is still around and today you can get an improved 5.1 system for $740. Is TidalTV the Next Big Thing? - a new service that mimics the Cable or Satellite experience over the Internet. So the answer is No and Yes! This was in 2008 Popcorn Hour A-100 Review Not a week goes by that we don't hear something about the Popcorn Hour A-100 network media player. We tried relentlessly to get a demo unit for review, but to no avail. Finally, slightly weary but committed whole-heartedly to the show, Ara decided to pony up the cash and purchase one. It arrived last week and we got a chance to play with it. All in all, not a bad little unit. If you want an inexpensive network media player that can play anything, the Popcorn Hour is the best we've seen so far. It requires some IT expertise to get it up and running and to use it on a day-to-day basis, but it works like a champ. Even streaming 1080p HD content over the network looked good, granted it was all that was happening on the network at the time, but it still looked good. If you want something with a little more visual appeal, stick with AppleTV, the PS3 or the Xbox 360 (or Vudu when it adds local network playback). But all of those options are a bit more expensive and not quite as flexible. Vudu HDX Movies Black Friday Roundup 2008 Panasonic Viera 50" 720p Plasma HDTV 899.99 min 10 per store Sony 40" 1080p LCD HDTV & Sony Blu-Ray Player Bundle (Model # KDL40V4100 and BDPS350) - $1,199.98 Sony Blu-ray Player (BDP-S350) -- $179 (with a firmware upgrade and a 1 GB USB stick this will be come BD Live Compliant) Mitsubishi 65" Home Theater 1080p DLP HDTV (Model # WD65735) - $1,199.99 IPTV - Can it replace Cable and Satellite? Note- This was us just talking about the subject LONG (2009) before it was even dreamed of in it's current state - If you had to, you could cut the cord between you and your cable company and not miss a beat. But in reality if you won't have the same video quality. The other thing to consider is that the Cable or Satellite box has an simple well understood interface. Connecting a computer to the TV requires using a keyboard and a mouse and there are no channel numbers. You'll have to bookmark your sites. Companies like Apple, Netflix and Boxee are all trying to provide a ten foot interface that is Grandma proof but we still have a ways to go. Finally, cable companies are not going to be happy with subscribers that watch a lot of Internet streamed content. So even if the quality improved you may not be able to stream a months worth of TV into your home. If you are a light TV watcher that is computer savvy then you may be able to cut the cable cord completely. But in actually, for most of us, IPTV is a good way to augment what we already have. If you are on the road you can watch something on your terms. If you forget to record something then its a great backup. Its also a great way to watch old TV shows that are no longer aired. What if AppleTV Replaced my DVR? The concept at this point in time was to buy subscriptions to your favorite TV show. But as we see today, that's not even required. Plus we now have boxes from Apple, Google, Amazon and Roku. It's safe to say that the AppleTV type STBs have replaced the DVR Zune HD The Zune HD is a powerful portable media device. It has a beautiful OLED screen, small form factor, smooth touch screen menus, and wonderful 720p output to a TV. However, for Microsoft to steal some iPod users, more apps and video content need to be available in the Zune Marketplace. The Zune HD has solid hardware that is almost as sexy as the iPod. What would make this device perfect for a home theater would be Hulu and Netfilx support. Microsoft has also stated that they will release games for the Zune HD, since Xbox Live and the Zune Marketplace already seem to be linked, the possibility of it being a good portable gaming device are great. The Zune HD is a solid device. With future updates it may take a run at the iPod's dominance in the market. RedEye Universal Remote Control (MSRP $190) 2010 - This remote eliminated the need to be in the same room with your gear and will work with your iPod Touch or iPhone. LED TV Technology was just coming on the scene in 2010 Quartics(2010) Quartics Inc. is a semiconductor company based in Irvine, CA, with offices in India, China and Taiwan. Quartics was formed in 2003 to focus on semiconductor architecture for video-based media, aiming to overcome a raft of modern digital challenges. To date, the company has been granted 10 patents, with 40 pending, in media processing architecture, video and graphics processing and QoS algorithms. We don't know if these patents were sold or even used. But the company does not seem to be in business any longer Life|ware Today as part of our ongoing series on home automation we discuss Life|ware. Life|ware™ is software developed by Exceptional Innovation that allows you to seamlessly merge control of your home along with your world of digital entertainment. Life|ware lets you control your home through your TV with a Media Center PC, Media Center Extender or Xbox 360™, from your home or office PC or notebook, or from a Life|point touch screen. You can even use your iPhone or iPod Touch and iPad as a Life|ware client with full two-way functionality. One of the biggest draws to Life|ware is that it works with numerous third party devices. Life|Ware provides bridges to lighting, HVAC, Media and more. The system will go from IP to IR, RF, or RS-232. Life|ware is OS agnostic as well. The control software will run on Windows, Mac OS, and LINUX machines. But if you don't want to mess with loading the software on your own equipment Life|Ware sells a complete line of home automation controllers, servers, and bridges. We can't find a trace of this company any longer. It may have been sold or merged Are High End Audio/Video Retailers a Dying Breed? "If the AV business cannot more clearly illustrate why specialty audio is in fact special, then expect more stores and regional chains to fold in the coming months even as the economy improves, simply perhaps fueled by the fact that mainstream home theater gear is just too good." Crystal LED HDTV Technology So when can I have one and how much will it cost? Sony isn't answering any of these questions. Our hunch is that it will cost about what an OLED TV will cost. And if Sony wants this technology to have a chance it needs to come out at about the same time as OLED. We know that Samsung will be releasing their OLEDs in the second half of the year. Our prediction is that you will be able to buy a Crystal LED TV from Sony by the summer of 2013 and it will run about $6,000. The best we can tell is that this tech never made it into consumer TVs. Sony still has a page dedicated to it but more in the commercial side of it's business. Revolv Home Automation Hub 1/2013 The beginning of the "Year of Automation" The best we can tell is that Revolv was bought by Nest and lives on in their products Conclusion When we first learned about a device that could unify all the various home automation and control devices out there we were sceptical. But after putting the Revolv Home Automation Hub through its paces, we can say, yes you can control everything regardless who makes it. Well maybe not everything yet. But we are sure the engineers at Revolv are working diligently to make that happen! Is a 7.1 System Worth it? Bottom Line - A properly installed 7.1 system with 7.1 content will take your home theater to the next level. You will definitely be able to hear a difference, especially with good content like the movie Super 8 . However, if you are not watching Blu-rays or your room doesn't support proper placement of the rear surround channels, a better approach would be to upgrade your 5.1 system or just save the money. This was from 2013. Consistent with our ATMOS recommendations too Netflix SuperHD (6/2013) Netflix SuperHD claims to provide superior 1080p video quality for the same price as regular streaming. But not everyone is eligible. Requirements Netflix Super HD requires an internet connection with at least 5Mb/s download. Not all devices can play Super HD. Super HD is only available via Internet Providers that are part of the Open Connect network. Supported devices include Sony PlayStation 3, Apple TV with 1080p, Roku with 1080p, Nintendo Wii U, Windows 8 App, TiVo Premiere DVR Blu-Ray Players, Smart TV's, Home Theaters, and Streaming Players with existing Netflix 1080p support Bottom Line Netflix is really pushing the streaming frontiers and they have come a long way. We can now sit on our couch on any given evening and find a high quality movie at a moment's notice. We anxiously await the day when we will be able to stream Blu-ray quality movies whenever we want. From what we have seen that day is not too far away! Is Blu-ray a Dead Format? Also from 6/2013 Ask anyone who knows something about home theater what is the highest quality audio and video available to mere mortals today and they will tell you Blu-ray. Blu-ray video is stunning…

Full show notes at the publisher

Podcast #999: Is an $80K Sony Projector Worth the Money and a $25 Harmony Remote Replacement May 14, 2021

Show notes

On today's show we look at a CNET article that covers the best home theater projectors for 2021 and then we ask if a $80,000 Sony projector is worth the money. We also take a look at a simple universal remote and ask if it can replace the Harmony. We read your emails and take a look at the week's news as well.

Best home theater projector for 2021

From portable projectors to affordable 1080p models to light cannons built for gaming or 4K HDR, these are the best projectors for the money. Full article here…

Is the Sony VPLGTZ380 worth $80,000??

Realize an overwhelming native 4K image expression like you've never seen before. Sony's X1 processor is paired with a super high contrast 10,000 lumen Z-Phosphor laser light source and DCI-P3 wide color space make your ultimate vision a reality. Object based super resolution enhances color and contrast for greater depth, cleaner textures, and more realistic pictures. More info...

A stunning 10,000 lumens achieve D65 industry-standard color balance and DCI-P3 color space without brightness loss.
X1TM Ultimate for projector brings you the best of Sony's image processing
Newly-developed, reliable, full 4K resolution on 3 SXRD™ panel for outstanding contrast
Z-PhosphorTM laser with red laser diode enhances tones across DCI-P3 color space and deliver 1.35 wider color range than sRGB solutions
Object based Super Resolution enhances color and contrast of individual objects for a clear picture.
Dual database processing reduces digital noise for the lowest possible ambient noise
With Object based HDR Remaster3, the color in individual objects on screen is analyzed and the contrast adjusted to reproduce greater depth, textures, and more realistic pictures
Digital Contrast Optimizer minimizes unnecessary light from bright objects for more accurate focus.
Dynamic HDR Enhancer brings a wider contrast range for striking and realistic picture quality
HDR Reference Mode creates richer gradation that more accurately display the creator's intent.
Enjoy the latest 4K content services with HDCP 2.3 compatibility on both 18Gbps HDMI inputs 4
Motionflow™ provides smooth motion for 4K & HD
Advanced graphic processing and Input lag reduction ensures faster response time for gamers
Up to 20,000 hours of virtually maintenance free operation

This is a review of an owner (The Sony website says the projector will be available soon. We have to assume this is a pre-release model that is being reviewed):

If you have ever viewed the VPL-VW5000ES & thought that machine had a brilliant picture at 5,000 lumens, the purely stunning display chip combined with the newest laser lamp that puts out a whopping 10,000 lumens makes the 5000ES model look like a Triniton from the 1980's!

I recently upgraded from the 5000ES to the GTZ380 in my "man cave" with a 165" SI gray slate 1.3 gain screen. If the blacks are brightness of the 5,000 had an amazing image, the dual data/motion flow chipsets and double the lumens combined make for a viewing experience that's so immersive that only in the most gorgeous scenes from a solid, full HDR 4K source do you sit back and both admire the engineering behind this beyond words projector's imagining-that you chuckle at how much you spent to be so fortunate to buy one.

Hands down, there is no imagination left to better what already seems that the human eyes can't possibly see anything technologically "better". After this machine was conceived, I'd have to think that engineers are being laid off- or have abandoned any future development as there is no possibility of any picture quality improvement beyond this unit. Has to be the end of the line for any sort of television or movie watching device innovation- no way anything could ever top this picture quality and brightness that's so full of color and absolutely zero stutter.

I can now rest easy, my wife can't be upset at my A/V "addiction", as this is the last TV/Projector I will ever need or purchase. To spin a quote from the movie Field of Dreams "Is this heaven?....no, this is Sony"!

Level of expertise Advanced

Where purchased In person

Sony products owned 6+

Inteset 4-in-1 Universal

With Logitech discontinuing the Harmony Remote we have received a lot of emails asking us about alternatives. There are options that use your smartphone or tablet as well as some high end remotes tied to home automation. For today's discussion we decided to go old school with a simple 4-in-1 Universal remote from Inteset (Int-422 $25.95).

The remote is preconfigured to work with streaming devices like the Apple TV, Xbox One, Roku (excluding Stick) and others right out of the box with dedicated buttons. These buttons can be reprogrammed with the device codes of the components you have in your system by looking them up in their online database.

Typically a setup like this removes remote control clutter but doesn't really do anything for simplicity of use. The Inteset remote has some nice features that make it a better remote than the typical all-in-one.

Volume Lock - Most people use a single device such as a TV, sound-bar, or receiver for audio. You can set up the remote so that the volume and mute buttons control the audio of that device no matter what other mode is selected on the remote.

Channel Lock - Lock the number pad to control the tuner/cable/satellite box, so you can change the channels no matter what device mode you have selected. This may not be as important as the volume lock. But it did simplify watching TV on a cable box.

Punch-through Support - Similar to Volume and Channel Lock, any button can be set to send the same IR signal no matter what device mode is selected.

Macro Support - You can program up to 32 commands into a single button. So, for example, you could turn on or off all of your devices, and switch inputs. The multiple symbol buttons on the bottom of the remote can be used for your macros. But this old school harmony remote style. We could not find any codes for direct input switching. Rather you had to hit the input button and then scroll to the input you want and then hit select.

This method is fraught with errors and grief. In our opinion the macros are best suited for turning on and off the devices you want for the activity you are watching. Then switch the input, more than likely using your receiver, manually. There is a special code to program the remote's display button to bring up the smart features of your TV.

The remote itself feels good in the hands. The buttons are logically placed and easy to select. It has a backlight which helps in low light conditions. Not much else to say about it. It's a modern remote.

Bottom Line

The Inteset 422 is a great improvement over the Universal remotes of fifteen years ago. Locking the volume and numbers buttons individually to a specific device just makes it easier to use. The macros are a good improvement as well but not what we are used to with the Harmony. This remote is perfectly suited for the person who has a cable or satellite box running through a receiver then out to the TV. It will turn them all on and off, control the volume and change channels with no issues. A more complex setup can be made to work, but it will be cumbersome to program and use. This remote will find a home at Ara's mom's house where her two remotes will be reduced to one. You can't beat it for this type of use at $26!

Podcast #998: Top Five Movie Rentals for the Week and The Best LED TV May 07, 2021

Show notes

On today's show we take a look at the top five movie rentals for the week, discuss a movie called Nobody, invite ourselves onto The Bright Side of Home Theater Podcast, and answer the question, "What's the Best LED TV" right now. Pulse we read emails and discuss the news of the week. Don't forget to enter to win a fantastic SVS sound system to celebrate our 1000th episode.

Top Five Movie Rentals for the Week

5 - The Croods: A New Age - The prehistoric family the Croods are challenged by a rival family the Bettermans, who claim to be better and more evolved. 7/10 IMDB Rating, Rotten Tomato Critic Score 77 Audience Score 94

4 - Willy's Wonderland - A quiet drifter is tricked into a janitorial job at the now condemned Willy's Wonderland. The mundane tasks suddenly become an all-out fight for survival against wave after wave of demonic animatronics. Fists fly, kicks land, titans clash -- and only one side will make it out alive. 5.5/10 IMDB Rating, Rotten Tomato Critic Score 62 Audience Score 74

3 - News of the World - A Civil War veteran agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will. They travel hundreds of miles and face grave dangers as they search for a place that either can call home. 6.8/10 IMDB Rating, Rotten Tomato Critic Score 88 Audience Score 89

2 - Wonder Woman 1984 - Diana must contend with a work colleague and businessman, whose desire for extreme wealth sends the world down a path of destruction, after an ancient artifact that grants wishes goes missing. 5.4/10 IMDB Rating, Rotten Tomato Critic Score 59 Audience Score 74

1 - Vanquish - A mother, Victoria, is trying to put her dark past as a Russian drug courier behind her, but retired cop Damon forces Victoria to do his bidding by holding her daughter hostage. 2.6/10 IMDB Rating, Rotten Tomato Critic Score 6 Audience Score 16

A movie Ara is waiting to be available for streaming, Nobody Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, The Post, Nebraska) stars as Hutch Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life's indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody. When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake, is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca, seems to pull only further away. The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch's long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again.

7.4/10 IMDB Rating, Rotten Tomato Critic Score 82 Audience Score 94

Best LED TV (RTINGS.COM)

Knocking the Samsung Q80/Q80T QLED off it's perch as the best LED TV, the Sony X90J ($1599.99 MSRP 65") 2021 model is the new king of LED TVs. With better contrast, local dimming, and a slightly cheaper price tag the Sony is a solid choice. The 6 Best LED LCD TVs - Spring 2021 from RTINGS.COM

It feels well-built and comes with Google TV, giving you access to a ton of apps so you can easily find all your favorite content. Whether watching movies and shows or doing some gaming, most people should be happy with this model.

It has a VA panel with a fantastic contrast ratio, producing deep inky blacks and making it well-suited to dark room viewing or gaming. It has a full-array local dimming feature as well to further improve contrast. It also performs well in bright rooms, with impressive SDR brightness that can overcome glare in most lighting conditions. If you like HDR content, you'll also be pleased with its HDR brightness, which is very good and makes highlights pop. That said, it doesn't technically have a wide color gamut for HDR, although it just barely falls short and should be good enough for a satisfying HDR experience.

Unfortunately, it doesn't yet have the advertised variable refresh rate (VRR) support. However, it should be implemented in an upcoming firmware update. Aside from that, it still has a great response time for smooth motion in fast-moving content with minimal smearing or blur. It also has low input lag and two HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing it to display up to a 4k @ 120Hz signal from the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. All in all, this is among the best LED TVs we've tested.

8.1 Mixed Usage

8.6 Movies

7.7 TV Shows

7.5 Sports

8.4 Video Games

8.3 HDR Movies

8.3 HDR Gaming

7.8 PC Monitor