HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Podcast #997: Understanding Digital TV Signal Reception and B&W PI7 Headphones Review Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

On today's show we announce a fantastic giveaway to celebrate our 1000th show. Be sure to enter the contest! We also discuss Apple being sued for terminating the account of someone with $25,000 worth of apps and videos. With ATSC 3.0 around the corner we discuss what can cause issues with over the air reception of Tv signals. We have a review of the B&W PI7 wireless headphones. All this and your emails and the week's news

Apple sued for terminating account with $25,000 worth of apps and videos

Lawsuits claim people don't truly own content they purchase on digital platforms. Full article...

Understanding Digital TV Signal reception

With ATSC 3.0 picking up steam, many of our listeners are interested in Over the Air TV. If you live within 40 miles of the TV transmitting towers you can pretty much guarantee watching beautiful HDTV in 4K for free. If you live beyond 40 miles, it's hit or miss. The most frustrating part is that sometimes the signal is rock solid and then it just vanishes for a few seconds, minutes, or sometimes hours. What causes this and is there anything that you can do to fix this?

Electromagnetic or EMI interference

This is caused by nearby power lines, LED lightbulbs, thunderstorms, solar flares, the Northern Lights and even household appliances like electric blankets, popcorn poppers, microwave ovens, electric dryers and water heaters.

However, the stronger your signal the less EMI will interfere with the reception. If you live in a fringe area this is one reason why things are going well with your TV reception and then boom, nothing! We both live in a deep fringe area and it's the reason why we have given up on using an antenna for picking up DTV.

Multipath interference

This is caused by OTA signals being reflected off of items such as airplanes, wet/icy surfaces or shiny buildings. And for those living in hilly or mountainous areas, reflections off of the local terrain plays havoc with the signal. But in some instances it can help. It's hit or miss.

Moisture

Heavy amounts of moisture in the air in the form of heavy fog, high humidity or intense rain can also weaken signals enough to fall off the digital cliff.

Transient/Variable Physical Obstructions

The most interference may come from sources that you hadn't considered, such as leaf growth on a tree. In the Fall you have good reception that goes away in the spring. Construction of a new building between you and the broadcast towers or even your neighbor parking a new RV in their driveway.

What can be done to counteract this?

There are companies that spend a lot of money on developing antennas and electronics to fight signal interference. Mohu has been a goto for the HT Guys for years. In our opinion they make the best antennas on the market. But they are not miracle workers. In our testing the Mohu antennas consistently pulled in more channels than the competitors. But even as good as Mohu is, living in the deep fringe will make the best antenna struggle when conditions are not optimal.

Bottom line. If you live within 40 miles of the TV towers, get an antenna and enjoy ATSC 3.0. If you live 41- 60 miles, it's hit or miss. One day will be good and another will be bad. Of course the signal will drop in the middle of watching something you really care about! At this range you will definitely need an outdoor antenna with a lot of height. If you have buildings or other obstacles in the way you will be out of luck. Beyond 60 miles, there really isn't much you can do to combat physics.

AntennaWeb.org

AntennaWeb.org is a good resource that will help you determine what signals you can receive and what type of antenna you will need. For us, it says we can look forward to picking up 5 stations with a deep fringe capable antenna. We have indeed picked up more than that, but not consistently.

B&W PI7 Review

When Ara worked for Delta Airlines he was responsible for implementing a way to allow passengers to use their own Bluetooth headphones with the in flight entertainment system (IFE). The long term approach was to build in a pairing mechanism into the IFE system that was easy to use. The short term approach was to use an adapter that the passenger would pair with their headphones prior to boarding the plane.

You ask what does this have to do with the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 (MSRP $399)? Well this model has a built in IFE adapter in the unit's battery case that makes using the headphones with ANY airline's IFE system trivial. Based on that alone, Ara bought the PI7 and put them to work.

The Specs

24-bit True Wireless design with Qualcomm aptX™ Adaptive - sound quality that adjusts dynamically and optimizes connection reliability.
Dual Hybrid Drive units with individual amplifiers
Adaptive noise canceling
Six microphones for perfect sound and call quality
Smart charging case with audio retransmission - you can use the 3.5mm plug to USB-C connection to any device making it bluetooth capable. However, you can also use the include UBC-C to USB-C cable to connect to your laptop and transmit high res files wirelessly to your headphones.
Fast wireless charging

Controls

The controls are simple to use, just tap either earbud to start/stop/pause/answer/hangup. Long press the left headphone to activate noise canceling and long press the right headphone to activate your smart assistant. This is typical of these types of headphones, however, you can inadvertently activate some commands simply by adjusting the headphones in your ear.

Performance

Battery Performance - Ara was working in the garage for more than four hours with no issues. The advertised time is four hours and these exceed that. The battery case/holder will recharge the headphones four times which will last you on a flight from LA to Sydney.

Range - Ara was able to walk about 30 feet indoors with one wall in between the headphones and his iPhone. Outdoors he was able to move 120 feet away from the source. Perfect for working in a garden!

Noise Cancelling - In a word, Fantastic. Ara took these right into the wood shop and turned on his dust collection system and planed some wood all while listening to music at normal volumes. It worked so well that the normal fatigue that would accompany using loud equipment never happened and quite frankly extended the time Ara was able to work in the shop.

Podcast Performance - Voices sound clear with plenty of presence and texture.

Music Performance - Music where these headphones excel. They are warm with plenty of detail. The bass is tight and has omph. The mids are vibrant and not lost in the low end. The high surprised me in that I really heard them! These are my new favorite headphones!

Odds and Ends

Only the right headphone can be used individually.
There are three sizes of ear cushions to optimize the fit
They are comfortable and can be worn for extended periods
The audio passthrough function is only available via the app. You can select the amount of passthrough via a slider bar.

Conclusion

These headphones are worth the $400 they cost if you are into music. The added benefit for travelers is that they connect to an IFE system without the need for a separate adapter. If the $400 is a little more than you are willing to pay you may be interested in the PI5 It has four microphones instead of six and no IFE adapter. It also only costs $250.

Podcast #996: New AppleTV and Wyze V3 Review Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

On today's show we run through some of the new features on the recently announced AppleTV, look at the tradeoff of using an indoor TV outdoors in a protected environment, and we have a short review of the Wyze V3 outdoor camera. We also read your emails and take a look at the week's news.

New AppleTV

From the Press Release - Apple announced the next generation of Apple TV 4K, delivering high frame rate HDR with Dolby Vision and connecting customers to their favorite content with the highest quality. At the heart of the new Apple TV 4K is the A12 Bionic chip that provides a significant boost in graphics performance, video decoding, and audio processing. And with an all-new design, the Siri Remote makes it even easier to watch shows and movies on Apple TV with intuitive navigation controls. Together with tvOS — the most powerful TV operating system — Apple TV 4K works seamlessly with Apple devices and services to magically transform the living room in ways that everyone in the family will love.

Improved Video Experiences

With A12 Bionic, Apple TV 4K now supports high frame rate HDR (High Dynamic Range) and Dolby Vision video, enabling fast-moving action at 60 frames per second (fps) to play more smoothly and appear more lifelike than ever before. Apple is working with leading video providers around the world, including FOX Sports, NBCUniversal, Paramount+, Red Bull TV, and Canal+, as they begin to stream in high frame rate HDR. And with high frame rate support in AirPlay, videos shot on iPhone 12 Pro can be displayed in full 60-fps Dolby Vision on the new Apple TV 4K.

Color Balance

Through an innovative color balance process, Apple TV works with iPhone and its advanced sensors to improve a television's picture quality. Apple TV uses the light sensor in iPhone to compare the color balance to the industry-standard specifications used by cinematographers worldwide. Using this data, Apple TV automatically tailors its video output to deliver much more accurate colors and improved contrast — without customers ever having to adjust their television settings.

Siri Remote

The all-new Siri Remote features an innovative clickpad control that offers five-way navigation for better accuracy, and is also touch-enabled for the fast directional swipes Apple TV users love. The outer ring of the clickpad supports an intuitive circular gesture that turns it into a jog control — perfect for finding a scene in a movie or show. And with its one-piece aluminum design, the new Siri Remote fits more comfortably in a user's hand.

The new Siri Remote also has a power button that controls a TV's power, and another for mute, making it the only remote needed while enjoying TV. Using Siri, customers can easily search for specific shows or movies, control smart home accessories, check sports scores or the weather, and much more. Siri now works on Apple TV in Austria, Ireland, and New Zealand, joining the 13 countries and regions that already support Siri.

Pricing and Availability

The new Apple TV 4K will be available starting at $179 (US)
Customers can order the new Apple TV 4K beginning Friday, April 30, with availability beginning in the second half of May in more than 30 countries and regions, including the US.
Apple TV HD with the new Siri Remote will be available for $149.
The new Siri Remote will be available separately for $59, and is compatible with the previous-generation Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD.

Furrion Unveils Newest Line Of Outdoor 4K TVs

On a recent show a listener asked us about installing a TV on his deck. The deck was protected from direct contact with the elements. We suggested using a regular indoor TV stating that it would shorten the lifespan of the TV but the cost saving would allow for a new TV every few years which would bring upgrades along the way.

Today we can quantify the cost comparison as Furrion unveiled a new line of outdoor TVs. The Aurora® Partial Sun 4K UHD LED Outdoor TV and the Aurora® Full Shade 4K UHD LED Outdoor TV. For our listener, since his TV would be on his covered deck, our comparison will be with the Full Shade 4K UHD. But for completeness we'll include the pricing for the Partial Sun TV as well.

From Furrion's Press Release:

Furrion Aurora TVs are weatherproof in all conditions, and are engineered to withstand the harsh effects of UV rays, rain, snow, dirt, insects, and humidity. Their weatherproof housing and IP54 rating mean the Aurora is built to last, and the weather-resistant media bay offers even more protection for inputs and outputs. Even the remote control features an IP64 waterproof rating, great for areas with pools.

Aurora® Partial Sun 4K UHD LED Outdoor TV

Designed for partially shaded outdoor living areas like patios, decks and yards

Increased brightness up to 750 nits and an anti-glare LCD screen give you an excellent

picture in partially sunny areas

Sizes: Available in 43", 49", 55" and 65"

Pricing: $1,499.99 (43"), $1,999.99 (49"), $2,699.99 (55"), $3,399.99 (65")

Aurora® Full Shade 4K UHD LED Outdoor TV

Designed for fully-shaded outdoor living areas like covered patios or screened gazebos

Increased brightness up to 400 nits and an anti-glare LCD screen give you an excellent

picture in partially shaded areas

Sizes: Available in 43", 49", 55" and 65"

Pricing: $1,299.99 (43"), $1,599 (49"), $1,999.99 (55"), $2,799.99 (65")

Analysis

Let's go with a 50" TV. Costco has models starting at $340 (Hisense 50" R6 Series - UHD LED) or a Vizio for $430 (Vizio 50" M-Series - 4K Quantum LED). There are TCLs that are in the middle so for this exercise we'll say you can pick up a 50 inch TV for $400. That means for the price of a 50 inch Full Shade Aurora you can buy four regular TVs. Depending on your local climate that can really save you money. Of course this only works for a protected installation that is not in direct weather.

Wyze Cam v3

After receiving Chuck's email we decided to spend the whopping $31.84 including shipping and tax to test out the Wyze Cam v3. This is a very quick review. Essentially the camera is fantastic. In a side by side comparison with our Eufy cameras the Wyze had a sharper and more detailed picture with a spectacular night vision feature.

Wyze offers cloud storage for free but only a 12 second clip that rolls over every 14 days. You can upgrade to a plan that has longer recordings and more storage for about $25 a year. If you don't want to store in the cloud the camera supports a micro SD card with recordings available over the internet. The camera is IP65 weather resistant. Quite frankly the camera is amazing for only $30 shipped!

Setup was simple. Like pretty much all the other cameras you download the app and add the camera. The app is easy to navigate and functional. All the controls and settings are easily accessed. The only complaint Ara had was that the camera is not supported by Homekit. Actually, the only platform that it supports is Alexa.

Bottom line, the days of expensive cameras are done. If you are a manufacturer trying to sell a camera for more than $50, be prepared to drop your prices. If Wyze ever supports Homekit, all Ara's outdoor cameras will be replaced at a total cost of $120!

Podcast #995: End of the Road for the Harmony Remote and DIY Speaker Building Apr 16, 2021

Show notes

We're back! After a laptop mishap the show returns with a discussion about the Harmony Remote going end of life, a discussion on SpaceX's Starlink Satellite Internet service, using smart home devices to provide you weather alerts, and finally a discussion on Ara's journey to becoming a DIY speaker builder. We also read your emails and discuss the news of th week.

Who Needs Starlink Internet? These Rural US Counties Top the List

SpaceX's Starlink promises to supercharge internet speeds around the globe, but which regions need it the most? Our exclusive research shows that residents in these rural US counties should sign up now. Full article here …

Weather alerts may be the smartest use of smart lights. They can save your life

Springtime brings with it fresh life, blooming flowers, and in some parts of the country, incredible storms. The old expression that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb holds particularly true in the Southeast and Midwest, where spring storms are accompanied by damaging, dangerous tornadoes. Full article here...

Why DIY Speakers

Along the way of doing our podcast we would receive emails suggesting that we should take a stab at speaker building. On a whim, I decided to give it a try. There are many resources online to refer to but I decided to start with Part Express. Parts Express is an online audio components site that sells everything you need to get you started.

My first set of speakers was a kit that cost about $200 (Dayton Audio BR-1 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Monitor Speaker Kit Pair). There was no wood working skills required. Just solder the crossover and load the components and voila! DIY speakers. They sounded great and only cost $200. After this I was hooked.

Then I tried a simple full range driver (Tang Band W3-881SJF 3" Full Range Speaker $30 each) that would be loaded into a MDF cabinet ($27 each) that required nothing more than cutting some holes and gluing the precut pieces together. I had a jigsaw and a dremel tool to cut the holes. On this set of speakers, I learned about finishing the speaker cabinet. The results were terrible, aesthetically speaking. But they found a home at my in-laws. I recently noticed they weren't using the speakers anymore so I brought them home with me and I am making a new cabinet out of reclaimed wood. We'll probably give them away in the near future.

I kept watching Youtube videos on the subject and decided to actually build my own cabinets. I used ¾" plywood. While the cabinet was solid, the joining was not good at all. I covered up the flaws with a veneer of cherry wood. Problem fixed!! The issue I had was that I was making my cuts with a circular saw and there was no way for me to get the precision required. So the veneer covered up a lot of the flaws but close inspection would reveal the issues. I have them on a shelf where you can see them but not close enough to critique them.

I posted them in a video on YouTube. Man I got raked over the coals for the design. Specifically the crossover. With the components I chose I was leaving a lot of performance on the table so to speak. Quite frankly I just bought parts from Parts Express and put them together. They still sounded really really good, so I wondered what a true high quality design would sound like. For completeness here are the parts used in that build:

Dayton Audio RS150-8 6" Reference Woofer x 2 $45 each
Morel MDT 29 1-1/8" Soft Dome Tweeter x 2 $52 each
Dayton Audio XO2W-2.5K 2-Way Speaker Crossover 2,500 Hz x 2 $30 each
Terminals, Foam, Vent Tubes X 2 $10 each

Total cost was about $300 when you include the plywood and veneer.

For the next build I wanted to work on my woodworking skills. I bought a tablesaw, planer, sander, router and a ton of clamps. By the way, you can never have enough clamps! Since I was more concerned about the cabinet building I went with full range drives. No silly cross over to deal with. The design was simple. Build the cabinets put in the driver.

As far as the cabinet designs go, all the driver companies provide you with cabinet designs and plans that will get the most out of the drivers they are selling. Build the cabinet to their plan and you will get optimal performance.

Side note - one year my wife was struggling on what to get her sister in-laws for Christmas. I suggested that I could make them some cutting boards. She liked the idea and I made six of them. They were a huge hit! Now I make cutting boards and sell them on Etsy or through my Instagram. I've even built a set of speakers using the same basic design of a cutting board. Here is a short video I posted to Instagram. Funny I started with wood working just to build speakers. But now I just love woodworking! Also a big thank you to Marc Spagnuolo the Wood Whisperer who has given me many tips, some personally, but most through his online resources.

Now some swear full range drivers are the best thing since sliced bread. Truth be told, for certain types of music they are amazing. I built three full range driver designs selling some and even giving some away. I have one that has a 8 inch (Tang Band W8-1772 8" Neodymium Full Range Driver $225 each) driver that my nephew has claimed. They sound incredible with vocals and tracks that have a lot of dynamic range. Not so much with loud rock. I told him that when I build a replacement he can have it. Along the way, my wood working skills had improved! So I was ready to go with a multiple driver design.

I didn't want to make the same mistake I did with my earlier speaker build by just choosing parts but I also knew nothing about crossover design. I then decided to look into buying a well designed kit. In this way I get to have the joy of building something and make it my own but not worry about optimizing the audio aspect of the design. I chose Creative Sound Solutions (CSS) for the kit. They sound phenomenal! All the goodness of the full range drivers without the limitations. I loved them so much I built two of their designs. The P215 ($469) and the Criton 2TD ($850). I built the P215 first and was impressed with the bass, clarity, and imaging. I was told the 2TDs sounded even better and yes they did. It took everything I loved about the P215 and turned it up a notch. Plus it was the best looking cabinet I have built!! Easily competes with speakers costing three times as much plus the cabinets being built with reclaimed barn wood from the mid 1800s just adds to the experience.

CSS Audio also sells MDF kits for those who do not have a place where they can build cabinets. They also provide complete building plans for those who want to build their own.

I recommend doing this. But it's a journey. Expect to make some mistakes and get criticism if you post your work online. The vast majority of which has been constructive. However, there are some "know it alls" who have to tell you that your work is crap. Just ignore them and keep on building!

No Show This Week Apr 09, 2021

Show notes

We had a technical issue and can not upload a full show. We'll be back next week with our regular programming. Thank you for understanding..

Podcast #994: Wifi Gremlins Begone! Apr 02, 2021

Show notes

On this week's show we take a look at twelve things that the Jetsons predicted correctly back in 1962. Ring introduces three new automation devices and Ara gets to the bottom of his Wifi woes. We also read your email and take a look at the week's news stories.

12 Cool Technologies "The Jetsons" Predicted For 2062 That We Have Right Now

This article is from 2019

The futuristic family cartoon The Jetsons premiered in 1962. It was set 100 years in the future in the year 2062. We're over half way there now, but surprisingly, many of the technologies they predicted in the cartoon are already a reality, while others are maturing quickly. Full article here…

Video calls
Robotic vacuums
Tablet computers
Robotic house help - Not quite Rosie yet but enough to check the box
Flying Cars - This is a stretch but there is a flying car out there but nothing like what the Jetsons had.
Smart Watches
Drones - apparently there was an episode in which Elroy was flying a drone.
Holograms
3D printed food - we're not convinced that this is a thing
The "PillCam" - this is actually a thing
Jetpacks
Flat Screen TVs

Amazon's Ring launches 3 new outdoor security gadgets

The outside of your Ring-powered smart home might get a little smarter thanks to the company's new outdoor smart plug, motion light and siren. Full Article here…

Orbi Wifi Discussion

As many of you know we both have had some wifi woes of late. Ara bought a new Linksys Velop ($300 for the router and one satellite) router which worked great for about two months and then it suddenly started acting up. Devices would randomly disconnect and the Internet would stop working regardless of whether the connection was wired or wireless.

This led to the eventual replacement with a new system manufactured by Netgear (The Orbi RBR50 $330 for the router and one satellite) and all was good until it wasn't. However, for the last five days (the longest period of continuous connection) all is good again. We think, for Ara's house anyway, all the gremlins have been removed. The following are the steps taken to get there. A few of these steps only apply to the Netgear Orbi, but many apply to any router and may help you get more out of your wireless system.

As Mike stated in his email the Time server was changed. His recommended time server would not work with the Orbi RBR50 so time.nist.gov was used. The "Automatically adjust for daylight savings time" was initially unticked but later reticked with no issues as of yet. This tip is specific to the Orbi or other Netgear routers.
1. Enable Implicit BEAMFORMING - They claim that this Boosts WiFi speed, reliability, & range for all mobile devices
2. Enable MU-MIMO - "MIMO" stands for "Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output", and it refers to the way bandwidth is broken up by a router and pushed to individual devices. This only comes into play if multiple devices are requesting say a Netflix stream simultaneously. Without it turned on it would delay one stream until the other has sufficiently buffered.
3. Enable Fast Roaming - allows a client device to roam quickly in environments implementing WPA2 Enterprise security, by ensuring that the client device does not need to re-authenticate to the RADIUS server every time it roams from one access point to another. With two access points in the house this could have been an issue as devices continuously bounce back and forth between them.
Under the wireless settings the following were ticked:
The Netgear Armor Security was turned off - It was automatically activated for a 30 day trial. Ara noticed that it periodically scans the network and checks vulnerabilities of the devices on the network. Ara wondered if this caused some of the wifi automation devices to lose connection.

After a reboot everything seems to work well except Ara's Homekit devices. Then after struggling with rebooting his Philips Hue hubs Ara noticed that it was only the hue lights having an issue. What was puzzling was the fact that the lights themselves were not directly connected to his wifi network. The hubs being hardwired should not be having any issues.

The Hue lights are based on the Zigbee protocol which uses the same frequency spectrum as 2.4GHz wifi. There was an article that said if your Hue lights are "unreachable" change the Zigbee channel. There is a setting in the Hue app that allows for his. Once that was done...Bam! Everything was and still is rock solid!

In reality, that may have been the only issue as there are 25 hue lights, sensors, and accessories in Ara's house.

Podcast #993: Gary Yacoubian and Nick Brown of SVS Mar 26, 2021

Show notes

This week we discuss whether there is a market for a $200 quad tuner DVR that doesn't come with storage and we talk with SVS President and CEO Gary Yacoubian and Vice President of Marketing Nick Brown about two new cool products that SVS recently released. We also read your emails and take a look at the week's news.

Tablo rolls out a $200 quad-tuner DVR with HDMI

It's ideal if you record TV to watch it somewhere with a weak internet connection. Full article here…

Interview with SVS President and CEO Gary Yacoubian and Vice President of Marketing Nick Brown

SVS rumbled onto the audio scene to challenge the status quo of over-priced, underperforming "high-end" subwoofers and speakers and to bring convincing and immersive sound to more people than ever before. Why should thrilling home audio experiences be an elitist hobby limited to a small percentage of humanity? The SVS mission is to re-energize people's desire for awesome sound by bringing passion, fun and expertise back into the mix. With this vision, SVS is leading a Sound R|Evolution.

Podcast #992: Channels DVR and the Best IPTV Service Mar 19, 2021

Show notes

On this week's show we discuss a super inexpensive solution to charging your outdoor devices via the sun, we dive a little deeper into the Channels DVR, and finally, we look at the best IPTV solutions for you. Plus we read your emails and take a look at the news.

Renogy E.FLEX 5W Mono Solar Panel

If you have a battery operated camera that is charged via a 5V USB charger then this product may make it possible to never have to charge the camera again. This solar charger is a little bigger than a steno sheet of paper and will charge your camera by sunshine. At $15 it's an absolute no brainer. It even comes with a 2500mAH battery bank. More info… There is a larger one which is two of these folded together for $22.00.

Channels DVR

I briefly mentioned the Channels DVR at the end of the last podcast so I did want to add a little more information as we did receive a few emails about the service.

The server will run on MacOS, Windows, Raspberry Pi and Linux
It will also run on quite a few NAS devices and the NVidia Shield
It's not a free service. It costs $8 a month or $80 a year is paid in advance/ Ara paid for the full year
You can use it with Xfinity, hulu, fios, locast, dish, ATT TV, Cox, Youtube TV, DirecTV, Philo, Frontier, and Sling TV
There are no limits to how much you can record (beyond your own storage) and how long you can keep the recordings
You can watch the recordings from anywhere with an internet connection
Streaming outside the home must be setup via the router port forwarding
Streaming quality is limited by your bandwidth and in general is not as good as watching on your network
Recorded content is in the open and can be transferred to a tablet or PC for watching without an internet connection
Import Content from Streaming Services and local media

Best live TV streaming service for cord-cutters: YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu and more compared

Ready to ditch your cable bill but want to keep live news, sports and more? Here's how. Full article here...

Podcast #991: Locast2Plex and Chromecast Whole House Audio Mar 12, 2021

Show notes

Whole House Audio Journey with the Chromecast for Listener Matt

As a teenager growing up in the 80's I had a subscription to Audio Video Interiors magazine. I would marvel at these huge custom home theaters with in-floor console CRT Runco projectors and AMX or Crestron controls. Fast forward past the Beastie Boys cassettes and Van Halen CDs, once MP3s hit the scene and you could store vast amounts of music on a computer, I was cobbling together homemade systems connecting computers to amps around the house. Then Google Chromecast and their Chromecast Audio 'puck' came to market. I purchased an AudioSource 'auto-power' on Amp from Amazon, plugged the Chromecast Audio into the RCA jacks and I could pull up music on my phone and cast to the amp from anywhere in the house and it would turn itself on and just play. In the early 2010's if you were hosting a party and you just pulled out your phone, hit play and all the speakers in the house kicked on, it was like magic. But that was just one amp with a Niles 6 zone speaker selector. What if you have multiple rooms and amps that you want to tie together?

Google announced that they were creating the concept of a Speaker Group, where you could add multiple chromecast devices into a group and sync them together. This I thought was going to be the Holy Grail of whole house audio, no more amps everywhere just get an AndroidTV with Chromecast, add a good soundbar / sub and then when you have a house party, use the Speaker Group to sync all the rooms. I also have an Onkyo amplifier with Chromecast built in which you could also add to the Speaker Group. I got all of this to work, I have a game room with a Hisense Android TV and soundbar, the main living area Onkyo with builtin Chromecast, and an Audiosource amp with Chromecast Audio dongle for outside. (Quick side note, my love to Monoprice, they have an in ground subwoofer with 4 satellite speakers that sounds great and passes the outdoor Decorating Committee standards). I put the Game Room Hisense TV, Onkyo with builtin Chromecast, and the Chromecast Audio into one speaker group called "Whole House" and it was amazing.... until it wasn't.

You see, while Google likes to 'give-th' Google will also 'take-th' away when they feel like it. Suddenly things started dropping out of the Speaker Group, I couldn't see my Onkyo anymore, the HisenseTV was gone. As a software engineer I dug down in my bug hunting skills but could not find anything different in my network that had changed. Until someone posted a discussion in Reddit from a Google Tech (yes someone actually found a Google Help Desk person) that read:

It appears that Google is no longer going to support Speaker Groups with third party hardware. While you can individually cast something to the Hisense TV or the Onkyo amp, you can no longer put them together in a group to play the same music. I was so angry and frustrated that Google had removed a feature that worked, I almost jumped over the fence into the Apple walled garden... until I realized it would cost $800 for 4 AppleTVs... which is more than a 75" Hisense TV.

So I bought another Chromecast Audio dongle off Ebay for $50 (the full retail price in 2015), hooked it up to the Onkyo and I'm somewhat back in business, other than having to manually turn on the Onkyo. But it's sad that I had to purchase a discontinued device to get everything to work the way I wanted. I know there are lots of options, the Apple-verse, Amazon Fire world, Sonos. The problem I find is that once you have invested so much into one eco-system, it is so hard to switch out.

Locast2Plex

A couple of weeks ago we received two emails from listeners asking if we had tried locast2plex. Locast2plex turns your locast account into a virtual tuner for your Plex Server. We thought, fantastic! However, it's not as simple as turning on a setting and bam you're done. There is some heavy lifting that needs to be done. We go through the steps. This is not an instructional segment but more of an inventory of what you need to do if you want this capability for your Plex server.

Before we get into the steps you might ask what does this get you? Good question! There are two selling points for going through this somewhat complicated process. First, it allows you to record all your locast local channels using the Plex DVR and second, it gives you access to your locast local channels anywhere you have an Internet connection. There is a third reason as well. ALL the locals from your area come in and they never fade based on atmospheric conditions.

Step 1) You need to download the locast2plex script from github. The "code" comes as a zip file that contain configurations and other files needed to run as a python script. You will need to have an always on computer that is running the script. This is what actually simulates a physical tuner.

Step 2) designate an always computer to host the script. We chose an $35 RaspberryPi. They are quiet and barely use any energy. We are not discussing the setup of a RaspberryPi in this post. But you can buy them preconfigured from Amazon for less than $50.

Step 3) uncompress the zip file. We renamed the folder to locast2plex for simplicity

Step 4) update the file config_example.ini with your locast user settings. Then change the name of this file to config.ini. You will also need to know the ip address of the computer hosting the script. We updated our router to always give our hosting computer the same ip address. If you don't do this you will need to update config.ini each time the hosting computer gets a new ip address. In config.ini update the ip address of the host computer.

Step 5) Open up a terminal window and navigate to the locast2plex directory. Then run the following command python3 main.py. That starts everything and downloads the channels. If you are successful you will see "Locast2Plex is now online". Do not close this window or your tuner will stop working.

From here we move to your computer that is running your Plex Server.

Step 6) On your server you will need to add the locast2plex tuner. There is a LiveTV & DVR setting under the MANAGE section of the server settings. Here you will add the tuner. You will have to manually input the ip address of your host computer and be sure to append a :6077 to it so Plex knows which port to find it at

Step 7) input your local information, country, zipcode etc. This will allow plex to download the channel guides for your area

Step 8) watch!

This is pretty complex to do if you are not comfortable with computers.

As stated before it's nice to be able to watch every channel and record them as well. The quality is decent but not as good as the IPTV streamers. Still having access to your locals while on vacation is a plus. Locast only costs you a $5 a month donation and Plex is free. So you have nothing to lose.

Podcast #990: Shrinking Movie Release Windows and the Future of Cinemas Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

On this week's show we run down the top ten rentals for the week and discuss release windows for movies. Does the shrinking window spell doom for movie theaters? We also read your emails and cover the news of the week.

Top 10 Rentals for Week Ended 2-21-21

1 Greenland (6.4) 2/9/21 Universal/STX

2 Let Him Go (6.7) 2/2/21 Universal

3 Freaky (6.3) 2/9/21 Universal

4 Horizon Line (4.7) 2/16/21 Universal

5 Shadow in the Cloud (4.8)** 2/2/21 Vertical

6 Breach (3.7) 2/2/21 Paramount

7 Come Play (5.7) 1/26/21 Universal

8 The War With Grandpa (5.6) 12/22/20 Universal

9 Honest Thief (6.0) 12/29/20 Universal

10 The Stand-In (4.5)* 2/9/21 Paramount

*Early Release

**Redbox exclusive

For reference The imdb ratings for some popular movies are as follows:

Top Gun 6.9
Back to the Future 8.5
The Magnificent Seven (2016) 6.9
The Magnificent Seven (1960) 7.7
Pulp Fiction 8.8
The Dark Knight 9.0

How long should movies be in theaters before streaming? Hollywood is trying to find out.

With the movie business upended during the pandemic and tilting more towards streaming than cineplexes, Hollywood is rethinking its business model. One significant debate is how long a gap there should be between a film's theatrical release and its availability on streaming services. On Wednesday, ViacomCBS announced that "A Quiet Place Part 2" will stream on its new service, Paramount+, just 30 to 45 days after being released in theaters. Full article here…

Podcast #989: Audiophile or Audio-Fooled? Feb 26, 2021

Show notes

Top 10 Voice Commands of 2020

Smart home control functions top the list of the most-used voice commands by users with Josh.ai systems in 2020.

10 Watch Netflix - Absolutely makes sense to us. It would have been nice to see how, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and the rest compared. And now you know Netflix is King of streaming!

9 What's the Weather? - Asking what the weather is and voice commands are a match made in digital heaven. This can be done while getting dressed or fixing the bed. The perfect multi tasking voice command

8) I'm Home - If done right this can be quite cool! Although it would be nicer if you can tell your home I'll be home in ten minutes right from your car.

7 Goodbye - Another handy command that can arm the security system and turn off the lights.

6 Close the Shades (closely followed by Open the Shades) - Enough said!

5 What Time Is It? - Because many do not wear watches and can't be bothered to look at the time on their smartphone ;-)

4 Good Morning - Similar to I'm home, and Goodbye. It just runs a different set of tasks.

3 Turn Off the Lights (closely followed by 'Turn On the Lights' and honorable mention to just 'Lights') - For those who have not discovered Goodbye and Goodnight Commands.

2 Turn Off the TV (closely followed by 'Turn On the TV') - The #2 most popular request and the most popular device control was for TV power, with turning off happening more frequently than turning on, a theme Josh.ai has noticed with all device type control.

1 Goodnight - My (Ara's) dad used to go around and make sure all the lights were off and doors locked before he went to sleep. If he were alive today he would for sure use this command to make sure that were the case. But knowing him, he'd still go around to make sure all the lights were off and the doors were locked!

Five Things to Know About Spotify HiFi

Artists and fans have told us that sound quality is important to them. We agree, and that's why today at Stream On we announced Spotify HiFi. Details Here…

Audiophile or Audio-Fooled? How Good Are Your Ears?

MP3 files were created to save file size. A four minute song on CD would be 39MB where as a 128Kbps mp3 would be 3.9MB
The MP3 algorithm filters out quiet frequencies adjacent to loud frequencies because you can't hear them. So if they are eliminated it won't matter anyway
However with an MP3 at 128Kbps, audiophiles can reliably tell the difference. Not so with 256 and 320Kbps MP3 files.
Rick Beato's assistant was asked to do a listening test. She is in her 20s and was tested to be able to hear a 18Khz sine wave. She has perfect pitch and a degree in music production from Berkeley. A good candidate for the test.
She listened to six songs from different genres. They were recorded with CD quality, 128Kbps and 320Kbps MP3.
She got four out of six correct. In one case she chose the 128Kbps and in another the 320Kbps track.
Rick goes on to say that popular mixers in the industry today are over 40 years old and can't hear above 16Khz. So why then are they still in the business? Because they have experience as to what sounds good. And what sounds good is mostly in the frequencies we all can hear. Frequencies that the compressed music does not remove.
Also, many mix on $600 speakers because they know the vast majority of what people use to play back their music is not audiophile grade. That means you don't need audiophile grade gear to hear the music the way the mixer mixed it.

What does this all mean?

Spotify, like Apple, uses AAC which is superior to MP3 and they use 256Kbps for Spotify premium (128Kbps AAC for the free service). There have been many studies that show the overwhelming majority of people can not tell the difference between 256Kbps AAC and CD or even "Hi-Res" audio. If you have the ears and equipment that allow you to be in the very tiny minority that can hear the difference, congratulations for your gift, and your curse!

So while it looks like Spotify HiFi won't cost Premium subscribers any more money, don't expect an improved listening experience. At least for now. Streaming ten times the information will cost someone at some point.

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