HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

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Podcast #650: SmartThings Home Automation Aug 29, 2014

Show notes

SmartThings Home Automation

We have had a running joke about the year of home automation for a few years now. Judging by how many home automation hubs that have been released in the last few months it's safe to say home automation is now mainstream. There is the Revolv (HT Guys Review Podcast #620) that can speak to Z-Wave, Insteon, and more. It goes for $299. Home Depot got into the game with their $50 Wink Home Automation Hub and connected devices. Staples has a competing $50 product called Staples Connect Home Automation Hub. With all these products you may wonder is there room for anyone else?

Room or not, SmartThings is taking a run at the market with the SmartThings Hub. Their hub runs $99 and is available at Amazon (Buy Now). There is also a “Control Your Home Kit” that runs $329 and contains, the hub, an IR motion sensor, two presence sensors, two multi sensors, and one lamp module. You control and program the system through an iOS or Android app. We used the Control Your Home Kit for this review.

The Components

SmartThings Hub - This is the brains behind the operation. It is connected to your network via hardwire and talks to all your devices through IP, Z-Wave or ZigBee.

SmartSense Multi Sensor - This is one of the coolest devices we got to use. This device senses movement, vibration, orientation, and temperature. In addition to letting you know if your door or window is opened, you can get a notification of something is moved or if the temperature in your wine cellar is too high. You can get very creative with what you can do with the Multi Sensor.

SmartSense Motion Sensor - Nothing new here. This device will trip when it sense motion and you can set off an alarm or simply turn on lights.

SmartSense Presence Sensor - You can setup your system to notify you when people and pets approach and leave your home. Attach it to you keys and not only will it trip lights on and off for you when you come home but you can activate a beep to help you find them if they are lost.

SmartSense Lamp Module - Control a lamp or other device by plugging them into this unit.

Setup

Setup consisted of connecting the hub to your network via an Ethernet cable, installing an app on your tablet or phone, creating an account, and then updating the firmware. That took about fifteen minutes. Once that was completed you had to add devices. This was done by pressing a button on the device you want to add and then asking the app to look for it. Very straight forward but on some devices you had to open them up to get to the pairing button.

Now that the devices are paired you can start setting up your automation. The app is a little different than what we typically see in an automation system. You have a dashboard that categorizes the “Things” (devices) that are defined. There is Home and Family which uses presence sensors and phones to determine who is and isn’t at home. There are “Lights and Switches”, “Motion”, “Doors and Locks”, and more.

Selecting any of these categories brings up the status for that category. Swiping the display will bring up the history so you can see when your child or significant other got home. There is is a “text” type of dialog between you and your house. Its kind of cute but we think it may get old after a while.

On the dashboard there is a plus button that you can use to add devices, alerts, actions, and more. The more is kind of cool. Under health and fitness you can receive a reminder if you haven’t opened your medicine cabinet each day or you can have your lights gradually come on in the morning. There are a lot of cool things that you can do and its very easy to configure. But that is where we had some issues.

Being very comfortable with coding we don’t find it difficult to set up macros and then kick them off after some event. You can do the same with the SmartThings system but it takes way too many steps. Its kind of like TurboTax, you answer a bunch of questions and at the end you get an action or an alert. But for most people this is a great way to get started and you can get very sophisticated with what you can do.

Open Platform

One advantage we see with the SmartThings platform is that it is open. That means third parties can create, or adapt existing, devices to work with the hub. The benefit is that there will be rapid development of products that you will be able to use with the system. The drawback is that some of the devices that say they are compatible may not be fully baked. If you buy products that were developed by or certified by SmartThings you can avoid the headaches. But then again where’s the fun in that?

Anticipating that some may have difficulties setting up the system SmartThings has created a bunch of how to videos on their Youtube Channel. Between that and a lively user forum you should be able to get the support you need to fully automate your home.

Bottom Line

We don’t think anyone will argue that Home Automation has come of age. Yes you can hire an expert and pay a lot of money to have a custom automation package that will be the envy of all your friends. Or you can spend about $300 and do it yourself and still be the envy of all your friends. The SmartThings Home Automation platform will have you controlling your world from anywhere in the world and you’ll have fun doing it!

Podcast #648: 4K TVs Aug 22, 2014

Show notes

Podcast #648: Handheld Movie Server Aug 15, 2014

Show notes

Handheld Movie Server

We both took vacations recently and decided to leave the laptops behind. But that didn’t mean we didn’t want to take our content with us. If you have an iPad you are limited to 64GB at present and with Andriod many devices allow you to add storage through SD cards. While that gives you a potentially unlimited amount of storage its impractical for large libraries. What are you to do?

All (or most of your) Movies in the Palm of Your Hand

Seagate has got you covered. They sell the Seagate Wireless Plus. Its a hard drive with a built in web server that can stream your content to all your mobile devices. The 1 Terabyte version sells for $160 (Buy Now). They also have a 500 GB and 2TB version selling for $140 and $199 respectively.

Features:

Wirelessly streams your favorite digital media to tablets, smartphones, computers and more
Synchronizes with Dropbox and Google Drive to bring the cloud with you
Streams up to three different HD movies to three devices at the same time
Connects throughout your home to DLNA devices, Samsung Smart TVs, and AirPlay
Integrates with the free Seagate Media app for iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire, Windows 8/TR tablets and computers, and Android tablets and smartphones
Delivers up to 10-hour battery life

Setup

The drive was connected to our home base computer and nearly 500GB of video and music were copied to it. The copy went pretty fast with the USB 3.0 interface. Since we were on a Mac we did have to reformat it so that both Macs and PCs could read and write to the drive when connected via USB. We copied the music to a music folder and the movies to a movie folder. When done the device indexes the content and presents the name and any album art that the file may have with it.

We then disconnected and turned on the wifi feature and saw the Seagate Wireless Network show up when we scanned wifi networks. We connected with no issues and immediately were able to stream content via the Seagate app on our mobile devices. You can mix and match OS as well as mobile device platforms. The first thing we did was select the settings widget and change the SSID and add a password. If you are using the device where wifi is available you can have the Media Server share the internet connection so you don’t lose Internet access while connected to it.

Performance

Navigation was simple, you can select content by Music, Movies, Photos, then by genres if you want. There is a nice search feature as well. Finally you can just browse the drives folders if you wish. Once the selection is made the media starts playing in a few seconds.

On the airplane we had three people connected and we streamed HD content that was recorded at about 8Mbps. We observed no issues with the data whatsoever. On our cruise ship we had four people connected and had no issues either. You mileage may vary as that environment was pretty quiet as far as noise goes.

The iOS app worked quite well but we seemed to like the web interface better. You simply put seagatewireless.com in the URL and you are presented with an interface that is similar to the app version.

The battery life was nowhere near the 10 hours that is on the packaging. It was more like four hours of continuous use.

Conclusion

The Seagate Wireless Plus drive is a great solution for those who want to carry very large media libraries with them and have access to them from any mobile device. Small and easy to carry, simple to use, and decent battery life make this an HT Guys favorite!

Podcast #647: 3 Big Smart Home Trends Aug 08, 2014

Show notes

When it comes to home technology trends, there is much to talk about – Google, Apple, DIY, the “learning home,” protocol overload, voice and gesture control, smart TVs and so much more. But here we focus on just three important trends that should be particularly interesting to home systems integrators and other professionals involved in home technology.

Podcast #646: Interview - Mohu CEO Aug 01, 2014

Show notes

Interview - Mohu CEO

We are big fans of Mohu products. We have reviewed just about every antenna they have sold:

Ara has the Mohu Sky HD antenna on his roof and is picking up signals from Los Angeles (55 miles) and San Diego (90 miles) away. Today we talk to the Mark Buff of Mohu about his company and the cutting edge technology they use as well as the yet to be released crowd funded Mohu Channels product.

Podcast #645: 4K TV Options Jul 24, 2014

Show notes

4K TV Options

4K or UltraHD technology is starting to approach mainstream, and the options for 4K TVs is getting better all the time. In a quick glance at the choices selling right now at Amazon.com, we were surprised to see how many there are, and how affordable the have quickly become. Of course, Vizio isn’t in the list yet, so if you’re waiting for that like a certain HT Guy might be, you’ll have to keep waiting. But if you need a new TV now, 4K might be within reach.

Four options from Seiki

Amazing prices, good reviews.

Seiki SE39UY04 39-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV

$339.00 - 4 stars - 495 reviews

Seiki SE50UY04 50-Inch 4K UHD 120Hz LED HDTV

$549.98 - 4 stars - 495 reviews

Seiki SE55UY04 55-Inch 120Hz LED 4k UHD TV

$699.99 - 4 stars - 495 reviews

Seiki SE65UY04 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV

$1,352.00 - 4 stars - 495 reviews

Multiple options from Samsung

The perennial powerhouse has a few options that don’t require you to sell a child. They come in a plethora of sizes and flavors.

Samsung UN40HU6950 40-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz Smart LED TV

$997.99 - 5 stars - 5 reviews

Samsung UN50HU6950 50-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz Smart LED TV

$1,497.99 - 5 stars - 5 reviews

3D Version (UN50HU8550) - $1,797.99 - 4 stars - 47 reviews

Samsung UN55HU6950 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz Smart LED TV

$1,997.99 - 5 stars - 5 reviews

3D Version (UN55HU8550) - $2,297.99 - 4 stars - 47 reviews

Curved 3D Version (UN55HU8700) - $2,797.99 - Not reviewed

Samsung UN60HU8550 60-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED HDTV

$2,797.99 - 4 stars - 47 reviews

Samsung UN65F9000 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV (2013 Model)

$3,099.00 - 3.5 stars - 78 reviews

3D Version - 2014 - (UN65HU8550) - $3,297.99 - 4 stars - 47 reviews

Curved 3D Version (UN65HU8700) - $3,797.99 - Not reviewed

Sony brings several

Sony XBR49X850B 49-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D LED TV

$1,998.00 - 5 star - 6 reviews

Sony XBR55X850A 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Internet LED UHDTV (2013 Model)

$1,982.97 - 4 stars - 44 reviews

2014 model - (XBR55X850B) - $2,298.00 - 5 star - 6 reviews

3D Smart Version - (XBR-55X900A) - $2,399.00 - 4 stars - 74 reviews

Sony XBR65X850A 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Internet LED UHDTV (2013 Model)

$2,892.10 - 4 stars - 44 reviews

Sony XBR65X850B 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D LED TV

2014 model - $3,298.00 - 5 star - 6 reviews

Sony XBR65X850A 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D LED HDTV Media Player Bundle

$3,298.00 - Not Reviewed

A few models from LG Electronics

Life’s Good - especially when you’re watching in 4K.

LG Electronics 49UB8500 49-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV

$1,299.00 - 4 stars - 20 reviews

LG Electronics 55UB8500 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV

$1,599.00 - 4 stars - 20 reviews

LG Electronics 55LA9700 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart Nano LED TV (2013 Model)

$1,899.99 - with Sliding Sound Bar - 3.5 stars - 7 reviews

2014 Model - (55UB9500) - $2,299.00 - 4.5 stars - 2 reviews

LG Electronics 65LA9700 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz 3D Smart Nano LED TV (2013 Model)

$2,899.99 - with Sliding Sound Bar - 3.5 stars - 7 reviews

2014 Model - (65UB9500) - $3,299.00 - 4.5 stars - 2 reviews

And a Few Others

TCL LE50UHDE5691 50-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV

$799.00 - 4 stars - 64 reviews

TCL LE50UHDE5692G 50-Inch 4K Ultra HD120Hz Smart LED TV

$1,099.99 - Not Reviewed

Toshiba 58L9300U 58-Inch 4K Ultra HD 3D Smart LED HDTV (2013 Model)

$2,260.84 - 3.5 stars - 20 reviews

Toshiba 65L9300U 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD 240Hz 3D Smart LED HDTV (2013 Model)

$2,999.00 - 3.5 stars - 20 reviews

Sharp LC-70UD1U 70-inch Aquos 4K Ultra HD 2160p 120Hz 3D Smart LED TV

$3,497.99 - 5 star - 13 reviews

Future Models coming from Vizio

Not ready yet, but the pricing and brand reputation may make them worth waiting for.

“With advanced local dimming technology, featuring a backlight that consists of 64 Active LED Zones, HEVC Codec for Ultra HD streaming and VIZIO’s V6 six-core processor that combines a quad-core GPU and dual-core CPU for unparalleled performance and maximum speed, VIZIO’s P-Series has been engineered to deliver the full range of Ultra HD content consumers want.”

VIZIO P-Series Ultra HD Full-Array LED backlit LCD Smart TVs

P502ui-B1 - 50” - $999.99 (MSRP)

P552ui-B2 - 55” - $1,399.99 (MSRP)

P602ui-B3 - 60” - $1,799.99 (MSRP)

P652ui-B2 - 65” - $2,199.99 (MSRP)

P702ui-B3 - 70” - $2,599.99 (MSRP)

Podcast #644: Pioneer VSX-44 Elite Jul 18, 2014

Show notes

Pioneer VSX-44 Elite 7.2 Home Theater Receiver

Back in May of 2013 we reviewed one of Pioneer’s entry Elite models the VSX-70. At that time we were impressed with the sound quality but the MSRP of $750 may have been a barrier for some. Now Pioneer has introduced two new entry Elites (VSX-80 MSRP $700 and VSX-44 MSRP $500) that have more capability and lower prices. We take a closer look at the VSX-44.

Features:

7 - Discrete Power Amplifiers each producing 80 watts per Channel (20 Hz – 20 kHz, THD 0.08 % @ 8 ohms FTC)
6 HDMI (5 Rear, 1 Front) / 1 Out
HDMI 2.0 Compatibility with Ultra HD Pass-through
Roku® Ready with access to over 1000 stations, Internet Radio, Pandora and Spotify
iControlAV5 Remote control app
Powered Zone 2 Audio

Setup:

We do this quite often and can swap out a receiver in about 20 minutes. Your time may vary but our setup went like this; remove the receiver from the box, connect the speakers, connect the inputs, connect power, and run the auto calibration.

Performance:

There wasn’t much to test in the way of video. No upconverting or video processing. In our opinion that’s a good thing. Unless you use the higher end chips we find the video processing in low cost units are a waste. This unit passes the 4K signal through to the TV for processing and upconverting to be done there.

The audio calibration produced results that only needed tweaking in the subwoofer. We found that it turned down the level too much for our tastes. We watched and listened to our standard fare of content that consisted of 256 Kbps AAC audio, Blu-ray, Satellite TV, Streaming content from our AppleTV.

In all the VSX-44 sounded good. But bearing the Elite name we were hoping for more. We understand that the receiver only costs $500 one whole penny more than the Pioneer VSX-1024-K. The two units are spec for spec identical. So why would Pioneer put the Elite name on this unit? We even asked them but never got an answer. Is the VSX-44/VSX-1024-K worth the money? If you are mainly using it for home theater, then the answer is yes.

Movies

Every modern receiver in this price range better produce good quality audio especially with blu-ray. The VSX-44 is no exception. Dialog was clear and present. Effects made the room come alive. We looked for scenes that did not use too much subwoofer to better evaluate the audio. To be honest the receiver did a great job but we can’t say that it was better or worse than any other receiver in its price class. Its getting to the point where each $500 receiver is as good as other $500 receivers. We think that’s due to the auto calibration software that receivers now have.

Music

The VSX-44 did well with classical music and acoustic performances. Rock sounded good too. In all the Elite wasn’t inspiring but adequate in its handling of music. If you are really into music we would suggest one of the higher tiered Elites to this unit.

Odds and Ends

iControlAV5 Remote Control App for Android and iOS devices. The app is nice and has more info and functionality than most people will need or use. You can even use the app to select music from your phone to play on the receiver
Airplay and HTC Connect - We streamed music from our iOS devices to the VSX-44 via Wifi with no issues. You can also plug an iPhone into the USB port on the front of the panel and control it from a full color GUI.
DLNA - The VSX-44 supports DLNA 1.5
Internet Radio, Pandora and Spotify - All are supported but the user interface was so difficult to navigate we decided that its better to use a separate external device like a Roku or AppleTV for these features.
Adapters - Both Bluetooth and Wireless adapters are available if you do not have a hardwired connection.

Conclusion

The VSX-44 is a solid receiver that is not overloaded with features that you would never use. Sound quality is good and will let you enjoy whatever you are watching. The real question is what is Pioneer trying to do with this unit. The have a model in their standard line of receivers that has identical specs for one penny less. Its probably someone in marketing suggesting that some people will only buy this model if it has the Elite badge on it. Perhaps Pioneer agrees with our earlier assertion that a $500 receiver is a $500 receiver. With that said, we no longer will review receivers under $1,000 unless there is some compelling reason. There is just too little differentiation in that space and it comes down to brand loyalty, aesthetics, or what’s on sale.

Podcast #643: Oppo BDP-103D Blu-ray Player, Darbee Edition Review Jul 11, 2014

Show notes

Oppo BDP-103D Blu-ray Player, Darbee Edition Review

Oppo Digital has long been a favorite of the HT Guys. There have certainly been more expensive and exotic Blu-ray players built, but we’re yet to find a competitor that packs the functionality and features of an Oppo, with the same build quality at the same price. Dollar for dollar, Oppo makes what is probably the best Blu-ray player you should ever need to buy.

Our last Oppo review was the BDP-93 on Podcast 463 back in January of 2011. Since that time, Oppo released a couple new players, the BDP-103 and the BDP-105 that introduced support for 4K up-scaling, 2D-to-3D conversion and an extra HDMI input so you can take advantage of the Oppo video processing capabilities with other video sources. These players were met with the same critical acclaim as their predecessors.

But that wasn’t enough for the good folks at Oppo. Sure their players could meet or exceed the specifications of any television or projector you could connect them to, but they kept looking for ways to make them even better. That led to the release of the BDP-103D and the BDP-105D. Both are nearly equivalent to the earlier models, except for the inclusion of Darbees Visual Presence. That D in the name adds an extra $100 to each model, putting them at $599 (Buy Now) and $1299 (Buy Now) respectively.

Features

Darbee Visual Presence
Universal Blu-ray disc player with Blu-ray, DVD, SACD, DVD-Audio, CD, VCD, HDCD, AVCHD, MP4, AVI, and MKV support
Content streaming from Netflix, VUDU, CinemaNow, Pandora, Rhapsody, Film Fresh, YouTube Leanback and Picasa
Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio
4k Up-conversion
2D-to-3D Conversion
True 24p Video
Advanced Picture Controls
Dual HDMI Inputs and Outputs
MHL-Compatibility
DLNA
SMB/CIFS
Wireless N
7.1-Channel Analog Audio
Dual-core processor provides quick startup and fast loading times

Darbee Visual Presence

Many love it, many hate it, many couldn’t care less about it. Whatever you opinion of Darbee Visual Presence, odds are you’ve met someone with a passionate stance on the technology. Darbee has a different take on video processing that improves depth and detail in an image by increasing or decreasing the local pixel luminance. They essentially use light to increase the details by adding additional light some cases or additional shadow in others, to the image on screen. This is different from the contrast enhancement technologies you may have tried in the past that just adjust the overall white or black levels. Those never work and should always be turned off. But Darbee works at the pixel level, so it is quite different.

Other sharpness or edge enhancing technologies tend to introduce a lot of artifacts to an image. They typically add sharpness where you don’t want it and make things just look strange or pixelated. Darbee is different from those as well. Knowing that it is a totally different technology from the picture enhancement options we tell you to always turn off, the question is: will Darbee be something we recommend you leave on, or will it fall in with the rest of them as an option you typically don’t want to use.

The technology whitepaper at the Darbee website goes into great detail if you're interested in reading it.

Functionality

We don’t yet have a 4K television or projector in any of our test setups, which is something we plan to remedy very soon, but due to the lack of a screen for it, we couldn’t review the 4k Up-conversion function of the player. Beyond that, we aren’t huge fans of 3D, so we opted not to review the 2D-to-3D Conversion either. This review really came down to the Darbee processing and how much we thought it added to or detracted from the standard Blu-ray experience.

To get the Darbee chip into the BDP-103, Oppo had to remove the Marvell QDEO Kyoto-G2H video chip. Fans of the QDEO chips may find that hard to swallow, but it was for a good cause. They added a dedicated Darbee button to the remote so you can have quick access to your Darbee settings to make easy adjustments on the fly. What adjustments? Beyond just on or off, you can choose from three different processing modes, Hi-Def, Gaming, and Full Pop, and within those modes you can dial in the amount of Darbee from 0 to 120%.

The BDP-103D even has a great demo mode that allows you to see a split screen showing the impact Darbee will have on your video. This made the review so much simpler. We could dial up some content, apply Darbee at a ton of different settings and watch the difference. There is no doubt the Darbee has an impact on the video. Those who have said they don’t see much impact may be watching on a smaller television or just aren’t looking close enough. We did see the most dramatic impact on our 100” projector screen.

Results

There were times where we were astonished by the Darbee technology and others were it seemed to make things worse. In some cases, we saw detail we would have had no idea was ever there - skin pocs, whiskers, blemishes. It was astonishing. It almost felt like the Darbee had a way to reveal secret information encoded in the video that our TV or projector didn’t know how to display. What you see in the split screen images at the Darbee website aren’t just gimmicks, they are for real.

However, there are cases where Darbee did too much. There was so much change in light and shadow that the resulting picture felt fake or cartoony. At full 120, the Darbee ruined just about anything it touched. Dialing it back to 70-80 made some content great, but was too much for other content and in some cases introduced artifacts we don’t see with other Blu-ray players without the Darbee technology. Some Amazon reviews complain of motion blur, but we never saw any in our review.

We found that running the Darbee in Hi-Def mode, at somewhere between 20 and 30, gave us the best compromise of being universally applicable to all content without going too far. At that setting we didn’t feel like we were getting maximum impact, but we also weren’t distracted by it when the technology went a little too aggressive. For $100 extra, we were hoping for a bit more, but there were cases that blew us away, so maybe we got what we wanted.

The decision between the BDP-103 with Marvell QDEO and the BDP-103D with Darbee Visual Presence is entirely subjective. The Marvell chip is an awesome piece of technology that produces, clean, crisp images that you will be more than happy with. The Darbee chip in some cases turns your movies from ordinary to extraordinary, but in others may do the opposite. If you’re diligent about adjusting the Darbee on the fly, you’ll probably love the 103D. If you just want to sit back and watch, you’ll probably set it at a low setting like we did, or just stick to the 103 with QDEO.

Podcast #642: Interview with Mark Ely CEO of SimpleTV Jul 04, 2014

Show notes

Interview with Mark Ely CEO of SimpleTV

There has been a lot in the news about cutting the cord lately especially in light of the recent supreme court decision regarding Aereo’s business model. We learned that its a copyright infringement if a company leases you equipment that captures OTA signals, transcodes them and then sends them to you via the Internet. But its not against the law if you do that yourself. There are a few products on the market that can do this. One of them is Simple.TV.

SimpleTV is a TV server that records and streams live HDTV to up to 5 of users no matter where they are, provided that you pay for the Simple.TV Premier service which runs $60 for the year or $150 for lifetime service. The SimpleTV device sells for $200 and you need to use your own hard drive.

Podcast #641: Dolby Atmos Enabled Speakers and Receivers Jun 27, 2014

Show notes

Dolby Atmos Enabled Speakers and Receivers

When we first read the press release about Dolby Atmos enabled speakers, we’ll admit, it sounded a bit puzzling and we found ourselves scratching our heads. Atmos enabled receivers? Sure, that makes sense, but what does it take to make an Atmos enabled speaker? We’ve never heard of a Dolby TrueHD enabled speaker, or a DTS-HD Master Audio enabled speaker. So what is the difference with Atmos that it needs, or can even provide, a special speaker?

Background

Dolby Atmos is a killer system for delivering multi-dimensional sound that can place and move specific sounds anywhere in the room, including overhead. It can even do this without the need for new speakers mounted overhead. The result is a captivating experience that can bring movies and TV shows alive all around you, in a movie theater and very soon, in your own home theater.

Pioneer announcement

Pioneer Electronics has announced a dedicated line of Dolby Atmos enabled Elite speakers and Elite SC series home theater receivers that will be Dolby Atmos upgradable via a firmware update available by the end of the year. The new for 2014 flagship Elite SC receivers will provide the multi-channel processing and necessary power required to transform your home theater into a Dolby Atmos theater.

If you haven’t been to an Atmos equipped movie theater, you owe it to yourself to check it out. The experience is impressive. You get so much more out of the movie when it is brought to life with an even more encompassing, multi-dimensional audio experience. Dolby Atmos brings the soundtrack to life, with sound coming at you from all directions, including overhead. It takes the notion of 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound to the next level. Getting this technology in the home will be awesome.

But does it really require special speakers? It doesn’t sound like it. The press release states that they are a new line of specially designed speakers that “will produce exceptional sound quality that brings the technology to life.” Does that mean other speakers won’t also be able to bring the technology to life? Of course not. But will they be good speakers that work really well for the kinds of surround effects and experiences you want from Dolby Atmos? We’d venture to guess that they will be.

Chris Walker, the director of AV product planning and marketing for the Home Electronics Division of Pioneer Electronics provided a little more detail in the press release. He said, “To ensure the best Dolby Atmos experience possible, Pioneer not only produced a series of ultra-high end receivers dedicated for the task, but also appointed Andrew Jones, our top speaker engineer, to design a speaker system worthy of the Elite brand and that can reproduce the sound quality that only Dolby Atmos can deliver.”

So bottom line, they designed, built and tested them together to make sure they provided the best possible Atmos experience out of the box. Probably a marketing ploy, but an understandable one. Pioneer’s claim is that their years of experience and expertise in home theater gave them the opportunity to develop a complete Dolby Atmos system with both receivers and speaker products. They believe that the availability of a single Pioneer branded system will provide better control of the Dolby Atmos experience and the advantage in delivering the technology.

Excitement for Retailers as well

“Dolby Atmos is the next step in home entertainment and it’s really something you have to experience for yourself to understand how truly amazing it is,” said Michael Crane, Senior Director of Merchandising for Magnolia Home Theater and Design Centers. “We’re looking forward to demonstrating the technology in our Magnolia locations through Pioneer’s complete Dolby Atmos-enabled system.”

Bottom line

The truth, at least what we hope will be the truth, is that Dolby Atmos will probably be pretty cool in your home. Will you need the special Atmos enabled speakers? No. Will they somehow enhance the experience? Our honest gut reaction is that they won’t, unless you’re upgrading from inferior speakers at the same time. We’ll have to wait and listen to them for ourselves, but on paper, we just aren’t seeing it. Get the receiver, listen to the speakers for yourself.

Not just Pioneer

And of course, the Atmos technology isn’t unique to Pioneer. Onkyo has also announced a line of Atmos-enabled receivers. The THX Select2 Plus-certified 9.2-channel TX-NR1030 Network A/V Receiver will have an MSRP of $1,699, the 11.2-channel TX-NR3030 Network A/V Receiver will sell for $2,399, and the THX Ultra2 Plus-certified PR-SC5530 Network A/V Controller will go for $2,499. All three are expected to be available in August and will all support HDMI 2.0, HDCP 2.2, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DTS Neo:X and ISF Video Calibration support.

Onkyo press release: “With Dolby Atmos, sound comes alive from all directions, including overhead, to fill the home theater with astonishing clarity, power, detail, and depth. Dolby Atmos multi-dimensional sound places and moves sounds around the room, like a bird chirping or rainfall from above, to make every sonic element come alive. All three Onkyo components feature Dual 32-bit DSP engines to decode, scale and calibrate Dolby Atmos to suit individual home theater configurations. With up to 11 channels of high-current amplification, users can unlock the full experience with in-ceiling height channels or Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers to augment a standard 5.1, 7.1, or 9.1 home theater setup.”

Sounds like Onkyo will be selling special Atmos-enabled speakers as well...

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