HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

Another CES has come and gone. At the risk of being permanently banned, we've brought back everything we saw and did in Vegas to share it with everyone who couldn't be there. As with every CES, we saw some amazing things and some not so impressive ones as well. Big themes from this year were: 3D is waning, 4K (UltraHD) is emerging, and Plasma may be on the verge of a comeback.

Each year we make our way through the California and Nevada deserts to spend some quality time with the latest in electronics. Today we will focus on what the large manufacturers are planning on showing. This information is compiled by reading through the countless press releases we get sent each day starting in November. The next show will focus on what we see when we are there in person.

Time for the HT Guys to look into our crystal ball and try and predict the HDTV and Home Theater landscape for 2013. Our crystal ball is never as clear as a good HDTV but we always give it a shot nonetheless.

We go out on a limb every year and try to predict what the new year will bring in the realm of HDTV and Home Theater. More often than not, that limb snaps and we come crashing down. Every so often we get a glimpse into the crystal ball that comes out close to accurate. Let’s take a look back at what we thought would happen in 2012 to see how well we did on the predictions.

There are so many Home Theater in a Box systems out there many of which cost less than $400. But seriously, what can you get for $400. A good center channel typically costs more than most HTIB systems on the market today. Each year we try to assemble a Home Theater in many boxes that we would be proud to show off in our homes. Our system will have at a minimum a HDTV, Blu-ray Player, Receiver, and 5.1 speakers, all for less than $2500.

So if we haven’t spent enough of your money this year we get to spend some more. We continue our holiday buying guides with receivers. Our goal with these guides is not necessarily about getting the latest product. Its about getting a good product at a great price so you may see some of last year’s gear on the list. All these receivers are readily available online or at a big box store. This year there are some fantastic deals to be had!

As promised, we’re back for another annual edition of the HDTV buying guide and just in time for Christmas - we’d like to think it’s back by popular demand. In years past we’ve broken the categories down at times by size and at other times by price. Both are valid, sometimes as a shopper you want to maximize the budget you have to spend, other times you know the size you need and want to find the best set. This year we’ll return to breaking them down by size.

Each Holiday season we put together buying guides to help you make it a bit easier for you to make some decisions on what to spend your hard earned cash on. We kick the 2012 season with our Home Theater in a Box buying guide. To be honest and upfront with you, we are not big fans of HTIB systems because they typically compromise on everything. However, we understand that something is better than nothing and for those of you on a budget this is the best way to improve your experience without breaking the bank.

It's almost Thanksgiving here in the US, and with that comes the biggest holiday of the HT Guys' year: Black Friday. The key to a successful Black Friday is preparation. You need to know exactly what store you want to go to, what you want to get, and when you need to be there.

We received an email about a month back asking us to take a look at the 3M Streaming projector with Roku and since we are suckers for this kind of stuff, we thought why not! It fits in your hands, can run on batteries, and comes with a Roku Streaming stick. We have to say this little guy is a blast to use!

After Braden’s projector blew a second bulb, he thought that maybe being a little sneaky and buying a whole new projector was the right way to get the purchase past the finance committee. He would be upgrading an Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8100 for an Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 3010. After all if you’re going to upgrade projectors, you might as well go 3D.

We love gear at the HT Guys and when a new remote comes out we have to take a look. Recently Logitech released the Harmony Touch - a remote that combines a touch screen with physical buttons. We’re not big fans of a totally touch screen remote so we were pretty excited to take a look at one that combines the best of both worlds.

Cord cutters rejoice, the new $99 Boxee will delight and amaze you, and it is a much more normal size and shape. One unique feature of the new Boxee is cloud storage for all your saved DVR content, we're not convinced this is as good as it sounds on paper. And if Sci-fi movies aren't your thing, we close out today with a discussion of Superhero movies.

This episode covers a wide range of topics, from various DIY ways to hide cables in your home theater to why 4K is more important than 3D, but maybe not as important as TV manufacturers would hope. We close out with a discussion on Sci-Fi movies and the role Science Fiction has played in shaping home theater and consumer electronics. Ok, maybe not, but it sounds good.

The HT Guys decided to do a little look back on the digital format that changed the music industry, and set the stage for other formats that would change the movie industry as well. We knew back when it came out that the CD was going to be huge, we probably couldn't have guessed just how huge.

Every time we publish a story about cutting the cord we get a ton of interest. Whether it be a new online service or a new antenna to be used for pulling in free, over-the-air HD signals, our listeners and readers respond with great feedback. So when we found out about a new indoor antenna called the HD Blade we were excited about putting it through its paces.

Black Friday 2012 is coming. In about two months the deal seeking crowds will descend upon stores like Walmart, Target and Best Buy with reckless abandon, gobbling up every deal they can get to before supplies run out. If you’re lucky enough to get to the electronics section without being trampled, you can usually find some pretty good deals. But will they be good enough to wait for if you really want that new TV right away?

Each year CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) holds an event where the industry gathers to show new off new gadgets and technology. We’ve been to a few of these and have enjoyed them quite a bit, maybe even more than CES. It takes the parts of CES that we care about and condenses it down to a lot less walking. We didn’t go this year but that won’t stop us from talking about some of the highlights from the show.

The annual IFA show in Berlin, dubbed “Consumer Electronics Unlimited,” is the second largest consumer tech show in the world - second only to CES in Las Vegas. They are expecting to set new attendance records this year, surpassing the more than 1,400 exhibitors and 239,000 attendees that showed up last year. Berlin is a bit too far for us to drive, so we have to cover the show virtually. IFA, or Internationale Funkausstellung, has been around since 1924 and was originally an international radio exhibition.

It's not as bad as it used to be. Sure we all made it through another Summer with almost nothing to watch on TV. But between Gordon Ramsay, USA Network, Netflix and Hulu, it wasn't all bad. But now it’s time to rejoice. Football is back, and in just a few short weeks all your favorite shows will be back on, and perhaps a few new ones will make it to your favorites list.

The Vizio Co-Star may have the Logitech Revue to thank for the uphill battle it faces in convincing consumers that Google TV is the right choice for their living room. When we reviewed the Revue almost two years ago, there were some aspects of it we really liked. But it never quite caught on with the masses. Vizio is hoping that the Co-Star can change expectations; and at a price of only $99, it sure is a lot easier for many of us to at least check it out.

If you have been listening to us for a while you know that we feel subwoofers are essential home theater gear. There are so many units on the market it may be hard to decide which one to buy. Some subwoofers can fill giant rooms with bone crushing sound but they cost a small fortune to own. What do you do if you have an apartment or small room and you still want a great sounding sub? We’re glad you asked. The SVS SB12-NSD (MSRP $650) is a 12 inch sealed sub that packs great sound into a small package.

We’ve been wondering for a while when the Sage TV technology would make its way back to the market as a Google offering and rumor has it, the day has arrived. The information circulating in the blogosphere is that the Sage TV team helped provide some of the tech behind the new Google Fiber TV that was recently unveiled. The service looks very intriguing, and knowing that it’s backed by Sage TV know-how is even more reassuring.

Summer vacations have changed quite a bit since we were kids. We used to have to invent games to play to pass the time while in the car or on a plane. But nowadays there are so many options for media, there’s never a dull moment. You can even pull your devices out when you arrive to make sure you have something to watch if you need a little down time in front of the television

Episode 541 is packed with information, from a CNet discussion on their favorite 3 (budget) receivers to the new STRIVA wi-fi headphones from Koss. Mixed in there is a list from Electronic House with 10 very unique remote controls that are sure to start as many conversations as movies in your home theater.

There was a disturbance in the HT Guys force after our initial revue of the DTV Green Dish, a.k.a Dishtenna so we decided to post a little bit of an update to the original review. We also discuss four very highly rated HDTVs you should consider if you're looking to buy a new one and ten technology trends that may change the way you live.

The best way to cut the cord without giving up TV is to go the old fashioned route, put up an antenna and watch all the HDTV you want absolutely free. It’s amazing that the signals are still floating across the air free of charge, but they are. But what do you do if you’re too far away from the local broadcast tower to actually receive very many channels, if any? You may want to give the new DTV Green Dish, aka Dishtenna a try.

We love getting new toys to play with so when the Pioneer VSX-1122-K ($599.99) showed up at the HT Guys HQ we couldn’t wait to put it through its paces. The 1122 is a 7.2 receiver that packs 90 watts per channel. It measures 17.13 x 6.63 x 14.29 in inches (43.5 x 16.8 x 36.3 in centimeters) and weighs 22 pounds (~10 kilos) and looks pretty much like all other receivers from the outside.

The Mac Mini Video Server project has brought in a steady stream of interested readers over the years. Who wouldn’t want to build their own movie jukebox for a fraction of the cost of a professionally installed movie server? The first thing you notice about the project is how easy it is, the second thing you notice is the cost and the third thing might be the fact that you just aren’t wired up for it.

This is not a typical topic for the HT Guys but recently we received a lot of emails about the fact the HBO series “Game of Thrones” is the most pirated show today. We stated that if the show was available for download at a reasonable price it wouldn’t be pirated as much. A listener wrote us and gave us his take (Pirating American TV Programs) on why show are pirated outside the US.

CEPro, the magazine for professional consumer electronics installers, puts out a survey every year to determine what brands dealers, integrators and resellers offer the most. It's an interesting list to take a look at. Typically a reseller will have a few different reasons for choosing a favorite brand than the rest of us, like profit margins or marketing support, but often the reasons are the same. They want products that please their customers and are reliable.

It's that time of year again where Dads get to to have the spotlight for a whole day! If you are like us, the love of your family is all you need to make your day worth it! But if the family insists on getting you something it may as well be something that you will enjoy. After all, who needs another tie! Print out this page and leave it someplace where the family can find it. Our goal was to create a list that didn’t break the bank so even your teenagers could find something that would make you smile!

Google has been making slow and somewhat quiet attempts to enter the Operating System space for a while. The last major concerted effort manifested as a new form of netbooks running the Google Chrome operating system dubbed Chromebooks. These new netbooks were supposed to be a huge hit, but haven’t quite taken off yet. Samsung recently announced an upgrade to the Chromebook line as well as a twist on the Chromebook with a new offering called the Chromebox.

Each year cable industry people meet to discuss topics like multi-screen video services, cloud-based business applications, and innovations in personalized content delivery. The Cable show is like CES for cable operators. On today’s show we’ll discuss a few items that may have impact on your HDTV experience.

OLED TVs may have stolen the show at CES 2012, but just when you think it’s safe to be an early adopter and pick one up, you might want to hold off. There’s a new display technology on the horizon that backers claim will not only outperform OLED, but also be cheaper to manufacture. And it has a much cooler name - it’s called Quantum Dot display or QLED. And if that doesn’t sound like you’re living in the future, we don’t know what does.

Ever since we saw (or better yet heard) our first demo of Dolby Volume we couldn't wait to find a reason to upgrade one of our receivers with this capability. That's going on four years now! So when Ara's Yamaha "Broke" he thought what better excuse to buy a receiver with Dolby Volume. The receiver he settled on was the Harman Kardon 2650.

Until recently, it felt like the weather was changing here in Southern California. We clicked over to daylight savings time; we had a few days of nice, sunny BBQ weather and it felt like the season of backyard movies was upon us. Since then it's gotten a bit gloomy again, but we always like to be prepared, so we've put together a list of screen options for you if you finally want to make the jump into outdoor cinema.

We reviewed the Mohu Leaf Indoor HDTV Antenna back in July (Podcast #489) and thought it was the best indoor HDTV antenna we have ever tested. We’re here to tell you that is no longer the case. Enter the Mohu Leaf Plus Amplified Indoor Antenna (Buy Now $73.99). The Plus retains everything we loved about the original and adds amplification to help you pull in more channels.

Sometimes it’s OK to arrive fashionably late. It doesn’t always matter when you arrive to the party, what matters is what you bring with you when you get there. Dish Network has proven that waiting can pay off. Their recent entry into whole home DVR, the Hopper, brings some pretty cool features to the party.

We love looking for speakers that make whole house audio simple and provide high quality sound. There are plenty of choices out there, but few can fill a large room with sound and deep bass all from a package that measures 10.75" (27cm) x 7" (18cm) x 7.75" (20cm). We are talking about the Audioengine A5+ (Buy Now $399) powered speakers.

When we started the podcast back in 2005, CRT projectors dominated home theater. As great as they looked, they were big, expensive and required routine maintenance to keep them in top form. Today there are a wide variety of digital options that are both inexpensive and very easy to install and maintain. One option for those interested in trying out a 100” or 120” TV in their home theater is the Acer H6500 DLP projector.

Super-agent Ethan Hunt dangles from skyscrapers and otherwise takes daring to new heights on another operation from the Impossible Missions Force. Helping Hunt get the job done is droll fellow IMF agent Luther Stickel. (Buy Now $21.99)

This week we are going to design the AVR of the future. This is a group effort! We will provide you with initial specifications and we would like you to add features that would make our new AVR the Ultimate AVR. Now we just need someone to build it.

Taken aback when she receives a letter from an old boyfriend announcing that he's just had a baby with his wife, divorced fiction writer Mavis Gary decides to return to her small hometown and reconnect with her former lover. (Buy Now $24.99)

We promised more Android coverage, so here you go, our take on Google Play. If you’re familiar with iTunes and iCloud from Apple, you’re probably pretty familiar with the concept behind Google Play. Of course, Google would like to think it’s a new idea, according to the official site... "Now your favorite music, books, movies, apps, and games are all in one place that's accessible from the Web and any Android device. Discover, buy and share like never before."

Blockbuster filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson team up for this 3-D motion capture adaptation of Georges Remi's classic comic strip, centered around the adventures of fearless young journalist Tintin (Jamie Bell) and his trusty dog, Snowy. (Buy Now $27.99)

It was pretty clear that the OLED TVs demonstrated by LG and Samsung stole the show at the last Consumer Electronics Show we went to. We were really impressed by the color, contrast and sharpness of the picture. Check out this video we shot in the Samsung booth (Samsung Super OLED HDTV). However, there are some issues that need to be resolved before we see mainstream OLED HDTVs in sizes that we would want in our living rooms.

In Ancient Greece, King Hyperion searches for a powerful weapon that will free the bloodthirsty Titans and enable them to overpower the gods and enslave mankind. Unable to interfere directly, the gods choose a champion to defend them: Theseus. (Buy Now $22.99)

We were recently asked what DVR we would recommend for someone who wanted to cut the cord or simply connect a standalone DVR without paying additional fees to their cable or satellite company. We struggled to find anything we could enthusiastically recommend. But we had overlooked this year’s Best of CES Home Theater Winner: Simple.TV. At $149 it seems to fit the bill exactly.

This musical remake of the infectious 1984 hit finds dance-lovin', big-city kid Ren MacCormack stuck in a small town where dancing is illegal. As he rebels against the town and its influential Rev. Moore, Ren falls for the pastor's lovely daughter. (Buy Now $21.99)