HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

James Franco headlines the reboot of the immensely popular Planet of the Apes franchise, a prequel which boasts cutting-edge CGI effects and a gripping story set in modern-day San Francisco, where scientists are conducting genetic research on apes. The evolved primates, including Caesar (Andy Serkis), develop advanced intelligence and revolt against being used as lab rats, unleashing a war for dominion over Earth.

This is our first time doing it, and we’ll admit, it presents some unique challenges, but we did it anyways. This is our first ever HT Guys Projector Buyer’s Guide. Of course no projector is complete on its own, it still needs a screen, and the screen plays a large role in how the projector will perform, but the same could be said of receivers and speakers as well. Instead of lumping them into cost categories, we just picked our fave 6 (couldn't use that other number due to trademark infringements).

In this booze and laugh soaked sequel to The Hangover, the buddies from the earlier film's bachelor party reunite for a wedding trip to Thailand where one of them, Stu Price (Ed Helms), is planning to tie the knot. Stu is determined that his own pre-wedding party should be a restrained and dignified affair, but between the habits of his friends and the multiple distractions of Bangkok, fate has other plans in store for him. Buy Now $19.99

If we didn’t spend enough of your money with the Receiver Buying Guide on Episode 505 and you still have some budget left, you’re in luck. Today we’ll give you our choices for what HDTV to buy in several different price categories. Of course screen size goes up as prices go up, just as you’d expect. And similar to the Receiver Buying Guide, this guide isn’t about getting the latest and greatest. Its about getting a good value for your money and something you’ll enjoy for years to come.

In this remake of the 1957 classic, Dan Evans agrees to transport the captured outlaw Ben Wade to the nearest town with a rail station, where they'll catch a ride to court in Yuma. But all the while, Wade's henchmen are plotting their next move.

From time to time we will record special editions where we speak with people in the industry. Today we have a discussion with Jim Carroll of Savant. Jim is the Co-Founder and General Manager, Residential Business of Savant Systems LLC. He is responsible for leading sales, marketing, engineering, and operations for Savant.

Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday in the US we are taking a little time off. But we won’t leave you hanging, we have a Calibration Corner with Ray Coronado of SoCalHT.com. We’ll be tweeting up deals all weekend long. Follow us on twiiter @HDTVPodcast (Ara) @BradenRussell and @RodWilliams

Cunningly clumsy Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) meets his match when mysterious beauty Angelica (Penélope Cruz) forces the pirate to join her in search of the Fountain of Youth in the fourth installment of the humorous and action-packed "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. Sparrow tries to determine whether Angelica is friend or foe while the riotous adventure sets him aboard a vessel belonging to the fearsome pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). Buy Now $24.99

Its that time of year again where the HT Guys get to spend your money. We start of our buying guides with receivers. BTW, this guide 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! Enjoy!

The final chapter begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their quest of finding and destroying the Dark Lord's three remaining Horcruxes, the magical items responsible for his immortality. But as the mystical Deathly Hallows are uncovered, and Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again. Buy Now $19.99

Going way back in the history of watching TV at home, we all used to have antennas so we could watch over the air broadcasts. Eventually Cable TV service emerged and changed the way we would get our favorite shows at home. Then came Satellite, then IPTV and we were in heaven. Fast forward a few years and prices for TV service have constantly skyrocketed, leading us all to become frustrated at the lack of options. But there may be a way out.

During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town. Buy Now $24.99

Way back on Podcast #417 we reviewed the ZVOX 575 and at that time we felt it was a great solution for an apartment dweller, den, or a bedroom because its so dead simple to setup. Today we are taking a look at the latest in the ZVOX family, the Z-Base 580 (Buy Now $599). The 580 builds on the solid base of the 575 and adds some great new features.

Marvel launches another super franchise with this action-packed origin story, which follows Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as he volunteers for a secret experiment during World War II. Transformed into a superhero named Captain America, Steve goes after the Axis. With his perfect physique and heightened reflexes -- and his sidekick, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) -- Steve battles the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), a super soldier created by Italian fascists. Buy Now $24.99

You’ve heard us talk about projectors with built-in DVD players before, typically in conjunction with a feature on backyard or outdoor theater. But who uses DVDs anymore? OK, bad joke, but to be fair, more and more people are storing movies and videos right on their smart phones, portable media players and tablets. If that’s you, and your phone happens to be an iPhone, or you happen to use an iPod, Optoma has built the Neo-i DV20A projector just for you.

Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), a brash, talented test pilot, is chosen by an alien force of warriors to become their representative on Earth and use his new powers as the Green Lantern to promote order and justice before conflict destroys his world. Despite being the first human to wear the ring that bestows his abilities, Hal must combat villain Parallax. Fellow pilot Carol Ferris (Blake Lively) aids Hal in his quest to save the galaxy. Buy Now $28.99

We recently read and discussed an article by the HD Guru about disposable TVs (Vizio Disposable HDTV Sellers: Do They Have Your Back?) and thought it might be a good idea to discuss TV reliability. Armed with this information you can decide whether its worth paying a bit more for a TV that will last longer than some of the cheaper “Disposable” brands. This information comes from Consumer Reports. They surveyed 209,000 readers between 2007 and 2011 to determine Brand Reliability.

Disgruntled buddies Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day) can't leave their miserable jobs, so they cook up a creative strategy for eliminating each other's micromanaging and maniacal employers (Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey) instead in this crackpot comedy. Peculiar advice from con artist Motherf**ker Jones (Jamie Foxx) gets the scheme in motion, but the pals can't keep the wheels from flying off. Buy Now $24.99

It is hard to believe we've done 500 episodes of the HDTV and Home Theater Podcast. So much has changed in the almost 7 years we've been doing this, and so much has stayed the same. It's been a great time; we've enjoyed sharing it with our listeners and are looking forward to 500 more.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker head up an all-star reunion of the explosive Fast franchise set in sultry Rio de Janeiro. Former cop Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and his girlfriend Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) bust Mia’s brother Dom (Vin Diesel) out of prison, blasting across South America to elude the authorities. Finding themselves backed into a corner in Brazil, they assemble an elite team of top racers to help pull off the one last job that could mean freedom for them all. But hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is hot on their trail, and so is a corrupt and powerful businessman who wants them dead. When Hobbs and his strike force launch an all-out assault to capture the Torettos and their team, he can’t separate the good guys from the bad. Instead, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey…before someone else runs them down first. Buy Now $16.99

It seems like every new home theater device wants a network or an Internet connection these days. Your TV wants to be connected, your Blu-ray player, even some receivers want to be online. Not to mention dedicated media players and gaming devices. If you don’t have a hard wired connection to your theater gear, you can usually try WiFi, but even good connections can be unreliable at times. That’s where a good Powerline adapter can make all the difference.

A mysterious event from Earth’s past threatens to ignite a war so big that the TRANSFORMERS™ alone will not be able to save the planet. Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and the AUTOBOTS™ must fight against the darkness to defend our world from the DECEPTICONS’™ all-consuming evil in the smash hit from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg. Buy Now $19.99

Up until now the longest HDMI cable run the HT Guys were able to successfully transmit video across was 50 feet. Those cables were pretty thick and hard to snake through walls and attics. We've tried longer cables but had no luck beyond 50 feet. Thanks to Accell there is a product that will allow you to extend your HDMI up to about 330 feet. The UltraCat HD HDMI extender uses HDBaseT technology to send video over Cat5e/6 Ethernet cables. You can even send IR signals over the same cable. The device has an MSRP of $500 and is available today.

One complaint we have about 3D is that it needs to be immersive if you are to appreciate the effect. Since most of us can’t afford 100 inch plasmas, a front projector is pretty much the only choice you have for this type of experience, albeit an expensive one. Enter the Optoma HD33 (Buy Now $1500). Its a 1080p DLP projector that supports 3D.