HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

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

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® Fu

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 bu

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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. Enable Implicit BEAMFORMING - They claim that this Boosts WiFi speed, reliability, & range for all mobile devices 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. 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.

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.

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...

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

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…

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.

This week we help a listener future proof his new AVR purchase and we answer the question, "Where can you watch ATSC 3.0 Content?" We wrap up with the best Non-OLED TV available. We also read your emails and look at the week's news. Future Proofing your new Receiver Install We received an email from Brian who has recently moved and has an opportunity to setup a Home Theater System from scratch. He is in the market for a new receiver and wants to know what are the must have requirements for a receiver so that the receiver does not become obsolete in a year or two. Also, what is not important. Must Have: HDMI 2.1 Support Includes HDCP - This gives you the most options in the future. While 8K may not be a big deal, there may be some new tech that transmits additional data through the HDMI cable and having the increased bandwidth (48 vs 18 Gbps) may come in handy. 4K HDR Support - This is pretty much a given now and standard on most receivers eARC support - We see a day when TVs will be able to support the set top box format of your choice with a USB style stick. eARC will be required to get the full audio capability ATMOS, Airplay 2, Chromcast, Network Connectivity, Auto Calibration, Plenty of HDMI Inputs, Two Subwoofer outputs, Network/App Interface - These are all pretty much table stakes now but some budget AVRs may not support some of these features. Not Required: 8K - while this seems like it should be twice as good as 4K you won't be able to see the difference on a screen less than 120 inches. 200W - More power is not required for most people. Going from 100W to 200W increases max volume by 3dB. 75w to 100W per channel is fine for the typical family/living room. ATSC 3.0 Deployments ATSC expects 60 markets to launch NextGen TV by mid-2021. Full list here... Best 4K TV that isn't an OLED So you want the best 75 inch TV that money can buy? You check online and see that the LG CX OLED (RTINGS Review) is more or less the consensus choice for best TV available today. Then you realize the best TV that money can buy at $3,300 is $1,500 more than what you have available to spend. Now you're thinking, I want the best TV that $1,900 can buy. Fortunately, we know of such a TV. It's the new Vizio P-Series Quantum X- H1. They even have an 85" model if you can spare a few hundred dollars more (RTINGS Review 2020 Model). RTINGS.com scores the Quantum X pretty high: From RTINGS.com The Vizio P Series Quantum X 2020 is great for most uses. It gets very bright and handles reflections well, making it a good choice for watching TV shows or sports during the day. It performs incredibly well in dark rooms, as it can produce deep and inky blacks for watching movies or playing video games. It has low input lag, a fast response time, and a high refresh rate to deliver an extremely responsive gaming and desktop experience. Unfortunately, its VA panel has narrow viewing angles, so it isn't the best option for wide seating areas. 8.3 Mixed Usage 8.5 Movies 8.0 TV Shows 7.9 Sports 8.5 Video Games 8.6 HDR Movies 8.5 HDR Gaming 7.9 PC Monitor For comparison RTINGS.com rates the OLED: 8.8 Mixed Usage 9.3 Movies 8.2 TV Shows 8.6 Sports 9.1 Video Games 8.7 HDR Movies 8.8 HDR Gaming 8.6 PC Monitor

A couple of weeks ago a listener, Tim Diebert, emailed asking us to review a subwoofer that he owns made by Harbottle Audio. On today's show we speak with their Technical Director Cody Heibert about their subwoofers and what they have coming in a few months. We also read your emails and go through the week's news.

On this week's show we look at which streaming services were nominated for Golden Globe Awards and we ask the question; "Should you pay to have your TV/Projector Calibrated?" We also read your emails and take a look at the news. Streaming Services nominated for Golden Globes It was a few years ago when Braden made a prediction that Netflix would win an award for one of it's original content titles. If we recall correctly, he got that prediction right. Fast Forward to 2021 and his prediction came true on steroids. We take a quick look at some of this years Golden Globe nominations. The entire list can be found here (Nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards (2021)) Best Motion Picture, Drama The Father (Sony Pictures) Mank (Netflix) Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) Promising Young Woman (Focus Features) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) Best Picture, Musical or Comedy Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Amazon Studios) Hamilton (Walt Disney Pictures) Music (Vertical Entertainment) Palm Springs (Hulu) The Prom (Netflix) Best Director, Motion Picture Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman (Focus Features) David Fincher, Mank (Netflix) Regina King, One Night in Miami … Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix) Chloe Zhao, Nomadland Should you pay to have your TV/Projector Calibrated? We all want to get the most out of our TV/Projectors and taking the TV off of default settings is one big step we all can do quite easily. Changing the picture mode from Vivid or Dynamic to Cinema improves the picture dramatically. But what if you want more? You can hire a calibrator to come into your home and dial in the TV to get the absolute best out of the display. We were perusing AVS Forum and saw a thread entitled "Should you pay to have your TV/Projector Calibrated?" This got our attention and we dove right in. The following are some posts from users at AVS forum. We have removed their names for this discussion. Comments to thread: 1) A professional calibration may (or may not) improve your display's PQ. IMO you don't "need" to have one done unless: PQ looks like crap and you're unable to adjust it to your liking; or you want to have one done. 2) I spent money to have my 4k projector in my HT (blacked out bat cave) professionally calibrated and it made a huge difference in the picture quality and was easily worth the money I paid for the service. I have a UST projector in the living room that was much less money and did my own calibration which is "good enough" as it's mostly for the kids watching cartoons and shows and playing games so doesn't need to be perfect. 3) I mean if you have a 50k HT system in a perfectly blacked out room yea he can probably give you your money's worth. 4) If you're spending a few hundred to get someone to calibrate a 3k set up yea you've gone insane should have just done it yourself not that hard to get it much better on most TV's from the factory. Maybe not perfectly adjusted to your ambient lighting. But IME what is accurate and what people actually want are two different things 5) I think we've all tried to turn down some overly vibrant reds or something on a TV then had the owner/roomate/SO/parent complain about how they don't like accuracy. 6) People need to start looking using their own eyes for once I think. It's all subjective.!! This guy say this color is red ! The next guy says it looks pink? That kind thing....but " RED" is red not " PINK" nor is it " blue" right! 7) I have been a calibrator for over 20 years and while some displays (TV or projectors) are better than others out of the box they can still be noticeably improved. Quality of calibrator makes a difference as well as having the right equipment and not just the cheap probes one can buy. I agree that there is a lot of variability in quality of calibrator as it takes a lot to gain the experience one needs to get good. The older CRT front and rear projectors used to take a long time too but they had to be manually aligned, converged and focused which took a long time then you could adjust just the picture controls. The other factor is the experience with the devices being calibrated. I have spent two days calibrating a TV (non-CRT) to get it right. Nowadays, where I work we only calibrate displays that we are familiar with. When we get a new model we calibrate it to learn it. Because once you know a display inside and out calibration time is not as bad. I think we charge about $250 for most displays we are familiar with but a few models and video processors take longer so those are more. Especially ones where you are adjusting the tone mapping, even if automated for part of the process still takes a while depending on the number of color points. However, if someone calls and wants their Samsung calibrated we decline because we don't carry Samsung and are not familiar with it. It takes a while to get to know all the intricacies of a display and doing a model you are not familiar with definitely takes a lot more time. The

On today's show we discuss a new technology from Kef that gets big sound from a small subwoofer. We also take a look at the top home technology trends for 2021. Pulse we have your emails and the news of the week. KEF introduces Uni-Core subwoofer technology and its KC62 sub The KC62 is the first sub to implement KEF's new tech that promises deeper bass from smaller boxes Full article here… KEF has introduced another new technology, this time focused on subwoofers. Called Uni-Core, it places two drivers in a dual-opposing configuration—that is, mounted on opposite sides of a cabinet. They vibrate in phase with each other, moving inward and outward in unison. By itself, that's not new; many subwoofers use dual-opposing drivers—including the Sonos Sub—because the force imparted to the cabinet from each one cancels out the force from the other one. This greatly reduces cabinet resonance, which can distort the sound, and prevents smaller subs from "dancing" across the floor. The sealed cabinet is roughly cubical measuring about 10 inches on a side, and the drivers are only 6.5 inches in diameter. Such a small subwoofer would normally poop out well above 20Hz, but the frequency response of the KC62 is specified to extend from 11Hz (!) to 200Hz (±3 dB). Of course, no one can hear 11Hz, but an extension that low does provide "footroom" so that the lowest audible frequencies do not overly tax the sub's capabilities. The KC62 offers a pleasing aesthetic. The curved cabinet is crafted from extruded aluminum, and it's available in Carbon Black or Mineral White, allowing it to blend in with just about any décor. Plus, its diminutive size lets it fit just about anywhere. The subwoofer is available now for $1500 Top 5 Home Tech Trends for 2021: Home Theater is Hotter Than Ever A confluence of factors including increased time spent at home, higher-quality content, dwindling theatrical-to-home release window, state-of-the-art AV technologies and more create a compelling opportunity. Full article here…

CES Awards This week we wrap up our CES 2021 coverage with the CES Awards show. We look at what Products Engadget, Digital Trends, CNET, and CES thought were notable and newsworthy. As usual we look at your emails and discuss the news of the week. Engadget Best of CES 2021 finalists! The full list is found here… Samsung Bot Handy TCL Wearable Display - It has two Full HD OLED screens that create a 140-degree field of view... and that's it. There's no battery onboard or chunky arms for processors (although a small onboard chip powers the displays). Just connect the device to your phone, laptop or tablet via USB-C to project your media to the glasses. Earin A-3 - The A-3 are shaped almost like little discs with thin ovals slightly sticking out of one side. Not only are they much more discreet than standard earbuds, but they have no left or right designation so you can freely swap them between ears. The open design lets you listen to tunes while also allowing you to hear what's going on around you. Although they don't have active noise cancellation, the A-3 include wind noise reduction algorithms to improve the listening experience. Sony 360 Reality Audio speakers (SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000) - The SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 are WiFi-connected wireless units that work in a similar fashion to Sonos. If the music you're listening to isn't in the 360 format, the speakers are equipped with an algorithm that converts the content. TCL Alto R1 soundbar Samsung JetBot 90 AI+ Best TV Products - LG C1 OLED, TCL 6-Series (8K), Samsung Neo QLED, Sony Cognitive Processor XR Digital Trends The 15 coolest gadgets at CES 2021 The full list is found here… LG Transparent Smart Bed TV - Imagine waking up in the morning, giving a little stretch and a yawn, and then activating a 55-inch Minority Report-level transparent screen, one that rolls up from the bottom of your bed and displays the day's weather, traffic, news, and social media streams. Samsung's Micro-LED TVs Samsung JetBot 90 A.I.+ CNET Best of CES 2021 The full list is found here… LG Transparent OLED Display Concept TCL TVs expand to 85 inches and 8K Alarm.com Touchless Video Doorbell - Instead of pushing a button, this new doorbell from Alarm.com uses a doormat and AI to detect when someone has arrived at your doorstep, and lets you talk to them through an app with the built-in camera and microphone. It's a touchless system for the age of the coronavirus. Samsung Robot Butler (Bot Handy) Kohler Touchless Toilet Samsung JetBot 90 AI CES 2021 Innovation Awards The full list is found here… 1MORE ColorBuds True Wireless Headphones - The 1MORE ColorBuds are a colorful, dynamic true wireless earbud that is designed to not only match your style, but also match your everyday needs. The ColorBuds bring artistry to sound to create a fashionable, colorful hifi true wireless product that was designed with ultra-lightweight compact earbuds and a compact case making it the ultimate sound accessory. The newest onboard Bluetooth chipset enables mirroring mode, which is better than the standard master and slave format. This increases the antennae efficiency while solving issues of high latency. Four brilliant colors mean there is one for everyone's style or look. Mark Levinson № 5206 Precision Preamplifier - The No 5206 (~$9K) Blends the finest materials, technology, and artisanship for exceptional beauty and performance with a fully discrete, dual-monaural unified class A unified line stage, which has been awarded two patents, a class A headphone output, and a hybrid gain topology MM/MC phono stage. Outstanding digital audio capability with AES, S/PDIF, asynchronous USB inputs for high-resolution playback of PCM (up to 32 bit/384kHz) and DSD (up to 11.2MHz), MQA full decode and Bluetooth with aptX-HD. Extensive control options with Ethernet, USB, RS-232, IR input, and 12V trigger I/O, the included custom aluminum remote, and the Mark Levinson 5Kontrol app. LG CineBeam Laser 4K - LG HU810P (~$2.7K) is a home cinema 4K UHD Laser projector that delivers premium picture quality regardless of viewing environment and lighting conditions while offering easy installation. XGIMI RS - Premium 4K Home Theater - XGIMI 4K 3D LED home projector provides unparalleled 2000 ANSI lumen, 300'' giant screen and intelligent XGIMI INUI in a very portable size. Built-in two 8W 55 mm Harman Kardon speakers produce incredible sound, the advanced projection adjustment technology ensures the easiest setup and creates the best user experience. LG Eclair (QP5) - LG Eclair QP5 is an innovative 3.1.2-channel speaker system designed for customers craving three-dimensional audio quality without the traditional sound bar design. This compact speaker, with up-firing drivers, supports Dolby Atmos as well as DTS:X for more immersive audio experiences. The speaker even comes with a new low-vibration subwoofer that offers an impressively booming sound that will not annoy the neighbors. eufy Security eufyCam 2 Pro - The eufyC

CES 2021 It's CES but not like the usual CES that we are accustomed to. This year it is all virtual and as a result we can't tell you how incredible the latest Micro LED TV looks. There are some great sounding technological improvements that have us excited for the future. This is a long show but we are sure we missed something. If there is a product or announcement you think we should take a look at please let us know. Next week we'll discuss what others saw as "Best of Show". We hope you enjoy the podcast. Savant's C by GE line is getting a makeover for the new year. Savant's C by GE smart home brand is now Cync. Paul Williams, General Manager of Product Management & Growth - "It's an ideal time to evolve our C by GE™ brand into Cync™, a new brand that best reflects how all of our smart home solutions connect easily and work together seamlessly for a complete smart home experience that can be customized to the lifestyle of every consumer." There will be three new smart home accessories, indoor camera, outdoor smart plug, and a fan switch. The Cync Indoor Smart Camera has a privacy shutter that physically blocks the lens and cuts audio recording on-demand. There is cloud and local recording via SD card. Subscription service is available for those who chose the cloud based solution. The Cync Outdoor Smart Plug is all weather and has two outlets The outdoor plug can be connected to wifi without a hub and can be used with Bluetooth. The two outlets can be controlled independently through app and voice controls through integration with Alexa and the Google Assistant. The Cync Fan Speed Smart Switch is an in-wall solution for ceiling fans has four different speeds. In addition to on-demand controls, schedules can be created for customized use throughout the day, and the switch also can be grouped with other Cync accessories. These products begin to arrive in March with the mobile app, and the Outdoor Smart Plug. The Camera will follow in May, with the Fan Speed Smart Switch in June. The exact dates and pricing have not yet been released. More info can be found at gelighting.com. LG LG OLED TVS New LG OLDS for 2021 A1 OLED Replaces B1 A7 processor and available in 42" C1 OLED available in 48", 55", 65", 77" and new for 2021 83" panels. 4K, Gen 4 Alpha 9 processor which enables the TV to quickly identify the important elements within each frame and adjust brightness in those areas for a better exposed image. G1 OLED available in 55", 65" and 77" 4k, Gen 4 A9 Processor, Evo (evo panels contain a new luminous element that promises higher brightness, clarity, detail and punch) Z1 OLED available in 77" and 88" 8K LG partnered with Xbox and Nvidia so that its G1, C1, and Z1 OLEDs could be fitted with G-Sync anti-tearing, stuttering and juddering technology, as well as AMD's FreeSync Premium equivalent. HDMI 2.1 features such as VRR are also correct and present. LG will also be the first brand to have the Google Stadia app available on its TVs in the US, UK and much of Europe. LG also discussed LG QNED MiniLEDs, as previously announced, which combine both NanoCell and quantum dot technologies with Mini LED backlight control. There will also be some plain NanoCell TVs as well, which will come with many of the gaming features, including the Google Stadia app, in addition to non-NanoCell LCD TVs for the budget end of the market. No pricing or shipping information at this time LG's webOS 6.0 Smart TV LG Electronics (LG) announced the introduction of webOS 6.0 for its 2021 OLED, QNED Mini LED, NanoCell and UHD smart TVs. Paired with the new Magic Remote, the latest version of the company's acclaimed TV platform offers viewers a more enjoyable and intuitive content discovery experience. The upgraded LG ThinQ AI in webOS 6.0 supports new voice commands for both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, making TV management and searching across streaming services, internet and broadcast channels easier than ever before. LG's new Magic Remote offers simpler controls when using voice recognition with multi-AI offerings of LG ThinQ, Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.* Simple to navigate, slick, easy to hold and use, the Magic Remote offers more user-friendly features including fast connections between the TV and other devices and hot keys for accessing popular content providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.** Magic Tap, a one-touch Near Field Communication (NFC) function on the Magic Remote, provides virtually instant access to a host of exciting viewing possibilities. By simply touching a compatible NFC-enabled smartphone*** to the remote, viewers can share content from their phones to the LG TVs or vice versa. Users can also view content stored in these mobile phones on their LG TVs while continuing to use their favorite smartphone apps and features. myQ® Opens Introduces Smart Access Solutions myQ Pet Portal - Allows you to control the pet door with two way audio and video through the myQ Pet Portal app. now availab

On this week's show we take a look at an incredible deal on smart light bulbs from Wyze. Four Smart bulbs for less than $8 a piece. We also have a first look at Discovery Plus. What we think is a solid streaming service. And we read your emails and discuss the news of the week. Wyze Bulb - LED Smart Home Light Bulb 800 Lumen Adjustable white temperature and brightness, works with Alexa and the Google Assistant, No Hub Required (~$30 for a pack of 4) Set any mood with Wyze Bulb's tunable white color temperature. Use warm white (2700k) to relax in the evening and daylight (6500k) to wake up with morning coffee. 9. 5-watt LED bulb (60-watt equivalent) produces up to 800 lumens and can be dimmed using voice control or the Wyze App (do not use with dimmer switches) No Hub Required. Wyze Bulb connects directly to your 2. 4GHz WiFi network (does not support 5GHz Wi-Fi) and the free Wyze app for a quick and easy setup Automate your lights with Wyze Sense (sold separately): Wyze Sense's contact and motion sensors allow you to control your lights based on motion or opening/closing of a door so they're on when you need them and off when you don't. You can also integrate with IFTTT to link Wyze Bulbs to the rest of your smart home devices. Make it look like someone's home: Vacation mode turns lights on/off on a variable schedule while you're away. Set Schedules: Set your Wyze Bulbs to turn on and off on a custom schedule so you never come home to a dark house. Group Control: Add multiple bulbs to a group and control them all simultaneously or use Shortcuts to control all your Wyze devices at the same time. Discovery Plus is Here! It seems like every network these days has a "Plus" service, There is Disney+, ESPN+, and well there are only two of them. But there are other networks putting out streaming versions, like Peacock, FoxNow, CBS All Access, and ABC All Access. This week another service joins their ranks and it's one that we are excited about, Discovery Plus! A Discovery Plus subscription allows you to stream more than 55,000 episodes of 2,500+ current and classic shows networks including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and more. The service also includes discovery+ Originals - exciting, can't-miss series and specials you won't see anywhere else. Discovery Plus also includes exclusive streaming access to the BBC's largest natural history offering, featuring shows like Planet Earth, Blue Planet and Frozen Planet. Discovery Plus also features popular shows from A&E, History and Lifetime. Pricing There are two subscription tiers $4.99 a month with ads and $6.99 a month without. Discovery Plus has partnered with Verizon to offer free access for one year to any customer with one line on Play More or Get More Unlimited service, new Fios Internet subscribers, or new 5G Home subscribers. Device Support Discovery Plus is available on AppleTV, iOS, AndroidTV, Android, Roku, Amazon FireTV, Samsung, XBOX, and More. Discovery Plus Channels Starting January 29th Discovery Plus Channels will be available in what sounds like linear streams of the actual Discovery Channels. As of this writing Discovery Plus is solely an on demand service. Performance While most of the library is perfectly acceptable in 1080p with a mono soundtrack, there are some shows that look amazing in 4K. Think BBCs natural history content. Out of the gate there are only two shows that we could find that were 4K but we expect more as time goes on. With that said, the video looks very good and considering the nature of these types of shows, no one will complain about the quality. Areas for Improvement It would be nice if in the show information they listed the date that the show first aired on the Set Top box version of the software. Likewise it would be nice if they included information on the resolution and audio channels. There is no way to download content for offline viewing. We believe that this feature will arrive later. Finally, not all episodes of all shows are included. We do expect this to change as the services matures however.

It's a new year and we have a new show for you today. Did you watch Wonder Women on Christmas? Millions did! The HT Guys did as well and we discuss what we thought. We also go through the best tech products of 2020 and finish off with a preview of CES 2021. All that plus email and news. Happy New Year! Wonder Woman 1984 may have saved movie theaters too Box office numbers for the latest superhero flick apparently show promise. Full article here... CNET names the best tech products of 2020 As it does each year, CNET evaluated the most important products in the biggest categories in consumer tech. Our goal is to designate the most recommendable product and label it as the CNET Editors' Choice. We do that to provide the clearest and most useful buying advice to readers. Full article here… CES 2021 TV preview: 8K, OLED, MicroLED screens remain huge, hype shrinks A global pandemic can't stop the biggest TV trade show on Earth, but it can slow it down. Full article here...

In our last show for 2020 we discuss the Apple AirPods Max. Are these big and expensive headphones from Apple worth the high price? We look at 7 CE Predictions for 2021 from This Week in Consumer Electronics and finally, what was the best streamer for 2020. All this plus your email and news of the week! AirPods Max review: The price hurts but these headphones are excellent They're hefty, big and expensive, but Apple's AirPods Max impress with their sound quality, noise canceling and the same extra features found in the AirPods Pro. Full article here… 7 CE Predictions For 2021 The major changes we experienced in daily life in 2020 have shifted the major CE trends to come Full article here... Best streamer of 2020: Roku, Apple TV 4K, Fire Stick, Chromecast with Google TV and more compared Plenty of hardware options exist for streaming Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, YouTube, Amazon and the rest. Here are our picks for the best. Full article here...

Samsung nixes modularity to make MicroLED TV consumer-ready A few years ago Samsung unveiled The Wall, a huge display that was more billboard than home entertainment. Now the company is bringing the technology behind it, MicroLED, to consumer-ready TVs – although we'd imagine it's still too much for most consumers to handle. Full article here... 5.1 Speaker Buying Guide In our last buying guide of 2020 we take a look at speaker systems. For this list we are looking at a 5.1 setup which will be more than what 90% of our listeners need. If you are in the other 10% who wants more, all these speakers can easily be upgraded to a 7.1 or 5.1.2 system for a few dollars more. Entry System All our guides this year have started with an entry level system. In years past our entry speakers cost around $400. This year we have a REAL entry level system from none other than Monoprice that costs far far less. Monoprice HT-35 Premium 5.1-Channel Home Theater System with Powered Subwoofer (MSRP $160) That's right! Only $160 for a 5.1 system that compact and sounds pretty good. It will perform better than most soundbars in the same price range simply because you will have a true surround system. The HT-35s are efficient speakers that can handle up to 100 watts. We are not going to tell you these are the best speakers money can buy, but we will tell you that you will be hard pressed to find a better value out there and these are a perfect match for that $500 TV and $250 receiver you bought at a Black Friday sale. The 200 watt, 8" subwoofer won't rock your world but it will do the job for most family rooms. They also have a system with upfiring ATMOS speakers built into the left and right speakers for $180. Sound Bar + While the previous system was very inexpensive, many won't want to set up a 5.1 system requiring wiring to go from the front of the room to the back. For you we have a soundbar. Not a sound bar that just presents the listener with LCR speakers, but a soundbar that creates an actual surround experience. JBL Bar 5.1 Surround (MSRP $430) The JBL system is more expensive ($430) than the simple solutions you get from LG, Samsung, and Vizio and less than the Sonos systems when you include a subwoofer. JBL uses a proprietary technology called MultiBeam to create a virtual surround sound. In the right dimensioned room this will work well. In others, it will offer a wider soundstage and clearer dialog. We chose the JBL soundbar over the LG, Samsung, and Vizio soundbars because JBL is a speaker company. Sonos makes great sounding products too but they cost much more so it puts the JBL right in the sweet spot. Features include: 4K pass-through HDMI ARC Wireless subwoofer Airplay 2 and Chromecast Bluetooth Streaming Soundbar output 5 x 50W Subwoofer output 300W Quality System Our Quality system is one that is perfect for the family room and the media room alike. It's a system that will last you for years and won't require upgrading, unless you are completely upgrading the entire room. In that case see our Ultimate system below. RSL CG3 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System - Special Edition (MSRP $999) The RSL CG3 Special Edition 5.1 system is not like other speakers costing a thousand dollars because the CG3 uses a patented design developed by Joe Rogers that delivers more realistic sound than other speakers. Compression Guide technology directs air within the speaker enclosure from areas of high compression to areas of low compression. This prevents the drivers from interfering with each other creating the clean sound that RSL speakers are known for. The other benefit of these speakers is that they sound fantastic when you are listening to music. RSL offers an in-ceiling speaker for $125 if you want a 3D audio version of these. Speaker Output 125W Speaker Frequency Response 100-20,000 Hz ± 3db Subwoofer Output 350W Subwoofer Frequency Response 24-200 Hz ± 3db Ultimate System Our Ultimate system is one that is for serious media rooms and as such will cost more than double our Quality system. Prime Tower Surround System + SB2000 SW (MSRP $1549.99 + $799.99 for a total of $2349.98) We have used SVS products for over ten years and are completely pleased with everyone of them. In our home we have amplifiers (Prime Wireless SoundBase), wireless sub transmitters (SoundPath Wireless Audio Adapter), subwoofers, and of course speakers! For our ultimate system we selected the SVS Prime Tower System because it can fill a large space with immersive sound for movies and clear detailed and accurate sound for your music. The towers can handle up to 250W and the satellites up to 150W which means you can fill a large room with that glorious surround sound we all love. The speakers as priced here are for the Black ash finish. They also have a Piano Black high gloss for an additional $350. You can easily upgrade the speakers to a 7.1 or Atmos system. The subwoofer we are pairing with this system is a room filling beast with 550W and a peak of 1500W.

Wyze Video Doorbell review: Spotty performance holds it back The Wyze Video Doorbell comes at an incredible price for an app-enabled live-streaming buzzer: $30. Nothing from major brands like Amazon's Ring or Google's Nest comes close to that level of affordability. That said, I experienced issues with the camera's performance on this video doorbell -- something I haven't encountered with other Wyze cams (more details on that in the section below). Full article here… Steven Soderbergh: The Reports of Cinema's Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated We are only taking a look at a couple of questions from this interview. We recommend that you take a look at the entire interview linked here. Full article here… HDTV Buying Guide 2020 Tis the season for us to go shopping and to continue to help you spend your money - one of our favorite times of the year. If you or anyone in your life is looking for a new UHD TV this Christmas, but still aren't sure which one to buy, we've got you covered. There are some incredible TVs out there with fantastic pricing. 50 Inch If you are looking for a TV in this size category you probably have a small room and don't want to spend a lot of money. With that said, you still want a good TV for your home. Hisense H8G Quantum Series Android 4K ULED Smart TV with Voice Remote (Street Price $525) When you consider the price and performance this TV is hard to beat. By the way, it comes in bigger sizes with similar values. RTINGS.com gives it a 7.8 out of 10 rating for overall use. Having full-array local dimming gives it great contrast and black levels. The TV has a good color gamut which produces rich and saturated colors in HDR content. The HDR drops off in a well lit room as the TV does not get bright enough. Finally, off angle viewing is not the best. 65 Inch At this size we are not looking for a bargain but more a high quality TV that won't break the bank. Vizio P-Series Quantum X 4K HDR Smart TV (MSRP $1530) This TV is great for most uses garnering an 8.3 overall rating from RTINGs.com. If you were turned off by the previous model due to its limitations in bright rooms, then this TV is for you. But it also does well in dark rooms with it's dark blacks which makes watching movies a joy. However, this TV has off angle viewing issues as fo most all LCD based TVs 75 Inch Now we are getting into serious TV watching here and will up the budget substantially. We also want a TV with as few compromises as possible. LG CX 77 inch Class 4K Smart OLED TV w/ AI ThinQ® (MSRP $3500) This OLED delivers excellent picture quality with the best black levels on the market. RTINGS.com rates it 8.8 overall and a whopping 9.3 for movies! If you are a movie junky this TV is for you, with the caveat that the room is dark. This is the only TV on our list that has no off angle viewing issues. The CX has a wide color gamut for HDR content. The only issue we have with the TV is the brightness. If you are watching in a bright room you may not be able to get brightness levels you like. Ultimate TV (for Braden) Our Ultimate category was added specifically for Braden this year by Ara. He is trying to get Braden to buy something!! Even if he has to store it in his garage until the home is ready for it's use. We all know Braden has an affinity for TCL but this TV is going into his main room so we are upping the game! 85" Class Q80T QLED 4K UHD HDR Smart TV (2020) (MSRP $3800) At 85 inches, this TV gets into the projector size category. I ruled out OLED out solely based on price but at $3800 this TV is not cheap. RTINGS.com gives this TV 8.4 overall. The Q80T is a wonderful all around TV. Great picture quality and contrast ratio combined with its high peak brightness makes it a great choice for use in bright rooms. But thanks to it's full-array local dimming, the Q80T has great contrast which allows it to perform well in dark rooms too. Finally of all the non-OLED TVs, this one has the best off angle viewing.

Receiver Buying Guide 2020 It's that time of year where we get to spend your money. This season we start off with AV Receivers. We take a practical approach with these guides in that we try to get you the best bang for your buck. Well we do indulge with one of our selections. Here is our AV receiver buying guide for 2020. Under $500 Sony STR-DN1080 7.2ch Home Theater AV Receiver (MSRP $499.99) The Sony STR-DN1080 is a receiver that has been out for a few years but still checks all the boxes for a 4K receiver that won't break the bank. If you spent a few hundred dollars on a new 4K TV at a Black Friday sale or will do so between now or Christmas this is the perfect receiver for you. We are not going to recommend that you spend a thousand dollars on a receiver for a $300 TV. Even still, this receiver is packed with a lot of features. Features: 6-in/2-out HDMI connectivity with 4K/60p (4:4:4)7 pass-through, HDCP 2.2 support, and HDR support Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X support High-Resolution Audio-compatible Wi-Fi®, AirPlay and Chromecast built-in for music streaming One-cable HDMI eARC With Google Home $500 to $750 Onkyo TX-NR797 9.2 - Channel Network A/V Receiver (Street Price $750, Back Ordered) The Onkyo TX-NR797 makes our list as a solid mid-level receiver with high end features typically found in receivers costing more than $1000. This is the receiver you buy when you spent a little more on your TV but ran out of budget for a receiver to match. Features: 100 Watts/Ch (8 Ohms 20-20kHz, 2 Channels Driven, FTC) HDR (High Dynamic Range) video including HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision®, and BT.2020 Six HDMI inputs, ARC-ready MAIN OUT, and SUB OUT pass 4K/60p and HDR video from player to compatible TV and projector and all terminals are HDCP 2.2 compliant. Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X® compatible THX® Certified Select™ theater-reference sound Access streaming content from Amazon Music, Pandora®, Spotify®, TIDAL, Deezer, and TuneIn and share sound as part of a multi-room system via Works with Sonos, AirPlay 2, DTS Play-Fi®, and FlareConnect. Chromecast built-in with the Google Assistant Works with Sonos $750 - $1000 Denon AVR-X2700H 7.2ch 8K AV Receiver with 3D Audio, Voice Control and HEOS Built-in® (MSRP $849.00) The Denon AVR-X2700H is a receiver that is as future proof as it can get. Do we think you will need 8K support anytime in the near future? Probably not. But this receiver can handle it if you do. Of course it supports all the audio formats, HDMI eARC, HDCP 2.3, and so much more. This receiver does it all and at $850 it's hard to beat! Features: 95W per channel (8 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz, THD: 0.08%,2 ch. driven) 8K/60Hz pass-through, 4K/120Hz* pass-through for gaming, and support for the latest HDMI specifications Dolby Atmos, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology, DTS:X, DTS Virtual:X and IMAX Enhanced HDMI section (7 in/3 out) with a dedicated 8K input that will support 8K/6OHz and 4K/120Hz video pass-through and upscaling HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), Dynamic HDR, 3D, and BT.2020 pass-through support 4K/120Hz* pass-through and upscaling, as well as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Quick Frame Transport (QFT), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which reduces or eliminates lag and frame tearing to offer a smoother, lag-free gaming experience. Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri and Josh.ai Greater than $1000 Denon AVR-X6700H 11.2 Ch. 8K AV Receiver with 3D Audio, HEOS® Built-in and Voice Control (MSRP $2499.00) If you have upgraded your room with a higher end TV/Projector and better speakers with full blown ATMOS/DTS:X you need a receiver to match. We are so impressed with Denon's 2020 lineup that we decided to stick with them for this category. Our top selection this year is the Denon AVR-X6700H. There are more expensive receivers out there but not necessarily better. The 6700 has everything we like about the 2700 but more! Features: Premium 140W per channel (8 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz, THD: 0.08%, 2 ch. driven) amplifier designed specifically for demanding speakers 8K/60Hz pass-through, 4K/120Hz* pass-through for gaming, and support for the latest HDMI specifications Dolby Atmos, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology, DTS:X, DTS Virtual:X and IMAX Enhanced Support for DTS:X Pro via a future firmware update Can process 13.2 channels with an additional amplifier HDMI section (7 in/3 out) with a dedicated 8K input that will support 8K/6OHz and 4K/120Hz video pass-through and upscaling HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), Dynamic HDR, 3D, and BT.2020 pass-through support 4K/120Hz* pass-through and upscaling, as well as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Quick Frame Transport (QFT), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which reduces or eliminates lag and frame tearing to offer a smoother, lag-free gaming experience. Works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri and Josh.ai

We have a special show for you today. The AV Rant Guys (Tom Andry and Rob H), along with DJ Briggs of the Bright Side of Home Theater join us for a fun filled podcast that gives thanks to you our listeners.

Black Friday 2020 It's another Black Friday and the HT Guys have you covered. This year is a bit different as many companies go virtual with their Black Friday Deals. We can go through every deal out there but we do highlight a few that we really like. Let us know if you participate this year and what you get. WalMart Available 11/25 VIZIO 70" Class 4K UHD LED Smart TV HDR V-Series V705x-H1 $470 Get the Deal SAMSUNG 65" Class 4K Crystal UHD (2160P) LED Smart TV with HDR UN65TU7000 2020 $478 (was $550) Get the Deal SAMSUNG 58" Class 4K Crystal UHD (2160P) LED Smart TV with HDR UN58TU7000 2020 $398 (was $450) Get the Deal JVC 58" 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart LED TV + Free Shipping $298.00 Get the Deal VIZIO 32" 4.1 Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer (SB3241n-H6) $129 Get the Deal onn. 32" 2.0 Soundbar $29 Get the Deal Philips WiFi Streaming Blu-Ray and DVD Player - BDP2501/F7 $49 (was $65) Get the Deal Apple AirPods Pro $169 (was $250) Get the Deal PlayStation 5 Console $499 Get the Deal Roku Premiere 4K HDR Streaming Media Player $29.00 (was $39.99) Get the Deal Best Buy Available now unless otherwise noted Samsung - 85" Class Q80T Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV $2999.99 Get the Deal Samsung - 75" Class Q80T Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV $2199.99 Get the Deal Samsung 75" Class Q60T Series LED 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV $1,197.99 (was $1599.99) Get the Deal TCL - 50" Class 4 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Android TV $299 (was $349.99) Get the Deal Hisense 65" Class H6510G Series LED 4K UHD Smart Android TV $249.99 (was $499.99) Get the Deal Available 11/28 LG - 75" Class NanoCell 80 Series LED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV $999.99 (was $1499.99) Get the Deal Insignia™ - 32" Class LED HD Smart Fire TV Edition TV $99.99 (was $169.99) Get the Deal Samsung HW-Q60T 5.1ch Soundbar with 3D Surround Sound $279.99 (was $500) Get the Deal Samsung HW-S40T 2.0ch All-in-One Soundbar with Music $129.99 (was $179.99) Get the Deal Available 11/26 Insignia™ - 2.1-Channel 80W Soundbar System with Wireless Subwoofer $69.99 (was $149.99) Get the Deal So many Sound Bars! Bluray and UHD players from $50 -$200 Roku Players from $25 - $70 Amazon Fire Sticks from $18 - $30 Chromcast Streaming Player $19 Get the Deal Available 11/26 Denon AVR-X2600H 7.2 Channel 4K UHD AV Receiver, Supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X & DTS Virtual:X, Amazon Alexa Compatible $599.98 (was $799.98) Get the Deal Available 11/26 Klipsch - Reference Series 12" 400W Powered Subwoofer $224.99 (was $499.99) Get the Deal Target Available now unless otherwise noted LG 55" Class 4K UHD Smart LED HDR TV $349.99 (was $399.99) Get the Deal Westinghouse 55" 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart TV with HDR $269.99 (was $379.99) Get the Deal Hisense 50" 4K Roku UHD HDR Smart TV $249.99 (was $299.99) Get the Deal Ring Video Doorbell 3 $139.99 (was $199.99) Get the Deal Skullcandy Push Ultra True Wireless Headphones - Black $49.99 (was $99.99) Get the Deal JBL Tune 750 Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones $99.99 (was $129.99) Get the Deal Amazon Prices start Dropping November 20th - 27th Ring Video Doorbell Pro $169.99 (was $249) Fire HD 10 Tablet $79.99 (was $149.99) Blink Outdoor Camera Kits up to $130 off Eero 6 Wifi system (3-Pack) $223 (was $279.99) Simplisafe Security Systems 40% off New echo Dot $28.99 (was $49.99) Sony Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones + Free Shipping $88.00 (Was $199.99) Get the Deal Fire TV 4K Stick + Free Shipping $29.99 (was $49.99) Get the Deal Costco Starting November 5th LG 86" UN8570 4K UHD $1449.99 Get the Deal LG 55" UN7300 4K UHD $379.99 Get the Deal LG 65" UN7300 4K UHD $499.99 Get the Deal Samsung 82" RU9000 4K UHD $1399.99 Get the Deal Sony 85" X90CH 4K UHD $1969.99 Get the Deal Klipsch R-125 Reference Powered Subwoofer $149.99 (was $249.99) Get the Deal Sony WH-H910N Bluetooth Noise Canceling Headphones $139.99 (was $199.99) Get the Deal Deals on Ring Products $30 to $100 off $100 off on a Klipsch 5.1 speaker system $349.99 Sonos Beam Shadow Edition Soundbar $80 off $289.99 Many many more… HT Guys recommend you make Costco your Black Friday Stop!

On today's show we take a look at the Top Ten most watched shows on Youtube, we compare Roku vs FireTV and DJ Briggs of The Brightside of Home Theater gives us his top five Object Based Audio (ATMOS) movies to give your home theater system a workout. All that plus your emails and news of the week! Netflix's Top 10 Most Watched Movies + Shows Netflix's Top 10 is a new feature that highlights the most popular movies and shows on the platform in real time. Right now, the 10 most watched titles on Netflix are an eclectic mix of originals, reality shows, sitcoms, and documentaries. You've probably heard of popular series like The Queen's Gambit, so its ranking on the Top 10 list today won't surprise you. Roku vs. Fire TV: Which cheap smart TV is better? Choosing a smart TV with all the streaming services and connectivity built in means not having to switch inputs, deal with extra cables, or juggle different remotes. That's the beauty of a smart TV and two of the easiest systems currently available—and available in some rock-bottom-priced bargain sets—are those from Roku TV and Amazon Fire TV. Full article here… Top 5 Object Based Surround Sound (ATMOS) Movies As selected by DJ Briggs from the Bright Side of Home Theater Join DJ on the Bright Side of Home Theater. This podcast will concentrate on the movies that make having a Home Theater FUN. DJ has been into Home Theater since 1988 when he had a simple "theater" in his bedroom. His passion for the hobby has lead him to the never ending pursuit of the best Theater he can build. He believes the best the best way to gauge a theater is by watching the movies and scenes we love. And that's what he LOVES to do. He loves to talk about the movies, the scenes, sounds, the picture, and all they have to offer. If you, too, have a passion for movies and/or Home Theater, join him in delving into the all the things that make Home Theater FUN. Here's DJ's List 5- Jurassic Park (DTS-X) 4- Lucy 4K 3- John Wick 3 4K 2- Mad Max Fury Road 4K 1- Gravity (Diamond Luxe Edition)

On today's abbreviated show we look at Walmart, Target, and Best Buy's Black Friday plans and we read your emails and discuss this week's news. Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have revealed their Black Friday plans, and they're all radically different from prior years Three of the biggest retailers just revealed their Black Friday plans. Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are spreading deals across the month instead of concentrating on one day. The stores said they would take measures to keep shoppers safe and offer more shipping options. Retailers have to both make shoppers feel safe with coronavirus precautions and deal with inventory issues and customers who might be less willing to spend in a recession. Over the weekend, three of the most popular Black Friday destinations — Walmart, Best Buy, and Target — released their plans for the shopping holiday. Full Article...

On this week's show Ara's gives us his impression of the Tribit Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Earbuds that we talked about a couple of weeks ago. We also look at the Vizio OLED TV Review by RTINGS.com. We also read your emails and take a look at the news! Tribit Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Earbuds Last week Ara was on vacation and used the time to review his new and very inexpensive in ear Active Noise Canceling headphones. They are made by Tribit and are available from Amazon for $50. So how did they fare? Well they are pretty good for $50. We could end it here and you really would have enough to make up your mind but of course we'll go into a little more detail. The main reason we were interested in these headphones was because they have active noise cancelling so we'll get into that first. The ANC was OK. There was a reduction in outside noise but not as good as full size over the ear headphones we have used in the past. The key to making the noise canceling work is finding the right size ear tip. I tried three including the default size and as it turns out the default size was perfect for me! When you place the headphones in your ear you need to use a twisting action to kind of screw them into place. This gave me the tightest seal and best results for noise cancelation/isolation as well as general listening. Speaking of sound quality, they did great for podcast listening and telephone calls. For music they were good too!. The bass, which was a feature that Tribit touted, sounded good. We used our go to bass test, the first five seconds of California Roll by Snoop Dogg. Again good, not great. Our $300 Sennheiser Momentums have much better bass response. But these things only cost $50! The phone mic quality sounds like you were holding the phone to your ear without a microphone. People listening on the other end had no issues hearing the conversation. Other Considerations Pairing - simple once you realize that the leads have a plastic strip on them and the headphones won't pair until you remove them. Clearly stated in the instructions but who reads that?? Battery Life - worked for my entire trip without a recharge. The longest continuous street was three hours before placing them back in the case which recharges the batteries. You can get an additional hour and a half play time if you charge the headphones for ten minutes. Comfort - if you properly size the ear tips they will be very comfortable. But after a three hour flight they were starting to irritate the ears. In fairness, no headphones we have tried have been free from irritation after prolonged usage. Charging Case - Small and easy to carry in your pocket. USB-C connection. Volume Control - There isn't any from the headphones. This must be done from the device Other Controls - double tap to pause, 3 taps to skip, hold right to activate/deactivate noise cancelling. Our Recommendation If you are very critical of your music, you will be better served with different headphones. If you are looking at these because of the ANC, well, it works but nothing that is going to make you say wow. If you are looking for good headphones with noise canceling and transparency mode that allows you to take calls or use for zoom meetings, you will be hard pressed to find anything better for the money. Vizio OLED 2020 TV Review The Vizio OLED 2020 is the first OLED TV Vizio has released and delivers impressive overall performance. Like any OLED TV, its ability to turn off individual pixels results in an infinite contrast ratio and perfect black uniformity. It displays an excellent color gamut for HDR content, but it doesn't get very bright in HDR, and large areas get significantly dimmer. Most gamers should appreciate the 120Hz refresh rate, near-instant response time, and low input lag. It's advertised to have variable refresh rate (VRR) support, but it doesn't work at all and there's screen tearing. The TV has a unique center-mounted stand that's designed to hold the Vizio Elevate soundbar. Sadly, the screen has the risk of permanent burn-in, which is typical of OLEDs, and our unit has noticeable temporary image retention, but this may vary between units. Full Review Here...

Wireless Earbuds Active Noise Cancelling,Tribit FlyBuds NC Bluetooth 5.0 Earphones Deep Bass ENC 4 Mics Noise Cancelling Earbuds 35 Hrs Smart Touch Controland Waterproof About this item Industry-leading 4MIC Active Noise Cancellation - The Noise Cancelling Processor works by capturing and identifying ambient noise then subdues these frequencies for a cleaner listening experience(Reduces noise up to 30dB). Crystal Clear Calls with Environmental Noise Cancellation - For an even better, more peaceful listening experience, you'll benefit from the AI Noise Reduction Technology which gives excellent vocal enhancement and reduces background noise for clearer calls even in noisy environment. Transparency Mode for hearing what's happening around you - If you want to still hear what's happening around you but don't want to take your earbuds out, transparency mode is a great way to get the best of both worlds. Tribit uses active microphone technology to amplify the sounds around you so you can still hear your surroundings, whether it needs to cross the street safely or hear what your workout partner is saying. Same experience as Airpods Pro! 10mm Dynamic Drivers for Deep Bass - Dive fully into the sound and enjoy the 10mm dynamic drivers along with active noise cancellation for immersive sound. NOTE: For the best audio performance please twist the earbuds around in your ear until the sound and fit feel correct. 5 Pairs Eartips - To ensure the highest possible quality listening experience, having earbuds that fit properly is extremely important. Choose from these 5 pairs soft, flexible silicone tips for a customizable fit. Plus, further enhances the effectiveness of the Noise Cancellation. Hoobs Home Automation Hub A few months ago I added a Raspberry Pi running homebridge to my home automation system so that I could use Ring and Harmony products on Homekit. It works quite well but it did require quite a bit of fiddling and knowledge of SSH, Config files, networking, building software, and installing plugins. For software developers like us we'd rate that a 7 out of 10 on the difficulty scale. For someone without this knowledge we'd rate it an 11 out of 10 on the difficulty scale. A few listeners emailed us about a solution called HOOBS (Homebridge out of the box system) that is supposed to make it much easier. It costs $170 for the complete system but if you already have a raspberry Pi you can buy a SD card with everything setup and ready to go for $20. For our test we went with the complete system out of the box. Setup The HOOBS box is about the size of a deck of cards and trival to get up and running, You plug in power, wait for it to boot up and install then connect it to your network with the ethernet cable that is provided. Next launch a browser and type hoobs.local into the address field. From there the system asks you to setup a user account and that gets the system up and running. It can't do anything at this point but it's ready to be configured with plugins. This process takes about ten minutes. To get to the same spot of the Raspberry Pi without HOOBS took more than an hour! What Next? First thing you need to do is add the HOOBS hub to your Homekit setup. The interface has a QR code that you scan with your phone in the Home app. It gives you a warning that it is not a supported accessory. Once you are done the HOOBS Bridge is now added and any device that can talk to HOOBS will be exposed as a supported HomeKit Device. Now you are ready to add plugins for your devices. In the HOOBS interface there is a good search tool that makes the process simple. Even the installation is one touch. We loaded our two plugins (Ring and Harmony) in a matter of minutes. The only place where the HOOBS process is still a bit geeky is the configuration. You don't have to actually modify the configuration file in raw form for certified plugins (both the Ring and Harmony plugins are certified) but you still need to know what to do. There is no real clear explanation for the Harmony Remote plugin so you will have to hunt around. There are plenty of Youtube videos that will walk you through it. The Ring plugin also required a bit of work. If you have two-factor verification turned on you need to run a command line application to get a key. The instructions are clear and Hoobs makes it simple to open a terminal window to run the command. Like the Harmony Plugin there are videos that show you what to do. There are instructions on how to add the new devices to your Homekit system. Some devices just show up and others need to be added like any other supported device. Other Thoughts We were never really able to setup the Rasberry Pi to boot into Homebridge and allow for remote access. That meant each time the system needed to be reset we had to SSH into the Pi and setup remote access. Then we had to remote into the Pi and launch Homebridge. Hoobs has taken care of this but making Homebridge auto start. This is even true for installing p

On this week's show we look at what movies are trending for on demand viewing and we try (again) to help Braden decide between a UST Projector, a traditional projector and a large format TV. We also look at email and news of the week. We received an email from a listener asking if we were building a media room today, would we still go the projector route and more specifically, if we went the projector route, would we go with an ultra short throw projector? There is a lot to unpack there. This listener is building out a media room in his basement and is in a situation where he can control lighting and has space for a 120 inch screen. He also said he does not mind buying higher end equipment since he intends on using it for the long term. Here is how our thought process goes. Large Format TV Reasonable cost and very good bang for the buck. Samsung is selling an 85 inch QLED TV that is 4k, HDR, Your assistant of choice, and many many more features for $3300. It's a good TV that has good reviews and would make an excellent choice for anyone's media room. However, is 85" big enough if you have enough room for a 120 inch screen and you have the budget? We think not. But still It's amazing how simple it is to install this TV in a room with full light and get an incredible big screen experience for a mere $3,300! Traditional Projector There are plenty of Long Throw projectors that are 4K that cost about the same as the samsung TV. The advantage is that you can get a 120" picture on a screen and it won't break your back moving the projector into the basement. The JVC LX-UH1B is a 4K UHD with HDR Projector that costs $2500. It does achieve 4K by using pixel shifting by from what we have seen it's not going to be any issue whatsoever. Going this route requires mounting the projector to the ceiling and the purchase of a 120" screen. Since there is no issue with ambient light a traditional screen can be used which should bring the cost to be about the same as the Samsung TV. You will need to pay attention to the cables being used to make sure that they support 4K HDR. But a very doable proposition at a reasonable cost. The only possible downside is that the room will be difficult to modify. However, that may not be an issue as none of my rooms have changed configuration in twenty years. Ultra Short Throw Projector The UST projector is, in our opinion, the best of both worlds! You can get a screen size of 120 inches that is easier to install than both the Long Throw Projector and 85" TV. There are many models from multiple manufacturers to choose from. The cost is a little bit more expensive than the TV or the Long Throw projector. However, if you are having the Long Throw projector installed by a professional it may end up costing you more money. Although a minor benefit. It's easy to move the UST projector around. If your aesthetics committee wants to change the room it can be done without a major headache. The Picture quality of the UST projectors are incredible and they work extremely well in light controlled environments. But imagine if you have a big game room next to the media room and the lights are on it has no real impact on the picture brightness. It's harder to get that kind of performance out of a traditional projector without spending a lot of money on an ambient light rejecting screen. Our Take It's Ultra Short Throw Projector for the win! You have more options for where you can use them and anyone can install them with minimal effort. They are easier to maneuver into and around your home and to get a TV of similar picture quality in 85" will cost more money.

We have a short show for you today. We take a look at the Google Pixel Buds 2. Google's new true wireless earbuds and we find you the best HDMI cables for your new 4K TV. Great news! If you are connecting components it won't cost you more than $10 a device! Pulse we have your emails and News of the week. OK, Google: Pixel Buds 2 are the real deal After underwhelming with its original Pixel Buds, Google's new true wireless earbuds stack up well against the competition, with a comfortable fit and strong performance. More info here… Best HDMI cables for your new 4K and HDR TV in 2020 There's no reason to spend more than $10 for 6 feet, even with the most expensive TVs. Here's what we recommend. More info here...

On this week's show we take a look at the Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Canceling Headphones and all the new gear Amazon recently announced. We read some email and news stories as well. Sony WH-1000XM4 review: A nearly flawless noise-canceling headphone The much-anticipated new version of Sony's top noise-canceling headphone has finally arrived, and it makes small improvements to an already top-notch product. More info here… Amazon Product Announcements All-new Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) | HD smart display with motion and Alexa Alexa can show you even more - With a 10.1" HD screen that's designed to move with you, video calls, recipes, and shows are always in view. The speakers deliver premium, directional sound. $250 Coming Soon All-new Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (includes TV controls) | Dolby Atmos audio Latest release of our best-selling streaming device - 50% more powerful than previous gen for fast streaming in Full HD. Includes Alexa Voice Remote with power and volume buttons. $40 Available Now All-new Echo Dot (4th Gen) | Smart speaker with Alexa Meet the all-new Echo Dot - Our most popular smart speaker with Alexa. The sleek, compact design delivers crisp vocals and balanced bass for full sound. $50 available for Pre-order Luna Introducing Luna, Amazon's cloud gaming service where it's easy to play great games on devices you already own. No waiting for lengthy downloads or updates — just play. Request your invitation for early access and help us make Amazon Luna even better. Early access pricing is $5.99 a month. Ubisoft coming soon. Introducing Amazon eero 6 dual-band mesh Wi-Fi 6 router, with built-in Zigbee smart home hub Whole-home Wi-Fi 6 coverage - eero covers up to 1,500 sq. ft. with wifi speeds up to 900 Mbps. Built-in Zigbee smart home hub - eero 6 connects compatible devices on your network with Alexa—so there's no need to buy separate smart home hubs for each device. $129 for the base router, $199 for base router and one extender. Available for Pre-order Introducing Amazon Halo – Measure body composition, activity, sleep, and tone of voice Membership includes body composition, tone of voice analysis, sleep & activity tracking, and more — free for 6 months. Auto-renews at $3.99/month + tax. All-new Echo Dot (4th Gen) Kids Edition | Designed for kids, with parental controls Meet the all-new Echo Dot Kids Edition - Our most popular smart speaker with Alexa, made for kids (not a toy). The super-fun design delivers crisp vocals and balanced bass for full sound. Help kids learn and grow - Kids can ask Alexa questions, set alarms, and get help with their homework. $60 available for pre-order. Ships in October. All-new Echo (4th Gen) | With premium sound, smart home hub, and Alexa New look, new sound - Echo delivers clear highs, dynamic mids, and deep bass for rich, detailed sound that automatically adapts to any room. With the built-in hub, easily set up compatible Zigbee devices or Ring Smart Lighting products (coming soon) to voice control lights, locks, and sensors. $100 available for pre-order. Ships in October.

Amazon will launch a new location-tracking mesh network system later this year Amazon is preparing to launch an ambitious networking and location system later this year under the name Amazon Sidewalk. Sidewalk will link smart home devices and other Amazon products using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), connecting beyond the range of a standard Wi-Fi network. Meant to be operated at the scale of a neighborhood, Sidewalk would turn devices like smart floodlights and home assistants into network bridges, passing along security updates and commands from a central Wi-Fi hub. In addition to transmitting software, the signals allow Sidewalk to triangulate a device's approximate location based on its contacts with other Sidewalk-enabled devices. The system will be built into the Echo, and Tile has also joined the project as the first third-party platform to support the system. Amazon plans to add Ring cameras to the network later, notifying device owners directly when Sidewalk is available to use. A full list of Sidewalk-compatible devices is available on the project landing page. More info here... Hearing Loss and Hi Res Audio A good friend of ours sent us a link to a Youtube video called "Hearing Loss at Age". This video tries to explain the physical degradation of hearing as we age. The video was produced by Hans Beekhuyzen a Dutch Hifi expert and member of the Audio Engineering Society. The video is a little technical but essentially says that as we age we can not hear the upper octave of the ten octaves between 20 Hertz to 20kHz. That tenth octave starts at 16.7kHz. He says not worry because we still hear 90% of the sound spectrum. So why do we need Hi Res files? We'll get to that. He mentions Nyquist in this video to discuss sampling. This is where the video gets quite technical. He has another video that goes into much more detail about this subject (The truth about Nyquist and why 192 kHz does make sense). What is Nyquist? It is named after electronic engineer Harry Nyquist. Nyquist's theorem states that a periodic signal must be sampled at more than twice the highest frequency component of the signal. In practice, because of the finite time available, a sample rate somewhat higher than this is necessary. Since we want to sample sound up to 20Khz, for those of us lucky enough to hear sound at that frequency, the sample rate should be no lower than 40Khz. Just for completeness, sampling is a representation of sound recorded in, or converted into, digital form. In digital audio, the sound wave of the audio signal is encoded as numerical samples in a continuous sequence. For example, in CD audio, samples are taken 44100 times per second each with 16 bit sample depth. We'll cover sample depth in a bit If a CD is sampled at 44.1Khz. That means it can recreate frequencies up to 22.05Khz, far above what people can hear! So we're all good right? Again why do I need Hi Res Files? Sampling Errors One of the issues with sampling is that it's not perfect and there are errors. This is where the video lost me because I am not an electrical engineer. We'll try to sum it up here. There is an error that is induced because of the sampling rate and that error can show up in the audio spectrum that you can hear. Filtering can reduce this but that too affects the sound as well. The solution is that you can sample at a higher frequency. Hi res files are sampled at 192Khz. That means technically it is capable of capturing frequencies up to 96Khz which is way above what any human can hear. However, there is a benefit in that the errors that are created fall outside what the human can hear. Thus leaving you with a more pure recording of the original signal. There is a price to be paid for this, the file size is much bigger. Bit Depth The other element to this discussion is bit depth. The bits store the amplitude of the sound wave. CDs use 16 bits which equate to 65536 possible values. Hi res files use 24 bits or 1,6777,216 possible values. If you think visually, consider a 16 bit color monitor vs a 24 bit color monitor. The 24 bit monitor will be able to display much finer color gradations and be less blocky. The audio version is that the sound will have finer detail. And it will be at ALL frequencies, more importantly, the ones us old people can actually hear. This to us is the best argument that can be made for Hi res files that we can see… or hear. At least mathematically. Does it Matter? Only you can be the judge of that. It really depends on the style of music you listen to. Is there subtlety in the frequencies that you can hear or is it just loud? Do you want to pay the higher price for hi res audio? Do you have enough storage for the files? Can your equipment play the music? Are you listening on good equipment, especially speakers? By the way, good equipment doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. But it will cost more than a few hundred dollars. What environment are you listening in? To some there is no other way to enjoy music.

4 places to avoid putting your Amazon Echo in your home Your Amazon Echo is there to help when it comes to setting up your preferred music streaming service and setting reminders. However, it doesn't tell you the best and safest areas in your house to place the smart speaker. You're probably thinking, "Does it really matter where I put it as long as I can speak to Alexa from most areas in my house?" Our answer is yes. Full article here... The 6 Best TV's - Summer 2020 According to RTINGS.com. Full article here... Samsung Q800T QLED - 8.5 Mixed Usage The Q90T ($2199.99 for 65") is an excellent TV for most uses. Nearly every type of content looks good on this TV, whether it's a low-resolution cable TV show or a 4k HDR movie. It has a fast response time and low input lag, and it also comes with FreeSync support to reduce screen tearing when gaming. However, there's a bit of dirty screen effect, which can be somewhat distracting when watching sports. LG CX OLED - 8.8 Mixed Usage The LG CX OLED ($2299.99 for 65") is great for watching TV shows. It has excellent reflection handling and it has decent peak brightness to combat glare in most rooms. It upscales 720p content well and has good built-in speakers. Unfortunately, like all OLED TVs, it has the risk of burn-in, which could be a problem with constant exposure to static logos. However, it has impressive viewing angles for when you want to watch your favorite show with the entire family. Sony A8H - 8.7 Mixed Usage The Sony A8H ($2499.99 for 65") is an excellent TV for most uses. It delivers excellent picture quality with its infinite contrast ratio and near-instantaneous response time. It upscales lower resolution content well, which is great for watching cable TV or sports. HDR content looks good thanks to its wide color gamut and decent peak brightness. Unfortunately, although its input lag is great, it doesn't support advanced gaming features like VRR. Additionally, like all OLED TVs, there's a risk of permanent burn-in. Vizio P Series Quantum X 2019 - 8.1 Mixed Usage The Vizio P Series Quantum X ( is an excellent TV for most uses. It looks great in almost any room but has narrow viewing angles, so it isn't as good for watching sports with a group of friends or playing co-op games. Fast movies and games look great, thanks to the fast response time, and games are responsive due to the low input lag. TCL 6 Series 2020 - 7.9 Mixed Usage The TCL 6 Series 2020 ($899.99 for 65") is a very good overall TV and performs well for most uses. It's great for watching movies in dark rooms thanks to its outstanding contrast ratio. HDR content looks great as the TV displays a wide color gamut and it gets bright in that mode. It also has great gaming features like quick response time and low input lag. Sadly, its local dimming feature results in blooming around bright objects. Also, it's not ideal for wide seating arrangements because it has narrow viewing angles. Hisense H9G - 8.4 Mixed Usage The Hisense H9G ($950 for 65" but may be hard to find) is an impressive overall TV. It's well-rounded and offers great performance for most uses. It's an amazing choice for watching movies in the dark as it has an outstanding contrast ratio and a great full-array local dimming feature. HDR content looks great because it gets bright enough to bring out highlights and it displays a wide color gamut. Also, gamers should appreciate its very quick response time and really low input lag. Unfortunately, it's not suggested for wide seating arrangements due to its narrow viewing angles.

On this week's show Samsung introduces two new Ultra Short Throw Laser Projectors, Netflix starts streaming 4K content with shot-optimized encoding using a 4K VMAF model to reduce the bandwidth load on networks. We also include a discussion of Ara's new outdoor lighting using Hue Outdoor lights. Video included! We have listener emails and a voice comment along with the latest news. Samsung Launches a 130-Inch 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced The Premiere, its new 4K Ultra Short Throw laser projector, at its virtual press conference event "Life Unstoppable" on September 2nd. The new 4K laser projector provides a big picture cinematic experience in the comfort of one's home. The Premiere is the new anchor product in Samsung's award-winning Lifestyle product portfolio that is set to transcend the display experience – without the display. The Premiere will be available in up to 130" and 120" inch models – LSP9T and LSP7T respectively – that support a laser powered 4K picture resolution. The Premiere LSP9T is the world's first HDR10+ certified projector with triple laser technology and delivers revolutionary contrast details as the user watches from bright to dark scenes with a peak brightness of up to 2,800 ANSI lumens. The Premiere also supports Filmmaker Mode for the first of its kind as a projector allowing users to enjoy watching movies as director intended. The smart projector comes equipped with Samsung's Smart TV platform and experience full of streaming video apps from major content partners and mobile connectivity features such as Tap View and mirroring. Samsung will begin to rollout The Premiere globally starting in the U.S., Europe, Korea, and other regions later this year. No other details are available at this time. Full Press Release here... Optimized shot-based encodes for 4K: Now streaming! As the number of 4K titles in our catalog continues to grow and more devices support the premium features, we expect these video streams to have an increasing impact on our members and the network. We've worked hard over the last year to leapfrog to our most advanced encoding innovations — shot-optimized encoding and 4K VMAF model — and applied those to the premium bitstreams. More specifically, we've improved the traditional 4K and 10-bit ladder by employing: shot-based encoding dynamic optimization (DO) similar to that applied on our catalog-wide 8-bit stream profiles improved encoder settings. Details of how this new compression scheme work and visual examples provided in the original article found here Compression Improvements Results Analysis shows 50% gains on average over the fixed-bitrate. Meaning, on average we need 50% less bitrate to achieve the same quality with the optimized approach. The highest 4K bitrate on average is 8 Mbps which is also a 50% reduction compared to 16 Mbps of the fixed-bitrate approach. The optimized technique entails a smaller storage footprint compared to the fixed-bitrate technique. Benefits For members with high-bandwidth connections we deliver the same great quality at half the bitrate on average. (Help with Data Caps) For members with constrained bandwidth we deliver higher quality at the same (or even lower) bitrate Most streaming sessions start with a higher initial quality. The number of rebuffers per hour go down by over 65% Next Steps Netflix has started re-encoding the 4K titles in their catalog to generate the optimized streams and they expect to complete the process in a couple of months. Netflix continues to work on applying similar optimizations to their HDR streams. Philip Hue Lighting It's no secret that we are fans of Hue lights. Ara has over thirty hue lights and fixtures all throughout his home. He recently installed some of their outdoor lighting in his front yard. The video below shows the end result. It was easy to install once power was supplied. For that an electrician was called out to provide outdoor sockets. Each socket cost about $125 to install. If you are handy you can avoid this cost and just pay for the lights. The lights are expensive but as you will see in the video much better than the garden variety low voltage lights. If you already have a Hue Hub adding each light is very simple and takes a few minutes per light. In Ara's case he had a light that was stubborn but did eventually add after a couple of attempts. If you don't have the hub you will have to also buy one and add it to your network. The spot lights were purchased as part of a kit that included a power supply for $340. The path lights were bought individually for $130 each. If you need a power supply the cost goes up to $150, but you only need one of those. To install the lights it's as simple as connecting the lights to each other and then plugging the lights into power. Ara buried the wires under gravel but that is optional and can be skipped if the lagscaping does not require it. The lights illuminate the entry so beautifully it's r

Samsung has new hybrid TVs coming — and they could kill OLED Samsung is readying a new TV display technology that combines the immaculate picture of OLED with the brightness and color boosting properties of QLED's quantum-dots, into a new hybrid technology called QD-OLED. Even more exciting? According to reports from BusinessKorea, prototypes of the next-gen technology are already being shared with companies like Sony and Panasonic, as well as Samsung Electronics, and the new panels could start showing up in TVs as early as 2021. Full article here... 6 super cheap home security devices to buy in 2020 From Wyze Cams to Echo Dots, these gadgets will keep your home secure without emptying your bank account. Full article here… Optoma Releases CinemaX P2 All-in-One, 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector From the Optoma Press Release: Optoma launched its next-generation true 4K UHD cinematic experience with the CinemaX P2. This ultra short throw projector features 3,000 lumens of brightness, laser technology and an ultra short throw lens. Using customer feedback from the award-winning CinemaX P1, Optoma engineered the next gen CinemaX P2 to deliver 25% more contrast and vibrant color performance than its top-selling predecessor giving you a richer color pallet and deeper blacks. It features an integrated Enhanced Gaming Mode making this UST projector an ideal choice for your gaming projector. It even has a state-of-the-art digital exhibit feature. All of this projection power contained in a sleek, white, space saving design. Optoma CinemaX P2 Smart 4K UHD Laser Features: Resolution: 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) Lumens: 3,000 ANSI lumens Contrast: 2,000,000:1 with 3 Dynamic Black Dimming Modes (P1 1.5M:1 No Dynamic Black Dimming modes) Color: REC.709, DCI-P3 wide color gamut HDR10 compatible Color Wheel: 6 Segment RGBRGB (Editor's Note - The P1 had an eight segment color wheel that included yellow. Removing yellow is supposed to provide more vivid colors) Integrated 4K Media Player and popular video streaming apps available from Optoma Marketplace Smart+ Technology: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT integration SmartFIT app: Auto geometry correction system for iOS and Android The Optoma CinemaX P2 is available for purchase at $3,299 and only comes in white. We have requested a review model.

Mini-LED gets cheaper: How tiny new lights could improve your next big LCD TV The new TCL 6-Series is powered by smaller LEDs and starts at $650. Here's why that matters. Full article here... What's the Difference between Micro and Mini LED? MicroLED displays, like Sony's Crystal LED and Samsung's The Wall, use millions of LEDs, one for each pixel. Essentially, you're looking directly at the LEDs which are creating the picture. And while each individual MicroLED is tiny, the modular nature of MicroLED means it can get truly gigantic. Mini-LEDs are found inside normal-size TVs -- TCL is currently selling versions from 55- to 75-inches -- but the LEDs themselves are much larger than MicroLEDs. Just like the standard LEDs found in current TVs, they're used to power the backlight of the television. A liquid crystal layer, the LCD itself, modulates that light to create the image. MicroLED isn't LCD at all, it's a whole new TV technology that also happens to use LEDs. Direct Lit with Mini vs Full LED Local dimming is a feature on LED TVs that dims the backlight behind parts of the screen that are displaying black. This makes blacks appear deeper and darker on those parts of the screen, which can be a big bonus for people who watch videos with darker scenes, like movies and TV shows. The more LEDs a TV has the finer the granularity of this process. A typical Direct Lit LED Array has hundreds of LED Zones to light the 8.2 Million pixels. A huge improvement over a single light source for the entire TV. Let's look at the Vizo 75 inch P series Quantum X. A very good TV by RTNGS.com standard. It has 485 zones. That means each zone is covering 16.9K pixels. Even with this "limitation" RTNGS.com gives it an 8.4 for watching movies and HDR content. Now take a look at a TV with 25,000 mini-LEDs arrayed across the back of the TV. That means each LED is responsible for 328 pixels! Much more control which translates to higher contrast Two such TVs are the TCL 8 and 6 Series. The 8 Series has just over 25,000 mini LEDs while the 6 Series has only a thousand. Still twice as good as a typical Direct Array LED TV. Buying Advice At this year's CES we saw OLED, Micro, and Mini LED TVS. All have their place. Micro LED may give OLED a run for the money because it has similar performance and will be easier and less costly to scale up to very large screen sizes. To date you can't buy a micro LED. When they show up they will be at a premium but should eventually come down to less than OLED. Especially at the larger screen sizes. Mini LED is here! TCL has two models on the market and LG is not very far behind. With much improved performance over the current line of LED TVs this technology gets you very close to OLED performance for much less money. And like the micro LED, mini LED can scale to larger screen sizes. We recommend you take a look at the mini LEDs that are on the market or will be introduced in the next few months. Interview with Rob Jones, CTO of Enclave Audio Rob Jones is the CTO of Enclave Audio, makers of a wireless 5.1 home theater system that is easy to set up anywhere in your home without the need of speaker wire. The Enclave 5.1 CineHome II ($1,099.98) and CineHome PRO THX® Certified ($1,599.98) can be installed by simply placing the speakers, connecting your TV or STB to the Enclave Smart Center and powering up. We talk with Rob about these products and his love of audio. More information can be found at their website EnclaveAudio.com

This week we ask whether Allen should open his factory sealed Empire Strikes Back VHS tape so he can digitize it. We also breakout sales of the top 10 selling discs by format, Finally we make a case for not buying an 8K TV just yet. We also read your emails and take a look at the news on an action packed episode!! Question of the Day Question of the day comes from Allen - I have an original VHS copy of Empire Strikes Back, it is still shrink-wrapped. Is it worth opening to digitize and add to my @plex server? Ara's answer - Yes! Preserve it before its unwatchable. What say all of you? I found an unopened 1990's original on eBay for $22 shipped. Lee Overstreet - As someone who does a lot of analog digitization, I'd say only bother if you have the right equipment and know what you're doing to get the most out of it. i.e.: High end preferably S-VHS VCR, TBC, lossless capture codec, chroma/luma adjust, etc. No cheap composite doohickeys. Bill S - Since it's a VHS it would be the original before all the enhancements. I'd go with digitizing it before the tape degrades. Graham Cole - eBay it Scott Foseen - No, shrink wrapped it is worth more as a collector's item. If you want it on plex buy a new disk instead DJ from the Brightside HT Podcast - I would keep that on display until the day I die. As far as I'm concerned it's priceless and isn't worth anything because I'd never sell it. It has to be pretty rare and some thing that unique is a pretty cool item to have. Congratulations! Top 10 Sellers for Week Ended 8-1-20 Broken out by Format Source - NPD VideoScan First Alert (based on unit sales from reporting retailers) Note - In the original numbers, NPD VideoScan considered UHD a Blu-ray version and added it to the Bluray Share for each title. We subtracted the UHD share from the NPD VideoScan Bluray numbers in the table below Title UHD BR DVD 10) The Secret Life of Pets 0.1% 1.9% 97.9% 9) NCIS (S7) 0 0 100 8) Jurassic World 0 7 93 7) Top Gun 8 25 67 6) Jaws 13 5 82 5) Capone 0 44 56 4) The Mule 0.4 7.6 92 3) Sonic the Hedgehog 9 41 50 2) Trolls World Tour 6 45 49 1) Scoob! 5 38 57 Full list of 20 here… Do You need 8K? Spoiler Alert… the answer is No! Pixel Counts for HDTV Formats 720p 1,280x720 921,600 1080p 1,920x1,080 2,073,600 4K 3,840x2,160 8,294,400 8K 7,680x4,320 33,177,600 Viewing Distances where Resolution is Noticeable So does resolution matter for your viewing distance? For this discussion we will look at a screen size of 75 inches and how resolution impacts the viewing experience. This is information from Carlton Bale and based on the resolving ability of the human eye. He states: A person with 20/20 vision can resolve 60 pixels per degree, which corresponds to recognizing the letter "E" on the 20/20 line of a Snellen eye chart from 20 feet away. He created a chart showing, for any given screen size, how close you need to sit to be able to detect some or all of the benefits of a higher resolution screen. We link to his entire analysis here (Screen Size vs. Viewing Distance vs. Resolution). His analysis does not cover 8K but you will be able to draw your conclusions from looking at his work anyway. At 22 feet (6.7M) 480p=720p=1080p=4K At 15 feet (4.5M) you can tell that 480p is lower quality but 720p=1080p=4K At 10 feet (3.0M) you can tell that both 480p and 720p are lower quality but 1080p=4K At 5 feet (1.5M) you can tell that 480p, 720p, and 1080p are lower quality Who sits this close to a 75 inch TV? Most people sit anywhere from 10 to 15 feet from their TVs. Many sit farther. Ara's media room is 13.5 feet (4M) from his 90 inch screen. According to Bale Ara can't see the difference in resolution between 1080p and 4K. As it turns out Ara would need a screen size greater than 140 inches to see any benefit from resolution. Of course newer TVs with higher resolutions usually come with other enhancements like HDR, better color, and contrast. Although a 720p TV is good enough resolution for many, these TVs do not have the better and more important feature enhancements of wide color and HDR making the image look far worse. Someday all you will be able to buy are 8K TVs. Will that alone have any perceived improvement on your viewing experience? Most likely not. However, there will probably be other improvements that will make buying an 8K TV worth it. But that's not the case today. Save your money and buy a high quality 4K TV and understand that 4K is not the most important feature of your TV. Of course there is the issue with finding 8K content. Is there any? Will the studios start filming in 8K? There is definitely some 8K content out there but as we said earlier. It doesn't matter to the human eye. Possible uses for 8K TVS Large Video Wall that can display multiple 1080P or 4K screens simultaneously A huge computer screen I got nothing else!

On today's show we breakdown the Top 50 Disc sellers format market share and look at a few shows that were either canceled or renewed for the upcoming Fall season with the most thorough resource we have found on this subject from Rotten Tomatoes. Finally we take a look at the Sonos ARC soundbar with a review from the Verge. All that plus your email and news! RENEWED AND CANCELLED TV SHOWS 2020 Want to know if your favorite television series is among the latest cancelled TV shows? Bookmark this page to learn about Netflix cancelled shows, when network series get the axe, and which cable TV limited series are being reworked as anthologies to squeeze every single drop of fan love out of them. Full article here… Some notable shows: A.P. Bio: season 3 (NBC) – Renewed (moves to Peacock after being cancelled by NBC) The Blacklist: season 8 (NBC) – Renewed Blue Bloods: season 11 (CBS) – Renewed Bosch: season 7 (Amazon) – Cancelled (after seventh, and final, season) Season six currently streaming. Season 7 still to be released. Criminal Minds: season 15 (CBS) – Cancelled (after fifteenth, and final, season) The Crown: seasons 4, 5 and 6 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after sixth, and final, season) Fear the Walking Dead: season 6 (AMC) – Renewed For All Mankind: season 2 (Apple TV+) – Renewed GLOW: season 4 (Netflix) – Cancelled (after fourth and final season) Homeland: season 8 (Showtime) – Cancelled (after eighth, and final, season) MacGyver: season 5 (CBS) – Renewed Magnum P.I.: season 3 (CBS) – Renewed The Mandalorian: season 2 (Disney+) – Renewed NCIS: season 18 (CBS) – Renewed The Walking Dead: season 11 (AMC) – Renewed SONOS ARC Review We recently had a discussion on the Sonos Arc and wondered if the $800 price tag is worth it. We reached out to Sonos for an evaluation unit but have yet to hear back. But we did find a review of the Sonos Arc over at The Verge and will share some of the high points.We have linked to the entire review for your convenience. Audio formats supported: Dolby Atmos TrueHD (for external Blu-ray players) Dolby Digital Plus Dolby Digital If you've been eyeing the Arc, you might already be familiar with a lot of this terminology. It's a soundbar meant for home theater enthusiasts who, for whatever reason, aren't interested in going all-out with in-ceiling speakers and a full 7.1 surround experience. If that's you, I think the Arc delivers a phenomenal audio experience for its price. You've just got to be sure your TV is capable of unlocking that potential. It's a strange limitation; at this price point, it's reasonable to expect an HDMI passthrough so you can experience Atmos without potentially having to upgrade your TV. This is a key point is that your TV needs to send the Atmos signal over Arc. In most cases your TV needs to support eARC for that to happen. There are some TVs that can do that over ARC but not many. Bottom line you may need a new TV to get ATMOS to work. Even still, it may not be the experience you would expect. We have talked about perfectly shaped rooms since the days of the Yamaha Sound Projector. The author comes to the same conclusion. Box shaped Room: Paired with the Sub, the Arc delivered sound as immersive as the multiple-speaker Atmos system. If you didn't know the Arc was bouncing sound off the ceiling and rear wall, you would easily believe that there were speakers there. Compared to the traditional Atmos system, the Arc sounded different — it's definitely tuned to deliver very loud dialogue, and it's still a soundbar, so the overall left / right soundstage isn't as wide — but it delivered a surround effect that was easily as convincing. Large Open Room: But if you don't have a room that's essentially a flat box, the Arc's ability to bounce sound goes away — in a large open living room with a double-height ceiling, the Arc didn't really deliver any surround experience at all. That's not a knock — the thing is designed to bounce sound off walls — but be aware of that limitation. Pros: Excellent, powerful, immersive sound Works well as a music speaker, too eARC means it's future-proofed Cons: Some TVs can't pass Atmos over ARC, and there's no HDMI passthrough Surround sound might not work well in large rooms Trueplay tuning available only on iPhone and iPad

On today's show we discuss Disney releasing Mulan on Disney+ with an additional $29.99 charge. Is this the world we have been hoping for? We also take a look at a really "cheap" 98 inch 4K TV. And finally we try to determine if the new TCL 8 Series mini-LED TVis Braden's next buy. All that plus news and your emails. Disney's 'Mulan' coming to Disney+ in September for $29.99 Disney said on Tuesday, in a surprise move, that its blockbuster feature "Mulan," which has been delayed from its theatrical release since mid-March, will hit Disney+ on Sept. 4, for a premium price of $29.99. The film will be simultaneously released theatrically in certain markets that have open theaters and where the company hasn't announced plans to launch Disney+. It will be Disney's first effort to sell content on Disney+, on top of the monthly $6.99 subscription. Full article here... Want a cheap 98-inch 4K display? Check out this behemoth from Xiaomi Meet the Redmi Smart TV MAX, a 98-inch TV that comes with its own white glove VIP installation service. Available at 19,999 Yuan (that's about US$2,800, £2,200, AU$4,000), this absurdly massive display is actually not all that expensive. The next cheapest 98-inch display on the market is the ViewSonic IFP9850, a touchscreen monitor that costs about three times more. Full article here… Or the: Samsung 98" QB98R Edge-Lit 4K UHD LED Display. $8999 at B&H TCL 8-series 4K UHD TV review: This TV gets as close to OLED as any LCD has come With thousands of mini LEDs forming its backlight array, TCL's 8-series Roku TV delivers blacks beyond what even the best LCD TVs from other manufacturers have managed. Full article here… TCL Q825 4K UHD smart TV (65-inch model 65Q825) $999.99 at BestBuy Quantum Contrast technology - Our new mini-LED backlight technology offers powerful and precise control of brilliantly bright and deeply dark areas of the image, delivering depth, dimension, and contrast. The viewing experience is improved throughout the screen. High-Performance Mini-LEDs - The 8-Series uses high-performance mini-LEDs to bring precise local dimming and smooth, uniform illumination. AiPQ Engine - Uses machine-learning algorithms to optimize color, contrast and clarity for an unrivaled 4K HDR experience. Wide Color with QLED color technology - Quantum dot technology delivers better brightness and wider color volume, matching the format used by most cinema screens and Hollywood content creators, for exceptionally vivid and lifelike picture performance. HDR - Provides images with superior color, contrast and brightness, so all your favorite movies, shows and games come to life in stunning clarity. Supports Dolby Vision, HDR 10, and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG). From the article: OLEDs do starfields almost perfectly; the Q825 merely does them very, very well. It doesn't deliver pure black, but close enough that you have to look hard to see the difference. I kept throwing my most problematic material at it and the 65Q825 kept coming up smelling like roses. Mostly. It failed on one highly detailed pan, but I'm calling that an outlier as it aced others that should've exhibited the same artifacts. Screen conformity was also very good, though off-angle viewing isn't on par with some of the top-end LCD sets from Sony and Samsung. AT A GLANCE TCL Q825 4K UHD smart TV (65-inch model 65Q825) Super granular mini-LED backlighting delivers the most stunning blacks we've seen from an LCD TV. Quantum dots refine the color, and processing is top-notch. One of the best values in LCD TVs we've tested. Pros By far the best blacks of any LCD TV we've tested Excellent overall picture Cons Overpriced when not on sale No Bluetooth

On today's show we ask the question whether a $300 toaster with a touchscreen is worth buying. We take a look at Klipsch's Soundbar killer the Fives and we give you a rundown of the Alexa Live 2020 conference. All that plus your emails and news! The Revolution R180 Toaster has a touchscreen. It's ridiculous and I love it Refrigerators, countertop ovens, microwaves and even multicookers all adopted touchscreen displays in the wake of the birth of the smart home. Now there's a toaster with a touchscreen. This won't be the first time I question the idea of putting a touchscreen on an appliance, and it likely won't be the last. Full article here... LIKE Fast toasting Sleek design East to customize cooking DON'T LIKE No Wi-Fi or connected smarts Expensive Bill S - I see no reason to have a screen on a toaster at all 🍞 Aaron - Only if it's connected to a Panera Micky A - Nope! Klipsch's 'The Fives' are stunning TV speakers that challenge soundbar trends Klipsch talks a big game when it comes to its new bookshelf-style powered TV monitors called The Fives. Claiming to be the first powered monitors to feature HDMI-ARC, which allows them to communicate directly with a television, Klipsch promises The Fives will provide a big and bold sound experience that will outperform the soundbars most people currently rely on. Full article here... At $799 are they worth it? Audio Advice video review HDMI ARC - Using HDMI-ARC, enjoy The Fives with your TV with no additional cables or remotes using the included HDMI cable HIGH EFFICIENCY AMPLIFICATION - The Fives incorporate individual ultra-low noise amplifiers that are custom designed to maximize system performance and eliminate the need for external amplification. World- class Klipsch engineers picked and tuned the components to be an absolute perfect match throughout, making the system sound incredibly immersive and complete. The Fives are also bi-amped resulting in improved clarity and output PRECISE, CLEAR & HIGHLY EFFICIENT SOUND, PROPRIETARY TO KLIPSCH - The Fives feature 1" titanium tweeters on Tractrix® horns, a proprietary technology that has been the driving force behind the stunningly precise Klipsch acoustics. Each powered monitor also features a 4.5" long-throw woofer and is ported to provide enhanced bass. THE MOST VERSATILE SPEAKERS ON THE PLANET - Whether you are connecting to a turntable, television, computer, or smart phone, The Fives provide the solution. The Fives come equipped with an integrated phono pre-amp, Bluetooth® 5, HDMI-ARC, digital optical, analog RCA and USB inputs, allowing you to enjoy superior stereo sound from a beautifully crafted tabletop stereo system. DYNAMIC BASS EQ - As the human ear perceives frequencies differently with variations in output, The Fives will dynamically match the ear's ability to hear lower frequencies. Typically, only available with audio/video receivers, dynamic volume is a first for Klipsch powered monitors. What you get is powerful bass whether the listening volume is low, cranked up or somewhere in between 192KHZ / 24-BIT DECODING TO SUPPORT HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO TRACKS - The Fives powered monitors also feature 192kHz / 24-bit decoding for flawless reproduction of high-resolution audio tracks from your PC or streaming source. ADD A SUBWOOFER - The Fives include a subwoofer output so you can easily add a powered subwoofer. Alexa Live 2020 Release Roundup Below are all features Amazon launched at Alexa Live 2020. Full List here (this is from a developer's point of view) Introducing Alexa Conversations (beta), a New AI-Driven Approach to Providing Conversational Experiences That Feel More Natural. Alexa Conversations is a new AI-driven approach to dialog management that enables developers to create skills that customers can interact with in a natural, less constrained way - using the phrases they prefer, in the order they prefer. Deep neural networks (DNNs) models can help improve Alexa's natural language understanding Multi-Value Slots (beta) Receive multiple slot values and respond to more complex utterances. The best way to describe this is with an example: User: Add apples to my shopping cart Alexa: How many apples should I add? User: Actually, add three bananas Alexa: Added three bananas. Would you like to add more items? User: Remove bananas from my cart Person Profile API Skills incorporating Alexa voice profiles can now create even more personalized experiences Example interactions: Mom: Alexa, order cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Alexa: You got it, but I need to verify your identity first. Alexa: What's your personal passcode? Mom: Two, four, eight, six. Alexa: Thank you, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are added to your grocery order. Teenager: Alexa, order ten microwave pizzas. Alexa: I need to verify your identity first. Alexa: What's your personal passcode? Teenager: Uh-oh. Alexa: I'm sorry, that passcode is incorrect. APL for audio (beta) Mix Alexa speech, sound effects, music, and other audio at ru

On today's show we look at how people are using their smart speakers with their smart TVs, ask the question, if Soundbars Suck, and provide you with the definitive resource list for finding content on Netflix. As usual we read you listener email and go through some news stories for the week. Research: Smart speakers increasingly linked to smart TVs Findings from Hub Entertainment Research's annual study – Evolution of the TV Set – reveal more viewers are using smart TVs linked to smart speakers to fill gaps in TV set capabilities. Highlights from the research: Resources for content discovery on Netflix Most Popular TV Shows & Movies on Netflix - Looking for a daily look on what's popular and most watched on Netflix? Here, we're tracking the daily top 10 TV series and top 10 movies on Netflix right now around the world. This includes what's popular on Netflix in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and a handful of other countries too What's New on Netflix - Looking for what's new on Netflix? Below are daily updates where we bring you latest new releases on Netflix in the US including the new movies, TV series, documentaries, Netflix Originals, and new-standup specials. You can filter out the non-foreign titles and we'll also do monthly roundups of the best new movies and TV series added to Netflix. Coming Soon to Netflix - Your source for new movies and new TV series coming to Netflix in 2020 including a release calendar, Netflix Original previews and what's coming from The CW, ABC, Disney, FOX and more. Leaving Soon - Netflix loses movies and TV series every month because of the way that licensing deals work. Here you'll find everything that's leaving Netflix in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. What To Watch on Netflix - Looking for a new show or movie? Then our what to watch section will give you the lowdown on all the best titles you can be streaming on Netflix from the big and small. Complete List of Netflix Originals - Netflix Library A-Z - This is where we scan and catalog the Netflix library (often a lot better than Netflix ever has) for your reading pleasure. Whether it's from the A-Z of Netflix Originals separated into genres, the complete Netflix Category list or 4k Titles on Netflix, there's something for everyone here. The fault in our bars: Making the case for old-school home theater speakers I'm about to say two words that will delight some, infuriate others, and echo a sentiment that has long been regarded as fact in the deeper reaches of the home theater community. Soundbars suck.

How Will Streaming Services Retain Subscribers Gained During COVID-19? Customers are showing an increased lack of loyalty when it comes to streaming, so instead of focusing solely on attracting new customers, many services are pivoting and focusing on keeping the subscribers they have. Production has been shut down across the globe, so there's not a lot of new content to roll out except what was already finished. That means services are either scrambling to secure the rights to already published content or moving release dates forward as Disney+ has done with a filmed version of Broadway smash hit Hamilton (dropping a full 15 months earlier than planned). A July 10 – 12 survey panel of 1,315 Americans on their current streaming and cable subscriptions found that 50% of respondents cite Netflix as their favorite service, with 8% signing up for the first time in the past 90 days. Analysts believe Netflix could report net sub additions of 15 million worldwide. Analysts also believe the likely giant spike in new subscribers increases pressure on Netflix for retention. More consumption of content suggests even greater need to replace content with something new. Questions - Have you started a new streaming service in the last few months? Have you canceled a new streaming service in the last few months? What would get you to leave? If new content stopped being released would you keep your service? Have your views changed in any way regarding streaming services over the past few months? Top 20 Movies by sales for Week Ended 7-4-20 Source: NPD VideoScan First Alert (based on unit sales from reporting retailers) Here are the Top Ten in reverse order: 10 Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn 6.1 out of 10 at IMDB - After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord. 9 Jumanji: The Next Level 6.7 - In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to rescue one of their own, the players will have to brave parts unknown from arid deserts to snowy mountains, to escape the world's most dangerous game. 8 The Call of the Wild 6.8 - A sled dog struggles for survival in the wilds of the Yukon. 7 The Invisible Man (2020) 7.1 - When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see. 6 Jaws 8.0 - When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down. 5 The Mule 7.0 - A ninety-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran turns drug mule for a Mexican cartel. 4 Onward 7.5 - Two elven brothers embark on a quest to bring their father back for one day. 3 Top Gun 6.9 - As students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom. 2 Sonic the Hedgehog 6.6 - After discovering a small, blue, fast hedgehog, a small-town police officer must help him defeat an evil genius who wants to do experiments on him. 1 Force of Nature Rated 4.4 - A gang of thieves plan a heist during a hurricane and encounter trouble when a cop tries to force everyone in the building to evacuate. Sony A8H OLED TV Review RTINGS.com The Sony A8H ($2800 65") is an excellent OLED TV that delivers incredible picture quality for any type of content and is a fairly decent upgrade over its predecessor, the Sony A8G OLED. It produces perfect blacks with its infinite contrast ratio, which is great for those who like to watch in a dark room. It handles reflections exceptionally well, and its decent peak brightness is enough to fight glare in brighter lighting conditions. It has wide viewing angles, so the image remains accurate even if you're sitting off to the side. Its response time is almost instantaneous and it has a low input lag; however, gamers might find the lack of variable refresh rate (VRR) support a bit disappointing. As always, there's a risk of permanent burn-in with OLED panels, although it shouldn't be an issue for most. Its Android TV platform is user-friendly, it runs smoothly, and you should have no problems finding what you need from the immense Google Play Store. Full Review 8.7 Mixed Usage 9.4 Movies 8.2 TV Shows 8.6 Sports 8.5 Video Games 8.8 HDR Movies 8.3 HDR Gaming 8.2 PC Monitor PROS Perfect black levels. Low input lag. Near-instantaneous response time. Decent HDR peak brightness. CONS No VRR support. The article says that the TV is beaten by the LG E9 (2019) model which sells for $2750 for a 65" 8.8 Mixed Usage 9.4 Movies 8.3 TV Shows 8.7 Sports 9.1 Video Games 8.7 HDR Movies 8.8 HDR Gaming 8.7 PC Monitor

We have a full show today with a quick followup to last week's Eufy camera review that includes the Pan and Tilt version. We discuss our question of the day: Would you pay $280 for a High fidelity power cable for your AV system? We take a brief look at Home Theater Review's discussion of the NAD T778 and we run through the new receivers just announced by Marantz. Update to Eufy Camera Review - Ara bought and tested the Pan and Tilt version of the camera. It has all the same features as the stationary model but allows for moving the camera around via a touch pad. It costs $10 more and is like a tiny R2D2. This is the perfect camera for those situations where you want a larger field of view. Object tracking works will and is kind of creepy. Also, the camera has gone offline twice requiring a rest. Question of the day. Would you pay $280 for a High fidelity power cable for your AV system? Why or why not? Followup Question. What is the most you would pay for such a cable? Bright Side Home Theater Podcast - 25 years ago yes. I absolutely would and did because I didn't know any better. You're system is only as good as it's weakest link and I've since learned I'd need a system worth over 1mil to even approach seeing a difference in a $280 power cord. J.P. Lyman - How much is the rest of the system? For myself my hearing is not what it once was - so I doubt that I would hear that much of a difference. Russel H - I paid $100 for a cable about 10yrs ago. I was kicking myself because I probably could have gotten the same results with a $20 cable. Joakim Lind - If it would make a noticeable difference then yes. But I doubt it would. Jon Zbrzeski - No, because the cable from my house to the electric tower isn't hi-fi. NAD T 778 AV Receiver Reviewed - HomeTheaterReview.com We don't typically review really high end gear on the show but we thought it might be nice to learn about such a receiver. The NAD T 778 goes for $3000. More than many of our listeners will pay for their entire setup ($1500 for a TV, $750 for a soundbar and another $100 for a set top box). We know there are many who will pay more than the $3000 for their system but very few will spend that much on the receiver alone. Speaking of high quality receivers... Marantz introduced their new lineup for 2020. SR5015 ($1,099) (September 15) SR6015 ($1,599) (September 15) SR7015 ($2,299) (July 15) SR8015 ($3,199) (August 15)

eufy Security Indoor Cam 2K We are always on the lookout for new home automation/security devices. Especially ones that really deliver and don't cost a lot of money. The eufy Security Indoor Cam 2K does exactly that. At just $40 a pop, this is an absolute no brainer! Add the fact that it works with Amazon, Google, and will work with HomeKit in July, this is the camera that every HT Guys listener should own. Features Detect Pets vs Humans Encrypted video stored locally. Cloud based storage available if desired Setup multiple Activity Zones Two-way Audio Night viewing iOS and Android app 1080p HD Video Setup Plug in, connect via the app and join Wifi. That's it! There are settings you can customize in the app that include rotating the image 180 degrees if you mount the camera to the ceiling (upside down). If you want local storage you can insert a mini SD card. You can buy a 64GB card for about $10 which gives you a ton of storage. Or you can opt for cloud based storage for $30 a year or $100 for ten cameras for a year. The cloud storage gives you a rolling 30 day record of events for each camera. Performance It works great! Video is clear. Detection of Pets vs humans was very good. Audio is what you would expect from a tiny speaker but it's passable. There is an alarm feature that has decent volume. Not sure how effective it would be in deterring a burglar but maybe if you had multiple cameras with all of them blaring it might do something. The Activity zones worked well and we were able to cut down on false alarms by creating a zone that had no objects in it but would trigger if a human walked through. The camera did a good job in detecting animals vs humans. But there were some false alarms. Mind you we had to get an old stuffed animal from when my kids were little and tie it to a string to make it move across the floor. We suspect this will improve as Eufy fine tunes their AI algorithm. There is even sound detection that can be turned on and off. It has the ability to detect a crying baby which we didn't test. Unlike finding an old stuffed animal we did not have access to a baby nor would our kids pretend to be one! There is a sensitivity setting for this feature that can be used to fine tune it. Smarthome Integration was not tested because we tested in Ara's house which is a HomeKit home and that functionality has not been activated yet, But according to the literature it does work with Google and Amazon which means you can speak to your device and get the video on screen provided you have a device with a screen. A plus for Apple users, when HomeKit does come to the device, it will support secure video to iCloud. So if you have an iCloud device your videos will be stored encrypted at no cost beyond your iCloud fee. Bottom Line The Eufy Indoor 2K Camera provides you with great looking video and motion detection that is typically found on more expensive cameras. It supports Alexa and Google Home today and will support Homekit in July. Really the only drawback that we see is that it is a fixed camera. But if you can afford a whopping $10 more ($50) you can get the eufy Security Indoor Cam 2K Pan and Tilt. We'll take a look at that camera in the future.

On today's podcast we bring you 15 Smart Home Devices that are worth Every Penny and Ten Facts about the Over The Top (OTT) Transition. And, as usual, we read some listener email and go through the top news stories of the week. 10 Facts about the OTT transition OTT is the fastest growing media and entertainment segment - OTT services have been around for less than 10 years and they've already grown to surpass the size of major broadcasters and studios around the world. In some markets, there are now more eyeballs watching OTT services than traditional broadcasters. OTT costs less - With OTT you select the services you feel provide the most value, and you're not bound by contracts — You can cancel anytime. However, if you try to replicate the exact service you can come pretty close to the same cost. OTT allows you to watch content from around the world - You can find content from just about any country. When my mother-in-law was staying with us for a couple of weeks I was able to purchase two networks for her stay and then I canceled when she went home. The most popular OTT services, like Netflix and Amazon Prime, provide a premium experience with no commercials - Premium OTT services are becoming the source for high-quality, highly entertaining original content. The shift in advertising dollars has seen many broadcasters adopt lower quality, cheaper programming. The demand for content has reinvigorated the global content creation industry - Unprecedented demand to serve the ever-growing content budgets of services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and now HBO Max and Disney+ Demand for content is driving studios and content owners to find a more efficient way to monetize their libraries - It seems like every network has some sort of OTT platform With the increased competition in OTT, more and better options for consumers are being developed - For example, there are now OTT services for people who love tennis or soccer, and that's all they broadcast. Quibi serves quick bites of content optimized for mobile consumption for younger audiences and people on the go. OTT is agile - Content providers can react in real time and serve up relevant programming in response to current events. Services like Netflix and Amazon allow parents more control with the ability to filter content and create childproof user accounts During the COVID-19 crisis, the cinema industry has been particularly hit hard with screens going dark - Studios have had to turn to alternate methods of generating revenue from first-run movies using OTT services. It has been an overwhelming success."Trolls 2: World Tour" wrapped up nearly $100 million in rentals in its first week.

This week we have a Listener review of Hoob, a plug and play hub that makes smart accessories compatible with your favorite ecosystem. We give you some ideas for getting yourself that Father's Day gift your family didn't get you, and we discuss the different HDR Formats. Father's Day Gifts - that you can buy yourself because your kids didn't! FIIL T1X TWS True Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds $50 - These are getting rave reviews and at $50 it's a no brainer. Roku Streaming Stick Plus $40 - Stream pretty much everything under the sun from Netflix to HBO to Hulu, and everything in between. It streams up to 4K resolution, and the included remote controls the TV's power and volume, too. Bose Frames Alto $200 - OK we are not huge Bose fans but this is pretty cool. Sunglasses with speakers built into them. You can listen to music or even our podcast without people knowing that is what you are doing! HDR HDR10 HDR10+ Dolby Vision Bit Depth Good Good Great Peak brightness Great Great Excellent Tone Mapping Varies Better Better Metadata Static Static Dynamic TV Support Great Limited Great Content Availability Great Limited Great

New Denon X-Series Introduced Denon introduced four new receivers to the X-Series AVRs that are packed full of new features. You would expect support for HDMI 2.1 and you would be correct. The new models are the Denon AVR-X6700H ($2499), AVR-X4700H ($1699), AVR-X3700H ($1199), and AVR-X2700H ($849 MSRP). Lineup Features 8K & HDMI 2.1 The X-Series features an advanced HDMI section with a dedicated 8K input that will support 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video pass-through. All HDMI inputs feature 4:4:4 Pure Color sub sampling, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), 3D, and BT.2020 pass-through support for exceptional color, clarity and contrast. Enjoy 8K upscaling as well as HDCP 2.3 processing to play copy-protected content uninhibited. The X-Series also adopts eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) to enable uncompressed and object-based audio transmission, like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, directly from your smart TV apps to your AV receiver. Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization AVR-X6700H - Set up a 7.1.4 or 9.1.2 with eleven channels of amplification built-in to the receiver AVR-X4700H - Set up a 5.1.4 or 7.1.2 with nine channels of amplification built-in to the receiver AVR-X3700H - Set up a 5.2.4 or 7.2.2 with nine channels of amplification built-in to the receiver AVR-X3700H - Set up a 5.1.2 using Dolby Atmos elevation speakers, or dedicated overhead speakers High Resolution Audio Support Enjoy superb audio fidelity with your favorite high-resolution audio tracks. The X-Series features the latest AKM 32-bit D/A converters allowing for high resolution audio decoding with multiple lossless file types All new Denon AV receivers are now Roon Tested. Get more out of your digital music library with searchable, surfable information about your favorite artists and songs. Find lyrics, concert dates, photos, bios, reviews and more. Bluetooth Audio Transmission Enjoy your favorite audio without waking your whole home by transmitting the audio coming from your AV receiver to your Bluetooth headphones. The X-Series even allows you to play the audio on both Bluetooth headphones and connected speakers simultaneously. If you have a family member or a friend who is hearing impaired, we recommend this setup. Custom Install Ready The Denon X-Series features external control and IP control capabilities for easy customization and compatibility with third-party integration solutions. It offers IP control capability for major third-party control devices, as well as Control4 SDPP (Simple Device Detection Protocol) certification for seamless integration with Control4 home automation equipment. Remote Monitoring Capability The Denon X-Series AV receivers features Domotz Pro and OvrC remote monitoring and management interface and service compatibility. These programs allow custom integrators to monitor the status of connected products and troubleshoot remotely from the office or on the go, radically reducing the time it takes to address the issue. Model Specific Features Preamp Mode All but the 2700 support Preamp mode which was previously only found on the Denon flagship X8500H receiver. 13.2 Channel Processing The X6700H supports 13.2 channels with an external amplifier. HDMI Diagnostic Tool Allows you to test cables up to 8K before you wire anything up. An input and output port is on the back panel. Simply plug both ends of the cable into the slots and run the test. Auro 3D This is IMAXs spatial sound format. It's only available on the 6700 and 4700

On today's show we take a look at streaming services from different points of view. What's the best service for your watching habits. We finish with looking at the different Active HDMI cables available at Monoprice.com. But of course no show is complete without reading your emails and checking out the news of the week! The Best Streaming Service for your Watching Habits - TechCrunch The Best Monoprice Active HDMI Cables - AVS Forum

Setting Up AV over IP Many of our listeners ask us about the best way to setup distributed AV systems. Mainly for audio but occasionally video as well. In the old days of analog this was a complex task that required a ton of wiring and big heavy equipment. Now that IP is almost everywhere (both wired and wireless) it's much easier to do. The following are things to consider when setting up a distributed digital AV system. Advantages Makes use of an existing infrastructure (wired and wireless) to distribute audio. Easier to expand. Can easily add more ports to a router. This also makes things like video walls simpler to do. Finally there is size and cost. Analog equipment is bulkier and more costly. Infrastructure Wiring Topology Differences It's essentially the same thing. Your routers and equipment can be in a closet similar to distribution amps. It's a star topology. Mix and Match different Technologies Maximum flexibility allowing mixing and matching without the need for multiple scalers. The different formats and resolutions transmit over the same infrastructure without conversions. What to look for in HDMI Cables that Claims to be 2.1 Compliant Since there are not any "Official" 2.1 compliant cables, what do you look for when a company advertises their cables as being 2.1 compliant? Reputation of the company. Does their current products meet the claims made about it for previous versions of the HDMI spec. Do your research about the cable. Read reviews! Using a Single Ecosystem Products are designed to work together seamlessly. Installation and setup are easier. Additional devices appear in control apps without the need for programming. At most you will provide a specific name and location for the device. You have a single contact point for customer service.

Karl sent us an email with a link to a Youtube video loaded with stereo commercials from the 70s and 80s. It was fun going down memory lane. We go through the commercials and discuss what has changed over the years. We also round out the discussion with some cool Smart Home products and how you can optimize their use! Audio electronics companies like Marantz and Pioneer used to run television commercials touting their hi fidelity products. You don't see that too much any more. Even television manufacturer commercials presenting their proprietary TV technology were more prevalent than they are today. Honestly if the pharmaceutical companies took their ads off the air there might be more room for these types of ads to come back! Some were quite creative. Video Found Here Korvetts - A New York Department store with a large Home Entertainment section. It is amazing how many different stereos and home electronics department stores carried. Now to see something like that you have to go to a Best Buy. I remember going shopping with my mom at the "The Broadway", a local department store in Southern California, just so I could hang out in the stereo section and drool over gear I had to save my money for to buy. In 1983 I bought a Fisher Stereo system that had a receiver/amp, cassette player, turntable, and two speakers for $999.99 ($2600 today's dollars). I kept that setup until I moved into the house that I live in now. I finally got rid of it when I bought my first 5.1 system from Yamaha. Stereo Sofas! Columbia House - I ordered my records and never bought the minimum required each year. Circus Magazine - Self proclaimed Toughest, Timeliest, Gutsiest Magazine around. Circus was a monthly American magazine devoted to rock music. It was published from 1966 to 2006. In its heyday the magazine had a full-time editorial staff that included some of the biggest names in rock journalism. RCA Video Disc Player - Discs start at $15 and the player costs $500 back in 1981. The technology was from the late 60s but making it work in commercial form delayed it until 1981 which made it compete with the laser video disc. Which more or less killed this RCA Video Disc concept. By the way in today's dollars the player would cost about $1350. Discs would start at $42.50! Fred Rated (Shadoe Stevens)!! Federated Electronics Super Stores was a home electronics store in Southern California in the 70s and 80s. JC Penny had their own line of stereo equipment. MCS by JC Penny G.E. - The power of Music. Who would have thought?? Magnovox had an extensive line of audio equipment. Pacific Stereo - A stereo shop in So Cal that had private listening rooms. May still be around but not the same ownership. Pioneer PL518 Turntable - $175 in 1978. In today's dollars it's worth $690. A used one in good shape on ebay is selling for $275 Racquel Welch selling Motorola TVs Quasar II TVs 1970. 23 inch color console TV went for $600 in 1970 that is a whopping $3975 today! Marantz CD Player CD73 $649 in 1983 ($1665) Panasonic Dynamite 8 - 8-Track player. Looks like a plunger sounds like Dynamite. You can buy an original ad with Jimmy "Dynamite" Walker holding the player for about $100 Zenith Hand Crafted Color TVs - Space command remote control tuning. The quality goes in before the name goes on! Sanyo - That's Life Kenwood Stereo - High Speed Circuity for cleaner sound The Best Tech, Appliances, and Gadgets For A Smarter, Safer Home Tips and best practices for optimizing your smart home