HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

Happy New Year!! Today we discuss a network strategy for all those new Home Automation devices you bought for Christmas as well as reading your emails and discussing a few News stories. We have discussed this before but in light of all the new home automation devices that were purchased over the Holidays we thought it would be good to do a refresher. The article was publised over at KTAR News and we will go through it and add our take.

Predictions Review 2019 At the beginning of each year we make predictions as to what we think will happen in the area of HDTV, Home Theater, and Home Automation. We usually hit at about 40% correct. This year, thanks to some generous judging we only got to 33%. So let's see how close, or far, we came in our predictions. MicroLEDs Make a Macro Splash MicroLED are an emissive display technology similar to that of OLED. Likewise, they can, theoretically at least, produce perfect blacks, excellent color, and near-perfect off-angle viewing. But unlike OLEDs, they claim to be even brighter, thinner, immune to burn-in, and in time, less expensive to make than other technologies. Look for at least one MicroLED TV to come to market in 2019. No Micro LEDs that we could find. However, TCL released a Mini LED product in their 8-Series line. Not quite the same thing but a step in the right direction. The TCL has 25,000 zones which should do better than the current LEDs with hundreds of zones. 0/1 Interactive TV comes to a Screen Near You Thanks to companies like Roku, Apple, Amazon, and Google, many of us have a smart box connected to our sets. In fact, many TVs have the same smarts built into them. Look for at least one manufacturer incorporate interactive TV into the programs being watched through their devices. Participate in fan polls, voting for your favorite contestant, or just chatting with other viewers all from the comfort of your couch! Disney Channel does make use of this during some programming. You can chime in on questions on screen and see what the rest of America feels about questions being asked. But this is done through their app. It's not built into the TV architecture. 0/2 LG Releases a Roll Up OLED Last year at CES we talked about an OLED TV screen that was so thin that it could bend. This year we double down on this technology and bet that LG releases a rollable OLED TV. The screen itself will roll into a box that is about the size of a sound bar when not in use. In fact the same box can house the electronics as well as the speakers truly making it a Home Theater in a box. We wanted this to be true and according to the LG website it ALMOST is. LG says this TV is coming soon. 0/3 Home Security Will Drive Home Automation Demand Home security surveillance and monitoring will become the driving force behind home automation acceptance. Compelling ads similar to the ones run by Ring Doorbell will push many to dip their toes in the water surround home automation. Once you have your outside lights automated it's a simple step to automate your inside. And so it will begin for many. We have seen Ring grow for a doorbell company to a security company and now they sell home automation products. Likewise SimpliSafe is doing similar things. People start here and then incorporate more automation into their lives. 1/4 Smart Mirrors Look for a company to release a smart mirror that is affordable for "most" of us. Imagine getting ready in the morning and looking into your mirror to interact with your social media feeds, watch news and and get weather updates.You will even be able to control your home all from your bathroom! Well we kind of have a winner here. There is a smart Mirror but it's for working out. It displays your vitals and you can look at yourself as you follow the instructor on the screen. No news or weather but that is just around the corner. So we are going to give ourselves partial credit of 25% correct. 1.25/5 Voice Control of our Home Theater Will Become a Reality Whether it be the Echo, Siri, or Google Home you will be able to control your home theater with your voice. And not rudimentary control, we're talking Tell your TV exactly what you want to do and it will be done. Alexa, watch A&E Channel on SlingTV. Or Hey Siri watch the LA Dodgers on the MLB app. This was our gimmie. But with that said it is still not 100% correct. You can do quite a bit with voice like launching apps. You can even tell siri to watch a specific channel on the ATT App and it goes there! We had no idea that would work but it does!! We'll take 75% correct. 2/6 for a grand total of 33%

Smarthome Buying Guide 2019 We have been touting the Smarthome for a few years now but somehow have never put together a Buying Guide. So for 2019 we are going to fix that. Afterall, this is the year of home automation. This list we will only contain products that work on both iOS and Android platforms. As a result, this list will not contain some manufactures which may limit some of the things your platform of choice is capable of. The good news is if you see a product that you like on this list you can be assured that it will work in your home. One thing we would like to mention and if you already have home automation devices you already know this. No matter what product you have, home automation will give you the occasional headache. There have been times where it seemed all my devices stopped working then just as quickly everything settles out. There is a good chance that the issue was wifi related but I never really know for sure. If you use a dedicated system like Insteon, Crestron, or Control 4 you may see less issues. But if you do see issues it may cost you money to bring in an expert or with Insteon cause you frustration finding a solution buried deep down some user forum. Bottomline, home automation is good but it's not perfect. Even for experts like us. Doorbell Ring - Prices range from $100 to $200 depending on the model. Who doesn't want to answer the door from work?? But seriously it's nice to see when a package is left at your door or if someone is trying to get into your house that shouldn't be. You can go the battery operate route or connect it to the existing wiring. Either way you will be up and running in an hour. Ring also has an app creates a virtual neighborhood watch community that lets you know what's happening around you. If you like Ring they have a family of devices to help you monitor your home. Door Lock Schlage Smart Locks - Prices range from $150 - $250 depending on model. Now that you have a way to remotely answer your door you may want a way to let someone in your house. A smart lock can do that. Schlage makes locks that work with Homekit, Google Home, SmartThings and more. It can even work in concert with your Ring Doorbell. Track who enters your home via a custom entry code. You can even make codes work on specific days between specific hours. There is a peace of mind you get when you know that your door is indeed locked! Garage Door myQ Smart Garage Door Opener - Street price less than $50. You can have the same peace of mind knowing that you drove away and didn't forget to close the garage door as well! The adapter is compatible with just about every garage door opener that was built in the last 20 years. Easy to install and controllable via your mobile phone. The myQ Smart Opener integrates with Apple's Homekit and Amazon's Echo. Lighting There are at least a dozen manufacturers of smart lighting and almost all of them do not need a hub. They even integrate with the Echo and Homekit so why then are be picking a light system that needs a hub? That's because the Hue Light System is quite possible the best thing you can do to your house! You can get a starter kit as low as $70. But that's only the beginning. There are hue lights for anything and everything including bulbs, lamps, light strips, indoor, and outdoor. There are even accessories that include, motion detectors, remotes, and even plugs!! If you want you can spend hundreds of dollars creating dramatic lighting scenes both inside and outside your home. Hue is compatible with Homekit, Amazon Echo, Google Assistant, and even Microsoft Cortana. Once you get done creating incredible scenes and timers you will simply forget that you spent $50 on a hub. Smart Plugs Our advice here… go cheap! Wall plugs just need to turn on and off. Not much else. Find a plug that works with Homekit, Amazon Echo, or Google Assistant and be done with it. We found one that works with all three!! The Wemo Smart Plug (made by Belkin) costs $20! It's small enough that it does not obscure the other plug but can handle 15A! If you are looking for the one device to start you down the home automation path this is it! Switches When it comes to switches we were torn. We had such a bad experience with Leviton Decora Smart switches when they first came out. They would lose wifi connections constantly requiring full resets to get them back. They did release a firmware upgrade that has seemed to fix the issue. We have been running for about five months with no issues. But we are still gunshy in giving this our full recommendation. We are gaining more confidence in the $50 device with each passing week. But what will get our full recommendation is the iDevices Wifi enable dimmer switch. It costs twice as much as the Leviton device however. In the three years we have been using this device it has been offline for a total of about twenty minutes. Thermostats If you have a smart home you'll want to be able to control the temperature and for that you have

TV Buying Guide 2019 Back in the day you had top tier TV manufacturers like Sony, Panasonic, and even RCA. Everything else was second rate. That meant the picture wasn't very good. There really weren't any features to speak of. It was all picture quality. Yes you could buy a cheap 20 inch TV for your den or bedroom which didn't look that great. But who cared you were probably only watching the news or Johnny Carson before you went to bed. Today, second and third tier TVs are really good. We are not comparing them to OLEDs or top tier LEDs but compared to the Goldstar and Zenith TVs of the 70s and 80s, they are really good. So here's our dilemma, how do you make a meaningful buying guide when everyone knows if you want the best you buy an OLED and if you are on a budget you buy a cheap Chinese brand? This year we are going to recommend the family and series of TVs since they come in multiple screen sizes. It's up to you to find one that fits in your home and budget. Best Bang for the Buck The TCL 6-Series is quite literally the definition of the Best Bang for the Buck! At $250 for the 43 inch and $500 for the 65 inch you can't go wrong with this TV. They also sell 50 and 55" incase you want something in between large and small. Our friends over at RTNGS.com give it a mixed use rating of 7.3. Actually, this puts the TV in the average category. But average in a world where we have OLED means that this is still a good TV. Think about it, if walked into a bar and said you were an average baseball player when you were in little league no one would be impressed. But if you walked into that same bar and said you were an average baseball player in the big leagues people would buy you a drink. Features: QLED Local Dimming Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR Pro Gamma 4K AIPQ - optimizes color, contrast and clarity for an unrivaled 4K HDR experience. AiPQ features three core picture quality algorithms – Smart HDR for vibrant color, Smart 4K Upscaling for sharp clarity, and Smart Contrast for dramatic depth. Roku Built in Best TV Where Money is an Object Most of us do not have unlimited amounts of money but may have a slightly bigger budget and want a little better quality than our bang for the buck selection. For you we would like to recommend the Vizio P-Series Quantum X. The Quantum X comes in two sizes, 65" and 75" and costs $1400 and $2200 respectively. You may be able to find them on sale for lower if you look online or at Costco. Make sure it's the X, Vizio sells a Quantum as well that does not have the same features. We like this TV because it does a great job with black levels and has exceptional color. Ara likes it because it supports Airplay 2 which eliminates the need for an AppleTV. It's a great all around TV that does really well with movies, especially those with HDR content. The only real knock against it is that it's off angle viewing is not good. Features: Ultra Bright Quantum Color Local Dimming 4K UHD + Dolby Vision HDR Chromecast built-in Hands-Free TV Voice Control Best TV Period So you want the best TV out there and you have a few bucks to spend. Just a few years ago that meant you might break the bank. Today it won't break the bank but will cost more than most people spend on their entire setup. Our selection, and pretty much everyone else's, is the LG OLED C9 series. They come in three sizes 55", 65", and 77" and cost $1500, $2200, and $5000 respectively. What do you get for that? Perfection! We are talking perfect blacks. So black that if you make your room black and put an image in the middle of the screen it will look as though it's floating in space. Watching movies on this screen in a properly lit room is as good as it gets. The C9 reproduces color with a high degree of precision that does not degrade with off angle viewing. If you watch a lot of movies and want the highest quality you can get this is your TV. Features: 4K Ultra HD Resolution LG ThinQ AI α9 Gen 2 Intelligent Processor Google Assistant & Amazon Alexa Support Projector If you want to go a little bigger than 77" and can swing a projector setup we have two recomendations for you. Ultra Short Throw Projector Are is extremely happy with his Optoma CinemaX P1 which goes for about $3800. You'll need a $750 screen as well which puts you all in at $4550. A little less than the 77 inch OLED. But at this price you get 100 inches of glorious 4K entertainment. It's a little harder to set up but well worth it when you are done. Like the OLED this projector has excellent off angle viewing and blacks are very good when watching in the evening. During the day they are a little washed out for the darkest scenes. But if you watch sports you can watch in full daylight with no issues whatsoever. Just a great large format projector for less than the largest OLED. Traditional Projector The Sony VPL-VW295ES 4K SXRD projector is our pick for those who can put in a traditional projector. The SXRD line of projectors can be as expensive as $60000 and as inexpens

Speaker and Receiver Buying Guide Each year in December put out seperate buying guides for receivers, speakers, and TVs. This year with the shortened buying window we decided to double up on our guides. Today we take a look at speakers and receivers. The things that make sound! We have also decided to give you a collective guide rather than our individual picks targeting an entry, mid, and "high" level product. We put high in quotes because in our hobby, high can be really high. We are practical in our hobby. We don't want to break the bank but we do want a good experience. This list is for like minded people looking to either get into the hobby or move to the next level. Yes you may disagree with our picks. That's OK. Let us know what you would recommend via the comments section or send us an email and we can follow up on the next show. But for now, here is our list of speakers and receivers. Monoprice Premium 5.1.2 Channel Immersive Home Theater System with Subwoofer This first pick is really really entry level. It's for the person who wants a 7.1 system but decided that the speakers they really want will break the bank. So instead they buy a great TV, and receiver and just want something that makes sound. The system comes as a 5.1.2 setup with upfiring Atmos speakers built into the left and right speaker. Pretty clever but probably not really that good. You would need to purchase two additional bookshelf speakers to make it 7.1. But even with that the system comes in at $300! The speakers themselves can handle 100 watts and have a frequency response of 70Hz to 20kHz. They have a decent sensitivity rating as well, 88dB. That means you don't need as much power to make sound as most other speakers this size. The subwoofer goes down to 30Hz. Seriously on paper this looks pretty darn good. We have not listened to these speakers before but at $300 we have no problem recommending them to the person who spent most of their budget on the TV and/or receiver. RSL CG3 7.1 Theater System For our mid level, we jump from a $300 set of speakers to a $1300 set. Speakers are very important and spending $1300 for a really good 7.1 system is really worth it. RSL makes outstanding speakers even though you probably haven't heard of them before. The company has been around since the 70s back when sound was everything. The founder, Howard Rogers, wanted to create speakers that replicated the sound of a live performance. This passion led him to developing and patenting a compression wave guide speaker. This design uses a series of compressions and expansions that improves bass response and enhances dynamics while improving mid bass detail. We have listened to RSL speakers and were blown away by what they get out of their book shelf system. The CG3 is a great looking set of speakers that are rated to 125 watts and have a frequency response of 100Hz to 20kHz, the center channel is 85Hz to 20kHz. Their sensitivity rating is 87db for the satellites and 89 for the center channel. The subwoofer is reasonably sized (H: 16" W: 15" D: 16 3/4") with a 300 watt amplifier that has a frequency response of 24-200 Hz. The system really has no risk for trying either. It comes with free shipping, free 30 day trial, free return shipping, and no restocking fees. Prime Pinnacle Surround System We have been big fans of SVS since we reviewed their SB-1000 subwoofer many years ago. This year they introduced their Prime Pinnacle line of speakers that take it to another level. These are not cheap but won't break the bank either. For a little over $3100 you can have a 7.1 setup that compares to systems that cost more than twice as much! These are beautiful floor standing speakers with satellites for the surround. If you opt for the piano black finish it will cost about $600 more. For this system we spec'd out the PB-2000 for the subwoofer which should give you plenty of boom! With a rated bandwidth and power rating of 29 Hz-25 kHz and 300 watts respectively, the Prime Pinnacle speakers are the most capable speakers on our list.These speakers perfect for those who have a dedicated listening/viewing room. The subwoofer has a 12-inch driver and 500 watts RMS, 1,100 watts peak power that goes way down to 17Hz. You will feel this thing! SVS has a 45 day trial period with free shipping and returns and comes with a five year unconditional warranty Sony STR-DN1080 7.2ch Home Theater AV Receiver If we had our choice we would spend the money on the RSL or SVS speakers and go cheap on the receiver until we were able to upgrade down the road. Our components have been swapped out so many times but I speakers seem to last for years. So if you allocated most of your budget to the speakers you are in need of a decent receiver that is still pretty good. For that we have the Sony STR-DN1080 that will set you back about $450. This receiver can handle all the new buzzwords: 4K and HDR passthrough, HDCP 2.2, Dolby Atmos, Airplay, Chromcast, Auto Calibration, and 165W per cha

This week the HT Guys are thankful for all our loyal listeners who have been with us throughout our 15 years of podcasting. We also discuss a THX tuned speaker system that does not need an AV Receiver and the first DIY Security system that is HomeKit ready. First 'Tuned by THX' home theater speakers need no A/V receivers — or wires THX has become synonymous with top-notch cinema sound in commercial theaters. However, the George Lucas-founded company (now owned by gaming giant Razer) has been increasingly focused on helping consumers get a better quality of audio (and video) at home. To this end, it has created a new technical service called Tuned by THX, which gives audio companies the opportunity to have their products custom-tuned by the sound experts at THX. While it doesn't guarantee that the speakers and audio components will knock your socks off, it's THX's way of saying that it has adjusted the characteristics of these components to deliver what is (in THX's opinion) the best sound that these components are capable of. More… Apple's HomeKit gets its first DIY security system Abode has announced that the long-awaited HomeKit support is now available for its Iota home security system. The update adds the ability to manage and view the status of the system through Apple's Home app and Siri voice commands on iOS, macOS, the Apple Watch, and HomePod devices. The company says it plans to bring HomeKit support to its Gen 1 and Gen 2 systems in the future, but no timeline was provided. More...

Black Friday Guide 2019 Well Black Friday is almost here. Just like all the years we've talked about it, there are some exceptional deals to be had. The question is where do you put your focus. If you're going to wait in line somewhere, where is the right place to maximize your reward for that time? Resources: www.blackfriday.com www.blackfriday.fm www.bfads.net Target Doors Open 5:00PM on Thursday and close at 1:00AM on Friday then reopen 7:00 AM on Friday Hisense 65" 4K ROKU TV - Black (65R6D) $279.99 Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones was $299.99 now $129.99 TCL 40" 1080p Smart LED Roku TV (40S325) was $259.99 now $169.99 Samsung 50" 4K UHD HDR Smart TV was $349.99 now $279.99 LG 43" 4K UHD Smart LED HDR TV (43UM6910PUA) was $349.99 now $ 229.99 Phillips 50" Roku UHD HDR Smart TV was $329.99 now $179.99 Amazon Fire TV Stick with all-new Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Generation) was $24.99 now $19.99 Roku Streaming Stick+ Black (3810R) was $49.99 now $29.99 Samsung 65" Smart 4K UHDTV was $899.99 now $599.99 Polaroid 32" LED HDTV was $119.99 now $69.99 LG 65" UHD HDR Smart TV was $699.99 now $479.99 Anker PowerCore 15,600mAh Power Bank - Black was $39.99 now $24.99 Google Nest Cam Indoor Security Camera was $199 now $159 Google Home Smart Speaker $49 True wireless headphones ranging from $35 to $75 So so much more!! BestBuy Doors Open Thanksgiving day at 5:00PM Shop online all day Samsung 70" LED 6 Series 4K UHDTV was $899.99 now $549.99 Insignia 58" LED 4K UHDTV + Amazon Echo Dot was $479.99 now $199.99 Amazon Fire TV Stick w/ Alexa Voice Remote was $39.99 now $19.99 JLab Audio JBuds Air True Wireless Earbud Headphones was $49.99 now $29.99 LG 55" 4K LED UHDTV UK6090PUK was $399.99 now $299.99 Amazon - Fire HD 8 - 8" - Tablet - 16GB 8th Generation, 2018 Release - Black was $79.99 now $49.99 Beats by Dr. Dre - Beats Studio³ Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones - Shadow Gray was $349.99 now $199.99 Package - Ring - Peephole with Chime - Satin Nickel and Amazon - Echo Show 5 Smart Display with Alexa - Charcoal was $209.99 now $179.99 Arlo - Pro 4-Camera Indoor/Outdoor Wireless 720p Security Camera System - White was $649.99 now $399.99 Samsung - 75" Class - LED - Q60 Series - 2160p - Smart - 4K UHD TV with HDR was $1999.99 now $1499.99 Hisense - 65" Class - LED - H6500F Series - 2160p - Smart - 4K UHD TV with HDR was $499.99 now $299.99 Insignia - 58 Class - LED - 2160p - Smart - 4K UHD TV with HDR - Fire TV Edition was $479.99 now $199.99 Samsung - 65" Class - LED - NU6900 Series - 2160p - Smart - 4K UHD TV with HDR was $549.99 now $479.99 Sony, TCL and VIZIO TV Deals ??? LG - 82" Class - LED - UM8070PUA Series - 2160p - Smart - 4K UHD TV with HDR was $1999.99 now $1599.99 Sony - 85" Class - LED - X900F Series - 2160p - Smart - 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR was $3499.99 now $2999.99 Pioneer - Elite 7.2-Ch. Bluetooth Capable with Dolby Atmos 4K Ultra HD HDR Compatible A/V Home Theater Receiver - Black was $499.98 now $379.98 Many many more! Check out the ad Wal*Mart Online Wed 11/27 @ 10:00 PM Eastern in stores Thanksgiving @ 6:00PM onn. 40" Class FHD (1080P) Roku Smart LED TV (100005395) - $ 98 onn. 50" Class 4K Ultra HD (2160P) HDR10 Roku Smart LED TV (100005396) $148 SAMSUNG 50" Class 4K UHD 2160p LED Smart TV with HDR UN50NU6900 - was $328 now $278 SAMSUNG 55" Class 4K UHD 2160p LED Smart TV with HDR UN55NU6900 - was $378 now $328 Rca 720p Roku Smart Home Theater Projector (RPJ133) - $99 Google Smart TV Kit: Google Home Mini and Chromecast, Walmart Exclusive - was $64 now $35 VIZIO 65" Class V-Series 4K Ultra HD (2160P) HDR Smart TV (V655-G9) (2019 Model) - was $528 now $398 Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones - Beats Pop Collection - Pop Blue - was $199 now $129 Google Home Mini - Chalk - was $25 now $19 Roku Ultra Streaming Media Player 4K/HD/HDR 2019 with Premium JBL Headphones - was $99 now $48 JLab Audio JBuds Air Executive True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds + Charging Case - Black - was $69 now $34 onn. White In-Ear True Wireless Earbuds with Charging Case - was $24.88 now $15 (These look like Apple Ear Buds Knock offs) DVDs at $3.96, Bluerays at $5.96 and 4K UHD at $7.96 Costco In-Store Black Friday Sale begins November 29, 2019 Online Black Friday Sale begins November 28, 2019 LG 55" Class 7 Series 4K UHD LED LCD TV $349.99 LG 65" Class 7 Series 4K UHD LED LCD TV $499.99 Samsung 58" Class 6 Series 4K UHD LED LCD TV $379.99 Samsung 55" Class - Q7D Series - 4K UHD QLED LCD TV $999.99 Samsung 55" Class - Q6D Series - 4K UHD QLED LCD TV $699.99 Samsung 75" Class 6 Series 4K UHD LED LCD TV $749.99 Vizio 75" Class PX Series 4K Quantum Color LED LDC TV $1699.99 Sony Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones $129 LG 77" Class C9 Series 4K UHD OLED TV (Online Only) $4949.99 LG 86" Class 8 Series 4K UHD LED LCD TV $1949.99 Sonos Play 1 Wi-Fi Speaker $229.99 Ring Video Doorbell 2 w/ 1-Year Protect Plus $129.99 Ring Stick Up Camera Battery $379.99 (Costco sells a three pack for $249 so this may be a four pack or come with

Why Your Home Theaters Probably Stink (A Counterpoint) We found this article over at CEPro titled Why Your Home Theaters Probably Stink which immediately put us on the defensive. We understand that CEPro is aimed at integrators and that in their context a Home Theater is not what we have in our family rooms. Regardless, we wanted to challenge the notion that our modest home theaters stink! We'll go through the article point by point: From the article: Let me tell you what happened. In the 1980s and 1990s, everyone in our industry was high on great music and movies and all the tech that reproduced those movies and music in an amazing way. There were tons of beards and ponytails and passion for great AV. Then control came along… and consumed us. We shifted our focus from high-performing music and video to creating James Bond homes with control of every subsystem in the home. Our focus and our budgets shifted to the new shiny toy. For the most part, home control is not too sexy. It's convenient, it's practical, it's challenging, but at the end of the day it's functional… not emotionally moving. But now we are in a different time. Control costs are coming down from all the usual suspects and the complexity (labor) to install these systems is getting lower. So our revenues are dropping from control and now we are shifting focus as an industry to lighting and shades. There is lots of competition in that category from guys who have been selling lighting and shades longer than us. I think we still pursue those avenues, but we are all missing the bigger opportunity… let's get back to great AV and movies. Let's get back to our roots. Let's get back to selling stuff that electricians, window covering companies, and IT people are no good at selling, installing, or designing. Let's sell some kick-ass home theaters! Why your home theater Sucks: A projector by a company that also sells inkjet printers or telephone systems This is a shot at Epson. But let's take a look at the Epson Home Cinema 3800 4K Pro UHD Projector. It has all the important features of some high end projectors including 1.62x Zoom and and lens shift which will help you get the image dialed in. It supports HDR. In fact ProjectorCentral.com gives it a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 on performance and features. Five out of five for ease of use and value. At $1,700 we know the real issue with this projector is that a 25% markup for a professional to sell it to you doesn't make them as much as a 25% markup on a $10,000 projector. Sure that $10,000 projector will be better but that doesn't mean your Epson projector sucks. A too-small 16.9 screen that is not acoustically transparent We all want very large screens. It wasn't too long ago we thought a 50" screen was huge! Now 65" is typical and many TVs can be had at greater than 80" and all of them at affordable prices. Ara has had a 100" screen that was not acoustically transparent. That was easily remedied by placing the center channel speaker just below the screen. He has since gone to a 90" screen because of his UST projector. Anyone who has come into his house has commented that the screen is Huge! So what is too small? We get it, for a true home theater you do need a screen greater than 100". But my brother's 75" screen is far more immersive than the 50 inch screen we marveled at ten years ago. We wouldn't say his "theater" sucks. But a pro can't make money setting up a large format TV. Even an 86" LG that goes for $2,000. An Apple TV or Roku Them is fightn' words! No one will argue that an AppleTV or a Roku is the highest quality audio and video. But.... Come on... sucks??? The latest AppleTV support HDR, Wide Color, and ATMOS. Did the author forget about when DVD was the pinnacle of high quality? How about Blu-ray? While not as good as a UHD Disc the AppleTV and Roku boxes have better quality than the former technologies did. These boxes should be part of any home theater for the convenience factor alone. A non-4K cable or satellite box Well these are just coming out and people will need to upgrade. In most cases it will be an easy swap. Lack of these doesn't mean your theater sucks. It just means it's time to upgrade. 7.2 or 5.1 In-ceiling speakers by a company that specializes in distributed audio products Again we agree with the author here. Good speakers do make a huge difference in your experience. With that said, this is much better than what we grew up with. How about saying your audio has room for improvement. A sad 10-inch sub sitting in the corner of the room This depends on the size of the room. In our world where most people's home theater is in their family room, a good 10 inch sub, from say SVS, would sound great. If you have a large media room or actual theater yes this will be woefully underwhelming. Final Thoughts So what was the author's intent here? To keep integrators relevant? Perhaps. Integrators are not going anywhere. There will always be people who just don't have the time or des

Network TV Update (officially renewed or canceled) ABC America's Funniest Home Videos - renewed Bachelor in Paradise - renewed Grey's Anatomy - renewed Holey Moley - summer renewal Grand Hotel - cancelled CBS Evil - renewed Mom - renewed Young Sheldon - renewed Fox Bless the Harts - renewed Hell's Kitchen - renewed The Simpsons - renewed (forever???) NBC This is Us - renewed The InBetween - cancelled Sunnyside - cancelled CW The Outpost - renewed Pandora - renewed Best Cheap Earbuds - RTINGS.com Cheapest Earbuds With Decent Performance: Panasonic ErgoFit RP-HJE120 $8.95 The Panasonic RP-HJE120-K ErgoFit are very basic in-ear headphones with no additional features. They have a decent sound and barely leak, even at high volumes. However, they have a typical in-ear fit, which may be uncomfortable for some. They're not very stable and cannot block the ambient noise of a moderately busy office. Pros - Minimal leakage. Decently balanced sound. Cons - Poor noise isolation. In-ear fit not comfortable for everyone. Cheap build quality. Best Cheap Earbuds: Anker SoundBuds Curve Wireless $26.99 The Anker SoundBuds Curve are good sports headphones, with a long battery life and a decent sound. They're comfortable with a stable ear-hook design for exercising and working out. They're compact enough to fit into your pockets, and they're decently well built, although the audio cable is a little thinner than comparable wireless in-ears. Unfortunately, they do not block that much noise so they may not be the best headphones for loud, noisy environments and their sound may be a bit too bass-heavy for some. Pros - Stable and portable design. Comfortable fit. Very low leakage. Cons - Mediocre-at-best noise isolation. Slightly thin audio cable. Best Budget Earbuds: Sony WI-C310 Wireless $38 The Sony WI-C310 are decent mixed-usage in-ear headphones. They are very lightweight, their neckband design is flexible and portable, and they'll be stable enough for running. They have a decent sound profile but might be better-suited for bass-heavy genres. The bud cables are very long, creating big loops when wearing the headphones, which may be a bit cumbersome. On the upside, they have a good 17-hour battery life and isolate well against work environment noises, but won't be the ideal choice for public transit. They are decent all-around headphones and offer good value, but don't necessarily stand out from other similar in-ears. Pros - Decent audio reproduction. Portable and flexible around-the-neck design. Good battery life. Cons - Slightly cheap build quality. Mushy control buttons. Always-on sidetone when using the microphone.

Optoma CinemaX P1 Review For the past year or two we have been talking about removing our projectors and replacing them with very large format TVs. There are a few manufacturers that produce TVs greater than 85" in size and we were stuck in analysis paralysis. There is a video that accompanies this review. Please watch it to help understand the capabilities of this projector. That is until Optoma announced and shipped the CinemaX P1 Ultra Short Throw Projector (Street Price $3,299.00). This projector can sit as little as 8" away from your screen and project an 85" image. You will need a screen specifically designed for UST use for this review we paired it with a 90" Elite Aeon CLR (Street Price $600). All in the setup cost $3,900. Let's compare to what is out there in comparable size: Sony XBR-X850G 85" $2,300 LG 86UM8070PUA 86" $2300 Samsung QN82Q70RAFXZA 82" $3300 So yes it does cost a little more, but if you go up those last 5" to 90" you won't find a TV anywhere close in price. And if you wanted to, for an additional $200, you could slide the projector back a few more inches and have a 100" screen. There is no TV that is 100" anywhere near this price! Plus, this was easier to bring into the house and get setup and that includes assembling the screen! Features Smart Control (We did not use any of these features) - You can control your Smart+ projector with voice control using your Amazon Echo and Google Home devices. IFTTT support enables interoperability with thousands of other smart devices. Built-In Soundbar by NuForce (We used our 6.1 system and did not turn this on) - The integrated soundbar is designed to produce detailed sound with clear dialogue thanks to its two full-range drivers and two woofers within isolated, ported chambers. InfoWall (Was fun for five minutes then we turned it off)- Transform your wall or screen into your own personal assistant with the InfoWall customizable information display. Configure it to display your calendar, weather information, daily news, and more using the Optoma companion app on your compatible mobile device. SmartFIT (Very helpful feature) - This automatic geometry correction system helps ensure a hassle-free setup that produces properly squared-off images using just your smartphone. LaserGuard - Two built-in PIR sensors detect objects in the light path and automatically dim the light source. Optoma CinemaX P1 Smart 4K UHD Laser Cinema Features: Resolution: 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) Lumens: 3,000 ANSI lumens Contrast: Up to 1,500,000 with Dynamic Black enabled Color: REC.2020, DCI-P3 wide color gamut, HDR10 compatible Throw Ratio: 0.25:1 Image size: 85"- 120" OS: Android 8.0 / Oreo Remote Control: Bluetooth smart home remote with air mouse HDMI-ARC for streamlined setups and reduced cable clutter with popular 5.1 soundbars Other I/Os: 1x HDMI 2.0 (HDCP 2.2), 1x HDMI 2.0 (HDCP 2.2, HDMI-ARC), 1x HDMI 2.0 (HDCP 2.2, side), 1x USB 2.0 (4K media player), USB 2.0 power (side), USB (service), optical S/PDIF out, audio out (3.5mm, subwoofer compatible), RJ45 Setup Setup was a bit more complicated than the typical TV. First you have to assemble the screen which is not terribly difficult. But you do need to be mindful of the screen material so you don't fold or crease it. The screen attaches to the frame with velcro and must be pulled tight for a clean image. Elite screen has a video that we recommend you watch before assembling the screen. It will make things easier. Once completed the screen is mounted via two clips that our screwed into the wall. Elite provides drywall anchors which are plenty strong for this application. The screen is not very heavy at all. Positioning the screen is a little tricky because the projector does not have lens shift. What we did was project a 90" inch image on the wall and then mount the screen. That sounds easy but before you do that you have to square up the image. You can't use the Smartfit on the bare wall because there is no black screen outline, which is required for the SmartFit algorithm to work. Instead we manually used the geometry settings to square the image. We then pulled the projector back on the TV stand until we had about a 91" mage on the wall. We marked the corners and made sure the screen was mounted within that space. Once the screen was hung will pulled out our phone and used the SmartFIT app and voila! The image got pulled into the screen. It was 99% perfect. There was one corner that need a very slight adjustment. For that we went back to the geometry settings and stretched the image to the corner and we were done! It seems like it was harder to do but I say it was easier than hauling a 85" TV upstairs. Plus there was far less packaging to deal with when it was all done. As far as the TV settings go we did some very minor tweeks, not a full calibration. The only things that were changes off of the default values were the following: Display was set to HDR, HDR Picture was set to Standard, Brightness was set to -2, Co

Confessions of a Cord Cutter We received a great email from our listener Dennis Comfort describing his journey to becoming a cord cutter. Well maybe a cord swapper. Whatever you call it he saved $90 a month! Thank you Dennis for sharing your experience with us! First, why did I do it? I've had Comcast for years, used to have Century Link (fiber), and also at Directv at one point. Directv was ok in my old house, but where I live now, there are simply too many trees and I didn't feel like fishing coax cable runs through my house. I tried Comcast again, and had it for a while, then the Century Link sales guys showed up on my front door and convinced me that my life would be better. What I found, after switching, was that 1) their DVR user interface was a shambles, their Internet was sometimes intermittent, and frankly, I missed my Tivo. So, goodbye Century Link, hello Comcast (again). Been on Comcast for the last several years and have happily enjoyed my Tivo Bolts (two of them in the house). However, my Comcast bill was getting out of hand. I decided to look for alternatives. Cost drove this decision. Requirements I did consider keeping Comcast -- didn't look forward to training the family on another user interface. I created myself a list of decision criteria to help drive the planning: Reduce the monthly bill. Keep getting local channels including PBS. Keep network channels. No need for 500 channels - I probably watch 10-20 of them. Need to be able to record and watch shows later. Need solid internet connection for home/work stuff. Need at least 1080P, 4K would be great (my Bolts already do 4K as does my FireTV). One of my TVs is Samsung 50" 1080P, the other is 65" Sony 4K. Minimize the number of remotes (before the switch, I had two --- FireTV, and a Harmony One remote). I don't want to go into the walls and move cables. We also do watch Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu. Also watch HBO and Showtime. Alternatives Keep Comcast - and the biggest reason I would have done that would have been if my final new monthly bill was within a few dollars of Comcast - then not worth switching. Century Link - no. Directv - no. Apple TV 4K with a streaming service Sony Playstation Vue YouTube TV Hulu TV Keep in mind that as of today, no streaming service provides access to PBS; for that, I need Comcast or an OTA antenna. What I Did Installed free trials of Vue and HuluTV. Didn't consider YouTubeTV but I can't remember why. HuluTV and Vue could go relatively neck and neck on features; there are distinct UI differences, but Hulu didn't offer HBO and Showtime; Vue has both. I bought an Apple TV 4K and signed up one month of Vue Core plus HBO/Showtime. I bought an inexpensive OTA HD antenna and stuck to an inside wall of the house (too far to reach the windows and not burying cables) to see if it was good enough. What I found out OTA HD antenna, even again an inside wall, works GREAT, especially for PBS.. it's not perfect, and now then it will pixelate, but I don't care. I love Apple TV 4k. I'm looking forward to the Apple TV + content. it helped, i'm sure, that our house is already deep into the Apple ecosystem (despite the fact that I swore off Macs and Apple for years while I worked for a large software company with an M in the name). The Apple TV does a great job at being THE UI into all of my content except PBS (I can live with that). I am hooked on Multiview with Playstation Vue so I can have up to four PIPs on my screen at once and switch between them. It's convenient that the Harmony remote will control EVERYTHING (the family room set up is the Samsung 50" and a Sony soundbar/subwoofer setup (with HDMI switching) so one remote does it. Or you can still use the Apple remote and even control the volumne on the amp. What Isn't Great The Apple TV remote glass trackpad can be a bit squirrely - I have it set on the lowest response setting and it's still takes some practice -- but we can live with it. Sony Vue is great, but there are a few bugs... yesterday I was watching the Seattle Seahawks throw away the game to Baltimore and concurrently was switching back and forth to the movie, US Marshalls. After about 10-15 switches, Vue got confused and mixed up the two shows so that if you chose football, you got the movie and vice versa. Easy fix... re-add both shows, but still a bug. Can't really skip commercials any more. Oh well. I do miss Tivo, BUT.... I got to thinking about this... we probably only watch 10% of all the content record with Tivo. And, we don't really need to record Tivo-style any more as we can stream pretty much anything anything. So as much as I teared up just a tad as I disconnected the Bolts, they aren't needed. (one of your shows talked about how Tivo has missed the boat in several areas... too bad we can't get a Tivo app on the set top boxes.. i'd pay for that). Result I'm saving about $90 /month in Comcast costs, and I got a new deal on my internet so my throughput doubled from 500mbps to 1Gbps for $6 less

Best 4K Projector and Best Affordable 65" TV This week we discuss two articles at AVS Forum. The first one is the "Best 4K Home Theater Projectors on Amazon". The second article is the "Best Affordable 65" TV". Best 4K Home Theater Projectors on Amazon We get it – you want an awesome 4K projector and you want it delivered by Amazon. You want the projector in your home as soon as possible, set up, and ready to go. We've narrowed down your choices for the best 4K projector on Amazon to just a few to save you some time. Best Affordable 65" TV If you're looking for a great 65″ TV without breaking the budget, check out our list of the best 65″ TVs for under $1,000.

IOGEAR Wireless 4K UHD One of the reasons Ara ended up buying his UST projector system is that he didn't want to route new cables in his hard to reach crawl space. However, he may have reconsidered that decision had he known about the IOGEAR 4K UHD transmitter/receiver kit (MSRP $299.95). The wireless video extender allows you to easily transmit 4K Ultra High Definition video and 7.1 audio from an HDMI source over distances up to 60 feet with near-zero latency. Check out the HT Guys YouTube Channel for an accompanying video to this review. Features: Wirelessly send 4K UHD video from one HDMI source to one HDMI TV/Projector Extends signals up to 60 Ft. in-room Uncompressed audio and video at near-zero latency - ideal for gaming and streaming Resolutions up to 3840 x 2160 @30Hz Minimal interference with existing Wi-Fi devices via 60GHz wireless frequency Support 7.1 surround sound audio, Dolby® True HD and DTS-HD® Master audio format Plug-n-Play - Transmitter and receiver come pre-paired from factory Dedicated closed wireless system - Requires no Wi-Fi network Advanced wireless technology speeds to 18 Gbps LED status lights for source/display connections and wireless link Supports dual power option via USB or included AC adapter Compact mountable design for easy placement HDMI 1.4 & HDCP 2.2 compliant Supports 4K UHD High Dynamic Range (HDR) TVs and content Setup Setup is trivial! Connect the transmitter to the source and power. Then connect the receiver to the receiver. In Ara's situation the source would have been the output of his AVR and the receiver would have been the input to the projector. If you watch the video for the purposes of the evaluation the source was a 4K Apple TV and the receiver was a 4K TV. Setup took two minutes. It should be noted that the transmitter should be turned on first followed by the receiver. The connection light blinks amber when the devices are looking for each other. The become solid amber when linked. Once that is done you are good to go. Performance Our tests were run at 10 and 20 feet with a clear line of sight and slightly obstructed. Just about flawless is how we would characterize the performance. In actuality, we only saw one hiccup. Beyond that one breakup in the picture, the audio and video were rock solid. We got full Dolby digital with Plex, Apple Movies and Vudo. There really isn't much else to say which is a good thing. It just worked. Conclusion There really is nothing to dislike about the IOGEAR Wireless 4K UHD video extender. If you have a room where running an HDMI cable is difficult, using this device is a no brainer. The HT Guys highly recommend the IOGEAR Wireless 4K UHD video extender!

New Echo Devices Last week Amazon introduced a slew of new Echo based products. On today's show we try to figure out when will Amazon take over the world! All-new Echo (3rd Gen) - Smart speaker with Alexa - Twilight Blue Release date October 16th with a street price of $99.99 Features Meet Echo - Echo (3rd Gen) has new premium speakers powered by Dolby to play 360° audio with crisp vocals and dynamic bass response. Enjoy premium sound - Personalize your listening experience by adjusting the equalizer settings. Or pair with a second Echo (3rd Gen) or Echo Plus (2nd Gen) for stereo sound. Voice control your music - Ask Alexa for a song, artist, or genre from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM, and more. With multi-room music, play music on compatible Echo devices in different rooms. Voice control your smart home - Turn on lights, adjust thermostats, lock doors, and more with compatible connected devices. Keep your family in sync - Use your Alexa devices like an intercom and talk to any room in the house with Drop In and Announcements. Alexa has skills - With tens of thousands of skills and counting, Alexa is always getting smarter and adding new skills like tracking fitness, playing games, and more. Designed to protect your privacy - Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the mics. Echo Buds – Wireless earbuds with immersive sound, active noise reduction, and Alexa Release date October 30th with a street price of $129.99 Features: Immersive sound – Premium speaker drivers deliver crisp, dynamic audio. Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology and sealed in-ear design limits background noise. Hands-free with Alexa – Echo Buds work with the Alexa app to stream music, play Audible audiobooks, make calls, or get directions—just ask. Access other assistants – Supports access to Siri or Google Assistant from a supported device—just press and hold your earbud. Long-lasting battery – Get up to 5 hrs music playback per charge, up to 2 hrs with a 15-min quick charge, and up to 20 hrs with the charging case. Customizable fit for better sound – 3 sizes of ear tips help form a comfortable in-ear seal for immersive listening. Exercise ready – Sweat-resistant with a secure fit that's made to move with you. Alexa is always getting smarter and adding new skills – Request a rideshare, get a guided workout, or order dinner, all hands-free. Designed to protect your privacy - Built with multiple layers of privacy protections and controls, including the ability to mute the mics with the Alexa app. Plug-in smart speaker with Alexa Release date November 14th with a street price of $24.99 Features: Make any space a little smarter - This plug-in smart speaker lets you get help from Alexa in more places in your home. Alexa is always happy to help - Manage your day. Get instant information. Check weather and traffic on your way out. Voice control your smart home - Turn on lights, adjust thermostats, lock doors, and more with compatible connected devices. Built-in USB port - Charge your phone or add an optional accessory like a night-light or motion sensor. Connect with others - Drop in on or make announcements to other rooms that have a compatible Echo device. Call hands-free. Designed to protect your privacy - Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the mics. Echo Dot 3rd Gen with Clock Release date October 16th with a street price $59.99. The 3rd generation version of the dot without clock is currently available for $49.99 today. Features: Our most popular smart speaker - Now available with an LED display that can show the time, outdoor temperature, or timers. Perfect for your nightstand - Ask Alexa to set an alarm. Tap the top to snooze. The light sensor automatically adjusts the display's brightness, day or night. Voice control your music - Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Sirius XM, and others. You can also listen to audiobooks from Audible. Enjoy stereo sound - Pair with a second Echo Dot for rich, stereo sound. Fill your home with music with compatible Echo devices in different rooms. Ready to help - Ask Alexa to play music, answer questions, read the news, check the weather, set alarms, control compatible smart home devices, and more. Voice control your smart home - Turn on lights, adjust thermostats, lock doors, and more with compatible connected devices. Alexa has skills - With tens of thousands of skills and counting, Alexa is always getting smarter and adding new skills like tracking fitness, playing games, and more. Designed to protect your privacy - Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the mics. Echo Show 8 - HD 8" smart display with Alexa - Charcoal Release date November 21st with a street price of $129.99 Features: Alexa can show you more - With an 8" HD screen a

Fall TV 2019 It's that time of year when baseball crowns a world champion and football dominates our weekends. But there is something else that we are happy about at the HDTV and Hometheater podcast… TV is out of reruns! Today we run down the Fall TV schedule from ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, and NBC. ABC MONDAY 8-9 p.m. — "Dancing with the Stars" 10-11 p.m. — "The Good Doctor" TUESDAY 8:00-8:30 p.m. — "The Conners" 8:30-9:00 p.m. — "Bless This Mess" (new night and time) 9:00-9:30 p.m. — "MIXED-ISH" - Follows Bow's parents, Paul and Alicia, who decide to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family. 9:30-10:00 p.m. — "black-ish" (new time) 10-11 p.m. — "EMERGENCE" - After Jo, a police chief, takes in a young child she finds near the site of a mysterious accident, she soon discovers the girl has no memory of what has happened or who she is. The investigation into the history that led up to the accident -- and questions as to how and why it happened -- draws the woman into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined, with the child's identity at the center of it. WEDNESDAY 8:00-8:30 p.m. — "The Goldbergs" 8:30-9:00 p.m. — "Schooled" 9:00-9:30 p.m. — "Modern Family" 9:30-10:00 p.m. — "Single Parents" 10-11 p.m. — "STUMPTOWN" - A sharp-witted army veteran becomes a private investigator in Portland, Oregon, where she takes care of her brother. (Cobie Smulders) THURSDAY 8-9 p.m. — "Grey's Anatomy" 9-10 p.m. — "A Million Little Things" 10-11 p.m. — "How to Get Away with Murder" FRIDAY 8:00-8:30 p.m. — "American Housewife" (new night and time) 8:30-9:00 p.m. — "Fresh Off the Boat" (new time) 9:00-11 p.m. — "20/20" (two hours) SATURDAY 8:00 p.m. — "Saturday Night Football" SUNDAY 7-8 p.m. — "America's Funniest Home Videos" 8-9 p.m. — "KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS" 9-10 p.m. — "Shark Tank" 10-11 p.m. — "The Rookie" (new night) CBS MONDAY 8-8:30 p.m. — "The Neighborhood" 8:30-9 p.m. — "BOB (hearts) ABISHOLA" - An American guy falls in love with his Nigerian nurse. 9-10 p.m. — "ALL RISE" - A look at the personal and professional lives of the judges, lawyers, clerks, bailiffs and cops who work at an L.A. County courthouse. 10-11 p.m. — "Bull" TUESDAY 8-9 p.m. — "NCIS" 9-10 p.m. — "FBI" 10-11 p.m. — "NCIS: New Orleans" WEDNESDAY 8-9 p.m. — "Survivor" 9-10 p.m. — "SEAL Team" (new time) 10-11 p.m. — "S.W.A.T." (new night) THURSDAY 8-8:30 p.m. — "Young Sheldon" (new time) 8-9 p.m. — "THE UNICORN" - A widower is eager to move on from the most difficult year of his life, only to realize he's utterly unprepared to raise his two daughters on his own and equally unprepared for the dating world where he's suddenly a hot commodity. 9-9:30 p.m. — "Mom" 9:30-10 p.m. — "CAROL'S SECOND ACT" - Retired teacher Carol Kenney begins a second career as a doctor. 10-11 p.m. — "EVIL" - A skeptical female clinical psychologist joins a priest-in-training and a blue-collar contractor as they investigate supposed miracles, demonic possession, and other extraordinary occurrences to see if there's a scientific explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work. FRIDAY 8-9 p.m. — "Hawaii Five-0" (new time) 9-10 p.m. — "Magnum P.I." (new night) 10-11 p.m. — "Blue Bloods" SATURDAY 8-9 p.m. — "Crimetime Saturday" 9-10 p.m. — "Crimetime Saturday" 10-11 p.m. — "48 Hours" SUNDAY 7-8 p.m. — "60 Minutes" 8-9 p.m. — "God Friended Me" 9-10 p.m. — "NCIS: Los Angeles" 10-11 p.m. — "Madam Secretary" CW MONDAY 8-9 p.m. — "All American" (new night) 9-10 p.m. — "Black Lightning" TUESDAY 8-9 p.m. — "The Flash" 9-10 p.m. — "Arrow" (new night) WEDNESDAY 8-9 p.m. — "Riverdale" 9-10 p.m. — "NANCY DREW" - Young Nancy Drew makes plans to leave her hometown for college after high school graduation, but finds herself drawn into a supernatural murder mystery. THURSDAY 8-9 p.m. — "Supernatural" 9-10 p.m. — "Legacies" FRIDAY 8-9 p.m. — "Charmed" (new night and time) 9-10 p.m. — "Dynasty" (new time) SUNDAY 8-9 p.m. — "BATWOMAN" - Kate Kane seeks justice for Gotham city as Batwoman. 9-10 p.m. — "Supergirl" (new time) FOX MONDAY 8-9 p.m. — "9-1-1" (new time) 9-10 p.m. — "PRODIGAL SON" - Malcolm Bright, one of the best criminal psychologist around, uses his twisted genius to help the NYPD solve crimes. TUESDAY 8-9 p.m. — "The Resident" (new night) 9-10 p.m. — "Empire" (new night and time) WEDNESDAY 8-9 p.m. — "The Masked Singer" (new night and time) 9-10 p.m. — "ALMOST FAMILY" - A woman who grew up as an only child discovers that her dad fathered many other children as a sperm donor. THURSDAY 7:30-8 p.m. — "Thursday Night Football" pregame show 8 p.m. — NFL Football Last Man Standing will air when Fox does not have a football game in this timeslot. FRIDAY 8-10 p.m. — "WWE'S SMACKDOWN LIVE" SATURDAY 7-10:30 p.m. — "Fox Sports Saturday: Fox College Football" SUNDAY 7-7:30 p.m. — NFL on Fox 7:30-8 p.m. "The OT" / Fox Encores 8-8:30 p.m. — "The Simpsons" 8:30-9 p.m. — "BLESS THE HARTS" - A group of Southerners strive to live the American dream. (Animation)

CEDIA 2019 Last week more than 20,000 home tech pros and 500+ exhibitors convened in Denver for the 2019 CEDIA Expo. This week the HT Guys run down some of the cool product announcements that came out of the show. Sony Electronics Brings 16K-capable Display System to Consumers' Living Rooms with Crystal LED Residential Solutions PARAMUS, N.J., Sept. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Electronics Inc. today announced the availability of its award-winning Crystal LED display system for home installation. Having initially introduced the technology for use in commercial and entertainment venues, Sony Electronics now offers residential configurations and installation, giving consumers an unrivaled home theater technology capable of displaying 8K HDR video content and beyond – up to 16K. Crystal LED is a modular technology, enabling it to be installed in virtually any desired size and resolution to accommodate consumers' needs and residential space availability. Sample residential configurations include: Full HD Size (18 Units) ~110-inch Diagonal ~8ft (W) x 4ft (H) 4K Size (72 Units) ~220-inch Diagonal ~16ft (W) x 9ft (H) 8K Size (288 Units) ~440-inch Diagonal ~32ft (W) x 18ft (H) 16K Size (576 Units) ~790-inch Diagonal ~63ft (W) x 18ft (H) Sony's Crystal LED direct view display system uses ultra-fine micro-LED measuring 0.003 mm² – half the width of a human hair – which are 100 times smaller than traditional LEDs. The display recently received a prestigious 2019 Display Industry Award for "Display of the Year" from the Society of Information Display, recognizing Crystal LED's unprecedented visual experience. The technology delivers crisp, blur-free moving images with high frame rate up to 120p for razor-sharp motion rendition that is far beyond the reach of conventional video. Additional technical highlights: HDR with high brightness (1,000 nits) 10-bit grayscale Precise color reproduction Extraordinary color gamut – 140 percent of sRGB High frame rates up to 120p Nearly 180-degree viewing angle Spectacular 3D Non-standard aspect ratios 99 percent black surface area for delivering high contrast and high resolution Each module (360×360-pixel) will cost $10,000. Which means a 1080p setup will need 18 modules costing $180,000 and will produce a screen that is 120 inches on the diagonal. A 4K-capable display will require 16 feet of wall width and produce a 220-inch screen. For that you will need 72 modules and a whopping $720,000. LG Debuts Expanded 4K UHD CineBeam Projector Lineup In U.S. LG Electronics USA introduced a new LG CineBeam 4K UHD projector. The new projector (model HU70LA), which is on display this week at the CEDIA EXPO 2019, has a suggested retail price of $1,799 and will be available at select LG-authorized retailers in October. With a compact design, the HU70LA LG CineBeam LED Projector provides an impressive home theater experience with a deep and rich picture up to 140 inches (measured diagonally), and brightness of 1500 ANSI lumens that covers approximately 92 percent of the DCI-P3 color space. The projector employs a four-channel LED light source to generate red, green and blue, with the additional fourth LED boosting image brightness, contrast and generating more vivid colors with more nuanced tonality (compared to conventional LED projectors) by adjusting green levels. The HU70LA, as well as the HU85LA, are IP controllable via Control 4, Savant and Crestron. The HU85LA CineBeam Laser Projector (MSRP $5999.99), also demonstrated at CEDIA Expo, is LG's first Ultra Short Throw model, generating 2,700 ANSI lumens to deliver vibrant and crisp images up to 120 inches (measured diagonally) from placement of only 7.2 inches away from the wall. The stylish projector is housed in a minimal design for a cinematic viewing experience. Sony VPL-VW295ES 4K SXRD Home Cinema Projector Winning the TWICE VIP award for Home Theater Projectors is the Sony VPL-VW295ES (MSRP $4499.99). Native 4K resolution for lifelike pictures 1500 Lumens Deep Blacks with 4K SXRD Panels HDR10 and HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) TRILUMINOS™ color, reproducing more tones and textures than a standard projector system Both HDMI inputs are compatible with HDCP 2.2 Select from nine calibrated picture modes, including two theater film modes, theater digital, reference, TV, photo, game, bright cinema and bright TV. Home Assistant Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first. Powered by a worldwide community of tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts. Perfect to run on a Raspberry Pi or a local server. It works with 1467 products that include the Amazon Echo, ecobee Thermostats. Zwave, Zigbee, Plex and so many more. They have a demo you can check out here (Home Assistant Demo) Savant AppleTV App Savant®, a leader in smart home technology, has introduced the Smart Home App for Apple TV, an on-screen control platform that provides fast and intuitive access to smart home functionality via high-definition graphics. The graphical control icons

DoItForMe.Solutions Today we have an interview with Robert Spivack owner of DoItForMe.Solutions. Hi, I'm Robert! A home automation technologist and problem solver. I'm here to help you with your smarthome and solve the mysteries of taming technology so you take back control. I've spent many hours automating my own home so I know firsthand how frustrating it is to have technology that almost works. Even with hours of fiddling, it never seems to work reliably and never does just what you want. I've found there is no magical secret or shortcut to making things work. Just lots of hours of research, experimentation, and slogging through all the details until you get most products working the way they should and the way you want. Smart Homes should be affordable It may surprise you to learn that home automation has been around for more than 20 years. It simply has been too expensive. With the explosion of mobile devices like iPhones and iPads you no longer need to use expensive custom touchscreens and specialized hardware. Pioneering companies like Nest (thermostats), Sonos (whole-house music systems), Apple (iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, & Siri) and of course Amazon (Alexa voice assistant) have made incredible hardware solutions available for very affordable prices. No hardware sales mark-ups, no exclusive products, and easy to understand transparent billing are the simple techniques I use to keep costs down and avoid "gotcha" invoices at the end of every project - big or small.

Make Your Family Love Your Smart Home and Filmmaker Mode This week we take a look at what it takes to make your family love the Smart Home you created and what Hollywood directors are doing to make sure you watch their movies the way they intended. How to Make Your Family Love Your Smarthome You might think a Smart Home sounds terrific. But what about your family? They'll have to live with the gadgets, too. And it's a lot easier to set up a Smart Home if everyone loves the tech as much as you do. UHD Alliance Teams with Hollywood to Deliver 'Filmmaker Mode' for 4K TVs The UHD Alliance (UHDA) has teamed with Martin Scorsese and other top Hollywood directors and movie studios to collaborate on a viewing mode for 4K TVs that honors the filmmakers' creative intent by preserving the correct aspect ratios, colors, and frame rates. Read more at

Hacking a Sonos Speaker, Best Wifi Speakers, and Samsung entering the OLED game This week we take a look at taking apart a $99 powered Ikea Sonos speaker and transplanting it into any speaker you want. No allen wrenches are required. Then we take a look at the Best Wifi speakers of 2019 and finally we discuss Samsung entering the OLED market. Hacking the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk Into a High Quality Speaker Amp As soon as I saw IKEA's announcement for a $99 Sonos-powered Airplay speaker, I was excited for the possibilities its internals could bring. And oh boy, was I right to be. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to whittle away the woefully inefficient compact speaker unit, and bring it to life on a pair of quality vintage bookshelf speakers. Best Wi-Fi speakers and music systems of 2019 Wireless audio for the home has been around for a long time, but in the past few years we've seen a big spike in stereo systems and products using Wi-Fi streaming as an alternative to Bluetooth. One of the biggest selling features is the ability to control music in a multiroom environment, but even better, many Wi-Fi speakers also offer voice control via Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple's Siri. With so many options out there, where should you start? Samsung's quantum OLED plans could mean better, cheaper OLED TVs for all If you've been following the world of TV tech for the past few years, you might know that there are basically two kinds of premium displays currently vying for your hard-earned TV dollars: OLED and QLED. But a recent report confirms that Samsung, the biggest player in the QLED space, is about to make a complete 180 by jumping into the OLED TV game despite having avoided the space for years and creating its largest competitor.

What happened to the HTPC? When we first started doing the podcast many many years ago, the Home Theater PC was a thing. DIYers built them from scratch and others who were not so technically inclined could buy fully built ready to go products from third party vendors. Xbox owners were lucky enough to have the Windows Media Center client built into their gaming consoles so they could leave the PC in an office and still have the HTPC experience in the family room. Fast forward ten years and HTPCs are not really a thing anymore. You can still buy some prebuilt products like the Intel BOXNUC8i3CYSN1 NUC 8 Home, a Mini PC with Windows 10. No kidding that's the name. It's available at Amazon for $425. If you are the handy type you can build one from scratch. The Tech Buyer Guru has a parts list that goes for less than $750 with all parts being purchased at Amazon.They even have step by step instructions on how to assemble the PC. We feel that this would be the way to go. Once built it would be on par with HTPCs that cost two or three times as much. Once the PC is built then you have to install software. Windows no longer comes with what we found to be the best media center software "Windows Media Center" so you have to download and install your own. There are plenty to choose from and they are free! Plex - Plex brings together all the media that matters to you. Your personal collection will look beautiful alongside stellar streaming content. Enjoy Live TV & DVR, a growing catalog of great web shows, news, and podcasts. It's finally possible to enjoy all the media you love in a single app, on any device, no matter where you are. Kodi - Kodi spawned from the love of media. It is an entertainment hub that brings all your digital media together into a beautiful and user friendly package. It is 100% free and open source, very customisable and runs on a wide variety of devices. It is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers and a huge community. Media Portal - transforms your PC into a complete media solution. It runs on basic hardware, connects directly to your TV and displays your TV Series, Movies, Photos and Music in a much more dynamic way. All in the comfort of your living room, on your big screen LCD or Plasma TV or projector! There are others as well. Once you install the software you point it to your media files and you are off to the races. Back in the day that would be enough and you would be the envy of everyone on the block. But today there are so many options for getting your content that an HTPC with just the media server software falls short. Early on there was no Netflix, Hulu, Apple, Google, or Amazon content so it didn't matter. Today we have content all over the place. And the problem is that the PC interface to that content is not really usable with a remote control. Sure there are plugins that are developed for these media servers to try and fix the interface problem but DRM protected content just do not play well with these products. In actuality, the real reason the HTPC dropped off the face of the earth is because of the Set top box. The Rokus, AppleTVs, and FireTVs of today do so much more and for a faction of the price. Plus you can get players for your device that work with some of the media servers out there. Plex in particular looks great on these set top boxes. All you need is a computer somewhere on the network that runs the Plex Software and you have access to any content on your phones, computers, and set top boxes. This is not how the original HTPCs worked of course. In the old scenario the computer's video was run to the TV and when you launched the player it went full screen similar to video games taking over the computer's interface. This method is by far better as you don't need to keep a noisy PC in the room with the TV and the content can be served to multiple TVs and devices throughout your network. So what do you think? Do you want a HTPC? Do we need them anymore?

Sonos Company Profile Sonos was one of the first companies that sent our fledgling podcast equipment to review. We were just starting as were they. It made us feel like we were legitimate and could make a go of this podcast thing. Now almost a thousand podcasts later we are still going and so are they. One of us has grown exponentially and the other records a podcast every week! This week we are going to profile Sonos Inc. Much of this information comes directly from the Sonos website. Founding Founded Aug 22, 2002 Sonos is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California and currently employs just under 1500 people. Founders - John MacFarlane, Tom Cullen, Trung Mai, and Craig Shelburne - conjured a daring vision based on technology that didn't exist at the time. Fueled with the insight earned from success in the first phase of Internet-based business-building, they chose as their next mission a new way to bring music to every home - wirelessly, in multiple rooms, from PCs and the Internet, with awesome sound. They hired an amazing team who built amazing products from scratch, and music devotees all over the world found a new brand to fall in love with. John MacFarlane moved to Santa Barbara in 1990 to get his Ph.D. from the University of California-Santa Barbara. Instead he saw the promise of the Internet and built Software.com along with Craig, Tom and Trung. After Software.com merged with Phone.com in 2000 to create Openwave, they moved on to figure out together what to do next. Whatever was going to be next, they knew they wanted to stay together, and stay in Santa Barbara, due to the roots they and their families had begun to establish there. It was, perhaps, the beginning of a habit of unorthodox choices to add both a degree of difficulty and a fresh perspective to the work. The Problem In 2002, great music in the home meant wires hidden behind bookshelves and furniture, connecting to speakers the size of bongo drums; audio jacks plugged into the right holes on the backs of receivers and players; physical media primarily in the forms of compact discs and tapes - and if you wanted a multi-room experience, an afternoon (or weekend) drilling through walls to snake wires from a central receiver to speakers throughout your home. The Solution Developing a wireless multiroom home audio solution that was easy to deploy and control. The solution required setup that would be fast and intuitive for anyone, it would have to integrate well with any technology or service, and it would have to deliver superior sound in any home environment. Cross-technology integration meant choosing Linux as the technology platform, but no drivers existed at the time for audio, for controllers' remote buttons or scroll wheels, or for the networking that was needed. The Sonos team had to build them. Great multi-room music meant inventing a method to get audio instantly and wirelessly to multiple speakers without listeners noticing any gaps, ever. The team recognized mesh networking as the key. By 2003, it was a concept that had seen use in highly mobile environments, like battlefields, but never applied in the home or to the stringent demands of music experience. To develop and implement, Sonos had two choices: an easier engineering solution at the expense of its ideal user experience, or making it simple and great for users and excruciatingly difficult for its engineers. With the basic framework of the system built by early 2004, filled with new and untested technologies, the next phase focused on the scourge of software engineers: bugs. Despite all the ingenuity at hand, the prototypes couldn't communicate wirelessly to each other from even ten feet apart. And particularly with embedded systems, at the time developer tools and debuggers did not exist. So Nick and John took a road trip, the prototypes stowed in a cardboard box in the back seat of John's car, to Silicon Valley to see John's friend and hardware supplier, whose advice boiled down to one word: antennas. Developers know that the most frustrating bugs are the so-called "irreproducible" bugs. Many of them emerged from testing at Sonos employee homes in and around Santa Barbara – including one especially frustrating bug, only reproducible at one person's house, that required a packet sniffer to identify and fix. Recalls Andy Schulert: "We've got our first 15 to 20 prototypes, we feel great about them, we take ten of them to someone's house to try it out. We set them up, and it's a colossal failure. They barely worked. We had to dial back to just two, figure out the issues, then add a third, and so on. Excruciating, but worth it." By summer 2004, Sonos had tackled the bugs, prototypes were beginning to function with the necessary reliability, and the team had started sneak-peeking the system to others in the industry. This confirmed what they had been beginning to recognize: the hard work to that point had paid off in the form of something genuinely new. Breakthrough music experi

Ara and Braden go back in time to talk about a then revolutionary communication protocol that they worked on.

Sevenhugs Smart Remote We were asked by a listener to take a look at the Sevenhugs Smart Remote ($199 without contextual awareness and $299 with) a few weeks back. The makers of the remote call it "The world's smartest and easiest to use remote control. Stop wrestling with remotes and apps and simplify how you control your entire home." That's quite a statement in a world that has plenty of smart remotes. The question is whether that is a true statement or not. There is a video that goes along with this review that will provide much more context on our youtube channel (The HT Guys) We read a news story about a remote that could tell what you were pointing at and display the proper controls for that device without user intervention a long time ago. We almost forgot about the product as it was just a concept at the time but were happy to learn that the remote is indeed available. That excitement waned a bit when we discovered how the remote determines what it is being pointed at. In order to do the context switching the remote requires you to place discs on the wall that all have line of site with each other as well as the charging base. If these discs were small it would probably be OK however they are about the size of a motion sensor which makes it hard to fit in with your room decor. If you have already placed a motion sensor in your room you know that it is a compromise between functionality and decor. Adding three more "Motion Sensors" might be a hard sell for many. But once you get over that hurdle the concept seems good. But is it better is it than a Harmony Remote that allows me to assign dedicated buttons for lights or switches? In a word no. As far as remotes go it's not bad. You add devices and create scenes. You can add automation devices like hue lights and the Nest thermostat (no support for ecobee) and many others as well. See video for details on setting up remote. They advertise that the remote is compatible with 650,000 devices and services. One thing we noticed was that there is no way to connect to devices via your network. There is no mention of this capability on the SevenHugs website either. IR is the only method discussed. This caused issues that required a lot of syncing of missed commands As far as use goes, if you want to watch TV you hit that Scene and let the remote turn on devices and adjust lights. As you wish. Personal Note, we don't include lighting commands in the activities to watch TV or movies. We tried this before but if you watch something during the day and there are no lights on the activity will still dim the lights. Instead we create separate activities or macros in our automation system that we invoke only if the lights are on. In general, we come to the conclusion that we let the remote deal with entertainment activities and we let our automation deal with automation activities. It is not hard to switch between apps on our phones and tablets. In fact most of the automation activities are done automatically based on time triggers or requested on demand via voice to our home assistants. What did we like: The remote felt good in the hand Can control a lot of devices Worked like a typical smart remote What we dislike: Too Expensive No remote app - there is no way to control your system from another room Setup - Setup is cumbersome via their wizard No Network control of entertainment devices - System easily gets out of sync Discs required for contextual control - in order to setup control zones you need to put discs on a wall. This may be ok for some it may be an issue for others. Our Recommendation This was a great idea when we first heard about it however the implementation makes it a tough sell for those with open concept rooms or those with spouses who already have issues with our ever expanding gear we require for our love of home theater. At $300 our advice is buy a Harmony remote and a couple hubs!

The 7 Best LED LCD TVs - Summer 2019 (RTINGS.com) The editors at RTINGS.com have just updated their Seven Best LED TVs for the Summer and we bring those to you. RTINGS.com is a great resource when you are looking to buy a new UHD TV. They have the most thorough reviews of any site on the Internet. All the TVs that we discuss come with an in depth review that can be found at the links below. Best LED TV: Samsung Q90/Q90R QLED (65" Street Price $2500) The best LED TV is the 2019 QLED Samsung Q90R. It has impressive quality and an excellent dark room performance, thanks to the deep blacks due to the native contrast ratio and very good local dimming support. This TV is suitable for a bright room, as it can get very bright and can easily fight glare. HDR content looks full of saturated colors and bright highlights thanks to the TV's wide color gamut and high HDR peak brightness. It has a very fast response time that delivers clear and crisp motion, which is great for watching sports or playing video games. The input lag is very low even with motion interpolation, and gamers will also appreciate the auto low latency mode and FreeSync variable refresh rate support. Full Review Mixed Usage 8.7 Movies 8.6 TV Shows 8.6 Sports 8.6 Video Games 9.2 HDR Movies 8.5 HDR Gaming 8.9 PC Monitor 9.0 Pros: Very bright both in SDR and HDR. Excellent low input lag and gaming features. Remarkable motion handling. Cons: Some gray uniformity issues at the edges. CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE: VIZIO P SERIES QUANTUM 2018 (65" Street Price$1500) Mixed usage rating of 8.6 Best LED TV for Color Accuracy: Sony X900F (65" Street Price $1500) If you want the most accurate image, the Sony X900F is the best LED TV for color accuracy that we've tested so far. This TV delivers great picture quality, with an excellent contrast ratio, a decent full array local dimming feature, and great peak brightness. It also has outstanding accuracy out of the box and has a great wide color gamut, which is important for a good HDR experience. This TV also has excellent motion handling, with an outstanding response time, a nearly flicker-free backlight, and a versatile motion interpolation feature. It also has an optional black frame insertion feature, but it can't flicker at 60Hz, so there are noticeable duplications when playing 60Hz content. Full Review Mixed Usage 8.3 Movies 8.5 TV Shows 8.2 Sports 8.1 Video Games 8.6 HDR Movies 8.4 HDR Gaming 8.5 PC Monitor 8.3 Pros: Deep and uniform blacks Excellent motion handling Bright HDR highlights Cons: Picture quality degrades at an angle CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE: VIZIO P SERIES 2018 (65" Street Price$1000) Mixed usage rating of 8.3 Best Budget LED TV: TCL 6 Series/R617 2018 (65" Street Price $750 if you can still find them) If the Sony X900F is too expensive, the TCL 6 Series R617 is the best budget LED TV that we have reviewed. This TV delivers great performance for most uses. It has excellent dark room performance thanks to the deep contrast ratio and full-array local dimming system. It also has excellent low input lag, perfect for gaming or for use as a PC monitor. Unfortunately, there have been widespread reports of gray uniformity issues with this TV which may or may not have been fixed, so sports fans might not be pleased with this model. Full Review Mixed Usage 8.0 Movies 8.0 TV Shows 7.7 Sports 7.6 Video Games 8.6 HDR Movies 8.1 HDR Gaming 8.4 PC Monitor 8.3 Pros: Very bright in HDR and SDR Excellent low input lag for gaming Good local dimming and native contrast produce deep blacks Cons: Picture quality degrades at an angle Uniformity could be better CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE: TCL 4 SERIES/S425 2019 (75" Street Price$1000) Mixed usage rating of 7.3 Notable Mentions Samsung Q80/Q80R QLED: Excellent TV; less expensive than the Q90R, but lacks the One Connect box and has less local dimming zones. See review Samsung Q9FN/Q9/Q9F QLED 2018: Excellent TV; worse viewing angles, but some large sizes are probably worth it over the Q90R. See review Sony Z9F: Great TV with great picture quality, but the Vizio P Series Quantum is better. See review Sony X950G: Great TV, but the X900F is less expensive and performs similarly. See review LG SK9500: Good TV with wide viewing angles, but not very competitive. See review Vizio M Series 2018: Good TV, but the TCL R617 is better and cheaper. See review TCL 5 Series/S517 2018: Decent versatile 4k TV, but more expensive than the TCL 4 Series S425 for similar performance. See review Vizio V Series 2019: Decent TV, but the TCL S425 has better smart features. See review Vizio P Series Quantum X 2019: Excellent TV, but not worth the price difference over the 2018 Vizio P Series Quantum. See review

Power Amplifiers for the Rest of Us As we add more speakers to our home theaters our current AVRs may not have enough amplifiers to drive the system. A solution to this problem is a seperate amplifier. Power amplifiers have minimal functionality beyond driving speakers but they have quite a bit in the way of design to provide a clean signal to get the most out of your speakers. So why go with a seperate amp? There are a few reasons. First is power. Seperate amps typically have more power and can drive low impedance speakers more easily than low to mid range receivers. Of course high end AVRs can do this as well so why not just buy a high end receiver? That brings us to our second reason. More channels. If you want to run a 7.2.4 Atmos system you need 11 amps. Sure there are AVRs that have 11 amplifiers but they really cost a pretty penny. An alternative is buying a mid range AVR that can support an Atmos 7.2.4 system via pre-outs and augment it with and external amp. The last reason we will discuss, although there are a few more, is the quality of the power. Since amplifiers do one thing they can maximize the design for that one thing. AVRs have to do a lot and it all has to packed into an enclosure that is about the same size as a seven channel amplifier. There are plenty of amplifiers and some cost more than our entire home theater! We provide you with a couple "entry" options to consider. Emotiva A-500 $530 Best Bang for the Buck! We start out with a five channel amp from Emotiva. You absolutely can not go wrong with this amp! Ara uses the seven channel version of it in his media room and loves it! You'll want to power your front speakers with this and use the remaining two channels for your surround. Then you can use the amplifiers in your receiver for the remaining channels, Atmos and rear surrounds. If your receiver does not allow you to assign amps to channels then route any channel (probably your Atmos) that does not have an amplifier to this amp and use the AVR to power what's left. From the Emotiva Website: The BasX A-500 is a five channel power amplifier that offers true audiophile sound quality at an affordable price. The BasX A-500 includes a carefully chosen set of important features, including a heavy-duty power supply, high-quality Class A/B amplification, transparent audiophile-quality fault protection, a trigger input and output, and industry standard unbalanced audio inputs. Modern manufacturing techniques, and careful design and parts selection, have enabled us to deliver all of this performance and great sound quality in the BasX A-500 at a far lower price than you might imagine. Monolith by Monoprice $1600 Hey it's Monoprice We have always been fans of Monoprice for their high quality cables at low prices. But they are much more than that today selling all kinds of electronics from home theater to home automation. Ara has a pair of their Planar Headphones that sound like headphones costing three times more. We don't have direct experience with this amp but it's five star customer rating and positive review from Audioholics (4½ star) make it something you should really consider for your home theater. From the Monoprice Website: The Monolith 7X is a state-of-the-art, high-performance, audiophile-grade multichannel home theater amplifier. Rated at a full 200 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 300 watts per channel into 4 ohms, the Monolith 7X is capable of driving the most demanding home theater systems and reproducing the most dynamic soundtracks, while also articulating all the subtle sonic details found in music. Supercharge your existing receiver or create the foundation of a no compromise home theater system with the Monolith 7X.

Dedicated Home Theater vs. Media-Friendly Living Room We saw this poll over at AVS Forum, Dedicated Home Theater vs. Media-Friendly Living Room and since we are going through this same analysis we thought it would be good to share the results and discuss the pros and cons of each. At the time of this writing the results are: Dedicated Home Theater 51% Huge TV in Living Room 44% Projector in Living Room 5% Dedicated Home Theater Pros Replicates the distraction-free environment of commercial cinema Optimal speaker placement Total control over lighting Huge screen sizes are achievable with front projection A basic rig is not expensive Acoustically transparent screens are available for realistic dialog placement 3D still supported Dedicated seating includes features like reclining and cup holders Maximum immersion for movies and gaming Cons Requires dedicating a room to nothing but home theater Can't do "true" HDR (i.e. reproduce 1000-nit highlights) A high-end room is very expensive to put together Huge TV in Living Room Pros You have an excuse to put a huge TV in the living room Reproduces HDR as its mastered (>1000 nit highlights) Compatible with Dolby Vision Also usable for sports and gaming and regular TV Living rooms already have seating, no need to buy more furniture Usable in the daytime Cons Huge TVs are expensive Limited speaker placement options Easier to get distracted in a living room You still need to control lighting (shades, dim lights) when watching movies Limits in terms of screen size, extremely high prices above 85" A great projector in a dedicated room can look better than most TVs when playing SDR content Projector in Living Room Pros You can have a huge screen in your living room, larger than any TV Roll-up screens can make the system "disappear" when not in use Can be combined with a TV for "best of both worlds" UST laser light source projectors sit inches for the screen and last for years Affordable 4K e-shift projection gets bright and looks good Cons Installation costs are high UST laser light source projectors remain expensive No true HDR (i.e. reproduce 1000-nit highlights) Limited options for acoustically transparent screens Requires control over ambient light for daytime use Limited speaker placement options Easier to get distracted in a living room

Are AVRs too complicated? And the Best Smart Plugs for 2019 On this week's show we discuss whether the new Ultra Short Throw projectors that Hisense is making are a viable replacement for large format LCD/OLED display. And are AVRs too complicated which accounts for the rise in sound bar sales. Finally we go through a list of the best Smart Plugs for 2019 as decided by CNET. Weighing Ultra Short Throw (UST) Projection Versus Flat-Panels Longer life, larger screens and the ability to overcome challenging lighting conditions make UST projectors from companies like Hisense a viable solution versus flat-panel TV displays. Are complicated AV receivers responsible for sound bars' booming popularity? Consumers are finding out that after they set up their AVR they find it hard to play music or movies and then when they do figure it out the sound is out of whack. The subwoofer can be too loud, or even stop working. As a result they are turing to sound bars for their easy setup and use. But are they really easier or are people just using them as fancy external speakers? We discuss. Best smart plugs for 2019 Plenty of products for our homes have gotten smart makeovers in recent years. But what about the ones that haven't? That's where smart plugs come in. These nifty gadgets connect your regular old coffee maker, lamp, fan or nearly anything else to your smart home for voice control and automation.

Vizio P-Series Quantum X If you have been listening to the show for a while you would think there are only four TV manufacturers out there LG, Samsung, TCL, and Sony. Obviously there are many more but the aforementioned manufacturers dominate the news. Today we want to talk about a manufacturer that rose to be an extremely popular brand in the US but has been pretty quiet lately, Vizio. Vizio has been a popular manufacturer in the US for a few years. Ara bought Vizio's first 4K P-Series TV a few years ago and has been very satisfied with it. Of course it didn't have the wide color gamut or HDR but had good contrast with the local dimming capability. Vizio has been making steady improvement in their TVs but always seemed to lag LG and Samsung. However, they have a new TV, the P-Series Quantum X. We do not have direct experience with this TV so we will discuss the available features and will quote others who have. Features: Quantum Color - With Quantum Dot technology, VIZIO P-Series Quantum X produces up to 165% more color than a standard 4K HDR TV. Ultra Bright 3000 - Delivers up to 10x brighter imagery with striking detail in every highlight. 480 Local Dimming Zones - 480 Local Dimming Zones Stream from your device with Apple AirPlay 21 and Chromecast built-in - Stream movies, TV shows, music and more or mirror your screen for presentations and video chats directly on your VIZIO SmartCast™ TV. Use your Voice to control the TV - From playing your favorite show to turning your TV on and off - VIZIO Smart TVs let you take control with simple voice commands. Previously Vizio had only released a 65 inch model PQ65-F1 but with this model they have released a 75 inch version costing $3.5K. The 65 inch model goes for $2.2K. What the others are saying: Wired Wired - Brilliant, dazzling display. Tack-sharp picture, rich and vivid colors, velvety blacks. Looks great even in bright sunlight. Cinematic quality turns any room into a home theater. Tired - Streaming menus have room for improvement (get a Roku). Some streaming apps inaccessible without a smartphone. Audio is passable, but you'll want a soundbar. Tom's Guide Vizio also boosted the backlight on its top-tier set in two different ways: First, the P-Series Quantum X boasts an impressive 480 dimming zones on the 75-inch model (the 65-inch model has 385), which is a huge improvement over the 2018 P-Series Quantum PQ65-F1, which had 192. Our biggest problem with that model was the backlight and the way it added unwanted flaring and darkening around elements on screen, so a more than two-fold increase in dimming zones should help alleviate that issue. While a company demo is a far cry from a controlled testing environment, we didn't see any backlighting issues on the new Quantum X mode. The brightness has also been ramped up, with the P-Series Quantum X promising up to 2,900 nits of peak brightness. That brightness had an obvious impact on the video samples we saw in our demo, where brighter portions of the picture sang with a vivid intensity that mainstream and budget TVs can't match. Brighter backlight is one of the cornerstones of high-dynamic range content, and the P-Series Quantum X promises to deliver HDR with more oomph than ever before, easily beating the brightness offered on the 2018 P-Series Quantum PQ65-F1 (2,340 nits). HDR support also looks good on the format front, with support for Dolby Vision, along with standard formats like HDR10 and HLG. Reviewed.com From its searing highlights to its brilliant hues, the P-Series Quantum X is a top-shelf TV with the picture to prove it. Given its ability to get really freakin' bright, it's a particularly good option for folks who long for the performance of an OLED but remain skeptical about an OLED's relatively limited peak brightness. For instance, the LG C9 OLED, with its ultra-wide viewing angles and better-regulated contrast, is the all-around better performer, but its steady hand doesn't come with the sort of "wow" factor that comes with 2,000 to 3,000 nits of brightness. Additionally, the 65-inch version of the LG C9 is currently priced at $1,200 more than the PQX. Should you look closely, you'll find a handful of shortcomings around the edges of the PQX experience: a narrow viewing angle, occasional light bloom, and a ho-hum smart platform. They're the sort of issues that aren't unique to the PQX, however, and if you're as nit-picky as I've been known to be, you'll find similar foibles in just about every high-end flagship TV. Nevertheless, it's worth keeping them in mind if you're trying to decide between two or three top-tier TVs. There's no question about it: The P-Series Quantum X is the best TV Vizio has ever released. It may not come with the modest price tag you might've come to expect from a historically budget-friendly brand like Vizio, but given its capabilities, it's a competitively priced TV with ton of upside.

Samsung: Important to scan your Samsung TV for malware & viruses Samsung recently tweeted: Scanning your computer for malware viruses is important to keep it running smoothly. This also is true for your QLED TV if it's connected to Wi-Fi! Prevent malicious software attacks on your TV by scanning for viruses on your TV every few weeks. Here's how 👇 pic.twitter.com/7hWUfJwy1K — Samsung Support USA (@SamsungSupport) June 17, 2019 The tweet has since been removed but we felt that this really begs the question, Did Samsung make a case for not connecting your Smart TV to the Internet? Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 4K Ultra HD Survey SONY is running a survey on its website soliciting information about what we'd like to see in 4K. The movies are old because all new titles are released in 4K whether the movie would benefit from 4K or not. We discuss if this is even necessary and ask who is going back and replacing their HD discs with 4K or whether a 4K treatment would get you to spend your money on a title that you passed on in HD Samsung's announces The Wall Luxury (UK) Samsung Electronics announced that the hotly anticipated luxury display, 'The Wall Luxury', will be available to order in July 2019. A breakthrough innovation in home entertainment, The Wall Luxury redefines the category, offering discerning customers the ultimate display solution fit for any luxury residence. With versatile modular LED panels, The Wall Luxury can be customised to fit any luxury home environment, going beyond the standard 16:9 ratio to occupy unusually shaped flat walls, pillars or even door frames. With customised shapes, The Wall Luxury can fit into inspired and unusual locations, transforming residences and offering unprecedented premium viewing experiences. The Wall Luxury features two distinct modes giving people the flexibility to use their bespoke display solution as an immersive way to enjoy entertainment or create a stunning visual canvas for their home. Entertainment Mode In entertainment mode, The Wall Luxury delivers total immersion, allowing people to enjoy incredible visual experiences across a range of media. From watching a movie in striking colour and contrast to taking gaming to new heights, The Wall Luxury delivers the best picture in any light. Ambient Mode When it's not being using for entertainment, The Wall Luxury becomes a visual backdrop, allowing people to view art, picture or immersive scenes like never before. With Ambient Mode1[1], The Wall Luxury becomes a digital canvas, letting people create striking centrepieces that bring any room to life. It's Infinity Design and Décor Frame create a display that complements any space and only stands out when directed. With an almost edgeless display and a slim design, The Wall Luxury oozes sleekness and blends completely with its surroundings. The Wall Luxury will be available to order from July 2019, to find out more visit samsung.com/uk/the-wall. The Wall Professional, a large scale display for luxury flagship stores to corporate headquarters, is also available to order.

Five Items Every Home Theater Needs that Cost Less than $500 We love our home theaters and want to get the most out of them that we can. This list is not about the actual AV parts, Display, Receiver, Speakers, etc, but more about things that will help you enjoy your home theater more. Lighting - Wall sconces that can be dimmed when watching TV/Movies add a dramatic element to any viewing experience. If you currently have sconces you can make them programmable by adding smart bulbs. If you don't they are fairly easy to add by yourself. If you don't feel comfortable doing that you may need to hire an electrician and do some drywall repair which will raise the cost and make it cost more than $500. But for this list we assume you are all DIYers and we'll leave it on the list! Bass Shaker System - We have spent thousands of dollars on all kinds of equipment over the years and this one item has had the most impact on our viewing experience. You really FEEL the action. An added plus is that it can be had for less than $300. Here is a brief video on Ara's Setup. Ara's Bass Shaker Setup and Install Video. Surge Protectors/Power Conditioners - This is not very glamorous but so essential. At the very least every home theater setup should have surge protectors. Protecting your expensive electronics doesn't cost much as well. Good protectors can be found at Costco for about $25. If you have noisy power lines a Power conditioner can help clean it up and improve your audio and video. They cost a bit more than surge suppressors. This one by Furman goes from about $180. There are others for much less. Universal Remote Control - This may be the most annoying part of the home theater experience. Why the AV community can't get together and define a remote control standard is beyond us? There should be one TV on and off command that all TVs respond to. Done then every remote could control every device. Maybe someday. Until then look into getting a universal remote like Harmony. They make physical remotes as well as an app for your phone. If you are good with only being able to control your home theater with a tablet or phone consider the simplecontrol app. This can set you back as high as $350 but there are lower cost options as well. Acoustic Treatments - Acoustic management can make good home theaters sound great and great home theaters sound amazing. Today you can buy sound absorbing panels that enhance the decor of your room so it's more than just an audio improvement. You can spend more than $500 here but we feel that a few panels placed in the right spots can improve you Home theater for less than $500. Some resources GIK Acoustics, AcousticMac, and Home Depot just to name a few.

Cord Cutting, New TV Tech and Aereo Back from the Dead? This week we discuss the top five Cord Cutting Stories to watch for this Summer, look at a new TV technology and bring Aereo back from the dead. The Top Five Cord Cutting Stories For the Summer Sling TV will launch at least two new models: an AirTV 2 - The AirTV 2 looks like an updated version of the black AirTV box and an AirTV player that is a fully powered Android TV player inside a stick/dongle format. According to reports, at least one of these new AirTV players is expected to be announced this month. Amazon Channels coming to Canada - Amazon has announced plans to roll out its Amazon Channels service in Canada. Amazon is even promoting this as a way to compete with cable TV in Canada. Amazon has not announced a launch date other than to say it is coming soon. Pluto TV Latino - Viacom is planning to launch a Pluto TV version for Spanish speakers. According to reports, Pluto TV Latino will launch sometime in the summer of 2019 and could be live as soon as this month. Pluto TV Worldwide - Viacom has also announced plans to roll out Pluto TV into new markets around the world. Pluto TV is expanding into the EU, and you can expect even more markets to launch at any time. Amazon Prime Video on Android TV - Amazon has confirmed that Amazon Prime Video is coming to Android TV this summer.(Some Android TV players already have a dedicated Amazon app, but most do not support an official Amazon app.) It is very possible that Amazon Prime Video will hit all Android TV players as soon as this month. New TV Tech The Hisense ULED XD is essentially two LCD panels bonded together, and then smooshed into a TV the same size as the one you currently have. Throw in the company's proprietary chipset, a bunch of buzzwords, and a whole mess of secret sauce and you've got something remarkable. Hisense says this technology will offer blacks as dark as midnight on a moonless night and the brightness of today's LCDs — all at the cost you've been craving. If it's true, Korea's powerhouses should be trembling. So how did the Chinese company do it? More… Locast - Watch Your Local Broadcasts for Free Locast is a not-for-profit service offering users access to broadcast television stations over the internet. We stream the signal over the Internet to select US cities. We are trying to help broadcasters reach people just like you over the internet. Current Cities include - Denver, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston The difference between and the defunct Aereo is that Locast does not charge you for the service. They are a non-profit and as such the Supreme Court has ruled that it is legal for Locast to rebroadcast the over the air signals. The have a donation page

Thoughts on the State of Home Audio In a recent interview with TWICE Magazine Tom Summer of Yamaha shared some thoughts on the state of home audio. The following are excerpts from that interview. What is Yamaha? - Tom states that Yamaha is the largest musical instrument in the world and that they produce 25% of the musical instruments that are sold world wide. Music and sound are Yamaha's expertise. What is the Heath of the Home Audio Market? - It's healthy overall. Headphones are doing great, although, Yamaha is not a big player in that market. Smart Speakers, Sound Bars, and two channel are doing quite well. AVRs are are so so. It's actually down 3% but four or five years ago the AVR market was considered doomed. Most of the sales were to 40, 50, and 60 year olds replacing gear to support newer technologies. Recently things have started to turn around with buyers in their 20s and 30s entering the market. Yamaha is not totally down on their future. They still have some customers that are not dying off. Who are you selling to now? - The replacement market is a driver. Consumers who wish to use the latest technology like 4K and HDR are needing newer receivers. For younger buyers it's all about an immersive gaming experience. Finally, families still want a great experience when watching Netflix and Blu-rays. What are the Important Features? - Simplicity is key but the most important feature is great immersive sound. However with immersive sound comes dialog that is hard to hear. Yamaha has developed Surround:AI (Artificial Intelligence) to make dialog easier to hear during loud action scenes. The other pain for consumers are the rear speakers. For that they have developed MusicCast Surround which is a wireless solution for the surround speakers. What is the Biggest Market Challenge? - Time for people to sit and enjoy their system. Tom mentions that in Europe it's common for people to go home from work and pour a glass of wine to relax while playing music. In the US it's about squeezing in 30 minutes at lunch to stream the latest episode of a Netflix show. If you are not spending time with your TV then you really don't need a sophisticated system. What is Yamaha's Play in the Smart Home? - Yamaha is all in on Alexa. They have incorporated the technology on quite a few products. The issue they have is when you are playing the music loud Alexa can't always here you. Apparently the solution is more microphones. What is on the Roadmap? - Building out the MusicCast platform. Further improvements to the Vinyl 500 wireless turntable. Continue to develop two channel products. There has been great growth in the two channel market. It's still small but there seems to be a resurgence in high quality audio.

Braden is on travel this week so we have a short show for you this week. Email and News. Have a great weekend everyone!

Best Overall 4K TV We get asked what's the best TV I can buy from time to time and we always reply with, "That depends on what you want to use it for". Few people have a specific purpose. Mainly it's for overall viewing. So when we ran across a page over at CNET that helps you select the best TV we thought it would be great to share it with all of our listeners. CNET's Best TVs for 2019 allows the reader to filter their reviews based on criteria that is important to the reader. You can look at TVs based on Picture Quality, LED, 4K, or Size. For today we will look at CNET's best overall TVs for 2019. We'll link to the full review for each TV. Best High End TV for the Money - LG OLEDB8P series 65" $2,500 (Full Review) OLED TVs are the picture quality kings, and this is the 2018 OLED TV to buy. Its image quality is very close to the C8 and C9 (below) and while it's cheaper than either one, it's still an expensive TV. Editor's Rating 8.7 Design 9 Features 10 Performance 10 Value 6 Best TV for the Money Period - TCL 6 series (2018 Roku TV) 65" $800 (Full Review) No TV we've ever tested offers this much picture quality for this little cash, and its Roku TV operating system is our hands-down favorite. The TCL 6 series wins the value race. Editor's Rating 8.6 Design 7 Features 9 Performance 8 Value 10 A Bit Better OLED Picture, A Bit More Money - LG OLEDC8P 65" $2,800 (Full Review) A few hundred dollars more than the B8 gets you the C8 and its incrementally better image quality. It's a better value than the C9 below, so it gets a higher spot on this list. Editor's Rating 8.6 Design 9 Features 10 Performance 10 Value 6 The Picture Quality King by a Nose - LG OLEDC9PUA series 65" $3,500 (Full Review) If you don't care about cost and just want the best picture, the C9 is the way to go. It barely beat the 2018 C8 and B8, but for now they're superior values -- almost as good and much less expensive. Editor's Rating 8.5 Design 9 Features 10 Performance 10 Value 5 Best OLED Alternative at 65 inches - Vizio P-Series Quatum 65" $1,250 (Full Review) Vizio's best TV ever is only available in one size, but if you can't swing the price for an OLED TV and still want an amazing picture, it should be first on your list. Editor's Rating 8.3 Design 8 Features 9 Performance 9 Value 7

Sennheiser Momentum vs GoNovate Airo True Wireless Headphone Face-Off Recently my Bragi Dash Pro headphones broke which ended my love hate relationship with them. I loved how they were truly wireless, had great sound, and fit comfortably in my ear. I hated how the Bluetooth connection was flakey, the short battery life, and were really expensive. Granted they do far more than play music wirelessly. It could track your heart rate and was geared towards people who worked out. So I was on the hunt for new truly wireless headphones and I found two candidates. One was a low cost Chinese brand that I had never heard of, GoNovate Airo and the other was a well respected manufacturer of headphones the Sennheiser Momentum. The Airo sells for $60 on Amazon while the Momentum is $300. Features: Momentum Exceptional clarity - experience sound that's like 'being there' thanks to sennheiser category-leading truly wireless technology Fingertip control - control your music, calls and voice assistant simply through intuitive touchpad technology built into both True Wireless earbuds Stay aware - transparent hearing keeps you aware of your surroundings, allowing you to easily listen and chat wirelessly Without having to remove your earbuds Extended listening - 4 hours of truly wireless listening becomes 12 with our compact charging case that gives you 2 full extra charges Handle conditions - made for every True Wireless listening environment with durable, Tough, splash-resistant materials. (IPX4 rated) Airo Innovative Design: With the Airo truly wireless earbuds shark fins design and anti-sweat feature, they've been crafted to offer superior stability and comfort when exercising. Clear Phone Calls: Featuring CVC 6.0 noise reduction and true stereo call making for crystal clear voice transmission.The left earbud can be used individually. Superior Sound Quality: Airo's composite diaphragm material, provides 3D stereo HiFi sound. We've also packed in the latest and most powerful Bluetooth 5.0 so you receive the fastest and most stable transmissions speeds up to 10m away(For IOS). Long Battery Life: With the Airo wireless headphones' Bluetooth 5.0 massively reduced power consumption breakthrough technology, you get an above standard 6 hours of playtime (at 30-40% volume,tested multiple units with iPhone). Plus, an additional 30 hours with the charging box, keeping you in control of your music for several days. Advanced Design: Experience instant device pairing as soon as you remove the Airo wireless earbuds from their charging case. Control your music and accept or reject calls with just one button, and activate voice assistance to easily control your device while driving. Head to Head Sound Quality - There is a definite difference in sound between the two devices. The Momentum has a deep rich bass and warm sound. The Airo has decent bass and a brighter crisper sound. For music I would select the Momentum but for Podcasts and phone calls both work well. With that said the music sound quality improvement of the Momentum is not worth the $240 price difference. As far as phone call quality goes, both work well. Recipients of my call were able to hear me clearly on both headphones. Momentum wins this category based on its ability to give you rich deep bass and full warm sound for music. Bluetooth - Pairing the headphones are simple and take all of about two minutes to do. Both are Bluetooth 5.0 and have a range of about 30 feet. But I found the Airo consistently kept the connection for about 40 feet. If you work in your garden or around the house that extra ten feet could be the difference between a good experience or frustration with the headphones. The Momentum had a rock solid connection via both the iPhone and MacBook Pro. The Airo would drop out from time to time not enough to make it unusable but enough where you noticed that it wasn't as good as the Momentum. However, this only happened with the MacBook. The connection on the iPhone was rock solid. Even though the Airo had a longer range I had to give the nod to the Momentum because the connection was rock solid all the time. Fit - Both provide a solid fit and will stay in place. I wore them while walking and exercising with no issues. They stayed in place even under strenuous conditions. The Momentum were more comfortable to me but that may be due to my ears so your mileage may vary. The Airo claims it is sweat proof as does the Momentum. Actually, they are both IPX4 rated which means they can take water splashes from any direction. The Momentum wins this category but by the slimmest margin. Battery Life - The momentum got four hours and forty five minutes of use listening at a comfortable level. I could have gone louder which would have reduced the battery life but it would have been unbearable to listen at that volume for an extended period of time. The Airo did meet it's advertised battery life of six hours at 30% to 40% volume. A win for the Airo! Everything Else - The Mom

USB 4.0 The USB Promoter group recently announced that the latest specification (4.0) will be released towards the latter part of the year which means USB 4.0 devices should be available at sometime in early 2021. Here is a quick rundown of what you can expect. Main Benefits 40 Gbps - By using two-lane cables some devices will achieve speeds up to 40 Gbps. Speeds of 10 and 20 Gbps will be considered low speed and will more than likely be used by smaller less expensive devices like cell phones and chromebooks. Compatibility with Thunderbolt 3 devices - Some USB 4.0 devices will also work with Thunderbolt 3 devices. Better Resource Allocation for Video - If you are using your USB 4.0 port for both video and data simultaneously the port will allocate bandwidth as needed. So if you are watching a video and copying files and the video is only using 10% of the available bandwidth the port will allocate the remaining 90% to data transfer. This mix will be adjusted on the fly as the video demands increase or decrease. USB 4.0 will use the Type-C connectors and will be backwards compatible with older specifications.

Master Quality Authenticated - MQA We recently received an email from Scott in Pine Arizona asking us to talk about MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) audio. We'll take a look at it from a 30,000 foot level in the hopes that you take a deeper look on your own. What is MQA MQA is an audio codec using lossy compression and a form of file fingerprinting, intended for high fidelity digital audio internet streaming and file download that was developed by the co-founder of Meridian Audio, Bob Stuart. A good way to look at this compression is mailing a letter in an envelope. A 8 ½ X 11 sheet of paper won't fit into a standard envelope as it is. So if you have written a letter taking up the entire sheet you could come up with a short hand that would fit on a smaller sheet of paper and the reader would then have to decode the letter. They would probably get most of the letter correct but may miss a word here or there. Not enough to change the meaning of what you have written but it would not be the exact letter as you wrote it. The alternative would be to take the full letter and fold it up and place it in the envelope. The reader would then unfold the letter and read it without any loss of meaning. MQA call this their 'Origami' folding technology. This is a very high level explanation of the process. The technical details and more precise explanation is found on their website (MQA Playback). What Services Support MQA Downloads www.highresaudio.com www.nugs.net - live music www.onkyomusic.com Streams www.tidal.com www.deezer.com www.extreamsd.com What Players Support MQA Streamers - Partial List Onkyo Pioneer TEAC NAD There are many more devices, including smartphones and portable players, that can help in the "unfolding" of the MQA file. Please check out the MQA website for more details (MQA Partners). Finally there are MQA CDs. The website features six titles including the Doors Waiting for the Sun which has been remastered. The two CD and one LP set will run you $50. We looked and found it difficult to find MQA CDs but we figured why buy the disc when the downloads have no difference in quality. With that said we tried to download some Van Halen albums but were told that HighResAudio.com did not have rights to sell the album in the US. There are other alternatives to MQA. For instance HDTracks.com offers high quality tracks that are not encoded with MQA. We found our Van Halen album available there in 96/24 and 192/24 for $17.98 and $24.98 respectively. Hi-Res Audio is something that won't appeal to everyone. The music costs more and you need equipment that can handle the higher resolution files. Then there is the debate whether you can hear the difference or, at a minimum, is the difference is worth the added cost. Regardless, for the majority of us, there is no reason to bother. However, for a few of us, it's the only way to listen to music.

Today we are on travel but we pre-recorded a short conversation about an article over at Bloomberg that discusses Amazon employees listening to recordings of echo conversations. The conversations are then compared to what the echo thought was said. All in an effort to increase accuracy of the echo's voice recognition software. Amazon Workers are Listening to What You Tell Alexa A global team reviews audio clips in an effort to help the voice-activated assistant respond to commands.

Interview with Gary Yacoubian of SVS Last week we told you about the new speakers that SVS introduced, the Prime Pinnacle ($799.99 each) and this week we asked Gary Yacoubian President of SVS to join us on the show to discuss what went into the design. Specs: Tweeter | 1" Midrange | 5.25" Woofer | Triple 6.5" Frequency Response | 29Hz-25 kHz (+/-3 dB) Port Size | Triple 2" Dimensions | 41.1" (H) X 8" (W) X 13.9" (D) (includes grille, feet and binding posts) Weight | 57.1 lbs (25.9 kg) All SVS speakers come with: 45 Day Risk-Free In-Home Trial, Fast & Free Shipping and Returns 5-Year Unconditional Warranty, 1-Year Trade-up Policy Guaranteed Price Protection and more…

Monoprice Monolith Cassette Series Smart Boombox Almost at the same time as when we started our podcast we discovered Monoprice. For us Monoprice was a company that built and sold high quality HDMI cables at a fraction of the price as big box retailers. They have come so far over the years to where they sell electronics, speakers and home automation products. But today we are super excited about their new high end product. The Monolith Cassette Series Smart Boombox is a $1,300 piece of modern engineering that really puts Monoprice over the top! It's time to dig up your cassette collection with the built-in cassette player, listen to the latest tunes on AM/FM radio, or stream wirelessly with a BT connection. This boombox also includes a Smart Assistant so you don't even need to push any buttons! With two built-in speakers producing 1000 watts of Class D power, it's time to make the Monolith Cassette Series Boombox the life of the party. This thing has some serious street cred too! Check out the features: 24bit/192Khz DAC: We took a pure, analog signal path and converted it to digital with our high resolution 24bit/192Khz DAC. To get the most out of analog, one must convert it to hi res digital. Bluetooth with aptxHD: The best in CD quality Bluetooth wireless connectivity for your lesser quality cassette tapes. AM/FM: Radio doesn't need to be confined to your car or streamed from your computer. Use the retro antenna to tune to your favorite station. Antenna will automatically point North for the best signal. Smarts Inside: Easy to use, everyday functions that were once a simple press of a button, can now be accomplished with a turn of phrase: Say "Monolith, Be Kind Rewind" and the player will automatically rewind the tape Say "Monolith, Skip to next song" and the player will automatically skip to the next track. Dual Speakers: 1000 total watts of Class D power with enhanced bass easily filling a large size room with deep, rich and detailed sound. Let's get the party started! Dolby Noise Reduction: Dolby A, B, C, and S noise reduction formats included. Each format varies in effectiveness in reducing background hiss on all your favorite recordings from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. HX Pro: Adds additional high frequency headroom, improving the signal to noise ratio. It's so good, it's always on. Compatibility: Type I, II, III, and IV compatible. Additionally, the Monolith Portable Cassette Player is also DCC compatible. We believe no format should be left behind. Comfort: Comes with a memory foam shoulder cushion so you can hold the boombox for hours at a time.

AppleTV Plus, Channels, and Arcade This week Apple launched it's new TV streaming service called AppleTV Plus. The service features original content along with a redesigned AppleTV app. According to Apple the new service will be "the new home for the world's most creative storytellers featuring exclusive original shows, movies and documentaries". Apple will spend about $2 Billion initially Ad-free Available on demand Viewable both online and offline. Available in over 100 countries sometime this fall No pricing was given To access Apple TV Plus you will need a new Apple TV app on iOS, Mac, Roku, Fire TV, and televisions from various manufacturers. Apple TV Channels Apple also announced Apple TV Channels. Through the channels service you will be able to purchase pay channels and services like HBO, Showtime, Starz, CBS All Access, and others directly through the TV app and watch everything there as well. Currently you have to manage these services outside the app however the shows you watch can be accessed within the AppleTV app once done. To watch an HBO show for example, the AppleTV app will launch the HBO application. With the Channels feature, Apple will be handling the streams and promises top-tier picture and audio quality for all Apple TV Channels it offers. Channels will enable users to customize content bundles from any source, with everything being delivered through the forthcoming update to the Apple TV app. The new app will be available on Apple's 1.4 billion devices that include Mac computers. But it will also be coming to smart TVs, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV connected-TV devices. Apple claims to have over 150 video providers for it's Channel service. Apple Arcade Launching this fall with more than 100 new and exclusive games, Arcade will be Apple's ad-free, subscription gaming offering launching across devices in 150 countries. The service will work directly with developer partners including Disney and LEGO, and will frequently and dynamically roll out new gaming content. Apple didn't specify pricing. The service will have a tab inside of the App Store rather than its own app, and it will be available offline. HT Guys Take The more the merrier! More content is great. Apple's ability to attract star power may be the the key that people are overlooking, afterall Oprah is already onboard. Big stars could provide a compelling reason to tunein. Price will be a big factor. Still, we are still hoping that one day a service will provide total access to ALL content in iTunes making iTunes your de facto DVR. Until that day this is a start. As far as the AppleTV Channels app goes, we have been saying this all along. We see the day when you will be able to buy your content directly from the networks and have an app aggregate them into "channels'. The Channels service will make it simple to find content which which should work well for the content providers. In app purchases through Apple is far easier than pulling out a credit card and signing up and paying for yet another service. This is more of a play against Amazon which has a similar service. We have tried that service and didn't find it smooth or integrated. If Apple does this right it may have more luck in pulling this off.

Crutchfield Speaker Comparison Tool For years we have been saying that the only way to know how speakers will sound in your home is to listen them in your home. That isn't always possible. Many online speakers companies do offer a no cost in home "Audition" of their speakers which truly allow you to hear what they will sound like in your environment. But even with that it's hard to A/B different sets of speakers. Perhaps you can have a few sets on hand and then swap out cables. But more than likely you will order a pair and if they sound good you'll go with them. That is until now. Thanks to a listener, Glen, he pointed us to a service (SpeakerCompare) offered by Crutchfield that attempts to simulate how a speaker will sound through their website using headphones. This tool simulates the sound of home and car speakers tand lets you compare sonic characteristics between speakers so that you can make a more informed shopping decision. The following is directly from the Crutchfield website: How it got Started About 15 years ago, Bill Crutchfield imagined a new type of "virtual" store, where speakers could be demonstrated online — something that had never been done before. He hired a team of engineers and built a specially designed testing facility in Christiansburg, Virginia. After more than a decade of research, this patented Virtual Audio™ technology is now available on our website. Now when you're shopping for speakers, you can compare two or more pairs by listening to sample music clips with select headphones to hear sonic differences between each model. We hope you'll find it a valuable addition to conventional shopping resources like reviews, feature lists, and specs. Research and Development Our engineers, led by Rick Wright, Ph.D., and Gary Gibbs, Ph.D., had to develop a process for simulating the differences between speakers online. Rick explains that it starts with the team's anechoic chamber, an acoustically neutral room that uses sound-deadening material to eliminate reflections. The room is equipped with highly sensitive microphones to measure each speaker's frequency response, sensitivity, power handling, and other attributes. Next, they gather data on important details like room characteristics and how our ears work. They also carefully measure the audio characteristics of different headphones to account for any sonic coloring they may add to what you hear. SpeakerCompare tailors your listening experience to the specific type of headphones you have, so that what you hear is comparable to auditioning speakers side-by-side in person. Gary sums up the process of comparing the relative differences of speakers virtually through headphones: "When you break apart each of these pieces, model them, and put them back together, we can simulate the experience of listening with speakers." To date, Rick, Gary, and their team have measured hundreds of different home and car speakers. Their ongoing work ensures new models are researched as they're released. How SpeakerCompare Works To try out SpeakerCompare, select two or more pairs of home or car speakers to audition, then select your model of headphones from our menu. (We currently have more than 100 to choose from, with more on the way.) Pick a genre of music to cue up a song sample, and hit play. You can then toggle between each speaker in real-time using two listening modes: equal power mode lets you hear differences in loudness as they naturally occur, while equal volume mode gives you a more direct comparison of tonal differences between your selected speakers. Our Experience SpeakerCompare does something. On our B&W P3 headphones we definitely heard a difference in the speakers we listened to (Klipsch Reference R-51M, Polk Audio RTi A3, Wharfedale Diamond 210, and Jamo S 803). The only issue we have is without having the speakers in front of us we have to take Crutchfield's word for it that they have accurately simulated their sound. Likewise, we have no way of knowing that the headphone characteristics were accurately accounted for either. We do know that Crutchfield spent a lot of money and time working on this so it is unlikely that the are selling snake oil. Final point, the work that Crutchfield has done was in an anechoic chamber which is not how any of us live. So where does this leave us? To know how speakers will sound in your home, you have to listen to them in your home.

How are this Season's New TV Shows Doing? Back in September we ran down the new network TV shows and we are sure you are wondering how they are doing! Well you are in luck. Today we'll discuss how they have fared now that the season is about ⅔ complete. The renewal scorecards come from tvline.com Monday's Magnum P.I. (CBS) - Officially Renewed for Season 2 Manifest (NBC) - A Safe Bet Happy Together (CBS) - A Long Shot The Neighborhood (CBS) - Officially Renewed for Season 2 Tuesday's FBI (CBS) - Officially Renewed for Season 2 New Amsterdam (NBC) - Renewed for Season 2 The Conners (ABC) - A Sure Thing The Kids Are Alright (ABC) - A Safe Bet The Rookie (ABC) - Could go either way Wednesday's A Million Little Things (ABC) - Renewed for Season 2 Single Parents (ABC) - Could go either way All American (CW) - Could go either way Thursday's Murphy Brown (CBS) - A long Shot Friday's The Cool Kids (Fox) - Could go either way Sunday's God Friended Me (CBS) - Officially Renewed for Season 2 Charmed (CW) - Renewed for Season 2 The Alec Baldwin Show (ABC) - A Long Shot

More and more people are streaming content these days. At one time it was a cool novelty but today it's how many of us get our television. Netflix and Amazon are at the forefront of 4K UHD content followed closely behind by Apple, Amazon, and Google. So with all this content out there you may be asking yourself which TV should buy that works best with streaming content. Luckily for us the people at RTINGS.com have compiled a list of The 7 Best Smart TVs for Streaming. We'll run through the list but if you want the full details follow the link to the article on their site. Best Smart TV For Streaming: LG B8 With an overall rating of 8.8 the LG B8 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV is the overall best TV for streaming content. Coming in 55" ($1596) and 65" ($2596) it won't break the bank either. The guys at RTNGS say the B8 is as good as the more expensive C8! From the article: The picture quality is remarkable and equally good as the more expensive LG C8. The B8 displays perfect blacks and this makes dark room performance outstanding. It has a wide color gamut with vivid colors and bright highlights that look great when watching HDR. Viewing angles are very good, and this makes the TV suitable for a room with a wide seating arrangement. Movies 9.3 TV Shows 8.5 Sports 8.7 Video Games 9.0 HDR Movies 9.0 HDR Gaming 8.8 PC Monitor 8.4 Best Mid-Range Smart TV For Streaming: Sony X900F If your budget does not allow for the LG, Sony has you covered with the X900F LED UHD TV ($999) with an overall rating of 8.4. The TV does not have the off angle viewing or same deep blacks as the LG OLED but it still has some chops of it's own. From the article: HDR content playback is excellent, as it can produce bright and vivid highlights with very accurate colors. Motion handling is excellent, as the TV has a fast response time and the ability to flicker the backlight to make motion crisper. Movies 8.5 TV Shows 8.2 Sports 8.1 Video Games 8.6 HDR Movies 8.4 HDR Gaming 8.5 PC Monitor 8.3 Best Budget Smart TV For Streaming: TCL R617 If you are budget constrained and are in the market for a streamer Braden's goto manufacturer, TCL, makes the list with the R617 and an overall score of 8.0. You can pick up the largest (75" 75R617) in the series for $1900! TCL manufactures good TVs at very reasonable prices but don't expect them to compare to the OLED. From the article: the R617 is a very good TV with good picture quality. It can get very bright and has great HDR performance with saturated colors and highlights that pop. Dark room performance is also very good, thanks to the deep blacks produced by the high native contrast ratio and good local dimming. Movies 8.0 TV Shows 7.7 Sports 7.6 Video Games 8.6 HDR Movies 8.1 HDR Gaming 8.4 PC Monitor 8.3

HDMI 2.1 After reading Robert's email we thought it might be a good idea to review the HDMI 2.1 specification will everyone. The following information and more is available at HDMI.org. HDMI® Specification 2.1 is the most recent update of the HDMI specification and supports a range of higher video resolutions and refresh rates including 8K60 and 4K120, and resolutions up to 10K. Dynamic HDR formats are also supported, and bandwidth capability is increased up to 48Gbps. Supporting the 48Gbps bandwidth is the new Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable. The cable ensures high-bandwidth dependent features are delivered including uncompressed 8K video with HDR. It features exceptionally low EMI (electro-magnetic interference) which reduces interference with nearby wireless devices. The cable is backwards compatible and can be used with the existing installed base of HDMI devices. HDMI Specification 2.1 feature highlights Higher video resolutions support a range of high resolutions and faster refresh rates including 8K60Hz and 4K120Hz for immersive viewing and smooth fast-action detail. Resolutions up to 10K are also supported for commercial AV, and industrial and specialty usages. Dynamic HDR support ensures every moment of a video is displayed at its ideal values for depth, detail, brightness, contrast and wider color gamuts—on a scene-by-scene or even a frame-by-frame basis. The Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable supports the 48G bandwidth for uncompressed HDMI 2.1 feature support. The cable also features very low EMI emission and is backwards compatible with earlier versions of the HDMI Specification and can be used with existing HDMI devices. eARC simplifies connectivity, provides greater ease of use, and supports the most advanced audio formats and highest audio quality. It ensures full compatibility between audio devices and upcoming HDMI 2.1 products. Enhanced refresh rate features ensure an added level of smooth and seamless motion and transitions for gaming, movies and video. They include: Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) reduces or eliminates lag, stutter and frame tearing for more fluid and better detailed gameplay. Quick Media Switching (QMS) for movies and video eliminates the delay that can result in blank screens before content is displayed. Quick Frame Transport (QFT) reduces latency for smoother no-lag gaming, and real-time interactive virtual reality. Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) allows the ideal latency setting to automatically be set allowing for smooth, lag-free and uninterrupted viewing and interactivity. Version 2.1 of the HDMI Specification is backward compatible with earlier versions of the Specification and is available to all HDMI 2.0 Adopters. Some Observations: The specification does not indicate a cable length. Cable length depends on the cable manufacturer. It is likely the maximum lengths for passive cables will be approximately 2 to 3 meters. Manufacturers may or may not be able to enable Dynamic HDR with a firmware upgrade. This is manufacturer specific eARC requires HDMI High Speed Cables with Ethernet and the new Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable. Generally speaking, eARC will not be upgradable via a firmware update. Check with the manufacturer of your product to confirm. eARC will support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X as well as previous audio formats.

The surprising list of top Netflix shows in the US by state If you're curious whether your taste in high-priced television shows streaming on Netflix is the same as that of your neighbors, HighSpeedInternet.com has a macro-view for you: its annual look at the "Most Popular Netflix Show in each State" for 2018. "Hollywood is now irrelevant," says IAC Chairman Barry Diller Diller, the former CEO of Paramount and Fox, talks about the diminished power of movie studios and why "Netflix has won this game. It was these six movie companies essentially were able to extend their hegemony into everything else. It didn't matter that they started it. When it got big enough, they got to buy it. For the first time, they ain't buying anything. Meaning they're not buying Netflix. They are not buying Amazon.".

SVS Prime Wireless SoundBase Ever since Ara has begun building speakers he has been searching for ways to drive them. He has tried small desktop amplifiers with some real success. His current go to is the AudioEngine N22 (MSRP $199) desktop amplifier 40W a channel. That works great for most desktop and some booksehelf setups. If you wanted to go wireless you had to add the Audio Engine B1 (MSRP $189) Bluetooth receiver. This did add AptX, including AptX HD support which allowed for high quality listening. The cost of the two totaled almost $400 and was cumbersome to "assemble". Then Ara saw that SVS had release the Prime Wireless SoundBase for $499.99. About a $100 more expensive than his current solution. The SoundBase is 150W a channel and has a rated bandwidth of 10Hz to 20kHz. Much more powerful and a little more on the low end of the audio spectrum. But the big thing for use is that it's all in one unit. No need for separate amp and wireless adapter. The full specs are: SN Ratio: 90dB @1V input, 2 x 150W output Left/Right RCA Input 3.5mm Aux Input Toslink Optical Input Subwoofer output Left/Right RCA Output Front 3.5mm headphone output 192kHz/24-Bit DAC Dual-Band WiFi Connectivity for Wireless Streaming - DTS Play-Fi app enables direct connection to Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, SiriusXM, Tidal, iHeart Radio and all the top music streaming sources as well as your personal playlists. App-Based Control over WiFi - DTS Play-Fi app control lets you access music streaming services and audio content from any smartphone or tablet via WiFi and distribute it throughout your home. 6 Custom Presets - 6 custom presets for instant access via WiFi to your favorite playlists, Internet Radio stations and streaming music services without needing a phone or tablet. Voice Control - Voice control of music from any Alexa device on your WiFi network is as simple as "Alexa, play reggae in the living room" and you can adjust volume, skip track forward, mute, pause and stop the music. Setup Setup was simple. Connect your speakers, pair your Bluetooth and you are good to go. But if you want, you can also connect the device to your wifi and use the DTS Play-Fi app to listen in critical listening mode which enables 192kHz/24-bit lossless streaming. More on that in a bit. If you don't want to use wireless you can use an RCA, 3.5mm, or Toslink Optical to connect CD or other external devices to the SoundBase. There is also a Subwoofer output in case you want to connect a subwoofer. The SoundBase also has an Ethernet jack for a hardwired connection to your network and a USB port for firmware upgrades. Our test configuration was using a Bluetooth connection to both our iPhone and MacBook Pro. The Macbook's connection was using aptX which provides a higher quality Bluetooth connection. We also used the DTS Play-Fi app to listen to 192khz audio. Performance You can hear the difference as soon as you turn the SoundBase on! Strong booming bass crystal clear audio and a lot of power. You could feel the desperation of life in Stevie Ray Vaughan's Tin Pan Alley. The bass was strong and full. Feeling it more than hearing it. The Guitar sounding like it was being played right in front of you. Yes good speakers help, but the Soundbase made the ELAC Debuts come to life! Even at loud volumes there was no noticeable distortion. It just sounded like Stevie was in the room giving a private performance! Drums are a difficult instrument to recreate. Howard Rogers from RSL Speakers told us, in an interview on our show, that he spent a lot of time perfecting speakers to recreate the sound of a drum. It's hard to AB a live drum with a recording but if your speaker/amplifier can't handle the low end you can tell there is something not quite right. It will sound soft, muddy, or not even there. The SoundBase is spec'd to go to 10Hz which is more like a feeling than hearing but give it something like "When The Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin and you know right away that you are listening to something really special. There was a presence about the drums that enhanced the listening experience. If you want to make use of the Critical Listening (192kHz/24-bit lossless streaming) mode you need to download the DTS Play-Fi app which is easy enough. But that's where the ease stops. The DTS app is cumbersome to use and not intuitive. But once you figure it out you can activate the Critical Listening mode by tapping the Hi-Res button at the top of the screen in the Zone selection. Then only sources that are compatible with this mode are visible We listened to the same music from iTunes but this time through Tidal. It sounded very good but Ara's old ears could not hear a noticeable difference. If you are able to discern the difference between Hi-Res and high quality AAC this device makes it easy to wirelessly listen to all your high resolution audio. One thing we didn't like, and it has nothing to do with the SoundBase, was the DTS Play-Fi app is not an intuitive way o

Top Ten Global TV Brands TCL has been rapidly expanding overseas and leading the market with its rich panel resources and the successful implementation of the branding strategy overseas. Chinese TV brands have been on the rise in recent years, especially since TV entered the era of artificial intelligence. They are also actively exploring overseas business and have advantages including core technology, product performance, price and after sales experience. Samsung LG TCL Hisense Skyworth SONY Sharp Philips A Russian brand that we can not read Mi - Mi stands for Mobile Internet but they offer three TVs for sale Why Haven't you used a Smart Assistant? Have No use for them 31.3% I have privacy/security concerns 30.4% Don't know enough about them 26.5% I don't see the value in them 24.9% Too expensive 20.1% I am not an early adopter/will wait until mainstream 18.7% I'm not sure which brand to buy 11.2 Too complicated 9.1% I doubt the will live up to their promise 7.1% Other 3.9%

Interview with the Owners of Creative Sound Solutions Ara recently purchased a DIY Speaker kit (Model P215 $439) from Creative Sound Solutions because he has heard a lot of great things about the company and products. He reached out to Dan Poinsett and Kerry Armes the owners of Creative Sound Solutions and they agreed to come on the show and talk about their company and DIY speaker kits. About CSS Audio Creative Sound Solutions is operated out of the Southeast Michigan area by two friends with a passion for great audio. Ownership of CSS was transferred from Bob Reimer, the original founder, to us in June 2017 and since then we've been working on bringing back some of the great drivers CSS is known for, as well as introducing some cool new kits and products to make it easier to get a world class speaker at a great price. We are also now 50% veteran owned and operated. Let's face it, high end audio is full of mysticism. There are all kinds of beliefs and opinions into what matters and what doesn't, and many of them aren't backed by facts or science at all (room purifying crystals anyone?). At CSS, we strive to de-mystify things for you. We use proven theories and methodologies developed and tested by trusted experts in the field of acoustics like Floyd Toole, Siegfried Linkwitz, and Vance Dickenson and combine that with countless hours of our own driver testing and acoustic evaluations to give you a truly high-end experience at an affordable price. Our products are definitely not the cheapest on the market. We don't strive to be. We strive to provide you with the best speakers your money can buy. Everything we put into our speakers is something that we've tested and evaluated to provide you with a true performance benefit. We don't believe speakers need a "secret sauce" to sound great, so we won't ever try to sell you pseudo-science. What you get instead is solid engineering, technical knowledge, and a couple sets of keen ears that have over 30 years combined experience designing loudspeakers.

Netflix Audience Numbers Netflix audience numbers have been a mystery for some time now. World wide Netflix has 130 million subscribers but what and how much they are watching have never been disclosed by the streaming service. In a letter to shareholders Netflix has revealed some of its audience numbers and plans for 2019. We present and discuss this letter on today's show. In its first 4 weeks on Netflix, we estimate that ​Bird Box from director Susanne Bier will be enjoyed by over 80 million member households, and we are seeing high repeat viewing. In combination with our other movie hits such as: ​Dumplin'​ from director Anne Fletcher, Chris Columbus-produced ​The Christmas Chronicles,​ Alfonso Cuarón's critically acclaimed ​ROMA​, Paul Greengrass' ​22 July, T​amara Jenkins' Private Life​ and the Coen brothers' ​The Ballad of Buster Scruggs​, we are beginning to have our ​original movie​ offering mirror the success of our series offering for consumer enjoyment. The global reach of our audience and the quality of the experience producing for Netflix continues to attract the world's top directors. We are expanding the film market: while our films drew bigger and bigger audiences in Q4, the North American box office also set records. Today, five weeks after its Netflix debut, ​ROMA​ is still being exhibited in theaters and has played on over 900 unique screens around the world, including some special 70mm format presentations. People love films...at home ​and​ in theaters. Around the world, our titles are not only pleasing consumers, but they are transforming the careers of our talent. ​Elite,​ our Spanish original, has been a huge success with over 20 million member households around the world enjoying the series in its first four weeks on service. In addition to being highly watched, social engagement has been phenomenal and the cast's popularity on social media skyrocketed, continuing to demonstrate our ability to be a launching pad for talent. We were very pleased with our launch of ​"You"​ three weeks ago; we estimate it will be watched by over 40 million member households in its first 4 weeks on Netflix. This binge-worthy show started as a Lifetime linear series in the US, but is now a full Netflix global original. A week ago, we launched ​Sex Education​ from the UK and it is also tracking to be a huge hit (estimated over 40 million households watching the title within the first 4 weeks). Netflix films and TV shows picked up ​five 2019 Golden Globe wins​, including Best Comedy Series for ​The Kominsky Method ​and Best Actor in a Comedy Series for Michael Douglas and Best Actor in a Drama Series for Richard Madden from ​Bodyguard.​ Alfonso Cuarón won the Golden Globe for Best Feature Director and Best Foreign Language Feature for ​ROMA.​ As a result of our success with original content, we're becoming less focused on 2nd run programming. For example, we launched our originals strategy for the unscripted genre only two years ago. Today, Netflix originals, like ​Tidying Up with Marie Kondo​, account for a majority of total unscripted view share on Netflix, while viewing of all unscripted programming has increased meaningfully during that time. We are ready to pay top-of-market prices for second run content when the studios, networks and producers are willing to sell, but we are also prepared to keep our members ecstatic with our incredible original content if others choose to retain their content for their own services. Looking forward in 2019, we will be launching many new highly-anticipated titles including ​The Umbrella Academy​ (February 15th); ​Triple Frontier from J.C. Chandor (March); ​The Irishman​ from Martin Scorsese; 6 Underground​ from Michael Bay; and ​The Politician​ from Ryan Murphy; as well as returning seasons of The Crown​ led by a new cast including Olivia Colman, Ben Daniels, and Helena Bonham Carter; ​13 Reasons Why, La Casa de Papel, Elite​, and, of course, Season 3 of the epic Stranger Things​, coming to members all around the world on July 4th. In the US, we earn around 10% of television screen time2 and less than that of mobile screen time. In other countries, we earn a lower percentage of screen time due to lower penetration of our service. We earn consumer screen time, both mobile and television, away from a very broad set of competitors. We compete with (and lose to) ​Fortnite​ more than HBO. When YouTube went down globally for a few minutes in October, our viewing and signups spiked for that time. Hulu is small compared to YouTube for viewing time, and they are successful in the US, but non-existent in Canada, which creates a comparison point: our penetration in the two countries is pretty similar. There are thousands of competitors in this highly-fragmented market vying to entertain consumers and low barriers to entry for those with great experiences. Our growth is based on how good our experience is, compared to all the other screen time experiences from which consumers ch