HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

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

QLED vs OLED vs LED The Super Bowl is right around the corner and that is a time when many Americans buy new TVs. Right now there are three competing technologies (QLED, OLED, and LED) readily available for purchase. With the help of RTINGS.com we try to help you make an informed decision. How do these technologies rate on 8 factors important to someone buying a TV. Black Level - Deep black will make colors look more accurate and vibrant Motion Blur - Mostly an issue for video gaming or fast action sports. It manifests itself as a blur on the screen Viewing Angle - Measures how true the image remains when you view off angle. The farther off center the more the degradation. Color Volume - A measure of the ability to express all the colors that can physically be displayed (aka: the color gamut), at any given luminosity, up to the display's peak brightness. Gray Uniformity - Describes how well a TV is able to maintain a single, uniform color on the screen. Luminosity - Essentially brightness Image Retention - Burn In Price and Availability - Self Explanatory QLED OLED LED Black Level Good Perfect Good Motion Blur Great Perfect Good Viewing Angle Poor Great Poor Color volume Great Good Good Gray Uniformity Average Good Average Luminosity Good Good Great Image Retention Great Poor Great Price and Availability Poor Average Great Table Courtesy of RTINGS.com

CES 2019 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the world's gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years - the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), it attracts the world's business leaders and pioneering thinkers. LG Debuts TV Of Tomorrow With World's First Rollable OLED TVLG Electronics (LG) is defining the next generation of television at CES® 2019 with the introduction of the world's first rollable OLED TV. The LG SIGNATURE OLED TV R (model 65R9) reimagines the everyday TV with a revolutionary form factor only made possible by the company's industry-leading OLED technology, boasting picture and sound quality that is second to none. The never-before-seen user experience gives home TV viewers infinite possibilities in designing their perfect viewing space. Line View allows the LG SIGNATURE OLED TV R to be partially unrolled, allowing for management of specific tasks that do not require the full TV screen. In Line View, users can choose from features such as Clock mode to check the time and weather, Frame mode to enjoy family photos shared from a smartphone, Mood mode to create a more relaxing atmosphere as well as others including Music and Home Dashboard. When in Zero View, all 65 inches of the LG SIGNATURE OLED TV R are hidden from view and tucked away in the base. Even in Zero View, users can enjoy music and other audio content which resonate from the 4.2-channel, 100W front-firing Dolby Atmos audio system. The premium bloodline is clearly evident in the entire unit, from the brushed aluminum casing to the quality wool speaker cover designed by Kvadrat of Denmark. No pricing or availability Samsung Unveils 75 inch Modular Micro LED TechnologySamsung introduced its latest innovations in modular MicroLED display technology during its annual First Look CES event at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The revolutionary new Micro LED technology designs featured at the event included: a new 75" display, a 219" The Wall as well as other various groundbreaking sizes, shapes and configurations for a next-generation modular Micro LED display – a 2019 CES Best of Innovation Award winner. Due to the technical advancements in the ultra-fine pitch semiconductor packaging process that narrow the gap between the microscopic LED chips, Samsung has been able to create a stunning 4K Micro LED display in a smaller, more home-friendly 75" form factor. No pricing or availability Samsung announces 98in version of its 8K QLED TV The QE98Q900R is a 98in version of the TV that's already available in 65in, 75in, 82in (US-only) and 85in variants. Aside from being a bigger model, the new model in the Q900R range shares the same specs as its siblings, which means it's an 8K display with a full array direct LED backlight that can hit a peak brightness of 4000 nits. It uses the same Quantum Processor 8K, which combines with central server-based machine-learning to upscale all non-8K content in the best quality possible. No pricing or availability but the 85 inch is currently $15K VIZIO Reveals SmartCast™ 3.0 at CES 2019, Adding Support for Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit VIZIO, Inc. announced the latest iteration of its easy-to-use smart TV experience, VIZIO SmartCast 3.0, which will offer unparalleled value to consumers through new seamless integrations, features and content offerings. With support for Apple AirPlay 2, millions of VIZIO SmartCast users can effortlessly play videos, music, photos and more directly from their iPhone, iPad and Mac to SmartCast TVs. HomeKit, Apple's secure smart home platform, will also be supported, enabling customers to easily control their SmartCast TVs using the Home app or by asking Siri. Support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit on VIZIO SmartCast TVs will be available for registered beta members across the U.S. and Canada to experience in Q1 2019. Following the beta, VIZIO SmartCast 3.0 will roll out via free cloud-based updates to new and existing SmartCast TVs and displays in Q2 20191. Panasonic's GZ2000: World's Most Cinematic TV Panasonic today announced the launch of the GZ2000, featuring a custom-made Professional Edition 4K OLED panel which incorporates custom hardware improvements by Panasonic. Optimized by a leading Hollywood colorist, the new panel highlights unparalleled color accuracy and significantly better than average brightness levels. The GZ2000 is the world's first* OLED TV to support both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR as well as HLG Photo, the new still image format which brings still photography into the HDR world. Furthermore, the GZ2000 is the world's first TV with built-in upward-firing speakers capable of delivering Dolby Atmos® immersive audio with total ease and convenience. The total audio system has also been tuned by Technics engineers. Also, wi

Predictions for 2019 Time for the HT Guys to look into our crystal ball and try and predict the HDTV and Home Theater landscape for 2019. Our crystal ball isn't as clear as a good HDTV but we faithfully give it another shot nonetheless. 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. 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! 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. 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. 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! 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.

Prediction Review for 2018 Wow. Another year in the books. And another year of stellar prediction results! With that it's time to see how we did with our 2018 predictions. If you're feeling nostalgic, the predictions are from Episode 825. This year's scorecard: 2/6 Prediction: Voice User Interface will begin to flourish in Home Theater It's 2018 and we are very used to asking Siri, Alexa, or Google to turn on lights but it's not common that we can use our voice to control our home theaters. The Echo works with the Harmony and Simple Control remotes but it's still kind of limited. In 2018 we will see a Homekit like framework emerge that will allow disparite home theater devices to be controlled by voice. Score: +1 Nailed it. You can get everything with voice control and voice search these days, some companies are even including multiple voice assistants so you can pick whichever one you want. Prediction: IPTV begins to erode traditional cable/satellite product Both DIsh Network and DirecTV said that their IPTV products we not replacements for their traditional offerings. Their original target market was cord cutters. The over the top service was an attempt to win back younger TV viewers. What is actually happening is that high dollar subscribers are seeing the value in IPTV. Watch anywhere and just about any device. The providers no longer have to worry about installing and maintaining hardware. A true win/win! Look for service quality to improve in 2018 and that will speed up the transition. The process will take many years to complete but 2018 will be the starting point. Score: +1 (but a bit of a gimme). Pay-TV Cord-Cutting Slightly Eases Again in Q2 As vMVPD Subs Grow, But Losses Are Mounting - Traditional subscribers are continuing to flee cable and satellite - "which found the major traditional pay-TV services (excluding internet-delivered services) shedding 800,000 subscribers in Q2 of this year" and vMVPDs are growing - "Sling TV and DIRECTV NOW... added about 383,000 subscribers during the quarter (compared to 287,000 net adds in Q2 2017), bringing them to a total subscriber size exceeding 4.1 million. Adjusting for those, the largest pay-TV providers in the US – representing roughly 95% of the market – lost roughly 415,000 subscribers" Prediction: The forthcoming Disney Movie Service gives Netflix a run for the money Netflix is a streaming movie service that now creates original content making for a formidable force. Disney has been creating original content for years and now is getting into the streaming game. They have deep pockets and can buy up a lot of content and be the only service that will stream it. We are betting that Disney makes a big dent into Netflix's market share in 2018 Score: +0 Nope. There's a Disney Streaming Service? Disney is now shooting for a release date in 2019. Hopefully they hit it. Then maybe they can eat away at Netflix subscriber numbers. Prediction: Netflix will change the movie distribution model Netflix currently operates on both sides of movie distribution. Netflix Productions already works with theaters to distribute traditional motion pictures, they secured distribution rights to Kumail Nanjiani's The Big Sick for example. Netflix is also one of the largest producers of motion pictures, in fact Netflix will release more movies in 2018 than most major film studios combined. Most of them will go straight to streaming. But will they all? Netflix will get some of those movies into theaters and make them available for streaming at the same time. Score: +0 Flop. Netflix may have owned distribution right for a few movies, but none that anyone knew about or were playing in a theater anywhere near you. Prediction: (Longshot Prediction) DirecTV will lose it's stranglehold on the TV rights for streaming the NFL For years the only way to watch out of market games for the NFL was to buy DirecTV's Sunday Ticket. That also gave you access to stream the games when you weren't at home. But with declining viewership due to how we watch TV nowadays the NFL will have to do something about it. They are making inroads with streaming on Twitter and facebook. But look for the NFL to offer something like what all the other sports do, an NFL package that will allow you to stream any and all out of market games to your set top box, tablet, and phone of your choice. Then when DirecTVs contract is up, look for every platform to offer a Sunday Ticket like product. Score: +0 Goose egg. Still need to get that Sunday Ticket. Prediction: 4G Optimized Streaming for the Home We still aren't sure if the removal of Net Neutrality will have any impact on our ability to stream from video services that may compete with the company that provides your Internet access, but there are potential issues there. And with 4G speeds in many areas easily capable of streaming high definition, we'll see a push toward using a new 4G device in your home, optimized for video streaming, combined with one of the streamin

Last Minute Stocking Stuffers for the Home Theater Lover It's just a few days until Christmas and you have a home theater lover in your circle that you haven't been able to find a gift for. We "The HT Guys" have you covered. We have a list of items that you can go out and buy from, gasp, a physical store! Yes you'll have to go battle the crowds but with our list it will be easy! All gifts can be had for less than $100. Roku Streaming Stick - Target With Enhanced Voice Remote. Save $15, reg. 49.99 • Roku Ultra streaming player, reg. 99.99, sale 79.99 Amazon Fire TV Stick - Target With Alexa Voice Remote–now faster and more powerful than ever. Save $15, reg. 39.99 • Amazon 4K Fire TV Stick, reg. 49.99, sale 34.99 Wemo - Mini WiFi Smart Plug - Best Buy Convert almost any electronic device into a smart appliance with the Wemo Mini Wi-Fi smart plug. It plugs into any outlet and lets you control attached appliances via mobile devices. $25 TP-Link - Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini - Best Buy Operate electrical appliances remotely with this TP-Link mini smart Wi-Fi plug. It lets you switch lights and other electronics on and off, check their current status and schedule their operation from your mobile device via the Kasa app. This TP-Link mini smart Wi-Fi plug supports voice control when paired with your Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. $16 Philips - Hue White A19 Wi-Fi Smart LED Bulb (4-Pack) - Best Buy Explore different moods with this four-pack of Philips Hue A19 bulbs. They're customizable to any glow intensity through the accompanying app, letting you set the atmosphere for a chill evening meal or an upbeat weekend party. Control these Philips Hue A19 bulbs remotely to light your home when you're away. $40 One caveat, only buy this if you know the recipient already has a hue hub. If not, you will need to add one at an additional cost of $60 Philips Hue White Smart A19 Starter Kit, 60W Equivalent, Hub Included, 2 Bulbs - Walmart Control your Philips Hue white lights from anywhere in the world, as long as you have internet. Or automate your lights to make it seem like your home when your not. Works with Apple Homekit and Google Assistant. $70 Pyle 90-Watt Mini Blue BT Compact Amplifier - Walmart Turn any set of passive speakers into wireless speakers! This palm-sized high power system features built-in BT streaming that works with all of your favorite devices. It gives you the ability to instantly stream audio from your device's music library and control it all wirelessly. $40 WD 1TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - Walmart If your loved one is a movie fan with his/her own movie server give them the gift of storage! $60 iHome Knit Bluetooth Speaker with Speakerphone - Costco Perfect for the beach or swimming pool. This portable speaker is splash and sand proof. $30 Panasonic Homehawk indoor security camera with 16GB SD Card - Costco Keep tabs on children, pets and your indoor environment while at work, or in the next room with this super-compact, all-in-one Full HD home monitoring camera. $70 Original Ring Doorbell - Home Depot and Office Depot Answer the door from anywhere using your smartphone. HD camera with night vision for a clear view day and night. Triggered notifications, two way talk, and cloud storage. $99.99

Ultimate Home Theater in a Box for 2018 Each year we design a Home Theater setup that is considerably better than a typical home theater in a box. We have seen complete setups for less than $500 from manufacturers like Sony and Panasonic that quite frankly do not sound good. While our system costs more than a name brand HTIB your satisfaction will be dramatically more. Plus we include EVERYTHING you need to actually setup a home theater. Minimum components for our system are a HDTV, Receiver, and 7.1 speakers. For this feature we choose components that we either have direct experience with or have experience with a similar model made by the same manufacturer. We are defining a system that can had by anyone who is serious about home theater. These systems will look and sound great by anyone's definition! Braden: Our goal has always been to build the Ultimate Home Theater in a Box without breaking the bank. The ultimate home theater on a budget, if you will. It has been interesting to watch the prices of equipment fall over the years to where we are able to build really nice, really brag-worthy systems without having to take out a personal loan. All of the gear in my Ultimate Box might total up to less than the cost of any year I've built yet. TV TCL 65" 65R617 4K UHD Dolby Vision HDR Roku Smart LCD TV $999 It wouldn't be a Braden TV list without a TCL on it. TCL's 6-Series delivers 4K HDR picture performance and the Roku TV smart platform in one. Dolby Vision for greater brightness and contrast, as well as a fuller palette of rich colors. TCL's Contrast Control Zone technology individually optimizes the image across up to 120 zones for better contrast. The 6-Series models' iPQ Engine™ provides precise color replication while HDR Pro Gamma is supposed to improve HDR performance in any setting. It has an enhanced remote control with Voice Control and 3 HDMI 2.0a ports with HDCP 2.2 (1 ARC). Receiver Marantz SR6012 $949 (MSRP $1499) 9.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD Network AV Surround Receiver with HEOS I just bought this receiver for myself - will be putting it under the tree just for me. The deal was too good to pass up. And I need a new one anyway. And it features Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround decoding, with the ability to drive overhead speakers. It is equipped with 9 channel amplification, rated at 110 watts per channel, so you can set up a 7.1.2 or 5.1.4 3D experience without an external amplifier; with an additional amp the set-up can expand to 7.1.4, because it has 11.2 channel processing support. It has the latest HDMI and HDCP 2.2 specifications on all 8 HDMI inputs. With 4K Ultra HD 60Hz video, 4:4:4 Pure Color sub-sampling, High Dynamic Range (HDR), 21:9 video, 3D, and BT.2020 and Dolby Vision pass-through on every input. And in addition, HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) pass-through is also supported for forthcoming HDR broadcasting contents, and eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) will be supported via a firmware update as well. Speakers Klipsch Black Reference Theater Pack 5.1 Surround Sound System $849 Sure, this is only 5.1 and the receiver will do 9, but it's a great start with really great sounding speakers. You can add on as many additional satellite speakers, or Klipsch reference in wall or in ceiling speakers, as you have budget for them. Did I mention the subwoofer is wireless? Klipsch's exclusive Tractrix Horn Technology and aluminum tweeters deliver very clean and very natural sound. The down-firing wireless subwoofer is designed to deliver room-filling low frequencies without requiring too much floorspace. To complement the easy placement of the wireless subwoofer, each satellite speaker has a keyhole mount and a threaded insert for maximum mounting flexibility. The Reference Theater Pack brings the Klipsch cinematic sound into your home with an incredibly minimal footprint. Other/Total/Summary Yup. Looks and feels like me. TCL/Roku television, Marantz receiver (I'm typically Denon, but Marantz is a close sibling), and Klipsch speakers. All of that for a grand total of $2797. That's less than half the price of my first plasma. And all you need to hook it up is a bit of speaker wire and a single HDMI cable. Your phone can control the Roku TV and the Receiver, so no need for a universal remote. The TV has all your apps and the receiver can get audio from the apps via ARC for surround sound. Unless you want to connect a traditional cable or satellite box, or a Blu-ray player, everything you need is in the box. Some years passed have had bigger TVs, some have had more speakers (7.1), some have had more accessories. But this system, for as basic as it seems, is really awesome. And very affordable. The 75" upgrade would add $1000 if you stick with TCL, but can be as little as $400 more if you choose a different brand (which may mean adding a streaming box as well). The 86" upgrade adds $2000 to the price, for a total of $4797. Also swaps TV brands to LG. Honestly, under $5000 for this system is unreal.

HDTV Buying Guide 2018 Tis the season for us to go shopping and to continue to help you spend your money - one of our favorite times of the year. If you or anyone in your life is looking for a new UHD TV this Christmas, but still aren't sure which one to buy, we've got you covered. We each pick two TVs and one 'money is no object' / 'dare to dream' TV for you to consider. Ara's Picks LG UK6570PUB 4K HDR Smart LED UHD TV w/ AI ThinQ® - 70" Class $999.99 Seventy inches for $1,000??? Are you kidding me? This can make any family room feel like media room. Even though it's 70 inches it does not dominate the room. Measuring in at 61.9" (157cm) x 38.6" (98cm) x 11.7" (29cm) and weighing only 92 lbs (41Kg) it can be bought, moved, and installed by just about anyone. Features include: active HDR 4K (HDR10 and HLG), webOS 4.0, ultra Luminance which enhances brightness and provides better contrast, quad-Core Processor to continually process the video for best results regardless of source, ultra Surround Sound but really who cares about that? Hard to believe but this is my budget TV. It also comes in 75" and 86". Sony XBR75X900F 75-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV $2800 My second pick goes up in size picture quality and price (although the TV is available in 50 - 85 inch sizes). The reason I picked this Sony is it is a full array LED architecture which will give you deep blacks and high contrast. Also I have been very impressed with the X1 processor on Sony TVs. This model comes with the X1 Extreme processor which improved your 1080p content. The X900F can handle HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma and Dolby Vision™ making it a TV that is pretty much future proof! Other features include: compatible with Amazon Alexa & Google Home to change channels & more, dimensions 66 x 40 3/4 x 14 inch, 4 HDMI inputs. Braden's Picks TCL 65" 65R617 4K UHD Dolby Vision HDR Roku Smart LCD TV $999 It wouldn't be a Braden TV list without a TCL on it. TCL's 6-Series delivers 4K HDR picture performance and the Roku TV smart platform in one. Dolby Vision for greater brightness and contrast, as well as a fuller palette of rich colors. TCL's Contrast Control Zone technology individually optimizes the image across up to 120 zones for better contrast. The 6-Series models' iPQ Engine™ provides precise color replication while HDR Pro Gamma is supposed to improve HDR performance in any setting. It has an enhanced remote control with Voice Control and 3 HDMI 2.0a ports with HDCP 2.2 (1 ARC). Add a pair of Roku TV Wireless Speakers for soundbar performance with almost no setup or configuration. It's a great TV that can be the center of an awesome home theater or an impressive addition to a bonus room or game room. Samsung QN75Q6 Flat 75" QLED 4K UHD 6 Series Smart TV $2499 Stepping up a little in size and opting for better picture quality requires we more than double the price. And this isn't even the top of the line QLED series, but as the entry line, you can still get a pretty good value on a really good set. A 75" TV is a really good size for just about any room in most homes and QLED has emerged as a strong second place option to the significantly more expensive OLED sets on the market. In addition to the stellar QLED picture quality and HDR, it has a bunch of cool features like Ambient Mode that can put art on the TV so it blends perfectly with your décor, and can even play a bit of light background music. Bixby Voice search lets you search for content, flip channels, or even ask questions such as the current weather using only your voice. OneRemote automatically detects and controls all your compatible connected devices and content. The universal guide brings your favorite content from multiple devices and apps together in one easy-to-browse menu. And you can even download the SmartThings App on your mobile to control and monitor your new QLED TV and connected devices all in one screen! Ultimate Christmas Present Ara: Samsung QN88Q9FAMFXZA 88" Q9F QLED 4K TV $20,000 This TV will make you forget about your projector! QLED has not received the accolades that it really deserves. With Samsung's Elite Black+ with Infinite Array backlight system the Q9 gets very close to OLED in black and contrast. It can also provide a brighter picture. The only real knock we have is that off angle viewing is not as good as OLED. However, with a TV this size is there really someplace in the room that is off angle? Keep that in mind if this is a possibility for you. Other features include: 100% color volume, smart TV, OneRemote automatically detects and controls your connected devices (satellite, cable, Blu-ray, soundbar) and content with no manual programming required, Burn-In Free for life, Guaranteed. Braden: Samsung QN85Q900RAFXZA 85" Class Q900 QLED Smart 8K UHD TV $14,999 Not quite as big as Ara's 88 inch Samsung, but this 85 inch set is $5000 less and, yep, 8K. Before you say that 8K is a waste, there's no content and there won't be for a long time, an 85" TV is pretty big.

Receiver Buying Guide 2018 This week starts our annual shopping spree where we get to spend your money on new products for your home theater. We'll start the spree with receivers. As always, our goal is to maximize the value for your dollar, so we aren't necessarily concerned about getting the latest product or the latest features. It's about getting a good product at a great price so you may even see some of last year's gear on the list. All these receivers are readily available online or at a big box store. We each pick three receivers in increasing price categories, less than $500, less than $1000 and over $1000. Prices stated are street prices from online retailers. Ara's Picks Sony STR-DN1080 7.2 Channel Home Theater AV Receiver ($450 Street Price) It's been a while since I have recommended a Sony product that wasn't part of their ES line. But for the price this receiver is hard to beat! It's a 7.2 receiver that supports all the latest audio formats including Atmos and DTS:X. Through in 4K UHD compatibility with support for HDR (HDR10, HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), and Dolby Vision) and you have a reasonably priced receiver that will serve you well for many years to come. Other features include: Hi-Res compatible, 6 HDMI in and 2 out, Bluetooth Connectivity with NFC one touch, and Wifi, Airplay, and CHromecast compatibility. Onkyo TX-RZ730 9.2-Channel Network A/V Receiver ($740 Street Price) I tried to not include an Onkyo receiver this year. It's just too easy to put an Onkyo on a list like this because of the tremendous bang for the buck. But when I looked at all the options open to me I just could leave this unit off the sub $1000 category. This unit is jam packed with features. For starters, it's THX Certified Select. You may not have a THX certified room, but having a receiver that is THX certified means that the receiver was sent to THX labs where everything from noise levels and distortion to frequency response and bass management have been tested and analyzed in over 1,000 laboratory tests. What that means to you is that the receiver will not be the weak link in your home theater. Features include: 4K UHD with support for HDR (HDR10, HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), and Dolby Vision), Native DTS:X™ and Dolby Atmos® to 5.2.4 Channels, 11.2 multi-channel pre-outs & processing for 7.2.4 (with amp), Chromecast built-in, AirPlay, Wi-Fi®, and Bluetooth®, AccuEQ Advance calibration with AccuReflex Technology, FlareConnect™ Multi-room Wireless Audio Distribution, HDMI® 7 In (1 Front), Main Out, Sub/Zone 2 Out This receiver is just about future proof! Yamaha RX-A3080 AVENTAGE 9.2-Channel AV Receiver with MusicCast ($1999.95 Street Price) If you watch movies or spend time listening to hi fidelity audio this receiver is for you! It's packed with components specifically designed to enhance your listening experience including two ESS SABRE™ DACs for some of the lowest noise levels in the any receiver in its class. The 3080 comes with 9 amplifiers to support a 7.2.2 Atmos setup but has the processing available for a 7.2.4 Atmos or DTS:X setup with the use of an external amplifier. Features include: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, AirPlay®, Spotify Connect and MusicCast multi-room, New Surround:AI™ technology automatically optimizes the sound in real-time, HDMI with HDCP 2.2 (7-in/3-out), 4K Ultra HD support, HDR10, Dolby Vision™, Hybrid Log-Gamma and BT.2020, YPAO R.S.C., Multipoint, 3D and Precision EQ and much more! Braden's Picks This year I'm all about bang for the buck, maximizing features and performance for your hard earned dollars. I usually try to pick models from a few different manufacturers, to provide a bit of diversity, but this year is different. This year it's simply the best unit for the money, regardless of who makes it. Denon AVR-S940H $499 (MSRP $579) 7.2 Ch. High-Power 4K AV Receiver with Amazon Alexa Voice Control Featuring discrete high-current power amplifiers on all channels, the AVR-S940H delivers maximum performance and 185 watts of power per channel. The AVR-S940H offers Dolby Atmos®, DTS:X™ and DTS Virtual:X®, plus the latest video technologies such as Dolby Vision™, HDR, HLG and 4K video upscaling. Listen to music using Airplay 2, stream with Spotify, Pandora, Tidal and more with HEOS built-in and control it with your voice through Amazon Alexa. 8 HDMI inputs and 2 outputs features HDCP 2.2 support on all ports. The front-panel USB offers convenient audio playback of MP3, WAV, FLAC, ALAC and DSD (2.8/5.6MHz) files. Marantz SR6012 $949 (MSRP $1499) 9.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD Network AV Surround Receiver with HEOS Features Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround decoding, with the ability to drive overhead speakers. It is equipped with 9 channel amplification, rated at 110 watts per channel, so you can set up a 7.1.2 or 5.1.4 3D experience without an external amplifier; with an additional amp the set-up can expand to 7.1.4, because it has 11.2 channel processing support. It has the latest HDMI and HDCP 2.2 specific

Each year at this time of year we do a show where we discuss what we are thankful for. There are the obvious things to be thankful for like our families, especially our wives who put up with our home theater obsessions. And of course we are thankful for you, the listener/reader of our show. So as is tradition over the last many Thanksgivings, on today's show we give you our list of consumer electronics things we are thankful for. Ara's List: 1) Wireless - Seems like everything is going wireless these days. But for me the big draw is wireless audio. Whether it is surround speakers or subwoofers it's is much easier to place speakers throughout the house in a way that is pleasing to the aesthetics committee. 2) Bigger Screens - Back in 2010 I installed a projector and 100 inch screen in my media room. At that time it cost me about $10K for a beautiful 1080p image. But the drawback was that it didn't really work during daytime hours. Fast forward to today and I can get an 85 inch 4K UHD TV for less than $5K and it will usable during daytime hours. Yes I am giving up 15 inches but being able to watch football in daylight more than offsets the loss in screen size. 3) Netflix/Amazon/Hulu - This makes my list almost every year but this year it's for a couple of reasons. First they produce great content and that alone usually is enough to make this list. The second, and main, reason for making this year's list is that they are at the forefront of creating 4K UHD content with HDR. Now you really have a reason to buy a 4K UHD TV this year!! 4) Samsung and LG - The competition between these two companies advances technology and keeps prices low. LG is banking on OLED and Samsung is banking on anything but OLED. I am really rooting for Micro LED to be a cheaper OLED and the competition from Micro LED to force OLED prices down. Either way, there will be a new TV in my future! Braden's List: 1) OLED - I don't own an OLED, but I like the cut of its jib. We've gone through a slew of failed attempts to get us all to upgrade our televisions, things like 3D, curved screens, the list goes on. OLED is a reason to upgrade that is actually worth it. The picture quality is unmatched. And on top of that, it pushes all the manufacturers to come up with new innovations to find technologies that rival OLED picture quality. So whether you're buying OLED or not, TVs are getting better for all of us. 2) SlingTV - I used SlingTV one time, for the two week trial, to get an emergency sporting event when cable went out in one of my rooms at home. I'm not so much thankful for SlingTV itself as a service, but more for the category of service providers it spawned, like DirecTV Now, Playstation Vue, Hulu Live, YouTube TV, etc. I've used a few of them and love the ease of use, availability and no contracts. If we can get Internet provider diversity with fiber or 5G or whatever, we might actually swing the balance of power for TV over to the consumer. 3) Roku - I really love my Roku TVs. They are so, completely simple, easy to use, and they perform really well. And they just work. You don't need a remote, you can use your phone. You don't need a soundbar, you can use the new Roku wireless speakers - you just hang it on the wall, plug it in, and you're set. And Roku is neutral, so they'll list everyone's apps. Everyone whos is good and sharing and plays nice with others, or course. 4) Costco - Costco really paved the way in the "huge TVs for great prices" category. That category has been jumped on by Amazon and others, but Costco continues to be a contender in the group. In fact, I'm seriously considering picking up an 85 or 86 inch TV on Black Friday for that magical $2500 price point, and Costco is one of the stores on my list of potential places to go - or websites to visit at least.

The older we get, the more things seem to sneak up on us, even though we know we should be expecting them. It happened again; Black Friday is already here. Just like all the years we've talked about it, there are some exceptional deals to be had. The question is where to 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 Element 55" Smart 4K UHD TV for $199.99 Samsung 65" 4K HDR UHD Smart TV for $799.99 TCL 55" 4K Ultra HD Smart UHD Roku TV for $349.99 Samsung 50" 4K Ultra HD UHD TV for $329.99 Philips 50" 4K Ultra HD Smart UHD TV for $249 LG 49" 4K Ultra HD UHD TV for $329.99, 43" for $269.99 Polaroid 32" 720p LED TV for $79.99 Vizio 28-in. 2-Channel Soundbar for $49.99 Google Home Mini for $25, Chromecast Video for $25 Amazon Echo for $69, Echo Dot Gen. 3 for $24, Echo Dot Gen. 2 for $19.99 BestBuy Insignia 32" LED 720p HDTV for $89.99 Toshiba 43" 4K UHD TV with HDR – Fire TV Edition for $129.99 (Doorbuster) Insignia 32" LED 720p Smart HDTV Fire TV Edition for $129.99 Insignia 39" LED 720p HDTV for $129.99 TCL 32" LED 1080p Smart HDTV Roku TV for $149.99 Sharp 40" LED 1080p Smart HDTV Roku TV $149.99 Sharp 55" LED Smart 4K UHD TV with HDR Roku TV for $249.99 (Doorbuster) Insignia 50" LED Smart 4K UHD TV with HDR, Fire TV Edition for $279.99 Samsung 50" LED Smart 4K UHD TV with HDR for $327.99 Toshiba 55" LED Smart 4K UHD TV with HDR, Fire TV Edition for $349.99 Sony 65" LED Smart 4K UHD TV with HDR for $999.99 Samsung 65" LED Smart 4K UHD TV with HDR for $997.99 LG 75" LED Smart 4K UHD TV with HDR for $999.99 Samsung 82" LED NU8000 Series 4K UHD TV with HDR for $2999.99 Amazon - Fire TV Cube 4K Streaming Media Player with Alexa for $59.99 Apple HomePod $250 Ring Doorbell 2 + Echo Dot 3rd gen: $14 Wal*Mart Hisense 40EU3000 40" 1080p HDTV for $99 (Doorbuster) Samsung UN32M4500 32" Smart LED HDTV for $178 Hisense 55R6000E 55" Roku Smart 4K UHD LED TV for $248 Vizio 60" Smart 4K UHD LED TV w/ Built-In Chromecast for $498 Samsung 55" Smart 4K UHD LED TV for $398 Sharp/TCL 65" Roku Smart 4K UHD LED TV for $398 (Doorbuster) LG 2.1-Ch. 300W Sound Bar w/ Subwoofer for $99 Samsung 4.1-Ch. 200W Soundbar w/ Subwoofer for $169 Beats X Wireless Earphones for $75 Merkury Smart WiFi LED Light Bulb for $10 Netgear Nighthawk AC2600 Wi-Fi router: $99 (save $100) Linksys Velop Mesh Router 3 Pack: $200 (save $150) Costco Vizio 40" 60Hz 1080p LED LCD HDTV for $199.99 TCL 50" Roku 4K UHD LED TV for $279.99 Vizio 55" 120Hz Chromecast 4K UHD LED TV for $449.99 Bose On-Ear Bluetooth Wireless Headphones for $99.99 Sam's Club LG 43" Smart 4K UHD TV for $269 LG 55" Smart 4K UHD TV for $399 Vizio 55" Smart 4K HDR UHD TV for $449 Vizio 65" Smart 4K HDR UHD LED TV for $529 LG 65" Smart 4K UHD TV for $599 LG 70" Smart 4K HDR UHD LED TV w/ AI ThinQ for $869 Samsung 75" Smart 4K HDR UHD LED TV & Xbox One S 1TB Console Bundle for $1,279 LG 86" Smart 4K UHD LED TV for $2,499 Other: Dell Website - Samsung 55 Inch LED 4K UHD Smart TV - UN55NU6900BXZA $397.99 Dell Website - LG 65 Inch 4K LED Ultra HD HDR Smart TV - 65UK6090PUA $599.99 Amazon - Amazon Fire HD 8: $50 at Amazon ($30 off) Amazon - Echo Dot (third-gen): $24 at Amazon ($26 off) Amazon - Amazon Smart Plug for $5 with purchase of any Echo device (save $20) ABT - Onkyo 7.2-Channel Black Network AV Receiver - TX-NR676 $299 ABT - Klipsch 10" Black Wireless Subwoofer - 1063513 $249

We recently read a news story about a TV streaming service from SilconDust, makers of the HDHomerun a device that allows you to take your over the air TV signal and broadcast it over your network to mobile devices as well as set top boxes like the AppleTV. Milton Scritsmier of Boulder Colorado was kind enough to write in with his experience of the service. It was a bit longer than a typical email but we wanted to share it with our listeners so we turned it into a segment on the show. --------- I've been using it for the last month and overall I'm happy. It should only be considered by people who can get OTA broadcasts. But if you do, it has two big advantages the other streaming TV services don't. One, because OTA is free, you don't have to pay for local TV stations in the SiliconDust package. You get all the broadcast networks offered in your area, not just some of them. The money saved this way can go for the other channels SiliconDust offers in its package (it currently costs $34.99 per month). I'm pretty happy with the channels provided, but it's not heavy on sports. Two, you can use your own network storage device as a DVR. This means you are not limited in the number of shows you record nor how long you keep them since it only depends on the size of the disk you have. The number of simultaneous viewers of recorded shows is limited by only what your NAS and your network will support. The shows are recorded in H.264 and can be viewed on all kinds of equipment and players. It also means you can skip over commercials any time you want. The quality is better than what I've seen with DirectTV Now, the only other streaming TV service I've tried. Because SiliconDust's equipment works with Plex, you can use it for remote viewing of shows on any device that supports Plex. It does require a significant outlay in equipment to get started beyond the monthly fee. I paid $150 for SiliconDust's HDHomeRun Connect, which lets me record four OTA shows at a time in addition to whatever is sent to me over the internet. To activate the SiliconDust's DVR service there's a $35/year annual fee. You need some kind of set top box like an Amazon FireTV to run the HDHomeRun app which displays the shows on your TV. If you don't have an antenna for OTA, you'll have to pay for that as well. I live in a remote area and a year ago it cost me $500 to have a professional mount an antenna on my roof and calibrate it. Finally, to record the shows you'll need some kind of NAS. This can cost $200 to $300 for a low-end one if you don't have one already and it needs to be one supported by SiliconDust (for example, WD's NASes work well). The other big downside is that the user interface is still in its early days. For example, it sometimes gets lost when navigating the schedule. Because the HDHomeRun app has to run on set top boxes and other devices without sophisticated remotes, the user interface is not ideal like it is on a TiVo. But the user interface is not laggy like it is on some other streaming services. Because of the OTA and equipment requirements, I don't expect SiliconDust's streaming TV service to become one of the majors. But many people who have cut the cord may already have many of the pieces. I already had most of the equipment mentioned above and I cobbled together a NAS from a 7TB external drive and a Raspberry Pi super-clone, so the initial outlay was not that much for me.

The 10 most popular TV shows of the year so far, according to Nielsen ratings To find out which shows were the most popular this year so far, Nielsen estimated the average number of US viewers tuning in to regularly scheduled programming. ABC's massive success with "Roseanne," along with CBS' high ratings across numerous shows on this list, demonstrates how broadcast networks remain the heavyweights in overall viewership — even in the age of streaming. Here are the 10 most popular TV shows of 2018 so far, according to Nielsen's ratings. Fall TV's 10 biggest winners and losers A candid rundown of the 2018 season's early breakouts and disappointments What's Working (and What Isn't) on Network TV This Fall Network TV isn't dead, but it's sure not getting any healthier. That's the headline from the just-concluded first week of the fall 2018 TV season, which offered little reason for broadcast execs to expect a sudden reversal in the downward ratings trend of the past decade. It's not that America doesn't still watch a lot of traditional broadcast TV: Even the least-watched network shows last week will end up with bigger audiences than almost everything on cable. The problem is, returning shows continued to bleed viewers — particularly compared to audience levels of just a couple years ago.

The HT Guys are giving away a custom speaker bar built by Ara. To enter fill out the form at www.htguys.com/soundbar. We'll announce the winner on the November 2nd show. All entries must be received by Thursday November 1st Noon Pacific time. One entry per person. Winner must have a US or Canadian shipping address.

Sub $500 Receiver Recommendation I received and email from Santosh in the Bay Area of California asking if I could recommend a receiver for a modest ho me theater system to go in his medium sized family room. I thought no problem! I know the exact receiver to recommend. However, like everyone, he did have some requirements the biggest one being that it could not exceed $500. On Santosh's must have list, 4K, HDR, and ARC to support Digital Audio from his smart TV. Three manufacturers immediately came to mind, Denon, Pioneer, and Yamaha. In this price range almost all of these receivers would provide similar results. For Santosh I decided to recommend the Yamaha RX-V685. It can be found for $499.99 at most online retailers most of which come with free shipping as well. From a feature set it does include 4K, HDR, and ARC which were the table stakes for Santosh's needs. But the receiver does so much more. The full feature set follows: 7.2-Channel powerful surround sound with Zone 2 Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, AirPlay®, Spotify Connect and MusicCast multi-room Pandora®, Spotify, SiriusXM Internet Radio, TIDAL, Deezer, Napster and more HDMI® with HDCP 2.2 (5 in/2 out) 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, Dolby Vision™, Hybrid Log-Gamma and BT.2020 Voice control using your Alexa device like Echo or Echo Dot MusicCast Surround capable: add MusicCast 20 or MusicCast 50 speakers to create a 5.1-channel setup with wireless rear surrounds There is so much to like about this receiver beyond the specs. We often hear about people being intimidated with setting up their receivers. Yamaha has you covered with an app that walks you through the setup. Sure manuals do that as well but an app can highlight and animate actual steps thus reducing setup time and errors. If you are an Amazon Echo home you will like that the 685 supports voice control. Turn up the volume or cast music to another room. All done via voice! Although not on Santosh's list the receiver supports wireless surrounds which was an added bonus for him. With the addition of two MusicCast-20 wireless speakers ($399) Santosh was able to easily add surrounds. The receiver also supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive sound formats. Conclusion Odds are you will get a 4K TV before you swap out your receiver but you won't get the full benefits until your receiver supports 4K with HDR. Even though the Yamaha RX-V685 may not be the best receiver on the market, it surely can bridge the gap to allow you to get the most out of the many 4K devices you connect to it. I'll bet, for many of you, this bridge receiver ends up being a workhorse for many years to come

GE Smart Countertop Microwave Oven with Scan-to-Cook Technology review This microwave has 2 unique features: Alexa integration and an app that can scan frozen food UPC codes and automatically set the right time on the microwave for the meal. Top Home Theater Design Mistakes, Part One "I've spent the past 20 years in the custom installation industry, and it would be no exaggeration to say I've worked with more than a thousand clients during that time. A regular part of my job is consulting with clients on the design and installation of media rooms and home theaters. (The difference between the two: a media room is a social, multi-use space, while a home theater is a purpose-designed room for watching movies.) Sometimes the project is a new build (the best). Other times it involves repurposing a room or trying to fix and improve an existing room." 1. Too Many Seats 2. Risers Too Low 3. Screen Wall Too Light Top Home Theater Design Mistakes, Part Two "As I mentioned in my last blog Top Design Mistakes, Part One, I've worked as a custom installer for the past 20 years, and a key part of my job is designing and installing media rooms and home theaters. (The difference between the two: a media room is typically an open, multi-use space, while a home theater is a dedicated room purpose-designed for watching movies.)" 1. Doing Too Much 2. Size Matters 3. Let There Be Light

Best Soundbars Under $500The 7 Best 70-75-77 inch TVs - October 2018

This year's batch of Fall TV Premieres snuck up on us a bit. Here we are, the last show in September, and just now getting to the new shows coming out. In fact, this week may have been the biggest week for new and returning show premieres of the season. If you missed something that looks great, the good news is that you can probably find it on Hulu or the Networks' streaming app. Esquire has a great list of every premiere date up to September 30. Monday, Sept. 24 Magnum P.I. (CBS) Magnum P.I. is a modern take on the classic series starring Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii. Manifest (NBC) Once Upon a Time's Josh Dallas stars in this mystery thriller about passengers on a plane who arrive at their destination after a few-hour flight only to learn that five years have somehow gone by in the world. Presuming the passengers and crew dead, their loved ones have mourned them and already moved on. Thrown into this impossible situation, the people who had been aboard the flight will be forced to figure out how to pick up the pieces of their personal lives, as well as the greater purpose that is their destiny. Tuesday, Sept. 25 FBI (CBS) FBI,from Emmy Award winner Dick Wolf, is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These first-class agents -- including Special Agent Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym) and her partner, Special Agent Omar Adom 'OA' Zidan (Zeeko Zaki) -- bring all their talents, intellect and technical expertise to tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime and counterintelligence. New Amsterdam (NBC) Inspired by Bellevue, the oldest public hospital in America, this unique medical drama follows the brilliant and charming Dr. Max Goodwin (The Blacklist's Ryan Eggold), the institution's newest medical director who sets out to tear up the bureaucracy and provide exceptional care. Not taking 'no' for an answer, Dr. Goodwin must disrupt the status quo and prove he will stop at nothing to breathe new life into this understaffed, underfunded and underappreciated hospital -- the only one in the world capable of treating Ebola patients, prisoners from Rikers and the President of the United States under one roof -- and return it to the glory that put it on the map. Wednesday, Sept. 26 A Million Little Things (ABC) They say friendship isn't one big thing, it's a million little things -- and that's true for a group of friends from Boston who bonded under unexpected circumstances. Some have achieved success, others are struggling in their careers and relationships, but all of them feel stuck in life. After one of them dies unexpectedly, it's just the wake-up call the others need to finally start living. Along the way, they discover that friends may be the one thing to save them from themselves. Single Parents (ABC) This ensemble comedy follows a group of single parents as they lean on each other to help raise their 7-year-old kids and maintain some kind of personal lives outside of parenthood. The series begins when the group meets Will (Taran Killam), a 30-something guy who's been so focused on raising his daughter that he's lost sight of who he is as a man. When the other single parents see just how far down the rabbit hole of PTA, parenting and princesses Will has gone, they band together to get him out in the dating world and make him realize that being a great parent doesn't mean sacrificing everything about your own identity. Thursday, Sept. 27 Murphy Brown (CBS) Candice Bergen and series creator Diane English reunite for the revival of the groundbreaking comedy about the eponymous broadcast news legend and her biting take on current events. Now in a world of 24-hour cable, social media, "fake news" and a vastly different political climate, Murphy returns to the airwaves with her original FYI team: lifestyle reporter Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford), investigative journalist Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto) and producer Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud). Murphy's son, Avery, shares his mother's competitive spirit and quick wit, and has followed in her journalistic footsteps - perhaps too closely. Now back in the game, Murphy is determined to draw the line between good television and honest reporting, proving that the world needs Murphy Brown now more than ever. Friday, Sept. 28 The Cool Kids (Fox) From executive producer Charlie Day and starring David Alan Grier, Martin Mull, Leslie Jordan and Vicki Lawrence, The Cool Kids is a multi-camera comedy about a rag-tag group of friends living in a retirement community who are willing to break every rule in order to have fun -- because, at their age, what do they really have to lose? What unites them all is their shared belief that they're not done yet -- not by a long shot. These self-proclaimed "cool kids" are determined to

TWICE has announced the winners of their annual Best of Show awards at CEDIA Expo. The products were nominated by the manufacturers and a team of judges was employed to walk the floor and rate the products on a number of criteria, including its value, impact, and how unique it was to the market. #10) URC MRX-30 - This controller is the powerful, flagship processor for the Total Control system. It delivers rock-solid control and automation for your residential and commercial installations. The powerful MRX-30 provides instant two-way communication with the family of Total Control user interfaces – tabletop touchscreen controllers, in-wall touch screens, handheld remotes and keypads. #9) Sony VPL-VW295ES 4K HDR Home Cinema Projector $5000 #8) Sony Master Series 4K A9F OLED TV $4,500 65" $3,500 55"- Powered by the Picture Processor X1™ Ultimate, this best picture quality TV pairs the deep black and natural color of OLED with Pixel Contrast Booster™ for enhanced color contrast in high luminance. Everything you watch comes to life with fine detail and vivid color. With Acoustic Surface Audio+™. Three actuators and two powerful subwoofers deliver multi-dimensional sound that immerses you in a whole new entertainment experience. #7) Samsung The Wall - A 146-inch modular TV featuring self-emitting MicroLED technology. "As the world's first consumer modular MicroLED television, 'The Wall' represents another breakthrough. It can transform into any size, and delivers incredible brightness, color gamut, color volume and black levels. We're excited about this next step along our roadmap to the future of screen technology, and the remarkable viewing experience it offers to consumers." #6) Samsung Q900 8K TV - Available in four ultra-large screen sizes (65", 75", 82" and 85"), Samsung QLED 8K TV will feature several 8K-ready enhancements, including Real 8K Resolution, Q HDR 8K and Quantum Processor 8K, all created to bring 8K-quality images to life. The new Samsung QLED 8K will be available in stores from end of September*. Samsung's QLED 8K with 8K AI Upscaling is a part of the company's long-term vision of leading 8K to the forefront as the most accurate and life-like screen resolution on the market. #5) ProVideoInstruments MiniMod-2 $495 - The VeCOAX MINIMOD-2 Distributes any of your HDMI Video Sources to an unlimited number of televisions over the existing TV Coax Cables, with professional perfect FULL HD 1080P & Dolby digital quality. There is no need for any new cables nor accessory behind each tv, so the installation is very simple, immediate, plug 'n play anywhere, perfect for any application. Set the wanted channel names & position numbers, then rescan all TVs to find the VeCOAX MINIMOD-2 Channels as new available HDTV TV Channels. Expand the number of channels at any time by simply adding more VeCOAX modulators on the same coax. #4) Polk Audio Command Bar $300 - The Home Theater Sound Bar System with Amazon Alexa Built-in. Tuned driver array, wireless subwoofer and Dolby/DTS surround sound decoding. Works with 4K and HD TVs — built-in dual HDMI 2.0b inputs #3) LG 77 Inch OLED C8 4K HDR Smart TV with AI ThinQ $8,000 - LG ThinQ® AI | Google Assistant, LG α9 Intelligent Processor, LG OLED Display, 4K Cinema HDR, Dolby Atmos® #2) Klipsch Heritage Theater Bar $2,200 - The Klipsch Heritage Theater Bar was engineered to provide a low-profile design that can deliver a true high-fidelity listening experience in a premium, easily installed, handcrafted package. Leveraging the latest advancements in Klipsch proprietary acoustic technology, the Heritage Theater Bar is able to emit the sonic performance of a three-speaker system, but within a single housing. Finished with real-wood veneer and a beautiful grille cloth, the Klipsch Heritage Theater Bar far exceeds any other sound bar – both aesthetically and acoustically. #1) Hisense 4K Ultra HD Smart Laser TV $10,000 - The 100" Hisense Laser TV explodes with color and gorgeous 4K resolution. Where giant LED screens have ugly, intrusive installation, the Hisense Laser TV's thin, lightweight, 100" screen hangs wirelessly, inconspicuously—elegantly. It doesn't require a specially darkened environment or messy equipment. The Hisense Laser TV will make you see your walls in a whole new light. With incredible laser technology, 4K Ultra HD resolution and 4K upscaling, the Hisense Laser TV is the TV you've been waiting for. Add harman/kardon® sound, a TV tuner, WIFI and tons of built-in apps, and the Hisense Laser TV is unapologetically amazing at an unbeatable value. In short, it makes all other TVs look like prima donnas.

We discuss these two articles on this show: CEDIA Expo 2018: Sifting Through the AV Nuggets Monoprice Launches Affordable Smart Home System

Connect your home's wired alarm system to SmartThings or Home Assistant, and convert your home into a smart home. Now you can monitor your home from anywhere using your smart phone with no recurring fees! If your home is wired for an ADT, Honeywell, Interlogix, Ademco, Brinks, DSC or similar alarm system, your home is pre-wired to be a Smart Home. The Konnected Alarm Panel is the first product of its kind that allows you to connect any wired alarm system to SmartThings and Home Assistant. See how simple it is to replace your old alarm system board with a Konnected Alarm Panel and instantly gain access to all your wired sensors in your Smart Home. Reuse your existing wired sensors Works with 1000s of Smart Home products Never change batteries

One week with FuboTV The HT Guys have officially joined the ranks of the cord cutters with Braden opting to cancel his Cable TV service entirely. We have been working on trimming the cord for a while, but this is cold turkey… Was cold turnkey. Braden quickly found something lacking and turned to fuboTV to fill that missing hole in his home theater. Cutting the Cord It isn't a shock that the big thing missing in Braden's life after quitting cable was live sports. We've talked at length about how easy it is to cut the cord now. Almost everything is available these days via streaming on services like Netflix and Hulu and the apps every network has for their own content like CBS, ABC, HBO, Food Network, you name it. Almost everything - except for live events like news, sports, award shows, etc. If you don't care about those, you can cut the cord and not miss a beat. But if you do care about them, or as was true in Braden's case, you realize after the fact how much others cared about them, there are the somewhat new live TV streaming services available to help bridge that gap. If live sports is your thing, fuboTV is definitely one you should investigate. FuboTV is completely centered around sports. Although you can get a bunch of other non-sports channels, it is evident from the first screen that the whole purpose of the service is to meet the needs of sports enthusiasts. In Braden's home of soccer fans, it has been a huge hit. FuboTV As a streaming offering competing with DirecTV Now, Sling TV, Playstation Vue and the others, FuboTV is a decent offering. There is one primary pricing tier, $39.99, one upgraded tier at $44.99 and a couple add-ons for specific language content or premium networks. For that primary tier of $40 a month you get 88 live channels, 30 hours of cloud DVR and some extras like up to 3 days to replay any game you missed and forgot to record, etc. For a sports streaming service there is one giant, glaring hole though: they don't offer ESPN, any ESPN variant, or any Disney owned network for that matter. Can you get all the sports you want without ESPN? That's debatable. Using FuboTV If you're a sports fan, you'll be good with how fuboTV is setup and structured. Everything in the app runs thru the lens of a sports viewer. If that isn't you, you'll find the interface a bit cumbersome and disjointed. Beyond that, the guides on streaming services in general tend to be a little clunky. Navigation is difficult without channel numbers and easy ways to jump around. The guide is usable and intuitive on fuboTV, but not easy nor innovative. You can't hide channels from the guide either, which would allow you to personalize and optimize somewhat. It doesn't set the bar by any means. Recording shows is easy. And searching for content to watch is very simple as well. The quality of the video is decent. With a really good bandwidth connection it can look every bit as good as a typical HD channel on cable (assuming you don't have them side by side for comparison). But the bottom line is that the streams can be good enough that you forget you're streaming them. Fast forward and Rewind are much clunkier for streaming content than for locally stored content on a DVR, across any streaming service. That makes the whole viewing experience a bit more of a chore. This isn't unique to fuboTV, but it doesn't escape it either. There are a few other little annoyances worth pointing out. One is that you get up to 30 hours of cloud DVR, but not all content is recordable. You may pull up the details on a show only to see that you don't have the option to record it. This is likely contractual, but not a limitation found on any traditional DVR. If you can see the channel, you can record it. And although the ability to search for stuff to watch in fuboTV is really easy, and they actually have a lot of good content available, there are limitations. For example, we found Deadpool available to watch for free on demand via FXX. This was great. Like having Netflix but included in the price. Bonus. However, you can't fast forward or rewind. So if you can watch the whole movie in one sitting, you're set. If you want to watch half now and finish the other half later, you're out of luck. Cost is another issue. Because Braden was using Tivo and not the Cable company DVRs and boxes, he was paying about $80 a month for whole house DVR on 4 screens with HBO. The $40 reduces the savings from cutting Cable in half. If you're paying more every month for cable, obviously your saving would be more dramatic. But fuboTV also charges extra for the Family option that allow you to stream simultaneously on different devices. So you'll have to pay up to get TV on, say, 4 screens. If you're streaming more, and your provider charges you more for increased bandwidth consumption, that could eat into your saving as well. Conclusion If you decide to cut the cord and realize you really miss live sports, fuboTV is a dream come true. That is, assuming you don

SiliconDust launches HDHomeRun Premium streaming service of 45 networks Netflix, Amazon Video, and Xfinity are accidentally re-creating cable TV

Another very special episode, keeping the streak alive while on vacation, we take the opportunity to share some behind the scenes moments leading up to the formation of the HT Guys and the HDTV and Home Theater Podcast, specifically the Sony Pictures / ADSG years.

75 inch TV Recommendation Vizio P-Series - $1900 MSRP Features: Premium 4K HDR with Active Full Array Pro™, UltraBright 1000. Over a billion colors from Ultra Color Spectrum.® VIZIO Smart TV with 2018 SmartCast OS. Voice control with Amazon Alexa & the Google Assistant. Google Chromecast built‑in. Bezel-less screen design. Pros: Great dark scene performance Excellent motion handling Low input lag Cons: Poor off angle viewing Sony XBR75X900F 75-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV - Street Price $3500 Features: X1 Extreme processor and 4K X-Reality PRO and X-tended Dynamic Range PRO 6X contrast range provides a wider range of brightness Full-array local dimming technology, you get enhanced controlled contrast and incredible brightness in a stunningly slim design. X-Motion Clarity technology. Plus, enjoy smooth and vibrant colors with TRILUMINOS Display & 4K HDR Super Bit Mapping Pros: Deep and uniform blacks Excellent motion handling Bright HDR highlights Cons: Poor off angle viewing Both Samsung and LG sell other TVs in the 75+ inch range but they are not full array LED and do not produce black levels as good as the Vizio and Sony. The TVs that are as good cost much more so under the constraints that Patrick has laid out we would say go with the Vizio first since it really meets all the criteria. For a slightly better picture and $1600 more the Sony is a distant second.

Roku Speakers Why learn to use gadgets when they can just learn to help us? Exactly, says LG

Last month we read a news story about the bid by Samsung to replace projectors in movie theaters. Now Digital Trends has an article that provides a few more details about this technology. Our hope is that it can find it's way into our living rooms in the not too distant future. Named after the jet-black jewel, Onyx is a giant, 34-foot screen that uses LEDs to display perfect black levels, intense brightness, and brilliant color for unprecedented cinematic contrast. It's 10 times brighter than even the best laser projectors out there now. But a stunning picture is not it's only advantage. There is the space savings of not requiring a projector room which in turns allows for better seat configuration. There is no sweet spot so that every seat in the house will have the best picture. There are also some drawbacks. The screen is no longer acoustically transparent and a new technology developed by Samsung's JBL Professional is required to overcome this. If a pixel goes bad you have to replace an entire panel since the screen is actually the screen is made up of many panels stitched together. Onyx uses individual LEDs for each pixel and thus can mimic OLED and Plasma. This is what gets you those deep blacks. Because the screen is so large you can't see the pixels sitting at a normal movie theater distance. This technology won't work at home because the viewing distance is too close which is why Samsung is working on MicroLED technology. DCI Specifications Seeing the writing on the wall the Digital Cinema Initiatives released a memorandum regarding direct view displays. Here are some highlights: Pixel Count - The sampling structure of the displayed picture (pixel count) shall be at least 4096 (4K) horizontal and 2160 vertical pixels. Pixel Visibility - The pixel structure should not be visible from a 1.0 screen height viewing distance. The pixel pitch should be uniform across a screen, including at module boundaries. 10 foot high screen then at 10 feet you should not be able to see the pixels. Luminance Uniformity - DCI's intent is to require that the display shall not exhibit any perceptible inconsistency in luminance levels between pixels when viewed from any seat in the theater. There are requirements for Color Gamut, Color Accuracy, and Color Uniformity as well as black level and gray scale. Suffice it to say the DCI wants you to ensure that when you watch a movie on a direct view system that it be as good or better than what you see on the best projectors today.

Buttshaker Bonanza It's been quite a while since we've talked about turning the low frequency effects from your movies and tv shows into physical movement you can feel in your furniture. We reviewed a system many years ago and loved it, but it was pricey at the time and neither of us ended up installing it. Turns out Amazon has some options that make it affordable enough to put the buttshaker experience in a lot more seats. Clark Synthesis "Originally developed for military and commercial training simulators, Clark Synthesis transducers were specifically designed to transfer sounds like gunshots and explosions into a tactile experience that can be felt as well as heard. This technology was enthusiastically received by the video gaming community. Gamers of all ages love the intensified sensory experience of competing in a gaming chair with a Clark Synthesis transducer." Clark Synthesis TST239 Silver Tactile Transducer Bass Shaker 3.4 out of 5 stars Price: $157.95 "The TST239 Silver Transducer is an excellent choice for most entry-level audio applications. This product is widely used in the game chair market, providing solid performance at an affordable price. The TST239 Silver can be used in some home theater applications. The TST239 Silver requires an amplifier for operation." Clark Synthesis TST429 Platinum Transducer 5.0 out of 5 stars Price: $549.95 "The TST429 Platinum Professional Transducer is the most powerful audio transducer on the market today. Available only from Clark Synthesis, the TST429 provides the ultimate performance and output of full-fidelity, full-frequency sound with a frequency response from 5hz to 17kHz. This premium transducer is designed to meet the demands of audio applications such as high-end home theater furniture, theater risers and platforms, floors (including dance floors), simulators, gaming systems, and ProSound equipment." ButtKicker by Guitammer "[Guitammer]'s innovative and award-winning line of patented ButtKicker-brand low frequency audio transducers let users feel low-frequency sound (bass) and are musically accurate, powerful and virtually indestructible. They are used around the world by leading entertainment and theater companies such as: AMC Theatres, Regal Entertainment, Alamo Drafthouse, IMAX, Disney and Lumiere Pavilions in movie theaters and attractions; by world-famous musicians; and in home theaters, by consumers for video games, simulators and car audio and are distributed by Pearl Drums for musicians." ButtKicker BK-LFE Low Frequency Effects System 4.7 out of 5 stars Price: $239.99 "The only tactile transducer designed specifically to take advantage of the 0.1 and LFE (low frequency effects) channels, the ButtKicker LFE features extended low-frequency response for powerful bass and special effects. If you are looking to delight and electrify yourself and others with an affordable and easy-to-use solution, now is the time to incorporate the ButtKicker into your sound-system's design and feel what you've been missing. The ButtKicker LFE Low Frequency Effects System utilizes a patented magnetic suspension and can be used in couches, theater seating, platforms, and any type of structure. Different from other shakers or tactile transducers that use voice coil technology, the ButtKicker is much more powerful, more musical (linear), and offers true infrasonic, or low-frequency response with a resonant frequency of 9 Hz. The ButtKicker LFE utilizes a small, linear motor, which reacts to an audio signal sent by an amplifier." ButtKicker BK-GR Gamer 3.8 out of 5 stars Price: $178.85 "The ButtKicker [Gamer] is a small linear motor that reacts to an audio signal sent by an amplifier. The ButtKicker Gamer comes with its own 90-watt amplifier that is convection-cooled with vents so there's no noisy fan. It also includes a wired remote control so you can stash the amp out of sight and still operate its core features. It is similar to a loudspeaker, but instead of a moving a cone and transferring sound waves through the air, the ButtKicker Gamer is attached to your seat and sends a low frequency sound directly into your body." SoundShaker "Introducing the SoundShaker, a revolution in home theater entertainment. This exciting piece of hi-tech wizardry will allow you to feel the screen action, without leaving the comfort of your seat! Immerse yourself in your favorite films or video games like never before: you will not only see and hear but live each moment as your chair vibrates to each car chase or explosion. A whole new dimension in cinema thrills awaits." SoundShaker Wireless Bass Shaker Amplifier for Home Theater Seating Vibration Kit 3.4 out of 5 stars Price: Amp: $439.00 Single Bass Shaker: $125.00 Sold in sets, e.g.: Amp with one bass shaker: $564.00 ... "Your Soundshaker system works using a simple three-step process. Receiver sends the wireless audio to the amplifier that is hooked up to your home theater seating. The SoundShaker Amplifier receives the wireless

What Is America's TV Platform of Choice?The best projectors

Plus we grill Kobe Beef! Watch Here!

www.flatpanelhds.com's report of LG's claim in 2016 that the company's OLED TVs had lifespans of 100,000 hours. Of course, that's 100,000 hours at the end of a slow decay to 50 percent luminance, but 10 hours of TV a day for even 10 years, let alone the 30 to half-brightness that 100,000 figures out to, isn't going to leave buyers wringing hands. The real issue, and the reason for this article, is that LG's 100,000-hour claim preceded the era of HDR (high dynamic range). You could say HDR is the yang to OLED's near-black yin. The issue at had is what does HDR do to lifespan