HDTVs, projectors, and surround sound systems.
Home Theater
Scott Wilkinson ... Interpolated
Episode 1547
This week, Scott says that Tom Cruise came out this week against "motion smoothing" in modern TVs and encourages fans to turn off frame interpolation on their TVs before watching Mission Impossible: Fallout on Blu-ray. Scott says it isn't trivial to find the feature and turn it off either. It's called something different with every manufacturer. On top of that, it's turned on by default. Motion smoothing, Vivid mode, or frame interpolation, sharpens your image, which can be helpful in watching sports or action movies. But filmmakers hate it because it changes the look of their films.
What 4K TV should I buy?
Episode 1546
Marcello fromMarcello wants to get a new 4K TV to go with his new home. Should he wait for HDMI 2.1? Leo says the only real reason to wait for HDMI 2.1 is to buy an 8K TV, which isn't really practical right now because they're too expensive and there's no content for them. It's still a few years away. The more important feature is HDR. So there's no real reason to wait. If money is no object for Marcello, then the LG C8 OLED is the best TV ever. But it's $8,000 for a 70". If he can afford it, it's gorgeous display.
What are my alternatives to a cable DVR?
Episode 1545
Larry fromLarry has to find a way to cut the cable and save money. His cable DVR service is over $200 a month now. Leo says that's ridiculous. He can go over-the-air with an antenna and get a TiVo. As long as he gets clear reception. Then anything he doesn't get he can stream online.
Scott Wilkinson on Home Theater
Episode 1545
Over Black Friday weekend, shoppers used their mobile devices to buy over a billion dollars in products. Total retail sales for November is 38 billion dollars. Are TVs better to buy during the Super Bowl, rather than Black Friday? Scott says maybe. They are later in the product cycle and the deals are to clear out models for the new models. So TVs are a better bargain the week before the Super Bowl. But Black Friday deals are pretty good for TVs if you need one.
How can I get my TIVO working again?
Episode 1544
Austin fromAustin's TIVO DVR isn't working, except for flashing lights. Leo says there's a place in LA called WeakKnees, which can replace his hard drive. There's also FixMyTIVO.com, which says it could be a bad hard drive or a bad motherboard. If it's a bad hard drive, he can get a hard drive kit to replace it. But if it's a bad motherboard, then he'll have to buy a new device.
Is the audio quality better on optical or HDMI?
Episode 1542
Bernie fromBernie wants to know if HDMI is the same as optical for audio quality. Leo says that both connections are digital, so it's the same quality. Optical will give him Atmos and other multi channel stereo options as well.
Why don't my headphones work with my home theater system?
Episode 1541
Eileen fromEileen bought a Bose sound system, which is connected to an optical splitter, so they can use her headphones too. But now the headphones won't work after a power surge. Leo says it's possible that the power surge fried the optical splitter. She should check if the headphones work with her TV (she may need to change her audio settings in the TV). It may also be possible that the settings changed in her TV, so she should look in there and see what it's offering. She may need to reset it to PCM unencoded audio or something similar. She should just try different settings.
What 4K TV should I buy?
Episode 1541
Joe fromJoe just got the 12.9" iPad Pro and he loves it. Leo says it's the fastest computer they've ever made, but they have to let iOS keep up with it, instead of holding it back. Now he's looking at a Vizio P Series 75" TV or a Samsung Q7 model.
Scott Wilkinson on Home Theater
Episode 1541
Black Friday Deals are looking very good this year:
Is Hisense a good TV?
Episode 1540
Clarence fromClarence needs to get a new 55" TV. What does Leo know about HiSense? Leo says that HiSense is a budget TV manufacturer from China, but the TVs are really well made. They're the next Samsung. Vizio is another really good TV. In fact, it's the best 2nd tier TV for the money.
