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Sales of Incandescent Lightbulbs Now Against Federal Law

Episode 1046

The sale of incandescent lightbulbs is now against federal law. Incandescent bulbs are very inefficient, don't last very long, and compact fluorescents have mostly taken over the market. Now LED lightbulbs are finding their way into stores. The big problem with LED lightbulbs is the heat that LED lights generate. The other issue is color, since they don't produce the warm glow that the incandescents do. LED lights from Philips are in the form of a disc instead of a traditional bulb, which can dissipate heat better.

Scott Wilkinson and Black Friday Deals

Episode 1033

Scott joins Leo talk pregame for Black Friday. Scott says that Black Friday is early this year with merchants offering Black Friday deals right now! Some will even open on Thanksgving night. Scott says that BFAds.net is one of the best portals for finding the best deals from retailers.

Should I buy an open box HDTV?

Episode 992

Dean from Yorba Linda, CA

Dean is eyeing the 70" Vizio, but he could get an open box 70" Sharp for $100 less.

Leo says to get the Sharp if it's only been there for a few weeks and the warranty is the same. However, Leo does like the Vizio. It would give him a lot of quality for the money.

Philips Releases API for Hue Light Bulbs

Episode 962

Philips Hue Light Bulbs are LEDs that can change to any color you choose, and are controlled through smart phones and tablets through Wi-Fi. Learn more about Hue at MeetHue.com.

What should I look for in a new HDTV?

Episode 960

Eric from Los Angeles, CA

Eric's TV recently died and he's in the market for a new one. He's got a house that does have bright ambient light and would cause glare. Leo says that LCD is much better for rooms with that kind of lighting.

First of all, he should know that he cannot judge a TV on any showroom floor. They've set these TVs to a mode that is very bright and will appeal to people, but it's not how he'd want to watch it at home.

Dick DeBartolo

Episode 955

Satechi's Smart LED Desk Lamp is a touch sensitive reading lamp that offers various modes of light intensity depending on what you're wanting:

Scott Wilkinson, Home Theater HiFi

Episode 951

While last week was the Super Bowl, it was also the biggest TV shopping week of the year as people went out to get a big screen TV to watch the big game. People were looking at plasmas and LED LCDs. Leo's also in the market to upgrade his TV. Should he wait for OLED? Scott says that a 55" OLED will premiere in the US market in March for $12,000! The cost should come down, but the yields are notoriously small with high failure rates. That's why OLED TVs are expensive right now. But over time, Leo says it'll get better. The same thing happened with LCDs.

Is there a TV I can get that would be good in a brightly lit room?

Episode 949

Tom from Anaheim, CA

Tom needs to replace the CRT TV in his exercise room. Scott says since the room is likely bright, an LED LCD TV is going to be the best bet. He'll also want a matte finish screen and an LCD is best for that.

Is LED better than LCD TV?

Episode 944

Jerry from Huntington Beach, CA

All of these TVs are actually LCDs. LED actually refers to the way some LCD TVs are backlit. Older LCD TVs had fluorescent bulbs backlighting the screen, which gave uneven lighting. A couple of benefits to LED is that the light can be made more pure, they last longer, and it can light the screen more evenly. The newer TVs are LED edge lit now.

Dick DeBartolo, The Giz Wiz

Episode 926

Today's gadget from the Giz Wiz has to do with lighting. Compact florescent bulbs have bad color, you can't dim them, and they take forever to get fully bright. So Dick has the Switch 60, the first liquid cooled LED light bulb. It's cooled by liquid silicon and it has 10 LEDs. The color is very pleasant warmish white and it's fully dimmable. $40 for 60W and $60 for the 100W version. Will last over 25,000 hours.