HDTVs, projectors, and surround sound systems.
Home Theater
Scott Wilkinson ... More about Gemini Man
Episode 1634
Scott went and saw Gemini Man this week and said the film was shot at 120 fps, five times more than traditional cinematic frame rates. This made the film very sharp and detailed, something that not everyone likes, but Scott does. Ang Lee also shot it in pure 3D at 4K resolution. The irony is, there are no theaters in the US that can show 4K 3D at 120p. So you have to decide what you want. 3D. 4K. or 120p (2K). Scott says to see it in 120p if you can. There are 14 theaters around the country showing that option.
Can I Repair My TIVO?
Episode 1632
Tony fromTony has a TIVO Bolt and like Leo, he's getting the "red rainbow of death." He thinks it may be the power supply. Leo says he's already replaced the hard drive, and it's been booting up for five days. So a $25 power supply from WeakKnees may be the next best solution.
Scott Wilkinson .... Gemini Man
Episode 1632
Next week, Scott is going to see Ang Lee's new movie Gemini Man, starring Will Smith. It's salient because Lee has shot it at 120 fps 3D and in IMAX. High frame rate has also created a debate in the film community about just how realistic an image should look and still be considered "cinema." It's also shot in 3D, which Scott says hasn't really been popular lately. Then on top of that, Will Smith is battling a younger version of himself, where the actor was de-aged. He'll join Leo next week with his review.
Whats the difference between QLED and OLED?
Episode 1631
Mitch fromMitch wants to know the difference between OLED and QLED. Leo says there's a huge difference and QLED is just a marketing ploy by Samsung to lure those interested in OLED to their LED TVs. It uses "quantum dot" LEDs, which are very small. OLEDs are organic LEDs, which can be brighter.
Is TiVo Starting to Force ADs on Users?
Episode 1630
Mike B. fromMike B. is calling to talk about the plan by TiVo to put in ads. Mike says that TiVo is obviously needing to in order to keep TiVo going. The good news is that if users have a TiVo Roamio or older, they won't get them. Only the Bolts or latest TiVos will. Leo says that it may just be easier to go with PLEX or the Silicon Dust HD Home Run.
Scott Wilkinson ... QLED'd
Episode 1630
A few questions this week - Jonathan wants to know what's a good QLED for under $1,000. Scott says that for under a thousand dollars, TCL and Vizio both make very good QLED (quantum dot LEDs). He says that they have a higher amount of local dimming zones, and the Roku app is included. That really makes it a great deal, with a great image, for a great price. Scott also says that all OLEDs, except for Panasonics (Europe only) are from LG. So if you're looking at OLED, it really doesn't matter what TV you buy as far as the screen goes.
TIVO To Put Ads on Your DVR Recordings
Episode 1629
TIVO has announced that they are putting ads in front of every recording they make. Leo says that will be a death knell for the company, which has been struggling since the advent of video on demand. Leo also says it's ironic because TIVO also has a commercial skip button. It's outrageous because you spend hundreds of dollars for a TIVO, and then you pay for a monthly guide subscription. We shouldn't have to deal with ads from TIVO as a reward. Plus, we don't need DVRs anymore, and if we do, Leo says that Plex (a sponsor of the TWiT Network) on your Roku does just as good a job.
Scott Wilkinson ... 1 1/2 Times the Screen Height
Episode 1628
Scott saw some content on a Samsung 8K TV last week, and he sat about one screen height away from the image (it's best at 1 1/2 times). It was so good he could barely see the pixels. Very sharp. The problem is, there is no real native 8K content, and probably won't be for a while. And Scott says that while the resolution was impressive, he couldn't see much of a difference between it and uncompressed 4K UHD blu-ray. But Scott says that the upscaling is where 8K really is at right now.
Scott Wilkinson ... to the next level
Episode 1626
Scott just returned from CEDIA, and he saw some great projection TVs that take it to the next level. The first was Epson LS500. It's what Scott calls a "pixel wiggler" to achieve 4K. Compatible with HDR. 4000 lumens. It has separate HDMI and USB ports for streaming devices. It also comes with an ambient light rejecting screen. Cost starts at $5,000. Scott says it's a short-throw projector, laser-illuminated and even in ambient show floor light, it looked very impressive.
LG also showed its 2nd Generation TV replacement, HU35LA. It's 4K with pixel wiggling as well.
What streaming box should I buy?
Episode 1627
Darryl fromDarryl has upgraded his home theater and wants to know what 4K streaming device to get: FireStick, Roku, or even AppleTV? Leo says you want to be sure that your streaming device is HDR compatible, that's more important than 4K. The advantage to going with the AppleTV is that Apple will upgrade all your purchased content to 4K for free. That's a huge benefit. What Leo doesn't like about the FireTV is that Amazon relentlessly advertises to buy stuff. The other option is ROKU. Leo's favorite streaming device is ROKU. It supports 4K HDR with Dolby Vision.
