HDTVs, projectors, and surround sound systems.
Home Theater
Why Does My Roku Device Have a “Humming” Audio Coming From It?
Episode 1838
Richard fromRichard is getting a strange buzzing noise as he watches videos from his Roku 4K Ultra. It happens when watching YouTube. He'll turn down the volume on his home theater system and turns up the video on his Roku remote. It's tinny, but it's clear with no buzz. Leo suspects that there's a mismatch of codecs. There are so many different video codecs now that this can happen. So you could be watching a movie with DolbyVision HDR, and the encoding is confusing the AV Receiver. It could also be an analog problem. Check your speaker cables. Also look to be sure wires are crossing and touching.
What Streaming Device Should I Buy?
Episode 1837
Jerry fromJerry wants to get a 4K streaming box. Is Apple TV as good as Roku? Leo says yes. But it's also twice as expensive. But he can get a more powerful box, which is important for 4K video streaming. And if he has an iPhone, he will get better AirPlay from the Apple TV, rather than the Roku. But the Roku is a better device for streaming.
Scott Wilkinson ... Over the Top
Episode 1837
Scott got an email this week from a listener who wants to know what's the best way to get over the top streaming? Scott says the best is to use a third-party streaming box like the Roku, AppleTV, or the NVidia Shield. And if you're into gaming, the Shield is the best option for streaming your gameplay. If you're an Apple person, it's probably best to stay in that ecosystem and stick with the AppleTV. There's also FireTV, but it's very Amazon-centric and you get a lot of Amazon ads being promoted.
Why's My Roku App Making Strange Noises!?
Episode 1837
Rob fromRob has a Roku app that's making odd noises in his Home Theater system. It's part of his TCL 6-series that's hooked into his Denon receiver via HDMI through the audio return channel (ARC). Leo isn't much of a fan of the apps built into smart TVs. They are almost never updated and usually are poorly written. Leo says it sounds like an encoding issue with Dolby. Look in the TV settings (or the Roku Stick settings) and either turn it on (if it's off) or off (if it's on). Set it for PCM and it should fix it. See if that fixes the problem.
Scott Wilkinson ... In the Room
Episode 1835
Scott joins Leo to talk about LightField Labs recent announcement that they utilized light field technology to create a 3D image in front of an image. The end result is a much more realistic video depiction that could make it like you're "in the room" during video calls. And its orders of magnitude more advanced than previous attempts.
What Are the Best Waterproof Headphones and Speakers?
Episode 1834
Jeff fromJeff wants some waterproof headphones and speakers. Is there some? Leo says that there are. He likes the Aftershockz, Ultimate Ears is another. The Sonos Moves are also good if you have a Sonos system.
Why Can't I Use My DirecTV DVR?
Episode 1833
Fred fromFred used DirecTV's recording feature, but he's having issues with it. Leo says it could be the cable connection. It could also be that DirecTV's DVR sucks, much like cable DVRs, do. But Leo thinks it may be congestion due to wireless interruption. Connecting straight to the device via COAX would be a much better solution. Wired is always better.
Scott Wilkinson gets Boosted
Episode 1833
Scott joins Leo to continue his complaint about the bad mixing of surround sound on AppleTV+ programs like FOUNDATION. He's boosted his center channel volume five times and it's still too faint. Leo says it may just be that it was badly mixed for spatial audio, and it makes him think that spatial audio is like 3D. And it'll soon go the way of the dodo.
Why Is Streaming With Apple TV+ So Bad?
Episode 1831
Jim fromJim has a Sony Bravia 4K TV. But he keeps having issues streaming his Apple TV. Leo says that Apple TV can stream up to 30MBps, and that's a lot to cover through WiFi. Leo recommends hardwiring it. That will avoid any congestion. Or pick up a WiFi 6 router. That could make the signal more prolific. If talking about the Apple TV+ software on his Sony Bravia, Leo recommends trying the Apple TV hardware instead. Apps on a Smart TV aren't all that great and are rarely updated. And talk is, that the Apple TV+ app isn't that well-written.
Is There a DVR for OTA Recording?
Episode 1829
Jeff fromJeff is amazed by the uncompressed quality of HDTV you can get with a TV antenna. Leo says that's because the signal is sent over the airwaves uncompressed. You don't get that with cable or streaming. But is there a DVR for over-the-air recording? Leo says yes, there are a few. TIVO makes one. ChannelMaster is very popular. And then there's the SiliconDust HDHomeRun. Leo likes the HDHomeRun the best. One box can feed multiple TV and mobile devices around the entire house. But it's just a box.