HDTVs, projectors, and surround sound systems.
Home Theater
Why Won't My Smart TV Connect to Stream?
Episode 1717
John fromJohn has a 55" Samsung TV that's about eight years old. He also moved away from surround sound to a soundbar. But even though his TV is a smart TV, it won't accept the internet signal to stream. He talked to Samsung and after resetting several times, they decided his chip was defective. Leo says that doesn't mean he'll have to get a new TV. Those smart tv apps are terrible because they are never updated. He recommends getting a ROKU device and plugging that into the HDMI port. Let the Roku handle the stream. But don't get the stick, they tend to overheat.
Scott Wilkinson and the Very Well Done Virtual Trade Show
Episode 1717
Scott joins Leo to talk about the latest in trade shows he recently attended ... the virtual trade show. Scott says it was very well done, making it look like a virtual hotel/convention center with check-in spaces and dealer rooms. There were also keynote speeches and more. Over 5400 people were virtually attended, and Scott says the big advantages you can do online is that you can watch all the presentations on-demand. CES is doing a virtual conference this January. So this could be the beginning of how trade shows will be in the future.
How Do I Connect My HDHomeRun to My Mesh Router?
Episode 1715
Johnny fromJohnny has an Eero mesh router and is attaching his HD HomeRun DVR to his network through powerline networking. Will he have issues with configuring it? Leo says that the HDHomeRun software should do it automatically. But if he's doing it manually, he can go into Eero settings under devices and see the IP addresses of each device. But the HDHomeRun has automatic discovery. It should connect to the network on its own with no manual entering.
Scott Wilkinson ... Tech-splained
Episode 1715
Scott joins Leo to talk about a big announcement in Home Theater. Scott wrote an article this week about the different technologies behind today's digital home theater, digital cinema, and education projectors. The three technologies include LCD, LCOS, and DLP. All three work roughly the same way with 1" screens with micropic pixels. Those screens are then projected through lenses onto the screen. LCOS tends to be more expensive than LCD or one chip DLP projectors.
What AV Recevier should I buy?
Episode 1714
Hans fromHans would like a good home theater receiver and turntable that can also work as his home theater. Leo is a fan of Denon. Onkyo and Marantz are also very good. They are very affordable and give you a lot of bang for your buck. Be mindful of how many inputs the AVR has, because it can double as an AV receiver. So count up your HDMI devices you have hooked up and it'll point you to which model to get. Leo, for instance, has seven devices he connects to his. Also make sure it can support 4K and HDR to future proof your system, as well as Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound.
Can I Use an Old Sansui Receiver as an Audio amp for My Plasma TV?
Episode 1713
Vince fromVince has a Sansui receiver from the 70s. Can he still use it with his home system and his Pioneer Elite Plasma TV? Leo says to check out ClassicReceivers.com. It really comes down to the output. He won't be able to use it for video, though because of the HDMI connectors. He can get a device that will take the audio portion and route it to the old Sansui device.
Scott Wilkinson ... Reclaimed
Episode 1713
Scott joins Leo to talk about over the air television and concerns that the FCC will reclaim those broadcast frequencies, preventing people from watching TV with a conventional digital antenna. ATSC 1.0 is the standard that most people are watching on, and there is a new generation called ATSC 3.0 that we are transitioning to. As a result, the FCC is reclaiming that ATSC 1.0 spectrum to reallocate frequencies to another spectrum. As such, local broadcast stations have had to be rescanned by TVs in order to get the channel back.
Scott Wilkinson and the Sony Screen Soundbar
Episode 1711
Scott joins Leo to talk about a new soundbar. Normal soundbars are a long, thin device with multiple woofer and tweeter speakers built-in. You can also get an additional subwoofer that can even connect wirelessly. The Dali Katch One by DSP is a new soundbar that Scott reviewed at TechHive here. There are two sound modes, narrow and wide, and it's not cheap at $1000. You can pay extra for a subwoofer, but Scott says the Katch One is so good, you don't really need anything else.
Why does my Roku device turn on my TV automatically?
Episode 1710
Gloria fromGloria has a Roku stick plugged into her TV. But after she turns off the TV, the TV comes on automatically. What gives? Leo says that there's a feature called CEC, or consumer electronics control, which automatically if you nudge the remote and turns on the TV and sets the TV to the last thing you watched. You can turn off the feature in your Roku settings or your TV settings if you don't like it.
Why is my TV image cropping?
Episode 1710
Donald fromDonald is dealing with a horizontal crop issue on his TV. He tried to change the aspect ratio, but all he seems to be able to do is zoom it in, which doesn't help. Leo says that there could be a fit screen option that's been enabled. It could be called Zoom or Stretch. Underscan may also be the option. Try looking for that and disable it. Also, look for 1-for-1 / 1:1.or 16:9. Some movies may end up with letterboxing however. If it does, then zooming it will distort the image and crop off the image like that. So check your aspect ratio settings.
