HDTVs, projectors, and surround sound systems.
Home Theater
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.
Scott Wilkinson and the Dead Period
Episode 1624
Next week is the last great trade show for home theater. It's called CEDIA. The Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association. After that, we'll see a dead period until CES in January. But next week, Scott will be talking about all the new displays and projectors coming from Epson, Sony, and all the big names. Scott is really looking forward to what Wolf Cinema has come out with. They always have the best image on the screen from their projectors. But they aren't cheap at five figures.
Scott Wilkinson, Tom Cruise and Chris McQuarrie
Episode 1622
Scott joins Leo today to talk about the new initiative launched by television manufacturers to make Hollywood directors happy. Filmmakers complain about "motion smoothing" or "frame interpolation" which can create the "soap opera effect" that makes the image look far too crisp. It takes out the motion blur by adding additional frames to make the image sharper. It's great for sports events, but terrible for movies, and directors HATE it.
Can I record streaming video I watch on TV?
Episode 1621
Paul fromPaul says he's cut the cable and uses an RCA DTA 880 Digital TV Converter and recorder he bought at Walmart. It's also a digital tuner. But you do need to plug a hard drive into it. Leo sees several different models on Amazon, and he has a hunch they're all made by the same company in China.
Scott Wilkinson ... stuck
Episode 1620
Scott joins Leo to talk about LEDs that are stuck too bright on the screen. The question came from yours truly, James DeRuvo, who says several of his backlit LEDs are too bright on the screen. There are six LED lights that are brighter than the rest intermittently. Scott says that unfortunately, that's not an easy or affordable fix since it's in the screen. It would be cheaper to buy a new one.
