HDTVs, projectors, and surround sound systems.
Home Theater
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.
Why's My Browser Crashing?
Episode 1709
Sam fromSam is getting an error in Google Chrome that says "oh snap, something went wrong." What gives? Leo says that something has gone wrong with the browser that's causing it to crash. It could be an extension that Sam recently installed that's causing the trouble. Leo adds that Sam duplicated the issue one another computer with no errors at all. He says that points to something installed in the extensions that are causing it. Look in the extensions and disable or remove any extensions unwanted. Then try again.
Scott Wilkinson ... Playing the bass recorder
Episode 1709
Scott joins Leo to talk about One More wireless in-ear headphones and he says that the Triple Driver in-ear monitors sound the best. They are Bluetooth and fit around your neck and then into your ears. It has cross overs that route the sound to each ear, and come with woofers, tweeters, and a middle channel. It's a very slick design. But they are around $150, so they aren't cheap. Great headphones though.
Scott Wilkinson ... less precise
Episode 1707
Scott joins Leo to talk about the new microLED technology which can use Local dimming to increase contrast with greater precision. The smaller LEDs are, the smaller the zones that brighten independently. That translates into a greater dynamic range.
In other news ... CES is determined to hold the conference in January. Scott says he won't go because he doesn't want to be exposed to the CoVid19 virus.
Scott Wilkinson ... Stylish
Episode 1705
Scott Wilkinson joins Leo to talk about wireless earphones and says that the small rubber tips on Apple's AirPod Pros are really important to sealing the headphone and blocking out ambient noise. Called "in-ear headphones" or monitors, those tips will ensure a weighty sound with bass. But Apple's headphones are hugely expensive and Leo says that there's an insane profit margin in that category. Especially with Apple's Beats brand.
Why is My Apple TV Screen Image Shadowy?
Episode 1703
Joey fromJoey just bought a new Apple TV. He is having issues with the video not having full quality on the entire screen. Just the center part is "shadowy." Leo says that's an odd situation. Joey may want to check the cable. But it could be coincidental that the TV may be ready to go out. But more likely, it's the DVI cable that Joey is connecting it to. From the chatroom - HDCP may be the issue if the cable isn't compatible.
Leo also says that there's a strong rumor that a new Apple TV is being released on June 22. So he may want to return it and wait for a new one.
Are LED TVs too bright?
Episode 1702
Tony fromTony heard the call yesterday of a man getting a headache watching TV. He thinks the user is suffering from a form of light blindness, where the LEDs are too bright on the new TV. LEDs can dim over time, and he was so used to his older TV, that the newer one's brighter LEDs are giving him a headache. And TVs are set to be very bright on the showroom floor. So adjusting the brightness could help. Leo says you can adjust your TV to Cinema mode or movie mode, and that will adjust the TV to work best in low light.
Can a QLED TV Give Me a Headache?
Episode 1701
Larry fromLarry is trying to pair his new Samsung 55" QLED with his Denon AV. He finally got that working, but he's having an issue with headaches. Leo says that flickering may cause the issue and he recommends adjusting the frame interpolation (called Action Motion Plus in Samsungs) and see if by adjusting the refresh rate up or down will solve that issue. Most likely, going as high as he can will fix it. But he'll get that "soap opera" look.
Scott Wilkinson, the Specialist
Episode 1701
Scott's latest review is of a pair of Bluetooth Speakers that he says are really cool. The Ai60 bookshelf speakers are made by Fluance and have a 6 1/2" woofer and 4" tweeters. You connect two speakers together and then connect the right one via Bluetooth to your device. Scott says that the Ai60 exceeded his expectations, sounding great. The cost is $300, which is surprisingly good. The only real drawback is that you can't stream via WiFi, but you can connect wired.
