Home Theater

Parker is a gamer and is looking forward to Cyberpunk 2077. He recently bought the Nvidia RTX 380 video card for his PC. He's got it connected to his TV, but it's causing a problem with the resolution. Leo says Parker is going to need a 4K TV that can handle a higher refresh rate. Leo says that LCDs are notoriously low. So an OLED may be the way to go. Latency is also an issue, but OLEDs handle that as well as the best LCDs. OLEDs are around 14ms, and some are GSync compatible. So look for that.

Paul recently bought an LG CX 4K TV, and it's incredible. Now he needs a good soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos. He has a high, pitched ceiling. Leo says that Atmos doesn't benefit from a high vaulted ceiling. Especially when tilted. The only way to benefit would be to hang separate speakers closer to the ceiling. A normal 5.1 or 7.1 system would be better for Paul's living room.  And you want to make sure you get a subwoofer. Leo and Scott agree that the Vizio line of soundbars is ideal for the money. Scott recommends the SB3851 or SB4251. Get the M series.

Terry recently switched from Dish to DirecTV. But when he uses his wireless headphones, they won't work when he streams Netflix from the TV. He's got them connected to his TV audio out jack and a splitter/converter. The soundbar works via optical, and Leo thinks that the optical is now cutting off the TV output jack. Leo says that you need a splitter that will split optical (which is light). Terry's splitter is likely failing.

Gantry is looking to replace his old sound system, which recently died. He's seeing 3D soundbars, atmos soundbars, and more. What system should he get? Leo says you could buy a new center channel to replace the channel that is broken. Soundbars aren't as good as 5.1 Dolby surround systems. But if you don't want to rewire it, or get a new AV receiver, then a soundbar is a good alternative. Leo says that Vizio makes a great line of soundbars in all budgets. They are even Atmos capable with upward-firing speakers.