This week we do our annual Black Friday Roundup. Unfortunately the retailers are turning it into a Black Friday month. It was hard to track down info specifically for Black Friday but we did. Honestly it's not our best work. We also read your email and take a look at the week’s news. News:   Roku just revealed its plan to make streaming sports easier online  Most Smart TV Owners Still Use An External Streaming Device  Hulu is Adding 14 Channels to Its Live TV Package: Hallmark, Weather Channel, Vevo & More  Goodbye freeloaders: Netflix enables remote logout  Other:   How do I program my harmony remote to double click home button for Apple TV? : r/logitechharmony UHZ50 Smart 4K UHD laser home entertainment projector  TCL - 98" Class XL Collection 4K UHD QLED Dolby Vision HDR Smart Google TV makezine.com   Check out BlackFriday.com for the latest deals

Podcast #1075: Black Friday Roundup (Not our Best Show)

The HT Guys, Ara Derderian and Braden Russell, are Engineers who formerly worked for the Advanced Digital Systems Group (ADSG) of Sony Pictures Entertainment. ADSG was the R&D unit of the sound department producing products for movie theaters and movie studios. Two of the products they worked on include the DCP-1000 and DADR-5000. The DCP is a digital cinema processor used in movie theaters around the world. The DADR-5000 is a disk-based audio dubber used on Hollywood sound stages. ADSG was awarded a Technical Academy Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2000 for the development of the DADR-5000. Ara holds three patents for his development work in Digital Cinema and Digital Audio Recording. Every week they put together a podcast about High Definition TV and Home Theater. Each episode brings news from the A/V world, helpful product reviews and insights and help in demystifying and simplifying HDTV and home theater. Our email address is hdtvpodcast@mac.com

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On this week’s show we ask you to try an experiment with your friends and family. We also look at the history of VHS. Finally we read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News:  YouTube TV is testing an enhanced 720p quality setting too  Most Cord Cutters Do Not Pay for a Live Service Like YouTube TV, Fubo, or Hulu + Live TV  Roku Debuts Pro Series TV With Mini-LED Starting at $900  Home Cinema Viewing Experiment The other day we were watching a movie on Netflix and between my wife, brother-in-law, and his wife I noticed that everyone was periodically glancing at their phones. This kind of irritated me mainly because I have spent a lot of money on sound and picture and thought, they might as well be watching on a phone or tablet. The next night, I asked my wife and kids to not only silence their phones but also put them away. We watched a movie and the family was a bit irritated. It seems that the only place they can really immerse themselves into a movie is actually at the cinema. I encourage you to try the following experiment:  Minimize Distractions - this is any distraction digital or otherwise. Silence your devices - Put phones and tablets on silent and turn off any notifications on all the devices within ear shot. Quiet Environment - Choose a time when household noise is minimal. Shut doors and windows if external noise is an issue.  History of VHS VHS, or Video Home System, was a home video recording format developed by JVC (Victor Company of Japan) in the 1970s. It became one of the dominant formats for home video playback and recording during the 1980s and 1990s.  Here is a brief history of VHS:  Development - JVC unveiled the VHS system in Japan in 1976, offering consumers the ability to record and play back video content on videocassette recorders (VCRs) using magnetic tape. VHS was in direct competition with Sony's Betamax format, but thanks to longer recording time and lower production costs, VHS eventually emerged as the preferred choice among consumers. Market Dominance - Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, VHS gained widespread popularity and became the standard format for home video recording and distribution. Major Hollywood studios began releasing movies on VHS, leading to a booming rental market, especially with the rise of video rental stores like Blockbuster. Format Wars - The battle between VHS and Betamax is often cited as one of the most famous format wars in consumer electronics history. Despite Betamax's superior picture quality, VHS's longer recording time and lower cost attracted more consumers and content producers. By the late 1980s, VHS had clearly won the format war, leading to the eventual decline of Betamax. Expansion into Other Markets - VHS technology expanded beyond home video recording to become a standard format for recording television shows, archiving video content, and even for use in educational and industrial settings. Evolution and Decline - VHS continued to evolve with the introduction of VHS-C (compact VHS) for camcorders and Hi-Fi stereo sound capabilities. However, with the emergence of digital video formats like DVDs and later Blu-ray discs, VHS began its decline in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The last known major Hollywood film released on VHS was in 2006. Legacy - Despite its eventual obsolescence, VHS left a lasting impact on the home entertainment industry. Its widespread adoption paved the way for the concept of home video consumption and laid the foundation for the home entertainment market we see today.  VHS was a revolutionary technology that revolutionized the way people consumed and enjoyed video content at home. While it has been replaced by newer digital formats, its legacy as a pioneering home entertainment medium remains significant.

Podcast #1152: The History of VHS

On this week’s show TCL introduces new TVs and Soundbars for 2024 and can the newly named Venu Sports streaming service make cable operators obsolete? We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News:   Sports Streaming JV Gets a Name, Venu Sports  Netflix Will Stream Two NFL Games This Christmas Day  Panasonic Selects TiVo TVOS to Power Its Mid- and Entry-Level Smart TVs Sonos AceComcast Prices StreamSaver Bundle at $15 a Month  Other:  Forums - Squeezebox piCorePlayer Lyrion Music Server HiFiBerry Forums - Slimdevices DIY  TCL Launches 2024 Home Theater Lineup With Multiple TV And Sound Bar Offerings TCL is expanding its offerings for 2024 with the launch of an expansive TV and soundbar portfolio. The new releases include TV and sound bar models for multiple price points. The new TCL TV lineup aims to provide a home theater solution for virtually every need across its Smart S Class and  QLED Q Class, along with an expanded range of sizes from 32″ to 115″.  Full Article here… TCL Q Class Smart TVTCL’s new Q Class Smart TV models utilize Quantum Dot technology featuring UltraWide Color Gamut for enhanced QLED color. The TCL Q Class includes the Q65, Q68, QM7 and QM8 models, including three new 98” TVs and the world’s largest QD-Mini LED TV.  While TCL’s 98″ TV offerings can satisfy virtually any cinephile or sports enthusiast, the 115″ QM89 is TCL’s top-of-the-line QD-Mini LED TV for those looking to create or upgrade their theater room with an elevated viewing experience.  TCL S Class Smart TV The S Class family of smart TVs include the S2 and S3, which will carry over into 2024’s lineup. New to this year is the S5, which includes TCL’s AiPQ Processor for enhanced image processing. Additionally, 55″+ S Class models feature Game Accelerator 120 for 120 VRR gaming. TCL Q Class Sound Bar: High Quality Home Theater The Q Class is TCL’s premium sound bar family, supporting Dolby Atmos for high-quality home theater audio. The Q75H is a 5.1.2 sound bar featuring built-in side surround speakers, while the  Q85H is a 7.1.4 sound bar that adds wireless rear speakers, incorporating rear Dolby Atmos up-firing drivers. TCL S Class Sound Bar: Home Theater Made Simple The new S Class sound bars include TCL’s S45H and S55H models, now upgraded with Dolby Atmos and Auto Room calibration. These models also include other key features such as DTS Virtual:X Virtual 3D Surround, HDMI with eARC, Bluetooth, TCL TV Ready capability, and are wall mountable. Venu Sports and ESPN DTC Could Sink U.S. Pay TV Operators According to Aluma’s Michael Greeson, the sports JV alone could cause 10% of users to cut the cord, and that would ‘severely diminish the ability of operators to stay afloat’  Full article here…  It boils down to the fact that the U.S. pay TV industry could face a lot of competition due to the newly named sports streaming service “Venu Sports”. A recent survey indicated that about 32% of traditional cable subscribers and 38% of IPTV subscribers indicated some level of "likelihood" that they'd sign up for the new service.  The article says that if pay TV providers lose 10% of their customers due to the new service, it will  severely diminish the ability of pay TV operators to sustain their businesses. Additionally, the impending direct-to-consumer launch of ESPN by Disney is also anticipated to pose a threat, with a significant percentage of potential ESPN subscribers indicating a likelihood to cancel their pay TV service, potentially impacting operators further.  These developments could have a detrimental impact on the pay TV industry, endangering the survival of operators struggling with declining subscriber bases. Side note - if the joint venture intends to rely on pull from those who have completely cut the cord, they can forget about it. Only 9% are legitimate prospects for the service.”

Podcast #1151: Could Venu Sports Put Cable TV Out of Business?

On this week’s show Ara gets a new TV! It came down to a UST Projector and a Mini LED. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News:  Amazon Debuts New Streaming Ads on Prime  Disney and Warner Set to Bundle Disney Plus, Max and Hulu Starting This Summer  Fox Says Tubi Now Has 80 Million Average Monthly Users; FAST Platform’s Engagement Also Up 36%  Sunday Leadoff' Is Coming to The Roku Channel  Apple, Netflix Amazon Want to Change How They Pay Hollywood Stars  Comcast Plans Peacock, Netflix, Apple TV+ Streaming Bundle  Other:   SportsNet Pittsburgh launches direct-to-consumer streaming service  My ideal TV has no tuner, no speakers and no smart platform I’ve had my current TV for about a year now, and do you know how many times I’ve used its built-in tuner? None. I’ve not even plugged in the aerial. I’ve not used any of the built-in apps, either, and the built-in speakers have emitted a sound only a handful of times, and only because the connected sound system didn’t automatically switch on as it should have.  Full article here… New TV for Ara Ara’s original Vizio P-Series UHD TV finally gave out. After posting this information on X, he received a few suggestions on how it could possibly be revived. Unfortunately nothing worked. Vizio customer service even offered to help resolve the issue. But after ten years of trusty service, it was time to move on.  Ara posted to X that it was between a Sony Mini LED and an AWOL UST projector. The response was mixed. So where did he land? The field was quickly narrowed down to: The  AWOL LTV-2500 4K 3D Triple Laser Projector $3000 + $1000 for a 100” screen. Bring The Cinematic Experience to Your Home: AWOL VISION LTV-2500 powered with a cutting edge Triple Laser without Color Wheel Technology, Dolby Vision & Dolby Atmos 4K UHD Resolution, HDR10+, 3D available, brings you a stunning 150", 4K Movie Theater experience. Coupled with exceptional audio immersion technology with Dolby Atmos, LTV-2500 is the most colorful with details' ultra short throw 4K laser projector for controlled light environment. and The  BRAVIA XR 75” Class X93L Mini LED 4K HDR Google TV (2023) $2500 The Cognitive Processor XR™ delivers a picture with wide dynamic contrast and natural colors, replicating how we see the real world. See ultimate contrast from thousands of Mini LEDs and billions of accurate colors, all precision-controlled by the XR Backlight Master™ Drive and XR Triluminos Pro™. The winner is…. The Sony Bravia.  The Process:  Cost was a factor but not as big a factor as Lina not wanting to rearrange the artwork above the current TV. Some on X said that the UST was only an option if I had good control of the light in the room. Even my first gen UST looks decent in full daylight and it does not have the lumens of this projector. So that was not and issue that disqualified the UST While I would have liked a 100” screen. The 75” Sony is a small step up from the 70” Vizio. Tip! Regardless of choice I was going to have to get rid of my old Vizio. I’m thinking I’d have to call my trash company and pay to have it hauled away. So I thought let me try to see if someone wanted a free broken UHD TV. And to my surprise, four people reached out to me. The person who ended up with it worked at a youth center and had a friend who fixed TVs. So he came and picked it up and just like that, problem solved.  Once the Bravia was delivered I simply plugged the cables in exactly as the Vizio. The output of the Yamaha RX-850 to the eARC port, power, and Ethernet. It's actually pretty heavy (97 lbs or 42Kgs). I powered it up and went through the setup. By the way, I did not accept anything that I interpreted as them spying on me. The TV is also a GoogleTV. I did not log into my account. For calibration I selected cinema mode and turned off motion flow and automated adjustments.  I did enable calibrated mode for any programming that sends that info in the stream. First issue… My Yamaha for some reason would not pass HDR data even though it says it will. Solution… Connect Oppo and AppleTV to the Sony and use eARC for audio, Second issue…I could not send ATMOS data through to the receiver because it does not support eARC.  Not a big deal because this is the family room and there is no ATMOS. But I also can’t get Dolby digital. Solution… Set AppleTV to force DD 5.1 and set Sony to pass signal untouched to Yamaha. Not the best solution but hey! I don’t have to explain to my wife why we now need a new receiver. There is a high probability that there will be a new receiver purchased on Black Friday! The picture looks phenomenal! A few times I caught myself saying it's like looking out a window. The colors are so saturated and beautiful! And while the black levels are not like OLED. They are quite good! No regrets. Not even a letter ;-) Review to come after I have had a chance to use the TV and dial it in.  

Podcast #1150: Ara Buys a New TV

On this week’s show we discuss the merits of an expensive wired whole home audio streamer vs putting one together with Airplay 2 or Chromecast. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News:   YouTube introduces pause ads to TV app  LG TVs are getting a free audio upgrade that Apple users will absolutely love  85% of Amazon Prime Video Subscribers Are on the Ad-Supported Tier  Samsung's new, cheaper OLED TVs are now available to buy  EchoStar Loses 348,000 Pay TV Subs in 1st Quarter  Juke+ Audio Streamer Juke+, as described on their website, is an audio distribution system designed to provide high-quality sound across multiple rooms in a house. It runs about $2,500 and that’s without speakers. So here is our question; do you think it's worth the money when you can put a high end wireless system together including speakers for significantly less money?  First let’s take a look at what the $2500 Juke+ System gets you:  Audio Quality and Control - The Juke+ system can power 6 audio zones with 12 speaker channels at 100 watts per channel, ensuring pristine audio quality. Users can fine-tune the audio settings in each room through an app-controlled audio equalizer for optimal sound customization. Wireless Control - The Juke Audio application enables comprehensive control of the audio system via Android and Apple devices. Various features include playing to any combination of zones, independent volume control for each zone, simultaneous streaming from multiple users/devices, and access through a web interface on PCs. All-in-One Solution - The Juke system integrates the functions of powering, controlling, and streaming audio to multiple speaker sets throughout the house, eliminating the need for separate receivers, streamers, or in-wall controllers. Airplay 2 Integration - Juke displays connected speaker zones as independent Airplay inputs, facilitating streaming from Apple devices to specific audio zones. Users can group zones directly within the Airplay menu and stream to Juke and other Airplay 2 devices simultaneously, maintaining audio sync. Spotify Connect Support - Each connected speaker zone is independently recognized in Spotify, allowing premium users to stream content seamlessly. The Juke app's grouping feature enables setting multi-zone endpoints in Spotify for convenient whole-house or room-specific playback. Bluetooth Connectivity - Juke supports Bluetooth streaming from any compatible device, allowing users to play content without relying on a local Wi-Fi network. Juke+ provides multiple options to enjoy TV audio through its audio distribution system.  Wireless Audio from Apple TV via Airplay - You can wirelessly send audio from any app on Apple TV to Juke using Airplay over the Wi-Fi network.  Bluetooth Connectivity from Compatible Smart TVs - Juke supports receiving audio from compatible Smart TVs via Bluetooth. Hardwired Connection from TV to Juke - For a more traditional setup, you can run a hardwired connection from the audio output of your TV back to the Juke system.    Our wireless system consists of a  Belkin SoundForm Connect AirPlay 2 Adapter or a  Chromecast Audio ($80) and a pair of Audioengine A5+ ($500 per pair) for a grand total of $580 per zone or $3480 for six zones with speakers included! Similar passive speakers from Audioengine cost $400 which would bring a similar system to $4900. A difference of $1420.  Let’s see if you miss anything:  Audio Quality and Control - You can control each room with any app that plays music on your phone or tablet but you can’t set separate EQ. +1 to Juke+ Wireless Control - Our system does the same as the Juke+. No advantage to either  All-in-One Solution - Our system does the same as the Juke+. No advantage to either Airplay 2 Integration - If you use the SoundForm you have identical capabilities. However, if you use a Chromecast you have capability that the Juke+ does not have. +1 to our DIY system Spotify Connect Support - if you have the Spotify app on your device you essentially have this capability through Airplay or Chromecast. No advantage to either Bluetooth Connectivity - The Audioengine A5+ supports AptX while the Juke+ supports Bluetooth 5. +1 to our DIY  TV Support - identical capabilities. No advantage to either  Our DIY system is better in two categories and equivalent in all others. Room EQ  being the only category that the Juke+ is better. Plus you save $1420! Our DIY system is not meant for everyone. Our speakers are harder to discretely place throughout your house. In addition the Juke+ gives you greater choice in speaker selection since you don’t have to limit yourself to powered bookshelf or desktop speakers.  However, you don’t need to buy expensive speakers for all zones. But this applies to both systems. You could also use the Airplay2/Chromecast capability of your receiver to add a zone for essentially no cost and add the ability to EQ a room. So what do you think? Which system would you choose?

Podcast #1149: Wired vs Wireless Multi-Zone Audio

On this week’s show you get what you pay for! Ara’s experience buying cheap automated wall plugs. Plus we wrap up the 2024 TV season and read your emails and take a look at the week’s news.  News:   Roku Said to Be in the Running to Take Over the MLB 'Sunday Leadoff' Game Package From Peacock | Next TV YouTube TV starting to roll out Multiview on Android phones, tablets  Peacock Hikes Price $2 Ahead of Paris Summer Olympics  Fubo's Warner Bros. Beef Worsens -- TLC, HGTV and Other Discovery Networks Blacked Out on vMVPD | Next TV  Other:   'Life of Pi' director abandons 3D and HFR: "Whole ecosystem is bad" - FlatpanelsHD How Las Vegas' Sphere Actually Works  You get what you pay for! Recently I purchased some thread based wall plugs to turn a night light on at sunset and off at sunrise. It was an extremely inexpensive Wemo plug that ran on thread. I was excited because thread based products are extremely fast and reliable. Well that’s what I thought. Wemo Smart Plug with Thread - I bought them for $80 for a four pack. You can get them for $30 individually.  I deployed four, Two lose connection with the thread router every few days. Unplug and plug back in and repeat.  Two are rock solid Belkin Customer Service won’t refund my money because its well past the 30 days.  No info on a firmware update Useless product!   GE CYNC Indoor Smart Plug, Matter Compatible $30 for three pack  This product has no support for Homekit so this was a good test to see if a Matter plug would work in an Homekit environment. Connecting to my home is just as easy as a Homekit device.  Worked for three days and then disconnected. Unplug and plug back in did nothing. Did full reset and the device can not be added to homekit or GE Cync app. DOA Added a second plug to my home. Just as easy as the first. Three days later, we are still in business. I have not contacted customer support. Other than the device failing, connecting a matter plug to Homekit was trivial.   Eve Energy - (Matter Compatible) $40  I currently have four plugs deployed for six months They are connected using thread and bluetooth Super fast and super reliable You get what you pay for  2024 TV Season Wrap Up Although this year's TV Season got a late start, we did have one however short it was. It seems like we just got new episodes and now we are looking at season finales. But even with shortened TV seasons, executives have to make tough decisions on what shows get another season and which ones say good-bye. The following is what TV Line is reporting for the end of the  2024 Television Season:  ABC  9-1-1: Officially renewed for Season 8 Abbott Elementary: Officially renewed for Season 4.  The Conners: A safe bet. The Good Doctor: Officially canceled; series finale airs this Spring. Grey’s Anatomy: Officially renewed for Season 21. Not Dead Yet: Could go either way.  The Rookie: Officially renewed for Season 7 Station 19: Officially canceled; series finale airs this Spring. Will Trent: Officially renewed for Season 3  CBS  Blue Bloods: Officially canceled; series finale airs in Fall 2024. Bob Hearts Abishola: Officially canceled; series finale airs May 6. CSI: Vegas: Officially canceled. The Equalizer: Officially renewed for Season 5 Elsbeth: Officially renewed for Season 2 FBI: Officially renewed (through Season 9) FBI: International: Officially renewed for Season 4 FBI: Most Wanted: Officially renewed for Season 6 Fire Country: Officially renewed for Season 3 Ghosts: Officially renewed for Season 4 NCIS: Officially renewed for Season 22 NCIS: Hawai’i: Officially canceled. The Neighborhood: Officially renewed for Season 7 So Help Me Todd: Officially canceled.  S.W.A.T.: Officially uncancelled, renewed for Season 8 Tracker: Officially renewed for Season 2 Young Sheldon: Officially canceled; series finale airs May 16; spinoff ordered  FOX  9-1-1: Lone Star: Season 5 delayed until Fall 2024. Accused: Too early to tell. Alert: Missing Persons Unit: Too early to tell.  Animal Control: Officially renewed for Season 3. Bob’s Burgers: Officially renewed for Season 15. The Cleaning Lady: Could go either way. Family Guy: Officially renewed for Season 23. The Great North: Could go either way. Grimsburg: Officially renewed for Season 2. HouseBroken: In perpetual limbo. Krapopolis: Officially renewed for Seasons 2 and 3. The Simpsons: Officially renewed for Season 36.  NBC  Chicago Fire: Officially renewed. Chicago Med: Officially renewed. Chicago P.D.: Officially renewed. Extended Family: Could go either way. Found: Officially renewed for Season 2. The Irrational: Officially renewed for Season 2. Law & Order: Officially renewed. Law & Order: Organized Crime: A safe bet. Law & Order: SVU: Officially renewed. Lopez vs. Lopez: Could go either way. Night Court: A safe bet. Quantum Leap: Officially canceled.  The CW  All American: Too early to tell. All American: Homecoming: Too early to tell Sight Unseen: Too early to tell Sullivan’s Crossing: Officially renewed for Season 2. Superman & Lois: Officially canceled; final season premiere date TBD. Walker: Too early to tell. Wild Cards: Could go either way. 

Podcast #1075: Black Friday Roundup (Not our Best Show)

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