On this week’s show we look at using a two channel powered speaker with ARC as a soundbar alternative and we look at the best 85” HDTVs you can purchase today. We also read your email and take a look at the week’s news.

News:

• Dish Network Loses 314,000 Pay TV Subs
• Fubo Adds 173,000 Subs and Cuts Loss in Q4
• Warner to Crack Down on Max Password Sharing Later This Year
• Fox predicts sports venture will reach 5M in 5 years

Other:

• Best Smart Home Gadgets To Avoid The Cloud

Kanto's new active speakers - with HDMI ARC - could be a nifty soundbar alternative

The new Kanto Ren are well-connected, featuring an HDMI input for hooking up to a TV as well as a USB-C input for playing files up to 24-bit/96kHz from a source player. An optical Toslink supports up to 24-bit/96kHz transmission, and there's a single RCA input alongside a 3.5mm jack. If you don't want to plug in directly, they're also kitted out with Bluetooth 5.3. Outputs, meanwhile, come courtesy of a single sub-out line and a single USB Charge.

The new units are supplied with a remote control and feature a choice of two extra sound modes – vocal boost and night mode. The latter does one of two things. if a subwoofer is connected, the sub-out signal will be switched off and the low-frequencies will only be emitted from the speaker itself. If no subwoofer is connected, the Ren's bass will be reduced, presumably so as not to disturb your lower-floor neighbors when they're trying to get some kip. There's also a quarter-inch hole at the base of the units for mounting.

The new units will be on sale from July, priced at $599 per pair, and are available in a choice of six colors: black, cream, white, green, brown and orange.

Potential system to rival the Kento Ren for $250 less:

Arylic Bluetooth aptX HD Stereo Amplifier $140 paired with RSL CG3M BOOKSHELF SPEAKER $210 for the pair total cost $350

The 5 Best 80-83-85 Inch TVs - Winter 2024 RTINGS.com

We talk about large format HDTVs all the time and they range in super expensive to pretty darn cheap. But what are you getting for your money. RTINGS.com has posted their list of the 5 Best 80 - 85 inch TVs. We run them down for you on today’s show. 

Best 80-85 Inch TV

The best TV you can buy that's available in 80+ inches is the LG OLED83C3PUA ($3596). It's an excellent TV with stunning picture quality, especially in a dark room. It looks amazing in the dark thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio that results in perfect inky blacks, with no distracting blooming or halos around bright highlights or subtitles. Combined with its high peak brightness and wide color gamut, the latest movies and shows in HDR look amazing. It's no slouch in a bright room either, as it's bright enough to fight glare, and its reflection handling is fantastic. 

Mixed Usage 9.0, TV Shows 8.6, Sports 8.8, Video Games 9.4, HDR Movies 9.0, HDR Gaming 9.1, PC Monitor 9.4 See full test results.

Best Bright Room 80-85 Inch TV

If you're rarely in a completely dark room, check out the Sony XR-85X95L ($4498) instead. It's a slightly larger TV than the LG C3 OLED, making it the best 85-inch TV you can get if you want something slightly bigger. It doesn't have the same perfect black levels as the OLED, but it has a truly incredible contrast ratio and black uniformity, leading to extremely deep blacks. Plus, it gets much brighter than the LG, so it's a better choice if you're in a very bright room, as it can overcome more glare. It also delivers brighter highlights in HDR. This, combined with its excellent color gamut, makes it an impressive choice for watching content in HDR10 or Dolby Vision HDR.

Mixed Usage  8.6; TV Shows  8.3, Sports 8.4, Video Games  8.9, HDR Movies  8.8, HDR Gaming 8.9, PC Monitor  8.7 See full test results.

Best Mid-Range 80-85 Inch TV

If you don't want to spend an arm and a leg but still want good picture quality, then a mid-range TV like the Hisense 85U8K ($2198) is a good alternative. It's significantly cheaper than the Sony X95L or LG C3 OLED but still delivers amazing picture quality. It's just as bright as the Sony, and its contrast is almost as good due to a better overall local dimming solution. The Hisense displays a wide color gamut, has surprisingly good image processing, and supports advanced audio and video formats like our top two picks, so it's an amazing home theater TV for a lower price than the Sony or the LG.

Mixed Usage 8.5; TV Shows 8.0, Sports  7.9, Video Games  8.8, HDR Movies  8.8, HDR Gaming  8.9, PC Monitor  8.5 See full test results.

Best Lower Mid-Range 80-85 Inch TV

If you're on a budget but want better picture quality than the budget option below, the Hisense 85U7K ($1798) is the best lower mid-range TV we've tested available in an 80 to 85-inch size. It's a great TV, with very good picture quality and a wide selection of additional features. It's basically a dimmer Hisense U8/U8K with a nearly identical feature set. It's still bright enough for a pleasant viewing experience in bright rooms. Its contrast, while worse than the picks above, is excellent overall, leading to deep blacks in dark rooms. Like its more expensive sibling, it's a stellar home theater TV with very good image processing and support for HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and advanced DTS audio formats.

Mixed Usage  8.2, TV Shows  7.8, Sports  7.8, Video Games  8.7, HDR Movies  8.3, HDR Gaming 8.7, PC Monitor  8.5 See full test results.

Best Budget 80-85 Inch TV

If you're on a budget and want a large TV, you'll have to spend more than if you were getting a smaller size. However, a few budget-friendly models are available in larger sizes, like the TCL 85Q650G ($998). It's a decent overall TV that doesn't cost nearly as much and still has much to offer. Unlike the models above, this TV doesn't have local dimming to improve its contrast, so it doesn't look as good in a dark room. It also doesn't get as bright or emphasize highlights like the Hisense U7K/U75K does, but it's still good enough to overcome glare in a bright room. Like the Hisense TVs, the TCL supports both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, but it doesn't have good image processing, so it's not a great choice for a home theater setup.

Mixed Usage 7.3; TV Shows 6.9, Sports  6.9, Video Games  7.9, HDR Movies  7.2, HDR Gaming  8.0, PC Monitor  7.7 See full test results.