HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

Podcast #777: Oppo UDP-203 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player

03 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Oppo UDP-203 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player   Many of you (us included) have gone out and purchased a 4K TV sets but still have Blu-ray players conn...

Podcast #776: Whole House Music with Chromecast Audio and Grace Digital CastDock X2

27 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Whole House Music with Chromecast Audio and Grace Digital CastDock X2 We've been on a quest for DIY whole house music for nearly a decade. Going all t...

Podcast #775:

20 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Audioengine HD3 Powered Bookshelf Speakers We listen to so much audio sitting at our computers, whether it be a Youtube video, your music library, or ...

Podcast #774: Predictions for 2017

13 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Predictions for 2017 Time for the HT Guys to look into our crystal ball and try and predict the HDTV and Home Theater landscape for 2017. Our crystal ...

Podcast #773: CES2017

06 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We go through news about CES 

Podcast #772: Monoprice Monolith M560 Planar Headphones

30 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Monoprice Monolith M560 Planar Headphones When we first got into the HDTV thing way back when Monoprice was our goto company for high quality cables t...

Podcast #771: Prediction Review

23 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Prediction Review for 2016 It's hard to believe that another year has gone by! With that it's time to see how we did with our 2016 predictions. This y...

Podcast #770: Ultimate Home Theater in a Box for 2016

15 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Ultimate Home Theater in a Box for 2016 Each year we design a Home Theater setup that is considerably better than a typical home theater in a box. We ...

Podcast #769: Receiver Buying Guide 2016

08 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Receiver Buying Guide 2016 It is that time of year where we get to spend your money again! This week we concentrate on receivers. Our goal with these ...

Podcast #768: HDTV Buying Guide 2016

02 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

HDTV Buying Guide 2016 It's beginning to look a lot like whatever holiday you may be celebrating this holiday season. Or that you may not be celebrati...

Podcast #767: What we're thankful for '16

24 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What we're thankful for '16 Each year at this time of year we do a show where we discuss what we are thankful for. There are the obvious things to be ...

Podcast #766: Black Friday Preview 2016

17 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Black Friday Preview 2016 If you're going to set up camp and secure a great spot in line for Black Friday sales, you probably want to make sure you're...

Podcast #765: Ray Super Remote

11 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Ray Super Remote Just like a conductor's baton a good remote control is mandatory to conduct and direct the use of your home theater. We've reviewed s...

Podcast #764: Kodi

04 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Kodi There has been an explosion of devices recently, or perhaps going back a couple years, that are based on the Kodi Media Center software or includ...

Podcast #763: Room Acoustics

28 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Room Acoustics On today's show we have an Interview with David Kroll KEF's World Wide Ci Product Manager and we discuss room acoustics. What are some ...

Podcast #762: Vudu Movies on Us

21 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Vudu Movies on Us You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't think Netflix totally changed the game in home entertainment. First, with the unli...

Podcast #761: Tivo Mantis...Cord Cutter's Dream box?

14 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Tivo Mantis...Cord Cutter's Dream box? We have read countless emails from listeners who have cut the cord over the years and many of them have turned ...

Podcast #760: ATSC 3.0

07 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

ATSC 3.0 In the United States and a few other parts of the globe, the standard that defines how digital television transmissions work over terrestrial...

Podcast #759: Plex Interview

30 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Plex Interview Today we interview Elan Fiengold CTO of Plex and Jason Williams Director of Product and Growth of Plex. For those of you who do not kno...

Podcast #758: CEDIA 2016

23 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

CEDIA 2016 Each year CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) holds an event where the industry gathers to show off their wares. ...

Podcast #757: Home Theater Seating

16 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Home Theater Seating We've had media/projector rooms in our homes for a few years now. We've talked about our electronics, our content, and even some ...

Podcast #756: Home Theater News and Talk

09 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Home Theater News and Talk Apple introduces iPhone 7 ($649), iPhone 7 Plus ($769), and wireless earbuds The company later revealed the new devices w...

Podcast #755: IFA 2016

02 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

IFA 2016 Each year in Germany consumer electronics manufacturers come together to display their wares at IFA. The IFA or Internationale Funkausstellun...

Podcast #754: Plex Server on the Nvidia Shield

26 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Plex Server on the Nvidia Shield Since the beginning a video server has been high on the HT Guys list of gear that everyone should have in their setup...

Podcast #753: New TV Shows for Fall 2016

19 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

New TV Shows for Fall 2016 Christmas. the Super Bowl, Fashion Week in New York, Taco Tuesday … Few things in life are as highly anticipated as telev...

Podcast #752: FireConnect

12 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

FireConnect Since almost the beginning we have been looking for ways to ditch wires. They are a pain to run across rooms, create unsightly bulges in c...

Podcast #751: The History of Format Wars and How Sony Finally Won

05 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The History of Format Wars and How Sony Finally Won

Podcast #750: QLED Explained

29 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

QLED Explained A few weeks ago we mentioned that Samsung would be investing in QLED technology and we (Ara) thought that QLED was just a clever brandi...

Podcast #749: 2016 TWICE VIP Award Nominations

22 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

2016 TWICE VIP Award Nominations The VIPs are TWICE's (This Week In Consumer Electronics, a weekly trade magazine for professionals in the consumer el...

Podcast #748: Value Electronics HDTV Shootout 2016

15 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Value Electronics HDTV Shootout 2016 Each year Value Electronics, a Scarsdale NY Electronics Retailer, gathers HDTV experts from across the nation and...

Podcast #747: Samsung HW-K450 Soundbar Review

08 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Samsung HW-K450 Soundbar Review Braden recently upgraded some of the gear in his loft because his boys were demanding a 4k television. There's somethi...

Podcast #746: THX Discussion

01 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

THX Discussion On today's show we discuss THX, the history and what it means to you and your home theater, with David Kroll Global CI Product manager ...

Podcast #645: ViewSonic PJD5255 DLP Projector Review

24 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

ViewSonic PJD5255 DLP Projector Review We typically have some sort of backyard or outdoor theater discussion every summer when the weather is nice and...

Podcast #744: Hi-Res Symposium 2016

17 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hi-Res Symposium 2016 Representatives from Universal Music Group, The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing and Sony Electronics met recently t...

Podcast #743: 2015-2016 TV Season Winners and Losers

10 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This week Ara and his daughter Stephanie discuss the winners and losers of the 2015- 2016 TV Season.

Podcast #742: Father's Day Wish List

03 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Father's Day Wish List   QNAP TS-453A 4-Bay Professional-Grade Network Attached Storage $600 Let's face it, our lives are digital. Whether it be pho...

Podcast #741: Google I/O 2016

25 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Google I/O 2016 Google has dabbled in the Home Theater and Home Automation arenas for quite a while - going all the way back to the Logitech Revue and...

Podcast #740: Tivo Bolt Review

20 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Tivo Bolt Review Cord cutting is all the rage, but for many of us, it simply isn't an option. There's way too many members of the household that can't...

Podcast #739: Yamaha RX-A850 Review

13 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Yamaha RX-A850 Review     Last October Ara bought a Pioneer Elite VSX-90 7.2 Channel A/V Receiver for his family room. He was looking for something ...

Podcast #738: Interview with Gary Yacoubian - President SVS

05 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Interview with Gary Yacoubian - President SVS On today's show we have an Interview with the President of SVS Gary Yacoubian. We talk about their forth...

Podcast #737: Highlights from NAB 2016

29 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Highlights from NAB 2016 Faithful listener and long time contributor to the show Ed Stouffer graciously agreed to be our "man on the street" - or "man...

Podcast #736: DirecTV 4K Review

22 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

DirecTV 4K Review DirecTV has added 4K to some of it’s Genie HD DVR and we are fortunate enough to have a listener who has upgraded to the new serv...

Podcast #735: THX tune-up to the Rescue

15 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

THX tune-up to the Rescue We had a friend recently who was complaining about their HDTV experience at home. They weren’t seeing the quality they we...

Podcast #734: What is HDR?

08 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What is HDR? For more than a year now we have been talking about 4K TVs and how they are supposed to be the next big thing. But in actuality the incr...

Podcast #733: OpenHAB and OpenRemote

31 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

OpenHAB and OpenRemote There is this dream we have to be able to automate everything in our homes, but do it ourselves, without hiring an installer, ...

Podcast #732 : Audioengine HD6 Powered Speaker Review

25 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Audioengine HD6 Powered Speaker Review We have been reviewing Audioengine speakers since just about the beginning of the company’s existence. We st...

Podcast #731: DTS Play-Fi

18 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

DTS Play-Fi We had a chance to check out the WiSA standard in our review of the Axiim Q Wireless Home Theater System on Podcast 728 a couple weeks ag...

Podcast #730: Interview - Will Price CEO Simple Control

11 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Interview - Will Price CEO Simple Control Ara has been using Simple Control as his home remote for many years. It is the one piece of gear that he ca...

Podcast #729: KEF T-Series 5.1 Speaker System

04 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

KEF T-Series 5.1 Speaker System We all tend to agree with the idea that you can’t have your cake and eat it too, especially when it comes to speake...

Podcast #728: Axiim Q Wireless Home Theater System

25 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Axiim Q Wireless Home Theater System This podcast is going on eleven years and one thing that we have heard from the beginning is that there are too ...

Podcast #727: So You Need to Replace a Plasma…

19 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

So You Need to Replace a Plasma… Whether you’re a plasma owner lamenting the day when you’ll need to replace or upgrade it, or you always wante...

Podcast #726: ELAC B5 Debut Bookshelf Speakers

12 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

ELAC B5 Debut Bookshelf Speakers Last year Ara went to The Home Entertainment Show (T.H.E. Show) in Newport Beach where he saw some extremely expensi...

Podcast #725: Nvidia Shield 4k Review

04 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Nvidia Shield 4k Review The market for streaming boxes is pretty crowded. You’ve got the Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast just to ...

Podcast #724: Plex Media Server

29 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Plex Media Server If you have been with us for a while you know how fond we are of media management. The first time we saw the Kaleidescape system ba...

Podcast #723: TCL Roku LED TV Review

22 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

TCL Roku LED TV Review Smart TVs are all the rage these days. It seems like everyone has their own Smart TV platform that is supposed to be better, f...

Podcast #722: Marantz SR601 Review

15 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Marantz SR6010 It was a couple of years ago that we heard our first demo of immersive surround sound. It was at CES that the then SRS Laboratories ma...

Podcast #721: CES 2016

08 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

CES 2016 It’s that time of year again, the time when hordes of people descend on Las Vegas, Nevada to get a glimpse of all the new technology manuf...

Podcast #720: Predictions for 2016

31 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Predictions for 2016 Time for the HT Guys to look into our crystal ball and try and predict the HDTV and Home Theater landscape for 2016. Our crystal...

Podcast #719: Prediction Review for 2015

24 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Prediction Review for 2015 It's hard to believe that another year has gone by! With that it's time to see how we did with our 2015 predictions. Thi...

Podcast #718: Ultimate Home Theater in a Box for 2015

17 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Ultimate Home Theater in a Box for 2015 Each year we design a Home Theater setup that is considerably better than a typical home theater in a box. We...

Podcast #717: HDTV Buying Guide 2015

11 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

HDTV Buying Guide 2015 Tis the season for us to go wishlist shopping and help you spend your money - one of our favorite times of the year. If you ha...

Podcast # 716: Receiver Buying Guide 2015

04 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Receiver Buying Guide 2015 It is that time of year where we get to spend your money again! This week we concentrate on receivers. Our goal with these...

Podcast #715: What we're thankful for 2015

25 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What we're thankful for '15 Each year at this time of year we do a show where we discuss what we are thankful for. There are the obvious things to be...

Podcast #714: Black Friday Preview 2015

20 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Black Friday Preview 2015 Black Friday is an ever-evolving event and every year we can’t get enough. This year, some stores are opening way earlier...

Podcast #713: AppleTV Gen 4

12 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

AppleTV Gen 4 It's fair to say there are three big names in streaming set top boxes, Roku, Apple, and Amazon. Yes we know there are others but these ...

Podcast #712: Review: Pioneer Elite VSX-90 7.2 Channel A/V Receiver

06 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Review: Pioneer Elite VSX-90 7.2 Channel A/V Receiver     The HT Guys upgrade equipment faster than most just so we can stay on top of the latest...

Podcast #711: Instant Home Theater in Two Hours or Less

30 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Instant Home Theater in Two Hours or Less Amazon Prime changed the game. You can have pretty much anything you need, including an entire home theater...

Podcast # 710: Amazon Fire TV (4K)

23 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon Fire TV (4K) We are big fans of streamers. Whether it be Roku, Apple, or Amazon there is a streamer out there that makes watching movies as co...

Podcast #709: CEDIA 2015

16 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

CEDIA 2015 Each year CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) holds an event where the industry gathers to show off their wares....

Podcast #708: Chromecast Audio

09 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Chromecast Audio We have been enjoying whole house audio for years now. Braden has a nice Sonos system in place while Ara has gone with an Airplay so...

Podcast #707: United Object Smart Beam Laser Projector

02 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

United Object Smart Beam Laser Projector You could probably start a pretty healthy debate if you asked a group of home theater enthusiasts what the s...

Podcast #706: The Ultimate DVR

25 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Ultimate DVR We have been using DVRs now for the past 10 years or so and they have come a long way since when they were first introduced. But with th...

Podcast #705: Yonomi - The Automation Consolidation App

18 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Yonomi - The Automation Consolidation App Being able to control anything and everything in your home from your smartphone is pretty cool. Having to o...

Podcast #704: Binge Watching TV

11 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Binge Watching TV We have talked about Binge watching on the show many times. It's a relatively new phenomena where you watch multiple episodes of a ...

Podcast #703: New TV Shows for Fall 2015

04 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

New TV Shows for Fall 2015 Few things in life are as highly anticipated as television premier season every Fall. The Super Bowl maybe? A wedding or t...

Podcast #702: Pinch Hitter

28 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Today we go through emails and news and a discuss a post by Scott Wilkinson at AVS Forum that provides 12 Tips to Tune up your HDTV with guest host St...

Podcast #701: DIY Automation Controls using Amazon's Dash Buttons

21 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

DIY Automation Controls using Amazon’s Dash Buttons Amazon released a new little product a couple months ago, to very little fanfare. The Dash Butt...

Podcast #700: Mobile HDTV

14 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Mobile HDTV Motorola Mobility, one time subsidiary of Google, now a part of Lenovo, just released a new app in the Google Play Store called, yep, you...

Podcast #699: Sorting Through Atmos and DTS:X Receivers and Pre-Pros by Rob H.

07 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Sorting Through Atmos and DTS:X Receivers and Pre-Pros by Rob H.   A Couple of Thoughts on Immersive Audio Setups   There are differing opinions...

Podcast #698: 2015 HDTV Shootout

31 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

2015 HDTV Shootout Each year Value Electronics, an audio/video integrator with a showroom in Scarsdale New York, pits the top TVs from big name manuf...

Podcast #697: Costco Shootout: Curved vs. Flat

24 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Costco Shootout: Curved vs. Flat Costco has multiple TVs all lined up side by side. Some are worth comparing to each other, some are like comparing a...

Podcast #696: Atmos Processor Discussion with Dipinjeet Sehdev

17 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Atmos Processor Discussion with Dipinjeet Sehdev Today we discuss some receiver options for Atmos. We are joined by Dipinjeet Sehdev Internet Marketi...

Podcast #695: Top Ten Selling TVs at Amazon

10 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Top Ten Selling TVs at Amazon July 8, 2105   Best Sellers in Televisions 10. LG Electronics 42LF5800 42-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV (2015 Model) $39...

Podcast #694: High Resolution Audio Vs CD

03 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

High Resolution Audio Vs CD Over the past few months you have heard us mention high resolution audio on the show. There are audiophiles out there tha...

Podcast #693: What the H?

26 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What the H? In the transition from High Definition Television to Ultra High Definition TV, we’ve seen the acronym dictionary go from bad to worse. ...

Podcast #692: Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Receiver

19 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Receiver   Both iOS and Android device users have easy ways to wirelessly transmit audio. For Apple users, Airplay sends...

Podcast #691: 4DX: The Savior of Cinema?

11 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

4DX: The Savior of Cinema? Movie theaters are faltering, at least in our opinion. The large format home theater has reached a price point where it is...

Podcast #690: T.H.E. Show

04 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

T.H.E. Show The Home Entertainment Show (The Show) was in Irvine last week and we had an opportunity to stop by and see some really cool products. Th...

Podcast #689: What is the Future of TV?

29 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Future of TV? We came across an article written by Jason Hirschhorn posted at LinkedIn titled 7 Deadly Sins: Where Hollywood is Wrong abo...

Podcast #688: Vinyl Records: A Love/Hate Relationship

21 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vinyl Records: A Love/Hate Relationship We have spent a lot of time discussing high vs low quality audio on the show lately. A full feature on the s...

Podcast #687: What to watch, What not to watch

15 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

What to watch, What not to watch It’s that time of year again. The time when television executives clean the slate to prepare room for the new show...

podcast #686: Dolby Vision

08 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Dolby Vision There has been a lot of talk about the HDR content for our new 4K TVs. There have been a lot of questions too. We decided it was best to...

Podcast #685: How to care for your HDTV

01 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

How to care for your HDTV Most of us want to preserve the life of our home theater investments. Some, who want to upgrade, may not. For those, do the...

Podcast #684: ZyXEL 1200 Mbps Powerline

24 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

ZyXEL 1200 Mbps Powerline   If you have been with us for a while you know that we have been testing powerline adapters since the beginning. Our ...

Podcast #683: Panasonic Home Automation

17 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Panasonic Home Automation Panasonic may not make plasma TVs anymore, forgive us for not being over that, but it still hurts. But they have jumped int...

Podcast #682: Next Generation Broadcast TV

10 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Next Generation Broadcast TV The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have their year meeting in Las Vegas in the Spring every year. When we wo...

Podcast #681: Logitech Harmony Ultimate Remote and Hub

03 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Logitech Harmony Ultimate Remote and Hub   If memory serves, the very first product review we ever did on the HDTV Podcast was a very early Harmo...

Podcast #680: Wireless Surrounds that Work!

25 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Wireless Surrounds that Work! We have been on a quest to find a wireless surround solution that not only works but works well! Maybe its because we l...

Podcast #679: Speaker Terminology

20 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Speaker Terminology Ara has recently started a new hobby of building his own speakers at home. In the course of building them, talking about them and...

Podcast #678: Mohu Channels Review

13 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Mohu Channels   Last year we saw a cool Kickstarter project called Mohu Channels. According to the project description you would be able to:  ...