AVexcel - Episode 182

AVexcel - Episode 182
Recorded on May 19, 2022
Hosts: Patrick Norton and Robert Heron 

The rundown:
- The Fifth Element in theaters
- Gary Oldman in Slow Horses
- 2022 Roku Ultra
- Munich HIGH END 2022
- ifi Audio’s GO Bar
- Denon PMA-1700NE integrated amp
- Masimo acquires Sound United
- Remembering Onkyo
- How projectors make color
- Sizing your screen to perfection
- Your excellent feedback & questions
- Email us ask@avexcel.com
- What we're watching

AVexcel is 100% powered by our awesome crew of Patreon supporters - thank you! 

Visit www.AVexcel.com for links, show notes, contact info, and more! 

Link to this episode page

#CommissionsEarned with some links

AVexcel - Episode 129

AVexcel - Episode 129
Recorded on January 16, 2021  
Hosts: Patrick Norton and Robert Heron 

The rundown:
- Happy New Year
- CES 2021
- Mini LED-backlit TVs
- Laser Projectors
- HDMI 2.1 matures
- AI AV
- ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV
- OLED dominance
- Great home theater gear
- Your excellent feedback & questions
- What we're watching

AVexcel is 100% powered by our awesome crew of Patreon supporters - thank you! 

Visit the AVexcel website for links, show notes, contact info, and more! 

Link to this episode page 

#CommissionsEarned with some links

AVexcel - Episode 121

AVexcel - Episode 121
Recorded on November 5, 2020 
Hosts: Patrick Norton and Robert Heron 

The rundown:
- Broken 8K AVRs
- Shop early
- Great TV deals
- NextGen TV aka ATSC 3.0
- 10K ppi display tech
- Patrick's ATMOS struggles
- New Epson laser projectors
- HDR Blu-ray player options
- Your excellent feedback & questions
- What we're watching

AVexcel is 100% powered by our awesome crew of Patreon supporters - thank you! 

Visit the AVexcel website for links, show notes, contact info, and more! 

Link to this episode page 

#CommissionsEarned with some links

AVexcel - Episode 48

Recorded on June 30, 2017 

Patrick Norton and Robert Heron are upgrading the home theater goodness 

Our Patreon supporters make AVexcel possible, and we thank 'em all 

The tingly bits

• LG's 77-inch Wallpaper OLED arrives
• Dolby Atmos coming to Netflix
  • LG 2017 OLEDs ready to go
  • Xbox One S/X
  • Atmos title list
• Loving dynamic metadata
• Photo-emissive QD LCDs in 2018

Sub-$2500 projector delights

• Sony sweet 45ES 1080p 3D
• LG's sub-$1500 1080p laser
• Xiaomi's sub-$1500 5K-lumen laser
• DCI color options
  • Epson Home Cinema 4000
    • Projector Central's preview
  • Optoma UHD60/UHD65
• DCI + laser = (still) expensive

Amazon Prime Day

• camelcamelcamel
• Wirecutter deals

DAC doings

• JDS Labs
  • EL DAC
  • True Performance Design
• Schiit Fulla 2
  • Original Fulla = great deal
• audioquest DragonFly
• Sean Olive on blind testing

Thank you

Visit us at AVexcel.com

We appreciate your feedback

• Tweet
  • @avexcel
  • @patricknorton
  • @robertheron
• Email
• AVexcel sub-Reddit
• Facebook

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Link to this episode page

AVexcel - Episode 46

Recorded on June 15, 2017 

Patrick Norton and Robert Heron are building the home theater goodness 

Our Patreon supporters make AVexcel possible, and we thank 'em all 

The tingly bits

More 4K projection

• Optoma's $2000 4K wonder
• Dell's 5000-lumen Laser
• Christie Digital D13HD-HS
  • Blue + red lasers can do wide color
  • 11,500 ANSI lumen
  • 4.5x the cost of the Dell
  • Not 4K, but that color...

AV101 - a quiet base

• Quiet rooms make for better listening

Sweet Q&A

• Mike wants a UHD disc player w/Dolby Vision
  • Oppo UDP-203/UDP-205 or bust
  • Chance: Xbox One S future update
• James considers a Definitive setup
  • Definitive Technology
  • ProMonitor 1000
  • BP9060
• Kevin's looks at OLED TV burn-in
  • aka uneven pixel wear
  • aka permanent image retention
  • More robust than plasma
  • Less than LCDs
  • Modern projectors very burn-in resistant
  • Mix up viewed content

OTA adventures

• Upgraded flat antenna
• WallTenna
• Live channel goodness

Thank you

Visit us at AVexcel.com

We appreciate your feedback

• Tweet
  • @avexcel
  • @patricknorton
  • @robertheron
• Email
• AVexcel sub-Reddit
• Facebook

Enjoy

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• RSS

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Link to this episode page

Episode 32

Patrick Norton and Robert Heron are celebrating the home theater goodness

Our Patreon supporters make AVexcel possible, and we thank 'em all

So many good things

• Happy Birthday: Steven Spielberg
  • This list...

Robert's regular eye exam

• Zeiss online eye exam
• TopCon 3D OCT-1 Maestro eye scanner

Listen for life

• Love your ears
• Samsung's Adapt Sound
  • Equalize w/hearing test
• Binaural recording
• "Everybody hears differently"
• Limit kids' volume intake
• Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
• 33dB reduction ear plugs

ELAC Element Series EA101EQ-G

• Integrated amp
• DSP room correction

Tying it up

• Velcro™ cable ties
• Mounted head cable ties
• Cable tie mounting base
• The Universal Cable Tie

Panasonic doing UHD Blu-ray right

• HDTVtest: few do correct color decoding
  • Xbox One S incorrect RGB decoding
  • Samsung K8500 undefeatable NR
• Awaiting UHD test material

New LG laser projector

• ProBeam smart projector
• 2000 lumens, 1080p
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, apps, sim design
• Price/details at CES
• Looking for an ATSC tuner

HDMI 2.1 at CES 2017

• Adds HDR10 dynamic metadata
• Many unknowns
• DisplayPort FTW

Sling AirTV Player

• Cnet preview
• Sleuthing by Dave Zatz
• Adds OTA tuning
• Built-in antenna
• Netflix/Google support

Value graphics card upgrade

• Asus GTX 1060 6GB
• ~2x faster than GTX 680 it replaced
• Asus GPU Tweak app is nice

4K UHD HDMI Switch in-hand

• Sewell 5x1 Switch Deck
• Seems to work just dandy
• Tested w/1080p + UHD devices
  • Chromecast Ultra
  • Samsung UBD-K8500
• In search of 4K Matrix switch

What we're watchin'

• Happy 20th Mars Attacks
  • $9 Blu-ray
• Die Hard forever
• Zero Effect
• Steven Spielberg movies

Audience Q&A

• Great low-cost HDMI cables
• tl;dr AmazonBasics HDMI Cables

@Kido1986 needs a Blu-ray to show off new gear

• Ron Fricke directed
  • Samsara
  • Baraka
• Star Trek XI
• The Revenant
• Max Max: Fury Road
• Inception
• The Martian
• Wizard of Oz
• Planet Earth II
• ...

One last thought

• @kelli217 Tweets the desire for a vodcast
  • Totally doable
  • Patreon goals
  • Patreon Hangouts

Thank you

Visit us at AVexcel.com

Connect with us

• Tweet
  • @avexcel
  • @patricknorton
  • @robertheron
• Email
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Enjoy

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Link to this episode page

Recorded on December 21, 2016

Episode #029

Patrick Norton and Robert Heron are maximizing the home theater goodness

Our Patreon supporters make AVexcel possible, and we thank every one of them

The guys are (finally) back

What excites your senses

• Domestic bliss
• Mayhem in moderation
• Less Mad Max in Bay Area

Speaker acceptance factor

• KEF T305 surround sound system
• ELAC Uni-FI B5
• Bookshelf speaker placement
  • Elevated + off the wall
• Speaker stands
  • Pangea Audio LS200
  • LS300 for a little more
• Blu-Tack Reusable Adhesive
• Sorbothane
• Spiked speaker stands (or not)
  • Audioholics to the rescue

Full-bore 3D sound setup

• Atmos allows for 30+ speakers
• 11-channel amp/decoder/receiver = $$$
  • Denon AVR-X6300H = fine example
• Trinnov Altitude32 preamplifier = lust-worthy
• Pat: stereo ceiling Atmos setup sounds good
• Emotiva

We want your questions ask@avexcel.com

Two Patreon Hangouts down + many more to come

Brian aka @neccros Tweeted a need for Class-T amplification

• Needs small footprint
• $200 or less
• Start w/Lepai Class-T amp
• Lepy LP-2020A Class-D
• Upgrade power supply for better sound
• Dayton Audio APA100
  • Class AB, $99

HDMI Follow-up

• Samsung UHD BD player (UBD-K8500) does 4K apps too
• Fewer HDMI issues thanks to Simplay Labs

Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) Follow-up

• Not 'no metadata', but a scene-referred signal
• For live production, not stuff on discs/streaming
• Some 4K projectors support HLG now

Favorite Blu-ray/4K/Streaming

• Netflix The Crown = really good
• To Live and Die in L.A.
• One-eyed Jacks
• Kubo and the Two Strings
• The Squid and the Whale
• C.H.U.D.

Transducers for all the LFE

• ButtKicker
• AuraSound Pro Bass Shaker
• The Bass Shaker Site

Thank you

Visit us at AVexcel.com

Connect with us

• Tweet
  • @avexcel
  • @patricknorton
  • @robertheron
• Email
• AVexcel sub-Reddit
• Facebook

Enjoy

Download the MP3
Subscribe to AVexcel on iTunes or RSS
Link to this episode page

Recorded November 23, 2016