Real HT Info Podcast

RHTI 47: Dolby Pro Logic IIz, NeptuneEQ, My Mom, "Righteous Kill"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:16:00 +0000

Episode 047 (3/29/2009): Click to Download (27 MB mp3)
Episode Length 45:23

Never miss an episode, and always be the first to know!

Download new episodes automatically using the "Subscribe RSS" link, subscribing through iTunes, or .

News this week...
Dolby announces Pro Logic IIz in an effort to bring 3D sound to the masses
Dolbycast has more details in Episode 2/26/2009

The Product Showcase: Neptune Audio's NeptuneEQ
Automated 8-channel graphic EQ aims to solve rooms issues in your Home Theater. This is a first look, full review is on the way.
Full Review at the Home Theater Shack

Special Guest: My Mom
Can the common person really benefit from a new HD TV or Surround Sound? My mom seems to think so.

Movie Review: Righteous Kill
Marshall says 3 out of 5 stars

If you'd like, you may donate here.

RHTI 46: Platinum Home Theaters Speaker Placement and Buying Guide, Email: Brian loves Electrostats, Pioneer pulls the Plug on

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:34:00 +0000

Episode 046 (1/19/2009): Click to Download (30 MB mp3)
Episode Length 50:24

Never miss an episode, and always be the first to know!

Download new episodes automatically using the "Subscribe RSS" link, subscribing through iTunes, or .

News this week...
Amazon Video on Demand coming to the Netflix Roku Box?
Pioneer ceases TV Production...we'll miss you Kuro

Jim and I talk speakers and speaker positioning: What to look for when buying, and where should you put them for the best performance.
Dolby Speaker Positioning Guide
THX Speaker Positioning Guide

Why don't they match up? Who's right?

Movie Review: The Happening
Marshall says 2 out of 5 stars

If you'd like, you may donate here.

RHTI 45: Video Reviews of Elektron EHP-606 and DIVX/D-Link DSM-330, Yahoo Widgets on TV, Elemental Designs Interview, Jim on Ex

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Episode 045 (1/21/2009): Click to Download (26 MB mp3)
Episode Length 36:38

Never miss an episode, and always be the first to know!

Download new episodes automatically using the "Subscribe RSS" link, subscribing through iTunes, or .

News this week...
CES...Best Coverage at Engadget

Video Reviews, a pair of them
The Latest Network Media Tank from Elecktron, the EHP-606 (Timothy at Gizmodaddy will take care of you).
A Divx Connected Media Streamer, the D-Link DSM-330
View my YouTube Channel here.

Product Showcase: Yahoo Widgets in Vizio/Samsung/Sony TVs
Is this the future of your connected home? Weather, sports, stocks...even video...all up to date directly through the internet. See it in action here.

Interview with Ben Milne of Elemental Designs...at Elemental Designs in Newton, IA.
This upstart company isn't as new as you think. They've been making Car Audio for about a decade, and then 2 years ago, they decided to take it into the home with subs and speakers. Since then, they been on the short list of bang for the buck, and are working hard to make some of the best HT stuff you can find right here in the heartland.

A correction/clarification with Jim re: AV Receiver Power
Jim keeps me honest...more with Jim from Platinum Home Theaters on speaker placement next week.

Also, keep an eye on Jim's ongoing ordeal with U-verse TV and Internet.

Movie Review: Burn After Reading
Marshall says 3 out of 5 stars

If you'd like, you may donate here, or support us by shopping at Amazon.

RHTI 44: Blu-ray for $1, NFL 3d, Elemental Designs goes Green, "Assassination of Jesse James", "Incredible Hulk", Gillian Welch

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:23:00 +0000

Episode 044 (12/2/2008): Click to Download (35 MB mp3)
Episode Length 50:55

Never miss an episode, and always be the first to know!

Download new episodes automatically using the "Subscribe RSS" link, subscribing through iTunes, or .

News this week...
BD-Live brings Hellboy II Director Chat
Redbox gets Blu-ray for $1
NFL Footbal in 3D, the end of the gimmick?

Product Showcase: Elemental Designs' Environmentally Friendly Substrate
Better for the environment, better for its workers, and better for you? Less harmful, sounds better, what's not to like?

How to buy an AVR, and are the expensive ones worth it?
An email question from Bob prompts me to ponder expensive Audio/Video Recievers...and then I buy one.

Movie Review: The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Marshall says 1.5 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Marshall says 3.5 out of 5 stars

Gillain Welch: Time (The Revelator)

If you'd like, you may donate here.

Now TiVo: Netflix keeps the "Watch" Instantly news coming

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:05:00 +0000

The Title says it all, Netflix has added TiVo to it's list of partners (expect full rollout early December). Does anyone not expect Netflix to be everywhere by Christmas, and possibly in HD?

RHTI 43: Netflix HD, Black Friday Ads are out, Auralex SonicPrints, Jim on Cheap TVs, "Speed Racer", Aphex Twin "Richard D Jame

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:29:00 +0000

Episode 043 (10/29/2008): Click to Download (38 MB mp3)
Episode Length 1:05:18

This week features Jim from Platinum Home Theaters and Moving Bits Productions!

News this week...
My Bad, DVD players do need firmware (duh!)
My Bad Redux, $200 Blu-ray Players

Sears Black Friday has $180 Blu-ray and this 46" LCD for $900

SVS Intros New Subs, offers pre-order pricing and clearance bargains on old models.

HQV bought by IDT, more High Quality scalers everywhere.

Netflix puts Blu-ray in 500,000 homes.
Netflix "Watch Instantly" now in Firefox/Macs
Netflix on LG Blu-ray...
...and Samsung P2500/P2550 via free firmware update.

Breaking News : Netflix Stream HD on November 19th!
XBox only to start, 300 titles, no other details. As far as quality goes, al we know is that Engadget was "stunned".

Product Showcase: Auralex SonicPrint
Acoustic treatment finally looks good enough for any room, though at a price. Still, this product currently has no competition. If you find a similar product for less, please let us know.

Jim's take on low-end TVs
It's all about the scaling (among other things). And don't forget to visit despair.com.

Movie Review: Speed Racer
Marshall says 2.5 out of 5 stars

Aphex Twin: Richard D. James

If you'd like, you may donate here.

RHTI 42: Netflix's Big Week, Big Movies and PS3 Playback (Thanks to MediaMall's PlayOn), Jim dishes Blu-ray and talks Beatles "

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:03:00 +0000

Episode 042 (10/6/2008): Click to Download (39 MB mp3)
Episode Length 1:02:57

This week's co-host is Jim from Platinum Home Theaters and Moving Bits Productions!

You're in for a treat, I really drank my coffee today...

Big week for Netflix
First Netflix welcomes ABC/CBS episodes to Watch it Now, then they release the API for everyone to join the playback party, and to cap things off, Starz joins in with movies like Spiderman 3 and No Country for Old Men.

Product Showcase: MediaMall's PlayOn Beta ($30, 45 day free trial)
PlayOn Beta Let's you watch Netflix, hulu and others on your Xbox, PS3, Popcorn Hour, and others. This is what software should be, generous free trial, fairly priced, easy to use, great functionality. I can't wait to see the final product.

Watch it in action on the Popcorn Hour here:

Play Netflix/Hulu on Popcorn Hour (and Xbox/PS3)

HD-DVD wasn't the final test, What does Blu-ray have to do to really win?
Jim from Platinum Home Theaters and Moving Bits Productions joins me to give tell Blu-ray what they're doing wrong. Oh, and I just bought a Blu-ray drive.

Movie Review: Iron Man
Marshall says 4 out of 5 stars

The Beatles: Love CD/DVD

No Beatles on Amazon MP3 (or anywhere lese), but you want the DVD linked above anyway.

If you'd like, you may donate here.

Netflix and Hulu now on Popcorn Hour, PS3, and Xbox

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:44:00 +0000

Thanks to the folks at MediaMall, you can now watch Netflix Instant Movies and TV, Hulu, and more on your Popcorn Hour, PS3, or Xbox.

Here's a video showing the Popcorn Hour in action:

Play Netflix/Hulu on Popcorn Hour (and Xbox/PS3) - Watch today's top amazing videos here

RHTI 41: $2K 1080p Projector, Cedia Roundup with Jim, "In Bruges", The Breeders "Last Splash"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:36:00 +0000

Episode 041 (9/23/2008): Click to Download (28 MB mp3)
Episode Length 47:28

This week's co-host is Jim from Platinum Home Theaters and Moving Bits Productions!

Product Showcase: Epson Home Cinema 6100
1080p Projector for under $2000? Seems like a great entry into the real Big Screen Experience.

Cedia Round-Up
Jim from Platinum Home Theaters and Moving Bits Productions joins me to give his take on CEDIA. We look at super expensive blu-ray, in-wall subs from JL and BG Radia, and wireless HDMI.

Movie Review: In Bruges
Marshall says 3 out of 5 stars

The Breeeders: Last Splash

Amazon MP3 didn't have Last Splash, but here's the big hit, plus the latest album.

If you'd like, you may donate here.

RHTI 40: Popcorn Hour A-110/B-110, Anchor Bay DVDO Edge,

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 03:25:00 +0000

Episode 040 (9/1/2008): Click to Download (29 MB mp3)
Episode Length 48:54

Peter wants to help his brother get some Aperion 6 speakers. What questions should he ask?

Jason has big problems with Onkyo 805 Firmware.
I have to agree that Onkyo needs to better inform it's customers when firmware is available, and improve its support page in doing so. Still...hard to argue with the features/performance for the price (call me a sucker for a deal).

Product Showcase: Anchor Bay DVDO Edge
$799 scaler and a/v switch performs like $2K? Only time will tell as this product is released next month.

Learn more about scalers here, and test yours with an HQV disc.

Popcorn Hour A-110 and B-110 Video Review
First watch this if you haven't already...

Popcorn Hour A100 Review $179

...then watch this review of the A-110 and B-110 Motherboard. My take: The A-110 continues the A-100's winning ways, but the B-110 is too niche market for me.

Popcorn Hour A-110/B-110 Review - The Real HT Info Podcast

Movie Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Marshall says 3.5 out of 5 stars

Frank Black: Dog In The Sand

Also available in mp3 on emusic.

More Frank Black on Amazon:

If you'd like, you may donate here.

Popcorn Hour Video Review- A-110 and B-110

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:44:00 +0000

Video review of Popcorn Hour's 2 new products, the A-110 and B-110. There will be a companion audio segment in RHTI 40, recorded this weekend:

Popcorn Hour A-110/B-110 Review - The Real HT Info Podcast - The most amazing videos are a click away

No major changes in functionality here, so I didn't spend a lot of time flashing up the video with cut scenes, and the like. Instead, I focused mainly on comparing the original A-100 with the 2 new offerings. If you haven't seen the review of the original, you can catch it here:

Popcorn Hour A100 Review $179 - Amazing videos are here

As Featured on Episode 37: Weezer's "Red Album" in MP3 is only $5 for a limited time.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:44:00 +0000

I'm not sure how long this promotion will last, but today at Amazon you can get Weezer's Red Album in 256kbps mp3, DRM-FREE, for only $5. In Episode 37, I wasn't totally in love with it, but at only $5, I can recommend it wholeheartedly.

RHTI 39: Full Aperion Review, Blockbuster downloads, New Popcorn Hour is Here, "Vantage Point", Pixies' "Doolittle"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:22:00 +0000

Episode 039 (8/15/2008): Click to Download (31 MB mp3)
Episode Length 55:33

Onkyo to partner with Universal Electronics to make Universal Remotes
I say great, the Harmony Series need some competition.

Blockbuster says "Me too", offers digital downloads
... a la Amazon or Apple with no new twist, or an hardware playback other than your PC. Too little, too late.

Update: Word has it, there is a Netflix-style free download section. I'm not a subscriber, can anyone out there confirm this?

New Popcorn Hour review units are in!
The recent A110 upgrade boasts only minor changes, but the B110 Motherboard is interesting. Full review on a future episode, quick and dirty unboxing here, if you like that sort of thing:

Product Showcase: Sony Bravia RHT G500
TV stand with built in AVR and speakers. Interesting concept, but would make upgrades diffficult and expensive.

Jason Has a Question...
Why is my DVD player quieter than my other devices, and should I use Onkyo's Intellivolume to cool my 805?

Review of the Full Aperion Audio Speaker Line
Mike and John let me test drive all the Aperion products during my recent visit to Portland.

<--Old Version, Sounds Great, Great Price.

Movie Review: Vantage Point
Marshall says 2 out of 5 stars

Pixies: Doolittle

If you'd like, you may donate here

RHTI 38: Aperion Audio Interview, Netflix on Xbox, HT IsoPod, Projector HTIB, "The Bank Job", Ani DiFranco "Knuckle Down"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:41:00 +0000

Episode 038 (7/27/2008): Click to Download (31 MB mp3)
Episode Length 1:06:28

Netflix comes to the Xbox 360 w/ Live Gold Membership
Read the Blog Post Here

Ovei Home Theater pod is the ultimate viewing/gaming experience?
Got 6 figures to drop on your own isolation pod? Home Theater has never been so anti-social.

Product Showcase: Epson Ensemble HD Home Cinema System 720p and 1080p, the ultimate HTIB
Projector, 5 speakers, sub, and more. All in a single box (well, probably a couple, but you get the point).

<--I think this is the projector included with the 1080p verion, could be wrong.

Interview with CEO and VP Marketing of Aperion Audio
Win and John were kind enough to sit down with me during my recent visit to the West Coast. Full review of Aperion's entire line next week.

<--Old Version, Sounds Great, Great Price.

Movie Review: The Bank Job
Marshall says 4 out of 5 stars
<--Notice, looks more like The Transporter

<--Very 70s

Ani DiFranco: Knuckle Down

If you'd like, you may donate here.

Netflix, meet Xbox 360. 360...Netflix.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:51:00 +0000

While not surprising, welcome news all the same. Netflix Instant Watching Movies will be coming to the Micorsoft XBox 360 this fall. Couple this with the recent price drop on Xbox 360 Pro (which also makes a decent media extender) and you're looking at a pretty solid deal.

Here's the catch, you have to have an XBox Live Gold membership which will run you $50 a year or $8/month. For non-gamers, the Roku Box is still looking pretty attractive at $99 w/ no fees.

(picture via Engadget)

RHTI 37: Netflix Saves Profiles, Roku brings "Big Names", MPAA and Streaming DRM, Aperion Speakers, "Street Kings", Weezer

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:31:00 +0000

Episode 037 (7/7/2008): Click to Download ( 18 MB mp3)
Episode Length 38:32

Netflix Saves Profiles, all thanks to you. Next step: Netflix opens up to non-payng members?
Details on The Blog.

More Netflix news: Roku Box to stream Hulu, You Tube, or ABC?
According to Silicon Alley Insider, Roku has confided that they they will offer content from other "Big Name" providers. Who could they be?

More DRM, this time on streaming video
Let it never be said that the MPAA doesn't love investing heavily in (soon to be) failed technologyat the expense of the consumer.

Product Showcase: New Speakers and Subs from Aperion
Aperion Audio announces it's new Intimus 5 and 6 series speakers, and Bravus Digital Subs. I wax on a little too long about speakers that I will be talking about more in the next few weeks: I leave for Portland in two days and will hopefully be listening to these in person then. Stay tuned for first hand impressions.
<--Old Version, Sounds Great, Great Price.

Movie Review: Street Kings
Marshall says 4 out of 5 stars

Weezer: Weezer (The Red Album)

If you'd like, you may donate here.

Wow, Netflix gets served crow and orders seconds...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:27:00 +0000

...and, I think, proves why they are the best in the game. This kind of customer support is what build loyalty.

Here's the email I, and assumedly every other Netflix subscriber, received just moments ago:

Subject: We are keeping Netflix Profiles

Dear Marshall,

You spoke, and we listened. We are keeping Profiles. Thank you for all the calls and emails telling us how important Profiles are.

We are sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused. We hope the next time you hear from us we will delight, and not disappoint, you.

-Your friends at Netflix

No explanations, just a great big "Sorry, we messed up."

So, what this means is that those who currently have profiles already setup will get to keep their profiles, and most importantly, their queues and ratings (more on why this is important later). It is still uncertain if new subscribers, or those without profiles already setup, will be able to create new profiles.

----
Update: This from the Netflix Community Blog, "Non-users of the feature and new members will be able to access Profiles in 2-3 weeks."
----

Here's what I think Netflix should do. They already have a tremendous web presence and the HANDS-DOWN BEST tool for finding, tracking, commenting on, and rating movies. Open the whole system up to everyone, subscribers and non-subscribers a like (right now, if you are not a paid subscriber, you can't search, rate, queue movies).

What it would cost:
-A couple servers
-A couple full-time web-coders

What Netflix gains:
-People start using Netflix to discover movies, rate them, leave comments. They make Netflix where the store their movie list (everyone has one). Let's call it 1 million new eyeballs, each visiting Netflix an average of once per day, 365 million hits a year. Those are conservative numbers.

-Netflix can implement advertising on the pages of non-subscribers. At the low-end of web advertising, you can expect $12 per 1000, so Netflix is looking at $4.4 Million per year.

-Occasionally, one of those folks will subscribe for a month, buy a used movies, or Netflix could even develop a pay as you go plan, say $3 per movie, per week. That's $12 per month, more than their lowest subscription plan and less than Blockbuster charges for 2-5days.

-More ratings means a more accurate rating system for everyone. And once again, rating are personalized. Unlike IMDB, or rotten tomatoes, a movie rated 3 stars for me may be rated 5 stars for someone else based upon Netflix's individualized weighted system.

-Netflix becomes the de facto name associated with movie rentals. Blockbuster is gone. IMDB becomes the second stop, rather than the first, for finding out more about your favorite movies.

How about it Netflix? Opening up your system makes a lot of sense to me. If you take my advice, feel free to buy some advertising on The Real HT Info Podcast.

For those interested, Jim corrects and clarifies further...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:44:00 +0000

As long as you're posting me correcting myself, might as well have another go...

The "Skull" confusion re: anamorphic vs spherical lenses:

More research reveals my misunderstanding of Panavision lenses. Panavision's Primo series are available in both anamorphic and spherical, and are "prime" lenses, meaning non-zooming lenses. "The Crystal Skull" was shot entirely anamorphic, no flat material at all. It was shot entirely on film, then a digital intermediate was created for digital post production/editing. An effort was made to soften the image on occasion with filters to create "an idyllic Americana look." The film stock was Kodak Vision2 250D 5205, and 500T 5218. The production was primarily a single-camera shoot, with a few exceptions.

Sorry for the confusion. As much as I try to keep up with film technology, I don't work with Panavision equipment, and so I'm not the authority on their extensive equipment line.

Jim Addie
jaddie@platinumhometheaters.com
-------------------------------------

...I'm not going to fault you one bit Jim. -mg

Jim fills us in on the Fight Club Re-Framing

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:42:00 +0000

From Jim @ www.platinumhometheaters.com ...

Fight Club was shot in a wide screen format called "Super 35", a flat, wide screen process that uses standard spherical lenses to fill a 35mm Academy frame, then is cropped down to 2.35. Release prints were probably anamorphic to avoid confusion, but the original was flat, which made the re-cropping for HBO possible. Super 35 isn't used all that much, as there is a resolution/grain penalty.

Update: Did some more digging. Everything I said before was right except that "it isn't used much". Boy, am I wrong there! James Cameron likes it, for example. Top Gun used it to get cockpit shots. Thousands of features. Also, it's not as big a rez hit as I thought, as it uses the optical soundtrack area for picture on the neg. Like I said, nothing is released in Super 35, it's always turned into something "standard" a booth can handle, like 2.35 'scope, or 1.85 flat. Still a rez hit, but not so much. Can also be shot 3 perf and printed to 4 perf, which they do when the cost of negative stock is an issue.

2.35 anamorphic fills the Academy frame, so there's nothing much above and below what is projected, assuming nobody's fiddled with the aperture plate in the projector (not always a fair assumption!). But you couldn't re-crop, say, a Panavision film, because of the frame being filled with anamorphic. Crystal Skull, which was shot principally with Panavision anamorphic lenses (albeit the C and E series, which is why I probably didn't see the oval specular highlights) on a Panavision Millennium XL camera had virtually no extra material above and below frame, other than the usual "safe" margin.

Update: My comment on "Skull" was sort of wrong too, they did shoot Panavision Anamorphic, but they also shot some stuff with Panavision "Primo" lenses, which are spherical, resulting in non-anamorphic film. Not too sure why, except spherical lenses are smaller, faster, cheaper, etc. Primarily shot anamorphic, though. Part of the driving force behind Super 35, in fact, is the lenses. That's why many budget films are shot Super 35...cheap cheap cheap. No special lenses. Your DP might even own a Cooke or two, and anybody's Arri will work just fine.

I've spoken with cinematographers about this kind of thing. Studios sometimes dictate the wide screen process, not as much now, but a decade or more ago for sure. One film I know of, and I know the DP too, was shot full frame 1.33, cropped to 1.85 for theatrical release, and the cropping was done with a 1.85 aperture plate in the projector.

The film contained a full aperture image (we own a 35mm print). But it was composed for 1.85. However, early video transfers printed the full frame. It was a way around letterboxing, but the DP was livid, as he never composed that way, and ran the risk of mic booms and lights in the shot. As it happened, none were visible, but he was mightily P.O.'d none the less. Later video transfers were letterbox 1.85, but were cropped inside the theatrical 1.85 slightly. That Wide Screen web site covers transfer anomalies quite thoroughly.

Jim

RHTI 36: Adios Netflix Profiles, $50 Surround Sound, HDCP Broke My Movie,

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Episode 036 (6/23/2008): Click to Download ( 21 MB mp3)
Episode Length 43:46

Netflix removes profiles, will delete user ratings and other features Sept 1
Announced on the Netflix Blog Here.

XBMC not just for XBox; Now Windows, Apple, and Linux
I haven't tried it yet, but it is highly regarded. Download for your HTPC here.

Manipulating Aspect Ratios: Adding Info to go from 2.35:1 to 1.78:1?
Check out the Fight Club side-by-sides here.

Visual Effects Wizard Stan Winston Passes at the Age of 62
The man brought us Aliens, Terminator, and Jurrasic Park. Thanks Stan.

Product Showcase: JVC SXXSW6000 5.1 Surround System (Only $53 shipped)

You no longer have an excuse to listen through your TV's built-in speakers.

The Troubleshooting answer: HDCP (aka DRM)
This is why my movies no longer play. Hollywood continues to punish it's paying customers while pirates have no problem finding their way around sad little DRM. Dear Hollywood, why do you hate us?

Movie Review: Alpha Dog
Marshall says 4 out of 5 stars

Chris Smither: Leave the Light On

If you'd like, you may donate here

More on Aspect Ratios: An Alternative to Cropping give you More Movie.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:34:00 +0000

A follow-up to last weeks Aspect Ratio segment with Jim...

The picture associated with this post (let me know at realhtinfo@gmail.com if you can't see it) shows two captured frames from Fight Club side-by-side. The top one is 1.78:1 and from an HBO-HD Broadcast (the only HD version, I believe). The bottom one is from the Special Edition DVD at 2.35:1.

Typically, to format a 2.35 image to a 1.78 screen, you'd "cut off" the left and right sides. In this case, the 1.78 is actually reframed, contains the full 2:35 image plus extra info on the top and bottom, and in the first scene I looked at, is actually framed further right than the Original DVD. Check out business cards on desk, and space between right border and the ashtray to see what I mean.

While I suppose this is still taking away from the Director's vision of the movie (I don't know if Fincher approved this reframing or not), I prefer it to losing parts of the image to cropping.

Does anyone out there have more info or examples of this practice?

RHTI 35: Trouble Shooting, Joe Kane Designs $7k Projector, Jim & Aspect Ratios, "Rambo", The Weepies "Hideaway"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:14:00 +0000

Episode 035 (6/15/2008): Click to Download ( 31 MB mp3)
Episode Length 1:06:40

We're joined this week by Jim from Platinum Home Theaters

Product Showcase: Samsung SP-A800B

Top-of-the-Heap projector designed by the man behind Digital Video Essentials, Joe Kane.

How to Troubleshoot and Save Money in doing so.

Don't pay the Geek Squad, your 10-year old can trouble shoot. Are you as smart as a 10-year old?

The Scientific Method

And now that you have the facts, do you know what the problem with my TV is? If so, email me or post at the Home Theater Shack.

And if you're curious about the DIY PC video, here it is.

Jim and I talk Aspect Ratios

Chart of film formats...re-sort by clicking on column headers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_film_formats

A more concise article and chart:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_ratio_(image)

Wide Screen Museum
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/aspectratio.htm

Wide Screen Museum article about DVDs and Aspect Ratios
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/special/caveat_emptor.htm

Yet Another WSM article
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/lbx.htm

Movie Review: Rambo
Marshall says 3 out of 5 stars

The Weepies: Hideaway

RHTI 34: Boycott Monster Bullies, JBL Control Now, Tranquil Atom HTPC, Jim Visits Dolby and THX,

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:07:00 +0000

Episode 034 (6/9/2008): Click to Download ( 35 MB mp3)
Episode Length 1:15:10

Subscribe to The Real HT Info Blog. Learn How to Subscribe to RSS Here. If you have problems, email me at realhtinfo@gmail.com, and I can help you through it.

We're joined this week by Jim from Platinum Home Theaters

News: Indy Jones Drops Out, Monster Cable just can't stop suing people.

Paramount stops piracy by stomping all over your $7 movie ticket...but no, I didn't notice it. Still, wait for the DVD if you want an experience worth your money.

Monster Cable, aka Goons and Bullies, beside making overpriced cables, can also lay down a heck of a frivolous lawsuit. Kurt from Blue Jean Cables spanked them hard, but their latest victims, Monster Mini Golf, may not be so lucky. Boycott Monster, get more for your Home Theater $$, and don't support starving out the little guy.

Product Showcase: JBL Control NOW and Tranquil PC

Remember...spending money on new gear isn't usually the answer. Unless you've set everything up properly and treated your room, you don't need new speakers.

JBL Control Now

Pizza Shaped Speakers that tuck into corners or hang like a ceiling fan. Cool.

Tranquil PC Atom based Computers

A fanless (dead quiet) HTPC that uses the same amount of electricity as a 100W Energy Saving Lightbulb? Can I get it for less than $400? Yes I can.

Get one that looks like an HT component here.

Get more info on My PC vs. The Popcorn Hour and what it costs to run your Home Theater.

Buy your own Killawatt and find out how much your HT costs to run.

Jim Visits Dolby and THX

Dolby Booth and Theater Pics - Thanks to Ioan Allen

Get the best experience possible and find A THX Theater near you.

Movie Review: Once
Marshall says 4 out of 5 stars

Tom Petty: Wildflowers

Sound Dropouts in Indiana Jones put there on purpose.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:16:00 +0000

...and speaking of Indiana Jones, do you notice the sound drop out? Paramount is purposefully trashing the soundtrack of their big summer blockbuster in order to identify pirated copies of Indiana Jones.

Why should we put up with this?

Josh over at Cinema Blend knocks this one out of the park. Give it a read: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Indiana-Jones-Soundtrack-Intentionally-Muted-In-Theaters-9028.html

RHTI 33: Netflix Set-Top Box is Here!, "Indiana Jones: Crystal Skull", Louis Prima "Capital Collectors Series"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:20:00 +0000

Episode 033 (6/2/2008): Click to Download (27 MB mp3)
Episode Length 46:14

Subscribe to The Real HT Info Blog. Learn How to Subscribe to RSS Here. If you have problems, email me at realhtinfo@gmail.com, and I can help you through it.

News: Onkyo 606 is out, get a 605 on the cheap.

The Onkyo TX-SR606 is out, which means there are closeout deals happening on the TX-SR605. Differences? The 606 has 4 vs 3 HDMI ports, and upsclaes analog inputs to 1080i instead of 720p. In other words, not much, so if you're in the market, the 605 is a potential steal.

Netflix/Roku Instant Watching box for $99

Netflix releases a small/cool/quiet $99 box. If you already have a subscription, movies cost you nothing, and you can watch as many as you want. The competition: Apple TV, Vudu, Tivo/Amazon Unbox, The Popcorn Hour.

Got an Apple TV and wish it were more like the PopCorn Hour? Check out ATV Flash (will hopefully be on sale again soon).

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Jim says 4 out of 5 stars
Marshall says 2.5 out of 5 stars

Get the best experience possible and find A THX Theater near you.

Louis Prima: The Capital Collectors Series

Listen at the end for a New Segment and a chance to win a Free HD-DVD
(Yeah, I know...whoopie. But, Free is FREE.)

$99 Netflix Player Wirelessly Streams

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:33:00 +0000

The short version:
This $99 box, along with your $9/month Netflix Subscription (which you may already have), allows you to stream any of the 10,000 Watch-It-Now movies and TV shows on Netflix.com to your TV over a wired or wireless connection. While the Netflix offerings are currently in Standard Def, It's also ready for when HD becomes available.

So, how valuable is this really? Just visit your Queue.

Of the 440 movies I currently have in my Netflix Queue, 44 are available for Watch It Now. No, I didn't make that up; A Perfect 1 in 10 of my movies could be viewed instantly at no additional charge (those same 44 movies would cost me $132-176 at Apple iTunes).

Couldn't you already view these movies on your TV if you have a laptop or HTPC? Sure, but this product is for the other 99%. Think your mom, your kids, your brother-in-law who was in the fishing accident.

And what's next? Not that I think a $99 player (with potential for future HD upgrade) isn't already great, but what this signals to me is that we can expect to see more Netflix integration into devices that we already have (PS3 and Xbox). Maybe even the Popcorn Hour?

"Dream Big", I always say.

RHTI 32: NIN 24/96, Popcorn Hour Wireless, Foley Artists, "Cloverfield", Willie Nelson "Across the Borderline"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 19 May 2008 02:48:00 +0000

Episode 032 (5/16/2008): Click to Download (37 MB mp3)
Episode Length 39:47

Jon wins a Free HD-DVD

Congrats to Jon in Maryland! He won a free copy of 12 Monkeys on HD-DVD. Subscribe to The Real HT Info Blog for more chances to win.

Learn How to Subscribe to RSS Here. If you have problems, email me at realhtinfo@gmail.com, and I can help you through it.

AudioEngine AW1 Wireless Audio Adapter Update - Latency

We had a couple questions about the AW1...

First, latency comes in at about 20ms, according to both the specs and my measurements. What does that mean? It's just fine for most applications, but if you're super exacting about sound, this probably isn't a good option for rear speakers (but certainly no worse than any other wireless option out there).

Second question: How many AW1 units can be used simultaneously? I've emailed Brady and I'll post the answer RIGHT HERE, and in The Real HT Info Blog, as soon as I find out.

Popcorn Hour goes Wireless

All for $37!

Home Theater Minimalism

I'm Going Minimalist. Look at this...see those big bookcases full of CDs. I'm going to rip those to FLAC and build some Bass Traps. Don't worry, I'll video everything long the way.

Sound in Film: Foley Artists at Work

You know that "Sproing" in Bourne Ultimatum? It didn't get there by accident.

Movie Review: Cloverfield
2 out of 5 stars

Willie Nelson: Across the Borderline

Phenomenal !!

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 19 May 2008 02:06:00 +0000

Just editing Episode 32...I use the adjective "Phenomenal" a lot, don't I?

And the "Sproing" goes to...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:46:00 +0000

About a month ago, I finally got around to watching The Bourne Ultimatum, and now forgive Bourne for beating Transformers and costing me $35 in an Oscar pool (I still won, but it was a tie and I had to split the top prize).

The Bourne Ultimatum took home the award for Achievement in Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, as well as Film editing.

I've started noticing little "jokes" sound designers put in. For instance, in the car chase scene in Ultimatum (1:30:52 in), Bourne rolls a cop car and a spring flies off towards the camera with this "sproing" sound. Maybe it was an unintentional joke, but I laughed.

Here's an MP3 of the "sproing" in question:

http://realht.info/blog/blog_items/bourne%20car%20chase_mixdown.mp3

This got me thinking about the craziness that is sound design and Foley effects. When they film that big car crash, they don't just set up a camera and microphone and then run the cars into one another.

In fact, it's likely that very little of the sound is from the actual car crash. More likely is that all those sound of twisting metal and breaking glass are created on a sound stage, then painstaking added one by one after the fact.

Odds are that spring was added after the fact also, in CGI. Either that, or it was the most fortuitous spring explosion ever, and they just had to play it up.

You can currently get the HD-DVD Combo disc of Bourne Ultimatum (will play in a standard DVD player) for less then the price of the Standard DVD. I've also linked the book, for those of you still clinging to the printed word.

Popcorn Hour gets wireless N, Stream HD Video to your Living Room.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sat, 10 May 2008 01:03:00 +0000

So its not totally official yet, but The Popcorn Hour A100 is due for a $37 Wireless N adapter which will provided 20mbps streaming of HD Video from your PC or server to a small, noiseless device connected to your Home Theater (should be more than sufficient, but faster speeds are possible in the future).

In my opinion, you'd have to be a fool to buy a Windows Media Extender (if you could find one) over a PH at this point. Apple TV still provides ample competition, especially with a user interface that is the best out there, and given the PH's near unusable support for music. On the other hand, good luck getting anything but Apple-blessed formats to play, whereas the PH doesn't ask questions, it's just throws up your High Def Content in your Theater. Got file formats? Popcorn Hour plays 'em.

Similar devices like the iStar, with their fancy on/off switches and new-fangled SATA support, had been creeping up on the PH for a while, but with Wireless, the Popcorn Hour pulls ahead once again.

Here's my video review of the Popcorn Hour A100, in case you missed it...

Popcorn Hour A100 Review $179 - Click here for another funny movie.

Free HD-DVDs!

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:08:00 +0000

My "Free" HD-DVDs are here. I mailed the form in on February 29th, and they arrived on May 7th. Not too bad I guess, your typical 6-8 (or 10) weeks.

What I requested:
The Italian Job
Pitch Black
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Frighteners
Troy

What I received:
The Italian Job
12 Monkeys
Jarhead
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (combo dvd)
Troy

So, other than having no desire to ever watch these movies again (I've seen them all at least once), not a bad deal. I was going to ebay them, but instead, the first person to email me with the subject line "Long Live HD-DVD" wins one of them, your pick.

If you don't know the email address, you'll have to do a little detective work, eh?

Fine print: Open only to residents of the US. If you're the first email, and you reside in foreign lands, I'll give you a shout out on the show, but you're on your own for HD-DVDs.

UPDATE: Congrats to Jon who was first in and selected 12 Monkeys as his free HD-DVD. Thanks to everyone who emailed.

As a side note, I promise NOT to do the next contest at 8pm on a Friday.

Best of both worlds: Sound Panels that perform like Fiberglass, but are easy like foam.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:58:00 +0000

Back in Episode 8 we started a brief discussion on Acoustics in your Home Theater. Then in Episode 10, we talked about how you can make panels that help treat reflections, making everything sound cleaner and clearer. Well, the most commonly prescribed material for such a panel is fiberglass. Of course, fiberglass can be itchy and irritating to work with.

On the other hand, open-cell foam is non-irritating and easy to work with, but it doesn't perform nearly as well as fiberglass, and is often more expensive.

Well, a company called SoundAway has a product made from recycled denim (essentially reclaimed cotton). Not only do they perform very well, they are fairly inexpensive, non-irritating, and earth-friendly.

The material comes in a variety of thicknesses, and is available in flexible rolls for in-wall or adhesive mounting, or more rigid panels that can be hung on a wall or used as ceiling tiles. The panels even come in a variety of colors, so no fabric covering necessary (well, it depends on who you ask).

I need an excuse to order some of these to see them first-hand. Maybe the Weis Cinema could use some (no, it definately could, I just need to see what kind of budget I get in July.)

I'm trying to think of an excuse to get my hands on a couple, but my own space is about as treated as it's going to get.

Another Free Nine Inch Nails album, in 24/96

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:43:00 +0000

Well, there's certainly no disputing that Nine Inch Nails have done very well for themselves with their first foray into digital distribution.

You may remember Episode 31 in which we discussed Ghosts, the first post-record contract album released by Nine Inch Nails. All 2500 copies of the $300 "Ultra Deluxe Limited Edition Package" sold out in under a week (that's $750,000), plus however many $75, $10, and $5 packages they've sold.

Well, even though Ghosts was released only about 2 months ago, Trent is back with a full album, complete with vocals this time.

Well, just a short time later we're being treated to another new album, this time with vocals. And not only that, but The Slip is being released totally free, all you have to do is submit your email. Not only that, but in edition to High-Bitrate MP3 and Lossless CD quality formats, it's available in 24/96 quality for all the Golden Ears out there.

In Trent's own words...

"Thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years - this one's on me."

Picture of Dolby Theater from Jim.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:28:00 +0000

Ever wonder what the big boy's theaters look like? Well, it doesn't get any bigger than Dolby.

Here's a shot from Jim @ Platinum Home Theaters. He'll be on the show in the future to talk about his trip to both Dolby and THX.

"I visited Dolby today, and met Ioan Allen, who as you probably know, developed the application of Dolby technology to film sound, and appears as the "Dolby Consultant" on many film credits, and also met Craig Todd, who developed the steering logic behind Dolby Stereo (theater systems) and ProLogic. I also got to see their screening room, designed by Ioan, and he took me through some of the design criteria.

The seats were designed to be acoustically identical to a human, so the acoustics of the room don't change if it's fully occupied or not. The acoustics are also variable, they can make it more live for recording work, or very dry for films."

The new standard in DIY Projection Screens?

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:23:00 +0000

You know what a fan of DIY I am. If you have the knowledge and skills, there are countless ways to improve you system while saving money.

I'm also a fan of front projection systems. When it comes to getting that larger than life experience, you need a big screen, and at 10 feet away, that screen should be at least 70".

For a screen that size, you're looking, almost exclusively, at front projection. Front projectors are really coming down in price, but the thing that folks always forget to factor in is the cost of the screen. You can't just shine that projector on a white bedsheet and expect to get the best image possible.

Of course, a professional screen can add $1000 or more to the cost of your Front Projection system. But is there a less expensive option?

Some the folks at The Home Theater Shack think so. They've come across a mixture of aluminum and base coat paint that seems to rival even professional screen at a cost of only a couple hundred dollars. They call it Black Widow because it is very bright while retaining good black levels (high contrast ratio, if you will).

The mixture can be applied to a piece or wood or laminate material, or directly to a wall, if you choose. Jim even floated the idea of using these speakers and painting right over them (we'll have to ask him how they sound).

So can this DIY screen, costing only a few hundred dollars, really rival the performance of professional screens costing thousands of dollars? I'll leave it for you to decide based on the measurements, but the folks using Black Widow seem pretty happy with the results.

If you're looking for a DIY screen, I'd take a look at Black Widow.

I'm back.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:10:00 +0000

So, this will be the first in an onslaught of blog posts. If you couldn't care less about why there haven't been posts lately, and just want to get to the Home Theater stuff, skip ahead to the next post.

So, as many of you probably know, I work in Higher Education. When April rolls around, right at the end of the social calendar, and right before commencement, it all starts to go crazy.

Granted, I started the podcast about 1 year ago this past April. I don't know how I found the time, but I'm glad I did.

So, with Jim taking off for a couple weeks, and work getting crazy (and no time to watch movies), I guess I took a little time off.

Well, Real HT Info is back, so let me know what you want to hear.

Apparently, I did not make myself clear....

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:03:00 +0000

I'm already getting emailed specific questions about the AW1 from Episode 31, so I'll be covering a follow-up in the ext episode. Post or email (realhtinfo@gmail.com) questions, and I'll make sure they get answered.

Thanks,

Marshall

RHTI 31: AudioEngine AW1 Wireless Audio Adapter, Bad DRM, Nine Inch Nails "Ghosts", Elizabeth "The Virgin Queen" and "The Golde

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:52:00 +0000

Episode 031 (4/14/2008): Click to Download (29 MB mp3)
Episode Length 41:10

This Show was Streamed Live HERE

Why is HDMI 1.3 Unnecessary on the Popcorn Hour? Listen to Episode 14.

My Muxtape: an Online Mixtape of Music featured on the Podcast.

PS3 Now does DTS-MA...the Best Blu-ray player?

AudioEngine AW1 Wireless Audio Adapter

A little on the pricey side, but a perfect companion to the A5 speakers. Real HT Info approved.

DRM: A Historical Perspective

Patrick Wilson from Weezer talks about DRM on Macbreak 82.

DRM on CDs is very BAD (and thankfully rare, Sorry Sony)

Buy High-quality DRM-Free music for less than iTunes at Amazon MP3.

Music Review: Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts

Movie Review: Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen, and The Golden Age
3 out of 5 stars

Please, if you haven't yet, take the survey. It's free, and it would please me greatly.

The Live Show: Today, Sunday April 13th @ 12 noon EST

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 04:15:00 +0000

http://realht.info/video/

So, I'm trying something new. Tomorrow, well, today, I'll be recording the podcast, but I'll be broadcasting LIVE as I do it. This is your opportunity to watch and listen to the show as it comes together, without the magic of editing (but I am going to get the theme music in there). Not only that, but using the chat room,you can ask questions that I will answer LIVE on the show, and may even make it into the final recorded podcast.

So, when and where:

Today, Sunday, April 13th, 2008
12 Noon Eastern Standard Time

http://realht.info/video/
This link will take you to an embedded player click my user name to chat.

This week, I'll probably be using Yahoo Live (Use the Link Above), though I have checked out Ustream as well. If you have other suggestions, let me know.

On the show we'll be taking about the AudioEngine Wireless Audio Adapter, recent break-throughs/break-downs on the DRM front, Nine Inch Nails, and Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth Series (non-producer/director attribution intentional.)

Hopefully, I'll see you there.

The Live Show, Real HT Info Live on the web?

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:35:00 +0000

So, I'm rolling around trying out a live show, via something like Yahoo Live or Ustream? What are folks thoughts, do you think this would be interesting, or am I just spinning my wheels, trying to be all Web 2.0?

Tell me what you think at this thread, or comment, or email me @ realhtinfo - at - gmail.com

RHTI 30: Surround Sound: A Historical Perspective, "Enchanted", Gnarls Barkley "St. Elsewhere"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:01:00 +0000

Episode 030 (4/1/2008)
This Week's Co-Host is Jim from Platinum Home Theaters
«» Surround Sound: A Historical Perspective
«» Movie Review: Enchanted
«» Music Review: Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere

So much going on, here's the quick and dirty...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:03:00 +0000

Good visit with the parents. They're back in Iowa with my old Center Channel in tow (JBL S-Center II). Their old center (JBL N-Center II) is off to my sister's place, along with her new Philips DVD Player, as the first piece in what will be her first Home Theater.

No episode this weekend, integrated soundcard gave up the ghost. New one in place, I'll be recording with Jim this Thursday. Edited and posted next weekend.

We'll be talking the history of HT, and have a couple music and movie reviews, and wireless speakers from Audioengine.

I purchased an Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on with the hopes of video-ing a tutorial on how to convert your HD-DVDs to Blu-ray. Unfortunately, the process is still a little too complicated to recommend it to most folks.

Good news though, the latest firmware enables EVO playback on the Popcorn Hour A100 (with a few bugs). Hypothetically, Planet Earth would look great on the A100, if it weren't illegal to use the X-Box Drive and AnyDVD to rip the EVO files off the HD-DVD disc.

Back from Boston, Parents In Town

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 13:04:00 +0000

Though I've only been away for a week, it's felt like an eternity. I figured I'd better give everyone an update so that you don't think I lost my mind and wandered off, only to be found confused and pantless at the Beacon Metro Stop.

Boston was great, but I had no free time to do any HT related stuff. It was all Higher Ed, all the time. I didn't even have time to step into the Tweeter a block from my hotel. I did, however, have time to try the Balvenie Port Wood 21 (scotch) at a dinner party (Thanks for the drink, Chartwell's!). It was really good, but for my money, I'll stick to the Doublewood 12.

Got home from that, had one day to dig myself out at work, and then was off to pickup my parents from EWR, in from Iowa. That's them and my sister at her wedding in the Photo tagged with this post.

So yesterday, we took a mini-tour of some places that my mom wanted o see in Western Massachusetts. On stop included the Animagic Museum, which features the work of animators and special effects artists in the Berkshires area (whose works include Chicken Run and The Matrix). It is a humble little shop curated by Eugene Mamut, who won an Academy Award for his work which lead to the creation of the camouflage effect in Predator. The "tour" of the little space is free, but if you don't take the workshop or buy anything, drop a couple bucks per person in the donation jar.

I wouldn't go more than 30 minutes out of my way to see the Animagic Museum, but if you're planning on being near the Berkshires anyone, make an appointment.

So today we're laying pretty low. We're going to hit up a maple syrup Festival, and then watch some movies. I'm thinking Across The Universe.

RHTI 29: A few corrections, Jim's On-Board, Apple TV in Depth Analysis

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:15:00 +0000

RHTI 29

--A Few Corrections
--Jim's On-Board
--Apple TV in Depth Analysis

Spam for the iPod Generation

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:54:00 +0000

Well, after a generation of mindlessly blowing out our eardrums, the iPod generation has finally ht that ever important 21-34 demographic. This graphic is from legitimate SPAM email I received today, promising relief from tinnitus (ringing sounds in your ears) by simply administering a few drops. The first bottle is even FREE!!

Before you plunk down your $$, know that THERE IS NO CURE, SO STOP USING STOCK EARBUDS!!

I'm sorry I had to yell, but your hearing being what it is, and with you iPod cranked to 11, I figured it was the only way. Here's the harsh truth...

...you're killing your hearing, and there is no cure. If you want to enjoy music past your 40s, get some real headphones, check your volume, and use ear-plugs.

Listen to Episode 4 for my recommendations.

I have an aunt who just hit 50, and is deaf in one ear, and that's before ipods. Trust me, it blows.

I'll be in Boston in a week...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:46:00 +0000

I used to live in Fall River, MA, and often went to Boston, but I've never been Hi-Fi shopping there. If you know any good Hi-Fi stores in the Boston Area, drop me an email.

RHTI 28: HD-DVD's Dead...What's Next?, Home Theater > Cinema, Popcorn Hour Video Review, "The Brave One", Mike Doughty "Golden

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:31:00 +0000

Click for show notes:

Episode 028 (2/24/2008)
«» HD-DVD is Dead, What's Next?
«» Home Theater is Better Than Cinema
«» The Popcorn Hour, Full Video Review
«» The Brave One
«» Mike Doughty's Golden Delicious

Oscars Tonight, Get your Ballot here.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:09:00 +0000

Nothing can stop the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, not even a little writer's strike. After the disaster that was the Golden Globes, big media may have gotten the picture, and the writer's strike was quickly ended as an agreement was reached.

So, tonight, the Oscars are back in full swing, and if you'd like to play along, download the ballot here:

Link to Oscar Ballot

Besides hosting an Oscar Party at my college, we'll also be going to a private Oscar Party, complete with cocktail wieners and cheap vodka (Hollywood glamor?? Ha! Eat the Hudson Valley's dust!)

For the record, here are some of my picks: JPG of My Ballot

Many of these are shots in the dark, as I rarely venture into the theaters anymore (you'll find out why in the next podcast), but I'm feeling confident. What are your picks?

Popcorn Hour Full Review

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:57:00 +0000

Here's the full review (finally). The popcorn hour does so much, that in in these 15 minutes, I could only scratch the surface. If you have specific questions or requests about this product, please let me know at realhtinfo@gmail.com , and I'll do my best to get you the answers.

Popcorn Hour A100 Review

The war is over...yes, that War!!

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:16:00 +0000

Unless you've been at a conference in St. Louis, you've probably already heard the news. HD-DVD pulled the plug, leaving Blu-ray the winner by default.

To bad, so sad, I'm glad...

...well mostly. I'm still a little sore that the lower cost, more consumer friendly DRM alternative didn't win, but hey, whad ya' gonna do?

So two immediate thoughts:

1) Congrats Blu-ray, but let's face it, you got here on back room deals and market-fixing, not by offering a superior product. Feel free to quote bandwidth and capacity, but HD-DVDs specs in that area were more than sufficient for High-quality HD, especially given VC-1 and H264 vid, and DD+ audio. Give us a standalone player sub $200, and complete your spec already.

2) Now to HD-DVD...let's face it, you lost this war for yourself. You had zero response for Blu-ray announcements. When the going got tough, you sat there with dumb looks on your faces. Now, we've all invested in hardware that won't play the latest titles, and when that hardware dies (as mine tried to after only a FEW HOURS), our HD-DVD collections will be worthless.

Here's what you need to do...release the encryption and offer us an easy way to take the 1s and 0s off the HD-DVD discs and burn them to DVDs or Blu-ray discs in a format that our PCs, Blu-ray players, and media centers will play. VC1 and H264 with DD audio will do fine.

Wipe that "who, us" look off your mugs, and do the right thing. You gave us the pointy end of the stick, and now you owe us.

I, for one, welcome our new Blu-ray overloads...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:38:00 +0000

...look, they're fluffy!

Greetings from STL. You can get the Ratatouille Blu-ray, or anything else from Amazon, using the link below. Thanks for supporting the Real HT Info Podcast.

Hello from St. Louis

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:26:00 +0000

I'm in St. Louis for the next few days at the NACA National Convention. My main reason for attending is to try to hire an employee for the upcoming school year...for my "real job" of course. The Podcast can't even afford me right now. Luckily, it's a labor of love.

Looks like the timing for this trip couldn't have been worse, as the HD-DVD empire is slowly crumbling. I recommend Engadget HD for the latest, and I'll try to record some commentary as soon as I get a free moment here (a special STL edition of The Real HT Info Podcast). Do take their coverage with a grain of salt until you hear from Tosh themselves (official press release-style); the EnHD folks can be a little Blu-Biased (call it "sensationalism", "good journalism", whatever.)

Wal-mart is out. HD-DVD...think fast.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:46:00 +0000

Wal-mart, according to a corporate blog, is ditching HD-DVD hardware come June. While Best Buy stopped short of thi, saying that they would continue to carry the HD-DVD players (but not to tell their customers), Wal-mart's going the extra mile and banishing HD-DVD players from their shelves.

Now, I'm sure you'll still be able to pick up the HD-DVD media at Wally-World, but with studio support slimming, new titles will be slow coming.

I'm an unabashed HD-DVD supporter. While remaining officially neutral in the war, I've admired HD-DVDs low production cost, low consumer-hardware cost, and a spec that was complete from day 1. That is to say, I'll miss it when it's gone.

Those days are coming sooner than expected. I bet one listener that, on Dec 24th, 2008, there would be HD-DVD media on the shelves at Target, and HD-DVD players for sale at Best Buy. While currently, both of those are true, it might not last until Christmas Eve. On the line, $1, a Holiday Card, and a little pride.

$1, a card, and my pride? A small price to pay for a unified format. I long for the dayswhen we can talk about Home Theater without discussing the Format War. Maybe, we could even reintroduce audio into our recently video-centric HT setups? Dare to dream, I say.

To the victor goes the spoils (and to whoever gives me quality downloadable content, goes my dollars, if anyone's keeping score.)

The War is Over...Not that war. (Writer's Strike)

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:27:00 +0000

Are you ready for the triumphant return of CSI: Miami? Yeah, I didn't miss it either.

Regardless, the Writer's Strike is over, and a new contract should be in place by the end of the month. Read about it HERE.

My favorite part?

Writers lost about $278 million in pay and other unionized workers, including stagehands, about $471 million, Kyser estimated on Feb. 11. Studios saved $500 million in production costs, he estimated.

``Short term, we said the strike would have no adverse effect on CBS Corp. and I can affirm that's still true,'' Moonves said. ``In fact, from a cost perspective, it's slightly positive.''

Wow, how that for a "welcome back to work"? Just goes to show that the big-wigs are still comfortably planted on their big piles of cash. Remember that next time they cry "poverty" when one of the writer's kids needs braces.

Stay classy, Big Business.

Email from Netflix...commentary to follow on the next show.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:15:00 +0000

We're Going Blu-ray

	Dear Marshall, You're receiving this email because you have asked to receive high-definition movies in the HD DVD format. As you may have heard, most of the major movie studios have recently decided to release their high-definition movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. In order to provide the best selection of high-definition titles for our members, we have decided to go exclusively with Blu-ray as well. While we will continue to make our current selection of HD DVD titles available to you for the next several months, we will not be adding additional HD DVD titles or reordering replacements. Toward the end of February, HD DVDs in your Saved Queue will automatically be changed to standard definition DVDs. Then toward the end of this year, all HD DVDs in your Queue will be changed to standard definition DVDs. Don't worry, we will contact you before this happens. You can click here to change your format preferences. We're sorry for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call us at 1 (888) 638-3549. -The Netflix Team

Meet the newest members of the family...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:11:00 +0000

So ebay has been kind to me. I had been trying to pick up a pair of S38ii, planning to use one as a center channel, matching the pair I had already as fronts, and giving me 3 identical front speakers. But, S38ii were hard to come by, and I'm, weak, so the plan went out the window...

...which is how I came to be the proud owner of a new pair of JBL S310ii ($260 shipped for the pair). They'll be going in as my new fronts, and I'll probably move one of the S38ii to center.

I've had them for almost a week, and just got around to connecting them today. I'll give you my impressions in a few days.

Less than 24 hours later...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:29:00 +0000

...and Jill Sobule, as featured in Episode 27, has her first $10,000 donation. Has one of my audience put their money where there mouth is, in a big way, and guaranteed themselves a guest performance on Jill's Next Record?

Or is it coincidence? If it's not, and you have another $10,000 laying around, drop me an email. I'll put you on the next episode of The Real HT Info Podcast.

RHTI 27: $6 mil Home Theater, Courtney Love and the Writer's Strike, "No Country for Old Men", Jill Sobule's next record and "U

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 05:16:00 +0000

Please, if you haven't yet, take the survey.

Popcorn Hour A-100 Media Streamer Unboxing - Review To Follow in a Few Short Days

Jim's gonna get us an Apple HD rental Review...as soon as they update :)

One of the better music industry analyses...from Courtney Love: ??!!

$6 Million Home Theater, all speakers, no seats:

No Country for Old Men - 5 stars

Bad Karma from illegally downloading music? Jill Sobule makes it all better: http://www.jillsnextrecord.com/?r=49144

...and a Review of "Underdog Victorious"

Wrap it up Janice.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:56:00 +0000

We finished watching the Sopranos yesterday. In a little less than 6 months, my girlfriend and I watched the entire series. For me, I'd seen most of the episodes before. For her, it was the first time.

It was interesting to see the entire series again, from start to finish, in such a short time. I began watching the Sopranos at the time the first episode aired, so for me, the Sopranos represents the better part of a decade. I'm only slightly older than "Meadow", so for the most part, when she was in High School, I was in High School. As Tony aged, so did my own father.

I don't think that any TV series, since The Wonder Years, has so closely examined the American Family. To this end, for all the criticisms the Sopranos received for it's supposed stereotypes and violence, I think it's hard not to respect the series for what it represents; one of televisions few, honest moments.

And for the record, I though the final episode was perfect.

Apple HD Rental Corrections and Review Update - Popcorn Hour

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:35:00 +0000

A few corrections to Episode 26...

You can not currently rent or view HD movies on a PC or Mac. AppleTV only (paranoid much Hollywood Studios?)

Also, rentals won't be available on iTunes/AppleTV until 30 days after the DVD release date. Even if you have to wait a day for Netflix to ship you a DVD, you will still get it 29 days faster than via iTunes (and it will sure cost less and be of higher video/audio quality).

-----------------
Also, good news to those looking for an AppleTV alternative that will play everything you through at it, not just what's been blessed by Steve...my Popcorn Hour review unit is on the way. Full Review in the upcoming weeks after I run it through the paces.

RHTI 26: Mac World and Apple HD Rentals, DirectTV on your PC, Netflix Unlimited, I Am Legend

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:09:00 +0000

RHTI 26: Mac World and Apple HD Rentals, DirectTV on your PC, Netflix Unlimited, I Am Legend

Podcast Delay, Apple Predictions

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:00:00 +0000

I've decided to wait until after Jobs' Macworld address (12 noon eastern tomorrow, the 15th) to do the next episode, and then include it in the CES roundup. Frankly Macworld and CES are so close together (they actually overlap next year), that they should be considered the same event. I'm sure Apple would be happy to take part in CES, if it weren't so full of the little people.

Jobs' days of rubbing elbows with the likes of Samsung or Logitech are over. He dines alone these days.

Still, Apple's foray into Home Theater with the AppleTV and Downloadable movies has made them relevant in the HT world, just not too relevant, and I'm guessing this Macworld is going to change that. Here are my predictions for the Macword Keynote, along with the percentage chance of them actually happening:

100% - Apple starts a rental program for it's downloadable movies (sorry, TV will stay purchase only). This is a given as Microsofthas the lead and Apple needs to catch up in this area.

75% - These rentals will be $2.99 for older movies, $3.99 new movies
...and you'll only get 24 hours to watch them. This is way too expensive, but there's only a 25% chance that apple will hit $1.99, which is where they need to be to make a splash.

50% - These movies will be HD w/ discrete 5.1 sound
It's a toss up as to whether Apple will meet Microsoft on the HD front. There is just as good a shot they will stick with sub-DVD quality for rentals.

25% - Blu-ray in Macs
Even so, it's will probably not be standard equipment. Expect it as an option, or as a "Black Pro" model with a $400 idiot tax.

10% Apple TV refresh/Mac mini HTPC edition
The old Apple TV has unused functionality still, no refresh in sight. But, there is a slim chance that apple will release a Mac Mini Pro model, if you will, or HTPC. It will have the Front Row-lite or AppleTV interface (but not full Leopard), come with a remote, and allow you to purchase or rent movies from that simple interface. It will be black. It will have Blu-ray. It will have TV tuners as an option (but certainly not cable card). It will cost $499. It will likely not happen and jobs will retire te mini, much to the dismay of the HTPC crowd incapable of building a proper PC themselves.

0% - HD-DVD in Macs
If this happens, I will eat 8oz of Crisco and then punch myself in the face. Email me with more creative wagers, realhtinfo@gmail.com

Next Episode Saturday Night

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:06:00 +0000

Unless something really groundbreaking happens, the next Episode won't go up until Saturday night.

If you haven't been keeping track, Engadget has been spreading some crazy FUD about Paramount jump ship from HD-DVD to Blu-ray. If this is going to happen this week, it will happen on Friday, so allowing for that, I'm going to put the next Episode off until the weekend (plus, I have a B-Day part to hit up on Friday night).

So, on Saturday, either expect a CES roundup, or a detailed account of how I returned my Toshiba A2 to Bestbuy and am now saving up for a Blu-Ray drive and dedicated HTPC.

But I am Le Tired...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:35:00 +0000

No CES Podcast tonight, but links are up at RealHT.Info

RHTI 25: CES Update 2 - Blu-ray celebrates with a press conference, Sling/D-Link Non-MS Media Extenders, Flat Panel <1" thin

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:41:00 +0000

RHTI 25: CES Update 2 - Blu-ray celebrates with a press conference, Sling/D-Link Non-MS Media Extenders, Flat Panel <1" thin

RHTI 24: "Off The Red Eye", CES Update 1 - Warner Goes Blu and Netflix hits your Set-top

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:02:00 +0000

RHTI 24: "Off The Red Eye", CES Update 1 - Warner Goes Blu and Netflix hits your Set-top

In Portland for the New Year

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 05:53:00 +0000

Happy 2008 everyone. Portland is treating me well, but I need to get my HT fix. Other than Aperion, does anyone have suggestion for AV shops in the area?

In the mean time, I've been enjoying the beer. Can't come to Oregon without getting the Rogue (among others).

Be well in the new year.

P.S. A new Audio episode is coming, for real this time. I finally have a working microphone, and though it doesn't sound too hot, it should do the trick for now.

Happy Holidays everyone, Get or Give anything good?

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:33:00 +0000

Well, Christmas came and went, but Dec 26th is my Grandma's 80th Birthday, so we're still in the Holiday mood here.

As for Christmas, the only HT related stuff I got was the Blade Runner HD-DVD (which I hear is an amazing restoration). I won't be back in front of my HD-DVD player for another week and a half, but I'll let you know if it lives up to the hype (I don't really have any doubts).

Non-HT stuff, my Grandma crocheted me a pretty sweet blanket. Sounds lame, but it's not. She picked the colors so it should match the Home Theater decor. How awesome is that?

For the giving side of things, I gave my sister a pair of Senn PX100 headphones, and told my parents I'd chip in $500 for when they finally get an HD set (a big gift for me, but it's the least I can do for everything my parents have done for me over the years). Hey, I've got to encourage them anyway I can, right?

How about everyone else, HT Related, what did you get/give this holiday season?

Back in Iowa for the Holidays

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 20:04:00 +0000

After a few, trivial delays, the plane landed and I'm back in IA. We are knee deep in the holiday spirit, and if I haven't said it yet, have a good one and BE SAFE.

No, I haven't abandoned podcasting, but with the lack of news over the past weeks, and general busy-ness with travel and the College semester ending, I've certainly been a little negligent. Forgive me. There will be a holiday episode, and after CES hits in just a few short weeks, you'll be hearing a lot of me.

To fill the time, I recommend listening to some archived episodes. If you have ideas for future episodes, email me or comment in this post.

P.S. The image for this post is artwork done by my mom @ tourdefarms.com

Spent the Day EQ-ing my sub.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 22:03:00 +0000

Another snow day, this time I didn't go anywhere, mostly because I didn't have anywhere to be. I'd recently moved the seating position in my Home Theater, so I redid my BFD filters (EQ).

In the picture, the Blue is before, the red is after with EQ. Episode 9 talks more about this.

What did my car ever do to you?

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:00:00 +0000

So I'm taking a little time off for the holidays, and ever conscious of this, I'm trying to put in good, solid hours at work until I leave for vacation. It was snowing today, but I didn't want to miss a day of work, so I rolled the dice...

I'll spare you the gory details. Suffice it to say, the lesson I learned today: "Don't be a hero. When the weather's bad, call in sick, and stay home watching movies on your Home Theater."

Blu-Ray rejoins the war. Good to see you again, Blu.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:20:00 +0000

Finally, Sony has decided not to stake the format war on their (root-kit installing) reputation alone. The Samsung BD-P1400 has hit the low price of $269. This puts them neck and neck, sorta, with the Toshiba HD-A3 DVD player @ ~$200 most days of the week.

So the real question is, "When are combo player manufacturers going to figure out that their products are way too expensive?"

RHTI 23: Video Podcast, Blog, My System, Tivo, SageTV and other Media Extenders, "Ocean's 13", Billy Bragg/Wilco "Mermaid Ave"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:21:00 +0000

Episode 023 (11/20/2007)
** Video or Audio Podcast? Blog and My Equipment
** Blog and My Equipment
** Tivo to release PC Edition, the Killer DVR App?
** Microsoft updates XBox with Divx, SageTV answers with HD media extender
** Ocean's 13
** Billy Bragg: Mermaid Ave Vol 1 and 2

The Real HT Info Podcast - Video Edition Episode 1

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:22:00 +0000

Here it is:

I'll be putting it in the regular feed soon. Should it be numbered on it's own, i.e, "Video Episode 1" or be numbered in sequence with the rest of the episodes, and denoted as "Episode 24 (video edition)"? Or is video lame and I should just stick to audio? What do you think?

Last beer class...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:54:00 +0000

Final beer class was tonight, I'll have more time for podcasting now.

Tonight's theme was primarily "Chocolate Desert Pairings", with a few oddballs thrown in.

Stella Artois
Saranac Season's Best Nut Brown
Southern Tier Raspberry Porter
Wagner Valley Oatmeal Stout
Fort Collin's Chocolate Porter
Left Hand Milk Stout

And the winner was...The Saranac. Yeah, suprised my too, I'm not a huge Saranac guy. But, in my book, I liked it the best, though it didn't go so well with the chocolate.

Best pairing of the night was chocolate chip cookies with the milk stout. yummy.

There's a troll hiding under the internet.

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:34:00 +0000

I may be in the wrong business, and by business, I mean hobby where I actually pay out far more than I take in. Wait a minute, maybe that is business...

I love constructive criticism, and hate unconstructive criticism.

If you're on an internet forum, and someone start name-calling, getting angry, and telling you that you're wrong, and they're right...they probably aren't. An angry geek is an incorrect geek; trust the guy who doesn't blow his top and make you feel small.

When did video editing become fun?

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:32:00 +0000

Yeah, I said it. Some where along the lines, the tediousness of video editing disappeared. Flashback something like 10 years now... picture me hunkered over a P2 133, an auction find from a local computer store that went out of business in Fort Dodge, IA, staring madly at Premiere 5.0 waiting for my transitions to render.

Flash forward to present day. With a $600 PC and less than $100 in software, I'm George Lucas minus the elderly delirium that ruined a perfect franchise. Want to see that in sepia-tone? No problem. Don't like that transition. Click, click, done.

A sense a Real HT Info video podcast in the near future. Expect my mini segment on Building an HTPC (now my production box) in just a day or two.

When maintenance on rented property goes bad...

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:11:00 +0000

Well, after a long week, it was my goal to sleep in a little (not too long, maybe 10am) and then get up and do some voice over work on my much delayed DIY Computer/HTPC build. My landlord, on the other hand, thought Saturday at 7am would be a good time to have the roof on my complex replaced.

So, neither of those things will be happening.

Right now, it sounds like, on the roof, there is an elephant with 4 wooden legs dancing the electric slide. Use your imagination.

I hate the Zune Charger Icon!

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:46:00 +0000

I bought a new Zune. Well, strike that. I bought an old Zune (the 30GB model), and I actually bought 3 of them. Why you ask? Well, Microsoft has generously updated the firmware on the old units to give the same functionality as the new units, including great new Podcast Support (for listening to The Real HT Info Podcast of course). Couple that with the fact that the street/internet price on these has fallen to $99 or less, and I defy you to find a more full-functioned mp3 player with comparable storage for less.

So, I bought 3. The night before the plane to Iowa leaves, I start loading these up with music, videos, and podcasts for my girlfriend and I to watch on the plane(s). The first two go fine, but the third freezes on the battery charger screen you see above. Just sits there with a dumb look on it's face.

Various sources on the internet suggest unplugging the unit to let the battery drain, and than use a variety of voodoo and USB ports to charge the unit.

Working Zunes, I love you. Frozen Zune, you and I are not friends.

UPDATE: After charging and discharging 3 times wit 3 different USB ports, it finally sprang to life. If you fin yourself in this predicament, I suggest you...

1) let the unit run down until it shuts off
2) Press the play/pause button several times to wake the unit momentarily, thus draining even more life from the battery.
3) Charge the unit using a USB port built into the motherboard.
4) Charge for an hour w/ Zune software running to see if it springs to life. If not, go back to step 1.

Frozen Zune, let's never fight again.

Beer: Clipper City Hop3

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:14:00 +0000

The "Loose Cannon" of their Heavy Seas line. If you like hops, and are in the Baltimore region, check this out.

Iowa Weddings

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:30:00 +0000

Aside from Thanksgiving with The Family, part of the reason for going back to Iowa this weekend was to attend my sister's wedding. In addition to a cordless drill, my gift to her will be to do a service menu convergence on her hand-me-down Hitachi 40" RPCRT Television.

Here's a picture of me and my sister dancing (she was dancing, I was being drug along for the ride).

RHTI 22: Toshiba A2 Review, Black Friday (Staying Home?), Gift Ideas, My Christmas List, Content is Still King

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:57:00 +0000

Episode 022 (11/20/2007)
«» News and Email: Content is Still King, HD-DVD Attachment Rates, DVD Profiler
«» Black Friday: The Specials and Reasons to Stay Home
«» What's on My Christmas List?
«» Gift Ideas for HT and Non-HT people in your life
«» Toshiba HD-A2 Review: Nice, but not all Good News.
«» My apologies, no movie or music this week.

RHTI 21: Is the War over? $99 HD-DVD, 1080i vs 1080p, A2 better than A3?, "The Contract", They Might Be Giants "Factory Showroo

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:35:00 +0000

Episode 021 (11/07/2007)
«» The Podcast Keeps Growing
«» New Episode of Heroes on Netflix Watch It Now
«» HD DVD-Players hit $99, Black Friday Comes Early
«» Do $99 HD-DVD Players Signal the End of the War?
«» The Contract
«» They Might Be Giants: Factory Showroom

Click to Comment on Episode 21 - Hosted by The Home Theater Shack
Click here for the Past Episode Archive

RHTI 20: Popcorn Hour Media Tank, AES, Dolby and DTS Lossless, .1 LFE, HT in a Shed, "Lucky You",Greg Brown "Further In"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 18:34:00 +0000

Episode 020 (10/28/2007)
*The Popcorn Hour Media Tank
*AES: Dolby Lossless vs. DTS Lossless
*AES: Fun with the .1
*AES: Home Theater in a Shack
*Lucky You
*Greg Brown: Further In

RHTI 19: $1mil cables, Low Cost HD-DVD, Microsoft Media Extenders, Favorite TV shows, CD Pick:Porno for Pyros "Good God's Urge"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:56:00 +0000

Episode 019 (10/11/2007)
* News: Snapstream PVR Software, $1mil cables, and more.
* Digital Life: Microsoft Media Extenders, and the $199 (sorta) Venturer HD-DVD Player
* TV shows I like: Boston Legal, Dexter, and more.
* CD Pick: Porno for Pyros: Good God's Urge

RHTI 18: A Favor To Ask..., You are the Weakest Link, "Accepted", Don Conoscenti "Paradox of Grace"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 03:40:00 +0000

Episode 018 (09/29/2007)
* I have a favor to ask...
* You are the Weakest Link!
* Accepted
* Don Conoscenti: Paradox of Grace

RHTI 17: AV Conferences, Analog Audio better than Digital? HD-Disc vs. SD-DVD, "Hot Fuzz", Pogues "Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:36:00 +0000

Episode 017 (09/17/2007)
* Upcoming Conferences: Digital Life and AES
* Is Analog Audio better than Digital?
* HD-Disc vs. SD-DVD, who wins the real war?
* Hot Fuzz
* The Pogues: Rum Sodomy, and The Lash

RHTI 16: No Speaker Grills, Hollywood's Starving Children, No Blu-ray vs HD-DVD, "Who The #$&% Is Jackson Pollock", Rilo Kiley

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 04:01:00 +0000

Episode 016 (09/06/2007)
* Improve your sound: Ditch the speaker grills.
* Hollywood's Children No Longer Starving
* No Blu-ray vs HD-DVD on RHTI? You decide.
* Who The #$&% Is Jackson Pollock
* Rilo Kiley: Under The Blacklight

RHTI 15: Audioengine A2: Hands-on Review, "The Science Of Sleep", Daft Punk "Discovery"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:03:00 +0000

Episode 015 (08/28/2007)
* Audioengine A2: A Hands On Review
* The Science Of Sleep
* Daft Punk: Discovery

RHTI 14: HDMI 1.3, 1080P, and Upscaling DVD, "Stranger Than Fiction", Morrissey "You Are The Quarry"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 21:20:00 +0000

Episode 014 (08/19/2007)
* Buzz Words: HDMI 1.3, 1080p, and Upscaling DVD
* Stranger Than Fiction
* Morrissey: You Are The Quarry

RHTI 13: Home Theater on Credit, Polk and Yamaha Pseudo-Surround, "Smokin' Aces", Eels "Daisies of the Galaxy"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0000

Episode 013 (07/24/2007)
-Home Theater Loan? Credit Cards?
-Single Speaker Surround: Polk and Yamaha
-Smokin' Aces
-Eels: Daisies Of The Galaxy

RHTI 12: Podcatchers, Dolby Headphone and Virtual Speaker, "Children of Men", Hum "Downward is Heavenward"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:26:00 +0000

The Real HT Info Podcast: Episode 12

* Podcatchers
* Dolby Headphone and Virtual Speaker: 2 Speaker Surround
* Children of Men
* Hum - Downward is Heavenward

RHTI 11: Aperion Audio Review, Strangelove, Grindhouse, Fantastic Four, Metric "Grow Up and Blow Away"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:28:00 +0000

Episode 011 (07/17/2007)
-What I Did On My Summer Vacation
-Aperion Audio
-3 Theaters + 3 Movies + Beer = Oregon
-Dr. Strangelove, Grindhouse, The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
-Metric : Grow Up and Blow Away

RHTI 10: Reviewing the Reviewers, DIY Panels/Bass Traps, "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", Portishead "Roseland New York"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 01:15:00 +0000

Episode 010 (07/08/2007)
-Reviewing the Netflix Reviewers, A Rant
-Acoustics Part 3: DIY Panels and Bass Traps
-Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
-Portishead: Roseland New York

RHTI 9: Upgrades and G.A.S, EQ your Sub for $100, "Find Me Guilty", Loudon Wainwright III "Strange Weirdos" - From "Knocked Up"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 02:09:00 +0000

The Real Home Theater Podcast 9:
-The Difference Between Upgrades and Gas
-EQ your Sub for $100
-Find Me Guilty
-Loudon Wainwright III Strange Weirdos, Music From Knocked Up

RHTI 8: Crash Course in Acoustics, Weis Cinema Upgrade, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Mountain Goats "We Shall All Be Healed"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 28 May 2007 15:05:00 +0000

The Weis Cinema Upgrade
HES Feature: Rives Audio
Crash Course In Acoustics and Acoustic Treatment
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
The Mountain Goats: We Shall All Be Healed

RHTI 7: HES Small Speaker Reviews, 5.1 From A Single Speaker?, Curse of the Golden Flower, Fiest "The Reminder"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Mon, 21 May 2007 14:55:00 +0000

Episode 007 (05/21/2007)
Small Speaker Reviews From HES
Single Speaker 5.1? Not Quite.
Curse of the Golden Flower

Fiest: The Reminder

RHTI 6: Interview w/ Stereophile's Michael Fremer

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 15 May 2007 03:04:00 +0000

Episode 006 (05/14/2007): Click to Download (21 MB mp3)

Episode 006 (05/14/2007)
*Back from HES
*Interview w/ Stereophile's Michael Fremer

With HD Video all the rage, why don't people care about HD Audio (or just well reproduced SD audio)? Because they've never heard it.

RHTI 5: Electronic House of the Year, Multi-room Audio, Ghostbusters, Soul Coughing "El Oso"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 08 May 2007 03:34:00 +0000

Episode 005 (05/07/2007)
»Electronic Homes of the Year
»Multi-room Audio
» Ghostbusters
» Soul Coughing: El Oso

HES in 3 Days!

RHTI 4: Dorm Room HT, Headphone, Clue, Blonde Redhead "23"

realhtinfo@gmail.com (Real HT Info) — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:18:00 +0000

Episode 004 (04/30/2007)
HT in a Dorm: It can be done!
Headphones: Not Just for Ipods
Clue
Blonde Redhead: 23