HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

HDTV Podcast #294

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:32:23 -0700

Sony announced on Tuesday that that they would begin offering movies and TV shows for download to the Playstation 3 through the Playstation store. Movies are available from Disney, Fox and Warner Bros in addition to the obvious inclusion of Sony Pictures titles. The system is setup much like Vudu and AppleTV, new release movies can be rented for $3.99 in standard def and $5.99 in high definition or purchased in SD for $14.99. Older titles are available for rent for $2.99 for SD, $4.50 for HD and $9.99 for purchase. So the big question is, "How does Sony's offering stack up against Vudu or AppleTV?"

HDTV Podcast #293

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:30:19 -0700

We get email after email asking for advice on when is the right time to upgrade your home theater equipment. The answer, of course, is always "right now," but that isn't always possible. Often we have to compromise in one area to upgrade another. So what components are the most important to keep up to date? Which ones can wait a while? Let's take a look.

HDTV Podcast #292

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:48:10 -0700

With money tight and more of it going to fill up your gas tank instead of your AV rack we thought it would be a great time to discuss an article on haggling. Jennifer DeFeo has written an article for Electronic House entitled "10 Tips for Haggling with A/V Retailers". We also discuss the highlights of the Entertainment Merchant Association 2008 Annual Report.

HDTV Podcast #291

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:21:22 -0700

We have been trying to get a hold of a Vizio TV for review for some time now but with no luck. This weekend while the family was in Costco stocking up on supplies Ara spent some time looking at the Vizio 50 inch 1080p Plasma. In actuality this feature is more of a Costco roundup than an in depth review of the TV.

HDTV Podcast #290

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:07:08 -0700

Happy Fourth of July! If you have the day off, we hope you're enjoying it; if you have to work, we hope you get a day off real soon. We didn't take the day off but instead interviewed John Griffin from Dolby Laboratories and tested out Google's new MediaServer gadget.

HDTV Podcast #289

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:23:24 -0700

We've never really been into special features on discs, but what if the special features weren't actually on the disc, but were on the Internet? Like it or not, BD Live looks like it's coming in full force very soon. It could be cool, or it could just be a lot of hype.

HDTV Podcast #288

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:17:34 -0700

Living large and lovin' life. Ara's back from vacation and we hit the ground running. Can you tell it's summer yet? Of course there's tons of great news and emails, but we also came across an article at lifehacker on how to turn your Xbox 360 into a streaming Netflix player. Pretty handy. Check it out.

HDTV Podcast #287

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:10:32 -0700

DisplaySearch recently released a report about what TV manufactures will need to do to sell more televisions in the coming years. One of the key features was network, and specifically Internet, connectivity. Just a couple days prior to that report we received a press release about the availability of HP's MediaSmart Connect for pre-order. We saw the demo at CES and liked the idea. All of this got us thinking; DisaplySearch says TV's need Internet connectivity, HP agrees in theory, but prefers the set top box route. If we could design our own Internet connected TV or STB, what would it do. From the 'If the HT Guys ruled the world...' point of view.

HDTV Podcast #286

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:53:33 -0700

Isn't it annoying when you want to turn on your home theater with your IR based remote control and one or more components misses the command. It could be that someone walked in front of the remote or that you just didn't keep it pointed at your system long enough for the entire macro sequence to be transmitted. That's why most integrators shy away from IR based remotes and use systems like Crestron or Control4 to transmit commands to a head end unit which then sends the commands via Ethernet, Serial, or IR via an emitter to the equipment being controlled.

HDTV Podcast #285

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:48:14 -0700

Every year CE Pro puts together a list of the top 100 custom electronics dealers in the country. Then they poll those top dealers for their favorite brands to sell in 37 different categories. Of course half the picture for dealers is how much profit they can make selling a particular product, but the other half of the picture is reliability and returns. We like to look at the list to see what all the custom home theater installers are endorsing. If you've narrowed a purchase down to two brands, it may help to swing your vote.

HDTV Podcast #284

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:14:28 -0700

Father's Day is in just a couple days. If you still need to pick up a gift, or help someone pick one out for you, we have a couple of ideas.

HDTV Podcast #283

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:52:25 -0700

Home Theater Magazine recently put a panel together to look at five different soundbars. Since we've only ever used the Yamaha Sound projector, and often get questions about models from other manufacturers, we thought it would be valuable to share their results. The full article, called 'The Power of One' was written by Adrienne Maxwell. It's certainly worth reading if you're in the market for a soundbar, since we won't cover all the details. The five models tested were from Philips, Marantz, Yamaha, Denon, and Polk.

HDTV Podcast #282

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:08:25 -0700

We have designed whole house video and audio systems and talked about them on our show. The one room we really haven't done much with is the Bathroom. Now We know what you are probably thinking. The Bathroom is one area in the home where you don't want to be bombarded with the worlds problems. We hear you but what if you are in the middle of a football game and your wife tells you that its time to get ready so you can go to your In-Law's? Having a TV in the bathroom sounds like a good way keep everyone happy.

HDTV Podcast #281

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:38:05 -0700

Today we got into a discussion on a recent article from the CE Pro Magazine website. It's about 17 "green" products installers can use to make their custom home theater or automation installations more eco-friendly. We thought some of the products were pretty cool. You can read the full article online. And you really need to check out "The Ultimate Remote" if you haven't already. It might give the Harmony One a run for its money.

HDTV Podcast #280

Thu, 29 May 2008 22:42:48 -0700

So you want to watch movies with Netflix watch it now but you aren't thrilled about sitting in front of your computer to do it. Netflix and Roku have partnered together bring the Watch it Now functionality to your TV. We have one of these players and have spent a week putting it through its paces.

HDTV Podcast #279

Mon, 26 May 2008 22:34:18 -0700

Today we've decided to take a little walk down Home Theater memory lane. The last couple years have seen some significant changes in home theater technology, and we've seen a few devices go extinct. A few are still on the endangered species list, but will probably be gone very soon. We'd like to bid farewell to some technological advances that changed the way we enjoy entertainment in our homes, or were supposed to, but maybe it didn't quite pan out.

HDTV Podcast #278

Thu, 22 May 2008 23:54:20 -0700

If you are a Tivo lover and have your Series 3 box so that you can watch and record HD from your cable company, you may be wondering what will happen to your service when your cable company rolls out Switched Digital service. We have great news for you! Your Tivo Series 3 will be compatible with the new format. You will need an adapter to make it work however.

A few weeks ago on Show 272 we discussed the emerging mobile TV standard of the Open Mobile Video Coalition. At that time we discussed how the standard was just being deployed. We received an email from Glenn, host of 'The ZA Show' asking us to talk about a format that is already deployed called MediaFlo.

HDTV Podcast #277

Tue, 20 May 2008 05:49:45 -0700

In keeping with tradition, we have a new show full of, dare we say, great content - even though we needed to take a few days off. All the stuff you'd expect: news, email and even a discussion on how to keep your home theater gear cool. But you have to listen to the show. No notes for this one.

HDTV Podcast #276

Thu, 15 May 2008 22:12:05 -0700

If you look at our DVRs you will see that the majority of the recorded shows are of over the air networks. These are high quality programs that arrive at your home free of charge. All you need to watch them is an ordinary antenna. On today's show we will talk about what you need to begin enjoying high quality picture and sound free of charge. We hope to give you the information you need to begin enjoying HDTV for free!

HDTV Podcast #275

Mon, 12 May 2008 23:26:29 -0700

With Electronic House Magazine announcing their 2008 Electronic House of the Year awards, and Kobe Bryant winning the NBA MVP award, we thought it fitting to announce some sort of recognition ourselves. For the first time ever, we've decided to declare some 'Home Theater Heroes.' They are companies or individuals that we believe are doing the most to drive innovation in HDTV and Home Theater. We're either thankful for what they've done, are enjoying what they're doing, or are excited to see what they have in store. We know everyone on this list is extremely honored just to be mentioned, after all how many times do you get a couple of guys on a Podcast announcing your company as a Home Theater Hero? Without further ado...

HDTV Podcast #274

Thu, 08 May 2008 23:01:33 -0700

As you would imagine being a close friend of the HT Guys comes with some benefits. We have a friend that just bought the SONY KDLXBR4 46 inch LCD and a SONY Blu Ray player. He asked for some help setting the TV up and of course we said yes. Well, we said yes because it provides good material for our show. Our friend uses Cox cable, OTA and Blu Ray for his HD material.

HDTV Podcast #273

Tue, 06 May 2008 05:48:00 -0700

Mother's Day is coming this Sunday, May 11. Sure, you can be like every other guy out there and get your mom or your wife, the mother of your children some flowers or a nice meal (j/k) for Mother's Day, but is that what she really wants? Be bold, get her something she'd never expect. She won't know how great a gift it is until a few months from now, when she realizes that it's become a part of her every day life and she can't imagine living without it. Here are some of the best bet technology gifts for Mother's Day.

HDTV Podcast #272

Fri, 02 May 2008 00:25:00 -0700

Our recent discussion about the Digital Television transition prompted a few emails asking about emergency preparedness and how the loss of analog TV transmission would affect consumers in the event of a natural (or man-made) disaster. This prompted a great email from one of our listeners about the emerging Mobile Digital TV Standard. And we have a quick review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35A 10.1MP Digital Camera.

HDTV Podcast #271

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:08:33 -0700

When you're researching an HDTV, you often find yourself reading what others have posted at various forums such as AVS. In those forums they tend to use a lot of jargon and lingo that a casual TV watcher may not understand, be aware of, or for that matter even care about. Today we'll try to define a few of them and add some clarity around the whole subject. As a "spoiler warning" if you own an HDTV, especially a rear projection HDTV, be warned. We'll talk about some issues that can appear on the screen that you may have never noticed before. If you start to look for them, you might start to actually see them. If you prefer to live in ignorant bliss, you might want to skip this feature.

HDTV Podcast #270

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:51:50 -0700

We receive emails all the time from listeners asking us about cables. Many ask what they would be missing of they were to use Component cable instead of HDMI. From a picture point of view your not giving up too much. From an audio point of view you would need to run eight RCA cables to bring in Dolby True HD or DTS MA sound tracks. Eight cables for audio and three for video. That's eleven cables to do the work of one HDMI cable. So with such a big advantage in cable management alone, we found it interesting that professional installers preferred to use component cables.

HDTV Podcast #269

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:42:18 -0700

In Episode 260 we covered various options for energy efficient home theaters. One of those involved making sure you look for the Energy Star logo on the products you buy. After all just because we want to watch HDTV doesn't mean our kids should be robbed of watching Quad-HDTV when they grow up. There are a lot of colors talked about in home theaters, white noise, black-out shades, red lasers, blu-ray...even rainbows on your DLP TV. But today we're going to continue in the green theme. Listener Greg from Michigan thought it would be a good idea to round out the discussion; we've talked about how to buy gear, now we'll cover how to get rid of it.

HDTV Podcast #268

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:23:32 -0700

First of all, you can now follow us at Twitter. Check it out and tell us what you think. There's a fun article about Great Movie Scenes for Surround Sound at Electronic House and it seemed like something cool to discuss on the show. And we've compiled a list of six 32" HDTVs for budget conscious buyers.

HDTV Podcast #267

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:17:42 -0700

Back in Episode #178 (June, 2007) we did a feature on the Vista Media Center. For that review we used an HP m8000n to run the Media Center. We talked about the features of the Media Center and how one could use the computer to run spreadsheets during the day and watch live TV or movies using an extender device at night. If you are not familiar with the features of the Media Center that would be a good show to go back and listen to. We will only be covering specific features of the Media Center as they pertain to the DSM-750.

HDTV Podcast #266

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:25:24 -0700

For today's show we'll talk about CNet's listing of the 5 best HDTVs they have reviewed. Then we get into a discussion on Hulu.com - a new video streaming site with a lot of potential.

HDTV Podcast #265

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:40:41 -0700

As most of us know the big transition from analog to digital television in the US will happen in less than a year. Either the public service announcements are starting to work, or people are just finally starting to pay attention, but our inbox is filling up with questions. We tried to cover the whole issue back in Episode 257, but we must have left out some crucial details because the email keeps coming. We'll probably need to do this again in the future, but let's see if we can clarify things a little better.

HDTV Podcast #264

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:04:05 -0700

Today we discuss what DLNA is and what it can mean for your home theater system. DLNA stands for the Digital Living Network Alliance and began in 2003 when a group of companies came together to create products that worked together. Today, there are more than 250 companies in the alliance.. They include consumer electronics, computer and mobile device manufacturers. DLNA published its first set of Interoperability Guidelines in June 2004 and the first set of DLNA Certified products began appearing in market soon thereafter. The latest version of the DLNA Interoperability Guidelines, version 1.5, was published in March 2006, and then expanded in October 2006. To become certified, products pass through the DLNA Certification Program.

HDTV Podcast #263

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:49:23 -0700

So by now everyone knows what's in Ara's Home Theater, in fact all over Ara's house, but we get questions occasionally on what Braden is using as well. To put those questions to rest, we'll get into all the details today. You've heard bits and pieces, like the recent addition of the PS3, but here's the whole system, all at one time.

HDTV Podcast #262

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:14:12 -0700

Today we discuss a recent article in CE Pro that runs down 9 A/V Receivers that you may want to consider for your next home theater. These receivers are not entry level and as such will cost a little more than your bargain receivers. For more information on the author check out his website at LeeDistad.com.

HDTV Podcast #261

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:10:15 -0700

Up until recently the only extender device available for your media center PC was the Xbox 360. On today's show we will discuss some new extender devices that are currently (or soon to be) on the market.

We also discus the results of a survey that we recently conducted.

HDTV Podcast #260

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:55:44 -0700

Many of us want to make sure that we are the most efficient we can be in how we use the resources we consume. One concern that has come up in our email inbox lately is all the power that is consumed by adding so many new home theater gadgets. We're using bigger TVs than ever before, more surround sound processors are in use, often people will add a game system like and XBox360 or PS3 and still have a DVD player or a Blu-ray player along with it. Of course you have to have a DVR, and there's the whole HTPC angle; it just keeps going. With all this technology proliferation, how do we keep our electricity usage in check, if for no other reason than we want to keep our monthly bills in a reasonable range?

HDTV Podcast #259

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:35:43 -0700

Well the folks at Oppo Digital are at it again. This time they have released a new high end Up-Converting DVD player. The DV-983H is the new gold standard in up-converting DVD players. It incorporates Video Reference Series processing (VRS by) Anchor Bay. This is the same technology used in video processors costing $3000 or more.

HDTV Podcast #258

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:23:32 -0700

This week we finally get to the review at lot of listeners have been asking for, the Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote by Logitech. We reviewed the Harmony 880 almost three years ago, and although Ara questioned the price premium, it eventually became our standard universal remote recommendation. Now with the release of the One, we were eager to see if it would replace the 880 in our hearts and minds. It won the 'Best of Innovations' award in the Home Theater Accessories category at CES 2008. You can find it in retail stores and online for an MSRP of $250 US.

HDTV Podcast #257

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:31:52 -0700

The United States is set to transition all over the air, or free to air, television broadcasts from analog to digital in just under a year from now. It acronym speak, we'll all need to use ATSC tuners instead of the NTSC tuners we've been using for the past half century. There are a bunch of questions swirling about the transition, we'll try to answer the most popular ones. If you live outside the US, this information may apply to you at some point in the future, when your governing body decides to make a similar transition.

HDTV Podcast #256

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 06:16:26 -0800

Now that the Writer's strike is over, we can finally start to get our favorite shows back. We'll talk about when you can expect to see new episodes of the great HDTV you've been missing for the last few months. You can read all about it a TV Guide. We've also got a review of the Pioneer VSX-94TXH 7.1 A/V Receiver.

HDTV Podcast #255

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:17:27 -0800

If you are like us you probably have one or two recordings on your DVR that you simply won't delete. But what if you want to archive the recording or watch it on your computer? Your choices in the past have been to down convert the program to 480i and record it on a DVD recorder or a computer with a capture card. Today we talk about a product that we saw at CES that solves this problem. The Gefen HD PVR (EXT-HD-PVR

HDTV Podcast #254

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:19:19 -0800

It's pretty clear by now that Blu-ray won the high definition video disk war. By the end of this year HD-DVD will be a distant memory and those who want to watch High Definition movies will need a Blu-ray player. There are a bunch of options out there for those in the market, and the Sony PlayStation 3 has been talked about as the most capable player available. For a long time it was the least expensive way to get a Blu-ray player. That isn't true anymore, but it's still close. It's currently available in two models, a 40 GB model for $399.99 and an 80 GB model for $499.99. Today we'll ignore the gaming side for the most part and look at how it performs as a home theater device.

HDTV Podcast #253

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:31:28 -0800

We've received a few emails asking for Ara to describe his A/V network. By now you probably know that at the center of the system is a Mac Mini serving up DVDs but what else can it do and how many zones does Ara have in his house. Today's show will take you through a virtual walk through of Ara's home.

HDTV Podcast #252

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:16:26 -0800

We had planned some very different content for today's show, but something very strange happened this week. There seems to be a huge backlash against Blu-ray for some reason. It caught us somewhat by surprise, but the trend is too strong to ignore, so we just have to talk about it. If the war really is over, and by most accounts it is, why aren't people rejoicing in the peaceful times ahead? Why can't we put the differences behind us and move on to soak in all our movies in HD on one kind of disc, and maybe enjoy a little wide scale adoption at the same time?

HDTV Podcast #251

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:35:44 -0800

Today we go through an article published in Sound and Vision Magazine entitled M-Card: Possible Its a guide that will help you obtain and use the new Multi Stream Cable Card.

Braden has been contemplating a new screen for his home theater, and the 73" DLP from Mitsubishi would fit quite nicely. So just like any good audio video enthusiasts would do on the weekend, he packed up the kids and spent some quality time at Best Buy and Magnolia to check it out.

HDTV Podcast #250

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:37:22 -0800

When Steve jobs introduced the next generation of AppleTV it took Ara about 30 seconds to decide it was worth buying the device. If for only satisfying his curiosities. So Ara purchased the new AppleTV about a month ago and there it sat until Tuesday of this week. That's because the device is essentially identical to the previous AppleTV but now with a new version of software the AppleTV is a brand new Machine. Ara gives his 'Take' on it, and we discuss Netflix and Best Buy going Blu.

HDTV Podcast #249

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:32:03 -0800

Most of us believe that what color you choose to put on the walls is a decision that should be left firmly in the hands of the aesthetics committee. But according to an article from the online version Electronic House magazine, the home theater enthusiast may want to weigh in on the decision. It seems there are some very good colors to use in the home theater, and some very bad colors.

And yes we went to CES, but no we didn't see everything. Insight Media just released their "Best Buzz" awards for CES 2008 and they mentioned a few products we either didn't see or didn't talk much about, so we thought it would be good to go over some of them. The Best Buzz awards are given by Insight Media at CES, and other trade shows each year. You can't petition to win - you win by showing a product or technology that gets people talking - something that creates buzz because of its uniqueness, innovation, styling, boldness or is just plain cool.

Finally a listener put together a A/V room with components that cost less than $5,000. This is something that you would be proud to show in your home. Take a look for yourself. Listener Joe's $5K Theater

HDTV Podcast #248

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 05:28:38 -0800

Listener Mike sent in a review of the Samsung BD-UP5000 combo Blu-ray and HD-DVD player. We review the Audioengine AW1 Wireless Audio Adapter. And the top 10 things we really wish could have been in high definition.

HDTV Podcast #247

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:27:59 -0800

We go over an article published at ElectronicHouse.com entitled How Much Will my Home Theater Cost? It describes what you can expect to get for $5K, $10K, $20K, $50K and $100k. We give your our take on the article. This is an audio feature but you can follow along with the link to the original article.

We also review the Monoprice HS-102 1X2 HDMI Distribution Amplifier.

HDTV Podcast #246

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:21:12 -0800

The Super Show; everything you'd ever want to know about Super Bowl XLII. There's something for everyone, even those who'd rather watch the Golden Girls than a sporting event, as we look at the technical production details behind the game, what TV to buy...even the somewhat odd way we decided who to pull for this year. You name it, it's all in there.

HDTV Podcast #245

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:41:18 -0800

This year's CES was as big as ever. Its too big for us to see and talk about everything so we try to stay focused on what most of our listeners are interested in. We recently received an email from Dale in McPherson, KS asking us to look into a product that was not shown on the main floor but in the Venetian hotel. The product is the Neosonik wireless home theater and hi-fi system. We have requested an evaluation system but we thought that the product would make a good topic for discussion.
Also,
We've discussed compression in the past, on Episode 13 and then again on Episode 107, but with all the talk about downloading HD content to your Vudu or Apple TV, and how that measures up to HD-DVD or Blu-ray, we thought it might be a good time to revisit the topic.

HDTV Podcast #244

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:30:30 -0800

There's lots of news and email to discuss, including the 'Save HD-DVD' petition. Will it work to slow the momentum Blu-ray is building? And DirecTV has some new features that aren't new to the market, but new for DirecTV subscribers, so we'll use them to get into deeper discussions on High Definition movies, specifically downloads versus discs.

HDTV Podcast #243

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:34:23 -0800

We witnessed the death of CRT a few years ago when we searched high and low all over the CES show floor for somebody showing anything resembling a tube TV and came up empty. This year, if you don't count the Texas Instruments DLP booth, we saw only three rear projection sets at the entire show. Sony has announced their exiting the market because it wasn't profitable. By not announcing anything new, JVC has all but announced that they won't be in the game for very much longer. Samsung announced a hand full of new models and Mitsubishi is is touting their new laser based unit that should be available before the end of the year. So for today's show we give you some tips that will help you decide if buying a Rear Projection TV is right for you.
Also,
Until now the concept of a media center PC, or a computer in your home theater has largely remained in the realm of the IT expert or extreme enthusiast. There hasn't really been a product yet that has bridged the gap between the IT side of your life and the consumer electronics side. We discuss our odds-on favorites to successfully mass market a computer for the Home Theater and "Bridge the Gap" from your computer to your TV.

HDTV Podcast #242

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:34:43 -0800

Last week it was CES and this week its Macworld. On today's show we cover Macworld from the perspective of HDTV and Home Theater. This year's Macworld was not as exciting as last year's but there were four announcements that you may be interested in.

HDTV Podcast #241

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:39:27 -0800

On Day two we walked the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, scouring the thousands of booths to find stuff you'd want to hear about. Listen to the show for all the details, but we've got highlights a bunch of great companies.

HDTV Podcast #240

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:05:55 -0800

We walked the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, scouring the thousands of booths to find stuff you'd want to hear about. Listen to the show for all the details, but we've got highlights a bunch of great companies.

HDTV Podcast #239

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:53:09 -0800

What we will be looking for at CES

HDTV Podcast #238

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 06:55:55 -0800

Since we received positive feedback on the Transformers technical review we did a few months back, we decided to make them monthly features. We'll alternate between Blu Ray Discs and HD DVD discs. For our second technical movie review we chose Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Blu-ray.

HDTV Podcast #237

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 07:04:58 -0800

This being our first show for 2008 we decided to give you our predictions on what we see happening. We have ten items and they are in no particular order. Please feel free to send us your predictions for 2008.

Happy New Year from the HT Guys!!

HDTV Podcast #236

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 06:13:43 -0800

As we close another year on the HDTV Podcast, we look back over what happened in 2007. We also revisit the predictions we made back in January to see how well we did. We hope you had a wonderful 2007 and look forward to an exciting and prosperous 2008.

HDTV Podcast #235

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 22:44:15 -0800

Merry Christmas from the HT Guys. We would like to thank all our listeners for your continued support! Today's show pretty much empties out our email and voice mail. We hope you enjoy!

Ara Derderian and Braden Russell

HDTV Podcast #234

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:33:34 -0800

Ever wonder who made the best Holiday turkey in High Definition, or what is the most watched animal in High Definition? DirecTV did a survey of some very off-beat HD topics. We'll go over the results.

HDTV Podcast #233

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:48:27 -0800

We recently did a review of the Pioneer Elite PRO-150FD 60" Plasma TV back in November (Podcast 224) so when Pioneer offered us the 42 inch model we weren't sure that we wanted to review a TV that was so similar. Since the TV was 720p we decided that it was different enough to warrant a review.

HDTV Podcast #232

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:42:18 -0800

Last year we assembled two starter systems (see Podcast 132 for details) that we felt was a nice entry into the world of HDTV and Home Theater. This year we do the same. Last year Braden designed a system with a 42 inch plasma, 5.1 sound, upconverting DVD player and a universal remote all for $3032. Ara's system included a 56 inch LCoS rear projection, 7.1 sound, upconverting DVD player and a universal remote all for $3359. Both systems cost less than our original HDTVs did by themselves.

HDTV Podcast #231

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 05:39:02 -0800

So you've been listening to the show for a while and now you are ready to buy your HDTV. We have some tips for you to get the most out of your HDTV once you get it out of the box. With permission from Audioholics we go through Clint DeBoer's Basic Television Setup Tips.

HDTV Podcast #230

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 05:58:59 -0800

So far this year we have given you our HTIB and HDTV buying guide. Our series would not be complete without a Home Theater Receiver buying guide. This year our list contains receivers that will support Dolby True HD and DTS HD. We feel recommending a receiver without this capability would be wrong. There are cheaper receivers out there that will produce good sound but without next generation audio to go with your next generation DVD it would be like watching a VHS movie on your new HDTV.

HDTV Podcast #229

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:39:47 -0800

It's time for our annual HDTV buyers guide. Today we list TVs from three categories that we would like to own. The range from very affordable to if money was not an issues this is what we'd buy. Last year our most expensive TV was the $6000 for a 50 inch Pioneer Elite Plasma. This year out top of the line plasma is $7500 but for the additional money you get 60 inches of pure plasma fun. Our lowest cost TV in 2006 was a 32 inch Westinghouse LCD TV. It went for $600. This year for the same amount you get a 37 inch LCD. Last year $3200 got you a 60 inch SONY SXRD TV. This year we have a 73 inch 1080p DLP from Mitsubishi for $2500! Without further ado here is this year's list:

HDTV Podcast #228

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:25:25 -0800

The HT Guys 2007 Home Theater in a Box Buying Guide. We list and briefly discuss eight systems ranging from just under $300 to about $1000. Most systems do not include a DVD player. Why when you can get a great upconverting DVD player from Oppo Digital or buy and HD DVD player for less than $200!

HDTV Podcast #227

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:39:17 -0800

Our first place-shifting review happened way back in October of 2005 on Episode 40 when we first looked at the Sling Media Slingbox. It's been two years, and we're now looking at a device that bills itself as the Slingbox Killer - the HAVA. Place shifting isn't exactly the revolution that it might have been 2 years ago, but it's still cool, and the HAVA adds some unique twist to the application that are really nice. In a nutshell the HAVA allows you to watch TV on virtually any PC on your home network, or on any Internet connected PC anywhere in the world.

HDTV Podcast #226

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 04:41:13 -0800

Today we put together a special Thanksgiving episode. You'll have to listen to hear what the HT Guys are thankful for. Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!