AV Rant #468: Hang Up!
This week, we thank Kyle and Steve for their donations, Scott S. for helping Sean with his home theater build, and Bruno for letting SVS know he heard about them from AV Rant all the way over in Belgium. Lots of news out of CES 2016: Oculus Rift VR will cost $599 and ship in March/April. A $1499 bundle gets you the headset along with a PC that can actually run the thing. The UHD Alliance laid out their Ultra HD Premium standard for content and displays. LG had the most impressive lineup of TVs with their Signature OLEDs and Super UHD LCDs that can handle both HDR 10 and Dolby Vision. Funai-Philips surprised us by also announcing a TV that accepts both HDR 10 and Dolby Vision as well as a $400 Ultra HD Blu-ray player. And functioning flexible OLED displays from LG are a real thing now that Rob believes we should call “roll-led”. Klipsch announced their WiSA Reference Premier HD Wireless speaker system. Yahoo Screen is dead. And Infinite Gary shared some AV Forums videos that dive into the details of LG’s OLEDs and Dolby Vision. James B. shared some online guides for soundproofing, ceiling construction, and cable raceways. Tom K. got a Harmony Elite remote for Christmas and loves its features. And a shout out to @SteveTheGeek on Twitter for his Next Gen Home Theater blog. Infinite Gary wonders about Gene’s (from Audioholics) comments on using a Center speaker that’s better than your Front L/R. He also asks about using identical speakers at home and in studios, how having more people in your theater affects the sound, and whether Auralex’ GRAMMA video is on the up-and-up. Gary also asks if Vidity is worth it in a 1080p setup and whether Oppo will play Vidity, why couldn’t LG get the last 1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, whether 5.1 SACDs might work on Ultra HD Blu-ray players, and how is OTA 4K TV going to work? Bill P. asks about Surround speaker height vs. elevation angle, and which in-ceiling Polk speakers he ought to buy. Ian E. is putting up two Surround speakers on each side wall and wants to confirm how he should aim them, and how he should place the microphone for measurement. Michael R. asks about set top box bitstream audio output. Jason has a $1,000 and wants a Best Bang for Your Buck AV Receiver. And David S. found some more Gene from Audioholics videos that make him question the use of Audyssey and acoustic treatments on the side walls. Jonathan F. followed the REW 101 Guide for taking measurements and he has several questions about it afterwards. Tim A. details the plans for his friend Rami’s theater while questioning some of Rami’s custom installer’s advice. And Ryan T. spotted a preview of Fluance’s new Signature Series speakers. Joseph P. has some minor setup issues with his MiniDSP 2×4. Byron S. asks about Atmos speaker placement using SVS’ new Elevation Speakers. Sean is ready to construct some walls in his theater and asks about DIY home automation options and good places to buy wire. And lastly, Jordan B. wants a career in home theater, so we mention CEDIA as the place to start his training. Thanks for listening. Now, don't forget to:
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