Our Listeners of the Week are our 33 Patreon Patrons, including Ian E., as well as Josh S. Daniel A., and Tim B. who all took advantage of the SVS Black Friday sale to buy PB12-NSD subwoofers, and they let SVS know they heard about the sale from us.

In the news, Karl R. gave us a heads up that the FCC has approved the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard, and we recommend listening to Episode 31 of the CEDIA Tech Council Podcast to hear more details. Sony demonstrated the Dolby Vision update for their X1 Extreme TVs. And Ascend Acoustics is running a Holiday Sale.

Josh L. found a discount for a Sony XBR-75X940E 75-inch TV, and while it was still expensive, he talked himself into buying it after we said it was our absolute top choice for his setup last week.

Andy M. has an unfinished basement, so we discuss options for how to finish the ceiling in his theater area, and we think a 65-inch flat panel is too small for his setup, so perhaps an Elite Screens CineGrey 5Dprojection screen will suit his needs. Ian E. wants the ability to have three screen sizes for HDTV, CinemaScope, and IMAX, so we discuss his options, talk about the light output capabilities of the Epson 5040UB projector, and recommend Lutron Serena Shades to cover his windows. And Ted T. gets clarification about object-based audio, how to set up and position overhead speakers for both Atmos and Auro 3D, and why we don’t praise Polk speakers as much as some other brands.

Infinite Gary wants to know where that new product smell comes from. David B. asks about D-Box Motion Codes and how to use them at home. And Dave asks about using the ground screw on the back of his APC J35B battery backup power conditioner, as well as using a Cables2Go IR Repeater to send commands directly to the 3.5mm IR input plugs on the back of some of his equipment.

Ryan T. asks what the backlight setting on his Vizio M Series TV ought to be for HDR, and we also explain why lossy movie soundtracks, like Dolby Digital 5.1, have noticeably lower fidelity vs. lossy music files such as 256 kbps AAC. Marc N. switched to bitstream audio output for Netflix and is now getting Dolby Digital Plus on his Receiver, but he’s still hearing a difference compared to physical discs, so he asks why that is, and whether there’s a quality standard to which all movies and TV shows are mastered. And Henry T. wants new computer speakers, so we suggest AudioEngine or KRK Rokit monitors if he wants to stick to 2-channel, HiFiMan HE400S headphones, or a Denon AVR-X1300W Receiver with a Monoprice Premium 10565 5.1 speaker package plus a pair of Monoprice Premium Satellite speakers for a full 5.1.2 Atmos setup.

Finally, Chris T. is helping a friend install a theater in her basement, and he will be handling all of the installation and labor. We go over layout and Elite Screens AcousticPro UHD screen placement options for the oddly-shaped room, mention the BenQ HT2150ST short-throw projector if the mounting position requires short-throw, and recommend an APC J25B for battery backup power protection. We give an inexpensive male power outlet a thumbs up for running power to the projector, suggest a Denon AVR-X4300H or Marantz SR6011 with a 5.2.4 configuration, and urged him to take advantage of the SVS Black Friday sale to get a pair of SVS SB12-NSD subwoofers. We think Outdoor Speaker Depot MKW650 in-wall and MK650 in-ceilingspeakers would work well, discuss some other speaker brand options, and encourage him to make use of Auralex Room Analysis and GiK Acoustics Room Advice, both of which are free, to help plan the layout of acoustic treatments.

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