PS5 consoles get a slimmed down redesign with a modular disc drive. Best Buy is abandoning DVDs and Blu-rays. Microsoft officially owns Activision Blizzard now. And McIntosh’s $3,000 Graphic EQ majorly misses the mark.

Pictures shown in this episode: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAYLFz

00:00:00 – Intro

00:06:35 – What We Watched

Rob watched the start of the NHL Hockey season, continued Loki S.2, caught up on Star Trek: Lower Decks,and adored Pearl. Tom continued with Star Wars Rebels, did his best to enjoy Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark, and revisited Star Trek TOS.

00:22:58 – Listeners of the Week

Our Listeners of the Week are Tyler for his PayPal donation, plus our 136 Patreon Patrons.

Thanks also to Kris for giving Tom permission to use his photos on https://avgadgets.com/

And we appreciate the notes of gratitude for keeping the podcast going from: Dan, Kris, Mike, Luke, Stan, Greg, Julian, Michael, and Ilango. Thank you to everyone for continuing to listen!

In the news:

00:27:48 – News: PS5 Slim

Sony has redesigned their PS5 consoles to be smaller with a modular disc drive: https://tinyurl.com/44dhrtbn

00:32:02 – News: Best Buy Ditches DVDs

No more DVDs or Blu-rays, even online: https://tinyurl.com/2nv69hd4

00:39:07 – News: Xbox Owns Activision Blizzard

More than 20 months of legal battles and almost $69 billion finally results in Microsoft’s acquisition: https://tinyurl.com/3xyv4zfz

Comments:

00:45:35 – Comment: Infinite Gary – Cheap Sony Headphones

MDR-ZX110, which we’ve actually mentioned before: https://tinyurl.com/3habf47t

00:47:26 – Comment: Greg – WiiM Pro AirPlay 2 Transmitter

WiiM Pro has a trick up its sleeve: https://tinyurl.com/mrxpjf53

00:48:51 – Comment: Nathan – How To Build a False Wall

Link to instructions from an AVS Forum member: https://tinyurl.com/4cbjfucw

00:50:02 – Comment: Julian – Calvin, Hobbes & Dual HDMI

We reminded him of a comic strip, and splitting audio & video signals worked, but with a drawback.

00:52:41 – Comment: Ryan – Marantz Customer Service

A little slow, but ultimately satisfying.

QUESTIONS:

00:54:22 – Will: Long-Throw vs UST Projectors

Pluses & minuses of each, and our $3,000 picks.

– LG HU715QW: https://tinyurl.com/mrtjbv8f

– Epson 5050UB: https://tinyurl.com/2p9vthdr

– Epson LS11000: https://tinyurl.com/29tbde73

01:07:10 – J. Karl: Which 77″ OLED?

Sony A95L, Samsung S90C / S95C, or LG G3?

– https://avgadgets.com/you-should-never-wait-for-firmware-updates/

01:13:03 – Ilango: Conference Room TV

65″ Display for under $1,000.

– Hisense U7K: https://tinyurl.com/4bdfdvsm

– TCL Q7: https://tinyurl.com/ynbxk4pn

01:17:07 – Dan: Why Spend More Than SVS?

Why do we love cylinders so much? And what’s actually better if you spend more than SVS’ speakers cost?

01:30:08 – Kris: Tricky Surround Speaker Placement

How to get the signal to Surround Speakers when running wire is awkward.

– Amphony Model 1800: https://tinyurl.com/3p6narmt

– Sewell Ghost Wire: https://tinyurl.com/4ns6aw3a

– Monoprice Super Flat Adhesive: https://tinyurl.com/ykp6a8ud

– Terminal Blocks: https://tinyurl.com/bden5zdn

– Monoprice Flat Wire: https://tinyurl.com/2phh3fcy

– https://avgadgets.com/want-wireless-rear-speakers-weve-got-the-solution/

01:36:31 – Mike: Imprecise Screen Frame

What if you fudge the numbers when making a DIY screen frame?

01:39:25 – Luke: New Room Layout

We feel strongly about where his seats should go and how to treat his room.

– CMF Acoustics: https://tinyurl.com/2kzhfc4y

01:50:11 – John: Schiit Magnius vs Midgard Halo

Is the Magnius’ replacement model just as good?

– Midgard Halo: https://tinyurl.com/3hv8a8vy

01:54:32 – Stan: McIntosh’s Unforgivable Graphic EQ

The MQ112 Environmental Equalizer is a throwback that totally misses the point: https://tinyurl.com/5pr9zt5n

01:59:29 – Michael: Making Mono TV Sound

How to make a stealth, single speaker TV audio solution.

– Stereo RCA to Mono Converter: https://tinyurl.com/2rt74cjx

– Monoprice Slim Amplifier: https://tinyurl.com/efvahcky

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