Friday
Oct122012
Oct 12 Podcast #552: DIY Cabling, 4K TVs and Sci-Fi Movies
This episode covers a wide range of topics, from various DIY ways to hide cables in your home theater to why 4K is more important than 3D, but maybe not as important as TV manufacturers would hope. We close out with a discussion on Sci-Fi movies and the role Science Fiction has played in shaping home theater and consumer electronics. Ok, maybe not, but it sounded good.
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Today's Show:
Blu-ray Reviews:
News:
- Boxee TV gets integrated HDTV antenna and DVR
- Roku and 3M’s portable ‘Streaming Projector’ can output a 120-inch projection for $299
- Death Watch Begins for New Fall Shows -- Which Series Will Be the Season's First Casualty?
Other:
- M-Net makes a leap to fast-track new shows to South African TV screens
- Online Video & DVD Rentals Reviews & Prices
- How To: 4 DIY Ways to Hide Cables
- 4K Is More Important Than 3D
- New Slingbox 350, 500 models unveiled
- Ceton's Echo Windows Media Center Extender to go on sale for $179
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DIY Cabling, 4K TVs and Sci-Fi Movies
This epsiode covers a wide range of topics, from various DIY ways to hide cables in your home theater to why 4K is more important than 3D, but maybe not as important as TV manufacturers would hope. We close out with a discussion on Sci-Fi movies and the role Science Fiction has played in shaping home theater and consumer electronics. Ok, maybe not, but it sounded good.
Ara’s Picks
- Star Wars - The Original
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- The Terminator
- Back to The Future
- Wrath of Khan
Just for Fun: Ear/Eye Candy
- All the Transformers
- Battleship
- The Avengers
Braden’s Picks
- Aliens
- The Matrix
- Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
- Total Recall (1990)
Just for Fun
- Transformers (only the 1st one)
- Galaxy Quest
- The Last Starfighter
- Predator
Reader Comments (10)
The Walking Dead fun fact for Ara. The title of the show is in reference to the survivors not the zombies.
I think any service will be dropped quickly these days if it doesn't achieve critical mass, regardless
of whether Walmart or whomever is behind it. ITunes and Amazon have the advantage.
I doubt Vudu or Hulu will make it as stand alone services.
Science Fiction Movie Suggestions:
Blade Runner !!!
Starship Troopers (the original not the sequels that I haven't seen)
The Robocop(s)
The latest Oppo players
I was listening to the AV Rant review of these new players and their upscaling sounds intriguing as do some of the other features, how about a review?
Science fiction additions
The Abyss
Jurassic Park
The Quiet Earth (Australian Film)
Inception
And of course Terminator
Hi guys
Greetings from the UK. Only just found your podcast. Got a lot of catching up to do.
Re top sci fi films: difficult to keep to five but in no particular order
Terminator 2
Starship Troopers
RoboCop (extended cut)
Aliens
BTTF (but I don't really count that as sci fi)
Also, currently watching Breaking Bad on NetFlix UK and have to say that is my fav TV series ever. Also enjoying The Walking Dead.
Keep up the good work.
Simon
for fun Sci-Fi movies I like
1. Demolition Man
2. Fifth Element
3. Wall E
4. Star Trek Nemesis
5. Minority Report
Growing up I liked the Last Star Fighter like you said and star wars. What do you guys think of movies today remaking some that we grew up with in the 80's and 90's?
Re: Scott C's comments. . .I couldn't agree more re Vudu & Hulu/Hulu+. I've used Vudu and it's nice, but the percentage of people that realize and appreciate that it has the best compression algorithms is somewhere near the # of people who die in shark attacks annually. It brings very little to the table over Amazon, iTunes, Netflix.
And I tried Hulu+, it's integrated into Tivo (sort of) so I thought why not. Unless you are a giant Alf fan there aren't too many compelling reasons (e.g. content) that I want or need. The two or three shows I really like on there are either broadcast TV or basic cable, so unless you're a cord cutter (and even if you are, you can get most of this stuff, just not the newest, on Netflix instant and elsewhere online) nothing is preventing me from getting them on my DVR. They're even jamming in commercials too. . .not down with it.
I just want Comcast to not be boneheaded idiots for a minute and allow HBO2go on Roku, Xbox, and other STBs. . .the content there is really amazing for the $18 @ month I pay for HBO.
Also I wish electronics manufacturers would put a little more effort into giving products new ways to deliver the content that you already own to you on your devices instead of pumping out meaningless apps and services. Tivo has had about 2 useful additions to its eco-system in 10 years. DLNA is sort of a joke. . .and the new Apple TV can't stream from an iTunes server (NAS, etc), only powered up computers. These are metaphorical kicks to the crotch as I check out the new 7 Vizio apps that have the widespread appeal that the traffic and weather in Orlando might have to the rest of the nation.
You talked about a DVR for over the air shows and how there isn't really anything. What about TIVO?
Dave . . .if you're referring to my comment (and even if you're not) you're totally correct. My Tivo S3 units and Tivo Premiere can all use an OTA HDTV signal as an input. On one of my units (my main TV in living room) I have both an exterior HDTV antenna as well as a cable connection going into the Tivo, and I have the Tivo programmed to get my OTA channels via the antenna and everything else via the cable card. I do it like this on my "nice" TV because that's the one I watch sports on and I am very close to a short, perfect line of sight to our transmitters and those signals look better and are a lot more stable than those same channels as served up via Comcast cable.
With just a Tivo and a Netflix subscription and internet service someone could cover an awful lot of their content bases if they had an opportunity to place an antenna somewhere that worked out well.
Hi Guys,
One other aspect that you didn't mention when you were comparing the acceptance rate of the current generation of flat panel HDTVs versus what it might be for 4K is that going from SD to HD included a form factor change. Many people bought HDTVs mainly because they could hang them on their wall or over a fireplace or wherever versus the bulky tube TVs. For some, this eliminated the need to shop for an entertainment center along with a new TV purchase (which many had to do previously when they upgraded in size).
Going from HD to 4K will not materially change the form factor so the acceptance rate will be much much slower than from HD to SD (in addition to the other reasons you guys stated).