Real HT Info Podcast

RHTI 39: Full Aperion Review, Blockbuster downloads, New Popcorn Hour is Here, "Vantage Point", Pixies' "Doolittle"

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:22:00 GMT

Episode 039 (8/15/2008): Click to Download (31 MB mp3)
Episode Length 55:33

Onkyo to partner with Universal Electronics to make Universal Remotes
I say great, the Harmony Series need some competition.

Blockbuster says "Me too", offers digital downloads
... a la Amazon or Apple with no new twist, or an hardware playback other than your PC. Too little, too late.

Update: Word has it, there is a Netflix-style free download section. I'm not a subscriber, can anyone out there confirm this?

New Popcorn Hour review units are in!
The recent A110 upgrade boasts only minor changes, but the B110 Motherboard is interesting. Full review on a future episode, quick and dirty unboxing here, if you like that sort of thing:

Product Showcase: Sony Bravia RHT G500
TV stand with built in AVR and speakers. Interesting concept, but would make upgrades diffficult and expensive.

Jason Has a Question...
Why is my DVD player quieter than my other devices, and should I use Onkyo's Intellivolume to cool my 805?

Review of the Full Aperion Audio Speaker Line
Mike and John let me test drive all the Aperion products during my recent visit to Portland.

<--Old Version, Sounds Great, Great Price.

Movie Review: Vantage Point
Marshall says 2 out of 5 stars

Pixies: Doolittle

If you'd like, you may donate here

RHTI 38: Aperion Audio Interview, Netflix on Xbox, HT IsoPod, Projector HTIB, "The Bank Job", Ani DiFranco "Knuckle Down"

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:41:00 GMT

Episode 038 (7/27/2008): Click to Download (31 MB mp3)
Episode Length 1:06:28

Netflix comes to the Xbox 360 w/ Live Gold Membership
Read the Blog Post Here

Ovei Home Theater pod is the ultimate viewing/gaming experience?
Got 6 figures to drop on your own isolation pod? Home Theater has never been so anti-social.

Product Showcase: Epson Ensemble HD Home Cinema System 720p and 1080p, the ultimate HTIB
Projector, 5 speakers, sub, and more. All in a single box (well, probably a couple, but you get the point).

<--I think this is the projector included with the 1080p verion, could be wrong.

Interview with CEO and VP Marketing of Aperion Audio
Win and John were kind enough to sit down with me during my recent visit to the West Coast. Full review of Aperion's entire line next week.

<--Old Version, Sounds Great, Great Price.

Movie Review: The Bank Job
Marshall says 4 out of 5 stars
<--Notice, looks more like The Transporter

<--Very 70s

Ani DiFranco: Knuckle Down

If you'd like, you may donate here.

Netflix, meet Xbox 360. 360...Netflix.

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:51:00 GMT

While not surprising, welcome news all the same. Netflix Instant Watching Movies will be coming to the Micorsoft XBox 360 this fall. Couple this with the recent price drop on Xbox 360 Pro (which also makes a decent media extender) and you're looking at a pretty solid deal.

Here's the catch, you have to have an XBox Live Gold membership which will run you $50 a year or $8/month. For non-gamers, the Roku Box is still looking pretty attractive at $99 w/ no fees.

(picture via Engadget)

RHTI 37: Netflix Saves Profiles, Roku brings "Big Names", MPAA and Streaming DRM, Aperion Speakers, "Street Kings", Weezer

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Tue, 8 Jul 2008 02:31:00 GMT

Episode 037 (7/7/2008): Click to Download ( 18 MB mp3)
Episode Length 38:32

Netflix Saves Profiles, all thanks to you. Next step: Netflix opens up to non-payng members?
Details on The Blog.

More Netflix news: Roku Box to stream Hulu, You Tube, or ABC?
According to Silicon Alley Insider, Roku has confided that they they will offer content from other "Big Name" providers. Who could they be?

More DRM, this time on streaming video
Let it never be said that the MPAA doesn't love investing heavily in (soon to be) failed technologyat the expense of the consumer.

Product Showcase: New Speakers and Subs from Aperion
Aperion Audio announces it's new Intimus 5 and 6 series speakers, and Bravus Digital Subs. I wax on a little too long about speakers that I will be talking about more in the next few weeks: I leave for Portland in two days and will hopefully be listening to these in person then. Stay tuned for first hand impressions.
<--Old Version, Sounds Great, Great Price.

Movie Review: Street Kings
Marshall says 4 out of 5 stars

Weezer: Weezer (The Red Album)

If you'd like, you may donate here.

Wow, Netflix gets served crow and orders seconds...

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 01:27:00 GMT

...and, I think, proves why they are the best in the game. This kind of customer support is what build loyalty.

Here's the email I, and assumedly every other Netflix subscriber, received just moments ago:

Subject: We are keeping Netflix Profiles

Dear Marshall,

You spoke, and we listened. We are keeping Profiles. Thank you for all the calls and emails telling us how important Profiles are.

We are sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused. We hope the next time you hear from us we will delight, and not disappoint, you.

-Your friends at Netflix

No explanations, just a great big "Sorry, we messed up."

So, what this means is that those who currently have profiles already setup will get to keep their profiles, and most importantly, their queues and ratings (more on why this is important later). It is still uncertain if new subscribers, or those without profiles already setup, will be able to create new profiles.

----
Update: This from the Netflix Community Blog, "Non-users of the feature and new members will be able to access Profiles in 2-3 weeks."
----

Here's what I think Netflix should do. They already have a tremendous web presence and the HANDS-DOWN BEST tool for finding, tracking, commenting on, and rating movies. Open the whole system up to everyone, subscribers and non-subscribers a like (right now, if you are not a paid subscriber, you can't search, rate, queue movies).

What it would cost:
-A couple servers
-A couple full-time web-coders

What Netflix gains:
-People start using Netflix to discover movies, rate them, leave comments. They make Netflix where the store their movie list (everyone has one). Let's call it 1 million new eyeballs, each visiting Netflix an average of once per day, 365 million hits a year. Those are conservative numbers.

-Netflix can implement advertising on the pages of non-subscribers. At the low-end of web advertising, you can expect $12 per 1000, so Netflix is looking at $4.4 Million per year.

-Occasionally, one of those folks will subscribe for a month, buy a used movies, or Netflix could even develop a pay as you go plan, say $3 per movie, per week. That's $12 per month, more than their lowest subscription plan and less than Blockbuster charges for 2-5days.

-More ratings means a more accurate rating system for everyone. And once again, rating are personalized. Unlike IMDB, or rotten tomatoes, a movie rated 3 stars for me may be rated 5 stars for someone else based upon Netflix's individualized weighted system.

-Netflix becomes the de facto name associated with movie rentals. Blockbuster is gone. IMDB becomes the second stop, rather than the first, for finding out more about your favorite movies.

How about it Netflix? Opening up your system makes a lot of sense to me. If you take my advice, feel free to buy some advertising on The Real HT Info Podcast.

For those interested, Jim corrects and clarifies further...

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:44:00 GMT

As long as you're posting me correcting myself, might as well have another go...

The "Skull" confusion re: anamorphic vs spherical lenses:

More research reveals my misunderstanding of Panavision lenses. Panavision's Primo series are available in both anamorphic and spherical, and are "prime" lenses, meaning non-zooming lenses. "The Crystal Skull" was shot entirely anamorphic, no flat material at all. It was shot entirely on film, then a digital intermediate was created for digital post production/editing. An effort was made to soften the image on occasion with filters to create "an idyllic Americana look." The film stock was Kodak Vision2 250D 5205, and 500T 5218. The production was primarily a single-camera shoot, with a few exceptions.

Sorry for the confusion. As much as I try to keep up with film technology, I don't work with Panavision equipment, and so I'm not the authority on their extensive equipment line.

Jim Addie
jaddie@platinumhometheaters.com
-------------------------------------

...I'm not going to fault you one bit Jim. -mg

Jim fills us in on the Fight Club Re-Framing

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:42:00 GMT

From Jim @ www.platinumhometheaters.com ...

Fight Club was shot in a wide screen format called "Super 35", a flat, wide screen process that uses standard spherical lenses to fill a 35mm Academy frame, then is cropped down to 2.35. Release prints were probably anamorphic to avoid confusion, but the original was flat, which made the re-cropping for HBO possible. Super 35 isn't used all that much, as there is a resolution/grain penalty.

Update: Did some more digging. Everything I said before was right except that "it isn't used much". Boy, am I wrong there! James Cameron likes it, for example. Top Gun used it to get cockpit shots. Thousands of features. Also, it's not as big a rez hit as I thought, as it uses the optical soundtrack area for picture on the neg. Like I said, nothing is released in Super 35, it's always turned into something "standard" a booth can handle, like 2.35 'scope, or 1.85 flat. Still a rez hit, but not so much. Can also be shot 3 perf and printed to 4 perf, which they do when the cost of negative stock is an issue.

2.35 anamorphic fills the Academy frame, so there's nothing much above and below what is projected, assuming nobody's fiddled with the aperture plate in the projector (not always a fair assumption!). But you couldn't re-crop, say, a Panavision film, because of the frame being filled with anamorphic. Crystal Skull, which was shot principally with Panavision anamorphic lenses (albeit the C and E series, which is why I probably didn't see the oval specular highlights) on a Panavision Millennium XL camera had virtually no extra material above and below frame, other than the usual "safe" margin.

Update: My comment on "Skull" was sort of wrong too, they did shoot Panavision Anamorphic, but they also shot some stuff with Panavision "Primo" lenses, which are spherical, resulting in non-anamorphic film. Not too sure why, except spherical lenses are smaller, faster, cheaper, etc. Primarily shot anamorphic, though. Part of the driving force behind Super 35, in fact, is the lenses. That's why many budget films are shot Super 35...cheap cheap cheap. No special lenses. Your DP might even own a Cooke or two, and anybody's Arri will work just fine.

I've spoken with cinematographers about this kind of thing. Studios sometimes dictate the wide screen process, not as much now, but a decade or more ago for sure. One film I know of, and I know the DP too, was shot full frame 1.33, cropped to 1.85 for theatrical release, and the cropping was done with a 1.85 aperture plate in the projector.

The film contained a full aperture image (we own a 35mm print). But it was composed for 1.85. However, early video transfers printed the full frame. It was a way around letterboxing, but the DP was livid, as he never composed that way, and ran the risk of mic booms and lights in the shot. As it happened, none were visible, but he was mightily P.O.'d none the less. Later video transfers were letterbox 1.85, but were cropped inside the theatrical 1.85 slightly. That Wide Screen web site covers transfer anomalies quite thoroughly.

Jim

RHTI 36: Adios Netflix Profiles, $50 Surround Sound, HDCP Broke My Movie,

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Episode 036 (6/23/2008): Click to Download ( 21 MB mp3)
Episode Length 43:46

Netflix removes profiles, will delete user ratings and other features Sept 1
Announced on the Netflix Blog Here.

XBMC not just for XBox; Now Windows, Apple, and Linux
I haven't tried it yet, but it is highly regarded. Download for your HTPC here.

Manipulating Aspect Ratios: Adding Info to go from 2.35:1 to 1.78:1?
Check out the Fight Club side-by-sides here.

Visual Effects Wizard Stan Winston Passes at the Age of 62
The man brought us Aliens, Terminator, and Jurrasic Park. Thanks Stan.

Product Showcase: JVC SXXSW6000 5.1 Surround System (Only $53 shipped)

You no longer have an excuse to listen through your TV's built-in speakers.

The Troubleshooting answer: HDCP (aka DRM)
This is why my movies no longer play. Hollywood continues to punish it's paying customers while pirates have no problem finding their way around sad little DRM. Dear Hollywood, why do you hate us?

Movie Review: Alpha Dog
Marshall says 4 out of 5 stars

Chris Smither: Leave the Light On

If you'd like, you may donate here

More on Aspect Ratios: An Alternative to Cropping give you More Movie.

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:34:00 GMT

A follow-up to last weeks Aspect Ratio segment with Jim...

The picture associated with this post (let me know at realhtinfo@gmail.com if you can't see it) shows two captured frames from Fight Club side-by-side. The top one is 1.78:1 and from an HBO-HD Broadcast (the only HD version, I believe). The bottom one is from the Special Edition DVD at 2.35:1.

Typically, to format a 2.35 image to a 1.78 screen, you'd "cut off" the left and right sides. In this case, the 1.78 is actually reframed, contains the full 2:35 image plus extra info on the top and bottom, and in the first scene I looked at, is actually framed further right than the Original DVD. Check out business cards on desk, and space between right border and the ashtray to see what I mean.

While I suppose this is still taking away from the Director's vision of the movie (I don't know if Fincher approved this reframing or not), I prefer it to losing parts of the image to cropping.

Does anyone out there have more info or examples of this practice?

RHTI 35: Trouble Shooting, Joe Kane Designs $7k Projector, Jim & Aspect Ratios, "Rambo", The Weepies "Hideaway"

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:14:00 GMT

Episode 035 (6/15/2008): Click to Download ( 31 MB mp3)
Episode Length 1:06:40

We're joined this week by Jim from Platinum Home Theaters

Product Showcase: Samsung SP-A800B

Top-of-the-Heap projector designed by the man behind Digital Video Essentials, Joe Kane.

How to Troubleshoot and Save Money in doing so.

Don't pay the Geek Squad, your 10-year old can trouble shoot. Are you as smart as a 10-year old?

The Scientific Method

And now that you have the facts, do you know what the problem with my TV is? If so, email me or post at the Home Theater Shack.

And if you're curious about the DIY PC video, here it is.

Jim and I talk Aspect Ratios

Chart of film formats...re-sort by clicking on column headers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_film_formats

A more concise article and chart:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_ratio_(image)

Wide Screen Museum
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/aspectratio.htm

Wide Screen Museum article about DVDs and Aspect Ratios
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/special/caveat_emptor.htm

Yet Another WSM article
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/lbx.htm

Movie Review: Rambo
Marshall says 3 out of 5 stars

The Weepies: Hideaway

RHTI 34: Boycott Monster Bullies, JBL Control Now, Tranquil Atom HTPC, Jim Visits Dolby and THX,

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:07:00 GMT

Episode 034 (6/9/2008): Click to Download ( 35 MB mp3)
Episode Length 1:15:10

Subscribe to The Real HT Info Blog. Learn How to Subscribe to RSS Here. If you have problems, email me at realhtinfo@gmail.com, and I can help you through it.

We're joined this week by Jim from Platinum Home Theaters

News: Indy Jones Drops Out, Monster Cable just can't stop suing people.

Paramount stops piracy by stomping all over your $7 movie ticket...but no, I didn't notice it. Still, wait for the DVD if you want an experience worth your money.

Monster Cable, aka Goons and Bullies, beside making overpriced cables, can also lay down a heck of a frivolous lawsuit. Kurt from Blue Jean Cables spanked them hard, but their latest victims, Monster Mini Golf, may not be so lucky. Boycott Monster, get more for your Home Theater $$, and don't support starving out the little guy.

Product Showcase: JBL Control NOW and Tranquil PC

Remember...spending money on new gear isn't usually the answer. Unless you've set everything up properly and treated your room, you don't need new speakers.

JBL Control Now

Pizza Shaped Speakers that tuck into corners or hang like a ceiling fan. Cool.

Tranquil PC Atom based Computers

A fanless (dead quiet) HTPC that uses the same amount of electricity as a 100W Energy Saving Lightbulb? Can I get it for less than $400? Yes I can.

Get one that looks like an HT component here.

Get more info on My PC vs. The Popcorn Hour and what it costs to run your Home Theater.

Buy your own Killawatt and find out how much your HT costs to run.

Jim Visits Dolby and THX

Dolby Booth and Theater Pics - Thanks to Ioan Allen

Get the best experience possible and find A THX Theater near you.

Movie Review: Once
Marshall says 4 out of 5 stars

Tom Petty: Wildflowers

Sound Dropouts in Indiana Jones put there on purpose.

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 18:16:00 GMT

...and speaking of Indiana Jones, do you notice the sound drop out? Paramount is purposefully trashing the soundtrack of their big summer blockbuster in order to identify pirated copies of Indiana Jones.

Why should we put up with this?

Josh over at Cinema Blend knocks this one out of the park. Give it a read: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Indiana-Jones-Soundtrack-Intentionally-Muted-In-Theaters-9028.html

RHTI 33: Netflix Set-Top Box is Here!, "Indiana Jones: Crystal Skull", Louis Prima "Capital Collectors Series"

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Mon, 2 Jun 2008 17:20:00 GMT

Episode 033 (6/2/2008): Click to Download (27 MB mp3)
Episode Length 46:14

Subscribe to The Real HT Info Blog. Learn How to Subscribe to RSS Here. If you have problems, email me at realhtinfo@gmail.com, and I can help you through it.

News: Onkyo 606 is out, get a 605 on the cheap.

The Onkyo TX-SR606 is out, which means there are closeout deals happening on the TX-SR605. Differences? The 606 has 4 vs 3 HDMI ports, and upsclaes analog inputs to 1080i instead of 720p. In other words, not much, so if you're in the market, the 605 is a potential steal.

Netflix/Roku Instant Watching box for $99

Netflix releases a small/cool/quiet $99 box. If you already have a subscription, movies cost you nothing, and you can watch as many as you want. The competition: Apple TV, Vudu, Tivo/Amazon Unbox, The Popcorn Hour.

Got an Apple TV and wish it were more like the PopCorn Hour? Check out ATV Flash (will hopefully be on sale again soon).

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Jim says 4 out of 5 stars
Marshall says 2.5 out of 5 stars

Get the best experience possible and find A THX Theater near you.

Louis Prima: The Capital Collectors Series

Listen at the end for a New Segment and a chance to win a Free HD-DVD
(Yeah, I know...whoopie. But, Free is FREE.)

$99 Netflix Player Wirelessly Streams

Tue, 20 May 2008 12:33:00 GMT

The short version:
This $99 box, along with your $9/month Netflix Subscription (which you may already have), allows you to stream any of the 10,000 Watch-It-Now movies and TV shows on Netflix.com to your TV over a wired or wireless connection. While the Netflix offerings are currently in Standard Def, It's also ready for when HD becomes available.

So, how valuable is this really? Just visit your Queue.

Of the 440 movies I currently have in my Netflix Queue, 44 are available for Watch It Now. No, I didn't make that up; A Perfect 1 in 10 of my movies could be viewed instantly at no additional charge (those same 44 movies would cost me $132-176 at Apple iTunes).

Couldn't you already view these movies on your TV if you have a laptop or HTPC? Sure, but this product is for the other 99%. Think your mom, your kids, your brother-in-law who was in the fishing accident.

And what's next? Not that I think a $99 player (with potential for future HD upgrade) isn't already great, but what this signals to me is that we can expect to see more Netflix integration into devices that we already have (PS3 and Xbox). Maybe even the Popcorn Hour?

"Dream Big", I always say.

RHTI 32: NIN 24/96, Popcorn Hour Wireless, Foley Artists, "Cloverfield", Willie Nelson "Across the Borderline"

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Mon, 19 May 2008 02:48:00 GMT

Episode 032 (5/16/2008): Click to Download (37 MB mp3)
Episode Length 39:47

Jon wins a Free HD-DVD

Congrats to Jon in Maryland! He won a free copy of 12 Monkeys on HD-DVD. Subscribe to The Real HT Info Blog for more chances to win.

Learn How to Subscribe to RSS Here. If you have problems, email me at realhtinfo@gmail.com, and I can help you through it.

AudioEngine AW1 Wireless Audio Adapter Update - Latency

We had a couple questions about the AW1...

First, latency comes in at about 20ms, according to both the specs and my measurements. What does that mean? It's just fine for most applications, but if you're super exacting about sound, this probably isn't a good option for rear speakers (but certainly no worse than any other wireless option out there).

Second question: How many AW1 units can be used simultaneously? I've emailed Brady and I'll post the answer RIGHT HERE, and in The Real HT Info Blog, as soon as I find out.

Popcorn Hour goes Wireless

All for $37!

Home Theater Minimalism

I'm Going Minimalist. Look at this...see those big bookcases full of CDs. I'm going to rip those to FLAC and build some Bass Traps. Don't worry, I'll video everything long the way.

Sound in Film: Foley Artists at Work

You know that "Sproing" in Bourne Ultimatum? It didn't get there by accident.

Movie Review: Cloverfield
2 out of 5 stars

Willie Nelson: Across the Borderline

Phenomenal !!

Mon, 19 May 2008 02:06:00 GMT

Just editing Episode 32...I use the adjective "Phenomenal" a lot, don't I?

And the "Sproing" goes to...

Mon, 12 May 2008 01:46:00 GMT

About a month ago, I finally got around to watching The Bourne Ultimatum, and now forgive Bourne for beating Transformers and costing me $35 in an Oscar pool (I still won, but it was a tie and I had to split the top prize).

The Bourne Ultimatum took home the award for Achievement in Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, as well as Film editing.

I've started noticing little "jokes" sound designers put in. For instance, in the car chase scene in Ultimatum (1:30:52 in), Bourne rolls a cop car and a spring flies off towards the camera with this "sproing" sound. Maybe it was an unintentional joke, but I laughed.

Here's an MP3 of the "sproing" in question:

http://realht.info/blog/blog_items/bourne%20car%20chase_mixdown.mp3

This got me thinking about the craziness that is sound design and Foley effects. When they film that big car crash, they don't just set up a camera and microphone and then run the cars into one another.

In fact, it's likely that very little of the sound is from the actual car crash. More likely is that all those sound of twisting metal and breaking glass are created on a sound stage, then painstaking added one by one after the fact.

Odds are that spring was added after the fact also, in CGI. Either that, or it was the most fortuitous spring explosion ever, and they just had to play it up.

You can currently get the HD-DVD Combo disc of Bourne Ultimatum (will play in a standard DVD player) for less then the price of the Standard DVD. I've also linked the book, for those of you still clinging to the printed word.

Popcorn Hour gets wireless N, Stream HD Video to your Living Room.

Sat, 10 May 2008 01:03:00 GMT

So its not totally official yet, but The Popcorn Hour A100 is due for a $37 Wireless N adapter which will provided 20mbps streaming of HD Video from your PC or server to a small, noiseless device connected to your Home Theater (should be more than sufficient, but faster speeds are possible in the future).

In my opinion, you'd have to be a fool to buy a Windows Media Extender (if you could find one) over a PH at this point. Apple TV still provides ample competition, especially with a user interface that is the best out there, and given the PH's near unusable support for music. On the other hand, good luck getting anything but Apple-blessed formats to play, whereas the PH doesn't ask questions, it's just throws up your High Def Content in your Theater. Got file formats? Popcorn Hour plays 'em.

Similar devices like the iStar, with their fancy on/off switches and new-fangled SATA support, had been creeping up on the PH for a while, but with Wireless, the Popcorn Hour pulls ahead once again.

Here's my video review of the Popcorn Hour A100, in case you missed it...

Popcorn Hour A100 Review $179 - Click here for another funny movie.

Free HD-DVDs!

Sat, 10 May 2008 00:08:00 GMT

My "Free" HD-DVDs are here. I mailed the form in on February 29th, and they arrived on May 7th. Not too bad I guess, your typical 6-8 (or 10) weeks.

What I requested:
The Italian Job
Pitch Black
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Frighteners
Troy

What I received:
The Italian Job
12 Monkeys
Jarhead
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (combo dvd)
Troy

So, other than having no desire to ever watch these movies again (I've seen them all at least once), not a bad deal. I was going to ebay them, but instead, the first person to email me with the subject line "Long Live HD-DVD" wins one of them, your pick.

If you don't know the email address, you'll have to do a little detective work, eh?

Fine print: Open only to residents of the US. If you're the first email, and you reside in foreign lands, I'll give you a shout out on the show, but you're on your own for HD-DVDs.

UPDATE: Congrats to Jon who was first in and selected 12 Monkeys as his free HD-DVD. Thanks to everyone who emailed.

As a side note, I promise NOT to do the next contest at 8pm on a Friday.

Best of both worlds: Sound Panels that perform like Fiberglass, but are easy like foam.

Thu, 8 May 2008 23:58:00 GMT

Back in Episode 8 we started a brief discussion on Acoustics in your Home Theater. Then in Episode 10, we talked about how you can make panels that help treat reflections, making everything sound cleaner and clearer. Well, the most commonly prescribed material for such a panel is fiberglass. Of course, fiberglass can be itchy and irritating to work with.

On the other hand, open-cell foam is non-irritating and easy to work with, but it doesn't perform nearly as well as fiberglass, and is often more expensive.

Well, a company called SoundAway has a product made from recycled denim (essentially reclaimed cotton). Not only do they perform very well, they are fairly inexpensive, non-irritating, and earth-friendly.

The material comes in a variety of thicknesses, and is available in flexible rolls for in-wall or adhesive mounting, or more rigid panels that can be hung on a wall or used as ceiling tiles. The panels even come in a variety of colors, so no fabric covering necessary (well, it depends on who you ask).

I need an excuse to order some of these to see them first-hand. Maybe the Weis Cinema could use some (no, it definately could, I just need to see what kind of budget I get in July.)

I'm trying to think of an excuse to get my hands on a couple, but my own space is about as treated as it's going to get.

Another Free Nine Inch Nails album, in 24/96

Thu, 8 May 2008 21:43:00 GMT

Well, there's certainly no disputing that Nine Inch Nails have done very well for themselves with their first foray into digital distribution.

You may remember Episode 31 in which we discussed Ghosts, the first post-record contract album released by Nine Inch Nails. All 2500 copies of the $300 "Ultra Deluxe Limited Edition Package" sold out in under a week (that's $750,000), plus however many $75, $10, and $5 packages they've sold.

Well, even though Ghosts was released only about 2 months ago, Trent is back with a full album, complete with vocals this time.

Well, just a short time later we're being treated to another new album, this time with vocals. And not only that, but The Slip is being released totally free, all you have to do is submit your email. Not only that, but in edition to High-Bitrate MP3 and Lossless CD quality formats, it's available in 24/96 quality for all the Golden Ears out there.

In Trent's own words...

"Thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years - this one's on me."

Picture of Dolby Theater from Jim.

Thu, 8 May 2008 20:28:00 GMT

Ever wonder what the big boy's theaters look like? Well, it doesn't get any bigger than Dolby.

Here's a shot from Jim @ Platinum Home Theaters. He'll be on the show in the future to talk about his trip to both Dolby and THX.

"I visited Dolby today, and met Ioan Allen, who as you probably know, developed the application of Dolby technology to film sound, and appears as the "Dolby Consultant" on many film credits, and also met Craig Todd, who developed the steering logic behind Dolby Stereo (theater systems) and ProLogic. I also got to see their screening room, designed by Ioan, and he took me through some of the design criteria.

The seats were designed to be acoustically identical to a human, so the acoustics of the room don't change if it's fully occupied or not. The acoustics are also variable, they can make it more live for recording work, or very dry for films."

The new standard in DIY Projection Screens?

Thu, 8 May 2008 20:23:00 GMT

You know what a fan of DIY I am. If you have the knowledge and skills, there are countless ways to improve you system while saving money.

I'm also a fan of front projection systems. When it comes to getting that larger than life experience, you need a big screen, and at 10 feet away, that screen should be at least 70".

For a screen that size, you're looking, almost exclusively, at front projection. Front projectors are really coming down in price, but the thing that folks always forget to factor in is the cost of the screen. You can't just shine that projector on a white bedsheet and expect to get the best image possible.

Of course, a professional screen can add $1000 or more to the cost of your Front Projection system. But is there a less expensive option?

Some the folks at The Home Theater Shack think so. They've come across a mixture of aluminum and base coat paint that seems to rival even professional screen at a cost of only a couple hundred dollars. They call it Black Widow because it is very bright while retaining good black levels (high contrast ratio, if you will).

The mixture can be applied to a piece or wood or laminate material, or directly to a wall, if you choose. Jim even floated the idea of using these speakers and painting right over them (we'll have to ask him how they sound).

So can this DIY screen, costing only a few hundred dollars, really rival the performance of professional screens costing thousands of dollars? I'll leave it for you to decide based on the measurements, but the folks using Black Widow seem pretty happy with the results.

If you're looking for a DIY screen, I'd take a look at Black Widow.

I'm back.

Thu, 8 May 2008 20:10:00 GMT

So, this will be the first in an onslaught of blog posts. If you couldn't care less about why there haven't been posts lately, and just want to get to the Home Theater stuff, skip ahead to the next post.

So, as many of you probably know, I work in Higher Education. When April rolls around, right at the end of the social calendar, and right before commencement, it all starts to go crazy.

Granted, I started the podcast about 1 year ago this past April. I don't know how I found the time, but I'm glad I did.

So, with Jim taking off for a couple weeks, and work getting crazy (and no time to watch movies), I guess I took a little time off.

Well, Real HT Info is back, so let me know what you want to hear.

Apparently, I did not make myself clear....

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:03:00 GMT

I'm already getting emailed specific questions about the AW1 from Episode 31, so I'll be covering a follow-up in the ext episode. Post or email (realhtinfo@gmail.com) questions, and I'll make sure they get answered.

Thanks,

Marshall

RHTI 31: AudioEngine AW1 Wireless Audio Adapter, Bad DRM, Nine Inch Nails "Ghosts", Elizabeth "The Virgin Queen" and "The Golde

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:52:00 GMT

Episode 031 (4/14/2008): Click to Download (29 MB mp3)
Episode Length 41:10

This Show was Streamed Live HERE

Why is HDMI 1.3 Unnecessary on the Popcorn Hour? Listen to Episode 14.

My Muxtape: an Online Mixtape of Music featured on the Podcast.

PS3 Now does DTS-MA...the Best Blu-ray player?

AudioEngine AW1 Wireless Audio Adapter

A little on the pricey side, but a perfect companion to the A5 speakers. Real HT Info approved.

DRM: A Historical Perspective

Patrick Wilson from Weezer talks about DRM on Macbreak 82.

DRM on CDs is very BAD (and thankfully rare, Sorry Sony)

Buy High-quality DRM-Free music for less than iTunes at Amazon MP3.

Music Review: Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts

Movie Review: Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen, and The Golden Age
3 out of 5 stars

Please, if you haven't yet, take the survey. It's free, and it would please me greatly.

The Live Show: Today, Sunday April 13th @ 12 noon EST

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 04:15:00 GMT

http://realht.info/video/

So, I'm trying something new. Tomorrow, well, today, I'll be recording the podcast, but I'll be broadcasting LIVE as I do it. This is your opportunity to watch and listen to the show as it comes together, without the magic of editing (but I am going to get the theme music in there). Not only that, but using the chat room,you can ask questions that I will answer LIVE on the show, and may even make it into the final recorded podcast.

So, when and where:

Today, Sunday, April 13th, 2008
12 Noon Eastern Standard Time

http://realht.info/video/
This link will take you to an embedded player click my user name to chat.

This week, I'll probably be using Yahoo Live (Use the Link Above), though I have checked out Ustream as well. If you have other suggestions, let me know.

On the show we'll be taking about the AudioEngine Wireless Audio Adapter, recent break-throughs/break-downs on the DRM front, Nine Inch Nails, and Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth Series (non-producer/director attribution intentional.)

Hopefully, I'll see you there.

The Live Show, Real HT Info Live on the web?

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 19:35:00 GMT

So, I'm rolling around trying out a live show, via something like Yahoo Live or Ustream? What are folks thoughts, do you think this would be interesting, or am I just spinning my wheels, trying to be all Web 2.0?

Tell me what you think at this thread, or comment, or email me @ realhtinfo - at - gmail.com

RHTI 30: Surround Sound: A Historical Perspective, "Enchanted", Gnarls Barkley "St. Elsewhere"

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Tue, 1 Apr 2008 22:01:00 GMT

Episode 030 (4/1/2008)
This Week's Co-Host is Jim from Platinum Home Theaters
ÂÂ Surround Sound: A Historical Perspective
ÂÂ Movie Review: Enchanted
ÂÂ Music Review: Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere

So much going on, here's the quick and dirty...

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:03:00 GMT

Good visit with the parents. They're back in Iowa with my old Center Channel in tow (JBL S-Center II). Their old center (JBL N-Center II) is off to my sister's place, along with her new Philips DVD Player, as the first piece in what will be her first Home Theater.

No episode this weekend, integrated soundcard gave up the ghost. New one in place, I'll be recording with Jim this Thursday. Edited and posted next weekend.

We'll be talking the history of HT, and have a couple music and movie reviews, and wireless speakers from Audioengine.

I purchased an Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on with the hopes of video-ing a tutorial on how to convert your HD-DVDs to Blu-ray. Unfortunately, the process is still a little too complicated to recommend it to most folks.

Good news though, the latest firmware enables EVO playback on the Popcorn Hour A100 (with a few bugs). Hypothetically, Planet Earth would look great on the A100, if it weren't illegal to use the X-Box Drive and AnyDVD to rip the EVO files off the HD-DVD disc.

Back from Boston, Parents In Town

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 13:04:00 GMT

Though I've only been away for a week, it's felt like an eternity. I figured I'd better give everyone an update so that you don't think I lost my mind and wandered off, only to be found confused and pantless at the Beacon Metro Stop.

Boston was great, but I had no free time to do any HT related stuff. It was all Higher Ed, all the time. I didn't even have time to step into the Tweeter a block from my hotel. I did, however, have time to try the Balvenie Port Wood 21 (scotch) at a dinner party (Thanks for the drink, Chartwell's!). It was really good, but for my money, I'll stick to the Doublewood 12.

Got home from that, had one day to dig myself out at work, and then was off to pickup my parents from EWR, in from Iowa. That's them and my sister at her wedding in the Photo tagged with this post.

So yesterday, we took a mini-tour of some places that my mom wanted o see in Western Massachusetts. On stop included the Animagic Museum, which features the work of animators and special effects artists in the Berkshires area (whose works include Chicken Run and The Matrix). It is a humble little shop curated by Eugene Mamut, who won an Academy Award for his work which lead to the creation of the camouflage effect in Predator. The "tour" of the little space is free, but if you don't take the workshop or buy anything, drop a couple bucks per person in the donation jar.

I wouldn't go more than 30 minutes out of my way to see the Animagic Museum, but if you're planning on being near the Berkshires anyone, make an appointment.

So today we're laying pretty low. We're going to hit up a maple syrup Festival, and then watch some movies. I'm thinking Across The Universe.

RHTI 29: A few corrections, Jim's On-Board, Apple TV in Depth Analysis

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Sun, 9 Mar 2008 14:15:00 GMT

RHTI 29

--A Few Corrections
--Jim's On-Board
--Apple TV in Depth Analysis

Spam for the iPod Generation

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 00:54:00 GMT

Well, after a generation of mindlessly blowing out our eardrums, the iPod generation has finally ht that ever important 21-34 demographic. This graphic is from legitimate SPAM email I received today, promising relief from tinnitus (ringing sounds in your ears) by simply administering a few drops. The first bottle is even FREE!!

Before you plunk down your $$, know that THERE IS NO CURE, SO STOP USING STOCK EARBUDS!!

I'm sorry I had to yell, but your hearing being what it is, and with you iPod cranked to 11, I figured it was the only way. Here's the harsh truth...

...you're killing your hearing, and there is no cure. If you want to enjoy music past your 40s, get some real headphones, check your volume, and use ear-plugs.

Listen to Episode 4 for my recommendations.

I have an aunt who just hit 50, and is deaf in one ear, and that's before ipods. Trust me, it blows.

I'll be in Boston in a week...

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:46:00 GMT

I used to live in Fall River, MA, and often went to Boston, but I've never been Hi-Fi shopping there. If you know any good Hi-Fi stores in the Boston Area, drop me an email.

RHTI 28: HD-DVD's Dead...What's Next?, Home Theater > Cinema, Popcorn Hour Video Review, "The Brave One", Mike Doughty "Golden

realhtinfo@gmail.com — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:31:00 GMT

Click for show notes:

Episode 028 (2/24/2008)
ÂÂ HD-DVD is Dead, What's Next?
ÂÂ Home Theater is Better Than Cinema
ÂÂ The Popcorn Hour, Full Video Review
ÂÂ The Brave One
ÂÂ Mike Doughty's Golden Delicious

Oscars Tonight, Get your Ballot here.

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 14:09:00 GMT

Nothing can stop the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, not even a little writer's strike. After the disaster that was the Golden Globes, big media may have gotten the picture, and the writer's strike was quickly ended as an agreement was reached.

So, tonight, the Oscars are back in full swing, and if you'd like to play along, download the ballot here:

Link to Oscar Ballot

Besides hosting an Oscar Party at my college, we'll also be going to a private Oscar Party, complete with cocktail wieners and cheap vodka (Hollywood glamor?? Ha! Eat the Hudson Valley's dust!)

For the record, here are some of my picks: JPG of My Ballot

Many of these are shots in the dark, as I rarely venture into the theaters anymore (you'll find out why in the next podcast), but I'm feeling confident. What are your picks?

Popcorn Hour Full Review

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:57:00 GMT

Here's the full review (finally). The popcorn hour does so much, that in in these 15 minutes, I could only scratch the surface. If you have specific questions or requests about this product, please let me know at realhtinfo@gmail.com , and I'll do my best to get you the answers.

Popcorn Hour A100 Review

The war is over...yes, that War!!

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:16:00 GMT

Unless you've been at a conference in St. Louis, you've probably already heard the news. HD-DVD pulled the plug, leaving Blu-ray the winner by default.

To bad, so sad, I'm glad...

...well mostly. I'm still a little sore that the lower cost, more consumer friendly DRM alternative didn't win, but hey, whad ya' gonna do?

So two immediate thoughts:

1) Congrats Blu-ray, but let's face it, you got here on back room deals and market-fixing, not by offering a superior product. Feel free to quote bandwidth and capacity, but HD-DVDs specs in that area were more than sufficient for High-quality HD, especially given VC-1 and H264 vid, and DD+ audio. Give us a standalone player sub $200, and complete your spec already.

2) Now to HD-DVD...let's face it, you lost this war for yourself. You had zero response for Blu-ray announcements. When the going got tough, you sat there with dumb looks on your faces. Now, we've all invested in hardware that won't play the latest titles, and when that hardware dies (as mine tried to after only a FEW HOURS), our HD-DVD collections will be worthless.

Here's what you need to do...release the encryption and offer us an easy way to take the 1s and 0s off the HD-DVD discs and burn them to DVDs or Blu-ray discs in a format that our PCs, Blu-ray players, and media centers will play. VC1 and H264 with DD audio will do fine.

Wipe that "who, us" look off your mugs, and do the right thing. You gave us the pointy end of the stick, and now you owe us.

I, for one, welcome our new Blu-ray overloads...

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:38:00 GMT

...look, they're fluffy!

Greetings from STL. You can get the Ratatouille Blu-ray, or anything else from Amazon, using the link below. Thanks for supporting the Real HT Info Podcast.

Hello from St. Louis

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:26:00 GMT

I'm in St. Louis for the next few days at the NACA National Convention. My main reason for attending is to try to hire an employee for the upcoming school year...for my "real job" of course. The Podcast can't even afford me right now. Luckily, it's a labor of love.

Looks like the timing for this trip couldn't have been worse, as the HD-DVD empire is slowly crumbling. I recommend Engadget HD for the latest, and I'll try to record some commentary as soon as I get a free moment here (a special STL edition of The Real HT Info Podcast). Do take their coverage with a grain of salt until you hear from Tosh themselves (official press release-style); the EnHD folks can be a little Blu-Biased (call it "sensationalism", "good journalism", whatever.)

Wal-mart is out. HD-DVD...think fast.

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:46:00 GMT

Wal-mart, according to a corporate blog, is ditching HD-DVD hardware come June. While Best Buy stopped short of thi, saying that they would continue to carry the HD-DVD players (but not to tell their customers), Wal-mart's going the extra mile and banishing HD-DVD players from their shelves.

Now, I'm sure you'll still be able to pick up the HD-DVD media at Wally-World, but with studio support slimming, new titles will be slow coming.

I'm an unabashed HD-DVD supporter. While remaining officially neutral in the war, I've admired HD-DVDs low production cost, low consumer-hardware cost, and a spec that was complete from day 1. That is to say, I'll miss it when it's gone.

Those days are coming sooner than expected. I bet one listener that, on Dec 24th, 2008, there would be HD-DVD media on the shelves at Target, and HD-DVD players for sale at Best Buy. While currently, both of those are true, it might not last until Christmas Eve. On the line, $1, a Holiday Card, and a little pride.

$1, a card, and my pride? A small price to pay for a unified format. I long for the dayswhen we can talk about Home Theater without discussing the Format War. Maybe, we could even reintroduce audio into our recently video-centric HT setups? Dare to dream, I say.

To the victor goes the spoils (and to whoever gives me quality downloadable content, goes my dollars, if anyone's keeping score.)

The War is Over...Not that war. (Writer's Strike)

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:27:00 GMT

Are you ready for the triumphant return of CSI: Miami? Yeah, I didn't miss it either.

Regardless, the Writer's Strike is over, and a new contract should be in place by the end of the month. Read about it HERE.

My favorite part?

Writers lost about $278 million in pay and other unionized workers, including stagehands, about $471 million, Kyser estimated on Feb. 11. Studios saved $500 million in production costs, he estimated.

``Short term, we said the strike would have no adverse effect on CBS Corp. and I can affirm that's still true,'' Moonves said. ``In fact, from a cost perspective, it's slightly positive.''

Wow, how that for a "welcome back to work"? Just goes to show that the big-wigs are still comfortably planted on their big piles of cash. Remember that next time they cry "poverty" when one of the writer's kids needs braces.

Stay classy, Big Business.

Email from Netflix...commentary to follow on the next show.

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:15:00 GMT

We're Going Blu-ray

	Dear Marshall, You're receiving this email because you have asked to receive high-definition movies in the HD DVD format. As you may have heard, most of the major movie studios have recently decided to release their high-definition movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. In order to provide the best selection of high-definition titles for our members, we have decided to go exclusively with Blu-ray as well. While we will continue to make our current selection of HD DVD titles available to you for the next several months, we will not be adding additional HD DVD titles or reordering replacements. Toward the end of February, HD DVDs in your Saved Queue will automatically be changed to standard definition DVDs. Then toward the end of this year, all HD DVDs in your Queue will be changed to standard definition DVDs. Don't worry, we will contact you before this happens. You can click here to change your format preferences. We're sorry for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call us at 1 (888) 638-3549. -The Netflix Team

Meet the newest members of the family...

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:11:00 GMT

So ebay has been kind to me. I had been trying to pick up a pair of S38ii, planning to use one as a center channel, matching the pair I had already as fronts, and giving me 3 identical front speakers. But, S38ii were hard to come by, and I'm, weak, so the plan went out the window...

...which is how I came to be the proud owner of a new pair of JBL S310ii ($260 shipped for the pair). They'll be going in as my new fronts, and I'll probably move one of the S38ii to center.

I've had them for almost a week, and just got around to connecting them today. I'll give you my impressions in a few days.

Less than 24 hours later...

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 22:29:00 GMT

...and Jill Sobule, as featured in Episode 27, has her first $10,000 donation. Has one of my audience put their money where there mouth is, in a big way, and guaranteed themselves a guest performance on Jill's Next Record?

Or is it coincidence? If it's not, and you have another $10,000 laying around, drop me an email. I'll put you on the next episode of The Real HT Info Podcast.