Jul 24 Podcast #958: Do Soundbars Suck?
On today’s show we look at how people are using their smart speakers with their smart TVs, ask the question, if Soundbars Suck, and provide you with the definitive resource list for finding content on Netflix. As usual we read you listener email and go through some news stories for the week.
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Today's Show:
BrightSide HT
Ara guests on DJs fun podcast about the MOVIES that make having a Home Theater FUN. Follow him on twitter here.
News:
- You can now stream local broadcast TV channels in Miami and West Palm Beach via Locast.
- Roku Says Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. TV Households Dropped Pay-TV During Pandemic
- Despite coronavirus pandemic, consumers still turned on by big-screen TVs
- Walmart ends Black Friday tradition by closing stores on Thanksgiving
Other:
- LG OLED TV Recall for Overheating (C9, W9, C8, W8, C7, B7 etc)
- Ara's Woodworking
- Join the Flaviar Whisky Club and get a free bottle
Research: Smart speakers increasingly linked to smart TVs
Findings from Hub Entertainment Research’s annual study – Evolution of the TV Set – reveal more viewers are using smart TVs linked to smart speakers to fill gaps in TV set capabilities.
Resources for content discovery on Netflix
Most Popular TV Shows & Movies on Netflix - Looking for a daily look on what’s popular and most watched on Netflix? Here, we’re tracking the daily top 10 TV series and top 10 movies on Netflix right now around the world. This includes what’s popular on Netflix in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and a handful of other countries too
What’s New on Netflix - Looking for what’s new on Netflix? Below are daily updates where we bring you latest new releases on Netflix in the US including the new movies, TV series, documentaries, Netflix Originals, and new-standup specials. You can filter out the non-foreign titles and we’ll also do monthly roundups of the best new movies and TV series added to Netflix.
Coming Soon to Netflix - Your source for new movies and new TV series coming to Netflix in 2020 including a release calendar, Netflix Original previews and what’s coming from The CW, ABC, Disney, FOX and more.
Leaving Soon - Netflix loses movies and TV series every month because of the way that licensing deals work. Here you’ll find everything that’s leaving Netflix in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
What To Watch on Netflix - Looking for a new show or movie? Then our what to watch section will give you the lowdown on all the best titles you can be streaming on Netflix from the big and small.
Complete List of Netflix Originals -
Netflix Library A-Z - This is where we scan and catalog the Netflix library (often a lot better than Netflix ever has) for your reading pleasure. Whether it’s from the A-Z of Netflix Originals separated into genres, the complete Netflix Category list or 4k Titles on Netflix, there’s something for everyone here.
The fault in our bars: Making the case for old-school home theater speakers
I’m about to say two words that will delight some, infuriate others, and echo a sentiment that has long been regarded as fact in the deeper reaches of the home theater community.
Reader Comments (2)
My opinion on soundbars: When they stand alone, they suck... At least to my ears. I was installing my new SONOS 5.1 configuration, which consists of their soundbar (The Playbar), the Sub and two Play 1s as the surround speakers. I wanted to try the Playbar without the others and hooked it up first. While obviously surpassing the audio quality of my Sony OLED, I guess my ears are sensitive to the phase - shifty voodoo they employ to produce the spatial illusion and it sounded fake and thin. When I turned the surround simulation OFF, the sound was still much better that the TV's sound, but it was just a very good speaker.
Once I hooked up the sub and the rear speakers (The Play 1s), everything opened up. The Playbar then ran its three clusters of speakers in a Left, Center, Right separation. 5.1 sound is excellent. Not, of course, as effective at the separation of the Right and Left as a wired system of separates, but much better than I expected.
I had planned using the 5.1 SONOS system until I decided on a proper separates configuration. I still plan on that, but since the fidelity of the SONOS 5.1 setup is so good, I'm not in as much of a hurry.
Cheers!
Christopher
Should review the Sonos Arc soundbar