HDTVs, projectors, and surround sound systems.
Home Theater
Z+ Music App Turns Stereo 'Man of Steel' Soundtrack Into Surround Sound
Episode 988
This app uses a technology called "Headphone X" to turn Hans Zimmer's Man of Steel soundtrack into an immersive 3-dimensional experience. The app is free and comes with one song from the movie soundtrack, with the option to buy more tracks. Leo says to just try the tutorial to get the full effect.
Get the app here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/z+-music/id656392290?mt=8
Are there USB to HDMI converters for streaming video?
Episode 986
Ken from
Ken was streaming video on an older laptop linked to his TV, and the TV gave up the ghost. His new TV has no VGA port. Is there a USB to HDMI converter? Leo says yes, it's an analog converter, but it works. The quality won't be as good and USB isn't all that fast for super high resolution. How can it do that if it's bypassing the video card? Leo says it's done with onboard software.
Scott Wilkinson
Episode 985
Scott Wilkinson recently listened to the stereo system that's being installed in Mazaratti's these days. The system, which is designed by BMW, is amazing according to Scott. Scott says it has a sub woofer and several DSP modes. 1200 watts. Leo's new car has 1400 watts, a sub woofer, 19 speakers and 14 channels. Scott says it likely also has speed dependent volume. He also says that Mazaratti says that there are seven notes that you can pick up in the engine noise and Mazaratti has turned it into music.
How can I connect a Sonos player to an Apple Time Capsule wirelessly?
Episode 984
Richard from
Richard recently bought a Sonos player, but he's having issues connecting it to his Time Capsule. Leo says that Time Capsule is great for Apple products, but with third party hardware it gets complicated. Sonos has a good technote for it here.
How can I get Samsung tech support to acknowledge a common issue with its Blu-ray players?
Episode 983
Lee from
Lee has three identical Samsung Blu-ray players, model D5300, that can't play Blu-rays longer than approximately an hour and forty minutes. This started happening with a recent firmware update. When it reaches that point, the video slows down and the audio drops out. Lee has to stop and restart the disc to get it to work correctly.
Scott Wilkinson said he will look into this issue and find out if its a widespread issue. If it is, Samsung will just release another firmware update that will resolve the problem.
How can I stream content I purchase across various platforms?
Episode 984
Michael from
Michael has been buying movies from iTunes, but he can't play them on the Roku streaming. Leo says unlike music from iTunes, movies and TV shows are still burdened with copy protection, and are only allowed to play on Apple devices. This is one of the reasons why Leo tends to stream movies from Netflix, rather than download them. Amazon is another option if he's a Prime member because movies and TV episodes are streamed freely.
What should I do with my TV that failed right after the warranty expired?
Episode 983
Marie from
Marie has a Vizio 50" TV that had an extended warranty. The warranty expired and of course, the TV went out right after that. Leo says that the "pop" sound when it went out could indicate that the power supply failed or it was a defective capacitor on a circuit board.
What's the best way to get sound throughout the house?
Episode 982
Mike from
Mike wants to wire up his home for sound. His house is already wired for Cat6 cable, but is wireless better? Leo says that Wireless is pricey, but it works. The Sonos, for instance, works great, but it's $400 a room. Each speaker has it's own wireless network built in. He can do it on his own, but the money he'd save is taken up in time building it himself. That's why Leo says if he can afford it, the Sonos Play5 is a great way to go.
How can I change the name of a program in metadata on my TIVO?
Episode 982
Brian has an HD TIVO Series III. Sometimes the show that's listed on the program guide isn't the show that gets broadcast, and it gets recorded. How can he change the name of the program in the metadata? Leo says he may not be able to. TIVO has locked down their DVR to the point where very little, if any, hacking can be done. It's a piracy issue and TIVO is very paranoid about it.
New Xbox One From Microsoft Goes Beyond Gaming
Episode 982
Microsoft announced their next generation XBox this week. Dubbed 'XBox One,' the platform is not just for gaming anymore. The XBox One comes with an internal 500GB hard drive, and works as a 'pass through', meaning everything will connect to the Xbox instead of directly to the TV. This makes Xbox One a central hub for all entertainment, including live TV. According to the chat room, it should sell for around $299, but Leo suspects it could be around $500.
