Tom is back! And we thank Josh Pollard from The Digital Media Zone for helping us out with some very useful information about the cable/satellite industry this week.

In the news, Antoine gave us the heads up about the new Outlaw Audio OAW4 Wireless Speaker Kit. Antoine and Gary both sent us the headline about the new Sony Z-Series HDR TVs with Backlight Master Drive. DTS announced new DTS:X Content Creation Tools just as Paramount released more DTS:X Blu-rays. The Xbox One S can’t output Dolby Vision, Immersive Audio, or HD Audio Bitstreams. And the last VCR ever will be manufactured this month.

San Diago Comic-Con News included Mystery Science Theater 3000 coming to Netflix, Brie Larson being cast as Captain Marvel, and Star Trek: Discovery being announced as the title for the new streaming-only TV series. We also weigh in on some of our favorite trailers and teases!

Ryan T. gets our thumbs up for either EMP Tek Impression Series or Ascend Acoustics CMT-340SE Front speakers. We suggest the RBH Sound A-610 in-wall and A-615 in-ceiling speakers to match the EMP Tek Fronts, or Sonance VP62 in-wall and VP62R in-ceiling speakers to match the Ascend CMT-340SE. We touch on his speaker placement, seating placement, subwoofer placement, and screen size plans. We recommend pairing the Emotiva A-500 amplifier with a Denon or Marantz Receiver. We highly recommend waiting for the Epson HC 5040UB Projector. And we don’t think he has anything to worry about soundproofing-wise.

Brandon M. gets our recommendation for the HSU STF-2 subwoofer. Glenn S. has a wonderful collection of excellent gear, and we tell him which rooms we think should house which gear, and shockingly say his intended second subwoofer would be overkill. And Sam P. got some unexpected advice from DirecTV when they referenced the upcoming Unlock the Box and Ditch the Box Cable/Satellite plans that were explained to us by Mary Silbey and Josh Pollard. Sam also wonders what happened to the Amazon Echo Dot and whether it will be coming back.

Ed bought a Denon AVR-X1200W and asks about expanding beyond 5.1.2 Atmos and why DTS:X doesn’t seem to work yet. John D. finds out how to reassign the internal amps of his Marantz SR6010. And Bill R. gets our recommendation for Focal in-wall and in-ceiling speakers to match his Ascend Acoustics Sierra RAAL Fronts, and gets even more reasons from us to go with a Denon Receive rather than an Anthem.

Brandon G. asks about the durability of glossy finishes. Tom M. wants to know if an external amp will improve the sound of his system and what he can do next to improve his sound as much as adding a second subwoofer did. And Jonathan F. wants to know if this Roon Labs Audiophile Music Server review is to be trusted or rejected.

Nick B. really likes Anthony Grimani’s MSR Dimension4 acoustic treatment system, but he wants to know if there’s a way to get something similar at a lower price, which leads us to GiK Acoustics Diffusion Products, and suggesting some modifications to account for Atmos ceiling speakers and a carpeted floor. Martin D. tries to figure out why his iPhone SPL Meter App gave unusable readings, and asks how YPAO compares to Dirac or REW filters. And Matt G. discovered that Audyssey 2EQ can do more harm than good, and gets us to weigh in on his speaker placement, speaker height, and which music services we use.

Thanks for listening. Now, don't forget to:

• Check out the AV Rant YouTube channel to watch our show videos.
• Download Tom’s FREE superhero-themed ebook Bob Moore: No Hero.
• Visit Tom's website for download links as well as links for the two full-length follow-ups -  Bob Moore: Desperate Times and Bob Moore: Hostile Territory.
• Check out AVGadgets.com where Tom is the new Editor-in-Chief!
• Download Tom's NEWEST book, Touch of Pain from Amazon now!

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