Our Listeners of the Week are Dennis, Benjamin, and Chad for their donations, along with our 125 Patreon Patrons, as well as Aras V. for mentioning us to Abt and AV Science when he bought his new TV and Receiver. We also want to thank Jack, Josh, and Alex for their notes of gratitude to us for keeping the podcast going. Thank you to everyone for continuing to listen!

Pictures shown in this episode:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmPXzP6K

In the news:

– Disney’s Mulan skips theaters and can be unlocked early on Disney+ for $30: https://is.gd/atUnpX

– Disney allegedly halts Ultra HD Blu-ray releases of catalogue titles, including Fox’ library: https://is.gd/BwHW7d

– APC’s J-Type and S-Type battery backup UPS models have been discontinued. New Back-UPS Pro “Gaming Performance” models are the best replacement option: https://is.gd/jAXB3I

– TCL’s new 6-Series (R635) TVs have mini-LED backlights, but misleading marketing about 120Hz support for gamers: https://is.gd/hc6Yod
– They do not have full bandwidth HDMI 2.1. So 1440p/120 is as high as they go: https://is.gd/KuadAO ; No 4K/120 support: https://youtu.be/gs0072hZHdI

Comments:

– James W. notes that even flagship AV Receivers draw 8 amps or fewer, and in the UK, getting HDMI boards replaced by shipping two different Receivers to authorized repair centers was worth it vs. buying whole new units.

– Nelson W. got a candid reply from Marantz in the USA that shipping to an authorized repair center is only worth it if you’re within warranty.

– Andrew L. shares tips about setting up a Harmony Hub and adding on a new Harmony Remote to your existing system.

0:24:43 Juls asks if a lower Wattage distribution amplifier will lower the excessive volume of his multiple Chromecast Audio sources.
– Calrad Variable In-Line Attenuator: https://is.gd/kWTat0
– HLabs X-Connect Selectable Value Attenuator: https://is.gd/NaUzTD
– Harrison Labs 12dB RCA Attenuator: https://is.gd/hqOmOO

0:28:41 Terry G. wants to know why the Audyssey Editor App keeps losing its connection to his Marantz Receiver via his Google mesh Wi-Fi.

0:32:37 Dennis R. wants to connect both a 4K HDR Samsung QLED and a 1080p projector.
– Sewell IBIS Pro: https://is.gd/i5XYY6
– Sewell EchoSplit: https://is.gd/GM3x6B
– HD Fury 4K Vertex2: https://is.gd/OYUYqQ

0:35:23 Aras V. wants to know what test patterns to use to check a used OLED for burn-in and stuck pixels.
– The HDR Channel HDR Test: https://youtu.be/NlAsAuBtmps
– TV Calibration with Darko Patterns and burn-in check: https://youtu.be/LNdt7TzJbhU
– Pictures of stuff for 10 hours solid colors: https://is.gd/mwOHbZ

0:41:42 Art B. bought a TCL 8-Series TV and wants to know what he should upgrade next, as well as which Premium High Speed HDMI cables to buy.
– Blue Jeans Cable Series-3A: https://is.gd/aUKCYn
– Monoprice DynamicView: https://is.gd/exGf2I

0:49:58 Anonymous asks what is the best music streaming hardware for a home stereo.
– Amazon Fire TV Cube: https://is.gd/L5nr4C
– Sewell Siphon HDMI Audio Extractor: https://is.gd/Zm8tnP

0:55:21 Tony K. asks which 85-inch TV to get for under $3,000.
– Sony X900H: https://is.gd/jjE28R
– Vizio 2021 P-Series Quantum X (maybe): https://is.gd/yWrvY7

0:59:00 Chad B. gets the same 85-inch TV recommendation, then we implore him to convince his dad to choose a 77-inch LG CX or GX OLED over any 8K LCD, and we discuss what is needed for full 4K/120 and 8K/60 HDMI 2.1.
– LG OLED77GX: https://is.gd/hq7Kc9
– Monoprice passive Ultra High Speed HDMI (3′ max): https://is.gd/8FZJRE
– Monoprice Active Ultra High Speed HDMI (8′ max): https://is.gd/CeQHEM
– Monoprice fiber optic Ultra High Speed HDMI (10′ – 330′): https://is.gd/6ycaMs

1:15:27 Jack R. asks for resources to manage and optimize his Plex setup.
– Plex Support Articles: https://support.plex.tv/articles/
– Plex Media Server Guide: https://is.gd/s0YNPU
– Plex Media naming guide: https://is.gd/nNBjHJ
– Plex Forums: https://forums.plex.tv/

1:17:28 Rob W. asks if he should put absorption panels behind his wall-mounted Front speakers.

1:20:14 Alex Y. asks what to use for “basic” surge and lightning protection.
– APC P8V: https://is.gd/I4ig1o
– APC H-Type Power Conditioner: https://is.gd/iMMTAF
– APC Back-UPS Pro battery backup UPS: https://is.gd/jAXB3I
– SurgeX UPS + Protection: https://is.gd/9ahqIB

1:24:36 Joey T. asks why an Oppo BDP-95 is malfunctioning with a new Sony OLED, which Ultra HD Blu-ray player to get, and why his friend’s TVs keep randomly turning off.
– Panasonic UB820: https://is.gd/3GcTxn

1:35:45 Martin D. asks about Atmos speaker timbre matching, and whether to plug his Emotiva XPA amp into a Tripp-Lite battery backup or directly into the wall.

1:39:17 Mitch R. gets further clarification about overhead speaker labels.

1:44:32 Michael I. asks how to get the Audyssey Flat setting’s treble extension along with the manual bass adjustments he made in the Audyssey Editor App.

1:49:23 Robert G. asks if there’s any benefit to using the audio-only output of his Oppo 203 with his NAD T758 v3.

1:52:36 Bob asks if all SVS subwoofers can be used with either 120V or 230V electrical service.

1:55:15 Jim B. asks if the subwoofer crawl can work for more than one sub.
– http://avrant.com/a-12-step-guide-to-setting-up-dual-subwoofers/

• 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!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Liked it? Take a second to support AV Rant on Patreon!