My last blog was limited to placement of the left and right speakers in 2-channel system, or just the left and right speakers in a home theater setup. There’s a lot more involved with a full surround sound setup....The remaining speaker channels we haven’t yet discussed are the center, the surrounds, and possibly Dolby Atmos. I’ll limit this discussion to 5.X or 5.X.4 setups, both with and without four Atmos speakers (for newbies, the 0.4 in the 5.2.4 designation describes the number of Atmos speakers, and the X is a stand-in here for the number of subwoofers, most often one or two). There’s a wide range of additional possibilities, including front height speakers, two additional surrounds (7.X.4), more than four Atmos speakers (though we don’t know of any consumer Atmos sources that offer more than four discrete Atmos channels), or only two rather than four Atmos speakers. But I suspect that 5.1.4 or 5.2.4 (five main channels, one or two subs, and four Atmos speakers) will describe most readers’ setups....
When we think shark, we think scares, but the incredible thrills that helped propel Jaws to the #1 box office crown in 1975 would not have been nearly as effective without a rock-solid story and engaging characters. (That's one explanation for the many awful rip-offs.) Peter Benchley's best-selling first novel gave director/ uncredited screenwriter Steven Spielberg tremendous fodder, with concrete plot points, clear motivations, and rich backstories.
The latest soundbar to emerge from Polk Audio is the $499 MagniFi 2, a 2.1 model featuring a six-driver array (four 1-inch by 3-inch full-range drivers, two 0.75-inch tweeters) and an 8-inch ported wireless subwoofer. It also features Chromecast built-in and Bluetooth for audio streaming. But what’s most notable about the MagniFi 2—aside from its affordable price—is the inclusion of the company’s patented Stereo Dimensional Array (SDA) technology, along with a new 3D Audio Mode that works with SDA tech to “create even more convincing immersive surround and height effects,” according to the company.
Staying at home for three-plus months gave us lots of time take stock of our lives. To rethink family relationships, rekindle dormant hobbies, reconnect with old friends, and reflect on everything — including what entertainment at home looks like. TiVo’s annual Video Trends Report sheds some light on that question.
AT A GLANCE Plus
Unbeatable price point
Supports major streaming services
Good connectivity options
Minus
Analog audio quality
Occasional lockups
THE VERDICT
The SRT4 is a value-priced multi-zone streamer that will fill your house with music for not much money, but also comes with ergonomic and sound quality limitations.
Housewide audio distribution has evolved rapidly over the past few years, with new systems abandoning traditional music sources like CD changers and terrestrial radio tuners to move almost exclusively to streamed content. When it comes to choosing a multizone music streamer for a system, the buying criteria today often boils down to how many streaming services it supports, app ease of use, and cost.
More ways to watch videos with friends are now available to share on Hulu, Amazon, Disney Plus, HBO and more. Here's how to create watch parties in Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, video chat with friends in Scener and share your Plex library.
Marantz today dropped details on its 2020 SR-Series A/V Receiver lineup. There are four SR-Series AVRs in all, ranging from the 7-2-channel SR5015 ($1,099) up to the flagship SR8015 ($3,199), a 13.2 model with 11 built-in 140-watt amplifier channels. The new AVRs will be made available on a stepped basis, with the first model arriving in mid-July.
Imagine an alien species in which, when someone dies, all of their wisdom and knowledge passes directly to their offspring. That efficient preservation of experience enables the species to progress at a phenomenal rate. Sadly, when humans die, our lifetime of expertise is lost. At best, we can only try to educate our young, each time starting over from scratch.
In a galaxy far, far away—well, to be more precise, it was actually in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh—I received a home-made C-60 compact cassette for my 11th birthday in October 1978. My audiophile grandfather had dubbed Charles Gerhardt conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra's performance of music culled from composer John Williams' original scores for Star Wars on Side 1 and Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Side 2.