Home Theater Geeks Podcast

Erik Aadahl, sound designer and supervising sound editor on such movies as Kung Fu Panda, Monsters vs. Aliens, I, Robot, Superman Returns, Valkyrie, and Transformers, talks about the importance of sound in storytelling and the process of sound design, and he shares anecdotes from some of the movies he's worked on. He also takes us on a tour of the Kim Novak Theater at Sony Pictures Studios, where he's working on a blockbuster due to be released this summer, though he couldn't reveal the title.

Run Time: 57:19

Jerry Mahabub, founder of GenAudio and inventor of AstoundSound 3D-audio technology, talks about his research in brain imaging and perception as a teenager and how that research led to AstoundSound, how the algorithm works with 2-channel and surround systems, his new recording studio where the soundtrack for benefit short-film We Are the World 25 for Haiti was mixed and encoded with AstoundSound, answers to chat-room questions, and more.

Run Time: 1:02:46

Update: Now with a link to the YouTube video of the podcast!

David Bales, Manager of Product Planning for Pioneer's home A/V products, reveals details about four new Pioneer-brand A/V receivers, which were unveiled on Monday, March 7, in San Francisco. Among the new models' many features is tight integration with the Apple iPad and iPhone, including a super-cool interactive user's manual. He also discusses automatic room correction with Pioneer's MCACC, class-D vs. class-AB amplification, the evolution of user interfaces and iPod connectivity, and answers to chat-room questions.

Run Time: 55:51

Crestron's Fred Bargetzi, VP of Technology (pictured), and Josh Stene, Director of Product Management, discuss the early days of analog audio and video distribution throughout a home, the complexities and advantages of digital A/V distribution, shielded vs. unshielded twisted-pair cabling, fiber-optic cabling, the problems with wireless distribution, bandwidth requirements, HDMI issues, user interfaces, mesh networks, high-end and entry-level Crestron products, and answers to chat-room questions.

Run Time: 51:57

Scott Ross, former General Manager of LucasArts' Industrial Light & Magic and co-founder of Digital Domain with James Cameron and Stan Winston, shares some fascinating stories from his early days as a sound engineer (and cowbell player on Jimi Hendrix's "Stone Free"!), the transition from photochemical to digital effects, Pixar computers, anecdotes from the production of films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Titanic, and What Dreams May Come, his current efforts to make home theater more accessible, and answers to chat room questions.

Run Time: 58:17

Barb Gonzalez, aka the Simple Tech Guru and the first female geek to appear on the podcast, shares her extensive experience with network media players and streamers, downloading to own or rent versus streaming, why she doesn't like Roku but does like Apple TV and Western Digital's Live Hub, the ins and outs of various online content providers such as Netflix and Vudu, getting content from one place to another around the home, physical media versus online streaming, and answers to chat-room questions.

Run Time: 51:21