Podcast #1249:Five Underrated Home Theater Gear Picks Under $500

On today's show we ask if you "Should You Trade Your TV for a Laser Projector?" And we look at the five most streamed TV shows in the US per Nielsen. We also read your emails and take a look at the week's news. News: Streamers are running about 18% more ads, and viewers haven't revolted yet DirecTV now lets you build your own Multiview with up to four sports channels Cheap LCD TVs could be in trouble for Black Friday as panel makers raise prices Netflix is laying off about 1,000 employees, roughly 6% of its staff Deal: LG's 55-inch C6 OLED drops to $999.99, half its $2,000 list price Netflix beats on earnings, but its stock slides on a softer revenue and ad outlook Other: Amazon.com: NCIS Caf Pow White Mug - Officially Licensed - 11 oz : Home & Kitchen Hackers are hijacking Plex servers to mine crypto. Update ASAP This Week's Five Most-streamed TV Shows in the US Here are this week's five most-streamed TV shows in the US, from Nielsen's Streaming Top 10 for Sept 28 to Oct 4. That's the newest week Nielsen has posted. Wonka's The Golden Ticket (Netflix) had 1.078 billion minutes. It jumped to No. 1 in its second week, up 26% (The Hollywood Reporter). The Big Bang Theory (HBO Max) had 953 million minutes and was once again the top show streaming outside its original network. East of Eden (Netflix) had 782 million minutes in just four days. It's Florence Pugh's Steinbeck limited series (The Data Stream). SpongeBob SquarePants (Paramount+) had 767 million minutes, spread across 336 episodes. Ted Lasso (Apple TV) had 750 million minutes. That's down 11%, but it stayed in the top five heading into its season four finale. Should You Trade Your TV for a Laser Projector? This week a listener who goes by Mr Eye sent us a YouTube video titled: "I SOLD My Flatscreen (and I'm NEVER Going Back)." In it, Kirk from the "Tech It Before You Wreck It" channel sets up XGIMI's new Aura 3 Max ultra-short-throw (UST) laser projector, first in his TV room and then in his bedroom, where it replaces a flat screen sitting on his dresser. He says the picture was watchable even in broad daylight with the shades open, and it passed what he calls the "wife test," because there's no big black rectangle on the dresser when it's off. That got us talking, because Ara is seriously thinking about shopping for a UST projector next year for his basement Media Room. This got us thinking, is this the year a laser projector can actually replace your TV, or is large format TV the way to go? What's New in Projectors This Fall Projectors have come a long way, and this fall's crop checks a lot of boxes that used to be deal-breakers: Triple-laser RGB light sources are now common on the higher-end models, which means very wide, rich color. 4K at 120Hz for gaming. Back in early 2025, no DLP projector on the market could even do 4K at 120Hz. Now XGIMI and JMGO are selling models that do, along with VRR and ALLM. Dolby Vision, plus HDR10+ on many models. Built-in Google TV, so you don't need a separate streaming stick for Netflix or YouTube. The Projectors Worth Watching There's a wave of new models hitting right now: XGIMI Aura 3 Max and Aura 3 Pro (UST): These are the projectors from the video. They go live on Kickstarter on October 20. If you put down a $50 refundable deposit before the campaign starts, early-bird pricing is about $2,200 for the Max and $2,000 for the Pro, versus list prices of $5,000 and $4,000. XGIMI says they ship in December. Because they're UST, you can get a 120-inch picture with the projector sitting about 8 inches from the wall. XGIMI Horizon 30 series: This isn't a UST. It's a regular-throw projector on a built-in stand, with optical zoom and lens shift. Pre-orders run through October 31, starting at about $1,900 for the Horizon 30 Pro. JMGO IRIS Ultra Max: Started shipping October 19 at about $3,300. It's another 4K/120Hz triple-laser model, also regular throw, with optical zoom, lens shift and a motorized gimbal.

On today's show we look at Apple's "Welcome Home" announcements and we talk about watching sports in 4K. Which apps should you use and on which devices. We also read your emails and take a look at the week's news. News: Disney+ will stream Super Bowl LXI, plus two Monday Night Football games this fall.

On this week's show we get into the inner workings of Ara's network at his new home and we discuss who else could benefit from a similar setup. We also read your emails and look at the week's news. News: ESPN and ESPN2 are rolling out 4K HDR in the US. Tom's Guide tested the Roku Pro Series OLED. Apple is testing surround sound from four HomePods. WiiM's first soundbar, the WiiM Bar, launches mid-October. Disney+ and Hulu raise prices again, the fourth hike in four years. HBO Max and Paramount+ will merge into one streamer under Skydance. Other: Vol. 3: Can Your Speakers Disappear? The Network Behind the New House: Why I Went Beyond Mesh Wi‑Fi When we moved into the new house, I had a choice to make about the network. For years I've used the same kind of gear a lot of you have: an ISP gateway, then a mesh system like Orbi or eero. Those systems are good. You plug them in, run an app, and most of the house gets Wi‑Fi. For a lot of homes, that's all you need. But I wanted something that gave me maximum control down to the connected device and remote access to manage every little detail. Since I had the chance to run Ethernet before the walls were closed. That changed the math. Here's what I wanted: Coverage everywhere, including the theater, the backyard, and the garage, without dead spots. Wired backhaul. Mesh units talk to each other over the air, and that uses up some of the Wi‑Fi you'd rather give to your devices. When every access point has its own cable back to the rack, that problem goes away. Power over Ethernet (PoE). One cable carries both data and power to the access points and cameras. No power bricks hiding in the ceiling. VLANs and a real guest network. I wanted to keep the smart TVs, streaming boxes, and IoT gadgets separate from our computers and phones, and give guests their own network. One place to see it all. I wanted to look at a screen and see what's connected, what's using bandwidth, and what's offline. So I went with a "prosumer" setup: a UniFi gateway, UniFi access points, and two Araknis managed switches in the rack. Here's what each piece does, what I like about it, and where it falls short. Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine Pro (UDM‑Pro) What it is: The UniFi Dream Machine Pro is a rack‑mounted router and firewall that Ubiquiti calls a "cloud gateway." It also runs the UniFi software that manages the access points, so I don't need a separate controller box or a computer left running. (Tech specs) What it does in my network: This is the front door. My internet connection plugs into it, and it handles routing, the firewall, the VLANs, and the guest network. It's also the dashboard where I set up and watch the Wi‑Fi. A few specs worth knowing: Two WAN ports (one 10G SFP+ and one Gigabit Ethernet), so you can add a backup internet connection. Eight Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports plus one 10G SFP+ LAN port. IDS/IPS (threat detection) rated by Ubiquiti at up to 3.5 Gbps. A bay for a 3.5" hard drive, so it can also record security cameras with UniFi Protect.A small touchscreen on the front that shows status at a glance. Compared to a consumer router or mesh base station: You get much more control. VLANs, firewall rules, traffic stats per device, dual‑WAN failover, and a camera recorder are all built in. Most consumer systems either don't offer those or hide them behind a subscription. The honest downsides: It's a 1U rack box. If you don't have a rack or a closet with ventilation, it's awkward. It has no Wi‑Fi of its own. You have to buy access points separately. The settings can be overwhelming at first. There are a lot of menus, and some of them assume you know networking terms. It's more than one‑app‑and‑done. Plan to spend an evening learning it. Ubiquiti U7 Pro Access Points (×4) What it is: The UniFi U7 Pro is a Wi‑Fi 7 access point that mounts on a ceiling or wall. It's tri‑band (2.4, 5, and 6 GHz), and it's powered by PoE+ through a single Ethernet cable. (Tech specs) What

On this week's show we have a listener review of the NETGEAR Orbi 770 Series WiFi 7 Mesh System as well as a review of the Aqara cameras. We also read your emails and take a look at the week's news. News: Yamaha's Unveils Its Most Compact Dolby Atmos Soundbar Yet Philips Adds Two TV Lighting Sync Options Fubo will offer local hockey games in four markets Sony Is Skipping CES 2027 for the First Time in Over Six Decades Apple's Smart Home Launch is Set Netgear Orbi 770 and Aqara Camera Review This week we have a listener review of the NETGEAR Orbi 770 Series WiFi 7 Mesh System. These can be bought in One, two, and three packs costing $300, $550, and $700 respectively. Netgear's specs say that a single unit can cover up to $2750 square feet and a three pack can cover 8000 square feet combined. And just for good measure John talks about his experience with Aqara cameras.These are the same cameras Ara uses so let's see if John has similar results. Product Features: Tri-band hardware with a dedicated backhaul is meant to keep throughput more consistent when many devices are online at once. WiFi 7 peak rating is up to 11 Gbps and it also connects WiFi 6 and WiFi 5 devices; real speed depends on your plan and hardware. Devices can easily roam between the router and satellites. Setup, device management, and guest WiFi are handled in the Orbi app. Sold for use in the United States only. John Lyman's Review A few years ago, I replaced my old Netgear Orbi system with a TP-Link Deco XE75 mesh system. At the time, my older Orbi just wasn't able to handle all the devices we had in the house. After doing some research, the Deco XE75 and XE75 Pro had great reviews, so I decided to give Deco a try. The Deco worked, but as we added more devices—and because of the design of our house—I kept having to add more and more nodes to get good, consistent coverage. Even with gigabit fiber, I never really felt like I was getting the speeds I should have been getting throughout the house. When Amazon Prime Day came around in July, I decided it was time for an upgrade. At the same time, I decided this was going to be MY "year of home automation." Back to Orbi — This Time with Wi-Fi 7 For the network, I went with the Netgear Orbi 770 Series Wi-Fi 7 mesh system. I considered going down the Ubiquiti route, but ultimately I wanted something easier to manage and more "set it and forget it." I spent enough time around networking years ago. These days, I'd rather leave my network-engineering hat in the past and have something that simply works. I've now been running the Orbi 770 for about four months, and—with one exception—it has been pretty much bulletproof. That exception was automatic firmware updates. I didn't realize they were enabled, and Orbi decided to install an update in the middle of the day. That's something I'd definitely check when setting up the system. Other than that, the performance has been excellent. I have AT&T Fiber with the AT&T gateway configured to pass the connection through to the Orbi. My office is upstairs and away from the main router, but I have my computer connected by Ethernet to an Orbi satellite. I'm consistently seeing speeds in the low 900 Mbps range both down and up. My media/home-theater room has historically been the hardest room in the house to reach with good Wi-Fi. With the Orbi, I'm seeing roughly 700–800 Mbps there over Wi-Fi, connecting on 5 GHz. More importantly, coverage throughout the house is now excellent and the system has been extremely stable. If you're considering a mesh system and aren't ready to go down the Ubiquiti route, I'd strongly suggest looking at the Orbi 770. Based on my experience with both systems, I'd skip the Deco, spend a little more and get the Orbi. The Orbi also gives you separate IoT and guest Wi-Fi networks. Devices connect quickly, stay connected and, in my experience, have worked considerably better than they did with my Deco system. Moving Away from Ring

On this week's show we take a look at the consumer reports ratings for 70 inch and larger TVs. We also read your email and take a look at the week's news. News: Your Google Home can now take orders from Claude and other AI agents Roku Adds 30 New Bundles To Premium Subscriptions Element Launches New TiVo-Powered Smart TVs in the U.S. Paramount Settles States' Antitrust Suit, Clearing Way for Warner Megadeal Consumer Reports Ratings for 70-inch and larger TVs: On this week's show we take a look at the consumer reports rating for 70 inch and larger TVs. This list was sent to us by Dermot who thought it may make a nice topic. We took the list and only updated pricing. So how does Consumer Reports determine a score for their TV ratings? Consumer Reports builds each TV's Overall Score from three buckets: lab performance, member surveys, and (for smart TVs) privacy/security. They do not accept manufacturer samples. Secret shoppers buy the sets at retail so they test the same units you would buy. They run 200+ TVs a year. Each set goes through 20+ tests and more than 500 data points in their Yonkers labs. Picture settings are optimized with the on-screen user controls only—not a full professional calibration. If a set needs a calibrator to look good, that hurts it. What the lab actually measures HD and UHD picture quality — test patterns plus real movie/TV clips for detail, black level, contrast, and color accuracy after the set is optimized. HDR — peak brightness (measured with a Photo Research PR-740 spectroradiometer), plus how well highlights and shadows hold up in dark and bright scenes. Viewing angle — color and contrast from both horizontal and vertical off-axis positions. Motion blur — how clean moving text and action stay. Sound quality — built-in speakers: clarity, bass, volume range, and distortion, compared against reference sets in the lab. Features / versatility — inputs, smart-TV functions, ease of use, etc. Data privacy and data security — whether the TV collects extra data, how easy it is to control that, encryption, known vulnerabilities, update practices. These scores are folded into the Overall Score. A viewing panel then watches real content side-by-side after the meter work is done. Survey piece Predicted reliability and owner satisfaction come from CR member surveys, not from the lab unit they bought. Reliability is brand-level, not model-level. A statistical model estimates the chance a new set from that brand will have a problem in the first five years. They control for age, how often it's used, and whether it has an extended warranty. Owner satisfaction is how likely members are to recommend that brand. It is weighted at 5% of the Overall Score for every product category. Reliability's weight varies by category (typically 10–20%). For TVs it sits toward the lower end of that range because members rate reliability about even with picture performance. If a brand scores Poor or Fair on predicted reliability, that model cannot get a CR "Recommended" badge, no matter how well it tested. When they don't have enough survey data for a brand (like on some Roku sets), they plug in category-average survey scores. How it becomes one number Overall Score is a weighted mix of the lab scores plus those two survey scores (and privacy/security). Models are then ranked against others in the same size group. That's why two 91-point sets can sit at very different prices: one won on lab performance plus surveys at a lower street price; the other is a more expensive flagship that still maxed the same scoring formula. Brand Model Overall Score Price LG OLED77C5PUA 91 $1,800 Samsung QN77S95F 91 $3,000 Samsung QN77S90F 90 $2,500 Samsung QN77S90H 89 $2,600 LG OLED77G6WUA 89 $3,800 LG OLED77G5WUA 88 $3,150 LG OLED77C6HUP 88 $2,700 LG OLED77M5PUA 87 $3,870 Samsung QN77S84FA 85 $1,600 LG OLED77B5PUA 84 $3,000 Sony K-77XR80 83 $3,000 Sony K-75XR90 83 $3,500 Samsung QN75QN90F 82 $2,000 Sony K-7