Podcast #1228: Black Friday 2025
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we find you the best Black Friday deals for your home theater, well at least at the time of recording. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: Other: Bright Side Home Theater MOVEMBER MEGA RAFFLE 2025 Black Friday 2025 Each year we go through the Black Friday ads from various stores and list items. It's a long list and can be tedious to listen to. So this year we decided to search out what we thought were the best deals on various items for your Home Theater and Smart Home. This year many retailers are not releasing their sales until...
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Podcast #1227: Best AV Receivers for Newbies, Enthusiasts, and Fanatics
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we look at alternatives to YouTube TV for sports fans. We also look at AV Receivers for Home Theater Newbies, Enthusiasts, and Fanatics. And like always, we start with your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News; Other: Please support Movember and enter to win great prizes from Bright Side Home Theater Best AV Receivers for Newbies, Enthusiasts, and Fanatics It's getting close to Black Friday and you may want to upgrade your home theater system for the Holidays and you are wondering what AVR should I consider. Well the HT Guys have done the...
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HDTV Rewind Episode #15: Your email and News
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this episode of the Rewind show we go back to November 12, 2010 where we read your emails, look at a news story or two.
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Podcast #1226: What is Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)?
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we have an essay from one of our listeners on why he wants to stick with his DVR over streaming. We also take a deep dive into Automatic Content Recognition and how to turn it off on your smart TVs. As usual we also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: Please support Movember and enter to win great prizes from Bright Side Home Theater Swimming against the Stream - An essay from Jorge Beltran I know I will sound old and swimming against current, but I would like to go back to my world where we had our cable subscriptions, DVR and...
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Podcast #1225: Top User Rated Original Movies per Streamer
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we identify the top IMDB user rated original movies per streamer. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: Other: Top User Rated Original Movies per Streamer Last week we ran down the top streamer’s price histories and at one point I (Ara), said that Amazon really didn’t have many movies worth watching but since it came included with Prime shipping who cares. So this week I wanted to see what Amazon Original Movies were available and how they rated on IMDB. This did not include TV series like Reacher, Terminalist, etc. I just...
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Podcast #1224: Streaming Price Hikes: A Historical Look
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we look at the streamers and their pricing history. Are they keeping up with inflation or are they seeing how far they can keep raising prices. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: Other: Streaming Price Hikes: A Historical Look Netflix Netflix has raised prices multiple times since launching its streaming service in 2007, with increases tied to content investments and competition. The service now offers four tiers: ad-supported Standard with Ads, Basic (ad-free, one screen), Standard (ad-free, two screens), and Premium (ad-free,...
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HDTV Rewind Episode #14: 5G Broadcast
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this episode of the Rewind show we go back to October 21st 2023 where we read your emails, look at a news story or two, and discus 5G broadcast on how it can change how we interact with your media devices.
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Podcast #1223: Lost TV Series Finales and Five Smart Home Trends
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we look at some 1960s and 1970s TV shows that received their series finally in a movie at least ten years after going off the air. We also take a look at five home automation trends for this year and beyond. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: 47 Years Ago: Rescue from Gilligan's Island Makes TV History On October 14, 1978, television history was made with the premiere of Rescue from Gilligan's Island, the first-ever TV series adapted into a made-for-TV movie. Airing 47 years ago today, this film brought back the beloved cast of the...
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Podcast #1222: Five Highly Rated 55 Inch TVs Under $500
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we recommend five 55” TVs for less than $500 that will give you the best bang for your buck! We also read your emails and take a look at some of the week’s news. News: Other: Highly Rated 55 Inch TVs Under $500 This week we scoured the Internet for best bang for the buck TVs that would work in a typical family room. For this criteria we landed on 55” as it is, in our opinion, the Goldilocks size. We read reviews from sites like RTINGS, CNET, Tom's Guide, and What Hi-Fi? To select five models that have something for everyone. All the TVs are 4K smart...
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Podcast #1221: RTINGS Longevity Burn-In Test Updates
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
On this week’s show we take a look at the Longevity Burn-In Test Results From 100 TVs that has been tracking for the last two years. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news. News: Other: Longevity Burn-In Test Updates And Results From 100 TVs has been conducting an for over two years. We've covered it periodically but haven't provided an update recently. In today's show, we'll summarize the key findings and discuss their implications for consumers. 1. Introduction to the Test Methodology and Purpose RTINGS.com conducts an extensive longevity and burn-in...
info_outlineOn this week’s show we take a first look at the proposed HDMI 2.2 specification. We also read your emails and take a look at the week’s news.
News:
HDMI 2.2 Specification
The HDMI 2.2 specification, announced by the HDMI Forum at CES 2025, introduces several advanced features to support higher resolutions, refresh rates, and enhanced audio-visual performance. Below is a summary of the key features included in the HDMI 2.2 specification based on the information we have today:
Increased Bandwidth (Up to 96 Gbps):
HDMI 2.2 doubles the bandwidth of HDMI 2.1 (from 48 Gbps to 96 Gbps), enabling support for higher resolution and refresh rate combinations, as well as data-intensive applications. This increased bandwidth supports uncompressed and compressed video formats, making it suitable for advanced applications like AR/VR, spatial reality, light field displays, medical imaging, and machine vision.
Support for Higher Resolutions and Refresh Rates:
Uncompressed Formats
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4K at 240 Hz and 480 Hz (4:4:4 chroma sampling, 10-bit and 12-bit color).
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8K at 60 Hz and 240 Hz (4:4:4 chroma sampling, 8-bit and 10-bit color).
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10K at 120 Hz.
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12K at 120 Hz.
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16K at 60 Hz.
Compressed Formats (using Display Stream Compression or similar):
Supports higher refresh rates like 4K at 480 Hz, 8K at 240 Hz, and 10K at 120 Hz, which require compression to achieve these rates within the bandwidth constraints.
Next-Generation Fixed Rate Link (FRL) Technology:
HDMI 2.2 introduces an advanced version of Fixed Rate Link signaling technology, optimized for better support of uncompressed content at high resolutions and refresh rates, ensuring pristine image quality and low latency
Ultra96 HDMI Cable:
A new cable type, the Ultra96 HDMI Cable, is introduced to support the full 96 Gbps bandwidth and all HDMI 2.2 features. These cables are backward compatible with older HDMI devices but are required to fully utilize HDMI 2.2's capabilities.
The Ultra96 cables are part of the HDMI Cable Certification Program, requiring testing and certification with a visible Ultra96 certification label to ensure compliance. Features low electromagnetic interference (EMI) for stable and reliable data transmission.
Latency Indication Protocol (LIP):
A new feature designed to improve audio and video “‘video synchronization, particularly in multi-hop setups involving devices like AV receivers or soundbars. LIP enhances synchronization over existing methods, reducing issues like lip-sync lag, especially for fast-paced content or gaming.
Support for Advanced Color and Chroma Formats:
Supports high-quality color spaces like BT.2020 with 10-bit, 12-bit, and 16-bit color depth. Enables uncompressed full chroma formats (e.g., 4:4:4) at high resolutions, ensuring richer colors and pristine image quality.
Additional Notes
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Availability: The HDMI 2.2 specification was announced at CES 2025, with Ultra96 cables expected to be available in Q3/Q4 2025. HDMI 2.2-compliant devices (e.g., TVs, monitors, GPUs) are expected to appear in late 2025 or 2026
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Optional Features: Like previous HDMI versions, features such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Quick Frame Transport (QFT), and Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) remain optional and depend on device manufacturer implementation.
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Consumer Guidance: The Ultra96 feature name helps consumers identify cables and devices capable of supporting 64 Gbps, 80 Gbps, or 96 Gbps bandwidth, ensuring optimal performance.