Home Cinema Podcast : 23rd May 2009

**Stuart Wright** · 23-05-2009, 2:28 PM

AVForums Home Cinema Podcast : 23rd May 2009

We discuss Blu-ray recorders, TV widgets, audio EQ, the AV industry and home control with the iPod Touch and iPhone.

(you may need to right-click and save).

Time: 1:01:06 Size: 55.9Mb

0:00:40 Blu-ray recorder discussion
0:06:00 TV Widgets discussion
0:10:30 Audyssey DSX extra width and height audio channels discussion
0:14:00 Audyssey subwoofer EQ technology discussion
0:24:50 EQ systems discussion
0:29:50 State of the AV industry
0:40:50 Home control systems discussion featuring the iPod Touch/iPhone

Please reply to this thread with your feedback.

Send any questions or subjects you would like covered in future podcasts to 'podcast @ avforums.com'

Adam_uk · 24-05-2009, 2:36 PM

is this on iTunes? I cant seem to find this months?

**Stuart Wright** · 24-05-2009, 8:10 PM

That's fixed, now, thanks. Several bugs in the feed, actually

Rasczak · 25-05-2009, 4:47 PM

Many thanks - another good podcast

Not sure I agree with the comments made about Blu-ray recorders, namely that if ITV HD doesn't relax from their 'copy never' flagging then there is no point in a HDD/Blu-ray Recorder combi.

First and foremost the HDD side will not be effected by such flagging so full recording features of all channels will be available - only archiving to disc would be prevented.

Secondly the vast majority of channels will allow archiving to Blu-ray disc even if only one copy can be made. Personally I have no problem with that - mass production of copyrighted material is not on my agenda - and I suspect for those who aspire to this they would not use a HDD/BD-R recorder! Material that isn't protected (i.e. personal camcorder footage) will allow as many copies as you so wish.

Thirdly the HDD/BD-R will allow archiving of long SD content on BD disc. Even with a DVD-R DL you are limited to about 2hrs at max DVD bitrate. BD-R will allow that time limit (and maybe the bitrate) to be pushed.

I do agree that, as with standard def, HDD only PVRs will become the norm rather than HDD/BD-Rs. But I think they offer the same benefits for High Def as current HDD/DVDRs offer for standard def. IMHO anyway.

Easter · 26-05-2009, 1:00 PM

Hi,

In this podcast @ 20:10 Neil Davidson mentions that he will be posting a diagram of room modes/nulls, and that there will be a link on the podcast thread. Anyone know if this has been done, and where it is? It sounds very useful...

Love the podcast! Cheers, Ian :-)

**Phil Hinton** · 26-05-2009, 3:00 PM

Neil will add it in when he has the chance.

GrahamMG · 26-05-2009, 3:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rasczak

Many thanks - another good podcast

Not sure I agree with the comments made about Blu-ray recorders, namely that if ITV HD doesn't relax from their 'copy never' flagging then there is no point in a HDD/Blu-ray Recorder combi.

First and foremost the HDD side will not be effected by such flagging so full recording features of all channels will be available - only archiving to disc would be prevented.

Secondly the vast majority of channels will allow archiving to Blu-ray disc even if only one copy can be made. Personally I have no problem with that - mass production of copyrighted material is not on my agenda - and I suspect for those who aspire to this they would not use a HDD/BD-R recorder! Material that isn't protected (i.e. personal camcorder footage) will allow as many copies as you so wish.

Thirdly the HDD/BD-R will allow archiving of long SD content on BD disc. Even with a DVD-R DL you are limited to about 2hrs at max DVD bitrate. BD-R will allow that time limit (and maybe the bitrate) to be pushed.

I do agree that, as with standard def, HDD only PVRs will become the norm rather than HDD/BD-Rs. But I think they offer the same benefits for High Def as current HDD/DVDRs offer for standard def. IMHO anyway.

It is a thought provoking question isn't it, I would have normally said that people still want to physically "own" something they can touch (i.e. a DVD/Blu-ray disk) and have a distrust of anything they cannot see (i.e. Hard disk drives). However things have moved along at quite a pace and instant access stored video are now proving very popular and "timeshifting" broadcast TV commonplace. The comments were not supposed to come across as "if ITVHD won't allow disk copying, what is the point of these devices" although many blockbuster movies will almost certainly have come sort of copy protection, it was more a "will anybody bother" to make a hard copy of a program etc. when the disk media is expensive, ruined disks a possibility, incompatibility of the different players and disks likely and the fact that hard disk storage is ridiculously cheap these days. I would say that a large Hard disk built into a PVR (my SKYHD box has 1Tb, cost £70....) would negate the need for burning disks, imagine just turning on the external SATA port on the SKYHD box and adding removable storage?? The camcorder issue is a different matter and most if not all people that make a hard copy of camcorder footage tend to use PC's with dedicated editing software (which is also cheap) that offers massively more polished results than a PVR/disk recorder. Since these disk recorders came out (DVD or Blu-ray) I only know of 2 that were in more than very occasional use, one was used so my parents could watch programs that they couldn't record on their VCR and the other for camcorder footage, the former is no longer used due to the parents now having a SKY PVR (at 80 they can use that without any help, try that with disk burners) and the latter very quickly grew into proper editing on a PC (very simple software apparently). I do not know of any other unit in regular use. I am not saying that these players may not find a niche market but as mainstream devices I do wonder just what the potential market is in the UK IMHO. Downloadable content assuming "Broadband Britain" gets its act together does have a future and many already say that the blu-ray disk will be the last physical disk format... It would be brave to bet against that.

Neil Davidson · 26-05-2009, 6:17 PM

Hi Guys,

Please find the mode demo attached.

There is a lot of information on the chart but it should be pretty straight forward.

The table on the left side shows the frequencies where standing waves will occur and what mode it is (ie L1 = 1 st axial length mode).

The two charts show the first four length and wide axial modes (axial just means the standing wave is bouncing off two walls). The lines translate to the intensity of the mode at that position in the room where higher equals more intense. In reality this describes the relative SPL of a pure tone played at the standing wave frequency.

The chart at the bottom right shows how the various standing waves combine to produce a sound at each chair. The key point is to note how different the response is at each chair.

Please post here with your questions.

Pecker · 31-05-2009, 5:04 PM

Sorry for the delay - been on holiday.

Great podcast again. I was particularly interested in how a couple of the themes cross over: integration and downloads.

Steve W

Fulltopuk · 02-06-2009, 12:53 PM

Hi just managed to listen to the Podcast. The control aspect was interesting. Neil mentioned Air remote which I also saw at CEDIA last year. That, unfortunately, seems to have been the last time it was shown in public which makes me think that this product is not coming to market. Does anyone know to the contrary?

Fulltopuk

Jase Winter · 06-06-2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fulltopuk

Hi just managed to listen to the Podcast. The control aspect was interesting. Neil mentioned Air remote which I also saw at CEDIA last year. That, unfortunately, seems to have been the last time it was shown in public which makes me think that this product is not coming to market. Does anyone know to the contrary?

Fulltopuk

Same question here, did a quick search on the app store and didn't find that exact app. I'm very interested in the possibility of using iPhone and iPod touch as a remote for my system. Just yesterday my wife decided she wanted to play xbox while I was out, this ended in an argument over the phone and her saying 'forget it, i've lost interest now'. Obviously for me it's really quite a simple process to get one particular device on screen but for her it seems damn near impossible! As we both have iPods (me an iPhone, her an iPod touch) this would be the perfect solution and get me some brownie points for a less cluttered front room!

Any help or advice would be great.

Great podcast too guys, helped me pass some time at work!

Jase.

**Stuart Wright** · 06-06-2009, 10:13 PM

oh isn't it annoying when you are trying to help them and they give up with 'oh I've lost interest, now' because they are too pathetic to try. Bloody wives

Jase Winter · 06-06-2009, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart Wright

oh isn't it annoying when you are trying to help them and they give up with 'oh I've lost interest, now' because they are too pathetic to try. Bloody wives

LOL, yeah very frustrating!

Neil Davidson · 06-06-2009, 10:40 PM

The Air Remote website is here: http://www.airremote.com/

This was a development by Steve Moore and I guess they will be answering questions via the feedback form.

If nothing else there is some stuff there about how an IP remote system works which should be interesting.

namuk · 07-06-2009, 11:53 AM

Another Excellent Podcast

keep up the good work..

GrahamMG · 19-06-2009, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jase Winter

LOL, yeah very frustrating!

This must be one of the biggest incentives to provide a workable control solution, as the iPhone now has a voice control app (apparently from yesterday), I wonder who will be first to simply speak into the iPhone "Watch SKYHD" and everything switches on with the right settings etc...
I currently only have a control interface with buttons but it was really straightforward to organise a simple menu that even the wife can use.
For example the following needs to happen:-

Switch on projector
Change input
Set picture memory
drop screen
close blinds
dim lights
switch on SKYHD
route the HDMI to the projector
switch on surround system
change to correct sound input
set default volume and surround mode
load a new control page that has the correct buttons for volume, channel +/- SKY guide, planner etc etc etc.
Page also has a "system off" button to reverse all the above as necessary.

All this action hides behind one button that simply says "SKYHD on Projector" that even the wife knows how to press.....

Same thing for the plasma screen, DVD player, Blu-ray, HTPC, lights, blinds, routing the 3 SKYHD boxes to differnt rooms etc etc.

Imagine the other neat features that can be integrated into this, like pressing pause and that brings the lights up a bit for "loo" breaks, phone calls etc. Once you have the basics all set up it really is quite easy and quick to add features the family want or go to regularly, it is only limited by your imagination and NEVER underestimate the lack of grief you get from the wife afterwards, worth its weight in gold..... This is not a "nice to have" "show off to the mates" thing, it is a basic essential item IMHO and frankly does not have to cost a fortune (all up retail of all my control stuff was £1k and I have a lot of stuff to control!!) leaving you to spend the money on better picture/sound/gizmo's and content....

And the best bit, I made sure that the button that changes the SKYHD box to channel 4 was "temporarily" missing for the duration of "Big Brother" :-)

hornydragon · 19-06-2009, 4:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrahamMG

And the best bit, I made sure that the button that changes the SKYHD box to channel 4 was "temporarily" missing for the duration of "Big Brother" :-)

Hope you remembered to remove E4, E4+1 and 4 HD as well.

GrahamMG · 25-06-2009, 9:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hornydragon

Hope you remembered to remove E4, E4+1 and 4 HD as well.

Of course!

rigman · 03-07-2009, 12:58 PM

Its been a while since we had the film review or the hardware discussion podcasts.
When can we expect the next one. I am getting withdrawal symptoms here

cheers
Darren