1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to Tech Stuff, a production from I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: Hey there, and welcome to tech Stuff. I'm your host, 3 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: Jonathan Strickland. I'm an executive producer with I Heart Radio, 4 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: and I love all things tech, and last week I 5 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 1: started talking about home theater basics, and I really started 6 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: with televisions and projectors, right, talking about the screen because 7 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: that typically is one of those things that draws our 8 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: attention first. Right, We talked a bit about L E 9 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: D screens, O L E D screens, projector screens, the 10 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: differences between h D t V four K and eight K, 11 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: what h d R or high dynamic range is, and 12 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: what refresh rates mean. But there are some other things 13 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: that I want to chat about before we move on 14 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: to sound. That's going to be the main focus of 15 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: this episode. But we've got some stuff I got to 16 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: clear up first because it does get confusing out there, 17 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: and I didn't cover absolutely everything. So for example, as 18 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 1: I mentioned in the previous episode, a lot of the 19 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 1: specs with television's really comes down to marketing. Okay, so 20 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: technology is is fun stuff, and there are a lot 21 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: of hard things we can talk about, like as in 22 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,559 Speaker 1: defined things, Right, there are certain technologies where you've got 23 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: a certain set of specifications, and anything that meets those 24 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: specifications counts in. Anything that doesn't meet those specifications doesn't count. 25 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: But with home theater, there's a lot of marketing jargon 26 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: out there and a lot of different approaches to trying 27 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: to create the best experience, and it gets really muddled. 28 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: Companies find all sorts of different ways to quantify elements 29 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: in a television and then they slap that number on 30 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: a box. And these numbers can look really impressive, right 31 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: if you just see the number, or like some interesting 32 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: designation that's heavily trademarked, that might seem like, oh, this 33 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: is really cool, it's really advanced, it's really good. Other 34 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: companies will go a step further they incorporate some proprietary 35 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: technology and their televisions. That makes it even more confusing, 36 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: where this is something that you will only find in 37 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: TVs from this particular company, and you ask, well, what 38 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: does that mean, why is it there, what benefit does 39 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: it give me? And is it compatible with everything I 40 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: want to watch? So one of those companies that does this, 41 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: and it's by no means the only one. I don't 42 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: want to just single it out, but Samsung is one 43 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: of those companies. So I talked about oh LEDs O 44 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: L E D S. I did not, however, talk about 45 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: q LEDs, a technology that Samsung promotes, and its television's 46 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: q LEDs, according to Samsung, stands for quantum dot L 47 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: E D t V. So that raises an obvious question, 48 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: what the heck is a quantum dot. Technically, a quantum 49 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: dot is a nanoscale crystal that when UV light hits 50 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: that crystal, the crystal will emit various colors, and the 51 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: color that the crystal emits depends upon the crystal's size. 52 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: And that probably sounds a little bit weird. It kind 53 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: of sounds like Star Wars E right, like a chaiber crystal. 54 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: Your chiber crystal determines the color of your lightsaber blade. 55 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: Almost the same sort of concept here, except we're talking 56 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: about stuff on the nanoscale that, by the way, we're 57 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: talking about like nanometer that means one billionth of a meter, 58 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: so tiny that the quantum rules start to take effect. 59 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: And all things quantum and nanoscale are a little weird 60 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: because quantum mechanics do not necessarily work the same way 61 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: classic physics do, at least not the way we understand 62 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: it right. There's stuff it happens at the nano scale 63 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: that just does not happen at the macro scale, and 64 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: it seems almost magical to us because it's not the 65 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: experience we have. Maybe if you can actually see the matrix, 66 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: it all makes sense, like everything fits together. But right 67 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: now we still have incredibly intelligent physicists who are trying 68 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: to find ways of marrying the world of quantum mechanics 69 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 1: with our understanding of classical physics. Anyway, let's say you've 70 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 1: got a quantum dot that's six nanometers across, and you 71 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 1: hit that quantum dot with light that's around four fifty 72 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: nanometers in wavelength. That actually puts it in the neighborhood 73 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:43,359 Speaker 1: of blue light. Blue is in that that frequency range 74 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: um that crystal or that wavelength range. I should say 75 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: that crystal then will emit red light. That's six nanometer 76 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: wide crystal. But if you were to build a quantum 77 00:04:56,279 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: dot that's five nanometers wide and you that one with 78 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: that same blue light, that crystal would emit orange light, 79 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: and so on. So by just changing the size of 80 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: the quantum dot, or making quantum dots of different sizes, 81 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: you can create different light effects even using the same 82 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: light source hitting all those different quantum dots. Quantum dots 83 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: have lots of other potential applications besides television screens. Uh. 84 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: The dots properties also depend on tons of different factors 85 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: in addition to size, such as the shape of the 86 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: crystal and whether or not the crystal is hollow or 87 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: if it's solid, And there's some really cool biomedical applications, 88 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: and beyond that, there's talk of quantum dots taking apart 89 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: in self assembling nanocrystals as a nanotechnology that can build 90 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: itself under the right conditions. But that's enough for us 91 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: to cover for now, because we could do an entire 92 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: episode about quantum dots and nanotechnologies and totally get off track. 93 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: So a Samsung q LED t V is actually a 94 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: variant on the l e ED l c D Television's 95 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: l c D standing for liquid crystal display. So l 96 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: e ED t vs use light emitting diodes that's what 97 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:19,039 Speaker 1: LED stands for, as tiny lamps that provide the light 98 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: for a television screen. So all that light is coming 99 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: from these little l e ED light sources. A liquid 100 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 1: crystal display panel acts kind of like a shutter or 101 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: shade for each of those lamps, and it allows a 102 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: certain amount of light through to the screen in order 103 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: to achieve the proper brightness or luminosity of a scene. 104 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: And this also means that the little lamps are actually 105 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: always on in the background, and some l e D 106 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: screens aren't really able to show really dark colors effectively, 107 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,919 Speaker 1: meaning you kind of get lousy contrast ratio compared to 108 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: oh LAD screens. Oh lads or organic light emitting diodes 109 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: are different, and that each pixel in an old LAD 110 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: screen emits its own light, and thus it can turn 111 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: off entirely and achieve a true black on screen instead 112 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: of this kind of dark gray, because there's actually a 113 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: light shining through a liquid crystal, and some of that 114 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: light is bleeding through the liquid crystal to get to 115 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: the screen. So with oh leads you don't have a backlight. 116 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: The old leads are both light and pixel and oh 117 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: LAD screens are emissive, whereas l e D screens are transmissive, 118 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: and a Q LEAD screen is also transmissive. It's a 119 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: type of l E D, so Samsung's Q l e 120 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: D screen includes a film of quantum dots in addition 121 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: to the L E D and l c D elements, 122 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: So the light passes through the film of the quantum 123 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: dots in addition to everything else, I imagine that probably 124 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: means that the lights behind the screen need to be 125 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: even brighter in order to you know, push the right 126 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: amount of light through all those it's including the extra 127 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: layer of the quantum dot film. But the quantum dots 128 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: are supposed to provide much more vibrant and realistic color representation, 129 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: so the colors you get on screen are supposed to 130 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: be more accurate and jump off the screen more effectively. Now, 131 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: q laed screens typically can produce a much brighter picture 132 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: than oh LAD screens do. So while oh lads are 133 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: great for contrast and they work really well in dim rooms, 134 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: q LED screens are more luminous and they can work 135 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: better in brighter rooms. So even if you have like 136 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: a lot of ambient light in your home theater space, 137 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: or you're not even building a home theater you just want, 138 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: you know, a good TV and you have to have 139 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: a lot of windows or whatever, or a lot of 140 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: other light in the space, these screens can be bright 141 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,959 Speaker 1: enough where they can overcome that that ambient light that's 142 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: in your area. And they also work pretty well with 143 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: HDR content, that high dynamic range where you're trying to 144 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:00,120 Speaker 1: reproduce colors in a really vibrant way. Now that is 145 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: not to say that que lads are better than oh LEDs, 146 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: but rather if you're in a bright setting, it can 147 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:08,959 Speaker 1: seem that way. This, by the way, is one of 148 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: the reasons that's so dang hard to shop for television's 149 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: because typically you go to a store that's lit with 150 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: these bright, fluorescent, you know, lights, and it can mean 151 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 1: that a television that technically will deliver a superior performance 152 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:28,200 Speaker 1: under normal viewing circumstances might not look the best simply 153 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: because you're in a very bright environment, not in a 154 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: home theater setting. That's why a lot of these places 155 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,679 Speaker 1: will have like a home theater room set up where 156 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 1: at least a certain number of televisions can be shown 157 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: without being in that bright environment. Then again, maybe if 158 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: your home is brightly lit, then the experience you get 159 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: in the store is exactly what you need, because you 160 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: want to make sure that the screen you get is 161 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: one that you know you can see everything on. Something 162 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: else I didn't really cover in the last episode is 163 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: viewing angle, but that is actually important to Again, this 164 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: gets around the technology part. It's more about how you 165 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 1: position the technology. Most shopping guides for television's assume that 166 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: you will normally view the television pretty much dead on, 167 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: sitting you know, directly across from it, so like at 168 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: a zero degree angle straight line between you and the TV, 169 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: and the center of the television would be positioned more 170 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: or less at your eye level. Once you start moving 171 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 1: that around, like changing the viewing angle, you start to 172 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: encounter some issues, Like you would get the ideal experience 173 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: under those circumstances, and once you deviate from those circumstances, 174 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: you might encounter problems. For example, TVs that have l 175 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: c D screens can have areas that appear brighter or 176 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: darker from other viewing angles. So if you're sitting to 177 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: the side or you wouldn't necessarily see the picture exactly 178 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: as it should be. Or let's say your television is 179 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 1: mounted closer to the ceiling, it might not be ideal 180 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: either because your viewing angle is not the way that 181 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: you know was thought of as being ideal. Oh, LED 182 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: screens typically have a much more consistent viewing experience across 183 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 1: multiple angles, So if you do want to mount a 184 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,839 Speaker 1: television close to your ceiling, then an old screen might 185 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,199 Speaker 1: be the way to go because it won't be as 186 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: affected by that that extreme viewing angle as an l 187 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: c D television would. One other thing I do need 188 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: to mention about oh LED screens. This was actually brought 189 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: up by someone on Twitter, and I apologize. I tried 190 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 1: to find your tweet this morning, but I couldn't find it. 191 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: I don't know what has happened. I don't know why 192 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: it's disappeared from my mentions. But someone actually pointed out 193 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: in our last episode that, like plasma displays, oh LED 194 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: screens can experience burning. Burning happens when a screen holds 195 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: a particular image for a really long time. And I'm 196 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: talking like hours and hours of hour of holding that image. 197 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: So imagine like you have a video game playing and 198 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: you pause the game and the system never goes into 199 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 1: sleep mode. It just holds that image there, and then 200 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: you go on vacation for two months and you come back. 201 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: That's what I'm talking about. So in these cases, that 202 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: image of whatever was held on the screen for so 203 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 1: long burns into the display. Uh. In this case, it 204 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: means that the particular oh LED elements have held that 205 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: image so long that they kind of hold onto a 206 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 1: ghost of that image forever. So if you try watching anything, 207 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: you'll end up seeing sort of a transparent image of 208 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: whatever it was that was burned on the screen. Usually 209 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,960 Speaker 1: what you'll get is actually image retention, not image burning, 210 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 1: which is more like the experience of having, you know, 211 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: a bright light flash in your eyes for a second, 212 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 1: and you get that after image, that retinal after image. 213 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: That can happen with oh led screens, but that's temporary. 214 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: The retained image will fade and before long you wouldn't 215 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: even remember that was on there. But it is possible 216 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: for those kind of ghostly images to become a permanent fixture. 217 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: If it's held long enough, it goes beyond being an 218 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: afterimage and it becomes burning. One way this can happen 219 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 1: is if you have a television that's set to a 220 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: specific channel, and let's say that channel has a logo 221 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: up on screen pretty much all the time. So you've 222 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:23,679 Speaker 1: got a television running, say a twenty four hour news 223 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,439 Speaker 1: station like CNN or Fox News or something. The logo 224 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: in the corner can actually eventually burn into the screen. 225 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: If you're just showing that all the time and the 226 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: TV never goes off. Now, for most people, this isn't 227 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 1: a problem because most people typically watch a variety of 228 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: things and that prevents burning from happening. Uh if it's 229 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: like a TV that's in say an office setting, and 230 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: it always has CNN on, well, then you're more likely 231 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: to see burning with a no LED screen under those cases. 232 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: I like to think of this as, uh, those oh 233 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: LAD components that hold onto the image are really just 234 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: saying this is all I know how to do now, 235 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: which frankly is a mood that I identify with. And 236 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 1: technically l c D based televisions can also have burn 237 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: into but it is far less common it. It requires, 238 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 1: like like I said, ages and ages and ages of 239 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: holding the same sort of image for it to happen 240 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 1: with your typical l c D based televisions. But even 241 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: with oh LAD, it's something that the average person is 242 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: not likely to encounter. So while it is possible, I 243 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: don't want to discourage people from, say, going to look 244 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 1: at oh LED screens because it's not likely to happen 245 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: to you. All Right, That, I think means we're finally 246 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: ready to transition away from visuals and talk more about sound. 247 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 1: So we're gonna take a quick break and when we 248 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: come back, we're gonna pick up with the sound component 249 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: of home theater systems, which for a lot of home 250 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: theater enthusiasts, they argue that as the most important component. 251 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: That you know, your screen is important, obviously, but that 252 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: your sound is even more important than that. So if 253 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: you were to like budget out of home theater, you 254 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,440 Speaker 1: would want to put more money towards your sound system 255 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: than your television or your screen and projector. I don't 256 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: know that I agree with that. I probably do because 257 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 1: I do really like sound. I mean, I'm in podcasting 258 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: after all. But um yeah, we're gonna get into that 259 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: after this quick break. So we'll be right back now 260 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: to talk about sound. We're gonna need to have a 261 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: quick refresher on what sound actually is because it is 262 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: important and longtime listeners of tech stuff y'all know all 263 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 1: this by heart by now, but we get new folks 264 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: all the time. So let's talk about the physics of sound, 265 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: all right. So sound, when you really break it down, 266 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 1: is essentially vibration. It's atoms and molecules that are vibrating 267 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: against each other in a way that extends outward from 268 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: the point of origin, and it extends outward in all 269 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: directions from the point of origin. So as long as 270 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: there are enough molecules of whatever, this vibration is moving 271 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 1: through the medium. In other words, sound can travel. That's 272 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 1: why sound doesn't travel in space, because there's a lack 273 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: of molecules that are close enough to vibrate against each other, 274 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: so sound can't travel out there. We talk about the 275 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: speed of sound a lot, particularly with stuff like air 276 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: travel or you know, projectiles, but that phrase is deceptive 277 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: because sounds speed is dependent upon the medium through which 278 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 1: it travels, so sound does not travel at the same 279 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: speed through everything. Sound will travel at a different speed 280 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: through solids versus liquids, versus gases, and it gets even 281 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: more complicated from there. Most of the time we can 282 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: just say speed of sound to mean how fast sound 283 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: travels through the air, because that's how we typically experience sound. 284 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: But even this needs some qualifiers because sound will travel 285 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 1: at different speeds through cold air then it will through 286 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 1: hot air, and different speeds through dry air than it 287 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: will through humid air, so we actually do have to 288 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: get very specific. That usually means we say sound travels 289 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 1: at three per second through dry air at twenty degrees celsius, 290 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: which is sixty degrees fahrenheit. So why does that temperature matter. Well, 291 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: if you remember your physics, when you heat gases up, 292 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: they expand and the molecules get more energy and they 293 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: move around a lot more. Colder gases are more dense, 294 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: the molecules move less. In fact, if you can cool 295 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: down the gas to absolute zero, the lowest temperature you 296 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: can get, you stop molecular movement entirely. But typically we 297 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: are not talking about temperatures that cold. Sound will travel 298 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 1: faster through warm air than cold air, and you can 299 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 1: think of the molecules as being a little bit more 300 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: loosey goosey, and so they'll move around more easily, and 301 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 1: thus vibration will pass through this more easily. There's less 302 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: resistance anyway. Now that's super important for our home theater discussion. 303 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: It's just good to have a basic handle on the 304 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: physics of sound before you start talking about sound setups. Now, 305 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 1: some things that are super important about how sound behaves 306 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: is that when it moves through one medium and encounters another, 307 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: things change. So, for example, let's say you're swimming underwater 308 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 1: and someone above water is shouting your name. If you 309 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: hear that at all, it's going to be pretty muffled, 310 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: which is weird because you know, sound travels pretty well 311 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: through liquids. I mean, whales are able to sing to 312 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:43,119 Speaker 1: each other miles apart. Right, Sound can travel enormous distances underwater. 313 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: But when sound encounters a boundary between two mediums or 314 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: or media, if you prefer like moving from the air 315 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:56,679 Speaker 1: to the water, then typically one of three things happens. 316 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:00,440 Speaker 1: Sound waves get absorbed, which means, you know it, they 317 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,639 Speaker 1: just kind of get absorbed by physical material and they 318 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 1: no longer bounce around. Or sound waves get refracted, or 319 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: sound waves get reflected, and this is super important for 320 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:14,639 Speaker 1: home theater setups. So let's just get refraction out of 321 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 1: the way, because most of you don't need to worry 322 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: about it unless you plan to set up your home 323 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 1: theater system inside a glass cube and then watch everything 324 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,640 Speaker 1: from outside the cube, which you know, don't do that. 325 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: Between the refraction of sound and the glare that you're 326 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,199 Speaker 1: gonna get on the glass, it would be a subpar experience. 327 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 1: But with a refraction, waves traveling through one medium will 328 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:38,880 Speaker 1: change direction and speed as well as wavelength as they 329 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 1: pass through the boundary of the one medium into another, 330 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: such as from a gas to a liquid, or vice 331 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: versa um. If you've ever noticed that a straw and 332 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: a glass of water looks as though it's in one 333 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,719 Speaker 1: position above the water line and a different position below it, 334 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,640 Speaker 1: like it's offset, that's because light waves are refracting as 335 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 1: they pass from the air to water. So light behaves 336 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: in a very similar way. Sound does the same. Anyway, 337 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,880 Speaker 1: we're gonna leave that behind because refraction is not as 338 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: important to us as reflection and absorption. If the density 339 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: of the two mediums is extreme, Like if there's a 340 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: difference in density where you're going from like gas to 341 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: a hard solid, you're more likely to see reflection than 342 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: you are refraction. With a reflection, a wave of traveling 343 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: through one medium encounters a dense obstacle and then bounces 344 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 1: off that obstacle. It cannot absorb into it, it cannot 345 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: refract through it, so it bounces off it reflects. So 346 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: in a home theater, sound traveling from speakers might encounter 347 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: like a hardwood floor and thus bounce off the floor, 348 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 1: and the angle of bounce is interesting. The law of 349 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: reflection tells us that waves will bounce off an obstacle 350 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 1: at an angle equal to the angle of approach. So, 351 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: in other words, if sound is coming in at a 352 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: thirty five degree angle, when it's hitting the ground, it 353 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,920 Speaker 1: will bounce off at a thirty five degree angle from 354 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: the ground. If it's forty five degrees coming in, it 355 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 1: will be forty five degrees coming out. If it's ninety degrees, 356 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 1: it will be ninety degrees. Knowing this is really important 357 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,640 Speaker 1: because this comes into effect when we start talking about 358 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 1: things like soundbars, which we may or may not get 359 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: to in this episode. I'll find out when I get there, 360 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 1: all right. Because of this fun fact of the law 361 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: of reflection, people can create really cool effects in spaces, 362 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: physical spaces. Folks figured this out a long, long long 363 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: time ago, which is part of the reason why certain buildings, 364 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:39,920 Speaker 1: like certain churches and cathedrals in Europe, for example, are 365 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 1: built in really similar styles. And part of the desired 366 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 1: outcome was to create a structure that would reflect sound well. 367 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: Because remember these things were built in the days before 368 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,399 Speaker 1: amplified sounds, so you didn't have microphones and speakers and stuff, 369 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: and you had musical composers who would create sacred music 370 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:03,439 Speaker 1: knowing about the reflective effects, and they would create some 371 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 1: truly remarkable pieces of music that to this day sound 372 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: incredible if you happen to be inside one of those 373 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: structures when a group performs it, because it was made 374 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 1: for those spaces and those reflections end up creating effects 375 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: that enhance the music. If you were to hear it 376 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 1: outside of that building, it would sound like a totally 377 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 1: different piece and you would lose some of that complexity. 378 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 1: But the reason I bring it up here is that 379 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: if you do have a lot of hard surfaces in 380 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: your home theater room, like hardwood floors, woodwalls, maybe like 381 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:40,359 Speaker 1: a flat hard ceiling, then you're gonna get a lot 382 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:44,400 Speaker 1: of sound reflection, and that's not necessarily a good thing. 383 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 1: If you want to create an immersive audio experience, then 384 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:51,840 Speaker 1: you want to be able to control how sound is 385 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: going to reach the audience. So let's say it's you, 386 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: like you're planning on being the person who primarily uses 387 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: this home theater. You want to be able to control 388 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: how sound gets to you, so that Let's say you're 389 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 1: watching a really creepy horror movie and you want the 390 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:10,880 Speaker 1: sounds to be really specific and directional, so that when 391 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,159 Speaker 1: something happens, say off to the left to your left 392 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: on screen, then you hear it on your left side. 393 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:20,440 Speaker 1: Maybe even more positional than that, maybe it sounds like 394 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 1: it's coming up from behind your left shoulder. Well, you 395 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 1: have to create a setup where all this can happen. 396 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: And for that reason, a lot of home theater enthusiasts 397 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 1: prefer to have carpeted floors, and they prefer to have 398 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: walls that either have some form of baffling on them, 399 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: like foam or fabric panels that absorb sound rather than 400 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:44,680 Speaker 1: reflect it, or they will put their home theater in 401 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:48,120 Speaker 1: a place that has like drywall, which is pretty good 402 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: at absorbing sound. It doesn't reflect sound quite as badly 403 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 1: as say a flat wood wall would. Same thing is 404 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: true for the ceiling. Some homeowners when they're playing in 405 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: a home theater, they'll use carpet tiles, and they'll cover 406 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:04,119 Speaker 1: the ceiling with carpet tiles to try and dampen sound 407 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,880 Speaker 1: and absorb it so that you're not getting reflections off 408 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:12,240 Speaker 1: the wrong speaker. If you're hearing a reflection that's coming 409 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,880 Speaker 1: from the right speaker in your left ear, then it's 410 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:20,120 Speaker 1: sending the wrong information to your brain right, it's telling you, oh, hey, 411 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,120 Speaker 1: something's happening off to the left, when really it should 412 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 1: be happening to the right. So it's all about control. 413 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:27,439 Speaker 1: And I think it talked a bit about windows in 414 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: our last episode, and not only is it important to 415 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,440 Speaker 1: have good curtains or shades for windows to help cut 416 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: down on ambient light and reduce glare, it's also important 417 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: to cover those windows so that you don't have a flat, 418 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:42,879 Speaker 1: hard surface that sound can bounce off of. Now, I 419 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 1: know talking about sound reflection may seem like I'm way 420 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: off track as far as tech goes, But the reason 421 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: I wanted to cover it is I would hate for 422 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,159 Speaker 1: anyone to go out and make a massive investment in 423 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: a home theater system. I mean, these things can get 424 00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: wicked expensive. I looked at one for the purposes for 425 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: the purpose is a research for this episode, not to 426 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:04,719 Speaker 1: put it in my home because I just can't afford this. 427 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:06,960 Speaker 1: But I looked at one where it said like this 428 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,200 Speaker 1: one's not terribly expensive, and it was a ten thousand 429 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:12,160 Speaker 1: dollar system that was just for the sound system, not 430 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,119 Speaker 1: not even including like a television or projector or anything 431 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:18,679 Speaker 1: like that. Ten grand that's a huge amount of money. 432 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: I mean unless you're like really rich, in which case, hey, 433 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 1: do you want to go to lunch? But it's a 434 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: huge amount of money. I would hate for anyone to 435 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:31,119 Speaker 1: even start looking at putting towards an investment for a 436 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:36,719 Speaker 1: home theater without understanding these elements of sound and how 437 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,720 Speaker 1: the room that they choose might cause issues on the 438 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 1: setup that they want. So these decisions all have to 439 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:46,399 Speaker 1: go hand in hand. You have to figure out, you know, 440 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: what the physical spaces, how you want to change that 441 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 1: physical space, if at all, in order to accommodate your system, 442 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:56,399 Speaker 1: and what system would best work within that space. Now, 443 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 1: in most cases, you can find ways to address these 444 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 1: issues so that they're not too much of a pain 445 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: in the took is. Uh, they aren't game breakers or 446 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,639 Speaker 1: anything like that. But again, if you're really looking to 447 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 1: create that incredible home theater uh you know experience, you 448 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:16,159 Speaker 1: have to take all this into account. So it it 449 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 1: means that you have to know about the potential problems 450 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: you could run into so that you can figure out 451 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 1: solutions to them before you, you know, break the wallet 452 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: in order to pay for a killer system. All right, 453 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 1: So let's talk about sound setups now, way back in 454 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 1: the nineteenth century. Don't worry, this will be short, but 455 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: this was shortly after the invention of the telephone. There 456 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: were people like Clement Adair who showed how two receivers 457 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: or speakers could provide an interesting listening experience, with each 458 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 1: speaker playing a slightly different aspect of that that sound. 459 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: So Adder had set up telephones at the Paris Opera 460 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 1: and positioned the telephones around the edge of the stage, 461 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:03,679 Speaker 1: and he ran transmission lines to a suite of rooms 462 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: in a nearby building, so you could visit this exhibit. 463 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 1: Is during an exhibition and Paris. You could sit down 464 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:14,520 Speaker 1: and you would hold up a pair of receivers, so 465 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 1: you would hold one tier left ear and one tier 466 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,160 Speaker 1: right ear. And because the receivers were connecting to different 467 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 1: telephone transmitters back at the Paris Opera, you would get 468 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:27,640 Speaker 1: a slightly different listening experience for each ear. Maybe one 469 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 1: of the transmitters would be closer to the left side 470 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 1: of stage and the other one closer to the right 471 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: side of stage, so you would get a kind of 472 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 1: stereophonic experience. Right you would be closer to what it 473 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:43,360 Speaker 1: would be like if you were there in the space yourself. Right. Obviously, 474 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:47,359 Speaker 1: when we're in a room, sound can be coming at 475 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: us from all sorts of different directions, from different sources. 476 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:54,160 Speaker 1: But if we're watching something and it only has one speaker, 477 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,360 Speaker 1: then all the sound, all the elements of sound within 478 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: a scene are coming from one direction, one source. Well, 479 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:04,480 Speaker 1: this was a germ of an idea that would kind 480 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: of sit unused for a long time because we just 481 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 1: didn't have the technology to be able to transmit different 482 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 1: sounds two different speakers. Then we got an engineer named 483 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: Alan Blumline. He created a method to record two separate 484 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: channels of sound from the same you know, source, and 485 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 1: each channel could go to a specific speaker, so you 486 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 1: could have stereo sound this way. Right, you could designate 487 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: certain sounds to be on the left side versus the 488 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: right side. Now, this was in the nineteen thirties, and 489 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:38,239 Speaker 1: it was in response to the problem that at that 490 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 1: time cinemas were reliant upon a single channel of sound. 491 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:44,800 Speaker 1: So even if you had multiple speakers set up in 492 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 1: your theater room, each speaker would be putting out the 493 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: same sound signal, Right, you would get the exact same 494 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: sound coming out of each speaker's They'll be mono sound, 495 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 1: no matter how many speakers you you hooked up, so 496 00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 1: you would have no sense of directionality when it came 497 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: to the source of the sound. There'd be no connection 498 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: between where something was happening up on screen and where 499 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 1: it seemed to be happening in the soundscape around you. 500 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: So if a woman on the left side of your 501 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 1: screen shoots a pistol at someone on the right side, 502 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: you know you'd hear the gun go off, but it 503 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: would just come be allowed bang. There'll be no indication 504 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: of what side that came from. It would just be 505 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: associated with the visual bloomlines. Inventions allowed for more nuanced 506 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: soundscapes and bloom lines work would go on to impact 507 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: multiple industries like the music industry as well as film 508 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 1: and television. But we're really interested in television's here, so 509 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: we're gonna stick with that now. Stereo sound took a 510 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 1: really long time to get to television's, at least to 511 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 1: be fully integrated into the TV experience. Back in the 512 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 1: nineteen fifties, ABC did kind of an experiment with The 513 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: Lawrence Welk Show, and the network provided stereo sound decades 514 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 1: before anyone could broadcast in stereo. So how did they 515 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 1: do that, well, it was kind of a cheat. See, 516 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 1: the television signal carried a monophonic sound channel, so a 517 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: single channel of sound recorded from this show, as was 518 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: the style at the time, or rather as was the limitation. 519 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 1: But ABC also happened to own a radio network, and 520 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: if you had a television and a radio in the 521 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: same area, and you could tune your TV into The 522 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 1: Lawrence Wolke Show and your radio into the radio broadcast 523 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: version of the Lawrence Wolke Show, you could take advantage 524 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: of stereo sound because ABC set up microphones in the 525 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: studio that went to the monophonic feed for television, so 526 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 1: they were specific for the TV side, and they had 527 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: a separate array of microphones set up to go to 528 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: a different mono channel, this time to the radio. So 529 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: two different mono channels that when you hear them combined 530 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 1: creates a stereo experience. The mis were in different locations 531 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 1: in the sound stage, but by combining both you get 532 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 1: this more full, fleshed out audio experience. This was obviously 533 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 1: a really clujie way to get stereo sound. Disney did 534 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: the same thing too, by the way, working with ABC 535 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:23,200 Speaker 1: the show Walt Disney Presents produced the Peter Chaikowski Story. 536 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 1: People Disney did this too, by the way, working with 537 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 1: ABC the Show Walt Disney Presents produced the Peter Tchaikovsky 538 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: Story and paired it with simulcasts both on AM and 539 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 1: FM radio, so putting all that together would create the 540 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 1: stereo effects while watching the program. While stereo sound became 541 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 1: common with recordings like vinyl records and UH on the 542 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: radio starting in the nineteen sixties and the following decades, 543 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 1: and film really got into stereo sound in the nineteen seventies, 544 00:31:56,600 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 1: stereophonic television wouldn't become a thing until the late nineteen 545 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: seventies in Japan and the mid nineteen eighties in the 546 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: United States. I'll talk about it more, but first let's 547 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:18,600 Speaker 1: take another quick break. All right, Let's talk about stereo 548 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 1: TV and why it took so long to take off. 549 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 1: Even after it was becoming a thing with like you know, 550 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:27,600 Speaker 1: records and film and stuff, there was really a chicken 551 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: in the egg problem going on at the time. Consumers 552 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 1: were reluctant to sink a lot of money into television 553 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: sets that were compatible with stereo, or otherwise buying TV 554 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:41,959 Speaker 1: sets that you could connect to a stereo system like 555 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 1: a Hi Fi stereo system and have the sound play 556 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: out on big speakers as opposed through the television itself. 557 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 1: This was a big investment and there really wasn't much 558 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: content you could enjoy in stereo. So even after the 559 00:32:56,560 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 1: engineers figured out how to broadcast stereos sound out to 560 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:07,719 Speaker 1: two listeners to viewers, there wasn't much that was actually 561 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 1: done that way. You had television stations that didn't want 562 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,240 Speaker 1: to invest in the stereo transmission equipment. It's not like 563 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 1: they could use the same stuff they were using for 564 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 1: the mono uh equipment, you know, content. So that meant 565 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 1: that there wasn't much you could use these four It's 566 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:28,480 Speaker 1: kind of like the early days of h D t V. 567 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:31,080 Speaker 1: You could buy an HDTV in the early days and 568 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 1: you had nothing to watch on it because everything was 569 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:38,520 Speaker 1: still broadcasting standard definition. Uh. So that meant that it 570 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 1: took some time for both sides to kind of get 571 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 1: adoption rates going. You know, consumers had to feel like 572 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 1: this was the way things were going to be, and 573 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:52,120 Speaker 1: TV stations and producers had to feel like there was 574 00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:56,520 Speaker 1: a demand to supply that kind of content. But eventually 575 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: stereo television did become commonplace, as did stereo recorded media, 576 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: and for home theater enthusiasts, this usually meant that you 577 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:08,080 Speaker 1: would hook up your television either two speakers directly, or 578 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,839 Speaker 1: more often, you would feed the audio output from your 579 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 1: television into a device called a receiver, which could transmit 580 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 1: the channels of audio to specific speakers, giving you the 581 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:21,960 Speaker 1: stereo sounds so that you had a left channel and 582 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 1: a right channel. UH these days where well beyond simple stereo, 583 00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:30,359 Speaker 1: and the audio options can be daunting, particularly since there's 584 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:33,960 Speaker 1: a wide range of options that aren't always applicable for 585 00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 1: every source of media. For example, if you've shelled out 586 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 1: the big, big bucks for a Dolby Atmos system complete 587 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 1: with all the speakers you would need to make that 588 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: a reality, and you find out that the media you're 589 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: watching doesn't support Dolby Atmos, well you're not going to 590 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 1: be able to enjoy the entire immersive effect. There are 591 00:34:54,760 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 1: technologies that try to compensate for that. They're very similar 592 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:05,960 Speaker 1: in some ways to upscaling technologies with ultra high definition televisions, 593 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:10,799 Speaker 1: where there's an attempt to fill out UH stuff so 594 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:13,640 Speaker 1: that you can watch lower quality or in this case, 595 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:18,840 Speaker 1: listen to lower quality stuff. But on a high quality system, 596 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: it's not perfect. It's not like it can magically create 597 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:25,319 Speaker 1: surround sound where there was no surround sound before, but 598 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:30,239 Speaker 1: it's better than you know, just just standard stereo. So 599 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:32,800 Speaker 1: with that in mind, if you are building out a 600 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:35,520 Speaker 1: home theater, it's good to make a list of questions 601 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 1: that you need to answer so that you can start 602 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: going down the right direction. So, are you planning on 603 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:45,239 Speaker 1: a home theater that's built around music? You know you're 604 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:48,279 Speaker 1: not thinking about a home theater space for TV. You 605 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:54,439 Speaker 1: want a really good music experience. Well, in that case, 606 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 1: there might not be much point to building out a 607 00:35:56,640 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 1: surround sound system because the standard format for music is stereo, 608 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:04,839 Speaker 1: not surround sound. Are you planning on watching a lot 609 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:08,759 Speaker 1: of cable or broadcast television, Well, you might want to 610 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 1: look into surround sound, but you should know that a 611 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:15,920 Speaker 1: lot of programming still isn't necessarily broadcast in surround sound, 612 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 1: so you wouldn't get a ton of benefit out of 613 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:21,319 Speaker 1: that either. In many cases. In this case, it would 614 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 1: be a really good idea to see if whatever shows 615 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 1: or content you plan on watching, if it actually is 616 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: already in surround sound when it's being broadcast out. If 617 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:33,680 Speaker 1: it's not, there's no point in building out a surround 618 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:35,880 Speaker 1: sound system. If you plan to watch a lot of 619 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:39,120 Speaker 1: movies or play the latest Triple A video game titles, well, 620 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:41,360 Speaker 1: then surround sounds likely to play a big part of 621 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: that experience. But let's start on the small end, all right. 622 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:48,319 Speaker 1: So stereo means we do have those two channels of sound, right, 623 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:51,080 Speaker 1: one channel for the left, one channel for the right. 624 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:55,719 Speaker 1: That's pretty simple. Typically you're also talking about a subwhiffer 625 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,080 Speaker 1: to handle the low frequencies, and we'll talk about subwhiffers 626 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 1: more extensive later on. Surround sound requires at least three speakers, 627 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:08,120 Speaker 1: but typically you're looking at either five or seven plus 628 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:12,840 Speaker 1: the subwiffer. Uh. Then you've also got your receiver or mixer. 629 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,279 Speaker 1: This is a device that sends the proper channel of 630 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:20,120 Speaker 1: sound to each proper speaker. Right, it controls the mixing 631 00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:22,759 Speaker 1: level of them all as well. So let's say you 632 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:25,640 Speaker 1: want to crank up the base so that the action 633 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 1: film you're watching makes your house shake. You could do that, 634 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:33,279 Speaker 1: or maybe you're thinking, you know, I'm not getting as 635 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 1: much out of the left side as I thought because 636 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 1: of the way this room is so you might want 637 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:41,399 Speaker 1: to boost the left side a little bit so that 638 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:44,720 Speaker 1: on a technical level you would say the left side 639 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: is putting out more volume than the right, but on 640 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: an experience level, you could say, no, it feels this 641 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:53,399 Speaker 1: is what feels right to me. That's what is really 642 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: important with these receivers and mixers is that they keep 643 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 1: the signal nice and clean, that they're not mixing those 644 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:02,719 Speaker 1: those signals up, and that you're able to have this 645 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:07,239 Speaker 1: very fine control over the quality of those signals, including 646 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:10,680 Speaker 1: things like how much of each range of frequencies gets 647 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:12,720 Speaker 1: sent out to speakers, like if you want to tweak 648 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:17,719 Speaker 1: things like the trouble for example. Uh So, ultimately, when 649 00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:19,319 Speaker 1: you really get down to it, this is all about 650 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:22,040 Speaker 1: getting the relative right sound levels out of each speaker 651 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:24,319 Speaker 1: so that your home theater sounds the way you want 652 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:26,720 Speaker 1: it to. That's what it really means. When you strip 653 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:30,240 Speaker 1: away all the language, all the jargon, all the knobs, 654 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 1: all those different numbers, it's really just about getting the 655 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:39,759 Speaker 1: experience right so that it's what you wanted, the thing 656 00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:42,520 Speaker 1: that you were imagining when you were building out your 657 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:46,280 Speaker 1: home theater. That's really what the only part that really matters, 658 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:50,400 Speaker 1: the numbers not so important. It's the experience that matters, 659 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:54,600 Speaker 1: and also a caveat surround sound works best for larger 660 00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:58,880 Speaker 1: home theaters, like larger rooms for home theaters, if you 661 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:03,640 Speaker 1: have a relatively small room for your theater setup, it 662 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:06,560 Speaker 1: could actually be better to go with a stereo approach 663 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:11,200 Speaker 1: or a sound bar, and also probably with a subwhiffer, 664 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:14,280 Speaker 1: maybe not a super powerful subwhiffer if it's a small space, 665 00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:17,239 Speaker 1: but still a subwiffer. Now you might be tempted to 666 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:20,440 Speaker 1: trick out even a small room with all the extra speakers, 667 00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:22,799 Speaker 1: like I want a seven point one system in there. 668 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:27,319 Speaker 1: But when you are working with smaller spaces, you can 669 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:31,040 Speaker 1: have a lot of crossover issues with sound, which muddy 670 00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:34,319 Speaker 1: the whole directionality thing right Like if the sound from 671 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:38,759 Speaker 1: the right side is in your ears hard to distinguish 672 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:40,879 Speaker 1: from the sounds from the left side, you haven't really 673 00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:44,279 Speaker 1: accomplished anything. And with smaller spaces that can be a 674 00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:47,279 Speaker 1: real issue. And at that point you've already spent a 675 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:49,239 Speaker 1: ton of money on a setup that just doesn't create 676 00:39:49,239 --> 00:39:52,319 Speaker 1: the experience you wanted. So a stereo with a subwiffer 677 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:55,799 Speaker 1: or a sound bar in a subwiffer might work. A 678 00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:59,640 Speaker 1: lot better for those kinds of spaces. Let's break down 679 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:02,480 Speaker 1: the s on sound experience a bit further to talk 680 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:04,880 Speaker 1: about what all those different channels and speakers are for. 681 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:08,719 Speaker 1: So on the most basic level, the whole idea is 682 00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:11,880 Speaker 1: very similar to stereo. Each speaker in the surround sound 683 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,400 Speaker 1: system is carrying a specific channel of sound that relates 684 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:18,640 Speaker 1: to the speaker's physical location with your within your home 685 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 1: theater and the sounds location within whatever media you're consuming. 686 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: So that means that when you're building out your home 687 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,160 Speaker 1: theater system, it's important to position the speakers around your 688 00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:34,200 Speaker 1: you know, preferred seating area in order to get the 689 00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:36,799 Speaker 1: effect you want. This means, by the way, that if 690 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 1: you are sitting in a different position than you know, 691 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:42,440 Speaker 1: the ideal space, you do get us slightly less than 692 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 1: ideal experience because just as the way the sound is directed, Um, 693 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:51,399 Speaker 1: it's not like it's gonna be necessarily a world ender 694 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:56,480 Speaker 1: like you'll notice immediately, but depending upon the size of 695 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:59,319 Speaker 1: the room and the equipment you're using and how you've 696 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,760 Speaker 1: set it all up, it can be you know, something 697 00:41:01,760 --> 00:41:04,320 Speaker 1: that you actually notice if you were to sit, say 698 00:41:04,440 --> 00:41:06,920 Speaker 1: at the far extreme left side of your home theater 699 00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:10,439 Speaker 1: versus the center. You might be able to tell the difference. Now. 700 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:13,480 Speaker 1: The first big film to use a surround sound approach 701 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 1: was Fantasia, a Walt Disney production, and Disney famously required 702 00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:22,319 Speaker 1: theaters to install incredibly expensive sound systems and equipment in 703 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:26,160 Speaker 1: order to play Fantasia as it was intended so that 704 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:28,920 Speaker 1: the sound would appear to kind of travel around and 705 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:32,319 Speaker 1: even through the audience. For example, during the piece fly 706 00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:35,240 Speaker 1: of the Bumblebee, Walt Disney wanted to create an effect 707 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:37,120 Speaker 1: that would make it sound as though a bumblebee were 708 00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:40,319 Speaker 1: really flying through the audience, and that meant Disney had 709 00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:43,359 Speaker 1: to record multiple channels of sound and then funnel those 710 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:49,000 Speaker 1: channels two specific speakers at a specific timing around a 711 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:52,880 Speaker 1: theater and carefully tweaking all the channel levels of sound 712 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:56,759 Speaker 1: so that this specific sound would appear to travel around 713 00:41:56,840 --> 00:41:59,840 Speaker 1: the audience. It was a technical marvel. I mean, it 714 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:05,920 Speaker 1: was truly a phenomenal technological achievement. It was also insanely expensive, 715 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:08,920 Speaker 1: and Phantasia did not set the box office on fire, 716 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:11,160 Speaker 1: so this became a bit of a sore point with 717 00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:14,440 Speaker 1: some theater owners because they spent a huge amount of 718 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:18,480 Speaker 1: money for a system that was specifically designed for a 719 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:22,239 Speaker 1: film that was not a hit, So tough call there. 720 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:26,000 Speaker 1: In surround sound systems, you typically see numbers like five 721 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:29,120 Speaker 1: point one or seven point one. Sometimes you'll see two 722 00:42:29,120 --> 00:42:32,400 Speaker 1: point one or five point one point two. Uh. The 723 00:42:32,520 --> 00:42:35,640 Speaker 1: point one in this case that refers to the subwiffer, 724 00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:37,840 Speaker 1: and the other number tells you how many channels of 725 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:41,200 Speaker 1: sound there are, plus how many speakers are involved with 726 00:42:41,239 --> 00:42:45,359 Speaker 1: your typical systems. So, uh, with two point one, you've 727 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:47,600 Speaker 1: got the simple left channel, you've got the right channel, 728 00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:50,440 Speaker 1: you get your subwiffer. You'd want to set the speakers 729 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:52,840 Speaker 1: up to the left and the right of the television, 730 00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:54,880 Speaker 1: you know, left speaker on the left side, right speaker 731 00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:58,400 Speaker 1: on the right side, angled so that they are pointing 732 00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:01,080 Speaker 1: toward wherever you're going to be sitting to watch television, 733 00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:04,959 Speaker 1: presumably in a position that's directly across from the TV. 734 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:08,920 Speaker 1: The sub whiffer, however, you can pretty much put anywhere 735 00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:10,600 Speaker 1: in the room as long as you can, you know, 736 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:14,279 Speaker 1: still plug it into the receiver and if necessary, and 737 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:18,000 Speaker 1: external power outlet. A lot of subwhiffers require extra power 738 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:22,240 Speaker 1: because they're pushing around a heavier diaphragm inside the speaker. 739 00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:25,279 Speaker 1: But then we get into the five point one and 740 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:27,479 Speaker 1: seven point one. This is where it gets a little 741 00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:31,640 Speaker 1: more complicated. So what does a five point one system mean, Well, 742 00:43:31,719 --> 00:43:35,720 Speaker 1: it means the system supports five horizontal channels of audio 743 00:43:36,040 --> 00:43:40,000 Speaker 1: plus the subwhiffer, and typically you've got a center channel, 744 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:43,600 Speaker 1: so this speaker should sit like in line between you 745 00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:47,600 Speaker 1: and the television. Often these speakers are mounted below or 746 00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:51,319 Speaker 1: above the TV. This is where you usually get the 747 00:43:51,320 --> 00:43:54,480 Speaker 1: majority of stuff like dialogue, unless it's something like a 748 00:43:54,560 --> 00:43:57,600 Speaker 1: character who's off screen and their dialogue is coming from 749 00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:01,480 Speaker 1: you know, a specific side, but usually like dialogue and 750 00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:04,440 Speaker 1: stuff like that gets fed through the center channel primarily. 751 00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:09,600 Speaker 1: Then you've got your left and right front speakers, which, 752 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:11,759 Speaker 1: like a two point one system, you would position to 753 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:14,239 Speaker 1: either side of your television. On the left side and 754 00:44:14,280 --> 00:44:17,120 Speaker 1: the right side. You would have them angled towards where 755 00:44:17,120 --> 00:44:20,520 Speaker 1: you plan to sit. But then you also have left 756 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:23,840 Speaker 1: and right surround channels, and these speakers you would typically 757 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:28,319 Speaker 1: mount to the left and right behind your seating area. 758 00:44:28,520 --> 00:44:30,680 Speaker 1: So let's say you've got a couch, you would have 759 00:44:30,719 --> 00:44:33,840 Speaker 1: these mounted behind your couch, but more off to the 760 00:44:33,880 --> 00:44:37,080 Speaker 1: side than they are behind you right, so more off 761 00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:38,920 Speaker 1: to your left and to your right than they are 762 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:41,360 Speaker 1: directly behind you. If you were to measure out the 763 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:43,880 Speaker 1: angle between your view of the TV and the speakers. 764 00:44:44,160 --> 00:44:46,759 Speaker 1: So let's say that you know your your line of 765 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:50,520 Speaker 1: sight to the television marks the zero degree mark, then 766 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:52,759 Speaker 1: the angle would be somewhere around a hundred ten to 767 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:57,560 Speaker 1: a hundred twenty degrees. Uh so, so beyond like directly 768 00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:01,200 Speaker 1: to your left or right a little bit, and um 769 00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:04,320 Speaker 1: hundreds degrees to d degrees to your left and another 770 00:45:04,360 --> 00:45:07,440 Speaker 1: to the right. Collectively, the speakers would create the soundscape 771 00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:10,919 Speaker 1: that would have you surrounded by glorious noise. But then 772 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:13,359 Speaker 1: we get to seven point one, and I'm sure you've 773 00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:16,000 Speaker 1: already gathered. Seven point one means that you've got seven 774 00:45:16,120 --> 00:45:20,600 Speaker 1: channels of sound and thus seven speakers plus the sub wiffer. 775 00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:23,239 Speaker 1: The setup is a little bit different. Here. You still 776 00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:25,120 Speaker 1: have the center and you have the front left and 777 00:45:25,160 --> 00:45:28,440 Speaker 1: front right speakers, just like five point one. Then you've 778 00:45:28,440 --> 00:45:31,359 Speaker 1: still got the sub wiffer, but the surround channels now 779 00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:34,640 Speaker 1: split from two channels, which were you know, back left 780 00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:37,160 Speaker 1: and back right for five point one, and now it's 781 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:40,360 Speaker 1: four channels. So in this setup you would typically have 782 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:44,360 Speaker 1: one set speakers essentially directly to your left and directly 783 00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:47,879 Speaker 1: to your right, so a ninety degree angle between your 784 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:50,640 Speaker 1: view of the TV and you know your left and 785 00:45:50,719 --> 00:45:54,000 Speaker 1: right side, So these are pointing straight at your ears 786 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:56,560 Speaker 1: and other words, but you know, not at not like 787 00:45:56,680 --> 00:46:01,040 Speaker 1: super close. They're off good distance on either side. Um, 788 00:46:01,160 --> 00:46:02,839 Speaker 1: so those would be those two speakers. Then you would 789 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:05,400 Speaker 1: have rear two speakers that would be a little bit 790 00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:08,399 Speaker 1: more behind you than the five point one. Remember five 791 00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:10,520 Speaker 1: point one was at an angle of like a hundred 792 00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:14,040 Speaker 1: two degrees. These would be more like a hundred thirty 793 00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:16,200 Speaker 1: five to a hundred fifty degrees from your point of 794 00:46:16,280 --> 00:46:19,640 Speaker 1: view of the TV, so so more behind you than 795 00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:22,759 Speaker 1: the five point one version was. Then we've got a 796 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:26,760 Speaker 1: variation on this called Dolby atmos. So Dolby atmos repurposes 797 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:30,160 Speaker 1: two of the speakers in a seven point one system, Specifically, 798 00:46:30,200 --> 00:46:33,279 Speaker 1: the two speakers that are positioned behind you, those ones 799 00:46:33,320 --> 00:46:38,080 Speaker 1: that are at the one hundred fifty degrees viewing angle. Uh, 800 00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:42,879 Speaker 1: theyse become height speakers, meaning you're to mount these higher up, 801 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:46,319 Speaker 1: maybe even suspend them from the ceiling itself, and these 802 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:50,960 Speaker 1: speakers then projects sound overhead of the audience, and that 803 00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:54,000 Speaker 1: can create some really interesting effects when paired with media 804 00:46:54,040 --> 00:46:57,239 Speaker 1: that supports Dolby Atmos, the overhead channels can add more 805 00:46:57,280 --> 00:47:01,360 Speaker 1: specificity to the location of sounds, making the experience way 806 00:47:01,400 --> 00:47:04,840 Speaker 1: more immersive. And the whole reason behind this was that 807 00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:07,640 Speaker 1: the folks that don't be figured that people would be 808 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:10,960 Speaker 1: able to hear sound coming from above more effectively than 809 00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:13,640 Speaker 1: they would hear sound coming from behind them because our 810 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:16,120 Speaker 1: ears are not really shaped in such a way that 811 00:47:16,200 --> 00:47:20,040 Speaker 1: they're great for catching sound that's coming from behind us. Uh. 812 00:47:20,160 --> 00:47:23,240 Speaker 1: Sometimes the Dolby Atmos gets the designation of five point 813 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:26,560 Speaker 1: one point two, meaning you have five channels of regular 814 00:47:26,640 --> 00:47:30,400 Speaker 1: horizontal surround sound the center front, left, front, right, and 815 00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 1: then the left and right channels. Then you have the subwiffer, 816 00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:37,520 Speaker 1: then you have the two channels of overhead audio. Confused yet, 817 00:47:38,480 --> 00:47:42,040 Speaker 1: there are actually some other seven point one configurations, but 818 00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:44,479 Speaker 1: they get really in the weeds, and for most people, 819 00:47:44,520 --> 00:47:47,160 Speaker 1: I feel it wouldn't be helpful. I will go into 820 00:47:47,200 --> 00:47:49,719 Speaker 1: a little bit detail in our next episode to kind 821 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:51,399 Speaker 1: of talk about them, but I'm not going to spend 822 00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:53,160 Speaker 1: a whole lot of time on it because it just 823 00:47:53,239 --> 00:47:57,799 Speaker 1: gets really, really nerdy in the home theater space, and 824 00:47:57,840 --> 00:47:59,840 Speaker 1: for a lot of people, I think it's overkill, but 825 00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:02,399 Speaker 1: we will touch on that in our next episode. So 826 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:05,319 Speaker 1: in our next episode, we are going to talk a 827 00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:09,600 Speaker 1: little bit more about sound. We'll talk why we want 828 00:48:09,640 --> 00:48:12,560 Speaker 1: a subwoper in the first place, for example. We'll chat 829 00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:14,279 Speaker 1: a little bit about some of the other things we 830 00:48:14,360 --> 00:48:16,799 Speaker 1: have to take into consideration with sound, and we'll also 831 00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:18,959 Speaker 1: look at some of the other components that we would 832 00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:21,760 Speaker 1: want in a home theater system, like the media sources 833 00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:25,440 Speaker 1: and stuff, because obviously, having the best equipment in the 834 00:48:25,440 --> 00:48:28,880 Speaker 1: world isn't gonna do any good if you're not feeding 835 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:31,800 Speaker 1: it media that can take advantage of it. So that'll 836 00:48:31,840 --> 00:48:35,399 Speaker 1: be our next episode. That's it for this one. If 837 00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:38,160 Speaker 1: I've left something out or there's something specific you want 838 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:40,080 Speaker 1: to know more about when it comes to home theater, 839 00:48:40,239 --> 00:48:42,400 Speaker 1: reach out to me. I love hearing from you. The 840 00:48:42,440 --> 00:48:44,560 Speaker 1: best way to do that is on Twitter. The handle 841 00:48:44,560 --> 00:48:47,719 Speaker 1: for the show is text Stuff H s W and 842 00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:56,279 Speaker 1: I'll talk to you again really soon. Text Stuff is 843 00:48:56,280 --> 00:48:59,440 Speaker 1: an I Heart Radio production. For more podcasts from my 844 00:48:59,560 --> 00:49:03,160 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, you visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 845 00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:09,640 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows, h