On today’s show we look at a CNET article that covers the best home theater projectors for 2021 and then we ask if a $80,000 Sony projector is worth the money. We also take a look at a simple universal remote and ask if it can replace the Harmony. We read your emails and take a look at the week’s news as well.
Best home theater projector for 2021From portable projectors to affordable 1080p models to light cannons built for gaming or 4K HDR, these are the best projectors for the money. Full article here…
Is the Sony VPLGTZ380 worth $80,000??Realize an overwhelming native 4K image expression like you’ve never seen before. Sony’s X1 processor is paired with a super high contrast 10,000 lumen Z-Phosphor laser light source and DCI-P3 wide color space make your ultimate vision a reality. Object based super resolution enhances color and contrast for greater depth, cleaner textures, and more realistic pictures. More info...
A stunning 10,000 lumens achieve D65 industry-standard color balance and DCI-P3 color space without brightness loss. X1TM Ultimate for projector brings you the best of Sony’s image processing Newly-developed, reliable, full 4K resolution on 3 SXRD™ panel for outstanding contrast Z-PhosphorTM laser with red laser diode enhances tones across DCI-P3 color space and deliver 1.35 wider color range than sRGB solutions Object based Super Resolution enhances color and contrast of individual objects for a clear picture. Dual database processing reduces digital noise for the lowest possible ambient noise With Object based HDR Remaster3, the color in individual objects on screen is analyzed and the contrast adjusted to reproduce greater depth, textures, and more realistic pictures Digital Contrast Optimizer minimizes unnecessary light from bright objects for more accurate focus. Dynamic HDR Enhancer brings a wider contrast range for striking and realistic picture quality HDR Reference Mode creates richer gradation that more accurately display the creator’s intent. Enjoy the latest 4K content services with HDCP 2.3 compatibility on both 18Gbps HDMI inputs 4 Motionflow™ provides smooth motion for 4K & HD Advanced graphic processing and Input lag reduction ensures faster response time for gamers Up to 20,000 hours of virtually maintenance free operationThis is a review of an owner (The Sony website says the projector will be available soon. We have to assume this is a pre-release model that is being reviewed):
If you have ever viewed the VPL-VW5000ES & thought that machine had a brilliant picture at 5,000 lumens, the purely stunning display chip combined with the newest laser lamp that puts out a whopping 10,000 lumens makes the 5000ES model look like a Triniton from the 1980’s!
I recently upgraded from the 5000ES to the GTZ380 in my “man cave” with a 165” SI gray slate 1.3 gain screen. If the blacks are brightness of the 5,000 had an amazing image, the dual data/motion flow chipsets and double the lumens combined make for a viewing experience that’s so immersive that only in the most gorgeous scenes from a solid, full HDR 4K source do you sit back and both admire the engineering behind this beyond words projector’s imagining-that you chuckle at how much you spent to be so fortunate to buy one.
Hands down, there is no imagination left to better what already seems that the human eyes can’t possibly see anything technologically “better”. After this machine was conceived, I’d have to think that engineers are being laid off- or have abandoned any future development as there is no possibility of any picture quality improvement beyond this unit. Has to be the end of the line for any sort of television or movie watching device innovation- no way anything could ever top this picture quality and brightness that’s so full of color and absolutely zero stutter.
I can now rest easy, my wife can’t be upset at my A/V “addiction”, as this is the last TV/Projector I will ever need or purchase. To spin a quote from the movie Field of Dreams “Is this heaven?....no, this is Sony”!
Level of expertise Advanced
Where purchased In person
Sony products owned 6+
Inteset 4-in-1 UniversalWith Logitech discontinuing the Harmony Remote we have received a lot of emails asking us about alternatives. There are options that use your smartphone or tablet as well as some high end remotes tied to home automation. For today’s discussion we decided to go old school with a simple 4-in-1 Universal remote from Inteset (Int-422 $25.95).
The remote is preconfigured to work with streaming devices like the Apple TV, Xbox One, Roku (excluding Stick) and others right out of the box with dedicated buttons. These buttons can be reprogrammed with the device codes of the components you have in your system by looking them up in their online database.
Typically a setup like this removes remote control clutter but doesn’t really do anything for simplicity of use. The Inteset remote has some nice features that make it a better remote than the typical all-in-one.
Volume Lock - Most people use a single device such as a TV, sound-bar, or receiver for audio. You can set up the remote so that the volume and mute buttons control the audio of that device no matter what other mode is selected on the remote.
Channel Lock - Lock the number pad to control the tuner/cable/satellite box, so you can change the channels no matter what device mode you have selected. This may not be as important as the volume lock. But it did simplify watching TV on a cable box.
Punch-through Support - Similar to Volume and Channel Lock, any button can be set to send the same IR signal no matter what device mode is selected.
Macro Support - You can program up to 32 commands into a single button. So, for example, you could turn on or off all of your devices, and switch inputs. The multiple symbol buttons on the bottom of the remote can be used for your macros. But this old school harmony remote style. We could not find any codes for direct input switching. Rather you had to hit the input button and then scroll to the input you want and then hit select.
This method is fraught with errors and grief. In our opinion the macros are best suited for turning on and off the devices you want for the activity you are watching. Then switch the input, more than likely using your receiver, manually. There is a special code to program the remote’s display button to bring up the smart features of your TV.
The remote itself feels good in the hands. The buttons are logically placed and easy to select. It has a backlight which helps in low light conditions. Not much else to say about it. It's a modern remote.
Bottom Line
The Inteset 422 is a great improvement over the Universal remotes of fifteen years ago. Locking the volume and numbers buttons individually to a specific device just makes it easier to use. The macros are a good improvement as well but not what we are used to with the Harmony. This remote is perfectly suited for the person who has a cable or satellite box running through a receiver then out to the TV. It will turn them all on and off, control the volume and change channels with no issues. A more complex setup can be made to work, but it will be cumbersome to program and use. This remote will find a home at Ara’s mom’s house where her two remotes will be reduced to one. You can’t beat it for this type of use at $26!
