Tag: Home Cinema

Posted on by

Projectors in 2024: the year’s biggest launches so far and what’s coming next

It’s
been
a
huge
year
for
projectors
so
far
–
with
high-quality
beamers
arriving
from
the
likes
of

LG,

Samsung,
BenQ,
and
more.
But
as
we
hit
the
halfway
point
of
2024,
it’s
time
to
assess
the
changes
we’ve
seen
in
the
projector
market,
as
well
as
any
rumors
and
announcements
for
the
second
half
of
the
year.

Projectors
are
changing;
whereas
they
were
once
a
niche
TV
alternative,
they’re
now
a
serious
replacement
for
a
TV
setup,
whether
you’re
a
committed
cinephile
with
a
dedicated
home
cinema
room
and
projection
screen,
or
a
camper
who’s
looking
for
an
easy
way
to
watch
movies.

And
the
slate
of
2024
models
is
showing
that
the
traditional
benefits
of
most
projectors
(flexibility,
scalability,
portability)
are
improving
while
the
common
downsides
(low
brightness,
limited
blacks)
are
farther
away
than
ever. 

Here’s
a
quick
overview
of
the
excellent
projectors
we’ve
seen
launch
in
2024
so
far,
and
a
glimpse
of
what
might
be
coming
next.

Projectors
in
2024:
what
have
been
the
biggest
launches
so
far
this
year?

Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen inputs section


The
Samsung
The
Freestyle
2nd
Gen
–
side-panel
connections
include
one
HDMI
with
eARC
and
a
USB-C
port
for
power

(Image
credit:
Future)

Our
guide
to
the

best
portable
projectors
has
been
given
a
serious
shakeup
in
2024.
This
year
has
seen
a
flood
of
excellent

4K
projectors
with
a
portable
mindset
–
ensuring
that
shoppers
don’t
need
to
choose
between
flexibility
and
picture
quality
–
to
the
extent
that
in
January
we
wrote
that
it
could
be
“the
end
of
home
theater
as
we
know
it“.

We’ve
seen
a
second-gen
Samsung
Freestyle,
an
$800
/
£650
follow-up
to
the

2022
original
that
was
already
one
of
our
favorite
portable
projectors.
It
brought
improved
support
for
Xbox
and

Nvidia
cloud-based
gaming
services,
as
well
as
the
option
to
install
it
in
a
ceiling
light
socket. 

Our

Samsung
The
Freestyle
2nd
Gen
review
noted
that
its
brightness
(230
lumens)
and
HD
resolution
leave
a
little
to
be
desired,
but
it’s
still
a
fantastic
option
for
those
after
a
smart
projector
with
a
great
interface,
30-100
inch
projection
and
the
ability
to
easily
move
images
around.

LG Cinebeam Q projector on table


The
LG
Cinebeam
Q
mashes
up
CineBeam
picture
excellence
with
portable
projection.

(Image
credit:
Future)

But
LG
is
the
major
player
that’s

brought
its
exceptional
CineBeam
range
to
the
portable
market
with
the
stylish
CineBeam
Q
(above),
which
achieves

4K
resolution
and
500
lumens
brightness
as
well
as
the
excellent
webOS
streaming
platform
from
high-end

LG
TVs.
At
$1,299
/
£1,299
/
AU$2,499,
it
prices
out
the
more
budget
Samsung
Freestyle,
but
with
a
4.5/5
rating
in
our

LG
CineBeam
Q
review,
it’s
well
worth
the
upgrade. 

And
for
those
after
a
truly
bright
experience,
the

JMGO
N1S
Ultra
4K
is
another
new
portable
projector
with
Ultra
HD
resolution
and
up
to
3000
ANSI
lumens,
alongside
a
brilliantly
compact
design
and
sturdy
gimbal
for
tilting
and
rotating
the
projection
with
pinpoint
accuracy.

a white square projector with a remote control resting on it


(Image
credit:
Future)

There
are
plenty
of
new
advancements
for
fixed-position
projectors,
too.
The
XGIMI
Horizon
Ultra
(above)
is
the
first
long-throw
projector
that
supports
Dolby
Vision,
the
dynamic

HDR
format
that
tweaks
color,
contrast
and
bright
highlights
on
the
fly
for
a
more
vivid,
true-to-life
viewing
experience
–
and
one
that
counters
the
assumption
that
projectors
are
condemned
to
produce
dim
images
and
struggle
with
dark
scenes. 

In
our

XGIMI
Horizon
Ultra
review
we
praised
the
2,300
lumens
output
and
wrote
that
“the
blacks
are
deep
and
HDR
performance
brilliant,
with
great
brightness
even
in
well-lit
conditions.” 

At
$1,699
/
£1,749
/
AU$3,499,
the
XGIMI
Horizon
Ultra
is
still
far
cheaper
than
many
of
the
premium
projectors
we
review,
and
it’s
proof
that,
in
2024,
even
mid-range
options
are
managing
to
be
competitive
on
lots
of
the
most
important
metrics.

Projectors
in
2024:
what
launches
are
we
expecting
during
the
rest
of
the
year?

Samsung The Premiere 8K projecting a football match, with its wireless connection box on a separate unit


Samsung
The
Premiere
8K
is
yet
to
get
a
firm
release
date,
but
could
well
launch
before
2024
is
out.

(Image
credit:
Future)

The
main
absence
from
2024’s
projector
lineup
so
far
is
Samsung’s
The
Premiere

8K,
which
was
shown
off
at

CES
2024
(and
CES
2023
before
that),
but
has
yet
to
officially
the
market,
with
no
firm
release
date
in
sight.

This
is
the

first
ever
wireless
8K
projector,
for
incredible
8K
resolution
images,
4000
lumens,
and
up
to
150-inch
projection
with
a
wire-free
beamer
and
ultra
short-throw
technology. 

You
will
need
Samsung’s
One
Connect
Box
to
wirelessly
transmit
8K
video
to
the
projector,
but
it
does
mean
you
can
keep
the
additional
hardware
and
cables
out
of
view
on
a
cozy
movie
night.
A
built-in
8.2.2
channel
Dolby
Atmos
sound
system
doesn’t
hurt,
either,
and
marks
a
notable
upgrade
over
the
high-end

Samsung
Premiere
LSP9T,
which
is
currently
the

best
4K
projector
we’d
recommend
for
sound
quality.

As
an
alternative
for
the

best
8K
TVs,
the
incoming
Premiere
8K
is
an
interesting
proposition.
While
the
present
for
projectors
seems
to
be
in
bringing
high-end
specs
to
portable
models,
the
future
seems
to
be
(somewhat
similarly)
in
bringing
wireless
tech
to
the
high
end
–
and
the
winners
are
most
certainly
us.


You
might
also
like…

Posted on by

Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip Kit review: say “Halo” to a major smart home cinema upgrade


Two-minute
review


Nanoleaf’s
4D
TV-syncing
strip
lights
are
a
first
for
the
brand,
which
is
known
best
for
making
some
of
the

best
smart
lights
available.
With
Nanoleaf
4D,
the
brand
has
easily
accomplished
one
of
the


best
Ambilight
alternatives
and
created
some
serious
competition
for
established
brands
in
the
space
such
as
Philips
Hue
and
Govee. 

The
set
is
available
in
two
sizes,
one
for
screens
up
to
65
inches
and
the
other
for
models
up
to
85
inches,
and
come
in
at
a
fairly
affordable
price
of
$99
/
£89
/
AU$189
and
$119
/
£119
/
AU$229
respectively. 

Out
of
the
box,
the
Nanoleaf
4D
kit
consists
of
an
LED
light
strip
that
is
attached
to
the
back
of
the
screen
and
plugged
into
a
control
box,
which
in
turn
connects
to
a
camera
that
detects
the
colors
displayed
on
the
screen.
The
kit
illuminates
the
LEDs
to
match
the
picture
on
your
screen,
throwing
the
colors
onto
the
wall
behind
the
screen
for
a
pleasing
synchronized
glow
around
the
screen. 

The
camera
can
either
be
mounted
atop
the
TV
with
the
included
armature,
or
placed
on
your
TV
table
using
its
built-in
stand,
and
those
concerned
about
prying
digital
eyes
around
their
home
will
be
pleased
to
learn
that
the
camera
also
comes
with
a
magnetic
privacy
cover.

The screen camera of the Nanoleaf 4D poinging at the. screen


(Image
credit:
Future)

One
of
the
slight
niggles
I
found
when
setting
up
the
lights
concerned
how
the
cables
that
connect
the
lights
and
camera
to
the
controls
are
positioned.
The
rather
vague
instructions
in
the
handbook
encourage
you
to
begin
your
light
strip
placement
in
the
bottom
right-hand
corner
of
your
screen,
meaning
the
wire
for
the
lights
trails
from
that
corner,
while
the
camera
cable
falls
centrally. 

This
leaves
you
with
a
choice
of
either
bending
and
sticking
the
light
strip
wire
or
having
the
control
sit
somewhere
near
the
right-hand
side
of
your
screen,
lest
you
run
out
of
wire
length
to
play
with.
All
in
all,
although
not
a
major
issue,
I
value
a
neat
home
entertainment
setup
and
this
doesn’t
necessarily
facilitate
that.

Installation
is
otherwise
very
straightforward,
although
you
will
need
to
remove
your
television
from
the
wall
to
fit
the
lightstrip,
and
potentially
need
a
second
pair
of
hands
if
you’re
a
real
perfectionist.
I
cheated
as
my
test
screen
is
on
a
stand!
The
kit
comes
supplied
with
corner
mounting
blocks
which
allow
the
strip
to
curve
around
the
corners
(rather
than
creating
a
loop
out
of
the
strip
which
would
create
problems
in
accurately
matching
the
colours
to
the
screen.)

The Nanoleaf 4D LED strip fitted to the rear of a TV


(Image
credit:
Future)

There
are
10
color
zones
per
meter
and
30
LEDs
per
meter,
and
the
strip
can
be
cut
to
length
at
specific
10-centimetre
intervals.
This
does
mean
you
might
end
up
with
a
gap
or
excess
of
the
strip
when
they
meet
at
the
end,
but
a
little
trial
and
error
with
placement
before
sticking
anything
on
will
minimize
this. 

Once
that’s
done,
simply
peel
off
the
tape
backing
and
stick
that
strip
down,
and
you’re
all
set.
The
strip
does
tend
to
peel
away
from
the
back
of
the
screen
where
the
two
ends
meet,
but
that’s
easily
resolved
by
applying
some
more
double-sided
sticky
tape.

The
Nanoleaf
app
is
nicely
laid
out
and
works
well
most
of
the
time,
but
can
occasionally
crash.
Whilst
I
appreciate
that
all
software
has
bugs,
some
sort
of
an
error
message
would
be
nice.
Having
said
that,
the
things
that
you
can
do
with
this
software
and
the
kit
impressed
me;
the
Nanoleaf
4D
does
all
of
the
usual
colored
lighting
tricks
that
LED
strips
do.
But
let’s
face
it,
screen
synchronization
is
what
we’re
here
for. 

The Nanoleaf 4D camera calibration setup


(Image
credit:
Future)

The
app
guides
you
through
mapping
out
your
TV
lights,
and
once
you’re
set
up,
you
can
create
your
own
scenes,
or
you
can
use
the
Magic
Scenes
feature
to
create
a
palette
based
on
a
mood
or
keywords
(although
I
found
that
the
latter
favored
washed-out
hues).

You
can
choose
between
four
settings
(or
dimensions,
between
1D
and
4D),
which
range
from
an
ambient
white
glow
to
the
aforementioned
screen-matching
lights
akin
to
the
gold
standard
Ambilight-style
experience.
It’s
a
little
tricky
to
find
clear
guidance
on
what
each
of
the
dimensions
does,
so
here
is
my
take
on
it.


1D:
White
light
that’s
well
suited
to
documentaries
and
general
viewing


2D:
Block
color
that’s
great
for
ambiance,
representing
an
average
of
the
color
displayed
on-screen 


3D:
Splashes
of
color
reflective
of
on-screen
action,
but
not
extending
the
screen 


4D:
Colors
extend
from
the
edges
of
the
screen
for
full
immersion

You
can
change
the
color
settings
by
cycling
through
the
controls
or
via
the
app. 

Nanoleaf
4D
features
the
same
sound-reactive
functionality
boasted
by
its
smart
light
siblings,
and
as
a
bonus,
responds
to
sound
far
better
than
the


Nanoleaf
Smart
Holiday
String
Lights
I
reviewed
last
month.

Once
I
had
finished
playing
with
all
of
the
settings
I
played
a
few
games
and
films
and
noticed
that
one
side
of
the
screen
was
not
displaying
the
screen
colors
correctly.
Further
investigation
revealed
the
problem;
I
needed
to
close
a
white
door
that
was
being
reflected
on
the
screen.
You
have
a
choice:
either
be
mindful
of
the
lighting
and
reflective
objects
in
the
room
or
spend
between
4
or
5
times
as
much
on
a

Philips
Hue
system
for
its
HDMI
linking.
 

Image
1
of
8

The
only
feature
I
found
myself
missing
is
a
perennial
issue
for
non-HDMI
smart
screen
lights
– automatic
screen
detection.
Call
me
lazy,
but
I’d
prefer
my
lights
to
come
on
when
they
detect
on-screen
activity,
rather
than
requiring
me
to
use
the
app
or
physical
control.

Overall,
I’d
say
the
Nanoleaf
4D
screen
mirror
and
lightstrip
kit
is
a
great
low-cost
alternative
to
the
Philips
Hue
system
that
just
edges
out
the
other
low-cost
alternatives
in
several
areas;
it’s
easy
to
install,
well-designed
and
the
results
can
be
spectacular.
This
thing
is
so
versatile
and
colorful
that
it
made
me
want
to
get
some
Nanoleaf
wall
tiles
to
test
their
claim
of
the
4D’s
ability
to
“extend
the
screen
sync
effects
across
50+
Nanoleaf
RGB
lights”.
Look,
somebody’s
got
to
do
it…


Nanoleaf
4D
screen
mirror
and
lightstrip
kit:
price
and
availability


List
price:


  • TVs
    &
    monitors
    up
    to
    65-inch:
    $99
    /
    £89.99 /
    AU$189.99

  • TVs
    &
    monitors
    up
    to
    85-inch:
    $119
    / £119.99 /
    AU$229.99

  • Camera
    only
    kit:
    $79.99
    /
    £69.99 /
    AU$149.99

The
Nanoleaf
4D
screen
mirror
and
lightstrip
Kit
are
available
directly
from
the


Nanoleaf
website,
starting
at
$79.99
/
$69.99
/
AU$149.99
for
the
camera-only
kit.
You
can
also
buy
the
camera-only
kit
from


Amazon
in
the
UK
but
curiously,
not
the
full
kit
–
however
in
the
US,
you
can
buy
all
three
packages
on

Amazon. 

The
camera-only
kit
is
a
great
cost-effective
option
which
can
be
used
with
the
Nanoleaf
RGB
LED
light
strip
or
any
RGB
light
strip
that
has
USB-C
connection.

Value-wise,
the
Nanoleaf
4D
is
undoubtedly
one
of
the
best,
if
not
the
best
value
smart
TV
lights
–
the
Philips
Hue
alternative
for
75-inch
and
over
TVs
is
nearly
$100
/
£100
/
AU$300
more
expensive
at
$249.99
/
£209.99
/
AU$509.95,
and
you’ll
need
a
Philips
Hu
bridge
if
you
don’t
already
have
one.
Govee’s
lights
sit
squarely
in
between
but
don’t
offer
such
consistency
or
smooth
light
performance
as
Nanoleaf. 

The Nanoleaf 4D in its box


(Image
credit:
Future)


Nanoleaf
4D
screen
mirror
and
lightstrip
kit
review:
Specs

Swipe
to
scroll
horizontally
Colours 16
million
Hub
required		 No
Smart
home
compatibility		 Google
Home,
Amazon
Alexa,
Apple
HomeKit
Connectivity Wi-Fi
(2.4
GHz
b/g/n)
Mobile
compatibility		 iOS,
Android
Screen
size		 Up
to
85-inch
LED
strip		 addressable
gradient,
30
LEDs/metre,
10
zones/metre


Nanoleaf
4D
screen
mirror
and
lightstrip
kit:
Should
I
buy?

Buy
it
if…

Don’t
buy
it
if…


Also
consider

Swipe
to
scroll
horizontally

Header
Cell
–
Column
0		 Nanoleaf
4D		 Govee
Immersion
smart
TV
lights		 Phillips
Hue
Play
gradient
lightstrip
Price Up
to
65-inch:
$99
/
£89.99
/
AU$189.99,
up
to
85-inch:
$119
/
£119
/
AU$229.99,
camera-only
kit:
$79.99
/
£69.99
/
AU$149.99		 55-
to
65-inch:
$149.99
/
£149.99,
75-
to
85-:
$169.99
/
£169.99,
98-
to
100-inch:
$199.99		 55-inch:
$249.99
/
£169.99
/
AU$409.95,
65-inch:
$269.99
/
£189.99
/
AU$444.95,
75-inch
$299.99
/
£209.99
/
AU$509.95.
Required
Philips
Hue
Bridge:
$59.99
/
£49.99
/
AU$99.95
Lifetime 25,000
hours		 50,000
hours		 25,000
hours
Connectivity 2.4GHz
Wi-Fi		 Bluetooth Hue
Bridge
and
Hue
Sync
Box
Control Control
via
the
Nanoleaf
App
(Android
&
iOS)
for
mobile/tablet
or
the
Nanoleaf
Desktop
App
(Windows
&
Mac).		 Bluetooth,
Smart
App		 Hue
Sync
Box
Compatibility Apple
Home,
Amazon
Alexa,
Google
Home,
IFTTT,
SmartThings,
Razer
Chroma		 Alexa,
Google
Home		 Alexa,
Google
Assistant
and
Apple
HomeKit
Colors 16+
million		 Unknown 16+
million


Nanoleaf
4D
screen
mirror
and
lightstrip
kit
review:
How
I
tested

  • I
    installed
    the
    Nanoleaf
    application
    and
    added
    the
    Nanoleaf
    4D
    screen
    mirror
    and
    lightstrip
    Kit
    to
    Apple
    HomeKit 
  • I
    tested
    all
    of
    the
    modes
    and
    scenes
    against
    different
    types
    of
    content
    (i.e.
    films,
    TV
    programs,
    Games)
    and
    resolutions 
  • I
    tested
    each
    claimed
    feature
    e.g.
    “Reacts
    to
    music”
    where
    possible 
  • I
    tested
    the
    kit
    under
    various
    lighting
    conditions. 

I
had
already
tested
a
pre-release
version
of
this
kit
last
year
which
was
unfortunately
defective
and
a
very
frustrating
experience.
The
days
that
I
spent
trying
to
get
it
to
work
reliably
were
not
wasted
though
as
it
gave
me
a
good
understanding
of
how
the
thing
works
and
how
it
has
been
improved.

I
was
pleased
to
be
able
to
make
use
of
scenes
in

Apple
Homekit
which
I
 could
not
get
to
work
when
I
tested
the
Nanoleaf
Smart
Holiday
String
Lights
last
month. I
switched
off
Bluetooth
on
my
phone
and
ran
all
of
the
tests
again
to
find
out
if
there
was
any
function
that
used
Bluetooth
and
everything
behaved
normally. 

The
room
I
use
to
test
things
is
the
worst-case
scenario
for
the
Nanoleaf
4D
screen
mirror
and
lightstrip
Kit
as
it
is
almost
completely
white.
Everything
gets
reflected
on
the
screen,
especially
in
daylight
which
affects
the
colors
that
the
camera
detects.
I
was
pleasantly
surprised
during
testing
to
find
that
some
of
the
reflection
problems
could
be
dialed
out
using
a
custom
vibrancy
set
which
allows
you
to
change
the
values
for
Dynamic
range,
saturation,
and
white
balance.

Posted on by

How to make your home theater setup sing in 2024 with a few simple tweaks

You
can’t
beat
the
impact
of
a
proper
home
theater
set
up
on
your
movies
and
boxsets.
Not
only
will
it
help
you
to
feel
fully
immersed
in
whatever
you’re
watching,
it’ll
also
get
you
much
closer
to
the
director’s
original
intent.

Tech
Resolutions

A bedroom and lounge with smart lights plus a laptop running ChatGPT


(Image
credit:
Future)

This
is
part
of
a
series
of
articles
exploring
all
the
ways
we’re
using
tech
to
thrive
in
2024.

Read
them
all
here.

Now
we’re
no
AV
snobs
here
at
TechRadar.
Sure,
we
love
a
high-end
set
up
as
much
as
the
next
home
theater
fan,
but
home
cinema
is
what
you
make
it
–
so
whether
that’s
a
full
surround
sound
set
up
and
flagship
telly
or
a
soundbar
and
something
more
mid-range,
there
will
be
things
you
can
do
to
make
sure
your
system
is
performing
at
its
best.

From
simple
settings
tweaks
to
ways
that’ll
help
your
products
work
better
in
your
room,
read
on
for
our
top
tips
on
getting
the
most
out
of
your
home
theater
set
up
in
2024.

Tip
1:
Perfect
your
settings

A TV screen on a stand showing the sound settings


(Image
credit:
Future)

3
TV
settings
to
turn
off
for
a
better
picture


1.
Energy-saving
or
eco
mode

While
eco
modes
are
there
for
good
reason,
the
fact
remains
that
they
do
absolutely
nothing
for
your
TV’s
picture
quality,
and
will
push
down
brightness
that
you
may
prefer
to
hang
on
to.
Look
out
for
Eco,
Energy
or
Power
saving
settings
in
the
menu,
occasionally
highlighted
by
a
leaf
icon,
and
switch
off
when
you
want
picture
performance
to
be
its
best.


2.
Edge
enhancement
or
sharpness
control

While
having
sharper
edges
to
your
images
might
sound
good,
added
processing
pretty
much
always
takes
away
 more
than
it
provides.
By
switching
this
on
or
upping
the
sharpness
in
the
settings,
outlines
will
be
unnaturally
accentuated,
and
true
fine
detail
will
be
masked.
You
might
even
notice
a
sort
of
halo
appearing
around
the
edge
of
objects.
Avoid
like
the
plague.


3.
Motion
smoothing
or
judder
reduction

Another
setting
that
sounds
helpful
that
usually
creates
more
issues
that
it
solves.
In
trying
to
reduce
the
stuttering
that
can
occur
in
movement
like
camera
pans
—
particularly
with
24Hz
film
content
—
this
technology
uses
frame
interpolation
to
insert
made-up
frames
to
smooth
it
all
out.
The
result
is
an
unnatural-looking
“soap
opera
effect”,
that
makes
movies
in
particular
look
plain
weird.

It’s
fair
to
say
that
TV
menus
can
be
pretty
daunting,
but
if
you
haven’t
delved
into
them
since
you
fished
your
TV
out
of
its
box,
we
would
really
encourage
you
to
do
so.

A
lot
of
manufacturers
have
tried
to
help
here,
by
simplifying
the
options
and
offering
more
visual
ways
of
understanding
what
changing
a
setting
might
do.
That’s
a
good
starting
point,
but
there
will
likely
be
other
settings
hiding
in
the
full
menu
that
are
well
worth
your
attention.

For
the
most
accurate
picture,
you
will
either
want
to
look
for
Filmmaker
Mode
on
more
recent
TVs,
or
Cinema/Movie
mode
elsewhere.
To
many
people,
who
are
used
to
poorly
set
up
TVs,
this
can
look
quite
warm
to
begin
with,
and
sometimes
lacking
in
‘punch’
too.

Stick
with
it
a
while,
and
allow
your
eyes
to
adjust
to
the
new
picture.
If
you
really
can’t
enjoy
it
as
it
is,
steer
well
clear
of
Vivid
or
Dynamic
settings
and
give
the
Standard
mode
a
whirl.
This
will
usually
add
the
punch
that
some
people
miss
without
being
overly
saturated
and
cartoonish.
Just
be
aware
that
pictures
will
be
cooler
in
tone
than
is
considered
accurate,
and
you
may
sacrifice
things
like
black
level
and
contrast
performance
for
that
brighter
overall
picture.

Once
you
get
past
the
picture
mode,
cast
your
eye
over
the
full
settings
to
ensure
everything
is
configured
well.
As
a
rule,
we
would
suggest
turning
off
(or
to
low/minimum)
all
additional
processing,
and
then
slowly
adding
it
back
in
if
you
spot
any
issues
you
think
it
could
fix.

In
particular,
switch
off
any
eco
modes
for
the
best
picture
performance,
and
pay
close
attention
to
motion
processing,
which
will
often
be
ramped
up
unnecessarily.
The
result
is
an
overly
smooth
picture
with
a
loss
of
detail
–
something
that
is
called
the
“soap
opera
effect”.
In
fact,
motion
processing
can
sometimes
do
more
harm
than
good,
so
don’t
be
afraid
to
turn
it
off
completely
if
you
spot
distracting
wiggly
lines
around
moving
objects.

Tip
2:
Consider
speaker
placement

Bowers & Wilkins home cinema setup


(Image
credit:
Bowers
&
Wilkins)

Whether
you’ve
got
a
proper
surround
sound
setup,
a
soundbar
and
sub,
or
even
wireless
satellite
speakers,
where
you
have
your
speakers
in
your
room
can
make
all
the
difference
to
how
they
sound.

While
it
can
be
tempting
to
tuck
speakers
away
to
keep
things
looking
neat,
they
generally
need
a
bit
of
space
to
sound
their
best.
Place
them
too
close
to
a
rear
wall
and
bass
can
be
overemphasized
to
a
point
of
boominess.
Look
up
the
manufacturer’s
recommendations
for
how
far
from
a
back
and
side
wall
they
should
be
placed
–
a
general
rule
of
thumb
is
2-3
feet.
Pull
them
out
of
the
corners
and
you’ll
hear
the
sound
open
up
immediately.

That’s
also
the
case
with
a
subwoofer.
Tucking
an
ugly
black
box
into
a
corner
may
be
preferable
from
an
aesthetics
perspective,
but
you
will
get
the
best
performance
if
it
is
in
line
with
your
front
speakers,
so
make
room
for
it.
Haven’t
got
a
sub?
Buy
one,
it’ll
throw
some
much-needed
welly
behind
those
all-important
movie
action
scenes.

A
lot
of
soundbars
don’t
deal
too
well
with
being
tucked
away
in
TV
cabinets
either
–
particularly
those
with
upwards-firing
drivers
for
Dolby
Atmos
sound.
For
this
reason,
Atmos-capable
bars
in
particular
should
be
placed
on
top
of
any
TV
rack
with
no
restriction,
so
you
can
hear
the
spatial
sound
effect
in
full.

Finally,
if
you
have
standmount
speakers
or
wireless
satellites
sitting
on
low
TV
racks
and
tables,
consider
investing
in
proper
speaker
stands.
These
will
lift
your
speakers
to
ear
level,
which
will
ensure
you
hear
them
at
their
very
best. 

Once
there,
it’s
also
worth
experimenting
with
“toeing
in”,
or
angling
your
speakers
inwards
—
just
slightly
—
towards
your
main
seated
position.
It
won’t
be
necessary
for
all
rooms
or
all
speakers,
but
it
can
help
to
improve
focus
and
imaging.
Check
your
speakers’
user
manual
for
any
manufacturer
recommendations
too.

Tip
3:
Rearrange
your
room 

Couple on the sofa with Philips Hue lights behind the TV


(Image
credit:
Philips)

How
much
you
can
lug
furniture
around
to
optimize
your
home
theater
setup
will
be
somewhat
down
to
the
size
and
shape
of
your
room.
But
there
are
a
few
things
you
could
consider
if
you
want
to
get
the
best
from
your
kit.

Firstly,
bringing
your
sofa
away
from
any
back
wall
will
help
with
surround
sound
setups.
If
you
can
imagine
drawing
a
line
between
your
speakers,
they
should
make
a
circle,
with
your
viewing
position
at
the
center
—
sitting
equidistant
from
each
one
if
at
all
possible.
If
not,
your
AV
receiver
will
help
to
account
for
this
in
its
calibration,
but
not
having
a
rear
speaking
blasting
directly
into
your
ear
at
close
range
is
the
aim
here.
 

The
sofa
should
ideally
be
directly
in
front
of
a
TV
too,
with
as
few
side-on
viewing
positions
as
possible.
Even
the
very
best
TVs
can
suffer
with
a
loss
of
picture
saturation
and
black
level
off-axis,
so
ensure
as
many
people
as
possible
can
view
it
from
front
on.

This
also
matters
when
it
comes
to
wall
mounting
your
TV,
which
should
be
done
at
eye
level.
The
trend
for
placing
TVs
above
fireplaces
has
done
nothing
for
neck
aches
or
picture
quality,
so
make
sure
you
mount
it
lower
if
you
want
your
TV
looking
its
best.
If
there
really
is
no
other
place
for
it,
consider
adding
a
tilt
to
your
mount,
to
improve
the
viewing
angle
from
your
sitting
position
and
relieving
that
front-row-at-the-cinema
feeling
somewhat.

These
things
matter
more
than
being
a
specific
distance
from
your
TV,
these
days.
As
long
as
your
TV
is
a

4K
set,
you
have
much
more
flexibility
with
how
far
you
sit
from
it
than
you
did
with
full
HD,
as
the
pixels
are
so
small
they’re
almost
unnoticeable.
Still,
a
good
rule
of
thumb
is
to
account
for
a
viewing
distance
of
1
to
1.5
times
the
size
of
your
screen
if
you
can.

Finally,
moving
a
lamp
or
lighting
source
behind
your
TV
will
create
something
called
bias
lighting.
This
helps
to
reduce
eye
fatigue
when
watching
TV
in
low
light,
without
it
being
too
distracting
or
creating
reflections
—
just
one
of
the
reasons
we
love
Ambilight
TVs
so
much.

Tip
4:
Run
your
calibration

Denon AVR on cabinet


(Image
credit:
Denon)

Now
that
you’ve
moved
things
around,
you
will
want
to
re-run
the
auto-calibration
process
built
into
your
AV
receiver
or
soundbar
—
something
you’ll
want
to
do
any
time
you
make
changes
in
your
room
or
speakers.
And
if
you
didn’t
do
this
in
the
first
place,
then
it’s
well
overdue.

This
process
will
usually
fire
a
series
of
strange-sounding
tones
into
the
room,
to
understand
its
size
and
shape,
and
how
sound
reacts
within
it.
More
thorough
setups
will
use
a
calibration
mic
as
well,
to
pinpoint
the
main
sitting
position,
and
how
this
relates
to
any
speakers
in
the
room.

This
is
usually
over
and
done
with
in
a
matter
of
minutes,
with
automatic
tweaks
being
made
to
your
kit
to
improve
the
sound
afterwards.
 

Now
your
home
cinema
setup
is
optimized,
it
will
be
ready
to
perform
to
the
very
best
of
its
abilities
at
your
next
movie
night.
What
a
way
to
kick
off
2024.


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