You Asked: Is Amazon hiding the Blu-rays? And the place’s the Sony XM6?
On this week’s You Asked: Is Amazon attempting to kill Blu-ray discs? Are the Sony XM6 headphones coming? (And must you look forward to them?) And can a ceiling fan alter your Dolby Atmos audio?
Where artwork thou Blu-ray?
Brandon Baecker notes that Amazon nonetheless sells Blu-ray discs, however claims that Amazon is intentionally hiding them from us. He cites an instance from expertise, suggesting that we kind “True Lies 4K Blu-ray” within the Amazon search bar to see for ourselves that the outcomes flip up nothing however a Prime Video hyperlink and a bunch of unrelated objects. He additionally says the one means he may discover it on Amazon was to go looking Google or observe a Blu-ray.com hyperlink. Brandon notes it appears its been this manner since Best Buy stopped promoting discs.
Your mileage might range as search outcomes aren’t all the time the identical from considered one of us to the subsequent. (, if you need.) But I agree that attending to Blu-rays and DVDs on Amazon just isn’t as intuitive as you’d assume. However, I’d cease wanting suggesting that Amazon is attempting to kill bodily media, and I don’t assume that Best Buy halting disc gross sales is said as a result of I’ve discovered Amazon’s personal site-search engine to be an actual ache within the neck for years.
I feel there are just a few components at play right here. One is that Amazon’s site-search instrument is simply inferior to Google. You may argue it ought to be contemplating Amazon runs its personal airline and trucking firms, and it’s received boatloads of money and developer expertise. But I digress.
Also, I don’t assume Amazon stands to realize an entire lot by promoting fewer discs. Sure, there’s an opportunity that it makes a bit extra margin on a $20 digital sale than it does on this $25 disc it has to ship, however I feel the truth that we typically see extra Prime Video hyperlinks than we do discs has extra to do with the truth that (presently anyway), means, means, far more individuals are streaming than shopping for discs. It’s fundamental provide and demand.
I don’t assume there’s a conspiracy occurring right here. But I recognize you pointing this problem out as a result of it prompts me to indicate of us who do need to discover the fitting disc model that they’ll save a bunch of time and complications by clicking twice to slender the search to the proper product kind.
Waiting on the XM6 …
Alex Fringe needs snug wi-fi headphones with ANC and was wanting on the Sony XM5, however is questioning concerning the rumored Sony XM6 and whether or not they may be value ready for.
I don’t understand how for much longer you’d be prepared to attend to purchase your headphones, however traditionally, the Sony WH-XM collection headphones — these are the over-ear fashions, versus the WF-XM collection, that are the in-ear model — have been launched within the fall, proper round September. (In truth, I feel I reviewed the primary pair in Germany across the IFA present.)
So, if Sony sticks to that launch window, then you could possibly be as much as 5 months till the XM6 are launched. And that’s if they are surely a factor. But I feel they are going to be. Sony’s on a roll with these headphones, and I’d be shocked in the event that they weren’t actual. Plus, a few of the leaks look fairly legit. And we’ve already printed our want checklist of things we’d like to see in the XM6.
Is it value ready? Hard to say. The XM5 had been barely higher than the XM4. But when the XM5 came out, I did say getting the XM4 was a wiser transfer since they went down by $50 when the XM5 debuted. I anticipate the identical to occur this fall. When the XM6 come out, the XM5 ought to be discounted, too.
So, if you need the newest and biggest, or if you wish to save $50 to get a completely stellar pair of headphones, you’ll want to attend 4 or 5 months. Otherwise, get the XM5 now. It’s about your funds and your means to be affected person. Choose accordingly.
Dolby Vision vs. HDR10+
Gabe Hartzler wrote in with some very type phrases for the channel and requested if all of 1’s tools must be Dolby Vision-capable to see content material in Dolby Vision. He then goes on to ask if there’s actually a distinction between HDR10+ and Dolby Vision that a median particular person may see with no side-by-side comparability.
Yes. Full cease. Everything — from the supply materials, to the supply gadget, to the show gadget, and the whole lot in between — must assist Dolby Vision so as so that you can see something in Dolby Vision. That implies that the present or film you stream must be out there in Dolby Vision. The gadget you employ to stream or the participant you employ to play the disc must assist Dolby Vision. The receiver you go the sign by means of (when you try this) wants to have the ability to go Dolby Vision. And the TV or projector you employ must have Dolby Vision.
The complete level of Dolby Vision is that it’s an end-to-end resolution that’s scalable to the aptitude of your gadgets.
Now, is there a recognizable difference between HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision to the typical particular person? I’d say, most often, the reply there is no such thing as a. But there are a whole lot of variables to think about, not the least of which is that there are way more titles out there in Dolby Vision than there are in HDR 10+.
Really, although, the soiled little secret about Dolby Vision is that it’s not getting used to something near resembling its full potential, and that’s really on creators.
Does a much bigger TV want greater sound?
Ian Cox simply moved to a brand new place and upgraded to a much bigger TV since he’s sitting additional away. (You don’t need to justify to me why you bought a brand new TV, simply saying.) And now that they’ve an superior Samsung S90C QD-OLED, they’re fascinated by upgrading their A/V receiver. Ian is at the moment rocking a Panasonic SA-HE100 and is questioning what to search for in an A/V receiver.
First off, Ian: That receiver you might have is an actual blast from the previous for me. I used to promote that mannequin, and I feel it’s over 20 years outdated now. Way to maintain that factor ticking.
The excellent news is that no matter it’s you might be taking part in in your Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, the very best audio format is all however assured to be supported by practically any A/V receiver you purchase. That’s the least of your issues. Since you might be gaming, I like to recommend you employ the eARC port in your TV to dump the audio sign all the way down to the receiver. I feel you want an A/V receiver that helps HDMI 2.1 with eARC, and there are an excellent variety of these out there now. Just be certain that the receiver ticks that field.
Next, I suppose you have to be fascinated by how you might need to develop your speaker system. I’d in all probability take a look at getting an A/V receiver that helps 7.1 channels (or at the very least 5.1.2) so you could possibly get two Atmos channels. If you assume you may get actual hardcore concerning the encompass later, then you definately’ll need assist for extra channels.
As for energy scores, it form of depends upon the model. I’ll take 70 watts of Anthem’s energy over Pioneer’s 100 watts of energy, for instance.
As for manufacturers. I like Yamaha, Marantz, and Onkyo. Sony is making good receivers nowadays. There’s Anthem, in fact, after which there are boutique manufacturers like Emotiva that you could possibly take a look at, too. Or extra specialty manufacturers like NAD and Cambridge. Denon is … high quality; the identical firm owns them and Marantz. I simply want Marantz’s vibes.
That’s about all I can inform you with out realizing an entire lot extra about your area and the audio system you employ now or the audio system you might use later. But I do hope I’ve relieved some concern about assist for encompass codecs since that appeared to be your main concern.
This ain’t Texas …
Harriet Delphi Green lives in Texas, the place it’s sizzling. And thus they’ve the ceiling fan of their lounge working 75% of the time. They are involved about how which may have an effect on the ceiling-reflected sound that might come from the upfiring audio system in a Dolby Atmos soundbar system just like the Samsung Q900C. And that is my favourite half — Harriet mentions the reminiscences of standing in entrance of an oscillating fan and listening to their voice come out like a “robot,” which actually received them fascinated by this.
I really like this query for therefore many causes. I grew up in Texas, and I do know what you imply concerning the warmth and the always working ceiling fan. And I did the identical factor with talking right into a fan as a child. I discovered the outdated field followers did the very best job of warbling my voice, and to today, I discover it onerous to withstand going as much as one and simply going “ahhhhhhhhhhh.”
But principally I really like this query as a result of it actually received me fascinated by your state of affairs. I’ve had questions on vaulted ceilings, popcorn ceilings, super-high ceilings, and even ceilings with skylights, or obstacles like beams crossing overhead. But that is the primary fan-related query!
I’ll inform you proper now that I don’t understand how your fan may have an effect on the sound. There are simply too many variables I can’t take into consideration.
We know that any sound interacting with these transferring blades will probably be altered. But I don’t understand how noticeable that alteration may be. With our setup, I’ve one speaker taking pictures proper up into that fan. I believe that any sound coming from this upfiring driver, straight under the fan, could be probably the most altered on the best way again down. But I don’t understand how noticeable it might be. All the opposite upfiring drivers on this system are bouncing hold forth the ceiling, and would have minimal interplay with the fan blades themselves. So then the query turns into, how a lot would the movement of the air created by the fan have an effect on our notion of the sound.
I believe not a lot, however I don’t know that for sure.
I do imagine that the nearer the sound supply is to the blades and the nearer the listener is to the blades, the upper the chance that the impact from the fan blades could be audible. But it’s onerous to think about your ceiling fan decreasing the stress stage of any sound coming again at you from the ceiling. I don’t assume it might considerably delay the arrival of the sound. At worst, it’d modulate the sound. But it’s simply so onerous to think about it having that severe an impression.
