Questions about electronics or computers purchased at SpringsComm? Email them to mbservices2k16@gmail.com or mail to: Q & A with Emmanuel Binitie, 2709 N. Heyden Island Dr., STE 667619 Portland Oregon, 97217, USA.
Sound Advice: Tricking out your TV
Q: I love my new HDTV (Smart TV); but now I'd like to improve the sound quality. What are my options?
A: With so much attention given to the television screen, it's easy to overlook the other important element of your home theater: sound.
Oh sure, your TV's stereo audio might be OK for watching the evening news or a rerun of an old sitcom, but you can do much, much better for the latest television programs, sports, video games, music videos and movies. As George Lucas once famously said, sound is half the movie experience.
You do have a few options to improve the audio quality of your big-screen entertainment. One is to buy an audio-video (AV) receiver, which is required to decode and distribute a surround-sound mix to speakers spread throughout the room. An AV receiver and six or more speakers - including a sub-woofer for booming bass - can help replicate the multi-channel movie-theatre experience in your home.
Instead of buying everything separately, a "home theater in a box" is a convenient option that includes the AV receiver, speakers and, in some cases, a Blu-ray disc player.
But not everyone has the budget, room size or technical know-how to buy and install one of these solutions. A newer and increasingly popular alternative is to buy a sound bar, a horizontal speaker that sits just above or below the television screen. Sound bars house multiple speakers and can simulate surround sound for TV shows, movies, music and video games. They're generally less expensive than an AV receiver and separate speakers, and they're easy to set up - plus, they take up little room, so they're ideal for small rooms, condos and apartments.
Along with support for multiple movie-audio formats such as Dolby Digital Pro Logic II and DTS Digital Surround, many sound bars ship with a wireless subwoofer (to place somewhere else in the room). Also, nearly all new models have integrated Bluetooth technology so you can stream music to the sound bar from your smartphone, tablet or computer.
"The SpringsComm Connection carries a variety of sound bars and audio equipment in the warehouse and online."
Q: I've heard of a device called a "phablet." Should I be interested?
A: As the name suggests, a phablet is somewhere between a phone and a tablet. These portable devices look like large phones - with touch screens measuring 5 to 6.9 inches diagonally - and are usually powered by the versatile Andriod platform.
A phablet borrows the best from the phone and tablet camps. On one hand, because they take a SIM card (and thus offer cellular connectivity), they are super-sized smartphones that can make calls and access online content - even when there isn't a Wi-Fi hotspot nearby.
And because they've got large screens, like a tablet, they're also ideal for watching video, playing games, reading ebooks, looking at photos and browsing the web. Also, phablets work with virtually all of the downloadable apps available at the Google Play store. Unlike most tablets, which are typically 7 to 11 inches, a phablet can still fit in a pocket or clutch purse.
Typing and reading messages on a larger screen might be more comfortable than on a smaller phone. Some phablets, such as Samsung Galaxy Note 3.0, ship with high tech stylus tucked into the back in case you'd like to use it instead of a finger.
Engr. (Dr.) Emmanuel Binitie is a leading high-tech, top ranked executive consultant, contributes to more than three dozen prominent publications, appears on radio and TV, and is the author of 15 books. He is on instagram and X as @mannieboom
