Home Theater United Podcast

Recurring guests John Rice and Todd Rice join Sam to commiserate over their "Stacks of shame": Disks, movies and TV shows forever sitting on the shelf and never making it to the player and screen.

Episode 49 - Why Is this film so hated? Talking 6 poorly reviewed films and discussing if they have any merit - (Target time about  1h but will go as long as is fun): Intro by Sam: Welcome Todd and John Rice (No relation) Cinema Shout-Outs, a palate cleanse of positivity 6 Films that got bad audience and critic reactions that we look at fresh with 2024 eyes Good Bad And Ugly What are we excited to see at CES on January 8? Shout out trailers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m9IFlz2iYo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvwDen1Wrx8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lai9QhBibk   Hated Movie Trailers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6eB0JT1DI4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BWWWQzTpNU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhNuXvlCTTc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6_Odb-Bd1E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OKAwz2MsJs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6UWYylKzlc   GBU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4s7CAd03Zc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5rh7O4IDc0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6COmYeLsz4c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZTP586-Y9E

Introducing Audiologist Dr. Bethany Anderson. Topics will cover protecting your hearing in home theater, cinema and concert environments : Intro by Sam: Welcome Dr. Anderson!  What can you tell us about yourself, and are you big into movies, cinema, music? What can home theater viewers do to limit exposure to ear damage while still enjoying dramatic music and sound effects? Are low impact rumbles from a subwoofer safe? Safer than high frequency bangs (gunshots etc)? What's your opinion of theaters like IMAX and Dolby where you can't control the volume being played? Are earplugs like Etymotic Research ER20 safe and useful to wear at movies and concerts? What can people with hearing loss do to extend their hearing? Can you talk about Tinnitus and how it affects the rest of the brain and body? Is it a warning sign someone needs to get hearing checked asap? What's the deal with OTC hearing aids? Are they safe / useful? Is Apple's interest in hearing protection a good thing or just marketing? How often should people get their hearing checked? At what age should they start? Anything else you would like to talk about or promote?

Home Theater United Episode 47 December 21, 2023, 2023 6:00 PM EST Re-Introducing Brian Dobbs, founding cohost and cohost emeritus of Home Theater United and new Documentarian with his film Blue Planet Red -  Intro by Sam: Welcome back Brian!  You have been busy moving cross country and back and now have your first film under your belt!  Blue Planet Red is on sites like Vimeo and purchaseable as an honest to goodness self authored Blu-Ray.  Tell us as much as you can without spoiling Blue Planet Red What the heck sent you down this path? How has the initial reaction been?  How hard has it been to build an audience? Sam Loves it! Tell us about working with Swarm You had a model shoot in the desert for the film, with amazing drone photography.  Uh, whaaaat? The scientists are real characters.  Were you expecting that? Are you going to film festivals? Trying to get it on Netflix or other streaming services in the future? What was your production like? Did you do everything yourself? Tell us about the tech specs of the bluray How can our viewers watch it?  What’s next for you? Anything else you would like to talk about or promote? Quick Good Bad and Ugly   Background info: https://blueplanetred.net/ https://twitter.com/BrianCoryDobbs/status/1737642166967746642 Vimeo vimeo.com/ondemand/blueplanetred…   Blu-ray /blueplanetred.net/store   Two-Page Summary  //blueplanetred.net/store   Website /blueplanetred.net   Quick Good Bad and Ugly: Sam - Barbie Brian - The Eternals

What movies do you consider to be Hidden Gems?  Join host Sam Posten and guests Todd Erwin, John Rice and Josh Steinberg as they highlight 3 movies each which they feel deserve wider exposure and acclaim than what they got theatrically or on home video.   Sam: The mist Antebellum Inside man   Todd: Solo: A Star Wars Story Ghostbusters: Answer the Call  Grand Canyon   Josh: Rope Tomorrowland Sunshine   John: A Monster Calls Paper Towns Never Let Me Go   Plus we play a new game: "Know what's mad? That I have never seen THIS movie" and a whole new (not really!) Good Bad and Ugly!

The show returns after a 6 month break! We are BACK, baby! Todd Erwin joins us once again to talk about his picks for best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, focusing on TVs and other Home Theater gear. Plus Todd announces the launch of his own new show, coming soon on Youtube! ANDDDDDD we will have cohost emeritus Brian Dobbs back soon to talk about his new feature length documentary, Red Planet Blue!

Home Theater United Episode 44 March 6, 2023, 2023 7:30 PM EST Introducing immersive recording artist and storyteller Brent Watkins Introducing Brent Watkins a musician focusing on immersive audio experiences  Intro by Sam: Welcome Brent, you bill yourself as an immersive recording artist and congrats on the launch of your website and second album!  What does the focus on immersive music mean to you and what kind of music are you creating?  With Apple’s new focus on Atmos it seems like a major shift has occurred. Previously artists wanted front heavy experiences mimicking a stage performance and now they want the listener to be in the middle of the storm. Do you think this is sustainable and is the new normal? The example I use is Tom Sawyer where you literally hear the drums in a 360 experience.  Besides your own work, what are your favorite immersive music experiences? Are you 100% self produced, do you have other artists joining you in your work? You recently built a dual purpose home recording studio and home theater! That sounds amazing, what can you tell us about how you built that and what kind of gear you are using? The barrier to entry designing immersive music continues to fall down.  What does your workflow look like? How hard / expensive is it for a new artist to move from stereo to build their first tracks? Is Atmos mastering something you can ‘add at the end’ or do you think you need to think about the room for every track from its inception now? How do you manage folks listening to stereo vs immersive headphones versus full 7.1.4 home theaters? You also produced two documentaries!  What can you tell us about them and how folks can find them? You do all this on your own time while working full time.  How do you juggle it all? What would you like to see in the next evolution of sound technology (ie atmos) or music production? Anything else you would like to talk about or promote? Quick Good Bad and Ugly Quick Good Bad and Ugly: Sam - The Fabelmans Brent - A.I. 2001

Home Theater United Episode 43 February 20, 2023 7:30 PM EST   Introducing the HTU Budget Challenge #1 - (Target time about  1h but will go as long as is fun): Intro by Sam: Welcome two Todds, two Johns, two Rices and a Sam. Round Table DiscussionWhat is the budget challenge?Who was invited to participate Who can participate following the show? What are the rules? Budget 1k Budget 5k Unlimited Budget Anything else you guys would like to talk about or promote? Quick Good Bad and Ugly   Quick Good Bad and Ugly: Sam - Licorice Pizza Todd Rice - Elvis Todd Erwin - Empire of Light John Rice - The fallout John Philips - Beowulf

Director and Producer (and Editor!) Bryan Storkel from SideStilt Films Meeting up with Bryan Storkel from SideStilt Films: Intro by sam: Welcome Bryan Storkel. Interview:You bill yourself as both producer and director here plus you do editing too.  How do you juggle so many hats? Are you the lead writer on these as well?  What’s your origin story in the industry, did you graduate from making shorts?  PEZ Outlaw just landed on Netflix (and is available to buy on all major stores)!  What can you tell us a bit about that project and your role on it? How in the world did that come to your attention? I watched it last night and it’s got a lot of heart. Woah, IMDB says your “Legend of Cocaine Island” documentary is being transformed into a movie with Will Ferrell? Is that true?  What’s the current status on that? Is this your first foray into commercial features?  How excited are you to jump to features? Are you a home theater guy yourself?  What’s your setup like?  How about movie theater viewing? Got a favorite local spot? What’s up next for you career wise and./or for your studio? What else in your background should folks dig into? That doc on Christian card counters sounds wild and has gone into my “to watch” list. You seem to have a foot into the sports documentary world too. Anything else you’d like to talk about or promote?

Meeting up with HTF’s Brian Ralston and Director Chris Chan Lee from Silent River: Intro by sam: Meet Brian Ralston and Chris Chan Lee Interview Qs:Brian: What can you tell us about your work on Silent River Chris: The film is out on digital to buy now.  How has the reaction been from audiences?  What was the film’s journey to getting made?  Is there a disk for those who don’t do digital? Brian: The music in SR is very unique yet has a lot of stings that reminded me of 70s horror films.  What was your inspiration for the soundtrack? Chris: this is your fourth film.  How has the progression been going? Brian: Can you tell us about the Atmos authoring process and releasing the soundtrack in Atmos? Chris: a few of the reviews I have read call it very Lynchian.  What’s your take on that? Brian: Having heard the final LOTR on Prime I still think your ideas would have been wonderful.  Can you enjoy the show with that in your history?  What was your take on the musical? Chris: I’m intrigued by the role of the stranger.  Can you give us some insight into some of his motivations? Brian: Can you tell us about your podcast?  What about your own home theater? Chris: you are both screenwriter and director here, how was it managing both hats? Brian: What’s up next? Chris: What’s up next, both for Silent River and yourself?  Will we see SR on something like Prime or Netflix? Good Bad Or Ugly? Sam - Infernal Affairs Brian - Jasmine Chris - Everything Everywhere All At Once

Sam sits down with HTF and HTU regular guest Todd Erwin to preview the deals and don'ts for Home Theater gear and media coming up this week for Black Friday 2022.

Home Theater United Episode 39 September 19, 2022 6:30 PM EST   What’s cooking at Warner Archive (Target time about  1h): Intro by sam: Who is Mr. George Feltenstein? What’s his history with Warner? He’s been a great friend to HTF over the years and we’d love to visit with him again =) THANKS to Ronald Episode for bringing Mr. Feltenstein to the show! So big changes with Warner Archive moving from Time Warner to The new Warner Brothers Discovery, what can you tell us about this transition?  Adam Lenhart wonders if the sale is having effects on preservation.  How has the role of film preservation changed?  What’s the latest on it?  Is new technology helping it, or making it more economical?   Is Warner going “Streaming first”?  Is there a way to say what has priority between theatrical, streaming, digital ownership and physical media?  Are DVDs dead? Is MoD dead? Do you think streaming has good and well killed movies on demand? So… given the big changes and now 13 years in… what does the future of the warner archive collection look like? GF : I will address this It seems like everything is merging together into one of 2-3 big companies, yet there’s 18 different streaming services.  How do you see this shaking out?  How are you feeling about the future of actual movie theaters?  Can they survive?  What’s been recently announced that you are most excited about? HTF questions: Jim Bur: THANKS for great 2020-2021 releases! Especially technicolor stuff  Roland L and many many others: Anything in the pipe in 3d?  Silent films? Angelo Columbus: Next year is the 100th anniversary!  Big plans? & Robert Crawford: I would like to ask him if next year’s Warner’s Centennial celebration will include titles across the different studio releases now under Warner control. Will there be a mixture of Warner, MGM, RKO and Goldwyn titles coming out on physical media in 2023, to celebrate 100 years of Warner? Ricard M S: Have there been any recent "unexpected" discoveries of film elements/missing footage in the vaults that are being incorporated into upcoming blu-ray release? particularly interested in the still-unreleased complete MATA HARI.  Battlebeast and others Any best picture winners in the pipe?  Do they tend to be given priority?  Rafael Piress: Any chance of getting back to 5-7 releases a month? SWFF: plans for more horror and/or SciFi flicks, and, maybe, more Hammer Films? JC Riesenbeck and others: Any chance of A Summer Place? (Sam notes this was his parents first date movie he thinks!)  Lots of folks asking about TV shows, Sam Favate wants to know about Babylon 5  Lots of folks interested in more classic animation, 80s forever notes the hints were for lots of animation in 2022,  Delayed or off the table?  GF: I will address Stephen J H how about collabs with cartoon network?  Deepscan: Any collaborations with Criterion, like maybe an ultimate Superman set GF: I will address Arthur Powell: Anything happening on the silent film front (Greed, The Crowd, The Wind, The Student Prince of Old Heidelberg, The Fire Brigade, So This Is Paris, the 1924 version of Captain Blood, etc.)?  Mark-P: The Opposite Sex Blu-ray having mono sound will ever be corrected and a replacement program initiated? Robert Harris made the following comment over a year and a half ago and nothing has come of it.  Xochipill: anything for fans of 70mm like Ryan's Daughter and Cheyenne Autumn? Keith Cobby: Any update on the hinted on Three Little Words?  Keith also asks Updates to 4k for big Blus like North By Northwest? Or are those not as important with great blurays already out  Mark Brown Ask what is Warner's position on using Perspecta on MGM titles? Specific Titles: Larry P: Any plans for the Warner-owned Abbott and Costello films? These are the last A&C holdouts for blu-ray. Also, how about some more love for Lucy? - more RKO and of course "The Long, Long Trailer". A complete restoration of TV's Adventures of Superman would be amazing. Oh, and Gilligan needs to be rescued from DVD and onto Blu! Duke Togo: Will WAC/Warner have access to the restoration work that Second Sight is doing with The Hitcher in the UK?  WAC has about 200 Golden Harvest titles. Any updates on when we might see any in the line?  Joel Arnt: Are more titles starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, ... Mark Mayes Gone with the Wind in 4k?  (Sam asks has GWTW survived its time in the barrel recently!)  David Weiker Captain Blood  Astairefan: Any golden age musicals in the pipeline? Especially Astaire / Rogers films.  Lots of folks asked about Northwest Passage or Raintree County.  Is raintree still problematic as reported in the past? Stephen JH: Cartoon Network collab ? Travelling Man: more Marx Brothers ? Owen 35: hanna barbar? Klaus: The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)   

Home Theater United Episode 38 July 11, 2022 7:30 PM EST   Streaming Frustrations 2022 with Todd Erwin   Reconnection (5m or less): Amazon Prime day tonight at 12 midnight.  Does Todd think the $120 Apple TV is a good deal or the best deal of all time? Pretty Awesome! - Best Buy is price matching that, 64Gb is $140, Roku Ultra $80, StreamStick 4K $30 (both are Roku sales, not Prime Day) The adventures of Terrific Man! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuwa8vtOgB44qnnKovNDvysB_FmKQH0AG Streaming Frustrations 2022 (Target time about  1h): Playstation removing content from paid customers lockers?!?! Lionsgate supports iTunes with unbearable weight.  One off from a specific licensee or part of a long term shift? Why hasn’t movies anywhere expanded? Doctor stranger’s picture quality thread.   Vudu/FandangoNow library merger Paramount+ (and HBO Max) HDR issue on Roku (both are now resolved) Disney+ and Netflix to add new lower cost ad-supported tiers Sony's inconsistency on HDR and Atmos across digital retailers Sony's content deal with both Netflix and Disney+/Hulu Content reverting back to studio-owned streaming after this year Best Streaming devices Shout out to Spare Change talking the same subject tonight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmH32zZitZw   Quick Good Bad and Ugly: Sam - RRR Todd - Cinderella (2021) https://www.hometheaterforum.com/cinderella-2021-blu-ray-review/

Episode 37 June 27, 2022 7:30 PM EST New and returning hobbyists Todd Rice Dave Hahn   Reconnection: Sam’s new toy: Rodecaster 2 - Robot Voices and spoiler alert Mini G2 review: HGIG is still broken but movies and HDR10 gaming are glorious New and returning hobbyists: Where are you at with your current build?  How long have you been assembling it?   Dave: What’s different in your current build from where your last one was at? You thought your last one would be the ultimate build and get you 10-20 years.  What changed your thinking? What do you wish someone had told you about home theater before you began?  What are you still investigating? What do you wish the industry did a better job of explaining? What's got you jazzed about 2022 displays, and what other tech are you adding?  Is Atmos on your radar? Are projectors part of your investigation? Are TVs big enough for you or do you desire and have room for bigger screens?   Have we reached saturation and maturity on display tech?  Are you into HDR?  Have you experienced it yet? Are retail vendors able to demo it well for you? Do you read and participate on other forums besides HTF?  Are you on AVS or Bluray.com? Got an opinion on physical media vs streaming / buying digitally?  Is it “And” or “Or” for you? Where are you buying media?  Are sites like the HTF’s WRU or HDDN’s bargain hunting useful to you? Are you a movie goer?  Have you returned post pandemic? What do you see as the biggest home theater issues that most users are facing?  It’s 2022 and we are still using one way (ie dumb) RF tech to try to coordinate all our components.  How has nobody fixed this?  CAN anyone ever fix it? Have you dealt with multiple HDMI and USB standards?  Are they as big a mess as Sam thinks it is? Quick Good Bad and Ugly: Sam - In the heat of the night Todd - Measure of a Man Dave - The Contractor

April 28, 2022 4:30 PM EST Pro Reviewer Caleb Denison of Digital Trends Caleb Denison | Senior Editor, Digital Trends Reconnection: Sam’s pain:  Got G2 77” on Monday.  Installer not coming til next week.  Sony tries to beat JVC’s 2022  projectors, Sam is not super impressed  Pro Reviewer Caleb Denison of Digital Trends: How would you describe your job, and how does Digital Trends fit in to the wider internet and home theater landscape? What's got you jazzed about 2022 panels, and what other tech are you tracking and reviewing?  How has your “most anticipated” article shaken out so far?  You dig the latest Macbooks I see, Love mine! How do you see the role of pro reviewers evolving given the flood of independent tech enthusiasts?   You follow all the tiers of the market, right?  How do you see the low end evolving? What's going on with 3D? Have we reached saturation and maturity on display tech?  What do you see the next great leap being? What do you see as the biggest home theater issues that most users are facing?  It’s 2022 and we are still using one way (ie dumb) RF tech to try to coordinate all our components.  How has nobody fixed this?  CAN anyone ever fix it? Is HDMI as big a mess as Sam thinks it is? Got an opinion on physical media vs streaming / buying digitally?  Is it “And” or “Or” for you? Going big and going small.  42" and 97 OLED are finally arriving. The waiting is the hardest part.. Think either end will make any big waves in the market? Can projectors hope to compete and survive with panels nearing and beating 100 inches?   Quick Good Bad and Ugly: Sam - The Northman Caleb -  Dune

Home Theater United Episode 35 March 29, 2022 7:30 PM EST 2022 new flat panel round table Guests: Stop the Fomo Whisper Status 74 Tech with KG Keep it classy tech   Reconnection (5m or less): Brian on sabbatical  2022 flat panel round table (Target time 1h or less): What's got you jazzed about the new panels? LG seems to be smashing it with C2/G2 line, is anyone else able to keep up? Launch prices seem pretty reasonable, is it worth buying launch window or is Black Friday / closeout still the way to go? Buying a closeout c1/g1 worth it? Are the heatsinks the real deal?   It's 2022, and reviewers are still talking about OLED burn in, especially for gaming.  Is this FUD or reality? Going big and going small.  42" and 97. The waiting is the hardest part.. $25k for 97 reasonable? Can projectors hope to compete and survive with panels nearing and beating 100 inches?   Do you think CEDIA 2022 will go?  Will you attend?

Home Theater United Episode 34 February 7, 2022 8:00 PM EST Directors Rountable Discussion   Reconnection (5m or less): Reflecting on MD trip, visit to Sam’s, movies, filling suitcase Revisiting Brian’s Scariest Movie Sam’s “new” projector Sam cleared out 500+ disks! Todd: Does the LOTR collection “hold up” Ghostbusters Afterlife at home better than Dolby Cinema? Directors (Target time 1h or less): How much power does a director really have? “Final cut”  What’s the best analogy for director: conductor, dictator, somewhere in between? Favorite Directors? Shitty Directors? Who had the best career? Who are you most excited about from the crop of new directors?  What director is influencing/mentoring the most? Back to Corman Quick Good Band and Ugly: Sam - Pam and Tommy Brian - Godzilla vs. Kong, WW84 Todd - Reacher Neil - it’s a secret

Home Theater United Episode 33 January 15,  2022 8:00 PM EST We have questions! The Lipton and Films to be buried with quizzes   Reconnection (5m or less): Basement coming along Covid   Lipton questions: https://washfm.iheart.com/featured/toby-and-chilli-mornings/content/2020-03-03-we-answer-james-liptons-10-question-questionnaire/ What is your favorite word? What is your least favorite word? What turns you on? What turns you off? What sound or noise do you love? What sound or noise do you hate? What is your favorite curse word? What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? What profession would you not like to do? If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Films To Be Buried With Questions https://medium.com/@tcggamerwill/films-to-be-buried-with-podcast-c34168fbc15d What was the first-ever film you saw? What was the film that scared you the most? What was the film that made you cry the most? What film is TERRIBLE but you love it? What is the film you once loved but watching it now you realise it’s terrible? What is the film that means the most to you? Not because of the film it’s self, but because of the memories, you have of it. What is the sexiest film? Which film do you most relate to? Which film is objectively the greatest ever? Which film is the one you’ve watched the most? What’s the worst film you’ve ever seen? What is the film that’s literally made you laugh out loud the most? Quick Good Bad and Ugly: Sam - Don’t look up Brian -  Tenet

Brian Dobbs and Sam Posten talk about what they have watched in 2020 -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Listen in, as they try to guess where each other’s selections ended up.

Brian Dobbs and Sam Posten take a deep dive into how they store, organize, and display their home theater media collection.  Sam embraces chaos, Brian is way more thoughtful.  They also discuss the tchotchkes and other items that bring personality to their home theater areas.