Pete's Write

Once upon a time, TV speakers were hefty affairs, which could go to deafening levels, with decent bass and allowed the dialogue to be anchored to the screen. You only went to the home theatre route if you wanted a complete surround experience. Then TV panels became wafer thin, and manufacturers found that they could not pack the speakers of the same volume into the panels to make credible sound for movies and definitely not for music. So the soundbar was born. Initially, you needed to connect this via RCA outputs or digital ones like an optical cable. Things have since progressed, and now you have ARC (Audio Return Channel) and eARC, which uses a single HDMI cable to bring sound to and from the TV. Some use Bluetooth for a wireless connection.  Then you have 3 dimensional sound in the form of Atmos, and it become fashionable to get soundbars with this moniker. But today, we are reviewing a 3 channel soundbar, which can eventually be expanded into a full 5.1 experienc...

This is a rather lazy review or perhaps a statement on The Fifth Element: After I recently found a meme of the movie, I took out my DVD, BR and then my 4k disc of Fifth Element for three spins and it does show the beauty of technology, literally... So anyway, in case anyone hasn't seen it, a hot chick from space hands bald man a bunch of stones to save the world from a jacked up Gary, and an evil black mass, with Jean Paul G showcasing some snazzy outfits and some punchy tunes and even punchier lines. It has a rather original plot, solid chemistry, acting and comic timing, along with good action and tip top surround. Visually, despite it's age, it's still one of my favorite demo movies, but hey I was already sold on the Superbit DVD I owned.. It made stars of Milla J, did a lot of good for Bruce Willis, reinforced Gary Oldman as an exquisitely versatile actor and Luc as one of the guys from France who could bring it to the world and paved the way for many more collaboration...

Just acquired a new Atmos capable system? Keen to put that system through the rope? Firstly make sure you set it up right, then after that, you may lust for material to play on it. I still feel disc based lossless tracks are the best source, but if you are streaming, it's an alternative to get Atmos into that system. If you do a search online, there are many sites which give suggestions for the most awesome soundtracks to use in your new Atmos system, and here's my own: Some tracks are only on discs, but I've tried to choose those where you can get it on a disc as well as from streaming sites. Covid has decreased the number of new movies but there are some are older movies which have been upgraded and now feature Atmos tracks: - Hunter Killer : big dumb fun about a sub entering Russian waters and you get a suicide squad doing a rescue mission too. Lots of explosions and surround effects - Angel Has Fallen: Another Gerard Butler effort with plenty of bass, surround effects a...

 - termites and insect treatment - 6months of redirecting mail  - inform PUB or new supplier - network and fibre install - check all powerpoints - phone system and wifi check of signal strength - turn on aircon at full blast  - check roof for leaks and rain checks - final coat of wall paint - deep cleaning of all surfaces especially with Covid around - polish floor - ventilate to get rid of VOC smells - turn on lights  - get gas tanks for cooking - invite neighbors :) 

It's a balance of power. Too little and your compressor works too hard and runs the risk of breaking down earlier. Too large a compressor, you may pay more in electric bills than needed. I've checked a few places and some sites have excellent info, such as this: https://silverbackaircon.sg/aircon-btu-calculation-guide/ https://www.homeanddecor.com.sg/design/home-tips/home-tip-how-to-choose-the-right-aircon-for-your-home-and-save-money/ 1. Calculate the amount of cooling capacity you need per room using the recommended formula below Cooling capacity required in kW = Total area to be air-conditioned [m2] ÷ 5 *to convert to Btu/hr, multiply the kW result by 3412 2. Then look at which combination suits your place. It has to be either equal or higher than your calculations. 3. Then compare the rated kW of the same combination per room against your calculations. Again, it has to be equal or higher than your calculations. MKM85 Combination Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Total 2...

In the past, there were LEDs and plasma TVs, and despite the best efforts by LED makers, they weren’t really able to give that kind of contrast that plasmas offered.  Then came OLED TVs, and these offer amazing contrast, and superb viewing angles, reaction times and it seemed that we can finally let that plasma TVs die. Sony has been obtaining their panels from LG and then adding their own magic sauce, using a different set of SOC and video chips.  The Sony A80J was recently released and it is a truly impressive panel. It is now followed up by the 90J and this panel cost more. For the price of a 77” A80J, you will be able to own the 65” panel.  So is the extra outlay worth it? Some info from the official site: https://www.sony.com.sg/electronics/televisions/a90j-series Features to note: - new XR processor, which promises gains in motion contrast and overall picture quality  - HDMI 2.1 (two ports only) - acoustic calibration - pseudo surround sound - eARC - 3 USB port...

Tomorrow War was meant to be a summer blockbuster until Covid hit and relegated it to a streaming movie. Everything about it begs us to watch it on a large screen, but these are the times. An ex military special forces protagonist who is now relegated to being a teacher with broken ambitions and a estranged relationship with his PTSD father is called upon to answer the draft again and serve. Except the war is fought in the near future, with creatures we don't see until about a third of the way. In the process, he has to save the world, save his daughter and also his relationship with his loved ones all in the same move.  The movie is a bit derivative, and channels ideas from many other movies. It mixes Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow, using fast moving creatures from the latter, the time shock element of meeting a loved one from the former. The trouble father with a troubled past who has skills is also borrowed from past movies (the latest which comes to mind was Angel Has Fallen), b...

A while back, noise canceling headphones were mainly used in aeroplanes, and other places with a constant drone. These days, they not only allow less of the ambient noise in, they also pack other functions and have become wireless. A good microphone, long battery life and good Bluetooth performance as well as sonic performance are de rigueur, and with Covid and conference calls being part of our lives these days, almost everyone owns a Bluetooth equipped headphone that has noise cancelling functions built in.  In the past, Sennheiser ruled the roost for noise cancelling headphones, but the early models have an extra dongle, and the sound quality was not great. Later on, Bose got into the act and these two have been the dominant force for quite a few years. Just check out the cans you see on an aeroplane. Sony has also been involved in headphones with some very decent models, and I still have some of their early in ear models dating back to the 80s from the Walkman era.  The So...