AVForums Podcast

From the introduction of OLED TVs to the death of 3D TV, we look at some of the notable technologies since our first podcast in 2006.

We look at the new range of TVs for 2025 from Sony, ask what are the best amplifiers for under 1000 pounds and what is the next step after Soundbars for those wanting a more immersive experience.

The team debates whether film awards like the Oscars, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs still matter to audiences or just serve industry self-promotion. Did this year's winners truly deserve success, or were better films ignored? Have Academy Award controversies and dull ceremonies overshadowed the films, or do the awards still highlight movies worth seeing? Does an Oscar win make a film a 'must-see' for casual viewers or just fuel film snobbery?

In this AVForums Podcast, we cover highlights from the 2025 Bristol Hi-Fi Show, explore subwoofers in home cinema and Hi-Fi, and chat with Ian Morrish from Together for Cinema about their amazing work. Tune in for expert insights, industry news, and AV enthusiasm!

Is Steven Seagal's actioner Belly of the Beast utterly without redemption or does it merit some attention for aiming high but shooting low? The ScreenTime With AVForums team looks at Seagal's 2003 'meisterwerk' with its obvious action doubles, slow floor slides, mysterious sponge messages and endless John Woo style slo-mo in the hope of extracting maximum entertainment value.

In this month's podcast, Ed Selley, Hi-Fi Editor, and Phil Hinton, AVForums Editor, delve into the topic of Auto EQ in two-channel systems. Plus, Phil and Ian take a deep dive into the 2025 TV line-up from Philips.

Celebrating 20 years of podcasts, the ScreenTime with AVForums team previews the top 20 must-see movies of 2025 - from James Gunn's Superman to Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17 and more. Don't miss our countdown!

Phil and the news team discuss the big TV stories from CES and which brands do the best job of telling us about their new TVs

In this podcast from the ScreenTime team, we look at the best movies, TV shows and 4K Blu-rays that feature in our 2024 Editor's Choice Awards. From blockbusters to streaming gems and from binge worthy surprises to moving documentaries - this is the content that stood out for us over the last 12 months.

We discusses the developments in the two-channel audio sector over the last 12 months and also take a peek at the Hi-Fi tea leaves to predict what might be happening in 2025. And we run through the best TVs and home cinema gear of the year and present the winners of our AVForums Editor's Choice Awards. We'll also wrap up with the best home AV products, trends and developments we've seen during 2024 and speculate on what the next 12 months will bring AV enthusiasts.

This month's Movies, TV Shows & 4K Blu-rays Podcast kicks off with the films and shows that Cas and the team recommends for November. There's also a look at the best 4K discs to add to your collection and our movie experts dive into the cinematic hits, misses and delays of 2024 as they round up the biggest blockbusters, the surprising disappointments and the movies we're still waiting for.

On this month's bumper podcast - Ed Selley gives us the rundown of the best Hi-Fi products we have reviewed this year in the Editor's Choice Awards. Phil and Ian look at the latest TV deals for Black Friday and suggest that this is not the best time of year to be buying a mid-range or high-end TV. Plus, in the Home AV section, we are looking at the predictions we made at the end of 2023 to see where things are right now in terms of big-screen TVs vs. projectors, AV Receivers vs. two-channel and more.

Which movies have flopped hard so far this year? We look at 2024's disappointments including some surprise underperformers and ask why some films look great on paper but just don't capture the audience's interest... and others just plain suck! Plus the guys select their top ten cinema and streaming titles for the month along with the best discs to help you with your purchasing choices for this month.

This week we report back from the EI Live custom installation trade show and look at some of the interesting AV products we saw, including the return of 21:9 TVs! Plus, we say goodbye to Home Cinema Choice magazine as it closes its doors and discuss how the CI sector can get its services over to a much larger market.

Danny Tack from TP Vision joins us to discuss the Philips flagship TVs for 2024, the OLED+959 and the OLED+909. We talk picture quality, META panel, P5 AI Dual Engine processor, Game bar, Ambilight and sound upgrades.

We examine the role of bricks-and-mortar Hi-Fi dealers in 2024: are in-person demos still necessary with YouTube reviews, and do product special editions drive sales? Plus, get a preview of the Newcastle Audio Show (1st–3rd Nov 2024), featuring demos, product launches, and the chance to meet leading audio brand reps.

We share our Blu-ray picks for September 2024 plus list our top 15 favourite horror 4K Blu-rays

In our September Movies and TV podcast, we offer a Top 10 list of must-watch picks for the month. Then, we dive into our featured topic: Workprints – the elusive Holy Grail for dedicated movie fans.

Once you've got your AV space correctly set up and your display calibrated for accuracy, there's still the question of making sure your video sources are up to the task. In this Home AV podcast, we look at how to get the best from the entire video chain. We also discuss the changing nature of accessing content. Plus, we find out more about industry body CEDIA.

We bust a few myths about TV calibration on this edition of the AVForums TV, Display and Calibration podcast. For example, what qualifies as calibration… and what doesn't? What is Filmmaker Mode and do you actually need your TV calibrated if it's accurate out of the box? Is it always best to get a professional in or can you have a go yourself? What exactly are the standards that are used? We explain the answers to these questions and more.

We cut through the many confusing options for streaming music to help you decide which path to take. From choosing a streaming service on a mobile device to investing in a dedicated hardware module, we examine the advantages and disadvantages of the various approaches, suggest some options and also examine whether there's a quality trade off for the convenience of so much music.

The team members each pick their favourites of the year taking film quality, extras and packaging into account to come up with 15 best discs to add to your physical media collection. Plus the guys select their top recommended 4K & Blu-ray releases to help you with your purchasing choices for this month.

The Movies Team takes a deep dive into Furiosa, the latest entry in the Mad Max franchise and asks whether it misses the iconic central character, whether the 'A Mad Max Saga' subtitle is necessary, and where the film succeeds and fails. Plus the guys select their recommended TV shows and movies for the month so you know what to keep an eye out for.

We look at the differences between Screening Rooms, Home Cinemas and Media Rooms and discuss which you should go for when designing your project and how each might affect your video chain choices. Plus, now that huge TV screens are a viable alternative to a projector for your home cinema, which should you choose?

On this episode, we interview guest Rob Andrews, Head of Strategy and Go To Market from Hisense, who tells us about the company's TV line-up for 2024 and its overall plans for the TV market going forward. Plus, as prices edge further downwards and more models become available, we look into whether huge screens are driving the next TV growth area.

We look at integrated amplifiers and whether it's best to opt for a simple or smart model. We ask why they are so popular, what are the features you should be considering for your own Hi-Fi system? Plus, do you actually need one and what are the alternatives? We also have special guest Ashton Wagner from Rega, who designs some of the very best Hi-Fi amplifiers you can buy.

On our sophomore edition of the AVForums Gaming Podcast, we look at the factors that get you excited about playing a game. From genre preferences to the platform on which you like to play, and whether you prefer a lengthy immersive dip into a long running campaign or a short online run-and-gun session with friends. We examine the combination of elements that get players hitting the Start Game/Continue button.

We examine the value of disc Extras. Do the documentaries, interviews behind the scenes EPKs and commentaries that chart the journey a movie has taken to get to the screen enhance the film experience or just prove to be a time suck filled with unnecessary info? And what about off-disc extras such as cards, maps, badges and booklets? Would you pay extra for these?

Is the marketing of movies part of the problem with modern cinema? This episode sees the team discuss movie and TV marketing in the internet age including how the audience experience is affected by bad trailers, misleading interview comments and, occasionally, no promotion at all! Plus the guys give their recommendations for this month.

Floorstanders, standmounts, sub/sats, in-wall - which speaker approach is best for your AV project? On this episode of the Home AV Podcast we look at how to go about deciding on your home theater speaker setup including; how important the design phase is in informing this choice; and whether you really need different speakers depending on whether you're going down the full black-out home cinema route or a more family friendly media room?

We interview Paul Gray from Omdia who tells us what his research shows about the current winners and losers in the TV market. He pulls back the curtain on the future of OLED TVs and why MicroLED is taking so long to appear in consumer television sets. Plus he explains why there are likely to be more adverts appearing on your TV and what consumers can expect going forward.

Does build quality and materials matter to you when choosing your Hi-Fi equipment or is it all about the sound quality? Phil and Ed delve into the subject and invite your thoughts and comments.

Now that Aliens, True Lies and The Abyss are finally available on 4K, what are the UHD discs that we're most looking forward to? Will The Terminator have James Cameron's now signature 4K look? Is Civil War the most mainstream upcoming release and what's on offer for completists, collectors and cult fans? Plus the guys select their top ten 4K discs to help you with your purchasing choices for this month.

With Marvel's movies no longer a guarantee of interesting character arcs, thrilling stories and exciting spectacle, this week the Movies Team asks, "What's the next big thing for Hollywood now that the superhero star has faded"? Plus the guys select their top eleven TV shows and movies so you know what to keep an eye out for in the next month.

This week we look at home cinema, media rooms and living spaces in 2024 and ask what are the best positions for the use of surround sound and Dolby Atmos speakers? Plus, do you actually need all those speakers and has home theater gone mad with the number of audio channels now available?

This week we interview Marek Maciejewski, TCL Product Development Director for Europe about the 2024 QD-Mini LED TV Line-up and the massive screens available in each range, including the monster 115-inch X955.

This week our subject is inspired by a popular forum thread, the team looks at how you might spend a notional five thousand pounds/dollars on a Hi-Fi system... and discover the choice is enormous. Plus Ed tells us about his experience at the High End Show in Munich.

On the new 4K & Blu-ray Disc Podcast, the team looks at whether the rise in lesser known and niche titles on 4K disc is indicative of overall increased numbers of releases... and is it contributing towards fewer 'name' movies becoming available on the format? Plus the guys select their rundown of the best 4K discs for May to help you spend your cash wisely.

This week the team asks whether the increase in annual film production is a boon or bane to film fans. Does the ever growing number of movies make for a better range of entertainment or simply make the good projects harder to find and, more importantly, can the industry sustain the spiralling output? Plus the guys select their top ten TV shows and movies for May so you know what to keep an eye out for.

This week we are joined by Dirac's Mathias Johansson to talk about bass response and the best ways to deal with multiple subwoofers in your cinema room and using room EQ.

This week we interview Gavin McCarron from Sony and cover the entire BRAVIA TV and AV range for 2024. There are three new initial TV lines with the BRAVIA 7, BRAVIA 8 and BRAVIA 9 and new soundbars and Home Cinema Systems.

This week we cover everything you need to know about bookshelf and stand-mount speaker designs. How to work out which will suit your room best, and how to power and position them within your listening space.

Do we really want to be spending £70 and upwards on the latest releases along with DLC, microtransactions and more - or are our game-buying habits changing as well? We ask the question are video games too expensive? Plus we talk about the state of video gaming generally in our first gaming podcast for quite a while.

For our April 4K and Blu-ray podcast we're offering up a Top 10 list of recommended discs for April and then we deep dive into our topic of the month: what makes a 10/10 4K disc release?

For our April Movies and TV podcast we're offering up a Top 10 list of recommended watches for April - and there's been some lovely, unexpected TV additions to top the list - and then we deep dive into our topic of the month: what makes a 10/10 movie or tv show?

This week we look at the one item which could transform the performance of your Audio and Visual system at home - your room! What can you do to tame the audio and maximise the video potential? Do you need to live in a black hole? How do you soundproof and fix your room's acoustics? Plus, what is Wave Forming and why should we care?

This week we interview James Thomas from LG about the 2024 TV range (focussing on the M4, G4, C4, B4 and QNED Models) and we discuss the best out-of-the-box picture mode for your TV.

This month we look at Hi-Fi turntables and explore the technology and the vinyl journey. Should you start a vinyl collection from scratch or is the cost just too prohibitive? What are the best turntables to buy and what are the differing technologies and approaches to the playback of vinyl? We are joined by Simon Powell who is the Operations Director for Henley Audio. As the UK distributor for Pro-Ject he's been heavily involved in vinyl sales at every price point for a number of years.

Our March 4K and Blu-ray podcast continues our new format of providing a Top 10 list of recommended discs for March and then a deep dive into a single topic - this month, in a parallel to last month's movie's discussion on how we consume our movies, we're looking at the value of 4K, and where we draw the line, can we stomach just watching some on Blu-ray or even Digital, do we have to have the latest box sets, and would we ever double dip in 4K?

This month Cas and the movies team bring you the Top 10 films and TV shows to watch in March and look at how to best adapt books. Do we want single film adaptations, however abridged, multi-part film adaptations, however expanded or, in the worst instances, unfinished, or TV shows which, even if they are completed, and allow for the most faithful adaptations, may not always be of a Big Screen standard?

This week we ask if home theatre/home cinema is still a popular addition to homes or are people consuming music, movies, sports and TV in different ways in their living spaces. Is Home Cinema or Home Theater as we used to know it, now dead?