Blog Archives

Apple Music- App of the Year

12/29/2015

Apple Music

Apple Music is my choice for (most under appreciated) app of the year. Thanks to one well known tech blogger not backing up his music files, Apple Music took a big hit right out of the gate. Somehow, this person that writes about tech doesn't have a backup of his music and somehow lost his music. I haven't seen anyone else with this issue, but he got picked up by so many tech blogs (it makes great click bait) that it soon seemed like it was a common issue. Nope, just one person with an issue that also has a big megaphone.

(As a side note: I was reading a year end article just today and his problem was brought up again. If this issue is so widespread, why is everyone just quoting this one guy rather than talking about their own personal experience? Yeah, it appears that the guy was one of the few people that had the issue and if some of the articles about his issue are true, he simply missed checking one of two boxes in the preferences on iTunes. )

Matching

While matching isn't perfect, it is better than not having any of your own music available. I have a 25,000 song library and I admit that I run into an issue with the wrong album artwork or wrong album showing up on occasion, but I don't think it is a federal crime. For one thing, I don't listen to my own music via the service that often (although it is a very nice perk that sets it apart from most of the competition). Since they now have The Beatles, there is even less reason to listen to my own collection.

Secondly, the app has a home sharing button to get to my own untouched collection when I am home (it even supports 24/96 with the right DAC). Apple has millions of songs available and I have never been so desperate to listen to that one album that they may have matched incorrectly that I haven't been able to find something else to listen to. It just hasn't happened.

In short, I look at this as an extra, very nice, feature that has very little to do with the overall experience. For one thing, my 25,000 song library is minuscule compared to their millions of songs. Of those 25,000 songs, a huge majority were matched properly.

If I was so anal that missing one album in 1500 was a huge issue, I would probably just use Plex or DS Audio to access my music when on the road. However, I like having my music combined with the streaming service so I can access nearly everything from one app.

Siri on the iPhone is Seriously Amazing

Siri on iOS has been the real game changer here. It is what sets this service apart from all of the other services and has made Apple Music my favorite and most used app this year.

As I have mentioned in aprior review, the service is absolutely amazing on the iPhone. I can be driving to work and simply say "Hey Siri, play songs from 1972" and music just starts playing. I can also tell it to play songs, albums, artists and they just play.

AppleTV 4 app

The new AppleTV was released with the Apple Music app. I have used Spotify, Rdio, and SiriusXM on my Roku, but they are practically empty shells compared to their iOS counterparts. On the other hand, the Apple Music app is simply amazing on the AppleTV. For example, the videos look a lot better on the big screen when compared to the iPhone/iPad.

Siri has also been added. While it isn't perfect, it is a lot better than other music services on other platforms.

Apple Watch

It is easily one of the best apps on the Apple Watch. It is simply an extension of the iPhone, but it is an ultra-convenient extension. You can play music from your saved library, your saved playlists, etc.. However, the real magic is that it works with Siri for the entire Apple Music database and you can also control Airplay while your iPhone is docked in a separate room.

For You

While other services think I want to hear what my friend is listening to, Apple Music is built around MY TASTE. I prefer this approach. I am old school and consider music to be a personal experience, not a way to follow the crowd.

New

The "New" section is kind of a catch all for just about anything new. I was mainly using it for new releases, but I noticed that Apple has added a new section at the bottom of the page for "Mastered for iTunes" albums.

I think mastering is more important that bit rates once you get in the 224 kbps range and Apple has some of the best masters of many albums. I look at this feature about once a week and it has varied from classical albums (some of the all time great albums at that), Christmas albums, and this week they have singer/songwriter albums (Dylan, Simon, Springsteen, etc.). This section alone is almost worth the price of the service for me.

iTunes Integration

Be aware that my thoughts on this issue go against the grain. Many think that iTunes is getting to be a swollen dumpster where Apple throws everything. I am not going to argue that they might want to think about breaking it up, but I like Apple Music mixed in with my music. I simply leave on Apple Music and uncheck iCloud Music in the preference section after I match new music. This leaves me with everything I want to hear, including my own Apple Lossless files and doesn't include the music that was matched to the cloud.

On the Apple Music app on the AppleTV, you have to listen to the "Computer app" to get your own local library and "Apple Music" for the matched music and songs available for Apple Music. I prefer the iTunes approach, so I don't have to jump from app to app to listen to music.

Connect

\I was a bit baffled by this section when the app first came out. However, I have it setup for genres now and the suggestions are great when you want to hear a suggested album/artist/playlist from "Jazz", "Rock", etc. It supplements the "For You" section, but is better for quickly getting to a genre. As an example, "Americana" had a "A Very Folk Christmas" playlist available at Christmas.

You can also get to genres by going to the "New" section, but this is just a way to flip on the app, click one button, scroll down to the genre you want to hear, and play it.

App of the year

It really is mind blowing to hear all of the complaints about the service. No, it isn't perfect, but I could nitpick just about any service or product out there. I have tried pretty much all of them and none of them are perfect...for one thing, none of them, other than Apple Music, currently work with Siri. If you are on Android, then you do get some similar features, but you have to buy into that ecosystem and I am not going that route (Note: If I was on Android, I would have made YouTube Red my app of the year).

In this case, the features, the compatibility across hardware, and the exceptional Siri control made this an easy pick for my app of the year.

0 Comments

Roku 4 is Office Worthy

12/29/2015

0 Comments

As I mentioned in a prior post, I bought an Nvidia Shield Android TV to pair with my 32 inch, 4K monitor in my home office. It is the only 4K monitor that I currently own. The way I had it hooked up, I could unplug it from my office system and plug it in to my living room system very quickly with an HDMI extender ( so I didn't have to access the back of the Shield).

Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

After a few months, I realized that I was using it in my 1080p system quite a bit more than in my 4K office setup. The main reason was the lack of 4K compatible apps.

Enter the Roku 4

Luckily, I got aRoku 4 for my birthday and it allowed me to just move the Nvidia to the living room. The Roku is just a much better fit if you have it hooked to a 4K monitor that doesn't have its own apps.

Top ten reasons I prefer the Roku in my office and the Nvidia in my living room:

1. Amazon Prime - with the limited amount of 4K content from each provider, it is nice to have numerous 4K options. Unfortunately, the Nvidia doesn't have an Amazon Prime movies app.

2. UltraFlix - Another 4K source that Nvidia doesn't natively support.

3. Vudu - Rumored to be coming to Nvidia for months, but it is still unavailable.

4. There are other apps (M -Go & Toon Goggles) that support 4K that I am unfamiliar with, but needless to say it is nice to at least have them as options.

5. Optical out - my 4K monitor does not have digital out, but luckily the Roku has digital out, so I can use that output to get 5.1 channel sound. The Nvidia has USB audio out ( other than HDMI), which was good for two channel audio, but had no way ( in my setup) to pull DD5.1.

6. IP Control - the Roku is compatible with the Simple Control app. The Nvidia isn't. This means that it is easier to control the Roku in my office from my living room system with the remote app on my iPhone. The Nvidia can be controlled with an IR blaster. I have a blaster in the living room, but I don't have one in the office.

7. The Roku has a smaller footprint. My office desk is fairly jam packed as it is, so any extra space is appreciated.

8. Included Remote control - the Shield's remote (game controller) is iffy from the couch in my living room (loses connection), but the Roku's remote is rock solid from the same distance. By moving the Nvidia into the living room, it is closer to my couch, but also close enough to get a solid connection in my office. Since the living room receiver feeds both rooms, I can still use the Nvidia in my office ( I got an extra Nvidia controller for Christmas), but it is limited to 1080p. If I had 4K capable receivers in both rooms, I could just keep both of the machines in my living room ( run one HDMI output to the living room TV and the second HDMI into the office though the shared wall), but right now I have to be able to change out the Roku's cables easily ( to change back to 4K) since my receivers are 1080p.

Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

9. Roku is more popular - since Roku is in many more homes, developers are more likely to provide new apps, including 4K apps, to Roku before Nvidia.

10. Roku ongoing support - This is a side project for Nvidia, so there is a question of how much time and effort they will put into updates and pursuing new 4K sources.

This isn't to say that the Roku 4 replaces the Shield. The Shield is better for gaming, the UI feels faster, Google Voice is better than "Roku voice", the SD card slot is useful, the ability to hack it to add features, etc. It just means that I think Roku is currently better for 4K and a better fit for space in my office.

0 Comments

Apple Watch - Initial Impressions

12/27/2015

0 Comments

I have mentioned in the past that I usually don’t buy first generation Apple products after being burned with lack of updates on the iPad Original. As a result, I had no intentions of getting an Apple Watch. However, when Best Buy dropped the price by $100, I decided to put it on my wishlist. Well, long story short, I got one for Christmas.

Now that I have had it for a couple days of home use, I thought I would go over some of my initial thoughts on the product. It is kind of strange, I have read or heard that it is very slow, but I guess that tempered my expectations because it is a faster than what I expected. No, it isn’t as fast as my iPhone 6s Plus, but I wasn’t expecting it to be.

Below are my 10 favorite features, so far:

Apple Music

The Apple Music app on the watch is simply awesome. You get the following options for playing via your iPhone:

Now Playing. Play or pause what's currently playing on your iPhone.
Quick Play. If you have an Apple Music membership, you can tap Quick Play, which chooses a list of songs for you.
Beats 1. Listen to Apple's 24/7 worldwide radio station.
My Music. Browse your music library by Artists, Albums, or Songs, and choose what to listen to.
Playlists. Listen to any of the playlists already on your iPhone.

The “My Music” sections gives you access to any albums you have matched in the “cloud” and any albums on Apple Music that you have saved. The Playlists work the same way. Of course, you still have Siri access, so you can say something like “Play to Songs from 1979” and “My Sharona” will start playing on the iPhone.

Overcast/Downcast

I am a huge podcast fan and use both of these apps to access different shows. Overcast and Downcast both give you access to most of their features, so you can skip ahead or listen to a different podcast. It is very convenient to have on your wrist.

Airplay

Airplay with Apple Music is AWESOME! When you are using the app, you get a volume icon that you can force touch. This takes you to the “Connected” screen where you can click on the Airplay symbol to pull up your Airplay options. I haven’t been able to get this to work with other apps (I am guessing that the feature isn’t currently available to third parties). However, if I want to listen to Overcast in my bathroom, I can pull up the Apple Music app to get access to the Airplay options, click on Bath, then start Overcast. It works fine, even if it requires the extra step of launching Apple Music. Below is a picture of the Airplay options (you can scroll down to access Airplay receivers that don't fit on the small screen).

DirecTV

This gives me access to DirecTV even when a remote isn’ nearby. Very convenient for pausing programs, pulling up the guide, recording, etc. Also, since I have my receiver feeding two rooms, this gives me out of site control from my watch.

Calendar/Mail/Messages/Notifications/Twitter

I am grouping these all together because they really all accomplish the same thing. They give me quick access to new communications without picking up my phone.

Watch Faces

A lot of options ranging from Time Lapse of a hand full of cities, to photos, to photo album (it randomly chooses a photo from you gallery), to Micky Mouse, etc. A lot of options and once you choose a face, you may also get access to “Complications” which can give you weather ( I am using the excellent, snarky Carrot Weather for complications), calendar information, temperature, battery available, etc.

Phone Calls

Just like Inspector Gadget and Dick Tracy, you can take or receive calls right on the watch. They also made it easy to hand off the call to the iPhone for longer conversations.

Siri

As I mentioned, this is fantastic with Apple Music, but it is also nice for launching apps, and other Siri requests.

Weather

There are a lot of weather apps that work with the Apple Watch. If you put it in the watch “complications”, it is very easy to access more information, as well. One reason I like Carrot is that it resides on the phone and gives you snarky comments that can add some humor to that rainy day. It works fast, too.

Remote/SimpleControl

The Remote app gives you easy control of the AppleTV. I prefer using the AppleTV 4 Remote for Siri, but it is still nice to be able to pause/play a program from my wrist. SimpleControl (formerly Roomie Remote - see my review here) is what I typically use to control my entertainment center. It isn’t perfect yet (the volume can be controlled by the digital crown, but in my case, it only turns volume up at a very rapid pace when using the TV’s volume control.). However, it gives you access to remote features for many components from one wrist accessible app. Since I use my entertainment center to also feed my office, the ability to control everything from a separate room is very useful.

Note: I also had a problem using the SimpleRemote watch app with my AppleTV 4, so I usually just switch to Apple's Remote app when I want to control all of the AppleTV's features from the watch.

Wunderlist

We use Wunderlist as our main shopping app for Groceries, visits to Home Depot, etc. The app is awesome because you can check off completed items as you add them to your cart or dictate items to the app you want added to a list.

To Wrap Things Up

I have read several reviews of the Apple Watch and I would have never paid $400 for one after reading those reviews. Yes, the watch has some lag with some apps, but after using the Apple Watch, it isn't the deal breaker I thought it would be. While I have only owned for a couple days, I look forward to using it more and finding new features. I will eventually write a full review after I get a month or so under my belt, but I also plan to have articles on how some of the individual apps work on the watch, so stay tuned.

Right now all I can say is that it may be a first gen product, but it also feels like the future.

0 Comments

Happy 100th Birthday, Mr. Sinatra!

12/12/2015

0 Comments

On December 12, 1915, the greatest interpreter of the American Songbook was born. His music has been a backdrop since I was a kid. Whether it was reruns of his movies, TV specials, or listening to my dad's vinyl albums, I can't remember a time that I didn't know who Frank Sinatra was.

Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

Below is an article I wrote a few years ago, but I decided to repost it here for his 100th birthday.

Happy Birthday Frank! Gone, better never forgotten. The music you created still gets played at least once a week on my stereo and hearing it still blows me away like the first time I picked up "In the Wee Small Hours" on CD.

This year, I thought I would put together a list of my favorite albums. I would recommend all of them, or if you want, you could pick up the Capital Years Boxed Set on Amazon for $39, which I believe is the bargain of the decade (although, I should mention that some reviews say the sound quality on this collection is not up to the standards of prior releases). I don't have this exact collection, but I have the original Concepts box that I am pretty sure cost me over $200.

Well, here are some of my favorites:

Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely: My all time favorite album. It is THE saloon song album. A best friend when you are feeling down and a reminder of how good you have it when you are feeling good.

Songs for Swingin' Lovers: The opposite of Only the Lonely. Pure happiness! "I've Got You Under My Skin" may be his best song.

In the Wee Small Hours: Another album of loneliness and sadness. However, it doesn't go to the depths of Only the Lonely. This was my first Sinatra album and it hooked me from the first note.

September of My Years: Sinatra's album about aging as he approaches 50. Poignant.

Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim - Sinatra is smooth, sleek, cool, and has some of his most tender moments on this album.

Sinatra at the Sands - So many great live performances, but this one is my favorite. If you can find the DVD-Audio version of this and have a player that can play it, I would highly recommend getting it. The surround mix puts you in the 10th row, front and center. The sound quality, combined with this classic performance, blows me away. If you are a vinyl nut, the vinyl version is fantastic, as well.

Nice N Easy: The name of the album leads one to believe that this will be an album of relaxed, but swinging songs. However, much of the album is actually Sinatra at his most romantic.

Sinatra & Strings: A sensual, romantic album that has one of my favorite Sinatra songs with the ballad version of "Night and Day".

A Swingin' Affair!: Another great swing album from Frank. While "Swingin' Lovers" makes you swoon, this one knocks you off your feet.

Where are you?: Sinatra during his peak Capital years with strings. Which is to say...lush, beautiful and intoxicating.

While I do believe that Sinatra had some great music from his Columbia Years and even before when he worked with Tommy Dorsey and Harry James, I have mainly listened to those songs as part of a boxed set. I would still recommend picking up something from those eras because Sinatra's voice had more of angelica sound to it in those days. When his career got a jump start in the 50s, his voice had a more grown up, mature sound to it. I remember one reviewer saying he sounded like Humphrey Bogart with a microphone. This voice gave him the authority to sing such emotional songs that may have sounded wimpy with a less worldly and masculine voice.

Also, I barely scratched the surface with the albums above. I think all of his albums in the 50s are worth owning as well as many of the early Reprise albums. His albums with jazz royalty like Count Basie and Ellington are simply fantastic.

Anyway, Happy Birthday and thanks for your gifts to the world that will never stop giving.

0 Comments

AppleTV 4th Generation - Updates!!! Woo Hooo!

12/12/2015

0 Comments

Apple Updates the new AppleTV

Two of my major issues with the new AppleTV have already been resolved:

1. Remote app on iOS - One of my biggest complaints about the AppleTV 2105, is that it no longer worked with the Remote app. This meant that anytime you had to type in a password, you had to bang through it on the "Siri Remote" that is included with the AppleTV. I tried out the Remote app on my iPhone and I could even copy and paste into the Remote app which is great for those using Password managers to create complicated passwords. However, the big benefit is having the iOS keyboard available for typing. (Note: It still doesn't support Bluetooth keyboards, but to be honest, I would personally never use one with it. It would be nice for those outside the Apple mobile ecosystem, though.)

2. Siri integration into Apple Music - Siri is the main reason I use Apple Music. It is amazingly convenient for listening to music at work and listening to music in the car. The downside was that when the AppleTV was released, you had to type in search terms with the remote (partially resolved with the Remote app support I mentioned above). Now you can just say "Play the Thriller album by Michael Jackson" or "play Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra" (Happy Birthday, Frank!!) and it will start playing. Also works with commands like "play top hits from 2011" or "play Stone Temple Pilots", which will play their biggest hits. It is AWESOME!

I should mention that it is a bit more picky about how you say the search terms, and in some cases, it gets confused between music and movies. For example, I said "Play Charlie Parker" and it brought up a Benny Goodman movie. However, when I said "Play Music by Charlie Parker" it plays music.

There was also a reported update so that it will work with the Apple Watch, but I don't have a watch, so I can't comment on that one.

For me, these were HUGE updates. I have also heard rumors that Amazon Prime is coming and the AppleTV will eventually be able to be controlled with Siri on iOS. It is great to see the AppleTV move out of "hobby" status with Apple and get game changing updates.

See my prior post with initial thoughts on the AppleTV 2015 version here.

0 Comments

Life at my desk - Ergotron MX Review

12/5/2015

0 Comments

When adding items to my workspace, I wanted a functional, ergonomic space that accomplishes several goals. While the desk may look cluttered, everything on it has a specific use.

This article will be the first in a series that explains why I have specific items in my desk area that affect my life at the desk and, in some cases, my life even when I am away from the desk.

To start the series, I want to begin with the Ergotron MX Desk Mount LCD Arm.

Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

The Advantages

A while back, I had a 19 inch display as my main and only computer monitor. I decided that I wanted a larger display, but I wanted to keep the smaller display around as a second monitor. I have always favored having stereo bookshelf speakers on my desk and I wanted them to sit at a height that would provide decent sound quality. This meant that I couldn't push the monitors together on my desk because it would require me to put the speakers in a less optimal position. Also, my desk is large, but when you start filling it up with monitors, space gets limited quickly.

As a result, I decided to mount one of the monitors on an arm that could be moved next to my main monitor, but also have the benefit of being easily moved out of the way.

Enter the Ergotron LX Monitor Arm

The first monitor arm in my setup was the Ergotron LX. It could hold a monitor up to 20 pounds, so it was perfect for the light weight 19 inch Dell monitor that I was using at the time. Ergotron has several mounting options, but my desk has a little overhang in the back that made it easy to attach to the back corner of the desk (it pretty much just requires you to tighten one screw). Since I now had the monitor on an arm, I could move it up and down, side to side, and put it pretty much anywhere I wanted. The convenience was fabulous. Also, I have a closet door right next to the desk, so being able to move it out of the way when opening the door was an important consideration.

Bigger Monitor, Similar Solution

In 2011, I decided to buy an iMac. This gave me a 27 inch monitor to replace the 25.5 inch monitor I had as my main monitor at the time. I needed a mount that could handle the bigger size, so I decided to get the Ergotron MX. While the LX may have been able to handle the size, I felt better knowing that the arm would not be pushing the limits.

Even Bigger Monitor

The specs of the MX say that it can handle up to 30 inch monitors that weigh up to 30 pounds. My newest monitor is a bit outside those specs, at 32 inches, so I was going to put the iMac on the mount instead. That proved to be a MAJOR pain, thanks to the way Apple attaches the iMac to the stand (they put several torx screws in so tight that it broke the tool I was using to remove them, while at the same time, stripping the screws in the stand) , so I gave the MX a shot with the 32 inch monitor since it weighs less than 24 pounds. It worked perfectly. In fact, I preferred it there instead of on the desk because the size made it difficult to find a place for my bookshelf speakers on the desk. Also. it is so nice to be able to push the monitor up and down, pull it closer, and push it back. If I need desktop space, I can actually move it completely off the desk, which I couldn't do if I just put it against the back wall. If I want to see it pushed up next to the iMac, like using it with Lightroom, that is easy, too.

(Below is a pic of my desk, as you can see the back has a lip that allows easy setup for this mount.)

Final thoughts
I would never have space for great bookshelf speakers, a 32 inch display, and a 27 inch iMac on my desk without the arm. This makes the arm one of the most important features in my entire office. I still have my old LX Ergotron Mount being used with the 19 inch Dell combined with an Appletv in the workout/gym area in my garage. I can swing it around to see it no matter which station I am using. In other words, I highly recommend these arms for two monitor setups, for people that have one monitor but want to move it around, etc.. Highly Recommended!

(Note: In the photo below, the wide angle perspective of my lens makes the monitor look as big as the desk. It is not. The monitor is 33.9 inches wide (including speakers) and the desk is actually 60 inches wide. However, I wanted a pic from the front to show how it can be placed so it has little effect on the audio coming from the bookshelf speakers.)

0 Comments

Epson Home Cinema 2040 Review

12/3/2015

1 Comment

Why A Projector?

Like many homes, we don't have room for a dedicated theater. As a result, we have a plasma television that looks great under any lighting condition in our living room. However, even at 65 inches, it seems small when we watch movies. The Epson Home Cinema 2040, 1080p, 3D LCD Projector on the other hand is perfect for pulling out on "Movie Night", "Football Night", "Gaming Night", etc.

Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

Movie Night

The first thing I want from a projector in the living room is easy setup. The Epson is a bit picky about where you put it, but it is perfect for putting on a coffee table, that is square to the screen, where you can pop out its front feet to add height to the picture. We have a round ottoman that has a top that flips over to a table top and that worked great. Unfortunately, my dogs (they run the joint) didn't like it there so I bought a small tripod/projector stand that we could set it on instead. The ottoman/table has storage space, so we have the projector, glasses, remotes, and cables in there when the Epson isn't being used. (you can see the ottoman in the pic below):

The Hook Ups

To get the projector hooked up to my receiver, I bought a male to female HDMI cable so that I could easily disconnect the receiver from the TV without crawling back behind the furniture and I can plug in a long HDMI cable and run that across the room to the projector. Right now, we haven't decided whether we want to mount a permanent screen, so I purchased a 100 inch tripod screen (currently, the $60 Arksen screen that I bought is no longer available, but it is similar to this one) that I can pop up in less than five minutes. Everything stores out of the way when not being used, so our living room doesn't always look like a theater. While I am mainly using one HDMI port, the projector has another HDMI input, a VGA input, standard RCA analog inputs, a "service port", and a USB input that can be used for photo slideshows, and an analog audio output. It has split screen capabilities so that you can show a video signal from two ports simultaneously.

Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

The Setup

Once I had the picture adjusted to fit on the screen ( there are "auto" keystone and manual keystone adjustments if your projector isn't perfectly square to the screen), I had some slight adjustments to make and the manual keystone options worked great.

I tried out the different picture modes. The "bright"/"dynamic" modes turn the lamp brightness up so that you can watch programming in rooms that are not dark. It should be noted that the Epson is bright with "2200 lumens of color brightness and 2200 lumens of white brightness". One of the main competitors is a DLP (which, unfortunately, many see rainbows) that has color brightness of 1390 which can adversely affect color quality in some rooms.

With all of the lights in our living room on, I could still watch TV, but it looks better and less yellow ( which may be a side effect of our warm room lighting) as you turn the lights down. Also, in these " bright" modes, you will get some noticible fan noise that some might find distracting. The noise is worse from the front of the projector, so it is another reason that it works nicely on a coffee table in front of your seating position.

As you move to the "Eco" modes, the fan noise gets much, much quieter. I could barely hear it even when the audio was silent. These modes are better for suited for dark rooms because they cut the light output to 1500 lumens of white brightness.. However, in all modes the picture looks pretty good out of the box with minimal room light.

One thing that should be mentioned is there is a trade off with contrast levels and deep blacks with this projector compared to projectors that are meant to be used exclusively in dark rooms. Personally, I am not a videophile, so I was happy enough with the contrast levels after calibrating with Joe Kane's Digital Video Essentials Blu-Ray Disc. The Epson claims contrast levels of 35,000:1. While it is difficult to know exactly what this number means, keep in mind that Epson has a projector that costs around 3 times more that has a contrast ratio of 600,000:1. So, it is obvious that it isn't close to more expensive projectors.

This shortfall will keep some people away, especially those that can control ambient lighting, but I didn't consider it a major concern since we are using it in our living room and we will have a lot of circumstances where the room won't be dark enough to notice the lack of deep blacks. Also, with 4k projectors on the rise, I am not sure I would want to invest a lot of money for that extra detail in 1080p projectors right now.

Note: When I ran the calibration disc, I was unable to adjust for the blacker than black setting. However, I was able to see and calibrate the projector for the setting that was slightly brighter than true black. While this means that some detail will be missing from black scenes, I really didn't mind. I watched The Matrix on Blu-ray and there was still some detail in jackets and outfits that appeared black. Also, I adjusted for color, but when I dialed in the blue channel, greens were slightly off, but I did not notice it when watching movies.

3-D Goodness

The 3D features are great, as well. There is a "2D to 3D" setting and settings for watching native 3D programming. The projector has choices for how strong or weak the 3D effect is. The Epson didn't have glasses included, so we bought four pair of inexpensive (~$16.99) Samsung glasses. They work fine, but they do burn through batteries. The Epson glasses cost (~$77) quite a bit more, but they are rechargeable, so it might be worth the extra expense up front if you watch a lot of 3D. In any event, we thought the native 3D looked FANTASTIC. The 2D to 3D feature, on the other hand, was less convincing, but it is nice to have it as an option.

Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

We have watched two movies in 3D (Lion King on Blu-Ray and Inside Out which was pay-per-view from DirecTV). In both cases, we felt that the ability to watch them in 3D significantly improved the enjoyment and experience of these movies. While I have never been a big advocate for 3D, I have changed my mind. I wouldn't consider a projector for my main living space in the future if it did not have 3D capabilities. For movies like Inside Out, it would be like having chocolate cake without ice cream. That doesn't mean that I want Casablanca remade it 3D, it just means that some movies, especially animation, can be better and more fun in 3D.

Gaming

The one huge benefit of this projector is that it has a super fast response time, so it works great for gaming. I tested it with Asphalt 8 on the Apple TV 4 and I did not notice any lag at all. It should be mentioned that I turned off the specialized settings that affect the response times. I tried to find Epson's claims related to input lag, but I was unable to find their specs. Projector Central claims that the Epson has 25 milliseconds of input lag which would make it one of the best projectors for gaming on the market at any price.

Specialized Settings

The specialized settings are numerous for such an inexpensive projector. Below are three of the features and Epson's explanation of those features:

Detail enhancement - Enhances details to create clear outlines.

Frame interpolation (4 settings: Off, Weak, Normal, Strong) - smooths fast moving video by comparing consecutive frames and inserting an intermediate frame between them.

Auto Iris - (3 settings: Off, Normal, High Speed) - Adjusts the projected luminance based on the image brightness when certain Color Modes are selected.

It should be noted that turning on the Auto Iris is best for dark rooms. However, be aware that you will hear the iris adjust as dark scenes turn to light scenes and when you go from light to dark. I typically just leave it off, but it can help with movies with dark lighting (Panic Room is one such example). I did my calibrations with it off, since I don't plan to use it for most programming.

Portability

While we plan to mainly use the Epson in our living room, it is great for portability, as well. It only weighs 6.4 pounds, so it is easy to move from place to place. It also has "instant off" technology, so you can pack it up quickly after you finish up, if necessary.

One of the HDMI inputs works with MHL, so you can hook up a compatible device and it will provide the power. Of course, we are currently using the tripod screen, so we can pretty much show a movie anywhere around the house or in the backyard. We will just run a power cable out to our viewing location with a powerstrip, so we can hook up an AppleTV. The Epson has a 5 watt speaker, that doesn't compare to my main system, but is perfect for watching outside. Also, since we have an Airport Express hooked up to an audio system in our sunroom, we can Airplay from the AppleTV to the Airport Express if we want a louder soundtrack.

The Wrap Up

If you are in the market for a great all around 1080p/3D projector that doesn't break the bank, then the Epson is a very compelling option. For one thing, the replacement lamps only cost $79! At that price, you can afford to use this projector as your main source, if you want. For me, this projector has been an eye opening experience. I thought I would use it just for "movie night", but that has already expanded to "football night/afternoon", "basketball night", "gaming afternoon", "Walking Dead night", etc.

While I value the aesthetics of our living room right now, I am actually thinking about putting up a pull down screen tab-tensioned screen above the TV to make it easier to transition into "projector mode". Then all would need to do is set up the projector which takes just a couple minutes. In other words, I love the Epson HC 2040 and recommend it highly for the average (non-videophile) person that wants a more movie theater-like experience than their smaller TV can provide at a decent price.

Note: The pic below is from my living room with the tripod screen and the projector on a tripod stand...I love tripods!

1 Comment

Apple Music- App of the Year

Apple Music

Matching

Siri on the iPhone is Seriously Amazing

AppleTV 4 app

For You

New

iTunes Integration

Connect

App of the year

Roku 4 is Office Worthy

Apple Watch - Initial Impressions

Apple Music

Overcast/Downcast

Airplay ​

DirecTV

Calendar/Mail/Messages/Notifications/Twitter

Watch Faces

Phone Calls

Siri ​

Weather ​

Remote/SimpleControl

Wunderlist

To Wrap Things Up

Happy 100th Birthday, Mr. Sinatra!

AppleTV 4th Generation - Updates!!! Woo Hooo!

Apple Updates the new AppleTV

Life at my desk - Ergotron MX Review

Epson Home Cinema 2040 Review

Why A Projector?

Movie Night

The Hook Ups

The Setup

3-D Goodness

Gaming

Specialized Settings

Portability

The Wrap Up

About me:

Archives

Categories

Airplay

Siri

Weather