GOOD TV

[Stanley]

I always have this sense of obligation to respect the effort that has to be put in a production but sometimes that isn't enough.....
New Shetland? Good!!!!

[Tizer]

Last night we watched Rory Stewart's `Border Country: The Story of Britain's Lost Middleland' and enjoyed it. Plenty of useful insights and some contrary approaches to our history. Some archaeologists may disagree with him but I like his promotion of the concept of Middleland and that what we define as southern Scotland and northern England is just one area with a gradual shift in topography and culture from one end to the other. LINK His background gives him plenty of experience of borders and tribes: LINK

[Tripps]

I'm watching the 'all new' Endeavour. It's OK, and I can just about understand the plot - but the audio is sometimes beating me - it's a bit muffled - especially from some of the characters. Is it the actors, the soundtrack, my TV, or me?

[Stanley]

I watched it as well David and experience the same problems with sound. I'm afraid a lot of it is down to delivery by the actors or sound engineers. For instance, I have absolutely no problem listening to the shipping Forecast, some of the best diction there is so as to be clearly audible in the wheelhouse of a fishing boat in a hurricane!
Will attack McMafia on iPlayer tonight.

[Nolic]

Comments may have been made previously along these lines but I have resolved sound issues on programmes by buying and using a sound bar. Modern TV speakers are much smaller than earlier ones and cannot handle the quality of digital sound. A sound bar has resolved this for us. Nolic

[PanBiker]

Comments may have been made previously along these lines

Aye, it was me but I haven't got round to doing anything about it yet.

[Tripps]

Thanks to you both, for reminding me about 'sound bars' of which I was only vaguely aware.
I'll look into it.

[Stanley]

I have been looking at the sound bar question as well. Which one did you settle on Comrade?
Watched the penultimate episode of McMafia last night. Aren't they all lovely people. I predict the final episode will be a blood bath.......

[Nolic]

I got a good deal on a Bose. I think they are about £250 but they are top of the market. You can get other makes them much cheaper if you shop around.Nolic

[Stanley]

That's been where I was leaning Comrade. Thanks for that.

[Stanley]

Youtube is becoming a very acceptable substitute for straight TV. More and more I can find interesting things on there that are better than the interminable repeats on the major channels. This is made worse by the depressing quality of the new drama offerings......

[Gloria]

We watched Girlfriends, last one last night. Simple, easy to watch and listen to, very funny, we laughed a lot. Extremely well cast.

[Tizer]

Sound bars - I had another look around on the web but it's a minefield, there are so many and I see reviews were people have bought a sound bar of the same brand as their TV assuming it will be compatible but then find it isn't. Obviously the safe way is to buy it with the TV but that's not helpful if you already have a good TV. Another thing I noticed is they seem to need two connections to power. We've already increased our sockets near the TV and haven't got any free ones left!

[Tripps]

I've taken the plunge and ordered one. I agree about the 'too much choice' problem. I tried to get Bluetooth to link to a modern radio that I have near to where I sit, but failed to get it to work. I've linked it to my phone with no problem.
The soundbar is Bluetooth so we'll see. It also has an audio wired input so I'll use that if Bluetooth doesn't connect. It is costing about £20 and should be here soon.

Soundbar

The user reports are 'varied' but we'll see. I'll report back.

[Stanley]

At £20 it's worth a punt. Let me know what it's like. The BOSE one costs £250 but they tell me it is brilliant.

[plaques]

Sounds, pardon the pun, handy for connecting the laptop up rather than listen to some squeaky little speakers. If it can be done at the press of a button?

[Tripps]

Well - it arrived this morning and I've connected it up via the supplied 3.5mm audio lead. It needs a mains socket to charge the built in battery, but I have a small distribution board which easily hides behind the TV. The build quality seems solid, and it works fine - I've set its variable volume control to about 3/4 max and use the TV volume via the remote control as usual. I think the sound is better, but the problem was only ever marginal - so it's all a bit subjective.
Bluetooth still remains largely a mystery to me - I'll sort it one day, meanwhile I have a very long audio lead somewhere which I might use later.

I wouldn't put anyone off getting one.

[Tizer]

I thought Bluetooth was a pirate with a dental problem.

[Stanley]

My main question is can it be adjusted to give a better treble response. I can hear that fine.

[Tripps]

can it be adjusted to give a better treble response

No - there is no frequency response facility - it's just a fixed amplifier. I think that is available on a modern TV though - if you can be bothered to read the manual.

[Stanley]

I've never been able to do that on mine......

[Nolic]

My Bose has no treble control.....it doesn't need it as it picks up the full frequency range. It does have a bass control function which I set at mid-high range for TV and low when I play my iPod through it via Bluetooth.

On another TV matter. Cath and I watched the last episode of Hard Sun on BBC1 last night and both came to the conclusion that they are making drama's for people of higher intelligence than us. I think I'll go back to Heartbeat and The Royal. Nolic

[Stanley]

"On another TV matter. Cath and I watched the last episode of Hard Sun on BBC1 last night and both came to the conclusion that they are making drama's for people of higher intelligence than us. I think I'll go back to Heartbeat and The Royal. Nolic."
I couldn't agree more!
Thanks for the info about the Bose sound bar....

[PanBiker]

On another TV matter. Cath and I watched the last episode of Hard Sun on BBC1 last night and both came to the conclusion that they are making drama's for people of higher intelligence than us.

We watched it after last weeks episode (because you can). The problem with the entire drama was that the ending was predefined, I didn't think it would just fizzle out with a light bulb moment though.

[Stanley]

The new series of Endeavour is almost as good as its predecessors.
Will watch the last MacMafia tonight.....