Here's the one I got - it's at Costco for $199.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-HW-K450-Chan...ng+soundbar+450

 

It throws/simulates realistic surround and sounds great. Big fan. Makes Battlefield 1 sound nuts and works as a great stereo with minimal footprint (I got rid of the monster receiver/speaker set when we moved to our new house).

 

Very, very happy.

 

i walk past the costco soundbar display like a kid walking past his favorite toy at a toy store around christmas time.

I haven't had a home sound system for years so this maybe a dumb question, but do these sound bars hook up to TV? No more amplifiers?

 

Yeah, they typically have a few HDMI inputs and an output. I use mine (I think it's a Sony?) as the switcher for my TV, so my cable box, Roku and laptop all route into the sound bar and then the sound bar connects to the TV's input.

 

The subwoofer is wireless, too, though it obviously needs a power source.

I haven't had a home sound system for years so this maybe a dumb question, but do these sound bars hook up to TV? No more amplifiers?

The amp is in the soundbar. Typical hook up would be digital audio out to sound bar, within the settings for the TV it will give you the option to put all sound to that output and then every single source uses your soundbar as the TV speakers. You can even mount it to the bottom of the tv mount if you have an articulating one.

 

They arent going to beat a good surround system but they are much better than TV speakers. I have one in my family room attached to my mount. i think its the exact same one Steve has.

Edited January 9, 20179 yr by RockRaines

I haven't had a home sound system for years so this maybe a dumb question, but do these sound bars hook up to TV? No more amplifiers?

Depends on the model. The Sonos PlayBar is one of the better (albeit really expensive ones) and it connects directly to your TV via optical cable. No receivers, amplifiers, or anything like that. I would have gone a different direction, but I can't wire my house for sound, so I went fully wireless.

Edited January 9, 20179 yr by Deadpool

US Cellular had a special offer just before Christmas where if you bought 2 Samsung phones you would get a 58" smart TV for free. My wife and I were thinking about getting new phones anyway so we went ahead and got the deal.

 

The TV was delivered today. Our old one is a 40" and it's on a stand behind the box. The box is sitting on the floor.

 

I haven't had a home sound system for years so this maybe a dumb question, but do these sound bars hook up to TV? No more amplifiers?

I'm using two inputs at the moment. The optical out from my tv to the soundbar so it automatically controls the power when the television is turned on and off. This runs the Comcast feed.

 

The I run HDMI from the PS4 through the soundbar and out to tv through the soundbar.

 

The sound is absolutely exceptional. No visible wires because I'm awesome. The subwoofer being Bluetooth is nice as well.

 

The soundbar also functions as a Bluetooth speaker from a tablet or phone and just blasts the tunes the 3 minutes a week or less in home and my wife and daughter aren't haha.

I'm using two inputs at the moment. The optical out from my tv to the soundbar so it automatically controls the power when the television is turned on and off. This runs the Comcast feed.

 

The I run HDMI from the PS4 through the soundbar and out to tv through the soundbar.

 

The sound is absolutely exceptional. No visible wires because I'm awesome. The subwoofer being Bluetooth is nice as well.

 

The soundbar also functions as a Bluetooth speaker from a tablet or phone and just blasts the tunes the 3 minutes a week or less in home and my wife and daughter aren't haha.

And having just typed this I realize I could have simply left my PS4 plugged into hdmi 2 and it would share the functionality. LOL!

 

Guess I'm getting the old wire out to move some cables through the wall tonight!!

And having just typed this I realize I could have simply left my PS4 plugged into hdmi 2 and it would share the functionality. LOL!

 

Guess I'm getting the old wire out to move some cables through the wall tonight!!

Thats correct. You can just leave everything and make all sound go from TV to Soundbar through that digital feed.

Thats correct. You can just leave everything and make all sound go from TV to Soundbar through that digital feed.

Hilarious that I just hooked her up as source to "receiver input" 1-to-1 because that's how I've been doing it since I was 12.

Hilarious that I just hooked her up as source to "receiver input" 1-to-1 because that's how I've been doing it since I was 12.

I was planning to do the same thing. Instead, all the HDMIs are plugged into the back of my TV with the cables all hidden in the wall. It looks okay, but behind the tv looks like death with 4 hdmi's. I guess in general I prefer no receiver, though.

Edited January 10, 20179 yr by Deadpool

Salivating over the announced Garmin Fenix 5.

Do you have the 3?

Do you have the 3?

No, I waited out to see what the next gen would bring. I'll likely get this one. How about you?

No, I waited out to see what the next gen would bring. I'll likely get this one. How about you?

I just happened to stumble on the Fenix 3 as a result of this crazy bike thing I am doing. Lot of good reviews about the heart rate data available on the 3.

 

Starting to research heart rate training so I was interested in maybe replacing my Apple watch with one of these suckers.

 

I'm sure the 5 will be even better.

I'm using two inputs at the moment. The optical out from my tv to the soundbar so it automatically controls the power when the television is turned on and off. This runs the Comcast feed.

 

The I run HDMI from the PS4 through the soundbar and out to tv through the soundbar.

 

The sound is absolutely exceptional. No visible wires because I'm awesome. The subwoofer being Bluetooth is nice as well.

 

The soundbar also functions as a Bluetooth speaker from a tablet or phone and just blasts the tunes the 3 minutes a week or less in home and my wife and daughter aren't haha.

I was going to say...good for you...I'm too owned by my wife to get a sounbdar. If I had one, by the time I turn the TV on (which is late when the kids are asleep), I'd get the ssh...kids are sleeping, put it on low. I've become the old man who uses closed captions cause my wife is afraid a volume past like 6 on the TV will wake everyone up, haha. Once we get the house with a man cave, I'll be in business.

 

That said, I'm sure your daughter will love it when you bluetooth some disney tunes through it.

I just happened to stumble on the Fenix 3 as a result of this crazy bike thing I am doing. Lot of good reviews about the heart rate data available on the 3.

 

Starting to research heart rate training so I was interested in maybe replacing my Apple watch with one of these suckers.

 

I'm sure the 5 will be even better.

 

 

Here's a detailed breakdown of the 3 vs. the 5.

I was going to say...good for you...I'm too owned by my wife to get a sounbdar. If I had one, by the time I turn the TV on (which is late when the kids are asleep), I'd get the ssh...kids are sleeping, put it on low. I've become the old man who uses closed captions cause my wife is afraid a volume past like 6 on the TV will wake everyone up, haha. Once we get the house with a man cave, I'll be in business.

 

That said, I'm sure your daughter will love it when you bluetooth some disney tunes through it.

Get some wireless headphones that pumps the tv sound through em. Never have to read TV again.

I was going to say...good for you...I'm too owned by my wife to get a sounbdar. If I had one, by the time I turn the TV on (which is late when the kids are asleep), I'd get the ssh...kids are sleeping, put it on low. I've become the old man who uses closed captions cause my wife is afraid a volume past like 6 on the TV will wake everyone up, haha. Once we get the house with a man cave, I'll be in business.

 

That said, I'm sure your daughter will love it when you bluetooth some disney tunes through it.

We're in a similar boat, but thankfully we moved last year so there's plenty of space between where I hang out for a couple hours at the end of the night and where my daughter sleeps.

 

I had the new show, Taboo, pumping through it last night. Fantastic sound.

Is kickstarter basically a vaporware scheme? Has there even been a product on there that was released with a few months of the original ship date? I've only backed 3 or 4 things on there but it seemingly turns into a mutiny from the backers every time.

Is kickstarter basically a vaporware scheme? Has there even been a product on there that was released with a few months of the original ship date? I've only backed 3 or 4 things on there but it seemingly turns into a mutiny from the backers every time.

 

Most of the time it's vaporware in my experience. I've seen instances where it's not, but that seems to be the exception.

Dammit, I knew this wi-fi enabled toilet brush was too good to be true!

The only kickstarter I've taken part in was for a video game that had reputable developers and got picked up by a major publisher, was delivered on-time and to positive reception.

 

Mostly it seems to be vaporware, though.

The only successful kickstarter worthwhile was Pebble. Of course, that's gone now.

http://yourkickstartersucks.tumblr.com/

Is kickstarter basically a vaporware scheme? Has there even been a product on there that was released with a few months of the original ship date? I've only backed 3 or 4 things on there but it seemingly turns into a mutiny from the backers every time.

 

I've ordered a couple card games from Kickstarter with good results.

 

I probably wouldn't back any project by people who didn't have a solid track record though.

I've ordered a couple card games from Kickstarter with good results.

 

I probably wouldn't back any project by people who didn't have a solid track record though.

 

This is the last one I've backed. Seemed legitimate since the US Olympic Team were sponsors and it had so many accolades. Maybe I'm just overreacting since it's only a few months late (was supposed to ship in October).

 

edit: and just realized they provided an update earlier today. perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Edited January 12, 20179 yr by BigSqwert