cyfrTildes's recent activity
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
cyfrTildes Link ParentI got a Sony Bravia 8. My previous television was a 75" Sony X950H - at the time I bought it in 2021, it was their flagship FALD-LED set, and 70+" OLEDs were still in the 4-5K range. I considered...I got a Sony Bravia 8.
My previous television was a 75" Sony X950H - at the time I bought it in 2021, it was their flagship FALD-LED set, and 70+" OLEDs were still in the 4-5K range.
I considered a few other Sony options, but anything better than the Bravia 8 was around double the cost, with most of the upsides not being particularly relevant for my situation (90% of use being night-time viewing). I also briefly considered an LG G4, but I have hated their webOS UI every time I have used it, and Sony's motion processing is also undisputedly better.
the audio and visual quality beats the pants off streaming for sure. I also no longer want to be dependent on streaming services.
Yeah, the quality argument was the biggest driver for me. In some of the research I did during the upgrade process, I found out that streaming vs. disc releases of the same movie often have entirely different audio mixing (in that streaming releases are usually mixed / mastered for soundbars or TV speakers) with a lot of the LFE channel cut out.
The biggest example I noticed personally was A/Bing Top Gun Maverick purchased through iTunes vs. the 4K UHD Blu-Ray copy; the depth / impressiveness of the LFE and Atmos directionality was much more apparent on the disc copy - my favorite test scene is around 1:41:50, where you have the enemy gunship flying up to Maverick's position and then circling him; it's a truly incredible scene on both streaming and disc, but you really feel the overwhelming firepower of the ship on the disc because of how much more utilized the height channels & LFE are.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
cyfrTildes Link ParentOnce I finish reading all of the sub-series in their own sequences, at some point I'm definitely going to do a full re-read in publication order! They are truly incredible books.Once I finish reading all of the sub-series in their own sequences, at some point I'm definitely going to do a full re-read in publication order! They are truly incredible books.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
cyfrTildes (edited )LinkAs the seasons are changing from winter to spring, the sun is coming out more and more – and that means country music is back on the menu! The other day, I was talking to someone at the gym about...As the seasons are changing from winter to spring, the sun is coming out more and more – and that means country music is back on the menu!
The other day, I was talking to someone at the gym about how all my favorite country artists / songs are mostly from the 90s, or older - think Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Shenandoah, etc. He recommended a new artist to me, Zach Top, whose style is very reminiscent of that classic 90s radio country sound.
The main song I have really been enjoying is "I Never Lie" - I swear, if this song came out in 1995 it would have gone triple platinum. It's like a blend of Shenandoah style vocals with George Strait style instrumentation with a dash of interesting vocal inflections that remind me of Garth Brooks. However, while the sonic stylings feel "classic", the lyrics are an inversion of the traditional heartbreak song - instead of someone lamenting what they've lost, it's a celebration of moving on.
Aside from that, I've been continuing my journey from pop-punk down to its roots – I found Blink-182 years ago, and they've been my favorite band ever since. Through reading various old articles and interviews about their influences, I have discovered bands like Descendents and ALL, but I really fell in love with Screeching Weasel. I saw Descendents live last year, and they put on an incredible show, but Screeching Weasel has had a controversial past, to say the least, so I kind of gave up hope that I would ever get to see them play.
However, in December it was announced that they would be playing at Punk in the Park 2025 in a few different cities, alongside The Queers, another band borne out of the same time period. I immediately bought tickets, and in preparation for the concert, I've really launched myself even further into listening and exploring the catalogues of all the bands playing.
For anyone else interested in the scene where these bands came up (alongside bands like Green Day and Rancid), I'd strongly recommend the book How to Ru(i)n a Record Label by Larry Livermore. It's the story of Lookout Records, which was basically the label to be on if you were a punk band in the 90s. Super interesting read!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
cyfrTildes LinkI'm working through the "Death" sub-series within the Discworld anthology. Years ago, I read the first two Rincewind novels (Color of Magic & Light Fantastic) as my first foray into the Discworld...I'm working through the "Death" sub-series within the Discworld anthology.
Years ago, I read the first two Rincewind novels (Color of Magic & Light Fantastic) as my first foray into the Discworld universe. I enjoyed them, but lost my thread amongst other things in life so I didn't continue. Recently, I have been making more of an effort to get back into reading fiction and I decided to pick up Discworld again; however, I decided to consult a "reading order guide", and settled upon the Guards sub-series. I absolutely devoured those books, and quickly moved onto the "Witches" sub-series, which I flew through as well.
Now, I am onto the "Death" sub-series, and I'm really enjoying how thematically different these books feel from the other Discworld novels while still maintaining that signature Pratchett wit and charm.
After I finish, though, I think I am due for a break in reading fantasy, and I'm thinking I'm going to try out a few Westerns. I love Westerns as a movie genre, but I haven't really read any! I've been recommended to try "Lonesome Dove", so I'll probably start with that.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
cyfrTildes LinkOver the past few months, I have spent some time upgrading my audio system (new LCR speakers + sub) and I also got a new television (went from a 75" FALD LED to a 77" OLED). Along with these...Over the past few months, I have spent some time upgrading my audio system (new LCR speakers + sub) and I also got a new television (went from a 75" FALD LED to a 77" OLED). Along with these upgrades, I decided to bite the bullet and start building a physical media collection, so I have been purchasing Blu-Rays of all of my favorite movies, and when available, purchasing the 4K UHD versions. This has provided a great opportunity to rewatch some of my favorites and reflect on what I appreciate so much about them.
Zodiac
There's an in incredible sense of atmosphere in this film, where the reality of the attacks and the response on the ground is contrasted with the almost larger-than-life mythology of the Zodiac killer. You get chilling levels of reality in many of the scenes depicting the murder; there is no carefully curated music selection designed to set the mood for the viewer. Yet you follow along with Graysmith as he spirals further and further into an all-consuming drive to uncover the truth, and you find yourself becoming just as deluded as he was, grasping at every straw, every anonymous tip, every spurious claim as the final clue in the massive puzzle.Ford vs. Ferrari
The actual plot in this movie isn't all that special to me, because I was well aware of the story before I watched the movie. However, it was executed incredibly well, on all fronts. Bale and Damon deliver great performances as Miles & Shelby; the supporting cast at FoMoCo is suitably devilish when called for, and the milieu of shop-hands at Shelby are underdogs in exactly the right way that you can't help but to root for them. Although, all said and done, by far my favorite part of this movie is the incredible sound mixing! With a nicely set-up sound system, you really feel the roar of the exhaust as the cars fly past you, the continuous drone of V8 engines screaming at the test track, and the claustrophobic, all-encompassing whine of the gearbox in the cockpit scenes.Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
This is an infinitely re-watchable flick. It's a tour-de-force of acting performances, who all truly disappear into their roles. Gary Oldman is almost unrecognizable – he really embodies George Smiley; folks who have read the Le Carre books will most likely agree that he did about as good of a job with the role as anyone could have. It's a quiet, contemplative story that is deceptively gripping and really drenches you in the atmosphere of Cold War spy tension and quiet worried whispers of double agents and moles among the highest echelons in British intelligence.Band of Brothers (not technically a movie, but really good nevertheless)
In my opinion, this is the greatest television show ever made. You get a glimpse of the journey these soldiers made from training all the way through to the end of the war, and the ups and downs (mostly downs) that they encountered along the way. There are lots of sobering moments, reminding you just how fleeting life is, and just how brutal war is (although this show isn't quite as visceral as Saving Private Ryan or Come and See). You really get time to learn about and bond with the characters, and see their relationships with each other grow as soldiers, and as friends, which makes it all the more painful when they get ripped away. Aside from a little bit of "clean Wermacht" revisionism and some inaccuracies carried over from Ambrose's book underpinning the show, it's truly as flawless a show as I've ever seen.As I keep re-watching through the collection I'll keep writing reviews!
Sony lets you set up in “basic mode” where it warns you that all it can do is “display images from inputs”, which is exactly what I want; and the CEC implementation with my Denon works like a charm, so it automatically switches to the Apple TV or Blu-Ray player whenever I turn either one on.
Hopefully LG has a similar mode, but from what I have seen, even the parts you still want to use (e.g. picture settings, brightness, etc.) seem to be significantly more annoying to interact with.
At the end of the day though, unless you really care about motion processing (I grew up around folks who worked as TV DSP chip designers, so I was trained to notice from an early age), it’s probably not that big of a deal.