HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

On this week's show we compiled a list of fall 2026 network TV season/series premieres for ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS, organized by network and then by premiere date.  We also read your emails and take a look at the week's news.
News:
LG responds to findings about Smart TV spying
Roku Makes Big Changes to Its Free Live TV Channel Guide on Roku TVs & Roku Players
TCL sues Samsung, alleging false advertising of 'Mini LED' TVs
Yamaha introduces the compact B200A soundbar with Dolby Atmos
2026 Network TV Season/Series Premieres
On this week's show we compiled a list of fall 2026 network TV season/series premieres for ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS, organized by network and then by premiere date. Sports (NFL, college football) and most news/magazine shows are omitted unless they were listed as a season premiere in the official rollout. Dates and slots come from the networks' 2026 fall calendar.
ABC
Tuesday, September 15
Dancing with the Stars — Season 35 (Night 1 of 2), 8 p.m.
R.J. Decker — Season 2, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, September 16
Dancing with the Stars — Season 35 (Night 2 of 2), 8 p.m.
Friday, September 25
20/20 — Season 49, 9 p.m.
Sunday, September 27
America's Funniest Home Videos — Season 37 (two-episode premiere), 7 p.m.
The Wonderful World of Disney (Inside Out 2), 9 p.m.
Wednesday, September 30
Scrubs — Season 2 (two-episode premiere), 8 p.m.
Shark Tank — Season 18 (two-episode premiere), 9 p.m.
Friday, October 2
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune — Season 7, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 7
Abbott Elementary — Season 6, 8:30 p.m.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Season 5 continuation, 9 p.m.
Thursday, October 15
9-1-1 — Season 10, 8 p.m.
9-1-1: Nashville — Season 2, 9 p.m.
Grey's Anatomy — Season 23, 10 p.m.
NBC
Thursday, September 17
The Traitors: New Blood — Series premiere (two hours), 8 p.m. An all-civilian US season of the social-deduction reality series in which Alan Cumming hosts 22 everyday Americans at a Scottish castle as hidden Traitors secretly eliminate Faithfuls while the group races to unmask them and split (or steal) a prize of up to $250,000.
Monday, September 21
The Voice — Season 30 (Night 1 of 3), 8 p.m.
Line of Fire — Series premiere, 10 p.m. A family of law enforcement agents become targets of a mysterious assassin after a U.S. Marshal falls in the line of duty, forcing them to use their expertise to protect each other.
Tuesday, September 22
The Voice — Season 30 (Night 2 of 3), 8 p.m.
Wednesday, September 23
The Voice — Season 30 (Night 3 of 3), 8 p.m.
Friday, September 25
Dateline NBC — Season 35, 9 p.m.
Saturday, September 26
Saturday Night Live — Season 52, 11:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 7
Chicago Med — Season 12, 8 p.m.
Chicago Fire — Season 15, 9 p.m.
Chicago P.D. — Season 14, 10 p.m.
Thursday, October 8
Law & Order: SVU — Season 28, 9 p.m.
Law & Order — Season 26, 10 p.m.
Friday, October 23
Happy's Place — Season 3, 8 p.m.
Newlyweds — Series premiere, 8:30 p.m. A free-spirited woman and a buttoned-up professor get married impetuously after a whirlwind courtship.
Monday, November 2
St. Denis Medical — Season 3, 8 p.m.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — Season 2, 8:30 p.m.
Fox
Monday, September 21
Celebrity Name That Tune — Season 6, 8 p.m.
Celebrity Weakest Link — Season 2, 9 p.m.
Tuesday, September 22
Best Medicine — Season 2, 8 p.m.
Doc — Season 3, 9 p.m.
Wednesday, September 23
The Floor — Season 6, 8 p.m.
99 to Beat — Season 2, 9 p.m.
Thursday, September 24
Hell's Kitchen — Season 25, 8 p.m.
Special Forces: World's Toughest Test — Season 5, 9 p.m.
Sunday, September 27
The Simpsons — Season 38, 8 p.m.
Animal Control — Season 5, 8:30 p.m.
Universal Basic Guys — Season 3, 9 p.m.
Grimsburg — Season 3, 9:30 p.m.
CBS
Sunday, September 13
60 Minutes — Season 59 (special time after NFL), ~7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 23
Survivor — Season 51 (two-hour premiere), 8 p.m.
Wednesday, September 30
The Amazing Race — Season 39 (Night 1), 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 1
The Amazing Race — Season 39 (Night 2), 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 4
Marshals — Season 2, ~8:30 p.m.
Tracker — Season 4, ~9:30 p.m.
Monday, October 5
FBI — Season 9, 8 p.m.
CIA — Season 2, 9 p.m.
Harlan Coben's Final Twist — Season 2, 10 p.m.
Tuesday, October 6
NCIS — Season 24, 8 p.m.
NCIS: New York — Series premiere, 9 p.m. - Legendary NCIS Agent Sam Hanna returns to his NYC hometown field office, teaming with a roguish agent to lead a new team on high-stakes missions defending one of the world's most vital cities and ports.
NCIS: Origins — Season 3, 10 p.m.
Thursday, October 8
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage — Season 3, 8 p.m.
Eternally Yours — Series premiere, 8:30 p.m. - Follows the journey of a married vampire couple struggling to accept their daughter's human boyfriend, after being together for 500 years.
Elsbeth — Season 4, 9 p.m.
Cupertino — Series premiere, 10 p.m. - A scrappy lawyer takes on a powerful tech giant in a high-stakes legal battle, navigating the cutthroat world of Silicon Valley while fighting for justice and the little guy's rights.
Friday, October 9
Sheriff Country — Season 2, 8 p.m.
Fire Country — Season 5, 9 p.m.
Boston Blue — Season 2, 10 p.m.
Thursday, October 29
Ghosts — Halloween special (two episodes), 9 p.m.
Thursday, December 10
Ghosts — Christmas special (two episodes), 9 p.m.
A number of other series (High Potential, The Rookie, Will Trent, Shifting Gears, Ghosts Season 6 proper, Matlock, American Idol, The Bachelor, Baywatch reboot, etc.) are held for midseason 2027 and are not on this fall list. Always check local listings; NFL overruns can shift Sunday start times.

On this week's show we look into an article that alleges LG's Smart TVs are listening in on your conversations even when the screen is off. We also do a quick rundown on what Dolby's AC4 is and where you can experience it. We also read your emails and look at the week's news.
News:
Streaming Is Raising Prices Faster Than Cable Ever Did
More than half of consumers want live TV and streaming in one package 
LG Smart TVs caught listening even with the screen off
Stan from Pittsburg sent us a link to an article (LG Smart TVs caught listening even with the screen off) at FlatpanelsHD claiming LG smart TVs collect more data than many owners realize — including with the screen off.
What the investigation found
LG TVs use ACR (automatic content recognition): they snapshot what's on screen, including HDMI sources, for ad targeting. FlatpanelsHD notes this has been industry-wide for years, not unique to LG.
The TVs scan the local Wi‑Fi network, identify other devices, and send back data such as IP address, location, and nearby network names.
Voice features can transcribe speech after "Hi LG." The mic can stay active 10–15 seconds after silence. Researchers reported recording/transcription even with the display off, and that locally stored data can upload later when the set reconnects (including for a firmware update).
That last point is presented as conflicting with LG's claim that its TVs "do not collect, record, or store ambient conversations." LG had not commented when the article ran.
Flatpanel's Recommendation
Turn ACR off if you can, or take the TV off the internet and use an external streamer (Apple TV, or Roku.). Firmware can be updated via USB instead of online.
ACR is an old, industry-wide problem and it's unclear why the article focused only on LG. They still argue the mic/network findings are worth attention. They also link their earlier piece ranking Apple TV 4K as stronger on privacy because it doesn't do this kind of viewing tracking.
Update - In a statement sent to Tom's Hardware, LG said "The claims made in the recently published video are not true. LG TVs process voice data only when the voice button on the remote control is pressed and held, or when a wake word such as 'Hi LG' is recognized after the user has activated the Far-Field voice recognition feature. Other than these instances, the TVs do not collect or record ambient conversations. (If the wake word is not recognized, no voice data is transmitted to the server; the audio processing for wake word detection is performed locally on the device and is immediately deleted.)"
Dolby AC-4
One of our listeners, Scott, sent an email asking us to discuss Dolby AC-4 so that is what we are going to do today! Dolby AC-4 is Dolby's next-generation audio codec for broadcast and streaming. It was designed as a clean-sheet replacement for the older Dolby Digital family, not as a tweak of it.
Compared with Dolby Digital Plus, AC-4 aims for similar or better quality at roughly half the bitrate. It natively handles channel-based audio, object-based Dolby Atmos, dialogue enhancement, loudness control, multiple language tracks, and different renderings for speakers vs. headphones in one bitstream. There are several profiles/levels:
Level 3 — the version widely built into TVs (broadcast/OTT Atmos-style delivery).
Level 4 — fuller Atmos metadata, including headphone/head-tracking features.
IMS (Immersive Stereo) — a stereo-plus-metadata flavor used for Atmos music on phones and headphones.
Is it backwards compatible?
No. An AC-4 bitstream cannot be decoded by a Dolby Digital (AC-3) or Dolby Digital Plus decoder. Old AVRs, soundbars, and TVs that only know DD+ (AC-3) will not play AC-4.
What is compatible is the playback path in new TVs and set-top boxes. Those devices decode AC-4 internally, then output whatever the next box needs: PCM stereo, AC-3, DD+, or Atmos over HDMI. So the living-room chain can still work; the codec itself is not drop-in compatible with older Dolby formats. Services that must reach mixed old/new hardware still send DD+ or AAC as a fallback.
Devices that support it
AC-4 decoding is common in UHD TVs shipped since about 2017, especially models that already license Dolby Audio (Dolby has said it is in a large majority of new UHD TVs). Early public commitments came from Samsung, Sony, and Vizio; it is also in many Android TV / Google TV platforms and some Amazon Fire TV devices.
It is not universal:
Pre-~2017 TVs, most older soundbars/AVRs, and a lot of cheap streaming sticks do not decode it.
ATSC 3.0 ("NextGen TV") tuners are the main over-the-air path in the U.S.; tuner support is still incomplete across brands and model lines.
Most consumer AVRs still expect Atmos via DD+ JOC (Joint Object Coding) or TrueHD, not a raw AC-4 bitstream from the source.
Note - JOC  allows an Atmos-capable TV, soundbar, or AVR to use the "JOC" metadata to build the immersive mix. An older DD+-only device ignores the extra data and just plays the core 5.1
Studios and television
Broadcast is the main home. AC-4 is an official audio system for ATSC 3.0 in the U.S. and is adopted by DVB in Europe. NextGen TV stations can (and some do) use it for Atmos, dialogue enhancement, and multiple presentations. Immersive AC-4 on U.S. OTA is still uneven; many 3.0 stations have not yet gone full Atmos.
Streaming is later. Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, and most other major video services still deliver Atmos as Dolby Digital Plus + JOC. Peacock has publicly committed to AC-4 (alongside Dolby Vision 2), with rollout described as later in 2026. Atmos music already uses AC-4 IMS on several apps.
Studios still master Atmos the same way. The delivery codec is chosen per platform: cinema TrueHD, most streaming DD+ JOC, NextGen TV and a few future streamers AC-4. AC-4 is in the pipeline; it is not yet the default living-room streaming format.

On this week's show Ara gives his impression of the new gear installed into his new home. We talk Internet, Home Networking, Automation, and Home Theater in an action packed show. We also read your emails and take a look at the week's news.
News:
Apple TV Hikes Prices
SVS Releases SoundPath Multi-Band Wireless Audio Adapter
Roku ups premium hardware with launch of its first OLED TVs
Sonos Welcomes Beam Ultra and Sonos Ace Ultra to its System
Ara's New Setup First Impressions
Starlink Performance - We had no issues while we were in TN. The entire week no said anything about slow speeds and our streaming was no different than when we are in CA. I tested speeds from time to time and results varied but the slowest speed (22 Mbps) never impacted TV viewing. 
Ubiquity Network Management - this is a different world! I am still exploring all the things you can do. But the system is setup like a business. You have a network and wireless access points. I have four. One on Channel 11, two on 6, and one on 1. It was setip so the channels are far apart and don't overlap. 
MyQ & Honeywell (matter compatible) thermostats go offline from time to time. I restart the wifi access point and they come back. 
Third Reality Garage Door Opener - 2.4 GHz, Scene Management
Mantel Mount MM815 Motorized Drop Down & Swivel TV Mount - $700 The MM815 is a remote-controlled drop-and-swivel TV mount. Press one button to lower the TV to eye level and rotate it as needed. It comes with an RF remote, is silent, and has two memory presets.
Sony BRAVIA 7 II PRO True RGB 4K HDR Google TV with Gemini (Model Number K75XR70PRO)-  $2300 The Sony BRAVIA 7 II PRO is Sony's 2026 mid-range True RGB Mini-LED TV (65 inches and up) with independently driven red, green, and blue backlight LEDs, XR processing, and about 2,000 nits of peak brightness for stronger color volume and contrast than a typical white Mini-LED. It is 4K at 120 Hz, supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and has HDMI 2.1 gaming features (VRR, ALLM, 4K/120). Google TV includes Gemini for voice search and recommendations, plus AirPlay 2. The Pro bundle adds a three-year replacement warranty, a backlit rechargeable remote, extra Sony Pictures Core credits, and an enhanced Voice Zoom 3 dialogue mode; picture hardware is the same as the standard 7 II.
Sonos Arc Ultra - $1099 The Sonos Arc Ultra supports Dolby Atmos that has a 9.1.4 driver layout and Sound Motion woofer to produce wide, height-enhanced surround and stronger bass from a single bar. It connects to a TV with one HDMI eARC cable, supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, and the rest of the Sonos ecosystem (including optional Sub and rear speakers), and can be controlled with the TV remote, Sonos app, touch controls, Sonos Voice Control, or Alexa. Trueplay tunes the sound to the room, and AI speech enhancement is meant to keep dialogue clear. It is a long, low-profile bar (about 46 inches wide) sold in black or white.
Sonos Sub 4 - $899 The Sonos Sub 4 is a wireless subwoofer for Sonos S2 systems, pairing with current soundbars and speakers to add bass down to about 25 Hz. Two inward-facing 5-by-8-inch woofers and dual Class-D amps use a force-canceling layout so the cabinet stays relatively still and the bass stays clean. It has the same slot-style shape as earlier Subs, in black or white matte, and can stand upright or lie on its side. Updates over the Sub 3 include Wi-Fi 6, a faster processor, more memory, lower idle power, and a slightly lighter cabinet; setup is through the Sonos app, with optional Ethernet. Two Sub 4s can be used with the Arc Ultra.
Audio Advice - I'll be in Franklin in October for a SVS/Audio Advice Event. Details to come

Nick Brown and Smith Freeman of SVS Sound
On today's show we have an interview with Nick Brown (VP of Marketing) and Smith Freeman (Senior Director of Product Management) at SVS Sound. 
We discuss their new Auto EQ, the upcoming Soundbar and general audio chat.
SVS Launches First-Ever Soundbar and New 3000 R|Evolution Series Subwoofers at CES 2026
SVS AUTO EQ Frequently Asked Questions

On today's show we discuss Ara's new family room TV and Audio setup and what his plans are for the future. We also read your emails and look at the week's news.
News:
Marantz Introduces The CINEMA Series 2 Receivers
Dolby Vision 2 HDR Is Officially Arriving On Certain Hisense TVs
Nearly A Third Of U.S. Homes Get TV Only Via Streaming
Peacock hikes prices for fourth straight year, this time by $3
Other:
Theatrium - A home Assistant or HomeKit Dashboard for your AppleTV
Parts List for Ara's New Home
Family Room:
Mantel Mount MM815 Motorized Drop Down & Swivel TV Mount - $700 The MM815 is a remote-controlled drop-and-swivel TV mount. Press one button to lower the TV to eye level and rotate it as needed. It comes with an RF remote, is silent, and has two memory presets.
Sony BRAVIA 7 II PRO True RGB 4K HDR Google TV with Gemini (Model Number K75XR70PRO)-  $2300 The Sony BRAVIA 7 II PRO is Sony's 2026 mid-range True RGB Mini-LED TV (65 inches and up) with independently driven red, green, and blue backlight LEDs, XR processing, and about 2,000 nits of peak brightness for stronger color volume and contrast than a typical white Mini-LED. It is 4K at 120 Hz, supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and has HDMI 2.1 gaming features (VRR, ALLM, 4K/120). Google TV includes Gemini for voice search and recommendations, plus AirPlay 2. The Pro bundle adds a three-year replacement warranty, a backlit rechargeable remote, extra Sony Pictures Core credits, and an enhanced Voice Zoom 3 dialogue mode; picture hardware is the same as the standard 7 II.
From RTINGS:
Pros:
Great black levels with minimal haloing.
Bright details in HDR stand out incredibly well.
Fantastic SDR brightness helps it overcome glare during the day.
Fantastic upscaling and great low-quality content smoothing.
Colors are incredibly bright and vivid.
Cons:
Dark scenes are hard to see during the day.
Sonos Arc Ultra - $1099 The Sonos Arc Ultra supports Dolby Atmos that has a 9.1.4 driver layout and Sound Motion woofer to produce wide, height-enhanced surround and stronger bass from a single bar. It connects to a TV with one HDMI eARC cable, supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, and the rest of the Sonos ecosystem (including optional Sub and rear speakers), and can be controlled with the TV remote, Sonos app, touch controls, Sonos Voice Control, or Alexa. Trueplay tunes the sound to the room, and AI speech enhancement is meant to keep dialogue clear. It is a long, low-profile bar (about 46 inches wide) sold in black or white.
Sonos Sub 4 - $899 The Sonos Sub 4 is a wireless subwoofer for Sonos S2 systems, pairing with current soundbars and speakers to add bass down to about 25 Hz. Two inward-facing 5-by-8-inch woofers and dual Class-D amps use a force-canceling layout so the cabinet stays relatively still and the bass stays clean. It has the same slot-style shape as earlier Subs, in black or white matte, and can stand upright or lie on its side. Updates over the Sub 3 include Wi-Fi 6, a faster processor, more memory, lower idle power, and a slightly lighter cabinet; setup is through the Sonos app, with optional Ethernet. Two Sub 4s can be used with the Arc Ultra.
Master Bedroom:
Sony BRAVIA 3 II 4K HDR LED Google TV (Model Number K55XR30M2) - $798 - The Sony BRAVIA 3 II is Sony's 2026 entry-level 4K LED set, sold from 43 to 100 inches. It uses a direct-lit LED panel, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and the XR processor for color, motion, and upscaling. HDR covers Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG. All four HDMI ports are 2.1, with 4K/120, VRR, and ALLM. It runs Google TV with Gemini, AirPlay 2, and Chromecast, plus built-in speakers that pass Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to a soundbar. The picture is good in bright rooms; but as you would expect, the contrast and HDR are limited compared with higher BRAVIA models. If you are going to use this for anything more than casual viewing or you are really critical of picture quality you may want to look elsewhere. But for those on a budget or used in a secondary room, it's a solid TV.