Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Our boarding time is 10am and we plan to board as soon as we can. If we were cruising out of anywhere but Galveston you would know it's us when you heard someone saying y'all.  If we can't meet at boarding we can post here or on the Live.   After boarding we will be making dinner reservations and do the muster. And then I will soon need to get my traditional ice-cream cone by the pool! 😂  

Do you want to stop by the Schooner Bar sometime between boarding and ice cream?  I can often be found there reading my Kindle....
 

[Sea Dog]

Interesting doctors appointment this morning.

 

My Brother who is a Sport/Orthopedic Doctor in Helena Montana and is not a fan of knee replacements suggested I see a friend of his locally for my left knee which has been killing me the last two months. He like my brother do alternative methods such as stem cell injections and plasma injections. The problem is they are not covered by insurance which make me mad as the have proven positive results. The Stem Cell injection would cost me about $5,000 the plasma about $1,200. In the meantime he gave me a simvisc or Hyaloronic acid injection which should give me relief for 6 months to a year.

 

What’s so interesting and I knew this about my brother is that the doctor used ultrasound to guide the needle in the right location. He said  my brother Dr. Phillip Steele pioneered this. The doc said that my brother is internationally known and respected. 
 

My brother has said that if I wanted to go the route of the stem cell he would do it for free and just charge me materials. Obviously it would cost me a plane ticket but I have to seriously consider doing this.

 

Hopefully I’ll get some relief with this injection and will be in good shape by the Bella Cruise this March.

 

Here is a selfie Dr Khadavi sent to my brother with me and his residents that are studying under him.

 

 

 

[Ozark_Kid]

43 minutes ago, brillohead said:

Do you want to stop by the Schooner Bar sometime between boarding and ice cream?  I can often be found there reading my Kindle....
 

I guess that means no balloon drop.  😂 I will try to remember.  Sounds good. 

[molly361]

4 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

I guess that means no balloon drop.  😂 I will try to remember.  Sounds good. 

I'll carry some balloons around with me next time we cruise together so you can find me 🤣

 

[bobmacliberty]

5 hours ago, Jimbo said:

That's pretty Impressive,  makes me wonder if I should take my 85 Inch Samsung QN90A ($2299) back and get a Sony X95J ($2,999 if I can find one at Best Buy) or  Sony X95K ($3,999) just so I can get the Dolby Atmos. I bought the Total Tech at Best Buy so I have 60 days for a return to decide.  The Sony's are just so much higher in price, just not sure I want to pay that much, Might be better to just maybe add a sound bar to my Samsung QN90A. I might go $700 more if I can find a 2021 X95J at Best Buy, not going to pay another $1000 for an  2022 X95K.

 

I don't think you need to return your Samsung TV.  It has an HDMI eARC port which is what you need to feed a Dolby Atmos signal to a soundbar...i.e. your TV supports Dolby Atmos.  You would however need something more than the small wireless speakers that you linked.  Those are for desktop use with a phone.  

 

We have 3 different TVs with soundbars.  It improves the sound from the TV significantly.  They all hang directly below the TV and almost look like they are part of the TV itself.  After a while, you don't even know they are there visually.  Your existing Samsung TV with a Dolby Atmos capable soundbar will sound a lot better than any Sony TV without a soundbar.  Sony technology is good, but I agree that you are in part paying for the Sony name.  I chose Sonos soundbars because they can all be linked together as part of whole home audio.  We can have the same audio source playing in our Great Room, our Master Bedroom, our Office, and our outdoor patio.  They also have features to boost voices (great when your hearing isn't what it used to be) and a "night mode" which boosts low volume sounds (whispers) but suppresses high volume sounds (explosions) so that you aren't keeping someone else awake when watching a movie at night.  Other brand soundbars will probably have similar capabilities.

 

If you get a soundbar, you can either get one that is a stand alone soundbar, or you can buy them in "kits" that include a separate wireless subwoofer and/or rear speakers.  A soundbar by itself can simulate rear channel sound fairly well.  Even though the soundbar is in front of you, it can bounce sound of walls and make it sound like it's coming from behind you.  The kits with rear speakers however will sound better as you'll truly have rear sound coming from behind you.  You just need a spot in your room to place the speakers behind your listening area, and feed power to them.  Wirelessly sending sound signals to them is nice so you don't need speaker wires, but they still need hard wired power to operate.  

 

Having a separate subwoofer is also not required but nice, since it takes over the job of handling low frequency noises like explosions.  That frees up the soundbar to focus just on mid-range and high frequency sounds, and it will sound better.  Low frequency noise is not location dependent, so you can hide the wireless subwoofer in a corner or under a couch/table.  Like the rear speakers, it must be plugged in for power.

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

I feel your pain as a drummer/Percussionist since I was 10 years old,

I forgot about your musical background, but now that you mention it, I recall past threads where I think you and I had a bit of music 'shop talk'. I know about those small practice rooms! Did that in my undergrad years. Berklee?  Most impressive. I visited there but just felt, as a 17-yr. old, that Boston just seemed a bit too overwhelming for me!  Wound up much closer to home. 

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Almost every vehicle, except EV’s, have an interior cabin noise level between 70 and 75 db at a 60 mph cruising speed.

Most interesting! Didn't realize it was that high - even more in an older car with drafty windows. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[TravelGirlinDallas]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Interesting doctors appointment this morning.

 

My Brother who is a Sport/Orthopedic Doctor in Helena Montana and is not a fan of knee replacements suggested I see a friend of his locally for my left knee which has been killing me the last two months. He like my brother do alternative methods such as stem cell injections and plasma injections. The problem is they are not covered by insurance which make me mad as the have proven positive results. The Stem Cell injection would cost me about $5,000 the plasma about $1,200. In the meantime he gave me a simvisc or Hyaloronic acid injection which should give me relief for 6 months to a year.

 

What’s so interesting and I knew this about my brother is that the doctor used ultrasound to guide the needle in the right location. He said  my brother Dr. Phillip Steele pioneered this. The doc said that my brother is internationally known and respected. 
 

My brother has said that if I wanted to go the route of the stem cell he would do it for free and just charge me materials. Obviously it would cost me a plane ticket but I have to seriously consider doing this.

 

Hopefully I’ll get some relief with this injection and will be in good shape by the Bella Cruise this March.

 

Here is a selfie Dr Khadavi sent to my brother with me and his residents that are studying under him.

Wow, what an amazing resource to have a brother who is an expert in the problem you have! I hope it will work out for you to get the stem cell therapy with him.

[Jimbo]

46 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

I don't think you need to return your Samsung TV.  It has an HDMI eARC port which is what you need to feed a Dolby Atmos signal to a soundbar...i.e. your TV supports Dolby Atmos.  You would however need something more than the small wireless speakers that you linked.  Those are for desktop use with a phone.  

 

We have 3 different TVs with soundbars.  It improves the sound from the TV significantly.  They all hang directly below the TV and almost look like they are part of the TV itself.  After a while, you don't even know they are there visually.  Your existing Samsung TV with a Dolby Atmos capable soundbar will sound a lot better than any Sony TV without a soundbar.  Sony technology is good, but I agree that you are in part paying for the Sony name.  I chose Sonos soundbars because they can all be linked together as part of whole home audio.  We can have the same audio source playing in our Great Room, our Master Bedroom, our Office, and our outdoor patio.  They also have features to boost voices (great when your hearing isn't what it used to be) and a "night mode" which boosts low volume sounds (whispers) but suppresses high volume sounds (explosions) so that you aren't keeping someone else awake when watching a movie at night.  Other brand soundbars will probably have similar capabilities.

 

If you get a soundbar, you can either get one that is a stand alone soundbar, or you can buy them in "kits" that include a separate wireless subwoofer and/or rear speakers.  A soundbar by itself can simulate rear channel sound fairly well.  Even though the soundbar is in front of you, it can bounce sound of walls and make it sound like it's coming from behind you.  The kits with rear speakers however will sound better as you'll truly have rear sound coming from behind you.  You just need a spot in your room to place the speakers behind your listening area, and feed power to them.  Wirelessly sending sound signals to them is nice so you don't need speaker wires, but they still need hard wired power to operate.  

 

Having a separate subwoofer is also not required but nice, since it takes over the job of handling low frequency noises like explosions.  That frees up the soundbar to focus just on mid-range and high frequency sounds, and it will sound better.  Low frequency noise is not location dependent, so you can hide the wireless subwoofer in a corner or under a couch/table.  Like the rear speakers, it must be plugged in for power.

We love the picture quality of the QN90A, my Wife doesn't mind the Sound but I just think it could be better.

 

My reading this thread, looks like I may need a receiver of some kind to go through that to upgrade the sound. still not so sure I can get a Dolby Atmos sound out of this TV.

 

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/hooking-up-earc-and-hdmi-2-1-on-receiver-with-samsung-qn90a.3208492/

 

 

If so let me know the cheapest way I can make this happen. Let me know make and model numbers of what I need.

[Momof3gurlz]

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Interesting doctors appointment this morning.

 

My Brother who is a Sport/Orthopedic Doctor in Helena Montana and is not a fan of knee replacements suggested I see a friend of his locally for my left knee which has been killing me the last two months. He like my brother do alternative methods such as stem cell injections and plasma injections. The problem is they are not covered by insurance which make me mad as the have proven positive results. The Stem Cell injection would cost me about $5,000 the plasma about $1,200. In the meantime he gave me a simvisc or Hyaloronic acid injection which should give me relief for 6 months to a year.

 

What’s so interesting and I knew this about my brother is that the doctor used ultrasound to guide the needle in the right location. He said  my brother Dr. Phillip Steele pioneered this. The doc said that my brother is internationally known and respected. 
 

My brother has said that if I wanted to go the route of the stem cell he would do it for free and just charge me materials. Obviously it would cost me a plane ticket but I have to seriously consider doing this.

 

Hopefully I’ll get some relief with this injection and will be in good shape by the Bella Cruise this March.

 

Here is a selfie Dr Khadavi sent to my brother with me and his residents that are studying under him.

 

 

 

Very interesting Greg.  I hope the shot you received today does the trick.  

[DaniDanielle]

me too Greg!

[BonTexasNY]

15 hours ago, taznremmy said:

For mysteries/thrillers, my go to author is Harlan Coben.

 

I've read every book he wrote!

5 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Might want to post the itinerary.  Some current things people want to know is the new menus, how the new free chat works and some how Starlink is working. I want to know if you can order 2 main meals on Lobster night.  Sharon doesn't eat Lobster so she wants to order 2 mains so she can give me an extra tail. 

Our friends here just want to know we are having a fun cruise.... Oh, and pics of our feet.  

Thanks for wanting to start the live and looking forward to meeting you! 

That's exactly what we want to do. Jack doesn't eat lobster, but I do.  Please let me know how it works out. 

Have a wonderful cruise and a lovely meet-up with @brillohead

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, Momof3gurlz said:

Very interesting Greg.  I hope the shot you received today does the trick.  

+1 

[George C]

Anybody else buy any Girl Scouts cookies , the Samoas are sinful 

[bobmacliberty]

23 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

We love the picture quality of the QN90A, my Wife doesn't mind the Sound but I just think it could be better.

 

My reading this thread, looks like I may need a receiver of some kind to go through that to upgrade the sound. still not so sure I can get a Dolby Atmos sound out of this TV.

 

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/hooking-up-earc-and-hdmi-2-1-on-receiver-with-samsung-qn90a.3208492/

 

 

If so let me know the cheapest way I can make this happen. Let me know make and model numbers of what I need.

 

Unfortunately, it's a complicated discussion.  Without knowing your exact setup and budget, I can't recommend a specific make/model.  Sorry for the long reply that follows but there's no easy answer.

 

If you want home theater surround sound, including the latest Dolby Atmos sound, you have a couple of options at a high level.  Scenario 1 is a receiver with separate speakers.  Scenario 2 is a soundbar.  There are a few "flavors" of scenario 1.  Scenario 1a is to use a receiver as the "home base" of your system.  You connect all of your source devices like a DVD player, an XBox, an Apple TV box, a Roku box, a cable TV box, etc. into the receiver's various HDMI input ports.  You then connect an HDMI output from the receiver to the TV.  You connect all of your various speakers to the receiver as well.  When you want to switch between input sources, you do so at the receiver.  It plays the sound from that source through the speakers and sends the video from that source to the TV.  The TV is essentially just a monitor since the TV internal speakers would be disabled.  In scenario 1b, you could plug all of the input devices directly into the TV and use the TV to switch input sources.  The TV then sends the audio to the receiver, which plays it through the speakers.  In both 1a and 1b, the receiver decodes the audio to determine what sound gets sent to which speaker.  HDMI ports have evolved over time with newer versions having more capability.  The AVS forum thread that you linked talks about various issues with trying to have a lot of input sources connected to a system that has a mix of both older ("regular") HDMI and newer HDMI (version 2.0 and 2.1) ports while trying to ensure that everything is capable of the best/most recent sound.  

 

Scenario 2 doesn't require a receiver.  You plug your various input devices (if you have any) into the TV and send the audio signal from the TV to a soundbar.  In this scenario, the soundbar acts like the receiver in decoding the audio signal and determining what sound goes to which speakers.  In this case though, the speakers are all embedded in the soundbar itself.  The advantage of scenario 2 is that it's a much "cleaner" setup.  No receiver or separate speakers, or speaker wires running everywhere.  The disadvantage is that you can get higher quality sound with a dedicated receiver and speakers, with quality being pretty directly correlated with cost.  Expensive receivers have quality amplifiers and expensive speakers can do a better job of creating sound.  If you're an audiophile, sound from a soundbar may not be good enough.  For most people who just want a home theater experience, using a soundbar is plenty good enough (especially when paired with some wireless surround speakers and a subwoofer), hence the popularity of soundbars.

 

The problem is that new TVs typically only have a single HDMI port that is capable of handling new HDMI protocols.  A port labeled eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) is the latest and greatest and can handle uncompressed Dolby Atmos signals.  Dolby Atmos signals contain a LOT of data and require HDMI ports and HDMI cables that can handle a lot of bandwidth.  Only eARC ports can currently handle this.  Less expensive and older TVs will have an HDMI port label ARC (without the e for enhanced).  They can send audio signals but with less bandwidth than eARC.  The signal going through the ARC port must therefore be compressed so that it has less data, and then decompressed when it gets to the receiver/soundbar.  Dolby Atmos will work with an ARC port but the process of compressing and then decompressing the signal degrades the quality a bit.  The ARC or eARC port is usually connected to the receiver or soundbar.  Other input sources may need to be connected to an older HDMI port on the TV that can handle video just fine but may not be able to handle a Dolby Atmos signal from the source. 

 

Not all audio/video sources can even handle Dolby Atmos, and not all video content is encoded with Dolby Atmos.  DVDs for example are older and don't use Atmos.  Some online streaming services (like Amazon Prime and Apple TV+) support Atmos, but if you're watching an older movie/show that wasn't made with Atmos, you're still out of luck.  In short, every element of the "chain" must be able to handle Dolby Atmos...the movie/show itself, the source device, the TV, the receiver/soundbar, and all ports/cables connecting everything together.  More info on which streaming services can do what here.  

 

Our system is fairly simple.  Our Samsung TV has everything in it that we use...YouTube TV, Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, etc.  We switch between these services on our TV.  No additional external devices to plug in anywhere.  We then have our Atmos capable soundbar connected to the Samsung TV using the TV's eARC port.  Depending on what we're watching, the TV sends an Atmos signal to the soundbar when it's available and sends an older Dolby Digital signal (which still sounds great) when it's not.  The soundbar deals with it either way without any user interaction.  If the source has Atmos audio, and the content's producers did a good job of mixing the Atmos audio signal (not always the case), we'll sometimes notice that there are some overhead sounds while watching.  We have a wireless Sonos subwoofer and 2 in-ceiling speakers (located behind our listening area) powered by a wireless Sonos Amp that act as surround speakers when watching video content, or act as full range audio speakers when listening to music.

 

If you don't have any external devices and all audio comes from streaming services on your TV, I'd suggest connecting an Atmos capable soundbar to your TV.  It's the simplest and probably cheapest option. If you want to stay within the Samsung family, here's a link to the various Samsung soundbar offerings.  I don't have experience with any of these but the Q series looks to be better/more expensive and has subwoofers and/or rear surrounds if that's of interest.  The S series looks to be cheaper and has stand alone soundbars (not all support Atmos).  There is mention on the Samsung site of wireless Atmos, which I'm guessing means that you don't need an HDMI cable between your Samsung TV and Samsung Soundbar if they both support this.  That could be an advantage of staying all Samsung, although mounting the soundbar directly below the TV means that the HDML cable isn't visible anyway.  I'd do more research to ensure this really is the case.  Do a Google search on "best soundbars" and you will see a lot of online articles.  Choose one from a reputable source (CNET, Crutchfield, PC Mag, etc.) rather than a name that you don't recognize that may just be marketing for a particular brand.  Be sure to check that the soundbar you choose supports Dolby Atmos as many lower cost soundbars don't have the needed upfiring speakers.

 

 

 

[Ocean Boy]

16 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Unfortunately, it's a complicated discussion.  Without knowing your exact setup and budget, I can't recommend a specific make/model.  Sorry for the long reply that follows but there's no easy answer.

 

If you want home theater surround sound, including the latest Dolby Atmos sound, you have a couple of options at a high level.  Scenario 1 is a receiver with separate speakers.  Scenario 2 is a soundbar.  There are a few "flavors" of scenario 1.  Scenario 1a is to use a receiver as the "home base" of your system.  You connect all of your source devices like a DVD player, an XBox, an Apple TV box, a Roku box, a cable TV box, etc. into the receiver's various HDMI input ports.  You then connect an HDMI output from the receiver to the TV.  You connect all of your various speakers to the receiver as well.  When you want to switch between input sources, you do so at the receiver.  It plays the sound from that source through the speakers and sends the video from that source to the TV.  The TV is essentially just a monitor since the TV internal speakers would be disabled.  In scenario 1b, you could plug all of the input devices directly into the TV and use the TV to switch input sources.  The TV then sends the audio to the receiver, which plays it through the speakers.  In both 1a and 1b, the receiver decodes the audio to determine what sound gets sent to which speaker.  HDMI ports have evolved over time with newer versions having more capability.  The AVS forum thread that you linked talks about various issues with trying to have a lot of input sources connected to a system that has a mix of both older ("regular") HDMI and newer HDMI (version 2.0 and 2.1) ports while trying to ensure that everything is capable of the best/most recent sound.  

 

Scenario 2 doesn't require a receiver.  You plug your various input devices (if you have any) into the TV and send the audio signal from the TV to a soundbar.  In this scenario, the soundbar acts like the receiver in decoding the audio signal and determining what sound goes to which speakers.  In this case though, the speakers are all embedded in the soundbar itself.  The advantage of scenario 2 is that it's a much "cleaner" setup.  No receiver or separate speakers, or speaker wires running everywhere.  The disadvantage is that you can get higher quality sound with a dedicated receiver and speakers, with quality being pretty directly correlated with cost.  Expensive receivers have quality amplifiers and expensive speakers can do a better job of creating sound.  If you're an audiophile, sound from a soundbar may not be good enough.  For most people who just want a home theater experience, using a soundbar is plenty good enough (especially when paired with some wireless surround speakers and a subwoofer), hence the popularity of soundbars.

 

The problem is that new TVs typically only have a single HDMI port that is capable of handling new HDMI protocols.  A port labeled eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) is the latest and greatest and can handle uncompressed Dolby Atmos signals.  Dolby Atmos signals contain a LOT of data and require HDMI ports and HDMI cables that can handle a lot of bandwidth.  Only eARC ports can currently handle this.  Less expensive and older TVs will have an HDMI port label ARC (without the e for enhanced).  They can send audio signals but with less bandwidth than eARC.  The signal going through the ARC port must therefore be compressed so that it has less data, and then decompressed when it gets to the receiver/soundbar.  Dolby Atmos will work with an ARC port but the process of compressing and then decompressing the signal degrades the quality a bit.  The ARC or eARC port is usually connected to the receiver or soundbar.  Other input sources may need to be connected to an older HDMI port on the TV that can handle video just fine but may not be able to handle a Dolby Atmos signal from the source. 

 

Not all audio/video sources can even handle Dolby Atmos, and not all video content is encoded with Dolby Atmos.  DVDs for example are older and don't use Atmos.  Some online streaming services (like Amazon Prime and Apple TV+) support Atmos, but if you're watching an older movie/show that wasn't made with Atmos, you're still out of luck.  In short, every element of the "chain" must be able to handle Dolby Atmos...the movie/show itself, the source device, the TV, the receiver/soundbar, and all ports/cables connecting everything together.  More info on which streaming services can do what here.  

 

Our system is fairly simple.  Our Samsung TV has everything in it that we use...YouTube TV, Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, etc.  We switch between these services on our TV.  No additional external devices to plug in anywhere.  We then have our Atmos capable soundbar connected to the Samsung TV using the TV's eARC port.  Depending on what we're watching, the TV sends an Atmos signal to the soundbar when it's available and sends an older Dolby Digital signal (which still sounds great) when it's not.  The soundbar deals with it either way without any user interaction.  If the source has Atmos audio, and the content's producers did a good job of mixing the Atmos audio signal (not always the case), we'll sometimes notice that there are some overhead sounds while watching.  We have a wireless Sonos subwoofer and 2 in-ceiling speakers (located behind our listening area) powered by a wireless Sonos Amp that act as surround speakers when watching video content, or act as full range audio speakers when listening to music.

 

If you don't have any external devices and all audio comes from streaming services on your TV, I'd suggest connecting an Atmos capable soundbar to your TV.  It's the simplest and probably cheapest option. If you want to stay within the Samsung family, here's a link to the various Samsung soundbar offerings.  I don't have experience with any of these but the Q series looks to be better/more expensive and has subwoofers and/or rear surrounds if that's of interest.  The S series looks to be cheaper and has stand alone soundbars (not all support Atmos).  There is mention on the Samsung site of wireless Atmos, which I'm guessing means that you don't need an HDMI cable between your Samsung TV and Samsung Soundbar if they both support this.  That could be an advantage of staying all Samsung, although mounting the soundbar directly below the TV means that the HDML cable isn't visible anyway.  I'd do more research to ensure this really is the case.  Do a Google search on "best soundbars" and you will see a lot of online articles.  Choose one from a reputable source (CNET, Crutchfield, PC Mag, etc.) rather than a name that you don't recognize that may just be marketing for a particular brand.  Be sure to check that the soundbar you choose supports Dolby Atmos as many lower cost soundbars don't have the needed upfiring speakers.

 

 

 

Thanks! 

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

I forgot about your musical background, but now that you mention it, I recall past threads where I think you and I had a bit of music 'shop talk'. I know about those small practice rooms! Did that in my undergrad years. Berklee?  Most impressive. I visited there but just felt, as a 17-yr. old, that Boston just seemed a bit too overwhelming for me!  Wound up much closer to home. 

 

I had the chance to go to Eastman  School of Music out of high school. I unfortunately chose the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City because I wanted to be close to home and my drum teacher was on faculty there. After 3 years of feeling like I wasn’t learning enough. I transferred to Berklee. When I first went I hated it as I missed home. Once I used to living in Boston , I loved it. I learned more there in one year than 3 years at my he Conservatory. Biggest mistake was returning home. I should have stayed and played professionally in Boston

 

 

2 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Wow, what an amazing resource to have a brother who is an expert in the problem you have! I hope it will work out for you to get the stem cell therapy with him.

 

It’s great to be able to get feedback from him and if nothing else have a reason to visit.

 

 

2 hours ago, Momof3gurlz said:

Very interesting Greg.  I hope the shot you received today does the trick.  

 

I it does the trick too. Tired of being in pain.

 

 

1 hour ago, DaniDanielle said:

me too Greg!

 

Me 3!

[Luckynana]

10 hours ago, h20skibum said:

The ones we have, have one way valves that do not have the problem the early ones had with CO2.  When you breathe in, the intake valves open to let oxygen in.  When you exhale, it pushes to other valves open to get rid of the CO2.  
 

We have used ours for over an hour with no problems.  We did meet someone on a snorkeling excursion in Curaçao that was using one of the older masks that had the CO2 problems, and he was feeing those effects within 15 minutes of use. 

Can you share the snorkeling mask, brand name, etc. that you use, Mark?   TIA!

[Luckynana]

3 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Wow, what an amazing resource to have a brother who is an expert in the problem you have! I hope it will work out for you to get the stem cell therapy with him.

 

2 hours ago, Momof3gurlz said:

Very interesting Greg.  I hope the shot you received today does the trick.  

 

1 hour ago, DaniDanielle said:

me too Greg!

So interesting, Greg!  I'd definitely go for the plane ride so that your brother can help with your left knee problem.  Hey, if it works, I know some people willing to pay the $5,000 and $1,200 in order to be pain free!  Very awesome about your brother....amazing how there are things about our siblings;  family members, etc. that we have no notion of their accomplishes, accidents, etc.  (spoken by a woman with lots of siblings who don't pick up the phone.  Just sayin...)

[Ozark_Kid]

2 hours ago, BonTexasNY said:

I've read every book he wrote!

That's exactly what we want to do. Jack doesn't eat lobster, but I do.  Please let me know how it works out. 

Have a wonderful cruise and a lovely meet-up with @brillohead

I am looking forward to being served cold water Lobster.  Last night Sharon said by night 6 she usually isn't that hungry and would just eat appetizers. I don't want her to give up the main course for me.  I plan to report on the options .  I think others want to know too. 

[Sea Dog]

19 minutes ago, Luckynana said:

 

 

So interesting, Greg!  I'd definitely go for the plane ride so that your brother can help with your left knee problem.  Hey, if it works, I know some people willing to pay the $5,000 and $1,200 in order to be pain free!  Very awesome about your brother....amazing how there are things about our siblings;  family members, etc. that we have no notion of their accomplishes, accidents, etc.  (spoken by a woman with lots of siblings who don't pick up the phone.  Just sayin...)

Yes it funny he doesn’t brag about himself and likes to stay low key. The only reason why I knew he must be popular is that he would tell me about all the traveling he was doing to give talks. I also found out that a very famous NFL player flew to Montana to have him treat him. Of course when I asked he would not tell me who it was.

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

 

If you don't have any external devices and all audio comes from streaming services on your TV, I'd suggest connecting an Atmos capable soundbar to your TV.  It's the simplest and probably cheapest option. If you want to stay within the Samsung family, here's a link to the various Samsung soundbar offerings.  I don't have experience with any of these but the Q series looks to be better/more expensive and has subwoofers and/or rear surrounds if that's of interest.  The S series looks to be cheaper and has stand alone soundbars (not all support Atmos).  There is mention on the Samsung site of wireless Atmos, which I'm guessing means that you don't need an HDMI cable between your Samsung TV and Samsung Soundbar if they both support this.  That could be an advantage of staying all Samsung, although mounting the soundbar directly below the TV means that the HDML cable isn't visible anyway.  I'd do more research to ensure this really is the case.  Do a Google search on "best soundbars" and you will see a lot of online articles.  Choose one from a reputable source (CNET, Crutchfield, PC Mag, etc.) rather than a name that you don't recognize that may just be marketing for a particular brand.  Be sure to check that the soundbar you choose supports Dolby Atmos as many lower cost soundbars don't have the needed upfiring speakers.

 

 

 

Yes, I like the bottom part. No External devices, No game playing. Just streaming services and regular Cable Tv Viewing.........I like the less is more.

 

This is a picture of the Tv setup as it is. All cables from the cable box are hidden in the wall. I can run another I assume from cable box to the back of the TV from a Soundbar.. Just a soundbar would be best with maybe some wireless speakers in the back of the room if need be.

 

Budget probably $300 to $500......Don't want to go crazy on this.

 

There is a cabinet under the set I could set a sound bar on.

 

I'm positive I do not want a receiver.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 17, 2023 by Jimbo

[derorim]

1 hour ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Unfortunately, it's a complicated discussion.  Without knowing your exact setup and budget, I can't recommend a specific make/model.  Sorry for the long reply that follows but there's no easy answer.

 

If you want home theater surround sound, including the latest Dolby Atmos sound, you have a couple of options at a high level.  Scenario 1 is a receiver with separate speakers.  Scenario 2 is a soundbar.  There are a few "flavors" of scenario 1.  Scenario 1a is to use a receiver as the "home base" of your system.  You connect all of your source devices like a DVD player, an XBox, an Apple TV box, a Roku box, a cable TV box, etc. into the receiver's various HDMI input ports.  You then connect an HDMI output from the receiver to the TV.  You connect all of your various speakers to the receiver as well.  When you want to switch between input sources, you do so at the receiver.  It plays the sound from that source through the speakers and sends the video from that source to the TV.  The TV is essentially just a monitor since the TV internal speakers would be disabled.  In scenario 1b, you could plug all of the input devices directly into the TV and use the TV to switch input sources.  The TV then sends the audio to the receiver, which plays it through the speakers.  In both 1a and 1b, the receiver decodes the audio to determine what sound gets sent to which speaker.  HDMI ports have evolved over time with newer versions having more capability.  The AVS forum thread that you linked talks about various issues with trying to have a lot of input sources connected to a system that has a mix of both older ("regular") HDMI and newer HDMI (version 2.0 and 2.1) ports while trying to ensure that everything is capable of the best/most recent sound.  

 

Scenario 2 doesn't require a receiver.  You plug your various input devices (if you have any) into the TV and send the audio signal from the TV to a soundbar.  In this scenario, the soundbar acts like the receiver in decoding the audio signal and determining what sound goes to which speakers.  In this case though, the speakers are all embedded in the soundbar itself.  The advantage of scenario 2 is that it's a much "cleaner" setup.  No receiver or separate speakers, or speaker wires running everywhere.  The disadvantage is that you can get higher quality sound with a dedicated receiver and speakers, with quality being pretty directly correlated with cost.  Expensive receivers have quality amplifiers and expensive speakers can do a better job of creating sound.  If you're an audiophile, sound from a soundbar may not be good enough.  For most people who just want a home theater experience, using a soundbar is plenty good enough (especially when paired with some wireless surround speakers and a subwoofer), hence the popularity of soundbars.

 

The problem is that new TVs typically only have a single HDMI port that is capable of handling new HDMI protocols.  A port labeled eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel) is the latest and greatest and can handle uncompressed Dolby Atmos signals.  Dolby Atmos signals contain a LOT of data and require HDMI ports and HDMI cables that can handle a lot of bandwidth.  Only eARC ports can currently handle this.  Less expensive and older TVs will have an HDMI port label ARC (without the e for enhanced).  They can send audio signals but with less bandwidth than eARC.  The signal going through the ARC port must therefore be compressed so that it has less data, and then decompressed when it gets to the receiver/soundbar.  Dolby Atmos will work with an ARC port but the process of compressing and then decompressing the signal degrades the quality a bit.  The ARC or eARC port is usually connected to the receiver or soundbar.  Other input sources may need to be connected to an older HDMI port on the TV that can handle video just fine but may not be able to handle a Dolby Atmos signal from the source. 

 

Not all audio/video sources can even handle Dolby Atmos, and not all video content is encoded with Dolby Atmos.  DVDs for example are older and don't use Atmos.  Some online streaming services (like Amazon Prime and Apple TV+) support Atmos, but if you're watching an older movie/show that wasn't made with Atmos, you're still out of luck.  In short, every element of the "chain" must be able to handle Dolby Atmos...the movie/show itself, the source device, the TV, the receiver/soundbar, and all ports/cables connecting everything together.  More info on which streaming services can do what here.  

 

Our system is fairly simple.  Our Samsung TV has everything in it that we use...YouTube TV, Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, etc.  We switch between these services on our TV.  No additional external devices to plug in anywhere.  We then have our Atmos capable soundbar connected to the Samsung TV using the TV's eARC port.  Depending on what we're watching, the TV sends an Atmos signal to the soundbar when it's available and sends an older Dolby Digital signal (which still sounds great) when it's not.  The soundbar deals with it either way without any user interaction.  If the source has Atmos audio, and the content's producers did a good job of mixing the Atmos audio signal (not always the case), we'll sometimes notice that there are some overhead sounds while watching.  We have a wireless Sonos subwoofer and 2 in-ceiling speakers (located behind our listening area) powered by a wireless Sonos Amp that act as surround speakers when watching video content, or act as full range audio speakers when listening to music.

 

If you don't have any external devices and all audio comes from streaming services on your TV, I'd suggest connecting an Atmos capable soundbar to your TV.  It's the simplest and probably cheapest option. If you want to stay within the Samsung family, here's a link to the various Samsung soundbar offerings.  I don't have experience with any of these but the Q series looks to be better/more expensive and has subwoofers and/or rear surrounds if that's of interest.  The S series looks to be cheaper and has stand alone soundbars (not all support Atmos).  There is mention on the Samsung site of wireless Atmos, which I'm guessing means that you don't need an HDMI cable between your Samsung TV and Samsung Soundbar if they both support this.  That could be an advantage of staying all Samsung, although mounting the soundbar directly below the TV means that the HDML cable isn't visible anyway.  I'd do more research to ensure this really is the case.  Do a Google search on "best soundbars" and you will see a lot of online articles.  Choose one from a reputable source (CNET, Crutchfield, PC Mag, etc.) rather than a name that you don't recognize that may just be marketing for a particular brand.  Be sure to check that the soundbar you choose supports Dolby Atmos as many lower cost soundbars don't have the needed upfiring speakers

 

Wow.  I recognize a lot, well, maybe, some, of the terms you are using, but I don't really understand them.  However, being the supportive wife that I am, I printed out your post and am going to share it with Andy.  We may be buying new stuff soon.  🤪  Color me crazy.

[Sunshine3601]

4 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

me too Greg!

Me too Greg!😀

[Bailey & Sophie]

23 hours ago, mets07 said:

@John&LaLa Someone on this thread mentioned author Allison Brennan. She writes "romantic thrillers" .... with central characters such as FBI agent Lucy Kincaid, reporter Max Revere, and more. I am making my way through them. 

 

Lucy Kincaid books are fabulous. They should be read in order as they kind of build on relationships.