Latest news with #JuniorMints
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Transform your living room into an amazing home theater -- expert tips for the ultimate movie experience
Friends of ours used to invite us for movies at the "Johnson Monoplex," their nickname for the living room that was their home theater. It definitely had all the accoutrements: giant screen, great sound system, even some movie posters adorning the walls. (The popcorn and candy selection was a bit lacking, if I'm being honest. Would it have killed them to lay in some Junior Mints?) If you've long dreamed of creating a monoplex of your own, good news: It's easier than ever. Here's everything you need to know about turning your living room into a Hollywood-caliber home theater. The most important part of this dream-realization is, of course, the screen. Needless to say, the bigger, the better; half the fun of going to an actual theater is watching a movie that's three stories tall. You have two options here: TV and projector. I used to favor the latter, in part because it was the only realistic way to get a really huge screen; TVs just weren't that big (or if they were, they were $10,000). Now I lean more the other way: TVs have super-bright panels, familiar onboard software (Roku, Google TV, etc.) and prices that just keep getting lower. Not long ago I spotted a 100-incher for just $1,600. And you can pretty easily find 85-inch TVs for below $1,000 (including our top pick, below). With a projector, you're probably going to have to ceiling-mount it, which can be a pretty major exercise. (Holes in drywall, cables fished behind that drywall, etc.) That's one reason I like ultra-short-throw (UST) models, which can sit right beside the wall on which they're projecting. But those can get expensive, anywhere from $1,800 on up to $3,500. Still can't decide? Here's a list of TV and projector pros and cons: Very bright — no need to draw the curtains More placement options within your living room (i.e., wall-mounting optional) Equipped with full-featured streaming capabilities Easier to adorn with rear LED lighting (more on that below) They don't look like movie-theater screens The largest ones are very heavy, therefore more difficult to wall-mount They start to get expensive at sizes above 75 inches Able to produce a 100-inch or even larger picture Needs only an empty stretch of white or gray wall... ...but with a framed screen, really imparts that movie theater look Higher-end models are expensive Brightness often a factor; they work best in dark rooms Mounting and placement can be challenging Audio can also be challenging, especially if you want surround sound Harder to connect external devices like game consoles and Blu-ray players Ultimately, the goal is to get yourself the biggest screen you can afford. With that in mind, here are some top options for TVs and projectors alike. Note that our use of "best" in these descriptions is based on expert evaluation of features, price, reviews and other factors. The screen is only half the battle. To really round out a home theater, you need amazing sound. The tiny, underpowered speakers inside your TV won't cut it; what you're going to want is a soundbar, preferably one that includes a subwoofer and at least two rear speakers. You can find some great options in our roundup of the best soundbars for theater-quality audio at home. But I've highlighted two of them here, along with a third option you might not have considered: headphones! Just as a decorator will tell you there's more to a living room than a couch and coffee table, I'm here to say that a home theater is more than just a TV and soundbar. A few little extras can make a huge difference, transforming your space into something that's festive and fun. My top picks: Because they're not really 4K projectors. Look closely and you'll see something to the effect of "4K support," which is highly misleading. You can plug in a streaming device, game console or the like that's capable of producing 4K resolution, but the projectors themselves have a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 (aka 1080p). It's like a fire hose that has a tiny spigot on the end: plenty of water behind it, but it doesn't spray anywhere near the full amount. This is straight-up opinion, but I say no, you do not. OLED screens are great, with incredible colors and deep, inky blacks, but unless you're aiming to fully replicate a movie theater experience, watching with the lights off, I'm not convinced any of that stuff will impact your overall enjoyment of Black Bag, Captain America: Brave New World, Sinners or any other movie. What it will do is empty your wallet. My take: Mini-LED TVs are nearly as good as OLEDs, for less money. Look, some things are subjective, like pancakes versus waffles or rolled oats versus steel-cut. But on this there can be no debate: Twizzlers are awesome, Red Vines are gross. I will not be accepting comments at this time. Actually, there's a red licorice I like even better than Twizzlers: Better Made, which comes from right here in my home state of Michigan. Try it; thank me later.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BYU is making its own Hollywood magic
Hollywood has its silver screen. BYU has a curtain drop — and both spent the weekend projecting their stars as bigger than life. Actors won Oscars at the Academy Awards Sunday night while the No. 23 Cougars blitzed West Virginia at the Marriott Center. While very different from each other, they share another thing in common — theater — and they are pretty good at it. We have all felt the magic of sitting in a packed theater with hot popcorn and cold Junior Mints waiting for a much-anticipated movie to begin. Likewise, when the lights dim inside BYU's sold-out venue and those 40-foot sheets fall from the scoreboard to a raucous beat and reflected dunks, the Cougars set the tone for their own kind of theater — basketball. As thousands of movies and games have shown, it's not enough to hold an audience with grand introduction. A good movie or a good team requires more than just high-level performers – both require a good script. Without a gripping story to follow, the production goes nowhere. For Tinseltown, their Big Dance ended Sunday night at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles with celebrated individual conquests amidst plenty of glitz and glamor. BYU's quest for its own 'One Shining Moment' is still a few weeks off, but its dramatic story is strengthening by the day. Not only have the Cougars (21-8, 12-6) won six straight games, but a win at No. 9 Iowa State (22-7, 12-6) Tuesday night (7 p.m., ESPN2) would secure a top-four finish and double bye for the Big 12 Tournament March 11-15 in Kansas City. Considering BYU started with a first-year college head coach, a new roster hyped by potential and a projected ninth-place finish in one of the top basketball conferences in the country, what we are seeing is not far from what Hollywood likes to make movies about. In the spirit of coach Norman Dale, portrayed by the late Gene Hackman in the sports classic 'Hoosiers,' Kevin Young could have looked at his team on the first day of practice and said, 'Huddle up. Let's see what kind of hand I've been delt here?' Young's debut in the Big 12 has been an education of highs and lows and may best be described by Sylvester Stallone's character in Rocky Balboa — 'It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!' The Cougars put their 2-4 conference start behind them and surged to a confident 12-6, including a restoration into the AP Top 25. Young can glean from another Hollywood blockbuster, 'Gladiator,'when Russell Crowe's Maximus character shouted to the crowd, 'Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?' Without question, the Cougars are following a gripping script whose finish remains a mystery. The next scene plays out Tuesday in Ames where BYU, as an underdog, may need a Hollywood finish to pull it off. Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts 'Y's Guys' at and is the author of the children's book 'C is for Cougar,' available at Best Picture: 'Crushing Kansas.' BYU defeated No. 23 Kansas by 34 points, 91-57 on Feb. 18. Best Actor: Richie Saunders. The junior from Riverton has gone from a preseason afterthought to the No. 2 leading scorer (17.8) after 18 conference games. Best Actress: Sierra Saunders. She helped convince her husband to return to BYU for his junior season and she may be asked to reprise that role to get him back next year. Best Director: Egor Demin. When the freshman is in command of a game and directing the offense, BYU is a different team. Best supporting actor: Fousseyni Traore. The senior center scored 20 of his 1,285 career points against West Virginia and he grabbed 10 of 840 career rebounds against the Mountaineers. With Keba Keita on the roster, Traore went from a starter to a reserve but has maintained a key role for the Cougars. Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Dallin Hall and Trey Stewart — Hall for whatever he is trying to grow above his lip and Stewart for whatever he's doing with his hair. Best Sound and Visual Effects: The Marriott Center. During the final media timeout, late in the second half, the lights go down and the turbulence begins. Shoutout to the ROC, senior associate athletic director David Almodova and his staff for making it happen. Any Hollywood producer would be impressed. Best Screenplay: The 2024-2025 season that is still being written.
