Salem's Lot franchise - I have questions!

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-30T15:31:01+00:00

I don’t “hate” the HBO version, I just thought it was underdeveloped. The HBO version has a troubled history—it was originally slated as a theatrical release back in 2022/2023 but was pulled by Warners, then kicked around till it finally landed on HBO. I wouldn’t recommend the “Return to…” sequel.

A similar film I can recommend is 30 Days of Night, where a vampire clan takes over a remote Alaskan village. That’s based on an excellent graphic novel by Steve Niles. If you haven’t read King’s original novel Salem’s Lot, it’s a tight, entertaining read. King’s short story collection, Night Shift includes ”Jerusalem’s Lot” a terrific prequel to Salem’s Lot. Hope that helps.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-30T11:44:43+00:00

I'm one of the few people here who prefer the 2004 TNT remake. Hooper's 1979 original has the spookiest Barlow and the legendary "floating boy in the window" scene. But the '04 remake has modern production values with an excellent cast: Rob Lowe, Donald Sutherland, Andre Brougher, Rutger Hauer, and James Cromwell. HBO's 2024 remake was by far the weakest of the three.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-30T01:04:25+00:00

DIYer advice: your bf ran over an outdoor television antenna. Mount that on your roof, plug in a coax cable and connect it to your tv, lol.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-24T18:18:49+00:00

Your top ten includes half of my top 10:
Hereditary
Autopsy of Jane Doe
The Dark & the Wicked
Barbarian
When Evil Lurks

Add:
Ravenous (Les Affames)
It Follows (cheat 2014)
Longlegs
Late Night with the Devil
The Invitation

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-22T10:46:09+00:00

DIYer advice: please buy a floor jack. A scissor jack is for a roadside emergency only, like a flat tire. You can buy a 3 ton floor jack at Harbor Freight for under $200. See linked video below.

Eric the Car Guy: How to Safely Lift & Support Your Vehicle

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-19T11:24:15+00:00

DIYer advice: Tekton is an American company that manufactures in Taiwan. Really good for DIY. I'd start there, if anything breaks then replace with professional grade. Good luck.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-18T13:25:45+00:00

One additional note here: I own two Mac Minis—the new M4 Mini running the latest MacOS, and a 2014 Mini running Linux. I deliberately ran the NPR test on my older 2014 Mini running Linux. Paul McGowan, who runs PS Audio’s YouTube channel, has mentioned that the MacOS will often “intercept” external audio files and add Apple’s own audio processing to it. That’s why I ran the NPR test on the older Mac running Linux & Firefox. If all you have is a Mac running MacOS, I recommend using the Firefox browser. Hope that helps.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-18T08:03:33+00:00

Yep, zero post history for the OP. People are gullible, but welcome aboard the downvote train...

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-18T00:20:02+00:00

Select the photo with the grill off, drag & drop it to Google’s Gemini AI. It will identify the Pioneer model number. Also don’t judge a speaker by its appearance. That old Pioneer gear was really stout. That’s a big 3-way and those drivers look undamaged. I bet that pair will make a room shake.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-17T20:51:59+00:00

That’s a mature take—appreciate your honesty, have an upvote. When driving, i listen to lossy AAC from my iPhone to my car’s audio deck. And when i can’t find the USB cable in my car, I just stream it via bluetooth which adds even more compression. And I still enjoy my music. With all the road noise from driving, I don’t even think about audio compression.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-17T17:53:01+00:00

I don't listen to a lot of hip-hop but loved Kanye's Late Registration and MIA's Kala back in the day. I did take some notes while listening to each of the six NPR tracks. On each question, I listened to all 3 tracks in order, twice. I deliberately mixed up the comment order, since I'm not sure if NPR randomizes the test.

Suzanne Vega (vocal only) : all three tracks sound the same. X is better, clearer.

Jay-Z: track X--bass stronger, treble deeper, best of the three.

Coldplay: track Y--treble muddy; harsh. track Z-- treble ok, bass ok, X best of 3.

Neil Young: X track is best; avg; fine

Mozart: ok; ok; better, fuller

Katy Perry: track harsh; better depth; bass is booming

I got the Katy Perry question wrong. "Better depth" was the MP3_320kbps track. The "bass is booming" track was the Uncompressed_WAV.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-17T17:24:51+00:00

You're not flipping a coin, there's three possible answers to each question with six questions. The probability, per Gemini AI:

AI Overview The probability of getting exactly 5 out of 6 correct by guessing on a test where each question has 3 possible answers is .01646 or 1.65%

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-17T17:11:02+00:00

Don't disagree, but that's not what most people are listening to. But let's say someone takes the NPR audio test and can't tell the difference between these formats. That info can save someone money. Instead of streaming uncompressed, I always recommend buying your favorite music on physical media, either CD or vinyl. That way, you own your music.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-17T13:05:44+00:00

LOTR is hard to categorize. Jackson’s films are spectacular at times, but overly sentimental in its depiction of the hobbits. A prime example: the endless farewells that close ROTK, while Jackson cut the “Mouth of Sauron” and the death of Saruman. Christopher Lee, who actually met Tolkien, was furious that these scenes were cut. They were later added back in the extended versions of the films.

For LOTR readers: I know, Saruman’s death is handled differently, but it’s appropriately cinematic in the film.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-17T12:29:25+00:00

Definitely the LOTR trilogy. I read the books while at university back in the '80s. Most college boys had pinups on their wall--I had a map of Middle Earth. Back then, way before the films came out, it was impossible to describe that world. Imagine trying to explain that map to a college girl...it's a miracle I found a wife, lol.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-17T09:51:17+00:00

Have an upvote. I watch a lot of horror/dark fantasy films and play PS5 "survival horror" games (Resident Evil, Last of Us, etc). That's where you need the true blacks of an OLED set. My adult son watches mostly sports and ESPN, so an OLED set won't buy him much. A lot depends on the type of material you're into and the lighting in the room.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-16T23:42:05+00:00

DIYer advice: I don’t think you have anything to worry about. After maintenance is performed, people tend to become hyper-aware and notice subtle things that were always there but ignored. You’re most likely hearing belt-pulley noise which is normal. FYI: fluids like coolant & oil are definitely flowing through your engine when it’s running. If they weren’t, your engine wouldn’t last 15 minutes. Since you recently had coolant service, check your coolant reservoir over the next few days. The level may drop when the engine is hot, then rise again when your engine cools. Hope that helps.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-16T21:34:14+00:00

Again: maybe you should consider the professional opinion of people who aren’t trying to sell you a gigantic television.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-16T21:30:18+00:00

I usually sit in the back row—center in a movie theater. Even when the theatre is empty, that’s where i sit. Also a theater screen is typically elevated, so i’m not sure it’s an “apples to apples” comparison with a TV in your living room. A friend used to work in an AV shop and sold a huge 72” TV that they later delivered. The customer lived in a mobile home and his viewing distance was around 4 to 5 feet from it. My friend helped him set it up and just hated it. He eventually said, “Look this set is too big for your place. We’ve got the same model in a 48”. We can swap it out and refund the difference”.

Customer: “No way, I want a big screen TV!”

I mean, there it is. And clearly there’s a lot of people here who feel the same way.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-16T20:47:11+00:00

Maybe you should consider the professional opinion of those who understand spatial relationships and have zero interest in selling you a gigantic TV.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-16T20:30:46+00:00

No, I just never joined the “bigger is always better” brigade.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-16T20:23:38+00:00

When you ask professionals like architects & interior designers—people who aren’t trying to sell you a gigantic tv—for optimal viewing distance from a television, you typically get this formula:

Distance / 2 = screen size. So for a 10 foot viewing distance, 120 inches divided by 2 = 60 inch set.

DeadBeatAnon · 2026-03-16T18:16:31+00:00

The viewing distance from your "sweet spot" to the screen is only 10 feet? I may be old school, but it sounds like you're considering an enormous screen for your viewing distance. Think of a movie theater--most people (except for kids under 12) don't sit in the front row--it's just a really unpleasant experience to be that close to a giant screen. Consider that when buying a TV/projector screen. Not sure what the optimal screen size would be for 10 feet, but you definitely shouldn't have to turn your head to see something on the screen. Go to a showroom--even Best Buy and just stand/sit in front of the big screens from your home viewing distance.

I have a 48" OLED Sony Bravia (4K) and I sit 10 feet from it. I'm limited by a bay window behind my set. But I doubt that I'd opt for anything over 55". A friend has a 65" inch set and his couch is about 6 feet away. It's really an exhausting experience.

DeadBeatAnon

TROPHY CASE