Q Can a TV’s built-in apps stream true 4K, or is it a lower resolution video format that the TV just upconverts to 4K? Also, would streaming via Wi-Fi instead of a hardwired Ethernet connection lower video resolution? —Cliff Parrish, via email
Q I want to listen to Amazon Music Unlimited’s Dolby Atmos music tracks on my home theater system. Amazon Music support says my subscription will only output Atmos to a few devices including headphones. But when I play the Best of Dolby Atmos playlist on my Roku Ultra streamer, the display on my Sony A/V receiver reads “Atmos” and I hear sounds coming from all of the speakers in my 7.1-channel system. Am I experiencing a real Atmos mix, or is this a case of wishful hearing? — Bill Heestand, Round Rock, TX
Q I have a Samsung HDTV and use the set’s analog minijack output to route an audio signal to my NAD integrated amplifier. Here’s my question: Would using an HDMI switcher/audio extractor that has HDMI inputs and HDMI and RCA-jack audio outputs increase sound quality? I have been told that using such a device would actually decrease audio performance. —James P. Landolt / via e-mail
Q I’ve been checking out the JBL Charge 2 Bluetooth speaker but had doubts
regarding its performance with metal and other heavy types of music. Would the Charge 2’s limited bass hinder the sound quality of heavy music in any way? —Abhay Bajpai / via e-maill
Q I have read that the electrolytic capacitors in audio equipment can degrade and leak after years of use and that sound quality will suffer as a result. Is this true? I have a few pieces of 25-to-30-year-old gear that still sound fine to me. I’ve also read that upgrading capacitors can improve sound quality. Is that another myth? —Rob Gerry / via e-mail
Q I tried to watch Cruella on Disney+ and was shocked by the poor video quality presented by my Roku streaming device. I was able to make the movie watchable by changing the color mode and lamp settings on my Epson HC 4010 projector, but still wonder exactly what happened. Have you noticed that some movies look notably darker than others? If so, does it have anything to do with high dynamic range (HDR)? —Gary Eickmeier, via email
Q I’m using an older A/V receiver in my home theater to connect the optical digital audio outputs from a Fios TV box, OPPO Blu-ray player, and Gen-2 Apple TV. I want to upgrade to the new Apple TV, but it only has an HDMI output and no optical digital audio connection. Here’s my question: Are there any optical-to-HDMI audio converters that will let me keep using the same receiver in my setup? —Lavern Lee
Q I am new to the world of home theater, but I’m building a house soon and want to plan for the possibility of a home theater setup. I like the idea of having in-ceiling
speakers running the surround sound. Is it possible to set up a Dolby Atmos system that exclusively uses in-ceiling speakers?—Jonathan Huizingh / via e-mail
Q If I download 24-bit high-res music from an online source such as HDtracks.com, can I then burn it to a blank DVD and play it on the DVD-Audio player in my home theater system? It sucks that you can no longer buy DVD-Audio discs, but I was hoping to get DVD-Audio-like performance using this method. —Rick Cooper
Q I need a new TV. Here’s what I want: LED-backlit LCD, 55- to 60-inch screen, thin (2 inches or less deep), great picture. I also want it to be truly dumb, with as few Smart features as possible. My research has turned up a new NuVision Lucidium NVU55FX10LS, a 55-inch model that appears to have a good picture. Can you suggest another dumb TV with an equally good picture that might be cheaper? —Dennis A. Fuller / Dallas, TX