{"id":16103,"date":"2026-07-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/11\/as-a-home-cinema-fan-i-hate-summer-and-its-not-just-the-heat-that-makes-me-say-that\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T01:00:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T08:00:17","slug":"as-a-home-cinema-fan-i-hate-summer-and-its-not-just-the-heat-that-makes-me-say-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/11\/as-a-home-cinema-fan-i-hate-summer-and-its-not-just-the-heat-that-makes-me-say-that\/","title":{"rendered":"As a home cinema fan, I hate summer &#8211; and it&#8217;s not just the heat that makes me say that"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-8a305990-7c32-11f1-b459-498a48b11afc\">My rant against 100-inch TVs; the four-star penchant Aventho 300; being the only Scot in this team during the World Cup. I had many conflicting opinions during my time at<em> What is Hi-Fi?<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>But recently, a phrase escaped my lips that made every other home cinema reviewer in the group stop in their tracks: I hate summer.<\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-8a305990-7c32-11f1-b459-498a48b11afc-2\">Not a character from him <em>The OC<\/em> (one of the best parts of millennial&#8217;s favorite teen drama), I&#8217;m talking about the season.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;RnkiWgOh&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;dJIGjkiz&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_dJIGjkiz_RnkiWgOh_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;Rioi8ng1&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_Rioi8ng1_RnkiWgOh_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;KIWyWK103AbLLpenXj0Pt0CFh36+X33xmEjia+BOxacMkSCz&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos Appearing<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand inline-flex items-center\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full min-h-[200px] lg:min-h-[330px] relative overflow-hidden bg-black\" data-jwp-carousel-container=\"\">\n<div class=\"absolute inset-0 size-full items-center justify-center bg-white\" data-jwp-carousel-fallback=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.whathifi.com\/media\/img\/WHF_logo.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"max-h-12 w-auto\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Why? Because the small benefits it brings &#8211; BBQs, excuses to visit the park, etc &#8211; don&#8217;t make up for the fact that it destroys one of my favorite things. Mostly, I watch movies in my home cinema.<\/p>\n<p>How are the two connected? With three major factors driving my neurotic battle over the summer.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><\/p>\n<p>            You might like it<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The first is the obvious one; the heat. My home theater is not very good. I live in a small Victorian one-story house in the third arrondissement, London. So as I said before, a proper long-throw projector and multi-speaker Dolby Atmos setup is too big to fit reasonably into my cinema room.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, upstairs, in my converted bedroom, I have a Hisense PX3 UST, connected to a JBL Bar 1300 sound bar system. That puts you somewhere between a basic TV setup and what our tech editor, Ketan Bharadia, would like to call a \u201cproper home cinema\u201d.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-b6gvLvJBDVb8pigu4HRVbS\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-b6gvLvJBDVb8pigu4HRVbS slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest hi-fi, home cinema and tech news, reviews, shopping advice and deals, delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside data-model-name=\"Hisense PX3,JBL Bar 1300,JBL Bar 1300MK2\" data-render-type=\"editorial\" data-widget-type=\"multimodelreview\" class=\"hawk-root\">\n<div class=\"hawk-multi-model-review-container\">\n<div class=\"hawk-multi-model-review-retail-container\">\n<p>Today&#8217;s best deals on Hisense PX3, JBL Bar 1300 and JBL Bar 1300MK2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p id=\"elk-417b61b2-7c33-11f1-9256-793f7cb1d956\">And among all the other seasons, I am happy about it. The wireless satellite speakers and subwoofer do a decent job of bringing movies to life and provide a good sense of high-quality direction in a basic single soundbar package. And the UST&#8217;s 120-inch projector image sounds great and a step up from the tiny 48-inch LG C2 in my living room.<\/p>\n<p>So, most weekends, when the wife is out, I&#8217;ll sneak up, put on my <em>Ninja Turtles<\/em> pajamas and indulge in watching a serious movie.<\/p>\n<p>During the summer, that delicious meal for me becomes a test of patience, both for me and for the hardware in the room. Home cinema hardware is starting to heat up. But because I&#8217;ve had to put everything upstairs, mine also works in a room that&#8217;s automatically warmer than the rest of the house, even with the curtains closed and the window open.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><\/p>\n<p>            What you can read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>So, by the time I make it through the 90-minute feature, I&#8217;ve often turned into a slimy beast, one that&#8217;s become one with the sofa &#8211; and that&#8217;s if the hardware has lasted that long. Often, the projector will overheat and need a shutdown before my metamorphosis is complete.<\/p>\n<p>And the simplest and most popular solution among the group of this problem, the air conditioning unit, is difficult for several reasons. First, because like all life <em>Captain Planet <\/em>supporter and proud Planetee, I don&#8217;t like to use them (they are not good for the environment).<\/p>\n<p>Second, because even if I did, they are loud. It&#8217;s so loud that every unit I&#8217;ve tested has sounded loud enough to distract me from what&#8217;s playing &#8211; it&#8217;s loud enough to linger in the back of your mind, like a toddler crying in the distance.<\/p>\n<p>And we&#8217;re talking about little kids&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Summer time brings summer holidays. Many think that this time is good, it gives children time to be children. And I appreciate that. But as an uncle and repeat godfather, it sounds like he&#8217;s a citizen of Argos after the gods unleashed the Kraken.<\/p>\n<p>The little monsters, who come down to you as tired, angry parents willingly surrender my wife and I to babysitting duties, regardless of our protests. &#8220;Oh, okay,&#8221; they said. &#8220;Just put something else <em>Bluey<\/em> in that home cinema room, and they&#8217;ll be fine,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n<p>My home theater is my fortress of solitude and it&#8217;s built for the best of things <em>Bluey<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>But more importantly, young summer seedlings are the most dangerous species. It&#8217;s warm, it&#8217;s weird, it&#8217;s full of ice lollies and caffeinated drinks. I have been sugar bombed by many of my &#8220;friends&#8221; and family over the years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s note: <\/strong><em>Sugar bombing is when you turn your child into a living bomb, load it up with treats, wiggle it, and throw it at the babysitter just as their pupils begin to dilate.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The destructive forces of nature have the supernatural power to do two things: destroy expensive home cinema hardware and stay a little stuck, no matter how many times you make them wash their hands.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the last time I babysat, I left the room for two minutes while they happily watched <em>They are not bad<\/em> and returned to the chaos. Jam was smeared on their little hands and most of the room, including the projector glass, even though I didn&#8217;t have any jam in the house and the kids were &#8220;clean&#8221; before I went to get them some juice.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a mystery I haven&#8217;t solved. Was it in their pockets? Is jam-making out of thin air a superpower that all five-year-olds have? I need to know!<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s this powerful combination of factors that makes me hate the summer season and wish we could skip it and go back to the home cinema-friendly winter months. Call me a grump all you want, but you know I&#8217;m right.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MORE:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>We measure the <\/strong><strong>the best projectors <\/strong><strong>money can be bought<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Our reviewers rate the <\/strong><strong>The best soundbars for Dolby Atmos<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Our options for<\/strong><strong>    excellent AV receivers<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My rant against 100-inch TVs; the four-star penchant Aventho 300; being the only Scot in this team during the World Cup. I had many conflicting opinions during my time at What is Hi-Fi?. But recently, a phrase escaped my lips that made every other home cinema reviewer in the group stop in their tracks: I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16104,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16103","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-audio-sound"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16103"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16105,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16103\/revisions\/16105"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.runwayritz.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}