LG OLED + Nvidia Shield + Sonos = Cord-Cutter’s Living Room Nirvana

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If you have an LG OLED and are considering the built-in apps for SlingTV or PLEX, don’t bother. Don’t bother with a FireTV 4K, either. Just get a Shield Pro and be done with it. GeForce NOW is also worth a look.

One Device that Fills the Gaps

After getting by with the WebOS 3.0 built-in applications on the LG C9 OLED for about a year, and then adding a FireTV 4K for the improved versions of the SlingTV and PLEX apps, the Nvidia Shield Pro finally provided a single platform for all my apps. It also had several unexpected bonuses.

The problem with the WebOS and even FireTV Sing/PLEX apps was that coming from TiVo, the non-local DVR performance paled in comparison. Upgrading to a Shield largely solved this problem with the improved versions of the apps and better performance in general. Like FireTV, the Shield also solved the problem of the hit-or-miss WebOS screen saver. The out-of-the-box screen saver didn’t function in all cases, and that can be a concern on an OLED display. The Shield also added the ability to seamlessly turn off the TV after a configurable idle timeout, which was inexplicably missing from the default LG menu options.

Overall, the Shield enabled me to use a single device and never have to navigate away or switch inputs. Either the LG Magic Remote or the Shield remote can function as a universal remote for the TV, Shield, and Sonos. The Shield filled all the gaps left by the the combined WebOS, TiVo, and FireTV options. In hindsight, starting with the Shield and ignoring WebOS, TiVo and FireTV altogether would have saved considerable time, which is the point of this PSA.

Is it the Future NOW?

As icing on the cake, GeForce NOW also won me over for casual gaming. The lag is totally acceptable with a wireless XBOX controller. Remote GPU performance is finally a reality, if only just enough to be satisfying. Ultra-fast-twitch gamers will continue to spend on local rigs, but my guess is that for the average gamer, GeForce NOW is an excellent compromise in the same way streaming video is an excellent compromise compared with a local 4K Blu-Ray collection.

Note that I did not even try to run GeForce NOW over WiFi, but if you have a solid 5GHz connection with enough bandwidth, that should not present a problem.

Sonos Not Detected by SmartThings Scan? Try the Bose button.

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After too much time spent on Google, forums, moving the SmartThings hub to different ethernet switches and trying all kinds of router/network configuration options to no avail, the SmartThings iOS app finally detected my Sonos speakers with this counterintuitive process:

  1. In the SmartThings app, click the + on the main screen.
  2. From the “What do you want to add to this location” list, select Device.
  3. On the “By device type” tab, select Speaker. All obvious so far.
  4. The only option available on the Speaker screen is Bose. You do not have a Bose speaker. Click Bose anyway.

My non-Bose Sonos Arc and other devices were magically detected by the Bose button. Give it a try.

The Glorious Goldilocks: Dell’s 25″ U2515H

Reading Time: 2 minutesI really liked the new 27″ Dell UltraSharp monitor, but with the 25″, it’s love.  There’s a certain synergy between the resolution and the new 25″ size that makes the whole experience greater than the sum of its specs.  Here’s my opinion in a chicken scratch nutshell.

There's a certain synergy between the resolution and the 25" size that makes the whole experience greater than the sum of its specs.
Goldilocks 2015

The 27″ version seemed great until some color uniformity issues started to bug me. TFT Central’s detailed review of that monitor described similar issues with their test sample, so it’s not just me.  Thankfully, this new U2515H does not suffer the same problem, and is overall better than its big brother in every way.  Though the hallmark “IPS glow” is present, light bleed is nearly non-existent, and the improved pixel density is noticeable in unexpectedly good ways.  With a solid 3-year warranty from Dell, this will be my monitor of choice for a while.

A note about small fonts and Rick James:  If you have less than stellar vision, a larger monitor might seem like a no-brainer, but in this case the higher PPI text of the 25″ is commensurately sharper, making the 27″ seem just a little fuzzy by comparison.  From old monochrome CRT’s to Apple’s current crop of Retina displays, like a Super Freak, this new Dell monitor is my all time favorite. It has enough resolution to effectively use modern browser zooming, yet the pixels are just the right size such that a one-pixel-wide font shows up clean and bright. Text looks fantastic. Games look stunning and will run fluidly at full resolution on mere mortal-class graphics hardware.

Between the new 27″ and 25″ Dell UltraSharps, I’m a little surprised to unequivocally prefer the 25″. Both have the same excellent design, stand adjustments, slim bezel, and the best anti-glare coating I’ve ever seen. But, even if you win the display lottery and get a perfect 27″ specimen, the higher pixel density and convenient, comfortable size make the U2515H a very attractive alternative. It’s the only 25″ 2560×1440 monitor currently available in the U.S., but it definitely won’t be the last.

MacOS Sierra Upgrade — Folder Question Mark and Pinwheels

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Problem

After upgrading to MacOS Sierra on a Mid-2012 Retina MacBook Pro with an aftermarket OWC SSD, the “folder with question mark” icon appears upon boot, and intermittent pinwheels cause hard-resets/crashes — especially coming back from sleep mode. System heats up during charging.

Things Tried That Did Not Work

  • PRAM Reset
  • SMC Reset
  • First Aid with Disk Utility
  • Flashed the OWC SSD to latest firmware
  • Disabled FileVault
  • Clean install of Sierra
  • Opened up the laptop and reseated the OWC SSD
  • Disabled the “put hard disks to sleep when possible” check box in the Power section of System Preferences
  • Changed “hibernatemode” value from 3 to 0.
  • Disabled Wake for WiFi, Power Nap and Automatic Graphics Switching
  • Removed the OWC drive, cleaned the contacts with alcohol and placed a small pad to apply pressure to the contacts to ensure good contact.
  • Secure-erased the SSD

What Finally Did Work

Replaced the OWC drive with a new 480MB mSATA drive (MDMS-BP4e-512) and a model-specific adapter.

The adapter and drive together are a bit taller than the original equipment.  There appears to be a slight clearance issue.  The drive fits right up against the bottom panel and pushes it out slightly, about~0.2mm, after reassembly.  It’s not enough to notice unless you’re looking for it, but the adapter could be improved with a slimmer profile.  For half the cost of a more perfect fit, it’s a satisfactory option.

So much for the fabled longevity of SSD‘s — the OWC lasted about three years.