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3D Projectors
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 04, 2011  |  0 comments
I'm in the market for a 3D projector, and I'm considering the Sony VPL-VW90ES, JVC DLA-X9, Sharp XV-Z17000, Mitsubishi HC9000, and Samsung SP-A8000. Which would you recommend? Can I use the Samsung 3D glasses with all of them, or would I have to purchase the same brand?

Jim Morige

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3D Projectors, HDMI Problems, Skipping Commercials
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 24, 2010  |  17 comments
Projecting 3D
I know that this was the year of 3D displays at CES, but all of those were LCDs and plasmas. Has there been any word from projector manufacturers producing 3D-ready home-theater projectors? I'm sure the effect will be much more spectacular than any flat panel.
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3D Standards, Speakers & AVRs, PAL Conversion
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 21, 2010  |  4 comments
Waiting for 3D
With Sony and Microsoft both moving toward 3D video-game consoles, I'm thinking about getting a 3D TV. But I'm not willing to get a first-generation model because the standard for glasses has not been finalized, and receivers still seem to be catching up. How long will I have to wait for everything to be finalized?
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3D TVs, AVRs, Screen Size
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 15, 2010  |  19 comments
3D Quandary
I'm looking for a 3D TV in the 55- to 65-inch range. I was leaning toward the Panasonic TC-P65VT25 until a salesperson at Best Buy told me the Samsung PN63C8000 is better, plus it includes a Blu-ray player. I thought Panasonic made the best plasmas. Also, which is better for 3D—LCD, LED, or plasma? Is Sony, Samsung, or Panasonic the best brand?
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3D Wars, Roku Controversy, 3D TVs
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 26, 2011  |  2 comments
Are Walter Murch's arguments against 3D reasonable? Why does Barb Gonzalez dislike Roku? Which 3D TV should I get?
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4:3 Stretch, Speaker-Source Switches, TV Setup
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 06, 2011  |  0 comments
What can be done about TV channels that stretch 4:3 images to 16:9? How do I switch between two AVRs to power one pair of speakers? How do I optimize the picture on my new TV?
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4K, Online Content, AVR Upgrade
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 08, 2010  |  12 comments
Whither 4K?
When I got my first
 real job, I decided to buy a 
big TV, so I got a 65-inch Mitsubishi rear-
projection TV that accepts 1080i signals. As the years have passed, 1080p showed up as 
well as HDMI and other features. I started looking around and decided I wanted a Pioneer Kuro, but then Pioneer stopped making them. From everything 
I've read, Panasonic plasmas can't match the Kuro in picture quality, and I couldn't 
care less about 3D.

So, here are my questions.

 Should I wait for 4K to become mainstream? Do you know 
when such TV sets might become available? Do you have any idea
 what the 2011 line of Panasonics will be?

Matt Hedges

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7.1 vs. 5.1, HTIBs, Dolby Headphone
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 14, 2009  |  20 comments
More Channels
With Blu-ray's storage capacity, lossless codecs, and 7.1 receivers, why aren't the vast majority of Blu-ray movies released with 7.1 audio? Are movie distributors/production companies just cheap or lazy? Did I just waste my money installing a 7.1 setup?
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Aging Projector Lamps
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 22, 2011  |  0 comments
Given that projector lamps change over time, what should one do to keep their projector up to snuff? Periodic full recalibration? Just tweak the brightness once in a while using a setup disc?

Doug Farrow

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Am I Losing Sound Quality If My Gear Isn’t Spec’d to 192 kHz?
Al Griffin  |  Mar 30, 2017  |  10 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q My Sony Blu-ray player can play DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks with up to 192-kilohertz/24-bit resolution. However, my receiver’s specified bandwidth is 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and my Polk 330T speakers only cover a frequency range of 33 Hz to 25 kHz. Am I losing sound quality because the receiver and the speakers aren’t spec’d to handle frequencies up to 192 kHz? — Javier Feliciano / via email

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Ambilight, Scaling, Subs
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 09, 2009  |  0 comments
Ambilight Ambivalence
A buddy of mine had an older Philips plasma TV with Ambilight. The first time I saw it, I though it was the greatest thing I'd ever seen and decided I had to have a set of my own with Ambilight. However, the Philips sets seem to get pretty mixed reviews on Amazon. The availability and selection also seems to be a little scarce. Are the Philips plasmas and LCDs really to be avoided? And if so, is there an alternative you can suggest?
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Amplifier Damage
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 31, 2011  |  6 comments
Can an audio amplifier be damaged by running it without speakers connected? For example, a surround system without the rear speakers hooked up or one channel of a stereo amp not connected.

Craig Farraway

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Archiving the Work of John Saxon
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 20, 2011  |  3 comments
My husband is John Saxon, and we have many of his movies on commercial VHS and DVD, while others and some of the TV shows he has appeared on are recorded on a DirecTV DVR. We'd like to make DVD copies of the tapes and DVDs as well as archive the TV programs from the DVR. What would you suggest for a DVD recorder?

Gloria Saxon

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Are 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays Really 4K?
Al Griffin  |  Sep 14, 2017  |  2 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I'm a big proponent of physical media and was an earlier adopter of the Ultra HD Blu-ray format. I understand that certain movies may have been shot in 4K or higher resolution (or on 35mm film, which provides enough detail to scan at 4K), but then mastered for release from a 2K digital intermediate. I’ve been able to appreciate the benefits of the Ultra HD format almost immediately thanks in large part to high dynamic range, but am bothered that some disc titles are mastered at less than Ultra HD resolution. It seems like we’ll soon be seeing "New 4K Remaster" versions of movies previously released in Ultra HD. What’s the issue here? —Jason Acosta

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Are New Cables Really Needed for HDMI 2.1?
Al Griffin  |  Feb 16, 2017  |  2 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q It looks like the high data rate (up to 48Gbps) of the forthcoming HDMI 2.1 standard will create headaches for the consumer electronics industry, especially the cable manufacturers. Here’s my question: Why does decompression of video data happen in the disc player or streaming box instead of the TV? If the situation were reversed, then there would be no need for new, 48G HDMI cables. —Dave Ings / Toronto, Canada

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