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How to Use an External Amp to Create an 11.1 System
Al Griffin  |  Feb 13, 2017  |  0 comments
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Q I have a Denon AVR-X7200WA A/V receiver and a 9.2-channel speaker system. I recently bought an additional pair of height speakers and a Marantz five-channel amp to expand the system to 11.1 channels. How should I go about connecting the Marantz amp? —Dipin Patel / via email

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How Will an AVR Amp Upgrade Affect Audyssey Calibration?
Al Griffin  |  Nov 02, 2015  |  0 comments
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Q My current 5.1 audio setup is driven by a Marantz SR7007 AV receiver. Since I’d like to get a little more punch from it, I’m looking at upgrading to an external five-channel amp: either an Outlaw 5000 or Marantz MM7055. Here’s my question: If I connect an external amp to my Marantz receiver, will I still be able to use its Audyssey processing, or do I lose that ability? —Garry Briand / via email

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HT, 3D BD, RPTV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 18, 2010  |  0 comments
We're in the Money
My wife and I have gone into business for ourselves, and we plan to be making 6 or 7 figures in a few years. So, I'll finally get my own home theater. Where do I start? I like Martin Logan electrostatic speakers, which I saw and heard at Fry's. I also saw an 82-inch Mitsubishi DLP rear-projection TV, but the LED TVs looked so much better. As far as projection is concerned, is it too soon for 4K?
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HTIBs, Signal Switching, Balanced Cables
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 19, 2009  |  First Published: May 20, 2009  |  2 comments
HTIB Shopping
I am currently interested in purchasing a 5.1 home-theater-in-a-box system, and I'm reasonably aware of the available products. However, I am unable to determine which is the appropriate system for me. I had short-listed the Harman Kardon HKTS8/AVR-135 bundle (~$630) and the Sony DAV-DZ870 (~$550). I was going through Home Theater's reviews of the best HTIBs, and Onkyo HT-SR800 seems to be pretty good, though I haven't checked it out yet. I am now confused. What would you recommend?
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Hybrid Plasma?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 28, 2011  |  4 comments
A salesman at a store I visited said the Samsung PN64D8000 is a hybrid plasma with LED backlighting, which makes it much better than the Panasonic plasmas. He says it has the brightness of LED and all the qualities of plasma. What is your opinion of this technology?

Joe Souders

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In-Wall HDMI, Screen Size, Sub Pops
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 13, 2010  |  8 comments
Baluncing Act
Is it worth the effort to install HDMI cables "in-wall" given that they update the version so frequently? How long do you expect HDMI 1.4 to last ?
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In-Wall Speakers in the Ceiling
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 06, 2011  |  2 comments
I'm setting up a home-theater area in our living room, and there can't be any freestanding speakers. I don't have side walls for surrounds, only ceiling space. Can in-wall dipoles be used in the ceiling? If so, what is the ideal placement and configuration? I'm setting up a 5.1 system, which is all the space will allow for.

Theo Nikolakis

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In-Wall/In-Ceiling Speakers
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 23, 2011  |  5 comments
I have a 15x32 living room with a plasma TV above a fireplace in the center of the 32-foot wall. I would like to put in a pseudo-home theater with 5.1or 7.1 surround sound, but I'm limited to a 5-inch-high center speaker/soundbar (up to four feet wide) under the TV, two in-wall speakers in front, and two or four in-ceiling speakers. What do you think of Polk, Gallo, Revel, and Episode (or other) in-ceiling and in-wall speakers, and what would you get on a $3000-4000 budget?

Chuck

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Inexpensive Projectors
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 21, 2012  |  0 comments
I purchased a Sony VPL-HS20 in 2003, and I have enjoyed the picture quality until recently, when the projector started intermittently turning off without notice. I figure it's time for a new projector, although I can no longer afford one in the $3000 range. I live in Canada, and the Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 8345 (similar to the 8350) is around $1250. Also, if I wanted 3D (not urgent), the Epson 3010 is around $1400 on Amazon.

I currently project onto a 119-inch screen with some light control, although it is not perfect during the day. If I purchased a budget projector such as one of the Epsons mentioned above, will the quality be at least as good as what I've seen from my Sony? If not, can you recommend something else for me?

Paul Barnick

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Inexpensive Speakers, Panasonic Plasmas, Bitstream Conundrum
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 11, 2011  |  3 comments
What 7.1 speaker system do you recommend for under $1000? What's the difference between the Panasonic ST30 and GT30 plasmas? Why does my AVR display "DTS" no matter what Blu-ray soundtrack I select?
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Interacting with Panasonic’s 8K Tabletop Display
Al Griffin  |  Jan 09, 2016  |  7 comments
With TV makers focused on releasing 4K TVs with an expanded range of capabilities (HDR, wide color gamut, etc.) at CES 2016, the idea of a consumer 8K TV seems far off. Japanese broadcaster NHK has been demonstrating 8K for several years now at trade shows, however, and it plans to use the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as a platform to debut an 8K-res TV broadcast format.
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Internet Apps in TV & Player
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 31, 2011  |  7 comments
I have a 47-inch TV with Internet apps. Is there an advantage to getting a DVD player with Internet apps as well?

Skip Compton

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Is 35mm Film Good Enough for 4K on Blu-ray?
Al Griffin  |  Jun 12, 2014  |  3 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q Ever since I heard that 4K could become a mainstream reality, I’ve held off on making Blu-ray purchases thinking that a new, better format is just around the corner. I’ve also read that certain TV shows going forward will be shot in 4K, which makes me wonder about the long-term fate of content that wasn’t recorded at that resolution.

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Is a 5.1.2 Setup Sufficient for Atmos Surround?
Al Griffin  |  Jun 15, 2017  |  1 comments
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A If I use two Dolby Atmos-enabled towers as the front left/right speakers in my system, will that be sufficient to experience the format when playing discs with Atmos soundtracks? — David Lambert / via e-mail

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Is Audio Upsampling the Same as Video Upscaling?
Al Griffin  |  Aug 09, 2018  |  1 comments
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QWhen researching DACs, I ran across the Cambridge Audio CXN, a network audio player that upsamples all inputs to a 24-bit/384kHz hi-res format using “polynomial curve fitting interpolation.” This seems to be the only DAC that offers that kind of feature. Most Ultra HDTVs and Blu-ray players also provide upscaling, but for video. In my experience, this is a very effective feature that improves the experience of watching a regular DVD. Here’s my question: Does audio upsampling have the same effect as video upscaling? —Mike Yang / via e-mail

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