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PIP, Bi-Amping, Burn-In
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 27, 2009  | 
PIP, PIP, Cheerio!
Why is it difficult to find new TVs with PIP (picture-in-picture). I'm looking for a new set to watch multiple sports channels on, so motion blur is also an issue.
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Plasma Break-In, AVR Upgrade, Frame Interpolation
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 20, 2009  | 
Breaking In Is Hard To Do
I recently purchased a Panasonic TC-P54V10 plasma TV along with a Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player. I was thinking of getting a professional ISF calibration on the plasma, but my sales rep said that I should wait about 200 hours before having it done since the gas needs to settle (or something like that). Do you agree?
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Bias Lighting, Best Blu-rays, Fixer-Upper
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 14, 2009  |  First Published: Oct 15, 2009  | 
On The Bias
I recall some Philips TVs having a built-in ambient light—some type of glow from behind the TV. This was supposed to help with dark-room viewing. Since then, few if any manufacturers have followed suit, but I continue to see occasional articles that say this is a good idea because it helps make viewing less stressful on the eyes.
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Old Speakers, Up or Down, Improved Sound
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 07, 2009  | 
How Old is Too Old?
I have been considering buying a pair of B&W Matrix 801 Series 3 speakers. Sonically, I am impressed, but the speakers were produced in 1990, and I am not sure if $2000/pair is a good investment, age-wise. I just don't know how much life is left in them. The current owner says he mostly plays music at a low level. Is anything I could check on my own, apart from auditioning, that can give me a clue in terms of how the speakers have aged and what's to come?
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BD Burner, Poor Vision, Ambient Light
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 30, 2009  | 
Burning Desire
I have a pretty fancy home-theater system, and I use DirecTV as my broadcast source. I would love to be able to burn widescreen HDTV shows to a DVD. My first choice is to burn DVDs in widescreen high def. My second choice would be to burn DVDs in widescreen, even if not high def. At this time, is there a good high-def DVD burner I could buy? Price is not an issue.
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TVs, Adaptors, Tuners
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 23, 2009  | 
Funny You Should Ask
I'm looking for a reasonably priced 42-inch HDTV. A standard-definition DVD player will be connected to it as well as digital cable, but no HD service. Plasma or LCD? I can go either way. It won't be wall mounted. I was thinking a 720p set would okay since we don't plan to have HD cable service, but I'd be very interested to hear what you think.
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AVR Setup, AVR Compatibility, VGA
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 18, 2009  | 
Manual Labor
I purchased an SPL meter to level the speakers in my 5.1 surround system. I read an article in Home Theater magazine about how to use this device, but I'm still not sure how to do it. For example, I'm not sure where to put the dial—do I start at 80 or 120?
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Screens, Heat, Speakers
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 26, 2009  | 
Goo for God
Have you ever reviewed any paint-on projection screens? If so, how do they generally compare to an actual screen? Also, is there a brand you recommend? I'm thinking about going this route for my church, not a home-theater setup.
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Audyssey, Adaptors, Screen Doors
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 19, 2009  | 
Feature Confusion
I have an Integra DTR-5.8 receiver. The owner's manual mentions Audyssey as a way to initially set up the speakers. I was wondering if you could tell me more about the feature that matches the sound level of TV programs and commercials.
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Restoration, BD vs. Cable, BD Soundtracks
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 12, 2009  | 
Restorative Power
When movies are restored for Blu-ray, why do some not look very good? Does it have to do with the film elements themselves? Why are some films harder to restore for Blu-ray? Are movies from the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s harder to restore in high-def than films of today?
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System Recommendation, Analog vs. PCM, TiVo & FiOS
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 04, 2009  | 
Starting from Scratch
I have a family room that measures 16x25 feet, and I intend to install a projection home theater with a good, affordable sound system. My budget is about $8000. What do you suggest for the projector, receiver, and speakers?
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DVE, Blu-ray, Video Delay
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 28, 2009  | 
Not Just for HDTVs
I own a Sony VPL-VW60 HD projector. Can I use Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics on Blu-ray to set it up, or is this only for HDTVs?
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TiVo HD, TV Sound, Asian AVRs
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 21, 2009  | 
Simple Answer
I've been looking for a device to record television programs from an over-the-air antenna so I don't have to subscribe to cable or satellite for my local stations that I used to record with my VCR. Is there such a device? My VCR still works, but I would prefer something that records HD.
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7.1 vs. 5.1, HTIBs, Dolby Headphone
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 14, 2009  | 
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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240Hz, High-End Projectors, Plasma Calibration
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 07, 2009  | 
Twice as Sharp
I intend to buy an LED-illuminated LCD TV. Since I like action sports, should I get a 240Hz set rather than a 120Hz?
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