Al Griffin

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Can I Use My Back Surround Speakers With 5.1 Soundtracks?
Al Griffin  |  Jun 09, 2016  |  5 comments
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Q I have an Onkyo TX NR1009 AV receiver that I operate in a 7.2 configuration. All is well when I watch a movie with a 7.1 soundtrack since my couch is inline with the back surround speakers. However, when I watch movies or TV with 5.1 sound the rear speakers go silent and I need to shift my position to be inline with the side surround speakers. Is it possible to have the receiver route the 5.1 signal so the back surround speakers remain active and I don’t have to change my seating position? —George Yeoh

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Can I Use My In-Ceiling Speakers For Dolby Atmos?
Al Griffin  |  Sep 25, 2014  |  3 comments
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Q I have a 7.1-channel in-ceiling speaker system in my home theater. How can I adapt this for a Dolby Atmos configuration? My plan is to add a standard 5.1 channel speaker system and use the in-ceiling speakers for the height effects.—Paul Wright

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Can I Use My Soundbar as a Center-Channel Speaker?
Al Griffin  |  Apr 11, 2016  |  2 comments
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Q Can I use a soundbar like the Yamaha YSP-5600 as a center channel in a traditional 5.1/7.1 or Atmos setup? Would it sound better than a standard center-channel speaker? Also, does it have to be set up on its own first or last to blend in with the rest of the system? —Oliver Johnson / via e-mail

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Can I Use Wireless Ceiling Speakers for Dolby Atmos?
Al Griffin  |  Dec 22, 2016  |  1 comments
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Q I’m ready to upgrade my surround sound system to a 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos configuration. My current 5.1 system uses GoldenEar Technology speakers, which I want to keep. Here’s my problem: I have no way to run wires through the ceiling to mount in-ceiling speakers, and I don’t want to deal with the unsightly wires that an on-ceiling speaker installation would require. Here’s my question: Are there any wireless speakers I could use for my Atmos upgrade? —Michael Henn

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Can LCD and OLED TVs Display Rec. 2020 Color?
Al Griffin  |  Oct 28, 2015  |  1 comments
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Q The Rec. 2020 color gamut is the future of TV—the standard was set years ago and has been included in the specification for Ultra HD Blu-ray. Even so, UHDTVs have been around for a few years yet none can display the Rec. 2020 color gamut. Why? Are we one day going to see Rec. 2020-capable LCD and OLED TVs, or is it true that only laser projectors are capable of reproducing that gamut? —Karim Genio / Algeria, North Africa

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Can My 4-Year-Old Receiver Handle 4K, True HD?
Al Griffin  |  May 01, 2017  |  1 comments
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Q I just purchased a Samsung Ultra HDTV and plan to buy an Ultra HD Blu-ray player. My current AV receiver is four years old. Is there any way I can get a 4K picture and Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio sound without having to buy a new receiver? —Michael Errico / via email

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Can My Gear Support High Dynamic Range Video?
Al Griffin  |  May 18, 2016  |  1 comments
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Q I would like to know if my current Vizio TV (P502Ui-B1E) and Pioneer receiver (VSX-1130-K) will be able to support both the HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR formats.  I’d really prefer not to have to upgrade the Pioneer receiver since it was purchased recently to support both 4K@60Hz video and Dolby Atmos audio in my system. I'm also interested in picking up LG’s 65EF9500 OLED, a 2015 model,  but am wondering the same thing about HDR support on that TV.  —Johnston Cheng

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Can My Receiver Upscale 5.1-Channel Soundtracks?
Al Griffin  |  Jan 04, 2018  |  1 comments
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Q I have my Pioneer Elite SC-LX901 AV receiver connected to a 7.1 speaker system. When I press the SURR button on the remote, the receiver’s front-panel display shows all 7.1 speakers lit up and ready for action, but no sound comes out of the two Surround Back speakers. Do you have to watch a disc with a 7.1-channel soundtrack to get 7.1-channel sound, or can my receiver upscale a 5.1 soundtrack to a 7.1 format? The SC-LX901 is a Dolby Atmos-capable receiver, so I’d expect it to upscale 5.1 soundtracks for 7.1 output.—B. Hinson

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Can My TV Display 10-Bit Color?
Al Griffin  |  Aug 03, 2017  |  2 comments
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Q How can I tell if a TV has a 10-bit panel to process the full 10-bit color of high dynamic range (HDR) video?  I’ve heard that certain TVs accept 10-bit signals, but display them at 8-bit resolution. I’m interested in buying Samsung’s 2016 KS9810 SUHD TV, a top-of-the-line model from 2016, but want to make sure it has 10-bit display. How will I be able to tell the difference?—Jerry Peterson

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Can My UHDTV Stream HDR Content From Netflix?
Al Griffin  |  Nov 03, 2016  |  1 comments
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Q I bought my Samsung UN65JS9500 Ultra HDTV back in 2015.  According to Samsung, it supports high dynamic range. However, when I browse the Netflix app on the TV, the listings will indicate if a program is 4K/Ultra HD, but not if it’s high dynamic range. I’ve asked both Samsung and Netflix tech support what the problem is, but have yet to receive a clear answer. Can you help? — Jon Fraser

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