Al Griffin

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Do AV Receivers Support DLNA Video Streaming?
Al Griffin  |  Dec 21, 2017  |  2 comments
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Q I am looking to buy an AV receiver that can play music (mainly FLAC files) and movies streamed from a media server hosted on a NAS. Are there any new receivers that provide that feature? I was looking at a Pioneer VSX-832 Network receiver based on a recommendation from a local dealer, but discovered a note on Pioneer’s website saying that it’s not supported.—Gigi Mathew

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Do I Need a Dolby Vision-Compatible Receiver?
Al Griffin  |  Jul 27, 2017  |  3 comments
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Q I’m looking to buy a new AV receiver. Denon just came out with the AVR-S930H, a 7.2-channel model that’s Dolby Vision compatible. Should I instead buy a 2016 model with similar features minus the Dolby Vision support? It would save me a few hundred dollars. The only Ultra HD source I plan to use it with is a Roku player.  —Steve Guminy

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Do I Need a New Cable Modem/Router for Ultra HD?
Al Griffin  |  Jun 08, 2017  |  1 comments
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Q I’m having trouble getting a picture from my cable box when running it through a HDCP 2.2-compliant AV receiver. I’m thinking that the problem might be the cable modem/router attached to my system, which is more than 10 years old. Is there such a thing as a HDCP 2.2-compliant cable modem/router, or could the problem lie elsewhere?  —Bill Ferguson

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Do I Need a Receiver with a Phono Input to Play Records?
Al Griffin  |  Jul 24, 2014  |  2 comments
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Q I need to replace an old receiver that has a phono input for my turntable. Do I need to get another receiver with a phono input, or can I just use the receiver’s Tape or Aux inputs instead?—David L. Waller 

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Do I Need a Subwoofer to Go with My Tower Speakers?
Al Griffin  |  Mar 16, 2017  |  4 comments
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Q I know that subwoofers are recommended for use with small bookshelf or satellite speakers, but are they also needed with floorstanding tower speakers such as the GoldenEar Technology Tritons? — Frank Hendricksen / via email

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Do I Need an HDCP 2.2-Compliant Receiver for 4K/Ultra HD TV?
Al Griffin  |  Oct 30, 2014  |  18 comments
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Q I’m trying to choose between new AV receivers from Sony, Denon, and Yamaha. The Sony is the frontrunner, but I am hesitant to pull the trigger because it’s not HDCP 2.2 compliant. If I connect an HTPC to this AVR, will I have problems in the future playing Ultra HD movies? How about satellite? Will I have the same problem if I eventually upgrade to an Ultra HD-capable satellite receiver?—Sam Shirzadegan

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Do I Need New HDMI Cables for My New OLED TV?
Al Griffin  |  Apr 25, 2017  |  3 comments
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Q The HDMI cables I’ve been using with my current TV are now eight years old. I plan to buy a new OLED TV. Will I need new HDMI cables for it? —Jim Stafford / via email

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Do I Need New HDMI Cables for UHDTV?
Al Griffin  |  Nov 11, 2015  |  1 comments
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Q I’m preparing to make a big, across-the-board system upgrade, much like I did several years back when HDMI 1.3 became standard for most devices. Will I need to replace my 5-year-old HDMI cables with new, higher speed ones to accommodate 4K video and HDMI 2.0/HDPC 2.2? —Mark Johnson

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Do I Need Separate HDMI Connections for Audio and Video?
Al Griffin  |  Jan 24, 2019  |  3 comments
Q I bought a Panasonic DP-UB820 Blu-ray player and a Sony XBR-X900F TV thanks in part to the reviews of both in Sound & Vision. Here’s my question: Should I use both of the DP-UB820’s HDMI outputs, one connected directly to the TV for video, and the second to my Anthem AVM 60 preamp/processor for audio? I’d think it would be best for the Panasonic to handle video processing before sending the signal to the TV, and that the Anthem simply decode the audio, but I’m wondering if there are disadvantages to this setup. —Greg Strzalka
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Do Lossless DTS-HD MA Soundtracks Stay Lossless?
Al Griffin  |  Jan 12, 2017  |  0 comments
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Q I have a question about playing 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks on a 5.1 speaker system. I understand that my receiver will mix the back rear channels into the surround channels, but will that cause the playback to lose the lossless quality DTS-HD Master Audio was designed to deliver? —Len Shift

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