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Soundbar, TV Setup, Multichannel Music
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 03, 2010  |  2 comments
Ill-Advised Combo
I have a very large room with high ceilings and a loft, and I have a 5.1 system with satellite speakers. Will a Polk SurroundBar 360 work together with the speaker system I have, or does it work only by itself?
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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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Older AVR, Surround Placement, Audiophile Debate
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 17, 2010  |  9 comments
HDMI-less
My father-in-law had a home-theater system installed a couple of years ago and would like to add a Blu-ray player. He asked me to hook it up, but I'm running into a problem with his system. The receiver is a Yamaha RX-V659, which only has component-video switching. I want to avoid running a separate HDMI cable to the TV and having him switch sources on the TV and receiver separately. Will connecting a Blu-ray player via component video cause the player to downconvert copy-protected disks to 480i? Do the majority of Blu-ray titles have HDCP?
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RPTVs, Speakers, Aspect Ratios
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 10, 2010  |  11 comments
Defending RPTV
I think you're a little harsh on rear-projection HDTVs. They've changed. For instance, the 67-inch Samsung I bought last year has no lamp and no color wheel. It's lit by three LEDs that fire their color beams directly at the DLP chip. No lamp to replace, no mechanical troublemaker. Also, the picture fully retains its brightness within an arc that is realistic for most home viewing.
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RMS, HDMI, RGB
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 03, 2010  |  9 comments
More Power!
Years ago, I was told that there were several ways to rate the power output from an amplifier, but only one of those ratings was the "true" measure—RMS or continuous power. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) got into the act back in the 1970s, requiring all amps over 5 or 10 watts to be rated in RMS watts with both channels driven. That requirement was lifted in the '80s, and now when I read power output specs, I don't know if they are RMS (root mean square), IHF (Institute of High Fidelity), or something else. Could you clarify this confusion?
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Sub Size, Upscaling, Blu-ray
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 27, 2010  |  15 comments
Size Doesn't Matter—Much
What is the recommended size for a subwoofer in a room measuring 19x17 feet? How big does the sub need to be for home theater?
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AVR Video, OLED, HTIB
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 20, 2010  |  First Published: Jan 21, 2010  |  3 comments
Video Degradation
In your response to Richard Zeddun, you wrote:
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Monster HDMI, Subwoofer Connection, Blu-ray Audio
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 02, 2009  |  23 comments
Monster on a Leash
I currently have a Samsung LN52A650 LCD TV with a Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu-ray player and a Dish Network VIP 722 DVR. Will Monster Cable's Ultra 600 HDMI cables with a speed rating of 4.95Gbps, 8-bit color, and 60Hz refresh rate be adequate with my setup?
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Color Bars, Audio Switches, TV Settings
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 18, 2009  |  1 comments
Great Idea
I have a DirecTV DVR, and I discovered that some channels display the SMPTE color bars after signing off, so I have recorded them to use when adjusting the TV's picture controls for broadcast content. The color-bar patterns I have recorded do not have 3.5 and 7.5 IRE PLUGE bars, only the 11.5 IRE bar. How do I adjust the brightness without the 3.5 and 7.5 bars?
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Video Processing, LED Backlighting, Big Plasma
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 11, 2009  |  8 comments
Two For One
I have a Pioneer Elite PRO-111FD plasma with a Denon DVD-3800BDCI Blu-ray player, and I have two questions. First, should I set the Denon to output 1080p/24 manually or just leave it set to Auto? Second, a friend is encouraging me to get the DVDO Edge because, he says, its processing is probably better than either the Pioneer or Denon. Do you think this is true, or is my current gear sufficient?
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Speakers, Switchers, Kuro
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 04, 2009  |  16 comments
Decisions, Decisions
I want to get a new pair of main speakers for my Pioneer Elite SC-27 A/V receiver. I can't decide between the Klipsch RF-83 and the Polk RTi A9. Is one better than the other?
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PIP, Bi-Amping, Burn-In
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 27, 2009  |  15 comments
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  |  16 comments
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  |  6 comments
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  |  15 comments
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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