Ask S&V

Burn-In, Foot-Lamberts, Commercial Volume

Scott Wilkinson  |  May 1, 2009

No TV!
I want to replace the aging rear-projection TV in my home theater, possibly with a Pioneer Elite PRO-111FD. I will be watching mostly Blu-rays with no broadcast viewing at all. Since most Blu-rays have some sort of letterboxing, will there be a problem with image retention or burn-in? If so, what 50-52 inch LCD do you recommend?

Greg Kalbrunner

I agree that if you only watch letterboxed movies and no HDTV, burn-in could become an issue over time. But most plasmas, including the Pioneers, provide a "screen wipe" function that floods the entire screen with white to prevent burn in. Just activate this function once a week or so and you won't have a problem.

Too Bright!
My retailer recommends obtaining at least 40 foot-lamberts in a home-theater setup to get that "pop" in the picture. However, other sources say the cinema standard is 16fL. Projectors such as those from JVC, Sony, or Optoma do not have the light output to produce 40fL even on a modest 100-inch screen—you need an expensive Runco with a 2000-lumen output to achieve this goal. What is the optimal foot-lambert value to shoot for?

Raghu Pulluru

In my opinion, 40 foot-lamberts is too bright, at least in a dark room. THX recommends 30fL for LCDs and plasmas, again in a dark room. If you have unavoidable room light, it can be brighter.

As for front projectors, 40fL is ridiculous. The cinema standard is indeed 16fL, and that's what I strive for in a home theater as well. Of course, this assumes a completely dark room, which is required for any front-projection system.

Too Loud!
The sound level of TV commercials is outrageous! My normal volume setting is 25, but when commercials come on, I have to lower the level to 3 or 4 (or mute). Are there any TVs or home-theater-in-a-box systems that automatically adjust the sound level to combat this problem?

David Hicks

I know of two systems that do exactly what you want: Audyssey Dynamic Volume and Dolby Volume. Both are OEM systems—that is, they are licensed to manufacturers who integrate them into their products. Many Denon, Integra, and Onkyo AVRs provide Audyssey Dynamic Volume, while the Harmon Kardon AVR 7550HD, Arcam FMJ AVR600, and AudioControl Concert AVR-1 receivers provide Dolby Volume. I know of no HTIBs that provide either one. Toshiba's ZV650 series of LCD TVs will have Dolby Volume, but it's not on the market yet.

If you have a home-theater question, please send it to scott.wilkinson@sorc.com.

X