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Tech2
Restoring "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jul 11, 2011

The 30th Anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark came and went on June 12th, and while there's still no Blu-ray announcement, a special screening at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (you know, the Oscar folks) brought together a panel of behind-the-scenes people who worked on the film.

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Dinosaur TV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 11, 2011
I have an old 50-inch front-projection TV sold by Sears under the brand Proformance around 1984. The picture is still good overall, but small text such as a ticker at the bottom and sports scores are out of focus. Large text is okay. It seems like it needs to be re-focused and realigned on the screen, but I don't have a manual and neither does the Internet. I also don't want to put any tech money into this TV, so hopefully I can do the adjustment myself. Included in this message are pics of the TV and the problem along with the control panel. Is there anything I can do to correct these problems?

I found a link to a procedure to refocus a 3-CRT rear-projection TV, and I wonder if it will work from the front controls of my TV?

Donna

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Tech2
Deepest Bass Ever?
Brent Butterworth  |  Jul 11, 2011

We’ve received a few inquiries from readers about a music track I’ve mentioned in recent subwoofer reviews. Considering that I’ve described the piece in question as having “the most intense low bass I’ve ever heard,” this interest isn’t surprising.

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Marantz AV7005 vs. Integra DHC-40.2
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 11, 2011
I am planning to replace my preamp/processor, and I've been looking at the Marantz AV7005 and the Integra DHC-40.2. I've read both reviews on HomeTheater.com (linked here), but I would like your opinion about these two units, especially the differences in sound quality and video processing.

Eliot Marin

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HDTV SetupHDTV Tech
How To Tune Your Grandmother's HDTV
Rob Sabin  |  Jul 11, 2011
It’s a given that most readers of Home Theater are that guy—the one friends and family call when they need a new HDTV. But it doesn’t stop there. Because after your 82-year-old grandmother finally tosses out that old Sylvania console and buys a 52-inch LCD on your expert recommendation, you still have to help with the picture settings. We can’t have nana blowing out her sensitive retinas on the factory torch mode, now can we? Oh, what those eyes have seen...
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
The Lincoln Lawyer
David Vaughn  |  Jul 11, 2011
As a defense attorney, your job isn't to decide who's guilty or innocent, it's to make sure your client gets a fair trial and to present the facts of the case in a way to provide the jury with reasonable doubt in order to gain an acquittal. Hotshot Los Angeles lawyer Mickey Hailer (Matthew McConaughey) is hired to defend a wealthy young man (Ryan Phillippe) who's accused of rape and suddenly finds himself embroiled in a game of deception that threatens not only his career, but his own life.

Based on the book by Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the best thrillers I've seen in a while. The pacing and acting are both topnotch and l loved the twists and turns in the story. Furthermore, the video encode is picture perfect with razor-sharp detail, striking contrast, and inviting shadows.

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How Well Can You Control Ambient Daylight In Your Home Theater?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 08, 2011
As you probably know, controlling ambient light is one of the most critical factors in creating a high-quality home-theater experience. The darker you can make the room, the more you will be drawn into the story on the screen. Also, a dark room prevents any distracting reflections from a plasma or LCD TV with a shiny screen. And a front-projection system absolutely requires a dark room to look good unless you have a special ambient-light-rejecting screen, and even then, a dark room is better.

Of course, any room can be made dark at night simply by turning off the lights. But if you watch during the day in a room with windows, sliding glass doors, skylights, or other transparent/translucent openings to the outside world, you need black-out shades or other coverings to darken the room, which might or might not be practical for one reason or another.

I'm curious to know if this is a big problem among our readers. How well can you control the ambient daylight in the room you use as a home theater? I'd also love to know how you control ambient daylight. Blackout shades? A windowless room? If you have a front projector, do you use an ambient-light-rejecting screen?

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice.

How Well Can You Control Ambient Daylight In Your Home Theater?
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3D Tech
Surviving The 3D Format War
Rob Sabin  |  Jul 08, 2011
If you're shopping for an HDTV this weekend, you might find yourself battle-scarred by a war you didn't even know was happening. Anyone considering a set with 3D compatibility—which now comes along for the ride in most better flat panels —will be forced to choose between one that comes with either active-shutter or passive 3D technology. The key proponents of active-shutter 3D are Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony. Leading the charge for the more recently introduced passive technology are Toshiba, Vizio, and LG (which developed the passive home 3D system being used by the others). Although both types will play back the same 3D Blu-ray Discs and broadcasts, the glasses and the resulting 3D image are different. Here are some facts to help you sort things out.
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Music Reviews
Maximum Impact
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 07, 2011

Dave Grohl and I are crouched together on a hot blacktop driveway that encircles the SoCal locale where the photo session for this exclusive S+V cover story is taking place. To the onlookers who shuffle past us and sometimes hover at a respectful distance, it appears as if these two hunched, animated, close-talking bearded longhairs are plotting to take over the world — and perhaps that’s not an entirely wrong assumption.

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Front vs. Rear Projection
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 07, 2011
I've been thinking about building a theater room, and I'd like to know the relative benefits of front versus rear projection when using a video projector. As of right now, it appears that DLP is the best bet for projection, but I am sure that could change.

Grant

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