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Choosing a 3D Projector
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 04, 2012  | 
I have a 140-inch, 2.35:1 screen, and I'd like to replace my existing projector with a 3D model. I've narrowed my choices to the Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 6010 and the JVC DLA-X30. What do you think?

Kamarul Ariffin

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Choosing Between a Projector and Flat Panel
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 31, 2012  | 
I am trying to decide between a JVC DLA-X3 projector and a Sony XBR-55HX929 full-array LED-backlit LCD TV, both of which I have found for around $3500. This is about what my wife will let me spend. I like to watch movies, play video games, and watch sports and other TV shows. I'm not a 3D fan, so that doesn't matter to me. I am much more concerned with 2D performance. I like the idea of a projector because of the larger image, but I don't want to sacrifice the brightness, black level, or shadow detail of the Sony. Also, if I get the projector, I will need to get a quality screen, which will add to the cost.

Richard Gonzalez

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Choosing Overhead Speakers for an Atmos Setup
Al Griffin  |  Jun 23, 2016  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q It’s my understanding that the overhead speakers in a Dolby Atmos system are meant to create diffused sound. I have a pair of dipole surround speakers with a front-facing woofer and side-facing drivers. Could these be used in a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos system if I hung them from my cathedral ceiling with the woofer facing down and the side drivers firing to the front and back of the room? — Al Erdelyi / via email

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Circumventing HDCP
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 05, 2011  | 
I have an older 61-inch NEC plasma (built before Blu-ray became a standard), which has a stunningly beautiful picture and an incredible remote control. I have bought three Blu-ray players, and in each case, I can't get beyond the error message: "Illegal operation: device is non-HDCP compliant." Is there any way around this?

Jon Yinger

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Class D, TV Choice, Long HDMI
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 05, 2009  | 
D is an Excellent Grade
I'm thinking about purchasing Rotel's RSP-1570 pre/pro, and I notice that all the company's latest amplifiers (and the flagship RSX-1560 receiver) utilize Class D technology. Is this a move we're likely to see from other manufacturers given how well the energy-efficiency story plays in our increasingly green world? Does the technology sacrifice any performance?
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Clearing Up Confusion: HDMI 2.0 vs. 2.0a
Al Griffin  |  Mar 24, 2016  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I am looking to buy a Pioneer Elite AV receiver, but I hear that they have problems with 4K/Ultra HD video passthrough. Is this correct? —Charlie F. / via e-mail

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Coby Soundbar vs. TV Speakers
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 10, 2011  | 
Would you recommend using the Coby CSMP88 soundbar instead of the TV speakers in my LG plasma?

Nick Andrade

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Color Bars, Audio Switches, TV Settings
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 18, 2009  | 
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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Color Calibration, Dynamic Contrast, Best Performance
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 24, 2010  | 
Dire Need
I have an old Akai 55-inch HDTV rear-projection TV. Is there a calibration program I can download to a DVD and use to calibrate the color? It is in dire need. Other than that, it works well, and I really don't want to get a new TV as long as this one works.
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Compact Home-Theater Speakers
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 30, 2011  | 
I read in a recent Ask Scott post ("Building a System") that you thought full-range speakers in the system under discussion would be overkill for watching movies. One of the reasons for using bookshelf or compact speakers for the front left/right channels—tonal matching—was also highlighted as an appealing quality in Home Theater's review of B&W 805 compact speaker system (seen here).

I am looking to set up a surround system for the sole purpose of watching movies (no music) in a 12x12 room. As a general rule, do you recommend a system with matching front and surround speakers over a system with full-range fronts and compact surrounds, knowing there will be a sub either way? Most of the systems I see reviewed in magazines as well as all the recommended systems at my favorite local hi-fi store match large floorstanding front speakers with small surrounds, but your advice seems to contradict this.

Johann Dutton

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Conference Room Theater
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 25, 2011  | 
I would like to set up a conference room with audio/video capabilities. I am planning to use a 7.1 A/V receiver for audio and InFocus 5124 LCD projector for video. This would be used for training and presentations as well as watching an occasional ball game or movie.

Ideally, a presenter would be able to use the A/V system for a slide show from a computer (potentially with a sound track) and talk over it with a wireless microphone. However, most receivers only allow a single input source to be selected. I have not been able to find an A/V receiver that would let me mix a microphone with the 7.1 sound system and watch a slide show from a computer video input. Do you have any suggestions?

Jim Kay

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Confused: How Do I Connect a DAC to My AVR?
Al Griffin  |  Jul 29, 2021  | 
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I own a Marantz SR6013 A/V receiver and use it for both video switching and audio amplification. For video, I mostly watch Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. For music, I mostly stream from the Tidal service using the Marantz receiver’s built-in HEOS app. I would like to buy an external digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that supports MQA but am confused about the connections and the control app. After checking out my Marantz AVR’s back panel, I see two coaxial and optical digital inputs, but no digital outputs to connect the DAC, so maybe using an external DAC with the AVR is not possible. Am I missing something? —Rod McClaskey, via email

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Conventional EQ vs Audyssey
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 09, 2011  | 
Other than auto-calibration, what's the difference between "traditional" EQ units like those from DBX and Rane and systems like Audyssey?

Theo Nicolakis

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Correction, PIP, Volume Settings
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 03, 2010  | 
Oops!
In the last two installments of Ask Home Theater, I wrote that the Sony STR-DA4600ES and DA5600ES A/V receivers can convert HDMI sources to 1080i component video for a remote room. My source at Sony was confident about this, and I took his word for it. However, reader Dan couldn't find anything about this feature in the DA5600ES manual. Was my Sony contact wrong?
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Cracked Screen, Bitstream Indicators, Ceiling Speakers
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 28, 2010  | 
Superkid
I recently bought a 58-inch Samsung plasma for only $1200, and I loved it—that is, until my 4-year-old threw a small toy and cracked the screen. This totally disabled the TV; it would not even turn on. Is it normal for plasma screens to crack so easily, and if so, are LCD TVs more durable? Thank goodness I was able to return the TV and get a full refund, but I do not have the money to take another chance like that. I have a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old in the house, so what should I do to protect the TV?
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