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RPTV, KEF, Kuro
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 24, 2009  |  7 comments
RPTV & PC
I'm planning to buy a 60- or 70-inch HDTV in a few months. The room where it will live is not totally darkened like a home theater. Besides watching TV and DVDs, we also want to hook it up to a PC. With this requirement, is LCD TV the way to go?
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RPTVs vs. Flat Panels
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 16, 2011  |  3 comments
You have the best home-theater website, hands down. I also love your short guest appearance on Leo Laporte's radio show every week. I notice that you talk about plasma and LED LCD TVs a lot, but very rarely talk about DLP TVs. Even last weekend when you were the guest host on Leo's show, there was no mention of it. Is this because the technology and displays are not as good as plasmas and LCD TVs, or is it because there is no market for those TVs? Or is there another reason? I can get the Mitsubishi WD-92840 92-inch DLP TV for about $3300! No plasma or LED comes close to this price. If I want an 80-inch or larger flat panel, I'm looking at somewhere north of $10,000!

Levy Sergio Palacios

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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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RSS, Plasma Buzz, RPTV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 28, 2009  |  19 comments
Finding RSS
I can't find any RSS links for the various blogs and posts! Am I missing them somewhere?
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Samsung UN46D6000 vs. Panasonic TC-P50ST30
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 04, 2011  |  2 comments
Can you recommend a TV for a small living room? The room is 18 feet wide, and current viewing distance on a standard-definition 35-inch TV is about 12 feet. I'm looking at the 42-inch size range for $1500 or less. I think I need an LCD TV with 120 or 240Hz refresh rate; I watch a lot of sports, and I'm not sure that 120Hz would be enough. Also, I think I want an Internet connection as well. I know from listening to you that this can update the TV, but can it access shows like what Leo Laporte and you do on twit.tv?

Tim Smith

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Samsung UN55D8000 vs. Sony XBR-55HX929
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 30, 2011  |  0 comments
I want to buy a LCD TV with LED backlighting. I am not a "ultimate" kind of guy because I do not have the money. I am looking for a 55-incher for $3500 or less. I've heard you say Samsung is the one to get. What the model would that be? I think it is the UN55D8000.

John Phillips

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Satellites, Subwoofers, Projector Placement
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 10, 2010  |  7 comments
We Don't Need No Stinkin' Boxes!
A satellite signal comes into your house and goes to the satellite receiver via coax, right? Why can't you connect the coax directly to an HDTV and get a high-def signal? Also, why do Dish and DirecTV advertise "full HD" when the signal is 1080i?
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Screen Size and Seating Distance
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 27, 2011  |  3 comments
Is there a site that can help determine the right screen size for a given seating distance? In my case, the distance from my couch to the TV is 7 feet.

Emery Walker

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Screens, Heat, Speakers
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 26, 2009  |  5 comments
Goo for God
Have you ever reviewed any paint-on projection screens? If so, how do they generally compare to an actual screen? Also, is there a brand you recommend? I'm thinking about going this route for my church, not a home-theater setup.
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Searching for a Sealed Sub to Go with My Maggies
John Sciacca  |  Feb 16, 2023  |  11 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I want to add a subwoofer to my Magnepan MG12 speakers in a two-channel-only setup. I am looking at sealed subs to keep up with the pace of the Magnepans. I can budget up to $1,000 but would prefer to spend less. The room is 380 square feet, with the listening area directly in the center. I’ve considered the RSL Speedwoofer Mk II, a Rythmik L12, and the SVS 3000 Micro. Your professional insight would be appreciated. —Craig A.

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Searching for an AVR
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 09, 2012  |  11 comments
I'm upgrading my home-theater system with a Panasonic TC-P65VT30 plasma TV and Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player. I also want to replace my Yamaha RX-V793 A/V receiver, but I'm not sure what make and model would be best. I plan to keep my Paradigm Cinema Phantom tower speakers (front left and right), CC-170 center speaker, Atoms (left and right surrounds), and PDR-12 subwoofer.

I'm willing to pay for an AVR that will provide video performance to take full advantage of the TV and Blu-ray player. Likewise with sound performance; I see no point in paying for a higher performing AVR than my existing speakers can handle.

BTW, my room is 18x12 feet, and the TV will be located on one long wall with the sofa along the opposite wall. Also, I have carte blanche from my wife to get what I want in designing the media room.

Darren Benjamin

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Seeking Guidance on Vintage Amps and Receivers
Al Griffin  |  Feb 18, 2016  |  4 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’m on a vinyl kick. I recently purchased an Audio-Technica LP120 USB turntable and am converting a few of my old LPs. I have it connected to a Sony AVR and am listening through my Klipsch Reference RB-5II bookshelf speakers. Now I’m thinking about searching for a vintage amp or receiver. I’ve read good things about the Marantz 1060 integrated amp (circa 1975), which is rated at 30 watts per channel. I also hear good things about some of the old Pioneer gear. I want to crank old classic rock, and I know the RB-5IIs can handle it. Any suggestions on what I should set my sights on? — Lew Collins/Via e-mail

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Separate vs. Integrated Subwoofers
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 19, 2012  |  3 comments
I have a couple of questions:

1. Should a home-theater speaker system have separate subwoofers instead of subwoofers in the main front towers?

2. Should an amplifier's power-output rating match the power-handing rating of a speaker system?

Bob Spencer

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Separates, Wall Color, HTIB
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 16, 2009  |  4 comments
The Perennial Question
Would it be better with a thin budget to buy an AVR rather than separates? I was thinking about getting Denon's flagship AVR-5308CI receiver, but there are separates from Integra, Anthem, Marantz, and Denon that all seem to have similar features but are somewhat lower in price. What would be a good solution?
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Setting an AVR for Large or Small Speakers
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 02, 2012  |  26 comments
I have an Onkyo TX-SR805 A/V receiver driving Paradigm Monitor 11s (front L/R), CC-390 (center), Mini monitors (surround L/R), and PW-2100 powered sub. I found a page on the Audyssey website that recommends setting the speakers to "small" after running the auto setup and letting the sub do the so-called heavy lifting. But the Paradigm dealer and everyone I have ever talked to about this says you should always set the speakers to "large" regardless of their actual size/low-frequency response.

What do you think about setting full-range speakers to small as Audyssey recommends? The SR805 does not have a "Large/Small" setting; it lets you specify each speaker as "full-range" or set a crossover frequency between 40 and 200Hz. Where should I set the crossover for the speakers? If the speaker cutoff is (for example) 80Hz, should the sub lowpass be set to the same frequency? If I set the Monitor 11s to 80Hz, does that mean information below 80 Hz will be sent to the sub? Does the amp still send full power to the speaker even though it is set to small?

Kevin Hoeft

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