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Casio Projectors, Headphones, 3D vs. 2D
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 30, 2010  |  5 comments
Howdy, Slim
First, let me tell you how much I enjoy your podcasts—very informative and entertaining. I loved the episode with Gene Dolgoff, a true pioneer in this field.
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3D TVs, AVRs, Screen Size
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 15, 2010  |  19 comments
3D Quandary
I'm looking for a 3D TV in the 55- to 65-inch range. I was leaning toward the Panasonic TC-P65VT25 until a salesperson at Best Buy told me the Samsung PN63C8000 is better, plus it includes a Blu-ray player. I thought Panasonic made the best plasmas. Also, which is better for 3D—LCD, LED, or plasma? Is Sony, Samsung, or Panasonic the best brand?
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HDMI Handshaking, Soap-Opera Effect, Cal Without Tools
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 08, 2010  |  10 comments
Secret Handshake
I have an LG 50PK750 plasma TV connected to a Sony Blu-ray player via HDMI. When i switch inputs from the cable box to the BD player, I may or may not get sound. It seems to work more often if I switch the input and then power up the player. No one I've talked to, including an LG tech, has any knowledge or advice about this. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Calibration Training, AVR Connections, Frame Rates
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 01, 2010  |  14 comments
Job Training
In looking for a good part-time job (hopefully working into full time), I ran into a guy who advised that I take a video-calibration technician course. Who is best to teach this? I heard that an ISF course is available through a school in Colorado. I have also heard you and Leo Laporte chat about THX in glowing tones, and I see online they hold courses in Las Vegas and Dallas.
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Tube Amps, Best Connections, Ripping Music
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 25, 2010  |  10 comments
More Power!
How is it that tube amps only produce, say, 25 watts of power, and yet they provide enough output to drive speakers rated for hundreds of watts?
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Wireless Audio, Dynamic Contrast, 3D PJs
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 18, 2010  |  0 comments
Going Wireless
I have some very good wired speakers. How can I convert them to wireless in order to have more flexibility in placement? I do not want wires going throughout the room.
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Sharp Quattron, Hard of Hearing, Kuro Spoilage
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 11, 2010  |  13 comments
Oh My!
I was listening to Leo Laporte's recent "Tech Guy" podcast on which you discussed Sharp televisions and their new Quattron technology, which uses four colors (red, green, blue, and yellow). I agree with your comments that the goal should be to accurately reproduce the original colors. Is this technology akin to inkjet printers using more than three inks to more accurately reproduce colors? Do you know if Sharp is trying to create "extra" color or using a new technique to reproduce color content that isn't being properly generated?
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Panasonic Frustration, Lossless Analog, Upgrade Blues
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 04, 2010  |  14 comments
Can't Get No Satisfaction
Love your blog at HomeTheaterMag.com. It is very informative and has helped me in many ways.
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Picture Presets, AVR Shopping, Soundbar Center
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 28, 2010  |  5 comments
Black Hole Mode
You often talk about the advantages of professional calibration, but why couldn't TV makers include a mode for a blacked-out room? Or am I missing something? I have a ninth-gen, 50-inch Pioneer Kuro and a PS3. I set the TV's picture mode to Movie for standard-def TV and Standard for Blu-ray (with film mode set to Advance).
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3D Standards, Speakers & AVRs, PAL Conversion
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 21, 2010  |  4 comments
Waiting for 3D
With Sony and Microsoft both moving toward 3D video-game consoles, I'm thinking about getting a 3D TV. But I'm not willing to get a first-generation model because the standard for glasses has not been finalized, and receivers still seem to be catching up. How long will I have to wait for everything to be finalized?
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Projection Screens, 3D AVRs, HDMI Cables
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 14, 2010  |  17 comments
Diamonds Are a Light's Best Friend
I am installing a new home theater, starting with a Panasonic PT-AE4000U projector, and I wonder about which screen to use. I would like a 16:9 or 2.35:1 screen. The room has some ambient light, but it can be made totally dark. What do you think of the Screen Innovations Black Diamond II? I have seen some YouTube videos about it, and it really looks great, but I wonder if it's worth the high price?
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Gamma, HDBaseT, Projectors
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 07, 2010  |  0 comments
Gamma Chameleon
I notice that most projectors don't have a spot-on gamma of 2.2. They are either a little above or under the ideal 2.2. Is this less important than color temperature and contrast ratio?
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CRT Upgrade, 3D PJs, Best Connections
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 30, 2010  |  10 comments
Golden Oldie
I have a 34-inch Sony KD-34XBR960 direct-view CRT HDTV, which works fine, but it's a beast. Are the current LCD/LED TVs equal in picture quality to the 960? Other than multiple HDMI inputs, weighing less, and consuming less electricity, are there any visual benefits to replacing the 960?
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Broadcast Calibration, Podcast Questions, Premium HDMI
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 28, 2010  |  9 comments
Calibration Conundrum
It has been mentioned in many articles that a professional calibrator can enter adjustments for different lighting conditions and different inputs. But how do you calibrate something other than a DVD or Blu-ray player that can play test discs? How do you generate test data from a cable box, game console, etc.?
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Projector Problems, Pixel Mapping, Power Protection
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 16, 2010  |  2 comments
Time to Upgrade
I have an InFocus LP130 projector for my home theater. I love the projector, which works great with a computer (Orb, Netflix, etc.). But when I connect a Time Warner HD cable box to the projector's M1-DA/DVI input with an HDMI cable, I get a notice on the screen saying it's not HDCP compliant. The cable box worked great with my old projector's component input. Can you suggest a way to connect the projector to my cable box, DVD player, and Wii? Do you think it's possible to use a component-to-HDMI converter?
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