Geoffrey Morrison

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Tech2
What's a Winner?
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Dec 02, 2011

I need your help. Maybe you can explain something to me.

Why do we need winners? I'm not talking about sports and such; I mean with A/V gear, movies, video games, etc. How many articles and forum posts have you seen that proclaim one object the winner over another?

What is behind this desire to declare a winner when there's no competition being fought?

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HDTV Tech
What's the Deal with Color?
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Feb 03, 2012

Did you read that headline in Seinfeld's voice? While contrast ratio, black level, and light output all rightly occupy the top of the list of specs one considers when purchasing a new display, color is often completely overlooked.

Good color reproduction usually won't make or break a display, but it can make one that's good into one that's great.

Yet for all its importance, it's rarely understood - and it's regularly done wrong.

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Portable Player Reviews
When You've Gotta Go . . .
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jul 31, 2001  |  Published: Aug 01, 2001
When it comes to home theater, sometimes you can take it with you.

It happens to the best of us. You've just plunked down your hard-earned money to buy a dream home theater system, and you have to leave it. Maybe it's the vacation that, after months of planning, you suddenly want to cancel. Maybe it's the business trip you knew was coming and couldn't pawn off on a junior partner. Even worse, maybe your half-uncle, third removed, has passed on and left you his venomous-bee collection, which the terms of the will require you to pick up in person. Whatever the case may be, you're leaving, and your home theater is staying behind. Well, maybe not.

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Projector TechGeoffrey Morrison Blog
Where The Money Goes: Those Elusive Projectors
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Oct 28, 2005
We frequently get e-mails from readers asking why they should spend big $s on a home theater product when they can get a similar product for much less. Good question! So, this is the first in a series of GearWorks in which we'll discuss that very topic. We'll start with perhaps the easiest component to track: projectors. Where does the money go?
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HDTV TechGeoffrey Morrison Blog
Who Needs Light Bulbs? Part I
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jul 24, 2006
Bring on the diodes.

Bulbs are so 20th century. You can gussy them up, charge a bunch of money for them, even call them fancy names (lamps), but the fact of the matter is, they're still basically light bulbs. Almost all new RPTVs and front projectors use UHP (ultrahigh pressure) lamps to create light. These lamps are fairly efficient for the light they put out but are very hot, costly, and don't last very long. One new technology that's aiming to replace the UHP monopoly is LED, or light-emitting diode.

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HDTV TechGeoffrey Morrison Blog
Who Needs Light Bulbs? Part II
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Sep 18, 2006
Lasers: They're not just for guns anymore.

If there is one thing that just screams "future" to me, it's lasers. Sure, they've been around since the 1960s, but come on—it's lasers! Right now, they can be found in your CD and DVD players, but a few companies are hoping to put them in your TV, as well.

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Tech2
Why Guardians of the Galaxy Means Star Wars is Going to be Awesome
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Aug 01, 2014
(Don’t worry, no spoilers)

I hate The Prequels. It’s a deep seated loathing, burning hot at my core like my heart was pumping white phosphorus. It’s not that they were a disappointment (they are), or that they tarnish the original movies (to an extent, they do), it’s that they are, simply, indefensibly, crappy movies. Poorly written, directed, acted, shot, they’re an affront not just the legacy of Star Wars, but movie making as a whole.

I was excited when Lucas sold SW to Disney, and despite some questionable news since, Guardians of the Galaxy is a perfect example why I’m not worried, and in fact, enthusiastic, about the upcoming films.

No, really, this makes sense, I swear.

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Tech2
Why I hate Aerosmith
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jan 17, 2013

I really hate Aerosmith. No band causes me to change the radio faster than when I hear the first few notes of any Aerosmith song.

Unfortunately, of the many genres of music I enjoy, "classic rock" is one of the few you can find on the radio dial. And no matter where you go, it's universal: classic rock radio is horrible.

Why?

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Tech2
Why I Hate Sharing My Picture Settings
Geoffrey Morrison  |  May 04, 2012

One of the most common requests I get by email, and in comments on reviews, is to share what picture settings I've used to achieve the best image.

To put it bluntly: no. This isn't because my settings are some big secret, it's because I honestly believe sharing them is a bad idea, and I'd be doing more harm than good.

And once I list the reasons why, you may even agree with me.

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Geoffrey Morrison Blog
Why the PS3 is the most important piece of CE gear of the new Millennia.
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Mar 28, 2006
Despite a complete lack of enthusiasm for the next generation of DVD, it is coming. With it is the inevitable format war that is both asinine and expected. For the most part, though, the initial offerings of players will largely be irrelevant to the war or the format's future.
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