Archive for the 'Newspaper Columns' Category

Testing, 1, 2, 3

Hello readers I am just testing an animation for a new website.  Nothing to see here, move right along…    

Cambridge Audio Bluetone 100 winner!

Mr. Walter Kroloski of Jefferson Hills, PA is our lucky winner!  Congratulations, Walter!

Wharfedale Speaker winner!

Congratulations to Mary Jo Skinner of Aloka, MN, our Wharfedale speaker winner!

Home flight simulator cockpits

I have a column about home flight simulation coming up soon.  Here are some examples of home cockpits! http://www.737homecockpit.com/ http://users.skynet.be/fc513729/index.html Videos: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=home+737+cockpit&qpvt=home+737+cockpit&FORM=VDRE You can see some more modest implementations at www.simsamurai.com. Questions?  Email Don

Olympus E-PM2 two lens kit for $349 (55% off!)

Another incredible Amazon deal of the day on a great Micro Four Thirds interchageable lens camera! The Olympus PEN E-PM2 duplicates the image quality of the award-winning Olympus OM-D E-M5 but has a simpler image stabilization system (which is still effective.) The 14-42mm and 40-150 lenses provide all the zoom range most anyone needs. Can’t […]

Weekly column: Antenna for HDTV, Monoprice iPod/iPad accessories

Sound Advice By Don Lindich Q.  I have a second home in South Florida and am considering getting rid of my cable service there to save money, since I am not there all the time.  For a long time I thought you had to have cable to get TV anymore and thought rabbit ears went […]

Sound Advice #14, 2011: Video connections, supreme home theater with 3D and gaming

Q. I recently purchased the Samsung PN42C450 after reading your blog. With my PlayStation 2 hooked up, I get sound with a black-and-white picture. I am using the regular red/white/yellow cable that came with the PS2. What do I need to get a color picture? JIM HONDLIK A. Your TV does not have a composite […]

Panasonic 42-inch ST30 plasma for $699 at Best Buy this week

Yowzers! If you want a 42-inch TV do not miss this! Panasonic TC-P42ST30 at Best Buy

Excellent article on HDMI cables and why expensive ones are a waste

My friend David Radin at Just Between Friends shared this excellent article with me earlier this week. It describes in great detail why a $5 HDMI cable is just as good as a $500 one. (Yes, they have HDMI cables selling for $500, or even much more.) Why all HDMI cables are the same(CNET) Email […]

Panasonic 42-inch ST30 3D plasma for only $799 at Best Buy, $785 at Amazin.com

I have been singing the praises of Panasonic’s ST30 series of TVs for months now.  It was a good deal at the MSRP of $1,099, and at the typical $900 street price, an amazing bargain for such a top-performing, feature-laden TV.  You can see what I have to say about the ST30 here and here. […]

Color calibration for Panasonic plasma HDTVs, good sounding, affordable home theater using tiny speakers

Sound Advice By Don Lindich Week 13, 2010 Q. We recently purchased a 58-inch Panasonic VT25 series 3D plasma TV. The installer strongly recommended we get it color balanced by a professional service person for $200. Do you think it is worth it? -Anand Kumar, Pleasonton, CA A. I think calibration can be worthwhile for […]

Computer connected to home audio system, image stabilization and shaky hands, soundbar home theater for $1,000

Sound Advice By Don Lindich Week 12, 2011 Q: I have a desktop computer I use with powered computer speakers. Nearby I have a vintage stereo receiver with speakers. Is it possible to run the computer audio through my receiver and speakers, and will it work when using Netflix or iTunes? DALE NIELSEN Shoreview, Minn. […]

The dim state of the movie theater business

Animation and car buff that I am, I recently went to see Disney’s Cars 2 in 2D at a late showing at a local theater.  The projected image looked awful… dim, flat, with dull color.  I commented to a friend it looked like the theater had the projector at the lowest power setting.  If this […]

Sound Advice Week 11, 2011 : Connecting computer to receiver and speakers, holding camera steady, home theater with Blu-ray, streaming and soundbar for under $1,000

Sound Advice By Don Lindich Week 11, 2011 Q. I have a desktop computer I use with powered computer speakers. Nearby I have a vintage stereo receiver with speakers. Is it possible to run the computer audio through my receiver and speakers, and will it work when using Netflix or iTunes? -Dale Nielsen, Shoreview, MN […]

Rocket videos coming soon

I did get some in-flight footage Sunday but not quite what I planned. I’ll have more info in the next few days, along with the videos. Stop back soon and check it out!

Sound Advice Week 11, 2011 : Connecting computer and sound system, image stabilization and unsteady hands, under $1,000 complete home theater with soundbar and streaming

Sound Advice By Don Lindich Week 11, 2011 Q. I have a desktop computer I use with powered computer speakers. Nearby I have a vintage stereo receiver with speakers. Is it possible to run the computer audio through my receiver and speakers, and will it work when using Netflix or iTunes? -Dale Nielsen, Shoreview, MN […]

The TINY Pentax Q

It is one thing to read specifications, but seeing is a whole new ball game.  These pictures go a long way to showing how truly diminutive the Pentax Q is. Courtesy of imaging-resource.com. The sensor may be small but after seeing the picture of the camera attached to the keychain, I want one! Questions? Email […]

Sound Advice Column Week 10, 2011 : Superzoom cameras, film scanners, vacuum tubes and Bluetooth Audio System

Sound Advice By Don Lindich Week 10, 2011 Q. I am going to Alaska and want to buy a superzoom camera to get good pictures of the glaciers. My budget is $300 or less. I was looking at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40 (24x zoom) for $299, but heard image quality was lower than the older […]

Sound Advice, Week 9, 2011 : Digital SLR Focusing, replace DVD with Blu-ray, $400 stereo system

Sound Advice By Don Lindich Week 9, 2011 Q. My digital SLR (an Olympus E-520) focuses much slower in live view mode than it does when I use the viewfinder. I really prefer using the live view. Is there a problem with my camera and is there anything I can do to speed it up? […]

Sound Advice Column Week 8, 2011 : 5.1 surround sound from cable/satellite boxes, iPad 2, At-LP120-USB Turntable update

Sound Advice By Don Lindich Week 8, 2011 Q. I just switched from cable to satellite and no longer get Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound from high-def channels, as I did with Comcast. I have the satellite box connected the same as before, with HDMI to the TV and an optical digital cable to my […]