Archive for the 'HDTV' Category

Dolby Pro-Logic vs. Dolby Pro-Logic II

Sound Advice By Don Lindich Week 4, 2007 Q: Recent receiver reviews and your writings indicate Dolby Pro-Logic II is an important feature.Since my 1998 Yamaha 992 receiver states it has “Dolby Pro -Logic”, I assume it pre-dates DPL II.   Is there a perceivable sound difference?If so, how, and is it worth considering an [...]

LCD vs. plasma TVs, HDTV standards and 1080p silliness

Sound Advice By Don Lindich Week 2, 2007 Q: What is the difference between LCD and plasma flat-panel TVs? Also, has an HDTV standard for the US been officially adopted? I am thinking about purchasing a new TV set and am not sure whether it’s wise to do now or wait. -Frank Humphries, Minneapolis, MN [...]

Oppo Digital DV-970HD DVD player

  Oppo Digital DV-970HD DVD player Oppo DV-970HD DVD  Player   Sound Buys product review By Don Lindich   Though most consumers are unfamiliar with the name Oppo Digital, chances are you have owned or seen some of Oppo’s cousins in stores around the world. Oppo Digital is a new venture of BBK Electronics, one [...]

HDMI pass-through, selling old audio gear

Week 48, 2006 Q: I saw your recent article on receivers and have a few questions as I am buying one soon. I found two receiver I am interested in. One has HDMI, this is a Yamaha, and the other only has HDMI pass through, this is by Sony. There is a difference in price [...]

SXRD vs. DLP, stereo receiver recommendations

Week of October 15, 2006 Q: I am confused by the difference between the SXRD and DLP technologies that compete in the rear projection TV market. What is the difference and is one better than the other? What is the big deal about “1080P” that I hear about with these new TVs? -G. Frank, Ridgeland, [...]

Sending a TV program to another room, Easy Media Creator, poor-looking DVDs

Week of August 27, 2006 Q: I want to have a TV in my garage, but don’t want to wire it for satelite. (That is what I use in the rest of the house.) Is there a product that can project the signal from the house to the garage? -Don Anderson, Minneapolis, MN A: The [...]

HD DVD vs. Blu-ray: Blu-ray stinks!

Week of July 2, 2006 Q:   What are your thoughts regarding the new HD-DVD and Blu-ray high definition video discs? -Thaddeus Mark, Castle Shannon, PA A:   HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc (BD) are the two new formats competing to be the high-definition video disc of the future.   Each promises to provide much better [...]

Zenith Silver Sensor antenna, VHF and UHF

Week of June 18, 2006 Q: I read your column about the Zenith Silver Sensor for receiving HD TV and it was very applicable to my situation since I have difficulty receiving HD off the air. However, in looking up info on it, it seems to be for UHF only. Is that the case and [...]

HDTV tuners and antennas, more comments about plasma TVs

Week of June 4, 2006 Q: Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for a tuner and antenna for a HD-ready TV? -Larry Lilly A: The antenna is more important than the tuner when it comes to good reception, so I will start there. For an indoor set-top antenna, my favorite is still the amazing [...]

External viewfinders for an SLR, HDMI and DVI revisited

Week of May 14, 2006 Q:   I want to buy or make a “gunsight”   viewer to fit on my camera. When taking action photos I find it cumbersome and almost impossible at times to sight through the viewfinder or the LCD screen. I propose to build, if need be, a square wire box [...]

Will HDMI give me a better picture, avoiding HDMI cable ripoffs

Week of April 30, 2006 Q: Will I see a noticeable difference in high definition picture quality if I upgrade from the component video connection to the HDMI connection? I have high definition cable and the newest version of their box has an HDMI output (the older ones only had DVI). I have a Sony [...]

Floor-model plasma TVs and extended warranties

Week of April 9, 2006 Q: I have an opportunity to buy a Floor-Model Panasonic TH50PX50U Plasma HDTV. This is the same one recently rated highest by Consumer Reports. It has been a floor model for only about 4 months. The list was $3999, and it is marked down to $2999–BUT the manager of that [...]

Overlooked details in home theater setup

Week of March 26, 2006 Q:What important details are commonly missed when setting up a home theater? Any helpful hints to correct things that people commonly overlook? -Kevin Gulbrandsen, Thousand Oaks, California A: There arefour that come to mind right off the top of my head. I’ll list them here, and revisit the issue in [...]

TV resolutions- 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p

Week of March 19, 2006 Q: I have a Toshiba HDTV with a 1080p display. Does it convert the 480p signal from my progressive-scan DVD player to 1080p? Do I gain anything from an upconverting DVD player (such as the Oppo 971) if my Toshiba is already outputting a 1080p display? In any event, I’m [...]

Rooftop antennas

Week or March 5, 2006 Q:   I am writing regarding rooftop antennas. I dropped cable once the price reached an obscene $53/mo and satellite is not an option because neighbor has 1 tree blocking line of sight. (ironically, the ONLY sky obstruction anywhere). I live on top of a hill, and www.antennaweb.org says that [...]

Matching speakers to a room, Oppo’s fantastic 971 DVD player for HDTVs

Week of February 19, 2006 Q: I want to have a “music room” in my house, the choice being between a small, unused bedroom (10 x 11) and a fairly large lower level (30 x 30).   A good pair of tower speakers would overwhelm the space in the small bedroom, but I’m wondering whether [...]

DVD recorders and HDTV

Week of October 9, 2005 Q: I have always wanted a DVD recorder, but until now the prices were a bit too high. Now I can buy a DVD recorder for $100 and it is tempting. However, with advances in Digital TV and HDTV, I am again thinking I should wait a bit longer. A [...]

Connecting iPod to sound system, TV lamps and extended warranties

Week of July 9, 2005 Q: If I were to invest in a MP3 player, I’d like to make it more versatile and connect it to external speakers so that I could use it for home entertainment, i.e. gameroom, deck, etc. I used to have a Cambridge Soundworks system with a self-amplified subwoofer and 2 [...]

Dish Network vs. Comcast

Week of May 22, 2005 Q: I am thinking of changing from cable TV to satellite and would like to know what you think about Dish Network verses Comcast. I’ve seen a lot of advertisement spam and snail mail about Dish that promise the world, and I need the real word form some one I [...]

Digital TV service and HDTV, standard programming picture quality on HDTVs, surround sound system hissing

Week of August 8, 2004 Q: I am considering purchasing a wide screen HDTV-ready television. I have standard cable with some premium channels. My questions is this, if I don’t subscribe to the cable company’s digital service will the shows that say they are broadcast in HDTV come through in digital format? I can’t afford [...]