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Demo-Worthy Blu-rays
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 03, 2011  |  0 comments
A friend asked me if I knew of good Blu-ray demo discs so he could show off his system as well as the benefits of Blu-ray technology. He does not collect many discs except the occasional concert video, being an audiophile first and foremost, but concert Blu-rays can be hit or miss as demo material.

Claude Whiting

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Dynamic Contrast Blues
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 02, 2011  |  2 comments
I have a 40-inch Mitsubishi LT-40164 LED-edgelit LCD TV that I really love but for one thing—the screen darkens dramatically during dark scenes and even during credits when there may only be one or two lines of text on the screen. I have tried tweaking dozens of settings, including full backlight and brightness, but to no avail. Is this normal for LED TVs?

Steve D.

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Digitizing Videotape
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 29, 2011  |  2 comments
I want to digitize my old 8mm videotapes. My computer is a new HP 6610 (AMD Athelon II 635 CPU, Windows 7, 64-bit). I have an old Sony 8mm camcorder connected to an ADVC-55 video-capture box via S-video and red/white audio cables. The AVDC-55 connects to the computer via FireWire.

I used Ulead Video Studio 5 DV to capture the first tape, then I tried the HP program that came with the computer. The HP program captured directly to MPG and seemed brighter (I think), but I think I want AVI files so I can edit them. During the transfer, the picture is brighter in the camera eyepiece screen, but the playback of the digital file on my computer is darker.

Could the problem be the capture program, or is it just the hardware? Most of the reviews I've read say that cheap USB video-capture devices don't perform well, so I bought the AVDC-55. However, a friend at work said he had good results with a cheap USB unit. Are the new ones any good?

Can you recommend a free or low-cost capture program that makes brighter AVI files? Making them brighter in the editing program sounds like even more work. Also, what free or low-cost video-editing program do you like? Is the Windows downloadable one any good?

John P.

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Movie Test Scenes
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 28, 2011  |  0 comments
I am unable to find the show notes for episode 45 of Home Theater Geeks. I am interested in the list of movie scenes that David Reisner uses to highlight and identify problems.

Philip Cottle

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Bias Lighting, JVC PJs, Legacy Components
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 27, 2011  |  0 comments
Does bias lighting improve the viewing experience? How do the current JVC projectors compare with previous generations? What are "legacy components"?
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16:9 on a 21:9 Screen
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 27, 2011  |  15 comments
Vizio is introducing ultra-widescreen LCD TVs with an aspect ratio of 21:9. I believe their screen sizes will be 50, 58 and 71 inches. Can you provide the formula that reveals how large a 16:9 unaltered picture will be on such a screen? I’ve read elsewhere that a 50-inch ultrawide would produce an unaltered 46-inch 16:9 image, but I have no idea how 46 inches was arrived at.

Carl King

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Large Screen for a Bright Room
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 26, 2011  |  0 comments
Is the picture brightness greater on a Mitsubishi 75-inch LaserVue or 82-inch lamp-based rear-projection TV? I have a room full of floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides with skylights, and I want a larger screen TV (I now have the last 72-inch Toshiba made), but none of the current LCDs or plasmas are available in a large size at a reasonable price (e.g., the B&O 85-incher is $85,000!).

Henry Hollander

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Oppo BDP-95 Settings
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 25, 2011  |  6 comments
I recently bought an Oppo BDP-95 Blu-ray player, and I already have a Pioneer PRO-110FD Kuro plasma TV. Which video setting should I use in the player, Auto or Source Direct? I've tried both, and the picture looks great either way. I've also tried 1080p, and that looked great as well, though I understand this is far from an ideal setting for 1080i sources. Is there anything I should be looking for to see which setting is better? I have a Denon AVR-4308CI receiver, but I set it to pass the video signal through without any processing.

I use the AVR's HDMI 1 input for movies, but I also hooked up the player's 5.1 analog outs to the receiver's Ext. In. This is for listening to music (CD, SACD, DVD-Audio). For Blu-ray music, should I use the analog out when the signal is PCM? Is the HDMI out better for the lossless forms of Dolby and DTS? As an aside, the player's manual hints that it is better to output SACDs from the analog outs as PCM rather than DSD. Is this because the player likely does a better job at decoding the DSD signals?

Stephen Beney

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Got an A/V Question? Ask Scott!
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 25, 2011  |  0 comments
Welcome to UAV's latest blog, in which I answer your questions about anything related to audio and video technology—equipment setup and optimization, wired and wireless connections, room environment, content creation, digital cinema, cable/satellite/terrestrial broadcasting, online streaming, Blu-ray, 3D, 4K, future technologies, and anything else in the ever-expanding A/V universe. Even better, other readers can add their two cents in the comments, which I invite and encourage—after all, you might think of something I didn't. Also, I know a lot about this stuff, but I don't know everything, so sometimes I'll post a question and throw it open to readers who might know more about it than I do. And if an answer I provide proves to be inadvertently incorrect or misleading, I want to know, and I'll update it immediately.

All you have to do is send your question to askscottwilkinson@gmail.com. Try to keep your questions as short as practical, but don't skimp on any details you think are important for me to provide a suitable answer. If you're asking about specific gear, please include the makes and model numbers.

My goal is to help you get the most out of whatever A/V system you have and better understand the complex world of current and coming technologies. So let the questions begin!

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21:9 TVs, Stealth Speakers, JVC Projectors
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 20, 2011  |  2 comments
Are 21:9 TVs worth waiting for? What small speakers do you recommend for whole-house audio? Are the JVC 3D projectors as good with 2D material as their predecessors?
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4:3 Stretch, Speaker-Source Switches, TV Setup
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 06, 2011  |  0 comments
What can be done about TV channels that stretch 4:3 images to 16:9? How do I switch between two AVRs to power one pair of speakers? How do I optimize the picture on my new TV?
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Subwoofers, Impedance, HDMI Audio
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 30, 2011  |  4 comments
Is there a downside to using speakers with built-in subwoofers? How do I take speaker impedance into account when shopping for an AVR? What's the best audio connection?
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Dynamic Contrast, 7.1 Demo, Balanced Audio
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 23, 2011  |  1 comments
Would you calibrate a TV with dynamic contrast enabled? What's the best Blu-ray to demonstrate 7.1 audio? What's the difference between balanced and unbalanced audio?
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TV Resolution, Apps, 3D Compatibility
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 09, 2011  |  0 comments
How much resolution am I actually seeing on my CRT RPTV? Is it better to have apps in the TV or Blu-ray player? Are there compatibility issues between 3D content and active or passive glasses?
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Plasmas, Bi-Amping, Lossless Audio
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 02, 2011  |  1 comments
Should I stay away from plasma TVs? Will bi-amping my speakers sound significantly better? Does lossless audio sound significantly better than lossy?
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