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BD Burner, Poor Vision, Ambient Light
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 30, 2009  |  10 comments
Burning Desire
I have a pretty fancy home-theater system, and I use DirecTV as my broadcast source. I would love to be able to burn widescreen HDTV shows to a DVD. My first choice is to burn DVDs in widescreen high def. My second choice would be to burn DVDs in widescreen, even if not high def. At this time, is there a good high-def DVD burner I could buy? Price is not an issue.
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TVs, Adaptors, Tuners
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 23, 2009  |  2 comments
Funny You Should Ask
I'm looking for a reasonably priced 42-inch HDTV. A standard-definition DVD player will be connected to it as well as digital cable, but no HD service. Plasma or LCD? I can go either way. It won't be wall mounted. I was thinking a 720p set would okay since we don't plan to have HD cable service, but I'd be very interested to hear what you think.
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AVR Setup, AVR Compatibility, VGA
Scott Wilkinson  |  Sep 18, 2009  |  7 comments
Manual Labor
I purchased an SPL meter to level the speakers in my 5.1 surround system. I read an article in Home Theater magazine about how to use this device, but I'm still not sure how to do it. For example, I'm not sure where to put the dial—do I start at 80 or 120?
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Screens, Heat, Speakers
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 26, 2009  |  5 comments
Goo for God
Have you ever reviewed any paint-on projection screens? If so, how do they generally compare to an actual screen? Also, is there a brand you recommend? I'm thinking about going this route for my church, not a home-theater setup.
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Audyssey, Adaptors, Screen Doors
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 19, 2009  |  3 comments
Feature Confusion
I have an Integra DTR-5.8 receiver. The owner's manual mentions Audyssey as a way to initially set up the speakers. I was wondering if you could tell me more about the feature that matches the sound level of TV programs and commercials.
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Restoration, BD vs. Cable, BD Soundtracks
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 12, 2009  |  6 comments
Restorative Power
When movies are restored for Blu-ray, why do some not look very good? Does it have to do with the film elements themselves? Why are some films harder to restore for Blu-ray? Are movies from the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s harder to restore in high-def than films of today?
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System Recommendation, Analog vs. PCM, TiVo & FiOS
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 04, 2009  |  17 comments
Starting from Scratch
I have a family room that measures 16x25 feet, and I intend to install a projection home theater with a good, affordable sound system. My budget is about $8000. What do you suggest for the projector, receiver, and speakers?
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DVE, Blu-ray, Video Delay
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 28, 2009  |  10 comments
Not Just for HDTVs
I own a Sony VPL-VW60 HD projector. Can I use Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics on Blu-ray to set it up, or is this only for HDTVs?
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TiVo HD, TV Sound, Asian AVRs
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 21, 2009  |  9 comments
Simple Answer
I've been looking for a device to record television programs from an over-the-air antenna so I don't have to subscribe to cable or satellite for my local stations that I used to record with my VCR. Is there such a device? My VCR still works, but I would prefer something that records HD.
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7.1 vs. 5.1, HTIBs, Dolby Headphone
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 14, 2009  |  20 comments
More Channels
With Blu-ray's storage capacity, lossless codecs, and 7.1 receivers, why aren't the vast majority of Blu-ray movies released with 7.1 audio? Are movie distributors/production companies just cheap or lazy? Did I just waste my money installing a 7.1 setup?
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240Hz, High-End Projectors, Plasma Calibration
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 07, 2009  |  11 comments
Twice as Sharp
I intend to buy an LED-illuminated LCD TV. Since I like action sports, should I get a 240Hz set rather than a 120Hz?
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Lightning, Apartment Sound, CDs
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 03, 2009  |  9 comments
Lightning Strikes Again
I live in the Southeast where lightning is a serious problem. I was recently advised by an electrical contractor to have a whole-house surge protector installed. I am inclined to do this. However, I first wanted to find out if this would have a negative effect on my audio system.
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Exotic Cables, AVR Upgrade, DVD Recorder
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 30, 2009  |  16 comments
The Great Audio-Cable Debate
Are exotic audio cables worth the money? Can you really hear the difference? I have a hard time putting my arms around spending thousands of dollars on cable made of 99.9999% long-grain copper—as I understand it, copper is copper. Also, I've been told to use XLR interconnects.
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DVRs, Bose, Degradation
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 26, 2009  |  14 comments
Skimpy DVR
The DVR provided by Cox only has an 8-hour capacity for storing HD broadcasts. The only alternative I've found is $1000 for an HD TiVo and renting cable cards. Any suggestions?
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Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sony
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 23, 2009  |  3 comments
Same Line, Different Size
Your site includes a glowing review of the Mitsubishi WD-65835 RPTV. Can I logically assume that the wonderful characteristics of that set extend to the larger 73835? Are there subtleties that may have escaped my attention? I can find no review of this TV from a reputable source anywhere.
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