OTHER TECH

HDMI Upgrade

Q. I just bought a Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player and am getting 1080i-format video through a direct HDMI hookup to my TV. However, my receiver doesn't have HDMI switching. Should I go out and buy a new receiver to maximize my audio experience? The HD-A2 has HDMI version 1.2. Will it be compatible with the new version 1.3 and should I wait on this version? Help! J. Mark Springer Via email

A. Al Griffin says: First the bad news: You will need a new receiver with HDMI switching to maximize your audio experience. Although the HD-A2 offers built-in decoding for the new high-rez Dolby TrueHD soundtrack format, it lacks a six-channel analog output for passing decoded signals to older, non-HDMI receivers. (Though the optical digital connection can still pass regular 5.1-channel Dolby Digital and DTS to your current receiver.) Now the good news: HDMI 1.3 connections are backward-compatible, so you should have no problem plugging the HD-A2 into an HDMI 1.3-equipped receiver if you upgrade.

Auto Surround

Q. Various manufacturers have automatic calibration for surround sound built into their high-end receivers. Is this feature worth the money? Do they set the sound levels for the room acoustics properly, or should I continue to use my old Radio Shack sound-level meter? Anthony Robinson Fuquay-Varina, NC

A. Ian G. Masters says: Most of the auto-calibration systems we've tried work adequately for setting levels but no better than an inexpensive sound-level meter such as the Radio Shack. Some of the more sophisticated receivers now also include auto-equalization to address room issues. But not all auto-EQs work well, and you may find that you're better off without. In any event, any auto-calibration function is usually run only once when you're setting up the system and has no ongoing usefulness. Whether or not you want to spend money on such a thing is up to you.

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