OTHER TECH

So Good It Hertz

Q. As far as my understanding goes, the highest "Hz" for LCD is 120. I have noticed that the picture on 120-Hz LCDs looks a lot more realistic than the picture on regular 60-Hz models. I was told it's because the more Hz you have, the more realistic the picture. Is this true? Dino Santos / La Palma, CA

A. Although a refresh rate higher than the standard 60 Hz on a TV doesn't always translate into a more realistic picture, it can sometimes have an impact on its overall picture clarity. (For an example, see the review of the Toshiba 52XF550U.) The improvement is particularly noticeable on LCD models, which sometimes suffer from an effect called "motion lag" where the picture blurs on movies or sports broadcasts that contain fast motion. Plasma, LCD, LCoS, and DLP sets that accept a 1080p/24 input from a high-def disc player and display the video frames at a multiple of film's native 24 frames-per-second rate (for example, at 48, 72, 96, or 120 Hz) can also help eliminate the "judder" effects that happen when a film-based source is transferred to 60-Hz video. The end result here is generally a clearer, more realistic picture.

PS3 and SACD

Q. I have a PlayStation 3 console connected to a Sony DA5300ES receiver via an HDMI 1.3 cable. Can I hear 5.1 surround from an SACD disc with this setup? The manuals for both pieces of equipment don't say. Ken Wilshe / San Diego, CA

A. Yes, you can - provided you own the right PS3 model. First- and second-generation consoles are capable of transcoding the DSD information on SACD discs to multichannel PCM, which can then be sent to the receiver via HDMI. (Only the third-gen 40-GB version PS3, which was released in the fall of 2007, doesn't provide SACD playback.) And you don't have to necessarily use an HDMI 1.3 hookup - HDMI version 1.1 and 1.2 connections can both pass multichannel PCM. Some audiophiles gripe that the PS3's handling of SACDs doesn't allow for the same high-rez performance as standalone SACD players that decode DSD internally and deliver it via multichannel analog connections. But I've found no cause to complain about the quality of SACD playback with my own first-gen PS3, and I suspect you won't either.

Blu-ray Tune-up?

Q. I've been a loyal reader for many years, and am also a user of the Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-up DVD. Recently, I was given a shiny new Blu-ray Disc player to go with my much-loved Sony VPL-VW50 1080p projector. I instantly logged on to your Web site to buy a Blu-ray version of the Home Theater Tune-up, only to find that none is available. Are you going to be coming out with a Blu-ray version of this disc soon? If not, can I accurately calibrate my projector using the existing version with my Blu-Ray player? Jordan Livingston / via e-mail

A. At present, there's no Blu-ray version of our Home Theater Tune-up disc in the works, so you'll have to make do with the current DVD to calibrate your high-def projector. Fortunately, the test patterns contained on that disc will allow you to get its picture settings pretty close to the ballpark. Here's another resource that can help with your high-def picture tweaking: Blu-ray Discs from Columbia Tristar and Sony Pictures contain an Easter Egg that unlocks a few high-def test patterns when you press the key sequence 7669/Enter on your player's remote control. Of the test patterns that this calls up, the color bars in particular will help you fine-tune your projector's display for high-def. But if you're really intent on tweaking the Sony's picture to perfection, I'd seek out a real high-def test disc like Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics. The high-def test patterns on the Blu-ray version will let you set color, tint, brightness, contrast, and sharpness with pinpoint accuracy using your Blu-ray player. And the disc's system-evaluation section can also tell you some interesting things about your projector's capabilities.

Magnet Matters

Q. Do you need to worry about shielded center-channel speakers with an LCD, plasma, or DLP TV? It makes sense to me that the magnets in the speakers would have no effect on these TV types. Mike White / via e-mail

A. You're right, they wouldn't. The magnets in a speaker's drivers only wreak havoc with the picture on older TVs that use cathode-ray tubes. (The magnetic field interferes with electron-beam travel within the CRT, creating color purity and geometry distortions.) Also, pretty much every center speaker currently on the market should provide sufficient shielding to cancel out its magnetic field, so there's even less reason now to fret over this issue.