Ask S&V

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Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 30, 2011  | 
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?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 23, 2011  | 
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?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 09, 2011  | 
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?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 02, 2011  | 
Should I stay away from plasma TVs? Will bi-amping my speakers sound significantly better? Does lossless audio sound significantly better than lossy?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 23, 2011  | 
What speakers do you recommend to replace my old ones? Will one company's active 3D glasses work with another company's 3D TV? What's the best audio connection for watching TV with or without the AVR?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 16, 2011  | 
How do I watch content on my DVR when I'm away from home? How often should I clean my projector's air filter? Why are optical-cable prices so wide ranging?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 09, 2011  | 
Do you need active-shutter glasses with 3D projectors at home? What's causing moving lines on my TV? Are width or height speakers better?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 02, 2011  | 
Should I buy a used projector? Can you recommend a VHS/DVD recorder combo? Should I hide my speakers?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 26, 2011  | 
Are Walter Murch's arguments against 3D reasonable? Why does Barb Gonzalez dislike Roku? Which 3D TV should I get?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 21, 2010  | 
Never Enough Inputs
I recently purchased a Toshiba 46-inch LCD TV, which has four HDMI inputs. Unfortunately, I need more than that. I own an Apple TV, Mac Mini, PS3, XBox 360, and Boxee Box, and I will soon get a Roku XDS player. I want to get an HDMI receiver that has at least six HDMI inputs and one or two outputs to accommodate all these devices. I have decent home theater speakers connected to an audio receiver, which I don't intend to upgrade at the moment.

So here's my question: What HDMI receiver would you recommend? I don't want to spend a lot on it, but I want something that gets the job done. My budget is around $150-$200.

Clive Rodrigues

Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 15, 2010  | 
Power to the People
I'm buying a new HDTV for my girlfriend for Christmas, but her neighborhood has more then a few power outages a year. What kind of protection do you recommend?

Ron

Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 08, 2010  | 
Whither 4K?
When I got my first
 real job, I decided to buy a 
big TV, so I got a 65-inch Mitsubishi rear-
projection TV that accepts 1080i signals. As the years have passed, 1080p showed up as 
well as HDMI and other features. I started looking around and decided I wanted a Pioneer Kuro, but then Pioneer stopped making them. From everything 
I've read, Panasonic plasmas can't match the Kuro in picture quality, and I couldn't 
care less about 3D.

So, here are my questions.

 Should I wait for 4K to become mainstream? Do you know 
when such TV sets might become available? Do you have any idea
 what the 2011 line of Panasonics will be?

Matt Hedges

Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 24, 2010  | 
What's in a Number?
Will Blu-ray play through an HDMI 1.3 cable? I replaced a standard DVD player with a BD player and 
lost the sound. The cable is 1.3. Does that make a difference?
 


Bruce K. Dormanen

Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 18, 2010  | 
We're in the Money
My wife and I have gone into business for ourselves, and we plan to be making 6 or 7 figures in a few years. So, I'll finally get my own home theater. Where do I start? I like Martin Logan electrostatic speakers, which I saw and heard at Fry's. I also saw an 82-inch Mitsubishi DLP rear-projection TV, but the LED TVs looked so much better. As far as projection is concerned, is it too soon for 4K?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Nov 10, 2010  | 
Calibration Challenge
I've been listening to you on Leo Laporte's radio show for years. One of your pet subjects is the correct calibration of HDTVs. I would like to challenge you on this. I have previously accepted your advice, but now with multiple media sources running into my TV, I find that one setting doesn't suit all of them. I'm sure that accurate calibration is fine in a perfect world, but because media quality often changes, I have to change the picture settings to suit the media in order to fully appreciate the viewing experience.

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