Scott Wilkinson

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TV Popping Sound
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 07, 2011
We bought a Sony XBR-52HX909 with full-array LED backlighting and local dimming, and we love it! But 30 seconds to a minute after turning it off, we hear a click/pop, almost like the sound you sometimes hear when turning off a fluorescent bulb. Is this typical of sets with full-array backlighting or most likely an internal issue?

John Diamantopoulos

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In-Wall Speakers in the Ceiling
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 06, 2011
I'm setting up a home-theater area in our living room, and there can't be any freestanding speakers. I don't have side walls for surrounds, only ceiling space. Can in-wall dipoles be used in the ceiling? If so, what is the ideal placement and configuration? I'm setting up a 5.1 system, which is all the space will allow for.

Theo Nikolakis

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Do You Own a 3D Display?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 03, 2011
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Passive vs. Active 3D
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 03, 2011
My fiance and I will be buying a house soon, and once we're moved in and settled, we are going to buy a new HDTV. Unlike Leo Laporte, we are BIG fans of 3DTV. I have been following 3D and the various incarnations of 3DTV over the years. Now that real 3DTV is here, we can't wait!

The tough part will be deciding between the active-shutter system and the passive-polarized system. I have been looking at active systems for over a year, and I saw my first passive system at Best Buy about a month ago. It was quite impressive.

Is there any risk of a format war between the passive and active systems? Does all 3D programming work on both active and passive systems?

Frank Ireland

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Movie Aspect Ratios
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 02, 2011
There's been talk on some home-theater forums about a few movies that have been cropped to an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Why are they cropping these films? Videophiles are saying they hope this trend doesn't continue.

Mark Hudson

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Premiere Design
KEF Blade Speaker
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 02, 2011
Two years ago, I wrote an Ultimate Gear blog about the Concept Blade, a one-off speaker built by British stalwart KEF as a research project to push the envelope of speaker design. Now, that project has yielded a product you can actually buy—the KEF Blade.
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TV Setup, 7.1 on 5.1 System, Ethernet Extension
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 01, 2011
What features should I turn off before setting my Vizio TV's picture controls? What happens when you play a 7.1 Blu-ray on a 5.1 system? Can I extend an Ethernet cable by adding another cable with a female-female adaptor?
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Wireless Whole-House Audio
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 01, 2011
I need a recommendation for wireless speakers. My in-laws have four sets of speakers throughout the house controlled with a hard-wired switch box, but the system crackles and pops so badly that they have stopped listening to music. In lieu of crawling under the house to rewire, I want to know if wireless speakers are a viable option. I was hoping that something like a wireless Bose Cube speaker system existed? We don't mind spending a bit on an initial set or two.

Greg Shaw

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Internet Apps in TV & Player
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 31, 2011
I have a 47-inch TV with Internet apps. Is there an advantage to getting a DVD player with Internet apps as well?

Skip Compton

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Premiere Design
Light Harmonic DaVinci 384kHz DAC
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 31, 2011
With the rise of digital-audio servers, the role of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) is becoming ever more important. Those who want the very best DAC might do well to consider the DaVinci from Light Harmonic.
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