Scott Wilkinson

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Universal Remotes, Budget PJs, Subwoofers
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 05, 2011
Should I buy a Logitech Harmony remote to replace my broken TiVo remote? Which budget projector do you recommend? Which subwoofer should I get?
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High-Quality Audio
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 05, 2011
Why should I purchase high-quality audio equipment if the new groups, and even most of the legacy artists, aren't committed to manufacturing/mixing their oeuvre with high quality? What are your sources to purchase current and backstock music?

Dave Butler

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3D Projectors
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 04, 2011
I'm in the market for a 3D projector, and I'm considering the Sony VPL-VW90ES, JVC DLA-X9, Sharp XV-Z17000, Mitsubishi HC9000, and Samsung SP-A8000. Which would you recommend? Can I use the Samsung 3D glasses with all of them, or would I have to purchase the same brand?

Jim Morige

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Home Theater Geeks Podcast
Podcast 64: Ron Williams
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 04, 2011
Ron Williams, imaging consultant and CEO of the Landmark Group, talks about his four decades in the TV and film industries, including the transition from film to ENG (electronic news gathering) as well as from film to digital capture of TV programming, his dislike of LCD displays, OLED and SED flat panels, 3D, 4K, his work on the technical infrastructure for broadcasting the Beijing Olympics, movie piracy in China, digital cinema, and answers to chat-room questions.

Run Time: 56:06

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Demo-Worthy Blu-rays
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 03, 2011
A friend asked me if I knew of good Blu-ray demo discs so he could show off his system as well as the benefits of Blu-ray technology. He does not collect many discs except the occasional concert video, being an audiophile first and foremost, but concert Blu-rays can be hit or miss as demo material.

Claude Whiting

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The Big Picture
AMC ETX & 3D Rio
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 03, 2011
Tom Norton and I saw Rio in 3D last week at our local AMC multiplex, which offers something called Enhanced Theater Experience (ETX) with a larger screen, digital projection, and a beefier sound system. I guess this is somewhere between a conventional theater and Imax, and it was quite good overall.
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Dynamic Contrast Blues
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 02, 2011
I have a 40-inch Mitsubishi LT-40164 LED-edgelit LCD TV that I really love but for one thing—the screen darkens dramatically during dark scenes and even during credits when there may only be one or two lines of text on the screen. I have tried tweaking dozens of settings, including full backlight and brightness, but to no avail. Is this normal for LED TVs?

Steve D.

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Premiere Design
Gryphon Poseidon Speaker
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 02, 2011
Since 1985, Danish Gryphon Audio Designs has been well-regarded for its high-end audio electronics. But in the last decade, the company has expanded its portfolio to include speakers as well, foremost among which is the mighty Poseidon.
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Vote
What Is Your Favorite Blu-ray To Demo Audio?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 29, 2011
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Digitizing Videotape
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 29, 2011
I want to digitize my old 8mm videotapes. My computer is a new HP 6610 (AMD Athelon II 635 CPU, Windows 7, 64-bit). I have an old Sony 8mm camcorder connected to an ADVC-55 video-capture box via S-video and red/white audio cables. The AVDC-55 connects to the computer via FireWire.

I used Ulead Video Studio 5 DV to capture the first tape, then I tried the HP program that came with the computer. The HP program captured directly to MPG and seemed brighter (I think), but I think I want AVI files so I can edit them. During the transfer, the picture is brighter in the camera eyepiece screen, but the playback of the digital file on my computer is darker.

Could the problem be the capture program, or is it just the hardware? Most of the reviews I've read say that cheap USB video-capture devices don't perform well, so I bought the AVDC-55. However, a friend at work said he had good results with a cheap USB unit. Are the new ones any good?

Can you recommend a free or low-cost capture program that makes brighter AVI files? Making them brighter in the editing program sounds like even more work. Also, what free or low-cost video-editing program do you like? Is the Windows downloadable one any good?

John P.

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