Question: I have a Mitsubishi WD-82837 TV and a Pioneer Elite VSX-01 THX receiver and would like to upgrade the system for Blu-ray 3D. What do I need to do? Is my Pioneer receiver outfi tted with HDMI 1.4, or do I need a new one? Peter Drees | Taylor, MI
Q: It was my understanding that music fi les recorded on CD-R had a 100- year life expectancy based on laboratory studies. However, a recent study commissioned by the Library of Congress found that music fi les on CD-R last only 3 to 5 years before they start to fade. Does this mean that it’s necessary to re-record music CD-Rs every couple of years to preserve them? Gary Johnson | Duluth, MN
• Edge-lit LED backlight • 3D-capable (comes with two sets of active-shutter eyewear)t • 3D conversion of 2D content • Motionflow Pro 240 Hz display modes • Streaming options include Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Pandora, Slacker, and Picasa
Although 3D TV has grabbed its share of headlines over the past year, it appears that many consumers are still wary of the format. To cite one example, more than 70% of respondents in a recent survey sponsored by the cable TV industry said they wouldn’t consider buying a 3D TV in the next 12 months. Wouldn’t consider it! To these folks, plain old 2D movies at home look just fine, thanks. Watching 3D is something that you do while sitting in a squishy movie theater seat holding a bin of buttered popcorn and a 54-ounce Coke.
Although 3D TV has grabbed its share of headlines over the past year, it appears that many consumers are still wary of the format. To cite one example, more than 70% of respondents in a recent survey sponsored by the cable TV industry said they wouldn't consider buying a 3D TV in the next 12 months. Wouldn't consider it! To these folks, plain old 2D movies at home look just fine, thanks. Watching 3D is something that you do while sitting in a squishy movie theater seat holding a bin of buttered popcorn and a 54-ounce Coke.
Question: I’m in the market for a Blu-ray player and A/V receiver, but I’d like the system to play 96-kHz/24-bit high-rez music downloads as well. The info I’ve found on manufacturer Web sites simply indicates whether or not the equipment supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, but not if the DACs support 96/24 decoding. Since many players and AVRs have a USB port, can this be used as an input for sending 96/24 files from my PC? Joe Massey, Exeter, NH
For some, 3D TV’s arrival came on a bit too suddenly. Avatar was still lighting up theater screens when the first 3D sets checked in to tempt us with the promise of stereoscopic golf tournaments — as if that alone was reason enough to buy a new TV. But while it’s easy to dismiss the whole matter as a marketing-driven phenomenon, even the most cynical consumer would be foolish to not at least consider the possibility that they might one day want to watch things in 3D.
For some, 3D TV's arrival came on a bit too suddenly. Avatar was still lighting up theater screens when the first 3D sets checked in to tempt us with the promise of stereoscopic golf tournaments - as if that alone was reason enough to buy a new TV. But while it's easy to dismiss the whole matter as a marketing-driven phenomenon, even the most cynical consumer would be foolish to not at least consider the possibility that they might one day want to watch things in 3D.
Along with Samsung, Panasonic has been pushing hard to bring 3D TV to both early adopters and regular folks who happened to catch Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3, or one of the other recent 3D blockbusters at their local multiplex. But whereas Samsung is neutral when it comes to displays, offering 3D TVs in LCD and plasma flavors, 3D for Panasonic is all about plasma. The company’s initial VT20 Series sets were made available exclusively through Best Buy.
