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That's all the time I have for today, but thanks to everyone who stopped by and I'm sorry I couldn't answer every question. Be sure to check out next week's Ask the Editors Live chat, featuring Tom Krazit discussing "All things Apple" : http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12548_102-0.html?forumID=136&threadID=264859
Why are almost all cables made with copper?
Why don't we replace HDMI with a single optical cable? Its cheaper and can run longer distances.
HDMI can handle both high resolution video signals and uncompressed multichannel audio signals. Optical cables can handle multichannel audio, but only at lower bitrates and it can't do any video.
There are certainly plenty of annoying issues with HDMI, but it does have it advantages. But don't get suckered into the myth that HDMI has to be expensive -- like I said before, if you buy online you can usually find HDMI cables for very affordable rates -- much less than the $50 to $100 you see major retailer selling them for.
When various dolby receivers came out I was not impressed. Then I heard DTS and was blown away. I understand dolby was mono with various sound delays and DTS is stereo. Does it matter if your audio receiver has any more audio capability than standard DTS - how much better are he newer DTS formats?
But many do prefer standard DTS to Dolbly.
With the new audio formats, there should be absolutely no difference between the two highest quality formats: Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Both of these formats use lossless compression, so there should be no difference between what you hear and the studio master. Like I said in the previous answer, nobody has actually been able to hear DTS-HD Master Audio yet, but we should be soon and we'll report on how much better it sounds. Of course, to get the full effect from these soundtracks you'll need a pretty good audio setup, which is why many people will never hear the benefits.
Is going to HDMI 1.3 a hardware upgrade or can it be just a firmware upgrade?Are most A/V receivers, HDTVs, and DVD players using HDMI 1.3 now?
It is my understand that you cannot upgrade older HDMI versions to HDMI 1.3 using just a firmware upgrade. Many more HDTVs, Blu-ray/HD DVD player and AV receivers are using HDMI 1.3 ports, but you still have to check the spec sheet.
On the other hand, it looks like we'll finally get to see some of the benefits of HDMI 1.3 soon. New Blu-ray and HD DVD players are going to offer bitstream output for high-resolution audio soundtracks (such as DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD), so you'll be able to send them to compatible receivers to decode. Of course, there are still some annoying issues with this (some discs might not let you output bitstream, you might loose some of the menu sound effects), but for home theater enthusiasts, this will be the first time they can hear the full resolution of discs with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks. We're hoping to get some of these new players soon, and we'll sort out all the details of this confusing HDMI 1.3 / high-resolution soundtrack mess.
Is there a DVR that work without subscription and has a DVD writer?
But the Panasonic DMR-EH75V offers that functionality:
http://reviews.cnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/panasonic-dmr-eh75v-dvd/4505-6463_7-31864416.html
Unfortunately there have been basically no DVD-recorders with hard drives this year (I've seen a Philips unit, but it seems to have limited distribution).
If you're willing to do a lot of tweaking, you can also setup an home theater PC to do this--plus a whole lot more--but it can be a lot of work to get started. Plus it's more expensive.
Now the HR20 is a year into the books... and has gone through a significant amount of tweeking and updating....
What is your opinion of the HR20, and DirecTV's direction with it's DVRs and it's future HD plans
I've seen many, many negative user opinions on the HR20, which makes me feel like a lot people aren't satisfied with the box. We use the HR20 boxes in our labs and for the most part I never run into major problems. Of course, Dish Network also offers the excellent ViP622.
I have my TV and satellite receiver on one side of the fireplace and a stereo receiver & variety of components on the other. I need about 15 ft. to connect one to the other. How important are the cables for hookup? Do I have to spend the money for Monster or other high priced ones for the best reception? For my audio only in another room, reasonably priced ones do the job well.
Spending a lot of money on high-priced cables is almost never worth it. The differences between cables is usually minute, and that money could be better spend upgrading other parts of your home theater. Especially when you are making digital connections, you'll basically get the same quality from any cable as long as you don't get any dropouts.
Personally, I've had good experiences with monoprice.com , but there are other good cable suppliers out there as well.
I have a Comcast DVR to most of my time shifting recording. However I'd like to get a DVD recorder to supliment theat during scheduling conflicts. I heard that the recording quality for anything above a 1hr "best quality" setting doesn't even compare to the 2hr speed of a VHS tape on a good VCR. Can you confirm this ? And give some additional info on DVD home recorder quality ?
We don't review as many DVD-recorders as we used to, but I reviewed and was impressed with Panasonic's DVD-recorder/VCR combo player, the DMR-EZ47VK. Panasonic's recorders have exceptionally good recording quality in LP (4 hour mode), which to me is a huge advantage.
http://reviews.cnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/panasonic-dmr-ez47vk/4505-6463_7-32331259.html?tag=txt
Check out the DVD-recorder-only model, and it should do the job for you.
Often while watching digital cable TV, I run into a few programs where my picture is not synched up with the sound... Person lips are moving but voice is delayed, vice versa.
Is this a digital cable issue or something to do with my HDMI connection? It sometimes quite annoying. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Many AV receivers have the ability to set offsets to help you sync up the picture and the audio. Unfortunately, if it only happens on some programs, you'd be stuck adjusting it back and forth depending on what you're watching.
So it's not an ideal solution, but it might be better if you're particularly bothered by lip sync.
I'm interested in getting a Plasma TV, but I'm worried about burn in. I also here some Plasmas have "judder" which causes any fast panning to jerk around. Should I still choose Plasma or what?! Thanks!
But it's MUCH less of a problem than many make it out to be. New plasmas use a variety of techniques to minimize the dangers of burn-in, can you can minimize that risk even further by setting the contrast below 50% for the first 100 hours (when burn-in is most likely to happen).
Personally, I still think plasma is a strong choice and I wouldn't worry about burn-in as long as you take minor precautions, like not leaving up the CNN ticker on the TV for a weekend.
I have read some reports of very minor judder on some plasmas, but in my own experience I haven't seen anything that I would consider noteworthy. Of course, watching a DVD on any display will have some judder, but that's not a plasma specific issue.
With more and more larger LCD and Plasma TV being available and becoming more affordable, do you think projection TVs have a chance?
I can only imagine DLP technology and others being afraid of this shift.
What do you think?
As it's the discussion topic in the Screening Room forum this week:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11225_7-6695686-1.html
Certainly the continually falling prices of LCD and plasma are going to make it hard for projection HDTVs, but it's also probable that there's going to be a point where prices start to level out.
Right now, rear-pros are still considerably less expensive in very large screen sizes, and I imagine it will be much more difficult for plasma and LCD to compete in that size range. So I think rear-pro will continue, but it might be a niche market.
I'm looking to buy an HDTV flat panel for my family room. The room has lots of windows and therefore has lots of ambient light. Which technology performs better in this environment: plasma or LCD?
LCD definitely has an edge vs. most plasma in this area, because the glare off the glass of a plasma can be pretty distracting. That being said, recently we've seen some surprises in this regard. For example, the Samsung LN-T4665F (an LCD):
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-ln-t4665f/4505-6482_7-32306311.html
has a very reflective, shiny screen, while the Panasonic TH-50PX77U (plasma):
http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-th-50px77u/4505-6482_7-32317316.html
has an antiglare screen that rivals LCD. For the most part, LCD is the way to go, but I'd keep my eyes peeled for more plasmas with antiglare screens, as you can often get big screen plasmas for less money, with better image quality than LCDs.
That last line should read, "as the format *war* isn't showing any sign of stopping."
One more thing to add is that pretty much all Blu-ray and HD DVD players also upconvert standard DVDs, and many of them do a very good job of it. So you'll still be able to watch your DVD collection, and it might even look better than before.
How's it going?
I was wondering... why should I buy an HD DVD player when I could just buy an Upconvert DVD player that outputs 1080p? What is the difference?
Despite many upconverting DVD players advertising "HD image quality", upconverting DVD players (even those that upscale to 1080p) really don't compare to HD DVD and Blu-ray. HD DVD and Blu-ray both have much more resolution and better color than any DVD you can buy, but the major caveat is that you really need a big screen HDTV to fully take advantage of the improved quality. HD DVD and Blu-ray also feature higher quality soundtracks, as well as more interactive features. It's still tough to make a choice between the two formats, however, as the format isn't showing any sign of stopping.
I'm waiting right now for my 1080p Sharp Aquos 46" LCD TV to arrive this week. The question I have for you is, will a 1080p picture overall look better than my 720p without using Blu ray or HD DVD player?
Thanks!
The difference between 1080p and 720p isn't usually noticeable from a reasonable seating distance on a 46-inch TV, but if you sit real close you may see a difference with 1080i and 1080p material. But don't get too hung up on resolution -- other factors such as black levels and color accuracy usually have a much bigger effect on image quality than resolution. Check out our top HDTV list to see how we compare different models: http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-6475_7-168-101.html?tag=dir
Matt, Do any of these new players (HD-DVD & Blu0Ray) have Clearplay technology built in? And what do you think of Clearplay?
I'm not aware of any HD DVD or Blu-ray player with Clearplay technology built-in. As I've never reviewed a DVD player with Clearplay, I can't comment on the technology. For those wondering what Clearplay is, check out this link: http://www.clearplay.com/
Matthew Moskovciak here and I'm ready to answer your home theater questions for the next hour. Thanks for joining, let's go!
