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Alterac Releasing Blu-ray Duplicator and Printable Discs
Thu Jul 16, 2009 at 11:00 AM ETTags: Industry Trends, HD Gear (all tags)
A new high performance Blu-ray writable media option has been released by Alterac.
Alterac's new duplicator grade ink jet printable discs are now available, along with their Robojet Autoprinter of course. Perry Solomon, Alterac President and CEO stated “Responding to Prosumer demand, we are pleased to offer this new white inkjet printable, high performance BD-R 4x Blu-ray media”
The discs will sell for around $200 for a pack of 25. With the popularity of the Blu-ray format, and with the cost to produce consistently lowering, it shouldn’t be too long before we start regularly seeing Blu-ray discs as promo materials.
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Lite-on’s $59 Blu-ray Drive
Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 02:00 PM ETTags: Lite-on, HD Gear, Industry Trends (all tags)
Blu-ray just keeps getting cheaper
It’s official, we’re not buying that “Blu-ray is too expensive” excuse anymore. Sure, expensive Blu-ray players exist; they’re for people that know why they’re expensive and are willing to pay the premium. For the rest of consumer America, there’s the Lite-on internal Blu-ray drive.
It’s not the fanciest thing in the world, and a lot of the video quality will be dependent on your computer. The drive doesn’t automatically make everything high def, you need to have a rig that can handle the appropriate resolution, but it’s not a bad option.
The drive has an 8x read speed, a 250ms access time, and comes with Power DVD 8, and is available on electronics websites everywhere.
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Toshiba Finally Considering Blu-Ray
Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 01:00 PM ETTags: Toshiba, Industry Trends, HD Gear (all tags)
Former HD-DVD champions Toshiba are finally talking out loud about making the jump that so many have already made.
According to Nikkei, a provider of Japanese business news, Toshiba’s president Atsutoshi Nishida is considering producing Blu-Ray players. “It makes no sense to decide not to enter the Blu-Ray market simply because we lost the DVD-format war.” said Nishida. “We cannot change the fact that we lost, but we would like to keep our options open.”
While there is still competition from streaming services, it’s clear that Blu-Ray is the way to go in a physical media format, and it really seems like bad business not to have something on the market. Just what Nishida means by keeping their options open is unclear, but expect a big announcement from Toshiba in the near future.
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Oppo’s Budget High End Blu Ray Player Now Shipping
Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 09:00 AM ETTags: Oppo, HD Gear, Product Announcements (all tags)
Hailed as the entry level high end Blu-Ray Player to own, the Oppo BDP-83 is finally available for wide release.
Early reviews are extremely promising for this player, putting it up there with the other heavy hitters, but at a comfortable $500.
Supporting a huge range of optical disc formats including SACD, DVD-Audio, DVD Up-Conversion, MKV, HDCD, and more in addition to Blu-Ray support, the BDP-83 is truly a universal player. Boasting Anchor Bay’s VRS technology to ensure the finest picture quality and a full 1080p, 60hz output, Oppo has their sights set high, and the individual analog 7.1 outputs send a rich Dolby TrueHD signal out to speakers.
The BDP-83 began shipping from various internet retailers or directly from Oppo beginning July 6th.
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A Cost-Conscious Renters Guide For Building Your High-Def Home Theater
Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 04:30 PM ETTags: HD Gear, High-Def Retailing, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
High-Def Digest walks you through a series of tips and tricks for putting together an impressive high-def home theater setup that won't break the bank or cost you your deposit!
By Michael S. Palmer
“I live in apartments. Two story town homes. Condos. Even houses. I live alone. I have roommates. I am single. I am married. I live in the top floor. I live in the basement. I have neighbors above, below, and next-door.
Hello, my name is Renter. And I am an HD-junkie.”
Hello Renter,
It starts so innocently. I know. You see an HDTV for the first time -- maybe in a store, maybe at a friend’s home -- and you know you want it. No… you can’t possibly live without it. Bright and clear and seemingly perfect.
So you pick up a new HDTV, bring in an HD-DVR from your cable or satellite provider, and bam, you’re up and running. Only not. The truth of the matter is that TV speakers are lifeless, and high-def from your cable company isn't always as top notch as you might like it to be (think 720p). Oh, and now that you have a big screen you notice that DVDs aren’t quite as sharp as they used to be. Yep. It’s time for Blu-ray. And dynamic speakers.
In a utopian paradise, this is where you would draw up blueprints, rip out walls, build a soundproof, acoustically magnificent, room-within-a-room, and come home every night to a dedicated home theatre. A 1080p projector shines on a 150-inch screen. Audio and video cables hide in your walls. And your seats are those D-Box Motion Code recliners where you literally sit ON the subwoofer.
But sadly, Renters, you don’t have free reign. You live in an apartment directly over the building managers (an aging couple who need to shout their conversations because they’re both deaf, yet somehow, you tip-toeing across your floor they can hear). You put down expensive deposits and you hope to get most of it back. And you’re not even ready for the ultimate system, because who has many thousands of extra dollars sitting around, collecting dust?
Hello, real world.
But Renter, this shouldn’t stop you from having an amazing home theatre. When you’re ready to dip your toe in the HD waters, try these steps and cost-saving tips. Done right, and with a wee bit of luck, you’ll do this under budget and without forfeiting your deposit.
STEP 1: PREP
RESEARCH: Scour the internet. There are tons of forums, blogs, and audio/visual recources to help you out. All online. Available for free. Peak around, find the ones you like, then read product reviews, ratings, and recommendations. Learn prices, technical specs, and what you might want (Satellite, bookshelf, or floor-standing speakers? How many HDMI inputs do you need? What about audio? 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound?).
SET AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL FOR YOUR BUDGET: As an example, let’s say we want to watch 1080p HD video on Blu-ray, play video games, and experience the sonic firepower of uncompressed digital audio in surround sound. But shopping for HD home theatre gear can be like house hunting -- never fall in love with something you can’t afford. And the great news is there’s a system for just about every budget. So, find a comfortable number, and stick to it. That’s your ceiling. End of discussion.
TV TIP: To truly enjoy 1080p video, you need two things: a capable TV, and a screen large enough for your viewing distance. The home theatre gods over at THX have some great advice. For a cinema feel, avoid smaller than 50 or 60 inches, if possible.
A/V RECEIVER TIP: Research receivers’ THD (Total Harmonic Distortion), which is noise/static caused as volume increases. You want a rating between .01% - .08%.
DEMO BEFORE YOU BUY: Speakers aren’t universally appealing to everyone’s ears. Certain receivers are more for music reproduction, others are more geared towards cinephiles. You need to test everything in person. Decide for yourself what sounds best to you. This is a big purchase. And you need to live with it and hopefully love it for a very long time.
DEMO TIP: Bring your own media, both music and movies that you know and love, which have wide dynamic ranges (low, midrange, and high notes), and active surround sound effects. And don’t be disappointed if you can’t get a multi-channel surround test of every system. If you find a front pair that you love, you’ll probably enjoy the center and surrounds from that same brand/model line.
WHERE TO DEMO: You have THREE options. Harass friends who already have gear in your price range, walk into a Big Box Store (Best Buy etc.), or find a home theatre specialist/custom installer.
BIG BOX STORES vs. HOME THEATRE SPECIALIST: Renter, can you walk into Best Buy, find a sales associate, give him or her a budget, and walk out with a middle to high end surround sound set up? Definitely. I’ve met many Best Buy/Magnolia employees who are passionate and knowledgeable (also, they do not work for commission), but you still need to walk in knowing your stuff.
For my hard-earned dollar, after one great experience with a smaller, boutique, professional installer, you’ll never go back. Not only can they match and beat prices in the big box stores, but you’re often dealing directly with the owner who can actually make deals. And, in our troubling times, it feels pretty damned good helping out Main Street over a mega-corporation.
Specialists and installers live for home theatre. They have to, or they go out of business. They’ll introduce you to brands you didn’t see in your research, and they often know more about what you actually need, than what you think you need, which saves you money. Big box stores seem driven to push you up into better more expensive models, where a specialist wants to give you exactly what you need for the money and space you have.
HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE HOME THEATRE SPECIALIST: Fire up one or more of those audio/visual forum you found during research. Reach out to enthusiasts in your community for personal recommendations. Remember to always search for any question you have before posting a new one. And don’t worry if some specialty places are snobby when you’re not spending mega-bucks. You’ll just leave. The smart ones know a young renter purchasing his first system will want to come back to buy the bigger system someday if he’s satisfied.
STEP 2: SAVING GREEN
RECYCLE GEAR: What do you have that can be used in the new system? Maybe you have a receiver that’s a couple years old, or some leftover bookshelf speakers suitable for your rear surround sounds.
KNOW YOUR COSTS: Find the cheapest price online, and use that as your starting line for haggling. If a retailer won’t beat the price, walk away.
BUY THE WHOLE SYSTEM AT ONCE: The more you buy, the more a retailer can toss in free accessories, or overall discounts. When you’re ready to have a complete surround sound system. Take the plunge.
CASH: Credit Cards charge companies for their services. If you pay by cash or check, some retailers are willing to pass the savings onto you.
LAST YEAR’S GEAR: Retailers are always getting in newer models. If you play it right, or just happen to be lucky, a retailer will give you a discount on last year’s gear to clear out their storerooms.
FLOOR MODELS: Wouldn’t recommend this for HDTVs, given the amount of in-store abusage, but definitely check out available demo speakers. They’re probably the exact system you just evaluated and loved. The trick here is to see how the store maintains and cares for its equipment. If everything looks up to par, take them home (they usually come with a full manufacturers warranty).
WHERE NOT TO CHEAP OUT: Put money into your center channel. In movies especially, so much information is delivered from that one speaker.
NECESSARY POWER WATTAGE: Do you really need 130 or 140watts per channel? Speaking from a personal experience, a home theatre specialist recommended a receiver with 100watts/channel for my apartment. So I dropped down to a less powerful unit, and saved hundreds of dollars. And believe me, I haven’t even begun to turn my system up to full strength, yet it’s deafeningly loud and showing no signs of strain or distortion.
SUBWOOFER OPTIONAL?: This one goes out to my cousin, Apartment Building Renter. If you live above someone, they probably won’t enjoy thundering bass exploding over their heads and shaking their walls. Save a few hundred bucks by finding floor-standing front speakers that have BUILT-IN subwoofers (Definitive Technology is one company that does this). They won’t be quite as powerful as a stand-alone sub, but they come pretty close.
5.1 IS STILL AWESOME: 7.1 is all the rage in Blu-ray capabilities, but let’s be clear here. Stay at a very immersive 5.1 set up, and you just saved on the cost of two speakers, and the hassle of running two more speaker lines. Further, 7.1 is not a consistent feature on Blu-rays, and if you run a 5.1-mixed movie on your 7.1 system, no sound will come out of the two rear speakers (unless you activate you’re a/v receiver’s artificial signal processing to do so. But why would you want to alter a professional, uncompressed mix? An amazing team of artists worked long hours to make the 5.1 perfect.).
ACCESSORY MARK UP: Do not buy Monster Cables, or any brand for that matter in a big box store (even Radio Shack). It’s literally like burning money. Truck on over to Monoprice.com. They have everything from HDTV wall mounts, speaker wire, HDMI cables, and surge protectors, at wholesale prices.
MORE INTERNET SHOPPING: Renters, we need to share our love for Amazon.com. Nine times out of ten, their prices are significantly lower than brick and mortar big box stores (Blu-rays especially). If you can’t find a deal for the gear that you loved, order it online. Many items have free shipping, and (in California at least) it’s TAX FREE. The only trouble is being able to hold back that “I want it now” temptation of going to a store.
PS3: Want Blu-ray (with every HD Audio codec supported including DTS-MA, Dolby TrueHD, and Linear PCM), DVD playback, media server / internet capabilities, and access to truly life-like games? It’s all in one system. The PS3. Hands down the fastest, most capable Blu-ray player on the market for its price. One drawback, however, is that it doesn’t have streaming capabilities for things like Hulu or Netflix (without 3rd party software), but hopefully this is only temporary.
HD AUDIO TIP: If you do get a PS3, to experience uncompressed audio, you need an a/v receiver that has at the very least 1 HDMI input, and 1 HDMI output. But you’ll probably want more inputs for other/future devices.
STEP 3: FAMILY FRIENDLY & CALIBRATE, CALIBRATE, CALIBRATE
FAMILY FRIENDLY (AKA, GIRLFRIEND PROOF): Sorry ladies, but let’s be honest, pure terror ran across my mother’s or girlfriend’s faces when they saw 8 remotes on a coffee table. Take a bit of that money you saved, and get a computer programmable universal remote. The Logitech Harmony series is cheap for beginners, and easy to program/use on a daily basis. Problem solved (marriage saved).
PS3 REMOTE TIP: Logitech now has an accessory to run the PS3 with their Harmony remotes. You’ll need this because the PS3 game controllers and remote (sold separately) use Bluetooth.
CALIBRATION: It’s running. It looks and sounds good, but Renter, time to make your system hit peak performance, for which you have two options. Hire a professional (best results, but expensive), or do it yourself (cheap, but might not be perfect). If you can live with ‘good enough’, you can pick up a calibration disc like DVE HD Basics for under $20, or if you happen to have a Blu-ray with the THX logo, one of the menu options will be a calibration process called the “THX Optimizer.” Another good choice is Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark. Simple and easy to achieve great picture and perfect sound.
SPEAKER PLACEMENT TIP: Thanks again, THX.
SPEAKER WIRE TIP: Since you can’t run wires through walls, your best bet is to hide audio wires under a rug, along the floorboard, or behind bookshelves/furniture. Another (more expensive) option is to get wireless system for the surrounds, so there aren’t any rear wires. There are drilling and other installation options as well, but again the costs are high, and you have to fix it all before you leave. You can always have whatever you want. It’s just never free.
SETTING THE CROSSOVER TIP: It’s important when you have a subwoofer to tell the receiver, even if you have floor-standing speakers, that you have small speakers. This ensures that the subwoofer will handle the lower frequencies (usually below 80Hz).
NEIGHBOR FRIENDLY: There are certainly an infinite number of tiny tweaks you can make, but we’re renting, and living in the real world. This is just about getting you started. But, it’s very important as you are testing out and enjoying your cinematic wunderkind (side tangent: in addition to rolling out the red carpet for Blu-rays, try watching sports or playing your favorite video game in surround sound. You’ve been missing half the experience) to turn it up and talk to your neighbors. Is the sound or the bass bleeding through a little or a lot? Learn your limitations and be respectful, because some day you could live next to someone who never sleeps, and spent more money than you on speakers.
Good luck, and enjoy. I never knew how much of the music or movies I was missing until I purchased my first surround system that included floor-standing front speakers. And as for the best review my system ever received? My girlfriend lost 50% of the hearing in her right ear a few years ago, but these speakers are so clear she can actually hear in both ears.
Remember, Renter, you are not alone in your addictions, and this is only the first step in your home theatre journey.
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Sony CX7000ES 400-disc Blu-ray changer coming soon
Thu May 21, 2009 at 05:30 PM ETTags: High-Def Retailing, Sony, HD Gear (all tags)
Looks like Sony is almost ready to roll out some new Blu-ray changers!
The Sony 200- and 400-disc Blu-Ray changers will likely be hitting markets soon. They were unveiled at CEDIA, but no official date was announced. The Sony BDP-CX960 will hold 200 discs and the BDP-CX7000ES will hold 400.
When the players are finally released, they will likely have BD-Live capabilities and possibly hard drives, and will both be HDNA compliant. There is still no official launch date from Sony, but a Swiss retail site has the Sony BDP-CX7000ES listed for the equivalent of $2,250 USD.
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Review of the Harmony 720
Mon Apr 20, 2009 at 03:35 PM ETTags: HD Gear (all tags)
Tom Landy give's us a detailed review of the Harmony 720.
Reviewed By Tom LandyUp until a couple of years ago, I had one hell of a time trying to find a decent universal remote to control my home theatre system. I must have gone through three or four different brands and without fail there’d always be at least one device in my setup that those remote codes just couldn’t recognize. I suppose having a remote that controls most devices isn’t entirely bad, but it kind of defeats the purpose of being universal then, doesn’t it?
I had nearly given up on my quest to find the ideal universal remote control that suited my needs when I came across Logitech’s family of Harmony remotes. Logitech has quite a few different models available ranging from about $60 to several hundred, and each one looks and functions a little differently depending on what kind of features you’re looking for. The best part about them, though, is that they are all so easy to use they’re virtually foolproof.
The first Harmony remote I ended up purchasing was the Harmony 890. It’s one of the more expensive models, because it doesn’t just have infrared (or IR) functionality like most remotes, it also has the ability to use radio frequencies (RF). This enables the remote to control devices hidden from view, perhaps tucked away inside a cabinet or closet. This was perfect for me, since at the time I had an awkward setup with my stereo (and receiver) in a different area than my TV.
However, shortly afterwards I ended up buying a new flat screen LCD with a multi-level stand, which completely changed the entire layout of my system. Now I was able to put all of my components together in one place so I didn’t really need the RF ability any longer. I was a bit bummed that I spent so much money on a remote for a feature I was never going to use, but at the same time I still loved that remote. It was easy to program and use, it controlled every single one of my devices, and most importantly, made life much simpler.
Anyway, to make a long story short, tragedy struck one day and my beloved Harmony 890 passed away. Luckily for me, it was still under extended warranty, and instead of the store fixing it or giving me a new one, they just gave me a gift card for the full value of the remote. Rather than upgrading to a higher model, I actually decided to downgrade to one with less features since I wouldn’t require RF anymore. I even saved myself a ton of cash, as for about ¼ of the cost I paid for the 890, I purchased the Harmony 720 – and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time.
First, as you’ll notice (in the image above) the Harmony 720 has a sleek black design. It also comes with a full color LCD screen for the buttons owners can customize to their liking. Like most of the Harmony remotes, the 720 has a rechargeable battery and is packaged with its own cradle for charging. The battery lasts approximately a week or so before needing recharging, and the screen displays when the battery is running low.
Set-up:Most of the Harmony remotes include software for programming and customizing them on a PC. First install the CD program onto a computer and follow the instructions. One thing that does get a little bit tricky with the program is that an account must be created first, and a separate account should be created for each remote and/or setup. For example, if you have a home theatre upstairs and another downstairs made up of different devices, you should create an account for each one. The screen should look like this:
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After creating an account, the very first thing to do is to add all of the necessary devices you wish to control with the remote. The Harmony database already has thousands of brand names and model numbers, and it’s continuously growing all the time. Simply click the DEVICES tab, then ADD DEVICE, and follow the instructions. Once you have all of your devices added to your account, it should look something like this:
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This is just a screenshot from my account. As you can see, I’ve added a TV, DVD Player, Blu-ray Player, PVR (satellite receiver), and my receiver. A little below is my cable box, radio, and CD player for my stereo, but those aren’t really important for the purpose this review.
The next step is to create activities for your devices. This is what makes the Harmony remotes so great, because you can set the remote up to turn multiple devices on and/or off simultaneously with a simple click of one button. For example, if I wanted to watch a Blu-ray movie, I can create an activity called WATCH A BLU-RAY, and all that is required is to add the devices for this activity (Blu-ray player, TV, and AV receiver). Then, when I press that button on the remote, the 720 will turn on my Blu-ray player, the TV as well as the receiver, and even put them on the appropriate inputs (if any). Once you’ve created all of the activities you want, the screen should look something similar to mine below:
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Each activity is very clear listing what the activity is for, what devices are used, and there are a few different buttons to modify settings, troubleshooting, and even customizing buttons. This allows the remote to be tweaked just the way you want it.
The final tab is for REMOTE SETTINGS. This area is pretty straightforward, and allows a user to change remote settings such as the clock and screen glow time, upload wallpaper for the screen background, and modify button themes.
Once all the devices are added, activities have been created, and settings have been customized, the final step is to update the remote. All that is required is to plug the remote to the provided USB cable and hook it up to the PC, and then click UPDATE REMOTE (in yellow). This takes a few minutes, and once it’s done the screen will ask that the user test out the remote to see if everything is working properly. If it is, you don’t need to do anything else. If not, just simply go into the program and change whatever is off and then try updating again.
Ease of Use:The entire purpose of the Harmony 720 (and other models) is to do away with all of the remotes for every device and just have one remote that does everything. As previously mentioned in the setup area, the activities a user can set up have the convenience of one-push access and it just doesn’t get any simpler than that.
Users can also go into remote settings and change what the buttons do, and even make new buttons that are displayed on the screen. This is great for original remotes that may have a certain button on them that the Harmony doesn’t (such as PVR for personal video recorders). It can learn from the old remote itself if you have it handy, and if that doesn’t work there’s always the option to call tech-support. Just to show how good their customer service is, I had to call about that PVR button I mentioned since I have a Canadian satellite service provider and couldn’t get the Harmony to learn it, but the representative had it working for me within a couple of minutes. That was the only real hiccup I encountered.
Another cool thing is that when my 890 died, I just changed my account status from 890 to 720 within the program. All of my devices and all of my activities remained the same, and all I had to do was update my new remote. I didn’t have to do anything else, and it worked like a charm.
The Downsides:Even though I truly love virtually everything about my Harmony 720, there are a few minor downsides to these kinds of universal remotes. The big one is if you own a PlayStation 3, the 720 won’t be able to control it since the PlayStation 3 is Bluetooth. I don’t believe any Harmony models currently have this capability, but this is more of an issue with the PlayStation 3 than Logitech as most remotes are IR anyways.
Another issue some may experience is that when using activity buttons, the devices are turned on in sequence so it takes 2-3 seconds for everything to activate. Impatient people who press the button and set the remote down quickly may find that not every device is turned on properly. Again, this really shouldn’t be much of a problem since it still does it much faster than if you had to control each device separately.
The Bottom Line:While I wholeheartedly recommend the Harmony 720 and even the 890, I still strongly suggest doing a little bit of research to find the right model number for you. If you don’t have very many devices or a PVR, you might opt for the cheaper 510 model. Likewise, if you want a really spiffy high-end remote, you could always spring for the Harmony 1100 with a touch screen display that looks like something out of Star Trek. But as someone who has owned two different models from their line-up, I can tell you that Logitech delivers quality products and you’ll be easily be ecstatic with whatever model you choose.
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Fri Feb 06, 2009 at 02:00 PM ET
Tags: HD Advisor, HD Gear, Joshua Zyber (all tags)
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Editor's Note: Have any technical questions about your HD home theater gear? In our new weekly feature, our HD Advisor will answer your questions. To submit a question for consideration, send an email to HDanswers@gmail.com and we'll see if we can help you out. If you've already sent a question and don't see it answered yet, please be patient. We're working our way through them. We only ask that you please don't ask, "When will Movie XYZ be released on Blu-ray?" Those decisions are totally up to the movie studios' discretion, and we have no more insight into the process of what gets chosen than you do. Now, on to our first batch! |
Answers by Joshua Zyber
Expensive HDMI cables
Q: My question is very simple, but I seem to get a different answer in every corner of the Internet and at retail stores: Does it really matter that much to the video and audio quality to run a $200 HDMI cable as opposed to a $10 one? What are the true differences?
Also, I was recently watching my BD copy of 'Run Fatboy Run' and I noticed that the reds more often than not were blown out. It really distracted from my experience with this film. Is this what you mean when you say there is "minor crushing," or is this something else entirely, like over-saturation?
A: Don't be conned by expensive HDMI cables. HDMI is a purely digital signal. The cable won't "color" your picture or sound quality, as might happen with an analog signal. In my experience, only long cable runs (over 15 feet) are likely to cause problems with signal corruption, in which you could get a picture filled with green sparklies, or no picture at all. In that case, you may need a higher quality cable and/or an HDMI repeater device in between the two ends of your chain. At the shorter lengths more commonly used in home theaters, most HDMI cables do about as good a job as any other. I recommend Monoprice for reasonably-priced, high-quality cables.
For your second question, "crush" refers to a loss of visible picture detail associated with boosted contrasts or oversaturated colors. Vividly saturated colors themselves do not necessarily always lead to crush. But when they bloom so severely that surface texture is obscured, that's a problem. With that said, you should make sure that your HD display is properly calibrated, either by a professional, or at least by watching a calibration disc such as 'Digital Video Essentials' and following the recommended steps. If your Color and Contrast are set too high (as they are by default on most TVs), that can exaggerate flaws in movie transfer.
1080p24
Q: I just read your 9-28-07 article re: 1080p24 vs. 1080p60 [What's the Big Deal About 1080p24?]. I have a Sony Bravia 46" LCD that I bought because it is 1080p capable. Unfortunately, I just found out this week when I tried to confirm 1080p compatibility with DirecTV's new 1080p service that it is NOT capable of receiving the DirecTV 1080p signal. The apparent reason: DirecTV is using 1080p24, while my Bravia is 1080p60. I profess my ignorance in not knowing there was a 24 frames vs a 60 frames 1080p; I thought that 1080p was 1080p.
Now that I know that there are 2 types of 1080p, is there anything that can be done to adapt my TV to the DirecTV signal, or am I out of luck with the TV broadcasts? I know that my Blu Ray gives me 1080p, so at least I've got that!
A: I'm not a DirecTV subscriber, but from my research it appears that the service is offering select Video-on-Demand content at 1080p resolution. They've chosen 1080p24 over the more commonly-accepted 1080p60 because it requires less bandwidth to transmit. As mentioned in the article you cite, 1080p24 has advantages for film-based movie content in eliminating 3:2 Pulldown judder. Viewers with HD monitors that can accept 1080p24 and also display at that resolution would be advised to use it.
However, as you've discovered, not every HDTV will accept a 1080p24 input signal. Most "1080p" sets are locked to 1080p60 resolution, and many will not accept a 1080p24 input signal. (Some will accept 1080p24 but convert it internally to 1080p60 by adding 3:2 Pulldown.)
If your TV can't accept the 1080p24 signal, I would recommend setting your DirecTV receiver for 1080i output. Your 1080p TV will take that 1080i signal and deinterlace it for display at 1080p60 resolution.
HD Audio Hookup
Q: Just got a Blu-ray player. Have a Samsung 1080p TV. HDMI connection between the two. The question is for the audio. I tried to decipher from your article [Blu-ray Audio Explained], but am still confused.
I have a Kenwood HTB-S715DV Home-Theater-in-a-Box audio setup, no HDMI connection (I think from '06). When I watch a Blu-ray movie, the sound has to be turned almost all the way up to get it to audible levels. The audio is running through the TV I assume, and the TV is only connected to the receiver through component cables. Obviously I have something hooked up wrong, or need a receiver with more capability. Any help is much appreciated.
A: If I'm reading you right, you're only getting audio out of your TV speakers now. If your receiver doesn't have an HDMI connection, you'll have to wire a Toslink or Coaxial digital audio cable from the Blu-ray player to the receiver. You won't be able to get lossless audio over those connections (your receiver simply won't support that), but you should at least be able to get Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1.
You can leave the HDMI connected directly to your TV for video only. You should turn the volume on the set all the way down (or set the TV to disable HDMI audio, if it has that option) so that you don't wind up hearing the movie through both the TV speakers and your HTIB. I hope that helps.
More HD Audio
Q: I have a PS3 with digital optical cable ran to a Yamaha RX-V1300 receiver, but when I play an uncompressed 5.1 audio Blu-ray, I only get stereo sound. Is there a way for me to get uncompressed audio over digital optical wire from my PS3 or only through an HDMI cable (thus requiring a new receiver with HDMI inputs?) And DTS-HD Master Audio comes across fine. Is that being compressed or a different type of file so that I can hear all channels properly?
A: Unfortunately, S/PDIF connections (either Toslink or Coax digital) do not have enough bandwidth to carry a full uncompressed PCM 5.1 audio signal. S/PDIF can only carry 2 channels of PCM, which is why you're getting stereo sound. To transmit a full PCM 5.1 signal requires either an HDMI or multi-channel analog connection. The PS3 does not have multi-channel analog outputs, so that leaves you with HDMI. If you want the full uncompressed audio, you'll need to upgrade your receiver to an HDMI-equipped model. In the meantime, most discs with PCM audio also include a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 option. That track won't give you lossless audio, but it will be 5.1.
DTS-HD Master Audio is designed in what's known as a "core + extension" configuration. At the heart of every Master Audio soundtrack is a standard lossy DTS 5.1 core. The extension added to that core is what gives the track full lossless quality. When using an S/PDIF connection, your player extracts only the DTS 5.1 core and ignores the extension. That's why you're getting 5.1 sound (still not lossless, though) from discs with DTS-HD Master Audio.
Similarly, discs with Dolby TrueHD lossless audio also include a backup Dolby Digital 5.1 track. With discs from some studios (like Warner Home Video), the lossy DD 5.1 option is selectable from the menus. On discs from other studios, the DD 5.1 track may be hidden. If your hardware can't support TrueHD, the Blu-ray player will automatically default to the lossy DD 5.1 option.
PS3 vs. Standalone Players
Q: With almost three years of age, would you say that the PS3 is still the best BD player on the market?
A: The PS3 is a fine Blu-ray player, no doubt. It's fully-featured with Bonus View and BD-Live, will decode all the lossless audio formats, and is still one of the fastest players to load even Java-heavy Blu-ray discs.
Whether it's the best BD player on the market depends on your particular needs. For example, the PS3 lacks multi-channel analog audio connections for users without HDMI-equipped A/V receivers. Although it will decode the lossless audio formats internally, it will not transmit their raw digital bitstreams over HDMI to a receiver. Many users (myself included) prefer to let a receiver handle the audio decoding. The player's DVD upconversion is also only mediocre.
The PS3's Bluetooth receiver is not compatible with universal remote controls unless you add an after-market accessory like the Nyko BluWave, which takes up one of the USB ports and is missing On/Off or Eject commands. And let's not forget that the console is a rather strangely-shaped box that doesn't fit easily into many home theater equipment racks.
That's not to suggest that the PS3 isn't an excellent piece of hardware. It really is. But every user's needs are different. Some will find the PS3 a perfect fit, and others will be better served by a standalone player.
That's it for this week. Be sure to check back next week for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming!
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Five Promising Blu-ray Players from CES 2009
Thu Jan 29, 2009 at 05:30 PM ETTags: Blu-ray Players, Industry Trends, CES 2009, HD Gear (all tags)
With CES wrapped up and 2009 stretching out ahead of us, we wanted to take a look at five of the most interesting Blu-ray players coming out in the coming year.
ezGear bluCobra EZ3000 – It seems like everyone’s getting into the Blu-ray game this year, including a little known company shooting to become a household name. ezGear is primarily a seller of add on products, such as the UFO wall plug, iPod skins, and Wii accessories, and the bluCobra marks their first venture into the world of home theater.
With the bluCobra , ezGear is trying to fill a very interesting niche, that of a budget high end player. The EZ3000 supports DVD, SACD, and Blu-ray with full 1080p/24Hz output, BD profile 1.1, and has outputs that should satisfy no matter how high or low tech the home theater. The player also supports multiple audio formats including Digital Dolby, Dolby True HD, and DTS-HD Master Audio.
ezGear has stated a price of “$399 or less”, but we will see exactly what that means when the player is released in March. With a less than impressive price tag, the bluCobra EZ3000 looks to be an economic alternative to higher end players.
It will come down to the consumer of course to determine the success or failure of the new entry to the already crowded Blu-ray market, but this just might be a niche that needs to be filled.
Samsung BD-P4600 – Samsung is a name synonymous with cutting edge technology. A constant innovator and always ready to show off their latest and greatest, Samsung changed the pace a bit at this year’s CES by unveiling, not the most technologically advanced player, nor the most full featured, but without question the best looking Blu-ray player at the show.
The BD-P4600 is absolutely beautiful. Jet black with a hint of dark red and an amazingly sleek design, were it not for the Blu-ray Disk logo in the center, Samsung’s new player could easily be mistaken as a piece of home décor. The touch sensitive controls on top of the player even fade to black when not in use. The BD-P4600 isn’t just looks though, this 1.5” thick wall mountable player abides by the old rule “it’s what’s on the inside that counts.”
Supporting BD Live (Profile 2.0) and Bonus View (Profile 1.1) straight out of the box and boasting a gigabyte of internal storage, this is definitely a capable player. Full HD 1080p playback is of course supported as is total HD soundtrack support. Last but not least, the BD-P4600 comes packaged with a Wi-Fi dongle allowing wireless streaming of both the ever popular streaming movies of Netflix and music of Pandora.
Vizio VBR100 – Economy and quality so rarely come together as well as they consistently do with Vizio products. Certainly not the top of the line, Vizio is clearly happy to offer an affordable alternative at a quality above what consumers have come to expect out of budget televisions.
Taking that philosophy into the realm of Blu-ray, Vizio’s foray into Blu-ray looks to be headed right for the mainstream. Fairly plain feature wise, the VBR100 is profile 2.0 compatible and features onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio decoding. Perhaps the most interesting feature is the 7.1 analog outputs, ensuring that those without the newest receivers will have guaranteed compatibility.
This is all pretty standard, so what’s got us so excited about the Vizio VBR100? The price. Launching in April at an MSRP of only $199, this is a price point clearly set for those new to Blu-ray. Cheaper prices mean that more people will be bringing Blu-ray into their homes, edging that adoption rate even higher and ensuring more quality Blu-ray content for years to come.
LG BD390 – LG, never one to be overlooked, has several Blu-ray players coming to market in 2009. Surely we can expect the same quality from them as with all LG products, but quality alone doesn’t set a product apart. Profile 2.0 compatible, a gig of built in memory, Dolby TrueHD, Digital Plus and DTS-HD Master Audio processing, you get the picture. There are only so many ways to say the same thing so let’s cut to the chase.
The BD390, along with the full feature set to be expected in a Blu-ray player, features built in Wi-fi connectivity. No wires, no dongles, and good to go right out of the box. Coming out in June, the sub $400 BD390 should help to set the standard of what’s expected from a Blu-ray player.
Panasonic DMP-B15 – At first, many people see it as having a limited interest, others see it as pointless, but Panasonic is bringing out the first portable Blu-ray player. Clearly, the 8.9” screen isn’t big enough that the 1080p resolution will even matter, and it’s a WSVGA display, meaning the screen can’t even handle 720p. The battery life won’t be as good as portable DVD players, and clearly it’s not going to be cheap.
That’s the obvious, now here’s the interesting bit. The DMP-B15 has, according to Panasonic “all the technology found in its stand alone brethren, the DMP-BD60 and 80.” This includes Bonus View, BD Live, and Viera Cast functionality, allowing access to Amazon on Demand, YouTube, and other web based entertainment sources.
Making the DMP-B15 a bit more practical are HDMI and HD Audio outputs, allowing the player to be hooked up to not only televisions but home theater systems as well. Imagine starting Return of the King on a plane or a bus on the DMP-B15 only to come home and finish it in full surround sound.
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