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'56 HD Advisor with Hardtop and Continental KitEditor's Note: Each Friday, High-Def Digest's own HD Advisor will answer a new round of questions from our readers. If you have home theater questions you need answered, send an email to [email protected]. If you've already sent a question and don't see it answered yet, please be patient as we work our way through them. To browse through previously answered questions, visit the main HD Advisor page. Answers by Joshua Zyber Correction re: HD Audio Downconversion Q: Last week, I read something in your Is HD Audio Worth it? answer that sounded strange to me. I've learned from you that a Dolby TrueHD track is completely different than a regular Dolby Digital track. When a Blu-ray has a Dolby TrueHD track, it has to also contain a standard Dolby Digital track for compatibility reasons. This is different than DTS-HD Master Audio, which has a "core" conventional DTS track inside it. What sounded strange to me was these words: "When Blu-ray players downconvert both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks to standard Dolby Digital or DTS for output to older A/V receivers, they do so at the maximum allowable bit rates for those formats." I don't see what you mean by a Blu-ray player downconverting Dolby TrueHD to a standard Dolby Digital. As we know, they are different. I wonder if what you meant was that, in the Blu-ray discs that have a standard Dolby Digital track, that track is recorded with a bit rate higher than the used in DVDs. Can you clarify? A: You are absolutely correct that I should have been more clear in that response. I used the word "downconvert" as shorthand to explain that (in the scenario described) the player outputs lossy Dolby Digital or DTS when playing Blu-ray discs authored with lossless Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio tracks. However, the word "downconvert" implies that the player itself applies processing to the original lossless tracks to scale them down or compress them. That is not the case. As you mentioned, a DTS-HD Master Audio contains an audio "core" in standard DTS format. If the Blu-ray player is connected to an older A/V receiver that isn't compatible with lossless audio, the player will extract the core and disregard the lossless extension. It then transmits that core to the receiver. This is, technically, different than "downconversion." Likewise, a Blu-ray authored with Dolby TrueHD audio must also contain a backwards-compatible Dolby Digital track. In this case, the lossy track is a separate entity, not a "core." Sometimes, the Dolby Digital track is "hidden," in that you can't actively select it from the disc's menus. However, if the player is connected to a receiver incompatible with TrueHD, it will ignore the TrueHD track and default to the DD track instead. Again, this is technically different than downconversion. I hope that clears it up. I apologize for the confusion this caused. 2k or 4k Video at Home? Q: If you have already answered this in some way before, you may just let me know where to find the answer. Some people went crazy buying movies in the DVD era. Now that Blu-ray is here, DVD is the new VHS. After 1080p, is the next jump in home theater resolution, such as 2k, going to see obvious diminishing returns? Not that you can predict the future, but mathematically. If people were purchase a lot of Blu-rays, is there a good chance that the next generation format might not feel so far removed from Blu-ray quality? A: You're right that a similar question was asked once before. But it's been a while, so the subject is worth revisiting. Our home video HD standard of 1080p is not far removed from the 2k resolution used in a majority of digital cinemas. Technically, 1080p refers to a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. "2k" digital cinema is 2048x1080. That's only about a 7% increase in pixel density. Now consider that Blu-ray's 1080p resolution is a 500% increase over DVD. An upgrade from 1080p to 2k would not be the same sort of quantum leap improvement as we've seen going from standard definition to high definition. In terms of resolution, it would barely be noticeable at the screen sizes most home theater owners use. 2k digital cinema also has deeper color space that might help with the purity and accuracy of colors (and eliminate banding artifacts). Even still, all in all, this would very much be an incremental improvement. Some premium digital cinemas use high-end 4k projectors with a pixel resolution of 4096x2160. That's a more significant increase of more than 325% from 1080p. That can be greatly beneficial on large theater screens. However, in the home environment, all those extra pixels would have to be packed into the same screen sizes we're watching now. The result is that the pixels would be so small that the human eye couldn't resolve all that extra detail. This is much akin to why there's little point in buying a 15" 1080p display. At sizes that small, your eye can't tell the difference between 480p and 1080p. The pixels are just too tiny. Keep in mind also that the vast majority of modern feature films that are either shot digitally or use a Digital Intermediate stage during production are currently rendered and archived at 2k resolution. 4k productions are very rare. (Even 'Avatar' was shot with 2k digital cameras.) When a 2k movie is projected at a 4k theater, it's upconverted to the higher resolution, similar to how DVDs are upconverted for display on an HDTV. What all of this comes down to is that I think 1080p is the "sweet spot" where home video will remain for the foreseeable future. Some manufacturers may experiment with higher resolutions, but 1080p will very likely remain the standard for quite some time. 'Avatar' vs. Blu-ray Players Q: I just got an email from Best Buy because I ordered 'Avatar' from them. It is suggesting that I check my Blu-ray player for firmware updates. It states, "In order to provide the best possible picture and sound, this Blu-ray Disc uses advanced technology that may cause compatibility issues with some Blu-ray players." I can understand if it needs an update for newer copy protection or Java features, but what can newer firmware do with the main feature's picture and sound that couldn't be done before (especially considering this is a 2-D disc)? Is this maybe just a fib in order to excuse a disc that has compatibility issues with several players? A: You've got it exactly right. There's nothing a firmware update for your player will do to improve the picture or sound of a Blu-ray disc that otherwise plays without issue. (Meaning, the disc actually loads and plays through without glitches.) The notice from Best Buy was really referring to the BD+ copy protection that 20th Century Fox used on the disc, which has already been reported to cause incompatibility problems with many standalone Blu-ray players. Unfortunately, Fox is the most paranoid of all the major Hollywood studios when it comes to concerns about video piracy, and constantly changes its encryption protocols, to the detriment of law-abiding consumers who've purchased their product and can't get it to actually work. You'll notice the ambiguous wording of the Best Buy announcement. When it says, "In order to provide the best possible picture and sound," that doesn't mean that the firmware update will give you better picture or sound. It means that without the firmware update, your player may not provide you with picture or sound from this disc at all. Homework Assignment: You Be the Advisor The HD Advisor knows many things, but he doesn't know everything. Some questions are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too! Plasma Screen Cleaners Q: What screen cleaner you would recommend for my Pioneer plasma TV? I love my baby (and so does the girlfriend) and I want to keep her screen looking pretty. Pioneer said to use a dry microfiber cloth, but I've heard there are chemicals you can spray on a microfiber cloth and then clean the screen. Are these a waste of time, or do they really work? Do you have any personal experience with them? Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming. Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
Sony to Announce Google TV in May[teaser]Sources say Google I/O will be home to the big announcement of an Android based television. [/teaser] Sony's TV division hasn't exactly been doing well in the last few years. It's not that Sony isn't selling TVs – they are. It's just that they're not selling as many as they used to, and that's cause for some alarm. In cooperation with Google, Intel, and Logitech, Sony has been searching for a way to recapture the television market and give their sales figures a kick in the pants. We heard some rumors about potential of Google TV back in March, but it's been pretty quiet since then. Now it's been revealed that the announcement will be coming, and soon. The Google I/O conference is slated for May 19 and May 20, and the announcement is expected one one of those two days. The TV, according to Bloomberg, will use a custom Atom chip and a new version of Android, called Dragonpoint. All companies involved are currently declining to comment. Source: BloombergPosted Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
DreamVision Debuts Starlight1 and Starlight2 HD Projectors[teaser]The new projectors sport high contrast ratios, expert calibration options, and an HQV video processor. [/teaser] DreamVision's latest projectors, the Starlight1 and Starlight2, are full 1080p projectors with an integrated 2.35:1 Cinemascope mode. They use a 3-chip LCOS engine and boast impressive contrast ratios of 32,000:1 (Starlight1) and 50,000:1 (Starlight2). That's just about double the contrast of DreamVision's last batch of projectors. They've also had some improvements in color reproduction, and thanks to DreamVision's own True Cinema Black technology they've improved dark color reproduction dramatically. "When watching a movie," says DreamVision, "black is really black." Both the Starlight1 and Starlight2 come equipped with an HQV video processor. Thanks to the processor, there are two different types of noise reduction, an improvement in color transitions, enhanced detail, and on the Starlight2, a Color Management System. DreamVision's new projectors are available at a price of $6,995 for the Starlight1 and $9,495 for the Starlight2. Source: DreamVision via Home ToysPosted Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 09:30 AM PDT by: -
Sanyo Announces PLV-Z4000 HD Projector[teaser]The Z4000 boasts up to 216 billion color combinations and releases at the end of next month. [/teaser] The PLV-Z4000 is the latest projector to come out of Sanyo, and it offers just about everything you'd expect from a current high definition projector. To start with, it can handle video at a 1080p resolution, and at either 120 or 24 frames per second. It's a 3LCD projector, and thanks to its ability to double the input frame rate, Sanyo says it's able to virtually eliminate motion blur and artifacts. It uses the TopazReal HD system, a technology exclusive to Sanyo that the company says guarantees excellent optical performance. It uses 14-Bit signal processing and a new, highly efficient HD lens. It's also got a color management system that's capable of producing up to 216 billion different color combinations. "The high performance achieved by our TopazReal technology makes this projector an extraordinary value in today's home theater projector market," says Sanyo VP Sam Malik. "The PLV-Z4000's ability to display very high resolution artifact-free images with superb color accuracy, while being easy to install in any home theater environment, make it a great choice from the standpoint of both consumers and installers." You'll be able to pick up the PLV-Z4000 at the end of May for an MSRP of $2,495. Source: SanyoPosted Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 08:30 AM PDT by: -
Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer Now Available[teaser]Though limited in its portability, the Dash has some decent bang for the buck. [/teaser] The Sony Dash is out today at electronics stores across the country. The reaction to the device has been mixed, but all things considered, the dash might be a good option for some people, despite significant limitations. While the Dash looks like a nice portable device for streaming video, there's no battery in the Dash, which means no portability. If you don't mind that though, it could make a great screen to watch while cooking, cleaning, or doing other jobs around the house. The Dash sports a 7" WVGA screen. The 800 x 480 resolution isn't true 16:9, but it's not too far off. The capacitive touch screen is the only source of control, but since the Dash is entirely widget based, that should be more than enough. What's really cool about the Dash is its ability to stream video from sources like Netflix and YouTube. It may not have all the functionality of an iPad, but it doesn't have the same cost either. You can pick one up for $199. Source: Sony StylePosted Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Kansai Airport Installs World's Largest Curved Plasma Display[teaser]At 200 inches, it's an impressive sight, but the real question is 'why?'[/teaser] Earlier this week, the Kansai Airport in Japan officially unveiled their newest installation, a 200 inch curved plasma display. It measures 4 meters high and 3 meters across, making it the largest display of its type. The videos being shown on the massive screen were created to introduce visitors to the airport and give some basic guidance as to how to get where you're going. It also serves as a primer on traditional Japanese culture, sightseeing spots in the area, and other things to do in the Kansai region. It makes sense that the airport has a nice big display for informing and entertaining, but the curve is a bit of a mystery, as is the orientation. Surely people would have been better served by a normally situated television mounted up against a wall. For what it's worth though, the strangely curved plasma has already brought more visitors into the airport. Source: Akihabara NewsPosted Fri Apr 30, 2010 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
Love 'Mad Men' & 'Breaking Bad?' Please Help!by Michael S. Palmer [teaser]A fellow HD enthusiast's plea for help!!![/teaser] I remember it well. Bored with nothing to watch. At the time I was a young man of modest means whose only companion was a Comcast HD-DVR. Sure, we didn't have many HD channels, but I could spend all day watching Discovery HD Theater anyway, so it didn't really matter. Then, some anonymous genius snuck AMC's first original series, 'Mad Men', onto the On Demand feature. It was moving. Dramatic. And above all, for anyone craving a high definition fix, gorgeous. Sure the AMC channel itself wasn't in high-def, but who cares, I had their best product commercial free. Next came 'Breaking Bad', another fully awesome cinematic TV experience. I couldn't believe my good fortune. Every week, I went back to On Demand, afraid. Perhaps it was mistake. What if this amazing, high-def programming would be taken away? But it never was. Life was perfect. Until football… Two years. A fiancée. And a quest to watch the New England Patriots each Sunday morning at home instead of a bar (beer still included) changed everything. Enter DirecTV stage left with the NFL Season Ticket. The technician was late. The fine print terrifying. But I had the world. A satellite dish; an HD-DVR receiver that not only records a gazillion hours of high-def programming, but also doesn't break every week; and football. Life was ultimo-perfect. Only On Demand is gone and AMC-HD doesn't exist for those of us bouncing TV signals off a microwave orbiting the Earth (insert sad emoticon here). 'Mad Men: Season 3' and 'Breaking Bad: Season 2' came and went. I wanted to watch them. Truly. But I couldn't. The letterboxed standard definition was indescribable. So I gave up. Decided to wait for the Blu-rays. And they are excellent. If you have DirecTV, you are currently watching substandard (image quality) 'Breaking Bad: Season 3.' This summer, you'll choke down 'Mad Men: Season 4.' And finally this fall, die a little each day, for Frank 'The Shawkshank Redemption' Darabont's 'The Walking Dead.' Depressed, I thought to myself. How can I fix this? How can one man make a difference (without a talking car named K.I.T.T.)? How can I fight The Man? Then I realized…on High-Def Digest, I have tens of readers! Mad with power, I had an idea. A rallying cry for high definition everywhere… Friends, Romans, Country Forum Trolls, lend me your ears…! And your ability to use the world wide webisphere. It's time to make noise. The more people who contact DirecTV, who demand to have a cable channel that just about everyone else already has… the sooner we all are to enjoying television shows we're currently paying not to watch. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is simple, and takes less than one minute: DirecTV Customer Options: A). Send an email. It's easy. Fill out your information (with account number if you have it handy, and CC me said info and your credit card number. Just kidding). Under the "Topic" menu, select "Programming". And under the sub-menu, select "HD Programming." Subject line: "Please add AMC-HD." And finally, a dull form letter for you to use, or adjust accordingly: "Dear DirecTV. Please add AMC-HD to your channel lineup. It is unclear as to why this channel -- which is currently available on Fios, Comcast, and TimeWarner Cable -- has taken so long to join your programming. Please don't make me want to switch television providers. Regards." Or B). Call 1-800-531-5000, press a few buttons, and ask them when they are getting AMC-HD. The customer service reps won't know, of course. So simply ask them to note the request. Non-DirecTV Customer Option: Using the Option A link, send this letter: "Dear DirecTV. I am considering switching to DirecTV, but I see you do not currently carry AMC-HD. Please add AMC-HD to your channel lineup so that I may enjoy it's quality programming. Regards." Done and done. The more people who chip in, the better. Lacking AMC-HD is not the biggest problem in the world – there are always the Blu-rays, and it's high time someone finally got into an argument either for or against 'Avatar' – but just know you'll be helping fellow HD-junkies enjoy some quality TV. Thanks in advance for all of your help.Posted Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 11:40 AM PDT by: -
NuVision's UColor Collection Matches Your TV to Your Home Decor[teaser]For $1,500 NuVision will create any colored bezel you want[/teaser] Mirrored televisions are a bit of a niche market. They're made for those rooms where it's more about the look than the function, or for people who are a little less enthusiastic about showing off their TVs. When not in use, the sets take on mirror-like properties, disguising themselves as mere decor. The frame can be a bit of a giveaway though. If you've got a room designed around a certain color theme, the 55" black framed mirror on the wall may look a little out of place. Sure, black goes with everything, but that doesn't mean it's always the best choice. To solve the problem, NuVision is offering custom colors for your new 55" FX5 television. It's only available for the one model right now, and at an upcharge of $1,499. It's a pretty slick setup though. If you've got a particular Pantone color you want, or if you've got a paint sample or fabric swatch, NuVision can match it. Send it in, order the TV, and 14 days later you've got a brand new set with a custom bezel. Is it worth $1,500? That depends on you. It'd be nice to see other companies manufacturing finishes other than glossy black though. Source: NuVisionPosted Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
AVerLife Cinema is a Bare Bones HD Media Player[teaser]If you don't need networking capabilities, the AVerLife Cinema is a slick and cheap option for media file playback. [/teaser] Networking capabilities are great in a media player, but they're not everything. Let's say you don't have a nice wireless network set up, or you just don't feel like attaching yet another device and configuring sharing permissions. At that point, why bother spending the extra cash on a feature you don't need? The AVerLife Cinema is a media player that handles a plethora of popular file formats and can output video at 720p via HDMI. It handles AVI, DivX, XviD, MPEG and other video files, while it tackles MP3, OGG, WAV and M4A on the audio front. What it doesn't do is network. There's no WiFi built in, no Ethernet port, and no way to get the AVerLife Cinema online. Of course, that's not really a bad thing if it's not a feature you need. It also keeps the price nice and low. The AVerLife Cinema can be had for $69.99. Source: AVer Media via marketwirePosted Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
Pioneer's New iPod Dock Upscales DVDs to 1080p[teaser]Like peanut butter and jelly, some things were made to go together. The XW-NAV1K-K combines an iPod dock, CD player, and DVD player. It's a bit more like peanut butter and cheese. [/teaser] Pioneer released a few new iPod docks today, but it's the XW-NAV1K-K that really stands out. Not because it's particularly impressive, but because it's one of the stranger tech combinations we've seen. It's not too unusual to combine a CD player and iPod dock. In fact, it's a pretty natural combination. Pioneer's XW-NAV1K-K has both, and some very cool music ripping functionality. You can't rip a CD directly to your iPod, but you can rip to a USB drive or external hard drive with ease. Where it gets weird is the DVD player. If it were included for DVD-Audio, it would make more sense. It would be overkill, especially considering the 2.75 inch passive speakers, but it would make sense. But it's not for DVD-Audio, it's for watching movies. The XW-NAV1K-K is capable of upconverting a standard definition DVD to 1080p, and an HDMI port is included for connecting to a television. There's also a composite output that can be used if you're not going high-def. To be fair, there are some people that will find the iPod dock and DVD player combo to be useful, but there are plenty of people out there who like peanut butter and cheese sandwiches too. If you're so inclined, you can pick up the Pioneer XW-NAV1K-K for $299 when it comes out in June. Source: Pioneer via EcousticsPosted Thu Apr 29, 2010 at 06:00 AM PDT by:
