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HD Advisor 8 ½Editor'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 1080i on a 1080p Display, and HDMI Splitters Q: I have a 1080p JVC RS1 projector, however my preamp outputs a maximum of 1080i. I have my HD sources fed to my preamp either through HDMI or Component video. I believe that my projector is native 1080p so it should upconvert the 1080i signal to 1080p. However it still makes me wonder if I am getting the best picture possible. Would I notice any difference if my preamp was outputting 1080p? A: Your JVC projector is indeed a 1080p model. As a result, any source you feed into it will automatically be scaled to the projector's native resolution of 1080p. However, by sending it a 1080i signal, you lose the benefit of 24 fps playback (as explained in my What's the Big Deal About 1080p24? article). I would recommend setting your Blu-ray player for 1080p24 output any time the display supports it (which the RS1 does). If your preamp will only pass 1080i video, and if you need to connect the Blu-ray player to the preamp by HDMI for audio (either for the lossless audio codecs or multi-channel PCM), my suggestion is to add an HDMI splitter to your chain. Connect the Blu-ray player to the splitter, then connect one HDMI cable directly to the projector for video and the other to your preamp for audio. [Important note: There's a distinction between HDMI switchers and HDMI splitters. An HDMI switcher will allow you to connect two video sources to one display. An HDMI splitter will take the output from one video source and amplify it to two displays. Although HDMI switchers are less expensive, you cannot substitute a switcher for a splitter. The HDMI signal will only travel in one direction.] Unfortunately, I discovered the hard way that HDMI splitters are finicky products. Due to handshaking issues, many don't work very well with HDCP-encrypted Blu-ray playback. I first tried a cheap passive splitter, and that didn't pass a video signal from my Blu-ray player at all. Then I tried a modestly-priced powered splitter from a reputable retailer (a store that I've recommended previously in this column), and even that gave me almost constant video dropouts because it would lose the HDMI handshake repeatedly. Finally, I bit the bullet and purchased a pricy Audio Authority HDMI splitter that works flawlessly. I'm not saying that the expensive Audio Authority model is the only HDMI splitter compatible with Blu-ray. There may be something less expensive out there that will work just as well. I can only relate my own experience with the products I've personally used. Using Component Video and HDMI Audio Simultaneously Q: Can a Blu-ray player's HDMI output be used for audio only, while still using Component for video? Perhaps an odd question, but I have a very lovely CRT projector that I see no reason to get rid of . I would like to get an AVR to get the high-def audio formats. Right now the best audio I can get is DTS core. I seem to recall reading somewhere that switching to HDMI output will disable the Component video output. A: Most Blu-ray players will allow you to use the Component output and HDMI output simultaneously, though this may vary by model. As I recall, the first-generation Samsung BD-P1000 required users to manually switch between the two connection types using a button on the front panel, and could not output them at the same time. I don't know if current Samsung models do the same thing. Other players I've used from Sony and Panasonic don't have that limitation. I'm not sure how the Sony Playstation 3 works in this regard, because I've never had need to purchase or use the Component video adaptor for that model. (Perhaps one of our readers can confirm this in the forum thread linked at the bottom of this article?) As I explained in last week's column, you can currently transmit Blu-ray video up to 1080i resolution from a BD player connected by Component video. However, DVD playback is limited to a maximum of 480p over Component (upconverting requires HDMI). Also, if a Blu-ray disc were ever to be flagged with an Image Constraint Token (ICT), the Blu-ray spec would require the player to downconvert the video to 480p resolution via Component. Fortunately, no Blu-rays have been flagged with ICT thus far, and it looks like this feature won't be used in the foreseeable future. HDMI Handshaking Woes Q: I finally got around to buying an up-to-date receiver, but I'm having a really weird problem with my HD satellite box. To wit, it doesn't want to work through the receiver. The receiver seems to think nothing is plugged in at all. I have plugged other devices into all four HDMI Ins and they all work fine. The satellite box still works fine when plugged via HDMI directly into the TV. And it gets weirder: a couple of times I've unplugged it from the TV and plugged it into the receiver and it's worked... until the next time the box is turned off, after which it's the same old story. This happened a couple of times; not every time. Do you think I'm right in assuming this is the satellite box's issue and not the receiver's? Is this some kind of handshake failure, or incompatibility of HDMI versions? A: I had a similar problem between my Motorola cable box and Denon receiver. Constant handshaking problems. I brought it up to Denon, and they claimed it was an HDMI implementation fault in the Motorola box. Given that every other HDMI device I've used with the receiver works fine, I'm inclined to agree. I eventually had to use Component video from the cable box. It works fine, and frankly there's no difference in picture quality between the two connection types from that box. Playing Non-Anamorphic DVDs in a PS3 Q: Is there any way to turn a non-anamorphic widescreen DVD picture into something anamorphic-like (so it's not 4:3 letterbox...which is very small!) without distorting the picture using a PS3? I think I've come close by turning upscale off and using the TV's embedded features, but I was looking for an easier way. A: At present, the PS3 only recognizes two aspect ratio flags on DVDs, either 4:3 or 16:9. When set to "Normal," the console automatically pillarboxes 4:3 content into the center of a 16:9 HD frame. That's fine if the content is actually 4:3 in shape (i.e. classic movies and many TV shows), but not so great if the content is encoded in non-anamorphic letterbox format (like 'The Abyss' or 'True Lies'). In the latter case, you wind up with a tiny movie image that has black bars on all four sides of the frame. When set to "Full," a 4:3 image is stretched to fill the 16:9 screen. That makes everything geometrically distorted and is just a bad idea all around. As best as I can tell, the "Double Scale" setting is no better than "Normal." You'll still get a windowboxed picture with bars on all sides. I once owned a Malata DVD player that could tell the difference between 4:3 and non-anamorphic letterbox content, and would automatically zoom the latter to fill a 16:9 screen with correct geometry. That seems to be a very rare feature, however. As it stands, there's no ideal setting in the PS3 for non-anamorphic letterbox DVDs. "Normal" is the best default. As you already noted, if you turn off the upscaling function, you should be able to use the aspect ratio controls on your HDTV. Just remember to turn upscaling back on the next time you watch a 4:3 or 16:9 disc. Cleaning Discs Q: I was just curious if there is a way to clean the optics on a Blu-ray player. I know that you can get cleaning discs for a DVD player, but do they make them for Blu-ray players? A: I'd advise against using cleaning discs. They tend to use abrasive measures to "clean" your disc player's optics, and are likely to do more harm than good. Really, unless you leave your player outside in a sandbox on a windy day, there's almost no need to ever clean the internals of the unit. The amount of dust that could possibly get in there and obscure the laser is negligible at best. If you truly did have a problem with dust or impurities preventing the laser from reading the disc data, that would result in catastrophic playback errors, such as the picture breaking up into huge pixelated blocks or the disc simply not playing at all. Assuming that's not the case, there's little need to attempt preventative lens cleaning. I've never used cleaning discs on any video disc player I've ever owned (from the laserdisc days to present), and have never had a problem. Those cleaning discs are a largely unnecessary product designed to prey on false fears. Homework Assignment: You Be the Advisor Some questions that the HD Advisor receives 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! Streaming Video from Computer to PS3 Q: I've been trying to research a product to catalogue my extensive DVD collection. I know how to rip to a hard drive, but the PS3 won't play a DVD unless a VOB file is played or the DVD is ripped to a DivX file, which won't let one use the menu on the DVD. I don't mind building my own server, but what would be the easiest way to stream those DVDs to a device that will use an HDMI output (preferably). The ability to output Blu-ray and HD DVD files as well would also be desired. Check back next week for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.Posted Fri Mar 27, 2009 at 10:10 AM PDT by: -
HD Advisor Number SlevinEditor'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 Calibration Q: Do I really need to spend $150 to have a TV professionally calibrated? What do they do that I cannot do myself? A: You don't need to do anything you don't want to. Naturally, we recommend that every HDTV owner calibrate his or her display for the most accurate picture quality. At the very least, buy yourself a calibration disc such as 'Digital Video Essentials' and follow its instructions to adjust your basic picture settings (Brightness, Color, Contrast, Sharpness, etc.) as much as possible. That will at least get you in the ballpark of video accuracy, and will be sufficient for the majority of viewers. However, professional calibration does have benefits. For one thing, a calibrator will be able to access your display's hidden service menu to manipulate advanced settings beyond most users' control. A good calibrator will also bring sophisticated measuring equipment such as color analyzers and waveform monitors that will help to really dial in your video to mathematical precision (or at least as close as your display's inherent limitations will allow). Casual viewers may not necessarily need professional calibration, but those looking for the best picture quality will usually find it worthwhile. Unfortunately, not all calibrators are created equally. I've heard far too many horror stories about the calibration services offered by certain big box retailers who shall remain nameless here. The last thing you want is a so-called "professional" to come in and leave your picture even worse than you started with. To be frank, any calibrator only charging $150 for their services is probably not going to be the most knowledgeable or experienced. You may be better off doing it yourself with the basic user controls than wasting that money. If you're serious about wanting a thorough calibration, you should expect to pay a bit more than that. I normally recommend starting with the Imaging Science Foundation to search for trained calibrators in your area. Lossy vs. Lossless Audio Q: I recently got a Blu-ray player but my older receiver doesn't have any HDMI inputs so I haven't yet experienced Dolby TrueHD sound. I've been told by some that the lossless audio difference is minor and I would get more of an improvement by investing in better speakers for my current receiver, since my current speakers are from a home-theater-in-a-box bundle and apparently those are typically not the best quality. Can you clarify HD Audio for me? A: Your question is more controversial than you may realize. My answer to you may fly in the face of many of our readers' firmly-held beliefs, but I personally believe in cutting through hype and misinformation to get to the underlying truth. First off, know that I fully endorse the use of lossless and/or uncompressed audio on Blu-ray. (For brevity's sake, I'll use the term "lossless" from this point forward when referring to both. Even though the two terms are technically different, the results amount to the same thing -- a bit-for-bit identical copy of the studio master.) Whether it be PCM, Dolby TrueHD, or DTS-HD Master Audio, all three of these high-res formats are sonically equivalent, despite what fans of one or another may tell you. These are positive developments for the Blu-ray format, and represent a decided technological improvement over the standard lossy audio found on DVD. I recommend listening to the lossless track on a disc whenever possible. I also advocate that every studio include a lossless audio option on all of their Blu-ray releases. (That means you, Warner.) With that said, the difference between lossy and lossless audio is not as vast as some people would have you believe. Especially when we're talking about the Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 tracks used on Blu-ray, which are encoded at higher bit-rates than their DVD equivalents. DD 5.1 and DTS 5.1 are both good audio formats. They're not perfect, but they are very good at what they do. The perceptual encoding techniques each use primarily remove audio signals beyond the range of human hearing, or signals that would be masked by other signals in the soundtrack anyway. That's not to say that there isn't an audible difference between a lossy soundtrack and a lossless soundtrack. But when someone tells you about the mind-blowingly amazing improvement in sound quality between one codec and another, you should take that with a grain of salt. More often than not, the differences people hear between any two audio formats are mainly due to improper volume matching (most people confuse louder with better) or simple placebo effect (if you're predisposed to believe that you'll hear a difference, your brain is more likely to tell you that it does). Truth be told, most listeners, even self-proclaimed golden-eared audiophiles, find it very difficult to tell any two audio formats apart from one another in a properly-conducted double blind listening test in which all of the tracks have been volume matched (all other factors involving the sound mix being equal). When legitimate improvements in audio clarity and fidelity do exist, they're usually subtle. The plain fact of the matter is that upgrading your speakers or A/V receiver will have a much greater impact on sound quality than the differences between any two audio formats. Your speakers are the single greatest limiting factor in the reproduction of audio in your home. The Digital-to-Analog Converters and amplifiers in your receiver are close behind. Both are far, far more important than the audio compression codec used on the video disc. Most entry- to mid-level home theater speakers (and almost all Home-Theater-in-a-Box speakers) are outright incapable of reproducing the full frequency range of sonic details found in a lossless Blu-ray audio track. Even if there is a potentially audible improvement in the lossless disc data, you'll never hear it from tiny HTiB speakers. If you want the biggest bang-for-your-buck improvement in sound quality, prioritize new speakers first. Better speakers will improve the sound quality of all sources you listen to, even lossy soundtracks. When you're ready to buy a new receiver, you should of course get one that supports lossless audio. Even more importantly, you should look for one that has better DACs and amplifiers than your current model. The combination of all these factors, plus a lossless audio codec, will give you the best sound. Lossless audio is a very good thing. If you can listen to a lossless track, you should. But, it's not the only important factor in ultimate sound quality, or even the most important. It's just one part of a bigger overall picture. HDMI vs. DVI Q: I have a Dwin TV-3 projector which is only capable of 720p and does not have an HDMI input, but has a DVI HDCP compliant input. I made sure it had one before I bought it as I had read extensively about future compatibility issues. Now I want to upgrade to Blu-ray, but I want to be sure that my Dwin will interface with Blu-ray without this forced down-rez I've heard so much about. I realize that 720p isn't full high definition, but it should look way better than 480p, and I'm not in the position to purchase a new projector just yet. I'm aware that there are several DVI to HDMI connectors, but I'm concerned about possible HDCP compatibility issues. Can I expect things to work the way I intend or am I out of luck even though I have an "HDCP complaint" DVI input on my Dwin? A: So long as the DVI input on your projector is HDCP-compliant, you should be able to successfully connect a Blu-ray player with a simple DVI-to-HDMI adaptor cable. As far as video goes, the two cable types transmit essentially the same signal. The main difference between them is that HDMI will also carry audio, while DVI won't. Not all DVI connections are HDCP-compliant. Many displays with DVI inputs cannot accept encrypted Blu-ray video. If yours promises HDCP compatibility, you should be good to go. In a worst-case scenario, you can still connect a Blu-ray player by Component video and receive a high-def signal up to 1080i resolution from Blu-ray content. However, standard-def DVD content would be output at a maximum of 480p resolution over Component, due to pointless limitations on upconversion mandated by the DVD Forum. The Blu-ray spec requires BD players to check each disc played for an Image Constraint Token. If the Blu-ray disc is encoded with an ICT, the player would be forced to limit the resolution to 480p over Component for Blu-ray content as well. Fortunately, no Blu-rays have yet been flagged with ICT to date, and it looks like this feature won't be used in the foreseeable future. Speaker Not Working Properly Q: A friend of mine has a Marantz receiver, the 8002 I believe. The left speaker's volume has dropped to the point that he had to disconnect it due to the fact that the level of that speaker was so low it was obvious something was wrong. Is it possible that it's a processor issue? We connected the right speaker to the left side to check if it was the speaker and got the same result, a drop in volume. The left speaker worked in the other side (right side). It's a serious issue for him as he will have to send it away to have it fixed and he is on a bit of a budget. A: If the left speaker worked fine when you switched it to the right side, and the right speaker (which was working fine previously) dropped in volume when you connected it to the left side, it's safe to say that the problem is not in the speakers themselves. First things first, make sure the problem isn't something simple. Has the speaker wire on the left side come loose (at either the speaker end or the receiver end) or gotten frayed? Your fix may be as easy as re-attaching or replacing the wire. If that's not it, check the receiver's setup menu to make sure that the speaker level settings weren't accidentally changed or reset. Failing that, there may be something wrong with the amplifier to that channel, which will probably require repair. Switching Resolutions Q: I have a PS3 as my Blu-ray player. I also have a 73" HD Mitsubishi television. Say I am watching a 1080p Blu-ray movie. I decide I want to watch the Theatrical Trailer which happens to be in 480i. When it transitions from 1080p to 480i, or vice versa, there is a slight delay in the picture popping up (say around 2 seconds) but the sound is already coming through. There is also about 30 seconds of sporadic flickering of the picture. After that, everything is fine. Do I have something hooked up wrong? Or is this normal because of the difference in picture quality? A: What you describe is normal for your equipment. When playing a Blu-ray disc with some standard-def content (e.g. the trailer), the PS3 will output that SD material as SD, without scaling it. The delay you're experiencing happens because your TV needs a couple seconds to resync to the new resolution each time the PS3 switches from HD (the movie or the disc menus) to SD and back. As a result, you get a black screen or flickering even though the new content has already started playing. It's a nuisance, I agree. Some standalone players handle this differently. For example, my Panasonic Blu-ray player scales all SD content to whatever resolution I've told the player to output (1080p). No matter what I watch, my display always receives a 1080p signal. Perhaps Sony will eventually update the PS3 to do the same some day, if enough users find that useful. Homework Assignment: You Be the Advisor Some questions that the HD Advisor receives are best answered by you, 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 matters too! Samsung Blu-ray Player Setup Q: The 3rd 'Mummy' movie is the first Blu-ray I've purchased. On my Samsung Blu-ray player, I get a box in the upper left corner that says Bonus View. I cannot figure out how to get it off the screen. I've tried every menu and button I could find and it doesn't go away; it's very distracting. Can you tell me how to turn this off? I just want to watch the movie. JZ: There is almost certainly an option in the Blu-ray player setup menu that needs to be turned off, but I don't own a Samsung player to know what they call it. Can any Samsung owners answer this one? Be sure to check back next week for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.Posted Fri Mar 20, 2009 at 11:30 AM PDT by: -
HDD Twitter Announcement Results in Twitter Post Leading Back to Twitter Announcement Story - 'Back to the Future'-Style Craziness Continues Indefinitely[teaser]High-Def Digest is now on Twitter. It's what all the cool kids are doing these days![/teaser] For those of you out there busy Twittering to your aching thumbs' content, please add HDD to your list of must-read Twitterers! You can check us out here! Click "Follow" to be the first in the know when it comes to all things high-def!Posted Mon Mar 16, 2009 at 03:10 PM PDT by: -
HD Advisor VI: The Undiscovered CountryEditor'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 Film-to-Video Q: How do movies get converted into HD? I saw 'Casablanca' last night on Blu-Ray and it looked amazing! A: It's a common misconception that movies must be shot "in HD" (hence only recent productions) to benefit from Blu-ray. Since the dawn of cinema right up to the present day, the majority of movies have been shot on 35mm film, which has a higher potential resolution than any video format, even High Definition. Remember, movies are designed to be projected onto 50-foot theater screens. You need a high-quality source to hold up at that size. The short version of this story is that, to make a Blu-ray, the film elements must be transferred to video using a machine called a telecine, which is sort of a fancy scanner that digitizes each frame of film. Once complete, sometimes color corrections and other image manipulations are performed in the digital realm, and then the results are exported to create an HD master, typically at either 2k or 4k resolution. That HD master will be used as the basis for any home video editions. The image will be scaled to 1080p for Blu-ray (or downconverted to Standard Definition for DVD), digitally compressed, and then authored onto a disc. Assuming that the film elements have been maintained in good condition or can be restored, even very old movies like 'Casablanca' (1942) or 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (1938) will look terrific on Blu-ray. Some modern movies (such as 'Miami Vice' or 'Cloverfield') are shot on High-Def video rather than film. For obvious reasons, these movies can bypass the telecine process. Even today, only a small minority of movies are shot on video. Most are still shot on 35mm film. However, recent 35mm productions often use a Digital Intermediate stage during production. After the movie has been photographed, the footage is telecined for color correction and visual effects in the digital realm, and then output back onto film stock for the theatrical release. In many cases, the DI will be used as the basis for the HD master, rather than putting the later film elements through another telecine transfer. 3:2 Pulldown Q: I've noticed on three different Blu-ray discs now that on slow panning shots the picture seems to stutter once, quickly. It's as though the camera man has shook the camera briefly, do you know what causes this? And what is at fault? It has only happened on three discs out of about fifteen, but it's a little off-putting when it comes to adding new Blu-Rays to my collection. In fact, there's been a few times when I've opted for the DVDs instead! A: What you're describing sounds like image judder, the side effect of 3:2 Pulldown. This occurs when 24 fps film is transferred to 60 Hz video. For more details, see my What's the Big Deal About 1080p24? article. With that said, 3:2 Pulldown will affect Blu-ray and DVD video equally. You shouldn't see the artifact on one but not the other. If you are, there may be something else going on, such as a hardware problem in your equipment chain. [Reader Michael responds: What’s probably going on is that he's turned on Cinemotion or some other non-Sony equivalent image enhancement technique on his TV, and then set his Blu-ray player to output 24p. When you turn on Cinemotion on a Bravia, it doesn't affect the output of anything running at 24p – only 60p/30i, which is why DVDs would pan smoothly though the Blu-ray does not. Tell him to turn 24p off on his Blu-ray player if he REALLY wants it to look that way.] Brand Loyalty Q: I have a Sony Blu-ray player that supports 24p picture. Do I need to get a Sony 1080p 120 Hz that supports 24p, or could I get any 1080p 120 Hz TV in order to watch my Blu-ray movies on the 24p setting. A: There is no technical requirement that you must connect a Blu-ray player from one manufacturer to a TV from the same manufacturer. In fact, with many of these mega-corporations, the people making disc players and the people making TVs are in completely separate facilities and have little to do with one another, other than being owned by the same parent company. The 1080p24 output from any Blu-ray player will work with any HDTV that supports 24 fps input and display, regardless of manufacturer. These days, that often means 120 Hz models, but not always. Any refresh rate that's an even multiple of 24 (e.g. 48 Hz, 72 Hz, 96 Hz, etc.) will display a 24 fps signal correctly. 120 Hz is only necessary for sets that offer a Frame Interpolation feature (see my earlier explanation of Frame Interpolation). Lossless Audio and 7.1 Q: When playing a Blu-ray disc that has a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, I would like use all the speakers in my 7.1 setup, which means using the Dolby ProLogic IIx option on my A/V receiver. Will this mean that I'm not getting DTS-HD out of my first 5 speakers? A: No, this will work fine. Even though Dolby and DTS are competitors, ProLogic IIx is designed to work with DTS audio tracks. ProLogic IIx will not downgrade the quality of the audio signal. Instead, it simply steers certain audio cues that were going to the left and right surrounds into the back center channels. It does this using a matrixing algorithm that analyzes the frequencies and their directionality to find an appropriate balance. The audio signals remain in full lossless quality, just redirected to more speakers. Lossless Audio and HDMI Q: I have a receiver with an HDMI 1.1 connection. I wanted to know if I am still getting HD sound because when I select Dolby TrueHD, the volume drops a little. My settings are on multi-channel and PCM. Regular Dolby on Blu-ray sounds louder. A: In order to transmit the raw TrueHD digital bitstream from a Blu-ray player to a receiver, you'll need at least HDMI 1.3. If your receiver is limited to HDMI 1.1, it will only accept the bitstreams for standard Dolby Digital and DTS. If you perform audio decoding inside the Blu-ray player, the player will convert TrueHD to multi-channel PCM, which can be transmitted over any version of HDMI. It sounds like this is how you have things configured. This shouldn't result in any loss of sound quality if your Blu-ray player can decode the full TrueHD codec. Many Blu-ray players can't, and will instead only decode the standard Dolby Digital 5.1 backup track. You'll have to check your player's documentation. If your player will decode TrueHD, make sure you have it configured correctly in the Setup menu (every manufacturer is different, so you'll need to consult the owner's manual). Assuming that everything is set up and working correctly, don't confuse volume with quality. One track being louder than another doesn't necessarily mean that it's better. Some high-res audio tracks are set to a lower default volume in order to leave enough headroom for a wide dynamic range. Always try to volume-match audio tracks (preferably with a sound level meter) before comparing them. 3-D Q: What is up with the current status of 3-D at home? And by that I mean not the typical red/blue glasses but the new RealD type of stuff? A: If this answer seems like a cheat, I apologize for that. However, I recently wrote a lengthy article on the subject of 3-D in cinemas and on Blu-ray for Home Theater magazine. It appears in the April 2009 issue, which should be on newsstands now (and is also available electronically with a digital subscription). Because the publisher owns the copyright to that text, I can't reprint any of the article here. But check out the magazine, and it can hopefully shed some light on the subject for you. Homework Assignment: You Be the Advisor Some questions that the HD Advisor receives 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! A/V Receiver Recommendations Q: My question is about receivers that support HD video/audio signals. Of all the choices out there, which is the least expensive option and which are the most recommended for the money? I'm looking for a receiver that will allow me to plug my PS3 via HDMI. I'm not looking for one with DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD, just PCM 5.1 or 7.1 support and full 1080P passthrough. Can you help? Sony's seem to be about $350 give or take $50. Are there any other options that compete? Be sure to check back next week for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.Posted Fri Mar 13, 2009 at 11:40 AM PDT by: -
Yamaha boxes up four new home theater setups[teaser]Four new “Home theaters in a box” have been added to Yamaha’s line of AV receivers and speakers[/teaser] The new offerings include: the YHT-791, YHT-591, YHT-491 (SRP: $549.95) and YHT-391. (SRP: $399.95). All four of these systems include SCENE functions for easy setup – users can press four buttons to power the units up, and quickly select the inputs and surround sound configurations. They use a Compressed Audio Enhancer to improve sound quality of compressed music files and with additional components, they are compatible with Yamaha’s iPod Dock (included with the YHT-791) and Bluetooth devices. The YHT-791 (SRP: $849.95) and YHT-591 (SRP: $649.95) are designed to compliment home theaters looking for the full HD experience, including Blu-Ray players, gaming consoles and HD broadcasts. They offer internal decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MasterAudio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio. The YHT-791 is a 7.1 channel device, with a 100W powered subwoofer and four HDMI inputs. It can also upscale analog video to 1080p, and produce matching sound and video output using Auto Lip-Sync technology. The YHT-591 is a 5.1 channel device, featuring a 10-inch 100W subwoofer, two-way surround speakers, three-way bass reflex speakers, and a 5-channel A/V receiver. The YHT-491 features a five channel A/V receiver, two bass reflex tower speakers, two-way acoustic suspension center, two-way bass surround speakers and an 8-inch 100W subwoofer. The YHT-391 is the entry-level device. It includes a five channel A/V receiver, and 8-inch 100W subwoofer and five two-way acoustic suspension satellite speakers.Posted Thu Mar 12, 2009 at 01:35 PM PDT by: -
Panasonic Adds Three Blu-Ray Players To Product Lineup[teaser]Panasonic is introducing three new Blu-Ray players to their lineup.[/teaser] The new offering sinclude: The DMP-BD60 (SRP: $299.95), DMP-BD80 (SRP: $399.95), and DMP-BD70V (SRP: $399.95). These three players have been engineered to reduce power consumption. They also include VIERA Cast’s internet connection for access to Amazon’s video selection, Google’s Picasa and other popular online Blu-Ray applications, and the VIERA Link function that allows users to control all AV components with a single remote. The video quality is augmented by the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus to produce picture quality that is faithful to the original film. They all include decoders for Dolby(R) Digital Plus, Dolby(R) TrueHD, and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential. The BD70V is the first player on the market to include a deck for VHS support. It can also play CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs, and can up-convert all video to 1080p. The BD80 is a 7.1 channel player, allowing for true 7.1 surround sound. It also allows for a playback window with video information to be displayed along with the currently playing disc. All three players use 96kHz surround remastering, to enhance the audio quality of CDs and other sources. These three Blu-Ray players from Panasonic will be available this April.Posted Thu Mar 12, 2009 at 01:30 PM PDT by: -
Amazon Launches Massive Blu-ray Sale[teaser]Hang on tight kiddies, cause this is the Blu-ray sale you've been waiting for![/teaser] Running from now through March 22nd, Amazon is running a promotion on 379 Blu-ray titles! With prices as low as $9.99, selections include megasellers such as 'Tranformers' and 'Iron Man,' kid favorites like 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Cars,' and really, well, all the titles you've been waiting for! Check it out while the checking out is good. See the full list of titles here!Posted Mon Mar 9, 2009 at 10:45 AM PDT by: -
HD Advisor v5.0Editor'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 1080i/p Content on a 720p HDTV Q: I have a Toshiba Regza 720p HDTV. I've read in the Instruction Manual and have noticed myself that the HDMI inputs accept 1080i and 1080p signals. Currently I have my Ps3 setup for 1080p, and my cable box and HD DVD player setup for 1080i. Essentially, what does it mean in terms of picture quality and is it better to have my equipment set up for 1080i/p respectively or should I have them set for 720p? A: A digital HDTV has one and only one native resolution. A 720p model will display all content at 720p. Even if the set will accept input signals from higher or lower resolutions, it automatically scales everything to its native resolution before anything shows up on your screen. If you want to watch a 1080i HD broadcast or a 1080p Blu-ray on your TV, those signals will need to be scaled to 720p first. You can choose to do this at the sources (the cable box and Blu-ray player) or in the TV. Your decision will depend on which component has the better scaling circuitry built in. A bad scaler will introduce artifacts such as shimmer, aliasing, or pixelation. A good scaler will be essentially seamless (of course, your new picture will still have a lower resolution and less detail). The best way to make this decision is simply to try it both ways and see if you can notice any difference. If one method is visibly inferior to the other, use the better-looking option. If you can't tell the difference, set everything to whichever method is most convenient for you and try not to worry about it. HD Audio – PCM vs. Bitstream Q: Just want to make sure myself and others understand how PCM vs. Bitstream audio streams work for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. I have a Denon AVR-3808 and the "Dolby TrueHD" and "DTS-HD MA" indicator lights do not light up when utilizing my PS3 or BDP-S350 for Blu-ray playback. This is because neither player supports the high-end audio codes in bitstream format, correct? They support PCM which is basically a file unzipped by my receiver which is equivalent to TrueHD and DTS-HD MA. It pains me not to see the indicator lights light up on a $1,700 receiver. Will there be possible upgrades which allow the PS3 to output the high-end audio codecs via bitstream, or would I need to purchase another Blu-ray player to make this happen? A: There are two ways to get high-resolution audio out of your Blu-ray player to your receiver in full quality. The first is to transmit the native audio bitstream over HDMI and let your receiver do the decoding. In that instance, your receiver's front panel should light up with an indication of which codec it has received. In order to do this, you'll need a Blu-ray player capable of transmitting the native bitstream. Unfortunately, the Playstation 3 won't do that. From what I understand, this is a hardware limitation in the HDMI transmitter used in the console, and cannot be changed with a software update. However, according to the specs I looked up, the Sony BDP-S350 will "bitstream" the high-res audio formats. Go into the player's Setup menu and make sure all audio options are set to Bitstream. (I've been informed that Sony calls this setting "Direct.") You may also need to turn off Secondary Audio if that's an option. The other method to get full high-res sound quality is to let the player decode the audio internally. For this, you'll need a player with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoders built in (some models will only decode standard Dolby Digital or DTS on their own). The PS3 is fully loaded with all the decoders you'll need. After decoding, the player will transmit the audio as multi-channel PCM. Although you won't see a "TrueHD" or "DTS-HD" indicator light up on your receiver, there should be no loss in quality from decoding the audio in the disc player rather than in the receiver. Dynamic Range Compression Q: I live in an apartment with rather thin walls. I want to be able to have decent quality sound and actually hear the dialogue without blasting my neighbors' windows out. I've turned on the audio compression on the PS3, and turned on a feature called 'Midnight' on the amp, which is supposed to do the same thing. Nevertheless, the audio on most movies seems mercilessly loud when it comes to bullets and car chases, then I have turn up the volume to even hear the dialogue. So I'm sitting with my remote on a hair trigger the entire time, and that kind of robs from the viewing experience. I've tried tricks like turning up the center speaker, since that's where a lot of the dialogue comes from. Nothing's noticeably helped. Any advice you could give me would be very much appreciated. A: For most Blu-ray viewers, a wide dynamic range (the difference between the highest and lowest points in a soundtrack) is a desirable benefit of high-resolution audio. In your case, it's actually a detriment. I'm going to start with some suggestions that shouldn't negatively affect your audio quality, and may even improve it. If those don't work, you'll have to move on to more invasive methods. Since you live in an apartment, I'll assume that major renovations and full-blown soundproofing are not an option. Still, there are things you can do to reduce the vibrations that carry through your walls and disturb your neighbors. The first thing you should try is to move your speakers away from the walls and elevate them off the floor with isolation feet. You want to reduce or avoid hard contact with surfaces that connect throughout the building. Next, you should break up sound reflections in your room with rugs and wall treatments. You don't necessarily need to buy expensive audiophile acoustic treatments. Shelves and artwork can also break up reflections. Try to eliminate large, flat expanses of empty wall or floor. In extreme cases, attaching fabric to the ceiling may help. Reducing reflections will improve audibility of subtle details more clearly, which will reduce your need to crank up a soundtrack's volume. Likewise, you should also try to eliminate other sources of noise that may be muddying your sound. Turn off your computer, air conditioning, and other noisy appliances if possible. If none of that is enough, you'll need to be more aggressive. You've already taken a few of the steps I'll recommend. Turning on Dynamic Range Compression (or "Night Mode") will reduce output from both the highest and lowest registers of the audio. Failing that, raising the center channel gain while lowering the other channels (especially the subwoofer and front mains) should allow you to hear dialogue without blasting the rest of the soundtrack. Keep in mind that you should make these settings in whichever device is performing the audio decoding. If your disc player is doing the decoding, you'll want to turn on Dynamic Range Compression there, not in the receiver. If you're sending a native audio bitstream and letting the receiver decode, that's where you'll turn on DRC. The low-end of the audio is the part that creates the greatest feeling of loudness, and also the part that carries most through walls to your neighbors. If DRC and turning up the center channel aren't enough, set your crossover to filter out frequencies below 120 Hz, then turn your subwoofer way down or disconnect it entirely. You might also try downgrading the lossless audio formats (TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio) to standard Dolby Digital or DTS by connecting a Toslink optical cable rather than HDMI. Of course, these last few actions will have a (perhaps dramatically) negative impact on overall audio quality, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. (My thanks to reader Chase for a few of these tips.) 5.1 vs. 7.1 Audio Q: I currently have a Blu-ray player and a 5.1 receiver and speaker system. If I upgrade the receiver to a 7.1 receiver capable of playing back Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, but don’t add the two more rear speakers, will I still be able to notice a difference in sound quality? Or do I really need to add the two speakers as well before the difference becomes noticeable? A: The most important thing to note here is that you won't lose any parts of a movie's soundtrack by playing a Blu-ray disc with a 7.1 audio track on a 5.1 sound system. If you only have five speakers, you receiver will automatically redirect any sounds designated for the center rear speakers out to the other left and right surround channels instead. Everything will still be there, just spread out to the sides a little more. The difference between a 5.1 and a 7.1 audio configuration shouldn't have any effect on overall audio fidelity. All you're doing is adding two more speakers that will help to fill in the rear soundstage and give you a couple more discrete points for directional audio cues. This is mostly beneficial in large listening spaces with a significant gap between the left and right surrounds, but is a lot less useful in smaller rooms, where the surround channels are probably already close enough together to create a convincing rear soundfield. Depending on how your room is laid out, you may be just as well off sticking with 5.1 rather than trying to cram in a couple extra speakers that might only serve to muddy the back soundstage. Replacement Remotes Q: Our house was broken into three weeks ago. Besides our TV being stolen, they stole all the remotes for our Blu-Ray Disc Player and Sound System. We'll be getting our insurance money shortly to replace everything. How do we get new remotes? A: I'm sorry to hear about your bad fortune. For replacement remotes, you can contact the manufacturer about purchasing new controllers, however they will probably charge you an arm and a leg. Alternately, you can try third-party vendors like Mr. Remote or Replacement Remotes.com. You might also check eBay. Perhaps a more convenient option would be to simply purchase a new universal remote that has the codes for your equipment either pre-programmed or downloadable. I'm a fan of remotes from the Harmony line, which will allow you to download codes from their extensive database that covers almost any device you can imagine. Be sure to check back next week for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming!Posted Fri Mar 6, 2009 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
Sony's Blu-Ray Players Go Wireless[teaser]Four new Blu-Ray players will soon be added to Sony’s product offering. Two stand-alone players, the BDP-S360 and BDP-S56, and two home theater systems, the BDV-E300 and BDV-E500W BD come equipped with full HD 1080/60p, BD Live capability, and the ability to decode the latest audio codecs.[/teaser] The BDP-S360 (SRP $300) and BDP-S560 (SRP $350) both use upscaling technology to convert DVDs to near HD experiences. In addition to the robust audio and video compatibility, these devices each have a USB port, and use Precision Drive Technology to stabilize bent or scratched discs during playback. These players will be released during the summer. The BDP-S560 is designed to cut down on wires, as it has Wi-Fi network capabilities that allow it to access online content through you home wireless network. It is Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA(R)) capable, allowing it to transfer digital photos to other (DLNA(R)) devices. The two home theater systems are S-AIR ready, meaning that they can project audio to external speakers. The BDV-E500W (SRP $800) has S-AIR wireless compatibility with its rear speakers, while the BDV-E300 (SRP $800) can use S-AIR with the purchase of external modules. These systems include a Digital Media Port, which comes equipped with an iPod cradle. They are also compatible with several other media connections, such as a Bluetooth adapter and a PC client device, sold separately. These units will ship this June.Posted Thu Mar 5, 2009 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
HD Advisor: Episode IV - A New HopeEditor'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 HD Audio Q: I've got a Yamaha RX-V1800 receiver which is compatible with the high-end audio formats for Blu-ray and HD DVD such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Now when I put in an HD DVD or Blu-ray and select the audio output in the movie menus, on the receiver it only displays Dolby Digital on the receiver instead of Dolby Digital Plus or DTS-HD. I was wondering if the audio was being output in the best way possible or if there was a specific thing that I need to do in order for it to actually output the audio in one of the advanced formats? Thanks for any kind of help. A: First, let's make sure you've connected your disc players to the receiver in the most optimal fashion. If you're using either Coax digital or Toslink optical S/PDIF cables, those will not carry a high-resolution audio signal from any of the new Blu-ray (or HD DVD) audio formats. With those connection types, your audio will automatically be downgraded to standard Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 formats. Ideally, you want to use an HDMI connection from your Blu-ray/HD DVD player to the receiver. Once you've done that, you should go into each disc player's Setup menu and set the Audio options to output a native "Bitstream" audio signal. On certain Blu-ray players, you may also need to turn off any "Secondary Audio" options. At that point, your receiver should be able to receive the full Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio formats. Of course, that assumes that your disc players will support native bitstream transmission of the high-res audio formats. Unfortunately, not all do. You'll have to consult the owner's manual for each unit. Some Blu-ray or HD DVD players will decode TrueHD and DTS-HD internally. In that case, they'll convert the compressed codecs to Linear PCM and your receiver should indicate that it has received a multi-channel LPCM signal. See my earlier Blu-ray and HD DVD Audio Explained article for more details. More HD Audio Q: I have a new receiver that supports all new digital sound types (TrueHD, 7.1, DTS-HD, etc.). I am running HDMI from my PS3 which I use for my Blu-ray playback. I looked online to which setting for sound I should set my PS3 up for. I settled on Bitstream because my receiver reads that it is playing in Dolby digital, etc. When I'm using Linear PCM as my sound setting for HDMI the display reads linear 2/0 etc. as the sound playback. I am confused to which one is more accurate for my current set up. Bitstream sounds better to me but a lot of people seem to suggest Linear. A: Although this may at first seem to contradict what I wrote in the question above, if you've connected the Playstation 3 to a receiver by HDMI, you should set the PS3 for Linear PCM output. The PS3 is one of those Blu-ray players not capable of transmitting the high-resolution audio formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in native bitstream form. If you set the PS3's audio output for "Bitstream," it will downgrade each codec to standard Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1. However, the PS3 can decode these audio formats internally. Once it does that, it will output them as LPCM 5.1. There should be no loss in quality doing so. TrueHD vs. Master Audio vs. PCM Q: I have a Yamaha RX-V661 receiver with the Sony BDP-S550 hooked up via HDMI, and I notice all over the net that all of the new audio codecs: DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO, DOLBY TRUE HD, AND PCM are all bit-for-bit identical to the studio master. My question is: How come I can tell an audible different between all three? My Blu-ray player has the codecs and my receiver converts them to PCM; however all movies I've watched encoded with PCM sound aggressive (i.e. Black Hawk Down), all movies with DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO sound crystal clear, like shattered glass (i.e. Kingdom of Heaven), and all DOLBY TRUE HD tracks sound airy, spacious like (i.e. Spider-Man 2). Also, my receiver is properly calibrated to Digital Video Essentials and on each of those respective audio tracks, I have to turn the volume to different levels for reference: PCM I don't have to turn up as loud as DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO and I don't have to turn that up as loud as DOLBY TRUE HD. Why is this? A: The short answer to your question is that 'Black Hawk Down' is not the same movie as 'Kingdom of Heaven', and neither one is the same movie as 'Spider-Man 2'. These are all different movies with different sound mixes. You can't compare the sound mixes of different movies and draw meaningful conclusions about the audio formats they're encoded with. It's an apples-to-oranges comparison. The volume discrepancies you've noted can be the result of several different factors. First, again, not all soundtracks are the same as one another. Some are just mixed louder than others. Second, many Dolby tracks apply Dialogue Normalization, which will adjust the default volume across different movies to set a baseline where all dialogue is approximately the same loudness. This often results in Dolby tracks starting at a lower default level than other formats. On the other hand, DTS likes to crank the volume of their tracks up, because most listeners associate louder with better. Louder is not better. It's just louder. Once you volume-match them, there are no inherent qualitative differences between any of the lossless or uncompressed audio formats. I covered these issues in a little more depth in my Uncompressed vs. Lossless Audio article. Subtitles Q: Have any discs utilized the "Subtitle Styles" feature I've noticed in the onscreen PS3 menu? It would be nice to make them smaller sometimes, or to move them around. A: As I recall, Sony experimented with this feature on their Blu-ray release of 'Immortal Beloved'. The implementation there offered the choice of positioning the subtitles either in the lower letterbox bar or on top of the 2.35:1 video image. The studio may have done this with one or two other titles as well, but soon discontinued the experiment and went back to their previous policy of placing one line of subtitles in the movie image and one below. Speaking as the owner of a 2.35:1 projection screen, I really wish more studios would make use of this feature. As I explained in my Memo to the Studios article a while back, there's nothing more infuriating than trying to watch a foreign-language 2.35:1 movie on a 2.35:1 screen and finding out that the subtitles are cropped off because the studio put them in the lower letterbox bar. 1080p24 Q: That is a very comprehensive review on the Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD player -- especially with your firmware addendums as Toshiba released new versions. A quick question about 24fps. It turns out that my Samsung HL67A750 DLP TV, although capable of accepting a 24 Hz signal and is claimed to be 120 Hz, converts the signal back to 60 Hz. In your testing would you say that thePosted Fri Feb 27, 2009 at 11:45 AM PST by:
