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Posted: March 10th, 2002
03:37 PM
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Vince Maskeeper
Kent, Ohio USA
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Need an introduction to home theater? Check out our FAQ and Primer!!

Posted: March 10th, 2002
03:44 PM
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Vince Maskeeper
Kent, Ohio USA
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January 19th, 1999

DVDs are widescreen (letterboxed), and widescreen is better!

Many first time DVD buyers notice that DVDs are mostly in the "widescreen" or "letterboxed format", which have balck bars at the top and bottom, and they wonder why.

Well, next time you go to your local movie theater, take a close look at the movie screen. You'll find that modern movie theater screens are actually a rectangular shape (they are much wider than they are tall).

Modern movies are shot in such a way that the shape of the picture is a rectangle. While you watch a movie in the theater, take note of how WIDE the movie picture is.

Now, when you get home - take a look at your TV set. Your TV set (if it's a regular TV) is basically square shape. It's not that wide rectangle you saw in the theater, it is closer to a perfect square.

Now- In order to make the rectangle movie picture you saw at the movie theater fit in your square tv, one of these two process is usually used:

1) The studio cuts off the sides of the rectangle picture and make it a square (obviously losing picture area from the original film). This is called PAN & SCAN, and it is probably what you're used to if you watch movies on VHS or on Cable TV. You might have seen the warning "THIS FILM HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO FIT YOUR SCREEN"-- they are letting you know they've cut off big pieces of the rectangle to make it square.

2) The image is zoomed out a little. This allows your set to fit the full width of the rectangle inside the square TV shape, but leaves unused areas at the top and bottom (letterboxing). You see black bars because you are seeing the full width of the rectangle, which leaves no picture for the top and bottom of your square shaped TV.

In order to truly create the THEATER in your home (which is the basic goal of Home Theater)-- it is important to present the film as it was originally intended. The only way to respect the film and present it as the director composed it, is to display it without cutting off parts of the picture. Thus, we have widescreen DVDs.

The proper way to show widscreen films without cutting off the sides of the picture, is letterboxing.

This respect for the original shape of the film is often referred to as OAR, which means presenting a film in its original aspect ratio.

In other words: OAR means presenting the film including the entire picture the director intended you to see. The Home Theater Forum is officially PRO-OAR.

Aspect Ratio is just the term for what shape the movie is in.

You can learn more about widescreen and the importance of letterboxing here (check out the first one for an excellent animated example):

http://www.ryanwright.com/ht/oar.shtml
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/home/wsfaq.html
http://www.widescreenadvocate.com/
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/artic...creenorama.html
http://www.widescreen.org/
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/

-Vince

Posted: March 10th, 2002
04:03 PM
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Michael Reuben
New York City, Center of the Known Universe
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What are some common aspect ratios?

Books can be (and have been) written on the history of aspect ratios in motion pictures. But let's keep this basic. In the early days of cinema, movies were roughly the same shape as a standard TV screen, which is about 1.33:1 (which means that the screen is 1.33 times as wide as it is tall). The shape of a standard TV is also sometimes described as "4:3". The terms "4:3" and "1.33:1" are used interchangeably.

Fifty years ago, studios were going broke because theater patrons were staying home to watch TV. So they embarked on a campaign to give theatergoers something they couldn't get at home. That's when movies got wider.

Today, the vast majority of films are framed for one of three common shapes or "aspect ratios":

1.66:1: This is much more common than Europe than in the U.S. When a film is transferred to DVD in this aspect ratio, it will have very small black bars on a standard 1.33:1 TV screen.

1.85:1: Very common in the U.S. Films transferred to DVD in this ratio will have somewhat larger black bars, but still less than a third of the available space on a standard TV screen.

2.35:1: This very wide aspect ratio used to be found primarily in epic adventures, but today it has become common for all sorts of films, even intimate domestic dramas like the 2001 Oscar contender In the Bedroom. Films on DVD in this aspect ratio will have very large black bars, roughly 40% of the available display area.

There's another aspect ratio you may have heard about, 1.78:1. It's not from film. Instead, it's the official aspect ratio for high-definition TV. You may know it by its other designation: 16:9. DVDs have a special connection with the 16:9 format, which is the next subject to address.

What are "anamorphic" DVDs?

Many widescreen DVDs feature what's called "anamorphic" enhancement. You can't always tell by looking at the DVD cover, because the studios don't have a standard format for listing this feature. Often it's referred to as "enhanced for 16:9". Sometimes you'll see "enhanced for widescreen TVs". And often there's no mention of it at all (e.g., most DVDs from Columbia Tristar).

The following explanation of anamorphic DVD is one from the vaults. It was written by former HTF admin Rob Gillespie, and it's the best short explanation of the subject I've ever seen.

Rob's explanation talks about "scan lines". "Scan lines" are what make up the picture on your TV screen. Your TV draws 480 visible scan lines across the screen 30 times every second to "paint" the video picture you see. When films are presented in widescreen, some of those lines have to be used to draw the black bars, which is something of a waste. DVDs offer a way to make better use of those scan lines, and that's what anamorphic enhancement is all about :

quote:

An anamorphically enhanced DVD spreads the image over more scan lines, increasing the resolution. Where do these extra lines come from? Well, on a normal letterboxed transfer, they are the space used for the black matting bars. If you play such a transfer on a standard 4:3 TV, the image appears tall and thin.

OK so far?

When an anamorphic DVD is played back, obviously the image needs to be restored to it's correct proportions. There are three ways this can be done.

On a standard 4:3 TV, the 'squeeze trick' can be done. This consists of entering the service mode and reducing the vertical size of the viewable picture until the proportions are correct. You're basically doing the same adjustment that's possible on computer monitors. On most European and very few American TVs, there is a proper '16:9' mode which does the squeeze trick at the touch of a button.

On a 4:3 TV without doing the 'squeeze', the DVD player must be set to '4:3' within it's setup menu. This forces the player to 'downconvert' the anamorphic image by removing some of the scan lines. This plays the image back at the correct proportion, but obviously loses some of the original resolution. It can also introduce unwanted artifacts, especially on scrolling credits etc.

On a widescreen TV, if the correct screen mode is used, the anamorphic image is stretched laterally, restoring it to the correct proportions.
Right.

The aspect ratio of the film itself is completely independent to the above. On an anamorphic DVD, the AR can be anything above 1.78:1.

OK?

A normal 'widescreen' DVD presents the film in it's proper aspect ratio (eg. 1.85:1, 2.35:1 etc) but does not include the anamorphic enhancement. This means the image is spread over fewer scan lines, dropping the resolution somewhat. This will play back fine on a normal TV without adjustment, but will obviously have the 'black bars' top and bottom depending on the AR. If played on a widescreen TV, the set must be put into the correct picture mode (on Sony's, it's usually 'Zoom', but varies with other makes).

Phew.

For further information, try here:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/artic...ic/welcome.html

http://www.dvdfile.com/news/special.../anamorphic.htm

M.

Posted: March 10th, 2002
04:52 PM
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Jay Mitchosky

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Home Theater Means Accuracy & Calibration!

Make Video Essentials or Avia and a Radio Shack sound pressure level (SPL) meter a mandatory purchase when you set up a home theater. It's more than just plugging in a bunch of boxes. The goal is to faithfully recreate to the extent possible the theatrical experience. That means setting audio and video levels relative to recognized standards. It only takes a short time to make these basic adjustments but makes all the difference in the world.

For video, colors will be more natural and vivid and the overall image will offer more punch and snap. You will see greater amounts of detail and richer, deeper levels of black. Images will no longer have that blown out, desaturated look like you see on the showroom floor.

For audio you will realize a better balance between each channel. Dialogue won't be obtrusive or lost in the mix. Surround effects will serve to enhance the presentation rather than distract from it. Low frequency effects will not overpower the rest of the soundtrack.

For a fraction of the money you spent on your hardware (and probably software) you can invest in tools that will make movies look and sound closer to the way they were originally intended. And these tools will be appropriate as your home theater evolves.

See also:
A Quick Overview of Home Theater Calibration by Vince Maskeeper

"Sorry... It's starting to hit me like a two tonne heavy thing."

Posted: March 10th, 2002
06:44 PM
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Cees Alons
Amsterdam, Netherlands
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All those amplifiers in a HT

Audio signals come from a source (CD player, DVD player, VHS player), then go to a processor to have it divided for multichannel output (Dolby Surround, DTS, Dolby Digital). Then go to pre-amplifier to get some corrections and make it a standard level (also may have treble and bass regulated- as well as overall volume level), then go to (power-) amplifiers who produce power (voltage times current), so it can drive a speaker and make a lot of noise.

If the pre-amplifier and the amplifiers are combined (together with a processor and a radio-tuner as well), it's called a receiver. This is the most common solution in a HT. Therefore, if the power-amplifiers are not all inside a receiver, but apart, that's called separates.

In the old days, when multi-channel audio (except stereo) wasn't common (at least not the "coded" form), there already were integrated amplifiers - of course they still exist, there are many audio freaks around - meaning the pre-amp and the power-amp were together, and generally two of them to form an audio stereo combination.

Posted: March 10th, 2002
07:26 PM
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Cees Alons
Amsterdam, Netherlands
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August 1st, 1997

Colour signals

Video signals undergo a terrible form of compression: all those infinite frequencies of the visible color spectrum are represented by only three different colors (frequencies)! The reason they can get away with that, is that it's based on the physiological peculiarities of the human eye. We simply don't see the difference!
The information about the three colors at any moment is called the video signal.

To broadcast the video signal so it could be picked up in our homes, they had to group the colors together and the coding technique was called NTSC. Soon some problems became obvious, especially variable color shifting during transmission through the air. But by then all American TV sets were able to decode NTSC-signals - and nothing else. In Europe they didn't have color broadcasts at the time, so they could come up with a solution: a different way of coding the video signal, which was called PAL. As a result, all TV sets in the US, Canada and Japan can now only decode NTSC signals. All sets in Europe (except in France and Russia) and Australia can decode PAL, and recently most of them NTSC as well.

The digtal nature of the data on DVD made it less desirable to try and code the data as either NTSC or PAL. Instead, they kept the three colors separate, but they used a trick (had been used before): of two colors they record the signal strength and the third value is the total strength of the colors (the brightness). Thus you can easily compute the third color, while in practice a signal is present that can be used in older B/W devices.

To serve older color TV-sets, the DVD-player is able to combine the colors into either NTSC (America, Japan) or PAL (Europe, Australia), and this signal is called the composite color signal. It's less desirable, because immediately after it has just been combined, the TV set will have to split it up again (as it always does) with something called a "comb-filter". The quality of the resulting color image is heavily dependent on the quality (price!) of the comb-filter.

Better use the recorded information, called S-Video (US) or S-VHS (Europe). If your monitor (TV-set or projector) has S-Video input, this is a huge improvement over composite!

Some DVD-players (and all DVD-drives inside PC's) can compute the pure three-color information themselves. This is often called RGB-signal or component signal. In fact the latter term is a bit inaccurate here, because the S-Video is a component signal as well!

You will understand that using the RGB-signal may offer a slight improvement over S-Video (if the decoder is good), but certainly not as much as going from composite to S-Video!

Posted: March 10th, 2002
08:14 PM
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Cees Alons
Amsterdam, Netherlands
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August 1st, 1997

Do I really need a Subwoofer?

No, you don't need anything. But then if you don't have anything you won't see or hear much when seated in your HT.

Well, if you're on a budget, or if you need some more time to decide better, you can postpone the subwoofer: that way you can start your HT-experience now, and you will be happily surprised the day you get one!

Why have a sub?
The human ear can hear frequencies starting as low as 20Hz (lower frequencies can hardly be heard - but you can feel them in your chest!). And those terribly low frequencies add tremendously to the drama of the soundstage. No explosion, or earth-quake without them. And they add a foreboding tension to any scene. So they are heavily used in modern films.

On DVD they can be recorded, and the special channel containing them is called the effect-channel, or more accurately: the Low Frequencies Effects (LFE-) channel. It's the "1" in "5.1" (or in "7.1"). Receivers and decoders have an output that is meant to be fed to a special low frequency speaker the (generally having it's own amplifier: active) subwoofer.

Then some guys remembered an older technique. Because you cannot hear where low frequencies exactly come from, you don't have to produce them exactly at the spot of the different audio channels. They used that in older stereo equipment, so they could have less expensive L- and R-speakers, and have all lower frequencies of both channels sent to one subwoofer (located under the couch, or so)!

That's brilliant: now we already have the LFE-sub, we can use it to reproduce the very low frequencies of the other channels as well! No need to buy five extremely expensive speakers (ha, no, not extremely)! All decoders and receivers now have something added called bass-management: you can define any channel you want (often all of them) as small (meaning: no frequencies lower than approx. 80-100Hz), and the decoder (receiver) will send it's bass to the LFE-channel!

So now you know what happens if you add a sub later: you will acquire the possibility to hear the LFE-channel AND you will severely improve your total frequency range. If you were on a budget in the first place, your other channels won't be too good at very low freqs, isn't it? Well, they don't have to be.

Posted: March 10th, 2002
11:32 PM
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Dan Brecher
In the land or Mordor where the shadows lie (england)
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As you may already know, the encoded audio information on DVD is digital- meaning the sound has been translated into computer data. When audio is turned into this "digital data", there are several ways it can be written. Much the same way you can express the message "PEACE ON EARTH" in dozens of languages (English, French, Korean, etc)- you can translate audio into DATA using many different systems.

Some computer users might be familiar with formats like MP3 or WAV-- these are simply different ways of expressing audio in the form of computer data. In the wide world of audio, there are literally hundreds of ways audio can be turned into data, or "encoded". Each format has it's own advantages and disavantages.

In the world of DVD, we have essentially 2 major formats for digital audio: one is called Dolby Digital and one is called DTS...

What's to know about DTS?

It is very likely various components within your home theatre (your DVD player for example) sport the DTS logo on the front panel somewhere, but what does this mean? Well, DTS, like Dolby Digital, is another delivery format for digital surround sound (predomenantly 5.1 based) in both movie theatres, and in our homes.

In 1993, Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park was the first ever movie to carry a DTS (Digital Theatre Systems) soundtrack. A short number of years after it's theatrical launch (which has now seen DTS installed in over 20,000 movie theatres worldwide) the first laserdiscs to carry DTS sound were released to much acclaim, and of recent years much of the home theatre world has been able to embrace a growing amount of DVD releases sporting an optional DTS soundtrack.

As you begin to learn more about the DTS format you're likely to want to ask a number of very common questions, and there are essentially three key questions newcomers are often itching to ask. It is best we tackle each of these one at a time;

1) Why don't all DVDs support DTS soundtracks?

No doubt you have by now noticed, or will come to notice, that not all DVD releases sport the option of a DTS soundtrack. Why is this?

It first needs to be understood that Dolby is the set "standard" for audio on DVD. DTS is an optional format, and frankly, some studios still don't see it as a format that has a wide enough user base to warrant the extra costs of mastering an additional soundtrack for a DVD.

What one must also understand is that the space to encode material on a DVD is far from limitless, and DTS takes up space, more space than Dolby Digital. The additional space DTS requires can often prove problematic when it comes to producing a DVD, and when there is a desire to offer a number of supplements on the disc (not to mention the best video transfer possible) the inclusion of DTS can sometimes be seen as a burden and not a valid enough adition to warrant compromise of a disc's visual presentation. The DVD releases of X-Men and Star Wars The Phantom Menace are among those known not to have included an optional DTS track for this very reason.

2) Ok, so I understand that in some cases the addition of an optional DTS soundtrack is not seen as entirely feasible, even by the studios that support it on DVD, but why don't some studios even support DTS on DVD at all?

Well, again we must return to the fact that some studios just still don't see DTS as a format that has a wide enough user base in the home to warrant the extra costs of mastering an additional soundtrack for a DVD.

Paramount is pretty much the one remaining major studio to have never put out a single DVD that carries an optional DTS track. With them in their lack of DTS support are Warner Brothers, who did in fact issue special editions of Twister, the first three Lethal Weapon movies and Interview with a Vampire with DTS soundtracks on DVD a couple of years ago, though have done no more since. Finally, of the big studios, there is MGM, who have thus far only released one DVD with a DTS track option (Ridley Scott's Hannibal).

The studios that continue to pledge continuing support as and when they see possible? 20th Century Fox, Dreamworks, Universal, New Line Disney. The likes of Anchoy Bay and Criterion continue to show their DTS support on a number of titles.

3) So, am I hearing the stories correctly? Is DTS better than Dolby Digital?

This is the most common question of all, and one you will never get a definitive answer to, especially if you decide to openly ask the varied opinions of a membership as large as that of the Home Theatre Forum.

A lot of the time it is said that it's simply not worth even bothereing to compare the DTS track to the Dolby Digital track on the same DVD, and this is mainly due to the fact that a majority of DTS tracks we are given on DVD are mastered from alternate source material to that of the Dolby counterpart. Why is this? Well, one could imagine this is done to follow the DTS philosophy of presenting the best delivery of a film's original sound mix possible. Why not just source the Dolby track from the best materials possible then you may ask, and that remains one of the killer questions...

A number of DTS tracks on DVD to be mastered from alternate source material over their Dolby counterparts include Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator, Jurassic Park & Se7en.

Listen with your own ears, only you and you alone can decide upon your preference. Simply sit back, turn up the volume and take full advantage of the beauty of being given the choice of Dolby and DTS soundtracks on an ever growing number of DVDs.

For more information on DTS, its history and the growing list of titles available on DVD with DTS soundtracks, visit the official DTS Website

Posted: March 11th, 2002
12:19 AM
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Adam Barratt
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As you may already know, audio information on DVD is stored digitally. Sound is an inherently analogue medium, so must be converted into computer data (long strings of 1s and 0s) before this can take place. Much as the message "PEACE ON EARTH" can be translated into dozens of spoken languages (English, French, Korean, etc.) this sound can be translated into data using many different languages or 'formats'.

Computer users might be familiar with formats such as MP3 or WAV -- these are simply different ways of expressing audio in the form of computer data. In the field of digital audio there are numerous ways audio can be turned into data. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages, but the goal is always the same: to reproduce the original signal as accurately as possible within the limitations and constraints imposed on each format.

In the world of DVD, there are two primary 'multichannel' (that is, more than the conventional one to two audio channel) formats. One is called DTS (Digital Theater Systems) and the other is called Dolby Digital. DTS has been discussed above, so I will focus on the most common format, Dolby Digital.

What is Dolby Digital?

Dolby Digital is an audio compression system introduced to theatres back in 1992 for the film Batman Returns. In late 1995 the system made its appearance on LaserDisc, DVD's immediate predecessor, with the release of Clear and Present Danger. It first appeared on DVD in late 1996 (in Japan), and early the following year in the US.

Dolby Digital is a very flexible system, allowing anywhere from 1 to 5 full-range audio channels with an optional 'LFE' (Low Frequency Effects, or bass) channel for each variant. Dolby Digital also consumes very little 'space' (data) on a DVD, and a typical Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack requires less than a third of the space required by a CD's two channels. This small size leaves lots of space for multiple soundtracks, extras, or better video.

Dolby Digital soundtracks can be so small because they are 'compressed', much like a computer .zip file (but in this case 'AC-3'); although unlike a computer's compression system some audio information is 'thrown away' to save additional space. This may sound bad but this information shouldn't be audible so makes little to no difference to the system's overall sound quality.

Dolby Digital 2.0 is the most common use of the format, the '2' indicating the number of full range channels and the '0' indicating the lack of an LFE channel.

Dolby Digital 2.0 is usually used to present stereo soundtracks on DVD, which can additionally be recorded in Dolby Surround (a technique that squeezes four audio channels into two, and is intended to be processed by a Pro Logic or Pro Logic 2 decoder).

Dolby Digital 5.1 is the second most common use of Dolby Digital on DVD, presenting five full-range audio channels and an LFE channel. Three of these channel are arranged across the front soundstage (left, centre and right) and two across the rear soundstage (left surround and right surround; Dolby Digital Surround EX adds an additional back-surround channel blended into the two surround channels). The LFE channel is directed to a subwoofer, or if one is unavailable to a system's main speakers.

Other variants such as Dolby Digital 4.1 are much less common, appearing on a few DVDs such as Big Trouble in Little China. Dolby Digital 4.1 usually indicates three front soundstage channels and a single surround channel that is fed to both surround speakers.

Along with PCM audio (the same kind of audio used by the venerable CD) Dolby Digital is one of DVD's audio 'standards', which means every DVD must contain either a Dolby Digital or PCM soundtrack. Any type of Dolby Digital will do, even a mono Dolby Digital 1.0 soundtrack.

Because Dolby Digital soundtracks are so much smaller than PCM soundtracks, most DVDs include a Dolby Digital soundtrack rather than PCM.

Adam

"She'll be back." my homepage. my home theatre gear.

Posted: March 11th, 2002
12:47 AM
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Patrick Sun
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Going from Dolby Surround to 5.1 audio

Dolby Pro Logic, the dark ages

The advent of 5.1 audio allowed for a more viable and pleasing home theater movie watching experience over the older Dolby Surround sound tracks that relied on 2 channels of audio, decoded by a process known as Dolby Pro-Logic to create 4 channels of audio: Front-Left, Front Center, Front-Right, Mono-Rear-channel (usually split into 2 channels, but possessing the same audio information in each). Receivers and processors with Dolby Pro-Logic decoding would do all the work.

Dolby Pro-Logic would basically take the 2 channels (the left and right channels usually from a source like a VCR or LaserDisc player) and create the 4 channels in this manner: The Front-Center channel was produced by taking the signal common to both the left and the right channels and steering them into the Front-Center channel. The new Front-Left was the left channel information that wasn't common to the right channel, the new Front-Right was the right channel information that wasn't the common to the left channel, and the rear channel as created from out of phase audio from the combined left and right channel.

Sounds convoluted, right? It also SOUNDED convoluted when it was played back as well.

Dolby Surround was an audio presentation that was problematic in the bleed through from either of the 2 channels into the 4 channels. Most of the time, the center channel seem to get all of the audio information, leaving the front-left and front-right channels with little to do. It did not create a realistic enough surround sound environment for home theater enthusiasts like you!

Then DVDs were invented. Yay!

5.1 Channel Audio, the modern era

To achieve the surround sound environment of a movie theater, a majority of DVDs today come with audio that allows a receiver/processor that is capable of decoding a single digital audio track (usually encoded as Dolby Digital 5.1, sometimes dts 5.1) that comes from the DVD player, into 5 discrete channels of full range audio, and a .1 discrete channel that is limited to bass frequencies and is known as the Low Frequency Effects (LFE) channel.

So, now you will see this number "5.1" everywhere you look around here. It means an audio format that has 5 main speakers (regular left and right like a normal stereo system- and added to that a center speaker to go between the left & right speakers. And then you have two surround speakers that go behind you for surround effects)-- and you have the .1 speaker which is the special channel for just bass.

The receiver or processor handles it all

Receivers can be thought of as the control center of your home theater. It contains amplifiers to power your speakers, it allows you to switch from source to source for audio and often video, it allows you to adjust many HT setup parameters, and it processes digital audio tracks and splits them into discrete channels of audio for the speakers.

Processors do the processing of the digital audio tracks. Processors can be either standalone, or built into a Pre-amp. If they feed a pre-amp, the discrete channels of audio are connected from the processor to the pre-amp in the form of cables with male RCA jacks on each end. These cables are referred as "InterConnects", and to get good performance, choose a shielded cable rated at 75 ohms, these are the same type of cables that will be referred to as Digital Coax cables later in this article.

As long as you select the right input on the receiver/processor so that it knows which input to process, you're almost home free in getting 5.1 audio.

Most pre-amps with built-in processors are referred to as Pre-Pros because they do everything a receiver does with the exception of supplying the power for the speakers (you'd use separate amps to power the speakers).

Receivers will take in the digital audio input from the DVD player, and process it, and direct the 5.1 discrete channels of audio to the proper amplifier channels, which will power the proper speakers. The 5 main channels feed the following placed speakers: Front-Left, Front-Center, Front-Right, Rear-Left, and Rear-Right. The .1 channel is fed into a subwoofer, and requires amplification from the subwoofer to play the signal back properly (some Powered Subwoofers are powered by a self-contained amplifier onboard, other Passive subwoofers require a separate amplifier to power it).

Along those same lines, a processor will take in the input signal, process it, and produce 5 discrete channels of full range audio, plus the .1 LFE channel. Sending the 5.1 discrete audio channels to a Pre-amp (via InterConnects) will allow you to adjust the levels of each channel in case you need to lower or boost a channel to provide a more cohesive sound environment (this can usually be done with a receiver as well). Then the "corrected" audio channels are sent to amplifiers which are connected to the properly placed speakers.

Hooking up the DVD player for digital sound

That about covers the Receiver/Processor side. Let's turn our attention back towards the start of all this mess, the DVD player:

So, you have 2 types of connections from the DVD player:

1. A cable that has RCA jacks on each end (refered as a Digital Coax cable, which sounds fancy, but the main ingredients are that each end is terminated with RCA male connectors, and the cable itself needs to be a shielded 75 ohm rated cable to ensure proper operation/connection/impedance matching between the DVD player and the receiver or processor).

2. A cable with a small square-ish plug on each end, and the cable itself is made of a fiber-optic material. Sometimes this is known as a TOSLink cable.

The majority of the digital output from a DVD player will be the TOSLink variety. But there will always be some players that have the digital Coax RCA output as well. They offer the same functionality.

It is essential to get into the DVD player's setup settings and select what digital output stream you want your player's digital audio output to output. Consult your player's manual for the proper setting (usually it is called the Digital bitstream, rather than PCM, which is for CD playback for the most part).

When the receiver/processor processes the digitial audio signal and produces 5 full range channels and the LFE channel, the channels are mixed by the makers of the DVD's audio tracks so that when played through properly positioned speakers in a HT setup, the 5.1 channels of audio will produce a surround sound environment that envelops the viewer/listener all around them, and creates a more believable setting for the contents of the DVD, whether it be a film, a music concert, and documentary, etc.

So what the heck is 6.1?

As you check out your options for obtaining 5.1 audio in your home, you'll come across 6.1 audio, and the simple fact of the matter is that there are a few DVDs that include digital audio tracks that will allow the receivers/processors that can handle the 6.1 digital audio tracks and produce not only the usual 5.1 discrete channels of audio, but also the Rear-Center audio channel for a more complete 360 degree enveloping surround sound setup in your home. To get 6.1 capability, it'll mean looking for a new receiver/processor that can handle those DVDs encoded with 6.1 audio.

The 3 main flavors of 6.1 audio are:

Dolby Digital EX Surround

dts ES Surround

dts ES discrete surround

The first two types use a matrixing system to "encode" a 3rd rear channel inside the audio for the regular two. On these tracks there are really still only 2 real "discrete" encoded tracks-- but they are created in such a way to make a 3rd (the rear center) able to be extracted using signal processing. Like the center and surround in pro logic (which are extracted from processing a simple stereo file)- a processor is able to take the audio signal and extract a rear center channel from an compatible signal.

For the DVDs with a DD EX compatible 6.1 track, there's USUALLY a flag set in the bitstream which will tell the 6.1 decoder to activate and extract the extra rear matrixed center channel from the 2 rear channel information (however- this decoder feature can also be activated manually).

In addition to these matrixed systems- DTS offers a "discrete" 6.1 channel configuration that is (happily) backwards compatible with current 5.1 DTS decoders. Again- in this case, a flag is present to tell a compatible 6.1 DTS system to play back the audio track in 6.1.

In addition to this formats- There are receivers/processor that do faux multichannel processing which uses DSP to extract even more extra channels from a surround track. There are even forms of EX processing that are different from the Dolby or DTS EX processing, which use similar DSPs to extract a rear center channel from a 5.1 signal (see the OUTLAW 1050 receiver for an example of this).

Unless you have to have the latest and greatest in surround sound formats, it's not paramount in choosing receivers/processors that include 6.1 processing, and 5.1 audio is good enough for most HT enthusiasts. But, sometimes: the more, the merrier!

PatCave; My HT; Gear; DIY Projects; DVDs; LDs

Posted: March 11th, 2002
06:55 PM
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ChrisMatson
Washington, DC
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Member Since:
December 15th, 2000

Basic Hardware

Here are some real basics:

The Receiver is the brain of the entertainment system. The receiver will process sound from the various audio sources (DVD player, TV, VCR, Cable, Satellite, Internal Tuner, etc...) and send the sound to speakers you connect to the receiver. You can use the receiver to switch video sources (i.e. select the desired connected video input from the receiver to display on your TV) but the receiver does not alter the video signal in any way. Good entry level receiver begin in the ~$300 range.

The Speakers are connected to the receiver. For music, you will generally use only the left and right or Main speakers. The Mains are also used for movie soundtracks and surround sound for processing sounds to the left and right of the screen, like a car driving by. For movies and other audio sources for which you want surround sound, you will use a Center Channel speaker, which is mainly used for dialogue in movies and TV. The center channel actually produces most of a movie soundtrack. The rear Surround Speakers reproduce directional sound effects, like a helicopter flying around or other "ambient" sounds. A Subwoofer produces the low bass for music and movies. Speakers and subwoofers vary greatly in price. I suggest buying good speakers as you can afford them, beginning with mains.

The TV has the demanding task of producing images for TV and video sources. You can hook up video sources directly to the TV (Component is best, then S-Video, then Composite, then RF cable) if you have enough inputs. Alternatively, as mentioned above you can route video sources through a receiver. It may be better for the "newbie" to have at least a 27" TV with S-video input and a 16:9/anamorphic mode. Such TVs should be in the ~$750 range.

"Would you not like to be, sitting on top of the world with your legs hanging free..."--DMB

DVDs

Posted: March 11th, 2002
07:20 PM
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Max Knight
Brooklyn, NY
Member

Member Since:
May 9th, 2000

How to determine the best speaker/amplifier/receiver for $xxx?

This question comes up a lot. When it comes to sound, there is rarely a best anything than everyone can agree on, because what "sounds best" can be very subjective. To answer this question for yourself (the only one who really matters in this case!) take (at least) the following steps:

1. Define a feature set that you feel you MUST have.
2. Define a feature set of nice-to-have features.
3. Set a budget.
4. Determine a list of components which fit your minimum feature set and hover around your budget.
5. Ask opinions (and search for past posts) on the specific models in your list.
6. Shorten your list down to three candidates.
7. LISTEN
8. LISTEN AGAIN
9. Make up your mind and go for it!

Max Knight
----------
Lacking fins and tail
the gefilte fish swims with
great difficulty.

Posted: March 11th, 2002
11:19 PM
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Click here to Send Ted Lee a Private Message

Ted Lee
Sacramento, CA, USA
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Member Since:
May 9th, 2001

Why do I need so many speakers?

Today's typical home-theater consists of at least five (5) speakers plus an optional subwoofer. Here's what each speaker is for.

Mains (left/right)
These are the speakers you are probably most used to. For regular two-channel (stereo) playback, these are the speakers you are going to use. In HT, these speakers help provide localization and "off-screen" effects. So, if someone throws a plate off to the left of the screen, you'll hear that plate break in your left speaker.

Center Speaker
A very important speaker for HT. Considering most of what you hear will come from the center channel, it's importance cannot be understated. Imagine if I was talking to you right now. Where would my voice come from? Obviously, it would be coming directly from me. Almost all of the dialog you hear in a movie comes from this speaker.

Rears (left/right)
These speakers are mostly utilized for localized or diffuse/ambient type sound effects. Imagine if a plane or helicopter flew "over" your head. The sound would start in the front and finish in the rear. It feels as if the plane actually flew over your head and behind you. Or, imagine it's a rainy scene...you'd hear the sound of the rain and thunder coming from all around, including from behind you...just like it would be in the real world.

Subwoofer
Many HT systems/speakers are great at reproducing mid-to-hi frequencies, but they're not so good at reproducing that chest-pounding thump you get when you're at the theater. Speakers have to work pretty hard to get that kind of thump. That's where the subwoofer comes in. It'll help provide for a deeper sense of bass when needed. Remember that really big explosion in the theater? With a sub, you'll get closer to that sensation at home! Remember, you can always add a sub later.

Some other things to consider about speakers

Timbre Matching
This is the term used to describe a set of speakers that are sonically matched to eachother. This is very important to ensure that you get the same "type of sound" out of every speaker. Imagine a motorcycle in your left speaker...as it moves towards the center the sound starts changing...by the time it gets to your center speaker the motorcycle now sounds like a moped! That's not good HT. Ensuring that your speakers are timbre-matched will ensure a good sonic imagine throughout your room. Many companies now offer HT speaker packages with similar drivers in them...those will definitely be timbre matched.

Listening
One of the most often asked questions is, "How good is this speaker?" That is something you will have to decide for yourself...remember...no one can tell you what sounds good to your ears. You absolutely must listen to as many speakers as you can...then...decide for YOURSELF what sounds good. When auditioning speakers, remember to bring music/movies that you are familiar with. Also, remember that they will sound different once you get them home. Make sure your retailer will take them back or exchange if necessary.

slowly but surely....

I hate sex in the movies. Tried it once - the seat folded up, the drink spilled and that ice...
Last edited by Ted Lee on March 11th, 2002 at 11:24 PM

Posted: March 11th, 2002
11:32 PM
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Jeff Kleist
High Priest o' Joss in Havertown, PA
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Member Since:
December 5th, 1999

WHAT'S 7.1?

On some recievers, there is an extra port for the rear surround channel which let's you create a more immersive experience by making the center channel sound more open by adding another speaker. No true home 7.1 digital surround system is available, nor is likely to be in the near future.

For there to be a "true" 7.1 format, there would have to be real discrete 7.1 encoded masters... and currently for HT, there are not (SDDS can offer this for theatrical, but not for the home).

There are several "7.1" formats (including the Onkyo 7.1 and Lexicon's excellent Logic 7 system)... but all these are creating matrixed channels from an existing discrete set of 5.1 or 6.1 signals.

ISN'T HD-DVD GOING TO SUPPLANT DVD IN A FEW YEARS?

Not likely. At this time less than one half of 1% of US homes have a digital/HD television, and these numbers are unlikely to grow astronomically any time soon. We are a minimum of 7 years for them to even seriously start on production of discs, and probably closer to 10 or 12.

Remember, the studios have spent the last 5 years putting a HUGE amount of their catalog out on DVD, and they're still missing some of the major, most desireable ones. Do you really think they'll sabotage their sales with a new format so soon?

Jeff Kleist
Asian Cinema Guy-http://www.thedigitalbits.com
Super35: Official film process of Mordor and the X-Files Conspiracy!!

Posted: March 12th, 2002
12:14 AM
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Greg_R
Portland, OR
Member

Member Since:
April 10th, 2000

How do I pick out components for my Home Theater?

There are a couple of things you might consider:
1) How durable is the product?
2) Does the product support the features I want?
3) What about looks / aesthetics?
4) Cost?
5) Do I like it?

Once you've determined #1->#4 for a product, you need to wade through the thousands of A/V products out there and find ones that meet your criteria. Searching this and other forums is a good way to get a list of potential candidates.

Once you have your list, go out and audition the item. This means bring CDs & DVDs to the dealer. The reason for this is that you want something familiar that you can take to various dealers for comparison. Ideally, you'd like to listen to each component in your own room (room acoustics play a huge part in the final system sound). Make sure the store has a $$$-back guarantee so you can return any equipment that doesn't work out.

Finally, do you like what you purchased (and not because someone told you it was a good system)? Many components of HT are very subjective and a lot boils down to personal preference & room acoustics. It's your money, so make sure it's your decision...

Greg
My DVD Collection

Posted: March 12th, 2002
07:14 AM
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Click here to Send Dustin B a Private Message

Dustin B
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Member Since:
March 11th, 2001

How does a watt relate to the output level (SPL) of a speaker
(or "why watts can be meaningless without context").

First off SPL stands for sound pressure level. Remember that term, it is used a lot around here. It is a basic measure of how LOUD something is.

SPL is measured in a unit call the decibel. Decibels are a logorithmic scale not a linear scale. ie a doubling of the output level is a 3dB increase while a factor of 10 increase in output level is a 10dB increase (if it was a linear scale, a factor of 10 increase would be a 30dB increase). Bottom line is the higher on the scale you go the larger the difference between the levels.

For a person to easily perceive a difference between the intensity of two sounds they need to differ by approximately 3dB. To percieve a doubling of the intensity, two sounds need to differ by approximately 10dB.

With this info you are ready to see how a watt relates to a speaker's output. A speaker has a sensitivity rating. This rating is given as dB/W/m. This number can range from the low 80's to some very efficient horn loaded speakers with ratings over 100. For the purposes of this explanation lets assume we have a speaker with a sensitivity rating of 91dB/W/m. This means that with one watt of power applied to the speaker, measured one meter away from the speaker, you should read a SPL level of 91dB.

Now remember the dB scale definition above, to increase the output by 3dB we have to increase the input power by a factor of 2. So it would go something like this:

dB - watts
91 - 1
94 - 2
97 - 4
100 - 8
103 - 16
105 - 32
108 - 64
111 - 128
114 - 256

Now as you can see power requirements for a meaningful increase in output go up very very quickly. It also becomes obvious that the difference between a 80watt and a 100watt per channel amp is not going to be all that great. Finally you can also see that a 91dB/W/m speaker will require half as much power as an 88dB/W/m speaker to reach the same output level.

Now there is one other thing you have to consider. These numbers are only valid if you are listening 1 meter away from the speaker. Very few people listen to there speakers at a distance of one meter. However, you can apply the same sort of rule to distance. Every doubling of distance will cause a 6dB decrease in output. So listening to our 91dB/W/m speaker at a distance of 4 meters (about 13') the scale changes to this:

dB - watts
79 - 1
82 - 2
85 - 4
88 - 8
91 - 16
94 - 32
97 - 64
100 - 128
103 - 256

Now it won't quite drop this much as room gain will increase the level a bit, but it's the jist of it all. The watt is meaningless without also considering the speaker being driven and the room the speaker is in.

Also, don't take this as meaning higher efficiency speakers are always better. Only use the sensitivity ratings as an indication of how much power you will need to effectively drive the speaker. Listen to the speaker to determine whether you like it or not. But don't forget about the power handling rating. It is a guide line for how much power the speaker can take. Short bursts above this power rating won't damage the speaker. In fact it can be a good thing to have more power available than the speaker can handle since amp clipping (running out of power) is much more harmful to speakers than over driving them. Amp clipping gives no warning, but over driving your speakers makes them sound bad warning you to turn it down. Still, do remember running a speaker continously above its' rated power handling will eventually damage it.

As a side note. Also remember the watt rating on an amp isn't always an accurate one. Things to watch for are amps that give their rating at 1khz instead of from 20hz-20khz. Amps that give THD numbers higher than 0.1 in their power rating. Amps that don't specifiy all channels were being driven when this power output rating was obtained. Amps that rate into 6ohms but say not to drive 6ohm speakers. So as an example take these two specs:

1) 110W at 1khz, with 0.7%THD into 6ohms (on the front of the box they also claim 110Wx5 and in the manual say not to drive 6ohm speaker with it)
2) 70Wx5 (all channels driven) from 20hz-20khz, with 0.08THD into 8ohms (manual says you can drive 6ohm speakers)

2 should actually have 70W for each channel. 1 if measured under the same conditions as 2, will in all likely hood have less than 40Wx5.

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."

My Home Theatre Page & My DIY Sonosub
Last edited by Dustin B on August 12th, 2002 at 06:28 PM

Posted: March 13th, 2002
02:47 AM
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Click here to Send Bill Kane a Private Message

Bill Kane
Modesto, CA USA
Member

Member Since:
February 6th, 2001

WHAT IS A POWER OR LINE CONDITIONER/SURGE PROTECTOR?

Many people incorrectly describe these boxes as the same thing, but there's no argument that it's just good peace-of-mind insurance to use a SURGE SUPPRESSOR on our electronic gear.

Surge protectors alone -- virtually every one under $100 --DO NOTHING TO IMPROVE your sound and picture beyond an AC noise filter. They should be neutral, and, like a good physician, first do no harm to your listening signal.

We'll talk about "power conditioners" later.

Surge protectors range from $19 at an office supply store to hundreds of dollars. Ideally, these can act as more than just extra-plug power strips. Some feature outlets for high-current amplifiers and delayed power-on for monoblock amps; coax pass-thru terminals for CATV and satellite; plus telephone lines. Most $60-$350 surge protectors use MOVs (metal oxide varistors). These are designed to FAIL when taking a huge hit. They are sacrificial. But surge suppression ALSO may be cumulative, little ones each day, until a utility outage or electrical storm comes along. These high-voltage surges are of very short duration, but can peak to 5,000 volts or higher. Hundreds of these surges enter your home every day through the wiring. They can either burn out an electronic component instantly, or, more likely, gradually degrade its performance.

IF MOVs eventully blow and hopefully save the gear, these units can be returned for free replacement.

Consider your personal experience with your electric utility (rock steady, grid brownouts, daily flickers) and geographic-related storms (lightning prone), as well as how many components you have, when you decide on how large a surge protector you may need. TVs, satellite equipment, DSS systems, VCRs, DVD and CD players, stereo receivers and cable modems ALL need surge protection. Telephone lines (computer) and coax cables going into your equipment need to be surge-protected.

Monster consumer units use MOVs and the company has upgraded its 2001-2002 line. Panamax has a new 2001-2002 line that still use larger MOVs, and like the rest will clamp off overvoltages and undervoltges with "SurgeGate" circuits and hopefully keep working.
Tripplite,
AR and Belkin also are widely available under $80. Most of these units provide ~ 50dB EMI/RFI AC line noise filter, and call it a "line conditioner." In addition, people often regard the big-$$$ replacement warranty, but it's not a deal-maker; it may be a chore to collect and it may be required that one applies for homeowner insurance FIRST.

A common method to judge these plug-in units is by the Joule rating. The Joule rating of any MOV is a measure of the amount of energy it can absorb at one time without failing. Anything above 1,000 joules is regarded as good.

Here's a link to How Stuff Works on Surge Suppression

If nothing else, buyers should only accept a surge protector that says it's "U.L. 1449 Listed." This standard cuts a lot of the hype away.

HERE is a link to some under-$100 units posted from AUG '02.

A totally different, non-MOV technology is used by Brickwall (an industrial company discovered five years ago by audiophiles, and whose business now is 50 percent audio sales). Units start at $149 2-outlet and range up to 10 outlets. The ADCOM 315 and 615 units ($250 and $395 MSRP) are 8-outlet models that license this technology.Furman offers a pro level unit (designed for entertainment industry) with 8 outlets with protection for power-line related transient voltage, noise and wiring faults, $399 MSRP. This non-MOV technology is termed Series Mode and currently is the highest level of surge/spike protection for those who need or want it.

Some amplifiers (aside from audio/video receivers) have their own built-in protection and should not be connected to anything beyond the wall outlet; the manufacturers typically provide this instruction.

Ultimately, one can add a WHOLE-HOUSE SURGE PROTECTOR as a first line of defense to protect every appliance in the home. HERE is an explainer from an Oregon power company. These units can go behind the electric meter or on the main breaker box.

But nothing will protect you from direct lightning strike.
If you are able, unplug your sensitive equipment, including satellite boxes, when electrical storms threaten your home.

Now, what is power conditioning and do I need it?

It depends. Ideally, we want a steady 120-volt to 117-volt pure sine wave electrical feed. But voltage will drop when adding more current draw, besides neighborhood power grid fluctuations. Audiophiles claim they can hear improved sound and see better picture quality from various power line conditioners, but in many cases, it takes high-end gear to detect it.

But I Read That Surge Suppressors May Limit Current
In some tests, when amps are DRIVEN HARD, the ability of the line filter and surge protectors to supply the needed power may diminish, blunting transients, compressing the bass, reducing dynamic range and blurring sonic images. If amps are not driven hard, then you likely won't have a problem. There are surge units that come with two high-current outlets designed to overcome "current limiting."

But I Read That I May Be Getting "Dirty Power"

In North America, the idea that there is something fundamentally flawed with AC power from the wall is overstated. Most AC power is fairly well regulated and generally free from noise. The power supplies in our equipment will filter any small noise spikes and bypass most RFI to ground. If power utility voltage is not constant, then buying a voltage regulator can make up for flucuations between 80V and 140V. These power conditioners that are voltage stabilizer/regulators are much more costly, and usually work independently of any surge suppressor.

There are other devices for "balanced power," something regular electricians often don't know about. They often are recommended for systems with persistent ground potential hums.

B-P-T is a big player with an 8-outlet unit for $599. BPT units claim surge protection with two types in combination: MOV & Avalanche. Equi=Tech also is highly-evolved and far from budget-priced.
PS Audio , Richard Gray's Power Company and Tice Audio also sell specialized power conditioners.

Last edited by Bill Kane on September 10th, 2002 at 06:46 AM

Posted: March 13th, 2002
04:11 PM
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Mike Broadman
Brighton, MA USA
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Member Since:
August 25th, 2001

What About Music

You're starting to get into home theater movie watching, but you're also a music lover. How does all this fancy technology impact your listening?

Sharing the equipment
When acquiring your audio equipment, keep in mind that it will be used for music as well as movies. Use CDs to test speakers. Like your musical tastes, your sound preferences are subjective and will differ, sometimes dramatically, with others. For example, a hard rock fan may place more emphasis on the subwoofer and the over-all "oomph" of the sound. A classical listener might concentrate more on the high and mid range, and focus on sharpness and clarity. A discriminating jazz listener will look for a certain timbric quality.

The good news is that you can start enjoying your music as soon as you hook up, calibrate, and configure your HT without spending an extra dime or performing any additional installation. Most, if not all, DVD players can play CDs. This is great if you don't want to or can't afford to buy a CD player, or just want to keep the number of components to a minimum. However, a DVD player lacks many features common to CD players, such as multi-disc changing (though some DVD players do have the ability to store more than one disc), shuffle and random play, track programing, etc. Most DVDs also cannot play CD-R and CD-RW discs.

Even by just using a DVD player, you will notice a dramatic improvement in sound by using your new speakers.

CD source equipment- CD player
For the hard-core music lover, the DVD player will probably not be good enough to listen to music. You'll want to get a seperate CD player- they are, after all, designed specifically for music output.

There are, of course, many different kinds out there. Like any piece of equipment, figure out what you "need," what would be nice, and how much you can spend. Options to consider:

1. Ability to play newer high-fi sound formats like DVD-A and/or SACD (see below).
2. Multi-disc changing capability. Some players only store one disc at a time. Some can store 3, 5, or 10, allowing you to listen to tracks from multiple discs. There are also changers that can store hundreds of discs, providing the convenience of keeping whole chunks of your music collection, if not all of it, in the player at all times, resulting in juke-box-like functionality.
3. Ability to play other non-CD formats, ie, recordable discs and MP3.
4. Extra options and features: track programming, title display, etc.
5. General build quality and look. You may find two players that do exactly the same things, yet are considerably different in price.

Hi-resolution, multi-channel and new digital sound formats: the next generation of home music listening

One of the things a HT owner can enjoy in many ways is multi-channel surround music. This is one of those hot-button issues that HT enthusiasts disagree on. Some people like the idea of being immersed in the music and using all of their speakers to create a concert-like listening experience. Some feel that if a recording was done in stereo, it is more proper to listen to it in stereo, and that since we have two ears, two channels is the best way to hear music. Also, they may feel that the novelty of surround music is gimmicky.

Your receiver should come with the ability to allow you to select surround modes. While listening to a CD, you can, for example, select "stereo," which sends the two channels to your main speakers (left and right front), and some bass to your subwoofer. This is standard. You may also be able to select "Pro-Logic," which distributes the two channels to all of your speakers. While it is certainly your choice, I highly recommend against the latter. Music that is designed for 2-ch suffers a lot when you try to force it to play through 5 channels.

However, there is material out there that is designed for multi-channel listening.

Two new musical formats have entered the market for the audiophile to enjoy and spend money on.

1. DVD-Audio
Using the same compression on music that DVD uses, this allows for a higher bit rate and more informaton to be stored on DVD-Audio than on CDs. It also allows for multi-channel sound.
DVD-A seems to benefit greatly from the multi-channel soundtracks. Many DVD-A discs come with a DVD-A surround track, a DVD-A stereo track, and DVD track, which allows you to play the disc on a standard DVD player, but will not give you as good a sound as using the DVD-A tracks.

To play DVD-A, you need a compatible player. Often, folks use the same player for both DVD-A and DVD.

2. Super Audio CD (SACD)
This format, invented by Sony and Phillips, is a higher-end version of CD, with the ability to produce a much larger frequency range. Like DVD-A, SACD supports multi-channel music. However, there seem to be very few SACDs with multi-channel tracks on them.

SACDs themselves come in many different forms. Almost all have an SACD 2-channel track. This is the real reason to get SACD, as it is the most common way of listening to SACD. Some have multi-channel tracks. Some have both, allowing you to select which one you want to listen to on your player.

Players come in many different forms as well. SACD/CD players are as varied as the CD player discussed above. There are also DVD players that play SACD. For a large sum of money, you can find a player that plays DVD, DVD-A, and SACD.

Because of the cost, many people end up having to choose either SACD or DVD-A. Both formats have their defenders and detractos. Going by the software, it seems that DVD-A is banking on multi-channel while SACD is emphasising high-end stereo listening. IMO, the best way to pick which format to go into is by looking at what music is available for each. After all, what's the point of buying SACD player if all of your favorite music is released on DVD-A?

3. Other high-end music
Even without SACD and DVD-A, there are still all sorts of ways to enjoy music that is not on CD. A tape deck or turntable will allow you to take out your dusty old music collection from the attic. DTS discs and HD-CDs are yet other musical formats that, while not particularly popular, allow you to hear music in a different way just by using your DVD or CD player.

Music-related DVDs add another music listening experience to your HT. Lots of concert DVDs are being released. You get to see a band perform in excellent visual quality, while enjoying superior audio. Like movie DVDs, a concert DVD can have mutliple sound tracks, including stereo, DD5.1, or DTS. Surround sound mixes on these can vary from cheesy and gimmicky to immersive and sublime.

Posted: March 13th, 2002
07:20 PM
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Click here to Send Jim DiJoseph a Private Message

Jim DiJoseph
Boca Raton, FL
Member

Member Since:
December 14th, 1999

Audition equipment in person, when possible, and be patient!

A frequent question that people ask is, "Which speakers are the best?" As with many of the different aspects of Hometheater, the perceived quality of certain components can be extremely subjective. Take some time to research your new hobby, and then venture out into the world to perform a test run in person. You may find that your tastes do not demand some of the high prices that the higher end equipment commands. On the other hand, you may find that you simply cannot live without the absolute best. In either case, take time to go through all of the motions. One thing you should try to avoid is purchasing the first device or system that you demo. You may discover after only a few short weeks that you need (want) to upgrade already. Be patient. Soon you will be enjoying the absolute best hometheater that is tailored just for you. Enjoy!

Remember...no matter where you go, there you are.

Posted: March 13th, 2002
07:45 PM
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Post (#20 of 84 posts)

Dustin B
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Member

Member Since:
March 11th, 2001

What is a Crossover?

****Basics****

A crossover is probably the most important part of a speaker. A bad crossover design can cause a speaker that uses the best drivers in the world to sound like crap. An extremely well executed crossover network however can enable some very inexpensive drivers to sound excellent. The intracacies of crossover design are way over my head (and certainly not all that helpful in a newbie document), but a basic understanding of what a crossover is and what it does can help immensely with understanding home theater.

In a loudspeaker (like your home stereo speakers) you almost always have more than one driver (components making the sound).

In a "two way" speaker system you have a tweeter (usually 0.75" or 1" in diameter) and a woofer (usually 4"-8" in diameter). The tweeter is used to cover the higher frequencies sounds while the mid/woof is used to cover the lower frequencies.

*The crossover is what makes the tweeter only get high frequencies and the mid/woof only get low frequencies.

A crossover consists of two filters. A high pass (HP) filter and a low pass (LP) filter. When you combine the two you have a crossover.

A HP filter allows higher frequencies to pass through it while attenuating lower frequencies and is therefore connected to the tweeter (makes sense right: a High Pass filter only allows HIGH freq to PASS though).

A LP filter allows lower frequencies to pass through it while filtering away higher frequencies and is therefore connected to the mid/woof (again: a Low Pass filter only allows LOW freq to PASS though).

What is defined as lower frequencies and higher frequencies is defined by the guy who designed the filters. The designer will choose a frequency based on the tweeter and woofer components being used in the speaker. Above this point will be the higher frequencies (that get sent to the tweeter) and below this point will be the lower frequencies (sent to the woofer).

****Advanced****

To understand the finer points of a crossover it also helps to know what an octave is. An octave, most basically, is a doubling of audio frequency. So when you see someone complain about subwoofers not being able to play the first octave, they usually mean 16hz-32hz. The next octave is 32hz-64hz, the next is 64hz-128hz etc. Although depending on what scale definition you are using, the particular frequency ranges that make up an octave differ.

It is very important to understand that the choosen crossover point frequency mentiond above is not a brick wall divider.

Lets say the choosen crossover point was 2000hz. This does not mean that the tweeter plays the frequencies from 2001hz and up and the mid/woof plays the frequencies below 2000hz.

It means that below 2000hz the HP filter will start to filter off the lower freq at a specific rate. The farther below 2000hz you go the more the signal will be filtered away.

The LP filter is the reverse. Above 2000hz the LP filter will start to attenuate the high freq signal at a specific rate. The farther above 2000hz you go the more the signal will be attenuated.

The rate and shape of this filtering will be determined by the "type" and "order" of the filter.

There are a bunch of different names for the types, but they aren't overly important to this discussion. If you get into speaker construction and design, you'll want to check out the DIY/ADVANCED area of this forum to get tips on crossover types.

The order of the crossover is how steep the slope is (how quickly it filters away audio). A first order filters the signal gradually as you move away from the crossover point, while a 4th order filters much more drastically.

Anyone interested in the specifics: A first order filter will attenuate the input signal 6 dB/octave. Second order at 12 dB/octave. Third at 18 dB/octave. Fourth at 24 dB/octave and so on.

The neat part is, that given how the dB scale works, when you have a tweeter with a HP filter and a mid/woof with a comparable LP filter the frequencies where the filters overlap (freq that both drivers are playing) will be filtered in such a way that you get an even level across the entire frequency range the two drivers are capable of!

Now this is a little bit of an over simplification, the filters won't both use 2000hz. The HP will start to attenuate a little above 2000hz and the LP will start to attenuate a little below 2000hz so that the two filters will sum correctly. The frequency quoted as the crossover point, is usually the point at which both sides are down by 3dB.

No speaker will play a perfectly flat 85dB from 20hz-20khz. It will uaually be +/-3dB over some frequency range (not necessarily 20hz-20khz, could be from 48hz-22khz). There is also a lot of other things the filter design takes into account. It accounts for the size of the speakers baffel and the layout of the drivers on the baffel. It accounts for oddities in a drivers frequency response. It will also account for differences in sensitivity between the drivers. And likely a few other things I'm not even aware of.

So that's a two way speaker. What about a three way. Well a three way just has two crossovers. It has a HP attached to a tweeter. A HP and a LP attached to the midrange driver and a LP attached to the woofer. There are also 4way speakers, and I'm sure some fool somewhere has designed higher way speakers.

You may have also seen speakers listed as 2 1/2 way. What this means is that you have a 2way speaker with a HP attached to a tweeter and a LP attached to a mid/woof. But you also have a second mid/woof or woofer with another LP filter. This second LP filter will start to attenuate higher frequencies at much lower frequency than the first LP filter.

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."

My Home Theatre Page & My DIY Sonosub
Last edited by Dustin B on August 19th, 2002 at 05:54 PM

Posted: March 13th, 2002
08:26 PM
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Ray Melnik
Salisbury Mills, New York
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Member Since:
February 19th, 2002

HDTV Overview

High-definition television (HDTV) offers advantages today while providing incredible potential for the future. Although it won't reach its full potential for some time there are many reasons why you should consider being HDTV-ready when you make your next viewing entertainment purchase.

The standards for HDTV are still being worked out, but it is generally agreed that in order to be considered HDTV or HDTV-ready, the monitor or projector must display either 720p or 1080i vertical resolution and be wide-screen 16:9.
Let's see what that means and compare it to the dominant standard for TV today.

The original National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) settled on an aspect ratio of 4:3 with just over 480 lines for the picture, using interlaced resolution. The 4:3 means that the screen is 4 units wide for every 3 units tall. Interlaced means that half the lines are displayed for 1/60th of a second and the other half for 1/60th of a second. This means the full frame is displayed in 1/30th of a second.

Compare that to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) standards for HDTV with 1080i displaying 1080 lines interlaced or 720p (progressive scanning) with 720 lines displaying the full frame at once in 1/30th of a second. The 16:9 means that the screen is 16 units wide for every 9 units tall. This gives you a closer approximation to the wide-screen in your local movie theater.
The ATSC is responsible for digital television standards and development including 18 formats for digital television.

When looking at the picture quality it is also important to look at the pixel size. The old NTSC format uses pixels that are rectangular. They are a little taller than they are wide. The HDTV format uses square pixels, which helps create a sharper image. They are also four and one half times smaller than the old NTSC format. This gives you four and one half times better detail for a given area.
One of the best reasons to be HDTV-ready is the DVD. DVD looks great on a regular TV but it looks even better on your HDTV-ready display. DVDs are growing faster in popularity than VHS or even color TV ever did and is proving to be the largest motivating factor for buying HDTV-ready today.

HDTV programming
Choices for HDTV programming are growing but there are many things that have to be hammered out between the various entertainment providers. Although HDTV will be broadcast on UHF channels, many households rely on satellite or cable. There is no mandate for digital conversion for cable providers but many are transitioning to digital on a voluntary basis or because of franchise agreements.
HDTV can be broadcast over an analog signal and is currently broadcast this way in Japan. The US and Canada have decided to switch over to HDTV and digital broadcasting at the same time. Interactive TV and the ability to optimize bandwidth are just two advantages. Digital signals do not cause ghosting or reduction in picture quality because of distance such as with analog signals.

HDTV sound
HDTV also uses Dolby A3 as its sound standard, also known as (5.1) surround-sound. Dolby A3 gives you three front channels left, center and right as well as rear left and right. The .1 represents the low-frequency subwoofer channel, which accents the low-frequency effects that help you feel the sound. Home theater sound systems are continually lowering in price and compliment the HDTV picture to complete your system.

Connections
When considering your HDTV system you must check the video connections for compatibility. Composite or S-Video connections cannot adequately pass the resolution associated with HDTV so it is important to choose a display system with component, RGB or 15 pin D-shell connections.

Last edited by Ray Melnik on March 13th, 2002 at 08:30 PM

Posted: March 13th, 2002
09:11 PM
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Chuck Mayer
Springfield, VA, USA
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Member Since:
August 7th, 2001

DUAL LAYER, SINGLE LAYER DVD's

I am by no means a guru, so I'll take an easy one

Single Layer - DVD-5
When DVD's were introduced in early 1997, they came in a format called a DVD-5 (which industry jargon for a disc that is has the movie on a single side, written on a single layer). This meant that a little over 2 hours could be fit onto the disc. The surface of the disc itself was silver.

Another version of this was the DVD-10: it had two sides, each side containing a single layer. The DVD-10 was basically two DVD-5's glued together, back to back.

Simply put, all of the information contained on the disc fits onto one "layer."

Dual Layer - DVD-9
Towards the end of 1997, gold-surfaced discs were manufactured. These were dual layer (DVD-9), meaning twice as much information can be held on the same side of a disc, split over two layers.

The disc is literally 2 seperate layers, glued on top of one another. The laser reads the first layers, and then refocuses and can read the second layer through the first layer!

Initially production was very low, although now most discs are DVD-9.

THE LAYER CHANGE
During viewing of a dual layered disc, a slight pause might occur at some point during a film. Sometimes it is more obvious than others.

The cause is simple: the laser reading the disc reaches the end of the first layer and is required to shift to the next layer to continue. The laser refocuses and can read the 2nd data layer thorugh the first one (and is even able to read through the thin layer of glue that holds the two layers together!)-- but it takes a split second to get on track.

Some films have good, almost unnoticeable layer shifts, some actually lose a bit of dialogue or music during the shift.

Other Types - DVD-14 and DVD-18
Terminator 2:UE (the single disc version) and Superman: The Movie were both DVD-18. This means they are two sided, each side containing dual layers: for a total of 4 layers glued together! Because of the thin layers, these were harder to manufacture, but allow immense storage capacity on a single disc.

Recently, The Terminator and Legally Blonde have been released as what's called DVD-14's (dual layer on one side, single layer on the other- total of 3 layers glued together).

Advantages of dual layer: Disc capacity allows greater bit budget (i.e. more data) to be used without having to switch or flip discs. This allows dts soundtracks, multiple commentaries, better average video rate (which gives a better picture) or longer movies to fit on a single disc (or side).

Disadvantages of dual layer: The layer shift. Also, some people have encountered dual layered discs that seem to have the glue layer breaking down (called "dvd rot"). No one is sure what causes DVD rot, or if it even really exists- but some early dual layer discs have become unplayable over time.

Disadvantages of two sided disc: Flipping the disc to utilize certain content. Also, some complain that with double sided discs, there is twice as much surface to risk scratching (and single sided discs usually have nice silkscreened artwork).

Overview of Jargon
Single layer, single side -> DVD-5

Dual layer, single side -> DVD-9

Single layer, two sides -> DVD-10

Dual layer on one side/
Single layer on the other -> DVD-14

Dual layer, two sides -> DVD-18

Courage, simply put, is loving something or someone more than you love yourself.

2002 Film List

Posted: March 13th, 2002
10:16 PM
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Paul Dalmaine
A Land Full of Limeys
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Member Since:
July 29th, 2001

THE CRITERION COLLECTION
Official site: The Criterion Collection
Un-official site: Criterion DVD Great for news and general info. Including comprehensive listings with details.

"A continuing series of classic and important contemporary films."

Thought of by many as the best collection of classic films available on the Laserdisc and DVD format, the story of the Criterion Collection can be summised as follows:

1) Fossilised Criterion and the hey-day of Laserdiscs.

Many of Criterion's most ardent supporters were initiated during Laserdisc's golden era, when the CC released a HUGE number of classic titles. The collection was first launched in 1984 with the Laserdisc premieres of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and King Kong in the CAV format. Due to LD's high costs, and thus studios reluctance to fully support their integration into the mass-consumer market, Criterion had almost free reign over which titles they chose to release. Titles like David Fincher's The Game and Se7en had deluxe editions, along with Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and more. The dawn of DVD, and subsequent explosion of studio interest in Home Theater formats has seen Criterion's platform of releases shrink considerably. Whereas once they had achieved quality AND quantity, now there is only quality. Here's a complete list of the Laserdiscs.

2) The essential Criterion DVDs.

While personal taste should account for peripheral puchases, the following are a list of the disc that YOU MUST OWN, and why:

Grand Illusion Widely regarded as one of the best movies ever made, a superlative restoration, and some superb supplemental material.
Seven Samurai One of the greatest movies ever made.
The Third Man The whole package. Another of the greatest movies. Stellar restoration and comprehensive, fascinating, unique extras.
Rebecca Arguably Hitchcock's finest 40's flick. His first Best Piicture winner, and a fantastic 2-disc special edition to show you why.
Spartacus A revelatory restoration (the soundtrack is especially impressive), and comprehensive extras on this essential 2-disc set of Stanley Kubrick's Gladiator predecessor.
8 1/2 Fellini's Oscar-winning film is superbly treated by Criterion, including an absolutely essential documentary. Black Narcissus Powell and Pressburger's most beautiful film, thanks to the legendary Jack Cardiff, is presented with a commentary by Martin Scorsese and the man Michael Powell himself.
Nights of Cabiria One of Fellini's most personal films, presented it the recently created Director's Cut, superbly transfered, and with plenty of great extras.
The Silence of the Lambs The lack of anamorphic enhancement (see below) turns some people off. For many, this transfer more accurately represents the tone and colors of the theatrical presentation. The deleted scenes are intriguing, and the commentary is superlative.
The Seventh Seal Bergman + Death + Chess + Criterion = must own disc.
Rushmore Wes Anderson's films looks marvelous on this, the only available anamorphic version of the movie. The MTV shorts, commentary and audition tapes are priceless.
L'Avventura One of the best documentaries I have ever seen on a Criterion disc.
Sullivan's Travels A superb documentary, another impressive restoration and rare audio recoirdings of Sturges.

I'm sure I've missed some important ones. To remedy that I'll say the following: they're all worth having! Here's the complete list of the DVDs.

3) Which films do Criterion release and why.

Numbered in order of release date, the CC is made of films from around the world, spanning almost every decade of cinema. While there seems only one perogative for entering the collection, namely that you are a classic film, the filmographies of some directors are more comprehensively catalogued than others. You will find Akira Kurosawa, Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Powell and Pressburger and Sergei Eisenstein among the best represented. But no one filmmaker, genre, or filmmaking style monopolises the CC. Itt's a record of cinema's finest achievements, complete only to the extent that time, resources, and copyrights allow.

Ultimately, the output of Criterion is limited to those films in the pulic domain, and those which are exclusively licensed to Criterion by the controlling studio. E.g. A contract with Buena Vista paved the way for Michael Bay's Armageddon and The Rock and Wes Anderson's Rushmore Criterion DVDs. And will likely accomodate the release of Wes Anderson's other two films Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums under the Criterion banner. New deals are signed regularly, and its always a thrill to learn that a favourite movie is 'getting the Criterion treatment', the most recent example of which is Steven Soderbergh's Traffic.

4) The history of the 'special edition', and why Criterion discs are so special.

With the release of their very first Laserdiscs, Criterion introuduced special features to the world. Never before had a home video release contained supplemental materials, like theatrical trailers or production notes. Thus Criterion have been credited with literally 'inventing' the Special Edition. More astounding, is that Criterion are the pioneers of 'Original-Aspect-Ratio' presentations of movies on home video formats. "The only home video that had ever been presented in its original aspect ratio prior to Criterion was Woody Allen's "Manhattan," and that was at Allen's insistance." (Brian W., HTF Member)

Responsible for two of the most fundamental aspects of home video presentations today, Criterion distinguish themselves from the current producers of special edition content, by seeking out especially rare or unique extras to include on their discs. Ranging from exclusive documentaries, audio recordings of directors long since passed, complete radio plays (The Third Man), restoration demonstrations, critic and film historian commentaries (included on early pressings of Seven Samurai), improved subtitle translations and restored director's cuts, Criterion discs are the cream of any collection, and present the opportunity for collectors to own their favourite films in definitive versions.

5) "The Criterion bandwagon". On or off. Or: Common complaints.

3 main avenues of criticism are often taken.

1) NON-ANAMORPHIC!!! Until quite recently, Criterion were releasing discs with non-anamorphic transfers, citing the rarity of compatible TVs as the reason. The mistake has been corrected, and all appropriate releases are now anamorphically enhanced.

2) In order to compensate for the high costs of producing only a limited number of discs which WILL NOT interest the average DVD buyer, Criterion need to charge relatively high priced for their discs. Ranging from the standard RRP of $29.99 for bare bones, to $39.99 for most special editions, all the way up to $59.95 for super-duper special editions. As any self-respecting DVD buyer/internet user should know, that the RRP is not where the buck stops (

). Most prices can be knocked down by 30% if you find the right deal.

3) The inclusion of Michael Bay's movies Armageddon and The Rock are criticised by purists as 'inappropriate' for the collection. However, it has been widely discussed, and the general conclusion has been that
their place in the collection is an effort to appeal to a wider demographic of DVD buyer, exposing the collection to a broader base of movie-lovers, and financing the creation of discs that won't be anywhere near as popular. i.e. they're in there for a good reason.

Last edited by Paul Dalmaine on May 26th, 2002 at 07:11 PM

Posted: March 14th, 2002
12:32 AM
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Click here to Send Nate Anderson a Private Message

Nate Anderson
St. Cloud, MN
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Member Since:
January 19th, 2001

Why do we need DVD? Isn't VHS good enough?

I think this argument can best be addressed by the fact that DVD has much better audio and video quality, but also that the rate of defects is much lower, provided the disc doesn't become scratched.

There are other bonuses, such as you never have to rewind a DVD. It may not seem like such a dig deal to some, but I'm a terrible rewinder.

An obvious bonus is the inclusion of bonus features. Many upon many DVDs are getting the special edition treatment, with deleted scenes, multiple commentaries, behind the scenes stuff and who knows what else.

DVD also has a wide market of product, from movies to documentries to full season series sets, like The X-Files, The Simpsons, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to name a few.

Now, recently I've been going through my movies, pulling out some oldies but goodies, both VHS and DVD. When I would watch one movie on VHS and then another on DVD, I could tell the difference immediately. It was amazing the picture quality difference that can be seen when you really make a comparison. It's not as brilliant if you just watch one or the other, but one after the other, it's amazing. And I don't even have a high def. T.V!

Now, I realize that I'm sounding awfully pro-DVD, but I honestly don't know what I'd do without my VCR. Until we come up with a viable recordable DVD-R (or better yet, a DVD-RW) VCR's will be around for awhile yet.

"When you go home, do you ever wonder, 'Who are these people? Where did I even come from?'" -Claudia, Home for the Holidays.

My Extensive DVD collection.

Shameless Webpage Plug: My Movie Reviews.
Last edited by Nate Anderson on March 14th, 2002 at 06:59 PM

Posted: March 14th, 2002
03:03 AM
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Adam_S
Los Angeles, CA
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Member Since:
February 9th, 2001

Budgeting for a Home Theater: If you're going for 5.1 surround sound expect to spend around $1000 if you buy all your components separately. A popular, less expensive alternative is to buy what's called a home theater in a box (HTIB), these generally include a set of five speakers, a subwoofer and a reciever, and can have a dvd player with them or as part of the reciever. HTIB are sneered upon for mostly good reason. The quality of HTIB are for the most part, dreadful. It may sound much better than your mono tv, but with a little more time money and effort you can recreate a sound many orders better.

A good rule of thumb I've found when budgeting for my theater was to break things up like this for the auditory equipment (budget does NOT include dvd player or TV):
Speakers: 60%
a: center, mains, and surrounds - 30% (I bought the JBL NSP1 so I didn't break up those three, some more knowedgeable than me may offer a different or better budget that is more detailed)
b: subwoofer - 30%
Reciever: 30%
Wiring and Accessories: 10%

It is very important to remember to budget for wiring, it is somewhat the hidden cost that surprises many people. For instance, I had to buy some eighty feet of speaker wire and five sets of banana plugs to wire up my initial five speakers, and the costs were about $60 or so. expect to spend money on the following:
12 gauge speaker wire - it's important to select a good gauge of speaker wire, the smaller the number the larger the actual wire is, thus the better the wire. A larger wire allows for a signal to be transmitted with better clarity resulting in better sound. Some people used ten gauge wire, but this is difficult to find and more expensive. 12 gauge speaker wire can be had at your local Home Depot for under 50 cents a foot, mine has it for 34 cents. This may seem expensive, but consider best buy sells a spindle of twelve gauge wire fifty feet long for twenty dollars and you'd need more than one because it's only a single wire, not a pair of wires like most speaker wire comes from.
Banana Plugs More likely than not your speakers will not have the old snap posts on them, but BINDING posts (big and round) in the back, you need BANANA PLUGS to connect your speaker wire to the speaker, there is a good chance that your reciever will have these as well. IMPORTANT: when purchasing banana plugs be sure that they will fit a large gauge wire such as 10 or 12, radio shack sells many banana plugs, and the cheapest ones are designed for the very cheap 18 gauge wire, so they are practically useless. Radio shack sells some gold plated banana plugs for larger gauge wire that run about $6 a pair, so you'll need to budget about 25 dollars for banana plugs and if your reciever has binding posts expect to spend about $50 on banana plugs.

Digital Audio Cable These cables are necessary to transmit discrete multichannel sound (ie DTS and Dolby Digital) There are two kinds of digital audio cables, Optical or Toslink, and Digital Coax. You can find a 6 foot optical cable at WalMart for about $20 and that will be the minimum you'll probably spend on such a cable. be sure to check that your reciever and DVD player have matching outputs and inputs. It wouldn't do much good for you to buy an optical cable to connect to your dvd players optical out only to discover that your recieve only has a digital coax input. Most DVD players above the $200 range will have both a digital coax output and a Optical output.

other accessories you probably want to purchase include
A stapler for attaching your speaker wire to wherever your SO allows it to be seen, or not seen. Sears has a good craftsman brand stapler for 20$.

A calibration disc such as AVIA, Sound and Vision etc (detailed above). probably 20$

An SPL meter, necessarily to measure and calibrate your speakers. 30 - 50 dollars

Speaker Stands and Mounts you may need, want to put your speakers on stands or on the wall, this may elicit an additional purchase of speaker stands or wall mounts for your speakers. Speaker stands will probably run at least $50 per pair, and I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than I can elaborate. I've found ebay to be a good resource looking for speaker stands.

other stuff

Bargain hunting for DVDs on the net A good way to find the lowest total price online for a dvd is to use a search engine such as www.dvdpricesearch.com. it'll give you the lowest seven or so prices that title is available at fromt eh various online retailers. It also calculates the total expected shipping cost, so you can see the real price you will be paying. They also can calculate the total cost of multiple titles in one order across all the online stores, making it very useful to find the best place online to buy from. Also a useful place for searching for bargains on hardware is www.bizrate.com

Criterion Collecion Bargain hunting it'll take some searching but using the above search engine and other snooping can find the best prices for these excellent, but expensive dvds. I have recently found that DVD Planet is marking thirtyfive percent off of all Criterion titles, so you can get the very awesome 40-60 dollar dvds such as Seven Samurai, Grand Illusion, The Rock, Spartacus, and Brazil for only 25 to 39 dollars respectfully, which is a pretty great bargain on some awesome dvds and movies. Criterion is also very hard to find even in specialty shops like Suncoast, much less BestBuy WalMart or Circuit City. I've found, locally that Hastings has the allaround best selection of Criterion dvds but still expect to pay around 35 dollars for titles such as seven Samurai. So your best option on buying Criterion is shoping somewhere online.

COLUMBIA HOUSE There is so much information on how to get the best bargain out of columbia house that I'm not even going to begin to explain it, instead i'll point you to dvdtalk, which has, basically, a whole forum devoted to columbia house.
DVD Talk's 'DVD clubs' forum
Columbia House for dummies thread
Columbia House FAQ

Share the Love If you've ordered from Amazon recently you probably noticed an option to send a 10% discount to any of your friends, if they buy the discounted item, you get a credit with amazon equal to the amount they saved. There's a database system at dvdtalk where you can request that love be sent you for certain titles or even all movies. www.dvdtalk.com/stl it's fairly simple and self explanatory, and a great way to save some extra money ordering from the relatively high priced (but reliable) amazon.com

"God in his infinite Wisdom has put strong desires of Copulation into the Constitution of Men, thereby to continue the race of Mankind, which he doth most commonly without intention, and often against the Consent and Will of the Begetter."
--John Locke, First Treatise on Government, chapter 6, section 54
My DVD Collection
Last edited by Adam_S on March 14th, 2002 at 03:23 AM

Posted: March 14th, 2002
09:03 AM
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Robert_Gaither

Member

Member Since:
March 13th, 2002

I would also recommend that when shopping for any HT gear that you purchase and carry the following:

1) spl meter to match listening levels for fair comparisons.

2) video calibration disc (Video Essentials, Avia, or Ultimate Platinum) to force the processor to process a signal at a given level (some internal test tones are too short and are inaccurate to match levels accurately).

3) very familiar sources (DVDs and CDs) so you can notice if the timbre is being played to your satisfaction.

4) owner's/operater's manual (mostly for pre-amps/AVRs) since many sales staff are usually quite ignorant of the equipments capabilities or even how to calibrate sound levels and adjust speaker sizes. Most of these can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website.

Also when testing equipment do some of the following:

1) Never use a speaker switch box, most switch boxes used by most mass market stores usually has a 4 ohm resistor so the amp never sees a load that can damage a speaker (these switch boxes are usually for home installations and are designed so an amp can drive many speakers without overloading an amp into clipping). These switch boxes can affect the true sound of a speaker and all speakers should be directly wired to the AVR.

2) Compare speakers at matched levels. Pychoaccoustics phenomenon will make speakers that are played at louder levels (or those with peakish responses, not accurate) sound better to the untrained.

3) If you want to compare two speakers directly, connect one speaker to the left front speaker connector, connect the second speaker to the right front speaker connector, turn bass/treble to flat, set the AVR to the following: fronts (large), center (none), rears (small), and sub none; and calibrate levels. Play a disc now in either stereo (not direct since this will disable level matching), DPL, DD, or DTS and this will allow you to judge the vocal, bass, and timbre characteristic of the speakers you want to compare. Invert the front two speakers and repeat above to possibly see if one was reinforced/harmed by room mode.

4) Don't buy from any dealer (brick/mortar, mass market, or online) unless there is a good return policy (get it in writing if at all possibly!). A good dealer is one who is interested in making you happy with your purchase, and a bad dealer is someone not to do business with. Give most items about a week listening time and if doesn't meet your expectation or seem to improve return it.

5) Never buy on the day that you audition (yes, I know it's hard plus some places will bargain with you) let the vibe of testing wear off that day to make certain that it's not an impulse buy. If it still lingers the next day you can buy it then knowing that you're not just settling for something because of initial impression. If a particular gear interests you write down the manufacturer, model number, and price and read online reviews and also check to see what it's competitors are (you might find other gear that you don't even know about that might make you happier).

6) If you have never bought any HT gear, see if you can borrow a quality second room gear from a friend. This will help you maybe get an impression of what type of sound to expect from your own home domain.

7) Quality in this hobby is usually determined by weight and feel. Good amps are usually heavier (bigger/better power supplies) and consume more watts than cheaper gear (look at the back and check the power consumption NOT the power rating spec the manufacturers love to falsely spout). Speakers should feel heavy for their size and knocking on them should produce thud not high pitched or hollow rap (thus holds especially true for any speaker/sub expected to produce bass). Speakers should also have binding posts (for connections to higher quality/lower gauge number thick wires), removeable grills (so you can visually inspect the quality of the drivers), cabinets should look flush/fit/solid (if they cheese on this, could you imagine the parts you can't see?), and towers should have spike mount accessories (check the bottom, this should be engineered into it's basic design and simply lacking this shows that this particular manufacturer might not take accoustic coupling seriously and thus not a well engineered product). Speaker cables should have nice thick wire/jackets and look strong enough to walk your pitbull and not floss your teeth. TV should be brought into the home environment to be tested due to the uncontrolled light settings at most stores.

8) Magazine reviews for the most part should be used to get an idea of a product and visit as many forum sites as you can to get a more honest review of any concerned products. Some reviewers give favorable reviews to help sell ads and stay in good standing with companies with poor products. People at these hobby forum sites are usually far better sources from dealing with setup, reliability, and potential problems of said gear. Final assessment should always be done in the home environment with your own ears after calibrations are made.

9) Often not talked about test the night time, midnight, or DRC (dynamic range compression) processing of your AVR/pre-amp. If you have a spouse, girl friend, children, neighbors (esp apartments), or anyone else that doesn't like the sudden shift from quiet to jump loud then you most likely must test this mode.

If you want to minimize the shopping experience then I would recommend the following:

a) AVR- Outlawaudio 1050 high quality at bargain basement price.

b) speakers- buy close out models from respectable manufacturers (currently if you can find it NHTs are pretty cheap on their Super series).

c) subwoofers- if you already have a decent power amp then buy the SVS otherwise buy either the Adire Shiva RAVA or HSU VTF model if shopping under $500. Also make posts at almost any DIY forums and you might can buy someones completed product at cost (recommend them to send you a photo) since most DIYs almost always want to build another better sub that what they have (we are the ultimate in the "grass is greener on the other side" type of people).

d) TVs (assuming under $500)- most Toshiba's pass most of the video calibration tests with regards to pluge, ability to hold black (power supply), geometry, and color. You will need an ISF technician to adjust grey scale for the best picture possible. HD is nice but unless it's in your area or you're willing to subscribe to satellite service I wouldn't recommend the extra cost and to wait for this feature.

e) DVD players- I'd advise to buy one that has progressive scan (since it's not that much more, and if you end with a HD capable TV you at least have something to use with it) and an user interface that you are comfortable with.

f) interconnects- I'd advise using RG-6 with RF to RCA adapters instead of the more pricier Monsters for coax digital, component video, composite video, and analog audio connections. It maintains 75 ohm resistance which is the standard that is used for these interfaces, cheap, shielded, and definitely capable of bandwidths needed in these formats. If you like check the DIY sites and build your own with canare and belden supplies.

g) speaker wires- buy at least one guage category thicker than what's in your speaker (just simply unscrew and detach either your input wire cup or a driver). This usually will be either 16 or 14 guage since most speakers are usually wired with 16 guage or thinner wire (same with most budget amps and AVRs). Bananas should only be used if it will be hard to install the wire (some speakers require mounting first and wiring second) to either the speaker, amp, or AVR.

Posted: March 14th, 2002
03:01 PM
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Keith_R
FL
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Easter Eggs On DVD

Easter Eggs are hidden features on a DVD ( for you video gamers out there, they are kind of like video game cheats.)The people that are making the disc sometimes hide stuff on the disc like interviews, outtakes, maybe a game etc. Easter Eggs on a DVD usually require the user to press different buttons on their remote or search around throughout the menus on the DVD. A good place to find a list of known DVD easter eggs and how to find them is DVD Easter Eggs.

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-Keith-

Posted: March 14th, 2002
11:23 PM
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Andy W
Texas
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What is a dipole speaker, and how and why are they used in a home theater?

Allow me to confine my answer to the more ubiquitous conventional box type speaker basic designs and 5.1 channel movie (not music) surround sound.

As most of you already know, a conventional speaker has drivers (woofers, tweeters, etc.) installed on a single face of the speaker�s cabinet, and the drivers are usually pointed toward the listening area. This type of speaker is called a monopole as it emits sound in only one direction, forward or toward the listening area. Monopoles are commonly used to deliver front left, center and right channel sounds of a multi-channel soundtrack, although other types of speaker designs can also be used effectively in the front channels.

A dipole speaker is one that has drivers facing in opposite directions from each other. One set of drivers is mounted on one side of the speaker cabinet (let�s call this side Face A). Another set of drivers (usually identical to those mounted on Face A) is mounted on the opposite side of the speaker cabinet relative to Face A (let�s call this side Face B). Therefore, a dipole speaker emits sound in two opposite directions - one sound field coming from Face A, and the other sound field pointed in a 180 degree opposite direction from Face A (coming from Face B).

In addition, dipole speakers have one other defining characteristic not visible by simply looking at its construction. The opposing drivers are internally wired to operate �out-of-phase� relative to each other. This means that as the Face A drivers are moving out or away from the cabinet at a specific moment to produce part of a sound wave, the Face B drivers are moving in or into the cabinet at the exact same time. This produces a diffused, or hard to localize sound effect and can be very beneficial for use as surround sound channels of multi-channel movie soundtracks.

When dipoles are used for surround sound channel duties, it is recommended to locate them directly to the sides of the listening area. Face A would point toward the front of the room, and Face B would point to the rear of the room. Therefore, one side of the speaker cabinet with no drivers would point toward the chair or couch where you sit to watch and listen to surround sound movies. This location of the dipole speakers relative to your seating location would put you in the �null� area of sound distribution coming from the surround sound channels. The �null� area is where it is difficult to locate where the sound is coming from.

When dipole speakers are used for surround sound and located in your room as described above, they can be most effective in recreating surround sound effects that are meant to sound as if the sound is all around you, as in a rain storm, wind, thunder, in the middle of a crowd, etc.

It appears then that dipoles should be used for the surround channels in lieu of conventional monopoles for home theater, yes?

In the days of Dolby Pro-Logic matrix surround (before Dolby Digital and DTS discrete multi-channel surround sound existed for home theater), the answer was a resounding yes. Old Dolby Pro-Logic soundtracks were monophonic (sound coming from the left and right surround channels were identical), were limited in channel separation relative to the front speakers, had limited lower and upper frequency response and limited dynamic range (could not get loud relative to the front channels). Back then, because of these limitations, surround sound was used primarily to put you into a diffused sounding environment, such as a cavernous room, a stadium, a rain storm, etc. Dipoles were highly recommended for use as surround channels by Dolby Labs because they reinforced the diffused surround effects that Dolby Pro-Logic was capable of reproducing.

Since the technology for Dolby Digital and DTS discrete multi-channel surround sound became a reality for home theater, the answer of whether dipoles are better than monopoles for surround sound is not so clear anymore. Dolby Digital and DTS are now capable of reproducing discrete stereo sound effects in the surround channels with the same full frequency bandwidth and dynamic range of the front channels. This opened new opportunities for movie soundtrack designers to put discrete sound effects (meant to be localized) into the surround channels, such as bullets whizzing by from different locations, a door knocking behind and to the right or left of you, distinct conversations coming from all around you, much more powerful explosion sounds, jets flying around your room, etc.

Yes, dipoles are still better at reproducing intended diffused surround effects, and Dolby Labs and other respected organizations still recommend dipoles be used for surround sound channel duties of Dolby Digital movie soundtracks. But what about those discrete sounds being put into Dolby Digital and DTS movie soundtracks � the ones that are meant to sound like they are coming from a specific direction? Since monopoles are generally accepted as being better able to help you pinpoint where a sound is coming from (provided the monopole speakers are designed to produce pinpoint imaging and are properly installed and located in your room, which is another discussion entirely), why not use monopoles for these newer soundtracks? The answer now, because of the newer surround sound technology is no longer so easy as it was just a few years ago.

Today, the debate continues whether dipoles should be preferred over monopoles for surround sound duties. Dipoles are better at reproducing diffused surround effects. Monopoles are better for pinpoint surround effects. However, both diffused and pinpoint surround effects are now utilized in today�s movie soundtracks. So which type of speaker should you go with for your surround channels? The answer has to be whatever your personal preference is. Listen to both types of speakers and decide for yourself which type of surround sound you like best before you make a purchase.

Some speakers are designed to be changed with the flip of a switch to behave as a dipole or as a monopole. Also, a few receivers (the more expensive ones) allow you to connect two sets of surround speakers, one set dipole and one set monopole, for you to decide which type of speaker you want to use at any given time.

One other thing � monopole speakers used for surround channels should be located to the sides, and unlike dipoles, somewhat behind the listening position. You should also experiment with what direction you should face the monopole speaker - toward the listener, toward the front of the room, toward the rear of the room or ceiling (for a reflective bounce effect), toward the opposite diagonal front speaker, etc. You�ll be surprised at the vast differences you will hear in the performance of the speakers. And its fun to experiment.

P.S. � Regarding discrete multi-channel surround sound music formats, such as DVD Audio and SACD, the conventional wisdom is to use monopoles, preferably identical model speakers all around (except subwoofer). But this is another discussion.

Happy listening.

Posted: March 14th, 2002
11:54 PM
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Adam Lenhardt
Albany, NY
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Are my Citizen Kane and Wizard of Oz DVDs pan and scanned? There's no black bars!

No, they're not. All films prior to 1953 (the introduction of Cinemascope - think Star Wars wide) were filmed at roughly the same aspect ratio as your T.V. This means that you get the best of both worlds... No black bars, but no loss of picture! When widescreen TVs become the norm, these "Academy Ratio" films will feature grey bars on the sides of your widescreen set to maintain the proper shape.

All this widescreen stuff is bull! I compared the widescreen and pan and scan version of so and so movie, and the pan and scan version has MORE picture!

You may be experiencing one of two techniques... Super 35 or Open Matte. Super 35 is primarily used for films which feature a lot of special effects or movies where the director wants to acheive deep focus. They have the side effect of having an exposed frame area closer to your TV screen. Air Force One is an example:

This frame, taken by The Digital Bitsshows the difference between the two versions. The inner rectangle is the widescreen version.

However, the Super 35 version is not always protected to be "opened up" or to reveal the extra picture information. In addition, the special effects guys only bother working on the section of the frame that will be visible in theaters, so any special effects shots will be pan and scanned. The movie is also framed for the widescreen version, so some of the impact can be lost in the opened up version.

For 1.85:1 movie, you'll be noticing a similiar event called Open Matte. The shape of film and lenses didn't change when the switch to 1.85:1 films... Only the framing and theatrical presentation did. So once again, you get some extra picture information on the top and bottom. However, since this information isn't meant to be seen, it's not protected for. A huge variety of hollywood goodies (boom mikes, lighting rigs, etc.) can pop up in this extra space. Like Super 35, all f/x shots are hard matted to 1.85:1 when the effects are done, so these scenes must be pan and scanned. With the widescreen version, you are garenteed a presentation that was meant to be seen.

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Last edited by Adam Lenhardt on March 14th, 2002 at 11:56 PM

Posted: March 15th, 2002
10:16 PM
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Elbert Lee
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I've got tons of advise, but I'll keep mine to one point:

Mating the speaker to the correct amp/receiver is important. I'll toss out the "rolled-off sounding electronics should be mated to bright speakers and vice versa". In the end, it's very difficult to tell WHAT one really enjoys until they've owned the system in their own home and familiarize themselves with the system.

My point is POWER. I find that, more often than not, speakers are hardly every used to their full potential because there simply isn't enough power in the sub $800 receiver range to power many of the towers. The reason I'm using $800 as a reference point is because many of these receivers don't have pre-outs for adding an outboard amp later on.

Tossing out the more "critical listening" terms like "smoothness, air, etc.", basic characteristics like "controlled and focused bass, full bodied mids, dynamics, and less distortion" are the main things for a first time buyer to concentrate on. These three characteristics are the basic attributes of a good speaker and the proper amount of power should be applied. Later on, when their ears become more critical, considering upgrading the receiver to a pre/pro and then even a better amp is always a logical step up.

Of course, when considering sub/sat systems, many of the above points become moot. For those considering a long term HT set up with larger speakers, I would try demoing the speakers with at LEAST TWO sets of amps/receivers in different power categories so as to hear how much the sound can vary on the speakers that he/she is considering.

Much of this applies to the large electronic store customers who are restricted to the often improperly set up systems in the demo rooms.

Elbert

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