Q I have a Pioneer (VSX-454) Pro Logic receiver, Bose AM-7 speakers and Sony 27 inch TV. I am looking for a DVD player which will go with this setup. Would you tell me what features should I be looking for when buying the DVD player? Do I need to buy new receiver in order to enjoy 5.1 channel output? I am planning to buy Bose 161 speakers as my surround speakers.

A If your Pioneer has a digital input for DD and DTS, then any DVD player will work. If it does not have a digital input for DD and DTS, but has a set of 5.1 pre-ins (analog inputs for all channels), then you should get a DVD player that has 5.1 analog pre-outs. If none of the above, then any player will work, but you will only be able to connect it through the two-channel stereo analog outputs from the DVD player to your receiver. I will be covering some of this on my TechTV appearance next week, August 21, at 2 pm Pacific Time.

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Q I've been looking all over for an answer to the following question: Can I plug a DVD player with a component video output directly into a computer monitor? I've found cables that will convert the RCA-style connectors to a VGA-style connector, and I understand that the monitor uses a component input (Red, Blue, and Green) for rendering images. Are the two (a DVD's component output and a computer monitor's component input) talking the same language?

A DVD players output YPbPr, while computer monitors need RGBHV (the H is horizontal sync, and the V is vertical sync). Computer monitors also have a minimum scanning frequency of 31.5 kHz, so if you were to get the connection to work at all, you would have to put the player in progressive mode.

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Q I have a Sony 36" - XBR Wega TV, and I recently bought for my speaker setup Bose 601 series for my front & the Bose VCS-10 center & 161 for my rears as well as a separate Mirage LF-100 8" self powered sub. I would like to know what would you recommend for a new A/V receiver? I want to spend $800-$1500. The room my setup is in is 12' x 13', almost a perfect square. I am looking for maximum surround sound performance for Home Theater use.

A In this price range, just about any receiver will do, but check to make sure it has pre-ins for all channels, and pre-outs for all channels. This will keep you covered for the future, when you can add DVD-A, SACD, and an outboard power amplifier.

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Q My DVD player has both optical and coaxial outputs. My AV Surround Sound Receiver also has both types of inputs. Please advise which one I should use to get a better sound.

A I like to use optical in home theater systems, because it eliminates impedance issues (a digital cable with 75 Ohm impedance is important if the coaxial connection is used), and also eliminates one more source of ground loop hum. The sound quality for both types is similar, but whether one is "better" than the other is open to argument.

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Q I have a Toshiba 43" HDTV ready TV and regular cable. Will my picture improve dramatically if I subscribe to the newly available Digital Cable TV?

A Not necessarily, because the satellite providers compress the signal quite a bit. In some cases, it might even be a worse picture, even though the video noise is reduced.

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Q I recently bought a Panasonic RP82 DVD player. I heard it was supposed to be free of the chroma bug; however, I think it may either have a different bug, or the one I got might be defective. I've noticed that while watching the Sopranos Season 2 DVDs in progressive scan on my 36" Panasonic 36HX41, there are occasionally slight tint fluctuations from red to green. This can happen even when the DVD is paused. The variations are minor, and I probably wouldn't notice the difference except that it's obvious when it switches from one to the other. It only happens in progressive scan mode, and I haven't noticed it in movies (yet) so maybe it's only happening in one mode. Have you heard of this? I'm trying to decide if I should exchange this unit for another one, or go with a different brand of DVD player altogether.

A I suspect this is a ground loop artifact that is making its way into the video. I have seen the problem, and I got rid of it by disconnecting an audio cable that was between the DVD player and my TV. I too only saw it in progressive mode. So, try disconnecting audio cables from the DVD player and see if the problem disappears. You might have to use a Toslink optical cable from the player to your receiver instead of any coaxial audio connections. It may also just be that your TV does not like 480p Macrovision.

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Q I'm looking to buy a home theater system. The surround speakers that I'm considering are rated at 50-150W and the multi-channel amplifier that I'm considering is rated at 200W/channel. Is this amplifier too big for the speakers -- that is, can I damage the speakers because the amplifier is sized too large? If this amp is OK, what if I go even higher to a 300W/channel+ amp?

A The 200 watt or 300 watt amplifiers won't be a problem as long as you use the volume control with common sense. You would be more likely to damage your speakers if the amplifier did not have enough power rather than having lots of power.

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Q My question is on the proper hookup of a subwoofer using line level inputs. I have a Sony DA50ES receiver that has two subwoofer outputs. They are not marked Left or Right, just "subwoofer". I have a Mirage BPS400 subwoofer which has two subwoofer inputs which are marked Left and Right. Should I run two cables from my receiver to the two inputs of the subwoofer, or will one cable do?

A Look in the Sony instruction manual to see if the subwoofer outputs are stereo, left and right, or if they are just mono. If they are stereo, then connect them both to the subwoofer. If they are mono, then just one cable needs to be connected.

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