Q I've read and appreciated many of your Q&As concerning bi-wiring and bi-amping. As an EE, I grow more skeptical of the true merits of bi-wiring. I currently bi-wire two Klipsch RF3 mains from a Yamaha MX-1000 (265w/ch into 8 ohms). I have an unused Yamaha M-70 (200w/ch into 8 ohms). Can you recommend whether to bi-amp using these slightly different Yamaha amplifiers? If so, can you recommend I use one amp per side, or split them between woofer and mid/treble?

A The only situation where I think bi-wiring might be beneficial is if you are using small gauge cables. However, I am much more enthusiastic about bi-amping. It would be especially beneficial in your case where you are using mass market products. Since the tweeters and woofers may draw significantly different current, I would suggest that you use one amp to drive the left and right tweeters, and the other amp to drive the left and right woofers. Use the bigger amp for the woofers. You may need a potentiometer in the path between the receiver pre-outs and one of the amplifiers, if one is more sensitive than the other, so the volume of the tweeters is proper with respect to the woofers. Radio Shack sells pots.

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Q I just bought a Pioneer Elite 58" TV 2 weeks ago. I connected it to my DirecTV receiver by S-Video. The picture is jagged and blurry (better on DVD, but not great). The store I bought it from says this poor picture quality is normal, and I need to buy a $1,600 external line doubler in order to make the picture good. After paying $5,000 for a TV, I really don't think I should have to pay any more! What do you think? Am I getting ripped off? What do you suggest to improve the quality?

A You should be getting a spectacular picture with that setup, and should not be having to buy an external doubler (deinterlacer is the correct term). For DirecTV, I can imagine that the picture is not all that good, because satellite programs are compressed. But, with DVD, you should be happy. It should give you a great picture. I am assuming that your model is digital, because otherwise, they would not have suggested an external deinterlacer. If the TV is not digital and cannot show a progressive image, then the picture might very well be a bit fuzzy at 58" because the scan lines will be visible. But, for $5,000, you should very likely have a progressive scan digital TV. Anyway, your DVD player probably has a progressive output, so try that. The TV will not use its own deinterlacing in that case, and it may give you a better picture. If you have an old DVD player without progressive scan, borrow a player that does have progressive scan. If that helps, buy a modern player with progressive scan output. It does not have to be expensive. The Panasonic players with progressive scan, and no chroma bug, can be had for less than $200 (RP-82 for example). If you can't get a good picture with any of these solutions, ask for an exchange to a TV that does give you the picture you like. Try it out at the store with a DVD player that has progressive scan.

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Q What I want to know is if I can use the same basic equipment for the sound in my home theater /concert hall / multi-room audio without sacrificing quality?

A Yes, if it is good equipment to begin with, it will work for any of those purposes.

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Q  I've bought A/V gear off the net several times but recently came across a dilemma, namely that some e-tailers are not authorized to sell certain brands (i.e., Pioneer, Yamaha, and Denon). I called up the major brands, and of course they say they will not warranty non-authorized e-tailers of their products. My question is, and the major brands could not tell me that if the e-tailers are not authorized does that mean that the A/V product is not manufactured by them all together or the parts are not up to their specs. Should I not take the chance in ordering from these e-tailers even though I've never had a problem before?

A What you are talking about here are "Gray Market Goods". The manufacturer does not provide a warranty, but the seller might very well offer the warranty themselves. It usually involves an outside repair service that you would receive a warranty card for, in the shipping box. You fill out the card, mail it in, and that is whom you would contact in the case of a problem. The bottom line is that it reduces the price of the product. Occasionally, they are products that were intended for another country and are brought in to be sold here. I have not seen a case where it is stuff with lower quality parts. It is risky, but that is the price of saving money on such deals. If I buy something on the Internet, I try to get it from an authorized dealer, and I make sure it is the model that I want. Even with authorized Internet dealers, returns on products can be troublesome. Their profit margins are lower than brick and mortar stores.

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Q I have noticed on some HDTV monitors that satellite pictures will digitize slightly. More specifically, the picture digitizes when there is a lot of quick movement on the screen. One HDTV model is the Panasonic PT-56hx41e. Is there any type of filter that can be applied to lower this? I am using just a standard DishNetwork (not HD).

A This is a problem with the signal coming in from the satellite, not the TV, and it occurs in the set top box decoder, rather than in the TV circuitry. It results from not enough bits being assigned to the channel. When some heavy action comes along, boxes of pixels all the same color show up instead of finely detailed image pixels. The satellite broadcasters are trying to fit as many channels into their satellite bandwidth as possible. I usually see it happening on groups of channels that are close together, and just for a specific time frame, such as over two weeks. Not much we can do about it.

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Q Is it OK to connect my subwoofer to the 5.1 analog output on my DVD player?

A Yes, but you should make sure you configure the player correctly in its menu selections. You won't be able to control the volume from the player though.

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Q For the surround speakers, do you recommend either dipolar or bipolar speakers, or should I look into the switchable type, like those made by Polk? Are there other manufacturers who make rear speakers that can be switched from dipolar to
bipolar?

A If you are into 7.1, the rear speakers should be direct radiating, and the side surrounds dipolar. However, depending on your tastes, bipolar might be good for the sides too. Several companies make switchable surround speakers, and several make speakers that are combinations of dipolar and bipolar, such as the Paradigms that we are publishing a review on this Thursday.

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Q  Is there a difference between the Yamaha DVD C920 and the Yamaha DVD 6480? Both list same apparent specs. Pricing, marketing channels are different but is there a performance difference?

A For products with similar specs, similar price, but different markets (different countries), they might very well be the same product with different model numbers. If they differ in price, they might be the same product, but one is made for the bulk market in places like CostCo. If they have similar specs but one is much higher in price, it may be the internal parts quality that is different, but the spec sheet does not change.

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