Q The Secrets website is getting slower for me to load. Are you guys doing something to the server?

A Well, we do have some new projects, but I suspect the download speed is just because of our growth in readership. In December, 2002, we had 167,991 unique readers. That is a lot of people trying to get content from the Secrets web server.

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Q Having just skimmed your article on Chroma Upsampling errors, which fingers my Pioneer DV-45A as one of the offenders, I write to ask you whether this could also account for the blocky pixelizing problem I see in certain dark and saturated scenes?

A I would call it unlikely. Chroma bug is very hard to see in dark areas, and doesn't usually look blocky. Without seeing your screen, it's very hard to say.

The way to get to the bottom of it is the following process: Make sure you have a good calibration, find a good scene that shows the problem clearly, and then get another player from a different company, recalibrate the TV for that player, and see if the same thing shows up. If it does, it's the DVD transfer. If it doesn't, it's your player.

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Q Does the Sony NS315 DVD player have the chroma bug? You listed the 715 as having it. Can't get in contact with Sony. Would it matter on my 27" Toshiba tube television?

A The first generation Sony DVPS7000 does not have the bug, and the latest HTIB CAV C770 does not have it. But, we have not tested the NS315. The bug won't be as noticeable on your 27" TV as it would on a large screen. Still, why get a player that has the bug, regardless of the TV?

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Q I caught your review of the AU/RA D7A Stereo Volume Control in the February, 2002 issue. This is exactly what I am looking for. I used your link to their site and have repeatedly mailed them for U.S. dealers, with no response! Can you possibly give me a U.S. dealer or site I can contact?

A You have two choices. One is just to order it direct from them in Europe. The other is to buy the second volume control I reviewed in that article, which is made in the USA.

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Q  I have a Pioneer VSX-D509S Audio/Video receiver, and I also have a JBL home theater speaker system whose subwoofer is passive (is not powered). In the receiver's manual, I read that all six speakers should be connected directly to the receiver. On the other hand, in the JBL manual, the receiver's front L and R speakers should be connected to the subwoofer and the subwoofer to the speakers. If I do that, will I get a satisfactory performance? What do you suggest?

A It sounds like the JBL subwoofer is powered, but you just connect the front left/right speaker outputs from your receiver to the subwoofer, and the subwoofer satellite speaker output jacks to the satellite speakers. Almost no one today is making passive subwoofers (subs without a power amplifier built-in). If the subwoofer is indeed passive, you would need an outboard power amplifier to drive it.

So, basically, go with what the loudspeaker manual tells you. If the recommended hookup is to feed the subwoofer with the left and right channels and wire the left and right channels through the subwoofer, it is likely performing a crossover function between the subwoofer and the "satellites," regardless of whether the subwoofer is passive or active. This means that you need to make the receiver route all bass information through the left and right channels. In the setup menu of the receiver, set the left and right speakers to "Large," the center and surround speakers to "Small," and the subwoofer to "None." Even though you have a subwoofer, as far as the receiver is concerned, you don't because you don't have anything hooked up to handle information from that output, and your left and right speakers combined with the subwoofer are functionally the same as a pair of left and right large speakers.

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Q I recently bought a Panasonic RP82 DVD player. What would be the optimal receiver to take an advantage of the RP82 built-in decoders?

A I think you are referring to the DVD-A decoder built into the RP82, which provides a set of 5.1 analog output jacks. You need a receiver that has a set of 5.1 analog input jacks, which mid-priced and high-end receivers have. Probably around $600 is where you should start looking.

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Q How much wattage is necessary for a receiver to put out in order to reproduce DD and DTS movie sound tracks the way they are intended to be heard?

A THX has two sets of standards, and one of them (THX Select) is more lenient in the loudness department (it must deliver the same loudness, but only has to do so in smaller rooms). It is really a matter of your preferences. I have been to theaters where the sound was driving me out of my seat, and that is too loud for me. I have actually had to put paper napkins in my ears in these cases. In order to take care of your ears, you should not be listening at levels which stay consistently above 80 dB. A thunder crack here and there obviously goes louder, but keep the volume at sane levels on average. Most receivers will do this. But, I like to have 200 watts per channel on hand for the peaks, so that they come through clearly.

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Q In the answer for the fifth question on Q&Q #319 (Nov '02), you say, "If you plan on using a dimmer for the lights, they should not be on the same line as the equipment." FYI, wiring code in the US prohibits lights from being on the same circuit as wall outlets, so that should never be an issue. The remodeler's mantra: You can never have enough outlets :-)

A For hard-wired dimmers in wall sockets, that may be the case. However, many portable lamps have dimmers, and they have to be plugged into a wall outlet. So, just make sure they are not on the same circuit as the one that handles your hi-fi equipment. If it has to be there, turn it all the way off when you are listening to music or watching movies.

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