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Q The Panasonic DVD XP50 is an upgraded version of the XP30. I
noticed it was left off the Progressive Scan Shootout. Do you have any
information on it? Can I expect it to perform as well as the highly ranked XP30
? I want a player that will play DVD RAM discs and DVD Audio.
A The XP50 is the XP30 with DVD-A. They still have the Faroudja
FLI2200 chips that the RPs had, but are not the same players as the RPs.
T
Q Would the best source of input for my Sony
KF50XBR800 LCD TV be through the DVI-HDTV interface? In other words, if my Sony
HD200 Tuner has DVI out, should I connect this to the DVI in on the TV to watch
HDNet [an HDTV program source] off the DirectTV satellite?
A Yes, because DVI to the TV
is a digital signal. If you use component video, S-Video, or composite video
from the tuner to the TV, it is an analog signal that has to be converted back
to digital for processing. I will be addressing this next Monday, March 3, during the 4 pm
(Pacific Time) showing of The Screen Savers, on TechTV (a satellite and cable
channel). I will be recommending that ANY digital TV our readers purchase from
now on have a DVI/HDCP connection, and beginning later in 2003, have a DVI/HDCP/HDMI
connection. Watch the TV program for more details.
T
Q What is DVD's native
resolution, 480i or 480p?
A The video is stored as 720
x 480
and reconstructed as 480p when using progressive scan. The i or p is not a
resolution per se. The "native" resolution is dependent on the content on the
disc. Assuming that the deinterlacing is done well, a progressive display of
that content would be the preferred method.
T
Q How do I check if an
RCA-RCA cable is 75 Ohms (as opposed to 50 Ohms)? How important is the 75 Ohm
rating while using an RCA-RCA cable to connect A/V components?
A The 75 Ohm impedance is
a measurement of not only the DC resistance, but also reactive impedance due to
induction and capacitance, so you need a special instrument to test it. If the
cable is generic, it is probably 50 Ohms, perhaps even 25 Ohms. When purchasing
coax cables, you have to check the specification page of the manufacturer. They
will specify the impedance as 75 Ohms. If they don't specify it, likely the
impedance is 50 Ohms. Having a 75 Ohm cable is important only if you use it for
digital transmission (CD transport to a DAC) or high frequency analog signals
(video output to a projector or TV).
T
Q I currently own a system with Paradigm
Monitor 7s in front, CC370 Center, Titan Rears, and a PW 2200 for a sub. My amp
is an Integra DTR 6.3. I'm thinking of getting a set of Active Studio 40s for
the front and use the monitor 7s for rear speakers. Can/should you mix passive
and active speakers together in the same system.?
A I don't see a problem with
this as long as the active speakers have the same tonality as the passive
speakers. Keep in mind that the Active Studio 40s are discontinues, so acquiring
them means looking on the used equipment market.
T
Q I have had many
half-hearted "answers" to my question asked of the people at local home theater
stores. I merely need to know if I would receive better picture and/or sound
using the optical hook-up rather than the coaxial? What would happen if both
were hooked up?
A You won't get any video from the Toslink optical,
because that is for digital audio only. For the video, you will have a composite
jack, which is a single RCA jack, an S-Video jack, and component video, which
will have three RCA jacks. Use the component if available, then S-Video as
second choice. Composite video is the last choice, and if that is all you have,
then it is time for a new TV, because it throws away a lot of video quality.
T
Q I have a rear projection Panasonic PT-61G63 (850
horizontal lines max, but non-HDTV). What video source should I have to take the
advantage of this 850-line TV? What is my best option:
1. Upgrade my regular DVD player to progressive scan DVD player? How many # of
line resolution does progressive scan offer?
2. Get DirecTV satellite unit? Resolution?
3. Play DVD movies from my PC (I have ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon video card)?
4. Get a cheap line doubler unit?
A The answer depends on whether your TV has a high
scanning rate capability, at least twice NTSC. If it does, then you can use
progressive scan output from your DVD player, which may very well give you an
improvement. Look at the instruction book to check. All DirecTV sat boxes have
the same resolution, but newer ones might have component video output, which
will give you a better picture, assuming your TV has component video inputs.
Progressive scan is the same resolution as interlaced, but all the lines are
displayed at the same time (480 horizontal lines). If your TV has deinterlacing
capability, it will also handle progressive scan, as it "line-doubles", which
requires twice the NTSC scanning rate. You would not need a line doubler,
because both the progressive scan DVD player and the TV have them.
T
Q I am interested in improving my home theater
system. My speakers are NHT vs2.4 and vt 2.4. I am interested in getting either
a Rotel RMB-1095 or ATI AV-2505. I do a lot of music listening and home theater
as second (65/35). Which would you recommend?
A Both of these amplifiers would do the job equally
well, in my opinion. I am glad you are looking at 200 - 250 watts per channel
into 8 Ohms. That is the way to go.
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