Q What do you think about the Samsung HLM617W RPTV (this or the 50" model) and the DLP technology? Is it the way to go right now or is there something else that should be strongly considered?

A This TV looks like a heck of a product. It is 61", 16:9 native DLP, 1280 x 720, has Faroudja DCDi, and DVI-D input. All that remains is for you to go see one somewhere. I have found that some DLPs have a very visible rainbow effect while others hide it more. And, some people can see it easily, while others don't see it. This rainbow effect is the only thing about DLP that bothers me. Even the video noise that results from dithering is being improved, but that rainbow drives me nuts when I can see it.

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Q I came across an old Pioneer SX-1010 receiver that I wanted to use in the basement for the kids. I hooked up the CD player through the auxiliary inputs, and the sound is muted considerably. Can you please explain why this is happening and what, if anything, can be done to correct it?

A It sounds like an input sensitivity issue, meaning that the output voltage of the CD player is not enough to drive the auxiliary input on that old receiver. You could get an inexpensive stereo preamplifier at Radio Shack and put that between the CD player output and the receiver auxiliary input.

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Q I was using a Pioneer receiver and my subwoofer was working well, but after I changed my receiver to a Sony STR-DE695, my speakers still work ok, but the subwoofer now has very low output. I verified the connections to speakers and everything looks fine. Can you please advise what am I doing wrong or are there any settings I need to change to get good output from my subwoofer?

A It is possible that the subwoofer output on the Sony is not as high a voltage as the Pioneer, but I suspect that the problem is due to improper settings in the Sony bass management menu. If it is not set correctly, the subwoofer output can be too low or even absent altogether. Try changing the speaker settings from "Large" to "Small", and also check to see that the bass is not being all routed to the front main speakers instead of the subwoofer.

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Q What receiver would you suggest I pair up with my Paradigm studio 20 speakers to get the best results?

A The Studio 20s have a sensitivity of 89 dB and are 8 ohms nominal, so just about any receiver would work. It is only when the sensitivity is down around 85 dB or so, and the impedance is 4 ohms that you might have trouble with the small receivers.

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Q I current own a Sony Receiver STR-DA30ES, but it only decodes DD and DTS. Is there any add-on to decode Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES? Or do I just need to buy a new receiver?

A Except for DTS 6.1 discrete, these EX and ES formats are matrixed from the two rear channels to give that sixth channel. It has not really taken off in the movies, and there are only a few DVDs that are encoded for EX and ES. So, enjoy the 5.1 that you have. DD and DTS are marvelous. The next receiver you buy will probably have 7.1 whether you want it or not, but it is not worth tossing a perfectly good component now just to have it.

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Q In JJ's review of the new Rotel receiver, he noted that because it only has five channels of amplification, you could use an "old receiver" to power the two extra channels with the Rotel's pre-outs. I thought connecting a preamped signal (from the Rotel's pre-outs) into a line-level input of a receiver (say, a CD/AUX input) would overdrive the circuit. Not true?

A The pre-outs of receivers are the right voltage (1 or 2 volts) for the CD/Aux inputs on receivers (they are essentially pre-ins anyway).

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Q  I'd like to know the best way to feed one component video output to two different display inputs. I have a Hitachi 36SDX88B TV, which is a 4:3 ratio, 36" HDTV-ready TV. It has one component input. I have an NEC HT1000 DLP front projector, which also has one component input (it also has an HDCP DVI input, among other inputs). My Denon AVR-4802 receiver has three component inputs for a DVD player, an HDTV-ready cable set-top box, and an Xbox console (HDTV-compatible). The receiver only has one component output. I would like to feed the receiver's component output to both the TV and the front projector. What's the best way to do this without significantly degrading the picture quality? Can I use a "Y" type of adapter? Maybe a component distribution amp?

A Because component video is an analog signal, it is likely that the Y connector approach will work. For digital signals, Y connectors could cause signal disruption. So, try the Y connectors to start with. A component video switcher would be next on the list. The distribution amplifier would only be necessary if you were sending component video signals throughout the house for long cable runs to four or five displays. However, since the output voltage will drop across the Y connector, due to the load impedance being lowered, a distribution amplifier could still be necessary even with just the two displays. Testing the Y setup is the only way to tell.

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Q I seem to have a convergence problem with my 51"RPTV (4:3). When I was trying to set it up again after I relocated it, I noticed that the horizontal line is a little bit bowed so when I watch a DVD movie in widescreen I can see a little bit of blue or red on the line between the picture and black bars. What do you think caused this?

A When you align a CRT TV in a new direction with respect to the earth's magnetic field, it can cause convergence problems, because the old electromagnetic settings are now not the right ones to counter the magnetic field. I suspect this is what happened here. It could also be a mechanical thing, where the CRT mounts were jolted during the move.

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