Q I am going to be moving in a few weeks, and I would like to install a home theater setup. I am an avid videogame player. I own a PS2, Gamecube, and an Xbox which is going to be part of the home theater. My question is, how are the new DLP televisions? I know that you cannot hook videogame systems to plasmas because of burn-in. I am thinking of going the DLP route.

A DLP, LCD, LCOS, and D-ILA all should be fine for gaming. They don't have the burn-in problems that plasmas have.

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Q Is it necessary to have an HD monitor to benefit from progressive scan DVD?

A No, progressive scan will work on any TV that has progressive scan capability, which includes not only HDTV, but TVs that have 480p, sometimes called Enhanced Definition TV. Remember that, although there are 18 ATSC formats (there is one NTSC format, 480i), only 720p and 1080i are "official" HDTV. It is almost moot now though, because 16:9 HDTVs can be purchased for less than $1,000, and I would suggest that you don't even consider purchasing an NTSC-only TV.

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Q I want to buy a Creative Audigy 2 sound card so I can connect its six analog outputs to my Denon 3801 receiver and listen to DVD-A titles. Will this solution give me an advantage in quality over "regular" CDs played through my dedicated CD player? Or should I wait until prices drop and buy a dedicated DVD-A/SACD player? I do not have any use for a good sound card except for playing DVD- A titles.

A The only thing you need to check out is whether your DVD drive will play a DVD-A and whether the sound card will decode it. As long as you can get 5.1 analog out from whatever player you use, it will sound much better than conventional 16/44 two-channel CDs.

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Q Is any DVD player that has Faroudja DCDi technology better than players without it?

A In general, probably so. One of the nice features of DCDi is that it masks other problems such as the chroma bug. The best option though is a player that has DCDi and no chroma bug to mask.

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Q Can I get progressive scan from the DVD drive in my computer? What about 3:2 pulldown detection?

A You certainly can, because computers operate primarily on progressive scan images. As for 3:2 detection, this is a function of the particular DVD player software that you use. Most of them appear not be as good as the dedicated DVD players, but that is just a matter of time and programming.

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Q I currently building a new room for a five-channel surround system In addition I would like to power a set of speakers for the patio, living room, and kitchen. I considering buying the new Denon AVR-1804 because it has Zone 2 capabilities. I was told a Russound speaker selector with volume controls would work. I'm a little fuzzy on the proper setup and if I need an additional amp or receiver. Price is always a consideration.

A Typically, Zone 2 functions in a receiver require an additional stereo power amplifier (Zone 2 is mostly two-channel, not 5.1) to drive the speakers. The main receiver acts as the source selector, preamplifier, and volume control. But, if you plan to have a set of speakers in three rooms, you will need the speaker selector to choose which room the Zone 2 sound is playing. So, the wiring would go from receiver Zone 2 pre-outs to stereo power amplifier to speaker selector to speaker cables in three different rooms.

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Q I own a Sony STR DE925 Receiver. Just recently I turned it on and the message that it says is "Protector". I cannot listen to any music or anything. It just makes a little click, as if it's shutting off, then displays the message. I tried looking on Sony's website but half of the links do not work.

A It sounds like something in the Sony is shorting out. It could be that one of the speaker wire connections is shorted, so check all speaker wires, including the binding posts on the back of the receiver and the posts on the back of the speakers. One wire may have come loose and is touching the other one in the pair. If that does not solve it, a trip to the repair center may be in order.

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Q If both HDTV and computer monitors use progressive scan, but HDTVs reach 720p while computer monitors can reach resolutions of up to 1600x1200, wouldn't that mean that computer monitors are better than the best HD set (assuming both the monitor and the television are the same size)? If I could send a high definition signal to both my computer monitor and my HDTV, why would I use the HDTV if the computer's monitor supports such a greater resolution?

A The main difference is the maximum size that you can get a computer monitor. Somewhere around 23" seems to be the biggest one available. But, indeed, they do have incredible resolution, some more than 2,000 pixels side to side. Of course, they can cost upwards of $2,000 so they should be good. Perhaps it is also that computer monitor divisions and HDTV divisions are separate in companies making both products. But, at present, computer systems can do 1080p, while HDTV is destined to be 1080i for some time. So, I agree with you. Computers can probably do a better job of showing HDTV right now.

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