Q After having owned a Denon DVD-2800 DVD player with the chroma bug, I'm starting to notice some of the same effects while watching cable on my TV. My TV is a 65" Mitsubishi widescreen high def. The TV, like most RPTVs, has the option to up-convert everything to 480p, which I am using. Does this mean it has a deinterlacer just like progressive scan players, and if so, does this mean my TV itself could potentially have the chroma bug?

A The chroma bug is in the MPEG decoder, rather than the deinterlacer, but since satellite boxes and TVs with receivers in them have MPEG decoders, the chroma bug can exist there, just as it can in a DVD player. The bug is more visible when the signal is deinterlaced, but it is still there even when the signal is shown in interlaced form.

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Q I've been reading Secrets and will not purchase anything without reading your Q&A or reviews first. Thanks a lot for publishing such high quality reviews for free. I currently have a Pioneer Elite 610 (58" HDTV ready) and like it a lot. However, the prices of projectors are coming down, and I was wondering if you could enlighten me with the upcoming trends in projectors. Also, should I purchase a projector today or wait for a year or so. I'm quite happy with my Pioneer Elite, although I wish the screen was little larger.

A The prices have indeed coming down, and I suspect we will see (1) more projectors with the Texas Instruments Mustang DLP chip (16x9, 1280x720 pixels), (2) more projectors with the JVC D-ILA chips (three per projector), (3) more projectors in the $2,000 range with 964x544 or thereabouts resolution (will show DVDs at full resolution, but not 720p or 1080i at their resolutions), and (4) projectors with full HD resolution of 1920x1080. I don't think prices will come down much more than they are right now, because of manufacturing limitations. It is expensive to make a good lens, and that is one of the most important parts of the projector. It is also a critical component for producing a good picture.

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Q When shopping for a new HDTV, there seems to be a lot of interchangeability between HDTV, HDTV ready, and HDTV compatible. The salesman at a local electronics store told me he only had one true HDTV in the entire store. What are the differences?

A For a TV to be any of the three categories you mentioned, it has to be able to at least show 1080i. If it can show 720p, all the better, but that requires a bit higher scanning frequency. Because the terms can be confusing, when shopping for an HDTV, just ask if it needs an external tuner (also called a receiver). You would connect your roof antenna and/or satellite box, or cable box to the input on your TV, which should have a DVI input by the way now that we are at that point. The DVI input could be used with a satellite box or DVD player. The DVI input should also be HDCP-enabled. Otherwise, the DVI connection might not work with the satellite box or DVD player. Although there are some 4:3 HDTVs out there, bypass those and go directly to the 16:9 HDTVs. Ask if it will show 720p and 1080i in their native resolution, or if all signals are converted to one or the other of these resolutions. Although 1080i has a slightly sharper picture, 720p is the more demanding scanning frequency. Plasma flat panel TVs, LCD flat panel TVs, and most RPTVs will show programs at a maximum of 1366x768 pixels. A few RPTVs are starting to appear with full HDTV resolution of 1920x1080. In any case, HDTV-ready and HDTV-compatible generally mean there is no receiver or tuner in the TV. However, even if the product is advertised as an HDTV, you still need to check on whether or not an external receiver is required to use it.

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Q I have been a Bose fan for many years. I have a Lifestyle 30 and I enjoyed it until I found out that I can't connect to it a SACD player since the Bose does not have multi-channel analog inputs. Well, I bought an Integra DTR 7.1 receiver and for speakers I was planning to buy the new Bose Acoustimass 16 ( 6.1) Home Theater Speaker System. Now after reading some of your reviews I am having second thoughts about using that Bose speakers with my Integra. It is the Integra DTR 7.1 too much of a receiver to be used with the Bose Acoustimass 16 ? Since I would like to keep using small satellite speakers, what brand and model would you recommend?

A The Bose are very small modular speakers, and as such, they can't handle a lot of amplifier power, but they should work with the Integra. You will just have to be careful with the volume control. Many speaker manufacturers sell the modular speakers now, because they are so popular. Fortunately, they are pretty inexpensive too. You might consider getting modular speakers for all channels around the room, but upgrading to a nice big subwoofer, say 12" or 15". You would have to set the subwoofer crossover frequency pretty high, say around 120 Hz, with those modular speakers. Also, note that with some Bose speaker systems, you have to connect all of them through the bass module, which may not work well with the bass management system in the receiver. So, consider modular speakers from other companies, like Paradigm, Velodyne, M&K, and Energy as alternatives.

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Q I have a Pioneer Elite DV-38A DVD player and the widescreen menu for this movie would not open. The full screen side worked fine. I had to mess with the remote for awhile to stop the no go loop the widescreen side was in. Finally I did get the widescreen menu to open and played the movie, but the last 5 minutes of so of this movie kept dropping and finally the movie stopped. I gave this DVD to another person and they had the same issues but they couldn't get the some of the widescreen menus to work. I sent an e-mail to New Line but no response. Any thoughts?

A There are still some disc incompatibilities with some players. I continue to see incompatibilities with many players that we test here. It is because movie producers don't adhere to all the rules when manufacturing the discs. I suspect there will always be occasional discs that have problems with specific players.

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Q I was wondering how many electrical circuits you recommend I use for my home theater . I have a 5.1 channel system with a receiver rated at 120 watts x 5. All five of my speakers require electrical power as they have an 8" , 250 watt powered subwoofer in each one (Definitive Technology towers) . I also have a 15", 500 watt powered sub on my LFE channel . Do you think one 15 amp circuit is enough , or would I need more ?

A I would suggest a 20 amp circuit dedicated to the home theater equipment as a minimum. Have lighting on a different circuit. You are likely to pop the circuit breaker from time to time with only a 15 amp limit.

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Q I am looking for an A/B type switch to connect three component video sources (HDTV Set-top box, DVD player, and XBOX) to my TV with only two component video inputs. I have found several on the web like Audio Authority 1154 4:1, JVC JX-S111 3:1, and a few from KDS. I am not sure which is a good one to buy. They are rated at different bandwidths, ranging from 50 MHz to over 100 MHz. Can you please offer an opinion, explain how the bandwidth affects the video quality, or point me in the right direction?

A The bandwidth ratings are usually at - 3 dB, meaning if it is rated at 50 MHZ, it is down 3 dB at this frequency. Therefore, I would buy one that is rated to at least 100 MHz, so that it will be flat in the frequencies of the video signals that are being passed through it.

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Q I have an opportunity to pick up some Infinity front speakers at a very low price (a significant upgrade from my current L/R speakers). My only reservation has to do with the matching center. I currently have a Boston Acoustics VR-920 that I spent a lot of money on and have been pleased with. However, if I purchase these new speakers my front sound stage will not be voice matched. I could get the matching center to the new infinity's, but then I would be eating the $500 I spent on the VR.  Should I go for the new L/R speakers or not? Should I eat my pride (and cash) and get the matching center, or stick with my VR? Basically, what is more important, the overall quality of the speakers or the fact that the are a matched set?

A The only reason to stick with the same brand is that the tonality will be similar. However, if the speakers are neutral in sound, you can mix and match brands with no problem. Get the Infinity speakers and then see if they sound alright with the Boston Acoustics center. These are good brands, so it is likely they will work fine together. The most optimal center channel speaker is the exact same ones you are using for the front left and right, but that is not always easy to do, since the center channel speaker is usually sitting on top of the TV.

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