Q What is the difference between an active and passive subwoofer?

A An active subwoofer has a built-in power amplifier, while a passive subwoofer does not. So, with a passive sub, you need to add your own power amplifier. Most subs these days are active. However, there are still some passive subs out there. In fact, one Australian company, Whise (http://www.whise.com.au) sells mostly passive subs, but that is the exception.

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Q Instead of heading out to school to copy my demos, I was looking to use my VCRs and copy at home. Now, one VCR is mono and the other is stereo. As I was going to connect the RCA cables into the backs of the VCRs, I noticed that the mono VCR only has a pair of audio (out and in) and a pair of video (out and in) jacks.

Now my question to you is, how do I set this all up? Of course, I was looking to use a Y-connector for the audio, but I'm a bit unsure of what to use for the video.

A Copy the tape from the mono VCR to the stereo VCR, using a Y connector that connects the single audio output from the mono VCR to the stereo input jacks on the stereo VCR. You only need one cable for the video, which goes from the video output jack on the mono VCR to the video input jack on the stereo VCR. Test the recording setup for about 30 seconds of recording and then play it back on your TV to make sure all is working correctly before you record the entire tape.

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Q As a temporary measure (until new equipment is purchased) I have had to connect a DVD player to the Line-1 input of my VCR so I can pass the DVD signal through to the TV. Not optimal I know - but the easiest way to address a shortage of inputs on an old TV. Problem is, when playing the DVD, the picture brightness changes at a regular rate, which I understand to be the MacroVision copy protection at work. I guess the copy protection is being triggered because the signal is being routed through the VCR, i.e. potential illegal copying taking place, but could the same problem occur if I was channeling the DVD signal through another switching device - such as an AV Receiver?

A No, it is unlikely that you would have a problem sending the video through the receiver's video switching circuits, because MacroVision is not triggered by such switching.

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Q I am trying to decide between two big screen HDTV models-- the Pioneer Elite 730 and the Mitsubishi Diamond series. While Mitsubishi makes a bigger screen (73 inches, which my room can accommodate), the Pioneer model (64 inch) can accept 720p signals and has two DVI jacks with HDCP. Mitsubishi relies upon 1394 connections. Should I sacrifice a little screen size for better scan rate and DVI jacks? The sitting position from the sets will be about 12 feet.

A DVI and HDCP are becoming very important for HDTV reception and viewing. I would not buy any HDTV that does not have DVI-HDCP. So, I suggest you get the Pioneer.

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Q  I am in the market for a new receiver and have decided on Denon. Is it better to buy the 1082/3082 (last years model) which is rated at 110 wpc or the 2803 (this years model but a step lower) which is rated at 90 wpc? I can purchase either on the net from authorized Denon dealers for the same price. It seems the major differences are the DSP processors (Analog Sharc in the 1082 vs. Analog Melody 100 in the 2803). The 1082 states Analog Devices 24 bit, 96 kHz high resolution DACS on all channels while the 2803 states 16 Analog Devices 24 bit, 96 kHz high resolution DACS on all channels in differential configuration. What does that mean?

A The differential configuration means there are two DACs on each channel, one for the + part of the signal and one for the - part. In other words, the DAC circuit is balanced. In general, differential DACs are a good thing. The later Denon model probably also has decoding for some of the more modern formats, such as Pro Logic II. I would suggest going with the 2803. You can add an outboard power amplifier for more power later on.

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Q  I have read your recent published benchmark of DVD players and I must say it is very complete but only in terms of video. For audio, there is a completely different story. Recently a universal DVD player by Denon has been released, at least in Japan where I live. Have you compared the audio capabilities of other universal DVD players like the Marantz, Yamaha, Pioneer and DENON? Which has good quality for SACD and for DVD-Audio?

A We focused on video for the last set of Benchmarks because video was where the problems seem to be. But now that those are starting to be resolved, and DVD-A and SACD capabilities are becoming more common, we will add some audio tests to the Benchmarks.

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Q I am using a Hughes HD DirecTV tuner box going through an Anthem AVR20 processor with my Mitsubishi Diamond 65" HD ready TV. I just upgraded to the Anthem unit from a Sunfire TGII. When I had the TGII in the system, I was able to use the TV control to stretch my DirecTV picture to fill the entire screen. I did not use that feature all the time, but on some programs, it worked well. Now, with the Anthem in the system, if I try and stretch the picture, it says "format not available for HDTV now". What is the Anthem doing different than the Sunfire?

A The problem is more likely between the DirecTV satellite box and your TV. I have seen this problem recently myself. The TV won't let me stretch the image when using 1080i output from the satellite box. You might try changing the resolution output of your satellite box to 480p for NTSC programs, and see if that lets you use the stretch. It worked in my system. Switch back to 1080i output or 720p output for your HDTV programs.

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Q I am helping a friend set up his new Pioneer 5 disc DVD player to an Onkyo receiver who insists on using coax digital out to the receiver and analog audio to the TV at the same time. Would this affect sound quality?

A Your friend wants to be able to watch TV sometimes without having the receiver on. No, it is unlikely to affect the sound quality by doing this. However, you need to make sure the proper settings are made in the DVD player audio setup menu, where you state what kinds of audio output you want. Also, he should not use both audio systems at the same time. This would mess up the soundstage.

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