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Q&A # 369 - October 27, 2003
 

Staff

 

Q Will there be some receivers coming with DVI and/or HDMI switching?

A Eventually, I am sure there will be, but the problem is that the bandwidth is so high (5 GHz for HDMI), it would be terribly expensive right now. Look how much trouble it is to get a receiver with just 100 MHz switching for analog component video. High frequencies are very difficult to switch. Right now, you can get a DVI switcher that has four inputs and one output, for $400.

T

Q  I have a Sanyo 25" TV. When it gets heated up or you can say after 30 min of playing time, it makes an annoying sound, probably from the back side of the picture tube. What could be the reason and how can I solve this problem?

A I suspect you are talking about a whine from the scan generator circuit. In small inexpensive TVs, this component has just barely enough capacity, and when it gets hot, resistance goes up, so performance goes down.

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Q  I acquired a new DVD player (my first one). It is a Sony with L & R audio outputs (also has digital coaxial output). My theatre amp is an older one (4 yrs - Sony). It has 5.1 (6 inputs - L & R front, L& R Rear, centre, and woofer and no coaxial input). I have two tower speakers, two rears, and a centre speaker. I have hooked up the DVD and can only hook into my receiver with the two L & R outputs to my L & R front inputs. Is there a cord arrangement that has two outputs and five inputs? Is there anything else I can do to achieve the same surround sound setup that I have with my VCR?

A If your receiver has a Toslink optical input, get a Coaxial/Toslink optical converter so you can use the digital output of your player. If the receiver is only 4 years old, it likely has at least one Toslink optical digital input jack. Otherwise, use the stereo output of your DVD player to one of the input sets on your receiver and select Dolby Pro Logic processing, which will give you surround sound.

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Q I have Ovation Software's Avia calibration DVD. I used it to set up my current system. Can it be used to detect if the chroma bug is present in my Sony DVP S360? What would I look for, and what segment of the Avia tests is most appropriate to display the artifact? Can it be used when auditioning in-store when it comes time to upgrade to a new DVD player? I know I could simply purchase one of the recommended units listed in your "Benchmark", but I cannot resist the urge to play around when shopping.

A Use "Toy Story" chapter 4, as explained in our Chroma Bug article. Pictures of what to look for are in that article.

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Q I recently bought a refurbished Aiwa Stereo AV Receiver AV-D58. My issue is this, for a week it worked fine w/o a problem. But now, I can only play DVDs and CDs by using my Source Direct option. Any other option, like surround sound or DSP will not play anything. However, in the past, the output has spit out extremely loud static rather than music. Any ideas? Or should I send this thing back?

A If it was working and now does not, it needs repair. Refurbished items usually carry a limited warranty, so get it back in to the store while the warranty is still in effect.

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Q What is difference between the sound of a home theatre system and a hi-fi system (about $500 system for both cases)?

A The home theater system will likely come with a DVD player and the hi-fi system will likely come with a CD player. The hi-fi system may just be two-channel, while the home theater system will be five-channels, likely with a subwoofer.

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Q Does the Denon 1600 give a better picture than the Denon 9000 (A1 in the U.K)?

A Only in terms of the 1600 not having the chroma bug.

T

Q What do you think of the Samsung DVD-HD931? It up-converts 480p to HD. CUE problem?

A We are about to publish a review on this Samsung DVD player. Its real advantage is that it has DVI-D output. The 931 fails the 2-2 CUE test, and it also does not pass head or toe room, so it is not capable of delivering all 8-bits of video. The Bravo D1 produces a better image, but it has problems with some discs. The 931 has the detail enhancer hard coded, which makes things look artificial. Also, only the DVI output of the 931 has the Genesis chip. The YPbPr (component video) output is using the Ziva5 (MPEG decoder) for deinterlacing.

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