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Q&A # 373 - November 30, 2003
 

Staff

 

Q When I watch DVD movies on my 100" projection screen, I can see small diagonal lines on letters and other vertical objects. What are they?

A Those lines represent the resolution limits of DVD.

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Q Congratulations on your new SSP Benchmark specifications and the first receiver benchmark review. The other A/V magazines are a joke compared to you guys. The word on the street is that one of them plagiarized some of your material. Is that true and what did you do about it?

A We read them the riot act, and they became defiant, so a lot of four letter words were exchanged. I don't think it will happen again.

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Q My question is in regards to High Current Capability (HCC). I am looking to upgrade my AVR and am a little puzzled in regards to receiver wattage ratings. For example Harman Kardon promotes HCC and says that their receiver that is rated at 75 watts per channel x 7 like the AVR630 is a MORE powerful receiver than a Denon or Onkyo receiver that rates their receivers at 100 watts per channel. Can you please explain this to me if it is true or not?

A High Current Capability is related to the low impedance that an amplifier can drive. A receiver rated at 75 watts per channel into 8 Ohms that can deliver 150 watts per channel into 4 Ohms could be considered more powerful than a receiver rated at 100 watts per channel into 8 Ohms that can only deliver 125 watts per channel into 4 Ohms. It is basically a function of the power supply and number of output devices.

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Q In my search for an understanding of what HDTV system I should purchase I was told that the CenterStage CS-HD Video Processor would improve virtually all images sent to an HDTV. I am considering purchasing a Sony KF42W610 LCD rear projector. One of the main signal sources will be DirecTV-standard. This is the source that I am most concerned with poor quality. The store sales person performed an impressive demo that showed the scaler could make a dramatic improvement. Can I trust the demo, will the CenterStage CS-HD Video Processor help?

A The CenterStage scaler will make a difference with all sources, but satellite and cable programs are compressed so much, that nothing can make them look really good. If your demo included the CenterStage use with DirecTV programs and you were satisfied, then buy one. Otherwise, wait until you can get the demo with the actual source you will be watching, namely DirecTV.

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Q When I connected three TVs to my cable system, I lost picture quality. What can I do?

A You need a CATV distribution amplifier that is connected to the cable where it comes into the house. You then connect the various TVs to the several outputs on the CATV amplifier. Radio Shack has them. Or you can buy them on the Internet. Here are some sample links:    http://www.futurehomesystems.com/v300.shtml    http://www.starkelectronic.com/allmatv.htm.

T

Q I was wondering what is the best way to extend speaker wire. I've asked several people and they say that I can just twist on new wire without any noticeable loss in quality. I am skeptical that this would work.

A The best way is to solder the connections rather than just twist them together. Simple physical contact deteriorates over time as the surface of the conductors oxidizes. After soldering, wrap the connections with electrical tape.

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Q I have an older TV, a 2001 Sony KV36xbr400, and I just bought a Sony DVP-NC685V 5 disc progressive scan SACD/DVD player.  I have connected the DVD player to the TV via component video cable to the AUX6 input on the TV. I have set the DVD player to 16:9 and set the progressive output to "Auto". I have set the TV's AUX6 input to "16:9 Enhanced: ON" and all is fine, it's the pest picture I've ever had. But, when I switch sources to cable or HD and then come back to DVD, the TV defaults back to "16:9 Enhanced: OFF". When I switch the DVD player back to NORMAL (480i) the TV the reads the signal and adjusts to anamorphic automatically. It is a pain to have to use the TV's setup menu every time I want to watch a DVD. I went through two levels of Sony tech support, and they said that's just the way it is. This can't be. Please help.

A As the signal becomes more complex, i.e., going from 480i to 480p, and on up to 1080i, the TV has more of a problem automatically adjusting itself. I have seen this in numerous situations with different brands of TVs. Perhaps it will be resolved when the signal is digital all the way through (DVI and HDMI), but I wouldn't hold my breath.

T

Q I have Yamaha RX-V440 receiver, and the manual said that the crossover frequency of sub-out is set at 90 Hz. Is it a LPF crossover? In the front, I use a pair of floor standing speaker (with 2 x 5.25" woofers and a tweeter, each) and set it as a "Large" speaker in my receiver menu. The others (surround and center speakers) are set as "Small" speakers. What is the best frequency setting for my active subwoofer? The crossover range is 50 Hz to 150 Hz. The crossover frequency of surround and center speakers (bookshelf type) is specified at 5 kHz, so does this mean that the speakers will not produce low frequencies (mid bass and bass)?

A Set the crossover frequency in your subwoofer all the way up to 150 Hz. The crossover frequency in your other speakers, specified as 5 kHz, is the crossover between the woofer and tweeter. Since they are bookshelf speakers, they will likely reproduce frequencies down to about 60 Hz, but only 90 Hz and above will be sent to them if you set your bass management to "Small" for those speakers. For your system, this seems to be OK.

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