Q&A - #15 - June 10, 1997
Q I plan on purchasing a Home Theater system soon. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find comparative ratings of projection screen televisions, receivers and speakers (including a subwoofer). I did go through questions already submitted and reviews of specific products in Secrets, but I cannot find any comparative ratings, that is one product against other products within the same catagory. Specifically, I want to purchase a 60" televsion, and want to know which is the overall best
choice, and the same goes for the other components.
A For a 60" you should look at the Pioneer Elite line, the Toshiba line, and
the Sony line. If you plan to have DVD as one of your sources, then consider a TV with component inputs. Currently, Toshiba is the only one
offering them. (This will change in the coming year, as Sony
should have some products by the '98 lineup.) Toshiba has ten new TVs with
component video inputs coming in '97. They do have two 61" models, and one will
have progressive scan built-in. (Progressive scan means that they will be
able to to minimize the visible scan lines.)
If you are not concerned about component video, then Pioneer and Sony
currently have some very good TVs. You will want to look at the XBR45 or 48
series of the Sony.
Q We've got a problem, and it seems no one can help us. We've had our Sony 27" Trinitron for almost a year, and I guess it works alright. There is no question, of all the tubes I've seen, I like the
picture on the Trinitron best, but there are two other quirks I wanted to
ask about: (A) Though the image is very sharp, if say you are watching the credits
at the end of a movie there will be a very faint streak to the right of
each line of text. This we notice whenever there is a light object on a
dark background. It is independent of source. (B) Most important. A few
months ago we upgraded our receiver from a Yamaha 390 to a Yamaha 490.
One week later we noticed something. When we turn off the TV (with the
amp on), the rear speakers snap with every tingle of static from the TV
(by the way, do all Trinitrons discharge with such a violent parade of
static?) It does not sound healthy. We tried everything. Changing
speakers, cables, hooking things up, not hooking things up, moving the
amp away and it's still there: a violent snap when the TV is turned on
and snaps with every tingle of static when it's turned off. We even ran
extension cords to the kitchen so that the two were on separate circuit
breakers. Having tried all that we called the suppliers. First was our
Yamaha dealer who gladly gave us another 490 to try. Same thing. We
felt confident in calling Sony who came out and told us that all Trinitrons
discharge that way. They even brought out another 27" TV and you guessed it:
the same thing. We are right now at a loss. The snapping sounds damaging to us so we
only turn the amp on after the TV and shut it off before the TV. We know something is not right, but each manufacturer is confident there is nothing wrong with their product. The only theory we have had is that there might be a design flaw in the rear amps of the
490 (keep in mind the problem is ONLY heard through them).
A The problem on the first part could be one of two things. First, you might
have the sharpness or detail setting on the TV turned up too high. When you
have sharpness turned up too high, it adds artificial edges around
everything. Second, your TV might have SVM (Scan Velocity Modulation). Most
new TVs have this "useless" feature. It adds an artificial edge around
everything. It is possible to defeat, though would require a modification to
your TV.
As to your other question, are you running the audio out of your TV into your receiver? If so, try running the audio out of your source to the receiver instead of though the TV. When you run a source through your TV then into your receiver you could be
possibly adding noise. The TV is not the cleanest environment when it comes
to sound quality. I don't think the rear amps are defective. The Pro Logic decoder is simply routing the static discharge signal to the rear channel. TVs do commonly discharge. There is high voltage and lots of static electricity. You might try grounding the TV chassis if it does not have a three pronged AC plug, and also grounding the receiver chassis. Other than that, you are doing the right thing in turning the receiver on last and off first.
Q Can I connect my DVD with an S-Video output to my receiver if I have a VCR conected without one?
A That depends. Are you trying to record from your DVD to your VCR? If so,
then you will need to connect using the composite cable. Most DVDs have
copy protection. By connecting them to a VCR, you will distort your picture, and
using composite video is the WORST way to go.
Be careful, as some receivers will actually degrade the picture quality of DVD
and laser. This is because the video routing in the receiver
usually has a lower bandwidth than is necessary. Your best bet is to run
your DVD straight to the TV with the S-Video cable.
Q Why is Mitsubishi the only maker of a 40" direct television? Are these televisions inherently problematic with distortion and the like? I have a medium to large room with numerous windows and high ambient
lighting, and therefore have been in the market for a direct view set. I
was hoping to get the biggest screen available. Would you recommend
the Mits Diamond Line 40" television, or would you have some
reservations and suggest other set (even if 36")?
A They are expensive to build! Getting a bright picture from a tube without
blooming is a tough job. Toshiba has a 36" coming in '97 with component
video inputs that looks promising.
I personally would look at a rear projection set. You will be able to get a
bigger and very good picture for the same cost. A nice set is the
Toshiba TW40F80, which is 16:9 with component video inputs. The MSRP is
$3,095, but local stores are selling it for $2,495. The 46" Pioneer sets can
be calibrated to give you a nice picture. The Sony XBR45 series can also be
tweaked to give you an outstanding picture.
Before you choose your screen size, figure out how far back from the picture
you can get. The rule of thumb is 5 to 8 times the screen height back. For
a 45" TV, I sit 12' to 13' back. The reason for the distance is to eliminate
seeing the scan lines. The closer you sit to the TV, the more obvious they
become.
Q I'm going to buy a top model of laserdisc player. Can you help me? From what I gather, it is between the Pioneer CLD-99, the MSB lS-2, and the Runco LJR-2. Can you compare these three players?
A The CLD-97 is the best that Pioneer ever made. You might still be able to find one from a dealer. They are going for half price. The only problem is the lack of AC-3 RF out, but you can have one added or follow the DIY published a few weeks ago on adding one.
McIntosh (it is a Pioneer CLD-97!) has the AC-3 RF out. I think
they are still making it, and it retails for around $3,500. Probably a best bet!
The Runco is no longer on the market. They had a couple of problems. The right-most part of the picture was missing. The part that was missing is
usually cut off by your TV's overscan, but if you are feeding a front
projector you might notice it.
The MSBs (they built the Runco player) use the same Panasonic transport as
the Runco did. I think they might still have the same problem.
A Faroudja LV-1000 starts off life as a CLD-99 and then gets some serious work
done on it. It is $5,495! The CLD-99 had a problem with CAV discs, and I am not
sure if Faroudja has corrected it, but I should hope so.
Q Can you suggest a source for information on video projectors for under $1,000? Specs, manufacturers, and price?
A There are currently no video projectors for under $1,000 in either front or
rear projection. The starting point for a rear projector is around $1,500.
Front projectors usually start around $7,000. Toshiba, Pioneer, Zenith, and Mitsubishi offer the lowest cost rear projectors. Sony and Pioneer Elite are on the upper end of the price scale.
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Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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