Reviews

Lcd v’s Plasma here’s my 10 cents worth …

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I have a view that might suprise some readers of HTF as I think comparing [tag-tec]LCD[tag-tec]? with [tag-tec]Plasma[/tag-tec] is like comparing different variations of fruit and trying to make out it’s a fair comparison.

Come on I for years watched my movies on a front projection 55 inch Toshiba but when compared with my 32 inch [tag-tec]CRT[/tag-tec] Toshiba the picture quality was light years away but guess which I enjoy watching the latest action DVD on?

Why we always seem to have to compare things in home? theater is sometimes a mystery when we pick things which clearly are different and try to compare them you wouldn’t try and compare a Ferrari with? Chrysler Neon would you …?

So coming back to my LCD vs Plasma and which is the right choice for your home theater set up ?

These two technologies are seriously different and not different sides of the same coin as some stores might have you believe.

Here’s the technical stuff Plasma Screen TV’s use charged cells of gas plasma to create a picture they are popular and range in sizes up to a massive 7 ft for standard TV use but I expect as I am writing this some one will be launching a bigger one.

LCD on the other hand were launched as the new flat screen technology and have been around a little longer earlier models had problems with lighting a bit like my old faithfull front screen projection TV but these problems have pretty much been solved.In case you were wondering LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display but things have move on a significant amount from those first LCD calculators we first used nearly 25 years ago.

Viewing Problems with Plasma and LCD

The home theater purist believe plasma is the way to go if your budget allows for several reasons the most significant being the way black is viewed on plasma more effectively. This is primarily because an LCD uses backlight to display it’s images so there by it’s very nature has to be some? excess light. New models have found ways around this problem and the top drawer compare well with plasma displays.

When it comes to image quality the LCD have it with a sharper image especially when watching action movies or action sports such as football or motor? racing . In earlier models where objects move across a large block of solid color such as the quarterback throwing the football to the wide reciever or tiger hitting a golf ball up the fairway onto the green there were some problems but these are now rectified in new updates.

Budgets

Dollar for Dollar you get more screen display for your buck with Plasma providing you are looking for at least 40 inches or more. For smaller screens LCD is still cheaper and LCD technology is available for all budgets and all sizes at reasonable prices as technology has got cheaper as demand has increased. But if you want? BIG go for plasma everytime.

Viewing Angles

Plasma screens have traditionally had better viewing angles than LCD? screens? although advances by LCD screen? manufaturers have pretty much addressed this issue. Indeed many LCD screens are now better than the similar priced plasma models but at the high end plasma still rules the roost.

In my view you should check out all purchases yourself and draw your own conclusions and to help you I will be carrying out regular weekly reviews of different LCD and Plasma screens to help you make an informed choice…

In the meantime why not take some time this holiday season to check out some of the instore sets and decide which you prefer but remember you won’t be able to really appreciate these Tv’s unless you view them in your own home or home theater setup.

See you all soon

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Movie Trivia A Short Quiz for the Holidays

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With the holidays nearly in full swing and everyone shopped out with present buying I thought a movie trivia quiz would be a nice idea so here are few questions every home theater fanatic should know? In case you were wondering the answers will be posted on the week during New Year so you can see how you did ?

Q. Which movie was the first to appear on DVD?

Q How many formats of DVD were there originally?

Q Who is the new James Bond to be seen in the new movie Casino Royale ?

Q What aspect ratio is traditional wide screen ?

Q Up to how many language tracks can a DVD carry ?

Q Which famous director was responsible for the development of the THX system?

Q What is another name for Dolby Digital?

Q Which cult film features the characters Mia , Vincent , Jules and Butch?

Q In Monty Python And The Holy Grail which animal does the? woman weigh the same as confirming she is a witch?

Q In Santa Claus the 1994 movie Tim Allen burns the christmas turkey which restaurant do they end up eating instead a) Arbys, b) Denny’s c) McDonalds d) KFC

Q Which famous car features in the movie the Italian Job

Q Which movie staring [tag-tec]Hollywood[/tag-tec] heart throb stars Tom Cruise as hit man hired to kill all the witnesses in a trial?

Q Which 2004 movie features Tom Hanks stuck in a airport where he starts to live?

Q Which famous girl friendly sports casr are the cars Mia and Tia in the movie [tag-tec]CARS[/tag-tec]? modelled on ?

Q Which famous Die Hard Actor stars as the voice of RJ in Over The Hedge?

Q Which colorfully named? star appeared in tne movie Nacho Libre?

Q Who the Davinci Code which was made into a movie in 2006 ?

Q Which Martin Scorsesse film of this year featured Jack Nicholson and Leonardo Di Caprio ?

Q Which actor played slevin in lucky number slevin ?

Q In which year was the original Poseidon Adventure released and was remade in 2006?

Q In snakes on the plane some say the movie of 2006 which are killed more of snakes or people ?

Q Who is the female star of Ultraviolet?

Q Which part does Halle Berry play in Xmen and [tag-tec]Xmen 2[/tag-tec] ?

Q Which was Disney Channels? most succesful High School Movie of all time getting over 7.7 million viewers?

Q Which movie starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock see them as a furstrated architect and a doctor in the romance movie of 2006?

Unless I can’t count and I have? had a couple of drinks there are 25 questions don’t forget to check back soon for the answers .. if you enjoyed this we could make a regular feature say once a month ..

Don’t forget HFT is still growing and we are always looking for new ideas it’s early days but we will be expanding more rapidly in 2007.

Why buy a video projector for your home theater system?

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Prices are crashing and with increased demand the cost of video projectors for home theater are set to drop even further.

The truth is there has never been a better time to consider buying a video [tag-tec]projector[/tag-tec] for your home cinema set up.

If you have just forked out for the latest amplifier and speaker set up and were looking forward to that ultimate movie experience and then felt robbed when the TV set just didn’t do it for you then you could be the ideal candidate for a home theater upgrade to a video projector either an [tag-tec]lcd[/tag-tec] projector or a [tag-tec]dlp projector[/tag-tec]

The harsh reality is if you have the space even a massive plasma screen can’t match he image of a projected image the size of the wall in your living room or den.

Over the last 2-3 years the technology behind video? projectors for home theater has moved on by leaps and bounds which has lead to more and more people looking seriously at using a projector in their homes? to create massive picture sizes for watching their movies , play video games and even enjoy their favorite sporting? occasions.?

Just imagine watching the Superbowl or the US Grand Prix life size ? Or maybe you could see yourself playing with your new wii? – Got to be an experience to be lived? in my book.

But the best thing about the projectors of today? and the advances that have been made is that they are now with in reach of the average American home theater enthusiast and no longer the preserve of those that have six figure bank balances.

Of course? with this increase in quality and reduction in price the video projector is now also? increasingly also turning up in the boardroom of even smaller companies to assist with presentations. All this as projectors become more accesible and portable their range of? uses expands and now when combined with a decent laptop any company can create a credible multi media presentation for use in their business.

I will be? talking about the potential of the use of video projectors? in your office and business in a future post and you can bet you will be excited as I will be showing you how your company can benefit in more ways than you could imagine possible.

But for now I want to explain why things have changed and what that means for the typical home theater fanatic..

Just a few short years ago the vast majority of video projectors used a techology LCD (you might be more used to seeing it in the context of TV’s) and whilst many people are still using this type of projector and with new and ongoing? developments it may come to the top again. But for the time being at least Digital Light Processing (DLP) has started to establish it’s self as the more popular choice amongst those buying home theater projectors today.

The advantages it offers are perfect picture geometry, higher contrast and ratio levels and potentially longer lamp life with out any picture degradation.

So lets look at what at what some of these terms mean and what you should be looking for in a home theater video projector ?

Projection Distances:- This is the distance between the screen and the projector to achieve a sharp image of a given size. The shorter the figure the nearer the projector can be to the screen or wall. Technology has now made it possible to reduce these projection distances making the home theater video projector suitable for smaller rooms as well as giant ones.

By knowing this distance before buying your home theater projector you can calculate how large you expect the image to be in realtion to your intended location of your projector and viewing area.

Contrast Ratio :- A problem associated with projectors of afew years ago was the fact that they would not function well unless the room was totally blackend out. This was quite simply due to the fact the light was not intense enough (contrast ratio was to weak) whilst there have been significant improvements in this area it is still pretty much impossible to use a video projector in a fully lit room.

But it is now quite possible to enjoy movies with out sitting in total darkness and provided attention is paid to the siting and use of lighting in the room you should no longer experience major problems.

Of course as would be the case for a front or rear projection TV or even a plasma or LCD TV of for that matter a standard CRT TV they won’t function in direct sunlight. In my view just? some discrete lighting helps add to the ambiance and movie type experience without making it dangerous to move about if needed.

Connecting Your Projector : – Depending what type of equipment you intend to use with your projector will to some extent determine the type of connections you will need. HDMI and component video cables will normally be the best and will be essential for any High Definition images . For? older set ups SCART? will be used or possible in some cases Super VHS cables. I have found that cables from? Best Cables have worked great for my setups so you might want to check them out.

High Definition:- If buying new equipment make sure you purchase HD as anything less will leave your system obsolete in a few years and this could have been avoided for few extra bucks.

Aspect? Ratio? :- The standard for most of the world? now is widescreen or an aspect ration of 16:9 with the advantage of video projection you will be able to enjoy the full benefit of this enhanced viewing? option to the full creating a true movie theater picture.

Keystone Correction :- This is clever? technology which allows you to site the projector where it is best to do and the circuitry with in the projector? makes adjustments so that the picture displays perfectly on the screen. This means until now you needed the projector to be directly in front of the? screen or viewing wall but using keystone correction the images can be projected from the corner of the room and still appear straight . Pretty neat? huh !

Noise? Levels – Nothing could be more off putting than when the leading man and lady of the movie are about to go in to a romantic clich and all you can hear is the helicopter like fan of your home theater projector whirring in the background so make sure the fan is not so obtrusive as to kill the mood.

Hopefully by now you can not only see why but what to look out for when buying a video projector for your home theater system and to help you with your choice I have included some of the models I think are worth checking out.

Super Slim DLP Projector with 2000 Lumens? ? ? ? ?

1024 x 768 pixel resolution 2000:1 contrast ratio Texas Instruments DLP digital light processing 2X optical zoom enables you to fill a 60 inch screen in an office that s less than 6 feet deep Inverse Meniscus Condenser (IMC) lens makes it possible to reduce the size of the lens by 30 Digital vertical keystone correction & manual focus 10 5/8 inch W x 1 11/16 inch H x 7 13/16 inch D.

Professional Series HDTV Compatible DLP Projector with 3500 Lumens

1400 x 1050 native SXGA resolution 3000:1 contrast ratio 4:3 native, 16:9 and 5:4 compatible aspect ratios Innovative Wind Tunnel cooling system designed for whisper-quite operation and minimal light leakage DVI-I HDCP, VGA, component, composite, and S-Video inputs 16 3/16 inch W x 12 5/16 inch H x 4 5/8 inch D; weight: 10 lbs. Includes remote control with laser pointer, S-Video cable, VGA cable, USB cable, and lens cap.

DLP Projector With 1000 Lumens

854 x 480 pixel resolution 2000:1 contrast ratio 4:3 and 16:9 compatible aspect ratios 6 segment 5X speed color wheel helps achieve flicker free, high grade images with accurate color reproduction Sealed optical system prevents dust, dirt and smoke from entering the core components of the projector 12 1/2 inch W x 4 1/4 inch H x 11 1/8 inch D.

DLP Projector with 1100 Lumens

1280 x 720 WXGA pixel resolution 2500:1 contrast ratio 16:9 Native (5 aspect ratio selectable) Component, composite, S-Video, and HDMI inputs 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i signal compatibility Senseye technology De-interlace with 3:2 pull down 15 inch W x 4 1/2 inch H x 11 13/16 inch D Includes remote control and BNC to VGA adapter.

Sharp XR -20X DLP HOme Theater Projector, 2300 Lumens XR-20X

Sharp XR-20X DLP Home Theater Projector, 2300 lumens – 2000:1 Contrast Ratio, 1024×768 Max Res

Optoma Movie Time DV10 DLP Digital Projector DVD w/speakers DV10

Optoma MovieTime DV10 DLP Digital Projecter DVD w/Speakers -1000 Lumens.

This is quite a selection at varying price points so check out the different offering and decide for yourself I will be looking at each one of these in greater detail in a further post hopefully just after Christmas and the Holiday Season.

So if you want to treat yourself to a new years gift this could be a good time?

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Have you discovered Microsoft’s Media Center Online Spotlight ?

If you have discovered that now your PC and home theater system do not need to be regarded as alien to each other you will probably have discovered the Online Spotlight? as part of Windows XP Media Center

This new feature? provides you a myriad of choices including free, premium and subscription services from Microsoft and other selected third party providers.

from Online Spotlight you can watch movies, download the latest soundtracks and music as well as access to news, sports updates and a huge range of [tag-tec]entertainment programming[/tag-tec] which is set to expand.

Showcase : – With the show case section of windows XP? media? center edition you can access a? massive data base of [tag-tec]music downloads[/tag-tec] as well as being able to buy offerings from MTV , AOL Music ,? Napster and many more ..

Music and Radio :- Within this category you will find satellite radio , napster , aol , live 365 and MTV which gives you access to more than 5,000 internet radio stations spanning dozens of generes.

TV and Movies :- Using your broadband? (ADSL) or cable connection you can download and stream movies currently there are more than 1200 movies available to browse, buy and watch through services by Movielink and Cinema Now. Just select you favorite’s and download to enjoy. In addition in addition you will find great TV from ABC , and Titan TV.

News and Sports :- Get the latest news and sports offerings from Fox Sports, Newsgator, Msn and Reuters and NPR.

Games:- No multimedia entertainment program would be? totally complete without at? least some gaming options and media center has certainly not? ignored this either. Discover Games and Games on demand being available to satify the gamers needs.

Lifestyle :- Gallery Player , Kodak? offer a? wide range of pictures from all different walks of life as well a black and white photography? and fine art images. In addition the life style offers a suite of organisational software which includes contacts, calendar and a home organiser.

Without doubt this is the future if Microsoft and Bill Gates have anything to do with it and I I feel it is only a few years down the track that visting your favorite DVD store or DVD rental outlet will become a faded memory.

If you have experienced the new windows multi media system lets hear what you thought about it ?

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Will the PC be moving into the living room ?

With Intels new Viiv is the PC set to become a must have for every living room and that image of the office PC only being used for doing the family accounts and the kids playing computer? games a thing fo the past.

When wandering round the computer stores or surfing the internet if you come across the [tag-tec]Intel[/tag-tec] Viiv you will know you are pretty much at the cutting edge of today with a? [tag-tec]coreduo[/tag-tec] processor or sometimes it is referred to as a? [tag-tec]dual core[/tag-tec] processor.

Viiv is designed to offer surround sound and HD video so is likely to eventually end up in the home theater fanatic’s set up and here’s just? a scratching of the surface of what this new media can do .

If Intel had it’s way this could see the end of the home PC and the launch of the multi media experience in the home ..

Most ViiV Pc’s will be equiped with wireless keyboard and mouse so nothing new there but they are packed with audio visual features (now your talking our language)

They are designed to look neat on your shelf or even as part of your home theater system after all Viiv will have available to them well in excess of 100 companies offering content which will mean you will be spoilt for choice.

On demand films , music and even TV downloads will be available from companies such as Movielink , Yahoo, Music Match and Adobe with more to follow I am sure.

The Intel Viiv Entertainment Pass enables you to browse over the internet via the Online Spotlight feature in Windows Media Center.

The Viiv is set to bring the PC from the office into the home of every household across America or at least that’s what Intel and Microsoft would have us believe..

Watch this space for more updates as they arrive ..

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Blu Ray or VS HD DVD how to choose ?

As HD (high definition) is set to become the norm over the coming years? will DVD? eventually end up where it’s forerunners consigned to the? home movie theater archives .. a once found memory?

HD is all ready waiting in the wings to take it’s crown but as before the major manufacturers can’t or maybe won’t decide on a single standard.

So whats new and what will HD bring that we never had before?

HD provides better pictures and better resolutions than were ever possible even with DVD. Major broadcasters worldwide are slowly rolling out more and more programs to this new standard (sound likes something we have heard before don’t you think ?)

Two groups of technology companies are championing two competing HD formats are we in for another beta/vhs type debarkle?

Well I hoping I get it right first time this time round but here’s the low down and you can judge for yourself which will eventually win or maybe just maybe they will actaully co-exist who knows at this early stage of the game.

HD DVD is supported by computer software giants Microsoft and you wouldn’t bet against them in a fair fight? would you ?

They are? working with Toshiba and Hitachi and few others…

Then we have the other major players Apple,Sony and Phillips a fine band if you like as well and they are? throwing their hat into the ring for Blu-ray.

Strangley enough both of these technologies use a blue-violet laser which is able to scan a high capacity disc which are? the same size as a CD/DVD.

Lets assume the guys from Apple got first name choice ?

The latest Tv’s to be released have the ability to display the new [tag-tec]HD signal[/tag-tec] and some (generally the higher end) have? built into them something called a [tag-tec]HDMI[/tag-tec] ( High Definition Multi Media Interface)? this looks a bit like a computer lead and allows for all components to be connected.

Some of the low end HD and DVD players are only able to create some of the picture standards availble with the new formats whilst in principle this might be quite? sad I suspect if your budget’s a little low anything is better than none at all.

Most common picture formats are 720p,1080i and 1080p when loking at quality [tag-tec]1080p[/tag-tec] is the best and it refers to the number of pixels you see vertically? on the tv screen.

The letters not suprisingly actually refer to the how the picture is formed on the screen the “p” standing for progressive which means the pixels are scanned by painting lines of pixels and the “i” stands for interlaced this works by painting the odd lines first and the then filling in the evens.?

Sorry about the geek speak I am only telling you what they told me …

Any how if that left you totally confused at it makes little or no difference as they move so quickly you won’t see them (why on earth they have to make things so darn complicated is a mystery?)

If that’s not enough to confuse you currently the big guns can’t agree on anything so there are still no regions for the discs which means they all play anywhere whether this will continue remains to be seen but sounds a good idea to me cna you see any pitfalls?

Blu -ray holds about 5 times the amount of information you will find on a standard DVD and the HD-DVD holds about 3 times that of a standard DVD both formats are likely to be available with dual layers and there is even talk of triple layer discs which I can’t help thinking is a because we can sort of idea …

Slowly players are becoming available in both formats originally HD drives were available in Toshiba Laptops but slowly the drives are appearing but they are yet to become mainstream so if you wallet is not bursting with crispy greenbacks wait a few months more.

As I sure you could have predicted with Microsoft and Sony going head to head the Playstation 3 will have Blu-ray as standard and suprise suprise the Xbox 360? will feature an HD DVD drive.

With both of these consoles set for a holiday season launch maybe this will decide the new standard as traditionally home theater buyer are less frenetic then games console buyers and battle is about to commence.

Apart form the obvious capacity difference Blu-ray is much thinner and the manufacturing process is different to that of DVD’s which for the time being at least means they are more expensive (but taking the capacity issues into account this might be justified).

Both formats have highly sophisticated encryption technology called [tag-tec]HDCP[/tag-tec] (High Definition Content Protection)? which could at last put paid to bootlegging. But don’t hold your breath as I am pretty sure our cousins from the far east are working hard to find ways around the technology.

So your thinking all sounds prety good so what about movies …

That’s a good question and one I will answer in a future post in the meantime here is a list of the latest Blu- ray and HD-DVD players for you to check out.

Blu- Ray

Sony VAIO VGN-AR270 Notebook with Blu-ray – VGN-AR270

Sony VAIO VGN-AR270 w/BR Notebook – Best

Sony Blu-ray Disc Player – BDP-S1

Sony BWU-100A Internal Blu-ray Disc Rewritable Drive – BWU-100A

Sony VAIO VGN-AR270 w/BR Notebook – Better

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HD-DVD Players

Toshiba HD-XA1 DVD Player – DVD-RAM, DVD-R/-RW, CD-R/RW – DVD Video, CD-DA, MP3, WMA Playback – 1 Disc(s)

Toshiba HDA2
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