DTV Speak

Is Surround-Sound Right For Your Family?

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Surround sound adds an extra-dimension to your home television or theater set-up, especially if you watch a lot of movies or play video games. For movies, understand that directors and sound engineers spend a great deal of time putting together soundtracks that are designed to be played on sophisticated cinema house systems. The depth of the audio mix is lost when played through regular television speakers, even if they are stereo and especially when music is added. By spreading the sound around the room with a surround sound system the audio has space to breathe and can be experienced the way it was intended.

Many video games require directional audio to give players information they need to play the game. Surround sound creates a sonic room around the gamer duplicating the positional audio, such as footsteps coming from behind or shots being fired from side to side. Surround sound can improve a gamers’ performance.

There is a surround sound system to fit any space and any budget. If you don’t like the idea of wires running through the room, you can have your system professionally installed. The wiring can be hidden in the floor or walls. Wireless systems are also available.

Three Ways To Improve Your Movie Night

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

With the rising cost of visiting the cinema, home movie nights are becoming more and more popular among middle class American families. There are lots of ways to make your movie night more enjoyable. Three of the best upgrade options are detailed below.

One great way to improve your home movie night is to purchase a large screen television. Televisions are available up to 80 inches, and you can even purchase a projector if you so choose. A larger screen will make it fee more like a movie theater.

Another option to better your viewing experience is to purchase a television with high definition capabilities. You will have a picture quality better than that of some actual theaters, but without the high price of movie tickets and concessions. Keep in mind that you will only notice a clearer picture on programs designed to be viewed in high definition.

The final suggestion for improving movie night is to purchase and install a home theater sound system. With surround sound, you will feel like you are at the cinema in the comfort of your own home. For the best experience, choose a high quality system. You can view the specifications and reviews of various sound systems online.

Audio Equipment For A Digital Age

admin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As home televisions progress and we upgrade from DVD and that ancient thing called VHS to Blu-Ray, HDTV and internet television, you may want to start upgrading your antiquated sound systems. The big question for most of us is “Where do I start?” A system with digital coax, optical or HDMI inputs is a great place to start. Digital surround sound provides a more realistic sound than the traditional surround sound systems of yesteryear, meaning lower lows, higher highs and being able to hear the smallest sounds like typing on a keyboard or a pin dropping on the floor.

Buying a good digital audio system doesn’t necessarily mean spending your kids college tuition on a setup anymore either. You still can spend that much if you feel the need, however, 200-300 will get you more than enough power to have you saying “Huh? What did you say?” for days. Most box stores carry the equipment you will need, many even have built in Blu-Ray/DVD players too. Don’t forget to read the box to see if the necessary cables are included, which they almost never are. Most cables are available wherever you decide to buy your new surround sound, however it may be worth doing some price comparison online first.

Putting HDMI to work on your HDTV

www.dtvspeak.com — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

There are many ways to make the most of your HDTV, such as DIRECT TV or a nice new Blu-Ray player. However, while setting up the first is easy, your Blu-Ray player may require some extra work. Even if you’ve got a Blu-ray Disc player supporting audio like Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD Master Audio, you may not be taking advantage of the full range of its power. The easiest way to use these audio bitstreams is with HDMI, and it’s the only way for Dolby Digital Plus.HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and is a recently-adopted method for transmitting uncompressed digital data. HDMI is an efficient choice for the modern home theater watcher, since it can support any TV or PC video format, 8 channels of compressed or uncompressed digital audio, an Ethernet connection, and a CEC connectionall on a single cable. It’s an easy way to get rid of tangled cords while also improving your audio-visual experience.The interface first became available in 2003, and has already been adopted by more than 850 companies. In consumers electronics markets, it’s pretty much a given for new products. HDMI has a number of connector types, referred to as types A-E. Type E is only used in automobiles for connecting personal media players, camcorders, and the like. The other types differ in size and bandwidth.HDMI offers a special type of encryption, when needed, known as HDCPHigh-bandwidth Digital Content Protection. This prevents the encrypted content (including DVD Video, DVD Audio, HD DVD, and Blu-Ray) from being played on unsecured devices.The latest version of HDMI, 1.4a, hit the markets on March 4, 2010, adding two new mandatory 3D formats for game, movie, or broadcast content. HDMI 1.4 also increased the maximum resolution, added the Ethernet channel, introduced a new Micro Connector, and made other significant changes to the format.If you want to get the most out of your TV while cutting down on cables, check out HDMI. If you have an older TV that only supports analog formats, you can still use a digital-to-analog converter to take advantage of the HDMI revolution.

Bringing Netflix to your television screen

www.dtvspeak.com — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:05:48 +0000

Watching cable with surround sound is great, but what about watching streaming Netflix movies with the audio quality that was intended? There are a few different choices for viewers wanting to take Netflix’s streaming capabilities from their computer to their television screen.The first is streaming video players, the most notable of which is now Apple TV. Other companies offering similar products are Roku, Seagate, and Western Digital. All these devices do is stream content to your televisionthey don’t offer any sort of storage, as other systems do, but then that isn’t necessary for the Netflix streaming option.Video game consoles, however, can store content, in addition to some other obvious features. The Xbox 360 is the only console that requires an extra financial investment (you need to upgrade to Xbox Live Gold), and also requires a Netflix disc. The PS3 and Wii both offer disc-free streaming, although the Wii doesn’t display high-def video.iOS devices (iPhone 4 and iPad) can be connected to a television screen with a cheap Dock Connector to VGA Adapter, offered by Apple for 29. You will have to sacrifice some resolution for this financial benefitvideo quality is limited to 640 by 480 output. Still, if you’ve already shelled out the money for one of these devices, the low price point might be attractive enough to make you put up with the squinting (just kiddingyou’ll still be able to see everything, just a little softer). Computers can also be directly connected to the televisionif your computer has an HDMI port, all you’ll need is an HDMI adapter. Other models will require an HDMI adapter.Networking is the final option for Netflix streaming on TV, with your choice of device: either Blu-ray players or televisions themselves. Internet-connected devices are all the rage today, and although you may pay a little extra for the privilege of not having to hook up any other devices (you will need a WiFi or Ethernet connection), this option is still a popular and worthwhile choice.

The speakers that your HDTV deserves, as judged by Audioholics

www.dtvspeak.com — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:11:22 +0000

The Audioholics Online A/V Magazine has released some new reviews of speaker systems. Why should you take note? Audioholics has established its reputation in the A/V world by offering extensive coverage of trade shows and press releases and also the AV University, where they go over the principles and technologies that define the industry today. You can get to know them yourselves on the “AV Rant” Podcastwhere they also chat about Star Wars, James Cameron, and other geek-friendly topics.Anyway, the point is that the Audioholics know what they’re talking about, so when they say that the Aperion Audio Intimus 4T Summit Wireless System is perfect for those looking to consolidate their A/V equipment, you should listen. This system features a wireless hub which can do audio decoding without an A/V receiver, saving space and time. The site’s reviews are not devoid of criticismfor example, the Klipsch RF-7 II Floorstanding Speakers are questioned for their price point (3200) and appearance.If you’re in the market for some new speakers, we recommend making Audioholics a part of your search.

Soundbars are no joke

www.dtvspeak.com — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 07:05:53 +0000

What Is It? A sound bar is a type of speaker designed to conserve space. As a result, it also conserves money. The array consists of two parts: a subwoofer and an actual bar which can be mounted on a wall, underneath a cabinet, or anywhere else you have space. The bar connects to the woofer either wirelessly or by a cable, and simulates surround sound by bouncing the sound waves off of walls and delaying them when appropriate.Pros

Lower price than other speaker systems
Conserves space
Many feature connections for music players and gaming consoles
Long-lasting

Cons

Can’t reproduce 5.1 surround sound
Smaller number of HDMI inputs, if any

Which Brand Should You Purchase?Online customer reviews are a good indication of usability in a variety of different contexts. In a general sense, Vizio, Samsung, JVC, and Boston Acoustics offer some of the best budget soundbars for 350 or less. Yamaha and Polk Audio offer more expensive, higher-end models, but if the price of a soundbar gets too high, it begins to lose one of its major selling points.

New speakerless television from Bose

www.dtvspeak.com — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:15:36 +0000

The first HDTV from developer Bose isn’t the most advanced in terms of video technology, but its audio capabilities will make you question your earsand eyes. There are no speakers visible on the television, so where is the surround-sound coming from?The answer is a new technology known as VideoWave, which projects sound out of the screen. This sound can then be manipulated with a Click Pad remote control, which also has a conspicuous absence: there are no buttons. Instead, the control is a touch pad which is used to control on-screen commands.Bose demonstrated the technology to Dvice.com by having what looked like cloth-covered speakers mounted on the walls, and then removing the cloth after the surround sound had begun. Of course, there was nothing underneath. They also took one of the speakers out of the television (for the record, consumers shouldn’t be digging around in their own sets) and paired it up with a laser pointer to show how it could project sound. As if this all wasn’t enough, the new VideoWave features ADAPTiQ technology, which makes sure that the sounds are specialized to your own room’s acoustics.The TV is retailing for 5,349 (including delivery) only at Bose retail stores. There’s been a sharp backlash in the blogosphere for this price, although it’s not unexpected. Since Bose’s inception in 1964, the company has become known for both premium sound and premium prices, spurred by Amar Gopal Bose’s research into psychoacoustics (why we hear what we hear). For those who feel that money would be better spent on a higher-end display with separate speakers, there are certainly plenty of options. This new entry into the audiophile wars is certainly unique, though, and could be the start of a whole new front in the competition.