Home Theater FAQ
NEW questions are now at the top of each section.
Cables
Updated 12/01/03
7: Is there any noticeable difference in quality between the S-video and Component output on a DVD player?
A: The component output is superior to the S-video mostly due to the increased bandwidth and separation of the color signal. The component signal can also be progressive which further enhances the quality making the picture smoother and more film like.
6: Can I split an optical or coaxial digital signal with a splitter like analog audio?
A: No, You just can't stick a splitter on a digital signal. You would need a switch box or receiver.
5: Is there some place I can buy a switch box selector for S-video?
A: I have them at my local A/V dealers. Here are a couple links for those who can't get them locally. http://www.cablesnmor.com/s-video-switch.html http://www.svideotorca.com/svideoswitch.html
4: What is the difference a coax digital cable and optical digital cable, isn't digital always the same?
A: Optical uses light and coax uses electrical voltage to represent the ones and zeros. Optical cables tend to suffer from jitter and timing errors and coax can suffer from RFI and EMI interference. In most cases coax tends to have less problems. They are transferring the same info just in different forms.
3: How far can I extend a cable before the signal lose becomes too great?
A: Typically a cable run can be anywhere from 50 to 100 feet before signal lose affects the signal quality. This all depends on the source, type of signal, and the quality of the cable.
2: Is there a difference between standard RCA cables and the coax cables used for digital?
A: The cables used for digital audio are thicker to accommodate the increased bandwidth. If your using a good high quality RCA cable like Monster or Audio Quest Video cable they will work fine for digital.
1. Is there a passive way to convert composite cables to S-video?
A: Yes, but the results will be of very low quality. Check out this link for more info http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?DID=7&PartNumber=180-140
DVD
Updated 12/1/03
4: Are CD-RW disc I burn on my computer compatible with my DVD or CD player?
A: Most new players are CD-RW compatible, but playback still depends greatly on the condition of the disk. With many older players however it is hit or miss.
3: Are the Columbia/Tri-Star Superbit titles really any better then the standard releases and if so why?
A: Yes they are noticeable better then the standard release. Suberbits also include a DTS soundtrack which is always better then the Dolby Digital. With the Suberbits all extras are removed from the disk to make more room for the video and the DTS soundtrack. This results in a higher bit rate for the video which translates directly into a better picture.
2: How long is the break in period for DVD players. I have heard anything from a few hours to several days.
A: A DVD player or any other solid state
electronic does not have a break in period. Only mechanical devices
(speakers, tube amps, etc) have a break in period.
1: Are there any DVD players that play .avi files?
A: I know of at least 3 manufactures that have press releases stating they will have avi compatible players by the end of 2004.
DVD Movies
Updated 12/1/03
2: What are the best looking DVDs?
A: My personal favorites are Monsters Inc, Ice Age, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2, Lord of The Rings (the 4 disc extended versions with DTS not the 2 disc theatrical version), Star Wars Episode I and II, and any of the Columbia/Tri-Star Suberbits.
1: Does Ice Age and Monsters, Inc have compression problems. They both look very crappy on my player at various points in the film?
A: I have heard this complaint from many people. The answer: No they do not. I see nothing wrong with either movie when I watch them. Upon investigating I have found all theses people to own either a cheap player (such as a APEX) or a first generation player. Both titles have quite a bit of motion (were most of the complaints seem to come from) and run at fairly high bit rates. This can cause problem for both first generation and cheaper players. My advice to you is too spend at least $200 on a DVD player to avoid problems like this.
Laser Disc
Updated 12/1/03
6: I heard that some players look better trough the composite out then the S-video, how can this be?
A: A Laser Disc stores the video info as a composite signal like a VCR does. So depending on which comb filter is better, the one in the TV or the one in the Laser Disc, the quality of the signal could change.
5: Do I have to flip a laser disc over since each side can only hold 60 minutes?
A: In older players you had to manual flip the disc, but most newer players flip the laser lens around to read the other side. This can cause a few second pause.
4: Were can I find a laser disc player/laser disc?
A: To find a player or movie you may want to try the local dealers, CD exchange stores, eBay, or a video rental store.
3: Are Laser Disc digital?
A: For the most part no. Originally when the laser disc were released in the 70's by Philips the video and audio was analog. Digital stereo was added after the release the invention of the CD.
2: What are the specs of a Laser Disc?
A: A Laser Disc has a top resolution of 425 lines (in NTSC) and has both a 2 channel analog and 2 channel digital (16 Bit PCM) audio track. Laser Discs can also carry a DTS soundtrack in place of the PCM track or a Dolby Digital in a place of 1 of the analog channels. A CAV disc is 30 minutes/side and a CLV disc is 60 minutes/side.
1: How does a Laser Disc player compare to VHS/DVD in quality?
A: Laser Discs are as far above VHS as a CD is a cassette tape in both picture and sound. The picture quality is close to a DVD, but being an analog source the Laser Disc does have a lower resolution a suffer from noise unlike a DVD which is completely digital. Laser Discs and DVD can have a Dolby Digital or DTS soundtrack and VHS have either a mono or stereo analog soundtrack.
Receivers
Updated 12/1/03
6: I heard that high currents amps don't need to push as many watts as standard amps due to get a good volume. Is this true?
A: No. While the wattage of an amp is not the whole story there is no way to make up for a lack of it. For example a 100 watt amp will always play louder and push a bigger set of speakers then a 50 watt amp will. There is no way around this, though some manufactures will try and imply a high current 50 watt amp is just as good.
5: What is THX and do I need it?
A: THX is a set of standards invented arbitrary by George Lucas. THX was/is used to ensure "proper" reproduction of movies in the theater and at home. The problem with THX is that THX standards don't match the real standards set by NTSC, ISF, Dolby, DTS and others. While it is nice that THX has brought a larger awareness of quality among the general public it is not a correct standard.
4: Is there a discernable difference between Matrix 6.1 and Discrete 6.1.
A: In Dolby Digital the rear center is matrixed (like in Pro Logic), there is no discrete 6th channel. In DTS the rear center is a discrete channel. Yes you can tell the difference.
3: Will a Pro Logic II receiver decode a Pro Logic signal as 5.1 or does it require special encoding?
A: There is no new encoding method specifically for Pro Logic II. Only the decoding is new.
2: Can Dolby Pro Logic II really create a convincing 5.1 soundtrack from stereo?
A: In some cases, but with varying results. You will never mistake Pro Logic II for Dolby Digital or DTS.
1: When watching certain DVDs in Dolby Digital the sound drops out at times other then the layer change, what gives?
A: First check to be your digital cable is connected well and that the optical connections are free from dust. Clean the disc and the DVD laser lens as well. If that doesn't fix the problem then you may have a problem with the Dolby decoder in your receiver. According to the Dolby Digital website some receivers have trouble with the flags used for the matrixed rear center channel in Dolby Digital EX. Dolby recommends switching your DVD player to PCM or using one of the alternative sound tracks on the disc on certain Dolby Digital EX soundtracks.
Surround Sound
Updated 12/1/03
6: My Pro Logic decoding does not work with my cable TV, though it works fine with CDs, VHS tapes, and DVDs.
A: I can see one of three things that may be happening here either your cable company does not broadcast the audio in stereo, you have a poor signal, or the component your using to run the audio to the receiver does not transmit in stereo.
5: Does Pro Logic II include Pro Logic?
A: Pro Logic II is an enhanced form of Pro Logic that attempts to create 5.1 like surround form stereo sources instead of the 4 that standard Pro Logic creates. It tends to work better in some situations then others.
4: All my DVDs say Dolby Digital but there not all 5.1 what gives?
A: Dolby Digital can be anything from 1 channel mono to 5.1 channels of sound and doesn't automatically mean that you will get a 5.1. Dolby Digital refers to the way the sound is encoded.
3: I just got a new Home Theater. The movies sound great, but when listening to my old tapes from the 70's and 80's the sound only comes from the front and not the rear. Aren't these recordings quad phonic?
A: No regular tapes are not quad phonic, only special 4 channel reel to reel tapes came in quadraphonic. Most receivers have simulated surround modes for non-surround sources, but in reality they don't work that well.
2: Will adding an EQ to my tape monitor ruin my surround sound?
A: With Dolby Pro Logic it is likely to. Any EQing should be done after the decoding, not like before as it would be on a tape loop. Pro Logic is very dependent on the phase and amplitude of the frequency in the signal which an EQ will disrupt. With Dolby Digital or DTS you can't put an EQ in before the signals decoded so there is no problem.
1: What is the difference between DTS and Dolby Digital?
A: The main difference between the two is the type of signal compression used and the bit rate. Both systems use lossy compression, but DTS uses less of it. Dolby Digital uses a bit rate of 384kbps or 448kbps in a 5.1 channel application. A DTS soundtrack on a DVD typically runs at a rate of 754kbps or 1509kbps depending on the data capacity available.
Speakers
Updated 12/1/03
5: I have my sub connected to my receiver via the LFE channel output, how do I set the subs crossover.
A: You want to set your subs crossover as high as it goes or bypass it if possible. The receiver will take care of the rest.
4: I moved into a new house/apartment and now I have a bad hum in my speakers that wasn't there and won't go away no matter which cables I unplug, what gives?
A: Replace the outlet with an isolated ground outlet or at least ground the outlet itself to a water pipe or other ground if you own the home or if it's an apartment then you will need to by a very good power filter for your system and then that may even not work
3: How important are the bottom few Hz of a sub so under 40Hz?
A: They are important if you want to feel the rumble of the bass or movie soundtrack.
2: Is it okay to place my center channel speaker on top of my Rear Projection TV?
A: Yes it will be fine. Though it is best to keep your front speakers with in about a foot of each other vertically for best sound.
1: Is it okay to place my sub behind me in my listening room?
A: Yes it should be fine. Some bass is directional and you can usually get a general idea of were the sub is placed. Be sure to set your subs phase control to 180 degrees.
TV (Tube, RPTV)
Updated 12/1/03
If you looking for info on what widescreen is and why it's better then the Pan and Scan (chopped and cropped) check out this site. http://www.monroeworLaser Disc.com/dvdaspect/index.htm
8: My TV looks pretty good out of the box, but how do I know if it's calibrated to NTSC specs?
A: I can guarantee that no TV comes out of the box calibrated to NTSC specs. You will need to use a set up disc like Video Essentials or Avia to properly calibrate the display. Theses disc also contain the test tones need to calibrate your speaker levels as well.
7: I've noticed some picture and color distortion over the last few months, but only recently has it become bad enough that I'm fairly sure the culprit is magnetic interference from my front speakers, what do I do?
A: First move the front speakers at least a foot farther from the TV then they currently are. Next you will need to degauss the TV. Usually turning the TV on and off several times will case it to degauss itself. If not a local repair guy should be able to degauss it for you relatively cheaply.
6: I have a HDTV set how do I calibrate it?
A: You can use the same calibration disc that you use for standard NTSC analog sets. I recommend Video Essentials, but there are others out there. Check them out at http://www.videoessentials.com/index_1.htm
5: I have seen many 16:9 televisions in stores and when watching Sat or cable the picture looks like it was flattened. What gives, can I watch regular TV on a 16:9 set?
A: What you seeing is a stretch mode. It expansions the picture to fill the full width of the TV screen. This is the wrong way to watch 4:3 material on a 16:9 TV. All 16:9 TVs have a 4:3 setting were you will get black or grey bars at the left and right sides of the screen to maintain the aspect ratio. This is the mode the TV should be running in if watching 4:3 material.
4: Could somebody please enlighten me on the topic of Geometry problems with direct view televisions? Is this something that's inherent with flat screen models, digital models, analog models or all models? Any information on this topic would be greatly appreciated.
A: It's due to cost cutting in
materials and workmanship and effects most TV's. It is present in
most TV's to some degree, though the better the TV the less you will
see. In most TV you won't even notice it anyway.
3: How come my widescreen TV (16:9) has black bars at the top when I watch a widescreen DVD?
A: A wide screen TV is only has an aspect ratio of 1.77:1 were a wide screen move is 1.85:1 or 2.35:1. So you will still see black bars with the 2.35:1 movies, but they are smaller. With 1.85:1 movies you may see no black bars due to the over scan of the TV.
2: When using the composite out I notice a good amount of flicker on titles and menu, what gives?
A: The composite out is fairly low resolution and not all that great; this flicker is normal on larger screens. Use the S-video or component were possible.
1: Where do the black lines on the TV (4:3) come from when watching DVD's.
A: See my Widescreen Only Page for a detailed explanation.
Do you have a question that wasn't covered here? E-mail me @ gamejunky@insightbb.com