Buckeye_Nut

The only thing that matters is media sales $$$$$$, and to achieve those numbers.......you need significant day/date fresh new releases exiting from the theaters for home consumption. ..........and the first full week after the WB anouncement those sales numbers were 85% BD: 15% HD. Will they remain at that level?? Highly doubtful, but it's not going to get any better in 2008 once WB officially dumps HD-DVD in May. With sales ## this lopsided, it's only a matter of time before the remaining two studios dump their HD-DVD support for financial reasons. The total ## of available titles means absolutely nothing......... the only titles that matter are those that sell!! As it stands now, HD-DVD's aren't selling.

There is a 73" 1080p Mitsu that can be had for only $2500!! A funny true story..... While I was out of state visiting family for Christmas, my dad, brother-in-law and I went out to look at BD players for my BIL. Of course, we window-shopped TV's in the process. They had two 73" Mitsu's. One was $3000 and the other was $3500. I was rightfully drooling over both of them when the salesman walked over, and I asked what the difference was between the two. (one had 3-HDMI inputs, the other had 4) I commented that a competitor was selling the same TV for $2700. I wasn't even acting like a buyer, but rather just telling the guy I had seen it cheaper elsewhere. (which was true) The guy disappears for awhile, then returns and offers to sell the TV for me 'today' for $2500..........and I wasn't even trying to haggle!! If I was in the market for a TV, I would have snatched that one up in a split second.

His point is a completely different topic. You must not have read the post[]

You said it all right here........... "I have viewed any number of movies on both standard DVD's and on Comcast cables's so-called HDTV". You're assumption is correct.. Cable/Sat HD and BD/HD disc sources are apples and oranges.(two completely different things) Don't mistake an inferior cable source with the real thing. Cable HDTV is not full bandwidth HD, and it can only be considered 'near-HD' at best. The inferior source carries much, but not all, of the blame. As you stated.....many programs seem to be softened intentionally, and many more are stretched/cropped, not to mention the signal isn't full bandwidth. The only current way to experience full bandwidth HD is via BD/HD discs, and yes......the difference is dramatic and obvious compared to a cable/sat near-HD source . To take it one step further, stooping even lower to an upscaled 480p source is like watching movies through a thick unfocused fog comared to a full BD/HD source. Your logic doesn't seem to make much sense. Why would you question BD/HD picture quality based on your dissatisfaction with cable TV? How is one related to the other?

Yep..... With a sales ratio's that lopsided, it will only be a matter of time before HD-DVD is dead. We have reached the point of no return, and HD-DVD is a fish out of water. I had a dream last night that I returned my Toshiba to BB for a refund, and they encouraged me keep the player after refunding my money. LOL

With a 8-10 seating distance, you could easily go much bigger. IE....a 73" wouldn't be too big. It boils down to your budget more than anything else. Also.....do you want a TV in your living room, or a home theater? If you want a theater experience, you'll need to go much larger than 42".

I've got that movie in my Netflix queue, might have to move it up a bit. ------------------ Can you tell me the name of that movie? Several of the actors are familiar to me, but I couldn't think of the movie title.

Yikes!! That Denon is $2K and I saw no mention of DTS-HD and DD-true HD audio decoding!!

The DVD forum rules are clear, you cannot uponvert higher than 1080p unless it is a connection that supports HDCP. Because of this most TVs component inputs do not accept above 480p even though there is no technical reason why they could not. I have an older mits RPTV upstairs, I use DVI in to get my 1080i cable chanels. --------------------------------------- HDTVs.......WILL....in fact display HD sources via component. The reason you can't upconvert std-DVD's via component is tied to anti-piracy coding imbedded on the discs. In fact, 2 of my HD sources are connected by component cable. (one of my high definition disc players, and my HD-DVR) My Blu-ray player is the only one that gets a HDMI input. And yes, they all three display in High Definition equally well. The HD-upconversion of std-DVds is a misnomer anyway because the source is still the same lousy low-def source. The only difference is that it's processed a little better to provide a slightly smoother presentation. (no detail is added) Upscaling players are nothing more than a slight improvement to progressive scanning.

"I have an older Mits RPTV with no hdmi. I am using component only, so highest resolution for me is 1080i ..." O.K., I'm confused. Everything I've seen out there and read about doesn't upconvert unless you use HDMI. --------------------------------------- Neither BR or HD players (and most std-DVD upconverting players for that matter) will upconvert std-dvds using the component output. However, both BR and HD players will play High Definition titles in 1080i & 720p via component output.

Whether your TV is 720p, 1080i, or 1080p doesn't matter because you configure the player to your TV fomat during the setup process. My display is also 1080i, and you'd be amazed at how much better the picture quality is compared to HDTV signals. ...... upscaled std-DVDs will suddenly look terrible. Now that BR/HD player prices have dropped into the same price range as upscaling std-DVD players, anyone would be silly NOT to buy one if you're in the market for a new player. (especially considering how often most people upgrade DVD players anyway) Even if you don't want to buy the discs, you can always rent them for the same price as a lousy std-dvd!!

LOL.... I see it. It looks like a ghostly witch.[:|]

You want to teach a course based on that?[*-)] What kind of course? ......a college course? I sure hope the school is private!! I wouldn't be happy about Tax payer education dollars being spent on that type of course.

Yep This was a good one.

I own both BR and HD-DVD players and as cheap as players are today, it's not that big of a purchase decision. HD-DVD players are now on sale for under $200, and BR players can be owned for under $300!! Some lousy LOW-DEF upscaling players cost that much!! Low-DEF upscaling players are now obsolete because both BR/HD players upscale Low-def DVDs anyway. Why would anyone today buy an upscaling player when the prices for HD/BR have fallen so far? If I had to choose only one, it would be BR. The BR disc "New Release" selection is greater and many manufacturers are now building BR players. (compared to only Toshiba for HD-DVD) Most reports predict BR will eventually win the format war for many reasons, but that will take time. In the mean time..... (since both have become so cheap).......buying either/or both isn't something you will regret. By the time this format war is settled, you will have more than gotten your moneys worth out of both players. In fact, you will have probably upgraded both of them several times during that process!! LOL Once you experience first hand how bad 480p looks compared to HD/BR in your own home, you'll have all the confirmation you need for making a HD/BR purchase decision.

Ok, this is coming from a guy who is NOT part of the whole "transformer generation". I had absolutely no transformer toys as a kid...LOL (after my time) Anyway, I'll have to admit.... I absolutely loved this movie. The plot was action packed/ fast paced, and it held my interest from the beginning, through the middle....to the final climax. The visuals and effects were eye candy from beginning to end..... and that sound!!!! WOW..... what an amazing soundtrack!! I listened to the entire movie at reference levels.......WOW.......utterly amazing sound!! This is one of those movies that hits you hard well below 20hz from beginning to end I loved that yellow camaro!! Loved the car chase scenes, the fight scenes, the hot babe....you name it. The transformers voices were so deep.....you could feel them deep inside your loins every time they spoke In typical "Michael Bay" fashion....this movie was waaay over the top in every sense of the word. Loved it....... 5 stars.

My 2 cents.... I a little disappointed. THE BAD: I've read the reviews and I have to admit, I agree with them. I felt there were way too many things/subplots going on and the result was a bit of a jumbled up mess. The movie was all over the place..... THE GOOD: It's Disneys Pirates of the Caribbean!! Great cast, great cinematography, great audio, over the top effects, and your senses are stimulated from beginning to end. Even though the movie had a lot going on and it was all over the place.....the individual pieces were amazing/hilarious/spectacular....and a lot of fun to watch. Even though this movie was a bit "too busy" for my taste, it's still excellent family entertainment. 3 1/2 stars

Oh geesh.... I've seen a ton of movies and wouldn't know where to start.[:$] I watch everything from the big budget popcorn movies to the little known indy's. For the sake of this thread, I'll give my brief 2cents on a few big and small that I really, really liked. The biggies: Bourne Ultimatum=Absolutely superb 5 stars (maybe my all time favorite of the secret agent/spy genre) Transformers= From a guy who grew up before the transformer era, I loved it= 5 stars The bunch including Spidey, Potter, Pirates are two notches lower. Liked 'em, but nowhere near 5 stars. Wild Hogs= My wife and I laughed out butts off Oceans 13= A huge surprise because I had VERY low expectations, but I loved it. The Lesser Knowns: Rescue Dawn=Outstanding Bale performance, outstanding movie Mr. Brooks= I agree with the above. Possibly the best Costner movie in 10+ years 1408= loved it The Lookout= A most excellent small budget film most have probably never heard of

I'd keep the RC-62. It's a better speaker than the Synergy alternative.....and they are still very similar as far as timber goes. don't sweat it.... you did good. Replacing it would be a downgrade and a step in the wrong direction. my 2 cents

If you have a budget of $2500, why would you settle for something as little as a 50-52"?? Is your room very small? Why not something bigger?? In todays market.........you can get a 73" 1080p DLP for only $3,000!! A 65" can be owned for only $2,000!! My 2 cents....skip the little stuff and buy something big.

The proper positioning for the surrounds is at the sides. (roughly even with your primary seating position) The only reason you'd have speakers in the back is if you're running a 7.1 system.

Well.... If you're just using the AV receiver for it's 5.1 processing/decoding abilities, there are many adequate choices well below your $750 budget. I hate to admit it, but just about any receiver with the TXH stamp of approval will most likely be more than adequate for those processing needs. As for a subwoofer for movies?? It really depends on how much you can budget. My suggestion is that you should buy the most capable subwoofer possible within your budget because a better/more capable subwoofer will outperform a lesser subwoofer at any volume, and in any room size. The only reason I say that is because all too often I see the advice: "If your room is only X big, you only need X amount of subwoofer.", and I think that is bad advice. In the <$2,000 subwoofer market, SVS is my choice. The PB12 Plus/2 & Ultra13 come immediately to mind, but the best choice really depends on what you're willing to budget. You'll be hard pressed to find another sub at a given price range that can go equally as deep, or do it in such a clean & effortless manner. If you need something smaller & lighter, HSU also makes excellent quality built subwoofers, but their smaller size also limits their capability. If money is less of an object........ I'd want a JL Audio Gotham!! However, a Gotham isn't just for anybody due to their $11,000 price tag and their large large 360lb enclosure[H] At it relates to subwoofers, Bigger & heavier, often truly does equate to better.

What receiver do you have now? If you already have a decent receiver, adding extra power will make a subtle improvement, but nothing significant. Personally, I think you may be barking up the wrong tree as you seek improvements. Have you ever considered improving the room itself? The room plays an extremely vital role in sound reproduction, and I think you'd be better served if you addressed the room acoustics. There is a major difference between a treated soundroom vs untreated, and you'd be amazed at how much better your Ultra THXII system can really perform in the correct environment. I suggest you budget the $750 towards a room upgrade, and you'll truly be amazed.

Hahaha, I only wish that was my M1. If they ever make "Fast & Furious 4", I think they found their car.[]

For movie purposes.......that's an absolute yes! You most certainly do need a subwoofer because in many newer movies, a vast quantity of effects/sounds far below 30hz is becoming the norm, and without a sub, you'll be completely missing a significant portion of the movie soundtrack. My 2 cents..... pretty darn incredible!!