Professor.Ham.Slap
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Posts posted by Professor.Ham.Slap
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Not for nothing, but I don't really miss that center at all. I think the RC-64 is pretty much an all around superior center -- and this is coming from someone who has paired it with a set of RF-7's.
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80 in the winter and 60 in the summer because I hate mother nature.
Actually usually around 69 in the winter and 75 in the summer.
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Did anyone else notice that a lot of the amplifiers were directly in front of the speaker's path of sound? Wouldn't that negatively effect the quality of sound output? I mean, sure maybe not to the degree we'd really care about, but for someone who sank $5 million into a system....
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So... Good to see you got your info from a neutral party (just kidding)
Actually there's a lot of incorrect information in there... Lets start with the studios: Universal and Weinstein also are still HD exclusive in this mess (although granted, Weinstein hasn't done anything in forever). As far as the 3 Sony Blu-Ray standalones are concerned: the only player that took that long to spin up a disc was the original Sony BDP-S1, however the 300 and 500 models are considerably faster. Besides that, I haven't really checked into the specifics for the different models, but I have a hard time beleiving the processing engines are identical between a $399 player and a $1299 player.
I'm really not trying to be caustic with this post so don't take it as such. It's just as someone who did sell HT equipment I feel the need to keep up with current information is truly paramount, and I hate it when people mislead consumers to make a sale on a device that he wants to sell you.
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So, how long before Blu Ray prices actually come down to DVD level?? a year, two years??
And when are they going to standardize Dolby True HD and DTS Loseless audio?? I don't actually won an HDTV or a Blu Ray player quite yet, but inquiring minds want to know.....
To Current DVD prices? I'd say probably around a year. The barriers manufacturers have in front of them is better yeilds on the blue lasers and maybe finally being able to shift the laser lens from precision glass manufacturing to a plastic lens in much the same way DVD did originally. Already though, we've seen prices fall from $999 to $399. Shouldn't be too much longer.
As for DTHD and DTS, they're really already standardized as far as you (the user) needs to be concerned. Sure, the decoding is done in a different place than we're used to, but the only prerequisite is simply that your receiver has HDMI, which is a necessity regardless of whether you're passing PCM or the actual track bitstream.
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"And no errors due to somepne else being on that particular cable
line"??? A data transmission assumes no one else is on the line?"Read it again. I said assuming there are no errors (packet loss, something that happens due to many reasons such as routing loops, checksum errors, invalid routes and any other number of things that would cause an Internet frame to be discarded. In the event of this, your computer waits a defined amount of time before issuing a resend packet x message which equates to a loss of performance) OR someone else sharing your cable bandwidth (i.e. many people are on the same shared bandwidth pipe when you subscribe to cable. It's the way the technology is designed. This is where I ask you to know what you're talking about before you randomly decide to put down someone else's point, m-kay?).
Now we're back to the formats point. You're assuming just because I used a bitrate within the range of HD DVD and Blu-Ray I'm talking about pushing HD download services within those particular parameters. Nope. Bitrate is bitrate. We're already using advanced codecs that do wonderful things to preserve video quality under extreme compression such as VC-1, MPEG-4, etc. If you drop the bitrate, you drop the quality. No amount of upconverting or any other hardware from even a wonderful company such as Silicon Optics is going to change that.
It's obvious that there are a lot of people that aren't truely interested in the HD formats, but putting up SD downloads in competition with HD just doesn't work; SD downloads are in "competition" with SD DVDs and the rental chains that provide them. I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would walk out and say, "Well, I was planning on getting a BD/HDDVD player today, but now that they're offering upconverted SD downloads, I think I'll just go that route." If someone wants HD, they're going to get HD so that's a completely seperate issue. More likely, it's going to be more along the lines of "I don't really feel like driving to Hollywood Video anymore. I'll just subscribe to Netflix and download my movies from here on out."
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Mas, you're assuming that everything you just saw at CES is going to be implemented immediately (i.e. this year or probably even the next three years). I can tell straight off that we in America do not have the necessary Internet infrastructure to make something like that a reality. In order to stream those HD downloads you would need a fiber connection of at least 35-40Mbps (using HD DVD as a basis for bitrate, plus overhead for error correction and anything else that may be happening on that particular connection connection. Even the fastest FiOS option option which clocks in at $160/month misses that mark by 5Mbps
Using best case scenarios, if someone had a 6Mbps cable connection and actually had all of the bandwidth available to them (no degredation due to errors or other customers on that particular cable line), it would take someone 7.5 hours to download a 90 minute HD movie assuming a 30Mbps encoding for 1080p audio and video. Not exactly an option for the family who decides they want to watch a movie after dinner. So, uh, yeah, this is me telling you it isn't possible ATM. Now will HD media become more than a niche product? That's a whole other discussion which I don't think anyone can do anything but discuss theories.
*I used 30mbps as a benchmark because it is right around the max bitrate of HD DVD, which I feel is right around the minimum bitrate one would need for a quality transfer of a HD video with 1080p video and an advanced audio codec (Dolby TrueHD or DTS MA).
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Blu-ray may have won the
war over HD DVD. Yet in the end its likely not going to
matter with the advent of HD downloads. The only thing the battle may
have yielded is enough time for streaming HD to become a viable option.Negative. There simply isn't enough quality in current downloadable "HD" Media. For example, Xbox Live's HD bitrate is 6.8mbps, which is into the range of SD DVD which has a range of 4-8mbps. Apple's solution is even worse clocking in at 4mbps. This is all in comparison to HD DVD's max bitrate of 28mbps for 1080p, which even still is a compression of around 107:1 (uncompressed 1080p registers at 3000mbps). Heck, even high definition broadcast runs up to just over 19mbps. Those that know me know that I'm not a huge fan of Blu-Ray due to ever-changing player standards and region coding, but I'd MUCH rather pick up a Blu-Ray player than be subjected to crippled HD video and audio.
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Do you mean having discrete outputs for 5.1 sound? If so, the Toshiba HD-A1 has them but I don't know of any other player that does.
Also the Toshiba HD-XA2 and Onkyo's new player has full discrete outputs
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What I believe that means is that no one is REALLY watching true 1080P at all, because the source doesn't have it.......unless you are watching the 1080P DVDs or playing 1080P games. Can someone confirm this? Also, does anyone know if there is any TRUE technical benefit to using a 1080P TV on a 720P signal? I guess that's the real question.
Thanks for any answers.
By the way I bought a 1080P SONY late last year before I really did my homework. But I just got a 26" for our bar and I didn't go spend 5 grand or anything like that. Come to find out I use it exclusively on 720P.Nope, you will not see a difference on a 1080p TV with a 720p signal. That said, however, you will be able to see a difference with a 1080i signal on a 1080p TV vs. a 720p TV, which is what most everyone is broadcasting (virtually the only HD networks remaining that are broadcasting in 720p is ESPN and Fox, mostly due to 720p being better for fast moving images, i.e. sports). Now for a 26" TV of course it isn't worth it, even if you were going to hook a HD DVD player up to the screen due to the human eye's inability to notice such detail. That said, I do disagree with the point that most people make regarding sizes with 1080p. I can easily see the difference between 720p and 1080p on ~40 inch LCDs and plasma displays at normal differences, but then again, I have pretty good eyesight.
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I am not accociated at all with Hi Fi Buys. And by the way, I am originally from Steubenville, Ohio, just 40 miles from Pittsburgh, and my in-laws live in Champion, Pa. about 5 minutes from Seven Spings ski resort. GO STEELERS!!! It is my understanding that only plasma sets have the potential for burn- in, and even that is only a fraction of what it was with earlier models since these sets can now recover from most image retention scenarios. All other technologies such as LCD, DLP, LCos, are not affected by screen burn-in because they don't use phosphor technology. Check these links out.....Jmelet
That is not *quite* true. Actually throughout the life of an LCD panel, if an image remains static it is very possible for those cells affected by the static image to begin to shade differently than their always-changing counterpart. The idea is that the transistors inside each cell controlling the opening and closing can change their capacitance level and therefore reorient that particular cell. This is seen as a burnt in image. Granted it does take a lot (and I mean a whole lot) but if you constantly are watching SDTV in the standard 4:3 aspect ratio, there's a good portion of the screen with completely shut LCD cells. Just some food for thought.
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DO NOT BUY ANYTHING until you check out the Sony KDS 50A3000. I was in the same boat you were, looking at 46" to 50" flat panels and plasma's in the 2000.00-3000.00 range But the newer Sony A series projections, particularly the LCoS based SXRD technology, are a different breed. It is much thinner and lighter than the older projections, just 14" thick and 70 lbs., has the new craze in HDTV's, 120Hz processing motion-flow, has 1080p resolution, 3 HDMI inputs, has deep black levels with best in class primary color accuracies, and is a beautiful looking TV. When the lamp goes out in 3-6 years, you can replace the bulb yourself, and its like a new TV all over again. No lost contrast levels like flat panels or burn in screens like plasma's. I found mine BRAND NEW IN THE BOX at Hi Fi Buys in Nashville, Tenn. for an incredible low price of just 1299.00 + tax. (financed by Sony - 18 months, same as cash, no payments, no interest). Check this TV out online and then go check the picture quality out in person. I promise, you will be amazed.......JMelet
Wow, uhhh.... You're not associated with Hi Fi Buys in Nashville, TN in any way, are you? Naaaaaahhhh. One of my TVs is the 50a3000 and whilst it is a great TV, it isn't nearly as good as many well-conceived LCDs and plasmas. LCDs have legitimately high contrasts now, as well as the fact that plasmas don't really burn in at all anymore unless put through a torture test for 1+ days (which, ironically, would cause image retention in LCoS chips -- check your manual).
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And as always, there may be considerations regarding price. There is no doubt that I agree that the Pioneer Kuro line is currently putting out the best picture out of the bunch. If I did not have so much invested in my "audio stuff" (and being in the middle of kitchen remodeling), I might have given those plasmas serious consideration.
However, a 50 inch Pioneer Kuro 720p plasma can run almost twice as much as my 50 inch Panasonic. The gentleman has voiced a $2500 budget. Whether or not the additional expense is worth it vs. the increase in picture quality would be for the individual purchaser to decide.
Carl.
Actually, the Kuros can be had for about $2600 at B&M stores.
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I personally would say go for plasma. If you like sports, there is no substitution. Sure LCD technology has gotten better, but sub 1ms response time for full on/off is much better than 8ms for the comparative test (i.e. the sharp models - don't mistake this test for the published one which is between shades of grey response time). Furthermore, current plasma technologies actually have longer longevity than any competing LCD -- roughly 60000 hrs of average bulb life vs Plasmas average of an 80000 hr half brightness mark.
In terms of the 1080 vs 720 idea, it all depends on what you like. I personally would take the 50" 720p Pioneer Kuro plasma over any of the matching Sony or Panasonic 1080p offerings. The color is just that much better, but then again that's just to my eyes that color reproduction is more important. Either way, finish it off with a HD player of one format or another, and you'll be set. And as a side note on that if you didn't see, Best Buy gives you $100 off any next-gen player with a television purchase.
One final note to cviper: the reason they do not make plasmas for PC monitors is because it is rediculously expensive to make plasmas smaller than 32" in most cases. This is why you'll only ever see the average plasma being 42" and up. The burn-in issue has also been completely resolved (better than tube TVs) with image shifting techs and rapid phosphor aging technologies. -
Does anyone know off hand how long it's supposed to be until the Klipsch headphones start popping up at retail locations?
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I think I sold 6 F-2's, 2 F-3's and 3 Sub-10's... not a bad two days in my store.
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There is only one manufacturer of HD-DVD stand alone players but many for Blu-ray.
I didn't realize LG, Samsung, Onkyo, RCA and Rockford Fosgate (car system only) were all owned by Toshiba...
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The 7 free HD DVD offer was available at Best Buy (pick 2 from the shelf, 5 by mail).
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Forgive me since I have not read the whole thread but in order to take full advantage of the uncompressed sound of the Blue-Ray and HD-DVD wouldn't you have to upgrade your receiver or AV Pre/Pro as well to support it or will it work equally as well with the current decoders?
Not necessarily. If your player supports analogue 5.1 discreet outputs like the Toshiba HD-XA2, Samsung BDP-1200 etc, then you can still get all the advantages of DD+ and DD TrueHD. Also if your receiver supports HDMI audio, the player will process the bitstream and send PCM to your receiver which they all can do. Even if you had a receiver with advanced audio support, very rarely would it ever get the actual bitstream path because Advanced Authoring flags will force audio processing in the player.
*EDIT*: Also keep in mind that if you're looking to upgrade receivers, make sure you look for HDMI Audio processing as a feature somewhere because not all receivers with HDMI will accept HDMI audio.
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First of all, let me preface this post by saying I have the Xbox 360 version connected via optical. The audio in this game is beyond phenomenal. I upped my sub a bit to get that "concert experience" type sound and it is nothing short of incredible. The RF-7's sing, my sub has a bunch of punch to it and is it ever fun this time around. This one is definitely a keeper. Back to the game.
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Actually, any disc carrying the DTS-MA or Dolby TrueHD sound formats are completely lossless. There is no sound quality difference between either format and UPCM.
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The signal coming out of your Denon will be of high definition resolution, but of course it will not look anything like high definition on your TV. Essentially it's a means of consolidating the connections to your TV. In my case, I use my Yamaha 6090 to condense all of my different connections into one HDMI cable so there's less clutter. But as far as signal improvement, there isn't much to be had.
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I wouldn't say night and day. I only have a few TrueHD dvds and compared the DDEX tracks. They are EQd different, but the up is not a Chevy/BMW difference. Plus DDEX is 7.1 matrixed and TrueHD is only 5.1
Yes, perhaps night and day is a bit too much. Let me put it this way, I definitely hear a considerable amount more detail in the TrueHD tracks as compared to DD. I just think it is well worth it because any little extra I can squeeze out of my RF-7's, well, I just really enjoy [
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I hate getting into Internet arguments, but this one is just so full of faux information it hurts....
Right - because reps never make false promises or hopes in order to
drum up hype, media hype, or to help drive sales of other products
within the manufacturer's line. I work in manufacturing - I know the
game. I don't consider "holiday sale pricing" to represent actual
pricing - ie - after the holidays. MSRP on the deck right now is 1200,
and there is currently a 200 mfg rebate. With how close we are to the
holidays already (read: xmas decorations are already on the shelves,
and toy departments have already been laid out for the xmas push) - I
can't imagine we will see another significant price drop before xmas.
If we do - it will be in lieu of the rebate, and the final price will
be at least 900. Historically - these are the trends with fresh
electronics for the holidays.
Actually if you look its current street price is no higher than $999. No mail-in rebates. It was on sale for $799 a few weeks ago. Please don't drop inappropriate information. Plus, this isn't just coming from reps, it has come down the pipes of the retailer I work for themselves. So yes, look for a $799 combo player in the next few months, unless you have some concrete evidence to the latter. Furthermore, there are already pictures of the Samsung player, it has been demoed and full specifications announced. They aren't going to pull the plug on this one.
That depends on the thickness of your wallet, and how much you spent on
your display and surround system. The mere fact that you are even in a
Klipsch forum puts you in the minority right off the bat as a genuine
audiophile. Considering your average "hdtv consumer" spends barely over
a grand on a display, and at most another grand on an ENTIRE surround
system (thanks to sony and onkyo "theatre in a box type systems) - that
is where the majority of the sales for anything hd/br would come from.
As the pricepoint is too high - it just isn't going to happen.
That is exactly what I myself do not understand. There are so many people here who have such a negative feeling towards the high def formats on a high-end audio forum. My wallet is not fat by any means, and I have sacrificed some things as a college student to get the system that I currently own. But would I go backwards on any of it? No. Because I hear the difference between sources and equally see the difference between having a machine that "guesses" what should go in 75% of the pixels of 1080p vs a player that reads all 1080 lines of information straight off the disc and posts it on the display with audio quality that really makes our multi-thousand dollar investments sing beyond what was previously offered. $230 shipped for the HD-A2 from Amazon with 5 free HD DVDs priced too high? Surely you jest. As one final notation, my customers generally average on a display that costs at least $1700, and I work in a Best Buy, not a Tweeter or a boutique. Sure you have those that go to Wal-Mart, and certainly the HD market really isn't for them, but anyone who can appreciate a Panasonic or Pioneer plasma will certainly see ALL the benefits.
I don't buy that for a second. Look at how quickly prices dropped on
DVD decks... and it was a completely fresh & new technology vs. VHS
in the consumer's eyes. Your average consumer doesn't see HD/BR as "new
technology" - they see it as "improved upon existing" technology -
which is also why they spend the money on the display (LCD is "new"
technology vs. tubes), and not on a "fancier dvd player".
You
really gotta look at the whole market through the consumer's eyes, and
not so much the manufacturer's or their reps. HD displays didn't become
truly mainstream until last holiday season when the prices finally fell
from above the 2 grand mark for a mediocre display, and then settled in
to pretty much static pricing with the push prior to the superbowl and
then the shift in the market from plasma to LCD.
That is completely wrong as well. The cost of DVD players didn't drop nearly as fast as the HD players are right now. On their launch in March of 1997 the average cost of all DVD player models was $735 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. After over a year and a half (December of 2008) of being on the market, the average retail price was about $470 representing an approximately 36% price drop. Here we are a little before that mark with the HD DVD format has fallen from $499 to $230 which represents a price drop of approximately 53%. One seems to be falling faster than the other, no? And I do look at it from the eyes of a consumer, as I myself am a consumer of the HD formats. As of right now, I own the Toshiba HD-A20 and the Playstation 3 so I adopt into both formats. I see the benefits of this HD war whilst others just look at the negatives. Sure it hasn't gone off without a hitch, but that doesn't mean it's some evil process which should be shunned from the world. Try not to be so negative towards it without actually sitting down and taking advantage of a 30 day return period from CC or BB. There is only the slimmest of chances you would go back to DVD if you actually tried it with an open mind.
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Audioholics article about stupid questions
in Home Theater
Posted
Actually, I'd bet a lot of them do. When I used to work for Best Buy, I'd get a lot of people pretty much flat out ask "I don't like how these speakers sound. Show me the $100 awesome speaker setups." to which they would get a very blank stare.