Search results

I won't be ready to pull the trigger on a 40" LCD for my bedroom until early next year, but I've got the itch at least to start researching. What are the main differences between the Sony V2500, XBR2 and XBR3? Is it really worth the $ to step up from one to the other? Perhaps the answer is yes...

Peter, I live in Orange County, and for $60 (installed) Dishmaster hooked up a Winegard rooftop antenna (PR-7010). Both my VHF and UHF signals come in just fine. I might get a UHF/VHF amplifier anyway, just 'cause I like gadgets, and then I'll probably cancel my $6/month for locals off the...

Thanks, Eric, for the excellent explanation. -David

Does "HD" mean both 720p and 1080i? Where does 480i and 480p fit in? Are SD broadcasts 480i on satellite and less than 480i on cable and OTA antennas? Is one difference between 480i and 480p that 480p is in widescreen (e.g., the Superbowl and the show ER)? If I get better clarity on my...

I live in Orange County, CA, and got DirecTV and a $60 Winegard antenna installed. I signed up for $6/month for locals over the dish, but unless this turns out to be more convenient for recording stuff I'll cancel. My OTA signal actually looks better than off the satellite (even last night...

Eric, Thanks for sharing your bad experience with diplexing. Dishmaster probably just wants to save money by not having to supply a lot of cable or drill through walls. However, I believe they can run cable along the trim and gutters of my house, plus walls can be drilled in the bottom...

Dishmaster is installing a DirecTV system for me Saturday. I'm getting a 3-room, 2 receiver install (3rd will be imaged off one of the receivers). One of the receivers will be a Zenith DTV1080 which will arrive soon. The other will be a Hughes Exec Director Pack from Dishmaster. They are...

Any indication when this new dish will be available?

I had the same question with regard to the 24" oval dishes. One store/installer said there are different choices and the quality depends on the switches on the back and the amps (?). He mentioned Winegard, Channel Master, Direct, and Sony. This guy's "best" oval dish was $245. Another dealer...

Thanks again, Scott and Dmitry, for your replies. Scott, it sounds like you have quite the little network going on in your house. I'm going to check out Dmitry's links and make a couple of calls instead of just rushing out to Radio Shack and buying whatever they have. I'm also going to split...

Thanks for the details on the setup, Scott. It sounds like I'll want to route my OTA antenna only to my downstairs (HT) HD/Sat receiver (I've given a huge hint to my wife that I'd like the Zenith DTV1080 for my 40th b-day in a couple of weeks). I should just assume that I'll want to pay the...

Thanks for the link to the Telecommunications Act of 1996. When I called my HOA, they said I couldn't put an OTA antenna on the roof of my single family home. When I mentioned the above Act, they quickly changed their tune. Also, I appreciate the clarification that the HD signal is "you...

I'm going to order DirecTV soon and I'm also looking into putting up a rooftop antenna to get local channels in HD (when available) in my "HT room." I'll also have the satellite hooked up to two other standard TVs. We will need to record SD local channels. Won't we need to pay the $6 for...

Dmitry, Thanks for the reply. I would have thought the local channels would be in the VHF range, but maybe HDTV is different. I'll have to check our HOA regulations. I know they can't stop me from getting a small satellite dish, but I'm not sure if I'm also protected against regulations...

I'm going to get DirecTV, and I need to get an OTA antenna to get my local channels in HDTV. It has to go in my attic (homeowners rules against being on the roof). I'd also like to get something that can pickup FM, since my reception for that is very poor. Radio Shack sells a model 15-2152...

The Fanfare FM-2G looks pretty good. If I want to put an antenna in my attic instead of hiding it in the TV room, I wonder if a Radio Shack "outdoor" antenna would be a better way to go (better performance and cheaper??).

I don't listen to the radio on my Onkyo 989 too often, especially because only a few stations have decent reception. I use a Parsec LS-4 powered indoor antenna, which I've had for many years, but it's not good enough. My J&R catalog shows several Terk powered antennas. Should I shell out...

Wayne, How can the CATV service cause a problem? I've heard this before, but I don't recall what the answer or solution is. I wonder if getting DirecTV (which I'm doing in Jan.) will fix the ground loop problem. Definitely sounds like I shouldn't pursue messing around with ground rods... -David

Will ground rods help improve AC power line conditioning and possibly eliminate a subwoofer grond loop? I've been told that most people's homes are not grounded very well. How is a receptacle's ground connected to the ground rod (through a wire from the service box?)?

Thanks very much for the advice!

This might be a stupid question, but how to I run the wire from behind the various walls in my house? I have an attic I can crawl around in, but will this usually give me full access? I would think the various studs and limited vision behind dry wall will be a major obstacle. There must be...

I've read some posts that recommended having your HT equipment on a dedicated circuit(s). My house (built 1979, if that means anything) has both light switches and receptacles on the two 15A circuits I use for my TV/sub (one wall) and other audio equipment (different wall, different circuit)...

Todd, Did you ever fix your problem? The cheater plug didn't work for me, and also unplugging my TV and receiver didn't work. I tried plugging my subwoofer into different outlets (circuits) in my house, too. I actually brought my sub back to Hsu Research (Dr. Hsu thought my amp was bad), but...

Bob seems to have a good suggestion. I installed the Monster Video3 8m component cable under the border of some flooring I put in a year ago, then when I got my new TV this month, I hooked it up for the first time and it didn't work! I ordered the 8m Silver Serpent component cable from...

I think I'll go to Home Depot first and ask a few questions like you suggest. I took out the dimmer and checked the ground connections in all my light switches to verify everything was tightly connected. I'm still not properly grounded... Thanks for the info on the different types of dimmers.

By the way, my light switch might qualify as being in parallel rather than series since I added it to a receptacle (one receptacle then had 2 black/white/ground wires). Last night I removed that receptacle (it was behind a wall unit anyway) and tied the black/white/ground wires together that...

Hmmmm...I could be the culprit. The receptacle is under my stairs. 8 yrs ago I knocked out a wall under my stairs to build a little wine cellar and I installed some track lighting. I tied into the wiring from one of the other receptacles (no loose ground wires where wires tied together) and...

The TV coax cable did not affect the hum. However, when I changed the switch on my Hsu VTF-2 subwoofer from 25 Hz "Maximum Extension" mode to 32 Hz "Maximum Output" mode, the hum went away. I notice that my Monster Cable power strip shows my Ground is not O.K.; I hooked the power strip to...

I didn't like the 4802's remote, and also the fact that it's not upgradable. I decided to spend a bit more money and buy the Onkyo 989. It's THX Ultra certified, has DPLII, and is upgradable. Plus you can operate the remote with only one hand (imagine that). The extra money you spend now...

Thanks for the advice, Sam. I'll try it tonight. I called Dr. Hsu (Hsu Research), and since I live in Orange County he told me to bring the subwoofer in in case the amplifier was bad. He didn't think the subwoofer should hum if it is plugged into the wall without any audio signal going into...