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Ron -- In mentioning other movies by Mike Leigh, you didn't list a much more upbeat film -- Topsy Turvy, which was about Gilbert and Sullivan. It was a very colorful film, filled with G&S music and magnificent costumes. It showed Mike Leigh's capability of directing a very different kind of...

Thanks, David. Alan

bump...

Jack -- I wasn't in the house when it happened, but it had all the earmarks of a brief power outage (a power company issue -- so it was a whole house outage). As far as my usage, it's generally one movie in a given evening (and on rare occasions I might watch two or three movies). But I keep the...

Since a power blip yesterday, my Sony DVP 7700 DVD player seems to have lost its ability to read any disc. I used to have a formula for getting into the maintenance menu of a 7000 and re-aligning the system, but it doesn't work for my 7700. Does anyone know how to get into this menu using the...

Try www.orbitsat.com. I bought the Hughes unit for under $200, but I didn't need installation. I think I also saw something from J&R Music World (not sure of the www, but it may be www.jandr.com). Alan

I get a number of DTV stations over-the-air, including Fox Channel 2, KRON, KPIX, KGO, the San Jose Channel 11, and KQED. All are digital, but HD is broadcast on ABC and CBS heavily (all prime-time dramas/comedies and some sports), NBC (Crossing Jordan and The Tonight Show as of now) and KQED...

I have this unit as well and use it for Direct TV and OTA digital reception. It has worked flawlessly since I put it in about two months ago. I do not have much noise from it, but I have it on an equipment rack with a glass door in front. The fan I use in the equipment rack is louder than the...

Try the www.ilovehdtv.com site where you can sign up for a daily schedule via email of hdtv programming. Also, check into the avs forum on hdtv programming. It's a robust and in-depth discussion of hd issues. CBS.com has daily schedules of HD programming as well. In general terms, hd is...

Sony HD-100 Satellite Box, elliptical DTV antenna, small footprint OTA antenna (sorry, forgot the brand and tossed the box, but it looks like one of those old UHF antenna). Neighbors haven't even noticed all the new stuff on my roof yet. I get Channel 11's digital signal so I'll be okay when...

You might try reading the AVS Forum for their HDTV discussion on HD tuners. I'm using the Sony, which has been excellent. It apparently had some problems in the past, but I'm not experiencing any with this new unit. It receives both DirectTV and OTA (I think they all do). Others are made by...

There's no Showtime HD on HBO. Dish carries Showtime, but not HBO. HBO is a premium channel, but basic service is required to get it. HDNet is also part of basic service, so you'll want that as well. Local stations, if you choose to get them via Direct TV, are not HD. Hope that helps.

They don't call us early adopters for nothing. We're ahead of the curve, and we're willing to put up with the glitches and the limited content to help push the envelope. CR is very conservative about products -- especially electronics.

KRON comes in on digital channel 4.1. I get it from the same direction as the other channels I receive -- ABC, CBS, Fox, UPN, WB, PBS. My antenna is pointed toward San Francisco. I'm in Los Gatos. Alan

I am nearly at the foot of the Santa Cruz mountains and get excellent reception of a range of stations with a small footprint outside antenna. I get the three major networks, Fox, UPN, WB, and PBS with strong signals -- and the transmitters are all toward San Francisco. My installer was amazed...

Agree about the make-up issue, and imagine how bad those local news sets will look in HD. Last night was in initial hockey game on HDNet, which I watched until CSI came on. CSI has to be one of the best looking shows on TV. Those night shots of the Las Vegas strip are astounding in HD. What...

There's no extra charge for Ch 199, where HD Net resides. HBO is Direct TV's other high def channel and it is a premium. I get local HD via an outside antenna. In some areas, Dish provides CBS HD via the satellite. Local channels on Direct TV are not the digital transmission. Alan

HDNet is incredible. They've been running baseball and a few specials so far. The best hi-def on television so far. The owner, who also owns the Dallas Mavericks, is a devoted HD fan, and some of his staff chats on AVS Forum. You should try to see an HDNet broadcast if possible. It's HD the...

The new TV season plus the introduction of HDNet has significantly increased HD content. HDNet on DirectTV will show its first hockey game tomorrow evening. ABC and CBS are both showing their dramas and comedies in HD. CBS runs one HD college football game weekly. There's an HBO HD channel...

I have Direct TV and watch HBO HD. Although the OAR is not precise, they do not squeeze the image into a 4:3 pattern, but stick with a 16:9 ratio for films. The quality varies. Some HD films, such as What Lies Beneath, seem better than others. I was disappointed in X-Men. I've been...

Kevin -- Just meant it as a joke. But a group hug with Joel and Ethan might be fun. Alan

Somebody needs a hug.

Okay, guys, someone simply has to make a case for DirectTV as an alternative to Dish. I am not claiming objectivity because I do not have Dish, but I can tell you that thus far my new DirectTV with hi-def capability has been stunning, and the most stunning part is HDNet on channel 199. I...

Just wanted to make sure that people had seen this notice despite the holiday weekend.

I'm also new to both satellites and HD. I have Direct TV, and am receiving a beutiful HD signal for the HBO channel. I've also put in an outside antenna for OTA. One of the advantages of Direct TV is the single antenna with two pickups that can see both their birds at once. The obvious...

I had no idea that the Meridian's were that expensive ($45K per pair). Of course, the pair includes a powerful, high quality amplifier inside each unit, so that brings the price down to simply outrageous vs. obscene. But they did sound good. I suppose they'll remain my dream speakers as...

I put an item up for sale on the hardware fs section of the board, and have now offered 10 percent to the HTF. That seems like a good and relatively painless way to provide donations to the Forum. Since the item is expensive (it's a Faroudja scaler), it will result in a substantial gift if it...

I've decided to give 10 percent ($350) of this item to the Home Theater Forum's campaign for a new server. If you purchase this item, you will know that you're contributing to the improvement of the Forum! Alan

Some 20 months ago I went to CES and heard speakers that were the best I had personally ever experienced -- the Meridian 8000 series. I remain very impressed with them, and I do not own them (or any other Meridian gear), so I still claim some personal objectivity on these speakers. They are...

This is an outstanding scaler for 7" or 8" CRTs. It retails for $8,000, and I will sell it for $3500 plus shipping. It is in outstanding condition, and has been fully checked out (at my expense) by Faroudja/Vidikron. This unit is branded the Vidikron 2500, and also has a Faroudja brand on it...