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  1. ChrisWiggles

    Ideas for blacking out windows?

    Blackout cloth. It's exactly for this purpose, and if you line your curtains with it, it will block all the light, hence the name.
  2. ChrisWiggles

    HDTV over antenna - questions

    I have that antenna from radio shack. Worked great while it worked, which it no longer does.
  3. ChrisWiggles

    HDMI vs. Component Video w/optical Cables

    If the player has onboard decoding, yes. But you would need to run 8 analog cables for that. You couldn't get that with SPDIF, which is what the OP asked about.
  4. ChrisWiggles

    HDMI vs. Component Video w/optical Cables

    Not for these formats no. However, for HD-DVD/BRD, yes there most certainly would be a difference, since it requires HDCP for video, which analog does not provide at all. And HDMI is required for high-res audio from those formats.
  5. ChrisWiggles

    Explanation of "vertical banding" on TV screen?

    Vertical banding is usually used to describe specifically the vertical banding issues on LCD displays. It's caused by a difficulty in controlling the vertically controlled arrays of LCD pixels and keeping them all at the same voltages, etc. IT will vary from display to display, and is usually...
  6. ChrisWiggles

    Slight Scratches on DVDs/CDS

    DVD/CD have error correction and can usually handle small scratches etc on the disc. If it skips, freezes, or otherwise glitches at that location, then consider disc replacement if it's worth it to you.
  7. ChrisWiggles

    DVD Players and Calibration Disks

    If you're calibrating SD signals, an SD calibration disc is the appropriate tool to use. If you have HD sources as well, then HD test patterns are used for the HD playback chain.
  8. ChrisWiggles

    DVD Players and Calibration Disks

    1) An upscaling DVD player is simply upscaling the video. It cannot create detail that is not present in the source. Moreover, if you have an HD display, it is already scaling everything to its native resolution. Adding an external video processor or an upscaling DVD player would only...
  9. ChrisWiggles

    Conecting Bose 901's to Onkyo SR800

    It's not a thread crap, it's serious advice. IT would be worth it to purchase an external amplifier if the value provided overall in terms of sound quality justified such an expensive purchase. It will cost, at minimum, a couple hundred bucks likely for a decent amp. Such an outlay is not...
  10. ChrisWiggles

    Conecting Bose 901's to Onkyo SR800

    Unless you can do the tape-loop solution, I would ditch them and buy real speakers. The cost of buying an external amplifier simply to power these absolutely horrid speakers is a poor economic choice.
  11. ChrisWiggles

    Calibration?

    It's more than possible. That's what the vast majority of consumers do. Unfortunately, it leaves you with a hideous, nonstandard, inaccurate, and ultimately (in my opinion) very unpleasant and unwatchable image experience. TVs are not sold for accuracy, but to impress inexperienced viewers who...
  12. ChrisWiggles

    upconverting, why?

    That is a distinct question from upscaling players. If you're going digital out to the display, presumably it stays in digital to the display. Depending on the type of display, it may stay digital the entire way (as in DLP).
  13. ChrisWiggles

    Quality Speakers for the money??????

    The need for the panamax is questionable. The components look plenty fine, though what other options are you considering? Did you audition speakers and settle on the B&Ws, or did the salesman just suggest those to you. I think B&W makes fine speakers, however I have also in my listening...
  14. ChrisWiggles

    Second subwoofer cable length question.

    Not necessarily more expensive, but better. Analog sub cable runs are by FAR the least critical cables in the system. Your only real concern is just that it's well shielded. Any decent coax will work fine for that. If for whatever reason you want 100% overkill peace of mind, you can always go...
  15. ChrisWiggles

    What causes pixaliation on an HD set???

    Source most likely, as allan said.
  16. ChrisWiggles

    Made in Mexico??

    TV's are made in various places, whether you buy online or B&M doesn't change that.
  17. ChrisWiggles

    Is "native" resolution ALWAYS the best way to go?

    I agree completely. You can test for yourself and see what differences, if any, are visible, especially using some resolution plates, etc. It can depend on what processing is in the system, so it could go either way.
  18. ChrisWiggles

    12 gauge or 16 gauge?

    At that distance either should be fine. I usually just recommend 12 guage everywhere because it will suffice for any conceivable reasonable length, and you can just get a giant spool of it for cheap and run it everywhere. The added cost over say 16 gauge is not overly significant. But for that...
  19. ChrisWiggles

    Monster Cable, Is It Worth It?

    In addition to what everyone here has already state, with which I concur completely, remember that HDMI cables will either work for the distance and resolution in question, or they won't. There's no performance difference to be had. Either you get the whole image 100%, or it's very obvious that...
  20. ChrisWiggles

    DVD Line

    Do you have a picture, I don't have a good idea of what it is you're seeing.
  21. ChrisWiggles

    S-Video Vs Composite?

    Thanks for the pics, and you can definitely see the added chroma ring especially in the G/Magenta transition with S-video and composite. That's actually more ring there with s-video than I would expect, and greater loss of chroma detail in the frequency patches at the bottom, but that's about right.
  22. ChrisWiggles

    S-Video Vs Composite?

    Remember also that composite video quality is also heavily impacted by the comb filter in the display device. While I do not disagree that 2-video is closer in quality to native component with SD sources like DVD than composite video, component video provides the additional extremely...
  23. ChrisWiggles

    Best small "full range" speakers?

    Again, how small is small, and what is your budget?
  24. ChrisWiggles

    My wife bought a Mits WS-55311; bulb or gun?

    Yup. In addition to what's been suggested above, get in the set and clean the lenses and the mirror, it may have been in a very dusty environment and in any case it's extremely unlikely it was ever cleaned, and that actually can cut down on the light output significantly. But probably not...
  25. ChrisWiggles

    Audience screening track on upcoming planet terror dvd ???

    That would be my guess.
  26. ChrisWiggles

    Michael Bay preparing a re-make of THE BIRDS...!

    I'm horrified by Michael Bay making ANY movie.
  27. ChrisWiggles

    Can Compenent cables and composite cables be used interchangeably?

    What he is getting at is that most A/V cable bundles use the same cables for all three runs, and obviously since one needs to be video-appropriate 75ohm coax, the other two are likely to be the same. However, it is possible that they are different and not 75ohm cabling and thus not appropriate...
  28. ChrisWiggles

    *** Official IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH Review Thread

    I saw this one yesterday, and to be honest I had somewhat ambivalent expectations because of Haggis. I am not a fan of his screenwriting, I always feel is really overdoes things and sensationalizes unecessarily, treating the audience as if they need to be beat over the head with things...
  29. ChrisWiggles

    which free standing loud speaker?

    What have you listened to and what have you liked? You should audition the speakers in question and see what fits your listening preferences. That's not something anyone else can really do for you...
  30. ChrisWiggles

    Computer Speaker Recommendations

    Swans M200s. End of discussion.
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