As you can see, this week I just gave up looking for something with the number 36. The best I found was a French movie called '36 Quai des Orfèvres', and that just seemed far too obscure.

So, have at it. Spit out some suggestions for my next several column titles. I'm especially stuck on #s 38, 41, 43, 44, and pretty much anything over 50. What have you got?

Winning entries will receive the smug satisfaction of knowing that you are more clever than the HD Advisor. Really, that's pretty invaluable, isn't it?

Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

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HD Advisor 35 Up

Answers by Joshua Zyber

Restoring Older Movies

Q: I recently bought the Blu-ray for one of my favorite monster movies, 'Gojira'. I'd seen the original Japanese version on DVD and really loved it, so I was excited when I saw the movie at Best Buy for $12.99 and I snatched it up. Now, I understand the damage the original print suffered during post production, but it looked like the new transfer wasn't much of an improvement at all. I'm glad I bought it, because I didn't have a copy before, but it doesn't look like a lot was done to the new -- if it was new -- print. My question is if a movie with as much damage as 'Gojira' can be cleaned up for a Blu-ray release, or would it just be cost prohibitive to do a restoration of a film with this much original damage? Or was Classic Media just lazy and greedy in releasing this transfer?

A: The answer is most likely some combination of all those options. Unfortunately, the film elements for many older movies, especially foreign movies of a certain age, were often not stored or treated as well as they should have been. Any damage those elements have suffered over the years may be permanently ingrained into the movie. A full-blown restoration would require the rights-holders to compile the best bits and pieces from the camera negative and surviving prints to assemble a copy with the least amount of damage. Photochemical processes and digital clean-up may then be performed to correct any imperfections.

This is typically a time-consuming and expensive process. How far the studio is willing to go with this is usually determined by what resources they have at their disposal and how high their sales expectations may be. For example, a major studio like Warner Bros. can afford to pull out all the stops for a sure-fire seller like 'The Wizard of Oz'. However, a smaller studio like Classic Media may not necessarily be guaranteed that a perfect restoration of 'Gojira' would ever recoup their investment. As such, they try to make the best with what they've got.

Further, Classic Media is just the license holder for 'Gojira' in the United States. They do not own the film elements. Those are hold by the original production studio, Toho Co., Ltd. Classic Media is forced to work with whatever quality of source that Toho provides them. In most cases like this, the original foreign studio strikes the video master and simply gives it to the American licensee, who will author it onto a disc with English menus and subtitles. The licensee may not have any control over the film-to-video transfer at all.

Squeaking Noise from TV Speakers

Q: I have a bit of an issue with my home theater set up. I have a Samsung LN-46A650 television, a Sony STR-DG720 receiver, a Sony BPD-S560 Blu-ray player, and a Philips DVP5960 Region-Free up-converting DVD Player for my main hookups. My issue is that whenever I switch components on my receiver (i.e. Blu-ray to DVD player), my television's speakers let out a loud intermittent squeak every few seconds. The problem fixes itself once I have a disc playing or I shut my receiver off and then turn it back on. I have tried switching inputs on the TV and receiver and also trying different HDMI cables and there is no change. Is this an issue with my TV or my receiver?

A: I'm going to assume that you have everything connected by HDMI. It also sounds like you have your disc players connected first to the receiver, and then out from the receiver to the TV (which is generally the best option). Does your TV have a setting that will disable audio on the HDMI input? Does this still happen if you mute the volume on your receiver before switching from one source to another?

When all else fails, your best bet is the process of elimination. Disconnect everything and then reconnect one component at a time until you discover exactly what combination of elements is causing the issue.

Projector Zooming

Q: I've been thinking about buying a projector for my home-theater, but I have a doubt that really concerns me. How do I know what the projection area will be? In others words, how big will my screen be? As far as I know, there is a rule for projectors that, once the distance between the projector and the screen has been determined, one could not adjust the size of the projection, because the picture would get correctly focused on screen. How can I know if, for example, putting my projector 15 feet away from the screen, will I get a 50', 60' or 90' screen?

A: Most modern home theater projectors have separate zoom and focus controls. Once you've mounted the projector, you can zoom to make the image larger or smaller. The lens should allow you to dial in proper focus at any size within the zoom range.

In order to determine how large an image you can project, you need to know the projector's throw range and zoom ratio. Most manufacturers provide projection calculators on their web sites. If you can't find that, try looking up the model at Projector Central. Using the projection calculator, you can enter your distance from screen and determine how large an image you will project at any zoom setting.

Some questions that the HD Advisor receives are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too!

Speaker Feedback

Q: I recently re-did my family room into a multi-purpose media room, and I've come across an issue that I cannot seem to solve. When I am listening to anything, be it audio or film, when I am adjusting the volume I get feedback. I have an Onkyo TX-SR 875 and when adjusting the volume I get a "bump" sound through the sub-woofer, on every .5 increment. So imagine the volume rapidly increasing or decreasing, there is a rapid thump. Now I'm not sure if this is worth mentioning, but I ran dedicated power (20 amp circuit) for the Onkyo thinking that I would not get issues like this, but alas it was not to be. All cables were custom made and buzzed to ensure there would be no shorts in the cables. My speaker system consists of Athena Technologies (an API Company) S3 and P3 Series of speakers. Not sure if you are familiar with these speakers but they are modular. The S3 and P3 can be attached (via Ni-Cad railings) and run in full range, or be separated and run as, well, separates. Which means that I am running 2 subs. Now the Onkyo only having the one sub output makes me wonder if splitting it may in fact be the issue. I have tried bypassing cables, running the cables away from line voltage cables, I just cannot solve this and I hope you will be able to offer a solution.

Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

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HD Advisor on 34th Street

Answers by Joshua Zyber

THX Optimizer Revisited

Q: I saw your post about THX Optimizer and wanted to clear up a popular misconception. The THX Optimizer settings are not unique to the discs that they are featured on. Optimizer patterns are set to SMPTE industry standards for color, black levels, etc. So, you don't have to tweak your TV when using Optimizer on different discs. Where did this rumor start? The Optimizer patterns are often used in the DVD/BD mastering process, traveling with the content throughout the production chain allowing mastering/QC houses to evaluate levels of specific discs/content. Somehow this message was lost in translation, prompting some reviewers to claim Optimizer is for calibrating specific discs, which it is not. Let me know if this helps. We are happy to answer any questions.
THX Ltd.

A: This may be THX Ltd.'s current approach to the THX Optimizer tool. If so, please accept my apologies for the confusion.

However, respectfully, I can tell you exactly where this "rumor" started. It started from THX's own documentation. I see that the Optimizer page on the currently active official THX web site has been revamped. Using the power of the internet, we can take a look at the same site as it appeared in December of 2006. Doing so, I find that the Optimizer page states the following (emphasis mine):

"THX Optimizer consists of a series of tests that make it easier to fine-tune the audio and video performance of a home theater system. But best of all is that the signals used are equal to the final reference levels set during the mastering of each individual release. Thus, the system's performance can be tailored to each specific movie. As a result, the movie is seen as the director intended. "

This reads pretty clearly to me that Optimizer was intended to be used on each and every movie, and may result in different calibration requirements each time.

If THX has changed its approach to how the Optimizer tool works, or if that original language was simply worded misleadingly, I am glad to hear that this is no longer the case. As I mentioned in my previous article, I feel that calibration should be a set-it-and-forget-it activity performed only periodically as needed by the aging characteristics of the user's hardware. A good calibration disc will allow a viewer to find the display's best settings for all discs he or she watches.

Dolby TrueHD on 'Akira' Revisited

Q: In reference to your article about the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack on the 'Akira' Blu-ray, I have a similar question. I have a first generation Playstation 3, which is connected via HDMI 1.3 to a Pioneer Elite VSX-03TXH. The PS3 displays the output signal as being 192 kHz, but the receiver reports the signal at 96 kHz. The PS3 is set to output all signals (from 192 kHz down), and the receiver is able to handle Dolby TrueHD at 192 kHz, according to the manufacturer's specifications. Is it possible that this just an inaccurate display from the receiver since the track is decoded by the PS3? Also, is there a difference in quality between the two kHz rates? Any insight and advice is greatly appreciated.

A: My best guess is this is either just a display error on your receiver, or some sort of HDMI handshaking problem between the two units that's causing your receiver to downsample the audio to 96 kHz. I can understand that being frustrating. However, in reality, the difference between 96 kHz and 192 kHz is largely beyond the ability of human ears to detect. Most movie soundtracks are mastered at 48 kHz, and research has shown that higher sampling rates have diminishing returns, with 96 kHz being pretty much the upper limit. The 'Akira' disc authors chose to use the maximum sampling rate available on the format primarily just so that they could say they did for marketing purposes.

So, when you watch the movie, if you don't hear anything wrong with the soundtrack, I wouldn't worry about it.

Dolby TrueHD vs. DTS-HD Master Audio Revisited

Q: There has been a debate concerning the issue of what's the better lossless audio codec: Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio. Most professionals claim that one isn't better than the other, that both are lossless soundtracks exactly how the source material was made. Despite this claim, the debate has raged with comparisons of discs that have these soundtracks. However, the problem is that it's like comparing apples to oranges. (Like comparing 'Iron Man' to 'The Incredible Hulk'.) The problem with this is that soundtracks aren't created equally, so you can't really discern any quality difference dealing with the codec, only the soundtrack. However, we do have a movie that includes both codecs on the disc: 'Top Gun'. I gave it a listen and without a doubt, I liked the DTS track over the TrueHD track. The DTS track was more immersive and fuller than the TrueHD track. Now how is this possible if both codecs are supposed to be accurate representations of the source?

A: As I've mentioned in previous columns, both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio are lossless compression codecs. They work similarly to a ZIP file. What you put into them is compressed, and then reconstructed exactly the same when you open the file. Because both are lossless, assuming all other factors are equal, there will be no quality differences regardless of which of these codecs you use. Lossless is lossless. No loss.

'Top Gun' is an interesting, but ultimately misleading, test case. Although the disc contains two copies of the movie's soundtrack, one in Dolby TrueHD format and one in DTS-HD Master Audio format, it turns out that the two tracks are actually not the same sound mix. If you take a look at the disc case (or your receiver's input display), you'll notice that the Dolby TrueHD option is a 5.1 audio track, while the DTS-HD Master Audio option is 6.1 track. Before releasing the movie on Blu-ray, Paramount had the movie's soundtrack remixed into 6.1 configuration for the DTS track. But they left the Dolby TrueHD track as the older 5.1 mix.

As a result, this is really another apples-to-oranges comparison. In addition to the extra rear channel, there's no telling what other aspects of the sound mix the studio may have tweaked. Because the two codecs were each fed different sources, naturally the end results are also different.

I have a couple more points to make here. First, please note that the Dolby and DTS companies have different philosophies in regard to the usage of Dialog Normalization. Dolby uses it, and DTS usually doesn't. Dialnorm sets the overall volume level of the soundtrack. (However, contrary to popular misconception, it does not in any way change the sound mix or boost the dialogue channel in relation to the rest of the audio.) Because of this, DTS tracks are almost always set louder than Dolby tracks by default. That doesn't make them "better" than Dolby tracks, just louder. I advise you to volume match the two with a sound level meter before attempting any comparisons. Even a small difference in volume can radically affect a listener's perception of audio quality.

Secondly, it's worth noting that 'Top Gun' played in theaters originally with either Dolby Stereo (in the 35mm release prints) or 70mm 6-track audio. In 1986, there was no such thing as the 5.1 configuration as we now know it. Both the 5.1 and 6.1 soundtracks on the Blu-ray are remixes that have been tweaked and enhanced for home video. While both TrueHD And DTS-HD Master Audio will both losslessly represent the studio masters fed into them, those masters are not exactly 100% faithful to the way the movie was originally mixed back in 1986. As such, even if you do find differences between the 5.1 and 6.1 options, those differences do not necessarily mean that one is "better" than the other, just different. "Better" is subjective in this case.

Some questions that the HD Advisor receives are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too!

Blu-ray Players with Netflix Streaming

Q: Simple question: What's the best Blu-ray player that also offers Netflix streaming?

Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.

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HD Advisor 33 1/3

Answers by Joshua Zyber

Deep Color and 36-Bit Playback

Q: Can you explain what they mean by Deep Color and 36-bit playback for Blu-rays? I have a Pioneer Elite plasma TV and a Panasonic Blu-ray player that also output these features, along with HDMI 1.3 cable and Marantz 8002 receiver hooked up for 5.1 surround sound. I was told they don't even make Blu-ray disc at 36-bit. Is that true? Will we ever see discs made this way? If we did, would it make the picture look that much better?

A: The Blu-ray format does not support Deep Color or other forms of extended color bit depth (such as x.v.Color). Blu-ray discs are encoded with 8-bit color, the same as DVD. Although some newer HDTVs support the display of more colors, those extra colors are not contained on the Blu-ray disc. Any Blu-ray player that claims to output Deep Color or x.v.Color will simply upsample the color channel on the disc. Your TV may do this for you anyway, if the Blu-ray player doesn't.

The point of extended color depth is to eliminate the banding artifacts found on some video content (even Blu-rays at times). Upsampling the color channel on a video signal is not the same as having true Deep Color in the source, but may or may not have similar results. Generally, this is a subtle improvement.

If you plan to perform this color upsampling in the Blu-ray player, both the player and the TV must support the higher color depth, as must any intermediary device in between, such as your A/V receiver.

Zoom on a Blu-ray Player

Q: I have just upgraded my TV from a Panasonic Plasma TH-50PZ0B to a Pioneer PDPLX6090. When I watched Blu-rays on the Panasonic, I was able to zoom in to remove black borders without stretching the picture. But with the new TV, the only way I can do this is to stretch the picture, which for me is unwatchable. So my question is can this be resolved with a Blu-ray player with a zoom function? If so could you recommend a model? I use a PS3 as my Blu-ray player.

A: Some Blu-ray players have zoom functions, and others don't. Of those that I've personally used, I can verify that the OPPO BDP-83 does offer this function.

Not to be rude about it, but I suggest that you learn to overcome your phobia about the black bars. As I explained in my Why Don't the Black Bars Go Away? article, the letterbox bars are there to preserve the viewing experience that the director of the film intended. Zooming the image to remove the black bars will also remove picture information that you're meant to see, and destroy the compositional balance of the photography. It's just as bad as stretching the picture. Once you learn to accept that the black bars are supposed to be there, eventually you will come to appreciate them.

Calibration Discs vs. THX Optimizer

Q: Are calibration tools like 'Digital Video Essentials' much better than the THX Optimizer found on all THX DVDs? Do these appear on any Blu-ray (or HD DVD) discs yet?

A: Off the top of my head, both Blu-ray editions of 'Terminator 2' sport the THX Certification seal and include THX Optimizer test patterns.

I will always recommend a good dedicated calibration disc over the THX Optimizer patterns. In my opinion, THX's approach to calibration with their Optimizer program is inherently flawed. The Optimizer test patterns on any given disc are intended for use only with that disc. In theory, the same patterns on any two different discs could yield different results. The assumption that the company makes is that disc-to-disc variances are severe enough that every single movie you watch will require its own separate calibration.

I don't buy it. I believe that calibration should be a set-it-and-forget-it activity. Viewers don't want to be fiddling with their brightness and color settings for every new movie they watch. A good calibration disc will allow you to find your display's best settings for all discs you watch.

With that said, in most cases, Optimizer winds up with the same results as other calibration patterns, or at least very close. If you don't currently own a dedicated calibration disc, THX Optimizer is an adequate "quick and dirty" calibration tool that will get you in the right ballpark until you can obtain a more comprehensive calibration disc.

Audio Bit Depth and Sampling Rates

Q: I noticed that a lot of the reviews on this site aren't mentioning whether a soundtrack is 16 or 24-bit, and 44 or 48 Hz. I'd really like to know this technical info, and would be great if all reviewers would be willing to post the info in their articles.

A: The Info screens on most Blu-ray players do not display the bit depth or sampling rates of the movie's soundtrack. It's very rare that the studios provide this information on the disc packaging or in the press release for the movie, and rarer still that the information they do give is accurate. Unfortunately, not all of the reviewers on this site are equipped with Blu-ray drives in their computers and the necessary software that will obtain this data from the disc.

As I have said many times before, technical stats like this are just numbers. They tell you nothing about how the disc actually looks or sounds. If the technical specs alone were enough to guarantee that a disc looks and sounds perfect, there'd be no need for reviews at all. It's the reviewer's job to analyze the content on the disc and describe how it fares during actual playback. I recommend simply not obsessing about these numbers, which are basically meaningless anyway.

Some questions that the HD Advisor receives are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too!

Rear Speaker Popping Sound

Q: I own a Marantz SR5003 AV receiver and I have a PS3 and DVD player all connected using HDMI cables on a 5.1 speaker setup. The receiver is also connected via HDMI to my LCD TV. Recently, I have begun experiencing a slight pop sound at the left rear speaker every time the receiver changes source or audio format (e.g. from multi-channel 7.1 to stereo), or when I switch the source from DVD to Blu-ray input. The pop isn't loud, and the AV receiver still works in all of its 5.1 glory. It's just annoying and distracting because it even happens when the DVD changes from the first layer to the second layer of the disc. I looked behind the receiver thinking it's a loose wire, or a rogue wire touching the system's back, but I couldn't find any. I tightened all speaker terminals and checked the HDMI connections, but they are all there. Is it a static electricity problem that I am experiencing, HDMI cable fault or something more sinister like a faulty chip inside? I only just bought the receiver for 5 months.

Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

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32 Short Films About HD Advisor

Answers by Joshua Zyber

192 kHz Audio

Q: I have a first generation PS3 with an Onkyo TX-SR804 receiver taking audio through HDMI (decoded in the PS3). When I try to play the Dolby TrueHD 192 kHz 5.1 track on the 'Akira' Blu-ray, I only hear sound out of the front left and right speakers. If I change the audio to Bitstream to decode in the receiver, it comes in as 48 kHz (which I'm guessing is because my receiver is older and can't do Dolby TrueHD natively). I can't use a Toslink optical cable since the PS3 can't output 192 kHz 5.1 that way, only stereo. The 48 kHz 5.1 TrueHD track comes in fine, but the sound quality on the 192 kHz track is nothing short of incredible, so I'd really like to hear it. Is there anything I can do short of buying a new receiver?

A: The Japanese Dolby TrueHD track on 'Akira' presents a dilemma for many viewers. In their zeal to provide the Blu-ray disc with the best audio quality available, the disc authors failed to realize that not every A/V receiver can accept the full 192 kHz signal. Unfortunately, they neglected to provide a comparable losslessly-compressed option with a lower sampling rate. (At least, not for the original Japanese language track.) The options on the disc are either Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 at 192 kHz or lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 at 48 kHz.

Although the PS3 can decode Dolby TrueHD 5.1 / 192 kHz to PCM, your receiver may not accept the full signal at that rate. It sounds like your receiver downgrades the signal it receives to 2.0 format.

By choosing "Bitstream" in the PS3 (original model), you are forcing the player to default to the standard Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Your PS3 can decode TrueHD internally, but can't transmit the raw bitstream. That's why you're seeing 48 kHz at the receiver, and hearing a significant downgrade in audio quality. You've not only reduced the sampling rate, you've also chosen the lossy audio track, which is from a different mix than the souped-up TrueHD track.

(Ironically, the 'Akira' Blu-ray does also contain another TrueHD 5.1 track at 48 kHz, but only for the English dub.)

What you need to do is this: With no disc in the player, go to the PS3's "Sound Settings" menu and de-select any audio option with a sampling rate of 192 kHz. This should force the PS3 to downsample the audio to the next highest rate (96 kHz). If your receiver can't accept that either, de-select 96 kHz as well, and the PS3 will downsample to 48 kHz.

Lossless Video Compression

Q: Much has been said about the advantages of lossless HD audio compression vs. lossy audio compression, but little is spoken about the potential advantages of lossless video quality. Would there be significant advantages in terms of video quality if media had the capacity to support lossless compression? Given current codecs/compression technologies, what kind of theoretical storage capacity would it take to store a movie using lossless compression and is that something you envision in the not too distant future? With future video formats, people often speak of increased lines of resolutions (2K, 4K, etc.), but few tend to address that today's video codecs are all lossy - just curious why?

A: The video compression formats in use on Blu-ray (MPEG-2, AVC/MPEG-4, and VC-1) are all lossy codecs, even at their highest bit rates. Lossless video compression would require an entirely different codec, such as the JPEG 2000 format used in digital cinema. Needless to say, it will also require significantly more disc storage space and a revision of the Blu-ray spec to accommodate the codec. I don't foresee this happening on Blu-ray anytime soon. Or, frankly, ever.

I also doubt that we will see a better disc format than Blu-ray in the future. All signs point to Blu-ray being the last physical media format for pre-recorded movies. Future distribution will continue to move toward internet downloads (with even heavier compression, unfortunately). Research currently being conducted into multiple-layered storage discs may be used for computer data applications, but not likely pre-recorded movies.

As I wrote in my Specs vs. Reality article a couple years ago, movie fans tend to get too caught up in the idea of higher bit rates or different compression formats being the most important criteria for good picture quality. In almost all cases, this is a fallacy. Unless the video compression is so poorly done that it results in distracting artifacts (which, admittedly, does happen sometimes, although honestly not as much as some people would have you believe), the resolution of the image and the quality of the video transfer are vastly more important.

Power Conditioners

Q: I recently started hearing about "clean power" and power conditioners. Is there such a thing as unclean power? How much does clean power impact home theater equipment. I have been looking at power conditioners, what should I be looking for in a power conditioner?

A: The notion of "dirty" power affecting a home theater first came into vogue through audiophile circles. Certain people insisted that replacing the electrical socket in their wall dramatically improved the clarity of the music they were listening to. This then led to super-expensive power cords that could carry the electrical signal better, and power conditioners designed to "clean" the electricity before it got to the CD player or stereo. Soon enough, the videophile ranks caught on and started seeing extraordinary improvements in picture quality as well.

In my opinion, this is almost entirely bunk. These dramatic improvements that people have convinced themselves that they're seeing or hearing are the result of placebo effect. They don't hold up to scientific measurement, or double-blind listening and viewing tests.

In my favorite article on the subject, a dyed-in-the-wool audiophile who was absolutely convinced that he could hear a difference in sound quality when using an expensive power cord sat down for a double-blind test and was utterly disabused of that belief.

Now, I'm not saying that there's no difference between "clean" or "dirty" power. I don't pretend to be an electrical engineer. I also don't mean to say that power conditioners serve no useful purpose. My own neighborhood used to regularly suffer from power brown-outs in the summer months when everyone ran their air conditioners. This would cause serious problems with my home theater equipment, until I added a power conditioner to stabilize the signal coming into my home.

However, in my experience, if you are otherwise receiving a steady power signal, fancy power cords and power conditioners will not improve your picture or sound quality to any discernable degree. A power conditioner can be a worthwhile addition to your home theater, but only if you understand its real purpose.

Some questions that the HD Advisor receives are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too!

Computer/Multi-Media Speakers with a TV?

Q: I just bought a new HDTV for the living room. This is not being used for home theater purposes. This is just a general purpose TV, mainly so that my wife can watch 'The View' and 'Grey's Anatomy' in better quality. The picture is great, but the sound is tinny and awful. The speakers are far worse than the 20 year-old SDTV this set has replaced. Adding surround sound, even from HTIB speakers, is out of the question. My wife won't have speakers and wires running everywhere, and I have no room for a receiver. I've looked into soundbars, but haven't seen anything I liked. Again, a large bulky soundbar is something my wife won't approve. I was thinking of using a pair of small powered computer/multi-media speakers. Even if they don't give me full-range dynamics, they can't be any worse than what's built into this TV. However, most I've seen will only work with a computer. Are there any suitable for using with the analog L/R or Toslink output from this TV? (My wife needs to be able to control the volume using the regular TV remote.)

Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

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HD Advisor 31st

Answers by Joshua Zyber

Is Film "HD"?

Q: I recently went to the one-showing-only theatrical re-release of 'The Wizard Of Oz' in HD. I noticed during the introduction, they said it was, "For the first time ever in HD." Then, "It will look as good as it did on opening night." I recall other questions on this site about how the original film stock has a much higher potential resolution than even 1080p, and that even 1080p is a downgrade from the original film. So, if that is the case, hasn't it always been "HD"? (I realize for this showing, it was shown from a digital source.) Would it be correct to say all movies viewed in theaters are HD? And will we eventually see movies in theaters shown from film be advertised as HD?

A: In many respects, this is really a matter of semantics. Technically, "high definition" is a video term that refers to the resolution of a video signal. Film is a photochemical medium that does not have lines of resolution or pixels. Therefore, it is not accurate to refer to film as "HD," even if that film (like 35mm or 65mm) has more equivalent detail than high definition video does.

On the other hand, digital projection is a video format and can be called "HD." That recent screening of 'Oz' was projected from HD digital video.

Does that mean that you'll never see a film screening advertised as "HD"? Probably not. When it comes to marketing and advertising, technical accuracy rarely comes into play. I've seen 35mm still camera film marketed as "High Definition." I've even seen eyeglasses labeled that way. "HD" is a buzzword that everyone wants to use these days. But just because something is branded like that doesn't mean that the term is being used correctly.

Lossless 7.1 Soundtracks from Older Blu-ray/HD DVD Players

Q: Toshiba HD-A1, HD-A2, HD-A30, HD-XA1, and Sony BDP-S1. Those models don't support DTS-HD Master Audio format. What happen if I play DTS-HD MA 7.1 movies on these players when connected via HDMI to a receiver that supports lossless audio with 7.1 speakers setup? Will it come out as DTS 5.1 core only or DTS-ES 6.1?

A: As you noted, all of those Toshiba HD DVD players referenced, as well as the first-generation Sony Blu-ray player, do not support lossless audio. When you play a disc with a DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, the players will only be able to decode and output the standard DTS core, not the MA extension.

So your question is whether that DTS core will be 5.1 channels or 6.1, if the MA track is 7.1? (Standard DTS does not offer 7.1 format.) For example, 'Pan's Labyrinth' (Blu-ray | HD DVD) has DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio on either format. From my understanding, the core of a DTS-HD MA track works the same as regular DTS on DVD. The track can be either 5.1 or 6.1 depending on how the studio authors it. If I had to guess, I'd assume that most are probably authored in 5.1 format, with the added channels included in the MA extension.

Connecting Old Video Sources to an HDTV

Q: I am trying to connect my Laserdisc player to my new LED Samsung HDTV. However, the TV only has one input set for the old-fashioned RCA (yellow, red, and white). I also have a region-free DVD player as well that I need to connect to that. Is there an adaptor out there that's HDMI on one end of the cable and the old-fashioned Yellow/Red/White on the other end?

A: If I'm reading you correctly, your TV has extra HDMI inputs that you're not currently using, and you'd like to plug old analog video equipment into those. What you're asking for would require a device that can digitize the analog signal from a Composite video cable, as well as analog audio, and output them all over HDMI. This is possible, but impractical and probably needlessly expensive for a standalone device.

Do you have an A/V receiver with HDMI connections? If so, most modern receivers will do what you're asking. You can plug all of your video sources into the receiver first. Then the receiver will digitize the analog signals, and output everything over a single HDMI connection. You can switch between which sources you want to output over that HDMI connection at the receiver.

Failing that, you may just want to try a simple analog RCA A/V switcher. These can be purchased rather cheaply, and will allow you to plug multiple devices into a single TV input.

Some questions that the HD Advisor receives are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too!

How to Recognize a Bootleg Blu-ray?

Q: How can you tell a burned Blu-ray from an authentic one? With such high-tech and sophisticated printers today, I figure someone could easily print a high quality label for the front of the disc to make the burned copy look legitimate. Is there any other way to distinguish a bootleg Blu-ray from an authentic Blu-ray?

Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

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30 Days of HD Advisor

Answers by Joshua Zyber

PS3 Audio Decoding Revisited

JZ: In a previous column, I wrote that there shouldn't be any difference between decoding Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio in a disc player versus bitstreaming them to an A/V receiver. This led to several follow-up questions from readers, which I will attempt to address together.

Q: I know you must be exhausted with questions about PS3 audio decoding. Let me throw one thought your way. The PS3 doesn’t give a Dialog Normalization flag value for Dolby codecs. This can make life difficult and confusing for enthusiasts who are trying to do soundtrack comparisons, or listen at a common volume. That is why I keep at least one player in bitstream mode.

Q: I'm pretty sure that I read most if not all your posts on the Playstation 3 and bitstreaming, but I notice a huge difference in sound volume with HD audio. I have a Toshiba HD-A35 player and I don't hear drop off in sound volume. Can you help me out?

Q: From recent readings, I saw that the PS3 Slim can pass through Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio via bitstream so an external amp can decode them. I have an old-school brick of a shiny black PS3 that doesn't have this functionality, but this does the decoding of the HD audio on-board, yes? So with decoding taking place at the PS3, is there any real benefit in me upgrading my amp to take advantage of the HD signals, or is the same information already being passed to my current amp?

A: I feel this merits clarifying my previous comments. In essence, the decoding of a lossless compression codec such as Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio should be a straightforward process. You should get identical results whether you perform the decoding in a disc player (such as the PS3) or in an A/V receiver. However, after the decoding is complete, an A/V receiver may offer additional processing that the disc player does not. For example, most Dolby soundtracks are flagged with a Dialogue Normalization value. If the disc player doesn't read the DialNorm flag when decoding, your audio may exit the player louder or softer in volume via decoded PCM than it might via bitstream transmission.

Note that Dialogue Normalization does not alter the quality or fidelity of a soundtrack. All DialNorm does is set a default starting volume for a soundtrack, similar to raising or lowering the volume control on your receiver. This is explained in more depth in my earlier Uncompressed vs. Lossless Audio article. A change in volume is not the same thing as a change in quality. A louder soundtrack is not automatically a better soundtrack. If the DialNorm flag is ignored, you may want to adjust your receiver's volume control a few notches to bring the soundtrack in line with other movies you've watched, but the content of the track will be unchanged. Although some users may find this a minor nuisance, I don't feel that it merits buying all new hardware for.

On the other hand, many A/V receivers can apply ProLogic IIx processing (which will expand a 5.1 soundtrack to 7.1 channels) to a bitstreamed audio signal but not a raw multi-channel PCM signal. The same problem may apply to other optional post-processing functions such as Cinema EQ. In a worst case scenario, some receivers may not be able to perform bass management or speaker level controls. If these are something you'd like or need to use, hardware that will send a bitstreamed audio signal may be beneficial.

Disc Incompatibility Issues / Firmware Updates

Q: Recently I rented a copy of 'Crank 2' through Netflix. When I tried to play it in my Samsung BDP-1500, the movie wouldn't play. I took the disc and played it on the PS3, and it worked perfectly. Will I have to change my player to play the newer movies, or did I just have bad luck?

A: Unfortunately, disc compatibility issues like this continue to crop up on new releases due to the complexity of Blu-ray's ever-changing encryption and BD-Java programming. Just recently, I found that 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' wouldn't play on two out of my three Blu-ray players.

In most cases, issues like this can be resolved by your Blu-ray player's manufacturer through a firmware update. The first thing you should do is check the current firmware on your player, and then visit the manufacturers' web site to see if there is a more recent firmware. Firmware files can usually be burned to a CD, loaded onto a USB drive, or updated via Ethernet connection. Follow the instructions that the manufacturer provides. If your firmware is up-to-date and the disc still won't play, email the manufacturer a description of the problem (providing the UPC of the disc helps) and ask if they have a solution ready.

Upconverted Standard-Def Content on Blu-ray

Q: 'Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 2' includes a 'Deep Space Nine' episode that I understand is a 1080p upconversion from a 480i master. My concern is that Paramount is testing to see if people will accept this for 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' Blu-ray releases. Let's face it, to scan the original film footage, re-edit, and create new special effects takes time and money. Do you think this is likely?

A: Personally, I don't think there's cause to fear here. That 'Deep Space Nine' episode you reference was included as a bonus feature. It was never intended to be the primary content on the disc.

I discussed the problems with remastering TV series such as 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and 'Deep Space Nine' for high definition in an earlier column. Because these shows were post-produced on SD video, their final masters currently exist only in standard definition form. To remaster them, the original film elements would need to be re-edited from scratch. It can be done, but as you note, will probably be time-consuming and expensive.

I doubt that Paramount or CBS Home Entertainment have an agenda to release complete season sets of 'TNG' or 'DS9' on Blu-ray in upconverted form. There would be little to no benefit in that for anyone. More likely, the shows will simply not be released on Blu-ray until such time as a full-blown reconstruction and remastering can be performed.

Some questions that the HD Advisor receives are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too!

Surge Protector Recommendations

Q: I recently purchased a 46" Samsung LCD HDTV. Upon purchase, the salesperson strongly encouraged me to buy a high-tech surge protector. He told me a horror story about a man who purchased a new TV, and it was "destroyed" by a power surge from a storm. I did not buy the surge protector that was over $100.00. I am currently using a standard $15.00 surge protector that I purchased from Wal-Mart. Is there a legitimate concern in not having a surge protector specialized for HDTVs?

JZ: I highly recommend investing in a good surge protector. However, I don't believe that you necessarily need to buy an expensive (read: overpriced) model sold in the home theater section of the store. On the other hand, a cheap unit may not offer enough protection for your expensive gear. I'll leave this to our other readers to recommend some good, reasonably-priced models.

Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

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HD Advisor 29

Answers by Joshua Zyber

Digital Editing in Filmmaking

Q: I know that the transition from old-fashioned film editing to digital editing took a while and occurred towards the late '80s/early '90s. Are there any movies from the early stages of digital editing that could have been scanned for editing at a resolution lower than 1080p, thus making the master less than Blu-ray quality?

A: Digital editing, in itself, doesn't necessarily have any effect on the final image quality of the movie. In its simplest form, the process works like this: After a director shoots his movie on 35mm film, the raw footage will be scanned to create digital files that can be fed into a digital editing workstation (such as Avid or its competitors). The resolution or picture quality of those files isn't really important. The movie's editors will then work their magic. Once complete, the workstation produces a list of frame numbers and time codes, which is then given to a Negative Cutter, who will conform the original 35mm film negative into the movie's final cut. No video is ever output from the editing workstation itself. The final assembly, color timing, etc. are all performed in the photochemical realm, just as they have been for over a century of filmmaking.

That's assuming that this is a traditional film production chain, which is what would have been in place during those early days of digital editing that you describe (and is still quite commonly used today). However, the introduction of a Digital Intermediate stage complicates matters. When a DI is used, color timing and final assembly are performed digitally, and then the product is output back onto film. In this instance, you're correct that the quality of the digital scan and processing will limit the quality of the final motion picture image.

Digital Intermediates did not become commonly used in the film industry until the beginning of this decade. 'Amelie' and 'O Brother, Where Are Thou?' were two of the first films to have all post-production performed in the digital realm. (Previously, some movies may have utilized a DI for selected scenes, but not the entire feature.) While those early DIs may not have been quite up to modern standards, the film still would have been scanned at least at 2k resolution, which is slightly higher than Blu-ray offers and has superior color quality. At least theoretically, those movies should still be fit for eventual Blu-ray transfers.

Watching 'The Dark Knight' on a 2.35:1 Screen

Q: I'm planning to install a 2.35:1 wide screen in my basement. Right now, I'm using 16:9 screen. How can I adjust the screen when I'm watching 'The Dark Knight' on Blu-ray after I install the 2.35:1 screen? The movie switches back and forth between IMAX scenes and regular wide screen. I'm planning to upgrade my projector and will get an anamorphic lens for it.

A: I touched on this issue in my 2.35:1 Constant Image Height Tutorial a few months ago. When 'The Dark Knight' was photographed, director Christopher Nolan knew that only the IMAX theatrical prints would have a shifting aspect ratio. The standard 35mm prints seen in the majority of theaters were projected at a constant 2.35:1 aspect ratio. In order to accommodate this, Nolan framed the IMAX footage loosely enough that it would function at either ratio. Both versions of the movie are valid.

When it comes to home video, only the Blu-ray edition of the movie attempts to mimic the IMAX effect. The regular DVD is letterboxed throughout.

If using a projector with anamorphic lens attachment, I recommend simply zooming the movie to fill your 2.35:1 screen. Although you'll lose some picture off the top and bottom during the IMAX scenes, you won't be missing anything critical. An argument can be made that you're still complying with the director's intent -- just that it's his intent for the 35mm prints rather than the IMAX prints. I've watched 'The Dark Knight' Blu-ray this way, and it's a perfectly satisfying experience.

PAL Content on Blu-ray

Q: I'd like to know why store bought foreign editions (particularly from Canada) of Blu-rays will play the movie but not the special features. I have a Sony BSP-S350 and the two movies I have from Canada are 'All the Boys Love Mandy Lane' and 'Black Sheep'. Is there a way to get them to work?

A: You may have bought those two discs in Canada, but 'Black Sheep' and 'All the Boys Love Mandy Lane' are both UK video releases that must have been imported to that country.

While the discs may not be region coded and the movies themselves are both encoded in the same 1080p24 format used here in North America, the bonus features on those discs are encoded in standard-def PAL format. Your Blu-ray player does not support PAL. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about this, short of buying a different Blu-ray player that is compatible with PAL (and can convert the 50 Hz frame rate to 60 Hz, preferably). The OPPO BDP-83 would be a good candidate, if it's really that important to you.

Some questions that the HD Advisor receives are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too!

Blu-ray Playback on a PC

Q: I was wondering if you could help me with my configuration. I am currently using Arcsoft Total Media Theater to play Blu-rays on my PC. I have Logitech Z-5500 speakers that are connected using both a Toslink cable and the standard analog speaker connections. I have been using the Toslink to get DTS and Dolby Digital sound from my Blu-rays, and the sound is fantastic. But when I was reading your column called Blu-ray and HD DVD Audio Explained, I noticed that Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA can be decoded by the player and sent out using multi-channel analog, while Toslink cables can't support the bandwidth for them. Should I continue getting DTS/DD sound using the Toslink and letting my Z-5500 receiver decode the signals, or can TMT decode the signals and give me the full sound quality through the analog connections? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

JZ: Unfortunately, at this time, I still don't have Blu-ray playback on my own PC. Perhaps one of our readers more familiar with this configuration can chime in?

Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

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28 HD Advisors Later

Editor's Note: Each Friday, High-Def Digest's own HD Advisor will answer a new round of questions from our readers. If you have home theater questions you need answered, send an email to HDanswers@gmail.com.

If you've already sent a question and don't see it answered yet, please be patient as we work our way through them. To browse through previously answered questions, visit the main HD Advisor page.

Answers by Joshua Zyber

HD Audio Decoding

Q: I use a PS3 for my Blu-ray needs. This player has what some believe to be a handicap in not being able to bitstream the HD audio codecs to a receiver. Is there a difference in decoding capabilities and/or quality in different components? Will my PS3 decode the DTS-HD Master Audio signal as well as my Onkyo 709 receiver? Would I get better sound from the same media with a standalone player that bitstreams to the receiver, and lets the receiver do the decoding?

A: This is still an area of anxiety for many Blu-ray (and specifically PS3) owners, mainly because allowing the disc player to decode the audio internally prevents a Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD MA logo from lighting up on their receiver's front panel.

The Dolby and DTS compression codecs must go through three stages before sound comes out from the speakers. First, the codec must be decoded to PCM format. Then that PCM must be converted to analog. Finally, the analog signal is amplified out to the speakers. The second step (D-to-A conversion) will have by far the biggest impact on overall sound quality. The quality of DAC components is one of the biggest distinguishing features between entry-level and high-end hardware.

When using a PS3 connected by HDMI, your D-to-A conversion still takes place in your receiver, not the player. So you're still relying on the receiver to the heavy lifting. All the PS3 does is the decoding.

At least in theory, the decoding stage is a pretty straightforward process. If we think of the lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats as being like ZIP compression files, then decoding the formats is like unzipping those files. If everything is working properly, you'll get a 100% perfect copy of the original source. If something isn't working properly, the file will be corrupted. Generally, this means that the movie soundtrack will be unplayable or horribly distorted, and you'll know it right away.

As such, it really shouldn't really matter whether you do your format decoding in the disc player or in the receiver. Assuming that the hardware is working correctly, one component won't decode better than another. Either they work or they don't.

However, the transmission process of sending the signal from the player to the receiver may be an area of concern. If you decode the format to PCM at the disc player, the transmission of PCM from one device to another could be susceptible to jitter. On the other hand, the undecoded compression formats have clocking mechanisms that make jitter much less likely when transmitted in bitstream form.

There is much debate in audio circles about whether human ears can really hear the effects of jitter. Of course, members the audiophile crowd insist that their golden ears can discern even the most microscopic timing variations between the arrival of one bit and the next. Scientific double-blind testing usually reveals otherwise, unless the jitter is particularly egregious. But that's probably an argument for another day.

The long and short of it is that, barring extraordinary circumstances, decoding the audio inside a disc player should be just as good as doing it in the receiver. But if seeing a Dolby or DTS logo on your receiver's front panel makes you feel reassured that everything is working properly, by all means seek out a player that can send the native bitstreams.

I'll be honest, I set my standalone player to bitstream its audio, even though it has the necessary internal decoders. I like seeing those TrueHD and Master Audio indicators on my receiver's front panel. However, if my only Blu-ray player were a PS3, I doubt that I would go out of my way to purchase another player just for that feature.

TV Calibration

Q: My HDTV has about 6 or 7 different settings to fiddle with: contrast, color temp, etc. Can you give me a rundown on what numbers settings should be for the best picture? I have the Philips Ambilight 42".

A: Unfortunately, it's not as simple as one person telling you what numbers to use. TV calibration settings will vary from set-to-set depending on the brand and model, manufacturing tolerances from one unit to another, and the conditions of your viewing environment. Even if you search online and find someone with your same model, any settings they recommend should really just be used as a starting point. Certain tips, such as which processing functions to turn on or off to make the picture better or worse, may be universal. But the specific numbers for where to set your Brightness, Contrast, Color, etc. will be specific to your TV and room.

Ideally, you should hire a professional calibrator to fine-tune your set for its best performance using color analyzers and other professional equipment for precision measurement. If that's out of your budget, at the very least you should purchase a calibration disc like 'Digital Video Essentials' and follow its instructions for adjusting your TV's user-accessible controls.

Service Menu Adjustments

Q: I just purchased my final component to my home theater, a Panasonic TC-P46G10. I'm quite sure I'll be satisfied with it. According to all the reviews, it performs very well and has many great features, of which they all say that THX mode is the best. However, one review of the panel says that, "a calibration that accessed the service menu could increase light output in THX mode, but we don't perform such calibrations as part of our TV reviews." Is finding how to access the service menu and then changing the correct settings worth pursuing? Will it void any of my warranty?

A: Your TV's service menu is intended to be accessed only by qualified professional calibrators and technicians. That's why it's hidden from public view, and can only be entered through a secret combination of buttons on the remote and/or front panel. Although there are many sources online that may provide the service menu access instructions for your set, entering this menu yourself will void your warranty.

As a general rule, I don't recommend going into the service menu unless you know what you're doing. There are many settings in there that, if changed incorrectly, can seriously distort or even disable entirely your video image. Most of them will not be labeled with clear descriptions of what they are or how to adjust them. You don't want to accidentally change a setting without knowing how to change it back (or even what to change it back to).

With that said, I know that there are many hobbyists who will do this anyway, some for curiosity and some who are genuinely knowledgeable enough to make service menu adjustments on their own. Frankly, I've done it myself on some TVs I've owned. For anyone brave (or foolish) enough to do this, I strongly recommend carefully reading the instructions for how to change the settings in your set's service menu. What happens when you press which keys on your remote? Is it the Volume key, the Channel key, or something else that advances a particular setting? Learn all this in advance so that you don't mistakenly hit a button without knowing what it will do.

Also, when entering the service menu, the absolute first thing you must do is write down the TV's default settings for each and every option in the menu, no matter how many there are or how long it takes to do. If you change something (either intentionally or by accident) and it makes your picture worse, you will need to know what it should be reset back to.

Really, it's probably best if you just stay out of there and leave those adjustments to professional technicians.

Some questions that the HD Advisor receives are best answered with a consensus of opinions from our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please post your response in our forum thread linked at the end of this article. Your advice and opinions matter too!

Subwoofer Placement

Q: My HT room is 4x6 meters. I'm currently using 2 subwoofers, both front firing -- a 10" sub at the front and a 12" sub at the back. Currently, the front sub is at the left side corner facing the room while the back sub is at the center of the back wall facing the left side wall. Is this the right placement?

Check back soon for another round of answers. Keep those questions coming.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

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HD Advisor Flashback

Answers by Joshua Zyber

Betamax vs. VHS

Q: Dear TV Advisor, I'm sure you get asked this all the time, but which is better, VHS or Beta? I know it will be totally rad being able to watch movies at home whenever I want, but the machines are so expensive. I can't afford to spend $500 a piece on both of them. Which format has better quality, and which do you think will win the format war?

A: In terms of picture quality, Betamax has an advantage over VHS. Beta tapes have slightly higher resolution (250 lines vs. 240) and less crosstalk. However, VHS tapes can record longer. When it comes to pre-recorded movies, that's shouldn't be too big of a deal. But if you plan to record a lot of TV shows yourself, VHS is probably the better option.

At this point in time, VHS has a dominant lead over Betamax in sales. Sony is a stubborn company, so I'm sure Beta will stick it out for a while longer anyway, but in most likelihood VHS will eventually win the format war.

With that said, if you're really looking for the best picture quality, you should look into laserdisc players. LDs have much higher resolution than either tape format (425 lines). On the downside, laserdisc players can't record. Also, due to their limited capacity of 1 hour per side maximum in CLV format or 30 minutes per side in CAV, most movies need to be broken up to at least 2 or 3 sides. Flipping and swapping discs can be an inconvenience, but it's worth it for the improved picture.

Antenna Input on TV

Q: TV Advisor, I really want to buy a VHS machine, but the back of my TV only has connections for its antenna. Could I still hook up the VHS, or do I need to buy a fancier new TV first?

A: The standard A/V output for most VCRs is the coaxial connection. That's the cable with the spiky end and the screw-on connector. If you head over to your local Radio Shack, you should be able to find an adaptor that will allow you to connect a coaxial cable to your TV's antenna inputs. It shouldn't cost more than a dollar or two.

"Letterbox" Bars

Q: I just bought a copy of 'Manhattan' on laserdisc. I think it's defective. It has weird gray bars covering parts of the picture. I exchanged it at Tower Records for another copy, but still have the same problem. What's going on here? Why can't I see the whole movie? Is my LD player broken?

A: There's nothing wrong with your player or the disc. It turns out that the 'Manhattan' laserdisc is one of the first movies to be released in a new format called "letterbox." They call it that because it kind of looks like you're watching TV through a narrow mail slot.

Apparently, Woody Allen himself requested this. You see, when you go to a movie theater, the screen there is much wider than your TV. The movies are photographed to fit that wide screen. When most movies come to TV or video later, they're put through a process called "pan and scan" where essentially the sides of the picture are cut off so that the middle will fit your TV screen. Sometimes you lose a lot of picture this way, up to half.

The "letterbox" format attempts to compensate for this by shrinking the size of the wide movie image until the whole thing fits on your screen. Of course, that will leave empty space above and below the picture. That's what the bars are. You're actually not losing any picture on the top and bottom; you're getting more on the sides, but the picture has to be smaller.

"Letterbox" may take some getting used to. Give it a try and see if you can learn to ignore the bars. Personally, I think it was a mistake for the people who transferred 'Manhattan' to make the bars gray. I think that's a little distracting. I hope that future movies in the "letterbox" format use black bars instead.

How to Get a CED out of the Case?

Q: I recently picked up a SelectaVision player at a yard sale. I know the format was discontinued recently, but the player was so cheap I couldn't resist. I figure I can collect some inexpensive movies for now while I save up for one of those cassette tape machines. The seller even threw in a few free movies. Here's my problem: I can't figure out how to get the movies out of those darn plastic cases, or how to put them in the player. Help!

A: Actually, you're not supposed to take the CED disc out of its plastic caddy yourself. You insert the whole caddy into the machine. The player will remove the disc, and then you can extract the caddy. When it's time to take out the disc, put the caddy back in the player.

Digital Audio on Laserdisc

Q: I thought laserdisc players could also play CDs? My rich friend has a CD player and likes to rub it in everybody's face. He gave me a Thompson Twins CD for my birthday, even though he knows my family doesn't have that kind of money to buy a CD player. That's like $800! Do you know how many Swatches I could buy for that? Anyway, my school recently got a Pioneer laserdisc player (model LD-V4000). I thought I could listen to the CD on that, but I tried it and it didn't work.

A: In order to play a CD, you'll need a laserdisc player with digital audio capability. CDs are a digital audio format. Unfortunately, not all LD players have that ability.

When the laserdisc format was first created, it only supported analog audio. Digital audio is a recent development. Many movies released on the format these days contain both analog and digital versions of the soundtrack.

With the Pioneer brand, you can tell whether a player supports digital audio by its model number. Digital models will begin with a "CLD" prefix, which indicates that they're CD/LD combi players.

The LD-V4000 is an industrial model sold to corporations and schools. Sadly, the industrial models still do not support digital audio.

The TV Advisor knows many things, but he doesn't know everything. Some questions that the TV Advisor receives are best answered by our readers. If you can help to answer the following question, please send your response in a letter to TV Advisor Headquarters. Your advice and opinions matter too!

Cable TV Remote Control Boxes

Q: We recently had cable TV installed. I can't believe how many channels there are to watch. We have over 30! And the picture is so much less wavy or snowy than it was with our antenna. We just have one problem: when our kids run around the house, they keep tripping over the remote control's cord. I'm afraid they're going to break it. The cable company says they don't make a cordless version. Do you have any tips for what to do with the remote control box so that it's still convenient to change the channel, but not always in the way?

That will conclude our Flashback column. The HD Advisor will be back to his normal schedule with brand new questions and answers next week. If you have home theater questions you need answered, send an email to HDanswers@gmail.com. To browse through previously answered questions, visit the main HD Advisor page. In the meantime, keep those questions coming.

Joshua Zyber's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of this site, its owners or employees.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

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