InFocus issues?
June 18, 2004
To Wes Marshall,
I have just read your
review of the InFocus ScreenPlay 5700, and you don't mention the projector noise, fan,
color wheel, or whatever. I have a 5700 ceiling mounted and find it quite noisy when there
is no loud dialogue or music. My first 5700 lasted 12 weeks, stopped and was replaced. The
current unit has 210 hours up in eight weeks, but it seems a lot louder than the original.
Any ideas? Is it possible to surround the projector with an acoustic enclosure leaving
space for air flow? I agree with your review -- the picture is fantastic and we
particularly like watching the local Australian-rules football on widescreen through a
digital STB. Check out the DVD George Harrison concert, and the R.E.M. concert in Germany.
I would appreciate any comments.
Peter
My setup uses the 5700 as a rear projector, about 26'
from my viewing position with a solid wall between, so my main concern is to check and
make sure the projector is not terribly loud. If it is, I comment on it; if it is not, I
don't. My version of the 5700 has been adequately quiet. In fact, the color wheel is
amongst the most quiet I've tested. In terms of reliability, if I had had any problems
with it, I would have reported them. I have had the projector over six months and have
experienced no problems whatsoever. If you go back and check some of the other reviews
I've written, you'll see that that has not always been the case.
Regarding air flow, I have the review sample dead against
the back wall, sitting at the exact level it requires under the screen. Again, the 5700 is
amongst the most quiet of the projectors I've reviewed.
Thanks for the tip on the George Harrison. I'll check
it....Wes Marshall
ATSC or NTSC tuner in JVC digital recorder?
June 9, 2004
To Wes Marshall,
I enjoyed your
review of the JVC HM-DH40000U. I have a question that you may be able to answer. I
downloaded the user guide for this model from JVC and read it from front to back and it
does not address my question.
Is the tuner in this particular model an NTSC tuner only?
Or does it tune into ATSC broadcast signals and decode them? I live in the Dallas/Fort
Worth area and there are seven live HD stations that I would like to tune into without
having to go the satellite route. I do have my eye on a couple of Motorola ATSC receivers,
but if an ATSC tuner is already built into the JVC, I won't have to purchase as many
components for this system. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Max R. Friz
I wish I could tell you that the '4000 has an ATSC
tuner. If it did, given its price, it would be one of the great bargains in electronics.
As it is, you still have one of the best modes of time shifting available (outside of the
few new DirecTV/TiVo hi-def DVRs) and the only way to buy a Jack Valenti-approved
high-definition film. Alas, the tuner is NTSC only. If you do want to time shift high
definition, make sure your ATSC tuner has a FireWire output that will work with the '4000
and remember that anyone from Food TV to HBO might put a block on recording at some time
in the future....Wes Marshall
Lotsa processors
June 4, 2004
To Wes Marshall,
I've literally been going crazy trying to find the perfect
processor for my home theater for over a year now. Cost being the most important factor,
it's almost impossible to decide between a brand-new Outlaw Model 950 and a used Sunfire
Theater Grand II, Proceed AVM 2, Proceed AVP, Meridian 565, B&K Ref 50, Krell HTS, or
a Lexicon MC-1.
I just came across a new name (Fosgate) and after reading your
review of it published in Home Theater & Sound and watching someone trying
to sell it for $1200 on the Internet, I thought I'd check with you again if you had
anything to add to it. How would you compare it against all the other big boys in the same
price range (used)?
N.S.
I'm a licensed therapist, and I can tell you there is no
cure for upgrade-itis. If you look back at my review of the Fosgate, you'll see a
comparison between it and the Sunfire TG III and the Lexicon MC-1. If price really is the
most important object, I don't think you'd be unhappy with any of the choices you
mentioned. All should sound great.
If I were you, I would concentrate instead on the
features and how well they fit your needs. For instance, are you interested in DVD-A or
SACD? If so, you'll have to have multichannel analog inputs, and I personally, would like
to see some form of bass management for those inputs. Only a couple of the processors you
list can handle that. Would you like to be able to make system changes without firing up
your TV? Then the screen on the Fosgate would be a big help. Do you want maximum
flexibility in connectivity? Then the Lexicon wins out. If your goal is simply great
sound, all have their benefits and the only way you can tell which fits your life best is
to try them out in your home with your associated equipment.
I can't make your decision for you. But, given your
list, if it were me, I would spend a little more and go for a new Fosgate....Wes Marshall
Monopoles for back surrounds
June 2, 2004
To Roger Kanno,
I have a specific question about THX 7.1. If I decide to go
for Definitive Technology speakers, their surrounds are dipole configuration. For 7.1
channels, I read that the back left and right speakers have to be a monopole design. It's
OK if the left and right surround sides are dipole. Why the switch to monopole for the
back surrounds? Is it because you want the user to localize the sound in the back? Why the
confusion? First they tell us that dipole speakers should be used for surround, and now
they’re telling us to switch to monopole for 7.1. Would it be OK to use dipoles for
back surrounds?
Renante Barroga
THX is now recommending monopole back surrounds placed
very close together because of the difficulty in placing dipole surrounds behind the
listener, which would usually result in some listeners being directly in line with the
radiating faces of the dipoles and not others. The configuration of two monopole surrounds
is designed to be used with Advanced Speaker Array (ASA) processing, which is part of the
latest THX Ultra2 specification. ASA processing in combination with this speaker setup is
said to provide a wide sweet spot for the back surrounds for all listeners while
maintaining a diffuse sound (one of the goals of THX for surround channels). For this to
work properly, the monopole back surrounds cannot be too close to the listeners. Dipoles
can also be used for back surrounds, but according to THX, to prevent the listeners from
being directly in line with any of the radiating surfaces, they should be placed very high
above the listeners’ heads.
This is of course an over simplification of surround
speaker placement and THX specifications, as it depends a lot on the configuration of your
room and your preference for how diffuse or localizable you want your surround speakers to
be whether you use all monopole, all dipole, or a combination of both types of
speakers....Roger Kanno
