DVD rot
August 26, 2004
Hi Wes,
Some of my favorite DVDs seem to be getting worse each time
I view them. Have you heard anything about them deteriorating with age?
Rick
Funny you should ask. I haven't really experienced this
myself, but there are reports of a condition called "DVD rot" (alternatively,
"CD rot") that afflicts up to 20% of the discs in the field, according to some
experts.
Some people blame poor manufacturing processes, but
many folks believe that DVD rot is caused by poor handling practices. Everyone knows that
you shouldn't scratch the shiny surface of an optical disc, but few people are aware that
the label side of a disc is most vulnerable. The thin aluminum coating that can be seen
through the polycarbonate of the disc is not applied to the shiny side, but rests under a
microscopic layer of lacquer and ink on the top. That's where damage from piling up CDs
and DVDs usually takes place. There's an article on the phenomenon at CNN.com ....Wes
Phillips
Useless system?
August 19, 2004
Dear Wes,
I do not know if this is in your area of expertise, but I
thought I'd give it a try. I have a Pioneer ES1000DV theater-in-a-box system -- or, had
one until someone stole the subwoofer from my car as I was taking the unit to our condo in
Michigan. Now missing are the cables, subwoofer, and center-channel speaker; I still have
the front/rear speakers, the receiver/DVD unit and display unit. The subwoofer is a
passive unit with two cables with special connectors to the receiver. The center-channel
and remaining speakers connect to the sub. Although the cables can be replaced (at an
absurd cost), Pioneer does not offer a replacement subwoofer. In my e-mail to their
customer support, they tell me the system is utterly useless without the subwoofer, but I
am skeptical (or simply in denial). Is there no way to retrofit a different passive sub to
this system, using modified cables or (if absolutely necessary) replacement cables from
Pioneer? This was an expensive system, and losing the entire system over a subwoofer seems
silly.
Mark
Ouch! I feel for you, my A/V brother.
I tried downloading the ES1000DV manual from Pioneer's
website, but was unsuccessful. It sounds as though the system houses some of its
multichannel circuitry in the subwoofer (which is what I was trying to confirm) and if
that's true, you can't simply replace the subwoofer with an off-the-shelf sub from another
company.
I guess it all depends on how much you're willing to
sink into the ES1000DV system, but one possible solution (assuming you want to stay with
the system and not replace it with an HT receiver, using your current speakers -- at least
for a start) would be to call my friend Peter Green at Sound City (1-800-888-5343), where
the whole system is on sale for $799. If that works out to about the same as Pioneer is
asking to replace the sub and the cables, you'd at least be ahead by having replacements
for the DVD player and speakers. Hope this helps.
Secondhand Marantz
August 17, 2004
Hi Wes,
I've been surfing everywhere trying to find some details on
the Marantz PM-40SE amp.
I have a pair of 50W Technics speakers, and I've seen the
Marantz amp secondhand, so I need to make sure it'll be OK for them.
I've been reading good things about the more expensive
Marantz models, but do you rate this one as well? They want £40 for it (about 60
dollars).
Catherine
I can't find out anything about the Marantz amp either,
but it should drive your speakers just fine. Read my essay "How Many
Watts is That Speaker?" on my companion website www.onhifi.com -- it explains how wattage specifications on
loudspeakers can be deceiving.
I'm sure the Marantz puts out at least 40Wpc and since
I'm not aware of any Technics speakers that should present any kind of funky load to an
average amplifier, I feel certain the Marantz will drive 'em successfully.
Maggies and phamtom center
August 12, 2004
Hello Wes,
I am trying to get audiophile sound on a
real-world budget.
OK, go ahead and laugh now.…
I would like to get some Magnepan MG12s
for my home theater, but I am not sold on the very expensive Magnepan center-channel
speaker -- not to mention that I have never been quite satisfied with the positioning of
the center-channel speaker above or below the screen when listening to certain DVD-As.
So I am thinking about setting up the
MG12s in a quadraphonic arrangement (quad's not dead!) and getting a processor that can do
a phantom center channel and maybe even a phantom back-center channel.
Any experience with this sort of thing?
What do you think of this arrangement? Is there any
way to pass the center channel from DVD-As to the left and right channel? Should I give up
on this expensive and frustrating hobby and join a monastery?
Help me, Brother Wes!
Ernie
Don't flip out -- and don't go into a
monastery unless you really like being surrounded by guys (and frankly, I get enough of
that at my gym's locker room in just a scant few hours every week). Besides, as an old
girlfriend who had thought she'd been called to orders once observed, the cloistered life
is tough on the knees.
No, unless you're dealing with a really
big screen, you should be able to get what you need out of movies using the
phantom-center-channel option. I know quite a few audiophiles who do that now and they
swear by it just as devoutly as they curse center-channels for destroying the symmetry of
their listening rooms.
Besides the Maggies throw such a
solid center image that I suspect you'll never miss the extra speaker.
Of course, DVD-As do present a
problem. There does not seem to be a consensus on mixing multichannel music, but that
means you're going to have some problems with that format no matter what you decide to do.
I reckon you just have to choose the format that you care most about and concentrate on
making it sound good. Everything else will just have to be "good enough."
I haven't seen a "rear phantom
center" option, but I wouldn't obsess about it. The rear center is a nice addition to
surround, but it's nowhere near as important as the front center.
Hang in their brother -- and if you
do decide to renounce your worldly possessions, you can send your current hi-fi and A/V
trinkets to wes@onhometheater.com.
Screen for TV viewing
August 6, 2004
Wes,
I am thinking of getting the InFocus X1
front projector. My living room has three walls with
no windows and a fourth wall that is solid windows from just above the radiator to the
ceiling. I feel like the room is best arranged such
that the TV is in front of this window.
I mostly watch TV when it's dark out, but
not always. On a sunny day, would I even be able to
see the picture? I'd like to use a rigid projection screen -- i.e., one that's in
a rigid frame and could be put on the floor and stand up on its own. Something that would be about the size of a large regular
TV -- 42" to 60" diagonal. I'm more
concerned about the cost of the screen rather than the quality -- anything over the $300
dollar range starts to be a burden.
Any suggestions you have would be greatly
appreciated.
Carter
You don't mention whether or not you
have light-blocking curtains over your wall'o'windows, but that will pretty much answer
you question about daylight watching. No curtains, no daytime TV -- it's pretty much that
simple.
I can't think of any commercially
made screen that's going to meet your price point, but I suspect you can construct
something yourself that will serve. I recommend constructing something out of sheetrock
and painting its surface with an appropriate coating. This site offers some that look promising.
Broadcast flag
August 4, 2004
Hi Wes,
What's this "broadcast flag" I
keep hearing about?
Gil
Basically, the broadcast flag is a
command embedded in digital television broadcasts. If it's set to "true," the
signal is restricted and your recording device is not supposed to let you share it; if
it's set to "false," you can pretty much do anything you want to with the
recording.
For a great tutorial on the broadcast
flag and its implications, go to the Electronic Frontier Foundation website, where Corey
Doctorow has written a superb FAQ on the subject.
By the way, HDTV receivers being sold
now do not have to recognize the broadcast flag -- that won't be the law of the land until
July 2005. Meanwhile, you can buy receivers that don't restrict your fair use of broadcast
material.
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