Archive from 02-11-2007
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:48 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Tesla Roadster in action
Check it out:
http://www.teslamotors.com/engineering/safety.php#swedentests
Too bad I don't play the lottery! ;^)
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 5:29 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Sion: Hey, nothing like answering your own question! ;) I saw the wikpedia web link, but the one I posted below seemed to have more info on it, but not the right kind of info.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:25 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Gar, Popcorn: "About half" is apparently the answer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lossless
(well, that and "42" of course, which is always the answer).
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 5:06 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Sion: Bit rate varys, but "MB" used can be between 9meg and 40meg depending on the size of the song of course. There are better encoders out there but some cases they don't work well with many of the MP3 players that are out there..... FLAC and Monkey's Audio etc...
Not sure if this has the compression ratio on it, but it is a start!
http://web.inter.nl.net/users/hvdh/lossless/lossless.htm
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 4:40 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Cajun_Mike: ah, to a certain point maybe... If you download crap, it will produce crap.. 128k bit downloads sound horrible. But you can take a 60-80gig hardrive and burn the music at the highest bit rate using Apple Lossless or MP3 at 320k and have CD quality, so not sure where you going with that one. ;) As Scott P. pointed out, I am using a very similar setup as he described below.
RGB: Simlar results here, told DirecTV that my HD-Tivo unit died, they sent me a HR20 the next day via FedEx, so I was impressed, now I have both but haven't had time to hook up the HR20 yet.
Sion: Had a chance to play with the Toshiba nice player for the money, but I still fence sitting until I buy a stand alone unit.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:36 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Scott "popcorn": What's the compression ratio of Apple lossless? How many songs could you fit, say, on a CD-R?
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 4:31 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
SACD DVD/A
I have not bought any new ones in awhile. How is the formatt doing? Are the sales supporting continuation of the product?
Scott "popcorn" ( 69.149.17.191 ) at 3:44 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Cajun_Mike: So, an iPod loaded with songs encoded with Apple Lossless and a pair of Grado headphones is a no-go?
Wild Bill ( 72.205.43.44 ) at 3:34 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Cajun_Mike: So, non-portable MP3 players are ok? Just trying to clarify.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:14 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Scott "popcorn": portable MP3 players are for kids. The only time anyone over 25 should be using a MP3 player is to workout. No audiophile should even look at that trash.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 3:08 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
RGB: Oh, I also wanted 2 HD DVR's and that made it more difficult because they only deal on the first one. Dish gave me the first HD DVR free as well as 2 HD receivers and I bought the 2nd HD DVR for $500, and then got $200 in rebate credits to my acct. So it will cost me $300. I've got a buyer for my HD TIVO at $250 so that helps.
It was going to work out the same or $100 more to upgrade with Directv ($199 or $99 for first HD DVR depending on who you talk to, $299 for the 2nd, then $10 off your bill for 10 or 12 months.)
Just wanted to post the deals in case anyone else is dish shopping.
Scott "popcorn" ( 69.149.17.191 ) at 3:03 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Bah... so it looks like an iPhone. I read some posts on that page, and they just don't *get it*... It's not how the iPhone or that phone looks on the outside. It's the functionality of it. The user interface. I promise that that phone doesn't have the multi-touch interface, and therefore is not going to be as easy to use. Also, the iPhone is an MP3 player too... Full function. is that phone? Like I said, some people (the posters) just don't get it. I know you're a sprint customer, but I just had to rant...
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 3:02 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
RGB: I knew people were getting them for $99 and even free but I called 4 times and kept getting the same $199 ($100 off) deal. I have installed 3-4 of the HR20's and everyone of my customers has called back complaining what a POS it is. But I have heard the firmware is getting better. Too little to late for me though. Right now, Dish has more HD and their equipment is working much better than Directv so I felt like it was a decent time to switch. I'm not in a contract with Dish so I can cancel anytime. It's gotten to be like the phone and internet deals. The only way to get the good deals is to cancel and leave for a time, then switch back.
Rob ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 2:57 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
JOE
puppetmaster (aka Joe): As soon as I read that "week's worth", I panicked and thought I sent you the double secret probation stuff......
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 2:46 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
JOE
Rob: Well, it's just an expression, now back to 
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 2:41 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
BC: I got my DTV HR20 HD DVR for $99. I told them Dish was offering me a free HD upgrade including the HD DVR. There have been some issues with the HR20, but I have not had any with mine and the latest firmware update is quite good. I'm personally glad I stayed with DirecTV, but your mileage may vary... :)
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 2:04 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
So I just called Directv to cancel my service. She says she can now give me $100 off the HD DVR price of $299. I tell her first, I was told it would be free to upgrade from my HD TIVO when I got it, second, Dish gave me the first HD DVR free. She then says she can give me $10 off my bill for 12 months, I tell her Dish gave me $20 off my bill. She said their equipment is the most technologically advanced on the market and that's why it's not free. And she said they'd have over 100 HD channels by the end of the year. I laughed and said maybe I'd reconnect when they got all the known bugs worked out on their technologically advanced HD DVR and actually had 100 HD channels.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 1:47 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Not that I know of. Haven't seen JL listed with any of my suppliers.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:16 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
BC: You have any avenues to getting a JLaudio sub?
Rob ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 12:01 PM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
JOE
puppetmaster (aka Joe): Weeks' worth? it's one slide......
It's a good one, but it's one slide.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 11:29 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
JOE
Rob: We are looking at it now, it shows more then a weeks worth of reading.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 11:27 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Highest rated Sprint phone according to Cnet.
http://reviews.cnet.com/Sanyo_M1/4505-6454_7-32177298.html?tag=lst
Smart phone ratings from Cnet.
http://reviews.cnet.com/4323-6525_7-6509102.html?tag=txt
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 11:12 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Gar: that's nice, except I'm a sprint customer. :(
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 11:02 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Onkyo's BR-NX10: if Ginsu made shelf systems
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/09/onkyos-nr-Bx10-if-ginsu-made-shelf-systems/
Gar ( 12.31.48.83 ) at 10:58 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Cajun: here you go......
http://www.samsungblackjack.com/
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:58 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Gar: no, I have had this treo650 for over two years... before that I had a LG flip phone (best phone I have ever had) and before that a Samsung flip phone that I also liked a lot but it was the one that kind of looked like a Star Trek walky talky and as they got older the arms that would flip it up would get weak and break.
Rob ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 10:43 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
JOE
Slide incoming.
Gar ( 12.31.48.83 ) at 10:43 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Cajun: No more like 70%, ;) Have you tried the Black Jack device!
Gar ( 12.31.48.83 ) at 10:41 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Tony C:
Give me a call, I don't have your Cell number with me... Or shoot me a e-mail, I should be done before 12 noon..
Cajun: If that device is anything like the new Samsung phone my company just gave me it is going to suck! ;)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:36 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Tony C:
Gar: and a neighbor has had two of them and they caught fire? LOL
You're my boy, but you seem to have first hand experience with 80% of all the electronics on the market. 
Gar ( 12.31.48.83 ) at 10:26 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Tony C:
Give me a call, I don't have your Cell number with me... Or shoot me a e-mail, I should be done before 12 noon..
Cajun: If that device is anything like the new Samsung phone my company just gave me it is going to suck! ;)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:09 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
I'll immediately toss my Treo 650 if Samsung makes one of these for the U.S. market.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/08/samsung-outdoes-itself-with-ultra-smart-f700/
BC ( 66.142.185.3 ) at 12:12 AM EST Friday, February 9, 2007
Joelc: Sweet. I brought home a 32" LCD to mount in the kitchen. My wife wanted a tv in there but wasn't expecting a 32". lol
Joelc ( 64.229.112.139 ) at 9:07 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Evening gents...been a very busy day between (i) planning for a 10 day business trip which start Sunday (7th out of 8 weekends in a row spent travelling on business) and (ii) wtaching the guys install my 42" plasma displays...sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet is the word that comes to mind...they need some usage before being ISF calibrated but they do look fairly good right out of the box...will tell you more in a two weeks when I am both back and have some screen time...
One problem...the damn thing is so shiny that it, unlike my Sharp LCD, reflects the image/light from my projector...will have to figure out a workaround...
Separate note...I can easily that IF, and it is a bif IF, that 80" plasma become (i) affordable (ii) of reasonable weight so they can be wall mounted and (iii) higher resolution that the day of the front projector is over...probably will never happen!
Chris L. ( 75.67.230.79 ) at 7:53 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Cool Story
Joe: I didn't say it was a true story. : 
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 7:09 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Cool Story
Chris L.: http://www.snopes.com/critters/malice/elephant.asp
Chris L. ( 75.67.230.79 ) at 6:52 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Cool Story
I don't usually post this kind of sappy stuff but this one got to me.
In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young
bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed
distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully.
He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot, and found a large
piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could,
Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant
gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a
rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.
Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled.
Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.
Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Mbemb was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe's legs
and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly. Probably wasn't the same elephant.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 6:20 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Bad Luck!
Geeze... everybody in that story died! Well, except for Smith's daughter... guess she gets the oil inheritance now?
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 5:57 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Bad Luck!
Gar: Yup probabley a overdose
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:42 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
review of toshiba's new hd dvd player
Impressive...
http://hdguru.com/?p=56
Gar ( 12.31.48.83 ) at 5:39 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Bad Luck!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/08/anna.nicole.collapses/index.html
Gar ( 12.31.48.83 ) at 5:25 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Sion: I didn't say it solved any problem. That issue is still trying to be resolved. One of the Reasons I bought a PS3, HDMI out.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 1:35 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Sion: From what I've read, the latest update to the 360 allows 1080p out of component as well as VGA. Problem is most projectors dont' take 1080p in over component.
I could do a VGA to 5 BNC breakout cable but I don't want to buy or run another cable. I'm just testing the BenQ, it's going in an install soon.
I need to check the manual on the BenQ to make sure it doesn't take 1080p over component. I haven't tried it that way. I currently have component running to my receiver, then that is converted to HDMI in the receiver before going to the projector.
But I am planning on getting the new JVC so I may get the Gefen convertor if I decide I really want 1080p out of the xbox.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:14 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
BC: Here's what you need,
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=3569
Unfortunately it's got an SRP of $200.
Here's a discussion with the manufacturer on the specs:
http://forum.gefen.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1157
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:13 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Gar: That doesn't solve the problem, that cable is just a VGA cable for the x360. He needs to convert VGA to HDMI, which requires an analog to digital conversion. A cable alone won't do.
Gar ( 12.31.48.83 ) at 1:04 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
BC: This might work!
http://hardware.teamxbox.com/reviews/xbox-360/56/Monster-Cable-GameLink-360-VGA-AV-Cable/p1/
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 12:52 PM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
BC: BNCx5 *is* VGA, and vice-versa. So all you need for the benq w9000 then would be a VGA breakout cable, which converts the DB15 plug into 5 BNC connectors. The signal is identical.
AFAIK, HDMI has no capacity to pass an analog signal, unlike DVI. So, you could NOT go VGA->DVI->HDMI, as the VGA signal is analog only, and the HDMI signal is digial only.
As for your "next" projector, I'm curious as to why they listed "VGA 60Hz" under digital video input formats. VGA is analog.
It's also weird that the x360 outputs 1080p only over VGA. Are you sure about that? (actually I didn't even know it supported 1080p at all.)
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 11:37 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
BC: Thanks, I should have thought of Furman. I am pretty much set on which balanced power system to get. Now I just have to explain why that $50 Tripplite is not the same, to the wife.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 11:30 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
puppetmaster (aka Joe): http://www.furmansound.com/products/pro/pwr_cond_seq/rel/rel5.php
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 11:25 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Sion: And how about this: the next projector I'm getting has no VGA input, only HDMI , Comp and RGB. It only supports 1080p over a digital connection.
From the manual:
Analog Video Input Format 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p/50 Hz, 720p/60 Hz, 1080i/50 Hz, 1080i/60 Hz
Digital Video Input Format
480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p/50 Hz, 720p/60 Hz, 1080i/50 Hz, 1080i/60 Hz,
1080p/24 Hz, 1080p/50 Hz, 1080p/60 Hz, VGA 60Hz
Since the XBOX outputs 1080p only via VGA which is analog, there is basically no way to display 1080p based on the above specs, right?
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 11:17 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Sion: It has an HDMI, not a DVI. I was thinking go VGA to DVI to HDMI. I'm trying to not have to run another cable to the projector. Right now I have component and HDMI only. I'm not sure what resolutions the projector supports on what inputs yet. Obviously, HDMI will support 1080p but do the RGB inputs traditionally take it? This is my first go round with 1080p, time to get up to speed.
Here are the inputs on the projector (BenQ W9000)
Analog RGB :BNC x 5 (shared)
Digital: HDMI (with HDCP)x 1
Composite Video: RCA x 1
S-Video: Mini DIN 4 pin x 1
Component Video 1: RCA x 3
Component Video 2: BNC x 3 (shared)
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 10:43 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Good Morning
I think I have my equipment rearrange figured out. Now what I need to move forward is a "trigger device" to plug my small kenwood amp into, to turn it on when I turn on the pre/pro.
The amp is, 20 years old and it is used for the floor transducers. I have output triggers on the Pre/Pro, to send the signal.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:41 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Steve Jobs...
A man of few words?
http://tinyurl.com/2gs6rp
LOL...
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:17 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
BC: Is the DLP you're testing capable of accepting an analog 1080p signal over the DVI port, or must it be digital? As was recently discussed here, DVI cables can carry the VGA signal, but it's still a VGA signal (which by definition is analog), just with a different plug.
Otherwise, I don't know of any easy way to convert a 1080p VGA (analog) signal to a digital DVI signal.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 10:01 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
This year, Marantz shrunk the receivers down (with the exception of the SR9600). All are 14" deep now.
Gar - Do you have the VGA cable for the Xbox 360 HD DVD? Can you convert the VGA to component or DVI without any issue? I've got a 1080p dlp I'm testing here and want to send it a 1080p feed. I didn't realize it only output 1080p over VGA and that it wasn't included with the HD DVD drive.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 9:45 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
DirecTV boxes
Wild Bill: ...that's why when my Dad recently switched satellite providers, I made him swear he wouldn't get rid of his Samsung DirecTV box and his (my old) RCA DTC100... :-) Both still work, and the Samsung has HDCP over DVI I think, so it should be good for a while.
Wild Bill ( 72.205.43.44 ) at 9:03 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Joe: One reason I didn't carry Marantz receivers in the past was because once you got past a certain price point the receiver was simply too big to fit into a Middle Atlantic rack.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 9:02 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Tony C:: Thanks for checking. Tell him to make me an offer.
Wild Bill ( 72.205.43.44 ) at 9:00 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Tony C:: All DirecTV boxes are leased now. You cannot buy one anymore. All boxes now carry the DirecTV label and third party boxes are a thing of the past.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 8:53 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Tony C:: Thanks for checking. Tell him to make me an offer.
Joelc ( 64.229.112.139 ) at 5:19 AM EST Thursday, February 8, 2007
Good morning gang...
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 10:27 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Hey Tony!
Gar: I was traveling yesterday. Travel day from hell actually.
I'll call the Westin in the morning.
I think you have my cell number.
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 10:19 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
BC: My friend who would be interested called DRTV and they said that they would "lease" him one for $300.
If it needs to be replaced, it's free.
However he knows it was going for $750.
I'll see what he says.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 10:07 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
... yes I'm exhausted after being on the road all day. Corrections:
- 1 notebook per reviewer x 75 reviewers
- LOL A thinly veiled BRIBE (this is why auto spell checkers are evil)
- could not sell anything BUT a Vista upgrade coupon
Time for a swim ... outside!
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:59 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Vista
T-Man: I'm sure there are warehouses full of notebooks with Vista preinstalled. Dell and all other manufacturers could not sell anything a Vista upgrade coupon prior to last week's OS release date.
The reasons that you want Visa preinstalled are many. Less likelyhood of drama vs the upgrade path. Microsoft themselves gifted 75 high-end $3K Ferrari notebooks to 75 selected bloggers with Vista on 'em for review purposes aka: a thinly veiled bride, the lucky f*ckers.
There's a reason this was the preferred reviewer experience.
Ron H ( 67.10.31.69 ) at 9:21 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Vista
T-Man: Some machines with XP are offering a free upgrade to Vista.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 9:03 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Apology to all...
Sion: No problems
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 8:14 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Apology to all...
I've been thinking about my last post to Cajun Mike. I'd like to apologize to everyone, including Mike. I think it was a little over the top. I admit I have got a kick out of pushing his buttons sometimes, but there's fun, and there's too far. A while back I had told my self that I would only respond to insults from him, and not prompt or incite arguments. But even that isn't really enough. I'll try to let unfounded, baseless comments and insults slide in the future.
AVB ( 67.142.130.39 ) at 7:57 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
DV-05
Sion: Funny you should mention that DV-05. Ron got one for me at the same time he got his and I just hooked it up to a spare TV last week. Works just fine.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 7:43 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Vista
T-Man: At work they are upgrading our systems to XP, so then they can upgrade to Vista.
T-Man ( 71.240.10.126 ) at 7:37 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Vista
Sion: Up until Feb 1 at least, Dell was building them with XP and offering a free upgrade to Vista (sent to you) when it was released. Anyway, thanks for the input.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 7:14 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
I stopped at a local dealer today on the way home. I have not been in this place in at least five years. They have redone the entire store. They changed some product lines. Instead of Pioneer displays, they now have JVC. They redone the projector room and went and added InFocus.
They now carry Furman products and Anthem. They still have a room full of VMPS speakers, but now it is set up for two channel. Plus they have an in house tech, that use to work across town. I mentioned my Rotel problem and the owner said no problem. Now this tech, I know has worked on Rotel, since his other store carried it. However after they stopped, he could not work on it anymore, strange.
So I got a price on a Furman Reference IT-20. I have to stop back in a few days and talk to the "techie guy" to explain my problem and see what he suggest. In this depressed town, where everything is closing, it was nice to see a nice store.
Oh and man, those Marantz recievers are huge.
Rob ( 69.58.166.115 ) at 5:13 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Ummm Houston? We have a problem
puppetmaster (aka Joe): I'll email it to you in a bit.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 4:32 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Ummm Houston? We have a problem
Rob: Kewl, I am sitting at work looking at stuff to spend my tax return on. I keep saying "saving is the responseable thing to do" as I flip from page to page :)
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:22 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Funny
Dictionary for women's personal ads:
1.40-ish - 49
2. Adventurous - Slept with everyone
3. Athletic - No tits
4. Average looking - Ugly
5. Beautiful - Pathological liar
6. Contagious smile - Probably contagious other things...
7. Emotionally secure - On medication
8. Feminist - Men have done me wrong (see “friendship first”)
9. Free spirit - Junkie
10. Friendship first - I have baggage
11. Fun - Annoying
12. New Age - Body hair in the wrong places
13. Open-minded - Desperate
14. Outgoing - Loud and embarrassing
15. Passionate - Sloppy drunk
16. Professional - Bitch
17. Voluptuous - Fat
18. Large frame - Hugely fat
19. Seeking soul mate – I’m a possessive stalker
20. Single – Tired of the relationship I’m currently in
WOMEN'S ENGLISH
1. Yes = No
2. No = Yes
3. Maybe = No
4. We need = I want
5. I am sorry = You'll be sorry
6. We need to talk = You're in trouble
7. Sure, go ahead = You better not
8. Do what you want = You will pay for this later
9. I am not upset = Of course I am upset, you moron!
10. You're very attentive tonight = Is sex all you ever think about?
MEN'S ENGLISH
1. I am hungry = I am hungry
2. I am sleepy = I am sleepy
3. I am tired = I am tired
4. Nice dress = Nice cleavage!
5. I love you = Let's have sex now
6. I am bored = Do you want to have sex?
7. May I have this dance? = I'd like to have sex with you
8. Can I call you sometime? = I'd like to have sex with you
9. Do you want to go to a movie? = I'd like to have sex with you
10. Can I take you out to dinner? = I'd like to have sex with you
11. Those shoes don't go with that outfit = I'm gay
Rob ( 69.58.166.115 ) at 4:16 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Ummm Houston? We have a problem
puppetmaster (aka Joe): I'll email it to you in a bit.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 4:01 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Ummm Houston? We have a problem
Rob: Hey guy, you mentioned a chart that shows the drop off LCD movement performance, comapared to a plasma. Any way to share that or is it propriatary information?
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 3:59 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
BC
YGM
Rob ( 69.58.166.115 ) at 3:46 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Ummm Houston? We have a problem
Sion: Not only did we pay for her career, but now we get to pay for her "retirement" in jail. Full circle baby!
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 12:04 PM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Ron H: Howdy Ron. Long time. I just was chatting the other day with my buddy who bought your pioneer dv-05 dvd player the other day. It's still going strong in his HT! That was, what? like summer 2000 or so?
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:46 AM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Vista
T-Man: Where can you buy a brand new laptop today that has XP installed on it? If it has XP, then it's at least 2 months old already.
As Curtis and I said, if you're looking for a NEW laptop, then don't worry about and just go with Vista. Since you'll be getting a high end machine, Vista will likely run wonderfully on it, and look amazing.
I would try to hold off on putting TOO much stuff on it until service pack 1 comes from MS though. Maybe just the minimum of work apps until then. MS is already working on SP1, in fact they started work on it before Vista was released!
T-Man ( 4.155.126.205 ) at 11:22 AM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Vista
Thanks for the input on Vista. My situation is that I am looking to buy a new laptop any time now. My old one works, but I keep having issues with it so I thought I'd put it into semi-retirement. Looking to spend around $2500 and it will be used for my business. I will go fairly high end on most options. Not interested in mac as my partner and I have always used PCs and want to continue to do so. Business needs are fairly basic applications. I also use this for personal use and more or less no one else in the family uses it. Any gaming I do is fairly minimal.
My issue is I can buy a new one today and have XP on it and install Vista when I'm ready. Really would prefer to have it installed on the machine when I buy it. Cleaner, neater and less chance for me to screw it up. Just seems to me that it makes sense to have it pre-installed.
Anyway, thanks for the input. If I wait much longer the decision will be made for me as they will all have Vista on them I suppose, like it or not.
Ron H ( 63.241.244.1 ) at 11:14 AM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Hey guys
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:09 AM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Joe Kane: an apology
Curtis: LOL! ;^)
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 10:11 AM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Joe Kane: an apology
Joe Kane: Hey man I'm very sorry. Had a rough day yesterday and just lashed out for no reason.
All other HTOCer's: What, you don't think he lurks here ALL THE TIME to pickup expert tips from us?!!
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 9:52 AM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Joe Kane to HD fans: "NO BLU-RAY FOR YOU!!!"
Gar, Curtis, et al: To be fair, I made more out of it with my topic headline than the article did. Kane has not said there *won't* be a BRD version (not that I know of anyway)... there's just been no mention of it.
Joelc ( 64.229.112.139 ) at 5:52 AM EST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Good morning gang...
BC ( 66.142.185.3 ) at 8:45 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
BC
Joe: Yep, email is correct on the members page.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 6:51 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Joe Kane to HD fans: "NO BLU-RAY FOR YOU!!!"
Gar: Joe's a stinky breathed ho for ad money like most other outside supported sites ... a brilliant one but oh that aroma.
Gar ( 12.31.48.83 ) at 6:40 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Joe Kane to HD fans: "NO BLU-RAY FOR YOU!!!"
Sion: Kind of ironic web page to that post on HD-DVD and Joe Kane, they have the new ad for
James Bond on Blu-Ray right in the middle of the page!
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 6:35 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Steve Jobs on DRM
Sion: That would be wonderful for all consumers.
I highly doubt the big 4 music labels & the RIAA will agree to it without a great deal of pressure from all sides, because they are already getting an OK revenue stream from copy protected downloads - or they would want a lot more $$ per download by assuming that for every legit purchased song there will be x pirated copies of it.
Gar ( 12.31.48.83 ) at 6:13 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Hey Tony!
Yes, I am at the Rosemont Westin. I will give you a call on Tuesday, I have the stand in my new Mini-Van, lucky for me I might get a new Camary 2007 out of the deal since this fricking thing hasn't started too well, since its been this cold.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 6:03 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Ummm Houston? We have a problem
Curtis: Well, when I applied, a Naval Academy B.S. degree (she was an Annapolis grad) was worth about $150,000, and that was in 1991. I think I remember reading somewhere, sometime that flight school alone (if you go all the way to tactical jets) is worth about $500,000 to a million. Nowak spent about 8 years as a pilot for the Navy, plus another 10 years working for NASA before her first flight (began training in 1996, first flight 2006). So, I'm going to guess ... $10-15 mil for the cost of her career for the Navy & NASA combined.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 5:49 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
How do we upload pic's again?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 5:00 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Ummm Houston? We have a problem
Sion: She's going to love this country even more if she gets to take all of the TeeVee movie profits straight to the bank. I have heard some truly shocking figures of how much of U.S. taxpayer funds it costs today to fully train an astronaut all the way through a Space Shuttle mission. Care to guess how much that is? Anyone??
What a splendid role model for girls & young women making career decisions early enough in their educations who are interested in science/ math/ space exploration this nut case is.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 3:40 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Joe Kane to HD fans: "NO BLU-RAY FOR YOU!!!"
...not yet anyway:
HD-DVD version of Digital Video Essentials due Feb. 27 2007... no word on any blue ray possibilities.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 3:20 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Steve Jobs on DRM
Very interesting...
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/06/a-letter-from-steve-jobs-on-drm-lets-get-rid-of-it/
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:30 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Ummm Houston? We have a problem
Curtis: $100,000,000 bucks says that this story is a made-for-TV-movie before her verdict is handed down. LOL.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:26 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
The INTERNET? What the F#$& is the INTERNET???
Cajun_Mike: You know what's really hard to believe, is that a moronic sociopath like yourself ever got into college. Did you actually finish? Your posts exhibit such dim-wittedness that you give in-bred southerners a bad name.
School = in session:
Mike, quit picking your nose, keep your hands out of your pants, and listen up:
"bipolar" - also known as manic/depressive disorder. A psychiatric condition characterized by long periods of deep depression, followed by long periods of "mania", where the individual is happy/joyful/excited. Not to be confused with multiple personality disorder.
"public forum" - A location for open discussion about a variety of topics, open to all comers. "Registration" may be required, which does not negate the public nature of the forum, so long as no group or class of individuals is categorically refused admission. Collection of voluntary support fees also does not negate the public nature of the forum. Most important in understanding what makes a forum public, is that it is viewable/observable by all. For example many sessions of Congress, thanks to C-SPAN, are public, despite that not anyone can participate.
"conscious" - adjective. Aware of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc. Not to be confused with "conscience"
"conscience" - noun. The inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action: to follow the dictates of conscience.
"Future jail bird" - An individual who brags about illegal activities on a "public forum". Such behavior is often an indication of suppressed homosexual desires, and fantasies about being "Bubba's biatch" in a 10'x10' concrete jail cell for five-to-ten.
I'd go on, but I think that five new terms just about maxes out Mike's capacity for new information. Class dismissed.
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 2:06 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Lies, Damned Lies, and Bill Gates
Curtis: There is something not right with that boy's head... 
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:00 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Vista
Curtis: I mis-read T-Man's post, thought he was talking about upgrading... I realized that half way through writing my post, which is why I then said that if he's buying a new pc, then it'd be fine.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 12:51 PM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Well I am at home today. Yesterday I had had our taxes done, a nice retunr on it's way. This morning I had a Stress Echocardiogram. That was interesting, but the walking to the parking lot with my wet hair and sweat in sub-zero temps, that was stupid.
I coudl have gone back to work, but well I had to come home and watch Heros.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 11:49 AM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
BC
Is your E-mail correct on the members page?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 11:13 AM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Ummm Houston? We have a problem
Top of the morning gents.
Have you guys seen this yet? I thought NASA carefully screened out all potential psychos in the astronaut program ... she may have slipped under the radar of those tests just a tiny bit?
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2007-02-06T144649Z_01_N05320234_RTRIDST_0_SCIENCE-USA-ASTRONAUTS-DC.XML&WTmodLoc=SciHealth-C3-Science-4
BC ( 66.142.185.3 ) at 8:34 AM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Good morning guys.
HD TIVO - Just based on what I saw on ebay, I was thinking $300 shipped. Let me know if interested (or you think that's too high).
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 8:32 AM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Good morning gang...
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:38 AM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Lies, Damned Lies, and Bill Gates
It's hard to believe that Gates is this out of touch, but check out his take on things. Below was lifted from www.DaringFireball.net published Friday, 2 February 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In his interview with Bill Gates in Newsweek, Steven Levy pointed out that many of the new features in Windows Vista are similar to features already in Mac OS X. Gates’s response:
I mean, it’s fascinating, maybe we shouldn’t have showed so publicly the stuff we were doing, because we knew how long the new security base was going to take us to get done. Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine. So, yes, it took us longer, and they had what we were doing, user interface-wise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He is saying that THEY came up with most of the OS X-ish features that have been around for 6 years on many releases of OS X ... it just took them a long time to REALEASE them. Apple swiped everything from them.
The Mac total control exploit is total bullshit, as is the every single day claim. To date there is no such thing. Go back to giving your money away with your old lady, Bill.
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 12:18 AM EST Tuesday, February 6, 2007
T-Man: Basically, if you wrap up everything everyone has said so far, and put it in a blender (adding my two cents worth too)... DEPENDING what applications you use, and what you use your notebook for, you should seriously check out a Macbook Pro, and then add Vista later (after a service pack... and if you decide at that time you still need it after using OS X ) What might help us all spend your computing dollar is to tell us what you use the computer for, and what all apps you want to run :)
Tony C ( 216.144.213.92 ) at 9:40 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
T-Man: Since all the reviews I read on Vista were kind of ho-hum, I'd wiat a while.
If fact, I was very tempted Saturday when I was in a Comp USA store and they were selling all computers with XP at a good discount. Why not?
Tony C ( 216.144.213.92 ) at 9:34 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
BC: I have a buddy who's on the waiting list for a DTV HD Tivo.
What are you askking for it?
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 9:26 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
The INTERNET? What the F#$& is the INTERNET???
Sion: Your political party flip-flops match your bipolar and douchebag nature. I know you didn’t pay your HTOC dues. You are also wrong. This is not a public forum, it is a private forum.
While you refuse to admit publicly that you didn’t pay for 2007 and last year you claimed that you couldn’t afford it because you were a thirty-something student, those of us who are productive continue to foot the bill.
Maybe next year, you'll have made something of yourself professionally so that you can participate here with a clear conscious. Oh, never mind, you do that anyway because mooches like you have no problem walking away from the table when the waitress brings the check.
Your political party flip-flops match your bipolar and douchebag nature. I know you didn’t pay your HTOC dues. You are also wrong. This is not a public forum, it is a private forum.
While you refuse to admit publicly that you didn’t pay for 2007 and last year you claimed that you couldn’t afford it because you were a thirty-something student, those of us who are productive continue to foot the bill.
Maybe next year, you'll have made something of yourself professionally so that you can participate here with a clear conscious. Oh, never mind, you do that anyway because mooches like you have no problem walking away from the table when the waitress brings the check.
When I was in college, there was a guy like you by the name of Joey. He was a Grade-A mooch, just like you. He never bought his own toiletries; he used everyone else’s instead.
We took care of him though.
Everyone was told not to use the shampoo in the shower. Half the bottle was poured out and replaced with urine. For a solid week ole Joey shampooed his hair with that special lather.
Each day, we would walk up to Joey on campus and say, "Joey, gee your hair smells terrific." When he finally learned what happened, he never used anyone’s stuff again.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:00 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Vista
Sion: I'm confused now bro. Didn't T-Man say he was buying a new computer vs upgrading to Vista? Are you suggesting he wait out buying the computer AT ALL for SP1? That could take some time judging by how late (very) MS was to market with Vista. Or not. 5 years + $6 billion dollars to develop Vista ... an pretty upgrade yet an embarrassment to American software engineering IMHO because many important planned parts of it were abandoned. I agree there is little reason for most users to switch till 2014 (part free, part pay for the pleasure), or whatever date MS recently extended support for XP - because it's not really doing anything folks need, or new for that matter.
90+% monopolies with the cash to play in any sandbox they please is what makes this country grand. You think Grandma is going to switch to Linux?
For upgraders I couldn't agree more - wait until SP1 is released 'cause you know version 1.0 of anything is going to be buggy. The Vista Ultimate upgrade flavor I performed for a friend was actually a requirement of a windows application developer ... though their app seems to run fine under XP on both a fast PC and fast Mac Pro w/BootCamp.
Trav ( 72.90.97.119 ) at 8:40 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
BC: How much you looking for the D* HD Tivo unit?
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 7:42 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Joelc: Yup that was great, all gazllion times. Did I mention I have a 5 year old and a TIVO....Lets see the bunny and mouse again Daddy.
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 7:20 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Tony C: best superbowl add was the Blockbuster ad at the start of the game where a couple of animals (can not remember what they were) were trying to their mouse to work but the mouse was actually a "real mouse"...that and the snickers commercial were great!
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 7:02 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Curtis: Almost always the deep discount coupons for Dell apply to all levels of a given product. It's just that you get more % discount if the initial price is less, obviously.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 7:00 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Curtis: "Ultimate" is the top version of Vista. "Aero" is available on lesser versions, if you have the hardware to support it (fast cpu, fast graphics card capable of directx10, and lots of ram).
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 6:57 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
T-Man: Absolutely, positively, with out a doubt, wait for the first service pack for Vista from Microsoft. It'll be out soon enough. In the mean time, Vista doesn't really provide anything over XP that you can't live without, assuming your XP machine is still running well.
If you're buying a new machine, then you have no choice but to go with Vista, in which case it will be fine. But as for UPGRADING from xp to vista on a machine that's running xp fine, there's just no reason to do it yet.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 6:54 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
The INTERNET? What the F#$& is the INTERNET???
Cajun_Mike: Thanks for the compliment. As for dues, you'll never know, because my finances are none of your business, and it doesn't matter if someone pays or not, this is a public forum. Really, this forum is Socialism at it's best. Those who can afford, pay; those who can't don't, but all get equal use. Isn't that great? Don't you feel warm and fuzzy for supporting an idealistic socialist forum, Mike? And you call me a leftist, you Commie!!!
As for my political views, I've stated numerous times that I vote Republican more often than not. McCain has a good chance of getting my vote. Unfortunately G.W.B. forced me to register as a Dem last time, so now I won't be able to vote for McCain in the primary next year. I voted for McCain in 2000, and would have voted for him over Gore had he won the primary.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 5:52 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
T-Man: Been wondering where you slipped off too. Welcome back.
My $0.02 worth re Vista. Give us a price range you're budgeting for the new notebook PC. If you can swing some pretty serious hardware then I suggest getting the full Aero version of Vista. It's a lot more secure, IMHO, than XP if only because 1) it hasn't been out long enough for malware to be written against it and 2) the OS locks down a lot of prior security holes.
The Areo version of Vista is the one you want if it's in the price ballpark (I forget the MS product name - just that it's the most expensive 64 bit version of V), has a VERY HANDSOME user interface, regardless of where they got the ideas for it.
If I were you AND I had the budget I would buy a MacBook Pro without hesitation. They run Vista beautifully as well as another, unmentionable OS ;-) There are always Dell's and you don't have to look far to find steep discount coupons (too often only applies to the entry level machines on their notebooks that I wouldn't want to own)
Now they Do have a $4K Dell notebook with an HD burner. Shall I order one for you?!!!
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 4:57 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
BC: My partner at work has the Dish HD DVR stuff. He is real happy with it. He is a very educated engineer type that researchs everything to the last detail and that was what he picked over D* TV. FWIW
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 4:55 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
repeat for BC
If I recall you are a Furman dealer, so a couple questions, or for anyone. What is the differance between the IT-20-II, IT Reference 20 and the IT Reference 20i?
Is this a case of the Reference lines simply adding the protection circuits in for the Telco and Cable/Sat inputs? If so do these circuits justify the added cost. It seems reatil was ~1k more between the IT-20 and the Reference line.
If a person was to use a 20, could they use one of the plugs to connect a power strip. This power strip would power equipment, whose cords are not long enough to reach the main unit. This equipment would be low power stuff, like Sat/DVR, video amp, channel modulator, active crossover, 100w transducers amp and a 300 disc DVD changer.
The data sheets claim they have 9amp RMS with a 80amp reserve for high power amps and subwoofers. Would one of these units handle a Rotel RMB-1095 and a SVS sub at the same time? Is it really needed or wuodl the next size down the 15 amp one work, given the actual current demands are up nad down and not so much continous?
The data sheets claim there is no cross channel noise. Is this true in your experiance, or do the large amps interfer with video displays?
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 4:44 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Well, I decided to dump Directv and give Dish Network a try. They are coming out on Wed. to install. I'm getting 2 HD DVR's and 2 HD receivers. Keeping my fingers crossed that I don't regret it.
Anyone need a Direct HD Tivo?
T-Man ( 71.240.10.126 ) at 4:33 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Hey all. Been a few months since I posted. Serious compuer issues and lost my password. Found it the other day on an old laptop. Anyway I'm in the process of getting a new laptop and wondering if anyone has used Vista yet. Hate to be on the front end of a major new release, but new machine will obviously have it. Have my current "good" laptop up and running with a refurbished mother board but don't want to rely on it for long and I am due for a new machine anyway.
Any thoughts on Vista, and if I should wait a little longer to get a new machine, would be appreciated.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:42 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
The INTERNET? What the F#$& is the INTERNET???
Sion: you're a left wing douchebag. Sent in your HTOC dues yet?
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:36 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
The INTERNET? What the F#$& is the INTERNET???
Cajun_Mike:Gore being a player or major player in funding of internet technologies while a Senator is a long way from him being able to claim, "I invented the internet"."
And when exactly did he ever utter the words, "I invented the internet"?? Oh, right, he didn't. His exact words were quoted by Big Al a few posts back. Read on.
Bush is a crackpot, plain and simple. His administration is full of distortions and half-truths about everything. But I'm sure half-wits like you believe every ounce of it.
I'd love to hear what you and your boyfriend Rush have to say about the latest international report on climate change, written and endorsed by an international non-partisan panel of scientists, economists, politicians and business leaders, which states that with at least 90% certainty, humans are a significant contributing factor for climate change.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:12 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Triad
Wild Bill: Thanks for the info. A Triad dealer in Baton Rouge is going to have the Triad Gold Monitors setup for me to hear this week. Scarpelli says the In-Room Gold LCR's are about 90% of what the Gold Monitors are for half the price. Plus the Gold LCR's are more geared for a seamless front soundstage as you can get all three speakers to match. Scarpelli also recommended the In-ceiling Omni Gold SE's for my room because the SE's will use all scanspeak drivers... while not the same ones in the LCR's... still from the same family.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 12:02 PM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Wii Tennis: Conan O'Brien Vs. Serena Williams
Cajun_Mike: Crap, they removed it...
Wild Bill ( 72.205.43.44 ) at 11:01 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Triad
Cajun_Mike: Sorry, I didn't respond earlier. As you indicated I tend to get on infrequently and don't do full reads when I do.
I can't tell you anything about the speaker due out in a few months. I wait until they're out and see if they fit the applications I sell.
The Triad InRoom and InWall (which I personally own) Golds are wonderful loudspeakers. They're clean, articulate well and have good bass response to about 60hz. However, speakers are highly subjective and you really do need to listen before purchasing. I know this is tough in your area. I like Triads because they use the highest quality drivers available (custom drivers from ScanSpeak, Seas and Vifa)and I an a big fan of silk dome tweeters. The ringing that is present from speakers with metal tweeters literally gives me a headache if I listen to them too long. The smoothness of the tweeters used by Triad is just the thing for MY ears.
I've also never had a complaint from a client about Triads speakers. 99% of my sales are of their InWall and InCeiling series.
You indicated that you've spoken with Paul Scarpelli. He's a decent, honest guy and I think he'd give you good guidance on your speaker choice.
Hope this helped.
Wild Bill ( 72.205.43.44 ) at 10:55 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Blockbuster
puppetmaster (aka Joe): Rock, paper, scissors won for me. That was a hilarious ad.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:24 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
SB Ads are online
http://www.youtube.com/browse?s=sb
There goes office productivity.
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 8:41 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Blockbuster
puppetmaster (aka Joe): Those were good.
I really liked what i think was the first commercial. The one with Martha Stewart.
And...I almost jumped out of my chair when I saw Letterman with his arm around Oprah! I don't even think that was a commercial, but funny.
I also liked the first "fan created" commercial.
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 8:37 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Gar: Thanks. My office is not too far from that Westin (Rosemont?)
So just let me know what's convenient for you.
I get back Tuesday night.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 8:13 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Blockbuster
I thought the Pet shop ad, with the bunny using the mouse was the best ad. The rock to the forehead was a close second.
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 12:39 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Curtis: You got that right, nothing like a good HDTV feed for free, and in most cases it is the best looking signal of them all.
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 12:37 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Wii
Cajun_Mike: I saw that episode, pretty funny. It is very fun to play, minus the lack luster graphics, but who cares when your having fun. If you want plain family fun, this is the game console to play. If you want mind blowing graphics and want to put your new HDTV to the test, the Xbox 360 or PS3 is the way to go. My sons, love the bowling/baseball/tennis etc on Wii sports, but they really like Excite Truck.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:33 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
... my POINT is: the Hitachi plasma looked terrific. Watched some SD-DVD stuff. Not a single glitch. Colors, gray scale, detail were as they should look. Great black levels. No problem in the brightly lit room with guests at extreme off center seats.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy one and will point local consumers to this guy's house for demos.
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 12:31 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Joelc: I know it is a long way, hence that is why I just bought a receiver a couple months back. Wishful thinking on my part, Cajun is still waiting for one of these. ;) And HDMI 1.3 most likely even won't hit next year at the CES, so it could be a long time.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:23 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Hitachi 50" plasma
Robert: Watched the SB on a brand new Directors Series. The owner was demoralized because the DirecTV installer did not dial in all sats properly. CBS HD via DirecTV was horribly pixelated/unwatchable so he had resigned himself to showing it to 25 guests in SD.
An hour before his party began I picked up a $20 Rat Shack antenna. Popped it into his DTV HD Tivo's ant. input. Recpeption came in great. Did a quick calibration with Video Essentials. His 65" Mits HDRP CRT was in the same room so we had that going too. He almost showed tears of joy.
Has anyone noticed that the general population knows nothing about OTA digital TV availability? Everyone thought I was making up the fact that the HD signal they were watching was free.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:11 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Super Bowl
Tony C: The opening kickoff was great. Despite all kinds of lost turnovers the Bears were still in it near the end. Then the soft/loopy/under thrown easy interceptions, the pure boneheaded ultra conservative play calling, non-clock management all did them in.
But the commercials were OK?!
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:08 AM EST Monday, February 5, 2007
Wii Tennis: Conan O'Brien Vs. Serena Williams
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jx90XuBZdD8
Joelc ( 64.229.112.139 ) at 11:46 PM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Tony C: Sorry man..I was routing for the guys wearing GSH..
Gar: A fully speced HDMI 1.3 pre/pro is a long way off as the spec itself is not fully finalized...don't belive me then head over to the Theta Digital website where they explain the current status...to me it will be Q3/Q4 at the earliest that we will see such a device...also remmeber that to the extent that the decoding is done in the source then HDMI 1.1 amd 1.2 will surfice as they have the capability of carrying the decoded audio stream.
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 11:44 PM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Interesting Read!
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391726/index.htm
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 11:38 PM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Tony C: Well wish they would have one, Yes this is true. Torn but was rooting for the division in the end. ;) Well some good news at least for GB, #4 is back. And with a decent line behind him and a good defense who knows, beats the 2 horrible backup QBs we have! I will throw stand in the back of the van and give you a call on Thursday.
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 11:32 PM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Super Bowl
Gar: I'm happy for Payton Manning. Just wish it would have been another year. Yeah, Rex is young and stupid. Two fumbles from the snap, two badly thrown passes that ended being returned for touchdowns.
That game should have been a much higher point spread.
YES! I want the stand. I had people over tonight and was embarassed by my step ladder. Friday is great. I'll be in Ann Arober Monday and Tuesday and home for the rest of the week.
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 11:21 PM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Super Bowl
Any thoughts on SD or HDTV broadcast? I thought CBS did a crappy job of coverage. They should have tried to wipe off there lenses but it didn't seem to be a priority for them. Also, too bad the Bears Offense is what I expected, defense played decent for the first half.. New QB, and things might look up Chicagoland, speaking of Chicago!
Tony C: Will be down at the Westin near the Airport for the next 4 days, if you want I can see if we can hook up for a late lunch on Friday so I can get you that speaker stand if you want it.
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 11:19 PM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Super Bowl
Any on SD and HDTV, I thought CBS did a crappy job of coverage. They should have tried to wipe off there lenses but it didn't seem to be a priority for them. Also, too bad the Bears Offense is what I expected, defense played decent for the first half.. New QB, and things might look up Chicagoland, speaking of Chicago!
Tony C: Will be down at the Westin near the Airport for the next 4 days, if you want I can see if we can hook up for a late lunch on Friday so I can get you that speaker stand if you want it.
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 10:21 PM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Cajun_Mike: I have always liked the NAD Reference stuff, still own one of there Silver Series NAD 5 channel Amps. That pre/amp is very sweet, but what I am waiting for is a decent receiver down the road that will do HDMI 1.3, and if they upgrade this pre/pro, it looks like a good one to buy.
As far as Al Gore being a Crackpot, I agree to a point. I did watch his movie last week and regardless of his views, which in most cases I don't agree with, there was a lot of factual evidence that made his movie very scary to watch. But there is also a lot of misinformation in the movie.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 7:22 PM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Norton reviews the NAD masters series separates
http://ultimateavmag.com/surroundsoundpreampprocessors/207nadmaster/
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:24 PM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
The INTERNET? What the F#$& is the INTERNET???
Sion: what a suprise... you defending Mr. Unhinged himself Al Gore.
Gore being a player or major player in funding of internet technologies while a Senator is a long way from him being able to claim, "I invented the internet".
The guy is a crackpot, plain and simple. His documentary is full of distortions and half-truths about the environment. But I'm sure tree huggers like you believe every ounce of it.
Al Gore Then And Now http://youtube.com/watch?v=lH33rr92UFI
Joe ( 198.208.251.23 ) at 2:36 PM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Bagman
BAGMAN: Cool, I knew they where north, I did not know if you all had any. My mother's home was about 7 miles from the Deland area damamge.
BAGMAN ( 71.3.161.139 ) at 11:14 AM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Super Bowl Weather
Fifties,wet and overcast today. People that came down here for the game must be bummed.
BAGMAN ( 71.3.161.139 ) at 11:13 AM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Bagman
Joe: Thanks for asking. The tornados were over a hundred mile north of here. We have our home for sale and had a couple from Seattle interested,to the point that they raised their first offer by 40k, hope the news didn't send them scurrying back out west.
Joe ( 198.208.251.23 ) at 9:34 AM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Winter - what winter?
Curtis: I'll take the cold, it comes with living in God's county. Now the economey
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 8:37 AM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
The INTERNET? What the F#$& is the INTERNET???
BIG AL: That's the quote, and if you read it IN CONTEXT, it's obvious he was talking about taking the initiative within Congress to push for the support that Congress then provided, which helped the scientific research involved in the creation of the modern internet. No doubt it was a ballsy claim by Gore, but it's been backed up by many of the recipients of that funding.
Granted, DARPANET was largely in place before Gore was in Congress, but DARPANET was not the Internet, it was the precursor to the Internet. It's largely agreed upon that without the support from Congress (for which Gore pushed) the Internet would not have come "on line" as soon as it did, or, it may have started in Europe rather than the US, which wouldn't have been good either (from an American-centric point of view anyway).
The inventor of the Mosaic Browser, Marc Andreesen, credits Gore with making his work possible. He received a federal grant through Gore's High Performance Computing Act. The University of Pennsylvania's Dave Ferber says that without Gore the Internet "would not be where it is today."
Joseph E. Traub, a computer science professor at Columbia University, claims that Gore "was perhaps the first political leader to grasp the importance of networking the country.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:38 AM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Winter - what winter?
Y'all are tougher than I. I do feel for you guys & can't fathom how you do it every year. I've met many transplants here from Chicago and all over the Midwest as well as the east/ north ... you get the picture. Very few people seem to be FROM here. Once out in warmer climes, your blood thins out in a hurry.
I moved outta downtown Chicago to Honolulu many January's ago. When I miss winter it's only a few hours drive to the mountains. I won't be a jerk by mentioning it's going to be 80 degrees in San Diego tomorrow. Nah - that would just be mean. Not going there.
Stay in, warm & safe ... GO BEARS. Thank God I don't take football nearly as seriously as I did in the 80's - mid 90's (in the event Indy prevails) Watch it for the ads if it turns into the usual early blowout.
The cops here are setting up sobriety checkpoints tomorrow night as it seems they have many $$ unspent from the holidays. I have no problem with this idea. It takes far less alcohol in your body than most people think to get a DUI arrest. This is now true in all 50 states. Get a designated driver if you plan to really celebrate please.
End of public service announcement
BIG AL Gore ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 12:41 AM EST Sunday, February 4, 2007
"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 10:20 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Go Bears
Just want to invite everyone over to my house to watch the game.
I am approaching the day with guarded optimism. I will not celebrate unless there is cause for celebration.
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 10:10 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Joe: Nothing like you're thinking of using. It's the 20 Amp Pro series. PL-PRO.
It's for a guitar rack, but it does alegedly have the guts of the consumer audio series stuff.
If it's good enough for my Marshall, it's good enough for my Sony receiver.
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 9:02 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Sion: Going from Sunny Cal, to Buffalo sure would be a huge change. Single digits here right now. About 1 1/2 foot of snow, but we got a late start Dec. was mild, making up for lost time. Days like this are the days you are very happy to have a HT!
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:57 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
COLD
It's 10F right now, and a white-out outside. Wind chill has it well below zero. We got 6" last night/this morning. It stopped for a while mid-day, now it's white-out again. I'm in the office and have to drive home now... fun fun fun.
Joe: he didn't he didn't he didn't! (and you know it!) ;-)
Gar ( 75.100.91.135 ) at 4:38 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Joe: Sure is you can swear and see the word freeze in mid-air, or better yet your lips just won't open because they are frozen shut! :(
Joe ( 198.208.251.23 ) at 2:49 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Bagman
You OK down there?
Joe ( 198.208.251.23 ) at 2:48 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Joelc: It was -3 here this morning, you know the ground creaking, nostrils sticking, dead sound type cold. A great day in the north :)
Joe ( 198.208.251.23 ) at 2:46 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Well the last 2006 HD Crew Cab pickup just rolled off the line. It was truck 1,035,789 of this style. It's 2 weeks of change over and all new 2007 style now. It was kind of a wierd thing seeing the last of a kind roll off the end.
Joe ( 198.208.251.23 ) at 2:43 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Tony C: Which Furman are you using?
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 2:11 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Joe: For the longest time I had my power unit on the floor behind the rack. In the new HT, I have a furman rack mounted with the other Sonance unit on a shelf behind the wall with the amps.
Joelc ( 64.229.112.139 ) at 1:56 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Curtis: Feel free to visit the GREAT COLD NORTH anytime...would be happy to let you "have at" either my soon-to-be arriving plasmas and/or projector systems...
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 12:41 PM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
BC....Furman Questions
If I recall you are a Furman dealer, so a couple questions, or for anyone. What is the differance between the IT-20-II, IT Reference 20 and the IT Reference 20i?
Is this a case of the Reference lines simply adding the protection circuits in for the Telco and Cable/Sat inputs? If so do these circuits justify the added cost. It seems reatil was ~1k more between the IT-20 and the Reference line.
If a person was to use a 20, could they use one of the plugs to connect a power strip. This power strip would power equipment, whose cords are not long enough to reach the main unit. This equipment would be low power stuff, like Sat/DVR, video amp, channel modulator, active crossover, 100w transducers amp and a 300 disc DVD changer.
The data sheets claim they have 9amp RMS with a 80amp reserve for high power amps and subwoofers. Would one of these units handle a Rotel RMB-1095 and a SVS sub at the same time? Is it really needed or wuodl the next size down the 15 amp one work, given the actual current demands are up nad down and not so much continous?
The data sheets claim there is no cross channel noise. Is this true in your experiance, or do the large amps interfer with video displays?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 11:05 AM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Joelc: Good morning you pioneering elitist lucky stiff (nyuck, nyuck, nyuck)
Joelc ( 64.229.112.139 ) at 6:25 AM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Good morning gang...
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 12:30 AM EST Saturday, February 3, 2007
Garmin
BC: thanks for the heads up on the 660, very cool unit, it has everything! Well almost, if it had a Movie Mode it would truely be Universal unit. The GPS even works in my basement! :)
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 9:15 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Best Buy ramblings
Curtis: I seen that a few hours ago, ouot of my league
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 8:30 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Joe: I am with you, the only DLP I liked was there LED DLP. Otherwise I can't watch them.. They have some good things and some bad things, I guess it depends on what looks good to you.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 8:12 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Best Buy ramblings
Joe: Nobody caught the promotion link from the Elite plasma product marketing/spec page I posted for Joel's panels for the free 50" Pioneer Plasma?
Yep, only one little requirement:you have to buy one of their 50" 1080p Elite Pro's for $8K. Anyone know any rich people who never settle for less than the best?
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/top/cat/article/0,,2076_310069651_396920404,00.html
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 7:44 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Gar: The Samsungs bug me, it maybe my eyes, but they are not for me. In reality I need to first fix my amp on/off switch. Then buy a Furman balanced power unit. That is a problem, which one do I need. The more expensive IT REf unit or the IT unit. They both offer balanced and as far as I can see there is no differance. Once I figure that I need to move stuff aroudn to reach the unit, since my equipment is split on two sides.
Then after all taht I can be serious about a video display. I am still thinking spring. The power unit look like March. I wonder if I can set one on the floor behind the gear, instead of adding shelves to accomadate it.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 7:22 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Joe: Sony tend to push reds.. I just read Home Theaters review on the 60" reviews and the all rated in the very high 80's to low 90s, JVC/Sony/Mits/Samsung.... It is a toss up, I actually liked the looks of the new Samsung LED DLP, and JVC models.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 7:19 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Sion: Have you ever seen the DVD "ROAM" all about techincal MTBing. Very cool indeeded, and actually some of the places I have been to in the past.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 6:36 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Oh this was the Pioneer, it was hard to compare it to others, as it was stuck in the middle of the LCD, LCOs and DLP sets. PDP-6071HD
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 6:33 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Best Buy ramblings
Oh and damn you guys for talkinga about Plasmas. Today as I sat in BB watching the JVC, Sony and Mits.......I kept looking at the pioneer Plasma. It was the 60" one. It looked really nice. I never even thought about plasma before, now I found myself watching it. Still expensive.
I also discovered that the Ms out of my consideration. I was watching a feed on Heros, and the cheerleader was a complete diffeernt color then all the other sets. She looked like she had bronze colored skin.
Again the samsungs hurt my eyes and the Toshibas just did not flip my switch. Still a toss between the JVC and Sony. I could see a differance in the HD feed of Lost. On the Sony Jack's face was redish and it was not as red on the JVC.
The Pioneer Plasma had a HD feed of Discovery, trees and frogs sand that stuff. There was some action and some fire fighter, helicopter stuff. Still way over what I was considering. It did seem as I had to work to watch the JVC and the Sony and the Pioneeer I just sat back and enjoyed.
Joel, I think you would be pleased wiht a Pioneer plasma, for my 2 cents
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 6:24 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Innovation
Sion: Oh yes he did, he did, he did ,he did. 
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 6:19 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Innovation
Joe: Al Gore never claimed to have invented the internet. He claimed to have been a member of Congress who pushed for funding for research which lead to the development of the internet. And, more to the point, the man who wrote Mosaic has been quoted as saying that he would not have been able to do his research if it weren't for a grant from the government that Al Gore was responsible for.
G.W. BUSH is the one who claimed that Al Gore invented the internet. But then, W can never seem to get ANYTHING right, so that's no surprise.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 5:25 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Joel
Here you go, one for you
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 5:25 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 5:24 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Innovation
Sion: Is that what they used when , Al Gore first invented the internet
Sion ( 128.205.177.30 ) at 3:57 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Innovation
Woops, not Mosaic... Nexus (originally called "WoldWideWeb") was the first web browser (sorry for the mix up... I was thinking of Nexus but the name Mosaic came to mind. Mosaic was probably the 2nd WWW browser ever).
Just to tie it all together, Nexus was written on a NextStep box, another Steve Jobs renova... er, "product." :^)
Sion ( 128.205.177.30 ) at 3:51 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Innovation
Actually a better analogy for mtb's would have been "...is like Specialized saying they invented the mountain bike" (since the Rock Hopper was the first mass-marketed mtb, but far from the first mtb made.)
Sion ( 128.205.177.30 ) at 3:48 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Innovation
Just one example... VisiCalc, the first true spreadsheet application (for the Apple II, no less) was an innovation. Every spreadsheet since then has been a renovation. Another true innovation was Mosaic, the very first Web browser, that really went hand-in-hand with the creation of the WWW.
So, what did Apple do that was truly innovative? The PC, the OS, the GUI, mouse, MP3 player, cell phone... innovations? No, they made them better... that's renovation, in my book.
And Jobs claiming to have made the first PC with Woz is like Gary Fisher saying he "invented" the mountain bike. ;-)
Sion ( 128.205.177.30 ) at 3:32 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Photo of the week
Scott "popcorn": I was thinking not so much of the lighting, but of the size of the moon (& detail) vs. the plane. I'm no photographer, but it seems to me that plane would have had to have been *really* far away from the camera to be able to zoom the moon that much and have the plane still that small.
As for Apple v. MS, unbunch yer panties! We're all just pushing your buttons, Scott! As for Apple's innovations, I'd call them REnovations instead! ;^) (especially the iPhone... that is DEFINITELY renovation, not innovation, even by Job's own words: "we fixed the phone")
But really, few of their ideas are truly NEW (innovation). Many of them are excellent improvements on, or fixes to, an existing product or idea (renovation.)
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 2:40 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Apple steals as much as MS does
Sion: Apple *did* bring the GUI to the "masses"... Just because the "masses" didn't embrace it right away... The GUI first came in the Macintosh in 1984. Windows 1.0 didn't come out until november 1985.
As for Apple "stealing"... Let's just say that both companies *acquire* assest from others. Apple is the one that really innovates when they add these acquisitions... Microsoft has a history of just tacking on what they got...
I have yet to see Microsoft perform any true innovation.
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 2:33 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Photo of the week
Sion: That's an entirely possible photo... During the right time of the year, the moon is up in the afternoon, and if the sun is at the right angle to the photographer, the jet would be well lit as well.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:25 PM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Joelc: email is sent.... I used the email address on your members page.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 11:33 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Sion: The picture I like is the guy on the sled taking on a cell phone, what next! :)
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 11:33 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Sion: The picture I like is the guy on the sled with taking on a cell phone, what next! :)
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 11:31 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Apple steals as much as MS does
Curtis: Geez you took the bait hook line and sinker! jK! I was joking ;) I like Vista a lot, because like I stated it reminds me of a OS I happen to like better, just glad we have choices, what pisses me off is when people bitch about choosing something they like, and people putting you down for your choice because they happen to not like it, see enough of that on AVS, hopefully it won't happen here.
Sion: Also, the "Third Douchebage of the week" goes to popcorn, mine was the second! And I was poking fun at Cajuns post, because like every article you find on some thing you can always find a different "opinion" some where
else.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:03 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Apple steals as much as MS does
Curtis: Don't forget along with the mouse from Xerox/PARC was also the GUI.
I like the one guy in the blog discussion from Popcorn's post, who said, "but Apple had the insight to bring the GUI to the masses." Apple didn't bring the GUI to the "masses," Microsoft did, when they brought it to >90% of the market! ;-) (has Mac *ever* had more than 10% or so?)
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 10:58 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Cajun_Mike: I have pricing for you...please e-mail me.
Curtis: I could not agree more about not worrying about either the past or the future as what was is, and what will be will be...regarding your offer to introduce me to a local M dealer, please note that while I appreciate the offer I will, AT LEAST FOR NOW, take a pass as Me gear can be very tough on the patience -- amny little quirks -- and the AVAILABILITY, let alone the actual deliver, of dealer in-home assistance is key.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:56 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.aspx?type=ss&launch=16928138,3842331&pg=13
It's because of the comma in the middle of the link... threw popcorn's SML parsing off...
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:55 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Okay, that's just not working. Click on photo number 13 in the list that those links bring up. It's of a 747 jet flying by the moon.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:54 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Wrong photo
Try this link instead
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:52 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Photo of the week
MSNBC has this photo in their photo of the week contest (it's currently winning). I have a hard time believing it's not a doctored up/photoshop job. Any opinions?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 10:21 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Apple steals as much as MS does
I'm tired of Apple fans bitching that Vista was stolen from AAPL. Even my daughter who I raised on a strict all-Mac diet just bought a PeeCee notebook because the OS hardly matters any more AND she got a killer deal on the hardware. Much to my and her BF's (he's a Mac SW developer) chagrin!
Gar: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Doesn't matter who makes an OS or where the features were "borrowed from" to me - just use the 1 that suits your needs best. I loaded the expensive Vista 64-bit Aero Vista upgrade onto a friend's Mac Pro running BootCamp. It's running great. The main reasons for upgrading were:
1) Security vs. XP; the OS's far better locked down & hasn't been out long enough yet to have malware attacks, though that could change
2) Looks: It's a LOT prettier (she's a graphic designer)
3) A client bought it for her - so why not?
4) She wants to learn AutoCAD
I think it's possible that the best future OS may come from someone like Google soon. It'll run on most any hardware platform, will likely be free much to Apple/ MS's dismay.
Apple has "borrowed" these over the years & who invented them that AAPL had nothing to do w/ innovating...
- The mouse (Xerox PARC)
- The iPod ScrollWheel (B&O of Denmark) I own a B&O cordless phone with one that predates all iPods - same model used on the dumb teevee show "Deal or No Deal")
- BootCamp (others before them include no need to run only 1 OS at a time)
- PostScript print & display PS (Adobe - yes they came out of AAPL)
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:09 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Third Douchebag of the week award!
Gar: I think that's one of the best posts you've ever made. :-) Spot-on.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 9:59 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
BC: Snow it Texas again? Man that must put a damper on your day! :) Over a foot here and it is really fing cold!! At least I got a chance to take my new WEEEE Mini Van out for a spin!! But I can't complain about a free ride or free gas, at least I will have a decent GPS system that I can use from car to car. :)
Tony C: Coming down your way next week, Monday and back on Friday, I will have the stand in the back of my Van if you want it..
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 9:47 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Third Douchebag of the week award!
Scott "popcorn": If you watch the whole video the guy from CNN keeps on comparing it to OSX. I just wish people would quit bitching about bitching. Man the good old internet is just a place to vent on what you don't like, over and over and over. I like Microsoft for what it does, I like OSX better because it fits my needs, who cares if Vista looks like OSX, if it does I will most likely use it more! :) Same goes for TV sets and so on and so on...... ;) For ever good article out in this vast sea of BS you can find hundreds of bad ones, I guess bad news always sells over good news.
BC ( 66.142.185.111 ) at 9:43 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Morning gang, working from home today due to snow. yeahhhhhh
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:31 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Joy & remorse
Joelc: I know that sinking feeling; that nothing comes for free. What's past is past. Don't drive yourself nuts wondering what his margins on the Meridian stuff was that might cause him to feel sufficient guilt to give you this Elite deal today. Very few Meridian sources are willing to sharpen their pencils because they don't have to. If you ever need more I have a CA dealer I can put you in touch w/ who owes me for many referrals that I'll not be using for the foreseeable future. If nothing else you can use his quotes as leverage with your local guy to get endless screaming deals.
Don't stress over over your point (ii) future buys because we'll make sure, as David Horowitz says, to not let anyone ever bend you over again!
Cajun_Mike: When our pal you bought your RP from offered up his demo Elite plasma to ship into Cali he was unbelievably paranoid that he could lose his blessings from Pioneer, especially selling into my area with several authorized Elite dealers. Had to show a buyer address in his town & if it ever had any problems I could not contact any local dealers to ask for help because it could come back to bite him.
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 7:34 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Cajun_Mike: I called him this morning -- left a message -- and will see what he/I can do for you...that said, e-mail me your addy so I can get in touch with you...
Curtis: Yes, I think that I did get a screaming deal...that said, I wonder (i) how bad a deal I got on my Meridian gear that I purchased from himand/or (ii) how bad a deal I will get on future gear...also note that the install is NOT that tough I wires and brackets are already located at all three points the issue/trick is that new brackets have to be installed as the current brackets are NOT strong enough to hold a 42" plasma..
And, per your 1:48 AM EST posting...you, that is the one...
Joe: Never bought from Windsor...use, but no longer do, purchase stuff from a store called London Audio in London, Ontario...stopped dealing with them because they went from GREAT pricing to TERRIBLE pricing where, for a period, they insisted on getting list price...I thus insisted on leaving them...
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 7:23 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Good morning gang...
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 3:06 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
Third Douchebag of the week award!
Gar: Innovation in a parallel universe... http://blog.wired.com/cultofmac/2007/01/bill_gates_occu_1.html
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:48 AM EST Friday, February 2, 2007
This Elite, I mean these?
Joelc: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/product/details/0,,2076_310069729_319624916,00.html
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 10:40 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Second Douchebag of the week award!
Microsoft: Full article here.....
http://www.avrev.com/news/0207/01.vista.shtml
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:32 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Douchebag of the week nominee
Spokesperson for Sony America.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/01/sony-sez-nintendo-wii-is-an-impulse-buy/
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:47 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Oops sorry. Maybe the exotic drink might help. Just make sure it isn't consumed before or during the installation/ calibration. "Well yes now that you mention it the plasma does look pretty non-level ... just tilt your head while you're watching it & remember yagota-hella-adeal (hickup)"
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:42 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Joel
Joe:
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 8:08 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Back to Bones
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 8:07 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Joel
Perhaps your dealer has a favorite drink you could pick up for him on a trip. A little incentive to knock some more off.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 8:06 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Joelc: You still buying from London? I was trying to recall the name of the dealer in Winsdor. I know it's a ways from you, but any thoughts? I was trying to google, but was having a hard time with the Canadian pages.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 8:00 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Curtis: Yup always bad to talk about inside inof about your company's products.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 6:21 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Plasma update...
Joelc: You really want to know what I think, eh? (Canadian pun intended - couldn't help it) I think you should seal this deal before your dealer changes his mind and retracts it. In fact you have taken the sting out of buying an Elite piece of glass.
Congratulations on your frighteningly GOOD CUSTOMER negotiation skills. Your budget will recover in time. There's also the high-tech intangible benefit that is clearly worth something you may not have factored into the deal: the sh*t-eating-grin on your face every time you turn them on.
Do you know how long it takes to properly mount, hide all wiring & calibrate 3 FPD's? Elite wall brackets don't come cheap either.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 6:06 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Joelc: I just did a search on the Pioneer website and there isn't an Elite dealer within 100 miles of my zip code..... that is the max number of miles you can search for.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 6:05 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Cajun_Mike: The Wii, can have complex games also. It is the price that is so appealing to most, every gamer wants one because they are cheap and easy to play. But most gamers I know are waiting for PS3 and Xbox 360 to come down in price. PS3 aren't selling because they don't have a decent launch game, which is a big mistake in my book. Hell the Xbox got off to a good start because of "Halo" if they didn't have that launch title, it would have flopped! Wii interactivity is great, as I type this my kids are playing the game "Cars".. ;)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 6:04 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Joelc: There isnt a Pioneer Elite dealer in my area. Only Pioneer from the big box stores.
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 5:25 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Sion: I converted Canadian dollars to US dollars using a factor of USD 1 = CAD 1.20.
Cajun_Mike: I will ask him but do not get overly hopeful as he has been reluctant to do that in the past something about infringing on other dealers' territory...BC, do you anything aboutthat.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:13 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Plasma update...
Joelc: Jump all over that. Fantastic deal! Any chance he'll sell you two at that price? I'll immediately send payment via phone or paypal... seriously.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:55 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Plasma update...
Joelc: That seems like a great deal. Is your dealer in the US? Just curious, since you quoted USD...
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 3:58 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Plasma update...
Joelc: That seems to be a really good deal.
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 3:55 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Plasma update...
Curtis; Funny that you should ask..here is the deal and let me know whatyou think...2 Pioneer Elite 42" plasma + 2 brackets + geffen hdmi switcher + labour (instalation of 3 panels as I am moving my old panel to the basement) + isf calibration all for USD 5,750...basically, the dealer has execess Elite plasma and, because I am GOOD CUSTOMER (which scares the crap out of me) he is selling me the Elite for the Regular's price...that is the good news...now the bad news, there goes th HT budget for teh year...
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:43 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Sharp's dual-lens, uber-bright XG-PH70X DLP projector
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/31/sharps-dual-lens-uber-bright-xg-ph70x-dlp-projector/
Rob ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 3:13 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
PS3 vs. Wii
Curtis: That WAS Awesome!!!! As cajun says, you can find everything but a wii in stores.....target and BBY is all stocked up on PS3, but no wii's.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 2:40 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Gar: and the prices for the Wii are being dropped even lower. There are a lot of 30-plus folks like myself that dropped video gaming after the Atari 2600 or the Sega Genesis..... that also dont have the patience to figure out complex games and look up cheat codes all over the net. When you're young, you can pick up games immediately and I was the Louisiana Zaxxon champion back in the mid-80s..... lol. The Wii seems to be a hit and I keep telling the fiancee' we need to get one and have friends over with a pitcher of margaritas... ;)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 2:31 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Rob: very good Rob... that seemed pretty painless. ;)
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 2:12 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Sion: You hit the nail on the head with that comment. Most people that bought the Wii, bought it because it was cheap $250 bucks. Still no stock at CC or BB, and there are now plenty of PS3 and Xbox 360s..
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:55 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
PS3 vs. Wii
Curtis: My favorite line, "I'm cheap... AND fun!" LOL...
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 1:52 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Curtis: Funny ad! Now how about some Porn in HD on a PS3... LOL That will really launch Blu-Ray! Looks like Apple has drives now for Blu....
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:52 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
PS3 vs. Wii
Curtis: LOL! That was awesome. :^)
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:43 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
PS3 vs. Wii
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9136575504838642038&q=The+Woodhouse+Way&hl=en
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 1:15 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Sion: Not sure what market that your in, but I have seen the Wii ads daily here. I have only seen 3 PS3 ads since launch. Every article you read nowadays has there "own" opinion on this. The Japanese guys taking this on the road etc...
RGB: Well I am selling my Honda Accord EX Hybrid with Voice Activation, which I will surely miss. The good thing is I owe less on the car, then what I sold it for, so hence I am buying a few items for the van, plus my JL Audio System now I need to sell! :( Anyone interested in a kick ass Car system let me know, dual 10" subs and a really good Amp, plus a Clean Sweep device that allows you to hook this up to any cars head unit with very high quality sound. Works very well with cars that have integrated Navi Systems.
Ah, sorry for the double post, just testing Firefox which I like much better!
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 1:14 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Sion: Not sure what market that your in, but I have seen the Wii ads daily here. I have only seen 3 PS3 ads since launch. Every article you read nowadays has there "own" opinion on this. The Japaneese guys taking this on the road etc...
RGB: Well I am selling my Honda Accord EX Hybrid with Voice Activation, which I will surely miss. The good thing is I owe less on the car, then what I sold it for, so hence I am buying a few items for the van, plus my JL Audio System now I need to sell! :( Anyone interested in a kick ass Car system let me know, dual 10" subs and a really good Amp, plus a Clean Sweep device that allows you to hook this up to any cars head unit with very high quality sound. Works very well with cars that have intergrated Navi Systems.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:01 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Gar: That article seemed to state the opposite of what you said: Wii is doing well even though Nintendo has NOT been marketing it heavily, UNLIKE Sony who HAVE been advertising the ps3. I must agree to some extent: I've never seen a TV spot for the Wii, but I see PS3 ads all the time.
Also, the article pointed out that a lot of "hardcore" gamers are opting for the low-rez but fun Wii, even though they HAD planned on a ps3.
I haven't tried either system, I just think it's interesting that making a FUN product actually works!
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 12:37 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Garmin GPS Systems
BC: That Nuvi 660 looks very nice, but Gadzook - the price! But I'll have to admit that if I didn't purchase a Toshiba XA2 that the 660 could be an option. ;-)
But I've been pretty happy with Garmin's new Mobile 10 GPS on my PPC. Since I pretty much carry the PDA around anyways, it seemed to make sense just to go with their GPS receiver/software.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:34 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Super Bowl ads in way < SD
$2.8 million for a 30 second slot. A well-paid friend who's does creative & production work with a big production company is laughing that her job suddenly morphed into something that most 7 year-olds could do: make your Super Bowl ad look so terrible that people think it came from YouTube, from a VHS source, preferably hand held to get that nice nausea thing going. Even the creative ideas are being handed to winners of online contests, most if not all of whom are uncompensated.
U.S. advertisers now want to be hip, cool, with it, networked & our best pals online so we'll all do their viral marketing for them. In other words, they're really getting desperate now!
Oh she'll still be charging their well-heeled clients for a full production effort - it's just that rather than going through about the same amount of professional production work as a feature film, (OK a really, really short one) everything is finished in a few hours. American companies can be so freakin idiotic. Guess who's ultimately paying for these ads at $86,000+ per second? There are plenty of alcoholics with no taste out there to keep Budweiser in clover without any more ads.
They pay the bills, I know. Thank God for Tivo. End of rant.
Rob ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 12:05 PM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Super Bowl in SD
again for the 2nd year in a row, I will be at a friends house watching the super bowl on a HDTV in SD. That SUCKS big time! (dude won;t let me touch his setup and thinks he's watching everything in HD (upscaled 480i))Again, my lovely wife does not want a crowd in our house (it's not 100% ready for guests) who cares if the basement isn't finished, let the ladies watch upstairs ona 32" lcd or 55 or 42' PDP and the guys will watch it in an unfinished basement in 720P (form 1080) on a 120" screen. Besides, I think spilling beer on a dricore floor is better than on my expensive rugs or Hickory hardwood floors.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 11:56 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Sion: You got that right, the Xbox and PS3 are concentrating on HD gaming and not too many people are intereted in that. I was at BB yesterday and the manager said the sales of PS3s are going ok, they didn't have a decent launch title which hasn't helped and they haven't marketed it as much as they should. He did say they have had very little returns due to issues with them, he did state the Xbox 360 daily return is about 3-5 a day... The Wii is just plain fun to play without the HD, but once someone tries the Xbox 360 and PS3 they far surpass the Wii but again Good Marketing is everything.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:28 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Wii kicking butt and taking names of PS3, XBox360
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/31/business/games.php
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 10:35 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
BC: Thanks a ton for the quick review, this one is going back to Best Buy, just glad I didn't open it. I bookmarked that site, thanks! I ordered one before I saw this from ProVantage (computer place) for almost the exact price, and I have used this place before.. Hell saved myself $160 bucks!! I heard this unit will go down to sidewalk level.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 10:28 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Cajun_Mike: I know, but there is a good place to start, most manufacture reps can give you where to buy them and in most cases a decent review. There is a guy in Texas that covers your area.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:26 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Joelc: Good morning and welcome home. How goes the search?
If price was no object, this is the 65" plasma that I would get today:
http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/16/technology/runco.fsb/index.htm?cnn=yes
Rob ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 9:25 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Cajun_Mike: I know what I've read on AVS and you know how I feel about AVS (entertainment only). That said I had that "flicker" issue myself on my 55", but ONLY on BD, not sat or SD DVD. It was a firmware update to correct but I don't know all the details surrounding the service dept position on it or how pervasive it is. They are a pretty savvy group, having won best service dept 4 out of 5 years from the cea.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 9:08 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Garmin GPS Systems
Gar: And they are an authorized Garmin dealer too.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 9:07 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Garmin GPS Systems
Gar: I have a 350 and a 660. I love the 660, use it every day. Bluetooth works pretty good too. I got mine from www.gpsdiscount.com They get good comments on one of the gps forums I was checking out and I got mine fast and with no problems.
Joelc ( 64.229.112.139 ) at 5:12 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Good morning gang...
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:56 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
and btw, I'm not picking on Robert because even though those folks are reporting a flicker problem, they love their sets despite that fact. I'm just saying it's something to consider when looking for a plasma at that price point and size range. I would definitely buy the Hitachi over the Panasonic.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:42 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Gar: I have seen that page before. I was just wanting to know if Bill had sold any of the Triad LCR In-Room Golds and what his thoughts were on them. Wasnt angling for anything more than that.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:41 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Curtis: Thanks for the advice Curtis, but I trust my business acumen. Companies don’t run away from technical issues and if Robert knows about it and what has been done to rectify it, I'm sure he'll share that information openly and freely.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 1:19 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Cajun_Mike: This might be helpful!
http://www.triadspeakers.com/howtobuy_usacanada.html#
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:06 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Sure he may have missed it. My point is that he's in quite a different position than Bill about commenting on products, esp. if it concerns possible problems with his employers wares. I would pose the ? in e-mail form directly.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:42 AM EST Thursday, February 1, 2007
Curtis: maybe he didnt see it? I've asked Wild Bill twice about the Tri ad In-Room Gold LCR with no response and I asked RonH about that dealer in Houston earlier today with no response. Some guys arent here that often and when they do show up, they don't scroll down too far down the page.
I dont see any reason why he can't comment on that issue.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 10:59 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Garmin GPS Systems
I remember some one talking about Garmin awhile back ago, actually looking at getting one of there car/hand held units. Looked at the Nuvi 660, very nice I got one from BB, but I just was checking online at some decent places and they have them for much less. Anyone deal with a reputable dealer? Butterfly photo has a decent price and they have decent reviews.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 10:59 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
I remember some one talking about Garmin awhile back ago, actually looking at getting one of there car/hand held units. Looked at the Nuvi 660, very nice I got one from BB, but I just was checking online at some decent places and they have them for much less. Anyone deal with a reputable dealer? Butterfly photo has a decent price and they have decent reviews.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 10:31 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 202 questions then?
Sion: Curtis I agree with Sion on this, tried it also, takes too dam long and it usually crashes your connections, even N networks will have certain issues with this. Staying wired is a must downloading large files, but this will change in the near future.
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 10:07 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 202 questions then?
Curtis: Netgear is some good stuff... just tell him Netgear is a subsidiary of IBM... or something.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:01 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Perhaps Robert can't shed any light on some things in public places like this, since he did not reply to this the 1st time you asked the same question ... know what I mean?
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 7:28 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Joelc: I plan on buying the Pioneer.... although I dont need it quite as fast as I thought. I was going to use it for a business function that got cancelled. Might want to read the AVSforum about the Hitachi having flicker issues. It's not just an isolated deal... maybe Robert can shed some light on it.
BC ( 66.142.185.111 ) at 6:59 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Joelc: In my master, I've got a 50" plasma and a pair of 6.5" in-ceiling speakers that we use for audio. The speakers are centered in the room and off to the sides of the ceiling fan. All equipment is in the closet.
??? ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 6:45 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Plasma update..
Joelc: 1080i ships in a month
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 6:05 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 202 questions then?
Sion und Poppy: B is sooo last century. I went to Fry's & got the guy a G PCM card for $15. I'll gift it to him just to keep the network humming along. Should I take an Exact-o knife to an IBM logo I have on a few spare parts, to paste it over the NetGear logo on the card? ;-)
I always stay hardwired to the router with my own computer. Rock solid with no surprises nor slowdowns with anyone plugged into wired Ethernet for many months. If I weren't lazy I would wire the entire house, but it's a big place.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:45 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 202 questions then?
Curtis: 802.11B is NOT enough to stream DVD video. I've tried. It streamed, but the frame rate was about 1/sec. :P
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:44 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 202 questions then?
Scott "popcorn": 802.11B has a theoretical max of 11... with network overhead and stuff, the real-world rates for a home 802.11B wifi network is around 4, maybe 5Mbps.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 5:43 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Plasma update..
Joelc: I agree with BC and RGB about the non-Elite models being great and that you will likely not notice the difference between watching a 1080p or 768p - thus no real need to wait. The only pain I have ever know anyone to have in buying a current vintage Elite plasma is in writing the check to buy it. Is it worth $700 more? It'll be worth something more at resale time.
I liked the Hitachi Directors Series but thought the Pioneers in the same room were tracking grayscales better. Nothing that a a good calibration can't cure. I did read about the Hitachi AVS flicker issue that Cajun posted and it wouldn't be enough to scare me off. I mean it IS AVS and many alarmists there should be taken with a mountain of salt because there's so much trolling going on.
I forgot if you're looking at 42" or 50"?
Joelc ( 64.229.112.139 ) at 5:21 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
BC: Not doable either as it is a very tight fit...but keep the ideas coming...
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 5:15 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Plasma update..
Cajun_Mike: I'll concur with the non-Elite Pioneer plasmas being quite good. At the time I got my PDP-5050HD (early 2005), the only difference between mine and the Elite, was the frame finish and a slightly different coating on the screen.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 4:20 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Joelc: How about one of the long speakers that goes above and below and mimics the front 3 channels?
Joelc ( 64.229.112.139 ) at 3:46 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
BC: Thanks for the suggestion...no can do as I do NOThave room for side speakers...
Cajun_Mike: I agree...that said, I think that the Hitachi Directors' Series is better than the regular Pioneer for about the same money. Remind me, which plasma did you go for?
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:25 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Plasma update..
Joelc: the Elite is very good... but I think the regular Pioneer is fine.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 3:10 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Plasma update..
Joelc: The difference between 768p and 1080p is moot from just a few feet back. Instead of the elite, get a 507cmx (commercial version) and the key digital card. Woolaa, you've got a picture equal to that of the elite for alot less $$$. Only negative is it doesn't have speakers so you'd need a system for sound.
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 3:05 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 202 questions then?
Curtis: Yes, your NAS speed is going to take a hit with the b in the loop. However, the wired side should have no impact whatsoever.
Think of it like this... your broadband is, say, 3Mbps... (assumption) Everything that comes into your net at any given time has to fit into that space. So, if you are all downloading big files at the same time, you'd each get a fraction of that bandwidth. (uploading to the net is even worse)... The same thing happens on your local network. If you have a n, three gs, and a b, the wireless access point will drop to the b speed, which is a max of 11Mbps. So, if all five users are getting big files, you'll each have 1/5 of that maximum 11Mbps... or, around 2.2Mbps max. Fortunately, surfing the net, checking e-mail, etc, doesn't involve a constant connection, so the wireless access point bandwidth is always higher than the broadband bandwidth.
Joelc ( 64.229.112.139 ) at 2:46 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Plasma update..
Cajun_Mike, Curtis, Sion: Went to see plasma panels from Samsung, Hitachi and Pioneer today -- kept me awake after 12 hours of traveling...the verdict is that Pioneer Elite is the best, Hitachi Directors Series a close second and Samsung third...two questions:
1. Should I be concerned that these panels are 768p rather than 1080p given that 1080p panels will be available in roughly 6 months time?
2. Is the Pioneer Elite really worth the price premium over theother two -- yes, it does look better but is it USD 700.00 better...seems like a lot of coin to me.
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 1:15 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Dual Player
Gar: Yea this "war" is overhyped. The telling statment is that MSFT is HDDVD and Sony is BD,,,who makes movies? I could care less, as the next HT purchase after a screen & speakers is a HD DVD player and all I care about is seeing the pq.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:06 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 202 questions then?
Sion: Thanks guy. That makes sense. I'll copy some huge files and time it out. Would you expect full frame/motion video (the ripped DVD's from the NAS or on any networked drive) would be impacted with the ThinkPad in the LAN? My speed test download results vary a lot from 3 mbps to 17+. I don't believe the higher figures for a minute but it's nice to seeT3 results most of the time. What service do you use for measurement?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:52 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
my next ride
Robert: 350 miles from a 10 minute quick charge? Amazing. Since they use hundreds of Li-Ion batteries in series now - the more batteries you use, the more HP & torque you can get - to a motor that can handle it of course, not to mention the reinforcements the entire vehicle would need to handle that kind of energy. If the roadster can eat Porsches, just imagine what this thing might be able to do? "Take her to Mach 3, Mr. Robert ... steady as she goes."
Ouch - $15K of after tax $ to someone else to do the basement work will sting. You have to keep the marital bliss thing going though so it's probably worth it.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 12:37 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 202 questions then?
Curtis: The reason you don't see a difference when you check those websites that test your connection speed, is that the internet is much slower than both G and B wifi. If you want to test the difference between G and B, take the thinkpad off the network, and transfer some files from one computer to another on the same wifi LAN, and time it. Then, put the thinkpad back on the network, and do the same file transfer again and time it. Most likely the file transfer (even between to G computers) will be slower when the B-thinkpad is on the network. However, all transfers from the internet will be the same speed always, as even B is much faster than "outside world" internet speeds, which for most people don't exceed 3Mbps or so if you're lucky, and usually are closer to 1~2 Mbps. The real world througput of 802.11b is around 4Mbps. So unless you have Verizon FIOS, I doubt the wifi system is your limiting factor for internet access & downloads, especially when you consider that most popular websites have less single-user available bandwidth than the average DSL connection, due to heavy traffic.
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 12:36 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Dual Player
Gar: Yea this "war" is overhyped. The telling statment is that MSFT is HDDVD and Sony is BD,,,who makes movies? I could care less, as the next HT purchase after a screen & speakers is a HD DVD player and all I care about is seeing the pq.
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 12:32 PM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
my next ride
Curtis: tesla is denying the crossover, but it could be smoke. Lotus and battery company are on record as saying this is a lotus suv. 350 miles on a 400+V 10 minute quick charge.
either way a car like that is on the back burner for at least two years. we are now a cash only household and the basement and yard are getting worked on this year and next. I can shave about $15K off the basement by doing some myself, but my wife has put the kybosh on that sayign I don;t see them enough as it is,,and the thought of hammering doesn;t set well.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 10:57 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
The Police reunion
Curtis: Looking forward to seeing them together
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 10:52 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
my next ride
Robert: Sweet, perfect for you. I have heard 2 rumors about the APX; 1) it will go into production almost exactly as the prototype is & 2) it will be the 2nd Tesla all-electric car but with far more room for batteries than the Lotus Elise-based electric Tesla, giving it easy potential for huge mileage specs between overnight charges.
They would presell these at almost any price too with all of the soccer Mom's in $ilicon Valley & elsewhere to everyone gladly giving up their gas guzzling Bimmer 4+ liter X5's, Navigators, & Escalades - though admittedly those are big trucks next to the Lotus. I drove an 4.4 X5 for a month and couldn't believe I had to refuel it every other day w/ premium, no less- but I do have a heavy foot.
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 10:34 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
my next ride
http://www.autobloggreen.com/photos/lotus-apx-concept/147485/
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 10:30 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Curtis: Similar issues on my network. I bought my wife a new HP, which uses a G or a N, not sure but her old Toshiba was a b and it slowed things down quite a bit. Just a FYI, I used a N and they are not any faster unless you have a N throughout your whole system is what I was told. A similar situation, mixing network b/g /g-mimo and now N doesn't always compute correctly, we had a N network at work run by MIT grads and the thing never ran correctly! LOL Also check and make sure you don't have any interference from other 2.4GHz devices, phones etc..
Trav ( 192.76.80.74 ) at 10:12 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Gar: You have email.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:46 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 202 questions then?
Tony C & Scott "popcorn": Thanks gents. Sounds like you're both saying the same thing: any b device in the LAN is gonna bring everything else down to slower speeds. This confirms what others have said. In this case we were running all g speed-rated NIC's, recently a new user with an old ThinkPad & b-class PCMCIA adaptor joined the network.
Weird thing is that it doesn't feel like anything else on the network has slowed much when the ThinkPad joins the party. So it doesn't make sense to me unless we have always been running at b speeds. The various 'Net speed-check sites report blazing download/ the same upload speeds as when all was at g speeds. Web browsing (all using FireFox &/or Safari) / printing/ sharing files/ accessing AirTunes all SEEM as fast as ever. I'll buy the b guy a g card as they're so cheap if it'll prevent a bottleneck, but if it doesn't have an IBM logo on it he's sure it'll destroy his ThinkPad (he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer). OS's are mixed latest versions of WinXP and Mac OS X.
Here's the network I inherited admin functions for:
- Cox 'Net cable service to a new Motorola SurfBoard modem attached via EtherNet to,
- Linksys (new) WRT-54GS Broadband 2.4 GHz 802.11g/b w/SpeedBooster (marketing BS in a mixed platform environment)
- 10/100 Wired EtherNet devices: Mac Mini, HP LaserJet 5M PostScript, Tektronix Color Phaser
- Wireless g devices; 4 PC's and a MacBook Pro
- " b device: IBM ThinkPad
We plan to upgrade everything to all 802.11n using the new Apple AirPort Extreme, because 1)someone is is paying and 2) we want to use the NAS feature on this router to attach a pair of 500GB Network Drives full of ripped DVD's and our shared music library. Also a color InkJet printer to it via USB 2.0 (the Tektronix ink crayon blocks are expensive). All new n-speed NIC's will be via USB 2.0 or FireWire interfaces - the fancy printers may not have this upgrade available for some time. Should this slow down an n LAN if they stay hardwired via EtherNet?
Sorry this got so long guys. I gotta stop running at the mouth!
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 9:29 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Dual Player
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/07/lgs-bh100-hybrid-blu-ray-and-hd-dvd-player-1-199/
Not a bad, now with more items like this it could make the software cheaper. There is still no clear winner, with Microshaft backing HD-DVD and Blu-Ray being backed by Sony, go figure this format war is going to get worse. One of the main reasons Microsoft backed HD-DVD was do to gaming consoles, go figure.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 9:23 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Cajun_Mike: I heard (felt the Fathom) yesterday at local dealer, deals mostly in there car stereo stuff, which I am impressed with. I have 2 12" subs in the back of my car, maybe I can buy the cross over that they are using and use this in my basement! :)
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 4:50 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 101 question
Curtis: What I have always heard is that the wifi link will drop to the slowest speed on the link. If you had an n/g/b link, with n and g devices attached, it would run at g speed... add in a b device, and it drops to b speed. however, I can't verify this right now...
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:58 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Ron H: You familiar with this dealer in Houston? I plan to take a trip that way in the coming month or so and want to swing in there and give the JLAudio sub a listen.
http://www.avdesignshouston.com/audio-equipment.htm
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:32 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wifi 101 question
Tony C: "...but I could have been lied to.
And it wouldn't be the first time."
Hahahaha! Are we having our 1st fight?
Da Beeeeeaaaarrrrsssss. Don't invite my brother. He'll bring 50 of his closest friends. Wish I could be there. Maybe next SB but hopefully not 21 years from now - imagine how old well all be then? 
Joelc ( 217.118.122.2 ) at 12:28 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Good morning gang...just getting up to leave for home...next posting will be from Toronto...can't wait to get back...have a good one...
Tony C ( 63.252.15.6 ) at 12:01 AM EST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Go Bears!Go Bears!
I just wanted to invite all of you to my house to watch the Super Bowl.
All of my friends have already invited themselves, so I may as well invite all my friends.
The last time I watched the Bears in the Super Bowl, it was from a hospital room as my wife and new born son slept.
How nice it is that I get to see the Bears again after my son's 21st birthday.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!
(won't sing the whole song here, but I can't get it out of my head)
Tony C ( 63.252.15.6 ) at 11:56 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Wifi 101 question
Curtis: my understanding is that if you use B on a G system, it will go only as fast as B can handle. But the if another computer is using G, the G computer will be faster than the one using B.
Same can hold tru for N users.
Thats the way it was explaned to me, but I could have been lied to.
And it wouldn't be the first time.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 8:32 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
The Police reunion
Cajun_Mike: 30 year anniversary of the band ... hard to believe that this will be new music to a generation or two. They could sponsor it the same as any Stones tour; Presented by Geritol (sp)
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 8:00 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
get in your bids...
BC: Looks like we were both wrong...
Here's a pic of the original (or one of the original) prop car at Universal Studios (which I've seen in person, the last time was about 11 years ago)...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:KITT_Universal_Studios.jpg
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 8:00 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Wifi 101 question
A question for you IT network types please. Does it still hold true that if you have a current generation (Linksys) 802.11g/b wireless router serving several users & peripherals all running at g speeds - that once someone introduces a b device, that this can & will slow the entire network down?
Same ? about n in a mixed n/g/b environment, though it seems the answer there is that everything must be n-compatable or the whole network will slow down to g speeds. TIA
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 7:57 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
get in your bids...
BC: I thought those foglights were a little off, too. Also, I don't recall the sharp point to the front bumper, but I could be wrong there.
For a collector, I'd say CAN$30k is a decent deal, assuming it's in good shape, mechanically and electrically.
BC ( 66.142.185.111 ) at 6:33 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
get in your bids...
Cajun_Mike: I don't remember Kitt having the headlights visible in the front like that. ;)
Joelc ( 217.118.122.2 ) at 6:02 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Gar: Exactly why I am considering getting the InFocus 777...sell my 7210 for $2,000 pay, say $4,000 for the 777, and wait another year or so while enjoying the tremendous 3D picture from the 777...also, with that amount of lumens, I can watch a football game, etc. with the some light with "little" picture quality degredation...I am seriously considering this...
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 5:58 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Non EagleGeek
Gasgeek: You little troublemaker! I managed to fail my Tenderfoot knot test because I didn't like the BSA leader I would have had - so I never studied, DUH. At least got all the way through Cub Scouting.
Eagles: I think the Eagle & Explorer programs are great. I kid you guy 'cause I'm a little jealous, that's all. I know of at least 3 Eagles here ... anyone care to ID themselves?
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 5:46 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Joelc: You hit the nail right on the head... "fatal flaw" they are all dim, and the LCD that are a tad brighter still suffer from not so good black levels. I don't have any ambient light in my HT room, wasn't too much of an issue, but pairing the right screen with a new 1080p is critical. So far from all the screen pieces I have the DaLite HP(high power) looks fantastic with my PJ. I suppose a few generations from now they will have this ironed out, but this combo worked out well. I wouldn't mind a 3 chip DLP or a new Laser DLP, at least they wouldn't give me a headache.
Joelc ( 217.118.122.2 ) at 5:43 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
get your bids in...
Car is based in Ontario...I would be ahppy to check it out for whoever is interested...
Joelc ( 217.118.122.2 ) at 5:41 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
BC: I have another idea...and which I am considering...get a relatively cheap inexpensive 3 chip DLP to tide you over -- say the InFocus 777 for about 3.5k to 5K....fwiw, I saw, before leaving for the UK an InFocus 777 vs Sharp 20000 and in my mind (i.e. what my eyes saw) was MUCH greater depth in the InFocus versus teh Sharp...specifically, I was watching HDNET and the InFocus showed the background in MUCH more detail than the SHarp hence giving amuch greater sense of depth/3-dimensionality...and also, the InFocus, Sim2, etc. are light canons should that be an issue...
There is no doubt that the current 1080p projectors are very nice to look at but to me they all have one fatal flaw...they are very very dim...and, because of this, I am considering getting a 3-chipper to tide me over and enjoy the tremendous sense of depth that they produce...
What do you think?
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:29 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
get in your bids...
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Pontiac-Trans-Am-1984-pontiac-Trans-Am-KNIGHT-RIDER-replica_W0QQitemZ280074602850QQihZ018QQcategoryZ6427QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:50 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
http://www.livedaily.com/news/Police_reunion_set_for_the_Grammys-11423.html?t=97
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 2:05 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
BC
Joe: I haven't had a LCOS or SXRD. Seen them many times but never swung that way. I went by Magnolia again at lunch today and looked at the Pearl but it wasn't adjusted very well and the remote was nowhere to be found.
I wouldn't mind trying an RS-1 but I really ,really expect some faults to come out once it gets out in full force. That's why I'm tempted to either do something on the low end as a stop gap or just bit the bullet and get something that is considered "reference" like the marantz or sharp 20000 (although it's not perfect, it's pretty good). Wouldn't mind a Sim but they are alot more money for what you get and I'm still a pretty budget minded person. hehe
I've got a BenQ W9000 coming for an install so I'm going to fire it up at home to see how it looks.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 2:05 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
OPM
BC: Keeping resale value in mind AND going balls out I vote for the Sharp 20000 or the current Marantz FP. I saw them both recently side-by-side and wanted to take one or both of 'em home real bad!
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 2:01 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Something new to hide under your bed
Sion: With my luck the maid would shatter the display as she was vacuuming under the bed.
50 degrees with drizzle here in SoCal. Nobody can remember the last time we got any measurable precip, so we obviously need it. The tulips in my yard are already a foot tall, so it must be spring in January?
It'll be sunny/ 74 soon
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 1:32 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Old Taco Bell
Well today is trash day, so last night was clean out the fridge day. I am totlay off the big 3 ( Micky D', Wendys and BK) but still have some taco bell now and again.
So I get home and reach for a can of Vernors and find a Taco Bell bag. I figured it was fresh, since we clean out the fridge every Monday. It was not, as I foundout about 1 this morning. So as I left the bathroom for the last time this morning and climb into bed my alarm goes off. I hit the alarm and opted for a sickday.
I recall my wife saying "are you dying, you beyond pale, you look blue" Just what you want to hear, as you system is in a full purge.
Joe's new motto, never ever eat taco bell found in the fridge.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 1:26 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
BC
Well on a selfish side I would suggest the JVC. It would be nice to here a real review without the AVS crap added.
Besides, you haven't tried a LCoS yet, right?
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 1:24 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
AVB
Happy Belated
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 12:55 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
BC: I will have to take a look at Rainbow Six, I use to be a big PC gamer till I got hooked on Large screen HD format with the Xbox 360 and PS3.. Like Splinter Cell Chaos Theory..
As far as FP goes, not a fan of JVC or Panasonic, too many past issues with them hence the Pearl sale for me, plus I like to see that I am contributing to Tony C, well being ;)
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 12:05 PM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Something new to hide under your bed
For all those looking for a bedroom flat panel, this is pretty cool.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:40 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
BC: I agree with Trav, if I were in the market for a new FP, I'd give the Panny 1000 a serious look. At $3500 and excellent reviews, it's hard to beat.
Gasgeek ( 161.209.206.1 ) at 11:36 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
old Sony VCR flashing 12:00
Curtis, Sion, BYork: Me, an Eagle Scout! hahahahahaha!!!!
I actually got sent home from a Cub Scout meeting once for uttering the "F" word out loud. Kind of like "A Christmas Story," and the tire changing scene. Oh Well!!!
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:35 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Gaming!
BC: I'm a PC gamer (no consoles to my name). I loved Rainbow Six3 and Ghost Recon (original). I'm disappointed with RSVegas and GR Advanced Warfighter, because they both did away with a game feature that I thought made them both unique in the squad-based FPS world: being able to switch between and control any of your squad mates. Now with both games you can only control one member of your squad. You have to rely on the games artificial intelligence to control the rest of your squad, and even though the AI is vastly improved, it still can never do exactly what you want it to sometimes. I'll still probably pick up both games at some point, but I'm still working through Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.
Trav ( 192.76.80.74 ) at 11:19 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
BC: Here is another review on the Panasonic:
http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/pt-ae1000u-1080p-projector-968.shtml
Trav ( 192.76.80.74 ) at 11:14 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Gar: I did receive an email this morning at the verizon account. I have since returned another to you.
Trav ( 192.76.80.74 ) at 11:12 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
BC: Have you considered the new Panasonic 1080P machine? It is a fair amount cheaper than the pearl and in a few reviews (subjective of course) it faired better. It appears it even comes with a free oppo dvd player and a $400 rebate as well.
http://www.projectorpeople.com/projectors/projdtls.asp?itemid=21430&itmname=Panasonic+PT%2DAE1000U
http://www.projectorcentral.com/panasonic_ae1000.htm
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 10:13 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
What do you guys think I should do. I currently have the Samsung 710 dlp but I am considering sending it back to Samsung for a full refund. They have been plagued with problems and although mine is working now, I don't trust it and the resale value is crap because of the problems.
So I need a replacement. I don't like Sony so I'm not really considering the Pearl. I could do the new BenQ w9000 as a stop gap or just go balls out and get a Sharp 20000. Or the JVC RS-1 that kind of falls in the middle price wise. Resale is kind of important to me because I never keep them long and the JVC is already being whored out on the net. BenQ's typically are too but it's cheap enough that it doesn't really matter much.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 10:06 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Gaming!
Gar: I just picked up Rainbow Six Vegas. I like it much better than Gears of War. It's less in your face and more of a think about what your doing kind of game.
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 9:53 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Gaming!
Xbox 360: Games to play that are eye popping and jaw dropping in HD:
Gears of War: One of the best out!
Lost Planet: A close tie with the above!
Halo3 Just around the corner, get to beta test it. ;)
PS3: Things to come!
http://www.naughtydog.com/comingsoon/index.html
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 9:50 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Trav,
Your e-mail at Verizon bounced back, I sent it again to your other account.
RB ( 68.39.181.6 ) at 9:07 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Sion, Gar, RGB and any others I forgot: Thanks for the tips last week about the HD via component. From the looks of things I will be waiting for combo players down the road. Here's hoping the prices drop quickly!
BAGMAN ( 71.3.161.139 ) at 9:00 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
33 degrees here in SW Florida.
Tony C ( 63.252.15.6 ) at 8:44 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Good morning gentlemen, the temperature is 5.
in Minneapolis.
Joelc ( 217.118.122.2 ) at 4:30 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Good morning gang,,,losy, rainy day in the UK...
Trav ( 72.90.97.119 ) at 12:45 AM EST Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Gar: Once again!
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 11:41 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Trav: Back at you..... ah several times!
Gar ( 75.100.84.124 ) at 11:14 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Sion: Maybe it's because he lived in Montana for awhile, and if your now an Eagle Scout there you will soon become one if you do any hiking! ;)
Gasgeek: Sister is in Kalispel, MT... Going there again soon!!
RB ( 68.39.181.6 ) at 9:45 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
BYork: Thanks man!
BYork ( 64.172.7.194 ) at 7:26 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
mcb - you have email headed your way....
BYork ( 64.172.7.194 ) at 7:20 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
(If Gasgeek is an Eagle scout...he's not the only one here...)
Happy Birthday, RB and ScottV!
Trav ( 72.90.97.119 ) at 6:44 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Gar: Received your email and returned one back to you.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 6:01 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Joelc: Typing your judging from would I agree rest some you need!
Aha - now I see why you want a larger FP with a great picture. Keep us up to date on your search and have fun, keeping in mind that it's all really just luxury shopping that I know you have earned.
Joelc ( 217.118.122.2 ) at 5:31 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Curtis: Thanks for the infor re: Sharp. I am actually looking fo a bigger panelfor my bedroom that the 32" that I now have as (a) that panel will be moving to the family room and (b) I spend 70% of my panel watching time in my bedroom -- hence the desire for a larger panel there.
Will report back when back in Toronto...being going for damn near 34 hours straight...time to for some sleep...later guys...
Chris L. ( 75.67.230.79 ) at 5:24 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Denon 3806 on eBay
Anyone see any reason not to pick this up? It's right in my price range.
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Denon-AVR-3806-AVR3806-New-7-1-CH-A-V-Receiver_W0QQitemZ290076531796QQihZ019QQcategoryZ39793QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 2:26 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Sion: Trust me - I can spot 'em a mile away ;-)
Sion ( 128.205.177.30 ) at 2:06 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
old Sony VCR flashing 12:00
Curtis: How do you know Gasgeek isn't an Eagle Scout?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:34 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
old Sony VCR flashing 12:00
Gasgeek: Outstanding, young man thanks. I was certain that our resident Eagle Scout would answer this one 1st.
Gasgeek ( 161.209.206.1 ) at 12:44 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
old Sony VCR flashing 12:00
Curtis: Actually, according to this website, 1990 should work.
http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/repeating.html?country=1&year=2007
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:36 PM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
From Sharp minds come bad products
BC: OK thanks. I got the feeling that if the deal sounded too good to be true, it probably was. So in this case it would appear that from Sharp minds comes known problems that they gladly dumped on the market for whatever they could get. OD probably paid $200 each if that for 'em. Glad nobody here went out & bought one.
They also had a ViewSonic 32" LCD with like specs for $649. Now I'm curious if it's just more of the same POS panels with a different badge?
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 11:07 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Curtis: The Sharp that OD was selling was a rebadged Sharp using a panel made in Taiwan. Lots of problems with that particular mode which is probably why some at OD thought they got a great deal on them to resell. I read about the problems with it on fat wallet.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 11:02 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
old Sony VCR flashing 12:00
My little old lady neighbor needs help. Her son gave her an older Sony VCR that was fairly high end in 1990 and a jillion movies. I went to set the date ... the range of years available are 1990 through 2005!
Soooo, I can get her going if I know what year in that range has the same days & dates as 2007? TIA gang. She'll bake us all some cookies - sans pot.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:39 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Feedback from Oppo Digital
I asked Oppo some questions recently, thought some people here might appreciate the answers. Here is the whole transaction, in chronological order:
(parts I wrote are prefixed with a carot ">" )
> To: service@oppodigital.com
> Hello,
>
> Some friends of mine are shopping for dvd players, and I'd like to
> recommend the Oppo lineup. I have a question about Divx, XviD, & other
> similar video compression formats (e.g. H.264, MPEG4, etc.).
>
> There are several High Definition (i.e. 720p &/or 1080p) videos
> available for download in Divx format. Also, one could, in theory,
> record an HD broadcast show to one's PC, and then compress that HD video
> file using XviD or Divx while maintaining the HD resolution.
>
> Can the Oppo players handle HD Divx/mpeg4/etc. files, and if so, how are
> they handled? Are they decoded and played at their native resolution,
> or is there some amount of scaling/processing that the player will (or
> can) do?
>
> For example, if I download a 720p Divx movie trailer and burn it to disc:
>
> 1. will it play at all?
> 2. will it play but be downconverted to 480i/p?
> 3. will it play at 720p only?
> 4. can it be upconverted to 1080i/p?
> 5. can an HD compressed video file (Divx/Xvid/H.264,etc) be
> downconverted (e.g. from 1080p to 1080i, 720p, or 480p)?
>
> If the players can play compressed HD files with HD output, will that HD
> output be limited to output via dvi/hdmi, or can they be played over
> component video outputs (for the 970 & 971, that is)?
>
> Thanks for any information you can provide in this area. Also, I think
> it would be good to add this information to your FAQ, maybe under the
> Divx section.
Unfortunately the decoding chipsets in our DVD units are only capable of
decoding 720x480 pixel resolution encodes. This is a limitation of the
decoding chipset and will not fixed through software.
Best Regards,
Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
> To: "service@oppodigital.com"
> Thanks for the reply.
>
> So, does this mean that the Oppo players play ONLY 720x480 files, i.e.
> they won't play, for example, XviD encoded files that are LESS than
> 720x480? (e.g. QVGA 320x240?)
>
> Also, are 720x480 Divx-type files upconverted to 720 or 1080 in the
> same way that DVD files are upconverted?
>
> Thanks.
The maximum resolution is 720x480 pixels. Any files smaller than this
resolution will be played back without an issue.
All files are upconverted to 720p and 1080i. This includes DivX and
XviD.
Best Regards,
Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 10:23 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Bingo-Playing Grannie
Geo.: Good! 
Geo. ( 72.75.20.162 ) at 10:11 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Bingo-Playing Grannie
Curtis: Well, as a matter of fact, it came out of my office. lol
Geo. ( 72.75.20.162 ) at 10:10 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
That's weird.
Geo. ( 72.75.20.162 ) at 10:09 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Bingo-Playing Grannie
Has anyone read about the bingo-playing grannie who was sentenced to three years in prison for running a load of weed?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:58 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Bingo-Playing Grannie
Geo.: ROTF! Just tell me this happened anywhere outside of, what does Joe call it, Kalifornia? The nuttiest people I ever heard of live well away from here but it's important to keep up appearances as the looney center of the universe - if for no other reason than to keep everyone else out.
Geo. ( 72.75.20.162 ) at 9:49 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Bingo-Playing Grannie
Has anyone read about the bingo-playing grannie who was sentenced to three years in prison for running a load of weed?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 7:06 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Joelc: Good morning. Is that town as expensive as ever? Anytime someone bitches about the cost of living in CA I suggest London or Tokyo. How the middle class survives is beyond me.
The Aquos LCD suggestion was made because:
1) bang for the bucks if you can get almost 1/2 off of retail in the event you may not need a bleeding-edge display for critical viewing in a bedroom.
2) You may want the option of something smaller than 42" because even the smallest plasmas can take over a room, and
3) You already own a couple of Aquos panels. My assumption is that you enjoy the product.
Blasphemy to mention down-sizing on a HT forum where bigger/more $$ is usually better, but hey man - you could also save about $1,200 USD vs. an entry level piece of glass.
Joelc ( 62.50.195.70 ) at 5:11 AM EST Monday, January 29, 2007
Good morning gang...coming to you live from London...
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 11:54 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
WallyWorld
Cajun_Mike: Can you imagine even attempting to compete as a mid-sized locally owned competitor to home depot anywhere? I think we're safe from H.D. selling Von Schweikert & Pioneer Elite gear ... for now.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:53 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Here you go!!
Gar: what I cant understand is that if Dunlavy's speakers are considered to be the pinnacle in audio... why is he out of business? Widesrcreen Review still compares everything to Dunlavy as that is their reference speaker.... and other reviewers still drop the Dunlavy name on a regular basis in reviews.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:51 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
WallyWorld
Curtis: Last time I called over there was a few years ago when I was interested in Von Schweikert. They had just picked up the line. Wally has more to do with the Lumber side/home improvent portion of the store. It's a pretty impressive outfit... it's like a midsized locally owned home depot. He had some new guy that was running his HT department.
Gar ( 75.100.85.4 ) at 10:10 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Here you go!!
Cajun_Mike: Here you can use these as your next speakers!
http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?spkrfull&1172921510
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 10:04 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
OR a 32" Aquos LCD for $649?
Joelc: Or save a bunch of cash & buy an almost disposable Aquos? Saw this Sharp Aquos in black at Office Depot today. The picture looked pretty good, has 2 x HDMI's & it's likely a lower end model LC-32D40U they say retails for $1,199 US, on sale through 2/03 for $649 (list - $350 in store/online instant savings - $200 mailin rebate ... I think, I'm doing this from memory but am sure the net net was $649.
Sharp's corporate description here:
http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelLanding/0,1058,1656,00.html
Office Depot online offer (it's $200 more than in-store)
http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=871099&Ntt=Sharp%20Aquos&uniqueSearchFlag=true&An=text
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:27 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
WallyWorld
Cajun_Mike: He either gets right back to me or you're right, it seems to take forever. As good a biz as being a successful Elite dealer can be, I get the impression that he may have all kinds of other biz interests and this HT thing is more of a side business to the family lumber/ home improvement stuff.
You already called him for this buy or did you give up long ago?
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:39 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Gar: Robert can probably comment on it but the Hitachi Plasmas have a widely reported flicker issue.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=715147
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:35 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Curtis: Wally does not return calls and I believe he has someone else running his deal now. I also doubt he can beat that price and almost every online dealer has some sort of restocking fee.
Joelc ( 69.156.211.229 ) at 5:17 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Gar: I hear you...although I am sitting in the airport lounge -- flight to the UK is delayed -- I e-mailed my dealer to make sure that (i) he has a unit for me to look at when I get back and (ii) he quotes me a price on it while I am away...
Unrealted point -- e-mail and internet has made me a much less pateint consumer which means more pressure/stress on retailers.
Gar ( 75.100.85.4 ) at 4:28 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
LCD Recommendations...
Joelc: I feel your pain on pixelation. :) Newer LCD units with faster refresh rates and better blacks and less expensive pricing make LCD still a good choice. What Sharp do you have? I have a 32" in the office and it is very good. Not sure if I would be concerned with 1080p at that small of a size set, well I guess that all depends.
Gar ( 75.100.85.4 ) at 4:22 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Joelc: I just saw the new Hitachi plasmas today, not sure model numbers but it looked like the one Curtis Posted. Very sweet, sitting right next to a new Pioneer, looked like a toss up to my eyes. Pioneers been in the market for some time now, but the new Hitachis look great.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 3:13 PM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Good. I didn't think you would order before seeing. I know BC's contacts are solid but I might ask the Washington state folks you're about to order from if they're really going to charge you a 20% restocking fee if you decide for any reason to return it. I would also ask exactly what they mean by the statement that "Pioneer is no longer accepting product returns on their plasma displays ... in other words, you have the manufacturers 1 year warranty and it SEEMS as though what they're saying is that you are on your own to locate a Pioneer service center to get any problems resolved. I'm thinking there may not be many of them in LA?
Just for kicks have you broached this subject with Wally who you bought your Pioneer RP from? Some time ago he was offering up one of his showroom demo Elite plasma's at a very attractive price. Next to no use with full new warranty of course. All he did was have it calibrated to attract new orders & like all demos it had to eventually go to make room for the newest product. It might be worth a phone call to see what he might be able to offer you. Then again I'm a pretty cheap old guy and you may want that new plasma smell!
Joelc ( 64.229.144.229 ) at 11:45 AM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Good morning gang...just droppng in for a minute as I am off to the Uk for two days...back Wednesday at lunch time...will deal with the LCD/plasma then...have a good few days..
Joelc ( 64.229.144.229 ) at 11:45 AM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Good morning gang...just droppng in for a minute as I am off to the Uk for two days...back Wednesday at lunch time...will deal with the LCD/plasma then...have a good few days..
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 2:03 AM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
star wars collectors
I have a friend that has 2 fossil watches around 5 years old. One is a Darth Vador watch that stores in a Darth Vador bust. The other is an R2D2/C3PO watch that stores in R2D2. He'd like to get $120 each, but will consider offers. They were about $155 each new. he needs to thin out his watch collection by order of SWMBO. I searched online, but couldn't find anything like them. Even on Ebay. Anyone interested I could get pics.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:50 AM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Curtis: I've looked at them at the local best buy and circuit city.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:36 AM EST Sunday, January 28, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Are you buying it sight unseen?
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:17 PM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Joelc: I'm only in my bedroom watching TV at night before turning it off and crashing. That means a Plasma is the best possible TV for my room. I'm likely ordering the Pioneer PDP-4270HD from these guys on Monday. BC told me about them.
http://www.visualapex.com/plasma/Plasma_details.asp?chPartNumber=PDP-4270HD&MFR=Pioneer
Joelc ( 64.229.144.229 ) at 4:40 PM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Curtis: Thanks man...will take a look when I get back from the UK on Wednesday...
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 4:35 PM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Hitachi 42" plasma
Joelc: I wouldn't kick this one outta my bedroom: the 42HDX99 Directors Series in black. Get the wall mount and impress your, um, guests.
http://www.hitachi.us/tv/browse/plasma/plasma/42hdx99.shtml
BTW that too cool commercial is on their plasma main entry screen and downloadable ( w/the option of iPod video even) here: http://www.hitachi.us/tv/
The whole line of plasmas is available from this page. Nice marketing work Robert!
BAGMAN ( 71.3.161.139 ) at 3:56 PM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Time for a sip of good scotch
AVB, Happy B'Day.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 2:15 PM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Happy Purple Jesus day!
Duh - how could I forget. Are you around, old boy? What's been keeping you busy these days?
Joelc ( 64.229.144.229 ) at 1:44 PM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
AVB: Happy birthday my friend..hope you have a great day!
BC nad Curtis: As far as Pioneer Elite is concerned no way -- that is, there is no way that I am spending that kind of coin for a bedroom tv -- that is, not until I win the lottery.
As far as taking another look at plasma I will go to the dealer whn I get back next week and take another/longer look...that said, the damn pixel structure really bothered me...and yes, all yes being close to equal I will mostdefinitely be putting food on Robert's table...now, for the two of you and Gar, what specific plasma models should I look at other than the Pioneer 4070 and 5070 and, are any new models coming out in the nesar term?
Gar ( 75.100.85.4 ) at 12:58 PM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Happy Birthday AVB!
Joelc: I do agree with myself ah, (BC) that is! ;)
Curtis: I was just stating that since you are from Chicago.
BYork ( 64.172.7.194 ) at 12:39 PM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Happy Birthday, AVB!
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 11:47 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
LCD Recommendations...
Joelc: Based upon the list you furnished, why not help to put some food on Robert's table? Look very closely at the Hitachi's. You know their ad showing the white leopard with the jeweled leash that breaks & the fetching young model in an evening gown? I saw that running from an old Sencore HD to a battery of FP displays including the Hitachi & Pioneer plasmas AND several LCD's. No comparison. It looked like an HD source.
I too can see nothing but SDE (aka: the damned pixels) on any fixed pixel display including FP's if I'm looking for it AND sitting close enough to really see them. This begs the obvious question: how close are you planning to be from your screen? Two more plugs for plasma - 1) you'll have a better field of view both horizontally & vertically than any LCD, if that matters to you, & 2) better black levels translate into an image with more perceived depth ... but now I'm getting into the kind of descriptions that wine snobs use, such as "plasmas taste better because they provide better eye candy!"
Just get whatever looks best to your eyes. I know you're too smart to simply write-off the current generation of anything without having seen them.
BC ( 66.142.185.111 ) at 10:15 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Last post was from me, not Gar. Weird.
Gar ( 66.142.185.111 ) at 10:14 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
LCD Recommendations...
Joelc: Look at Pioneer or Pioneer Elite. If you don't need speakers built in, the cmx series are just as good (maybe better) than the elite's, especially with the key digital card. If you need speakers, the 4270 and 5070 are what you want to see. The 50" versions will usually give you a little higher resolution than a 42".
IMO, the only reason to go with an LCD is if you have light issues where the plasma's screen would be to reflective or you are sitting extremely close and want the 1080p that isn't available readily in plasma's.
As far as pic quality goes, there isn't an LCD out that can compare to the pic of a good plasma like the pioneer elites or the cmx series. There is no visible pixel structure or motion artifacts on my pioneer 507cmx watching HD or SD via Directv.
Chris L ( 207.69.138.134 ) at 8:08 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Receiver time..
Sion: Why would Bill throw stones at you? What's wrong with the Outlaw?
Chris L ( 207.69.138.134 ) at 8:06 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVB!!!
Joelc ( 64.229.144.229 ) at 7:11 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
LCD Recommendations...
Robert, Curtis: The problem with plasma, at least to my eyes, is that I can see the damn pixels from my viewing distance and this, more than anuthing else, bugs the hell out of me...that said, I will go and give plasmas another look so, which ones do you recommend?
Joelc ( 64.229.144.229 ) at 7:07 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Good morning gang...
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 3:59 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Flawless tennis, I mean perfect
I won't spoil it, but you all missed something really special. You might expect lopsided results when the #81 player vs. #1 in the world. However the winner of tonight's championship women's match played even better than Federer did yesterday while utterly destroying Andy Roddick. It was like watching Jordan, Montana (insert your fav athlete here) at their best ... so much better than everyone else & making it look easy that it makes you wonder if they're just from another planet!
BTW, ESPN didn't broadcast it in HD. I could have cared less once it started, yet it would have been nice.
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 2:34 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
AVB; Happy B-Day!!
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 2:30 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
....and God looks like Kenny Loggins...
http://dynamic.cnn.com/apps/tp/video/bestoftv/2006/12/14/beck.akiane.child.prodigy.cnn/video.ws.asx?NGUserID=aa570a1-6893-1166214706-3&adDEmas=R00%26hi%26cox.net%2673%26usa%26650%2673101%2637%26-%26-%26-%26
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:46 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
watch this video...
Robert: That's why, my next set of speakers are either the Dali Helicon 400's or the Triad LCR Golds.. 
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 1:24 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
Sion; Yes, I need component. When I bought my 55" mits it was another $1000 for DVI. I couldn't see that kind of expense on a $2000 TV. Plus at the time not much used the DVI. I have a scaler, but I plan on using that on the future HT. I don't see why it wouldn't scale a non-protected video out the component. After all the only reason it won't is if the video is protected.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:10 AM EST Saturday, January 27, 2007
LCD Recommendations...
Joelc: I agree with Robert suggesting plasma for the same reasons (motion crushing LCD resolution) OK maybe crush is harsh. 1080p specs may not have a lot to do with real world viewing. SD material suffers with many LCD's that I have seen. Let's not forget inkier black levels. I know that current LCD blacks are passable, but why wouldn't you want the best dynamic picture range that you can get when the price of plasma's have dropped so rapidly?
Robert ( 69.58.165.3 ) at 11:36 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
watch this video...
Chris L., Cajun_Mike:
That was cool.
Robert ( 69.58.165.3 ) at 11:35 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
LCD Recommendations...
Joelc: Really,,,,,,,You;d take LCD over Plasma? I'm responsible for both technologies and having finally see the benefits of a billion $ LCD plant, I'd still take plasma, I have a great chart that shows how resolution response falls off dramatically as soon as you introduce motion on an lcd/ That said I'd put Sharp in teh back of the pack, I don;t have one that large,& don't get hung up on 1080p (there's too much emphasis on it without actual benefit, just read HT Mag, Widescrreen review, etc), but do focus on full panel resolution.
Robert ( 69.58.165.3 ) at 11:27 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
puuuuhhhleeeze
figures, the yahoos at avs forum proved again how useless it can be for real advice. It seems that the forum is nothign more than a "@#$%" measuring contest or a fight about ethereal quasi nuances between x and y or why my shit is better. I 've asked two questions in specifics sub forums only to see no real answers. Gee go figure.
Joelc ( 64.229.144.229 ) at 10:39 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
LCD Recommendations...
The CRT TV in the basement died after 18 years of service...this means that I am moving my 26" Sharp Aquos to the basement and my 32" Sharp Aquos frommy bedroom to the living room which means that I need a new panel for my bedroom. I am looking for a 40, 42 or 46 LCD panel and am not up to date on current LCD technology...any suggestions noting the following:
1. Dealer that I would like todeal with carries Hitachi, LG, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony.
2. Do not even think about recommeding a plasma as I find the pixelation because they are NOT 1920x1080 worse than the LCD's less than perfect black level.
3. I am putting the larger panel in the living room as the panel in the living room is used less than the panel in the bedroom..
Looking forward to your feedback.
Thanks,
Joel
Chris L. ( 75.67.230.79 ) at 9:13 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
watch this video...
Cajun_Mike: That was pretty cool. Mde me want to run out and buy a pair. :)
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 8:35 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
HD Maria on in 1 hour
ESPN2HD at 9:30 EST is showing the live Aussie Open women's final match Serena vs. Maria(grunting in 5.1 surround). On my way to a friends house who doesn't know his family will be watching it tonight on a Runco 3 x DLP FP. Should be a good match.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 8:24 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Curtis/ScottPop Porn...
Sion: Oh puuulllease! I think the one comment summed this house up well ... "looks like somebody needs to get laid"
Gar: Where did you get the impression I was near Chicago? Funny thing is that recently about 3 major things are doing their best to temp me to move back there. Grew up in the 'burbs but left in the 70's and am fairly sure I would die there this time of year.
Trav ( 72.90.97.119 ) at 7:19 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Gar: Thanks for the update. Look forward to talking to you again.
Gar ( 75.100.85.4 ) at 6:24 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Trav
Called and e-mailed Mike at Dynaudio I will have a answer next week. I am also ordering a pair of rears, so he better get back to me. :)
Gar ( 75.100.85.4 ) at 6:19 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Sion: You sure that isn't Curtis's house in Chicago. ;)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:57 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
watch this video...
damn impressive...
http://www.dali.dk/admin/filer/Corporate%20Film-new-wmv-55MB.wmv
Chris L ( 207.69.138.134 ) at 4:05 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
BC
YGM!
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:50 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Curtis/ScottPop Porn...
Can you say, "fanboy" boys and girls? Holy freekin cow!
More sickness here. That boy needs some help.
Gar ( 75.100.85.4 ) at 2:19 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Point taken, just like I stated you go with what doesn't break down, now this varies from person to person, one reason I am glad we have a lot of choices!
Joe: Hopefully everything will turn out ok, I for one would love to see Ford/GM etc.. rebound, too bad the American consumer has lost confidence in the big 3.. Makes me wonder what's next, auto industry going, tech industry going etc. etc...
Joe ( 198.208.251.23 ) at 2:07 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Gar: That sucks....this one concerns me, more then I can say
http://www.navistar.com/newsdetail.aspx?id=828
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:13 PM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
I've had a denon DVD player for five years.. not one problem with it and not one problem with my receiver. D&M holdings is Denon and Marantz... aside from features, they are made in the same facilities.
Gar ( 75.100.85.4 ) at 11:45 AM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Thats too bad, in the 6 years I worked at Audiophiles we rarely had any of the Elites come in for repairs. Now Pioneers regular line we had some, I just never bought one because back then they sounded like crap. Now I have had bad luck with Denon DVD players and 1 receiver, so you go with what doesn't break down..
This blows, I hope it doesn't affect anyone here!
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070126/NEWS01/701260472
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 11:39 AM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
On the Sony Sony DVP-NC85H/S are the component outputs defaulted to progressive scan? Before I pull this unit out of my friends system and return it I wanted to see if I was trying to input a progressive scan signal into a interlaced TV. what woudl that look like?
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 11:37 AM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
T
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:46 AM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Gar: yep and my neighbor six doors down went through two elites and three Marantz's. All of them had bulbs go out in the receivers front display.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 9:38 AM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
BIG AL: Are you limited to component video only, like RB?
What I'm wondering about all these upconverting players is... if I download or create a compressed HD video (i.e. Divx or H.264, etc.) will it play it at HD resolutions? They say they are Divx compatible, and you can download HD Divx videos from Divx.com. Also, I could (in theory) record an HD broadcast tv show, then convert it to Divx or x.264 (the open source/free version of H.264). I wonder if these players can handle HD resolution Divx-type files? And if they can, will the output the signal over component or only DVI/HDMI?
Not that it matters for me right now, as my TV is a 480i 27" Toshiba 4:3 CRT. :^P
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 9:32 AM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Joe: 14 degrees? PSHAH! I walked the dog this morning at 8AM... it was a solid 5 degrees F, windchill made it minus somethingfrikincold. :^) Got down to the low digits last night. Supposed to start warming up though over the next few days. Mid-30's over the weekend... time to work on my tan. ;^)
Joe ( 198.208.251.23 ) at 8:16 AM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Joelc: Good 14 degree morning to you
Joelc ( 64.229.144.229 ) at 6:19 AM EST Friday, January 26, 2007
Good morning gang...
Gar ( 75.100.80.51 ) at 11:54 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Cajun_Mike: 6 Pioneer Elites with Defects, and I thought you were full of shit ;) LOL Sure it isn't your TV that has HDMI 1.3, maybe it was a defective cable. ;)
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:48 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Sion; I was just thinking the same thing. I usually copy my DVDs to remove all the crap (languages, subtitles, extras) anyway. I just want to watch the movie. The question is if it would work that way. I may just have to buy one to find out. I would prefer the Oppo, but I may have a better chance of it working with the helos.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 9:26 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Receiver time..
Gar: I like Denon. I have had three Marantz's and six Pioneer Elites and they all had defects. One even caught fire.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:09 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Gar: I was only pointing that out because you posted the Denon link as a suggestion to RB, who was looking for an upscaling dvd player that could output upscaled video as component.
Seems like the Helios (if it really can do it) is one of the few. The Oppo will do it but only for non-protected DVDs.
RB, I guess you could buy the Oppo, and rip/burn all your DVDs to strip the CSS protection! ;-)
Gar ( 75.100.80.51 ) at 4:56 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Receiver time..
BC: I like Marantz or Pioneer Elites over Denon right now, I think they are much easier to program etc...
Gar ( 75.100.80.51 ) at 4:55 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Sion: Didn't say they could, but from the looks from there spec sheet, it looks like DVI and or HDMI only, unless the BNC side of the player via component can do it, doesn't say.
Another question for you, do you know of any decent Dolby Digital External decoders/converters for computers? M-Audio looks like they make some.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:48 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Receiver time..
Chris L.: Have you considered Outlaw? (I'm ducking as Wild Bill readies to throw stones at me...)
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:47 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Gar: I don't believe that any of those Denon DVD players will output upscaled video (i.e. 720p,1080i/p) via component. They all say scaling via HDMI.
Chris L. ( 75.67.230.79 ) at 4:35 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Receiver time..
Or...is there a decent, comparably priced pre\pro I should be looking at?
I still have my 5 Marantz monoblocks, I just don't have anything going into them at the moment.
Gar ( 75.100.80.51 ) at 4:29 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
RB: The best players out right now that up convert for the money are the Oppo players, but as Sion and Big Al pointed out they do this mostly by upconverting via HDMI or DVI. There are a lot more players out there that will do 1080i/1080p, frankly 720p is fine depending on the size of your set.
Here are some by Denon that look great!! There new CI models almost look as good as a HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, pretty amazing when I saw a few of them in action last week.
http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/DVDPlayersAndChangers.asp
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 4:14 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Receiver time..
Chris L: I recently setup a 3806 for a friend and was surprised how good it sounded even through his $4K POS Bose surround system. He insisted that all speakers had to be at almost ceiling height even after I showed him several pro websites suggestions to get them near ear level - for all of the obvious reasons. After using the auto calibration mic things sounded far better.
I was back at his house the other day. Another friend rewired all his audio sources from 100% digital (that I had done) to all analog using the cheapest stereo RCA cables I ever saw. The owner gifted the nice new digital interconnects to the guy! To my ear everything sounds as bad as you might imagine. All sound-fields were set to Virtual 5.1 Surround with the rears way louder than the mains/center. I put on a DVD and asked if he enjoyed dialog coming mostly from behind him ... he said it was better than I wired & set it! Besides, the other friend holds a doctorate so he MUST know more than I do. His degree is in Marine Biology. I gave up.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 3:58 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Receiver time..
Chris L: I'm not a Denon dealer. The shop I used to work for was and I can still get you one from them. I primarily do Marantz now.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 3:25 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Drama in the bike lane
Sion: Thanks for the wheel tip. I'm sure there are plenty of used bike shops around SD State & UCSD - like any college town. Guilty as charged about my old bike comments from the Palo Alto days. It's funny how your perspective changes when you're the cyclist. Bike lanes here are a lot like PA: well laid out, kept very clean & every other car ignores them by cutting off cyclists/ slamming brakes for no particular reason all the time. This entire street is no parking any time but it seems there are always big assed trucks parked completely blocking the bike lanes forcing you to either enter traffic or hit the sidewalk ... there's usually pedestrians so you have to stop.
RGB: The drive was from a Chevy dealer onto the main drag of this 'burb. I did go in to ask if anyone knew who the driver was & went back today to look for the truck ... nobody is saying anything & the truck's nowhere to be found.
Chris L ( 207.69.138.139 ) at 3:21 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Receiver time..
Just about ready to bite the bullet on a new receiver to replace the pos that blew up earlier this month.
I'm pretty much leaning towards the Denon 3806.
Now, wasn't it BC who was the authorized dealer here? It's been awhile since I talked to him about it..if it was him (short term memory I guess).
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:42 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Drama in the bike lane
Curtis: First, I'm glad you're okay.
Second, A 700c wheel might be able to be made to work on your frame, depending on your brakes and their adjustability. Otherwise, find a bike shop that deals with old/used bikes (not that uncommon) and you're sure to find a replacement.
Third, I can't help but chuckle a little, as I recall some somewhat anti-bicyclist comments from you back in the day (i.e. your Palo-Alto days).
Again, glad you're okay. Too bad the driver was an asshat. Maybe motivation to get in shape enough to be able to chase him down? ;-) (I should talk... work, winter, & thesis has me in the worse shape of my life currently, I think...) Especially when on city streets, this is entirely possible though, with traffic lights and what not. Many a motorist waiting at a red light has received an earful from me for their asinine moves a few blocks earlier.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 2:38 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Drama in the bike lane
Curtis: That sucks! So glad you're all right though.
So this guy was coming out of a driveway - any chance it was his house? Might be one way to come back and pay him a "personal" visit.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:54 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Drama in the bike lane
A split second earlier and I likely would have been run over by a full sized 4x4 Toyota truck. Idiot wearing earbuds comes out of a driveway - I wave to him as I'm approaching just to be sure he knows I'm coming into his path. He nails me at the rear axle anyway, resulting in a badly bent rear wheel and a big crease in the rear rack brace. He admits what he did, asks if I'm OK (yes but scared sh*tless) & says he'll meet me at the next corner to make things right ... only to peel out once he's at that corner. No plates on the rear (new) several other cars saw the whole thing but nobody bothers to stop. Someone's looking out for me because I'm intact and am only in need of a new rear wheel/tire. I call the cops, they say I'm SOL and refuse to even take a report unless I'm sure I have bodily injuries.
It's an old 10 speed Shogun model 200 with 27" wheels. There's no way to bend it back. Any ideas of where to get a new or used wheel and how much it should cost? TIA
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 1:46 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
RB: You're correct - HD DVD upconversion for SD discs only through HDMI. So that may help with your decision some.
RB ( 68.39.181.6 ) at 1:23 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
BIG AL: Thanks for the link. One poster said "My HD Hitachi has great 720p and 1080i pictures. When playing a non copyrighted DVD movie using the H4000, I find that the upconverted picture quality at both resolutions has less detail than the non converted 480 picture. My TV doesn't do internal upscaling and I saw the same results on my buddy's much more expensive setup.
I will be returning this DVD player."
Oh well....
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:14 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Shameful legal system
I don't know whether to blame the legislators or the jury, but this is a cryin' shame.
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 1:09 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
One other thing they sold at Barrett-Jackson was a Panasonic 103" plasma for $70,000 at the Panasonic booth.
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 1:06 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Here's where I was finding info;
http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/10/neodigits-announces-the-helios-h4000-hd-upscaling-dvd-player/
RB ( 68.39.181.6 ) at 1:04 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Sion: Thank you....Big Al, what do you say to that?
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:00 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
RB: I'm a *huge* fan of the Oppo players, however...
WARNING: The oppo players are only good if you can use the dvi/hdmi outputs. Even the 970 that Gar mentioned, will only output 480p max over component. It will output upconverted video (e.g. 1080i) over component for DVDs that are NOT CSS encrypted. But for virtually all commercially pressed DVDs, you will be limited to 480p over component.
If Big Al is right, and the Helios player is made by Oppo, then I wouldn't be surprised if it has the same limitation(s).
RB ( 68.39.181.6 ) at 1:00 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Gar: ,RGB: Got it. The HD-DVD player by Toshiba seems to upconvert only via HDMI, so maybe I'll be able to play HD-DVD disks via component, but not regular (old)DVDs, right?
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 12:51 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Gar; from that link of the Oppo DV-970H (* Component output for CSS-encrypted DVD discs (almost all commercially pressed DVD discs) is limited to 480i/480p only.)
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 12:44 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
RB; I've been checking out that player. It's actually made by Oppo. Almost all the reviews I've read say the upscaling isn't that good. A couple guys said they left it at 480i because their tv did a better job of upscaling. What most people liked about it is that it will play almost any type of video/audio disc. The Oppo seems to do a better job of upscaling, but doesn't play as many types of files. The reviews were from last year when it first came out. things may have changed by now with updates.
Gar ( 75.100.80.51 ) at 12:41 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
RB: The DV-970H can, from the looks of the specs.....
http://www.oppodigital.com/
Gar ( 75.100.80.51 ) at 12:35 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
RB: The Toshiba tha RGB is talking about is a good one, but there will be penty of changes over the next year or so, and although some people over at AVS think this war is over, I think it is jut getting started. I game, so this is how I got into the HD realm with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, and I see no difference in Blu-Ray and HD-DVD when you have a good master to compare. There will be also dual players coming out down the road, and it should make things interesting.
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 12:21 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
BC;
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 12:14 PM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Hi Def DVD For Me?
RB: It looks like it outputs 1080 over component, so you should be set. I don't think it would be a bad decision if you went to HD-DVD, as spending about $200 more would get you HD DVD and an excellent upconverter. But for that player's price it seems decent, make sure you look for reviews.
RB ( 68.39.181.6 ) at 11:45 AM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Gar: Thnks Gar. Do you know if the Oppo unit can output 1080i over component?
Gar ( 75.100.80.51 ) at 11:41 AM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
RB: Looks like a decent player. And the way Blu-Ray and HD-DVD format war is going you would be better off for now. Also check out the Oppo unit, not sure what the price is on this unit but the Oppo is a great buy.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 11:16 AM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
BC: Well up north here, they sell them at hardwares and gas stations, just past the beer and jerky, not sure about them Southern states 
No really, Homo depot and Lowes usally have new empty tanks. Alot of the gas stations up here have exchange tanks that are filled. I usally get mine done at the local hardware store.
RB ( 68.39.181.6 ) at 10:31 AM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Hi Def DVD For Me?
Hey guys - I came across a story on this product on www.hometheatermag.com and wondered what you all thought of it. I have a Samsung HDTV which has component inputs (no HDMI) and think this player might work for me.
http://www.neodigits.com/new/body/products/h4000/h4000.asp
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 10:16 AM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
Good morning...
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 9:57 AM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
You guys seen an inline gauge for grille propane tanks somewhere local? I want to get one but not really sure who might have them (Home Depot, Lowes, etc) Someone here at work told me to check out a swimming supplies store.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:24 AM EST Thursday, January 25, 2007
BREAKING NEWS
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003537232
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 9:24 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Pretty much the best quote ever...
Joe: What Rangel has or has not done doesn't matter one bit. What he said was really f&*king funny though! :-)
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 6:35 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Pretty much the best quote ever...
Sion: and what has Rangle done, besides talk about bring back the draft?...
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:08 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
1080i vs. 720p... finally explained
http://www.neopoleon.com/home/blogs/neo/archive/2005/12/06/18198.aspx
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:00 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Wild Bill.... tell me about the Triad In-Room Gold LCR's and the new Omni Gold SE's in-ceiling speakers that are due out in a few months.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:56 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Wild Bill: That link asks me to log in. What was the product, a trascoder?
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 4:10 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Wild Bill; That's what he needs, but he doesn't want to pay. He wants a $20 cable, and doesn't understand why it won't work.
Wild Bill ( 72.205.43.44 ) at 3:10 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
BIG AL: This what he's looking for?
http://www.keydigital.com/IW_Products.m4p.pvx?;ITEM?ItemCode=KDVA5
Not exactly a Radio Shack item (no offense intended).
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:01 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
DVI connectors
This is a good breakdown of the DVI spec pinout:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/03/DVI_pinout.png
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 1:52 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sion: You've got a pretty good memory! Almost everything has changed on my equipment/speaker side, with the exception of the Pardigm Ref rear surrounds and the Velodyne F1800RII sub - that thing is still awesome! 
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:51 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
BIG AL: Thanks. I didn't know that until about a minute before I read your post... I was reading this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface
Apparently, the DVI connector can accomodate the full 5-line RGBHV (VGA) signal, so the adapter we so commonly see really is just a pin adapter, not a converter.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:45 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
RGB: Yes, I was there... Costa Mesa. I remember your wine glasses shaking from the rack as we demoed your sub (18" Velodyne IIRC)... and watching some OTA HD "Friends" on NBC on that Mits. I too had the DTC100 hdtv stb, but I didn't have an HDTV at the time... just a widescreen SDTV. I still have that DTC100, too (actually my folks have it)
The cable you had was called a VGA "breakout" cable... DB15 VGA plug on one side, and 5 BNC (RGBHV) connectors on the other end. No adapter or converter was necessary, as your Mits had the 5 BNC inputs, which is exactly VGA spec.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 1:32 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sion: Actually, I think you came over once when I had that setup a while back.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 1:24 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sion: When I first got into HD, I had one of the first Mits HiDef TVs - a 55" WS RPTV. I also had a 1st gen RCA DTV HD receiver that had a VGA output on it. However, my TV only had RGBHV inputs for HD. I found a VGA to RGB adapter that worked perfectly however, but I can't recall where I got that.
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 1:18 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Gar; The convertor you're thinking of converts analog to digital, but NOT the other way around. 150-1242
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 1:13 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sion; DVI-D - True Digital Video
DVI-D cables are used for direct digital connections between source video (namely, video cards) and digital LCD (or rare CRT) monitors. This provides a faster, higher-quality image than with analog, due to the nature of the digital format. All video cards initially produce a digital video signal, which is converted into analog at the VGA output. The analog signal travels to the monitor and is re-converted back into a digital signal. DVI-D eliminates the analog conversion process and improves the connection between source and display.
DVI-A - High-Res Analog
DVI-A cables are used to carry a DVI signal to an analog display, such as a CRT monitor or an HDTV. Although some signal quality is lost from the digital to analog conversion, it still transmits a higher quality picture than standard VGA.
DVI-I - The Best of Both Worlds
DVI-I cables are integrated cables which are capable of transmitting either a digital-to-digital signal or an analog-to-analog signal. This makes it a more versatile cable, being usable in either digital or analog situations.
Like any other format, DVI digital and analog formats are non-interchangeable. This means that a DVI-D cable will not work on an analog system, nor a DVI-A on a digital system. To connect an analog source to a digital display, you'll need a VGA to DVI-D electronic convertor; to connect a digital output to an analog monitor, you'll need to use a DVI-D to VGA convertor.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:00 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
AND ANOTHER THING!!!
Here's something that's always made me scratch my head...
You know when you buy a new monitor, or a new graphics card, they almost always come with a converter/adapter... you know, the little plug adapter that has a db15 VGA plug on one side, and a DVI plug on the other. I've actually used one recently... my new work computer's graphics card had ONLY a DVI output, and until I got the new LCD monitor, I was using an old 21" CRT which had only a VGA input. So, I used a standard db15 VGA - VGA cable, from the monitor to the adapter, and I plugged the adapter into the dvi port on the video card. Worked just fine.
So... what I want to know is, if DVI is *really* a digital video format (which is what we keep hearing... and why it's better to use DVI (or hdmi) to your HDTV if you can - so that the signal is "all digital") ... then HOW can such a little adapter do the digital-to-analog conversion so well, and why would a product like THIS be necessary?
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 12:52 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sion: I can' think of anything myself that would do that "VGA>component". But what do I know.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 12:45 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
BIG AL: What I want to know is, what device has a DB15 jack that outputs Y/Pr/Pb component video? I've never heard of such a thing.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 12:40 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Gar: The last thing you linked to wouldn't have helped you either. That product is just a switcher, it would not convert any of the signals to a different format.
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 12:30 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Gar; part of the problem is Radio Shack's search engine is the absolute worst I've ever used. Search for "optical switch" and you get computer mice and floppy discs.
Gar ( 75.100.87.217 ) at 12:29 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sion: Ah, well you just saved me $75 bucks, thank you!! Duh, drawing a mind blank this morning. Of course I have an Analog out..... of my Computer and I have plenty of these cables laying around.
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 12:27 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sion; It's an HD15 (vga) to component, but aparently he didn't read the disclaimer at the bottom. You're right about RGB. The VGA port has to output a component signal.
http://sewelldirect.com/VGAtoComponentVideoRCA12Foot.asp
Gar ( 75.100.87.217 ) at 12:24 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sion: This is what I need, a tad overkill, unless I can find something simple.
http://www.uniqueproductsonline.com/coviandtosww.html
Keep it simple as you say ;) Optical to RCA, old receiver does not have "ANY" Digital inputs. The confusion was I posted the wrong item.
Big AL: I swear RadioRack had a model of this? One like this and a scaled down version.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 12:17 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Gar: Uh... let's get this straight. Forget about all your other receivers. The one you're concerned with right now, does it or does it not have a coaxial digital audio input? If not, you're kinda screwed if you want to feed it an optical digital signal.
What device is this optical signal coming from? Your PC? Virtually all soundcards on PCs that have an optical digital output, also have an analog output, so you can just use that.
Please describe the situation better, and I'm sure there's a solution out there. But the optical-coaxial digital audio converter you posted below would NOT help you if your receiver does not have a coaxial digital audio input.
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 12:12 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Gar; The Shack used to have an optical convertor, but I think it was optical to digital coax. I might have one at home, I'll check to see what it converts to. They don't have anything I know of now.
Gar ( 75.100.88.45 ) at 12:00 PM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
I am switching Receivers, the one I have above my Desk has everything I need. The one under my TV in my office is older and is analog good receiver, but doesn't have optical or coax inputs. Hence I need something to go from Optical to RCA..
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:59 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Gar: By the looks of your last post, it seems like you've found what you're looking for.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:58 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
BIG AL: FYI, all VGA ports output an RGB signal... it's a *component* signal that they don't output (Y/Pr/Pb) which is different from an RGB signal. VGA ports are RGBHV. This can be converted to just RGB, but even RGB (with the sync on green for example) is still not the same as component. What your asshole customer needs is a transcoder. What he's probably seen is a VGA to RGBHV (aka "VGA to 5-BNC") cable. Which would do him no good either.
Gar ( 75.100.88.45 ) at 11:58 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sion: Right...... I posted the wrong one! Optical to RCA is what I am looking for.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:53 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Gar: I think you mean optical in -> coax (electrical) out. Both signals would still be digital... i.e. you have a receiver that only has a coax digital input, right?
If you're looking for something that really converts your optical digital signal to an analog (i.e. L&R stereo or 5.1 analog channels) which is basically what most receivers and pre/pros do.
Gar ( 75.100.88.45 ) at 11:38 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Looking for a local store that might carry this?
http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=3103&sku=40019
Gar ( 75.100.88.45 ) at 11:29 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Big Al: See question below, girl at RadioShack was a dipshit when I called.. Need a device that will take a Optical out and convert it to an analog out 2 RCA (Red/Black) to go to a older stereo that doesn't have optical. I know I have seen them at the store before, girl didn't even check or even want to.
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 11:25 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sion; I was trying to find out what inputs it had. Just got a kick out of the dimensions thing. Should I really trust a manufacturer that thinks dimensions=weight? :-)
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 11:23 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Robert; They said Bill Cosby bought the car, and then returned it the next day, after he scared himself. You have to watch Tuesday's auctions. A lot more low priced cars, but still not like the old days. Anyone that would pay 5 mil for a car has more money than..... the U.S.
Gar ( 75.100.88.45 ) at 11:15 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Big Al: Does RadioShack have a device that converts a optical signal to a analog? I have a older receiver I am using with my computers and was wondering if there is a device you guys carry that does optical to analog? I am pretty sure I have seen one before, optical in>>> Analog out..
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:36 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Pretty much the best quote ever...
Rep. Charles Rangel, (D-NY) (a black man, for those who don't know) was asked what he thought about the President (GW)...
"Well," he said, "I really think he shatters the myth of white supremacy once and for all."
Gar ( 75.100.88.45 ) at 9:45 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Hmmm, odd using FireFox and it chopped my sentence off..
Gar ( 75.100.88.45 ) at 9:44 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Medical---FYI!
Mother went in for open heart surgery on Sat. She had 4 bypasses done and her
one of her valves fixed. She is 74, doing well finally, but what the Cardiologist was pissed about and now I am pissed about they did not once tell her she had high cholesterol in the last 20 years,just said it was in range and it never was.
Typically after menopause women actually can have more problems then men when it comes to high cholesterol and high blood pressure. This problem could have been avoided or at least lessened. So anyone over the ripe old age of 30, have yours checked and ask for the numbers.(LDL-HDL Levels)
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 9:27 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
BIG AL: That car had a twin, built for Bill Cosby. He later sold it and the new owner promptly crashed it.
Barret's is quite frankly only for crazy rich guys anymore. I knew people that used to go just to get a fixer upper at a deal. Now they are fully tweaked perfection in many cases or specifically built for the auction.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 9:09 AM EST Wednesday, January 24, 2007
BIG AL: That's funny. Just sit back and relish in the fact that a few hours later, he was probably still cursing you because he couldn't get a picture from his new VGA to Comp cable.
How about this, worked up a quote for a customer. He comes back and says he found the same tv (61" Samsung DLP) on amazon for less and asks if I can match it. I say fine. My dist. is out of them so we wait. After 2 weeks, he is anxious and tries to order from Amazon. They tell him it's in stock but then 2 days later, come back and say they are not in stock. He orders from somewhere else online, they do the same thing. He calls me and says he is going to check out a local store (Conns). Calls back and says they have them in their whse and it will be in tomorrow. Then he asks me if I can pick it up for him since I have a truck. Well, I'm thinking he hasn't paid me yet and I don't really want to piss him off and I drive right by that store everyday so....I say ok. I figure it's just a good deed that will get passed back somehow. Oh, but then he calls back and says they called and the whse sold them all so they are giving me a floor model and knocked another $100 off. I keep my mouth shut and say ok. I go by yesterday to pick up his tv, walk out of the store and there is a 3" nail sticking out the sidewall of my tire. So 2 hours and $210 later, I deliver his tv for free. I could go on about the rest of my day but it pretty much went along with the above. I'm fortunate, I haven't had a shitty day like that in a long time.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 11:06 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
BIG AL: But why do you need the mfgr's site? The newegg.com site has all the info you could want on the product. Just click on the "specifications" tab.
Dimensions (W×H×D) 20.3" x 16.5" x 8.1"
Weight 11.5 lbs.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 11:04 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
BIG AL: It's virtually identical to this monitor:
http://tinyurl.com/flkbs
The one I linked to at newegg is the new model number/version of the same monitor. I think the brightness & contrast ratio might be slightly improved on the new one.
Gar ( 75.100.88.45 ) at 10:42 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Big Al: That is a funny story about the moron in your store.. :) I also had a chance to watch the Barrett-Jackson car auction, some pretty amazing cars... I wonder what my old Mustang would have fetched? I still have the picture up on my HT bio....
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:40 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Sion; Acer's site doesn't even list that monitor. The monitors they do have, they have hardly any info. Dimensions: 12 pounds.
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:37 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
A "customer" called me an idiot today. I guess I deserved it. I actually tried to save him time and money. He wanted a vga to component video cable to hook his laptop up to his HDTV. I told him unless his laptop had an RGB signal out the VGA port, it wouldn't work. He says they sell them all over the internet, so they have to work. I told him just because it fits doesn't mean it's compatible, and he called me an idiot. I had to agree with him. I'm an idiot for trying to help a moron.
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:19 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Anybody watch the Barrett-Jackson car auction on Speed channel? It's amazing how the price of American muscle cars has skyrocketed in the last few years. They had a Shelby 500GT that sold at Barrett's in '98 for 17 grand. It went for over $100,000 this year. Top seller was a'66 Shelby Cobra Supersnake (supercharged) built by Shelby for himself, that he'd sold years back. It went for $5,000,000! An all time record for Barrett's. I wonder what Shelby sold it for.
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:10 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The 2 companies are Polaroid, and Vizio. My repair guy called Vizio for a friend whose TV wasn't working, and they told him he'd have to ship it to Ca. for warranty repairs. The repair is free, but the shipping will be almost half the price of the TV.
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 6:07 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Gar: I paid my mini off last nov,,,, mostly paid for by Creative labs and Ceiva. Now it's an asset, yea!! The company volvo stays outside though.......
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:36 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
PSA - great monitor
If any of you are looking for a great monitor, for a pretty good price (no Robert(tm) deal though) check this out:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824009102
I got this monitor for work recently, and it is really nice. For under 3 bills, I think it's a great deal. 22" 16:10 lcd, 5ms response, 1050x1680 native resolution, and it looks fantastic.
I have not tried it with any games though... given it is my work pc... but I've played a few high-def movie trailers and it looked great. The wide screen is really nice if you like to work on two documents at once (for me, it's usually source code in one window, and the program running in the other window). Wish I could afford one for home! (although I still love my 21" crt.)
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 3:51 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Be careful of the cheap off-brand LCDs. My TV guy said there's a couple companies that refuse to ship parts to anyone. That means nobody can repair them other than the factory. There are no authorized repair centers. That means shipping your TV to the factory for repairs. He's checking into it, and will let me know what the brands are, and if it's true.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:37 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
When sister took job with Nestle six months ago, she was given the option of either a Chevy Impala or that childs orthopedic shoe the Uplander. She chose the Impala. ;)
Gar ( 75.100.92.239 ) at 3:33 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Totally agree with you, once your kids get older there is no need for one, unless you to a ton of traveling. This is a freebee, the next one I get I get to choose, car that is...
Gar ( 75.100.92.239 ) at 3:31 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Cajun_Mike: I am the one that is laughing.... I am driving something for free..... Plus I just took care of 18k worth of debit. Cool thing is I owe 18K left on my Honda, but the going rate is between 20-23k....
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:30 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
in fact, at the same time I traded in my S2000 for a Aviator my next door neighbor's wife went from a Chrysler town and country to a white Chevy trailblazer and the soccer mom three doors down went from a Dodge Caravan to a silver Trailblazer.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:26 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Painful!!!
Gar: believe me, minivan sales are nowhere near what they were ten years ago. Not even close. All of those soccer moms gravitated towards Chevrolet TRailblazers, Honda Pilots, etc... but hey, I'm sure you'll look like a real stud driving one. hahahahahahaha
Gar ( 75.100.92.239 ) at 2:53 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Sion: And we can play this game while we watch....... LOL
http://www.drinkinggame.us/
Gar ( 75.100.92.239 ) at 2:51 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Painful!!!
Cajun_Mike: Actually there is a boat load of Mini-Van still being sold, if you have more that 2 kids and cart stuff around, a Mini-Van is the way to go, plus you can't beat sliding doors.. Plus they usually get better MPG, that being said I still hate them. LOL oh well, I will just have to put a ton of miles on the damn thing as soon as possible. I think when kids get a certain age, then moms tend gravitate towards SUVs. Its funny my wife has 5 sisters and all of them have Mini-Vans...
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 2:03 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
compare networks HD skills tonight
Sion: Cool, I'll check it out.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:26 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
compare networks HD skills tonight
Interesting idea:
State of the Union story
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:58 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Painful!!!
Gar: it's getting to the point now where the only people driving new mini-vans are sales reps. Soccer moms want the crossover SUV's. When I was looking at all the new product being shown at the DEtroit auto show, I laughed when I saw Chrysler showing an updated mini-van. I would like to know what annual sales of those things are versus ten years ago... I bet it's not even 25-percent.
Gar ( 75.100.92.239 ) at 12:04 PM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Painful!!!
Company is sending me my new Car, ah Mini-Van :( Selling a fully loaded Honda
Accord EX etc.. just put it up on Auto-Trader, a sad day for a few moments. The good thing, I don't have to pay for gas, and I have no car payment or insurance payment! :) I guess that leaves more for HT... :) I HATE Mini-Vans, wife loves hers......
Gar ( 75.100.92.239 ) at 9:26 AM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Killer Price..........
I would love a Pioneer in the bedroom, but this puppy is going in a cabinet, so no room. 32" is the biggest set I would want in there, plus the bedroom should be used for other things. ;) LOL hahahahaha.. Anyone make a 32-37" Plasma :)
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 8:53 AM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Killer Price..........
Curtis: Normally I really hate flat panels with anything other than a standard native resolution. Often it's a visible thing... I see scaling problems, but always it's a principle thing... no matter how good your image processing (scaling) is, the picture would be that much better if the display had a native resolution equal to that of the image being displayed. The less convoluted the scaling, the better. Thus: 768x1024 is neither a 16:9 format (pixels aren't square) nor does either axis match the native resolution of one of the atsc formats. Also, next is 768x1366... while the pixels are square, you still need to scale the image, and it's not a very nice scaling factor (1.0666666666). While 720x1280 is native for 720p, it still requires scaling of 1080, but the scale factor is an easy 2/3, and vice versa for a 1080p display scaling 720p - 3/2.
Don't even get me started on the terrible 1024x1024 16:9 monitors out there...
All that said, the 1024x768 Pioneer pdp-4270hd was very impressive, despite it's non-standard native resolution. But then if anyone can do built-in video processing right, it's Pioneer.
Joelc ( 200.50.95.2 ) at 6:26 AM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Good morning gang...
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:15 AM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Killer Price..........
Cajun_Mike, BC, Sion: I'm a huge fan of Pioneer's plasmas. My experience is more with the higher resolution 50" plasmas, but they're well out of your stated budget. The model Sion mentioned is a 1024 x 768 piece of glass. I am not versed in their current full-line 42" offerings. Specs are just numbers. I trust Sion's eyes so go check it out with your own. Amazon appears to be offering the PDP-4270HD for near $2K. I misread the Costco deal details and stand corrected ... it's available online.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 12:03 AM EST Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Killer Price..........
Cajun_Mike: My best friend recently bought the Pioneer PDP-4270HD. He loves it, and I must say, I was quite impressed with it, too, and I'm not generally a fan of Plasmas.
BC ( 69.149.67.97 ) at 11:34 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Killer Price..........
Curtis: Costco has the 6u. I was in a CompUSA today at lunch and they had the 60u for $1999. But Cajun is on the right track, the pioneer is a better set.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:58 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Killer Price..........
Curtis: Leaning towards the 42-inch Pioneer. Everything I have read so far indicates it's worth the extra dough over the Panasonic.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 10:04 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Killer Price..........
Curtis: No where on that costco page for that panny plasma does it say you can't mail order it. It does say that it may be available in a B&M store for a "cash and carry" price, but you can order it online today for $2399.99 -$400 coupon = $1999.99 plus shipping, which they estimate at a nearly unacceptable 20-day delivery time.
I don't remember this Invisio I apparently praised... what model was it?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:36 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Killer Price..........
Cajun_Mike: You can get into a 50" nice plasma within a penny of your budget - but - I don't suppose Costco has come to LA yet? Several great options at their brick & mortar stores including this Panny 50"er that's $400 off for a two week window ...
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11165578&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=#shipinfo
They're saying no shipping on this one but many of their flat panels are available to ship anywhere from their web store. Then there's the Invisio 50" that Kier...er, I mean Sion, pointed to a month or so ago as THE killer product for the money of the year.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 7:45 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
oh.. and I need to be able to hook a notebook computer up to it at the trade show....
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 7:43 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Robert, which 42 or 50-inch Hitachi plasma is the one to get that is available for purchase right now? I know the 42HDT52 was an ultimateavmag premier choice but that review was in Dec. of 2005. I'm sure there have been at least on model change since then.
http://ultimateavmag.com/buyersguides/flatpanels/
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 7:40 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Killer Price..........
Gar: I would like to rent a plasma for function on national signing day, but I dont know of any place that does that at a reasonable price... so I am likely going to buy a 42 or 50-inch plasma and write it off as a business expense. The other 364 days of the year it will be in my bedroom. ;) Now, which one do I buy under two thousand bucks. ;)
Gar ( 75.100.92.239 ) at 7:31 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Killer Price..........
This is a killer price on a very good looking LCD.... Hell at this price, I might pick one up for the bedroom.. My Sony of 12 years is finally looking a tad week and I am noticing picture color problem.
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202922326&adid=17070&dcaid=17070
Gar ( 75.100.91.213 ) at 6:54 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Having your breasts re-done because of HD?
RGB: Now this is funny.... Read the first comment by the first poster.... :) LOL
http://www.engadget.com/2004/09/24/forget-implants-the-breast-enlarging-ringtone/
Gar ( 75.100.91.213 ) at 6:50 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Having your breasts re-done because of HD?
RGB: Dam no pics ;) Yeah, need plastic surgery to hide imperfections, most of the women that get on this kick too much, create more imperfections and they look worse than Bozo the clown!! LOL
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 5:37 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Tony
I will be looking for your impressions on Daughty. He is going to be here at The Machine Shop
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 4:14 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Joelc: A pencil in the eyeball usually does the trick. ;)
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 3:58 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Having your breasts re-done because of HD?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/22/business/media/22porn.html?_r=2&pagewanted=2&ei=5124&en=158fe05b6a73dab3&ex=157680000&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink&oref=slogin
Joelc ( 200.50.95.2 ) at 3:34 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Robert: Maybe a little worse...consider the fact that I usually stay at hotels where the beaches are long, the babes are STUNNING with legs longer than the beaches and the meeting rooms overlook both...get the idea?
Robert ( 70.215.195.96 ) at 2:31 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Joelc: Is that like sitting in a conference room overlooking doral, only to find out there is no time to actaully play the course........
I'm still trying to figure that one out.
I feel your pain.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:55 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Joelc: A tennis pal of mine was called at the last minute to meet with a client in an emergency last week in Melbourne, Australia. He could have sent someone else in his place until he remember that the Aussie Open is happening right now. Great event, tickets are dirt cheap compared with any other gland slam, heaven for anyone who has ever picked up a racket so it's a no-brainer - he goes. So what if it's 1,000 degrees & humid in their summer? I told him to take a camera 'cause I want proof.
I emailed to tell him I was utterly jealous & to ask what stars he got to see live. He was there for 36 hours and never got out of the hotel and conference rooms before he had another urgent client in NYC - who had to see him & ONLY him right away. He begged for a day to decompress to no avail. Biz travel to nice places isn't always quite all it's cracked up to be, is it?
Robert: Did you catch the always gloomy tech writer Dvorak (sp) saying that CES should be disolved because it's far to large and unfocussed with too many me too products?
Joelc ( 200.50.95.2 ) at 12:21 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Robert: 1. Been here for 24 hours and missed BOTH footbal games yesterday, feet have hit neither the sand nor the pool 2. 72 hours afyter arriving home, on another sunday nor less, I am off to London for 3 days, and then get to spend one week at home before hitting the travel road againf for another 10 days...i DO NOT LIKE business travel!
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 12:03 PM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
Joelc: I have the same issue with CES many years....I can relate. You're going to have a hard time convincing me that's a hardship though in Barbados.....
;)
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 10:57 AM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
SB party is at Tony's!
Tony C: Three generations of C's watched it together? That's so cool. At the risk of sounding sexist I'll wager that the women don't follow the league as much as many guys - I'll go even further to guess they were also confident that the Cubs were going to be in the World Series a few years ago when they were only a couple of outs away, right? I grew up a Cubbie fan and KNEW they would blow it.
Of course your friends have invited themselves over. You can't expect them to watch it on SD or on anything smaller than your screen. The wife of a friend once told me that I nearly caused them to divorce after her hubby saw a S.B. at my place because he just had to buy all kinds of fancy electronics he never knew existed that there never was a budget for! You may want to buy some tarps to protect your new carpeting from the wild celebration or the throwing up should they not pull it off. I can't imagine what losing that game would feel like.
Never knew the story of your youngest's b-day. A joyous day that must have been. Were you tempted to name him Refrigerator, Iron Mike or McMahon?!
Tony C ( 65.223.57.116 ) at 9:48 AM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
SB party is at Tony's!
Curtis: Thanks! Had my dad, son and brother over to watch. Only the women were the true believers. The guys didn't commit to full revelry until the end. My other two sons who couldn't make it kept phoning in to sing the Bear's fight song after every touchdown. Watching it on the new system was just a joy.
My friends have already invited themselves over to watch the Superbowl.
I've told the story often, but my youngest son was born January 27th 1986.
Yes, on Super Bowl Sunday when the 1985 Bears crushed N.E.
He turns 21 this year.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 8:02 AM EST Monday, January 22, 2007
SB party is at Tony's!
Tony C:: Congratulations to your team. I only caught a little of the game (work emergency) but from the highlights it's pretty obvious that they played very well. The super bowl should be interesting, only thing I'm concerned about is Manning but good defenses have controlled him before. So I'll cheer for the Bears since hey I AM from Chicago. Besides it's about time that SOME NFC team won it all. One advantage to having lived in lots of places is that I get a wide selection of bandwagons to hop on and off ;-)
My older brother's just bummed. He lived in New England for years AND San Diego and is a huge fan of both teams that are now sitting at home.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 11:55 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
Gar: I have the Tyler Acoustics System II three-way floor standers and the Linbrook center. I think they are very very good, however, they are not a match across the front and the bigger issue for me is a solution for my rears. What I have now is not working (wall mounts directly over my shoulders as my seating position is against the wall). I have the SVS PC-Ultra. It's a very good sub but I want to see how it sounds when I dial it in with the Triads if I indeed make a change.
The JL Audio sub is being held as the best sub on the market right now. Another reason for the possible upgrade is that I think I want to get away from the cylinder aesthetic and go for a box that will for the most part remain unseen in my room. Also, it has built in room correction, while my sub does not. Will also look at Velodyne and box SVS subs.. the dimensions of the JLAudio sub is perfect for the one place where I can put a sub in my room... just not sure If I want to spend 3k for a sub.
Here are some links..
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=768150
http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/jl_fathom_f113.htm
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 11:54 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
Sion: The Phone part might be the "killer app" to some... but to me, the real "killer app" is the multi-touch interface.
As far as Cingular goes, I generally get good signal everywhere EXCEPT my house. Also, they advertise "fewest dropped calls"... They must not be counting mine... But, dropped calls and reception problems at home aside, I like their service... Better than Sprint when I had it.
Gar ( 75.100.85.211 ) at 11:29 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Didn't you just get LCRs from another company recently? Also not sure if the JL audio is going to be a huge improvement over the HSU, I own 2 12" JL audio Subs for my Car and they rock, but for HT, not sure if you will hear a huge difference, but it sure is impresive looking!!!
Chris L. ( 75.67.230.79 ) at 10:28 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
Pats and Colts
NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo....................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 9:32 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
The new embedded Mac OS X in all 3 new devices
BC: Verizon has the highest rate of customer satisfaction of all the cell phone carriers... by far. I have been with Sprint for almost ten years and I use them for my broadband internet connection when I'm on the road. I get a shitty signal in my home but that's been the case with everyone's cell phone here. Fiancee' has a T-mobile phone... same thing. I've been happy with Sprint, but I have always read how happy Verizon customers are.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 9:16 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
Definite upgrade fever... Possible purchases in 2007. Triad LCR Golds in rosewood with matching rosewood pedestals, Omni Gold SE in-ceiling surrounds, JLAudio Fathom13 sub, a high def DVD player and a new 55-65-inch display to be named later. ;)
RGB ( 68.123.206.164 ) at 9:13 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
The new embedded Mac OS X in all 3 new devices
BC: "GSM in the US sucks compared to Verizon's network."
I wouldn't go that far, as it really depends where you're at. Cingular's been great for me - more so than Verizon or T-Mobile.
BC ( 69.149.67.97 ) at 7:58 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
The new embedded Mac OS X in all 3 new devices
Sion: Well, right now and for a long time in the US, Verizon has been and remains to be superior. Not my opinion, that's what has been reported year after year by various 3rd parties. And it's not more antenna's in my area, it's more antenna's across the entire US. They have better coverage and better service. There's always some dead spot where someone can say cingular sucks or verizon sucks but overall, verizon provides more coverage and has a more robust network. Example, I just got back from skiing in Durango and both my buddies who have cingular had to use my phone the entire trip because they had no signal or kept dropping calls.
You should read up more on CDMA, there is tons of potential being exploited (high speed for instance). Who knows what the future will hold, but GSM has a long way to go in the US. The majority of cell users don't travel abroad so the benefits of a sim card aren't all that great to the majority of people.
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 7:31 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
Gar: Thanks everyone's in a great mood around here.
Had some people over to watch the game in the HT. Loved it.
My office is in Rolling Meadows. I'll be there till about 3PM, then I'm heading downtown to the House of Blues. That Daughtry guy is still in town and he's doing a little show there.
I'll email my phone numbers to you.
Yes, I really do want the stand, THANKS!
Sion ( 128.205.177.30 ) at 6:41 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
The new embedded Mac OS X in all 3 new devices
BC: Because Verizon and Sprint need to wake up and make the switch to GSM & 3G. GSM doesn't suck at all it's a superior technology. It's just that Verizon happens to have more antennas in your area. I almost never have reception problems with my Cingular phone. My wife had Verizon for years and finally switched to Cingular because I always had a better signal than she. Besides, with my phone, I can use it anywhere in the world that has cell service except Japan. I also paid a guy in Australia $20 to unlock it, so now I can put any SIM card from any provider and it will work anywhere. Instant local phone: just buy a local pre-paid card while on vacation, plop it in the phone. It's a global economy and society these days... Verizon, Cricket, Sprint all need to wake up and graduate from the 90's. CDMA is ancient, limited technology. Furthermore, specific to the iPhone, since Apple hopes to make it an "internet communications device" capable of streaming video, etc., they HAD to go with GSM, since 3G is the only thing that can come close to being able to carry that bandwidth, and 3G is part of GSM.
Gar ( 75.100.85.211 ) at 6:30 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
Tony C: Congrads on "Da Bears", I will be down in Lake Forest, IL tomorrow for work. If your not too far I can drop off this stand if you want it.
Gar ( 75.100.85.211 ) at 6:29 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
The problem with Apple TV
Sion: I don't buy a lot off of iTunes and if I do it is to watch a kids cartoon or maybe a TV show that I have missed. Apple is doing more things right than wrong, in my "opinion". Try a pair of these on and a iPod, does the job really well if your on the go....
http://www.icuiti.com/index.php?page_id=44
BC ( 131.146.8.217 ) at 4:22 PM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
The new embedded Mac OS X in all 3 new devices
Sion: I'm curious as to why you made the comment " (thank GOD they didn't choose Verizon or Sprint) " GSM in the US sucks compared to Verizon's network.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 11:51 AM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
Actually, Jobs put it well in his Keynote when he said that the iPhone's "killer app" is the PHONE part of it. If a multi-function phone device doesn't work well as a phone, then it's nearly useless. The Treo 650 had some problems when it came out... the phone was terrible. They fixed it though with a firmware update, and a recall/replacment of the SIM card cradle (the SIMs were apparently loosing their connection sometimes).
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 11:48 AM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
The new embedded Mac OS X in all 3 new devices
Scott "popcorn": Given the the Unicies were around for a long time before BeOS, even Linux was around for what? 5 years or so before BeOS was released... I doubt that Be was the influence for the structure of osx, especially given that osx *is* FreeBSD Unix with a Mac GUI/desktop manager. The modularity of OSX came built in with the BSD core. They/Apple just have improved upon it.
I agree with you 100% on the phone thing. While a lot of the newer convergence-type phones are cool from the perspective of the gadget-geek inside of me, what I really want is a phone that works REALLY well as a PHONE!! Every thing else is just gravy, IMO. Plus when I don't want my PDA with me, I can take a small phone with me so that I can still stay in touch, without having to worry about my $500 everything-in-one brick that would cause me great stress if damaged or lost.
On this note though... the fact that Apple went with GSM (thank GOD they didn't choose Verizon or Sprint) kinda/sorta solves this problem for you. Low-end basic phones are very easy to find, and are pretty cheap, even without a contract. So, since the iPhone is GSM, you could take your SIM card, put it in a small basic cell phone, and leave the iPhone at home, office in your briefcase, whatever, but still have you phone with you. Now, removing the GSM SIM card from the iPhone may disable it's other functionalities, I'm not sure... but at least you CAN take the phone out of it so to speak, when you don't want to carry the iPhone with you... say when you go MTB'ing or hiking and you just want a phone for emergency calls.
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 6:06 AM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
Good morning gang..off to Barbados for 4 days of work...suck, no NFL playoffs for me today...I hate that this crap happens every year...
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 2:51 AM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
The new embedded Mac OS X in all 3 new devices
Curtis: Actually... Have you heard about the rumors of a GUI change in Leopard? I think the rumor says it's codenamed "Illumination" or something like that. I wonder if the iPhone demo was any hint as to what Leopard might look like...
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.181.231 ) at 2:43 AM EST Sunday, January 21, 2007
The new embedded Mac OS X in all 3 new devices
Curtis: It doesn't really surprise me... In an effort to bore some of the people on here, I shall expound a bit. :)
Let's step back to BeOS (You know I HAD to do it)... While Be wasn't bought by Apple, they did get some good ideas from Be. First off, their file system is heading in the direction of where BFS was, among a number of other little nuances that BeOS had... Why I'm mentioning Be, though, is that their OS was modular. You could take out parts of it without breaking the whole thing, and only use the parts of it that you needed. This is where BeIA comes in. While Be, Inc. couldn't stay afloat, they did have the right idea. Going on... Unicies are capable of being pared down pretty small, so all that would be needed is the upper-level part of the OS being modular like BeOS was. Perhaps Apple either got this idea from Be, or developed it themselves in parallel. No matter how it came to be, it's my opinion that it is indeed the way to go. First, the user experience would be the same from the smallest, lowest-powered device all the way up to the most capable device... Doing the same task in all levels of devices would also be the same from a user perspective. Not to mention having the same code base would make everything that much easier from Apple's, and other developer's standpoints.
Now, having said all that, if this is indeed true (and I would be surprised if it wasn't), this puts Apple in the position to offer ANY type of device, with the same ease of use Apple is famous for. How about a TV? How about a universal remote control? How about a pre/pro? Satellite TV box? Microwave oven? All networked. Start your movie, and your Microwave knows to pop your popcorn. hehe. One could go overboard with possibilities.
Of course, I won't step too far into the future with this post. I will say, that I believe Apple needs to seriously consider the UMPC market. Perhaps something the size of the current iPod when closed, but that folds open like a book, using an OLED screen, so that it's flexible... Once open, the entire face is a screen, using the iPhone's Multi-touch technology... Full OS X capabilities, bluetooth and wi-fi to connect to the outside world. This device could function as an iPod, as a universal remote control, as a web surfer, e-mail reader, portable game platform... Think of the PADD from Star Trek TNG. An end-all, be-all, data device in your hand that you carry around in your home, for instant access to anything.
I think the iPhone is just the start of great things coming out of Cupertino, and I think many companies are shaking in their shoes right now. I for one would certainly like to see Multi-touch technology show up in Apple's next generation of displays (just plug in a USB, and run Software Update), as well as in their notebook line (at least the Pro level). Personally, I'm not *real* fond of the iPhone... I love what it does, and how it does it... But I would prefer a standalone cell phone that functions only as a phone, includes a rudimetary address book, and has bluetooth capabilities... And then a device just like the iPhone without the cell part... Which can function AS a phone/internet connection using the BT connection to the "just a phone" in my pocket... basically, pull the cellular part out of the iPhone and perform that functionality over BT with a separate cell phone... But, then again, that's just me. Would I take an iPhone? heck yeah!
Now, have I bored everyone to gibbering? :)
Robert ( 69.58.161.96 ) at 6:34 PM EST Saturday, January 20, 2007
Cajun_Mike: if you have my email from 7/12 you have my #.
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 12:14 PM EST Saturday, January 20, 2007
Good afternoon gang...
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 12:14 PM EST Saturday, January 20, 2007
Good afternoon gang...
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 3:35 AM EST Saturday, January 20, 2007
The new embedded Mac OS X in all 3 new devices
Scott "popcorn": What do you make of this?
http://www.codepoetry.net/2007/01/14/the_new_embedded_mac_os_x
Scott "popcorn" ( 66.139.154.226 ) at 3:06 AM EST Saturday, January 20, 2007
BIG AL: I imagine BYork could add a donation link quite easilly over in the left menu frame...
Scott "popcorn" ( 66.139.154.226 ) at 3:01 AM EST Saturday, January 20, 2007
The problem with Apple TV
Sion: well, the ATV might not handle DivX, so just encode your video in some format it will handle. I recall that the iPod video could handle any resolution, as long as the TOTAL pixel count was less than a certain number (this was before the 640 by 480 video came out on iTunes Store, and the firmware was updated) I'm assuming the same works for the ATV... and, at 720p output capability, I imagine that the cap is somewhere around 1280 by 720 as the maximum pixel count, if it exists.
As a side note, I wonder if 540p is offered on the ATV Settings menu... could be used for 1080i output :)
Scott "popcorn" ( 66.139.154.226 ) at 2:55 AM EST Saturday, January 20, 2007
BYork: Well, if the majority of the members would like that functionality, I could probably find some time to work on it... But if no one wants those features, why bother? :)
I *think* the problem with the smiley code might have had something to do with script file size... Or perhaps a character out of place in the subroutine. Perhaps making the smiley it's own library file could help.
Maybe we should take a vote to see what everyone would like to have... NO, I WON'T DO A SPELLCHECKER! use Firefox. :)
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 2:18 AM EST Saturday, January 20, 2007
Universal & Sony prohibit Zune sharing of certain artists
Welcome to the social.
What kind of moron looks at the Zune’s restrictive “three days, three listens” DRM sharing policy and thinks, “That’s just too liberal?”
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/19/universal-and-sony-prohibit-zune-sharing-for-certain-artists/
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:32 AM EST Saturday, January 20, 2007
Guess what the current biggest seller is on Apple's online store? AppleTV.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6604003/wo/kX4TB1aXY9fX2oUhCnc1HptOYBj/0.0.21.1.0.8.63.0.7.1.0.1.1.1.1.0
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:59 AM EST Saturday, January 20, 2007
Okay, Will Ferrell, it's starting to get old..
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809426502/trailer
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 11:05 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
BYork, Scott popcorn; I've been wondering if a "contribution" link on the forum page would be possible. I don't know if it would worth the effort, or if anyone would even use it. Just thinking more people might toss in a donation if it wasn't an end of the year rush. I also get the feeling that some might think my donation requests a little too pushy/annoying. Could a link to a Paypal account be possible, or too risky?
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:56 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Joe; I beleive this guy has the right weaponry for wild pig.
http://boortz.com/more/funny/redneck_pics_hunter.html
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 9:38 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Robert: sure, shoot me an email at bayou_mike67 at yahoo dot com and I'll give you my number or vice versa.
Mike
BAGMAN ( 71.3.161.139 ) at 9:06 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Older Guys / Pro Wrestling
Had this guy come in the store today, looking at weights, seemed pretty buffed, for his age..... turns out that he was one of the Love Bothers tag team.... proceeded to tell me what station (tv) local,( when I was a kid), that wrestling was on. Named the anouncer. I asked, "who was one of the local favorites?" Bingo, Ernie, "The Big Cat, Ladd". Nice Guy.
BAGMAN ( 71.3.161.139 ) at 8:48 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
B'Day
David, Have a great one.
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 8:41 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Cajun_Mike: That is the very speaker I'm looking for for my ht in the basement. only because I can;t put them in/on the baclk wall.... Go for it. you and I should talk offline.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:15 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Robert: I am seriously considering going for the LCR Gold, Gold Center and some in-ceiling Omni Gold SE's that Paul Scarpelli told me about on the phone yesterday. I'm not real happy with my rear surround situation. I like the idea of the LCR Golds with the matching rosewood veneer stands.
HEre's the pedestals... http://triadspeakers.com/products/irpeds.html
They match the wood finish so that the lines in the wood continue down the pedestals. The speaker bolts down to the pedestals and are seriously heavy.
I told Scarpelli about how my sofa is pushed up against the rear wall and how I have no side walls. He said the number one surround scenario for me was their in-ceiling Gold speakers because they have angled drivers. He said mount them three feet away from the end of each sofa and one foot out from the rear wall. The speakers will be an SE version of these... all SEAS drivers. http://triadspeakers.com/products/icg6o.html
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 5:14 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Video Request
Anyone ever look at one of these? How does it compare to Escient and how is the cost?
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 5:11 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Sion: I'll worry about snoops/hackers when the kids get a bit older.....
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 5:11 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
spyder
puppetmaster (aka Joe): "but to my eyes it resulted in a better picture. " - That's all that matters......
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:03 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Robert: The only drawback to using only MAC filtering and no WEP encoding, is that while no one will be able to USE your wifi to access the internet, a hacker with the right tools could snoop your signal and see what you're transmitting. I don't do anything so private that this small, small risk is worth the drop in bandwidth that WEP incurs. But if you are a privacy freak, or think that the fuzz may have reason to snoop your wifi signal, then maybe you should keep using WEP.
Either way everyone should use the MAC address filtering, as it costs nothing in bandwidth, and completely shuts out anyone from piggybacking on your wifi.
Also, no encryption protocol is TOTALLY unbreakable... given enough time (centuries). ;^)
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 4:53 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Cajun Mike
What's it like around Shreveport?
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 4:53 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
I have to add if I could get a screen in the 60" range to look like my Dell 24", I would be very happy.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 4:51 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
spyder
Robert: Yes it did, sorry I took so long to get it back. I am not sure if I did everything perfect, but to my eyes it resulted in a better picture.
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 4:47 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
spyder
Joe: Thx, did it work out for you?
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 4:42 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Sion: Re wifi base in basement,,,,many do especially since most basement homes have the catv terminated in teh basement..... I do,,and have my eye on a ceiling WAP when my integrator finally comes to wire up the house, although I will probably use wired most of the time......
By the way, great tip on accessing only the MAC addresses,,,I knew that but forgot about it. I reset mine to be that way
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 4:39 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Stop; you are giving my a stiffie. I LUST after the golds and am actually thinking of selling off my bronzes for such.
In a semi dedicated room they are AWESOME!!
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 4:37 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
macbooks with hidden draft n: $2 to unlock
Curtis: consider $2 a Robert Deal last week it was $5 to download the drivers.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 4:21 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Pig Hunter
Well the DNR wants us to shoot any wild pigs we see as hunters. No special tags are needed. NOw I have never done any pig hunting, it mihgt be fun. Hum I might need a special pig rifle, maybe this one would work
http://www.pgwdti.com/
Or maybe it's overkill
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 3:14 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
One-liner from Fark
July 7th -- 7/7/07 -- most requested day in years to get married. Most couples will soon realize it's one year, one month, one day late
Hahaha. (I don’t agree with the sentiment, but it’s farking clever).
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:43 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
The problem with Apple TV
Scott "popcorn": iTunes is essentially a database/server, no? The codecs actually reside in the player, which is either your iPod, Quicktime (locally), or in the aTV itself. If the aTV does not have the right codec, it will not play the file, regardless of whether or not iTunes serves it up from your computer. So, while you can get a DivX codec for Quicktime to play a video locally, you do not have the flexibility to install 3rd party codecs on the aTV. So, if the aTV does not have a DivX codec installed, it won't play a DivX video file.
Gar: If it turns out that we can compress our own DVDs and play them on aTV, then your worries about the codec are moot, as you will have control of the compression level, and H.264, DivX, XviD, and x.264 all are capable of fantastic picture quality at moderate compression levels. If we are not given that flexibility, then we are at the mercy of whatever Apple decides is the appropriate level of compression for the videos you BUY off of the iTMS.
BYork ( 171.72.5.133 ) at 2:11 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Scott "popcorn": -
If you get the bug, let me know. I can throw you what I did up to this point at changing the smiley code and will let you futz with it(instead of having TWO of us messing with the same script at the same time...)
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.183.205 ) at 2:06 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
The problem with Apple TV
Sion: Re: g... Like I said, g could do it, provided that's the only thing on the network and it's not too far away.
Anything you can put into (and play on) iTunes should be fair game on the ATV. Now, I will say, I don't think something *other* than iTunes can stream content to the ATV... I could be wrong, and there might be third-party solutions come along, but it makes sense that iTunes would be the "head unit" to stream content to the ATV. Perhaps this is what anandtech was meaning to say.
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.183.205 ) at 1:59 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
BYork: You mean you weren't waffling with the code? Actually, I've been "noodling" around with the idea for quite some time of adding a "header" to each post that would include icon links to the member's page, e-mail, etc, and would only show up for members (non members wouldn't get the links)... Also, offloading the user preferences to the server instead of in cookies.
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.183.205 ) at 1:56 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
BIG AL: Nah, on my Mac, it's just Option-Shift-K. It showed up in the message window just fine.
Gar ( 75.100.88.206 ) at 12:09 PM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Regardless of what that article says, if you can do it from iTunes you can do it from iTV. If that is the case, then it will be easy to burn a movie that is yours of course to use on this device. The problem I still have is the codec and how compressed it is going to look on a large screen, plus the limited hard drive space.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:26 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
The problem with Apple TV
A quote from an article on anandtech.com... click the text to go to the full article (the link points to page 3 of7)
"Apple TV is merely Apple's attempt at a digital media extender, similar to what we've seen from so many other companies. The difference here is that Apple not only makes the hardware, but also provides the software and service that people use to obtain the content being streamed. As such Apple TV appears to be best tailored to Mac or PC users that happen to get a lot of their audio and video content off of iTunes. The unit itself is limited in the type of content it will decode, and pirated DivX movies aren't on the short list; as such, Apple TV's success will be among a very particular group of users.
"
BYork ( 171.72.5.133 ) at 11:23 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Sion - You have NO IDEA how much I like the spellchecker in Firefox. 
The auto-convert of emoticons went by the wayside on the last revision of the forum code. IT was one of the things that seemed to be contributing to the forum randomly killing itself. Rather than spend a ton of time to figure out why and remediate the code, I just removed it.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:21 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
The problem with Apple TV
Scott "popcorn": So, if a bunch of industry-connected apple-fanboy reporters who get their hands on hardware samples and get information from solid sources a lot sooner than you are WRONG, how do I know you are RIGHT?
The word is that Apple has made a concerted effort to prevent people from playing on aTV their own ripped & compressed DVD's, since this *technically* is a violation of DRM law. For example, the aTV does not include a Divx codec, or if it does, it was not included on the list of codecs from Apple.
If the articles I've read turn out to be wrong, I'll be the first to applaud Apple, and maybe add the aTV to my Christmas wish list. But you claiming they are wrong before you or anyone else can know for sure doesn't serve any purpose. Allowing the miniscule-screen on the iPod to play video from copied DVD's is like allowing people to freely copy their CD's to cassette tapes... the industry doesn't care as much because the quality is so low. But the industry does NOT want people making pristine backups of DVD's, and a device as slick and user friendly as the aTV allowing that would be a big thorn in movie industry's side.
BTW, H.264 compressed 720p can BARELY pass on 802.11g (depending on how much you compress it of course). Any drops in bandwidth from optimal, or excessive error checking due to a weak signal, and you'll have dropped frames.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:10 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
BYork: Didn't the forum code used to automagically convert ASCII emoticons to graphic ones? When/why was that eliminated? It would be nice if when we typed, say ;^) a winking graphic icon showed up.
But PLEASE... it's not important... don't let it take away from your work/family/life. If it's something you LIKE to do in your free time, fine, but I'd never ask if I thought it was going to cost you time better spent in other endeavors. You already do enough here. (BTW, I bet you were glad when firefox added a spell checker!) LOL...
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 10:55 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Gar; Have you tried uninstalling it through XP? Control panel, add-remove programs should have it listed. Just make sure all your IE windows are closed.
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 10:50 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Scott popcorn; Maybe you need to pay Apple for the use of their logo. Did you download it through iLogo?
BYork ( 171.72.5.133 ) at 10:29 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
re: Apple logos.....or other images people would like.
I've been noodling around with the forum code(but not with any haste) so that we could greatly increase the number of little images we could use, without increasing the footprint of our script.
If there is interest....I will entertain the idea of actually trying to work through the change, and if successful, will make a point of soliciting suggestions on images we should add that are currently missing....
Gar ( 75.100.83.59 ) at 10:01 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Scott "popcorn": Welcome back, we need some Apple logos!! :) I hear you on the streaming, so many people think iTunes is very limited and can only play store bought music of videos, guy yesterday tells me this, huh? I burned my whole collection to a hard drive and stream music throughout my house. I also was streaming video last night, although the N Routers have a long way to go yet as far as how good they are. Switched back to a G, till some of the manufactures get some bugs fixed... Hopefully you can swap out hard drive on the iTV, that would even make it a much better device.
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 7:55 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Good morning gang...
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.183.205 ) at 3:11 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
dang... The forum ate my apple logos... 
Scott "popcorn" ( 68.93.183.205 ) at 3:09 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
The problem with Apple TV
Sion: The ?tv, as well as the iPod, can play songs AND videos from your iTunes library. You don't HAVE to buy anything from the iTunes Store. You can put your movie collection on your HDD (in iTunes) and stream it to the ?tv (or sync your library to it)
The problem is, when a product is shown but not released immediately from a company as secretive as Apple, idiot reporters make uniformed assumptions about it, because they don't have it in front of their nose to try out (and many times, even if it's in front of their nose, they miss things too)
Also, the ?tv has a USB port, which I *assume* (nothing for sure here) will allow you to add more hard drive space, and/or plug in an iPod. We'll only know for sure once the thing is out in the mass market for knowledgeable people to test it out.
Lastly, forget about HD movies on the hard drive... you can still stream to the iTV... Dang, look, there I did it... I mean the ?tv... With wireless g, if that's the only thing on the network, it should be fast enough for 720p compressed, n should be no problem at all, and you've always got the 100Mb ethernet...
HOWEVER.... I will say that I am disappointed in Apple for their new draft-n router. It looks GREAT, except it has 10/100 ethernet. What about gigabit? The n is faster than 100Mb, it has file server ability built in, and all current Macs have gigabit ethernet. What gives? I'd rather have ONE gigabit port (not including the WAN) to connect to a switch than three 10/100's!
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:14 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Impressive
http://triadspeakers.com/abouttriad_factorytour.html
Gar ( 75.100.83.59 ) at 12:05 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007
Ah, crap I am out 2 bucks......
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 10:30 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
macbooks with hidden draft n: $2 to unlock
Sion: Nice little new revenue stream huh? It's free if you buy their new draft n wifi router. God I love this country.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 9:12 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
macbooks with hidden draft n: $2 to unlock
Story here
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 5:12 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Sion: Interesting info, thanks for the link. It seems like the issue is primarally with the Xbox though, but I'm glad my stuff is working. At least Netgear is working on a firmware update that will fix the issue.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:56 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
RGB: http://tinyurl.com/24cxff
I don't know what to tell you, but netgear acknowledges there is a problem with SSDP devices. Maybe you lucked out, or your device is unique in some way.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 4:26 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Sion: My DirecTV HR20 HD DVR is a SSDP device, and works fine with my powerline stuff. I'm using it to stream music and pictures to my TV.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:42 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
WildBill...... tell me all you know about the Triad Gold LCR, Gold Center and the in-ceiling Omni Gold six.
Gar ( 75.100.86.68 ) at 3:24 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Sion: That is where my office is, and my 3 main computers are hooked up to my router there. Hence extending your network to other parts of your house shouldn't be an issue. Well I fixed it just a few minutes ago, and now I can almost go around the block in my car and pick up my signal that is protected of course. I am keeping it simple.... DSL>Modem/Wireless Router>Extender... Just had problems configuring the extender. Wireless bridging mode is where the DSL Modem is in.. Hell we had MIT grads at my last place of work that couldn't keep our wireless up and running, so I think I faired well.. Thanks for the suggestions and input, if you really want to keep things simple, ah Don't use wireless.... :) When I game, I pull out the long Ethernet chord for the Xbox 360 and the PS3, that keeps it real simple.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:51 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Gar: Why do you have your wifi base in the basement? That's the first thing I'd change. Second, it shouldn't matter if your dsl modem is a different brand than your router. This is usually the case. Third, the Netgear xe104 powerline networking product does not work with the xbox360 or any other SSDP device. So if that is a must-have, then I would avoide the powerline devices from Netgear. Finally, if your dsl modem is a combination modem & wifi router, AND you are using a wifi Belkin router, then you MUST make sure that the wifi capabilities of the modem are disabled. If you can't do this, move the modem out of the basement and use it's wifi capabilities, and take the Belkin out of the system. OR, trash everything and go buy new separate modem and router. When having problems with all things related to computers and networks, follow the KISS principle. (i.e. Keep It Simple, Stupid... not "Rock and Roll all night and party every day!) ;-)
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 2:47 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Gar: I have a 2Wire DSL modem/router/wifi box with a Dynex 5 port switch, and the Netgear powerline ethernet adapters I have work great with it.
Gar ( 75.100.92.181 ) at 2:27 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Robert/RGB: Thanks for the info, have a few days off before I start the new job, so I trying to get my home office in order. RGB, I am tempted to go that route, is the main Router you have a Netgear? Some times mixing things causes major headaches... hence my Belkin system worked great when I had cable, problem is my cable was 5 meg service and I barely got 3, so I switched, and the DSL wireless modems are not very strong....
Robert: Similar situation as far as DirecTV goes, I just called them and she never said anything about shipping charge, so they just waived the fee. :) Still a pain in the ass, I like the interface of the Tivo unit, it will be very interesting to see what DirecTV does with everyone that has the Tivo units, I still have mine and if they want me to give it up they will have to replace it again. I think they where shocked that I fixed it when I called a few moments ago. I haven't had a chance to hook this one up yet but I will most likely do it tomorrow.
Robert ( 75.207.144.13 ) at 1:46 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Gar: I had similar issues, before Christmas and New YEars, my Tivo couldn;t see sats B & C even though there was strength on A. I called twice to have guys come out only to "self resolve" before they came. My wife kept tellign me she would set up a record only to not have it record,,and then recently it would have to reboot 4-5 x day. I've had the reboot issue before when they did a software change so I figured it was update related, anyhow, I called & complained to the first CSR and he quickly offered the new one for $19 shipping. Fine by me, I get the new 5 lnb dish and new HD PVR and when the software gets corrected, I'll hav ea second box,which works for me,,one for Kids and one for adults/theater. I dont think I'll particulalry care about Tivo vs others, I just want to be able to record and timeshift HD content.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 1:41 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Gar: Try the powerline ethernet adapters. Makes it very easy to get your ethernet conection almost anywhere in your house or apt. I got these and they work great:
http://www.netgear.com/Products/PowerlineNetworking/PowerlineEthernetAdapters/XE104G.aspx
I tried a few wireless ethernet adpaters from D-Link, Linksys and Buffalo but ended up returning them in favor of the powerline stuff.
Gar ( 75.100.82.176 ) at 1:14 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Sion: Removed the hard drive, hooked it up to my computer, formated the drive and re-installed the Tivo software that I bought awhile back ago from a company called PTV Upgrade where I had a similar issue with a Toshiba DVR, worked very well. It wasn't the drive that was bad, it was the corrupted information on the drive that was causing the unit not too work..
Question for you, best way to network a wireless system? I have a ActionTec DSL modem/wireless one and it is in the basement so it doesn't reach as far as I would like it to. So I bridged it with a Belkin wireless router, working ok, but now I am getting all sorts of errors and dropouts. What is the best way to configure these? Using a Belkin Wireless G with Mimo router and one of there universal extenders, was working like a charm last night, but I think I should configure using Mac ID addresses like you suggested instead of WEP encription. I had 4 bars in the kitchen now I have 1 :( ARGH!!!!!!! Any suggestions?
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:06 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Gar: How'd you fix it?
Gar ( 75.100.82.176 ) at 12:58 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Interesting news on this thread of information on DVR etc.. Guy says he likes the new Sony device, which I find a tad ugly. What is also interesting is the information about DirecTV and Tivo. My DirecTV Tivo unit worked flawlessly till they decided to send out some type of upgrade via a download then my system crashes. DirecTV said oh, no problem we will send you one of our new units to replace that one, and then they tell me to return the unit I have, I said "NO" I own it. Now that I have fixed it they are pissed at me, if they keep this crap up I will change to the Dish, which I had horrible service with before.
http://www.pvrwire.com/
Gar ( 75.100.82.176 ) at 12:39 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Sion: Here is the video on that device, well one like it at the CES. Another company that makes a really good portable DVR device, which I have is Archos.. Very good deivce, and they make a wireless version also..
http://www.engadget.com/tag/UMPC
Gar ( 75.100.82.176 ) at 12:28 PM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Sion: No disagreement with me on Apple crippling the hardware. What cripples most hardware like this is transfering of information. Right now I am on a wireless network, I can currently watch a clip/movie/TV show from my main computer via my laptop/TV etc in another room using iTunes, no DRM issues, so I would assume you could do the same with iTV. Regardless of devices, Tivo units and other units like this always don't preform very well because of transfer rates or hardware limitation issues.. Another example would be Tivo, hardrives never seem to be big enough especially with HD content. In most cases when Tivo first came out the hardrives where only 40-80gig, boy has that changed! The good with iTV, is they have componet video output and HDMI etc.. the bad, the limited 40gig hardrive is keeping me away from this device because you sure can't stick that much HD material on something that small, and trying to feed a HD signal over the airwaves sure will cripple any wireless network right now, well especially mine a (G) network, a N network might be up to the task but I doubt it.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:51 AM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Apple
Gar: This story just adds to the annoyance Apple causes me. ;^)
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 11:39 AM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Gar: Right... they brag about 720p capability, then criple it with a 40GB hdd. Even with H.264 compression (what the better Blue-Ray discs and HD-DVD use) for decent quality, a 2hr 720p movie is going to be on the order of 20+GB... that means probably less than 2 full HD movies can be stored at any one time, or maybe 2~3 HD shows from TV. YAWN.
I can understand Apple releasing something with less than their ideal hardware specs, just to get it to market, especially if the user interface design is complete (which it seems to be) but some hardware device was not yet available. Hardware changes are easy to make and make for a nice "new and improved" version for the next holiday season. But putting a larger HDD in it would be (I would think) the easiest thing in the world to do, and will probably be the first hack done to the box when it comes out. They should have offered it in 3 or 4 sizes. I mean heck, Hitachi just came out with a 1-Tera-byte (1024GB) hdd... now THERE's some media storage! (although also a lot to loose if/when it crashes.)
I feel similarly about the absence of 3G data transfer in the iPhone. It's one thing if the hardware wasn't available, but 3G has been around for ever! (and larger hdd's for the aTV are a dime a dozen).
Now, if the aTV were not being pushed as "designed for widescreen TVs" and touted as 720p capable (i.e. if it were aimed at the SDTV/EDTV market) then 40GB would be more reasonable... H.264 can compress a regular DVD movie down to about 1~2GB quite nicely, and down to 700MB if you're willing to sacrifice some detail (softer picture).
Gar ( 75.100.86.167 ) at 10:11 AM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Sion: If that is the case and I don't doubt you, there should be a work around(hack) that would allow it. They said the same thing about the iPod. Plus why would they worry, the quality with only a 40gig hard drive will blow, because if you want DVD Quality you are going to need 4-7 gig per disc or HD Content which takes up huge amount of space. I can't see hooking this thing up to my 60" SXRD and trying to watch a super compressed movie.... Argh!!
cai: Thanks for the heads up but in Window Explorer that is exactly what I do and every time I log in again it is checked off... I think they did this by purpose. ;)
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 9:31 AM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Gar: I got that info about AppleTV from an article on anandtech.com. They said that aTV wouldn't allow you to play movies/videos from your own collection, that they had to be downloaded from iTunes. This was just for movies/videos, not music. It has to do with DRM issues/legality, etc.
BAGMAN ( 71.3.161.139 ) at 8:50 AM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Gas
Joe: $2.28
cai ( 205.254.147.8 ) at 8:36 AM EST Thursday, January 18, 2007
Toolbars
Gar: Somewhere in the program you have a choice of search engine - Yahoo, Google, etc. - change that to whatever you want. Or, go to view->toolbars and uncheck the offending tool bar you do not want shown. ***The above instructions are for Firefox, but there are similar settings in WinExp.***
Gar ( 75.100.82.23 ) at 11:51 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Thanks for that link... Looks like the LG player is pretty cool looking too boot, now all we need is for it to be a decent upscaling DVD player and we have a winner on all fronts!!!
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9678398-1.html
Gar ( 75.100.82.23 ) at 11:48 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Sion: Not sure about what info you are getting, but I can play movies off of iTunes that I have burned.. I would assume I could also play these on Apple TV? What I don't like is Apple needs to increase there bandwidth on the download, meaning let a person download at least in CD quality otherwise why in the hell buy it, if the quality blows. Also I have burned my whole CD collection to iTunes using CD Quality MP3 or Apple Lossless etc.... I agree if I can not play my Burned music from my Libary or my Movies that I have burned to Apple, I don't want the dam thing, and that is pretty lame if they went this route with Apple iTV. Right now 800 CD burned to my Mac Mini that is in my Main HT room using Apple Lossles and I can share these tunes with the rest of my computers in my house, so would would think I could also use the iTV device.
Sion: My post about my wife being an Explorer, for some reason didn't post :(
Big Al: Thanks for the helpful info...
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 11:28 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Dispatches from the format war: HD DVD vs. Blu-ray
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9678699-1.html?tag=more
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 11:14 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
sub eq
Tony C:: I think that idea was floated earlier, but someone said that once your system is EQ'ed you need to keep the EQ box installed to keep those settings.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 11:13 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
The problem with Apple TV
The problem with ATV, IMO, is similar to the iPod & iTunes... you can only play songs & videos you buy off of iTunes. So, if you want to say, put your entire DVD movie collection on your HDD in Divx format (similar to how many, many, many people put their entire CD collection on their HDDs using MP3 compression) and then be able to stream your movies (or MP3s) through a networked media box to your HT, you are SOL with the Apple TV box.
I believe that this is fair use of your own purchased media, and this is also the most attractive thing to me as a consumer, about networked media boxes... the ability to archive EVERYTHING on a few HDDs in my PC, then just stream them with a nice software interface from my HT.
This is basically what a lot of you do with your 500+ disc DVD players, except the media would be stored to a HDD instead of using the actual optical discs.
The Apple TV COULD have been awesome, but Apple/Jobs had to handicap it by limiting it's playback to media purchased ONLY from iTunes. BooHiss 'tooey.
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 11:13 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
sub eq
We should buy one of those systems as a group and send them around to each other.
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:47 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gar; Just read an article about the PS3 tipping the balance to BlueRay. Feasible because of the price, faster access, higher quality pic and sound over the standalone Blue Ray players. I don't see why that would affect HD-DVD. It's basically a slow news day, and these guys need something to write about.
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:42 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Black Moan
Justin Timberlake??!!
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:41 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gar; try Tools, Internet options, Programs, Manage add-ons. You should be able to disable it there, then restart IE.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 9:23 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gar: "As I stated my wife is using Explorer"
As you stated?? When did you state that?
Anyway, just switch her to Firefox... it'll import all her bookmarks and settings automatically. :^)
Chris L. ( 75.67.230.79 ) at 9:17 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gas
Joe: Still $2.25 here in NH.
Gar ( 75.100.82.23 ) at 8:42 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Frankly at this point in time I hope both formats fail. Microshaft on one side of the fence and Sony on they other. And none will agree on anything which is pathetic, worse than our congress ;) LOL
Not investing in movies on either side right now, and this hesitation will only hurt DVD sales even more.
Gar ( 75.100.82.23 ) at 8:39 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Sion: As I stated my wife is using Explorer, I prefer FireFox also, but she wants what she wants... And it has Yahoo in the search bar and you can not get rid of it....
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 8:25 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gar: Yahoo search bar? I have no idea what you're talking about.
I use Firefox.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 7:39 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
HD DVD Heads to the Super Bowl!
http://www.homemediaretailing.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=10175
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 7:06 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gar: "I am still neutral"....
Trav ( 72.90.97.119 ) at 6:54 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gar: Email in your inbox. Might still be going to your junk mail..
Gar ( 75.100.82.23 ) at 6:27 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Sion: on another note, why is it that Explorer will not let you take off the Yahoo search bar? Is it because I am using Google? I find it ironic that it keeps on reseting itself back on Yahoo.. LOL
Gar ( 75.100.82.23 ) at 6:19 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Sion: Not in the market for one yet, but it is nice that the prices are dropping.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:58 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gar: Here you go...
Gar ( 75.100.92.247 ) at 5:10 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Actually the the Wii is outselling everyone, with no HD players involved. But the PS2 is still outselling the Xbox "360" and the PS3" as far as shipping problems there hasn't real been any, they just didn't produce enough over the holidays when it was critical to get things off the ground, plus they needed a good launch title like "Halo" which really helped the Xbox platforum out... I am still neutral, but it seems like the blogger is one sided, at least the main article is more truthful whatever that is with all the misinformation.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 5:08 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gas
$1.82 a gallon this morning. You guys seeing a drop in prices?
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 5:04 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
BC: At first I was excited, but the price was a turoff. The SMS1 system from Velodyne can be had for cheaper.
Gar ( 75.100.92.247 ) at 4:55 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Sion: Not a problem, won't give anything away..... It is just staying good..
Also: I disagree with the guy who wrote that Blog... For one HD-DVD had a good head start, and PS3 are not having shipping problems, there where 10 of them at my local best buy today. Plus I was looking at both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray media and they are dead on about the same price depending on what format you look at. Also you need to take a look at the main article:
http://news.digitaltrends.com/talkback67.html
Also in that Blog he mentions HP defecting? Ah from the looks of this article HP is going the swinging both ways and has decided to go also with Blu-Ray...
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=19484
http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20070109/tc_zd/198318
The PS2 is still out selling both Xbox and PS3, and depending on where the Xbox comes in at with HD-DVD players included in there bundling it will be a foot race, most people won't trade in there current Xboxs for ones that have a HD-DVD Player, and the add on device isn't even HDMI ready.
There is so much information on the internet, it is laughable. That guy writing that blog is camping out once again with the HD-DVD campers... This guy is speculating on bad information in my opinion!
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:34 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
24
Gar: We just started disc one of season two of 24 (nuke threat to L.A.) so no, we are not caught up (far from it). So don't give anything away!
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:42 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Cajun_Mike: No women over 5'6"??? Sounds like someone has some confidence issues! ;-)
Like I should talk, since there are only a handful of women in the world taller than I, and they truly are scary! LOL...
BTW, I believe congratulations are in order. I noticed you stopped referring to your lady as "my future fiancee" and now refer to her as "my fiancee". I assume that means she said "yes." Congrats.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:40 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gar: I like short and petite women... not much on the girls over 5-6.. ;)
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 12:59 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
HD-DVD vs BRD
I think a "winner" is far from clear, but some good points are made in this article:
http://blog.hometheatermag.com/markfleischmann/122706hashddvd/
(that's just the blog summary... there's a link to the full article therein.)
BC ( 131.146.8.217 ) at 12:09 PM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
puppetmaster (aka Joe): I wonder if it's simliar to Velodyne's SMS-1 or if it's more advanced.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 11:22 AM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
BC: I believe I seen a price in the $700 range.
Gar ( 75.100.82.204 ) at 11:19 AM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Again..... Many Thanks for Byork/Big Al/Scott P/AVB for keeping this place running for so long over the last couple of years. Hey maybe we could go commercial like AVS and make some money! ;) Just a thought, but then again AVS is full of people that know everything! ;)
BYork ( 171.72.5.133 ) at 10:34 AM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
HTOC forever! (OK...until at LEAST 2008)
Just wanted to confirm for everyone that we're paid up until next year.
Thanks to all of you who helped keep the lights on...and big thanks to Big Al for filling in the role of group treasurer!
Gar ( 75.100.82.204 ) at 10:24 AM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Cajun_Mike: WTF? Black Snake Moan!!! Come on dude that looks horrible, sure Christina looks hot in that movie, but I don't think she is all that great. Also what is up with Samuel L. Jackson and Snakes! Snakes on a Plane and now this? LOL
BC ( 131.146.8.217 ) at 9:43 AM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Have you seen a price mentioned for the SVS EQ?
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:51 AM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Likely going to want to add one of these to my SVS sub. ;)
http://svsound.com/CES2007/SVS_AudyessyRelease.pdf
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:39 AM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Sub Mania....
Gar: yes, I've linked to that sub here before... I'm told that is a badass sub... of course my SVS PC-Ultra is no slouch itself. ;)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:52 AM EST Wednesday, January 17, 2007
I cannot wait to see this... http://www.moanmovie.com/
click menu, then video. Christina Ricci is HOT!
Gar ( 75.100.85.64 ) at 10:50 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Sub Mania....
Here you go Cajun, I think you need 2 of these. :)
http://home.jlaudio.com/
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:47 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Any Star War fans looking for a projector?
http://www.nikkor2d2.com/NHE/EN/index-en.html
BC ( 69.149.67.97 ) at 10:44 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The Samsungs are really only great after an ISF calibration.
Gar ( 75.100.85.64 ) at 10:19 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Just Crazy.....
Now this is biking...... ;)
http://broadbandsports.com/node/4056
Gar ( 75.100.85.64 ) at 9:15 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Joe: When picking up the HP Computer at American TV yesterday I had a chance to look at some of the new sets. You are right, the Samsungs where very bright, and there color saturation was cranked way up also, especially on there DLP Sets. I leaned towards the Sony over the JVC slightly after I made the sales guy make the same adjustments to both TVs last year, what was the deciding factor was the bulbs on the JVC, 3 of the displays where out because of this, and what confirmed it for me was my friends TV. Went through 3 bulbs, I will deal with a green hue if it ever arises, but then you have the green donut that happens on some of the Sony sets. At any rate, make sure you buy a extended Warr. The new Mit's 1080p sets sure looked good.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 8:29 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
JVC
http://reviews.cnet.com/4660-12760_7-6684054.html?tag=vid
I wonder how this one will look
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 8:22 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
UH ohhhh, HomeTheater, 2007 1080P RPTV Face Off
Cajun_Mike: Good article, I just read it. I guess at this point I am just waiting for the old Toshiba to die. I agree that the samsungs seem bright. I am always squinting when I look at them. I am still torn between the Sony and the JVC. I would give the JVC a slight favor in my opinion, but the wife gives the nod to the Sony.
We will see in the march time frame what is is going to be.
Gar ( 75.100.85.64 ) at 5:01 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
We had the Toshiba for about 5 years, last years been hell, but I can blame that on my wife. Said the virus software was up to date and it wasn't along with her always turning it off with out powering it down. Oh, a on/off button, that's how I turn it on and off.... ah, not exactly... ;) Couldn't go wrong on the price, plus the build quality is excellent.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:13 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
BC: I love my Tylers but I'm very interested in the in-room Gold LCR's with matching stands.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 3:06 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Cajun_Mike: No but if you order a full platinum setup, I'll become one. I believe Wild Bill is a triad dealer.
Geo. ( 209.180.126.2 ) at 2:34 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Computers
Cajun_Mike: Packard Bell. Boy, there's a name I haven't heard in years.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 2:34 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
BC: Are you a Triad dealer?
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 2:22 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
I've had a toshiba going strong for at least 5 years now, probably more like 8 now that I think about it. It's in the kitchen now and is just used for checking email. Looking at HP and Dell for another laptop, may have to give the HP a shot. A friend has one and loves it.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 2:22 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Computers
Geo.: people have knocked HP for years, but they do make some very good products. The Packard Bell stuff really gave HP a bad name as well.
Geo. ( 209.180.126.2 ) at 12:58 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Computers
Cajun_Mike: My daughter first had a Toshiba for college and it crapped out in no time. She has had a HP for three years now and not a single problem. BTW, we sent my son's Acer to the company for a warranty repair and they had it returned to us within a week with a new "memory module." He didn't lose any data and it's as good as new. (Knock wood two times.)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:08 PM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Computers
Gar: I bought a HP laptop three summers ago and it's been a workhorse. Not one problem.
Gar ( 75.100.85.64 ) at 8:46 AM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Computers
I bought a HP Laptop for my wife last night, not sure who suggested this but thanks!! Toshiba took a total dump but was able to get info off of hard drive. It will most likely work again if I get the install discs new power chord and battery, which might come to as much money as I just spent on this HP I have right now.
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 1:30 AM EST Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Wow..late night for me...went to Montreal and back for business...ice/snow storm in BOTH cities...made what is usually a 3 hour door-to-door trip 5+ hours....have had a 21.5 hour day...man am I wired...need a little HT and sleep...see in the morning...
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 11:26 PM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Triad's Platinum speakers Loudpseaker System ofthe year
Cajun_Mike: I haven't heard the ex series, but I know the lineage..... I couldn't speak highly enough of the speaker team. If you like KEF you like the ex series,,,which explains why why I am so myopic about Andrew and his team, I was sold on KEF years ago and then to find out I was working wiht the lead designer/engineer.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 6:46 PM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Gar: http://ultimateavmag.com/speakersystems/1006piosex/index.html
Gar ( 75.100.93.23 ) at 6:44 PM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Cajun_Mike: I know I was pulling your leg, they are made by Pioneer, so they are from a Japaneese company but designed by TAD... Global speaker I guess.....
Press Release...... Still for the money I bet there are better speakers, just an opinion of course..
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/press/release/detail/0,,2076_310069589_396314899,00.html
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 6:20 PM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Gar: those Pioneer's are not japanese. Robert can you tell you all about the TAD group at Pioneer.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 6:19 PM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Triad's Platinum speakers Loudpseaker System oftheyear
Trav: and GAr...... three of these across the front. http://triadspeakers.com/products/irplcr.html
there is another platinum center but it's too big.
http://triadspeakers.com/products/irpctr.html
Gar ( 75.100.93.23 ) at 5:50 PM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Cajun_Mike: I would take the Triads over the Pioneers anyday.... Never been a fan of Japaneese speakers but, these do look good.
Trav ( 72.90.97.119 ) at 5:40 PM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Triad's Platinum speakers Loudpseaker System ofthe year
Cajun_Mike: Those Triad's are made right here in my backyard (well not in my backyard but a few miles away). Took the tour of the factory and was thoroughly impressed with the speakers, facility, and the people. I just wish their more expensive products, which I enjoy listening to, were priced less so I could enjoy them in my own home rather than in the showroom.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:22 PM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Triad's Platinum speakers Loudpseaker System ofthe year
http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/ces2007/011507triadaward/
I would like to hear these....
The one speaker that seems to be all the rave right now is the Pioneer EX series. Fantastic reviews have been popping up everywhere... Blew people away at the Rocky Mountain audio festival... A big review in this months Hometheater mag. I love the look of them, but they aint cheap.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/album/0,,2076_310069828,00.html
Gar ( 75.100.87.193 ) at 11:41 AM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Curtis/Chris L. : Yup, system restore and most desktops and laptops every month store a few dates that allows you to go back and reset your system to what it was at that time. I did this last night and it at least let me get back into my wifes computer and pull off critical information on to an external hard drive, but for the most part I think this puppy is toast, unless I do a hard reset.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 11:29 AM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Another Computer Question/ da Bears
Gar: Chris is correct. If memory serves me, System Restore requires that you set specific restore dates manually sometime in the past when all was working properly. S.R. will present you with a calendar asking what date you want to restore it to ... if you never set any, you may be SOL.
Tony C: True that you don't want to lose the big game (I suspect that Wild Bill is still smarting from a week ago). How badly you feel when it happens depends upon how much emotion you had invested in your team. I hope your DIY fix works on your amp. Of all the things that could have gone wrong in building your new HT that's a pretty minor problem.
Chris L. ( 75.67.230.79 ) at 9:16 AM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Another Computer Question
Gar: Are you talking about "system restore"?
If so it's under start/all programs/accesories/system tools
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 8:16 AM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
It's always something
Yesterday while watching football, I noticed that the center channel wasn't working. I looked behind the amp and saw that when I moved the rack (I have a separate rack in the back room for amps) the speaker wire was hung up and so tight that it just snapped the binding posts right off the amp. Damn!
I had to tape the speaker wire to the nubs on the back of the amp.
Today I'm going to open up the amp to see if I can replace the binding posts. If not, I'm just going to drill a screw into the nubs and attach the speaker wire to them. Damn it!
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 8:12 AM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Da Bears
Cajun_Mike: I was hoping (not so much) that the Bears would loose so I wouldn't be even more disappointed next week.
Perhaps a friendly wager? Pizza for gumbo?
you do know that it's January (winter) in Chicago don't you?
Joelc ( 69.156.211.22 ) at 5:49 AM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Good morning gang...
Gar ( 75.100.82.96 ) at 2:57 AM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
Another Computer Question
XP is supposed to have "hidden" somewhere, that you can go back and restore your machine when it was working properly. Reason I say hidden because if most people knew about it, it could solve a ton of problems. ;) Not sure if this is true, but I seem to remember doing this at one time or another. Any ideas where it can be found?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:54 AM EST Monday, January 15, 2007
This whole town's depressed
The Chargers did a great job of beating themselves today. There's already talk of booting Marty, but the players blew so many plays that any number of teams had a shot at beating them. As good as they have been this year I had a suspicion they might be cocky enough (most pro bowl players) to bow out in the 1st round.
Glad to see da Bears win though.
Gar ( 75.100.82.96 ) at 11:11 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Laptops....
Anyone know of a decent laptop cheap with some decent hardrive space? Dell etc.. Wife wants an Apple and I am considering it, but for what she does mostly word processing and pictures at best seems the PC would be the inexpensive way too go... Toshiba just took a dump, about 4-5 years old and it is recover what is on it and trade it in.......
Gar ( 75.100.82.96 ) at 9:59 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Cajun: Ah, I just wet my pants!! LOL And in a few more weeks everyone will be talking about JVC RS-1/RPs or Samsung, it is the nature of the business, never keep the customer satisfied!! :)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 9:12 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Sony Goes Double-Fisted With UAV Awards!
With a title like that, it certainly could be some freaky porn for Gar, but it's not... or is it?
http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/ces2007/011407sonyaward/
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 7:53 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Gar: That's what I was thinking. He is using some old cables that I had lying around. He did have a different DVD player there, so the TV inputs work.
The TV is going to his mom's house soon, as he wants to get a Plasma to repalce it.
Gar ( 75.100.91.243 ) at 5:34 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Joe: First off try a new Componet cable, if that doesn't work and you get the same results the chances of it being the actual player are most likely. Also try another device that uses componet to rule out the TV. Most DVD Players have 90 days, unless you buy an extended Warr..
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:23 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
UH ohhhh, HomeTheater, 2007 1080P RPTV Face Off
Joe: what's great is that the JVC has the least expensive retail price of all the TV's in that review. If you read the hometheater article, they admit that after you read why they chose the Samsung No.1, you are likely to go back and choose the JVC.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 4:30 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Sony DVD problem
My friends 5 disc DVD player is having a problem. It's a month old, has component output and is plugged into a Sony XBR. The picture is tilted and blurrred frm the top right to the bottom right. It looks like a "S" shape.
The composite video out is fine. He did have some connections hooked up wrong to start with but I corrected them. The modle is H85 someting. It has HDMI output, but his TV does not have a input.
Any suggestions?
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:36 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Come on Seattle, beat those Bears so the Saints will have host the NFC championship game. ;)
Gar ( 75.100.91.213 ) at 2:57 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Sion: Drooling...... 24 is game on tonight!!! Hopefully you have caught up on seasons....
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 2:48 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
UH ohhhh, HomeTheater, 2007 1080P RPTV Face Off
Cajun_Mike: I do like the way those JVC's look. The more we look at our needs and viewing habits a RPTV of some sort is making more sense then a FP.
I was all set to work on my speakers in my bedroom ceileing a few hours ago until company arived. They still have not left.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 2:13 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Well despite the fact that CNBC recently reported some erroneous figures regarding console sales for this holiday season, it looks like the official numbers still show a resounding Xbox 360 victory among next-gen systems during the month of December. Official stats being published by The NPD group show that Microsoft sold 1.1 million of its boxes last month, followed by Nintendo with 604,000 Wiis, and PS3 bringing up the rear with 491,000 consoles sold.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:17 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Gar: sound and vision reviews and spotlights way too many Best Buy'ish products. Almost zero reviews of high end products and they seem to never take a strong stand for or against in product reviews. They'll give their S&V recommended stamp on outstanding products but on everything else, they'll tiptoe around.
Gar ( 75.100.91.213 ) at 12:45 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Cajun: Can't go wrong with Perfect Vision, I am not a fan of Home Theater anymore way too many ads, and if something gets a 85 or less rating it is frowned apon. Sound and Vision I actual like better than Home Theater, and Stereophile bites sent in 2 year sub, a year goes by and they tell me that I need to pay them again for another year.. ah, yeah right. So for me right now it is Sound a Vision and Perfect Vision fits the bill. Also you can't go wrong with JVC or Sony on a RPTV, but regardless buy a ex. Warr. The Samsung LED DLP is nice...
Go Saints!!!
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:34 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Gar: I'm not in the market for a new RPTV yet. I'm just doing my homework for when I am ready. I want to see what Sony introduces in February. I read where they reveal their 2007-08 SXRD's at some show next month. Despite the fact that the Samsung finished No.1 in their ranking, I have reservations about going with DLP. If Sony does not have a XBR SXRD in the 57-65-inch range without side speakers, I will very likely go with the JVC..... I will likely buy in the summer or early fall... will also purchase a high def. disc player as well.... maybe that LG combo player. ;)
btw, I said I thought widescreen review sucked and I would not renew my subscription to that and sound and vision....... the two mags I will stay subscribed too are HomeTheater and The Perfect Vision. Also dropping Stereophile.
Gar ( 75.100.91.213 ) at 12:15 PM EST Sunday, January 14, 2007
Cajun: I did see the new Samsung LCD along with the Bravia line, I would love to have either of these sets in the bedroom. Just wish they made smaller Plasmas, that will fit in cabinets.
Gar ( 75.100.81.250 ) at 11:58 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Cajun_Mike: and next year someone else will be on top.... You will never buy a thing if you keep waiting for the next best thing. I gotten stuck in that rut before, plus you stated to me months ago you didn't think that much about Hometheater magazine. I don't get it anymore, use to but not fond of it anymore. I mean you are splitting hairs between all of those sets, simple put they are the top 6 on the market according to them and most people would be happy to have one in the top 10..
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:57 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Toshiba's HD-A1, disc player of the year..
Toshiba's HD-A1 walked away with UAV's Disc Player of the Year
http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/ces2007/011307toshibaaward/
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:48 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
UH ohhhh, HomeTheater, 2007 1080P RPTV Face Off
The February edition of Hometheater magazine arrived today and their panel of six editors have a 14 page face off of TV's....
Here's out they rated in order.
1. Samsung HL-S6188W with a score of 93
2. JVC HD-61FN97 D-ILA, with a score of 91
3. Toshiba 62MX196, with a score of 90
4. Sony KDS-R60XBR2 SXRD, with a score of 89
5. Mitsubishi WD-65731 DLP, with a score of 87
6. Olevia 565H LCOS, with a score of 85
The SXRD was the set in 2006... this is what they say as to what has happened...
"It isnt that this XBR2 is worse than the XBR1. In fact, in most ways, it is better. It's just that, in the intervening year, the competition has gotten that much stronger, while this Sony is, well, very similar to last year's."
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 8:38 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Fiancee' picked up her 2007 Acura MDX with technology and entertainment packages and it's unbelievable. The stock sound system is very nice. It has DVD-Audio, dolby prologicII, XM... Got her bluetooth phone going through the thing, but have a lot of reading and tinkering to do. In a year or two, I'll be ready to get rid of my Aviator... We might have two MDX's in the garage. ;)
Gar ( 75.100.85.139 ) at 7:37 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Geo: This is the only thing I could find right now........
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=748885
Geo. ( 68.110.13.191 ) at 7:03 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
cai: I get in to Reagan at about 4:30pm on Saturday, the 27th. My nephew will pick me up there and take me to Chantilly. We can either get together on the evening of the 27th, or on the afternoon or evening of the the 28th. I was thinking maybe lunch and a few beers on Sunday afternoon. What do you think? We could also go out, or get together at my nephew's house.
Geo. ( 68.110.13.191 ) at 7:00 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Joelc: Should have read all the posts before I posted.
Geo. ( 68.110.13.191 ) at 6:58 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Gefen Scaler
Tony C: I saw that too and wondered the same thing. Anybody know anything about this?
Gar ( 75.100.85.139 ) at 6:52 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Sion: Took you long enough to find that! I did say I was just kidding! Hey looks like you can dish it out but can't take it.....LOL 
Sion ( 128.205.177.30 ) at 2:42 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Gar: Wow, you're right! Having two nicknames on one forum really DOES makes me gay. How'd you know? Wow, you are *so* smart!
Gar ( 75.100.85.139 ) at 1:21 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Trav: Yup, but for some reason they were being sent to my junk e-mail box so I did not see them till now. Last one I got was on Jan. 12th.... and I will be calling Mike this week. Pretty much free the whole week.
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 1:11 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Tony C They have gotten little in the way of special rights and, even as a former Quebecer, I hope that it stays that way. Either have the same and equal rights as EVERYONE or get out of my country.
As far as the Geffen scaler is concerned one has many parameters to consider - deinterlacing for both film/video (as they are different), scaling, calibration, memory setups, firmware updates , and so ver much more...my GUESS is that Geffen makes very good products so it probably does what it is suppose to do very well but is very limited in terms of functionality relative to DVDO, Lumagen, etc.
Trav ( 72.90.97.119 ) at 1:06 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Gar: Are my emails making their way to your inbox? I've had a couple returned..........
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:10 PM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Hey Robert...
where's our, "I love Plasma" T-shirts?
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/hitachis-2007-hdtv-lineup/
and tell me about the. 42-inch P42H401 ;)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 11:55 AM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Joelc: well, you know the Cajuns of south Louisiana are all descendants of the French of Nova Scotia. So I know a little bit of French that I pick up from all of these coullion's. ;)
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 11:17 AM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Gefen Scaler
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=4174
Gar ( 75.100.85.139 ) at 10:29 AM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Tony C: The week of Jan. 22 - 29 some time, not sure when yet. I start the 22nd. Wasn't even looking and over Christmas I got the call. I can bring the stand with me.
Scaler: Not bad price, it was only a matter of time before the scalers came down in price. The question is how good is it, I would look for reviews, I know Lumagen is very good and so is DVDO.
Gar ( 75.100.85.139 ) at 10:29 AM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Tony C: The week of Jan. 22 - 29 some time, not sure when yet. I start the 22nd. Wasn't even looking and over Christmas I got the call. I can bring the stand with me.
Scaler: Not bad price, it was only a matter of time before the scalers came down in price. The question is how good is it, I would look for reviews, I know Lumagen is very good and so is DVDO.
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 10:19 AM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Gefen Scaler
In the new Sound & Vision mag, they show a Gefen Home Theater Scaler that allegedly converts and rescales all your video signals to 1080P.
It's only $449
You think it can work well? For that price, I'm ready.
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 9:58 AM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Joelc: I thought I read that the CA parlament already granted Quebec a psuedo soverenty to appease them.
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 9:55 AM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Gar: Yes, I do remember the email. Congrats on the new job. Can't wait to hear about it.
When do you think you'll be headed down here?
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 7:26 AM EST Saturday, January 13, 2007
Good morning gang...
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 11:33 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Worse than that...they want French to be THE official language of Canada as well as the rights of a separate nation within Canada...best way to explain this wouls be if a state in the US decided to be a country within the USA and cherry pick those fedral programs that it liked while contributing nothing to the rest of the country...get the reason why English Canada is so pissed..oh, did I mention that 70% of Quebecers are French so...why the hell do they think that their language is threatened...did I also forget to mention that many of us who live outside of Quebec -- I fo one -- am fluentin french..so, what the f$%^!
Gar ( 75.100.81.176 ) at 11:16 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Tony C: Yes I sent you an e-mail back about actually dropping it off, I am going to be at Abbott/Labs and Hospira, just took a position that will be taking me into the OR...
AVB: Welcome back, very similar joke my cousin told me about years ago, they are of course from the larger speaking english Canada. ;)
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 10:23 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
AVB: Nice to see you around
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:11 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Joelc: arent those the douchebags who want french to be their national language?
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 9:19 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Gar: Hey did you ever get the email I sent about the speaker stand?
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 8:41 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
AVB: Very good...have not heard that one before...now, one point of clarification people from Quebec are called Quebecers rather than Quebecain...but, the worng name would probably piss them off as much as well..
AVB ( 67.142.130.34 ) at 7:45 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
An oldie for Joel
These three men were stranded on an island: a Newfoundlander, a Cape Bretoner and a Quebecian. The three searched the island to try to find a way off when the Newfoundlander came upon a lamp with a genie. The genie popped up and said, “I will grant three wishes, so that's one for each of you.” So the Newfoundlander goes, “Well I wish I was back in Newfoundland.” So puff, he was sent to Newfoundland.
Then the Quebecian jumps up and says me next me next, I know exactly want I want. The Quebecian says, “I would like to build a wall. I want this wall to be 1000 feet high and I want it to surround Quebec, so that nothing can get in and nothing can get out, and I want to be in Quebec.” So the genie says okay and builds the wall, and now Quebec is officially separate from the rest of Canada and the Quebecian is back there.
So now the Cape Bretoner gets up and says, “Tell me more about this wall.” So the genie tells him, “This wall is 1000 feet high and surrounds Quebec and noting can pass in or out of Quebec.”
So the Cape Bretoner says, “Okay. Fill it with water.”
Gar ( 75.100.81.176 ) at 5:54 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Sion: No that isn't Gar porn, no ladies.... And Sony needs to sign up the Porn industry. and since you have 2 call signs on here I am sure the gay porn booth would suit you. LOL jk!!
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 4:46 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
YEAH BABY....
Robert: Can you shoot me an email with the contact info for your guys. They may not handle my area but maybe they can point me to who does.
Robert ( 69.58.164.236 ) at 4:09 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
YEAH BABY....
BC: Not exactly sure. But I'll bet you'd fall under that scenario.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 3:00 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Gar porn
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/12/sony-booth-tour/
;-)
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 2:18 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
YEAH BABY....
Robert: What are the requirements for buying the CI line? I usually buy Marantz from the 4 letter dist beginning with A. But Denon would be a nice one to have available also.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 2:08 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Robert: Looked at the Denon 3030ci, very nice, just not sure if it is worth it over the new Oppo player. Of course if you can get a Robert price it might be ;) Welcome back, hope the show was fun, you will have to let us know what kind of mind blowing stuff you saw.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 2:07 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
http://www.engadget.com/photos/sonys-1-000-000-1-contrast-ratio-27-inch-oled-hdtv-1/128897/
What is the difference between OLED and SED?? Man there are so many TV technologies it is getting very hard to keep up.
Cajun: That pre/pro is very cool, I haven't seen a decent pre/pro that does as much as a receiver can for decent money lately, now this looks like it could be one of them.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 12:53 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Yeah, that receiver was looking kind of nice. I just got my Pioneer Elite receiver, but I'm already just about maxxed out on the inputs. But it works for my setup now, and in the immediate future.
Robert ( 69.58.164.236 ) at 12:25 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
YEAH BABY....
Cajun_Mike: No,,,,,,I have a rep firm working for me that sell the CI series of Denon.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:00 PM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Canon takes control of SED screen venture
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/01/12/tech-sed.html
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 11:47 AM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
RGB: That Sherwood Newcastle receiver you mentioned has some fantastic specs and features..... lots of internet buzz about it. It's definitely under consideration for a future pre/pro. ;)
# HDMI 1.3
# Video Scaling to 1080p
# Converts HDMI video to analog
# GUI OSD
# DTS Master Audio HD
# Dolby TruHD
# RF Remote Control
# Automatic Audio Set-up
# Audyssey MultEQ XT
# RS-232 Control / Upgrade
# Multi Source, Multi Zone
# A/V Sync Delay by Input
# XM Connect & Play
# Installer Memory
# Built in bi-amp capability
http://www.audioholics.com/news/uploads/IMG_0149001.jpg
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 11:44 AM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
YEAH BABY....
Robert: what are you saying Robert? you working for a new company?
Robert ( 69.58.164.236 ) at 11:26 AM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
YEAH BABY....
Cajun_Mike: If it sells under the CI logo,,,you can send the check to me....
Robert ( 69.58.164.236 ) at 11:24 AM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Hi Guys
I'm back from CES no poorer than I left, unless you count that night of drinks on me,,but then that's expensed........ I'll spend the weekend detoxing.
GO CHARGERS!!!!!!!
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 11:01 AM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
custom install
http://boortz.com/more/funny/redneck_pics_flatscreen2.html
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 8:04 AM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Joelc: Morning
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 7:00 AM EST Friday, January 12, 2007
Good morning gang...
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:38 PM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
Gar: I agree with you 100%, but I have never seen this occur with reviews at projector central. Have you? Any examples you can link to? The only changes I've ever seen done were fair and justified.
Gar ( 75.100.80.221 ) at 3:09 PM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
Sion: Reviews on products after CES are always fun, because the latest and greatest product they have been talking about gets bashed because something new comes out. I find reviews like this laughable, well I would hope it is better, the question I have is there a huge difference and price point for me to even bothering upgrading, ah.... no. Unless of course 3-4 years go by and they make huge leaps in technology of course.
Gar ( 75.100.80.221 ) at 3:06 PM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
Sion: Reviews on products after CES are always fun, because the latest and greatest product they have been talking about gets bashed because something new comes out. I find reviews like this laughable, well I would hope it is better, the question I have is there a huge difference and price point for me to even bothering upgrading, ah.... no. Unless of course 3-4 years go but and they make huge leaps in technology of course.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:00 PM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
Yeah, all places that do reviews have their faults. I like PC as they cover the points that interest me (their "performance" section) usually pretty well. I don't think they change their reviews based on how they feel, they change them when new information comes out. For example, the Panasonic FP they reviewed... a fix was published for the problem it had, and so they changed their rating of it. I think this is a good thing. They still left their original comments in the review, they just added to them. Also, they change the rating of some products to "reflect the marketplace" meaning if they give something a 5/5 then a competing product comes out that they feel is *better*, then the only way to reflect that is to drop the original rating of the lesser product from 5/5 to 4/5 or whatever.
Gar ( 75.100.80.221 ) at 12:45 PM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
Sion: Seen that link before, nice reviews, the problem I have with Projector central is they tend to change there reviews weekly on how they feel. I respect the reviews from Ultimate AV, and Home Theater Guide to HT much better when it comes to reviews, but PC does have some decent reviews especially on screens.
Cajun_Mike: you Denon Whore...... LOL jk!!! Get the Pre/Amp..... From the looks of it it won't fit in your cabinet ;)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:15 PM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
YEAH BABY....
Joe: you're right, plus Gar called and said I should wait because his Sony tea leaves tell him that a pre/pro from Sony ES could be a year or two away. ;)
Joe ( 198.208.251.23 ) at 11:15 AM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
YEAH BABY....
Cajun_Mike: Yes at 6k I would look at some other pieces. I mean everyone knows the first Pre/Pro will ahve a gereen blob
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:05 AM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
iPhone
Curtis: "unlocking" a GSM phone would not give it access to Verizon networks (which are CDMA, not GSM) it would only allow the user to use it on any GSM network, i.e. Cingular, T-Mobile, and the rest of the world outside N.America (okay except for Japan which also isn't GSM). So, unlocking it would not have done anything for you or any Verizon/Nextel/Sprint customers.
Also, how often have you been in NYC lately? I've been there several times in the last 3 years (my two brothers in law live there, as do many of our friends, and it's only a 6 hour drive away) and most people I know are either Cingular or want to switch to it. I can't find anywhere there where my cell doesn't get great reception (Moto v551).
And one small correction: The iPhone (the Apple one, that is) does not qualify as a "smart phone" since the user can not install any applications their self. Basically you are stuck with the apps Apple gives you. I find it hard to believe given that it runs OSX, but that's the word on the street.
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 7:20 AM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
Good morning gang...
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 2:01 AM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
iPhone
Sion: I meant that it was unfortunate they didn't just unlock it to allow users to select their own carriers. Verizon's service coverage in places where lots of potential iPhone customers are (NYC) is known to work far better than what Cingular offers. For the rest of the planet if they had to marry one network provider you're probably right that C's the way to go.
I can't argue your bang-for-the-buck points. It's a computer with a cellphone really with a 166 dpi touch-screen that could become any number of things in the future if, in fact, it's running a full-blown version of OS X. A tremendous amount of work went into the UI to make the fairly complex functionality of today's smartphones clean, intuitive and a lot more user friendly. MP3 players had also been around for years when the iPod hit the market. They don't do anything more than the others, in fact they do less than some, but 100 million of them have been sold. The idea is that current phones are too difficult to use for most non-tech folks and as such they are broken.
There's ample time for some of the specs and the bundled apps to change prior to release date. I doubt that G3 would be a part of that as the FCC needs 2 months to grant product approval. Word is that even at the current price Cingular is contributing a big subsidy.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:12 AM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
BC... call your distributor and let me know when this will be available.. I'll send you a deposit. ;)
http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/ces2007/011007ETSub/
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 12:51 AM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
Oops... here's the link:
http://www.projectorcentral.com/1080p_shootout.htm
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 12:45 AM EST Thursday, January 11, 2007
BC, Gar: I thought this article (a "shootout" comparison of four >$5000 1080p pj's) was very good, as were the original review articles of each pj.
Gar ( 75.100.80.221 ) at 11:40 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
BC: That is "Couldn't find any pics" of the JVC-RS1 at the Show..
Gar ( 75.100.80.221 ) at 11:26 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
BC: Could find any pics, but you should see a improvment over black levels especially with an newer projector and newer technology. There is what one of the reviewers said of the comparisons between the two, and if this is it, I am glad I didn't wait. When I make a jump in FP I want to make sure it is a significant jump, from my HS51 to the Pearl was a "One Large Step for Mankind" ;) Here is what one of the reviewers stated:
" We did compare the Pearl side by side with the RS1 at night after the show closed...this was the first time I personally got to see the two units side by side and I will say that after considerable tweaking on the Pearl, the color and overall picture quality on the two was such that you might have thought you were looking at two RS1's or two Pearl's...this on a variety of medium to high APL scenes. With a total fade to black or a very dark starfield, the RS1 was noticeably blacker in any Iris mode and certainly as bright in a bright scene. The observations were made strictly using HDDVD source material, we didn't evaluate SD scaling or other factors, just colorimetry, brightness, black level and sharpness. There did seem to be a little bit of color non-uniformity showing up at the corners, but it was very minimal."
Gar ( 75.100.80.221 ) at 10:57 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
BC: You should see an appovement, it is a new PJ... It is also about $1200 bucks more.. Next year it will be the RS-2 and the new Diamond by Sony... LOL
BC ( 66.142.185.124 ) at 10:49 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
There are some pics over at avs of the new jvc rs-1 and the pearl side by side, showing a 2.35:1 movie. You can see the bars plain as day on the pearl but on the jvc, they disappear right into the screens frame. Pretty amazing to see those kind of black levels on a digital pj. Finally.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:07 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Chris L.'s new FP
Check it out, Chris!
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-1_7-9675832-5.html?tag=cnetfd.mt
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 5:00 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
YEAH BABY....
Cajun_Mike: Okay, at $6k you can scratch me off the list as well...
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 4:26 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
YEAH BABY....
BC: 6k would be a bit rich for my blood... :(
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 4:25 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
YEAH BABY....
RGB: No pricing given, my guess, $6k for the pre/pro, $6k for the amp.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 3:59 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
YEAH BABY....
Cajun_Mike: How much is that Denon pre/pro expected to cost?
Tony C ( 65.223.57.116 ) at 3:28 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Lemme know when you want to sell the Denon.
I'm not in love with the temperary Sony I bought. In fact, I'm thinking of taking it back to BBY this weekend.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 2:04 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
watch the video... Denon rep says late spring or summer... Have my AVR2807 box within reach for quick Ebay sale. ;)
two videos on the denon separates... the amp is ten channels... haha
http://www.audioholics.com/ces/Denon2.html
http://www.audioholics.com/ces/Denon3.html
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:59 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
YEAH BABY....
http://www.audioholics.com/ces/CESprocessors/DenonSeparates.php
BC... put me on the waiting list for the pre/pro. Let me know when you need a deposit.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:17 PM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
more on LED DLP's... they're wall mountable now
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070108/nym234.html?.v=36
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 7:46 AM EST Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Good morning gang...did you see the Meridian announcement...what a bunch of dodos...instead of coming out with a Blu-Ray/HD-DVD or even giving us an HDMI board for our equipment their big announcement so far has been an iPod dock that converts all audio and video to the digital domain...great, just what I was hoping for...NOT!
Gar ( 75.100.80.221 ) at 11:53 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Sion, doh!!! Repost.....
I wasn't talking about the new iPhone being released I was talking about my current Motorola by Cingular, has limitations. Hell the new model isn't even out yet, so I will reserve my judgement untill I see it and have a chance to play with it before I bash it. ;) LOL I like the looks of it, simple does GPS too boot, damn even has a camera .....
Also Apple site works fine on both my PC and MacPro.....
Gar ( 75.100.80.221 ) at 11:48 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Sion: Could be limitations of Cingular, I have Motorola phone that has iTunes on it, and I can Sync it with a computer and download, but Cingular put limitation on how many songs you can store or use on it, which is lame. There of course is a hack for this to fix this problem ;) I wouldn't doubt that someone hacks the WiFi on there so you can download anything... They need to knock the price down, more, but it does also function as a PDA/Phone/iTunes/Games/Movies etc... that is a lot for one device... I agree with you on cost, it needs to be less expensive...
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 10:45 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Apple.com hacked?
Maybe it's just the flood of visitors wanting info on the iPhone, but regardless of whether I use Firefox or Internet Explorer, when I visit www.apple.com, the browser crashes when the web site tries to start the quicktime animation.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 10:43 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Gar: Read the article, it's not due to Cingular, these are Apple imposed limitations. For example, Cingular has nothing to do with the wifi side of the device, yet you can't d/l songs from itunes.com directly to the device, even though you can use the wifi to view itunes.com.
Gar ( 75.100.80.221 ) at 10:17 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Sion: Could be limitations of Cingular, I have Motorola phone that has iTunes on it, and I can Sync it with a computer and download, but Cingular put limitation on how many songs you can store or use on it, which is lame. There of course is a hack for this to fix this problem ;) I wouldn't doubt that someone hacks the WiFi on there so you can download anything... They need to knock the price down, more, but it does also function as a PDA/Phone/iTunes/Games/Movies etc... that is a lot for one device... I agree with you on cost, it needs to be less expensive...
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 9:34 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Detroit auto show is over..... and three vehicles have my eye... The Camaro, Toyota Tundra doublecab and the Volvo XC60 (would like to see that styling carry over into the redesign of the XC90).
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/AutoshowArticles/articleId=118802
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 8:58 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
6% stock rise
If you'd have invested $8350 by noon today in Apple Comp...uh, INC., by 2:00pm you'd have earned enough to buy the new iPhone. ;-)
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 8:50 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone/ AppleTV
The Time.com article is very good, BTW.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 8:43 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone/ AppleTV
From the article at time.com -
"Weaknesses? Absolutely. You can't download songs directly onto it from the iTunes store, you have to export them from a computer. And even though it's got WiFi and Bluetooth on it, you can't sync iPhone with a computer wirelessly. And there should be games on it. And you're required to use it as a phone—you can't use it without signing up for cellular service. Boo."
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 8:02 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Pulse
Joe: Yeah, it does have a pretty heavy soundtrack, though (IMHO) I didn't think the movie itself was all that great.
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 7:51 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Pulse
I put in this DVD Sunday night when my wife and daughter went to take a bath. They were watching Ice Age 2 in the tub and I was rocking. I went in to check on them and they said the walls shook and the bears decorations on the wall rattled. Man I love that SVS sub :)
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 7:50 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone/ AppleTV
Curtis: Why is the carrier a drag? Cingular is the best provider IMO. Verizon is decent here in the States, but won't do GSM, so you're screwed for international travel. I would have been TOTALLY floored and disappointed in Apple if they'd have chosen Verizon. Verizon and Nextel/Sprint need to get with the times and convert to GSM/G3. T-Mobile is GSM and would have worked, but is too small in the USA... can't blame Apple for not going with them.
I was really surprised to see a Google exec and a Yahoo exec both participating in the key-note presentation. Only thing more surprising than that would have been if Gates made an appearance! ;-)
I don't see why they couldn't include G3 now. It's already OLD technology for crying out loud. Europe's el-cheapo free phones do G3. G3 was the new thing there the last time I was in Eruope, which was summer 2003.
At $500, there's just no excuse. Granted a LOT of design effort went into this product, but $500 for a phone? No farging way, sorry. $500 for a PS3 is a lot, but for a freakin' PHONE?
Okay, okay, it's "more than just a phone". Don't care. PMP/wifi-PDA/Phone... still too much dough.
But then $4000 is too much for a watch too, doesn't mean I don't love Sub-mariners! ;-) And I do admire the iPhone... at least from the demos. Just another addition to the list of toys I want when I finish my edumacashun!
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 7:48 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
HD Sound Formats
RGB: So the Toshiba would slid right into the spot that my Pioneer 563 is at and it would use the 5.1 cables that are already there. Ok I get it.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 7:48 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD: No Winner at CES
Despite a flurry of announcements, neither high-def DVD format has the edge at this week's trade show.
By Phillip Swann
CES (January 9, 2007) -- HD-DVD backers told us Sunday they will sell 1.8 million HD-DVD players this year.
Blu-ray supporters then promised us they will release more Blu-ray movie titles and sell more players.
And two CE companies launched products designed to alleviate consumer concerns about picking the wrong high-def DVD format.
But just 36 hours after the start of the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, it's abundantly clear that neither Blu-ray or HD-DVD are close to winning the biggest format war since Beta vs. VHS.
Will Toshiba and Sony ever stop fighting?
Prior to the show, industry journalists and analysts speculated that the trade show might offer some announcements that could signal the momentum is shifting to one format. Certainly, the electronics industry must have hoped it would because high-def DVD sales have been dismal.
(Sony is the leading supporter of the Blu-ray HDTV DVD while Toshiba is behind the HD-DVD. The discs have the capacity to store an entire high-def movie or TV show. However, the two DVD formats are incompatible, meaning one disc won't play on the other's machine.)
However, the news from CES this week has been a mix of spin and suspect product announcements
For instance, LG Electronics unveiled a dual format player that would play both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs. The company said the dual player would comfort high-def owners who recall the horrors of Beta exiting after losing to VHS.
However, LG set the player's price at $1199, which seems well out of reach for most consumers.
Warner Bros introduced a disc that would include both the Blu-ray and HD-DVD film or show. But some industry officials said the two-format disc would just add to the confusion in the marketplace.
"To me, it makes no sense," Steven Hirsch, CEO of Vivid Entertainment, an adult studio, told Reuters. "Now there will be three discs, adding yet another cost to producers. These two sides should get together to prolong the life of DVDs, since sales are stagnating."
Some HD-DVD enthusiasts say the introduction of a dual format DVD -- and dual player -- is a plus for them because Blu-ray has bragged that it has more support among the studios.
Anything that suggests that Blu-ray is not the inevitable winner is good for HD-DVD, they say.
But that opinion is only valid if consumers buy the dual player and disc, which is uncertain at best.
So, bottom line: When the 2008 CES begins next January, there's a good chance we will still be talking about the format war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 7:43 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
HD Sound Formats
Joe: TrueHD and DTS-HD are the lossless equivalents of their compressed counterparts (for the most part). These formats also have to the ability to extend beyond 5.1 channels, though I don't think they do yet.
Does your older pre/pro offer at least 5.1 analog inputs? If so, then you'll be able to get the new lossless soundtracks. If not, then you'll still get the standard DD/DTS you always did. :-)
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 7:23 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
HDMI 1.3
Cajun, I had a hard time seeing any differance in that link. Both of those screens look about the same to me, what am I looking at?
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 7:22 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Evening all
So how about a quick and easy explanation of these sound formats on HD and Blu-ray disc? What is Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, how does it differ from the current DD and DTS? If I play a HD or Blue ray disc, what sound will I get on my older DD-DTS Pre/Pro?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 7:04 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone/ AppleTV
Sion: Yep Jobs felt compelled to mention they will build a future G3 phone. The carrier and the price are a drag but Wall Street certainly took the news well.
Did you notice the other product, the former iTV that had been renamed (AppleLogo) TV? Ships next month, does 720p via n wifi, blah blah blah
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 6:30 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone: Well they do much more than a phone, still too high priced.
Cajun: Oh look more audio formats....... Geesh!!!! I think they are getting way too out of "Tune" as I should say it on audio formats, especially on movies. I mean come on, how many more ways can you make a car crash sound better ;) LOL....... Look cool.....
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 5:33 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Denon Pre/pro shown at CES
Cajun_Mike: There's also a Sherwood/Newcastle (mmm, beer... :beer04:) receiver coming out that'll do the same for around $1400.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 5:19 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Denon Pre/pro shown at CES
Fargin' A! Denon’s ’07 AVRs Will Feature Integrated DTS-HD Master Audio And Dolby TrueHD
"Although specific products and dates weren’t attached, Denon had a static technology demonstration that revealed that AVRs in its 2007 line will feature integrated Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio lossless audio over HDMI 1.3. These AVRs will be loaded with compelling features throughout the line including advanced video processing at the high-end and myriad connectivity options for portable music players and streaming content. In addition, a separate pre/amp and power amplifier system was shown as well."
http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/ces2007/010807denon/
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 5:14 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone
Robert: HA! No thanks. :-) The free phones are getting better and better, and are within my budget!
Robert ( 75.213.92.104 ) at 5:09 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone
Sion: $499/599 (8gb) w/ 2 year
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:09 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone
Curtis: I'll take back some of the attitude from my last post. I think mostly I'm just bummed that it doesn't support G3. Otherwise, while it doesn't do anything NEW, as usual for Apple, it does the same old stuff better (or so they claim).
My Cingular contract is up on May 31. We'll see if there are any kind of deals on it for a new 2-year contract. (probably not many and I won't pay very much for a phone.)
Is there even a SRP for it yet?
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 3:56 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone
Curtis: Yawn. So far, I haven't heard or seen anything about the phone that other phones don't already do.
I mean come on, EDGE? That's soooo 2005. I really, REALLY (no joke) expected Apple to have G3 support for data transfer. I think EDGE is a big disappointment, especially since Cingular is in the process of switching over their network to G3 support in major metro areas. NYC is already G3, as are some other cities.
FYI, for those who don't know G3 gives real-world DSL speeds on your phone. Streaming video on a phone is a joke w/out it. EDGE doesn't come close.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:36 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Impressive HDMI 1.3 Demo
BC: yes, it needs speakers
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 3:24 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone
Curtis: I can wait. But I'm on Cingular anyways, so this could be an interesting option later.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 3:06 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone
RGB: official propaganda here http://www.apple.com/iphone/
Ships in June so we won't know real world experiences till then. It's also Cingular only.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 1:54 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
BC: With the Porn industry pretty watered down now in comparison because of the net, this might not play a big roll as it once did. Now however if the Blu-Ray camp was smart they would have people over at the Porn convention premoting there technology!! If more Porn people get on board this could very well get things moving in there direction......
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 1:49 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/live-from-macworld-2007-steve-jobs-keynote/
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 1:48 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Another bucket of dirt on BluRays grave:
http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/16901.html
;)
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 1:39 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
RGB: Here you go: http://www.engadget.com/tag/iphone
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 1:30 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone being introduced
Curtis: Pictures?
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:13 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
iPhone being introduced
runs OS X, is a widescreen video iPod with touchscreen controls, Quad band worldphone with Wi-Fi and bluetooth. EDGE. syncs to all iLife apps,2 MP digital camera ... and more specs to follow. Jobs is still doing the demo now ...
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 12:46 PM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Gar: The HD-A2 and the new HD-A20 neither have the Silicon Optix chip in it. Just the HD-XA2 for now.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 10:54 AM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Cajuns new TV....
Actually this is pretty sweet looking.....
http://ces.engadget.com/2007/01/08/sonys-1-000-000-1-contrast-ratio-27-inch-oled-hdtv/
Click on the small picture to make it larger.....
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 10:29 AM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Gar; Thanks! Reply sent.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 8:53 AM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Impressive HDMI 1.3 Demo
Cajun_Mike: Does it need speakers? Best for the money is Pioneer. LG and Panasonic aren't bad either. If you don't need speakers and a stand, go for a commerical model.
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 6:55 AM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Good morning gang..
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 1:47 AM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Big Al: got the e-mail and sent the funds via paypal.......
BYork ( 12.216.173.10 ) at 1:31 AM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Alex20@newmsn.com and everyone else that keeps trying to get a login alias to be able to post their sex/viagra/credit card/whatever sites...
ALL of the stuff you send in is going to continue to be rejected. None of that type of content is appropriate for this site.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 1:24 AM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Curtis: I think a little of both, by Florida playing that good, it made Ohio State look bad. Frankly I have never seen Ohio State play that bad.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 12:38 AM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Easy money
Hmmm I'm glad I didn't take that bet. Was Florida that good or Ohio State that bad?
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 12:01 AM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Big Al: got the e-mail and sent the funds via paypal.......
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 12:00 AM EST Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Name is Conrad Swanson, lives in Sun Prarie WI. As far as his numbers go, I don't think he would find it amusing if I gave it out on the net :) LOL
On another note, that game was very depressing.... Looks like Ohio waited till the last and final game to play like crap, but the Gators played very good ball....
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 10:59 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Impressive HDMI 1.3 Demo
BC: moron. ;) Hey, I may need a plasma for a trade show.... I'll write if off as a business expense, use it once a year for a show and then use it in my bedroom the rest of the time. What's the best plasma for the money that you have access too........ 42-inch.
BC ( 66.142.185.124 ) at 10:41 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Impressive HDMI 1.3 Demo
Cajun_Mike: Still kind of pointless until all sources are done in 10 bit. ;)
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 9:38 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Tony C; I use cloth drapes over the blinds in my living room to block more light. I've been looking at room darkening cell type blinds. The wife doesn't like the drapes, and I don't like the light. :-)
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 9:36 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
cai; Thanks! I'll give it a try.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 9:13 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
stupid but funny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 8:48 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Gar: until you are prepared to provide your friends phone number, photos of three burnt bulbs, photos of an actual TV in his home..... well, you know.. 
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 8:47 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Toshiba Introduces New $599 1080p HD DVD Player
http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/ces2007/010706toshiba/
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 8:45 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Impressive HDMI 1.3 Demo
for whenever some bulletin board moron tries to tell you are dumb for waiting on HDMI 1.3.
http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/ces2007/010807HDMI/
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 8:26 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
RGB: yeah, I think they are doing that because 400,000 Blu-Rays now have hit the market during Christmas via the PS3... At least this war over formats will make players cheaper, now hopefully they
HD-DVD and Blu-Rays themselves will drop in price. :) Does the HD-A2 have the Silicon Optix chip in it, if so not a bad player, you get upscaling too boot!
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 8:21 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Gar: Yeah, that's correct. Essentially 5 free HD DVDs including the 3 from Toshiba's promotional offer.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 8:15 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
GO BUCKYEYES!!!!!
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 8:14 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Cajun_Mike: That is one cool looking set. Now lets hope JVC can get there bulbs right, friend of mine just went through 3 bulbs and now his new LCos set won't turn on. :( I almost bought the RS1 projector but I have had better luck also with other video products hence I stick with them.
RGB: Ah...... Just saw the new Best Buy Ad.......... the Toshiba HD-A2 selling for $499.00 and 2 free movies, is this Ad right? If so they are going to make it easy to buy into HD-DVD :)
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8021767&st=Toshbia+A2&type=product&id=1158323325814
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 8:02 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
... I did furnish him with the name & number of a pal I worked with who still lives there and is an OSU alum however. He already owes me a favor ;-)
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 7:59 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Easy money: FL straight up?
Wild Bill: I'm sure THE Ohio State will take it to them and put the whole game way out of reach early.
My former neighbor from my old Florida neighborhood called the other day to check in. He and his wife are U of FL alum, so I gave him my: a) congratulations on getting to #2 and b) condolences about the outcome of the BCS game. These crazy people actually think they're going to win tonight and really wanted to make me a bet, no points, just FL wins. I suggested they cease & desist the moonshine abuse if their brains are THAT far gone already!
Tony C ( 65.223.57.116 ) at 6:23 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
BIG AL: The blinds are the $5 Home Depot type.
I'm ordering Cloth shades that will help dampen the room.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 6:02 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
JVC shows wall-hangable LCoS HDTVs
Wow...
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12760_7-9673486-5.html?tag=blog
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 4:48 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
RGB: I feel the same about HD-DVD, not really worrying about what is on HD-DVD verses Blu-Ray, currently using both formats via the game machines, and I already have a decent upcoverting player. I have had a chance to compare movies on both formats and it is a toss up, I don't care what either camp says, it is a toss up. This is one of the reason I think consumers are not buying in, plus the fact that they cost more than a DVD and players are more. It is nice to see Silicon Optix in the mix can only improve video quality.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 4:21 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Cover all your bases!
Gar: I think I'll be happy enough with the XA2's upconversion capabilities on well mastered SD discs, that I'm not going to feel the need to go out and get a BD player for those titles that aren't on HD DVD.
But unlike the Beta/VHS format war of ages ago, I don't think this one will be resolved anytime soon.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 3:54 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Cover all your bases!
RGB: Yup, Robert posted that info about Warner a few weeks ago. What amazes me is what information is truthful or not, read one article and it says HD-DVD is the way to go, talk to someone else they say Blu-Ray is the way to go, frankly at this point people bashing either format is doing nothing but keeping either formats from going anywhere. The Zealots on the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray side on AVS and other forums are in rare form.....
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 3:40 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
CES Coverage
RGB: Interesting...
http://www.tgdaily.com/2007/01/08/ces2007_hddvd_slams_bluray
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 3:02 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Cover all your bases!
Sion: I just bought a 360 last week. Probably add the HD drive here shortly. I may get a PS3 mainly for the blu ray. So considering I have a 360 already, it is actually cheaper to buy a ps3 and the hd drive rather than get a combo player.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 2:58 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Cover all your bases!
BC: Same here! (ps3 & xbox instead of LG combo) It'd cost about the same too, and you get so much more!
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 2:37 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
CES Coverage
RGB: 2007 could look pretty good:
http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/01/08/hd-dvd-backers-see-big-2007-ahead
Wild Bill ( 70.187.207.117 ) at 2:34 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Go Buckeyes!
Wild Bill ( 70.187.207.117 ) at 2:33 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
O
Wild Bill ( 70.187.207.117 ) at 2:33 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
H
Wild Bill ( 70.187.207.117 ) at 2:33 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
I
Wild Bill ( 70.187.207.117 ) at 2:33 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
O
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 2:30 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
CES Coverage
And it looks like Meridian is backing HD DVD as well, and also coming out with a player this year.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 2:25 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Onkyo in the HD DVD game
Looks like Onkyo will be releasing a HD DVD player this year:
http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/01/08/onkyo-will-release-an-hd-dvd-player-in-2007
This can only be good for the HD DVD format!
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:46 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
any chance of us seeing a pre/pro from denon or marantz at CES... 
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 1:44 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Cover all your bases!
Sion: I'd rather buy a PS3 and a 360 with the HD drive than have a combo player that probably won't perform that great to begin with.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:19 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/08/pioneers-2007-a-v-receivers-range-big-on-xm-sirius-satellite/
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 1:03 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Cover all your bases!
Sion: You're right, but that's a big "if" considering the LG brand. But the high-end BD players are upwards of $1k right now as well.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 12:54 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Cover all your bases!
RGB: Actually if the quality is good, I think $1200 is not too far off the mark. Aren't the high end BRD and HD-DVD players just under a grand? $200 more (SRP) for one that does both (again if the quality is up there) doesn't seem that bad. Now personally, I wouldn't be considering a player at that price point in the first place (although my first DVD player retailed for nearly a grand... interesting how our limits change over time...)
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 12:33 PM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Cover all your bases!
Gar: Yeah, but at $1200 retail I'm not sure how that'll play out.
Also, Warner is announcing at CES a dual Blu-ray/HD DVD disc. A single disc with both formats on it.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 11:04 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
LG's combo player.
Sion: Yup, just saw that, but it was vaporware to me and others till it was actually seen yesterday. I am sure there will be a lot of things seen in the next week or so, that should make things very interesting in the next year or so.
Thanks for the info on the AV Rack...
cai ( 205.254.147.8 ) at 10:42 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
File Burning
BIG AL: What is happening, when you try to burn AVI files using Nero, is that Nero is converting those files to VOB. This process, most times, makes the file bigger than the original. What I do is convert all AVI and WMV files to MPG using the tMPEG conversion program. tMPEG also converts files directly to DVD compatible files in various formats and quality. Do a search for tMPeg and download the free program and see if it solves your problem.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:17 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Gar: $250
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:16 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Gar: http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/archetype/gal_audio.jsp?image=gal_a5chry
You can get casters (wheels) for any of these racks... it's an add-on.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:15 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Salamander A/V racks
Gar: I think this is what you're looking for. Not sure about the price though.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:11 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
BIG AL: NO! Divx Pro can NOT convert anything to "dvd format" (aka MPEG2 .vob files) BTW, .vob is a Video OBject file, basically an MPEG2 video file formatted for the general DVD format.
However, MANY (most new/modern) dvd players can play Divx files... some are even "divx certified". So if you get Divx Pro, then you can convert virtually any video file to divx format, and it will play on a Divx-capable player, and will probably fit on a CD rather than a DVD, too!
Divx Pro is not the BEST in terms of quality, although it is VERY good. However it is the EASIEST conversion utility out there. It's literally a one-click operation. You drag the video file into the Divx converter window, and click "convert". That's all there is to it. You can customize some settings but you don't need to.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:06 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
LG's combo player.
Gar: Welcome to last week. ;-) Scroll down to my post at 3:06 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007 (don't forget about the EST time zone).
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:04 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Gar: Salamander makes identical racks to the one I made, in many colors/configurations.
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 6:02 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Good morning gang...
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 3:42 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Looks like it is real news, this should make things real interesting....
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/07/live-coverage-of-lgs-press-event/
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 3:35 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Cover all your bases!
Looks like this could be a winner, you got both formats covered.
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20070104/660000000020070104110044E0.html
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 3:24 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Worst Movie of 2006
The Wickerman...... Stay far away from this one, in fact if you get a copy burn it, I mean really burn it. ;) Worst movie ever, and painful to watch....
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 3:22 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
RGB: Congrads, seems like Denon is using the Silicon Optix ReonVX video chip in most of there new players now, it will be interesting to see what way they tilt as far as HD-DVD or Blu-Ray goes.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:54 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
My mini Toshiba HD-XA2 review
RGB: Sounds great...congrats on your purchase. ;)
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 1:48 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Samsungs new DLP's.. thinner and "an immunity tothe rainbow effect"?
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9672556-1.html?tag=more
RGB ( 68.123.206.164 ) at 12:54 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
My mini Toshiba HD-XA2 review
Got the XA2 installed Sat morning. Ended up connecting with HDMI via the Pioneer Elite VSX80-TXV receiver to the Pioneer PDP-5050HD 50" plasma. The receiver is my HDMI switcher for the D* HR20 and the XA2. Audio was connected via the XA2's 5.1 analog outs (for TrueHD and other lossless audio formats) into the receiver, as well as the coaxial digital ouput.
First off, I have no previous experience with HD DVD, Blu-ray or upscaling DVD players other that what I saw in Best Buy, Circuit City or the like. My Amazon order of HD DVDs also happened to arrive late Sat morning. First movie I watched was the King Kong HD DVD - wow! Detail, clarity and 3D'ish look to the film that's the best I've ever seen! I can honestly say that I've never seen a movie look this good before. And obviously any HD DVD movie quality will depend on the transfer, and from what I've read King Kong is among the top 10 in that regard. But still, I was blown away by what I was seeing with that film.
Next was the SD version of "Ice Age 2: The Meltdown". I thought I was playing another HD DVD looking at this DVD through the XA2. Apparantly the Silicon Optix ReonVX video chip in the XA2 is responsible for this, and I can now see why the XA2 costs what it does. I'm thinking that as long as the studios keep putting out outstanding SD DVD versions, there won't be as much incentive for me to look into some kind of Blu-ray player.
And I just got through watching The Hulk HD DVD. Another superb transfer, and another reference disk for HD DVD. As far as the sound, these two HD DVDs offered DD+ and I can say it's impressive. I still have to listen to the TrueHD soundtrack of Batman Begins to see what that's like though. All in all, I was initially a bit concerned spending the amount I did on the XA2, but no longer. Now I just hope that more movies start coming out in HD DVD.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 12:18 AM EST Monday, January 8, 2007
Sion: Similar, need cherry/rosewood finish with black bars/bolts etc.. Don't have time to make one, I have one I made years ago, but it is a Amp stand and then I have another 2 tier stand I made. Kids = no time..... right now at least. So looking for some thing similar but 3 rack on wheels and that doesn't cost much. $300 max.
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 11:54 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Tony C; Very nice room. Are the blinds over the window the cell type, and do they block the light?
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 11:52 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Sion; So is DIVX pro the best program you've found for converting video to DVD for a regular dvd player playback? I've got some AVI files I'd like to be able to playback on any dvd player. Nero 7 chokes on them for some reason. When I set up the files it says there's 3.2 GB, but when I try to burn as a .vob (?) it says it won't fit on the DVD.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 11:40 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
wheeled equipment rack
Gar: Similar to this?
That rack was really easy to make, and you can do a lot more customization with it, like darker woood/stain, painting the steel black or gray, different sized shelves (fewer, wider, etc.) and so on. I don't remember the total cost to me, but it was well under $100 (except that I bought a router to do the wood work, but I don't count that as it was a tool I kept and have used since... and since sold!).
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 11:22 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Sion: "single-chip DLPs with a colorwheel" Correct, the LED based Samsung didn't bother me and it had a decent picuture.
All: Anyone know where I can find a decent price on a small audio/rack with wheels? Once we put the new flooring in the HT room, I am looking for a small rack where I can put my high end equipment on and wheel it out in front of my center channel when I am not watching movies.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 10:52 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Gar: I think you are referring to single-chip DLPs with a colorwheel. The new LED-lit DLP set from Samsung (the only one out right now, AFAIK) is also a single-chip design, but it has three primary color LEDs rather than a spinning wheel, so the rainbow effect is eliminated.
Basically I was wondering if your headache was from the rainbow/color wheel problem, or if it was from some other aspect of DLP technology (the mirrors can add some video noise to the picture). But if the LED-based set you saw didn't bother you, I guess your problem was due to the color wheel.
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 10:23 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Where's AVB?
We found Curtis, where's AVB?
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 10:22 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Thanks for the positive feedback on the room. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. But I'm thinking of building a platform for the love seat and putting the couch in front.
The Sony Pearl is fantastic. I was watching football this weekend and just couldn't believe the picture.
But I will be looking for a new pre-pro.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 9:05 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Sion: My only complaints are with single chipset DLPs, after trying to calibrate my friends Toshiba it gave me headaches. I still think for the money LCD is nice, black levels have gotten better etc.. Samsungs are looking better, I have only seen one LED set and I didn't suffer from the eye strain. SED shows promise, frankly I think there is too many choices now ;) LOL CRT,LCD,DLP, LED,SED, SXRD, LOCOS, Plasma etc, etc.. At least with all this compete technology hopefully it will drive the prices down more. I love the 3 chip DLPs FP, seen a few but they are in the 8K and up range right now.
I am sure this one would look great in my room, but look at the price tag ;) LOL
http://us.marantz.com/Products/498.asp
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 8:20 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Gar: I haven't read anything on the AVS site for ages.
I look for professional reviews, mostly, especially ones that actually TEST the performance of the product, rather than just qualitatively saying "it looks good". I'll decide if it "looks good" to me. For a review, I want numbers and/or results from actual tests.
Sony's SXRD rptvs are generally very good, but still have some flaws in video processing.
BTW, have you seen the new Samsung rptv with LED lights instead of a color wheel? It eliminates rainbows completely. I know you've complained about DLP's in the past, just wondering if that set still bothers you too, or not.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 7:11 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Sion: Sony still "can" make a decent video product, but they still have some work to do. There SXRD sets are getting better, great reviews as long as your not one that has the green blob issue. I don't but there are some people having this problem, I just don't think it is as bad as the AVS forum says it is. Especially when you have guys complaining about the set and they don't even own one or they reposted the same problem dozens of times. I say go buy some thing else ;) LOL I would love to own a Pioneer Plasma someday, and the way prices are dropping that will most likely happen sooner or later.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 6:44 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
MS Movie Maker
Joe: It does add up... DV-AVI is 30mbps... that's 30 mega-BITS/sec.
30mb/s * 1/8 bytes/bit * 60 sec/min * 52 minutes = 11,700 MB or 11.4GB.
So you actually came in a little under the theoretical size for a 52min DV-AVI file. There's apparently very little compression (if any?) in DV-AVI.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 6:37 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Gar: Yeah, I've read the Peal is excellent at converting everything to 1080p. The RP is not so great though... it does have some faults when it comes to converting stuff to 1080p. Read the "performace" section of this review... lots of good info.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 6:35 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
MS Movie Maker
Joe: When you select the video type in MS-MM it will tell you the bit rate and other details of that video type. DV-AVI is similar to standard DVD mpeg2 video: not very compressed (compared to WMV or DIVX.) However, I don't see why it would be even larger than DVD... 10.2GB is about 3x the size a 52min video would be in DVD mpeg2.
But I digress... point is, you never want DV-AVI, unless you're trying to preserve EVERY detail of the original recording. Are you trying to burn DVD's that will play on your DVD player? If so, can your DVD player handle Divx or mpg4, or XviD? If you dvd player is a "divx-ready" player, then you can compress your video files using a Divx codec. This is really easy to do. You just save your MS-Movie Maker movie to DV-AVI, then use the Divx converter to compress it. The divx converter is not free, but it's cheap, and it works great.
Basically, the answer is that MS-MM is not designed to create standard DVD videos for playback in any dvd player. But there are alternatives, like Divx. Divx-Pro costs $20, and "for a limited time only!!!!" ;-) includes a dvd MPEG-2 plug-in. Plus, it's a free download, with a free demo-period.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 6:18 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
HTOC Dues
BIG AL: e-mail me in amount due, I will paypal you ASAP. I don't think I sent you a check this time...... garman1@mac.com
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 6:17 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Sion: Well then my Projector is fine, but then again my RP was built in March 2006, no green blobs and it upconverts everything 1080p. All as I know is it looks great in HD, watching Fox football right now. :) Great games this whole week in College and even pros, hopefully Wild Bill will make it to the championship game...
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 6:06 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Interesting CRT phenomenon
I have a Sony G500 21" crt monitor... one step down from their top-of-the-line pro model at the time of manufacture.
Sometimes, I notice the convergence is off in the corners. The convergence adjustments are somewhat limited, so it's hard to get it right. But recently, I've discovered something really weird that might have fixed the problem...
Usually I notice the convergence is off when a window is maximized, and the text of the title of the window is in the upper left corner... white text on a blue background shows malconvergence quite well. In the past I would bring up the convergence menu tools and try to adjust it. Recently though, I just dragged the window away from the corner, then put it back, and the convergence was fine! Almost as if the electron guns just needed to have something different to display and they snapped back to their proper alignment. I just did this for the second time and it worked again. Weird. Too bad this never worked with my old CRT hd rptv's! ;-)
Joe ( 71.87.14.199 ) at 6:05 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
MS Movie Maker
So we are playing around with the settings to burn DVD's My wife had problems saving a file ans when she did it looks fuzzy. I tried today and picked DV-AVI, for the setting. Well the 52 minute video took up 10.7g of space.
Huh, any suggestins on which setting to use?
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 5:50 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Gar: Yes, it's surprising how many displays out there don't get de-interlacing right. I think it's good that lists like that come out though, so that the companies are encouraged to fix the problems. Sony for example says that the SXRD sets built after August 2006 pass the full bandwidth of 1080p, whereas before then, they did not.
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 5:33 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
HTOC Dues
If you didn't receive an e-mail from me stating that I received your payment, then I didn't receive your payment. If I get a Paypal notice of payment, I reply to that accounts e-mail. If I receive a check by mail, then I reply to the e-mail that was used to originally notify me. I'll be mailing the check this week to make sure BYork gets it in time. If you sent payment, but didn't receive a reply, let me know at htoc.dues at yahoo.com
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 5:25 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
HTOC Dues
Joe; Thanks for asking, I'll have enough if the last 3 contributors payments get here.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 5:15 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Trav: 2 E-mails back at you. :)
Trav ( 72.90.97.119 ) at 4:43 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Gar: Email in your inbox.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 4:26 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
It's my Sharp TV, that didn't look that good on the PS3 at 1080i and that's because it only does 720p. Doh!! Plus it looks like over 54% of the sets on that page failed on de-interlacing and over 80% on the cadence test. Doesn't look like much of those sets do a good job in that area, and frankly I don't care as long as it looks good to my eyes. And I am sure getting things set right and tweaking helps. 1080i HDNET looks amazing on this FP, and I think Tony C, will agree with me on this one....So do penty of the reviews of this FP, the only thing this FP needs is the right screen for the right environment.
BAGMAN ( 71.3.161.139 ) at 4:24 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
New pics
Tony C:: Your room looks great! I'll have to check the bios and see other HTs. Wife and I were discussing our new HT room if/when we make the move to SC, I'll show her your pics.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 4:13 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Sion: Doesn't have either of my model numbers for a FP or a RP, so that doesn't do me any good.. Except my old LCD is on that page and it passes. ;) LOL
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 3:47 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
(or usage even)
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 3:47 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Oh the irony!
Whilst singing the praises of Firefox's spell checker, I wrote "It checks as your typing" Egad! It's only a spell-checker, not a grammar checker!
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 3:16 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Gar: I meant to add this link in reference to my comments about Sony's 1080p sets lackluster de-interlacing performance.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 3:15 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Gar: Okay, assuming you're using the PS3 and the Pearl, with the Pearl set in it's native 1080p display mode... 1 of two things is happening when you switch the PS3 from 1080p to 1080i: Either (a) The Sony Pearl does a poor job of de-interlacing 1080i to 1080p (very possible, as none of their 1080p rptvs have decent 1080i deinterlacing, according to the tests) or (b) the PS3 is f'ing up the 1080i signal somehow. I doubt (b) is the case, but if it is, it's entirely possible that (a) is also happening, which would make things even worse.
Basically the difference you are seeing between 1080i and 1080p has nothing to do with the format, and everything to do with the poor deinterlacing of 1080i.
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 3:06 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
LG's hd-dvd & blue-ray combo player
http://tinyurl.com/u9nmw at only $1200 SRP, I bet it will do well (assuming it works well)
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 3:05 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Sion: On the PS3 you can choose 480p/720p/1080i/1080p, you can also do this with the Pearl Projector, I was told many years ago alway choose the native resolution of the TV is most likely the best choice. The specs on the Sony PJ, are; 1 (1 side) fH: 19 to 72kHz / fV: 48 to 92 Hz / Maximum resolution: 1920 x 1080 fV: 60Hz
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 2:06 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Spell check
Curtis: Gar's right, it's much easier with Firefox... spell checking is automatic/real-time. It checks as your typing. If you type any word it doesn't recognize in any online form or window, it underlines it. If you right-click on the underlined word, it offers suggestions for the proper spelling. With the Apple-: function, you have to pro-actively check your spelling. If you're a poor speller you might not think you screwed anything up, and wouldn't know it until you checked. Firefox tells you right away. ;-)
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 2:03 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Gar: I can't answer your question unless I know what projector you were using when you noticed this, and how you were switching from 1080i to 1080p. Was it two different discs, was it a setting change on the player, or was it a setting change on the projector?
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 1:41 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Curtis: Much easier using Firefox when on the web.
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 1:09 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Spell check
Gar: If you're using your Mac, typing Apple colon will check spelling in any app
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 12:18 PM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Sion: That is a good short article and pretty clear. My question is why does 1080p material look better than 1080i? To me 1080i signal looks grainy in comparison to a 720p or 1080p signal. For instance if I watch a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD movie set to 1080p verses 1080i on my projector. I guess it goes back to 24/frames ps verses 60/frames ps..
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 11:37 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
1080p
I know I keep going back to this issue, but I can't tell you how many times I keep hearing people talk about 1080i as inferior to 1080p. This is a very short, good summary of why this is not true:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/forum/showpost.php?p=22727&postcount=22
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 11:29 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Joelc: Not to mention the fact that those lists are also limited to the items actually reviewed by that particular publication.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 10:01 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Joelc: I agree with you on the top 10 list, seems every audio/video site and magazine has there own list. Wild Bill, might disagree or agree with you on the Triad speakers since he carries them ;) I heard they are good..
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 9:05 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
The Best of the Best: Ultimate AV's 2006 Top TenProduct of the Year Awards
Cajun_Mike: I see that Anthem AVM-50 made the choice. Too bad I am broke and my AVM-20 is still working.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 8:59 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Big AL
Did you get enough cash, or do you need more?
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 8:58 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Cajun_Mike: I understand that a buyout seems odd to an person outside the industry. I had a hard time wiht them at first. However there are people that simply will not retire. A person cannot be forced to retire, so they need a boost.
If a person will take 35k to leave, opposed to 150k to stay, the 35k is a deal. We had almost 10% retire this year, at my location, just knowing 30 or so of the people that retired and about how much they made a year, it saved us money. Now that same rate across the board, it msut sve a ton.
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 7:29 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
The problem with all those Top 10 lists is that they are all only based on products reviewed within the past 12 months which means that truly great products that are have been in existence for over 12 months are not included...want an example, no way anyone is convince me at Triad is the speaker of year without considering offerings from Aerial Accoustics, ATC, Martin Logan's Monoloith, Wilson, etc.
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 7:22 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Good morning gang...
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 12:52 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Gar: Notre Dame has no business in a BCS bowl. I'm waiting for the day when the University presidents do the right thing and quit making concessions for the Irish. They should either join a league or be forced to be elminated from the BCS altogether.
We'll see what the Saints do. The NFC is bad and they have a real shot at making the SuperBowl.
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 12:04 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Doh, so much for firefox correcting my spelling. ;)
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 12:04 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Cajun_Mike: hmmmm, imagine that........ I am wetting my pants ;) LOL
Sony VPL-VW50
Sony KDS-R60XBR2
Pioneer VSX-84TXSi
Sony PS3
hmmmm 4 on that list isn't bad, green blob aside ;)
Man the Ultimate AV is drinking a ton of Sony Kool Aid this year. I might have to print that
article out and frame it and send it too you. :)
Kidding aside, congrads on the LSU win, now we need the Saints to win!!
Gar ( 75.100.91.183 ) at 12:02 AM EST Sunday, January 7, 2007
Cajun_Mike: hmmmm, image that........ I am wetting my pants ;) LOL
Sony VPL-VW50
Sony KDS-R60XBR2
Pioneer VSX-84TXSi
Sony PS3
hmmmm 4 on that list isn't bad, green blob aside ;)
Man the Ultimate AV is drinking a ton of Sony Kool Aid this year. I might have to print that
article out and frame it and send it too you. :)
Kidding aside, congrads on the LSU win, now we need the Saints to win!!
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 11:53 PM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
The Best of the Best: Ultimate AV's 2006 Top TenProduct of the Year Awards
http://ultimateavmag.com/features/107poty/
Sion ( 129.44.245.86 ) at 10:29 PM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Google plans to wificate SF
The Google is planning to provide free wifi coverage to all of SF:
http://tinyurl.com/ylgmj5
(oh, and I'm claiming inventor of the word, "wificate" and all connotations thereof.) ;-)
Sion ( 72.65.2.247 ) at 9:37 PM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Tony C: The theater looks fantastic. Congrats on finally getting there.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:43 PM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
puppetmaster (aka Joe): I think you guys are heading in the right direction.... although, I know you dont want to hear it, but it's obvious that unions are making it very difficult for US automakers to compete with foreign makers. When I read about the retirement plans, the buyouts and such... I cant fathom a business being successful operating that way.
However, there are a handful of GM products that have me looking while in the past, GM was never on my radar screen. Between the new GMC Acadia/Buick Enclave, Camaro and the Cadillac products... I like what I see.
Geo. ( 68.110.13.191 ) at 1:04 PM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
New pics
Tony C:: Beautiful! "Munich" is on HBO HD tonight at 8:00pm EST. Excellent movie and I think it will look good in HD.
Gar ( 75.100.92.190 ) at 1:03 PM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Tony C: Ironically I will be down your way soon enough.... I will be putting my notice in at work today, not much of a desk jockey, although the job has been fun and the money good. I will be going back into the OR, money better and I only have 1 state to cover. I will be down in Lake Forest for training, Abbot Labs use to own the company I will be working for, it is called Hospira. So I can either throw it in a box and or send it too you or grab lunch sometime when I am down in your area.
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 12:37 PM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Gar: I would love to take that stand off your hands. Can I send you my address? I have your email addy. I will gladly pay for the shipping if you're giving it away.
Joe: The SVS is sounding great. I'll be selling the other 15" sub to the neighbor.
Gar ( 75.100.92.190 ) at 12:15 PM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Tivo
puppetmaster (aka Joe): Just opened the unit up, and one thing I notices on the circut board there is a small 3V battery mount, will replace that first because I heard this can cause problems also... If your unit takes a dump, try PTV Upgrades or Weeknees, both are very good and quick...
Gar ( 75.100.92.190 ) at 12:05 PM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Doh... "breaks away from Tivo" not TV ;)
Gar ( 75.100.92.190 ) at 12:04 PM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Tivo
puppetmaster (aka Joe): Well, I still own this one, they where trying to get me to trade this one back in and I know I can fix it. Just need to order a new drive from Weeknees or the PTV upgrade guys in IL.. Pretty easy swap out the hardrive... Not sure if a clean drive will work, meaning if I go to the store and just buy one that is... I find it funny that DirecTV breaks away from TV and now people are having problems with these units. The cool thing is they only charge you 5 dollars to rent it, well you are already paying for the Tivo service at 5 dollars extra a month so it is a wash if they replace the machine with one of theres.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 11:10 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
CES,
Gar: I have been having problems with my HR10-250 this past week. I am loosing shows that are scheduled to be recorded. I have not lost any off the hard drive yet. It seems the season pass is dropping and so is the "record as plan" selection.
I am curious waht you said to Direct TV to get a new unit. Is it the HR20 unit? If so are you actually going to own it or are you leasing it? I read on Tivo Community site that some of the people getting replacements are being told they no longer own the units.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 11:07 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
New pics
Tony C:: Pics look great and so does the room. I see you kept the SVS.
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 10:19 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Tony C: Very nice room, very nice setup.. I just tested the Cinema Contour Screen along with DA-LITES new HP(High Power) Screen. WOW very nice, looking for same border as you have and it looks like the HP by DA-LITE is the winner so far, Stewart and Vutec are sending me some samples and I should have them next week.... Also if you are looking for a black metal stand for your Center Channel I have you you can have, just sitting in a closet and has been for the last year.
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 9:38 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
RGB: Very interested to hear your review.
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 9:38 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
New pics
Hey, I just put four new pictures of the HT on the site.
They have the screen, projector, speakers and furniture in them.
My goal is to get the DVDs off the floor and on to shelves on the wall just above them.
www.freewebs.com/tcamard
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 9:34 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Computer Question
Is there a storage device that will allow you to take a internal hardrive and connect it to a external box so you can connect it to a computer? Using a USB or Firewire connnection? I have 2 dead Tivo hardrives, and it doesn't take much to screw a Tivo hardrive up. Trying to reformat the drives and see if I can re-install them... Thanks...
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 9:12 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
CES,
Joelc/All: Morning! Welll I will be a DirecTV customer for a while longer, told them of my problem and they said they would be sending a new Receiver on Monday as a replacement! :)
puppetmaster (aka Joe): I think Robert will be there since he works for Hitachi, not sure who else will be there this year but it shoud be a good one.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 8:55 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Cajun_Mike: We all are trying hard in our own ways to help get back to being the first choice in buying. That being said, it's too bad we are taking so long to get the Camaro out on the street. It is going to take a bite out of the Mustang and Mopar market share.
Have you seen the commercials with the HD Silverado truck, the JD power Truck of the Year, the grey one. that was built here about a month ago. It's always nice to get a JD Power award.
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 8:48 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
CES,
Hey Guys
I imagine that one or more of you are going to CES. I also imagine that you are going to be very busy. However if you are by the booths or have time, some information on a couple products would be great.
In my end of the year 2007, goal I would like to add a few pieces of equipment to my room. I like the organizational ability of the Escient products. The ability to control DVD and CD changers, coupled with an internal hard drive is very appealing. I noticed the price on the Sony DV-777es changer has dropped. It is also now available mail order on Onecall.com. This leads me to believe a replacement is coming out. So I would be interested in that. Since it is the one needed to work with an Escient system, I would hate to buy one and then have a new model come out a month later.
I am also interested in the Escient units themselves. I have been watching for a price break on the DVDM-300, I believe that is the unit that would best fit me needs. However technology is changing so fast, by the time I buy, later this year a more efficient and practical unit maybe available.
Any input would be great. I am probably looking at March for my next purchase. That is my bonus month and my birthday. So the question is what will it be.
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 7:45 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
good morning gang...
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 4:14 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
Chris L: I feel your pain on equipment, my DirectTV HR10-250 just took a dump..... good old hardrives..... Lucky for me there is a place that carries replacements.
http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores/1/category.cfm?Category_ID=2&Product_ID=0&ModelID=101&type=Model&page=cat&CFID=52345&CFTOKEN=76053263
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 2:04 AM EST Saturday, January 6, 2007
I'm sure I'll be seeing this with the fiancee'.... might not be so bad though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7haHhU30z0
BIG AL ( 63.250.245.168 ) at 10:34 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
HTOC Dues
Only 3 contributors left to send their payments. Please send them soon so I can mail the check. You know who you are.
BC ( 66.142.185.124 ) at 10:30 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
I'm diggin the 07 Lexus LS!
BC ( 66.142.185.124 ) at 10:12 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
I'm diggin the 07 Lexus LS!
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 8:33 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Hey Joe... sign me up.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=119070
if they make cosmetic changes to the XC90 that look like this smaller version.... I will add it immediately to my short list when it comes time to switch vehicles. Get it with that Dynaudio upgrade. ;)
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=118849
This looks fine too but not sure I'll ever go back to a standard sedan again. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=118973
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 7:42 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
RGB: Still slightly fence sitting on the format war, it is far from over. I will rent for now, my HD-DVD add on was a gift and I bought 2 PS3s and sold one on Ebay to pay for the other one I bought and the Wii. As far as a stand alone goes I have heard very good things about BDP-S1(Blu-Ray) player and the new Toshiba.
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 7:42 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
RGB: Still slightly fence sitting on the format war, is is far from over. I will rent for now, my HD-DVD add on was a gift and I bought 2 PS3s and sold one on Ebay to pay for the other one I bought and the Wii. As far as a stand alone goes I have heard very good things about BDP-S1(Blu-Ray) player and the new Toshiba.
Gasgeek ( 161.209.206.1 ) at 6:29 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
RGB: Cool! How much fun can you have in one weekend.
RGB ( 68.123.206.164 ) at 6:21 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Gar: New they retail for $999.99. J&R has preorders on them right now for $799.99 + shipping, but don't have them in stock yet. I got mine for $899 with a 4 yr warranty.
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 5:11 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Here is a good buy... Well all depends on what you can get a new one for...
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?homevdeo&1173196328
RGB, how much is the Toshiba HD-XA2 going for nowadays?
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 5:10 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Speaking of HD Discs...
This is interesting, I think Robert touched on this with a different article.
http://www.avrev.com/news/0107/04.total_hd_disc.shtml
Using both right now and it is a toss up... Flip a coin!!!
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 4:44 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Just got a late X-mas present!
RGB: great, be sure to keep us posted... You should have a lot of fun this weekend. ;)
RGB ( 68.123.206.164 ) at 4:39 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Just got a late X-mas present!
RGB: For the weekend, I've got Batman Begins and Superman Returns on HD DVD to watch. Come Monday I should also have: Terminator 3, Fast & Furious - Toyko Drift, V for Vendetta, King Kong and The Hulk.
RGB ( 68.123.206.164 ) at 4:29 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Just got a late X-mas present!
FedEx just dropped of spanking new Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD player - woohoo! 
Will post more on it later once it's hooked up with the rest of the HT setup.
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 3:59 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Denon
Sion: Sounds like it is a similar take, just goes down to pricing on if a person feels it is worth more than the Oppo. I had very similar thoughts that Cnet had after viewing both of them, but I did see a big improvement when I saw the new 3930ci, just don't know if spending the coin on this would be good at this point, but if you have the cash and want to breath some decent life into your DVDs a good scaler might be a better choice. You can't beat the Oppo on price and preformance, that's for sure!
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 3:22 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Vizio busts out a 60-inch plasma for $2,999
Cajun_Mike: Yea, I have a 50" in the bedroom, love it!
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:06 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Vizio busts out a 60-inch plasma for $2,999
BC: I want a 42-inch plasma for my bedroom. I'll pull the trigger on that within 2007 as I get all new furniture for my bedroom.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 3:05 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Vizio busts out a 60-inch plasma for $2,999
BC: I wonder when Costco is going to come to Louisiana. I'm tired of reading about all of their good deals... 
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 3:01 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Vizio busts out a 60-inch plasma for $2,999
Cajun_Mike: I saw that in my Costco coupon book. They have a coupon for it.
I also heard from a little birdy that someone is coming out with a 3 chip DLP projector at $4000. They were shooting for xmas but missed that target date. So we'll see.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 2:46 PM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Vizio busts out a 60-inch plasma for $2,999
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9671639-1.html?tag=head
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 11:59 AM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Gar: If you are looking at a studiotek, you may check out carada.com. Most reviews I've seen say the carada brilliant white is very close to the studiotek 130 but it's about half the price. I sell carada's all the time (I pull off the carada sticker from the frame)
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:52 AM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Denon
Gar: Another take on it:
http://reviews.cnet.com/Denon_DVD_2930CI/4505-6463_7-31987329.html
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 10:50 AM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Denon
Gar: Looks like that article was cut off at the end...
The new 2930 sounds great, but at over $800 SRP, and since it is just a "stop-gap" solution until the hd-disc war sorts itself out, I don't see the point in spending 3X~4X the money compared to the new Oppo player.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 10:14 AM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Denon
Here is a review of Denon latest product........
http://www.forbes.com/business/fyi/2006/0918/063.html
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 9:43 AM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Tony C: I am trying to find the best screen matchup with the Pearl, and so far "to my eyes" the current screen I am using is a tad better. I have samples of the HS/contour etc.. The black levels are very good on this FP
to begin with and I have no Ambient light, so I might be best served using a Stweart Studiotek or another new screen by them that has a slightly higher gain. Right now I have a slight overscan that I heard can be adjusted and can be eliminated with a fitting that goes over lens or a larger border like you have will solve this problem..
Joelc ( 216.223.143.92 ) at 7:22 AM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Good morning gang...
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 7:11 AM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Gar: Da-lite Cinema Contour.
I think I told you that I had a hard time adjusting the pj because it was so back-heavy. It kept leaning up. But I finally got it to a very acceptable position.
The screen has a large black velvet border. I do have a slight over scan at the very top. That's it.
I was thinking of running another wire to the trigger jack so the pj will trigger the power conditioner and turn on the amps/sub in sequence.
I can't seem to get the power conditioner to work using A/V jacks.
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 12:35 AM EST Friday, January 5, 2007
Tony C:: What screen did you finally go with ? I am looking at a Da-Lite HS screen I have some samples here and it is a tad better then what I am using, but I was looking at going to a bigger screen with a the new Sony FP. Actually I have a Mac Mini hooked up to it right now and am typing on a huge screen, looks pretty damn good even on a PC. Pic yourself up a PS3 you won't believe on how good it looks. Also do you get a tad bit of overscan with the Pearl? I have some, not much but enough to want to go with a bigger black boarder around the screen.
Tony C: ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 11:49 PM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
Gar: I should have waited and bought that OPPO player. But I was at BBY and they had an open Denon 2910 cheap and I wanted to show off the new HT so I got it.
I guess the next step is a HD/BR player for me.
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 3:49 PM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
Gar: Manufacturers are so entrenched in their respective formats, it's going to be a tough adoption, but if you have studios doing dual format softwareand somebody like LG doing dual format hardware it may help even though there will still be a ton of confusion.
In general people may be buying DVD players, but they are certainly not buying movies. Sales of standard DVDs are down pretty significantly. Adoption rates have peaked and now you see multiple players like you;ve never seen with only the likes of cell Phones. (I've got one VCR (unplugged in closet), 3 CRT TV's all in garage, and three flat panels (two being used) and no less than 6 old cell phones lying around in different spots.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 2:54 PM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
Robert: Good article.... One can only hope they do dual formats on one machine!! This is another reason people are holding off buying, upscaling DVD Players that do 1080p... And I just saw a couple over lunch that looked great!
http://www.usa.denon.com/
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv981hd/dv981hd_index.html
I saw both of these over lunch at a dealer, very stunning, brings new life back into DVDs.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 2:41 PM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
Anyone need cables?
If anyone's in the market for any audio, video or network cables, definately check out Monoprice.com at:
http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp
Quality stuff at very good prices! 
I've already placed 2 orders from them, and they have quick service as well.
And no, I'm not affiliated with them in any way other than liking their stuff. No more over-priced Monster cables for me!
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 2:17 PM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
marantz 7001
puppetmaster (aka Joe): Marantz also makes an Ipod docking station that is pretty good. I like guys like him, it keeps me busy. ;)
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 1:51 PM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
marantz 7001
puppetmaster (aka Joe): Marantz makes good gear.. I still have a PM-94 Intergrated Amp from the 80's that is still going strong and sounds fantastic..
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 1:49 PM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
marantz 7001
BC: Yes a local store. He is looking at that reciever with paradigm speakers. He has a Sony Blu-Ray or HD or wahte ver it is called DVD player. He said he wanted to get a "thingy" to hook his I-Pod up to. I told him Marantz and Paradigm are both good names. I did tell him to skip the Anaylsis Plus cables.
It's ironic that this is my nut driver controller electrician. He works wiht somewhat complex controls, yet he wants to just write a check and have someone set up a system for him.
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 1:42 PM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
marantz 7001
puppetmaster (aka Joe): I've got one in my family room. No problems at all. I also have an SR-8001. $1200 is not bad. Is that a local price?
Robert ( 75.72.120.114 ) at 12:18 PM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
Warner Bros to Release Dual HDTV DVDThe 'Total HD' disc will include both high-def formats.
Washington, D.C. (January 4, 2007) -- Warner Bros will soon launch a DVD that can play movies and TV shows on both Blu-ray and HD-DVD machines.
The disc, which comes on the heels of an announcement from LG Electronics that it will soon launch a dual HDTV DVD player, is intended to alleviate consumer concerns about the high-def DVD format war.
Many HDTV owners have been reluctant to purchase the new HDTV DVD players -- and discs -- because they are afraid that one format will soon be obsolete. The new formats are not compatible, meaning one disc won't play on the other's machine.
News.com reports that Warner Bros. will unveil the new dual DVD at next week's Consumer Electronics Show. The studio has dubbed the disc the 'Total HD.'
Barry M. Meyer, Warner Bros. chairman, said the studio decided to launch a dual disc because it appears that neither format is going away anytime soon.
"The next best thing is to recognize that there will be two formats and to make that not a negative for the consumer," Meyer told News.com
Jeffrey L. Bewkes, Time Warner's president, opined that the 'Total HD' disc was more likely to succeed than LG's dual format player because it's less expensive.
However, it's unclear if the other studios will endorse the dual disc concept
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 11:30 AM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
marantz 7001
Hey guys, I have a memebr of my crew looking at this unit. Any problems I should mention to him? $1200 sound about right?
Gar ( 75.100.80.187 ) at 12:02 AM EST Thursday, January 4, 2007
LSU
Cajun Congrads!! Looks like LSU is taking it to ND!!!! Was a good game for the first half, but LSU speed and size won over big time in the second half.... From 
winner to 
a big congrads!!! And may Win on Monday!!
Geo. ( 68.110.13.191 ) at 7:25 PM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Monitor Audio i-Deck
Gasgeek: The way it went with the Talking Heads DVDs, maybe you should be hoping you ONLY get three. lol
Tony C ( 65.223.57.116 ) at 6:25 PM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Thanks for the kind words guys.
I'm not used to the idea yet, but I'm warming up to it. I haven't even told anyone at work yet.
My first emotion is always worry. That's just me.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 6:07 PM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Monitor Audio i-Deck
Gasgeek: Good buy, I had the Bose iDock which wasn't bad at the time, sold it to get the new Logitech model, can't remember it now... Took it back because it was overkill for our addition, but now looking. Thanks for the link......
Gasgeek ( 161.209.206.1 ) at 5:28 PM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Monitor Audio i-Deck
Hopefully I won't get three of them this time.
Gasgeek ( 161.209.206.1 ) at 4:09 PM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Monitor Audio i-Deck
Speaking of Monitor Audio, I just ordered this for my daughter. She was talking about getting the BOSE docking speakers, but I told her to hold off.
Heck of a buy. Rated very highly by all who have reviewed it, and the price is $200 off list. List $349, now $149. They have come out with a new model that includes a radio, and allows S video hook up to a monitor, but if you're just looking for a set of iPod speakers, this is a steal.
The only negative in the reviews is that you have to use the remote for volume and it was expensive, but most of the reviewers said that it
is the best sounding iPod speakers they have reviewed or tested (CNET).
http://www.musicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=AMONITORIDECK
BC ( 166.50.66.75 ) at 1:58 PM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Monitor Audio has a new platinum line they are unveiling at CES. The towers are stunning and at $9k a pair, they better be.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 1:58 PM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Trav: No call back yet, will give hime a follow up call tomorrow.
Trav ( 192.76.80.75 ) at 1:30 PM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Gar: Any word from mike before he went to CES?
Gasgeek ( 161.209.206.1 ) at 11:20 AM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Six Talking Heads DVDs
BIG AL, Sion: Yes, you guys are correct, I can return them.
Google Checkout has actually stepped up to the plate and has offered to arrange for me to return the two orders that they show that I placed through them.
Ironically, they don't show a third order. Hmmmmmm!
puppetmaster (aka Joe) ( 198.208.159.19 ) at 11:11 AM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Six "Stop Making Sense" DVDs
Gasgeek: That's a cool disc. Life during Wartime is my favorite song by them. I do recall when they were on SNL, must have been somewhere from 78-79 time frame, playing take me to the river. Man that was an attention getter.
Gasgeek ( 161.209.206.1 ) at 10:40 AM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
What's cookin' boys?
Tony C: Congratulations "Old Man!!"
That's great news. The grandfather experience for me has been truly one of the highlights of my life. The last seven years have just flown by, and I am totally delighted each time I'm in the presence of one of my little people.
They are truly the light of my life.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 9:55 AM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Invicta
Trav: Here's a review of the 9937:
http://www.rolexreferencepage.com/9937ri/9937return.html
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 9:54 AM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Invicta
Trav: That's only about $15 below average for that watch. The watch in that link is the 8926. The "good" version of that watch (with a swiss movement used in Omega and other top-end brands) is the 9937. They look very similar, but the 9937 is a superlative automatic chronometer. The 8826 is nice for the money, but not in the same realm as the 9937.
Gar ( 69.129.137.194 ) at 9:28 AM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Joelc: Are you talking about those house pics I posted ;) I agree.. Need at least a 50" or bigger in each room...
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 5:48 AM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Gar: All, and I do mean ALL, of the flat panels are WAY too small!
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 5:45 AM EST Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Good morning gang...
Gar ( 75.100.84.214 ) at 11:03 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Curtis: Welcome back!!
Tony C: Congrads.....
Here is my next house :)
http://www.modernhometheater.com/virtualtours/esquire_house/slideshow/
Joelc ( 64.229.149.229 ) at 10:25 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Tony C: Congrats...very happy for you!!
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:51 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Tony C: Hey I call every guy 50+ by young man. I was hoping that you would get to be a grandpa before me!! Congratulations are in order then. Start working on your best spoiling techniques.
Tony C ( 67.167.218.34 ) at 9:42 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
What's cookin' boys?
Curtis: Young man? I don't feel very young. Especially since I just found out I'm going to be a grandfather!!!!
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 9:36 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Cajun_Mike: Been right here in SD just keeping too busy with life in general. Nice to be missed though.
Geo.: Very sorry about your pup. My GF's sister is a vet who has to make the tough calls too frequently. I'm sure your family has many great memories that will last a lifetime.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 8:55 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
What's cookin' boys?
Curtis: where you been? Havent seen you on here in almost a month.
Cajun_Mike ( 68.229.131.197 ) at 8:21 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Is HP ditching DLP TVs?
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9670727-1.html?tag=head
BAGMAN ( 71.3.161.139 ) at 7:56 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Sad Day
Geo.: I'm so sorry to hear the news. OTH, you have done him a great favor. He'll see you at the bridge.
Trav ( 72.90.97.119 ) at 7:14 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Invicta
I can't remember who it was awhile ago that was looking at the Invicta watch, but it is on sale here for what appears to be a good price. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006AAS4M/ref=nosim/?tag=gotapex&linkCode=as1
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 4:28 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Gassgeek: BigAl has a good point... I'd try taking them back to the retail store in Huntington Beach... bring the receipt from your online purchase too if you can. I bet they'd take them back... at LEAST give you some store credit for them!
Curtis ( 72.197.215.104 ) at 4:23 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
What's cookin' boys?
RGB: Good to see you around as well. I'm in the NE 'burbs of San Diego near Duane.
JT: So true about the Chargers head coach in big games. The locals here seem quite aware of this history, so as good as the players are today you almost expect the team to self-destruct at any moment.
TonyC: Fantastic new HT you have built there young man! And what on earth happened to this Rex guy the other night just when I was a Bears fan again?!
BIG AL ( 63.250.252.82 ) at 4:07 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Gasgeek; Couldn't you return a few? They should take them back unopened.
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 2:59 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
What's cookin' boys?
Curtis: Long time, no hear from Curtis! So where do you hang your hat now-a-days? :-)
RGB ( 66.161.120.11 ) at 2:52 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
BC: Congrats! I've got Pioneer's PDP-5050HD plasma, and it truly is breathing - especially with HD material!
Geo. ( 68.110.13.191 ) at 1:59 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Computer
Well, whatever blowed up, blowed up real good because we can't even use the restore disc. My son called Acer and the tech tried to take him through the process and it wouldn't do anything. So, it's back in the box to be shipped to Texas for both hardware and software repairs. Thanks for all the input and suggestions.
Gar ( 75.100.87.194 ) at 1:33 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Geo: Very sorry to hear that, my dog Barkley is a mix breed about 10 years old now, still kicking after even being run over by my wives min-van. He is back to normal and barking at the mailman as I write this, just glad that we have ER vets that know what they are doing... I grew up with dogs my whole life and had to watch a few dogs be put under, not a pleasant experience.
Sion ( 128.205.177.186 ) at 1:28 PM EST Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Back to the Computer
Geo.: I'm not sure I understand the problem exactly. You get the screen at boot up that gives you options on how to boot. When you select one of them, what happens? Do you ever get to windows?
Do you still have your Windows XP installation disc(s)? If so you might want to do a repair installation. This is fairly straight forward, but you're going to want to study up on it first, and possibly print out some instruction pages, or have another (working) pc nearby so you can read what to do at various steps.
Here are some links:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepair