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Robert Silva

Robert's Home Theater Blog April 2008 Archive

By Robert Silva, About.com Guide to Home Theater

Consumer Alert: Paramount Announces Blu-ray Release Schedule

Wednesday April 30, 2008
After a short release hiatus, former HD-DVD exclusive supporter, Paramount, has announced that it will begin releasing films on the Blu-ray Disc format this year. Two high-profile releases that will ... Read More

Home Theater Term of the Week- Signal-to-Noise Ratio

Wednesday April 30, 2008
In audio, Signal-To-Noise Ratio (S/N) is a ratio of sound to background noise. The larger the ratio, the more the desirable sounds (music, voice, effects) are separated from acoustical effects ... Read More

Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI and Audyssey 2EQ - Product Profile

Tuesday April 29, 2008
The Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver brings high-end audio and video performance, as well as flexibility, at an extremely affordable price. This receiver is rated to deliver 90 ... Read More

Home Theater Gifts For Mom

Monday April 28, 2008
Mother's Day will be here before you know it. Check out some great home theater gift ideas for Mom in several categories and across all price ranges. Home Theater isn't ... Read More

Question of The Week - What is an LCD Television?

Sunday April 27, 2008
Flat panel televisions are quickly becoming quite commonplace on store shelves and in consumers' homes. Amongst the two types of flat panel televisions, LCD and Plasma, the one that is ... Read More

If You Buy a Pioneer Plasma Television, It May Be Part Panasonic...

Saturday April 26, 2008
...Or your new Panasonic Plasma Television could be part Pioneer. As I had reported in previous posts, ( Consumers to See More LCD and Less Plasma, Pioneer Still Committed To ... Read More

Panasonic SC-PTX7 Home Theater System with Hard Disk Drive - Product of the Week

Friday April 25, 2008
Here is an interesting take on a home theater package. First off, the SC-PTX7 not only features a built-in AM/FM receiver and DVD/CD player, but also has a 3.1 channel ... Read More

Netflix to Charge More For Blu-ray Disc Rentals

Thursday April 24, 2008
Claiming that Blu-ray Discs are more expensive to manufacture, purchase, and stock than standard DVDs, Netflix is going to increase what it currently charges its subscribers to rent the high-def ... Read More

Home Theater Term of the Week- SECAM

Wednesday April 23, 2008
SECAM is a television broadcast system that was originally developed in France. SECAM, while superior to NTSC, is not necessarily superior to PAL (in fact many countries that have ... Read More

GE 22730 Digital Converter Box For Analog Televisions - Product Review.

Tuesday April 22, 2008
The GE 22730 Digital Converter Box receives and converts DTV/HDTV signals so they can be viewed on an analog television set. The Converter Box operates like a Cable TV box, ... Read More

Onkyo Introduces Three Entry-Level Home Theater-In-A-Box Systems For 2008

Monday April 21, 2008
Onkyo has announced three new compact home theater systems designed to give flexible options for the consumer. The HT-S5100 is a 7.1 channel system, featuring a receiver that delivers ... Read More

Question of the Week - Why Do Analog TV Signals Often Look Worse on an HDTV than on an Analog TV?

Sunday April 20, 2008
The impact of the coming Digital TV transition and the impact of HDTV is making TV buying decisions for consumers more complex. However, Why Do Analog TV Signals Often Look ... Read More

Consumer Alert: D&M Holdings For Sale and What It Might Mean For Home Theater Consumers

Saturday April 19, 2008
What is D&M Holdings and what does putting it up for sale have to do with Home Theater? A lot! D&M holdings is made up primarily of the following popular ... Read More

Universal Jumps Into Blu-ray

Saturday April 19, 2008
Universal Studios has announced an aggressive Blu-ray Disc release schedule for 2008. What makes this significant is that Universal was one of the most vocal supporters of HD-DVD, but had ... Read More

Harman Kardon AVR-146 5.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver - Product of the Week

Friday April 18, 2008
Just the basics, Maam...Despite a modest 30WPC power output, the Harman Kardon AVR146 5.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver provides excellent sound performance in both stereo and surround sound modes. Also, ... Read More

Olympics To Offer HDTV Feast For Your Home Theater

Thursday April 17, 2008
This year's scheduled Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, seems to be controversial before it even starts, but may end up being a breakthrough in television broadcasting, as the entire games ... Read More

Home Theater Term of the Week- SCART

Wednesday April 16, 2008
The SCART Connection is a common type of audio/video cable used throughout Europe and UK for connecting DVD players, VCRs, and other components to Televisions. The SCART connector has 21 pins, ... Read More

Home Theater - The Easy and Inexpensive Way

Tuesday April 15, 2008
Has this year's income taxes, mortgage payments, and increased gasoline prices dampened your home theater dreams? Then a home theater-in-a-box system may be just right for you. Not only is ... Read More

FCC Fines Retailers and Manufacturers Over DTV Transition Regulations

Monday April 14, 2008
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is on the prowl for violators of the DTV Transition program. As a result, the government regulatory agency has fined several major retailers, including Wal-Mart ... Read More

Question of the Week - Why are Black Bars Sometimes Still Visible on a 16x9 HDTV?

Sunday April 13, 2008
The impact of the coming Digital TV transition, and the impact of HDTV, is making TV buying decisions for consumers more complex. One common question that is often asked is: ... Read More

Blockbuster Video Expands Blu-ray Rentals To All Stores

Saturday April 12, 2008
For those that have Blu-ray Disc players in their home theater setup, but find their wallets shrinking due to the high cost of Blu-ray Disc content, now have a more ... Read More

Denon AVR-5308CI 7.1 Home Theater Receiver with Networking and Wi-Fi - Product of the Week

Friday April 11, 2008
If you are looking for the ultimate home theater receiver and cost is no object, then consider the THX Ultra 2 Certified Denon AVR-5308CI. This unit weighs in at 62 ... Read More

Mitsubishi Shows Off New HDTV Product Line For 2008

Thursday April 10, 2008
Spring continues to be the time for new product introductions, and Mitsubishi is the latest, announcing a host of new HDTV products. First off, despite shrinking demand for rear-projection televisions, ... Read More

Home Theater Term of the Week- SACD

Wednesday April 9, 2008
SACD (Super Audio Compact Disc) is a high resolution audio disc format developed by Sony and Philips. Based on Direct Stream Digital Recording (DSD), SACD provides for more accurate sound ... Read More

Consumer Alert: Philips To End Television Production For North American Market

Wednesday April 9, 2008
In the face of increased competition and rapid downward price trends in the HDTV category, resulting in lower profits, Philips has announced that it will no longer make any televisions ... Read More

Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD Blu-ray Disc Player - Product Review and Rating

Tuesday April 8, 2008
The Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD is a flagship Blu-ray Disc Player that is well constructed and easy to use. Blu-ray Disc video and audio quality is excellent, with both 1080p/60 and ... Read More

Most Consumers Now Aware of Blu-ray - But...

Monday April 7, 2008
It seems that a new study has indicated that 60% of consumers in the U.S. are now aware of Blu-ray, and about 10 million Blu-ray and HD-DVD players have been ... Read More

Question of the Week - Will My Current TV Still Work When Digital and HDTV Take Over?

Sunday April 6, 2008
The impact of the coming Digital TV transition and the impact of HDTV is making TV buying decisions for consumers more complex. However, will current TVs still work when digital ... Read More

Canadians to Transition From Analog-to-Digital Television Broadcasting in 2011

Saturday April 5, 2008
While I have been reporting on the U.S. DTV Transition in the U.S., (to take place in 2009), a sizable number of my readers reside in Canada, which is ... Read More

Denon DHT488XP Home Theater System - Product of the Week

Friday April 4, 2008
The DHT488XP is an affordable home theater system made up of a receiver, speakers, and subwoofer. The included AVR-488 5.1 Channel Receiver delivers a respectable 75 WPC output that can ... Read More

Panasonic Introduces New Batch of DVD Recorders

Thursday April 3, 2008
With a long wait expected for Blu-ray Disc recorders to arrive (if ever), new standard-def DVD recorders are still being released for U.S. consumers. The latest crop of DVD recorders ... Read More

Home Theater Term of the Week - RF Modulator

Wednesday April 2, 2008
An RF modulator is a box that converts the video (and/or audio) output of a DVD player (or camcorder or video game) into a channel 3/4 signal that is compatible ... Read More

Transferring Old 8mm Film Movies To DVD or VHS

Tuesday April 1, 2008
It is Springtime, and for many, that means it is time for Spring cleaning. Although this can be a laborious process, sometimes one can stumble upon valuable treasure in the ... Read More

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