Samsung HP-S5053 50-Inch Plasma HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)After shopping for several months I finally took the plunge and purchased this TV from a national chain. I finally decided plasma over DLP because of the vertical fading effect I saw with all the DLP sets. I took two of my own DVDs in to the store with me and made the staff there hook up a player so I could see both the fast action of The Matrix and the beautiful scenery of Spring, Summmer, Fall, Winter, Spring. The picture on the Samsung HP-S5053 was the second best of the many plasmas that I examined. The Pioneer had a better picture but was significantly more expensive. I do not use the built in speakers because I had an existing 5.1 speaker system. I really like the minimal black casing since the silver finishes are distracting-at least to my eye.
The menus are extremely intuitive. I didn't have to read the instructions at all to get anything working within an hour of unpacking my system. I purchased an upconverting DVD player and an HDMI cable at the same time I purchased this TV. My old DVDs look great on this TV. The 10-15 HD channels I get with Cox cable also look incredible. The one fault I've found is that if I use the HDMI cable from my cable box or DVD player and connect to the TV and then connect the digital audio out of the TV to my receiver I only receive stereo sound even when the original broadcast is 5.1. I get around this by using composite video cables from the cable box and DVD player to the HPS5053 and also run a digital audio line from each source to the receiver. The HPS5053 has plenty of inputs to support almost any type of user.

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Offering an incredible feature set and exceptional quality for its price, Samsung's fifth-generation 50-inch HP-S5053 plasma TV uses the company's proprietary electronic chassis and the latest DNIe enhancement circuitry to deliver outstanding brightness, contrast, and image clarity. Use it for home theater and use it for your PC--it's perfect for both. In addition to a standard-broadcast NTSC tuner, it also features an integrated ATSC tuner that can capture over-the-air digital broadcasts from local network affiliates (the set will still require a set-top tuner for receiving non-terrestrial HD broadcasts from channels like HBO or Discovery).
The Samsung Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) Video Enhancer refines all analog NTSC and wideband video inputs for an overall improvement in picture quality. DNIe improves contrast, white level, picture detail and incorporates digital noise reduction to improve lower quality video inputs. Thanks to the new 13-bit processing capability of DNIe, the HP-S5053 can produce over 549 billion colors (compared to the one billion colors that TVs with 10-bit processing can produce.
This set features a 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, 175-degree viewing angle, brightness rating of 1300 cd/m2 (candela per square meter), and an amazing 10000:1 contrast ratio. (The higher the contrast ratio, the greater a TV's ability to display subtle color details and not get washed out by ambient room light.) The 3D Y/C digital comb filter constantly analyzes the three dimensions of picture height, picture width, and picture changes-over-time to dramatically reduce edge image artifacts while improving transition detail.
The anti-glare plasma panel offers several protective features to resist burn-in, including auto pixel shift, signal pattern processing, and white screen function. It's rated for a 60,000-hour panel life (6 hours of usage a day for 27 years). Other features include:
Picture-in-picture (PIP) enables convenient simultaneous viewing of TV programs and video or PC sources.
Parental Control (V-Chip) helps parents monitor what their children watch on TV by establishing rating limits.
Auto volume leveler keeps audio volume consistent during channel changing.
Multi-lingual on-screen displays in English, Spanish or French.
Side A/V input

High-quality virtual surround sound can be experienced with just the speakers built into the sides of the TV. SRS TruSurround XT technology delivers an amazing, simulated 3D effect with clear dialog and powerful bass. It produces 10 watts of power per channel (for 20 watts total) and offers the following connection options:
Composite (RCA audio/video): 2 inputs (1 on the side)
S-Video: 2 inputs (1 on the side)
Component (Y/Pb/Pr): 2 inputs
HDMI: 2 inputs
PC: 1 D-Sub15 input
RF: 2 inputs
Digital audio: 1 coaxial and 1 optical

Tech Talk HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).
TruSurround XT audio adds three new audio enhancement technologies to produce an amazingly immersive sound experience.
Dialog Clarity brings movie dialog into ÒfocusÓ during the playback of any surround-encoded material to make speech much clearer and crisper.
TruBass creates incredible deep rich bass allowing a person to perceive significantly deeper, richer low bass tones that are far beyond the physical low frequency capabilities of the speaker itself.
The SRS WOW feature widens the soundstage by processing standard two-channel stereo material as well as multi-channel encoded material for a dramatic improvement in the playback of any stereo audio over a two-speaker system.
Component video (also called Y/Pb/Pr) features a three-jack video input, which provides separate connections for luminance (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. You will need a separate RCA left/right audio cable for sound.
What's in the Box Plasma TV, remote control (with batteries), power cord, printed operating instructions

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SONY DVP-NC615/B 5-Disc DVD Changer Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally found a DVD changer to handle MP3 playing. This player supports MP3s on CD-r and Cd-rw (haven't tried the rw yet, cd-r worked flawlessly). I was seeking an affordable changer to handle DVD and CD/MP3 audio. This player is unique in that it actually displays 32 characters of the MP3 file, very handy for choosing between the 200 files on a CD. Also, tested out a VCD I made using Pinnacle Express, no problems there either. Satisfied so far, although compared to others it lacks the digital audio optical output, however it does provide the cable. I don't have the speaker set-up to take advantage of the optical out so no problem for me but may be of imprtance to others. Remote seems typical of Sony and like others takes some getting used to. Very satisfied so far, would highly recommend NVPNC615 or the progressive scan model NVPNC655 (655 did have the optical out).

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Get into the world of DVD with this 5-disc DVD player to hear and see the difference. Connect it to your TV using the component video output for clarity that's dramatic. Connect it to a surround sound receiver and you'll hear sound that makes you feel like you're in the center of the action. You'll also get bonus features like multi-disc resume, which picks up where you left off, and advanced SmoothScanM-^Y mode. You can even control it all with the multi-brand remote.

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Onkyo TX-SR508 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The sound from my ten year old Onkyo TX-DS474 was now inferior and I had read very good reviews of the Onkyo SR 507, so decided to pre order the brand new SR 508. It arrived from Amazon on April 29th. I used the built in equalizer to set up the speakers, connected the receiver with brand new HDMI v1.4 cables and connected it to my Dish satellite receiver, my Panasonic BluRay DVD player and my Panasonic HDTV. The sound was excellent. Whereas before we had to turn up the volume too loud to follow dialog on some shows, or else it was not clear, with the SR 508 the sound was so much clearer that we could keep the volume much lower.
After about three days I noticed that although I would assign the input as cab/sat, the receiver indicated ipod (now no ipod dock was connected to the receiver) but the sound still came through from the satellite box. Strange but no problem. Then exactly one week after receiving the receiver, in the middle of watching a show, the picture and sound went blank. No pushing of different buttons on the remote would make it work. My first reaction was a bad HDMI cable, so I changed it. Nothing. I switched to the DVD player, but again blank. So then I hooked up the satellite box and the DVD player directly to the TV by separate HDMI cables, turned on the TV speakers, and the TV works again. Obviously the SR 508 suddenly failed and would not even work as a pass through. I am returning the set to Amazon for a replacement. If the replacement works fine for a reasonable amount of time, I will update this review.
I chose Onkyo partially because of its RIHD feature in conjunction with Panasonic. In my experience that only works so-so. Turning on the BluRay DVD player did switch the receiver directly to DVD. But turning it off does not switch back automatically to cab/sat. Turning off the TV also turns off the Onkyo, but not vice versa. You still have to turn on the Onkyo receiver separately.
One unexpected problem with the receiver is that the zone 2 input works only with an analog signal. On my DS-474, I have set up output B to speakers in my screened in porch to be able to listen to CDs or TV there. The B speakers work with digital. Now all my signal inputs for zone 2 are digital, so it appears that the zone 2 feature is useless. Bummer!
I should specify that I am not at all techie, so there may be work arounds that I don't know!
Update#1: The unit failed Thursday evening, I requested a replacement online from Amazon on Friday noon, it arrived at my house on Saturday at about 2pm. I'm sure everyone would agree that that is outstanding customer service from Amazon. I have now (Sunday) installed the replacement unit and again it appears to be working great. Provided it continues to do so, I will add a second update and change my rating to four stars. I remain disappointed that the zone 2 is not digital, hence not 5 stars.
Update #2: Four days after installing the second receiver, it also failed in the same way. However, at the bottom of the "Troubleshooting" page in the user manual, I found the following comment: "The AV receiver contains a microcomputer for signal processing and control functions. In very rare situations, severe interference, noise from an external source, or static electricity may cause it to lock up. In the unlikely event this happens, unplug the power cord from the wall outlet, wait at least five seconds and then plug it in again."
That worked and it has not locked up again in the last ten days. However, I certainly take issue with the "rare circumstances" and "unlikely event" and I can't imagine any special event that may have caused it. My receiver is in a cabinet with the plug behind it, so unplugging is quite inconvenient. This said, the sound from the receiver is really clear so, if this problem does not recur frequently, I will be happy with the purchase. I'm changing my rating from one star to three stars.

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Reciever, Onkyo ,Tx SR508 Stereo

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Sony TDM-IP1 Digital Media Port iPod Dock Review

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(More customer reviews)I work from home and listen to an iPod quite a lot. Recently, I purchased a Sony Home Theater System (model DAV-HDX 500). Initially, I connected my iPod to the Sony via the ubiquitous Apple iPod cradle; however, controlling the iPod manually got old in a hurry.
The unit came equipped with an attached digital media port cable, which connected directly to the Sony receiver's DMPort. A separate video cable was supplied, which I connected directly to the TV's video-in RCA connector. The unit can also be used with a separately purchased video cable connected between the receiver and TV.
Setup was very simple and after I configured my Sony receiver to "DMPort1" and the TV to "AV1", a facsimile of the iPod's screen appeared on the TV and I was able to control the iPod by way of the Sony remote.
Visually, the menu is a little on the chunky side, but highly legible. Screen color may be set to Red, Green, Blue, and a couple variants of Gray. There are also modest on-screen controls for a screensaver, song shuffle, and song repeat.
The only moving part on the TDM-iP1 is a button, which allows users to switch between the iPod's own controls and control by way of a remote control.
The TDM-iP1 does charge the cradled iPod. This, however, may be the unit's major weekness, since the AV system must be powered for charging to occur. A separate power input would have been a nice touch.
At present, the Sony TDM-iP1 is selling for just under $100. In time, I would think the cost might drop to about $50, which is what I believe it's worth, despite its functionality and appearance. The unit's high price is why I've given it four stars; otherwise, the Sony TDM-iP1 functions as advertised.
As an aside, the Logitech Harmony 520 remote control can be configured quite nicely to control a TDM-iP1 by way of the Sony DAV-HDX 500. Nothing like one remote for all your audio and video components.


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Display your iPod® on the smooth and modern Sony TDM-IP1 Digital Media Port iPod Dock and unleash the power of your music. Take full advantage of your DMP compatible BRAVIA® home theater system or audio receiver's sound when you connect an iPod® to the DMP. It lets you search through your music or view video from your iPod right on your television. For added convenience, the dock also charges your iPod's battery.

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Sony STR-DE695 - AV receiver - 5.1 channel Review

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(More customer reviews)Recently my 1992 vintage Sony STR-D595 receiver went on the blink. So I was ready to replace it with something as close to the state-of-the-art as possible (without breaking the bank).
The STR-DE695 definitely delivers with 6.1 channel and HD-Pass component video capabilities. I have only two real complaints with this receiver. The AM radio section lacks any real sensitivity. Only the strongest stations will come thru and that is assuming you have a decent antenna attached. (Unfortunately, this is a common compaint with many lower end receivers.) If you live in a rural area and rely on good AM reception, this receiver is not for you.
The other is the user manual. Though I read it cover-to-cover prior to using the receiver, there are many areas it fails to cover. The Universal multi-function remote is not explained very well though it does work well once you get used to it. I have several components from different brands and this remote can handle most of them all pretty well. (If your stereo components are more than 10 years old, you may find the supplied remote to not be all that effective.)
All in all though: great sound, great capabilities, for a great price! (I bought mine for $239 plus tax.)
Chris

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Pioneer VSX-820-K 5.1 Home Theater Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)After trying a Denon, and two Yamaha's, I finally hit gold with the Pioneer VSX-820.
This is a superb receiver in all regards. It produces clear crisp sound in all modes.
There are no lip synch issues at all when linked to my HDTV. I had terrible lip synch problems with the Denon. It has all the features I need and more and has an excellent remote that is both intuitive and comprehensive. I use my receiver for CD's, FM radio and my Samsung HDTV. I use DishNetwork for my TV programming.
The VSX series is Pioneer's newest and includes several models all the way up to the 1120.
However, when you read the specs, all these receivers have the same tuner and power plant. The higher the model number, the more numerous the features. But no increase in output.
That makes for an easier buying decision. You don't compromise power for features if you chose a mid range model like the 820 or 920. I noticed that the Denon and Yamaha receivers I tried were made in China. The Pioneers are made in Japan. I'll go with Japan for high quality electronics every time. Pioneer has hit a homerun with this new series of receivers.Update January 20,2011
My accolades now need to be tempered back. As with all 'features', they are only good
as long as they last. The IPOD interface on my VSX 820 died today in mid-song. I reviewed the manual and took the steps recommended, including resetting my IPOD with
no results. The IPOD works just fine. So I will no longer be able to hear my songs
thru my system but will instead have to be satisfied with just using the headphones.
Very disappointed with the lack of durability of this Pioneer receiver.

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Key Features are 110 watts X 5, Dolby True-HD / DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Pro-Logic IIz Height Channel Decoder, Auto MCACC with room EQ, Phase ControlAuto Level Control – 2 Channel, Advanced Sound Retriever – 2 channel, iPod Digital USB / USB Memory Audio / OSD, Front A/V Inputs, Sirius Satellite Radio w/OSD, Bluetooth Ready w/ optional AS-BT100, HDMI Repeater (4 In / 1 out), Deep Color, x.v. color, Component Video Inputs (2 in / 1 out),Audio Inputs (6 in / 1out - includes Tuner),Audio/Video Inputs (4in / 1 out), Digital Inputs (3 - 1 coax / 2opt), Dolby PLIIz Pre-Out, Glossy Black Cosmetic, Preset Remote Control.

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Sony DAV-FC9 DVD Dream System Review

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(More customer reviews)Yeah.. this thing stinks. I paid alot of money for it, and its doing exactly what Mike B says too. Thing freeze up all the time, and now when you try to turn it off, it blinks standby indefinately. I even went to bed, and woke up 8 hours later, and it still blinks. You have to unplug it and plug it back in to get it on. (JUNK!) Everytime I buy something from sony, I get burned. This is the 5th item now from Sony, that has failed on me before or in this case just after the warrany expired (UGH). Anyway, buy cheap stuff from walmart. Atleast when it breaks you only paid $50 for it.,, not $1500.

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With 650 watts of total power (100 x 5, plus a 150-watt powered subwoofer), the DAV-FC9 DVD Dream System is Sony's top-end home theater system, furnishing users with ultraprecise images and sound. The system comes complete with a receiver, five-disc DVD/SACD/CD changer, an AM/FM tuner, four front and rear floor-standing speakers, a center speaker, and an active powered subwoofer. The DVD changer is compatible with CD-R/RW, SACD, MP3, and JPEG (with slide show) formats, and its 480p progressive-scan output guarantees sharp image display.
For superior audio while watching movies, the Dream System offers Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro Logic II decoding. Other audio features include an S-Master full digital amplifier, a bass enhancement function, and Sony's Digital Cinema Sound system, which re-creates the sound fields of three of the world's best-known cinema studios.
The DAV-FC9 is equipped for compatibility, with component-video and S-video outputs, a digital input for satellite TV, two analog AV inputs and one output, two video signal inputs and four outputs, and a 3.5 mm mini pin headphone jack. For convenience sake, the system features color-coded speaker connections, along with DVD/CD/SACD text that displays onscreen and a preprogrammed luminous remote control. The system comes with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.
What's in the Box Integrated receiver/DVD player/tuner, center speaker, four floor-standing surround speakers, subwoofer, speaker cable, remote control, and user's manual.

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Sony DCR-SR88 120GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder Review

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(More customer reviews)So I was hoping for just a few things...good video quality, easy to use, lots of storage, and easy to burn onto DVD (I'm an older guy, so I didn't want to spend hours sorting out how to do all of this). This camera delivers! I just recently spent a week in Rome, and I shot video everywhere I went. I filled up 5 DVDs when I came back, and yet still had lots of available storage. The video quality is just fantastic for me...lots of great detail. I zoomed in from a distance to film the Pope in St. Peter's, and I could see him fairly clearly, considering I was quite a distance when I filmed. This camera worked like a champ! I also bought the 5-hour battery, and I never ran out of battery life. This camera is perfect for me!

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Samsung DVD-HD860 Up-Converting DVD Player Review

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(More customer reviews)I picked up a refurbished job from Tiger (I like Amazon but the deal was just too good) Works great for the short time I've had it. Got a new big HDTV that does the 1080 thing so I'm impressed. You can set it up to just come on at that rate but it has a botton to "toggle" through the options. The only minor complaint is the on light the BRIGHT blue on light is a bit much. Put a little round sticky thing to tone it down. Should you care, I'm going to give you a little "hack" information should you play disc from other than Zone One (you know who you are) It worked like a charm first time for me so I pass it on. I have the Alley McBeal complete set from the UK (can't get it in the US) plus a few DVD I pick up on vaction.
This just sets you DVD to Region "Free"--Region code hack posted by
Silver Surfer, November 05 2006:
DEAR FRIENDS, IT TOOK ME A LOT OF TIME AND PATIENCE, BUT I DID IT
GOT A SAMSUNG HD860, JUST HACKED THE REGION WITH THE SAMSUNG
REMOTE 00054D, I BOUGHT DVD PLAYER ON USA, REGION 1, I DID THIS, NOW
I CAN SEE ANY REGION DISK ON MY DVD PLAYER. . . SO HERE IS HOW
FIRST SET HDMI SEL BUTTON TO 480P, THEN OPEN TRAY NO DISK ON IT,
PRESS INFO BUTTON, AND PRESS NINE, UNTIL NUMBER 9 APPEARS ON LEFT
CORNER OF TV DISPLAY, THEN, TURN OFF DVD, THEN ON AND. . . . ENJOY
FREE REGION LIFE. . . BYE BYE!
You have to hit the number 9 repeatedly to get it to show and it will appear on the upper left corner of your screen (be careful the #9 shows up "over" the other information on the screen) but the whole things pretty groovy. Tiger had them for about $40 but even at twice the price it's very cool. The HDMI works great I put that into my HDTV then run the Optical sound from the the TV (it has optical out) to the Receiver for my "Surround" sound. Actually due to that blue light its gets just 4.5 stars but I rounded it up to 5! It does require the HDMI hook up to benifit from the Up-Convert feature, works for me my Toshiba HDTV has 2 in HDMI and wth the "Optical" sound out from the TV makes for a very good set up for me.

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Enjoy your favorite DVD movies in high definition without having to wait for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players with the affordable Samsung DVD-HD860 single-disc, progressive scan DVD player--the perfect partner to your HD-capable LCD or plasma TV. Where standard DVD players (even progressive scan models) provide just 480 lines of resolution, the DVD-HD860 will "upconvert" the picture to 720p or 1080i--taking full advantage of your HD television's sparkling resolution. This elegantly slim unit can also play a wide range of disc and file formats and offers a number of playback convenience features, including bookmarking, multiple camera angles, and folder accessibility on MP3/WMA-formatted discs.
The DVD-HD860 upconverts a standard DVD's native resolution (480p) to output close to high-definition formats (720p/1080i). To achieve that higher resolution, the player fills in additional image data by assessing existing pixels and intelligently predicting what the surrounding pixels should look like. Because the upconversion process occurs in the digital domain, no data is lost (compared with analog conversion) and the resulting image is close to pristine. To produce an upconverted picture, your high-def TV must have an HDMI connection (and HDCP support)--the 720p/1080i choice is only available when using the HDMI cable (which is not included). Also note that the DVD-HD860 is not a high-definition DVD player (i.e., not to be confused with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players, which play specially formatted high definition discs), so it will work with your existing DVD library.
This player is compatible with a wide range of disc formats, including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW, VCD, and SVCD, as well as MP3, WMA, and JPEG file formats. Compression rates supported for MP3 are from 128-192 kbps and for WMA from 64-192 kbps. JPEG files can be seen in a slide show with intervals of 6, 12, or 18 seconds between images; and you can zoom in (2x or 4x) on an image or rotate it 90-degrees clockwise.
The bookmark function lets you mark and store up to three scenes at a time for easy recall. Instant replay shows you the previous 10 seconds of the movie again--in case you missed something important. Instant skip jumps ahead 10 seconds--in case you want to miss something. And parental control lets you set a password that must be given before a password-protected disc can be viewed.
It features the following video and audio connections:
Composite AV Out (RCA): 1
S-Video Out: 1
Component video Out: 1
HDMI AV Out: 1
Coaxial digital audio Out: 1
Optical digital audio Out: 1

Tech Talk HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).
HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is a system for protecting DVD content outputted via DVI/HDMI from being copied. It provides a secure digital link between a video source (PC, DVD. etc) and a display device (TV, projector, etc). Content is encrypted at the source device to prevent unauthorized copies from being made.
High Definition Formats: The most common high-def (HD) video format is 720p, which displays video at 720 vertical by 1280 horizontal pixels. The "p" denotes that it is progressive scan, meaning that all video lines are filled at the same time. The 1080i format displays video at 1080 vertical by 1920 horizontal pixels, and the "i" means that it is interlaced (the old-school way of presenting video where the screen scans the odd-numbered video lines first, then the even-numbered lines). The 1080p format has the same pixel resolution as 1080i, but it is a progressive scan format and thus has a constant vertical resolution of 720 lines.
What's in the Box Upconverting DVD player, remote control (with batteries), AV cable, printed operating instructions
Warranty 1 year parts, 90 days labor

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BOSE 201-V Stereo Loudspeakers (Pair) - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)Moving from a large home into a smaller one it seemed the right time to set the huge twenty-six year old quasi-wood enclosures in the car, take them to Goodwill and buy something of current technology yet in a smaller package. After researching big and small and a dozen brand names we went off in search of the right speakers for us in our smaller setting. Most we listened to were terrible. Inaudible, booming with no clarity or tinny, even the names of note. Then we met Dr. Bose's collection of speakers. We were used to our 12" woofer, a couple of tweeters and a bass that boomed until our chest vibrated. Though we didn't get the booming chest, we got clarity and sound that was true to the instruments and the voices. My receiver is twenty-six years old too and is screaming to be replaced but even with it and it's limited ability to equalize, the true sound we hear from the set of Bose speakers quickly grew on us and proved satisfying. I do miss the ability to go for the booming subwoofer sound when we wish and may buy a small unit to fill the gap. But....if we don't add to this set, we are well satisfied with the Bose speakers and feel fine about spending a few dollars more for a quality sound. So far I haven't found a way to distort the sound and am also happy that we reach a nice volume level without pushing the slider.
I have read mixed reviews from "uch" to "the absolute best" and wonder how so many mixed expectations can precede the purchase of a set of speakers. We, as life long lovers of music and musicans ourselves, are seriously pleased with the Bose speakers even with the slightly less "boom" to which we are accustomed.

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The trim, stylish 201-V speakers from Bose are ideal for your den, dorm room, office, or small-scale living room. Their sleek design makes them welcome in any décor. Sold in pairs, the 201-Vs work well with either your stereo components or your home theater, elegantly handling either front- or rear-channel surround sound (use 2 pairs for both).You'll enjoy lifelike, spacious stereo sound from these compact yet versatile bookshelf speakers. In a concert hall, listeners hear a mix of direct and reflected sound arriving from different directions and at different times. Bose's proprietary Direct/Reflecting speaker technology uses the walls and flat surfaces of your room to more closely approximate the sound in a concert hall. From cutting-edge DVDs to your vintage records, you'll enjoy larger-than-life spaciousness in nearly all you listen to, thanks in part to Bose's precisely angled, 2.5-inch proprietary Stereo Targeting tweeters.The speakers' broad-dispersion Stereo Everywhere design lets you enjoy full stereo sound throughout the listening area, no matter where you sit or stand. Instead of concentrating the stereo effects into a single "sweet spot," the 201 bookshelf speakers are engineered to deliver realistic performance almost anywhere in the room.The speakers each use a single 6.5-inch woofer and a flared-slot port--a specially engineered design wherein woofer and port geometry complement each other to reduce air turbulence. The ports ensure clean, deep bass, particularly when you're listening at high volumes.What's in the Box Two speakers, self-adhesive rubber feet, a user's manual, and warranty/registration information.

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Sherwood RD-8601 6.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with Dolby Digital and DTS Decoding Review

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(More customer reviews)I just set this unit up there are a few things that are different than the description, one being that there are 2 optical digital inputs and 1 Coaxial digital input and there is 1 digital optical output and 1 Coaxial digital output. That's fine with me as I would rather have more digital optical inputs if you actually could read the back of the unit in the picture you would see that I am correct. Setting the surround sound feature with the mic is awesome, I love this gadget. The only real issue that I have is that the unit I received does not have the Sherwood name anywhere on the product/ box or manual what it does say is QG-500AVR SLS I did find that the QG stood for quick gold but not sure about the rest as of yet I am still researching it. The remote was made for someone who works for Nasa but I was able to figure out the things that I needed to use, I still have a ton to learn about the remote. I did hook up the unit and it was very easy and has great sound, but I only use the optical inputs so I don't know the sound of the rest of the inputs. I only have 5 speakers and one sub set up so I can only use the 5.1 speakers but I have another speaker on the way so that I can hook it up to use the 6.1, when I do I will update my review again.
*********UPDATE*********
Here is the responce that I got from the company on the Name not being Sherwood:
Thank you for your Amazon order.
This SLS branded receiver is a Sherwood RD-8601 receiver, it is rebranded with an SLS name. It is exactly the same as Sherwood RD-8601 except for the logo.
SLS is a high end audio company who contracted Sherwood to build these receivers for them to sell as a home theater package. You can see this home theater package here : [...] LineHomeTheater
We have no control over the pic on Amazon, it is just a listing, our listing does state that this is a rebranded receiver. We have sold hundreds and all our customers are very happy with the quality, especially seeing the low price they paid.
Let us know if you need additional assistance, we will be happy to help.
Best regards,
The Av Express Sales Team
[...]
I am still very happy with this product it has great sound and does a great job with Blueray and digital TV.

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Onkyo TX-8255 Stereo Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This receiver replaced a Sony STR 397 that had a continuous static problem that was never fixed. I gave up on the Sony and bought the Onkyo. I use it to power two Polk tower speakers hooked up to my HDTV and DVD player.
The receiver is basic, no frills. Bass, treble and balance controls are on the front panel. There is no loudness control. There are multiple memory settings for music stations. All the standard connections are in the back including an input for an iPod (docking station extra). The tuner works well and has standard scanning for stations.
The receiver is rated at 50W per channel. It is plenty adequate for the Polks. The sound is clear and unvarnished. It produces a crisper, cleaner sound than the Sony.
For sound reproduction without lots of frills and buttons, this has proved an excellent choice. I am very pleased with the item.
Once again, I have to complement Amazon for having excellent pricing and incredible free shipping that is fast.

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If you want your receiver to focus purely on two-channel audio, the TX-8255 could be just the answer. It`s perfect for your living room, or anywhere else you like to sit back and soak up your music.The TX-8255`s rock-solid construction incorporates a heavy-duty extruded aluminum heat sink to ensure cooler operation.The whole unit is housed in a rigid, reinforced chassis-finished off with a hairline-brushed aluminum front panel-to help eliminate vibrations. Add compatibility with RI dock for the iPod(R), and you have a superb stereo solution that brings out the power and dynamism of your audio sources.

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Yamaha YAS-71BL Front Surround System (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been searching for a simple budget out of the box home audio solution that had great sound, ease of use and set up, all the connections I needed and lastly esthetically pleasing and not an eyesore. I looked at all the recommended budget 5.1 and 7.1 system (Onkyo is the best deal for full 5.1 systems) and was frustrated by the price and the over engineered complexity of them all. Real surround sound would be cool but ultimately I just wanted a simple solution with strong, rich sound and any simulated surround would be nice too. I have a Samsung 630 and love the TV but the sound sucks. This YAS-71 sound bar and sub-woofer really have enhanced my home theater experience tremendously. I want to watch all the movies I've already seen in HD again now just to hear them in fuller sound. My wife even likes it, I don't think she's nearly as intimidated by it as much as 5.1 component systems would.
This unit has 4 audio inputs plus a connector for an ipod dock; 3 of the inputs are digital audio inputs (2 optical, 1 coaxial). 1 RCA audio input. I highly recommend using the digital audio inputs to get the best and clearest simulated surround sound. I have a PS3 (my Blu-Ray player), a Toshiba DVD player and my DVR hooked up to the digital inputs and the Yamaha ipod dock hooked up. The ipod dock works well and you can control the ipod to some extent with the remote, though the screen on the front of the bar gives you very minimal information and control for your ipod. There are times I'd rather just select my ipod manually on the ipod itself. My 3G iphone worked with it as well as a 30 gig ipod. They all sounded great.
I have a very boxy, enclosed small to medium sized living room (12' x 18') in an older home and it's perfect for that environment. At volume level 50 (halfway) it really fills the room up with rich sound, at the higher levels it gets surprisingly loud without distortion and blowout. Though If you have a very open or large contemporary living room I wouldn't recommend this system; I'd go with more powerful true surround system where you could space the speakers out to fit the room. This YAS-71 really works best in a room with defined walls to work off of. I wouldn't expect any true surround sound from the YAS-71 but there are times while watching 5.1 DVDs and Blu-rays I notice that some sounds really feel immersive and you can feel the simulated surround effect. Prices have dropped on these recently, they used to retail for $500-$600 and for around $300 this is an exceptional deal.
Positives:
* Easy to set up, there aren't a bunch of wires to run around your room.
* User friendly. Wife friendly.
* 4 audio inputs (3 digital) plus yamaha ipod connector
* Clear, surprisingly powerful, robust simulated 5.1 sound for such a contained unit.
* Great value for the money if you can find it at or under $300
* Looks nice in front of most HDTVs. It virtually matched my piano finished black Samsung.
* Great for enclosed rooms.Negatives:
* No onscreen information and controls on your TV screen, info is only on the soundbar screen. This does not have any video passthrough. (this hasn't been a problem for me though).
* It might not have have all the audio connections you need. Check your setup.
* All the inputs are on the sub woofer, so keep that in mind, you might need longer cables.
* Remote controlling ipod is very minimal.
* ipod dock sold separately ($50-100)
* Not so good for open areas.
Conclusion:
Powerful, clear sound and a good number of inputs for most needs. A simple solution for better home audio. I couldn't be happier with it.

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Universal Remote Control URC-R50 Digital R50 Universal Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I went from hating this remote and being really sorry I had purchased it, to liking it. There is truth to all the reviews, I found,and so I hope this one will be useful. While I would not classify myself as being technically inclined, I don't think I am a complete dufus, owning many, many gadgets/ electronics and having had no trouble in the past. Thus, I thought that programming this could not be so bad. How wrong I was. It really was painfully slow for me, with a lot of trial and error, exactly because of the absence of the manual. With hindsight, I think the quick start guide was trying to tell me many things, but in a slightly abbreviated form, and sometimes with crucial or helpful steps missing. Like many poorly written instructions or bad teachers, these assume a certain knowledge, and also that one can fill in the blanks. If you fall into that category of being able to make some leaps without detailed instructions, or you are good at reading between the lines of general instructions, you will have no trouble. Otherwise, take the attitude that the setting up has to be done just once (however slow and painful) and THEN comes the good part. The macros (quick start tries to explain these -- sort of) are exceedingly useful. Buttons are easy to learn, based on their layout and their different shapes. You can teach any button to learn anything within a device category, and you have the capacity to re-label everything also. You can choose the brightness of the color screen. And so on. You end up with a very useful item which is exactly what it is: a Universal Remote Control.
Update: I have added the Roku to the list of devices and have used the volume and channel cut and paste functions, thus one is able to do favorite channels and change volume super easily. Also, when programming macros, make sure to do a practice run and jot down the exact steps, taking nothing for granted, THEN program the macro on the URC.

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Control up to 18 components with NO internet or PC needed

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Toshiba 42HM66 42-Inch 720p DLP HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It is January 2007 and I have used this TV now for about one week. I was going to wait longer to post a review, but since there are none up here, I thought it would be useful to potential buyers to have it now.
I bought this TV for my mother as a Christmas gift and my budget was $1000. For that amount of money the HDTV choices were: 27" to 37" 720p LCD; 32" to 35" CRT- based sets; and a few 40-42" DLP sets. Given that the set was for a living room, size was an important priority. So that meant examining most seriously the DLP options.
Most DLP sets I looked at in the stores had a pretty decent image when viewed straight on, but like most other rear-projection TVs, rapidly fell off in brightness when viewed off axis. One exception was a 56" Toshiba DLP set which looked better than the others. Try as I might, I was unable to find the 42HM66 in a store, but what finally convinced me to buy it sight-unseen, was the Consumer Reports article which had Toshiba sets taking all of the top positions in the December 2006 ratings of DLP TVs. Though Consumer Reports did not evaluate DLP TVs smaller than 50", I noted that the 42HM66 was of the same series number as one of the best-rated Toshiba sets. So I decided to take a chance. Next the results.
Having viewed it about 20 hours I have to say the picture is truly excellent for a 720p set. Colors are bright and the screen has a difficult-to-describe luminous liveliness absent from my new 40" Samsung LCD. Outdoor HD nature programming is particularly stunning. A nice surprise was the good off-axis performance. Though straight-on is still best, the image is quite bright out to about 45 degrees from perpendicular, much better than most other DLPs I have seen! Consumer Reports rated the larger Toshiba DLP sets with their highest picture quality rating. I would second that high rating for the 42HM66, it truly delivers the goods. I prefer its picture to that of my new Samsung LCD, which is also 720p, not the latest 1080p, and the Samsung cost 40% more. Image quality = a well-deserved 5 stars.
Where the 42HM66 shows its limitations is in the sound subsystem. The speakers are weak with little bass response. When using digital input sources one needs to turn it up nearly all the way. Analog channels don't seem to have this problem. So when switching between analog and digital sources, one often needs to step the volume up and down, a recurring annoyance. I think most would find the sound performance seriously lacking, but this is easy to fix if you have a stereo receiver or AV sound system to plug into using the available line-out jacks. Sound quality = 2 stars.
Now for convenience and user-friendliness. It is equipped with only one HDMI jack, so if you want to plug in 2 digital sources, like an upconverting DVD player and an HD cable box, you will have to plug one into the component or S-video input; but for a price of only $1000 this is not surprising.
The TV was also not quite as simple to setup as my recently purchased Samsung. The auto-program feature was difficult to find, so if you are giving it as a gift to a technically-challenged person, make sure they get some help. I found the remote disappointing for it had small equally-sized buttons and the control layout was not very intuitive. But once you learn how to get into the menus and where things are, it becomes acceptable. Sadly it could be so much better with just a few minor changes. Kudos to Samsung for their excellent remotes. User friendliness = 3 stars.
Now for the bottom line. I didn't expect the 42HM66 to be perfect all around, but in the one area which counts most... picture quality... it is a top-notch performer. Weak sound is easily remedied and the remote works OK once you learn it, but a bad picture cannot be fixed in any way. This is a GREAT choice if you need 40+" in screen size and don't want to sacrifice image quality on a budget of only $1000. My mother is simply blown away by the picture and I am VERY happy with this purchase... and Amazon's free shipping made it just that much better. The set has yet to accumulate serious viewing hours, so I will not comment on its reliability, but if I run into problems down the road I will revisit this review. For now... my bottom line overall rating: A solid 4-1/2 stars.
P.S. The free Amazon shipping via Eagle was great. They called in advance, came when they said they would, were courteous, and the package was delivered in excellent condition. Kudos. I felt like giving them a tip :)
UPDATE - May 5, 2007
Last week the set blew out the projection lamp after 4 months of use. Replacement under warranty was simple, I just called Toshiba and they quickly sent out a new lamp without any fuss. The lamp comes in a cartridge that is easily removed from the left side of the set. I asked about lamp life and was told that 8,000 to 10,000 hours was the average and that mine went prematurely. They also said each replacement lamp comes with a 6 month warranty independent of the set. Out of warranty the lamp costs about $200. One needs to be aware of this issue with DLP HDTVs and be prepared to have this happen eventually. Still love the TV. The picture is SO good I would buy it again despite this quirk.

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Yamaha HTR-5860 XM-Ready 7.1-Channel A/V Surround Receiver (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have a beef with the remote on this unit. All remotes included with units above entry level must have learning capability. This remote, sadly does not.
The quality of the reciever is pretty good. It seems well built. The front control panel is well placed and the rear jacks are intuitively placed. The volume increases and decreases in TINY increments....which is a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. The e-z setup was pretty easy to do. The on-screen programming is also nicely presented. I can tell no difference in the up-convert function to component. The input switching which is carried out through the receiver is excellent...when you change inputs (DVD, TIVO, CABLE, ETC), it automatically changes inputs on your TV....this is a nice function if you have a spouse who can never remember which input to switch to to watch a movie!!
Overall, I wish this receiver had HDMI jack to upconvert to highest quality signal...you will find this on the top-of-the line units. I'm pretty pleased with this purchase, given the low cost offered by Amazon with free shipping. If you are looking for an upgrade to your home theater, give this unit a shot.

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Yamaha Superior Performance, High Powered 7.1-Channel 770W (110W x 7) A/V Receiver. It features Yamaha's unique CINEMA DSP for outstandfing home theater performance, as well all Dolby formats and all DTS formats. It has YPAO which automatically sets the best sound for any room, with any speaker placement. It has Quad-Field CINEMA DSP and 14 Surround programs. It also features Night Listening Enhancer (Cinema/Music) and Silent Cinema. It has Component Video Up Conversion (Full) It is XM Satellite Radio ready. It also features on-screen display. It has an 8-Channel External Decorder Input.

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