Home Theaters

Part of the answer to that question is readily apparent to anyone who is reading this column on a regular basis. The population has become enamored of the ‘total experience’ of the home theater. Home theaters are great, but few remember that the whole is a sum of parts, and the part that has been neglected is the audio.

There are good reasons for this.

While not many have attended a concert in a proper symphony hall,

this is what  most of the populace has been missing.

most have seen virtually everything presented upon a television or movie screen. This shows that while some dismiss the poorer absolute quality of audio that is considered acceptable, it is only that way due to uneducated and inexperienced ears prevailing.

In my time as a salesman of audio and video equipment, I built a reputation as someone who was uninfluenced by the needs of the market, or to the dismay of employers, their bottom lines. I believed that I (and the companies I worked for) would always be farther ahead if basic honesty was the rule. I never tried to pull any of the standard audio purveyor’s tricks on unsuspecting customers. Instead, I gave the plusses and minuses, and showed each component sold in its best light. This was common before the beginning of the Home Theater era. Since the advent of theaters in the home, any sort of objective audio analysis has been replaced by the subjective needs of budget and braggadocio. The first time assembler of a home theater system is thinking how to best spend his money to achieve 2 results – maximum bombastic effect and  maximum covet factor. He wants anyone treated to a ‘performance’ to be at once bowled over and envious. Choices based upon individual reflection would yield better results – closer to what is desired, both in terms of audio quality and envy factor.

This is, more than anything else, a result of the overtly materialistic nature of those our culture has turned out lately.

Another problem I see is environmental factors that are mutually exclusive. Only the most wealthy have the luxury of constructing a room

  wouldn’t everyone like to come home and find this, added on to the house they left that morning?

that will be used for the home theater / audio experience. Most of us must use a re-purposed room made acceptable by careful treatments.

Because of the constraints, time, money, space, and lack of real knowledge of what is real sound, the consumer has to rely on a best guess, from himself, or someone else, to achieve the desired effects.

In the next couple of installments, I am striving to show how audio is the core, and how by using personal tastes, knowledge available, and cost effective choices, anyone can achieve a much higher level of realism, and therefore, enjoyment, than usually possible at any price point – from the sublime to the ridiculous!   Stick with me.

Technorati Tags: home theater - audio - stereo - quality - purchasing power

While looking for something else, I came upon an older article about a copy of a well respected subwoofer by Hsu Research. The project is very straightforward, using sound building techniques, and has clearly copied all the right parts in the right places. It is not hard for someone who is careful, and that is the major reason why it is such a great project.

the subwoofer is doubling as an end table – and fits in well – a major factor for many people as large objects that give no sating can cause problems with the decorator of the house

A project like this one will give you a great sub for your home theater, and will also build your confidence, so that you will then attempt a build of main speakers, or perhaps some other small project, the the assembly of that HTPC.

pictures of the project – at various stages

this is what the raw Sonotube looks like, and don’t fret, it is designed to hold concrete, so the pressure of a vented subwoofer will not be the slightest problem.

the completed subwoofer, looking from the bottom up – by using the floor as a baffle, the frequency cutoff doesn’t have to be as low, or as steep.

This project will give all the bass you will need unless you are a classical fan, and your mainstay is pipe organ recitals Low frequency effects from movie soundtracks will be reproduced with authority – if you’re in an apartment or condo you will be able to get yourself thrown out if you so desire. The barest minimum of tools are all that is required, and if you don’t have them, chances are good you have a buddy who does. As a matter of fact, this makes a good buddy project – you help him build his, and he helps you build yours.

As I said at the beginning, this is from an older article, published in 1999 – fear not, all the necessary items are still available, and the state of the art in inexpensive subs has not changed  -  besides that, you cannot buy anything pre-made that gets anywhere close for 3 times the price of the raw materials.

This is an audio experimenter’s dream project, which also happens to be an audio gem.

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Technorati Tags: subwoofer project - do-it-yourself - cost effective - phenomenal performance - Hsu subwoofer clone - Sonotube

For the last couple of years, there has been a huge hole in the video card market. It was 2006 when the last ATi All-in-Wonder was produced, and nVidia had discontinued their similar offering before that. With the huge increase of Home Theater PCs being built these days the removal of this type of product was all wrong.

Now ATi has announced the latest in the All-in-Wonder series, combining an HD3650 video card with the TV Wonder tuner card, for a list price of $199.

While not the fastest GPU around, the 3650 will do a very good job of taking care of the HTPC and media center market segment, while the choice for the gamer who also watches movies would be a 4xxx series card and a separate TV Wonder card. For those who are using a small form factor box to build the HTPC, this will be a beautiful thing, because the heat output of the 3650 GPU will be much easier to mitigate.

The PCI Express 2.0-based All-in-Wonder HD card,  includes unified decoder technology for hardware-accelerated Blu-ray playback, and records and captures both HDTV and analog signals using ATI Theater 650 Pro hardware MPEG-2 encoding. Dual DVI connectors are included, and HDMI support has also been added. HDCP support, however, has apparently not been included.

AMD’s Catalyst Media Center provides a front end to scheduling recordings, while a second bundled AMD LIVE! “Entertainment Suite CD” allows a user to access the DVR capabilities over the Internet with a broadband connection.

In the announcement from ATi, the door was left open when the question of faster GPUs paired with the TV Wonder. It may happen, and that would bring the raw speed of GDDR5 memory to the HTPC system, making it much easier to do those things that stretch the abilities of lesser GPU/CPU combinations. It will also make small form PVRs easier to build, as the combo card will free up an additional, much needed slot for an additional tuner.

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Technorati Tags: ATi - All-in-Wonder - PVR - HTPC - AMD Live!

Now and then, a choice comes up which makes sense right away, yet allows expansion capability and growth potential. It is not often that a Home Theater in a Box will be acceptable to any serious audio-video person.

Onkyo is a maker of decent quality gear – actually top of the heap of mid-fi – which is defined as equipment that has a name you know, and you don’t need a bank loan to purchase one piece. Seriously, the Onkyo name is a good one, and the company makes quality audio and video equipment.

The Onkyo HT-SP904 5.1-Channel Home Theater System is currently on sale at Crutchfield for 599.99, and comes with free shipping. If you hurry, you can get another $20 off by using a coupon code of “3A825″.  The unit has 110 watts for each of its 5 channels, and comes with acceptable quality speakers for each channel. The subwoofer comes with its own 230 watt amplifier. That is not as left-handed as it might seem. While most will want to do better, the desire to change the speakers won’t be at the front of your mind the entire time your listening to them.

The DVD playback, plentiful music options, and easy setup with Onkyo’s HT-SP904 will reinforce the purchase choice. The receiver’s advanced circuitry and high-current amplifier team up to deliver precise sound from the included speakers and subwoofer. The Onkyo-exclusive  Audyssey 2EQ auto calibration system makes setup a breeze  as the receiver automatically optimizes this system’s sound for your room, so all your stuff sounds great.  (This equalization usually costs quite a bit, and is not found incorporated into the system.)

Onkyo designed the DVD player to produce quality picture from your favorite movies, TV show box sets, and concert videos. For an HDTV with an HDMI input, the DVD player upconverts the signal from standard DVDs to match your set’s high-definition display. If your television has only one HDMI input, you’ll  appreciate the receiver’s 1080p-compatible HDMI switching capability. This allows hooking up the DVD player and a second high-resolution video component and switching between them easily, while maintaining the best possible picture quality for both. There are adequate audio/video inputs and outputs to accommodate your gear, including high-definition-capable component video.

the handsome components make a good addition to anyone’s living room or bedroom, and allows immediate enjoyment, while also making speaker upgrades a sensible decision, and not a waste of money.

the full feature remote makes being lazy easy, and allows precise control of the equipment

with this kind of flexibility, you’ll want to buy extra stuff to hook up!

While this doesn’t have the cachet of Audio Research or Threshold, it is very nice stuff, and the eventual replacement will lad to this being something the friends and relatives will draws straws for, rather that want to carry to the dump.

from the Crutchfield website

DV-SP405 DVD/CD player:
plays DVD-Video, DVD-R & DVD-RW, audio CD, CD-R & CD-RW, and MP3 and WMA CD
plays CDs encoded with JPEG digital photos
selectable 720p/1080i output via HDMI digital interface (separate adapter available for TVs with DVI input)
selectable progressive-scan playback for smoother video with HD-compatible TVs (via the component video output)
coaxial digital output for Dolby® Digital/DTS®/PCM
1 set of A/V outputs (composite, S-video, and component)
17-1/8″W x 2-3/8″H x 8-1/2″D
designed for use with “Region 1″ coded DVDs

Receiver:
built-in Dolby® Digital, DTS® & Dolby Pro Logic® II processing, for surround sound from DVD, VHS, and stereo sources
5-channel amplifier (110 watts x 5, plus 230-watt powered subwoofer)
Optimum Gain Volume Circuitry minimizes noise
Wide Range Amplifier Technology for high instantaneous current capability
H.C.P.S. (High Current Power Supply) Massive High Power Transformer
192kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog converters for all channels
adjustable crossover (40/50/60/80/100/120/150/200 Hz)
SIRIUS satellite radio capable (requires SIRIUS subscription and optional SiriusConnect™ Home tuner kit)
XM Satellite Radio Ready (requires XM subscription and optional XM Mini-Tuner package)
XM HD Surround-compatible
iPod dock included

Audyssey 2EQ auto calibration (microphone included)
5.1-channel audio input for connecting an SACD or DVD-Audio player
HDMI switching capable (2 in, 1 out) with 1080p video pass through — separate audio connection required
high-definition-capable component video switching (3 in, 1 out)
5 A/V inputs (including 5 S-video and 1 front-panel)
video output for TV (composite, S-video, component video, and HDMI)
digital inputs: 2 optical, 2 coaxial
full-size headphone jack
color-coded speaker connectors
17-1/8″W x 5-7/8″H x 14-13/16″D

Speakers:
2 front, 1 center, and 2 surround speakers
video-shielded
dual 3-1/8″ woofers and a 1″ tweeter
5-1/2″W x 14″H x 3-11/16″D (14″W x 5-1/2″H for center speaker)

Powered subwoofer:
10″ driver
bass-reflex enclosure
built-in 230-watt amplifier
10-13/16″W x 19-15/16″H x 16-3/16″D

General:
color-coded cables included for 5 speakers and subwoofer
audio/video and HDMI cables included
remote controls for receiver and DVD player
warranty: 2 years (1 year for DVD player)

All told, this is a great starter system, a great bedroom or den system, or a great graduation present for the child going off to college. Get one for yourself or someone else, you’ll be happy either way.

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Technorati Tags: Onkyo - Home-Theater-in-a–Box - DVD player - remote control - room equalization - Crutchfield

DCM Time Windows were one of the speakers that defined the ‘cheapskate’ high end of the late ‘70s. Looking at the speaker was anything but awe inspiring. It was a small two-way tower, with drivers that were nothing to write home about. It was one of those situations of synergy – the whole was much greater than the sum of the parts. It was also a speaker that made magic with some restrictions – it wouldn’t play very loud, and it was not the most dynamic sounding speaker. However, if you were into chamber music, or acoustic jazz, you were set.

That is the main reason I never considered them for my own system. I had to have speakers that sounded good with all types of music, and when I wanted, had to ‘rock me like a hurricane’.

Almost 30 years of practice seems to have given us a set of speakers from DCM that retain the magic of the Time Windows, but make the window open up, and get real.

 DCM TimeFrame TFE200 Home Theater Speaker System   -  the magic comes into the whole room, but at a price.

DCM is now owned by Mitek, which is known for their auto audio products, and any other relationship is purely coincidental. The new TFE200 is a quite large (for today), tall, and narrow-but-deep three-way tower that boasts bass extension and output to match its imposing size. Conventionally ported through a wide, bottom-front duct and equipped with a striking perforated-metal grille, it’s a handsome structure. DCM included complementary center- and surround-channel models in our kit, as well as one of its new 12-inch subwoofers, the 150-watt TB1212.

the center channel

Upon listening, the TimeFrame shows that it suffers from little of the niggling problems of the original for which it shares part of the name. It has excellent balance from top to bottom, showing strength in the lower registers that was never in evidence in the original. No doubt the larger cabinet, increased number of drivers, and simple porting are to be credited for that. A single 6.5” woofer loaded into a transmission line was hardly capable of impressive bass. Lesson learned. Actually, the midbass was a touch strong at times, but nothing that was unable to be adjusted out with careful room positioning.

the subwoofer is capable of substantial output, and is very stylish, like the rest of these speakers!

 The rest of the system, the center channel, the rear speakers, and the powered sub, all integrate into a system that will give credible theater sound in almost any size room encountered. The Donald Trumps of the world might be disappointed, but then, they can afford to have the actual performer in house!

Another view of the stereo pair

In today’s market, with the declining dollar, and the declining quality of sound, due to the mp3-listening of the youngest generation of buyers, these speakers make the statement that quality sound can be had at a price that will not break the bank (or anger the banker).

the rear channels function well as rear augmentation, and allow adjustment of the tweeter phase to get the most coherent sound, the cabinet allows for placement either vertically, as shown, or horizontally, hanging from the rear wall or ceiling.

The full system will give (I almost said impressive, but that is a very wrong choice of wording) relaxed, accurate sound, that will be natural and give none of the listening fatigue of inferior speakers. These are keepers, whether listening as a stereo pair, or a 5.1 system for theater. The total price is $2350, with $1000 devoted to the stereo pair.

Circuit City is one of the retailers carrying the line from DCM. Other national retailers might carry these, but a simple search has not found any. I would imagine, that, as before, these are going to be carried by boutique dealers for the most part. Casual looking may make you think that these speakers are comparable to similar looking models from Polk Audio, but in my opinion, is not so. DCM built a reputation on quality sound, and these continue that tradition.

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Technorati Tags: DCM - TimeWindow - TimeFrame - full range speakers - dynamic - accurate

Auzentech, makers of a full line of quality sound cards, and mentioned in this column as a great choice for Home Theater PC sound, has produced another sure winner for those who eschew onboard sound for higher quality.

though the pics of the X-Fi HT 7.1 are not available yet, this is the X-Plosion 7.1 Cinema, which shows the great layouts that Auzentech uses, along with ultra high quality individual components.

same card as above, note the gold plated connections - better any time sound is traveling in the analog domain.

Called the X-Fi Home Theater 7.1, the card features a PCI-Express x1 interface, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. It accepts video from either an internal or external connection, mixes it with digital audio, and then outputs the combined video and audio through a single HDMI 1.3 port. (If you remember earlier mentions of the HDMI spec, you know that there were problems with some of the full feature set of the HDMI spec not being implemented before revision 1.3.) The PCIe interface will free up a PCI slot for something else, and give some microATX motherboard users a solution in crowded spaces.

nVidia fans will be excited, as the company is teaming up with nVidia to deliver ‘ultimate in audio and visual entertainment.’ The audio card will include a port, for use with nVidia video cards, to allow all the proper audio and video signals to pass through the HDMI connection.

The HomeTheater 7.1 features Dolby Digital and DTS encoding for a single-cable connection to home theater systems, however, this is much more than simply a card for home theater enthusiasts. The card uses the PCI Express-optimized X-Fi processor (yes, the one from Creative - Auzentech has taken this route before - it uses a Creative main processor and surrounds it with higher quality components than those found on the native Creative solution), to deliver accelerated audio for better game performance too, and with EAX 5.0 effects and 3D positional audio it’s going to be a favorite of hardcore gamers and PC enthusiasts. Another bonus will be the fact that Auzentech either writes its own, or tweaks existing drivers, both of which are preferable to what comes from Creative with their cards.

Since the card is not yet available, the pricing has not yet been set, but a good guess would be in the realm of $200 - pricey for many, but nothing compared to what some games pay for triple and quad SLI setups. One difference will be that the sound quality, and the drivers included, will make a huge difference for anyone who chooses to get out the green to buy one. The release date is quoted as September.

Save your pennies!

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Technorati Tags: Auzentech - X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1 - ultimate quality components - superb drivers - EAX 5.0 - 3D Positional Audio

A big day for all fans of the Ian Fleming secret agent, James Bond, came when the decision to make all of the exploits of the world’s most famous spy available on Blu-ray disc.

get the home theater ready, popcorn, peanuts, caviar, and martinis, for everyone! 

The sales of the first simultaneous DVD and Blu-ray release, Casino Royale, were brisk enough to cause the announcement of the first six releases of the Bond catalog in the high definition format. The only bit of bad news is that the titles are going to be released in France first. Who knew that the French enjoyed Bond this much? One would think that Inspector Clouseau would be the archetype  for the French good guy of daring-do.

Of course the releases had to start with the original, but where did they get off track – leaving out Goldfinger, and Diamonds Are Forever?

Scheduled for release in late October are: Dr. No, Die Another Day, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, From Russia With Love, and Thunderball. The timing couldn’t be better. With the debut of Quantum of Solace in November, the release dates can’t be an accident. The Blu-ray release of these six titles will certainly up the hype for the theatrical debut of the 22nd 007 flick.

The six classic movies will be treated to some tender loving care. Frame-by-frame restoration, remastering, and lots of special features will make these a must-have for any Bond aficionado. Some may feel the choice of titles for this initial release are  questionable (where’s Goldfinger or Diamonds Are Forever) you have to admit these will all look and sound stunning on Blu-ray.

Those of us who realize that the farce-as-acceptable-movie Casino Royale – the original – is still worth having due to the phenomenal soundtrack, including the sonic spectacular, ‘The Look of Love’ by Dusty Springfield, anxiously await the announcement that it too, will see the light of Blu-ray.

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Technorati Tags: Blu-ray - announcements - James Bond - Ian Fleming - remastering - October 2008 release

Samsung has recently announced that it will begin the mass production of the Blu-ray read-write drive in the 5.25” form factor, used by personal computers. Previously Samsung had been involved in a joint effort with Toshiba to produce HD DVD drives.

if you have one of these, an Xbox 360 HD DVD drive by Samsung – it could be worth lots of money someday, as the lst of its kind!

With the format war over, all the major manufacturers have been doing some rearranging and shuffling of parts and priorities. Hitachi has continued in partnership with LG to produce Blu-ray drives, and has been doing well in sales and  upcoming commitments.

you know what announcement means – it means that the first ones are already shipping in Japan

The first product introduced will be a Blu-ray read, combined with DVD-RW, drive. It is expected to sell the largest number of drives for quite some time. The low availability of Blu-ray writeable media, combined with high cost will keep the second projected product, a full read-write Blu-ray drive, out of most consumer hands for some time. This will, no doubt, keep the movie studios happy. It is in no small way that the relationship of Sony, the movie company, to Sony, the drive and player manufacturer, keeps the cost of Blu-ray media up.

don’t let the pictures fool, these things are still few and far between

No prices, or model numbers, were announced, as everyone at the press conference knew the adage about having to ask. It is simply assumed that the first runs of the read-write drives will likely cost as much as 50% of the combined cost of a Blu-ray equipped PC. On the other hand, the proliferation of Blu-ray read-only drives should make their inclusion in many more PCs probable. A Samsung executive was said to have projected 2010 as the timeframe for the beginning of significant market penetration of the read-write drives, pumped up by the high definition television adoption in many homes.  

While the ability to have one of these drives in an HTPC may seem great, remember that the price will come down with time, and there’s no scientific way to predict how quickly it might happen. You don’t want to be part of another HD DVD replay – where, in the space of 2 months the going price of a good drive goes to 33% of what you paid!

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Technorati Tags: Samsung - Blu-ray - PC form factor - read-write - combo drives

When looking to build something, whether it’s a computer or an engine, a desk or a chair, metal, electrical, or wood, I find it very helpful to look at the work of someone else. I don’t do this to copy their work, as I find something that I need, or want, to be different. Instead, I use what I see as a starting point, to change to my needs or tastes.

What I will do here is give the reader a few ideas of mine, to copy if they wish, or to step off from my ideas to something greater.

A while ago, I spoke of the Via PC-1 concept motherboards, and how great a start they would be for a Home Server (using Windows Home Server, for instance), or a media center, or an HTPC. It seems that for some unknown reason, the PC-1 motherboards are not available – with no excuses given, nor any bad reviews that would cause them to be discontinued. In fact, the motherboard was used in the Everex PC that was sold in great numbers by WalMart at Christmas. The board was a micro ATX form factor, and as such, would not fit into the smallest cases, designed for miniITX. That should not have caused problems for most, but still there seems to be no reasons for the disappearance.

the PC-2500 platform

the Everex PC, incorporating the PC-2500 motherboard

the PC-3500 motherboard, no floppy connection, and a PCIe slot substituted for a 2nd PCI slot 

All the above seem to be gone from the U.S. market.

So instead, why not try a miniITX board? It fits better with a set of audio and video components because of the size of the cases possible.

Intel has just come out with a board for our consideration. It uses a very low power CPU, based on the Core architecture, and comes soldered into the PCB. It only has provision for 1 DIMM, but since DDR2 memory is available in capacities up to 2GB per stick, the memory capacity is 2GB. Although the video is built in, the possibility is there for using one of the flavors of Vista on the machine, although the better choice would be Windows XP Media Center Edition.

The choice of case is critical. All components must fit, but also, the system must look good from the outside, because it is after all, part of the Home Theater.

the Intel miniITX mainboard, using the Atom processor, a derivative of the Core architecture

the Apex MD-100 miniITX case

The case chosen necessitates the use of a  notebook-style DVD drive, so if you want to have a Blu-ray drive included another choice of case is needed. Apex has 2 other models that look approximately like the MD-100, and are only slightly larger. The Apex case is more expensive than some, but it is well built, like the rest of the line. This manufacturer has cases also sold under the name Supercase, so if you see the same model number, with the Supercase designation, it would be identical.

For this case, I would choose a notebook DVD-RW from Samsung or Toshiba, simply because of the reliability that those brands offer. If you are going with a full sized drive, in another case, I would consider the Samsung drives first, as they are very reliable, and very quiet, showing no problems with firmware glitches.

Although moving toward the highest capacity hard drive would be the move most would make, I would say that anything these days over 500 GB should get you by well. Also, since the video capabilities, and the CPU will not do 1080p Blu-ray very well, it might be a really nice dual duty system for the bedroom, functioning as a general purpose PC, along with a media server – I can see myself computing with a wireless keyboard and mouse, on the foot of the bed, with this being connected to a 32” LCD.

Nice enough as a budget system, a bedroom system, or for those pampered youngsters going off to college, a dorm system.  For those wanting a bit more, a PCI (not PCIe) video card can still be had, and could do fairly well – this could possibly carry off 1080p, if the machine was carefully set up. It would require a PCI riser card, which is available for about $25. Actually to go for the true HTPC, with DVR capabilities, of course a tuner is needed.

For every purpose but gaming, this sub-$800 PC would get the job done in style. (and as I said, you now have some ideas to build on!)

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Technorati Tags: HTPC - Intel Atom - Apex - Supercase - Samsung - PCI tuner

The company of the eery green glow has produced another amazing series of GPUs, with stupendous performance, provided your wallet or plastic can handle it.

It does seem as though AMD simply cannot catch a break of any kind these days, as from one side, Intel attacks with Nehalem, and on the other, nVidia brings off the explosive debut of a couple of GPUs which show an advantage of approximately 150% in comparison to their AMD/ATi rivals. 

Yes, preliminary testing on ZDNet gave a lead of 150% for the NV280 chips over the 3870×2 cards. That must be very demoralizing for ATi fans, as the 4xxx series is close to release, but it is known that no way is a jump similar to the one nVidia made expected.

The 280 series from MaximumPC

the only drawback, for the HTPC crowd, is the extreme length of the card, it necessitates a full size case.

The GTX 280 is an absolute beast of a GPU: Packing 1.4 billion transistors (the 8800 GTX got by with a mere 681 million, and a quad-core Penryn has 820 million), it’s capable of bringing a staggering 930 gigaFLOPs of processing power to any given application (a Radeon HD 3870 delivers 496 gigaFLOPs, while the quad-core Penryn musters just 96).

and

A stock GTX 280 will run its core at 602MHz while its stream processors hum along at 1.296GHz. Memory will be clocked at 1.107GHz. The GTX 260 will have stock core, stream processor, and memory clock speeds of 576MHz, 1.242GHz, and 999MHz, respectively (what, they couldn’t squeeze out an extra MHz to reach an even gig?).

for the non-gamer, interested in CUDA

 CUDA applications will run on any GeForce 8- or 9-series GPU, but the GeForce 200 series delivers an important advantage over those architectures: support for the IEEE-754R double-precision floating-point standard. This should make the new GPUs—and CUDA in general—even more attractive to users who develop or run applications that rely heavily on floating-point math. Such applications are common not only in the scientific, engineering, and financial markets, but also in the mainstream consumer marketplace (for everything from video transcoding to digital photo and video editing).

thankfully, energy efficiency has been a consideration as well

Nvidia has made great strides in reducing its GPUs’ power consumption, and the GeForce 200 series promises to be no exception. In addition to supporting Hybrid Power (a feature that can shut down a relatively power-thirsty add-in GPU when a more economical integrated GPU can handle the workload instead), these new chips will have performance modes optimized for times when Vista is idle or the host PC is running a 2D application, when the user is watching a movie on Blu-ray or DVD, and when full 3D performance is called for. Nvidia promises the GeForce device driver will switch between these modes based on GPU utilization in a fashion that’s entirely transparent to the user.

So while all of this cool is making your mouth water, remember that, like automobiles, “Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?’ Going with a single 280 series card will set you back about $650. Two or three of these cards would be in bank loan territory for most, not to mention the robust power supply that would be needed. On the other hand, expect to see many dual or tri SLI setups for those CUDA applications.

For the home theater enthusiast, it again makes sense to upgrade, as the efficiency has been increased, the speed is increased – taking that much more load from the CPU, and, if using the HTPC as a dual purpose machine, the card supports single slot SLI with an nVidia chipset motherboard, allowing non-gaming very low power use. The 260 series for the HTPC would make a great deal of sense, with only slightly less impressive specs, and a good savings for the user wanting to have something left over for media!

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Technorati Tags: nVidia - 200 series - CUDA architecture - costly - double-precision floating point standard

Since the highlight has been on some deals. After looking around, it appears that the gas prices have caused a bunch of things used at home to be on sale – people seem to be spending more time there. To be truthful, I’m sure part of this has to do with voluntary reduction, as we all want to be green. (Besides, how can any theater compare with the comforts of your theater at home?)

Televisions
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Samsung 42″ Widescreen Plasma HDTV for $827 + $30 s&h

Walmart offers the Samsung 42″ Widescreen Plasma HD Television, model PN-42A410, for $827. Shipping costs $29.94, or choose free Site-to-Store. Features include a native resolution of 1366×768, integrated ATSC and NTSC tuners, 20,000:1 contrast ratio, 1500 cd/m² brightness, one HDMI input, plus component and other video inputs.

Mitsubishi 73″ 1080p Widescreen DLP Rear-Projection HDTV for $2,750 + free shipping

OneCall.com has the Mitsubishi 73″ DLP Rear-Projection HD Television, model WD-73735, for $2,749.77.  It features a native resolution of 1920×1080 (1080p), NTSC, QAM, and ATSC tuners, three HDMI inputs, and component and other video inputs. These are some of the best really big screens available, bright and sharp!

Sony BRAVIA 52″ 1080p Widescreen LCD HDTV with 1-year extended warranty for $2,089 + free shipping

OneCall.com offers the Sony BRAVIA 52″ Widescreen LCD HD Television, model KDL-52V4100, for $2,088.77. Plus, coupon code “SUMMERSALE” adds a free 1-year extended warranty.  It has a native resolution of 1920×1080 (1080p), 2500:1 contrast ratio, ATSC (HD), NTSC, and QAM tuners, four HDMI inputs, and VGA, component, and other video inputs. Sony – expensive, but worth it!

DVD Player
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Philips Upconverting 1080p DVD / DivX Player for $60 + free shipping

Circuit City offers the Philips 1080p Upscaling DVD/DivX Player, model  DVP3982, for $59.99 with free shipping.  This player supports standard DVDs as well as MP3, JPEG, MPEG-4, DivX, and other formats. It features HD upconversion to 1080p, HDMI output, 192kHz audio sampling, and more.

Remotes
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Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote for $190 + free shipping

JR.com offers the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote Control, model  915-000035, for $189.99 with free shipping.  Configurable on a Mac or PC, the Harmony One includes a customizable touch-screen LCD display, rechargeable Li-Ion battery, charging station, USB connectivity, and more. These are the easiest programmable remotes currently available, as judged by several publications.

Sony Blu-ray Remote for PS3 for $20 + free shipping

Buy.com offers the Sony Blu-ray Remote for PS3, model no. 98046, for $19.99. With free shipping, it’s the lowest total price we could find by $4.

Open a new Google Checkout account for $10 off and pay $9.99.

Home Theater Furnishings
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Stratford Padded Suede Rocker Recliner for $255 + $135 s&h

Walmart offers the Stratford Padded Suede Rocker Recliner in Sage, model V2391-W3, for $255.14. Shipping adds $134.97, or choose free Site-to-Store.  Features include faux-suede upholstery, thick, pad-over arms, and more. Three or four of these make a great start for the Loge section!

Nothing in the realm of components, cables, or media was on sale at any of the usual places, but the search will continue. I am currently investigating the best bulk DVD media, with Lightscribe capability.  I haven’t been able to find the usual best choice, Taiyo-Yuden. Perhaps they don’t make Lightscribe DVDs.

Other projects I’ll be writing about in the next few days are some switches, for component changes on systems where not enough inputs exist, and quality cables that won’t break the budget.

Later,

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Technorati Tags: Sony - Samsung - Harmony - PS3 - Walmart - home theater furnishings

The news of the combined CPU and GPU chips from AMD has been slow in coming, and many thought the company might outsource actual production of the chips, due mostly to capacity issues. Chartered Semiconductor has been handling some of the current load of CPUs for AMD.

This morning it has announced that the Fusion chips (the AMD moniker) will be fabricated at the AMD plant in Dresden, Germany. The process will also be a challenge because the current graphics processors (think ATi) are built on a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) process, whereas the CPUs from AMD are SOI (Silicon On Insulator). The Fusion chips will have the Phenom cores as their basis.  In comparison, CMOS is primitive, yet much easier to obtain high yield quantities.

The quad core Phenom processor will be the start of the Fusion chip, plus a graphics core (or two?)

AMD representatives stated that there might possibly be an outsourcing of lower end models, with the implication that all higher end models would be AMD from start to finish, allowing greater control over quality and yields.

Fabrication may be more difficult, but cooling will be simplified, as will power needs. One socket, no waiting, will be very good for the budget desktop and Home Theater PC markets. The combination chip could possibly yield a computer with one fan in total, pulling air from the front of the case, over the disk drives and memory, then the Fusion chip heatsink, and out the rear of the case. With the efficiency seen in some of the latest AMD CPUs, that DTX form factor may work out after all.

a DTX case, could it house your next HTPC? The very small size of the DTX motherboard, outside the case. The comparison of DTX to other form factors.

information on Fusion processor
announcement on PCWorld

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Technorati Tags: AMD - processors - CPU - GPU - ATi - Dresden-Germany fabrication - DTX form factor

While it would be a cruel, but true, joke that this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, it is sad that millions of our tax dollars are being spent to finance the report of the changeover that we funded, by the government that used false pretenses to get the change to take place - all to an audience that is ignorant or indifferent.

The upcoming changeover on February 17, 2009 is apparently unstoppable at this time, and will force the usage of a new digital television, using an ATSC tuner, or a converter box using the same type of tuner and an RF modulator (ask your children, if you don’t know - they’ve been using one to hook up their game consoles to your television for decades) to allow ‘older, inferior technology’, to be able to receive the drivel that is broadcast television. (all home theater buffs already have one of these, right?)

This may be why the young are so clueless - they are quick to spot drivel, and avoid it like the plague - they have lives to live.

from Ars Technica

As the Federal Communications Commission revs up efforts to promote the impending digital TV transition, a new report suggests that the overwhelming majority of Americans will sail smoothly through the switch. On the other hand, a big chunk of TV watchers will not. The Nielsen Company’s new Overview of Digital Readiness classifies 9.4 percent of US households as “Completely Unready” for February 17, 2009—the last day of analog broadcasting for full power TV. Some may be surprised to learn that young adults make up a big portion of that percentage.

The TV ratings company defines the rather clunky phrase “Completely Unready” as follows: “a household that has all Unready Sets,” meaning televisions not connected to a cable or satellite service, and that have no digital converter box or internal digital tuner.

Another 12.6 percent of U.S. households are “Partially Unready,” Nielsen says. They’re residences which have at least one Ready Set, but also one Unready Set. These homes usually have three boob tubes sitting around somewhere, and about one of these is unready. All told: “16.5 percent of all television sets in the U.S. are Unready Sets,” Nielsen concludes.

Nielsen cautions that this data, based on 56 local markets sampled as of April 30, doesn’t project what the situation will look like in February 2009. “It is imperative to note that as we get closer to the DTV Transition date, households will upgrade their television equipment at an accelerated rate,” the report notes. “Therefore, this analysis does not suggest that viewing in February 2009 will be impacted to the same degree as it would be if the transition occurred today.”

But the report does tell us what kind of DTV preparedness work needs to be done now, and where.

(who knew Nielsen was good for anything? I always thought that Nielsen was there to support the shows on television with the highest amount of drivel, and eliminate anything new or different - a stifling force, if you will.)

The report continues on telling how many cities are almost fully prepared, as if it would get them a gold star on a list somewhere.  What is not spoken about here is the decreasing relevance of broadcast television, of any form. All that is new, good, and ‘cool’ is happening on cable or ‘premium’ television, with the exception of PBS - and those stations have been getting the word out to their faithful for quite some time now.

just tell the young that if they don’t get an ATSC tuner soon, no more Simpsons episodes, dude!

Again, the needlessness of this report, or the waste of money to fund it, blazes through like the sun after a rainstorm.

While many in the home theater crowd would eschew the watching of television from broadcast channels, there is much available (as above) on PBS stations of very high quality, in both content and picture. Now and then the big 3, or 4, depending on your point of view, will put on something spectacular, and for that reason the ATSC tuner will be necessary.

these are what you need for that HTPC you’ve been wanting to build.

Teach your children well…

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Technorati Tags: DTV transition - digital television - February 2009 - Nielsen ratings

I was speaking to someone who had the ‘problem’ of a  spouse not wanting ’stereo equipment’ mucking up her very austere, high tech living room. That would be fine except the gentleman had recently lost his  study/listening room to a new addition to the family. Also a problem was that the house he inhabits has no family room, the living room is where the family ‘lives’. (That in itself is a topic for another day!)

So what does someone do to have a system in a living room with these constraints imposed by ‘the better half’? The living room is very modern, with steel and chrome everywhere, and no wood accents anywhere, except for a small African piece on the mantle made of ebony. This is certainly not the place for typical box speakers, with their large woodgrain panels clashing with the rest of the furniture.

I started looking around, and immediately thought of planar speakers, like Apogee Scintillas, but that would not do, as they were too big.

it’s clear that the Apogee Scintilla, besides being a speaker that would make the ears of anyone want to listen for hours on end, also belongs in a high tech living environment, but they are large…

So the search continued. The ‘better half’ wondered why some of those ‘cute’ Bose speakers wouldn’t do the job. Well, after a run to audition these ‘cute’ little wonders, she was first to speak out and say that it was a nice notion, while it lasted. At least that hurdle was over.

So the search next came up with some speakers from VMPS. Great sound. Too big! Oh, well. Onward.

The journey started getting long, and expensive, with the price of fuel these days. So the virtual journey started with a design that has yet to be auditioned, but makes the wife happy, and seems to be pleasing to the husband. Although the cost of 5.1 is going to be up there…

the Linkwitz Labs Pluto+   - esoteric enough for the husband, modern enough for the wife, but how do they sound?

these are the amplifiers for the Pluto+, and does that toroid on the amp on the right remind you of a GAS or SAE design? You bet!

If you think these are a little strange looking, you’re right. However, they are small, promise great sound (they should for the price - although the price includes amplification and an active crossover network.)  These can be better observed at LinkwitzLabs.com. Also, complete details are available, including plans to build the enclosures, should you be so adventurous!

An audition is planned, and we’ll see if these fit the bill. They certainly should start some conversations at cocktail parties! Oh, the home theater screen is already taken care of - it is a large LCD that is being built into the wall - with a larger painting covering it except during times of ‘theater’.

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Technorati Tags: Linkwitz Labs - Pluto+ - Orion - Linkwitz-Riley crossover design - avant garde - esoteric - Apogee Scintilla - VMPS - high end stereo - 5.1 setup

there would certainly be an area devoted to the speaker from each manufacturer that put that manufacturer ‘on the map’. For the Vandersteen speaker company it would certainly be the Model 2, which has had a few improvements through the years, all the while staying basically the same.

the IIce is a very unassuming speaker when clothed (left), but hides a lot of thoughtful design below the grill cloth

Mr. Vandersteen builds a quality speaker, and has refined the basic design over the years, but has stayed with the same cabinet dimensions, the same type of grill cloth and has not changed the multiple small baffle look first made popular in the designs of earlier speaker magicians, like the Dalquist DQ 10. Although the materials of the cabinet have changed the inner design is also basically the same, consisting of high quality,speakers, although not made of exotic materials, first order crossovers, like those used in the VMPS line of loudspeakers, and attention to the very smallest details.

In the world of high end speakers, this unit, in all its incarnations, is a rock star. I don’t refer to the music with which it is comfortable, but instead the numbers it has sold, almost 200,000 units. That is amazing in anyone’s estimation.

The individual drivers are tweaked, not left in a standard form as many other speakers might be. The midrange has the magnet structure specially shaped so that the back wave does not color the sound. Speaking of back waves, the materials used to help attenuate the back wave from the speaker cones has been chosen to be the perfect complement to each driver. Glass wool was not simply stuffed in the back of each enclosure.

While many manufacturers are content to build enclosures made in a cabinet factory, the Vandersteen models are custom cut from high quality MDF using the CNC method for extreme precision. The best parts are used for the crossovers, and ultra high quality binding posts are used to get the signal from your amp to the speakers.

Like many other quality speakers where the ultimate price is not high, but the quality of workmanship is, these will reveal flaws in sub-par electronics and material easily. These are not speakers to be driven with typical Japanese electronics. On the other hand, they are speakers that will make for a stereo experience that will make you want to listen more, rather than less as years go by. Also, since they are relatively easy to live with aesthetically, there should not be much fuss from the significant others in the audience. If any problem arises, take them to the Vandersteen website, and show them the high quality finishes available for the cabinets - happiness will ensue. While there, you can pick out which speakers you will use to compliment the stereo pair, whether it be 3, 5, or 6 more speakers. (yes, Vandersteen makes a subwoofer!)

The baffle, and in places, the lack of the baffle, is the major part of what gives these speakers their remarkable sound, and allows listening for years without fatigue. The staggered baffle is used for time-alignment of the drivers. What this means is that the sound wave from each speaker is going to reach your ears at the very same time, because the voice coils, the driving part of the speaker, are perfectly in line from top to bottom. The sound is not something that when you hear it you will jump up from the audition seat and say , “By George, those speakers have time-aligned drivers!” - but you might just jump up and say, “These are the best sounding speakers I have ever heard in this price range!”

Oh, and the price range - about $2000 for the pair, depending on finish. Not cheap, but your ears will thank you, over and over through the years. 

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Technorati Tags: Vandersteen - II ce - time alignment - first order crossovers - VMPS - Dalquist DQ 10 - CNC milling - MDF