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We Now Return You To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming
Sun Nov 15, 2009 at 07:00 PM ET
High-Def Digest is back on the job after some unexpected technical difficulties!
You probably noticed problems with the site over the last few days. High-Def Digest experienced intermittent website outages caused by a cyber attack. (Editor's Note: I'm not convinced Michael Bay wasn't retaliating for our 'Transformers 2' review).
Our troubleshooting team has resolved the issue, and the site should now be functioning normally. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and apologize for the inconvenience caused by this attack.
We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.
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FoxPop Debuts for 'Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'
Thu Nov 12, 2009 at 11:00 AM ET
Fox will debut a new application for iPhone and PC that will sync with movies and offer information as well as social activity.
Remember that VH1 show Pop up Video, where little facts and tidbits assaulted the screen while music videos played? Twentieth Century Fox does, and they’re bringing it to Blu-ray. It’s not a new concept, and certainly we’ve seen pop up trivia on DVD and Blu-ray before, but by using the iPhone or PC, Fox is eliminating the screen clutter.
After downloading FoxPop on an iPhone or PC and starting the program, users can simply play a compatible Blu-ray disc or DVD and FoxPop will automatically sync up using audio cues. From there, the program will pop up with trivia about the movie and offer insight into each scene, from the filming location to the name of the song in the background.
Additionally, FoxPop will provide Facebook and Twitter access, and let viewers share and chat with friends while watching the movie.
Mary Daily, EVP of Marketing at Fox, says that the new application will create a new, powerful connection between a film and its viewers. She also adds, “FoxPop furthers our commitment to providing consumers with the most exceptional home entertainment experience possible.”
FoxPop will be available on December 1st, right alongside the release of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.
Watch for further coverage of FoxPop later today!
Have YOU become a fan of the High-Def Digest Facebook page?
Fri Oct 02, 2009 at 02:00 PM ET
Fall is here, the leaves are changing, big Blu-rays releases are hitting stores, and there's a party raging on Facebook. Oh, and guess what? YOU'RE INVITED!
Check out the High-Def Digest Page on Facebook, become a fan, and spread the word, so you and your friends can always find the best Blu-ray and high-def reviews online.
Our Facebook page is still going strong! We're gaining new fans with each passing month, and we'd love you to join in the fun. In addition to our reviews and priceless witticisms, we use the page as one more way of spreading the word about the best high-def releases on the market.
If you haven't joined yet, you can check it out here and become a fan.
Hope to see you there soon!
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Reminder: iNetVideo.com Special Giveaway!
Fri Sep 18, 2009 at 04:00 PM ET
As a thank you to their High-Def Digest customers, iNet Video is awarding prizes - including $250 in gift certificates and 10 Blu-rays - to 15 winners!
This week we have an incredible giveaway sponsored by iNetVideo.com!
Grand Prize- $100 gift certificate to iNetvideo.com
2nd & 3rd place $50 gift certificate to iNetvideo.com
4th & 5th place $25 gift certificate to iNetVideo.com
6th - 15th place Your choice of 1 of 3 Blu-Rays discs
3 Blu ray choices for free giveaway (10 prizes where winners get to choose 1 of 3 bluray titles)
Get all the details and sign up here!
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HDD Production Focus: HD Makes Indies Like 'Greener Mountains' Possible
Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 02:45 PM ETTags: Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
High-Def Digest takes a look at high-def production and the way it's helped independent companies like Waterfall Films launch professional productions with limited budgets.
by Michael S. Palmer
Popcorn pops. Lights dim. A screen illuminates. And the sound soars. No, friends, you aren’t at the multiplex. You’re at home, sinking into your favorite chair with family and friends. Perhaps there’s a projector, or maybe a shiny new LCD you just snagged at Best Buy.
Home theater in high definition, a modern wonder that nearly rivals the cinema experience, allowing you to devour high-def content from satellite, cable, downloads, and the current king of resolution kings: Blu-ray.
But have you ever wondered how all this high definition goodness ends up on your screens? Ever watched a terrible flick and said to yourself, I don’t know how to do it, but I could sure as blazes do better than THAT!
Many do. And thanks to emerging technology, the ability to tell a visual story is readily accessible. Yet, for some, a short film on YouTube isn’t enough. These ambitious folks want need to make a *film* destined for the big screen and home theater.
And so begins our tale of two friends, Adam Selkowitz and Hector Hill. Actors by trade, living in Los Angeles, they wanted the same thing everyone in tinsel town wants: more control. Not for ego’s sake, but in order to create the kind of movies they passionately wanted to make. Their dreams lead to the creation of Waterfall Films in 2002, with Hill penning the company’s first script. Two full years of backbreaking work followed as they gathered just over $1 Million dollars to make 'Greener Mountains,' a charming family film about a young man who learns age old lessons about the importance of home and remaining true to one’s self.
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An interesting side note: the two actors didn’t perform in their own movie. By this time, they were Producers. And for those who don’t understand all those mysterious “Produced By” credits up on the screen, don’t fret. Produceris a difficult job to categorize, because it’s all encompassing. Directors often get an author-like “Film by” credit for their work, and while that’s a topic worthy of debate, many times it’s simply not true. Producers are energetic, hardworking individuals who build movies from the ground up. One-part storyteller, in helping writers make their scripts work better. One-part salesman, in finding financing through Hollywood studios or independent means. And one-part general, as they're the ones who hire directors and along with that director, the cast and crew.
So Selkowitz and Hill have a million dollars. Gosh, that sounds great. Time to make your epic. Only in the feature film world, a million dollars, sadly, doesn’t go that far. For perspective, an hour-long (which is really only 44 minutes) prime time television drama can cost over $2 Million per episode, or direct-to-video sequels/remakes can cost anywhere from $3-5 Million each.
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That leaves our first-time producers in a situation where they can make their dreams come true, but they need to be smart and economical with their funds. Which obviously leads to the question: shoot Greener Mountains in high definition video, or on traditional 16 or 35mm film?
Many think HD vs. Film is an easy choice. That HD is a vastly cheaper medium than film stock, which is misleading, says Selkowitz. It’s nothing grand like half-off, but the producers figured they eventually saved about 10% by choosing HD. This may not seem like a whole lot, but imagine being able to buy 10% more groceries every week for the same price. Further, the old independent film standby, 16mm, looks terrible on Blu-ray, thanks to grain that's twice the size of 35mm film, though newer film stocks are trying to fix this issue.
What was the deciding factor that landed Waterfall in the HD camp? Selkowitz did do a cost comparison, which showed potential for savings, but it wasn’t money. Well, not exactly. It was his experienced crew.
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Not all DPs, or Directors of Photography, are created equal. And those less capable might more easily succumb to high definition’s limitations, such as “blown out” (overexposed) whites. Hill and Selkowitz found HD pros by attracting the talent of four time Emmy® Nominee Lee Shallat Chemel, who at the time was directing Fox’s 'Arrested Development,' which was already being made in HD. Chemel brought in her ace DP, Greg Harrington. Together, Chemel and Harrington convinced Waterfall that HD was the best choice.
The odd fact of course regarding the savings is that it’s not what you’re shooting on, or even literally what you are filming that is the most expensive commodity in filmmaking. It’s time. Every minute or day wasted in low budget movies comes right off the finished, final product. But with HD, recorded to tape, Waterfall Films was able to shoot an entire feature film in only 23 days. Compare that to the months typical Hollywood studio pictures take to complete. HD, Selkowitz says, allows you to be versatile (catch up, change directions) and even integrate different levels of HD with greater ease (such as a consumer HD camcorder).
'Greener Mountains' was shot with Sony’s F900 camera (now part of the CineAlta series) utilizing Panavision film lenses, which George Lucas used for 'Star Wars Episode II' (the first major motion picture to be shot 100% digitally), Robert Rodriguez used for 'Sin City,' and most recently, Michael Mann used for his period crime epic, 'Public Enemies.' Although the film is currently available only on standard definition DVD*, the results are impressive, with much of the credit going to DP Harrington who, with a loyal camera assistant in their own free time, captured various “insert shots” and material for the opening title sequence. There’s some marvelous early morning nature photography on display.
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Much of the movie actually looks like film, rather than HD, which brought up an interesting conversation with Selkowitz. Since the rise of digital video/editing a decade ago, is it surprising that digital cinema, or high definition in general, is embraced not for its own intrinsic qualities, but rather its ability to emulate film? Think about it. Every “widescreen” YouTube short wants to be the next 'Pulp Fiction,' or 'Star Wars.' Add to this many televisions that can display 24P (which matches the 24 frames-per-second rate at which film runs through a projector).
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The zenith of story telling aesthetics, at this time, remains that film look, which makes the work of directors like Michael Mann, who has shot HD for 'Collateral,' 'Miami Vice,' and 'Public Enemies,' stand alone. Mann’s movies are clearly video, which aesthetically may not work for some viewers because it doesn’t have that film feeling. With classics like 'The Wizard of Oz' approaching their 70th anniversaries, it’s no wonder the feeling of watching film is so ingrained in our culture and subconscious. The question remains, how much longer will this last?
As for 'Greener Mountains,' Selkowitz spoke of the need in the Indie world, when trying to obtain that elusive, coveted “theatrical distribution” (plays in movie theatres), to help any potential distributor feel like they have a film in their hands, regardless of the original medium. Otherwise, your movie is destined for the small screen.
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Selkowitz is fully in the HD camp now (he’s open to film, but will most likely lean towards HD productions). In addition to on set bonuses, the postproduction process is streamlined in the always-digital pipeline, not to mention through color correction, the ability to achieve just about any desired aesthetic. Yet, despite its wonders, Selkowitz cautions first-timers of HD’s limitations. The key to taking advantage of this impressive technology is finding and listening to experts in the medium, as HD can be much less forgiving than film. For example, in trying to tweak one night scene, Selkowitz spoke of the challenge trying to bring out areas of the screen where the video camera had not recorded enough information (definition). In film, with its millions of grains versus the thousands of pixels in HD, it would have been easier to improve upon an image that appeared too light or dark.
Regardless of its challenges, the all-digital High Definition motion picture has been evolving over the last decade and is here to stay. Thanks to its inherent flexibility both in production, postproduction, and distribution, high-def is a key factor in allowing independent filmmakers to bring their cinematic dreams to both the large and small silver screens.
*(editor's Note - 'Greener Mountains' is currently only available to own on DVD, but be on the lookout for future HD broadcasts on StarzHD. A Blu-ray or HD digital download may eventually be in the works, depending on the domestic and foreign distributors wants/needs.)
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'Deadlands 2: Trapped' on… HD-DVD??!!
Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 02:15 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements (all tags)
You heard that correctly. Anthem Films is bringing Gary Ugarek's indie zombie film to the defunct format in a limited edition.
'Deadlands 2: Trapped' will be released on HD-DVD on October 27. What makes the release special is that it will come with a numbered certificate of authenticity and will be limited to 500 copies.
This not only makes the release the last title to make its way to the deceased format, but will also make it a highly sought-after collectible.
Gary Ugarek has this to say about his release:
“Over the last 18 months, since HD DVD’s demise, I and a small group of HD DVD enthusiasts have scoured every part of the planet trying to obtain the left over releases of HD DVD material. We were early adopters of the format and still feel to this day the format shouldn’t have been left to die off. So I set out to do some research and realized the following:
During HD DVD’s release, over 1,000,000 player units were sold and over 800 titles were released for the format. At the end of its tenure the market penetration still remained strong, and the format built a dedicated fan base."
"So I set out to see if these HD DVD owners would be interested in a brand new release. I presented all the information about the film, gave them access and links to trailers, the press kit and the technical aspects… and you know what… THEY LOVED THE IDEA. The feedback was unbelievable. Within 36 hours of putting the question out there, I received over 200+ emails, within 96 hours 380+ requests from HD DVD fans asking me to make this happen."
"I presented the idea to Anthem Pictures, the distributor, and they liked it, and immediately jumped behind it.”
“Some people thought I was flat out nuts and were asking, why HD DVD? Are you not a Blu-Ray supporter? I answered I am, but when you have a dedicated fan base for a format, like HD-DVD does, and you see the passion of its supporters I immediately knew I wanted to do this for the fans. I want to give them something special.”
“I had been asked by the fans to include something about how I made a micro/low budget zombie film, and what my experiences were, what hoops and hurdles I had to overcome, and I though sure, why not.”
“I know it’s a gamble with HD DVD having lost out on the format war, but based on feedback from HD DVD fans we expect this to be a huge moment for them, the film and HD DVD. Kind of ironic that a zombie film would be helping HD DVD try to come back from the dead, even if for a short period of time, but who knows, if the program is a success maybe other indie filmmakers and distributors can do something similar for the HD DVD fans and keep it alive for the hard core.”
Specs are still unknown for the HD-DVD, but supplements include both the Unrated & Original Work Print versions, director's commentary, work print commentary, featurette on indie filmmaking from the director's POV, featurette on the theatre cineplex location, and more!
Most of the supplements will be exclusive to the HD-DVD version as well.
Suggested price for the HD-DVD has been set at $29.95 plus shipping and handling, and it can be pre-ordered here.
You can find the latest specs for 'Deadlands 2: Trapped' linked from our HD-DVD Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 27.
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- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Deadlands 2: Trapped (HD DVD)
Have YOU Become A Fan of The High-Def Digest Facebook Page?
Wed Sep 02, 2009 at 04:30 PM ET
There's a party raging on Facebook, and you're invited! Check out the High-Def Digest Page on Facebook, become a fan, and spread the word, so you and your friends can always find the best Blu-ray and high-def reviews online.
Our Facebook page has been going strong for the last few months, and we'd love you to become a fan and join in the fun. In addition to our reviews and priceless witticisms, we use the page as one more way of spreading the word about the best high-def releases on the market.
If you haven't joined yet, you can check it out here and become a fan.
Hope to see you there soon!
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A Cost-Conscious Renters Guide For Building Your High-Def Home Theater
Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 04:30 PM ETTags: HD Gear, High-Def Retailing, Michael S. Palmer (all tags)
High-Def Digest walks you through a series of tips and tricks for putting together an impressive high-def home theater setup that won't break the bank or cost you your deposit!
By Michael S. Palmer
“I live in apartments. Two story town homes. Condos. Even houses. I live alone. I have roommates. I am single. I am married. I live in the top floor. I live in the basement. I have neighbors above, below, and next-door.
Hello, my name is Renter. And I am an HD-junkie.”
Hello Renter,
It starts so innocently. I know. You see an HDTV for the first time -- maybe in a store, maybe at a friend’s home -- and you know you want it. No… you can’t possibly live without it. Bright and clear and seemingly perfect.
So you pick up a new HDTV, bring in an HD-DVR from your cable or satellite provider, and bam, you’re up and running. Only not. The truth of the matter is that TV speakers are lifeless, and high-def from your cable company isn't always as top notch as you might like it to be (think 720p). Oh, and now that you have a big screen you notice that DVDs aren’t quite as sharp as they used to be. Yep. It’s time for Blu-ray. And dynamic speakers.
In a utopian paradise, this is where you would draw up blueprints, rip out walls, build a soundproof, acoustically magnificent, room-within-a-room, and come home every night to a dedicated home theatre. A 1080p projector shines on a 150-inch screen. Audio and video cables hide in your walls. And your seats are those D-Box Motion Code recliners where you literally sit ON the subwoofer.
But sadly, Renters, you don’t have free reign. You live in an apartment directly over the building managers (an aging couple who need to shout their conversations because they’re both deaf, yet somehow, you tip-toeing across your floor they can hear). You put down expensive deposits and you hope to get most of it back. And you’re not even ready for the ultimate system, because who has many thousands of extra dollars sitting around, collecting dust?
Hello, real world.
But Renter, this shouldn’t stop you from having an amazing home theatre. When you’re ready to dip your toe in the HD waters, try these steps and cost-saving tips. Done right, and with a wee bit of luck, you’ll do this under budget and without forfeiting your deposit.
STEP 1: PREP
RESEARCH: Scour the internet. There are tons of forums, blogs, and audio/visual recources to help you out. All online. Available for free. Peak around, find the ones you like, then read product reviews, ratings, and recommendations. Learn prices, technical specs, and what you might want (Satellite, bookshelf, or floor-standing speakers? How many HDMI inputs do you need? What about audio? 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound?).
SET AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL FOR YOUR BUDGET: As an example, let’s say we want to watch 1080p HD video on Blu-ray, play video games, and experience the sonic firepower of uncompressed digital audio in surround sound. But shopping for HD home theatre gear can be like house hunting -- never fall in love with something you can’t afford. And the great news is there’s a system for just about every budget. So, find a comfortable number, and stick to it. That’s your ceiling. End of discussion.
TV TIP: To truly enjoy 1080p video, you need two things: a capable TV, and a screen large enough for your viewing distance. The home theatre gods over at THX have some great advice. For a cinema feel, avoid smaller than 50 or 60 inches, if possible.
A/V RECEIVER TIP: Research receivers’ THD (Total Harmonic Distortion), which is noise/static caused as volume increases. You want a rating between .01% - .08%.
DEMO BEFORE YOU BUY: Speakers aren’t universally appealing to everyone’s ears. Certain receivers are more for music reproduction, others are more geared towards cinephiles. You need to test everything in person. Decide for yourself what sounds best to you. This is a big purchase. And you need to live with it and hopefully love it for a very long time.
DEMO TIP: Bring your own media, both music and movies that you know and love, which have wide dynamic ranges (low, midrange, and high notes), and active surround sound effects. And don’t be disappointed if you can’t get a multi-channel surround test of every system. If you find a front pair that you love, you’ll probably enjoy the center and surrounds from that same brand/model line.
WHERE TO DEMO: You have THREE options. Harass friends who already have gear in your price range, walk into a Big Box Store (Best Buy etc.), or find a home theatre specialist/custom installer.
BIG BOX STORES vs. HOME THEATRE SPECIALIST: Renter, can you walk into Best Buy, find a sales associate, give him or her a budget, and walk out with a middle to high end surround sound set up? Definitely. I’ve met many Best Buy/Magnolia employees who are passionate and knowledgeable (also, they do not work for commission), but you still need to walk in knowing your stuff.
For my hard-earned dollar, after one great experience with a smaller, boutique, professional installer, you’ll never go back. Not only can they match and beat prices in the big box stores, but you’re often dealing directly with the owner who can actually make deals. And, in our troubling times, it feels pretty damned good helping out Main Street over a mega-corporation.
Specialists and installers live for home theatre. They have to, or they go out of business. They’ll introduce you to brands you didn’t see in your research, and they often know more about what you actually need, than what you think you need, which saves you money. Big box stores seem driven to push you up into better more expensive models, where a specialist wants to give you exactly what you need for the money and space you have.
HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE HOME THEATRE SPECIALIST: Fire up one or more of those audio/visual forum you found during research. Reach out to enthusiasts in your community for personal recommendations. Remember to always search for any question you have before posting a new one. And don’t worry if some specialty places are snobby when you’re not spending mega-bucks. You’ll just leave. The smart ones know a young renter purchasing his first system will want to come back to buy the bigger system someday if he’s satisfied.
STEP 2: SAVING GREEN
RECYCLE GEAR: What do you have that can be used in the new system? Maybe you have a receiver that’s a couple years old, or some leftover bookshelf speakers suitable for your rear surround sounds.
KNOW YOUR COSTS: Find the cheapest price online, and use that as your starting line for haggling. If a retailer won’t beat the price, walk away.
BUY THE WHOLE SYSTEM AT ONCE: The more you buy, the more a retailer can toss in free accessories, or overall discounts. When you’re ready to have a complete surround sound system. Take the plunge.
CASH: Credit Cards charge companies for their services. If you pay by cash or check, some retailers are willing to pass the savings onto you.
LAST YEAR’S GEAR: Retailers are always getting in newer models. If you play it right, or just happen to be lucky, a retailer will give you a discount on last year’s gear to clear out their storerooms.
FLOOR MODELS: Wouldn’t recommend this for HDTVs, given the amount of in-store abusage, but definitely check out available demo speakers. They’re probably the exact system you just evaluated and loved. The trick here is to see how the store maintains and cares for its equipment. If everything looks up to par, take them home (they usually come with a full manufacturers warranty).
WHERE NOT TO CHEAP OUT: Put money into your center channel. In movies especially, so much information is delivered from that one speaker.
NECESSARY POWER WATTAGE: Do you really need 130 or 140watts per channel? Speaking from a personal experience, a home theatre specialist recommended a receiver with 100watts/channel for my apartment. So I dropped down to a less powerful unit, and saved hundreds of dollars. And believe me, I haven’t even begun to turn my system up to full strength, yet it’s deafeningly loud and showing no signs of strain or distortion.
SUBWOOFER OPTIONAL?: This one goes out to my cousin, Apartment Building Renter. If you live above someone, they probably won’t enjoy thundering bass exploding over their heads and shaking their walls. Save a few hundred bucks by finding floor-standing front speakers that have BUILT-IN subwoofers (Definitive Technology is one company that does this). They won’t be quite as powerful as a stand-alone sub, but they come pretty close.
5.1 IS STILL AWESOME: 7.1 is all the rage in Blu-ray capabilities, but let’s be clear here. Stay at a very immersive 5.1 set up, and you just saved on the cost of two speakers, and the hassle of running two more speaker lines. Further, 7.1 is not a consistent feature on Blu-rays, and if you run a 5.1-mixed movie on your 7.1 system, no sound will come out of the two rear speakers (unless you activate you’re a/v receiver’s artificial signal processing to do so. But why would you want to alter a professional, uncompressed mix? An amazing team of artists worked long hours to make the 5.1 perfect.).
ACCESSORY MARK UP: Do not buy Monster Cables, or any brand for that matter in a big box store (even Radio Shack). It’s literally like burning money. Truck on over to Monoprice.com. They have everything from HDTV wall mounts, speaker wire, HDMI cables, and surge protectors, at wholesale prices.
MORE INTERNET SHOPPING: Renters, we need to share our love for Amazon.com. Nine times out of ten, their prices are significantly lower than brick and mortar big box stores (Blu-rays especially). If you can’t find a deal for the gear that you loved, order it online. Many items have free shipping, and (in California at least) it’s TAX FREE. The only trouble is being able to hold back that “I want it now” temptation of going to a store.
PS3: Want Blu-ray (with every HD Audio codec supported including DTS-MA, Dolby TrueHD, and Linear PCM), DVD playback, media server / internet capabilities, and access to truly life-like games? It’s all in one system. The PS3. Hands down the fastest, most capable Blu-ray player on the market for its price. One drawback, however, is that it doesn’t have streaming capabilities for things like Hulu or Netflix (without 3rd party software), but hopefully this is only temporary.
HD AUDIO TIP: If you do get a PS3, to experience uncompressed audio, you need an a/v receiver that has at the very least 1 HDMI input, and 1 HDMI output. But you’ll probably want more inputs for other/future devices.
STEP 3: FAMILY FRIENDLY & CALIBRATE, CALIBRATE, CALIBRATE
FAMILY FRIENDLY (AKA, GIRLFRIEND PROOF): Sorry ladies, but let’s be honest, pure terror ran across my mother’s or girlfriend’s faces when they saw 8 remotes on a coffee table. Take a bit of that money you saved, and get a computer programmable universal remote. The Logitech Harmony series is cheap for beginners, and easy to program/use on a daily basis. Problem solved (marriage saved).
PS3 REMOTE TIP: Logitech now has an accessory to run the PS3 with their Harmony remotes. You’ll need this because the PS3 game controllers and remote (sold separately) use Bluetooth.
CALIBRATION: It’s running. It looks and sounds good, but Renter, time to make your system hit peak performance, for which you have two options. Hire a professional (best results, but expensive), or do it yourself (cheap, but might not be perfect). If you can live with ‘good enough’, you can pick up a calibration disc like DVE HD Basics for under $20, or if you happen to have a Blu-ray with the THX logo, one of the menu options will be a calibration process called the “THX Optimizer.” Another good choice is Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark. Simple and easy to achieve great picture and perfect sound.
SPEAKER PLACEMENT TIP: Thanks again, THX.
SPEAKER WIRE TIP: Since you can’t run wires through walls, your best bet is to hide audio wires under a rug, along the floorboard, or behind bookshelves/furniture. Another (more expensive) option is to get wireless system for the surrounds, so there aren’t any rear wires. There are drilling and other installation options as well, but again the costs are high, and you have to fix it all before you leave. You can always have whatever you want. It’s just never free.
SETTING THE CROSSOVER TIP: It’s important when you have a subwoofer to tell the receiver, even if you have floor-standing speakers, that you have small speakers. This ensures that the subwoofer will handle the lower frequencies (usually below 80Hz).
NEIGHBOR FRIENDLY: There are certainly an infinite number of tiny tweaks you can make, but we’re renting, and living in the real world. This is just about getting you started. But, it’s very important as you are testing out and enjoying your cinematic wunderkind (side tangent: in addition to rolling out the red carpet for Blu-rays, try watching sports or playing your favorite video game in surround sound. You’ve been missing half the experience) to turn it up and talk to your neighbors. Is the sound or the bass bleeding through a little or a lot? Learn your limitations and be respectful, because some day you could live next to someone who never sleeps, and spent more money than you on speakers.
Good luck, and enjoy. I never knew how much of the music or movies I was missing until I purchased my first surround system that included floor-standing front speakers. And as for the best review my system ever received? My girlfriend lost 50% of the hearing in her right ear a few years ago, but these speakers are so clear she can actually hear in both ears.
Remember, Renter, you are not alone in your addictions, and this is only the first step in your home theatre journey.
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Michael Jackson Dead at 50
Thu Jun 25, 2009 at 06:50 PM ET
The Associated Press, CNN, and the Los Angeles Times are reporting that Michael Jackson has died after being taken to the hospital following cardiac arrest.
The winner of 13 Grammy Awards, Jackson is perhaps best known for the album 'Thriller,' which remains the best-selling album of all time.
Information is still coming in regarding the exact cause of the singer's death. He was set to launch a three year comeback tour beginning next month.
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Farrah Fawcett Dead at 62
Thu Jun 25, 2009 at 04:00 PM ETTags: Death Announcements (all tags)
After a long fight with cancer, Farrah Fawcett has passed away.
The five-time Golden Globe-nominated actress is best known for her brief stint on the original 'Charlie's Angels' and her famous pin-up poster that sold millions of copies.
The actress passed away Thursday morning at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California with partner Ryan O'Neal and best friend Alana Stewart by her bedside. She was 62.
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