Round is a Shape

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

2009-05-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie.
Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement.
Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie.
Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement.
Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie.
Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement.
Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie. Go see this movie.
Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement. Glaring endorsement.

My Top 5

2009-03-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

My top 5 favorite movies are a mix of action, drama and sci-fi. Throw in a little comedy and you have a winning recipe.

#5 The Shawshank Redemption
When I watch this movie I almost always get sick to my stomach at the injustice done to Andy Dufresne. From the start of his stay at Shawshank, the delousing powder, the "girls", solitary etc just make feel claustrophobic, smothered. I ache for that guy. Throughout, there are small victories for Andy, which provide me some release. But none is so sweet as the plot he laid to get out. Brilliantly narrrated by Morgan Freeman. A real rollercoaster.

#4 The Usual Suspects
I don't believe I've ever been so hoodwinked. I was terrified by Kaiser Sose. Roger "Verbal" Kint was played brilliantly by Kevin Spacey. (Don't believe me, ask the academy.) Not unlike Shawshank, there was a deep satisfaction as the story unfolded at the end. So, so satisfying.

#3 Forrest Gump
This is just a great show. So quotable. "I know what love is Jenny." "You got new legs Lieutenant Dan." "I must of had me sixteen Dr. Peppers." "I was RUNNING!" Classic, classic, classic. I think the great lesson to be learned from this show is what we all can accomplish if we get our minds out of the way, put our heads down and go all out. Tom Hanks' defining moment.

#2 The Dark Knight
If there is a show that is awesomer than this one, I have not seen it. Action-check. Explosions-check. Great acting-double check. A really good script-check. Me peeing my pants in anticipation of the next scene-check. That sweet mother motorcycle-check. Super glad I saw it on opening night with by boys-a triple check.

#1 Lord of the Rings Trilogy
There is truly not a close second to this series. Not even remotely close. It is all encompassing sweet, sweet awesomeness. From the very beginning I am riveted. It is the greatest good versus evil story ever told. I can still feel the weight of the one ring hung from Frodo's neck. I was terrified at the journey. Bless you JRR and Jackson. Bless you!

The Demo List

2008-12-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

Feeling inspired to get blogging again, I am working on a top 10 list of the greatest home theater demo scenes. I would like to solicit comments from all that read this blog on some potential candidates.

Demo scenes will be judged on audio and video quality, dramatic effect, and overall awesomeness.

I have some good ones so far, but would love some help to make the list truly great.

Thanks.

Plasma vs. LCD Part II

2008-12-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

This is a really great, and short article on Plasma vs LCD. It is that time of year when great deals abound on the HDTV front. This should help you make up your mind on what you should get.

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/179/lcd-or-plasma-hdtvs-which-to-choose/

Triumverate of Systems

2008-08-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

There are few things that I enjoy more than coming home after a long day of work and curling up on the couch or the bed and taking in a few hours of a great tv show, sporting event or movie. Fortunately for me and my family I have stumbled across some incredible deals for my AV systems, and they really perform. The only purpose of this here entry is to detail what equipment I have, what I paid, and my overall evaluation.

Basement System

TV: JVC HD56FH96 56" HD-ILA. This TV is awesome. It is a true 1080p. Color, brightness and resolution aplomb. I just love it with Blu Ray. I just stole this baby at under $1000.

Native Resolution: 1920x1080 3 Chip LCD on Silicone.

Original MSRP: $3490. Price Paid: $920 including shipping from ubid.com.

Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR606. To this day the greatest Fathers Day present I have ever received. What makes it so great is that it has ALL the features that you NEED. Not to mention that Home Theater Magazine named it THE bang for your buck receiver currently out. It's the only receiver on the market with 4 HDMI inputs for under $500.

Original MSRP: $499. Price Paid: $435 from Circuit City.

Speakers: Miller and Kreisel S150-THX Fronts (3), SS150-THX Rears (2), S100B Side Channels (2), MX-70 Subwoofers (2). There is no question that this is the prized possesion in the setup. These babies ROKK. When I was in the Home Theater business I went to CES in Las Vegas in 2001. It is a nerds dream come true. Of all the speakers I heard the M&K were the most accurate and desireable. It is no wonder why Dolby Labs, DTS, Lucasfilm's Skywalker Ranch, and Sony Recording Studios use these exact speakers to master all of their audio tracks. They are that accurate. The one problem was that they're mother expensive. Well that was all solved one day when I was browsing craigslist and found two different people selling their respective systems. I don't think I ever was so excited to go and buy something in my life.

Original MSRP: (Total System) $7600. Price Paid: $885 from craigslist.org.

BluRay Player: Sharp BD-HP20. This baby was given to me by a friend. Image quality is AWESOME on blu-ray, not to mention uncompressed audio formats. If you haven't seen or heard it yet you must, must, must. The only problem so far with blu-ray from a performance standpoint is startup time. I'll usually sit for over a minute waiting for the disk to load. But a wait well worth it. If I was buying one I would get a PS3. Incredible video and audio, and an amazing startup time.

Original MSRP: $499. Price Paid: $0. Thanks Brook!!!

Game System: Nintendo Wii. The Wii is super fun. As an AV component it is miles and miles behind the Xbox and PS3. Don't get me wrong, the fam loves it's Wii. Unfortunately Dad puts a premium on AV and 480p and analog LR audio just doesn't cut it.

MSRP: $400 Price Paid: $400

Living Room System

TV: Hitachi 55HDS69 55" Plasma. So when I bought my new house we were cursed with the dreaded "TV Niche". You know the one all the new homebuilders make for you to put your AV gear. So we were forced to find a cabinet that would fit in the niche and a tv to fit in the cabinet. Fortunately we found a great cabinet and a really great TV that fits perfectly. As far as the TV goes, it is pretty sweet. I found it to be overly sharp on certain sporting events. Fortunately I have a calibration disk and it REALLY helped get everything back to where it should be. Though not a 1080p plasma, it really has a pretty picture...and it's HUGE.

Native Resolution: 1366x768

Original MSRP: $3999 Price Paid: $2300 at Best Buy

Receiver: Denon AVR-1601. Denon receivers are famous for their crystal clear amplifier section. This entry level receiver is no different. I bought this receiver 7 years ago and it is still going strong. Conservatively rated at 65 watts per channel it really can make a speaker sing. A great purchase. Although I think that it produces a better sound than my Onkyo, it lacks the up-to-date connectivity needed for my newer 1080p system downstairs. Currently Denon is getting the beat down from other companies in the video processing department, so if you are in the market for an entry level receiver, you may want to look elsewhere. If the premium is on audio, Denon is almost impossible to beat.

Original MSRP: $399 Price Paid: $340 from Ultimate Electronics

Speakers: Pyle PDIC81RD In Ceiling Speakers (4), Mitsubishi Center Channel, Def Tech Pro Sub 1000. Want to know how to make really mediocre speakers sound awesome? Add a bad ass subwoofer. Seriously, the Def Tech is a really great subwoofer. It has a 10" powered woofer and a 10" passive radiator which acts like another driven woofer in push/pull mode. I have 10' ceilings in my living room and halfway up it moves all that air with NO problem. Speaking of room acoustics, it really astounded me how good this system sounded because of the room. The 10' ceilings and the openness of the room really let the sound expand.

Original MSRP (Total System) $1300. Price Paid: $580 from ubid.com, RC Willey, and Best Buy.

DVD Player: Samsung DVDHD941. Upconverting DVD player. Its ok.

Original MSRP: $199. Price Paid: $34 on ubid.com

Bedroom System

TV: Panasonic CT34WX54. 34" Widescreen Flat Tube HDTV. When I bought this TV I think that my buddy Darren almost crapped his pants when he saw the picture. In it's day it produced one of the most spectacular HD images around. Tube tv's have some great characteristics that make for a great picture. Deep blacks, no motion lag and longevity. Unfortunately in weighs more than a casket and is almost as big. Finding an armoire that fit this behemoth was a task to say the least. A truly great bedroom TV.

Original MSRP: $2499. Price Paid: $1590 from Ultimate Electronics.

HTIB: Philips HTS3544/37. So a few months ago I blogged about the virtues of Home Theater in a Box sytems. I decided to follow my own advice and put one in the bedroom. Mama and I enjoy a late night movie cuddled up in the bed and we were missing some good audio to go along with solid video. The sound is very good, not great, but who would complain with a system that includes a 5.1 sound setup, ipod dock, usb port, upconverting DVD, a host of inputs and a bargain basement price. If you are looking to spruce up a bedroom system or a small living room setup look no further.

Original MSRP: $199. Price Paid: $199 from my local Walmart.

So there you have it. 3 Complete systems that retail for $21,083 combined that I paid a paltry $7683 for. You can do it too.

Putting the Video in AV Receivers

2008-05-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

My apologies to my 2 readers of this blog for not writing anything in 6 months. Just lazy.

However there is a new wave of av receivers that are hitting the market and I have to chime in on them.

With the advent of blu-ray comes a new and exciting field of audio and video possibilities. On the audio front there is Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. These sound codecs are uncompressed audio tracks, unavailable on DVD or otherwise because there was not enough space on the discs for the video and audio to fit. Since blu-ray can have up to 50 gigs of space the discs allow for uncompressed master audio to be fit on the disc. However, if you have an older receiver you will not be able to enjoy the uncompressed master track. Many receivers on the shelves still do not offer dolby or dts' newest technology. Buyer beware. The bit by bit lossless technology is truly remarkable. Any foray to the electronics retailer should include you leaving with the new tech under your arm as you stroll away gleefully.

Now lets talk video.

Everyone knows about HDTV. Aside from resolution differences (720p, 1080p etc) there are also other factors to consider. Without going too, too deep let me stay on task and say that the kind of receiver you elect to purchase will determine the quality of video you end up seeing. I recently read an article in Home Theater Magazine, and they rated the video quality output by various mid to higher end receivers. The differences were pretty shocking. The testers input various types of video signals via digital (HDMI) and analog connections and then they judged how the receiver would process the final output signal. Only 2 receivers were able to pass all of the tests. (One was a $5000 Denon and the other a $1700 Onkyo) Only 6 receivers were tested but represented a good cross section of the market. Both receivers were equipped with a video chip from a company called silicon optix. The others, (mostly with the faroudja DCDI chip) failed at many of the tests. This to me was shocking since I have long considered faroudja one of the best video processing companies around. This does not mean however that the video quality was BAD. It just means that there was some aliasing, ghosting, shadowing and artifacting of the various output signals. Whereas those that passed these test output a signal virtually distortion free. This becomes a bigger deal on larger displays.

Let us not dismay. The new offerings on the AV Receiver front are a true upgrade to what we have been used to in the past 10 years. Not to mention affordable. Onkyo recently launched the TX-SR606, a $500 receiver with not only Dolby TruHD and DTShd, but 4 (4!!!) HDMI 1.3 inputs and a high current amplifier section. This would allow you hook up an Xbox360, PS3, HD-DVR, and whatever else you want all through HDMI (which carries up to 1080p video and lossless audio) and still run just one video lead to your monitor. The days of swapping input sources on your TV would be long gone. Even Grandma could run the thing.

Battle of the FPTV's

2007-12-12T22:01:00.000-08:00

"Oh thou knower of all things electronical, what tis better for me Plasma or LCD?"

Flat panel TV's have been dominating the market in the last couple of years and it's easy to see why. First of all, they look great. Not just resolution wise, but aestetically pleasing as well. Second, the price point allows all kinds of income levels to afford them. And lastly, it's actually difficult to walk into a retailer and find a lot of non-flat panels available.

Which leads to the question of what's best. My answer is always the one that looks best to you.

I was in Target yesterday and took a browse at their TV's. All of them were flat panels. All. And what to my wondering eyes did appear, but that a frickin' Westinghouse LCD dominated all comers with resolution aplomb. Yep, a Westinghouse looked best. Better than the Sony, better than the Phillips, better than the Toshiba. In fact I was so incredulous that I turned them all around to verify that they were all hooked up using the same kind of input. (Coaxials all.) They were. Westinghouse made bad toasters a few years ago. Wow!

Anyways, if you are in the market make sure that you get a good look at what's out there in your budget, and just look at it. You can tell what looks better. But as far as general rules, here are a few.

Plasma
Excellent home theater image quality
Wide viewing angle
Outstanding picture in large sizes
Excel in black level reproduction
No motion blur
Sharp details with HD sources
Burn-in reduction features
Better viewed from afar
Colors can be cartoonish

VS.

LCD

Bright picture even with ambient light
Viewing right in front is best
Available in a range of sizes
Poor black level reproduction
Motion blur/decrease in resolution
Higher native resolutions
Less color saturation than plasma
Can sit closer because of higher resolutions
Colors are very natural

Plasma Facts: After the first 100 hours of use (potential for burn-in), plasmas should be as durable as any television technology. Plasma life span is about 60,000 hours or about 10 years or more.

LCD Facts: Response time for fast motion has been improved with the newer LCD’s. Some brightness and color shifts are visible from outside angles but for the most part, provide a great picture.

Here's a great link if you want a little more juice.

Holiday HT Recommendations

2007-11-27T21:07:00.000-08:00

I am a self-professed expert in a couple of subjects. One is basketball--ok, the NBA really, and the other is home theater. The basketball thing is just an obsession of mine but the HT stuff is not only an obsession but also I used to manage a small home theater operation for a living. It seems especially at this time of year I receive numerous calls and e-mails regarding holiday electronic purchases. This doesn't bother me at all, however the purpose of this post is to lay some blanket rules in order to help you become a little more self sufficient.

Rule #1

HDTV'S are all good.

Seriously. It has been a while since I've seen an HDTV that really sucked. Even Target and Wal-mart are selling nice looking HDTV's.

That being said, this time of year is always the best time to buy. Best Buy is running a 42" Panasonic Plasma for $899. Ultimate has a 50" Samsung Plasma for $1399 and Costco has a JVC 65" 1080p HDILA Rear Projection with stand for $1399! If you can get one and are in the market GO FOR IT!

The only rule of thumb as far as quality is concerned is that you should have heard of the brand before you buy it.

Rule #2

You don't need 1080p.

For one, the human eye can't distinguish a 720p image from a 1080p image on screen sizes less that 42 inches.

Secondly the only native 1080p images come from some video games and some blu-ray discs.

Thirdly, by the time that 1080p becomes the standard HDTV format the TV you are buying today will be broken or totally obsolete.

However if you can get 1080p in a price range you can afford then go for it. I do recommend it if you are going for a screen size of over 60"

Rule #3

Home theater in a box is well worth it.

Although I am not a fan of the integrated dvd player HTIB systems, I have been astounded by the sound quality of the last few HTIB systems I have heard.

Companies like Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo, Sony and Pioneer are making HTIB systems that start around $300 that include a receiver with plenty of power, a good solid subwoofer, and decent satellite speakers. Some have seperate DVD players and some have HDMI inputs on the receiver. The only thing I would look in to would be the number and type of inputs/outputs on the receiver. Make sure there are sufficient for your DVD, Video Game Sys, Sat or Cable box etc.

A couple of years ago I would have advised against the HTIB's and recommended a piece meal system...well times have changed.

Turn off your DSP's

2007-10-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

If you own a home theater receiver chances are that you have several DSP's (Digital Sound Processing)to choose from. Titles of these various soundwreckers include Concert, Jazz, Rock, Classical, Hall, Videogame, etc...
Although I prescribe to the theory that you should do whatever sounds best to you, I am giving a strong advisement to turn them OFF.
When a movie is digitized to DVD, the folks at Dolby Labs and DTS are saddled with the responsibility of preserving the sound of the original theatrical release, and making sure that you the end consumer have an experience closest to sitting at the AMC. (Popcorn and 84 oz. Coke in tote.) This must be done because your surround sound system doesn't have 22 speakers and 4 subwoofers like your nearest IMAX. Your system has between 5-7 speakers and 1 subwoofer. The technicians at Dolby and DTS analyze the sound data and assign each squeak, rattle, whisper, hum, explosion, and breath to a particular speaker at a specific time, all for your listening enjoyment.
When you select a DSP you are raping the integrity of the soundtrack. Circuits onboard your receiver employ a basic algorithm to the original data and the amplifiers spit out filth in return. The original data is not only lost, but even deflowered and impurified. I find it hard to believe that your budget $300 receiver will improve the quality of a soundtrack that took months and sometimes millions of dollars to produce. I realize that most of your are doing this unknowingly and may not have it set up properly in the first place, but can't you tell that it sucks?
Many receivers have a few buttons that give our little problem a quick fix. Look for buttons that say something like "direct", "pure direct" or "DSP OFF". These buttons allow only the original data from your dvd to be amplified and thrust into your earlobes as candy is so frequently thrust down my esophagus. And sweet it will be.
Sweet indeed.

The Nuggets Shooting Woe's to Continue.

2007-07-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

The Denver Nuggets have sucked for so long that their most recent successes have been like sweet nectar to the soul.

So much for that.

With Carmelo Anthony came trips to the playoffs, followed by first round exits. In '03-04 the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs knocked off the nugs in 5. '04-05 brought the hottest team in the league, Minnesota to the Pepsi Center and we went down like a sack of potatoes. '05-06 the ever lowly Clippers embarrassed the sweet and creamy's by dominating the glass and out everything else-ing us. Finally, we met San Antonio just a few months back. Well, you probably remember that debacle.

So what's the theme? Why out in 5? Bad luck in the seedings?

The answer---Shooting. Specifically 3 Point Shooting. Here are some stats.

This year 3pt% in playoffs
Denver 32% vs. San Antonio 38%. (Includes an 0-12 performance from our best shooter JR Smith.)

05-06 3pt%.
Ranked dead last in NBA. .325 (ooouch)

04-05 3pt%.
26th of 30 teams. .340

03-04 3pt%.
21st in NBA. .336

That my friends is tossin' up some bricks.

So here is the list of band-aid 2 guards since Bzdelik walked the sidelines.
Voshon Lenard, Jon Barry, DerMarr Johnson, Rodney White, Greg Buckner, Wes Person, Julius Hodge, Linas Kleiza, Earl Boykins, Bryon Russell, Ruben Patterson, Howard Eisley, JR Smith, Yakhouba Diawara, Anthony Carter, Allen Iverson and the recently signed Chucky Atkins.

That's one frickin pathetic list. Outside of Person, Lenard and Barry, I can't see any actual shooters on this roll call of 30% bombers.

Now I realize that the likes of Ray Allen, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Redd, Gilbert Arenas, Peja Stojakovic etc come at a great price, and that there are only so many of them out there. But our team is one of 6 over the cap teams this year. So it's not for lack of spending by the ownership.

So we might have the mid-level exception at best. The following players made over 75 3's last year and shot at over 40%.
Raja Bell, Mike Miller, Leandro Barbosa, Luther Head, Shane Battier, Kyle Korver, Brent Barry, Anthony Parker, Bostjan Nachbar, Matt Carroll, Jason Kapono, Cuttino Mobley, Ime Udoka, and Eddie House.

(I know for a fact that Udoka is available right now. This guy did the best job of gettin' in Melo's head all year on the defensive end, and he can stroke it from outside.)

You're telling me that none of these guys are available at the mid level or less? You're telling me that the answer is Chucky frickin'Atkins? I thought we traded away Earl Boykins because there weren't enough basketballs around for AI, Melo and Boykins. Now you get ballhog Chucky Atkins? I'm sorry--do you think you'll turn him into a distributer and spot up shooter?

So right now I'm waiting. Waiting to see if the nuggets brass will pull their heads out.

It looks like a mess right now.

Let's hope for a .500 record and .35 from the arc.