Anyone else experience a period of audio dropouts during "Lost" last night? This happened during one of the "Locke"-Sawyer scenes. Lasted about 5 minutes and then went away, but it did obstruct some key dialog. Anyone else have this problem?


It was fine on our cable

Well, it's good to know it wasn't at my end. When the problems were not present, the sound was awesome, particularly the music and effects during a couple of the early "Locke" scenes.

It was fine on our cableInteresting...so it wasn't a problem on Charter? I have DirecTV and I know Joe has DISH. Maybe this is an issue where these guys are picking up the KDNL signal?

On Dish they were extremely short dropouts and might have gone unnoticed.

I agree -- they were basically "one-word" dropouts. Unfortunately some pretty important words seemed to be lost (no pun intended).

I understand what you're saying, but the term "real 3D" is misleading. Auto-stereoscopic 3D is no more "real 3D" than the 3D provided by passive or active shutter glasses. It's also much, much further into the future, and probably will have limited screen size options for even longer. I agree that the need to wear glasses may be a huge obstacle for mass adoption, but remember that people are embracing 3D in a big way at the theaters, and all commercial 3D cinemas use glasses. Waiting for your definition of "real 3d" may entail a very long wait. I only go to commercial theaters for 3D these days, and I won't wait. I plan to be watching movies in 3D at home within a year.
I guess we'll find out soon enough. I prefer not to use a 4 month trend in 3d movie viewership for a couple of blockbuster films as an indicator for long-term general market adoption. I think there are simply too many factors being conveniently ignored by some people who will put up with complexity to watch TV.

A good number of "typical" Americans bought HDTV's because of reasons that have little to do HD's benefits: government mandated ATSC adoption and existing aging TV's. HDTV adoption in early 2008 was <25%. That's after HDTVs had been on the market for 10 years. Now it's about 66% of the market. That's a LOT of new TVs that have been bought in 2 years. I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say that those HDTV purchases in the past 2 years had more to do with the digital conversion than the beautiful images that HD brings to the viewer. How do people believe there will be such a big market for these new 3d sets?

Most Americans don't have media rooms dedicated to watching movies or TV. They/We watch our uncalibrated TV on our couches with the lights on and curtains open, using standard TV speakers. Often times we watch movies to simply relax. Some of us fall asleep mid-movie. How expensive are those 3d glasses, again? I hope they don't break easily.

Extrapolating the success of Avatar 3d in perfectly calibrated movie theaters where the viewers are excited about a well-hyped film, a well-hyped 3d experience, and deeply focused on the film (for the 3d "experience"), to massive 3d tv adoption worldwide that won't have the benefits of mandated adoption like ATSC did just baffles me. And within 2 years of most Americans just purchasing their HDTVs (many of which were 720p sets, no less...)? Sorry - I just don't see it happening.

Just wanted to pipe in to say that I agree with much of this, though I do think a significant chunk of those people buying an HDTV in the last 2 years used the switchover as an "excuse" to get something they already knew they wanted. And I think even the more passive buyers have quickly come to appreciate the HD experience. I base this on my experiences with a number of senior households who were initially lukewarm, at best.

However, I completely take exception to the idea that movie theaters are well-calibrated. I wish that were true, but the main reason I don't go to movies is the picture and sound quality is wildly variable from theater to theater and screen to screen. If you are looking for a theater that attempts to follow standards and keep things looking right, look for a THX theater.

There are only two THX-certified cinemas in St. Louis:

Des Peres Theatre
12701 Manchester
St. Louis, MO 63131 USA
Tel. 314 822-2463

St. Charles 18
1830 S. First Capitol Drive
St. Charles, MO 63303 USA
Tel. 314-822-2463

Here's a link to search for THX Cinemas:

http://www.thx.com/professional/cinema-certification/


I guess we'll find out soon enough. I prefer not to use a 4 month trend in 3d movie viewership for a couple of blockbuster films as an indicator for long-term general market adoption. I think there are simply too many factors being conveniently ignored by some people who will put up with complexity to watch TV.

A good number of "typical" Americans bought HDTV's because of reasons that have little to do HD's benefits: government mandated ATSC adoption and existing aging TV's. HDTV adoption in early 2008 was <25%. That's after HDTVs had been on the market for 10 years. Now it's about 66% of the market. That's a LOT of new TVs that have been bought in 2 years. I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say that those HDTV purchases in the past 2 years had more to do with the digital conversion than the beautiful images that HD brings to the viewer. How do people believe there will be such a big market for these new 3d sets?

Most Americans don't have media rooms dedicated to watching movies or TV. They/We watch our uncalibrated TV on our couches with the lights on and curtains open, using standard TV speakers. Often times we watch movies to simply relax. Some of us fall asleep mid-movie. How expensive are those 3d glasses, again? I hope they don't break easily.

Extrapolating the success of Avatar 3d in perfectly calibrated movie theaters where the viewers are excited about a well-hyped film, a well-hyped 3d experience, and deeply focused on the film (for the 3d "experience"), to massive 3d tv adoption worldwide that won't have the benefits of mandated adoption like ATSC did just baffles me. And within 2 years of most Americans just purchasing their HDTVs (many of which were 720p sets, no less...)? Sorry - I just don't see it happening.

I agree -- they were basically "one-word" dropouts. Unfortunately some pretty important words seemed to be lost (no pun intended).

I monitored up until about 8:20 in stereo and didn't catch any drop outs. Can anyone isolate a time period to help me troubleshoot?

I monitored up until about 8:20 in stereo and didn't catch any drop outs. Can anyone isolate a time period to help me troubleshoot?

I'll take a look later, Jim. I known once it happened when Locke and Sawyer were in the "cave," which would be near the end of the episode. I'll try to narrow it down on the Dish recording.

Right, it was definitely happening when "Locke" and Sawyer were in the cave. I'm hustling out the door in a few hours for a trip to Detroit and Chicago, but will try to have a look if Joe doesn't beat me to it before I go.

Just wanted to pipe in to say that I agree with much of this, though I do think a significant chunk of those people buying an HDTV in the last 2 years used the switchover as an "excuse" to get something they already knew they wanted. And I think even the more passive buyers have quickly come to appreciate the HD experience. I base this on my experiences with a number of senior households who were initially lukewarm, at best.

However, I completely take exception to the idea that movie theaters are well-calibrated. I wish that were true, but the main reason I don't go to movies is the picture and sound quality is wildly variable from theater to theater and screen to screen. If you are looking for a theater that attempts to follow standards and keep things looking right, look for a THX theater.

There are only two THX-certified cinemas in St. Louis:

Des Peres Theatre
12701 Manchester
St. Louis, MO 63131 USA
Tel. 314 822-2463

St. Charles 18
1830 S. First Capitol Drive
St. Charles, MO 63303 USA
Tel. 314-822-2463

Here's a link to search for THX Cinemas:

http://www.thx.com/professional/cinema-certification/

Yes, most movie theaters I go to can't come close to matching my home theater in terms of picture or sound. When I saw Avatar at the Ronnie's, then later saw some clips on HDTV at home, it was obvious to me that the quality of what I saw on my screen was far superior. Now, that's a regular digital cinema 3D display at the Ronnie's, not IMAX. That's why I'm so anxious to see Avatar at home when 3D projectors become available. I think it will outdo the non-IMAX theatrical experience by a wide margin.

I agree that 3D at home may fall flat. There are any number of reasons why it might. It has a few things going for it, though:

1. Several of Hollywood's major players are behind it. That won't make or break 3D, but having little to no support from those people would doom it.
2. Although I'm certain (as an early adopter) to pay more for 3D at the start, it shouldn't cost a lot more to build it into displays. It's digital technology that's not that much different than what we have with current 2D displays. Of course, in the beginning, 3D is likely to appear in higher end displays, but the technology can trickle down quickly and inexpensively. The same is true for the 3D Blu-ray players themselves. They won't cost that much more to manufacture than 2D ones. (Sony has already announced prices for some 3D Blu-ray players, and it plans to offer a firmware upgrade to the PS3 to make it 3D capable.)
3. 3D Blu-ray discs will be backwards compatible with older Blu-ray players. That means no double inventories of 3D and 2D versions of movies. One size fits all is good business.

The climate feels right. It seems like 3D has a legitimate shot at going mainstream this time around. As Doug implies, some people may "fall into 3D by accident," when it's just another feature on some TV sets and Blu-ray players they already have. HD audio is such a feature. I suspect many people are watching their Blu-ray discs with a single HDMI connection to an HDTV. Some discover, much to their surprise, that there's a whole world of Blu-ray high definition surround sound awaiting a receiver and surround speakers.

It's pointless for any of us to claim we know how all of this will unfold. No one knows, and what we're doing right now is passionate conjecture. Only time will tell, but I'll be supporting 3D in a big way with my interest and my wallet.

Very, very weird. I just watched the last 20 minutes of last night's episode of "Lost." Like Joe, I was certain that there were bits of dialog that were dropped during the scene in the cave. But upon playback, it played back perfectly. I started from the Walk from Sawyer's house through the jungle to the final scene in the cave. And not even a snap, a crackle or a pop.

Don't know how to explain that...

It was fine on our cable

I should mention we started watching off the Moxi about 1/2 way through, so everything was recorded/buffered ... but no, neither of us noticed anything at all on Charter.

Well, that's freaky. I checked my Dish recording of Lost from last night and had an experience identical to Doug's. No dropouts at all that I could detect. Mine was from a satellite broadcast, not local OTA.

According to James Cameron, Avatar in Blu-ray 3D will be released in November. (http://www.tvpredictions.com/avatar021810.htm)This information comes via TVPredictions, and the Wall Street Journal. The 3D release (and the DVD) is scheduled for April 22, so buyer beware.

Well, that's freaky. I checked my Dish recording of Lost from last night and had an experience identical to Doug's. No dropouts at all that I could detect. Mine was from a satellite broadcast, not local OTA.

Interesting input!! Our engineer on duty during Lost didn't detect any anomaly monitoring it live and his Tivo was clean also. Please comment after next weeks show.

Interesting input!! Our engineer on duty during Lost didn't detect any anomaly monitoring it live and his Tivo was clean also. Please comment after next weeks show.

I think only "candidates" can detect these anomalies

:D

I think only "candidates" can detect these anomalies

:D

We musts check the cave next week to see if any names from this forum show up then!!

Candidates? Too funny. :D

Jim, one other thing that might be worth mentioning. I was watching delayed up until about 50 minutes into the episode, at which point I was watching in real time. The dropouts didn't start immediately, but it was shortly after that point.

I may not be around for the live broadcast next week, but if I am I'll let you know if anything similar happens.

Thanks again for your continuing efforts and responsiveness. All too rare these days.

w00t

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/19/mitsubishis-upconverting-technology-takes-1080p-to-4k-x-2k-you/

Since Jim is watching, here's another interesting observation regarding KDNL. I'm not sure who's at fault here, but.........

I use cc a lot. Blame it on too much rock n' roll when I was younger. For some strange reason, Spanish cc text often flashes briefly in lower case in-between the English language updates (which tend to be all upper case). This occurs on both my E* DVRs and only on channel 30. Both OTA and satellite.

Again, not sure who's at fault, but it is common with and limited to KDNL events. Good luck debugging this one :-)

Since Jim is watching, here's another interesting observation regarding KDNL. I'm not sure who's at fault here, but.........

I use cc a lot. Blame it on too much rock n' roll when I was younger. For some strange reason, Spanish cc text often flashes briefly in lower case in-between the English language updates (which tend to be all upper case). This occurs on both my E* DVRs and only on channel 30. Both OTA and satellite.

Again, not sure who's at fault, but it is common with and limited to KDNL events. Good luck debugging this one :-)

Another challenge!!! I monitor CC all the time and have not seem that. May be specific to E* or receiver. On my Samsung receiver CC is sporadic, but solid on my others including D* rx...but don't have D* receiver on CC all the time.

I'm at a total loss to understand why Doug and I both experienced those little glitches in the audio during Lost the other night - then later, nothing. :eek:

I'm once again having an issue with Internet access on my Windows 7 machine. I believe it happened after I installed some printer software, but the system now can't find the Internet at all. I've run the diagnostics, and it can't solve the problem. My Windows XP machine on the same network has no trouble.

I had the problem once before with a Vista machine and this same Win7 box, and it was some obscure problem with the Bonjour service (some Apple software that I think got installed with Adobe CS3). I was able to find a solution online for that problem, but so far nothing I've tried has worked. I have full access to other computers in the network - the Win7 and XP systems see one another and both see the UnRAID systems. I just can't get through to the Internet. Any ideas?

What was the fix for CS3? I'm having the same problem when I install CS3 and get no internet with Win 7.

<<<UPDATE>>>

Nevermind, I just read about updating Bonjour.

What was the fix for CS3? I'm having the same problem when I install CS3 and get no internet with Win 7.

Here's what worked for me the first time:

In Win7 and Vista:

1. Go to the search box in the Start Menu
2. Type "msconfig"
3. Click the "Services" tab
4. Scroll down and find this string:

##Id_String2.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B879762 ##

5. Uncheck it, click "OK" and reboot.

Apparently, that little Apple Computer service was wreaking havoc with the system's ability to find the Internet.

Unfortunately, that box is still unchecked on my system, and some other software has caused a similar conflict. I'm thinking it may be my Brother printer drivers, but I'm just not sure.

BTW, if you do try this, make sure to create a restore point before the change, in case something goes wrong.

What was the fix for CS3? I'm having the same problem when I install CS3 and get no internet with Win 7.

<<<UPDATE>>>

Nevermind, I just read about updating Bonjour.

How did you go about updating? This may be my problem, since I was having an issue with Photoshop recently and did a reinstall of just that.

How did you go about updating? This may be my problem, since I was having an issue with Photoshop recently and did a reinstall of just that.

I downloaded if from here (http://support.apple.com/downloads/Bonjour_for_Windows) and ran the installer. CS3 comes with a version from 2006, the newest version is from 2008.

I downloaded if from here (http://support.apple.com/downloads/Bonjour_for_Windows) and ran the installer. CS3 comes with a version from 2006, the newest version is from 2008.

Thanks. That looks very promising. It worked for you, right?

I'm going to do a fresh install of both CS3 and my Brother drivers, along with this program. It took uninstalling both Adobe and Brother to restore access to the Internet on this Win7 machine. The downside, other than not having access to the programs for now, is that it takes *forever* to install and uninstall CS3. It's the most tedious install process I've ever run across.

Yes, it works fine. I had to download the 64 bit version, but I installed CS3 then installed Bonjour.

Charter Basic QAM?

Hi, I'm sure this has been dealt with, but I can't figure it out. I've got basic Charter cable in Clayton 63105 (i.e., the absolute cheapest you can get from Charter).

Do I get QAM channels at all? Do I receive Charter as STD, IRC, or HRC?

As far as I can tell, I do not get QAM and I receive charter as STD.

Thanks!

Are you running it straight in from the wall to your tv?
Is your TV an HDTV with QAM tuner?


I get the local HD channels and TBS. Plus, I get alot of the regular extended basic channels in digital on upper channels. The digital ones look a little bit better than the "analog" ones. The HD channels look great. I do hate it when TBS stretches some of their content to make it look widescreen. Let it be in HD in the size it it being sent.

Bo

UPDATE: I checked, and this model is known to have problems with the QAM it contained. They had a firmware update that was supposed to fix it, but they withdrew it and have not replaced it. So it looks like Samsung screwed me and others.

Yes, it is an older (2005) Samsung CRT TX-P2670WH that decrypts QAM and asks in the setup whether your cable is QAM.

Actually, I was running the cable coax through my ReplayTV first. Following what you said, I changed the lead to run direct to the TV - no difference.

I think the cable coax is on a splitter outside that may not be bidirectional, would that matter for QAM reception?

Sorry, I'm not that technical on cable setups. I was responding from experience. Do you have another HDTV, like an LCD with QAM tuner? Perhaps someone you know has a 19" you could borrow to check your feed from Charter?

I have also heard/read that some of the Charter folks in St. Louis can get some audio channels also.

Maybe someone more in tune with the St. Louis Charter setup can respond also.

Bo

Sears to Sell Samsung 3-D HDTVs In March. (http://www.tvpredictions.com/sears022310.htm)

This is the first announcement of a "concrete" shipping date that I've read. This isn't a huge premium over the retail prices for their regular 2D sets. Those of you who bought 3D-ready Mitsubishi rear projectors may have the cheapest alternative for getting into 3D initially. They've announced an adapter that will allow those sets to play back 3D Blu-ray. Of course, you'll need the player, and no movies are due out until the spring. Still plenty of time left to twiddle the thumbs. :D

Sears to Sell Samsung 3-D HDTVs In March. (http://www.tvpredictions.com/sears022310.htm)

This is the first announcement of a "concrete" shipping date that I've read. This isn't a huge premium over the retail prices for their regular 2D sets. Those of you who bought 3D-ready Mitsubishi rear projectors may have the cheapest alternative for getting into 3D initially. They've announced an adapter that will allow those sets to play back 3D Blu-ray. Of course, you'll need the player, and no movies are due out until the spring. Still plenty of time left to twiddle the thumbs. :D

Until now, I have said that my 2 year old projector would last me for a long time. Now I am starting to think about 3d, especially after seeing some of the Disney shows.

I have done no research, but beings I use my HTPC for viewing HD, I wonder how long until the graphics cards have this capability. I figured I was set with being able to do DTS Master and Dolby True HD, looks like research time again....:cool:

Until now, I have said that my 2 year old projector would last me for a long time. Now I am starting to think about 3d, especially after seeing some of the Disney shows.

I have done no research, but beings I use my HTPC for viewing HD, I wonder how long until the graphics cards have this capability. I figured I was set with being able to do DTS Master and Dolby True HD, looks like research time again....:cool:

With HDTV and 3D, the rate of change in media technologies is faster than I can ever remember. The cool thing about the new 3D spec is that it's backwards compatible with the old Blu-ray spec - older Blu-ray players can play back a 2D version of the movie. The 2D version is part of the 3D stream on the disc - a full 1920x1080/24p AVC stream. The other eye view consists of about 50% more data that constructs the other eye's view of the 3D image. I haven't read anything about how PowerDVD or TMT might handle the stream, but I imagine computer Blu-ray drives have the speed and it might just require a software update to the Blu-ray playback software to send out the two streams to a 3D display device. Modern graphics cards like the ATI 5xxx series should have more than enough power to output both streams. Even though the cards are HDMI 1.3, they might still work. I read today that even Sony is going to sell some 3D Blu-ray players that are HDMI 1.3 instead of full HDMI 1.4.

Still lots of information that has yet to be revealed, though.

The PS3 will be receiving an update of some sort to provide 3D Blu-ray capability, right? I'm sure I heard that somewhere. A no-cost upgrade, yeehaw!

The PS3 will be receiving an update of some sort to provide 3D Blu-ray capability, right? I'm sure I heard that somewhere. A no-cost upgrade, yeehaw!

Yes, sometime this summer. I have the PS3, too, and it will be my first 3D Blu-ray player. :D

In another sign of the fading role of the major broadcast networks, ABC has announced it is cutting News Division staff by 25 percent.

From TV Week:
______________________________________________________

ABC News said it will reduce its news-gathering staff by 300 to 400 people, which is about 25 percent of its staff of about 1,500 people, The New York Times reports.

The cuts will be made by offering buyouts, and if necessary, laying off employees.

ABC News president David Westin is billing the cuts as a “fundamental transformation” of the news division, noting in an internal memo that “The time has come to rethink how we do what we are doing.”
______________________________________________________

Full story: http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2010/02/abc-news-announces-cutbacks-of.php

It may take a decade or so to completely play out, but I believe this (along with GE unloading NBC) is the beginning of the Swirly Stage of broadcast television in the US.

Part 3 of the HDTV Magazine article "3D TV at CES 2010 - Was it Actually Like HD a Decade Ago?"

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/2010/02/3d_tv_at_ces_2010_was_it_actually_like_hd_a_decade_ago_part_ 3.php

And yes, a Part 4 is in the works... :eek:

Grateful for tender mercies...part 4 is the last part: ;)

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/2010/02/3d_tv_at_ces_2010_was_it_actually_like_hd_a_decade_ago_part_ 4.php

Researchers Concerned 3D TVs Could Cause Health Problems

From EE Times online:
______________________________________________________

Experts in human perception are expressing concerns stereo 3-D TVs now hitting the market could cause eye strain and related health problems. Industry groups are actively discussing the topic, but in their rush to get systems out the door vendors have yet to fund any major studies of the issues.

Stereo 3-D movies and television could generate as many as seven different perceptual problems, said Martin Banks, a professor of optometry and vision science at the University of California at Berkeley. He gave a talk earlier this month for a broad group of consumer and Hollywood technologists about some of his biggest concerns, and was invited to come back to give a day-long course.

"They seem concerned about it, and my impression is they want to address this," Banks said of multiple contacts he has had with the industry. "They know they will kill the business if they make an unpleasant experience for people, [but] the question is what they will implement," he added.

"I think there are real things to be concerned about with the use of stereo displays becoming very widespread, especially if younger children are exposed to them routinely," added Simon Watt, a lecturer in the school of psychology at Bangor University in Wales who, like Banks, has been conducting studies on eye movements and stereo 3-D displays.

One of the main issues the researchers are studying is the so-called convergence-accommodation conflict. People watching stereo 3-D content have to adjust what they see at one point on a flat screen to information in the content that tells them that object is at another point in 3-D space. Such adjustments are not needed in the real world, so the human brain is not wired to handle them smoothly.
______________________________________________________

Full story: http://www.eetimes.com/rss/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=223100762&cid=RSSfeed_eetimes_newsRSS

What I find interesting about this story is that even before a product is actually rolled out, there are researchers and universities in a headlong dash to find problems. Everything I've learned about the so-called science of global warming the past few months tells me that these early warnings about 3DTV viewing are probably more about getting a jump start in the race for research funding and grants than it is about legitimate concerns for public safety.

The business of America has become the business of finding fault with business (and America).

Well, I just came back from my third viewing of Avatar. So far, I'm OK. :D

I went the first time to the Ronnie's in South County, but I didn't realize they had it in very different theaters in the complex. The second time there, I saw it on a much better screen - bigger, fewer surface flaws. I also sat much closer. What a difference. This third time was down at the Gravois Bluffs - an even better screen and much better surround audio. I loved it. I also found it so much easier to get into the story, since I wasn't distracted by less than ideal sound and picture. I did notice a sort of "shimmering" on the screen that I think may be an artifact of the ReadD 3D process. I noticed it more the last two times. That's one reason I'm hopeful that 3D shutter glasses at home may provide an even better 3D experience. I can see more clearly (pun intended) why Avatar keeps on rolling at the box office. It's really an amazing cinematic achievement.

Researchers Concerned 3D TVs Could Cause Health Problems


What I find interesting about this story is that even before a product is actually rolled out, there are researchers and universities in a headlong dash to find problems. Everything I've learned about the so-called science of global warming the past few months tells me that these early warnings about 3DTV viewing are probably more about getting a jump start in the race for research funding and grants than it is about legitimate concerns for public safety.

The business of America has become the business of finding fault with business (and America).

Isn't it better to proactive than reactive? I would like to know if the device would cause problems before I have a $5,000 health risk as the focal point of my living room.


Researchers Concerned 3D TVs Could Cause Health Problems


Everything I've learned about the so-called science of global warming the past few months tells me that these early warnings about 3DTV viewing are probably more about getting a jump start in the race for research funding and grants than it is about legitimate concerns for public safety.

The business of America has become the business of finding fault with business (and America).

Huh? Those remarks come directly out of right field. Please keep us informed about the misconception of global warming and the business of the Estadounidense.

What I find interesting about this story is that even before a product is actually rolled out, there are researchers and universities in a headlong dash to find problems.
Science is caught in a dilemma. Warn about potential problems and be accused of crying wolf, or don't warn and later be subjected to lawsuits on the grounds that they knew but failed to warn.

Given what happens when things are hidden, I'd go for disclosure with the qualifying statement that this is still under study and not yet considered "fact."

There's absolutely nothing wrong with consumer protection groups and studies. Accepting technology blindly as safe is not the way to evolve the future!

Don't you people watch Caprica, GEEZ!

I'd offer the flip side here.

If we had the same regulatory scare structure in this country 100 or even 50 years ago, there would have been precious little progress. There's an even money chance that the automobile would have been killed off before the first Model T rolled off Henry Ford's assembly line. No doubt the research wizards would have foreseen the Toyota sticky accelerator control -- and that would have been that.

And moving images in only two dimensions? In the home? It's an abomination of nature. Call the federales forthwith.

Life is rife with risk. As a society, we're spending way too much time, money and angst worrying about all the things that can **** us up. It's pathetic and it's making us stupid beyond belief.

Please keep us informed about the misconception of global warming and the business of the Estadounidense.Asked, answered:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-234092--.html

I think it would help if people from BOTH sides read (with an open mind) from BOTH sides, rather than conservatives only reading/watching conservatives and liberals only reading/watching liberals. Both sides use science when it benefits them and disregard it when it doesn't. (right Global warming, left bio-engineered foods)

Either way, this isn't a political forum and I think the political talk is against the rules.

I think the politics should stop so we don't get moderated again. If you must continue, use PM, but remember you aren't going to change anyone's mind. That's the culture we live in, "I'm right, you're wrong, so I'm not gonna listen..."

I also believe everyone on both sides has added valuable info to the stlhdtv thread and think it would be bad if we lost any of them due to political disagreements.

I think it would help if people from BOTH sides read (with an open mind) from BOTH sides, rather than conservatives only reading/watching conservatives and liberals only reading/watching liberals. Both sides use science when it benefits them and disregard it when it doesn't. (right Global warming, left bio-engineered foods)

Either way, this isn't a political forum and I think the political talk is against the rules.

I think the politics should stop so we don't get moderated again. If you must continue, use PM, but remember you aren't going to change anyone's mind. That's the culture we live in, "I'm right, you're wrong, so I'm not gonna listen..."

I also believe everyone on both sides has added valuable info to the stlhdtv thread and think it would be bad if we lost any of them due to political disagreements.I appreciate your points, but none of what I've posted is politics for the sake of politics. It is presented to make my point that 3D scare-mongering is less about product and consumer safety. Same phenomenon is central to the global warming, cum climate change, "industry," though the scale there is magnitudes greater.

Science is being abused -- far too often it's "political science." I think bringing that up is legitimate in the context of the article I posted about supposed 3D TV risks. Find a problem -- no matter how dubious or tentative -- amplify it, write up your research grant requests and wait for the money to roll in.

But, of course, I don't expect everyone to agree with me. After all, it's a discussion forum, not a consensus forum.

I have to say I have a new appreciation for Charter cable after trying to help my parents add HD receivers to their existing Dish service. Dish really seems to only care about new customers and not keeping the existing happy considering the fees they charge for the hardware/install on top of a per fee box on your monthly bill... Combine that with the fact they insist on signing another 2 year contract and I can't believe anyone would choose to go with them.

Anyone with Dish have any suggestions, is their any department that actually cares to keep existing customers happy by offering them decent promos discounts, or at least not requiring another contract.

To top things off my parents subscribe to one of the HD Only packages and now it seems they have certain channels such as FX HD that you can only receive if you subscribe to their standard services. Not sure how many other 'exception' channels they have as they refused to provide me an official list of whats currently on their HD only packages these days.

I have to say I have a new appreciation for Charter cable after trying to help my parents add HD receivers to their existing Dish service. Dish really seems to only care about new customers and not keeping the existing happy considering the fees they charge for the hardware/install on top of a per fee box on your monthly bill... Combine that with the fact they insist on signing another 2 year contract and I can't believe anyone would choose to go with them.

Anyone with Dish have any suggestions, is their any department that actually cares to keep existing customers happy by offering them decent promos discounts, or at least not requiring another contract.

To top things off my parents subscribe to one of the HD Only packages and now it seems they have certain channels such as FX HD that you can only receive if you subscribe to their standard services. Not sure how many other 'exception' channels they have as they refused to provide me an official list of whats currently on their HD only packages these days.

Unfortunately this is the way of the most companies today. The only way to get out of the required contract is to purchase the equipment upfront. They are willing to place equipment with you, but in return you are required to stay with them for 24 months. The HD only packages turned into a big mess, I am on the HD Absolute, I hope I can keep it as my bill is $42/month, to change my bill would likely increase ~$20/month minimum.

You can play CSR roulette with them, the deal you will get depends on the length of time you have had the service, as well as level of service and payment record.

To top things off my parents subscribe to one of the HD Only packages and now it seems they have certain channels such as FX HD that you can only receive if you subscribe to their standard services. Not sure how many other 'exception' channels they have as they refused to provide me an official list of whats currently on their HD only packages these days.

That makes absolutely no sense :rolleyes:

Just as with any big company, you can run into some infuriating situations with Dish. I did when I helped my parents and my nephew with service and installation issues. I'm not a violent person, but they would have been fitting me for an orange jump suit had I been in the same room with the Dish rep when I was trying to get my nephew's problem resolved. :D

I just had to keep reminding myself of the D*, AT&T and Charter stories I've heard. And I really do like the Dish hardware and software. The guide is good, and they're quite innovative and flexible with features. I think the CSR roulette idea is good one - if you don't like the person you're dealing with, hang up and try someone else. Sad, but sometimes effective.

Has anyone heard any rumors about Dish and 3D? D* has announced that it's going to provide 3D channels some time this year, but there's been no word from Dish yet.

To top things off my parents subscribe to one of the HD Only packages and now it seems they have certain channels such as FX HD that you can only receive if you subscribe to their standard services. Not sure how many other 'exception' channels they have as they refused to provide me an official list of whats currently on their HD only packages these days.

Are they still on the defunct "HD Absolute" package? If so, that's probably not a bad thing, IMHO. That package, which doesn't have many standalone SD channels, and none of the HD additions since mid-2008, still has a pretty good mix of HD channels, at far cheaper prices than any of the current Dish packages.

I still have it, and am quite thankful.

Are they still on the defunct "HD Absolute" package? If so, that's probably not a bad thing, IMHO. That package, which doesn't have many standalone SD channels, and none of the HD additions since mid-2008, still has a pretty good mix of HD channels, at far cheaper prices than any of the current Dish packages.

I still have it, and am quite thankful.

No, they signed up for service like the month after they switched everything around to the Bronze, silver, Gold packages....

The house in question already had a Dish installed is the main reason we went dish.... Thinking its time to make the switch to DirectTV and just deal with having 2 dishes on the house, or maybe the installer will remove one in place of another.. All I know is my dealings with Dish give me a new appreciation for Charter. Now if they could only get the SDV thing done already so that we can get some more HD channels then I'd be set.

Congress Fails to Extend Satellite Home Viewer Extension & Reauthorization Act (SHVERA)

This is the law that initially allowed satellite TV companies like DISH Network and DirecTV to compete with local cable TV providers, as the act allowed satellite carriers to deliver local broadcast stations into local markets via satellite as well as to allow these carriers to provide out-of-market network stations to un-served or under-served rural markets. Previous to this law, deliver of local TV stations via satellite was illegal.

One of the main provisions of this bill was that satellite companies could not "cherry pick" the stations it provided in a local market -- if the carrier provided one station, it must provide all local stations, regardless of size of viewership. This requirement was at one point relaxed to some degree for delivery of digital stations due to the duplication and capacity issues involved.

I'm not sure what the ultimate impact would be if this law were not to be extended or went a lengthy period before being extended. Could cable companies cry foul against satellite companies for continuing to deliver over-the-air broadcast stations? Or could the opposite happen, with some sort of free-for-all, with satellite companies breaking with current restrictions, maybe dropping some minor locals to make room other higher-demand programming?

I'm not sure, but it's probably not too surprising that this looks to be another area where there's too much regulation in the first place, with too little benefit to anyone other than political campaign fund-raisers and special interests.

Here's an editorial on this subject that appeared in today's SkyREPORT, a satellite industry newsletter:
______________________________________________________

Is there anyone, anywhere who has any respect left for the U.S. Congress? If so, you probably won't find them in rural America. Or in the hallways of any self-respecting media organization. Or even, I suspect, among the midnight drunks after Sunday's U.S./Canada hockey match.

In their latest display of inept arrogance, the U.S. Congress – more specifically, the U.S. Senate – failed to pass an extension of some very basic legislation: the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act (SHVERA), which would extend DIRECTV's and DISH's (via the National Programming Service) ability to provide distant network signals to households which could not otherwise receive the programming. The act expired at midnight on Sunday thus depriving rural viewers of the "right" to receive "lifeline network programming" (to quote Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-VT) via their dishes.

Of course, the distant signal programming may well continue as Leahy has exhorted the DBS operators to "temporarily maintain the status quo." But still ...

This isn't brain surgery. Or health care legislation. Or even a particularly tough crossword puzzle. This is basic, BASIC stuff and they can't get it passed. But they do, of course, have time to excoriate NBC-U for not presenting the Olympics in a manner exactly to their liking. One such example is Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI). Kohl objects to NBC's limiting some online content only to those households which already pay for it via subscription TV. Kohl says NBC should have allowed the 10% of Americans who do not subscribe to satellite, cable or telcoTV services to make online payments for the programming.

And maybe that's a point worthy of debate. But given the way the Congress is conducting its own business, you would think that Kohl and others of his ilk would think twice before telling America how a business "should" be run.
______________________________________________________

Although the SkyREPORT article focuses on the impact on rural viewers, a Multichannel News article indicates that this legislation also has a local-into-local dimension:

http://www.multichannel.com/article/179802-New_Version_Of_SHVERA_Is_Must_Pass_Legislation_Boucher.php

Charter Posts Mixed 4Q Results

From the Morning Bridge:
___________________________________________________

Charter's 4Q results are in, showing post-bankruptcy results that are somewhat encouraging in revenue, HSI and voice gains; reasonably healthy in ARPU stats; but discouraging in basic subs.

To start with the bad news, basic subscribers fell 56,900 in the fourth quarter leaving the company with a net subscriber count of 5.3 million. Offsetting that were gains in digital cable subscribers (+43,300), HSI customers (+51,800) and voice subs (+60,600.)

Charter ended 2009 with RGUs standing at 12.7 million and average revenues per unit (ARPU) per basic video customer at $117.43, thanks largely to the Charter Bundle.

Revenues for 2009 stood at $6,479m up 4.3% year over year, while EBITDA grew 7.5% to $2,493mm.
___________________________________________________

Yes, it's a mixed bag, but I have to say that the average revenue numbers seem very impressive. So impressive, I can't help but wonder if there's a typo. I would have thought that basic subscribers would be a bigger drag on average revenues.

Charter customers get free Center Ice until March 8th!

http://www.freepreview.tv/nhl-center...1#comment-1643

I'm watching WPXS right now...on channel 16 (and not in digital); but every thing I've read points to it being on Channel 21 (Digital OTA).

Has anybody gotten a peep out of Channel 21?

I'm watching WPXS right now...on channel 16 (and not in digital); but every thing I've read points to it being on Channel 21 (Digital OTA).

Has anybody gotten a peep out of Channel 21?

Their ch 21 transmitter broke late last summer according to a Daystar engineer I spoke with back then. I haven't heard whether or not they ever fixed it. I was over in Centreville around Christmas and checked for it with my handheld spectrum analyzer and it was not on the air at that time. I haven't been in the area since then.

When it went down, Daystar shifted its content to their channel 16 analog translator in place of the usual religious content that was typical for the channel 16 signal. I suspect they did this to maintain their must-carry signal for cable and satellite service.

I know it has become vogue to bash the "HD Leader", but.......

OTA audio for NBC network events has seriously degraded recently. Has anyone else noticed? I realize the "Engineers" at KsdK never notice these things:mad:.

But SNL audio last night was horrible. DD was all out of whack (again) with constant volume changes and dropouts. If I switched to regular Dolby surround, it was slightly better, but still bad.

Interestingly, the DD is usually better on the E* DMA channel via satellite than OTA, but not last night. On the E* channel, the center channel contained many short dropouts, making speech sometimes difficult to understand. Usually, the audio is better on E* than the OTA channel, as if E* somehow compensates for the local ineptitude. But not last night.

Maby it's a local tramsmitter issue---I surely don't know. But the poor quality of the Channel 5 signal is one more reason why I wish I had a Distant Network option.

I would write to KsdK to complain, but we all know how effective that is........:(

Hey, Jim, Maybe you could volunteer to do some freelance work.......:D

Two things:

1. Has anyone using external USB drives with Dish noticed programs disappearing? I've had several disappear after I finished watching them from the drive. I haven't had any programs disappear from the internal drive on my 622.

2. AMD and Cyberlink have teamed up to do 3D Blu-ray on the computer, according to several reports. Apparently, nVidia has similar plans.

"AMD and CyberLink, which recently integrated SENSIO 3D technology into its PowerDVD player, are already touting a 2010 CES demo promising to show off their implementation of "the forthcoming Blu-ray stereoscopic 3D standard." While the world continues to wait for an announcement on what the 3D Blu-ray standard will actually entail (backwards compatible 2D combo discs, and Full HD stereoscopic technology are definitely on the list) AMD is ready to leverage its position as a contributing member of the Blu-ray Disc Association and make sure that when discs hit the market -- likely around the time Avatar is released at home -- it has compatible software and hardware available. We've prepped and ready for the glasses-required trials that promise to be featured at many booths during next months Las Vegas experience, so a note to potential exhibitors: sports and videogames are the best bet for an impressive 3D showing, bring Space Harrier 3D for extra bonus points."

This is an old article (pre-CES), but I still thought it was interesting. I'm also reading that many computer Blu-ray drives will need only a firmware upgrade to read 3D content.

I have a computer software problem - very specific. I doubt anyone here has run into it, but it can't hurt to ask. Googling has gotten me no where.

When I create Blu-ray folders from OTA 720p captures with tsMuxer, then create iso files from those with ImgBurn, the files won't play back in PowerDVD. I get no video. I have no problem with 1080i captures. I do this with Chuck and the files play fine in PowerDVD. I just can't get 720p files (like Modern Family or Bones) to play back. Audio is fine, but there's no video.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Two things:

1. Has anyone using external USB drives with Dish noticed programs disappearing? I've had several disappear after I finished watching them from the drive. I haven't had any programs disappear from the internal drive on my 622.


This is a known issue, not sure when/if a fix is coming, over on satelliteguys I have seen many complaints.

Speaking of Dish, word has it that the 922 may be released in April. After the announcement of the usb sling adapter I have almost lost interest in this box.

This is a known issue, not sure when/if a fix is coming, over on satelliteguys I have seen many complaints.

Speaking of Dish, word has it that the 922 may be released in April. After the announcement of the usb sling adapter I have almost lost interest in this box.

Thanks, Tom. What a drag, and it seems to be happening more and more. I had a complete collection of the Modern Family episodes on a USB drive, and now I'm missing 3 of them.

I had my sister and brother in law over this weekend. I showed them an episode of Modern Family. They wanted to see another, then another. They were in tears. By the time they left, they were completely hooked. :D

Guess what KDNL is getting cool. Meaning another sub channel called thecooltv will becoming to KDNL. Its a music channel I wonder if its going to be like The Tube.

http://www.thecooltv.com/THECOOLTV_SinclairTelevisionGroup.php

Guess what KDNL is getting cool. Meaning another sub channel called thecooltv will becoming to KDNL. Its a music channel I wonder if its going to be like The Tube.

http://www.thecooltv.com/THECOOLTV_SinclairTelevisionGroup.php

Well speaking as someone in a band in one of their markets .... this could be cool.

I have a computer software problem - very specific. I doubt anyone here has run into it, but it can't hurt to ask. Googling has gotten me no where.

When I create Blu-ray folders from OTA 720p captures with tsMuxer, then create iso files from those with ImgBurn, the files won't play back in PowerDVD. I get no video. I have no problem with 1080i captures. I do this with Chuck and the files play fine in PowerDVD. I just can't get 720p files (like Modern Family or Bones) to play back. Audio is fine, but there's no video.

Does anyone have any ideas?

I forget... do you have a standalone BD player to try those discs in? If so, what are the results?

Guess what KDNL is getting cool. Meaning another sub channel called thecooltv will becoming to KDNL. Its a music channel I wonder if its going to be like The Tube.

http://www.thecooltv.com/THECOOLTV_SinclairTelevisionGroup.php

Oh, great. (rolls eyes)

Once upon a time, KPLR had nearly the best signal and fewest glitches in town. Then they added TheShaft, I mean TheTube, and the rest is history.

I sincerely hope Wracer can keep KDNL from following KPLR down that road. Obviously the bitrate for ABC programming will drop, but hopefully we won't see the constant dropouts, pixellation, and other glitches that plagued KPLR once they brought in TheShaft, I mean TheTube.

I forget... do you have a standalone BD player to try those discs in? If so, what are the results?

I forgot to mention the other strange part. When I play back 720p Blu-ray discs (burned onto regular DVD recordables), they play normally on my PS3. Neither the discs nor the iso files play back on the computer under Windows 7. I get sound but no video.

I read today that some Best Buy stores may be getting 3D displays and demos as early as Wednesday. I'm assuming that at least a couple of St. Louis stores should get them. If anyone sees a display in the area, I'd appreciate a heads up. I'll post if I find one. Both Samsung and Panasonic are supposed to have them in store. Panasonic will be demoing plasma displays. Not sure if Samsung will demo plasma or LCD, but I think it's going to be plasma, too. Plasma has a much faster refresh rate, so it's supposed to be easier to implement on plasma than LCD. Sears stores should also get 3D demos later in the month.

Oh, great. (rolls eyes)

I sincerely hope Wracer can keep KDNL from following KPLR down that road......... hopefully we won't see the constant dropouts, pixellation, and other glitches that plagued KPLR.....

Me too. Unfortunately, I fear the situation may not be completely under Jim's control. Look how the ABC signal bounces around and actually comes out of an Ohio market. As a result, the local audio is already less than perfect on KDNL with more links in the chain to fail.

I read today that some Best Buy stores may be getting 3D displays and demos as early as Wednesday. I'm assuming that at least a couple of St. Louis stores should get them. If anyone sees a display in the area, I'd appreciate a heads up. I'll post if I find one. Both Samsung and Panasonic are supposed to have them in store. Panasonic will be demoing plasma displays. Not sure if Samsung will demo plasma or LCD, but I think it's going to be plasma, too. Plasma has a much faster refresh rate, so it's supposed to be easier to implement on plasma than LCD. Sears stores should also get 3D demos later in the month.

One of my co-workers that introduced me to the "home theatre" hobby claims that Ultimate Electronics in St. Peters has a 3D display setup. He said he was extremely disappointed, he said maybe it wasn't in the correct environment. I witnessed this issue in the same store when I was researching projectors and screens. I would have never purchased my setup if I had not seen a front projector in a light controlled room.

2TB Hitachi hard drives at Micro Center - $129. :eek: (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0315534)

I almost bought a couple of these drives the other day for $149 each, on sale. Hard drive prices just get better all the time.

One of my co-workers that introduced me to the "home theatre" hobby claims that Ultimate Electronics in St. Peters has a 3D display setup. He said he was extremely disappointed, he said maybe it wasn't in the correct environment. I witnessed this issue in the same store when I was researching projectors and screens. I would have never purchased my setup if I had not seen a front projector in a light controlled room.

Did he say what kind of display it was - projector, LCD, plasma, DLP rear projector? I want a front projector, but I read a couple of good reviews of the Mitsubishi DLP rear projector with an adapter, showing off 3D Blu-ray at CES. I'm thinking Ultimate is likely to have a display of that when the first 3D discs become available.

Best Buy South County will have a Samsung 3D demonstration starting Saturday. They'll have the Samsung 3D Blu-ray player (Mdl. 6900) and a Samsung LCD (I believe). I think the movie will be "Monsters vs Aliens," but don't quote me on that. It's the title that's being bundled with Samsung 3D displays in Europe. Except for whatever title may be included with the set, there are no other 3D titles available, at least none that I'm aware of. There's going to be a real dry spell for the first few months. The smart money, of course, is on not being an early adopter for 3D. I think, though, that 3D has a much better prospect of succeeding this time around precisely because it's not very expensive to implement with modern digital displays. I suspect it will be a standard feature in sets within a couple of years. The other factor that to me will have a huge impact is the fact that 3D Blu-ray movies will play back in older 2D Blu-ray players. There's a big upside to that compatibility.

The Ultimate stores at Gravois Bluffs and on Manchester don't have working 3D displays. Their computers are down. Only the St. Peters store has its display up and running with a Mitsubishi demo. That's too long a drive for me. I suspect they'll all have 3D displays up and running once 3D demos are rolled out in other stores.

What I'm really interested to find out is if the Samsung LED rear projectors will be able to use the Mitsubishi adapter that allows 3D Blu-ray players to play on Mitsubishi rear projectors. I suspect it will, because they use the same checkerboard 3D technology. As is, checkerboard 3D is incompatible with the Full HD 3D Blu-ray standard.

Their ch 21 transmitter broke late last summer according to a Daystar engineer I spoke with back then. I haven't heard whether or not they ever fixed it. I was over in Centreville around Christmas and checked for it with my handheld spectrum analyzer and it was not on the air at that time. I haven't been in the area since then.

When it went down, Daystar shifted its content to their channel 16 analog translator in place of the usual religious content that was typical for the channel 16 signal. I suspect they did this to maintain their must-carry signal for cable and satellite service.

Thanks for the info. The reception for 16 is horrendous. I forgot how bad analog TV looks after almost an entire year of watching digital TV exclusively.

Guess what KDNL is getting cool. Meaning another sub channel called thecooltv will becoming to KDNL. Its a music channel I wonder if its going to be like The Tube.

http://www.thecooltv.com/THECOOLTV_SinclairTelevisionGroup.php

I'm not sure I'm liking this. KMOV has ruined their signal with the Weather Radar (although tomorrow running the Young & Restless on 4.2 while the president talks is nice), and I still get a phantom subchannel on KPLR. Let's not discuss KSDK, shall we? ;)

Guess what KDNL is getting cool. Meaning another sub channel called thecooltv will becoming to KDNL. Its a music channel I wonder if its going to be like The Tube.

http://www.thecooltv.com/THECOOLTV_SinclairTelevisionGroup.php

Yes, I think it's similar to The Tube. I plan on keeping HD bit rate the same...don't forget 720P helps a lot. They plan on rolling it out around June 1st.

Yes, I think it's similar to The Tube. I plan on keeping HD bit rate the same...don't forget 720P helps a lot. They plan on rolling it out around June 1st.

That's good news, Jim. I know 720p compresses a lot better than 1080i. As soon as KSDK added a sub-channel, the quality really deteriorated. What has always bothered me is the less than optimal image quality on Fox, which is also 720p. Even without a sub-channel, the quality has always been significantly worse than your station. I sent a few emails, but no one ever responded.

Did he say what kind of display it was - projector, LCD, plasma, DLP rear projector? I want a front projector, but I read a couple of good reviews of the Mitsubishi DLP rear projector with an adapter, showing off 3D Blu-ray at CES. I'm thinking Ultimate is likely to have a display of that when the first 3D discs become available.

He said it was a rear projection DLP, 80+ inch display with shutter glasses running from a computer. He said that a noticeable glare was on the screen from another area of the store that really cut into his expectations.

.....What has always bothered me is the less than optimal image quality on Fox, which is also 720p. Even without a sub-channel, the quality has always been significantly worse than your station. I sent a few emails, but no one ever responded.

Ditto. No one seems to acknowledge or respond to issues at KTVI. Personally, I find that Fox video events such as Football, Idol, etc. look fine. However, events on film like 24 and House have an odd, grainy and less-than-HD look about them. This is strange when you consider how superb the DD audio can be on 24.

That's because unlike other networks which broadcast a 40+ mbps stream for the affiliates to rebroadcast at whatever level they need, Fox broadcasts an ATSC-ready stream at the network level. The Fox affiliates just pass the signal along unaltered. Fox uses a bitrate low enough to give affiliates the ability to multicast a subchannel if they wish.

What sucks about that is, even if the local affiliate doesn't broadcast a subchannel, we get the same low multicast bitrate anyway. :(

Fox still has the ability to sound better than the other networks because it broadcasts its audio with a 448kHz bitrate, compared to 384kHz used by the other networks.

24 in particular is helped by having the best sound editors in the TV business for 8 years running.

I wouldn't expect KTVI to answer any e-mails because it's currently run by the same company that hasn't answered my e-mails to KPLR since April of 2008. :(

Thanks for the excellent info, Bob. You truly are a Vidiot! :)

Hopefully, this means the PQ won't degrade when they decide to pile on a half-dozen sub-channels.:mad:

First review of the Panasonic 3DTV rolls in:

http://hdguru.com/panasonic-tc-p50vt20-3d-hdtv-hd-guru-exclusive-first-review/1391/

First review of the Panasonic 3DTV rolls in:

http://hdguru.com/panasonic-tc-p50vt20-3d-hdtv-hd-guru-exclusive-first-review/1391/

I heard that extra glasses cost $150 a pair. Insane. :eek:

2TB Hitachi hard drives at Micro Center - $129. :eek: (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0315534)

I almost bought a couple of these drives the other day for $149 each, on sale. Hard drive prices just get better all the time.

My girlfriend and I had a rare day off together, so we spent part of it grabbing two of these (there's a limit of one per person).

First review of the Panasonic 3DTV rolls in:

http://hdguru.com/panasonic-tc-p50vt20-3d-hdtv-hd-guru-exclusive-first-review/1391/

As I expected, the reviewer mentions that the experience at home was actually better than the experience at the theater. That's consistent with my experience watching 2D movies at a theater compared to watching them at home on my projector. I fully expect "Avatar" to be even better at home than it has been for me in the theaters.

BTW, I've now seen Avatar 4 times. The theater at the Gravois Bluffs is so much better than the Ronnie's for sound and picture, but the real surprise for me was how much more I enjoyed the film when I sat in about the 5th row, dead center. That's insane. I never, ever sit that close. The only times I ever have, I experienced eye and neck fatigue. I had none of that discomfort with Avatar, and I enjoyed the film so much more up close. I was totally engrossed, and completely comfortable. It shocked the hell out of me, but I think I know why I liked it so much more. Up close, the edges of the screen disappear and I'm just "there." Believe me, sailing the skies of Pandora on a Banshee, next to Neytiri, is a thrilling place to be. I cannot wait for FullHD3D projectors to hit the market.

My girlfriend and I had a rare day off together, so we spent part of it grabbing two of these (there's a limit of one per person).

There's nothing quite like spending a beautiful, Spring-like day shopping for hard drives in a Micro Center. Ah, romance. :D

I've read that Best Buy's Magnolia stores will have the Panasonic 3D displays starting on March 21st. I also got a BB coupon today that offers a second pair of 3D glasses for free if you buy a 3D bundle (Panny plasma display and Blu-ray player).

In other news, I've heard that there already appears to be a price war, with Sony saying it's not going to charge as much for its 3D displays as Panasonic, and Panasonic reducing prices before the technology even hits the shelves. That's wise. Selling these displays is going to be tough, because there's NOTHING in 3D out there right now to watch on them. I'm excited for the future of 3D, but the present sucks. :D

Court OKs TV rules opposed by Comcast, Cablevision (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100312/ap_on_sp_ot/us_tec_cable_access_rules)

I hope this helps with getting VS. on DirecTV, but I doubt it.

Just ordered mine. Will pick it up on the 18th. Getting the 2nd pair of glasses free too.

I've read that Best Buy's Magnolia stores will have the Panasonic 3D displays starting on March 21st. I also got a BB coupon today that offers a second pair of 3D glasses for free if you buy a 3D bundle (Panny plasma display and Blu-ray player).

In other news, I've heard that there already appears to be a price war, with Sony saying it's not going to charge as much for its 3D displays as Panasonic, and Panasonic reducing prices before the technology even hits the shelves. That's wise. Selling these displays is going to be tough, because there's NOTHING in 3D out there right now to watch on them. I'm excited for the future of 3D, but the present sucks. :D

Just ordered mine. Will pick it up on the 18th. Getting the 2nd pair of glasses free too.

Great, Dave. You owe us a review ASAP. I think the Panasonic comes with a demo disc of miscellaneous beautiful 3D programming, including what's supposed to be some underwater footage around a coral reef. I'll be going to Best Buy stores tomorrow to see the Samsung and the Panasonic demos.

In related news:

"Fox said yesterday that it will release Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs in April on 3-D Blu-ray, making it the first 3-D release on the market."

Samsung is bundling Monsters vs Aliens with its 3D displays in Europe. Cameron let it slip that Avatar 3D was going to be released in November, but the studio quickly denied it. Avatar 2D is due out on April 22nd, but I'd be shocked if Avatar 3D isn't released in time for the holiday buying season. Cameron may have leaked it inadvertently, but there's no way the consumer electronics companies want to let this holiday season slip by without Avatar 3D. They stand to sell a gazillion 3D sets if that happens. I can't see how the studio or anyone else stands to benefit if they delay it. They just want a quick double dip with a preliminary 2D release to coincide with the debut of all the 3D sets and Blu-ray players. Of course, a substantial number of people will buy Avatar 2D, thinking it's the 3D version.

Ditto. No one seems to acknowledge or respond to issues at KTVI. Personally, I find that Fox video events such as Football, Idol, etc. look fine. However, events on film like 24 and House have an odd, grainy and less-than-HD look about them. This is strange when you consider how superb the DD audio can be on 24.

Actually speaking of 2 and 11 I see they expanded their syndicated HD offerings. Because both The Office and The King of Queens are now in HD.

My information was wrong. The Best Buy in South County didn't have the Samsung 3D display going yesterday. Apparently, they didn't get the glasses and demo disc from Samsung yet, and they don't know when they're going to be available - maybe up to a couple of weeks. I know most folks around here aren't as keen on seeing 3D as I am, but I thought I'd save someone a trip if they had plans to check it out.

I still gotta check out the UE in St. Peters... got no excuse not to, since I work right across the parking lot from it.

I still gotta check out the UE in St. Peters... got no excuse not to, since I work right across the parking lot from it.

They told me at the Arnold UE store that the St. Peters one was the only working demo in the area. They all run off computers and show a demo put together by Mitsubishi. It's supposed to have some movie clips. I'd really like to hear your impressions of the 3D effect.

I've read more than one report (from people who were at CES) that said the Mitsubishi 3D demo was the most impressive 3D they saw there. That's anecdotal, of course, but so is almost everything about 3D TVs right now. If true, though, it indicates that the "drawback" of using the TI checkerboard method of 3D is not as compromised as the numbers might suggest.

It's my understanding that all the Samsung and Mitsubishi 3D-ready rear projection sets sold in the last 3 years use the checkerboard format to display 3D. The Mitsubishi adapter (3DC-1000) allows 3D Blu-ray players to play back on those sets. Given that my goal of seeing an affordable 3D projector may not be realized for a couple of years, I'm thinking the Mits adapter and a Samsung LED rear projector (if I can find one) would be a good compromise until front projectors are reasonable. It's not like there's going to be a flood of 3D Blu-rays for a while.

Looking forward to a report.

I think I have a work around for the disappearing external USB hard drive programs on a Dish DVR. I'm not 100% certain of this, but I've yet to lose a program if I do it this way. The solution seems to be to turn off the Dish DVR immediately after watching a USB program, rather than moving immediately on to another show or doing something else. I've watched many shows this way, and so far have had no instances where they've disappeared. It's not a huge precaution to take, and it seems to work.

I just stop the program, or pause it. I don't even back out of the menu system before quitting.

Just got done watching the first episode of THE PACIFIC on HBO (signed up for HBO yesterday specifically for this show). OMG, it is AMAZING. Looks and sounds like it cost a TRILLION dollars. If you liked Band of Brothers a few years back, this is mandatory viewing!

Court OKs TV rules opposed by Comcast, Cablevision (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100312/ap_on_sp_ot/us_tec_cable_access_rules)

I hope this helps with getting VS. on DirecTV, but I doubt it.

Maybe it did help. Vs. is back on DirecTV.

Uh, oh... looks like this might be the last season for 24 on Fox. :(

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118016256.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1

OTOH, looks like NBC might be interested in picking it up:

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/03/12/nbc-24-fox-jack-bauer/

Maybe it did help. Vs. is back on DirecTV.

Woohoo. Now I'll be able to watch World-Challenge series when it starts airing in April.

Uh, oh... looks like this might be the last season for 24 on Fox. :(

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118016256.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1

OTOH, looks like NBC might be interested in picking it up:

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/03/12/nbc-24-fox-jack-bauer/

A heads-up in case you have 24 on your DVR. KTVI apparently forgot to "flip the switch" last night. HD did not kick in until about halfway through the episode.

I'm not sure, but I think that I may have found someone who is more enthusiastic about 3D than Joe...

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/16/sky-tv-buys-15-000-3dtvs-from-lg-for-live-sports-broadcasts-in-p/

I'm not sure, but I think that I may have found someone who is more enthusiastic about 3D than Joe...

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/16/sky-tv-buys-15-000-3dtvs-from-lg-for-live-sports-broadcasts-in-p/

But did they attend 4 3D demos in the last 4 days??? Don't think so. :D

Fair warning: if you're bored by 3D, stop right here. This post will put you to sleep.

Never the patient type, I went all the way out to St. Peters over the weekend. Couldn't wait for Bob to give a report on the Mitsubishi demo. :) It was indeed a poorly set up demo environment - lots of direct glare from the front of the store onto the screen, so the 3D effect was lessened dramatically. I also saw a fair amount of unusual rainbow effect (color separation) - oddly different and more distracting than the normal RBE created by slow color wheels on DLPs. The more serious problem for me was the ghosting, where both eyes see a ghost image of the other eye view, created (apparently) by the fact that LCD shutter glasses don't block out 100% of the light when they're "closed."

I also saw the Samsung demo at a Best Buy in South County (the Fenton store also has one set up - and IMO better than the South County store's). It's a 55" LCD panel playing a 3D version of "Monsters vs Aliens." This demo was spectacular, with a real sense of depth and solidity to the image. Except - the ghosting issue was there, too. It just may be that LCD shutter glasses can't block out enough light to eliminate it, period. It's not something everyone would notice. It's not even visible in every shot, but it's fairly easy to spot, in bright scenes especially. I had my mom out for lunch, and she really surprised me. She is anything but a videophile and she claims to be unable to see the difference between SD and HD (and wants no part of my teaching her to see it :D). She saw the 3D effect easily and really liked it. She also saw the ghosting, quite easily, in a couple of minutes viewing the demo.

If everything goes according to schedule, I'll get a chance to see the Panasonic plasma demo down in South County this weekend. Plasma switching is significantly faster than LCD switching, so if the ghosting is due to an LCD switching delay, the Panasonic should solve the problem. If it's caused by the fact the shutter glasses can't block out enough light, it'll still be there. That's what I fear is going to happen.

Another option for 3D at home is a silver screen and polarizing glasses. This will theoretically give an experience very comparable to the commercial theater. LG has announced a projector that uses polarized light, but it's rumored to be $10,000-15,000. :eek: It would also complicate my home theater screen setup, which I'd much rather not change.

It's a learning process for me right now. As expected, I have to see this stuff for myself. Until I do, I won't know what works for me and what doesn't.

Anyone else get any audio dropouts on Lost last night? I have DirecTv and record Lost on OTA with my HR20-700 receiver. I have the HR20 connected via HDMI to my Denon AVR-1909 and HDMI from the Denon to my 55" Toshiba LED TV. Every week I'm encountering several audio dropouts when I watch the recorded Lost episode. I can rewind and most times, the audio is then fine. I get some audio dropouts on other channels, but not nearly as much/often as on Channel 30. Just trying to see if others are having this issue. Thanks

Anyone else get any audio dropouts on Lost last night? I have DirecTv and record Lost on OTA with my HR20-700 receiver. I have the HR20 connected via HDMI to my Denon AVR-1909 and HDMI from the Denon to my 55" Toshiba LED TV. Every week I'm encountering several audio dropouts when I watch the recorded Lost episode. I can rewind and most times, the audio is then fine. I get some audio dropouts on other channels, but not nearly as much/often as on Channel 30. Just trying to see if others are having this issue. Thanks


It was fine on Charter. But like that last time this was brought up, we didn't start watching til about 8:20pm so most of what I saw was on the DVR already.

It was fine on Charter. But like that last time this was brought up, we didn't start watching til about 8:20pm so most of what I saw was on the DVR already.

The audio dropouts I'm having are when watching recorded material as well.

That sale of 15,000 3D TVs in the UK may have been exaggerated/misreported initially:

http://goo.gl/fb/Rphx

Here's the audio from James Cameron's "Avatar" talk at a WGA (Writers Guild of America) meeting. (http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/03/09/listen-to-this-james-camerons-hour-long-wga-interview-on-screenwritingavatar/)

It's a fascinating listen. Cameron is one of the most articulate filmmakers I've ever heard. Although it's over an hour, it flew by for me, and not just because it was about "Avatar." The time he spends in preparation for shooting is as epic as the films themselves. It's obvious after listening to him why "Avatar" looks so incredible. Say what you will about the story (and I've said some negative things myself), but visually, there's simply never been anything like Avatar, ever.

From today's SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com):

"Gun to Head" at DISH?

The TiVo-DISH showdown is looking grim for DISH as Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett notes that the No. 2 DBS provider is "now negotiating with the proverbial gun to the head." (Moffett wins our personal vote for most colorful writing by an analyst.) Anyway ... Thanks to its losses in court, DISH is now faced with three options: (1) Shutting down its estimated 7mm to 8mm DVRs (a sure-fire disaster); (2) Replacing those DVRs with non-infringing units (at a cost in the billions plus huge disruptions); or (3) paying the piper (AKA TiVo) pretty much whatever it wants.

As Moffett notes, historical precedents peg DVR licensing fees at $1.00 to $2.25 per month. But, he adds, since DISH now represents the largest untapped pool for TiVo, and with those court judgments in hand, TiVo could push the price far higher. Moffett sees the $2.25/month as the floor for a settlement with a ceiling somewhere in the billions (Moffett's emphasis).

Moffett's revised model for DISH reflects a $3/month DVR licensing fee starting 3Q10.

I had audio issues with Ugly Betty on Wednesday night and Flash Forward last night. Both were recorded and watched from a Charter Cable Moxi DVR from the ABC HD signal.

I didn't have dropouts, rather I had intermittent static or "electronic humming" throughout both shows.

I hope whatever the issues is gets resolved soon, because it was rather irritating.


The audio dropouts I'm having are when watching recorded material as well.

From today's SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com):

"Gun to Head" at DISH?

The TiVo-DISH showdown is looking grim for DISH as Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett notes that the No. 2 DBS provider is "now negotiating with the proverbial gun to the head." (Moffett wins our personal vote for most colorful writing by an analyst.) Anyway ... Thanks to its losses in court, DISH is now faced with three options: (1) Shutting down its estimated 7mm to 8mm DVRs (a sure-fire disaster); (2) Replacing those DVRs with non-infringing units (at a cost in the billions plus huge disruptions); or (3) paying the piper (AKA TiVo) pretty much whatever it wants.

As Moffett notes, historical precedents peg DVR licensing fees at $1.00 to $2.25 per month. But, he adds, since DISH now represents the largest untapped pool for TiVo, and with those court judgments in hand, TiVo could push the price far higher. Moffett sees the $2.25/month as the floor for a settlement with a ceiling somewhere in the billions (Moffett's emphasis).

Moffett's revised model for DISH reflects a $3/month DVR licensing fee starting 3Q10.

So what's the problem? Dish will just tack on a $4/month charge to customers and make a profit :D

I had audio issues with Ugly Betty on Wednesday night and Flash Forward last night. Both were recorded and watched from a Charter Cable Moxi DVR from the ABC HD signal.

I didn't have dropouts, rather I had intermittent static or "electronic humming" throughout both shows.

I hope whatever the issues is gets resolved soon, because it was rather irritating.


Only watched Flash Forward. There were weird, almost static sounds coming from the rear speakers. I have D*.

Only watched Flash Forward. There were weird, almost static sounds coming from the rear speakers. I have D*.
I realize I'm probably the only one still watching, but on the last scrubs there was static during the music coming from the rear speakers, I thought it was the music until the recent posts.

I realize I'm probably the only one still watching, but on the last scrubs there was static during the music coming from the rear speakers, I thought it was the music until the recent posts.

I also thought it was the music on Scrubs until I started hearing the same thing in a recording of Flash Forward. I was wondering whether the Scrubs music department was just going a little crazy with the synthesizers, but I guess they get a break on this one.

I don't really know how to describe it, but maybe like a metallic/electical vibration or buzzing.

I am on Uverse, only running ProLogic sound. I think it is coming from all speakers, but mainly when the music is playing loudly. I know Lost was perfect on Tuesday night.

Only watched Flash Forward. There were weird, almost static sounds coming from the rear speakers. I have D*.

I've gotten some of that too, on both channels 5 and 30 with D*.

I'm just watching Flash Forward now on a Dish 622 and I'm getting the same thing - a metal grinding, static-y sound. Very nasty.

I also thought it was the music on Scrubs until I started hearing the same thing in a recording of Flash Forward. I was wondering whether the Scrubs music department was just going a little crazy with the synthesizers, but I guess they get a break on this one.

I don't really know how to describe it, but maybe like a metallic/electical vibration or buzzing.

I am on Uverse, only running ProLogic sound. I think it is coming from all speakers, but mainly when the music is playing loudly. I know Lost was perfect on Tuesday night.

I heard the same thing on Scrubs too via DirecTV.

I'm just watching Flash Forward now on a Dish 622 and I'm getting the same thing - a metal grinding, static-y sound. Very nasty.

Watching Flash Forward now on D*, I thought they had maybe sampled some crowd noise from an Atari sports video game. lol :o

I had audio issues with Ugly Betty on Wednesday night and Flash Forward last night. Both were recorded and watched from a Charter Cable Moxi DVR from the ABC HD signal.

I didn't have dropouts, rather I had intermittent static or "electronic humming" throughout both shows.

I hope whatever the issues is gets resolved soon, because it was rather irritating.

Finally got around to watching last week's Ugly Betty that I had recorded on D* using an HR20 receiver. Had very bad static coming from the rear speakers throughout the show. I didn't skip through all of the commercials because I wanted to see if the static was on all audio or not. Found that most commercials didn't have it. Also tried switching my HR20 to output stereo audio instead of dolby digital. My Denon receiver is set up to take stereo to Dolby PL II - static was still there.

Had the same static issue last night on watching Desperate Housewives. Seems it is definitely an issue with the Channel 30 ABC HD signal.

I think I notice it more not during dialogue, but when there's background music or "effects".


Finally got around to watching last week's Ugly Betty that I had recorded on D* using an HR20 receiver. Had very bad static coming from the rear speakers throughout the show. I didn't skip through all of the commercials because I wanted to see if the static was on all audio or not. Found that most commercials didn't have it. Also tried switching my HR20 to output stereo audio instead of dolby digital. My Denon receiver is set up to take stereo to Dolby PL II - static was still there.

Pretty comprehensive curtain-raiser article at CNET on the beginning of the FCC battle against broadcasters and the government's desire to reclaim 40% of broadcast TV spectrum for redeployment for broadband:
____________________________________________________________ _____

A fight is brewing in Washington, D.C., and this one's not the much-publicized battle over health care reform.

No, the brawl that is just getting started is much quieter and could drag on for years. In one corner of the ring is the Federal Communications Commission, which wants to reclaim wireless spectrum for new broadband services. In the other corner are TV broadcasters, which sit on the spectrum the FCC wants to take back.

The FCC's new National Broadband Plan, officially introduced this week, proposes that government shrink the overall spectrum that is allocated to TV broadcasters in the U.S. by about 40 percent. The plan (PDF) calls for the FCC to reclaim about 120MHz of spectrum from broadcasters in the next five years that would be used by cell phone operators and other wireless entrepreneurs to deliver new broadband services. Today, about 300MHz of spectrum has been set aside for free over-the-air TV broadcast.

For people who watch broadcast TV, reclaiming this spectrum could mean a loss of some channels. For everyone, it could mean more wireless capacity and fewer dropped calls on smartphones like the iPhone. And it could encourage the development of new wireless broadband competitors.

The FCC believes the choice is clear. Only about 10 percent of the U.S. population still watches free TV using an antenna. And it believes it can reclaim a significant amount of spectrum without affecting over-the-air TV viewing in much of the country. In fact, last month FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski noted in a speech that only about 36MHz of spectrum is typically used for broadcasting in TV markets with less than 1 million viewers. Even in the largest TV markets, only about half of the spectrum is used, he said.
____________________________________________________________ _____

Full article: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20000586-266.html?tag=nl.e703

Just wanted to throw out another Chuck plug, this season is really picking up...2 more, then a 2 week break then the final 6 in 5 weeks....

Just wanted to throw out another Chuck plug, this season is really picking up...2 more, then a 2 week break then the final 6 in 5 weeks....

Yes, the last few weeks have been really good. They had a rocky period, but it's the old Chuck again. Zachary Levi (Chuck) directed the episode a couple of weeks ago. It was a terrific show.

Uverse user also have the the sound issues with Channel 30. Watching DWTS.

Lot of distortion on Castle right now (KDNL-DT).

Update: I don't hear it anymore. (KDNL-DT)

Wazzup, Jim?

It keeps coming in and out. It was gone during commercials (probably 2.0 stereo), but it comes back when a 5.1 program resumes. Weird.

Just started watching tonight's episode of Castle. Recorded on D* HR20. Watching about 25 minutes delayed. Lots of static on the rear speakers. Very annoying. What's going on???:mad:

Just switched over to the "live" OTA broadcast -- no distortion. As I said, I'm watching delayed via recording right now. Going to wait and see if static eventually clears up.

At 0:14 minutes into the program, audio cleared up!!! Thanks!!! Hopes it stays that way tonight and forever!!

Seems all better now. Thanks, Jim!

I had the distortion on the Dish satellite feed (622 DVR) and OTA (recorded via Win7 Media Center). I suspect Jim will let us know what happened when he can.

Joe,

I went to Best Buy in Chesterfield Valley yesterday to check out their 3D demos. They have both the Panasonic Plasma and the Samsung LED both set up. The Panasonic looked great and much better than the Samsung. I'm not sure if that was due to the plasma vs LED or the fact that the Panasonic was set up in the Magnolia area where it is darker and the Samsung is out in the regular display area with the screen facing the wall of tvs.

I have to say, that I was fairly impressed with the 3D effect of the Panny. Excellent picture I thought. Even so, I personally just don't see the 3D thing taking off in the home environment like the manufacturers think it will. I mean, I don't really want to sit around on my couch watching movies with the 3D glasses on. And the cost of the additional glasses - $150 a pair - makes it pretty expensive to be able to have additional sets on hand for a family of 4 and a couple of additional friends/family over to watch something. Like I said, I was impressed by the 3D effects, but not as much as I have been in the theater on a big screen. It really loses something on a small screen (relatively speaking). Add to the fact that I'm still not clear if you will need to upgrade your A/V receiver to one that is HDMI 1.4/3D compliant in order to use it as an HDMI switch and receive the HD audio codecs. The industry is asking the consumers out there to fork over some hefty bucks to upgrade their standard HD setups to ones that are HD/3D compatible. I guess only time will tell if this is really going to take off or not. We'll just wait and see.

I had the distortion on the Dish satellite feed (622 DVR) and OTA (recorded via Win7 Media Center). I suspect Jim will let us know what happened when he can.

Finally got some 5.1 test equipment installed at home...the rear surround channels were really bad! The only time we can test is during native 5.1 content, so we were switching equipment during Dancing trying to locate the problem. It seems to be a logo inserter at the hub. We'll monitor tonight and switch to our local feed if necessary.
Thanks for everyone's input...it helps us diagnose.

Finally got some 5.1 test equipment installed at home...the rear surround channels were really bad! The only time we can test is during native 5.1 content, so we were switching equipment during Dancing trying to locate the problem. It seems to be a logo inserter at the hub. We'll monitor tonight and switch to our local feed if necessary.
Thanks for everyone's input...it helps us diagnose.

Anything we can do to help!!:)

We knew you were on it, Jim. Glad to hear you have a more direct way of monitoring the problems now.

Joe,

I went to Best Buy in Chesterfield Valley yesterday to check out their 3D demos. They have both the Panasonic Plasma and the Samsung LED both set up. The Panasonic looked great and much better than the Samsung. I'm not sure if that was due to the plasma vs LED or the fact that the Panasonic was set up in the Magnolia area where it is darker and the Samsung is out in the regular display area with the screen facing the wall of tvs.

I have to say, that I was fairly impressed with the 3D effect of the Panny. Excellent picture I thought. Even so, I personally just don't see the 3D thing taking off in the home environment like the manufacturers think it will. I mean, I don't really want to sit around on my couch watching movies with the 3D glasses on. And the cost of the additional glasses - $150 a pair - makes it pretty expensive to be able to have additional sets on hand for a family of 4 and a couple of additional friends/family over to watch something. Like I said, I was impressed by the 3D effects, but not as much as I have been in the theater on a big screen. It really loses something on a small screen (relatively speaking). Add to the fact that I'm still not clear if you will need to upgrade your A/V receiver to one that is HDMI 1.4/3D compliant in order to use it as an HDMI switch and receive the HD audio codecs. The industry is asking the consumers out there to fork over some hefty bucks to upgrade their standard HD setups to ones that are HD/3D compatible. I guess only time will tell if this is really going to take off or not. We'll just wait and see.

Thanks for the review!

You know, there is a whole new section of AVS, called 3D Central. Over there, the debate as to whether 3D will succeed is pretty much over. 3D is a done deal. :D

I agree that the size of the 3D image is important to the overall experience, but I also feel the same way about 2D. With 3D, though, the more you're immersed in the experience, the better. For me, this happens more easily if the frame of 3D image disappears as much as possible into my peripheral vision. That means, the bigger the better. 3D front projection is that much more important for me.

That said, even a small screen 3D experience can be spectacular. I love the demos on these 50" and 55" sets. Long term, the glasses and the TVs themselves will drop in price. Right now, the more expensive models are getting the 3D treatment. In the end, because the technology isn't very expensive to implement on modern digital sets, it'll be a standard feature even on cheaper sets. Also, lots of manufacturers will be announcing universal glasses that will work with any set. (Right now, they're all proprietary.)

I was able to spend a lot more time with the Panasonic plasma today and they let me fiddle with the controls - picture mode (cinema), 96hz mode (and 60hz), black level, blur reduction. It was an even better experience this time around. I think I've said this here before, but it was like looking out a window. I've heard people say that about "plain ole HD" in the past, but I've never really felt it. With FullHD 3D, that sentiment actually begins to feel true for the first time. Spectacular.

Hi Joe!! Man, I haven't been on this board in such a long time. Anybody remember me?? I'm on spring break, so my sister and I drove down south to visit my mom. She's looking for a 37-42" hdtv, and I hope I come across these 3D sets as I'm shopping for her. Sounds fun.

Also, I thought it might be fun to try and track down someone here in Jackson, MS who is a member of AVS and might be willing to demo their system for a fellow AVSer. Know of anyone?

Adrian

You should check this Local HDTV Info and Reception sub-forum for Jackson. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=393963&highlight=jackson) It doesn't look to be as active as the St. Louis thread, but I'd be surprised if you didn't elicit a few posts.

Check out a Best Buy if you want to see a 3D demo. They should all have the Samsung 7000 on display, and the Magnolia Best Buy stores are supposed to have the Panasonic plasma.

Hope you get a little bit of a break before you have to return to teaching. Give me a call when you get back into town. We can catch up.

Yep, I was just posting over in that thread, and came back here to see your suggestion. Hopefully someone will bite. I will be checking out the local BB, so maybe they will have a 3D set or two. With only have one more week of subbing when I return to STL, we should be able to get together soon. Looking forward to it.

Adrian

Hi Joe!! Man, I haven't been on this board in such a long time. Anybody remember me??

Adrian

Hey, who the h*ll are you? :D

Finally got some 5.1 test equipment installed at home...the rear surround channels were really bad! The only time we can test is during native 5.1 content, so we were switching equipment during Dancing trying to locate the problem. It seems to be a logo inserter at the hub. We'll monitor tonight and switch to our local feed if necessary.
Thanks for everyone's input...it helps us diagnose.

Didn't notice anything wrong on Modern Family tonight, it looks like you have it sorted. Thanks Jim

Finally got some 5.1 test equipment installed at home...the rear surround channels were really bad! The only time we can test is during native 5.1 content, so we were switching equipment during Dancing trying to locate the problem. It seems to be a logo inserter at the hub. We'll monitor tonight and switch to our local feed if necessary.
Thanks for everyone's input...it helps us diagnose.

Hey, Jim. Now that you have good audio home, please check out Night Line. It seems to suffer from kSDk-itis. But first, a little backgound: My TV speakers are permanently disabled. All audio comes from my 5.1 sound system which, like most systems, automatically & seamlessly switches between DD and Dolby PL, depending upon the event.

While ABC network shows usually sound fine at my home, when Night Line comes on, the center and rear channels go dead and sound only comes from the left & right speakers. Perhaps something is out of phase because there is now a huge hole in the center. The DD pilot remains on, so the only way to correct this is for me to override the receiver and force Dolby PL. When I do that, it sounds great.

Yes, all was well with Modern Family's sound - which is great because it's the one show I would HATE to have bad sound. By the time it's over, I'm practically hysterical. It has letter perfect writing and letter perfect comic timing. If you haven't seen Modern Family yet, do yourself a favor and watch.

Thought I'd pass along this deal - it's the last day for it at Micro Center:

Buy this AMD quad core CPU, (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0327513)
and this mATX motherboard, (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0326255)

as a bundle for $58 ($68 minus a $10 MIR).

I'm building a HTPC as a birthday present for a relative, and this will be its heart (along with a Radeon 4350 HDMI video card for $30 after $10 MIR). It won't be the best for state of the art gaming, but it will do 1080p Blu-ray playback without a hiccup.

I just love having a Micro Center here in town. :D

Just wanted to note that kSDk's incompetence stretches beyond the technical realm.

So-called NewsChannel 5 recently misreported a story about a Sunday night vigil held by health care protestors outside the home of Congressman Russ Carnahan. I'm not going to bore anyone with the details, which could be considered political. You can do a Google search if you're curious, with both Politico and American Thinker carrying recent blog entries about kSDk's journalistic malpractice.

This is just one more example of the rampant lack of professionalism that is typical of all of the business activities of kSDk.

Oops. Just wanted to say that I misquoted the price on that AMD/Gigabyte deal at Micro Center. It's actually $50 more for the bundle. Sorry about that. It's still an amazing deal - $108 for a quad core CPU and mobo. :eek:

Fox has been hinting at it all season, and made it official yesterday. With 24 and Lost BOTH going away this year, I'm in mourning.

Official: '24' ends on Fox (thanks, I think, to The Hollywood Reporter (http://www.thrfeed.com/2010/03/fox-cancels-24.html))

Tick, tick, tick … and done.

After eight seasons, Fox’s “24” is coming to an end.

The groundbreaking action drama will air its final real-time episode in May, the victim of a confluence of circumstances: a swelling budget, declining ratings and creative fatigue.

Yet for fans of Jack Bauer, there remains hope. Studio 20th TV is developing a theatrical film that takes Bauer to Europe, and showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon says other possibilities are being explored as well.

“There are other possible iterations of Jack Bauer and his world,” Gordon said (full Q&A with Gordon about series ending here).

The writing has been on the wall for the show all season, which Gordon said felt like “senior year of high school” to star Kiefer Sutherland.

Because of the constant upward spiral of cast and creative team salaries, any drama begins to carry serious financial weight after its fifth year. Sources say Fox paid a hefty $5 million per episode license fee to 20th TV.

Meanwhile, the show’s ratings dropped 16% this season to a 3.8 adults 18-49 rating including DVR — still healthy numbers for a scripted drama, yet not enough to overcome the program’s increasing cost, a budget that was set to climb once again since contracts for Sutherland, Gordon and other key players expire this season.

Then there’s the show’s creative struggle. How many times have “24” characters declared that a looming crisis will be addressed “within the hour,” or has Bauer struggled to gain the respect of the latest CTU chief? Gordon says the show’s writers felt they had exhausted the real-time possibilities for Bauer and never came up with a truly compelling idea for Day 9.

“If one of the writers came up with a good idea, I’d happily pitch it to Kiefer and then happily pitch to a network, whether Fox or someone else,” Gordon said. “We just don’t have that idea, and that’s where everything has to start.”

Producers did sniff around at other networks, namely NBC, with 20th TV offering to lower its license fee to $3.5 million to keep the show going. NBC ran the numbers and passed.

As the weeks tick down to the show’s final hour, Gordon promises a strong finish coupled with the current New York-based storyline taking a dark and creatively risky turn for the final episodes.

For fans, the ending of “24,” along with ABC’s “Lost,” represents the departure of one of the few successful serialized action-driven shows on broadcast, leaving a suitcase-nuke-sized gap in the creative landscape. In addition to its unique real-time storytelling model, the drama pioneered the modern-day TV cliffhanger.

Even its scheduling was an innovation — a returning hit that airs in midseason without repeats.

“I’d like it to be remembered as a revolutionary concept,” Gordon said. “I hope the second thing is that we loved this show so much and never did anything less than our best and I hope we delivered to our fans like we feel we did to ourselves.”

Just wanted to note that kSDk's incompetence stretches beyond the technical realm........

I'm so frustrated with kSDk I can't stand it. Does anyone else notice the audio issues that are occurring almost all the time? Either the volume is constantly changing (it seems to rise and fall almost in a pattern) or there is a gargling issue that comes and goes. This is apparent only on Ch 5 via sat (E*) or OTA. I've written notes to them but you all know how that goes..... :mad:

I'll bet their sub channel is somehow interfering with the main channel. Just a guess, but they are clearly amateurs over there. I find I'm actually weaning myself from the few NBC shows I used to watch. It's that bad.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who notices this. It does it on all my TV's via OTA and three Dish receivers.

Fox has been hinting at it all season, and made it official yesterday. With 24 and Lost BOTH going away this year, I'm in mourning.

I hear you. I still miss BSG. And "Crapica" is a poor substitute as is Stargate Universe for Stargate Atlantis or original Stargate SG-1. Pretty awful too.

Some are calling Flash Forward the new Lost. Um, no.

I'm so frustrated with kSDk I can't stand it. Does anyone else notice the audio issues that are occurring almost all the time? Either the volume is constantly changing (it seems to rise and fall almost in a pattern) or there is a gargling issue that comes and goes. This is apparent only on Ch 5 via sat (E*) or OTA. I've written notes to them but you all know how that goes..... :mad:

I'll bet their sub channel is somehow interfering with the main channel. Just a guess, but they are clearly amateurs over there. I find I'm actually weaning myself from the few NBC shows I used to watch. It's that bad.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who notices this. It does it on all my TV's via OTA and three Dish receivers.

KSDK sucks. I have D* and OTA as well. They don't know what they are doing. I hate the way they broadcast the Cards games especially. Also, I watch NBC Nightly News. They often have a blank screen when transitioning to it. I don't know why they can't get it right.

I am REALLY not looking forward to the severe weather season as they always window the program with their oversize graphic. Why can't they use a crawler like everyone else?

KSDK sucks. I have D* and OTA as well. ......I am REALLY not looking forward to the severe weather season as they always window the program with their oversize graphic. Why can't they use a crawler like everyone else?

Amen! The idiots continued to exhibit their stupidity during snow-day school closings. Rather than use the crawl, they shrunk the 16x9 screen about half-size, used a truncated crawl and added gift-wrap style vertical columns as bookends. What type of screen format do they think we have????

Did I use the word "THINK"???? :(

I hear you. I still miss BSG. And "Crapica" is a poor substitute as is Stargate Universe for Stargate Atlantis or original Stargate SG-1. Pretty awful too.

Some are calling Flash Forward the new Lost. Um, no.

I got about halfway through the Caprica premiere before getting too bored to finish it. Haven't erased it (or the subsequent episodes) because I heard the second half of the premiere was much better than the first half, and the show's supposedly pretty good. But have yet to go back and see for myself.

Guess my problem is I just really like things blowing up. :D

24 and BSG had a lot of that. And 24 in particular used the soundtrack to envelop the viewers in the middle of the action. That show provided a better soundtrack EVERY WEEK than many big budget action movies that took months to record.

I guess Human Target will be my Fox action fix from now on. While I'm happy to have an action show that my girlfriend likes to watch with me (24 is too violent for her), the effects channels on Human Target often drown out the dialog. Having to rewind scenes just to hear what was said over the noise of the jet engines/gunfire/whatever is not fun. Human Target's sound editors wouldn't have lasted half an hour on 24, where that kind of thing NEVER happens.

I got about halfway through the Caprica premiere before getting too bored to finish it. Haven't erased it (or the subsequent episodes) because I heard the second half of the premiere was much better than the first half, and the show's supposedly pretty good. But have yet to go back and see for myself.I watched the 2-part premiere plus the next episode. I never made it through more than half of the episode following that. I got bored. I have all the episodes on DVR so may try watching again, or deleting it all if I need the room.

But it's definitely no BSG.

I'm torn on the show. The first episode didn't grab me at all, but I find myself intrigued by the premise. There also have been some excellent performances. One actor I've never cared that much for is Eric Stoltz. I think he usually gives pretty good performances, and I can't put my finger on exactly why, but I find him emotionally flat. I've watched all the eps, but I agree, it's no BSG.

Eric Stoltz was originally cast and started shooting the original Back to the Future. It wasn't working. I doubt we would have had two sequels if Michael J. Fox had not stepped into the role of Marty McFly.

Fringe spoiler ahead, so if you haven't seen it yet, don't read any further.

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In tonight's show, and in the alternate universe, a movie marquee reads "Back to the Future, starring Eric Stoltz." I hadn't thought about that for years, and my last post has a reference to a story element from this week's Fringe. Spooky. I doubt, if we flash to the alternate universe 2010, that we'll discover that 3 Back to the Future's got made over there. :D

... Spooky. I doubt, if we flash to the alternate universe 2010, that we'll discover that 3 Back to the Future's got made over there. :D

Maybe you should mention something about Chuck getting renewed. We could use a nice prophet in this thread :p

Maybe you should mention something about Chuck getting renewed. We could use a nice prophet in this thread :p

I see a 4th season for our favorite spy. :D

Finally had enough of Charter and pulled the trigger today.

CenturyLink will install DSL Wednesday. And I'm dumping my landline phone entirely.

Hopefully I won't get 10 signal drops in 15 minutes during a piddly little 32kbps WABC talk radio stream anymore.

And hopefully I won't get any more 58-inch "There was a problem connecting to the Internet" messages on my TV when downloading a DirecTV on Demand movie.

My speed will be 8 megs ("up to" 15 megs), quite a bit less than the 25 megs I supposedly get from Charter, but quite a bit more than the ZERO megs I often ACTUALLY get from Charter.

Finally had enough of Charter and pulled the trigger today.

CenturyLink will install DSL Wednesday. And I'm dumping my landline phone entirely.

Hopefully I won't get 10 signal drops in 15 minutes during a piddly little 32kbps WABC talk radio stream anymore.

And hopefully I won't get any more 58-inch "There was a problem connecting to the Internet" messages on my TV when downloading a DirecTV on Demand movie.

My speed will be 8 megs ("up to" 15 megs), quite a bit less than the 25 megs I supposedly get from Charter, but quite a bit more than the ZERO megs I often ACTUALLY get from Charter.

I get good speeds from Charter (25mbps down, 2mbps up), but it goes down far too often, especially late at night. I often find my phone is dead (MagicJack), while my folks' MagicJack running on DSL (only 1.5mbps) rarely has a problem. Charter did raise their customers' speed (mine went from 10mbps to 25mbps) without raising the price. Since I'm a relatively light user, it doesn't make a lot of difference to me, while the inconsistency does.

Hey, guys, I have a question that I don't know where else I can ask...

In my house we have an OLD version of "whole house audio." Its a NuTone from awhile back and it has a cassette player (which no longer works) and a radio. There are speakers built in to the kitchen, hallways, living room, etc.

I'd like to replace this with something, but I don't even know if it exists...

Would like to put something in the wall and connect it to the existing speakers that will connect via WiFi to my home server and stream mp3s. Would love it play the radio as well. (They are connect to an antenna in the attic.)

Any products out there that will do this? Anything that I can rig on my own with a Linksys wifi usb card?

Thanks for any help.

I get good speeds from Charter (25mbps down, 2mbps up), but it goes down far too often, especially late at night. I often find my phone is dead (MagicJack), while my folks' MagicJack running on DSL (only 1.5mbps) rarely has a problem. Charter did raise their customers' speed (mine went from 10mbps to 25mbps) without raising the price. Since I'm a relatively light user, it doesn't make a lot of difference to me, while the inconsistency does.

EXACTLY. Charter's great when it's up. But it's not up far too often. Today I got tired of waiting for Charter to take some Viagra.

Finally had enough of Charter and pulled the trigger today.
CenturyLink will install DSL Wednesday. And I'm dumping my landline phone entirely.


I have become pretty good at troubleshooting DSL and have a few inside contacts at Centurylink, if you have any questions/issues let me know.

For the most part I have been happy with Centurylink, I was happy with Charter's service while I had them also. It was the CSR's and billing that pushed me away.

I have had the same ip address since 3/22, so no disconnects since then and likely longer.. Others have seen some issues since the merger with Embarq, that seems to have settled down in the last 4-6 weeks.

Sounds good, tstolze, thanks!

Don't know if there's any Stallone fans here. But if any of you are, you'll be interested in the box set of Rambo movies 1-3 on Blu-Ray for $22.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015XHP4K/ref=xs_gb_A3DKPU209NERCX?pf_rd_p=441937901&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1KZQ3NR8W7ZDF5Q0GKFB

Today only at Amazon.

After doing more research, I came up with something that maybe you can give me your opinion on: This product from HP. (http://www.shopping.hp.com/store/product/product_detail/KY616AA%2523ABA?aoid=35252)

Its pretty much exactly what I want. The issues are two-fold:

1. How would I power the device? It has an AC adapter and my current panel is connected through two actual wires.

2. It has audio out jacks for external speakers. My speakers are currently connected to my existing unit with speaker wire wrapped around the outputs.

Any advice?


Hey, guys, I have a question that I don't know where else I can ask...

In my house we have an OLD version of "whole house audio." Its a NuTone from awhile back and it has a cassette player (which no longer works) and a radio. There are speakers built in to the kitchen, hallways, living room, etc.

I'd like to replace this with something, but I don't even know if it exists...

Would like to put something in the wall and connect it to the existing speakers that will connect via WiFi to my home server and stream mp3s. Would love it play the radio as well. (They are connect to an antenna in the attic.)

Any products out there that will do this? Anything that I can rig on my own with a Linksys wifi usb card?

Thanks for any help.

Wouldn't ya know, now that I made the appointment for CenturyLink to install their internet and dump Charter... my Charter connection's been flawless all weekend?????

Wouldn't ya know, now that I made the appointment for CenturyLink to install their internet and dump Charter... my Charter connection's been flawless all weekend?????
What is CenturyLink? DSL?

CenturyLink, formerly CenturyTel, the default phone company if you live west of Zumbehl Road or so in St. Charles County. Yeah, DSL.

Looks like I was a bit premature saying Charter's been flawless. Been catching up on 24 tonight. My DirecTV DVR was downloading an On Demand movie at the same time. Four times during the three episodes of 24, I got the "could not connect to the internet" message.

CenturyLink, formerly CenturyTel, the default phone company if you live west of Zumbehl Road or so in St. Charles County. Yeah, DSL.

Looks like I was a bit premature saying Charter's been flawless. Been catching up on 24 tonight. My DirecTV DVR was downloading an On Demand movie at the same time. Four times during the three episodes of 24, I got the "could not connect to the internet" message.

That wasn't your Internet it happened on many channels tonight.

CenturyLink, formerly CenturyTel, the default phone company if you live west of Zumbehl Road or so in St. Charles County. Yeah, DSL.

Looks like I was a bit premature saying Charter's been flawless. Been catching up on 24 tonight. My DirecTV DVR was downloading an On Demand movie at the same time. Four times during the three episodes of 24, I got the "could not connect to the internet" message.
Who actually owns the lines out there? Do they lease from AT&T (or some other larger telephone company) like all the other non-AT&T companies in St. Louis county? The only reason I ask is when that is the case (leased) just about any line problems your ever gunna have will need to be routed through AT&T anyway and can be a bit of a hassle. If CenturyLink owns those lines at lease they won't have someone else to blame.

I'm assuming CenturyLink owns the lines, since they're the default phone company in this neighborhood (took over the territory when Verizon, formerly GTE, dumped this area).

This neighborhood has never had AT&T or Southwestern Bell as its default phone company.

I'm assuming CenturyLink owns the lines, since they're the default phone company in this neighborhood (took over the territory when Verizon, formerly GTE, dumped this area).

This neighborhood has never had AT&T or Southwestern Bell as its default phone company.

Yes Centurylink owns the llines. They were primarily a "rural" carrier until they purchased some more populated several years ago from GTE. In the last year they purchased Embarq and merged to two companies under the Centurylink name. I believe they are now in the top 10 in customers served for phone providers. They are offering some "Uverse" type services in certain areas, I know Columbia, MO has it available and some areas in Wisconsin. They are expanding this service at a slow pace. New developments are getting Fiber to the Home, I think the top tiier for fiber is 15-20 down and 2 up. Most with copper are now on ADSL2+ and they offer 10/768 as the top tier, this year they should be rolling out pair bonding allowing 20/1.5 connections for customers within 7-8000 ft of their CO/RT.

Way to much information for a HDTV forum, on that front they do partner with Dish, offering around a $5 per month discount.

Good information, Tom. Thanks.

Speaking of Dish, I'm waiting for two bits of information: when will the 922 ship and when will they announce that they're going to upgrade their DVRs for 3D? So far, I haven't heard anything concrete on either front.

Here's a very interesting article written by the president of Digital Projection (a projector manufacturer) about his recent experience watching the 3D version of Alice in Wonderland at one his local movie theaters.

There's lots of great info here about the viewing environment factors required for a satisfying 3D experience, for both cinema and the home.

An excerpt:
________________________________________________________

The first problem was that the theater geometry was not conducive to an immersive 3D experience. The screen was only 22’ wide, yet the first row of seats in the stadium seating section was at least 35’ from the screen. Since the first, second and third rows were well below the bottom of the image, we sat in the 4th row. That placed us at the bottom of the projected image, but roughly 45’ from the 22’ wide screen.

I have to admit, I expected the 1.85 screen to morph into a scope aspect ratio before the movie started. Had I done a bit of research in advance of going to the theater, I could have learned that Alice in Wonderland 3D was presented in 1.85:1. That being the case, the screen did not morph from 22’ wide to 28’ wide, so we found ourselves sitting nearly two times the image width from the screen. That is too far away to become immersed in 3D content. The small and distant screen consumed only a fraction of my field of view. That would be fine for watching TV, but it was marginal for cinema viewing and even worse for viewing a 3D film.

My normal rule of thumb is to try to sit 2.5 to 3 times the screen height from the image. Given the size of the screen and the geometry of the theater, there were only two rows of seats that would have met my rule of thumb, and those seats were below the bottom of the screen so they would have left us all with sore necks. The unbelievable point being, in this particular auditorium, 90% of the seats were not conducive to conveying immersive 3D entertainment. Not surprisingly, my 3D experience in this venue was underwhelming, to say the least.

The second problem...
________________________________________________________

Full story here: http://www.digitalprojection.com/tabid/110/mid/476/newsid476/197/Default.aspx

Good information, Tom. Thanks.

Speaking of Dish, I'm waiting for two bits of information: when will the 922 ship and when will they announce that they're going to upgrade their DVRs for 3D? So far, I haven't heard anything concrete on either front.

3D no information.

The 922 will be released on April 7th. I have heard anywhere from $200-$250 for an upgrade, around $600 to purchase.

3D no information.

The 922 will be released on April 7th. I have heard anywhere from $200-$250 for an upgrade, around $600 to purchase.

Cool. I'll look into upgrading. As for 3D, it's a little upsetting for someone like me that Dish hasn't mentioned anything about 3D support, but I expect it to happen. I can't imagine it's that much more difficult for Dish to upgrade its devices to 3D than it is for D*.

Here's a very interesting article written by the president of Digital Projection (a projector manufacturer) about his recent experience watching the 3D version of Alice in Wonderland at one his local movie theaters.

There's lots of great info here about the viewing environment factors required for a satisfying 3D experience, for both cinema and the home.

An excerpt:
________________________________________________________

The first problem was that the theater geometry was not conducive to an immersive 3D experience. The screen was only 22’ wide, yet the first row of seats in the stadium seating section was at least 35’ from the screen. Since the first, second and third rows were well below the bottom of the image, we sat in the 4th row. That placed us at the bottom of the projected image, but roughly 45’ from the 22’ wide screen.

I have to admit, I expected the 1.85 screen to morph into a scope aspect ratio before the movie started. Had I done a bit of research in advance of going to the theater, I could have learned that Alice in Wonderland 3D was presented in 1.85:1. That being the case, the screen did not morph from 22’ wide to 28’ wide, so we found ourselves sitting nearly two times the image width from the screen. That is too far away to become immersed in 3D content. The small and distant screen consumed only a fraction of my field of view. That would be fine for watching TV, but it was marginal for cinema viewing and even worse for viewing a 3D film.

My normal rule of thumb is to try to sit 2.5 to 3 times the screen height from the image. Given the size of the screen and the geometry of the theater, there were only two rows of seats that would have met my rule of thumb, and those seats were below the bottom of the screen so they would have left us all with sore necks. The unbelievable point being, in this particular auditorium, 90% of the seats were not conducive to conveying immersive 3D entertainment. Not surprisingly, my 3D experience in this venue was underwhelming, to say the least.

The second problem...
________________________________________________________

Full story here: http://www.digitalprojection.com/tabid/110/mid/476/newsid476/197/Default.aspx

Thanks for the link, Doug. I expect the home 3D experience to be better than it is in a typical 3D commercial theater. My experience with the brightness in local 3D theaters hasn't been that bad, but I think the overall home experience is likely to be better, just as it is for 2D.

In the demos I've seen with the Samsung LCD and the Panasonic plasma, brightness has not been a problem at all. Getting enough brightness in a home theater projector should be less of an issue IMO than it is for a commercial theater. I'm hoping I can continue to use my DaLite High Power high gain screen. It has a 2.8 gain that will help compensate for decreased brightness in 3D mode. Of course, I'll have to use active shutter glasses if I use it. It doesn't retain polarization. That's OK by me.

The biggest single problem for 3D right now is that there is not a single 3D Blu-ray disc that can be purchased in the stores - not one! That's the silliest thing I've seen in the launch of a commercial product - akin to launching a mobile phone on which you can't make calls, or selling a box of candy that has a lid you can't open. OK, maybe those analogies aren't great, but I think those who are buying 3D sets now may be feeling more than a little frustrated.

Maybe in June we'll begin to hear more announcements about 3D discs becoming available, but so far there's been almost no info.

3D no information.

The 922 will be released on April 7th. I have heard anywhere from $200-$250 for an upgrade, around $600 to purchase.

Thanks for the info. I've been waiting for the 922 to replace my 522. Time to clean of some recordings...

Dave

Alice in Wonderland's 3D was done post production along with the CGI. You are never going to be impressed by a film that wasn't shot in 3D to begin with I don't think.

....................

Guys, on Dish why doesn't FOXMW 418 HD show the same content that is on FOXMW 418 SD? Bellator Fighting starts on thursday and its only listed on the SD station but their website says that it will be broadcast in HD on fox sports net. hmmm. Any ideas?

Guys, on Dish why doesn't FOXMW 418 HD show the same content that is on FOXMW 418 SD? Bellator Fighting starts on thursday and its only listed on the SD station but their website says that it will be broadcast in HD on fox sports net. hmmm. Any ideas?

Dish doesn't do regional sports full time in HD. They have not dedicated enough bandwidth to get this done. I have been told it is not in the plans either. It seems there is not rhyme or reason to what they do in HD, all I have heard is "most" of the HD broadcast are covered. I currently don't get FSMW so I have not been able to check out what is provided in HD for our area.

Release notes for the 922, courtesy of Satelliteguys.us:

Official 922 Release Notice
The following has been sent to DISH Network retailers...

We are excited to announce that the ViP922 SlingLoaded DVR receiver (the model ViP922), is planned to be available April 7, 2010! The ViP922 receiver will allow for a high-definition (“HD”), DVR solution for a single TV. With the model ViP922 receivers, customers can enjoy simultaneous, uninterrupted and independent TV viewing between the primary TV in the house and remote viewing on a mobile device or laptop.

This next generation receiver offers the latest top-of-the-line features, including a sleek new user interface and integrated Sling™ capabilities that make it possible to enjoy TV Everywhere™! Combined with 1080p Video on Demand and stunning DISH Network HD programming, the model ViP922 receiver revolutionizes the way customers watch and enjoy their favorite programming! For more information on the model ViP922 receiver, including pricing and features, please continue reading below.

ViP922 SlingLoaded DVR Receiver

• Dual-tuner, one-TV receiver • Integrated SlingLoaded™ technology
• SD and HD output on TV1 • 1 terabyte (TB) hard drive
• Universal 32.0 UHF-2G configurable 4-component
remote control
• Capacitive-touch front panel controls

Advanced New User Interface

The model ViP922 receiver features a graphics-rich user interface that is
both stylish and functional. Exciting new features include:
• Colorful and distinctive tile-based menus (see left) make it easy for
users to find what you are looking for with the click of a button.
• Easily navigate the programming guide, DVR and TV-viewing
options.
• Quickly find your favorite channels with network logos and view
poster art for movies and TV shows.
• Home Media allows users to access supported media, including
pictures and music, from equipment on their home network (excludes
streaming video).

Sling Media Placeshifting Technology for TV Everywhere Customers can watch and control programming from their model ViP922 receiver on their laptop, desktop computer, or on compatible mobile devices using a high-speed broadband Internet connection. They can take their DISH Network TV service with them almost anywhere – from the backyard to across the globe!

Using DISH Remote Access on their computer or SlingPlayer Mobile on compatible mobile devices, customers with a model ViP922 receiver can:

• Watch live or recorded television programming with
remote-viewing compatible mobile devices and PCs, and
no need to purchase a SlingBox
• Access their DVR’s My Recordings list
• Schedule DVR timers

Compatible Mobile Devices – In order to view TV from the model ViP922 receiver on a compatible mobile device, customers must access their DISH Network online account at www.dishnetwork.com. Next, select the “DISH Remote Access” link, then click “Go Mobile.” Once customers verify they have a compatible mobile device, they can follow the on-screen setup instructions.

• For the full list of compatible mobile devices, please refer to the set up instructions under the “Go Mobile” link.
• The SlingPlayer App for the iPhone™ and iPod touch® is available for download from the iTunes App Store.

More Features of the ViP922 SlingLoaded DVR Receiver

There are even more great features available on the model ViP922, the receiver that won CNET’s “Best of CES 2009” in the Home Video category, including:
• The largest hard drive in the industry: a dual-tuner, one terabyte (TB) DVR with up to 1,000 hours of recoding time
(please note that this includes VOD content and therefore is not the total recording hours that are available for use by the customer);
• Powerful search capabilities, including the ability to quickly search thousands of listings across the Program Guide, DVR and DISH On Demand with predictive search; search by program title, description or actor; and view search results as a standard list or easy-to-read graphical layout.
• Outputs in 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i resolutions;
• Supports Picture-in-Picture (PIP) in Solo mode;
• DISH On Demand (VOD) and DishONLINE (IPVOD) compatible;
• Intuitive timer creation and DVR management allows users to categorize programming by groups (video source, title,
themes) or by content description (date, length, ratings and more); and
• Like the model ViP 722k and ViP 222k receivers, the model ViP922 receiver does not include a built-in over-the-air (OTA) tuner, giving customers the option to purchase an MT2 OTA Module accessory (Part #162303; MSRP $29.99) if they wish to receive digital over-the-air broadcasts.

Pricing and Availability

The model ViP922 receiver will be available for both new and existing residential and commercial Public/Private customers beginning on April 7, 2010.

• Not Available in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands – Please note that at this time, the model ViP922 receiver is NOT available for activation in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Please stay tuned for more information regarding the availability of the model ViP922 receiver in these areas in the future.

MSRP: $649
Existing Customer lease cost $200 - $400

ViP922 SlingLoaded DVR Receiver Monthly Fees – Effective April 7, 2010

The following monthly fees may apply to accounts with a model ViP922 receiver:

• $10 DVR Service Fee – Charged in place of the standard $6 per month DVR Service fee.
• $17 Additional ViP922 SlingLoaded DVR Receiver Fee – Applicable only if the model ViP922 receiver is in the secondary position on the customer’s account.
o Please note that although the model ViP922 receiver is a single TV solution, the amount of the Additional Receiver fee for the model ViP922 receiver is different from other single-TV HD DVR models because of the several value-added features available on the model ViP922 receiver that are not available on other current DISH receivers

More Information on Installing a ViP922 SlingLoaded DVR Receiver
Please see below for specific installation considerations that will be applicable to customer accounts with a model ViP922
receiver.
• ViP922 SlingLoaded DVR Part Number #176646
• Only One Leased Model ViP922 Receiver Allowed Per Account – Customers will be permitted to have only one (1) leased model ViP922 receiver on their account. Customers may purchase additional model ViP922 receivers at MSRP if they wish.
• Broadband Internet Connectivity Required – To enable full functionality of the advanced features of the model ViP922 receiver, a high-speed broadband Internet connection via direct Ethernet or SlingLink is required.
o SlingLink is the New Name for HomePlug Turbo – Please note that we recently changed the name of the HomePlug Turbo connectivity device to “SlingLink.” SlingLink uses the power lines in the customer’s home to connect equipment, such as satellite receivers, to the broadband home network, and eliminates the need to run new Ethernet cables.

• Solo Mode by Default – The model ViP922 receiver is a single-TV solution, and therefore will remain in single user mode by default. The receiver will only go into Duo mode when remote viewing is in session. Once the remote viewing session has ended, the receiver will return to Solo mode. Please note that the MODE button on the front of the receiver will not be enabled and installation of the TV2 physical outputs of the receiver is not supported.

Thanks, Tom.

Big victory for free speech and free enterprise. It also keeps the hands of the federal government off the Internet -- at least for a little while longer.
______________________________________________

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Federal Communications Commission lacks the authority to require broadband providers to give equal treatment to all Internet traffic flowing over their networks.

The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is a big victory for Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable company. It had challenged the FCC's authority to impose so-called "net neutrality" obligations on broadband providers.

The ruling also marks a serious setback for the FCC, which is trying to officially set net neutrality regulations. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski argues that such rules are needed to prevent phone and cable companies from using their control over Internet access to favor some online content and services over others.
______________________________________________

Full story here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-court-rules-against-FCC-on-apf-78990100.html?x=0&.v=4

And yes this is good news, even though Comcast, the winner in the appeal, is a cable TV company... :o

Big victory for free speech and free enterprise. It also keeps the hands of the federal government off the Internet -- at least for a little while longer.
______________________________________________

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Federal Communications Commission lacks the authority to require broadband providers to give equal treatment to all Internet traffic flowing over their networks.

The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is a big victory for Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable company. It had challenged the FCC's authority to impose so-called "net neutrality" obligations on broadband providers.

The ruling also marks a serious setback for the FCC, which is trying to officially set net neutrality regulations. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski argues that such rules are needed to prevent phone and cable companies from using their control over Internet access to favor some online content and services over others.
______________________________________________

Full story here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-court-rules-against-FCC-on-apf-78990100.html?x=0&.v=4

And yes this is good news, even though Comcast, the winner in the appeal, is a cable TV company... :o


I don't see this as a win for consumers at all.

Anything that keeps the government's hands off the Internet is a win for consumers. Net neutrality is not about protecting consumers but rather giving the government a pretext for even greater regulation of commerce and speech.

Government regulation rarely fixes the problems it claims it will address, with most regulatory schemes resulting in higher prices and reduced choice the longer and deeper the involvement of bureaucrats.

If you haven't had a chance to check out Parenthood on NBC, you might want to try it. It has an extremely talented cast, with standouts like Peter Krause, Craig T. Nelson, Lauren Graham, Bonnie Bedalia and a houseful of talented kids whose names I don't even know yet. Good writing, subtle performances and interesting family interactions - I marvel at how well they can blend the different story elements and huge ensemble. Tuesday nights, on our favorite network. :D

You're not seriously suggesting we watch this over "V," are you, Joe????? :D

You're not seriously suggesting we watch this over "V," are you, Joe????? :D

Obviously not, Bob. "V" is classic TV and not to be missed. Even the title of the show suggests its remarkable depth. "V" - the name tells you everything you need to know about the story and its characters.

My wife and I started watching Parenthood as a result of all those promos during the Olympics.

She really likes it. I think it's okay although I'd rather watch something blow up on Discovery...

Posting this via my NEW internet connection through CenturyLink DSL. Been web surfing around, trying things out. So far, it's excellent. Pages load quickly (unlike with Charter), and not one "the server can not be found" message (also unlike Charter). Gonna try streaming an HD TV episode from Amazon on Demand in a few minutes to see if I get any interruptions. If the episode plays without stopping to buffer, that will also be unlike Charter.

Posting this via my NEW internet connection through CenturyLink DSL. Been web surfing around, trying things out. So far, it's excellent. Pages load quickly (unlike with Charter), and not one "the server can not be found" message (also unlike Charter). Gonna try streaming an HD TV episode from Amazon on Demand in a few minutes to see if I get any interruptions. If the episode plays without stopping to buffer, that will also be unlike Charter.

If you don't mind do a speed test from speedtest.net, use the Chicago server, wired connection if possible. I think you will be happy as long as your sync rate is not pushing against a barrier. If you can post your modem stats, especially sync rates, attenuation, and margin, that will give us some general "health" of your connection. I am really liking Charter's bandwidth offerings, but price and my 12 months of phone conversations with billing keeps me at a distance. :cool:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/775336951.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

Here ya go, through the Chicago server as requested....

http://www.speedtest.net/result/775532483.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

That's nearly identical to what I get from the St. Louis server. And about half what I got last time I did that test on my Charter connection. But these numbers don't reflect one very important thing: the frequent drops to ZERO that I got several times per day with Charter.

Streamed an episode of V from Amazon Video on Demand last night. I did get one glitch where the episode stopped and reloaded in SD for a minute or two, then switched back to HD without having to stop and reload.

Fair warning - here comes another 3D demo story:

I stopped in at the Ultimate Electronics at Gravois Bluffs today to see if they had any more 3D demos running. Sure enough, they had the Samsung LCD display (which they were having trouble getting out of pseudo-3D mode). Better yet, they had their Mitsubishi DLP 3D system based on nVidia glasses up and running. I drove all the way to St. Peters to see this demo about 3 weeks ago, but it was pretty awful. There was ghosting galore and tremendous glare from the way they had it on display. The Gravois Bluffs store had THE BEST setup for a 3D demo that I've seen in the area. It was in a darkened corner with the bigger HDTVs, with no distractions anywhere close to cause glare or reflections. It was virtually ghost-free, and it looked very good. I'm anxious now to go back and see it when they have the Mits 3DC-1000 adapter (rumored to be coming in June) showing 3D Blu-ray discs. It might be a cheap way to get into 3D until an affordable 3D front projector comes along. Other than the Brentwood Best Buy/Magnolia, it's the only store in the area that currently has 2 different 3D displays up and running.

On the software front, the news is still quite good about the availability of 3D Blu-ray discs. There aren't any. That means if you buy a 3D TV today, you won't lose the intense anticipation for watching your next 3D movie. Of course, you might be able to convince the owner of a Samsung 3D set to sell you his copy of Monsters vs Aliens after he's watched it 50 times. :D

Sorry I didn't chime in earlier.

I picked up the Panasonic VT20 bundle on March 18th. Mine was the first 3D television sold at the Olathe KS BB/Magnolia.

You might have noticed by this that I've moved to the other side of the State, so much of my time has been consumed by chores associated with the move. So, it's probably a good thing there is no 3D material to watch. Been through the demo disc many times though. Here are a few thoughts ...

The effect is nice and can be observed as the creators intended but there are some things you have to pay attention to. To achieve the intended view, you really have to be viewing the display straight on. As you move to different seating positions the background shifts dramatically. You must also not sit too close. The closer you sit the more sensitive the view is to your head movements. If you move your head as you watch, the background will shift with your head movements. It can be interesting though if you walk around the room as you're watching. You tend to get the feeling you could walk right into the scene.

THX mode is disabled during 3D playback. I've set my levels in THX mode with a pluge but that goes out the window with 3D. Even if I reset the levels in the default mode for 3D, Cinema mode, the glasses introduce significant shading so levels set in 2D wouldn't be right for 3D, and I don't have any 3D pluge pattern yet. Now waiting for DVE 3D :) The glasses also dampen the color as well so there is a similar problem there.

I've seen no indication of any ghosting or crosstalk whatsoever.

There's some noticeable flicker from time to time. I'm pretty sure the source is 24P and I have the dispaly set for 96hz refresh at 24P. I'm wondering if this means I'm effectively seeing 48hz ? In 2D, 1080P24 @ 96 hz is truly magnificent and one of the best features of the display IMO.

The glasses darkens the room significantly as you might expect. Since I wear glasses and must wear the 3D glasses over the prescription glasses, there is quite a gap in the sides where room light can enter and reflect off the 3D glasses. My prescription lenses have AR coating on the inside and the shutter glasses could have used this too. Because of this and the lower video light levels due to the LCD shading, I need to lower the ambient room lights lower than normal. The end result is you really can no longer see the remote, drinks, snacks, friends, anything else in the room.

Having watched the demo disk over and over in both 3D and 2D, I see a slight loss of detail in 3D as compared to 2D. I don't know if this is because of the LCD filtering this out, the lack of capability to currently set correct levels and saturation, or simply that the 3D effect overwhelms some of the detail. It's not anything real obvious. I just happened to notice, after watching several loops exclusively in 3D, that in 2D I could pick out details I hadn't seen before. If you go back and watch in 3D again, specifically looking for these, you might see they are there, just not quite as clear. Again, 3D test patterns might eventually expose this.

I'm tending to think of the shutter glasses a lot like headphones. I'll occasionally listen to music with headphones for better effect but mostly listen to speakers for comfort. Either also seem to be too isolating for use when you have company.

Anyway, I do absolutely love this set for it's HD quality. Shadow detail is terrific. Almost as good as my old CRT.

Was hoping for the Masters in 3D but it doesn't look like I can get it with Uverse.

Thanks for the review, Dave.

Thought I would let everyone know that I had a Dish 922 installed yesterday. Although some bugs still exist, I am currently very pleased with the unit. If anyone wants more info, or you are on the fence and would like to try before you lease/buy let me know.

Thought I would let everyone know that I had a Dish 922 installed yesterday. Although some bugs still exist, I am currently very pleased with the unit. If anyone wants more info, or you are on the fence and would like to try before you lease/buy let me know.Does the 922 allow streaming recordings between DVRs. DirectTV has that feature in beta and it is a game changer for me.

Does the 922 allow streaming recordings between DVRs. DirectTV has that feature in beta and it is a game changer for me.

Dish currently is not offering that service. It would be nice for those with more than one DVR. I am feeding the whole house with one receiver. The built in sling feature will allow me to watch a seperate HD program from the rest of the house using any PC along with SD quality outside the house due to my upstream bandwidth. They require ~3 megs on the upload side for HD.

Dish currently is not offering that service. It would be nice for those with more than one DVR. I am feeding the whole house with one receiver. The built in sling feature will allow me to watch a seperate HD program from the rest of the house using any PC along with SD quality outside the house due to my upstream bandwidth. They require ~3 megs on the upload side for HD.Streaming recording ad hoc among multiple DVRs is one of the coolest and most significant new features since HD. It has really changed the landscape of using a DVR. At this point it is still beta, and somewhat flakey, but once it is prime time, it will be like adding the storage capacity of all my DVRs together into one virtual DVR.

Thought I would let everyone know that I had a Dish 922 installed yesterday. Although some bugs still exist, I am currently very pleased with the unit. If anyone wants more info, or you are on the fence and would like to try before you lease/buy let me know.

I assume the guide is similar to the 622/722, right?

I assume the guide is similar to the 622/722, right?

Much nicer with logos ect, here is a pdf from Satelliteguys: http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=49756&d=1270612880

Screenshots are in the document.

Ouch, now I guess I know what DSL is like on a bad night. I was streaming an HD episode of Human Target from Amazon on Demand earlier today. About halfway through, the episode ground to a halt, reloaded, and continued in SD for the rest of the episode.

Ouch, now I guess I know what DSL is like on a bad night. I was streaming an HD episode of Human Target from Amazon on Demand earlier today. About halfway through, the episode ground to a halt, reloaded, and continued in SD for the rest of the episode.

It is possible it was your DSL, but this area has not suffered from evening slowdowns like other areas. It could have easily been an issue between Centurylink and the server, or the server itself could have been overloaded.

Next time it happens, if you can stop/pause the movie and do a quick speedtest and a tracert to someone like google/yahoo. If they show everything being normal it is likely on the other end.

Much nicer with logos ect, here is a pdf from Satelliteguys: http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=49756&d=1270612880

Screenshots are in the document.

Looks nice. It says it does not come with an OTA tuner, but one can be purchased with it. I'm assuming that it will integrate into the guide like the 622?

Looks nice. It says it does not come with an OTA tuner, but one can be purchased with it. I'm assuming that it will integrate into the guide like the 622?

Yes, the OTA channels in the guide are like the 622/722.

The OTA tuner is $29.99, it is capable of two OTA streams at one time. This gives the unit 4 tuners 2 satellite and 2 ota.

Yes, the OTA channels in the guide are like the 622/722.

The OTA tuner is $29.99, it is capable of two OTA streams at one time. This gives the unit 4 tuners 2 satellite and 2 ota.

So, 4 HD recordings going on at the same time, while playing back a 5th?

So, 4 HD recordings going on at the same time, while playing back a 5th?

That is my understanding. :)

I guess that would be the ultimate test for me to try late tonight or early tomorrow morning, if your lights dim, you know something has gone wrong! :confused:

That is my understanding. :)

I guess that would be the ultimate test for me to try late tonight or early tomorrow morning, if your lights dim, you know something has gone wrong! :confused:

Just tested, I was able to record 2 channels over satellite, 2 channels OTA, and watch a recorded event at one time. :p

Just tested, I was able to record 2 channels over satellite, 2 channels OTA, and watch a recorded event at one time. :p

Note that the 722k can also do this and has done so for the past year or so.

Note that the 722k can also do this and has done so for the past year or so.

Thanks,
I wasn't sure if it was capable, but I did some checking and it appears the hardware is virtually the same other than the Sling technology that is built in the 922.

But the 722 has the issue with programs disappearing from external hard drives, just like the 622, right? This is a killer drawback and would be enough for me to get the 922, if it's been solved with the software for that receiver.

I had my E* 922 installed today. This is an amazing box. I'm still waiting for the box to update all the way but overall I'm extremely impressed.

I'm getting a lot of dropouts and breakups on Dish satellite HD broadcasts from Fox these days. It's a much more serious problem than it's been in a long time for me. Anyone else experiencing this?

I had my E* 922 installed today. This is an amazing box. I'm still waiting for the box to update all the way but overall I'm extremely impressed.

I believe some of what you are waiting on may come in over the internet, so the time on this will vary depending on your internet connection. I am not 100% sure, but I believe Sling updates and maybe searches rely on the net.

If you have an external drive with anything on it, let it sit until they get the bugs out of the software.

I'm getting a lot of dropouts and breakups on Dish satellite HD broadcasts from Fox these days. It's a much more serious problem than it's been in a long time for me. Anyone else experiencing this?

I will try Fox in the morning for awhile and see what I get. You may want to check your signal strength, the tree's have really greened up in the last week or two. I didn't look around much, but do you have any trees in the general direction the dish is pointed?

I believe some of what you are waiting on may come in over the internet, so the time on this will vary depending on your internet connection. I am not 100% sure, but I believe Sling updates and maybe searches rely on the net.

If you have an external drive with anything on it, let it sit until they get the bugs out of the software.



I will try Fox in the morning for awhile and see what I get. You may want to check your signal strength, the tree's have really greened up in the last week or two. I didn't look around much, but do you have any trees in the general direction the dish is pointed?

Trees are not the problem. I'll have to check my antenna connections. That's a possibility.

I'm getting a lot of dropouts and breakups on Dish satellite HD broadcasts from Fox these days. It's a much more serious problem than it's been in a long time for me. Anyone else experiencing this?

Joe,

I'm not seeing any issues. Watched Idol, 24, some local news and House w/o any issues. Are you seeing this on a sat channel or OTA? Is it only KTVI?

Yes.....922 updated overnight and now I can see all the pay per view. I'm very impressed with the unit and the real catch is the wife loves it also. We both feel like the picture is better from this receiver. I'm not sure how that is possible but t may be psychological to justify my purchase.

Sling is working without issue and I've tested it several times. I have 18mb download through u-verse and my stream avgs around 2500 Kbps when I'm slinging. I initially had some drop outs but it seems to be pretty stable now.

Yes.....922 updated overnight and now I can see all the pay per view. I'm very impressed with the unit and the real catch is the wife loves it also. We both feel like the picture is better from this receiver. I'm not sure how that is possible but t may be psychological to justify my purchase.

Sling is working without issue and I've tested it several times. I have 18mb download through u-verse and my stream avgs around 2500 Kbps when I'm slinging. I initially had some drop outs but it seems to be pretty stable now.

FYI, External Hard Drive on the 922 is being disabled tonight until they get the bugs worked out of the software, hoping to enable again by 4/23. Word is they are close to a fix for the 622/722 delete bug.

When "slinging" from inside you own network it doesn't have to use your internet connection. I have seen streaming over 9000 Kbps using an older version of sling software that works with the 922. http://download.cnet.com/SlingPlayer/3000-2139_4-10573277.html

Just don't allow it to update, the latest version will not work.

Joe,

I'm not seeing any issues. Watched Idol, 24, some local news and House w/o any issues. Are you seeing this on a sat channel or OTA? Is it only KTVI?

I'm talking about sat channels on my Dish 622. I record those to the DVR when I can, because they take up so much less space as H.264 from satellite than they do as MPEG2 from an antenna. I get breakups and blocking a lot more this year than last.

I appreciate the reports on the Dish 922. Which mobile devices are you using with the Sling functions? I'd love to see how Sling would look on my Palm Pre, but still no word on when or if they will add support. That was a feature that seemed a sure bet for the Pre when it was released. Palm's financial problems, though, make Pre support for Sling that much less likely. That's really too bad, because the Pre has a brilliant multitasking OS and a browser that I use every day.

So I guess nobody can really watch 3D TV, hehe:

"Samsung Electronics has posted an advisory on its corporate web site warning that children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues when viewing 3D content on their televisions.

The company also recommends that pregnant woman, the elderly and anyone under the influence of alcohol should refrain from watching programming in 3D."

So I guess nobody can really watch 3D TV, hehe:

"Samsung Electronics has posted an advisory on its corporate web site warning that children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues when viewing 3D content on their televisions.

The company also recommends that pregnant woman, the elderly and anyone under the influence of alcohol should refrain from watching programming in 3D."

You might be interested in this story about 3D health risks that I posted over in 3D Central. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1243011)I like to help out when I can.

You might be interested in this story about 3D health risks that I posted over in 3D Central. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1243011)I like to help out when I can.

I think you should watch A Clockwork Orange in 3D and then rethink your sarcasm :D

I'm talking about sat channels on my Dish 622. I record those to the DVR when I can, because they take up so much less space as H.264 from satellite than they do as MPEG2 from an antenna. I get breakups and blocking a lot more this year than last.

Sorry, Joe. I do likewise and have not noticed any breakups on Ch 2. Either I'm missing them or it's an issue on your end. I'm getting my locals from the 129 satellite with a Dish 1000. The other locals as well as much of the HD comes from that same bird. So I'm miffed if you're only seeing breakups on one channel. Perhaps the St. Louis Spot Beam is a bit weaker and you simply need to re-point your dish a tad. But if the other local HD channels are fine, I'm completely stumped.

Again, you may be better at spotting break ups than me :-)

Sorry, Joe. I do likewise and have not noticed any breakups on Ch 2. Either I'm missing them or it's an issue on your end. I'm getting my locals from the 129 satellite with a Dish 1000. The other locals as well as much of the HD comes from that same bird. So I'm miffed if you're only seeing breakups on one channel. Perhaps the St. Louis Spot Beam is a bit weaker and you simply need to re-point your dish a tad. But if the other local HD channels are fine, I'm completely stumped.

Again, you may be better at spotting break ups than me :-)

I'll be looking into this more this week. The breakups I'm seeing couldn't be missed. They're big. It's probably something in my system - perhaps cabling.

Micro Center has Seagate 1.5TB drives for $79. :eek: (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0334261)

Limit of one per household, so take a friend.

I'll be looking into this more this week. The breakups I'm seeing couldn't be missed. They're big. It's probably something in my system - perhaps cabling.

Joe, Check the signal strength of transponder 10 on the 129 satellite. That's where the STL HD locals are. See if it's lower than the others or occasionally drifts. Then again, if that was the cause, one would think that all four locals would be breaking up.

Dish adds 8 new HD channels today. (http://www.tvpredictions.com/dishadd041910.htm)

Joe, Check the signal strength of transponder 10 on the 129 satellite. That's where the STL HD locals are. See if it's lower than the others or occasionally drifts. Then again, if that was the cause, one would think that all four locals would be breaking up.

Thanks. I'll do that.

Bargain time!

All five original Planet of the Apes movies on Blu-Ray box set, $42.99 including shipping on Amazon, today only:

http://www.amazon.com/Anniversary-Collection-Beneath-Conquest-Blu-ray/dp/B001G7PX80/ref=xs_gb_A2GFZX9T2LTNBU?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=441937901&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1ND76E4BS8CZTTKYF2E9

Bargain time!

All five original Planet of the Apes movies on Blu-Ray box set, $42.99 including shipping on Amazon, today only:

http://www.amazon.com/Anniversary-Collection-Beneath-Conquest-Blu-ray/dp/B001G7PX80/ref=xs_gb_A2GFZX9T2LTNBU?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=441937901&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1ND76E4BS8CZTTKYF2E9Damn you, Robert! :mad: ;)

From today's SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com):

HD Wars! DIRECTV KOs the DISH 200 Claim

About that DISH claim to 200 HD channels ... If they're really there, we sure can't find them.

And (as of late Tuesday) the DBS No. 2 has been radio silent on requests for comment.

This leaves us to conclude that, as several sources have noted, many of the "channels" are actually VOD services available to relatively few customers ... and that DISH may have stretched the definition of "channel" to the length of Pinocchio's nose.

Needless to say, DIRECTV, which is in the midst of its dealers' rally, is none too happy. Said DIRECTV EVP Derek Chang of the claim, "While DISH Network is very skilled at grossly inflating their HD numbers, you'd be hard pressed to find an actual list of comprehensive HD channels that match their recent claims. We invite consumers to go to DIRECTV.com/hdchannels to see a list of all of DIRECTV's more than 160 HD channels. We challenge DISH to publish a list of all their full-time HD channels so consumers can decide and count for themselves."

To add emphasis to its claim, the El Segundo company announced plans yesterday to launch 30 new HD channels on its line-up next month. The new HDs include: CSN Bay Area HD; CSN California HD; Encore HD East; ESPNU HD; FSN Florida HD; GolTV HD; Hallmark Channel HD; Hallmark Movie Channel HD; HBO2 East HD; HBO Zone HD; Lifetime HD; MSNBC HD; Showtime Beyond HD; Showtime Next HD; Showtime Women HD; Starz Cinema HD; Starz In Black HD; Telefutura HD West; TMC Xtra HD East; Travel Channel HD; Univision HD East; WGN HD; plus additional DIRECTV Cinema Channels.

This, FYI, makes DIRECTV the first affiliate to offer the entire suite of Starz premium channels in HD. It also makes DISH look a little ... well ... hmm ....•


The above is all SkyReport's words, not mine. But it's awesome to finally hear when DirecTV is gonna finally get some more HD!

Hey guys! Fairly new to AVS, I usually just lerk in the TV section to get some opinions and news on new panels. I'm out in St. Charles and was wondering if any of you have U-Verse and could comment on it as I'm looking to get it.

Hey guys! Fairly new to AVS, I usually just lerk in the TV section to get some opinions and news on new panels. I'm out in St. Charles and was wondering if any of you have U-Verse and could comment on it as I'm looking to get it.

Not to be a PITA, but do a search for UVERSE in this thread. I know I have commented in the past.

Satteliteguys is reporting that Dish will announce their 3D plans in about 3 weeks.

Is anyone else having problems with sound going out? FlashForward for national commercials, KETC for the whole program for "The Return of Sherlock Holmes." I have a Dish 622 recording OTA.

Chuck is back tonight after he's finally gotten some action from Sarah!!!

Cabling question...I'm slowly replacing some of the SD TV's in our house with HD and I was at Best Buy over the weekend looking at a couple when I noticed that the audio and HD video that was being fed to the TV's was from a coax cable. How are they getting audio and HD video to feed over RG6? I've seen some HDMI over coax products online that run around $2500 and if that's the answer, then it's not my solution. I already have what seems like miles of RG6 in my house. It would be nice to be able to use it and not have to replace it with HDMI cables. (Which I've already done to my kitchen.)

Cabling question...I'm slowly replacing some of the SD TV's in our house with HD and I was at Best Buy over the weekend looking at a couple when I noticed that the audio and HD video that was being fed to the TV's was from a coax cable. How are they getting audio and HD video to feed over RG6? I've seen some HDMI over coax products online that run around $2500 and if that's the answer, then it's not my solution. I already have what seems like miles of RG6 in my house. It would be nice to be able to use it and not have to replace it with HDMI cables. (Which I've already done to my kitchen.)

Hmmm. I'm not sure how they're doing that. Usually, when I sneak a peek behind the sets in big box stores, they're running component (RGB) from a distribution amplifier. OTA TV, HD cable and satellite TV (Dish and D*) are carried over RG6, of course, but I haven't seen it being used in the stores for their demo material. I'm not familiar with a specific product to do that, but it makes a lot of sense. It would simplify the complexity and expense of wiring their TVs. I'm not aware of anything available for the home, though, that would allow you to link together a variety of sources and displays with RG6. I'm stuck with miles of obsolete cables and connectors from the old days - composite audio and video cables, component cables, RF cables, RCA and BNC connectors, mini splitters, parallel and SCSI computer cables, etc., etc., etc. I've gladly traded them for a few newer cables, including HDMI. Try Monoprice for some really good, very inexpensive HDMI cables.

Chuck was brilliant tonight. Hilarious - one of the best.

I'm having problems receiving a constant signal for channel 30 and channel 2. They both keep dropping out. All my other channels have a strong signal. My location is at the north end of New Halls Ferry Road in Florissant. I'm using an 8-bay Channel Master antenna. Any suggestions.

I'm having problems receiving a constant signal for channel 30 and channel 2. They both keep dropping out. All my other channels have a strong signal. My location is at the north end of New Halls Ferry Road in Florissant. I'm using an 8-bay Channel Master antenna. Any suggestions.

Are you down in one of those valleys? What does your view to the south look like? Trees, buildings, hillside? Are you using a pre-amp? If so, try removing it from the system as it might be overloading.

How about an exact address TVfool plot.

I used to live in Florissant (near Shackleford and Mullanphy) for almost 20 years and am pretty familiar with the area.

My location is 16805 New Halls Ferry Road on the banks of the Missouri.

Cabling question...I'm slowly replacing some of the SD TV's in our house with HD and I was at Best Buy over the weekend looking at a couple when I noticed that the audio and HD video that was being fed to the TV's was from a coax cable. How are they getting audio and HD video to feed over RG6? I've seen some HDMI over coax products online that run around $2500 and if that's the answer, then it's not my solution. I already have what seems like miles of RG6 in my house. It would be nice to be able to use it and not have to replace it with HDMI cables. (Which I've already done to my kitchen.)

So, it was connected via F connector to the TV and it was Audio and Video?

They could just be broadcasting within the store. And it is picking it up like an OTA feed.

I thought we had someone here who worked at Best Buy.

Thanks for response guys.

Try Monoprice for some really good, very inexpensive HDMI cables.

I've purchased HDMI cables from Monoprice and Blue Jeans Cable with great results.

So, it was connected via F connector to the TV and it was Audio and Video? They could just be broadcasting within the store. And it is picking it up like an OTA feed. I thought we had someone here who worked at Best Buy.

The sales guy was showing me a Sony and next to it was a Dynex. He turned up the Sony to let me hear the sound. Now I'm assuming the Sony and Dynex were hooked up the same, but I only looked behind the Dynex to see the inputs and to my surprise, there were only two cables coming out of the back. One was the power and the other was RG6 coax connected via F connector to the TV. As I said, the Sony had audio, but I didn't turn up the Dynex to check....

I know we had an Ultimate Electronics guy here at one point. TomGrooms I believe? Maybe if he's still around he can chime in on how they connect their equipment.

My location is 16805 New Halls Ferry Road on the banks of the Missouri.

That address shows as the BLC campus. Pretty big location, some of which is low-lying relative to the terrain to the south.

Without being on site and being able to view the specific mounting location, I'd probably suggest swapping to a 91XG pointed due south with 10 to 20 degrees of up-tilt along with a PA18 pre-amp. AD is local to you (in Ellisville) and they're real easy to work with.

FWIW, I had an orignal 4228 installed at my old place and I was never able to get decent digital reception with it due to my location on the back side of a hill. Since I didn't learn my lesson about hills and trees and built my new house on the back side of another hill, I finally retired the 4228 and replaced it with a 91XG installed as described above. I now get mostly (99%+) reception of my St Louis locals from my valley in NW Jefferson Co.

I have been experiencing some break ups & brief pixelization off & on for a few weeks now. Anyone else?