We recently installed a Panasonic 3D TV system. We had previously installed a Samsung system with some success. This system gave us a better sense of what is currently available for 3D. This Panasonic TV was installed as an upgrade to a system we had installed last year. It included a 58″ Plasma TV and a 3D Blu-Ray player. When we first installed the system last year, all sources went through the Integra AV receiver. However, this receiver was not 3D compatible (Integra currently has 3D capable receivers, but didn’t at that time) so we connected the 3D Blu-Ray player and the DirecTV receiver directly to the TV via HDMI. When we install systems, we typically give the client a gift that shows off the capabilities of their new system. For example, when we install a Blu-Ray player, chances are good that they don’t have any Blu-Ray discs laying around, so we provide them with one. I wanted the client to be able to see 3D Blu-Ray so I went to Wal-Mart to see what they had. Nothing. Not a single 3D disc. How can they sell 3D equipment, but not have 3D content? I ended up getting 2 of the only 3D discs available for purchase at Best Buy: Monster House and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I don’t personally like either movie, but they do the trick.
After the install was complete I showed the client the movies and he was blown away. He had not seen any 3D movies in the theater (at least not since the days of paper 3D glasses) or any 3D demos in the stores. He couldn’t believe the depth of field that we were experiencing. Also, the quality of the image on the plasma TV was as good as we have ever seen. We then turned to the DirecTV 3D channels. There are currently 3 channels, one of which is ESPN3D. There was an IMAX movie playing on one channel that would have cost $6, so we didn’t watch that. ESPN3D wasn’t currently showing anything. The 3rd channel was only showing previews of shows coming up, so we watched some of that. Still pretty cool. Ultimately, the best 3D we saw that day was actually a couple still images. My client had recently gotten a 3D digital still camera from Fuji. I was excited to see some of the images he had taken on the 58″ TV. He popped the SD memory card out of the camera and we put it into the TV memory slot. When we brought up the picture and put on the glasses we both exclaimed “WHOA!”. It was scary how realistic the image was. It really did feel like we were where the picture was taken. Due to the lack of other content, my client was ultimately impressed by the 3D pictures the most, but will not doubt soon be enjoying programming on DirecTV and Blu-Ray even more. Many 3D movies are being released in mid-November and Avatar is coming out in December. On top of all this, the new TV and Blu-Ray player give my client many more advanced functions such as Netflix, Skype (yes, video calling on the 58″ TV), Amazon.com movies, Pandora, and many other apps.
This is by far the most cutting-edge system we have installed to date in regards to video format and internet functions. I expect to be installing many more of these through Christmas. With the introduction of more content I’m sure we’ll see demand increase.
Tag Archive: home theater
3D Update
Outdoor Home Theater
One of the coolest ideas to implement is a portable or outdoor theater. How fun is it to sit outside on a warm summer night and watch a movie on a large screen? There are many solutions for making this happen, but not a lot of good ones. I’ve searched high and low for a best case scenario, but keep finding so-so answers. Inflatable screens are fine, but take awhile to blow up and it doesn’t seem realistic that they would be completely flat. The projection system itself seems difficult to put together. You need a projector, DVD or Blu-Ray player, speakers, amplifier, and a cart or table to set it all on. Then you have the potential tripping hazard of the power cords and speaker wire. Epson has an all-in-one solution. It’s a projector/DVD Player/amplifier. Unfortunately it only displays resolutions up to 720p. Why bother? What does it take to create the perfect system? Easy to move from room to room or inside to outside. No cords to trip over. A flat screen that won’t blow away or fall down during the movie. A sound system loud enough to fill the room, especially when that room is the great outdoors. A projector bright enough to be seen at dusk, or even during the late day (who wants to start a movie at dark in the summer when that doesn’t happen until 8:30 or 9 pm). After much review, outdoor theater is as difficult as it gets because all the variables you control with an indoor theater cannot be controlled outside. It is still the Holy Grail and can be accomplished with the proper planning and design.
3D in the comfort of your home
3D is here, not only in theaters but available for in home enjoyment as well. In the coming months you will see a sharp rise in the deployment of 3D technology to in consumers.
The major TV manufacturers have all released High Definition 3D television in Plasma, LED and LCD models. The pricing is comparable to similar 2D models.
Don’t worry; you are not relegated to a life of watching your video display with silly glasses strapped to your face. You can still watch your movies and favorite TV shows in 2D on these new displays. But when you want to take on the full impact of 3D HDTV (I know, that’s a lot of acronyms…) you will need a 3D blu-ray player and a pair of those stylin’ shades. The new disc players are backward compatible and will still play your old disc in 2D, but some of the 3D TV models will convert your 2D disc content to 3D with the push of a button.
If your desire is to build or convert a dedicated home theater, there are beautiful new 3D projector lines in wide range of price points.
Broadcasters are also quickly jumping on board and you will see quite an increase in the 3D content available on cable and satellite stations. ESPN leads the charge with the broadcast of the World Cup opening game in 3D. The X-games and some baseball will continue through the summer and basketball is scheduled for the fall.
Gamers are not being left behind (writes the parent of two boys, with a sigh). Manufacturers will provide a great variety of gaming systems and content to capitalize on demand for 3D. Your kids need never play outside again…
Why HDMI?
HDMI (High Definition Multi-Media Interface) is the newest method for hooking up your audio video systems. When properly implemented, you can get the best possible connectivity between your new Blu-Ray player and 1080P TV. It is also the cause of a great deal of confusion, misunderstanding and unfortunately, problems.
What is HDMI? It is a protocol for transporting pure digital audio/video signals between devices in a manner that optimizes quality and resolution while also keeping it copyright proof (thanks Hollywood).
In the “old” analog days, you would hook up your equipment with RCA jacks. If the connection was good, you got a nice picture and sound. If the connection was bad, you would get a snowy picture or poor sound. Even if you messed it up completely, you might at least have something.
In the digital age, it either works or it doesn’t: No picture. No sound. No control. Nothing. To complicate matters, there are a number of variables which can contribute to the HDMI failure, making the cause difficult to isolate.
So why HDMI?
Well a couple of reasons:
- Picture & Sound Quality: All new TV’s, Blu-Ray discs and cable boxes are capable of increasing resolution and clarity. This increase in resolution dictates more bandwidth and ultimately a different type of cable and hook-up method that can handle the signals.
- Compatibility between devices: Picture and sound resolutions are not standardized and come in varying formats…480i, 480P, 1080i, 1080P, 1080/24, 1080/60, and on and on… And unfortunately not every device is capable of each resolution. To get around this, the HDMI protocol includes a “handshaking” system where the devices talk to each other and match their best resolution capabilities. Here’s a typical conversation between Mr. Blu-Ray and Mr. 60” Plasma:
Mr. Blu-Ray Player: Hi Mr. 60” Plasma, Mr. Blu-Ray player here and I want to play this disc in 1080/24. Is that cool with you?
Mr. 60” Plasma: Yeah hi Mr. Blu-Ray. No, I don’t like 1080/24. Only my bigger brother can do that. Can you send it to me in 1080i?
Mr. Blu-Ray: Ok I guess. Not as nice a picture, but here you go. Enjoy the show.
- Control: We all wish we had more control and HDMI is lucky enough to say that it does. Inside the communication link of HDMI is a provision for devices to talk to each other. For example, the simple act of turning on your Blu-Ray player could trigger your TV to automatically turn on and go the right input. Pretty cool.
- Copyright Protection. This is the biggie. Hollywood is terrified of having perfect copies of their movies reproduced and subsequently sold by street merchants on sidewalks atop an old blanket. Not good for their image or profits. So, they imposed a system on HDMI to prevent unauthorized reproduction. Basically it requires the two devices to establish and maintain a dialogue the ENTIRE time picture and sound are being played. Specifically, the receiving device (the TV) requests to see a “key” from the sending device (a Blu-Ray player). If the key looks good, the show goes on. If not, the curtains come crashing down. This dialogue happens many times per second. Remember the conversation between Mr. Blu-Ray and Mr. 60” Plasma? Well, here is what their continued chatter looks like:
Mr. 60” Plasma: Hi Mr. Blu-Ray, can I see your key please?
Mr. Blu-Ray: Sure thing dude, here it is.
Mr. 60” Plasma: Thanks, looks good.
Wait 100th of a second
Mr. 60” Plasma: Hi Mr. Blu-Ray, can I see your key please?
Mr. Blu-Ray: Sure thing dude, here it is.
Mr. 60” Plasma: Thanks, looks good.
Wait 100th of a second
Mr. 60” Plasma: Hi Mr. Blu-Ray, can I see your key please?
Mr. Blu-Ray: Sure thing dude, here it is.
Mr. 60” Plasma: Thanks, looks good.
And so on and so on. Really boring guys huh?
All of the above sound reasonable so why is there a problem? Let’s look at the pitfalls of each:
Picture & Sound Quality: Frankly this is the best part of HDMI and rarely is there a problem with how good the audio and video can be using this medium. Score 10 for HDMI! 
- Compatibility between devices: The whole idea of the two devices working together to give you the best resolution sounds great right? Most of the time it is. But the issues it can create are irritating. When you start up your system for example, you will have this black screen that says “no signal” even though you get sound. And forget fast channel surfing: each time you change channels, Mr. Blu-Ray and Mr. 60” Plasma have to re-introduce themselves and negotiate a resolution. This means that you could get a blank screen for 3-5 seconds between each channel change. Score -3 for HDMI.
- Control: A little is good but too much is overbearing. Imagine keeping your cable box on to record a show while changing over to Blu-ray to watch a movie and the TV won’t let you? Or how about using the cable box to listen to one of the music channels on your stereo but you can’t because when you turn off the TV, the cable box shuts down. And there are many other little maddening scenarios which will leave you thinking that your system is possessed. Score -2 for HDMI.
- Copyright Protection: Remember I said this was the biggie? Well it is. If any one of the hundreds of boring conversations between Mr. Blu-ray and Mr. 60” Plasma TV gets interrupted, even just one, your screen goes blank. Nada. Zero. Nothing. And it could take 5-10 seconds for it to come back during which you will likely switch channels etc. trying to “make it work” which unfortunately makes it worse. Score -5 for HDMI.
How do get around these issues?
- Use great cables! HDMI cables will not only get you better picture and sound quality, they will help to make sure Mr. 60” Plasma and Mr. Blu-ray keep talking. Think of the cable as a marriage therapist.
- Install the cable correctly: Any little crimp or extra pressure on a cable will cause a breakdown in communications. You know what that means.
- Use compatible equipment: If you are insistent on building the system yourself use devices from the same manufacturer.
- Stabilize your power using a UPS: Any slight variations in power will impact the conversations between Mr. Plasma and Mr. Blu-Ray.
- Do NOT attempt to run HDMI long distances (beyond 18’), regardless of what the specs say. Unless you are lucky, it will not work right.
The Widescreen Conundrum
The Future of TV
The capabilities of audio and video source gear have exploded in just the past year. Someone with a sweet home A/V system used to have a VCR, DVD player, cable or satellite receiver (or both), Tivo, reel-to-reel, CD changer, cassette player, and phonograph. This took up a lot of space, had a mess of wires, and required extreme dexterity to operate all the remotes, or one really well programmed universal remote.
Today, the consumer can get a Blu-Ray player with Netflix, VUDU, YouTube, Pandora, weather information, and access to local computer files. TV’s are available with similar capabilities. The ability to stream music and movies over the web is making source gear less necessary.
However, video quality is still a bit of an issue. Services that stream video in real time typically can’t give you the high quality picture of cable or Satellite. Services such as Amazon.com and VUDU allow you to download movies for purchase or rental in higher resolutions.
It won’t be long before you will be able to satisfy all of your audio and video desires by simply purchasing a TV, connecting it to the internet, and using the TV remote to watch TV, download and stream movies, and listen to music.
This likelihood leaves me wondering how this will affect the movie and music industry, video gaming capabilities, power consumption (no more cable and satellite boxes hogging power when you aren’t using them).
How do you think the landscape will change? What issues might this cause or solve? Let us know!
Revisiting The Bat Cave Theater
The Bat Cave home theater has been featured in trade and shelter magazines, contests, blogs and reviews over the years, most notably, the trade source CEPro. Their website is currently featuring “Spot Light on Home Theater” and the Bat Cave Theater appears once again as a ‘Favorite Themed Home Theater’. First of all, we offer many, many thanks to CEPro and writer, Arlen Schweiger for recognizing this very special project. Next, we thought you would enjoy learning about the recent upgrades which updated the theater to 2010 audio video standards.
The legacy 3 gun sony CRT projector and Faroudja line quadrupler have been replaced with a state of the art 3 chip Digital Light Processing projector by Sim2. Check out that sexy Italian beast! The projector is now mounted with a Chief ceiling mount system. B&K Reference Audio Processor and Amplifier were upgraded to 7 channel digital amplification and THX Ultra2 Plus Preamp/processor by Integra.
We used Audyssey MultEQ Pro Calibration to achieve perfect sound in this decidedly challenging space. Viewers can now enjoy the latest video format with the addition of a Sony Blu-Ray player complete with new HDMI topology using SnapAV B7 series cables.
And lastly, we reprogrammed the Crestron control systems to incorporate these upgrades and make the system easier than ever to operate. With the touch of a button, the movie is cued up, the lights dim, the screen drops, the curtain rises,the volume adjusts and the drama begins, better than ever!
Oh-and by the way-we changed our name from DC Audio Video to DC Home Systems!
