Resources

Video Resolutions

  • DVD: 720×480 pixels
  • Blu-Ray: 1920×1080 pixels
  • UHDV: Ultra high-definition video. The next generation of video beyond HDTV. Suppose to have 4,000 horizontal lines of resolution and will have 16 times more pixel count than HDTV.

Video Formats

  • Blu-Ray: Blue laser.
  • DVD: Red laser.
  • CD: Infrared laser.

Sitting Distances

16:9 (SMPTE)

  • Seating distance = screen width / 0.54.
  • Seating distance = screen diagonal length / 0.62

16:9 (THX)

  • Seating distance = screen width / 0.73
  • Seating distance = screen diagonal length / 0.84

Audio Formats

SACD vs. DVD Audio. SACD has a stronger hold over DVD Audio only because it much easier to use, cheaper, and requires less equipment. However, DVD Audio is superior to SACD when properly set up. The reasons for the DVD Audio lack of momentum is:

  1. DVD Audio came out way after DVD Video was in full force. It should have came out around the same time.
  2. You usually need a TV/monitor to manipulate and use the menu.
  3. Not many DVD Audio disks exist in the market.
  4. No standard for bass management.
  5. No standard for equipment hookup (connecting a DVD Audio player requires a ton of RCA cables).
  6. DVD Audio disks don’t alway utilize the speaker layout properly. In some cases the sound shows up behind you when it really doesn’t need to be there.

HDMI

When buying displays, receivers, DVD players, etc. Make sure they support HDMI 1.3. You will want to buy devices that support xvYCC and Deep Color as they are part of the HDMI 1.3 spec. More info in Home Theater Magazine (Page 32).

In addition to HDMI 1.3, the following audio formats should be included in your shopping considerations:

Sound Proofing

Tools

  • Digital Video Essentials - Provides test patterns for video and audio calibration to get the best experience out of your equipment. An essential tools to have around.
  • Spears Munsil High Definition Benchmark - “The test patterns on this disc represent the current state-of-the-art. They are cleaner and more accurate than the test patterns found on previous discs. There are a lot of subtle details that go into making them as mathematically perfect as possible, especially to ensure that they retain all their precision after lossy encoding. We have built proprietary tools to generate patterns and a custom encoder that preserves much more detail. Even ordinary patterns like color bars have unique traits that make them cleaner.”
  • Sound Pressure Level Meter - A necessity for any serious home theatre buff. You can buy the analog version from Radio Shack (recommended) for $40 and be on your way to tweaking the sound levels coming out of all your speakers.

References

  • Blu-Ray Picture Quality Tier List - The best list of Blu-Ray titles, ranked by quality, so that you know what is a quality disk before buying.
  • THX - “The goal of THX certification is to recreate the power and performance of the cinema and recording studio in your home theater. THX is about pure performance, regardless of product type, brand or price point. Testing is precise, rigorous and only the best TVs and home audio systems can achieve THX certification.”
  • SA-CD - News and reviews dedicated to the SA-CD audio disk format.
  • DVD Demystified - Learn about the DVD technology. Complete with a FAQ and other useful info.
  • DVD Help - Learn how to make DVD, SVCDs, and Video CDs.
  • DVD Tests - Learn about the compatibilty problems amongst DVDs.
  • CELF - Consumer Electronics Linux Forum. Using open source architecture to promote technical advancements on the Linux platform.
  • 100,000 Watts - U.S. Radio and TV directory. Get the full breakdown, state-by-state, of what broadcast signals your city might emitting. Great for checking on HDTV capabilities. The only downside is that it requires a membership.
  • Digital Film Forum - Forum devoted to video calibration.
  • AntennaWeb - “The AntennaWeb.org mapping program, provided by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), locates the proper outdoor* antenna to receive your local television broadcast channels.”

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