Wired 1 Consulting

I was recently asked about a problem getting good sound out of a fairly recent audio video receiver connected to a new flat panel TV and using a Rogers digital box and a Sony PS3 player.

They had connected the Rogers box and the PS3 directly to the TV and used the TV’s fibre optic output for the audio signal back to the digital receiver.

Digital audio video receivers are designed to be the central distributor for all signals in today’s digital theatre world. In most cases they are equipped with two or more HDMI inputs and at least one HDMI output to connect to the TV. Most TV’s do not send the surround sound component of the audio fed into the TV by a HDMI cable. The reason for this has to do with the digital copy protection (HDCP) that all manufacturers have to adhere to these days to prevent digital duplication of digital audio and video signals. Once the TV has received an unaltered HDMI signal from the source device it does not send the audio back out without alteration – it turns it into stereo sound and in some cases (some protected Blu-ray discs) it will refuse to output audio from the fibre optic (toslink) output entirely!

A Digital audio receiver is a little differently designed, in that it can receive the audio and video signals from the HDMI input, extract and process the audio the way it was meant to be heard and because the HDCP circuit realizes that the Digital receiver cannot in itself show you the picture the video signal is passed along unaltered to the TV.

A lot of Blu-ray discs are using Dolby Tru HD and DTS Master Audio. Both of these systems use higher sampling bit rates resulting in as close to the theatre sound at home as we can get (so far). A lot of the new audio video receivers have the capability to play this soundtrack. When the source componnent is not hooked up directly to the audio video receiver via HDMI you will NOT hear these audio improvements in Blu-ray sound. 🙁

More on DTS Master Audio and Dolby Tru HD in upcoming posts.

If you are in doubt, call us or send us an email.

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You are building a new home. You enjoy music. Your phone has all your favourite music on it. Why not enjoy your music everywhere in your home!

SpeakerCraft www.speakercraft.com is the worlds leading manufacturer of quality home and commercial speaker systems. Other companies may venture into architectural speaker systems as a sideline, but at SpeakerCraft, it is the MAIN line!

When you want the best sound, the latest technology and the best reputation in the industry you deserve SpeakerCraft!

Wired1 is the exclusive dealer for SpeakerCraft in New Brunswick, and our low overhead guarantees you the best prices along with the best service in the industry.

Call us today for an appointment to show you how you can give the gift of music to your family!

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Televisions are getting slimmer every year. Manufacturers are faced with a real problem. How do we get good sound from this TV? The answer… we can’t!
There is no place for the speaker to have any type of cabinet to be able to properly “tune” the speaker for optimal performance.
Another problem surfaces when we take a look at the various audio formats that may be delivered along with the picture. Stereo and monophonic audio work fine, but if the audio is Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound there is a problem. In almost all cases the stereo mix is a combination of all of the surround channels into just 2 channels. This can cause a problem with dialogue audibility and a real lack of detail in the sound.

So, What can you do? If you follow the bait given by the television manufacturers you buy one of their “HTB” (Home Theatre in a Box) systems. Although very cosmetically pleasing, these systems generally suffer from some major shortcomings. The Blu-ray player is usually “built-in”, so if you have a Blu-ray failure you have a complete system failure! There is a decided lack of inputs for other source components, CD player, computer, satellite etc. And most importantly THEY DON”T SOUND GOOD!! Even though you get 5-7 speakers and what they laughingly call a “subwoofer” they are very cheaply made and usually are made with thin plastic cabinets. In most cases the actual speaker is one paper cone speaker – no tweeter and no crossover. Give one a tap, and the hollow sound you hear will be passed along to any sound this speaker makes when it’s playing. These systems will move sound around your room but it sure isn’t going to be anywhere like the audio that the producers planned for their production!

Look at some of the systems made by NON TV manufacturers and usually you will find that for a little bit more $ you get a whole lot more performance! This is a system that you are going to live with for the next 10 years or more – do yourself and your ears a favour, check them out. You’ll be glad you did!

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If your system is more than 5 years old there is a very good chance that your electronics are connected using component video cables. While these cables are capable of delivering 1080i video resolution they deliver this signal in analog form.
The Blu-ray manufacturers association decided that Blu-ray players manufactured after January 2012 will not have component video outputs, only HDMI outputs. There are still Blu-ray players on the market with component video outputs but they are getting scarce!
So if you have been putting off upgrading your DVD player to Blu-ray it may be the time to do it!
Contact us for some suggestions of Blu-ray players that still have component (and HDMI) output.

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Over the years I have designed and installed hundreds of home theatres in and around the Fredericton area.
What would you change about your theatre? Bigger screen, new projector, 3D, better remote?
Let us know what you think.

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Greg Beardall is pleased to announce that Definitive Technology speaker systems have been added to our line up for 2012!

Definitive Technology speakers are a perfect fit for our clientèle, whether they are looking for true audiophile stand alone loudspeakers or theatre/in-wall or in-ceiling applications. These speakers offer performance and innovation well beyond their price tag!

You can visit Definite Technologies website here: http://www.definitivetech.com/

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OK, so last week-end I finally went “to the movies”. Of course the movie that we wanted to see was sold out, so not wanting to drive back home we chose a non sold out “replacement” movie for $23! Then we waited in line for 3/4 of an hour. The fact that we were at the end of the line up meant we had to sit far to one side of the theatre screen. Went for a small soft drink to whet my whistle, another $2.25! The movie was OK, but the image was not in focus and the audio quality was mediocre, there was very little movement to the surround sound channels and explosions didn’t “happen” like they do in my home theatre! Not to mention the constant chattering and twittering  from all around!

It dawned on my why I didn’t go to the movies! For $25 I can have a movie, a pizza, a great seat and a screen quality that rivals the theatre both in size and sharpness, I can pause to get another drink, I’m always in the best seat in the house and I watch the movie, or maybe 2, that I want to watch at the volume level I like!

It doesn’t take long to pay for a home theatre at +$25 a throw (that’s for 2), I can’t imagine what a family of 5 would cost!

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OK, you are going to put speakers in the ceilings of your new home. Great idea, but only if it’s done properly. Have you ever looked at the ceiling in an unfinished home, before the sheet rock is applied? If so, you can get an understanding of why you want to use containment housings for your speakers. The ceilings are open from room to room in your new house. The only separation of the child’s nursery from the living room theatre system are the walls surrounding the room by sheet rock, the ceilings are wide open! Sound radiates from your in ceiling speaker from both the front AND the rear. That rear sound travels from room to room via the open floor joists! Not only will containment boxes reduce this room to room transmission they will also give the speaker the ideal cabinet volume so they sound better in the room where you want to listen! Think regular home stereo speakers; they come in boxes to allow the actual speakers to perform accurately. Another benefit of using containment housings is that in the final installation of the speakers the installer does not have to “guess” where the hole should be for the speaker and cut out the hole with a sheet rock knife. The wires are connected and the speaker is screwed into place. Fast, and no gyprock dust to have to try to clean up!

WORST CASE SCENARIO: In ceiling speakers are usually made of plastic (polypropylene is the usual material). If tragedy strikes and you happen to have a fire in the room the easiest way for that fire to spread is through those easily melted speakers! Containment housings are constructed to exceed fire code so the speaker does not become the reason for the fire to spread throughout your home.

These containment housings are constructed of metal and have to be installed before the drywall is installed. Give us a shout and plan ahead!

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