Home Entertainment: Mixing Media
When I send video from my computer to my TV, why doesn't the picture look right?
If you decide to send picture information from your computer to your TV, you need to make sure that the sync is correct. Sync is the number of times that the picture on the screen refreshes. It's different for a computer than it is for your TV. So, if your TV does not have a port or an input that's specific for a computer, then it probably will have a sync issue, which means that when you're trying to look at it on your screen, it will look all jumbled or weird colors or it will scroll rapidly. So, you need to make sure that you have the correct input in order to make it work.
Why doesn't my stereo sound as good as it did in the store?
If your stereo doesn't sound as good as it did in the store once you've set it up in your house, you may want to invest in some professional help in tuning your stereo to make it sound great. Keep in mind that when you walk into a retailer or you walk into a professional audio store, they have invested time and money in making that system sound as good as it possibly can, especially in their environment. What you need to do is invest time and money in making sure it sounds as good as it possibly can in your environment.
How can I convert my old VHS tapes, cassette tapes or LPs to DVDs or CDs?
There are a number of products out on the market that will allow you to convert audio and video from one format to another; from a VHS tape to a DVD. You can do it yourself, there are things you can add on to your computer that allow you to stick a VHS tape into it and then pop out a DVD. Or, you may want to take it to a professional duplicating service that specializes in doing that for twenty or thirty dollars per video. It's entirely possible to convert records to MP3 files or to CDs using a turn table and using your computer. You just need to have an audio out from your turn table feeding your computer and then you just record that as a digital computer file.
What are the newest ways to get audio and video delivered to my system?
There is a ton of cool things out there that you should consider buying if you're setting up your home audio and video system. First and foremost are a whole new class of digital audio players out there that stream music from the internet. There are a number of services out there that allow you to hear whatever you want, whenever you want to hear it without actually owning the physical CD or album. What's really nice about that is that it'll give you the opportunity to experience or hear music that you normally wouldn't have heard, so it's really a revolution going on out there in terms of audio. The same goes with video. We're seeing a big surge towards video recording; taking those DVRs to the next level. What I anticipate over the next year or two is a whole new class of players out there called Video Jukeboxes, which already exist. We've done a few, but they're very expensive. In the next year or two, the prices will come down and you'll essentially be able to watch any movie you want at any time for a fee; you'll be able to have that same experience that you currently have with audio with video.