For example most people with a flat panel HDTV display will find that their display connector is a DVI-D Single Link. In this case they should use a DVI-D single link
cable that supports 1920x1080 resolution. Those who have a DVI-D Dual Link connector on their display should use a DVI-D dual link cable that supports up to
2048x1536 resolution.
If your connector display supports HDMI, then we recommend that you use a DVI-D to HDMI conversion cable. The DVI-D end is connected to the HDTV System and
the HDMI end is connected to your display.
Q: What video settings work best with my display?
A: Check your displays manual or documentation to find the native resolution. It is a good idea to match this resolution and refresh rate when setting the video output of
the media system.
Q: How does DVD playback compare between media center systems and progressive scan DVD players?
A: This can be a really tough question to answer. Let us begin with a simple answer to give you some context and then we will provide some detail. DVD playback using our
systems with the nVidia DVD decoder offer video quality superior to most basic progressive scan DVD players and much better than the $30 models sold at
your local big box stores. They are nowhere near as good as a high-end DVD player like a $700 retail Denon DVD-2910. That being said the video quality is getting
better all the time as the new drivers and decoder algorithms are improved.
Unfortunately it also isn’t as simple an answer as whether the decoder does a good job of interlacing, noise reduction, cadence and so on. You have to keep in mind
that in addition to the decoder, you are dealing with a video card that processes the video output and finally the display itself, which usually adds it’s own upscaling
capabilities to the mix. This means that the entire process can be complex and results vary depending on the mix of the three.
What high-end video processing does in most cases is make educated guesses on the fly to determine such things as what pixels are noise (and should be thrown away
versus displayed), whether an image is still or in motion (and therefore needs flicker reduction and diagonal filtering to avoid jaggies ), how much sharpening
should be applied (using complicated mathematics to restore lost detail) and so on. An argument can be made that unless you are using a high-end video processing
system to do all of these things well, you are much better off with a low or mid-level video processing system that just displays what is actually on the DVD. We tend to
agree that in some cases the source itself is the problem and if you can’t compensate for something wrong without making it worse, just leave it alone.
Here’s what you can expect from our systems (taking your display’s video processing out of the mix) – nVidia’s decoder does a good job of removing the most common
de-interlacing artifacts. It offers a system wide slider for sharpening so we give it a middle score for this but we would like to see improvements. It does a decent job of
detecting the cadences used in blockbuster movies and television shows so the resolution is usually full.
The decoder does nothing to reduce static or motion noise. Noise reduction can often be improved by the upscaling technology applied by your high-definition display
(and if you only have a standard definition display why are you reading this?).
Our experience is that combining our systems with excellent high-definition displays results in very good video quality. If you are a super gear head type that wants a
perfect benchmark, then we recommend you spend around $10,000 and go by an excellent high-end video processing system. We won’t be upset if you keep your
high-end DVD player. After all we support maintaining your investment until something better (and hopefully cheaper) comes along. We are in the business of selling a
complete solution that can usually be trumped by mixes of high-end point solutions costing much more.
Recording Questions
Q: What do the tuners do and why do I need them?
A: The tuners are necessary to watch and record television broadcasts through our systems. Even though your TV or display may be equipped with it’s own tuners,
they can’t be used to record programs, only to watch them. Our tuners take the output of your broadcast signal and encode them to digital files containing the audio and
video that make up the program. Without this capability you cannot record. The encoding feature also allows you to pause, rewind and skip commercials of live TV.
Q: Can I record in HDTV?
A: Yes but only the free-to-air terrestrial broadcasts not cable or satellite until sometime in 2006. With the Media Made Easy HDTV system you are provided with an HDTV
antenna and an HDTV tuner for watching and recording HDTV broadcasts via UHF transmissions. The FCC has mandated that all broadcasters switch from
analog standard definition to DTV digital high-definition broadcasting. Availability of channels depends upon your location and the strength of the signals available in
your area. For more information check out www.antennaweb.org or www.checkhd.com .
Q: Can I use a cable card?
A: Not currently. It should be possible to switch to cable card support for receiving HDTV broadcasts from your cable/satellite provider in the Longhorn version of
Media Center. Testing is underway and a product should be available at the end of 2006.
Q: How does the system change the channels when it is time to record?
A: The media system remains on or in standby mode at all times with the scheduler application running. It knows to launch a recording session at a certain date and
time and has the channel information from the program guide to tell it which channel to use. For coaxial connections it simply changes the channel to the correct one
listed in the guide. For set top box connections it uses an infrared receiver/transmitter to send an infrared pulse to the set top box. This light pulse is matched to your set
top box remote control frequencies during system setup. The pulse tells the set top box to change the channel to the one listed in the guide prior to the start of the
program.
Q: Which connections offer the best video signal quality for watching and recording TV with your systems?
A: Your best bet is to use the highest resolution connection that you can get from your broadcast signal provider. A set top box that is offered by the cable/satellite
provider for a monthly fee usually provides the signal. Check and see which of the output options your equipment supports:
Coaxial RF – This signal provides the lowest resolution and carries both the audio and video on the same cable.
Composite RCA – This signal provides higher resolution than coaxial but requires separate connections for video and audio.
SVideo – This signal carries the black on a separate channel from the red, green, blue color channels for improved video quality over composite video.
VHF/UHF HDTV antenna – This free signal carries very high-resolution video and often also carries surround sound audio. Requires our HDTV System tuner.
Q: What are the standard and high-definition resolutions and who broadcasts at each resolution?
A: Refer to the table below
TV Format Resolution Display Types Progressive Scan HDTV Widescreen Broadcasters
1080p 1920 X 1080 Flat panel LCDs, DLPs, LCoS Yes Yes Yes Very Limited
1080i 1920 X 1080 50” or larger plasma, 32” or larger LCDs, DLPs, LCoS No Yes Yes CBS, NBC, HBO & many others
720p 1280 X 720 42” HDTV plasma Yes Yes Yes ABC, ESPN, Fox
480p 852 X 480 42” EDTV plasma Yes Yes Yes
SDTV 720 X 480NTSC Analog TV No No No All
Q: How much storage space will I need to record TV programming?
A: It works similar to the old VCR idea of selecting High Quality, Standard Play, Long Play and Extended Play. In this case for standard definition recordings using the
analog tuners in our systems you have the option to setup your recordings using the following approximate recording rates:
Fair – 1.5 GB/Hour = ¼ DVD quality
Good – 1.7 GB/Hour = ½ DVD quality
Better – 2.8 GB/Hour = ¾ DVD quality
Best – 3.2 GB/Hour = Full DVD quality
For over-the-air HDTV broadcasts the rates depend upon the broadcasters since not everyone fills the possible 18MB/second pipe. For example CBS typically takes
6.9GB/Hour and NBC slightly less. Both broadcast at 1080i HDTV resolutions. Fox and ABC, which broadcast at 720p, take 5GB/Hour. Unlike the standard definition
settings, media center doesn’t offer re-encoding options for setting a recording rate for the OTA HDTV tuners.
Internet Questions
Q: Is an Internet connection required?
A: Yes. There is no other way to keep a TV schedule without downloading the program guide periodically.
Q: What type of Internet connection is recommended?
A: We recommend that you use a high-speed broadband connection such as a cable modem or DSL. Dial-up connections are acceptable but don’t provide enough
speed to give you metadata such as album art and detailed movie information. They also limit your ability to enjoy value-added services such as Internet radio, Online
Spotlight services, music downloads, movie downloads and on-demand services.
Q: What connectivity options do you provide?
A: Our systems come standard with an available Ethernet port for connecting to your Internet gateway hardware. There is also an available serial port or USB port.
Wireless Questions
Q: What is required to transmit and receive the audio and video wirelessly?
A: To put it simply you need a transmitter attached to the audio and video output from your MME System and receivers attached to each TV/Display/Stereo/Amplifier on
which you want to watch or listen to the output.
The transmitter can be in the form of a wireless network router or a dedicated wireless transmitter device. In the case of a dedicated device, it must be able to accept
audio and video inputs from our system in the supported formats.
The receiver can be any device capable of receiving the transmission and connecting to a display or audio device. In order to use the infrared Microsoft remote, the
receiver should support infrared remote controls. This may mean there are actually two antennas on the receiver – an infrared antenna and a radio frequency (RF)
antenna.
Q: What wireless options are available with your systems?
A: We offer two main wireless options with our systems. The first option is a media center extender. It requires a wireless signal from a wireless network router to
operate. Each TV/Display is connected to a media center extender via audio and video cables including component, composite and SVideo.
The second option is a dedicated wireless audio/video transmitter and receiver. With this option you are limited to the resolution available using composite RCA
cabling. This option works well in environments that only use standard definition TVs. Other options not offered by our company could be used as long as they support
the proper connectivity to work with our system and your TV/Display/Receiver/Amplifier.
Q: Won’t there be interference and poor quality video?
A: Although you may encounter environments with a lot of noise in the radio frequency spectrum, interference is usually infrequent. Today’s wireless devices are built to
specifications that have enough throughput to handle most video streams without losing quality or encountering delays.
Audio & Surround Sound Questions
Q: What types of sound inputs are available on your systems?
A: Our systems come equipped with a mic in mini-jack connector on the front panel and a matching mic in on the back panel. Depending upon which system you buy
and how the audio is configured you may also have a line in on the back panel. In addition to these inputs the tuner cards have their own stereo RCA audio inputs for
listening and capturing audio. In addition the firewire and USB ports can be used to input audio files or sources.
Music files can be input using the DVD drive for DVD or CD audio. Our system also offers a 7-in-1 card reader for reading storage cards containing music files. Mobile
audio devices are typically connected using USB ports.
Q: What types of sound outputs are available on your systems?
A: Our systems come equipped with a front panel stereo line out mini-jack port (normally used for headphone listening). Back panel outputs vary depending upon which
system you purchase.
Our media systems come equipped with a back panel line out stereo 3.5mm port. A mini-jack to stereo RCA audio cable allows you to connect to your stereo receiver
or TV display.
Our HDTV systems come equipped with 8 channel 32-bit analog or digital outputs. The analog outputs offer 7.1 surround sound ports including: center, front, side, rear
and subwoofer 3.5mm ports. The digital output is via a Toslink optical port and offers 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. The digital output can be connected to your
surround sound receiver or TV display.
Our home theater systems come with a bundled THX® certified surround sound speaker set to match the HDTV system output.
Q: Can I upgrade a media system to surround sound?
A: We would be happy to provide a custom quote to meet your audio needs.
Q: What is surround sound and why would I want it?
A: Surround sound refers to a type of sound designed for a movie theater. The idea is that we hear sounds all around us in the real world (360 degrees and above and
below – surrounding us in all directions) so movie audio would be better if it could simulate that environment to provide an immersive experience. Movie makers began
recording audio for their movies using directional microphones to match the channels possible in a listening environment. Over time the number and configuration of the
channels has grown.
Without surround sound the audio you hear will likely be stereo (2 channels only) and oriented directly in front of where you are positioned. This can sound very good
depending upon your equipment and the source material. It is not likely to sound very “life-like” as if you were a character inside the movie.
With surround sound the audio you hear will be coming from all directions and oriented to produce the most level sounds possible. Dialogue will come primarily from
the center and front speakers. Sounds of vehicles and other moving objects will move around the speakers to sound just like they do in real life when they go by where
you are standing. Environmental sounds will be output through side and rear speakers to create a sound more like the real world you hear every day. Deep bass
sounds will come from a subwoofer to give added punch to low frequency sounds in music, explosions and thumps.
Many people think that surround sound is really just about people who want extreme volume. If you just want volume and sound quality, then invest in a good audio
receiver and speakers. If you want a home theater experience, then invest in surround sound equipment and speakers.
Q: What is the difference between digital and analog?
A: Digital refers to a data format used by computers. Literally digital signals are millions of 0’s and 1’s transmitted between machines. You can’t actually hear 0’s and
1’s of course its just information used to represent analog wave states. Analog refers to sound (or video) in the form of electric currents between machines. Everything
we perceive using our eyes and ears is done by sensing analog waves (light waves to our eyes and sound waves to our ears). This means that regardless of the
audio source (digital or analog) it must be output eventually as an analog wave.
Digital is great because it is easily transmitted without information loss. Analog transmission can suffer from interference and can lose some of the information during
transmission between machines. Either type of signal is converted to analog sound waves using the speakers so that we can listen to the source.
Q: How do I setup surround sound?
A: The answer will depend upon your room environment and your equipment. For more information please refer to the Media Made Easy Home Theater Design by
clicking here Home Theater Design Guide.
Q: How does music work in Media Center?
A: Behind the scenes media center uses the architecture of Windows Media Player (WMP) to manage your music library. Options for ripping music onto the system
using various file formats (AC3, wav, wma, mp3, pcm, etc.) will vary based upon the decoders used on your system. Digital rights management features of WMP are
used to enforce copyright protection. Depending upon the original source of the music you may have limited rights all the way up to unlimited rights to copy and use the
music.
The key functional areas of Media Center for enjoying and managing music are: My Music; Online Spotlight; Radio; More Programs.
My Music is where all of your music files are accessed. Your library can be sorted by album, artist, song title, playlists, etc. Album art and track information make the
experience of locating and selecting music for playback more enjoyable. You can build playlists on the fly using your remote control. Visualizations or digital
photograph slideshows can accompany your music to make the experience fun. Changes made directly in WMP are reflected in My Music.
Online Spotlight provides additional options for purchasing and managing your music collection. You can buy and download music from a variety of sources including
MusicMatch (Yahoo), Napster, MSN Music and others. You can access paid subscription services. You can get XM Satellite radio. You can access free or paid
Internet radio stations. You can access free or paid music videos.
Radio offers you the ability to access FM radio and Internet radio station broadcasts. By attaching an FM antenna to the tuners in your system, you can receive local FM
radio. Recording can be managed using our free Easy Recorder application or applications purchased separately.
More Programs is where you can burn music to a CD or DVD. It also is where you manage downloading of your music library to a portable player or portable media
center.
Computing Questions
Q: Are your systems computers?
A: Yes they are computers equipped with special hardware and software designed to operate in a digital entertainment environment. All DVRs are based upon
computer hardware and software concepts but not all DVRs also operate as computers.
Q: Can we use your system as a computer?
A: Yes they can be used as a computer. We will caution you however that you may not want to use this as your primary computer for work, etc. because much of the job
it is designed to accomplish requires dedicated resources. You can certainly run applications or surf the Internet without a problem, but your spouse might demand to
watch something and interrupt you.
Q: What expansion capabilities does your system have?
A: This depends upon which system you purchase. Most of our current systems offer very few available PCI slots. However there are a wealth of other connectivity
options including USB, firewire, serial and other options. If you have a specific need, then please contact us and we’ll see what we can do to help. The good news is
that the platform is open so you can always upgrade as new compatible hardware becomes available.
Q: What about laptop media centers?
A: Although we don’t sell laptop systems currently, we can offer kits or expansion modules that are designed to turn a laptop into a media center. For standard definition
recording we typically sell our Single Tuner USB kit to laptop owners. For those requesting HDTV over-the-air recording, we custom quote expansion modules which
can be plugged into a type II CardBus expansion slot. These modules can offer dual NTSC and ATSC tuners depending upon your requirements.
