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Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune Up
DVD International // Unrated // January 15, 2002
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
"Could you turn down the bass, Dr. Boomenstein?"
Many home theater lovers are likely familiar with Sound and Vision magazine, one of the larger (along with Widescreen Review, Home Theater and others). The magazine has decided to produce a DVD that will allow, in a user-friendly fashion, viewers to optimize their home theater settings. The main part of the disc is a documentary that is hosted by two actors playing a couple (the hilarious line quoted at the begining of the review is part of their first conversation).
The first part of the documentary clued me in that this is likely a piece for those who are beginners or mid-level home theater users. This first section explains the basics, pointing out the DVD player, the reciever and other home theater elements. Those who are already familiar with surround sound and what home theater elements are will likely want to skip forward.
The documentary then goes on to discuss viewing distance, hook-up details, room accoustics and other home theater essentials. Most HT experts will likely find this rather obvious. During the second half of the documentary, we are presented with ways to optimze the viewing experience. Sharpness, brightness, contrast, color and tint tests are offered and explained. After the picture quality tests are shown, the next chapter starts up the sound tests. Sound tests that are offered and explained are speaker identification (to make sure your speakers are hooked up right), phase tests (correct polarity), balance and subwoofer level.
The documentary ends up with chapters on operating (and I thought the explanation about letterbox could have been more positive towards widescreen/Original Aspect Ratio" and clearer in general) and upgrading your Home Theater.
The chapters of the documentary are: Home Theater Basics, Installing Your Home Theater, Video Tune-Up, Audio Tune-Up, Operating Your Home Theater, Upgrading Your Home Theater, Resources. The documentary itself is probably where those not as experienced with HT should begin (although the actors playing the couple do get annoying after a while). Those who are more experienced will be pleased that the test patterns available in the documentary (as well as additional, more advanced ones) are also included on their own in the menu section, so you don't have to sit through the documentary once again to get to them. The additional audio tests even include 6.1 channel balance and ID tests. The more advanced tests also include explanation.
Additional video test list: 20 IRE Window, 30 IRE Window, 40 IRE Window, 80 IRE Window, 90 IRE Window, 100 IRE Window, Crosshatch, Focus, Backlight level, Gray Ramp, Blue Bars, Black Bars + Log Steps, Circle Hatch, Gamma Chart, Anamorphic Resolution, Resolution 200 TVL.
The DVD
VIDEO/AUDIO: The presentation is full-frame and the video quality is quite good, with a slightly soft appearance but no real noticable flaws. Audio for the documentary is Dolby Digital 5.1, as the discussions by the two hosts come through the center channel.
EXTRAS:
Dolby Digital Trailers: While I've seen DVDs with the earlier four Dolby trailers ("Train", "City", "Canyon", "Egypt"), this one has not only those, but the latest ("Aurora" and "Rain"). "City" remains the most agressive and exciting of the first four, while "Rain" is the most enjoyable of the two latest ones.
DTS DEMO: A clip from Studio Voodoo's album, "This Beat Is Voodoo" in DTS 6.1.
THX Demo: The "Cavalcade" (glass ball breaking into shards, thunder, rain sounds) trailer in 4x3 pan & scan, 1.85:1 widescreen and 2.35:1 widescreen.
Also: Credits
Final Thoughts: "Sound and Vision: Home Theater Tune-Up" is a very nicely done DVD, especially for the $19.99 price tag. It has something for everyone; a documentary to help those new to Home Theater and a number of tests easily available for those who are already experts.
"Could you turn down the bass, Dr. Boomenstein?"
Many home theater lovers are likely familiar with Sound and Vision magazine, one of the larger (along with Widescreen Review, Home Theater and others). The magazine has decided to produce a DVD that will allow, in a user-friendly fashion, viewers to optimize their home theater settings. The main part of the disc is a documentary that is hosted by two actors playing a couple (the hilarious line quoted at the begining of the review is part of their first conversation).
The first part of the documentary clued me in that this is likely a piece for those who are beginners or mid-level home theater users. This first section explains the basics, pointing out the DVD player, the reciever and other home theater elements. Those who are already familiar with surround sound and what home theater elements are will likely want to skip forward.
The documentary then goes on to discuss viewing distance, hook-up details, room accoustics and other home theater essentials. Most HT experts will likely find this rather obvious. During the second half of the documentary, we are presented with ways to optimze the viewing experience. Sharpness, brightness, contrast, color and tint tests are offered and explained. After the picture quality tests are shown, the next chapter starts up the sound tests. Sound tests that are offered and explained are speaker identification (to make sure your speakers are hooked up right), phase tests (correct polarity), balance and subwoofer level.
The documentary ends up with chapters on operating (and I thought the explanation about letterbox could have been more positive towards widescreen/Original Aspect Ratio" and clearer in general) and upgrading your Home Theater.
The chapters of the documentary are: Home Theater Basics, Installing Your Home Theater, Video Tune-Up, Audio Tune-Up, Operating Your Home Theater, Upgrading Your Home Theater, Resources. The documentary itself is probably where those not as experienced with HT should begin (although the actors playing the couple do get annoying after a while). Those who are more experienced will be pleased that the test patterns available in the documentary (as well as additional, more advanced ones) are also included on their own in the menu section, so you don't have to sit through the documentary once again to get to them. The additional audio tests even include 6.1 channel balance and ID tests. The more advanced tests also include explanation.
Additional video test list: 20 IRE Window, 30 IRE Window, 40 IRE Window, 80 IRE Window, 90 IRE Window, 100 IRE Window, Crosshatch, Focus, Backlight level, Gray Ramp, Blue Bars, Black Bars + Log Steps, Circle Hatch, Gamma Chart, Anamorphic Resolution, Resolution 200 TVL.
The DVD
VIDEO/AUDIO: The presentation is full-frame and the video quality is quite good, with a slightly soft appearance but no real noticable flaws. Audio for the documentary is Dolby Digital 5.1, as the discussions by the two hosts come through the center channel.
EXTRAS:
Dolby Digital Trailers: While I've seen DVDs with the earlier four Dolby trailers ("Train", "City", "Canyon", "Egypt"), this one has not only those, but the latest ("Aurora" and "Rain"). "City" remains the most agressive and exciting of the first four, while "Rain" is the most enjoyable of the two latest ones.
DTS DEMO: A clip from Studio Voodoo's album, "This Beat Is Voodoo" in DTS 6.1.
THX Demo: The "Cavalcade" (glass ball breaking into shards, thunder, rain sounds) trailer in 4x3 pan & scan, 1.85:1 widescreen and 2.35:1 widescreen.
Also: Credits
Final Thoughts: "Sound and Vision: Home Theater Tune-Up" is a very nicely done DVD, especially for the $19.99 price tag. It has something for everyone; a documentary to help those new to Home Theater and a number of tests easily available for those who are already experts.
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