Originally Posted by Westy
oh lastly..
Whats the diff between active and passive.. I want a bass box too but not sure whats the bette ooption, act or passive
thanks
Active Subwoofers are the best option
Passive (non-amplified) subwoofers are available, but are usually ineffective unless built for and matched with a specific speaker model. Active (built in amplifier) subwoofers are vastly preferable as they offer independent volume and often frequency control to allow the bass to be tuned with the room and any existing speakers. With Dolby Digital and DTS systems, an active subwoofer has to be used. All our subwoofers are active!
Home Cinema Guide explained
http://www.superfi.co.uk/DisplayGuid...45&SiteType=UK
Speaker Guide
http://www.superfi.co.uk/DisplayGuid...28&SiteType=UK
@thrush you tech junkie you
the only problem with building up your system over time especially with the hdmi side of things they keep updatiing the HDMI specs way too quick
i bought a state of the art yamaha amp just to find out its nearly obsolete....

lol i have owned it 14 months so not really a bad thing i spose
Q. When was the HDMI specification released?
The initial HDMI 1.0 specification was released in December 2002.
Version 1.1 was released in May 2004.
Version 1.2 was released in August of 2005.
Version 1.2a was released in December of 2005.
Version 1.3 was released in June of 2006.
Q. What functionality was added to each specification?
The following provides an overview of major functionality added to each version of HDMI
HDMI 1.1
* Support for DVD Audio
HDMI 1.2
* Adds features and capabilities that increase HDMI's appeal for use in both the CE and PC industries. Specifically, the features and modifications for HDMI 1.2 include:
• Support for One Bit Audio format, such as SuperAudio CD's DSD (Direct Stream Digital)
o Changes to offer better support for current and future PCs with HDMI outputs, including:
• Availability of the widely-used HDMI Type A connector for PC sources and displays with full support for PC video formats
• Ability for PC sources to use their native RGB color-space while retaining the option to support the YCbCr CE color space
• Requirement for HDMI 1.2 and later displays to support future low-voltage (i.e., AC-coupled) sources, such as those based on PCI Express I/O
technology
HDMI 1.2a
* Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) features and command sets and CEC compliance tests are now fully specified.
* Creation of version 1.2a of the HDMI Compliance Test Specification (CTS), which includes a CEC Supplement. HDMI CTS 1.2a has been updated for technical consistency with HDMI Specification 1.2a as well as to the recently released HDMI Specification 1.2.
* o Significantly, CTS 1.2a contains additional cable and connector testing and Authorized Testing Center (ATC) submission requirements. Specifically, under CTS 1.2a, the Adopter shall submit for testing to the ATC any new HDMI cable whose length exceeds previously tested cables. Additionally, HDMI Licensing, LLC will maintain a list of approved connectors. For a device to pass CTS 1.2a testing at an ATC, all connectors on such device must appear on the approved connector list. To add a connector to this list, the vendor must submit to the ATC or HDMI Licensing, LLC full and passing testing results
Q: What’s new in the HDMI 1.3 Specification?
* Higher speed: Although all previous versions of HDMI have had more than enough bandwidth to support all current HDTV formats, HDMI 1.3 increases its single-link bandwidth to 340 MHz (10.2 Gbps) to support the demands of future HD display devices, such as higher resolutions, Deep Color and high frame rates. In addition, built into the HDMI 1.3 specification is the technical foundation that will let future versions of HDMI reach significantly higher speeds.
* Deep Color: HDMI 1.3 supports 30-bit, 36-bit and 48-bit (RGB or YCbCr) color depths, up from the 24-bit depths in previous versions of the HDMI specification, for stunning rendering of over one billion colors in unprecedented detail.
* Broader color space: HDMI 1.3 adds support for “xvYCC” color standard, which removes current color space limitations and enables the display of any color viewable by the human eye.
* New mini connector: With small portable devices such as HD camcorders and still cameras demanding seamless connectivity to HDTVs, HDMI 1.3 offers a new, smaller form factor connector option.
* Lip Sync: Because consumer electronics devices are using increasingly complex digital signal processing to enhance the clarity and detail of the content, synchronization of video and audio in user devices has become a greater challenge and could potentially require complex end-user adjustments. HDMI 1.3 incorporates automatic audio synching capabilities that allows devices to perform this synchronization automatically with total accuracy.
* New HD lossless audio formats: In addition to HDMI’s current ability to support high-bandwidth uncompressed digital audio and all currently-available compressed formats (such as Dolby® Digital and DTS®), HDMI 1.3 adds additional support for new lossless compressed digital audio formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™.
Q: What products or applications will take advantage of new HDMI 1.3 capabilities?
According to announcements by manufacturers, new high-definition DVD formats (HD-DVD and Blu-ray) and game machines (including the Sony PLAYSTATION® 3) will make use of capabilities added in HDMI 1.3. Digital televisions will be able to present images that are closer to real life than previously has been possible. These will include LCD TVs, plasma displays and rear projection microdisplays. The PS3 which is scheduled to ship in November 2006, will be the first source product to provide such high quality imagery to these displays. It is expected that hi-def DVD players will follow early in 2007 with HDMI 1.3 support. A/V Receivers that can decode DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD will start to show up early in 2007 as well. Please check with the manufacturers for details.
Q: What is meant by the term “Deep Color” and why is it important?
Deep Color lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors allowing consumers to enjoy unprecedented vividness and accuracy of color on their displays. Deep Color eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors. It enables increased contrast ratio, and can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white.
Q: What is “xvYCC”?
HDMI 1.3 adopts use of the IEC 61966-2-4 color standard, commonly called xvYCC (shorthand for Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications). This new standard can support 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals. xvYCC lets HDTVs display colors more accurately, enabling displays with more natural, vivid colors .
Q: What is the difference between “Deep Color” and “xvYCC?”
Deep Color increases the number of available colors within the boundaries defined by the RGB or YCbCr color space, while xvYCC expands the available range (limits) to allow the display of colors that meet and exceed what human eyes can recognize.
Q: When will products with HDMI 1.3 capabilities be available to the public?
Products using HDMI 1.3 capabilities are expected to become available this year starting with the PS3. Displays, DVDs and A/V Receivers are expected to ship early in 2007.
Q: How will consumers know which products have the latest implementation of HDMI 1.3?
Consumers should not look for a particular version of HDMI, but rather for the functionality that they want the device to support (Deep Color, specific audio formats, etc.). Alternatively, consumers can look for support for these features called out in the manufacturer’s product information.
Q: Is HDMI 1.3 backward compatible with prior releases of the HDMI spec and with DVI?
Yes, HDMI is fully backward compatible with all prior releases of the HDMI spec, as well as DVI compliant devices.
Q: Why is lip sync important?
In a DTV, typically the video processing takes more time than the audio. As a result, lip sync can become an issue where it’s noticeable to the viewer, creating an effect similar to that of a badly-dubbed movie. HDMI 1.3 provides a method whereby the audio processing times in devices can be automatically adjusted to remove lip sync