Blu-ray, DVD, HDTV, Video info and more at WesleyTech.com

Blu-ray licensing fees to drop in price

This is probably the most exciting news you’ve ever heard (right after you got the test back “negative” from the internist). Sony, Philips, Panasonic have announced a unified licensing program for Blu-ray, DVD and CD.

Previously when a device manufacturer was looking to make a Blu-ray player they would have to obtain a license for CompactDisc compatibility, DVD compatibility, and Blu-ray Disc compatibility (and to use each logo). With this plan, manufacturers will only need to acquire one license for all three.

What does this mean for you? Not much. But this should speed up the development process for Blu-ray players, and reduce the end-cost to consumers. Blu-ray player licenses can be had for $9.50 per device under this plan, which is about half of what the DVD licensing fee was several years ago.

Source: CNet

Kaleidescape: Blu-ray player on track for 2009

Kaleidescape CEO Michael Malcolm announced the planned release of a Blu-ray Disc player by the end of 2009. This comes a year after the company first announced the development of their Blu-ray initiative.

The “Blue-Laser Player” will have the same appearance as the Kaleidescape 1080p Player. It will be compatible with all current Kaleidescape Systems.

There was a bit of confusion over the Blu-ray player. Would it store the content or just play the discs? Malcolm cleared this up saying, “It will import DVDs and CDs, but initially it will not be possible to import Blu-ray Discs. We remain optimistic that in the future we will be able to automatically update all Blue-Laser Players with a KEAOS software release that will enable the import of Blu-ray Discs.”



Reading the announcement we come across a very interesting question and answer: “Will the studios charge me a fee for importing a Blu-ray Disc?” Answer: “Maybe.” That’s it. That’s the full answer. I would hope you wouldn’t have to pay a fee to backup a Blu-ray Disc you already paid $30 for. But Kaleidescape does do everything “by the books” so I imagine they’re working with the studios and studio representatives (MPAA, et al) to make this work.

How to set up your subwoofer

One of the trickiest parts of setting up a home theater system is calibrating the subwoofer. This article will help you set up a basic single-subwoofer system. This does not help with most home-theater-in-a-box systems, though some do have subwoofer settings.

Before we begin, you should have a few items. Check your surround receiver to see if it outputs tones to each channel independently. Most receivers do, and it is in the “speaker level” section – often as “manual setup.” A better option is to pickup a setup disc like the Digital Video Essentials (available on Blu-ray). These discs have proper tones for different speaker setups. But if you don’t want to spend the money, you can use your receiver’s tones. (Hint: most THX optimized DVDs and Blu-rays have a THX setup in the menu with useful tones. Look for Terminator 2, or The Incredibles)

Another item you might consider getting is a sound pressure level meter (SPL meter). You can pick this up at Radio Shack. It is not essential, but it will give you the peace of mind that you have set up your system as close as possible.

Finally, you might need to get a longer RCA audio cable. This is so you can move your subwoofer further away from your receiver if need be.

Subwoofer placement

This is the first step in subwoofer setup, but also one of the most contentious topics amongst enthusiasts. Some suggest placing the sub in a corner to use the room’s natural acoustics to create louder bass. But the point is not to create loud bass, but defined, smooth bass. Along the wall is the best for smooth bass. But it can’t just be thrown against any wall, you need to find the right wall. How is this done?

Place your subwoofer on a study stand or table at about head level where you intend to sit while watching movies/playing music. Connect it to your receiver and play a CD with music you’re familiar with with a strong bass line (hopefully an ascending/descending line). Next, crawl around the walls with your head at subwoofer level listening to the bass until you find the a spot where the bass sounds clearest, and most articulate. You may have to make concessions to keep the sub out of a walkway or for aesthetic purposes, but you can determine spots that would be acceptable before you do this and then find the best spot within those limits.

Subwoofer crossover settings

Most subwoofers have a knob on the rear (sometimes the front) for crossover control. The crossover is the level where the main speakers meets the sub. The vast majority of receivers have a digital crossover to send low frequencies to the LFE (low frequency effects) channel. You will want to use the receiver’s cross over because it will mix the frequencies below a set point from all channels to the subwoofer channel. In this case, the crossover on the sub should be set to the highest possible point.

Dolby Laboratories suggests the crossover should be set at 100Hz. This is where most receivers default. THX suggests 80Hz so more low freqncey information is driven by your surrounding speakers. What to chose?

I have large floor standing speakers than can go down to 40Hz no problem. In my case I set the crossover at 80Hz. If you have smaller satellite speakers you should probably use 100Hz. You might try both settings and see what sounds best in your situation. (Hint: the THX optimizer has a subwoofer crossover test that drops from a high frequency to a low frequency. You can use this to check for the best crossover point for your system. There level should not drop off in the middle of the test but should remain at a constant level throughout.)

Setting the phase on your subwoofer

Most subwoofers have phase control, which is most commonly a knob which can turn from 0-180 degrees. Other subwoofers just have a switch for 0 and 180.

Proper phase alignment is crucial to bass management. If the sub is out of phase with the other speakers the sound will not reach you at the same time and the sound stage will be nondescript.

Some receivers have phase control built in, these receivers come with a microphone and an automatic setup. If your receiver does not have phase control, or you just want to make sure your system is set up correctly, you will want to test your system.

First you want to check your crossover setting and use your setup disc (in this case you’ll need it) to play a tone at the crossover frequency. Take the speaker wire to the main speakers and reverse the wiring (at the speaker side only) so the red side is connected to black and the black to red. Play the tone from the setup disc and have a friend adjust the phase knob until you head the least amount of bass. Next, you will switch the wiring to the speakers back to correct phase (red on red, etc) and your sub will now be in phase with the speakers.

Setting the sub level on your subwoofer

The easiest way to do this is use a setup disc with a sub level test and an SPL meter. The tone will switch between one of your front speakers and your sub and you will match the levels between the two. If you do not have a setup disc, you will use the receiver’s tones and adjust levels by ear so the front left/right speakers are matched to the subwoofer level. This second way is less precise and you will have to adjust the subwoofer level to taste with a source you are familiar with. (Hint: use the subwoofer crossover test on the THX optimizer. The level should not rise or fall after the crossover point is reached.)

When you do get your sub dialed in, you will either be very glad or realize you need to upgrade. Either way, at least you know you’re getting the best you can get out of what you have.

Netflix considering streaming-only subscription

I have queried this before, and it wasn’t much of a stretch to believe: Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has suggested they may be offering streaming-only subscriptions later this year.

With over a million subscribers using the Xbox 360 to stream Netflix Watch Now content, it makes sense the next step is to offer a subscription for users who don’t require physical discs. Hastings has said in the past that they believe the future of Netflix is streaming.

There is no hint as to what the price for this service would be, but I would expect something around $6-7 dollars. Currently the lowest priced subscription service with unlimited streaming is $9.

Hulu & TV.com battling it out

NBC and News Corp partners have recently pulled all of their content off of the newly relaunched TV.com website. These companies participate in a joint venture with the website Hulu.com, which until recently was the most popular online destination for watching full TV episodes and films (legally).

After CBS relaunched the TV.com website in January with more content, more social features and other new site options, the site enjoyed a 263% increase in unique visitors, overtaking Hulu.com’s traffic numbers.

Is the content removal from TV.com a direct response from Hulu owners due to the surging popularity of TV.com? It certainly appears that way. This may just be the start of a legal TV streaming website war. At the very least it should be interesting battle to watch play out. We’ll be staying tuned and reporting on future updates.

Blockbuster to add video game rentals online

Perhaps done in part to make their online rental service more attractive than Netflix, Blockbuster Total Access rentals by mail will begin testing video game rentals in the second quarter of this year.

Video games would arrive by mail from your game queue, and they can be returned to a local Blockbuster store for a half-priced game rental. What hasn’t been announced is if this service will bear a subscription fee on top of the regular subscription. I would assume it does.

Blockbuster has been trying to play catch up to Netflix for a while now, recently releasing their own set top receiver for video rentals. The difference there is Netflix includes unlimited streaming video while Blockbuster charges per title. Netflix does not have video game rentals and there is no indication they will enter that market.

GameFly is the most popular by mail game rental service, and their subscription starts at $15.95 per month.

What do you think? Would you consider using Blockbuster’s Total Access video game rental service?

Confirmed: Pioneer ends TV business

I wrote about the rumor earlier this week, and it’s now confirmed. Pioneer Electronics is exiting the television business. This is unfortunate news.

For years now Pioneer had lead the industry in picture quality, and now they’re bidding bon voyage to all of that work. They will be focusing now on their profitable car electronics wing as well as the audio/video line of electronics and speakers.