November 2008 - Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear -

Better home audio, Tip #3: Place your speakers properly

There are many ways to improve the sound of your system. And some of them don't require any additional expense. In this third installment of our better home audio series, we present the simple concept of optimal speaker placement. Place your speakers...

Published Thu, Nov 27 2008 12:13 PM by Ralph

Filed under: Ralph, speakers, audio, speaker placement, Hi-Fi 2.0

Starting small with your DSLR yields big rewards later

A lot of people ask me what camera they should buy when they're considering a DSLR . Usually by that time they've got it narrowed down to a couple of choices, and are looking for that last piece of info to help them make their final decision. It's generally...

Published Wed, Nov 26 2008 9:47 AM by ZakB

Filed under: SLR, DSLR, camera, Sony, Zak, Nikon, Canon

Buying video games for young children

Every time I see my six-year-old niece, she amazes me with how big she’s grown and how smart she is. During my last visit, I was shocked to see her playing video games on a pink Nintendo DS. I thought for sure she was too young to understand the game...

Published Tue, Nov 25 2008 9:28 AM by Kristen S

Filed under: video games, Kristen S, Nintendo DS, holiday gift ideas

Tech Terms Demystified: DIN and Double-DIN

DIN and double-DIN are terms you hear thrown about all the time by car installers. They're used to describe what size radio will fit into a particular dashboard opening, but I've never heard an expanation of what DIN actually stood for. I decided to look...

Published Mon, Nov 24 2008 10:05 AM by Gabrielle

Filed under: car audio, tech terms, Gabrielle, DIN

Better car audio, Tip #1: New speakers

How much time do you spend in your car? If your daily commute consumes 100 hours a year, as is the case for many people , then you can easily justify a modest investment to improve the sound of your car stereo. Navigation , video screens and Bluetooth...

Published Fri, Nov 21 2008 7:08 AM by Jim R

Filed under: car stereo, car audio, car speakers, sound quality, Crutchfield, high fidelity, Hi-Fi 2.0

Some nice gifts for the DSLR owner

Looking for gift ideas for your favorite photo nut? In a recent post, I pointed out the bare essentials all new DSLR owners need to get going. Here are a few "nice to have" accessories that make every DSLR shooter's life a little easier. 1. Extra battery...

Published Thu, Nov 20 2008 3:27 PM by ZakB

Filed under: Zak, digital photo frames, holiday gift ideas, external flash, batteries, tripod, lenses

Better home audio, Tip #2: Less compression = Better sound

We continue our series of tips for better audio with a simple fix for your MP3 player . Select a lower level of compression — or better quality — for your music files Compressing digital sound files is a great way decrease file size, but it comes at a...

Published Tue, Nov 18 2008 4:03 PM by Ralph

Filed under: iPod, Ralph, MP3 player, compression, audio, Hi-Fi 2.0

Three essential DSLR accessories

Whether you're giving or receiving the gift of a DSLR camera this holiday season, these three accessories are essential to get up and running. DLSR kits all come with batteries, chargers, and a lens or two, so what else do you absolutely need before you...

Published Mon, Nov 17 2008 2:53 PM by ZakB

Filed under: memory card, DSLR, Zak, lens, holiday gift ideas, camera bag

6-1/2" versus 6-3/4" car speakers

Many customers note that sometimes Crutchfield's classification of a car speaker's size is different from what the speaker manufacturer states. This is especially true in the case of 6-1/2" versus 6-3/4" round speakers. What's going on when a company...

Published Fri, Nov 14 2008 9:21 AM by Buck P

Filed under: car speakers, 6-3/4" speakers, speaker size, cutout size, bolt pattern, 6-1/2" speakers

Video: 120Hz Refresh Rate Explained

Our resident TV expert, Steve, explains what 120Hz refresh rate is, and why it's an important feature to look for. In this new Crutchfield video he talks about the fact that big-screen TVs require a faster refresh rate to keep fast motion from looking...

Published Thu, Nov 13 2008 3:00 PM by Crutchfield Video

Filed under: HDTV, Crutchfield Video, refresh rate

All I Want for Christmas is…Video Games in my Stocking

I started playing video games on the original Nintendo system when I was in elementary school, and I’ve been a huge fan of gaming ever since. In fact, there are several video games on my Christmas wish list this year. But after a recent conversation with...

Published Thu, Nov 13 2008 10:48 AM by Kristen S

Filed under: PlayStation3, Xbox 360, video games, Kristen S, Wii, holiday gift ideas

Better home audio: Tip #1 – Good sound starts with good recordings

With flat-panel TVs and iPods® leading the way, recent trends in electronics have focused on video quality and portability. But what about audio quality? Does your TV's sound really do its picture justice? Do your favorite songs sound muddy or flat on...

Published Tue, Nov 11 2008 4:15 PM by Ralph

Filed under: Ralph, audio, sound recordings, Hi-Fi 2.0

Lonely For My Headphones, Part 3: Sony Headphones

One Thing Leads To Another I've been auditioning a lot of headphones over the past several weeks, looking for a relatively inexpensive pair that would, nonetheless, give me great sound quality. I'm terrible at making shopping decisions, so I asked my...

Published Tue, Nov 11 2008 9:10 AM by Gabrielle

Filed under: Bose, headphones, Sony, Gabrielle

Bluetooth in the car -- hands-free and loving it!

I’ll admit it — I’m not usually an early adopter. You won’t find me running out to the store to pick up the latest gee-whiz tech devices just because they’re new. Heck, I didn’t even own a cell phone until last year. But sometimes a new technology or...

Published Mon, Nov 10 2008 11:20 AM by KenSpike

Filed under: Bluetooth, cell phone, pioneer, deh-p7000bt, Ken

Cable management for child and pet safety

Puppies — no matter how many toys you buy them, they're going to get into the things that they shouldn't. In the case of my 3-month-old Beagle, he chews on everything he shouldn't. So for his safety (and for the safety of our high-end home theater components...

Published Thu, Nov 6 2008 3:45 PM by Kristen S

Filed under: Kristen S, cable management

November 2008 - Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear

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