Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear : HDTV

Video: Choosing an HDTV

Crutchfield Video — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:52:00 GMT

(Please visit the site to view this media) Shopping for a new HDTV? Julie and Steve run down the basic information (in plain English) you should know before making your purchase. In our "Choosing an HDTV" video, they discuss key factors to consider...(read more)

Tech Terms Demystified: Walled Garden for HDTV

Ralph — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:21:00 GMT

"Walled Garden" — it conjures up images of a lush, exotic, and beautiful garden isolated from the rest of the world by a high stone wall with a single locked door to limit access. And in many ways, it's an accurate image for the kind...(read more)

Get Blu-ray versions of your Warner Bros. HD DVDs with Red2Blu

LorenB — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:44:00 GMT

Are you an early HD DVD adopter who made the switch to Blu-ray? If so, you can get Blu-ray versions of the Warner Bros. titles in your library with Warner's Red2Blu program . Simply send Warner Bros. the artwork from your HD DVDs (not the discs or...(read more)

Tech Terms Demystified: 1080p vs. 1080i

KenSpike — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:23:00 GMT

If you're researching buying a new HDTV, you may have come across this question: "1080p vs. 1080i — which is better?" Not surprising, actually. "1080p vs. 1080i" is one of the most common searches on the Crutchfield web site. Let's take a look at what...(read more)

Tweak Week tips

Jim R — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:36:00 GMT

Our Product Support Team really shines during Tweak Week — those first few days after the holidays gifts are opened and thousands call for help. Some callers need help hooking things up, while others have questions about how to operate a new gadget. To...(read more)

Video: 120Hz Refresh Rate Explained

Crutchfield Video — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:00:00 GMT

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...(read more)

The Digital TV conversion: It’s about DTV, not HDTV

Skindig — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:00:00 GMT

There's a big change coming in the way some of us get our TV signals. If you get some or all of your channels using an antenna, your viewing routine may be disrupted on Feb. 17, 2009. That's the deadline for all full-power TV stations in the U.S. to switch...(read more)

HDTVs, lag, and Game Mode

LorenB — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:35:00 GMT

High-definition TVs display fantastic images that make movies and TV shows come alive like never before. But playing video games on an HDTV can be rather tricky, especially if they require precise timing, like Rock Band or the latest version of Tiger...(read more)

What's at the top of your wish list? (Here's what's on ours)

Chris E — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:48:00 GMT

Naturally, people around here are always talking about the latest, greatest electronic gear. I have a long list of things I hope to own soon, and I sometimes wonder what my friends at work would love to have. Thanks to a recent informal, open-ended poll...(read more)

How Dad improved his HDTV's picture in 15 minutes

Amanda — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:47:00 GMT

A TV's out-of-the-box settings are rarely ideal for home viewing -- usually, the brightness, contrast, and sharpness are turned way up to help the picture out-shine other sets on a bright, fluorescent-lit showroom floor. So when my parents bought themselves...(read more)

Dust off the rabbit ears for HD

Julie — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:24:00 GMT

Often, when someone comes into my living room, they point to the brushed silver contraption that stands just over a foot high in the corner. "What's that?" they say. "It's a TV antenna," I answer. (It's actually the Terk HDTVi indoor UHF/VHF antenna ...(read more)

Plasma TVs & gaming don't mix -- or do they?

Amanda — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 21:09:00 GMT

For years, plasma TVs were considered off-limits to anyone who wanted to play video games. The threat of burn-in loomed -- play the same game for too long, and your health bar, ammo count, and any other stationary display could be permanently etched into...(read more)

Ready to go to the movies?

Julie — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 13:07:00 GMT

I saw a cool article in Popular Mechanics this month on building your own rolling drive-in movie theater , and it reminded me of an idea I'd been meaning to pass on. You see, the advent of inexpensive home theater front projectors means that projecting...(read more)

Ryan’s Rules for Purchasing a PS3

Ryan — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:01:00 GMT

The PlayStation3 is one of the better electronics purchases I’ve made in quite some time. The high - definition graphics and digital surround sound provide a truly immersive gaming experience. When you also factor in the PS3’s Blu-Ray and networking capabilities...(read more)

What are you doing for sound in your TV room?

Julie — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:51:00 GMT

In these days of ever-larger, more gorgeous TVs, surround sound seems like it's rapidly becoming an optional extra for home theater. This pains me, because I've been living with a great TV and a great surround sound system for some time, and I've got...(read more)