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Home Theater Gifts For Grads

Looking for a great gift for your favorite Grad? If so, then consider giving a home theater gift. Check out my list of practical and affordable Home Theater Gifts For Grads.

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Home Theater Spotlight10

Media File Compression Basics

Monday May 16, 2011
When video, photo or music is saved in a digital format the result can be a huge file that is hard to stream and uses up a lot of memory on the computer or hard drive to which it is saved. In order to save space files are made smaller by removing some of the data. This is referred to as "compression". For an in-depth look at media file compression and how it works, read How Media File Compression Affects Picture and Sound Quality by About.com contributing writer, Barb Gonzalez.

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Question of the Week - What Type of TV Do I Need To Use With a Blu-ray Disc Player?

Sunday May 15, 2011
Although DVD is the most successful home entertainment product in history, ever since it was introduced in 1997, it lacks true high definition capability. Two competing camps came up with a solution: Blu-ray and HD-DVD. However, only the Blu-ray format now remains. For everything you need know about Blu-ray, check out my "Question of the Week Series" on Blu-ray Basics. This week's question: What Type of Television Do I Need To Use With a Blu-ray Disc Player? Also, be sure to check out my complete Blu-ray FAQs as well as my current suggestions for Best Blu-ray Disc Players.

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Onkyo TX-NR809 7.2 Channel 3D/Network Home Theater Receiver - Product Profile

Saturday May 14, 2011
The TX-NR809 is a new THX Select2 Plus Certified 7.2 channel home theater receiver from Onkyo that is rated at 135 Watts per channel at .08% THD and features Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio decoding and both Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX processing.

On the video side the TX-NR809 has 8 3D-compatible HDMI inputs with analog to HDMI video conversion and Upscaling. The TX-NR809 employs two video processing chips. The IDT HQV Vida VHD1900 chip provides upscaling to 1080p, while the added built-in Marvell QDEO processing chip provides further upscaling up to 4K (3840x2160) resolution - provided you have a 4K display. Extra bonuses include a PC monitor input, iPod/iPhone connectivity, Internet Radio, and two subwoofer outputs. For more details, check out my Onkyo TX-NR809 Product Profile. Photos (c) Onkyo USA

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Panasonic SC-BTT770 3D Blu-ray Home Theater System - Product of the Week

Friday May 13, 2011
The Panasonic SC-BTT770 Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System really packs it in. The Blu-ray Disc player section not only plays both 2D and 3D Blu-ray Discs, but can perform real-time 2D to 3D conversion (3D TV required for 3D viewing). You can also control the actual depth the 3D image to your comfort level. Additional features include built-in Skype capability (additional webcam required), wireless surround speaker kit, and built-in WiFi for wireless access to your home network and the internet. Online content from services such as Netflix, Vudu, and CinemaNow provides a broad selection of movies to watch that you may not have on Blu-ray Disc or DVD.

On the audio side, the SC-BTT770 provides 5.1 channels of amplification and includes very stylish and thin floor standing speakers for the front channels. The SC-BTT770 also incorporates the Audio Return Channel function that can simplify the audio connections with a compatible TV. Give the SC-BTT770 a look and a listen.

For additional suggestions, check out my list of Home Theater-in-a-Box Systems.

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