Info and forum posts by 'FiremanSam'

This user hasn't used our main site yet, so has no main account at present.

Joined on: Tuesday, 30th September 2003, 16:01, Last used: Thursday, 16th February 2006, 11:04

Access Level: Harmless

About this user: Have-a-go hero.

This user has posted a total of 6 messages. On average, since joining, this user has posted 0 messages a day, or 0.01 messages a week. In the last 30 days, this user has posted 0 messages, which is on average 0 messages a day.

Recent Messages Posted:

RE: Yakumo DVD Master XL2 Player

I suspect the source of the problem is due to your connection going via the VCR. Most commercial DVDs are copy protected; that is they are encoded such that they turn on Macrovision in the player. This is designed to totally screw up the AGC in video recorders and does so even if you`re not actually recording, so the picture will be prone to fading and/or banding. If you connect direct to the TV you should be ok, though I understand some projectors can be affected. Alternatively, either get a DVD player where the Macrovision switch can be disabled (see the Region Hacks forum for some of these) or get a standalone Macrovision remover.

This is why you get perfect results from your camcorder and ironically, you would probably get better results from pirate DVD copies as they will probably have been copied without the Macrovision switch.

RE: Richer Sounds / Argos - 5.1 speaker packages under £100. *** More info needed

What make/model is your 5.1 amp? I have a rather good Yamaha DSP(something) but it doesn`t have a subwoofer amplifier, only a line-level phono output, therefore an active sub is necessary in my case.

Looking at the Eltax offerings on RS, the Spectrum has an active sub, but it is non-specific about the Cubic.

Regarding built-in amps, I assume you mean built into the subwoofer, in which case it may include amps to drive the sats as well as the sub. If so, you`ll probably need the (built-in) sub amp anyway, but you should be able to connect the sats to any amp you like - but check power handling and impedance before you do.

Only certain stores have `em...

Tom,

Only certain Safeway stores have home entertainment centres. Follow this link for a list of stores, then give `em a ring. I got mine from Lincoln and well worth the 17 mile each way trip :) .

David.

PS: Don`t forget the addition of all those nice A/V inputs on the Lenoxx :D

RE: Well, here`s my solution which cost me 10 quid.

Tom,

The Lenoxx will definitely play:

DVD-R
CD audio
SVCD

they are the ones I`ve tried.

Note, I haven`t actually tried playing a genuine commercial DVD of any region yet, though someone elsewhere in this thread says they play ok.

The Lenoxx should also play:

MP3 CD
VCD
errm, not sure what else - don`t have the manual with me!

Someone commented about the fan noise being a nuisance. I guess at very low volume it may be noticable, but at normal levels it isn`t. One thing that concerned me about the Tevion is that it did get rather hot, even at low volume levels, so the inclusion of a cooling fan in the Lenoxx is a definite plus IMO.

David.

Well, here`s my solution which cost me 10 quid.

TAKE THE HT95 BACK TO ALDI AND GO BUY THE LENOXX HT600. Best (extra) 10 quid I ever spent. The region hack code is here: http://www.reviewcentre.com/post85209.html and it worked for me (though I haven`t actually tried playing a regionalised DVD yet :/ ).

IMO the sound quality is better than the Tevion offering and best of all, no hardware hack is needed in order to get external A/V into the machine (which I never got round to doing with the Tevion anyway - see my earlier post).

My only criticisms so far with the Lenoxx - for what they`re worth - are 1) I think the FM radio sensitivity is slightly less than the Tevion and 2) the FM radio can`t be directed through the Dolby Prologic processor (helps the Archers on Radio 4 achieve an even higher level of reality ;) ). Incidently, the Tevion didn`t even have Dolby Prologic AFAIK.

As a possible bonus, call by your local Aldi and see if the returned units are available to buy at half price; which, for a R2 DVD player with built-in amplification isn`t a bad price.

Act quickly before the 28 day period is up...

AV Hardware hack

I also found the HT95 deal too good to refuse and promptly sent out for one last Thursday. I too was disappointed that the promise of AV input/output was not be reality. But all is not lost...

Last night, the lid came off!

Inside I was presented with a very neatly assembled job, with all the subsystems tidily loomed together. What I was looking for was a way of getting stereo audio into the unit so as to make use of the amplifier section. Video doesn`t matter as the unit can`t do much with it apart from relay it back out of the sockets on the rear.

The solution was readily visible.

The radio tuner section is located in a screened box directly behind the arial input sockets at the rear of the unit. The audio output from the tuner is connected to the preamp/processor board (at the front of the unit, directly behind the volume control) via a thin screened cable with a connector just like those used in a PC to connect the CDROM audio to the sound card - in this case, a Mitsumi style connector.

My intention - when I get around to it - is to break into this cable and take both ends to 2 pairs of insulated phono sockets which I will mount on the rear of the unit: one pair will provide audio out from the radio tuner and the other pair will form the audio input. Linking from the tuner out sockets to the audio in will allow the unit to perform as per its original configuration. To use the audio input however, simply requires the external source to be connected to the audio in sockets and for the unit to be set to operate in tuner mode.

For ease of accessibility, I shall be using one of those 4-way AV switch boxes from Maplin, with the 1st set of inputs (audio only) coming from the tuner out sockets, 2nd set (audio only) from the TV, 3rd set (audio and video) from the VCR, 4th set (A and V) from the camcorder or whatever. The video output from the switch box will go to the TV video input (Scart socket, in my case) and the audio ouptputs from the switch box to the new input sockets on the Tevion.

I am confident this will work, though anyone trying this themselves DON`T BLAME ME IF IT ALL BLOWS UP AND YOU GET INJURED/KILLED OR, HEAVEN FORBID, THE TEVION GETS DAMAGED.