In This eNewsletter:
• New Gear or New Setup? by Thomas J. Norton
• Blue Truce? by Scott Wilkinson
• HD Expo Midwest by Scott Wilkinson
• The Mask and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events by Thomas J. Norton
• PARA Merges with CEA by Scott Wilkinson

By Thomas J. Norton

Feel the need for an upgrade? Are the shortcomings of that old audio system—2.0, 5.1, or whatever—starting to get to you?

Saunter on down to Ed's Audio Shoppe and listen to all the goodies that await. Perhaps a new preamp-processor will fill the bill. Or a new CD/DVD player. Or perhaps you'd like to go 5.1, with every channel bi-amped using tube amps (save up for that new air conditioner first). Or perhaps you're up for the ever-popular new set of speakers all around.

Stop. New gear is always exciting, and we're the last ones to discourage anyone from the enjoyment it can bring. We talk about it constantly on ultimateAVmag.com. But maybe you should take a look at your room and setup first.

That was my suggestion on a panel session on updating your home theater at the recent Home Entertainment 2005 show in New York. Books could be written about the subject of small room acoustics—and have—but audiophiles persist in the notion that if they can just overpower that nasty room with the right hardware, great sound will come shining through.

That's an illusion. There's nothing wrong with great equipment, but if you set it up poorly, or ignore the effect of the room, you won't be getting your money's worth.

I'll get to the subjects of optimizing speaker setup for the room and acoustic treatment of the room itself in a later article, but job one in any home theater is to properly position the speakers—and yourself—relative to the video display or projection screen. If this sounds trivial, a recent presentation at a meeting of the Hollywood chapter of SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) suggests otherwise. John Dahl of THX related more than a few horror stories that THX has uncovered in their surveys of typical home theaters. For example, the overwhelming majority of home-theater-in-a-box systems are set up without the surrounds; users apparently find it too much trouble to position and wire in those pesky back channels. I've also heard that many of those who do use the surrounds place them up front, outboard of the left and right front speakers!

Other common errors I've seen include placing the front left and right speakers too far apart, locating the main seating area too far back, placing one of the main (L/R) front speakers farther than the other from the screen (or the listener), putting the surrounds too close to the listener, and pushing the main seats flush against a wall. If you can position your listening area away from the back wall by even a foot or so, do it. A seat next to a wall will invariably result in excessive and boomy bass.

The left and right speakers should be equidistant from the center seat and symmetrical with the screen. In fact, all three front speakers should be the same distance from the primary listening seat, which will put the center speaker slightly behind the plane formed by the left and right fronts. This isn't always practical, but it's an ideal that should be implemented as much as possible.

I recommend spacing the left and right front speakers between 7 and 10 feet apart, depending on the size of the screen. If your television is a small direct view or rear-projection set, you might want to put them closer together. Hearing sound coming from well beyond the sides of the screen results in a cognitive disconnect for some listeners. For my part, I prefer that to the small, narrow soundstage that you get from speakers placed too close together.

You should also be aware of the possible negative consequences of placing any large piece of furniture—like a TV—between the front left and right speakers, though this can be hard to avoid in most situations. Audiophiles complain, with some justification, that such an arrangement can degrade the imaging—an effect most likely to be noticed in critical 2-channel listening. If your room is large enough and the décor police approve, positioning the set a couple of feet behind the plane of the left and right speakers will help. But the only sure cure is a projection system with a retractable screen.

You might also be surprised by the sonic improvement you'll get by moving that big coffee table out of the way for serious movie watching or music listening. Sound reflections from any large, solid, unpadded horizontal surface between you and the speakers can significantly degrade the sound. That also applies to bare wood or tile floors.

The closest I would recommend positioning the main listening seat from the front speakers is a distance equal to the distance between those front speakers, but in no case closer than about 6 feet. Any closer and the sound from the multiple drive units that comprise most speaker systems may not coalesce properly. I generally sit slightly farther back than that myself, but rarely more than about 12 feet.

Make sure these guidelines don't place you uncomfortably close to a huge projection screen. That's a subject for another day, but I generally sit no closer than about 1.8 screen widths back, though for a small, one-piece set, that is too close—about 4 feet from a 34-inch (diagonal) screen!

The surrounds in a 5.1-channel setup should either be directly to the sides of the listening area (dipoles are preferred in this location) or roughly midway between the sides of the listening area and the back of the room. If you can raise the surrounds, a location 2-3 feet above your seated ear height will often provide a pleasingly spacious, enveloping surround soundfield. For a 7.1-channel system, the rear surrounds should also be mounted high, if possible. THX recommends that rear surrounds in a 7.1 system should be located fairly close together. Since no two rooms are alike, however, some experimentation before you settle on a permanent setup will pay dividends.

Whether you choose direct-radiating surrounds (that is, conventional speakers with the drivers all mounted on the same cabinet face and firing forward), bipoles (with drivers on two angled or opposing faces for a more spacious "wash" of sound), or dipoles (similar to bipoles, but the opposing drivers are connected out of phase to produce a null directly to the speaker's front) depends on your taste and the sort of program material you expect will dominate your listening. Direct radiators nearly always measure better and are generally preferred by most experts for playback of multichannel music. Dipoles and bipoles are better at producing the sort of enveloping, spacious ambience that works best with most films and some surround music (where the surround channels are used for room reverberation and not for placing discrete instruments at the rear). A good compromise in a 7.1-channel system would be dipoles at the sides and direct radiators in back.

Some speaker manufacturers—and many audiophiles—like to set up their front left and right speakers aimed straight ahead. This works fine with some speakers for the center "sweet spot" listening position that audiophiles cherish, but it's less than optimum for listeners seated to the left or right. In such off-axis positions, you'll be directly on-axis for, say, the left speaker, and far off-axis for the right. The result will be an unbalanced sound, even if the overall output level of both speakers is the same. For this reason, I always toe-in my front left and right speakers—even if the manufacturer recommends straight-ahead positioning.

Each of the issues discussed above could be the subject of a report in itself, and might well be at some future time. But until then, check out your own system against these recommendations. I'm betting you'll find room for improvement—and it won't cost you a dime.

By Scott Wilkinson

The impending format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD to become the next-generation optical-disc medium is bad for everyone—manufacturers, content providers, and consumers alike. But until very recently, there seemed to be no way to prevent a battle royale, even though no one wants one. (It's strange how humans often embrace what they want to avoid.)

Then, about a month ago, news stories started appearing with headlines like, "Sony, Toshiba Mull Unified Format to Avoid DVD War" and "Top Sony Exec Hints at Blu-ray, HD DVD Detente." Could it be that the two camps have actually learned something from the DVD-Audio/SACD debacle, in which both sides lost big-time due to consumer confusion and apathy? (To be completely fair, another factor in that yawnfest was the nearly simultaneous emergence of MP3, a highly inferior but much more convenient format.)

According to a source close to the situation, Toshiba approached Sony and Panasonic to open discussions on how to consolidate the two formats and dodge the bullet that could otherwise puncture the chances of another runaway hit like DVD has been. In a Reuters news story dated April 21, Toshiba admitted they are talking with Sony and others on a unified format; a Toshiba spokeswoman was quoted as saying, "Toshiba believes a single format will benefit consumers. We are in talks [with the rival camp and related parties] and we will continue engaging in the talks." The story also noted that Yukinori Kawauchi, general manager in charge of Blu-ray for Sony, said the company was "open to discussions" that might lead to a single format. In addition, the same story mentioned that Sony and Toshiba are reportedly briefing Disney and other movie studios on a unified standard. However, it was also noted that Toshiba has not changed its plans to launch HD DVD players and computer drives in late 2005.

On March 24, IDG News Service reported on the story, quoting Sony's president-elect Ryoji Chuachi, who said at a news conference, "Listening to the voice of the consumers, having two rival formats is disappointing and we haven't totally given up on the possibility of integration or compromise." Interestingly, that article also referred to a report in the Nihon Keisai Shimbun business daily, which revealed that Sony has proposed using Blu-ray's disc structure and HD DVD's software technology for the new format, whereas Toshiba has suggested using the HD DVD disc structure with Bu-ray's multi-layer recording technology. Hmm, it sounds like they're not getting very far.

That may be closer to the truth; another IDG News Service report appeared on April 18, saying that "closer questioning of companies on both sides points to no significant change in their positions." The report went on to point out that late the previous week, "a Sony spokesman ruled out any compromise over Blu-ray Disc. The only talks that Sony would entertain were those of the HD-DVD supporters dropping their format and supporting Blu-ray Disc, said Taro Takamine, a Sony spokesman in Tokyo."

My source told me that, as of May 6, there was no deal in place, though he believed the door had not yet closed on the possibility of a compromise. But even if an agreement is reached, it will carry a high cost: more delays in the introduction of a high-definition optical disc. Will consumers be willing to wait even longer than they already have in order to avoid a format war? You tell me.

By Scott Wilkinson

As HDTV enters the mainstream, there are more and more conferences aimed at helping production professionals make the most of the new medium. In addition, with the introduction of surprisingly inexpensive HD cameras and editing systems, the line between pros and consumers is getting quite blurry (unlike the images they produce!).

One of the events being held this month is the HD Expo Midwest. The one-day conference will convene on May 17 at Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois. Among the presentations will be a panel on the past and future pioneers of HD moderated by Randall Dark, co-founder and president of HD Vision Studios, and another panel on the use of HD in advertising moderated by Ken Yagoda, former director of creative resources at ad agency Young & Rubicam. Also available will be educational sessions on using the Panasonic VariCam HD camera, 1200A high-def digital VCR, and Apple's Final Cut Pro HD editing system. In addition, there will be a meeting on women in film and a private workshop for Columbia College students on making the transition to HD.

The day ends with two screenings of Dreams 2005: Flight. The Dreams project began four years ago as a joint venture of Sony and Young & Rubicam to give the creative community access to Sony's CineAlta HD cameras and recorders in a low-pressure setting (i.e., no job on the line and no costs to justify), allowing them to become familiar with the new tools at their own pace. Each project is a short film no more than four minutes in length, several of which are then compiled into annual anthologies. This year's collection features 10 acclaimed directors examining the theme of flight.

For those who want more in-depth training on Panasonic's VariCam equipment, HD Expo offers a series of three-day "VariCamps" around the country. This month, the VariCamp will be held May 20-22 at Resolution Digital Studios in Chicago, making it easy for attendees of the HD Expo Midwest to deepen their knowledge of this technology.

By Thomas J. Norton

Has it really been over ten years since Jim Carrey first shook up the world of film comedy? It has. And two DVDs—a new film and a new mastering of the film that arguably made him a star—show how he's changed. Or not.

The Mask
Jim Carrey, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Jeni, and Cameron Diaz. Directed by Charles Russell. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). 97 minutes. 1994. Dolby Digital EX 6.1, DTS ES 6.1 (English). New Line Home Entertainment N8108. PG-13. $19.97.

Picture 3.5*
Sound 2.5*
Film 3.0*

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Jim Carrey, Jude Law, Liam Aiken, Emily Browning, Timothy Spall, Catherine O'Hara, Billy Connolly, Cedric the Entertainer, Luis Guzman, Jennifer Coolidge, and Meryl Streep. Directed by Brad Silberling. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic). 107 minutes. 2004. Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French, Spanish). Paramount Home Entertainment 03005. PG. $38.99.

Picture 4.0*
Sound 3.5*
Film 3.5*

In 1994, Jim Carrey was known chiefly for his work on the television series In Living Color and a single film, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The latter, a truly silly movie, was a major hit. But the comic already had a second film in the can. Released after Ace Ventura, The Mask was really a better showcase for his manic talents. It launched him as a full-fledged comic in the mold of Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams. (It also proved to be a star-making vehicle for a stunning 19-year-old named Cameron Diaz).

Jim Carrey later followed Robin Williams into deeper acting waters with varying degrees of success, but The Mask was truly an off-the-wall comic gem. Based on a story that has the hero finding an ancient Norse mask capable of transforming the wearer into an exaggerated version of his or her innermost self, it was ideally suited to Carrey's exceptional ability to manipulate his plastic face and body. Carrey's abilities made the animators' job easier, though even the greatest mimic could never pull off all the physical contortions you'll see here. The Mask was one of the earliest films to make extensive use of computer enhancements, three years after the groundbreaking Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Both Carrey and the effects go over the top more than once here. Much of the movie plays like a series of comic skits, strung together by a thin story line. When I first saw the conga number, my jaw dropped lower than in any CGI you'll see in the film. But in the schizophrenic world of The Mask, almost anything goes.

DVD hasn't been kind to The Mask. It was first released in the early days of the format as a bare-bones, ordinary letterbox (non-anamorphic) disc. Just a year ago, New Line re-released it in a Platinum Edition with extra features—but still not anamorphic. Now we get an update of that Platinum Edition (available May 17), which includes not only an anamorphic transfer, but both Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES soundtracks as well. It's a major improvement.

The enhanced soundtracks make the most of the film's audio, but this isn't the best mix around. I listened in straight 5.1-channel mode (not EX or ES), and the surround and subwoofer contributions are not all that impressive. More significant, both the Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks become edgy and bright when they get loud. The sound serves the film well enough, but I wouldn't choose this DVD to show off my audio system.

The picture quality is much better. It does vary a bit from shot to shot, but the colors are vivid, the image is crisply defined, and the blacks and shadow detail are good. There's no distracting edge enhancement.

The extras include two commentary tracks, one from director Chuck Russell and the other a group commentary from the writer, producers, effects and animation supervisors, and cinematographer. There are also deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer (an item curiously missing from the special features on many recent DVDs), and several "Making of" featurettes.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events was a more modest box-office success than The Mask, but overall it's a more ambitious—and better—film. Based on a highly successful series of children's books, it follows three talented, orphaned children as they move through a series of guardians, all the while pursued by the first of those guardians, the wacky, evil Count Olaf. A bad actor who probably overdosed on Hitchcock movies as a child, Olaf attempts, with increasing desperation, to get his hands on the children's huge inheritance.

Jim Carrey plays Olaf in his various guises. While he goes over the top again as only Carrey can, that's a big part of the film's appeal. None of the characters he plays here are as manic as his alter ego in The Mask, but how could they be?

The film is very dark in tone. It's a true Grimm fairy tale, with the three young heroes in constant jeopardy. There's no blood or overt violence, but it's probably too dark for very young children. Yet it's strangely compelling. The production design is truly exceptional, as are the (mostly) believable special effects, but it's the characters and story that draw you in and keep you watching. You want to find out what will happen to them next.

The video transfer is superb. Apart from a few long shots that are a little soft, the image is crisp and detailed. Despite the subdued lighting throughout, I never had any trouble seeing anything important in the deep shadows. The colors weren't bright and vivid (apart from a short opening sequence) but that's intentional. And I rarely spotted the sort of ringing and haloing that suggests a heavy hand on the edge-enhancement control.

There are few scenes in the film that will give your sound system a serious workout, but overall, the soundtrack is very clean, open, and detailed. And Thomas Newman's fine score, superbly recorded, also adds a lot to the movie's appeal.

The film is available in several versions, including both widescreen and pan&scan. The standard, one-disc edition includes most of the extra features contained on disc 1 of this 2-disc collector's set. There are two commentary tracks, one from director Brad Silberling, the other a mildly amusing discussion between Silberling and "the real Lemony Snicket" (actually, author Daniel Handler). There are also several good "Making of" featurettes and deleted scenes.

Disc 2 provides additional features that go into more detail. Some of these run on a bit too long, but for fans of the minutiae of film production, they're worth the extra cost of this (relatively expensive) 2-disc set. Here we learn how the sound crew produced the creaks, groans, and splintering-wood noises that enhance several sequences. (They actually demolished an old house and recorded the results.) We see how they layered sounds together for the approaching-train scene. And we see how the baby Sunny character was a composite of live action, animatronics, and what may well be the best computer-graphics simulation of a human being ever put on film.

Both of these films are must-haves for Jim Carrey fans. And both make me wonder when we might see an anamorphic special edition of Carrey's best film, The Truman Show.

By Scott Wilkinson

The Professional Audio-Video Retailers Association (PARA), a long-standing trade organization of specialty audio/video dealers, recently agreed to merge with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), becoming the new PARA Division within CEA.

"CEA recognizes the importance of this core group of specialty retailers to the overall growth of the consumer technology industry," says Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA. "By completing this merger, CEA brings CE manufacturers and retailers together to form a unified front and to speak with one voice for the benefit of the CE industry and all its sectors."

John Flanner, president of PARA, agrees, saying, "PARA and CEA both play a major role in the continued success of the audio and video industries. This merger with CEA will allow us to expand and improve our service to the CE industry. This also will afford our members access to the invaluable resources CEA provides including participation in industry programs and training for our retail executives and salespersons. These will help maximize their return on investment. Overall, this is a win-win for both parties and, more importantly, a win for the customers for consumer technology."

The mission of the new PARA Division is to promote the value of specialty audio-video retailers to the CE industry as a whole and to strengthen the professionalism of those retailers. The new division will be focused on continuing education, enhancing the marketplace, staying competitive, and improving financial performance.

In addition to forming the new division, CEA will continue PARA's existing programs, including its annual management conference. By merging with CEA, the PARA conference will become a critical venue for retailers and manufacturers to discuss issues pertinent to the industry's growth.

"Both CEA and PARA benefit as this merger recognizes the importance of specialty retailers," says Kathy Gornik, president of Thiel Audio and chair of CEA's Board of Directors. "PARA dealers are focused on introducing the latest and best technology to consumers and help grow the entire consumer technology industry."

According to Kerry Moyer, CEA senior director of Industry Programs, "CEA recognizes that the annual management conference is an important benefit to PARA members. This conference provides PARA members with an opportunity for networking with retail colleagues and a venue for providing retail management with the training and tools they need to effectively run their businesses and increase profitability. It also helps attendees develop management techniques suited to small businesses. CEA commits to use its resources to expand the conference programming and add value to those attending."

This year's PARA Management Conference will be held May 11-15 at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, California. For more info, visit the conference Web page.