Audio and Video

The anatomy of a modern audio-video amplifier

A modern Audio-Video amplifier/receiver (AVR) is an exceedingly complex piece of consumer electronics, requiring expertise in many aspects of analogue and digital audio and high definition video, plus considerable software skills. ‘The anatomy of a modern audio-video amplifier’ lecture by John Dawson from Arcam for Audio Engineering Society UK is an interesting talk on engineering

Blu-ray 3D specification

The Blu-ray Disc Association has completed its specification for 3D video. The specification was completed just few days before Christmas. It standardises the inclusion of stereoscopic 3D content on Blue-ray Disk. According to BDA the 3D video system doesn’t depend on any specific 3D technology – active-shutter or polarised lens – or display type. The

How an expensive Blue-Ray player is made

AV Science Forum has an interesting posting on Ayre DX-5 blueray player. The article claims that Ayre DX-5 bluray player is a modified Oppo BDP-83 blueray player and even describes the modifications made to the device. Interesting article indeed to read, although I am a pretty skeptic would those modifications be worth of all of

Ground loop common-mode compensation

Ground loops affect video signals. Understand them, then deal with them. When designing or installing the cables for a video transmission system, one assumption that engineers commonly make is that the local earth grounds of both ends of the cable are the same. When circumstances don’t support this assumption, the video performance can exhibit gross

Making of Space Chair Ad

John Huntington’s Entertainment Technology Blog has an interesting posting Toshiba’s Very Cool “Space Chair”Ad. It consists mainly of two videos. The first video shows the cool Toshiba TV ad. The second video is the “Making of” video. It tells how the ad was made using several high definition cameras rigged to a big weather balloon

Goodbye to CRT technology

Prosessori magazine reports that traditional CRT display technology is dying much sooner than expected earlier. The sales of CRT based displays has practically ended in Western Europe, Japan and North America. And the sales of traditional CRT based TVs is also dropping very quickly on developing markets as well. According to Displaysearch research center people

Digital audio isolation

Isolator for digital audio is needed in cases where coaxial S/PDIF digital audio link forms a ground loop in your audio system. Typically in coaxial S/PDIF connections the coaxial cable shield is connected to equipment cases. This arrangement easily creates ground loops which can cause noise problems in various places in audio system. A suitable

New volume standards for MP3 players

According to Reuters news article the European Commission has issued new volume standards for MP3 players on Monday this week. The new standards will require that MP3 players will play at a safe volume by default. There will also be a health warning so consumers who choose to override the default settings know the risks.