Pete's Write

 Put together this BR demo recently: It's in ISO format, and currently sits in a computer, but we will burn it and then bring it out for a spin when we go around shops and other enthusiast's homes... 1 – start with a nice DTS-MA logo in 7.1 2 – Akira – 24/192 start 3 – But life is more than bass – good ambience – “9” starting sequence 4 – Bass helps the ambience – Dragon Hunters 5 – Inception Paris scene 6 – Kill Bill 1 7 – Kill Bill 2 8 – Legend of the guardiance 9 – Die hard 4 11 – Sound of music (starting part where Julie Andrews sings on the hilltop) 12- Rambo 4 13 - Outlander 14 – Red Cliff 1 (tortoise formation) 15 – Flying Dragger (Drum scene) 16 – Flying Dragger (Bamboo scene) 17 – 14 Blades 18 – Detective Dee (Strange Dungeon) 19 – Evangelion 2:22 20 – New Year Concert I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

Just a quick post on the capabilities and definitions of each item: A distributor: - DOES NOT offer protection at all - it allows you to plug in a few sockets Surge protection: Now if the afore mentioned item has this, then you can consider that it offers some level of protection against sudden current surges. But also note, even the best ones will warn that there is a limit to it's protection, and a full whack of lightning may still destroy delicate equipment. So if you are worried unplug it. Conditioner: Apart from the hair variety... this tends to ameliorate current fluctuations but it may not be the best thing if you have a high current item, such as a power amp - which may be better off getting the full current, the risks not withstanding. Filters: Some distributors/conditioners also contain filters which are intended to "clean up" the current, but in certain cases, and in particular the cheaper tend to have a deleterious effect on the sound, so ...

Boom, rattle, roll, and shake... The Shock And Awe Technique of showroom demo techniques... I just sat down to a demo at a large electronic shop just now, they were using a JBL / Harmon Kardon based system.... and you could see or perhaps more accurately hear what they were trying to do... It was a classic "shock and awe" demo.... with the volume turned way up.... and the system calibrated to be bass heavy.... it was certainly attracting plenty of bypassers to stop, listen and enjoy the chest-thumping bass... Transformers II made a very solid bass demo and you could get plenty of trouser-flapping moments, sending vibrations through the furniture and your body. But if you sat down and paid attention, there was little clarity in the voicing, and all the peripheral effects were drowned out, especially since the centre was not up to the task of conveying the human voices... furthermore, as you listened a little longer, and if you are familar with the movie, you will know where...

Edited transcript of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong National Day Rally speech on Aug 20 at the University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore. Friends and fellow Singaporeans, my focus tonight is on Singapore's future in a rapidly changing world. The world is changing faster than ever and Singapore is changing rapidly too and we have to adapt, we have to adapt both as individuals and also as a society and a nation to what's happening around us. Tonight, I will cover five key issues which are crucial to our long term growth and prosperity. First, the economy which is a precondition for everything we want to do. Secondly, the region, what's happening around us which has a powerful effect on our lives. Then three issues for Singapore .. one, our population; two, the digital age and how it's changing us; and three, heartware, the key to keeping u...

  Captain America – movie review There are usually two classes of superheroes, the dark brooding, slightly schizophrenic or reticent ones, or not totally benign, and the bright cheerful ones who embody goodness and all round decentness. Well Captain America (CA) belongs to the latter, although unlike Superman, Spiderman or Wonder Woman, his capabilities are less developed, but nevertheless, his arrival on the big screen will be keenly welcomed by fans. CGI has enabled a rather convincing transformation of beefcake Chris Evans (from the Fantastic Four) to a thin gawky looking small fry. Chris Evans does not need to stretch his acting chops much, but he does play the all American hero role well, and his costars like Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving amongst others add dimension, and the result is a movie which has action, romance and humor. The mix makes you overlook the pacing, which is a bit uneven, as the first quarter of the movie where the movie tries to explain ...

Writer's note : The Mods at AVS have a dislike of negative opinions of the Oppo 95, and have removed my comments on the 95.  I will be writing about my own experience of the 95 up against the BD 83 Nuforce, last year's top model. Stay tuned... I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

Oppo BD 95 review part III: Region Free Mod and HDMI lessons learnt I used my Oppo 95 mainly with a stereo based system, but after installing the region free mod, I swopped out the BD 83 NE and now it’s connected to my HT system. It took 30 minutes or so to get the board installed by a dealer, then now you need to press the dimmer button thrice, followed by the mute button and then the number, 1 for region A, 2 for region B and 3 for region C. Then switch off the player and restart it. Viola, you can now play other region discs. There are no beeps, unlike the older BD 83. Now the 95 is a HDMI v 1.4 player, and mating that with other equipment can prove troublesome. My Denon AVR 2809 is a HDMI 1.3a, and so is my Pioneer Kuro plasma. Playing a Region B Red Cliff BR disc proved to be a lesson in trouble-shooting. The screen kept going blank after the initial preview trailers, and the same happened for Cliffhanger, another Region B disc. First, make sure the secondary audio is s...

  Horrible Bosses – movie review Have you ever wanted to kill your boss? Felt that life was totally insufferable under that tyrant, who threatens to drain the life out of you, because he/she was a total idiot, a maniac and yet held your career in their hands? Well here is a dark comedy which tries to put all those dreams of getting rid of your boss into a movie reality. A lawyer friend invites me along and I have no real idea what to expect, except that it might be about a bunch of losers, and how they plot to get rid of their bosses. That idea has been made into movies before and murder plots to rid people of their tyrants have also been done many times. In fact the show does mentioned the show “Throw Mama Off The Train”, which is one example of this genre. Even so, the show does manage to put a fresh spin on this, and with some really tight and skillful scripting and a clever twist to the plot, plus a cast which really was well chosen for their roles and you ha...

劔岳　点の記  - The Summit: A Chronicle Of Stones to Serenity So a movie about assailing a bunch of guys at the turn of the 20 th century climbing a peak in Japan that I have never heard of? 劔岳 or Tsurugidake in the Hida Mountains anyone? 2 hours solid about a bunch of men, surveying and trying to figure out a way to get to the top of a range in the middle of a small place in the world does not sound like the recipe for a show which garnered a 15 awards and nominations.   At 2999m, it isn't even that high. Some info on it from Wiki: "Mount Tsurugi ( 剱岳 Tsurugi-dake) is located in the eastern area of Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the tallest peak in the Hida Mountains at 2,999 m (9,839 ft). It is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, and is called "the most dangerous mountain" climbable. Tsurugi has a number of routes which approach world class long routes. It is recognised in Japan as "the" premiere mountaineering peak in winter. Although dan...