Pete's Write

  You Are the Apple of My Eye ( 那些年 , 我們一起追的女孩 ) – movie review I first saw some reviews of this movie and thanks to a generous friend, who brought me back a disc of this show, I was able to enjoy, laugh, cry and reminisce, about times gone by. She even gave me a caveat that it would be slow, and I will be using the fast forward button with great alacrity, but actually she may not know that I was in ROC, in 1987, and spent time studying in 中正高中 , in Taipei… so there were many poignant moments, which I can really relate to… This story evolves around a certain female, Shen Chia-yi, who is the class, if not the school flower. And every male can attest to someone who was their first love, the one who makes you do stupid things, lose sleep and whom you will always remember with a certain fondness and a sigh. She is pursued by a brace of classmates, and they are friends with the only guy who remains aloof and despite being her classmate of a few years, has no intere...

First the Caveat... This was a quick survey of a 60" set, courtesy of a friend who is a happy owner of one of the first sets available. This is not meant to comment on the finer points of the picture quality (PQ) and I reserve further opinion on the PQ when I have done a calibration. Interface - the remote is chunky and has a cheap feel... not unlike the Oppo, it feels like a $5 toy and you have no direct access to each HDMI input. Like the Panasonic remotes, it feels cheap even though most of the other functions are present, you sometimes need to dig into layers or take more clicks to get there. Compare this to the Kuro remote, a fine piece of craftsmanship, made from metal and you feel you paid for a budget item.. - at least the remote is backlit, unlike the Panasonic ones locally - there is also a touch "Smart Remote" which isn't much better than the standard either - the internet access, and the apps are pretty decent, and you can access things rather quickly, po...

Deciding on renovations:   Congratulations on the new place, you are now at the beginning of your renovation process.   You may have even decided on a theme or a style before this and that's good. Now you need to put all those ideas onto a 'storyboard', which is kind of like a scrapbook of ideas, and you use this to collect all the concepts, ideas as well as store all the info on places to buy furniture, lightings etc.   Then think hard of how you want it to turn out: -        classic -        modern -        neo classic – those gold fittings and leather sofas with buttons -        mid century – very popular right now, but you really must like the Scandinavian concept. Then you can look through the magazines, but remember, you are going to live in the home, and you have to decide if that's for you instead of just ...

1 April 2012 Denon Japan  Denon Launches new Flagship in Asia - the replacement for the 4810, 4311 and AVC 1 - The " Inakamono 100th year AE (Asian Edition)" aka AVR - 5113 Denon signals it's recovery from the hiatus in new models with this flagship model which replaces three models at once, and introduces key new features in a new model which is the long expected replacement for the older 5xxx, 48xx and also the 43xx series, which has been soldering on due to damages to it's Fukushima facility as a result of the recent earthquake / tsunami twin disasters to hit Japan.  Dubbed fondly the Inakamono by it's R & D, this model promises a return to audiophile roots, whilst embracing several new important features, which have the Asian and in particular the Singapore market in mind, which has long been overlooked by the USA and Europe ones. This model will come in a silver-champagne blend, but the first 1000 will be available in more r...

My original side surround speakers were an excellent PSB 10S Bipoles. But due to a structural issue, I originally had them mounted high up on a shelf, about 2.2m above the floor and about 4 feet above my listening position. This resulted in an uneven sound experience and the Audyssey compensated by turning up my left surround much louder than my right. Furthermore, i could not get the enveloping effect I was used to with my old setup, as the speakers were near the ceiling, and a little recessed on the Ikea shelf. Now you may think that it was no big deal, but it resulted in a rather unsatisfactory ambience and it was hard to feel the surround experience I had created before. So I decided on a few options: a - bring them down and drill a hole into them and mounted them underneath the old shelf in an underslung fashion.  b- I also researched into the Monitor Audio options, since I was already using them for the front speakers. This seemed to be the better option for a few reasons. On...

Now let's see: For a small HDB bedroom setup... What do I like - caveat, this is my personal taste... Leaving 1.5 to 2k for an AV amp. I would suggest stretching to something with XT 32. That will be nice, but if that's too high, get a XT equipped one that has 7-9 channels of amps, so that even if you don't use it, it will have enough power reserve. Now I am partial to Denons, and will readily recommend the 4311 for < 2.5k, but that could be too much, so an Onkyo 3xxx will also provide XT 32, especially if you can score a 2nd had one. Otherwise it will be a XT version. Personally I prefer that to the other auto-EQ systems. That leaves the 3312 Denon, and the Marantz 7005, which are pretty similar inside. Under 1.8k For speakers, there are many alternatives, so spend time to check them out. It is your loss if you only audition at one shop. B/W speakers are great, and will give you a lot of sound, but you owe it to yourself to try the others too. Even in a confined space, ...

John Carter movie review The current lack of a big TV has forced me to explore the cinemas more, and it was with some initial reluctance that I decided to go, especially with the new price increases, but it turned out to be a good experience. Firstly with a friend's discount, I got a cheaper ticket and the show we picked turned out to be a nice show.... The actors in John Carter are no A-list ones, but in a sci-fi effects driven show, all you need is good screen chemistry, a good mixture of action, romance, humor and excellent pacing and you will have a hit on your hands. This is the first time out for the director Andrew Stanton who is more famous for his Pixar cartoons, and he chose one of the minor actors from Wolverine,  Taylor Kitsch  (who played Gambit) and the gorgeous  Lynn Collins  (aka Silverfox from Wolverine as well), who plays a princess who is hot, kicks ass and becomes his love interest . Throw in Mark Strong in another villainous role and you hav...

 Just sharing a post I made about choosing a TV: 1 - have a budget, and use this link to see what are the actual prices others have paid: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/house-displays-226/please-post-your-purchase-prices-here-thread-2183485.html#post65013321 Then see the stickies in Hardwarezone, on LCD vs Plasma Vs LED for the pros and cons of each technology. Places to buy: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/house-displays-226/places-buy-flatscreen-panels-projectors-etc-discussion-thread-1942789.html Other useful info are kept here: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/house-displays-226/tips-info-when-buying-new-tv-read-thread-before-you-buy-tv-2363747.html Remember, you need to filter through all the marketing noise and the sales talk, then understand what type of stuff you watch: SD = standard definition like free to air TV, or DVDs HD = high definition, like Blu Ray Then see which are the popular models and choose from there based on your budget. I personal...