Pete's Write

In light of the new Atmos and other > 7 channel options, reader here will need to consider some points in planning their new home theatre systems. As renovation / hacking might be involved, the decision should first be taken to decide on how many surround channels will there be? If all one needs is 5.1 or 7.1, then wired up accordingly during renovation. However if there is an intention to go for the new stuff, such as DTS-Neo X or Audyssey DSX or Atmos etc, then one has to adhere to the prescribed speaker placement positions that Dolby or DTS suggests, otherwise there may be inference between each speaker, and you don't get that nice surround envelop. But now ceiling speaker positions have come back into fashion, and will enhance Atmos, but one still needs rear surround speakers, and those won't do well in the ceiling. So plan well, and also understand again that one needs to decide if aesthetics matter more or can one go for the best positions. ___________________________...

Farewell my dear captain Robin Williams has had a profound effect on movie goers over at least four decades and it is with much regret that I read about his demise, especially in such a sad way. Most will remember his vast repertoire of hits, from his days as a stand up comedian to his days in TV as Mork and moving onto the large screen, where he had built up a significant gallery of hits, and even giving him an Oscar. However beneath the veneer of side splitting performances, if one examines his movies and gets below his humor, you will notice as many reviewers have done, that there's a dark side which belies all the fun and light. > > I recall two of my favorite shows, Mrs Doubtfire and Good Morning Vietnam, and you will notice the sadder side of a very gifted man. The shows don't have a happily ever after ending, and gives you an insight into his more negative aspect. In fact I cannot bear to finish watching Vietnam and Patch Adams for their sad ending...

So what makes a good action movie and does Guardians of the Galaxy have the ingredients? You have action by the loads – check Funny lines and snappy dialogue – check Underdogs fighting against overwhelming odds or a very powerful opponent – check Swashbuckling – check A little romance, yet it doesn’t overwhelm the plot – check So you have an ensemble movie, set in space, with a plot not unlike a half dozen others, where a young Terra man gets brought up to be a space scavenger, but really ends up doing incredible things to save the world or in this case, the universe Along the way, he picks up more oddball characters and side kicks plus the inevitable romantic connection, which comes in the form of a green and very feisty Zoe Saldana, who prefers to kick than kiss him. True romance doesn’t run smooth … The gold standard for the devil may care, swashbuckling, dashing anti-hero is Hans Solo, played to perfection by the young Harrison Ford. B...

Just sharing a little movie night I experienced at a friend's home recently.. He has a place with a 5.1 setup using Mirage Sats and a 6" sub, and a Epson 3600 Projector. His source was a Denon BR and a 1910 AV amp in a small living room of his apartment. The Front Left and Right channels were mounted near the top of the wall next to the ceiling, and the rear surrounds were also just as high. The centre was on his console, just below the edge of his Remaco screen which has a gain of 1.3. We used Hero, and the Art of Flight as demos. We used two scenes used from Hero: - the fight between Donnie and Jet at the chess parlour first: You could hear the sound of raindrops and the splatter onto the floor, the Mirage satellites did a nice job with the highs, and you could get a good sense of ambiance. However in the sound transitions from one speaker to another, they didn't do so well, as the sound was isolated to the ceiling, next to the speaker, and when the action tr...

I used to think that buying a washer was a simple affair, you choose the capacity, whether it's a top or front loader, and and viola! The different technologies behind the various brands is pretty daunting,  and it's good to have some ideas of what you need. First some washing tips: From here: ( http://singaporebrides.com/weddingforum/threads/washing-machine-which-brand-is-good.2631/page-7 )  Recipes to washing care... Grease/Tar - Smear both sides of the stain with fresh butter, and leave overnight, then scrape away delicately. Rust : use orange juice or vinegar Red wine: put some white wine and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt to prevent saturation, then soak in cold water. Grass: on white fabric you use a diluted solution of bleach and water. On coloured fabrics, using 90% alcohol can give good results. alternatively dampen the stain, cover it with castor sugar (fine grain sugar) and leave for an hour Ink : Rub with fresh milk or lemon ju...

 Got this info off a renovation website:   renotalk.com Taobao & Tmall The interest and and enthusiastic in Taobao and Tmall has always been high among folks. Most can spend hours and days searching for the ideal item to purchase. Then again, some pre-requisite are required before one can venture further. Able to read Chinese, is half the job then. The rest, there is always Google Translate. Just to pen down some thoughts and journey went thru. Searching for the dream item is not the hard part. There some many items to of various design, pattern and colours to choose from. Choosing to buy from who is the tricky part. First there is Taobao and Tmall. So what is the difference? From what I understand, Tmall are more of a premium sellers. Chances of getting fake stuffs from there are lesser the sellers are more reputable, quality assurance is there as well. Then again, this does not means Taobao has no good stuffs or mainly fakes. Practice some due ...

One of his less renowned movies, but I found it very entertaining, with a sweet story that was quite unique. You get the talents of Jacqueline Lim, and Gordon Lam and they have excellent chemistry, making this a wonderful disc. "only" in DTS on DVD, it's nevertheless a keeper for me. ______________________________________________________________ I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

If one is serious about HT, and not just music, then the centre speaker forms a big part of the experience. Just switch off the left and right and see how little you lose. I feel that using a phantom speaker, or compromising on the centre is not what a true HT fan should do if he/she wants the best cinema experience. Having a equal or better center speaker rather than using the phantom mode is vital. I recently posted about transition between speakers here: I just watched "Gravity" on BR and it's a very good demo disc. Most people will use the bass scenes, but it's actually much more. It's also a good test of the tonal matching of your front three speakers, and also the position. When Sandra Bullock hallucinates that George Clooney is alive and comes into the spacecraft, you get a cacophony of sound, and he moves from right off screen to centre and round the sides. You also get a bunch of sound effects of switches, and you should be able to lo...