Segments

Stuck pixels are a classic problem for LCD flatpanels and they can be tremendously annoying depending on where they are on the screen, even more so if your brand new HDTV doesn't have enough dead pixels to qualify for an exchage. We've got several things you can try to fix the problem.

I have just purchased a 24" LCD HD screen. It has a lime green pixel that stays on no matter what is going on around it. Can I fix it? The store policy requires 8 or more stuck pixels for a return and the manufacturer requires 3 to 5. It is very distracting. -0- Anthony

And, no, before anybody asks, is there an easy way to get more pixels to stick!

Including The Bourne Supremecy, Ronin, The Dark Knight and Bullit! Okay, so we couldn't keep it to 5 exactly... but we could still list a dozen more, and Robert plans on putting his own together.

The Blu-ray releases for the week of August 25th:

Adventureland, Children of the Corn, Duplicity, Fighting, How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Kagemusha, Lie to Me: Season One, Rudy Y Cursi, Smallville: The Complete Eight Season, Sunshine Cleaning.

Love a big nasty old school sword fight? brace yourself... next week promises the release of Braveheart and Gladiator!

Christian out in Cleveland Ohio. He writes:

I have a low audio problem with my Blu-ray disc player. I have a Sony BD-S350 running the latest firmware, and when I play a Blu-ray disc I have to turn the volume up all the way to hear the dialog. When I do that the rest of the sounds are way to loud. I am not using surround sound and do not want to. The Sony disc player is connected to my Philips 47" 120Hz LCD.

Response:

-BD/DVD movies offer incredible dynamic range (room shaking explosions to faint whispers)

-Disc player audio setup (downconvert to 2-ch mix)

-Enable DRC (dynamic range compression - works with Dolby tracks)

-Check the TV's sound settings and turn off any 3D effects (stick with good ol' Stereo)

-Some newer TVs/AVRs feature Dolby Volume or SRS Labs' TruVolume/TruSurround technologies

This week's pick: 720p Large Screen HDTVs! Sure 1080p screens are all the latest and greatest, but if you sit far enough away, you eyes can't resolve all that delicious 1080p goodness. So if you've got a huge room where you watch TV, or, say, have TVs hanging above a bar, you should check out the 720p HDTVs that are on deep discount these days. Think 40 to 50 inch LCDs and Plasmas for well under $1000!

The best places to look are large warehouse stores like Sam's Club and Costco... and you'll probably need to drop by to see what they have in stock.

Are Dipole surrounds any good for home theater use? Mike in Los Angeles has a decent '3.1 system' including a pair of Hsu HB-1 MK2 speakers, an HC-1 MK2 center channel and a Hsu subwoofer. He's ready to add some surround sound speakers to complete his home theater. We talk about what kind of content will benefit the most from the additional speakers, explain what dipole speakers are, and how they work in a surround sound system.

We also talk about mixing and matching speaker brands.