Video Asylum

Posted by nighteyes0 (A) on July 12, 2007 at 06:08:41

Just got my first plasma (LG 50PC1DRA with new Philips Ambisound HT 8100). The Ambisoun is the integrated all-in-one soundbar with built in upscaling DVD player. The TV is a 720p and has a cable card slot, and built-in DVR. The cable people are coming on Saturday to set it up. Don't understand this one. I was told by cable company that for a cable card setup, they need to make a service call, while a cable box setup can just be shipped and self-installed. What's up with that? Meanwhile, we have the units connected and we can play movies. Awesome look and sound. Here are my questions:

1. Used HDMI cable to connect Ambisound unit to Plasma. This sending video to TV while Ambisound processes DVD sound. IS the HDMI a two way connection? Will the TV send audio signal to the Ambisound through the same connection, once I have the TV cable card enabled?
2. The other audio option is to connect R and L RCA to Ambisound from TV. Will the Ambisound spilt the stereo signal into multichannel? This wasn't clear in the instructions.
3. In setting up the Ambisound, it gives an option to run progressive scan, but must use a component video connection and the TV must be progressive scan enabled. Am I missing some resolution here by using HDMI connection? I don't even know if the TV is progressive scan enabled. However, the TV's instructions talk about an LG proprietary
video processing system that it employs automatically.
4. Cable card versus HD cable box -- The installer told us that cable card TVs tend to be problematic. Most people with cable cards end up switching over to a full box because of all the problems with the cable cards. Can anyone shed some light on this? Should I just go for the cable box? I wanted to avoid another box and I don't want three remotes and the ability for the TV to access on-demand movies. This TV is set up in our basement and will be used primarily by my daughters.
5. I was playing one dvd and the picture started to freeze half-way into the film. I could fast forward beyond the freezing part, and it would work for awhile and then freeze up again. Is this a function of a damaged dvd, or an imcompatible one. This was the rerelease of Empire Strikes Back. Are there settings in the dvd player that I need to set for older dvds?

Thanks in advance for all your help and comments.

Al

There's someone in my head and it's not me.