There is a lot of confusion about HDMI versions. Which HDMI cable do you need? v1.3, v1.3c, v1.4, v1.4a? What about for 3D?

Over the years, as HDMI has developed, many different version numbers have been available. Naturally, the latest version has always been the most expensive for consumers -- and the most profitable for retailers, so the retailers will generally push these latest versions as a "must have" or, in the case of cables, "the only way to get your new TV/projector/blu-ray/etc to work properly". Most of the time this is simply untrue.

You often hear the advertisement telling you that you need to buy the “new digitally remastered” version of your favourite movie or album. This is becoming increasingly common within the film and music industry. But what makes this new version different to the one you may already have? Is it worth the investment?

So what does remastering mean?

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jnr) is back again donning the Iron Man suit, this time to tackle a new and even stronger enemy. “Mandarin”, played by renowned actor Ben Kingsley vows to destroy Stark. He has fought powerful foes before, but this time it’s personal.

In this next Marvel Studios instalment, set after the events that took place in the related franchise “The Avengers”, we watch Stark’s quest to find the villain responsible for destroying his world, he must draw upon his inner strength to protect those most important to him. Ultimately he must determine whether it is Iron Man, or indeed himself that he can count on.

Don’t let all the different colours confuse you. It’s not as difficult you may think. Here’s the lo-down. RCA (developed by the “Radio Corporation of America”) cables transmit signals from your audio visual equipment such as your television, monitor or amplifier to the devices you want to play such as your DVD, Blu-ray or X-Box. These devices have inputs for RCA cables that have been colour coded to help you insert the corresponding coloured cable into them, as each colour carries a different type of signal.

Years ago gaming wasn’t called “gaming”. It was called “playing” because it fit more comfortably in the realm of children. Kids would “play Nintendo” or “Play Playstation”. Now gaming is an enormous industry directed not only to children, but to a broad range of adults. With massive improvement in graphic quality and the leap in technology for our screens, gamers are also looking to immerse themselves with excellent sound quality.

   

Wall plates are a silent hero of the Home Theatre. Whilst we spend a lot of time researching which speakers to buy, or how big our screen should be, it may surprise you that this simple little device can be the finishing touch that makes your home theatre or lounge room look like a professional installation.

 

Surround Sound is a description of an audio system with multiple audio channels in which the sound is specifically designed to surround the listener. (see our blog explaining Surround Sound)  Surround sound engages the listener into a more realistic experience. The bullet shot from the gun can be heard whizzing by your left ear, as the soundtrack is specially encoded (mixed) to express individual sounds from separate speakers.

AWG is the standard grading used on speaker wire. It stands for American Wire Gauge and is a very useful number to understand. A poorly chosen AWG can compromise the sound quality of your speakers.

Suzanne, who is also known as Sue can always be found in our front office helping customers with orders and technical information. If you have any questions about your order, if you’re unsure about which product you need to do the job, chances are you’ll chat to Suzanne. Here are Suzanne’s answers to our Selby questions: