Question: I got a laptop that runs Windows Vista, and I've heard many rumors about vista... not good ones.

Here are the main specs:
XPS M1530
Intel Core 2 duo processor T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB, 3MB Cache)
3GB Shared Duel Channel DDR2 SDRAM at667 MHz (2 dimms)
Hopefully this is all you need to figure out if i may or may not have problems.

-submitted by codify

Answer: Things haven't been good for the folks at Redmond since Vista debuted. With any major OS revision, in this case the move from XP to Vista, there are always going to be problems. The Internet boards haven't exactly been kind to Microsoft's latest; spouting off problems, issues, and complaints at every major corner. Some of these can be substantiated, others are just dribble posted by the Apple fanboys of the world or those who fear change (you know... the folks who like things the

Question: On my Mitsubishi TV I have the option of "Fast Power On" or "Low Power." Fast Power On brings the the video up very fast and Low Power takes some time. They say that Low Power uses less energy, but TV power-on takes longer and some TV features may be unavailable.

What I am wondering is if I use the Low Power setting, would that extend my bulb life?

-submitted by Brandon C

Answer: Given the way that feature is worded and presented in the Mitsubishi TV's menu, I can see how it can be confusing. On other TVs I've used in the past, particularly with LCD, Plasma, and CRT sets, a low power mode often indicates that it's driving the image with less brightness and contrast, and thus operating using less electricity.

In Mitsubishi's case however, this is not true. Their Low Power / Fast Power On mode refers to how much electricity the TV uses while in stand by, not operating. Modern day televisions are commonly referred to as power or electricity 'vampires' since they continue to draw power from the wall even when off to support some of the various electronic doo-dads, like the clock or your video settings for example.

Question:  I downloaded pictures from my camera's SD card to my computer.  Then, I cropped, adjusted, etc. to my liking and created a Photo CD.  Can I put those photos from the disk back onto the SD card? (Contributed by BillyZ)

Answer:  It depends on your camera and your editing software.  Let me continue on to explain the details!

When your camera formats the SD card that you have inserted, it usually sets up directories in the card, that help it to figure out where pictures are located.  You can navigate to these directories using the File Manager in Windows or the Finder in Mac OS X.  The labels on the directories depend on what model camera you have.

In addition, when you snap photos and videos, the filenames are automatically created by the camera, and placed in the directories that it chooses.  Here, you can see how my Casio camera displays its file scructure and filenames for both movies and photos.

Question: I am trying to connect my Dell Inspiron 6000 notebook to a Toshiba TDP-PX10 projector. When I turn on the projector, the projected image says there is no signal. I am trying to show a PowerPoint through the projector, but for some reason the computer is not connecting with the projector. Are they not compatible?? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

-submitted by ksharp

Answer:  For the most part, plugging a computer or laptop into a PC compatible projector is pretty straightforward. Typically, the one area where people run in to complications has to do with enabling the laptop to output to two displays simultaneously. Let's first walk through the physical setup, then we'll talk about the software and configuration side of things.

Physical Setup

For ksharp, the Dell Inspiron 6000 offers two different kinds of video outputs. One is an analog output designed to plug into TVs, the other is a VGA output designed for computer monitors and high-res projectors.

Question: I have just bought a DURABRAND SA51AR home theatre system to go with my DURABRAND 2127N TV and DURABRAND CG5660-M Freeview set-top box. I have connected all my output leads (the speaker ones). I have only one red, yellow, and white jack on my TV and three sets of red and white jack leads with home theatre system. I can't get sound no matter how many times I've swapped the input leads... any ideas whats going wrong :(

-  submitted by CKENWORTHY1986

Answer:

If I get you right, you have a home theater system, a TV, and a freeview set-top, but can't get any sound from the TV through your external audio system.

If that's the gist, let's look at a few things.

Based on your description, it doesn't sound like your TV has an OUTPUT... only an input (since there's only 1 set of jacks). If this is the case, you won't be able to connect the TV to the receiver directly. That's no big deal really; all you need to do connect the audio output from the set-top box to the home theater system directly (run the video cable to the TV) and simply bypass the TV for sound. You'll be forced to use the receiver to hear any audio, but who needs TV speakers when you've got external audio. :)

Question: I would now like to know what video card would be compatible with my computer. I have a DELL XPS 400 that runs Windows XP. I saw mention of the "9600GT" in the forums, but have never heard of that card before. Can you go into specifics about what brand of card it is? Also, things like "the XPS 400 should have 1 PCI Express x16 slot" sounds like a lot of big words to me, can you describe it better?

If there is any other information that is needed, please tell. Thanks.

-submitted by codify

Answer:

Upgrading something like a graphics card, for the most part, is pretty straightforward. The installation isn't terribly difficult and you typically have a wide variety of cards to choose from (which is both good and bad). If you're unfamiliar with the terminology or are new to the aftermarket PC parts scene, it can be a little difficult figuring out where to start.

Question:

I have an XBOX 360, and would only like to use it to play HD-DVD on my TV. I would like to diable the game controllers completely and not be able to play any games. Any ideas?

-submitted by Martyb

Answer:

To answer your question in one sentence, shy of hiding the XBOX 360 controllers entirely, there is no way to render the 360 incapable of playing games. That really is what the 360 was designed to do, afterall.

I thought about opening up the XBOX 360 and disconnecting the internal DVD drive from the main board. However, getting the 360 open is not an easy task, but it could be done. The problem though, is that this will void your warranty, and there's a chance the 360 will not boot if the drive is disconnected.

That doesn't mean there isn't hope though. You can severely cripple the XBOX 360's ability to play games by taking advantage of the family settings in the main menu.

Question:

I would like to get my home theater system (Samsung HT-Q45) hooked up so I can watch DVDs with the TV speakers at times... without using the surround sound speakers themselves. There will be other times I would like to use the surround, just not always. I would also like to be able to use the same components. Is this possible?

-submitted by ezylman

Answer:

All-in-one systems like the Samsung HT-Q45 don't typically have audio outputs since the audio capabilities are built in. Manufacturers that make these kinds of all-in-one systems commonly think, "Why would anyone want to use the TV speakers if they have an audio system." I agree with them for the most part, but everyone has their reasons. Who are they to stand in the way?

Fortunately, there's two options on how to proceed... and the second option will do what you want, though it may not work as easily as you may hope.

Question:

I have a RCA TV and the menu says "Language --> English". However, when watching TV, the commercials are in English and the program is in Spanish. How do I fix this?

-submitted by lump5628246

Answer:

First, if the language option in your TVs menu says English, that doesn't mean the programming you watch will be in English. This option simply dictates what language the TV's menu and on screen displays themselves will appear in. Depending on the model of the TV, you could have a variety of options here.

Now that we understand what that does, it's time to get your shows back in the right language.

Introducing SAP

Have you ever been watching a show on TV that flashes something like "SAP Transmitido en Espanol" at the bottom of the screen when the show starts? You may not have ever noticed, but this is exactly what's affecting you.

Question:

Why is it that when I play DVDs in auto mode on a Denon AVR-1907 I get sound from the speakers, but when I try and play a DVD which has DTS I get no sound from the speakers when I select the DTS mode on the reciever?

-submitted by johnt

Answer:

Popcorn...check. Remote control... check. DTS surround sound...check. Wait? Where the heck is the sound?!

There's no doubt DTS offers up some rather tasty audio, but getting it to work isn't quite as simple as popping in the disc and hitting play. In fact, there's three big things you need to do before DTS will work, and one important step every time you play a DTS DVD.

Now, here's a little background on why selecting DTS on your receiver doesn't work. DVD players don't send out more than one audio track at a time, so it's not like a radio which has to

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