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Ask the Experts: How to Capture Analog Audio on a PC

Question: I have a MDS-JE440 I want to put the music that is on mini discs into my PC. How do I accomplish this? Do I require a software program to get the songs into my computer and in the mp3 format via the mini disc player itself?

-submitted by Songbird

Answer: Believe it or not, just about any PC should be able to do exactly what you're looking for with little to no extra software installed. I've frequently do audio capture when recording telephone interviews, for example, or catpuring game music when building my own custom ringtones.

PC to TV: DVI vs. VGA vs. HDMI vs. Display Port

Question:

Which is a better connector DVI or VGA?

-submitted by TechLore member chuckeman

Answer:

Even though your question specifically focuses on DVI and VGA, I'm going to toss HDMI and Display Port into the mix to make sure I cover the bases for everyone.

When hooking up your PC or laptop to a monitor (or subsequently certain devices to TVs) you'll want to use the best quality connection possible. There are some key differences between all the major connection types that may not make choosing a "best" really possible, depending on the display you're connecting to, but for the most part, use the information below as a general rule.

What RF Modulators Do and Don't Do

Question: I have an older TV, no converter box and a pair of rabbit ears. I am attempting to hook up an RF modulator to connect my DVD. I attempted hooking everything up & using the rabbit ears but I've had no success in obtaining a signal. Am I just doing something wrong or would I need a converter box to obtain a signal?

- submitted by sflower

Answer:

Streaming Internet Video Without the Herky-Jerky

Question: I have successfully hooked up my laptop to my TV.. I have a new Toshiba computer and have made the connection using a VGA to TV converter box. Everything works good except for one thing, The videos and live TV broadcasts seem to be a little jerky, like they are buffering or something. I am receiving internet through a Verizon wireless DSL modem.

Is there a computer or modem setting that needs to be changed. Or do you need something else to produce seamless video similar to cable TV.

-Submitted by Fischer

How Do I Make Any Song Into an iPhone Ringtone?

Question:

I'm searching in vain through my iTunes to find a way to make my favorite songs into ringtones for my iPhone.  I can't seem to find it.  How do I do this?

Answer:

Well, unfortunately for hundreds of thousands of iPhone owners who want custom ringtones, Apple doesn't make this easy for you.  Of course, you could always buy ringtones from the iTunes Music Store, but what if they don't have your favorite song available?  What if you want to use something completely different, like a video game sound effect or a recording of your kid playing the drums or something?

There are a few ways to do this - a sneaky (and lengthy) "manual" way, or you can use a third party program to make it easy.

The Manual Way

The LG HT554TH Home Cinema and the Mystery of the Missing DTS Sound

Question from TechLore Member snypy:

I bought a new LG HT554TH home cinema that plays Dolby Digital fine, but when I select DTS I get no sound at all, although the device display indicates that source as DTS. I asked LG technical support, but their answers were total wrong. In fact, they did not tell me anything at all, and then claimed that my home cinema does not support DTS sound at all despite their official specifications.

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