OT: Home Theater tips ?

[jdgang]

Yeah, what JDGANG said. As I said above, my Sony in a box works great for the room I have, and the budget I had to work with. Movies sound fantastic, but the system falls short for listening to music. Not to mention the fact that I did not want to spend a lot of time researching and matching components, etc. Heck, the weakest link in my home theatre is the TV.

I know I can put together a much nicer setup, but not until I get a nicer house, and a good room to set 'er up in.

thats what i brought and tommy is right. music does not sound all that good with the system. but i had a pair of advent 2 way tower speakers that make it sound good

[Enzo]

enzo, i finally got a real power boat. it came down to a 42' outerlimits with 3 502 bravos and a 12' aluminum with a 15hp johnson. i went with the big boy the 12 aluminum.

Nice guy!! Time to peel off those Cigarette stickers on the Doneks and slap 'em on the side of your "Lil' Gun". Actually, forget the Cig. stickers--if you want to make that sucker a real boat, I have a bunch Outerlimits stickers kicking around.

[P06781]

TV:

Since you have a deadicated basement room you can darken, consider front projection. The full on movie experience, and surprisingly affordable. projectorcentral.com is a good place to research some options.

You should really check out a rear projector dlp system (projector & pull down screen). I have had a Infocus X1 for 2+ years now and still love it. The ones out now are even better. For $800 you get 100" screen and great resolution. Best to hook it up via the vga computer connecter if possible, otherwise s-video is still not bad. I use $20 25ft ebay svid and a vga to component cables which work great. The BIG screen is way better than the best sound system although if buying speakers I would spend the $ on 2 towers with a good matched center channel and the smallest HU sub.

Jim

[MR. JOHN DEERE !]

Nice guy!! Time to peel off those Cigarette stickers on the Doneks and slap 'em on the side of your "Lil' Gun". Actually, forget the Cig. stickers--if you want to make that sucker a real boat, I have a bunch Outerlimits stickers kicking around.

is that what you had on the lake? those guys are making some really nice skiffs. the outerlimits factory is about ten minutes from my house. little overkill, but the cougers dig em, and thats what its all about,ova.

[Enzo]

is that what you had on the lake? those guys are making some really nice skiffs. the outerlimits factory is about ten minutes from my house. little overkill, but the cougers dig em, and thats what its all about,ova.

jd-

yup. my gramps had a 37' OL with supercharged 575's.

[k_t]

jd-

yup. my gramps had a 37' OL with supercharged 575's.

so is that 720p, 1080i, or is it the new 1080p..........and what did he use for speakers?

[Enzo]

so is that 720p, 1080i, or is it the new 1080p..........and what did he use for speakers?

ok, ok

here's a tv question....

anyone upgrade from a rear projection widescreen to a DLP? does the showroom floor "WOW" factor eventually wear off? I'm not looking for technical facts....just purely from the perspective of picture quality and viewing enjoyment, are the DLP's truly worth the $1000+ premium over standard rear projections?

[k_t]

Hey Enzo<O:p</O:p

I am glad you have a sense of hummer. I was not sure after posting that it would be funny to you. Glad it was. I only can watch the cigarette/cigar boats on TV.

<O:p</O:p

Yes is the short answer. Stop here if you do not want to get board.<O:p</O:p

The DLP TV's are much brighter than the CRT (or standard rear projection) TV’s which make them better to see in a room where you have very little light control in the daytime. Being that they are "micro displays" which is the same family of display technology as plasma and LCD, the performance for HD is better. The viewing angle from the side is much better as well without the issue of reflections you get with most CRT rear projection. And unless you have a newer (very new) standard rear projection TV you will not be able to use any HD source on it to its fullest potential. Some other things to note is that the depth and weight of the DLP TV’s is about half as much as a standard rear projection TV and there are some out there with 61 inch screens less than 7 inches deep and only 135 lbs. in weight (with out the stand). Most are about 14 to 16 inches in depth.<O:p</O:p<O:p

Most manufacturers are now putting most of their effort into this technology which makes for better selection and will make for even better performance and better connectivity for all of the newer components than you will find on most CRT type. The CRT’s seem to be on the way out anyway.<O:p></O:p>

kt<O:p</O:p

[gmarsden]

While DLPs have lots of advantages, make sure you consider the following.

A. They have a cooling fan and rotating color wheel. Both create noise and may be

distracting in a very quiet room.

B. Some people see color rainbows on certain scenes, although the newer faster color

wheels are supposed to be better.

C. If you sit too close, the screen door effect (SDE) can be distracting. This is true of all

fixed pixel displays.

D. Depending on usage, the light bulb will need to be replaced every few years, and they

cost a few hundred dollers.

The following link has good info on TV choices today

http://www.displaymate.com/shootout.html

Greg

[Guest johann]

I second the votes for B&W and PSB. If I had had more money at the time and wasn't getting my PSB's at cost I would have definatly nabbed some nautolis 805s from B&W.

Sunfire's are a blast for a sub.

I ended up with a maratz for a reciever. Still makes me grin.

Best as a relative term. All the foolish home theatre nuts that helped me out with my sytsem have since abadoned all their gear and are now going back to old transitors and vacuum tube type deals, so yah best can definatly be relative.

[willywhit]

Guys, thanks alot for all the info. Keep 'em coming.

[Allee]

Have to agree with a lot of the stuff that Boarderboy and Jason say. When the ex and I bought our system we spent weeks dragging around shops (hi-fi shops, not Best Buy and Costco) until we finally found a great system we liked. And yes, $$$ isn't the be-all and end-all. I personally couldn't tell the difference between $2500 speakers and $8000 speakers, and most people can't. It's all in how it sounds to you, and you'll know after you hear a few systems what you like and what you don't. And don't be afraid to make these guys work, switching amps and things ... that's what they're there for.

I inherited the system, KEF speakers, Denon receiver, and now it has a Philips DVD player and multi CD on it (replacing the single CD and video). It's over 10 years old, and every time I turn it on and crank it, I'm blown away by how good it sounds. Choose wisely, and be happy. If you have to, spend the extra (we planned $4500 and went to nearly $7000 - ouch, but sooo worth it). I'm not saying that you have to spend that sort of money, but if you're going to do it, at least spend a bit of time, before you spend the dosh!

[~tb]

alright. . . I work for bose, and wont touch the audio conversation with a 10' pole. Its a great company, keeps a roof over my head, and a board under my feet. What more can I ask for! They also have a great class for employees on critical listening that is quite difficult to pass. I sat in on a class or two, but havent taken it yet. Really opens up your eyes as to what to listen for in an "audio system" and to and how to listen.

But anyhow. . .as for TV's . . . I just recently got my 46" samsung DLP and love the thing. Great picture. . . and no burn in. . . And the screen door effect is not unique to DLP's. ANY digital TV that you sit too close to will look like crap. There is only some much information in a HDTV signal, spreading it out over a screen that is too large for the viewing distance will have a negative impact. My 46" is debatably large for my viewing distance.

All the different HDTV's have their strengths and weaknesses. Choose wisely for what you wish to accomplish in your space. Best picture though . . . The sony wega tube . . . phenominal . . . but heavy and big.

Gotta give samsung customer service props though. . . light engine came with a small issue that I didnt like (ghosting on high contrast lines). . . service was out the next day, replaced the light engine with a newer generation light engine. . . and left me the bulb out of the one they took out.

back to some waterskiing!

hope all are having a great off season!

-Todd

[willywhit]

I also hear that Bose has some great deals for family and "friends". Maybe we can work some kitesurfing lessons for a deep discount.I'm not looking for state of the art, just decent surround sound. Saw a good deal at Bestbuy for a Yamaha system, but I'd rather rock Bose.Come to Hyannis for a wakeboard session and we can discuss. Where are you waterskiing ? Run any cones lately with JG ?

[mikemcse]

Still debating if I should go to Plasma or DLP? The new DLP sets are looking pretty sweet and the price seems to be coming down. I do like CRT but they seem like they are way heavier than DLP? I hear the pros and cons of DLP vs. Plasma but still cant make up my mind. I Think I have the sound system pretty much sorted out. I have a HK AVR 235 and monitor audio B6 speakers with B1 rears. I am also looking for a new sub. Any suggestions out there? They have a good deal on a 10" klipsch at costco for 199$ not sure if it is any good. Thanks

[Guest johann]

Love the "Carver" stuff:

http://www.sunfire.com/SuperJrPR.htm

I have the 11" version of this one and couldn't be happier.

At once point a friend and I hooked them up in stereo. That was an interesting party :-)

[~tb]

Mike,

the braking point for me was the fact that I still watch approximately 50% of my viewing in 4 by 3 format which means, shadowboxes on the side of my screen. In the plasma, this will burn in after some time and cause your 16 by 9 material to not look good. One of my friends has a plasma that really shows this behavior, and he watches only about 25% 4 by 3. If this is truly a home theatre setup where you are going to be watching greater than 90% of the material in 16 by 9, then I would probably go for the plasma. Any more than 10% in 4 by 3, go for the dlp (or even a projector if the room is dark enough).

Just my 2 cents. . .

Oh, and I believe willy asked if the DLP is that much better than a rear projection HDTV. . . well . . . as always it depends. The off angle viewing of the DLP is FAR superior to the traditional rear projection unit but from front on, is only a little better in my opinion. I have only looked at a couple HDTV rear projectors, as in my room the viewing angle of the DLP was a must!

-Todd

[willywhit]

"I have only looked at a couple HDTV rear projectors"-~tb The wife found a "great" deal on the display model Zenith E44W46LCD and then I just read:http://www.tv-forums.com/forum/TV_Equipment_C4/Projection_TV_Forum_F24/Zenith_E44W46LCD_PROBLEMS_P12819/ "I've had the Zenith for about seven months now, and like the last two posters in the original thread, am having a problem with a blue line across the bottom of my screen. Now, after reading this board, I'm being made aware that this is a $1700 problem. I am still within the warranty, however that dosent make me feel much better." The service plan is $400 for 4 years on a $1,200 TV LG makes Zenith evidently.

[k_t]

"I have only looked at a couple HDTV rear projectors"-~tb The wife found a "great" deal on the display model Zenith E44W46LCD and then I just read:http://www.tv-forums.com/forum/TV_Equipment_C4/Projection_TV_Forum_F24/Zenith_E44W46LCD_PROBLEMS_P12819/ "I've had the Zenith for about seven months now, and like the last two posters in the original thread, am having a problem with a blue line across the bottom of my screen. Now, after reading this board, I'm being made aware that this is a $1700 problem. I am still within the warranty, however that dosent make me feel much better." The service plan is $400 for 4 years on a $1,200 TV LG makes Zenith evidently.

Food for thought……………………..

Not all DLP TV’s are created equal. Even though all of the chips in the DLP displays are made by Texas Instruments not all of the manufactures use the TI light engine in their displays. TI produces a good light engine but some of the ‘higher end’ manufacturers make their own light engine to improve performance (brightness, contrast, color, hue, motion correction, and so on) at a higher cost to the consumer who wants a better quality picture and some have created their own light engine to produce a less expensive display for those who have different budget constraints. That said I think that Samsung has (at least in my opinion) some great DLP for the $$ spent where say a company like Toshiba in their Cinema Series may have the edge on the overall viewing experience.<O:p</O:p

Not all Plasma panels are created equal either. As far as the ‘not lasting very long’ myth, a well produced plasma should last about 20+ years when used in the same way that a normal family would watch TV. For plasma, Panasonic may be the best bang for the $$ out there right now and Fujitsu is one in the high end category.

DLP = no burn in

Plasma and CRT = possible burn in when not “used properly”

kt<O:p</O:p

[willywhit]

So I come home from 4 days on the Cape and my "very determined" wife bought the Zenith E44W46LCD.It actually looks OK in non HD.Now to find a surround sound system and hook up the HDTV.

[Pat Donnelly]

Here is the latest offering and I am told this is an awesome unit. Our local dealer received four of them last week and they sold within five days.

Suggested retail $1,999

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=KDFE42A10

[Guest Ghostrider]

Hey...since this seems to be a hot topic, I could use a little home theater advice myself.

Heres whats up...My dad moved into a house that had a large red barn in excellent condition on the property. While moving, we realized we had a surplus of medium to high end electronics sitting around. maybe not high end but definately high power audio. Heres what I did...I turned the loft of the barn into my personal movie theater. Pretty much doing high end on a budget. Try not to cringe when you hear what is being done, but it sure is fun. For video, a multimedia projector...yea I know its not exactly high end, but its being projected onto a 18'x18' painters drop cloth stretched super tight. Clearly quantity over quality there.

For audio though, this is where we make the impression. Up front is a retro pair of Klipsch loudspeakers. 12" subs, big mid and big horn tweeters. For center is 2 jbl 6x9's and a home theater center channel..the model numbers excape me but the 2 6x9's were to add some mid to the overpowering tweetyness. In back is 2 Mirage bookshelf speakers. Meant to be up front but the scale of the system made them better fit as rears.

Powering all this is the expensive part..that was a new high power denon that allowed to tune for the wierd mix match of speakers and to give the klipsch's enough power to play.

Now for the part I need help on. In my basement right now is sitting a JBL Pro 4645b.

Thats 18" of THX Professional Thump. I aquired it through a series of people moving in and out of dorm rooms and not willing to carry the 140lbs down the stairs. By the time it was my turn to aquire the bad boy, I traded a starving college student a pair of Smith sliders and $50 for it :D

Now for the question: I need an amp to power that thing cuz the power from the denon is not gonna fly. Pretty much bang for the buck here...quality is second. Any thoughts on external high power mono amps?

[John Gilmour]

Whit-

Don't buy anything without me.

There are many trade offs - the biggest issue with silly little cube speakers is dynamic compression. Also you have difficulty getting great delineated bass with any driver under 7 inches. Drop to 5.25 inches and you really suffer. Go over 10 inches and you are back to "one note mid bass" but good low bass.

So you have to go to a reallly unusual design. In your price point.

Give me a buzz.

It will run you about $500 which will include a sub, surround sound processor with built in eq, 4 presets, and 5 speakers and amplifiers. Normally runs about $1500

It is the ONLY complete HT system I can say is worth listening to that costs less than $5000. But- you have to set it up properly- and I can show you how to do that.

________

FREE PORN

[skategoat]

After recently upgrading my home theatre, I can throw in a few lessons that I've learned.

- my expensive subwoofer (Monitor Audio) has the annoying habit of going into a sleep mode when not active then suddenly popping to life when the low frequencies kick in. There's an audible pop as it does this. Watch for this.

- my Samsung DLP TV has the dreaded video lag problem. That is, when you pump the sound through the AV receiver, the video lags a microsecond behind the sound. My receiver has a time delay feature but I can't get it dialed in. I read that this is a problem for some DLP chips. There is a processing delay in the video. The TV is going back as soon as I figure out what else to buy.

- HDTV is a disappointment. The only thing that gives you that eye-popping visual clarity that you see in the showroom is the NFL broadcasts. Most other sources look a little bit better than SD and that's it. Golf on ABC this weekend absolutely sucked.

- TIVO is an absolute must. It will change the way you view TV. For instance, I start watching my sports broadcasts about 45 minutes into the actual start time. I then ffw through the commercials and other delays and by end of the game, I am caught up and watching live. I can watch a hockey game in a little over 1 hour this way.

- the best part about home theatre is shopping for the components.

[willywhit]

JG, Thanks for resurrecting this thread. Since getting the new TV, the audio/surround sound is still a work in progress. My receiver (Sony STR-AV1020 ) has developed a low level buzz and I think it's time to scrap it. I've been checking out http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/index.php and have learned a bit. I've got all the high end cabling for speakers and components ready to go.Winter is coming and alot more time indoors. I'll give you a buzz............... Nigel: "You see, most blokes will be playing at 10. You’re on 10, all the way up, all the way up...Where can you go from there? Nowhere. What we do, is if we need that extra push over the cliff...Eleven. One louder." DiBergi: "Why don’t you just make 10 louder and make 10 be the top number, and make that a little louder?" Nigel (after taking a moment to let this sink in): "These go to 11."