Home Theatre Systems

[maxparot]

I'm thinking now to keep the speakers I've got....no issues with them at all....replace the amp with something that will support a good DVD player and LCD TV, and get a lower end DVD player for now until the industry gets things sorted out WRT what will be the standard...HD or Blue-Ray.

Don't count on the industry sorting things out.
From the looks of it at this point neither the Blue-ray or the HD camp is willing to compromise.
A few smart manufacturers are planning products that support both standards which may be the way to go after the prices fall from the early rip off levels.
Also thought should be given to home theater PC intergration.
Using a PC as a media server/recorder gives a great deal of functionality. It will allow digital recording and archiving to whatever format you finally adopt (CD, DVD, Blue-ray or HD) just give thought to avoiding Digital Rights Management. (Careful planning will allow you to preserve your fair use rights)
A PC also will give you TIVO like function without a subscription.
And with the new videocard crop you'll have gaming capabilities that none of the new gaming consoles can match.
With a nice Surround receiver and Monitor you'll have a home theater to be envyed.

[Roger on the Rock]

Hmmmmm....never thought of that route until now. So, can a multimedia PC have connectivity with any good quality amp or AV control centre?? The Amp I was thinking of this one...http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/ser...ductId=1002531 Would that be compatible with a PC connectivity wise?

Cheers,

Roger

[maxparot]

I have mine jacked in on a optical SPDIF. Coaxial SPDIF is also common for the audio. Video in is dependant of the capture card/cards used in the PC. I have matching 3 avermedia tuner/capture cards. 2 of them are connected to cable boxes using SVideo and RCA left and right audio. The 3rd card tunes standard(unscrambled)cable channels itself with it's onboard tuner. It also has onboard FM stereo tuning so the computer can handle tuning and digital recording of that too. In some cases an amp connected to the computer can be all that is need a receiver just stay set to 1 input and the computer controls the rest of the switching. The computer controls all tuning using an USB-IR controller to control the cable boxes via wireless RF remote. HD tuner/capture cards are also available from a number of manufacturers also. (just consider recording HD requires more hardrive space)
Video out to the monitor can be routed from the computers video card to the monitor Via Analog, Component out, coaxial out or HDMI dependent upon the computer videocard outputs or available adapters and the monitors input options. Secondary video and audio outputs can be ran from the cable boxes directly to inputs on the monitor for picture in a picture and other special functions.

There is a great deal of options in the interconnections between the audio and video system using a PC not all are needed for a working system but care must be taken to cover the options you want.

Software for these functions is not limited to Microsoft. Other software vendors offer packages with excellent functionality and do not address Digital Right Management as Microsoft has. I use Beyond TV from Snapstream and am very happy with it.

It can be quite confusing getting it all set up but when done the functionality is amazing.

[knotley]

Hi Roger:

Do you ever fly out to the rig? My cousin is an engineer there - sometimes flys and sometimes on supply boat.

[Roger on the Rock]

Knotley...check your PM's.

[Roger on the Rock]

Folks....thanks very much for the advice and recommendations here. It's really helped me sort out the direction I'm going with this Home Theatre. I'm keeping my speakers, very soon replacing the 'almost broken' DVD player most likely with an OPPO, eventually replacing the amp with something worthy of HDMI and quality sound, then adding a 40" ish LCD flat panel. Should be complete over the next few months.

Thanks again and all the best for the Christmas season to all.

Roger

[Roger on the Rock]

Is There That Much Difference??

Between a 720p and a 1080p set, is there really going to be that much difference when looking at a 40" - 46" LCD TV??

There are some really good prices on Sony, Samsung, etc, these days and I'm wondering whether or not it's worthwhile waiting until the ultra high end stuff comes down in price or not.

I'd appreciate any advice.

Thanks & cheers,

Roger

[davethegolfer]

Home Theater

Having been thru many options, and doing much research, I will throw in my thoughts FWTW. First I agree on the htib systems and also the Bose systems. There are much better options at lower costs. The heart of the systems is the receiver. For good mid range receivers I recommend the Denon, Onkyo, and Yamaha receivers. With any of them one feature I consider vital is video switching. This allows you to switch feeds to the tv through the receiver, eliminating many excess pairs of cables (I swear they breed at night). Make sure that the video switching circuit has enough capacity to handle high definition signal. Don't get caught in the myth that you have to spend big $ on exotic cabling. Digital signal is digital signal. The second critical area is to make sure that you have matched front surround and center speakers. a mismatch in this area will leave you wishing you had better sound. Next is to get as much power as you can in a subwoofer, and avoid the lure of cheap prices for non-powered subwoofers. With a good front setup you can used cheaper speakers for the rear and surrounds and upgrade them as you can afford. Lastly, in lieu of a large rear projector tv, at least consider a front projector with a screen if your room will allow. The cost is no higher and their quality is improving rapidly. There are some negatives, such as bulb replacements, but having a 100" picture with either a dvd or hdtv is spectacular.

[messmaker]

I got an 1080i lcd and cannot really tell the difference from it and my friends lesser system. I think any Hi-def is so much better than the rest that you will be happy no-matter what. I think HTIAB has it's place. I don't think you can assemble the pieces on your oun for less than $500.

[scorrpio]

Between a 720p and a 1080p set, is there really going to be that much difference when looking at a 40" - 46" LCD TV??

There are some really good prices on Sony, Samsung, etc, these days and I'm wondering whether or not it's worthwhile waiting until the ultra high end stuff comes down in price or not.

I'd appreciate any advice.

Thanks & cheers,

Roger

If you want a great deal, check out Syntax Olevia LCDs. A 42" for $1400 or a 37"for around $1000. I have had their 37" model for a year and I love it.
Far as 1080p goes, there really isn't any 1080p content available yet. HDTV is 720p or 1080i, and standard DVDs are native 480p. You'd need HD-DVD or Blu-Ray to get 1080p. The lab tests I read seem to conclude that for TV/movie watching, 1080p has no visible quality increase. The only area it is of benefit is if you connect to a high-end video card in a PC. THEN you are cooking.