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interpathway

Home Theaters

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did you end up building your own "over the air" antenna ?

I built my own antenna a year ago, but I found that it wasn't really necessary. You can take the antennas from the old CRT televisions and they work great. You can also buy the pre-made one's from stores which usually work okay. My friend's bought them because they figured their time was more precious than the $20-25 purchase price.

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You made some very interesting points. I would like to add to some of your points:

1) Regarding AV equipment or electronics, you are right technology changes and improves dramatically. I also like your reasoning behind buying the lower end of a price range. The only assertion I want to make is for people to consider what is the best fit and best value for their situation. I bought a mid end home theatre system 5 years ago. I already made up my mind on what speakers I wanted so I went and demo'd various price point receivers. I was listening to the system connected to one of the better valued receiver's and for some reason I thought the music sounded "slow and sluggish". I asked the rep what the heck was wrong with the sound and he told me the reciever is a basic model and cannot drive the speakers properly. So he disconnected the cables and plugged them into a more powerful unit and I immediately noticed a big difference. I want the music/sound to be more aggressive and lively not slow and sluggish. For some people they may not be as picky as me and may not even/notice the difference. How's this as an example/reference ? You got an TPS XN10 shaft (speakers) and then you don't want to buy the matching TPS blade $ 90 (receiver), so you buy a price point blade for $20. How long the blade lasts is one thing, but for some players the shaft/blade combo is just not going to work out. The shaft is nice and light but the blade is going to be heavy and sluggish.

2) You are right about comparing units in the store. Its easy to compare different units/brands in the store and pick out what you like and don't like but once you go home you won't have anything to compare to anymore. I say if you are happy with the qulaity of the unit inside the store then it should be good enough at home.

3) You are right that there will be a new and better model next year, but for me its not going to effect me much because I won't be buying. I already spent the money already and I am not going to fork out more. These equipment take up quite a bit of space so I cannot just get another set. I simply don't have the space. If I wanted to sell my old gear who would buy it ? So when I bought my gear I purchased it with the idea that I am keeping it for a while. The only failure I can think with my plan is that technolgy may evolve so quickly that it may render it obsolete - example My Sony MiniDisc player :(

Matt, I tend to have a different philosophy than most when it comes to buying AV equipment. My thought is technology has improved constantly for 20-25 years, so today's purchase becomes overpriced 6-12 months from now. Because of that, I'll usually buy toward the low end of a price range. For instance, I bought a Sony 7.1 HD receiver with 4 HDMI inputs last year at $289. Nothing else was close in price, but Denon had a receiver around $1200 to $1500 (can't remember) that I assume was infinitely better. However, even if I have to replace my unit three years from now, the newer unit would offer better specs, yet I'd still have only spent half the money.

I think an important thing to remember when you are comparing units in a store is you WON'T be comparing units in your house. I bought a 42" 1080p Dynex 18 months ago at BB for $699, which we put in the bedroom. I know that if I could bring some of the more expensive models to compare, I'd become very disappointed with the Dynex, but we love it as it is.

There's ALWAYS going to be something better and more expensive, but the odds say that the better and more expensive unit will cost less money nine months from now, replaced by something better and more expensive.

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Congratulations, Matt, it's always fun not having to strain your eyes watching TV!

And, those things are so damn light....I didn't strain my back either! *L*

It's got USB on the side to attach a a drive with movie files. The guy at the store told me it plays everything (even DIVX). Nice feature.

did you end up building your own "over the air" antenna ?

I built my own antenna a year ago, but I found that it wasn't really necessary. You can take the antennas from the old CRT televisions and they work great. You can also buy the pre-made one's from stores which usually work okay. My friend's bought them because they figured their time was more precious than the $20-25 purchase price.

No, abandoned that idea fairly quickly. And, the TV doesn't have a built in tuner...I still would've needed a box.

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So I bought a WDTV last week - Amazing! This little gadget plays just about every file type on my htdv. I was blown away.

I took my entire DVD collection and ripped it to .ISO files and put them on a hard drive.

Great gadget.

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And, those things are so damn light....I didn't strain my back either! *L*

It's got USB on the side to attach a a drive with movie files. The guy at the store told me it plays everything (even DIVX). Nice feature.

No, abandoned that idea fairly quickly. And, the TV doesn't have a built in tuner...I still would've needed a box.

you are lucky you got a usb/hdmi port on the side. I don't, mine is in the back so its a bit of pain having to swivel the tv around to connect stuff.

Regarding the built in tuner, I am assuming you are referring to the 26 inch television ? I would of thought most televisions would have them ? I think only the first generation televisions were like that ? Even my 5 year Sony 32 inch TV has one.

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you are lucky you got a usb/hdmi port on the side. I don't, mine is in the back so its a bit of pain having to swivel the tv around to connect stuff.

Regarding the built in tuner, I am assuming you are referring to the 26 inch television ? I would of thought most televisions would have them ? I think only the first generation televisions were like that ? Even my 5 year Sony 32 inch TV has one.

A little disapointed in the USB. It doesn't read AVI. (which is what almost all my movies are).

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A little disapointed in the USB. It doesn't read AVI. (which is what almost all my movies are).

Yeah I was gonna post, you dont want it to play divx, but "AVI" isnt really a format, its a container for an audio and video stream, an AVI file can be a very large combination of file types at any settings, you want it to play codecs that HD videos are processed into, not what people were using to wedge movie files onto a 700mb CD in 1999.

There really isnt a reason why if you want to be playing files (as opposed to uncompressed sources like bluray or dvds) that you shouldn't be hooking a PC up to the TV directly, or at minimum, leveraging the streaming capabilities of a 360 or PS3.

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Yeah I was gonna post, you dont want it to play divx, but "AVI" isnt really a format, its a container for an audio and video stream, an AVI file can be a very large combination of file types at any settings, you want it to play codecs that HD videos are processed into, not what people were using to wedge movie files onto a 700mb CD in 1999.

There really isnt a reason why if you want to be playing files (as opposed to uncompressed sources like bluray or dvds) that you shouldn't be hooking a PC up to the TV directly, or at minimum, leveraging the streaming capabilities of a 360 or PS3.

I will have a computer hooked up to it. I just have to get new cables. My old setup was S-Video and mini jack to RCA. This one is a regular Monitor cable and mini to mini for audio. I'm short 1 montor cable. I used to have a bunch kicking around...now that I need an extra, none to be found.

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Another cool feature of the new set. When the COmputer is on...there is Picture in Picture.

MSHonmyTV.jpg

MSH looks good at 46"

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nice looking pic in pic ^^^^

on a seperate note, I finally decided to make the jump to Blu-Ray. Now to find a Blu-Ray player......

My question is, How does the PS3 stack up to other Blu-Ray players???? I am also intrigued by the software patch for 3D games and movies Sony has said they put on the PS3, although that is not a deciding factor.

So once again, how good of a choice is going with a PS3 for blu ray compared to stand-alone blu ray players?

Thanks!!!

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So, I'm having a bit of a problem with my little setup.

I have a 32" Sony Bravia, with my laptop hooked up to it. Before I was just using the tv speakers for the tv, and a small set of computer speakers for the laptop. I decided to hook up a pair of tower speakers I had laying around with a receiver I also had.

Using vga from laptop to flatscreen, mini jack to mini jack from laptop to tv, rca from tv to receiver.

When running the tv, speakers are fine, but when running off the laptop, it sounds absolutely horrendous. I did some reading, and sort of found its from the charger of the laptop? (I have the battery out and run constantly on the charger).

How do I resolve this issue?

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I'm sure this is out of 99% of people's price range, but my uncle decided to go a little overboard with his new house.

e3per.jpg

33duxxx.jpg

By little i mean, i a lot. I want his kind of money, NOW.

Super fancy JBL speaker system, 1080P projector, all custom woodwork with acoustic paneling and special insulation. He even has special carpets. He opted for a couch rather then theater style seats, he wanted to pursue more of the bachelor pad feel. It even comes with a super cute german shepard!

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When does the MSH official movie night begin? Nice theater!

Puckhoggy - The PS3 is nice that is is always able to be upgraded, like the 3D ability now(or soon??). Plus it has wifi for things like Netflix streaming and of course the games.

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I got a 37" Insignia 1080p LCD a few months back when my old TV bit the dust (after only 18 months...). Really nice clear picture with great color, way better than the washed out piece of crap I had before. Plus it had a 2-year warranty.

My setup is now:

37" Insignia 1080p LCD (wall mounted)

Yamaha HTR-5550 receiver

Athena speakers (floorstanding fronts, bookshelf rears, center channel)

Cisco cable box/DVR

Xbox 360

Wii

Not bad for my little place.

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Puckhoggy - The PS3 is nice that is is always able to be upgraded, like the 3D ability now(or soon??). Plus it has wifi for things like Netflix streaming and of course the games.

oh ya, i like that feature to upgrade the firmware. I did make a trip to future shop and best buy over the weekend, and still haven't made up my mind on what to purchase.

The situation is, my family really likes the 3D concept tv and really enjoyed the display the electronis store had. Now, we don;t have a blu-ray player but recently bought a ton of BR movies on clearance. So, do i buy a regular BluRay player? a ps3 that has built-in Bluray and 3d movie/gaming capabilities? or buy a standalone 3d blu ray player?

Mind you, this scenario heavily depends on where the 3D tv goes in the future, as I am not ready to throw money on the TV yet, BUT would if it is viable and will stay mainstream.

hmmmmm.....lol

EDIT: for instance, instead of buying a ps3 seperately, do I buy the 3D entertainment system (tv, player, etc.) as a package to save $$$

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I can't quite believe it, but we're joining the 21st century this year too. (Considering we didn't have cable for two+ years, this is a pretty big leap).

Is there a significant difference between 60 and 120 Hz? From what I understand, it makes very little difference when watching tv (tv stations broadcast in 60) and really kicks in for gaming and BluRay. I'm not going to become a gamer, and we're not considering the kid with this purchase in the hope she'll be outta the house and gone in another year... so it comes down to movies.

Has anyone watched the same movie on 60 and 120 Hz and how huge was the difference?

LMAO - I just realized, it doesn't matter what thread one posts in, it always comes down to a performance benefit on MSH, doesn't it?? lol

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I haven't noticed much difference -- if at all -- but I've never done a back-to-back test with the same movie. In fact, I'm not sure how one would go about tracking down the different versions, since it seems we're at the whims of what the studios put out.

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I can't quite believe it, but we're joining the 21st century this year too. (Considering we didn't have cable for two+ years, this is a pretty big leap).

Is there a significant difference between 60 and 120 Hz? From what I understand, it makes very little difference when watching tv (tv stations broadcast in 60) and really kicks in for gaming and BluRay. I'm not going to become a gamer, and we're not considering the kid with this purchase in the hope she'll be outta the house and gone in another year... so it comes down to movies.

Has anyone watched the same movie on 60 and 120 Hz and how huge was the difference?

LMAO - I just realized, it doesn't matter what thread one posts in, it always comes down to a performance benefit on MSH, doesn't it?? lol

Watching hockey on my buddy's HD tv (Toshiba 60hz) I saw some 'artifacts' especially from the dark jersey on the white background. The very little bit of hockey I've been able to see on this TV (Sony 120hz) has had none of that at all. Now that may just be because the Sony is a better overall set, and has little to do with the refresh rate...

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Whew, I've done a bunch of research on these things! There is a lot of conflicting and garbage information out there. (Most of it the fault of marketing campaigns *grins*)

At any rate, in case it is useful to someone else, here's a link to interesting info from one of the credible sites I found:

DisplayMate are experts in calibration and did testing comparing 60 hz and 120 hz. Bottom Line: no dif.

http://www.displaymate.com/LCD_Response_Time_ShootOut.htm

Then I went through the Plasma vs LCD decision stuff.

http://www.displaymate.com/LCD_Plasma_ShootOut.htm

I found it especially interesting that they generally found the tv's performed better with all the bells and whistles turned off.

Bought a Vizio 37" 1080p LCD for the bedroom and a 50" Samsung Plasma 6 series in the basement. Maybe I shoulda waited for the kid to move out!

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I just picked up a 3D Samsung (UN55C8000). So far I am loving it (minus the lack of 3D movies).

Also the only real 3D BR players right now are 400 and up, so it makes little sense to buy one of them instead of the PS3.

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It's not in the plans right at the moment....but I'm thinking of adding an audio system in the not-too-distant-future. I'm thinking I'll go with this one when the time comes:

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/sony-sony-5-1-channel-home-theatre-system-htss370-htss370/10146047.aspx?path=750f9f1b980293028b63fb58b45c93d9en02

For $99 you can the transmitter than makes the speakers wireless.

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Even though it's slightly more money overall, I think you should consider Sony's STRDG820 receiver. It's 7.1, which takes advantage of Blu-Rays that offer seven channels, while it also acts as a 4-way HDMI switch. I bought it last year at ABT Electronics, which appears to have the the latest models, since Sony tends to upgrade yearly. I believe I paid $282, so I imagine you should be able to find it for a lot less with a bit of searching.

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Even though it's slightly more money overall, I think you should consider Sony's STRDG820 receiver. It's 7.1, which takes advantage of Blu-Rays that offer seven channels, while it also acts as a 4-way HDMI switch. I bought it last year at ABT Electronics, which appears to have the the latest models, since Sony tends to upgrade yearly. I believe I paid $282, so I imagine you should be able to find it for a lot less with a bit of searching.

Thanks...I will keep that in mind when the time comes.

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It's not in the plans right at the moment....but I'm thinking of adding an audio system in the not-too-distant-future. I'm thinking I'll go with this one when the time comes:

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/sony-sony-5-1-channel-home-theatre-system-htss370-htss370/10146047.aspx?path=750f9f1b980293028b63fb58b45c93d9en02

For $99 you can the transmitter than makes the speakers wireless.

If you can hold off a bit and save a little more money up, buying a 7.1 receiver like Jason mentioned along with some separate speakers will give you SO much better sound. Check out some bookshelf size speakers and like a 10" sub. Even the little Klipsch Quintet from BestBuy with a 10" sounds pretty darn good. I've seem some good deals on good condition speakers on craigslist, kijiji (sp?), and audiogon. Start with the 3 front, then add a sub, then the surrounds to spread costs. It took me 5 years to assemble mine but my Paradigms keep rocking on 15 years later.

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