Got My Bigass TV, How About Some Recommendations

[DeAd-EyE]

So it's finally happened...i've replaced my old normal off the shelf 19" in my basement with *drum roll*....a toshiba 62" DLP HDTV :D

now then. i'm pretty sure my dvd player is nothing special at the moment..i doubt it even has progressive scan as i didn't paytoo much for it many years ago, i'll have 2 check on that.

also...i need some surround sound. i'm not sure what the newest standard it..but something reasonable on the wallet....preferably something from best buy :) since my buddy works there and will hook up the deals.

Here's what i'll be using the home theater for:

1) MOVIES (DVD AND VHS...my vhs collection is huge unfortunatly and i'm not throwing them all away)

2)GAMING - Both new generation and old school (Genisis and back). Will my tv suffer from burn in or frozen images from those old systems? (i don't think nintendo ever dreamed that Mario 3 would be played on tv's this big).

3) TV (probably not a high def signal after my 10 month free trial expires..i'm gonna wait b4 subscribing because i don't think the extra cost is worth it. after all, the simpsons is a cartoon so how much better can that get, and all the girls on the O.C. are pretty good lookin regardless).

Room setup and Seating arrangements:

its a basement..so light reflection isn't an issue. i've got halogen lights so the lighting is pretty clean. There's a fireplace on the left wall of the tv room...or quadrant rather. on the right is a couch that is perpendicular to said TV. and directly across from the TV is another couch. the room is drywall and yeah i know drywall is lousy for sound..but whatever.

I'd like to have a pretty decent surround system. i don't need like 12 speakers and 3 subwoofers, but i still want movies to sound good. what's the latest standard? DTS EX? 7.1? 8.1?

Bah! The tv arrives 2morro and i'm excited.

please advise. over.

[P.M.K]

Have you got any pics of your set-up??

[bangbang023 Veteran]

Best Buy just got in a Denon 7.1 surround system. System has very good specs, though I haven't been able to hear it yet. You may want to check it out. On discount, we get it for $514.

[Doli]

3) TV (probably not a high def signal after my 10 month free trial expires..

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If its HD built in all you need is an HD antenna. HD-ready needs the external box.

IM guess your talking about HD from cable or satellite. HD shows look good but nothing is better than HD football, well HD sports in general.

[SuM0]

Playing those old/new consoles won't leave burn-in on your DLP, you're fine with those.

As for a DVD player, I would recommend the OPPO Digital OPDV971H or Panasonic S97, which are both excellent Up-converting players (the S97 has been replaced by the S77, but its not as good as the 97). The panasonic had macroblocking issues, but with the latest firmware its been mostly taken care of. I believe both have HDMI so you should be set there. There is also a good Denon up-converting dvd player, but last I heard the macroblocking has not been fixed on there yet, and it uses the same components as the S97, so it's probably not worth the extra cost just for the Denon name.

Regarding your VCR, well, those will look like ..crap, more or less :)

DVD's dont have more than DTS ES right now, which is 6.1 - and even those are just a handful (glaldiator, lord of the rings extended, just to name a few)

Most are either DD Ex or DTS 5.1. Older ones will probably only make use of Dolby Prologic II.

I would assume with the HD-dvds and Blu-ray coming out, you'll probably want 7.1. You also want to make sure the receiver has HDMI inputs.

The brands of the receiver and speakers are up to you, there are too many, depends on your taste, as recommended earlier Denon is a great brand for receivers.

[goji]

Congrats on your purchase Dead-eye!

There are two things Id ask you to take into consideration:

1. What is your desired spending limit?

2. What is your definitive spending limit?

3. What is the primary purpose of your system?

The reason I ask is that there are so many options out there for a surround sound experience or a great home theater experienece, yes even at BB!

Based on your price range and desired tastes board members and myself can assist you in some potential solutions.

GK

[DeAd-EyE]

^ thanks for the input guys.

GOJI: my desired spending limit and my definitive limits are probably around 4-6Grand canadian (i just backed out of replacing an old school big screen upstairs that i've had for a long time..it still runs mint and quite frankly..i have better things to focus on in the bedroom hehe ;)) so that money can be allocated to improving the basement setup.

Primary purpose of the system is movies #1, TV#2 and games #3. i would think that surroundsound gaming would take preference over the tv tho since most tv isn't surround anyhow right? and having a zombie sneaking up on you in doom 3 or a ferrari blow by you at 8000RPM in forza motorsport in full surround would be glorious.

so yeah i guess based on that you guys might be able to advise me further.

once again, thanks for your valued input.

P.S. do you know if WRC or F1 racing, or any racing for that matter, can be seen in high def (maybe through NBC or CBS?)

[Doli]

...

Primary purpose of the system is movies #1, TV#2 and games #3. i would think that surroundsound gaming would take preference over the tv tho since most tv isn't surround anyhow right? and having a zombie sneaking up on you in doom 3 or a ferrari blow by you at 8000RPM in forza motorsport in full surround would be glorious.

...

P.S. do you know if WRC or F1 racing, or any racing for that matter, can be seen in high def (maybe through NBC or CBS?)

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Nascar was in HD on Fox, i think it was HD also on NBC not sure.

There are more shows in surround than you think, but its regular surround or Pro logic surround. The Simpsons are in surround, most comedy shows with a laugh track are in surround but it just the laughing in the rear speakers boooo. Back to Sports in 5.1, disconnect the center speaker and.... no more sports commentary :D you just hear sports, it great. To bad they dont use a mic on the field so we can hear the hits in football, give a ref a mic or something.

[goji]

4-6Grand canadian

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thats about 5K USA, and that quite a bit to play with to have a uber system, and believe me you can get it with that much!

Later tonight Ill post some links and othe information as to possibilities etc as Im off to work.

GK

"what fun"

[DeAd-EyE]

ok guys i just hooked up the tv and was playing some stuff on it.

just a few things i wanted 2 know b4 i decide 2 keep it.

1) why are all the stands that the tv companies give u so pathetic? Build quality is terrible..i feel like the tv is gonna fall forwards. i broke 1 trying 2 assemlbe it and had 2 get another.

2, and more importantly :) ) When the screen has a lot of black and i dart my eyes around a lot or look across the screen quickly i can see a little rainbowy discoloration..but its not too severe at all..not like all the rumors i've been hearing about at least. do u htink it might be because i'm sitting too close? (onlu 5 or so feet away) whereas in the store i was standing at the proper distance from the screen?

3) is it worth it to wait for a 1080p set? will those have a faster processor that willl guarentee me no rainbows and defects? How will they be costwise?

[wicker_man]

Dude, I'd rather go for a plasma, DLP is crap IMO. No decent contrast at all (light technology will always be inferior) when changing viewing angle makes this technology greatly inferior for home cinema setup (while it can prove to be a cost-effective solution somewhere else).

Viera should have been your choice.

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

do you want an all in one system (with underpowered amps, and almost impossible to upgrade)

or separates (nice amp and speakers, much better quality, will say up to date for a long time, easy to upgrade or replace parts if needed. but more expensive)

if you are looking to get separates, i highly recommend the yamaha amplifirer. get the RX- series amp (the other HTR ones are the slimmed down version sold in big chain stores, its not much cheaper, but it is much worse)

alternative to this would be Onkyo amps. Both this companies make the best amps this side of $500.

as for a speaker system, get the 5.1 to 7.1 depending on the amp you pick.

personally i think 5.1 is enough for movies and games.

(mission speakers are nice btw)

ps. i admin i have to agree dlp is not this best.

the plasma wicker_man recommended is GREAT. panasonic makes best plasmas.

this do have a 50" model if 42" is too small for you.

honestly, just go have a look at one. it would probably play low res signal better too.

[DeAd-EyE]

^ plasma isn't an option because i WILL burn one in...it's only a matter of time the way i treat these things and besides...DLP looks fine 2 me. the dark levels on my unit are quite good..just as i remember them being on a normal TV.

DLP is what i will stick with for a while anyhow, i'm not the type of guy who switches TV's and gear every 2 years when something new comes out.

panacea: how does home audio work (i'm more familiar with car/computer stuff). THe reciever is where u plug in all ur audio stuff before plugging that into the TV? The reciever then outputs to the amp which drives the speakers?

[bangbang023 Veteran]

2, and more importantly :) ) When the screen has a lot of black and  i dart my eyes around a lot or look across the screen quickly i can see a little rainbowy discoloration..but its not too severe at all..not like all the rumors i've been hearing about at least. do u htink it might be because i'm sitting too close? (onlu 5 or so feet away) whereas in the store i was standing at the proper distance from the screen?

3) is it worth it to wait for a 1080p set? will those have a faster processor that willl guarentee me no rainbows and defects? How will they be costwise?

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The rainbow effect is only visible by a few people an you seem to be one of them. As for 1080p sets being able to correct that, it's not the "proccessor" since there really isn't one. It comes down to the relative slowness of the color wheel.

^ plasma isn't an option because i WILL burn one in...it's only a matter of time the way i treat these things and besides...DLP looks fine 2 me. the dark levels on my unit are quite good..just as i remember them being on a normal TV.

DLP is what i will stick with for a while anyhow, i'm not the type of guy who switches TV's and gear every 2 years when something new comes out.

panacea: how does home audio work (i'm more familiar with car/computer stuff). THe reciever is where u plug in all ur audio stuff before plugging that into the TV? The reciever then outputs to the amp which drives the speakers?

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While you can plug the video components through your receiver, it's always best to run video cable directly through the TV and then run audio only to the receiver. The speakers plug into the receiver.

[DeAd-EyE]

^ okie dokie.

as far as picture quality goes, will 1080p be THAT much better than 720p or even 1080i? (worth the few grand extra that it'll prolly cost?)

i mean..i was watching some HD discovery channel footage of f-18's boming stuff and if that was only 720p HD then that's already damned good and hard 2 see it getting any better.

also: are monster cable's worth it? i can get them at half price..but still conventional cableing is prolly cheaper still. monster cable, yea or nea?

and finally: does progressive scan dvd players improve quality noticably? what resolution are most dvd's recorded in? 480? 720? 1080?

[Dick Montage]

I'm sorry, I could have sworn that you said you had a 62" TV!!!!!!!!!!

Kicks so much ass it hurts dude - nice one!

[glazzz]

glad to hear you've joined the DLP crowd...I picked up a 50" Samsung DLP about 2 weeks ago. I went with a Samsung stand that is made specifically for their DLP's as it is adjustable between 46", 50" and 56". Sony STR-K750P w/ 5.1 for the receiver & surround for now, and I'm working on getting a Samsung HDMI DVD player from work (Best Buy). It would be nice to get a Denon system or something from our Magnolia segment, but I don't think it's worth it for me yet. Now I just need the damn cable company to actually be on time to hook up my HD. BTW, here's a photo of the setup so far.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

^ okie dokie.

as far as picture quality goes, will 1080p be THAT much better than 720p or even 1080i? (worth the few grand extra that it'll prolly cost?)

i mean..i was watching some HD discovery channel footage of f-18's boming stuff and if that was only 720p HD then that's already damned good and hard 2 see it getting any better.

also: are monster cable's worth it? i can get them at half price..but still conventional cableing is prolly cheaper still. monster cable, yea or nea?

and finally: does progressive scan dvd players improve quality noticably? what resolution are most dvd's recorded in? 480? 720? 1080?

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Analog Monster cables, especially half priced, are definitely worth it. For any digital cables, such as DVI, VGA, HDMI, any decent cabling will do (AR comes to mind).

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

and finally: does progressive scan dvd players improve quality noticably? what resolution are most dvd's recorded in? 480? 720? 1080?

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you absolutely need a progressive dvd player. yes it is better quility.

default quality of most dvds is 480p

but there are hd dvds out there and also a good dvd player can upconvert the lower quality files to a better picture.

btw since you are familiar with computers more.. did you consider a network media hub/dvd player? i am getting one soon. this one seems realy good.

it got a progressive scan, region free dvd player in it, but it also connects to you pc, so you can play all your downloaded video/music files too (divx, xvid, mpeg, avi, mp3, etc, etc files)

manufactures site

DivX certified page

Review

seems like and awesome deal with all the firmware upgrades to bring even more features.

i will buy it in about a week. if you dont have a dvd player or just want a nice upgrade (most of the stuff i watch comes from my pc) then you can wait for a week - i'll post a review :)

if not you can always get a good progressive scan dvd player with HD chip on it.

[DeAd-EyE]

wow..wow! WOW!..does that player let me connect and surf windows on the DLP like those media center setups at best buy and stuff? or does it jus allow me 2 play the movies from the computer?

let me know how it is when you get it. :D

also...are there any 720p or higher xbox games available? all my games..halo 2 included are 480p and look like sheize on the big screen.

[DeAd-EyE]

p.s.: glasss...i'm liking that setup man! its very clean look 2 it.

[goji]

Sorry for the late response:

Monster Cables: Over rated and over hyped. If you can get them at 50% off or more then that?s where there true value is at. Most Audio/Videophiles will tell could compare Monster Cable to snake oil, its not that big of an upgrade as some stress it as, and def as big as BB makes it as, but then again they are the no 1 reseller of Monster gear.:ninja:a:

As?fer a sound system, you have lots of disposable cash and many MANY choices.

Word to the wise, since you do game, and love movies you will appreciate a system that has dynamics and can output what you feed it. IMO I would highly suggest you to stay far FAR away from anything that?s a 4 letter word: Sony or Bose. Both companies make lack luster products with only the latter over charging you and making you believe through infomercials and their very own version of "mac zealots" that their product is the best in the land all rest is inferior. I know many of the latter.

When shopping for audio, USE YOUR EARS! I as well as many others can make suggestions but in the end its your call, your money. Your making an ivestment in something that could seriously do your ears in or making it an enjoyable part of your life.

When shopping for HT audio there are two main things to keep into cosideration. Your primary goal is to shop for a speaker. I have already mentioned 2 brands so far, but there are MANY more; and im not talking some simple 5.1 computer set from logitech or Creative.

Here are a few speaker companies that are some of the best out there:

Klipsch: A Legend in Sound

Martin Logan

Definitive Technologies

Infinity

Mirage

B&W

JBL

Shop around in your area to audition such speaker brands and many more. Each speaker will have its own class of low end and high end gear. With your resources I suggest that you go for somewhere in the middle as such speakers will sound great only if powered by a great amp which leads me to my next point of shopping.

You will need a very good amp to you power speakers. There are several things to keep in mind when you shop around for an amp & or an AVR (audio/video receiver). Look at the stats of your speakers as for wattage requirements. You do NOT want to under power your speakers as it is possible to do some serious damage to your products.

Taken from the Klipsch.com website about powering your system:

A good rule of thumb when trying to pair your speakers up with the right amplifier is to buy at least as much power as your speakers are rated to handle. For example, if a speaker is rated at 75 watts maximum power, then you should buy an amplifier that can deliver at least 75 watts per channel. However, you don?t need to limit yourself. You can buy a 100-watt per channel amplifier for a 75-watt speaker because more speaker failure occurs from being under powered rather than over powered. It is safer to go slightly higher with your amplifier wattage because you?ll never be in danger of clipping. 

When an amplifier is expected to deliver more current to a speaker than it?s capable of doing, clipping occurs. When an amplifier clips, it literally cuts off the tops and bottoms of the sound waveforms that it?s trying to produce. This, in turn, sends a lot of distortion into your speakers, which is bad. Distortion puts a lot of stress on your speakers, typically the tweeter, and will eventually cause them to fail. In fact, your speakers will fail before your amplifier does.

With this in mind, do not fall prey to the numbers game. Like pc, with receivers and amps, watts are stressed. We?ve all seen the adds for buying a sound system for 500 dollars or so at BB with an acclaimed 500-700 watt system. Think to yourself, do you really think that 500 dollars is going to get you speakers, a cd/dvd player and 500-700 watts of continual power? The answer 99.9999% of the time is no. Most if not all cheap quality receivers/avrs do not ever meet the acclaimed watts/channel that they advertise. Secondly, if they are able to meet say 100 watts per channel; is it continual power or peak performance? Most violators of this include Kenwood, Sony, Yamaha and any other 499 or less receiver on the mass market at BB, Circuit City or the like.

Higher end Yamaha's, Sony?s and Pioneer will give you the advertised wattage/channel. Names that I suggest to look for are:

Pioneer Elite

Harman Kardon AVR's

Denon Avr's

B&K Avr's

That?s a lot to consider and lots lots more.

If you were to ask me what I would consider I would tell you Klipsch. Klipsch is a horn loaded speaker which is more efficient and louder than most speaker brands. It?s all about the horn; for example most speakers at move theaters and concert halls are horn loaded by Klipsch and JBL. Simple physics at play, the sound stage from a horn is wider, louder and bigger than say a normal tweeter loaded speaker. With Klipsch speakers they are extremely efficient meaning it does not take many watts to power them. If you desire great dynamics from them however you will have to look into powerful components that can pump out the watts to allow for great bass, mids and head room for high vocal etc. Other speaker brands however will require significant amplification just to power them (B&W), yet once sufficiently powered there?s no turning back. And of course this all comes at a price.

Horn loaded is not for everyone, some love it and some can barely stand to hear them. As well certain amps pair up very well with certain speakers: i.e. Klipsch and Denon and not Yamaha. Denons by default produce a very warm sound where as Yammies, at least those that are cheap (BB quality) sound very bright. Bright amplification with a horn loaded speaker makes for a very bright sound which could cause listening fatigue, and that not what you want to have when forking over hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a sound system you want to enjoy for many years to come.

If you made it through this entire article, well I?m impressed! Welcome to the world of audio. It fun exciting and very entertaining. Take what I put up here for your evaluation into consideration, not doctrine. Talk around to many people to get input and visit many different stores to see what type of speakers they offer and AVR's.

Good luck and be wary of a nasty bug known as upgraditis.

GK

"my dissertation is now complete"

[bangbang023 Veteran]

Sorry  for the late response:

Monster Cables:  Over rated and over hyped.  If you can get them at 50% off or more then that?s where there true value is at.  Most Audio/Videophiles will tell could compare Monster Cable to snake oil, its not that big of an upgrade as some stress it as, and def as big as BB makes it as, but then again they are the no 1 reseller of Monster gear.&nbsp:ninja:a:

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I hate when people say "videophiles/adusiophiles" don't like Monster Cables. The biggest complaint of Monster Cables is always their cost. In the end, some people benefit immensely from them and some gain nothing. To say they are over rated is bull to a guy who's heard the cables clear up the sounds on a mid range sound system enough to dispel some of his own skepticism (me).

edit: However, there are better high end cable brands out there and it's best to look into all of them. MIT and Tributaries are two brands.

Edited September 17, 2005 by bangbang023

[DeAd-EyE]

If you made it through this entire article, well I?m impressed!  Welcome to the world of audio.  It fun exciting and very entertaining.  Take what I put up here for your evaluation into consideration, not doctrine.  Talk around to many people to get input and visit many different stores to see what type of speakers they offer and AVR's. 

Good luck and be wary of a nasty bug known as upgraditis.

GK

"my dissertation is now complete"

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goji, thanks for the dissertation, i did indeed read thru all of it and you've made some good points. I will probably be going 2 a specialty audio shop in toronto (bay bloor radio, for those of you in my neck of the woods) to check out some of their products. I'll probably start by looking at the denon and klipch stuff as i've already had a chance 2 experience it on some friend's setups and i was quite pleased.

as for upgraditis: ur too late man..i've already riced out my car, computer and cell phone, if there's any money left from the first 2 and my girlfriend doesn't take the rest, i have a feeling it will probably end up here lol.

[goji]

Glad I can help. Please update us on your progress as per brand speaker and receiver combo your going to go with.

This is now a communal activity!

GK