Home Theater Questions and Stuff

[Cortexian]

So we (my dad and I, meaning I paid for some of this shit) went in and bought this 40" LCD (http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX28022%28ME%29.aspx) and this 50" Plasma (http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX28030%28ME%29.aspx) to upgrade the most used televisions in our house. The 50" will be the main television for general viewing, movies, etc... It has 3D capability and awesome picture quality (far beyond any of the other TV's I was comparing it to in store). The 40" will be for my parents room, the occasional DVD and Blu-Ray before bed and some TV but not a lot of heavy use.

Previous to this we've been using old tube-style televisions with RCA plugs for most accessories. My biggest question is this, anything specific I need to watch for/know about when moving from the old standard to HDMI? We got a Pioneer Receiver (http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX28157%28ME%29.aspx) for the 50" and plan to plug our PS3 into that for Blu-Ray/DVD's. HDTV box with PVR will also go through it. We've got some decent Panasonic 5.1 speakers that I plan to plug into this Receiver for audio but we may need new speakers (the ones I plan to use were bundled with a DVD/stereo/5disk changer 5.2 system and aren't great). Any suggestions for speaker configuration?

I assume we would need a separate HDTV box for the 40" in the bedroom? I assume splitting the HDMI out from the box wouldn't work since you need the box in range of the remote to change channels and you wouldn't be able to use both TV's at the same time on different channels...

I'm sure I'll have lots more questions to come as I set this up so I figured I'd make this thread. We don't have the 50" yet as the local store was out of stock, but it's being brought in from BC for us. And as a a note, we saved a TON of money by getting both TV's at once, well over $1,200.

[Warsaw]

HDMI has support for DRM. That's really the biggest issue I have with it. HDMI may not support 5.1 either, but I'm no expert. In any case, I'd use the optical or coax for my theatre setup anyways. For speakers, I think 7.1 is excessive so I'd go with a Sony or Klipsche 5.1 set. RCA is passable.

[Cortexian]

Well DRM would only really be an issue with physical content correct? Videos on my desktop that I would stream to the television via PS3 Media Server-PS3-Receiver-TV shouldn't be affected eh? If I run into a DRM issue with physical content I bought legitimately someone will get an earful.

[Warsaw]

I also think it's digital DRM as well. If it's not validated by the device, then HDMI will block it. Again, I'm no expert, so I could be wrong.

[Amit]

I also think it's digital DRM as well. If it's not validated by the device, then HDMI will block it. Again, I'm no expert, so I could be wrong.

I have doubts about that, but then again, I've only ever ran the HDMI straight from the PC to the receiver TV.

[Cortexian]

I also think it's digital DRM as well. If it's not validated by the device, then HDMI will block it. Again, I'm no expert, so I could be wrong.
Well, PS3 Media Server would be "transcoding" the videos on my PC and then sending that transcoded signal to the PS3. The desktop-PS3 connection is made by Gigabit, but from the PS3 to receiver to TV it will be HDMI.

Though I would assume the signal coming from the PS3 playing transcoded video wouldn't run into any DRM issues.

[Cortexian]

Okay question.

http://www.pioneer.eu/images/products/avamplifierreceiver/pioneer/vsx-520-k-back_zoom.jpg

In the above picture near the top-left is a black sub pre-out with a white background. This is an RCA style plug on the rear of my my receiver to go to my sub. The following photo is of the back of my sub (not mine but same model), where the fuck am I supposed to plug in that mono RCA pre-out?

http://www.avx.hu/forum/uploads/monthly_11_2010/post-19756-072318400%201289420703.jpg

Edit: The manual seems to indicate that I should connect it to the line level Left (white) input, I did this and it seems to be working just fine. Could someone explain to me why there's a left and right for the sub? It's just a mono bass signal after all...

[Cortexian]

http://lancersedge.servegame.org/home_theater/

:)

Not sure what to put in the big open hole where the sub is. That's where our old tube-TV sat. We're thinking about building some shelves in there around it, ideas?

[sleepy1212]

The furniture looks prefab, i wouldn't try to replicate it. use the money you saved to upgrade to a new one.

[Nero]

I agree with him. I would say the place has alot of potential but you're current furniture doesn't allow for it. I like where its going though.

[Dwood]

Eww 3d tv. Most overhyped thing ever in the time of overhyped things.

[Cortexian]

The furniture looks prefab, i wouldn't try to replicate it. use the money you saved to upgrade to a new one.
I'll take that as a compliment since the shelving unit was made by my dad and I a few years ago to fit with the rest of the Oak furniture in the room. It will be very easy for us to re configure it how we want as we have a ton more Oak left over.


Eww 3d tv. Most overhyped thing ever in the time of overhyped things.
I had a friend that had the exact same opinion. Then he actually sat down and watched one. Not only do 3DTV's have 3D capability but they also have the best picture when compared to other high end TV's that aren't 3D. This is thanks to the fact that 3DTV's are marketed as "flagship" models now, with the best of everything in them. We got the TV for the picture quality, the 3D capabilities were a bonus really.

If we had wanted 3D mainly we would have gotten a 65" and made it fit into the room somehow, since you want the largest 3DTV you can afford for the full effect. That said, the 3D is pretty cool, the active shutter glasses combined with the amazing picture quality of the TV make 3D look better than in the theaters.

[sleepy1212]

I'll take that as a compliment since the shelving unit was made by my dad and I a few years ago to fit with the rest of the Oak furniture in the room. It will be very easy for us to re configure it how we want as we have a ton more Oak left over.

As a fellow cabinet maker I've never heard someone say that was what they were going for, most would take it the other way lol. But if you can get a match and aren't up to a new one, even if you made it yourself, go for it.

[Cortexian]

Well we've already got the stained Oak, and we've re-configured this cabinet a few times already. You probably can't tell from the photo but we shifted the entire interior over and inch or two for the old TV we had in there. As it wouldn't fit because it was bigger than the old OLD TV it replaced lol.