Your Home Theater

[asandir]

They are indeed .... I couldn't get a decent pic with everything in, but it's a full 5.1 system, the specs are listed above in my post before the pic I think

[ThunderTitan]

You have the same TV... how do you make the 5.1 system work on the TV with all satellites? My bro forgot to take the one hooked up to my PC on new years and now we have 2.

[asandir]

the amp takes care of it .... it's 5.1, and the speakers are wired

[ThunderTitan]

Damn.. i hate figuring things out for myself...

[asandir]

it wasn't too hard .... optical from DVD to amp, 5.1 wiring straight to the speakers, then component cables to TV and PS2 .... Nintendo plugs in the front, as does the video player/video camera etc, etc when required

[Angelspit]

I really like those two HDTVs (links to CNET reviews are included -- both are editor's choices):

Pioneer PDP-5070HD, a 50 inch 720p plasma

Sony KDL-40XBR2, a 40 inch 1080p LCD

50 inch 1080p TVs are away too expensive, so I have to choose between a large 720p or a "smaller" 1080p. In store I can't really tell a LCD from a Plasma, so I'm skipping this criteria as a buying factor. However, I'm not sure what's the most important: the size of the TV or the native resolution considering what's coming in the next years. I want a TV that will last at least ten years obviously. Any advice?

[Robenhagen]

My best advice is to go down to the store and see the quality of the images on both tvs for yourself. Find out which one has the best and sharpest image, and then pick whichever you feel best about

[Corribus]

IMO 1080p isn't worth it yet. On a smaller TV you won't tell the difference and on a larger TV you're going to pay a lot more money and there isn't much out there to view on it yet. There's still a format war going on between HDDVD and Blue-Ray, the players are ridiculous expensive, and so is the media itself, let alone the poor selection. I wrestled with the same choice and I'm glad I saved the money and stuck with "regular" HD. The picture is still an unbelievable upgrade from what I had and I just can't imagine it being "that" much better. If you're going smaller than 42 inches, get an LCD. If larger, get a plasma because larger LCDs are just too expensive. 42 inch plasmas are nice. But, for the same price you can get 50 inch DLP with better pictures. Remember that plasmas don't quite have as good of a picture as a DLP. But of course, it's all relative. If you are like I was an are upgrading from an old tube, you'll be amazed at the picture whatever you get. Robenhagen is right - go look at the TV up close. If you like it, buy it. You'll get lost trying to make decisions by reading reviews.

FWIW, Sony TVs (like other sony electronics) are often about 30% more expensive than comparable models for other brands. They make quality stuff, but I'm not sure it's 30% better quality than other brands. A lot of that extra money goes for their admittedly attractive style.

Also, you want to make sure your new TV has at least one, preferably two, HDMI ports. And get an upconverting DVD player if you don't have one. The difference is pretty striking.

Edit: what's more important is what you want. Large TV or small TV, plasma or projection, depends mostly on your space, needs and budget. There's no right answer. And whatever you get, it's not going to last 10 years. Technology changes too fast anymore, and frankly these new sets aren't going to have the physical longevity of old tube TVs. Too many moving parts, too much power usage, etc. That's why it's just not worth it to pay a premium for what's the hottest thing out there right now (1080p). Spend less money now on something that you will enjoy now, and save the extra money for an upgrade 4-5 years down the road. That's my advice.

[Angelspit]

To me, all TVs in store look the same. As I told Robenhagen earlier, many of them are badly calibrated and the cheapest JVC looks as good as the top-of-the-line Sony. But I'm not expert.

Longevity: I bought my current 27" Sony in 1997, so I was hoping my next TV would last as long, but I see what you mean regarding the moving parts and power consumption.

Regarding the DVD, I was planning to wait for the end of the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD war, but upconverting players are very cheap, they basically give them away as part of Home-Theaters-In-A-Box. But the nature-lover in me just hates to buy stuff that will end up being useless in two years.

Thanks again for the tips, Corribus! I'll let you know what I decide.

[Corribus]

To me, all TVs in store look the same. As I told Robenhagen earlier, many of them are badly calibrated and the cheapest JVC looks as good as the top-of-the-line Sony. But I'm not expert.

That's true. I was not really suggesting a side by side comparison, because the feeds they use are also not that good and split over X amount of TVs. If the crappy in-store picture is good enough to sell you, it will even be better at home. If you really want to see what a TV is going to look like, bring your own DVD with you, preferably something that has a lot of flair, and ask them to play it for you. Many places will do that.

The underlying fact is that you can't really go wrong with any of the major brands. Sure, when you read reviews online, you will find nit-picky things like "rainbow effects" and complaints that on X set the color isn't quite as good as on the Y set, or that this one has deeper blacks than that one. I spent months trying to sift through those details, and I was going absolutely bonkers. And then I said, "my best friend has a Samsung 50" DLP. It's nice, looks great, why not?" So I bought it and I was happy. Sony, Samsung, Fujitsu, etc., they are all good brands. Some of them are better known for some types of technology than others, but when it comes down to it, they are all going to look great and you'll probably enjoy any one of them. So really the most important considerations are price and need. What do you need, and how much can you pay. If you have lots of space, or less money, by a projection TV. If you have less space or like the sleek look, and can afford to spend a little extra, buy a plasma. Then just see which brand looks nicest to you, and which one gives you the best deal.

When you boil it down like that, the decision is much easier! This is especially true because you (I presume), like me, are upgrading from a medium-sized tube television. I had a 29 inch Toshiba that I bought in 1996, and my parents donated to be a 40 inch mammoth tube Toshiba that they bought in 1994. Both of them still worked great, because short of running over them with a bulldozer, a tube will last FOREVER. My grandmother still has hers from the 1970s! But the thing is that the picture quality of even the WORST, cheepest modern HDTV you can buy is going to be orders of magnitude better than the picture quality of what you have. So yeah, this Sony may be 2% sharper than that Toshiba, or that Samsung may have 3% better contrast ratio than that Sharp, but those numbers mean nothing in comparison to what you have. Unless you are the type of person who is actually annoyed by the severity of a "rainbow effect" that you can only notice if you put your eyes 6 inches from the screen and whip your head to side really fast, in the end it's not going to make a difference. I mean, people who take ultra-zoomed computer snapshots of their TV picture and then analyze how large the pixel step size is have way too much time on their hands.

Longevity: I bought my current 27" Sony in 1997, so I was hoping my next TV would last as long, but I see what you mean regarding the moving parts and power consumption.

It's just too much in this day and age to hope that any electronic device is going to last you more than 5 years. Wheather it's because of the pace of technology and compatibility issues, or because the actual hardware, which these days is often encased in cheeper plastic instead of metal, can't hold up to the constant large voltages required to drive current technology, electronic devices just don't have the longevity they used to. I mean, maybe you'll be lucky - who knows? But my point is I just wouldn't base your purchasing decision on it. Plan on needing something new in 5 years, and then if you can hang on for ten, you'll be quite happy!

Regarding the DVD, I was planning to wait for the end of the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD war, but upconverting players are very cheap, they basically give them away as part of Home-Theaters-In-A-Box. But the nature-lover in me just hates to buy stuff that will end up being useless in two years.

Yes they are quite cheap and they do look quite fantastic, almost, but not quite, a great as a genuine 720p signal. Speaking of genuine 720p signals, I've been watching the planet earth specials in 720p btw and they are absolutely incredible. Everyone owes themselves to go out and see them in HD.

But a word on the HTIB systems. I also considered getting one of these, because a lot of the online reviews complained about the quality of the speakers on a lot of the HD sets, and my receiver, a mid-aged Onkyo (which I love dearly and has absolutely stunning sound) just doesn't the modern connections to make connecting all my video through it convenient. The HTIB are obviously attractive options. In the end I decided to wait, because I wanted (well, my wife hinted that I should want) to save some money, and I wanted to evaluate the sound of the TV myself (audiophiles being even more nuts than videophiles). I am glad I held off because the TV's sound is more than adequate for my needs, and if I really want to crank up the volume and piss off my neighbors, I can, technically, play the sound through my stereo, although the way it is connected is admittedly somewhat, er, inventive. I should point out that many people complained about the speakers in my Samsung. I have no issues with it. THe sound is reasonably crisp, the bass good enough for TV watching and I rarely go much more than a 3rd of the way up the available volume. So, be wary of poor evaluations of a TV's native speakers - again something to check out at the store. Of course, since I share walls with neighbors on both sides, I cannot really pump up the volume anyway, particularly the bass, so I can see how your level of pickiness may change if you are free to crank up your movies as much as you want.

But as for HTIB, particularly ones with DVD players, I have heard that one of the drawbacks is that, sort of like a laptop, it is difficult to upgrade or replace broken or obselete parts. So for instance if the DVD player breaks, which is not all too uncommon, you are left with a stereo with a permanently broken DVD player, or, if it's a serious problem the DVD player, the whole thing is a wash because most of them don't have separate receivers. Or, if the receiver goes, so does your DVD player. So for these reasons, plus I didn't want to have stereo wires everywhere, I just bought my DVD player individually. A Sony, it cost about 100 dollars US (although you can buy cheaper ones, I believe) and has a lot of great features. SOme of them I didn't know about when I bought it - for instance, if you stop a movie halfway through, remove the disk, play another one, and then three weeks later you put the unfinished one back in, it remembers where you left off. Crazy. Anyway, I'm ultimately glad I didn't buy the HTIB, but obviously your needs will dictate your purchase, but I thought I would just throw that out there.

[asandir]

that's what I like to do as well, separate components are the way to go, perhaps a little more wiring and the like, but easier to manage when it's up and going, and much cheaper and easier to replace if necessary

[Angelspit]

I'm considering purchasing the Samsung LN-T4661F (the link points to a review of the 4665, its little sister), and later on the Onkyo SKS-HT240 surround system. With the addition of a receiver and possibly of an upscaling DVD, I'm going to bust my budget a bit, but I'll end up with a very sweet home theater.

[Corribus]

I'm not familiar with this year's models, having bought mine last year, but Samsung makes great stuff and I'm sure you'll enjoy that selection very much. What size is it? The only thing I'll say is that they aren't kidding when they tell you a glossy screen reflects a lot of light. My new 1080p laptop is a glossy screen and while it looks absolutely fantastic in low level light, much better than a matte screen, it is virtually unusable with any direct source of light behind it. For every plus there is a minus, eh? So, make sure you have a dark place (or a place that can be dark) to put it.

I think you're making the right move buy purchasing your speakers, receiver and DVD separately. It costs more money up front, but in the long run it will be advantageous. You can pick exactly what you want on all fronts and if something breaks or needs upgrading, it is much easier. Onkyo makes some of the finest stereo equipment, and those speakers will last a long time. I suggest buying an Onkyo receiver, too, if you can. Just a tip - Onkyo seems to report their channel power output much differently than other companies, so their "Watts per channel" ratings always seem very low. I don't remember the actual reason for that, but it often makes it confusing when trying to buy their receivers. A lot of company inflate their power numbers and Onkyo does not. In any case, all of the Onkyo receivers I've owned (well, two of them) have been nearly flawless in sound and quality. My older one I've had for over a decade and it still sounds fantastic, even if the connections are a little outdated. For the price, they really can't be beat.

[Angelspit]

The LN-T4661F is a 46" model that's less glossy (and a bit cheaper because of the basic speakers) than the 4665. That information I got from the Amazon.com customer comments, so I'll double-check it in store first.

The receiver will be the toughest part, as I never own one before. Sticking to the speaker's brand is the safest option, but there are a lot of great receivers out there (Pioneer, Denon, Bose, etc.).

[asandir]

Bose is certainly a good brand, but you can't go wrong with Onkyo

[Corribus]

I think you can do worse than Bose, but I think that they are a little overrated. If you want really small speakers, they are good because they deliver great sound for their size. You are not going to find ultrasmall speakers with better sound I don't think. But for a really good stereo sound from normal bookshelf or floor speakers, you are going to want to buy a Denon, Onkyo, HK, etc. Of course, there are some boutique brands that are even "better" than those, but for most of us mortals, those are out of reach.

[Caradoc]

Supposedly, Bose offers a unique technology that adapts the sound to the size of the room and its acoustic properties, some sort of feedback system. At one time, you could only buy direct from Bose.

[asandir]

that's why I like em, small but simply superb sound! while not costing the absolute earth!

[Angelspit]

Well, this is it, I bought the 46" LN-T4661F LCD. I first found the size of the screen a bit overwhelming since my basement is not that big, but my eye is getting used to the sometimes jerky movement of interlaced display and I think I have now found the right viewing distance in my room. My first screen test was the Metoroporisu DVD, and the results were superb, even on a non-upscaling player. The next day I watched the end of the Detroit-Anaheim playoff hockey game, and I felt like I was in the crowd. During the evening Pirates of the Carribeans: Dead Man's Chest was playing in HD and I spent more time watching every little detail of the scenery (and of Keira Knightley's prefect skin) than following the action.

On the down side the dark scenes look a bit greenish, with some noise. My component cables are probably to blame. I'll have to start working on the calibration more seriously. Some SD channels look mediocre, so I find myself going back to my old tube for things like the weather channel.

More comments later as I do more tests and setup.

[Corribus]

Well, this is it, I bought the 46" LN-T4661F LCD. I first found the size of the screen a bit overwhelming since my basement is not that big, but my eye is getting used to the sometimes jerky movement of interlaced display and I think I have now found the right viewing distance in my room. My first screen test was the Metoroporisu DVD, and the results were superb, even on a non-upscaling player. The next day I watched the end of the Detroit-Anaheim playoff hockey game, and I felt like I was in the crowd. During the evening Pirates of the Carribeans: Dead Man's Chest was playing in HD and I spent more time watching every little detail of the scenery (and of Keira Knightley's prefect skin) than following the action.

Let's have a picture! You'll get used to the size. I went through a short period of buyer's remorse with mine because I was convinced it was too big. But I got used to it and now I love it.

On the down side the dark scenes look a bit greenish, with some noise. My component cables are probably to blame. I'll have to start working on the calibration more seriously. Some SD channels look mediocre, so I find myself going back to my old tube for things like the weather channel.

1. SD channels look worse, much worse on an HD screen than on a regular screen. Partially it's a size thing. I pretty much can only watch HD stuff on mine.

2. If you can, use HDMI for as much of your HD sources as you can, assuming your TV has a port, as it is a far superior connection. Particularly for your DVDs. It really makes a difference for the upconverting players. You may not have that option for your cable box, and 2 HDMI ports are still not standard on HD-TVs. But, don't bother with the 100 dollar monster cable versions. I have one of those and a generic that was about 1/3 the price and I can't tell the difference. Between component and HDMI, yes. Between two HDMI's, no.

3. Light leakage and black quality have always been a problem for LCD and DLP technology, particularly the former. You will never get the contrast that you can from a CRT using either of these sorts of sets, although today's models are worlds better than earlier ones. Really dark scenes are a little noisy on mine, also. Play around with your settings a bit, but also realize that dark scenes are probably always going to be the downside of these types of displays.