Home Theater Mega Thread

[fundmark19]

Silver did your screen make it to the boarder yet?

[GoinAllTheWay]

A couple of general question for you guys:

With recievers these days, I've noticed that they can have up to 4 HDMI in and 1 out. TV's have up to 4 HDMI in as well and it got me thinking, how are recievers setup these days? Say you have 3 devices (Xbox, HDTV Box, Blue Ray), would you send all of those devices to the receiver via HDMI and then one HDMI from the reciever to the TV? If this is the case, the additional HDMI slots on the tv are used by people not running a reciever?

For sound, which is superior, HDMI or Optical?

BTW - If anyone is interested, Costco is selling the Logitech Harmony 600 for $25. Very entry level I know but solid, solid remote for $25.

[fundmark19]

Thats exactly it. you want to run all items into your reciever as it should provide upgrading as well as sending everything out to your speakers.

HDMI optical is a debate lots of people use optical to eliminate any handshake issues with hdmi. I just switched to optical from RCA and its amazing but my buddy uses his HDMI audio through his reciever and it sounds just as good

That is a great deal on harmony remote you don't need anything fancy just something that will send out the signals for you

[photon]

HDMI is necessary if you want to use the latest DTS-HD and DoblyHD lossless audio, optical isn't sufficient to transmit them.

Or use a whole schwack of RCA analog cables if your audio is being decoded on the player.

[Jonrox]

Projector is the only way to go.

The technology has improved so much over the last 5 years to the point that the picture quality easily rivals LCD and plasma... and you're getting 100"+ screen size!! Even if you can't completely control the lighting in a room, the picture will be plenty bright enough if you buy a decent projector. And if you can create a "bat cave", you will be amazed by the picture of even a mid-level projector (like an Epson 8700).

For $3000 you can get a great projector with a screen and have a 120" behemoth that will blow your mind. You'd spend tens of thousands of dollars to get a tv that size.

I'm convinced that if an AV store properly setup a few projectors and demo'd them to customers, they could sell a ton of them. The general public still thinks projectors suffer from a lack of brightness and weak black levels. If they were only exposed to what the technology can do now, they'd be amazed.

Also, if anyone is looking for a great receiver, the Marantz 7005 is fantastic.

[OBCT]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

A couple of general question for you guys:

With recievers these days, I've noticed that they can have up to 4 HDMI in and 1 out. TV's have up to 4 HDMI in as well and it got me thinking, how are recievers setup these days? Say you have 3 devices (Xbox, HDTV Box, Blue Ray), would you send all of those devices to the receiver via HDMI and then one HDMI from the reciever to the TV? If this is the case, the additional HDMI slots on the tv are used by people not running a reciever?

For sound, which is superior, HDMI or Optical?

BTW - If anyone is interested, Costco is selling the Logitech Harmony 600 for $25. Very entry level I know but solid, solid remote for $25.

- Receivers:
Yes, your assumptions are all correct. Some people choose not to run certain devices through their receiver and instead go straight to the TV via HDMI, but this is rarely useful, especially now that more and more receivers support HDMI fully, including audio pass-thru, etc. It is also increasingly common, however, for peripheral video devices to be equipped with HDMI connectivity; in many cases it is easier to plug said devices directly into the TV, rather than into the receiver (due to laborious connector placement and device configuration). I'm thinking PCs/laptops/cameras/camcorders. A free HDMI port is also handy if a friend brings over his PS3 or 360 to play for an afternoon.

- Sound... HDMI vs. optical:
The easy answer is HDMI is better. HDMI was designed to accommodate more types of data and high rates of transfer than optical, plus the addition of exclusive future technology compatibilities (ie. 3D), as popularity increases.

In reality, they're quite similar. Both are fully digital and allow for very high data transfer rates, so both will theoretically make CDs and DVDs sound as good as possible.

The main difference right now can be heard in some (mostly new) Blu-ray releases, where so-called HD audio ("advanced lossless multi-channel audio") encoded tracks are present. Generally speaking, HDMI is the only way to transmit these audio types wholly. [When we're talking about HD audio codecs on Blu-ray Discs, we're specifically talking about Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Dolby and DTS are rival sound companies competing for supremacy in the home entertainment realm with these similar codecs. It's not to say that one is better than the other, just that they're not one and the same.]

These codecs provide incredible surround sound reproduction natively, meaning they're really only useful for those with 5 or more speakers in their home theater setup. The traditional Dolby and DTS stereocodecs are amply good for those with 2/3/4 speakers, and would therefore sound just as good thru optical as HDMI, even on the newest Blu-ray productions.

[photon]

Originally Posted by OBCT

These codecs provide incredible surround sound reproduction natively, meaning they're really only useful for those with 5 or more speakers in their home theater setup. The traditional Dolby and DTS stereocodecs are amply good for those with 2/3/4 speakers, and would therefore sound just as good thru optical as HDMI, even on the newest Blu-ray productions.

I'd disagree a little bit, as Dolby Digital and DTS are both lossy compression, while DolbyHD and DTS-HD are lossless, so if you have good enough equipment you could potentially still hear a difference between the two on a lower # of speakers.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

Silver did your screen make it to the boarder yet?

It was in Richmond, BC yesterday. Hopefully I have it by Monday but today would be even better.

I bought some new furniture for under the screen that looks a lot better than what I had in my original pics. I'll post photos when the screen is in and everything is looking the way I want it.

We still can't get over how awesome having a 120" screen is. I've never been so stoked on an electronic gizmo.

[fundmark19]

I would like to put in my rightfully earned I told you so! Its epic!

[GoinAllTheWay]

Awesome, thanks a ton guys, that really clears some things up for me regarding my current setup and the direction I want to go with a new one when I move to a new home.

Originally Posted by fundmark

That is a great deal on harmony remote you don't need anything fancy just something that will send out the signals for you

What do the higher end ones do in terms of fancy? I bought this one mainly as a short term solution to my g/f complaining about the number of remotes we had, I full intend to buy a much better one when I purchase a new sound system. Curious as to what else they can do.

[Vulcan]

Another reason for using HDMI is that it simplifies and cleans up your connections. The Audio Return Channel is also a great thing as it

Audio Return Channel - Allows the HDMI connection between a television and A/V receiver to transmit audio two ways, both upstream and downstream. This eliminates the need for a separate audio cable and ensures you maintain the high digital audio quality of HDMI.

so I can get audio from my TV to my receiver automatically.

[fundmark19]

Never thought of this why would I want audio to come back from my tv? recorded videos on a camera? or if someone brings a ps3 over plugs into my hdmi on my tv would it be sent back to my reciever then sent out over speakers?

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

Never thought of this why would I want audio to come back from my tv? recorded videos on a camera? or if someone brings a ps3 over plugs into my hdmi on my tv would it be sent back to my reciever then sent out over speakers?

It should. The most obvious use would be getting Over the Air HD signals to your TV and sending back the digital sound to your TV. I'm too far away from any HD signals but just for experimental purposes I split my Shaw co-ax internet connection and ran a feed to my TV. I picked up a couple of dozen channels and got digital sound on my receiver. I won't be using this though as I get HD on my Bell satellite.

I'm going to plug my laptop via HDMI to my TV and see if that works too. It should but I think not all TVs are capable of using the ARC.

Another thing is I have 4 HDMI inputs on my Audio receiver so if I run out I should be able to just plug another three HDMI devices to my TV and ARC will send them to my receiver.

[fundmark19]

Wow thanks for that Vulcan I had no idea something to definitly look into when upgrading tvs. Now do all recievers do this or do you need a more higher end reciever

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

Wow thanks for that Vulcan I had no idea something to definitly look into when upgrading tvs. Now do all recievers do this or do you need a more higher end reciever

I don't know if the older receivers will do it but I just have a cheapish newish Onkyo 508 and it works. You'd have to check the specs on the receiver.

Most TVs do have an audio return by toslink cable but a lot of these won't do above 2:1 sound.

[fundmark19]

which makes sense, Now I know what those damn optical out ports are for! This thread is epic! I have learnt so much!

[fundmark19]

Ok here we go! Welcome to Shenanigans! Please use your imagination as everything is still in development stage!

Here is screen lights off

Here is my seating with my mexican flames blanket

Picture of far corner of my basement looking at seating arcade machine and wet bar

Picture of bar from seating are

Bar set up of Beer fridge liquer shelf kegerator and drink-omatic

Picture of screen lights on

And my arcade mame machine


Equipment-
Sanyo plv z5 projector
Onkyo 7.1 HTIB
Accuscreen 106" Motorized Projector screen
PS3
MAME Machine w/ working coin slots
Golden tee case (from gobsgrahm)
27" monitor decased
Old computer Flames gimp sold me 5 years ago
xArcade controller
Theater chairs from someone off kijiji I feel bad how little I paid for these compared to their value.

Let me know what you guys think and if you have any suggestions!

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

Ok here we go! Welcome to Shenanigans! Please use your imagination as everything is still in development stage!
Equipment-
Sanyo plv z5 projector
Onkyo 7.1 HTIB
Accuscreen 106" Motorized Projector screen
PS3
MAME Machine w/ working coin slots
Golden tee case (from gobsgrahm)
27" monitor decased
Old computer Flames gimp sold me 5 years ago
xArcade controller
Theater chairs from someone off kijiji I feel bad how little I paid for these compared to their value.

Let me know what you guys think and if you have any suggestions!

Totally worth hooking TV up to it. Why not watch sports on it? Since HD TV came out, projectors are actually now a great TV display. Also, depending on where your Light switch is I recommend a remote dimmer (Lutron Maestro ~ $30)

Edit: Really nice setup BTW

[fundmark19]

Hook a tv up to the mame? It is in an obscure place for watching but not a bad idea for something to do. I am also going to put a small ish like 32" tv in the corner of the bar above the drink o matic as well.

And I love the maestro I have 2 of them! Hooked up to my harmony remote one button turns all my lights off drops my screen and turns on my components. Hit one button lights come on everything turns off and screen goes back to the roof.

Or did you mean hook tv up to the projector? I forgot to mention I have an HD box as well it is all hidden behind that mess of wires

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

Hook a tv up to the mame? It is in an obscure place for watching but not a bad idea for something to do. I am also going to put a small ish like 32" tv in the corner of the bar above the drink o matic as well.

And I love the maestro I have 2 of them! Hooked up to my harmony remote one button turns all my lights off drops my screen and turns on my components. Hit one button lights come on everything turns off and screen goes back to the roof.

Or did you mean hook tv up to the projector? I forgot to mention I have an HD box as well it is all hidden behind that mess of wires

Sorry. Yah, I meant a digital TV box....