Home Theater Mega Thread

[oilyfan]

Only said that because he wants something local. If you are going monoprice you could get a shielded 30" RCA cable too

[StrykerSteve]

I have a pretty standard setup, as represented in this crude drawing I whipped up. (green are speakers, red are TV and amp, white is furniture)



Two tower speakers at front of room on either side of the TV. Center channel will either be above or below the TV, haven't decided as of yet.

Sub will likely be to the left of the left tower speaker in the front corner of the room.

Two speakers on either wall, then two more in the rear corners.

I've tried to make sure any audio cables are not touching any electrical wiring. Here's a shot of the wiring right now. Notice the grey sub cable running along the bottom.

Spoiler!

[PsYcNeT]

You might benefit from a Binding Post/RCA box then. It'll be a bit more costly, but it's certainly cleaner (and you can use shorter cabling):

http://www.amazon.ca/PHIW71-Theater-...s=binding+post

Cheaper one:

http://www.amazon.ca/OSD-Audio-WP16-...ref=pd_cp_ce_2

[Madman]

Couple things:

- That speaker wire does not look like its CL2 fire rated for in wall use.
- Move your rear surrounds closer together - they should be half as close together as your side surrounds are.
- Is your couch right against a wall? Both sets of surrounds should be moved back if possible.

[StrykerSteve]

Not sure about whether the speaker wire is fire-rated or not, the electrician put it in. How do I determine this?

Yeah, the couch is against a wall.

If I move the rears closer together, they will be above my head?

I suppose once the furniture is in there, I could move the couch forward a bit, depending on the spacing of things once everything is in there.

[StrykerSteve]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

You might benefit from a Binding Post/RCA box then. It'll be a bit more costly, but it's certainly cleaner (and you can use shorter cabling):

http://www.amazon.ca/PHIW71-Theater-...s=binding+post

Cheaper one:

http://www.amazon.ca/OSD-Audio-WP16-...ref=pd_cp_ce_2

Good suggestion, thanks.

Went with this one, as it includes an HDMI port, and I have one of those running through the wall to the TV.

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004..._ya_os_product

[J Diddy]

I recommend running all cables without binding plates etc. From speaker directly to receiver...from TV directly to receiver etc.

[PsYcNeT]

If you are against increasing terminal points (which, unless you are a startling audiophile, isn't a big deal), you can also get bullnose comb-type plates to make things look clean while still using the original cable run.

Honestly, each terminal connection is a very minimal amount of power/signal loss, which isn't a big deal if your cable runs are less than 50 feet and you are using the right gauge of wire.

[PsYcNeT]

Also, make sure you get a CL2/CL3 or VW-1 rated HDMI cable for any wall-runs. I would double check your speaker cable to ensure it has one of those designations printed on it as well, else you could be at an insurance risk if it ever comes up in a fire investigation. As mentioned above though, i would guess not as they are not jacketed.

If you're doing a 30+ foot HDMI run as well, I would really recommend getting RedMere-chipped cables.

[Incogneto]

Originally Posted by onetwo_threefour

It's actually wallpaper (7 strips... total 8'x10'). Got it as a Christmas present from my wife, but had to put it up myself. I nailed hardboard panels to the wall, avoiding studs, and then wallpapered the panels so that it would be easy to take down later with minimal effort and only some nailholes to fill.

http://www.blackdogmurals.com/ref=sample_one

Oh NICE! I have been wanting something like this for my mancave since seeing this:


What did the Dr. Who one cost?

[Table 5]

Why do people mount their tv's up high like that? It's like watching tv at the airport.

Btw, thanks everyone for all the help on all the tv models over the last few weeks. Ind the end I ended up getting the Sony 900A. They price dropped by $700, so it was a bit of a no brainer. Even though I did like the Panasonic plasmas a lot, it was about a grand more expensive, which I couldn't really justify.

[oilyfan]

I was thinking the same thing, it looks ridiculous. But I believe they didn't want to block the end zone on the wallpaper, but nonetheless that TV is unwatchable.

[OldDutch]

So... in my haste to buy a replacement system for my home theatre post flood, before my basement even had drywall, I bought a CC-10 centre channel.

It is awesome, but I put in a fireplace where the TV will be above, and that speaker is too deep. It will look quite stupid sticking out from the wall above the fireplace.

So I have been looking at some low profile centre channel speakers. I have found a Polk Audio TL-2, and MartinLogan Motion 6. I admit I haven't spent more than 20 mins looking.

So, do anyone here have a low profile centre channel? Any suggestions based on experience on good things you have heard?

As a background I have Energy Take Classics as my surrounds and it is a Medium sized room. So I would want a centre that has a bit of kick but not overpowering.

[Sliver]

Well, my four-year old Onkyo died on me this weekend. It had been dying for a while, but I finally got fed up. It does annoy me that it didn't have a very long lifespan considering it was a $1,300 receiver. It's not an uncommon problem with Onkyos, apparently. Something to do with the input where you plug the HDMI cables into heating up then shutting off the receiver. It started by doing it occasionally, and this weekend it was doing it every five minutes. I cleaned it with compressed air, it was never in an enclosed cabinet, etc., but I guess it was just a POS.

So I upgraded to a Marantz SR7007, which has 125 watts per channel. Bought it at Future Shop and for the first time in my life I actually paid for an extended warranty (negotiated it into the price, plus a discount, so including the warranty I still paid under sticker price). Anyway, this thing f*&$ing pounds. I haven't even cranked it up full blast yet because my ears couldn't take it. I could literally feel the air pushing at me like mini air cannons pounding with the music. It's unreal. So far I'm really happy with it. I've also been able to tweak a bunch of the settings for movies to increase dialogue volume and fine tune sub adjustments for different scenarios. IDK, this thing is miles ahead of the Onkyo I had.

All that being said, I'm hesitant to just throw a $1,300 receiver into the recycling bin. Anybody know where I can take the Onkyo in for repair so I can hang onto it as a spare or sell it?

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Sliver

All that being said, I'm hesitant to just throw a $1,300 receiver into the recycling bin. Anybody know where I can take the Onkyo in for repair so I can hang onto it as a spare or sell it?

You can try Bestech: http://www.bestech.ca/

They repaired my NAD receiver...was impressed with the quick and friendly service.

They also have a crap load of cheap cables...I think they are monoprice cables...if anyone is looking.

[Galakanokis]

Still putting the finishing touches on the basement but it is coming along. Da-Lite 66x114 screen which is a little big but not to bad. I am waiting on a 100" diagnol Stewart Sno-matte screen which is very nice but it is still in use. It will be a better fit and is a 1 x gain so a little better fit the lighter environment.

An older Projection Design Action model 3 projector but it does the job. It was free as it won't do 24.98psf so useless in the professional market. Bulbs are ridiculously expensive though, $2500 and you need two of them. Need to source some Chinese knock off.

Still trying to decide what to do for audio by I have a few options. Trying to decide if I take already everything upstairs as it is the better gear and would be used me often.

[Azure]

Been a while since I've looked at projectors, so I imagine lots have changed. What is currently the best projector for the best price?

Need something to show presentations at work, as well as do some gaming and watch TV.

[Street Pharmacist]

www.projectorcentral.com is an absolutely amazing resource. Helped me pick out my gaming projector

[J Diddy]

In my research the BenQ and Epson projectors seem to be the best bang for the buck these days.

[united]

What, in your guys' experience and opinion, is the best sports-watching TV for under $2,500 (55-65")? I had been waiting months for a Panasonic ST60 to go on sale to replace my sports TV, but now it seems they will soon be sold out everywhere so I'm thinking perhaps it's time to pounce regardless of price.

Now, the reason for this post is I started doing some "last minute" research and found some posts regarding flickering or fluctuating whites (such as ice colour) when watching hockey or snow sports on the ST60, which caused some worry. Is it just the ST60 that's bad or plasmas in general? Unfortunately I haven't been able to find much content on this topic. Perhaps due to looking in the wrong places.

I guess my question ultimately is: if you were buying a TV that would be used for 75% sports and 25% movies/misc. TV, would you avoid the ST60 series...and if so, what is the better choice? I don't play video games so input lag is a nonissue, and the room is light controlled so glare is also not an issue.

TIA