Here's the challenge:
Looking to implement a home theater here in my apartment in the next few months. This setup will primarily be used to watch sports, watch DVDs, play console games, and piss off the people who live below me. I rarely watch regular television. I would like to get as much bang as possible for the buck in the budget ranges I have listed. I may be willing to spend more if something is a killer deal at its pricepoint. Here are the thoughts so far:
TV:
LCD or Plasma, 42-47", 1080p/120hz
Budget: $1500 to $2000
Add'l Info:
My living room is such that getting more than 10ish feet from the screen is going to be almost impossible, thus I'm erring away from the larger screens. So far I have looked at a number of models in stores and really like the picture quality of Samsung and Toshiba panels. Sony seems good too, but priced far higher for no better quality. The LG panels I have looked at seem to have oversaturated color and are generally less crisp than the Samsung and Toshiba units, even after adjusting settings.
I was able to notice a definite difference between 60 and 120hz units, especially in slow pans with a lot of contrast, and would like 120hz.
Sound:
5.1 surround
Budget: $500 to $1500
Preferably with as little wiring as possible. However, I am willing to wire it all up if needed. Are the new wireless units comparable in sound quality to the wired units? I will be using this setup to listen to music as well, so I want something good for not only DVD playback but also music playback. I'm looking for brand suggestions here - in the past I have quite liked Klipsch speakers for my gaming PCs and was considering looking into their home theater stuff.
HT/Gaming PC:
Budget: $2000 to $3000
I plan to anchor all this to an HTPC that should also have enough grunt for PC games if possible. I specifically need suggestions regarding graphics cards with good Blu-Ray/DVD decoding and playback/output, good TV Tuner cards (either built into a graphics solution or separate), and a sound card that will provide good output of both Blu-Ray/DVD sound, gaming sound, and music.
I am familiar with PC Gaming hardware as that has been my bag for the past 15 years or so, but I don't have an in-depth knowledge of where the good mix of HT abilities is found alongside good PC Gaming abilities.
I am willing to build separate HTPC and Gaming PC if that is the smarter move right now - you guys tell me. The plan is for PC gaming to be done on 22 inch monitor, not the HDTV.
That about covers it with my general "wants". You are all now cordially invited to tear apart my ideas, tell me why they won't work, and provide me with your "the way *I* would do it..." suggestions. Gogo AT!
Looking to implement a home theater here in my apartment in the next few months. This setup will primarily be used to watch sports, watch DVDs, play console games, and piss off the people who live below me. I rarely watch regular television. I would like to get as much bang as possible for the buck in the budget ranges I have listed. I may be willing to spend more if something is a killer deal at its pricepoint. Here are the thoughts so far:
TV:
LCD or Plasma, 42-47", 1080p/120hz
Budget: $1500 to $2000
Add'l Info:
My living room is such that getting more than 10ish feet from the screen is going to be almost impossible, thus I'm erring away from the larger screens. So far I have looked at a number of models in stores and really like the picture quality of Samsung and Toshiba panels. Sony seems good too, but priced far higher for no better quality. The LG panels I have looked at seem to have oversaturated color and are generally less crisp than the Samsung and Toshiba units, even after adjusting settings.
I was able to notice a definite difference between 60 and 120hz units, especially in slow pans with a lot of contrast, and would like 120hz.
Sound:
5.1 surround
Budget: $500 to $1500
Preferably with as little wiring as possible. However, I am willing to wire it all up if needed. Are the new wireless units comparable in sound quality to the wired units? I will be using this setup to listen to music as well, so I want something good for not only DVD playback but also music playback. I'm looking for brand suggestions here - in the past I have quite liked Klipsch speakers for my gaming PCs and was considering looking into their home theater stuff.
HT/Gaming PC:
Budget: $2000 to $3000
I plan to anchor all this to an HTPC that should also have enough grunt for PC games if possible. I specifically need suggestions regarding graphics cards with good Blu-Ray/DVD decoding and playback/output, good TV Tuner cards (either built into a graphics solution or separate), and a sound card that will provide good output of both Blu-Ray/DVD sound, gaming sound, and music.
I am familiar with PC Gaming hardware as that has been my bag for the past 15 years or so, but I don't have an in-depth knowledge of where the good mix of HT abilities is found alongside good PC Gaming abilities.
I am willing to build separate HTPC and Gaming PC if that is the smarter move right now - you guys tell me. The plan is for PC gaming to be done on 22 inch monitor, not the HDTV.
That about covers it with my general "wants". You are all now cordially invited to tear apart my ideas, tell me why they won't work, and provide me with your "the way *I* would do it..." suggestions. Gogo AT!