Home Theater Poll

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: BornStar18

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: BornStar18
Well, I've got a picture now (not completely current) so I guess I'll use this chance to post it.

Text

What's in the cage?

My puppy.

 

[pennylane]

My home theater will change a bit in the next few months, but I can't update the thread. I'll post pics when I can finally get it.

And the reason I'm doing 5.1 over 7.1 is (like you mentioned) because I don't have the space. I barely have the space for 5.1.

 

[vi edit]

For an added part of the poll it would have been interesting to see what sort of speakers people used.

Fronts: on wall, tower, bookshelf, in wall, ect.
Rears: on wall, in wall, tower, ect.

And if you really wanted to get technical, you could ask if people actually calibrated crossovers

 

[BornStar]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: BornStar18
My puppy.

We're probably going to be moving the cage away from the speakers. I need to take another picture with the cage moved and my HD-DVD player. I also need to get the TV cables cleaned up better.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
For an added part of the poll it would have been interesting to see what sort of speakers people used.

Fronts: on wall, tower, bookshelf, in wall, ect.
Rears: on wall, in wall, tower, ect.

And if you really wanted to get technical, you could ask if people actually calibrated crossovers

Just what this poll needs, more questions

(I hope you don't mind if I don't add them )

 

[ethebubbeth]

What is your display type?
Westinghouse 4207 LCD TV

What is your display size?
42"

What is the aspect ratio of your display?
16:9

What most closely matches your display resolution?
720p (1366x768)

What is your sound system like?
2x Klipsch RF-3
1x Klipsch RC-3II
2x Klipsch RS-35
1x SVS PC+ 20-39
1x Denon 3805

Bass shakers / some kind of tactile sound? (subwoofer doesn't count)
Nope.

What is your system used for?
Mostly Music (2channel FLAC or 6 channel wavepack) from my media PC.

Also watch anime/movies from my mediapc and game on various consoles.

What do you enjoy more?
Music.

What was your spending ratio like for video vs. sound?
2.5:1, audio being the more expensive.

How much did you spend total?
Westinghouse 4207 $1080 with tax
RF-3 $550 shipped
RC-3II $350 shipped
RS-35 $380 shipped
SVS PC+ 20-39 $840 shipped
Denon 3805: $600 (local seller)

$3800

How is your placement?
My placement is within Dolby guideline optimal except for my surrounds, which are 25 degrees too far forward and are much higher than the others due to issues with the room layout.

What kind of room is it in?
My bedrooom.

How did you pick out your components?
I have always been a fan of the klipsch horn-loaded sound, so I just waited for a pair of mains to come up cheap on ebay. The rest of the components were matched to the fronts through online research.

Did you / are you getting your money's worth?
Hell yes.

 

[pennylane]

hey ethebubbeth,

What kind of 6 channel wavpack music do you listen to? ie, what's the source (file type) of the music before it was compressed? What kind of music is it? Do you use analog outs from your PC to get to your receiver?

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Bump since someone mentioned it

Hey,

can I hijack your thread for a second?

I'm wondering if you are familiar with stereo tube pream/amps setups and how could I (if possible at all) integrate it in a HT setup.

Possibly without running mixers between audio preamp and final mono amps, but I might accept having a mixer between the HT sources and the preamp.

That would help a lot.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Tango

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Bump since someone mentioned it

Hey,

can I hijack your thread for a second?

I'm wondering if you are familiar with stereo tube pream/amps setups and how could I (if possible at all) integrate it in a HT setup.

Possibly without running mixers between audio preamp and final mono amps, but I might accept having a mixer between the HT sources and the preamp.

That would help a lot.

I haven't really looked into tubes personally... mainly because I don't have the budget for it and it's a ton easier for HT applications to just go solid state for multichannel use.

Almost all of the applications I've seen with tubes have been for strictly 2.0/2.1 audio.

I found a 5.1 tube preamp here but it's probably not what you're looking for
http://www.fosgateaudionics.com/products/FAP-V1.asp
"the only vacuum tube driven surround sound processor in the world"

When you say integrate into a HT setup, what do you mean exactly? I'm kind of assuming you want to use the tube gear for 2.0/2.1 music but would like to use the same equipment for 5.1+ HT usage as well? What if you could reuse the tube amps but had two pre-amps?

I could see having a tube preamp for 2-channel music listening and then another solid-state preamp for surround sound HT usage.
What about getting a tube amp that allows pass-through so you can hook up a HT preamp/processor for movie watching while using the tube pre-amp for music?
Or... if the monoblocks have more than one input on them (XLR and RCA?), hook up the tube preamp for music use via XLR and switch them over to RCA for HT usage with another solid state pre-amp? (Sounds like that could be some work).

Someone else can probably offer you better suggestions since I really haven't looked into tube stuff at all and what would be involved in an effective multichannel setup for tubes.

 

[krotchy]

What is your display type?
What is your display size?
What is the aspect ratio of your display?
What most closely matches your display resolution?
Vizio LCD - 47 inches,
16:9
1080p


What is your sound system like?
Onkyo HT590S- 5.1


What is your system used for?
Xbox 360, Movie Playback, Sporadic Computer Use (Eventually will have dedicated HTPC)

What do you enjoy more?
Movies

What was your spending ratio like for video vs. sound?
1700 TV, 250 Sound

How much did you spend total?
~2000 + Xbox 360, Upconverting DVD Player, Add another 1500 when HTPC is added.

How is your placement?
Speakers are in the right "area'

What kind of room is it in?
Living Room

How did you pick out your components?
AVSforum.com reading

Did you / are you getting your money's worth?
Definitely

 

[The J]

What is your display type?
LCD Monitor. Dell 1907FP from my computer.

What is your display size?
19"

What is the aspect ratio of your display?
5:4 1280x1024

What most closely matches your display resolution?
Well, I guess it's closest to 1080p, but I'm not sure.

What is your sound system like?
Audigy 2 ZS to analog multichannel input on Onkyo SR502.
Fluance SX-HTB+ speaker set (5 speakers)
Dayton 12" subwoofer

Bass shakers / some kind of tactile sound? (subwoofer doesn't count)
No

What is your system used for?
The system is hooked right up to my computer. The display is just a computer monitor (1907FP) and so the speakers are basically computer speakers. I play a lot of music, but also play games and DVDs pretty often.

What do you enjoy more?
The theater in the downtown area here (15 minute walk) is pretty nice, but I like using my system as well.

What was your spending ratio like for video vs. sound?
The audio components totaled to about $700 and the monitor was about $270, so I guess about a 2:1 ratio for audio.
I'm not counting any computer components in this.

How much did you spend total?
About $1000, again not counting the computer this is all hooked up to.

How is your placement?
I tried to place the speakers and sub well, but didn't do any exact measurements or anything. The room is rather small.

What kind of room is it in?
College dorm room.

How did you pick out your components?
The monitor I bought after doing my own research. The speakers, sub, and receiver I basically asked Jello about (made a thread in Audio section), though I did have an idea of what I wanted.

Did you / are you getting your money's worth?
Absolutely! Let me say the FEAR sounds so intense on these things! That, and V for Vendetta's domino and explosion scenes were amazing.

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Tango

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Bump since someone mentioned it

Hey,

can I hijack your thread for a second?

I'm wondering if you are familiar with stereo tube pream/amps setups and how could I (if possible at all) integrate it in a HT setup.

Possibly without running mixers between audio preamp and final mono amps, but I might accept having a mixer between the HT sources and the preamp.

That would help a lot.

I haven't really looked into tubes personally... mainly because I don't have the budget for it and it's a ton easier for HT applications to just go solid state for multichannel use.

Almost all of the applications I've seen with tubes have been for strictly 2.0/2.1 audio.

I found a 5.1 tube preamp here but it's probably not what you're looking for
http://www.fosgateaudionics.com/products/FAP-V1.asp
"the only vacuum tube driven surround sound processor in the world"

When you say integrate into a HT setup, what do you mean exactly? I'm kind of assuming you want to use the tube gear for 2.0/2.1 music but would like to use the same equipment for 5.1+ HT usage as well? What if you could reuse the tube amps but had two pre-amps?

I could see having a tube preamp for 2-channel music listening and then another solid-state preamp for surround sound HT usage.
What about getting a tube amp that allows pass-through so you can hook up a HT preamp/processor for movie watching while using the tube pre-amp for music?
Or... if the monoblocks have more than one input on them (XLR and RCA?), hook up the tube preamp for music use via XLR and switch them over to RCA for HT usage with another solid state pre-amp? (Sounds like that could be some work).

Someone else can probably offer you better suggestions since I really haven't looked into tube stuff at all and what would be involved in an effective multichannel setup for tubes.

Sorry... my question was a mess.

Let me explain: I have a stereo setup composed by a tube preamp and tube finals. The fact that they are tube ampli is actually irrelevant for my problem. It just explain the reason why I don't want to get rid of them...

My problem is: I would like to use the two speakers as frontal speaker in an HT setup. Basically use them in stereo for music, and in 5.1 for HT.
So, how can I get a system that let do that? I am not really sure that it could be made.. I could run the HT receiver into different inputs in the monoblocks, as you correctly advised, but then I should use the finals for movies, and considering the average tube life it's not really something I'd like to do. I must basically find a way to connect the speakers to two inputs...

hum... it's kind of a headache.

I have actually lived without a tv for many years now, using a 30" PC monitor for the DVDs with a HT-in-a-box for sound, and I would be more than happy to keep the things separated. Alas, my girlfriend works in film production and now she just wants the HT in the main room. But I am for music a little bit like you are for HT, and I'll defend my sound system with my teeth if necessary...

Maybe I should just change girlfriend...


Edit after re-reading your answer: two preamps with one final could work, granted I should give up my monoblocks and use a 5.1 final (do they exist?) and keep a pre for stereo and another for HT. Hum... I might look into this possibility.

Oh, and tubes are not really that expensive anymore. Not all of the tube pre/integrated are
ultra luxury equipment. Primaluna, for example makes incredible integrated amps for 1000$. And they sound like much, much more expensive amps.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

How much are you looking to spend? I almost want to recommend getting a receiver for your 5.1 use and just keeping your tube amp seperate, for music use. One solution could be to get a receiver and wire it up as normal, however take pre-amp outputs into your tube amplifier for the two front speakers. This would mean that your speakers are powered by different sources, but an option.

I would get a receiver to use for everything but music and see if there is any easy way of switching between the outputs. At the very least, you could be using banana plugs and just pull them in and out, however there's probably a better solution for this.

 

[secretanchitman]

oh man, i had forgotten to post pics of my ht setup. i will revisit this thread later (or make up a new one just for yoyo and others) and post links to the pics.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Tango

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Tango

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Bump since someone mentioned it

Hey,

can I hijack your thread for a second?

I'm wondering if you are familiar with stereo tube pream/amps setups and how could I (if possible at all) integrate it in a HT setup.

Possibly without running mixers between audio preamp and final mono amps, but I might accept having a mixer between the HT sources and the preamp.

That would help a lot.

I haven't really looked into tubes personally... mainly because I don't have the budget for it and it's a ton easier for HT applications to just go solid state for multichannel use.

Almost all of the applications I've seen with tubes have been for strictly 2.0/2.1 audio.

I found a 5.1 tube preamp here but it's probably not what you're looking for
http://www.fosgateaudionics.com/products/FAP-V1.asp
"the only vacuum tube driven surround sound processor in the world"

When you say integrate into a HT setup, what do you mean exactly? I'm kind of assuming you want to use the tube gear for 2.0/2.1 music but would like to use the same equipment for 5.1+ HT usage as well? What if you could reuse the tube amps but had two pre-amps?

I could see having a tube preamp for 2-channel music listening and then another solid-state preamp for surround sound HT usage.
What about getting a tube amp that allows pass-through so you can hook up a HT preamp/processor for movie watching while using the tube pre-amp for music?
Or... if the monoblocks have more than one input on them (XLR and RCA?), hook up the tube preamp for music use via XLR and switch them over to RCA for HT usage with another solid state pre-amp? (Sounds like that could be some work).

Someone else can probably offer you better suggestions since I really haven't looked into tube stuff at all and what would be involved in an effective multichannel setup for tubes.

Sorry... my question was a mess.

Let me explain: I have a stereo setup composed by a tube preamp and tube finals. The fact that they are tube ampli is actually irrelevant for my problem. It just explain the reason why I don't want to get rid of them...

My problem is: I would like to use the two speakers as frontal speaker in an HT setup. Basically use them in stereo for music, and in 5.1 for HT.
So, how can I get a system that let do that? I am not really sure that it could be made.. I could run the HT receiver into different inputs in the monoblocks, as you correctly advised, but then I should use the finals for movies, and considering the average tube life it's not really something I'd like to do. I must basically find a way to connect the speakers to two inputs...

hum... it's kind of a headache.

I have actually lived without a tv for many years now, using a 30" PC monitor for the DVDs with a HT-in-a-box for sound, and I would be more than happy to keep the things separated. Alas, my girlfriend works in film production and now she just wants the HT in the main room. But I am for music a little bit like you are for HT, and I'll defend my sound system with my teeth if necessary...

Maybe I should just change girlfriend...


Edit after re-reading your answer: two preamps with one final could work, granted I should give up my monoblocks and use a 5.1 final (do they exist?) and keep a pre for stereo and another for HT. Hum... I might look into this possibility.

Oh, and tubes are not really that expensive anymore. Not all of the tube pre/integrated are
ultra luxury equipment. Primaluna, for example makes incredible integrated amps for 1000$. And they sound like much, much more expensive amps.

Ok, now I see what you're trying to do.

If you're not too worried about using solid state for the whole HT end of things, then I think that's probably going to be easy.

I know there are a variety of products out there that act as speaker selectors so for example if you have one stereo amp and two locations with stereo speakers, you can select which set of speakers are being powered by the amp.

If you wired that up in reverse, then you should be able to use it to select which of your two amps is powering your front speakers. I have not looked into speaker switches or if they would be the best option for doing what you're trying to do, but that would be my first thought.

So it would go

MUSIC
Music Source --> Tube Pre --> Tube Amp --> Speaker Selector on "A" --> Front Stereo Speakers

HT
HT Source --> SS Pre --> SS Amp --> Speaker Selector on "B" --> Front Stereo Speakers (with other speakers hooked up directly to the other SS Amp channels)
OR
HT Source --> SS Receiver --> Speaker Selector on "B" --> Front Stereo Speakers (with other speakers hooked up directly to the other SS Amp channels)



When I mentioned budget before, I can't afford to spend $1000 per speaker pair when I have a 7.1 system
I spent about $1500 on my SS separates and that's pretty much all I want to spend for quite a while. Boston Acoustics clones of the Sherwood Newcastle units

How much are you thinking about spending on this project?

Are you picking out speakers to match your current pair, or something else?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: secretanchitman
oh man, i had forgotten to post pics of my ht setup. i will revisit this thread later (or make up a new one just for yoyo and others) and post links to the pics.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

What is your display type? Samsung DLP

What is your display size? 50"

What is the aspect ratio of your display? 16:9

What most closely matches your display resolution? 720p

What is your sound system like? 5.1

Bass shakers / some kind of tactile sound? (subwoofer doesn't count) WTF is this?

What is your system used for? Mostly HD cable content + DVDs and Xbox 360 (with HD-DVD drive)

What do you enjoy more? I really enjoy both - overall if I had to give one up, though, it would be seeing movies in a theater.

What was your spending ratio like for video vs. sound? About 2.5:2 video.

How much did you spend total? About $5,500 - 6,000.

How is your placement? Good.

What kind of room is it in? Living room.

How did you pick out your components? Mostly independent research especially the internet.

Did you / are you getting your money's worth? Definitely, but it's a little frustrating how the bottom fell out of RPTV pricing after I purchased. I still love my setup for the most part.

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Tango

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Tango

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Bump since someone mentioned it

Hey,

can I hijack your thread for a second?

I'm wondering if you are familiar with stereo tube pream/amps setups and how could I (if possible at all) integrate it in a HT setup.

Possibly without running mixers between audio preamp and final mono amps, but I might accept having a mixer between the HT sources and the preamp.

That would help a lot.

I haven't really looked into tubes personally... mainly because I don't have the budget for it and it's a ton easier for HT applications to just go solid state for multichannel use.

Almost all of the applications I've seen with tubes have been for strictly 2.0/2.1 audio.

I found a 5.1 tube preamp here but it's probably not what you're looking for
http://www.fosgateaudionics.com/products/FAP-V1.asp
"the only vacuum tube driven surround sound processor in the world"

When you say integrate into a HT setup, what do you mean exactly? I'm kind of assuming you want to use the tube gear for 2.0/2.1 music but would like to use the same equipment for 5.1+ HT usage as well? What if you could reuse the tube amps but had two pre-amps?

I could see having a tube preamp for 2-channel music listening and then another solid-state preamp for surround sound HT usage.
What about getting a tube amp that allows pass-through so you can hook up a HT preamp/processor for movie watching while using the tube pre-amp for music?
Or... if the monoblocks have more than one input on them (XLR and RCA?), hook up the tube preamp for music use via XLR and switch them over to RCA for HT usage with another solid state pre-amp? (Sounds like that could be some work).

Someone else can probably offer you better suggestions since I really haven't looked into tube stuff at all and what would be involved in an effective multichannel setup for tubes.

Sorry... my question was a mess.

Let me explain: I have a stereo setup composed by a tube preamp and tube finals. The fact that they are tube ampli is actually irrelevant for my problem. It just explain the reason why I don't want to get rid of them...

My problem is: I would like to use the two speakers as frontal speaker in an HT setup. Basically use them in stereo for music, and in 5.1 for HT.
So, how can I get a system that let do that? I am not really sure that it could be made.. I could run the HT receiver into different inputs in the monoblocks, as you correctly advised, but then I should use the finals for movies, and considering the average tube life it's not really something I'd like to do. I must basically find a way to connect the speakers to two inputs...

hum... it's kind of a headache.

I have actually lived without a tv for many years now, using a 30" PC monitor for the DVDs with a HT-in-a-box for sound, and I would be more than happy to keep the things separated. Alas, my girlfriend works in film production and now she just wants the HT in the main room. But I am for music a little bit like you are for HT, and I'll defend my sound system with my teeth if necessary...

Maybe I should just change girlfriend...


Edit after re-reading your answer: two preamps with one final could work, granted I should give up my monoblocks and use a 5.1 final (do they exist?) and keep a pre for stereo and another for HT. Hum... I might look into this possibility.

Oh, and tubes are not really that expensive anymore. Not all of the tube pre/integrated are
ultra luxury equipment. Primaluna, for example makes incredible integrated amps for 1000$. And they sound like much, much more expensive amps.

Ok, now I see what you're trying to do.

If you're not too worried about using solid state for the whole HT end of things, then I think that's probably going to be easy.

I know there are a variety of products out there that act as speaker selectors so for example if you have one stereo amp and two locations with stereo speakers, you can select which set of speakers are being powered by the amp.

If you wired that up in reverse, then you should be able to use it to select which of your two amps is powering your front speakers. I have not looked into speaker switches or if they would be the best option for doing what you're trying to do, but that would be my first thought.

So it would go

MUSIC
Music Source --> Tube Pre --> Tube Amp --> Speaker Selector on "A" --> Front Stereo Speakers

HT
HT Source --> SS Pre --> SS Amp --> Speaker Selector on "B" --> Front Stereo Speakers (with other speakers hooked up directly to the other SS Amp channels)
OR
HT Source --> SS Receiver --> Speaker Selector on "B" --> Front Stereo Speakers (with other speakers hooked up directly to the other SS Amp channels)



When I mentioned budget before, I can't afford to spend $1000 per speaker pair when I have a 7.1 system
I spent about $1500 on my SS separates and that's pretty much all I want to spend for quite a while. Boston Acoustics clones of the Sherwood Newcastle units

How much are you thinking about spending on this project?

Are you picking out speakers to match your current pair, or something else?

Thanks! That actually helped a lot..

As I said my current stereo setup is already done. I'll need a serious central channel speaker. Then I'll see how the back channels I have now (crappy) integrate and decide if I want to buy new ones.

My front speakers are Gallo Reference III. I know they produce a matched central channel, but I have no experience with it. Any suggestions?

I probably will also need a serious 5.1 receiver although the (crappy) one I have does everything I wanted. I don't know how it would drive those speakers though, they like quite a lot of power to really sing.

Any suggestion for a receiver worth spending money in? Would I really notice big improvements over a HT-in-a-box receiver if used only for movies? I still have some time to think about this, as I am moving to another apartment and the system went back to sleeping in the boxes right now...

Final question (while you're here): what's your take on DVD up-conversion to HD? It sounds to me like a gimmick... after all you cannot really create information if it's not there right? Does it actually work in some way?

Thanks a lot again.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

What is your display type? Samsung DLP

What is your display size? 561"

What is the aspect ratio of your display? 16:9

What most closely matches your display resolution? 1080p

What is your sound system like? Integrated- Getting A system Soon

Bass shakers / some kind of tactile sound? (subwoofer doesn't count) WTF?

What is your system used for? HD cable content, DVD's, gaming, PC

What do you enjoy more? I really enjoy both

What was your spending ratio like for video vs. sound? About 1:0

How much did you spend total? 2,000

How is your placement? Good.

What kind of room is it in? Basement

How did you pick out your components? Research

Did you / are you getting your money's worth? Hell Yes

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Tango
Thanks! That actually helped a lot..

As I said my current stereo setup is already done. I'll need a serious central channel speaker. Then I'll see how the back channels I have now (crappy) integrate and decide if I want to buy new ones.

My front speakers are Gallo Reference III. I know they produce a matched central channel, but I have no experience with it. Any suggestions?

I probably will also need a serious 5.1 receiver although the (crappy) one I have does everything I wanted. I don't know how it would drive those speakers though, they like quite a lot of power to really sing.

Any suggestion for a receiver worth spending money in? Would I really notice big improvements over a HT-in-a-box receiver if used only for movies? I still have some time to think about this, as I am moving to another apartment and the system went back to sleeping in the boxes right now...

Final question (while you're here): what's your take on DVD up-conversion to HD? It sounds to me like a gimmick... after all you cannot really create information if it's not there right? Does it actually work in some way?

Thanks a lot again.

If you can get the matching center channel speakers, that would be by far the best way to go. The center channel speaker tends to produce something like 70% of the sound from DVD movies, so getting a good one is essential. A matched one is going to give you the best results for getting everything to sound right up front.

Surround/rear speakers are much less critical. In most DVDs they're hardly given anything critical to do and the material that they're asked to play is often unrelated to what the front speakers are doing so I personally thing that matching them is no big deal. If you're doing multichannel music then it's a different story, but for HT use and your 2.0 music listening, I think getting the front three matched would be the way to go.

I think that if you're looking to make a significant investment in a receiver, you might want to hold off on that for a while. I honestly have not kept up on the newest models for what receivers are coming out, but I think pretty soon you'd have a lot more viable options for feature packed HDMI receivers. Several of the ones that have been out for a while have some bugs with them.

Maybe something you should think about it just adding a nice amp to your HT system and using the pre-outs from your current receiver if it has them. I'm not sure what you have now for your receiver, but if it has the features you want, then maybe just the amp would be good enough. (Maybe even just a 2 or 3 channel amp for the front 2 or 3 speakers)

As for the upconversion of DVDs, I think a big part of it is how good your own display is at going from 480i/480p input to its native res. If it already does a good job at that, then an upconverting player isn't going to make that much of a difference. If your diplay sucks at displaying 480i/480p, then an upconverting player will make a lot of difference.

Something to think about if you have a HTPC is using it to do the upconverting. There are some really good options out there that can be used to give yourself better output than what upconverting players can provide.

At this point if you're looking to get a new player, I would suggest just looking at an HD-DVD player that does upconversion of normal DVDs as well rather than getting a fairly expensive SD DVD player.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
What is your display size? 561"

:Q

 

[Muse]

What is your display type? Sanyo PLV-Z2 720p LCD projector

What is your display size? 7 x 5 foot screen

What is the aspect ratio of your display? 16:9

What most closely matches your display resolution? 720p

What is your sound system like? 5.1 with AV receiver, subwoofer

Bass shakers / some kind of tactile sound? (subwoofer doesn't count) Huh?

What is your system used for? DVD's, HDTV via HDTV card in computer, some music while computing

What do you enjoy more? Movies and HDTV are for focused enjoyment.

What was your spending ratio like for video vs. sound? easily 4:1

How much did you spend total? $2600, including HDTV computer stuff, projector, 5.1, SW

How is your placement? Good.

What kind of room is it in? It's my computer room, doubles as home theater

How did you pick out your components? Research

Did you / are you getting your money's worth? Yep.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Muse
What is your display size? 7 x 5 foot screen

What is the aspect ratio of your display? 16:9

How does that work?

 

[nsafreak]

Previously I answered this poll before I updated my system, since I can't reanswer the poll I'm posting an updated answer

What is your display type?

Samsung DLP TV

What is your display size?

42"

What is the aspect ratio of your display?

16:9

What most closely matches your display resolution?

1280x720 (720p native)

What is your sound system like?

Sony SS-BM3000 (front speakers, to be upgraded)
Cerwin Vega CV-3i (center)
KLH (rears, to be upgraded)
Paradigm PDR-10 (subwoofer, one of the few speakers I don't plan on upgrading)
Harman Kardon AVR-230

Bass shakers / some kind of tactile sound? (subwoofer doesn't count)

No

What is your system used for?

A variety of things, depending on my mood. I use it a good bit to play games via my 360 but I also watch a lot of programming via my Motorola HD DVR or movies via the 360 (have a VGA cable hooked up for upconversion)

What do you enjoy more?

In all honesty I'd have to say the theater. Kindof hard to say your home theater is better than an IMAX screen down the street (literally). However I still do enjoy my home system a lot, it's just asking a lot to try and measure up to IMAX ya know?

What was your spending ratio like for video vs. sound?

Right now they're pretty close to even although audio will soon overtake video again. The newest parts are the receiver & subwoofer total of about a grand. The other speakers really didn't cost that much so they don't contribute a lot to the overall cost. The TV, with 4 year warranty plan which includes bulb replacement, one of the few times I believe it's worth it to buy a plan, came in at just a bit over a grand. Once I replace all of the speakers with Paradigm Studios, unless I find something better that still timbre matches the subwoofer, the audio is going to be over the video by a fair amount.

How much did you spend total?

This is cumulative over a few years and some stuff (Sharp MD-R3 MD/CD deck) I traded for and did not pay for so it's kind of hard to set a value. I'd say total I've spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $3000 and I still have a bit to go before I'm done.

How is your placement?

I'm pretty limited on placement so I did the best that I could. After making adjustments to delay, channel volume, etc. I'm fairly happy with the setup. Sure it could be better but the matrixing works well and the sound comes distinctly from each location and you can hear the transitions pretty well.

What kind of room is it in?

Apartment living room

How did you pick out your components?

TV was picked after extensive online research and auditioning various displays. Pretty much everything was picked out this way except for the HD DVR, really didn't have a choice on that one although it's not a bad unit really. And I sure as heck am not shelling out $700 for a Tivo HD DVR and then paying another $15 a month to Tivo PLUS whatever Comcast charges to rent a pair of CableCARDs.


Did you / are you getting your money's worth?

Absolutely, positively 100%. Especially after I finally got a HDTV set. I looked at all of the HD capable components that I have (360, XBox original, HD DVR (Comcast gave it to me when I asked for a DVR) and wondered why the heck I didn't have a HDTV. Now the experience is definitely a lot better in everything I do with my setup, probably most notably movies. It'll just get better as I get to upgrading my speakers to all match.

EDIT: I will also be posting a pic or two of the setup sometime later today hopefully.

 

[BigFatCow]

What is your display type?
CRT Rear Projection

What is your display size?
36inch

What is the aspect ratio of your display?
4:3

What most closely matches your display resolution?
480i

What is your sound system like?
6.1 sony system

Bass shakers / some kind of tactile sound? (subwoofer doesn't count)
no

What is your system used for?
everything, mostly TV.

What do you enjoy more?
My system

What was your spending ratio like for video vs. sound?
i guess 1-1 i bought the TV and stereo used from a guy who was moving out.

How much did you spend total?
$180 he gave me an outstanding deal. The tv is about $300 and the stereo is about $350 new

How is your placement?
decent.

What kind of room is it in?
the only room i have (barracks room)

How did you pick out your components?
bought them used because the deal was awesome.

Did you / are you getting your money's worth?
defiantly