Originally posted by: tbradsha
I recommend DLP (as opposed to LCD). Maybe the upcoming release of the next-gen LCDs will turn the tide, but at the moment I think DLP is king. The one big downside of DLP projectors used to be the rainbow effect, but color wheels are now so fast (4x and up) that the rainbow effect is not noticeable in current generation models. If you get DLP, look for a projector with an HD2+ chip (not just plain HD2 -- the plus sign means something). HD3 is worse than HD2, so be careful. There may be a better chip on the horizon, I'm not sure.
If the sky is the limit, you probably can't go wrong with the latest Infocus, like the 7210. Projector technology changes so fast that I think you're better off at the $2500-3500 price range than you are at the $5000 price range, so you might want to dump the extra into better speakers or something.
I dont remember seeing a HD3 chip released, only the DC3 (DarkChip)...or is that what u meant? If so, saying its not good is a bit silly when you then say the 7210 is probably something you cant go wrong with as it uses the DC3....lol
For the OP, my suggestion, if its for inlaws would be to get the 7205, it can be bought for a steal now as the 7210 is out and to be honest there isnt anything different between them except quality, but the 7205 is quality already....has all the inputs you are likely to need as well....
for electronics i would go with a Denon amp, i reckon they'd probably enjoy the sound more from that......the 3805 would be more than suitable....(i own the 3803, which is fantastic, the 3805 replaces it, i have listened to that when i demoed my DVD player)
then match that with the 3910, i own this beast and its beautiful, really high quality sound regardless of the disc format....
speakerwise i cannot sadly say much as im in the UK and i would be recommending UK brands that you may have trouble finding in the USA.....but look out for Monitor Audio, KEF, B&W to name a few, oh and for your sub, if you can find an REL dealer, believe me, check it out, Strata5 is just amazing......however one thing i would recommend, go for full size floorstanders as main front speakers, make sure the centre speaker is the same kind of speaker, ie same size and type of mid/bass driver.....for the side surrounds go with bi/dipolar switchables that can be wall mounted, for the cinema rear speakers do the same, bi/dipolars, then you need a final set of standmount speakers from the same range as the main front floorstanders to put in the rear corners of the room for multichannel music (such as that on DVD-Audio and SACD discs...aside from a few DTS 6.1 discs most of them are recorded in 5.1 to be listened to with the speakers in the corner of the room, not sides or directly behind you)
one thing people often say is its better to spend your money on the speakers rather than the electronics as you will need to upgrade the electronics sooner......well thats not strictly true.....far as im aware there are no plans to bring in more than 6.1 actual recorded tracks on the source in the near future (meaning 5 years) so any reciever amp you buy now will be more than useful for the next 5-10 years.....so you might as well balance it out and get a decent one, ESPECIALLY if its used for music as well.....a surround amp in stereo is only as good as a dedicated stereo amp half its price at the best......however a DVD player such as the 3910 is so well constructed that its probably the equivelent of a CD player mebbe 2/3 its value compared to a cheaper model will would only be good as a CD player under 1/2 its value as the video circuitry is too close to the sound circuitry.........and i have done my own testing on this in shop demo rooms so i'm not just talking bull like a lot of people do when they say stuff that they are just quoting from magazines/web articles....lol
best thing you can do is to get to a dealer who can demo the stuff you are going to buy...
but i can personally vouch on the 3805/3910 combo, Monitor Audio speakers, REL subs and Infocus projectors as being definitely worth the money you pay for them.....its possible you could get something for the same price that to you will seem better, but you'd be hard pressed too with these items.......thing is, sound and vision is about what YOU like....given this isnt even for you its a bit hit and miss.....lol
oh and there are plenty of programmable remote controls around that let you set up one button macros to turn on the whole lot, but probably a couple hundred is the right figure to spend for one thats well made and wont break when its dropped of the armchair by accident...loll
sorry for being longwinded on this, but hifi/home cinema is a love of my life...hehe
good luck with it all anyhow.....btw, dont let the builders charge you that money, you wont get anything near the value for it.....buy the equipment, if you get it all from one dealer you should be able to get them to come install it (for a modest fee)......oh dont skimp on the stand either, vibrations DO affect sound/vision quality.....but dont go overboard either, solid metal frame construction with nice thick glass shelving is good.....seismic sinks are for setups costing at least 2 to 3 times what you are forking out...lol