View Full Version : Home is "pre-wired" for surround...
Eagle5US
04-05-2008, 20:26
OK...this may not be the right place-so please move it if necessary.
Our home that we just bought in El Paso is "Pre Wired for Surround Sound" with in wall speakers and sub in the family room as well as out by the pool.
My question is...now what? What do I need to buy to support this pre-wiring?
Amplifier?
DVD Player?
Receiver?
Home theater system and just store the included speakers?
The DVD theater system we have is on the fritz so we need a new one anyway. We would like the new one to support the PS3 and the new plasma TV as well as have a multi disk capability. Of course it needs to sound like it is worth having.
I am fairly ignorant regarding this area so a lot of tech talk will not serve me very well.
Thanks for any help.
Eagle
Dragbag036
04-05-2008, 22:03
Depending on the previous owners technical knowledge or what the home is actually set up for , I would suggest that you really need to bite the bullet and contract a local audio video custom installation firm (GEEK SQUAD at Best Buy) . At least to sort out what you have and document it all, and explain what can be done with what you have. Also below is a link of a company that helps with this sort of thing if you are looking to get it done right the first time.
http://www.cedia.net/
Hope this helps a bit, but without knowing your exact setup it will be a little difficult to truly help.
Eagle5US
Basically what ever you want to use to play your tunes, TV,etc on.
I assume that you have a junction point in the house where all the wiring come to for the speakers.
1st - You have to have a switch to interconnect your system speakers through out the house. Receivers have a limited amount of switching and you do not want to have a lot of power/line loss Db's.
2nd - You have to have a controller (Receiver) I like the Onkyo TX-SR705 , not too much and not too little.
3rd - You have to have money......
That will get you going. Since the house has speakers you do not need to buy them in one of those Home Theater sets.
Eagle5US
04-05-2008, 22:54
Thanks fellas...this will get me started.
Eagle
The PS3 like you mention is a good deal for a cheaper Blu-Ray player. I have that and to connect to it is the Sony STRDG2100 Receiver because it up converts the signal for non-high def TV signals. This all connects via HDMI to the Sony Bravia XBR4 LCD TV. I don't support the plasmas anymore because LCD quality has caught up and has less problems imo. If the speakers are good you can leave them off of the list...
1080p capable TV
Receiver
CD Changer
PS3
Like already mentioned it costs...if you want to do some reading on a specific component look here: http://www.avsforum.com/
Eagle5US
04-06-2008, 08:21
Thanks Dan!
I'll look at that today:lifter
Eagle
The PS3 like you mention is a good deal for a cheaper Blu-Ray player. I have that and to connect to it is the Sony STRDG2100 Receiver because it up converts the signal for non-high def TV signals. This all connects via HDMI to the Sony Bravia XBR4 LCD TV. I don't support the plasmas anymore because LCD quality has caught up and has less problems imo. If the speakers are good you can leave them off of the list...
1080p capable TV
Receiver
CD Changer
PS3
Like already mentioned it costs...if you want to do some reading on a specific component look here: http://www.avsforum.com/
We have the same TV, D... LCD is much better, and the technology is going to continue; Plasmas are starting to be phased out.
I really recommend the PS3, though... If memory serves, it's the only system that current supports BOTH HD and Blue Ray; most players support one or the other.
If you want to spend some mula, though, sometime later this year, Sony (I think) is coming out with a dual player...
Eagle5US
04-06-2008, 08:39
Interesting about the LCD vs Plasma argument as I have been researching it for about 6 months in anticipation of the purchase and have generally found the opposite in opinion from various review sites (quality currently about equal but plasma showing more potential for improved / upgradeable technology).
Looks like I will need to be digging a bit deeper :)
And yes...
I do LOVE my PS3 :cool:
Eagle
Interesting about the LCD vs Plasma argument
This doesn't really haven't anything to do with the technology itself but the practicality of it -
When we did our pre-move inspection from Drum to Huachuca the moving guy told us that he would have refused to move a plasma tv. I don't know how widespread this attitude is among movers, as we had an LCD so I haven't researched it. He said they were too much of a liability for damage or something. You may want to look into that aspect if you are thinking this thing is going to get moved a few times and that might present a problem.
Drum to Huachuca had quite a few "can't move it" issues because we were moving in the winter. No canned goods, etc. So that might have been part of it.
You know for being such Steely Eyed killers that we are we sure know toooo much about gadgets. Oh how the world has changed.
LCD, LCD, LCD......!!!!! Plasma has made great leaps but for reliability, Life span, etc, etc the Plasma is just not worth it. They have a life span that you can not get away from. Depending on the version depends on the amount of usable hours that they will work. The new ones are about 6+ years of running 27x7 but I have an old portable TV that is 30 years old and it has been all over the world.
Movers are getting wise to certain items and that is why one bad jolt and it is toast. Just not worth the chance. Plus an LCD you get more bang for the buck...
Dragbag036
04-06-2008, 18:32
You know for being such Steely Eyed killers that we are we sure know toooo much about gadgets. Oh how the world has changed.
LCD, LCD, LCD......!!!!! Plasma has made great leaps but for reliability, Life span, etc, etc the Plasma is just not worth it. They have a life span that you can not get away from. Depending on the version depends on the amount of usable hours that they will work. The new ones are about 6+ years of running 27x7 but I have an old portable TV that is 30 years old and it has been all over the world.
Movers are getting wise to certain items and that is why one bad jolt and it is toast. Just not worth the chance. Plus an LCD you get more bang for the buck...
Not only that, depending on where you are located i.e. on a lake, or your TV is around a lot of windows the plasma will not show up quite correctly because of the glare. Plasmas do tend to suffer a bit more from glare, as many of the finishes are glossy. But most of the newer plasmas have a glare-reducing coating. So long as you're not putting the TV directly opposite a window you should be good. Indirect and a moderate amount of light are not major issues for newer plasma TVs. If you're very concerned, you might look into LCDs, although there you suffer from lower contrast in trade for the higher brightness.
just my .02 cents
...of running 27x7...
Have you been talking with Mr. Harsey about his time machine? :D
I recently left best buy home theater to join the Army so I thought I'd chime in here with my opinion for what it's worth:
Plasma TVs tend to be less expensive than comparable LCDs.
An LCD or Plasma with a "matte" or "anti-reflective" screen will catch a lot of ambient light and grey out your blacks and slightly desaturate your color. If you have a very bright room with a lot of windows you may want to consider curtains rather than a matte screen.
To compare the black level difference between a gloss and matte find two next to each other at the store and turn them off. Black is the absence of light so what you're looking at is the darkest each can achieve for the given lighting situation. The gloss gives you an inky black and the matte will be noticeably grey.
As has already been mentioned, the plasma has a fragile glass screen and should always be transported upright. Plasmas are going to use more energy and produce more heat than an LCD. If you're looking at playing video games or using your TV as a computer monitor I would avoid plasma due to the potential for image retention or "burn in." They've gotten better but I still wouldn't gamble on it.
My recommendation:
Samsung LNT-5271 or LNT-5281 LCD
The 71 and 81 series have the best of both worlds; you get the deep blacks and vibrant color saturation of plasma without the fragility, image retention and power consumption issues. Samsung is currently the only manufacturer making and LCD with a gloss plastic screen.
The 81 series (what I have) has an LED back-light which expands the contrast level by increasing how bright your “brights” can get. Both the 71 and the 81 have the 120hz function to give you clearer motion. Most TVs run at 60hz, 120hz TVs have a processor that interpolates an extra frame doubling the frame rate.
If you want to go plasma Pioneer is the best out there.
Have you been talking with Mr. Harsey about his time machine? :D
No but throwing in the time machine into the calculations changes everything. We have to factor in going forward, back wards in time. Getting knocked out in the machine and never stopping. Hairy beast scratching the TV. Lack of signal, etc,,,, etc...etc. See what you have started.. Sony will have to recall all their Plasmas and redo their data sheets.:p
Mickey
You did not cover the point that we are most interested in....... Can you get us a discount on a new LCD? We have friends in the course..:D Kidding.....
They must pay pretty well at Best Buy if you have that LCD TV. Welcome to the Poor mans army. Hope they do not break it in any of your moves. You will not get replacement value from Uncle Sugar.
Mickey
You did not cover the point that we are most interested in....... Can you get us a discount on a new LCD? We have friends in the course..:D Kidding.....
They must pay pretty well at Best Buy if you have that LCD TV. Welcome to the Poor mans army. Hope they do not break it in any of your moves. You will not get replacement value from Uncle Sugar.
Thanks. I think you'd be suprised at the employee price, I know I was (also when I say that "I" have one, I really mean "my father owns one"). The other day we had the 81 on sale for less than the 71. IIRC the 61 series also has a gloss screen but isn't 120hz.