Home Theater Upgrade.

[Chewbacca 7,829]

5 hours ago, jofus said:

We recently finished our HT in a previously inaccessible area of our attic. It was an odd space due to the roof line, but it turned out really well. The room is 14x14 with a 5x5 drink/snack nook in the corner.

Audio is 7.1 surround (two circular height speakers in the vaulted ceiling are aimed at the seats). Speakers are MartinLogan 40i Towers, 50XTi Center, ML in-wall rear surround, SVS PB-2000 sub (behind the seats in pic). This system ROCKS in this small room. Total immersion.

Seat to screen distance is about 9’, with the screen being an 83” LG G2. Denon receiver controls everything from an AV closet down the hall.

The movie posters are insulated acoustic panels with the image printed onto the fabric. Walls/ floor/ ceiling are all insulated with R-38+. We put in a solid core pocket door, which, does a great job keeping most of the sound in the room.

Damn, that's a lot of sub for that little room.  I bet it sounds amazing!

[Bevo 13,870]

1 hour ago, jofus said:

The throw distance doesn’t work out with the roof line.

Speaking of throw distance, have you watched porn in there yet?

[Chewbacca 7,829]

Getting to the point with the remodel that I need to start thinking about speakers for the main room.  I'm thinking of just doing a 3.1 system this go-round (haven't used the 5.1 system in my basement in years at this point).  I just want something that sounds good and looks good for the wife.  Any suggestions?  The room has high vaulted ceilings, so surround isn't going to happen.  

We will have a long media console that is roughly 90" long and 25" tall so speakers will be visible, sitting either on top or next to the console.  Wife wants them to look nice.  I'll put the receiver in the media console. Not going to do a big sub, so maybe considering tower speakers for my right and left to add the bass there?

I haven't looked at this shit in years.  Have no idea what the current trends and good equipment are.

[Bevo 13,870]

Get a Marantz receiver and see what good built-ins are available. I assume B&W makes some good ones. A decent sub should be easy to find - probably get a SVS SB-1000 Pro.

Edited February 20 by Bevo

[dcbc 14,644]

Don't sleep on the low profile down firing subs.  We had one for a while (Yamaha, now discontinued), and it did pretty well for taking the load off the bookshelf speakers.  Something like that likely would be a discrete (stick it under the console if you like) way to get the most out of whatever speakers you get.

[ChickenSandwich 9,952]

Local to Austin, great customer service and price.  Better for music/HT mix than the SVS

 

Rythmik Audio • Direct Servo subwoofer products

[Chewbacca 7,829]

6 hours ago, dcbc said:

Don't sleep on the low profile down firing subs.  We had one for a while (Yamaha, now discontinued), and it did pretty well for taking the load off the bookshelf speakers.  Something like that likely would be a discrete (stick it under the console if you like) way to get the most out of whatever speakers you get.

Got the wife's buy-in on doing a 3.1 (bookshelves and center on top of the  console) with a sub next to the console, just need to make sure all speakers are piano black since the media console is black.

SVS speakers and subs look nice and price is not too bad.  With their current sale, I can get Ultra bookshelves, center and a PB-1000 sub for $2,300.  Who else should I look at?  

[Bevo 13,870]

5 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Got the wife's buy-in on doing a 3.1 (bookshelves and center on top of the  console) with a sub next to the console, just need to make sure all speakers are piano black since the media console is black.

SVS speakers and subs look nice and price is not too bad.  With their current sale, I can get Ultra bookshelves, center and a PB-1000 sub for $2,300.  Who else should I look at?  

If I remember right, the reviews on the piano black say they smudge easily. I could be wrong, though, since I'm going off memory.

As far as subs go, RSL has an inexpensive one that gets good reviews, RSL Speedwoofer 10S MKII. I suppose Emotiva is pretty good at RS13. I've liked Martin Logan subs. B&W and KEF are kind of overpriced for subs.

Edited February 21 by Bevo

[Chewbacca 7,829]

1 minute ago, Bevo said:

If I remember right, the reviews on the piano black say they smudge easily. I could be wrong, though, since I'm going off memory.

Kids are grown, so nobody will be touching them once they are in place.  But that's good to know.

[ChickenSandwich 9,952]

11 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Got the wife's buy-in on doing a 3.1 (bookshelves and center on top of the  console) with a sub next to the console, just need to make sure all speakers are piano black since the media console is black.

SVS speakers and subs look nice and price is not too bad.  With their current sale, I can get Ultra bookshelves, center and a PB-1000 sub for $2,300.  Who else should I look at?  

I have a 3.1 system after a 9.2 system in my old place. 
 

What you should spend your money on is a center speaker and build from there. You want a true 3-way center. Timber matching is bullshit so don’t worry about brands. 
 

AVS Forum has tons of info on speakers/bookshelves etc. 

Places like crutch-field allow hassle free returns after 60 days if want to do an in home demo, as does SVS, Monoprice THX etc. 
 

Next on the list would be the subs. 
 

Last would be the bookshelves and the main question there would be what is your ratio of music vs home theater?  

Edited February 21 by ChickenSandwich

[Chewbacca 7,829]

10 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

I have a 3.1 system after a 9.2 system in my old place. 
 

What you should spend your money on is a center speaker and build from there. You want a true 3-way center. Timber matching is bullshit so don’t worry about brands. 
 

AVS Forum has tons of info on speakers/bookshelves etc. 

Places like crutch-field allow hassle free returns after 60 days if want to do an in home demo. 
 

Next on the list would be the subs. 
 

Last would be the bookshelves and the main question there would be what is your ratio of music vs home theater?  

Probably 70% TV and 30% music.  And music is streaming stuff, not sitting down listening to lossless files or anything like that. This isn't a critical listening setup, I just want clear dialog, nice background noises and a sub to round out the sound for me.  Honestly, even the PB-1000 might be overkill for what I want, but it's a huge open room so I'll probably go bigger on that end.

AVS Forum is information overload for me.  

[Chewbacca 7,829]

Also looking for input on what receiver to run.  Just need it to power the speakers and be able to connect to it via wifi/bluetooth to play music.  I probably don't need to be in Marantz land.  I've got a Yamaha right now that has been perfectly good.  Not a fan of Onkyo after having a couple die prematurely (which precipitated the Yamaha purchase).

[Bevo 13,870]

22 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Also looking for input on what receiver to run.  Just need it to power the speakers and be able to connect to it via wifi/bluetooth to play music.  I probably don't need to be in Marantz land.  I've got a Yamaha right now that has been perfectly good.  Not a fan of Onkyo after having a couple die prematurely (which precipitated the Yamaha purchase).

Maybe GoldenEar, Wharfedale, Sonus Faber, B&W, Emotiva to look at for center channel and satellites. Marantz, Denon, Yamaha will all be fine for a 3.1 or 5.1 system. 

[mdmost 43,948]

I'm at a bit of a crossroads on our home theater setup and could use some assistance. Our Panasonic projector is on its last legs. It's a good unit but it's time to upgrade or move on to some other option. The issue I'm having is we really don't want to go up on screen size and a lot of newer projectors have much shorter throw ratios. Our room is pretty big and the throw from the projector to screen is 16 feet. I really don't want to invest in moving the mount and all the wiring forward. It's nice where it is because it's not as noticeable. I have debated a few options, 1) replace the projector with a long throw projector and get a new screen (I may see about going up a bit to 92" or 100" from 85" that we currently have), 2) get a short throw laser projector and screen, 3) get a 77-85" TV. I was hoping to stay under $2500 for everything.

We've had projectors in various forms since 1996. We really only watch stuff at night. I have a TV in my study that I mostly watch sports on but I'll sometimes watch on the projector. The panels are really starting to go out and the newer bulbs just highlight the flaws now. It's hard finding a not super expensive projector with a long throw ratio now. Most of the good ones I see from Ben-Q, Epson, and Optoma are in the 12-13 feet maximum throw range. The best one I can find is the Epson 5050. It's more than I'd prefer to spend but has most of the things I'm wanting like 4K, HDR, and good brightness. I've seen it in action and it looked great.

The short throw laser is interesting because it seems to have the best technology upside. Laser lasts longer than bulbs. It looks brighter and clearer. The issue is the short throw while great is still odd. The projector needs to sit a foot from the wall. That can look really dumb. The wife definitely does not want to walk in the room and see a cabinet sitting a foot out from the wall. There are some options like sliding shelf mounts but that just makes the amount go even higher and makes it not worth it since then I'm getting into OLED TV prices.

Which leads me to my final option, a 77-85" TV. The issue I have with TVs is I see way too many flaws in the TVs I see on display when I can actually watch something like a movie or live TV. When it's the stock HDR or 4K demo, it looks great. I'm not going to watch that much of that content. Anywhere I go though to check TVs only has that sort of content running. What is the best way to find out what these things look like when you're just watching a non-4K movie or an OTA NFL or college football game? As far as price, I can get a huge TV for pretty cheap but I realize I'm risking getting something that can't replicate motion very well. I've found that motion on newer TVs just looks weird to me. Maybe I'm too institutionalized with this projector but newer TVs really seem to show a lot of artifacting, blur, or other imperfections. I don't want to just get a big ass TV to try it out so some assistance with where I should look for research would be helpful. I was looking at an LG OLED TV this weekend that was on sale at Best Buy. It was showing a trailer for Top Gun: Maverick. Overall it looked good but when it would go close up on a face of an actor or a black background, it would get really grainy and was really noticeable. About the best option I saw was an 85" Sony Bravia XR X90L. 

I know I'm overthinking this but is there also a good site that breaks down the OLED, QLED, Full Array LED differences and why I need to worry about refresh rates? We mostly watch stuff on our Apple TV and plan to get the 4K version. I know TVs come with smart apps so that would be a bonus but not a requirement. Standard projectors have none of that, short throw lasers do. We also watch OTA channels and blu-rays. 

Edited February 22 by mdmost

[TeeDubya 3,362]

13 hours ago, mdmost said:

I'm at a bit of a crossroads on our home theater setup and could use some assistance. Our Panasonic projector is on its last legs. It's a good unit but it's time to upgrade or move on to some other option. The issue I'm having is we really don't want to go up on screen size and a lot of newer projectors have much shorter throw ratios. Our room is pretty big and the throw from the projector to screen is 16 feet. I really don't want to invest in moving the mount and all the wiring forward. It's nice where it is because it's not as noticeable. I have debated a few options, 1) replace the projector with a long throw projector and get a new screen (I may see about going up a bit to 92" or 100" from 85" that we currently have), 2) get a short throw laser projector and screen, 3) get a 77-85" TV. I was hoping to stay under $2500 for everything.

 

https://www.costco.com/lg-86"-class---ur8000-series---4k-uhd-led-tv.product.4000153824.html

 

86" LG at Costco for <$1000  Crazy

[mdmost 43,948]

2 hours ago, TeeDubya said:

https://www.costco.com/lg-86"-class---ur8000-series---4k-uhd-led-tv.product.4000153824.html

 

86" LG at Costco for <$1000  Crazy

I actually found a good site last night that compares TVs and projectors. Rtings.com. They do a really good job of breaking down why a TV is better than another especially for certain types of media like sports and TV shows. They have a nice big article all about how projectors can't replicate the quality of TVs now even at larger sizes. They don't recommend this TV but I appreciate the suggestion. 

[ChickenSandwich 9,952]

If want to stay at 85 inches, ditch the projector. It will underperform compared to a decent 85inch TV in every metric. 

[TeeDubya 3,362]

4 hours ago, mdmost said:

I actually found a good site last night that compares TVs and projectors. Rtings.com. They do a really good job of breaking down why a TV is better than another especially for certain types of media like sports and TV shows. They have a nice big article all about how projectors can't replicate the quality of TVs now even at larger sizes. They don't recommend this TV but I appreciate the suggestion. 

Post the link if you can.  I'd love to see it.

Buying a TV is all a compromise.  Where do you draw the price point is the big question.

[mdmost 43,948]

1 hour ago, TeeDubya said:

Post the link if you can.  I'd love to see it.

Buying a TV is all a compromise.  Where do you draw the price point is the big question.

https://www.rtings.com/projector/learn/research/launch-article

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/ur8000

I like the site because sports and TV shows are the things I'm worried about in shifting over from a projector. They give you a good idea how those might look and the ratings are very helpful. You can also compare other TVs on the same page. I think all the motion blur technology that made HD look like it was a live TV broadcast was what threw us off from moving over. I know you can turn those settings off but I want to be able to see more than just demos. That was a nice thing about when I looked at a front projector at Nebraska Furniture Mart. I was able to take the remote and log into YouTube to see how things looked from there. 4K stuff was amazing. 

Honestly, I may just see who has the best return policy and try out a TV for 30 days. We have a stand that it can go on where we have our center channel and other items. If we like it, we can then get it mounted as we'd have to take the old screen down. 

Edited February 22 by mdmost

[TeeDubya 3,362]

17 minutes ago, mdmost said:

https://www.rtings.com/projector/learn/research/launch-article

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/lg/ur8000

I like the site because sports and TV shows are the things I'm worried about in shifting over from a projector. They give you a good idea how those might look and the ratings are very helpful. You can also compare other TVs on the same page. I think all the motion blur technology that made HD look like it was a live TV broadcast was what threw us off from moving over. I know you can turn those settings off but I want to be able to see more than just demos. That was a nice thing about when I looked at a front projector at Nebraska Furniture Mart. I was able to take the remote and log into YouTube to see how things looked from there. 4K stuff was amazing. 

Honestly, I may just see who has the best return policy and try out a TV for 30 days. We have a stand that it can go on where we have our center channel and other items. If we like it, we can then get it mounted as we'd have to take the old screen down. 

Thanks mdmost!

[ChickenSandwich 9,952]

MD nails it. Just about any new TV these days will look great in 4k, it’s the youtube tv (720p) and other streaming apps that you need to worry about on the lower tier sets. Still, even an OLED should be cheaper than a new projector, new screen and installation 

[Tonesky 1,056]

On 2/21/2024 at 4:04 PM, Chewbacca said:

Got the wife's buy-in on doing a 3.1 (bookshelves and center on top of the  console) with a sub next to the console, just need to make sure all speakers are piano black since the media console is black.

Take a look at a pair of Usher S-520s as mains and an S-525 center.  You can get all three for $905 (10% off) by signing up for the linked dealer's emails.  The design is unchanged in about 20 years, but these are terrific speakers for the money.  Lots of glowing reviews out there.  I ran the S-520s as mains and surrounds (along with the S-525 center) in a 5.1 system for 15 years.  I recently upgraded to a tower as mains as part of going from 5.1 to 7.1, shifting the S-520s I had been using as mains to the rear. 

Edited February 23 by Tonesky
brain freeze

[ChickenSandwich 9,952]

A center channel speaker is a critical component of a home theater system set-up as it delivers about 70% of the dialogue from movies and television. Without one, you're missing out on vital parts of what you're watching.

Most frequent complaint/want is clear dialogue from the center. Can’t stress enough how much a three way speaker excels over a two way center speaker in home applications. 

The detailed spec will clearly state if the speaker is 2 or 3 way.  

Avoid the 2 way center if possible. 
 

Good budget friendly example in piano black from SVS

https://www.svsound.com/products/prime-center?variant=9532387395

Top line Ultra in piano black

https://a.co/d/5Tqx4uT

SVS also has a 45 day in home trial period available 

Monoprice 365c THX

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=34189

Edited February 23 by ChickenSandwich

[ChickenSandwich 9,952]

*Nerd Alert

 

[Baboontyme 2,882]

I started to hate my overhead 4k projector. I did not want to sacrifice my 100" screen and I wasn't ready to drop 10k on a 100" tv (this was a couple of years ago, or a year ago, can't remember). I bought a Hisense short throw laser that came with the screen and I love it. I'm sure it's not as great of a picture as a 100" O/Q but to my eyes it's great, and about 5x better than my old overhead. They do make cabinets/tables with "skylights" but last I looked they were 3-4k. 

[thunderlounge 8,407]

On 2/21/2024 at 8:06 PM, mdmost said:

I'm at a bit of a crossroads on our home theater setup and could use some assistance. Our Panasonic projector is on its last legs. It's a good unit but it's time to upgrade or move on to some other option. The issue I'm having is we really don't want to go up on screen size and a lot of newer projectors have much shorter throw ratios. Our room is pretty big and the throw from the projector to screen is 16 feet. I really don't want to invest in moving the mount and all the wiring forward. It's nice where it is because it's not as noticeable. I have debated a few options, 1) replace the projector with a long throw projector and get a new screen (I may see about going up a bit to 92" or 100" from 85" that we currently have), 2) get a short throw laser projector and screen, 3) get a 77-85" TV. I was hoping to stay under $2500 for everything.

We've had projectors in various forms since 1996. We really only watch stuff at night. I have a TV in my study that I mostly watch sports on but I'll sometimes watch on the projector. The panels are really starting to go out and the newer bulbs just highlight the flaws now. It's hard finding a not super expensive projector with a long throw ratio now. Most of the good ones I see from Ben-Q, Epson, and Optoma are in the 12-13 feet maximum throw range. The best one I can find is the Epson 5050. It's more than I'd prefer to spend but has most of the things I'm wanting like 4K, HDR, and good brightness. I've seen it in action and it looked great.

The short throw laser is interesting because it seems to have the best technology upside. Laser lasts longer than bulbs. It looks brighter and clearer. The issue is the short throw while great is still odd. The projector needs to sit a foot from the wall. That can look really dumb. The wife definitely does not want to walk in the room and see a cabinet sitting a foot out from the wall. There are some options like sliding shelf mounts but that just makes the amount go even higher and makes it not worth it since then I'm getting into OLED TV prices.

Which leads me to my final option, a 77-85" TV. The issue I have with TVs is I see way too many flaws in the TVs I see on display when I can actually watch something like a movie or live TV. When it's the stock HDR or 4K demo, it looks great. I'm not going to watch that much of that content. Anywhere I go though to check TVs only has that sort of content running. What is the best way to find out what these things look like when you're just watching a non-4K movie or an OTA NFL or college football game? As far as price, I can get a huge TV for pretty cheap but I realize I'm risking getting something that can't replicate motion very well. I've found that motion on newer TVs just looks weird to me. Maybe I'm too institutionalized with this projector but newer TVs really seem to show a lot of artifacting, blur, or other imperfections. I don't want to just get a big ass TV to try it out so some assistance with where I should look for research would be helpful. I was looking at an LG OLED TV this weekend that was on sale at Best Buy. It was showing a trailer for Top Gun: Maverick. Overall it looked good but when it would go close up on a face of an actor or a black background, it would get really grainy and was really noticeable. About the best option I saw was an 85" Sony Bravia XR X90L. 

I know I'm overthinking this but is there also a good site that breaks down the OLED, QLED, Full Array LED differences and why I need to worry about refresh rates? We mostly watch stuff on our Apple TV and plan to get the 4K version. I know TVs come with smart apps so that would be a bonus but not a requirement. Standard projectors have none of that, short throw lasers do. We also watch OTA channels and blu-rays. 

 

I'm in a similar boat. Currently have a 75" in the living room, and now doing a remodel of the room. New paint, floor, blinds, and furniture. Also going to upgrade/update the TV situation, and I've put in a ton of hours in the past couple months researching it all.

You "can" get an 85" TV for cheap, but you're getting a cheap TV. Good ones will put you in the $6k-$10k range, some at 85", some at 98" (Hisense).

For me, the bump to 85" from 75" wasn't a big enough difference to justify the cost. Enter the Ultra Short Throw projector and the game changes a bit.

 

You will sacrifice some picture quality over having a TV. That's just how it is, but already having a projector, you know these types of things. However the projectors today, including UST's, are getting a lot closer than many years ago. UST's also are better situated to produce better colors, and cover a significant amount more of the color specs out there now. Most triple laser units can reproduce over 100% of the BT.2020 spec. So while a small sacrifice in pure black is made, the color gamut is much better in reproduction.

For a UST, the environment is the biggest factor. How much ambient light needs to be overcome during the day, or even with lights on in the evening?

A room with a couple south facing windows, with no real blinds to block the light, and a lot of daytime viewing will need a brighter output of at least 3k, preferably 4k, ANSI lumens. So something like an AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro (3.5k ANSI lumens, or an Epson LS800 (4k ANSI lumens) would work better in that environment.

In my own living room, it has 2 north facing windows. Even on a bright, clear day the room isn't near as bright. You don't need lights on, but the ambient light level is much less. Plus the new blinds will block a lot more light than the current ones, so that makes the options out there a little more available to me than if the situation were different.

One thing for consideration, which you mentioned, is the throw distance. This means how far from the wall the unit needs to be to project the correct size image. Smaller image, the closer it gets, regardless of brand/model.

For example, the Epson LS800 has the lowest throw ratio out right now, and the back of the projector needs to only be about 7 inches away from the wall. Most will need the closest side to the wall (which they call the back, and it is) somewhere around 12"-14" from the wall for a 120" image. For a 100" image, most will need about 10"-12" or so. The Epson LS800 would need about 4" for a 100" screen.

Then there is the height where the bottom of the screen needs to be set. Most need about 15"-18" or so from the surface the projector is on, to the bottom of the screen. The Epson again being the outlier and needing only 12" for a 100" screen, and 14" for a 120" screen.

The above will determine the size, specifically height, you can have for your cabinet, as that height + the height from there to the bottom of the screen. To note, 120" screens are 5ft tall. If, for example, your room has 8ft ceilings, that leaves you with at most 36" (probably more like 34", realistically) for the cabinet height + the distance to the bottom of the screen. Which means if you need a height of say 17" for the projector, then the tallest cabinet you can have would be 17".

 

For my environment, I'm going to go with the following:

- Awol Vision LTV-3000 Pro ($3200)
- "Nothing Projector" Black Series ALR/CLR screen for UST projectors ($1000)

For me the above projector brings together a good balance of lumen output, as well as picture quality, and the unit's subset of features. Instead of having a wonky version of google/android tv, which most brands that use that can't get netflix onboard, they just throw in a new 4k Fire Stick. Fine by me, I already have Roku's everywhere anyway.

The screen isn't the best, but that's going to double the price. After seeing several side by side comparisons, the NP screen is probably 95% the picture of the higher priced one. The difference is really negligible, and that's side by side. The difference, for me, isn't worth another $1k.

 

[Chewbacca 7,829]

6 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

A center channel speaker is a critical component of a home theater system set-up as it delivers about 70% of the dialogue from movies and television. Without one, you're missing out on vital parts of what you're watching.

Most frequent complaint/want is clear dialogue from the center. Can’t stress enough how much a three way speaker excels over a two way center speaker in home applications. 

The detailed spec will clearly state if the speaker is 2 or 3 way.  

Avoid the 2 way center if possible. 
 

Good budget friendly example in piano black from SVS

https://www.svsound.com/products/prime-center?variant=9532387395

Top line Ultra in piano black

https://a.co/d/5Tqx4uT

SVS also has a 45 day in home trial period available 

Monoprice 365c THX

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=34189

Yeah, the more I look around, the more I'm leaning towards SVS for everything.  Ultras for the fronts and center and I haven't decided on the sub yet.  Ceiling in this room is probably 20 feet (vaulted), so it's a huge space to fill.

[ChickenSandwich 9,952]

4 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Yeah, the more I look around, the more I'm leaning towards SVS for everything.  Ultras for the fronts and center and I haven't decided on the sub yet.  Ceiling in this room is probably 20 feet (vaulted), so it's a huge space to fill.

Compact 15 (same footprint as a lot of 12s) sealed servo sub. 
 

https://www.rythmikaudio.com/E15.html

[hornfan785 570]

I would also recommend a Rythmik sub, just because I've been using my LV12R, along with some Ascend Acoustic speakers, since 2013 and it's performed great! I am biased though, I've never owned anything by SVS.

[Chewbacca 7,829]

8 minutes ago, hornfan785 said:

I would also recommend a Rythmik sub, just because I've been using my LV12R, along with some Ascend Acoustic speakers, since 2013 and it's performed great! I am biased though, I've never owned anything by SVS.

If there's one thing SVS is known for,  it is subs. But I'll check out Rhythmik, too. 

[ChickenSandwich 9,952]

Local to austin you can email/call or text directly with owner and designer. 
 

send them your room dimensions and tell them what you are trying to do. Customer service is top notch and read the reviews vs svs

I believe they offer a free trial period as well

3.1

*biased but owned one of each

 

As far as an AVR goes, get something with good room correction. If not opposed to refurbished, accessories for less is an authorized marantz refurbished retailer and offers extended warranty 

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html

Edited February 24 by ChickenSandwich

[Chewbacca 7,829]

17 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Local to austin you can email/call or text directly with owner and designer. 
 

send them your room dimensions and tell them what you are trying to do. Customer service is top notch and read the reviews vs svs

I believe they offer a free trial period as well

3.1

*biased but owned one of each

 

As far as an AVR goes, get something with good room correction. If not opposed to refurbished, accessories for less is an authorized marantz refurbished retailer and offers extended warranty 

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html

House is in CO mountains. 

[ChickenSandwich 9,952]

Meant company. Can pick up and skip shipping cost from cedar park 

[rage-a-holic 4,732]

On 2/21/2024 at 8:06 PM, mdmost said:

I'm at a bit of a crossroads on our home theater setup and could use some assistance. Our Panasonic projector is on its last legs. It's a good unit but it's time to upgrade or move on to some other option. The issue I'm having is we really don't want to go up on screen size and a lot of newer projectors have much shorter throw ratios. Our room is pretty big and the throw from the projector to screen is 16 feet. I really don't want to invest in moving the mount and all the wiring forward. It's nice where it is because it's not as noticeable. I have debated a few options, 1) replace the projector with a long throw projector and get a new screen (I may see about going up a bit to 92" or 100" from 85" that we currently have), 2) get a short throw laser projector and screen, 3) get a 77-85" TV. I was hoping to stay under $2500 for everything.

We've had projectors in various forms since 1996. We really only watch stuff at night. I have a TV in my study that I mostly watch sports on but I'll sometimes watch on the projector. The panels are really starting to go out and the newer bulbs just highlight the flaws now. It's hard finding a not super expensive projector with a long throw ratio now. Most of the good ones I see from Ben-Q, Epson, and Optoma are in the 12-13 feet maximum throw range. The best one I can find is the Epson 5050. It's more than I'd prefer to spend but has most of the things I'm wanting like 4K, HDR, and good brightness. I've seen it in action and it looked great.

The short throw laser is interesting because it seems to have the best technology upside. Laser lasts longer than bulbs. It looks brighter and clearer. The issue is the short throw while great is still odd. The projector needs to sit a foot from the wall. That can look really dumb. The wife definitely does not want to walk in the room and see a cabinet sitting a foot out from the wall. There are some options like sliding shelf mounts but that just makes the amount go even higher and makes it not worth it since then I'm getting into OLED TV prices.

Which leads me to my final option, a 77-85" TV. The issue I have with TVs is I see way too many flaws in the TVs I see on display when I can actually watch something like a movie or live TV. When it's the stock HDR or 4K demo, it looks great. I'm not going to watch that much of that content. Anywhere I go though to check TVs only has that sort of content running. What is the best way to find out what these things look like when you're just watching a non-4K movie or an OTA NFL or college football game? As far as price, I can get a huge TV for pretty cheap but I realize I'm risking getting something that can't replicate motion very well. I've found that motion on newer TVs just looks weird to me. Maybe I'm too institutionalized with this projector but newer TVs really seem to show a lot of artifacting, blur, or other imperfections. I don't want to just get a big ass TV to try it out so some assistance with where I should look for research would be helpful. I was looking at an LG OLED TV this weekend that was on sale at Best Buy. It was showing a trailer for Top Gun: Maverick. Overall it looked good but when it would go close up on a face of an actor or a black background, it would get really grainy and was really noticeable. About the best option I saw was an 85" Sony Bravia XR X90L. 

I know I'm overthinking this but is there also a good site that breaks down the OLED, QLED, Full Array LED differences and why I need to worry about refresh rates? We mostly watch stuff on our Apple TV and plan to get the 4K version. I know TVs come with smart apps so that would be a bonus but not a requirement. Standard projectors have none of that, short throw lasers do. We also watch OTA channels and blu-rays. 

Another +1 for "buy an 85" HDTV". The only reason I don't make the switch is because I have 2 solid projector setups (120" and 100") that would cost thousands to switchover to similar size HDTVs.

[thunderlounge 8,407]

Over 85” though? Projector.

[Chewbacca 7,829]

How are people hooking things up for streaming in their home theaters?  Are you streaming through the tv and running HDMI to the receiver to get the sound to the speakers?  I want to make sure I never have to use the tv speakers when I get this set up.  

[thunderlounge 8,407]

Receiver -> display: via ARC/eARC

devices -> receiver

If you have a lot of devices and don’t want to swap cables, get an hdmi switch. Just make sure you’re getting hdmi 2.2 parts. Which can be a pain in the ass if one isn’t when you play certain content. Something to do with copyright protection and an interception device, give or take.

 

[Chewbacca 7,829]

19 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

Receiver -> display: via ARC/eARC

devices -> receiver

If you have a lot of devices and don’t want to swap cables, get an hdmi switch. Just make sure you’re getting hdmi 2.2 parts. Which can be a pain in the ass if one isn’t when you play certain content. Something to do with copyright protection and an interception device, give or take.

 

I imagine sources will be streaming apps (from TV), Blu Ray player (because I'm old and own a fuckton of Blu Ray movies)  and then music streaming from phones via wifi or bluetooth. Not going to have cable, I think.

[thunderlounge 8,407]

20 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

I imagine sources will be streaming apps (from TV), Blu Ray player (because I'm old and own a fuckton of Blu Ray movies)  and then music streaming from phones via wifi or bluetooth. Not going to have cable, I think.

 

Sounds about right. I would suggest forgoing the built-in tv apps, and getting a dedicated streaming box instead. The hardware and performance isn't great to start, and doesn't get better in the long term. Plus it's easier to keep things consistent across TV's. Go for the box over a stick. Better hardware and format support.

 

[Bevo 13,870]

1 hour ago, thunderlounge said:

 

Sounds about right. I would suggest forgoing the built-in tv apps, and getting a dedicated streaming box instead. The hardware and performance isn't great to start, and doesn't get better in the long term. Plus it's easier to keep things consistent across TV's. Go for the box over a stick. Better hardware and format support.

 

Do most streaming boxes have a quick button for netflix and prime? Is it a pain having a remote for cable, TV, streaming, and the AV receiver? It seems like the newest receivers should have video streaming built-in but I'm pretty sure they don't have video streaming like Prime and Netflix but just audio streaming like Roon. I also like to stream off my NAS.

[rage-a-holic 4,732]

46 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Do most streaming boxes have a quick button for netflix and prime? Is it a pain having a remote for cable, TV, streaming, and the AV receiver? It seems like the newest receivers should have video streaming built-in but I'm pretty sure they don't have video streaming like Prime and Netflix but just audio streaming like Roon. I also like to stream off my NAS.

I switched most of my streaming boxes over to the Onn Tv box. It's $20 and reliable. The remote will also let you control the volume and power for your Tv/receiver. Install Plex and stream from your NAS or any PC you have.

https://www.theverge.com/23738980/walmart-onn-google-tv-4k-streaming-box-review

[thunderlounge 8,407]

Yes, most have quick access buttons.

I use roku ultras, but would also consider amazons fire cube (or whatever), or the nVidia Shield seems to also be a big hit. 
 

I initially got a roku way back when, so kept it the same throughout.

Not sure which of the two above I would pick if I were to switch, but roku does me fine. Dolby Vision (Atmos pass-through), HDR, HDR10+, etc. Of course those are up to your display in the end (or audio setup, for atmos) which makes a difference.

The roku remote does fine. It turns on the tv, which wakes up the audio from standby, and also controls the volume. I don’t mess around with settings much once I have it where I want it, so mostly use the roku remote.

IIRC there’s an app for nas streaming, but don’t hold me to that one. If Roku doesn’t, then at the very least you should be able to do it with one of them.

 

 

[Tonesky 1,056]

1 hour ago, thunderlounge said:

The roku remote does fine. It turns on the tv, which wakes up the audio from standby, and also controls the volume. I don’t mess around with settings much once I have it where I want it, so mostly use the roku remote.

We have Roku Streaming Stick 4Ks on each TV. They are regularly (and currently) on sale for $40.  They perform better than using the TVs’ built in smarts.  It has dedicated buttons for Netflix and Apple TV, but not Prime. But, getting to prime (or any other installed app) still just takes a couple of seconds.  The only time I use the AVR remote is to change to, or select the audio mode for, music, and restore the audio mode to surround when returning to video. 

[52-80 19,377]

bought appletv units when they were slightly discounted over christmas.  5 billion times better than the xiaomi box i had.

no problems with built-in app on my TV because it's recent model so the performance is fast.... but the appleTV is just absolutely blazing, has way more services and functionality, and integration with apple devices is just a peach.  for example i could put my headphones on and the aTV will detect and ask me to switch it to it instantly.  no clunky pairing needed.

[thunderlounge 8,407]

Apple is good for sure, but not better enough to justify the price difference, IMO. 
 

But they’re a solid choice if so inclined. (And all my other stuff is apple, sans work laptop.)

 

[thunderlounge 8,407]

On 2/23/2024 at 6:46 AM, ChickenSandwich said:

A center channel speaker is a critical component of a home theater system set-up as it delivers about 70% of the dialogue from movies and television. Without one, you're missing out on vital parts of what you're watching.

Most frequent complaint/want is clear dialogue from the center. Can’t stress enough how much a three way speaker excels over a two way center speaker in home applications. 

The detailed spec will clearly state if the speaker is 2 or 3 way.  

Avoid the 2 way center if possible. 
 

Good budget friendly example in piano black from SVS

https://www.svsound.com/products/prime-center?variant=9532387395

Top line Ultra in piano black

https://a.co/d/5Tqx4uT

SVS also has a 45 day in home trial period available 

Monoprice 365c THX

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=34189

 

I kept a semi-running account of updates to what I went through to update the LR to more of a media-centric LR in another thread of this sort, but wanted to come back to share my thanks to @ChickenSandwich for his above post.

While I'm here, might as well catch anyone up that missed what's happened, and where things are currently. Grab more coffee, or beverage of your choice, here we go.
 

First, the important shit. What did I end up with? The short list:

The basics:

- New theater-style couch and loveseat
- New waterproof LVP flooring in the LR, upper landing, kitchen, pantry, and laundry room (~850sqft combined)
- New blinds (4, double honeycomb blackout; 1 roman blackout)
- New ceiling fan for the LR
- All new paint in the LR, upper and lower landings, stairwell, kitchen, pantry, and laundry
- New vent registers where needed with new floor

The Electronics:

- AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro (Ultra short-throw projector, aka laser-tv)
- Nothing Projector Black Series, 120" ALR screen
- Salamander Synergy 248 A/V cabinet
- Onkyo RZ50 AVR
- SVS Prime: L/R tower, center, bookshelves for L/R surrounds (14ga wire)
- Klipsch 12" sub (12yr old, that I already had on hand, and is pretty damn good)
- AppleTV

Here's the painting:

Spoiler

Here's mostly the start. Ignore the extension pole, but you can see things at the start, after the furniture arrived but just getting ready to paint. Yes, the beginning of a mess in progress. Also note the TV cart in the corner, and the old (way too fucking low) ceiling fan.

 

After painting the LR/stairs/landing/entry:

 

 

After painting the kitchen:

 

Then came the flooring:
 

Spoiler

 

 

And then came the fun shit:

 

It's a work in progress, still. But not constantly active work, and we're starting to put things back together. Will be swapping the center channel and the projector before too long. Right now I'm just letting it break in. So yes, the screen isn't in 100% the perfect spot, and some tweaks need to happen. That will happen this month at some point, but for now it's fine while I handle some other needs that are more important.

I didn't 100% know how or if this setup would truly work in my space. I knew the gear was good, I did my homework. Other than "settling" on an Onkyo receiver that was on sale for $1018, vice the Denon I'd been looking at which was another $700. Savings, plus Crutchfield standing behind it even further, made it an easier decision. So far it's been great, no complaints, and it stays out of the way. and more of an afterthought than realizing all it is handling.

The SVS Prime are fuckin tits. They sound very, very fucking good. I love them, and now we're back full circle. I was originally thinking Klipsch, as I'd had good success with them previously. Then digging a little deeper, they aren't the quality/value they once were, and there are better options out there. (Not speaking to their handmade stuff that's still made in NW AR, just their main production line.)

Anyway, Chicken was absolutely right. I read his post, took it to heart, and went on to do a bunch of digging. Let me save anyone coming across this some time and effort. SVS Prime: do it and don't look back. This center is fantastic, I love it. The rest are just as damn good, and together it all sounds incredible. Originally, I'd been looking at the soundbar route. A double sub Nakamichi setup, not the dragon, or maybe the sammy 990C. I'm so, so glad I decided to do the AVR/Speaker setup instead, on several levels. First, the sound is just so much better. You don't realize it until you do. Not just in overall quality, but depth. You don't really know you're missing so many layers through a soundbar that just can't accurately reproduce the audio. Second, switching and video features. There would be no video help with a soundbar, and limited inputs to switch between. Not optimal these days. Yes, it doubled what I planned to spend, but the result was absolutely worth it. I wouldn't hesitate to get SVS again, and guarantee I will be in the future when the time comes in a few years to move.

 

Now for picture quality. I moved from a 2020 model year, 75" samsung Q60T. It was ok, but not great in the areas that LED are known to struggle. The biggest issue for me was color banding when trying to show gradients. It was not bueno, and drove me fucking nuts. The color range just wasn't there at times, and it sucked ass like a pixelated image. Bad bad bad. And of course, the fucking glare off the som bitch was just atrocious. Like a fucking mirror. So placement of things was an issue. That glare would have my eyes bouncing between the image in the reflection, and the underlying image from the TV screen. It was getting to the point of causing me headaches from time to time.

So I did a ton of homework, and ended up coming across Ultra Short Throw projectors. Did some more digging, and it sounded like a solid fix for my situation. But what model? This wasn't going in a fully light controlled space, it was going in the living room. I knew I would painting dark, as well as adding new blinds, but would it be enough? Did I need those 4000 ANSI lumens from something like the Epson LS800? Could I go with something like a Formovie Theater at 2800 ANSI lumens instead? That one seemed to be the favorite across a lot of sites, user driven and review. More digging, more research. After all of that, I finally narrowed down to the AWOL LTV-3000 Pro. 2400ANSI lumens, with a peak of 3000. I'm guessing peak is on a really bright DV image, dunno. Even after all my research, I still wasn't sure it was going to work like what I'd been lead to believe about UST capabilities.

Well, it worked out and it's fucking glorious. It's really good during the day, and fucking incredible at night. The blacks aren't a light gray, they're black. Maybe a few shades light, but unless you have eagle eyes, it's very good. At night, it's brilliant.

Just a quick note, the 3500 Pro probably isn't worth damn near double the price for another 400 ANSI lumens. Maybe if you had a ton of open windows, and shit like that during the day, but for me it was worth the gamble that the 2400 ANSI lumens of the 3000 Pro would work out. (If not, I'd probably went with the Formovie, which is at the same price point at the 3000 Pro.)

Back to the 3k Pro. It's awesome. I've watched sports, TV, movies, and 3D movies. So far it's been outfuckingstanding. Could not be more pleased. The color representation is fucking great. Not talking about over-saturation like you'll see on LED tv demos playing at a store. I'm talking actual colors it can reproduce. While my old samsung struggled to hit 70% of the rec.703 scope, this 3k Pro hits 107% of the bt.2020 spec. Stupid smooth gradients, impressive shadowing, even a proper burnt orange.

Finally, after a lot of digging, a lot of research, a lot of contemplation, and a lot of sweat, it's settled and all but complete. I do have the final positioning of the projector to handle, some minor touch-up on the walls, as well as sand/paint the fireplace, stair banister, and hand rails. Along with all the wall plates for the kitchen/laundry areas. For those I'm not quite sure how I want to handle it in terms of color. I've narrowed it down to 3 options:

Copper, dark copper, and a dark gray that's close to the LR walls. So I painted 3 old plates, and have them on the wall in the kitchen until I make up my damn mind. So far, it's been 6 weeks and still not 100% sure.

 

I'm leaning towards this:

 

It doesn't really tie into the room, yet.

However, once the kitchen goes through phase 2 next year sometime...

 

This is the color scheme from the kitchen. Stock image from a paint color preview tool, but you get the idea. White cabs, and butcher block countertops. Once the new tops are on (looking at something a bit more like copper shade) I think the wall plates being copper would look pretty good. As it is right now, the darker gray to match the trim would be better.

So still figuring that one out, plus some minor touch up paint, and the sand/paint mentioned as well. So it's close, and for now close enough and extremely functional as is. That's good, as I have some other things that unfortunately need attention first, as this project took a ton of focus, energy, and time.

It wasn't all smooth sailing, but noted in another thread. Anyway, kind of funny I ended up with an appleTV. I have Roku Ultra's for 4 of the 5 other tv's in the house, but after seeing some of the shady shit they've gotten up to lately, I'm done. Grabbed an aTV to try, and won't be going back. Took a minute to get used to, but it's incredible. And despite what I thought initially, it absolutely was worth the extra coin. It will even process and update signals into a 4k Dolby Vision output. Now upscaling can only do so much, but damn if it doesn't help on content that is not native 4k, or has suffered compression. Amazing capabilities, and works really well.

Got dayum that was a long catch-up. Well, there ya have it.

10/10, 5 stars, would absolutely buy again, blah blah blah.

 

 

[Dbeasy 15,561]

15 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

 

I kept a semi-running account of updates to what I went through to update the LR to more of a media-centric LR in another thread of this sort, but wanted to come back to share my thanks to @ChickenSandwich for his above post.

While I'm here, might as well catch anyone up that missed what's happened, and where things are currently. Grab more coffee, or beverage of your choice, here we go.
 

First, the important shit. What did I end up with? The short list:

The basics:

- New theater-style couch and loveseat
- New waterproof LVP flooring in the LR, upper landing, kitchen, pantry, and laundry room (~850sqft combined)
- New blinds (4, double honeycomb blackout; 1 roman blackout)
- New ceiling fan for the LR
- All new paint in the LR, upper and lower landings, stairwell, kitchen, pantry, and laundry
- New vent registers where needed with new floor

The Electronics:

- AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro (Ultra short-throw projector, aka laser-tv)
- Nothing Projector Black Series, 120" ALR screen
- Salamander Synergy 248 A/V cabinet
- Onkyo RZ50 AVR
- SVS Prime: L/R tower, center, bookshelves for L/R surrounds (14ga wire)
- Klipsch 12" sub (12yr old, that I already had on hand, and is pretty damn good)
- AppleTV

Here's the painting:

  Hide contents

Here's mostly the start. Ignore the extension pole, but you can see things at the start, after the furniture arrived but just getting ready to paint. Yes, the beginning of a mess in progress. Also note the TV cart in the corner, and the old (way too fucking low) ceiling fan.

 

After painting the LR/stairs/landing/entry:

 

 

After painting the kitchen:

 

 

Then came the flooring:
 

  Hide contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then came the fun shit:

 

It's a work in progress, still. But not constantly active work, and we're starting to put things back together. Will be swapping the center channel and the projector before too long. Right now I'm just letting it break in. So yes, the screen isn't in 100% the perfect spot, and some tweaks need to happen. That will happen this month at some point, but for now it's fine while I handle some other needs that are more important.

I didn't 100% know how or if this setup would truly work in my space. I knew the gear was good, I did my homework. Other than "settling" on an Onkyo receiver that was on sale for $1018, vice the Denon I'd been looking at which was another $700. Savings, plus Crutchfield standing behind it even further, made it an easier decision. So far it's been great, no complaints, and it stays out of the way. and more of an afterthought than realizing all it is handling.

The SVS Prime are fuckin tits. They sound very, very fucking good. I love them, and now we're back full circle. I was originally thinking Klipsch, as I'd had good success with them previously. Then digging a little deeper, they aren't the quality/value they once were, and there are better options out there. (Not speaking to their handmade stuff that's still made in NW AR, just their main production line.)

Anyway, Chicken was absolutely right. I read his post, took it to heart, and went on to do a bunch of digging. Let me save anyone coming across this some time and effort. SVS Prime: do it and don't look back. This center is fantastic, I love it. The rest are just as damn good, and together it all sounds incredible. Originally, I'd been looking at the soundbar route. A double sub Nakamichi setup, not the dragon, or maybe the sammy 990C. I'm so, so glad I decided to do the AVR/Speaker setup instead, on several levels. First, the sound is just so much better. You don't realize it until you do. Not just in overall quality, but depth. You don't really know you're missing so many layers through a soundbar that just can't accurately reproduce the audio. Second, switching and video features. There would be no video help with a soundbar, and limited inputs to switch between. Not optimal these days. Yes, it doubled what I planned to spend, but the result was absolutely worth it. I wouldn't hesitate to get SVS again, and guarantee I will be in the future when the time comes in a few years to move.

 

Now for picture quality. I moved from a 2020 model year, 75" samsung Q60T. It was ok, but not great in the areas that LED are known to struggle. The biggest issue for me was color banding when trying to show gradients. It was not bueno, and drove me fucking nuts. The color range just wasn't there at times, and it sucked ass like a pixelated image. Bad bad bad. And of course, the fucking glare off the som bitch was just atrocious. Like a fucking mirror. So placement of things was an issue. That glare would have my eyes bouncing between the image in the reflection, and the underlying image from the TV screen. It was getting to the point of causing me headaches from time to time.

So I did a ton of homework, and ended up coming across Ultra Short Throw projectors. Did some more digging, and it sounded like a solid fix for my situation. But what model? This wasn't going in a fully light controlled space, it was going in the living room. I knew I would painting dark, as well as adding new blinds, but would it be enough? Did I need those 4000 ANSI lumens from something like the Epson LS800? Could I go with something like a Formovie Theater at 2800 ANSI lumens instead? That one seemed to be the favorite across a lot of sites, user driven and review. More digging, more research. After all of that, I finally narrowed down to the AWOL LTV-3000 Pro. 2400ANSI lumens, with a peak of 3000. I'm guessing peak is on a really bright DV image, dunno. Even after all my research, I still wasn't sure it was going to work like what I'd been lead to believe about UST capabilities.

Well, it worked out and it's fucking glorious. It's really good during the day, and fucking incredible at night. The blacks aren't a light gray, they're black. Maybe a few shades light, but unless you have eagle eyes, it's very good. At night, it's brilliant.

Just a quick note, the 3500 Pro probably isn't worth damn near double the price for another 400 ANSI lumens. Maybe if you had a ton of open windows, and shit like that during the day, but for me it was worth the gamble that the 2400 ANSI lumens of the 3000 Pro would work out. (If not, I'd probably went with the Formovie, which is at the same price point at the 3000 Pro.)

Back to the 3k Pro. It's awesome. I've watched sports, TV, movies, and 3D movies. So far it's been outfuckingstanding. Could not be more pleased. The color representation is fucking great. Not talking about over-saturation like you'll see on LED tv demos playing at a store. I'm talking actual colors it can reproduce. While my old samsung struggled to hit 70% of the rec.703 scope, this 3k Pro hits 107% of the bt.2020 spec. Stupid smooth gradients, impressive shadowing, even a proper burnt orange.

Finally, after a lot of digging, a lot of research, a lot of contemplation, and a lot of sweat, it's settled and all but complete. I do have the final positioning of the projector to handle, some minor touch-up on the walls, as well as sand/paint the fireplace, stair banister, and hand rails. Along with all the wall plates for the kitchen/laundry areas. For those I'm not quite sure how I want to handle it in terms of color. I've narrowed it down to 3 options:

Copper, dark copper, and a dark gray that's close to the LR walls. So I painted 3 old plates, and have them on the wall in the kitchen until I make up my damn mind. So far, it's been 6 weeks and still not 100% sure.

 

I'm leaning towards this:

 

It doesn't really tie into the room, yet.

However, once the kitchen goes through phase 2 next year sometime...

 

This is the color scheme from the kitchen. Stock image from a paint color preview tool, but you get the idea. White cabs, and butcher block countertops. Once the new tops are on (looking at something a bit more like copper shade) I think the wall plates being copper would look pretty good. As it is right now, the darker gray to match the trim would be better.

So still figuring that one out, plus some minor touch up paint, and the sand/paint mentioned as well. So it's close, and for now close enough and extremely functional as is. That's good, as I have some other things that unfortunately need attention first, as this project took a ton of focus, energy, and time.

It wasn't all smooth sailing, but noted in another thread. Anyway, kind of funny I ended up with an appleTV. I have Roku Ultra's for 4 of the 5 other tv's in the house, but after seeing some of the shady shit they've gotten up to lately, I'm done. Grabbed an aTV to try, and won't be going back. Took a minute to get used to, but it's incredible. And despite what I thought initially, it absolutely was worth the extra coin. It will even process and update signals into a 4k Dolby Vision output. Now upscaling can only do so much, but damn if it doesn't help on content that is not native 4k, or has suffered compression. Amazing capabilities, and works really well.

Got dayum that was a long catch-up. Well, there ya have it.

10/10, 5 stars, would absolutely buy again, blah blah blah.

 

 

You mentioned surround speakers with 14g cable. How did you run it from the receiver? Just ugly across/around the room?

[thunderlounge 8,407]

8 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

You mentioned surround speakers with 14g cable. How did you run it from the receiver? Just ugly across/around the room?

Correct. I ran everything in 14ga, CL3 rated. Monoprice, to be specific. 
 

I ran from an 8-pair plate behind the a/v cabinet, to two different 4-pair plates in the room. I went under and over. One plate at the back corner on the right side, one on a wall along the left side.

Receiver straight to the front 3, and then from the receiver to the main plate for the rear surrounds.

Speakers into the plates, banana plugs on everything just for that extra safety factor so 2 wires don’t someday short out in the wall. More peace of mind than anything. 
 

Right now I’m running a 5.1 setup. Both rear surrounds are plugged into the back corner plate. But I planned ahead for me, and maybe whoever buys it someday. Might as well do it as best you can the first time and all that.

I did try it out as a 7.2, using a couple of old klipsch that came with the sub. Put those on the sides, and then the svs as the rears. 
 

Yeah, if I end up on that path then I’ll get another pair of the svs bookshelf and mount those on the back wall, or maybe jut put in a couple in-wall for the rears. The way I was messing with it had all 4 on stands, and it was too much for the limited space in the areas they were in.

So took off the klipsch, moved the svs back to the sides of the loveseat (primary seating), and put them back in the right jacks on the receiver.

Not as good for people on the couch, but they’re company so be thankful. 

[mdmost 43,948]

So I went with a new projector over an 85" TV. We went with an Epson 5050UB. It's fantastic. I just couldn't justify all the hoops we'd have to jump through like moving all our equipment and cabling to the front of the room as well as new mounting. Kinda hating myself for not switching sooner. The colors and detail are infinitely better than I ever could've hoped. Sure, we still need it to be darker for the true experience but my kid was watching shows during the day with the Bright Cinema setting on and it looked great. We talked about getting some different window shades that could cut down on the light coming in. We also may look at going up on the screen size to 100". That might be a later upgrade.

I need to calibrate it and found some helpful guides to making it look better. The automated lens shift made it incredibly easy to get the picture to line up. I just used the old ceiling mount I had and it was easy to install. 4K movies and HDR look great. We mostly watch Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, and YouTube so there's a lot of great content in HDR and 4K. I don't know if I want to get a UHD Blu-Ray player since I'm trying to limit physical media taking up space when we're not really rewatching stuff that isn't already available on one of our streaming services. Some of those 4K demo clips just look ridiculously good. I'm also happy that the Onkyo receiver I bought a while back was 4K and HDMI 2.0 compatible. I also thought I would need to get a new Apple TV 4K. Turns out I had the first edition of the 4K unit so no upgrading required. Does anyone still broadcast sports in 4K? I get TNT and TBS with HBO Max. I haven't thought to check Peacock for that but I'm hoping the Olympics might be in 4K.  

Edited June 1 by mdmost

[BBQ2Bayou 807]

Any advice on a TV that has decent built in sound and is a smart TV with simple functions? 

I have to buy my folks, who are 80 and moving in to assisted living, 3 tvs and I want to keep it as simple as possible for them. They aren't great with screwing around with sound bars and fire sticks.