Home Theater Setup...

[woodchucker]

So, we got Directv a couple weeks ago. First time ever in my life paying for tv, but it's only about $15 extra on our AT&T bill, so whatever.

Conundrum: I thought it would be easy to plug the audio output from the receiver into my DVD home theater system. Nope. The receiver is digital audio out and the DVD player is analog only in. I know there are converters, but you don't get true 5.1 sound.

We have a Blu-ray player, but it's not a home theater system.

Unless I'm missing something, I need to start from scratch, probably with a Blu-ray home theater system? Or, buy a stand-alone system and plug everything into that, but I can't imagine that's a whole lot cheaper.

Am I thinking correctly on this? If so, any recommendations on systems that give a decent bang for the buck? I'm trying to stay under $300 if possible. Probably wait for Black Friday ... hopefully score a deal.

 

[N801BH]

So, we got Directv a couple weeks ago. First time ever in my life paying for tv, but it's only about $15 extra on our AT&T bill, so whatever.

Conundrum: I thought it would be easy to plug the audio output from the receiver into my DVD home theater system. Nope. The receiver is digital audio out and the DVD player is analog only in. I know there are converters, but you don't get true 5.1 sound.

We have a Blu-ray player, but it's not a home theater system.

Unless I'm missing something, I need to start from scratch, probably with a Blu-ray home theater system? Or, buy a stand-alone system and plug everything into that, but I can't imagine that's a whole lot cheaper.

Am I thinking correctly on this? If so, any recommendations on systems that give a decent bang for the buck? I'm trying to stay under $300 if possible. Probably wait for Black Friday ... hopefully score a deal.

Ha....

It is only 15 dollars extra .... This week.... Next month it will be 100 dollars... and you are LOCKED in....

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

I think you are doing it backwards.
Appliances plug into the receiver.
Receiver output goes to the sound system

 

[flhrci]

Ha....

It is only 15 dollars extra .... This week.... Next month it will be 100 dollars... and you are LOCKED in....

Possibly not since AT&T bought Directv. Things may change.

 

[FastEddieB]

Don't know how this compares to your current system, but we bought a Vizio sound bar with Bluetooth subwoofer and rear channels plugged into that. About $275.

It uses optical out from our Vizio TV. Our music plays through our AppleTV to the TV and then to the sound bar. The sound bar can also input music from Bluetooth sources, 1/8" miniplug, whatever.

Karen and I are very pleased with the results. Probably not up to what a $3,000 Bose system would do, but more than adequate for our aging ears.

As an aside, Karen is hula-hooping to a Bruno Mars mix right now, and the bass is resonating through the house - for better or worse!

 

[Matthew]

I think you are doing it backwards.
Appliances plug into the receiver.
Receiver output goes to the sound system

What he said.

Don't go from the DirectTV box through the DVD. Run the digital audio out into a port on the back of the HT receiver. There should be some way to get audio out to the TV from the back of the box, too. That way you can turn on the TV and
isten in stereo, or turn on the HT, switch to the box input, and get 5.1.

BluRay players are kind of nice, you can stream Netflix, Pandora, and other online services. Maybe treat yourself to an early Christmas present.


edit: after another read, it sounds like you don't have a true HT receiver? You are using the DVD for that? You might end up looking for a HT rcvr then. They really aren't too expensive.

 

[bradg33]

As others have noted, the "heart" of a true home theater is the a/v receiver. It acts as the "hub" for all audio and video feeds from your various sources (DirecTV, DVD/BluRay, CD player, etc.) and then outputs a single video feed to the TV and, in all but the extremely high-end systems, feeds the audio to the speakers.

IMHO, the only way to properly to a home theater is with separate components. The "home-theater-in-a-box" setups, where the receiver is also a BluRay player, etc. and comes with all of the same brand speakers "in the box" are almost universally junk. Same with Soundbars (which have their place, just don't call it "home theater").

If you want a "real" home theater, go buy the best receiver within your budget (I'm partial to Denon or Onkyo), then buy the best speakers you can afford (I'm partial to Klipsch or Bowers and Wilkins), then attach all your stuff to it and run a single HDMI cord to the TV to carry the video.

 

[Matthew]

As others have noted, the "heart" of a true home theater is the a/v receiver. It acts as the "hub" for all audio and video feeds from your various sources (DirecTV, DVD/BluRay, CD player, etc.) and then outputs a single video feed to the TV and, in all but the extremely high-end systems, feeds the audio to the speakers.

IMHO, the only way to properly to a home theater is with separate components. The "home-theater-in-a-box" setups, where the receiver is also a BluRay player, etc. and comes with all of the same brand speakers "in the box" are almost universally junk. Same with Soundbars (which have their place, just don't call it "home theater").

If you want a "real" home theater, go buy the best receiver within your budget (I'm partial to Denon or Onkyo), then buy the best speakers you can afford (I'm partial to Klipsch or Bowers and Wilkins), then attach all your stuff to it and run a single HDMI cord to the TV to carry the video.

I'd add: Make sure your TV can play sound through it's internal speakers with whatever setup you use. It's not always convenient to turn on the entire system just to watch Airplane Repo. All my components (RCV, TV, BluRay, box) are all different vintage and I have a real rat's nest of cables to work around all the incompatibilities.

And the sub-woofer is what makes it Home Theater!

 

[bradg33]

I'd add: Make sure your TV can play sound through it's internal speakers with whatever setup you use. It's not always convenient to turn on the entire system just to watch Airplane Repo. All my components (RCV, TV, BluRay, box) are all different vintage and I have a real rat's nest of cables to work around all the incompatibilities.

And the sub-woofer is what makes it Home Theater!

Hogwash, you just need a better remote

I have a Logitech Harmony 900 for my setup; I paid less than $200 for it and it's IR and RF capable. I push a single button, and the whole system fires up on its own and is ready to go.

 

[Matthew]

Hogwash, you just need a better remote

I have a Logitech Harmony 900 for my setup; I paid less than $200 for it and it's IR and RF capable. I push a single button, and the whole system fires up on its own and is ready to go.

Yeah, I almost popped for one of those. I really shuold get one.

When we watch a movie: turn on TV/Box (Uverse remote) with remote #1. Turn on BluRay player with remote #2. Realize remote #2 is pointing backwards because Samsung made the remote so that you can't tell by feel which end is up, and try again. Turn on HT receiver with remote #3.

Use remote #2 to start the movie, use remote #3 to set the volume on the HT, and use remote #1 to lower the volume on the TV.

And if remote #2 can't be found, it's probably in the trash because the cat pushed it off the end table.

 

[flhrci]

It's not always convenient to turn on the entire system just to watch Airplane Repo.

I can't believe you just diss'd Airplane Repo like that!

David

 

[bradg33]

Yeah, I almost popped for one of those. I really shuold get one.

When we watch a movie: turn on TV/Box (Uverse remote) with remote #1. Turn on BluRay player with remote #2. Realize remote #2 is pointing backwards because Samsung made the remote so that you can't tell by feel which end is up, and try again. Turn on HT receiver with remote #3.

Use remote #2 to start the movie, use remote #3 to set the volume on the HT, and use remote #1 to lower the volume on the TV.

And if remote #2 can't be found, it's probably in the trash because the cat pushed it off the end table.

Logitech has a "VIP site" that routinely sells refurbs for really cheap; that's where I bought mine. There's a trick to getting access to it, but Google around a little and you should figure it out. I did it a couple years ago, can't remember exactly how to get in.

 

[Matthew]

I can't believe you just diss'd Airplane Repo like that!

David

...

 

[josephbelt01]

The typical "home theater" setup with a big receiver and speakers all over the room is fading. For a very large room perhaps they still make sense, but for most people it's probably just overkill and takes up space.

I have a nice HK setup, but if I had to do it again today I'd get a Bose soundbar and be done with it. Simple, elegant, and everything is integrated in a functional easy to use package. Very Apple-like. That's what I'd recommend.


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[bradg33]

Simple, elegant, and everything is integrated in a functional easy to use package. Very Apple-like.

All of this is true. The only part you left out: sounds like crap when compared to a real/traditional setup

 

[James331]

Yup, all goes INTO the receiver.


When I got my samsung curve TV and my samsung receiver/blueray and speakers it was really cool to watch the "smart" system work, everything talks to everything else, I turn the tv off and it powers down everything else too, bunch of other stuff, but it was the easiest home theatre system I've ever set up, plus just one remote

 

[James331]

The typical "home theater" setup with a big receiver and speakers all over the room is fading. For a very large room perhaps they still make sense, but for most people it's probably just overkill and takes up space.

I have a nice HK setup, but if I had to do it again today I'd get a Bose soundbar and be done with it. Simple, elegant, and everything is integrated in a functional easy to use package. Very Apple-like. That's what I'd recommend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, but one sound bar will NEVER sound like multiple speakers, front center, front sides, rear sides and sub.

My system (receiver and speakers) is quite small and really not something that stands out when you walk into the room, minus the large curved TV, a single sound bar will never be able to replicate the experience of a real 5.1 or 7.1 system.

 

[SoonerAviator]

The speakers don't need to be giant floor standing behemoths. Even 5.1 through bookshelf style speaks is adequate for most people. The Bose stuff is waaay overpriced for what it is, avoid it like the plague. A decent 5.1 HT receiver is all you need. Make sure it has a few hdmi inputs and maybe one set of component/digital audio inputs and you should be fine. The home theater in a box (HTIB) aren't terrible, but the severely limit future additions that aren't blue ray. A simple l/r/c plus subwoofer will be worlds better than a HTIB and can be easily added/upgraded later if you choose to. Most HT receivers have a night time mode which cuts the low frequencies so you can watch tv without waking up the whole house if needed. Stick with the majors like Pioneer, Yamaha, Onkyo, etc.

 

[josephbelt01]

Yeah, but one sound bar will NEVER sound like multiple speakers, front center, front sides, rear sides and sub.



My system (receiver and speakers) is quite small and really not something that stands out when you walk into the room, minus the large curved TV, a single sound bar will never be able to replicate the experience of a real 5.1 or 7.1 system.

True true. A soundbar won't outperform a true component system, but they do pretty good in the 12x12 rooms give or take a few feet. Take this into consideration though - how loud will the wife let you turn it up after dinner when you want to relax? If your house is anything like mine, kids are asleep at 8:00PM and I can barely hear the words being spoken on TV. The minute I touch the volume I get yelled at! (Thinking I should invest in Bluetooth headphones)


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[JOhnH]

So, we got Directv a couple weeks ago. First time ever in my life paying for tv, but it's only about $15 extra on our AT&T bill, so whatever.

Mistake #1. I finally dumped AT&T because their bill kept creeping up. I would call and argue and negotiate and they would reduce my bill for a few months, but then it would start creeping up again. And it creeps fast.

Conundrum: I thought it would be easy

Mistake #2.

Ok, now with that out of the way, you have received some good advice about the use of the AV receiver. And I concur with the advice to get a harmony smart remote. You still need to know you components and how they interact so you can plug it into your computer and use their software to program it, but it sure makes life easier.

 

[bradg33]

True true. A soundbar won't outperform a true component system, but they do pretty good in the 12x12 rooms give or take a few feet. Take this into consideration though - how loud will the wife let you turn it up after dinner when you want to relax? If your house is anything like mine, kids are asleep at 8:00PM and I can barely hear the words being spoken on TV. The minute I touch the volume I get yelled at! (Thinking I should invest in Bluetooth headphones)


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There are a few good sound bars out there (well, as good as a soundbar can be) but they're rather pricey. The best one I've heard so far is the Bowers and Wilkins one, but it's something like $1800.

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Speakers/Theatre_Solutions/Panorama_2

I had a Vizio soundbar for awhile for a living room TV; it was better than the TV's built-in speakers, but not by much. Only lasted about 18 months before it just stopped working.

 

[SoonerAviator]

Lol, for 1,800 you can get a great 5.1 system with all speakers included. B&W makes good stuff, but there's very few soundbars worth that much money.

 

[bradg33]

Lol, for 1,800 you can get a great 5.1 system with all speakers included. B&W makes good stuff, but there's very few soundbars worth that much money.

You'd be hard-pressed to get a "great" 5.1 system for $1800, but you could get something serviceable. I've got a mid-range Klipsch setup, with only front speakers (left/right/center), and an Onkyo receiver, and I'm probably into it for at least $1800, probably closer to $2k. The surrounds and a sub would cost me probably another $1k, depending on the sub.

If ANY soundbar is worth $1800, it's the B&W, but that's still nutty.

 

[flhrci]

Yup, all goes INTO the receiver.


When I got my samsung curve TV and my samsung receiver/blueray and speakers it was really cool to watch the "smart" system work, everything talks to everything else, I turn the tv off and it powers down everything else too, bunch of other stuff, but it was the easiest home theatre system I've ever set up, plus just one remote

James, is the curve tv worth the money or a gimmick? Have always wondered.

David

 

[SoonerAviator]

I mean $1,800 gets you something great compared to a soundbar, not great in terms of audiophile systems. Klipsch, infinity, Polk audio all make good entry level items which will provide much better sound staging than any soundbar plus sub.

 

[SoonerAviator]

James, is the curve tv worth the money or a gimmick? Have always wondered.

David

I think it's mostly gimmick, personally. I don't see it providing much benefit for most people, unless you have a wide seating area. It wouldn't surprise me if the curved television goes the way of 3D sets.

 

[flhrci]

I think it's mostly gimmick, personally. I don't see it providing much benefit for most people, unless you have a wide seating area. It wouldn't surprise me if the curved television goes the way of 3D sets.

I recently heard the 3D tv's were fading away. Not sure what the next big thing is but 4K is nto catching on quite yet.

David

 

[James331]

James, is the curve tv worth the money or a gimmick? Have always wondered.

David

Well I didn't pay full pop for it, actually my standard samsung TV was making a super faint buzz (like a cap betting ready to check out), so I did a warranty claim on it, didn't want the same model, kept upgrading, kicked in a couple hundred and got the curve


I really like it, but there is a range for how close or far you should be, forget what it is, but for me it's sweet. Also being the flagship it has a gazillion inputs and outputs, super thin, great quality, even it's stand, which I don't use, is all aluminum vs the plastic stuff you find on other TVs.


Curved picture has been around for quite some time, from IMAX to other venues. Now would have I have paid full retail for it, meh, maybe not, but it is nice

 

[SoonerAviator]

I recently heard the 3D tv's were fading away. Not sure what the next big thing is but 4K is nto catching on quite yet.

David

UHD (4K) will be the next standard, but it's not quite ready for prime time yet. The problem is limited bandwidth from satellite / cable providers and little 4K content. Just like 720/1080 it will take a few more years to make it commonplace. OLED is the future though, but it's so expensive at this point for 50"+ sizes.

 

[woodchucker]

Thanks for all of the replies. Trying to digest some of it.

1. AT&T bills have never "crept up" on us. It's always been consistent. Expensive as hell, but consistent. As an educator, I get a 15% discount, but it's still expensive and consistent.

2. I know that everything plugs into the HT receiver. I should have called the DirecTV thing a "box". Although they call it a receiver also, as it receives the satellite signal I suppose.

3. We are using an aged HT DVD packaged setup. It's an older Sony system with the standard 6 speaker setup. The four front and back, center and sub. I don't remember how long we have had this, but it's probably around 10 years old, give or take.

4. Someone mentioned that the packaged receivers which incorporate a Blu-ray player are mostly "junk". Is that true? Are there ones that aren't junk?


** All that being said, would it be best to ditch the old DVD player and just use the Blu-ray player plugged into a dedicated HT receiver? I could keep the speakers and hook them to the new receiver.

** Or would it be better to buy a boxed system that incorporated a DVD player? This would update the speakers and the DVD player. Ours is at least 5 years old.

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

FWIW...

You can do a home theater on a shoestring budget.
I called Star power and they said "Don't waste the time if you aren't in it for at least $10k"

I have built 4 home theaters, each for the price of a nice HD TV.

I don't buy their expensive azz screens. I make a drywall screen and paint it.
If my kid takes a sharpie to it, it s not ruined, I can paint over it. If it happens to their screen, you are out $2500

1st go round, I bought the $400 2 coat paint after I have used 19% grey paint called "silverscreen" from Behr for $20 and could not tell the difference.

5.1 Surround receiver and in-wall speakers from mono price
All speaker / HDMI cables, jacks, etc from monoprice

Optoma 1080p projector for ~$1k

For around 1500 bucks, I have a seriously nice 125 inch theater with great picture and sound.

I think there are people that spend a ton more but most people can't tell the difference. I can't.

Don't let anyone tell you have to spend X to get a good setup.

 

[TazzyTazzy]

...I need to start from scratch, probably with a Blu-ray home theater system?

You lost me at spinning optical drives. What is this blu-ray you speak of? You shouldn't aim lasers into the sky. ;-)

We have no optical media. It's all streaming now. Blu-ray was a crutch to hold people over until they got decent bandwidth

 

[TazzyTazzy]

Don't let anyone tell you have to spend X to get a good setup.

 

[josephbelt01]

You lost me at spinning optical drives. What is this blu-ray you speak of? You shouldn't aim lasers into the sky. ;-)



We have no optical media. It's all streaming now. Blu-ray was a crutch to hold people over until they got decent bandwidth

Yes and no. I mostly do streaming HD Netflix as well, but all HD is not created equal, and Blu Ray is the only way I can think of to get "true HD" picture and sound. The HD content over cable, satellite, and streaming is all heavily compressed. Blu Ray media not nearly as much.

That being said - I only use Blu Ray about twice a year when I can't get streaming.


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[TazzyTazzy]

Yes and no. I mostly do streaming HD Netflix as well, but all HD is not created equal, and Blu Ray is the only way I can think of to get "true HD" picture and sound. The HD content over cable, satellite, and streaming is all heavily compressed. Blu Ray media not nearly as much.

True. But, sickbeard + couch potato + sabnzb + plex = HD TV heaven. Not for the faint of heart to setup though. Once you do you'll never go back.

 

[SoonerAviator]

Someone mentioned that the packaged receivers which incorporate a Blu-ray player are mostly "junk". Is that true? Are there ones that aren't junk?


** All that being said, would it be best to ditch the old DVD player and just use the Blu-ray player plugged into a dedicated HT receiver? I could keep the speakers and hook them to the new receiver.

** Or would it be better to buy a boxed system that incorporated a DVD player? This would update the speakers and the DVD player. Ours is at least 5 years old.

The thing about packaged units is they are a large compromise in sound quality and functionality. They are great for apartments or really small spaces with infrequent use, but for regular use I'd want separate components.


Buy a dedicated HT receiver and use the old one as a standalone Blu Ray. You can get a $500 receiver and $1000 set of 5.1 speakers that will make your old system sound like a toy. Just make sure the receiver has all of the input types you want, as well as the quantity of those inputs. Speakers are personal preference, but take a look at Klipsch, infinity, Polk audio, and definitive technology for an entry level 5.1 speaker combo. There are tons of other options, but those are fairly easy to find and sample in local stores.